Audio Input

The audio element of a video conference is actually more important than the video. It is widely accepted that loss of video quality during a conference is less damaging than loss of audio quality.

There are three main types of audio input suitable for video conferencing applications:

  • Built in microphone
    • Many video conferencing cameras, and laptops, have built in microphones of various quality.
    • There are no additional costs involved in these systems, however quality, performance and flexibility can be varied.
    • Generally this is only appropriate for one or two people sharing a small camera.
  • External microphone
    • Many systems have external microphone units, for example that can be placed on a table a few metres away from the main unit attached by a lead.
    • These may use standard connectors, in turn allowing the use of any audio capture equipment such as radio microphones, or may use proprietary leads.
    • The quality of these microphones is generally excellent. However in a classroom environment be careful of trailing leads.
  • Line-in
    • Some systems support an industry standard line-in connection. This will accept audio connections via a mixer from all kinds of sources.
    • This allows maximum flexibility, but the required additional audio equipment can be expensive.