RESOLVE 21 · STUDIO · TEXTURE / ANALOG SIGNAL STACK
Analog Damage.
Do not add “retro.”
Build a signal path.
Resolve FX Analog Damage is a layered analog-video simulator, not a single noise filter. Preset selects the family, Telecine Source establishes source/transport instability, Broadcast Signal degrades the channel, CRT Scan and Scan Lines build the television raster, TV Construction shapes the display itself, VHS adds tape-specific behavior, and Global Blend integrates the finished stack. The page is designed around that causal order.
Broadcast Signal · ghost / chroma / noise
CRT Scan · Scan Lines · TV Construction
Telecine · VHS · Global Blend
Use the lab to make one layer wrong on purpose. A strong Broadcast Signal with restrained CRT feels different from a clean channel shown through an aggressive CRT, and both differ from tape-specific Restless Foot. That separation is the core skill behind convincing Analog Damage.
Teaching proxy, not Resolve rendering. The canvas deliberately exaggerates simplified channel noise, ghost displacement, chroma registration, raster, screen-edge, and restless-foot cues so the layered decision logic is visible. It does not reproduce Blackmagic OFX internals, preset math, CRT geometry, or exact temporal behavior.
Ten native Resolve interface views + an explicitly synthetic signal/display/tape teaching proxy
10 native views · 40 control rows · 10 preset choices01A LAYERED ANALOG MODEL
Source, channel, display, and tape are different causes.
The most believable looks come from deciding which physical layer is supposed to fail. “More analog” is not one slider: channel bandwidth, television scanning, screen construction, and tape instability leave different signatures.
Analog Damage is a stack, not one filter
The effect combines several independent classes of degradation: telecine/source instability, broadcast-channel damage, tonal shifts, CRT scan behavior, raster texture, display construction, and tape artifacts. A convincing result comes from giving each layer a distinct physical role rather than simply raising every slider at once.
Build the channel before the screen
Broadcast Signal handles noise, detail loss, ghosting, and chroma misalignment. CRT Scan, Scan Lines, and TV Construction describe display behavior and construction. If these jobs are mixed from the start, it becomes difficult to identify where softness, color offsets, or geometric defects came from.
Believability lives in time
Shutter Weave, V-Hold, and Restless Foot are read primarily during playback. A still can look attractive while overly regular or overly strong animation immediately reveals the digital simulation. Review motion, cuts, and text elements in real time.
A preset quickly selects an era or medium family, but shot-specific believability comes from manual refinement of individual layers. Clean VHS and Old VHS provide different baselines; Security Camera is a different visual language, while Blank is useful for controlled construction from scratch.
02TEN NATIVE VIEWS · THE FULL STACK
Read Analog Damage from Preset to Blend, one physical layer at a time.
The interface captures below are real Resolve screenshots from the project. Clean VHS and every visible number are captured states, not universal recipes. The useful information is the exact structure and naming of the controls.
START · SOURCE
Choose the look family and base mechanical instability
- Preset
Selects the starting configuration of the effect. The project’s native menu shows Blank (no effect), Early Television, 1960s B&W, 1960s Color, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Clean VHS, Old VHS, and Security Camera.
CheckAfter selecting a preset, evaluate each section independently. Do not keep every artifact simply because it came from a preset.
- Vignetting
Adds edge falloff/darkening in the Telecine Source section.
CheckWatch faces and any existing lens vignette; stacked falloff becomes obvious quickly.
- Vignette Aspect
Changes the vignette shape relative to the image aspect.
CheckJudge it with the actual framing; one shape will not read the same on 16:9, vertical crops, and anamorphic compositions.
- Shutter Weave
Adds mechanical positional instability associated with telecine/transport weave.
CheckJudge it in playback. Excessive weave reads as digital camera shake rather than medium behavior.
CHANNEL · BROADCAST SIGNAL
Degrade the signal before building the CRT
- Noise Scale
Sets the spatial scale of the interference pattern.
CheckAn overly large pattern reads like an overlay; an overly fine pattern may fight compression and delivery scaling.
- Signal Noise
Adds luminance-oriented signal noise.
CheckRaise it after Detail Loss so noise sits on an already-degraded channel instead of hiding image structure.
- Chroma Noise
Adds color instability/noise independently of luminance noise.
CheckStrong chroma noise damages skin tones and typography especially quickly.
- Detail Loss
Reduces luminance detail, helping remove sterile digital sharpness.
CheckJudge at output size; too much loss destroys fine textures and thin lines.
- Chroma Detail Loss
Separately reduces chroma detail, emulating lower color bandwidth in an analog path.
