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Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

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11–20 of 92 posts

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#11

With so much multi-image computational photography and video processing these days, I've been wondering whether we could have a multiple camera system (with cameras on the top, bottom, left, and right of the screen) and a processor that can simulate a camera in the center of the screen - or even dynamically moved to the eyes of the caller. I know there's a bunch of research on viewpoint interpolation, but how close m…

Apple had this in a beta iOS and then removed it.

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#12

With so much multi-image computational photography and video processing these days, I've been wondering whether we could have a multiple camera system (with cameras on the top, bottom, left, and right of the screen) and a processor that can simulate a camera in the center of the screen - or even dynamically moved to the eyes of the caller. I know there's a bunch of research on viewpoint interpolation, but how close m…

IOS 13 has a feature that can do something to that effect:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/07/facetime-feature-in-...

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#13

Essentially a teleprompter. Been looking at doing something with my external camera for all of the video calls these days. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Teleprompters/ci/2122/N/4...

> Checkout is unavailable while we observe Shabbat. Please come back when checkout reopens at 9:00 pm ET Sat Aug 22

Huh, I guess this never crossed my mind, but makes sense. TIL.

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#14

With so much multi-image computational photography and video processing these days, I've been wondering whether we could have a multiple camera system (with cameras on the top, bottom, left, and right of the screen) and a processor that can simulate a camera in the center of the screen - or even dynamically moved to the eyes of the caller. I know there's a bunch of research on viewpoint interpolation, but how close m…

Apparently all current attempts resulted in very, very uncanny valleys. This thread mentions some current attempts (searching hn.algolia.com for 'gaze correction' will return additional threads).

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24151123https://news.yc...

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#15

Essentially a teleprompter. Been looking at doing something with my external camera for all of the video calls these days. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/buy/Teleprompters/ci/2122/N/4...

> Checkout is unavailable while we observe Shabbat. Please come back when checkout reopens at 9:00 pm ET Sat Aug 22 Huh, I guess this never crossed my mind, but makes sense. TIL.

It has ever been thus. Back in the day, when film still ruled the world and B&H's main claims to fame were grey market and East European cameras, they were widely known as Kosher Kamera in the enthusiast world. Back then, you needed to be careful about the day and time you posted a mail order as well. (The prohibition extends beyond working to causing work. While they didn't consider mail in flight to be their responsibility, any order postmarked between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday was, in a sense, their fault.)

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#16
Errol Morris famously uses a two-way mirror contraption for his documentaries so that when he interviews his subjects, they are looking directly into the camera as if they were talking to you. It definitely gives a more intimate feel when the subjects are talking.

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#17
post #5

It's funny how videos such as this, which are optimized for engagement over learning, explain things in a backwards fashion. Instead of explaining how the thing works, and then showing you how to make the parts to build one yourself. They show you how to make the parts, and only explain what it is you're building at the very end.

It's explained in the beginning of the video.

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#19
post #17
post #5

It's funny how videos such as this, which are optimized for engagement over learning, explain things in a backwards fashion. Instead of explaining how the thing works, and then showing you how to make the parts to build one yourself. They show you how to make the parts, and only explain what it is you're building at the very end.

It's explained in the beginning of the video.

The general idea of what he's building is explained ("a system that allows you to retain eye-contact with whoever you're talking to over the internet"), but how it works is not covered. He dives straight into how to build the collapsible shrowd while saying "this is super important for the whole system to work, as you will see", and only covers its purpose much later in the video.

Re: Two Way Mirror Improves Video Conferencing

#20
post #4

Well, I really hate eye contact and never look people in the eyes, so this wouldn't be something interesting for me. I wonder if I am alone or if this is common.

That's actually an advantage in the remote work world, because you can stare at the camera and people will think you are looking them in the eyes. They'll trust you more thinking you are, and if you can't read their face anyway, there's no loss to you due to looking at the camera instead of their face.
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