chore(tui): polish demo + regenerate screenshots

Rework the VHS demo so the README screenshots actually entice a download.

Demo data / tooling:
- seed.yaml: real, reachable service URLs (detail now shows nextcloud.com,
  not example.com); Auth Portal -> non-resolving home.arpa host so it reads
  as a believable, reliably-DOWN monitor
- backfill: transient outages for Nextcloud/Jellyfin/Immich aligned with their
  state changes (uptime % now matches); log timestamps derived from now so the
  Logs view reads chronologically; real SSL warning; three probe nodes across
  regions; seeded alert send health
- demo.tape: shorter warm-up, added Nodes + theme captures, ordered so every
  shot stays inside the 60s node-freshness window (consistent probe count)
- vhs/crop: new tool to trim the empty terminal border around each screenshot
- setup.sh: build backfill up front for deterministic timing; UPTOP_DEMO=1

Supporting code:
- persist alert send health (new alert_health table, load on startup,
  best-effort save on send) so health/last-sent survive restarts
- latency Min/Avg/Max ignore failed checks (no more "Min 0ms")
- correct "probe"/"probes" pluralization
- stable status dot instead of an animated spinner under UPTOP_DEMO

cmd/uptop/main.go

@@ -385,6 +385,7 @@ func runServe(args []string) {
 
 	eng.InitHistory()
 	eng.InitLogs()
+	eng.InitAlertHealth()
 	eng.Start(ctx)
 
 	tlsCert := os.Getenv("UPTOP_TLS_CERT")

internal/cluster/cluster_test.go

@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ func (m *mockStore) GetNode(string) (models.ProbeNode, error) { return models.Pr
 func (m *mockStore) GetAllNodes() ([]models.ProbeNode, error) { return nil, nil }
 func (m *mockStore) UpdateNodeLastSeen(string) error          { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) DeleteNode(string) error                  { return nil }
+func (m *mockStore) LoadAlertHealth() (map[int]models.AlertHealthRecord, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
+func (m *mockStore) SaveAlertHealth(models.AlertHealthRecord) error { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) SaveLog(string) error                           { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) LoadLogs(int) ([]string, error)                 { return nil, nil }
 func (m *mockStore) GetActiveMaintenanceWindows() ([]models.MaintenanceWindow, error) {

internal/metrics/prometheus_test.go

@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ func (m *mockStore) GetNode(string) (models.ProbeNode, error)         { return m
 func (m *mockStore) GetAllNodes() ([]models.ProbeNode, error)         { return nil, nil }
 func (m *mockStore) UpdateNodeLastSeen(string) error                  { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) DeleteNode(string) error                          { return nil }
+func (m *mockStore) LoadAlertHealth() (map[int]models.AlertHealthRecord, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
+func (m *mockStore) SaveAlertHealth(models.AlertHealthRecord) error { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) SaveLog(string) error                           { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) LoadLogs(int) ([]string, error)                 { return nil, nil }
 func (m *mockStore) GetActiveMaintenanceWindows() ([]models.MaintenanceWindow, error) {

internal/models/models.go

@@ -79,6 +79,17 @@ type ProbeNode struct {
 	Version  string
 }
 
+// AlertHealthRecord is the persisted send health of an alert channel. It lets the
+// "last sent" / health indicators survive restarts instead of resetting to "never".
+type AlertHealthRecord struct {
+	AlertID    int
+	LastSendAt time.Time
+	LastSendOK bool
+	LastError  string
+	SendCount  int
+	FailCount  int
+}
+
 type MaintenanceWindow struct {
 	ID          int
 	MonitorID   int

internal/monitor/monitor.go

@@ -146,6 +146,26 @@ func (e *Engine) InitLogs() {
 	e.logStore = logs
 }
 
+// InitAlertHealth restores persisted alert send health so the dashboard shows real
+// "last sent" / health state on startup instead of resetting every channel to "never".
+func (e *Engine) InitAlertHealth() {
+	records, err := e.db.LoadAlertHealth()
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	e.alertHealthMu.Lock()
+	defer e.alertHealthMu.Unlock()
+	for id, r := range records {
+		e.alertHealth[id] = AlertHealth{
+			LastSendAt: r.LastSendAt,
+			LastSendOK: r.LastSendOK,
+			LastError:  r.LastError,
+			SendCount:  r.SendCount,
+			FailCount:  r.FailCount,
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func (e *Engine) GetLogs() []string {
 	e.logMu.RLock()
 	defer e.logMu.RUnlock()
@@ -612,6 +632,18 @@ func (e *Engine) recordAlertResult(alertID int, ok bool, errMsg string) {
 		h.FailCount++
 	}
 	e.alertHealth[alertID] = h
+
+	// Persist best-effort so health survives restarts; DB IO off the alert path.
+	go func(rec models.AlertHealthRecord) {
+		_ = e.db.SaveAlertHealth(rec)
+	}(models.AlertHealthRecord{
+		AlertID:    alertID,
+		LastSendAt: h.LastSendAt,
+		LastSendOK: h.LastSendOK,
+		LastError:  h.LastError,
+		SendCount:  h.SendCount,
+		FailCount:  h.FailCount,
+	})
 }
 
