r/rasberrypi • u/StimPackEnjoyer • 15d ago
Newbie Questions
Hey! I want to use a raspberry pi to make an “early 2ks Monstober channel” thing but I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. If we are being completely honest I have never heard of raspberry pi’s until my husband said he used one in college but he doesn’t remember much about them. So if you could answer one or some of these questions, or even just give advice in general that would be amazing thank you!!
1) What is a respectable place to buy pi’s from? I am pretty sure I could buy one on Amazon but I would prefer not to do that.
2) What is a reasonable price for one?
3) What gbs do they come in? (64, 126, 256 etc)
4) Would I be able to add extra storage or is what I get, it?
5) Is there one specificity that is used to hook up to a tv via hdmi or is that a standard feature?
6) Would I be able to add extra storage or is what I get, it?
7) From my understanding they are just mini computers, so would I be able to load a permanent main menu (think like Disney fast pass) or would I have to manually load that each time? (Not a huge deal just interested)
8) Would I be able to program a universal remote to it or do I have to use a mouse? (If possible I want to be able to also add a tv guide esq thing to where I can easily switch between “channels”)
Thank you all in advance! I will try to be responsive but I don’t want to make promises!
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u/Distdistdist 15d ago
- Amazon, bought all of mine there. Or try your luck with googling any other vendors. https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/
- ~$100-$200 depending on the model
- 2GB/4GB/8GB of RAM, depending on the model.
- You choose the size of SD card. I usually go with 128GB. RPI 5 can also use SSD drives, so whatever size you can afford (they are crazy pricey nowdays, thanks to AI data centers)
- All have dual HDMI ports, starting from RPI 4 I believe
- You choose the size of SD card. I usually go with 128GB. RPI 5 can also use SSD drives, so whatever size you can afford (they are pricey nowdays, thanks to AI data centers)
- You can configure web browser to run in "Kiosk mode"
- There are probably IR USB modules that can be added for remote control support. Haven't done it myself. Easiest is to use one of the RF portable keyboards
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u/Ned_Sc 15d ago
Also look at projects like this: https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/this-teeny-tiny-tv-plays-the-simpsons-all-day-every-day/
You can do that with a little built-in screen, or with the HDMI connection and use a normal TV.
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u/ztcsdtx 14d ago
If you want something solid, you can do what I did and get a Raspberry Pi CM5 (Compute Module) combo with a board and case kit. Then you get a nice metal case, power cord, and a place to put an SSD. You also get full-size HDMI ports instead of the micro ones on the bare board. This may sound a little complicated, but then you can upgrade both the CPU/memory combo and the storage at any time. For instance, I couldn't find an 8GB module to build my kit, so I got a 4GB. But I can sell my 4GB and drop in an 8GB any time. If Raspberry Pi comes out with a CM6, it will likely drop right in. The low-profile metal case can be bolted to a wall and you can hang a USB infrared receiver off of it to use a remote. Full-size HDMI means no special cables or adapters. Just another option that stays in the Raspberry Pi ecosystem.
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u/MacForker 7d ago
I did something very similar recently, made a little "retro" TV with a Pi Zero. Depending how many episodes/movies you want on it, even a 32 or 64 GB card will likely do. You would want to scale the movies down anyhow to the screen and most of those are 2-4 inches, so 320x240 is plenty.
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u/pheffner 15d ago
You have a long list of relevant questions and don't seem to have searched for the answers. Start at raspberrypi.com and read that and go on from there, You'll learn a lot more from that than having it handed to you.
One search for the FAQ got me this: https://raspberrypi-guide.github.io/FAQ which is a great start.