---
name: "xanalogtv"
section: "6"
platform: "linux"
package: "xscreensaver"
version: "6.15-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/xanalogtv"
---

# xanalogtv(6)

Simulate reception on an old analog TV set

## NAME

xanalogtv - Simulate reception on an old analog TV set

## SYNOPSIS

**xanalogtv** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\]\[--install\] \[--visual *visual*\]  \[--cycle\] \[--no-cycle\] \[--fps\]

## DESCRIPTION

*xanalogtv* shows a simulation of an old TV set showing test patterns and any other images you have provided. It reproduces a wide range of TV reception bummage: snow, bloom, ghosting, and loss of vertical and horizontal sync. It also simulates the TV warming up. It will cycle through 12 channels, some with images you give it, and some with color bars or nothing but static.

The images that it uses will be grabbed from the portion of the screen underlying the window, or from the system's video input, or from a random file on disk, as indicated by the *grabDesktopImages*, *grabVideoFrames*, and *chooseRandomImages* options in the *~/.xscreensaver* file; see [**xscreensaver-settings**(1)](/xscreensaver-settings/1.md) for more details. It looks best with a video input or your digital photo collection.

## OPTIONS

*xanalogtv* accepts the following options:

- **--window**

  Draw on a newly-created window.  This is the default.

- **--root**

  Draw on the root window.

- **--window-id *number***

  Draw on the specified window.

- **--install**

  Install a private colormap for the window.

- **--visual *visual***

  Specify which visual to use.  Legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual.

- **--fps**

  Display the current frame rate and CPU load.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **DISPLAY**

  to get the default host and display number.

- **XENVIRONMENT**

  to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE\_MANAGER property.

- **XSCREENSAVER\_WINDOW**

  The window ID to use with *--root*.

## X RESOURCES

Notable X resources supported include the following which correspond to standard TV controls: **analogTVTint**, **analogTVColor**, **analogTVBrightness**, and **analogTVContrast**. They range from 0 to 100, except for tint which is an angle  between -180 and +180.

## SEE ALSO

**X**(1), **xteevee**(6), [**apple2**(6)](/apple2/6.md), [**bsod**(6)](/bsod/6.md), [**xscreensaver**(1)](/xscreensaver/1.md), [**xscreensaver-settings**(1)](/xscreensaver-settings/1.md), [**xscreensaver-getimage**(6)](/xscreensaver-getimage/6.md)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2003 by Trevor Blackwell.  Permission to use, copy, modify,  distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is  hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear  in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation.  No representations are made about the  suitability of this software for any purpose.  It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

## AUTHOR

Trevor Blackwell \<tlb@tlb.org\>