Bigpicture TV Phone From 3Com Enables Point-to-Point Television Videoconferencing Over Analog Phone Lines.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 5, 1997-- Easy-to-Use TV Phone Turns Regular Phone Calls Into Video Phone Calls Offering a Full-Featured Videoconferencing Solution without a PC Global networking leader 3Com Corporation (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :COMS COMS 3Com Corporation (stock symbol) COMS Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist COMS Continuous Opacity Monitoring Systems COMS City of Manchester Stadium (UK) ) today announced its availability of their Bigpicture tv phone, a simple videophone (1) (VideoPhone) A line of videophones (definition #1 below) from AT&T that were introduced in the early 1990s and later pulled off the market due to poor sales. The first models came with a price tag above $1,000, and a pair were needed. See Picturephone. solution enabling quality person-to-person videoconferencing with ordinary television sets and telephones. By combining the power of 3Com's video and analog technologies, this new product lets people make reliable, high-quality video phone calls without a PC. Due to its ease-of-use, the Bigpicture tv phone is an ideal choice for people who don't have PCs, technical knowledge, or the budget to install advanced video systems in the home or corporate office. "The Bigpicture tv phone establishes 3Com as one of the first companies to provide a family of mass market videophone products that bridge the PC and non-PC worlds of visual communications," said Neil Clemmons, vice president of marketing for 3Com's Personal Communications Division. "The Bigpicture tv phone joins our award winning Bigpicture video product family as an affordable communications product that helps people access the world of video over their television sets as well as their PCs." With the Bigpicture tv phone, no special lines, extra services or additional monthly fees are necessary. Friends and family can make a the same way they would make a voice call. Business people can save on travel time and expenses, meeting "face-to-face" without leaving the office. They can now show a product or discuss a new project from across town or across the country. Complete Communications Package The Bigpicture tv phone includes a built-in camera that includes adjustable quality, picture size, and frame rate features. The electronic zoom feature lets users select wide angle, normal, and telephoto (close-up) views for the remote camera. The pan and tilt features allow users to digitally adjust the remote camera's field of view, both horizontally and vertically. "The Bigpicture tv phone combines a touch-tone telephone and television to form a complete video solution with a suite of viewing options," said Bernie Sepaniak, director of video products for 3Com's Personal Communication Division. "Because it uses standard telephone lines, a video phone call costs no more than a regular telephone call. In addition, all of the product's components are contained in a small camera that fits nicely on top of any television." Installation requires a standard analog phone The original telephone technology, which converts air vibrations into an analogous electrical frequency. Unless a key telephone system, digital PBX or voice over IP (VoIP) is used, most homes and small offices still use analog phones, and the local loop is mostly analog. line, a touch-tone telephone and a television. The telephone key pad allows users to control the camera and video functions through a user-friendly on-screen on·screen or on-screen adj. & adv. 1. As shown on a movie, television, or display screen. 2. Within public view; in public. menu. Self-view (local) mode allows you to see how others see you, privacy mode mutes outgoing video, and snapshot mode lets users capture and send images to other parties. Video, Audio & Data Compliance The Bigpicture tv phone conforms to the H.324 video phone standard, allowing it to interact with both plain old telephone service (POTS) videophones and desktop video conferencing See videoconferencing. (communications) video conferencing - A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and hear each other using electronic communications. systems from different manufacturers that are also H.324 compatible. Additional compliance includes G.723.1 audio compression Encoding digital audio data to take up less storage space and transmission bandwidth. Audio compression typically uses lossy methods, which eliminate bits that are not restored at the other end. ADPCM and MP3 are examples of audio compression methods. See audio codec and data compression. for voice, NTSC (National TV Standards Committee) The committee that developed the television standards for the U.S, which are also used in Canada, Japan, South Korea and several Central and South American countries. Both the committee and the standard are called "NTSC. for output and V.34 for data. This allows users to make video calls to personal computers running video phone software as well as standard television sets. The Bigpicture tv phone interoperates with the Bigpicture video product family that includes: Bigpicture Video Kit that ships complete with a 30 fps video capture board, V.80 video/voice/ fax modem fax modem n. A modem that sends and receives fax transmissions. that is upgradable to x2 56 Kbps(1) technology, color video camera, suite of video communications and editing software. Bigpicture Video Camera & Capture Card package for use with existing modems or other data transmission devices. In addition, the Bigpicture tv phone is compatible with VCRs, so users can record video calls they wish to save. Other tv phone configurations include connecting the tv phone to a television with auxiliary audio/video inputs, to a television and a cable adapter, to a television with a VCR VCR: see videocassette recorder. VCR in full videocassette recorder Electromechanical device that records, stores on a videotape cassette, and plays back on a TV set recorded images and sound. , to both a VCR and a cable box, and with telephone accessories like an answering machine. Additional Features: Auto-Answer, Caller ID A telephone company service that sends the caller's telephone number between the first and second ring of the call. If the calling number is not blocked, the calling number is displayed on the handset or base station of the called party. & Upgrades The auto-answer feature lets an unattended tv phone serve as a security camera, baby monitor, or traffic camera. This allows the phone to automatically answer an incoming call after a variable number of rings. Caller ID lets users view the phone number of the call they are receiving before they answer the video call at the top of their television screen. If the call is missed, the tv phone remembers the last number received and displays it when the user picks up the phone. As visual communication technology continues to evolve, new features can be easily added to the Bigpicture tv phone with a simple phone call to 3Com's upgrade server. During an upgrade phone call, 3Com loads new software into the tv phone to further improve video quality and add features based on new technical innovations. Availability & Support The 3Com Bigpicture tv phone is currently shipping with a suggested U.S. retail price of $449. Check with your local retailer for more pricing details. Installation support is available toll-free at 888/877-4VID VID Video VID Vide (Latin: See) VID Vendor Id (USB PnP ID) VID Visual InterDev (Microsoft development environment) VID VLAN Identifier (IEEE 802. . For additional information on the Bigpicture product family, visit 3Com's Web site at http://www.3com.com/bigpicture . About 3Com Corporation 3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide to communicate and share information and resources at anytime from anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent suppliers of data, voice and video communications technology Noun 1. communications technology - the activity of designing and constructing and maintaining communication systems engineering, technology - the practical application of science to commerce or industry , 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than 100 million customers worldwide. With global reach and local touch, the company provides enterprises, network service providers and carriers, small businesses and consumers with comprehensive, innovative information access products and system solutions for building intelligent, reliable and high performance local and wide area networks. 3Com has worldwide revenues of approximately $6.0 billion and employs about 13,200 people in 45 countries. -0- Both parties must have a TV phone or a H.324 compatible computer videophone product. (1) All x2 products are capable of 56 Kbps downloads; however, due to FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. rules which restrict power output of service providers' modems, current download speeds are limited to 53 Kbps. Actual speeds may vary depending on line conditions. Uploads from end users to service providers travel at speeds up to 28.8 Kbps. An x2 modem, an analog phone line compatible with x2 technology and an Internet provider Internet provider - Internet Service Provider with x2 service are required for these high speed downloads. See www.3com.com/x2 for details. 3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation. Bigpicture and x2 are trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its subsidiaries. CONTACT: 3Com Public Relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most Mike Beltrano, 847/675-2382 mbeltrano@usr.com |
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