Zoom Announces a Device Dedicated to Video Conferencing
Video conferencing software company Zoom is transitioning its ways into hardware with a new tablet-like device dedicated to video conferencing. The device is called the DTEN ME and it will be launching soon for $600.
Video conferencing has been making a huge splash lately in no small thanks to the Covid-19 outbreak that caused many more people than ever to working remotely. Meetings are held online with users from around the world with the help of software such as Zoom. In fact, Facebook is even planning on entering the market and competing with Zoom, thus showing just how big of a disruption its video conferencing platform has become.
The company was founded in 2011, but has really been making headlines and widespread since the Covid-14 outbreak. Not only is it being used for telecommute work and video conferencing, but many activities and endeavors. Yoga classes, gym workouts, seminars or courses in programming are some examples of these activities.
A dedicated device such as this tablet could be a great move for Zoom in establishing itself as a brand and not just a fad that may go away in a post Covid-19 landscape. Specialist hardware such as this could also offer things standard devices used for video conferencing do not.
The camera set-up could be improved to what most mobile devices offer today – only offering a single front-facing camera and a single rear-facing camera – as well as audio that is lackluster in most cases without additional microphones connected. It could also be fine tuned for the software better than a be-all-end-all solution Zoom currently has to rely on since one person joining a conference could be using an iPhone, meanwhile another person joining using a PC and so on.
The DTEN ME specification page allows you to pre-order the device right now and shows what it will offer once released. It is remarkably thin at .5” and looks very much like a tablet that is meant to sit on a conference table or desk.
The display is a 27” multi-touch touchscreen with a 1080p resolution and a 16:9 picture format. There is also a whiteboard with annotation built into the display. Finally, it includes a an array of three cameras.
It is marketed as easy to set up with a weight of 14.5 pounds. This is a bit heavy for a tablet, but keep in mind it is aimed at businesses or individual hosting conferences from one location where it will sit without much movement.
The audio is said to be “crystal clear” although whatever that means is open to interpretation. It will however come with a “8-Microphone array.” This means it should have various senses to hear audio around a room or office a the participants within such a space.
The device will also support a custom OS called DTEN OS that comes from Zoom’s partner in this endeavor: a San Jose-based startup called DTEN. This company will be the one making the actual hardware.
The Verge reported that this will be the first device to be certified with a “Zoom for Home” moniker and that this will include equipment optimized for home offices.
Zoom is also said to be partnering with more companies besides just DTEN in the future.
Look for the ZDEN come sometime this August.
