recommended aspect ratio for displaying AV's via Zoom calls

[P6044]

Hi, I've been asked to create an AV for our next photography group zoom meeting but I'm not sure what aspect ratio to use given that we all access the meetings via different devices. Would it be best to ensure that there is a black border around the all images in case things do get truncated? Any advice appreiciated?

[jkb]

We have been running many AV Zoom meetings & most AV's are created at 16:9 ratio with 1920x1080 pixels.

Some are 4:3 & occasional ones are in 3:2 format.

Most of our participants are either using dual monitors on a PC or else connect a laptop to their TV or a digital prohector.

Some however use a tablet & even a mobile phone.
No one has said that they have lost part of the image.

Jill

 

[P6044]

thanks Jill - most of our members seem to be using an ipad, getting them to connect a laptop to a TV would freak them out - average age of the group is 80 so getting them all onto Zoom in the first place was a bit of a challenge, but we got there in the end.

Lynda

[jkb]

Hi Lynda, a lot of our members are also nearing or above 80 as well.
Surprised how well most of them have managed.

To run AV's well without stuttering you need a fast broadband upload speed.
But if yours is just still images then it should work OK.

It is the dissolves that suffers if the upload speed is low.

Jill

 

[P6044]

thanks for the tip Jill - we have monthly themes so the idea is to create a show of 2 or 3 from each person, so it'll be a real mixed bag of images. I'll just keep the transitions simplier then I would normally do.

Lynda

[macian]

I have noticed a long time-lag between images being shown in some online presentations, such as in PowerPoint/Keynote. The speaker can be talking about an image well before it has appeared on our screens and the there is sometimes a blend of the current and previous slide. Often the lag can be up to 15 - 25 seconds.

This may all be due to slow upload speeds of the presenter's broadband.

[jkb]

Only once had a problem with this, it was a competition secretary reading out the titles of the images.

They were using Photocomp software I think.
But I put it down to him reading from his list & not actually looking at the screen to see what the image was.

Running AV's - PTE exe's and/or MP4's we have never had a problem with sync.

 

If you do a sound test with Zoom & speak into the mic, you will notice it is several seconds before the sound comes back through the speakers.
It has to be uploaded to Zoom servers, then presumably to a satellite, then downloaded again & passed back from the zoom servers.
So this does take a time.

Presenters need to be aware that there could be a delay & make sure if demonstrating that they leave enough time between saying something before moving on for the audience to catch up.

 

Jill