Top 3 Components in Choosing Your Video Conferencing System Continued - Part 3
Posted on Wed, Aug 25, 2010
Component #3 - How much should you expect to pay for a good conference room video system?
If you’re starting out the process in evaluating video systems, the first question you may have is “how much should I expect to pay for a good conference room video system”. This should be used as a good guideline for budgeting. Of course there are many variations, and different organizations have different needs, but we will try to cover most of the main elements.
Here are the main features that are options when choosing a video system:
- Resolution
- PC Sharing
- Multipoint (more than a 1 to 1 video call)
Resolution
In the video world there are 2 HD resolutions available. They are the same as you would see on any TV at Best Buy which is 720p and 1080p. Both are considered HD but 1080p is generally referred to FULL HD. All of the big 3 make 1080p capable systems and one makes some 720p only systems. We get this question all the time “do I really need 1080p for a video call”? The answer is that today you don’t. Very few calls are made at 1080p. BUT we recommend that everyone invests in systems that support 1080p for two reasons. First, is that 1080p does NOT cost more, so there are no extra costs involved. So of course 1080p is preferable to 720p if they are the same price. Secondly, while you may not be doing 1080p calls today, in a couple of years 1080p will be the standard and you will want to do calls at 1080p. The user base will demand it. The last thing you want to do is have to buy a whole new system in 3 years when you can future proof yourself for when that time comes. It’s just like when you go to Best Buy and can hardly find a TV that doesn’t support 1080p. In the TV market it is already the standard.
Bottom Line: there is no longer a cost difference.
PC Sharing
This allows you to show the other location(s) both your camera image of the people in the room and allows you to plug in your PC/Laptop (PC or MAC) and show a file. This is known in the industry as h.329 or dual stream (2 simultaneous streams). This is now a standard feature across all of the systems on the market. It used to be that this feature was an extra cost on some systems, but now it’s standard.
Bottom Line: this is no longer a cost difference.
Multipoint (MP)
This is a key feature where costs do come into play. All systems can do what is called a point to point call, meaning I can call from my system to your system in a 1 to 1 call. A multipoint call is a call that involves three or more systems into a single call. All of the big 3 make systems that do single point calls, and all make systems that support units that do a 4-way call. One provider (Lifesize) makes a 6 and an 8-way system.
Most companies deploy the Multipoint capable system in HQ and/or the other bigger locations as needed, while putting in the single point systems at the remote/smaller sites. Only the “host” or “hub” location needs to have this capability to connect all the calls.
Typical deployment
4 locations, HQ: gets 4-way MP system with dual monitors mounted on the wall with 1 year of support
Expected cost to deploy: $15,000
Extended Sites: gets a single point system, with a single monitor on the wall with 1 year of support
Expected cost to deploy: $10,000
If you have gotten proposals for more than these numbers then you should call us right away and we will get you the right solution at the right price.
Author: Walter Somsel