Showing posts with label buy a dvr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buy a dvr. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

EDGE15 Amd P340 2GB/320 Dvr C W7-64

EDGE15 Amd P340 2GB/320 Dvr C W7-64I have had a number of laptops over the past 30 years and this one is solid but not great. My last laptop is an HP. The set up for the HP was well thought out with the owner's manual right on the desktop. There was limited paper documentation with the Thinkpad.EDGE15 Amd P340 2GB/320 Dvr C W7-64 I wanted to upgrade the memory on my Thinkpad Edge, but finding information was not either intuitive or easy. I still cannot tell you how I finally found it. It is on the drive too but there is no direct button to the owner's manual on the Thinkpad. I still do not know what the buttons above the touch pad are or how to use them. I searched for that information too. Lenovo needs to improve their owner manual for this product. The information is there but it takes some searching to find.

The computer works well, but does not measure up to my HP. My HP laptop is a 17" (the Thinkpad is 15.6") and the numerical keypad on it makes a difference in usability. I cannot use the Alt key on my Thinkpad to create alt-key icons. My HP is also dual-core but was large so not as portable as the Thinkpad. Of course, the Thinkpad has better graphics and speed than my three year old HP.

Considering what I paid for this product, it works well for my needs. It is a good entry level product.

I got this laptop and the backspace button stuck a bit. There is an annoying red light on the "thinkpad" logo that is always on; on both the front of the cpu and right by the keyboard. This laptop doesn't come with a 9-key pad on the keyboard. 2GB is not enough to run windows 7 (64bit) smoothly. You could upgrade to 8GB but each 4GB card will run about $75, might as well spend the money up front on a better machine and get a better processor as well. It ran slow out of the box so I returned it and got a Gateway 4GB 500MB with a full keyboard and spent only 13 dollars more. I won't even think about getting another Lenovo. Lenovo is IBM's personal computer department that was sold to China. I'm glad they stuck to the mainframes, good thinking IBM.

Buy EDGE15 Amd P340 2GB/320 Dvr C W7-64 Now

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Megapixel HD Wireless Spy Camera Hidden Pinhole @ Night Vision @ Wi-Fi IP CAM, Video & Audio DVR, M

Megapixel HD Wireless Spy Camera Hidden Pinhole @ Night Vision @ Wi-Fi IP CAM, Video & Audio DVR, Motion Detection, Recording & Remote Viewgot the camera In 3 days, it was packed very well.

The item is well designed not to be detected, this hidden Camera is very easy to Install.

I had a few questions in regards to networking, and the technical support was quick to respond, and most helpful over the phone.

I later noticed that inside the box i had a written manual with pictures and detailed explanation on how to install.

The camera makes no noise at all, the picture is crystal clear with Audio.

The Wi-Fi range is great, I located the camera on the wall looking at the front door, but I could install the camera at any location in my house, and get good signal.

I was recording and viewing over network in no time, I decided to record over the network, so I don't have to worry about running out of memory, but recording to SD card is also an option.

I am not using motion detection feature because I want to record at all times but the option is there.

I have iPhone, I used "I cam viewer pro" application to view the feed.

I told my wife about it, and she took quite a while to find the camera.

Monday, September 22, 2014

GeoVision GV-1480, 16 CH, 480 FPS IP Network DVR Card

GeoVision GV-1480, 16 CH, 480 FPS IP Network DVR CardI've owned a few of these DVR cards, none delivered everything that they promised like this one does. Access over the internet is a breeze, I can really monitor my business from anywhere in the world where I have internet access. all the features are functional and I'm very pleased with this product.

did not work, it would start recording then have an error "You could be a victim of a pirated card that does not have tech support for the software with GeoVision, this could imply with malfuncion or errors" the CD that it came with was not an original looked pirated. I placed a complaint and was told it was my problem, no returns.

Buy GeoVision GV-1480, 16 CH, 480 FPS IP Network DVR Card Now

Friday, September 19, 2014

Uniden UDW20055 Wireless Video Surveillance System, Black, One screen and Two cameras

Uniden UDW20055 Wireless Video Surveillance System, Black, One screen and Two camerasLooking for a small, rather inexpensive camera system to basically monitor the outside of my property at night I settled on this system. Only a few reviews here about it but it seemed to have all the features I was looking for which were for the most part a wireless system with night vision, and motion censor recording. I must say up until discovering this system's major flaw I was quite happy. Picture quality is very good, night vision quality is pretty much on par with lighted picture quality I really noticed no degradation. Audio quality is pretty good, and the wireless connection was very stable as well, I set a camera up at one end of the house and one in the garage, then went to the other end of the house and upstairs and had no trouble connecting to both cameras.

Now the deal breaker, and I think it might be a deal breaker for a lot of people. The motion sensor capability is quite unless if you plan on using 2 or more cameras. In setting up a recording schedule with the provided software you are only allowed to use set one camera on motion sensor at a time for every given 2 hour period. Meaning unless your sitting in front of the screen manually switching through the cameras, the only camera you're going to get anything out of is the one that is scheduled to record at that time, and if you set the system to motion sensor only that one camera selected for that 2 hr time slot will be enabled with motion sensor, all the other cameras are as good as off and are basically useless (unless your sitting at your computer all night switching between cameras!). This really baffles me why Uniden didn't incorporate motion sensor capability to be enabled on all cameras at the same time, and automatically switch and record when motion is detected on any of the cameras, other systems of this same type and price range seem to have it. So if you have four cameras running on this system and it's set to motion sensor, you're going to have a 25% chance of recording any motion going on outside your house, that's not acceptable to me, and I don't consider that surveillance! So I'm sending this back and checking out the Lorex LW2702 which Costco sells for about $50 more, it includes automatic motion sensor switching between cameras and quite a few other bonuses.

This is a great camera system. I was a little hesitant after reading the first negative review, but I figured I had nothing to lose with Amazon's return policy. I have the cameras mounted outside and the signal is very strong with no interference (distance is about 50-75 feet through a concrete wall). My house is full of wireless devices (cordless phone and router) and I have no problems.

My only grip is that the picture is not as clear as I would like. This system is great for monitoring your property but is not really suitable for facial identification purposes (i.e. criminal activity). I use it in conjunction with my driveway alarm. As soon as my driveway alarm rings I check the Uniden Monitor instead of getting up and rushing to the window. It is especially useful at night when you do not want to get out of bed every time you hear a noise. I live on a busy street with young hooligans and it has given me a little piece of mind.

The software is very easy to setup and use. Just load the included software and plug the monitor into your computer's USB port and your off (XP and Vista--NO Windows 7)! It has a terrific interface and it is simple to schedule it to automatically record. I purchased a little USB 500GB hard drive to record the video on. If you want to monitor your house remotely from work or when you are on vacation you can get something like PC Anywhere and leave you PC on and attached to the Uniden Monitor.

So if you are looking for a easy to use camera security system, this is the one. I have purchased many, and this is by far the best.

Buy Uniden UDW20055 Wireless Video Surveillance System, Black, One screen and Two cameras Now

After having this system up and running for a month, I finally broke down and wrote to customer service.

here is the conversation:

Your Question :

Will there be a software update to allow the motion sensor to capture video on either (Or all) camera(s)?

Right now with V 5.0.0.302, I can schedule ONE camera to record movement, but if the other camera sees movement it will not record it.

----------------------------------------

Updated 10/06/2010 03:41 PM:

So if the 2 cameras are placed to watch for theft, only one will ever be able to record if there is movement? Doesn't that seem less then useful?

