The Most Powerful HD Webcam
The 2019-2020 school year ended with a thud - Didn’t it? Online courses cancelled everything, and new challenges and the uncertainty of everything just hit us like a brick.
One of the biggest additions to our classrooms this spring was virtual. “Virtual,” along with the term “unprecedented,” permeated everything in our world. While I can’t help with the unprecedented, I can help with the virtual. When the lockdown hit and virtual became the label that was slapped on almost everything in our lives except our quarantine weight gain, the HuddleCamHD Pro was released. I got my hands on one, and I am blown away!
At its simplest use, the HuddleCamHD Pro is a USB3 webcam. The image from the camera is great. I used my camera near the window in my classroom (don’t judge me - our school has allowed us to work as we need but sanitizing and respecting other’s workspaces). The natural light from the window with the backlight of my classroom makes all of my video calls look great! The audio sounds great too. The front of the camera has two “array” microphones so the audio is balanced and level pretty much anywhere you are in front of the camera.
HuddleCamHD Pro has so many capabilities. BUT, if you are only looking for a super great looking, great sounding camera that is easy to use, start here.
There are two HuddleCamHD Pro models to choose from: USB and NDI. The USB version also includes HDMI - which plugs right into your computer and is ready to go! I am using the USB version and LOVE using it as a part of my online training courses. I have used it both as a direct line into the computer via USB as well as using the HDMI as a part of a multi-input presentation. I plan on getting an NDI version to use with my eSports teams in the fall.
This camera is SO much more than a simple webcam. The power of the HuddleCamHD Pro lies in the power of the ePTZ tools built into the camera. With the supplied remote, you can control the position and zoom of the camera output to make certain that you look great no matter what you want to show.
For example, on many of my trainings, I worked in my studio at school. Without the HuddleCamHD Pro, I would have shown that my set isn’t as big as one would think as well as the multiple monitors and other things that don’t look so good on camera. As you can see in the picture above, I can put together a pretty nice bust shot with a camera that is actually set in the same place to capture the image below.
If you are looking to create amazing video presentations live via Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, or any other video service, your first step should be to check out the HuddleCamHD Pro. You don’t have to be a video teacher to appreciate the power of the ePTZ options.
For example, if you want to save the day for your academic teachers, show them that they can program the presets on the remote to jump between shots of speaking and shots of the whiteboard. Using ePTZ controls, they can create more engaging content.
There is often the problem of “Do I show the board only? Or do I show me?” When it comes to creating content for virtual learning. The HuddleCamHD Pro takes that debate off the table and makes both possible with the click of a button.
As trainings drone on, you often want to shift where or how you are sitting. With the HuddleCam HD Pro, you can use the remote to tilt the camera down so you are still in the shot, even though you have leaned back in your chair. The field of view for the camera is over 105 degrees, so there is a lot of range in the camera.
I’ll be honest with you and tell you that I actually set presets with the remote for “Active and Engaged” and “Need to Lean Back a Bit.” The remote is extremely simple to use. Programming the remote is as simple as hitting a preset then a number and no longer do you have the top of your head chopped off or only the top of your head showing.
As video teachers, we get asked to do some very interesting things. One of the coolest things about the HuddleCamHD Pro is that if you are using Zoom to host a meeting, the person with the HuddleCam can give up control of the camera to someone else who can control the camera remotely. For example, if you are in a strict social distancing or quarantine situation and your administrator (principal, superintendent, etc.) has a HuddleCamHD Pro, you can lead the meeting in Zoom and control the camera so the other person can simply present and not have to worry about what the camera is showing. You can use your gifts and talents to help make their presentation better.
As you can see by the pictures below, you can put the HuddleCamHD Pro on your computer monitor or use the ¼-20 mounts to put the camera on a tripod or a light stand. I used the light stand today, because I had several meetings and needed to move my laptop in between them in order to do other things. Using the light stand meant I didn’t have to worry about setting the camera on the laptop every time I got up.
Overall, for the money (starting at only $299), you are not going to find a better solution to get through the struggles of teaching remotely or trying to create a better online presence than the HuddleCamHD Pro. It’s simple to use, cost effective, and can do a ton of things to make your videos better and make your presence in meetings much better.
Meet the Author, Tom White
Tom White is the digital media instructor at Morgan County High School in Madison, GA. Currently teaching TV production and animation pathways, Tom's programs have received state and national honors including the 2016 NFHS Network School Broadcast Program Of The Year. Prior to teaching, Tom was a marketing, promotions, and online content director for a major radio corporation in Atlanta. Tom studied exercise science at High Point University prior to his radio career. Despite his winding career path, his mother still thinks he is special.
