Ever wonder why your virtual background looks smeary, blobby, and destructively crappy?

The technology employed to accomplish virtual backgrounds is similar to green screen. You typically see this with weather people on TV or in tv and movies. Your video conference software is trying to fill in what it perceives as background elements. It is likely looking for features such as your arms, shoulder, and head This technology can get tripped up or look phony due to a few factors.

1. Shirt color: You and what you are wearing are similar color to you background. This confuses the technology. If you are wearing a black shirt and the headrest on your office chair is similar color, your chair may show up. Try to have a different shirt color from the chair.

2. Lack of clean background: If you are hoping the webcam software can constantly figure out the clutter in your background in't supposed to be included, good luck. The software can try to differentiate your head from the background but it may not always be able to keep up. This leaves you with distracting background items popping in and out of your image. A nice clean single color background helps the video conference software easily determine what the background is. A simple $1 table covering from a dollar store can make this work better.

3. Lighting: If your lighting is dark and muddy and your virtual background is a sunny beach or well lit room, you maybe look out of place. If the lighting on you is bluish light from your monitor and your background is a warm colored, you will look out of place. Get brighter, more diffused lighting.

4. Background subject matter: Some coworkers and higher ups may judge you by what your background is. Know your audience. Some coworkers may find humorous backgrounds fun and amusing. If you are part of a more serious meeting with serious subject matter, maybe popular internet meme is not the best background. Something neutral and professional may be the order of the day. Let your work and contributions do the talking.

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Previous posts about how to improve your web conferencing situation:


Exposure and lighting: [forums.macresource.com]
What I use for lighting: [forums.macresource.com]
Maximizing one light source: [forums.macresource.com]
Lighting ideas and lamps: [forums.macresource.com]
Microphones: [forums.macresource.com]
Lighting critique: [forums.macresource.com]
Backgrounds: [forums.macresource.com]
Why wide angle lenses are unflattering: [forums.macresource.com]
Canon cameras advantages as webcams: [forums.macresource.com]
Sound Reduction Panels: [forums.macresource.com]
Adding 2X lens to your iOS device or webcam: [forums.macresource.com]
How higher lumens decreases visual noise/grain: [forums.macresource.com]
Avoid Splotchy Virtual Backgrounds: [forums.macresource.com]

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Ways to improve web conference image and sound quality. [forums.macresource.com]






Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2020 03:13PM by pRICE cUBE.

It looks like your virtual foreground has smeared/blobbed.

....pap....smear.....???

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

I took a photo from my webcam, blurred it and made it my background. It kinda works

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San Antonio, TX (in the old city)


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