PURPOSE: To obtain a simple and low-cost picture storage device, by forming the TV signal into a simple binary signal to store it in a pattern memory.

CONSTITUTION: The receiving signal is applied to memory 17 through tuner 1, video detecting circuit 3, waveform shaping circuit 10 to shape the waveform of the receiving signal into a binary signal, and sampling circuit 14. The receiving signal is sliced by circuit 10, and only characters are extracted and are stored in memory 17 and are reproduced continuously after as required. The picture dependent upon the output of circuit 10 and the TV broadcast picture are superposed and displayed on display unit 7 during adjustment of the slice level of circuit 10, thus facilitating adjustment of the shaping level.