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Seeing weird horizontal bands, pulsing brightness, or flicker on Zoom/Teams/OBS? That’s usually your LED lighting + camera shutter frequency not matching your power standard (60Hz in the US).
Fast fixes (try in order)
- Raise brightness on the light, lower exposure on the camera. Flicker is often worse at low dim settings.
- Switch the light’s mode: Some lights have “video” or “flicker-free” modes.
- Set camera frequency to 60Hz. In many webcam apps/driver utilities, look for Anti‑flicker and choose 60Hz.
- Lock exposure. Auto exposure can hunt and amplify flicker. In OBS, open Video Capture Device properties and turn off Auto Exposure if available.
- Change shutter/exposure. If you can pick values, test 1/60, 1/120.
- Move lights closer and diffuse. Closer light at lower intensity is smoother than far light at high intensity.
Zoom & Teams settings that matter
- Turn on “Adjust for low light” only if needed—sometimes it increases flicker by raising exposure.
- Disable “auto” camera settings if you’re using a webcam utility that can lock them.
If the light itself is the problem
Some cheap LED strips/bars use low‑quality dimming (PWM) that will flicker on camera no matter what. If you’ve tried the fixes above and still see banding, swap to a more stable light style (monitor light bar or better desk bars).
Recommended budget options: Best budget LED light bars under $50
Quick checklist
- US power = 60Hz → set anti‑flicker to 60Hz
- Avoid super low dim levels
- Lock exposure when possible