 func (e *Engine) GetAlertHealth(alertID int) AlertHealth {

internal/monitor/monitor_test.go

@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ func (m *mockStore) GetNode(string) (models.ProbeNode, error)         { return m
 func (m *mockStore) GetAllNodes() ([]models.ProbeNode, error)         { return nil, nil }
 func (m *mockStore) UpdateNodeLastSeen(string) error                  { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) DeleteNode(string) error                          { return nil }
+func (m *mockStore) LoadAlertHealth() (map[int]models.AlertHealthRecord, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
+func (m *mockStore) SaveAlertHealth(models.AlertHealthRecord) error { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) GetActiveMaintenanceWindows() ([]models.MaintenanceWindow, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }

internal/server/server_test.go

@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ func (m *mockStore) AddAlertReturningID(string, string, map[string]string) (int,
 func (m *mockStore) GetAllNodes() ([]models.ProbeNode, error) { return nil, nil }
 func (m *mockStore) UpdateNodeLastSeen(string) error          { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) DeleteNode(string) error                  { return nil }
+func (m *mockStore) LoadAlertHealth() (map[int]models.AlertHealthRecord, error) {
+	return nil, nil
+}
+func (m *mockStore) SaveAlertHealth(models.AlertHealthRecord) error { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) SaveLog(string) error                           { return nil }
 func (m *mockStore) LoadLogs(int) ([]string, error)                 { return nil, nil }
 func (m *mockStore) GetAllMaintenanceWindows(int) ([]models.MaintenanceWindow, error) {

internal/store/dialect.go

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ type Dialect interface {
 	ImportWipe(tx *sql.Tx)
 	ImportResetSequences(tx *sql.Tx)
 	UpsertNodeSQL() string
+	UpsertAlertHealthSQL() string
 }
 
 func rewritePlaceholders(query string, dollarStyle bool) string {

internal/store/postgres.go

@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ func (d *PostgresDialect) CreateTablesSQL() []string {
 			changed_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT NOW()
 		)`,
 		`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_state_changes_site ON state_changes(site_id, changed_at DESC)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS alert_health (
+			alert_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+			last_send_at TIMESTAMP,
+			last_send_ok BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
+			last_error TEXT DEFAULT '',
+			send_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+			fail_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0
+		)`,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -106,6 +114,10 @@ func (d *PostgresDialect) UpsertNodeSQL() string {
 	return "INSERT INTO nodes (id, name, region, last_seen, version) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, NOW(), $4) ON CONFLICT (id) DO UPDATE SET name = EXCLUDED.name, region = EXCLUDED.region, last_seen = NOW(), version = EXCLUDED.version"
 }
 
+func (d *PostgresDialect) UpsertAlertHealthSQL() string {
+	return "INSERT INTO alert_health (alert_id, last_send_at, last_send_ok, last_error, send_count, fail_count) VALUES ($1, $2, $3, $4, $5, $6) ON CONFLICT (alert_id) DO UPDATE SET last_send_at = EXCLUDED.last_send_at, last_send_ok = EXCLUDED.last_send_ok, last_error = EXCLUDED.last_error, send_count = EXCLUDED.send_count, fail_count = EXCLUDED.fail_count"
+}
+
 func (d *PostgresDialect) ResetSequenceOnEmpty(db *sql.DB, table string) {}
 
 func (d *PostgresDialect) ImportWipe(tx *sql.Tx) {

internal/store/sqlite.go

@@ -88,6 +88,14 @@ func (d *SQLiteDialect) CreateTablesSQL() []string {
 			changed_at DATETIME DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
 		)`,
 		`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_state_changes_site ON state_changes(site_id, changed_at DESC)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS alert_health (
+			alert_id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+			last_send_at DATETIME,
+			last_send_ok BOOLEAN DEFAULT 0,
+			last_error TEXT DEFAULT '',
+			send_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
+			fail_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0
+		)`,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -113,6 +121,10 @@ func (d *SQLiteDialect) UpsertNodeSQL() string {
 	return "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO nodes (id, name, region, last_seen, version) VALUES (?, ?, ?, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP, ?)"
 }
 
+func (d *SQLiteDialect) UpsertAlertHealthSQL() string {
+	return "INSERT OR REPLACE INTO alert_health (alert_id, last_send_at, last_send_ok, last_error, send_count, fail_count) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)"
+}
+
 func (d *SQLiteDialect) ResetSequenceOnEmpty(db *sql.DB, table string) {
 	var count int
 	_ = db.QueryRow("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM " + table).Scan(&count) //nolint:errcheck

internal/store/sqlstore.go

@@ -430,6 +430,37 @@ func (s *SQLStore) DeleteNode(id string) error {
 	return err
 }
 
