A Closer Look At The BENQ VS10 Screen Sharing Device
BenQ VS10Wireless screen sharing has been around in enterprise meeting rooms for some time, so when the team at BenQ wanted to show us their VS10 we were eager to see if it was a useful alternative to the more popular Barco ClickShare. The VS10 comes with gear for an additional simultaneous user for roughly the same price as the ClickShare (about $1,700 US.) I tested it out to see how it performed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite ready for prime time.
The BenQ product information describes the VS10 as ‘a wireless system designed for presenting computer screens in hybrid meetings and huddle room collaborations.’ That in and of itself is a bit of a throwback to days when sharing your computer screen was harder than it is now on multiple platforms like Teams, Zoom, and Webex, but I do understand that there is still sometimes a need for visitors to present without joining a network. The VS10 literature promises a lot, like seamless plug-and-play, no drivers needed, robust security, etc. During my testing, however, I had a lot of questions about these claims – not the least of which was how can you call this a hybrid meetings device if it has no camera? Incredibly though, that turned out to be the least of the problems I experienced.
Parts Included:
The unit comes with a base/host, two dongles/buttons set for USB-C connection, a cradle to hold the buttons, a power supply, antennas for the base/host, alternate button/dongle cables (for USB-A and HDMI), mounting hardware, and some extra screws. (I’ll get to those later.) They all seem pretty straightforward except for the cradle, which is packaged with significant foam protection as if it does something other than just sit on the table and hold the dongles/buttons. Spoiler alert – it doesn’t, it just takes up a lot of room and holds the buttons higher off the table than necessary.
Product Specifications:
- Button Connector Type: HDMI w/ USB Type A, USB Type C
- Button Function Key: Split Screen Key
- Host Power Supply: DC 12V±10%, 2A Host Normal Power Consumption: 6W
- Connections: LAN (RJ45), HDMI out
- Host Dimensions: 110x110x43 mm Host Weight: 218 g
- Cradle Dimensions: 85x98x170 mm Cradle Weight: 630 g
- Video Outputs: HDMI 1.4 (with HDCP)
- Max Output Resolution: Up to 1080p 60Hz
- WiFi Wireless Frequency: 2.4G + 5G
- Wireless Data Rate: AC1200 (2.4G 300 Mbps + 5G 867 Mbps)
- Split Screens (Max): 2
- Simultaneous Connections: 32
- WiFi Protected Access: WPA2
- Advanced Encryption Standard: AES128
Design and Features
The InstaShow VS10 utilizes a simple design that enables screen sharing through the familiar modalities of attaching a dongle with a button to a computer’s USB port or connecting via Wi-Fi. It supports multiple device connections, including HDMI laptops, smartphones, and tablets, which provides versatility for various presentation needs. The system also has a split-screen feature that allows up to two presenters to share content simultaneously (by connecting and activating two dongles/buttons simultaneously.)
The VS10 is listed as being equipped with ‘an advanced router-level chipset that ensures smooth 1080p full HD video streaming.’ During my testing, I believe the latency on the video would definitely be visible to gamers who tend to care about the slightest delay, but it produces a high-quality visual experience that certainly achieves “good enough” for in-room content sharing. It also has a feature called “touchback” which allows people to manage slides and videos directly from the room’s display if it happens to be enabled for interactivity/touch. This means the wireless connection is not just sending video to the screen, but is also sending mouse information back to the computer.
The device specifications detail that it employs AES 128-bit encryption, WPA2, WPA2 Enterprise, and router-level channel isolation to protect data integrity and confidentiality. Interestingly, it is also compatible with HDCP-encrypted content, ensuring that it can transmit and play protected videos.
Performance Evaluation
Getting the unit to work was more complicated than it should have been.
After unboxing the VS10 I connected the host/receiver to a desktop display via HDMI and one of the dongles/buttons to a PC running Windows 10. At first, the dongle would not sync to the receiver at all, 
but after a cycle of the receiver’s power, I was able to make that connection. Unfortunately, pressing the share button then did…nothing. The dongle was not able to transmit the PC’s image. Every time I pressed the activation button I received a “no signal” message on the screen.
After re-examining everything, I discovered an error message flashes up on the PC screen so quickly that it was easy to miss. The USB-C connection to the dongle/button didn’t work, and I have no idea why. The USB-C port functions fine with other devices, but not this one. 
Perhaps my PC required a driver it didn’t have as part of Windows 10, but then the package states no drivers or software required, and other USB peripherals work fine.
Just to be sure I looked on the BenQ website to verify that there were no drivers to download. There weren’t.
No matter what I did I was not able to use the dongle to send the video out of the USB-C port. (So much for universal…)
It was at this point that I abandoned trying to get the USB-C connection to work and decided to try something different.
The VS10 comes with alternate cables for the dongle/button that allow for the connection of both HDMI for video and, separately USB-A for power. The alternate cable is not simply an adaptor. One needs to get a jeweler’s type small Phillips head screwdriver (not included in the kit) and remove two long screws embedded into the body of the dongle/button. (I told you I’d get back to those screws. The extra ones provided must be because these could quite easily be lost once removed.) Those screws secure the USB-C cable onto the dongle. When removed you can replace that cable with the alternate HDMI and USB-A cable provided – and then you need to re-secure the screws. (If I need to grab my toolbag for this to be “plug and play” and/or “universal” then something has been lost in translation somewhere.) 
After attaching that alternate dual cable (and adding a required small USB extension/adaptor that I provided out of my shop because the cables provided wouldn’t reach the ports) I ironically connected it back to the USB-C port, which then functioned just fine in this modality – I assume because it was only providing power to the dongle/button.
Finally, the device functioned as it was meant to, producing clear video and excellent audio, fully emulating what was coming off of the PC. The distance was only a foot or two away, but I’m pretty s
ure it could have traveled a lot farther.
I was pleased to be able to begin testing the functions, but honestly, that was a lot of work to have to do for a device marketed as having ‘seamless plug-and-play’ capabilities.
Versatility and Application
The InstaShow VS10 would be useful if it were better / cheaper / faster than the alternatives on the market, but my testing revealed it wasn’t a very reliable option after all. I liked the promised flexibility to connect in many different ways, but I fear that this may be a product that tries to do too much instead of doing one thing well. It also seems odd to call it a hybrid meeting device without providing a videoconferencing camera in the package. I’m not sure who has hybrid meetings without showing the participants’ faces.
Conclusion
Overall, the BenQ InstaShow VS10 tries to do a lot and has a lot of promise, but the performance falls short– certainly so in the ease-of-use department. I’m likely more qualified than the average user and I couldn’t get it to work the first few times, and only by using my own tools and extension could I get it to work – and that was via the alternate method. If it takes an engineer this much effort to make it work, with tools and parts not provided, what chance do typical meeting room users have?
When the entire reason a device exists is to make things easier, and it doesn’t do that, I question its value. You can’t take on a mature market with a product that isn’t actually better or cheaper or easier in some way.
I do strongly believe that wireless connections will be the future of enterprise meeting rooms – but probably not this one.