Internet Telephony

5 Comments to “Philips VOIP841 PC-Free DECT 6.0 Wireless IP Phone”

1. 

   By G. Hearn, April 29, 2010 @ 1:21 am

   I bought this phone a little over two months. Overall I’m pretty happy with it, although I would have waited until the price dropped and saved some $ $! I have read many comments and agree with many good, and can sympathize with many of those not so good.

   First, I think that everyone assumes someone looking to buy this phone already knows about Skype, which I’m sure is generally true, but if you’re not familiar with Skype, make sure you visit www. skype. com first to know exactly what it is and what it will cost you (if anything) to join and use the system. Different plans are offered as talking to other people on Skype. . . . Make calls to ordinary people on the telephones (basic costs, but really cheap). . . . and if you want to have your own phone number so that everyone can call you (costs involved). After reading many comments, I could not see where everyone says what Skype is made, if I wanted to get that out of the way. This phone works with Skype, but you must still register and choose what plan you want, and there he could have fees. Also, you must have access to broadband Internet to use this phone. . . But you can use the phone without your computer is turned on, which is one of the main reasons for buying this phone. Now for the review. . . .

   When I got this phone, I had both a landline and Skype. Since I spent the landline because I am more than satisfied with the Skype service, partly because of how I save $ $ (a ton, by the way). Like Skype, you say, they recommend you keep a landline, because Skype does not work with 911. I have a cell phone that works with the 911, so I’m less worried about that and I live in a condo with a lot of people around me. If 911 is a concern, then you may want to keep the land line. When you place a call, the phone will ask if you want to go through the land line or Skype. FYI, someone wrote that they were still called, even if they did not have a landline, but I was able to change settings and now the phone is still using Skype.

   I agree with someone else who said they thought that Skype is not as good as a landline, but better than a phone Cell. Sometimes the quality is better than the others with Skype, but again, I can live with that because of cost savings.

   I have Skype on my computer as well, and it’s great that the phone will be updated when you add new contacts to your computer and vice versa. You can load all the phone numbers from Outlook into Skype, and then it will load on your phone. Really a great feature.

   As for the phone itself. . . well. . . Yes, it is elegant, modern, etc.. . but I agree with someone else who says it is a kind of pain because it’s not like an “ordinary telephone receiver” where you can hold it against your shoulder and ear. Yes, you can use a headset, and yes there is a loudspeaker that I find works very well. But if you are not using one of these, there may be a little pain from participation in phone all the time. FYI, there is no volume control, and I really hate that. If you’re the least bit hard of hearing, I would not recommend this phone. Although it is not difficult to use, it is more like using a cell phone. If you have Skype voicemail (based pay) is an icon on the phone to let you know that you have a message for you the listen. The phone keeps a detailed log of all calls that came in, and you have done. Someone said that the phone does not ring the best options, I agree with, but surely You can find one that you’ll be. Oh… I do not know if this is still the case, but my phone only came with a disc with instructions. There was no printed manual. J I found a site on the Philips though. I highly recommend that you go to the Philips site and take a look at the owner’s manual before you buy, just so you know all the details and features of this phone offers, which are quite numerous. Once you get on the Philips site, just do a search for VOIP8411B/37.
   Rating: 4 / 5
2. 

   By Susanna Hutcheson, April 29, 2010 @ 3:11 am

   If you do not pay the phone company a ton of money for the calls you are probably not going to do, Skype is a great service. You can make unlimited calls within the telephone to the United States and Canada for just under $ 30. On request of the countries are extremely cheap. For example, I can call the UK for just over 2 cents per minute.

   So having a phone that you can count on to make calls reasonably good review. The Philips VOIP841 is not a perfect solution. The sound quality is somewhere between a cellphone and a landline. It’s a bit better than the old and not as good as this.

   But to make and receive calls from family and friends, it’s great. And he will pay for itself quickly and save you a ton of money on your telephone bill.

