1950s TV Channels (Default Replacement)

Updates:



Have you ever wanted to have a world set in the 1950s but the modern TV channels ruin the immersion? Well, no more! In December 2022 I started working on a personal project which was to create my own TV channels and put them in Sims 3, and it's finally done!

I've created all the videos in The Sims 2 to keep the spirit of the default channels, and also because it's much easier for me to create stories in Sims 2. All videos are based on real footage I watched from the era to make them as accurate as I could. Though even with custom content I was limited when it came to hairstyles and clothes. Hopefully it still looks great!


Mod description:

This is a mod that replaces ALL default channels with my 50s versions of them. Since shopping channels didn't exist in the 50s, I took the liberty to turn it into a game show channel instead.

All channels function the same as their default counterparts EXCEPT for the Weather channel. You can watch it but you won't get the pop-up where it shows you the forecast... I haven't figured out how to make it work and it was the best I could do. Luckily, sims can still check the newspaper for the weather forecast, which isn't unrealistic for the 50s anyway.

> WATCH THE TV CHANNELS HERE! <

Note: There is a grain effect on the videos but YouTube just eats it. No, seriously. You can't see it and it makes my videos look lower quality than they actually are. It looks better in-game, I promise. XD

List of TV Channels + Info:



Installation:

Extract the .zip file and place the package into your Overrides folder.

When adding or removing my mod, you should delete your cache in Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3, to make sure the channels show up properly:

- CASPartCache.package
- compositorCache.package
- scriptCache.package
- simCompositorCache.package
- socialCache.package

Troubleshooting:

• If any TV was turned on in-game when you added or removed the mod, the TV won't be selectable anymore. You can just clone the TV and sell the old one if that happens. Another option is to turn off the TV, save, then relaunch the game.

Known Issues:

• The videos have a lower framerate in-game than they do originally. I haven't figured out a solution to this, but if I ever do, I'll update my mod accordingly.
• Depending on which TV you watch the channels on, the videos will be stretched, particularly on big TVs. It's unavoidable so I decided to prioritize small TVs since it is, after all, the 1950s.
• The Weather channel doesn't give you a pop-up window with the forecast. I haven't found a way to replace the Weather channel in a way that's functional. My only two options were to keep my own Weather channel, or put back the default one which, while functional, feels jarring in the midst of all the 50s channels. So I chose the first option since you can still check the weather forecast by using the newspaper anyway.

Conflicts:

This mod will conflict with any other mod that changes the TV.xml file as well as any mod that adds/replaces TV channels.


Compatibility:

This mod is base game compatible and should work with any game version.


Languages:

Currently available in:

• English
• French
• Russian (by Sonya Kas)

You can download the STBL files and translate the TV channels' names in your language if you wish and then send the file back to me so I can update the mod and credit you.



Happy Simming!



Additional Credits:
NileBlue for their tutorial!
Made using s3pe, VirtualDub, Generic Stream Creator, VP6 Converter, and Easy STBL Manager.