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Yealink VC800 Review: A Whole New Way to Connect
Yealink VC800 Review: A Whole New Way to Connect
Founded in 2001, Yealink is a video conferencing, voice communications, and collaboration solution provider with offices in 140+ countries around the world. The company has built an established footprint, bolstered by several recognitions over the years. In 2018, Frost & Sullivan named the company a Leader in Business Telephony, ranking No.1 in SIP Phone Shipment market share.
Interestingly, Yealink doesn’t limit itself to businesses of a specific scale. It has solutions for small meeting rooms and huddles, as well as mid-to-large-sized conference sites. The company has partnered with UC giants such as Microsoft and Zoom to deliver a seamless, business communication experience. Yealink is a publicly-traded company, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
Today, we are reviewing their flagship video conferencing product – Yealink VC800 for mid to large rooms.
Inside Yealink VC800
This is the second-gen full HD system from Yealink, following the previous VC200. The new addition brings support for 24-site HD video conferencing as well as two virtual meeting rooms. Yealink has updated its user interface significantly, making it intuitive and easy to control. What’s more, the solution is powered by Harman Kardon speaker technology, making it simply matchless in terms of audio quality. Let’s look at the VC800’s robust feature set:
- Unboxing and accessories – Inside the box, you get an exciting array of devices beyond just a business telephone. There is the VC800 Codec integrated camera, two wireless expansion units, a remote control, a cable hub, and the video conference phone. The last device steals the show with a fully-functional touchscreen interface, making it easy to control in any office scenario
- The camera – Yealink’s full HD camera comes with an impressive 60 frame rate and 12X optical zoom. It can be tilted at a 30-degree angle, and rotated by 100 degrees – this gives the camera component maximum flexibility to capture even the largest meeting rooms. As a bonus, there is a Beauty mode which might come in handy during customer conferences
- The phone and audio – The 5-inch touchscreen telephone is mounted on the central hub which has a built-in three-microphone setup. The addition of Harman Kardon’s technology means that audio quality is excellent, with acoustic echo cancellation and noise-proof support. You can add up to 2 expansion mics in case you want to scale
- Calling – You can view up to 1+7 participants on Yealink, with all the standard functionalities like Group Dial, DND, Local directories, Call Histories, and Call Waiting available out-of-the-box. You can choose to share screenshots in a USB flash drive, and even access a virtual keyboard for ad-hoc collaboration needs
- Cloud compatibility – The VC 800 offers a range of hosting options including Yealink’s own Cloud Management Service and Meeting Server, a well as StarLeaf, Pexip, and a bunch of others. If you’re hosting the Yealink Meeting Server, you get the additional ability to mute and unmute participants
- Network & security – VC800 comes with built-in certification and a number of network diagnosis tools. You can trace network routes, achieve 128-bit encryption and opt for an anti-attack communication setup
- Connectivity and physical dimensions – The cable hub that’s part of the solution includes two RG45 ports, one HDMI input, one MiniDP input, and a USB port. We found the USB particularly useful as it allows lengthy call records without limiting file size. The Yealink VC 800 can be wall-mounted via screws and consumes a maximum of 21 W. And like most UC hardware it has an upward operating threshold of 40-degree Celsius
Why Yealink VC800 Makes a Difference
VC 800 brings all the capabilities of a wired business telephony system at a fraction of the hassle. The different components of the solution are seamlessly integrated and we felt that the inclusion of Harman Kardon speakers was a nice touch. The company also has its own hosting service, in case you’re wary of disturbing your existing cloud infrastructure. Here are a few other stand-out benefits you can expect from the VC 800:
- The solution comes with a complementary camera, but you can add up to 9 cameras at the same time
- The 24-site video conferencing capacity can be divided between two virtual meeting rooms, streamlining remote collaboration
- The touchscreen available on the central telephone makes Yealink a modern and elegant collaboration tool
- The microphones can pick up audio at a 20 feet range – ideal for mid-to-large-sized rooms
What We Think
If you’re in the market for a collaboration tool that does it all – hardware and software, video and audio – Yealink VC 800 is an obvious choice. At the time of writing this review, the solution is priced at USD 5,544, and this covers the five discrete components in the box. With Yealink, you’re ready to get started from day one or take your time to customise and scale as required – and it also supports your existing third-party meeting room systems without blinking an eye.