Our Solution :

Thank you for using our system.

Unfortunately we have not been told of an update being planned or in the works to allow record any camera that get motion.

----------------------------------------

Updated 10/06/2010 04:18 PM:

I apologize it does not do what you are looking for it to do. Unfortunately it is not designed to be able to do that kind of recording.

You can schedule 1 camera to record. That scheduled camera can either record constantly during its hour schedule, or can be set to motion capture. If camera 1, say at the front door is scheduled, and at camera 2 (back door) someone breaks in...Well, hopefully they leave by the front door. Camera 2 won't catch it.

And WHY would you want to buy _more_ cameras. Seems kind of pointless. You can't only motion capture the scheduled camera. I suppose I could put a sign up sheet for someone to steal from my home: Between the hours of 3 and 6AM please break in through the back door, between the hours of 7AM and 11AM please break in the front.

I'll probably use this unit to watch for ducks. I would not buy it again. I'll have to find a better system, not uniden this time.

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EDIT: I added notes from the last message from Uniden, and lowed the rating I had put for this product. I would now rate it at "Buy something else"

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Second Edit: After the THIRD time of not getting a good picture/video of the people breaking into my cars I'm really sick of this camera's software. I can't set how long it records after it hits an alarm. Being able to keep recording for 30 to 60 seconds after it hits an alarm would be useful. The sensitivity is 0 to 100, but you can't change it other then using the buttons. So it either records everything (including the shadows of birds), or doesn't notice someone moving. The picture at 25' at night is poor, but it's night so what can you do.

I would rate it now at: "Don't buy it."

Read Best Reviews of Uniden UDW20055 Wireless Video Surveillance System, Black, One screen and Two cameras Here

We purchased this for our toddler's bedroom, from Amazon's partner woot! it was a cheaper alternative to the baby monitors, and gave us the ability to achieve multiple angles with the multiple cameras.

Number of Cameras Capability: 4 Total, depending on the set/model either comes with 2 or 3 cameras. You can purchase extras, we purchased the UDWC23 to complement our system, which is a portable camera and a rechargeable battery system, I'll review additionally on it's own page.

Picture Quality/Daytime: The Product does produce a very clear Daylight or lighted Picture, however not as clear as the manufacturer suggests or places on the packaging or in their ads, kind of like the nummy food on the menu always looks better than it does when they serve it at a restaurant. It's not too far off, but something you should be aware of if you are looking for crystal clarity as a must.

The Range: is perfect for our 2500 sq ft home, however it is all about what obstructions you encounter so be sure to check out the placement and the signal before committing to that spot you'd like to monitor.

The "Zoom, pan and tilt" feature: is a little misleading, it actually does zoom and it does pan and tilt, however only within the range of the actual STILL CAMERA; meaning, the camera is looking at a single area, you press ZOOM and you can tilt and pan around that zoomed area only, the camera doesn't move to another area of the field. What you couldn't see outside of the original location of the camera you aren't going to be able to see without manually moving the camera.

Night Vision: This works great, the clarity is better than our first version camera that we owned, however the quality is degraded and you can't make out features of say a person's face unless they are very close to the camera. You will be able to make out generalities and it will be on the most part clear, but even on zoom you couldn't see if a person's eyes are opened or closed, small features on their face may not be discernible.

The Remote: is an absolute must to use all the zoom, pan and tilt features, otherwise you must use the software to plugin and utilize these features, in case you lost the remote. Outside of the Zoom features on the remote it handles all the main features the 7" Monitor has on the face.

7 INCH Monitor: The Monitor is a great little gadget, however it is not a sturdy thing and tips over easily so we decided to invest in a TV/Monitor Mount made for 10" to 27" TVs, we purchased it from Amazon (I have reviewed this item separately as well) We purchased the VideoSecu Computer Monitor Wall mount bracket for most 10" to 27 " TV LCD and Display VESA100/75 ML40B B05. With the bracket we did have to make some minor adjustments because the Uniden Monitor is 7" and the minimum the bracket is setup for is 10". There was no drilling involved, I purchased a few 3M Command Adhesive 17040 Sawtooth Picture Hanger brackets to be able to fit the back of the monitor and some velcro for the bottom to ensure it stays on there, and can be removed when I want to take it to another room.

The PC Program: The quality on the PC is slightly more degraded than the monitor, but you can record, it will record in intervals, and also has motion sensor capabilities that will set off alarms if you want, for us, we record cute moments our kiddo is playing in her room for later.. we don't use it for a security system.

Hope this was helpful, for the price this product can't be beaten & with a few accessories you can have yourself quite a little system for less than $250

Hope that helps you with your purchasing decision.

Thanks for reading!

Want Uniden UDW20055 Wireless Video Surveillance System, Black, One screen and Two cameras Discount?

A quick rundown:

NOT 64 bit compatable!!!

Not a true home security solution...however...

IR Distance was about 60 feet for me slightly less with heavy rain (maybe 40) and worked well, excellent definition...

Build and picture quality was excellent and it was a breeze to set up on a recieve both sound and video to the portable monitor.

Computer use however was a pain, does not wotk at all with 64bit and uniden support was a joke, website is even worse.

Packaging and manuals were easy to understand and walk you through the easy setup...except for the computer set up...it was not clear or helpful. I did try the software on an older laptop that was running xp and it was ok...as others noted recording is limited as is trigger functions.

So for a door monitor or pool or such its perfect....keep an eye on the kids or driveway this is an excellent day night solution at a very reasonable price. For true home security it leaves a lot off the table and I would keep looking

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Sony ICDUX523BLK Digital Flash Voice Recorder

Sony ICDUX523BLK Digital Flash Voice Recorderat least for me.

after reading reviews of px312, here are reasons why i chose this over px312 for a little more money:

1. it has an internal usb outlet that SLIDES out, this is great because...

2. it can charge rechargable AAA batteries via usb (recorder only use ONE AAA as opposed to px312's two, and the battery that comes with the product is RECHARGABLE). combined with (1), this means you can conveniently charge your recorder while you transfer recording files to any usb-equipped computer, no need to buy a separate a charger.

3. able to edit existing or your own "scene" (recording area configuration), which isn't in px312. this means you can specify the bitrate, mic sensitivity, low cut filter, etc. that works best for you.

it also has all the pluses of px312: easy of use, nice sound quality, etc. very happy with the decision so far.

This product exceeded my expectations. I use it for recording my Pastors sermons and in class. Our church seats 1200 people. Sometimes, I sit in the pews instead of with the choir and I sit halfway toward the alter to give u a somewhat visual. Nevertheless, the recorder is where I'm seated and boy the 1st time I used it to record; after service I listened to the recording and it was so crisp and audible as if I placed it next to the Pastor. A co-worker has one; after listening to his, I immediately ordered one. You won't be disappointed. It has a lot other functons, I useit only to record.

Buy Sony ICDUX523BLK Digital Flash Voice Recorder Now

I use Dragon Naturally Speaking for dictating notes from conferences and client appointments. I wanted a digital recorder which I could keep in my briefcase or a pocket and it needed to be compatible with Dragon. The Sony ICDUX523 was top-rated by Nuance, the publishers of Dragon Naturally Speaking, and I've found it to be more accurate than when I use a microphone plugged into my computer. The recorder is light, easy to use, and works great with Dragon. Just what I wanted.

