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This curious-looking meeting kit cleverly upgrades group video conferences
The Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro Room Kit contains everything you need to level up your video meetings.
I've sat in on numerous meetings that involved multiple participants. For the most part, those meetings consisted of each person being alone in a room with a camera pointed directly at their faces.
However, there have been occasions where I've sat in on meetings where there were numerous people seated around a table. In those instances, not everyone could be seen or heard and it turned the meeting into an exercise in frustration, with meeting moderators having to shift the camera and microphone around so each participant could participate.
Also: 4 Zoom alternatives with better video conferencing privacy policies
Either that, or the camera/mic was far enough away to show everyone but it was a challenge to see faces or hear voices. Had those meetings involved the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit, I'm certain those problems would have been avoided.
View at AmazonWhat is the Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro Room Kit? Simply put, it's two different cameras, one used for a presenter and one for the "table."
The first camera, the Capsule Pro, is a 360-degree, 4K camera that automatically follows the person who is speaking but also focuses on them, regardless of where they are seated around the table. The camera is capable of zooming in on up to three attendees while they are speaking, so remote teams can hear and see everyone. The second camera (the Streaming camera) is placed on a tripod and remains in place (unless you move it) and focuses on a single participant.
With this one-two combination, every person seated around the table will be seen and heard by the other participants in the meeting.
The specs
The Emeet Meeting Room Capsule Pro Room Kit offers the following specifications:
- Dual 4K lenses with Sony sensors with 1080P output
- AI-powered speaker tracking
- 360-degree capture (with the Capsule)
- AI-powered noise cancellation capable of canceling 2,969 types of noises
- Full duplex audio
- Built-in 10 Watt Hi-Fi speaker
- 8+2 beamforming mics with an 18-foot pickup radius (2 noise-canceling mics and 8 omnidirectional mics)
- Auto-syncing between the Capsule and Streaming camera
- Full plug and play (no drivers necessary)
- Magnetic privacy cover for the Capsule camera
- Works with MacOS and Windows
- Compatible with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, BlueJeans, FaceTime, Skype, and GoToMeeting
- Price - $1,199.99
How it performs
I was skeptical at first. However, as soon as I put it all together (which is very simple -- more in a bit) and plugged it into my MacBook Pro, I was impressed. Although my testing was limited (because I don't have a roomful of people at my disposal to test with), it was very clear how well the Emeet performs. I set the Emeet up on the floor of my office, focused the Streaming camera on myself, and created a Zoom meeting to see how it works.
A quick test of the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit proved quite impressive.
It does work and works very well. I was immediately able to see just how well the Capsule functions to put anyone speaking on display. Of course, the images I captured don't do the Emeet justice…especially given they don't reveal how good the device sounds. I was quite surprised at just how good the sound was with this combo. The Capsule mics pick up the speaker brilliantly and with a clarity I've not heard in many other similar meeting devices.
The setup
First off, the instructions are a bit lacking (and the text is very small for aging eyes). Essentially, this is how the setup works:
- Plug the power cord into the Capsule.
- Using the included USB Type-C cable, connect the Capsule to your laptop or desktop.
- Power on the Streaming camera (which will automatically pair with the Capsule).
- Start a meeting.
There are no drivers to install, so the Capsule should be picked up by whatever meeting service you use. It couldn't be simpler to use the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit.
Also: 5 ways to say no to pointless meetings
One thing to keep in mind is that the Streaming camera uses a built-in battery, which is charged via a USB Type-C cable. Make sure to either keep it charged or plugged in.
ZDNET's buying advice
Because of the price point, this tool isn't for everyone. If, however, meetings with multiple participants seated around a table are your bread and butter, the Emeet Meeting Capsule Pro Room Kit can add great value to your meetings and curtail a lot of frustration. If you find your current video meeting solution is lacking, give this a try and see if it doesn't perfectly fit the bill.