It is possible to get very high quality video from an S-Video connection, but it takes a lot of adjustment to the capture settings. I’m not opposed to the Dazzle at all; for what it does, it’s quite good. There just happen to be better options out there that are likely worth saving your money for.

If you dont have a dvdr, they cost about the same as the dazzel

Many DVDR also features 1080p up-conversion to enhance your current DVDs for near-HD picture quality via HDMI output to your tv. One-touch recording allows simple operation, simply load a blank dvd and hit record.

Benefits are, you can record form the comfort of your TV. Just sit back in your favorite chair, sofa, or where-ever.
Pause, start and stop recording is as simple as pressing one button.
You have all that footage on a DVD, and not your hard drive eating up gigabytes. Simply put the DVD into your Dvd drive, and open your editing software.

That blackmagic does look nice!

Whatever you make, make it for yourself.

Additionally, you can *turn off speech bubbles* in the options. I keep hearing people saying they have to make everyone be quiet. Just go into your PDA and there is an option to turn them all off.

So here came the next problem: I have this homungously large Loot space which is a great stage with flats and lights and a camera -- but it maxes out at eleven people. No way to seat an audience in there for a live performance. Especially with a script that calls for eight people! And the camera is a prop; handy if you have a camera to use with it, but does not tape any videos on its own. So now you need a camera person if you want to use the Loot camera to set up screen shots to record with your screen capture card.

Then, an epiphany: use a Club house space (capacity thirty-two), forget about the Loot camera -- buy the Hauppage PVD system and make that video! Then I started building the spaceship set and the fifty-item limit kicked in. How do I make this look like an early Star Trek set with the floor and the walls eating up almost all of the item allowance?

So -- back to the Loot store: other stage props: talk show and airplane interior. They’re static scenes, and not very funny. I wanted to do slapstick space saga – a sort of homage to Mel Brookes. Now what? The limitations of trying to make a video in Home began to make this look impossible. How was Joanna doing it with all those fantastic videos for Ladies’ Fashion Runway? I took a closer look: one actor (her), one location, music background, and gorgeous clothes. No, I want to do this with a whole gang of actors who are uninhibited about making a crazy skit and letting their friends see it.

Then I take another look at the script and thought about the limitations of avatar expressions in Home. I’m going to have to use a lot of gestures like “thinks of a number” (face looks puzzled) and greeting gestures (pointing, applauding, etc.). Need to haul NorseGamer in here to coach us on some weird moves he invented using a combination of gestures and dance steps.

I then notice that I also had to rewrite this so that no one touched another avatar. No one jumped. No one interacted with any of the props. That’s some set of limitations when you are trying to tell a story. No wonder Loot didn’t come up with any fairytale romance sets -- unless Snow White and Prince Charming were in the woods with the seven short people, the evil Queen had a poisoned ice cream cone, and Snow White went into a coma standing up.

So, without any usable props, any physical touching, any moves other than walking, running and obsolete dance moves, and any sense of subtlety, here are some excerpts from a script that could be done in Home -- if the Producer doesn’t have a nervous breakdown or go broke first.

Scene: Outer space. (HSM Stage Two). Chief Sub Commander JB is standing inside the command module.

OK, first line in the script and we already have a problem. Everyone out there at some point in their life has seen an episode of Star Trek. How do we use the furniture available in Home to create something that looks at least vaguely like a spaceship command bridge? We can’t find anything to decorate the Batman space, so how are we to simulate the Starship Enterprise? And all Loot had to sell was the bare walls! So -- let’s try the Race Bar and pretend it is the control center, then add the Ghostbusters computers and printer (and hope no one in the audience remembers daisy-wheel printers -- the last one must have disappeared into the Smithsonian 30 years ago) and the Tron chairs. Next -- bite the bullet and buy the Frankenstein light and turn it up full blast.

Standing at attention in a line are subcommanders DarthGranny and CL, and new recruits PP and CD in a line standing at attention. Reporter Dan is seated on the couch recording notes for a new Wiki manual. SW and ED are waiting downstage, off-camera. Everyone except ED is costumed as a Homester.

Now we have to find actors who are willing to spend time in the Bowling alley playing the Echochrome game to win the free outfit, and spring for the expense of Hamster costumes they might never use again. Why halves of two costumes? Because we don’t want either organization having a hissy fit that we have disrespected them by making this video. And because the visual image of a Homeling getting jiggy with a Hamster in a closet at the party gives me fits where I laugh so much I start to hiccup.

JB: “Listen up! This new video is going to be the official training film for Homesters on how to dress appropriately at all times. It has come to my attention that some of you are confused or have been slacking off.” (Glances in direction of DG and points, shaking head) “Sub commander! That is not the correct uniform! Where are your pants?”

DG: “But, chief sub commander, you said at the assimilation that officers can wear a white skirt instead of the pants. And I still had my cheerleader costume from high school so….”

(Pan down to show DG in Hamster top and white cheerleader skirt and white boots. Then zoom to JB’s face for close-up.)

OK, I will have to play myself. I don’t know any other person in Home who was willing to buy that cheerleader costume.

