Warpia ConnectHD Wireless Video Conferencing and PC to TV System

First off, Thank you Amazon for the prompt overnight delivery. Let me tell you... If you are home user looking for a better solution for skype or skype type program... or even a business looking for a video conference solution..LOOK NO FURTHER. We use this in an enterprise environment where we have 4 small conference rooms with 50" LCD TV's setup and the quality is amazing! We use Adobe Connect for the software medium and the video quality is beyond our expectations for $200. Not only is it a true wide angle but the video itself is fantastic!!! Both my IT director and Sys Admin are highly impressed with how easy it is to use and the quality. We have already planned to order 4 more units that's how impressed we are. Also to make this company and this product even more awesome there tech support is fantastic... I called to get a price on replacement transmitters (in case the sales staff looses them) not only did I get a person RIGHT AWAY which blew my mind but he was friendly and very knowledgeable!! Oh yeah and the wireless HDMI... phenomenal no noticeable latency on my end at all!!

Don't think just buy... Great Product!!

I saw this product demonstrated at The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last week in Las Vegas and decided to pick one up. I was skeptical that it would work like it did at the show. You know how companies are always rigging demonstrations to work perfectly at a booth. I got the product right away (thanks Amazon Prime) and was able to set it up this past weekend. I am running a decently powered Dell laptop with an i5 processor and 4GB of memory and I have to say that after four days of use, I am really happy with the performance. The set up wasn't to difficult. I had to make a couple of tweaks to my firewall software but with a reboot, I had it up and running in about 10 minutes.

I have AppleTV which is a great product but this product is much more flexible. We will still keep the AppleTV in the den but the Warpia is set up in the family room. The webcam is really nice. We have family across the country and there is nothing worse than trying to get both kids and me in front of the webcam on my laptop to Skype with the grandparents in Florida. We have used the webcam a couple of times and it's easy to sit on the couch and have a proper conversation. I didn't think that I would need the included microphone but the mic on the laptop is nowhere near as powerful as this one. It allows people to be heard in most parts of the room.

Overall I am pleasantly surprised and will continue to test to see how it works with other applications. If anything changes, I will be sure to update my review.

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I bought this for my office, where I do presentations for clients on a big screen monitor. The big screen is on the other side of the room and I just had a problem with having an A/V guy in to run wires behind the walls, doing as best they can to hide as much of the wires as possible. I read about the Warpia (strange name, but I didn't forget it -so proves they knew what they were doing by picking it!) and in particular their wireless video technology. It seemed to be the best wireless solution out there and the ratings here on Amazon were quite favorable.

Then I happened to notice this little device that is wireless video plus! I thought it might be useful if ever I want to have a web conference with a few people in my office sitting around a table. Let me tell you, this little camera, coupled with the wireless video, is a match made in heaven. I love the ability to do conferences with a wide angle lense that gives the impression that I really have some high-end (i.e. expensive -not that this unit isn't quality far from it!) equipment. I think back to the days when Nortel offered video conferencing to corporate clients. It cost tens of thousands of dollars for the hardware alone and the per usage fees were on top of that!

When I am not in meetings (either web or doing face-to-face presentations), I have business news on my big screen, which acts as a third monitor. It's very cool having this third monitor now and I looked into USB devices that serve no other purpose than to allow you to plug in an additional monitor into your pc and they cost $60 to $70 alone. And no, I do not have a high performance pc. I did not notice any deterioration in performance since using this third monitor and the controllers that were installed to make it all work.

All in all, this is very good value. I recommend this device without hesitation.

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I promised on Christmas morning that this would be the last time My family squeezes in front of a PC camera to Skype with family out of state. Cant tell you how happy we are that we purchased the ConnectHD. The wide angle camera is really impressive. The quality is amazing and we can all sit comfortably in the front room while video conferencing. One thing that was unexpected was the microphone that comes with the device. Our family on the other end couldnt believe how crystal clear we sounded so far from the laptop and TV. Im not sure what kind of technology is used, but it works really well. Were looking forward to utilizing the wirless streaming feature that is built into this device as well. Im the past, we have always used an HMDI calbe to conect my PC to the TV. Great to be wireless! What a great proudct. I highly reccoment it.

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I saw this product on the CES show. So just can't wait to buy one right always on the Amazon. Only take 2 days from Amazon to me. Take less than 10 minutes to set up the system. This is cool product only less than $200 for stream video from the laptop to my big screen TV and also can do video call. The video quality is great. I bought my two big screen TV about 2 years ago. I won't buy the smart TV maybe other 5-7 years. This is the good solution for stream all my movie from my laptop to my TV. And nice quality video on the skype video call. So I am very happy with my Warpia ConnectHD.

NAXA Electronics NPB-237 Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio

• AM/FM stereo radio with top loading CD player
• 20 track programmable memory and LED digital display
• Soft-eject CD cover and included play/pause, skip/search, and repeat function
• Telescopic antenna and Aux-in jack with dynamic high performance speakers
• 2 way power either DC battery or AC power

The CD player did not work. but had no issues returning it. Not sure if it was just a fluke as I didn't purchase another one.

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It seems with everything digital these days, it is hard to even find an old school CD boombox. I needed one for our baby's nursery and this is where it sits. It plays a CD and that's all I needed it for. The buttons, etc. are pretty durn cheap and flimsy, but what to expect for under $20? I don't expect it'll last all that long.

First Alert DW-01 Digital Wireless Camera

Picture quality is poor. Color quality is poorer. Video is very blocky. For motion to be fluid, the video must disply at 17 fps. This camera appears to display at about 5 frames per second. The IR night vision is good to about 10 ft. Beyond that, depends on how reflective an object is. All of the above observations were made with the camera 6 ft from the reciever.

This is a CMOS camera. Now days you can buy a CCD camera (far superior in every way) for the same price or just a little more.

One positive note. The wireless range seems to be ok. I have used it at a range of over 200 ft with the camera outside and the reciever inside the house where the signal had to pass through several walls. Signal strenght was 4 of 5 at that range. The afore mentioned picture, color and video qualities were unchanged from 6 ft to 200 ft.

Mini Vehicle Car HD Camera DVR DV Recorder LED IR Nightvision

• Features 8 IR infrared LED emitters for night vision illumination.
• Works day and night.
• Comes with red laser sight for view angle/video shotting alignment.
• Features a 1/5 color CMOS camera.
• Supports cycled recording.

I have two of the cameras for years and had no trouble so I bought another one ... The things you record as you drive. shipping good...

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It records in two minute intervals and the picture is jerky at best during video recording... I am not a fan

Casio Exilim EX-M2 2MP Digital Camera, MP3 Player and Voice Recorder

I am overall pleased with my purchase.

PROS:

1. really nice style; eye-poppingingly small; attractive aluminum finish; fits in pocket/take it with you everyday.

2. fast response (due to fixed focus lens which is also a con); ready to take a picture almost instantly.

3. video mode is very fun; takes decent mpeg videos with sound even in low light; i use this feature a lot.

4. mp3 function is awesome; except included earbuds are useless (too big for ear hole); good battery life.

CONS:

1. picture quality only fair; fixed focus optimal for subjects around 3-5 ft away. closeups & landscapes not so sharp. low light stiuations for stills pretty bad (i dont like to use flash).

2. quality of remote unit for mp3 is bad. after only 2 months the wire crapped out (must jiggle and hold in a certain position for sound to come through).

3. battery life for stills & videos could be better but not really bad.

4. only 8MB built in memory; i recommend buying 256MB SD card (i wasted money on separate 64 & 128 cards)

you could get better optics in a similarly small package (the sony dsc-u20 for example; sharper pictures but poor video quality, no sound or mp3, cheap plasticy case); but the combination of the mp3 function, fast response as well as attention getting style made this the choice for me.

I love this camera! It is so easy to carry around with you. I use the MP3 function daily, and now also have a camera on me at all times to take shots of interesting things. I also use the video function a fair bit just need to figure out how to email video "greetings" to people. I plan on using it to email birthday wishes to friends/family.

The buttons on the camera are small, but fairly easy to use I don't have any difficulty using them. The on/off button is quite close to the power button so you need to be careful which one you are pressing. It is very easy to add MP3s onto the camera connect the camera to your PC and copy and paste as you would move any other files. Very simple!

My only complaint about this product is the accompanying software is not user-friendly. I don't like how it downloads all of your pictures into one library. It is very difficult to access a single picture because they are all lumped together in a combined file. One minor concern is the battery it uses a rechargable lithium battery. So you need to put it into the cradle to recharge. The battery is excellent(5 hours), but if the battery runs out, you can't just run to the store and buy more. This hasn't posed a problem for me, but is something to be aware of if you are planning on using the camera all day (i.e. don't play the MP3 player when you are out taking pictures for the day if you don't have access to your recharger)

The 12MB onboard memory is enough for just taking pictures. If you plan on using the MP3 function, and taking full advantage of the video and sound recording capabilities, you need to buy a SD memory card (these are pricey). I originally bought a 64MB card, which gives you about 1 hour of music play (but that uses up the card). I recently purchased a 256MB card and recommend others purchase at least 128MB. I have over 40 songs on my 256MB card, and still have room for over 300 normal sized pictures, or about 16 30-second videos. For everyday use, this is perhaps too much memory, but if you plan on travelling, you'll need it.

