Find a supported video.
Works on Chrome, Chromium, and Edge — on supported web video or through the local video viewer.
Cinematic browser video, rendered as characters
Turn video into
living ASCII art.
A live, configurable ASCII layer over the web video you already watch — and your own local files through the built-in viewer. Tuned for fullscreen, ultrawide, and performance-sensitive playback.
- No frame uploads
- Works offline
- Chrome · Edge
Renderer: WebGL2Theme: NeonMode: Glow
What it does
A visual layer for the video you already watch.
Turn on the overlay.
A live ASCII layer renders above the player while it keeps playing underneath — no frames leave your machine.
Tune the look.
Pick renderers, themes, charsets, detail, profiles, and visual modes that fit the scene.
Works offline
Your own videos, not just the web.
Open a local clip in ASCII Frame's own viewer and watch it through the same engine — every renderer, visual mode, and theme you already use on the web.
- Nothing is uploaded — files stay on your disk.
- Fully offline, no account required.
- Same renderers, modes, and themes as web video.
Feature set
Built for control, not just novelty.
Renderers, themes, and per-site profiles that put performance and taste in your hands.
Real-time renderer
Live ASCII overlay
Transforms supported video frames into characters while playback continues underneath.Performance-aware
Renderer choices
Canvas2D Balanced, DOM Text Battery Saver, and WebGL2 Quality modes match the look to the machine.Cinematic looks
Visual modes
Classic, Edge, Ink, Glow, Posterized Color, Contour, and Matrix-style effects where WebGL2 is available.Make it yours
Themes & custom charsets
Matrix, amber, neon, readable text, focused fixed palettes, and your own character ramps.Per-site polish
Profiles & per-site looks
Save a visual setup and apply it automatically where it makes sense.Your files too
Local video viewer
Open a local clip in an extension-owned viewer and watch it through the same ASCII engine.Visual modes
One engine, many looks.
Switch the entire feel of a scene without leaving the player — from clean classic ramps to glowing matrix rain.
ClassicEdgeGlowPosterizedMatrix
Trust model
Runs locally in your browser.
ASCII Frame processes video frames in the browser to render the overlay. It never uploads your frames for ASCII rendering.
Protected streams are different.
ASCII Frame never samples DRM-protected video and does not run on DRM streaming sites. Other protected or browser-restricted streams can't be sampled by extensions either — we keep compatibility claims conservative so you know what to expect before installing.
Roadmap
Built to grow without a backend too early.
- Public Chrome / Edge release path
- More site compatibility without over-broad permissions
- More visual modes, themes, and shareable presets
- Future Firefox MV3 port exploration
Coming first to Chrome & Edge.
Install links go live the moment the extension ships. Get on the list and we'll tell you the day it lands.
FAQ
Straight answers before install.
Does it work on YouTube?
Supported public video sites are the primary target, with conservative claims until each path is tested in the release build. DRM-protected streaming is not supported — those streams can't be sampled by extensions.
Does it upload my video?
No. The ASCII rendering path is local browser processing, not a video-upload service.
Will it slow playback?
It can cost CPU or GPU depending on renderer and detail. Profiles and caps let you choose the right tradeoff.
Can I customize characters and themes?
Yes — themes, custom charsets, profiles, and per-site looks are all part of the product.