Neat devices: Version 20220512 Release Notes

Last updated on August 8, 2022

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1. Introduction

This document describes the new features, improvements, bug fixes and known issues in the 20220512 software release for Neat Bar, Neat Bar Pro, Neat Pad, Neat Board, and Neat Frame. 

As long as your Neat equipment was up and on the network after 2:00pm Central European Time (8:00am Eastern US / 5:00am Pacific US) on Monday, August 8th, the update would have been downloaded into the Stable update channel on your device.

If you had opted out of automatic upgrades by disabling ‘Automatic updates’ on your Neat device, please note that it will remain on the existing software release and will not upgrade. However, if you would like to upgrade to the 20220512 release, please enable ‘Automatic updates’ and the Neat device(s) will download the latest firmware release and upgrade the Preview channel as above. Automatic updates can be enabled or disabled by going into Neat’s System settings (from Neat Pad or Neat Board) -> System -> Software Update.

Note: Previous release notes can be found here: https://support.neat.no/article/neat-devices-version-20220211-release-notes/ 

2. What’s in the new upgrade?

The Neat firmware builds in this upgrade are:

  • Neat Pad firmware: NFA1.20220512.2210
  • Neat Bar firmware: NFB1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Board firmware: NFC1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Bar Pro firmware: NFD1.20220512.2208
  • Neat Frame firmware: NFF1.20220512.2208

The built-in Zoom Room versions are: 

  • Zoom Room Controller software version: 5.11.1 (1394)
  • Zoom Room Appliance software version: 5.11.0 (1553)

The features introduced in this release are:

  • USB Passthrough (beta)
  • Neat Frame USB-C headset support
  • Neat Frame Bluetooth headset support (beta)
  • Neat Frame Ethernet support
  • Account lockout from web admin server after failed attempts
  • Auto-wake on by default for Neat Board
  • DHCP option 60 vendor class identifier
  • Software update notifications for Microsoft Teams
  • Zoom Rooms version 5.10
  • Other improvements

2.1 USB Passthrough (beta)

This update includes a preview version of USB Passthrough on the Neat Bar and Neat Board. After updating your Neat device and enabling USB Passthrough mode in your system settings, you will be able to connect your Neat camera and microphone to a computer using a USB-C cable and bring the Neat experience to any video conferencing platform!

More information about using USB Passthrough in this release can be found in the following support article: https://support.neat.no/article/usb-mode-beta/ 

2.2 Neat Frame USB-C Headset Support

In addition to the 3.5mm headset jack, the Neat Frame is now able to detect headsets through its USB-C port.

2.3 Neat Frame Bluetooth Headset Support (beta)

You can now connect Bluetooth headsets to the Neat Frame. To pair a Bluetooth headset, enter the “Audio & video” page in your Neat system settings, then enable Bluetooth and select your headset from the list of available devices.

Note: In its current implementation you will need to select your Bluetooth headset as a speaker source in Zoom’s user interface before selecting it as a microphone for your Neat Frame. The speakers and microphone on your bluetooth headset cannot be separated in Zoom so you cannot configure your device to use the Neat Frame’s built in speakers in conjunction with the headset’s microphone and vice versa.

2.4 Neat Frame Ethernet support (beta)

You can now connect your Neat Frame to Ethernet using an Ethernet to USB-C cable connector.

2.5 Account lockout from web admin server after failed attempts

In this release, it is possible to get locked out of the Remote Access web admin server. After 5 attempts to log in with the wrong password, a timeout of 5 minutes will be applied before the user can attempt to login again. After the timeout expires, users will have 5 more attempts before another timeout is applied.

2.6 Auto-wake up on by default for Neat Board

Auto-wake up is now on by default for newly installed Neat Boards. If your Neat Board was previously installed the setting will be changed according to the following specifications.

  • Originally turned off and not changed before upgrade → change to on
  • Originally turned off  and changed to on and then off before upgrade → remains off
  • Originally turned on before upgrade → remains on

2.7 DHCP option 60 vendor class identifier

Neat devices can now be differentiated from other stock android devices and have traffic rerouted by DHCP servers using the vendor class identifier in option 60.

2.8 Software update notifications for Microsoft Teams

An on-screen notification will now be displayed on Neat devices when software upgrades are available for Microsoft Teams. Notifications for Neat firmware updates are not yet supported.

2.9 Zoom Rooms version 5.10

This is a major release for Zoom Rooms – with many new and exciting features that include

