This video meeting solution isn’t cheap, but it’s perfect for home workers seeking the professional touch
Story by Dave Mitchell, ITPro.
Working from home will be with us for a while yet – indeed, many workers aren’t ever planning to return to the office, which means personal videoconferencing is now a regular fact of life. It’s time to replace those clip-on cameras and tinny speakers with a proper solution, and Poly has an ideal alternative in the Studio P21, a conveniently sized desktop monitor that integrates everything you need for top-quality video calls.
At first glance, the P21 looks like a fairly ordinary 21.5in LCD monitor. It has a standard 1080p resolution and fabric grille across the bottom, which hides a 10W speaker on each side. The first visible clue that it’s more than a regular display is the camera set discreetly into the top bezel; look closely and you’ll also spot soft buttons below the screen that not only control the volume but can also mute the microphone and trigger a range of custom actions on the host PC, including opening your default videoconferencing app. The LED light strips at each side of the screen have a part to play, too – they help balance out the lighting on your face, so you don’t get a blue cast from the screen. Touch sensors at the rear of the screen let you control their brightness by stroking your fingers up and down.
