As the video conferencing industry matures, product selection has grown significantly. A recent addition to the VC industry, the video bar, integrates the functions of many products. This all-in-one product is increasing in popularity due to its combination of camera, speaker, and microphone functionality, not only providing an all-round video conferencing solution in a compact form but also simplifying the purchase and setup process for the user.
Conventionally, video bar products have been made for smaller conference rooms or huddle rooms. This is because the cameras and microphones in the video bars generally cannot provide a high-quality video conferencing experience when the device is positioned at too great a distance from the meeting participants.
Seeing that larger spaces could also use the convenience of video bars, AVer built the VB350, an excellent video bar suitable for larger conference rooms. To learn more about the product, we interviewed the AVer product team, giving us an in-depth overview of the most powerful video bar AVer has created to date.
Q: Could you briefly introduce us to the VB350 and its main advantages?
A: Certainly! The VB350 video bar is by far the most powerful video conferencing product we’ve made to date. It’s an all-in-one video conferencing solution: and we worked really hard to cram all the highest-end features and specs into a comparably small amount of space. This is also the first dual lens PTZ video bar developed by AVer, one of the first video bar products on the market to incorporate two lenses and PTZ functionality into one device. Optimizing the machine based on solving major complaints by VC users, we managed to make significant improvements in product setup, camera functionality, and audio reception.
Q: Can you tell us more about how the VB350 improves product setup?
A: Employees always want the business they work for to have the best communication technology to maximize meeting efficiency and output, and oftentimes that means premium video conferencing systems. However, premium often comes with multiple specialized products and respective demanding setup processes, making it hard to adapt these premium systems. The VB350 bypasses all those issues by combining two 4K cameras and 14 beamforming microphones into one device, so you only have to set up one product. What’s more, it offers multiple interfaces for PC control, including USB 2.0 Type A, USB to HDMI, RS-232, and RJ45.
Q: What has been upgraded in terms of camera functionality?
A: We've made huge efforts to understand the biggest issues users experience during video conferences. We found that one of the most troubling issues to VC users is when multiple participants in the room are speaking when in Audio Tracking mode, causing the camera to quickly pan back and forth between users, so viewers on the remote end of the video conference may be confused or uncomfortable. A new feature that the VB350 introduces is called Conversation View, which detects when multiple participants in the room speak one after another and switches to frame all participants so the remote participants can have a comfortable viewing experience. It is also the first dual lens PTZ video bar we've made, and we've made sure that the specs are up to par. The lens boasts 18X hybrid zoom, suitable for rooms that are 7–10 meters deep. The second lens is a wide-angle lens used for a wide view of the meeting room.
Q: You also mentioned that audio reception is significantly better in the VB350. Can you explain more?
A: As mentioned before, the VB350 boasts a 14-element microphone array with beamforming technology, so even in a room with many participants, the meeting participants on the remote end of the video conference will be able to hear everyone like they’re in the room with everyone.
The Audio Tracking provided through the beamforming microphone array is especially impressive because the microphones can pinpoint the direction from which the voice comes, allowing the camera to focus on whoever is speaking at the moment.
Also worth mentioning is that we also improved Audio Fence in the VB350, so it now eliminates background noise more effectively by capturing voices detected within the camera viewing area. This makes it possible to have clear audio even if the video conference takes place in open areas with many voices and other noises, like open workspaces.
Q: Could you tell me about other useful VB350 product features?
A: The VB350, like many other AVer video conferencing products, will have handy features like presentation mode, auto framing, gesture control, and PTZ App 2 functionality. Presentation Mode is a mode that utilizes voice tracking while incorporating preset areas, so the camera will always stay on the presenter and content. Auto Framing is still a great feature to have, especially when new members join the meeting, and it allows everyone to be seen on camera. Gesture Control allows the video bar to be able to be controlled without contact through hand gestures made by the hand of participants. Last but not least, our free software app PTZApp 2 offers users advanced control over AVer products through features like Smart Gallery. These product features provide great value to our customers.
Q: What do you think will be the next trend in video conferencing?
A: Undoubtedly, premium video bars. We’ve done a lot of research on what customers want and we are sure that video bars will continue to grow in popularity due to the convenience of the product. People will always want more powerful machines with better specs, which is why AVer puts in great effort to develop premium video bars like the VB350 that create immense value for our customers while simplifying the painful processes that come with product setup and control.