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TV and home video
A one-channel television, a home-video tape and a screen from the future: three looks built around the glowing screens people gathered round at home.
Showing a sample photo.
Your photo
Your photo is processed on this device and is never uploaded.
Ready-made looks
Pick a theme, then a look. Every frame from every theme is also in the Frame list above, grouped by theme.
The glow in the living room
Before streaming, a household had one television and a shelf of tapes. The family gathered round it, a birthday was filmed on a camcorder, and the tape was replayed until it wore thin. The picture was soft, the colours bled and a tracking band crawled across the screen now and then.
This category borrows that glow. The television frame is drawn with a wood panel and a dial, and the home-video look adds the smear and noise of an old tape. The hologram is the odd one out: it is a toy glimpse of a screen from the future.
What suits which photo
Wide, bright pictures with people in them work best on the television and the home video look. The hologram is at its best with a dark background and a strong subject.
What each look does
One-channel TV. Your picture on a wood-panel television with a rabbit-ear antenna and a channel number. Inspired by the single-channel TV era in India. It starts at 1985, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Home video. Smeared colour, scanlines, a tracking glitch and an on-screen PLAY label, like a family tape. It starts at 1988, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Screen of 2100. Cyan scan lines, glitch slices and heads-up display corners. Just for fun, not a prediction. It starts at 2100, and you can drag the slider or change the year to move it earlier or later.
Tips for this theme
- Change the channelThe television frame has a channel text box. Any short number or word works.
- Bright pictures winVHS smears fine detail, so bright, simple scenes read best.
- Go futuristicMove the slider all the way right, or choose the Screen of 2100 look, for the hologram.
- Try a frame on topPick the Instant photo frame while the slider is on 1988 to get a printed still from a family tape.
How to give a photo a VHS or old TV look
Add a bright photo, choose Home video for the tape effect or One-channel TV for the television frame, change the channel text if you like and download the JPG.
Questions
How do I make a VHS photo effect?
Choose Home video, or move the slider to the 1980s. The effect adds colour smear, scanlines, a tracking glitch and a PLAY label, like a worn tape.
Can I put my photo on an old TV?
Yes. The One-channel TV look places your photo on a wood-panel television with an antenna and an editable channel number.
What is the old TV photo effect good for?
It suits profile pictures, party posters and nostalgic posts. Bright, simple pictures read best because the effect softens fine detail.
Is the television a real brand?
No. It is drawn from scratch with no brand name, so nothing here imitates a real manufacturer.
Why does the home video look blurry?
Because tape never had the sharpness of film. The blur and colour smear are part of the look.
Is the 2100 look a prediction?
No. It is a playful hologram-style scan with a grid and glitch effect, just for fun.
Can I use a group photo?
Yes. The home video look handles groups well. The television frame is tighter and suits one to three people.
Does this use AI?
No. Everything is colour grading, noise and frames drawn in your browser.
What happens to the frame when I move the slider?
The frame stays and only the era look changes, so you can compare the television in 1975 and in 1995.
Does my photo leave my device?
No. Everything on this page runs in your browser, and your photo is never uploaded.
Can I change the year printed on the frame?
Yes. Use the Year you were born box, or drag the slider. Dates and captions follow the year you choose, unless you have typed your own text.
Which file formats can I use?
JPG, PNG and WebP work everywhere. HEIC opens in browsers that support it, such as Safari.
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