YouTube: New "Recommended Videos to Watch from Others" Playlists on My Channel Starts Today!

Starting from today onwards, I'm going to attempt to hopefully help establish my channel more as a one stop place for significant games I've played and uploaded footage of, while giving back to other content creators. The first games that I'm tackling is of course the Warriors/Musou games.

So I have created new playlists for specific DW/SW/WO games that are labeled "Recommended Videos to Watch from Others". These playlists will contain videos (from friends and strangers) of that game that I recommend others to watch. 

You can now view these new playlists at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/user/wonderpierrot/playlists

What's the main point of this? Well... imagine this: various viewers continuously ask me to upload a video showcasing all musou attacks in a new Warriors games, or cutscenes, or whatever. Instead of giving into pointless labor and create such videos, I can simply redirect these viewers to existing videos that others have already created in my playlists, covering their wanted subjects and keeping them happy. IF such videos already exists.

My modus operandi has always been to create + upload what is necessary and avoid repeating what others have already done. If no one has done such a video yet, I will sometimes get out of my to try to be the first to get the video out. Nevertheless, videos that are not personally unique (i.e. videos that anyone can create and upload, such as cutscenes and musou compilations) are the bottom of the barrel for me in terms of priority—so I usually save these types of videos for last.

One of the reasons these playlists will be additionally helpful to me is because it gives me the chance to share videos I like and believe others would enjoy for that certain game.

In conclusion, everybody wins with these new playlists. I win, the viewers win and the content creators who I chose to have their videos featured in my playlists wins!

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Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires Written + Video Review Will Be Published Soon!

Hello! I'm currently in process of writing up and finishing my detailed written review for Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires, which will be published exclusively on this blog. The written review should be posted by the end of this week.

A video review may likely follow suit, but considering how much more time and effort it requires to make one, the video review may not be published until the end of January to midst of February.

I also like to announce that because of this, I will be on a short hiatus from posting any YouTube videos for the time being. Don't worry, I won't abandon you guys again!

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Creative Nation is launching a new YouTube Network for gamers that gives you 100% revenue share!

"We're launching a gamers+ network option very soon which I think you will be interested. We can offer you 100% of your revenue." 

are the words that echoed from a new upcoming YouTube Network for gamers called Gamers+, which is scheduled to be up and running in approximately 30 days.

Here is a screenshot of what the network offers and its incredibly hefty requirements:

Yes, I said hefty requirements, especially the view count. After my departure from Maker Gen today, I'm trying to join a different network. I may qualify for Gamers+, but I'm not going to jump on board just yet. It's generally wise to wait until a few reviews rolls around and see if this magical network lives up to its claim. We do know that Creative Nation has been around for awhile and the reviews for them has been generally positive (but not nearly as favorable as Curse). Creative Nation also grants a 90/10 revenue split like Curse for their regular network, and now they additionally offer a no-lock in contract too (which is quite important).

So if you happen to not qualify for Gamers+, you may still join their regular network. Since both Creative Nation and Curse offers no-lock in, you can't go wrong with either. And if your channel isn't 80% gaming related, Creative Nation would then be your only choice (if you desire the 90/10 revenue split, that is).

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Officially Freed from Maker Gen YouTube Network in 21 Days! Time to Spill the Beans on My Earnings!

In only what would seem like a devilishly long 21 days, I will be officially freed from the locked-in grasp of Maker Gen/RPM Networks. I like to briefly share with you my experience with this network, having been part of it for almost two years, and why I now no longer encourage anyone who is serious about earning money on YouTube to join.

Maker Gen as you know, is one of the many YouTube Networks available for channels to partner with, allowing channel owners to earn money from the advertising displayed on their videos. The Network splits the earnings with the channel owners, usually a specific set ratio, and the earnings will vary depending on how much the CPM (Cost-per-thousand-impressions) of the ads are.

When I initially joined Maker Gen, known back then as RPM Networks before they decided to change their name a thousand times, I was happy and satisfied. Mostly because I was finally a YouTube partner and could earn some dollars making videos. That also helped offset the cost of expensive equipment and the purchase of imported games, often costing up to hundreds of dollars.

Fast forward a year later, I was beginning to get dreary of this network. I discovered I wasn't earning as much as I could had I partnered with other networks. Their support initially was atrocious, repeatedly not responding to customer tickets and e-mails for weeks. It was bad enough that it made them notorious for being the epitome of worst support of all networks. My e-mails were ignored for weeks until they decided it was finally time to respond. Now that they supposedly revamped their support system and team, it has been better, but still not perfect.

Near the end of last November, I made the biggest mistake by accidentally deciding to continue with them for another year. You see, by the time I learned of much better networks, it was already too late to disband. This was due to their undesirable locked-in contract which forces you to stay with them for one or two years, with no way out unless you purposely commit a felony on YouTube. Their contract terms allows them to automatically renew all of their partners every year without your consignment. The only way to stop this madness was to alert them 30 days prior to the end of the contract. Good luck with that, as even after you accomplish such, they will still make you stay with them until the actual end of the contract date.

And so I sucked it up and the contract renewed for another year. Although I did positively went from a measly 60/40 revenue split to 70/30.

One of many reasons why Maker Gen isn't a good network is their less than favorable revenue split. A lot of networks nowadays offer up to 90/10, and simply getting 60 or 70 won't cut it, considering how bad their support is and the locked-in nature of their contract. You could argue that their supposedly higher CPM will offset the low ratio, but I haven't seen much confirmation that they have a higher CPM then other networks that offer higher splits.

So this November, I made the best decision to alert them 30 days prior to the end of my contract with them, and they have finally agreed to let my channel go on December 17th. Elation ensues!

