Do They Even Sell Black and White TVs Anymore?
My wife and I are finishing our basement, if for no other reason than to reclaim our family room from the myriad of toys a 2-years needs to keep themselves entertained throughout the day. The joys of having a 5-minute attention span to any one item, I guess.
So we started discussing how to furnish the space once it was complete, and you know what? We didn't even blink when it came to choosing a high-def TV for the basement, versus a standard model. At the same time, we agreed that we didn't need a blue-ray DVD player or even a high-def TV converter box. Our son could watch his WordWorld DVDs just fine in standard definition.
So why then spend the extra money for an HD set? In a word... Futureproofing.
We know that soon enough, HD will become the norm, just like color TV did (I still laugh when I see those 1950-built motels on the highway advertising "Color TV!" as if it were still a point of dramatic differentiation). Whether it's through a game console that doubles as a HD DVD player he gets as a present, or because he just has to watch his favorite sports team in brilliant technicolor, we know we will one day be watching high-def entertainment in our basement.
The idea of futureproofing also extends to enterprises, particularly for audioconferencing. Wideband G.722 codecs (or HD Voice) is becoming an expectation of end-users, particularly as everyone fights the fatigue that comes with being on conference call after conference call, struggling to comprehend what is being said and who is saying what.
With more and more collaboration taking place across geographically dispersed teams, regional accents, the variances of room acoustics (particular for those in small conference rooms or home offices) and many other factors often make interactions less productive instead of more. HD voice solutions improve productivity by providing clearer communications, and that means a more productive experience. HD audio offers an almost immersive experience, giving the listeners a sense of where around the table the far end participants are actually sitting. It's almost as good as being there (minus the airport security hassles, of course).
While I'm at VoiceCon next Monday, I'm going to be listening to Patrick Ferriter, Sr. Product Management Director for Voice at Polycom participate in a panel with Avaya's own Lawrence Byrd on Hardphones, Softphones and Next-Gen Systems. As a Platinum DevConnect partner, Polycom has a long history with us and offers many audio and video conferencing solutions for Avaya IP Office, Avaya Aura and our Integral portfolios, including HD Voice solutions. It'll be interesting to see how our views complement one another when it comes to next-generation HD voice solutions.
In addition, Jeffrey Rodman, CTO and Co-Founder of Polycom will also be speaking Wednesday at the HD Voice: Hype or Reality? session. For more information about Polycom voice and video solutions, follow them on Twitter at @allaboutpolycom.
Posted 28 Oct 2009 at 12:02 PM