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Polycom's VSX 5000, the most recent release of the video conferencing platform, provides quality pictures, but setup can be unintuitive. Audio and video quality on slow links are adequate, and VSX 5000 is easy to use in production. Multiple input/output jacks are supplied. Rated excellent overall, VSX 5000 can connect an Ethernet network or to as many as four ISDN BRI links. Each VSX 5000 unit includes the conferencing unit, a camera, a microphone, and an ISDN adapter. Clearer labeling is definitely needed. A second set of jacks is provided to allow connectivity to another video input signal, such as a VCR or DVD player. Software configuration was straightforward, and video was very clear with an almost-broadcast-quality refresh rate. Stereo sound adds richness to audio, and slides for a PowerPoint presentation were a bit fuzzy, but readable at 20 points or higher. Audio and video are streamed off the VSX 5000 through QuickTime. If the camera picks up the voice of someone speaking a few words near the unit not being used, the image will switch to that unit. During testing, conferencing between two local locations that are Internet-connected by OC-3 required that the units auto-negotiate to find the connection speed and best compression algorithm and protocol to use. Results were compelling because stereo content was close-to broadcast quality.
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Information Sources, Inc.
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