So what network am I going to join now and what do I suggest people join?
I'm definitely joining Curse, Union for Gamers and so should anyone that has a channel composed of 80% or more of gaming material. The simple reason is that they offer three things that makes a great network: no lock-in (free to leave anytime), 90/10 revenue split (one of the highest ever) and great support.

If your channel isn't dominantly gaming related, I highly suggest you must go with a network that doesn't have lock-in, so you can leave anytime you please if the network does not live up to your expectations. Again, do not join Maker Gen unless you wish to feel depressed of all the money they've stolen from you for a year. This goes for Social Blade too, as joining Social Blade is the same thing as joining Maker Gen (Social Blade is just a recruiter)!

Finally, I spill the beans about my total earnings from Maker Gen! Also, some words of encouragement!
Although the contract states that I'm not allowed to publicly show my earnings, I'm going to say screw that and show you guys anyway. If they ban me from their network attempting this, I'll actually be more happy as I can leave their network even earlier.

I was with Maker Gen for approximately two years, from January 18th, 2013 to November 26th as of today. This is a screenshot of my Earnings for that date range (minus a few days) directly from YouTube: 

As you can see, it's definitely possible to earn a decent amount of money from YouTube if one is committed to it and creates daily, consistent and quality videos. For me it's even more of a surprise as I basically trapped my channel in a niche category—KOEI and hack and slash games, and still earned $13k in two years. Had I expanded to more territories, I could have earned a lot more, but I personally chose to not alienate my fanbase.

It's definitely not easy earning the amount of money shown, especially if you are just starting out. But remember that it took me a lot of hard work and I had to initially develop my channel for four years before joining a network. My channel actually started in 2008 and I grew it with quality videos until 2013, where I finally was popular enough to be noticed by a network. After joining however I was only achieving a lousy $1-$3 a day. It was only until a couple months later that after more hard work that I was finally getting out of that pathetic range, getting up to $30 a day in earnings.

Whatever you do though, do not follow in my footsteps of what I've been doing for the last couple of months—not making any videos or very few in-between.

So what gives about the lack of videos recently on my channel?
Could I be slouching? The answer is no, I've been so busy lately that I haven't found much free time to create videos, as lame as an excuse as that may be. Starting July, I ventured into a new job where I would work for myself to earn money, buying and reselling goods, doing this for nearly eight hours every day and that includes lots of traveling. By the time I come home I am already extremely exhausted and just feel like going directly to sleep after, until the next day where I have to work again. I know, sounds sad, but I'm definitely satisfied with it. I bought a new house a couple months ago and I need all the money I can make to pay mortgage on it, not even including necessities to feed and keep my family healthy. YouTube earnings alone aren't just going to cut it, especially when Maker Gen steals 30% of it every month.

However, I have decided to recently cut back on my job, spending about only four hours instead of eight, and not working every day. This should allow me to get back to making YouTube videos more often. I already have purchased the Japanese version of Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires and I may consider uploading videos of that game. It will just depend on how things go.

Anyway, that was the story I like to tell for the day. I hope it wasn't a boring read, especially to those who aren't YouTube content creators. I'll likely have some more interesting posts in the upcoming weeks. :D

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Tool to Decrypt Second Layer of Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Available

I should have posted this bit of news earlier, but thanks to chaoszage, you can successfully decrypt the second layer of Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends with a free Windows program that requires no  hardware or devices.

As you may have recalled, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends (along with all newly released KOEI games) has incorporated double layer encryption security for save files. Up until now, the only method of fully decrypting the game saves required usage of paid devices, such as Game Genie and PS3 Cyber Save Editor.

Why would you need to decrypt the game save? Plenty of scenarios—if you want to resign it to another user's profile/PS3, mod your save data, transfer regions, etc.

The guide for usage is included in the download. Remember that you need to pair the decrypter with Bruteforce Save Data. First layer of decryption is done via Brutefroce and the second layer is with this tool.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TOOL

Have fun, and don't spoil yourself!

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GameFAQs Now Allowing Video Links with Commentary and Non-Game Music

This may be old news to some, but to me it is something new as I only stumbled upon it recently while attempting to submit my own YouTube videos to GameFAQs.

GameFAQs are now allowing commentary and non-game music in all user submitted videos. Previously, videos with commentary and non-game music were disallowed and if submitted would be rejected. This also means game reviews and let's play from YouTube can be shared across to GameFAQs now. Videos involving cheats and exploits are still banned, however.

Why is this such a deal you ask? If you have read my post "6 Ways to Promote Your YouTube Videos" I detailed one of the ways were to submit your YouTube videos to GameFAQs to gain a larger audience. With this bit of change, it is now possible to pretty much successfully submit all of your gaming related YouTube videos to GameFAQs, with the exception of cheats/exploits videos.

Just remember to of course submit quality content only, please!

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How to Resolve the BLANK Issue with Bruteforce Save Data

Lately, there have been reports of people having pesky troubles resigning PS3 game saves to their profile using Bruteforce Save Data, the main culprit being the dreaded BLANK they receive when they attempt to setup a PARAM.SFO template.

Keep in mind that getting BLANK doesn't essentially equate to failure. Some games do not mind game saves with a BLANK profile. To them, it just means that game save has no attached owner and they will allow you to save over it just fine and dandy. Other times however, games will reject game saves with a BLANK profile. The only way to tell for sure is to simply test the game save.

So what if the game does mind, and it really needs an appropriate profile (16 digit ID) attached to it? Well, lately all I have been telling people with this problem is to keep trying different game saves until you get one without BLANK. However, that doesn't work a lot of times. I have been searching around the internet to answers of why BLANK occurs and even e-mailed the software author about it (with no response). That is until, I finally believe I solved the mystery!

