Hybrid meetings tech tips/suggestions

[RobDogDog]

We also have an OWL. It seems best for small meetings rather than seminar style events. We combine ours with a Catchbox at times (if it's a larger seminar style event); using the video from the OWL and the mic as the Cathchbox (and smaller mic that comes with it). The Catchbox is quite fun to use.

One annoying issue we have is that quite a few of our staff speak like they're in a Library so the mic stuggles to pick them up.

But yes, to echo what someone else has said, the acoustics of the room can cause issues. I imagine a lot of these rooms were built without hybrid in mind.

You can spend an absolute shedload on equipment, but it's weighing up is it worth is for the amount it will be used.

 

[mid_gen]

Cisco Telepresence system like the ones shown on the show 24. My previous employer has quite a few of these systems and while the cost was about $150,000 each, they were awesome. I mostly used them to communicate with colleagues in Australia and Korea and it was like the colleagues were in the same room as me.

Telepresence is megabucks, but as you say, awesome, and ahead of their time. I was using them 10+ years ago and I still haven't seen a system that even comes close to the experience. It's exactly like sitting across the table from someone.

 

[Demon]

I'm fighting this exact same battle - echoey rooms, directional microphones not picking people up, multiple people on laptops in the same room causing feedback - it's a nightmare. Even if the tech is working nicely, an echoey room can make it impossible to follow a conversation remotely, or even figure out who is talking. With much of our communication being non-verbal (reading body language for cues, etc), even the perfect set up can unintentionally alienate remote participants.

IMO, if one person is remote, we all are. Laptops and headphones for every participant, regardless of where they may be located.

Sounds crazy.

I just set out meeting policy/hardware provision
1 x 65" TV (HDMI and HDMI->USB-C leads provided for laptop users)
1 x USFF PC (for those without laptops)
1 x Speakerphone
1 x webcam.

All remote users have free headsets (mainly Logitech H390, some (with discretion) have something nicer) and webcams and optionally speakerphones if they want.

The rule is simple, if multiple people are in one meeting room, only one is allowed to connect to the meeting, using Speakerphone and webcam provided.. Remote people have to use the headset or speakerphones provided and we are a little lapse on webcam usage, some laptops have potato cams, so we do insist on the webcams provided in those cases.

This works really well for all our instances.. we even have people using the speakerphones from a laptop in their cars (sales/service staff).

before, it was a free for all, sounds more like your setup.. always IT illiterates using their laptops in the meeting rooms with built in microphones/webcams and worse, as you've mentioned, multiple people simultaneously on their laptops in the same meeting room.

 

[marin]

We use Jabra PanaCast and speakerphones in our conference rooms, and they seem to work well for us.

 

[arknor]

get in the METAverse, zuckerborg keeps preaching how great it is, you won't ever have to leave you bed again