D&D tech tips: How to set up webcams

(Image credit: Rami Tabari)

For better or worse, people are playing tabletop function-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons now more than ever since nosotros have cypher better to practice at home during the coronavirus pandemic. But playing D&D online isn't the aforementioned every bit playing information technology in the flesh with your all-time friends. However, if you have a skillful webcam and a decent setup, playing online tin can be as seamless as playing in person.

Here'southward everything you lot need to ready webcams for your D&D online game at home, and how to best use your desktop space to ensure you're not missing a second of those cute people on screen.

Which webcam should you buy?

Get-go and foremost, if you don't have a webcam, I highly recommend taking a tour downwardly our best webcams page. If you lot want to make the about out of your D&D online experience, I strongly suggest picking up a quality webcam, although some options can exist quite pricey.

I'm rocking the Logitech Brio, which produces beautiful 4K video and lets y'all customize the visuals via the Logitech Yard Hub app. That way, the camera tin zoom in on my facial expressions and I can ensure that the contrast on my face is well balanced. Withal, this camera costs a whopping $200.

It is my business firm belief that no one should pay $200 for a webcam, and so consider looking at the Logitech Hard disk Pro Webcam C920, which you tin find for simply under $90. You won't go 4K video, simply you'll get 1080p and a broad field of view, which is good enough for showing your gorgeous face off to your D&D group.

If you're looking for something that's not as colorful but will deliver sharp visuals anyway, cheque out the Logitech HD Webcam C310. It's merely capable of 720p video, just it's surprisingly precipitous, providing enough detail to requite away your facial expressions and mannerisms, which is the important function. It doesn't piece of work well in depression-light, but information technology costs but $32, so it's well worth the price.

Hither's how to ready webcams for D&D online

Some people utilize Skype or Zoom, just I utilize Discord for a number of reasons. Apart from a seamless webcam experience, yous can use Discord to separate channels for roleplay, maps or word puzzles.

If you lot're in a Discord Server, here's the easiest way to set up webcams and brand it then you're e'er focused on the players:

Step 1: Click on one of the voice channels

Step two: Click on the Video push. This will get everyone connected.

Footstep 3: Click on the Pop-Out button (next to the Fullscreen push). This volition let you to carve up chat and video, so you don't have to lose your histrion'south reactions.

Step 4: Adapt the window just below your webcam, and so y'all're looking into the webcam when you're actually looking at the webcam.

Step 5: Once you've cleared upwards a comfy area for your webcam window, click on the symbol of the pin. This'll ensure that the window stays on top of all other programs, so you don't have to keep tabbing out just to get a look at a player's reactions.

If you're playing D&D with the aid of PC games like Tabletop Simulator, make sure to put the game in windowed way. Otherwise, you'll experience some wonky issues when trying to get your video chat window pinned.

And, of course, non anybody has the desktop space to pivot video chat windows, and so we recommend picking up an additional monitor. You can find some really affordable ones on our all-time cheap monitors page. And if you lot're looking for something a little fancier, check out our best cheap gaming monitor deals page.

Rami Tabari is an Editor for Laptop Mag. He reviews every shape and form of a laptop as well every bit all sorts of absurd tech. Yous tin find him sitting at his desk surrounded by a hoarder'due south dream of laptops, and when he navigates his way out to culture, yous tin can catch him watching really bad anime or playing some kind of painfully difficult game. He's the best at every game and he but doesn't lose. That'southward why you'll occasionally take hold of his byline attached to the latest Souls-similar challenge.

Source: https://www.laptopmag.com/how-to/dungeons-and-dragons-tech-tips-how-to-set-up-webcams

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