CheckUseful for analog feel, but it can quickly create dirty color edges on saturated graphics.
- Ghosting
Adds a displaced secondary copy of the signal.
CheckSet a modest amount first, then shape it with Ghost Offset; otherwise a strong echo can be mistaken for correct geometry.
- Ghost Offset
Controls the displacement of the ghost copy.
CheckCheck high-contrast edges and titles, where the offset is easiest to read.
- Chroma Misalignment
Misregisters chroma relative to luma, creating analog color-edge separation.
CheckDo not use it as a substitute for lens chromatic aberration; the cause here is signal registration, not optics.
TONE · COLOR DIALS
Adapt the degradation to the medium; do not replace the grade
- Brightness
Adjusts overall brightness inside the Analog Damage package.
CheckCoordinate it with the main grade before/after the effect; do not use it to repair clipping or exposure errors in the shot.
- Contrast
Changes overall contrast inside the analog package.
CheckJudge it together with scan lines and defocus because perceived contrast also changes in display layers.
- Color
Controls the intensity/saturation character of the color signal.
CheckBuild the Broadcast Signal first, then lock color character so you are not compensating for excessive chroma noise.
- Tint
Adds an overall tint shift inside the effect.
CheckUse it as a medium cue; final white balance belongs in the primary grade.
DISPLAY · CRT SCAN
Model sync, overscan, and scan geometry
- Adjust Position
Enables the manual positional part of CRT Scan.
CheckIf manual positioning is not needed, avoid adding unnecessary offsets to the stack.
- Image Aspect
Changes image aspect inside the CRT simulation.
CheckWatch circles and faces; incorrect aspect reveals digital deformation quickly.
- H-Shift
Shifts the television signal horizontally.
CheckUse it deliberately as a roll/offset cue and inspect frame edges.
- V-Shift
Shifts the signal vertically.
CheckCheck its interaction with Vertical Blanking and duplicated edge content.
- V-Hold
Controls vertical-hold instability; Blackmagic describes it as part of television vertical-roll behavior.
CheckJudge it only in motion. A single still cannot reveal the roll behavior.
- V-Hold Latch
Works with V-Hold to create more natural trigger/bounce behavior for vertical rolls.
CheckWhen animated, inspect loop points and returns so the glitch does not repeat mechanically.
- Overscan
Controls overscan behavior inside the CRT scan model.
CheckKeep critical graphics and subtitles from drifting into artificially cropped regions.
- V-Scale
Scales the image vertically inside the scan model.
CheckStrong values quickly become stylization rather than believable display malfunction.
- Vertical Blanking
Shapes the vertical blanking region and interacts with overscan/vertical scale.
CheckInspect top/bottom seams during roll and after scaling.
RASTER · SCAN LINES
Tune raster structure for the actual viewing size
- Line Sharpness
Controls the sharpness of the scan-line pattern.
CheckOverly sharp lines can turn into aliasing after scaling or compression.
- Line Frequency
Controls scan-line density/frequency.
CheckAlways inspect at 100% viewer scale and delivery resolution; moiré depends on the sampling grid.
- Colored Lines
Adds a color component to the scan-line simulation.
CheckOn an already saturated VHS look, colored lines can overload chroma quickly; enable them only when the style needs it.
DISPLAY BODY · TV CONSTRUCTION
Build phosphor, defocus, curvature, and mask behavior
- Phosphor Brightness
Controls the brightness of the phosphor-like display response.
CheckWatch highlights; excessive values read like generic glow.
- Phosphor Tint
Shifts the tint of the phosphor response.
CheckAvoid redundantly duplicating Color Dials Tint; the controls have different roles in the stack.
- Defocus
Softens the display image to emulate CRT optical/electronic softness.
CheckInspect fine text and faces. Defocus should complement Broadcast Detail Loss, not stack on top of already-destroyed detail.
- Screen Curvature
Adds curved CRT-display geometry.
CheckAt full frame, strong curvature reads as stylized lens warp; keep it proportional to the intended device.
- Edge Mask
Enables the display edge mask.
CheckAfter enabling it, re-check safe areas, subtitles, and crop.
- Edges Transparent
Controls whether masked edges become transparent.
CheckImportant for compositing: a transparent edge and a black framed area behave differently over a background.
- Mask Curvature
Adjusts edge-mask curvature.
CheckMatch it to Screen Curvature so the frame and image do not imply different surfaces.
- Mask Aspect
Changes the edge-mask aspect.
CheckUse it together with the intended screen format and final crop.
TAPE · VHS
Use Restless Foot as medium behavior, not as an overlay
- Restless Foot Height
Controls the height of the lower restless-foot region.
