You don’t need a basement studio to stream. Just the essentials—and a good horror lineup. Small living room, roommates, budget under attack from rent and groceries? Spooky-cozy is the vibe: scrappy, warm, enough.

Rebuild reflection: desk + site progress in the dark
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Streaming corner upgrade
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Micro-zoned the small space: defined a “stream corner” vs. “life corner,” added a clamp arm and clip-on light, and moved the usual rogue stack of mail off-camera. A cushion tweak and cable taming kept horror marathons comfortable and walk paths clear.

Site progress
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Posts and links now surface budget + small-space picks faster. Internal links connect earlier rebuild chapters to this streaming focus. Reader feedback pushed me to share more concrete price ranges and small-living-room angles.

Spooky kit – budget-friendly picks
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1) Under-$150 capture card contenders
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  • HDMI in/out, 1080p60 or clean 4K30, low heat, plug-and-play, tiny footprint for console or camera.

2) Lighting that doesn’t ruin the cozy
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  • Clamp/stand light with adjustable color temp for visibility without killing the mood.
  • Cheap RGB strip or smart bulb placed out of frame for a soft background glow.

3) Mic/audio helpers under $50–$70
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  • Simple USB or lav option that’s forgiving in echoey apartments.
  • Foam/soft furnishings that tame echo and improve movie-night sound.

Pre-flight ritual: 3-click max streaming pre-check
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Click 1: Single shortcut opens streaming software + chat/dashboard; optional focus mode kills distractions.
Click 2: Verify scene and audio levels; pre-saved “Spooky Cozy” scene with labeled sources.
Click 3: Quick capture card/display check—start virtual cam or 5-second recording to confirm signal and framing.

Keep capture card, HDMI, and primary mic cabled in a small box near the TV/desk. A one-line checklist on the wall turns “sit, click, click, click, vibe” into muscle memory.

Wrap-up: cozy chaos is enough
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You don’t need aesthetic perfection to host a horror night stream. Essentials plus a three-click ritual beat tech scrambles. Best <$150 capture card you’ve seen?