SVAT VISS7500 Hands Free Video Door Phone Intercom System w/5-Inch LCD & Outdoor Night Vision Security Camera (Color)

Reviews of SVAT VISS7500 Hands Free Video Door Phone Intercom System w/5-Inch LCD & Outdoor Night Vision Security Camera (Color)

1.) safety first
Reviewed by: gtsp Florida
Rating:

Great picture, sound is good too. When I am working in the back of the house, in my office, this is the perfect product to make me feel safe.
Hard wired is a bit old school, but where safety is concerned I don't trust batteries.

2.) I couldn't be more pleased with it !!!
Reviewed by: Ed South America
Rating:

Great product! Easy to install, great image and sound. I had a multipair phone cable, I first used a single pair to reach the faraway door (80 yards), and I coudn't get it to work. I added 2 more pairs in parallel of the old and thin wire I was using (more cross section), and now it works perfectly. As a matter of fact, the cable that comes with it has a large gauge. So, for large distances, use a cable with the gauge of the one that comes with the set. It works very very well, I couldn't be more pleased!!!

3.) good product
Reviewed by: Yves Tixier SÃ£o Paulo, SP, Brazil
Rating:

works fine, even at night. the screen could be a little bit more crisp, but it's not HDTV ! Good to see who's ringing, and if he has a riot gun ! I have a second monitor near of my bed. It's extremely easy to plug. I live in a very big town, and sometimes I use it to see how is the traffic, just for the pleasure !

4.) Intercom Review
Reviewed by: J. Lennon
Rating:

We had a slight issue with the wiring for this system and it was determined to be a manufacturer defect. The manufacturer was very easy to deal with, took the product back, and we immediately had a new unit which has been working perfectly. Great product and great customer service!

5.) Perfect for low budget
Reviewed by: Jeffrey Sibert Washington, DC
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Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R33BH5HF33AV5W

6.) This is great product for easy home security
Reviewed by: SJdummy
Rating:

This product is easy to install and operate. Great product for easy home security.

7.) Easy installation over existing doorbell wires - ONE YEAR UPDATE
Reviewed by: mjc Chicago
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This was easy to install using our existing doorbell wires (2 wires).

The video image is color and good quality. The doorbell is loud and sounds good, but not "beautiful" or "elegant." Importantly, the audio quality and level between the outside and inside is good.

I've only had it connected for a few days and can't say it's durable or long-lasting.

The "alarm" feature makes a pseudo siren sound to scare away the "Bad guys" but is really just silly.

We had doubts about the performance and ordered one camera / one monitor, but then ordered a second monitor (you can connect up to three monitors to a single camera) so that we can see who is at the front door from both the basement and the second floor.

Camera angle could be wider for our set up, but it's sufficient. Also, the camera lens can be adjusted up and down (but not right or left).

UPDATE AFTER ONE YEAR

One of the two video units began to malfunction after about one year. Warranty on the product is one year. I did not expect a replacement after the warranty period, nor did SVAT customer service offer one. They indicated this product is being phased out in favor of another. They estimated 6 months from August/September 2009 for the new unit.

The malfunction is false or phantom alarms. The doorbell randomly rings, but no one touched it. At first we thought it was kids or something. It happened at any / all hours of the day, including 2:00am and 4:00am as a couple notable ones before we realized it was a system error, not pranksters. Since, we've been standing right next to the front door with the door open in the middle of the day and heard it ring but knew 100% that no one was on the stoop or at the bell.

SVAT customer service asked if we were using the provided wires for our wiring. We are and it was run through conduit during a remodeling when first installed. SVAT asked if the connections were all tight or if any corrosion was evident (especially outside). I had checked the connections. They were tight and clean. Eventually, SVAT wrote "Seems like a good install! It's difficult to know for sure, but I would image [sic] that there is an issue with the monitor itself, especially if the issue resolves itself when the monitor is disconnected."

Not sure if we'll replace it or not. I will run one more test to confirm the wiring hasn't been damaged. Since one of the units still works, I'll switch them to see if the same UNIT keeps malfunctioning or if the same installation location keeps functioning. If you are reading this after September 2009 and I haven't updated, then it is safe to assume the unit is malfunctioning. Otherwise, I'll update this post to blame wiring damage. (It's in conduit, the system worked fine for a year, so the most likely problem is the unit.)

The two-wire installation remains a real strong point of this system and might lead me to replace the faulty unit. However, I should be able to pull more wires for a better system via the conduit.

Not sure what I'll do:
Some of the low points of this system and some additional features not offered will make me look at other options. Low points for our installation are: limited camera angle adjustment, not wide enough camera image, can't adjust volume of ringer inside the home, the LCD does not have a wide viewing angle. I have to bend at the knees to lower my eyes beneath one of the unit to see a clear picture. (This is actually a difference between the two units, aka quality control, because they are mounted at the same height.)