+func (s *SQLStore) LoadAlertHealth() (map[int]models.AlertHealthRecord, error) {
+	rows, err := s.db.Query("SELECT alert_id, last_send_at, last_send_ok, last_error, send_count, fail_count FROM alert_health")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	defer rows.Close()
+	out := make(map[int]models.AlertHealthRecord)
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var r models.AlertHealthRecord
+		var lastSend sql.NullTime
+		if err := rows.Scan(&r.AlertID, &lastSend, &r.LastSendOK, &r.LastError, &r.SendCount, &r.FailCount); err != nil {
+			return out, err
+		}
+		if lastSend.Valid {
+			r.LastSendAt = lastSend.Time
+		}
+		out[r.AlertID] = r
+	}
+	return out, rows.Err()
+}
+
+func (s *SQLStore) SaveAlertHealth(h models.AlertHealthRecord) error {
+	var lastSend interface{}
+	if !h.LastSendAt.IsZero() {
+		lastSend = h.LastSendAt
+	}
+	_, err := s.db.Exec(s.dialect.UpsertAlertHealthSQL(),
+		h.AlertID, lastSend, h.LastSendOK, h.LastError, h.SendCount, h.FailCount)
+	return err
+}
+
 func (s *SQLStore) SaveLog(message string) error {
 	_, err := s.db.Exec(s.q("INSERT INTO logs (message) VALUES (?)"), message)
 	if err != nil {

internal/store/store.go

@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ type Store interface {
 	UpdateNodeLastSeen(id string) error
 	DeleteNode(id string) error
 
+	// Alert Health
+	LoadAlertHealth() (map[int]models.AlertHealthRecord, error)
+	SaveAlertHealth(h models.AlertHealthRecord) error
+
 	// Logs
 	SaveLog(message string) error
 	LoadLogs(limit int) ([]string, error)

internal/tui/tab_sites.go

@@ -959,19 +959,26 @@ func (m Model) viewDetailPanel() string {
 		}
 	} else {
 		b.WriteString("  " + latencySparkline(hist.Latencies, hist.Statuses, sparkWidth))
-		if len(hist.Latencies) > 0 {
+		// Stats over successful checks only — a failed check is stored as 0ns latency
-			minL, maxL := hist.Latencies[0], hist.Latencies[0]
+		// and would otherwise drag Min to 0ms and skew the average.
-			var total time.Duration
+		var minL, maxL, total time.Duration
-			for _, l := range hist.Latencies {
+		count := 0
-				total += l
+		for i, l := range hist.Latencies {
-				if l < minL {
+			if i < len(hist.Statuses) && !hist.Statuses[i] {
-					minL = l
+				continue
 			}
-				if l > maxL {
+			if count == 0 {
+				minL, maxL = l, l
+			} else if l < minL {
+				minL = l
+			} else if l > maxL {
 				maxL = l
 			}
+			total += l
+			count++
 		}
-			avg := total / time.Duration(len(hist.Latencies))
+		if count > 0 {
+			avg := total / time.Duration(count)
 			fmt.Fprintf(&b, "\n  %s %dms  %s %dms  %s %dms",
 				subtleStyle.Render("Min"), minL.Milliseconds(),
 				subtleStyle.Render("Avg"), avg.Milliseconds(),

internal/tui/tui.go

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
+	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -122,6 +123,10 @@ type Model struct {
 
 	filterMode bool
 	filterText string
+
+	// demoMode renders a stable status dot instead of the animated pulse so
+	// screenshots/recordings don't capture the spinner mid-frame. Set via UPTOP_DEMO=1.
+	demoMode bool
 }
 
 func InitialModel(isAdmin bool, s store.Store, eng *monitor.Engine) Model {
@@ -155,6 +160,7 @@ func InitialModel(isAdmin bool, s store.Store, eng *monitor.Engine) Model {
 		collapsed:    collapsed,
 		theme:        theme,
 		themeIndex:   themeIdx,
+		demoMode:     os.Getenv("UPTOP_DEMO") == "1",
 	}
 }
 
