Video bars have surged in popularity, becoming an essential tool for commercial environments. Daniel Williamson explores how they rose to prominence.

The transition to remote and hybrid work models has played a large role in the recent surge in fame of the video bar. The COVID years forced a lot of businesses to adapt, essentially modernising the workplace from an AV point of view.

While hybrid and remote work is not new, the post-pandemic world still sees many companies and institutions developing ways to stay connected. Yamaha Music Australia product specialist for commercial audio and unified communications Matt Esmonde says that COVID forced businesses to adapt to a new environment and to develop new strategies to work efficiently during troubling times.

“The COVID pandemic forced us to think about different ways we could communicate outside of a traditional setting,” he says.

“As remote meetings become more common, the need for versatility in communication devices evolved as did the need for flexibility when working out of the office.”

MadisonAV product line manager Rob Mayer agrees that COVID/working from home played a major role in the rise in the popularity of video bars.

“COVID forced companies to accelerate their deployment of UC spaces so that remote workers remained connected to resources in the office,” he says.

“The popularity of video bars increased as the range of products grew and prices fell, but more importantly they became easier to use.”

As the demand for video bars intensifies, so does the competition. A few major players in the video market include Logitech, Jabra, Neat, Yamaha, MadisonAV (who all feature in our detailed comparison table) and more.

Video bars have become a necessary device to bridge the gap between in-person and remote teams to ensure effective collaboration and communication. The global video bar market is expected to grow from US$4.90 billion in 2023 to US$11.78 billion by 2033 according to a  report by Spherical Insights & Consulting. It appears that most businesses and institutions will acquire a video bar at some point in time.

Video bars are not solely applicable to corporate offices. Educational institutions and healthcare settings have also embraced the practicality of the device. For example, universities now often use them to deliver remote lectures and to offer hybrid learning for students while doctors often use video bars to conduct virtual consultations with patients.

Logitech ANZ alliance manager Ibrahim Kader says that integration with productivity tools enables a seamless connection between video bar solutions and software tools such as calendar integration, automated meeting transcription and note-taking. This is highly relevant as users can trace back to previous meetings.

Video conferencing bridges the gap between remote and in-office teams, which allows for richer communication through audio, video and body language. As a result, businesses can maintain collaboration, company culture and a sense of connection among staff regardless of the workplace arrangement.

“While many companies are encouraging a return to office, remote work remains a key part of modern business,” Ibrahim says.

“Video conferencing enables companies to attract top talent regardless of location and ensures that remote customers and partners remain engaged.”

The success of these devices has led to several technological innovations and a competitive market. Manufacturers are finding new ways to separate themselves in a crowded space and new entrants are popping up constantly.

AI and future innovations

The main competitors in the video bar market tend to agree that AI will only push the technology further and push boundaries.

Ibrahim says that AI-driven participant recognition is on the rise, and while privacy concerns can limit automatic facial recognition, platforms like Microsoft Team are integrating user-registered profiles that can identify speakers and generate real-time captions or summaries. AI allows for video bars to integrate with leading collaboration platforms.

“AI-powered meeting enhancements such as Copilot for Microsoft Teams, Zoom AI Companion and Gemini for Google Meet enable businesses to automate notetaking, summarise discussions and streamline workflows,” he says.

“AI-driven capabilities like intelligent framing, noise suppression and real-time meeting insights will ensure every call feels as natural and productive as an in-person conversation.”

Rob believes AI will play a central role in voice and video functionality, from identifying and labelling who is speaking within a group of people in the room and from transcribing notes and conversations after the meeting.

“Video enhancements will include automatically framing multiple participants with a perfect head and shoulders shot and switching between the active speaker so that the remote audience can experience gestures and facial expressions rather than viewing a room full of people from a distance,” he says.

Jabra marketing and communications director Michael Downey says AI is impacting every industry, and companies are already seeing how it can improve audiovisual products, using a Jabra product as an example.

“As AI technology matures, so too will meeting space solutions. We also see broader business adoption of advanced meeting room technology as the cost-barrier to entry lowers and workforces continue to prioritise flexibility. The benefits of adopting meeting technology are numerous,” Michael says.

“It increases engagement, productivity and inclusivity, to name a few.”

What does the future hold?

Looking ahead, future innovations may extend beyond AI. As the big players invest in mixed reality (MR) headsets and spatial computing, video bars could soon integrate augmented reality (AR) elements to create more immersive virtual meeting experiences.

As video bars continue to evolve, consumers will benefit from smarter, energy-efficient communications solutions that are tailored to specific needs. It seems video bars will only become more intelligent, and more popular.

View the detailed comparison table of video bar solutions on the market here.