u/ambanmba

Version 2.6 just dropped on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/analog-tv-simulator/id6761325301

Problem: You want the most realistic simulation of AnalogTV possible for nostalgia, video effects, retro gaming, watching retro video or even just to learn how AnalogTV worked. A simulation that includes all major standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM) as well as more esoteric standards like HD-MAC, MUSE or even the formats used on the Apollo Lunar Missions. A simulation that also includes pre-electronic era Mechanical TV.

Comparison: There is nothing quite as comprehensive as this app, but there are some excellent simulators such as https://ntsc.rs/ and various filter apps including https://myretromac.app/

NTSC-RS is limited in the formats it supports and the effects are not *strictly* in the signal domain, it relies on 2D shaders for some of the effects. Most other apps (including myretromac) are pixel domain shaders that add effects (scan lines, blurring, etc.) over the top of existing video. AnalogTV operates fully in the 1D signal domain. Every effect emerges from the simulation of the physics, electronics and even the chemistry of the phosphors. The complete technical detail is available here: https://analogtv.net/ including an honest assessment of the limitations of this type of simulation.

Pricing: US$4.99. All features except NDI. No subscription. No ads. There is an IAP for NDI support which is something that would be mostly for professional use to integrate with external equipment.

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/analog-tv-simulator/id6761325301

The latest version has incorporated tons of feedback since the last time I shared it in this forum. It also includes some additional features such as Mechanical TV, Apollo TV and tons of additional Easter Eggs and controls like Pay TV scrambling, Mismatched Decoding (PAL in NTSC), VHS Copy Protection, new Cameras, Text Overlays, Integrated retro games, etc.

This is a labor of love rather than a business, so the price is low to reflect that. The funds are used to purchase original documents (many behind paywalls that have to be purchased) or even original equipment to test on real hardware. The level of obsession into the detail is ridiculous, for example the camcorder titling effects are simulating the Fujitsu MB88303 chip from its technical data sheet and verified with an actual Panasonic PK-958 in our lab.

AI Disclosure: XCode natively includes support for AI and it is part of the IDE to help with certain coding tasks, testing, test cases, etc. The app itself is created from the original source documents as well as physical access to original period equipment (all of which are cited on https://analogtv.net/ ). AI can't directly play with the original equipment (yet). The web site is built using Claude with access to the code repository and is updated when features are released. The app icon is generated by AI.

Answer: You want a way to store information on your device securely in a way that resists even the most sophisticated attacker. GeoLocker uses a range of techniques to resist on-device tampering, forensic tools and even duress/coercion. Read below for how this is done.

Better: Most secure storage tools / password managers / "secret lockers" have inherent weaknesses in their design. They need cloud connections and/or they are subject to an attacker forcing you to reveal your password and/or they are susceptible to forensic tools. They also cost money.

Cost: Free, No ads, No Subscription, No Cloud, No AI, No ongoing costs of any kind. All features are available for free. There is an in-app purchase optionally if you want to buy me a coffee. This doesn't unlock any features, it's purely a gift.

All the technical details of why I believe this app is the most resistant locker out there are in the settings page of the app or on the app site: https://geolocker.app/

TL;DR:

* Lockers are tied to a physical location - you would need GPS spoofing to overcome this and even then, without knowing the locations you cannot unlock.

* Decoy lockers can auto-wipe the real lockers - an attacker will never know if they are accessing the real locker

* The locker space is a large flat file of random data (like Veracrypt) - This means that the locker takes up the same amount of space when full or empty. There is no way to know what (if anything) is even in there.

* By design there are feature limitations that don't compromise on security and plausible deniability:

1. You cannot sync across devices;
2. There is no password recovery process, if you forget the credentials/location you cannot access the data;
3. If you change the biometrics on your phone (add/remove fingerprints, etc) the data is lost;
4. If you need to re-size the master container, all your data is lost;
5. If you lose your phone, the data is lost.

