top of page
bg-vertical.jpg

Zoom Basics

Provider Resources

Zoom Experience

19Labs’ GALE solution integrates Zoom for Healthcare as its video conferencing platform. In provisioning and operating the Zoom HIPAA Services, Zoom complies with the provisions of the HIPAA Security Rule that are required and applicable to it in its capacity as a business associate. For a better experience, see the following sections.​​​​​

Recommended setup with a green screen

 

​Virtual Background with a green screen provides the best virtual background effect and uses less system resources during the meeting. This method requires you have a solid-colored screen, curtain, or wall behind you, which Zoom will replace the selected color with the image or video you selected. This method improves the sharpness and definition of the virtual background effect around your face, head, ears, and hair. 

For best results:

  • Use a very bright and distinct color, such as a green or blue screen. The contrast in colors makes it easier to distinguish you in the foreground from the bright background. Recommended physical green screens from Webaround or Amazon.

  • Higher quality cameras result in a better virtual background. See camera recommendations for details.

  • Use uniform lighting and color.

  • Do not wear clothing that is the same color as the virtual background.

Recommended setup without a green screen

 

Virtual Background without a green screen provides the same effect as when using a green screen, only with less sharpness and definition around your face, head, ears, and hair. This is because without a solid, contrasting color behind you, the system is less likely to distinguish you in the foreground from the background accurately. This method requires more system resources, so it has higher system requirements. 

For best results:

  • Higher quality cameras result in a better virtual background. See camera recommendations for details.

  • Use uniform lighting and color. 

  • Make sure not only your face is illuminated, but also some of your background as well, as the contrast can help distinguish you from the background. 

Video and image specifications

 

Background image dimensions

  • There are no size restrictions when adding your own virtual backgrounds, but we recommend cropping the image to match the aspect ratio of your camera before uploading it.
    For example, if your camera is set to 16:9, an image of 1280 by 720 pixels or 1920 by 1080 pixels, both being the same 16:9 ratio, would work well.

  • 24-bit PNG or JPG/JPEG image format

  • If you're not sure about your camera aspect ratio, use a background image with a minimum resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels.

  • Browse some of the virtual backgrounds Zoom has collected, or use these sources for other royalty-free images: Pexels, Unsplash, Pixabay.

​

Background video

  • A MP4 or MOV video file

  • Minimum resolution of 480 by 360 pixels (360p) and a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p).

How to enable Virtual Background

 

There are a few ways to get started with Virtual Background features. You can enable virtual backgrounds during video conferencing on the account, group, and individual user level.

​

Note: Users must sign out of the Zoom desktop client and sign back in for Virtual Backgrounds to take effect.

​

To enable the Virtual Background feature for your own use:

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.

  2. In the navigation menu, click Settings.

  3. In the Meeting tab, navigate to the Virtual Background option (under the In Meeting (Advanced) section) and verify that the setting is enabled.

 

Notes:

  • If the setting is disabled, click the status toggle to enable it. If a verification dialog displays, choose Turn On to verify the change.

  • If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level, and you will need to contact your Zoom administrator.

How to apply a Virtual Background

 

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.

  2. Click your profile picture, then click Settings (image)

  3. Select Backgrounds & Filters.
    Note: If you do not have the Virtual Background tab and you have enabled it on the web portal, sign out of the Zoom desktop client and sign in again.

  4. Check “I have a green screen” if you have a physical green screen set up. You can then click on your video to select the correct color for the green screen.

  5. Click on an image or video to select the desired virtual background.

  6. (Optional) Add your own image by clicking and choosing if you want to upload an image or a video.

If prompted, click Download to download the package for virtual background without a green screen.

Related Resources:

  1. Troubleshooting Black Screen

  2. Troubleshooting Virtual Backgrounds

Floating thumbnail window

 

The floating thumbnail window allows you to minimize the main Zoom window, but keep the video on top of other applications you have open like GALE Insights or an EMR system. You can move the window around your screen as needed, or hide the video entirely.​​​

  1. ​Click on the minimize icon, located at the top-right corner for Windows, or top-left corner for macOS.

  2. Once in mini-window view, you can collapse the video by clicking on the arrow on the left side. Click the arrow again to expand the video thumbnail.

  3. While in this mode, you can also easily mute/unmute yourself or turn on/off your video by clicking the and buttons respectively.

  4. To close the floating thumbnail window and return to the full Zoom window, click the arrow on the right side.

Inviting participants to join an ongoing Zoom call

Use Zoom’s invite feature to connect with other providers, specialists, language services and/or family members.

​

More about Inviting others to join a meeting on the Zoom Support website.

​

  1. Start or join a meeting.

  2. In the meeting controls, click Participants       .

  3. Click Invite at the bottom of the participants panel.

  4. Choose from the following invite options:

 

Invite using Zoom Contacts​
​

  1. Click the Contacts tab.

  2. Select their name from the list or search for a contact.

  3. Click on the individual you would like to invite. You can select multiple contacts.

  4. After selecting contact(s), their name(s) will be highlighted in blue and they will appear in the list at the top of the window.

  5. Click Invite in the lower right corner. 

  6. Selected participants will be immediately invited to the current meeting, which will appear on their desktop or mobile screen.

Invite using Email
​​

  1. Click the Email tab.

  2. Select an email provider:

    1. Default Email: Invite others by using your default email application for your computer.

    2. Gmail or Yahoo Mail: Invite others by using the Gmail or Yahoo website. You will be prompted to sign in to your account. Your email service will be opened, either as through your desktop mail application or through your default web browser.

