Wilife DVS800I LukWerks Indoor Starter Kit Electronics

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Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Sales Rank: 13415

Binding: Electronics
Product Brand: Wilife Inc.
Color: Gray, Black
EAN: 0853650001008
Label: Wilife Inc.
Product Manufacturer: Wilife Inc.
Model: DVS800I
Publisher: Wilife Inc.
Ranking: 13415
Special Features: Processing Power: 400 MHzvDSP, Onboard Image Encoding: Windows® Media Video 9, Onboard Image Processing: Motion detection up to 16 zones; Auto brightness, Resolution Selectable: 320 X 240 or 640 X 480 pixels, Frame Rate&Bit Rate: Selectable, Color Depth: 10 bits
Studio: Wilife Inc.
System Memory Size: 16 unknown-units

Piece facts:
Secure your home and small business with a professional-grade digital video surveillance system
High-resolution color video with digital motion detection
Monitor up to six cameras simultaneously with PC software
View live video from anywhere, anytime
Easier than wireless, just plug it in

0ur opinion:

:
The WiLife lndoors Camera Starter Kit includes all the components for a full-featured, single camera system with three mounting options. This kit includes a smart Security Camera, powerful Software and free Remote Viewing Technology. Built-in Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) lets you automatically connect your cameras and PC. Designed for indoors use, the WiLife lndoors Camera can also be used to securely monitor outside using its window mount. View live video from anywhere, anytime Windows Mobile cell phone accessible Processing Power - 400 MHz DSP 0nboard lmage Encoding - Windows Media Video 9 0nboard lmage Processing Motion detection - up to 16 zones & Auto brightness Resolution Selectable - 640x480 or 320x240 pixels Frame Rate Selectable - 15, 10 or 5 frames/second Bit Rate Selectable lllumination - 2 lx minimum per lEC 61146-1 Color Depth - 10 bits Focus User adjustable Viewing Angle - 80 degrees diagonal Pan Angle - 50 degrees manual Firmware Updates Selectable - Manual or Automatic Voltage - 110 Volts AC, 60 Hz Connector pin out - Per lEEE 802.3 Property Size - Up to 8,000 square feet Power Consumption - 15-Watts Requirements - CAT-5e or better, RJ-45 connectors & up to 120 feet (36 m) Camera Body Dimensions - Height 5.0 x Width 3.2 x Depth 1.8 (12.7x8.1x4.6 cm) Camera Weight - 6.7 ounces (190 grams) Power Supply Dimensions - Height 3.8 x Width 2.9 x Depth 2.6 (9.7x7.4x6.6cm) Power Supply Weight - 5.6 ounces (160 grams)

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Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Buyer's feedback: 3 out of 5 stars

- * Good product if you can live with the limitations; aggrevating $80/year extra charge for certain options ...
This kit consists of an indoor camera/transmitter, a USB receiver for your PC and software. I'm a PC expert, but a security system novice. Here are my observations:

Setup:

Setup requires the following steps:
1) Find a place to mount the indoor camera. It must be within 10 feet of a power outlet, no exceptions. Mount the camera, plug it in the wall.
2) Load the software on your PC. The PC must be running Windows XP (any variety) or Vista. The installation is relatively painless.
3) Plug the receiver module into the wall and connect the receiver to your PC via USB.

Comments:

A) The requirement that the camera be within 10 feet of a wall outlet will create issues for some. It certainly did for me: There was no convenient outlet near the front door, which is where I would have preferred to mount the camera. (Remember that even if you have a convenient outlet, the cord is only 10 feet long, and you may not want the cord draped along the floor or whatever). As a result, I mounted the camera on the second floor to look down on the entryway porch--not my favorite choice, but good enough for now.
B) Because this system uses power-line ethernet (it uses the power lines in your home to do the networking), it is subject to the standard bugaboos of that approach, namely the connection can become flakey if you use certain appliances on your line (hair dryers are bad, for example), and the quality of the connection can also vary depending on where the transmitter and receiver are relative to the wiring.
C) The installation was relatively painless, but does require reboots and downloads to update the software.
D) You should plan for the PC to which you attach the receiver to be on 24/7, or at least at any time you want the camera system to work. If you expect to use this as a security monitoring system when you are gone, I would strongly recommend you put your PC on a good quality uninterruptable power supply (note that the receiver unit MUST be plugged directly into the wall, not the UPS, so if your power goes out, you will NOT get any camera feed until power is restored. But at least if your PC is on a UPS, transmission can start up again automatically when the power is restored).

