Your Fundamental Video Conferencing Checklist

Mayra Gomes

Feb 07, 2020

With this video conferencing checklist in hand, you can maximize your communication effectiveness and video quality.

Video conferences are a fundamental part of doing business. More than ever, companies rely on video calls for internal communication as well as contact with clients and suppliers. The better your video calls, the more effective your communication will be, and that’s why we created this video conferencing checklist.

In this blog post, we compiled a checklist that can help you produce your video calls with optimal results. The list is divided between two main segments, equipment, and preparation.

The equipment part of the video conferencing checklist encompasses:

Webcam
Microphone
Headphones
Computer
Lighting

In the preparation segment of your video conferencing checklist, you’ll find the following topics:

Location
Internet connection
Testing
Content
Resources

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Video Conferencing Checklist

With this list in hand, it will be much easier to prepare for your video conferences and calls. Live video excellence is in the details, and there are too many to remember before making a video call.

Video conferencing equipment

At the mention of equipment, many people assume they will need to make huge investments, but that’s not the case. Nowadays, it’s possible to find good quality conferencing gear at low prices. Best of all, the quality of your video conference can be improved through the setup of your software applications.

For an in-depth look at video conferencing equipment, check out this blog post.

Webcam

The image quality is vital to your video call. In the market, it’s possible to find HD webcams that don’t require a big budget. A lot of the image quality can be improved with lighting and a software application like ManyCam, which allows you to tweak the brightness, contrast, and color of your video output.

Another important factor regarding video quality is the actual position of your webcam. Laptop built-in cameras, besides the overall lack of quality, are positioned too low, and that has a significant impact on your presentation. Ideally, you should have an HD webcam (or 4k), and it should be placed a little bit above your eye level. This allows you to sit up straight and look right into the camera, without any distortions in proportion.

Microphone

Even though laptops also have built-in microphones, the best video conferencing setup is to have an external microphone. The price range for a microphone is extensive, and you can choose whatever type of microphone fits your budget.

The most basic scenario would be to use earphones with built-in mics, which will already produce higher quality audio for your video conferences than the laptop built-in ones.

Headphones or earphones

During video calls and conferences, the audio travels to and from your computer. Without earphones, when others speak, the sound comes from the speakers and returns through the microphone, which produces the dreaded feedback and echoes on video calls. This is one of the most popular video conferencing mistakes, and it can easily be avoided when you add headphones to your list of equipment.

Computer

Your computer plays a crucial role in the quality of your video call. It has to be powerful enough to process the video conference application and additional resources. You could use your mobile phone as well, but you wouldn’t have as many tools to create an engaging video call. Unless the mobile device is your only option, we would recommend using your computer.

With a computer, you can connect ManyCam to your video conferencing app and access tons of live video features, such as screen sharing, picture-in-picture layers, multiple video sources, and many more. In other words, you can deliver professional presentations and take your video conferences to the next level.

Lighting

A topic that we couldn’t leave out of this video conferencing checklist and is often overlooked in video calls is lighting. Video productions rely heavily on lighting to deliver high-quality videos, and the same principles should be applied to video calls. Even if you have the best webcam available, poor lighting will drastically reduce its quality. On the other hand, if you have an average webcam and great lighting, the quality will be increased.

Internet connection

Not so much as a piece of equipment, but a crucial part of video conferencing is your internet connection. Public wifi connections or any other unstable connection is far from ideal for video conferences. With high-speed internet, you won’t have to worry about choppy video calls or buffering issues in general.

Extra tip: These tips to improve your live streaming quality can be equally applied to your video conferences.

Preparation

A massive part of the success of any video conference comes from its preparation. Taking your time to set up your meeting will make a difference in your results. For instance, prep time allows you to find possible glitches and fix them ahead of time, as well as develop extra resources to enhance communication.

Location

During video conferences, your background matters. As humans, we tend to get easily distracted, and if your background is too busy, attendees won’t be able to focus on you for too long. The background also influences the quality of your video, depending on how much light comes through. For instance, sitting behind a window on a sunny day is far from ideal.

The colors and patterns of the background can further impact the attendees’ view, especially if it clashes with the colors of your clothes. It’s important to be mindful of those details to make sure you look professional on your video calls and conferences.

Testing

Whether your equipment is brand new or the same you’ve been using for ages, running tests before your video conference must be on your to-do list. Not only can testing prevent major malfunctioning issues during your video call, but it can also help you fine-tune your content to ensure effective communication.

Another advantage of testing your setup is that you can practice using the software applications so that you can use everything they have to offer. When you connect ManyCam to your video conferencing platform, you get access to many live video tools, and it’s crucial to learn how to use them. ManyCam also allows you to record your video conference so that you have it documented.

Content

In the preparation stages, you should also prepare your content. Whether it’s just another regular meeting or an important client presentation, you should always come in prepared. You can outline the structure of your content and prepare any visual aids or extra resources accordingly.

The key to creating valuable content and effective communication channels is to make sure that the attendees are following along and that they are engaged.

Resources

Last but not least, your video conferencing checklist must include your resources. Video conferences often require visual aids, such as slide deck presentations, screen sharing, images, and videos. They allow attendees to understand concepts, learn tasks, and communicate with ease. Extra resources make it much easier for you to get your message across.

The resources needed will often vary from one meeting to the next, since each video conference has its own goals and agendas. Therefore, it’s important for you to create your own resources checklist, at least with the basics, so that you can always remember to prepare them in advance.

Final Thoughts

Video conferences are here to stay. Every day businesses rely more and more on digital communications to achieve excellence, which is why this video conferencing checklist is vital. Before your next video call, go through this checklist and make sure you are ready.

Next: Enhance your video calls with a virtual webcam!

What are you adding to your video conferencing checklist?