CheckAn overly tall region consumes the composition and stops reading as localized tape instability.
- Restless Foot Offset
Offsets the restless-foot distortion relative to the image.
CheckSet geometry before Jitter so motion does not hide a bad offset.
- Restless Foot Jitter
Adds dynamic instability to the lower tape region.
CheckJudge a longer loop. Excessive jitter quickly becomes a repeatable digital glitch.
FINISH · GLOBAL BLEND
Mix last, after the structure is approved
- Blend
Controls the final mix of the calculated Analog Damage result against the source.
CheckIf Blend must be reduced dramatically to make the shot acceptable, go back up the stack and fix the offending layer rather than hiding it.
A reliable debugging shortcut: bandwidth/ghost/color-registration problems belong to Broadcast Signal; roll/scale/blanking problems belong to CRT Scan; raster aliasing belongs to Scan Lines; curved-screen/phosphor/edge behavior belongs to TV Construction; lower-edge tape instability belongs to VHS. Global Blend is not the place to diagnose any of them.
03A REPEATABLE ANALOG WORKFLOW
Preset → source → signal → display → tape → mix/QC.
This order keeps “retro intensity” from becoming the only design decision. Each stage has a different job and a different failure mode.
Choose the medium family
Start from the closest Preset or Blank. A preset is a baseline that selects a coherent family of artifacts; it is not a reason to keep every section at its preset value.
This is an editorial decision path, not Blackmagic’s internal processing graph. It separates medium choice, source transport, channel damage, display behavior, tape cues, and final integration so one layer does not hide a problem created by another.
Adjacent references: Stop Motion ↗ · Detail Recovery ↗ · JPEG Damage ↗
04FOUR MEDIUM DECISIONS
VHS, CRT, surveillance, and graphics need different analog causes.
These are decision recipes, not presets. The point is to decide which layers should carry the identity of the medium and which layers should stay quiet.
Clean VHS without caricature
Create a recognizable cassette look while preserving faces, titles, and source readability.
- 01
Start with Clean VHS and temporarily reduce VHS/scan extremes if the preset is immediately too aggressive.
- 02
Set Broadcast Detail Loss and Chroma Detail Loss for the right softness, then add Signal/Chroma Noise.
- 03
Keep Restless Foot modest and judge it in playback, especially near subtitles.
- 04
Finish with Color Dials and Global Blend without using them to hide excessive signal damage.
The look reads as VHS through bandwidth, chroma, and tape cues rather than one oversized glitch.
Early Television / CRT insert
Build a believable television-screen insert rather than merely overlaying scan lines.
- 01
Use Early Television as a baseline, or Blank for manual construction.
- 02
Build CRT Scan first: aspect, overscan, shifts/hold, and vertical blanking.
- 03
After geometry, set Line Frequency/Sharpness, then TV Construction—phosphor, defocus, curvature, and edge mask.
- 04
Check final scale and a delivery encode for moiré and crawling raster.
The image feels displayed on an old device: channel, raster, and physical-screen cues agree.
Security Camera without VHS clichés
Create a cheap analog-surveillance feel without turning the shot into Old VHS.
- 01
Start from Security Camera and decide which preset layers the shot actually needs.
- 02
Focus on Broadcast Signal: detail loss, noise, ghosting, and chroma misalignment.
- 03
Keep Screen Curvature and Restless Foot restrained if the camera should not read as an old tape being played on a CRT.
- 04
Use Color Dials for tone/contrast character, then inspect small text/timecode overlays.
A cheap signal path reads more strongly than decorative VHS cues.
Analog title / transition block
Make clean digital graphics sit naturally inside an analog sequence.
- 01
First reduce excessive digital crispness with Detail Loss/Defocus rather than a single Blur.
- 02
Add modest Ghosting/Ghost Offset and slight Chroma Misalignment to high-contrast edges.
- 03
Tune scan lines at final output size because fine graphics are especially sensitive to moiré.
- 04
Review the transition in motion; Shutter Weave, V-Hold, and Restless Foot must not overpower text readability.
Typography looks as if it passed through the same signal/display path as the footage rather than sitting on top as a clean overlay.
05CHOOSE THE RIGHT TEXTURE TOOL
Analog signal damage, film damage, JPEG blocks, and frequency texture are different problems.
