Webcams have become something of a prized item within the new remote-working environment, particularly now that video meetings have become essential for communication and collaboration. They’ve been pretty hard to get a hold of, too: within days of businesses introducing mandatory remote-working policies, a decent webcam became harder to score than a pair of tickets to Hamilton.
Fortunately for owners of the GoPro Hero8, they can now use their action cam as a high-quality webcam for their Windows 10 PC. Provided they have downloaded the latest camera firmware, the GoPro Webcam desktop utility and have a USB-C cable to hand, Hero8 owners can use the camera for video calls over Zoom, WebEx, Microsoft Teams, BlueJeans, Google Meet and Discord. GoPro promises to capture your face in “a more flattering manner than traditional webcams allow.”
The addition of webcam compatibility for Windows PCs follows the introduction of functionality for Apple Mac users in July, which has now moved out of beta phase.
SEE: Video teleconferencing do’s and don’ts (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
Other compatible video conferencing platforms include Skype, Twitch (via OBS), GoTo Meeting, Snap Camera and Facebook Rooms.
GoPro has published a detailed step-by-step guide on how to get started, and we’ve included the basics below (this assumes you already have the necessary gear):
Step 1: Install and Launch the GoPro Webcam Desktop Utility
Download the GoPro Webcam desktop utility software, available here. The GoPro icon will now appear in the status bar.
Step 2: Connect Your GoPro
Connect the GoPro to the Windows PC via the USB-C cable.
The GoPro icon in the status bar will show a blue dot once HERO8 Black is connected and powered on, at which point it will default to Webcam Mode.
Step 3: Select GoPro as Your Preferred Camera to Go Live
Preview the GoPro webcam by clicking the GoPro icon and selecting ‘Show Preview’ in the drop-down menu.
Once connected and the blue dot is showing on the GoPro icon, select the relevant video-conferencing platform and select GoPro as the preferred camera. The GoPro icon will display a red dot once you’ve joined the call and are live.
