WINDOWS · PRIVATE BETA
The soft glow of a bedroom TV.
The texture of a well-loved tape.
Beamshift brings CRT and VHS character to video on your Windows PC. Choose a display profile, adjust the feel, and make the picture your own.
Local video first. Chrome and Edge support is experimental.
CHOOSE THE DISPLAY YOU WANT TO RECREATE.01 / THE PICTURE
See what changes in the picture.
These are recordings from Beamshift,
with no simulated website filter.
33-second silent comparison captured on 8 October. Watch for softer detail, the scanline texture and the curved edges. This recording uses an earlier version of the interface.
Footage: Big Buck Bunny © 2008 Blender Foundation · bigbuckbunny.org · CC BY 3.0. Excerpts processed in Beamshift; comparison labels added. Video compression and your display affect fine detail.
Explore softer detail, scanlines, phosphor texture, glow and curved edges.
Video Shop Rental adds wear and occasional picture faults, with Light, Worn and Heavy settings.
Use View before to bypass the effect. Reset this preset restores the profile’s defaults.
02 / GET STARTED
Start with a local file for your first test.
Try browser video when you’re ready.
The simplest way to try Beamshift. Open a file you already have and watch inside the app.
First test: SDR MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio. Other formats depend on your installed codecs.
Connect a video playing in Chrome or Edge. A helper page lets you choose its tab, then Beamshift connects to its window.
03 / CHROME & EDGE WALKTHROUGH
Browser setup currently takes a few steps.
Here’s what to expect at each one.
Based on the 9 October build. App images are real captures; picker panels below are labelled illustrations, pending a complete Windows screenshot walkthrough. Browser wording can vary.
Actual app · 8 OctOpen your video in its own Chrome window and press play. Keep your other browsing in a separate window. In Beamshift, choose Source → Browser Video → Google Chrome….
Keep your video in a dedicated browser window.
● Waiting for a video tabBeamshift opens a helper page in a separate Chrome window. Click Choose browser video. Keep the helper page open during the session.
In Chrome’s sharing dialog, choose the browser tab playing your video and confirm sharing. Don’t select the helper, a window or the entire screen at this stage.
Back in BeamshiftAlt + TabSwitch back using the taskbar or Alt + Tab. If Beamshift asks, select the window showing that same video. With only one candidate window, this step may happen automatically. If setup is waiting, use Finish setup….
Keep the video tab active in its browser window, and leave that window unminimized. Beamshift can be in front. Choose a display profile, use View before to compare, and F11 for Beamshift fullscreen. Browser playback and sound stay controlled by the browser.
IF THE PICTURE STOPS
A held picture can mean the video tab is no longer available. Try these steps in order.
Restore its browser window, select the video tab and check that playback is running. Then return to Beamshift, leaving that window unminimized.
In Beamshift, choose Source → Browser Video → Retry connection…. If setup is incomplete, use Finish setup….
Use Source → Browser Video → Change Video Source… and repeat tab selection. Show Source Picker reopens the helper. Select the video window if prompted.
Check Source → Browser Video → Connection Status…. Note your browser, the action just before the freeze and whether Retry helped. You can continue testing with a local video.
04 / WHERE THE BETA STANDS
We want useful feedback from real viewing.
Here’s what you should know first.
Switching tabs, minimizing the source window or changing the player’s fullscreen state can interrupt the picture. Initial connection and automatic framing may need another attempt.
For browser video, pause, seek and adjust sound in the browser. This beta does not offer a fully integrated browser player. Use Beamshift’s own fullscreen control for the viewing window.
Windows 11, 64-bit and Direct3D 11 graphics are the current target. Other PCs, codecs and browser players need testing. Protected streaming services are outside this beta’s supported scope.
Beamshift explores CRT and VHS appearance. It is not a calibrated match to every historical television, and cannot restore detail already lost in the source.
HELP SHAPE BEAMSHIFT
Join the Windows beta interest list. We’re looking for people who enjoy retro video, digitised home movies and the character of older displays.
Registration is an expression of interest, not an immediate download. Build access and feedback timing will be arranged individually.
A few details about you and your setup.