Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Hybrid Zoom Meetings - Need Help

[Jessie Kome (jehako]

Hi-

At Eastern Village, we’ve decided to support hybrid meetings going forward and 
purchased an Owl Labs meeting camera, which changes the experience a lot for 
those in the room and those attending virtually. (Some of our members had used 
an Owl at work and enthusiastically recommended the tech.) The Owl camera and 
mic swivel toward the in-room speaker while the split display shows almost 
everyone most of the time in slowly shifting panoramas.  I don’t have extensive 
experience with it yet, but I am already a fan. 

The Owl seems to reduce that odd Zoom feeling that everyone is staring at you 
all the time - and I hope it will make folks more comfortable with cameras on 
for most of the meeting. The virtual attendees loved it and reported it made 
them feel more a part of the meeting.

It works with Zoom and Teams. I don’t know about other platforms. I used a 27” 
iMac to run both the Owl app and the meeting app. Our tech folks assure me that 
the better way is to run the Owl app from an in-room laptop, and use a large TV 
or display for the interface between virtual and in-person.

In community problem-solving,
Jessie Handforth Kome
Eastern Village Cohousing
Silver Spring, Maryland

“Where we just celebrated 19 years together.”

> .
> 
> We have higher attendance with Zoom meetings than in-person meetings and 
> people who are away do often tune into meetings, as well as prospective 
> buyers. I don’t like rules that say people have to do this or that to prove 
> this or that because it usually doesn’t. If people are required to sit in 
> front of the computer and be visible as a talking head will they pass up the 
> meeting? I would rather have a headshot than no person.
> 
> Sharon
> ----
> Sharon Villines
> Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
> http://www.takomavillage.org
>