What It Does
Bad TV generates analog television distortion effects directly inside Premiere Pro and After Effects. Based on an algorithm by Memo Atken and developed by Rowbyte, it simulates the kind of visual noise you’d see from a VCR, DV tape, or a TV with poor reception. No displacement maps required, the effect is generated algorithmically from the parameters you set.
Key Features
Vertical Sync Offset. Recreates the jumpy, rolling-frame look of an old CRT TV losing its vertical sync signal. Useful for retro aesthetics, horror title sequences, or glitch transitions.
Horizontal Sync Control. Adjusts horizontal tearing and drift independently from vertical sync, giving you precise control over how the signal appears to break down.
Scanline Distortion. Adds scan lines of varied thickness to simulate DV tape degradation or low-resolution broadcast footage.
Manual Time Control. You can drive the distortion manually rather than letting it run automatically, which is handy for syncing glitch effects to music or specific edit points.
Performance update in v2.1. A significant speed improvement for both Premiere Pro and After Effects was introduced in version 2.1, making it more practical on longer timelines.
Who It’s For
Bad TV works well for editors doing retro-styled content, horror or lo-fi aesthetics, music videos, or any project that calls for a degraded analog look. It fits naturally into title sequences, scene transitions, or as a stylistic overlay on footage. Because it runs natively in Premiere Pro, you can apply it directly to clips without round-tripping to After Effects.
Pricing
Bad TV is a one-time purchase at $39.99 for a single-user license. Floating server licenses and render-only licenses are available separately. A free trial is available from the aescripts product page.