Tips for Zoom Operator (The A/V Brother)

[LoneWanderer]

"Raise hand for host and co-host"

Ahhhhhhh! This is what we have been waiting for!! (Some brothers for whatever reason don't as easily notice the clapping blue hands we have used as a substitute.)

[Trippyx87]

On 4/27/2020 at 6:25 AM, thenewworld said:

It's a '0' as in the number zero, not the letter O. 

So it would be: 0 Person's Name, or in your Irish example: 0 O'Malley.

At our hall, I make whoever is chairman-speaker-WT conductor-Reader and whoever has parts on the midweek to co-hosts, after their part I put them back to a non host. It has worked out great for us.

[Jay]

30 minutes ago, Trippyx87 said:

At our hall, I make whoever is chairman-speaker-WT conductor-Reader and whoever has parts on the midweek to co-hosts, after their part I put them back to a non host. It has worked out great for us.

That can be risky, if the people made co hosts don't know to use this tech.

[Trippyx87]

17 minutes ago, BrotherJay said:

That can be risky, if the people made co hosts don't know to use this tech.

They aren’t made cohosts to run the tech. The Av guy still does all the tech this is just easier for them to be found on the list.

[Jay]

58 minutes ago, Trippyx87 said:

They aren’t made cohosts to run the tech. The Av guy still does all the tech this is just easier for them to be found on the list.

Umm, yes but during a screen share, they can still stop it from sharing.

[Trippyx87]

15 minutes ago, BrotherJay said:

Umm, yes but during a screen share, they can still stop it from sharing.

If they don't know how to run the tech then how is this an issue? 

[Qapla]

If they do not know how to "run the tech" they can click on something they hadn't planned on clicking on since they are not used to the layout of the controls that show up when you host/co-host.

 

If you are just trying to move them to the top of the screen, why not use the "rearrange pictures" feature in the gallery mode. If you want them on the top of the "participants panel" it may be better to rename them instead of giving them controls they may not know how to use. Is it possible that making a visiting speaker a co-host could add pressure he doesn't need while giving a PT in a Congregation he is not part of?

 

If you name them like this:

• 01 Chairman
• 02 Prayer
• 03 Speaker1
• 04 Speaker2
• Publisher without a part

Of course, you would/could use their actual name after the number. Those with these numbers should come to the top of the list. After they do their part, rename them again removing the number.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Qapla

[Portsmouth]

On 12/8/2020 at 4:15 PM, Qapla said:

 

This should not be that difficult. You can share your computer sound with Zoom. The volume control on the computer will still adjust the volume of the music that is sent to Zoom. 

 

The volume of you mic is adjusted from inside Zoom as is the volume of the Zoom output and should not be affected by lowering the volume of the music.

 

I have found that using the volume control within the media playing app itself (your web browser, QuickTime etc) can give you the effect of a fade-out. Using the Windows volume control is not preferable because you lose all audio through your speakers, earpiece, headset etc.

[Qapla]

Since I use a "speaker" source different than the "default" for my Zoom speakers, the Windows volume control does not change the sound output of the Zoom meeting, it only adjusts the sound level of the PC sound that I am sharing.

 

I send my sound from Zoom to my headset when I am listening privately or the TV when the family is listening. That leaves the PC sound still available for the other sounds the PC still needs to make - like the "doorbell" when someone enters a meeting or the sound I am going to share.

 

[NCC1701]

On 4/25/2020 at 3:09 PM, thenewworld said:

It's definitely more difficult to setup initially, but in a meeting I find it MUCH easier and more seamless, compared with using JWL to play songs and show images, because everything is already imported and ready to show in the OBS software.

I use only M (not available on Macs) to play all the media and images etc. I just drop the meetings videos etc into only m for each meeting.  I use the the blank image feature when playing videos, hit share on zoom then grab the blank screen and press play on the video. Totally seamless.  I've used OBS a lot but this works for me. Might PM you for a couple of ideas though. 

[thenewworld]

I'm interested to know how different congregations handle timing the student talks in the mid-week meeting?  Do you use an audio sound effect of a bell to indicate timeup?  Or some other method?

[Qapla]

We have not had a pressing need for timing. Most talks have ended well within the time allotted.

 

We do have one older brother (he serves as an Elder) who tends to lose track of time. When he gave the student "talk" he began to go past his time and the conductor simply spoke up and said, "Brother, your time is up" The brother giving the talk thanked him and said something about being done and quit talking.

 

On the rare occurrences where a student went overtime - We have not found we need to device anything elaborate when someone can simply speak up.

 

[Floyd]

I don't think in the last 30 years we have had to indicate a student was overtime.

