Questions:

My school uses Zoom, I want my students to be able to see me and my face while also sharing the lesson on my laptop .

There are a variety of solutions to this inquiry, but one of our favorites is a great feature within Wirecast called "Virtual Camera Input".  This will allow a screen, or camera feed to be shared from Wirecast directly into Zoom.  This also means the ability to add graphics, and customization to your shot.  

We take a look at a quick tutorial from Wirecast detailing how to use your virtual camera.  Check out that video here. 

I want to be able to ​stand up in front of my smartboard and teach while also being able to share the smartboard with my students. We use Google Classroom.

One great device to achieve this setup is the Epiphan Pearl Mini.  Pearl Mini is a switcher and encoder that is perfect for lecture capture, based off of a touch screen interface.  This will allow teachers to bring in a presentation or computer image, as well as an HDMI camera feed of themselves, and create a PIP layout with both the speaker and the presentation. 

We also take a look of a demo from a previous Videoguys Webinar, which outlined the possibilities of the PIP format, and how easy it is to set up.  Check out that webinar HERE. 

I’m a chemistry science teacher. I have students in the lab and others at home. We have strict privacy rules, so my students can’t be on the camera.  How do I show my students at home the lab work without having students on the video?​

This solution relies heavily on the power of PTZ Cameras.  A PTZ Camera set up in front of the students, will mean that students cannot be seen, and at the same time the teacher or presenter can convey information and demonstrate the lab, without leaving the range of the camera, which can follow them.  

One important note, is that the teacher or speaker should be wearing a lapel or wireless microphone, which feeds into the PTZ camera, so the students cannot be heard. 

Check out this diagram to learn more:

Our school district wants to stream our board meetings. Some of our board members are present, other come in via zoom. We then stream the meeting to YouTube. How do we do this and share presentations, let the board members discuss together and share with the community? 

This solution can vary depending on resources.  A simple solution will involve an EPTZ Camera like the HuddlecamHD EPTZ 4K Webcam, feeding into an Epiphan Pearl Mini and the zoom call simultaneously.  We also have the smartboard hosting the zoom call as well.  Each presenter can use screen share to share presentations over zoom.  Meanwhile, an operator can run the Pearl Mini with a laptop feeding zoom and loaded with all of the presentations for the meeting.  The operator can mix both feeds to create a simple stream. 

Check out this diagram to learn more. 

A complex solution will involve a more advanced switcher like the Epiphan Pearl 2, Telestream Wirecast Gear, or NewTek TriCaster Mini 4K NDI.   With each in person participant and the smart board logged in on zoom, presentations can be shared via screen share.  Next, an EPTZ or PTZ Camera can be mounted in the front of the room.  We recommend the PTZOptics EPTZ SDI ZCam.  Then, PTZ Cameras are placed on either side of the table.  All of these cameras feed into the mixer either through SDI or HDMI.  Lapel microphones are fed into a sound board which also feeds into the switcher or choice.  This switcher can often be in a separate location or the back of the room, where an operator will sit with a laptop logged into the zoom call, with all of the presentations loaded.  This laptop will be the one that feeds the zoom call into the switcher.

Check out this Diagram to Learn More. 

What kind of budget do I need to upgrade my remote learning productions?

This is a complex question.  Luckily, we've laid out the best options on the following slide. 

Can my students help run the equipment and learn valuable skills?

There are a variety of ways to use student involvement to help aid in student learning.  A variety of skills can be taught just by having your students operate your stream!

Want a Question Answered on Ask the Videoguys?

You can submit your question any time on any of our social medias, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.  In addition, you can submit your question via email at sales@videoguys.com with the subject line: "Ask the Videoguys."

Check out the Webinar on YouTube HERE.