Crestron AirMedia vs Barco ClickShare Conference vs Mersive Solstice Pod Conference: Which Wireless Presentation System Is Right for Your Meeting Room?

An honest review of the major Wireless Conferencing devices on the market?

Paul Warden \ Updated 2026

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Wireless presentation systems have become essential kit. Whether you are outfitting a boardroom, a huddle space, or a university lecture hall, the ability to share content from any device — without hunting for cables or installing new software every time — is no longer a luxury.

But the market is crowded, and the three names that come up most often in mid-to-large deployments are Crestron AirMedia, Barco ClickShare Conference, and Mersive Solstice Pod Conference. They all do broadly the same thing. They all cost a similar amount. And they all claim to be the best option for your environment.

So what actually separates them? This guide cuts through the brochure language and gives you a practical, honest breakdown of each system — what it does well, where it falls short, and which type of environment each one suits best.

 Examples of Crestron AirMedia, Barco Clickshare & Mersive Pod

Quick takeaway

If you are already deep in the Crestron ecosystem, AirMedia is the natural fit. If plug-and-play simplicity matters most, Barco ClickShare is hard to beat. If you need maximum flexibility across a diverse device estate — especially in education — Mersive Solstice Pod is worth a serious look.

What Each System Actually Does - Wireless Presentation Systems

Crestron AirMedia

Crestron AirMedia is a wireless presentation and collaboration platform that integrates tightly with Crestron's wider control and AV ecosystem. The current generation — AirMedia 3.0 — supports Wi-Fi 6, simultaneous multi-user sharing, and native integration with Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms.

It works via a small receiver unit that connects to your display. Participants can share from Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebook devices either through the AirMedia app or, in some configurations, via a browser. There is also a USB-C hardware button for zero-software sharing.

Example of a Crestron AirMedia

Barco ClickShare Conference

Barco ClickShare Conference is designed specifically for hybrid meetings. Unlike the standard ClickShare Present range, the Conference models include USB-C buttons that bridge your room's camera and speaker system to your laptop's conferencing app — so Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet runs on your device, but uses the room's hardware.

It is widely regarded as the easiest system to deploy and use. Plug the button into your laptop, click it, and you are sharing. No app required, no IT configuration needed on the day. The CX-30, CX-50, and CX-50 Gen2 cover most meeting room sizes.

 Example of a Barco Clickshare

Mersive Solstice Pod Conference

Mersive Solstice Pod Conference sits in a slightly different category. It is software-defined, highly configurable, and built with IT management and analytics in mind. The Pod connects to your room display via HDMI and participants share content via the Solstice app (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android) or a browser.

The Conference version adds USB audio/video bridging — similar to ClickShare Conference — allowing the room's camera and mic to be routed to a participant's laptop conferencing session. Solstice also has a strong presence in higher education, partly because of its Active Learning features and partly because of its per-room licensing model.

Example of a Mersive Pod 

Feature Comparison at a Glance

Feature	Crestron AirMedia	Barco ClickShare	Mersive Solstice Pod
Max Participants	Up to 32 sources	Up to 16 devices (Base+)	Up to 64 participants
Wireless Standard	Wi-Fi 6 (AX)	Wi-Fi 5 (AC) / Wi-Fi 6 Base+	Wi-Fi 5 / Wi-Fi 6 (Gen3)
Conferencing Integration	Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex	Teams, Zoom, Google Meet	Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet
USB Camera Support	Yes (via AirMedia Gateway)	Yes (native)	Yes (native)
Content Annotation	No	Yes (ClickShare Annotation)	Yes (Solstice Active Learning)
Cloud Management	XiO Cloud	XMS Cloud	Solstice Cloud
Starting Price (approx)	~£1,200	~£900	~£1,000
Installation Complexity	Moderate–High	Low–Moderate	Low–Moderate
Best For	Large enterprises, Crestron AV	BYOD, plug-and-play	Higher ed, flexible spaces

Prices are approximate and vary by reseller, region, and configuration. Always request a project-specific quotation.

Its worth understanding that all three products integrate directly with Microsoft Teams & Zoom.

We have written about how to integrate these systems in this walk through. 