@@ -754,11 +760,6 @@ func (m *Model) submitForm() {
 }
 
 func (m Model) pulseIndicator() string {
-	frame := m.tickCount % len(pulseFrames)
-	brightness := int(m.pulsePos*155) + 100
-	if brightness > 255 {
-		brightness = 255
-	}
 	hasDown := false
 	for _, s := range m.sites {
 		if !s.Paused && !m.isMonitorInMaintenance(s.ID) && (s.Status == "DOWN" || s.Status == "SSL EXP") {
@@ -766,6 +767,19 @@ func (m Model) pulseIndicator() string {
 			break
 		}
 	}
+	// Stills can't show animation: render a stable status dot in demo mode.
+	if m.demoMode {
+		c := m.theme.Success
+		if hasDown {
+			c = m.theme.Danger
+		}
+		return lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(c).Render("●")
+	}
+	frame := m.tickCount % len(pulseFrames)
+	brightness := int(m.pulsePos*155) + 100
+	if brightness > 255 {
+		brightness = 255
+	}
 	var color string
 	if hasDown {
 		color = fmt.Sprintf("#%02x%02x%02x", brightness, brightness/4, brightness/4)
@@ -953,7 +967,11 @@ func (m Model) viewDashboard() string {
 				online++
 			}
 		}
-		statusParts = append(statusParts, fmt.Sprintf("%d probes", online))
+		probeLabel := "probes"
+		if online == 1 {
+			probeLabel = "probe"
+		}
+		statusParts = append(statusParts, fmt.Sprintf("%d %s", online, probeLabel))
 	}
 	statusLine := strings.Join(statusParts, subtleStyle.Render(" · "))
 

vhs/backfill/main.go

@@ -51,6 +51,15 @@ func main() {
 		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "maintenance: %v\n", err)
 		os.Exit(1)
 	}
+	alertIDs, err := loadAlertIDs(db)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "load alert IDs: %v\n", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	if err := backfillAlertHealth(db, now, alertIDs); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "alert health: %v\n", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
 
 	var count int
 	_ = db.QueryRow("SELECT COUNT(*) FROM check_history").Scan(&count)
@@ -67,6 +76,18 @@ func loadSiteIDs(db *sql.DB) (map[string]int, error) {
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	return scanNameIDs(rows)
+}
+
+func loadAlertIDs(db *sql.DB) (map[string]int, error) {
+	rows, err := db.Query("SELECT id, name FROM alerts")
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return scanNameIDs(rows)
+}
+
+func scanNameIDs(rows *sql.Rows) (map[string]int, error) {
 	defer rows.Close()
 	ids := make(map[string]int)
 	for rows.Next() {
@@ -80,27 +101,73 @@ func loadSiteIDs(db *sql.DB) (map[string]int, error) {
 	return ids, rows.Err()
 }
 
+// backfillAlertHealth seeds realistic send health so the Alerts tab shows recent,
+// healthy "last sent" times and green health dots instead of "never" across the board.
+func backfillAlertHealth(db *sql.DB, now time.Time, alertIDs map[string]int) error {
+	type health struct {
+		name    string
+		sentAgo time.Duration
+		ok      bool
+		sends   int
+		fails   int
+	}
+	rows := []health{
+		{"Discord Homelab", 4 * time.Minute, true, 37, 0},
+		{"Slack Ops", 9 * time.Minute, true, 21, 1},
+		{"Ntfy Alerts", 1 * time.Hour, true, 12, 0},
+		{"Email Oncall", 3 * time.Hour, true, 5, 0},
+	}
+
+	tx, err := db.Begin()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = tx.Rollback() }()
+
+	stmt, err := tx.Prepare("INSERT OR REPLACE INTO alert_health (alert_id, last_send_at, last_send_ok, last_error, send_count, fail_count) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer stmt.Close()
+
+	for _, r := range rows {
+		id, ok := alertIDs[r.name]
+		if !ok {
+			continue
+		}
+		sentAt := now.Add(-r.sentAgo).Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05")
+		if _, err := stmt.Exec(id, sentAt, r.ok, "", r.sends, r.fails); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+	return tx.Commit()
+}
+
 type monitorProfile struct {
 	name     string
 	minMs    int
 	maxMs    int
-	downFrom int // check index where DOWN starts (-1 = never)
+	downFrom int // first DOWN check index (-1 = always up)
+	downTo   int // exclusive end of the DOWN window; use 60 (total) for a still-down monitor
 }
 
