How to Make a Haunted TV for Halloween

Turn almost any television into a haunted Halloween display — from a modern flatscreen that suddenly glitches and reveals a ghost, to an old CRT filled with creepy static.

Time: ~10–30 min · Difficulty: Easy–Intermediate · Cost: Low

https://youtu.be/gntnN7KpwB8?si=8qkaekhMj-4QyPX8

What you'll need

For the easiest setup:

• A TV with USB video playback

• A USB memory stick

• A looping Haunted TV video

If your TV doesn't play video from USB, you'll also need:

• An external media player

• An HDMI cable

Using an old analog CRT? You'll need a few extra components — we'll cover that setup further down.

Option 1 — The Quickest Setup: Play Directly From Your TV

What you'll need

• A modern television with USB video playback

• A USB memory stick

• Your Haunted TV video

If you’re using a ProjectionCraft Haunted TV pack and simply want the complete effect running automatically, use the Full Loop file.

Step 1 — Copy the video to your USB stick

Download your files and locate the complete Haunted TV loop.

Copy the video onto a USB memory stick.

You don't need to copy every file from the pack unless you intend to build your own sequence.

Step 2 — Connect the USB stick

Insert the USB drive into the television's USB port.

Most modern TVs will either detect the drive automatically or allow you to access it through the TV's Input, Source or Media menu.

The exact wording varies between manufacturers.

Step 3 — Open the video

Open the television's media player and select the Haunted TV video.

Press play.

Step 4 — Turn on looping

Find your television's playback settings and choose:

Loop

Repeat

or

Repeat One

The wording varies between TVs, but the principle is the same.

Your Haunted TV should now play continuously.

For a Halloween party or trick-or-treat night, you can simply leave it running.

Playing Several Haunted TV Clips

ProjectionCraft Haunted TV packs also include separate effects that can be combined into your own sequence.

If your television supports playlists or multiple-file playback, place the clips you want on the USB stick and select Repeat All or the equivalent option.

However, there is one potential problem.

The Transport-Bar Problem

Many built-in television media players display information every time a new video begins.

You might see:

• The filename

• A playback symbol

• A progress bar

• The video duration

• A loading icon

  
  

That instantly breaks the illusion.

If you're using one complete Full Loop video, this often isn't an issue because the interface only appears when the video initially starts.

If you're running several separate clips, however, the TV may display its interface between every file.

The easiest solution is to use a dedicated media player.

Option 2 — Use an External Media Player

What you'll need

• Your TV

• A USB memory stick

• A dedicated media player

• An HDMI cable

• Your Haunted TV files

This is also the best option if your television doesn't support USB video playback.

Step 1 — Load your files

Copy your Haunted TV videos onto the USB memory stick and insert it into the media player.

Step 2 — Connect the media player

Connect the media player to your television using HDMI.

You should normally have three connections:

Power → Media player

USB stick → Media player

HDMI → Television

Step 3 — Select the HDMI input

Turn on the TV and choose the HDMI input connected to your media player.

You should now see the media player's menu.

Step 4 — Play the videos

Open the Videos section and select your Haunted TV files.

If you want the haunting to continue automatically, open the player's playback settings and choose a continuous or sequential loop mode.

A dedicated player generally gives you much cleaner playback than the media player built into a television.

This becomes especially useful when creating longer sequences from several files.

Which Haunted TV Pack Should I Use?

ProjectionCraft currently has two Haunted TV styles.

Haunted TV: Digital Horrors

Best for:

• Modern flatscreen televisions

• Computer monitors

• Digital displays

• Contemporary rooms

Digital Horrors uses corrupted digital signals, glitches and interference as the ghost begins breaking through the screen.

You can run the complete sequence or combine the individual ghost clips, static beds and transitions to create your own haunting.

Haunted TV — Digital Horrors

Haunted TV: Retro Static

Best for:

• CRT televisions

• Vintage television displays

• Retro horror scenes

• Old workshops, laboratories and abandoned-room setups

Retro Static is designed around traditional television interference and analog-style static.

Haunted TV — Retro Static

Option 3 — Using an Old Analog CRT Television

Using a genuine CRT can create an incredibly convincing Haunted TV because the screen itself already has the character of an old horror movie.

There is one complication:

Very old televisions may not have HDMI, composite video or any other modern input.

Some have nothing more than an antenna connection.

To use one of these televisions, you need to convert the signal.

What you'll need

• An old analog television

• USB memory stick

• Digital media player

• RF converter

• Antenna/coaxial cable

• Antenna transformer if your TV uses screw terminals

The basic signal path is:

USB Stick → Media Player → RF Converter → Television

Step 1 — Connect the television to the RF converter

If your television has a coaxial antenna input, connect the RF converter directly using an antenna cable.

Older televisions may instead have two screw terminals marked VHF.

For these televisions, attach a small antenna transformer to the cable and connect it to the VHF terminals.

Step 2 — Connect the media player

Connect the video output from your digital media player to the RF converter.

The converter turns the modern video signal into something the analog television can receive.

Step 3 — Turn on the television

Old CRT televisions may take several seconds to warm up.

Once the screen appears, tune the television to the channel being generated by your RF converter.

You should see your media player's output.

From here, playback works exactly as it does with a modern television.

Select your Haunted TV file and set it to loop.

Important CRT Safety

You do not need to open the television to create this effect.

Old CRT televisions can contain dangerously high voltages even when unplugged. Keep the television intact and make all connections using its external antenna or video inputs.

If the television requires internal repair, leave that work to someone experienced with CRT electronics.

Make the Television Part of a Scene

A convincing Haunted TV isn't just about what happens on the screen.

The environment around it can completely change the effect.

For a retro television, try building a story around the TV.

For example:

• Put it on an old workbench

• Add electronic components

• Scatter tools around it

• Add notebooks or strange observations

• Run cables across the table

• Add subtle atmospheric lighting

Instead of looking like a Halloween video playing on a television, it starts to look like something has happened to the television.

For a modern digital haunt, the opposite can work extremely well.

Place the television in a completely ordinary living room.

The more normal everything feels, the more surprising it becomes when the signal begins to break down.

Upgrade the Sound

Sound is one of the easiest ways to make the scare more convincing.

If the TV speakers aren't powerful enough, connect an external speaker to your television or media player.

A small powered speaker is usually plenty.

Hide it near the television so the sound still appears to be coming from the screen.

The combination of static, sudden audio and an unexpected apparition can make a relatively simple visual effect dramatically more effective.

Add Lighting and Atmosphere

Once everything is playing correctly, finish the environment with subtle lighting.

Try:

• A dim accent light behind or beside the television

• Flickering practical lighting

• Colored light spilling into the room

• Very light atmospheric haze where appropriate

Don't over-light the screen itself. The television should remain one of the brightest objects in the scene.

The Simplest Haunted TV Setup

If you just want the fastest possible setup, use:

TV + USB Stick + Full Loop

Copy the file.

Plug it in.

Press play.

Turn on repeat.

Done.

If your television displays unwanted menus or you want to combine several clips:

TV + Media Player + USB Stick

And if you want the full retro horror version:

CRT + RF Converter + Media Player + USB Stick

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Once you have the basic setup working, you can take it one step further by making the haunting interactive.

Instead of having the jump scare happen randomly, you can trigger it when someone approaches the television.

NEXT GUIDE → How to Build a Motion-Triggered Jump Scare