Video conferencing equipment

davidv

What video conferencing equipment do you guys use?

Whats affordable and reliable?
What works well with AMX (modules)

ericmedley

Polycom works. As for inexpensive??? well, not really. But It does work very well.

rfletcher

We use both Polycom and Tandberg/Cisco here.

I much prefer the newer Tandberg stuff (C-series) to the Polycom HDX boxes. This, however, has more to do with the on screen interface and the connections on the box than control system programming (Hooray for no proprietary connectors )

Both have been very reliable in my experience, as long as you are careful to provide adequate ventilation. These boxes get hot, 'specially the larger models. If you stick them in an unventilated cabinet they will overheat and do very odd things.

I use the available duet modules to control both and for the most part they work fine (except when the manufacturers change the API in ways that break the existing module, both of them have done that in the last year or so :mad:).

Are they affordable? Well that depends on what affordable means to you

Hedberg

Have had recent experiences with license issues with Polycom units. Apparently, Polycom is quite proud of the fact that the units have VGA inputs (Visual Concert, they call it). So proud, in fact, that a special license is required to enable it. Maybe I misunderstand what's going on -- I'm just a programmer -- but this seems odd to me.

We've used Polycom, Tandberg, and Lifesize. Lifesize has become popular of late, I assume for $$$ reasons.

ericmedley

Hedberg wrote: »

Have had recent experiences with license issues with Polycom units. Apparently, Polycom is quite proud of the fact that the units have VGA inputs (Visual Concert, they call it). So proud, in fact, that a special license is required to enable it. Maybe I misunderstand what's going on -- I'm just a programmer -- but this seems odd to me.

We've used Polycom, Tandberg, and Lifesize. Lifesize has become popular of late, I assume for $$$ reasons.

I know what you mean about Polycom. I don't know if they read the press, but the technology they rely upon to do what they do is fairly freely available and it's only a matter of time before the things they do will be available on iPads and whatnot for $4.99. You'd think they'd be redoing their business model. I guess the plan is to beat the cash cow into a bloody pulp and lick up every last drop of money before it goes away.

rfletcher

Hedberg wrote: »

Have had recent experiences with license issues with Polycom units. Apparently, Polycom is quite proud of the fact that the units have VGA inputs (Visual Concert, they call it). So proud, in fact, that a special license is required to enable it. Maybe I misunderstand what's going on -- I'm just a programmer -- but this seems odd to me.

We've used Polycom, Tandberg, and Lifesize. Lifesize has become popular of late, I assume for $$$ reasons.

Yeah Polycom's licensing can be a bit irritating, 'specially because what you need licenses for is not consistent between models.

PhreaK

ericmedley wrote: »

I don't know if they read the press, but the technology they rely upon to do what they do is fairly freely available and it's only a matter of time before the things they do will be available on iPads and whatnot for $4.99.

A lot of tech is freely available, it's how it's implemented and combined with other tech that's worth money.

Personally, I enjoy playing with the Tandberg gear - the C-series stuff is pure sex in 19" rack mountable form, pure ridiculously expensive shiny sex.

As for suggestions that is dependant on the environment, intended application and budget constraints. It's a bit like asking "what's a good car"?