We all know that video conferencing can be a nightmare. There’s a lot to keep in mind: people need to create accounts, download apps, allow access to their cameras and microphones. Weak WiFi signals can result in slow connection or no connection at all. Due to frequent delays, participants start to talk over each other or suddenly stop talking at all, embarrassing each other or making awkward pauses. “Can you hear me now?”, “Do you see my screen”, “Sorry I’ve got a technical problem” — everyone is already exhausted from keeping saying this each time on a call.
But we are all here together. So why not try to make your meetings bearable both for yourself and for your colleagues and save valuable time by having some basic preparations? Let’s look at some important recommendations that will help you get ready for your next video call!
What affects video quality?
During meetings, your video quality and resolution may change rapidly due to a number of factors:
- Bandwidth quality and your internet speed
- CPU load
- Capabilities of your camera and microphone
- Low battery power on your device.
How to get better video quality
Tip 1. Check your devices
Not sure if your headset or camera is working? Before each video call, spend a minute checking your audio and video settings. There’s always a possibility that your browser or video conferencing app has mistakenly selected the wrong microphone or camera, or your device just won’t be identified in the system. Once you’ve set everything up, you can make a test call to check that everything runs smoothly before actually joining the meeting.
Tip 2. Choose wired connection when possible
For video calls, stable connection is the most important factor. Although the Internet connections now are 1,000 faster than it was ten years ago, you still regularly face audio disruptions or delays. The reason for that is often WiFi. WiFi is wireless, which is why it can easily adjust depending on the circumstances on your network. Your connection may be easily interrupted by other electronic devices or bluetooth signals nearby.
To get the best video conferencing experience, just go with wires. Ethernet is faster than WiFi, and does not depend on other connections on your network.
Tip 3. Reboot your Wi-Fi
If you have any connectivity issues, don’t let fate decide if your meeting will be a success. Reboot your WiFi to update your router settings and improve overall performance. You can also check your network speed in advance.
Tip 4. Focus and close other apps
Video conferencing can be demanding. Before the call, close all applications and browser tabs you don’t need right now to prevent overloading or overheating your CPU. Additionally, close any other video conferencing apps, as they can use your microphone or camera and won’t allow you to connect to your meeting properly.
Tip 5. Disable your camera
You’ve tried everything and your meeting experience is still awful? Simply disable your camera to minimize the load and get your audio right. All in all, it’s audio that matters the most when communicating your ideas.
Tip 6. Choose reliable video communication software
Look for video communication programs that work well even with low bandwidth and support high-quality video resolution. The perfect software should also be user-friendly and does not demand much time for your employees and customers to onboard. Finally, it should work on any operating system for you to hop on a call from any location.
Improve your video quality with TrueConf
During important meetings, video matters. Try TrueConf and organize 4K video conferences with up to 1,500 participants, delivering a truly lifelike meeting experience. TrueConf works reliably even when your Internet connection is slow, while you can always get insights about call statistics and connection quality in real time
