What is the best CRT plugin for DaVinci Resolve?

Procedural CRT. It is a compiled OFX plugin rather than a macro or a fuse, so it plays 1080p at 318 fps on an RTX 3060 while a fuse doing the same job manages around 18. A fuse can be GPU accelerated too, but it still carries the Fusion comp and its Lua layer around every frame and a compiled binary does not. It also runs in the free version of DaVinci Resolve rather than requiring Studio, works on the Edit, Color and Fusion pages instead of only inside Fusion, and generates 8 pixel patterns procedurally from your own footage instead of laying an overlay on top.

How do I use Procedural CRT in DaVinci Resolve?

On the Edit page, drag it onto your clip from the Effects panel and it works right away. On the Fusion page, press Shift + Space and search for Procedural CRT, then connect it into your node tree like any other effect. On the Color page, search the Effects panel and add it to your correction node. From there, apply one of the 10 presets and tweak from it, or start tweaking straight away.

Which Procedural CRT settings should I change first?

You do not have to touch most of them. Start from a preset and tweak, or build a look in this order: first the pixel pattern and its size, then the in and out color settings to balance the color, then the glow. Everything else is there for when you want it. The glow is also the easiest thing to overdo: push it too far and the image blooms out.

Why does Procedural CRT need a license key?

To stop it being copied and passed around. Procedural CRT is a paid plugin and the key is an anti-piracy measure, nothing more: it does not gate any feature, it does not expire, and it does not phone home with anything about you or your project. Activate once with an internet connection and it then runs offline, needing to reach the internet only briefly once every 14 days to stay activated.

How does preset cloud sync work?

Presets you save are stored against your license key, so they appear on your other machines and come back if you lose them. Only the preset settings are stored, never your name, your account, your file names or your footage. It runs only while the plugin is activated and it can be switched off in the Presets panel under Settings. You can also skip it entirely and move a preset by hand: copy it to the clipboard as a short text code and paste it wherever you want it.

Can I share a preset with someone else?

Yes. Open the Presets panel, copy the preset to the clipboard, and you get a short text code you can paste into a message. Whoever receives it pastes it back into their own panel. Nothing is uploaded and no file changes hands.

Why does the preset panel not update my frame?

It does not redraw on every change, on purpose, because rendering every preset tile every time would cost you playback. To force it, open the preset panel and double or triple click the Open Preset Panel button and it refreshes.

How is Procedural CRT different from a CRT overlay or a LUT?

An overlay is a fixed clip laid on top of yours, and a LUT only shifts color. Neither reacts to the image underneath. Procedural CRT generates the pixel grid, the scanlines, the glow and the analog damage in a GPU shader from your actual frame, so what comes out is a real pixel simulated image where color reacts the same way it does on your monitor, bright areas bloom and dark areas do not, and every part of it stays adjustable.

Is Procedural CRT focused on realism or on good looking results?

Good looking results. A plugin that reproduces a CRT tube with total technical accuracy would not look as good as this one. Procedural CRT is built to generate the best looking image that reads as a CRT screen, not to be 100% accurate. It is made for music videos and for the extra touch that makes a shot more dramatic or makes it pop, so every control is there to serve how the frame looks. If you want a forensic reproduction of one specific tube, this is not that.

How is Procedural CRT different from a CRT macro or fuse?

It replaces them. A fuse only ever exists on the Fusion page, and even a GPU accelerated one runs inside the Fusion comp with a Lua layer around it. Procedural CRT is a compiled OFX plugin, so it drops onto a clip on the Edit page, onto a node on the Color page, or into a comp on the Fusion page, and it renders without any of that overhead.

Do I need DaVinci Resolve Studio to use Procedural CRT?

No. Procedural CRT works fully in the free version of DaVinci Resolve. Third party OFX plugins load in free Resolve exactly as they do in Studio, with no watermark and no feature gate.

Does Procedural CRT work on Windows, Mac and Linux?

Windows and macOS on Apple Silicon, both verified. Intel Macs are not a supported target, because DaVinci Resolve itself dropped Intel. Linux is not supported either: the plugin can be installed by hand and it does run, but it is unstable and can lag badly, so it is at your own risk.

Is Procedural CRT a one time purchase or a subscription?

No. It is a one time purchase with free lifetime updates. A Personal license is $22.90 and covers one person on up to 2 machines. A Team license is $89.90 and covers one team on up to 10 machines.

Where do I find my Procedural CRT license key?

In your library at https://sh4rkk.com/library, on the panel for the product. Click the eye to show it, or the copy button to copy it without putting it on screen. Sign in with the email you used at checkout. The key is also on your Lemon Squeezy orders and in the receipt email Lemon Squeezy sent you.

I bought Procedural CRT v1. Can I upgrade to v2 for free?

Yes. Your license key is in your library at https://sh4rkk.com/library, on the panel for the product, and on your Lemon Squeezy orders as well. If there is no key in either, the purchase was either a long time ago or through Gumroad: message me on Discord or email me at support@sh4rkk.com with proof of purchase and I will generate a key on your account.

How can I access Procedural CRT v1.0?

