How to Look for Video Conferencing Equipment
Video conferencing equipment that is used in one location is different from another. If you plan to get one for the office, you should decide whether to buy a PC based system, a portable, a rollabout or an installed system.
Just to give you an idea, a PC based system can accommodate one or two people, the portable is good for two to eight, the rollabout is for three to fifteen while the installed system can be used by 20 or more participants.
You should also get the right sized monitor so everyone will have a good view of whatever is projected on the screen. Most video conferences use a 20 or 35 inch monitor but since this is still small when there are many people, the solution is to get an LCD projector.
When you have decided which one to get, the next thing you have to be concerned about is the bandwidth because the faster it is the better so you are able to compress audio and video signals and connect in real time.
Most video conferences today use two ISDN lines at the same so if you dont want to see any blurred movement, it is best that these transmissions move at 768k to 1.5 megabytes per second.
The codec is considered to be the most important of all the equipment in video conferencing. When you are looking for one, you should make sure that it is compatible with the other versions in the market.
You should also check if the system you get supports full duplex audio and digital echo cancellation so you get to see and hear the other party clearly.
In order for the presentation to be a success, you need to have multiple monitors and projectors. This will let you see the other party and a preview of what you are showing next. This will prevent any mistakes and make sure that everyone is listening to what you have to say.
But some people can use just one monitor instead of two. They just have to make sure that the monitor they have has a picture in picture feature so get to see a preview of what will be shared next.
In the event that you will be talking to more than one party, you must also have a bridging system in place.
As for the camera, there are different types to choose from. You can get multiple cameras to show different sides of the presentation if you have to move or better yet get the robotic version that will automatically follow you.
The document camera is considered to be the a must in video conferences so that aside from seeing your face on the screen, people will be able to see the visual aids that you have prepared.
Lastly, you may want to have a phone line so if you have to take a call, you can do so during the presentation. But if you will be talking to a lot of people as well, this can also be done through the bridging.
The price of video conferencing equipment varies but the prices these days are more affordable than they were 10 years ago. People have noticed a huge growth in 2006 versus 2005 and this is expected to continue as more people are willing to use such a system.