Zoom Video Vs. Live Stream

As the COVID-19 pandemic has called for reduced in-person interactions, many businesses and brands have begun to rely on virtual communication mediums like Zoom videos and Live Stream. Each of these options has a unique set of features that enable businesses to conduct effortless communication and produce content to engage potential clients.

But, if you’re wondering which of these two options will best suit your requirements, you’ll first need to see what Zoom videos and Live Streaming have to offer. Accordingly, you’ll need to weigh them against your requirements and then make a decision. However, if you haven’t used Zoom calls or Live Streams before, you may struggle to understand which one is better. To help you out, Open Window Productions has compared Zoom video vs. Live Stream.

1. Zoom video
Zoom is a great application (app) for bringing many people together for face-to-face meetings. It has options to share screens, do breakout rooms, have private chats, and record sessions. It really brings together everything you need for successful virtual meetings. In addition to these primary benefits, there are also significant privacy options that you can use in various ways. We recently did a client testimonial video over Zoom in which we recorded the screen and were able to hide the internal employees who were watching in on the testimonial the same way they would have during a video shoot. Another great part about this video conferencing app is that you only require two computers (or phones), an internet connection, and the Zoom application.

The downside to using Zoom videos is that once you get a large group together, there are too many screens to watch and lots of background noise. Also, Zoom can be challenging to use for those who are not very familiar with it. This causes delays in starting or results in lost information. Similarly, the quality of video and audio is not the best with Zoom, and the presenter is at the mercy of their own internet connection, which can cause issues with presentations.

2. Live Stream
For Live Stream videos, you usually use professional equipment to achieve much higher quality content. Live Stream also allows you to add comments, questions, and polls to the video, enabling viewer engagement without having to worry about a dozen voices competing to be heard. With a Live Stream, it is also possible to provide multiple angles for a more immersive experience for your audience.

On the other hand, Live Streaming in high quality requires more professional tools than a simple Zoom video. There’s also the possibility of poor internet connectivity disrupting your signal and the quality of your content. A professional Live Streamer can monitor the internet signal, which can help to prevent problems, but they can’t solve a disruption in internet connection. This makes it very important to have a reliable internet connection for Live Streams as well as Zoom videos. Another disadvantage to Live Streaming is its costs. As additional equipment and professional assistance may be needed to create an excellent Live Stream, it can be a more expensive option.

Which option should you choose?
If you’re having a meeting, Zoom videos are a good option. It works like a typical meeting that you would have at a conference table. But, unless you have a super-sized conference room, you probably can’t fit more than fifteen to twenty people in the room (and you shouldn’t). The same rule applies to a Zoom call or presentation. Compared to Zoom meetings, a Live Stream event works well with more than ten or fifteen attendees to give them a better experience.

At the same time, a Live Stream can cost you more, but if you were to add the lighting and audio improvements you get with a Live Stream, then Zoom ends up costing about the same but achieves inferior results.

If you’re debating which option to choose for your needs, remember that it comes down to your purpose or your video requirement. Zoom is sometimes the right solution, but if you’re engaging a large group, then Live Streaming is better.

For more details about Zoom videos and Live Streams, reach out to Open Window Productions. We are a full-service video production company in Minneapolis, MN, offering clients exceptional video content at unbeatable rates. We are a team of experienced professionals with polished videography and editing skills. We are committed to our clients’ needs and will stop at nothing to deliver what they require.

To learn all about our services at Open Window Productions, please click here or get in touch with us by clicking here.