 func backfillHistory(db *sql.DB, rng *rand.Rand, now time.Time, ids map[string]int) error {
+	// Latency ranges reflect monitoring public services over the internet, so the
+	// detail histogram brackets the live latency the engine measures at capture time.
+	// 60 checks * 24m spacing = a 24h window; dip indices place outages within it.
 	profiles := []monitorProfile{
-		{"Nextcloud", 40, 80, -1},
+		{"Nextcloud", 200, 600, 47, 48},       // brief blip ~5h ago, recovered
-		{"Jellyfin", 80, 200, -1},
+		{"Jellyfin", 40, 180, 15, 16},         // brief blip ~18h ago, recovered
-		{"Home Assistant", 15, 45, -1},
+		{"Home Assistant", 30, 120, -1, 0},    //
-		{"Gitea", 40, 90, -1},
+		{"Gitea", 50, 200, -1, 0},             //
-		{"Traefik Dashboard", 5, 25, -1},
+		{"Traefik Dashboard", 60, 200, -1, 0}, //
-		{"Vaultwarden", 50, 130, -1},
+		{"Vaultwarden", 80, 250, -1, 0},       //
-		{"Personal Blog", 25, 65, -1},
+		{"Personal Blog", 40, 160, -1, 0},     //
-		{"Immich", 100, 280, -1},    // spikes handled below
+		{"Immich", 60, 300, 30, 31},           // brief blip ~12h ago; periodic spikes below
-		{"Auth Portal", 30, 70, 40}, // DOWN after check 40
+		{"Auth Portal", 30, 90, 40, 60},       // DOWN ~8h ago, still down
-		{"Edge Router", 5, 15, -1},  // ping
+		{"Edge Router", 5, 20, -1, 0},         // ping
-		{"Postgres", 1, 5, -1},      // port
+		{"Postgres", 1, 6, -1, 0},             // port
-		{"DNS Primary", 10, 30, -1},
+		{"DNS Primary", 8, 30, -1, 0},         // dns
 	}
 
 	tx, err := db.Begin()
@@ -128,7 +195,7 @@ func backfillHistory(db *sql.DB, rng *rand.Rand, now time.Time, ids map[string]i
 			var latencyNs int64
 			isUp := true
 
-			if p.downFrom >= 0 && i >= p.downFrom {
+			if p.downFrom >= 0 && i >= p.downFrom && i < p.downTo {
 				latencyNs = 0
 				isUp = false
 			} else {
@@ -155,14 +222,16 @@ func backfillStateChanges(db *sql.DB, now time.Time, ids map[string]int) error {
 		reason string
 		at     time.Time
 	}
+	// Timed to line up with the history dips (Nextcloud ~5h, Immich ~12h, Jellyfin ~18h)
+	// and the still-down Auth Portal (~8h), so detail panels read coherently.
 	changes := []sc{
-		{"Nextcloud", "UP", "DOWN", "read timeout", now.Add(-3 * 24 * time.Hour).Add(-5 * time.Minute)},
+		{"Nextcloud", "UP", "DOWN", "read timeout", now.Add(-5 * time.Hour).Add(-8 * time.Minute)},
-		{"Nextcloud", "DOWN", "UP", "", now.Add(-3 * 24 * time.Hour)},
+		{"Nextcloud", "DOWN", "UP", "", now.Add(-5 * time.Hour)},
-		{"Jellyfin", "UP", "DOWN", "connection reset", now.Add(-18 * time.Hour).Add(-3 * time.Minute)},
+		{"Auth Portal", "UP", "DOWN", "no such host", now.Add(-8 * time.Hour)},
-		{"Jellyfin", "DOWN", "UP", "", now.Add(-18 * time.Hour)},
-		{"Auth Portal", "UP", "DOWN", "connection refused", now.Add(-8 * time.Hour)},
 		{"Immich", "UP", "DOWN", "502 Bad Gateway", now.Add(-12 * time.Hour).Add(-8 * time.Minute)},
 		{"Immich", "DOWN", "UP", "", now.Add(-12 * time.Hour)},
+		{"Jellyfin", "UP", "DOWN", "connection reset", now.Add(-18 * time.Hour).Add(-5 * time.Minute)},
+		{"Jellyfin", "DOWN", "UP", "", now.Add(-18 * time.Hour)},
 	}
 
 	tx, err := db.Begin()
@@ -191,25 +260,35 @@ func backfillStateChanges(db *sql.DB, now time.Time, ids map[string]int) error {
 
