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  • 3 Things to Know Before Launching Your Basement Renovation Business


    Launching a basement renovation business can be an exciting yet challenging venture. The growing home improvement industry offers numerous opportunities, but success requires a sound understanding of key factors that can impact your business. By focusing on areas like moisture management, energy efficiency, and financial safeguards against fraud, you can build a robust foundation for your business and ensure long-term profitability.

    Managing Moisture and Mold

    Basements, by their very nature, are prone to moisture issues which can prove detrimental if not addressed properly. Mold begins to grow on damp surfaces quickly, potentially within 24 to 48 hours, making it imperative for business owners to incorporate effective waterproofing solutions. Implementing moisture management strategies, such as proper sealing and ventilation, ensures a healthier indoor environment for clients and protects the integrity of the renovation work.

    Understanding the importance of moisture control can also enhance the reputation of your business. Clients are likely to choose a contractor who prioritizes their long-term comfort and safety in the space. By offering preventative solutions and educating clients about ongoing maintenance, you position your business as a trusted resource in basement renovations.

    Moreover, addressing moisture-related issues upfront can lead to cost savings in the long run. Tackling potential problems before they escalate reduces the risk of adverse effects on construction materials and additional expenses. Such proactive measures not only protect your business from unexpected costs but also boost client satisfaction and referrals.

    Achieving Energy Efficiency

    Energy efficiency is increasingly becoming a priority for homeowners, and your basement renovation business should reflect this trend. Modernizing basements with energy-efficient features brings immediate and long-term benefits to clients. For instance, using LED lights in renovation projects is not only appealing but also practical, as they consume up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent lighting.

    By integrating energy-saving measures, your business can set itself apart in a competitive market. Offering solutions such as enhanced insulation, efficient HVAC systems, and smart home technology cultivates a reputation for innovation and environmental responsibility. These improvements not only enhance the comfort of the renovated space but also help reduce energy bills for clients over time.

    Furthermore, aligning your renovation services with green building standards opens the door to new clientele interested in sustainable living. As awareness around environmental impact grows, businesses that adapt accordingly find they can attract a diverse client base. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability not only establishes credibility but can also tap into emerging market demands.

    Safeguarding Against Fraud

    While the prospect of fraud may not be immediately apparent, it is a significant concern for any business, including basement renovation operations. Statistics reveal that businesses lose approximately 5% of their revenue each year to fraudulent activities. Cultivating a secure business strategy is essential to minimizing these risks and protecting your financial interests.

    One effective method of reducing fraud is implementing robust financial controls. Monitoring cash flows, conducting regular audits, and separating financial duties among employees can diminish the potential for deceptive activities. By maintaining stringent internal processes, you help preserve the integrity and reputation of your business.

    Additionally, investing in employee training to recognize and report suspicious behavior empowers your team to act proactively. An informed workforce is one of your greatest defenses against fraud, ensuring you can focus on serving clients and developing your business. By prioritizing security measures, you contribute to both your enterprise’s health and clients’ peace of mind.

    Launching a basement renovation business is a rewarding endeavor, especially when armed with the knowledge of pivotal factors impacting success. Addressing moisture and mold issues, prioritizing energy efficiency, and securing operations against fraud are essential components. By integrating these elements, you create a dynamic and resilient business model poised for growth and longevity.



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  • Webcam randomly pausing in OBS, Discord, and websites – LSVCam and TikTok Studio

    Webcam randomly pausing in OBS, Discord, and websites – LSVCam and TikTok Studio



    I use my webcam constantly for streaming and I’m pretty familiar with all the internals and how the camera model on Windows works. I also use OBS extensively, so I regularly use the OBS virtual camera and flow everything through Open Broadcasting Studio.

    For my podcast, I use Zencastr which is a web-based app that talks to the webcam via the browser APIs. For YouTubes, I’ll use Riverside or StreamYard, also webapps.

    I’ve done this reliably for the last several years without any trouble. Yesterday, I started seeing the most weird thing and it was absolutely perplexing and almost destroyed the day. I started seeing regular pauses in my webcam stream but only in two instances.

    • The webcam would pause for 10-15 seconds every 90 or so seconds when access the Webcam in a browser
    • I would see a long pause/hang in OBS when double clicking on my Video Source (Webcam) to view its properties

    Micah initially said USB but my usb bus and hubs have worked reliably for years. Thought something might have changed in my El Gato capture device, but that has also been rock solid for 1/2 a decade. Then I started exploring virtual cameras and looked in the windows camera dialog under settings for a list of all virtual cameras.

    Interestingly, virtual cameras don’t get listed under Cameras in Settings in Windows:

    List of Cameras in Windows

    From what I can tell, there’s no user interface to list out all of your cameras – virtual or otherwise – in windows.

