One thing we learned over the pandemic period? The importance of a professional work station at home. From an ergonomically-sound desk and seat setup to the appropriate video conferencing equipment, the right remote setup can mean the difference between a comfortable conference call to one that gives you an aching back and neck.
And not to mention a properly executed conference call experience! For that we’ve found that a professional-grade webcam can work wonders. Yes, the in-built camera on your desktop or laptop is sufficient in a pinch while chatting with friends, but for calls with business associates – or an interviewer – you want roll out the big guns. I recently had a chance to review the Poly Studio P5 Webcam, and can tell you it makes a world of difference.
One of Poly’s recently-introduced line of P-series products for home and enterprise use, the plug-and-play Poly Studio P5 is ridiculously easy to set up. Simply plug into a spare USB port in your computer, and voila, it should work like a dream without the need for drivers.
You’ll immediately notice the absolute clarity offered by the device’s full-HD optics. For those who’ve only ever relied on in-built web cams, turning the P5 on is like a short-sighted person putting on powered lenses for the first time. Automatic low light compensation also means that you can work in a darker environment without affecting video quality.
Then there’s the wider 80-degree field of view, which is useful if you need to show things around you off to your viewers. But this also means you need to be hiding things that you don’t want seen by other parties, like your dirty coffee mug or that Pokemon figurine in the shelf behind you.
Other features we like? The integrated privacy shutter. Simply turn the ring control to reveal or close the webcam lens. There’s also a built-in directional microphone with the P5, but we’ve found that pairing with Poly’s Sync 20 smart speakerphone here works wonders.
We’ve all sat through hour-long conference calls with no small amount of discomfort, especially if you’re wearing heavy headsets. This sleek and compact Poly smart speakerphone system effectively eliminates that problem. Its full duplex audio offers remarkably clear sound quality too, both for conference calls and music. Even better? Like the P5, it’s plug and play.
When putting together a good work-from-home setup, there are a number of things to consider. Getting a professional web camera – like the Poly P5 – should be on top of the list to level up your remote work experience.
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