App Store Download: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/geo-locker/id6749894091

A real-life identity: Alastair Bor - https://www.ambor.com/ (established originally in 1987)
Real contact details: https://www.ambor.com/contact/contact

Web Site: https://geolocker.app/
Privacy Policy: https://geolocker.app/geolocker_privacy_policy.html
Terms of Service: https://geolocker.app/terms-of-service.html

Feedback is very welcome

I've got 3 apps that I use with my Analogue watches that I am not affiliated with but have been using for many years.

1. Twixt: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/twixt-time/id541686012
   This app lets you take periodic photos of your watch or clock and will let you monitor accuracy drift over time. By taking ultra-precise measurements of the watch face it can determine the time shown versus the GPS-governed time on the phone.

2. Kello: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/kello/id380539253
   This app is by the same developer and instead of using the camera, it uses the microphone to listen to the ticking of a clock. It then measures the time between each tick to estimate the accuracy of the clock.

3. Watch Tuner Timegrapher: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/watch-tuner-timegrapher/id991367080
   This app is from a different developer and uses the same technique as Kello (the microphone to listen to ticks) but then allows you to graph it and perform further analysis with the audio such as beat error and amplitude.

Are there any other good ones out there?

If you go to Apps & Purchase History > Your Apps > All, what's the oldest one there if you scroll to the bottom.

For me it's iTunes Remote (10 Jul 2008), but that's an Apple App.: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/itunes-remote/id284417350

My oldest non-Apple app is eBay online shopping & selling (11 Jul 2008): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ebay-online-shopping-selling/id282614216

What's the oldest /idxxxx that's still out there?

Mods: Delete if inappropriate, but I think there might be interest here.

I recently added the Apollo cameras to the full signal chain simulation of AnalogTV. Refer the details here: https://analogtv.net/#apollo (click on each tile there to expand)

The simulation covers SSTV Mono (Apollo 7-11) and Field Sequential Colour (Apollo 10+) as well as the SEC and SIT Vidicon tubes and the ground-based Scan Converter. It's built using the original NASA, RCA and Westinghouse reference documents and then it's fed through the full signal chain. This is 100% signal domain simulation, not a "Filter" or "Pixel Shader" that just overlays a 'look' over existing video. The scan lines are captured and drawn at the correct frame rates, etc. The conversion from 320 line, 10 fps SSTV to NTSC is done per the original scan converter documentation.

The example above is footage from yesterday at the Sydney Opera House taken on my iPhone and then fed through the simulation.

This is the first release with the Apollo TV formats and it still needs some tweaking. I was just a wee lad when these were originally sent from Apollo so I don't remember seeing them live. Wondering if people who remember the live feed (without post-processing) feel this is close?

Using the https://analogtv.net app on my phone for that retro look.

Answer (what problem it solves): There are many locker apps out there to securely store information on your phone but Geo Locker solves the problem of plausible deniability. Imagine you are requested/forced to unlock your locker under duress (at gunpoint, at an international border, etc) - GeoLocker lets you unlock a locker without divulging that there are other lockers in the app. You keep one or more throwaway lockers with less sensitive info, but your deepest and darkest secrets are stored invisibly in the app with no way to retrieve them. In the app go to settings (Top Right) and scroll down and it goes into the gory detail of how this is done. This detail is also on the web site: https://geolocker.app/

Better (why it beats named alternatives): Some locker apps (like 1Password) have a travel mode, but they work by deleting the information prior to travel. They also require you to keep a copy of the information in the cloud. GeoLocker has 2 improvements:

1. Nothing ever leaves the device - It is 100% on device and works fully off-line. Travel to the darkest corners of the world and your secure information is with you without any network connection.
2. The way to unlock the various vaults requires no password - it simply requires you to know a location. You can either unlock by physically going to that location and "Drop Pin Here" (like burying a secret treasure in a spot you only know) OR you can just use the map to navigate to the "Drop" point. Your favourite tree in the park of your home town, the first place you kissed, etc. These are spots that nobody can easily find out or even discover in a data breach (which would be passwords, not geo coordinates). If you forgot where you buried your treasure, you will never find it again - same in the app. There is no way to find "lost" vaults if you forgot where they are. A convenient use is to have a work and home vault which will unlock with a tap when you are in those places.
3. Many other vault apps don't let you store more than text, GeoLocker lets you store text, photos, audio or any file. You can also rename and "move" a vault to a different location. You can also quickly delete or wipe a vault.

