D-Link i2Eye DVC-1000 10/100TX Broadband VideoPhone

Average customer rating: 3.5

Dlync Video phone 1000
Poor framerate, tricky setup
It works.
waste of my money
Just OK

Similar Items:

D-Link DVC-10 75 Degree 2.9mm Wide Angle Lens, for DVC-1000/1100
D-Link DVC-1100 Wireless Broadband VideoPhone 802.11b, 22Mbps

Listmania:

Cameras
Security
Change the World
Top Ten Tech Stuff for the Home

D-Link i2Eye DVC-1000 10/100TX Broadband VideoPhone

Manufacturer: D-Link Systems, Inc.
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B000088NO4
2003-01-24

Related Categories:

Computer Add-Ons

| D-Link | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

Wireless Networks

| D-Link | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics

IP Phones

IP Phones

Up to $200

Computers

| Electronics | Categories | Target

Amazon.com Product Description

The D-Link DVC-1000 i2eye videophone introduces the world of videoconferencing over the Internet, bringing you and your family, friends, and colleagues together. Because the DVC-1000 i2eye videophone is a standalone device, you do not need a computer to videoconference over the Internet.

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.

Product Description

The D-Link DVC-1000 VideoPhone introduces the world of video conferencing over the Internet, to bring you and your family, friends and colleagues together. There's no waiting for a PC to boot up to determine whether you have a call and no navigating complex software. You can communicate when you want, the way you want and without having to be a computer expert. You set up the DVC-1000 from the intuitive, easy to use Setup Wizard. You are guided every step of the way through a few short setup screens and before you know it, your making and accepting VideoPhone calls! The DVC-1000 comes with a full-function intelligent remote control so you can use your VideoPhone in the same convenient way you watch television. In fact, you even enter information from the remote control using an on-screen keyboard.From your broadband Cable modem, DSL or Ethernet connection to the Internet, the DVC-1000 uses the power and connectivity of the Internet to communicate. By using a broadband connection you get high-quality video and audio without the quality limitations of dial-up Video Phones. High video speed and quality are possible with the DVC-1000. Using the H.323 video compression standard the DVC-1000 can display video in real-time. This lets your friends, family and colleagues see and hear you in real-time, anytime. The built-in caller ID provides privacy protection. You can know who is calling before you answer. You can turn off the video or audio and even activate the Do Not Disturb mode. You control the privacy features of the DVC-1000.

Customer Reviews:

Dlync Video phone 1000.......2007-01-04

Setting this unit up has been impossible, and I have not been able to use it. I have sought help of Dlync website, dlynk phone support. The have not been able to work me through it. I have paid for a machine I cannot use, have spent countless hours on phone and computer in trying to set it up. Another person who has the same system with which I wanted to communicate has had the same problem and cannot use hers.

Poor framerate, tricky setup.......2006-07-14

I really wanted to like this gadget, but I've ultimately been disappointed. The idea is COOL, being able to see your family and carry on a FREE Internet phone conversation with them, and the price is much less than other videophone solutions out there. Alas, there are a few problems still to be worked out with this device.

Here's the saga of trying to just get the device to work with my network setup. I tried calling Dlink (the i2eye manufacturer), Linksys (for my router setup), Comcast (broadband connection) and SunRocket (VOIP) for support on this issue. I eventually got the device to work connecting to my parents' wireless version of the i2eye (which I setup through a USR wireless broadband router by opening the required ports) by connecting my i2eye (the wired ethernet version) directly to my cable modem (without my Linksys broadband router or SunRocket VOIP box in the equation). I then tested various configurations until I was able to determine that the Linksys router (model WRTGS) was not forwarding ports correctly (I HAD properly configured port forwarding). Linksys tech support tried but failed to help me out. I swapped routers with my girlfriend who had a Dlink router and the problem went away (after also configuring port forwarding). Would have been nice if Dlink could have told me when I called them for support that my router wasn't compatible with their device (though it's possible that my Linksys router has a "broken" port forwarding feature). I also had to forward ports through my VOIP box which the SunRocket tech support people quickly told me how to do. So I eventually got the damn thing working after a month and a half of trying. Of course that is two weeks after the standard return policy of ANTonline expires (who I bought the device from through Amazon).

