Motion Media debuts video phone

Is the future finally here? Motion Media, a U.K. company just getting its U.S. operations off the ground, this week unveiled its mm745 IP video phone, which comes complete with a 12-inch LCD screen (see photo) and built in Web browser. Using the H.323 protocol (SIP support is in the works), the mm745 can conduct conferences at data rates ranging from 128K bit/sec to 2M bit/sec, plenty for a personal communication device. And because it runs H.323, it’s can connect with any other H.323 IP endpoint, including bigger group and room-based systems from the likes of Polycom and Tandberg.

The mm745 comes with two chip: An Equator chip for processing video and a PowerPC chip to run the rest of the device. WindRiver’s VxWORKS real-time operating system provides the brains and a built-in Java Virtual Machine the platform for running Web browsers and other potential applications on the device. Motion Media has also packed the device with numerous input/output ports for adding external cameras, microphones, keyboards and other peripherals. Like typical group video endpoints, the mm745 can also integrate with gateways and multipoint control units.

The one down side to the mm745 is the lack of support for sharing PowerPoint slides other computer-based information with those you’re conferencing with. Also, while the mm745 has a built-in address book, it does not yet support LDAP-based corporate address books.

The mm745 is priced at $3,000. A touchscreen model is available for $3,800.