This post continues our 20 Day Challenge to understand the technical aspects of videoconferencing, particularly the section on dialing.

The LifeSize remote has menu-driven functionality that neither the Polycom nor TANDBERG remotes do. The buttons on the remote are not static. The blue, green, yellow, and orange buttons each have multiple functions.

How to Dial

From the home screen, there are three ways to dial.

1. Left arrow to the Video Call icon and press OK.
2. Down arrow to a recent call which shows in the middle, select one, press OK.
3. Press the yellow button to access the unit’s directory of address and select the one you are looking for there.

Watch the screen as you enter the IP address. The LifeSize unit emits beeps when a number is entered. This is different from the Polycom units that speak the number when it is entered.

Also, on the LifeSize, the dot button also includes the * – : , which can be accessed by repeatedly pressing the “*.” (dot/asterisk) button on the lower left.

How to Dial an Alias

LifeSize units can dial the IP##alias format. Enter the IP address and then ## and the alias. If someone gives you the alias@IP format, switch it around and dial it as IP##alias and the call will connect.

Other LifeSize Information

The original LifeSize remote was the silver edition. It was completely menu-driven. There is no Home Button or Display button, so you will have to be very attentive to the menus as you navigate this unit.

The black remote seems to be a great mix of single use buttons and menu-driven ones.

If you are using a LifeSize Express or above product to record, the blue button becomes the record button. Currently, the Passport is the only unit that you cannot record from.

Resources

• Lifesize Black Remote
• Lifesize Silver Remote

Team-written by Janine Lim, Shane Howard, and Roxanne Glaser. The opinions expressed in these posts are based on our collective video conference experience connecting classes across multiple networks to connect them to zoos, museums, experts and other classes during the past 10 years. This series of posts reflects our usage and understanding, not that of any vendor or manufacturer. No one is paying us to write these. We are just sharing what we have learned.