  • General features
    • Zoom Whiteboard: The virtual whiteboarding experience has been redesigned to bring you the all-new Zoom Whiteboard, a cross-platform visual collaboration solution. With Zoom Whiteboard, you can brainstorm and collaborate on a persistent, expandable, digital canvas. All Zoom Rooms can open, view and save whiteboards from a desktop client paired to the Zoom Room. Zoom Rooms for Touch can also create and save whiteboards. This feature is separate from the “classic” whiteboard feature, which will continue to be available. The administrative controls for the new Zoom Whiteboard on Zoom Rooms are found in the Zoom web portal on the Zoom Rooms account settings page, and on the pages for lower tiers of the Zoom Rooms location hierarchy. 
    • User interface updates: The Zoom Rooms user interface (UI) has been updated to provide a more consistent experience. The new UI aligns with the Zoom desktop and mobile clients, matches Zoom’s current branding, and provides an optimized information architecture to better meet user needs. 
    • Removal of Calendar Integration error message: Previously, when a Zoom Room was not linked to a calendar, a prominent error on the Zoom Rooms Controller home page appeared: “This room needs to be connected to a calendar. Contact your Zoom Rooms admin”. This error message has been updated to suggest that connection to a calendar is not mandatory. 
  • In-meeting features
    • Persistent notification for waiting room: When an attendee is in the Waiting Room a persistent notification will display on the Zoom Rooms display. 
    • Screen sharing indicator: The green Share Content button on the room controller will change to a red Sharing Content button when a screen share initiated by the Zoom Room is in progress.
    • Gallery view when an attendee is spotlighted: Zoom Rooms users can switch to gallery view when an attendee is spotlighted.
    • Smart Gallery resolution for Neat Bar Pro: Secondary streams in Smart Gallery mode can have a max resolution of 720p. 

2.10 Other improvements

Other improvements in this release include enhancements to the Bar Pro’s microphone array, camera improvements on the Bar Pro and Neat Frame, and increased stability for Neat Symmetry. 

3. Zoom Rooms software

The Zoom Rooms software builds in this upgrade are:

  • Zoom Room Controller software version: 5.10.3 (1262)
  • Zoom Room Appliance software version: 5.10.7 (1494)

This is a major release for Zoom Rooms, with exciting new features and bug fixes. More information can be found here:

4. Fixed bugs and improvements

Issue referenceDescription
CUS-244Previously, Neat Bars running Microsoft Teams would occasionally lose their orientation when mounted upside down so the camera view would appear flipped when joining meetings. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-264Previously, when joining a Microsoft Teams call with a Neat Bar and Pad using the “Room Audio” feature, the Bar would receive the call but there was no way to join the meeting. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-269Under certain conditions, an issue in previous releases caused a blank screen to show in the remote access web server after logging in with your credentials. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-275Previously, when a Neat Bar failed to read the EDID of a connected display, it would default to display 640×480 resolutions on the second monitor. In this release the default resolution of the second monitor has been changed to 1080p.
CUS-302Previously, when multiple displays were plugged into a Neat Bar Pro, an issue caused shared content in Zoom to show up in half size on the display connected to the HDMI2 port. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-311Previously, a Neat Bar would send and advertise a limited RGB range to the second display, which could cause a difference in color saturation between two displays in certain scenarios. In this release, the Neat Bar will send and advertise full RGB color ranges to each display.
CUS-313Previously, enabling the “Display Preference” option on the Neat Bar Pro did not enact any changes to the connected displays. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-317Previously, certain combinations of natural and fluorescent lighting in a room could cause a flickering effect to occur on the Neat Bar Pro’s video output. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-319Previously, if a Neat Bar Pro was connected to a network via Ethernet, a connection loss to the network gateway would cause the device to lose connection with its DHCP server. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-322Previously, a Neat Bar Pro would disconnect from the display in the HDMI1 port at seemingly random intervals. This has been resolved in the May 25 hotfix version of this release, so the Neat Bar Pro is able to maintain a stable connection.
CUS-354Previously, a Neat Bar Pro would crash if the connected display was moved to a different HDMI port on the back of the Bar Pro during a call. This issue has been resolved in the June 29 hotfix version of this release.
CUS-360Previously, when the video feed of a Neat Bar Pro was being viewed in gallery mode or as a thumbnail, the feed would be blurrier than expected. This issue has been resolved in this release.
CUS-394Previously, the Neat Bar Pro would output incorrect resolutions on certain displays after a reboot. This issue has been resolved in the August 8 hotfix version of this release
INBUGS-648Previously, the Neat Frame would not enter standby mode unless it is on a Neat system settings screen. This issue has been resolved in this release.
INBUGS-856Previously entering invalid static IP information for a Neat Bar or Neat Bar Pro would cause the Bar or Bar Pro to lose firmware pairing and become non-functional until the device is reset and paired with a Neat Pad. This issue has been resolved in this release.
INBUGS-883Previously, when entering manual proxy information during the out-of-box (OOB) installation process, the hostname or IP address would appear blank in Neat system settings after the configuration had been saved. This issue has been resolved in this release
INBUGS-959Previously, the maximum zoom of 16x was misrepresented as “4x (default)” in the Neat Bar Pro’s system setting screens. In this release, the misrepresentation has been removed along with the option to change the maximum zoom on the Neat Bar Pro.
INBUGS-1194Previously in this update, a Neat Bar Pro would experience a degradation in audio quality after updating from a previous version. This has been fixed in the May 25 hotfix version of this release, so you will not have to reset the Neat Bar Pro after updating for optimal performance.
INBUGS-1207Previously, when using digital signage in Zoom, the signage audio will not play when the “Video + Static” option is selected. This has been resolved in the June 1 hotfix version of this release.

