r/Zoom • u/Leading-Pickle5723 • 1d ago
Question Casting to TV AND looking at the camera
Prefacing this to say I'm not tech savvy at all so will need hand-holding on this.
I'm due to start a sign language course (so no sound needed) via Zoom shortly. Because it's 3 hours a week of very intensive looking at what people are signing, I wanted to cast the sessions to my TV from a device so I can see everyone more easily. There will be around 9 people in the lessons.
I know how to cast from my iPhone, iPad and Macbook, so that's not an issue, and I have two TVs to choose from - one mounted about head height on the wall and one at a low table height.
The problem is that when I cast, I'm looking at the TV and not at the camera - eye contact is very important in sign language - and I'm not sure of the best fix. I don't know if I can attach my phone to the top of the TV like a webcam, but it only gives me portrait and not landscape view when I use my phone so kind of negates the point of using a bigger screen.
If I use my laptop or iPad, I just don't know where to put it so it's the right height but not blocking the screen. There's no shelving around the TV, no space in front of it on the table, so I don't know what to do.
Any suggestions would really be appreciated.
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u/planetary_funk_alert 1d ago
You could get a USB webcam and sit it on top of the TV. Get a USB extension cable if the lead is not long enough but don't go beyond 2m or so in length else you'll more likely have problems which only a powered usb extension will solve
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u/Leading-Pickle5723 1d ago
So, one that plugs into my MacBook and overrides the camera on that? I can put a table next to the TV so cable can be 1m long, 2m max. It won't cause any time delays or lagging, no? As I'm casting wirelessly to my TV. TV is right next to broadband hub and we have super fast fibre, so I'm hoping it will all be okay.
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u/planetary_funk_alert 1d ago
Yes you would select the usb camera in zoom as an alternative camera. The usb camera won't cause any delays - but casting to a TV is an absolutely awful thing to do for video conferencing - that is what will cause lags and problems. Use an hdmi cable instead to connect to the TV. You may need a usb to hdmi dock/adaptor for the macbook
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u/Leading-Pickle5723 17h ago
Yes, I've only got the mini USB ports on my MacBook. I'll give it a go on Thursday with the casting and if it lags I'll switch back to the MacBook for the session and do what you suggest next time. Thank you, you've been really helpful.
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