I have some more info about the new Packet8 videophone I wrote about earlier today. I met with Packet8 and asked them about this new product. In my previous post, I stated I heard it will support H.263 -- in fact, it will actually support the better H.264 standard. It will indeed be much smaller than the current Packet8 videophone. In fact, it was designed to be portable so you can take it anywhere. The new videophone is actually more like an ATA (analog telephony adaptor) with a video screen and camera added on top.
Thus, unlike the current Packet8 videophone which doesn't allow you to hook up your home analog cordless phone, this new Packet8 videophone does. It's worth mentioning that one of my knocks against the original Packet8 videophone was that it uses a corded handset attached to it, which forces you to be near the videophone for all calls - including non-video calls.
The new videophone's built in analog port solves this issue of being chained to the Packet8 device. Thus, for example, if you have a multiple cordless handset system, you can connect it to this hybrid ATA/videophone and be able to make/receive phone calls from anywhere in your home. As an aside, we need to come up with a new name for this new genre of ATA that combines the traditional ATA features along with a video LCD and videoconferencing capabilities. Video ATA? VATA?
What would be cool is if content providers can push video content to this video screen. Which reminds me that ViseonMedia, a subsidiary of Viseon, Inc. a provider of TV-quality content to their VisiFone Multimedia digital home telephone was supposed to send me a review unit. I've been hearing this product is largely vaporware, yet I have a press release from them stating they signed up the Fox News Channel and Discovery Networks, as part of a U.S. VisiFone consumer pilot that was slated for late 2005. I haven't heard much from them, so I'm going to have to look into that some more.
In any event, in my house I have a 5.8GHz Uniden TRU-8885-2 cordless multi-handset (up to 10) phone system that would work perfectly with this new Packet8 videophone/ATA. DECT 6.0 cordless phone systems are also a perfect fit for this hybrid ATA/videophone.
This device will also feature a jog-wheel similar to an iPod for navigating the menu screens. To make the device as small as possible, their is no number dial-pad on the unit, so the jog-wheel will probably be used for initiating calls as well.
I asked them if the device was wired, wireless, or both. They were hesitant at first to tell me, but being the dogged reported that I am, I pressed them further and they admitted that it will be both wired and wireless. So in theory, you can walk around your house while carrying on a video conversation. Actually, not exactly true, since you would need a battery pack in the unit to power the LCD, camera, and voltage on the analog port. I actually suggested that as a "room for improvement" feature.
What I forgot to ask Packet8 (8X8) was if they plan to allow this hybrid ATA/videophone to work with any ITSP (SunRocket, Vonage, etc.) or if it must exclusively work with Packet8. I would think they could make some revenue selling this device -- even if to their ITSP competitors. Though they may see this video ATA device as a huge value-add feature to their VoIP service and hope to capture more VoIP subscribers as a result.
Packet8 promised me a photo (soon) and a review unit as soon as they get some units in. Stay tuned...
android apple asterisk at&t blackberry cell phone cisco dell digium e911 facebook fcc google google talk gps im ip-pbx ipad iphone ipod itexpo ITEXPO lync microsoft mobile phone open source outage phone review sip skype sony unified communications verizon video video conferencing voip vonage wireless xbox 360
- Apple (280)
- Bittorrent (2)
- Call Center and CRM (48)
- Computer Hardware (183)
- Computer Software (71)
- Gadgets (650)
- Google (225)
- Home Entertainment (264)
- Internet (173)
- Linux (111)
- Microsoft (376)
- MovableType (48)
- News (187)
- Personal and Humor (118)
- Politics (9)
- Reviews (246)
- Security (2)
- Social Networking (42)
- Sports/Outdoor Technology (9)
- Tablets (32)
- Technology and Science (355)
- Unified Communications (471)
- VoIP (2285)
- Wireless (584)
- p2p (20)
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
- April 2004
- March 2004
Featured Videos