38 STEPS

1. This is a tutorial to introduce WQSB staff to the Poly Studio x50s that are now deployed in schools.

These devices can allow for high-quality virtual class connections across the school board and beyond, meetings with guest speakers, PLCs, and more.

2. It is recommended to click the button with the dashed box to view the tutorial fullscreen.

3. The default format is a click-through, interactive tutorial in English, but you can change the format using the first button in the toolbar below. You can also click on the settings icon (gear) in this same toolbar to switch the language.

4. The Poly Studio x50 is an all-in-one video bar complete with high quality camera, microphones, and speakers.

This is what the deployment of a Poly Studio x50 will look like. It includes the video bar, a monitor, and a mouse, all on a mobile stand.

5. The Poly Studio x50s deployed in schools are configured in "Device Mode". This means you can connect them to your laptop using a USB cable to allow the device to function as a high quality external camera and microphone.

6. When moving the Poly x50 from room to room or around the classroom, it is recommended to hold the main arm of the mobile cart midway down with one hand and near the top with the other.

7. To setup the Poly x50, simply plug in the two power cables; one for the video bar and the other for the monitor. Whenever possible, it is recommended to plug the ethernet cable to an active port although the units are also connected to WQSB WiFi.

8. The two power cables can plug into any available power outlets in the room.

9. If available, plugging the ethernet cable into an active port will provide the most reliable high-speed connection.

10. Once plugged in, the video bar and monitor will automatically turn on and start booting up. You will see white LED lights on the top of the video bar cycling back and forth and a Polycom logo spinning on the monitor.

11. If you do not see any Polycom logo spinning on the monitor, check to ensure that the monitor was not manually turned off by the last user. Press this button if the white light is not illuminated.

12. The LED lights will remain steadily illuminated in the centre of the bar as the bootup completes. On the monitor, you will see the Poly splash screen.

13. There is a magnetic lens cover to protect the camera lens on the video bar when it is not in use. You can remove it using the tab on the bottom.

14. Here you can see the camera lens of the video bar exposed. Place the lens cover in a clearly visible location like the top of the video bar or on the tray of the mobile cart. The lens cover should always be put back on when the unit is not in use.

15. When a Poly x50 configured in "Device Mode" starts up, you will see the following blue screen on the monitor.

16. As the screen indicates, you can connect your Poly x50 to your computer to be able to use the Poly x50's camera, microphone, and speakers, with any applications on your computer.

17. To do this, ensure that on the back-left side of the Poly x50, the USB-C cable is connected to the USB-C port indicated in this image.

Plug the other end of your cable (can be USB-C or USB-A) into an available USB port on your computer.

17b. Drop

18. Once you've done this, your computer will recognize the Poly x50 as an external camera, microphone, and set of speakers that can be used with its applications.

19. If you have a mouse attached to your Poly x50, you can mute the built-in microphone by clicking Mute.

You can also do this by using the mute function from the application (ex. Microsoft Teams) on your laptop.

20. If you have a mouse attached to your Poly x50, you can control the speaker volume by clicking Volume.

You can also do this by using the volume controls on your laptop once the Poly x50 is set as your speaker output (shown in next steps).

21. You are now ready to connect to your video call (through Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, etc) or use your Poly x50 with another recording application such as Microsoft Stream, Flip, or Canva.

22. In this example, we will use our Poly x50 camera for a Teams call between our class and an external presenter. This will allow the presenter to see and hear all of your students clearly from where they are seated.

23. You can start your scheduled Teams meeting as normal from your computer and at the meeting join screen, click the More options button under "Computer audio".

24. Click the current option under "Audio devices", PC Mic and Speakers in this example.

25. Click Poly Studio X50 Audio

26. Click the current option under "Camera", Surface Camera Front in this example.

27. Click Poly Studio X50 Video

28. You are now ready to connect to your Teams meeting, using the Poly x50 camera, microphone, and speakers for the call.

29. Click Join now

30. If you forgot to adjust your camera and microphone settings before starting the meeting, you can always do this during the meeting from the dropdown arrows beside "Camera" and "Mic".

31. To access the Poly x50s camera controls to enable or disable camera tracking and zoom, use the mouse connected to the video bar and place the cursor to the far right edge of the monitor. Click, hold and drag the cursor to the left.

31b. Drop

32. Here you will see the Poly x50 device info screen appear which shows you the name of the unit, its IP address (useful if ever needing to submit a HelpDesk ticket for support), and the Camera Settings menu.

Click Camera Settings.

33. You can click Tracking On to enable automatic speaker tracking. This can work well in certain environments, although in classrooms with many sources of noise, it is recommended to leave it disabled (indicated when the button shows as "Tracking On")

34. Click Camera Control

35. For classrooms, a better option than relying on automatic tracking is to set the level of zoom and pan the camera to best capture the desired area of the room.

The + and - icons in this menu control the camera zoom.

36. Once zoomed in, you can use the four arrow icons to pan the camera to the desired location.

37. You can leave the unit plugged in for its next use. Alternatively, you can unplug the cables and move to another room or store in a safe location as needed. When next plugged in, it will automatically boot up, sign-in, and be ready to connect.

38. That's it. You're done!

Please contact the WQSB technology department if you have any questions or need support with your Poly Studio x50.