LAS VEGAS—Video conferencing bridge provider Codian at Interop on May 23 brought out a new technique to enhance the quality of images coming from standard- or enhanced-definition end points.
Codians new ClearVision technology, geared for its MCU 4500 Series video conferencing bridges, can improve the quality of video images for participants using a mix of standard-, enhanced- and high-definition end points.
It is intended to allow companies transitioning to high-definition video conferencing to get the most out of their high-definition investments when video conferences include a mix of end points. ClearVision improves the quality of images coming from older end points by eliminating the visual scars produced by video compression.
“Theyve challenged a long-accepted premise: You cant improve a signal once its been sent,” said Ira Weinstein, partner at Wainhouse Research in Atlanta. “Theyre taking advantage of the fact that changes arent so dramatic and theyre using [information from] the frames that have already gone and are using that as the basis to improve the image you are seeing in real time,” he added.
The technique takes advantage of extra processing power in the MCU 4500 series bridges thats left when all end points are not high-definition, Weinstein explained.
Codian also at Interop relaunched and rebranded video conferencing tools it developed internally and acquired late last year with Codians acquisition of Australian company Face to Face Software. Codian Director and Codian Scheduler are the first in a planned suite of video conferencing management tools.
Codian Scheduler, developed by Face to Face, can schedule bridge calls on a mix of various vendors video-conferencing systems, according to Will MacDonald, chief strategy officer for Codian in San Jose, Calif.
It provides multiple levels of access to allow managers to delegate the creation of video conferences. It gives users the option of using an embedded, Web-based calendar or an e-mail client to schedule video conference calls.
MacDonald claimed it is simpler to use than other schedulers.
The Codian Director provides control and monitoring of multiple video conferences in large organizations.
“Right now they have scheduling and device management thats solid, but it doesnt cover all the products in the industry. I think they will fill in products over time,” Weinstein said.
Thanks to the Telepresence efforts from vendors such as Cisco Systems and HP and the growth of high-definition video, the video conferencing market has taken off and is growing about 18 percent annually, MacDonald said.
“All new customers are looking at it now,” he added.
“The video conferencing market is growing faster than we anticipated in large part due to Telepresence, a push to go green, the stresses related to travel and cost-reduction efforts,” Weinstein said. “Companies are starting to see the light here,” he added.
Codians ClearVision upgrade is due in June. The Codian Director and Scheduler are available now.
