December 1998

Price: ViewStation 128: $5,999; ViewStation 512: $8,999; ViewStation V.35: $9,999.

RATINGS (0-5)
Documentation: 3
Features: 4
GUI: 3.5
Overall: B+

ViewStation is an impressive video teleconferencing device. That is, it does a good job of sending video and audio over a network. In ViewStation's case, the voice and video go over an ISDN network.

Another distinction: ViewStation is a self-contained system. It dispenses with the need for a PC; hence, it shields users from PC problems such as hard-drive management. Thanks to this basic design decision, ViewStation accommodates non-technical users as well as technical users. (In keeping with its overall simplicity of operation, ViewStation may also function as a standalone speakerphone, or as a standalone presentation system.)

Of course, ViewStation's emphasis on simplicity also accounts for the system's weaknesses. Specifically, ViewStation lacks true data conferencing capabilities. However, for those users for whom such capabilities are not a priority, ViewStation could be a convenient, useful solution.

INSTALLATION
When we unpacked our ViewStation system, we noticed a large bundle of cords. Some cords were labeled "required"; others, thankfully, were labeled "optional." (The latter, we found, are provided for optional network setups.) In any case, we concentrated on the required cables, which were color-coded so as to correspond to the color-coded inputs on the camera assembly's back panel.

Once we had attached the cables to the ViewStation, we looked at where the cables needed to go. One destination, of course, was some sort of monitor. We happened to have a television set at our disposal, but it accepted only coaxial cable for input. So, we needed to go through the VCR we had nearby. We placed the ViewStation on top of the TV monitor and connected the audio/video connector to the VCR underneath the TV.

Next, we connected the microphone pod to the back of the ViewStation. Then, we plugged in the ISDN cord from the back of the ViewStation to a port on our Teltone Simulator. Finally, we provided a LAN connection to the device through its network port.

With all the cabling out of the way, we started configuring ViewStation. Fortunately, ViewStation has an auto-ISDN feature that automatically sets the SPIDS and switch type for quick installation. In addition, ViewStation supports auto-IP address configuration for quick setup on the LAN.

We turned on the ViewStation for the first time and followed its on-screen prompts. For example, it asked us to supply the name for the station, as well as the BRI and SPID numbers for the ISDN lines going into the machine. (Also, we were offered the option of inputting the numbers for any analog phones we might have plugged into the ViewStation.) When we had entered all the necessary information, the ViewStation brought us to a screen where we could begin testing the system.

DOCUMENTATION
During setup, we relied on two pieces of printed documentation: a Quick Start card and the User's Guide. We quickly exhausted the Quick Start card's offerings, at which point we turned out attention to the User's Guide, a more substantial document. This guide not only dealt with the system setup, but it also touched upon call setup, audio and video controls, slides and graphics, and various accessories. A portion of the guide was also devoted to the setup and diagnostic screens and the maintenance and troubleshooting of the system. Overall, we were pleased to find that the printed documentation was so comprehensive.

We weren't as impressed by the on-screen help, however. Indeed, it wasn't nearly detailed enough to provide the sort of instruction a user in a conference call would actually require. For example, pressing the Info button on the remote control brought up a help screen that displayed only the most basic information. It did little more than describe how to navigate around the screen by pressing the direction buttons and using the enter button to select an item.

To be fair, this information was supplemented by some instructions displayed on different page. However, these instructions confined themselves to showing the user how to type in a phone number with the number keys on the remote. Needless to say, we were hoping for something with more depth.

FEATURES
Standards Support/Basic Capabilities
Video: ViewStation 128 uses the H.261 and H.263 video standards to support enhanced 128 Kb/sec video at 15 frames/sec. With the ViewStation 512, 30 frames/sec, at 384 or 512 Kb/sec, is also available. By connecting up to two monitors with audio/video cables or through an S-video connection, dual-monitor support is available to the user.

Audio: Polycom's Acoustic Clarity Technology provides ViewStation with full-duplex digital audio with noise suppression and echo cancellation. For audio compression, ViewStation supports the G.711, G.722, and G.728 standards. For its communications structure, the system uses an H.221 algorithm along with ITU-T H.320 (px64). The system is also H.323-compliant, so it can be established as a device on the LAN. In addition, with the H.320 standard, the ViewStation is able to interoperate with legacy videoconferencing systems.

System Components
Camera: Since it can pan a full 200 degrees horizontally and 50 degrees in the vertical direction, the camera supports many different conference settings and formats. Also, with the system's voice-tracking capabilities, the camera is able to automatically track the voice of the person speaking.

The camera also supports the control features typical of high-end video conferencing systems. These features include pan, tilt, zoom, and far-end camera control and auto-focus. The camera also provisions nine camera presets that allow for smoother, more organized conferences. One other feature of the ViewStation camera is that the system does not require a cooling fan, which reduces background noise.

Microphone: The microphone for the conferencing system provides for 360-degree coverage through the use of three hypercardiod elements and audio frequency response. The microphone supports full-duplex speech with instant echo cancellation. The mute button on the microphone allows for a quick method of disconnecting the speech between conferenced parties.

Remote Control: The entire conference system is controlled through the use of an infrared remote control in conjunction with a graphical user interface. The remote is "grip-sensitive," which means it detects when it has been picked up, at which point it either ends or begins tasks appropriate to the situation. For example, the conferencing system supports picture-in-picture (PIP) windows and various help screens that can appear when the remote is picked up.