Features I wish it had: (1) Sending a snapshot of the moment the person presses the button to the LCD. We mount from the side of the door, so it's harder to see the profile (live) by the time we walk to the monitor after hearing the bell. If it just snapped a still and put it to the screen until we arrived, it would be better. Then we could "go live" by hitting the talk button. (2) Ability to use the camera as an IP Camera for viewing anywhere on our home network's computers or on a DVR. This would be great especially since these cameras already have infrared lights. (3) Insteon / smarthome compatibility.

8.) Works well over regular doorbell wires
Reviewed by: momtwo2 chicago usa
Rating:

The product works well over the standard doorbell wires. No new wiring necessary. The DC power adapter needs to be plugged in next to the unit which makes for an unattractive setup and for some logistics problems. The camera is situated to the side of the door. We have problems with the camera facing straight ahead and not towards the person pressing the button.

9.) Great, but had to be replaced once
Reviewed by: Phil Shelby NC
Rating:

The great thing about this product is the 2 wire system, that simply connected using the same wiring that we already had for our doorbell. The ease of use is excellent. Has provided a lot of security, especially for our secretary who may be alone in the building at times. I liked it so much that when the one that we had originally purchased broke (after warranty), I bought and paid for a second one.

10.) Pretty good
Reviewed by: K. Khavari
Rating:

I had been searching to get a video door phone intercom system for more than a month. I found the price for this product attractive considering the specs. I have to admit that as long as you stay within the limited length between the camera unit and the display specified in the manual, the picture and sound quality are flawless. Doubling the length of the cable will cause loss of sound but the picture is still reasonably good.

11.) Great way to see who's there
Reviewed by: Pierbum Tidewater, VA
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We bought this over a year ago, installed it, and the unit was defective. We repacked it, then I came down with a severe stomach problem for three months, and the unit sat there for 10 months before sending it back. The company gave me NO hassle at all, and sent another unit to us. It works like a charm. The old "peephole" thing just wasn't good, and this new system works fine. With just the porchlight on at night, I can see clerly enough. Much better than a peephole! My husband feels like I am being much safer. No one has come to the door yet, however I can see my husband clearly when I "try" it out. A more secure feeling........Now, if only I could try it out with a visitor! I like it.

12.) Great unit, Works to unlock doors
Reviewed by: A. Leung
Rating:

I installed this for a customer (school) and it worked like a charm. Only ohter thing I needed was a angled wall mount so the camera can see the person better. good value for the price.

13.) Not made for new construction
Reviewed by: Larry San Diego, CA
Rating:

Nice unit, but was disapointed that it is not made for or able to adapt to new construction. The unit has a DC power outlet on bottom and requires transformer to be plugged into wall outlet. Would be nice if it had an option to conceal wire.

14.) Decent video intercom, a few strange design items...
Reviewed by: fritzkafka Los Angeles, CA
Rating:

This is a decent video intercom (for the price) if you are only looking for a way to tell who is at the door. There are a couple elements of the design that you should be made aware of. First, you can only use the intercom feature (i.e. talk to people using the speaker) if the person at the door presses the 'doorbell' button on the camera mount. If they knock on the door or use a different doorbell, you must press the "talk/view" button to activate the camera, but pressing it again will turn the camera off, not activate the microphone. This single design element makes this system substantially less worthwhile. There is even a button with a speaker icon next to it that would have been perfect to activate the microphone independently from the camera, but that is used for a 'warning signal' that emits a ridiculous chirp to scare away unwanted guests (I'd rather be able to talk through the microphone). Secondly, although the product description ends by saying this system can't be used with additional monitors, it does support up to three monitors, they just need to be ordered separately (and at the moment Amazon does not sell them). As one of the other reviews mentioned, it would have been nice if the monitor supported hard-wired power supply, because AC power adapters are ungainly. For the price, it is a decent (read: average) system, but the inability to use the microphone if the button on the outside has not been pushed makes it suboptimal. If you just need a camera to see who is at the door (as is my case), it is a decent solution, but any security camera/monitor setup will work just as well.

15.) Decent intercom and video system for the money
Reviewed by: Steven Weinrich York, PA USA
Rating:

For $200 this video intercom has given us decent value for our money.

PROS: Easy setup and operation. I can't say enough how easy this was to setup. We had an existing door bell that rang in the secretary's office, about 150 feet down the hall from the door. We removed the push button and put the cameara in its place (NOTE: see Con's below for details on what we had to do for mounting), and removed the bell, extended the wiring a little, and hooked up the video/audio display unit in the secretary's office on the wall near her desk. It was just that simple. We also used the 'buzz in' feature, connecting the camera to an electric door strike. The secretary can now 'buzz' people in from her office.

