Grandstream GXV3140 Phone Review
Recently tested a landline video phone on which you can make Skype calls. The phone is mainly intended for offices and corporate needs, but I personally have the intention to install it in my country house. For my relatives who do not mind joining this miracle of civilization, but do not want and will not use a computer, this will be a pleasant gift. It remains to carry out the Internet to the country, but for now I want to share a review and impressions.
The manufacturer of the video phone is already quite a popular company Grandstream, which specializes in IP phones, gateways and IP cameras. Such a device costs about $ 250.
Packaging and equipment
The box is beautiful, colored, with a convenient handle. The box contains a power supply, an Ethernet network cable 1.5 meters in blue, a headset adapter from 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm, a quick guide in English, Chinese and Spanish, a stand for installation on a table, a handset with a cord and the phone itself .
Appearance and connectors The
phone is made of high-quality matte black plastic with aluminum-colored inserts on the body and on the handset. Over the display in the center of the camcorder. On the right side there are most of the connectors that the device has: three tulips for analog connection to a TV, a 2.5 mm jack for a headset, USB for wifi or flash drive and a slot for sd / mmc card.
There are no connectors on the left side, and back you can see holes for mounting on the wall, a stand that can be installed in two positions and a wheel to control the position of the camcorder. By the way, the camera can even be wrapped up under the body so that it does not see anything. So you can not be afraid at all that they are watching you - a relief for the paranoid :). There are also rear connectors for Ethernet and PC, a handset and a power adapter. Unfortunately, the video phone does not support PoE, so you have to use the adapter anyway.
First inclusion
When turned on for the first time, it turned out that the firmware did not yet contain the Skype application and that it was necessary to flash the latest one. The official website of Grandstream.com is organized perfectly, quickly found a manual and firmware. You can flash both on the Internet and by downloading the firmware first to your disk, then feed it to the device via TFTP. Since the latter is recommended in the manual itself, I did so. And, as it turned out, he did not regret it. For some reason, the software on my home network from my computer about 30Mb in size was downloaded for a very long time - two and a half hours, although the documentation promised about 10 minutes.
Having risen with new firmware and having access to the Internet, the phone automatically registered on the IPvideoTalk network and received a seven-digit number, and the long-awaited Skype button appeared in the main window.
The first thing I went into the settings and set the correct time zone and Russian interface. The exact time is automatically pulled from the Internet.
He picked up the phone and dialed his own IPvideoTalk number. I was told in English with a slight Chinese accent that the subscriber is naturally busy and I can leave a video message. A message to yourself was left and then viewed. I liked the quality of the voice, but for some reason the video message was clogged with blocks from time to time.
When dialing 0, you can watch the IPvideoTalk video and check the quality of communication, and by dialing * 26, view the messages left. The password in voicemail is the same as the default number.
It's nice that when you buy several Grandstream video phones, you can immediately make free video calls between them without worrying about connecting to an IP PBX.
Skype
With the Skype application, everything was also quite simple. When you log in for the first time, you can log in with your existing account, create a new one, set whether to automatically log into Skype and enable Skype at startup.
When I entered my record, my contacts pulled up without any problems, habitually sorted into folders, and later the photos pulled up too.
After that, I started creating a new account directly on the phone. Everything turned out without problems. Finding and adding the desired contact was also easy.
Unfortunately, not all menu items in the application are translated into Russian. It is hoped that this will be fixed in subsequent firmware.
When installing a Skype video call, the screen is divided into a large window with the other person and a small window with its own image.
During a video call on the phone, it turned out to temporarily turn off the sound, enable and disable the transmission of video. It is also possible to put a video call on hold, make a call on another SIP line (IPvideoTalk), and then return back to the Skype call. Unfortunately, there is no way to transfer a call from Skype to a SIP line yet.
When set to hold a Skype session, it is proposed to choose one of three lines to make a second call:
A little more about the Skype application menu.
The Skype interface has bookmarks Contacts, History, Chat, Calls and Profile.
In the Contacts tab it is possible to organize groups.