JB: (makes dismissive wave at DG): “THAT’S not the right white skirt! You couldn’t use that skirt anyhow -- not without having all your fur removed from the waist down.”

Dan (to himself) : “That’s one ceremony I would pay to see”

Check to make sure no MODS will be able to censor these lines. Who do I have to bribe?

DG: (confused): “Does that mean I don’t get anymore buffalo wings?” (Stumbles over to sofa and sits, turns to Dan) “Do you have any Kleenex? I am going to cry and I used all mine to stuff my bra today”

JB: “Get back up here and stand at attention! The big brass are arriving any minute to do an inspection and I will not be embarrassed by any of you. And you, go to wardrobe and put on your pants! NOW!”

DG: “Ok, pants it is. Under the skirt. No more thong. Got it, boss”

Why did I put in a costume change? What if it takes forever to get to the wardrobe, change into the pants and come back? Time this at rehearsal.

JB: “The EchoChrome uniform pants, you moron! And get rid of the go-go dancer boots, too. And what’s with all these Ray-Guns? Aren’t Q-Tips good enough for you anymore? Huh? HUH?”

(Everyone waves the ray guns)

WHY did I write the ray guns into the script. Now I will have to sink a small fortune into Lockwood tokens to get that prop.

CL: “Much deeper probes with these, sir”

DG: “Yeah, we nuked a gangsta fam so bad they’ll never need condoms again.”

Check with PR to make sure no gangsta fams are ever going to see this and do a drive-by on the video crew.

(JB turns attention to PP who is standing at attention, perfectly dressed.)

JB: “What is the sign you were seen wearing? We did not issue you a sign. We are on thin ice with those jelly fish and now you were seen wearing a sign”

PP: “Well, Commander, that was the Guide sign that I got from Glass Walls and I think he outranks you in Home.”

Oh no -- what if Poison Preed is no longer a Guide when we film this? What kind of sign could he have instead? No Parking?

JB: “Only inside Home. Remember, we are circling in orbit far above Home. Here you will be in uniform at all times with no signs.”

PP: “But what if a Homester was lost and needed help? That was my job -- to help the clueless.”

JB: “If any Homester has a question, all he has to do is go to the Forum, ANY Forum, and post a message. It will be answered immediately by General Nos, the big kahuna of all things Homester.”

(JB and PP keep moving arms and head as if talking in the background. Camera pulls forward to Dan, and CD.)

CD: “She has a point there. You can’t sneeze in Home without Nos handing you a hanky.”

Oh boy, I hope Nos has a sense of humor. We are laughing with you, Nos. Don’t kick me out of Homelings for this.

(ED runs in wearing the most outrageous costume he owns.)

ED sent me a PM -- he doesn’t own a microphone. We will have to do this whole thing with voice-overs! That means getting all these people together again just to do the voices and match them to the actions on the screen.

(PP in the background suddenly changes into the KZ flying suit and lifts off.)

What if the wardrobe problem happens and it takes PP longer to change into that KZ3 outfit? Am I going to have to rewrite this script again?

SW: “I escaped from the Brig. I couldn’t take it anymore. They play Chain Swing in there 24 hours a day, full blast. The torture is unbearable.”

Can we edit in five seconds of Chain Swing? What do you mean it’s probably copyrighted? Who would want to claim that piece of--

DG: “Next time, ED. And calm down, I still have the negatives of you and the reindeer at the Christmas party, remember?”

Insert still picture of ED at the Christmas party violating the reindeer. Wait! How do we insert a still picture into a video? (Runs for the manual.)

ED: “That reindeer was a consenting adult.”

Fade to black

SOOOOOOOOOO -- all set, right? Right? RIGHT? No, the Hauppauge won’t work with an iMac without another piece of software being added. I am going to need an infusion of cash from a doting husband if I’m to complete this project. And five pieces of cabling. And an eleven year old kid genius from down the block to hook all this stuff together. Three days of mucking around with this thing and then, BINGO, “Houston we have liftoff!” Never have I been so thrilled to see a thirty second test shot that actually looked like a real video.

Then came the casting idea: so many wonderful talented friends. BUT, they needed the Lockwood Gift Machine Ray Guns. Okay, problem solved -- buy a huge stack of Lockwood tokens and send each cast member a ray gun gift. Now one of the actors has a wife asking why a strange woman in Home is sending his avatar a gift. Oh, well. And the bottom half of the costume is easy -- the Echochrome outfit can be won for free at the Echochrome Game in the Bowling Alley. But the hamster costume costs money. So now I have to find actors who are willing to buy the hamster costume, knowing there probably will not be a demand for a sequel (although I rather fancied the idea of “Homesters Ride Again”, “Revenge of Homesters”, and “Homesters; Director’s Uncensored Version”).

Back to the drawing board: do I go for a different theme: “Defaults in Space”? Those lines just don’t work with that theme. I have to write another script. Change the set again. WHAAAAAH!

Not sure what my style is. I just make video’s I think I would like. is that a style? o.O

I enjoyed reading this. Thank you.