Telephone Reviews

I very much like the idea of allowing myself to do other things while talking on the phone, and so the idea of a headset is a good one. However, this one has a few problems for home use. I found the volume (for me to some degree, but moreso for my conversational partner) to be lower than would be optimal, a problem I don't have with the handset. Also, it makes an obnoxious noise when inserted during a call, but answering the phone with the headset slows you down unless you already have it on your head, so I usually end up not using when I'm called by someone else, or when I'm calling someone who has difficulty hearing or is quiet. It's still excellent for business-related calls (everything seems to be audible there, I don't know whether it's because of quieter surroundings or better phones or what, but volume never seems to be a problem), but the limitations on home use are disappointing--for so much money, I expected a near-perfect user experience, and it's dissapointing not to get it. I do like the styling, though, because it goes well with the Panasonic phone I have (the sadly discontinued KX-TG 200B), and it's much more comfortable for long wearing than using the handset of any phone, but the usability is a disappointment.

People routinely complain that I can't be heard when using this headset. The sound on the other end is fuzzy but primarily very faint. Also, the ear clip method doesn't work very well. You end up holding the device to your ear to hear well, so it doesn't fall off, and so the mic is close to your mouth. Certainly not up to Panasonic's usual quality.

I bought this headset with the Panasonic KX-TG2500B cordless phone and I am very happy with both. The headset is comfortable, looks good, and the clarity is very good, being equal to using the phone directly , both listening and speaking. People tell me that they can't tell the difference between the microphone in the phone itself. It's a little expensive but I have no complaints with its performance.

My less than a year old AT&T 1817 has earned my complete mistrust. Some important messages became mysteriously inaccessible on it while I was making arrangements to have some major surgery. More have disappeared since.

I will replace this ...as soon as I can find a reliable answering machine.

Save your money for an appliance that will do the job.

I experience a good deal of static while using the telephone. Plus, even with the volume all the way up, I miss parts of the message unless the person leaving the message talks loudly enough so the machine records all of it.

The only problem I had with the phone was the sticking of the #4 but after playing with it the #4 works fine now. All the other features work great. Since this phone is used in my office, I would recommend it to anyone for the home or the office.

The price of the phone is unbeatable.

When I ordered this phone, I was not expecting anything fancy to begin with, but this phone was ridiculous. The LCD display is impossible to read and in the middle of a conversation, the phone would temporarily cut off. You could continue the conversation if the person on the other end didn't hang up by the time the phone came back on. Those were the only two things wrong with the phone, but I bought if for caller ID and being able to speak to people! I sent it back.

We've had this phone for a few months, and other than one consistent and minor annoyance, we're quite happy with it. On the good side, the battery charges quickly, the handset is comfortable, and the base is small enough to stay out of the way on our limited counter space. However, the battery has a shorter charge life than promised: max seems to be about 90 minutes. Also, if it's left off the base for more than an hour, the battery runs down, which was not a problem with our previous panasonic phone. The LCD display panel seems easy to read, and we've never had any issues with static or poor connections; at least not any that were the fault of this phone. Unless you're regularly on the phone for hours at time, it's a good little phone for the price.

I love this phone! It works great. I have had it for 3 months and my LCD screen is very easy to read. With the caller ID and call waiting it is also a plus. It charges easily, and works reliably. I highly reccomend this phone!

While it will retain messages, it won't reset it self after a power failure. So if the power goes out even for a minute, it won't record, untill you reset it.

My tape based answering machine finally needed replacement. When I looked at what was available, I was surprised to find that the selection was so much smaller since the last time I bought one. The expensive models have multiple mailboxes, a feature I don't need. I selected this model because it seemed to have the most of the important features as the model I was replacing. It even has a few extra features that I don't need, like caller id. But it also has a few shortcomings compared to my old answering machine. The sound quality of both the outgoing and incoming messages is understandable, but not as clear as I would like. I was disappointed that it only provides the day and time of the message, not the date. My old system provided the month, date and time. I have used the remote feature which works well. Its not the perfect system, but should be good enough for non-business use.

After happily living with my trusty Panasonic KX-T8000 for 12 years, I decided to move the Panny to my other house to replace a tape-based machine that had gone kaput. So I needed a new one for my main house. My first criterion was that it must have audible message alert (who needs another thing to remember to check after a long day at work?). That really narrowed it down to just the AT&T. I had read here that of some problems that others had experienced, so I purchased it at BestBuy which has a liberal return policy. But I'm definitely keeping it.

First, if the power goes out, it definitely resets itself to auto-answer. The messages are saved, but the clock needs to be reset. But what's great is that all you need to do is call the machine and it uses caller-id to set the clock--incredibly easy to set (that is, if you have caller-id).

Second, I have not had any problems with voice quality or with deadair filling the end of messages. Voices are clear and they cut off when the person hangs up. No shouting is required.

Third, if the hardwired cord is too short, just go to Radio Shack and get an extension cord. My answering machine gets its signal from my adjacent fax machine, so the supplied cord is more than long enough.

