Video conferencing has advanced significantly in the last few years, allowing hosts to make the meeting as enjoyable and exciting as possible.
One way by which video conferencing has helped hosts and attendees is the virtual background application. In 2016, the option of the digital background was opened to videoconferencing, and webinars haven’t been the same ever since.
Virtual backgrounds are used to make the presentation more interesting when producing video content. It is a simulated environment that is made to appear as the background so that the pictures are more engaging and interesting.
It can also help create scenarios that would have been difficult to actualize; for example, you can use virtual backgrounds to make it appear as if the person is at a famous landmark.
Virtual backgrounds are similar to video filters and digital effects used in motion pictures but may not be as advanced in the application.
Therefore, virtual backgrounds allow you to display special images as environments to improve the appearance of your presentation. If you have a brand that you want to highlight, you can also use it as a virtual background.
Webinars that serve educational or marketing purposes would do well to incorporate virtual backgrounds, which will go a long way in making the message reach the consumer better. Virtual backgrounds also help conceal your original background, especially if it is not presentable enough.
With online meetings becoming the preferred mode of conferencing today, many people are turning to webinars to pass their messages. GoToMeeting is one of the most important platforms for online meetings. And if you must do it at all, then you should do it well.
Let’s look at how you can use virtual backgrounds in GoToMeeting.
Here are the steps to set up a virtual background in GoToMeeting:
Before Joining a Meeting:
- Start a meeting
- From the Camera preview, select the Virtual Background icon and then select the desired filter/background or upload a custom background using the Plus tile.
- Select “Start my session” or “Join” when you are ready.
After Joining a Meeting:
- Join a meeting
- From the settings menu, navigate to Camera > Virtual Background. Here, select the desired filter/background or upload a custom background using the Plus tile.
- Select “Share” when you are ready.
To use virtual backgrounds, make sure your system meets the following minimum requirements:
- Operating system: Windows 10 or newer, or macOS Catalina 10.15 or newer
- Processor: 2.5 GHz 2+ core CPU (Intel Core I, Athlon, or Ryzen series)
- GPU: Integrated 2015 or newer, or Discrete 2012 or newer
You can upload and store up to 10 PNG, JPG, and JPEG files. There is no size limitation, but it’s recommended to resize the image to the aspect ratio of your camera. If you aren’t sure what the aspect ratio is, upload an image with a minimum resolution of 1280×720 pixels (720p).
What is GoToMeeting virtual background?
Virtual backgrounds are very similar to all online meeting platforms. However, there are some specifications with many of them.
Zoom offers a free Virtual Background feature that allows users to display images which they can either select from different options or upload any one they choose. Still, GoToMeeting will enable users to customize, replace, or blur their webcam backgrounds using third-party applications like ChromaCam or ManyCam.
When you intend to use virtual backgrounds on GoToMeeting, it is required that you host via your desktop application, especially with ChromaCam, because of specific hardware capabilities, which we will explore in a moment.
Once you change the settings in the camera input, enable the virtual camera during the meeting and download the third-party software that facilitates the virtual effect in the webcam.
With GoToMeeting, users need to download third-party applications to use or change the virtual backgrounds. Before changing your real background, you should ensure that your webcam is tested to display your virtual background well. This preview ensures that the presentation appears in the best way possible.
You need to download and install ChromaCam to use the virtual background on GoToMeeting. Your GoToMeeting account comes with a ChromaCam Pro app, but you can download ChromaCam for free if you are joining a GoToMeeting webinar and don’t have an account yourself.
You must enable the custom background setting and may require admin rights to install the ChromaCam. The idea is to let ChromaCam operate as a webcam device.
There’s a lot of competition on which of the GoToMeeting software would work best with virtual backgrounds for online meetings. GoToWebinar and GoToMeeting both support virtual backgrounds.
We’ll look at how to set it up later, but first, why do you need a virtual background?
Why Do I Need Virtual Backgrounds?
There are three significant reasons why it makes sense to use virtual backgrounds for your online meetings. The first is the improved appearance it gives your presentation.
If you’ve never tried using a virtual background in your presentation, you may not know how much of an improvement it would make.
Moreover, if you have ever joined any webinar, you must have noticed how great the background looked and how much it improved the webinar if there was a great background and not just the speaker’s surroundings. This brings us to the second point.
