The previously complicated process of conducting a videoconference is simplified with the DVC-1000. Connect a standard telephone and a television to the DVC-1000, plug in a standard Ethernet network cable connected to your broadband Internet connection, and you are ready to conduct real-time videoconferencing.
Using advanced video compression technology, the DVC-1000 videophone maximizes image and audio quality within the available bandwidth. The DVC-1000 can send and receive video at up to a full 30 frames per second. It is an ideal solution for consumers and small businesses with high-speed Internet access.
Easy-to-use setup wizards guide you step-by-step through the setup of the DVC-1000 videophone. You can be up and working in minutes. With the DVC-1000 it is easy to make changes to personalize your videoconferencing display.
The remote control that is included with the DVC-1000 allows you to easily answer an incoming videophone call or initiate a new one. The built-in caller ID provides privacy protection. You can know who is calling before you answer.
Be there real-time, anytime. You won't miss important communication with your friends, family, and colleagues with the i2eye DVC-1000 videophone.
I am relocating to another city. Really missing my sons since we could not have the whole family moved until summer. So I decided to buy a pair of i2eye.
We ended up with turn them on whenever we have a chance. My 6 year old also loves it. Most time I call, he will shut down his cartoon TV and jump up and down for a few minutes. Compare to a regular phone, he would just talk with me one sentence.
Something nice to have (not in the set yet): autofocusing or remote focusing. S-Video output to TV set (so higher resolution).
We are in the process of buying more for my parents and my wife's parents...
As far as AOL Broadband goes, yes this probably doesn't work with it. But either does XBox Live, some PS2 online games, and other devices like these. This is because AOL Broadband doesn't let you go online like everyone else. They keep you on their network so they can control advertisements, parental controls, and pop ups, etc. This is fine for regular web browsing, if being restricted on the Internet is fine with you, but for devices like that are gaining popularity, this is going to be a problem with AOL Broadband.
Technical Babble: AOL Broadband is basically software they make you use that "signs-in" to their internal network (VPN like) and you get a private IP like 10.x.x.x and everything you do goes through them and they can block any port or domain they want. Almost like they are a proxy you can't get rid of.
So the bottom line is that this product is great, but it isn't D-Link's fault AOL Broadband decided to go this route. So you can't blame this VideoPhone from D-Link for AOL's choices. If you really want to be able to do what you want on the Internet, get a real ISP, that gives you a real IP address, and doesn't make is mandatory you install their software.
I like this product and will recommend it to anyone, even if they have AOL Broadband, because this alone is a reason to switch ISPs. That's what AIM is for.
Technical
The setup of this VideoPhone wasn't bad, but it did involve some port forwarding in our router. After setting ours up here at home (about 10-15 minutes) I was able to setup other family members' VideoPhone in about 5-10 minutes. Forwarding ports on the router is very easy to do, you just need to follow the instructions.
Making a call is as easy as dialing a phone number with a remote control. When you setup this i2eye you can enter whatever phone number you want to be associated with and all people have to do is dial that number to call your Video Phone. If you don't know the phone number you can dial by IP address, but most people don't know their IP address let alone someone else's IP address.
Once you have it setup with your family in the speed dial you don't have to remember anything except who you want to call and just select their name from a list you made. Very easy.
The video quality on these are surprisingly good. Sometimes you see some blurriness when there is fast movement, but it is nothing you can't handle. It is a small glitch that is easily overlooked seeing that you get to see and hear who you are talking to right on your TV. The audio quality is just like a phone when you plug in a phone to the back of this Video Phone. Plugging in a phone to the back of this device turns off the microphone and lets you use it like a phone. So we just sit back and talk on the cordless phone and watch on the TV the video. It makes it feel like you are on the phone as usual but you get a camera in their home.
This VideoPhone upgrades itself when there is new firmware, which is very convenient.
Overall
This Video Phone is a fun toy in our home that doesn't need maintenance, extra fees, or new hardware. All you need is a DSL or Cable connection, a TV, and if you have a home network you need a long enough cable, or wireless device to connect the i2eye to your network. The quality is great, the ease of use allows our kids to use it unsupervised, and all calls are free since it does use the Internet.
I would recommend this to people who have family that is too far to visit from time to time, or people who just want to jump into the future and make video phone calls.
The only thing I wish this could do is to call real phones. But that is wishful thinking and someone would find a way to charge you for calls if this actually could. So for now you can call other people who have an i2eye, and other video conferencing devices that use the H.323 protocol like someone who is using Microsoft net meeting or the like.
Bottom Line: Get one if you have the use for it, you and whom ever you call will greatly enjoy it. It is definitly fun to use and a sure conversation piece. Everyone who comes over and sees it wants to see it in action, then they want one for themselves.
The video quality is adequate/good, way better the webcam. The new machines now has microphone input. But I found pluggin your own phone is way better.
The setup is extremely easy and quick. If you have a firewall, you do need to open that port. I did have to make a call to technical support who was quite helpful and I was able to open the port without any problem.
I would highly recommand this product just like the others
Overall, I think this gadget is great, especially for the price. The GUI is good, the install Wizard is simple and the thing boots in seconds. A few things let down the ease of installation for me: (1) I needed to punch holes in the firewall/routers I was using at both ends to make it work, which was slightly harder than expected; (2) the audio leaves a lot to be desired without a phone plugged in. Other reviews suggest that this solves the problem, but I haven't tried it yet.
The good news is: It "does what it says on the tin", as we say in England. Grandma gets to see the kids and vice versa, although my bouncy 8yr-old moves around so much the poor old MPEG compressor has a hard time keeping up with him! But really, it's an absolute blast for domestic use.
I've also spent some time learning about MS NetMeeting and making it work with that as a client at one end, which it does without trouble or further configuration. This raises the prospect of serious business applications for the device, and I understand a higher-quality business grade successor is planned.
All in all I think D-Link should be congratulated on their product. It is hard to fault for the price and we have had more fun out of our $ than on a lot of other more expensive IT gadgets of the last few years. What are you waiting for?
Alex.
I highly suggest connecting a phone to the back of this because the audio quality is way better than the speaker/mic portion of this device. Getting a good video frame rate is essential and depending on your Internet connection speed you can usually configure the i2eye unit to perform best in the setup wizard. I personally had to change the speed setting to get the best frame rate, but it only took a couple tries to get it right.
I am impressed with this little box and recommend that if you are thinking about getting one, or two, to just go ahead and do it. It is well worth it if you make a lot of calls and would love to see some video along with your call.
I was able to see and hear him so very clearly (with cordless phone attached to the unit) and it was almost too good to be true. I could see him so well it was almost like I was there in his living room. well not exactly, but it was like there was a TV camera in his living room and I was watching him talk to me. One of the best parts about this whole thing was that this call was totally free to make. Except for of course the initial cost of the unit and the monthy broadband bill, but I was paying that bill every month anyways.
When friends/company would come over they would see this little box on top of my 26 inch TV and ask what it was. So I'd call my friend and show them. They would instantly want one once they saw it in action. I've probably influenced about 3-4 people who eventually bought one of these and now we have a little network of people who we know that we can call and who can call us.
This little box that sits on our TV and only needs a remote to use it a beautiful thing. Once everyone gets one, or at least all the people I call, I believe that this will replace our regular phones (at least when calling each other), long distance, or local, its all the same.