Surface Hub 2 - Drastically different than the Hub 1 - Revealed

[GoodBytes]

Microsoft introduces the Surface Hub 2, which is drastically different than the previous model.

 

While both are full computers in a massive high resolution display with pen and touch control and webcam, running a custom version of Windows 10, called Windows 01 Team. The Surface Hub 2 will be a 50.5-inch display 3:2 aspect ratio, with "a greater than 4K resolution" ("4K" but higher due to the 3:2 aspect ratio), and extreme thin bezels, video wall style. And multiple displays, like a video wall, can be put side to side to make a big wall that you can interact with. The Hub 2 can be put in portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal).

 

 

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Microsoft is unveiling the next-generation of its giant conference room displays today: Surface Hub 2. While the original Surface Hub shipped in 2016 with 1080p 55-inch and 4K 84-inch options, the Surface Hub 2 will use a 50.5-inch display with a greater than 4K resolution and 3:2 aspect ratio with extremely thin bezels. That’s the same ratio as all other Surface products, and Microsoft has clearly picked this to compliment the fact its giant display now rotates to a portrait position.

The new portrait orientation allows the Surface Hub 2 to rotate into place with a clever mechanism that looks similar to Microsoft’s Surface Book muscle wire lock. Microsoft isn’t providing many specifications for the new Surface Hub 2, or even a release date or exact pricing, but the new device will be available in 2019. Today’s preview is more about informing businesses that typically order devices far in advance that this device is on the way.

 

Microsoft is working with Stealcase for the stand for the display. The webcams are 4K ones, connected via USB Type-C, and as you guest it, removable.

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The Surface Hub 2 is designed to be flexible and lightweight so workers can move it throughout an office, although Microsoft isn’t detailing the exact dimensions or weight today. Microsoft is also working with Steelcase to produce stands and wall mounts for the Surface Hub 2, and you’ll even be able to mount four of them together on a wall and have them linked as multiple monitors. Microsoft is calling this “tiling,” and it allows users to display different content side-by-side. In Microsoft’s promotional video (above) you can see this mode in action towards the end, and the 4K webcam is removable (it connects via USB-C) so multiple Surface Hub 2 devices can stack against each other in portrait or landscape.

 

Sadly, Microsoft has yet to reveal any more details on it. We don't know how it will actually run, when it will be released, and system specs.

 

The old model had a 1080p 55inch option and 4K (UHD) 84inch, and was a full computer inside, with dual auto-swtching wide lens webcam (so that if a camera is covered by a person, it switches to the other so that the remote users always sees the conference table). Released in 2015, it was equipped with the Intel HD Graphics 4600 for the 55inch model, or Nvidia Quadro K2200 for the 84inch model, both were true 120Hz panel, 128GB SSD, 8GB of RAM, miracast support, DisplayPort in (so you can use it a as display), wireless AC, Gigabit Ethernet  USB 3.0 and 2.0, Serial port, ambient light sensor, Bluetooth, Core i5 for the smaller screen or i7 CPU for the big one, running Windows 10 Team, displays where color calibrated. It was priced  $8,999 (55-inch model) US, and $21,999 (84-inch model) US. And the demand was so high that companies had extensively long wait time before they can get their hands on it. The reason for the past success was that, despite the massive price tag, it was working better and was cheaper than any other more simple solutions that does something similar (keep in mind that the point of the system is that you have people in the board room, and remote people interacting with it in various way, including showing document wireless to it and sharing a whiteboard). It also support 20 touch points, and 4 pens at the same time.

 

Source: https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/15/17352624/microsoft-surface-hub-2-features-launch-date-pricing

 

If you are curious, the old Surface Hub was like this:

 

 

(stand is optional, it would be wall mounted)

 

 

 

 

[DexterSmythe]

But can it run Crysis?

[bcredeur97]

all for the low, low price of $10,000+

[Crunchy Dragon]

I had my doubts when I first saw this, but it actually seems pretty good.

[Doobeedoo]

Yeah it's actually quite cool thing, pricey but for certain businesses. 

[mynameisjuan]

I want one. I could find good use for that. 

[Fred Castellum]

While the Hub 2 looks pretty intriguing and probably has quite a few use cases, I'm finding the song in the video even more appealing haha.

[Sauron]

Cool, but way too expensive in my opinion - it's essentially a glorified smart whiteboard, I find it hard to justify the massive cost given the limited use cases. 85" isn't even that big compared to a high end projector (which you could definitely buy with that kind of money).

[DildorTheDecent]

8 minutes ago, Sauron said:

 high end projector (which you could definitely buy with that kind of money).

High end projector isn't that interactive tho.

 

All about the touchy feely.

[GoodBytes]

9 minutes ago, Sauron said:

Cool, but way too expensive in my opinion - it's essentially a glorified smart whiteboard, I find it hard to justify the massive cost given the limited use cases. 85" isn't even that big compared to a high end projector (which you could definitely buy with that kind of money).

It's massive, I have it work. I mean the Hub 1. Takes almost the whole wall width wide (assuming you want some space to the left and right, and space for the door and people walking without covering the display). And projectors aren't interactive, and unless you spend a fortune for 4K vertical projector, the normal ones, you have the projector in your eyes if you are presenting, blinding the presenter, and the presenter constantly casting a shadow (and have content on him/her)

 

 

[Shadestones]

They launched a 1080p 55-inch display...?

Why?

[schwellmo92]

We have quite a few surface hubs where I work (both the small and large versions). I’ve been using one at least once a day for the last 18 months, they are really cool machines and super handy for collaborative meetings. They’re relatively inexpensive when you look at the pricing for its competitors.

 

It’ll be interesting to see how light the new hub is, the old 84” weighed near 100kg it required 4 people to move it in to position.