    Here’s a quick PowerShell script you can run to list out anything ‘connected’ that also includes the string “cam” in your local devices

    Get-CimInstance -Namespace root\cimv2 -ClassName Win32_PnPEntity |
    Where-Object { $_.Name -match 'Cam' } |
    Select-Object Name, Manufacturer, PNPDeviceID

    and my output

    Name                                     Manufacturer        PNPDeviceID
    ---- ------------ -----------
    Cam Link 4K Microsoft USB\VID_0FD9&PID_0066&MI_00\7&3768531A&0&0000
    Digital Audio Interface (2- Cam Link 4K) Microsoft SWD\MMDEVAPI\{0.0.1.00000000}.{AF1690B6-CA2A-4AD3-AAFD-8DDEBB83DD4A}
    Logitech StreamCam WinUSB Logitech USB\VID_046D&PID_0893&MI_04\7&E36D0CF&0&0004
    Logitech StreamCam (Generic USB Audio) USB\VID_046D&PID_0893&MI_02\7&E36D0CF&0&0002
    Logitech StreamCam Logitech USB\VID_046D&PID_0893&MI_00\7&E36D0CF&0&0000
    Remote Desktop Camera Bus Microsoft UMB\UMB\1&841921D&0&RDCAMERA_BUS
    Cam Link 4K (Generic USB Audio) USB\VID_0FD9&PID_0066&MI_03\7&3768531A&0&0003
    Windows Virtual Camera Device Microsoft SWD\VCAMDEVAPI\B486E21F1D4BC97087EA831093E840AD2177E046699EFBF62B27304F5CCAEF57

    However, when I list out my cameras using JavaScript enumerateDevices() like this

    // Put variables in global scope to make them available to the browser console.
    async function listWebcams() {
    try {
    const devices = await navigator.mediaDevices.enumerateDevices();
    const webcams = devices.filter(device => device.kind === 'videoinput');

    if (webcams.length > 0) {
    console.log("Connected webcams:");
    webcams.forEach((webcam, index) => {
    console.log(`${index + 1}. ${webcam.label || `Camera ${index + 1}`}`);
    });
    } else {
    console.log("No webcams found.");
    }
    } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error accessing media devices:", error);
    }
    }
    listWebcams();

    I would get:

    Connected webcams:
    test.html:11 1. Logitech StreamCam (046d:0893)
    test.html:11 2. OBS Virtual Camera (Windows Virtual Camera)
    test.html:11 3. Cam Link 4K (0fd9:0066)
    test.html:11 4. LSVCam
    test.html:11 5. OBS Virtual Camera

    So, what, what’s LSVCam? And depending on how I’d call it I’d get the pause and

    getUserMedia error: NotReadableError NotReadableError: Could not start video source

    Some apps could see this LSVCam and others couldn’t. OBS really dislikes it, browsers really dislike it and it seemed to HANG on enumeration of cameras. Why can parts of Windows see this camera and others can’t?

    I don’t know. Do you?

    Regardless, it turns that it appears once in my registry, here (this is a dump of the key, you just care about the Registry PATH)

    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

    [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{860BB310-5D01-11d0-BD3B-00A0C911CE86}\Instance\LSVCam]
    "FriendlyName"="LSVCam"
    "CLSID"="{BA80C4AD-8AED-4A61-B434-481D46216E45}"
    "FilterData"=hex:02,00,00,00,00,00,20,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,30,70,69,33,\
    08,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,30,74,79,33,00,\
    00,00,00,38,00,00,00,48,00,00,00,76,69,64,73,00,00,10,00,80,00,00,aa,00,38,\
    9b,71,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

    If you want to get rid of it, delete HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{860BB310-5D01-11d0-BD3B-00A0C911CE86}\Instance\LSVCam

    WARNING: DO NOT delete the \Instance, just the LSVCam and below. I am a random person on the internet and you got here by googling, so if you mess up your machine by going into RegEdit.exe, I’m sorry to this man, but it’s above me now.

    Where did LSVCam.dll come from, you may ask? TikTok Live Studio, baby. Live Studio Video/Virtual Cam, I am guessing.

    Directory of C:\Program Files\TikTok LIVE Studio\0.67.2\resources\app\electron\sdk\lib\MediaSDK_V1

    09/18/2024 09:20 PM 218,984 LSVCam.dll
    1 File(s) 218,984 bytes

    This is a regression that started recently for me, so it’s my opinion that they are installing a virtual camera for their game streaming feature but they are doing it poorly. It’s either not completely installed, or hangs on enumeration, but the result is you’ll see hangs on camera enumeration in your apps, especually browser apps that poll for cameras changes or check on a timer.

    Nothing bad will happen if you delete the registry key BUT it’ll show back up when you run TikTok Studio again. I still stream to TikTok, I just delete this key each time until someone on the TikTok Studio development team sees this blog post.

    Hope this helps!




    About Scott

    Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.

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