I'm forever looking for tools that can make me a more effective remote worker. I'm still working remotely from Portland, Oregon for folks in Redmond, Washington.
我一直在寻找可以使我成为更有效的远程工作人员的工具。 我仍在俄勒冈州波特兰市为华盛顿雷德蒙市的人工作。
You might think that a nice standard HD webcam is enough to talk to your remote office, but I still maintain that a truly great webcam for the remote work is one that:
您可能会认为,一个不错的标准高清网络摄像头足以与您的远程办公室通话,但是我仍然认为,对于远程工作而言,真正出色的网络摄像头是:
- Has a wide field of view > 100 degrees 视野> 100度
- Has an 5x - 10x optical zoom to look at whiteboards 具有5倍至10倍光学变焦,可查看白板
- Has motorized pan-tilt-zoom 电动水平倾斜变焦
Two years later I'm still using (and happy with) the Logitech BCC950. I'm so happy with it that I wrote and maintain a cloud server to remotely control the PTZ (pan tilt zoom function) of the camera. I wrote all that up earlier on this blog in Cloud-Controlled Remote Pan Tilt Zoom Camera API for a Logitech BCC950 Camera with Azure and SignalR.
两年后,我仍在使用Logitech BCC950 (并对此感到满意)。 我对此感到非常满意,以至于我编写并维护了一个云服务器来远程控制摄像机的PTZ(水平倾斜缩放功能)。 我之前在此博客中针对具有Azure和SignalR的Logitech BCC950摄像机,在云控制的远程平移倾斜变焦摄像机API中写下了所有内容。
Fast-forward to June of 2014 and Logitech offered to loan me (I'm sending it back this week) one of their new Logitech ConferenceCam C3000e conferencing systems. Yes, that's a mouthful.
快进到2014年6月,Logitech提议借给我(本周寄回给我)他们的新Logitech ConferenceCam C3000e会议系统。 是的,这是一口。
To be clear, the BCC950 is a fantastic value. It's usually <$200, has motorized PTZ, a remote control, (also works my software, natch), doesn't require drivers with Windows (a great plus), is a REALLY REALLY good speakerphone for Skype or Lync calls, it's camera is 1080p, the speakerphone shows up as a standard audio device, and has a removable "stalk" so you can control how tall the camera is.
需要明确的是, BCC950是一个了不起的价值。 它的价格通常不到200美元,具有电动PTZ,遥控器(也可以在我的软件上运行,natch),不需要Windows驱动程序(非常棒),是Skype或Lync通话的非常好用的免提电话,它的摄像头是1080p,免提电话显示为标准音频设备,并且具有可移动的“杆”,因此您可以控制相机的高度。
BUT. The BCC950's zoom function is digital which sucks for trying to see remote whiteboards, and it's field of view is just OK.
但。 BCC950的缩放功能是数字式的,很容易尝试查看远程白板,而且视野范围还可以。
Now, enter the CC3000e, a top of the line system for conference room. What do I get for $1000? Is it worth 4x the BCC950? Yes, if you have the grand and you're on video calls all day. It's an AMAZING camera and it's worth it. I don't want to send it back.
现在,输入CC3000e,这是会议室线路系统的顶部。 1000美元我能得到什么? 它的价值是BCC950的4倍吗? 是的,如果您举办盛大的宴会,并且整天都在进行视频通话。 这是一个很棒的相机,值得。 我不想寄回去。
Logitech ConferenceCam CC3000e-您得到什么? (Logitech ConferenceCam CC3000e - What do you get?)
The unboxing is epic, not unlike an iPhone, except with more cardboard. It's a little overwhelming as there are a lot of parts, but it's all numbered and very easy to setup. My first impression was "why do I need all these pieces" as I'm used to the all-in-one-piece BCC950 but then I remembered that the CC3000e is actually meant for business conference rooms, not random remote workers in a home office like me. Still, later I appreciated the modularity as I ended up mounting the camera on top of an extra TV I had, while moving the speaker module under my monitor nearer my desk.
