Comparison Sony ZV-1 Firmware 2.0 vs USB HDMI Card for Zoom Webcam Streaming
Thanks Sony!
I got the Sony ZV-1 to be my workhorse, do it all camera. I can use it to VLOG, take pictures, and now, easily use it as a webcam for streaming on Zoom, Teams, and Meet.
So, when I first got this camera, there was not an easy way to get the signal from the camera to the webcam. I had to get a separate USB HDMI card to take the signal from the camera's HDMI signal to my computer. It was only $30 (https://amzn.to/3bcunOh) and worked well. The downside was that it drained the battery quickly even if I had the USB cable plugged in and charging it. It was also just another piece of equipment that I needed to plug in and manage.
In October though, Sony released a piece of software called the Sony Imaging Edge Webcam. You had to install it on your computer and it would take the USB signal from the camera and turn it into something recognizable as a webcam by Zoom, Meet, and Teams. The downside was that it was only 1024x576 resolution. Not quite HD. The good news was that the USB cable would charge it while in use and you can use the camera indefinitely.
Now though, there is an even better solution. Sony released a 2.0 Firmware update in February 2021 and it supplants both of these previous solutions. You simply have to download the installer (https://www.sony.com/electronics/supp...) and update the camera via a USB cable. Once loaded, you have a new option in the menu called "USB Streaming" which takes the USB output and turns it into a webcam signal that Zoom, Meet, and Teams can recognize. No more USB card and the resolution is whatever you set the camera too. And it keeps charging the camera!
So, with just a USB cable, you get everything you want...Well, almost everything. There is no sound output over the USB cable in this mode. With the HDMI card and the Sony Imaging Webcam software, you do get sound output.
My new camera:
Sony ZV-1
https://amzn.to/2OmCU6q
Neewer USB Mic with pop filter and boom arm
https://amzn.to/2B3sqG0
USB HDMI Adapter (lets you connect your camera to a USB port and act like a webcam)
https://amzn.to/3bcunOh
Micro-HDMI to HDMI cable
https://amzn.to/3imUggv
Cheap, but really good lavalier mic from Pop Voice.
https://amzn.to/2CFtv76
Cheap, but useful tripods from Amazon.
https://amzn.to/2Cz2P8b
Surprisingly high quality, yet affordable studio light set with backdrop from Neewer.
https://amzn.to/3h3K4ca
#webcam #SonyZV-1webcam #SonyZV-1firmware #SonyZV-1firmwareupdate #ZV-1firmware2.0