Use:

Pros:
1) I was surprised at the good quality image I was getting from the camera, given the inexpensive nature of this kit and the relatively low light in the area to which it was pointed. Thumbs up.
2) The control software is relative easy to use. Thumbs up.

Cons:
1) This kit promises you can view your camera's output remotely. To me, that was probably the coolest thing. You could be in another city and keep an eye on your home. HOWEVER, it turns out that the only thing you can do without spending more money is watch the camera real-time. You can adjust the camera, and you can't review the video that your camera has captured remotely without paying $80/year to unlock additional features. I hate hidden cost software unlocks that are required to obtain the full usefulness of a product. This, in my opinion, pushes this kit down a full star (at least) in usefulness.

2) No sound. I am not sure why I expected this kit to capture sound, and I am not even sure if it matters, but it was disappointing to discover that the camera is video only. I consider this a minor nit.

Overall, I found that this kit exceeded my expectations in terms of the quality of the video that it captures, but that the powerline networking (with the limitation of a 10 foot power cord for the camera) and the $80 unlocking fee before remote operation is useful considerably reduce my overall happiness with the device. If they were to introduce a camera that used standard 802.1g wireless networking (either battery operated or capable of using a longer power cord), that would considerably increase the usefulness of the camera. If they would also stop with the $80 fee and just include all the features with the package (even if the package was priced higher), that could address the second issue.

Buyer's feedback: 1 out of 5 stars

- Stopped Working
Generally unhappy with this system. It all started with the installation of the software. The 15 minute setup is not as advertised. In order to get the camera installed, I had to download a newer version of the software, which involved a call to their technical line. Once I got it working, it worked for about two days and then abruptly stopped recording motion. In addition, I was unable to access the camera online. I called technical support and we reviewed my setup. According to them, everything was setup properly. For some reason the camera would not arm to detect motion. The representative elevated it to a higher level and promised to have someone get back to me in 24 hours which never happened. I also sent two diagnostic files to them. Finally after about a week they responded and basically said everything appeared to be fine. I returned the unit and am now looking for some other system. I am disappointed because this system has some very nice features.

Buyer's feedback: 5 out of 5 stars

- * Criminals Caught on Video ...
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RX71XIUYTVJ0O I bought this system in late 2007 after my home was kicked in for the 8th time. This system provides excellent images and easy setup. I have never had a problem with my system so I bought an extra camera that I placed in my kitchen that faces the driveway. I also have an alarm system with ADT. On September 16th, three criminals are scene on my camera and when they noticed they were on video they ran then came back and kicked in my door and went straight to my computer and unplugged it and tried to trash it thinking this would remove them from the video. It didn't. From this camera, the video that was recorded helped the police find two of the three criminals and they were arrested on Sept. 19th. These criminals are of age and will be charged as adults and I will prosecute to the fullest extent. I believe these suspects were the ones who broke in my home before and I believe without WiLife these fools would still be kicking in people's houses.Wilife DVS800I LukWerks Indoor Starter Kit

Buyer's feedback: 1 out of 5 stars

- Avoid. Poor software and worse reliability.
I bought a two camera system a little over a year ago, and installed the software on a dedicated PC. I had problems with the signal until I moved the PC closer to the cameras; so I ended up with the computer in the garage and not in my office where I wanted it to be. When it worked it worked well, however the software would hang every two weeks or so, requiring a re-boot of the PC to recover. I upgraded the software, patched the PC, all to no avail. That was enough to make it irritating; but worse, at a little over a year old, both cameras failed within a few weeks of each other.

The power supply boxes for the camera always ran hot to the touch, so I am sure this was doing my utility bill no favors, and probably lead to their early demise.

Now I have two Linksys WVC54GCA cameras installed which work flawlessly. The low light performance is worse, but they have rock solid reliability and much better software than the Wilife junk.

In summary: avoid Wilife products like the plague.

Buyer's feedback: 3 out of 5 stars

- * Been using LukWerks for one year now ...
I am putting the biggest con at the beginning in case you don't want to read further: Unfortunately with this system your door could get kicked in and you could be shot before you knew someone was on your property since there are no alerts provided UNLESS you pay them $79 YEARLY. So you won't be able to catch any thieves in the act, but you'll probably be able to watch them carry off your stuff after they're long gone.

I have had a one indoor camera system with the wide angle lense and infrared light for a year now. I tried a number of other cameras before finding the Wilife. I really like the quality of the video. It was a virtually trouble-free set up. My biggest issue was going back and forth from camera to computer (in another room) adjusting the view and focus of the lense (get someone to help).