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICDUX523BLK Digital Flash Voice Recorder Here

Recently I had a need for a small voice recorder and I found this product on Amazon. I was quite amazed at it's small size and power. It has the capacity to record for over 40 hours on a single AAA rechargeable battery. It can also store MP3 songs if you want to use it for that feature.

The instruction booklet is a little bit confusing as there are many many features in this tiny package. The quality of the recorded sound is very good and there is software included so that you can download and playback your recordings on your pc.

If your looking for a feature rich pocket recorder then this Sony digital flash recorder rates a second look, as always Sony will make a nice addition to your audio and recording needs.

Gary in Tennessee

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Bought to record my husband in his car. I was suspicious of his activities. The recorder is easy to use, as I am tech challenged. The VOR feature to record only when noise activated was nice so I didn't have to listen to hours of nothingness. It was also nice that I could listen in 2x fast so that cut down on listening time. Charges easily in a USB port, however it will only last 10 to 12 hours when in VOR mode so it needed to be checked once a day. I was right by the way.

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Sony DCR-DVD405 3MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom

Sony DCR-DVD405 3MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical ZoomI thought that I had used camcorders before, but this camera makes all the old ones look like (inferior) toys. The quality of the recordings and sound is so good that it's probably a waste for someone like me to own one. But I'm up for the challenge and will try to be worthy of this camera.

The first surprise is that with all it's capability and quality, this camera is still very small and lightweight. I suspect that it's use of a mini-DVD for recording helps, as they are very small, thin, and light-weight. Use of a mini-DVD in the camera, makes the right side of the camera look a little rounder than the other side. But this is where you put your right hand when using the camera. So no one will notice.

The mini-DVD records about 30 minutes of video, although this can be adjusted to 60 minutes (for long play), or to 20 minutes (for higher quality). This is enough for the average camcorder user, during an average day. If you need more, buy more of the mini-DVDs. The DVD-RWs are not expensive and can be reused. They are very convenient for transferring recordings to your PC. So, get a few extra mini-DVD-Rs and a few extra mini-DVD-RWs or +RWs.

The battery that comes with the camera is an FP-60 variety and it probably lasts for about 30 minutes of recording. The battery can be recharged using the camera. If you are going to be using the camcorder more heavily, an extra battery (FP-71 variety, or even better, the larger and much longer-lasting FP-90 variety might be better to have along with you.) There are two separate chargers available including a very convenient and very cool-looking fast charger. The extra battery or two might also be useful if you are going to add a light and/or flash attachment. (There is a small built-in flash, but not a built-in light.) So get at least one extra battery and maybe a charger if you are going to be more than a casual user of this camcorder. And perhaps get the extra light or light/flash attachments.

The large (2.7 inch) and very useful LCD view-screen was also a surprise. This is the first camcorder I've used where there were so few buttons on the camcorder, and most of the function was available instead by touching "buttons" (and using menus) on the viewscreen. This takes less than 5 minutes to get used to. Then you realize how nice it is to have so few buttons on the camera body, where you might push them by mistake. You can hold this camera easily without pushing buttons. Also, it is nice to look at what the camera is seeing, while you are making changes via "buttons" on the viewscreen. This is a very nice feature. And if the viewscreen needs to be wiped clean after all that touching, and mine hasn't yet, then just carefully wipe it clean. The viewscreen also is a very sharp display, showing lots of detail.

Of course, the camera's recorded picture quality is excellent. The quality of the sound recording is also very good, another surprise. And the camera takes nice, sharp 3-Mbyte still photos. All on the same mini-DVD. You can review all the little movies, and all your still photos on the touch viewscreen. Wonderful!

Still photos can be stored instead on memory sticks, rather than the mini-DVD, for people who prefer them. And of course, the camera can talk to the computer via cables, etc. But the mini-DVD is the easiest way to move your items over to the PC.

I haven't tried the remote control for the camera yet, too much too soon. But I'm imagining all the uses I'll have for it later, when I (like Hitchcock) feel the need to be in my own movies.

Ah, and lastly, the "Easy button". What a great idea for someone like me. Make using the camcorder easy! And with great results too, even for someone with lots of experience using other camcorders.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to check out how to get into a film school, so that I can do something useful and appropriate with all the capabilities of this camera. Look out Mr. Spielberg, here I come.

This sounds like bragging, but I really like my DVD405, purchased yesterday. I have done research on DVD camcorders for a while and initially planned to buy DVD403, but as soon as I heared about 405, I held off my purchase and waited until 405 came out yesterday.

Comparing with my old Hi 8 Canon camcorder, DVD405 is so much better: resolution, color, sound, ease of use. Ease of use deserves 6 star. I quickly filmed a bunch of indoor scences using a DVD-RW disk, and I was able to copy it to a regular sized 4.7 GB DVD-R, reformat and reuse my DVD-RW, all in half and hour. Nothing tricky about it.

As you can tell, I am not a video expert and don't demand a lot. But this is precisely what DVD405 is for: people who want to have quality video but don't want to bother with all those technicality or to invest tons of time editing clips.

Buy Sony DCR-DVD405 3MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Now

Sony does it again...........

As an owner of many video cameras, I have experienced many cameras and have come back to the Sony DCR-DVD405. My first digital DV camera was the Sony DCR-PC100. Great camera, but a little dated. Bought the Panasonic DVD200 and it was terrible...

Then purchased the Sony DCR-DVD403 and was very impressed. So decided to go bigger and buy the Sony HD HC1. Disappointing to say the least especially since I spent $1700.00 dollars. So have now went back to the DVD405 and am done shopping. Great video, excellent Dolby sound, and pretty good battery life. Media is not so expensive when you buy in bulk ($0.48) or buy a few DVD-RW ($5.00/Sony). All my finalized DVD-R movies have played in all DVD players. I always use the High Quality (HQ) to record and yes 20min does go fast, but worth the other positives. Durability of the DVD403 was good so expect the DVD405 to be the same. I like the look and the jack set-ups on the DVD405 better. Also the power button feels more secure. So take it from my experience and check out the Sony DCR-DVD405. Well worth the money, but I still suggest the extended warranty to off-set the unknown longevity of the operating system. Any questions...feel free to email me.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCR-DVD405 3MP DVD Handycam Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Here

Just got this camcorder last week after researching for about 2 weeks. Our MiniDV camcorder was on this blink and we decided it was time to jump to the MiniDVD format. The thing I like about this format is the ability to quickly view footage both on the camcorder and on TV after finalizing the disc. Our main use will be in recording our children, so I don't currently have a need performing time-consuming conversions and editing that the minDV format requires to produce a DVD. Picture quality is equal to, if not better that my Sony TRV-18 miniDV camcorder. Low light shots are very good as advertised.

I like the idea that I can easily copy the miniDVD to a 12cm DVD using the software that came with the camcorder. By utilizing miniDVD-RWs, I can copy the completed disc to the 12cm format and reuse the miniDVD-RW. That will be a big cost savings since the miniDVD-Rs run about $2-3 each versus 50 cents for the 12cm DVD-R.

If you think you are ready for the miniDVD format, I highly recommend this camcorder.

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I bought this camera two weeks ago. Got a chance to record and review its performance indoor and out doors. So far I am very much pleased with the performance. Crisp HD like Video and good 5.1 surround audio. I did some research before buying this camera, I even tried a Panasonic PV GS 250 before buying this one. Eventhough Video quality was close at day light, I did not like its low light performance. From my experience most of the home videos are made at home ( no surprise!) under normal indoor lighting conditions. PV-GS 250 has a lot of options to improve performance by manually adjusting the setting. I still prefer the sony way of leaving the user to get the best shot without worrying about the settings. DVD405 has sharp video ( I saw some reviews saying DVD405 not being sharp enough!!, They are absolutely wrong.) Better skin tones and overall very good video and audio. I am glad I bought this one.

