Updated September 12, 2023
With the latest firmware release, Yealink MeetingBar A20 and Yealink MeetingBar A30 have received a major upgrade. Now, with just a few taps, you can easily switch between providers: Microsoft Teams, Zoom Rooms and Device Mode.
You get a native Microsoft Teams or Zoom experience. Device Mode, also called BYOD Mode, lets you use the powerful video bar as a USB peripheral, which means you can use it with pretty much every other video conferencing platform on the market today. It provides a professional-grade camera, microphone and speaker in one device with features like automatic group framing and speaker tracking.
This is an incredibly useful feature, making the video bar compatible with essentially every video conferencing service and platform out there.
For everything we write about below, the MeetingBar A20 or A30 needs to be running firmware version 133.310.0.41 or newer. If you’re using a CTP18 Touch Controller as part of your video conferencing system, it needs to be running firmware version 137.310.0.9 or newer.
For it to work with Teams, you need to be running Microsoft Teams version 1449/1.0.96.2022090606 or newer. For Zoom, you need to be running Zoom Rooms version 5.11.0 (1553) or newer.
Switching between Microsoft Teams, Zoom Rooms and Device Mode
Switching between providers is easy. This information applies to using both Wired Device Mode and Wireless Device Mode with MeetingBars that are appropriately paired/connected to a computer or touch panel. (Subsequent to the original publication of the blog, we have become aware of new information and have updated the blog accordingly.)
First, before switching providers, you must reset the video bar to factory settings. This means all your settings, presets, and so on will reset.
Then, put the video into Device Mode.
In the video bar’s web interface, go to System > UC Provider. Turn BYOD Mode Enable to on and select Confirm. Then choose the provider you want.
Using WPP30 with Wireless Device Mode
This firmware release also enables Wireless Device Mode when using one of these video bars with the Yealink WPP30 Wireless Presentation Pod. This pod was already a one-click content sharing device with both USB-C and USB-A connectivity (using its included adapter).
The update lets you cast your computer display to an HD display through the A20 or A30. While doing this, you can use the video bar as the active peripheral for camera, microphone and speaker. And you do this all wirelessly.
In other words, you get the exceptional audio/video quality of the MeetingBars without running wires every which way in your office. You also don’t need to worry about installing any meeting software on the video bar, because you’ll be running it on your computer.
Wireless Device Mode works in all three modes: Microsoft Teams, Zoom Rooms and Device Mode.
First, you plug the WPP30 into the video bar to pair it. Then, you plug it into the laptop or PC you’re using to run the video conferencing application. Tap the button. Then select the mode you want.