Setting Up a Let’s Play, Week 4

The saga continues! If you’re just joining me and are wondering what you’ve missed, you can check out the last three weeks here.

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Historical Background

Last week was pretty exciting! My little duckies weren’t quite in a row, but they were at least all swimming near each other in the same pond, so that was something. And it all resulted in putting together a little test video! I was absolutely elated that everything finally worked, especially after some initial set-backs. So I’m all set to start recording some great game footage with some fabulous commentary. Or some great game footage and some mediocre commentary. Or some decent game footage while someone talks.

…Or maybe you’ll just get some random person bumbling through a video game as they mutter incoherently. We’ll see how it goes.

Current State of Affairs

I only have a few hours a week during which I can really record (read: it’s quiet enough here that I can record). So this week I set myself up and got ready to go. Guess what? The audio didn’t work right!

Even though the set-up was exactly the same as during my first video, all of a sudden I was getting all kinds of lag and feedback while playing. It was terrible. Two-and-a-half hours of “unplug/replug everything,” “reboot computer,” “reboot program,” “record with TV, PS3, and computer sound off” and “storm out of room and back again as if that’s going to help” later, I discovered that I had to turn off the sound in the recording software in order to get the sound to work properly.

Wait.

Yes. I had to turn off the sound so the sound would work.

**takes slow, deep, calming breath**

Since that recording session was such an epic fail, I carved out another hour to try and record some stuff. And I got the sound and the video all working great – everything looked fine when I was recording, and I was so very very happy. Then I went back to edit it.

This is what I saw when I was trying to line up the audio and video. Looks okay, right?

Aaand this is what I saw during the game itself (this is right after Shepard speaks with Joker for the first time):

At least it was decent enough to give me some static on the top of the screen.

I think it might have something to do with the TV, since it always switches to static for a moment in between the menu screen and playing the game. Perhaps the signal gets messed up?? But if that’s the case, why doesn’t it go back once the signal is reestablished?

The second video (the one that began in the middle of playing and not on the menu screen) is fine, so that’s good at least. But I’ll have to go back and start the whole game over again so there’s, you know, a beginning. Thank goodness I only had a hour to play this time around. I would have been so upset if I had to walk away from over two hours of game footage. Small favors and all that, I suppose!

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing around with screen captures and creating a thumbnail, and this is what I’ve come up with. I think YouTube will allow me to add text so I can number the episodes, but this will be the “base” (feedback appreciated):

Now  just need a solid video to post.

Lessons Learned

1. Most of the time when you hear hooves, you should think horses and not zebras. But sometimes, when you hear hooves you should immediately look in the sky for a unicorn to fly by carrying a piano. Seriously, who designs recording software that requires you to turn off the sound in order for the sound to work properly? And there isn’t even a manual to look at!
2. CRT-TVs just don’t like to play well with newer technology, and so require a little more creative thinking to get them to work. Plan accordingly.
3. Creating graphics using Paint, Microsoft Word, and the Snipping Tool also requires a little outside-the-box thinking to make something that looks halfway decent.

I can’t believe it’s been four weeks. I am now accepting bets regarding whether you guys think everything will work this week and I’ll get some videos up before the end of February 🙂

Thanks for stopping by, and I’ll see you soon!
~ Athena