Enhance your team’s efficiency by integrating Microsoft Teams. Experience a new level of collaboration.

The Challenge of Poor Network Conditions

During high-traffic Teams meetings, network conditions can sometimes deteriorate, leading to reduced video quality. Limited bandwidth often compels the system to transmit lower-resolution videos, resulting in a subpar user experience. Traditional upscaling methods have long struggled to produce clear and sharp images, often leaving participants with blurry or pixelated visuals.

Introducing Super Resolution for Teams

To overcome these challenges, Microsoft Teams now incorporates Super Resolution, a technology that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance video resolution. Unlike conventional upscaling techniques, Super Resolution leverages advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze and reconstruct video frames, delivering remarkably crisp and detailed imagery.

This innovative approach not only restores lost details but also minimizes artifacts and noise, ensuring that participants see each other clearly regardless of the initial video resolution. Here’s how it works:

1. AI-Powered Upscaling: When network conditions are less than optimal, Super Resolution kicks in, analyzing the incoming low-resolution video feed and intelligently upsampling it to higher resolutions.
2. Real-time Optimization: The process happens in real time, meaning there is no perceptible delay between the original video stream and the enhanced output.
3. Adaptive Performance: The effectiveness of Super Resolution varies depending on the extent of upscaling required. Severe degradation in video quality due to poor network conditions sees the most dramatic improvements, while slight degradations still benefit from subtle enhancements.

User Experience and Subjective Assessments

To validate the impact of Super Resolution, Microsoft conducted extensive user testing. Participants were asked to rate the perceived video quality on a scale ranging from -3 (“Much Worse”) to +3 (“Much Better”), comparing videos both with and without Super Resolution enabled. The results were impressive:

• An average improvement of +0.6 on the Comparative Mean Opinion Score (CMOS).
• 68% of users reported that Super Resolution produced significantly better video quality.

These findings underscore the tangible benefits of Super Resolution, demonstrating its ability to elevate the overall video conferencing experience.

Energy Efficiency and Customization

Recognizing the importance of battery life for mobile users, Microsoft designed Super Resolution with energy efficiency in mind. By default, the feature is enabled when devices are plugged into a power source, ensuring optimal video quality without compromising battery life. For battery-powered sessions, Super Resolution is automatically disabled to preserve energy.

Users also have the flexibility to manually control the feature through the “Video Settings” menu, giving them full autonomy over their video conferencing preferences.

Availability and Future Expansion

Initially released for Snapdragon X-based Copilot+ PCs, Super Resolution is currently supported on major OEM platforms like Surface, Dell, HP, Asus, Acer, Samsung, and Lenovo. Microsoft is committed to expanding this feature to additional devices, including those powered by Intel and AMD CPUs, aiming to make Super Resolution a universal standard across all compatible hardware.

Conclusion

With Super Resolution, Microsoft Teams takes a giant leap forward in revolutionizing video conferencing. By combining cutting-edge AI technologies with a deep understanding of user needs, Teams is poised to deliver unmatched video quality, even under the most challenging network conditions. As the feature continues to evolve and expand, users can look forward to an increasingly immersive and reliable virtual communication experience.

Contact us today to schedule a demo or consultation and discover how our ticketing solution can revolutionize your Microsoft Teams experience.