Now to performance. Even when the i2eye is connected directly to my broadband cable modem my framerate never rises above 5 frames per second. That's both for the transmitted and received data stream. (On my parents' end I have to connect wirelessly through their wireless router as their TV is too far from their cable modem.) I've tried tweaking the "speed" settings on the i2eye to adjust the amount of data the device is configured to send and receive, but I never got an improvement. Dlink advertises that you can get up to 30 frames per second using a high quality broadband connection (like mine and my parents'). I haven't tested my broadband connection's total upload and download speed because I simply don't know how (probably need some third party utility program). Regardless I SHOULD be getting at least 500kbps upload speed and at least 1Mbps download speed (at both mine and my parent's end) as that is typical of cable broadband connections. Also the image quality from the i2eye's "lens" and CCD is horrendous. The brightness, contrast and general overall "sharpness" of the image is lousy. That's simply not acceptable. You can get better framerates (along with much better image quality) from a good webcam using one of the "messenger" applications out there. Which is what I'm going to explore doing next.

I'm going to attempt to return the devices now (both mine and my parents' i2eye) through ANTonline and Amazon with the argument that the i2eye devices don't perform as advertised and that I'm "late" returning them because of the difficulty in testing the devices (you have to coordinate with the people at the other end of the connection to determine if your own configuration is working). I'll try to post an update to this review with the results of that attempt.

Unless they can improve framerate throughput through some kind of data compression technology upgrade, I can't recommend this device to anyone. Less critical improvements would be a better quality camera (and microphone) onboard and better support for setting up the devices (a dedicated i2eye server you can connect to test your i2eye configuration settings) including a list of supported and non-supported routers.

Hope this helps someone else avoid the headaches and hassles I've been subjected to by this device.

Andrew

It works........2006-05-18

I've seen some compaints about this unit delivering only 352x288 resolution. But this resolution works with most DSL/Cable connection. You can only utilize 640x320 resolution to its full benefit if you have sending bandwidth of >512kbps, which some broadband providers do not offer. My DSL sending bandwidth is only 128kbps (Verizon), so this bottleneck prevents me from fully utilizing 352x288. I do get 352x288 at about 10-15fps.

I talk with other family members who use Netmeeting and it works. I call their IP address. They have a hard time calling me since Verizon DSL dynamic IP address changes too often. The built-in mic is adequate. Sound is better if you attach a handset. But if you pick-up a call with a handset and want to switch to speakerphone, the mic volume is goes way too low to be useful. The lens can focus manually. The lens can only adjust up and down, not left and right.

waste of my money.......2006-01-07

If you are not an IT person you will need help setting up .Using D-Link customer service is a chore due to language issues .I bought the video phone to contact my son in Taiwan and it never would connect ==D-Link HELP LINE ?? ==could not understand why and were of no help what so ever .I could reach the test location but that was it .=Complete waste of money !!!

Just OK.......2005-10-04

I brought this device because I needed to communicate with my school. I am working on an advanced degree and often I'm not in the area when classes are in session. I was told to buy a H323 (if you don't know what that is don't worry) compatible device so that could communicate with the rest of the university. I shopped around and this was by far the cheapest. I brought this device and when I went to set it up the next month, the IT department when crazy. They wouldn't let me use this device because of all of the problems that they had with Dlink products in the past - this one in particular. I ended up buying a ViaVideo II by Polycom and gave this one to my parents.

Let me start by saying that even though they show how simple this is to configure, if you do not know how to open up ports in your firewall/router you should not by this product. Furthermore, must people have dynamic IP address so that when you call someone, it will not be the same number every time. If you do not know how to find your IP address this is not a product for you. I use a dynamic forwarding website and place the camera in the DMZ so that there are no firewall issues. I also turn of the camera when not in use, but there are no configurable items without the remote control so there is no hacking issue. If you don't understand this paragraph then this not a product for you. It is possible for someone to set this up for you, router, ports, dynamic DNS, and all and then you will just need to know the IP address of the person that you are calling.

The video on this device is much better then a web cam, but I was very disappointed by the resolution. It is nice not to have to be tied to your computer to make a video call. You can use the wireless version of the product or using a wireless bridge and buy the cheaper version without wireless and the video will be about the same.

All together, it is nice to use the product without have to use the computer, but for a much better picture, the Via Video II beats this product hands down.

Electronics:

Electronics

Electronics