5. Known issues

Issue referenceDescription
INBUGS-31‘Unable to verify certificate’ message displayed when uploading CA certificate which has a text part before the actual certificate part. To work-around this issue, copy only the certificate portion (BEGIN CERTIFICATE / END CERTIFICATE) to a file and save it as .pem/.cert etc. 
ZOOM-93In this release, it is not possible to disable Zoom’s ‘Advanced Noise Suppression’ feature. As a result, any users using the ‘Music mode’ feature will notice that their audio is being suppressed by Zoom’s noise suppression algorithm, making the experience poor. This issue is being investigated by the Zoom engineering team.
CUS-326In this release, color correction configuration options are available in the accessibility settings on the Neat Board and Neat Bar Pro, but enabling the feature will not have any effect on the screen.
CUS-415It is possible for the Neat Board’s screen to become unresponsive after falling asleep, requiring the device to be power cycled in order to resolve the issue. You can avoid this effect by disabling ‘Auto wake up’ in the Board’s Neat system settings.

6. Update History

Original Release: May 14 2022

Version IDs

  • Neat Pad firmware: NFA1.20220512.2158
  • Neat Bar firmware: NFB1.20220512.2158
  • Neat Board firmware: NFC1.20220512.2158
  • Neat Bar Pro firmware: NFD1.20220512.2157
  • Neat Frame firmware: NFF1.20220512.2157

Preview Version Hotfix: May 25 2022

Version IDs

  • Neat Pad firmware: NFA1.20220512.2158
  • Neat Bar firmware: NFB1.20220512.2200
  • Neat Board firmware: NFC1.20220512.2200
  • Neat Bar Pro firmware: NFD1.20220512.2200
  • Neat Frame firmware: NFF1.20220512.2200

Updates

  • Removed “Auto-Wake Up” feature from Neat Bar Pro
  • Resolved CUS-322
  • Resolved issue INBUGS-1194

Preview Version Hotfix: June 1 2022

Version IDs

  • Neat Pad firmware: NFA1.20220512.2158
  • Neat Bar firmware: NFB1.20220512.2200
  • Neat Board firmware: NFC1.20220512.2200
  • Neat Bar Pro firmware: NFD1.20220512.2204
  • Neat Frame firmware: NFF1.20220512.2204

Updates

  • Resolved issue INBUGS-1207

Hotfix: June 29 2022

Released to Preview Channel on June 23 2022

Version IDs

  • Neat Pad firmware: NFA1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Bar firmware: NFB1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Board firmware: NFC1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Bar Pro firmware: NFD1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Frame firmware: NFF1.20220512.2206

Updates

  • Upgraded to Zoom Rooms version 5.10.7
  • Zoom Companion mode is now supported on Neat devices
  • Improvements to video performance in Microsoft Teams
  • Improvements to Auto Framing stability on Neat Bar Pro
  • Improvements to video consistency when switching between camera lenses on Neat Bar Pro
  • Resolved issue CUS-354

Hotfix: August 8 2022

Released to Preview Channel on July 7 2022

Version IDs

  • Neat Pad firmware: NFA1.20220512.2210
  • Neat Bar firmware: NFB1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Board firmware: NFC1.20220512.2206
  • Neat Bar Pro firmware: NFD1.20220512.2208
  • Neat Frame firmware: NFF1.20220512.2208

Updates

  • Upgraded to Zoom Rooms version 5.11.0
  • Upgraded to Zoom Rooms Controller version 5.11.1
  • Ultrasound detection is now disabled on the Neat Frame
  • Added Webview version 95 on Neat Pad
  • Security fixes for Neat Pad
  • Resolved issue CUS-394

7. How to check if you have the new build

Zoom Rooms Software Versions: Click on the Settings button on the lower left corner of Neat Pad or Neat Board. Then click on ‘About’. The Zoom software version numbers will be displayed on the right.

Microsoft Teams Software Versions: Click on the “More” button on the main screen of the Neat Pad or Neat Board, then click on “Settings” and “About” and the Microsoft Teams software version numbers will be displayed.

Neat Board/ Neat Bar / Neat Pad Firmware Versions: Click on the Settings button on the lower left corner of Neat Pad or lower right corner of Neat Board. Then click on ‘General’ and on the right, you’ll see the meeting room name displayed. Below the room name, you should find an option named ‘System Settings’. If you click on this, you’ll be prompted to enter the system passcode (this passcode is listed with the room settings in the Zoom Room administrator portal).

You will now have entered Neat’s System Settings. Next navigate from System Settings -> System -> About and you should be able to view the serial number and firmware versions for each device.

You can also see the serial number and firmware version of your Neat devices in the Zoom Room administrator portal and the Teams Admin Center (TAC) online portal.

8. Getting help from Neat

We encourage you to visit our support website and view new articles, FAQs, how-to  and troubleshooting guides which are being regularly added there. Please search the following page to find answers to your common questions or problems: https://support.neat.no

If you encounter an issue with your Neat device, please email: support@neat.no and one of our technical support engineers will reach out to you.

Note: Neat provides support on Neat devices running current released software, or running software from the previous release. For more information on our support policy, please see the article ‘Neat’s technical support policy’.

IMPORTANT: Please see our privacy policy at https://neat.no/privacy-policy/