Best for: next-next-next level video conferencing cool
Like something more commonly seen within the sphere of Sci-Fi, for those able to afford the admittedly extravagant entry fee, the future of the digital face-to-face may have come early. Behold the Poly Studio P21, a means to video calling and conferencing that takes the idea of the webcam and utterly extrapolates it to make the whole process a fully-pro, standalone system.
Firstly, suitably sexy looking, this conventional computer display-ducking device is a screen, camera, microphone, speakers and lighting rig all in one – which may mean you’re going to have to free-up more desk space to fit it in… but, well, just look at it!
Compatible with PC and Mac and all existing video apps, all you need to do is connect the P21 using USB and, well, you’re already up, running and ready to tackle your upcoming calendar of video calls with all the confidence of someone who has the most advanced set-up available.
Display-wise, at 21-inches on the diagonal, this LCD delight gives you a fixed 1080p FHD resolution for super-sharp images, a 1000:1 contrast ratio, a wide viewing angle of 89-degrees, a stunning 250cd/m2 brightness and 16.7-million colours. So if anyone on your conference call drops even the faintest facial cue at any point, you are not going to miss it.
And the same applies to sound, with dual stereo speakers offering 80Hz to 20kHz frequency response at 10W per channel, making sure every background mumble comes across with the clipped enunciation of a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
At the other end of the lens, your call-in contacts will be able to enjoy your image via the 1080p (Full HD) camera (with 4x zoom), while a single uni-directional MEMS microphone featuring a focused pickup rejects noise and reverberation to convey your dulcet tones without interference. The built-in lighting with ambient sensor will also put you in your best light at all times.
Naturally, a privacy shutter is present, as is mute up and down controls with status LEDs to reassure everything is on or off as needed, and, well, what more need I say? The Poly Studio P21 is, without a shadow of a doubt, the dazzling pinnacle of video conferencing kit available both today and any time soon.