   I even use mine for business calls overseas and many times the U.S.
   With Skype you can make conference calls. Thus, business users will find this of interest.

   Although the phone allows you to make Skype calls or landline, the ground line is not better nor worse than the line of Skype. In fact, I think Skype can be a little better on this phone.

   I do believe there is a small amount of static electricity on my Skype to land online call for times. Not enough to make bad calls. But you’ll notice it. And this is not always there. Calls are dependent on your connection and traffic.

   In addition, the phone is not especially comfortable in your hand. At least I do not think so. It is too small and not shaped well. You have to keep a certain way to hear.

   He works pretty well. I can hear the other person very well on the loudspeaker. The other person says it is not as good on their end. But it is a good feature to have. The mute function is also good to have.

   So if you’re looking for a replacement for landline true, it is not. Of course, Skype will tell you that you can not make calls to 911. Thus, most people want this for a second line anyway.

   I watch my expenses. And one place you can spend too much money is with the phone company. Then I cut the landline service to the essential (I like the 911 and the ability to have clear calls) and I have a good cell phone plan. Add to that the phone and Skype and I save a ton of money. I signed a contract with Total International long distance on my landline. So for me, this combination works very well.

   The phone is feature rich. It has some bugs. And I found that customer service does not know much about the phone that I do. They are of very little help. And the documentation is poor. They have a decent life FAQ on their website and you can find answers. In addition, Skype has an active forum with lots of people who use this phone. There is therefore also help.

   But having said all that, I recommend this phone for people who use or plan to use Skype for many long distance PC to PC calls. I expect a person in a few years out with a phone that is a real solution. Until then, I’m glad I bought this phone and I really appreciate the savings it gives me.

   I doubt you will find a better phone to Skype and when it receives high ratings from most reviewers who review for a living.

   Update: July 21, 2007
   
   After having used this phone for several weeks, I can tell you that I’m glad I made the purchase. It is carefree and very reliable. Make SkypeOut calls are quite clear, no matter where you call. The phone, however, is not too good. So I did not use a landline at all.

   I’ve never had dropped calls or any problems and I used the much phone. I pay Skype least $ 30 per year for unlimited calls to U.S. and Canada and keep some in my account for calls overseas. I talked to London for five or six minutes and it cost me a penny.

   I ordered a desktop Skype phone for my office to use with it it. But this is not portable. I also read in the Wall Street Journal that there is a new type of VoIP calls coming in September, called Ooma, which may be a better deal. I’ll be checking that the purchase and unity.

   So, in summary, I was very happy with this phone and it’s worth the price. I still highly recommend it.
   Rating: 4 / 5
3. 

   By Caramalizer, April 29, 2010 @ 6:00 am

   The phone is beautiful glossy black. . . Belkin offers and deals from Linksys to shame, but fingerprints are hard to eliminate. The finish is good and it is that Philips includes all necessary cables (Ethernet and POTS). Yes there is a mini-jack that accepts a helmet (my Panasonic works) and here is the production volume that is finally strong enough for me. For some reason, the location of records is approximately 1 / 8 “too low for the headset to remain plugged in when you return the phone to the charger. I can not say whether it was deliberate or an oversight of design. handset batteries are AAA NiMH pair – although because the replacements are inexpensive and easy to find, but I can not help but think the more time they would speak with a custom battery. We see .

   The navigation is decent – no confusion if you know how to use a cell phone. The screen is easy to read, but as a cell phone contact list is only about 11 characters wide so long names are truncated. Philips makes scrolling the selected contact’s name as a symbol, but it would be nice just to see name to start. Setup for me was a Linksys router without effort.

   I’ve been a Skype user I bought this phone for the first thing I miss is the ability of the conference with several contacts in one call I’m hosting. I find that Skype on my Mac still works (even with username Login) so I can enter contacts on my keyboard and they update the camera a few minutes later. However, I notice that sometimes my active contacts are grayed out on my Mac, probably because the handset is lifted recently did not release control. The sound quality is a little metal compared to Skype on a Mac with a USB hard wired headphones, but still respectable.

