The Language Center offers two Zoom Rooms, which are physical spaces that contain dedicated hardware for Zoom conferencing. See a previous post, Join a Meeting from a Zoom Room, for an overview of Zoom Rooms, and some advantages of this technology.
One of the best things about Zoom Room conferencing is that you have a choice in camera control. One of the challenges is that options may vary based on the camera model in the room. Here is a summary of the camera options for the two Zoom Rooms at the Language Center: Jones 127A and Jones 135B, and use cases for each option. The cameras in Jones 127A and 135B are both Polycom Studios, but not the same model, and the camera options are not exactly the same.
The difference between the two rooms is that Jones 135B offers the choice of both Auto-Framing and Speaker Focus. Jones 127A only has the option for Auto-Framing, and the camera behaviors for the two rooms are different.
- Jones 135B Auto-Framing: the camera will frame everyone in the room. This is a good option for a small meeting when there is not a presenter, and it is not necessary for the camera to isolate the speaker. It will ensure that everyone in the room is on camera, without the theatrics of Speaker Focus.
- Jones 135B Speaker Focus: the camera will focus on the active speaker. This is a good choice for a presentation or a lecture, because the camera focus will always be on the active speaker. It may also help remote participants with audio comprehension, because the camera will zoom to the speaker’s face. The effect can, however, feel overly dramatic in a meeting for example, where multiple people may alternate speaking.
- Jones 127A Auto-Framing: this camera option combines functionality of the two options above. The camera will frame everyone in the room when there is not a clear active speaker, and zoom to the speaker when there is. This is the default option for the room, and the best option in most cases.
There are two other camera options that are identical in the two rooms:
- Manual: this allows you to manually move the camera in four directions, as well as zoom in and out. This is a good choice if you know exactly what you want the camera to capture, and it will not vary. An example would be pointing the camera at a stationary presenter or a whiteboard.
- Multi-Stream: This will create the effect of being in a traditional Zoom meeting by framing everyone in the room in a separate box on the screen. One application of this feature could be to create a more uniform look on the screen if you have a mix of in room and individual remote participants. Another could potentially be to have an individual view of each student for assessment purposes.