This product is perfect for anyone who travels a fair bit. I really like how it combines several useful features into one product. I don't know how good the quality of the pictures are in professional terms. I am just your average user the pics look great to me. This camera also comes in a 1.2 megapixel version I purchased this one (2.0 megapixel) because the pictures had better depth. There is only a 4X digital zoom this means your pictures lose clarity as you zoom in. The latest version of this camera has an optical zoom, but the camera is about twice as thick, and does not include the MP3 player. I find the 4X digital zoom is adequate for my needs. Overall a fantastic product!

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I purchased this camera instead of a higher quality camera because of its size and its functions. The mp3 player part of it is awesome and the size of it is very convenient. its a great camera, although the quality of the pictures arent that great. i recommend this camera for people looking to take everyday pictures, but if you're looking for quality, this camera might not satisfy you. i bought a 256 memory card with it, and it allows me to have as many things on my camera as i desire. great design very stylish.. =]

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I bought my girlfriend the Exilim S2 about a year ago, she got fed up with me using it, so I had to buy my own. The thing is just amazing. Simple to use, in a beautiful, sturdy, magnesium, credit-card sized body. And the battery lasts ages. Picture quality on the lower resolution settings isn't so good, and the digital zoom is rubbish, but that's hardly the point. This is a camera for snaps, moments where you just want to reach into your pocket and snap what's in front of you. The computer interface is a doddle I use it with my Mac, and all the file formats are standard so you can use it with just about anything. I know about five people that have gone out and bought this camera after I demonstrated it to them, I should be getting commission from Casio!

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The camera is extremely nice.. its small.. light weight.. the picture quality is nice.. even though while taking the picture using digital zoom just blows it up and makes it blurry.. other than that the quality its fine.. transfering files to and from the camera is easy..once its hooked up.. its detected as a removeable disk.. where you can preview all the images, delete, edit, and store.. you can also put mp3s on it.. there is already a seperate folder where you can put the mp3s... the battery life of the camera is fairly decent.. i was listening it for about 5 hours and it used only half the battery... while taking pictures... about 50 pictures with lcd and flash on will take almost half the batterys power.. the power button and the shutter button is very easily distinguishable and wont be that easily pressed unless you have enourmous fingers.. overall this camera is worth the money

VIVE Surround Sound Microphone

Features and pros:

1) This is an excellent surround sound microphone with inbuilt Dolby Prologic encoder.

2) The microphone houses four electret mics and powered by a button cell.

3) The whole system is very tiny and sits on top of your video camera in Camera Hot Shoe mount.

4) The Mic hot shoe mount also has an inbuilt shock mount.

5) The encoded audio output is available through a stereo headphone jack which you connect to your camera aux. or mic. in to record in your camera just like any other external microphone. Apparently this may look like a normal stereo sound signal, but it is actually a Dolby Prologic encoded audio where multiple channel data in encoded as phase shift audio. When you play back the sound through your surround sound system, it decodes dolby Prologic and you get surround sound output.

6) The sound quality is excellent and there is very little noise in the mic. circuit.

Cons: The construction is very light and fragile, so careful handling is required.

No wind screen is available yet.

Recommended: Yes, this is an excellent mic. for its capabilities and price.

Zmodo 8 Channel Security Surveillance Digital Video Recorder with built-in 500GB hard drive for Rec

I had 3 of these and each one failed after 1 month. They stopped recognizing the mouse, then video out started rolling and finally stopped seeing any hard drive I put in. NO SUPPORT, basically a flawed design..

Hardware worked well out of the box and was up and running in minutes. Using the DVR over my ethernet connection was challenging due to issues with the ActiveX controls needed to run the viewer in Internet Explorer. No support for Firefox or Chrome. The Software CD was blank, the manual is very poor and not written in proper English. After days of tinkering, I was absolutely unable to record on motion detection only. I called the US customer service numbers and they were both disconnected. The H264 video files are impossible to play on my PC no matter what player or codecs I download. It's a decent piece of hardware for the money, but the software will leave you frustrated.

Since the original review, I did contact someone who spoke English and I have the software working properly. The system is a good value for the money. I would consider purchasing again.

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DC DXG-202V Tapeless Digital Video Camera

This camera is barely usable as a video camera. First off, you need a LOT of light when capturing video... daylight or close to it.

Other not so great features:

Video frame rate is no better than 15fps at 320 x 240 (as stated in the manual) The best I've seen in the tests I've done so far is around 10 12fps. Marginal at best, and certainly not video camera quality.

The battery/memory slot door is flimsy; it looks like it'll break after a handful of uses.

no optical zoom. Digital zoom is a useless gimmick.

no mounting options at all, so you can't use it on a tripod.

The camera has some nice features, though.

It's compact

The pop-up LCD screen is not bad.

the built-in microphone captures sound well.

If you need a small, cheap digital camera that produces average still photos, marginally useful video and good sound capture... then this camera may suit you.

Many other regular digital cameras in this price range have better digital camera features (optical zoom, better lens) and can capture short movie clips that are as good (or as bad) as this camera. They're probably a better choice.

I bought this little unit as a take-anywhere video camera to record those day-to-day, once-in-a-lifetime moments of my child that you usually only catch as a memory in your head. It's not the camera you want to use for big events like birthdays or holidays, because the video quality is not good enough. But it's perfect for casual outings to the park, or places you may not want to take your expensive video equipment.

It easily fits in my pocket, so no matter where we're going, I take it along. And since it was so cheap, I don't have to worry about breaking it. I even take it close to the pool--although it is NOT waterproof or water resistant.

It does not give the same high-quality video as my expensive miniDV tape camcorder, or my expensive Canon S2 IS digital camera, but the quality is sufficient for the price.

I can take tons of video on my 512 meg SD card (I calculated 45 minutes on the highest resolution), but have yet to use all of the card in one outing) and then I can upload it to my child's website, or burn it onto a DVD.

Some people have complained about the battery/sd card door, but although it is hard to close, I don't anticipate it ever breaking.

PROS:

Inexpensive.

Small enough to take just about anywhere.

Super-long battery life (using nimh rechargeables).

No tapes!!

Records in easy-to-edit avi files.

CONS:

Results are poor if the camera is moved around too quickly while filming. Sometimes you get a "warp" effect if you move too much, too quickly.

No lens cap.

Awkward handling since the lcd screen flips up rather than swinging out to the side as in a typical camcorder.

Terrible in low-light conditions.

In the month that I've owned it, I've captured lots of memories that I would otherwise never been able to see again or share with others.

I was skeptical about it when I purchased it, but this thing is a keeper!

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The Mustek DV4000 doesn't come close to the DXG-202v camera. The Mustek feels cheap, the case is cheap, and the movies come out fairly blurry. The photos on the Mustek over-emphasize the color red and are pixely down to VGA (640x480). However, the DXG-202V has a small fold out LCD screen, a firm case design, the photos are very similar to a 2MP CCD camera and the movies come out very clear. And, unlike the Mustek's line of MPEG4 cams, the DXG-202v uses the MJPEG AVI file format which WORKS FOR MAC, TOO! I use my DXG-202v in iMovie and QuickTime. And the last wonderful thing about this cam is that it's a fraction of the price of a Mustek DV4000 camera. The only thing I would change about this cam is that instead of a smooth zoom in video mode, it seems to zoom choppy; other than that I am very happy with this camera.

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I LOVE THIS LITTLE CAMERA!I have sent back 2 mustek dv3000 cameras,the pictures were blury and grainy and it was so hard to download the pictures.The pictures taken with this camera were crisp and clear,and easy to download.If you want a low priced camera that takes decent pictures,this camera is for you.

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I just bought this camera and let me say the features are endless. It's a 2MP digital, video camera, audio recorder (wav format), mass media storage device, and a webcam all in one. Clear video, crisp pictures. People say there is no zoom in video mode and this is not true. This is a great camera for the price!

