Zoom meetings (or similar)

[Dave2002]

Maybe many of us are now getting used to participating in on-line meetings and events.

Running with the kit "as is" doesn't seem to get anything more than adequate results - moderate sound quality and poor to modest lighting. Does anyone have recommendations for lighting for this kind of application.

At the moment some meetings are done using a 27 inch iMac, and the major weakness at present is lighting. Even though there is currently more optimism about changes and outcomes re coronavirus, I feel that significant changes are still some way off, so it might be worth investing in some better lighting.

Suggestions?

[Richard Barrett]

Suggestions?

A mirrorball might be nice, don't you think? Although that's a bit complicated for me, I generally use a dark room with green lighting from below and a bit of dry ice.

[Quarky]

For many years, I have used a Mother and Child uplighter for office work. A very bright light. I find it is quite adequate for zoom meetings when placed to the side and quite nearby:

https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-zella-uplighter-floor-lamp/p151744?sku=230404900&colour=Antique+Brass&s_ppc=2dx92700055675274717&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsLWU75yd7QIVELrtCh1_0g3WEAQYASABEgLVM_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Of course, it depends what you plan to do in your Zoom meeting!

[cloughie]

For many years, I have used a Mother and Child uplighter for office work. A very bright light. I find it is quite adequate for zoom meetings when placed to the side and quite nearby:

https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-zella-uplighter-floor-lamp/p151744?sku=230404900&colour=Antique+Brass&s_ppc=2dx92700055675274717&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsLWU75yd7QIVELrtCh1_0g3WEAQYASABEgLVM_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Of course, it depends what you plan to do in your Zoom meeting!

They are very good - I use one when playing the piano! - the uplighter not Zoom, which I avoid avidly.

[Dave2002]

A mirrorball might be nice, don't you think? Although that's a bit complicated for me, I generally use a dark room with green lighting from below and a bit of dry ice.

Interesting idea. I'd need a costume as well, and perhaps just use a backdrop file such as this one

[Serial_Apologist]

A mirrorball might be nice, don't you think? Although that's a bit complicated for me, I generally use a dark room with green lighting from below and a bit of dry ice.

Fog's on the way here.

[oddoneout]

A mirrorball might be nice, don't you think? Although that's a bit complicated for me, I generally use a dark room with green lighting from below and a bit of dry ice.

You going to be hanging around the vaccination centres then?

[Serial_Apologist]

You going to be hanging around the vaccination centres then?

Brilliant!

[alycidon]

They are very good - I use one when playing the piano! - the uplighter not Zoom, which I avoid avidly.

Yes. Me too, but it gets so hot after fifteen minutes playing. Do you not find that? I can just about get by with the ‘child’ part of the lamp but the ‘mother’ is a complete no- no.

[oddoneout]

Yes. Me too, but it gets so hot after fifteen minutes playing. Do you not find that? I can just about get by with the ‘child’ part of the lamp but the ‘mother’ is a complete no- no.

Perhaps needs LED rather than halogen bulbs? My mother had one of these years ago when halogen was what they came with(hence the bright light USP) and all you could use in them. I have a suspicion that the warmth over her shoulder wasn't entirely unwelcome, as normally she had a great aversion to using electricity wastefully.

[alycidon]

Perhaps needs LED rather than halogen bulbs? My mother had one of these years ago when halogen was what they came with(hence the bright light USP) and all you could use in them. I have a suspicion that the warmth over her shoulder wasn't entirely unwelcome, as normally she had a great aversion to using electricity wastefully.

Yes. Thank you for that suggestion. LEDs would be the answer but I don’t expect that there is any way of doing it. The lamp is almost twenty years old and things have moved on a bit since then. But thank you anyway.

[Dave2002]

We have some of those uplighter things, but that solution doesn't really work in the small office room which is the home for the new computer.

It looks as though there are LED ring lights which might be used with mobile phones, but we don't want to use mobile phones for zoom (and actually I'd probably prefer not to use the newest mobile phones for any purpose, but maybe that's just me .....).

[oddoneout]

Yes. Thank you for that suggestion. LEDs would be the answer but I don’t expect that there is any way of doing it. The lamp is almost twenty years old and things have moved on a bit since then. But thank you anyway.

Things have indeed moved on and there are LED equivalents of most old bulbs now. I'm assuming that at some stage over that period of time you have had to replace the halogen bulbs so might be worth taking one out and looking online to compare what is out there. They are also widely available, if in limited choice in smaller outlets, in 'real' shops now - supermarkets as well as DIY stores.

[alywin]

I recently sat in on a webinar on how to look more professional in Zoom meetings - it was given by a TV presenter, and she recommended ring lights. I'm sure that wouldn't have been for smartphones, but for a larger setup.

[Dermot]

I recently cancelled my subscription to Zoom Professional. Zoom provided the service I purchased; this was to enable the organisation of which I am secretary to hold its AGM online. However, I did not feel justified in using the organisation's funds to continue paying for a service which we will probably not use again.

I have now received an email from one Eric S. Yuan who describes himself, and I have no reason to doubt the man, as CEO of Zoom. Mr Yuan informs me how sorry he is that I have cancelled my subscription. He apologises that their service has let me down as ''Our culture is to deliver happiness to our users''. Now there are many things that deliver intense happiness to me: a web conferencing platform is not, alas for Mr Yuan, one of their number.