Ask HN: What is the most cost-effective videoconferencing setup?

5 pointstorvald4y ago2 comments

I search for older post only to find this 9 year old one (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5592554). A lot have change since then, but I'm somewhat surprised that - even though we've had a global pandemic that increased the demand - is still sucks(?).

There is always somebody that has CPU problems, WiFi problems, internet problems, AirPod noise canceling problems – all which makes the sound experience unbearable (and there is no intuitive feedback from the system that can help people to improve their issues either). Appliances that you add to meeting rooms are mostly crap; costly, poor sound, not reliable, not intuitive to use and integrate with other systems. People end up using one laptop within a group of people, making the remote experience very bad.

Anyone have particular experiences with good setups or guiding principles (that actually work) wherever you are?

2 comments

2 comments · 2 top-level

PaulHoule4y ago

It starts with controlling the room. I worked in a startup accelerator near Union Square in NYC that had numerous little rooms that were sound isolated and had controlled light.

At the business school of my uni they have many "interview rooms" that fit two humans and a laptop comfortably.

With quality wi-fi and internet you had a good chance you could make it work with a computer or a phone with or without headphones, usb mic, etc.

Look at how they photograph people on a television newscast, "Good Morning America", "Sunday Night Football" to see best practices at work.

You can get an intimate effect in a large room by putting the "head office" into a small space such as a couch. Point the crowd at a big TV. Use a camera with a long lens (often zoom) from far away placed as close an angle to the TV as you can get away with so the crowd is almost looking at the camera.

For audio you'll probably pack more than one microphone and have to experiment (monitor the audio track) until you know you sound good.

When we did that I always felt included, engaged, and so forth whether I was.

timthorn4y ago

The Amazon Fire Cube now supports Zoom, including video when paired with a webcam. It's a low cost way to get a room system.