Q&A Microsoft Lync 2013 Video and H.264 UVC 1.5 Encoding Offloading Webcams

Note: this post started as my own notes about uvc1.5 and is still in progress.

Q. Why is a WebCam with H.264 UVC 1.5 Encoders significant?
A. H.264 UVC 1.5 allows your webcam to offload video encoding of your PC’s CPU. The very real benefit to the user is that while doing HD video your PC CPU could be (as an example) running at 15% CPU instead of say 25% or some scenarios 70% without UVC 1.5 and 20% with it.

Q. What Lync Optimized UVC 1.5 Webcams are currently available?
A. Currently the Logitech c930e. Review Here.

Q. I cannot seem to achieve 1920x1080 even though I think I have all the requirements, what more to check?
A. While this is not noted on the Technet Lync Client Video Requirements page it appears the Lync has a requirement that your monitor video resolution must be 1920x1200 on both sides. This makes some sense because why produce 1920x1080 if your monitor cannot display it? (counting some border)

Q. Can I now buy a low powered tablet (Atom/Duo/etc), plug in a UVC 1.5 WebCam and have a HD Video capable device?
A. From my testing with the Logitech c930e (only UVC 1.5 device I have at the moment) it appears to me that a UVC 1.5 device does not increase the video resolution or fps capability of a PC, it merely offloads the encoding of what the PC is capable off. (I will admit there is some grey area here, but this is what it seems like to me) Remember that a PC must encode and decode video and UVC 1.5 device only helps with the encoding (sending stream) part of the video.

Q. Give me an idea of what kind of PC I will need to achieve 1920x1080x30fps with a UVC 1.5 enabled devices?
A. 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 with latest video and 1920x1200 display resolution.

Q. Will I be able utilize UVC 1.5 encoding on Windows7? (or older)
A. No, UVC 1.5 CPU offloading encoding will only work on Windows8 and newer. The camera will work fine on Windows 7, but you will not be able to use encoding offloading.

Q. Are there any detailed Lync AVC/SVC UVC 1.5 documents?
A. Yes, take a look at this pdf titled “Microsoft Lync UC Specification for H264 AVC & SVC UCConfig Modes v1.1: Click Here

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj688132.aspx
Jeff Schertz’ excellent blog
http://windowspbx.blogspot.com/2013/07/microsoft-lync-2013-h264-pc-video.html

IDirectXVideoDecorderService::GetDecoderDeviceGuids

is-phone Videoconferencing SIP Softphone

Video of a SIP soft phone that appears to video conference pretty nicely. But can a mere mortal buy it? I'm not sure. ;-)

pbxnsip Brings Feature Rich Voice Mail to Windows Phone System World

pbxnsip is a very full featured IP phone system. The voicemail is no different. While many Windows phone systems have focused less on voicemail, letting businesses with lack luster vm features, pbxnsip has given quite a bit of attention to detail here. And considering professor Clifford Nass and others have duly noted that humans are "wired for speech" its surprising this area gets passed over. Here are a couple of often requested features:

-forward a voicemail to a colleague
-create a voice message for one or a group of phones
-have multiple greetings and easily select the one you want
-you can even control your phone system from the voicemail main menu (using star keys)
-get, delete and manage your voicemail from user web portal
-users can listen to their conversation recordings from voicemail or their own user portal
more…

pbxnsip is very feature rich and is an excellent Windows phone system that can replace traditional key systems. Pbxnsip is an excellent bridge to the future: get PC based attendant console, iPhone phone system client, integrated Instant Messaging, ability to integrate to Office Communication Server (aka Microsoft Communication Server), Exchange UM, Outlook and more.

Download the PDF version here:
http://kiwi.pbxnsip.com/index.php/Mailbox

pbxnsip Mailbox PDF Guide:

https://www.pbxnsipsupport.com/index.php_m=downloads&_a=viewdownload&downloaditemid=117

Microsoft Dynamics ERP Gets In-Depth OCS Integration

Forward looking communication professionals have been asking why phone handsets are an “island by themselves” for quite a while. Microsoft has taken a huge step in making your communication system (formerly known as a phone system—but that terminology is getting outdated) an integral part of your business management solution. Visionary professionals in the communication industry say this merging will have transformational possibilities in organizations—and I am seeing this first hand.

Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 (coming May 2010?) will start the first wave of these transformational communication possibilities. Let’s give some scenarios to highlight the power of this merging of technologies:

What if you were the purchasing person at your company, you are looking at a sales order that has an item on it you need to special order. You have a quick yes or no question for the salesman that made the sales order (but he’s not in the office!)—so you right click on the salesman’s OCS button (right inside GP) and he instantly gets your Instant Message on his mobile device (Windows mobile or nearly any other device) and answers you “Yes, I need that ASAP.”

What if you are the companywide service advisor in your company. A lead tech at another location emails you and says he has a question about service request #10500. You pull up the service request and immediately see the Part he needs to replace has some tricky things about it and you want to SHOW him how to do the repair. You grab the part and directly from Dynamics GP you can start a Hi-Resolution video call with the tech and show him how to do it…(Enterprise video cam=$99 street price)

How about initiate a call to a warehouse phone handset to check on inventory? Initiate a multi-person video conference?

This is just the start of powerful integration of communication and business management software…

The USB Phone: Desk Phone of the Future?

After reading several articles about the future of office communications and doing some thinking I am becoming more and more of the opinion that future phone system/UC end point will be PC based. Perhaps not your current PC but more of a PC than a current traditional handset. Perhaps something like a separate netbook form factor unit with a quality handset? Why do I think that?

-Naturally Moving that Way - Take some of the modern SIP handsets out there already: like the Grandstream GVX3140 video phone and maybe the Snom 870. What is common about these? They are taking on the features of a PC: The Grandstream has a built in webcam, small color screen and the ability to plug in a mouse. The snom 870 has a big color touch screen. But in each case, if you are doing heavy UC stuff the user is left feeling like: give me a full keyboard to look up things in the directory with a little speed…or give me a bigger screen so I can realistically see my video conference…

-Affordability – With the low cost of Netbooks, do $1500 handsets for UC make sense?

-Usability – The user being able to discover features. Microsoft OCS is making incredible strides in making features understandable to the masses. How many people can make a 10 person conference call at your company? Maybe the the telecom guy and the goto-geek guy. With OCS (for example) you can just drag the people you want into a conference using you mouse. It’s instantly intuitive. Basically Zero learning curve.

-Flexibility – A netbook based endpoint could do SIP, OCS, or whatever using currently available software today.

-Video Conferencing – Nice big screen (compared to desk phone) and plug in an even bigger one with the external VGA plug if you want.

In answer to “the CEO Will Want a phone handset” you can give him a CX200? (or the newer CX300)? In answer to the “what if my pc reboots?” question—hey, you have a separate netbook that won’t be rebooting!

Maybe the USB handset combined with The Phone Netbook is the wave of the future? And not just a cheap way to get things done? Maybe the Polycom CX200 isn’t so weird?

Search for the Best Office Communicator Webcam: Microsoft LifeCam Cinema

I'm getting very hooked on video conferencing. When it is one-click to setup a call and the video is so smooth and life-like-wow. I've been checking out various webcams that work nice for Office Communicator. Currently I'm using a Logitech WebCam Pro 9000 for Business. I have zero issue with the Logitech--it's excellent. I'm just wondering-- is this Microsoft LifeCam Cinema even better? If you have any experience I'd be glad to here it as a comment here. Thanks.


LifeCam Cinema™ -- Meet the Inventor

ps--After reading some impressive Amazon.com reviews of this product, I've laid out a couple gift-certs I recieved for Christmas and have one of these heading my direction. Expect a video review sometime soon. ;-)

3CX VoIP Phone To Get Video Capability

Vali over at 3CX noted that development has begun on video functionality for the 3CX VoIP Phone. If you have good ideas for the engineers over 3CX browse over to:

http://www.3cx.com/forums/3cxphone-video-support-features-12890.html

If you need video conferencing right now the X-Lite version 3 (free) does do video right now with 3CX and pbxnsip. You do need to start the video call after the call is in progress.