Mede8er MED500X High Definition Multimedia Player 1080P DTS MKV

• Play just about everything ....on your TV
• Direct Transfer from your Camcorder to the Mede8er
• Real easy Home Photo slide show with music.
• Modern and simple HD User Interface.
• Listen to Live Internet Radio

This is an excellent media player with top notch support. It can support up to a 2TB SATA II hard drive. You can also stream right from your computer over your local area network. I would suggest if you are going to stream, find a free NFS server like Hanewin. You can stream over UPNP, but the NFS server sends the data faster so you will have very few glitches. The server is easy to setup and there is a lot of info over at the med8ator forums, the company that makes this device. The only files that ever glitch over my wired network are 1080p blu rays at a very high bitrate and true-hd audio or DTS-HD master audio. These are the lossless highest quality audio files just like what they play at the movie theater. This media play does support these files as well so if you have an amp that supports these latest formats it will play them in full quality and not downsample them like some of the other media players out there. Any that are too high of a bit rate to play through my network, I just copy onto my 2TB hard drive I installed in the unit. Takes about 5 mins to install. I have read that with the wireless n dongle that is an option for this unit it will stream just as well as a wired network, but I cannot verify this as I already wired my house with CAT6 cable to have the most stable connections possible to all of my various devices in the living room. You can also copy to a usb stick or external usb 2.0 hard drive as the unit has 2 usb 2.0 ports and they are plenty fast enough to play any video file perfectly.

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This is a wonderful media player and makes life much easier. You chose a hard drive of preferred capacity and enjoy the show! The hardware buttons and an optional keyboard is all a nice addition.

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I bought this product expecting to have a excellent multi media player for a good price.When I received the product I plugged it in and guess whatnothing. There is no internal hardware installed.I went through the ad and nowhere does it state that the hard drive is not included.Which makes this product very expensive and not worth buying now.

Sony HT-6800DP 5-Disc Progressive Scan Home Theater System

• 120 watts x 6 audio/video receiver with MP3-friendly DVD player and full 6.1-channel speaker system
• 120-watt powered subwoofer; 5-disc DVD changer with progressive-scan video output for high-resolution picture on compatible TVs
• Decodes DTS ES, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Pro Logic II for enveloping surround sound from any source
• 2 component-, 3 composite-video/analog audio inputs accommodate a satellite receiver, VCR, cable box, and digital video recorder
• Includes UniCommander remote control and all requisite speaker cabling; FM/AM tuner with 30 station presets (20 FM, 10 AM)

Received the Sony HT-6800DP 5-Disc Progressive Scan Home Theater System on Tuesday, and spent a couple of days/evenings setting it up. The tricky part was mounting the speakers, but that can be solved with purchasing the correct wall mounts first. Then it was off to the store again to get the right component cables and optical connections.

The box includes a standard quality set of connections, but I recommend an immediate cable and stereo wire upgrade. Of course, this adds to the overall purchase price, but its worth the extra investment and the homework necessary to get what you need for a great picture and awesome sound from the start.

Again, the Sony HT-6800DP 5-Disc Progressive Scan Home Theater System is an excellent buy. The separate five DVD/CD changer is a convenient plus too. And forget negatives about Sony in the review previous to this one. This home theater system goes far beyond expectations and performance with the power necessary to back it up (when compared to other brands and models straight from the box). Sony still delivers quality products. Just be patient when a little more assembly seems to be required. Again, it is worth the time and the added effort to put the system together right the first time.

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Just purchased one this weekend. The system overall is really nice. It is easy to setup and the sound is really good. The only problem I have is that it isn't as loud as I would have liked. I put it in a very large room and the sound gets lost with all the space. If you have a large room i would recommend at least a 1000watt system. But even in the large room it sounds pretty good. I'm not disappointed in my purchase.

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I purchased this system before Christmas 2005. Attention audiophiles. Ignore this system. I used to be an audiophile when I could hear well. I am a retired electronics engineer, and I know this stuff.

I'll take it a section at a time and then treat the entire system.

Speakers: They are adequate for a small room at moderate sound levels. You will not feel the room shake with super bass. The subwoofer is adequate for the seven speaker setup. Remember folks, you paid less than 600 bucks for this. It delivers a pretty good bang for the buck. Bose (or similar) speakers would improve the system a lot. They are very efficient and well engineered. They are not cheap!

Amplifer: It is rated at about 160 watts at 10% total harmonic distortion (THD). That is very high for today's solid state amplifiers. It doesn't matter though because the speaker distortion at that power level would be much higher. Remember folks, that power is split up between six speakers. The sub woofer has its own amplifier.

Preamp: Well, those things are sort of like 8-track tapes today, history. Everything is digitally processed now. Play with the various autio settings. Play with the menus. You won't find a treble or bass knob. Everything (almost) is menu driven.

Inputs: These include video and audio inputs. You can name the inputs so they appear on the digital box display when you select one (front panel or with the remote control), or you can leave them at their default settings.

Outputs: Many of them, but not enough for me. I would like to see more "line" outputs from each major subsystem. Note: This system is "cheap" because Sony sells a lot of them. If you want high end gear, buy it. Sony sells it too. It's costly not because of the electronics inside. That is a done deal now and relatively cheap. The high end stuff is pricy because of advanced engineering and limited production. Sony has to pay its bills just like the rest of us. That means that they must make a profit too!

The manual: An abomination! I wrote to Sony (not a hate letter). They told me they were taking my suggestions under advisement. Gee that made me feel warm and fuzzy all over!

Writing an instruction manual for complex consumer electronics is a difficult task. Sony must assume some things first. Focus groups at Sony target an audience for the product. In the case of this system, their audience (customer base) is the average person who only wants plug and play. Make it easy for me! Cranky engineers like me should not buy this gear.

In my love letter to Sony I begged them to give me a data port on the digital box. Give me some free software for my laptop. Get rid of the manual! Use computer documentation like we see now for every gizmo or piece of software we put into our computers. Practically everybody can use a PC these days. Give me a Windows program with a graphical representation of the two boxes and the speakers if necessary. In that graphic allow me to specify some kind of periperal gizmo that I want to hook to the digital box. If it's Sony gizmo of recent vintage, that should make it easier.

As I define my gizmos and attempt to hook them up, warn me if I have done something wrong. Offer suggestions. That is so easy folks! It's called "intelligent" software. Considering the number of Sony Home Theater systems sold, the software development cost is nothing. Okay, add ten bucks to the price and really advertise it! I'll buy it!

The integrated DVD gizmo: As far as I have determined this box will play every CD/DVD that has ever been created and many that are still on the drawing board. Well, I'm old! I used to use drawing boards before my boss put a computer on my desk! My life has not been the same since. Oh, the good old days.

Remote contols: A major pain in the butt. Sony has attemped to help the consumer with "control consols" to relieve the remote control congestion. I must have 25 of them. It seem now that most all remotes attempt to control everything. Well, what about my ceiling fan? Just kidding.

I'm trying to "engineer" an audio/video system that my wife can use and enjoy. She can really drive that Wega 32 inch TV. It's two years old now and technically fit for only being a boat anchor. I wonder if it floats.

To sum up, I think this system is okay for ordinary people. I am not ordinary. I am very weird.

J Hinkson

El Sobrante, CA

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Very economical and a good value for the price. Assembly is simple, and instructions cover the basics. Too bad my ex-wife took the system with her when she left.

I must say I have had a very, very bad experience with this paticular home theater system and Sony. I can't actually rate the system because I have yet to use it. I received this system the end of October and after spending several hours putting it together was only able to play two DVD's. After that I couldn't get a picture. I then spent several hours over the phone with their help desk and after we exhausted every possible solution I was told to send it back, which I did. When I finally got it back I hooked it up and it still did not work again had to spend considerable time exhausting possible solutions on the phone with the help desk. I was asked to send it back yet again and also told I would not be getting a new DVD player but a returned or refurbished one. I find this unacceptable and due to the fact I have had to waste my time and money I would NEVER purchase any Sony product from here on out.

VideoSecu Outdoor Day Night Infrared Security Camera 600TVL Built-in 1/3" Sony CCD 20 IR LEDs Vanda

I am a mid-20's tech-geek, that happens to work in private security. I do a lot of camera work, so my expectations are always high. Our neighborhood has had a lot of break ins, so this system has a purpose...to make sure I put the guy behind bars. This camera was very easy to install, and the brackets went on very secure. I also purchased an Aposonic DVR card for a dedicated PC with 500gb's of storage, so keep in mind that when I refer to video quality it is describing the video after being converted to digital. So far I have been recording 4 shots, at 640x480 @ 100% quality and in a week have only used 4% of my storage capacity.

The housing design is very slick, and is by no means an "eye sore."

The IR lights are powerful enough to view the immediate area of the camera, but the quality deteriorates at about 30 ft. The iris adjusts very quickly if any light sources enter the shot (ie: headlights). I purchased 5 of these cameras, all for outdoor use (however I only used 4...I ruined one, which I will explain later). This camera does capture a wide angle, so I probably could have covered my entire house/yard using 2-3.

Pros

-Crisp, clear shot during the day. Adequate shots in the night.

-Very solid, great quality

-Great design, which is also very functional

-Great Autofocus, Iris, and Color.

Cons

-The factory cable is built in, and cannot be replaced if ruined (that's how I ruined a camera)

-Wires are accessible when camera is positioned at certain angles.

