Today Logitech introduced the MeetUp 2, the successor to the original MeetUp launched in 2017. Shown below, MeetUp 2 is a USB-based all-in-one conference camera and sound bar designed for huddle rooms and other smaller spaces. It supports two types of deployments: PC-based and bring your own device (BYOD).
For dedicated use in a room, the MeetUp 2 is connected to a computer running either Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet or another videoconferencing application. For BYOD, users simply bring their own computer and connect it.
According to Logitech, one of the challenges associated with BYOD is the need for two cables – HDMI to the display and USB to the bar. To address that challenge, and simplify use of the MeetUp 2, Logitech implemented DisplayPort Alternative Mode (DP Alt Mode), an industry standard that enables USB-C connectors to transmit and carry DisplayPort video signals. As a result, the user only needs a single cable to drive both the bar and the display (pictured below). Logitech includes a Logitech Active USB Cable with the MeetUp 2, but any DP Alt Mode compliant cable will work (The USB-C ports on users’ computers must support DP Alt Mode, as well.)
When the user’s computer is plugged into the bar, MeetUp 2 will duplicate their computer display on the room’s display – and use the speakers and microphone.
During a press pre-brief Alan Smith, Product Management Director for Logitech, said the Rally Bar Huddle is best for Android-based deployments because the room application can run on the Rally Bar itself. However, “if you’re connected to Mac or Windows, or you're going to do BYOD, then MeetUp 2 is the appropriate device,” Smith said.
MeetUp 2 has a 4K camera that provides 120-degree field of view (FoV) and uses a real-time ‘de-warper’ algorithm to make sure those individuals (or objects) captured on the edge of that FoV don’t look distorted. The camera has up to a 4X zoom, supports digital pan and tilt and RightSight 2, Logitech’s intelligent framing solution.
With RightSight 2, MeetUp 2 will frame everyone in the room, track the active speaker and it supports ‘camera zones,’ which are configurable areas to be excluded from the frame. “As an administrator you could go into [Logitech Sync], identify the places you want the camera to frame and then exclude areas that you don't want to frame,” Smith said. The following image illustrates that capability.
The MeetUp 2 also has a manual privacy shutter which can be used to cover the lens.
Smith said that the MeetUp 2 can play twice as loud as the original meetup and has a wider frequency response, so it sounds better on the low end. The new bar also has six microphones (up from three), which allows the MeetUp 2 to be more accurate on beamforming and thus pick up those who are speaking while also isolating noise away.
“MeetUp 2 also uses machine learning based algorithms for much better reverberation [control], noise reduction, and leveling of people's voices, all of which results in much clearer voice pickup so people on the far end are able to hear much better,” Smith said. “The other nice feature is that even in a BYOD setup, it is all remotely managed.”
MeetUp 2 is managed via Logitech Sync, as well as via Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet. Physical deployment of the bar itself is versatile in that the mount on the bottom of the MeetUp 2 can fold to support different orientations and setups – atop a shelf, on the monitor, on a tripod, wall brackets, etc. Both mount and cable management are shown below (there is a cover that snaps in place over the cables).
MeetUp 2 supports Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity which are used for managing and updating the device, as well as a new digital signage feature that allows for the room display to which the MeetUp 2 is connected to show basic (and customizable) information – e.g., room schedule, agenda, instructions on how to connect to the MeetUp 2, etc.
“There are hundreds of 1000s of the [original] MeetUps out in the market. For companies who are looking to update their system, they can use the existing MeetUp wall or TV mount and just do a simple replacement without having to do a lot of extra work,” Smith said.
MeetUp 2 is available now and costs $899.
Logitech also announced its new Room Booking software features which supplement its existing Desk Booking solution (and Logi Dock Flex). While Dock Flex allows employees to book desks, Room Booking obviously helps employees book meeting spaces. Room Booking works with Logitech Sync and integrates with common calendar apps such as Office 365 and Google Workspace. Via Logitech Sync, IT team members can troubleshoot the MeetUp 2 and other Logitech conference systems, as well as track patterns on room usage and occupancy.
