Customer Reviews

Philips WVH111 AOLTV Internet Television Set-Top Box

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I had heard a lot of negative press on the AOLTV but I just had to buy one. I spend at least 6-8 hours a day on the internet and I like the idea of having it my living room too. While it is slower than my computer, the graphics look great on my television. I like the on screen program guide too. The only downside is the ... additional charge for access. It should be less if I already have an AOL account.

I have never been one to sit still and do just one thing. AOLTV allows me to check my email, watch my favorite show, get additional information on subjects about which I am watching, Instant Message my friends, check the on-screen Caller ID for unwanted phone calls and get additional advertiser information --all from the confort of my Lazy-boy. I can't imagine anything better! There are slight speed-of-information issues, but I have noticed them getting better since I got the box a year ago. AOLTV has met all of my prime-time, after work, catching up with friends needs.

I thought twice about purchasing this item, due to the negative feedback on Amazon and other sites. However with a 30 day money back warranty and free aol service for a month I decided to give it a shot. I am very happy with the results, it does take a while to set up and I had to do a download due to my using Dish Network, but Customer Service were really helpful. It is just as quick as my computer to retrieve mail and surf. I highly recommend this product, especially at the giveway price offered by Amazon.

having been a WEBtv user for a couple of years I thought I'd take a shot at AOLtv.An usb port,to send pics and such over E-mail.Oh, not so. Bwana!!! Turns out you can't send anything to the box.Seems to me search engines are woefully lacking.Expect my new WEBtvPlus box soon,where i can everthing as advertised

I bought this for my mother. It isn't very simple for a non-computer person to use and understand. Connecting it to an "average" t.v. gives a yucky picture, as far as the clarity of trying to read the text. It is considerably slower then a computer...maybe it is my mother's phone line? It also makes a grinding noise....usally at night. :( I added a printer to it for her and every time she has to unplug the AOL TV (due to the grinding noise)...the printer has to be reinstalled. I added her to my AOL account, so I was ONLY charged 15 dollars more a month. If she were to get her own account....it would be 25 dollars a month. Personally, I think that is a racket! The monthly fees should be MUCH lower for those that already have an AOL account. Cidco is only 10 dollars a month....and even cheaper if you pay by the year! I did eventually put my mother on her own account.....long story. She was SUPPOSED to get a month and/or 1000 hours free. NEVER happened! I called AOL support....and well, I have nothing good to say about AOL's support. I am sure you are wondering why I stay with AOL if it is soooooo stinky? :) I have been with them for sooo many years that I really can't change my e-mail address now. By the way, if you take the surveys offered on AOL or use AOL Visa to where you earn points towards free AOL.....you can't use the points if you have an AOL TV and "regular" AOL account. Back to the Cidco 100 e-mail......I did buy one of those later. It is cheaper and a LOT easier to use. Just plug it into your phone line...use AC or DC for power and you are all set. I have had no problems with busy signals (they have added a new 800 number) and no problems with their customer service. If all you are truly interested in is e-mail...Cidco is a much easier and better product. Cidco also has an address e-mail book...whereas AOL TV does not.

This product is great for anyone who drove a Model T! I can only image what it was like to have to crank up the car while standing in mud and rain, then have to run and get in before it stopped. Better yet have to throw your foot out onto the ground to brake the engine.

1. Because this product is marketed by Aol you are totally limited to Aol as a service provider which is a nighmare in and of itself.

2. It takes forever to logon. By the time you do your fun justs begins.
a) Several websites are totally inaccessIble. You are given a message of "page too large to load." Now it happens with most government oriented websites, city, county, state, federal. It has also happens on other websites, shopping sites, etc., hardwood floors, kitchen fixtures, etc.
b) It has extremely limited software, many of the sites require Adobe Acrobat and other popular software, well tough, go tell somebody who cares.

3) Sending E-Mail , well keep it short and simple stupid.
a) If you stay on the e-mail page one minute too long, it disconnects/line drop., and you lose all of your typed text and you also have to log back on again and start your e-mail all over.
b) If you type too long an e-mail it locks you out (limited, very limited capacity), when you go back and try to shorten it, surprise it disconnects you and system shuts down again!