-Very fast movement (such as wind blowing) makes the camera appear very pixelated.

Overall recommendation:

A+ This product is great for home security, or to cover large areas. If this is to catch shoplifters, you may want to go with something that gets you a closer shot.

Side Note:

This camera does not include a power supply, so make sure you purchase one. Also, be careful when loosening the enclosure as I stripped the security screw....and I had to drill it out.

The "microphone" model is just the standard camera with a seperate external microphone add-on: it looks like a 12inch siamese cable (but it's 3-way:power-in, power-out, audio-out) with a tiny mic wraped in tape. The "microphone" is just thrown in the box of their standard model.

Over the last six months I've bought 6 dome cameras from warehouserseller: two 420 line with power supply; two, of the "microphone" and two of the 480 line models (power supply extra). The manufacturer's spec sheet is the same for ALL cameras that I received. The camera housing varies a little (pull-apart or twist (or screw) off).

As to the Videosecu label and serial, most the cameras I ordered didn't not have it, but Jenny who answers the phone (and does tech support) swears everything is good.

OK, the cameras work fine.

The 480 line camera had a sticker on the outside of the box, but inside the box the manufacture's spec sheet says that its a 420 line camera.

I like the camera (all cameras I orderd appeard to have the same resolution) and warehouseseller ships quickly.

I recommend ONLY the standard model ($65.00) that comes with the power supply, because that's what you'll probably get anyway.

These dome cameras are fish-eye wide-angle: good as a front-door cam, back or front-yard cam. For a driveway get the swann Bulldog (bullit type) cam. To keep an eye on my car in the street, I use the swann.

Mike the K

Buy VideoSecu Outdoor Day Night Infrared Security Camera 600TVL Built-in 1/3" Sony CCD 20 IR LEDs Vanda Now

Very sharp picture day and night that smoked the two other $220 cameras I bought. I exchanged those for two more of these. Great camera.

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I own a number of cameras and this one left me a bit flat after some of the great reviews. For a "fixed" camera with "sound", I expected a bit more perhaps. While the night vision is really quite good, the color during the day is really "washed out" looking.

Image "Clarity" is acceptable but not what I would classify as "HD" quality.

The sound is pretty much useless as it is muffled and mostly unintelligible on playback. (h.264 dvr set to HD)

Cabling is decent enough and so far the unit is "reliable"

If I was just purchasing for "surveillance" use only and not needing good "facial recognition" then the camera is good enough. If you are trying to "ID" a stranger, I might suggest stepping up to a better grade camera.

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I bought this camera to replace another which I paid much more for. This camera is a Gem. Great focus and wide angle view. Night time is superb. You wont go wrong with it. Solid construction, none of the mickey mouse plastic stuff.

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Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner

I tried SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual High Definition Digital Television HDHR3-US (Black) but had pixelation problems several times every show on two channels so I decided to try Hauppauge 2250 PCI-E Dual TV Tuner card and I am so delighted. Not only are my pixelation problems history, I also get better picture, FM radio, and analog channels for no additional cost!

This is my setup on Windows 7 64-bit. First let me say that installing the card and setting up the Hauppauge 2250 was the easiest part of my setup. I have TimeWarner cable and am paying $41/month for standard internet (10Mbs download and 1MBs upload) and basic cable. I have a three-way splitter on the cable coming out of the wall. One cable goes directly to the FM radio on this Hauppage 2250 pc card and I receive numerous FM channels which I can access through the radio player in Windows Media Center (WMC).

The second cable runs from the splitter to the TimeWarner modem to my ooma Hub VoIP Phone Device with No Monthly Phone Service Bills where I get a landline for free then to Netgear WNR2000 for wireless connection of printers, tablets, smartphones, etc and then ethernet out to Gateway DX4350-UR21P Desktop (Black) from where I can couch surf on Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin Keyboard with Backlighting, Logitech Wireless Mouse M505, and Logitech Wireless Touchpad with Multi-Touch Navigation (910-002345) which share one unifying USB receiver so only one USB slot is taken in my pc. I especially like the keyboard which lights up only when my hands come near for easy viewing in a darkened room.

The third cable runs to the TV tuner in this Hauppauge 2250 card. I did not install or use anything else included in the box as the ir cable was too short and I don't need extra inputs. The Hauppauge 2250 card is available on Amazon card only without all the extras Hauppauge 1229 WinTV-HVR-2250 White Box for System Builders Dual Hybrid PCI-E TV Tuner Board but I purchased the 1213 instead of the 1229 thinking I was going to use some of the extras which seemed like a bargain for only $9.40 but I ended up not using any of them.

The Hauppage CSR told me that the tv tuner was a dual tuner and that during installation I would have to decide between whether I wanted digital HD OR analog SD OR antenna. However, using Windows 7 64 bit Windows Media Center, I just followed the prompts letting it automatically install and W7 WMC found 2 digital tuners AND 2 analog tuners and I clicked that is correct and let it search for channels finding both analog SD and digital HD on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, TBS, CW, HSN, and WGN as well as analog only on CNN, TNT, Lifetime, Nikelodeon, USA, MTV, FNC, SPIKE, TWC, AETV, AMC, DSC, BRAVO, MBNBC, CNBC, EP, Food, FX, KUSI, HGTV, TLC, HIST, SyFy, WEP, TCM, Comedy Channel, LMN, Toon, Disn, APLP, TVLAND, BET, and IONSATP. All of the analog channels I was unable to get on the HDHomerun dual tuner as it does not have an analog tuner. While I would prefer HD to SD, I like receiving all these analog SD channels that I did not get on the clear-qamm HD only tuner. Some shows I like are not available anywhere in HD and others are available in a variety of places in HD or SD for various prices. For example, I would not want to live without the Daily Show with Jon Stewart or the Colbert Report which I can watch on HuluPlus in HD for $8/month or on the Comedy Channel website for free or iTunes for $1.99 per episode which comes to about $32/month (tip, buy Apple stock not Apple products)or in SD with this 2250 card for free. So in Windows 7, this one Hauppage 2250 card is viewed in WMC7 as 4 tuner choices but only available to use two at a time with these two hybrid tuners able to free switch around between digital HD, analog SD, and FM radio automatically controlled by WMC7. WMC in Windows Vista was able to control only 2 tuners which may have been with what the CSR was familiar.

I control my WMC with my Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touchscreen using the Infrared receiver in the Windows 7 Vista XP Media Center MCE PC Remote Control and Infrared Receiver for Home, Premium and Ultimate Edition with USB 2.0 Extension Cable Type A Male to Type A Female 6 ft, Black to get the receiver on top of my Onkyo HTX-22HDX Ultra-Compact HD Home Theater System (Black) with add-on speaker set making 5.1 surround sound without any tweaking on my Gateway DX4350-UR21P and then HDMI cable out to Samsung 52" HDTV. BTW, the code you need for your Harmony One remote to send signal to the IR receiver to control you W7WMC is Ortek VRC-1100.

It was much more of an ordeal than I anticipated to get this setup. I tried many products and found that all kinds of various electronic issues that were further complicated by no technical support or technical support that did not speak English or was not familiar with their products or was unable to solve their problems or with defective products. I remember the good old days when companies had their products checked out by TWO quality control departments before releasing to the retailer but now the consumer has to figure it out and return defective products within the alloted return timeframe. My FAVORITE technical support was Gateway who said "No Tweaking required, IT JUST WORKS!" So I am watching full 1080p with 5.1surround sound via the Hauppage 2250 tuner card and I am thrilled. My audio and video have never been better even when I was paying $100/month to Times Warner. My PC records faster and searches 1000 faster than the TW box I had to rent for $15/month Good riddance! If I want to pay for more additional channels such as ShowTime or HBO, I would need to rent a descramble box from TW and place it in the cable from the three-way splitter to the tv tuner in the Hauppage 2250 card. However, I like Amazon Prime Instant Video for movies better as there is more available to watch when you want to watch something and my Amazon streaming experience is better than I ever got from Netflix, Blockbuster, or HuluPlus.

I feel I have optimized getting the best tv entertainment experience for the least cost in my area and for my preferences. I think I am set now for the next year as Times Warner gave a 12-month price guarantee. Apparently 1080p will no longer be the best video quality out there when 4K is released this 3Q12 being 8 times better they say but it will be awhile before broadcasts, discs, and other video sources get up to that quality.

If my review was helpful to you in any way, would you please click on HELPFUL below?

Wow, I really dont know if I should give this product a one star or five star. I'll settle for a three for the pain it caused me.

First, my system: Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz, 4GB DDR2RAM, 256MB ATI graphics card w/HDMI out, 640GB HDD, Vista Home Premium 32bit. I am located in the mountains of SoCal, where OTA doesnt quite work, and so ClearQAM from TimeWarner is my only option.

