Extract text from Deko titles and graphics (TDK)
To convert TDK graphics to another format, you need Avid Deko or other Vector Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Broadcast Character Generator" file type, you need software like Avid Deko or a similar tool.
A .tdk file usually represents a Deko Title graphic, a proprietary format originally created by Pinnacle Systems and later acquired by Avid for their high-end broadcast character generators (CG). These files store layered text, shapes, and textures used for television tickers and lower-thirds. Because the format is hardware-dependent and deeply proprietary to the Deko ecosystem, standard image editors like Adobe Photoshop cannot open them directly. This creates a significant archiving challenge for broadcasters holding legacy assets. The only reliable conversion method is using the original Deko software to export the composition as a TGA sequence or PNG with alpha transparency.
Alternatively, in academic circles, a .tdk file is often a Test Design Kit package used by institutions like FPT University for secure exam delivery. These files are encrypted containers designed solely for the Testdenki or university-specific testing browser. They are strictly locked to prevent cheating; users often search for converters hoping to extract the questions or answers into PDF or DOCX, but this is technically impossible due to military-grade encryption and digital rights management (DRM). A third, rarer variant is a Borland Turbo Debugger keystroke recording file, a relic from MS-DOS development used to replay debugging sessions.
Convert.Guru analyzes your TDK file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted WD3, CW and ML20 files.
If you want to convert TDK file to , you can use Avid Deko or similar software from the "Broadcast Title Graphics" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to TDK, try Avid Deko or another comparable tool in the "Broadcast Title Graphics" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our TDK converter.