Sony is expanding its IPELA line of Internet protocol (IP)-based collaborative communications products with two new videoconferencing systems. The PCS-TL30 (£TBA) system is designed for desktop use and the PCS-G50 (£3320 ex. VAT) is suited to conference room or other permanent installations.

The new models are designed to add depth and flexibility to the IPELA family. The PCS-TL30 promises to make desktop videoconferencing a snap with a fully-functioning A/V interface, and the PCS-G50 claims to provide excellent audio and video quality for multipoint calls. Both systems fill an important midrange market niche, says Sony.

The PCS-TL30 is a standalone IP-based videoconferencing system that can also double as a PC display, conserving desktop space by providing all-in-one system multi-functionality. With a graphical interface and mouse-operated one-click dialling, the system integrates a 4x digital zoom camera, high-quality directional microphone, 17-inch WXGA LCD monitor and mono speaker. The system complies with the H.264 standard to deliver high-quality video at up to 2Mbit/s. Support for MPEG-4 AAC audio (14 kHz) should also provides excellent sound quality while reducing bandwidth requirements.

Compliance with a range of industry standards enables operation of these products as an endpoint with other standards-based systems. The initial version of the PCS-TL30 supports UPnP. Options for the PCS-TL30 include the Data Solution Module (PCSA-DSM1), a plug-in for Sony group conferencing systems to enable the sharing of PC files while a conference is in progress. Support for the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) will also be available as an option for the PCS-TL30.

The PCS-G50 system is built on the same platform as Sony's PCS-1 and PCS-G70 videoconferencing series, but adds the scalability necessary for installation in a range of environments. The system can be customised with capture, output and display options, and is allegedly capable of delivering 'broadcast-quality' video over IP networks utilising the H.263 standard video codec/4CIF format at a maximum video transfer rate of 4Mbit/s. For higher throughput, the PCS-G50 also supports the H.264 standard as well as previous ITU-T standard videoconferencing codecs for enhanced compatibility with legacy systems.

Internal Multi-Control Unit (MCU) enables broad interoperability by bridging mixed calls between ISDN and IP networks, allowing you to match individual speeds rather than drop the performance of the entire system to the lowest rate. The system supports multi-point conferencing with six endpoints or up to 10 endpoints by cascading two PCS-G50s. A 'site name' display should make identification of multiple participants easier.

The Remote Commander wireless remote control further facilitates system operation, and can immediately connect to any one of three contacts pre-programmed into the launch menu with up to 500 additional contacts stored in the address book. The Remote Commander unit also features a call log that can store the last 32 inbound and outbound calls. Audio and video can be saved to Memory Stick media. The system incorporates data sharing, QoS support functions to maximise bandwidth efficiency, encryption and digital whiteboard support.

BIOS, Nov 10, 05 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Web camera