Pros: Better Video and Audio, Cheaper in its class

Cons: Audio 5.1 may not raise to your expectations ( May need a supplementary microphone for its full capability).

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD Sc

Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD ScreenI've had a chance to play around with the new Drift HD170 Stealth camera for a few weeks now and made a quick video just to show a few things I've tried with it. What makes it "stealth," I guess, is the new sleek black design (the casing of the unit is made from a durable black rubberized plastic). The bright orange face of the older model did likely call some attention to itself, and for some uses (i.e. stealth uses) that's a drawback. While the older model's bright colored face made it look fun, I think I do prefer the solid black and can see why they opted for it. The feature that makes this camera really stand out from other similar POV or "extreme sports" cameras, though, is the onboard LCD screen, that allows you to see what you are going to be capturing on the spot, so you can arrange the camera just as you like; it also allows you to go through the menu on the spot and adjust options depending on your needs at the moment. (You can set things up in the menu so that the LCD turns off after a minute of being unused so as to prolong the life of the battery).

What's struck me is that the real value of this camcorder is its combination of a rugged and durable design with its versatility. It's emphasized for use with extreme sports but it's useful pretty much anywhere you wouldn't risk another more fragile camera. It's water and weather resistant not water proof so you could use it in light rain, maybe even during a hurricane if it was securely mounted, but certainly in extreme conditions where you'd be worried about a standard camcorder. (I've heard that Drift Innovation the company that makes these will be coming out with a fully waterproof case for the Stealth some time soon so that you can add cliff diving and snorkeling to the list of extreme sports you can capture subjectively with the Stealth) The camera comes with three different mounts one that you can secure to any kind of narrow belt (and it comes with an elastic belt), one that you can put on a handlebar, and one that you can secure to a helmet with the included velcro adhesives. It's easy to orient the camera, even if you've got it mounted in an odd spot the shooting orientation can be changed simply by rotating the lens manually, and the quick release mount can also be rotated so that the unit can be oriented however you like with respect to the mount.

I'm not much of an extreme sports guy but I can see where this would come in handy for various types of video projects other than extreme sports, and I tried to illustrate a few possible uses in the video. You can mount it on a bike, a motorcycle, a skateboard, or on a 12-foot-long paint pole elevated over a car (as I did in the attached video, using the handlebar mount attached to the end of the pole). Obviously, I wouldn't want to put my Canon VIXIA HFS10 on top of a long pole like that because if it dropped or bumped into something it would almost certainly be damaged. While the Stealth is not damage proof it's a lot more rugged than a standard camera, and so it works great in lots of precarious situations. I used to think that when I needed an extreme shot the best option would be a relatively inexpensive camera like my Flip, that I could more afford to have damaged than my nicer camera but with this one the risk of serious damage is significantly diminished.

You can shoot decent photos (5 megapixels and they look fine, but as you'd expect on a device that's tailored for video capture they don't really compare to the images you'd capture on a compact camera in this price range expect a few notches up from the quality you'd capture on a phone and you won't be disappointed), and very cool time lapse sequences (with shooting intervals from 3 to 30 seconds apart), plus it takes surprisingly good HD video for such a small camera. It's not as nice or as versatile as my Canon, but the video is at least as good or better than what I can capture on my Flip Mino HD plus it's got a much wider lens, which is ideal for "point of view" shooting. At 720p it captures a 170 degree view, and it's got a bit of a fisheye effect which is kind of nice, it looks very cool with POV sports footage but could be effective in other applications as well. At 1080p it captures a slightly narrower range of 120 degrees, and there's less distortion, but not as many options for frame rates. At 720p you can shoot at frame rates from 25fps to 60, and shooting at 60fps allows you to slow the footage down in an editing program without things looking jerky as they would if you'd shot at a standard 30fps and then played back at an effective 15 frames per second. At 1080p you can shoot either 25 or 30fps. (You can also shoot standard definition video if you like). The video is encoded with H.264 in a Quicktime (.mov) wrapper so it's easy to import and play or edit in a variety of applications.

One other nice feature is that the set comes with a remote control "watch" you can wear it on your wrist (it's got a velcro band) and it has two buttons: for record and stop. There's a bit of a time lag on the stop function it takes a couple seconds and sometimes I've found I've had to press the button twice to get it to respond, but otherwise it works quite well. The weak element on the camera is the onboard mike it doesn't capture clear sound at all. It's noisy and would really only work as reference and not playback. In other words if you spoke into the mike or near the mike you would be able to hear what you'd said assuming you weren't on a motorcycle, or free falling from high altitudes and it might help you to remember something but you wouldn't want to even consider including the audio in a completed video. The main reason for the weakness of the mike seems to be that its input is protected by a rubber seal in order to ensure the water resistance of the unit. The real value of this camera is in capturing video you wouldn't be able (or willing) to capture in other ways. There is another option with this camera that not all cameras of this type allow, which is to plug in an external microphone but I'm pretty sure the input is proprietary, which means you either have to buy the mike from Drift or you have to buy one of the input cables for your mike from them. When you do use an external mike you have to keep the rear hatch of the camera open and Drift sells a kind of silicon boot to help keep things sealed and protected when the mike is connected and the door is open.

The Stealth is not a one-size-fits-all camcorder that will meet every need and wouldn't by any stretch replace a standard camcorder for ordinary shooting, especially given its fixed, extremely wide lens and its substandard onboard mike but it can capture images you'd never dream of trying to capture with your standard camcorder. If all you want to do is capture extreme sports from the point of view of the athlete, or other extreme images that would put an ordinary camera at risk, this would be a very good option. For someone like me, who only rarely has a need for "extreme sports footage," I know I won't use this all the time, but I'm very happy to have it in my "bag of tricks" because, as I think my little video shows, it's a very versatile camera that can capture some very cool and fairly good quality images and video that could fit nicely into a wide range of different kinds of video projects.

I've owned just about every helmet cam on the market and I even sell the GoPro HD Hero on my site and this is by far the best camera I've owned to date.

The thing I like about it most is the ease of use. The menu is like any other PAS camera instead of hieroglyphics like the GoPro and yes I have the LCD on my GoPro and it's still a pain to use. It does take great video but no better than the drift.

I love that I can adjust the mic on the drift and pretty much turn it off if I want to and I can add a remote mic. I have one but have yet to use it. No more clanking from the mount like the GoPro either.

The battery outlast the GoPro and it seems to have great video compression. Long videos have pretty small file size. I took a 48:00 video and it was just under 3 gig.

About the only thing I don't care for is the helmet mount. I haven't used it yet but it's not that clean of a mount, I do like the GoPro better for that. I wound up putting a RAM ball on mine and that's pretty much all I use. All and all I love this thing.

Buy Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD Sc Now

Camera arrived and straight out of the box had a faulty microphone. Had a play with it for a few days waiting to hear back from Drift Support and found the picture quality to be excellent. Really liked the good clear images and colour was spot on. Although, I soon found that a fully charged battery would drain overnight if left in the camera (even though the camera was switched off).

Thinking I just had a dud unit, and given the quality of picture, I decided to go through the Amazon returns process and had a replacement shipped out.

