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Avaak Vue Personal Video Network
Rating:  - Not Ready for Prime TimeThe only positive I can think of is ease of viewing. Once you've synced with the router, you go up online to view the camera. That said, everything else is negative. In no particular order: Their description says the batteries last a year. They don't say that means 5 minutes of streaming a day. I can get a bar of soap to last a year, if I only use it once a week :-) Their user guide says you can schedule 5 or 15 minutes in the future of the current time. Nope, you have to schedule recording at least 60 minutes in the future, or you get an (unexplained either in the user guide or the 'help section') error message. BTW, you can't record a streaming video for more than 4 hours a day. And, if you stream from the same camera for a few days, the $20 battery will need to be replaced. Also, you can only schedule one camera to record at a time. Oh, and if the scheduled time is approaching, you can't use the other cameras (I had 3 total) to stream before, during and slightly after your scheduled recording time. Tech support is via email; and was not aware of the above problems until I pointed them out. So, let's sum up: Cameras don't record as implied. Camera live viewing time is not as implied. Cameras need at least a 40 watt room light on, for interior views to be usable. Cameras should only be streamed 5 minutes per day (if you want to get a year out of the batteries). User quide and help section woefully incomplete. Tech support slow and unknowledgeable. Sorry, I work way too hard for my money to waste it on this beta product. Great idea. Really poor execution. Rating: - READ the "Terms Of Service" !!! Red Flags !!!When researching this item for possible use, there are lots of web videos from the company at their web site [...] promoting using the cameras to monitor kids, "aging parents", your home & property (security) , your business ... ALL OF WHICH ARE EXCLUDED IN THE "TERMS OF SERVICE". Please note the (conveniently not mentioned in the ads) "SUBSCRIPTION FEES" This is to be used "for entertainment only", according to the "Terms of Service". "THE VUE CAMERA AND THE VUEZONE SERVICES ARE FOR NON-COMMERCIAL ENTERTAINMENT USE ONLY. THE VUE CAMERA AND THE VUEZONE ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR SECURITY MONITORING, BABY MONITORING, HEALTH MONITORING, FIRE MONITORING, OR ANY MISSION-CRITICAL USE." Any or all your images are subject to viewing and review by the company, just so you know. THE TERMS OF SERVICE ARE ENOUGH TO MAKE THIS PRODUCT WORTH LESS OR WORTHLESS FOR MY USE> Rating:  - A good idea, but terrible executionI wrote this comment to the Vue support center. ****************************************************************************** The idea behind your product is good but the execution has been extremely poor for my use. Let me tell you my main issues. 1)The batteries drain extremely fast. It seems like the cameras dont disconnect when I turn them off from the webpage. When I click "stop," they should stop draining the battery until I call on them again. 2)The cameras NEVER work after an extended period of idle. If I havent logged in for a week or so, it is pretty much a guarantee that they will be offline when I finally do login to view them. Do you understand how that makes the completely ineffective to me? I need to be able to rely on the cameras for this to be in any way practical. I cant be in my house to reboot the entire system every time I want to view the cameras. I mean, who the hell is actually near the cameras when they need to view them? I understand early versions of products sometimes come with some bugs, but this is rediculous. You sell a product that is junk. It is utterly useless for its single task. I'm disappointed that I let you talk me out of returning the product for a refund within my 30-day window, because I see no real evidence to suggest your "upgrades" are improving anything. I wish they worked good because they are convenient if they work properly. But boy, these things havent worked properly one single time. I really feel ripped off. ******************************************************************************* I have owned this system since day 1. I was really excited to get it and put it to use right away. Once I started attempting to use it, it became a huge headache. The cameras always disconnect from the gateway, so when you go to view them, they arent available. You have to turn off the gateway, turn it back on, then turn each camera off and on. Its really annoying. And sometimes it is really hard to get the cameras to reconnect to the gateway. You have to pull the battery, maybe to reset something? And the batteries are completely dead after using the camera only a handful of times. There have been threee or four updates sent out, but I havent noticed any change on my end. Its just not a product with any real value to me. Rating: - Sucks...Plain and SimpleSo not worth it. Here are a list of the things they don't tell you..... - Quality is really bad, like the first webcam you ever owned bad - Cameras only record when you log into the website - When on the website and viewing, you can only play one camera at a time and it takes a little bit for each to start - Took 2 days of hassling trying to get camera to update, finally called tech support and they couldn't fixed, requested i send back to factory - Also supposedly you have to start paying for the service after the first year, not positive i returned after a week. Not worth the $300. Rating: - Novelty wore off as usefulness lackingBatteries dead already, only in use 1 week of moderate activity. So I don't envision traveling for long and having chance to peek at view during an entire trip. (yes I know system not meant for long viewing sessions, just quick views... And that's not an ideal situation- you definitely need to "budget" your viewing.) Lag time in view means elder one engaged in risky movement before camera revealed when doing a spot check. (live camera used for comparison showed subject arising many seconds before Vue did during a spot check.) so don't expect to watch baby or do elder care with this. There are moments when activity is nearly real-time, but not consistent so limited value in using image for monitoring. If you view larger size, quality of image poor & more prone to stalling. This setup is more like a novelty postcard viewer of your property, until the battery dies--which seems will be early & often. Batteries are more expensive camera type, shorter and wider than a "AA" battery, that adds to cost. Paid $300 for this. Will cost $20/yr to continue web access after initial period. View angle could be wider: in a 13x15 room, not able to see all even from ceiling height, corner placement. Now a few weeks after purchase, am seeing $70 discounted price, and I know why that is. Btw, one review here from a security expert, gives 4 stars, but in review notes magnetic mounts =easy to steal. good point. The mounts are slick & easy, but not hard for nanny or elder one to knock down and disable. That the unit is easy to set up matters little, if you can't get anywhere near what feels like $300 quality of use. A slick, James Bond-meets-Fisher-Price product. Sorry I bought it. |
