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xchiazyx

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Zoom Smart Virtual Background issue

Hi Expert,

I have many users getting Your devices does not support Virtual Backgrounds, when those spec have met the minimum requirement for the Virtual background. Same model laptop some can some cannot which is very strange and it's with the latest update. Upon checking notice the " Download Smart Virtual Background package? " won't prompt all up for certain laptop. Guess this the reason which caused it can't be used. Appreciate is any expert can assist me on. (On Windows 10)

Thanks!
Avatar of David Johnson, CD
David Johnson, CD
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not all webcams support this feature.. get a webcam that supports this feature and use it instead.
Hello,

I don't have the solution (yet) but I may be able to offer some direction as to where to look.

(David) - This has nothing to do with the webcam - it's software related.

I've got the exact same problem with a purchased ManyCam software package. All of my hardware (Webcam, Video Card etc) is identical to when the Virtual Background feature worked perfectly. It's only been a problem since I upgraded my ManyCam software to the latest version to take advantage of some new features I wanted to use.

Virtual Backgrounds also used to work perfectly with an older version of the software in Windows 7 too. I also had it working with my current copy of Windows 10 prior to upgrading to the latest version of ManyCam.

What I've been able to find out with troubleshooting so far is that when using a saved image replacement for the Virtual Background rather than a Green Screen backdrop (Chroma Key), functionality is broken. I'm still able to, for example, create a Virtual Background if I use a green screen backdrop behind me and configure via Chroma Key. Not certain if that will be the case when only using Zoom provided functionality, but it sounds very similar to me.

In my case, the problem is pointing towards a DirectX version related problem. Though my graphics card 'supposedly' supports the newly required version of DirectX, VB functionality has been lost.

I'm currently awaiting a response from ManyCam support and will update this question if and when I get an answer. In the meantime, I would suggest looking at DirectX and checking which version is demanded by Zoom.

Sorry I couldn't be more helpful; am still in the troubleshooting stages of this issue myself.

Regards, Andrew
During last months I started using Zoom too. Let me share with you my experience.
I have seen some of the guest with a nice background and I realized is virtual. So, I have read about it and I have tried it in several ways.
I have an older laptop Lenovo T410 with integrated webcam. I use Win 8.1 64 bits.
It did not work well.
I realized the other guest are using better hardware.
Then I used a USB webcam Logitech HD 525 and I have seen an important improvement, but still was not good enough.
Then I have use behind a green wall. That was batter.
Then I did not use anymore virtual background in Zoom, instead I used OBS with different filters and virtual background.
Still not satisfied.
I gave up, because I realized is about a better hardware, especially the graphic card, GPU, with higher processing power.
My experience tells me next:
  • Try to use a green or blue background – that improved the virtual background directly in Zoom.
  • Try to use better hardware: either the video card, perhaps external one in case the internal one is not good. Try other USB webcams, some of them from Logitech, not mine, have the virtual background processing function incorporated.
  • Try to use another software, a virtual webcam in-between Zoom and real webcam and aply some filters and virtual background there. For example: OBS, Manycam, YouCam. I have tried all and many more. Again, here you may encounter problems with delays in case the hardware is not powerful enough.
End conclusion: it’s about how good is your hardware and its settings and not about minimum requirements.
I ended up tired of waiting for a solution from support so I fitted a spare newer video card I had in stock. Fixed the problem for me, so now the virtual background function works again in ManyCam and Zoom for me.

Though my video card worked fine before with that feature, a Windows Update clearly screwed up its functionality in my case..
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