NostalgiaBox is a standalone retro television appliance designed to recreate the experience of channel surfing through scheduled programmes, adverts, idents and themed channels.
The project targets a dedicated living-room device rather than a general-purpose desktop application. It should boot directly into a remote-controlled TV interface and feel like a real set-top box.
Phase 2 core architecture and the one-channel real-time proof are complete as of 2026-08-09. Phase 3 architecture and implementation planning is in progress; production implementation has not started.
- Dell OptiPlex 7050 Micro
- Intel Core i5-7500T
- 16 GB DDR4 RAM
- 256 GB SSD
- HDMI or DisplayPort video output
- Remote-control input to be selected
- Appliance-style startup with no visible desktop
- Virtual television channels with continuous schedules
- Programme guide and now/next information
- Remote-control-only navigation
- Support for programmes, films, adverts, idents and bumpers
- Authentic channel changes and retro presentation
- Local-first operation without dependence on cloud services
- Maintainable architecture with clear documentation
NostalgiaBox/
├── docs/
│ ├── 01_Project/
│ ├── 02_Architecture/
│ ├── 03_Hardware/
│ ├── 04_Software/
│ ├── 05_UI_UX/
│ ├── 06_Channel_Engine/
│ ├── 07_Media_Library/
│ ├── 08_Remote_Control/
│ ├── 09_Enclosure/
│ ├── 10_Testing/
│ ├── 11_Release/
│ └── ADR/
├── backend/
├── frontend/
├── installer/
├── enclosure/
├── assets/
├── scripts/
├── testing/
└── .github/
The project will use documentation-first planning. Significant technical decisions will be recorded as Architecture Decision Records before implementation begins.
See ROADMAP.md and the documentation index.
Backend setup, local run, test, lint, typing and migration commands are documented in
backend/README.md.