Our mission for the Snappy Video Snapshot was to solve the age-old problem of getting high-resolution images into a computer without spending a fortune on difficult-to-install equipment that only serious computer geeks could operate. However, when we began Project CSVD BUCKWHEAT (aka Snappy) we found that the only suitable, high-quality image-capture technology on the market was developed for military or scientific applications and therefore very expensive and user-hostile. This sad state of affairs greatly increased the scope of the Snappy project and required us to do all the tough work ourselves to achieve our goal. With Snappy, we created a unique mixture of cutting-edge custom hardware and software, advanced mathematical research, and an intuitive user interface. Fortunately, we were also able to take advantage of the high quality of today's consumer electronics productsÑspecifically the personal computer, camcorder, and VCR, to help Snappy accomplish its task.