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You can display a small monochrome bitmap on an analog television using an Arduino UNO and the TVout library. The Hackster.io tutorial by Perozdero123, published March 30, 2019, prepares an image at 128×64 pixels or smaller, converts it into bitmap data, and draws it with TVout. Its sample sketch uses PAL output at 128×96; those are separate image and display dimensions.
What you need
- One Arduino UNO
- Generic jumper wires
- An analog television and a suitable video connection
- The TVout library and the bitmap-conversion tool linked from the Hackster.io tutorial
The project lists the UNO and jumper wires, but does not provide a complete textual wiring pinout. Check the TVout library’s documentation and the project instructions for the connection details before wiring your board; the project page alone does not establish a specific pin mapping or current compatibility.
Prepare and convert the picture
- Resize the image: Make it monochrome and no larger than 128×64 pixels, as specified by the tutorial.
- Generate bitmap data: Use the U8glib converter linked on the project page to convert the prepared image into code.
- Put the generated data in a header: The tutorial’s example declares an array such as
car[]as an unsigned character array stored in program memory withPROGMEM.
The 128×64 limit is the tutorial’s stated maximum for the source bitmap. It is not the display size in the example sketch, which initializes the TVout output at 128×96.
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The example sketch includes TVout.h, starts PAL output, clears the display, then draws the bitmap at coordinates (10, 10). Its essential calls are:
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#include <TVout.h> // Include the generated bitmap header as well
TVout TV;
void setup() {
TV.begin(_PAL, 128, 96);
TV.clear_screen();
TV.bitmap(10, 10, car);
}
void loop() {
delay(60);
}Use the generated header and its array name in place of car if yours differs. The tutorial’s code comment mentions PAL or NTSC, but the shown initialization specifically selects _PAL; it does not provide a comparison or fully worked NTSC configuration.
What the tutorial does—and does not—establish
This is a monochrome bitmap example for analog-TV output, not a general color image workflow. The Hackster.io page describes the conversion and drawing approach, but does not establish that the 2019 setup remains compatible with current boards or library versions, nor does it give enough textual wiring detail to reproduce the connections from the article alone. Confirm the library and wiring documentation for your exact hardware before building.
Quick Recap
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