Let me start off by saying if you are looking for a dual-tuner for digital/analog viewing, this is one of your best choices. However, expect to spend a night or two of surfing forums, updating drivers, installing hotfixes, etc... The problem is that Vista Media Center (initially) doesnt recognize the ClearQAM tuner, only the analog tuners. How to fix this? Well, my 8 hours of pain can be your simple gain.

Disclaimer: you will be adding a value to Vista's registry if you follow this review, so anything you do is on you alone!

1) If you've been trying to get the tuner to work, wipe all the tuner's drivers off utilizing the utility on the CD (select total and the checkbox below it) and restart Vista.

2) Update Windows.

3) Install the HVR-2250 and the BETA drivers from Hauppauge's USA website.

4) Install TV Pack 2008 (search online for it)

5) Install PC Ready Play (from MS download site)

6) Install the 2 hotfixes (KB951585 and KB950754 from MS download site)

7) Update Windows. (there will be a cumulative update for TV pack)

8) Open the registry (run/regedit)

9) Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hcw89

10) Add a new Folder (key) and name it: Parameters

11) Add a new DWORD to that and name it: AllowQAM_PowerToy

12) Make that value for the new string: 1

13) *Repeat 10-12 for: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hcwPrx89

14) Reboot Vista

15) You should be good to go. When in Media Center, the automated set-up might still tell you that it found two analog tuners, which you then select manual set-up and go through the steps. You should see a choice for ClearQAM!

*Notes: the hcwPrx89 folder did not exist in my registry, so I had to create the folder and then add the DWORD.

For $130, I would expect Hauppauge to have either better drivers or better support. Scouring the forums will result in similar fixes like I describe above. I guess something similar to this works for Windows 7.

Oh, the good: it works like it's supposed to (after forementioned).

Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

Buy Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner Now

Ok, I ordered the Hauppauge 1213 WinTV 2250 on Amazon. The device arrived promptly and the price wasn't all that bad. However, this was to the full extent of my pleasant experience with the product.

The Receiver/Blaster would not work even after installing new drivers from the manufacturer's website. I called tech support (which, by the way, is available M-F 9 to 6PM ET only) simply to determine that the supplied cable was defective. The tech representative-a fella named Brice Junior-assured me that he would send out a new cable and I should be up and running in a 3 or 4 days.

Seven days came and passed. I received no cable. I called back tech support and stumbled on Brice Junior again. Except this time, he had no idea who I was and had no recollection of his promise to ship me a replacement cable.

So we went through the same diagnostics again-as if this time the repair fairy had come to my house and repaired the cable. Well, again the WinTV did not work. Then, Brice assured me, again, with absolute conviction that he would send a new cable and usb adapter for the device as soon as he got off the phone with me. Another two weeks went by, and...a BIG nothing arrived.

As I did some research on the matter on the Internet, I begin to uncover that the company engages in a policy of systematic lies to its customers to avoid honoring its obligations under its warranties. The technic is simple. They give the customer a round-around for a few weeks at which time it's too late to return the device to the store of purchase. And, since they are out reach, you, the unhappy customer, chase after them until you get tired and give up.

Meanwhile, Brice Junior, their scum tech support, is happily doing the company's bidding by lying to customers.

So in conclusion, buy the company's products only if you are sure (a) you can install them on your own, and (b) you can return them immediate if something is wrong them. Ignore the promise of the 2-year warranty that you read on the box. It is NON-EXISTENT.

Read Best Reviews of Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner Here

This product works perfectly with Snap Stream Beyond TV 4. [.........]

I have 2 digital tuners and 2 analog tuners on my pc. This records multiple inputs and automatically downloads the cable TV and local TV program guide. The picture is great. The software takes some time to tweek to your inputs and program guide. You must be willing to spend some time.

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I had 2 requirments for a TV Tuner Card. It had to be half-height and it had to be a dual tuner (so I can record one show and watch another). This card meets the bill. So far it has worked great. Sometimes when I tune to a channel in Windows Media Center the screen is blue and I have to change channels and then go back for it to appear. I don't know if this is because of the tuner or because of something else. Other than that I really haven't had any problems. Possibly a driver update will fix that problem.

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Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus Digital/Analog TV Receiver and Video Converter (10020780)

The EyeTV 250 Plus is an external USB based tuner that supports NTSC (Analog Cable and Satellite), ATSC (Digital Satellite) and QAM (Digital Cable). (Not all the models available for sale on Amazon are the newer one that added QAM support, so be careful This one definitely has the QAM support). It also has an adapter that can accept Composite and S-Video inputs along with analog stereo audio. For my purposes I was most interested in the QAM capability since I am a cable subscriber. The biggest difference between the cheaper EyeTV Hybrid and the EyeTV 250 Plus is that the 250 has an external MPEG-2 (Video)/MPEG-1 (Audio) encoder (The Hybrid model relies on your CPU to convert the signal into digital format). The advantage here is that when you're recording or viewing something off of either analog TV or the analog inputs all the encoding happens outside of your computer, so all the computer has to do is decode and display the video. This takes a lot of load off your CPU so it becomes much easier to multi-task.

The tuner itself is great. The biggest plus (in my case) is the ability to pick up Clear QAM digital HD channels. This confines you to only the broadcast channels (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, and PBS in my case). It does take quite a bit of CPU power to handle HD broadcasts however.

More important than the tuner is the included EyeTV 3 Software, which controls the tuner. EyeTV 3 is pretty slick. It includes a TitanTV subscription so you can access TV listings and even remotely schedule a recording to your Mac. The program also allows you set up favorite channels. It also keeps the list of all the channels you have access to, which is my case is 461. Keep in mind that's an analog and digital version of every basic channel, plus the five HD channels I can see plus all the other HD channels that I can detect but can't watch (it just says encrypted). The only other channels that show up are any non-encrypted digital channels such as the local school districts TV stations and On-demand channels.

What I like best about EyeTV 3 (and I'm using 3.0.2) is that it offers a plethora of deinterlacing options. My number one annoyance is interlaced content. The beauty of EyeTV is that it does a great job deinterlacing content, which makes SD material look a whole lot better and removes some of the annoying jaggies in HD material. While it has the standard motion-adaptive and always settings for deinterlacing, it also offers a progressive scan setting which doubles the frame rate from 30 frames per second to 60 frames per second. The results is especially noticeable when watching SD material. I have to watch Versus via the s-video inputs on the EyeTV and I can hardly believe the huge difference that the progressive scan setting makes for watching hockey. It doesn't make it look anywhere close to HD but it makes it look a whole lot better. It's a bigger strain to use the progressive scan setting on HD content and it makes even more Core 2 Duo powered mini sweat (although I think this may have more to do with the poor on-board graphics) but with HD I don't find progressive scan to be as big of a plus.

The other great thing about EyeTV is that it functions as a super-DVR. You can set up series recordings just like you can with a normal DVR and EyeTV records the program and saves it to your hard drive. You can then use the built-in editor to remove commercials, etc. While the editor isn't iMovie, it's pretty good and the preview panes down on the bottom can help you find the commercials quickly. What makes EyeTV superior to a regular DVR is that you can keep your recordings around as long as you have disk space and you can edit them. You can automatically have recordings exported to other formats even directly for your iPod or Apple TV. Many people have asked about a recording feature for the Apple TV, and the EyeTV is the closest thing to it. You can set up a recording, and then tell it to export to Apple TV and add to iTunes. Once the show is finished it'll do the exporting and it'll be available on the Apple TV.

So what isn't it good at? Well, I find the exporting feature the most frustrating. It captures everything in MPEG-2 video and either AC3 Audio or MPEG-1 Audio. My frustration is that the exporting feature is extremely slow. When I do a recording sometimes I'll get about 3 seconds of data on the beginning of the recording that I don't want there. Editing it out is easy enough, but then EyeTV insists on compacting the whole recording again. Also, even though EyeTV can capture and play AC3 (Dolby Digital) tracks, it can't output them to QuickTime files. It's AppleTV setting also lacks support for 24 frames per second so everything (even if its HD) is dropped to 960*540 if it has a frame rate of 30 fps. (The good news is that the solution to this program is free! HandBrake) I also find the lack of dual tuners annoying. Although EyeTV 3 has a Picture-In-Picture function it can't be used unless you have two devices because the EyeTV 250 Plus is a single tuner only. This also means that if you're recording a program you also have to watch whatever you're recording. So if there are two programs on at the same time that you want to record you're out of luck. My final complaint is a pipe dream, but it would be really nice if the EyeTV 250 could accept component and digital inputs for the recording of HD material with digital audio.

All in all I am extremely satisfied with the EyeTV 250 Plus, despite the few shortcomings. It provides a great TV-on-you-Mac solution at a relatively low cost.