 

The chairman could just mute them and start speaking.

Edited January 23, 2021 by Floyd

[Floyd]

For playing videos we have a second screen setup so the year text from JWL shows on it. Then we share the second screen, the friends see the year text just like they would at the Hall, and then the video plays. Its a full Kingdom Hall experience.

[Tbs77]

What's the best way to mute one person instead of muting all which disrupts a speaker's flow. I want to recommend that the attendants view meeting in gallery view and not speaker view to better pinpoint the other hot mic besides speaker.

Should that work? Thoughts? Thanks!

Agape

[Jay]

9 minutes ago, Tbs77 said:

What's the best way to mute one person instead of muting all which disrupts a speaker's flow. I want to recommend that the attendants view meeting in gallery view and not speaker view to better pinpoint the other hot mic besides speaker.

Should that work? Thoughts? Thanks!

Agape

Right click on the person's video in gallery view and click mute. Also you can mute from the participants pane.

[Br. Ice]

This new update is also very good.

We use breakout rooms, to have two "schools" during the MWM. And this update makes life in the BR so much easier. 

 

[Qapla]

If you have the participants pane visible most of those not muted will be moved to the top of the list - especially if they make any sounds - it is much easier to see who is/isn't muted from the list than it is to look through the gallery.

 

 

[Tbs77]

Right click on the person's video in gallery view and click mute. Also you can mute from the participants pane.

Thanks!
Think bros are "mute all" happy!
But if they mute all attendants should unmute speaker:

9. Muting and Unmuting and Lowering Hands: The participants’ microphones should be muted when they are not speaking. They can mute and unmute themselves. Additionally, the host or co-host can be assigned to mute and unmute participants. If the congregation is using the Raise Hand feature, the host or co-host may select the option “Lower All Hands” if some forget to select the option “Lower Hand

Thoughts?

[Br. Ice]

11 minutes ago, Tbs77 said:

They can mute and unmute themselves.

This is what we do:

Before the meeting starts, everyone is allowed to mute/unmute at will. 

2 minutes before the meeting starts, we don't allow the brothers/sisters to unmute themselves any longer. (we turn it off).

So, when someone is called on, we have to press "ask to unmute". The bro/sis will unmute, give their comment and go on mute again. This requires extra focus from the brother(s) doing Audio & Video. But since doing it this way, we haven't had disturbances during the meeting. 

Edited January 24, 2021 by Br. Ice

[Qapla]

We do not blanket mute. We have a "splash screen" that is posted at the 1 minute mark with reminders ... one of those reminders it to mute yourself. Then, when the meeting is about to begin the chairman askes everyone to mute and gives a few moments for that to happen. Most of the people mute. There may be a couple that do not - but that is easily remedied by the attendant.

 

That allows all to mute/unmute during Q&A parts without the need for the "ask to unmute" popup for those called on. If they start talking without unmuting, a verbal reminder is given - hey, it adds a bit of humor to the meeting and no one seems to get upset.

 

[Qapla]

As to the "Lower All Hands", this is one option I would like to see our Hall do a little better with. Almost every meeting we have some called on who say they forgot to lower their hand. From my chair, I would like to see the attendant lower all hands as soon as the reading for the next paragraph starts or when the Conductor proceeds to the next paragraph/point. This would remove the hands that are left up and it does not require a "ask to raise hand" like the blanket mute does.

 

 

[jayrtom]

 

8 hours ago, Qapla said:

As to the "Lower All Hands", this is one option I would like to see our Hall do a little better with. Almost every meeting we have some called on who say they forgot to lower their hand. From my chair, I would like to see the attendant lower all hands as soon as the reading for the next paragraph starts or when the Conductor proceeds to the next paragraph/point. This would remove the hands that are left up and it does not require a "ask to raise hand" like the blanket mute does.

 

 

that's one of the responsibilities of the AV brother in our congregation

[Floyd]

51 minutes ago, jayrtom said:

 

that's one of the responsibilities of the AV brother in our congregation

We assigned it to the "mics" brother. He makes sure they get muted and lower the hand if needed. The A/V brother has enough to do.

The chairman of the meeting mutes all when he is ready to start.

[jayrtom]

11 hours ago, Floyd said:

We assigned it to the "mics" brother. He makes sure they get muted and lower the hand if needed. The A/V brother has enough to do.

The chairman of the meeting mutes all when he is ready to start.

We have one brother doing it all: Change all the wrong names, mute all,  check disturbances, lower all hands, send message asking br to unmute when he is having trouble doing it, et....

It's a lot of work! When it's me I also do the counting!