4) At night, when I suppose they do their batch processing/computer maintenance, from about 1:00-6:00 a.m., (by the way the best time to acess dial up internet access) it starts singing rickety, tick tick tick buzz and grind. Now all of this is fine except when you are USING IT AND ONCE AGAIN YOU ARE DISCONNECTED! THEN REPEAT THE CREEP CRAWL AND THEN STALL LOG ON PROCESS.
If you are talking on the telephone and the box starts singing it interferes with your conversation, it sounds like someone in your house picked up the extension phone, or that your telepone is being tapped. The other person's voice fades out.

Once , while online, i, was disconnected 5 TIMES in 45 minutes! This is a regular occurence with this not ready for the Jetsons, Computer Age, HIGH TECHNOLOGICALLY ENGINEERED ADVANCEMENT, TAKE ONE STEP FOR MANKIND ALAN DEVICE!

5) You cannot in spite what it says receive photos from 1 hour photo lab or anywhere else, nor many of the so called "features."

...

Creep, Crawl & Stall ___ .... __ ... _ .

I use AOL TV on a 55" Philips Projection and it is awesome. The guide is exellent. Fairly easy to set-up. Only drawback is it doesn't have support for many java and flash websites. Hopefully they will improve on this in the future. The unit does utilize strong encryption for on-line banking which is nice.
Once you have this little baby in your hands your television experience will be forever changed. A great way to add access to extra rooms in the home. The Buddy List also works superbly on this unit.

This product is great for anyone who drove a Model T! I can only image what it was like to have to crank up the car while standing in mud and rain, then have to run and get in before it stopped. Better yet have to throw your foot out onto the ground to brake the engine.

1. Because this product is marketed by Aol you are totally limited to Aol as a service provider which is a nighmare in and of itself.

2. It takes forever to logon. By the time you do your fun justs begins.
a) Several websites are totally inaccessIble. You are given a message of "page too large to load." Now it happens with most government oriented websites, city, county, state, federal. It has also happens on other websites, shopping sites, etc., hardwood floors, kitchen fixtures, etc.
b) It has extremely limited software, many of the sites require Adobe Acrobat and other popular software, well tough, go tell somebody who cares.

3) Sending E-Mail , well keep it short and simple stupid.
a) If you stay on the e-mail page one minute too long, it disconnects/line drop., and you lose all of your typed text and you also have to log back on again and start your e-mail all over.
b) If you type too long an e-mail it locks you out (limited, very limited capacity), when you go back and try to shorten it, surprise it disconnects you and system shuts down again!

4) At night, when I suppose they do their batch processing/computer maintenance, from about 1:00-6:00 a.m., (by the way the best time to acess dial up internet access) it starts singing rickety, tick tick tick buzz and grind. Now all of this is fine except when you are USING IT AND ONCE AGAIN YOU ARE DISCONNECTED! THEN REPEAT THE CREEP CRAWL AND THEN STALL LOG ON PROCESS.
If you are talking on the telephone and the box starts singing it interferes with your conversation, it sounds like someone in your house picked up the extension phone, or that your telepone is being tapped. The other person's voice fades out.

Once , while online, i, was disconnected 5 TIMES in 45 minutes! This is a regular occurence with this not ready for the Jetsons, Computer Age, HIGH TECHNOLOGICALLY ENGINEERED ADVANCEMENT, TAKE ONE STEP FOR MANKIND ALAN DEVICE!

5) You cannot in spite what it says receive photos from 1 hour photo lab or anywhere else, nor many of the so called "features."

In my opinion, this thing is fine for someone who has nothing but time to spend i.e., prison inmates, people on hiatus on a mental ward, anyone else should be well paid for using this device, since it is a great experiment for mankind in the area of human patience and the science of wasted time.

Oh, by the way when my credit card was charged for the first month's service, Aol, treated me to not one but two, internet services one for [price] the second "premium service," for only [price]! I didn't even have to ask for the premium service, they didn't even tell me how to use it or what it is for, they have really taken care of me. Lucky me...

I purchased this FIAT (go fix it again Tony) 3 months ago, and it will have the same fate as a FIAT!

Creep, Crawl & Stall ___ .... __ ... _ .

I just received a new one (to me) in boxbut AOL tells me I cannot use this setas they no longer are available for this service?So I guess its absolutely worthless, I cant even sell it if I wanted.!Too bad, it is brand new in box never used......AndI guess it wont be.Nce gift.......NOT.!

So far this machine has done nothing but FREEZE up and needed to be RESET every day of it's poor life. It's going back to the store. I hestitate to buy webTV too, but this may be an AO-Hell problem, so, for my non-computer father's sake, I'll try it.