Lesson 6: Joining a meeting and starting the Capture Engine
This is the most important lesson in the course. The Capture Engine is what lets ZoomISO see the live video inside a meeting. Just as importantly, it works through a clear consent system, so people always know when their video is being captured. We will cover joining a meeting first, then starting the engine the right way.
Joining from the Meeting tab
Once you are signed in, the Meeting tab lets you join any Meeting, Webinar, or Event your account is allowed to join. You can start a brand-new meeting, start your personal meeting, or join one using its details. Before you join, use the device dropdowns to set the camera and microphone you want. You can also open the full Zoom Settings window from here.
After you join, you can adjust your devices just as you would in a normal Zoom call. If the host has enabled breakout rooms, you can view and join them. You can also hide or show the Zoom meeting window itself from this tab, which keeps your screen tidy.
Where your camera and microphone come from
Your camera and microphone inputs can be ordinary system devices, such as a webcam and a USB microphone, or they can come straight from NDI or Blackmagic equipment. When you feed NDI or Blackmagic in directly, it acts as a clean camera and microphone return into Zoom, without needing a separate virtual device in between. If you do not need to see the picture you are sending back to Zoom, you can switch those return previews off in Settings.
Starting the Capture Engine
The Capture Engine is the toggle that starts or stops ZoomISO receiving the raw video and audio from Zoom. Until you start it, you have no live video to work with. How it asks for permission depends on your chosen Capture Mode, and this is where care pays off.
The two Capture Modes
A Capture Mode is simply how ZoomISO gets permission to take the raw streams of the participants. There are two, and you choose between them in Settings.
- Recording (the default). The meeting uses Computer Recording permissions, and participants see the usual notice that the meeting is being recorded. Computer recording must be enabled for the call for this to work. Note two things: choosing this mode does not actually record anything inside ZoomISO, it only borrows the recording permission to access the video; and it is not available while Cloud Recording is running.
- Live Stream. The meeting uses Live Streaming permissions, and participants see a badge telling them their audio and video can be captured and sent out. This mode is not available inside Breakout Rooms.
Why this matters. Both modes make sure participants are told what is happening with their video. Choosing the mode that honestly reflects what you are doing is not just a technical setting, it is how ZoomISO keeps everyone informed and consenting.
When you are not the host
If you try to start the Capture Engine without the permission your chosen mode needs, and you are not the host, ZoomISO offers to request that permission for you. If you send the request, the host receives a pop-up asking them to grant it. If the host accepts before the request expires, ZoomISO starts the Capture Engine for you. If they do not, it does not start. So part of preparing for a real show is making sure the host knows to expect and accept that request.
In short
Join from the Meeting tab, setting your camera and microphone first. Then start the Capture Engine to bring the live video in. Pick the Capture Mode that matches what you are doing: Recording or Live Stream. If you are not the host, request permission and have the host accept it. Only then does the live video flow.