What you basically need to do is to simply tie a PSN/SEN account to your PS3 user account and log into it.

That's it! That will generate that magic 16 digit ID for you on your game saves. After you logged into your PSN/SEN account, make sure you create a new game save or save over a current one.

After you transferred the game save to a USB drive and configured your PARAM.SFO profile once, you can then continue to use that saved profile configuration on the rest of your game saves you need to resign. After that, it is your choice to continue to log into PSN/SEN on your PS3 or just stay offline.

I have tested with success on a brand new PS3 user account. The PS3 will continue to create BLANK game saves until I created a PSN/SEN account, log into it and then save the game.

Hopefully, this helps answers the continuous messages I am receiving about this issue!

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YouTube: Freedom MCN + Why Being Managed Equates to Huge Risks!

Earlier this December, a new YouTube MCN (network) popped up offering some rather drooltastic benefits that may rival that of Curse Union for Gamers.

Founded by George from TGN, Freedom network is designed to be a network for anyone in any category, that emphasizes in freedom from YouTube and other networks' limitations. It offers the following:

• No lock-in forever
• Managed status instead of affiliate for every channel
• No minimum payout (if you earn $1, they'll pay you $1)
• 60% revenue share, growing up to 110%
• Transparency (view all your earnings direct on YouTube)

You may recalled I praised Curse Union for Gamers for potentially moving the majority of their channels to managed status, and moving newly partnered channels to managed within a few weeks of non-copyright issues. Well, they apparently took back their words. Yep, they recently released a statement that they will only be putting trusted channels as managed now. 

Why is it that networks have such a sudden fear for putting their channels as managed?

Being managed status turns out not to be all sweet and sugar like it's made to be. It turns out that networks do take a huge risk in managed channels, and that managed channels themselves are also at risk. This is because the network shares responsibilities for each managed channel, and all managed channels share responsibilities for another's actions.

In other words, if a managed channel receives a copyright strike, then YouTube will consider that as a copyright strike against the entire network. Rack up enough copyright strikes and the network will lose features such as custom thumbnails, modifying channel art and using annotations for every one of their channels. If the network receives 20 copyright strikes from managed channels total, the network will be terminated and the channels may not be able to upload any new videos.

Affiliates channels don't have this issue. Their behavior are similar to ones today, in that they are responsible for their own actions, and if they receive a strike it count against them and not the entire network. Hence, affiliate channels are much safer from all standpoints compared to managed channels. Nevertheless, affiliate channels will not be granted instant monetization and be subjected to YouTube monetization review.

So the question is: 
Would you rather be managed and receive instant monetization, but take huge risks in your own channel because of the actions of other managed channels? Or would you receive no instant monetization, but be more safe, responsible for your own actions and not have it affect the entire network?

Even if you're an affiliate, you shouldn't worry too much about YouTube's monetization review. We don't know how it works yet, but should you be able to continuously keep getting accepted every review, it'll be enough for YouTube to give you instant monetization again (due to their trust algorithm). This in the end will be better than being as managed. Nevertheless, I still believe it will difficult to monetize gameplay videos as an affiliate channel, commentary or not.

Want to be managed? Join Freedom.
Prefer to be affiliate and a gamer? Join Curse Union for Gamers.

Source: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/3463396

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Curse Union for Gamers - May Be the Best Gaming YouTube Network 2014 and Beyond

I know I've talked about YouTube's upcoming monetization change regarding YouTube networks for the past few days and you all are probably sick of it, but this may be the last you'll hear from me until it actually goes into effect.

I was reading around on YouTube community forums and stumbled upon a network I've never heard about and desperately wished I had from the start—Curse Union for Gamers.

Just simply clicking on the link above and going to their website will amaze anyone with what they're offering to their partners if you join their network, including:

• Custom-designed tools to help you manage your video content     
• A comprehensive dashboard to display analytics and keep you informed     
• Ability to promote across multiple Curse platforms     
• 90% revenue share, no lock-in, and complete branding control

The 90% revenue share is probably the highest percentage I've seen offered from a network. With the added bonus of no lock-in (meaning you aren't bond tied to them for a specific amount of time via contract), I think this is some serious stuff to beat!

But the most beneficial bit of it all, which is actually somewhat obscured, is that they are planning on making 95% of their partners as managed instead of affiliates. The other 5% will be for newly joined partners, but soon will be also shifted to managed after a few weeks of no copyright issues. At least this is what they issued publicly, although things like these can always be subjected to alterations.

Now, if you read my previous post, you know how crucial it is to become managed instead of affiliate to retain instant monetization and avoid YouTube review. Becoming managed on other networks will be a demanding task, as they are likely to put only their owners and very large channels in this category.

Curse Union for Gamers do have a requirement to join, but these are very lenient. They are: 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 views in the last month or 8,000 views in the last month + 80% videos are gaming related.

I really think if you want to survive and thrive in 2014 and beyond with a gaming channel, you're going to want to join something like Curse Union for Gamers. I for one will be immediately disbanding my ties with RPM Networks and joining them as soon as my contract expires. Not that I hate RPM Networks, but I feel Curse Union for Gamers offers so much more. Unfortunately, I will have to wait for 2015 for that to happen, as I found out I am already too late to cancel the second year auto renewal. That's a hint to you also—always thoroughly read the contract, know the details and what you're getting into before signing and remember cancellation deadlines if you plan on leaving!

You can join Curse Union for Gamers by applying here.

