Slow TV

Slow TV is long, relaxing videos that have no story or narration. For a brief primer, read Nathan Heller’s 2014 New Yorker article.

Recommended videos

YouTube is an excellent source of videos. You may need to encounter a short advertisement before the video begins, but the resolution is very high and watching is otherwise uninterrupted.

• Walking in Japan by Rambalac — 20-90 minutes long, walks through urban, surburban, and countryside Japan
• “Braincation” train rides by Super Deluxe — 20-60 minutes long, filmed perpendicular to the train
• Drives in Japan by Utitoyo — 20 minutes long, from a car
• Train Driver’s View — non-stop train perspective from Norway

Know of a good slow TV video? Please send it to me.

How to search YouTube for slow TV

1. Choose a geographical location. e.g., “Norway”.
2. Add the word “train,” “drive,” or “walk”.
3. Specify “4K” for the highest resolution.
4. Combine these terms to search, and then filter by “Long (> 20 minutes)”.

Note: Quality will vary widely and generally be low. The expense of professional AV equipment—with features like image stabilization—is prohibitive in producing even this simple entertainment.

Additional sources

• Slow TV (channel 437) on Pluto — rebroadcasts of NRK, “All Aboard: Life on a Train: Euro Trip”

While you watch

• Enjoy a beverage. I recommend flavored sparking water, tea, or honey liqueur.
• Listen to chill music. I recommend DI.fm. You can also find curated playlists on Spotify or equivalent.
• Take notes on paper. Capture your thoughts to explore them later.
• Enable your mobile phone’s airplane mode. Everything can wait.