I bought this specifically to do VHS to DVD conversion. So my review will not cover a lot about the tuner functionality. What I can say about that setup went quick, event free, and everything worked all my channels including those fancy new digital ones (which look really nice on the computer screen). Once the guide downloaded everything seemed ready to record just like a Tivo. The remote control requires you to be a bit of a sharpshooter, but it's not as bad as my Philips DVD Player.

The options for quality and recording length are limitless. There are four quality setups and then a custom one which you can tweak every setting. I believe recording length is limited to 12 hours per recording which is no problem for me. Seamless integration with Toast (which also came with it) and a plethora of export options to keep anyone happy. The quality is crisp. People that complain of VHS conversion quality encoding have one of two problems 1) They don't remember how crappy VHS looks compared to digital 2) Their VCR is a piece of garbage. I'm using an $1800 professional Sony editing VCR as the playback device it cleans up the quality and makes the tapes look as good as possible. Remember The better the source, the better the quality. Don't expect this device to make your tapes look better, just the same. However, I was able to tweak some tapes that had poor color and sharpness from a crappy camcorder. It has those settings, too.

It's mac quality at its finest I have transferred over 60 hours of video in my first week with it without ONE problem. No errors, glitches, encoding errors, anything IT JUST WORKS.

There is a PC version made by Terratec, but it's kind of hard to find I've read that it is almost as good as this for the PC.

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It was a breeze to hook up and get running on my Mac: plug in the device, let the setup run to scan for channels, define the recording directory, etc. The software is mostly trouble-free, but has a few minor glitches that I've gotten used to.

One is a one-time annoyance: linking the channels to the TitanTV program guide. It's a little more tedious than it needs to be. The second problem is an ongoing thing: occasionally, when it wakes up to record a program it doesn't seem to "see" the signal from the antenna and i get a blank recording instead of a show. If you're "catch-up" watching (watching a show while you're recording it) it will yank you out of your show and into live tv when the recording finishes, and you have to go back and find your place to continue watching the recording. Finally, it seems to eat up more CPU time than it should, even while it's not (apparently) doing anything. However, El Gato seems to be very committed to software maintenance and enhancement, and the EyeTV software has improved even in the short time i've owned it!

All in all, though, it's easy to use, convenient and a great alternative to those all-in-one DVR boxes, since you have so much control over scheduling, editing and exporting for later iPod viewing.

Read Best Reviews of Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus Digital/Analog TV Receiver and Video Converter (10020780) Here

If you have cable and an iMac, and simply want to watch TV on your Mac then this is a great choice.

If you want to put HDTV in a sitting room or lounge, and want DVR capability, then you can't do much better than a 27" iMac and the EyeTV 250 Plus. I recommend an external 1TB (or bigger) FW800 drive, but it's not essential.

If you are looking for a high performance AV setup for your cutting-edge home theater, then you can do better, but the EyeTV 250 Plus and a Mac Mini is still an excellent cost-effective option for a DVR, especially if you want to avoid DRM plagued AppleTV and cable/satellite boxes and want the convenience of a turnkey system.

I recently upgraded from a four year old third party demodulator/encoder box to the EyeTV 250 Plus. This also allowed me to upgrade from EyeTV (software) version 2.4 to version 3.3.1. I'm pleased with both, but very happy with the hardware. The whole setup runs on a 20" iMac (mid-2007 2.0GHz Core2Duo, 128MB Radeon HD 2400 graphics with 1680x1050 resolution), also upgraded with an external 4TB RAID array.

My house receives "antenna service" on cable an unfiltered clear QAM signal from my cable provider. This signal includes analog broadcast channels, most basic cable channels and many digital HDTV channels, both broadcast and cable. It appears to be the intended service for this device.

The EyeTV 250 Plus hardware does a very good job encoding all of these cable signals into streaming digital video. (The default settings for analog SD encoding are a little dark, but the software gives you control over this.) All encoding is done in hardware and provided to the computer's USB input. Analog SD signals are very clean, and -unlike my previous devicethe Elgato output is free of glitches caused by flashes and jump cuts. HDTV signals broadcast at 720p and 1080i come thru sharp and crisp and very well balanced. A range of deinterlacing options are provided, and the adaptive option works well.

The encoding module is small and unobtrusive, and the power module fits on a power strip without interfering with adjacent plugs. I really can't find much to criticize with the hardware it could offer more encoding/compression options, but the options provided are adequate. The connectors are all very close together, making threading on the cable connector sometimes difficult, but that seems to be a universal problem with appliances using the cable TV 'F' connector. The remote control operation is a little obtuse some of the buttons are unlabled, and even when you press them it's not clear what they do. Behavior seems to depend on whether you're watching live TV or a recording. I'm sure there's a manual page somewhere buried on the CD-ROM, but Elgato should have provided a quick reference card with this remote.

The EyeTV 3 software provides several functions: 1) buffering and watching live TV, 2) recording programs and playing them back, 3) managing your library of recorded programming, 4) editing and exporting recorded programming, and 5) the channel lineup and programming guide.

For EyeTV software, functions 1) and 2) are essentially the same operation. Live TV is recorded to a buffer of configurable size, and played back from that file for display. Version 3 of this software allows the user to save this buffer into a video file or begin a new recording. Only one Live TV stream is available per encoding device, but the number of playback files isn't limited unless you choose the preferences option to use only a single playback window.

Playback is responsive and robust as long as the hard drive can keep up. This is usually not an issue, but I encountered it using an exceptionally slow external drive (now replaced). If the file storage device is slow or busy, playback exhibits hesitation and skipping; there is room for improvement here by adding an adaptive playback buffer on a local drive to accommodate slow storage media. This will be a more common problem as people adopt NAS devices, or share libraries between EyeTV installations.

The other way to record a program is to schedule a recording. The schedule features in EyeTV 3 are much improved, with the basic scheduling more than adequate to timeshift a nightly or weekly program. For collecting entire seasons of series, the Smart Season Guide feature will help you find new episodes and avoid recording repeats.

The software includes a basic editor, suitable for trimming the ends and commercialectomies, and exports programs to iPod, iPhones, Toast (a basic version is bundled with EyeTV) and other libraries/devices.

The final feature is the programming guide. This is the one area where I am dissatisfied with EyeTV and Elgato. Certainly, the quality of this feature depends a lot on the content provider (in this case, TV Guide and formerly Titan TV) and Elgato claims to be trying to keep the cost of subscription down. But the EyeTV program guide and its interface to TVGuide's servers are not robust, and failure mode reporting is obtuse and uninformative. In general the approach is inelegant and frustrating to use. Associating user-configured channels with any program guide source is next to impossible. I find the web-based TitanTV service easier to use, and to Elgato's credit, the interface between the TitanTV browser window and EyeTV is nearly seamless.

Elgato provides reasonably good customer service on its website for its hardware and software. I have had good and bad experiences with its ticket submission system. Their response time is usually one or two days. Their knowledgebase is less satisfactory, and often contains out of date information. Your first and best resource for support should be the EyeTV Lounge discussion forum. Several Elgato technical support representatives are active on this forum and will either answer your questions or refer you to their support ticket system.

All in all, the EyeTV hardware and software are the best, most integrated solution to connect the coax coming out of your wall to a Macintosh, and competes very strongly with some of the best Windows and Unix based solutions. It doesn't replace a cable box, and certainly won't decrypt scrambled Pay TV channels. It's meant for a clear QAM cable signal, and does the basics very, very well.

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This thing does what it is designed to do: however, some Internet descriptions of it are vague (and the manufacturer's own site could be clearer) so please be sure that it is designed to do what you WANT it to do. Also, while it has a lot of DVR features (including some that some of the reviewers obviously couldn't figure out and claimed it doesn't have) it is NOT a Tivo or a single-function DVR and it is NOT as easy to use or as gee-whizzy as such stand-alone devices usually are.

While it does have its own signal processor (which is why I picked it over the EyeTV Hybrid) your computer does still have some work to do. I don't care what it says on the box, if you don't have a Core Duo or preferably a Core Duo 2 based machine, don't bother unless you are willing to put up with slower performance and possible performance issues. That, as they say, is life. Also, make sure your OS is up to date, you have plenty of RAM, and you don't have fifty zillion little doohickies running in the background all the time. I am using a 1.8GHz Core Duo 2 Mac Mini with OSX 10.3 and 2GB of RAM, recording to an external USB2 HD, and it is smooth as can be.

I am using it solely to digitize VHS videotapes. To answer a question it took me FOREVER to research on the Web, it DOES allow you to digitize commercial VHS tapes with Macrovision. (However, I am digitizing tapes I own for archival/backup purposes, which is clearly allowed under US Copyright Law no matter what the content providers claim. You should not use it to digitize tapes or other media you don't own, because that's stealing. Also, once you digitize them, you can destroy them, but you can't give them away or sell them, because that's also stealing.) The quality is acceptable especially when you consider, as another poster pointed out, that VHS video quality sucks compared to modern digital cable, HDTV, or DVD media.

