Online Meetings — Webcam and Headphones

Most of us are now using the computer, tablet, or cell phone for live meetings or recording video content. One of the primary tools for getting this done is a webcam.

Webcams are typically built into any laptop and all-in-one computer setups. If you have a stand-alone monitor, typically you will purchase a USB connected webcam to set on top. Nothing prevents a laptop user from using a USB webcam, and you may find the picture quality greatly improved because your monitor angle does not directly impact your camera and external equipment is typically higher quality.

I highly recommend those using a stand-alone monitor or a laptop purchase a USB webcam to set on top, even if you have a camera in your laptop. For effective meeting experience, you need to be looking directly at your monitor screen and have the camera position be ABOVE your eye level. If you have a laptop sitting on a desk or your lap, and you look down at it, it will add weight to your features and give many viewers an EXCELLENT viewing angle of your nose hairs! Some options are:

All of these models have face recognition technology. Do NOT purchase a webcam that doesn’t automatically focus. You do not want to be adjusting the camera focus point every time you move during a one hour or longer meeting.

Most webcams have a microphone, which is good if you are in a quiet room with soft surfaces to absorb background noise or echoes. Some even of noise-canceling features. Since most of us cannot guarantee a quiet space for all meetings, I highly recommend investing in some cordless headphones. Even an inexpensive Bluetooth stereo headphones with microphone will normally give you a much better audio than if you just use the built-in microphone or the one in the webcam. This is a necessity if you are using your phone or tablet for the meeting or in a noise space. Some options are:

Almost all meeting technology (WebEx, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, etc…) has customizable settings for the webcam and audio. Please take the time to review these features and ensure you have them set to maximize your meeting experience. Depending on your setup, you may find investing in a “light” will improve your video image quality but don’t forget to check your meeting settings. A lot of issues can be resolved, just be adjusting the video and audio settings.

If you need some help recommend the best setup for you and running a few dry runs to make sure it is all working correctly, just reach out!

Programmable and Universal Remotes

Almost every device seams to have a remote controller. Unfortunately, almost all of us have experienced expensive remote replacement costs or complete remote meltdown (i.e., don’t know which one to use for a specific task). A programmable remote or a universal remote may be the best solution.

If you have kids or a pet, I HIGHLY recommend you get a cheap universal remote for day-to-day control of your TV, audio, etc… systems. Typically, for functions like power on/off, volume up/down, change channel, etc… a universal remove works just fine. Only when you want to use brand/device specific feature or a more complicated task, the brand specific remote would be necessary. Some options are:

Programmable remotes typically are not cheap but can greatly reduce the complexity of a task. They can be programmed to perform a series of tasks across multiple remotes/devices in a specific order. For example, a single button could be setup to Power on TV, Audio, System, and Blu-ray player; set TV source to HDMI 1, set volume control to Audio device, and eject/open blue ray player. At this point, with a single button, you are ready to drop in your Blu-ray disc and hit play. Before, you would have had to use 3–4 remotes in a specific sequence to accomplish this task. Some options are:

Most users will need some technical help with setting up programmable remotes. Give me a call if you have any questions or need assistance.

How Or What Equipment To Install Audio In Your Home — Without Needing To Open Walls For Wiring!

Home audio installations or upgrades can enhance your home with minimal disruption to your life by not using a “wired” system.

The first consideration is your home network. If you are going to install multiple speakers and/or sound/video playing devices, you will need a robust and stable Wi-Fi network in your home. For most homes, this will be a mesh router. The default gateway (router & wireless router combined) provided by your internet provider will just not be enough bandwidth to cover the typical household as well as audio upgrades.

Here are some typical mesh router options:

After ensuring you have enough Wi-Fi coverage to handle the extra load, the next question to answer is, “What features am I looking for?”.

Some Examples:

  • Do I want multiple rooms to synchronize and therefore play the same stuff from a single source?
  • Do I want outdoor/backyard coverage?
  • How many channels do I want in a single “zone”?
  • Speakers come in different types (Ex., tweeters, base, soundbars, midrange, etc….). What mix of speakers do you want?
  • Do already have some equipment and therefore want your new stuff to be compatible so you can mix and match equipment?

It is always easier to work with a single system/brand, especially if you are trying to synchronize a single source through multiple rooms or locations in your home. A typical example of this is kitchen only when you are home by yourself but when guests are over you want the same sound source to project from speakers in all the common areas (Ex:, kitchen, living room, dining room, outdoor space, etc….). Sonos immersive theater set (Link: https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/premium-immersive-set-arc-ultra-sub-era-100-pair-black) combined with their outdoor set (Link: https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/indoor-outdoor-set-era-100-move-2-black) give you a good living room and outdoor space option. You can add additional speakers to cover larger areas or more rooms. The Sonos app allows you to group speakers into specific zones, so you can create multiple or single environments of sound.

Channels are what audio people talk about when describing how many unique output speakers a single source uses. For example, a 5.2 channel system could have 2 tower speakers, 2 base speakers, 2 bookshelf speakers, and 1 center speaker (Example: https://www.polkaudio.com/en-us/product/all-brands/signature-elite-platinum-home-theater-system/BN1024.html#specifications). You need to understand how many channels you need to achieve your performance requirements. This is where talking to a specialist is really important. You should walk through what you want to do (i.e., play one source in kitchen space, play same source in kitchen, outdoor, and living room space, play a source in the media room in the basement but never synchronize or share it with the speakers upstairs, etc….) and a specialist can design a system to make that happen.

Now that you have your requirements, you can pick a brand/price point of components that meet your needs and include wireless connectivity options.

Some equipment options are:

The key is to understand is that wireless systems only require an electrical outlet and Wi-Fi coverage. If you have a wired system, you will need to connect the speakers to your amp or music source with a built-in amp via monster cable or some other audio wire. In an existing home, this either requires exposed wires or opening up walls to install wires behind drywall/plaster. Wireless speakers use your Wi-Fi network to transmit the audio data, therefore they only require an electrical outlet or battery source. Typically, the wireless speakers must all be the same brand to function with a branded source and be controlled by a single app from your phone.