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YouTube January Monetization Changes - What's Actually Going to Happen

Two days ago, I wrote a post detailing a very significant YouTube change starting January that may cause a negative effect for channels that upload gameplay footage.

I would like to just clear up some misinformation on that post, as I researched a bit more on the subject. I do apologize if I sounded like I didn't know what I was talking about, as the information I brought up then was derived by merely one YouTube video and an e-mail from my network.

So here is basically what's going to happen:

For those who are not aware of the few changes to MCNs (Multi-Channel Networks) and its partners here's some highlights to what's going on:

1. MCN partners are being divided into two separate groups called an 'affiliate' or 'managed'. Larger channels will generally be put on managed and the smaller ones won't, unfortunately but solely depends on the network.
   
   MCNs will now be liable for all of their managed partners.
         
2. Instant monetization goes bye-bye for affiliate partners. Managed and those with YouTube directly are unaffected by this change.
   
   Videos will go under review much like the process AdSense partners go through, generally taking around 24 hours for approval or denial.
         
3. Affiliate partners are guaranteed YouTube Analytics' revenue access and the possibility of unlinking from your network from your Features page. Note however, the network can simply reject your request in a click of a button, or release.

Okay, so MCN partners—which are YouTube partners in a network (RPM, Fullscreen, TGN, etc.)—will be now grouped into "affiliate" or "managed". Unless your channel has multimillion views and subscribers, it will most likely fall into affiliate.

Affiliate partners now no longer receive instant monetization. Instant monetization meaning if the videos are free from copyright issues with the copyright holder. All your newly uploaded videos will now have to go through YouTube's review process to enable monetization, which can take between a few hours to a few days. How YouTube does their review nobody knows.

If you are partnered through YouTube directly with Google Adsense, or monetize videos individually as a non-partner, then this news means nothing for you. YouTube will still be doing their monetization review I mentioned above that takes hours to days for approval, unless I guess you are well established and have a track record of uploading original, approved content.

Managed partners retain their ability to instantly monetize videos after upload. I'm thinking channels such as PewDiePie will fall into managed.

Even after all this, what I said in my previous post could still be valid. That gameplay footage may no longer be able to be monetized, or that you have to work much harder for them to get monetized by incorporating things such as prolong commentaries (to get them to fall in "fair use" terms) and providing proof of commercial usage rights from the video game companies.

It's all very scary. This definitely could cause an end or at least a massive reduction in gameplay videos on YouTube, as a lot of people don't like creating content that isn't getting them paid. Most gaming channels are part of a network, as well.

I for one have already stated I will continue to upload gaming videos regardless of what happens. It's just the fact that potentially losing a source of income that helps fund creation of the videos is sad. I don't wish to greatly alter my content to counter this either.

Come January, we'll see what really happens. I'm anxious and scared at the same time!

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January YouTube Partner Monetization Changes May Equal DOOM For Us!

I recently received a very upsetting e-mail from my YouTube partner network RPM Networks. If you read the message in this e-mail, it will be very clear why this change may mean the demise of a lot of channels on YouTube who are under a network. Take in particular the text colored red.

Hello, Makers! YouTube is in the process of rolling out some updates to the partnership program. Since you’re part of the RPM Network family, we want to make sure you’re equipped to go full-speed on day one! We’ve prepared a summary of upcoming changes, plus a list of instructions on how to thrive in the updated ecosystem. Lastly, we’ll give you a sneak peek into how we’ll help you grow through the end of 2013. Let’s get right to it:  

BASICS 
First, your channel is still a member of RPM Network. This means that you will continue to receive the full spectrum of benefits associated with Maker’s partner program. This includes access to Maker Max, one-on-one channel development, and your dedicated support team.  

EARNINGS 
Beginning in early January, newly-uploaded videos will occasionally go through a process called monetization review. This review is performed by YouTube, and will determine if your content is in compliance with YouTube’s current terms of use and copyright standards. Once your content has been submitted, the approval process usually takes between a few hours to a few days. This system will be based on trust-algorithm, so the more often you’re approved, the less often you will be reviewed. We’ve included a how-to at the end of this email, which includes our suggested practices. Simply follow the guide, and you should not see any interruption in your earnings. We’re also extremely happy to hear that YouTube is making earnings transparency mandatory across all networks. As the first network to offer this information to all of its creators, we’ll continue to provide access to both your YouTube estimated earnings and income earned through participation in other Maker initiatives.  

LET’S TALK 
Your Contract with Maker: YouTube is introducing a module which lets you send us feedback regarding the status of your partnership. Some people are calling this the "unpartner button”. Maker does not use this feature for communication about its contracts and this button is not a legal notice. If you have questions about your contractual relationship with us, please continue to contact us as you usually do.  

COPYRIGHT 
As always, it’s your responsibility to only upload content that you own 100% of the rights to. Do not use footage from other sources including TV, movies, trailers, music videos, etc.  

CONCLUSION 
Being partnered with Maker as an Affiliate channel doesn’t change how we work with you in any way. We will still provide you with support, help increase viewership, and find ways to grow your brand and revenue. We know there can be confusion and sometimes frustration when new features and platform changes roll out, but we’re here to help, answer any questions you might have, and figure out how to make these changes work to your advantage. Things like monetization review are designed to prevent your channel from getting arbitrary content and community strikes; the feedback module is designed to help YouTube channels who are working with unresponsive and non-transparent networks. None of the features are designed to hurt your channel or your content, and Maker is excited to work with all of our partners on each new development as they roll out.  

