2nd edition Circle available- Disney removed from name
So got an email today about the new 2nd edition Circle being available. They are calling it the “Circle Home Plus”. I have to admit, I still use my first edition Disney Circle on my kids VLAN today, the time limits and shutoff time alone are worth it. While they aren’t perfect (can’t set what is LAN vs WAN on time usage) they are subscription free and work. My biggest complaint after getting fiber was the speed of the unit. This new unit seems to address that issue with a faster processor and 1Gbe Ethernet connection. They also claim to introduce a new, “Optimized cloud-based solution to deliver a more consistent and reliable experience”.
Another big change appears to use a new app and new login system. I am sure this is due to Disney being removed from the name. So all profiles and filters have to be re-setup which is a bummer but not to cumbersome.
Now for the really really bad news they hide in the fine print. They are going subscription based. The unit includes one year but after that premium features are a whopping $10 a month. Given that options like Clean Browsing.org are cheaper for content filtering this seems really high. Looks like my kids VLAN will be stuck at a slower speed than my fiber for the continued time being.
From Circle
Basic features Premium features Filter Time Limits Off Time Usage Pause Rewards History Bedtime Location Purchase includes 1-year membership with access to all premium features. $9.99/month after first year. Source
While I can understand the business’ desire to monitze the device via a service fee. It’s really hard to see the value prop here compared to what was offered in the previous hardware. Time limits, however they are used (e.g. bedtime/rewards/etc), are the primary feature of the device. There is no real value in the “basic” feature set compared to what I can do with OpenDNS and Pi-hole. Ridiculous.
I did a quick check on what I’m paying for Qustodio and the 5 device option is $55/yr and the 10 device is $97 (the version I have). So far rock solid, but I don’t do time restrictions, as we stay pretty active – but I no problem with a mild binge on a Sunday when not much is going on.
If the V1 Circle is working, might as well keep it.