UC scored the VC800 at a 4.4 score
Yealink Multi-Cell DECT, revolutionising office mobility
Yealink Multi-Cell DECT, revolutionising office mobility
Nology enables VoIP roaming in your office, it’s not as complicated as you think!
Mobility within office environments is a crucial aspect to many businesses. Imagine working for a car dealership, when a customer phones to ask for the price of a specific vehicle. Not having the price on hand, the easiest solution would be to walk to the car and see the price in the window, but your customer now has to be put on hold or you take the call with you on your cordless phone which risks losing the call when going out of range of the base station and worse, losing the business for good.
Nology, the Platinum Distributor for Yealink in South Africa, is proud to introduce Yealink’s highly anticipated W80B Multi-Cell DECT solution which solves the above problem, as well as many others. Forgoing the technical jargon, Multi-Cell DECT simply means that a cordless phone can “roam” between various base stations without losing a call. Yealink’s W80B Multi-Cell DECT solution allows up to 100 handsets to be connected to up to 30 base stations, all seamlessly handing over calls and allowing users to roam as they please. Taking the DECT base station range into account, (up to 300M with clear line of sight) this provides a massive area of coverage when fully populated! Of course, most businesses will not just deploy phones over a large flat surface, and the Yealink W80B Multi-Cell DECT solution is ideal for bridging the coverage dead spots in multi-level buildings.
Unlike Wi-Fi based cordless phones which are prone to interference and poor user experience if the Wi-Fi infrastructure is incorrectly set up, DECT remains the wireless technology of choice for high voice quality, low interference and secure VoIP communications.
Multi-Cell DECT, combined with Yealink’s industry leading design is also revolutionising the traditional office environment, by bringing DECT to your desktop and conference phones! As part of the refinements expected later this year, Yealink will offer a comprehensive DECT cordless office VoIP solution. This is great news for both installers and end users, as it means install times are cut down, the requirement for trenching/trunking is significantly reduced, and there’s a cost saving by reducing the need for installation of Ethernet points.
Alex Bantjes, VoIP Product Manager at Nology says: “The Multi-Cell DECT market has traditionally been dominated by only a few brands, at an almost unaffordable price point. Not only will Yealink disrupt this trend, but also introduces a new facet of mobility to your desktop and conference phones which is completely unique to the market. Nology is eager to empower our partners with Yealink Multi-Cell DECT which will usher in a new era of cost effective, high coverage, quick deployment VoIP devices.”
Yealink’s W80B Multi-Cell DECT works with most of the existing Yealink cordless handsets and customers who are relying on Yealink’s DECT products already can simply make the switch to Multi-Cell by replacing the DECT base station, with minimal disruption to their business operations. Contact Nology today to see how we can help you build you DECT solution.
For more information click here
Ematic 4K Ultra-HD Android TV Box review: Who needs a smart TV?
Ematic 4K Ultra-HD Android TV Box review: Who needs a smart TV?
When it comes to Android TV boxes, the options seem limitless. We are spoilt for choice with Xiaomi Mi Boxes, the (now deceased) Kwesé Play and a variety of nameless Android boxes. But we’re convinced we’ve found the best Android TV box on the market locally: the Ematic 4K Ultra HD Android TV Box.
The Ematic 4K Ultra-HD Android TV Box is one of the few Android boxes available in South Africa right now that is both Google- and Netflix-certified. That’s worth mentioning because it ensures better quality, as well as Google updates. The media box has also got Google Assistant and Chromecast built-in, which allows you to transform your TV into a Smart TV.