Amazon were excellent in how they dealt with the return and replacement. No complaints on that front (Drift on the other hand, took more than a week for their Support people to reply to my emails to tell me that it was faulty and then they passed the buck back to Amazon).

Replacement unit arrived today and upon switching it on I notice the picture is absolutely stuffed, making everything look like a psychedelic music video from the 70's. Back to emailing Drift Support. This time I won't wait for a week for their response. If I haven't heard back by tomorrow it's on it's way back for a refund this time.

You really have to ask yourself where is the quality control? Does Drift not test each unit before it's packaged?

Two cameras and two different problems straight out of the box.

It's disappointing because the Drift is the only one of the top 3 (GoPro/Contour/Drift) that offers external mic and reviewing screen facility.

I won't risk another replacement.

Looks like I'll be switching my allegiance to one of the other two brands.

UPDATE: Received a GoPro HD this week and most impressed with the quality of build and the video taken to date. The mounting system is a little fiddly but not entirely unusable. Changing camera settings was awkward at first but after clipping on the LCD BacPac it was much more simple.

I've just bought a Contour HD as well ($138) and will test that out when it arrives.

Read Best Reviews of Drift Innovation HD170 Stealth Action Camera with HD Recording, 4x Digital Zoom and 1.5-Inch LCD Sc Here

I did my research on Go-Pro, Contour and Drift Hd170. What sold me to get the Drift HD170 was a couple of things.

1-PRICE

2-LCD Display

3-Remote Control

4-Water Resistant

5-The use of a standard size SDHC flash memory card

6-FULL HD 1080P option

7-Has a universal screw mount on the bottom for tripods.

8-All the necessary attachments I needed to PLAY is included on the package! With the exception of the waterproof casing. OVERALL I AM PRETTY STOKED!!

So as I compared each product, this was the winner. I can rig it when I climb. Once I have the funds, I am going to purchase a waterproof case so that I can use it for surfing.

The setup menu options are pretty easy. Very user friendly, well at least to me :)

I just wished that the zoom capability worked for the HD 1080p settings.

Here's a link to my videos that I did using the Drift HD170 strapped on my climbing helmet. So far I am super stoked on it!!

UPDATE:

Well for some odd reason Amazon is not letting me post a link on my vimeo videos for you to view.

You can check it out by typing on the address line vimeo then typing the (.) then the com w/ the backslash (/) then luvlifeclimbsurf. vimeo(dot)com(/)luvlifesurfclimb

Thanks

ROCKY :)

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My husband and I live at the Oregon coast and we love to ride our quads in the sand! I wanted to try this camera for following my hubby around on trails, going up and down hills, wheelie-en, jumpin' at the tops of dunes, brodies, etc. The hero camera looked a little bulky, because it sticks out so much when its mounted, and this little guy looked like it might be a little more streamlined for going through hairy stuff. Its FANTASTIC!!! It works awesome, the sound is good, the picture is clear, and I can't even tell I have it on my helmet. This camera is totally worth it if you want something that isn't going to draw a lot of attention, and you can mount it almost anywhere. Get out and do something, whoo hoo!!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

New 2.5" HD Car LED IR Vehicle DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard Camcorder - LC

New 2.5' HD Car LED IR Vehicle DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard Camcorder - LCD 270° whirl 6 LED Recorder Camera
  • Support SD/MMC card:up to 32GB
  • 6 LED's, support nightvision
  • please insert the SD card before recording. This camera has no internal memory and does not come with a SD card.
  • Because the DVR is DV5v input, please use the attached car charger. it have adaptor 12V/24V transfers to 5V already.

Sound is not the best quality, device make noise by itself, you can hear it when video is recorded in quiet room. Car radio on video was on pretty loud.

8 gb = 2h+

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I think that a car camera is some thing ever car should have. the video has good qualitly and the sound it alright but only good for the cab of the vehicle, but did not expect anything superstar. all in all its a great camrea to have for that just in case. you should get a 32GB card so you can have about 10 hours of video. im not really for sure but i do think that it dose delete the old files and make new ones if its runs out of space but not really sure. have not really run it to that problem just yet. ill update it I find out.

Read Best Reviews of New 2.5" HD Car LED IR Vehicle DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard Camcorder - LC Here

I bought one of these to use as a storm footage camera. I am a professional storm chaser for the National Weather Service. I have one of these on my windshield to capture tornado and storm footage. Works extremely well. Not the clearest picture quality but for 28 bucks I am not complaining. The quality of the picture is comparable to most cellular phones. Not too shabby. It works well for exactly what it was intended for so if your looking for a good bang for the buck then this little guy is for you. I don't think you will be disappointed. Only draw back is you have to by an SD-card. It DOES NOT come with the card and without the card this device will not work.

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after 3 day he stop work. not power on and display not working, its very horible. not buy this DVR

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Had a cheaper camera that only accepted 2GB SD cards and after recording would have to run that video through software to enhance, de-interlace, and so on. That had no audio.

This camera though had audio which is awesome and the video can be taken straight from the card and posted without running through software to enhance if you don't want to.

First contact with it was weird in that it the default language was Russian but reading through the small instruction sheet was able to change to English and run with it.

Power cord is long enough to run from the plug-in, under the driver-side dash, up under the trim, across the top and to the unit so you don't have that 'hanging' from the mirror. Dead give away something is attached to the window (which is technically illegal in Minnesota).

Would recommend as a 'gotta have something' to record. Am currently trying out the different 'types' of video quality and should report back on that.

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Pyle-Home PTCDS3UIP Classical Trumpet Horn Turntable with AM/FM Radio CD/Cassette/USB & Direct to U

Pyle-Home PTCDS3UIP Classical Trumpet Horn Turntable with AM/FM Radio CD/Cassette/USB & Direct to USB Recording
  • Phono/Radio/CD player/Tape/USB record - Wireless Remote control for CD/USB - Metallic Trumpet Horn
  • AM/FM Radio with stereo - CD/MP3/CD-R/CD-RW discs compatible - Audio output power: 2 speaker
  • Play your favorite MP3 song from the USB - USB Record - 110 Volt AC Power
  • Front loading single CD, drawer type - 3 speed turntable 33-1/3, 45, 78 RPM - Dimensions: 15.55'' x 11.81'' x 31.49''
  • 45 rpm adaptor included - Ceramic Stereo Cartridge

I made this video so folks can see how to set this baby up. The horn is really quite cool looking. The flexibility to play different media formats is outstanding. You do need an aux cord to play an ipod but it can be easily done with a $5 radioshack purchase. The unit takes about 30 minutes to set up. The bits fit ok but you have to tighten things up carefully. Sound is in the decent to good range. I am happy with it for my living room which is all it really needs to do. It is wonderful to play all my lp-s again!

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I was debating for quite a while on whether to get this. There were so many others available at cheaper prices. I finally decided to go for it and am glad I did! The sound quality is great other than the cassettes, but they never sounded great anyway. I have tested all of the functions except for the USB port and recording, and everything works wonderfully. It is rather large and heavy, but it fits right into my Victorian decor dining room. So glad I went with this product, it exceeds my expectations!

