Polycom showed at InfoComm a new product called SoundStructure. This is an installed audio solution for voice and video conferencing applications that the company says delivers truly immersive sound quality. SoundStructure series are flexible and scalable and the company says it delivers several breakthroughs for communicating at a distance but making it sound like you’re in the same room. For example, the SoundStructure series support high-definition StereoSurround audio (22kHz) as well as full-stereo echo cancellation. This next-generation echo cancellation technology eliminates echoes while maintaining full-stereo separation of the remote talkers’ audio, even when two people are talking at the same time. In addition, new noise cancellation technology eliminates a broad range of background noises, and a new gain-sharing automatic microphone mixer provides additional flexibility and smoother transitions to accommodate different environments.

This connects to the Polycom HDX using a digital signal path and comes in 8, 12 and 16 input/output “C” (conferencing) models, plus a 12-channel “SR” (sound reinforcement) model designed for stand-alone sound reinforcement applications, or as additional audio inputs.

Polycom’s Video Media Center 1000 is a new solution for centrally managing, accessing and protecting video content. The VMC 1000 lets users create video content, including video shot in high definition, which can be streamed live or made available on demand. When used with the Polycom RSS 2000 recording and streaming server, customers can choose to record point-to-point and multipoint video conferences (including content shared within a call) and automatically store them centrally as well as make them available on demand. The solution lets a single conference be accessed later by anyone who needs to see it.

Polycom VMC 1000 gives the IT manager ways of controlling the content as well as tools for publishing and webcasting and storing and archiving. Content can be streamed live or on demand to up to 1000 concurrent unicast users and unlimited users via multicast for global scalability. Standard reporting capabilities include the ability to track viewership, content popularity and user statistics for measuring program success, compliance and security.

We’ve been saying for years that media servers are the next new thing in ProAV and we’re finally starting to see some action in this category.

The Polycom Video Media Center is scheduled for availability in North America early in the third quarter 2007 with prices starting at $95,000.