Quanta teams with OoVoo on HD video conferencing box for your TV

Quanta, the OEM behind the OLPC and MacBook, just announced its move into home-based HD video conferencing. Quanta is teaming with OoVoo to produce the Quanta Video Messenger -- a 1,280 x 720 pixel / 30fps, multi-point-capable set-top box that plugs directly into your HDTV and home Internet connection (presumably via Ethernet or 802.11n, they don't say). OoVoo is also looking to integrate its wares in existing set-top boxes. The prototype STB is the size of a hardback book and does not currently include a webcam or mic -- those must be plugged into the device separately. They'd better bundle a webcam then, if they hope to generate mass market appeal across familial generations. Early tests of the H.264 video over an Internet connection capped at 512kbps upstream produced the occasional video sputter (when watching a fast moving object) in quality roughly equivalent to DVDs. Fortunately, Quanta and OoVoo have 9 months to sort out any issues as they don't expect to ship until "later this year" for a price meant to be "affordable to consumers."

[Via MicroHoo News]

[Cory @ Mar 24th 2008 7:32AM]

This is going to fail as hard as all the attempts at a video phone we've seen over the past decade. You'll buy one for you and your grandma, or whoever this products target audience is, and no one else will have one. Seriously, just do yourself a favor and hook a PC up to your HDTV. We need more PCs optimized for TV integration, its the way of the future I tell you! God made the PC for a reason...

[Nate @ Mar 24th 2008 1:33PM]

I would just like to know if someone at Quanta could give me Jenny and/or Linda's numbers before they go out of business.

[Ekauq @ Mar 24th 2008 7:39AM]

linda just found out that robert was cheating on her with jenny :)

[Jason @ Mar 24th 2008 10:01AM]

More like "But I poop from there?!?!?!?"

[toro @ Mar 24th 2008 10:42AM]

I was thinking the same!

[Brian @ Mar 24th 2008 4:54PM]

It looks like Robert is having fun on a webcam with those two...

[DT @ Mar 24th 2008 8:09AM]

Now where have I seen that reflective black "floor" in video chat software before? Hmmmmm....

[Bob @ Mar 24th 2008 8:35AM]

Well, it's obviously NOT Apple that uses it. They aren't obsessed with reflections of their products in any surface...

http://www.apple.com/iphone/gallery/

[MK @ Mar 24th 2008 11:58AM]

No, never..
Oh look here, that looks familiar:
http://www.mennoboy.com/chris/archives/images/ichat/ichatconference.jpg

[michael @ Mar 25th 2008 4:43AM]

Does it truly matter? It just add a nice visual effect. Who cares if some company did it first?

I see many companies utilize good ideas done by other companies all the time. It's just simply keeping up with the competition. The company that has the black reflective floor that you've seen before has also taken good ideas before and have bought them, or just plainly gave their own implementation of it.

It's nothing new.

[Flashpoint @ Mar 24th 2008 8:13AM]

This is NEVER going to catch on. Video phones and teleconferencing are not going to be a big thing until all telephone companies start putting video cameras in ALL of their phones so that we have no choice but to have a phone with that feature already inside it.

No one wants people to be able to see them while they are speaking. People have a hard enough time just taking regular photos when they feel less than "attractive". Most new laptops have webcameras built into their frames and very rarely do people even bother to use them while chatting - mostly because they are chatting with multiple people at a given time and also because their environment lighting sitations may not be optimal.

[Bob @ Mar 24th 2008 8:31AM]

Yeah, I don't want someone to see my picking my nose or at my toenails while I'm on the "phone" with them...

[danny @ Mar 24th 2008 11:31AM]

"Environment lighting situations may not be optimal"... in other words, they are beating off.

[Yuri @ Mar 26th 2008 11:18AM]

Actually, I use webchat a lot.

I use it every night actually =\

It's probably one of the most amazing things being able to see family in Japan live for free, when I'm all the way in the States. Plus it's free.

If something like hi-def streaming were available on a computer, where extra hardware wasn't needed, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

Most people I know use webcam chat a lot. Probably because of the community I live in, this is a really important thing to us.

I'm sure we're not the only ones. Distant relatives would ogle at the technology if it were advertised more. Hell, my 80yr old grandmother can set this stuff up.

[KriLL3 @ Mar 24th 2008 8:28AM]

Companies have been putting cameras in 3G phones for years, just about everyone got one but most people don't use em since the visual part of the interaction doesn't add much, and sometimes it's just not handy to have to hold your phone in front of your face, I prefer to have it in my pocket using my wired headset.

[mushrooshi @ Mar 24th 2008 8:34AM]

WOW!

The future is awesome! Insanely white rooms!

[Bob @ Mar 24th 2008 8:36AM]

Maybe they staged those shots in mental institutions... Though I don't see padded walls in the background.

[DT @ Mar 24th 2008 10:12AM]

They're simply in THX 1138 prison.

[Chris @ Mar 24th 2008 9:35AM]

Sanjay is doing advertising now??

[Allan dordon @ Mar 25th 2008 12:35AM]

So when does this living room conferencing gadget will be ready..Currently we have http://www.rhubcom.com turbomeeting but this HDTV idea seems quite revolutionary ......

[Neil @ Mar 26th 2008 10:05AM]

Robert: Hey Linda, this is Robert. Bad news, I'm dumping you for Jenny.
Linda: Wha!?!?!
Jenny: HAHAHAHA (evil)

[Erich @ May 8th 2008 2:27PM]

This looks like a video conferencing unit from Creative I blogged about here: http://erichizdepski.com/blog/2008/02/creative_labs_inperson_video_c.html

I've used this system and also another hd system from Lifesize. Both are useful in business.

[khalid @ May 11th 2008 4:39PM]

hiiiiiiiiiiiii i am khalid iwont knwo