Read Best Reviews of Pyle-Home PTCDS3UIP Classical Trumpet Horn Turntable with AM/FM Radio CD/Cassette/USB & Direct to U Here

I've been looking for a unit like this for a while now, and this turned out to be a fantastic piece. However, the description of the product here on Amazon was very misleading. It claimed that there is a way to play music directly from an iPod or mp3 player from the device. This is false. There IS a USB port where you can play mp3 files that are on a USB drive, but there is no way to play music from the ipod. I have yet to try out the record part of the device. The CD player seems to work well, and the sound quality is very good. I was pleased that the horn itself acts as a speaker and is not purely decorative. The horn is also made of a lightweight metal which is nice because it gives it the expensive feel but makes the device not too heavy. As a whole, it is simply gorgeous and more than I expected in terms of appearance and quality (it's pretty big so make sure you have a space for it!). It will definitely get a lot of use!

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This is such a beautiful reproduction! The sound is amazing and it is easy to use. Putting it together was fairly simple, however the pieces did not all fit together %100 perfectly, but I did get it together, it just seems like the horn is a little wobbly in a few areas, but it is not a big deal at all and does not effect the sound or look of the phonograph...it is just a small detail that I noticed. Overall I think this is an excellent product and everyone should buy one!

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There are really only two replica gramophone players with CD capability available on the market right now, this and the Pyle PVNP4CD (with brass horn). I opted for this one and am happy I did.

This is basically a comparison between the two.

While the [brass] PVNP4CD allegedly has a real wood cabinetthis is MDF with veneer but you couldn't tell by seeing it in personthe biggest difference is this model has the front loading USB player which is just really cool.

Basically you can take any USB flash drive, copy MP3s or even books on tape on to the flash cartridge off your computer, plug it in to this and play them just like a CD. The forward and back buttons which work for the CD also work for the USB player, and it even comes with handy +10 and -10 track buttons. Pyle claims this only works up to 2GB flash size, but I've been using a 16GB flash and it works just fine.

The horn has a dull antique finish which I personally like better, it is metal (by contrast Pyle says the PVNP4CD is real brass and I believe is larger....the PVNP4CD cabinet also is bigger so it has more footprint overall).

The horn is solidly built and does not wobble, actually its just a beautiful piece. Note that this radio comes in two versionsone with 'Aux In' capability, and one with 'Aux Out'. I got the Aux In without even knowing, which means you can use the stereo plugs in the back to hook up an Ipod or somesuch and use the speakers. The Aux Out version has the exact same plugs, but the little black box on the back says "LINE OUT" in the adsthis lets you hook up external speakers instead for additional sound. I would rather have gotten the Aux Out version but too late now, not a big deal but check the pictures carefully to see which one you are buying.

As far as complaints, nothing major. The radio itself is rather lacking, mostly because the selection dial isn't belted (as in, knob turns faster than indicator moves like most analog radios). No idea why they designed it like that, but it makes getting some stations to come in clear almost an art. The phonograph works and sounds good, the arm itself is rather cool vintage looking but made of cheap plastic, would have been much better metal for sure. (PVN4CD has a modern but less showy arm which is easier to work with, if you plan to play alot of vinyl records, you probably better opt for that model). The front panel is plastic but looks very much like metal I can't see the difference. I swapped the rubber feet out with some carved wooden legs just on a whim to raise it up off the table, thought it was a big improvement.

All in all happy with purchase, the sound is surprisingly good and the radio even has a little sealed bass box inside which boosts the bass quality a bit. The horn also has its own speaker and really works. It is very showy and certainly multi-functional. Recommend!

** updateon reading the reviews for the PVNP4CD, I am hearing that despite their ad their other model also has a veneer covered MDF cabinet not solid wood. Not a big deal to me, most sound boxes are made from MDF and even chain store furniture, but there it is.

OLYMPUS 147036 FOOTSWITCH OLYMPUS RS 27 REPLACES

OLYMPUS 147036 FOOTSWITCH OLYMPUS RS 27 REPLACESHaving bought the RS27 foot switch we have discovered that it does not reverse more than a few is any seconds at a time and that it often will switch back to the very beginning of the voice document. This has made it extremely hard to work with and I long for the good old days when you bought something and it worked the first time. Call me old fashioned.

This Foot Switch will only work if you have a certain type of Olympus DSS Player Software, not just any version. Just make sure you know which software you have or need to purchase before purchasing this foot switch to make it work. I thought a foot switch was a footswitch but apparently not. Do your homework. The sellers do not mention this fact which I think is a mistake. It should say it take software to make it work and not only software but a certain software.

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I've been doing freelance transcription for almost 10 years now, and this is the first time I've had to upgrade my foot pedal to a newer model. This one is replacing my old RS 25, which still works just fine, but to upgrade to the latest (and better) DSS player version 7, I had to upgrade my foot switch as well. This is pretty much the same thing...standard model with right rewind, left FF, and center play. It works well and had good plug and play functionality. No problems whatsoever. This seems to be another solid piece of equipment, and I'll use it for years to come...at least until they make me upgrade again to use a new version of the player.

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I have found I can only operate this foot pedel with my shoe off--the FF and Rewind are so slightly elevated above the center Play area, I can never hit the right area with my shoe on because I can't feel where the edges of the FF and Rewind are.

The bigger problem is that, totally counter-intutive, Rewind is on the right and Fast Forward is on the left! Why would they do this? After months of using it, my intuition is still to go to the left for Rewind and to the right for Fast Forward.

If there was any other foot controller available I'd buy it, but there isn't, and it does work but could be so much better.

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Most people are unaware that Olympus is the dominant manufacturer of endoscopes (flexible medical cameras pushed into orifices like the sphincter). They are quite respected for this, um... technology, but I must now invite you to consider metaphors apt to those glittering proctological exploits as we put one of their comparatively mundane transcription instruments on the table. Relax and spread your wallet.

The 147036 foot pedal is well-constructed and operates with no mechanical issues that I can see. You could land ass-first on the thing (bluntly characterizing my own acquisition of the device) and it probably wouldn't break. But I have to agree with everyone else contending with the ridiculous software upgrade policy Olympus has put in effect--this device should work with every version of their transcription software, which is overpriced as it is.

Because I am unwilling to fork over $150 for some jainky software upgrade I'm actually using my new pedal as a plugged-in peripheral to the DS5000 cradle. It cannot be set to transcription mode in this context, necessitating a bizarre tap-dancing, butt-chafing protocol to get anything done. And swallow this--if I accidentally touch the left pedal my DS5000 jumps to a new file, requiring a tedious, manual relocation to the abandoned edit point! I have something like 400 pages of text to transcribe and I'm seriously worried about hemorrhoids.

I'm sure I'll squeeze through somehow, but I could have done without this additional constriction to my creative output.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

TosLink 1 x 2 Optical Audio Splitter Adapter

TosLink 1 x 2 Optical Audio Splitter AdapterI was very skeptical when buying this spliiter/switch after seeing so many bad reviews. It worked for me after little trial and error and here is what I found. For all those who complained that these splitters/switches do not work, this is what you need to do to get it right. I bought this splitter from eforcity, so I cannot say about those shipped by other sellers.... It works both ways i.e. as a splitter and as a switch.

1. For it to act as a switch, the critical thing is that only one source needs to be ON. Some sources send signal even when on stand by mode. To check whether it sends out signal, just plug one end of the toslink cable into port of the source(cable box, ps3, etc) and check the other end for red light. when on stand by, the light should not be lit.

