FAQ

FAQ

• Why not Kodi, LibreELEC or OSMC?
  • They are all excellent, and LibreELEC is the closest relative: a system that boots straight into a media centre. OSD/OS is simpler on purpose, with far fewer options, and it looks and works like the on-screen display of a VCR from the 80s and 90s, on a CRT, with a remote.
  • 240-MP began the same way. In Anthony's words: "I've used all of those distros and they are all excellent but I also like making things and wanted something simpler without as many options. Something that felt like a VCR from my youth."
• Should I use OSD/OS instead of Kodi, LibreELEC or OSMC?
  • Those are feature rich, run on a great many devices and have big, supportive teams behind them. OSD/OS is a small project for a niche: old TVs, a remote and a VCR's look.
  • If that is what you are after, OSD/OS is a lot of fun and you are welcome to try it. Otherwise, the well known distros are the better door.
• Will this work on other Raspberry Pi models? (like the 5, 2 zero, etc...)
  • OSD/OS is tested on a Raspberry Pi 4 and a Raspberry Pi 5 (8 GB): the Pi 4 as a TV, the Pi 5 in a JAMMA arcade cabinet, and LAN Play between the two. A Pi 5 boots differently and has no AV jack (composite comes from its TV pads, sound over HDMI or a USB card); OSD/OS knows both, and Supported hardware says what changes. A Pi 3B or 3B+ works too, with the caveats listed there.
  • On any other model the short answer is "we don't know": please try it and tell us in an issue whether it works.
• Where does the name "OSD/OS" come from?
  • OSD is the on-screen display: the menu a VCR or a TV draws over the picture, which is all this app ever shows. OS because on a Raspberry Pi it can be the whole system (The OSD/OS image).
  • It started as 240-MP. 240 had a double meaning referring to the longest VHS tape length and love for CRT TVs as a display type, and MP a double meaning of "Media Player" and a play on the "SP/LP/EP/SLP" terminology that was used to refer to the recording quality for VHS recordings. OSD/OS takes over what 240-MP set up: on its first start it moves 240-MP's data folder, with its settings, lists and NFC cards, over to its own; the installer replaces a 240-MP install; and scripts and launch settings under the old names (MP240_…) still work.
• Does it output at 240p resolution?
  • The UI scales based on the OS config and output cables you are using.
  • For example, on a CRT with the CRT configs OSD/OS comes with (Settings → Display Output on the image, see Display Output, or config.txt from Installation), the menus and the videos go out at 480i (NTSC) or 576i (PAL). A Pi 4's SCART RGB has 240p and 288p too.
• Does OSD/OS support RGB out instead of composite?
  • Yes. On the OSD/OS image, Settings → Display Output offers SCART RGB on a Pi 4 or Pi 5, through a cable on the GPIO pins (a resistor DAC, as on the VGA666 board); Display Output has the wiring. So far it is untested on hardware: should it show nothing, the old output comes back by itself.
  • OSD/OS draws to whatever output the system is set up for, so an RGB or VGA add-on board set up in config.txt works too, from the moment it boots. 240-MP's users share the RGB setups that work for them in its discussion.
• Does OSD/OS work over HDMI on a modern television too?
  • Yes! The UI was built to scale on modern televisions over HDMI as well.
  • HDMI is the OSD/OS image's default (Settings → Display Output switches back to it), or use the HDMI config.txt in Installation, and it outputs at the right resolution for a modern TV.
• Does OSD/OS support bluetooth keyboards/remotes/controllers?
  • Yes. On Linux (a Raspberry Pi included) pair them in Settings → Bluetooth: SEARCH, then select the device. A keyboard shows a code on screen to type on it. Once paired, a device comes back by itself after a restart, and OSD/OS sees it as it would a USB one. Controls has the details.
  • On a Mac, pair them in the Mac's own Bluetooth settings.
• Can I join a Wi-Fi network from OSD/OS?
  • Yes, on Linux: Settings → Wi-Fi lists the networks within reach; select one and type its password on the on-screen keyboard. Wi-Fi stays off until the country is set, which the page asks for first. On the OSD/OS image it needs an image, or an install.sh run, from the version that brought it (Settings → Wi-Fi).
  • On a Mac, join networks in the Mac's own settings.