Conferencing room guide

All you need to know

To create an optimal video conferencing room, focus on high-quality audio and video equipment, reliable internet, proper room setup with good lighting and acoustics, user-friendly conferencing software, and comfortable, ergonomic furniture. These factors ensure clear communication and collaboration.

Tips

Video conferencing room

Audio & Visual

One of the critical aspects is the quality of the audio and video. Investing in high-quality cameras, microphones, and speakers can significantly enhance communication.

Lighting & Acoustic

Ensuring proper lighting and acoustics can greatly improve the overall experience. Adequate lighting helps participants see each other clearly, while good acoustics minimize echo and background noise.

Connectivity

A reliable internet connection is crucial to avoid interruptions or lagging issues. Wired internet connection will greatly improve the stability of your connection.

Camera Position

For the best view, put the camera near seated eye level. If you place the camera on top of the screen, it’s typically best when the lens is about 55 inches (1400mm) from the floor. This usually means the bottom of the screen is about 30 inches (800mm) up from the floor.

For optimal interaction, it’s recommended to position the camera centrally on the screen, ensuring that room participants seem to be directly engaging with remote attendees.

The wall mount enables the video conference camera to be placed either below a screen or situated between screens in a dual-screen setup.

Display

As described in the room layout section, the room size and viewing distances are key to selecting the best screen size. The screen height should be at least an 8th of the distance from the screen to the farthest viewer, with the closest viewer no closer than 1.5x the screen height from the screen.

As a starting point, here are some typical screen sizes and corresponding closest and farthest viewer distances:

55″ Screen:1.0-5.5m (3.3′-18.0′)
65″ Screen:1.2-6.5m(3.9-21.3)
75″ Screen: 1.4 – 7.5m (4.6′- 24.6)
85″ Screen: 1.6- 8.5m (5.2′- 27.9)

Screens should’ be mounted centrally to the table. The screen height should illow for comfortable viewing. As a guide. keep the bottom of the screen less than 1100mm (44″) from the floor.

Single screens work well for everyone in the room. Dual screens can also be used, but care should be taken to ensure both screens can be seen by all
participants.

Lighting and ratio

For a comfortable and even visual experience, keep these guidelines in mind:

Evenness of Light (Uniformity): Aim for about 0.6Uo.
Light Color (Colour Temperature): Around 4500 kelvin is best.
True Color Display (Colour Rendering Index or CRI): Choose lights with 80 or higher CRI.

Aim for a light balance where faces are twice as bright as the background behind them. A light ratio of 2:1 hitting participants’ faces vs the background directly behind.

Keep lighting on people’s faces around 400 lux. Don’t exceed 500 lux and make sure lights and always choose low-glare lights to prevent discomfort to he people in the room.

Acoustic

Video conferencing is crucial in today’s digital age. However, many rooms suffer from poor acoustics, hindering clear communication. By investing in proper soundproofing and selecting quality acoustic materials, not only does speech clarity improve, but external interruptions decrease, leading to more productive and efficient meetings.

Walls have an NIC rating that shows how well they block sound. If a noisy room is next to a meeting room, the wall should have a higher NIC rating to keep it quiet.

the walls between meeting rooms should have a NIC rating of 45 NIC. this keeps sound from the next room and provides a noisy free environment in the room,

If a wall with a door is closer than 4.5m to work areas, it should have an NIC rating of 30. If it’s farther than 4.5m, it should be rated NIC 25 for sound blocking.

For walls without doors:

If they’re closer than 4.5m to work areas, they should block sound with an NIC rating of 35.
If they’re farther than 4.5m, they need an NIC rating of 30.

For proper noise control, partitions between rooms should touch the ceiling. Half-height walls can let unwanted noise seep through, disrupting work and discussions in adjacent spaces.

Glass walls are stylish for open offices, but they can make sounds bounce more. It’s best to have glass only on the entry door wall and not between meeting rooms to reduce noise.

Temperature

HVAC Units and Meeting Room Diffusers: Recommended Distances

To ensure the best performance and comfort in a meeting room, here’s a straightforward guide on the distances between different HVAC systems and the first diffuser:

🌬️ Variable Air Volume Systems:

Distance from unit to first diffuser: 4.5m (or 15 feet)

🌀 Fan Coil Unit Systems:

Distance from unit to first diffuser: 6m (or 20 feet)

To keep meeting rooms quiet, pick the right air vents (diffusers) and control air speeds in your HVAC system. Although it might cost a bit more, a quieter room means everyone can hear and understand better during discussions.

Giving a room its temperature control helps ensure everyone stays comfy, no matter what the weather’s like outside. This will help take better care of the equipment in the room.