The pandemic changed the way many of us do business. Even though the peak of COVID-19 is long past, the virus and Net Zero have done more to reduce unnecessary business travel for meetings, especially now we have video conferencing applications like Zoom and Microsoft Teams.
With fewer face-to-face meetings, it makes sense to invest in good-quality video conferencing equipment that can make online meetings as productive and as inclusive as possible. However, two-room group meetings present different challenges than one-to-one online meetings with a simple webcam.
To address the problem of making sure everyone is seen and heard in meetings, Emeet has developed its Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit. This video conferencing solution in a box consists of a 360º capsule camera with a 4K Sony image sensor and a video output 1080p. A 4K sensor provides clearer images when zooming in even though the video stream is limited to 1080p.
The camera uses AI to track presenters or meeting participants, even if they move around the room. The camera can zoom in on up to three participants simultaneously, making it easier to see people’s reactions.
Alongside the 360º capsule, the kit ships with a second streaming camera that can be fixed on a tripod as the primary camera for a presenter or a flipchart/whiteboard. The 360º capsule webcam has a microphone array of eight beamforming mics and two noise-canceling mics that can filter out almost every unwanted sound. The mic array can pick up sound clearly from all around the room and even zooms in on voices using beamforming technology.
AI is an overused term, so when a company says it has an intelligent video system that can function like a TV director and automatically frame speakers and pick up their voices clearly, that’s quite a bold claim. However, that’s what the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit does. It’s a plug-and-play solution and works straight out of the box with all the leading meetings software such as Teams, Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, BlueJeans and Cisco Webex.
By placing the 360º capsule camera in the middle of a table, it’s possible to get full video coverage of a meeting with between 8 and 12 participants. A magnetic lens cover for the dual lens on the capsule webcam ensures privacy when meetings aren’t in progress. The microphone array is particularly efficient at isolating individual voices and balancing the audio levels so that people furthest away sound as clear as those nearest the capsule. The volume levels are adjusted automatically to give an even sound overall.
The capsule unit has a speaker built in for the incoming audio. The speaker has an output of 10W, loud enough to fill a medium-sized meeting room. If necessary, the sound can be amplified using an auxiliary audio output. The audio system is full duplex, meaning both parties can speak simultaneously without cutting each other off. It makes for a far more naturally flowing conversation.
The streaming webcam works alongside the capsule unit and they sync together automatically. The streaming unit can be used for charts or any other physical display. Alternatively, it can work as a dedicated camera for whoever chairs the meeting or gives the main presentation. The kit also includes symbols printed on cards that can be placed on a flipchart or whiteboard as a guide for the streaming camera to zoom in and frame automatically.
The clever thing about the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit is how it works on Windows and Mac computers without any drivers. The intelligence is all in the firmware of the capsule, which functions like a TV director and intelligently frames whoever is speaking in a meeting. The device intelligently frames and zooms in on participants, ensuring no one is left out of the meeting and that everything flows naturally.
The streaming camera and capsule are both powered by rechargeable batteries, so there’s no need to worry about having access to power outlets. Alternatively, they can be plugged into a power source if that’s more convenient. The battery option means you can meet almost anywhere with a battery-powered laptop and Wi-Fi signal. It certainly makes holding meetings in nearly every room or space possible.
Verdict: The Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit isn’t cheap, but it is good value for what it does. For around $999.99 and a laptop, you can have a sophisticated TV studio in almost any meeting room. Instead of huddling around a single webcam, you can meet with people sitting around a table just like a face-to-face conference. The Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro will take care of the sound and vision, leaving you free to concentrate on holding the meeting and ensuring everyone has their say. There are similar systems on the market from Logitech and Kandao that specialize in conferencing video equipment, but this unit from Emeet, with its two cameras and 360º coverage, offers excellent value for money.
Pricing & Availability: The Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit is available now and costs $999.99 / £986.
More info: emeet.com
Tech Specs:
- Dual lenses with 4K Sony image sensors
- Video output: 1080P.
- AI-powered speaker tracking.
- 360º capture with capsule webcam.
- Noise cancellation with filtering for 2,969 different noises.
- Full duplex: Yes.
- Speaker: 10W.
- Microphones: 8+2 beamforming (8 omnidirectional mics plus 2 noise-cancelling mics).
- Auto-sync between capsule and streaming camera
- No drivers required.
- Lens cover for privacy.
- System compatibility: macOS/Windows.
- Works with: Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, BlueJeans, Cisco Webex, Apple FaceTime, and Skype.
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