The ability to exchange text messages in the Chat tab is limited by the inconvenience of entering from the phone, but chat may still be necessary if you need to receive or send some text information.
In the Calls tab, you can contact a regular phone number, if, of course, there is money in the account.
In the Profile tab , you can edit your data, upload a photo. Here you can also manage your status - online, do not disturb, etc .:
WiFi
The phone also has the ability to connect to a wireless network using a USB WiFi adapter. I tested the USB adapter from Grandstream. The issue price is about $ 30.
You need to enter the settings, turn on WiFi, insert the adapter and reboot the phone.
After the overload, the WiFi adapter icon appeared on the top panel and another one, which should display the signal reception strength. After scanning the networks, I found my network and connected without problems.
Working on WiFi did not cause any problems when transmitting video.
Menu and additional features
Desktop
This is what the main window in the phone looks like by default. On the left side, the status and numbers of connected SIP numbers and the IP address of the device are displayed, and on the right - time and date. This window is one of the four customizable desktop windows, you can view everything in turn by pressing the "Screen Switch .." button under the display. The icon on the top panel on the right shows which of the four windows we are in.
The Skype button is the fastest way to access this application, and the button with the strange name “Demo” launches a video with self-promotion. These buttons can also be reconfigured in the desktop settings menu.
On the desktop for quick access, you can place an analog or digital clock, a window with a video news service, a horoscope, weather forecasts, information about funds, a calendar, etc. Some of these services, unfortunately, work only in English and are relevant, obviously, only for the United States. From the desktop personalization window, you can see that you can edit not only the windows themselves, but also adjust the value of the last two keys F3 and F4 for each window.
SIP telephony
In addition to Skype, the videophone has the ability to connect to three SIP accounts, the first is already automatically registered in the IPVideoTalk network. If desired, you can delete the registration and configure your own. The status of these three lines can be seen on the top panel of the screen.
Menu
When you press the menu button, this window appears:
The phone book consists, in fact, of two phone books. One contains contacts for telephony and the second contains all my Skype contacts:
In the Call History section, it is possible to sort incoming, outgoing and missed calls, as well as separately all skype calls.
In the Social Networks section, as you can see, applications are not limited to just Skype. My review does not include other applications. I can only say that, in general, they are still damp. We will wait for new firmware.
The Web Browser didn’t surprise either, it has not been finalized yet and exists here nominally. Although it can be useful, for example, if you need to occasionally look at a single simple page. Wandering through links or entering URLs is inconvenient. This is how it looks:
In the Multimedia section, you can play any files of the main formats both from local media (from usb or mmc slots) and from the Internet. I was pleased with the Internet Radio application. You can listen to the radio in most cases in the background, there are many preset stations.
General impression. Disadvantages and advantages
The disadvantages are definitely less than the pleasant experience of using the gadget, so I want to list them first and then focus on the advantages. Then, perhaps, I will be able to more accurately convey the overall impression.
· The focus of the camera does not change either automatically or manually, so the best sharpness is obtained when the face is located at a distance of half a meter to a meter. Naturally, this is not a problem if the device is on the desktop and used for its intended purpose, but if there is a desire to organize video conferences from large halls or transmit a picture of general plans, I recommend that you first test whether the quality of the picture will suit.
· There are still problems with the Russian language in the phone menu - in some places the translation is not quite correct, errors, some Russian names do not fit on the menu, so it’s difficult to understand the meaning. Hope for new firmware.
No PoE Support
On this shortcomings end. They are successfully compensated for by affordability, high-quality sound, both in the handset and in the speaker, good echo cancellation when talking without hands, a convenient menu, quick response to button presses, active work by the manufacturer to improve firmware, increase the number of applications and services.
Particular attention is paid by the manufacturer to the Skype application. A simple but full-featured interface, and, most importantly, everything works. As far as I know, this is the only desktop video phone of its kind on the market that can make Skype calls. It is important that the phone is officially certified by SkypeTM, and this ensures that the device does not suddenly cease to be compatible with the Skype network in the future.
