|
| Vialta Beamer Phone Video Station (BM80-1, Single Unit) | 
 enlarge | Brand: Vialta
Category: CE
List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $129.99
You Save: $170.00 (57%)
New (1) Used (3) from $39.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Modem: Modem (analog)
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.6
Dimensions (in): 11 x 8 x 6
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: BM80-1
Model: BM80-1
UPC: 698988010021
EAN: 0698988010021
ASIN: B0000721YB
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-7 of 7 | | « PREV | | |
 Hi Mom! August 15, 2003
22 out of 23 found this review helpful
Appearance: Lightly tinted bluish beveled glass surrounding the palm-sized LCD and camera aperture. The rest of the unit is that type of matte finish hard plastic used in laptops. It resembles a picture frame or a small LCD monitor (which it is, in part). Three simple controls on the side of the unit, and three ports in the rear -- two for phone jacks and one for the power supply. With this unit, you supply your own phone, which may be more convenient in some cases and saves on space.
Function: You call into the other location and ask them to activate their video station, and the unit on your side activates automatically. There is a 20 second delay for the video to rev up, then both sides can see each other. The unit tilts about 30 degrees on the base.
Quality: Not bad, meaning, it's fair, but comparable to the standard line speed of 33K. The screen is big enough and bright enough for my parents to be able to view with their not so good eyesight. The unit doesn't respond well to movement like all videophones, but if the image shown is relatively constant, voice and video transmission is good and synchronized. The unit has a simple switch to decrease the resolution which prevents rebuffering delay. The unit also has a picture in picture feature so you can see what you look like. Activating this feature does not seem to slow transmission.
Ease of Use: So easy, my parents could hook it up with phone tech support. (Me.) Very easy to activate and non-threatening interface. Hook up time is about 2 minutes; installation instructions are good. Connection time for calls is really no more than 25 seconds. The unit provides good, clear responses to inform about delays in transmission or problems with connection.
Problems: The unit generates some slight heat when plugged into the adapter. I pull the power adapter out of the unit to rid this problem. It doesn't work with all phone lines, like PBX. It works with my run of the mill ten year old phone.
Overall: This is a solid, well-designed and engineered unit. It's been made to be usable, unlike some amalgams of technology I've seen. I remember the videophones of five years ago with prices in the fifteen-hundred dollar range with quality that wasn't half as good as what this unit. This unit is affordable enough to buy a few of them to distribute to the family. This unit is good for grandkids to see grandparents and closes the physical distance in an amazing way, because its like looking at grandma through a really small window in the house. I had serious doubts about this technology actually working, having not seen this unit prior to buying it, but it works.
Excellent Low Cost Solution March 11, 2003
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Easy to hook up. Very stylish. See family without having to fly. Thanks Vialta!
|
|
|
| |