 func backfillLogs(db *sql.DB, now time.Time) error {
 	type logEntry struct {
-		msg string
+		text string
 		at   time.Time
 	}
+	ago := func(h, m, s int) time.Time {
+		return now.Add(-(time.Duration(h)*time.Hour + time.Duration(m)*time.Minute + time.Duration(s)*time.Second))
+	}
+	// Ordered newest-first. The bracket time is derived from `at` (not hardcoded), so the
+	// Logs view — which renders the leading [HH:MM] — reads chronologically. Outage times
+	// line up with the state changes and history dips above.
 	logs := []logEntry{
-		{"[06:12] Monitor 'Auth Portal' confirmed DOWN: connection refused", now.Add(-8 * time.Hour)},
+		{"Monitor 'Nextcloud' recovered (was down 8m)", ago(5, 0, 0)},
-		{"[06:12] Monitor 'Auth Portal' failed check 2/2", now.Add(-8*time.Hour - 30*time.Second)},
+		{"Monitor 'Nextcloud' confirmed DOWN: read timeout", ago(5, 8, 0)},
-		{"[06:11] Monitor 'Auth Portal' failed check 1/2", now.Add(-8*time.Hour - 60*time.Second)},
+		{"Monitor 'Nextcloud' failed check 2/2", ago(5, 8, 30)},
-		{"[12:33] Monitor 'Immich' recovered (was down 8m)", now.Add(-12 * time.Hour)},
+		{"Monitor 'Nextcloud' failed check 1/2", ago(5, 9, 0)},
-		{"[12:25] Monitor 'Immich' confirmed DOWN: 502 Bad Gateway", now.Add(-12*time.Hour - 8*time.Minute)},
+		{"Monitor 'Auth Portal' confirmed DOWN: no such host", ago(8, 0, 0)},
-		{"[12:25] Monitor 'Immich' failed check 3/3", now.Add(-12*time.Hour - 8*time.Minute - 30*time.Second)},
+		{"Monitor 'Auth Portal' failed check 2/2", ago(8, 0, 30)},
-		{"[12:25] Monitor 'Immich' failed check 2/3", now.Add(-12*time.Hour - 8*time.Minute - 60*time.Second)},
+		{"Monitor 'Auth Portal' failed check 1/2", ago(8, 1, 0)},
-		{"[12:24] Monitor 'Immich' failed check 1/3", now.Add(-12*time.Hour - 9*time.Minute)},
+		{"Monitor 'Immich' recovered (was down 8m)", ago(12, 0, 0)},
-		{"[06:14] Monitor 'Jellyfin' recovered (was down 3m)", now.Add(-18 * time.Hour)},
+		{"Monitor 'Immich' confirmed DOWN: 502 Bad Gateway", ago(12, 8, 0)},
-		{"[06:11] Monitor 'Jellyfin' confirmed DOWN: connection reset", now.Add(-18*time.Hour - 3*time.Minute)},
+		{"Monitor 'Immich' failed check 3/3", ago(12, 8, 30)},
-		{"[06:11] Monitor 'Jellyfin' failed check 2/2", now.Add(-18*time.Hour - 3*time.Minute - 30*time.Second)},
+		{"Monitor 'Immich' failed check 2/3", ago(12, 9, 0)},
-		{"[06:10] Monitor 'Jellyfin' failed check 1/2", now.Add(-18*time.Hour - 4*time.Minute)},
+		{"Monitor 'Immich' failed check 1/3", ago(12, 9, 30)},
-		{"[23:45] SSL certificate for 'Personal Blog' expires in 42 days", now.Add(-28 * time.Hour)},
+		{"Monitor 'Jellyfin' recovered (was down 5m)", ago(18, 0, 0)},
-		{"[08:00] Loaded check history from database", now.Add(-32*time.Hour - 30*time.Minute)},
+		{"Monitor 'Jellyfin' confirmed DOWN: connection reset", ago(18, 5, 0)},
-		{"[08:00] Engine RESUMED (Active)", now.Add(-32*time.Hour - 30*time.Minute - 5*time.Second)},
+		{"Monitor 'Jellyfin' failed check 2/2", ago(18, 5, 30)},
+		{"Monitor 'Jellyfin' failed check 1/2", ago(18, 6, 0)},
+		{"SSL warning: certificate for 'Personal Blog' expires in 9 days", ago(20, 0, 0)},
+		{"Engine RESUMED (Active)", ago(22, 0, 0)},
+		{"Loaded check history from database", ago(22, 0, 5)},
 	}
 
 	tx, err := db.Begin()
@@ -225,7 +304,10 @@ func backfillLogs(db *sql.DB, now time.Time) error {
 	defer stmt.Close()
 
 	for _, l := range logs {
-		if _, err := stmt.Exec(l.msg, l.at.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05")); err != nil {
+		// Bracket in local time to match the engine's live AddLog timestamps;
+		// created_at stays UTC to match the store's CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ordering.
+		msg := "[" + l.at.Local().Format("15:04") + "] " + l.text
+		if _, err := stmt.Exec(msg, l.at.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05")); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -233,12 +315,24 @@ func backfillLogs(db *sql.DB, now time.Time) error {
 }
 
 func backfillNodes(db *sql.DB, now time.Time) error {
-	_, err := db.Exec(
+	// Multiple regions to show distributed probes. All seen "now" so they read ONLINE
+	// for the whole capture window (kept under the 60s freshness threshold by the tape).
+	nodes := []struct{ id, name, region string }{
+		{"node-use1", "leader", "us-east"},
+		{"node-euw1", "probe-eu", "eu-west"},
+		{"node-apse1", "probe-ap", "ap-southeast"},
+	}
+	ts := now.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05")
+	for _, n := range nodes {
+		if _, err := db.Exec(
 			"INSERT OR REPLACE INTO nodes (id, name, region, last_seen, version) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)",
-		"node-1", "leader", "us-east", now.Format("2006-01-02 15:04:05"), "2026.05.1",
+			n.id, n.name, n.region, ts, "2026.05.1",
-	)
+		); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
 
