Poly Studio P5 - User Manual

Poly Studio P5 User Guide
SUMMARY
This guide provides administrators with information about configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting the
featured product.

Summary

Getting Started

Poly Studio P5 Hardware Overview

Poly Studio P5 Device Privacy Shutter

Operating the privacy shutter

Instructions on how to open and close the physical camera privacy shutter.

Computer and Cable Requirements

Operating system and USB connection requirements

Lists the required operating systems and notes limitations with USB connections.

P5 LED Status Indicators

Understanding LED indicator meanings

Using Your Poly Studio P Series Device

Default device features

Download and Install the Poly Lens Desktop App

Instructions for downloading and installing the Poly Lens Desktop application.

Set Poly P Series Device as Default Audio and Video

Restart Your Device

Procedure for restarting the Poly Studio P5

Steps to restart the device by unplugging and replugging the USB cable.

Updating Firmware

Firmware update methods

Explains automatic and manual firmware updates via Windows, Chromebooks, and Poly Lens Desktop.

Overview

1. Function Description
2. Usage Features
3. Camera and Video
4. Audio
5. Environmental Considerations
6. Accessibility Features
7. Computer and Software Compatibility
8. LED Status Indicators
9. Maintenance Features
10. Firmware Updates
11. Troubleshooting (Restarting the Device)
12. Poly Lens Desktop App

The Poly Studio P5 is a personal video bar designed to enhance video conferencing experiences. It serves as a camera and audio accessory, connecting to your computer via a USB cable. This device is intended for a wide range of users, from beginners to advanced, who wish to leverage its features for improved virtual meetings.

Function Description

The primary function of the Poly Studio P5 is to provide high-quality video and audio for video conferences. It integrates a camera with a privacy shutter and a directional microphone to capture both visual and auditory input. The device is designed to be user-friendly, allowing for immediate use upon plugging it into a computer. Its built-in physical privacy shutter offers a direct way to block the camera lens, ensuring user privacy when the camera is not in use. The directional microphone is engineered to capture audio effectively while leveraging Poly NoiseBlockAI technology to minimize unwanted background noises, focusing on the user's voice.

Usage Features

The Poly Studio P5 offers several features to optimize your video conferencing experience.

Camera and Video:

The device features a camera with a manual privacy shutter. To open the shutter, you rotate the privacy shutter ring counterclockwise until it clicks, at which point an LED illuminates. To close it, you rotate the ring clockwise. This physical shutter provides a clear visual indicator of the camera's status and offers peace of mind regarding privacy.

For optimal video quality during conferences, the manual provides several tips:

• Positioning: Mount and position the camera so that your eyes are level with the top third of your screen, and your face appears in the middle area of the video stream. This framing helps create a professional and engaging presence.
• Participant Inclusion: When in a group setting, try to include all people in the room if possible, or introduce everyone at the beginning of the meeting.
• Focus: Keep the camera's view focused on people rather than distracting backgrounds or room furnishings.
• Distraction Avoidance: In an office environment, position the monitor at an angle that avoids capturing potential distractions like other people, pets, or TVs in your video feed.
• Preview: Always preview your video stream before joining a meeting to ensure good lighting (no shadows on your face) and correct camera settings.

Audio:

The Poly Studio P5 incorporates a directional microphone. For enhanced audio quality and to minimize disruptions, the manual suggests:

• Speaking Volume: Speak in your normal voice.
• Muting: Mute your audio when you are silent or before moving your audio device.
• Noise Reduction: Keep windows and doors closed to minimize unwanted external noises. Close drapes or blinds over windows, as glass surfaces can cause acoustic issues due to reflection.
• Microphone Obstruction: Avoid obstructing the microphone with papers or other objects.
• Table Noise: Refrain from tapping on the table or rustling papers while unmuted.
• Typing Noise: Avoid typing while unmuted to prevent keyboard sounds from being picked up.
• NoiseBlockAI: The Poly Studio P5 utilizes Poly NoiseBlockAI technology to help the microphone eliminate unwanted noises while prioritizing your voice.

Environmental Considerations:

The manual provides guidance on optimizing your environment for video calls:

• Lighting: Close curtains, drapes, or blinds over windows to manage daylight, which can conflict with interior room lighting. Bright lighting can increase the range of in-focus objects. Poly recommends using indirect fluorescent lighting with a neutral color temperature (3600 K to 4500 K) to avoid harsh or somber appearances.
• Background and Clothing:
  • Exclude light sources, tables, chairs, walls, busy decorations, and the floor from the camera view to avoid disruptions.
  • Wear clothes that contrast with the background to avoid blending in. Avoid bright colors, all-light or all-dark clothing, or busy patterns like small checks or narrow stripes. Light pastels and muted colors generally look best.
  • Ensure nothing in the background appears to "stick out" of anyone's head.
  • Avoid glossy tabletops, strong colors, or bold wood grain. A flat satin finish in neutral gray is recommended for table surfaces.
  • A light gray wall with a touch of blue is ideal for a background, as video conferencing systems often use a gray or blue reference image for video processing, which can enhance the video you send.
  • Keep dry-erase whiteboards out of the camera's field of view, as their content might be visible to other participants.

Accessibility Features:

The Poly Studio P5 includes features to accommodate users with disabilities:

• For Users Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: The device uses LED status indicator lights that display status information through different patterns and colors, providing visual cues about its operation.
• For Users with Limited Mobility: The integrated microphone allows users to speak without needing a separate headset, simplifying communication.

Computer and Software Compatibility:

To use the Poly Studio P5, your computer must run Windows 10 or 11, or macOS versions 12.6 or 13.5. The device is designed to work with the USB cable provided with the system. Using third-party USB-C to USB-C cables or USB-C to USB-A adapters may affect device performance or video quality. Connecting to USB 2.0 or 2.1 ports or using USB 2.0 cables may prevent you from receiving full 4K video.

LED Status Indicators:

The device has an LED above the camera that indicates its status:

• Solid white: Device is powered on, shutter is open, and it's idle.
• Solid green: Camera is active (in use or displaying local video preview).
• Blinking yellow: Firmware update is in progress.
• Off: Shutter is closed, and no video is streaming.

Maintenance Features

Firmware Updates:

The Poly Studio P5 supports firmware updates to ensure optimal performance and access to the latest features. Firmware updates can be downloaded automatically through Microsoft Windows updates or Chromebook updates. For macOS users, updates must be performed manually using the Poly Lens Desktop app. The Poly Lens Desktop app will notify you when a firmware update is available.

Troubleshooting (Restarting the Device):

If you encounter any issues with your Poly Studio P5, a simple restart can often resolve them. To restart the device, unplug the USB cable from your computer and then plug it back in. The device will power off and restart. After a restart, you may need to reselect the Poly Studio P5 as the default audio and video device in your conferencing software.

Poly Lens Desktop App:

While the Poly Studio P5 can be used without the Poly Lens Desktop App, installing it provides access to configuration settings and additional features. The app allows you to manage and customize various aspects of your device. The Poly Lens application is not supported on Chromebooks.

In summary, the Poly Studio P5 is a versatile personal video bar designed to deliver a high-quality, user-friendly, and privacy-conscious video conferencing experience, with features aimed at optimizing both visual and auditory communication.

Poly Studio P5 Specifications