AV Technology - June 2008 - (Page 96)

avassets product review THE SPECIFICATIONS POLYCOM VIDEO STANDARDS H.264 video codec with H.239 People+Content H.261 and H.263++ H.264 and H.263 video error concealment (incl. Lost Packet Recovery) AES Media Encryption AUDIO STANDARDS (BANDWIDTH) 22 kHz with StereoSurround Siren 22 14 kHz with Polycom Siren 14, G.722.1 Annex C 7 kHz with G.722, G.722.1 3.4 kHz with G.711 CONNECTIVITY NETWORK REQUIREMENTS Minimum: 5 Mb/s (RPX HD 200 Series), 10 Mb/s (RPX HD 400 Series) Recommended: 10 Mb/s (RPX HD 200 Series), 20 Mb/s (RPX HD 400 Series) POLYCOM’S REALPRESENCE EXPERIENCE HD by Alan C. Brawn CTS, ISF, ISF-C any of us spend more time flying than we had ever dreamed possible, and most of us are not too happy about it. Being in the AV industry, I ask myself what has happened to the “elixir” we have been told will solve this? Of course I am speaking of videoconferencing. I wish I could tell you that all is well and a real solution is on the horizon, but it’s not that simple. But things are getting a lot better and there are THE PRODUCT: RPX HD 200 / 400 Series THE MANUFACTURER: Polycom, www.polycom.com THE PRICE: Starts at $299,000 (List price) WHERE TO USE IT: Executive videoconferencing/collaboration suites M some products to help keep us out of that dreaded “aluminum tube.” Being more than a little skeptical and a lot tired of flying, I thought I would search for a bright spot. To my happiness and, to be honest, my surprise, I did find a bright spot from Polycom. Videoconferencing has been a tough sell because, until recently, it just did not work as we had all hoped and, frankly, as we had been told by an eager group of manufacturers — especially in the early days. The video was horrible and audio was not properly sync’d to the video. And we could really only see the face of the person we were talking to. Heaven forbid if we wanted eye contact or to see real body language, which comprises 60 percent of communication. Last but not least, these systems required an attendant or AV technician on call at all times to help make the systems work. Sound familiar? Recently, I was invited to Polycom to con- duct a training course for them on display calibration. After delving into my concerns on why videoconferencing does not perform as I — and a lot of people — think it should, I said, “Show me what ya got!” They smiled graciously and led me into a room that had the appearance of a state-ofthe-art home theater. The room was a tiereddesign for better viewing by a larger group — even as users walk to the second or third tiers, they are seen in full height. The height of the displays preserves the virtual room connection. In front of me was a seamless panoramic screen about 3.5 feet high by 16 feet wide. Then, one of my hosts simply touched a button and up popped the display in all its splendor and glory. Another button was pushed that connected us to the “far end” videoconferencing system, and a person on the other end engaged my compatriots and me in conversation. It actually appeared as though his eyes really met mine and shifted to others in our group as he interacted with them. The voice was properly sync’d and appeared to come from the proper direction of all the people talking during the conference. The images and participants were full (continued on page 104) 96 | AV TECHNOLOGY | june 2008 www.avtechnologyonline.com http://www.polycom.com http://www.avtechnologyonline.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of AV Technology - June 2008

AV Technology - June 2008 Contents Precedent Corporate: Global Standardization Government: Strategic Technology Planning Education: It’s All Just a Click Pre-Empting Projector Breakdown Dealing With Technophobes Keeping Ahead of Technology Obsolescence Understanding Video Codecs Rules of Engagement Network, See & Learn Sound From the Heart Sportsbook Makes an Impact Upgrading an AV Image Product Review: Polycom’s RealPresence Experience HD Tech Horizons: A True AV Networking Standard? Product Spotlight: Digital Media Servers; Flat Panel New Products Ad Index AV MO: Calculating Fiber Optic Transmission Distance

AV Technology - June 2008

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