Well hey -- Cisco's finally announced the consumer-level HD video conferencing system that's been rumored for a while now. Called Umi, (you me -- get it?) the system consists of a 1080p camera module, remote, and a separate set-top box. Cisco says Umi will allow for full 1080p video calls with 720p/30 recording, with a fallback to 720p / 480p if bandwidth is constrained. The camera itself has a glass lens with an optical zoom, autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance, as well as motorized pan, tilt, and zoom. There's also a motorized privacy shutter, which is a nice touch. The service is compatible with Google Voice and Video Chat, and Cisco says it's looking into FaceTime integration as well -- we'd expect Skype and Fring are also high on the list of potential partners.
Cisco says it'll be demoing Umi on Oprah and launching an ad campaign with Ellen Page in the runup to a holiday launch, but none of that will distract from the required $24.99 monthly / $275 annually Umi service plan and $599 MSRP. We don't know how well that's going to go over with anyone, but that'll give you something else to ponder along with this new Cisco slogan we just came up with.
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