Biscotti TV Phone Review

My first impression of the Biscotti TV Phone was how small and stylish looking it was, a bit like the Italian cookie I guess.  I was stoked that it wouldn't look like an eyesore on top of my sleek flat screen TV.  The Biscotti TV Phone comes with the main unit with camera and microphone built-in, a 6-button remote, a power adapter, a mount kit, and the instructions.  What more can you ask for this thing comes with all the necessary hardware you need to set it up (minus the HDMI cable).   While pleasantly surprised by the clean packaging and hardware I was skeptical about how the setup would go.  Video chatting has always been difficult to get everyone on the same page.  Read on for the full Biscotti TV review after the break.

Well once I had my hands on the Biscotti TV Phone I immediately put it on top of my TV and used the included double sided sticky pads.  Almost forgot to mention, it came with cable ties to help keep things organized behind the TV.  Nice touch.  Next I plugged in both the HDMI cable and the power adapter cable.  The entire install process only took 10 minutes which was a refreshing change from video calling of the past.  Once the hardware is hooked up you will have to set up your Biscotti profile (name, add a photo of yourself, email, and password).  Adding the Biscotti to my Wi-Fi network was easy because the Biscotti gives you step by step on screen instructions.  Perfect for my less techy parents.  With the Biscotti TV Phone you can make calls to another Biscotti, just about any computer or tablet, or a smartphone with a camera.  It also works with G-Mail and Google Talk.

My first video call with the Biscotti was to a smartphone and the picture was a bit pixilated from both ends.  Not sure if that was because of the camera quality or the network speed.  With that said there was no latency and the audio was clear and didn't sound like you were in a tunnel.  A cool thing while chatting using the Biscotti is it has a Pan/Tilt/Zoom that you can control onscreen with the remote so you can get the right angle you need without moving the camera or your seat on the couch.  

Unfortunately I was working with just one Biscotti TV Phone so I didn't get to test the quality between Biscotti's, but have read online that the experience is close to magical.  Another neat feature is that you can set the Biscotti to "auto answer" for certain callers, handy for always accepting calls from family, but couldn't help thinking how handy this was for surveillance or checking in on your pets or kids.

Over all. the Biscotti TV Phone was very easy to install and set up.  But when you get calls or make calls to a smartphone or computer you may not get the best video chat experience.  Depends on your hardware and network connection.   I would recommend the Biscotti TV Phone to people that want a fast and easy install/set up.  The Biscotti TV Phone is perfect for bringing long distances families and friends closer together.