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TV Node

By Kriss Norde

The TV node simulates analog TV artifacts: interlaced scan lines, a scrolling roll bar, weak signal noise, a drifting horizontal hold. A legacy node for retro CRT, VHS and degraded broadcast looks. Today it is largely replaced by the Analog Damage ResolveFX, which is more complete, but it remains useful for quick or stylized effects.

Overview

TV is one of the oldest nodes in Fusion. It reproduces the characteristic artifacts of a cathode ray TV receiving a degraded signal: visible scan lines, a rolling interference bar, static noise, slight geometric distortion.

For a more refined retro look (especially VHS with chroma bleed, tearing, head switching), the Analog Damage ResolveFX is more modern and offers more control. The TV node remains fast and simple for quick needs.

Where to find this node

  • Effects Library: Tools > Effect > TV
  • Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Effect > TV

TV vs Analog Damage (ResolveFX)

TV (Fusion node)
Legacy. Lightweight. Basic parameters. Scan lines + roll bar + noise + horizontal shift. Quick to set up, a stylized but less refined result.
Analog Damage (ResolveFX)
Modern. More complete: chroma bleed, tape wear, head switching, VHS tracking, separate color noise. The recommended choice for a pro VHS render. Available through Effects Library > ResolveFX Stylize > Analog Damage.

Rule of thumb: a quick, simple look → TV. A believable VHS render → Analog Damage. The two can be combined for an ultra-stylized look.

Inputs

  • Primary Input (orange) - the 2D image to degrade.
  • Effect Mask (blue) - optional. Limits the effect to an area (useful if you only want a TV-styled screen in the comp).

Setup

Retro VHS look:
MediaIn → TV (Scan Lines ON, Noise, Roll Bar) → Saturation down → MediaOut

CRT screen in a modern set:
Shot with a TV on screen → Corner Pin → TV node only on the screen
 (through a polygon Effect Mask)

Stylized 80s stack:
MediaIn → TV → Color Corrector (green tint) → light Unsharp Mask

Controls tab (distortion & scan lines)

Scan Lines
Enables alternating horizontal lines - the interlaced effect typical of cathode ray TVs. Every other line is darkened.
Horizontal Shift
Overall horizontal offset (simulates a misadjusted "horizontal hold"). The image slides along the X axis.
Vertical Shift
Overall vertical offset.
Skew
A diagonal offset with wraparound - the image looks sheared and folded back onto itself.
Amplitude
Strength of a sine-wave distortion applied to the edges of the image. Simulates an unstable signal.
Frequency
Frequency of the sine-wave distortion.
Offset
Position of the wave. Can be animated for a "passing wave" effect.

Noise tab: weak signal

Power
Intensity of the overlaid static noise. Low = subtle grain, high = "no signal" TV snow.
Size
Size of the noise pixels. Small = fine grain, large = visible blocks.
Random
Enables frame-by-frame animation of the noise. Without this toggle, the noise pattern stays frozen (odd on a moving shot).

Roll Bar tab: interference bar

Bar Strength
Visibility / intensity of the bar. 0 = invisible, 1 = a very dark bar.
Bar Size
Height of the bar as a % of the image. Typical: 10-20% for a believable bar.
Bar Offset
Vertical position of the bar. Animate it from 0 to 1 over the length of the shot = a bar that rolls downward (then reappears at the top) - the signature cathode ray TV effect.

Use cases

  • A CRT screen in a scene - a shot with a vintage TV set → isolate the screen with a Polygon → TV only on that area. The screen shows content with believable scan lines and roll bar.
  • Retro 80s look - TV + Color Corrector (saturation + magenta/cyan boost) + a light Glow = an 80s VHS / MTV look.
  • Visual flashback - flashback shots run through TV to mark the time period (a memory shot on VHS).
  • Security screen / CCTV - shot → TV with a slow roll bar + subtle noise = a low-end surveillance monitor.
  • Glitch transition - animate the TV parameters (pulsing Amplitude, erratic Horizontal Shift) = a glitch transition between two shots.
  • Post-apocalyptic / horror context - a heavily degraded TV (high noise, fast roll bar, visible scan lines) = a dystopian or survivalist mood.

Tips

  • Prefer Analog Damage for realistic VHS - the TV node is limited on the chromatic side (no native chroma bleed). For a faithful VHS, Analog Damage is clearly better.
  • Random ON for the Noise - otherwise the grain is frozen, which looks artificial. Always animated in production.
  • A looping animated Roll Bar - Bar Offset 0 → 1 over 48-60 frames = a natural loop. Adjust the speed as needed (slow = misadjusted monitor, fast = severe failure).
  • Combine TV + a light Unsharp Mask - old screens had blooming highlights. A bit of Unsharp Mask gives that texture before the TV node.
  • Low saturation after TV - old screens did not have a modern color gamut. Desaturating by 20-30% boosts the vintage feel.
  • Slight barrel distortion - for an authentic CRT effect, add a Lens Distort before or after the TV node to curve the image slightly like a bulging screen.
  • For a real CRT screen tracked in the scene, combine: Planar Tracker → Corner Pin → TV node → Display content → Merge. A premium result.