The PVM and arcade tube look
The PVM and arcade look recreates professional tube displays: the tight aperture‑grille scanlines and rich phosphor of a broadcast reference monitor, and the coarse slot mask and heavy bloom of a coin‑op arcade cabinet. Lost Media Emulator models both, so footage and game capture read like they’re on real studio or arcade glass, on macOS or in Premiere Pro.
Real output from the engine. Drag to compare. PVM / BVM · 1985
What a PVM and an arcade tube do
A Sony PVM/BVM was the monitor editors trusted: tight aperture‑grille lines, bright accurate phosphor and crisp geometry. An arcade cabinet was louder, a coarse slot mask, heavy bloom and saturated colour built to be seen across a room.
- PVM: fine aperture‑grille scanlines and clean, accurate colour
- Arcade: coarse slot mask with heavy phosphor bloom
- Bright, saturated highlights that glow off the glass
- Sharp tube geometry with subtle curvature
- The reference‑grade look behind retro game and broadcast footage
How to get the PVM or arcade look
Choose the PVM preset for a clean reference‑monitor feel or the arcade preset for a loud cabinet, then set scanline pitch and bloom. It’s the go‑to for retro game capture and for footage meant to look played back on studio glass.
- Mac app: load footage or capture, pick PVM or arcade, tune mask and bloom, export on macOS 13 Ventura or later, Apple Silicon.
- Premiere Pro / After Effects: apply it on a clip and keyframe the glow on Premiere Pro / After Effects 2023 or later.
- Run VHS first, then PVM, for a tape‑on‑a-monitor playback chain.
PVM vs a consumer CRT
A consumer CRT is soft, warm and coarse; a PVM is tight, bright and accurate. The arcade tube sits between, sharp but loud. Lost Media Emulator ships all three so you can match the exact display rather than settle for a generic ‘CRT’.
- Part of a 91‑look library with 97 controls
- Real‑time GPU preview on Apple Silicon
- Non‑destructive, the original is untouched until export
PVM & Arcade, answered.
- Can I get a PVM look in Premiere Pro?
- Yes. The extension applies the PVM and arcade looks on your timeline, non‑destructively, with scanline pitch and bloom keyframeable.
- What’s the difference between PVM and arcade?
- A PVM is a clean, accurate broadcast reference monitor with fine aperture‑grille lines; the arcade look is a louder coin‑op cabinet with a coarse slot mask and heavier bloom. Both are in the library.
- Is this good for retro game capture?
- Yes, it’s a primary use. The mask and phosphor bloom make captured gameplay read like it’s running on real arcade or studio glass.
- How much does it cost?
- Both looks ship inside the full 91‑look library, a one‑time purchase from $39, no subscription.