拆箱是史诗般的,与iPhone相似,只是带有更多纸板。 因为有很多零件,所以有点让人不知所措,但是它都有编号,并且非常容易安装。 我的第一印象是“为什么我需要所有这些零件”,因为我习惯于一体式BCC950,但是后来我想起CC3000e实际上是用于商务会议室的,而不是家中随机的远程工作者像我这样的办公室。 不过,后来我欣赏了模块化,因为我最终将摄像机安装在了我拥有的额外电视上,同时将扬声器模块移到了靠近办公桌的显示器下方。
You get the camera, the speaker/audio base, a 'hockey puck' that routes all the cables, and a remote control.
您将获得相机,扬声器/音频底座,布设所有电缆的“曲棍球”和遥控器。
善良 (The Good)
You've seen what a regular webcam looks like. Two heads and some shoulders.
您已经了解了常规网络摄像头的外观。 两个头和一些肩膀。
![Skyping with a regular camera Skyping with a regular camera](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/0cc043412dc71d346f4d1ec28086773f.png)
Believe it or not, in my experience it's hard to get a sense of a person from just their disembodied head. Who knew?
信不信由你,以我的经验,很难从一个无所事事的头脑中了解一个人。 谁知道?
I'm regularly Skyping/Lyncing into an open space in Redmond where my co-workers move around friendly, use the whiteboard, stand around, and generally enjoy their freedom of motion. If I've got a narrow 70 degree or less field of view with a fixed location, I can't get a feel for what's going on. From their perspective, none of them really know what my space looks like. I can't pace around, use a whiteboard, or interact with them in any "more than just a head" way.
我经常在雷蒙德(Redmond)进行Skyping / Lyncing动作,在这里我的同事们友好地走动,使用白板,站立并通常享有活动自由。 如果我在固定位置上只有70度或更小的狭窄视野,那么我就不会感觉到发生了什么。 从他们的角度来看,没有人真正了解我的空间。 我无法走动,使用白板或以任何“不仅仅是头脑”的方式与他们互动。
Enter a real PTZ camera with real optics and a wide field of view. You really get a sense of where I am in my office, and that I need to suck it in before taking screenshots.
输入具有真实光学特性和宽视场的真实PTZ摄像机。 您真的能感觉到我在办公室的位置,在拍摄屏幕截图之前,我需要先了解一下。
![The CC3000e has an amazing wide field of view The CC3000e has an amazing wide field of view](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/d610a3e4b8a48eab7b14811b042eeb8f.png)
Now, move the camera around.
现在,移动相机。
![The CC3000e has a remote control to turn it The CC3000e has a remote control to turn it](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/cf79cc11e7eaec76f3b809a6d7ac99de.png)
Here's me trying to collaborate with my remote partners over some projects. See how painful that is? EVERY DAY I'm talking to half-heads with tiny cameras.
这是我在尝试与某些项目的远程合作伙伴进行协作的方法。 看到那有多痛苦? 每天我都在用微型相机和半头说话。
![My co-worker's chin My co-worker's chin](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/6bd4cf7f1a799dd9103b5a0fe967a9fd.png)
![Part of my co-workers' faces Part of my co-workers' faces](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/1c4a40558b4e798bbdb5d829773400ef.png)
![Half my boss's head Half my boss's head](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/2a181809328b56ca90afae5c74962a57.png)
These calls weren't staged for this blog post, people. FML. These are real meetings, and a real one-on-one with the half a forehead that is my boss.
人们没有为这篇博文上演这些电话。 FML。 这些是真正的会议,是真正的一对一,前额是我的老板。
Now, yes, I admit that you'll not ALWAYS want to see my torso when talking. Easy, I turn, and face the camera and zoom in a smidge and we've got a great 1:1 normal disembodied head conversation happening.
现在,是的,我承认您在讲话时永远不会希望看到我的躯干。 轻松,我转身面对镜头并放大了一点,我们发生了1:1的正常的,无形的头部对话。
![A bright HD Skype A bright HD Skype](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/629beaab6d45ff901ed357cb1ab2825d.png)
But when you really want to connect with someone, back up a bit. Get a sense of their space.
但是,当您真的想与某人联系时,请备份一下。 了解他们的空间。
![A wide field of view shows you more context A wide field of view shows you more context](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/62d3e4aa3ddecb38a04111fd7822273d.png)
And if you're in a conference room, darn it, mount that sucker on the far wall.
