I’ve been on the SnapVRS Ojo Videophone waiting list for a long time now, and have been looking forward to getting and playing with it. However while waiting for it, a new piece of deaf hardware porn has arrived from Viable — the Viable Vpad.
These two devices, along with the Sorenson VP-200, VP-100, and D-Links fill out the video relay hardware experience for us deaf folks. All this hardware has gotten me thinking. There are some interesting things about this market and the VRS experience that I believe to be true:
- We have no vendor or provider loyalty. Whoever gives us the best hardware/software combination gets our valuable Federally funded minutes.
- Each new piece of hardware is more complicated to use than the last, but has more features except the ones we really want.
- Video quality has stagnated. Sure, it’s improved slightly over the years, but where is my HD VRS service? I want to see the pores on the interpreter’s face.
- The remotes always suck.
- Interoperability is laughable. Why can’t I call anyone regardless of device, easily? The companies are not going to work together on this unless we demand it.
- Why aren’t VPs the de facto “telephone” at places like Gallaudet, NAD, or other “deaf”-related workplaces?
The last one above deserves more explanation. When I worked at Gallaudet, most people (especially hearing folks) did not have a VP. So how were parents, students, or staff supposed to contact them? That’s right, through the relay. Even though they could sign. I found this outrageous, do you? One small concession that Gallaudet makes is that they supply webcams to hearing folks. But this isn’t the same as a full always-on and accessible VP.
Even at The National Association of the Deaf (yes I spelled it out for emphasis) VPs don’t have a full seat at the table. What I want is to be able to go to NAD’s or Gallaudet’s website, grab a person’s phone number (groan, or IP address) and call them. Hearing or deaf. I want to see them on the screen signing back to me. “Hello!” “How are you?”
But back to the point — where’s my Ojo? Hope it comes before the Vpad comes out. Only to be replaced, yet again, and put in the great VP dustbin under my bed.
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Maybe it’s because Sorenson has a policy of not giving free VPs to hearing folks?
As for the rest of your comments, beggars can’t be choosers, right?
True, but Gallaudet can certainly pay for VPs or make a deal to buy them in bulk for their hearing folks. They certainly pay a lot of money for the landline phones.
I loved your first point about having no vendor or provider loyalty. Whatever device I’m using, I’m going to be using the VRS that came with it. Why would I want to go through an extra hoop of calling HOVRS or Hawk Relay on my VP-200 when the SVRS button is right there? I have a hard time telling the difference between any of the video relay services.
This brings to mind a great article that I read yesterday on Wired: “How the iPhone Blew Up the Wireless Industry”.
An important line here: “Handsets were viewed largely as cheap, disposable lures, massively subsidized to snare subscribers and lock them into using the carriers’ proprietary services. But the iPhone upsets that balance of power. Carriers are learning that the right phone — even a pricey one — can win customers and bring in revenue.”
It’s exactly the same situation in the VRS world. Whichever company invents the coolest VP device du jour is going to get lots more callers onto their video relay service.
VPAD? I’m going to use Viable VRS. Ojo? I’m going to use SnapVRS. iSight? I’m going to use HOVRS. Easy as that. So come on, guys. Create kick-ass products and get them out to customers–fast.
Couldn’t have said it better. If a certain VRS company goes to extra lengths to produce and distribute videophones for free, the least a customer can do is use their VRS service in return. This has always been and will continue to be my stance towards which VRS to use when making my calls.
Sacha, why does it have to be free? If it were $300 but it was amazing, it wouldn’t be worth it? You’d stick with a vp100 and a tv?
I think my last cell phone I had to purchase for $300 and pay for the monthly service.
I assume you’re referring to the VPAD, right? If so, it doesn’t have to be free of course, but since that’s the way it currently is for all the other videophones on the market, a lot of people are going to be used to getting ‘em for free :)
This is my biggest gripe - I want to VP with my signing mother and friends!
Christian, I do not think we are the beggars here - these companies want our business. They are the beggars! :) (Though I am not sure I want HD VRS!)
I admit I kind of can’t wait until the VRS providers shake out, leaving the best three or so for us to pick from. The choices simply are dizzying right now.
I agree — I think the main problem is that we don’t have enough deaf engineers out there who really understand what our needs are.
Great post, Bobby!
That is what makes the VPAD revolutionary. It was designed for the deaf BY the deaf, including deaf engineers!