[Sauron]

32 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

It's massive, I have it work. I mean the Hub 1. Takes almost the whole wall width wide (assuming you want some space to the left and right, and space for the door and people walking without covering the display). And projectors aren't interactive, and unless you spend a fortune for 4K vertical projector, the normal ones, you have the projector in your eyes if you are presenting, blinding the presenter, and the presenter constantly casting a shadow (and have content on him/her)

There are smart whiteboards that use a projector and a touch panel - the only difference is that the image doesn't come from the panel itself, which cuts costs and the risk of damage. They can be paired up with any computer, so processing power is not an issue. There are also more professionally oriented models. Granted, it's not as good as the hub, but for business presentations and demos I would say it's plenty... and it doesn't come close to costing 20 grand.

 

[FakeNSA]

1 hour ago, GoodBytes said:

Microsoft introduces the Surface Hub 2, which is drastically different than the previous model.

Hey, Jet Propulsion Laboratories (NASA in Pasadena, California) had a couple of the old ones in their Spacecraft Assembly Facility (Clean Room)! Always wondered what they were!
Now I know!

[GoodBytes]

14 minutes ago, Sauron said:

There are smart whiteboards that use a projector and a touch panel - the only difference is that the image doesn't come from the panel itself, which cuts costs and the risk of damage. They can be paired up with any computer, so processing power is not an issue. There are also more professionally oriented models. Granted, it's not as good as the hub, but for business presentations and demos I would say it's plenty... and it doesn't come close to costing 20 grand.

 

 

A good projector, ones that match the colors of your typical IPS monitor, and bright, and 4K (although 60Hz not 120Hz)

https://www.barco.com/en/product/f70-4k6

That project is 23K US. Not to mention the fan noise.

That is just a projector that does nothing more than projecting an image.

 

The SmartBoard you present are typically 720p or at best 1080p (60Hz at best), with limited color, LCD projector meaning you see this massive grid of pixel, especially at 720p. Pen tracking is basic and slow. You have no remote communication system, can't submit a presentation or white board to people who joined the meeting (Surface Hub connects with Outlook to know who joined or nor, also integrates with Skype for Business and MS Teams), no or limited multi-touch either. And you can't collaborate, meaning, you'll have 2 team in different board room, in 2 different region (or more), all working on the same whiteboard.

 

Companies aren't stupid. Microsoft could have charges way more, but they wanted to enter the market by storm. Image you coming in and selling a Core i9 CPU with GeForce 1080Ti SLI, RAID 5 high performance M.2 NVMe SSDs computer with all the bells and whistles, for 1000$, ready to do, no sever equipment needed to make it work, no special installation... just open the box, and go. That is essentially what Microsoft did.. but for these kind of board meeting system.

[zanduh]

The big difference between this and a smart whiteboard is that as long as you're working with Microsoft products, Excel Word Powerpoint, which you moooost likely are in your office for general business meetings, the files are sent back to everyone in the group with those annotations. This product really sells itself in the integration with presentation workflow

[Sauron]

4 minutes ago, GoodBytes said:

And you can't collaborate, meaning, you't have 2 team in different board room, in 2 different region (or more), all working on the same white board.

 

1 minute ago, zanduh said:

The big difference between this and a smart whiteboard is that as long as you're working with Microsoft products, Excel Word Powerpoint, which you moooost likely are in your office for general business meetings, the files are sent back to everyone in the group with those annotations. This product really sells itself in the integration with presentation workflow

I wasn't aware this was a feature, that makes more sense. I guess you could still do this with a normal pc but I suppose it's a lot more convenient with the hub.

[Brooksie359]

2 hours ago, CapedCrusader21 said:

But can it run Crysis?

At 4k 120hz max settings? Probably not. 

[Kherm]

5 hours ago, Shadestones said:

They launched a 1080p 55-inch display...?

Why?

They stated the resolution is over 4K

[Ithanul]

Very nice.

First thought that came to my mind these would be awesome in debrief or JPOC floors for briefings, especially debrief rooms considering smart boards are a pain in the rear at times and the low resolution sucks.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, bcredeur97 said:

all for the low, low price of $10,000+

Not that expensive for corporates at all. One of my clients is debating getting one however is waiting for this 2nd gen which should hopefully be on demo for Microsoft's July summit.

[Yoinkerman]

Can I scale 3 regular tvs like that in a wall in portrait mode?  I got a big wall and can afford 3 regular tvs

[captain_to_fire]

12 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

The webcams are 4K ones

Microsoft might as well say it has an 8.3 megapixel camera. Just saying.

12 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

The Surface Hub 2 will be a 50.5-inch display 3:2 aspect ratio, with "a greater than 4K resolution" ("4K" but higher due to the 3:2 aspect ratio)

Is this one of those conflations between 4K and UHD? If the aspect ratio is 3:2 then it can't be 4K which is 3840 x 2160 and has an aspect ratio of 16:9. It maybe 2160p but it's definitely not 3840 pixels at the horizontal.

[LAwLz]

17 hours ago, GoodBytes said:

The reason for the past success was that, despite the massive price tag, it was working better and was cheaper than any other more simple solutions that does something similar

Not really.

Not saying the Surface Hub is bad, but it's not exactly better than let's say a Spark Board.

I think it's more accurate to say it is "different" rather than "better".

 

5 hours ago, captain_to_fire said:

Is this one of those conflations between 4K and UHD? If the aspect ratio is 3:2 then it can't be 4K which is 3840 x 2160 and has an aspect ratio of 16:9. It maybe 2160p but it's definitely not 3840 pixels at the horizontal.

They say it's "greater than 4K". So chances are it will be 3840 or higher horizontally, and then whatever resolution is needed for 3:2 vertically.