The Raspberry Pi community is well-known for its love of retro gaming with platforms like RetroPie and Lakka. But this week, a creator named Tate (known on Reddit T8er8) reminded us you can also bring retro hardware to the table. Tate shared a Pi project with an old CRT set up to loop episodes of the web series "Interface."
If you want to play retro games or watch videos with a 4:3 aspect ratio, this sort of project is perfect. The CRT TV does a lot to bring back the retro feel many makers crave. However, it's not as easy to set up with newer Pi models, such as the Raspberry Pi 4.
Tate used an older Raspberry Pi model for this project. The CRT connection is made using a composite port on the Raspberry Pi—composite output is automatically disabled on the Pi 4.
The significance of a project like this is in the versatility. Tate used this set-up to loop episodes of "Interface" using Pi Video Looper from Adafruit. But it wouldn't be difficult to use this hardware configuration to make an authentic-looking retro gaming rig or opt for episodes of your favorite 4:3 TV show or movie instead.
You can check out the full post on Reddit here. Tate did a great job explaining the installation process and how to set up Pi Video Looper to show a continuous stream of whatever videos you like. Follow T8er8 on Reddit for more updates on this retro Raspberry Pi setup.
