×

SUBSCRIBE TO TMCnet
TMCnet - World's Largest Communications and Technology Community

CHANNEL BY TOPICS


QUICK LINKS




 

Product_Reviews.gif (5213 bytes)
July 1999


Envision

Sorenson
1011 West 400 North
Logan, UT 84321
Ph: 888-767-3676
Web site:
www.sorensonvision.com

Price:$899.00

RATINGS (0–5)
Installation: 4.5
Documentation: 4
Features: 4
GUI: 4
Overall: A-

Sorenson’s EnVision is a sleek-looking video conferencing product made for high-quality video conferencing over low-bandwidth connections. Designed to work over a LAN or WAN (TCP/IP required), EnVision provides better-than-average video quality at an affordable price. EnVision currently requires Windows 95/98, but an NT version is due to be released in the third quarter of 1999.


Those looking for an easy-to-install product, with a good frame rate (it delivers a constant 15 frames per second at 56 Kbps or higher — avoiding “jumpy” video on your screen) will be more than satisfied with EnVision. The entire package contains everything needed to set up a video conferencing system: Software, video camera, PCI card with audio/video processors, audio headset with earphone and mic, and a stand-alone microphone, along with all the necessary cables. However, EnVision will work with any NTSC-compatible video camera, so most home camcorders will work, although they tend to be far more unwieldy than the EnVision camera (which is about the size of a bagel, not counting the stand). EnVision features compatibility with all other H.323 standards-compliant video conferencing products.

INSTALLATION
Installation of the software consisted of a single CD, and was very straightforward. The CD contained the EnVision software, along with some other items that are necessary for video conferencing — version 2.11 of Microsoft’s NetMeeting, VidCap (a video capture program which is not noted in the documentation) and Internet Explorer 5 (which isn’t necessary for EnVision to run). The only snag we encountered was that during driver installation, Windows 98 couldn’t find the drivers on the CD, since they were not located at the root level of the CD — forcing us to browse in a subdirectory. The installation manual made no reference that we needed to change subdirectories to install the drivers. Experience allowed us to quickly determine the problem, but novices may not be so lucky!

The PCI card contained no jumpers, and worked alone or in tandem with an existing sound card. It’s a standard PCI card with four jacks: Video In, Audio Out, Mic In, and Mic Out. Wires are supplied to share audio peripherals with a sound card. However, in the troubleshooting section, directions are given for displaying the device manager, which may be too much for the non-technical user.

DOCUMENTATION
The documentation for EnVision is definitely aimed at the non-technical user. The installation of EnVision is extremely simple, and the installation guide is very easy to follow, even for the less computer-savvy user. The instructions were in bullet-point format, sometimes very obvious (i.e., remove the EnVision card from the antistatic bag), but generally helpful. Any obvious troubleshooting tips pertaining to that section of the documentation are generally noted at the end of the section, as well as being covered in the troubleshooting section at the end of the installation guide.

The guide outlines the hardware requirements, both for the PC base configuration and the required components. Unfortunately, sticking with their “low-tech” documentation approach, any topics dealing with TCP/IP (other than the fact that it’s required for EnVision to work, as noted in the “Required Components” section) are not included.

The EnVision package does not contain a separate manual for the EnVision software — no screen shots or descriptions. Although the software is very intuitive, little is mentioned beyond some video conferencing tips (which are very helpful). The diagrams on how to connect the camera, speakers, and microphones with an existing sound card were particularly useful. (Although the part about changing the settings of the software could use more explanation, along with some screenshots.)

One unusual feature of the documentation is that in order for the user to learn how to place a call, EnVision has the user refer to the help menu of the software, and select the topic from the help contents. As long as the software was installed correctly, accessing this menu should not be a problem. Launching the self-view video window was the indication that the unit was working, and was ready to make or receive a call.

FEATURES
Sorenson’s EnVision comes complete with everything needed to set up a video conference: Camera, PCI card, microphone, headset, and all the cables required. The only item not included is a set of speakers, which are not necessary if you choose to use the headset. (Using the headset makes the standalone microphone unnecessary.)