 func backfillMaintenance(db *sql.DB, now time.Time, ids map[string]int) error {
 	tx, err := db.Begin()

vhs/crop/main.go

@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+// Command crop trims the uniform background border around each VHS screenshot so the
+// content fills the frame instead of floating in a large empty terminal. Sparse views
+// (alerts, detail, nodes) would otherwise sit in a sea of dead space.
+//
+// Usage: crop [dir]   (dir defaults to vhs/screenshots)
+package main
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"image"
+	"image/color"
+	"image/png"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+)
+
+// pad is the margin (px) left around the detected content. tol is the per-channel
+// colour distance (summed) above which a pixel counts as content rather than background.
+const (
+	pad = 24
+	tol = 28
+)
+
+func main() {
+	dir := "vhs/screenshots"
+	if len(os.Args) > 1 {
+		dir = os.Args[1]
+	}
+	paths, err := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(dir, "*.png"))
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "glob: %v\n", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	if len(paths) == 0 {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "no PNGs in %s\n", dir)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	for _, p := range paths {
+		w, h, err := cropFile(p)
+		if err != nil {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "crop %s: %v\n", p, err)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		fmt.Printf("cropped %s -> %dx%d\n", filepath.Base(p), w, h)
+	}
+}
+
+func cropFile(path string) (int, int, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open(path) //nolint:gosec // dev tool: paths come from a trusted local glob
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+	src, err := png.Decode(f)
+	_ = f.Close()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+
+	b := src.Bounds()
+	// Background colour sampled from a corner — always inside VHS's blank padding.
+	bgR, bgG, bgB := rgb(src.At(b.Min.X+2, b.Min.Y+2))
+
+	minX, minY := b.Max.X, b.Max.Y
+	maxX, maxY := b.Min.X, b.Min.Y
+	found := false
+	for y := b.Min.Y; y < b.Max.Y; y++ {
+		for x := b.Min.X; x < b.Max.X; x++ {
+			r, g, bl := rgb(src.At(x, y))
+			if abs(r-bgR)+abs(g-bgG)+abs(bl-bgB) > tol {
+				found = true
+				minX, minY = min(minX, x), min(minY, y)
+				maxX, maxY = max(maxX, x), max(maxY, y)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if !found {
+		return b.Dx(), b.Dy(), nil // blank frame — leave untouched
+	}
+
+	minX = clamp(minX-pad, b.Min.X, b.Max.X)
+	minY = clamp(minY-pad, b.Min.Y, b.Max.Y)
+	maxX = clamp(maxX+pad+1, b.Min.X, b.Max.X)
+	maxY = clamp(maxY+pad+1, b.Min.Y, b.Max.Y)
+
+	dst := image.NewRGBA(image.Rect(0, 0, maxX-minX, maxY-minY))
+	for y := minY; y < maxY; y++ {
+		for x := minX; x < maxX; x++ {
+			dst.Set(x-minX, y-minY, src.At(x, y))
+		}
+	}
+
+	out, err := os.Create(path) //nolint:gosec // dev tool: paths come from a trusted local glob
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+	defer out.Close() //nolint:errcheck // best-effort close on write path
+	if err := png.Encode(out, dst); err != nil {
+		return 0, 0, err
+	}
+	return dst.Bounds().Dx(), dst.Bounds().Dy(), nil
+}
+
+func rgb(c color.Color) (int, int, int) {
+	r, g, b, _ := c.RGBA()
+	return int(r >> 8), int(g >> 8), int(b >> 8)
+}
+
+func abs(x int) int {
+	if x < 0 {
+		return -x
+	}
+	return x
+}
+
+func clamp(v, lo, hi int) int {
+	if v < lo {
+		return lo
+	}
+	if v > hi {
+		return hi
+	}
+	return v
+}

vhs/demo.tape

@@ -6,49 +6,67 @@ Set Padding 20
 Set Framerate 15
 Set TypingSpeed 50ms
 
+# Seed demo data + start uptop (UPTOP_DEMO=1 → stable pulse dot for stills).
 Hide
 Type "bash vhs/setup.sh /tmp/uptop-vhs.db"
 Enter
-Sleep 45s
+# Warm-up: push heartbeat lands (~10s) and initial checks settle. Kept short so every
+# capture stays inside the 60s node-freshness window (consistent "3 probes" footer).
+Sleep 18s
 Show
-Sleep 5s
+Sleep 2s
 
-# Sites tab — hero shot with mixed monitor states
+# 1. Sites — hero shot: mixed states, history sparklines, SSL, retries.
 Screenshot vhs/screenshots/monitors.png
 Sleep 1s
 
