The rise of the pandemic put the world on hold. The government and medical experts requested civilians to stay inside their homes. Students and workers everywhere learned to adapt to the new quarantine normal.
Thanks to new technology, it’s easy to host meetings without breaking community policies. At the beginning of the pandemic, various video conferencing apps saw 62 million downloads in a week. These apps allow us to communicate from the safety of our homes.
Whether for business or personal use, video quality is essential. In this article, we show you how to improve video quality on any app you use. Read on for more tips on how to improve low-quality videos.
Move Closer to Your WiFi Router
Despite the convenience that video calls provide, many factors can interrupt a conversation. One of the root causes of a low-quality video is a slow WiFi connection. Moving closer to your WiFi router is a great way on how to improve video quality.
Bring your device as close to your WiFi router as possible. Make sure there aren’t any walls between you and your router. Distance and other obstructions can lower your bandwidth.
Consider plugging your device directly to the router with an ethernet cable. If you continue having connectivity issues, try resetting your router. You may also try switching to a different frequency band.
Consider Buying a New Webcam
Most Mac devices come with a built-in webcam. Despite the great cameras on Apple iPhones, Mac webcams don’t offer the same quality. The MacBook’s 720 resolution features only a noisy and flat video quality.
You can learn how to turn on camera on Mac here. If you want to improve your video quality, consider buying an external webcam. External webcams like those offered by Logitech provide better performance.
Want to know how to improve the audio quality of a video? Consider getting a new microphone with your new webcam. These accessories will help you boost your video call experience.
Reduce WiFi Dead Zone
A WiFi dead zone pertains to areas in your house or office that should have WiFi coverage. But your device refuses to register any signal when you try to connect. Many factors could lead to dead WiFi zones.
Building materials and floorplans may interfere with your WiFi connection. Thick plaster walls and metal wiring may block WiFi signals. Some devices like microwaves and wireless security systems may also cause WiFi issues.
You can reduce this issue with Powerline adapters. When plugged into an electrical socket, these adapters can expand your WiFi coverage. Getting a better connection allows you to have better video quality during calls.
Position Your Laptop Properly
If you don’t want to buy accessories to improve your video quality, there are other things you can try. First, get your camera to sit above eye-level. You can use anything in your house from books and board game boxes.
Low-light conditions may also affect your video quality. Before joining a video conference, position your device in a room with good lighting. Using natural sunlight is a great and inexpensive way to improve your video lighting.
Prop your device next to a window with good sunshine. Avoid turning your back to the window. Consider facing the window for the best lighting conditions.
How to Improve Video Quality On Skype
Skype may not offer built-in settings to improve video quality. But if you’re experiencing low-quality video calls, check whether you’re using the latest version of the app. Find Skype on the menu bar of the top left corner of your screen and select Check For Updates.
You can also check if Skype’s video calling service is experiencing any problems. Do this by going to the Skype Status Web Page. This will display a summary of Skype’s service status.
How to Improve Video Quality On Zoom
Zoom is one of the most popular video conferencing apps that people use today. You can adjust your video settings in the Zoom app. In the top right corner of your screen, click on your profile picture.
Navigate and select Settings, then click on Video. Zoom offers various options to improve your video quality. To get the best display, click on Enable HD.
Zoom also allows you to brighten your video calls. You may also touch up your appearance on video. If you want, you can also change your video ratio under video settings.
With Zoom, you can also rotate your camera. Simply select the Rotate option found in your preview screen. If you want to change your background, Zoom allows you to add a custom background to your video.
How to Improve Video Quality On Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts is Google’s video conferencing solution. Like most video conferencing apps, Hangouts adjusts your video quality to your WiFi connection. If you downloaded the desktop version, you can extend your maximum quality to 720p.
Depending on your camera, you can push your video quality to more. Open Hangouts on your Mac. Select the video call option and give the app permission to access your camera if you haven’t already.
Navigate and select the cog icon in the top right corner of your screen. This allows you to access Hangouts’ settings menu. Next to the General tab, select Bandwidth.
Change your Outgoing Video and select Up To 720p. Click Done to finish making your adjustments. You will notice some improvement in your video quality.
Now You Know How to Improve Video Quality on Your MacBook
Video conferencing apps have become a popular solution for the new quarantine policies. Students and workers may use these platforms to conduct their classes and businesses. While easy to access, video quality may affect the entire conversation.
Having problems with your video quality on Mac? Now you know how to improve video quality on your video call apps! Try these tips if you have low-quality videos.
Don’t stop here! We invite you to read our other guides to pick up even more MacBook tips and tricks today!
2018 ·