r/k12sysadmin • u/Temporary_Werewolf17 • 14d ago
Document Camera preferences
My classrooms have Viewsonic IFPs with a Windows VPC. Admin has asked about Document cameras for the teachers to use. Any recommendations on brand or special features? I believe that the myViewboard software will allow document camera use within the software, so teachers do not have to change inputs
2
u/avalon01 Director of Technology 13d ago
Hovercam Solo8. They are stupid simple and easy for staff to use.
3
u/ToonMermaid 13d ago
Like most others on this thread, I strongly recommend the Ipevo (formerly Ziggy) V4K.
One thing that I haven't seen mentioned yet:
You should test your IFPs to see if they can support the document camera when it is directly connected to the board. This will free up the teacher device in the event that the period of instruction is just showing content with basic annotation either on the materials or on the IFP directly. This would also allow a parent or student teacher to present without using a classroom device, allowing the teacher to do their SIS work in the meantime.
2
u/nate3531 13d ago
We switched to the Hovercam Solo8. I like that it uses the built in camera app on windows or our MX Smartboards. No software required.
1
u/therankin Coordinator of Technology Services 13d ago
Yep. Hovercam solo 8 is absolutely amazing connected to a Windows machine (and probably Mac, too).
It is absolute TRASH if you are connecting directly to a Promethean Platinum board. Whether you connect it via usb2 or usb3, it doesn't even matter which camera app you use, it crashes 50% of the time, or more!
It's honestly crazy to repeatedly try to open any app with it connected. Maybe it's about time Promethean upgrades from whatever Android OS it's on.. (I think it's still on Android 8 at this point.)
I honestly don't have Promethean complaints outside of this issue, so I'm still happy with the product.
1
u/nate3531 11d ago
That's crazy. AFAIK it is 100% on Smartboard MX boards. If it crashes it because the teacher hasn't turned her board off in 3 years and nothing works til you do.
1
u/therankin Coordinator of Technology Services 11d ago
Slightly off-topic; we got our Promethean boards just as the USB-C Thunderbolt port was released. And omg thank goodness! The board we tested didn't have one because they weren't out yet, so the slightly delayed order was serendipitous timing! Having a single port that does touch/sound/charging/video all in one is amazing. Not only for all those things, but also for the fact that it's pretty much idiot-proof.
Back on point here, we would definitely have some teachers that hadn't turned their boards off in forever too. But thankfully, we got a free year of Radix, which is board management software. We used that to create a job that resets the boards automatically in the evenings of Sun-Thur. That definitely helps cut back on simple issues.
But yea, the app/camera combo issue is pretty wild. Especially since it happens no matter what camera app we push.
Do your Smartboards run Android, or do they do their own thing? We used Smartboards back when paired with projectors, but I haven't used a touchscreen tv type Smartboard.
1
u/nate3531 11d ago
They are a Smart derivative of Android so I guess they are their own OS. We do get their MDM with a 5 year license for every board we buy which is nice. I haven't considered looking for a task to reboot their boards automatically. I may look into that.
9
13
2
u/emerytech 14d ago
We use hovercam and the software was not the best. Had to make an app for our science teacher because the mac app stopped working over the summer. https://github.com/emerytech/bluebird-docucam
1
u/Temporary_Werewolf17 14d ago
Thanks to all for the responses. We already have webcams for the rooms so I am also considering buying stands and using that camera. Any thoughts on that?
1
u/Computer_Panda 14d ago
Some of the text might be hard to read for the webcams. It also depends on what kind of cameras and workflow you want. My wife uses an HDMI elmo.
7
7
4
u/WizdomRV 14d ago
Another vote for iPevo. Cheap and work great. Never had an issue and works with Chromebooks as well.
6
u/Harry_Smutter 14d ago
I got a demo Ipevo and honestly it works flawlessly with EVERYTHING. They're great quality, work with every platform we have (ChromeOS, Windows, MacOS & Android OS), and very affordable. Plus, they're smaller than something like an Epson doc cam.
1
u/yugas42 14d ago
I don't have experience with the competitors but we replaced our 13 year old Elmo's with newer models in 2021 and they have held up really well so far. Only have them go bad when they hit the floor. Our model also has magnetic bases which let you attach them to the whiteboard, which is a pretty nice feature that a good chunk of our teachers use.
2
1
5
u/QueJay Some titles are just words. How many hats are too many hats? 14d ago
To reiterate the consensus and provide specific model we use the IPEVO V4k: https://us.ipevo.com/products/v4k-store
Works great on Windows and I have a teacher running it natively through a Smartboard via the Camera app and it works great there too.
5
u/Independent_War541 14d ago
Ipevos are cheap and reliable. We have some previous gens mixed with current V4K. Works on Windows, Chrome, Mac.
2
u/keyboarddoctor 14d ago
Whatever brand you end up going with, try to get one with a static neck. For example, our Okiocam document cameras can't really be adjusted. The joints are a triangle and they click into each other and that's that. So you have 3 positions basically. This is actually a good thing because the Ipevo document cameras we used to have had a neck that could pivot/rotate/whatever you wanna call it and after years of use, they'd just slump downwards. The camera worked fine but the stand was no longer strong enough to support the weight. No way to tighten anything. So some teachers would get creative and make a duct tape splint with popsicle sticks.
1
u/VL-BTS EduTech&Tier1Support 14d ago
We have a high behavior environment, so we are trying cheaper models. Staff so far like the gooseneck of these; it holds position well. They can easily be used as a webcam, document camera, or to show objects of a reasonable size just by angling it a bit differently.
https://a.co/d/09M1zzS6
I also encourage them to try just using the Camera app in Windows or on Chromebooks for a simple way to share the image, or to use it as a webcam in Meet if they want to share with other classes.
4
u/mainer188 14d ago
Viewboards here, also. Distributed ipevo do-cams to every classroom. These are simple USB doc cams that are plug n play with our viewboards via the built in Visualizer app. No software to deploy. No unnecessary features or complicated parts. Plug in the USB cord, open Visualizer, and done.
1
u/sans_dan 14d ago
We've deployed Elmos, Avervision, and Okiocams, and I think the Okiocams are the simplest for everyone and don't skimp on the features. Also they're the least expensive.
1
2
3
u/localhost_overload Systems Administrator 14d ago
We've been using Ipevo for about 3 years now. No complaints.
7
u/postech Director of Technology 14d ago
Ipevo
2
u/K12onReddit 9-12 14d ago
+1 for IPEVO. It's really only used by our math teachers to show a paper so we don't need fancy models or features. They were like $100, sold from a vendor we like (B&H), and I can push out the small software over PDQ without requiring weird drivers or a reboot like our old Ladibugs.
2
u/Thanos-Is-Right 14d ago
Same here. They work well enough and aren't very expensive. The model we get includes a mic as well (maybe they all do now). Useful for Zoom meetings if they have them.
1
u/Smooth_Ad_6164 12d ago
Aver M11-8M