You might not be familiar with the name Poly, but that’s not because they are new. That’s because it’s primarily in the business of professional conferencing solutions, and is now trying to reach out to a more mainstream audience.
With the current state of the Work-From-Home lifestyle, Poly found a need to create solutions for this new breed of professionals. Hence, we have the Poly Studio P Series, which are a series of communications tools that are made for the travelling worker but designed with amenities for the everyday. Think Jabra (kind of) but for video cameras and conference microphones. So you can expect features like directional microphones optimised for wherever people are typically positioned for conferences as well as automatic low light compensation because the lighting is often sub-optimal.
The series consists of four new devices: the Poly Studio P5 Webcam, the P15 Personal Video Bar, the P21 Personal Meeting Display and the P5 kit.
P5 Webcam
The P5 Webcam is basic but can be used on the go.
A simple 1080p webcam optimised for video conferencing, complete with a built-in privacy shutter and directional microphone to hone in on your voice. It has a USB port built-in so you can easily connect a headset when needed.
P5 Kit
The P5 Kit gives you addtional microphone and speakerphone options.
A package where the P5 webcam is paired with a Poly Blackwire headset (3210 or 3325) or Poly Sync 20+ portable speakerphone.
P15 Personal Video Bar
The P15 is an all-in-one package that you can mount on any monitor.
A sleek camera and speaker package with a host of features. On the hardware end of things you get a 4K camera for clarity, integrated speakers with acoustic suspension and a passive radiator for a rich sound, a multi-microphone array to focus on your voice regardless of where you are and three USB ports (1x USB-C, 2x USB-A) for added connectivity.
But it’s the value-added features that you pay good money for. The camera can track your face and keep it in the centre of the frame, while NoiseBlock AI filters out background noise and Acoustic Fence narrows the microphone pickup zone so that only you can be heard and not a family member who’s always saying something unflattering about you.
P21 Personal Meeting Display
The P21 is more purpose-built and is a standalone solution.
A purpose-built 21″ display complete with a camera and speakers. It also comes with built-in lighting to improve your visibility and consequently a better video feed to other parties. Interestingly, it also has an integrated wireless charger built into the base of the stand. Not much else is known as the P21 is slated for release only later in the year. But from the looks of it, it looks like a secondary monitor solution.
Support
So why not just buy a better quality consumer product? You could, but the meat and potatoes for Poly is perhaps its support. The Poly Lens Desktop app guides you through good practices for getting the most out fo your camera, updating software and customising preferences. If you need more services (paid), the Poly Lens service is a cloud-based management system – effectively an IT management system for your conferencing devices. In addition, Poly+ offers support for devices, which includes 24/7 tech-support worldwide over any medium – phone, chat, web, and live video – as well as three-year product replacement with overnight device replacement service to minimise downtime.
Aside from the P21, which is set to release in May, the rest are available through pre-order through authorised Poly partners and resellers .