There are 2 IAPs:

1. Total Plausible Deniability ($0.99): This is where all traces of the vaults are removed from the UI. Without this IAP an attacker can see how many vaults you actually have (not where they are though or how to access them)
2. Enhanced Privacy ($0.99):

• The app will detect tampering on the phone (Jailbreaks and unauthorised modifications) and not open vaults. (This is an anti-forensics feature)
• The app will regularly fill up the database with decoy locations in the continents you specify. If for some reason there is a forensics tool that can peer into the database, it will be full of garbage locations
• Advanced anti-forensics protection with memory clearing and obfuscation
• Other enhanced privacy features here: https://geolocker.app/features-and-purchases.html

Cost (pricing, IAP, App Store link): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/geo-locker/id6749894091

The main app is free. Security is not an IAP, for free you get Apple's best-practice on device security features.

I created GeoLocker for myself and some people I know who were worried about data stored on their phone when traveling. The two IAPs are $0.99 each. No subscriptions, no ongoing costs. I update the app to keep it current (for example with iOS 26 the Anti-Tamper technique I was using was too sensitive).

Not sure which Tier I fit in but for Tier 1 I have another app with > 20 reviews.

For Tier 2:
My Real Name: Alastair Bor
Web presence: Easy to Google my name or https://ambor.com
Privacy Policy: https://geolocker.app/geolocker_privacy_policy.html

I built this last year for myself and it's organically getting some visits now. Thought I'd share it here: https://fakeaddress.net

It's completely free forever, tracks and stores nothing (beyond the timeouts you set) and nothing is shared with anyone else.

It has two purposes:

1. Anonymous e-mail address. You can get a receive-only e-mail address to receive 2FA codes, sign up for things that require an e-mail address verification, etc. The e-mail lasts for the duration you set - or you can come back and re-create the address at will later (so long as it's not currently being used by someone else)

2. Mail header checking - create a fake address, send mail to it and then you can see if your headers are correct (DMARC, DKIM, SPF, etc.). This doesn't analyse your DNS, instead it looks at the actual message headers sent by your mail service.

For macOS and iOS I've created an app that simulates the full analog signal chain (this is not a "filter" (pixel domain), but rather an application that works fully in the signal domain).

Someone has asked me if it could be possible to create a VisionOS version to "see the world as if it were Analog TV" - but from my brief googling around it seems like you can't use the whole screen that way.

The app is completely done in Swift/XCode so I feel like it shouldn't be too much of a stretch to add another target - but I wouldn't even know where to begin or if it's even possible to get what this person asked for. More info here on the existing iOS/macOS version: https://analogtv.net

Problem: You want the Analog TV aesthetic on your Mac - to play games, watch movies, create content. You don't want cheap filters, you want the full simulation of the signal chain from base principles.

Comparison: Filter apps that overlay fake "CRT Effects" over the top of your images

Pricing: $4.99

App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/analog-tv-simulator/id6761325301

Web: https://analogtv.net (TestFlight version, Alpha unsigned .dmg version, iOS version)

As a child of the 1970s I've been playing with analog television since 1984 (when my Dad got us our first camcorder). Since then I've been collecting vintage gear, running a home lab full of real CRTs, broadcast equipment, and VHS decks, and diving deep into the technical specs, patents, and service manuals. Over the decades I've tried to recreate that authentic "broadcast chain" feel as accurately as humanly possible. Friends have urged me to finally share my project: AnalogTV. It's a physics-based simulator that models the entire composite signal chain from first principles. No filters, no AI shortcuts. Every artifact (dot crawl, Hanover bars, SECAM fire, VHS head-switch noise, multipath ghosts, phosphor decay, camera tube lag, etc.) emerges naturally from the actual signal processing, exactly like real hardware. This isn't a filter that modifies pixels, I first convert the input into a composite signal and every part of the pipeline is working on that composite signal.

