Troubleshooting: choppy video

ShareTheBoard is constantly optimized to deliver a smooth experience, even on older devices. Unfortunately, sometimes external factors can contribute to a less-than-perfect experience.

First things first: you don’t actually need to show video when using ShareTheBoard. Indeed, many users prefer to simply share Board View – the unobstructed, content-only, interactive view of their whiteboard. If this is your goal, then the solution is simple: start a session of ShareTheBoard, then copy the URL specific to your session and paste it somewhere your viewers can see. That’s it!

In the above scenario – if you’re working with remote colleagues – you’d use your video conferencing tool of choice as always and share the Board View link with your viewers. Your video should be as smooth as it gets (if it’s choppy, then it’s 100% unrelated to ShareTheBoard).

Now, when working with remote or hybrid audiences, you may prefer to show your board using STB’s “Content Overlay” effect – this is where your detected board content appears over your video feed while making obstacles seem transparent. Here’s what you need to do to make sure your video is nice and smooth:

• If you have a Windows device, consider using the Content Camera – our desktop application. The Content Camera works by taking the feed from any camera, amplifying it with ShareTheBoard magic, and then serving it up as a virtual camera. To deliver the Content Overlay effect inside of your video conference, therefore, all you’ll need to do is start a new session via our desktop application, then select the “STB Content Camera” as your camera of choice inside of your video conferencing tool. That should deliver the smoothest video experience for your remote viewers.
  • Note: there is a small chance for video lag when using the Content Camera during a Zoom call. This is related to a setting inside of Zoom. See the Content Camera User Manual for more details.
• If you don’t have a Windows device and you’re keen on the Content Overlay effect, you’ll need to use our Web App. This application is practically identical to the Content Camera but it runs inside of a web browser. To share the Content Overlay effect with your remote viewers, you’ll need to use your chosen video conferencing tool’s screen share feature. Here are a few tips to give you the best possible results:
  • If at all possible, use the desktop version of your selected video conferencing tool
  • If you must use a Web version of a video conferencing tool, consider using Google Chrome
  • If at all possible, share just the TAB where you have ShareTheBoard running – not the entire window or screen

If you follow all of the tips above and your video stream still feels choppy, there’s a good chance you may be dealing with some limitations in your device. But never fear: we’ll be happy to advise and help you deliver the smoothest possible experience to your viewers. Simply book a free consultation with us and we’ll take a look at your specific case.