2. The second most important thing for this splitter/switch to work is the length of the cables used. I used all 1.5 ft cables and they work perfectly. Earlier I had 3 ft cables coming out of the cable box and ps3 to the splitter and then 1.5 ft cable to the home theater. The ps3 did not work but cable box worked (not consistently though) as the signal attenuated too much by the time it reached the home theater receiver. I am not sure if there is a shorter cable than 1.5 ft and it would be great if you do have them. 1.5 ft cables work fine. I got the 1.5 ft cables from RiteAV.

Finally, the basic test to see if it works is to check for the red light after the connections. Connect in the way shown below and check for the light near the * before connecting to the receiver. Make sure only one source is ON at a time. If you see light and it still does not work after plugging into the receiver then it means that the signal attenuated too much and your receiver cannot pick it.

source 1 -->

...................splitter -->* receiver

source 2 -->

--> = 1.5 ft toslink cable

ignore the dots...

Good luck!.

I read all the responses posted in the comments (turn off one device to use the other) and it works perfect!

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In looking around, it seemed that some of these splitters had issues when used to connect 2 devices to 1 input. As long as the "other" device is powered off when you're using the shared input, it totally works.

When our blu-ray is used, the Xbox360 is off and vice-versa.

Can't beat the price!

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If you are using this to connect 2 devices to one receiver then you need to make sure one device is off while you are using the other device. I use this splitter to connect my Xbox 360 and my PC to my PX5's. I also have to turn off the receiver and turn it back on when switching devices or it will not pick up the signal from the other device. Works great if you follow those simple rules. If both of your devices stay on this will not work for you. If you can't turn off one device then this will not work for you.

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I'm pretty happy with this product. It's an inexpensive solution to my problem of having only one optical input on my AV Receiver and needing to connect both my PS3 and Apple TV to it. Both AppleTV and PS3 are connected the end of the splitter with two inputs, and then the other end of the splitter with only one output is connected to the AV Receiver. It only works when only one of the devices is off and not transmitting signal at the same time as the other one, but luckily both these devices don't transmit signal when they're in sleep mode.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

New R300 2.7" 140° Dual Lens Dash Board Camera Car HD DVR Black Box Video Recorder + GPS Logger

New R300 2.7' 140° Dual Lens Dash Board Camera Car HD DVR Black Box Video Recorder + GPS Logger
  • Video and Audio recording
  • 2.7 "TFT LCD Panel or TV Out, TV Out support NTSC & PAL
  • Dual Lens Camera,1280 x 480 30FPS (2CH Record), 640 x 480 30FPS (1CH Record)
  • Support Memory Card :SDHC Class 64GB ~ 32GB, proprietary file format
  • GPS module support ,G Sensor Support

The camera's resolution of 1280x480 pixels is because there are two cameras and the picture shows two videos of 640x480 side-by-side, therefore the frame size is 1280x480. The camera listed here says it is an HD DVR and this is not true. Amazon should not let people believe that they will have an HD picture just because assuming 1280x480 is an HD standard. It is not and never will be high definition resolution, Wikipedia will help you to make it clear. Full HD is 1920×1080, and 720p HD is 1280x720.

Overall picture is blurry and round "pillow-like", nothing is possible to read, not even a license plate of a car standing right in front! Come on people, it's 2012 already, 0.3mp VGA cameras are out of market like 10 years ago. Camera is worthless in any insurance claim as well, if anything happens they require HD quality. So unless you want just to view the roads you drove and what was happening in car at that time, which maybe helps to taxicab drivers, otherwise it's loss of money, 1 star and returned immediately.

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For what it is, this is a great little DVR. I got mine, put in a MicroSD card, plugged in two wires, and it just worked. Build quality is much better than I expected, it feels like it's put together solidly. For the price that I paid, I was expecting loose fitting, thin plastic shell that creaked and flexed when holding it, this does not do that.

Video quality isn't bad, although it is low resolution. This is clearly stated on the product page in multiple places, so I'm not sure why other reviewers seem surprised by this. Any camera with as wide angle of a lens as this has will have difficulty making out license plates, regardless of the resolution. If you're wanting a camera to read license plates with, get something with a narrower field of view and a high resolution sensor. If you want something that clearly shows what's going on in and around your car, get this one.

Also, this isn't mentioned in the review page, but this unit does show your speed on it. It's only shown in KPH though, there are no options to change it to MPH.

This isn't related to the product review, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Mine was shipped VERY fast. It was well packaged, and arrived in excellent condition. I noticed a lot of people mentioning that they received their cameras poorly packaged and beat up. The seller that I bought mine from was EXCELLENT. It shipped from California, not over seas. The package arrived in good enough shape to be in a retail display.

Pros:

It works well, for what it's designed to do

Exterior camera is wide angle enough to show both sides of the hood, and what's beyond it

Interior camera is wide angle enough to show the entire inside of my pickup, and both side windows

Can easily play back the video (In very low resolution) on the device, without needing to hook it to a computer

Seems to be built well

Cons:

Poorly translated manual, although the device is simple enough to use that this shouldn't be a problem. All menus on the device appear to be translated well.

Requires proprietary software to view playback on a PC.

Mount is relatively large. I've got a pickup with a fairly large windshield, the camera and mount seems to take up a lot of it. This could probably be helped with an aftermarket mount, since the camera uses a standard thread for the mount.

There's a flashing icon on the display, I'm not sure what it means. The manual says nothing about it. It may be because I'm currently using a slower MicroSD card than they recommend.

It would be nice if the wiring harness for the GPS & power were smaller

Overall, I'm very happy with this unit, and would certainly recommend it.

Read Best Reviews of New R300 2.7" 140° Dual Lens Dash Board Camera Car HD DVR Black Box Video Recorder + GPS Logger Here

Their idea of High Definition and mine are a little different. All and all, it's a fairly nice Dash Cam. If you're looking for true High Definition though, it's not going to happen with this one. Good Luck!

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This camera is a great buy for the money! I was looking for something simple and would cover me if pulled over by the police or in an accident. I also use this camera on the track and it works great. For the money this is an EXCELLENT value.

Pros

* Dual lenses, so you can record both inside and out, but you also have the option to record only out or only inside.

* Suction cup for mounting and it holds up on a 1 G turn!

* Holds up to a 32 Micro SD (sold separately)

* Video downloads super easy

* Camera can be flipped depending on your windshield (my corvette is very steep)

Cons

* GPS isn't built in, so if you want to use that option you will need to plug it in. (I never use it)

* Not the best for night time driving, but I do mostly day time driving.

* Instructions are useless, but I figured everything out pretty quick.

* Downloads are video only. If you have the GPS plugged in you can't download that information (Playback only)

My camera has captured a few different accidents in front of me and the victims loved that I caught everything on this for their insurance companies.

Some of the people are complaining that the camera isn't true HD or it doesn't have built in night vision or the instructions are hard to understand... What do you expect from a dash cam under $60?

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I've had this product for many months now and I really enjoy having it, it definitely was worth the money. During the day it is great, however at night, unless you are on a light highway, it is useless. But I enjoy the GPS feature, and the gravity sensor. It has 24hr time which I also like, It isn't extremely intuitive, but you only set it up once and rarely download video onto your computer, so it's not a big deal. It said it worked with a mac, however I tried many time and eventually just gave in and looked at the video on my windows 8 laptop.

