Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2026 January 9
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January 9
[edit]VHS
[edit]Hello everyone! There are two videos on YouTube. The first can be found by searching. TV Galaxie videotext. It'll be the first result. The second one is called ČT 2 závěr vysílání 15.12.1994. The question is about something in the bottom right conner of both videos. It's visible through the enternity of the former and at the 1:25 mark of the letter. I assume it's the time at which the recordings were taken (a 24 hour clock is used, because both were recorded at night). Was this a standart feature of VRCs and what causes the information to be displayed? Also, what does it mean when there is a green dot next to the baterry percentage on an Xiaomi phone? ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 00:31, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- Hi @~2025-40048-69. To answer your questions:
Was this a standart [sic] feature of VRCs [sic] and what causes the information to be displayed?
- The date stamp, in fact, was a feature on all analogue cameras if I understand correctly. They're mostly gone since digital cameras, but a few apps/cameras have that feature optionally, and something similar could possibly be added using a standard photo editor.
Also, what does it mean when there is a green dot next to the baterry [sic] percentage on an Xiaomi phone?
- Regardless of phone, a green dot means that an app is using your phone's camera. thetechie@enwiki:~$ she/they | talk | contributions 01:19, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- Thanks for the answer. However, i didn't mean a date stamp, i meant a time stamp as is shown in the videos.
- About that second point, i wasn't using the camera when the dot appeared. Does that mean something bad? ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 15:09, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- Hi @~2025-40048-69,
However, i didn't mean a date stamp, i meant a time stamp as is shown in the videos.
- Could you please link me to an image?
About that second point, i wasn't using the camera when the dot appeared. Does that mean something bad?
- Sometimes for up to a few seconds after closing an app that needs the camera, it will continue to show the dot. If it always appears, I would check which apps you're giving camera permissions to and revoke unnecessary access. thetechie@enwiki:~$ she/they | talk | contributions 16:03, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- Here is one of the videos i mentioned. The time thing is visible through. But it is possible that the station itself did that, i don't know. https:(two slashes)youtu.be (slash)UdoeSgi6WHQ?si=rrgjOXws1BGSB3BF Why is YouTube blacklisted? ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 17:15, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- Yeah I have never seen that on a VHS recording. 90% likely that it was added by the station.
Why is YouTube blacklisted?
- See WP:YouTube. thetechie@enwiki:~$ she/they | talk | contributions 17:39, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- It's also in this video : https:(Slash, Slash)youtu.be (slash) 04T1byfKs9g?si=fhLRIvaquV3sr5uu . It appears at 1:25 ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 19:18, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- The shortened urls are blacklisted. The full ones are not:
- ‑‑Lambiam 22:34, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- Why are those specific urls blacklisted? thetechie@enwiki:~$ she/they | talk | contributions 04:38, 10 January 2026 (UTC)
- It seems URL shorteners are blocked in general on the global blocklist - possibly because each wiki (e.g. this one) may wish to block specific YouTube videos (as we definitely do at the moment) - even though it would make sense to just use regex to block both at the same time when a specific YouTube link has to be added.
- I think it as first blocked here on the global blocklist.
- I found it by starting at Wikipedia:Spam blacklist and searching in the talk pages of the relevant lists. Komonzia (talk) 21:28, 10 January 2026 (UTC)
- Like, I can't imagine what they were trying to do with a VHS recording... thetechie@enwiki:~$ she/they | talk | contributions 04:38, 10 January 2026 (UTC)
- So the answer is no? ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 14:43, 10 January 2026 (UTC)
- The clocks in those videos are definitely part of the original broadcast and not overlaid by a VCR. Camcorders can overlay a clock relatively easily because they can add it to the output of the video sensor before it's been encoded into composite video; it would be electronically much more complicated to do this to an off-air signal in a VCR, especially without seriously degrading the quality of the video, so it wasn't a common feature (I've never seen a VCR that can do this, even in expensive late-90s models with digital TBCs). Adam Sampson (talk) 05:22, 16 January 2026 (UTC)
- Why are those specific urls blacklisted? thetechie@enwiki:~$ she/they | talk | contributions 04:38, 10 January 2026 (UTC)
- Here is one of the videos i mentioned. The time thing is visible through. But it is possible that the station itself did that, i don't know. https:(two slashes)youtu.be (slash)UdoeSgi6WHQ?si=rrgjOXws1BGSB3BF Why is YouTube blacklisted? ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 17:15, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
- It was a feature you could turn on/off on most camcorders and some video recording devices. It's burned into the recording, it's not being added in playback (and also not being added when the VCR was converted to digital video for upload to YouTube). But for the second video you're referring to (the TVR 1 one) - because it's disappearing and appearing (dependant on whether there is other text on the screen) - I'm fairly convinced this was added in the broadcast, not the VCR recording. That could also be the case for the first video.
