If you have another PC (or laptop perhaps) which is powerful enough, how about plugging the video output directly into that? (using a capture card of some sort, or I think some graphics cards can do video in as well as out… in fact, I think mine even does… I've just never had any use for it).

That would achieve the same thing without the hassle (and quality loss) of using VHS tapes in between, wouldn't it?

I haven't actually tried it at all, in fact all I've done so far was a test video using SL's built in video capture option ages ago (and that didn't seem to work well at all, caused a HUGE drop in FPS among other things)… so I had the idea then of possibly using the video output of the graphics card to record the video on another computer, as that then shouldn't affect the framerate at all.

Anyway, now that I've acquired some of Torley's wisdom on the subject, I'm off to try out FRAPS and see if it does any better than my original attempt (I'm just interested in the highest framerate possible, and SL still being usable while recording, after my last attempt)… if not, I may be investing in a USB (oooh or perhaps even ExpressCard) video capture device of some sort for my laptop

I am totally amazed at the talent and expertise of this panel!

I am a novice, novice, did I mention novice machinimist (wana be, that is)—
i have Fraps and want to do many SL projects.. However one little impediment keeps poppping up—my avatar does not move when I am 'recording" HELP!

Any advice for this machinimist "wanna be" ???

Thank you very much!

Paisa