Guides How-to: Monetization: 
1. Begin the upload process a few days before the scheduled release 
2. Before the upload process is complete, set the video to UNLISTED 
3. You may apply for monetization through your video manager, on a per-upload basis. First, refer to YouTube’s policy on what is and is not monetizable: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/97527?hl=en&ref_topic=1115890 
If you are confident that your video is eligible for monetization, you may follow the below instructions on how to submit your content for monetization review: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/94522?hl=en&ref_topic=1115890 
4. Once monetization is approved, release your video on-schedule 
NOTE: Setting a public video back to unlisted or private will cause the video to disappear from subscriber feeds permanently, so be careful!

If you haven't gotten the clue yet, it's the way YouTube will be forcing some sort of manual review on all newly uploaded videos to confirm their eligibility for monetization. Right now the process they use is instant if you're under a network. The exception is when the actual copyright holder comes after your videos—they will place a Content ID claim and/or copyright strike and the videos will not able to earn any money through ads.

Of course, YouTube now wants to push this review to occur on all channels, including channels that are part of a network.  

What appears to be human review of videos likely means 100% more strict policies. We all know that YouTube doesn't really like gameplay videos and especially ones with no commentary. Right now as network partners, we can post gameplay without commentary, have it instantly monetized and it will fly pass the radar no problem, unless the video game company comes after us.

Even for the people who incorporates commentaries in their gameplay videos, YouTube can very likely disable monetization as well, deeming them "not original enough". In fact, it clearly states in their support guide that "Videos simply showing game play for extended periods of time may not be accepted for monetization.". Commentary or not.

In the worst case scenario, YouTube will begin to review all these gameplay videos and punish them with the inability for monetization. That means, absolutely no earnings for the content creator. With no earnings, the content creator will have less of an incentive to create content. Also, a lot of people (including myself) depend on the earnings from our videos to fund the games and capture equipment we showcase on our channel. This may then eventually lead to an utter death and withdrawal from YouTube completely.

This is bad. I don't know what to feel right now, but I will be quite sad if I lose my ability to monetize my videos. I can't say what is going to happen, but regardless of the consequences, I will try my best to continue to upload videos for you guys, so long as they don't get Content ID match and copyright strikes all over. I've been uploading videos without monetization for years until now, after all. However, the amount of videos will be definitely be cut back by a lot.

If YouTube forces us to incorporate commentaries into our gameplay videos for monetization (and not just saying stuff at the beginning and turning off the mic), I think I'll pass. I'm sure you guys don't want me spewing my mouth nonstop on every video. That's just not me and the channel you know.

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Hauppauge HD-PVR Fixed, and Early!

You know how I said two days ago that the culprit to my Hauppauge HD-PVR malfunctioning was the power supply? Well, I was absolutely right!

Earlier, I checked the shipment status of the replacement power supply I ordered October 9th on eBay. To my dismay, it still hasn't shipped—even though the seller clearly states that they always ship the same day of payment... Pfft...

Just as a shot in the dark, I additionally wrote a nice e-mail to Hauppauge themselves about the failing power supply and if they could send me a new one (keep in mind I'm nearly 3 years pass the warranty). Now, I've been very pleased with Hauppauge's customer support over the years I've own the HD-PVR. At one time (still pass the warranty), I requested a replacement driver/software CD because I lost my original one. Hauppauge asked no questions at all and immediately sent the latest CD out when they confirmed my shipping address.

Sure enough, the prompt response e-mail regarding the power supply simply said "Please give me your full name and address so we can ship out a new power supply.". Brilliant, not even a mention of a serial number to check warranty status! Either Hauppauge has outstanding customer service or they already knew something fishy was up with the NetBit power supplies shipped with the original HD-PVR.

Anyways, I didn't want to wait a week plus to get my HD-PVR working again, so I dug around the house to see if I have a similar power supply I could use for the time being. Low and behold, I found a power supply to my old D-Link router which fits the specifications of the HD-PVR's power supply almost perfectly (5V DC 2.5 Amp Output). So I removed the nasty NetBit power supply and plugged in the D-Link power supply to my HD-PVR and presto... everything back to normal! 

But now I have sort of a minor dilemna, I have two extra power supplies being shipped to me that's going to be of no use at the moment. One cost me $13 and the other free. I will probably be keeping both for backup, as you would never know if one could fail on you.

To summarize: YouTube videos will be back online today or tomorrow. Also, expect the Musou Orochi 2 Ultimate review and 100% game save very soon! Also, if you happen to have similar problems with your HD-PVR like mine, try replacing the power supply before declaring it dead. If you can't find a replacement power supply, e-mail Hauppauge and I'm sure they'll send you a new one even if out of warranty.

Thanks for reading and always checking back for updates! :)

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My HD-PVR is finally dead... or is it???

Earlier tonight as I was powering my gaming and recording center to record more gameplay videos for YouTube, I noticed my HD-PVR was no longer powering up video to my HDTV. I plugged in the USB cable to my laptop and Windows uttered an annoying message that the "USB device has malfunctioned and could not be recognized".

Now, this usually happens sporadically over the last year I've been using the HD-PVR. Meaning, it would sometimes fail to work properly and then abruptly work properly again until it fails again. Replugging all the electronics and powering them up various times and resetting the video settings on the PS3 always solves the problem. Last night I could only get it working with terrible purple lines scrolling up the display. This time however, no such luck. The HD-PVR remained unrecognized to Windows and my HDTV still displays no signal. So I then came to the scary conclusion that my once $200 investment is now a paper weight and is that I could no longer record any gameplay videos.

I was almost on the verge of buying another one when I stumbled across this article written from another blog: http://valkyriemt.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/a-defect-with-the-hd-pvr-will-eventually-fail-for-all/

It details that the most often failure of the HD-PVR is not the unit itself, but the power supply (adapter) that comes with it. It seems like the ancient capacitor plague has infected this cheap, Chinese made power supply as well.

