$228,374 raised out of $15,000
Overview
Platform
Indiegogo
Backers
7
Start date
Nov 16, 2022
Close date
Nov 17, 2022
Concept

Showcase your fun sized moments!

Story

  • The TinyTV® is the cutest way to watch your favorite videos and full length movies
  • The TinyTV® 2 and TinyTV® Mini are the next generation TinyTVs from TinyCircuits
  • Easily load your own videos onto your TinyTV over USB-C
  • Fully preassembled and preloaded with videos – just turn on and start watching
  • Stream videos from a connected computer over USB-C
  • Available in both a classic TV color or clear plastic!  Note: Production cases are high quality injection molded plastic, all pictures show 3D printed cases.  

Three years ago we came out with the TinyTV DIY Kit – a fun project kit to make your own small TV set.  It’s been one of our most popular products for years, so we’ve decided to make a newer, better TV – The TinyTV® 2!  More screen resolution, rotary knobs, remote control support, USB-C and more.  To push the envelope as far as possible, we created a TinyTV that is insanely small – the grape sized TinyTV® Mini!

The TinyTV comes preloaded with videos and works right out of the box – but the fun comes when you load your own videos.  Just plug your TinyTV into your computer via USB and easily load your favorite videos.  Adjust the volume and surf between channels by turning the knobs on the TinyTV 2, or top buttons on the TinyTV Mini, or by using the Tiny Remote control.

 

  • Very Tiny – fits in the palm of your hand
  • Has a beautifully bright IPS TFT display   
  • Two rotary knobs to control channel and volume selections
  • Sturdy plastic case with a built in rechargeable battery (available in color or clear)
  • Infrared remote control receiver
  • Front facing speaker
  • Built-in 8GB microSD card to store over 10 hours of video
  • Preloaded with videos, just turn on and start watching
  • Easily load your own videos to your TinyTV 2 over USB-C

 

  • Insanely Tiny – slightly larger than a US Quarter
  • Has a beautifully bright OLED display
  • Power, Channel and Volume buttons on the top of the case
  • Sturdy plastic case with a built in rechargeable battery (available in color or clear)
  • Infrared remote control receiver
  • Internal Speaker
  • Built-in 8GB microSD card to store over 40 hours of video
  • Preloaded with videos, just turn on and start watching
  • Easily load your own videos to your TinyTV Mini over USB-C

 

The TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini are simple to load with your own videos and content. Load your favorite movies, TikToks or cat videos! When you plug in your TinyTV 2 or TinyTV Mini to your computer via USB, it will appear as a standard USB drive that you can add or remove files from.

We offer an easy to use video converter that can be used on Windows or Mac to convert standard video types (like MP4s) to files that can be played on the TinyTVs. You can also customize effects like static and video looping easily from this program. Each video loaded will appear as a “channel” that you can switch to, using the rotary knob on the TinyTV 2 or one of the top buttons on the TinyTV Mini, or using the IR remote control.  

 

Stream video to your TinyTV 2 or TinyTV Mini from your computer over USB-C, using our free software.  This will mirror what is being shown on your computer screen directly onto your TinyTV!

 

TinyTV 2 Tech Specs

  • Dimensions: 47.6mm x 36.6mm x 25.9mm (1.9″ x 1.4″ x 1.0″)
  • Display: IPS TFT 65K Color, 26mm (1.0″), 216×135 pixels
  • Battery: Li-Polymer 3.7V, 150mAh, about 2 hours of video playback 
  • Storage: Built in 8GB, about 10 hours of video playback
  • Audio: 16x9mm (0.6″ x 0.4″) front facing speaker
  • Inputs: Power Button, 2 rotary knobs for channel and volume control
  • Remote: Can be controlled by an Infrared (IR) remote control
  • Processor: Raspberry Pi RP2040 Processor
  • Connectivity:  USB-C for uploading and battery charging

 

TinyTV Mini Tech Specs

  • Dimensions: 26.3mm x 23.8mm x 21.9mm (1.0″ x 0.94″ x 0.86″)
  • Display: 65K Color OLED, 15.2mm (0.6″), 64×64 pixels
  • Battery: Li-Polymer 3.7V, 50mAh, about 1 hour of video playback 
  • Storage: Built in 8GB, about 40 hours of video playback
  • Audio: Internal speaker
  • Inputs: Power Button, Volume button, Channel button on the top of the unit
  • Remote: Can be controlled by an Infrared (IR) remote control
  • Processor: Raspberry Pi RP2040 Processor
  • Connectivity: USB-C for uploading and battery charging 

 

Note: The production units will have an injection molded plastic case – all pictures are shown with 3D printed cases. 

