Recommended technology for web conferencing

This document makes specific recommendations for an optimal web conferencing set up for remote meetings and presentations.

Webcam

1080p USB webcam. This will provide you with a high enough resolution for your audience to be able to see you and anything on camera easily while also not overwhelming participants' bandwidth like a 4K video camera would. If your internet connection at home isn’t great, you may want to downscale to a 720p setting as this uses less bandwidth at the expense of quality

Recommended vendors

Logitech makes a variety of webcams that fit these specifications but any vendor that offers a 1080p/30fps USB model should be fine. If you do need 4K resolution, Logitech has options for those as well. Higher fps will make your video smoother (think sports on TV versus a movie) but will also increase the bandwidth of your video.

Microphone

There are two types of microphones, dynamic and condenser. If you are mainly going to be talking, a condenser mic may be the best choice as it has the highest sound quality for this usage. The downside for these is that they can get overloaded by loud sounds. This is recommended for most users.

If you are looking to use live music or other louder external sources, a dynamic microphone may be a better choice but require more setup and accessories.

Recommended vendors

Blue has many affordable condenser mics, such as the Snowball at the entry-level or the Yeti if you desire better flexibility on mounting and on capturing the sound. You can mount either of these on a tripod or the Yeti can also be mounted on an arm that attaches to your desk.

Dynamic mics often use an XLR interface and may be more difficult to set up than a USB mic. Please make sure you have a setup that can support that before considering purchasing. Shure is one of the more popular vendors for this type of product.

Headset

In order to reduce background noise and prevent echoes, you’ll want to use earbuds or headphones with your computer instead of using the built-in speakers. We recommend using whatever ones are comfortable for you for long usage. You don’t need a microphone on these as you will be using a separate stand-alone microphone for better quality.

Lighting

Lighting is very important for video quality. If your room doesn’t have great lighting, you might want to invest in a ring light. This is a simple light that clips to your monitor and provides better illumination. Some webcams offer this a built-in feature.



Keywordswebcam resolution 1080p downscale 720p dynamic condenser microphone vendors lighting headset web conferencing   Doc ID100716
OwnerERIK G.GroupDoIT Communications KB
Created2020-04-16 12:37:05Updated2021-11-30 10:46:10
SitesDoIT Communications KB, DoIT Help Desk
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