So in a rush, I ordered a generic power supply off eBay. I was originally going to buy the original off the Hauppauge HD-PVR's official store website, but their store was broken and I could not put the item in my cart. Hauppuage, how you piss me off much so! Regardless, I decided it wasn't a good idea to buy another of the same power supply with time bomb capacitors that came with the HD-PVR anyways.

So I will await the new power supply (which should arrive by Monday) and will report back whether it fixes the HD-PVR or not. In the fortunate event that it does, I will resume recording and uploading videos to YouTube immediately. In the case that it doesn't and the HD-PVR is truly dead, I will have to buy another one or invest in a different capture device altogether (which I really don't want to do).

Yeah, I am still using my 5 year old HD-PVR. I didn't get the Intensity Shuttle Thunderbolt I discussed a lot on this blog because quite frankly, I'm just too used to the HD-PVR. Plus the fact that the Shuttle costs $100 more and it would only marginally increase my video quality.

To summarize: No new videos on YouTube for at least a few days to a week. Perhaps longer if the new power supply doesn't fix the HD-PVR. It should okay though, since you're used to me not uploading every day anyways, right?! But I really wanted to upload a new video today!! :(

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Getting a large HDTV? Always Get It Inspected Before Signing!

Yesterday a bit of me inside was horrifically tarnished, so much that today I can barely concentrate.

I'm posting this so if you're captured in the same instance as I was, you won't be making the same mistake.

You see, yesterday I finally received my 50" Toshiba HDTV (50L1350U) shipped from Amazon. I wanted to upgrade from my 37" Protron set that was inexplicably experiencing hardware issues, from malfunctioning buttons, burn in and static noises.

Whenever Amazon or another retailer ships out TVs 46" or larger, or large furniture and appliances, they'll almost always transfer it over via a freight delivery company (e.g. CEVA Logistics, Pilot, Eagle, etc.). Mine was done with CEVA Logistics. Interestingly, I have never heard or dealt with this company before in my life. I later found out that it was essentially a delivery service that included "White Glove service", i.e. they'll be offering extra convenience services such as hauling the large item to a room of destination in your house. If it's a television set, they'll offer to unpack the box, set the TV up, check for damages and see if it's working.

Take note of the bold text. This was the reason for the illness of this post—don't ever accept and sign for a delivery of a TV or other large item without inspecting it for damage! As it unfortunately turns out, I didn't and the TV had large cracks on the screen when I unboxed it, rendering it basically a paper weight.

If ever there occurs damages or defects during the inspection process, refuse delivery and contact the retailer where you purchased it from. If they want to stay in business, they'll offer to refund or replace it for free.

I was so scared of not being able to return or exchange the TV, as I clearly signed the paper work that indicated it was in GOOD condition. Fortunately, since Amazon had great customer service, I called them up the day after and they had no issues setting up a refund. It would be completely disastrous if I would lose $700 for nothing!

So you're probably asking, why did he sign for delivery without prior inspection for damages and defects? It was because the box looked to be in great condition with no physical damages, so I thought nothing could be wrong (guess again!). I additionally didn't feel safe letting a sole stranger in my house, handling the new equipment and potentially damaging something. He was also alone when it clearly states there should be at least two delivery men for the service.

Anyways, consider this a lesson learned. Since Amazon no longer has the TV in stock, I have to wait at least 2 or more weeks to get a refund and buy from somewhere else like Best Buy. I was really looking forward to this TV too, as the reviews on it have been superb! D:

I also have to say CEVA failed to impress me and I would not like to deal with them again. Not only did they miss my initial delivery appointment and refused to call me prior to actual delivery, I believe they were the ones who damaged the TV. I mean, the bottom of the box was even opened for no reason.

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2012 27" iMac Impressions and Review

 Lately, I've been desiring a more powerful desktop computer to help speed up time consuming tasks such as video encoding and to use as a good computer gaming station in my room.

The last desktop computer I've owned was way back in 2009, which was another iMac but much older—with a Core 2 Duo CPU. After having numerous display issues with the computer, I ended up selling it and moving permanently for a long time to exclusively using laptops.

But now, I think it's finally time for me to get a new desktop, especially since I have more than enough Benjamins in my bank account to fund for pretty much computer I yearned. And let's face it, the small screens and lack of CPU and GPU power on laptops was getting kind of aggravating.

Oh no Wonder, why on Earth would you get a Mac for gaming, naysayers might say. Well, the fact is that I got a Mac because I love the primary operating system and its rock solid stability (OS X). More than that however, is that Macs are just aesthetically beautiful times a thousand compared to PCs, which are downright ugly or geeky looking majority of the time. I also needed a computer that has Thunderbolt ports, which are necessary for me to use the BlackMagic Intensity Shuttle that I'm purchasing later on. The iMac also had one of the best GPU of its time, which was a slimmed down version of the Nvidia GTX 680. This along with the ability to quickly switch from in and out of Windows, sealed the deal for me.

Unfortunately, this computer wasn't cheap. I spent a whopping $2,400 on it; the most amount of money I ever spent a computer in my life! Fortunately, when the iMac did arrive, everything turned out to be good (despite those horrid QC stories you often hear on Apple forums).

iMac's pretty box which I stuffed away inside my empty closet.

iMac all set up on my desk. Forgive the bad lighting, the iMac's screen is so bright it caused the room to go completely dark with my camera.