Sorenson has developed a unique type of PCI card — one that uses separate processors to manage the audio and video processing. This has two effects on the computer — first it frees up the computer’s host processor to allow other functions, and it decreases the requirements for bandwidth. This is what allows EnVision to have higher-quality video than comparably priced video conferencing units.

The software has settings for both the local and remote video. Along with the standard brightness/contrast/hue/saturation slider bars, there are settings for a quality-to-speed slider bar, and a video capture size. An audio pull-down menu features speaker volume, mic volume, and echo cancel. There is also a chat feature in the software.

OPERATIONAL TESTING
Installing the PCI card and the software was easier than average, with no surprises. A non-technical person would have no trouble following the directions and installing the hardware and the software without a problem, other than the drivers not being at the root level of the CD. The only other difficulty that a non-technical user would have would be trying to find out what the IP address is. (We used the “winipcfg” command under Start Menu: Run.) A non-technical user might not know how to find the IP address, and this isn’t covered in the documentation.

We tested EnVision on our 10/100 Base-T network. The video quality was higher than most comparable units, and with the software set to the default settings (more on that later), the 15 frames per second (fps) provided smooth motion, and there was little aliasing. There was a bit more latency in the audio, however, more than we expected with high-quality video.

The software settings for EnVision were acceptable. The video settings menu set to default provided us with the best video quality, with only minor adjustments needed on the brightness. The quality-to-speed slider bar had little effect on either speed or quality, and we found it best to set it to the maximum speed default.
The video capture size pull-down menu has three settings: Small, medium, and large. Medium (176 x 144 QCIF) was the setting that provided the highest quality by far, on both the local and remote video settings. The other settings were more noticeably aliased, detracting from the quality of the video.

The standalone microphone worked acceptably, but tended to give much more echo than the headset, despite adjusting the echo cancel setting to maximum. The headset was slightly uncomfortable, and wasn’t adjustable to work with either ear, only with the left ear in this case.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
The camera that comes with the EnVision bundle doesn’t come off of its base. Other models have a slide-off base, so users can attach the base to the top of a monitor using Velcro or double-sided tape, but the camera supplied by EnVision doesn’t support that feature. A longer RCA cable would allow more flexibility in the camera placement. The camera has good vertical tilt, but its side-to-side tilt (looking at it from the lens) is almost nonexistent. We also noticed that the camera shuts off when the lens cover is closed. A good feature, but it shuts off too soon. There should be a wait — at least until the cover actually crosses the lens’ path — before the camera shuts off.

EnVision currently can not be invited to a DataBeam MCU. In order to attend a DataBeam MCU conference, you have to place the call to the MCU. EnVision is currently unable to connect to PictureTel MCU. No information is available on if this will change when the NT version is released later in the year. However, this shouldn’t deter the average user who wants an easy-to-configure and easy-to-use video conferencing product.

The chat feature is slightly below average (for example, it’s not nearly as good as the AOL chat feature), because it puts all the local computer’s text in one window, and  the remote computer’s text is placed in another window, which doesn’t allow for smooth back-and-forth text chat. Also, all text typed is transmitted in real time, rather than typed  and entered, so any mistakes made in typing are seen by the party at the remote computer. However, since the chat feature isn’t a necessary part   of EnVision, it shouldn’t be something that deters you from buying the product.

CONCLUSION
We were impressed with the video quality and the ease of installation of EnVision. For high-quality video conferencing without any bells and whistles, EnVision by Sorenson Vision is a good product. For users who are not concerned with anything but straight video conferencing with excellent performance, EnVision is a good choice.







Technology Marketing Corporation

2 Trap Falls Road Suite 106, Shelton, CT 06484 USA
Ph: +1-203-852-6800, 800-243-6002

General comments: [email protected].
Comments about this site: [email protected].

STAY CURRENT YOUR WAY

© 2023 Technology Marketing Corporation. All rights reserved | Privacy Policy