Wizard's Ultimate Content Curation Station
a series of software, workflows, and tips curated by me to output as much second-hand content as efficiently as i can without sacrificing quality
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Glossary
Vocab vocab vocab!! You don't have to memorize any of this, but any words I don't want to shove a definition for in the middle of a sentence will redirect back to here!
Intro + General Advice
Welcome!
Why do my screenshots look so dogshit and how do I fix it?
First off: don't worry, you're not crazy, they do look like dogshit. Secondly: The explanation is longwinded and stupid, but luckily not the end of the world.
If you're here there's a good chance your main CC or group of CCs play minecraft. And for the uninitiated, minecraft is one of the worst fucking video games when it comes to the wonderful world of ✨bitrate✨. I'm going to summarize what we need to know and why it's important but if you're looking for the "long" version of what I'm about to say: this Tom Scott video, this other Tom Scott video, and this 2kliksphilip video are great places to start.
In short: any video you view via the web, live or recorded, only has so many colors to go around. Encoding/compression is how all web browsers and file hosts are able to show you your gay minecraft people as efficiently as possible in the highest quality possible. The most common form of video compression, and specifically the kind Twitch uses for broadcasts and vods, is *lossy H.264 encoding.
*What the hell is that? (Extremely oversimplified)
H.264 encoding is the most widely utilized video compression method on the modern web. By default it is a lossy compression method but can be reconfigured into lossless.
Lossy compression is mainly used for social media, portfolio, and other visual-only file hosting website reasons. When a file is run through lossy compression, it's an irreversible action which will permanently alter the file size, quality, and details. Lossless compression is a reversible form of compression. The original file details are stored within the compressed file and are able to be retrieved by film editors, photographers, and other people who know what they're doing.
^^^ why does that matter? The way lossless compression works is with interframe compression, which is essentially looking at a frame, noticing what blocks of color don't move/move very little for several frames, and dedicating a tiny portion of computing power to those blocks of color while reallocating all the rest of the power to more complicated parts of the frame. As in-use example, it's one of the reasons Optimize for static background is an option when converting a video to a gif via ezgif.com. If you learn quick, you can probably guess why this is an issue for minecraft streamers specifically.
Bitrate Hell | The Usual Screenie | The Ideal Image |
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lots of different colored pixels moving on screen during gameplay, facecam is pushed to the backburner | the gameplay is mostly still with a singular color taking up the most space, the only issue we're working with is size of the facecam | a pose held for a few seconds, fullsized facecam, and without gameplay |
lots of different colored pixels moving on screen during gameplay, facecam is pushed to the backburner | the gameplay is mostly still with a singular color taking up the most space, the only issue we're working with is size of the facecam | a pose held for a few seconds, fullsized facecam, and without gameplay |
yadda yadda we're using social media's weaknesses to our advantage / tricking post formats. the bigger your screenshot, the better it's going to look on 99 percent of screens. especially phones and laptops.
Workflows
yadda yadda yadda smthing smthing order of operations when it comes to different choices of software. it's heavily encouraged to read through and test whatever you're comfortable with to find your favorite blend
What's the choice for YOU?
Have absolutely no clue what's going on? Visit the Absolute Beginner's Guide for a spoonfeed installation guide
The Lurker Larry | The Discord Derek | The Parasocial Pundo |
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The perfect workflow for baby's first blorbo | The ideal workflow for live threads, anyone who likes to stay busy during a stream | Peak deranged. Wizard's personal workflow |
Minimal downloads, almost exclusively online tools | A good mix of online tools and freeware | Primarily soft and freeware. Inevitable online tools are inevitable |
Slower, but more user friendly overall | An artisan's blend of fast and efficient. Minimal learning curve for maximum reward. | Knowledge in navigating CMD is heavily encouraged. Minimal frontend ui for maximum customization. Speed varies |
Online Browser Tools
a fair disclaimer
yadda yadda smthing smthing can't guarantee they'll be updated consistently mourning expected etc etc
Software
a fair disclaimer
my choices may not be the best choices! and a lot of these options have a bit of a learning curve. unless you have a background in tech, it may be a little steep, but nothing is impossible.
AND
a lot of these tips can be replicated in other (more familiar, modern, trustworthy, etc) software options! i'll try to leave alternatives if i have any.
Quick Links
in no particular order
Name | Description | Thumbnail |
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Windows File Explorer | This filter uses perlin noise to change hue, saturation, lightness, and alpha to create uneven colors. Detail can be easily raised with analog-style painting | ![]() |
VLC Media Player | This plug-in draws streamlines. Various effects can be rendered depending on the settings. | ![]() |
Twitch Leecher | This plug-in draws a concentration line. Various effects can be rendered depending on the settings. | ![]() |
Twitch VOD Downloader | This plug-in draws a concentration line. Various effects can be rendered depending on the settings. | ![]() |
Speed Crop | This plug-in draws a concentration line. Various effects can be rendered depending on the settings. | ![]() |
Animator's GIF Enjoyer Deluxe | This plug-in draws a concentration line. Various effects can be rendered depending on the settings. |
Windows File Explorer:
it fucking sucks. i know, i know. i've spent a fair amount of time researching alternative file catalogs but haven't come across anything that i like quite enough just yet. however, i do have a few tips to make the windows file explorer experience as painless as possible.
WFE Usage & Tips
VLC Media Player:
Twitch Leecher:
Speed Crop
YT-DLP
[separate usage page here probably] links to official doc, frontends, githubs, etc
Hardware
a fair disclaimer
ALL OF THESE ARE PURPOSEFULLY UNREQUIRED!! Everything I use software wise is free and preferably open source, as I believe deeply in content freedom and redistribution. Anything hardware wise is just what I use personally to make my stupid baka life slightly easier.