 

TinyTV 2 

At the base level your TinyTV 2 comes in a classic black case with gray front. 

Note: The Tiny Remote and USB-C cable are not included at this level, but are available as add-ons.

 

TinyTV Mini 

At the base level your TinyTV Mini comes in a classic all-black case.  

Note: The Tiny Remote and USB-C cable are not included at this level, but are available as add-ons.

 

TinyTV 2 – Clear

At the $59 level – your TinyTV 2 comes in a clear case where you can see the internals of the TinyTV 2.  

Note: The Tiny Remote and USB-C cable are not included at this level, but are available as add-ons

 

TinyTV Mini – Clear

At the $59 level – your TinyTV Mini comes in a clear case where you can see the internals of the TinyTV Mini.  

Note: The Tiny Remote and USB-C cable are not included at this level, but are available as add-ons.

 

Tiny Remote

A tiny infrared (IR) remote control to control your TinyTV 2 or TinyTV Mini (the same remote works with both). Turn the power on / off, change the channel and control the volume remotely with this remote.

Add-on price: $10.  Included in the Multipack Levels

 

USB-C Cable

Your TinyTV 2 or TinyTV Mini can be charged and videos uploaded over a USB-C cable. You can use one of your own, or we will have these as add-ons if you need to add one to your reward.

Add-on price: $5

 

Who’s Talking About Us?

“Thank you TinyCircuits for making awesome products!” – Tested.com

 

Express.uk – World’s ‘Tiniest Television’ with just a 64×64 pixel screen goes on sale

New Atlas – Fully functional TinyTV 2 takes “smaller is better” to a crazy extreme

Hackster – TinyCircuits’ TinyTV Miniaturizes Your Favorite Videos

Cool Things – Forget Big Screens, The TinyCircuits TinyTV 2 Gives You A Full-Color One-Inch Screen

Golem.de – Neuer Mini-Fernseher ist so groß wie eine Weintraube (German)

Gizmodo Japan – Small and cute!

 

We’ve shared early prototype models of the TinyTV 2 with a number of our fans online who have reviewed these via TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.  Below are pics and links to of them using their TinyTVs!

 

We are TinyCircuits and we specialize in making small electronics for makers and hobbyists. In 2012 we launched the TinyDuino project on Kickstarter which greatly exceeded our expectations (and raised about 1100% of the goal). This let us set up our own manufacturing operation in Akron, OH, where we assemble, test, and ship all of our products.

I guess you could say we’ve done this a few times. In 2014 we launched the TinyScreen on Kickstarter, which raised over $128,000. In 2015 we launched the Tiny Arcade on Kickstarter, which raised over $75,000. Both were shipped out completely in under 6 months. In 2019 we launched our Wireling Platform on Kickstarter, even tinier boards that remove the hassle of breadboarding so that you can prototype projects fast and easy. Wireling raised over $34,000.

 

And in 2021 we launched our most successful campaign – Thumby – The Tiny Playable Keychain, which raised close to $300,000 between the Kickstarter and follow-up campaign.  We built and shipped over 10,000 Thumbys as part of this in the spring of 2022, all built in our Akron, Ohio facility.

 

Outside of our Kickstarter campaigns, we’ve released over 100 new products (mostly add-ons for the TinyDuino and Wireling platform), learned a tremendous amount about manufacturing quality and reliable products, and have fine-tuned our production process. Thanks to this amazing Maker community we’ve manufactured and shipped out over 150,000 boards since starting operations in 2012 to thousands of customers in 60+ countries.

