Which Video Conferencing software do you like the most

dks · **on:** May 29, 2021, 09:58:08 AM

For those that became experts in a variety of web/video conferencing software during the past year, which one or two do you like the most? (Not which ones you are forced to use)

Your personal view, based on your usage (one to one meetings or meetings with 30+ people)

Also, feel free to suggest more options

dks · **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2021, 04:14:39 PM

Microsoft is winning!!!

nate j · **Reply #2 on:** May 29, 2021, 08:52:18 PM

I don't have experience with all of those listed, but I would say I like Zoom the best. It seems to have all the functionality I need, but perhaps my opinion is a function of using it the most and becoming most familiar with it. It seems to scale well, has the capability to support breakout rooms, and sharing a screen or even video is easy. One negative is that while anyone can attend a Zoom meeting, a license is required to host.

I've used Microsoft Teams, but I feel it is a bit clunky and buggy compared to Zoom. My opinion of Teams in general is that Microsoft tried to create one product that does so many different things (as opposed to dedicated video conferencing software), that it ends up doing all of them only just OK. One nice thing about Teams is that, if you also use Outlook, you can join a scheduled Teams meeting with a single click from your Outlook calendar.

I haven't used Webex in a while, but when I did use it seemed kind of bare bones compared to the others, and also didn't seem to scale as well.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2021, 12:52:47 PM

Megan also says Zoom is the best, and she uses them constantly.

As I have enough trouble finding one person to talk to me, let alone a group, I have actually never used any of them!

Def

dks · **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2021, 01:17:07 PM

I find ZOOM to be the most light and user friendly.
Webex is also good.

Teams can work but it is demanding on the computer and a pain to log in,

Chako · **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2021, 04:20:30 PM

I have very little good to say about Teams. I have students who can join one day, and cannot the next. The School Board will not use Zoom due to privacy issues.

Smashie · **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2021, 05:40:26 PM

As much as I like Teams, I do like Google Classroom as well, although YMMV

nate j · **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2021, 07:04:04 PM

Quote from: Chako on May 31, 2021, 04:20:30 PM

The School Board will not use Zoom due to privacy issues.

That seems odd to me, when you can require a password to get into the meeting and or set up a “waiting room” where people are essentially on hold pending approval from the host to join the meeting.

Don Pablo · **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2021, 08:14:32 PM

Quote from: nate j on May 31, 2021, 07:04:04 PM

That seems odd to me, when you can require a password to get into the meeting and or set up a %u201Cwaiting room%u201D where people are essentially on hold pending approval from the host to join the meeting.

It's in the backend issues involving encryption and the like.

Regarding unwanted interlopers in the meetings which you were talking about, MS Teams meetings can be set to only allow a whitelist of email addresses in, if I remember correctly.

Chako · **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2021, 08:44:32 PM

That is correct, and exactly what we do. I have a class list that I will only allow into the class meeting.

Kev D · **Reply #10 on:** June 15, 2021, 11:38:56 AM

We recently moved over from Skype to Teams at work. Its more stable than skype and has a better connection but I miss some of the features of skype that aren't in Teams.

comis · **Reply #11 on:** June 16, 2021, 07:17:20 AM

I have used Zoom to join or host meetings with more than dozen of people in past year or two, it has always been pretty stable and sharing documents is easy to too.