The ease and availability of high-speed Wi-Fi along with a dramatic drop in the price of flat screen TVs has changed the way companies meet — whether from a home office, or bigger conference spaces. Expensive business trips don’t even have to enter the equation to meet face to face. Now, all it takes is a video system and a display to turn any meeting space into a video meeting space.
Whether you’re brainstorming concepts for the product roadmap or analyzing data in a sales report, the availability of a display to connect people over video and screen share is critical for your conference room (learn how to screen share with Lifesize). There are a number of factors to consider when choosing the right display for video conferencing. The size of your conference room, how frequently you’ll be using the system, the quality of the lighting and your budget all play an important role in screen selection. The general rule of thumb is: the bigger the room, the bigger the display.
Conference rooms can vary dramatically in size from the small team huddle room to the huge all-hands auditorium or lecture hall. Think about the viewing angles in the room. You want everyone in the room to be able to see both the faces on a video conference call and the data shared in the online meeting, so select a size accordingly:
One way to ensure the visibility of the participants on the video call and the data shared in a web conference is to organize your video conferencing system for dual displays. Lifesize® Icon™ video conferencing systems can be configured for dual displays in Preferences > Appearance > Physical Display Arrangements. Options for dual displays include the ability to separate callers from an in-call presentation and mirroring the display on another computer monitor or screen when a presentation is not in use.
To achieve the closest eye-to-eye feel over a video call, the display should be mounted at or around eye level. This will help with ergonomics and won’t require attendees to have to strain their neck to view the screen. Placing the camera just above or just below the display will ensure that as you’re looking at your colleague on the screen, you’re also looking at the camera lens. It would also be helpful to have an adjustable stand that also swivels and allows you to find the ideal height for attendees. In our tests, we have found that placing the camera just below the screen, at seated eye level, produces the best results.
Quality sound will help enhance the experience of your video calls. Be sure to select a display with built-in speakers or have a separate sound system for the room. This is especially important for large rooms set up with an HD projector.
Once you’ve established the display size needed, you’ll need to figure out which type to get. It is important to note that not all displays are created equal. There are three major types of video conferencing displays, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:
People no longer buy 720p or even 1080p TVs for their homes. They are buying 4K TVs because they’re the best, they’re future proof and the prices can’t be beaten. Similarly, 4K displays give you a future-proof solution for 4K video conferencing and are perfect for anyone who wants the absolute best quality communication for years to come.
Every person and every meeting room in your organization can be video-enabled with the best communication tool available. The Lifesize shared directory makes one-click video calling quick, easy, and with faster response times for meeting attendees. People and rooms can be searched, filtered, favorited and instantly added to an active call. For a full breakdown of the best video conferencing systems for the different sized conference rooms around your office, check out the Lifesize video conferencing solutions page.