In general, the device looks decent, image-based, suitable for both offices and at home.
MUK-Service - all types of IT repair: warranty, non-warranty repair, sale of spare parts, contract service
The manufacturer of the video phone is already quite a popular company Grandstream, which specializes in IP phones, gateways and IP cameras. Such a device costs about $ 250.
Packaging and equipment
The box is beautiful, colored, with a convenient handle. The box contains a power supply, an Ethernet network cable 1.5 meters in blue, a headset adapter from 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm, a quick guide in English, Chinese and Spanish, a stand for installation on a table, a handset with a cord and the phone itself .
Appearance and connectors The
phone is made of high-quality matte black plastic with aluminum-colored inserts on the body and on the handset. Over the display in the center of the camcorder. On the right side there are most of the connectors that the device has: three tulips for analog connection to a TV, a 2.5 mm jack for a headset, USB for wifi or flash drive and a slot for sd / mmc card.
There are no connectors on the left side, and back you can see holes for mounting on the wall, a stand that can be installed in two positions and a wheel to control the position of the camcorder. By the way, the camera can even be wrapped up under the body so that it does not see anything. So you can not be afraid at all that they are watching you - a relief for the paranoid :). There are also rear connectors for Ethernet and PC, a handset and a power adapter. Unfortunately, the video phone does not support PoE, so you have to use the adapter anyway.
First inclusion
When turned on for the first time, it turned out that the firmware did not yet contain the Skype application and that it was necessary to flash the latest one. The official website of Grandstream.com is organized perfectly, quickly found a manual and firmware. You can flash both on the Internet and by downloading the firmware first to your disk, then feed it to the device via TFTP. Since the latter is recommended in the manual itself, I did so. And, as it turned out, he did not regret it. For some reason, the software on my home network from my computer about 30Mb in size was downloaded for a very long time - two and a half hours, although the documentation promised about 10 minutes.
Having risen with new firmware and having access to the Internet, the phone automatically registered on the IPvideoTalk network and received a seven-digit number, and the long-awaited Skype button appeared in the main window.
The first thing I went into the settings and set the correct time zone and Russian interface. The exact time is automatically pulled from the Internet.
He picked up the phone and dialed his own IPvideoTalk number. I was told in English with a slight Chinese accent that the subscriber is naturally busy and I can leave a video message. A message to yourself was left and then viewed. I liked the quality of the voice, but for some reason the video message was clogged with blocks from time to time.
When dialing 0, you can watch the IPvideoTalk video and check the quality of communication, and by dialing * 26, view the messages left. The password in voicemail is the same as the default number.
It's nice that when you buy several Grandstream video phones, you can immediately make free video calls between them without worrying about connecting to an IP PBX.
Skype
With the Skype application, everything was also quite simple. When you log in for the first time, you can log in with your existing account, create a new one, set whether to automatically log into Skype and enable Skype at startup.
When I entered my record, my contacts pulled up without any problems, habitually sorted into folders, and later the photos pulled up too.
After that, I started creating a new account directly on the phone. Everything turned out without problems. Finding and adding the desired contact was also easy.
Unfortunately, not all menu items in the application are translated into Russian. It is hoped that this will be fixed in subsequent firmware.
When installing a Skype video call, the screen is divided into a large window with the other person and a small window with its own image.
During a video call on the phone, it turned out to temporarily turn off the sound, enable and disable the transmission of video. It is also possible to put a video call on hold, make a call on another SIP line (IPvideoTalk), and then return back to the Skype call. Unfortunately, there is no way to transfer a call from Skype to a SIP line yet.
When set to hold a Skype session, it is proposed to choose one of three lines to make a second call:
A little more about the Skype application menu.
The Skype interface has bookmarks Contacts, History, Chat, Calls and Profile.
In the Contacts tab it is possible to organize groups.
The ability to exchange text messages in the Chat tab is limited by the inconvenience of entering from the phone, but chat may still be necessary if you need to receive or send some text information.
