Raspberry Pi Zero W

The Raspberry Pi Zero W made sense in the Mini Retro TV Gift Build because space was tight and the whole project depended on keeping the electronics small. The case was tiny, but it still needed to play video loops, run from USB power, and fit around the screen and real volume control.

For that job, the Zero W was the right kind of board. It was small enough to tuck into the printed TV body, but capable enough to make the gift feel like a working little video player instead of a static prop.

It helped keep the charm of the build intact: a tiny retro TV on the outside, with enough real electronics inside to make the screen do something personal.