1980s Vintage Minitel Computer Repurposed as a Media Player

Who wouldn’t want to watch their favorite old shows on a vintage mini computer 😂.

I repurposed this as a media player and digital photo frame, and I’m delighted with how it turned out.

The Minitel 1 was an early French online terminal from the early 1980s, made by Telic Alcatel and a few other manufacturers across France. Before the internet took over, people used these to check directories, send messages and access online services.

This unit has been cleaned up, restored, and fitted with modern hardware so it can loop videos, display photo slideshows, or sit on a shelf looking like the coolest piece of retro tech in the room.

Dimensions: approx 26 cm wide, 23 cm deep, and 18 cm high — small enough for a desk, but chunky enough to have that proper vintage presence.

I love bringing these old machines back to life in a new way.