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Another cool feature is the kid mode, where (when set) any key will forward to a number of my choosing, which is useful if, say, the kids are with a babysitter & need to reach us.The phone does have some spotty reception at times, and battery life is definitely unclear. This is a nice looking phone with some great features. Just today, my wife reported a strange staticky sound and then the phone shut off, and this was after a full night of charging.This phone has a lot of potential, but the jury's still out on if it's a definite solution for my Skype needs. I charged it for 2 days straight (24 hours was recommended), but it still registered one bar on the meter. One thing that I love is the dual line. If I were to have a landline, this would make a big difference on local calls with the benefit of switching to Skype for inexpensive long distance.
Have tried other solutions in the past but not as good. Voice clear using skype esp on the receivers side. Excellent buy. Bought this phone because of the Skype feature. Works well and easy to install.
BUT FOR ME I'M DONE PHILLIPS NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED.:( HOPE THIS HELPS OK I BOUGHT THE PHONE FOR A REASON TO USE IT AS A HOUSE PHONE WITH SKYPE I HAVE AND XP AND A VISTA FIRST I CONNECT IT WITH VISTA AND IT DID NOT WORK FOR SHRIMP NOT EVEN AFTER I DOWNLOADED THE LATEST DRIVER FOR VISTA OK SO THEN I WENT WITH MY XP AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY WITH NO PROBLEMS UNTIL 2 AND HALF WEEKS LATER THE PHONE STARTED SAYING PHONE NOT REGISTERED SO I TRY TO CONNECT IT AND IT SAYS SEARCHING FOR BASE FAIL AND IM STILL WITH NO PHONE SO I RECOMMEND YOU NOT TO BUY THIS PHONE AND IF YOU BUY ONE THEN GOOD LUCK WITH IT.
In Skype, make sure it is set to use the phone and not the computer speakers and mic.Misconception 3 - Need Skype Contacts to make a Skype callI had a problem with this myself until I read D. I was also aware of some compatibility issues with Vista but after reading through the forums on Skype and saw that many users were running it on Vista without problems, I felt sure I could get it to work.Misconception 1 - Does not work with VistaThe phone in fact DOES work with Vista and I have mine running on Vista Business right now using the V3.8.3 drivers from Philips and Skype V.4.0.0.206. This has nothing to do with the phone at all. Also, I work with computers so I am comfortable installing components and drivers.I was aware before buying the phone that it uses a USB connection and requires the computer to turned on always and for Skype to be running.
If you google that error you will soon find that it is a generic error that affects many different products running in Vista. I usually prefix the numbers with a "+"I have had no problems with interference or sound quality since I've been using it. I particularly like that I can also listen to my Skype voicemail from the phone. I purchased it used and I've used it for a month now without any problems so I don't expect to see any other hardware issues. I have been an Amazon customer for many many years, but I have not written a review until now largely because there are some misconceptions from other reviewers about this device's compatibility with Vista that I think are negatively affecting the reviews.I purchased this phone primarily for use with Skype because I was tired of having to sit at my desk with a headset. I don't have a traditional phone line, so I cannot comment on any issues the phone might have with dual modes. After many hours of research, I found on the Skype forum that the best way to get the phone to work is to use a USB port with a VIA chipset. This is why sound begins to play through the phone instead of through the computer speakers for some users.
Once Vista recognized the device and installed the drivers, I plugged the Philips phone into it and voila, the error was gone and the phone is now working problem free.Misconception 2 - Disables SoundWhen Vista installs the new phone, it recognizes that it has a mic and speakers and changes the DEFAULT sound options to the phone. Cascketta's review from June 14, 2008 and San Kool's review from August 1, 2007 and Matt B.'s review from December 31, 2006 (thank you). I has met all my expectations and I don't regret buying it.I hope this information is helpful. You simply need to dial the number you wish to call and hit the "S" Skype button instead of "Talk" to call that number. In short the USB ports on most motherboards are not VIA chipset so you need to install a new PCI USB controller with a VIA chipset VT6212L for the phone. This misconception is probably due to poor documentation.
I don't know how it compares with other VOIP phones and I purchased it used at a very attractive price and I use it strictly for making calls through Skype. All you have to do is open your sound options in Windows and change it back to your computer speakers and mic and the problem is fixed. Here is the same one I got - VIA VT6212L 4+1 Port USB 2.0 PCI Controller Card. In all fairness, it is not a simple plug-n-play installation for most users.After downloading the latest Vista drivers from the Philips website (V3.8.3 released September 2007) and installing it, like most people I noticed that in my Device Manager the phone showed up with a yellow exclamation point and an error message "Device Cannot Start (Code 10)". I puchased one off eBay and installed it in a few minutes.
New versions of Skype cause the phone driver to hang.Which means that it will stop working in a couple weeks.Don't waste your time or your money. All of the other gripes aside, I only have ONE.Philips refuses to support the driver.
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