而且,如果您在会议室中,请修理一下,然后将吸盘安装在较远的墙壁上。
![A wide field of view shows you the whole room A wide field of view shows you the whole room](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/8814052881d1b106265dd8a5d7ebf9ef.png)
While only the me-sides of these calls used the CC3000e (as I'm the dude with the camera) I've used the other screenshots of actual calls I've had to show you the difference between clear optics and a wide field of view, vs. a laptop's sad little $4 web cam. You can tell who has a nice camera. Let me tell you, this camera is tight.
虽然这些通话只有我自己使用CC3000e(因为我是摄像机的家伙),但我还是使用了实际通话的其他屏幕截图,我不得不向您展示了清晰的光学元件和广阔的视野之间的区别。视图,而不是一台笔记本电脑可悲的$ 4网络摄像头。 您可以分辨出谁拥有一台好相机。 我告诉你,这台相机很紧。
The CC3000e has a lot of great mounting options that come included with the kit. I was able to get it mounted on top of my TV like a Kinect, using the included brackets, in about 5 minutes. You can also mount it flat against the wall, which could be great for tight conference room situations.
该套件随附CC3000e有许多出色的安装选项。 大约5分钟后,我就能使用随附的支架将它像Kinect一样安装在电视上。 您也可以将它平放安装在墙上,这对于紧凑的会议室情况可能非常有用。
![1photo 2 1photo 2](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/a59e149f404f0e526574c14634eb30e4.png)
The camera is impressive, and politely looks away when it's not in use. A nice privacy touch, I thought.
这款相机令人印象深刻,不用时会礼貌地将视线移开。 我认为这是一种很好的隐私保护方式。
![photo 4 photo 4](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/cabc7b480d33a3f621efb094cf7ca3f1.png)
The optical zoom is fantastic. You'll have no trouble zooming in on people or whiteboards.
光学变焦很棒。 您可以轻松放大人员或白板。
Here's zoomed out.
缩小。
![Zoomed out Zoomed out](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/f1924f5550d8d3cca4118319d16909d2.png)
Here's zoomed in. No joke, I just zoomed in with the remote and made a face. It's crazy and it's clear.
放大了。没有开玩笑,我只是用遥控器放大了脸。 这很疯狂,很明显。
![Zoomed in Zoomed in](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/1e0992b97920893daffc4e7721f610ff.png)
The speakerphone base is impressively sturdy with an awesome Tron light-ring that is blue when you're on a call, and red when you're either on hold (or you're the MCP.)
扬声器电话底座坚固耐用,带有令人敬畏的Tron灯环,当您在通话中时,它呈蓝色;当您处于保持状态(或您是MCP)时,则呈红色。
The screen will also show you the name/number of the current caller.
屏幕还将显示当前呼叫者的姓名/号码。
![image image](https://i-blog.csdnimg.cn/blog_migrate/3d81197e616aa088b1d6368524cd5240.png)
A nice bonus, you can pair the base with your cell phone using Bluetooth and now you've got a great speaker and speakerphone. This meant I could take all calls (mobile, Lync, Skype) using one speakerphone.
不错的好处是,您可以使用蓝牙将底座与手机配对,现在您有了出色的扬声器和免提电话。 这意味着我可以使用一部免提电话接听所有电话(移动电话,Lync,Skype)。
怪异的 (The Weird)
There have been a few weird quirks with the CC3000e. For example - right this moment in fact - the camera on indicator light is flashing blue, but no app is using the camera. It's as if it got stuck after a call. Another is that the microphone quality (this is subjective, of course) for people who hear me on the remote side doesn't seem as deep and resonant as with the BCC950. Now, no conference phone will ever sound as nice as a headset, but the audio to my ear and my co-worker's ear is just off when compared to what we're used to. Also, a few times the remote control just stopped working for a while.
