CBT/SMARTdesks, a leading supplier of computer classroom and conference room furniture, introduced a new model for HD videoconferencing with the Viewpoint™ self-contained mobile studio for HD communications over IP.
Viewpoint packages all components required for HD conferencing in one compact solution, allowing businesses, educators, healthcare professionals, lawyers, government agencies, and many others to easily achieve professionally produced results.
Designed for mobility and placement at the appropriate space where communications take place, instead of occupying a fixed position in a conference room, the quickly deployed Viewpoint overcomes the limitations of other solutions by turning any nine-foot by nine-foot space into an on-location HD studio.
“We are proud to introduce Viewpoint, the HD conferencing equivalent to the first time a cinema camera left its fixed position in Edison’s Black Maria studio and was placed on a train,” said Jeffrey Korber, president of CBT/SMARTdesks. “Other solutions — such as cheap and ubiquitous software programs — produce a low-grade experience or are tethered to a conference room, which is typically the case with HD teleconferencing.”
“Viewpoint overcomes these limitations by allowing professional-quality HD productions from any location that best fits the context, such as laboratories for distance learning or the corporate office for business presentations,” added Korber. “Furthermore, Viewpoint can reduce travel costs in a number of applications. For example, in legal depositions the lawyer, stenographer, and depose can be on camera while other legal counsel participates remotely. Patients in healthcare facilities can visit with their families at a distance, or even their physicians, when time or budget don’t allow for travel. The possibilities are virtually endless.”
Viewpoint includes a high-definition Sony® Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) video camera, a 16:9 monitor, and LED video lights mounted to a standard atop a sturdy tripod, which is positioned to support Viewpoint’s deck for vibration-free performance. The HD camera may be positioned at eye level or just above, and can be adjusted to frame other subjects, educational demonstrations, industrial processes, etc. The LED video lights are battery-operated, feature-adjustable variable intensity, and include a diffuser and warming gel for pleasing skin tones. Viewpoint’s deck can be positioned for sitting or standing, and offers three cutouts for positioning on-camera subjects. The phone or microphone system is placed on the deck, while the system’s codec is mounted to a bracket on the column.
You can apply graphic backgrounds with Viewpoint to further enhance the communications experience, and options for laptops and Web cams are available for participation from remote locations. (www.SMARTdesks.com)
