What is tv snow?

TV snow, also known as television snow or random noise, is a phenomenon where a television screen shows a static or visibly noisy picture with no discernible image. It occurs when a television set receives a weak or poor signal, or when there is no signal at all, resulting in the display of random pixels and noise.

TV snow was more common in older analog televisions but can still occur on digital screens. In digital televisions, it often appears as pixelated squares or pixelated checkerboard patterns that flicker on the screen.

While TV snow is generally not desirable, it can sometimes be used as an artistic effect in movies or TV shows to indicate a loss of signal or a moment of chaos or confusion.