CC3000e出现了一些奇怪的怪癖。 例如,实际上是此时,指示灯上的摄像头闪烁蓝色,但没有应用程序在使用该摄像头。 好像电话后卡住了。 另一个问题是,对于那些在远端听到我声音的人来说,麦克风的质量(当然这是主观的)似乎并不像BCC950那样深沉而共鸣。 现在,没有任何会议电话能像耳机一样好听,但是与我们以前相比,我和同事的耳朵的声音刚刚关闭。 同样,遥控器刚刚停止工作了一段时间。
On the software side, I've personally found the Logitech Lync "Far End Control" PTZ software to be unreliable. Sometimes it works great all day, other days it won't run. I suspect it's having an isue communicating with the hardware. It's possible, given the weird light thing combined with this PTZ issue that I have a bad/sick review model. Now, here's the Far End Control Application's PDF Guide. It's supposed to "just work' of course. You and the person you're calling each run a piece of software that creates a tunnel over Lync and allows each of you to control the other's PTZ motor. This is a different solution than my PTZ system, as theirs uses Lync itself to transmit PTZ instructions while mine requires a cloud service.
在软件方面,我个人发现Logitech Lync“远端控制” PTZ软件不可靠。 有时它一整天都很好用,而其他日子则无法运行。 我怀疑它正在与硬件通信。 考虑到奇怪的问题以及此PTZ问题,我的审查模型不好/有病是有可能的。 现在,这是远端控制应用程序的PDF指南。 当然,它应该“正常工作。”您和您所呼叫的人都运行一个软件,该软件可以在Lync上创建隧道,并允许你们每个人控制对方的PTZ马达。系统,因为他们的系统使用Lync本身来传输PTZ指令,而我的系统需要云服务。
Fortunately, my PTZ System *also* works with the ConferenceCam CC3300e. I just tested it, and you'll simply have to change the name of the device in your *.config file.
幸运的是,我的PTZ系统*还*可与ConferenceCam CC3300e一起使用。 我刚刚测试过,您只需要在* .config文件中更改设备的名称即可。
<appSettings>
<!-- <add key="DeviceName" value="BCC950 ConferenceCam"/> -->
<add key="DeviceName" value="ConferenceCam CC3000e Camera"/>
</appSettings>
To be clear, the folks at Logitech have told me that they can update the firmware and adjust and improve all aspects of the system. In fact, I flashed it with firmware from May 12th before I started using it. So, it's very possible that these are just first-version quirks that will get worked out with a software update. None of these issues have prevented my use of the system. I've also spoken with the developer on the Far End Control system and they are actively improving it, so I've got high hopes.
明确地说,Logitech的人员告诉我,他们可以更新固件,并调整和改进系统的各个方面。 实际上,我从5月12日开始使用固件刷新它,然后才开始使用它。 因此,很可能这些只是第一版的怪癖,可以通过软件更新解决。 这些问题均未阻止我使用该系统。 我还与远端控制系统的开发人员进行了交谈,他们正在积极改进该系统,因此我寄予厚望。
This is a truly killer system for a conference room or remote worker (or both, if I'm lucky and have budget.)
对于会议室或远程工作人员(或者如果我幸运并且有预算的话),这是一个真正的杀手级系统。
- Absolutely amazing optical zoom 绝对惊人的光学变焦
- Top of the line optics 顶级光学器件
- Excellent wide field of view 出色的宽视野
- The PTZ camera turns a full 180 degrees PTZ摄像机可旋转180度
- Programmable "home" location 可编程的“家”位置
- Can act as a bluetooth speaker/speakerphone for your cell phone 可以用作手机的蓝牙扬声器/免提电话
The camera turns away from you when it's off. Nice reminder of your privacy.
相机转离你 当它关闭时。 很高兴提醒您您的隐私。
The optics alone would make my experience as a remote worker much better. I am boxing it up and I am going to miss this camera. Aside from a few software quirks, the hardware is top notch and I'm going to be saving up for this camera.
仅凭光学设备,我的远程工作经验就会更好。 我正在装箱,我会想念这台相机的。 除了一些软件怪癖之外,硬件是一流的,我将为这款相机节省很多。
You can buy the Logitech CC3000e from Logitech directly or from some shady folks at Amazon.
您可以直接从Logitech或从亚马逊的一些黑幕人士那里购买Logitech CC3000e 。
相关链接 (Related Links)
Introducing LyncAutoAnswer.com - An open source remote worker's Auto Answer Kiosk with Lync 2010
Is Daddy on a call? A BusyLight Presence indicator for Lync for my Home Office
Building an Embodied Social Proxy or Crazy Webcam Remote Cart Thing
Virtual Camaraderie - A Persistent Video "Portal" for the Remote Worker