A new streaming device with the heart, soul and quality of UHF television.
This project's focus is to product a receiver akin to the old "cable box" which tunes-in quality Peertube broadcasts. The goal is to provide a way to experience the ease and comfort of free, analog, over-the-air TV in the digital age.
To this end the "user inteface" is simple: a channel knob. The knob cycles through the avaliable channels with the goal of changing channels as quickly as you can turn the knob.
There's now two pieces of UHF+ hardware: Type 1 and Type 2.
Both devices are based on a single-board computer (currently Raspberry Pi 3 Model A) and a SP12T switch to select channels. Type-specific hardware is desribed in detail below.
Type 1 is the original set-top-box design intended for use with a standard television.
The prototype shown here was made from an off-the-shelf cable box, an old Raspberry Pi and a handmade power supply. After experimentation it was found to be unsatisfying from both a technical and aesthetic perspective. A new design based on a custom 3D-printed case is underway and will share the same mechanical channel control as the Type 2.
Type 2 is a stand-alone television designed for UHF+. Type 2 incorporates the same features of Type 1 in the form of a small portable television set. The design of this set is based off of the design we created for an art project and carries-on with the form and function of a traditional television experience.
The firmware should be mostly invisible to the viewer, but there will be a need to configure a few things. Right now the plan for that is to provide a USB port where a keyboard can be attached, and when a keyboard is detected the device will launch into a configuration menu. I have a few other ideas for this but right now this is my favorite, because it also means that the device could be used as a personal computer akin to the old 8-bit micros attached to televisions in the 1980's.
vlc https://beaverdamcommunity.tv/static/streaming-playlists/hls/b9a8ef0e-c3a3-4e95-bafc-99bc2a955b90/master.m3u8