The biggest reason we got this system is because it allows the secretary to see who's at the door without having to be close to them. In many instances, the person at the door someone she doesn't want in the building.

CONS: As other reviewers have mentioned, there are two design flaws that force me to give it less than a perfect score. 1. The camera only tilts up and down. I had to build a wooden wedge to horizontally tilt the camera in the direction of the visitor. I screwed the wedge to the door frame and then mounted the camera on the wedge. This wasn't too bad, but a simple design change would have made it alot easier. 2. You can't initiate a conversation from inside. To get video AND audio, the visitor must initiate the conversation by pressing the button on the camera. Basically, if someone doesn't understand that they need to push the button you won't be able to talk to them, only see them.

CONCLUSION: Overall, it's a pretty good product with easy setup and operation. Just be aware of the 'gotchas' and you'll have your expectations set correctly.

16.) camera angle
Reviewed by: chuck n stuff
Rating:

Was not happy with the narrow camera angle, but happy with the picture quality. Had to return the camera unit because the audio was bad, at my own expense. Would like an option for a white or beige power cord as most of us do not have black walls and the unit mounts at eye level. Will wait for the unit to return to see if it will operate the door strike.

17.) Requesting a repair
Reviewed by: Teresa A. Conley
Rating:

This is a nice unit and easy to install. We have been using it two weeks at our small business and the talk/video button is broken. We just contacted the support dept. requesting a repair or exchange as it does hold a 1 year warranty. I'll post again to let you know how the service/support department handled our problem.

18.) Very bad performance product
Reviewed by: E. Sinai
Rating:

I was very disappointed with this product. Everything feels cheap, and it also functions that way.

Maybe it's just my specific product, but the picture quality is really, really bad. You can hardly say it's a color monitor. Even dark blue colors look white. It makes me wonder how they created the product images...

The angle of the camera is ridiculous. The camera must be placed in front of the person to see him right. I thought I could place it aside the door, but then you will not see your guest. They say it has tiltable camera lens, but actually, you can tilt it only vertically. Changing the position horizontally ends up with a picture of your guest profile.

There is no option to change the volume of the doorbell or to disable it.

To make it worse, when you turn on the camera, it makes a sound on the outside unit, making sure the person know that you are looking at him...

It is so bad that I've decided to put it aside until some other use arise.

19.) Don't buy SVAT!!!!
Reviewed by: Joel R. Gober LA CA
Rating:

Unit never worked from day 1. I called SVAT numerous times and they would say try this, then try that, and then try ....try.... tryyy and it never worked. Finally they said you are out of warranty and out of luck. I said I have been talking to you all along. They said show us the correspondences. I said it was by phone, and they said too bad it was not written down you are out of luck. Well they got 100's of my dollars and I got a bunch of headaches and a worthless product. Never buy any SVAT because you'll be stuck with nothing, just money out the door.......

Features of SVAT VISS7500 Hands Free Video Door Phone Intercom System w/5-Inch LCD & Outdoor Night Vision Security Camera (Color)

Do you get uneasy when you or your children have to open the door for a stranger? With the VISS7500, you can see who is at the door before you open it and you can even communicate with them without having to open the door at all. The VISS7500 is an ultra thin system (1-inch thick) that provides a clear image of your visitor. It is artistically designed home or business use. This unit provides an extra measure of security and convenience with its two wire connection and electronic door opening button. The monitor is wall mountable for convenience and versatility. The tilt able camera adjusts the camera angle depending on your system installation location. Six infrared LEDs let you see in the dark. You can safely identify visitors before answering with the intercom system. When the doorbell is rung, the picture of the visitor will automatically be displayed. This process provides you with the ability to identify the visitor before enabling communication with them simply by pressing the talk button and speaking to your guest. The VISS7500 has a 5-inch color TFT-LCD screen that will provide you with an accurate image of the person at the door. The best part of this system is the ease of installation. The VISS7500 uses your existing doorbell wiring. The video, audio and power all run through these two wires so no additional wiring is necessary. The VISS750 can be easily output to a TV, VCR, DVR or computer for alternative viewing or for recording. It is not compatible with multiple monitors.

1.) Two wire connection for audio, video and power;
2.) Tiltable camera lens gives more flexibility when installing.;
3.) Door strike capabilities (door strike not included);
4.) 5-inch TFT-LCD screen;
5.) Maximum wiring distance of 300 feet;

Package Height x Length x Width: 14.5 in. x 14.5 in. x 8 in.
Package Weight: 5.25 lbs.