jon_sree@world.std.com (Jon Sreekanth) (12/02/90)
In my latest Hello Direct catalog (Winter 90), on the back cover, there's a "conference phone" advertised. It's about the size of a large hardcover, and it looks pretty slick, and attaches to a normal phone jack. "VoicePoint Teleconferencer tunes itself to phone line, room size, and acoustics, handles conference rooms of 2 - 12 people. Virtually eliminates echo and feedback ... digital echo cancellation eliminates echo and feedback - without clipping words like old fashioned simplex speakerphones ... " The process seems straightforward enough, and as a matter of fact, it was something I'd thought of a while ago, so I feel a proprietary interest :-) in it. Hello Direct does not say who makes it, but carefully squinting at the photo, I think I see NEC's logo on the right bottom corner. At any rate, the blurb claims it's a "Conference phone breakthrough!" and sells it for about $1295. Questions: Is such a product really new? Seems obvious. The moment I bought a speaker phone earlier this year, I realized it was simplex, and there could be a need for full duplex. Second, does it cost $1295? Is it harder to do room echo cancellation than what a cheap full duplex modem has to do? Regards, Jon Sreekanth Assabet Valley Microsystems Fax and PC products 346 Lincoln St #722, Marlboro, MA 01752 508-562-0722 jon_sree@world.std.com
0003209613@mcimail.com (Sandy Kyrish) (12/03/90)
Jon Sreekanth described an NEC VoicePoint speakerphone unit and asks: > Questions: Is such a product really new? Seems obvious. The moment I > bought a speaker phone earlier this year, I realized it was simplex, > and there could be a need for full duplex. Second, does it cost $1295? > Is it harder to do room echo cancellation than what a cheap full > duplex modem has to do? No, the concept is not new. Shure Teleconferencing Systems (among others) has been selling an extremely high performance unit for years, but at twice to thrice the cost. Yes, the price is real. Yes, it is quite hard to do full-duplex with echo cancellation, especially for calls carried by satellite. And, the product "really, really works." The International Teleconferencing Association awards committee (for whom I am a judge) was so impressed with the price-performance of the VoicePoint that we tabbed it the Outstanding Audioconferencing Product of 1989-90. This is not an endorsement; instead it is an exhortation to anyone who has not used full-duplex speakerphone equipment. The difference is similar to going from 300 baud to 2400 baud, from SXS to ESS. It will permanently change the way you think about audioconferencing, and it will enable you to achieve real hands-free talking without that devastating barrel effect. Your listeners will not mind that you are on a speakerphone ... if they can tell, that is.