Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought this for my parents and in-laws as a Christmas gift (so, shelled out for three units). They live in Brazil (where the quality of phone lines is not all that great!) and we live in US. Since they are not computer savvy to use netmeeting (this thing actually uses the same protocol...) or a similar computer tool, I needed another way to let them keep up with their grand-daughter.
Let me start by stating that the instalation and operation of the Beamer is a no-brainer! That in itself is a God-send to people that are not technology-oriented (like grandparents might be...). It's also portable! So if the other party travels a lot (like retirees might do...), they can pack it up and take it with them - BUT ATTENTION, it will require an analog phone line to use.
Another good thing is that it doesn't require monthly fees of any sort. You only pay for your regular phone call (obviously, if it's a long distance or international you'll pay the appropriate rate); there is no extra-cost for adding video to it.
The quality of the image is acceptable even on international calls. Better than using netmeeting over dial-up connections, a little worse than using netmeeting over broadband connections. You can definitely tell who is the person you are talking to and see their facial expressions with accuracy. Attention: lighting is essential to obtain good results!
The units are sturdy and look beautiful. The LCD screen does have some pixels that seem brighter or darker than others (I would call them dead pixels) - and this is mentioned in the manual, but nothing that compromises the experience.
Finally, it is non-obstrusive. You can plug it to the phone and it will only come live if someone activates a beamer on the other side. Otherwise it is just a nice looking portrait-like thing over your desk.
I give it four stars for two reasons:
a) price wise it could be better. [it] is a lot of money for any appliance and to use this you need to buy at least two...
b) it would be wonderful if this thing could use the internet to place the calls (kind of like a netmeeting machine). This would eliminate long distance calls (although you would have to pay for an ISP). It might add to the size of the unit, but certainly would cut the costs on communication.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Vialta Beamer Phone Video Station (BM80-2, Pair)
Early Adopters Pick: January 2003. The first phone video station (PVS); instantly adds color, motion video to any phone call between two Beamer-enabled phones and is compatible with any standard analog home phone.
Add color, motion video to any phone call between yourself and another party using Vialta's Beamer. There are no hookup hassles, service fees, or extra per-call expenses. The Beamer is compatible with any home phone over a standard analog phone line. It requires no additional equipment or wiring. Plus, this package includes two Beamer phones--one for you and one for a friend, family member, or colleague, so you can start making video calls right away.
Setup takes only a few minutes. Just plug your phone line into the Beamer and then connect the Beamer to your phone. When you call another Beamer owner and press Start, video is transmitted to the other party at up to 15 frames per second. For your party's privacy, the unit displays only a message on your screen until the other party also presses the Start button and transmits video back to you.
In addition to video, you can use the snapshot feature to send a high-resolution still image of yourself to the other party. The snapshot feature doubles as a privacy mode, temporarily preventing video transmission for as long as you want. Enjoy three viewing options: self, to view just yourself (how you will appear to the other party); other party, to view your called party; and combo, to display both you and the other party at the same time.
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