The PCS-XG80 supports annotations over transmitted video and data, plus multipoint HD conferences with as many as six sites. Sony planned to price the base system at approximately €7,000 excluding VAT.
The system combines 1080i resolution with frame rates up to 60 frames per second. H.239 dual-stream support transmits two HD signals simultaneously, allowing participants to share presentations, spreadsheets, animations and other files. Video and data are each transmitted at 30 frames per second. One- or two-display configurations can show the conference image and shared data at the same time using Picture and Picture.
Separate network inputs are provided for external WAN and internal LAN connections, preserving different security configurations. Point-to-point calls can use either network, while multipoint conferences can combine external and internal participants without changing the internal firewall configuration.
The annotation system lets participants mark video images and shared files such as spreadsheets as though using a whiteboard. Annotated data can be saved and sent to other users.
The PCS-XG80 is backward-compatible with standard-definition systems over IP and ISDN.
Up to six conference locations can be connected, with one initiator adding five external participants over IP or ISDN. Each location appears in a split-screen HD view. BrightFace adjusts faces under poor lighting, while wide-frequency stereo audio helps identify the position of speakers in the room.
Sony Europe videoconferencing marketing manager Kees Hoogstraate said the product applied the company’s HD broadcast experience to a conferencing system intended to combine image quality, flexibility and lower cost.