As some have mentioned, it will not work using extension cords. In the year I have been using it, I haven't really had any problems. I can't even remember when I last had to reboot or go through finding the camera (maybe once or twice total). I would be scared to add more than one additional camera for fear of whether my computer could handle it (laptop with XP, Pentium M760 2.0, 1024MB DDR2) though no problems with the one camera. I had one experience calling customer service to ask if there was a way to select and delete a large section of videos at once. There is not but customer service was easy to reach and polite (before Logitech purchased WiLife).

My biggest complaint and disappointment from Day 1 was and is: it doesn't do what any security camera system should do--alert you when activated--that is, UNLESS YOU PAY THEM $79 A YEAR. I purchased directly from their website and they certainly did not make it clear that you had to pay for that basic feature (don't know if they've changed it since then). I did pay and unfortunately all I'm using for that fee is the sound that alerts me when there's motion detected. I don't use the remote playback feature, which is rather slow and tedious if there is much activity to watch. I will not be forking over any more 80 bucks a year. I'll actually be looking for another system where you pay once and get full function. If not for the scam of the yearly fee, I would give this system a higher rating.

Other issues mentioned in some reviews: motion-activated lights...this system is not really compatible with those because of the time the lense takes to adjust, you'll probably miss the action you want to catch. I replaced my motion-activated floodlight with a dusk to dawn reduced-energy consumption bulb and that, along with the infrared night vision light provide enough light for the front of my house. Neither one alone would be adequate.

I've seen complaints about not having thumb nails for the playback feature, but there is a variable playback speed which goes up to 8x normal speed, so you can move through quickly until you see something that interests you. One other con is that there is not a button that you can hit to record if you see something you want to record but the motion-activated recording either hasn't started or has already stopped.

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The Wi-Fi Year in Review for 2007, and What to Expect in 2008

The rise and fall of muni-Fi (and rise again): Clearly, the largest story involving Wi-Fi in 2007 was the at-first continued growth in cities awarding contracts with no money involved on their part to have service providers build Wi-Fi networks--and the subsequent failure of these networks to be built. Starting quietly in late 2006, the market shifted for metro-scale Wi-Fi. During 2007, providers decided that bearing the full cost of a city-wide network without city contracts wasn't financially sensible.

The full scope of the low uptake rates in cities that had large portions of the network built out also became clear: rather than 15 to 35 percent of residents subscribing, just a few percentage points would put a network in the top tier. Revenue is apparently also pretty minimal even in cities like Taipei, Taiwan, the network provider for which was predicting 250,000 subscribers by the end of 2006, and had just 30,000 regular users each month at last public report in early 2007.

MetroFi started to tell cities that without an advance service commitment at a minimum level -- an anchor tenancy -- the company couldn't proceed on networks. In 2007, MetroFi lost half a dozen bids or saw contracts canceled due to this change. Its work in Portland, Ore., the biggest network it was building, won't be extended beyond current limited dimensions until additional capital or a city commitment is obtained; the city has said it won't commit to service fees, however.

Meanwhile, EarthLink lost its CEO Garry Betty in January due to cancer. A strong backer of new initiatives to change EarthLink's core business, his death was certainly one of the causes in a quick re-evaluation of the municipal wireless division. New CEO Rolla Huff pulled EarthLink out of new deals, suspended existing ones, laid off hundreds of employees while gutting the metro Wi-Fi division, and appears poised to leave currently built or underway networks, including their flagship Philadelphia effort. They may sell the division, but it's hard to see much worth in it given the current state.

In a smaller bit of news, Kite Networks, formerly known by various names, was sold by parent MobilePro to Gobility with conditions that according to SEC filings by MobilePro weren't met. Kite was once high flying, in the company of EarthLink and MetroFi as one of the major U.S. Wi-Fi network builders. Now it's still in that company, with work on its Arizona networks apparently halted. A suitor has emerged in the form of a regional telecom that specializes in the Hispanophone market (double entendre intended), and which thinks it could boost Tempe subscriptions from the current several hundred to about 300 times that number. Hope springs eternal.

And while AT&T was able to launch a Riverside, Calif., network with MetroFi handling the installation and operation, it backed out of St. Louis, Mo., due to a utility pole problem, and the bidding in Chicago, too. The Metro Connect consortiums in Sacramento and Silcion Valley were unable to raise financing despite the apparent blue-chip participation by Cisco, IBM, and Intel.

County-wide Wi-Fi was also hit again and again by providers who pulled out--CenturyTel in Pierce County, Wash., for instance--or problems with technology or utility poles. In a few scattered areas, Wi-Fi across counties has been built out, but it's not an idea whose time has yet come.