 

TinyCircuits is a supporter of open-source hardware and software and believes collaboration leads to faster innovation. By backing this campaign you too support open-source hardware and software. Our TinyDuino, TinyLily, and Wireling products are all open-source and released under the Creative Commons Share-Alike 3.0 License. We are a proud supporter of the Open Source Hardware Association and have helped sponsor the Open Hardware Summit since 2013.

 

The TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini are the latest in family of the TinyTV products, which began as a hobby project over five years ago using the TinyCircuits TinyDuino family. Yashusi Enari, a TinyCircuits customer in Tokyo, Japan, discovered the TinyScreen+ and began creating his own tiny miniatures with these tiny screens.  One of these projects was a retro miniature 3D printed television set, which he called the MAME-TV (Mame translates to “Bean” in English). 

 

The project turned out so well and impressed his friends, that Yashusi decided to start making more of these to sell to other miniature enthusiasts at events like Maker Faire Tokyo.  He created a company named Panda Precision to do this, and started to collaborate with us at TinyCircuits to improve the kit.  He continued to 3D print and hand build all of the MAME-TVs in his Tokyo apartment, and it became increasingly popular where he had difficulty keeping up with demand.

Sadly, Yashusi was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2018 and began undergoing intensive treatment, which made it difficult to continue with his project that he was so passionate about.  In early 2019, a tumor was found in his brain, and he asked us to continue this project on his behalf. 

We then worked together on an improved version of the MAME-TV, which could scale up and be made available to more people – this work lead to the TinyTV DIY Kit.

Our friend Yashusi Enari passed away on May 1st, 2019.  We miss him, and dedicate this project to his memory.

The MAME-TV project still lives on through Yashusi’s friend Guru Hoshi in Japan, who continues making these amazing custom MAME-TVs and continuing this project here.

 

TinyTV DIY Kit

Launched in late 2019, the TinyTV DIY Kit allowed people to create their own TinyTV, load their own videos, and paint the TV to look however they wanted.  Built upon the TinyCircuits TinyDuino family, this kit has been extremely popular and well received.  

 

While the kit aspect of this is fun for a lot of people, we did hear from others who would prefer it already assembled, and easier to load their own videos on.  So we began working on the next generation TinyTV platform which we are launching as the TinyTV2 and TinyTV Mini.

 

TinyTV Comparison

 

Timeline

  • Spring 2017: Yasushi Enari creates the first prototype of the MAME-TV in Japan using the TinyCircuits TinyScreen+.  Yasushi contacts TinyCircuits to collaborate.
  • 2017 – 2018: Yasushi hand makes MAME-TVs in Japan and sells to other hobbyists at conventions and it is quite popular and well received.
  • Jan 2019: Yasushi Enari is hospitalized with brain tumor and begins intensive treatment.  We begin working on creating the TinyTV DIY Kit with him.
  • May 1, 2019: Yasushi Enari passes away in Tokyo
  • Fall 2019: The TinyCircuits TinyTV DIY Kit is released 
  • April 2022: Completed redesign using the Raspberry Pi Pico processor, the RP2040
  • Summer 2022: Testing and Prototyping
  • Sept 2022: TinyTV 2 Beta units sent out to testers
  • Oct 2022: Crowdfunding Campaign Begins
  • Jan 2023: Start mass production of electronics and plastic
  • Spring 2023: Shipping TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Minis to all Kickstarter & Indiegogo Backers

 

Funding / Budget

By backing this campaign, you support open-source hardware and software.  The good news is we’ve done most of the hard work – all hardware and software designs are complete. All that’s left to do is the final production, and your funding helps us with this process. $15,000 will help us purchase components in bulk, keep cost down, and offer the TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini at a low price.

With your support, we’ll be able to start production and get these out to you quickly. Your contribution will help to fund:

  • Production tooling & test fixtures
  • Large production component ordering
  • Production of the boards

 

Spread the Word

Thank you for your support! We hope you love the TinyTV 2 and TinyTV Mini as much as we do!  We would be forever in your debt if you would share with your friends to help this project come to life!

Download the Press Kit Where you can find high resolution images, tech specs, and content for your articles.

Share on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

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