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Businesses that use technology like video conferencing equipment experience a wide range of benefits.
Not only is hosting a videoconference economical, but it saves time and allows individuals to join in the conference regardless of their location, provided they have the right equipment.
There are several items that you need in order to hold a virtual conference with video.
Codec Unit: This is the “brain” of the operation, sometimes called a coder-decoder. This is the unit that handles all the details of formatting the audio and video taken from the microphone and camera so that it can be transmitted over the digital or network line. It also decompresses the data the incoming audio/video signals so that they can be heard and seen on the display.
Camera: Depending on the needs of the organization, the camera can either be a small basic web-cam, or a high quality camera that can handle panning and zooming.
Microphone: Small conferences can make do with a single microphone positioned near the speakers. There are microphones that attach directly to the computer that will record and transmit the audio. In large group conferences, it may be better to have several small microphones distributed throughout the room to pick up all speaking.
Display Device:
You can display the incoming video images on a regular computer monitor, or you could use a television or a projector.
Network Connection: High speed internet is your best bet for delivering and receiving quality videoconferences.
There are many uses of videoconferencing, from connecting the telecommuting worker to his or her office, or helping unite small or large group conferences in multiple cities around the world. The configuration of your hardware will depend greatly upon the type of conference you are hosting.
There are 3 main types of configurations: Desktop, Set-top and Integrated.
A desktop configuration offers high quality videoconferencing at a low price, and one of the biggest advantages is the ease of setting the system up. You don’t need a lot of hardware and you can be transmitting and receiving videoconferencing data within minutes, for under $1500.
An example of a basic configuration for a desktop user: using a simple USB Camera with Polycom PVX software, you can easily install and have a videoconferencing system in just a few moments.
You install the software on your PC, and plug in the camera. You won’t need additional video conferencing equipment as the audio and video is provided directly from the PC. The software allows you to incorporate files from your computer as well as any on the LAN.
With a larger budget and a small to medium sized group, set-top configurations for video conference equipment sit directly on top of a monitor, or contained in a rolling cart that allows you to move the system easily from one room to the next.
The video quality is better than a desktop configuration, and you can add additional cameras or microphones to improve the delivery of your presentation. Average prices range between $4,000 and $20,000 for a set-top design.
An example of video conferencing equipment for a small group Conference: Products that work for this type of situation include the Sony PCS-11, Polycom V-500, Polycom VSX-7000 or Polycom VSX-3000.
You need a decent sized monitor (about 32”). Your basic computer speakers work to provide the audio. You can configure the system to run on an ISDN connection or your corporate LAN.
What’s nice about this type of system is you can add extra input sources- cameras, whiteboards, document stands.
Integrated video conferencing equipment is among the most expensive, ranging from $15,000 to $100,000 in price. This configuration is commonly used in video-based classrooms, or conference rooms with many participants.
There is a main camera, display units and video sources that are typically mounted permanently in the conference room- and they allow for various additional inputs like additional microphones and cameras.
The availability and extensive offering of video conference equipment makes it difficult to determine exactly what you’ll require to suit your specific needs.
Factors to consider are the price you are willing to pay, whether you’ll transmit using satellite or broadband and the specific brand of conferencing equipment you want to use.
You can get excellent results from the two leaders in the industry, Polycom or Tandberg, as well as other companies that offer equipment. Other considerations are your needs; whether you just want to see who you’re chatting with on your personal computer, or whether you need to access the office while you’re traveling for business or working from home.
You’ll have more advanced needs to transmit group conferences. Each of these factors make it possible to choose the best video conferencing equipment for your needs.
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