The audible message alert is better than in my old Panasonic because it's less loud and intrusive. My Panasonic was so loud, that if I got a call while I was sleeping, I had to turn it off to be able to sleep again, even though it was two rooms away. The AT&T alert is much softer. I could probably sleep right through it, though it's loud enough to hear in the same room.

The AT&T definitely isn't as sleek looking or elegantly designed as my old Panasonic, but it's good enough (because of audible alert, it doesn't have to be in view all the time). I can't believe how cheap this thing is, considering how much it does.

This one is a keeper!

Purchased unit new (at least it was said to be ).
There were many features on the device that didn't work at all, worked improperly or functioned intermittently.
The unit also appeared to have used and returned by a previous customer. There were about 20 calls stored on the caller ID log; and the LCD plastic film protector had already been peeled off and was stuck to the side of the box.

I finally upgraded from the Hotcall 3000 to this new 4000 model and it's made a major difference in the way I can be online now. I was happy with the old unit but never knew if I should pick up the phone and lose my connection (especially if I was playing an online game, knowing it'd be over if I picked up).

Now I can see who's actually calling and decide if it's worth picking up, but more importantly I know who it was, so I can always call them back later. Very nice, as simple as hooking up an answering machine, and the loud ring is less annoying than the older units as well :)

I haven't had any problems at all with getting calls, missing calls, or anything else mentioned. As with any strange electronics device, I'd have to say half of the blame of malfuction (unless it's a defective unit) is going to be the fault of the user and the setup they've created for it. But hey, I've got TWO phones (with a jack splitter, in case you're wondering) and an answering machine hooked into mine, and it still works flawlessly. I don't know how to make it NOT work :)

The HC4000 is very easy to use. I received mine today and had it hooked up in just a few minutes. I have been using an Emerson Swithboard but found it very unreliable. It was missing too many calls. With the Hot Call, I know who is calling and can choose to take the call or ignore it. I have been testing it with my cell phone and so far it has not failed to recognize that I am receiving another call. You must have Call Waiting with Caller ID for the HC4000 to work. The first unit I received had a defective modem board and had to be returned, it is working great! If you have dial-up service with only one phone line, I would highly recommend the Hot Call 4000. You won't have to miss those important calls anymore!

This camera take good pictures only in sunlight! Otherwise, without light, with artificial light it is so poor, so blur! I've got a create pc-cam 300 with 640x480 resolution and it's better better than cardcam.
So, with almost sixty dollars I recomend you buy another one! Try philips key, it has low resolution but you can store almost 1600 photos!!!
Good look!!!

I think is a good product but in features the Built-in RAM is 8 MB

This camera fits in my wallet and takes great pictures!

If you need to add a phone extension without cables or need to hook up a fax machine this product is ok, but for modems and internet connections, your speed will go dooooooown to 9600 or even less.

I purchased this product to connect my TIVO without having to install a second phone line. The installation was pretty simple, but when I plugged in a simple telephone set to test the line at the site where my TIVO was, the line noise was significant. When I plugged in the phone cord to my TIVO and tried to connect, the connection failed. I then contacted customer service to figure out what was wrong, and after troubleshooting the service attendent asked me if I had DSL on the line. I told her yes, and she informed me that the excessive noise on the line was due to the DSL. The wireless jack will not work with a DSL line! I was stunned! Why is there is no mention of this on the packaging or documentation?!?!? It looks like time to make a service call to the dreaded phone company to install a phone jack. Bad product, and bad documentation.

I use the RC926 to add an extra phone jack for my DirecTivos and standalone DirecTV receiver. All three receivers are split off from the extension jack and I have never had a problem with the units making the required service data call.

Edit: I also have DSL but use 2Wire filters (not the generic filters provided by Verizon) for greater clarity. A filter has to be placed between the jack and the wireless BASE unit for the wireless extension unit to function properly with DSL.

Note: Tivos and DirecTivos DO HAVE MODEMS so Rios' title header is somewhat misleading. But the facts in the body of the review are correct. Per Page 10 of RCA's manual (which is available on their website): "Note: The maximum baud rate for the Wireless Phone Jack is 14,400. Best results, however, will be experienced at 9,600." This limitation is why I knocked off a star.

So yes, I would not recommend that you attempt to surf the Internet using this jack or use it for any purpose where a high baud rate is important. But the phone jack is perfectly fine for voice, fax, and satellite receiver use.

I bought this answering machine thinking this would be a low-cost, high-quality alternative to voice mail. You get what you pay for with this turkey. Be careful how you scroll through your call history, for you might find your voice messages inaccessible as a result. See an item in your call history in the first scroll through, then...poof...gone without a trace.

I suffered with this machine for 30 days before returning it to the store. When you read the package it sounds like a great machine with many useful features. And it would be, if the features worked. The whole machine was unreliable - messages got cut off, sound quality was mixed, I had difficulty reading the display, and the controls were a bit too difficult to use.

I switched to a Casio and am much happier. That's after having owned AT&T answering machines for over 10 years. Please, learn from my mistake.