    3. Add recipients to the email and send it.

 

Note: A new email will be composed automatically with the meeting information in the email body.

Invite using Call Out
​​

  1. If enabled by your administrator, you might call from Zoom directly to any phone number. Ask your administrator about this feature.

  2. Click the Call Out tab.

  3. Enter the name of the invitee. This will be used as their display name in the meeting. 

  4. Enter their phone number. 

  5. Review and enable the following options: 

    1. Require greeting before being connected

    2. Require pressing 1 before being connected

  6. Click Call to have Zoom call the provided number. When the invitee answers the phone, they will be connected to the meeting as an audio-only participant. 

URL or invitation text

 

On any of the above options, click Copy Invite Link or Copy Invitation if you want to send your instant meeting information elsewhere.

  • Copy Invite Link: Copy the meeting join link.

  • Copy Invitation: Copy the full invitation text. 

  • Paste the URL or invitation using Ctrl + V on Windows, or Cmd + V on a Mac. You can also right-click and click Paste. This URL or invitation can be pasted in an email, other chat thread, or other messaging service. 

Zoom Troubleshooting

If Zoom recognizes your selected video camera, but your video either shows up as a black screen or is distorted, learn how to troubleshoot these issues.​​​​

How to troubleshoot issues with a black screen in place of video

This may be due to anti-virus or network security applications blocking Zoom's access to your camera, such as Kaspersky.

​

Disable security applications on the device

  1. Disable the anti-virus or network security applications on the affected device.

  2. Launch a test meeting to see if that helped resolve your video issue.

 

Remove Zoom from the webcam access blocklist

  1. Open any anti-virus or network security applications on your device, and search for the webcam access blocklist.

  2. Remove Zoom from the blocklist.

  3. Launch a test meeting to see if that helped resolve your video issue.

 

For additional troubleshooting, submit a request to Zoom Support if you are still experiencing this issue.

Troubleshooting Virtual Background issues

If you are experiencing issues with Virtual Background, try the following troubleshooting tips:

  • If you do not have the Virtual Background tab in your desktop client settings after enabling it, sign out of the client, sign back in again, and check the settings again.

  • Manually pick the background color to ensure the correct color is selected. This option is only available after you click an image and have “I have a green screen” selected.

Click the color selector box and the virtual background will disappear temporarily, so that you can click on the color in your background that you want to replace with the virtual background. Zoom will automatically make a best guess as to which color should be replaced, but sometimes there are too many choices to accurately guess the correct one. This is why sometimes the virtual background will cover some of your face, as the color it selected was too close to your own skin tone. 

​

  • Ensure that the background is a solid color with minimal shadows. Also, ensure the background is uniform in lighting. A 3-point lighting setup is ideal.

  • Ensure that your green screen color does not match your shirt, hair, or eye color.

  • Black bars on the sides of your video when virtual background is enabled? Ensure that HD video is enabled in your Video settings. 

  • If you are using VDI, some plugins do not support virtual backgrounds and less powerful thin client machines may also be unable to support the feature. Support for additional VDI platforms is in development and customers should check with their sales representative for updates.

Troubleshooting speaker or microphone

Check the device​

  • Make sure the cable connection with the microphone is fully inserted into the appropriate port.

  • If Zoom fails to detect your microphone, unplug the device and plug it back in.

  • If it’s a bluetooth device, ensure that it is turned on and connected properly.

  • Make sure that you are using a supported USB device for Zoom.
    Note: USB devices not listed within the above article may still work with Zoom. However, the devices listed are what we recommend for the most optimal experience. Supported USB devices less likely encounter audio issues.

  • Ensure the microphone is not on mute.

    • If you see the muted Audio icon in the meeting controls, click it to unmute yourself:
      If you are still muted, the host may have muted you upon entering the meeting. Ask to be unmuted by sending a chat message to the host.

    • Some microphones or headphones have a physical mute button, switch it off to unmute yourself.

  • Increase the volume on your computer or laptop using the volume buttons or notification panel. Even if the speaker is turned on in Zoom, your device's volume might be set to mute or vibrate only.

​

​

Check audio settings​​

  1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop client.

  2. Click your profile picture, then click Settings.

  3. Click the Audio tab.

  4. Under Speaker, you can do the following.

    1. Test your speaker.

    2. Select the speaker you want to use in the drop-down menu.

    3. Use the Output Volume slider to increase or decrease the output volume.

  5. Under Microphone, you can do the following:

    1. Test your microphone.

    2. Select the microphone you want to use in the drop-down menu.

    3. Use the Input Volume slider to increase or decrease the input volume.

 

Windows users may also try disabling the Signal processing by Windows audio device drivers option within the advanced audio settings.

​

Notes:

  1. If your audio device does not appear within Zoom, it’s possible that Zoom has not been given permissions to access it. Ensure that you have enabled access to your microphone for Zoom.

  2. To change the microphone or speaker during a meeting, on the controls toolbar, click the upward arrow beside the Mute option.

Zoom "Custom Streaming Service"

“Custom Streaming Service” Zoom message

 

This message will appear on Zoom for both the Provider (web or desktop app) and if you select GALE (menu > Apps). This is because of a feature added that, if configured, allows GALE to automatically record and upload the audio from the encounter.

​

NOTE: This is a configurable option. GALE does not record or upload any audio unless specified and configured to do so by a deployment administrator. Contact us to learn more about this option.

zoom-streaming-service-popup.jpg
zoom-streaming-service-banner.jpg
zoom-streaming-service-popup.jpg
Related Resources:

  1. GALE Zoom Streaming Services

bottom of page