Analog Damage fits when the medium itself is television/video transmission, display, or tape. Do not use it merely because a shot should feel “old.”
| FX | When it fits |
|---|---|
| Analog Damage | When you need a complete television/video stack: signal damage, CRT behavior, scan lines, tape instability, and presets in one FX. |
| Film Damage ↗ | When the job is physical film: scratches, dust, gate weave, and film-oriented degradation rather than broadcast/CRT/VHS behavior. |
| JPEG Damage ↗ | When you need digital block/compression damage rather than analog transmission or display behavior. |
| Texture Pop ↗ | When you need frequency-based sharpening/softening across tonal regions without simulating a historical medium. |
06DEBUG THE LAYER, NOT THE LOOK
Most failures become obvious once you name the physical cause.
If the page teaches one habit, make it this one: identify whether the failure is channel, scan, raster, display body, tape, or final mix before touching another control.
01The look feels like a dirty overlay rather than an analog signal+
Likely cause: Noise was raised before bandwidth/detail loss, ghost geometry, and chroma registration were established.
Fix: Reduce Signal/Chroma Noise, build Detail Loss, Chroma Detail Loss, Ghosting/Offset, and Misalignment first, then reintroduce noise as a secondary layer.
02The CRT looks like a random warp+
Likely cause: Screen Curvature or H/V shifts are strong without agreement with overscan, blanking, scan lines, and edge mask.
Fix: Stabilize CRT Scan geometry first, then match TV Construction, and only then increase character.
03Scan lines flicker or create moiré after export+
Likely cause: Line Frequency/Sharpness were chosen without checking final resolution and scaling/compression.
Fix: Inspect at 100% scale and in a representative encode; reduce sharpness or change frequency until the raster is stable.
04Old VHS reads like a meme filter+
Likely cause: Noise, chroma misalignment, V-Hold, Restless Foot, and tint are all too strong at once.
Fix: Choose two or three dominant cues and restrain the rest. Believability usually comes from coherence, not maximizing every artifact.
05Titles became unreadable+
Likely cause: Detail Loss, Defocus, Ghosting, chroma shift, and scan lines are all acting on the same high-contrast edge.
Fix: Debug the stack by layer: bandwidth first, then ghost/chroma, then display. Remove the unnecessary layer instead of reducing the entire effect with Global Blend.
06The effect looks good on a still but fake in playback+
Likely cause: Temporal controls—Shutter Weave, V-Hold, V-Hold Latch, or Restless Foot Jitter—are too regular or too strong for the shot.
Fix: Loop the problem section at normal speed and reduce only the temporal layer. Then inspect cut boundaries and motion in/out.
07BEFORE DELIVERY
Approve the stack in motion, then stress the raster in the real delivery path.
Analog Damage contains exactly the kind of fine temporal and spatial structure that can change after scaling and compression. Playback plus a representative encode is part of the effect design, not an optional final glance.
08FAQ
Practical Analog Damage questions.
Where should I start when tuning Analog Damage?
Choose the closest Preset or Blank, then establish the source/channel with Telecine Source and Broadcast Signal. Build CRT Scan, Scan Lines, and TV Construction next, add VHS only when needed, and use Global Blend last.
How is Broadcast Signal different from CRT Scan?
Broadcast Signal emulates degradation in the analog transmission path: noise, detail loss, ghosting, and chroma registration. CRT Scan models television scan/sync behavior: shifts, hold, overscan, vertical scale, and blanking.
Why are Scan Lines alone not enough for a CRT look?
Scan Lines provide only raster texture. A convincing CRT also needs scan/sync geometry and display construction—curvature, phosphor/defocus, edge behavior, and a coherent broadcast signal.
When should I use Clean VHS versus Old VHS?
Clean VHS is a good baseline for a readable cassette look with moderate degradation. Old VHS fits stronger signal/tape artifacts, but it should still be adapted to the shot rather than treated as a final result.
Is Analog Damage Studio-only?
Yes. Blackmagic lists Analog Damage among Resolve FX Texture effects available in DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Should Analog Damage be checked after export?
Yes. Scan lines, fine noise, chroma misalignment, and small raster details can change significantly after scaling and compression. Make a representative encode, especially for web/delivery pipelines.
Sources and boundaries
Control names are cross-checked against ten native Resolve screenshots in the source archive. The official Blackmagic documentation establishes Analog Damage as a Studio Texture effect for analog transmission/recording degradation and documents the roles of Telecine Source, Broadcast Signal, Color Dials, CRT Scan, Scan Lines, TV Construction, VHS, and the V-Hold / V-Hold Latch relationship.
The live hero is an editorial teaching proxy. It deliberately simplifies and exaggerates signal noise, ghosting, chroma registration, raster, screen edges, and Restless Foot so the layer boundaries are visible. It does not reproduce Blackmagic OFX internals or exact preset mathematics.