Setup for greatness
This is one of the most basic setups we’ve ever experienced with a streaming box/smart device. You know those people who ask on Facebook groups for help setting up their tech? Even those folks will be able to set up this one. For reals.
The Ematic box has an intuitive interface that can match (or overtake) most smart TV interfaces. To be honest, we preferred the Android TV interface on the Ematic to our smart TV’s interface (we’re not gonna tell you which brand, soz). Ematic’s menus flows seamlessly from one category to the next, have great keyboard setups for typing with a controller and are an overall joy to use.
It’ll automatically detect WiFi and begin setup — if you choose to do the setup through an Android phone, it’s even more seamless. Just sign in to your Google account, and it retrieves your home network password and all your favourite apps. It’ll continue by downloading a bunch of apps you want. Just like that, setup’s complete.
The included controller is also one of the better ones we’ve held. It’s simple, easy to navigate and can be used by a toddler. Just don’t give it to your toddler, though.
The content king?
Everyone’s got a streaming service these days (yeah, even DStv). Which makes us spoilt for choice. But it also means streaming boxes need to stay up to date with all available streaming apps.
This is where the Ematic box stood out most: content availability. It features all the basics – Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and Google Play Movies/Music. But unlike some other Android boxes (like Kwese), it features South African-favourites Showmax and DStv Now.
It’s also got 8GB of onboard storage, along with a micro-SD slot that supports up to 32GB. Because of Android, this streamer has a host of apps available for download, including Steam Link (for the PC gamers), Google Drive, to save and download files to, Twitch and VLC. Yes, this does mean you can store other music and video files on your box. No, this does not mean you should pirate them.
Our other favourite is, of course, Spotify. For those times you just don’t have the capacity to handle another episode of Breaking Bad and really need to do the dishes. You can even save downloaded playlists to the box in case of a mass internet-outage. Nifty. And Eskom-ready.
Let me help you with that
Probably the best feature of this little box is the built-in Google Assistant. You can ask the bugger anything you’d ask a Google Hub or Google Home. Only this time, it’ll display results on your TV.
The controller has a built-in microphone to help you with that. Just hold the Assistant button and speak into the controller. It does make you feel a bit like an idiot at first. “What’s this dude doing talking to his remote?” you’ll think. One does get used to it over time though. We’re living in a world where speaking to tech has become the new norm. Might as well get some practise in now.
Because the Ematic box is certified by the man himself, Google, you’ll receive regular updates to the Assistant feature. The box should stay up to date with the latest AI and machine learning that you’d find in any other Google-based smart hub.
Just output
The Ematic box runs Android TV OS 8.1 and up — in other words, you’ll get regular updates from Google. That’s important to folks these days. Another feature that sets the Ematic apart from the rest of the boxes is its 4K capability.
Which means you’ll need a 4K-capable TV. Don’t come running to us if you don’t get 4K output working on a normal HD display. The other problem is that 4K isn’t super-widely available. You can find some 4K content on Netflix, but it’ll chow your bandwidth, so you’d better be on an uncapped line.
It’s great to have the 4K (Ultra HD is another moniker) option, though. And of course, with Chromecast built-in you can project just about any content from another device (a laptop or phone perhaps) to the TV without sideloading dodgy apps or pulling out another HDMI cable. Want to show your friends your latest skydiving experience? Go ahead and cast it to the TV. As easy as falling on your face, something we hope you only attempt while not wearing a parachute.
Ematic 4K Ultra HD Android TV Box Verdict
Is the Emtaic 4K Ultra UD Android TV Box worth your time and money? Basically. We reckon anyone without a smart TV (yet) should look into getting an Ematic box. For just R1,200, you can turn just about any display into a smart TV hub. It’s kind of a no-brainer really. Add another R400 and you can get the 32GB internal storage upgrade. And if you’re like us, and prefer smoother interfaces, the Ematic box may just be a nice-to-have replacement for the sub-par smart TV interfaces out there. There are a few sets like that on the market — clunky, hard to navigate and slow. None of those descriptors apply to this Android TV OS 8.1-powered hardware.