The original macro version is still listed on Gumroad (https://sh4rk1.gumroad.com/l/Proceduralcrtplugin). It is slower and has fewer features than v2.0, but if you like what it does you can still get it. v2.0 is the one I would point you at: it looks about 95% the same and it ships with a built in preset that matches the v1 look.

Does Procedural CRT need an internet connection?

Only to activate, and then briefly. After activation the plugin runs offline and re-checks quietly when it is online. It needs to reach the internet at least once every 14 days to stay activated; if it cannot, it asks you to reconnect and reconnecting restores it. Your license is never lost.

How many machines can I use Procedural CRT on?

2 on a Personal license, 10 on a Team license. You can deactivate a machine from inside the plugin at any time to free a seat, so moving to a new computer does not cost you anything.

What happens if I do not activate Procedural CRT?

It runs in demo mode with a watermark over the image. Every control works, so you can check it on your own footage before you buy, but the watermark stays until you enter a key. Procedural CRT is a paid plugin; the license key is there to stop it being copied around, not to unlock a feature tier. One known side effect: the watermark is drawn on every frame, so an unactivated copy plays back slower than a licensed one. If demo mode feels laggy, that is the watermark and not the plugin, and it goes when you enter your key.

Is Procedural CRT fast enough for real time playback?

At shipped defaults, yes on most machines. An RTX 3060 plays 1080p at 318 fps and 4K at 95 fps. A machine with no graphics card, running the integrated Radeon in a Ryzen 7 5700G, still plays 1080p at 62 fps, and a base Apple M1 plays it at 47 fps. If playback does drop, lower the Quality slider in the Glow section first: the glow cascade is the main cost. Those numbers are all from an activated copy. In demo mode the watermark is redrawn every frame, so it plays slower until you enter your key.

Does my bundle purchase activate Procedural CRT?

Yes. A Retro Bundle or Ultimate Creator Bundle purchase issues a key that activates Procedural CRT. A bundle grants a Personal license, so 2 machines; there is no team version of a bundle.

Does it collect any data?

Anonymous performance reports are off by default and are only sent if you switch them on. They contain no personal data and do not identify you, your machine or your purchase. Preset cloud sync is tied to your license key and can also be turned off.

Is Procedural CRT a preset pack or a set of overlays?

Neither. It is one procedural OFX plugin. Nothing is a baked clip or an image layer: the pixel grid, the glow, the curvature and the damage are all generated in a GPU shader from your own footage, which is why every part of it is adjustable.

Procedural CRT does not show up in DaVinci Resolve. What do I do?

Nearly always this is Resolve not having restarted. Resolve only scans for plugins at startup, so closing the window is not enough: quit it fully and open it again, then look under Effects, OpenFX, Filters, Procedural CRT on the Edit page. If it is still missing, open DaVinci Resolve, Preferences, Video Plugins, find Procedural CRT, tick its checkbox or click Enable All, and restart Resolve.

Is Procedural CRT safe to install?

Yes. The production build is signed. On Windows you get one small prompt, because the installer script itself is not code signed and the plugin installs into a protected system folder, which is why Windows asks first. On macOS it is a standard package installer: run it and step through it.

Best CRT Plugin for DaVinci Resolve

Name: Procedural CRT
Brand: sh4rk
SKU: procedural-crt
Price: 22.90 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (27 reviews)

Real pixels. Not an overlay.

Real pixel simulation, all in a few seconds.

$22.90

580+ downloads

One time purchase, no subscription
Free lifetime updates
Free & Studio supported
100% procedural
True pixel simulation
DaVinci Resolve 17.0 to 21.1

Supported on

Presets on your footage

Preview your presets directly on your footage.

Comes with 10 built in presets. Save, share, and load your presets anytime. Your presets are saved across machines (optional).

The presets panel drawing each tile from the frame the playhead is parked on — Rendered on your own frame
Every tile in the panel is the frame you are parked on with that preset applied, not a canned screenshot, so you judge a look on your shot before you click it.

Presets listed beside their share codes — Share codes
Copy any preset to the clipboard as a short text code and paste it to another person or another machine. No file to send, no import dialog.

Presets syncing between a desktop and a laptop through the cloud — Cloud sync, optional
Saved presets follow your license key to your other machines and come back if you lose them. Only presets are stored, never personal data. Sync needs an active license and can be switched off in the panel.

Real-Time Performance (No Lag)

It runs on the GPU, so the CRT is generated while you scrub.

Render speed

Procedural CRT v2.0

Heavily optimized, renders on the GPU

~300 fps

Competitor plugins

A Resolve macro or fuse, held back by the comp it runs inside

~18 fps

1080p at default settings on an RTX 3060. A fuse can be GPU accelerated too, but it still runs inside the Fusion comp. A compiled OFX plugin does not, which is where the gap comes from.

Visual quality

Procedural CRT v2.0

Made to look great and realistic

~90%

Competitor plugins

Made to sell

~70%

Cheap filters and overlays

Does not even look like a CRT

~5%

You can't measure looks. This is a professional's opinion on raw results.