Muni-Fi isn't down for the count. While these high-profile networks in large cities and county-wide networks have mostly hit the skids, more modest networks with well-defined goals continue to be built with a focus on public safety and municipal uses in hundreds of small and medium-sized towns. Brookline, Mass., may be a good example, in which a public safety/public access network was built relatively quickly and with no reported problems.

And there's one big city success story: Minneapolis, Minn. While local provider US Internet wound up spending more than they'd intended, reports from the ground indicate that service works quite well, and subscriptions and interest are quite high. The company was able to respond almost instantly to the bridge collapse a few months ago by deploying additional mesh infrastructure to add network capacity in the area. And it says that it could reach positive cash flow in early 2008. One of their advantages? They secured a substantial commitment from the city for the services they built.

Other trends of the year gone by: Music and Wi-Fi are clearly more aligned, with the new Zune models and firmware from Microsoft allowing wireless sync (but not yet Wi-Fi purchases), and the introduction of both the Apple iPhone and iTunes touch, which allow music purchases over Wi-Fi but not synchronization. (While the MusicGremlin preceded both the Zune and iPhone/iPod options, it didn't seem to gain any market traction in 2007.)

Security continues to be a concern in 2007, although less of one as home users have clearly accepted WPA Personal, at long last, and networks are increasingly encrypted through better software from major hardware manufacturers. Wizards make encryption a no-brainer, when they work. Corporations stung by reports and by requirements from credit card issuers are also clearly protecting their networks better, although I'm sure we'll still see breaches at those firms that didn't cross every "t."

The 802.11n standard's emergence into an interim certified Wi-Fi state was also a significant milestone for faster wireless networking. Shipments of Draft 802.11n products in 2007 increased significantly, while prices dropped so much that it makes perfect sense to purchase a $50 to $80 Draft N router than a comparable G unit. Manufacturers made it clear as the year progressed that hardware sold today should generally be firmware upgradable to whatever the final, not much changed 802.11n standard is when approved in 2008.

Gadget-Fi continued on the rise, as an increasing array of devices included Wi-Fi as a connectivity option. Most notably, T-Mobile launched its HotSpot@Home service, the largest scale offering of converged cell/Wi-Fi calling. By year's end, they had four handsets for sale--two plain, a BlackBerry, and a clamshell--but subscriber numbers are unknown.

What's coming in 2008?

In-flight Internet (over Wi-Fi): 2008 is finally the year. It was supposed to be 2005. Or maybe 2002. But we should see a number of planes, mostly flying over the U.S., equipped with either in-flight Internet access or in-flight text messaging and text email. Connexion by Boeing's failure fortunately didn't discourage a half a dozen competitors who were in the R&D phase when Boeing wrote off its satellite-based Internet access venture.

AirCell, Row 44, OnAir, Aeromobile, Panasonic Avionics, and a T-Mobile consortium are among the announced or nearly announced firms with commitments or trials underway. AirCell and Row 44, focused on the U.S. market, plan to deliver Internet not voice to fuselages; OnAir and Aeromobile are working on mobile-based services, including voice, via existing cell phones and devices.

In 2008, American, Alaska, and Virgin America will launch trials over the U.S., and potentially move into production. OnAir should be expanding in Europe beyond the single French aircraft that's equipped in a trial now to RyanAir's fleet. And Aeromobile's Qantas trial could turn into real usage. There's likely action that will happen in Asia and the Middle East, too, that's not yet disclosed.

Other trends to watch

Wi-Fi in every smartphone with better integration. The iPhone was the leading edge, pun intended, offering 2.5G EDGE cell networking as part of the subscription price, along with seamless roaming to Wi-Fi networks. With RIM finally offering BlackBerry models with Wi-Fi, it's unlikely that any future smartphone model intended for serious users would lack the option.

Wi-Fi everywhere. Despite the setbacks in municipal Wi-Fi, wireless networks continue to expand, with better and better coverage found across larger areas and more locations. 2008 might be the year of hotspot saturation.

WiMax arrives. In 2008, we'll finally see production mobile WiMax in action in the U.S., and the questions about whether it works well enough and fast enough at the right price to beat current generation cell data networks, and make money for the disorganized Sprint Nextel will be answered. More certainly, Clearwire, with WiMax as its only option, will push aggressively to steal customers away from fixed, wired broadband, especially in markets with little competition.

Gadget-Fi a go-go. Wi-Fi will become an expected part of gaming consoles (already found in a few), cameras (found in crippled form in just a handful), regular cell phones (in dozens and dozens now), and music players (with more full functionality).

via Wi-Fi Networking News

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