This curious device intelligently improves group video conferencing

The Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro kit contains everything you need to enhance your video meetings. Jack Wallen/ZDNET

I have attended many remote meetings with several participants. And the device of these meetings consisted in each person being alone in a room with a camera pointed directly at his face.

However, I have happened to attend meetings where many people were sitting around a table. In these cases, not everyone could be seen or heard, which turned the meeting into a moment of frustration, with the meeting moderators having to move the camera and microphone so that each participant could intervene.

Or the camera/microphone was far enough away to show everyone, but then it was difficult to see the faces or hear the voices. If these meetings had used the kit Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room, I am certain that these problems would have been avoided.

A 360-degree 4K camera that automatically follows the person who is talking

What is the Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro Room Kit? It is simply two different cameras, one used for the presenter and the other for the “table”.

The first camera, Capsule Pro, is a 360-degree 4K camera that automatically follows the person talking, but also focuses on them, regardless of where they are sitting around the table. The camera is able to zoom in on up to three participants while they are talking, so that remote teams can hear and see everyone. The second camera (the “Streaming”, the streaming camera) is placed on a tripod and stays in place (unless you move it) and focuses on a single participant.

Thanks to this combination, each person sitting around the table will be seen and heard by the other participants in the meeting.

The characteristics of the Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro kit

The Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro kit has the following features:

Two 4K lenses with Sony sensors and 1080P output

Speaker tracking thanks to AI

360 Degree capture (with the Capsule)

Noise suppression thanks to AI, capable of eliminating 2,969 types of noise

Full duplex audio

Built-in 10 Watt Hi-Fi speaker

8+2 microphones in beamforming mode at a range of 5.4 m (2 noise-canceling microphones and 8 omnidirectional microphones)

Automatic synchronization between the Capsule and the Streaming Camera

Fully ready to use (no driver is needed)

Magnetic cover to cover the Capsule Camera

Works with macOS and Windows

Compatible with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, FaceTime, Skype and GoToMeeting

Price: 1 105 €

The performances of the Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro kit

I was skeptical at first. However, as soon as I installed the device (which is very simple) and plugged it into my MacBook Pro, I was impressed. Although my tests were limited (as I don’t have a room full of people at my disposal to do tests), it quickly became clear that the Emeet was working well. Posed on the floor of my office, I turned the Streaming camera on me and I launched a Zoom meeting to see how it works.

A quick test of the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room kit turned out to be quite impressive. Jack Wallen/ZDNET

And it works, and very well. I could immediately see how much the Capsule allowed to highlight the people who express themselves. Of course, the images I took don’t do the Emeet justice… especially since they do not reveal the sound quality of the device, which is good. The Capsule microphones pick up with a clarity that I have not heard in many other similar meeting devices.

The installation of the Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro kit

First of all, the instructions are a little missing (and the text is very small for aging eyes). Basically, this is how the installation works:

Plug the power cord into the capsule.

Using the included USB Type-C cable, connect the Capsule to your laptop or desktop computer.

Turn on the Streaming camera (which will automatically pair with the Capsule).

Start a meeting.

There are no drivers to install, so the Capsule should be supported by the video conferencing service you are using. There is nothing easier than using the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit Kit.

One thing to keep in mind: the Streaming camera uses an integrated battery, which is recharged via a USB Type-C cable. So be sure to leave it either charged or plugged in.

ZDNET buying tips for the Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro Kit

Due to its price, this tool is not intended for everyone. However, if meetings with several participants sitting around a table are your livelihood, the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit can bring great added value to these professional appointments and avoid many frustrations. If you feel that your current video conferencing solution leaves something to be desired, give it a try.

Source: “ZDNet.com “