I read the New Open Nation Initiative at SnapVrs. They are the only vrs company that I know encourage hearing friends and family to purchase ojo phone.
http://www.snapvrs.com/about_u.....cle/?id=15
Very nice, thanks for sharing. I agree, this kind of thing is exactly what the VRS/VP market needs. Since Sorenson has a vise lock on Gallaudet and other places, it’s important for one of the providers to market proven success stories. High profile agencies like NAD or DeafHope are ripe for VRS/VP provider proving grounds to show how deep and wide VP technology can penetrate while helping the community connect with that workplace.
Great article Bobby! You had interesting points; I wonder if the reason why relay companies don’t promote to hearing people is because they may not qualify for the VRS’ federally funded income… since they’re not deaf.
I decided against getting an Ojo. (I had applied for one on their website, and was placed on the waiting list. There were no indications I would be getting an Ojo anytime soon. Still, I told them to take my name off the waiting list.)
The reason is that the Ojo still relies on the ‘two-number’ system for hearing people to reach you. I need a single number solution, so that hearing people can call me and is automagically routed through my VRS provider and the hardware.
Apply for a free 800 number at CSDVRS and that’ll do the job. Hearing people can call your 800 number which will get a (CSDVRS) interpreter connect to your VP directly. Simple as that!
Actually, it’s not THAT simple. I’ve had problems with CSDVRS’s 800 number-my phone never rings when a hearing person calls. Instead, I get an email message. I’ve tried calling tech support to resolve the issue but their instructions end up screwing up my internet settings. Scratch that. I’m waiting for another company to take on the challenge of creating a one-number system.
Maybe you own more than one videophone like I do. If that’s the case, you’re going to have to reconfigure the DMZ setting in your router to set it up in a way that incoming calls get directed to the videophone of your preference. It worked for me.
Nope, I own just one. Bleh, technology can be a headache. =P
Put me in the camp of “I will use the VRS service that provided me the videophone.” I now have a VP-200 and an Ojo. When I use the VP-200, Sorenson gets my business…same thing with the Ojo.
VRS companies need to be rewarded for their hardware investments because the FCC does NOT reimburse them for their costs for hardware provided to potential VRS customers. That’s too bad because that’s a big barrier to incentivizing smaller VRS players to develop something. On the other hand, with the current financial pressures on the TRS fund, it’s probably more important to ensure availability of VRS as a service above anything else at this point in time.
Now that Viable has come out with the snazzy-looking VPAD, it’ll be interesting to see if it addresses some of the concerns I’ve had with the VP-200 & Ojo.
The whole idea (eventually anyway) is to get us to functional and performance parity with hearing callers. The problem today is that none of the desired features have been consolidated to within one provider. Parity would mean being able to do the following:
* Have a one-number system (like CSDVRS does, and unlike everyone else).
* Ability to use multiple videophones in a household (currently only one VP-100/200 and only one Ojo can be hooked up to a home network due to ports allowing only one device to use them).
* Ability to leave a video message (like the Ojo allows, but unlike anyone else).
* Ease of interoperability between any videophone (that’s nobody, for sure! Sorenson does not allow other providers to use its LDAP server which allows us Deafies to call one another directly using a 10-digit phone number.)
* Ability to plug in a light alerting system into a videophone with a RJ-11 phone jack, so that we can confidently await a call. (like the Sorenson VPs, and unlike the Ojos).
* Portability. Hearies can walk around with cordless handsets. The VPAD seems to indicate a level of portability, but practicality of doing so remains to be seen. None of the other units are portable and usable at the same time. One could argue a webcam via a laptop is portable, but that’s a stretch.
* Integrated video screen. Only the Ojo and the VPAD have this.
If one company can manage to accomplish the above list in one videophone device, they will likely hit a grand slam with the Deaf community and incur many FCC fines for lengthy wait times.
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“When I worked at Gallaudet, most people (especially hearing folks) did not have a VP. So how were parents, students, or staff supposed to contact them? That’s right, through the relay. Even though they could sign. I found this outrageous, do you?”
The whole point of the VP is to use it for Video Relay Service, otherwise Sorenson (or any other company) wouldnt be giving out their VPs for free. If the relay service is not being used then what is FCC’s reason to continue to support relay service? Of course it’s encouraged to call people at Gallaudet through the relay. Being able to use point to point on the VP is only a bonus feature.
Secondly, are you quite sure that “most people (especially hearing folks) did not have a VP” at Gallaudet? You’d be surprised to see how many VPs are on campus. You do not work for Sorenson, so you wouldnt know that. Giving VPs to hearing people defeat the point of relay service. However, VP-100s HAVE been given out to hearing faculty and staff at Gallaudet, at their request. If you’re going to make an off-handed comment, make sure you get your information correct.