Why you may belief TechRadar
We spend hours testing each services or products we evaluation, so that you could be certain you’re shopping for the most effective. Find out more about how we test.
This evaluation first appeared in subject 353 of PC Pro.
As the newest member of the HP Poly Studio household, the X52 video bar delivers a complicated all-in-one answer for medium-sized assembly rooms. Taking on from the Studio X50, it options an uprated 20MP 4K UHD camera, a extra highly effective Qualcomm 865 CPU, improved dynamic framing algorithms, superior microphones and Wi-Fi 6 help.
Other than the bigger digicam there’s little to inform the 2 fashions aside however at 95°, the X52 has a narrower FoV (discipline of view) than the X50. It’s because the X52 is designed to ship a better decision when zooming in to members on the far finish of the assembly desk.
Its mic array claims a six-meter pick-up vary, whereas sound output is dealt with by two 20W ported audio system. You will have two HDMI-out ports for dual monitor help, HDMI-in and USB-C for host connections, a gigabit community port and a port for Poly’s optionally available extension mic. All are simply accessible on the rear.
The X52 runs Poly’s Android-based VideoOS software program, which helps BYOD (carry your personal gadget) mode and contains built-in video apps. The visitor listing is spectacular, and contains Microsoft Groups, Zoom Rooms, Google Meet, GoToRoom, RingCentral Rooms and BlueJeans Rooms.
Deployment is straightforward: you join energy and community, wait a minute whereas it boots up and level a browser at its IP handle. The net interface presents a system standing dashboard with the energetic video app and you progress to the Supplier part to decide on one other app from the drop-down listing.
You may swap between them as required and, though a reboot is critical, it solely takes two minutes to regain entry. BYOD mode is all the time out there with the X52 mechanically swapping to it when it senses a USB connection and, when you’ve completed, you may exit again to the app.
We had no issues cloud-managing the X52 by registering it with our Lens portal account. You may remotely handle all of your Poly gadgets, assign them to websites and rooms, run distant firmware updates and improve to the premium Lens service for detailed assembly analytics.
We examined with Microsoft Teams and used the license plate offered on the display screen to assign it to our Microsoft 365 account, the place the X52 appeared as a brand new Groups Rooms on Android gadget. We additionally paired the X52 with Poly’s TC10 PoE-powered controller pill and used the identical registration course of.
Our Groups console confirmed each gadgets as on-line and paired, after which the pill moved all assembly controls to its personal show. We had no issues creating and becoming a member of Groups conferences utilizing the tablet’s 10in touchscreen, and in BYOD mode we may use its menu to manually management the digicam and create as much as ten presets for particular digicam positions.
Video high quality is great, and we famous the digicam’s focus is markedly sharper than the Poly P15 we use within the lab. The mics labored properly, as distant members may hear us clearly after we had been 4.5 meters away, whereas the twin audio system delivered a clear sound high quality that simply crammed our 24m2 assembly room at a 60% quantity stage.
The X52 will get the good thing about Poly’s NoiseBlockAI and Acoustic Fence applied sciences, which take away annoying background noises, whereas the DirectorAI function handles group and speaker monitoring. Additionally accessed from its net console, the DirectorAI Perimeter possibility means that you can outline a customized monitoring zone.
Though nonetheless in a preview testing section, the X52 gives individuals framing, which exhibits all members utilizing as much as six break up screens. Whichever mode you select, you’ll be impressed with its pace because the digicam snaps to energetic audio system in not more than two seconds.
Poly’s Studio X52 is ideal for companies that need a skilled video conferencing answer for his or her medium-sized assembly room. Video high quality is great, speaker monitoring is impressively quick and the large alternative of built-in VC apps makes it extremely versatile.