[2022] Perfect for video conferencing!! I tried out the BOSE VB1 All-in-One USB Device!!

For video conferencing, I think you might need a computer and the following equipment:

• Camera
• Speaker
• Speaker

Various manufacturers have released various electronic accessories such as USB web cameras, microphones, and speakers that can be connected from the stereo mini jack on the computer. This time I tried out a system named the VB1 that was released by BOSE who is known for their high quality sound.

Simply put, the VB1 is an all-in-one system that has everything you need.

BOSE / VIDEOBAR VB1　

You can view the product on the official BOSE webpage, too!

BOSE VIDEOBAR VB1

The VB1 is equipped with the following functions in its compact bar-shaped body:

• High quality 4K ultra-HD camera
• High quality speakers with the signature BOSE sound that reaches the entire room
• 6 beam-steering microphones to automatically detect and capture audio

I immediately set up the VB1 in one of the conference rooms in our office which is about 6 meters wide and 4.5 meters long.

It looks like this. I connected everything as demonstrated in the illustration (2) below.

Nothing was particularly difficult to set up. Just connect the VB1 via USB. Then, it should be automatically detected, so just select VB1 for the microphone and speaker on your computer and you’re all set.

The connections on the back of the VB1 were also simple and easy.

I didn’t use them this time but the HDMI and LAN ports are provided on the side.

The thing I was initially surprised about was that the angle of view for the camera was extremely wide. As you can see in the picture, my body was almost fully captured even while I was standing quite close to the VB1.

The VB1 comes with a remote control that allows you to control the volume, camera zoom in/out, frame position, microphone mute, and Bluetooth. The picture below was captured with the maximum zoom out. The room is 6 meters wide, but the camera clearly captured the view from one side of the room to the other side of the room. The picture doesn’t look like it was taken with a fisheye lens, but it looks like a nice square room as it looks in real life.

I zoomed in. Lol.

I pulled the angle of view to the right.

It looked like this when I pulled it down.

I also pulled it up for reference.

I also tried out the wireless control app for the VB1 called Bose Work. When the app is launched, this image capture below will appear on the screen. Once opened, the app will immediately start searching for the VB1 device.

Once the VB1 hardware is found, tap ‘Connect’ to complete the setup. Now, you will be able to control the VB1 device on your phone and use it as a remote control.

The pictures below show me trying out the ‘autoframing’ function of the camera. Tap the icon between 1 and 2 in the capture above. Then, the camera will detect people and zoom in on them. I tried this function by myself alone in the room so the VB1 smoothly focused on me. I asked the BOSE support team what would happen if multiple people were in the room. According to the support team, the autoframing function on the VB1 is designed to be operated by the camera, not the microphone for zooming in on the speaker(s). When multiple people are speaking at the same time, the camera will zoom in on all the speakers in the frame instead of zooming in on one speaker every time. This latest technology is amazing, isn’t it?

The speaker function is just a small part of what the VB1 can do, but I could clearly hear the remote attendee’s voice, and I made sure our voices could be heard by the remote attendee even though we were scattered in different parts of the room. It's obvious that the sound was completely different from a desktop speakerphone. When we shared a movie with dance music in the background, the sound quality was simply excellent when it played out a powerful and dynamic sound. The speakers on the VB1 are designed to face front, so I felt that the sound was as distinctly clear as if the speaker was right in front of us.

In terms of video and sound quality, high-quality devices will inevitably improve the experience of video conferencing. For both the user and the other attendees, this is nothing but an advantage. Of course, the BOSE speakers, microphones, and cameras are all top-notch, so honestly, it’s harder to find a reason not to use the VB1 which has all of them combined in one unit. It’s a great product not only for work or school meetings, but it’s also great for video streaming.