I bought this camera mainly because it had the internet feature so I could share my toddler's room with my out-of-town family.The Bad:
1. The internet connection feels like a rip off. You only get TWO hours of monitoring per MONTH unless you want to pay $9.95/month! If I buy an internet hookup, I expect to be able to watch my monitor any time or have my family be able to watch any time as well.
2. The internet connection is awkward. You have to hook up the physical monitor to a computer constantly with a bunch of wires & adapters (see below). So, at night (when I actually use the monitor), I have a choice of having the monitor hooked up to my computer OR being able to watch the monitor next to my bed. Who wants a computer running next to their bed all the time with a tangled mess of wires? See below.
3. Hookup consists of a USB to your computer, going to some adapter unit which goes to stereo & video RCA jacks as well as an S-video, which then goes to an 1/8" jack which finally hooks into the monitor. This is not just a USB cable like it says! This is ridiculously awkward.
4. Software is cheap! You have to install drivers, reboot, hook up the camera, install the software, etc., etc. It took a couple of hours to get this up & running, which is pretty bad in a plug & play world!
5. Your monitor hooks up to your computer which broadcasts your monitor to their website. Granted, they make you set up a website & password to make you feel secure about it, but you cannot control anything other than if you have the camera hooked up or not (& of course who you give the website & password to).
Overall, I am sorely disappointed that I got the internet hookup. I wish I had gotten the extra camera instead for the same price.
An additional monthly subscription fee is required if you actually want to view your MobiCam remotely via the Web. They allow up to 2 hours viewing time per month, but with grandparents that live 7 hours away, 2 hours won't get them through a month. So, if you decide to get this, then pay the $ and allow grandparents to experience the child's life while they still can.
I began to worry when I noticed one of the requirements, as listed on their box, is a "steaming" internet connection. This shows a lack of attention to detail and poor quality assurance; I would have immediately put this thing back on the shelf and walked away after reading a typo like that on product packaging. How good could it really be if this is how they're marketing themselves? But, this was given to us as a gift; so, I tried it out. My fears worsened after I began to read the included manual my 9-week old son could produce a better technical document than what they put out...I was embarrassed for them.
I installed the software on my desktop, and was able to get it working after some trials & tribulations with my firewall. However, the web cam software (mpeg4decoder.exe) crashes consistently, taking Windows Explorer down with it. I decided to try the software on my laptop to see if it worked any better on a different computer. Upon installation, Avira AntiVir identified the webcam software as a backdoor server (BDS/Hupigon.Gen).
Also, the software can only be installed on one computer. We would like to use it on our desktop on occasion, so I can use my laptop to access the internet and view my son when I'm away on business. We would also like to use it on the laptop downstairs, when my wife & I are both at home and viewing the MobiCam monitor downstairs, while baby sleeps upstairs.
In summary: buggy software needs to be fixed; questionable virus/backdoor distributed with their software; software should be allowed on multiple computers (e.g. iTunes); fix horrible writing & typos in your documentation and on your product packaging show us you care about your product.
Buy Mobi MobiCam Audio Video Wireless Internet Kit Now
I just tried to install the Internet Kit and the installer prompts to download files from the Mobi web site. When that was done, I ran the executable to install the files and found it to be infected with a virus from my scanner. Tried it again on a test pc with another virus scanner just to be sure it wasn't a false positive and sure enough, it is infected.Read Best Reviews of Mobi MobiCam Audio Video Wireless Internet Kit Here
I bought this thinking we could see the kids if we were out and left them with a babysitter. What I found out was in order to do this the monitor must be connected to the pc. We only have one laptop! We don't have internet on our phones. There is also a $10 month charge. Had I known exactly how it worked and there was a monthly charge, I would not have bought it.Want Mobi MobiCam Audio Video Wireless Internet Kit Discount?
The picture is poor on the handheld device to say the least. When I connected to my 60" TV it was not much better and it was wavy! I bought this camera to use in my toddler's room at night. The night vision is awful. Can't see my son 10 feet from the camera!The box misleads buyer into thinking you are buying a wonderful surveillance system that has motion detection that will text message you! You can view your child from your BlackBerry! Or you can monitor your children at home from your work computer! NO WHERE ON THE BOX DOES IT STATE THAT YOU HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR THESE FEATURES AND MUCH MORE!!
At night you can turn off the video monitor and just have sound. However there are two green lights on the front that never go off and light up my entire bedroom! I have quit using this system and will never buy another mobicam product. Huge waste of money!
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