AT&T 1738 40-Minute Digital Answering System with Time/Day Stamp
by AT&T
List Price:
Our Price: $14.98
You Save: $3.01 (17%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: CE
See more product details
Customers in the UK,
buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: AT&TModel: 1185
Color: White Mist
Product features:
- 40 minutes of digital recording time
- Caller ID/call waiting compatible
- Remote message check; memo record
- Variable speed playback; volume adjust
- Message Guard memory protection
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of AT&T 1738 40-Minute Digital Answering System with Time/Day Stamp
Customer Review: Great bang for buck
Summary: 5 Stars
I fully agree with Jack Berry's detailed review. Here's a quick supplement to what was not focused on.
I choose the 1738 not because it was AT&T but because after so many years, nearly all AMs, regardless of brand, had the same features; they differ mostly in recording time and a need for battery backup. Sound quality has risen to be equal to low quality cassette tape no matter what AM I auditioned in people's homes. Should I need to archive a phone message, I could easily digitize it by recording playback on my iPod clone.
In 2006, the 1738 is one of the cheapest AMs for price with a 40 min recording time. RAM and flash memory prices are very cheap, so all digital machines reflect this low cost. However, I was skeptical by the mixed reviews posted by many readers given my experience with no-name brand AM. If AMs were all the same, how can AT&T be worse, and for $17, it was low risk test given it cost as much as a list-price music CD.
Maybe AT&T has improved this model to correct negative reviews or there is a large variation in production quality for this model. I was quite surprised; the 1738 is a superb AM. The recorded in and outgoing message was as good as a tape machine. There is a catch: the microphone of the unit is poor quality, and one can make high quality outgoing messages by calling your home, say from a cell phone, and recording your outgoing message using the remote feature; or use the `default' machine generated message. You can use the built in mic, say for the 1738's memo feature, but with far less quality. Despite no battery backup, messages are retained when the unit is unplugged.
What I love about digital machines is the capacity to delete messages mid-playback, delete the middle of queued messages while saving other messages, fast and slow play without the `chipmunk' effect, and voice-mail quick response to remote control features. The 1738 #5 button on the remote is a HELP, and will read out what all the control buttons do, so you needn't carry a reminder card to operate the remote. I only wish AT&T followed the voice-mail control keys of popular systems like Verizon or Meridian, rather than invent their own.
In my engineering experience there are 2 common pitfalls in digital AM that are easily fixed and maybe construed as a product defect: memory fragmentation causing poor recording and failure to use a DSL line filter. I had these minor problems when I used my PC as an answering machine for a brief period. When memory fragments due to a glitch, either power down the machine or erase all the messages to realign memory. Alas, if the memory is truly defective and no allowance was made in the design to bypass faulty memory [such as in most flash or SD memory cards] the problem could be permanent. The DSL carrier signal on a landline is near the supersonic, but it will give very bad results if recorded on phone lines, especially with digital methods. Nearly all DSL providers give line filters which work well, use them on all phone lines.
Description of AT&T 1738 40-Minute Digital Answering System with Time/Day Stamp
AT&T 1738 Digital Answering System with Time/Day StampA stand-alone digital answering system, the 1738 lets you expand your current phone to include messaging capability. With 40 minutes of digital recording time, you will be hard pressed to run out of room, even with talkative friends.
A remote message check feature lets you retrieve your messages while you are away from home, and a memo recording feature lets you easily record important information such as driving directions and telephone numbers. If you subscribe to caller ID/call waiting services, the 1738 will let you know who is calling before you pick up the phone, and also saves both the number and time/date of the incoming call along with any message they leave.
You can adjust the playback volume level to suit your liking, while a variable speed playback feature lets you slow down messages, making them easier to understand. A message counter gives you a visual indication of how many messages your system has received, and the Message Guard memory protection ensures that your messages are safe should a power failure occur. Easy to install and use, the 1738 has a 4.63-by-6.5-inch footprint and comes backed with a one-year limited warranty.
What's in the Box
1738 answering system, telephone line cord, power cord/adapter, user's guide, warranty information
Digital Cameras and Photo Categories
Similar digital cameras and accessories
AT&T CL81209 DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone, Silver/ Black, 2 HandsetsVtech; CE
Best price: $38.19
Price in other shops:
Norpro Cordless Mini Mixer, 5 Piece SetNorpro; Norpro; Kitchen
Best price: $3.99
AT&T 210 Corded Phone, White, 1 HandsetAdvanced American Telephones; CE
Price in other shops:
GE 26191 Duplex Wall Jack Adapter (White)Jasco; CE
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
GE TL26192 Line Cord (15 Ft., White, 4-Conductor)GE; CE
Best price: $0.80
Price in other shops:
AT&T Corded Phone with Digital Answering System, White (CL4939)Vtech; CE
Price in other shops:
AT&T 1739 Corded Digital Answering System, WhiteAT&T; Release date: 2011-11-23; CE
Price in other shops: