Apparently, the Windows version of the Zoom client will happily do virtual backgrounds without the need for a green screen (providing your hardware meets the minimum requirements). But then if we were Windows users, we wouldn't be here would we?

Unfortunately, that facility is not available to Linux users and, last time I checked, I don't think it is planned - probably down to lack of demand / pressure.

Phil



On Fri, 5 Feb 2021 at 11:39, Patrick O'Callaghan <pocallaghan@gmail.com> wrote:
On Fri, 2021-02-05 at 14:21 +1030, Tim via users wrote:
> On Thu, 2021-02-04 at 19:09 +0000, Paul Smith wrote:
> > I would like to replace the background behind in my webcam video feed
> > with an image. However, that is not possible, as it requires a “green
> > screen”, which I do not have. So, my idea is to use a virtual camera
> > with a background image chosen by me and feed that into Zoom. Is that
> > possible on Fedora?
>
> If I google around, apparently there are things that can do the green
> screen effect with zoom without a *green* screen, though they may be
> Windows/Mac.
>
> The point of using green screens is to have a uniform colour behind you
> that's very opposite of skin tone (blue or green being the most common,
> though the BBC had used yellow too) and from anything that you're
> wearing, that the keying device can detect as being background instead
> of foreground.  You can research chromakey or CSO (colour separation
> overlay) for more info about it.
>
> It doesn't have to be a screen.  A suitably vivid colour bed sheet
> stretched tight will do the job.  We've used fabric from a dressmakers,
> and blue cardboard pinned to the wall.  But that's not always practical
> to do at home, and with people in lockdown they can't go out and buy
> things.
>
> If you want to avoid the insides your home being shown on a webcam
> meeting, your simplest option is to hold the meeting somewhere else in
> your house that's less personal.  Such as sitting in a position so that
>  your loungeroom curtains are the only things visible behind you.  I've
> seen journos working from home park themselves in front of their big
> screen TV and use that as the background.

Just a few days ago the BBC had a story about second-hand booksellers
doing a nice trade in selling batches of serious-looking books that
people could place strategically behind them :-)

(Apologies for going OT)

poc
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