While you can adjust the recording quality, please be advised that digitized video at watchable quality takes up lots of space. I'm averaging about a gig and a half an hour of VHS video. If you want to watch it on a big screen and enjoy the experience, you can't compare it to how small the little videos people email you are or YouTube videos. If you aren't willing to buy some HD space, then either digitize at low quality and don't complain, or don't buy this thing for digitizing video.

Samsung DVD-P721M Progressive-Scan DVD Player

• Memory Stick port works with Sony digital cameras and MP3 players
• Component-video output terminals with progressive-scan output and 3:2 pulldown offer flicker-free images on HD or HD-ready TVs
• Dual-mode optical pickup for CD-R/CD-RW playback, built-in MP3 decoder (offers folder navigation and supports ID3 tags)
• Convenient jog/shuttle dial on front panel and remote control
• Full-size (.25-inch) stereo headphone output with rotary volume control

I bought this DVD player after reading the great reviews it got on Amazon and was not disappointed. The loading time is a bit slow, but that is a general DVD problem. The picture quality is amazing! There is a lot of nifty little features to boot:

you can zoom in on the picture

there is a replay button so if you missed what someone said, you hit this button and it goes back 10 seconds

turning subtitles on and off is really easy some players requre that you stop the movie and go back to the root menu

for DVDs that allow it, you can view the scene from different angles

The Progressive Scan is really neat also. For the money, this DVD player can't be beat.

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This DVD player has serious limitations as a JPEG player. CDs can have no more than 50MB per directory. Picture file size is limited to 150KB. Additionally this player is very slow at processing JPEGs.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung DVD-P721M Progressive-Scan DVD Player Here

At first glance, this unit looks pretty good for the price.

However:

1. Chroma-bug is present in progressive scan mode.

2. Memory stick port doesn't support 128MB sticks only 64mb or less. No where is this limitation mentioned I had to go to Samsung.com to find out the bad news.

3. Regular DVD playback mode distorts DVDs with a letterbox aspect ratio it stretches the playback vertically. While most folks may not notice this, it is still annoying to have small black bars at the top and bottom during playback yet have the image stretched and vertically distorted.

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I purchased my DVD player last Christmas and shortly after I as well as my friends all noticed that the picture is to dark, in particular when there is a dark image It is instead all black... A week later I got the unit returned to me stating that there was no problem with my unit... The unit is also now missing screws...

I have a Sony Wega TV that has support for vertical compression for anamorphic DVDs. This worked flawlessly on my old Panasonic A310 player. I set up the P721M to Wide mode display so it will send the full squeezed anamorphic picture to the TV. So far I've tried 4 different anamorphic DVDs, and only one of them was displayed correctly. The ones displayed incorrectly show a horizontally squeezed image that fills the screen vertically. Reluctantly, I'm going to return this player.

Hauppauge MediaMVP Digital Media Receiver (Model 1000)

What a great concept: Play the media that resides on my pc (music, videos, digital pictures, webcast radio) from anywhere and as many locations as I have wired network access.

The MediaMVP hardware appears very well conceived and implemented (see the Hauppauge site for specifications). Sound and video quality of streamed content are entirely satisfactory (providing your recordings are of good quality). Yep. Hardware appears to be Hauppauge's forte.

Their software, however, which manifests itself most noticeably as the user interface, is unforgiveably crude. File system navigation and remote control key mapping are noticeably misprogrammed. Even the most rudimentary MP3 playing capabilities are missing or broken. I would compare the display with the old Commodore 64 but that would be an insult to my C64. Sad to say, Hauppauge does not appear to be interested in fixing any of these deficiencies as they have persisted for at least the last 3 software releases and are still present in the current Beta release.

Service is a mixed bag. If you call them, they will replace defective hardware well enough. But don't expect much more support than what you can do for yourself by reading the FAQ on their website. And don't bother emailing a question to support. With the exception of the automated reply, they never answer email. The good news is that there is a large, vocal user forum for this and other Hauppauge products (hey, I said their hardware is pretty good) and, if you don't mind wading through web forums, you can get a lot of answers there.

I want to love this product but I can't. I purchased it primarily to play MP3 music throughout my house and this is certainly the thing it does worst of all (did I mention the LOUD inter-track popping?). So my dissatisfaction should be taken in that context. Certainly its webcast radio (which I use often and enjoy), picture slideshow, and video playback capabilities suffer much less from the UI's lack of sophistication. And people who use the MediaMVP as a front-end for their Hauppauge based PVR systems (personal video recorder think Tivo only no service charge) love these things.

One hope I hold out for my MediaMVP is the global community of private software developers that are hacking away, rewriting its software. I have no doubt they will eventually do what Hauppauge won't. But until they do this is a seriously crippled product.

If you own a ReplayTV then this is the thin client you've been waiting for. Out of the box this unit is able to play native ReplayTV videos when they are copied to a PC (I own a 5040 unit, so I'm not certain this would be true for owners of 4xxx units). To get things rolling, here's what you need.

1. A ReplayTV unit connected to a home Ethernet network.

2. A PC on the same network running DVArchive (free software)

3. The MediaMVP connected to the network and to a TV

Once DVArchive is installed, you need to configure it to download recorded shows from the Replay; a simple task that can be scheduled periodically. You then plug the MediaMVP in (power, network, and TV connections), install the software on your PC, and then set it up to point to the directory used by DVArchive to download the videos.

The MediaMVP will find all MPG video files in the DVArchive download directory and present them on a menu on the TV. Pick the video and you're off and running.

I have tested both Medium and High quality recordings and they play flawlessly almost 100% of the time. The few minor glitches I noticed were apparent 'stutters' in video playback. The only thing I miss on the MediaMVP (that is available on the ReplayTV) is commercial advance, variable speed FF/Rewind (only 2x is currently implemented), and 29 second skip ahead. But for the price, it can't be beat.

Check back in a few days if the product is shown Out Of Stock as Amazon/Office Depot seem to keep a low inventory.

Buy Hauppauge MediaMVP Digital Media Receiver (Model 1000) Now

This product is in what I would call beta stage but will hopefully get better as Hauppauge releases new firmware and software for it.

It is missing vital features:

1) It does not have the ability to fast forward and rewind MP3s.

2) It will play an entire folder of MP3s or one MP3 at a time but it is missing is the ability to pick and choose MP3s you want to play. You have to go to the computer and create play lists, then the MVP will play those playlists.

Bugs I have found:

1) The MVP server software that runs on the computer and allows access to shared media has to be restarted once a week or more before the MVP will find the server.

2) When playing videos (mpg, avi, etc) you can fast forward and rewind but often after doing so the audio gets out of sync with the video.

Conclusion: Good, fair-priced device (under a hundred dollars) but it definitely needs some improvement. Also, be wary of wireless "Media Receivers." I have done some research on them and their biggest complaint is that they only work well when wired. That is why I bought the MVP, it is wired (only) so you are not paying for the wireless feature.

Read Best Reviews of Hauppauge MediaMVP Digital Media Receiver (Model 1000) Here

I've been using this box for about a month now and love it.

The user interface, although very basic, gets the job done.

It probably has far fewer features than competing boxes, but

the price it right.

The software on the PC is very light. When the MediaMVP is

powered on, it will load its software from the PC. I have

downloaded a couple upgrades from Hauppauge already. Each

upgrade adds more features. Recently they added a skip ahead

15 seconds feature and jump to 10%-90% (1-9 buttons) of the

video. I did not expect such continued development from a

manufacturer for such an inexpensive box. Hats off to

Hauppauge. I think recent updates may have also fixed sluggish

response from the remote. I noticed that problem at first, but

I don't see it anymore.

I did need to upgrade my home network to 100Mbps. With a 10Mbps

network, I could not watch MPEG at a bit rate faster than about

2.5Mbps without problems. 100Mbps solved that problem.

I also bought the WinTV PVR-250 which I use to record TV shows

and then stream the recorded video to the MediaMVP. I can even

stream the video while recording. This allows me to pause

live-TV and the picture quality is great. Who needs Tivo? I

just wish they could integrate the 2 products together so I

could control the WinTV through the MediaMVP.

For MP3s, I usually create a playlist (Winamp format) on my PC

and the MediaMVP will just play the playlist. It shows the song

title down the bottom of the screen. I just wish it had a

shuffle feature. Maybe on the next software update.

I haven't used the photo album feature much, but it does work.

I have noticed the following bugs an occasional MP3 will

abruptly stop and go to the next song; after long periods of

pausing video, the box will sometimes hang and need to be

turned off/on.

In summary, the box is everything I expect and more.