In the Calls tab, you can contact a regular phone number, if, of course, there is money in the account.
In the Profile tab , you can edit your data, upload a photo. Here you can also manage your status - online, do not disturb, etc .:
WiFi
The phone also has the ability to connect to a wireless network using a USB WiFi adapter. I tested the USB adapter from Grandstream. The issue price is about $ 30.
You need to enter the settings, turn on WiFi, insert the adapter and reboot the phone.
After the overload, the WiFi adapter icon appeared on the top panel and another one, which should display the signal reception strength. After scanning the networks, I found my network and connected without problems.
Working on WiFi did not cause any problems when transmitting video.
Menu and additional features
Desktop
This is what the main window in the phone looks like by default. On the left side, the status and numbers of connected SIP numbers and the IP address of the device are displayed, and on the right - time and date. This window is one of the four customizable desktop windows, you can view everything in turn by pressing the "Screen Switch .." button under the display. The icon on the top panel on the right shows which of the four windows we are in.
The Skype button is the fastest way to access this application, and the button with the strange name “Demo” launches a video with self-promotion. These buttons can also be reconfigured in the desktop settings menu.
On the desktop for quick access, you can place an analog or digital clock, a window with a video news service, a horoscope, weather forecasts, information about funds, a calendar, etc. Some of these services, unfortunately, work only in English and are relevant, obviously, only for the United States. From the desktop personalization window, you can see that you can edit not only the windows themselves, but also adjust the value of the last two keys F3 and F4 for each window.
SIP telephony
In addition to Skype, the videophone has the ability to connect to three SIP accounts, the first is already automatically registered in the IPVideoTalk network. If desired, you can delete the registration and configure your own. The status of these three lines can be seen on the top panel of the screen.
Menu
When you press the menu button, this window appears:
The phone book consists, in fact, of two phone books. One contains contacts for telephony and the second contains all my Skype contacts:
In the Call History section, it is possible to sort incoming, outgoing and missed calls, as well as separately all skype calls.
In the Social Networks section, as you can see, applications are not limited to just Skype. My review does not include other applications. I can only say that, in general, they are still damp. We will wait for new firmware.
The Web Browser didn’t surprise either, it has not been finalized yet and exists here nominally. Although it can be useful, for example, if you need to occasionally look at a single simple page. Wandering through links or entering URLs is inconvenient. This is how it looks:
In the Multimedia section, you can play any files of the main formats both from local media (from usb or mmc slots) and from the Internet. I was pleased with the Internet Radio application. You can listen to the radio in most cases in the background, there are many preset stations.
General impression. Disadvantages and advantages
The disadvantages are definitely less than the pleasant experience of using the gadget, so I want to list them first and then focus on the advantages. Then, perhaps, I will be able to more accurately convey the overall impression.
· The focus of the camera does not change either automatically or manually, so the best sharpness is obtained when the face is located at a distance of half a meter to a meter. Naturally, this is not a problem if the device is on the desktop and used for its intended purpose, but if there is a desire to organize video conferences from large halls or transmit a picture of general plans, I recommend that you first test whether the quality of the picture will suit.
· There are still problems with the Russian language in the phone menu - in some places the translation is not quite correct, errors, some Russian names do not fit on the menu, so it’s difficult to understand the meaning. Hope for new firmware.
No PoE Support
On this shortcomings end. They are successfully compensated for by affordability, high-quality sound, both in the handset and in the speaker, good echo cancellation when talking without hands, a convenient menu, quick response to button presses, active work by the manufacturer to improve firmware, increase the number of applications and services.
Particular attention is paid by the manufacturer to the Skype application. A simple but full-featured interface, and, most importantly, everything works. As far as I know, this is the only desktop video phone of its kind on the market that can make Skype calls. It is important that the phone is officially certified by SkypeTM, and this ensures that the device does not suddenly cease to be compatible with the Skype network in the future.
In general, the device looks decent, image-based, suitable for both offices and at home.
MUK-Service - all types of IT repair: warranty, non-warranty repair, sale of spare parts, contract service