This simple media player will inspire beginners and invite experimentation

While this would have been considered science fiction just a few decades ago, the ability to watch virtually any movie or TV show on a small panel that fits in your pocket is gone. a problem today. But for an electronics newbie, being able to put together a handheld video player like this would be pretty exciting, and might even serve as a gateway to the larger world of electronics design.

For inspiration, [Alex] from Super Make Something on YouTube turned to the Rickrolling keychain media players we featured in January. Its drive is a bit larger and more capable, with a PCB design that allows the drive to be built in multiple configurations, from audio only to full video, and a LiPo battery. The heart of the player revolves around an ESP32 module, with an audio amplifier and speakers, as well as a 1.8″ LCD screen with SD card slot for storing media files. Add a few controls and switches and a bit of code, and you'll be playing media files in a snap. Build information and demo in the video below.

It may be a simple design, but we think that's the whole point. [Alex] has worked hard to make this build as accessible as possible. All the parts are cheap and readily available, and the skill required to assemble them is minimal – with the possible exception of soldering the ESP32 module, which lacks castellated edge terminals. For a beginner, getting a usable media player by mixing just a few modules would be magical, and the fact that it's still fairly hackable afterwards is just the icing on the cake.