Lesson 1: What ZoomISO is and what it is for

Lesson 1 of 14

In this first lesson you will learn what ZoomISO actually does, why anyone would want it, and the simple seven-step rhythm you will use every time you sit down to work with it.

The problem ZoomISO solves

Imagine you are producing a live show with four guests joining over Zoom. You want each guest on a big screen in the room, you want to mix them into a live stream, and you want a clean recording of each person on their own. A normal Zoom window cannot do this. It gives you one shared view that you do not control, with Zoom’s own layout, names, and borders baked in.

ZoomISO removes that limit. It takes the meeting apart and hands you each piece separately, ready for production.

What “ISO” means

ISO is short for “isolated”. An isolated feed is a single source on its own, separated from everything else. So a ZoomISO feed might be just one participant’s camera, or just the shared screen, with nothing else attached. That is the whole idea: isolate each part of the meeting so you can use it however you like.

Where the feeds can go

Once ZoomISO has isolated a feed, it can send it out using several professional methods:

  • NDI and SRT, which carry video across a network to other software or devices.
  • Syphon, which shares video between apps on the same Mac.
  • System Displays, which sends a feed to a monitor or screen.
  • Blackmagic hardware, which connects to professional video equipment.

You will meet each of these properly later. For now, just know that ZoomISO is the bridge between an ordinary Zoom call and serious production gear.

The seven-step way of working

Almost everything you do in ZoomISO follows the same order. Keep this list in mind and the app will always make sense:

  1. Sign in with your Zoom account.
  2. Join a meeting, webinar, or event.
  3. Start the Capture Engine to begin working with the live video.
  4. Create video and audio outputs, which are the feeds you send out.
  5. Assign meeting content to each output, for example a particular participant or the screen share.
  6. Adjust the look with Output Effects, if you wish. This step is optional.
  7. Record your outputs using the built-in recorder, if you wish. Also optional.
One golden rule. ZoomISO is highly customisable, which is its strength and its risk. Always test your exact setup and workflow before you rely on it in a real, live production. The makers say this themselves, and it is the single most important habit to build.

In short

ZoomISO turns a Zoom meeting into a set of separate, professional video and audio feeds. You sign in, join, start the engine, create outputs, and assign people to them. Everything else in this course is detail on top of that simple rhythm.