Basic Functionality
Web Server Functionality: Access to the Web server is provided through an embedded two-port, 10-Mbps Ethernet hub that enables remote system management and diagnostics, software upgrades, and presentations over a network, be it the company LAN or the Internet. Web management capabilities include call monitoring, network statistics, call launching, system diagnostics, and address book management. These functions can be performed remotely through a password-protected entrance from either Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Relevant standards supported by ViewStation include TCP/IP, DNS, WINS, SNMP, Bootp, RARP, WWW, and FTP. Also, ViewStation supports a T.120 interface with the ShowStation IP.

Slide Presentation Functionality: ViewStation can display presentations created in Microsoft PowerPoint. That is, slides can be presented to the far site while simultaneously being presented to remote users that are connected through the LAN or Internet. Users need only upload their presentations via their Web browser from a remote PC or a laptop connected directly to ViewStation's embedded hub. The presenter controls the presentation by using the remote while the ViewStation features a thumbnail view of the slides for immediate viewing of the entire presentation.

Other Functionality: Other input for the ViewStation can come from VCR input or external document cameras. With third-party audio add-in, remote users are allowed to participate in the audio portion of the call, making it not only a video conferencing device, but an audio conferencing device as well.

OPERATIONAL TESTING
The first thing we noticed about ViewStation was its similarity to the WebTV system, especially with respect to the remote, which takes the place of a keyboard as a means of data entry. We need hardly say that we missed having a keyboard, and it took us some time before we felt comfortable entering data, such as our user name, through the remote.

Video Quality
We tested the quality of the video that would be sent over an ISDN call by using the near-end loopback function in the diagnostics section of the ViewStation. In comparison with the direct, uncompressed video straight from the camera, the video we saw through the loopback function was noticeably choppy. If we stood still for a few moments, the camera was able to focus in better. However, with animated motion, it never had the chance to fully focus.

Even though the video was a bit choppy, we felt that it would still be sufficient for most conferencing purposes. (Few conferences are as animated as we were during our evaluation!)

Audio Quality
While video quality was fair, we were much more pleased with the performance of the microphone and the audio capabilities of the system. Polycom is well known for producing audio devices, and the microphone supplied with the ViewStation was certainly top-notch.

In fact, our only complaint is that the microphone seemed too sensitive. If someone were to drop a pen, or to rap the table with their knuckles, or to hit a key on a nearby PC too loudly, the sound would be captured. This became painfully obvious when we were listening to the near-end sound source. The microphone would pick up a sound, and we would hear it on the TV monitor. Even worse, so did the microphone, which helped create an echo loop.

Voice-Tracking Capabilities
In our voice-tracking tests, we had two people in the conference room. When one finished speaking, the other started, and the camera changed angle to hone in on the new sound source. So far, so good. However, the system's voice tracking didn't do so well when it had to follow more subtle movements, such as those of a speaker walking around the room. The camera did not slowly pan over as the speaker moved. Instead, it waited until the speaker was completely out of view, at which point it would quickly move to bring the speaker to center view.

Configuration/Diagnostics
After we had established network connectivity between the VeiwStation and our company LAN, we were able to use a Web browser from another computer on the LAN to reconfigure the unit and run some diagnostic tests. We used Microsoft Internet Explorer, and typed in the IP address of the ViewStation on our LAN. From there, we were able to use the Web server interface to the ViewStation. This let us change the system setup and also view some diagnostic tests. What it did not give us, however, was the ability to view the video being transmitted by the ViewStation. This was a disappointment to us, since we had hoped to conduct a NetMeeting call between the PC and the ViewStation.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
While the Polycom ViewStation is certainly impressive in some regards (audio quality and ease of installation and configuration), we found a limitations that we would like to mention.

Data Conferencing: ViewStation lacks true data conferencing. Granted, this limitation stems from a basic assumption evident in the system's design. ViewStation is not a PC. It was designed so that anybody could use it without having to maintain it like a PC. However, if you need to do data conferencing, you'll have to use a PC anyway, in conjunction with ViewStation, which would defeat the purpose of having a non-PC system.

If ViewStation has any data conferencing capabilities, they are limited to slide presentations. Yet even this limited capability may be superceded by NetMeeting, since Polycom claims ViewStation is H.323 ready. NetMeeting is already a multi-point application, so when the time comes to share files or to whiteboard, attention will necessarily be drawn away from the video teleconferencing device.

Data Entry: This is another problem related to ViewStation's non-PC design. That is, the user must control the system through a remote control. Using a remote control to choose items on a screen is easy enough, but entering a string of characters, for example, becomes difficult.

Help Commands: Yet another issue stemming from the absence of PC capability. Basically, the help commands lack the depth. Also, ViewStation's menus are, in general, unrefined. More elaborate help, however, would require more processing power; that is, it would require a CPU to run the show.

CONCLUSION
From the beginning, Polycom chose not to base the system on PC architecture. The idea was to produce a less expensive teleconferencing system and to eliminate much of the maintenance and troubleshooting duties demanded by PC-based systems. However, we feel the tradeoff between simple operation and sophisticated functionality posed by ViewStation may not suit all users, particularly users for whom data conferencing is a priority.