3 ms·

Right on the money. I’m not sure I get people’s use cases here. Ok, if you’re creating/streaming video, I get that you need a good webcam. But for your teams’

Right on the money. I’m not sure I get people’s use cases here. Ok, if you’re creating/streaming video, I get that you need a good webcam. But for your teams’ standups, refinements etc...is video quality really an issue? Usually I’m in a call with 5-10 others. One will be sharing a screen or we will be collaborating on a whiteboard. Other people’s webcam feeds are stamp-sized somewhere in the periphery of my vision. Most people want to hide their surroundings and will use a lame backdrop or a blur filter. So we’re talking about spending hundreds of dollars to make your 100x100 pixel face that no one is looking at anyway a bit sharper?

bsder 6y ago
Erm, I bought an Avaya HC020 (about $250) back at the beginning of the pandemic. It's quite nice--my images are always better than everyone short of pro streamers. You can flip the image, color balance, etc. all in the webcam with a remote control (this is why I got it--"flip the image" was causing my laptop fans to screech at max RPM for a different webcam) I've never used it, but if you really need microphone arrays, then probably the Avaya CU360 is probably for you. Bonus: it's standalone Android so you can install all the streaming apps on the device instead of on your computer. And, why not microphone arrays? Because echo cancelling is a nightmare technology that requires real R&D. Somebody always gets the setup wrong on conference calls. The new macs haven't been out long enough for me to trust that Apple actually solved the problem any better.
praxulus 6y ago
It matters less for internal meetings (maybe improving audio quality could help meetings run more smoothly, but that's just a microphone issue). If any of your employees talk to external clients, I can absolutely see value in getting them set up with a better webcam and internet connection, and I don't think you'd want every sales rep and partner engineer spending a day futzing around with an enthusiast-grade setup.
randycupertino 6y ago
I think you're underestimating personal vanity. Plastic surgery and teeth whitening has SPIKED since the pandemic started because people are looking at their own faces on zoom all day in tiny boxes next to their coworkers. People will drop endless cash to make themselves look better on camera. I frequent the reddit beauty forums and hobbyist non-engineers who have zoom meetings for work are dropping $$ on Diva Lights and video filtering apps etc. Just today driving to the carwash I passed three strip mall aesthetic places advertising fillers and botox. I posted a tutorial on how to set up a green screen and diva light and within a week I had three coworkers order them- I joked with DVE Store that I should start getting a commission.

bsder 6y ago

Erm, I bought an Avaya HC020 (about $250) back at the beginning of the pandemic. It's quite nice--my images are always better than everyone short of pro streamers. You can flip the image, color balance, etc. all in the webcam with a remote control (this is why I got it--"flip the image" was causing my laptop fans to screech at max RPM for a different webcam) I've never used it, but if you really need microphone arrays, then probably the Avaya CU360 is probably for you. Bonus: it's standalone Android so you can install all the streaming apps on the device instead of on your computer. And, why not microphone arrays? Because echo cancelling is a nightmare technology that requires real R&D. Somebody always gets the setup wrong on conference calls. The new macs haven't been out long enough for me to trust that Apple actually solved the problem any better.

praxulus 6y ago

It matters less for internal meetings (maybe improving audio quality could help meetings run more smoothly, but that's just a microphone issue). If any of your employees talk to external clients, I can absolutely see value in getting them set up with a better webcam and internet connection, and I don't think you'd want every sales rep and partner engineer spending a day futzing around with an enthusiast-grade setup.

randycupertino 6y ago

I think you're underestimating personal vanity. Plastic surgery and teeth whitening has SPIKED since the pandemic started because people are looking at their own faces on zoom all day in tiny boxes next to their coworkers. People will drop endless cash to make themselves look better on camera. I frequent the reddit beauty forums and hobbyist non-engineers who have zoom meetings for work are dropping $$ on Diva Lights and video filtering apps etc. Just today driving to the carwash I passed three strip mall aesthetic places advertising fillers and botox. I posted a tutorial on how to set up a green screen and diva light and within a week I had three coworkers order them- I joked with DVE Store that I should start getting a commission.