ZOOM and PTE

[JEB]

Hi,

I am looking for some feedback from members on their experiences in using PTE with Zoom.

I do understand and accept that it will never be perfect but have recently been very disappointed with the performance of a particular sequence which runs very smoothly on a PC in either .exe or MP4 format.

I am aware of individual band width issues and that there may be little that can be done about that.

When “broadcast” over Zoom by a colleague to a large group, the transitions between still images was, for me, at my end, diabolical (digital breakup is the best that I can describe it as). Video was stuttered. Not everybody appeared to have had it as bad an experience as I did. But that may have been in part down to the expectation of the individual. Also, I now suspect that it may also be to do with the quality of the computer. I was using my laptop at the time.

I have run several tests today between myself and a colleague both as transmitter and receiver. Both of us have high speed fibre broadband and we both find a definite drop in quality when receiving. Not as bad as I had experienced before but bad enough. The still transitions and particularly the video are both jumpy.

Any thoughts?

Thanks, in anticipation.

John

PS - I now seem to recall somewhere reading NOT to use long fades?

[Igor]

Hi,

Try these ideas: https://www.pteavstudio.com/forums/topic/25656-share-screen-in-zoom-improved-smoothness-and-sound/

[goddi]

Greetings Jeb,

Next week, I am going to give a presentation about PTE via Zoom to my computer club. I did a bit of practice to see what worked or did not work.

I found that if you Share with a reduced sized screen, the results were a bit choppy. Then we tried to just start with a full sized screen that you want to share, and the other guy said it was very smooth...much better. Try that and see if it smooths out the results. Seems kinda backwards that a smaller screen would be choppy and a full sized screen would not be. But give that a test and see what you find.

Also be sure to check the Share Sound, Optimize for Video Clip...then Share. I find, too, to have the MP4 already opened so that it will show up as a choice to Share when you clip on it.

Gary

 

[JEB]

Thanks Folks,

I will give these options a try tomorrow. 
 

john

[jkb]

We run many AV events and competitions on Zoom & things play back smoothly.

We normally have around 60 to well over 100 participants connected using various devices from around the world

Long transitions are MUCH smoother than short ones
Faster Pans & Zooms can stutter

Video - MP4 files play perfectly as well as exe files
Use 60p video files for smoother playback

 

The main requirement is a fast Upload Speed - we have 20mb

Connect to the router by Cable - not wi-fi & make sure you have a fast computer with a good graphics card

When sharing Screen, use the Basic Tab - not the Advanced Tab & share the desktop, not an individual program.

Ensure that you tick both Share Computer Sound & Optimise for fullscreen video.

Don't try to host & share screen - it makes things complicated - try to have someone else as host.

 

For best viewing - again connect by cable if possible.
If viewing on a laptop make sure you are on mains power, not battery.

Download speed is not that important - we have people with around 2mb able to view

 

Jill

 

[JEB]

Hi,

Thank you all for your replies.

We have carried out a number of tests today that have demonstrated to us the need to render an MP4 specifically for Zoom and how to set up Zoom for Video.

This Forum never lets me down.

Thank you,

John

 

[goddi]

Greetings,

I thought I had a handle on how to Share Screen on Zoom and show mp4's and even the PTE program, but I forgot how I did it.

So, after more tinkering around, I've come up with my method that seems to now work.

After I have start Zoom and invite the guests (at least my wife on her PC), I click on 'Share Screen'.

In the 'Advance' tab, I check the boxes for 'Share Sound' and 'Opt. for Video Clip'.

Then I choose 'Portion of Screen', not 'Video'. The green frame shows up. I then open one of my PTE mp4s from a folder and just pause it for the moment.

I then make sure the mp4 fits inside the green frame. Adjust the green frame and the mp4 so that the mp4 fits nicely inside the green frame.

Then I can play the mp4.

If you are playing the shows from a folder with a list of mp4s in the folder and playing them with the Windows 'Move & TV' player, you have the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to quickly advance or go back within that folder to other shows in that folder. (Some players don't have that feature).

And, if you want to demo the PTE program (or any program), just open it and it will show up within the green frame...or make minor adjustments to make it fit.

From my experiments, the PTE shows play smoothly and the sound is good. The volume of the music has to be controlled at the viewers end, not yours.

One thing though, if you want to make comments when the mp4 is playing, you have to pause it because the other person will have a hard time hearing what you are saying. You don't have control over the volume at their end.

If you choose 'Video' instead of 'Portion of Screen', you have to stop the 'Share Screen' and start another video. Not as smooth if you are wanting to play more than one mp4.

Let me know if this works for you or you have better suggestions.

Thanks... Gary

[jkb]

Gary that sounds awfully complicated.

If you are leaving the green frame around what you are playing that is distracting from your shows.
Make sure that you switch that off in Zoom.

We always use VLC player to show any video files - MP4, Mov, AVi, WMV etc  they all play fullscreen.
VLC is set to quit at the end.

We always set up a PTE Menu exe to run everything.

That way you can easily run videos, exe, PTE or any other program seemlessly from the Menu
Although I believe calling programs doesn't work on a Mac

As I said in my post above - use the Basic Tab & share the desktop

 

The other thing to look out for is to make sure that nothing else is running on the PC sharing the screen.
So close any other programs, especially anything that could be trying to download/upload at the same time.

I also set the power options to never & make sure that I stop Windows updates & any anti virus that might kick in.

Jill

[goddi]

Greeting Jill,

It might sound complicated but it really is not. If you do it a couple times, it's a piece of cake.

The 'green frame' is only on your screen...not the viewers. So I don't understand what you are referring to when you say it is 'distracting'..

The problem with VLC is that you can not quickly start showing the next video you might want to show. There is no 'Next' or 'Previous' icon to use. I am going to give a presentation and I want to present several mp4 shows, one right after the other. Can't do it with VLC without closing it and reopening it to select the next show. Clunky. The 'Movie & TV' player gives you the controls you need to quickly run shows anywhere listed in a folder.

If you want to run exe shows, etc. with a menu, maybe you have to use VLC. My purpose is to play mp4s (pick and choose) and demo the PTE program or any program easily. I stopped using exe's along time ago.

When you use the Basic tab, you get the same 'green frame' that I was talking about. The problem with Basic is you lose the ability to use part of your Desktop. You have to run the show at full screen at your end. I want to be able to play the mp4 in a Share Screen with 'Portion of Screen' which gives me some space to view my list of shows in the File Manage to choose the shows at random and be able to call up a program to demo. If you desktop is fully covered, you can't do that. Using 'Portion of Screen' gives you that space on your Desktop.

I see your method works for you but for my purposes, I find mine to be more flexible.

Gary

[jkb]

Ok I see what you are doing, all of that will still work from a Menu. But if you are picking your shows at random, maybe not.

There is a setting in Zoom, which is on by default, or used to be, that puts a green frame around the screen at the viewers end. That is very distracting.

I work with 2 monitors so it is easy to share 1 screen and use the other for anything that I need myself.

There is an option in VLC to set up a playlist, so that it will automatically run one show after another, although I have never used it. 

Jill.

[goddi]

Greetings Jill,

Picking my shows at random can work very well. If you are using 'Portion of Screen', you just have to have your folder with your list of shows next to it. Once a show stops playing, just click on the next or any show in the file list. You can also, if needed, just open a different folder with shows. The 'Movie & TV' player gives you the ability to stop/start any show at any time, and play any show at random, so you don't have to have them listed in the exact order you have them listed in the folder.

Gary