GlitchaVHS/CRT Effect Generator
Stacks VHS tape wear, CRT screen curvature and tracking-error dropout into one nostalgic mess. Dial each one in separately, then download a still frame.
Drop an image here
or paste from clipboard, or
PNG, JPEG, WebP, GIF — processed entirely in your browser
What each layer is actually simulating
Old analog video hardware failed in very specific, very recognizable ways, and each of the three effects here models one of those failures. VHS reproduces the color bleed and grain you got from magnetic tape losing a bit of signal on every playback. CRT models the physical shape of a tube monitor — the screen bulges slightly outward, and the electron gun paints the image in visible horizontal scanlines with a faint glow. Tracking error recreates what happens when a tape deck's read head drifts out of alignment with the tape — chunks of the picture shear sideways and drop out entirely for a frame or two.
None of these are simulated from a single “vintage” filter — they're three independent effects layered on top of each other, which is why you can push tracking error hard while keeping CRT subtle, or the other way around, instead of getting one fixed “old TV” look.
A few things worth trying
- Keep all three low for a warm, barely-there vintage tone; push all three for full “damaged tape” territory.
- Portraits and close-ups sell the CRT scanline glow especially well.
- Screenshots of text or UI make tracking-error dropout read as a corrupted broadcast rather than a filter.
- Send the result to the Glitch GIF Generator if you want the tracking error to actually roll across the frame instead of sitting still.
Questions
- What's the difference between VHS, CRT and tracking error?
- VHS gives you tape-style color bleed and noise. CRT adds screen curvature and that scanline glow. Tracking error throws in the horizontal dropout bands from a deck that can't quite find the signal. Stack all three and it reads as one convincing “found footage” look.
- Is my image getting uploaded somewhere?
- No — decoding, rendering and export all happen on your machine. There's no server involved to upload it to.
- Can I animate this for video?
- Yes — bring it into the full editor to animate tracking-error and CRT over time and export a proper GIF, WebM or MP4 loop.