Review on 📞 Enhanced Communication: Hamilton CapTel 840i Real-Time Closed Captioned Telephone by Michael Boyce

PROS: The product looks well put together and is fairly easy to set up and use. Based on these factors alone, I would give it 5 stars. However, as I will explain below, depending on your Wi-Fi system, there is a serious potential Wi-Fi connection issue that can cause the subtitles service not to work. POTENTIAL AGAINST: WATCH FOR "REPEAT". I ordered this model (840I) for my father, a WWII veteran with a severe hearing impairment. He and my mother live in a building that is an independent campus for the elderly. There is WiFi throughout the building and your room has a strong signal. The Wi-Fi signal was strong (all "bands") on the Cap-Tel phone screen. However, despite a strong signal, "fast" internet connection speed and an "open" channel (not password protected), the phone failed to connect to the Wi-Fi system. The computers, tablets and smartphones used in her room could easily connect to this WiFi system. Cap-Tel's customer service representatives were very courteous, professional, informative and approachable. (There is no timeout when pressing the "Customer Service" button on a Cap-Tel phone.) They reported that there were "problems" with Cap-Tel's Wi-Fi, despite the phone being Wi-Fi-enabled was advertised. Phones not connected to a building-wide Wi-Fi system that uses "repeaters" to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal throughout the building. They tried several times to connect me to no avail and finally offered to return the phone. There is an alternative. Cap-Tel creates a model, does not require an internet connection. However, for optimal use, the user must have a second phone line dedicated to the subtitling service. From what I understand the customer has to pay for the installation of that other line, but then the monthly fee for that line and the subtitles are paid by the government. You should check with your state telephone company before installing a second line. You should also be aware that that this closed captioning system does not use automated voice-to-text software such as that used by smartphones to compose text messages. etc. Instead, it relies on the transcription service of a live person to type out the words spoken by the participant on the other end of the line to the hard of hearing person. like that . There is a LIVING HUMAN eavesdropping on the conversation and typing/drawing. A lot of people I know don't really care, and transcribers are subject to strict privacy laws. Also, the likelihood of errors in subtitles is certainly much lower than when using automated voice-to-text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone are numerous and even published on some websites) than using automated voice-to-text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound and are even posted on some websites.) than the use of automated voice-to-text -Text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound, and are even posted on some websites.) are numerous and even posted on some websites) than using automated voice-to-text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound and are even posted on some websites.) than the use of automated voice-to-text -Text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound, and are even posted on some websites.) are numerous and even posted on some websites) than using automated voice-to-text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound and are even posted on some websites.) than the use of automated voice-to-text -Text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound, and are even posted on some websites.) (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound and are even posted on some websites.) than the use of automated voice-to-text -Text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound, and are even posted on some websites.) (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound and are even posted on some websites.) than the use of automated voice-to-text -Text software. (Stories about the often funny and sometimes unintentionally offensive speech-to-text errors that occur when speech is automatically converted to text on a smartphone abound, and are even posted on some websites.)