   If I had one wish, it would be a menu option to do all the online features land disappear. Right now, I can dial a regular phone, but select SkypeOut or landline when I placed the call. Since I do not have a landline, it is a step for me every time (This does not apply to numbers already entered in my Skype contact list).

   Overall I am very satisfied. The phone looks awesome and belongs to MoMA, and I ‘m saving a lot of changes in ending my land line. BTW, since I have a cell phone that makes me 911 I did not bother me that Skype does not provide that.
   Rating: 4 / 5
4. 

   By NoPoet, April 29, 2010 @ 7:11 am

   The Good:
   The phone is truly plug and play. I received the phone at work, I unpacked, plugged in the power of our Internet connection and released, and it worked. I was amazed at how it pulls my Skype contact list, and I was making calls in less than ten minutes. Unpacking the time was longer than the time of installation.

   I paid more for a good quality cordless phone, so I agreed with the price of this unit. My bill long distance should be near zero after getting this phone.

   The Bad:
   The phone does not feel good in my hand. It feels thick, narrow and slippery. I’m sure I’ll find the solution, but it looks and feels more like a remote control of thickness of a phone.

   The keyboard is also on the small side and do not have great “feel”. People with large fingers will be frustrated.

   The audio quality is disappointing. Using my computer and a headset, it’s as if the person next to me or inside my head. The audio portion of this phone is metal, and the person I talk to says the sound is okay, but not much. I bought a headset with a boom microphone for the phone, which helped, but the audio quality is still under-overwhelming compared to the computing experience. It is a shame because consumer audio is available, but not on this phone.

   I only use this phone for Skype calls-Out. Sometimes I have the origin of the call two or three times before it crosses. I’ve never had this problem on the computer.

   Finally, when someone calls, the audio is missing for the first second, which leads to “Hello. .. Hello … Hello. I do not know if it still occurs, or only occasionally. I’ve never had that on the computer.

   Abstract:
   I had this phone for less than a week, so take this into consideration. Even with the shortcomings mentioned above, I am satisfied with my purchase. I have a cordless phone that lets me call anywhere in the U.S. for “free”, and I do not even need a computer, or to be home. I just need an Internet connection CAT-5. . . . Cool.
   Rating: 3 / 5
5. 

   By J. Shlezar, April 29, 2010 @ 8:05 am

   It is difficult to enjoy myself in the name of a gadget purchase. I always find something I do not like this. It seems that Philips VOIP8411B/37 is the exception. I do not think it is “perfect.” Lets write about it. It sounds very good, but it would be the last, I think that would bother. The most important is its functionality. The DECT wireless base seems pretty clear and good. I logged on my regular landline phone and Philips VOIP8411B/37 rings differently than the regular or Skype Skype Assembled He call ID and everything you want from wireless phones, except answering. On the line that I regularly answering and if I get Skype In, I received free voice mail, so no problem here. I have “yet” another VOIP service for which I pay $ 25 per month. I will cancel this service. I purchased Skype In for $ 38 (you get your own phone number in the United States, or anywhere in the world where it is available) a year Skype Out for $ 30 per year, thus nearly $ 70 per year for almost the same features my present VOIP service. When I think that for the original VOIP I pay about $ 300 a year, I will have savings of about $ 230. WOW The quality of the Skype connection is not the greatest, but I always understand when the conversation is sometimes the quality of the large drop less. Conclusion? You could be happy as I am with the Philips VOIP8411B/37 if you have a good Internet connection at broadband quality. The Skype is not the substitution of the regular telephone line just like any other VoIP service, but Skype call from the United States and Canada for free for $ 68 a year, and in Europe, I paid nearly $ 2 cents per minute, plus two cents for the connection fee. Highly recommended!
   Rating: 5 / 5

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