If you’re an owner of Amazon’s recently launched own branded Fire TV sets called Fire TV Omni Series, you will now be able to do Zoom video calls directly from your smart TV. Well, of course, you need to have a webcam attached to it since it doesn’t have a built-in camera but if you do, you’ll be able to enjoy video calls with loved ones during this holiday season from the comfort of a large screen. Support for Zoom meetings will be available for Omni Series users in the U.S. and Canada.
Since as mentioned, the Fire TV Omni Series does not have a built-in camera, you will need to attach a compatible webcam to your TV set. It needs to have anything from 720-180p resolution although Zoom recommends a 1080p resolution camera with a 60-90 degree field of view and you need to be 6-10 feet away from the TV. Amazon is recommending any of the Logitech C920, C922x, or C310 web cameras but if you have anything else that is compatible, that should work as well.
After you’ve plugged in the webcam into the TV USB port, you can place it above the TV “for the best viewing angle” as suggested by Amazon. You can then ask Alexa to install the Zoom app from the Fire TV Appstore if you haven’t installed it yet. Just say, “Alexa, find Zoom” and then log in to your account. If you have any scheduled meetings already, you can use your remote and say, “Alexa, join my Zoom meeting.” or you can just manually browse to the meeting you want to start or join.
You will have to turn on the TV microphone for the audio to work as the Zoom app will only be able to use the TV’s built-in speakers. You will not be able to pair it with external soundbars and speakers “at this time” so it means they will eventually be adding a pairing ability that is more convenient for more users. Earlier this year, they were able to bring Zoom as well to the second-gen Fire TV Cube. However, Fire TV Sticks will not get that since it doesn’t have a USB port for a webcam.
The Zoom on Fire TV Omni Series is available only in the U.S and Canada. There’s no indication yet if they will be rolling out in other countries as well eventually so we’ll have to keep an eye on this.
