Premium Teams Custom Video Filters - Improve Conferencing

Video Filters Enhancement in Teams Premium

Author, Sara Fennah, in her recent blog post, discusses the roll-out of custom video filters in Teams Premium. These filters offer users the ability to apply various color filters to their video feeds, including Black and White, and overlay applications that work with virtual backgrounds and videos. However, these filters are currently incompatible with the upcoming Avatars.

The provided filters don’t suggest clear business benefits, yet become intriguing due to two main factors. First, possibility to have custom apps with organization or event overlays adapting to the webcam allows more branding options. Second, the filter system itself presents a prime illustration for app governance in Teams Premium.

This feature is presently in public preview. A tenant admin must grant access to switch to public preview and this can be enabled from the user's Teams client menu. The custom filters app, though a bit challenging to locate at the moment, is expected to garner a smoother trackability when launched for general availability.

The customization filters are available in the Teams Admin Center, with it being enabled by default in commercial tenants and disabled by default for education tenants. Additional custom filters from third-party entities like Snapchat and Mabelline are predicted to be added. For users to access these Microsoft provided filters, tenant-level enablement is required.

The custom filters app is listed under Microsoft Apps in permission policies, not eligible for adding to the App Setup policies as each user must grant it permission for video access. This is because the process of analysing video and overlaying the filter is linked to personal privacy, necessitating user consent. The included settings for Video Filters in the Meeting Policy only pertain to virtual backgrounds and don't impact filters.

The application of filters can be done on the 'Video effects' button under the video preview on the meeting join screen available on both Mac and other operating systems. All virtual backgrounds and filters can be accessed via the Video Effects pane, including filters in the custom filters app.";

Users will have to give permission to the app to analyze and modify the video upon addition. Frames and video styles are featured in the filters. Frames overlay the video, predominantly along the lower edge, while video styles alter the video's coloration. On adjusting the filter, remember that the user’s camera remains off.

Find more information on Teams Premium here

General relevance of video filters in sophisticated systems like Teams Premium

Staying visually connected is vital in this digitized era, therefore having a platform like Teams Premium that affords users exploration and personalization with custom video filters. This functionality fits well across industries and use cases, creating moments of joy and a sense of personalization during virtual connections. Segments like organizational meetings or webinars can use video filters for building brand cohesion and recognition. It also sets a high standard of app governance and user privacy, creating a better team collaboration environment.

Read the full article Custom Video Filters in Teams Premium

Learn about Custom Video Filters in Teams Premium

The innovative addition of Custom Video Filters to Teams Premium is an exciting development currently at the stage of being previewed to the public. These filters, offered by Microsoft, allow users to apply eye-catching colour filters and overlays to their video feeds.

Such as this, transforming a colour video into black and white.

These innovative features can be used in conjunction with virtual backgrounds, video feeds but they are not designed to work with the soon-to-be-released Avatars.

While this creative feature may not have a clear-cut business application yet, it does open the door for a few intriguing possibilities. Firstly, it allows for custom application overlays which can be tailored to the individual organisations or specific events, offering enhanced branding options. Secondly, the manner in which these filters being employed clearly showcases the prowess of app governance within Microsoft’s premier collaboration platform.

However, at this time, it is only available for public preview. Being an admin tenant user can permit you to switch to public preview, post which, it can be enabled from the … menu in your Teams client (user guidance).

Take Note: During the preview window, locating the custom filters application might prove a bit challenging. It appears that the app intermittently appears and disappears which is expected to be rectified before they start rolling out to general availability.

It is therefore advised to be prepared for this if you are testing in the early release phase.

To get access to the Microsoft provided custom filters, tenant level authorisation needs to be activated via Teams Admin Center, where the custom filters app is listed. Apps from third parties are also expected to roll out, such as Snapchat and Mabelline.

For these custom applications to be accessible to users, the tenant-level activation of the application is required. This can be done from the Teams Admin Center by selecting Apps > Manage Apps and then locating Custom Filters in the list and ensuring it is set to Allowed.

The application also needs to be added to the appropriate App Permission policies to enable users to add the app and avail the feature in their client. It must be noted that the app cannot be added to the App Setup policies as each user needs to provide permission for accessing the video to the app. The AI-powered application overlays filters on top of the video, which might potentially pose as a privacy concern, so it’s important that individual consent is obtained.

The Custom Filters app can be downloaded from the Teams App Store under the Built by Microsoft category.

Keep in mind, the user needs to grant the app permission to access your video and therefore, needs to be added by each user. Upon giving permission, the app gains ability to analyse and modify your video. More detailed information on the permissions that the app requires, can be found in the privacy policy, terms of use and permissions link on the dialog box.

User can harness these filters via the Video effects button on the meeting join screen, this process is similar on a Mac.

Upon joining the meeting, users can opt to add, remove or alter filters via the More menu and Video effects. In fact, the Video Effects pane also come with an array of virtual backgrounds.

It is to be noted that while you’re adjusting your filter, your camera will be switched off. In the Custom Filters app, attractive filters and frames are included, which can dramatically change the colour and texture of the video.

Here’s an example of a frame being applied. And it may either be too late or too early to make the most out of the festive overlay!

This is the Message Center Announcement Post for the 7th of January, 2023, for reference, have a look at it here:

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