The Logitech Rally Bar is designed for easy use in K–12 classrooms, supporting everything from collaborative projects to remote learning while also doing duty as a teleconferencing tool when needed. Logitech has packed a lot of intelligence into the device while keeping the interface extremely simple to use. Anyone, even nontechnical users, can easily get the Rally Bar up and running in a classroom without the need for specialized technical support.
Using a USB connection, the Rally Bar quickly connects to just about any computer, no matter the operating system, with no need to install any drivers or extra software. Its all-in-one design features an advanced 4K HD camera at the center of the device, while two powerful, 8-watt stereo speakers are embedded at both sides of the bar, which spreads out to the left and right sides of the camera. Up to two monitors, displays or projectors can also be connected using HDMI cables.
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Once activated, a simple remote control can be used to host meetings or connect with collaboration platforms. The Rally Bar fully supports Microsoft Teams for both Windows and Android, as well as many others.
Smart Technology Enhances Performance in the Background
I was impressed with the amount of intelligent technology working on the back end. In most cases, all I had to do was push a few buttons to begin a meeting. Once it started, the RightSense technology kept the focus on active speakers, panning, tilting and zooming as needed. In my testing, the resulting video stream looked and sounded great, even when speakers were sitting across from one another at a large table. The active speaker was almost always in focus automatically.
The sound quality of the Logitech Rally Bar is also impressive. The speakers are extremely powerful, delivering theater-quality sound for remote meetings. The Rally Bar is also smart enough to detect and dampen background noise, tuning its six omnidirectional microphones accordingly. I tested that feature by running a large fan in the room where a speech was being recorded. Those watching the presentation remotely did not even notice it and could hear every word the speaker was saying.
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What makes the Logitech Rally Bar so good for education settings is that all of the technical challenges involved with creating a high-quality, professional presentation are handled in the background. Teachers can simply activate the Rally Bar and teach or collaborate, letting the device do all of the work to deliver a perfect presentation every time.
RightSense Keeps Presentations in Focus
One of the best features of the Logitech Rally Bar is its plug-and-play capability, which allows teachers and other users to get everything working without any tech support.
Quick-start devices often use default settings that can work anywhere but are likely less than optimal for any given environment. The Logitech Rally Bar compensates for that with an entire suite of tools called RightSense that automatically configures the device with optimal settings for how and where it’s being used.
The first element of this is called RightLight, which is designed to ensure that subjects’ faces are visible regardless of their skin tone. That’s critical for any kind of conferencing tool because, depending on default settings, those with light skin can get washed out, and those with darker skin tones may become shadowed. RightLight adjusts the light levels for every participant on the fly, so that everyone looks great on screen. I tested this by having people with vastly different skin tones on the screen at the same time, and everyone appeared appropriately lit.
This is complimented by RightSight, which uses artificial intelligence to scan the room and anticipate who else might be a speaker other than the person currently talking, while also keeping the focus on the main presenter. When speakers change or interact with one another, RightSight makes sure the camera transitions happen almost instantly, since its AI has already identified and planned for those interactions.
RightSound rounds out the suite, automatically doing the same kinds of things for the audio that the other tools do for the visual feed. Specifically, it zeros in on voices, enhancing their quality, while also detecting and suppressing background noises.
The RightSense technology suite is a wonderful addition to the Logitech Rally Bar, allowing users to quickly get lectures or conferences started without having to worry about keeping everyone in perfect focus.
DISCOVER: Technology works to optimize your collaboration environment.
SPECIFICATIONS
Device Type: All-in-one video conference tool
Maximum Recording Resolutions: 3,840 by 2,160 (4K Ultra HD) at 30fps, WQHD 2,560 by 1,440 (quad high definition) at 30fps
Zoom/Camera Angle: 15X HD zoom (5X optical and 3X digital)
Speakers: Two 8-watt stereo speakers
Dimensions: 3 feet wide, 5.14 inches across and 6.4 inches tall
Weight: 15.6 pounds
