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Video conferencing is one of the most compelling retail technologies
available today. Despite its inability to accommodate the olfactory and
tactile senses, video conferencing delivers a medium convincing enough to
human sensory perception that enables two or more individuals to
communicate in a natural way almost as if they were sitting opposite each
other in the same room. That is, if conditions are optimal on both the
near and far end (depending upon bandwidth and other restrictions) video
conferencing delivers visual and auditory information in much the same way
as an actual face-to-face interaction.
Today video conferencing is understood to be, in many vertical business
markets as well as fields of education, an effective means of
communication. The many technologies video conferencing employs not only
have the potential to curtail the expenditures of travel, but just as
effectively eliminate the geographical factor all together -- affording
many new opportunities such as fostering relationships between students of
different cultures, or the chance to speak or listen to an authority on a
particular subject who would otherwise be inaccessible. In a time when
most companies are making deep cutbacks, the nascent video conferencing
business is beginning to look even better.
Ivron Systems, established in 1998 from technology provider Mentec’s
video conferencing division, has recently become a part of Gentner
Communications Corporation. Gentner is now shipping the subject of this
product review: the VuLink 326. We configured this out-of-box conferencing
equipment on our LAN to evaluate the basic operation, ease-of-use, and
setup of the VuLink 326.
The VuLink is a compact video conferencing device that is able to
interface with both IP and ISDN services. The unit runs on a closed,
Windows CE operating system supporting a PCMCIA slot for loading
collaboration documents via a removable memory card (not included) and
second serial port. The VuLink is compatible with a VGA monitor or a
composite monitor. Certain VuLink models require that the same video
standard (NTSC or PAL) as the camera be used.
FEATURES
Release 3.0 is touting Presentation Via Browser. Internet Explorer 4.0 is
built into the GUI allowing users to surf the Internet, or use it for
collaboration purposes with the far end, while in a H.320 call. A revised
infrared remote has also been added to the unit with a flip-up cover
housing a keyboard almost the length of the remote -- about nine inches.
The remote also has a built-in mouse control for use with the Web browser
or GUI.
Other notables:
- Remote camera system available.
- 6B ISDN 384 Kbps.
- Full-duplex digital audio with noise suppression and echo
cancellation.
- T.120 support via NetMeeting.
- Tabletop microphone.
- 12x variable zoom lens.
- Camera position presets.
- Far end camera control.
- Support for G722, G723 (H.320 only), G728, G711 (H.320 only) a-law,
and G711 u-law codecs.
- Dual monitor capable.
- Address book.
- Built-in Web browser (Internet Explorer 4.0).
Also available to enhance functionality of the VuLink are VuConsole and
VuMeeting. VuConsole software allows administrators to manage a system or
multiple systems via the web and a password protected user interface.
VuMeeting allows users to integrate the VuLink with Microsoft Outlook to
automate scheduling. Neither of these products were available to us at the
time of testing.
INSTALLATION
Part of the VuLink’s appeal is simple setup. Since our LAN employs a
DHCP server, installing the unit required little more that taking the
VuLink out of the box and placing it where it’ll reside, relative to its
monitor. If your LAN doesn’t use the DHCP service, simply assigning a
static IP address is just as easy. Of course, the trivial tasks are still
there: connecting the AC, microphone, speakers, monitor, and Ethernet
cable, which requires roughly the same technical aptitude necessary to
connect a VCR or DVD player to a television set. Within fifteen minutes of
removing the Styrofoam packing from its box, a 17-inch VGA monitor was
broadcasting live footage of TMC Labs.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
A review of the VuLink utilizing transfer via IP revealed that most of the
sharing and Web collaboration capabilities are available exclusively
through H.320. Regrettably, our test bed was limited to IP functionality
because we were not able to test the ISDN interface using our telco’s
service, nor did we have a second conferencing system in the lab to use in
conjunction with an ISDN simulator.
Because the VuLink utilizes the H.323 protocol we opted for some tests
with NetMeeting. Notably, we did have a bit of trouble getting the initial
transmissions to perform the way they should.
Subscribing to a point-to-point connection configuration using the
NetMeeting client, we had some initial difficulty with the audio portion
of the transmission. Briefly summed up, we could hear a degraded
transmission from the far end to the VuLink when connected, but could hear
no audio transmission at all from the VuLink to the NetMeeting client --
except for the first second or so of the call. Within this time period, it
was possible to transmit and receive audio using the VuLink. After that,
however, all outgoing audio was abruptly silenced.
Since we weren’t hearing anything from the transmission point, logic
initially steered us to the originator of the call, the VuLink. We began
manually selecting different codecs from its GUI in an effort to correct
the situation. After eventually exhausting all possibilities without
favorable results, we set our sights on the other half of the equation --
NetMeeting. Some brief experimentation led us to the activation of the
DirectSound feature on the NetMeeting GUI. This was accomplished by
selecting the checkbox marked “Enable DirectSound for Improved Audio
Performance” on the Audio tab. Full-duplex audio operated perfectly from
that point forward.
The picture and voice quality over our LAN were very good. After
correcting the initial audio problem, we also changed the rate to 192
Kbps, which improved picture quality and frame rates. We used the VuLink
to connect with NetMeeting clients behind our firewall and experienced
crisp audio and video transmission.
We found there to be some limitations using only the IP functionality
of the product. While on an IP call, we weren’t able to use Internet
Explorer 4.0. This leaves H.320 calls to solely support the simultaneous
use of a video conferencing transmission and the Internet browser. The
VuLink does support Annex D still image resolution or H.261, an ITU
standard for compressing H.320 video conferencing transmissions. The
documentation says that VuLink will work with any H.320 device that
supports Annex D. Sending a document to an endpoint can also be
accomplished utilizing an external PC running NetMeeting 2.1 connected to
a second serial port on the VuLink. The endpoint may also need to employ a
similar configuration, or support the data conferencing standard, T.120,
depending upon the solution that’s employed. Further, we missed not
having the ability to record a portion or all of a conference. This could
be a very useful feature for reviewing material, or to present to a team
member who couldn’t make the original session.
CONCLUSION
The VuLink 326 is a simple-to-use video conferencing system with document
sending and viewing capabilities. Our test system was set up and
transmitting IP calls in very short order. The GUI provides a
user-friendly and visual, icon-orientated menu. We also liked the flip-top
remote with mini-keyboard and mouse control -- a great way to eliminate
multiple input devices. Summed up, the VuLink is a solid video
conferencing solution at a very competitive price.
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