Connecting to a video conference from your laptop is simple enough. Download your favorite video conferencing app, select to use your embedded webcam and microphone, pop in some headphones and connect to your virtual meeting room. But most meetings include at least one meeting room for groups to join together. Sliding a laptop with a Skype call to the end of the meeting room table and crowding around it isn’t the answer. There’s a better solution for web conferencing, and it doesn’t include complicated conferencing software and dongles. Here’s how to set up a video conference room so you can conduct productive and professional business meetings.

3 items needed to setup your video conference room

Cloud-based video conferencing makes it incredibly simple for anyone to spin up a video conferencing room in about ten minutes. Here are the three components you’ll need when setting up video conferencing:

1. Connected TV (or multiple displays)

Conference rooms can vary in size from small huddle rooms to large boardrooms, and it’s important to match the display to the size of the room. Our article on choosing a video conferencing screen provides more details on the benefits of 4K displays and how dual displays can provide a dedicated presentation space, but the general rule of thumb is the bigger the room, the bigger the display.

2. Video Conferencing System

Composed of a high-definition camera and full video processing codec, a video conferencing system sends and receives encrypted video information and decodes it as live video on your meeting room display. Just as a webcam requires the processing power of your laptop to function, a video conferencing system is much more than just a camera. Lifesize favors UDP to reduce delays and ensure smooth calls every time.

All-in-one systems like the Lifesize line of 4K video conferencing systems are purpose built for the meeting room and designed for the sole purpose of capturing and transmitting flawless live 4K video feeds over the Lifesize cloud service network.

3. Conference Phone

A touchscreen conference phone provides a dedicated user interface for navigating your directory, controlling the camera pan/tilt/zoom options and launching calls. Conference phones and conference call microphones purpose-built for video conferencing will feature echo cancellation, automatic gain control and automatic noise reduction to give meeting room and conference participants crystal-clear audio.

How to set up your video conferencing system in 3 simple steps

Check out our complete unboxing and setup tutorial to learn how you can get up and running with the Lifesize® Icon 700™, making 4K video calls in minutes using these three simple steps:

  1. Connect the video system to your room display(s)
  2. Pair the video system to your Lifesize account
  3. Make your first 4K video conference call, share your screen in 4K and enjoy the benefit of face-to-face communication

Why wireless screen sharing is ideal in the conference room

The fundamental purpose of meetings is to share information and collaborate on ideas to make more informed decisions. From sharing applications, presentations and files to streaming video and audio in the meeting room, wireless screen sharing removes the complexity of having to bring the right cord or dongle with you to the meeting. Here are the top three reasons businesses have abandoned wired presentation sharing:

1. Cords get broken

Nothing shuts down meeting productivity quite like a conference room with broken equipment. As long as cords require physically connecting to and from laptops throughout the day, there will always be a risk of cords being broken and worn down over time. Wireless screen sharing removes the cord from the sharing equation.

2. Dongles get lost

Unless you plan on equipping every conference room with every possible display output dongle (and regularly monitor them to ensure they don’t accidentally walk out of the room), you’re going to be faced with a scenario where someone can’t share because a dongle was lost or stolen. HDMI, VGA, Thunderbolt, USB-C, DVI … the list of dongles continues to grow, but wireless sharing removes the reliance on dongles in the meeting room altogether.

3. Wireless makes things seamless

With 80% of employees using personal devices for workplace tasks and almost half of those users saying they are more productive, it’s important to consider how BYOD policies are transforming the way workers share information and collaborate. Wireless meeting room connectivity not only empowers users to seamlessly share their screens, it also eliminates the frustrations that come with trying to connect to a fragmented conference room. Check out the recent Frost and Sullivan Analyst Report for a deep dive into the benefits of wireless screen sharing in the meeting room.

How to set up video conferencing with just a laptop

Video conferencing isn’t just for meeting rooms. Connecting with colleagues and customers on a video conference call can be done right from your laptop or mobile phone with nothing more than your browser and an embedded webcam. Here’s how to set up a video conference call with the Lifesize app:

  1. Send a meeting invite with an embedded video link
  2. Click on the link when it’s time for your virtual meeting
  3. Verify your camera and audio input
  4. Join the conference call, share your screen and enjoy the benefit of face-to-face communication

Top 3 tips for your next video conference

We recently published our complete guide to hosting a successful video conference call, but here are our top three tips for your next video conference.

1. Be prepared for the meeting

There’s nothing worse than going to a meeting without any context clues and having the presenter walk in late and shuffle around because they weren’t ready. Make a meeting agenda in advance, send it out to your attendees and stick to it throughout the call. Not only does it help with productivity and efficiency, it’ll also set the tone for the meeting and give others time to prepare their questions and contributions so the conversation can keep going outside of the meeting room.

2. Utilize visuals to enhance participant interest.

Visuals are a great way to keep a video meeting interesting and fresh. Share live applications, PowerPoint™ presentations, videos, charts, graphs and anything else for real-time collaboration.

3. Don’t forget to be yourself.

We’re well past video conferencing being solely used for quarterly board meetings with your executive team — it has transformed into a daily way of communicating face to face. Just like texting, talking on the phone or walking over to your colleague’s desk and chatting in person, the video conferencing experience is about what’s being discussed. So don’t fret when it comes to getting on camera — just be yourself!

Setting up video conferencing for call centers

To provide superior support and improve resolution times, many customer service call centers have been adopting video conferencing capabilities that use ACD systems
so they can rapidly initiate video-based conversations from any support channel — including phone, email, chat, SMS and social media. With screen sharing capabilities, seamless integration and an intuitive, easy-to-use interface, CXEngage by Serenova is the clear leader. To learn more about setting up video conferencing for your call center, visit Serenova.

Ready to set up video conferencing with Lifesize?

Hundreds of thousands of business professionals use Lifesize every day to connect face to face with their colleagues, partners, customers and prospective customers. After more than fifteen years of developing conference room systems, wireless meeting room presentation devices, video conferencing apps and the global cloud network that ties it all together, we don’t settle for anything less than amazing. Lifesize delivers an unmatched unified meeting experience that you can trust to work the first time, every time. Schedule a quick demo or set up a free account here.