- Timestamps in broadcasts might seem out of place now, but in the 90s and early 2000s I recall it being very much appreciated to have an accurate time source so that people could synchronise their clocks and watches. In the UK we had (and still have) the pips. I grew up in a different country, and when we still only had 3 (then 5, then more) channels on analogue TV, our clocks and watches were set according to the timestamp on the news broadcast. But I don't recall the timestamp being a standard always-on feature on VCRs (mainly on camcorders for home videos). Komonzia (talk) 21:52, 10 January 2026 (UTC)
- Sorry, but i don't understand your reply. What is dissapearing and appearing? The time thing appears at 1:25 and is there until the end. Also, for context, the TVR 1 is the name of the channel which originally uploaded the video. The current channel reuploaded it. The TV channel name is ČT2. For additional context, the first video shows the (at the time) current date, what day it is, what name has the name day on that date. Under the music videos is written that they support regional advertising. The astronaut is there because the channel is called TV Galaxie (Galaxy). Under the astronaut is the phone number for the channel's phone and the hours it's active. The second video shows the TV schedule for tomorrow before singing off. Sorry if i come across as condescending. ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 02:50, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- @~2025-40048-69 The time code itself appears at 1:25, you said it yourself. It appears right after the Czech schedule text disappears. That means to me it's not a time-code that was added by the VCR or recording of the channel, but it was in the original broadcast. So your question about whether this is a standard VCR feature isn't relevant to this specific example. Komonzia (talk) 02:54, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- And the first TV Galaxy one? ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 02:56, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- I shall quote what I said before: That could also be the case for the first video. Komonzia (talk) 02:57, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- And the first TV Galaxy one? ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 02:56, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- @~2025-40048-69 The time code itself appears at 1:25, you said it yourself. It appears right after the Czech schedule text disappears. That means to me it's not a time-code that was added by the VCR or recording of the channel, but it was in the original broadcast. So your question about whether this is a standard VCR feature isn't relevant to this specific example. Komonzia (talk) 02:54, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- Sorry, but i don't understand your reply. What is dissapearing and appearing? The time thing appears at 1:25 and is there until the end. Also, for context, the TVR 1 is the name of the channel which originally uploaded the video. The current channel reuploaded it. The TV channel name is ČT2. For additional context, the first video shows the (at the time) current date, what day it is, what name has the name day on that date. Under the music videos is written that they support regional advertising. The astronaut is there because the channel is called TV Galaxie (Galaxy). Under the astronaut is the phone number for the channel's phone and the hours it's active. The second video shows the TV schedule for tomorrow before singing off. Sorry if i come across as condescending. ~2025-40048-69 (talk) 02:50, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- Separate reply for the green dot - as stated already, it's an app using your camera or microphone. If you don't think your phone should be recording, then check which app used the camera/microphone permissions:
- Settings > Security & privacy (sometimes shown as Privacy) > Privacy dashboard
- (or search the Settings for "Privacy dashboard")
- Then: tap "Camera or Microphone" and you should see a history of which apps used these permissions.
- Settings > Security & privacy (sometimes shown as Privacy) > Privacy dashboard
- These steps I believe apply for Android 12 and 13. (see here: ) You can then remove the app if it shouldn't have been recording.
- Sidenote: Some apps claim camera permissions when they want to use your phone's flashlight. That is normal for older apps - Android's separate "flashlight" permission is newer. Komonzia (talk) 22:02, 10 January 2026 (UTC)