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Testing FaceTime on Apple TV With Belkin's New MagSafe iPhone Mount

Calle68 said:
A 3K $ set for a facetime call. Well...
Click to expand...
Yeah, people are buying TVs just to use with FaceTime.

I've been doing video calls with FaceTime for a few months without a mount by placing the phone up against the bottom of the screen. It works great, and I've had no complaints about sound at the other end.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
That will work fine. Another good option is a tripod with an iDevice adapter... and then position the iDevice so that it is roughly in front of your TV screen's center... like an iDevice eclipse or center/middle Dynamic Island. Yes, that will cover some portion of the people on the other end of the conversation but will have you looking dead at them vs. putting the iDevice ABOVE or BELOW the screen to then make it look like you are looking DOWN a bit or UP over their heads respectively. This effect is less obvious when FaceTiming on smaller devices but as the screen gets much larger (like with a TV), the camera can be further from where you are looking, showing the effect more obviously. If you want to rig up anything to get camera closer to the center of the TV, it will look like you are looking right at them.

I have a couple of tripods around for video work anyway, so I just got the cheap adapter (example) and use one for this and it works fine.
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This has the same energy as the fake joke about NASA making special pen to use in space and the Russians using pencils.
 
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Every TV I own is wall-mounted, so yeah this won’t work for me. There’s like a 2 or 3 foot gap from the bottom of the TV and the entertainment stand, so it looks ridiculous to use.

If there was a way to hang the mount from the bottom, that would work.
 
kiranmk2 said:
I have switch to using AirPods with it and I guess that makes me audible to the other party. The issue I have is that similar to webcams, unless you look at the camera, it looks to the other person like you’re looking past them. I would have thought Apple could implement an AI system to make it seem like you are making eye contact when you are looking at the tv screen.
Click to expand...
Nvidia has AI for their GPU with broadcast software to keep eye contact. Works reasonably well.
 
More disposable tech. I bought an aluminium phone and tablet stand over ten years ago, and it’s worked and will continue to work with all sorts of devices. It’s just a piece of metal that can be totally recycled someday if necessary.
 
The MacBook version of the mount, will only fit the very narrow edge of a MacBook Display.

A monitor/TV mount version has a folding, adjustable, prop up leg that braces against the back of the monitor.

You can use a monitor mount version on a MacBook but not a MacBook version on a monitor/TV.

I use an excellent, sturdy, all metal, strong magnet monitor/TV mount, that I got from Amazon for less than $CAD 20.

Search Amazon for ASIN (product number) B0BZP93WPY

I have found FaceTime on Apple TV to be a little buggy. Both times I have tried it did not work right away, and the rest of the group immediately lost interest. That was with an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and Apple TV 4K 2nd generation connected via ethernet to my home LAN. Strong, fast, WiFi signal, on high end WiFi router, in the same room.
 

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We LOVE using FaceTime on Apple TV! But you totally don't need a ridiculously expensive mount to do this. The phone's smart enough to frame you nicely (even multiple people) wherever you put it (I use a tripod).
 
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Who in the household can use their iPhone for FaceTime on the ATV? Can each person with an ATV user profile? It would also be nice if any guest who is on your wifi could use their iPhone too.
 
dbwie said:
Why not set up the phone much closer to where you are sitting? That way you don’t have all the extraneous background, and the microphone should pick up your voice better, correct? When I use this, I put it on an end stand halfway between the TV and the couch where I am sitting.
Click to expand...
As far as extraneous background, I would think the software should let you crop. Center Stage does this but not sure how far it lets you “zoom in”.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
That will work fine. Another good option is a tripod with an iDevice adapter... and then position the iDevice so that it is roughly in front of your TV screen's center... like an iDevice eclipse or center/middle Dynamic Island. Yes, that will cover some portion of the people on the other end of the conversation but will have you looking dead at them vs. putting the iDevice ABOVE or BELOW the screen to then make it look like you are looking DOWN a bit or UP over their heads respectively. This effect is less obvious when FaceTiming on smaller devices but as the screen gets much larger (like with a TV), the camera can be further from where you are looking, showing the effect more obviously. If you want to rig up anything to get camera closer to the center of the TV, it will look like you are looking right at them.

