Airtame vs BenQ InstaShow for Conference Rooms

The AirTame 2 system utilizes both an application on the notebook and typically uses the enterprise WiFi network to transmit the video to the AirTame2 device. AirTame recommends extra bandwidth or making Quality of Service (QoS) adjustments to handle the increased traffic load during meetings. There are multiple network configurations that can be used, but Airtame advises that the most secure installation method is using a VLAN network. This approach can add additional time and costs to the installation for smaller firms. 

AirTame2 also has other specific networking and performance requirements from the enterprise network including:

• “Client Isolation” or “NAT Mode” must be disabled on the network
• Multicast must be allowed on the network
• An NTP server must be accessible for time synchronization
• RSSI Performance: less than 60dbm
• Stable Peak Hour Ping Time performance of less than 10ms

   

Additionally, AirTame suggests that presenters running the streaming application optimize their notebooks by:

• Only necessary apps are running in the background of your PC.
• WiFi signal of the PC is getting is > -60dBm.
• Avoid running network heavy tasks such as downloads and uploads while streaming

The InstaShow is designed to install right out of the box in less than 10 minutes without IT support. The user attaches the antenna to the receiver, connects the receiver to a projector or display, and then plugs in the button to their notebook HDMI or USB-C port to start presenting. Testing by the publication My Tech Decisions indicated it took only a few minutes to connect and use. To speed installation, the InstaShow comes with two buttons that are already paired to the receiver, and the host can be powered directly from a USB type A jack commonly found on projectors and flat panels.

For a visitor to use the AirTame2, they first need to load and run the AirTame software application from their notebook. Many organizations “lock down” their notebooks from third-party software to protect from malware and require IT support and approval for any application to be installed. This could impact the flow of the meeting.

The visitor must also log onto the same network that the AirTame2 is using. Because of security risks to the enterprise network, IT administrators need to ensure that their network is protected from tunneling apps or other security risks with visitors on the network. The company also recommends that presenters turn off network apps such as DropBox to increase performance when using AirTame2.

To stream video and audio content, the user clicks on the audio button in the app, which adds a one-second delay to the stream, and delivers up to 24 fps on an optimal network connection. The visitor can also manually configure the various settings on the app to achieve higher frame rates as needed.

For a visitor to use an InstaShow in a huddle space or meeting room, they simply connect a transmitter button to the notebook using the HDMI connector or a USB-C connector. No software is needed to be installed on the visitor’s notebook. The button will create an encrypted transmission to the receiver host in about 10-15 seconds, and once it is safe to transmit, the visitor simply pushes their button to present. To enable smooth video streaming, the visitor presses the “Mode” button on the side of the transmitter which will then automatically optimize the stream for video and audio playback.

Visitors must use the AirTame2 software application to use the system. Visitors with “locked down” notebooks may not be able to use the system. IT may need to approve the application.

According the security page on the AirTame2 website, the system DOES NOT encrypt the transmissions from the computer to the AirTame2 receiver to ensure that each presentation transmission cannot be captured or recorded by unauthorized external or internal users on the network.

Airtame uses cloud and third-party services such as Amazon to send account and other information over the internet. According to AirTame2, user account and password information are stored on an AWS server hosted in Germany.

None. The InstaShow does not require any software to be installed onto the laptop or network to work, enabling locked down computers to use the system as they would a standard cable.

The InstaShow transmitter and host uses advanced 128-bit encryption to ensure that each presentation transmission cannot be captured or recorded by unauthorized external or internal users. The LAN port on the host is for configuration only and does not transmit any presentation information over the internet.

None. The BenQ InstaShow does not send any account or other information over the internet via the cloud or third party services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS).