A modern-day meeting room is not just a meeting room with chairs and tables. It is an experience, and many companies don’t hold back on investing to have the best meeting room experience possible. A major part of this meeting room experience comes from the video conferencing experience. It is the video conferencing equipment which contributes a lot to this feel-good factor.
So, in this blog, we are going to see the top 10 video conferencing equipment that makes a video conference complete.
1. Display
Displays play a huge part in the modern meeting room setup. A large and high-resolution screen (HD or 4KHD) like Samsung, LG, Vestel etc., is ideal for video conferencing in a meeting room and when you are attending a meeting remotely, from your laptop, then a laptop with good resolution is needed to have a flawless video conferencing experience.
This is an important aspect of video conferencing because the quality of meetings depends almost directly on the quality of the display. The new-age addition to this is the interactive display where the display is touchscreen enabled and it is highly useful when you want to use annotation during a video conference call.
2. Microphones
A very essential part of a video conference is the microphone. A bad microphone can completely spoil the experience of the people who are listening to you, and it can sometimes lead to misunderstandings when they don’t understand what you are saying.
Modern meeting rooms are equipped with very advanced microphones. Few use tabletop conference room microphones and place them right above the table like coasters for an extended range of audio pickup. Few use gooseneck mics which are placed individually for each person sitting in the meeting room. And few companies use fancy ceiling microphones where the mics won’t be seen and when you are attending a video conference from your phone or laptop, it is advised to connect an earphone with a good microphone to the device for a better video conferencing experience.
3. Camera
One of the most important items of equipment is the camera. Video conferencing cannot be called “video” conferencing without a camera. The video conferencing cameras nowadays are very advanced and seamless.
Cameras like Poly Studio have voice tracking features where the camera will adjust itself and focus on the person who is speaking. And there are options to set the camera in “team view” where the entire room and the participants are covered. Cameras like this have revolutionized the experience of video conferencing.
There are different cameras for different rooms. These different cameras are designed specifically for the types of meeting rooms. (Huddle rooms, Medium sized rooms and Board rooms)
If you are video conferencing from a laptop and if the laptop’s camera is not up to the mark, you can always use a good webcam for better quality of capturing.
4. Speaker
Crisp and clear audio always makes a difference during a video conference. Many of the camera bars come with a built-in speaker and it works wonders for a meeting room. Many companies also prefer installing ceiling speakers for better experience. Infact, the rooms are built to equip the acoustics of speakers.
While video conferencing in a meeting room, it is very important that everyone in the room listens to the audio clearly to understand what the participants are saying or presenting. To make this possible, companies fix speakers in different parts of the room to make sure everyone in the meeting room listens to the audio with the same depth and volume.
When you are attending a meeting online from your laptop/phone, it is recommended to connect wired or wireless earphones to hear the audio clearly.
5. Video Conferencing Software
You need a medium where you can conduct the video conferences and we have different platforms available for that. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex and Amazon Chime are some of the popular video conferencing software available to us. These platforms have enabled individuals and businesses to do things faster than ever by enabling meetings over the internet.
It is necessary to have basic knowledge about these platforms to use these platforms and carry out seamless meetings.
6. Network Equipment
Video conferencing cannot function without internet. So, static internet connection is a must to ensure uninterrupted video conferencing. A wired ethernet connection is preferred to maintain stable connectivity. But if there are many devices to connect, then a well-covered Wi-Fi connectivity is necessary in order to conduct a stable video conference.
All the previously mentioned equipment will make no difference if there is no stable network. Be it at home or in a meeting room, a stable internet connection is the heart of video conferencing, without it, video conferencing wouldn’t be possible.
7. Mounts
All equipment has its place in the meeting room, and it cannot be randomly placed on the table. We need different mounts for different equipment, and it is very important to procure these mounts and set up the equipment well in advance (right when the meeting room is set up).
8. Cables and Accessories
Cables like HDMI, USB etc., are the nervous system in meeting room and without these, smooth and un-interrupted video conferencing is not possible. Cables are very important in video conferencing because it gives access to all the peripherals available in the meeting room.
When we talk about wires and cables, it will not be right if we don’t talk about cable management system. Without this, all the cables will be hanging around making the meeting room look unorganized and it will very well be visible during a video conference.
9. Zoapi Hub
What if we have a way to make the meeting room wireless? What if we have a single device that connects all the peripherals and makes video conferencing much simpler and easier? Yes, you read it right! Zoapi Hub connects all the peripherals and eliminates the need to connect HDMIs and USBs to your laptops, making it the best video conferencing experience that you could possibly have.
But that’s not all, it is Zoapi Connect, the homegrown software of Zoapi, that takes the video conferencing experience to the next level. Zoapi Connect makes it possible for your laptop/phone/tab screen to be shared on the bigger display of the meeting room without connecting a single cable to your device.
It integrates your favorite calendar, be it Google Calendar, Microsoft O365 or anything else and enables ‘One Click Join’ into the meeting. This means, you needn’t carry your laptop into the meeting room, and you can join the video conference with just one click!
Zoapi Hub and Zoapi Connect have many other features and add much more value to a meeting room, making it one of the most essential equipment to have during a Video Conference.
10. Zoapi Room Scheduler
A video conference cannot be conducted without planning. And for planning, the first requirement is the place and the time. But checking for the availability of a meeting room becomes a tedious job especially when there are many meeting rooms, and you don’t know which one is free at what time.
That’s where Zoapi’s Room Scheduler becomes the best asset to have. It syncs with the meeting room’s calendar and shows precisely what times the meeting room will be available. It also allows you to book the meeting room directly from the Room Scheduler, making it more convenient for you to avail yourself of a meeting room.
These are the top 10 Video Conferencing Equipment that has changed video conferencing experience for good. We hope you make the best use of them and have a hassle-free experience. Happy Video Conferencing!