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I recently purchased this unit becuase it was a lot cheaper than the other units and I was planning on hard wiring the unit to my network anyway. This unit also does streaming MPG1 and 2 when a lot of the other units only do audio and JPG. You can get this unit to work with a wireless bridge as well but some people have had problems doing so. All in all the unit works like it should. My only complaints so far are that the user interface could be better and you cant quue up a song. You can create playlists though. One neat thing is you can mirror the TV interface on your computer screen with a download from Hauppauge's website. This works good for me as I have speakers hooked up to my stereo that are out on my deck. I can take my wireless laptop on the deck, then remote into my server and control the music through the mirro image of the interface. pretty cool huh? I would recommend this unit to anyone looking for a way to stream MP3 JPG and MPG1 & 2 that does not want to spend a lot of money. There are probably better units out there but they also cost twice as much.

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Dish Network 6.4 DVR PVR Remote Control

I got this 6.4 IR/UHF PRO remote because it is better than the 21.0 IR/UHF PRO remote that my system came with. The UHF portion works better: (1) functions better from greater distance from the receiver and (2) the keys are easier to push and the keys function for a longer period of time. (The 21.0 remote started having key issues within 9 months of use and was very sensitive to the orientation in ones hand as to whether it changed channels, etc., or not.)

This is exactly the product I needed for my DISH Network DVR. It's a factory piece, not a work-alike, so it works perfectly with my equipment. Compared to what the DISH installer would have charged me, this remote is a steal. Delivery was so fast I couldn't believe it.

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WHen my factory remote died, this was the perfect replacement. tech support was great in helping me to set it up correctly for my unit as well. A++++

Read Best Reviews of Dish Network 6.4 DVR PVR Remote Control Here

This was the perfect replacement for the controller my grandson tore up (the 2nd time). Also the cheapest price So far so good.

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Works just like the one that came with my receiver. It was a little tricky to program, but all that I had to do was follow the directions that were included!

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BestDealUSA Mini 4GB USB Hidden Spy Portable Digital Voice Recorder Flash Drive Memory

• 4GB Memory Stick + Voice Recording
• Up to 5 hours continuous recording after one charging
• 100% brand new and high quality
• Easy use, plug and play, no drive need
• Rechargeable lithium battery, charges from USB 2.0 port (PC/Laptop)

Actually recorded 20 hours on one charge. Plan on buying more soon. Worth every penny. Recommend for anyone that needs portable recording capabilities

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At first I just need a recorder to record lectures, and I need something that is not look like a recorder at all so no one will ever notice so I picked this item because of the price also.... and when I used it I found that this thing is quite simple to use and the battery is very good also it's just a problem in the quality of your recording result. It got to many noise and it cannot record the lecture voice that spekes whitout microphone... but it still okay in my ears, at least I can catch the lecturer voice.

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I have used it and it picks up sound great. I just hold it in my hand (not covering the microphone of course). It downloads into my computer as soon as I plug it in and then I can save what is recorded on my PC. Very handy.

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This is quite a handy little deal. I like to record meetings, down load them onto my notebook, and then I can even save a spreadsheet related to the meeting notes on it, keeping everything organized together.

This is the second unit that I bought, the first was a disappointment in that it unglued itself because of the bulkiness of the battery section. I'm quite satisfied with the second one, it records voices quite clearly.

OPPO DV-970HD Up-Converting Universal DVD Player

• Up-converts standard DVD to 720p/1080i high definition output via HDMI (6ft HDMI cable included); Progressive-scan component output
• Pure and clean 480i NTSC / 576i PAL over HDMI ideal for external video processor/scaler or high end display
• Official DivX Certified product, plays all versions of DivX video (including DivX 6) with standard playback of DivX media files
• DVD-Video, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD (SACD), XviD, Audio CD, HDCD, Kodak Picture CD, WMA and other digital audio and video media/formats
• Excellent audio performance with Dolby Digital, DTS, Coaxial and Optical digital output, HDMI 1.1 multi-channel audio, 5.1ch and stereo analog output

This machine played all regions right out of the box for six months until I put in a Chinese movie. Then a Hongkong Region 3 did not work but a Korean Region 3 did work. I had to find the hack from a review for the 971 model also sold by Amazon.

It took less than a minute and Oppo's record is back to perfect. Here is the relevant information from the other review:

There is also a multi region hack on videohelp which is:

Press Setup on remote control to access the setup page

* Enter 9210 on the remote

* A secret menu will pop up

* Select 0 to 6 in region code. 0 is multi region

* Press Setup on remote again to exit

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One of the few players that I haven't wanted more from. As firmware upgrades are available they are easily installed. The player provides a great picture on a HDTV because of the upconverting circuity. For me the greatest advantage was the ability to bypass regional encoding. This allows one to buy and play discs made anywhere in the world that are in PAL or NTSC. Many DVDs that are popular elsewhere aren't to be found in the good ole USA. This player allows you to buy them and enjoy them wherever you are. It has a PAL to NTSC converter and vicea versa. So if I want to buy a disc that's only available in Britain, I can still enjoy it in my home in California. I am personally enjoying this feature at the moment and am quite happy. My only complaint is that I wish the remote was illuminated, but that is small potatoes.

Read Best Reviews of OPPO DV-970HD Up-Converting Universal DVD Player Here

Summary top quality picture, snappy menus, comes with a HDMI cable, supports USB and many other kinds of media, but sub-par looks and build quality. Priced higher than most basic DVD players, but if you bought a HDTV to watch movies, this is IMO the cheapest way to get the most out of your set.

I read many reviews of this DVD player online before deciding to plce the order. I was delighted to find that they were headquartered practically in my own back yard (SF Bay area), and that if I needed to service/replace the unit, I could bring it in to their office. I got mine with a 6ft HDMI cable included in the price.

I bought it because I wanted the HDMI output and the ability to play .mpg and .avi files from my extensive library of, um, stuff. Previously I tried the Philips 5140 over component cables, Harman Kardon DVD47, and Sony DVP-NS975V both over HDMI. This player is the best of any that I have tried in terms of picture quality. The DVD47 does well in that regard, but I had some other problems with the unit that led me to return it. Oppo's player matches the DVD47 in DVD image clarity and also handles DivX movies like movie trailers and internet meme type garbage.

Software built into the player does something most others' fail at miserably: it responds instantly to your commands! Even the file browser to load .mpegs and still images is relatively snappy. Here is where Sony and Philips should take note it is a critical part of the user experience.

The only bad things I would say about Oppo is that they neglect the intangibles to help deliver this player at the $150 price point. It looks more like the $50 players at Wal-Mart or Target. I don't really care about that but some might. When the DVD tray is extended, I am always worried that it's going to break if I put a disc in the wrong way. It feels flimsy. I don't know if it's worth a star off its rating to complain about that or not. The intangibles do matter to some people more than actual performance.

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within a reasonable budget. I was willing to spend a lot more money on a quality DVD player than I paid for this unit. I don't feel like I comprimised a bit with my purchase. The picture quality on my 47" 1080p LCD tv via the SUPPLIED(!) HDMI cable is unmatched buy anything I've ever seen before. The audio via optical through my Yamaha receiver and my Polk speakers is crystal clear wether it's hard rock or hip hop/rap. These might be the things that are expected with even cheap DVD players, but I was overly surpirsed by some little things that can make or break a product review:

1) The unit is unbelievably quiet. I can't hear the disc spin even with my ear close to the player.

2) The supplied HDMI cable is THICK and looks to have gold connections. What I'm saying here is, they didn't throw in a cheap cable just for advertising.

3) The DVD tray doesn't look cheap, it looks cool!! It's clear and thin but rigid. It probably wouldn't hold up to a child dangling off the tray, but what player would?

4) There is a little delay when you stick in a CD or DVD, but it's half the time I've seen with other DVD players that have similar capibilities that this unit has.

5) The full function remote is awesome! Stick it under a light and the buttons glow in the dark for some time.

They didn't even skimp on the packaging of this player. When you open this unit, you'll see the player in a Oppo labeled, black bag instead of clear plastic.

Everyone has different tastes and needs, but this player inspired me to write my first product review EVER!!

This player is absolutely wonderful. Picture quality beats any player I've ever had before, exterior design is great and compatibility is flawless (btw, region-free hack is at videohelp dot com).

I am finally happy with my HD 50" Philips plasma, which I use almost exclusively for watching DVD movies (10-12 feet viewing distance, upconverted to 1080i, no HD or Blu-Ray DVDs yet). I have spent hours with Digital Video Essentials disc, trying to set up optimal picture (subjective), and was only able to get it with this player. The biggest problem was getting flesh tones to look realistic. Female faces, for some reason, always looked burnt-out, when everything else was optimized. Not so with this player!

I have tried the following upconverting players:

OPPO DV-971H (good, but not quite perfect; lacks HDMI, needs separate audio cable with DVI);

Toshiba SD-K860 (cheap, decent, far from perfect and too flaky);

Toshiba HD-A1 (excellent, but not perfect, flaky and unstable, expensive);

OPPO DV-970HD (perfect in every respect, so far, and 25% cheaper than 971H).

Great job, OPPO!