I was scared to order this answering machine because of the other reviews. After using the machine for a couple of weeks, I understand the problems, but do not find them to be of much concern. This machine is not as intuitive as some AT&T products I've used before, but unless you do something wrong, it is very dependable. I would echo the complaint that the LCD is not backlit, and as I said it is less than intuitive, but overall, it's a great deal.

The phone makes in intermitent clicking noise, as if someone has picked up another line. While talking on the handset, all of a sudden you can hear an echoe and can barely hear the person you're talking to. I took it back to Panasonic for repair, they replaced the PCI board, but the phone is still doing the same thing. I took it back again, and they said there was nothing wrong with it. I'm very disappointed with Panasonic. I've had 2 Panasonic 900 MHZ phone and they are fine. This one is useless. Panasonic quality and service has gone downhill. The 30 day refund period has ended and I'll be stuck with a useless phone. I'll have to spend more to buy another working phone.

I really like all of the features - it has everything I was looking for and it's fairly easy to use, but I've never had a call last more than 45 minutes - much less if it's been off the hook for a while. The manual claims if you fully charge it only when it's almost completely drained, you should get up to 5 hours of talk time and up to 11 days of stand-by time (not that I've been able to test that claim). I've emailed Panasonic and will write a revised review if they can fix the problem to my satisfaction.

I like this phone. We've had it 3 weeks and it is an immense improvement over another brand I bought in November. Calls are clear, phone is easy to use and program, the ring is not a jarring jangle, the prompting recordings are clear and I like the default answering message enough to leave it alone. I like the way the phone hangs on the wall and how the handset securely clicks into place. The handset is a nice length and weight. I can't speak to the battery problem because we are not lengthy talkers and the handset remains in the cradle when not in use.

I bought the original base phone and a additional handset at Christmas from Circuit City. They worked great so I wanted to add an additional handset in March. The base phone would not recognize the new handset. Called Sony and three hours later I had NO PHONES!!! They had me do a few things and it erased all factory presets of the base phone. This can only be fixed at the factory. Long story short I now have to send all three phone back to Sony to have them reset. Of course Circuit City woundn't exchange them it had been 60 days since I bought the first phone and they make no exceptions. Also, my base phone was cordless and they don't sell that model anymore. I wonder why. Never reset the base even if a Sony rep tells you to do so. Will be a major catastrophe!

Maybe...but don't make this Sony Wireless handset/phone your friend. Make it one of your less-liked friends because once you buy it you'll think it's you're best phone friend, but in actuality, the more you use it, the less you'll like it. Make sense? Let me explain...

Reception and clarity of voice and calls is not a problem, at least not the worst problem. For me, the problem is the wireless handset.

HANDSET PRO+ and CONS-

+ Useful information displayed on LCD, especially callerID functions.
+ HOLD button included, many phones do not have this!
+ Easy to see number pad and other buttons to configure.
+ Volume is good, three click-adjusting on the side of the phone.
+ Round rolling dial for callerID and settings is superb idea, Sony basically patent-started this on their products.
+ Headphone jack is in an acceptable placement on side of phone above volume control.
- Bad ergonomics, the phone shape is too big and curved to grip.
- Heavy, the battery is large and placed on the bottom.
- The TALK/OFF buttons are in the way of holding the phone between your face and shoulders, extremely easy to just accidently turn it off [I have almost 75% of the time].
- Clip on back of phone is not strong, and really not even a clip at all! More like a part they just forgot, then stuck something on. It will not snap-clip to anything, basically it just sort of hangs on, and poorly at that because the phone is big and heavy.

CORDED PHONE PROS+ and CONS-

+ Useful information displayed on LCD, especially callerID functions.
+ HOLD button included, but placement is kind of off and hard to distinguish with the other same shape/size buttons around it.
+ Easy to see number pad and other buttons to configure.
+ Volume is easy to adjust, especially for ringer.
+ Round rolling dial for callerID and settings is wonderful and makes configuring very easy and quick.
+ Speakerphone is loud and clear, volume adjustable.
+ LCD display is large enough to see and understand.
- Corded phone is plastic, too light-weight and thin to hold.
- Actual size is quite large, so it takes up a bit of surface space.

OVERALL IMPRESSION [again]

This corded/wireless set would be the best if separated. The handset is great and recommended, but the handset you should avoid unless you like being disconnected unexpectedly.

This is a very good phone, a little overpriced like every other Sony product but I fell for it thanks to great design and marketing. Two things you should be beware of:

1. Cordless handset is very heavy and it might be uncomfortable to carry on a long conversations. You might be better off buying handfree kit... I am a visual person and follow pictures. Quick Start Guide shows larger AC adapter for a handset and smaller AC adapter for a base. Don't do it; read the labels because it is the other way around. I plugged it according to the pictures and it worked fine except it started malfunctioning 1 hour later and took me 3 hours to figure it out. I thought I messed up something during programming.


3. This is an addition after 2 months of use: battery on handset lasts only 2 days on stand-by that is surprising considering the weight of the handset. My older and cheaper Sony phone could last on standby up to 5 days.

If you are a Sony-addict like me, this product is for you. If you read Consumer Reports then look at phones made by BellSouth.