Meeting Equity and Crestron’s 1 Beyond Cameras

Posted October 16, 2024

In Crestron One Beyond, New York City, NY

Visual AI Tracking and Optical Zooming Optimize Video Conferencing Images

Meeting equity is a term that has been growing in use since the hybrid workforce became permanent. It relates to everyone in a meeting, whether onsite or virtual, having the same ability to collaborate with others and see and hear everyone clearly. This capability has proven to be one of the greatest challenges since virtual meetings and video conferencing became the norm.

As with most challenges in this arena, Crestron stepped up to the plate. In 2024, they launched Crestron 1 Beyond, four new intelligent cameras with optical zoom. Let’s explore what these offer your onsite and remote participants and how they create equal participation.

The Problem: Larger Conference Rooms

As a panacea to the unexpected work-at-home world, companies began searching for video conferencing spaces anywhere they could find them. The result was an influx of small huddle spaces and medium-sized conference rooms quickly adapted for the new norm.

Today, to accommodate all participants, the trend is leaning toward larger spaces, including boardrooms, revised for onsite and remote meetings and brainstorming sessions. The problem is that the AV equipment designed for small to mid-size rooms doesn’t adequately cover these larger spaces.

The answer is Crestron 1 Beyond cameras.

The Solution to Meeting Equity in Larger Spaces

Traditional video cameras used in conference rooms can’t clearly capture images that are 15-plus feet away, the typical length of a boardroom. Yet, it is in these spaces that decisions are made—with a direct impact on a company’s success. To support these all-important meetings, Crestron launched their 1 Beyond PTZ camera line.

The following represents these cameras’ unique capabilities that make them ideal for larger spaces:

Crystal-clear video: With up to 20x optical zoom, cameras bring participants at the far end of the room into clear focus, even those up to 60 feet away.
Intelligent AI-enhanced: Smart cameras possess speaker tracking and framing capabilities, creating a broadcast-quality experience for remote participants.
Leveraging multiple cameras: For large areas with multiple speakers, Crestron’s voice-activated tracking system integrates with up to 12 1 Beyond cameras. The system can use one camera to frame everyone at the table and others to track the speakers.

Optical Compared to Digital Zoom

When a camera uses digital zoom, it blows up an image and crops it. As you can imagine, the clarity in this process is significantly diminished with reduced pixel density. On the other hand, the 1 Beyond camera’s lens includes optical zoom, making images significantly clearer and more lifelike.

Research confirms that hybrid meetings can be more productive and useful than traditional meetings when the right technology is integrated. These advanced cameras allow remote participants to see the all-important nonverbal clues, such as facial expressions and hand gestures, that often provide as much information as the spoken word. Are you ready to enhance your hybrid work solutions, creating spaces for connectivity, collaboration, and meeting equity? As a leading technology systems integrator, our team at Alliance Telecommunications is here to help you redefine your meeting spaces for your hybrid workforce. To learn more about Crestron 1 Beyond or to schedule a complimentary consultation, contact Alliance Telecommunications today.