There’s nothing wrong with using the natural background if it is well arranged and won’t interfere with the presentation. But sometimes, you want to conceal your office or home or wherever you may be presenting from.
If you are making a presentation from a location you would like to keep away from the audience or prefer your privacy; a virtual background can help you solve that problem. Remember, GoToMeeting also allows you to blur your natural background to conceal it if you don’t want to use any virtual background.
Perhaps the most important reason is for the branding of your presentation. If you’re hosting a webinar that seeks to promote a brand or product, nothing will help your presentation better than a branded background which GoToMeeting Virtual Background will help you achieve. It also helps to provide an aura of professionalism, which helps your attendees to pay more attention.
So, if you want to set up a virtual background, let’s look at some of the requirements you will need.
Minimal requirements
There are some recommendations for you to use virtual backgrounds in your GoToMeeting webinars.
The recommended hardware requirements mean that you will need a desktop application to use as the minimal requirements are unavailable on mobile devices. Let’s look at some of them.
For the Operating System, you need a minimum of macOS Mojave (10.14) or higher and Windows 7 – 10.
For the processor, you need a minimum of Intel 6 gen i5 quad-core processor or newer versions (Intel Core I, Athlon, Ryzen series, operating at a minimum of 3.3GHz). Your device’s memory should be a minimum of 4GB + RAM.
The GPU should be OpenCK 1.2, and the camera must be embedded in the computer or any RGB cam.
How to set GoToMeeting Virtual Background
Setting up your virtual background is pretty straightforward. Let’s look at a preview.
You have many choices, but make sure your choice aligns with the purpose of your meeting. First, select the Virtual Background icon from the Camera preview screen to choose the desired background for your meeting.
If you have a custom background you’d like to use, select the plus (+) icon and open the desired file to preview. .PNG. JPG and . JPEG files are all supported by GoToMeeting and can be applied. Select share to apply the virtual background.
Remember, you need ChromaCam to get this done. If you have a GoToMeeting account, you should already have ChromaCam, but if you have issues locating the custom background settings, you may need to contact your admin to enable it.
To integrate ChromaCam, tap Settings on the left menu of your GoToMeeting homepage. Tap custom background, and then click on Download ChromaCam. Once you follow the on-screen instructions, you can then install ChromaCam. Once you allow it to be integrated via LogMeIn, ChromaCam becomes an available webcam device whenever you host a GoToMeeting webinar.
You can always preview your camera before every meeting and especially before changing the background of your feed.
To change your background via ChromaCam, join or start a meeting and tap the Settings icon. Under the Settings dropdown, select the Webcam menu and then choose ChromaCam. Remember, you must have followed the steps highlighted above to install ChromaCam. Once you decide ChromaCam, the webcam background will automatically blur.
This is a default setting. If you wish to blur your background for any reason, then you can share your video feed that way. However, if you want to adjust the blur level or add preset or custom filters, choose from the earlier method.
You can always preview your background via the preview box at the right of the screen. Once you are satisfied, click on the webcam icon to share your feed with the virtual background.
FAQ
Can you use a virtual background on go to meeting?
Yes, you can use a virtual background in GoToMeeting. This feature allows you to change your camera background with one provided in the GoToMeeting app or using a custom one. You can select a virtual background before joining a session or after you’ve already joined. The virtual background feature can be accessed in the settings menu under the Camera option
Can you blur background in GoTo?
Yes, you can change your camera background in GoToMeeting, either to one provided by the GoTo app or to a custom one of your own. However, the GoToMeeting support page doesn’t explicitly mention the ability to blur the background, but they do provide the ability to change it.
How do I blur the background on my computer camera?
To blur the background on your computer camera, you can use video conferencing apps like that offer built-in background blur features. Alternatively, explore the settings of your webcam software or consider using third-party apps like “Snap Camera” to apply blur filters to your camera feed.
Conclusion
GoToMeeting has a virtual background feature that allows you to improve the appearance of your presentation.
It is similar to the background feature of several other online meeting platforms enabling you to change the background to something applicable to your presentation.
However, unlike what is applicable in other software like Microsoft Teams or Zoom, GoToMeeting allows you to control the blurriness level and offers the freedom to add images you can use as background.
Once you change your background, you may observe that your GoToMeeting app begins to lag. This may be due to the blurriness level, which may need to be reduced.
However, applying virtual backgrounds is straightforward and would make your presentations much better.
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