Why timestamps come out clean
The stamp occupies a small rectangle in a corner, in the same place for the entire clip. That is the ideal case for area-based reconstruction: a tight box, a background that rarely changes, and plenty of surrounding frames to sample from.
Draw the box with a few pixels of margin around the digits. Too tight and the glow or shadow around the text survives; too loose and you reconstruct more background than necessary.
Common variations
Some cameras show only a date, others a full timestamp with a running clock. A running clock still sits in a fixed box — select the whole block, not individual digits.
Older footage often has a second overlay: a channel number, a battery icon, a recording indicator. Process them in the same pass by adding up to five selection boxes.
- Date only: single small box in the corner
- Date plus running clock: one box covering the full timestamp
- Multiple overlays: up to five boxes per job
Frequently asked questions
Can I remove a timestamp from VHS or camcorder footage?+
Yes, as long as the file is digital. Capture or digitise the tape first, then upload the resulting MP4 or MOV. Heavy analogue noise makes reconstruction harder, so check a short segment first.
Will removing the date change the video duration?+
No. Duration, frame rate and audio are preserved.
The stamp is in the top-left corner. Does automatic mode find it?+
No — automatic detection looks for captions in the lower half of the frame. Use manual area selection for corner timestamps.
Can I batch several old clips?+
Pro and Business plans support batch submission of up to five clips. Each clip is charged by its own duration.