Videoconferencing on Zoom, Google Meet and the like is no longer novel. Many jobs, whether you work from home or in an office, require daily videoconferencing. And if you’re learning online, having a good videoconference setup can make your life much easier.
Upgrading your audio and video tech is fairly easy from a technical perspective, however, and relatively affordable — and it will dramatically improve your production values in virtual meetings. Here at CNET, we’ve been in a hybrid workplace for many years, and taking video calls, engaging in online learning, and presenting to our teams are a daily part of life. We’ve become experts on what gadgets and gear make life easier.
We’ve compiled a short list of the best gear for video chats: home webcams, lights, mics and more that’ll enhance your video chatting. This list has plenty of input from CNET’s on-camera video team, all of whom have worked from home.
When you’re presenting a meeting or actively participating in one, you need to be front and center on the screen. The Dell Pro webcam uses some clever software to keep you centered in the frame as you move around a whiteboard or wheel around your office.
The image is crisp too and looks cleaner than almost any other webcam I’ve used. I’ll admit it works much better on a Mac than a PC, but on a PC, it’s the very best webcam you can use right now.
A lot of the best webcams are pretty big. They work great on a monitor in your office but if you are out and about they might be too big for a thin lid of a laptop. The Opal Tadpole is the answer for those who want quality webcam video without a large footprint. The Tadpole is a little over 2 inches square, with a small cable to avoid excess sagging. A nifty feature of the Tadpole is the built-in mute for the onboard mic, which can be accessed with a tap of the USB plug. Everything about it is designed to keep it minimal while offering a great video image, several rungs above any webcam you will see built into a laptop, even the Macbook webcam.
Not all conference calls involve sitting down in front of a laptop. Sometimes you’re the person giving a presentation and you need a little freedom of movement. A lavalier mic connects to your collar — or to your shirt using a magnet — and wirelessly streams to a small control unit attached to your laptop or phone.
The Lark Max comes with two mics, with noise cancellation and a controller unit that’ll easily connect to your iPhone, Android or laptop (via USB-C). The sound quality is excellent, though you’ll need to speak a little louder than with a desk mic. The drop in volume is well worth it to have the freedom of movement and the sound quality you get from the Lark Max. As a bonus, the case also charges the mics and controller, so you’ll have them ready to go when you need them.
The front of the Yeti includes a large plastic (somewhat wobbly) headphone volume knob and a mute button, which is perfect for dropping out audio for coughs or sneezes.
The front of the Yeti includes a large plastic (somewhat wobbly) headphone volume knob and a mute button, which is perfect for dropping out audio for coughs or sneezes.
Nothing can torpedo an online meeting quicker than background noise and audio that’s cutting in and out, and your laptop’s lousy built-in microphone may be the culprit. Once you’ve added a decent webcam to your setup, you’ll be in better shape — but a standalone microphone will make you sound clear, rich and full. This Blue Yeti model has long been a staple of podcasters and streamers, and it’s what I use when I record audio or participate in a high-stakes video chat.
Yes, it looks like something you’d see in a 1940s radio station, but the audio technology is 100% modern. It has three capsule microphones, four pickup patterns (for different kinds of recording) and just enough controls to help optimize the way you sound without overloading you with super technical features.
Here’s how to do it.)
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It’s hard to multitask on a web conference: Opening and closing apps, resizing browsers and windows, all while you’re talking to your boss on your Google Hangout or Zoom call — it can all be a bit much. One solution is to offload all of your audio and video recording tasks to your phone — which may have a better camera, video quality and mic technology, anyway — freeing up your laptop to take notes, consult documents and spreadsheets or whatever else. (Here’s how to do it.)
Watch this: CNET video team share home setup secrets
