Video conferencing is becoming a massive trend in numerous areas of communications at an explosive rate. Whether we’re talking about University learning environments, corporate settings or small business conferencing with freelancers and telecommuters; in all of these cases, a growing list of video calling options is presenting itself at extremely reasonable prices and easy to arrange set up times.
That said, with all the options available, it’s easy to overlook the essentials and the best gadgets or brands that represent these vital core tools for video conferencing. In order to make things a bit simpler, take a look through the following list to find out exactly what will work best at fulfilling your professional quality video calling needs without making things overly complicated or pricey.
1. High End Tablet
While video conferencing is something that many of us normally associate with desktop PCs or laptops, doing it on the go with a high quality mobile device is becoming more and more common. The iPad With Retina Display or another high level brand such as the Galaxy Note 2 are all great examples of tablets that make the grade for some seriously good video conferencing and calling capacity.
In both cases you get awesome video rendering, crystal clear display technology (especially in the iPads case thanks to Retina) and the capacity to download numerous powerful video calling apps for one-on-one or multiway calls.
2. HD Video Camera
For those of you that plan on holding your conference calls from desktop machines, an HD camera is an absolute must-have gadget that delivers the kind of results you need for optimal video (depending on how strong your web connection is). Instead of enduring pixelated low quality calls with built in computer cams, go for much clearer quality with a separate video cam brand. A couple of good examples are the Logitech TV Cam HD, which works only with HD TVs, and the Logitech HD Pro Webcam, which can be used for computers and laptops.
3. Headset
Without a high quality headset, no video conferencing conversation is quite as clear as it could be, and tabletop or computer microphones are no substitute. However, any headset you buy should not only be comfortable but also as unobtrusive as possible. You don’t want something clunky surrounding your cranium as you talk to clients or business partners.
An excellent choice is the Plantronics Blackwire C320 USB Headset, which easily connects to your computer, is made with a solid, reliable frame and offers optimal audio quality with a comfortable fit.
4. Video Conferencing Screen
Holding your calls on a clear high definition monitor or screen is vital to easy communication and viewing between you and those you’re talking to. Because of this, you shouldn’t shirk on quality by settling for something cheap or with low resolution. Instead, go for what will provide the best image quality you can reasonably afford and make your video conferences truly professional.
One option is an HD TV, for which you can use the Logitech TV Cam HD mentioned above to create truly wide angle, high definition video calls. Or, you can also try a product such as the Samsung VC240 23.6″ widescreen LCD display monitor, which is completely designed and built for high level, professional video conferences.
5. Web Conferencing Software
No web conference is professionally complete without software that lets you integrate the whole meeting together, set up webinars or conferences and share data easily between yourself and just one or numerous other conference call attendees.
There are numerous all-in-one services like this available on the market but one particularly well priced option is Adobe Connect (current edition: 9) With Adobe you can do all of the above and at the same time create a calling environment in which everyone can communicate across numerous different devices, share information and make high quality recordings of all conference materials.
About the author: Steven Chalmers works closely with tech companies to provide expert quality content and freelance tech articles. When he’s not writing, you can find him covering Intercall’s web conferencing services.