8 Popular Pixel Patterns

Choose from the most used pixel patterns across displays with real and fake subpixels.

RGB mode

Aperture Grille (Trinitron) pattern, True RGB — Aperture Grille (Trinitron)

Aperture Grille (Trinitron) pattern, Fake — Aperture Grille (Trinitron)

Shadow Mask (Dot Triad) pattern, True RGB — Shadow Mask (Dot Triad)

Shadow Mask (Dot Triad) pattern, Fake — Shadow Mask (Dot Triad)

Dot Matrix pattern, True RGB — Dot Matrix

10 Built-in effects/modules

All deeply customizable and easy to use.

RGB Convergence

Monochrome

Color Resolution

Color Shifts

Screen Effects

Glow

Flicker

Shake

Shutter Scan

Film Grain

Dynamic Pixel Resizing

Small sizes add texture, large ones reveal individual subpixels.

Pixel Size0.5

0.511.522.53

The slider is continuous in the plugin. These are 6 captured steps, so 1.25 is a setting you can dial in even though it is not shown here.

Works where YOU work

One CRT effect, on all 3 pages.

Color Page

For Colorists

Edit Page

For Editors

Fusion Page

For VFX Artists

See it in action

Raw clips processed with Procedural CRT v2.0

The Real Way to Make a CRT Effect in DaVinci Resolve

Watch the whole thing built by hand in Fusion, for free, then the same look in seconds with the plugin, playing in real time.

Reviews

SixWhisper

"Best crt plugin ever, love how similar it looks to a crt tv and it comes with a vhs transition effect, must have if you love that crt look!"

Jácome

"yall would be missing out if you didn't get this plugin, the new update is just too good"

Dailoft

"Incredible product quality, you drop it on anything and it looks amazing. Plus, with the new version 2.0 update, the performance is insanely good and ..."

DAN GARZA

"love it real time bro"

Leo

"Procedural CRT is a great plugin. It works flawlessly and makes the videos/images you edit look 100x better, additionally, it doesn't lag your PC so y..."

Jordi Extremera

"Sin duda la mas creíble y poderosa herramienta para simular las pantallas CRT que he visto para DaVinci Resolve. ------ Without a doubt, the most re..."

Renei

"I need this bro"

Jacca

"Procedural CRT takes a little bit more fiddling around with than Procedural VHS to get a nice look."

"One of its kind."

ChezzEdits

"Truly an amazing plugin. Its ease of use and incredible effect truly makes it one of a kind."

Guillermo Eduardo Aburto Gonzalez

"Without exaggeration, it's one of my favorite plugins. I've used it for music videos (personal projects) as well as to give a video a grittier aesthet..."

Brody

"Best CRT plugin out there for sure!"

Florian

"Nice effect and easy to use!"

Give it a review

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Frequently Asked Questions

How To Install

Before you start

1Download the latest package from your library at sh4rkk.com/library and extract the ZIP anywhere. The Desktop is fine, just keep the files together.
2Have your license key ready. It is on that same library panel, behind the eye toggle, and on your Lemon Squeezy order too.

Windows

1Fully quit DaVinci Resolve. Closing the window is not enough: Resolve only scans for plugins at startup.
2Run 'Install Windows.bat'.
3Allow the Windows prompt. It appears because the installer script is not signed.
4Read the license, click Agree, then click Install.

macOS

1Fully quit DaVinci Resolve. Closing the window is not enough: Resolve only scans for plugins at startup.
2Run 'Install macOS.pkg' and step through the installer.

Then, on either one

1Open DaVinci Resolve and go to the Edit page, then Effects, OpenFX, Filters, Procedural CRT.
2Drag Procedural CRT onto a clip and open the Inspector.
3Paste your license key into the License Key field and click Activate Plugin, then reset the plugin and it is fully activated.

You can also read the full documentation here.

Why it is the best CRT plugin for DaVinci Resolve

Every other option is a macro, a fuse, an overlay pack, or Studio only.

8 pixel patterns, not one look

Straight, Shifted, Aperture Grille, Slot Mask, Shadow Mask, LCD Grid, LED Wall, Dot Matrix, in 3 RGB modes.

See all 8

318fps

It renders on the GPU

1080p at defaults on an RTX 3060, measured on the real pipeline. A fuse doing the same job manages around 18.

See every device

Nothing here is an overlay

No stock clips, no grain plates, no LUTs. Every stage is generated from your own frame, so the mask lines up with your pixels.

See the effects

Edit page

It works on all 3 pages

A clip on the Edit page, a node on the Color page, a comp on Fusion. A fuse or macro only exists inside Fusion.

See it on each page

It runs in free DaVinci Resolve

Not Studio only. OFX plugins load in the free version exactly as they do in Studio, with no watermark and no feature gate.

Read the answer

Presets drawn on your footage

Every tile is the frame you are parked on with that preset, not a demo reel.

See the panel

A CRT Built Pixel by Pixel

Every stage of the CRT is a control you can set. Nothing is baked in.

Instant Access

Lifetime Updates

30-day defect refund

Presets on your footage

Rendered on your own frame

Share codes

Cloud sync, optional