Our streaming technology allows you to give a high-quality webinar, where video and audio are broadcasted in HD quality and real-time to your viewers. Our software and servers are fully equipped for this purpose and we’re working day and night to further improve the quality of our webinars.
However, our software and infrastructure aren’t the only factors that allow you to stream in high quality. In this article, we’ll explain all factors that affect the stream quality. You can use this article to improve your webinar in terms of quality, but also when you’re experiencing a lack of quality in your webinars. At the end, you’ll find a useful checklist to ensure you set up everything correctly.
Minimum system requirements
For webinars, a number of minimum system requirements should be taken into account. These focus on the speed of the internet connection, the computer and the software. These can be retrieved here.
When you meet the minimum system requirements, we’ll help you improve your stream quality using the categories below, which are:
Webcam and microphone
Computer
Internet connection
Environment
Webcam and microphone
A high-quality camera and microphone can make the difference between an amateur and a professional appearance. Most built-in webcams and microphones are capable of transferring video and audio just fine, but an external microphone or webcam will be a huge leap in quality.
For a webcam, it’s important to record in HD quality (starting from 720p). We have good experiences with the Logitech C90 series. Curious about all our other tech favorites? Click here to shop.
For a microphone, it’s important that it picks up as little background noise as possible, thus allowing the recording to be as clear as it can be. You can choose to use headphones with a microphone, earbuds with a microphone, or an external solution, such as Snowball microphones which can be placed in front of you (off-screen) and allow you to record with high sound quality.
It’s important to ensure the correct webcam and microphone are selected before starting the webinar. Read more on how to do this here.
Computer
The higher the quality of (especially) the video, the more computing power is required to process it correctly and upload it to the web. The more computing power your PC has (available), the better. That’s why the most important elements for your computer before starting a webinar, are:
Making sure you close all (non-essential) software, excluding your browser.
Making sure you only have a browser tab open with WebinarGeek (and nothing else).
If you still have issues, you can check the level of CPU-power your computer is using during a test webinar, you can check this using the Task Manager in Windows, opened with Ctrl + Shift + Esc.
Internet connection
If your internet speed meets the minimum system requirements, you have enough upload speed for a high-quality stream. But the factor that’s way more important than speed is internet connection stability. Can the available internet speed be used consistently during the live streaming of video and audio? During a live and test webinar, WebinarGeek will give you a notification when your connection isn't stable enough. However, the following factors can further improve the stability of your internet:
When possible, use wired internet instead of Wi-Fi.
Make sure other users or computers that use the same internet connection use it as little as possible during a live webinar, heavy downloads on other computers in the network can impact internet stability.
If you’re still experiencing problems, contact your internet or network provider. Where possible, test using another internet connection (e.g. use 4G from a mobile network/hotspot).
Environment
Your setup is important when it comes to making sure you’re visible and audible during the live webinar. Some basic tips include:
Reduce background noise where possible. Close any windows or doors.
Don’t position yourself in front of a window or light, preferably use a backlight (light that shines on you).
Screen sharing
When you’re using screen sharing, read how to ensure optimal video quality in this help article.
Checklist
Based on the information above, we set up a checklist you can use before going live each time, so you can be sure you prepared well:
Did you select the correct webcam and microphone?
Are all non-essential applications on your computer turned off?
Is only WebinarGeek opened in your browser?
Is your computer connected using a wired internet connection if possible?
Troubleshooting
Notice a decreased quality in video or audio during a test or live webinar? Firstly, it's important to realize live streaming audio and video is a process that involves a lot of aspects. Hardware, software, internet connection, stream delivery, it’s all impacting the final result for the viewer.
Live streaming is rarely perfect and there will always be moments during a (longer) stream where your audio or video quality might drop in quality. Don’t panic, this is normal. Make sure to always check up on your audience how they’re experiencing the stream.
If you’re experiencing problems with:
Video quality: check what’s going on using the aforementioned checklist and double-check if you’re meeting the minimum system requirements. If possible, try using another computer or internet connection.
Audio quality: our software has been designed to prioritize audio over video, to ensure your story will always be broadcasted correctly. Almost all audio problems will be caused by hardware issues. Reduce background noise, echo, and make sure the right microphone is selected.
Slides/presentation quality: where possible, use pre-uploaded images as a presentation instead of screen sharing.
Screen sharing: share a specific application instead of your entire screen if possible. Zoom in on the application you’re sharing to make sure readers can read everything properly. More tips.
Still experiencing problems? Contact our customer success team, we love to help you out with analyzing and solving your problem. To help you the best we can, we ask for a detailed problem description from your side.
What exactly does a “low quality” video or audio mean, for example? Is it stuttering, or is there some sort of static? When does the problem happen, during presentations or when you’re showing your webcam on screen? This type of detailed information will help us solve your problem faster and more accurately.
Keywords: highest, best, beautiful, lighting webcam, screen sharing quality, livestream