I have a couple of tripods around for video work anyway, so I just got the cheap adapter (example) and use one for this and it works fine.
Click to expand...
It’s too bad you can’t use something like the old iSight camera, which would block your view the most minimally.
1709767518779.png
 
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dbwie said:
Why not set up the phone much closer to where you are sitting? That way you don’t have all the extraneous background, and the microphone should pick up your voice better, correct? When I use this, I put it on an end stand halfway between the TV and the couch where I am sitting.
Click to expand...
Latest iPhones use center stage and center and zoom the video on your face.

I am surprised how far away I can be and it zooms right in and cuts everything else out.
 
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Does the phone screen go black as you’re using this through Apple TV FaceTime?
 
BB1970 said:
Does the phone screen go black as you’re using this through Apple TV FaceTime?
Click to expand...
Appears so.

The display automatically turns off when iPhone is either face down or obstructed from view, not near a paired Apple Watch, when a CarPlay session begins, while Continuity Camera is in use, while Low Power Mode is on, while Sleep Focus is on, or at your usual bedtime. - Keep the iPhone display on longer​

​

 
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This is honestly ridiculously dumb design by Apple. Sure... I guess its nice to use an iPhone or iPad as a camera when needed...
yet in true Apple form they are avoiding the simply easy solution to in new Apple TV coming, add options for USB-C cameras and webcams to be used.

Please wake up apple. let people bring their own cams!
 
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IlluminatedSage said:
This is honestly ridiculously dumb design by Apple. Sure... I guess its nice to use an iPhone or iPad as a camera when needed...
yet in true Apple form they are avoiding the simply easy solution to allow USB-C cameras and webcams to be used.

Please wake up apple. let people bring their own cams!
Click to expand...
Your Apple TV has a USB C port?
 
IlluminatedSage said:
This is honestly ridiculously dumb design by Apple. Sure... I guess its nice to use an iPhone or iPad as a camera when needed...
yet in true Apple form they are avoiding the simply easy solution to allow USB-C cameras and webcams to be used.

Please wake up apple. let people bring their own cams!
Click to expand...
Have you ever used continuity? Sure it took forever for Apple to bring FaceTime to the biggest screen of the house, but this works really well.
 
I make my own Mag Safe charging design solutions. None cost me more than 500 yen. When I need to change because of my work location area. It has to cost as much less as this over priced e-waste.
 
poematik13 said:
Should have been 29.99 and released in 2020 when people actually had a reason to use this
Click to expand...
it is 39.99 at belkin.
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Click to expand...
 
HardRainDPK said:
The MacBook version of the mount, will only fit the very narrow edge of a MacBook Display.

A monitor/TV mount version has a folding, adjustable, prop up leg that braces against the back of the monitor.

You can use a monitor mount version on a MacBook but not a MacBook version on a monitor/TV.

I use an excellent, sturdy, all metal, strong magnet monitor/TV mount, that I got from Amazon for less than $CAD 20.

Search Amazon for ASIN (product number) B0BZP93WPY

I have found FaceTime on Apple TV to be a little buggy. Both times I have tried it did not work right away, and the rest of the group immediately lost interest. That was with an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and Apple TV 4K 2nd generation connected via ethernet to my home LAN. Strong, fast, WiFi signal, on high end WiFi router, in the same room.
Click to expand...
I have the belkin monitor and MacBook mounts they’re great and both would do the trick, if you have a more fancy 4K tv like an LG OLED with a thin bezel then the belkin MacBook mount that you may already own does the trick nicely and the monitor mount will work for chunkier bezelled TVs and it also has a tripod thread on that one… some Apple stores have discontinued the monitor mount though so maybe this Appletv 4K version supersedes that one, guess it’ll be perfect for tvs and monitors
 
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