The Detail That Matters

Ease of Use and Day-One Experience

Barco ClickShare wins this category for most organisations. The USB button means zero friction for guests and occasional users — it is the only system of the three that genuinely requires nothing from the end user beyond plugging in a button. This matters enormously in environments where not everyone is technically confident.

Crestron AirMedia requires the AirMedia app for the best experience, though AirPlay and Miracast are supported on newer models. In IT-managed environments where the app can be pre-deployed, this is not a problem. For BYOD-heavy spaces with lots of visitors, it adds a step.

Mersive Solstice Pod requires the Solstice app, which is a lightweight download. Browser-based sharing is available but more limited. For repeat users in a managed environment, this is fine. For one-off visitors, it is slightly less seamless than ClickShare.

Action Step 1: Before selecting a system, map out your typical user profile. Are they internal staff with managed devices, or do you regularly host external guests with unmanaged laptops? The answer should heavily influence your shortlist.

Conferencing Integration

All three systems support major conferencing platforms, but the integration method differs — and the differences matter.

Crestron AirMedia integrates at the room system level. It works alongside Crestron's native Microsoft Teams Rooms and Zoom Rooms implementations, meaning the room itself runs the meeting, not the participant's laptop. This is the preferred setup for enterprises that want a consistent, centrally managed meeting experience.

Barco ClickShare Conference takes a bring-your-own-meeting approach. Your laptop runs Teams or Zoom; the button hands off the room camera and speaker to your laptop's conferencing session via USB. This is flexible and device-agnostic, but it means your laptop is doing the processing — which can be a consideration for older hardware.

Mersive Solstice Pod Conference also uses the USB bridging method for conferencing, similar to ClickShare. Where it differs is in its broader platform support — it officially supports Webex and Google Meet with equal parity, which is useful in organisations running mixed conferencing environments.

Action Step 2: If your organisation has standardised on one conferencing platform and invested in dedicated room systems, Crestron's native integration is likely the most robust path. If you run multiple platforms or have a policy of meeting from the laptop, ClickShare or Solstice will serve you better.

IT Management and Scale

This is where the three systems diverge most significantly for larger deployments.

Crestron's XiO Cloud platform is one of the most comprehensive device management solutions in the AV industry. If you are already managing Crestron control systems, DSPs, or room scheduling panels through XiO, adding AirMedia units to that ecosystem is straightforward. Remote monitoring, firmware updates, and configuration can all be handled centrally.

Barco offers XMS Cloud for ClickShare management. It is functional and covers the essentials — firmware updates, usage analytics, room configuration — but it is not as deep as XiO Cloud for complex enterprise environments. For most organisations deploying ClickShare, it is more than adequate.

Mersive Solstice Cloud is arguably the most granular of the three for analytics. It provides per-session usage data, device statistics, and network health reporting that IT teams often find valuable for capacity planning and support. Solstice's open API also allows integration with third-party management platforms, which is a genuine differentiator for organisations with existing monitoring infrastructure.

Action Step 3: Request a demo of the cloud management platform — not just the endpoint device — from any vendor you are seriously evaluating. The device experience matters on day one; the management platform matters every day after that.

Security

Security is non-negotiable in enterprise AV, and all three vendors take it seriously — but their approaches differ.

Crestron AirMedia supports WPA2/WPA3 Wi-Fi encryption, 802.1X network authentication, and AES content encryption during transmission. It also supports network segmentation via VLANs and integrates with Crestron's enterprise security policies. For regulated industries or government environments, the depth of control is a clear advantage.

Barco ClickShare uses AES-256 encryption for all content streams. The USB button creates an encrypted tunnel between the laptop and the room unit. ClickShare also supports proxy authentication and SAML-based single sign-on in enterprise configurations. One point to note: the USB button physically leaves the room, which some security policies treat as a risk.

Mersive Solstice Pod supports WPA2 Enterprise, VLAN tagging, and TLS 1.2/1.3 for management traffic. It also supports SDS (Solstice Discovery Service) for network isolation, which allows Solstice to operate in environments where multicast is restricted — a common requirement in segmented enterprise networks.

Security note

If your organisation has specific compliance requirements (ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, or sector-specific frameworks), involve your security team in the evaluation before committing to a platform. Each vendor can provide security documentation on request.

Content Annotation and Active Collaboration

If you need more than just screensharing — if you want participants to annotate, draw on shared content, or interact with presentations in real time — the options narrow.