The specs of the machine I purchased was the following:

• 27" display
• 3.4Ghz Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.9Ghz
• 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3 SDRAM
• 1TB 7200RPM SATA HDD
• Nvidia GeForce 680MX with 2GB VRAM
• Mighty Mouse and Wireless Keyboard combo

This was a custom built order, so Apple was supposedly unable to ship it within 24 hours as they had to build it first for me. Amazingly, the build time took less than a day, and Apple was even nice enough to upgrade to 2 day FedEx shipping at no cost! I got it literally over the weekend.

The only thing I regret at the time being is not getting the optional 1TB Fusion Drive for an additional $225. With the Fusion Drive, it combines a 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD together and virtually makes it seem like one drive. Hence, you'll get the speed of an SSD (most of the time) and the benefits of a larger spaced traditional HDD.

After researching it more extensively however, I found out that it was a better idea to just buy an external SSD, hook it up to Thunderbolt and use it to boot. It's faster, has more space and cheaper than the ridiculous prices Apple are charging. I don't want my two drives to be combined into one either, which is just strange and I like to have full control of my things.

So I'm contemplating about buying this external 256GB Thunderbolt SSD for $329:
http://oyendigital.com/hard-drives/store/TNN-SSD-240-SL.html

I'll definitely be reviewing this SSD once I get it and test it out.

Anyways, enough about my own story, you probably want to know more about the machine itself. So here are my impressions with the iMac so far...

Pros: 

* Excellent screen. The IPS panel technology provides superb viewing angles (better than any other display I've seen and own before), eye-popping colors and rich contrast. The color profile is just a tad on the warm side, so a little color calibration (with something like a Spyder 4) and it would likely be flawless. And while it's not a retina quality display, it's pretty damn close to it.
* Nice sexy design. As obvious, the iMac has a great minimalistic and slim design with aluminum and glass. No plastic on the computer at all, which is awesome.
* Graphics performance is excellent. I believe Nvidia actually custom built the 680MX specifically for the iMac. All 3D games runs like a dream with maximum quality settings and in native resolution.
* Speakers and sound quality are very good, a lot better than I expected. A great balance of both bass and treble. It sounds so good that I don't even think I'll be needing to plug in external speakers with it.
* Very fast CPU performance. The 3.4Ghz quad core i7 processor with turbo boost makes almost anything CPU extensive a breeze. Video encoding is so much faster than my old Core 2 Duo machines.
* Nice variety of ports. You have USB 3.0, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, microphone, line in and a SD card slot. The Thunderbolt ports are notably nice as you can use it to drive the highest speed devices, such as thunderbolt SSD drives and HD capture devices.
* Windows was so easy to setup. Bootcamp now allows you to default to starting up in the Windows partition all the time, so you no longer have to continuously hold down the option key during startup. With Parallel's Desktop, running Windows on top of OS X works efficiently well too.
* OS X. Need I say more?

Cons: 

* The Mighty Mouse is borderline bad. It is too flat and therefore not incredibly ergonomic. Multi-gestures are difficult to use and the amount of gestures you can do are minimal. In fact, most of the gestures requires you to use Safari as your internet browser (sorry, I will always use Firefox). The mouse doesn't work well gliding on my leather mouse pad and for some reason trying to use it to adjust sliders is virtually impossible, possibly due to the sensitivity. I end up selling it and get a much cheaper, but better functioning Logitech M510 wireless mouse.
* The wireless keyboard, while not quite as bad as the Mighty Mouse, is still not the very best. It's more difficult to type on than a regular keyboard as the keys are so thin and leaves almost zero feedback response. The worst however are the side keys such as delete, which are so small I often find myself pressing them or the wrong key next to them by accident. It's still a decent, usable keyboard nevertheless. I just wish Apple would make the wireless keyboard the same version as the wired keyboard.
* Screen size and resolution. This might just be me, but I think the screen size and resolution is a bit too big! Since the Apple menu bar is always affixed to the top, I often find myself completely shifting my eyes and try to move the tiny cursor a long distance to the top corners. Perhaps I just need to get used to it? I do like the large 2560 x 1440 screen estate, but I find myself not even use 30% of it.
* No CD/DVD drive. This isn't a killer for me, as I rarely ever use CD/DVDs. Who still does anyways? Even when installing Windows through Bootcamp, you can do it all over USB now.
* The noise of the computer is not entirely silent. Even when idle and nothing running, you can still hear a tiny bit of white noise coming from the fans constantly.
* Hardware upgrade of the computer is quite limited. You only have user access to the RAM, which can upgraded to 32GB the max. Regardless, I believe the computer already has more than enough hardware to satisfy the current heavy user from now to at least 5 more years (until it gets somewhat outdated). Fortunately, Apple electronics are well known to hold their value incredibly well. When the times comes to upgrade, you can simply sell the current iMac for roughly the same amount of money you purchased it, then use the funds for a new computer. I actually sold my old iMac for $400 more than I bought it for, and I bought it brand new!

Overall Impressions:

So far, I'm loving it! I don't regret paying the premium price for such a nice machine, especially considering how gorgeous the display looks. As for custom PC vs this iMac, I would personally go with iMac all the way.

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Dynasty Warriors 8 Mega Combos Compilation Volume 2

I like to thank everyone for viewing my Dynasty Warriors 8 Mega Combos Compilation Volume 1, leaving comments and voting for characters you want presented in the next volume.

I have tallied the results up, looked at them closely and have compiled the list of characters that will most likely be on volume 2.

Nothing is entirely final and the combos are yet to be executed and recorded. That's why I'm listing more potential most likely characters than the 10 maximum per volume. This is to also factor in subsequent volumes past 2, as I'm contemplating on making at least 3 of these.

