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

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.

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.


Very Convenient and Well Worth the Price   October 17, 2003
Jack G. (California)
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

Usage:
My family and I recently moved from back east to California and we are already missing friends and family. My son uses this to call his girlfriend (who also has an i2eye) on the East Coast. He ends up talking to her for hours, and since it cost nothing to call I don't mind. Plus our phone line is still open and now they can see each other face to face. He says that's the only way he calls her now.
The rest of the family uses this to call family back east.
We bought one for my parents and my wife's parents. My parents get a total kick out of being able to see their grandkids and they've all ready told me they can see them growing. Again all these calls are free because it uses our DSL connection.

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.


Great Features and Good Quality   March 12, 2003
Blue (San Jose, CA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I get a nice crisp picture on my TV when using this videophone. The setup of this was easier than setting up a computer to be on your network and configuring a video phone is a lot more exciting then a boring computer. I have some networking experience, but I feel confident that inexperienced people can set this up with little to no trouble as well.

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.


A great product which delivers what it promises   April 22, 2003
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I am using two of these devices between Cambridge, UK and Boston, USA over cable broadband at both ends. The NTSC video didn't phase my fairly modern TV (although the colour is, of course, rubbish) and the 110v power was easily adapted. If you live outside the USA you just need a friend in the USA to ship one to you...

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.


We love it !   April 14, 2004
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

I bought a pair of this vidoe phone and fall in love with it.

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...