Crestron AirMedia does not include native annotation tools at the time of writing. Annotation can be achieved via software running on the source device, but it is not a built-in feature of the AirMedia platform itself.

Barco ClickShare includes ClickShare Annotation, which allows any participant to draw on the shared screen from their device. It is reasonably intuitive and works across platforms. Not the most powerful whiteboarding tool, but functional for meeting annotation use cases.

Mersive Solstice includes its Active Learning features, which go further — multiple simultaneous content streams can be displayed, students or participants can push content to a shared canvas, and moderators can control what is visible. This is particularly valued in education settings, but it also has application in design reviews, war rooms, and collaborative workshops.

Action Step 4: If annotation or multi-source collaboration is a primary use case in your environment, weight this heavily in your evaluation. It is one of the clearest functional differentiators between the three platforms.

Which System Suits Which Environment?

Crestron AirMedia is best suited to:

•       Large enterprise environments already using Crestron control systems

•       Organisations that want unified management across AV, room control, and collaboration hardware

•       IT teams that need deep network security controls and integration with enterprise infrastructure

•       Meeting rooms where Microsoft Teams Rooms or Zoom Rooms is the standard deployment

•       Businesses where standardisation and vendor consolidation is a strategic priority

Barco ClickShare Conference is best suited to:

•       Organisations where ease of use and guest accessibility are the top priorities

•       Environments with high BYOD usage and mixed device estates

•       SMEs or individual sites that need a reliable, low-maintenance solution without deep IT involvement

•       Spaces where quick deployment and minimal ongoing management are important

•       Teams running meetings from personal laptops rather than room-based systems

Mersive Solstice Pod Conference is best suited to:

•       Higher education institutions requiring Active Learning and multi-source content sharing

•       Organisations running mixed conferencing platforms (Teams, Zoom, Webex, Google Meet)

•       IT teams that value detailed usage analytics and open API integration

•       Environments with complex or segmented networks where multicast is restricted

•       Flexible meeting and learning spaces that need software-defined configuration

A Word on Pricing

All three systems sit in a broadly similar price bracket for a single-room deployment. The real cost difference emerges at scale — and in the ongoing licensing and management costs, not just the hardware.

Crestron AirMedia hardware pricing is competitive, but full enterprise deployment typically involves XiO Cloud licensing, professional installation, and potential integration work with existing Crestron infrastructure. The total cost of ownership can be higher than it appears from the hardware price alone.

Barco ClickShare has a relatively straightforward pricing model. The hardware cost is the main expenditure. XMS Cloud is included or available at low cost. Replacement USB buttons are an ongoing consideration in high-traffic environments.

Mersive Solstice Pod uses a per-room software licensing model alongside the hardware cost. Annual subscription renewal is required to maintain access to cloud management and updates. For large deployments, the licensing costs can accumulate — but the per-room analytics and management capability can justify this in complex estates.

Get a proper quote

Published pricing rarely reflects what you will actually pay. Use SPOR's AV Pricing Estimator to get a realistic budget figure for your specific project — based on room count, integration requirements, and installation complexity.

Use the SPOR AV Pricing Estimator: https://www.wearespor.com/av-pricing-estimator

The Bottom Line

There is no single best wireless presentation system. The right choice depends on your existing infrastructure, your users' habits, and what you need the system to do beyond basic screensharing.

Crestron AirMedia is the right choice if you are building or extending a Crestron-managed AV estate and want tight integration between room control, conferencing, and presentation. It requires more from your IT team but delivers more control in return.

Barco ClickShare Conference is the right choice if simplicity and BYOD flexibility are your top priorities. It is the easiest system to deploy, the easiest for end users to operate, and the lowest-friction option for environments with high guest usage.

Mersive Solstice Pod Conference is the right choice if you need software-defined flexibility, strong management analytics, multi-platform conferencing support, or the Active Learning features that make it a strong fit for education and collaborative environments.

If you are still unsure which direction to go, the most useful next step is to trial each system in your actual environment — most vendors and their resellers can arrange this. Alternatively, speak to an independent AV consultant who can assess your requirements without a vested interest in any single brand.

Get impartial advice for your project: Use the SPOR AV Pricing Estimator