Neat has introduced new AI audio capabilities to the Neat Center and added support for hearing augmentation systems.
Audio enhancements to the Neat Center include conversation tracking technology and improved audio quality by removing background sounds, echoes, and simultaneous speakers.
In order to foster greater inclusivity and meeting equity, the video conferencing device designer is also now supporting third-party hearing augmentation systems.
Øystein Birkenes, Audio Team Lead at Neat, says that high-quality audio, including solutions for hearing-impaired users, is key to remote collaboration: “High-quality audio is one of the most critical aspects of effective video collaboration, and Neat has always focused on delivering devices that allow everyone to hear clearly and feel confident that others can hear them equally well.”
By extending our industry-leading audio capabilities to Neat Center and providing hearing accessibility support in our newer products, we continue to make video meetings more equitable and engaging for everyone.”
Users who may previously have struggled to hear will be able to plug their hearing aids, neck loop transmitter and receiver, or headphones into the Neat Bar Generation 2, Neat Bar Pro or Neat Board 50 for a clearer sound.
For the best hearing experience, Neat advises that low latency augmentation systems are used.
To activate the new hearing augmentation feature, users simply need to navigate to the “Accessibility” section within system settings.
Neat Center Audio Updates
Neat Center is a centre-of-room device that was launched to provide meeting attendees with a face-to-face view to create more natural conversations.
Now, the platform is gaining the ability to automatically track conversations and intelligently switch between devices to boost the sound quality.
The advanced audio technology built into existing Neat devices will also be included in the Neat Center.
As a result, the Neat Center will include noise suppression to filter out distracting sounds like people typing or passing cars and “dereverberation” removes unwanted room reflections from surfaces within rooms like ceilings, walls, and other objects. “Double talk” audio is improved so that two people speaking at the same time can be heard more clearly by the other meeting participants.
Birkens explains how its audio technology is getting better all the time:
While competing solutions rely primarily on signal processing for their audio, Neat has developed a modern machine-learning approach to our audio processing that ensures our devices continuously learn and adapt to different acoustic environments.”
“With our bi-monthly software updates, your audio experience on Neat devices will only get better and better.”
Birkens continues: “These advancements continue Neat’s mission to deliver exceptional audio and video experiences in every meeting space and demonstrate our commitment to continuously innovate and improve our devices.”
In April, Neat partnered with Shure to improve audio-visual user experiences by enabling the seamless integration between the Neat Bar Pro and various Shure Microflex Ecosystem solutions.
Shortly before this, Neat revealed its Neat Bar Generation 2, the next iteration of its all-in-one AV bar designed for premium meeting experiences.
Now generally available, the Neat Bar 2 offers advanced audio and video capabilities designed specifically for native Zoom or Microsoft Teams Rooms meetings in small or medium-sized meeting spaces.
