Product Description

Install the MobiCam Monitoring PC Software and you can see and hear the same thing your MobiCam AV is seeing from any PC, Web browser or Windows Media Player cell phone. USB AV Capture Adaptor & Cable, Motion Detection & Scheduling, Email and Text messag

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #501 in Baby Product
• Brand: MOBI
• Model: 70168
• Released on: 2008-11-01
• Dimensions: 6.50" h x 2.50" w x 8.25" l, .50 pounds

Features

• Works with the MobiCam AV
• Perfect for monitoring kids, elderly, and pets
• Easy plug and play set up
• Motion detection feature with e-mail or text alert
• Expandable up to 5 MobiCam AV devices

From the Manufacturer
The MobiCam AV Internet Kit works when the video camera with microphone transmits picture and sound wirelessly to the MobiCam AV’s receiver. Using a USB cable, the picture and sound are input to the computer’s USB input, and read by the MobiCam Anywhere Software. The MobiCam Anywhere Software broadcasts the full motion images and SOUND from the Camera in real time to a personalized, secure web site. The picture and sound can then be accessed by Using any PC’s Internet Browser – from anywhere in the world – simply by accessing the personalized web site or by using any Windows Media Player capable Cell Phone or PDA.

Customer Reviews

Happy Grandma sees her Grandbaby
I installed the Internet Kit for the mobicam system and now my mom can see her grand baby on her pc form her home. Easy to setup and work. besides I have it set to record the camera all the time to my PC with the included software for over a week and I must say its pretty cool to search and playback to look for events if needed since they have the date and time right on the picture. Oh and listening and seeing from my cell phone is amazing. Nice product.

Wasted My Money!
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.

It works...sort of
This kit includes drivers, webcam software, and pass-through cable to connect the MobiCam monitor to your PC via USB.

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.