-# Navigate to Nextcloud (row 6: group + 3 children + Auth Portal)
+# 2. Detail — drill into Nextcloud (6th row from the top).
 Down
-Sleep 200ms
+Sleep 150ms
 Down
-Sleep 200ms
+Sleep 150ms
 Down
-Sleep 200ms
+Sleep 150ms
 Down
-Sleep 200ms
+Sleep 150ms
 Down
-Sleep 200ms
+Sleep 300ms
 Type "i"
-Sleep 3s
+Sleep 2s
 Screenshot vhs/screenshots/detail.png
-Sleep 1s
+Sleep 500ms
-
-# Close detail
 Escape
 Sleep 1s
 
-# Tab to Alerts
+# 3. Alerts — channels with health dots + recent "last sent".
 Tab
-Sleep 2s
+Sleep 1500ms
 Screenshot vhs/screenshots/alerts.png
-Sleep 1s
+Sleep 500ms
 
-# Tab to Logs
+# 4. Logs — chronological, severity-coloured event stream.
 Tab
-Sleep 2s
+Sleep 1500ms
 Screenshot vhs/screenshots/logs.png
-Sleep 1s
+Sleep 500ms
+
+# 5. Nodes — distributed probes across regions.
+Tab
+Sleep 1500ms
+Screenshot vhs/screenshots/nodes.png
+Sleep 500ms
+
+# 6. Theme — cycle to the next theme, return to Sites for an alternate-palette hero.
+Type "T"
+Sleep 500ms
+Tab
+Sleep 200ms
+Tab
+Sleep 200ms
+Tab
+Sleep 1s
+Screenshot vhs/screenshots/theme.png
+Sleep 500ms
 
-# Quit
 Type "q"
 Sleep 1s

vhs/seed.yaml

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ monitors:
   # HTTP — homelab services
   - name: Nextcloud
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://nextcloud.com
     interval: 30
     alert: Discord Homelab
     check_ssl: true
@@ -37,21 +37,21 @@ monitors:
 
   - name: Jellyfin
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://jellyfin.org
     interval: 30
     alert: Discord Homelab
     max_retries: 2
 
   - name: Home Assistant
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://www.home-assistant.io
     interval: 30
     alert: Discord Homelab
     max_retries: 3
 
   - name: Gitea
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://about.gitea.com
     interval: 60
     alert: Discord Homelab
     check_ssl: true
@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ monitors:
 
   - name: Traefik Dashboard
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://traefik.io
     interval: 60
     alert: Discord Homelab
     max_retries: 1
 
   - name: Vaultwarden
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://bitwarden.com
     interval: 30
     alert: Discord Homelab
     check_ssl: true
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ monitors:
 
   - name: Personal Blog
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://jvns.ca
     interval: 120
     alert: Discord Homelab
     check_ssl: true
@@ -85,17 +85,17 @@ monitors:
 
   - name: Immich
     type: http
-    url: https://example.com
+    url: https://immich.app
     interval: 60
     alert: Discord Homelab
     check_ssl: true
     expiry_threshold: 7
     max_retries: 3
 
-  # HTTP — deliberate failure
+  # HTTP — deliberate failure (non-resolving homelab host → stays DOWN)
   - name: Auth Portal
     type: http
-    url: http://localhost:1
+    url: https://auth.home.arpa
     interval: 30
     alert: Discord Homelab
     max_retries: 2

vhs/setup.sh

@@ -9,13 +9,16 @@ echo "==> Seeding monitors and alerts..."
 UPTOP_DB_DSN="$DB" ./uptop apply -f vhs/seed.yaml 2>&1
 
 echo "==> Backfilling check history..."
-BACKFILL_OUT=$(go run ./vhs/backfill/ "$DB")
+# Build first so the backfill's `now` (node last_seen, heartbeat timing) isn't racing
+# a cold compile — keeps the capture window deterministic.
+go build -o /tmp/uptop-backfill ./vhs/backfill/
+BACKFILL_OUT=$(/tmp/uptop-backfill "$DB")
 echo "$BACKFILL_OUT"
 
 PUSH_TOKEN=$(echo "$BACKFILL_OUT" | grep '^PUSH_TOKEN=' | cut -d= -f2)
 if [ -n "$PUSH_TOKEN" ]; then
-  echo "==> Sending push heartbeat in 15s (background)..."
+  echo "==> Sending push heartbeat in 10s (background)..."
-  (sleep 15 && curl -s "http://localhost:18099/api/push" -H "Authorization: Bearer $PUSH_TOKEN" > /dev/null 2>&1) &
+  (sleep 10 && curl -s "http://localhost:18099/api/push" -H "Authorization: Bearer $PUSH_TOKEN" > /dev/null 2>&1) &
 fi
 
 echo "==> Starting uptop server..."
@@ -24,4 +27,5 @@ exec env \
   UPTOP_PORT=23299 \
   UPTOP_HTTP_PORT=18099 \
   UPTOP_ALLOW_PRIVATE_TARGETS=true \
+  UPTOP_DEMO=1 \
   ./uptop serve 2>/dev/null