I'm also listing "maybe" characters that may or may not be on subsequent volumes, and finally "most likely not" characters that are well, most likely not to be on any volumes.

Most Likely:

• Diao Chan
• Da Qiao
• Guan Yinping
• Jia Chong
• Zhong Hui
• Wang Yi
• Zhao Yun
• Ling Tong
• Zhen Ji 
• Wen Yang
• Zhang Fei
• Wang Yuanji
• Yuan Shao

These characters have good to excellent combo capabilities and additionally have the highest amount of user votes. Therefore, they would be the best to showcase in the next volume. Listed from highest votes to lowest votes.

Maybes:

• Lu Bu
• Yue Ying*
• Zhuge Dan*
• Sima Zhao
• Li Dian*
• Zhang Bao*
• Gan Ning
• Lu Xun*
• Han Dang*
• Guo Jia
• Sun Ce*

These characters have questionable to average combo capabilities. Although they may have a high amount of user votes, they may not be worth showcasing due to that reason. Asterisk (*) represents a character/moveset I haven't really experimented with for combos, so I may move characters here up to most likely if they turn out to have good combo capabilities.

Most Likely Not: 

• Cao Pi
• Sima Yi  
• Xiahou Ba

These characters have poor to no combo capabilities. Therefore, doing combo videos for them are likely impossible.

If I didn't list a character that you or someone else has voted for, that probably means there were not enough votes—usually only one or two.

Estimated date of the next volume will be out by September 28th. I will post the final list of characters prior to the video being uploaded to YouTube.

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New Poll and Your Opinions Wanted!

I have put up a new poll dedicated to questioning your wants and likes about my current YouTube channel. I hope you did arrive to this blog from my YouTube channel and are therefore interested in its contents, right?!

Well, I want to know what everyone desires to see the most. This way, I can hopefully cut down on more non-popular types of videos and concentrate putting more of what types people prefer. I only listed the major types of videos I've been making; however, if you find a type of video not on the list, feel free to check "Other" and even e-mail me (or post a comment on this post) what you want to see in particular.

The poll should be located to the right. You just need to scroll down a bit to see it. Here's what it looks like:

I will leave this poll running until January 1st, 2014. However, I'll most likely pull it down much sooner than it, depends on if it has an adequate amount of votes for me to decide judgement.

Thanks!

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Declining a Podcast Appearance + YouTube Channel News

I like to give a large shout out to Get a Life Podcast, as they gave me a very nice invitation to become a guest on one of their episodes, which was to be dedicated to Japanese games, KOEI and Dynasty Warriors.

This episode was to include other guests and one of them I noticed was Chin Soon Sun! I was like, hey... I know that guy! That guy is awesome and loves KOEI and Dynasty Warriors games as much as I do.

Shamefully, due to personal complications, I was unable to accept their invitation. So I declined it.

Here is the e-mail message they sent me this morning:

 This is what I responded with:

You can read my response to see exactly why I didn't want to participate.

Regardless whether or not I'm on it, I'm certainly sure it'll be a very fun, informative and interesting podcast episode they'll be putting up, especially for KOEI and Dynasty Warriors fans. So I encourage you to search them up and check out them out when you have the time.

In other news, I will have to announce my next video on YouTube will not be until some time, perhaps even until September. Like I mentioned in my e-mail response to Get a Life Podcast, I am still attempting to get over my bad cold I caught around August 4th. I still sound like crap and to make matters worse, I'm starting to get muscle aches around my ribs. It's not all Hell, as it's getting better every day, but it's making it very difficult to make any videos.

I've got to say—this is the worst time possible to get sick. I wanted to do so much this month!

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Got Over Cold But Lost My Voice

Good news and bad news. The good news is that I've successfully recovered from one of the worst colds I've ever had, owing all to a lot of rest, supplements and of course my miracle drink I detailed earlier.

The bad news is that I seem to have lost my voice. Well, not really lost it, but it now sounds wholly different.

Hence, I don't think I will be able to post any new videos on YouTube for at least another week, or until I obtain my full voice back. Specifically because the videos I planned on doing involved voice work.

I will still be posting on this blog with some interesting posts this week and giving out comments on YouTube, as that's pretty much the only things that I can do at the moment.

Here is what I sound like now:

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The Dreaded Cold and My Miracle Drink

You might have noticed I've been pretty quiet and restless without any video activity the last week. That's purely because I unfortunately caught a dreaded cold—one of the worst ever as a matter of fact. Thus, I was barely able to get out of bed. Then, of course anything involving energy and voice usage was out of the question. I feel a lot better today. Hopefully, I will be good again by Tuesday, as I have some videos I've been itching to post on YouTube!

I like to share with you guys what has got me going the past couple of days and really helped to relieve my cold symptoms—my miracle drink! This would also work for flus.

It's actually quite an easy drink mix, as it exclusively uses natural ingredients and ones you probably already have in your home.

All you need is:

• Green tea 
• Ginger
• Lemon/lime
• Honey

Grate or thinly slice the ginger and place it in a small pot with the green tea. Wait until it boils. After, take it off the stove and put it in a cup. Add a squeeze of lemon/lime and then some honey for taste.

It also tastes great!

All of these ingredients are very high in antioxidants and vitamins. They are scientifically proven to be very effective in boosting your immune system and relieving common cold and flu symptoms, including headaches, coughs, sore throats and nose stuffiness. Because you're boosting your immune system, you can expect the cold/flu to last a shorter duration as well. This in my opinion is much better than continuously taking over-the-counter medications, as those only temporarily masks your symptoms.

So the next time you have a cold or flu, try this drink!

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