The launch of the Insta360 Connect is a smart move for the company; the dual-camera AI video bar adds a dual-camera system (including one on a gimbal) which the company has a good reputation for, and adds the kind of sound array that takes a run at best conference camera status.
At first glance, it really does look a little like the Insta360 Link 2 has been tucked in a glass box next to another camera and given a big speaker, but there's a whole lot more going on...
Insta360 already sells the 4K Link 2 camera, which uses AI to track its subject around a meeting space and a gimbal to keep the camera on it. That, though, is a typical webcam but it shows that Insta360 had already got the software and most of the tech in place back in September.
The Insta360 Connect brings the kind of specs needed to take it into the boardroom – or at least a standard meeting room – including an array of 14 microphones (4 on the left, 10 on the right)
It also, interestingly, has a dual camera system, with a single fixed 1/1.3-inch CMOS wide-angle camera (affording a 110-degree horizontal view) and a gimbal-based camera which can turn to follow a subject.
The cameras are 8K, though the device also offers an '8K gallery mode' and the ability to follow a person as they get up and walk around the room – achieved using a mix of AI features like voiceprint recognition, face and body recognition, lip recognition and sound location detection.
According to Insta360, resolution is enhanced on-the-fly by AI too – what this is actually like in practice remains to be seen, but the demo video is striking.
Features also include a whiteboard mode that can zoom on the whiteboard and use AI to make the person writing on the board a 'ghost' so you can see through to the whole board, the option to use your phone as a Bluetooth mic, and a physical privacy guard.
The launch price of the device is $1,999 / £1,999 (no price given for AU) and it is already available via the Insta360 store internationally. Additional options with touch panels & remote controls for the meeting room are available.
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If you're looking for a 360-degree alternative you can put in the middle of the desk, I recently reviewed the Meeting Owl 3, which is one of the best conference room cameras – at least until we do a review on this! Don't forget we also have a guide to the best PTZ cams overall, too, and that there are interesting 'follow me' cameras in the best 4K webcams guide.
