Video Conferencing Tips

=== Video Conferencing Tips === U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA HONORABLE JENNIFER E. NIEMANN VIDEO CONFERENCING TIPS 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. The court prefers participation by video.

Test the video and audio capabilities of your computer or mobile device at least one day in advance of the hearing. Visit https://zoomgov.com/test and click “Join” to run a meeting test to check your video and audio capabilities over Zoom. Make sure your internet connection is good. You can test your connection at https://www.speedtest.net/.

A more detailed walkthrough on testing your home internet connection is available here. If you intend to speak at the hearing, please find a quiet place from which to participate and avoid noisy and echoing locations. If background noise is unavoidable, use a headset-microphone to improve audio quality, which often provides better sound quality for listening and speaking. If you are connecting using a wireless device, such as a tablet or smartphone, situate yourself in a location with a strong wireless signal or connection to WiFi. a. b. c. Although wireless devices may be used, they are very limited, and their performance is inferior.

Connection via a hard-wire Ethernet cable will always be faster and more reliable than WiFi. For home networks, if possible, avoid sharing your internet service with others during the session to avoid lost bandwidth. Please have your camera on and microphone muted until called upon, to avoid parties from talking all at once. Mute your phone and all sounds from other applications, such as email notifications and chat messages to minimize background noise.

If connected to Zoom audio by telephone, you can mute or unmute your connection by pressing *6 on your phone. 8. 9. If you are participating by video, try to avoid having a window or bright background behind you to avoid appearing on video as a shadow.

If you cannot avoid the bright background, try using a desk lamp, ring light, or other light sources to brighten your face. Zoom video participants are permitted to specify a display name. If using video, please specify your complete name to assist the court in creating a record of the proceedings. 10.

Avoid running any unnecessary applications besides Zoom to conserve your computer’s processing power and networking. Recommended Settings: Zoom has a lot of settings, and as the Zoom system evolves, certain aspects or features may change. The following settings are recommended by the court to improve the quality of your videoconference: • General: Ask me to confirm when I leave a meeting: ON. • Video: Enable HD: OFF. • Video: Always display participant names on their video: ON. • Video: Always show video preview dialog when joining a meeting: ON. ZoomGov Account and Software: A Zoom account is not necessary to participate, and no pre- registration is required.

A Zoom client for desktop or mobile app, or web browser extension may be downloaded at https://zoomgov.com/download. Technical Support: The court is unable to provide technical support for Zoom, your computer equipment, or your internet connection. If experiencing technical difficulties, visit the Zoom Support page at https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us, or contact your internet service provider.