From one of the better Web designers on the planet comes this question:

Been following your work for years, and totally digging the new live stuff you’re doing. Very entertaining. I was hoping you might have any clues for me as to a problem I’m having, as I have a feeling you’ve come across this situation before in your work.

I’m looking for a codec or some kind of application that will allow me to take a stream of my Windows desktop and turn it into a video source that’s usable for input in other apps. To explain, what I’m trying to do is create a live uStream feed of my desktop, namely for applications like Second Life that I’d like to stream to friends. I know I could just use FRAPs or another screen recording app, archive it and then share it that way, but I’m looking for something a little more real time.

You could go with the free VH Screen Capture Driver – which only gets a mention because of its pricetag, not because of its power. There’s the robust Camtasia Studio with Live Output [disclaimer: they're one of my sponsors]. A gawdy WebcamMax (with PIP possibilities) offers the most flexibility. NOTE: the much-ballyhooed SuperWebcam has been known to dog even the fastest systems, so it remains on my “not recommended” list.

It’s actually a sad state of affairs with Windows-based webcam software these days. Just about every webcam app for Windows pales by comparison to OS X equivalents. Camtasia Studio is likely overkill for what you’re trying to do here, leaving WebcamMax as your best option (even with its kludgey interface). Maybe we could convince Camtasia to create a watered-down (read: free) app to help jumpstart the livestreaming scene on the Windows platform? It honestly shouldn’t take much to create something fun, functional, clean, and easy to use.

How to Stream Your Desktop in Video