Channel-surf the past now by clicking on any of the TV sets above!
INTRODUCTION
What is this?
Hey there and welcome to MyRetroTVs! Get ready to step back in time and relive the nostalgia of the past decades through these virtual televisions.
I've created these sites as a tribute to the beloved pop culture of the bygone eras, offering you the vintage experience of flipping through TV channels from a specific time period.
Want to learn more about the features? Keep reading below! Or, if you're ready to immerse yourself in the world of retro TV, simply click on one of the 📺 images above to start watching now!
BASIC CONTROLS
Help Screen
Click on the TV remote's MENU button to see a quick overview of available keyboard shortcuts. Please note that you can also interact directly with the television itself to access features.
Keyboard shortcut: H
Powering on and off
Click the POWER button on the remote control to turn on and off the TV set.
Keyboard shortcut: SPACE BAR
Volume Control
Click the VOL -/VOL + buttons on the remote control to adjust the volume.
Keyboard shortcuts:
-/+ : Adjust volume
M : Toggle on/off sound effects
Channel Surfing
Click the CH â–¼/CH â–² buttons to change channels. Of course, you can also interact with the TV itself.
Keyboard shortcuts:
⇦ or ⇩ : Previous channel
⇨ or ⇧ : Next channel
0-9 : Jump to decade
Filtering content
The filter panel to the right-side of the TV allows you directly select the content you wish to view. For example, if you just want to peruse music videos, click the None option on the filter panel, and then select the Music checkbox. These changes will take effect as soon as you change the channel.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Vintage Picture Noise
You can cycle through 5 levels of picture noise: None, 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x
Keyboard shortcut: N ( Rotates through the five static settings )
Glow Effect
The colorful animated glow you see surrounding the TV tube is added for realism, though some viewers may find it distracting.
Keyboard shortcut: G ( Toggles setting )
Black & White Mode
On the 70's TV, you can enable or disable color by clicking on theB/W button.
Keyboard shortcut: B ( Toggles setting )
Color Scheme
On the My70sTV site, you can configure the color-scheme to be green or orange by clicking on the ★ button. This only modifies the TV scene and has no effect on video playback itself.
Keyboard shortcut: C ( Changes color )
TV Static Transition Overlay / Noise
When changing channels on a TV, you'll normally see the static transition shown above. However, on the modernized 2000's TV, you can disable this feature if desired. On older TVs, this cheat will primarily mute the static noise.
Keyboard shortcut: O
Watch current clip on YouTube
If you'd like more direct control on the current clip you're watching (i.e. pause, rewind, fast-forward), press the Y key to open it in a separate browser window, where YouTube will resume playback. The TV itself will power automatically off to avoid audio interference.
VIEWING MODES
Full-screen Mode
When full-screen mode is enabled, the video is resized to fit the entire page.
Keyboard shortcut: F (Toggle setting)
Keyboard shortcut: Esc ( Exits full-screen mode )
Playlist Mode
By default, each channel starts at a random time and loops its content. For those viewers not interested in this classic channel-surfing experience, there is another option called Playlist Mode. When enabled , all channels will play from the beginning each time. When a channel ends playback, the next channel will automatically be selected.
Keyboard shortcut: P ( Toggles setting )
Shuffle Mode
Normally, changing the channel will take you linearly through the content year-by-year. However, if you activate Shuffle Mode this progression is completely randomized, so channel-changing may jump you automatically to a different year.
Keyboard shortcut: S ( Toggles setting )
FEEDBACK
See anything missing? You can help me improve this project by suggesting YouTube video content. To do so, click on the icon button and then follow the instructions. ( I try to update the site at least once a week based on feedback )
To improve the chances of your suggested clip getting added, please avoid any of the following content:
- Clips with prominent and persistent banner overlays
- Anachronisms ( material that doesn't match the designated year ) Ex: modern-day voice-overs or disjointed segments
- Clips that are restricted to specific viewing regions
- Unquestionably vulgar content Home video content captured from a Camcorder
Note: You may notice that the TV sites skew mostly towards English-speaking content (except for music.) Part of that is intentional since my original goal was to make this a vintage time capsule that authentically reflects my own TV viewing past. My hope though is to eventually scale the sites so that users can more easily craft their own localized viewing experiences.
Also, during your nostalgic viewing experience if you happen to encounter any clip that is tagged with an improper year/category ( or should just be removed ), then click on the black exclamation button icon below ( Note: This option is only available while the TV is on )
TROUBLESHOOTING
Issue: All I see is static
Some users have reported that the site doesn't work within embedded apps such as RedditIsFun
Try launching instead from a standard browser (Ex: Chrome, Brave, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
Issue: The site never fully loads
Try refreshing your browser to make sure you have the most recent website changes
On Windows: Ctrl+R
On Mac: Command+R
Make sure you don't have any special YouTube browser extensions enabled which may interfere with the site's functionality. Some users have reported conflicts with the following extensions:
SmartVideo for YouTube
YouTube Options
Issue: Something else wrong?
If you are still encountering issues and have tried the recommendations above, then please leave a comment in the suggestion box (available on either of the TV sites.) Preferrably include any details you can which might be helpful (device, web browser, version, etc.)