MNET Services>Telecom Video>Equipment>Polycom>Placing Calls

  • Turn on the unit. You do this by using the rocker switch on back of unit to the far left as you face the front of the system.
    • If you have to reboot the unit for any reason, turn it off, wait at least 20 seconds, then turn it back on.
  • Turn on the television and ensure that the input selection (or TV/VIDEO) is set to Video 1 and volume (on the TV) is at 1/2 to 3/4.
  • Find the microphone and place it appropriately in the room. It should be placed at least 6 feet from the TV. If the center button is illuminated the microphone is muted. Press to toggle, or use the Polycom remote's mute button.
  • Place the call using the remote by pressing the near button then the green button (twice). The center button shown on the right is the Enter button.
  • Set up the call:
    • You can choose a number from the dialing directory, or
    • You can type in the E.164 number you wish to dial, or
    • You can dial an IP-only site enter. You enter dots (.) by pressing the right arrow. Also, ensure that you are dialing IP.
  • Verify the correct speed (384 for most uses). If you are calling into a multipoint conference, set the rate to match that of the conference.
  • With the system ready to dial, press the Enter button. The call should connect if the far end is ready for the call. Some systems may take as long as five rings to connect.

At the end of the conference, hang up the Polycom by pressing the green button twice.

Important Information for Calling the Accord

The Polycom must be at software revision 7.03 if it is an SP or VS model and at 4.01 if it is an FX. If there is a phone-icon in the Accord conference after connecting, that is a good indication that it is at the wrong level. Users can get a copy of the required software from Polycom.

Operational Tips

When dealing with IP only sites: if the quality is too poor at 384K, try dropping the rate of the call to 128K. The total percentage of dropped frames may be less at lower speeds.

While connected, a Picture-in-Picture will appear in the lower right of the TV if the remote is lifted off the table. This smaller picture will be the one you are transmitting. Use the arrow keys to frame the picture as desired. If there are multiple people in the room you, can define up to 10 preset camera shots. These presets survive if the unit is power cycled.

If you get into any menus you are unfamiliar with, you can press the near button to send you back to the call or to self-view mode. If you are in self-view mode, you can press the menu button to get the main menu screen.

There is a button on the remote labeled Mute. This button will cause the microphone(s) in your local room to stop transmitting audio. It is a toggle so pressing it again will reactivate the microphone. When you are muted, you will see an on-screen icon as well as a lighted red button in the center of the microphone (this button will also toggle your local mute).

When dealing with audio problems, remember that the Polycom's built in speaker plays only the ringing tone and error beeps: hearing those sounds does not necessarily mean that the customer has their incoming audio set up correctly.

If you are unable to reach a site, try pinging the IP address. The IP address can be found by pressing the menu button on the remote, then arrow to system info: the IP address is shown on that screen. If you can ping the remote site by IP but still can't call it, try accessing the Polycom unit's built in web page by entering the IP address of the unit in the address line of a browser. If you are unable to access the web page, there may be a firewall issue or the unit is having its IP address translated by NAT. In these cases, the far units will have to initiate the call.

If a customer asks about recording a conference without themselves being in a conference; have the customer select the VCR as a source and press record.

If the far end hears their own audio coming back, it is likely that the locall microphone is too close to the incoming audio source: try moving it back a foot or two. It could also be pointed in a way that does not facilitate proper echo cancellation. Try rotating the microphone 10 degreess. When it comes to echo, if you hear it, the problem is at the other end. If they hear it, it's your problem.

If you are still having problems after trying all the above steps, contact MN.IT.