Webcast Elite Presenters and Producers can connect to Elite Studio by phone, computer, Skype, or Video Conferencing Unit (VCU). The default option is connecting on a computer using a webcam or PC microphone. This article covers connecting for the first time, connection options, and tips for connecting and troubleshooting.
Things to Know
- This article covers connecting in Webcast Elite. If you are connecting for a Forums event, click here.
- Whatever the connection method, Producers and Presenters will have access to all the features and presentation tools within the Elite Studio interface
- An alert will appear if attempting to play a video clip or start a webinar when you are not connected to Elite Studio
- Connecting the phone or webcam will ensure video clips and slides will display correctly
- Someone on the presenting team (Producer or Presenter) must remain connected to the webinar at all times
- Otherwise, the live stream will stop and re-start, resulting in two separate archives of the webinar.
- If you are running a longer webinar and want to take a break in the middle of the presentation, presenters can mute their cameras and audio during that time
- All presenters should maintain their connections during the break and make sure their computer doesn't go into sleep mode or restart
- Following these proactive measures will ensure the live stream isn't disrupted and the webinar converts to on-demand correctly
- By default, a maximum of 10 users (mix of Producer/Presenter) may connect to Elite Studio simultaneously
- An increase to 20 presenters is available as an upgrade. If interested please reach out to your Account Manager for more information.
- Increasing the number of presenter roles does not change the layouts available - presenters who speak will automatically be made visible and those who have not spoken for a while will age out of view.
- An increase to 20 presenters is available as an upgrade. If interested please reach out to your Account Manager for more information.
- If you encounter issues connecting please reference our troubleshooting article
Connecting for the First Time
Your browser may ask you to grant ON24 access to your microphone and camera.
Be sure to click Allow before closing the window.
Once connected you will notice indicators that your microphone and webcam are being used by your browser.
Note: While virtual webcams are not blocked, they are not a part of our supported test matrix. ON24 cannot guarantee or predict outcomes. If issues arise, please be prepared to switch to supported physical webcams.
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Connection Options
After logging in to Elite Studio, a Control Panel will display, so the presenting team can connect to the webinar by Computer, Phone, or Video Conferencing Unit (VCU). The default connection method is via Computer.
Users can connect by Webcam and/or PC Microphone. By default, both the camera and microphone will be connected.
Use the drop-down menus to choose different microphones and/or cameras.
Click on the Virtual Backgrounds button to change your background.
To hide the camera feed and connect by PC Microphone only, click on the Mute Camera button.
For those with the camera off, the image shown in the Media Player will be a black screen.
To mute your microphone, click the Mute Microphone button.
Click on the kebab menu to find Settings and Troubleshooting.
Choose Settings to update your camera/microphone, microphone volume, and data rate.
Choose Troubleshooting to find troubleshooting guide.
Under Settings, use the drop-downs to change your camera or microphone.
Use the slider bar to adjust the volume of your microphone. We recommend being in the green to yellow range.
Update your Data Rate if desired. Higher data rates produce better image quality, but also require higher bandwidth.
Rate Requirements:
- Low: 500kbps
- Medium: 1Mbps (Default)
- High: 2.5Mbps
- The data rate option only applies to live webcam.
A signal strength indicator will display the strength of your internet connection.
- Three bars = strong signal; packet loss is less than 3%
- Two bars = medium signal; packet loss is between 3-10%
- One bar = poor signal; packet loss is greater than 10%
- Red bar = packet loss is greater than 10% for more than 10 seconds
If signal strength drops to one bar for more than 10 seconds, an alert will display with the choice to turn off the camera and continue presenting with your microphone only.
Turning off the camera will significantly lower your bandwidth requirement. You can always turn your camera back on if your signal strength returns to three bars.
When everything is set, click Join Now to connect your camera/microphone to Elite Studio. This will allow other presenters to see your camera and hear your microphone.
To join by Phone, click on Phone. For International Numbers click the International Numbers link.
Dial the number provided and follow the prompts to enter the Webcast ID and Passcode - these will vary for each event.
Connecting by phone is recommended for presenters who are not on a stable high-speed internet connection.
To make this the default option, submit a support ticket.
Note: The dial-in numbers are for presenters only. Do not distribute these numbers to your audience.
Note: Connecting with a VCU or Skype is available as a product add-on. Please reach out to your Account Manager for pricing.
Connect with the Address provided and follow the prompts to enter the Passcode. The address and passcode will vary for each webinar.
Find additional information on Skype here.
Find additional information on connecting with a VCU here.
If the Media Player in the Console Builder has been configured for Audio Only, those joining Elite Studio will only be able to connect by PC Microphone or Phone.
Notes:
- Skype and VCU are not supported in Audio only mode
- If a user changes the media player from audio to video or video to audio in the console builder while Elite Studio is launched, the Elite Studio user will need to refresh the browser to see the correct behavior
Elite Studio Media Player
Once connected, the Media Player in Elite Studio will automatically open to the Presenter tab. The Presenter tab provides a real-time display of the presenting team.
Hover over the Media Player to change webcam layouts and choose if the presenter names will be displayed.
Switching to the Audience tab will display what the audience is seeing. You can also use the Audience view if you are not connected to the presenter bridge and wish to follow along with the presentation.
Note: There is a slight delay in the Audience view. The audience will not notice a delay. For them, the webinar will be in sync and appear in real time.
When more than one presenter is connected, if a video presenter turns off their camera, their video tile will not display in the video window, but they will still be heard.
If you have a single webcam presenter and they turn off their camera, the video window will display an image with a speaker icon to indicate that they are audio only.
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