FLUX TV – CRT Installation Idea

FLUX TV

A Programmable CRT Television Installation

Vision

Transform a vintage CRT television into a dedicated FLUX playback device that behaves like its own television network.

Instead of television stations, each “channel” corresponds to a different FLUX video.

Channel 001 → FLUX_001
Channel 002 → FLUX_002
Channel 003 → FLUX_003
...
Channel 999 → Future videos

The goal is for visitors to interact with the television exactly as they would a normal TV. Pressing Channel Up or Channel Down changes to another FLUX film, creating the illusion of a living broadcast archive.

Hardware

CRT Television

  • Any composite-input CRT
  • 4:3 aspect ratio
  • Mono or stereo audio

Raspberry Pi 5

Acts as the hidden media computer.

Responsibilities:

  • Stores every FLUX video
  • Boots automatically
  • Outputs 480i video
  • Controls channel navigation
  • Receives remote commands
  • Maintains channel database

HDMI → Composite Adapter

Converts Raspberry Pi HDMI output into standard composite video.

Pi HDMI
      ↓
HDMI → AV Converter
      ↓
Yellow / White / Red
      ↓
CRT Television

IR Receiver

Connected to Raspberry Pi GPIO.

Allows an original TV remote to control the installation.

Supported commands:

  • Channel Up
  • Channel Down
  • Numbers
  • Volume
  • Power (optional)

Software

Channel Database

Example:

001 → FLUX_001.mov
002 → FLUX_002.mov
003 → FLUX_003.mov
004 → FLUX_004.mov
...
033 → FLUX_033.mov

Future videos simply continue.

034
035
036
...

Boot Sequence

Power on.

↓

Raspberry Pi boots automatically.

↓

FLUX TV launches.

↓

Channel 001 begins playing.

No desktop.

No mouse.

No keyboard.

No operating system visible.

Only television.

Controls

Channel Up

001
↓

002
↓

003
↓

004

Channel Down

Reverse direction.

Number Keys

Typing:

0
0
7

Immediately jumps to:

FLUX_007

Idle

If nobody presses anything:

Current channel loops forever.

Optional Effects

Static Transition

Every channel change briefly displays TV static.

Example:

████████████

zzzzzzzzzz

████████████

Duration:

0.2–0.5 seconds.

Then the new film begins.

On-Screen Display

Momentarily display:

CHANNEL 014

FLUX TV

Then fade away after 2 seconds.

CRT Audio Pop

Play a tiny speaker click before playback.

Makes channel changes feel authentic.

Future Features

Random Channel

Remote button:

RANDOM

Jumps to any FLUX volume.

Favorites

Store favorite videos.

Favorite 1

Favorite 2

Favorite 3

Playlist Mode

Continuous broadcast.

001

↓

002

↓

003

↓

004

Loops forever.

Scheduled Programming

Example:

8:00 PM

FLUX_021

8:10 PM

FLUX_022

8:20 PM

FLUX_023

The installation becomes a true television station.

Live Broadcast Mode

A Raspberry Pi on the network streams a live camera feed.

Special channel:

099

LIVE

Archive Mode

Browse every FLUX volume visually.

001

002

003

004

...

Select one and play.

Exhibition Mode

Power is restored after being unplugged.

↓

Television automatically turns on.

↓

Raspberry Pi boots.

↓

FLUX TV launches.

↓

Channel 001 begins.

No setup required.

Runs unattended indefinitely.

Long-Term Vision

FLUX TV becomes a permanent playback platform for the entire archive.

Instead of uploading videos into folders, every completed film is assigned a television channel.

Over time the system evolves into a living broadcast network where the archive can be explored by simply changing channels.

The experience feels less like browsing files on a computer and more like discovering an alternate television station dedicated entirely to the FLUX archive.

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