It covers:

12 broadcast standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM, 405-line, MAC/HDTV variants, etc.)

Full camera tube modeling (Vidicon, Plumbicon, Saticon, Image Orthicon, early CCDs with real lag/bloom/smear behavior)

RF interference, pay-TV scrambling systems, and multiple VCR formats with tape-domain effects and generation loss

CRT physics down to the phosphor chemistry (real decay constants from RCA datasheets, shadow mask geometries, halation, EHT sag, etc.)

Some fun Easter Egg simulations like Macrovision copy protection, Pay TV encryption, running a magnet over the shadow mask, etc.

Everything runs on the GPU/CPU at 4× subcarrier sampling so the interactions are genuine. RF ghosts affect chroma demodulation the way they did on 1980s sets, VHS chroma-under drift creates the exact color shifts you'd see, and so on.

It's the closest thing I've been able to build to plugging a real camera into a real transmitter, through a real VCR, and out to a real CRT.

This has been a true labor of love built over a very long time using my own experiences and reference material. The level of detail is insane (for example I model the original Fujitsu MB88303 TVDC chip that was common in consumer cameras from the original technical documentation)

I'd love to hear what the community thinks... especially from anyone who still runs real vintage gear or has specific memories of certain artifacts, standards, or quirks.

Does this match what you remember? What would you want to see added or refined next?

Full disclosure on "Is this just some AI slop?" or "Is this just vibe coded"? - The web site and icon were created from the source code by an LLM. I'm not great at that stuff and it was really easy to feed it the source and make a web site from it. The code itself is assisted with AI as most modern software development has AI integrated into the IDE. The massive amount of research material, technical documents, etc are not something an LLM can directly work with and a lot of this material isn't even available online. Where possible I cite original sources and measurements for all aspects of the simulation.

I have no affiliation with this project or with the developer, however I do follow him on social media and I do think this is cool from a retro perspective.

Dave Plummer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Plummer wrote a bunch of very early core Windows applications such as Task Manager and has his fingerprints on many back-end elements of products such as WindowsXP.

Today he released BlinkenDisk for macOS which is a little toolbar app that recreates the retro-feature of an LED that blinks with HD use. https://github.com/davepl/BlinkenDisk

I built something that might hit the nostalgia spot for some of you... The video is processed with this simulation (NOT a filter, NOT AI... it's a real simulation from the base principles). Try it with your own content.

I've been deep into analog chains for a while, real CRTs, composite, RF, head-switching, oxide dropout, the whole messy beautiful thing. So I made a physics-accurate simulator that models the actual signal path instead of just slapping on shader filters.

It does camera tubes -> composite/VHS degradation -> authentic CRT phosphor response, geometry, bloom, chroma noise, ghosts, etc. All based on real hardware behavior and datasheets, not "vintage aesthetic" presets.

If you've ever geeked out over how a 3rd-gen VHS dub looks on a tube TV (PAL, SECAM, NTSC), or miss the specific way analog noise interacts with phosphors, this is built for that. It's especially fun for:

• Previewing how your transfers or edits will look on period-correct displays
• Giving modern footage that genuine late-80s/90s home-video soul
• Just messing around with authentic-looking analog chains

Not trying to sell you anything heavy (you can get free TestFlight versions or just download a Mac version)... just sharing because this sub is full of people who actually care about the technical side of analog video. You can check it out at https://analogtv.net (iOS/macOS app right now, more platforms coming).

Curious what you all think... does this kind of accurate chain simulation interest you, or do you prefer the classic "just record to real tape" approach?

A feature I'm working on now is Macrovision and Copyguard. These will be implemented from the original source documentation and Patent filings.