TV Test Card Screensaver (SMPTE Color Bars)
This is a free TV test card screensaver that fills your screen with the classic SMPTE broadcast colour bars — the standard pattern stations once aired when off the air. It runs in your browser with nothing to download, and you press ESC at any time to exit. An optional caption and a live ticking clock can sit on top of the bars.
How the Test Pattern screensaver works
The screen is divided into seven equal vertical columns and three stacked rows, just like a real SMPTE test card. The top row carries the familiar bright bars — grey, yellow, cyan, green, magenta, red and blue — while the thin middle row and the wider bottom row hold the darker reference and black-level patches beneath them.
When the showClock toggle is on, a small black box near the bottom shows a live HH:MM:SS clock in green that updates every second, echoing the on-screen time stamps broadcasters used. Typing into the label field drops a captioned plate in the centre of the bars for a station name or message.
A faint scanlines overlay draws thin dark lines down the whole screen to mimic the look of an old CRT television, completing the retro broadcast feel.
A worked example
With the defaults — an empty label, showClock on and scanlines on — you get clean SMPTE bars with a live clock ticking near the bottom and subtle CRT lines over everything. Type PLEASE STAND BY into the label field to print a caption across the centre, or switch scanlines off for crisp, modern-looking bars.
Settings & tips
- Type any text into the Label field to add a centred caption like a station name or "Please Stand By".
- Turn off Show Clock if you want the bars on their own without the running HH:MM:SS time.
- Toggle Scanlines off for clean, flat colour bars, or leave them on for an authentic CRT look.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a TV test card screensaver?
- It is a screensaver that displays the SMPTE colour bars broadcasters used as a test pattern. The bars let you check a screen's colour and were shown when a station was off the air.
- Is the TV test card screensaver free?
- Yes. It is completely free and runs in your browser with no download, sign-up or install needed.
- How do I exit the test card screensaver?
- Press the ESC key to exit at any time. Moving the mouse or pressing any key also returns you to the page.
- Can I add my own caption to the test pattern?
- Yes. Type text into the Label control and it appears on a plate in the centre of the colour bars, ideal for a station name or a stand-by message.
- Does it show a clock like real broadcast test cards?
- Yes. With Show Clock enabled, a live HH:MM:SS clock ticks near the bottom of the bars, just like the time stamps old test cards displayed.