A Closer Look At The DTEN Bar
The next videobar up on the TalkingPointz Tech Bench is the DTEN Bar “small room solution.”
I like this device, but it gave me pause multiple times as I completed the testing and the research. It’s almost like it didn’t want me to like it. Let me explain.
DTEN specifically calls out this device as their “Small Room Solution.” Now if you look at any videobar of this size and configuration, and if it holds up against peer devices, it should be good for about 18-20 feet away from the furthest participant. It isn’t. DTEN doesn’t promise that, and in testing its performance, it is really only good for about half that range. Now I understand why DTEN calls it out as specifically for “small rooms.”
One of the biggest reasons I like this device is because of the ingenuity of the DTEN team and their design. They looked at the world of videobars and deduced that if they allow their bar to be mounted vertically between two displays then they can get the camera up to approximately the eye level of the seated participants. That is a critical factor that is often overlooked by competitors in the space. (I don’t understand why this is so unique. Getting the device to operate vertically – having the camera rotate 90 degrees – doesn’t seem like rocket science, but as of now, DTEN is the only manufacturer I know of that can do this.)
Form Factor In Detail
DTEN Bar Specifications
First Impressions
The DTEN Bar is not a USB video device, but rather an ‘all-in-one’ unit with an Android codec built-in. It can be used stand-alone with a touch-enabled display or uses an accompanying DTEN Mate touch panel on the same network to function – and with that, it is also MS Teams certified. The box comes with everything needed – components, cables, mounting bracket, and power supplies. The touch panel is powered via PoE (but a WiFi version is apparently also available.)
The bar is chock-full of I/O connections. It supports dual displays (which many devices of this size do not) but it also has only one network connection, so the Mate can’t connect to the network through the bar – a separate hub or additional network port is needed for a PoE connection.
Unboxing and connecting it was straightforward from a physical perspective, but the software was another issue. Before the bar would operate it needed to go through a lengthy update process to the latest firmware. The process took about 45 minutes in total on a very high-speed connection. (With the multiple progress bars and the light-up ring around the lens glowing, it was giving me Apple iPhone update vibes. Would it complete or would it brick? Ultimately, it completed just fine.)
Before I could do anything with the updated firmware, I had to click a pop-up box on the mate agreeing to the DTEN Terms and Conditions and privacy policies.
Now this is simply ridiculous. I was only testing the device so I had no issues clicking it, but had I been an enterprise user this would have been an enormous red flag. Am I authorized to check a box agreeing to legal terms on behalf of my firm? In that role, I would have stopped right there and called the legal team. If, however, I’m an integrator doing the installation, am I clicking the box on behalf of my integration firm, or on behalf of my client getting the room – and as the installer, am I authorized to do either? Putting that red flag in at that point in the process is not wise. The process needs to go somewhere else – like somewhere where I can click through to actually see the terms, and not during installation. I also had to open / activate an account in DTEN Orbit (their management platform) to proceed. That is way too many barriers for this point of an installation.
The Camera
The DTEN Bar is in the subset of devices that automatically opens and closes the lens when in a call. This 
improves the perception of privacy when not consciously in a call, but also prevents the device from being used as a room sensor when not in calls – a feature that will only grow in the industry.
The camera uses an 8 MP sensor with digital zoom only, which somewhat limits its range.
Simulated Room Testing
After bench-testing videobar devices in my shop, I simulate a conference room environment in my home dining room. The table is eight feet long. I’ll typically place the bar on a box at one end of the table and sit at the other. The box is to raise the camera up to eye level. With the DTEN Bar I could do something very different.
I placed the bar vertically against the head chair, resting its end on the table, and taping its mount to the chair. This automatically placed the camera at my eye level. (There is no setting to adjust the device from horizontal to vertical mount – it just knows and adjusts automatically – which is very cool. Again, it’s not rocket science, which makes me wonder why every manufacturer isn’t doing the same thing.)
As I started to run my tests I noticed something strange. I could manually zoom in the camera only to a certain point, but when I turned the automatic mode on, the setting could access a greater degree of zoom than I could. Also, if you take a look at the bottom, automatically framed shot in the slide below, that is as close a shot as I could make while about eight feet away. If the room were larger then I don’t know how well the camera would be able to cope.
I asked DTEN about this and they confirmed that this is a feature. They do not permit a wide range of manual zoom to “prevent potential issues” that might impact quality.
The DTEN Bar has a large selection of smart framing capabilities, so I suppose a restricted zoom is a problem that likely won’t come up, but it still seemed weird and overly limiting to me. I’m told the limitation can be overrode in the management platform but I couldn’t get this to happen myself during testing.
Another thing that I noticed was the bar’s audio limitations in larger rooms. It is (admittedly completely subjectively) not as loud as similar products I’ve tested, and its reported 150Hz bottom range leaves something to be desired. (It honestly sounded much brighter than 150Hz – my guess was its low end was up about 400Hz – but again, that’s purely subjective on my part, the supplied data showed their lab testing at 150.) When I discussed these limitations with the DTEN team they made some interesting points.
First, they pointed out that this device is specifically called out for installations in small rooms, and suggested that there may be future DTEN solutions for larger spaces. Then, they explained that they don’t have to have an overly loud speaker under a display like their competitors, as they prefer having their bar in between two displays and adding speakers on the far sides of each display. That is certainly an interesting approach and one that would address my perceived lack of audio propagation power.
Ultimately, the device performed well but surprised me with its limited range.
Device Management
The DTEN Bar must be registered to DTEN’s Orbit management platform in order to be activated, and that base level of management is free with the purchase. Users can access additional features and greater support if a paid management tier is selected.
The Pros and Cons
The DTEN Bar is a very interesting device. With certifications for Zoom and Microsoft Teams, dual display support, and the ability to be installed vertically it represents a feature-rich solution at a very reasonable price (at approximately $3K US.)
With the limitations detailed above, however, it can really only be used in smaller-than-average rooms.
The Bottom Line
The DTEN Bar is a versatile device that prioritizes placing a camera at eye level. That alone deserves our respect and admiration, as it is a key aspect of visual communications that most companies either haven’t figured out or haven’t prioritized. (I could literally write an essay on that subject alone.) The device has some drawbacks that could be easily corrected (like the ridiculous Ts & Cs check-box during installation) and some others that may need supplemental gear or more complex fixes (like making the device more appropriate for slightly larger rooms.) All-in-all it is a worthy performer that meets a unique need in the space.
Video testing and examples of set-up and operation can be seen in the video I posted here.