Three Native 1080p High-Definition Cameras
The CTS-3000 provides native 1080p resolution at 30fps, providing the best video quality of any Telepresence system on the market today. Each CTS-3000 is fitted with three native 1080p cameras, in a cluster, above the center display. As mentioned previously, these cameras are fixed with no moving parts.
Each camera is tuned to capture a section (segment) of the CTS-3000 table, providing consistent color and depth for all images in the room. Each CTS-3000 contains three segments, where each segment is defined as one camera and one display. Using three fixed cameras enables the CTS-3000 to be viewed remotely as it is in real life. From the remote view, a CTS-3000 system provides a continuous view across all three table segments. For example, if a local participant extends an arm from one camera’s focal range to another, remote participants see the arm across two displays as if they were in the same room. Each CTS-3000 supports four video channels, one for each of the three TelePresence segments and a fourth used for sharing presentations or an auxiliary video source between TelePresence systems. Figure 1 illustrates a top-down view of the focal range for all three cameras/segments.
Three 65-Inch High-Definition Plasma Displays
Maintaining life-size images is key to creating an immersive in-person experience. The CTS-3000 provides three 65-inch, 1080p, plasma displays, allowing all participants to be viewed in life size, each display accommodating two participants.
Cisco provides all system displays and includes enhancements and software to improve overall display performance not found in off-the-shelf displays. The TelePresence codecmanages displays, providing informational status and administrative control for each display. Additionally, system displays can be placed in standby mode when the system is not used or configured to turn off during nonbusiness hours to save power and minimize heat.
Purpose-Built Meeting Table, Integrated Projector, and Lighting Shroud
The CTS-3000 includes a purpose-built meeting table, integrated projector, and lighting shroud. Maintaining a consistent user experience is paramount to the success of any TelePresence deployment. Without this consistency, replicating a face-to-face meeting is nearly impossible.
The CTS-3000’s arched table design, extending to both outer displays, is half of the virtual table. This design provides the illusion of a continuous table when two CTS-3000\3200 systems connect in a call, providing a feeling that all users are gathered around the same table in the same room. Strategically positioned table legs help keep meeting participants in their respective segment and within camera view. Table seams are also aligned with the camera field of view, providing a second reference point for meeting participants.
The CTS-3000 table legs not only provide users with a reference point for seating positions, but also supply power and Ethernet connections for participants in a TelePresence meeting. A total of six power connections and six Ethernet ports are available on each CTS-3000 table.
An integrated high-definition projection system is also included with the CTS-3000 for viewing shared presentations, videos, and so on. The projection system is mounted under the center table segment, projecting its image onto the white screen below the center display. Displaying the content under the center display enables meeting participants to easily view content without shifting seating positions or having to look up or off to one side of the room.
Integrated lighting eliminates shadows on the faces of meeting participants. An integrated lighting shroud above and around the sides of the system displays provides key (front) lighting, eliminating shadows caused by fill (overhead) lighting. Key lighting is crucial to a natural experience and is often overlooked in other telepresence systems and high-end video conferencing rooms. Without the lighting shroud, specialized fixtures would be required to provide consistent lighting and eliminate shadows on meeting participants. The design of the lighting shroud gives off the exact amount of light required to reduce shadows without over lighting the faces of participants.
Multichannel Wide-Band Audio
Wide-band, full-duplex, spatial audio provides a user experience not found in other telepresence systems. The CTS-3000 provides four separate audio channels:
- Three wide-band AAC-LD channels used for TelePresence participants
- One G.711/G.722 channel that adds in audio-only participants or provides audio associated with document sharing (auto-collaborate)
Each CTS-3000 has three microphones and three speakers, one for each table segment. Speakers are located directly under each display, allowing audio to emanate from the segment of the active speaker, naturally drawing the attention of participants to the person speaking. If the fourth audio channel is added to a call, its audio is mixed and played out all three speakers. This allows the audio add-in to be heard across all table segments without drawing attention to one segment of the system.
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