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Audiovox D7000XP 7-Inch Portable DVD Player with Swivel Screen and Digital Picture Frame Software

Audiovox D7000XP 7-Inch Portable DVD Player with Swivel Screen and Digital Picture Frame Software
  • 7" Swivel Screen Portable DVD Player with 16:9 aspect ratio.
  • Comes with digital "media scheduling" software and has a 3-way card reader and USB port.
  • Can play DVD's, CD's, MP3's CDR's, CDRW's and Picture CD's.
  • Comes with wireless remote contol and built in stereo speakers
  • Includes Car Headrest Mounting Bag and carrying case

First, the product description is incorrect. The product does not come with a "Car Headrest Mounting Bag and carrying case." There is a headrest mounting *strap* (not bag) and a separate carrying case. On the bright side, the lack of bag makes it easier to change DVDs while mounted. I'm also unsure what "complete car cabling with car adapter" means. The unit comes with a cigarette lighter plug-in (car adapter) for auto use. Any other "car cabling" that would make it "complete" is a mystery to me.

The Good:

The price. This is the least expensive DVD with swivel screen and included battery that I've been able to find. The product does play DVDs, music, and photos as advertised. The carrying bag is cheap, but appreciated. Why don't more manufacturers include at least this simple accessory? I haven't tested the battery life yet but if it truly lasts 4 hours that will be an excellent feature.

The Bad:

The battery is external. I know that most are external, but the product description should be upfront about this. When playing DVD's at low volume you can hear the DVD spinning noise. Resolution for viewing pictures is poor, and loading time is poor (with a card right out of a 6 MP camera). If you like to wait and hear a buzz while your photo loads, this is your photo viewer. I assume if I resized the photos they would load more quickly. Why would I want to do that? The remote is a nice feature for auto use, but it would be nice if a "power standby" (off) feature could be activated from the remote (other players do this). While you can navigate a DVD using the remote you need to reach over to turn the power off when you are done. You cannot turn it off using the remote. This is a pain for a parent controlling the DVD player from the front seat. The manual is poorly written, but what one isn't these days?

Overview:

You may wonder why I'm giving it 3 stars even with so many complaints. I was looking for an inexpensive DVD player that had a swivel screen, an included battery, and that could be mounted on a headrest in a car. This was one of the few options available that had all of these features--although via a headrest strap rather than a bag. I have only owned the product two days and cannot comment on its durability.

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I just received this unit after waiting 8 weeks on back order. So far it does everything I had hoped for. It doesnt say it in the spec's but I just put in a dvd-r data disk that I made to back up my photos and it started playing a slide show of them. Looks like a great way to show photos to friends. It does the same thing when I connected a 4 gig thumb drive to it with photos on it.

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This DVD player did not live up to expectations. I would not play video Cd's but most other portable DVD units will. The picture is really poor. Its has some cool features but not enough to offset the negative issues. I am going to give it away at a fundraiser because I do not want it.

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if it wasnt for the sound it would be perfect

its just not loud enough for out door use

I bought this item primarily so my son could watch DVD's in the car on vacation. The picture is very good, the sound could be louder, but not bad, for the car, the battery life is excellent and i was very happy with the product until it died after approx 26 months. It appears that the little motor that spins the disk burned out, from reading on the web it's a common problem with these cheap players. Not worth fixing, i just wish they would build these thing a little more robust because it was a great little player. So figure on every two years or so spending about $100 on a new player.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Sony ICD-BX112 Digital Flash Voice Recorder

Sony ICD-BX112 Digital Flash Voice RecorderThis is a nice recorder, everything works as designed...however, the product description is slightly misleading it says "Records in MP3 (320 kbps-8 kbps)" which implies that the audio files can be downloaded or transferred but this is NOT the case! If you want or need to download your recording, you will need to get a different model the ICD-PX312 model is the version of this recorder that allows download/transfer via USB.

This little recorder is an absolute gem. I have had two Dictaphones before and both did a reasonable job, but this one has very ergonomic buttons and controls that are so straight forward that I didn't really need to refer to the huge instruction manual. When you put the batteries in it asks you to input the date and time, like a mobile phone and then you can start using it.

It actually comes with two batteries so you can start using it straight away, and I did. It copes well with all noise even background sound and there is no hiss or rumbling that you often get with a single microphone unit. It also has a headphone socket (headphones not included) which means you can listen to it on the train etc, without arousing the wrath of other passengers.

The thing I really like is the weight, and size, it fits nicely into the `lighter' pocket of most jeans and is smaller than most mobiles whilst weighing a few grams. It has a massive memory but no USB connection to save files onto your computer. It does have a filing system in the machine, but a USB portal would have made this perfect, still it is not fatal. East to use, easy to carry and easy to understand as the screen is very user friendly. If like me your work means you need a Dictaphone, then I think you would be hard pressed to find one as compact , light weight and user friendly as this.

Edit: I have just had my batteries run out and did not replace for two days, and found that when I did all of my files were wiped, so a bit gutted. It did give warning bleep so i should have paid attention, but thought I ought to post an edit to let users know.

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I have no experience with digital recorders, but needed something to record meetings at which I am recording secretary. The sound quality was very good much to my surprise. My only complaint is the ease of directions for things like erasing after finished. Also since I was looking for a very simple recorder, this one is a little more complicated in that is has folders, etc. Overall, a very good product for the price.

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You don't need a USB to transfer your recordings, you just need a cord with mini-plugs on both ends. Plug one end into the headphone jack on the recorder and the other end into the microphone jack on your computer. You can also use the "line in" jack on the computer. Then use your own recording software or Windows Sound Recorder (Start, All Programs, Accessories, Sound Recorder) to record to your computer. I'm using Sound Recorder. Find the audio file you want to record, press "Play" on the recorder and press "Start Recording" (red button) on Sound Recorder. Press "stop recording" when you're done and the software asks for a file name. It's true that the Sony recorder files are MP3's but Sound Recorder saves the sound file as a windows media audio file. You can convert this to another type of audio file with any audio editing software--I use Nero Wave Editor. I bought this recorder instead of the more expensive model because I was positive I could transfer the files to my computer without a USB or additional software...as long as the recorder has a headphone jack, one simple cord makes it possible! I'm sure Amazon sells the mini-plug cable but I bought mine at the local Radio Shack.

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I personally was looking for something to assist me in rehearsing lines for Theatre..Not wishing to spend a small fortune out the onset, I tried this little Sony and was very surprised at the sound quality (very good for annuciation/vocalization which is very important to an actor) and simplicity of use. I really like the headphone and mike imputs......Of course, this is an entry level digital recorder--don't expect all kinds of "bells and whistles", usb ports or ability to connect to your computer. Just the basics....Wish I had one of these years ago. Would have made memorizing lines a lot easier!!!

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Sunday, May 11, 2014

TASCAM TMSTPRO Condenser Microphone - Cardioid

TASCAM TMSTPRO Condenser Microphone - Cardioid
  • Includes 16' stereo XLR cable
  • Switchable low cut filter
  • Includes microphone stand clip, wind screen, AA battery and protective carry pouch

I have used this microphone for small group and piano recording, and it's an excellent less expensive alternative to the more expensive Audio-Technica equivalents (which I have also owned and enjoyed).

The two big pluses are being able to use built-in batteries for long periods of use, without the inconvenience of phantom power, and the inherent viability of single-point stereo miking, which, as has been demonstrated for decades now, can result in a very pleasing stereo image.

The only "negative", which one would expect in this price range, is that, no, it's not fully up to the kind of quality you can get from large diaphragm, tubed, condensor microphones (such as the Neumann and its brethren). One would expect that. But this is a great 'starter' mic, a big step up from the super-cheapies, and a convenient mic for location recording, so long as you're not expecting 100% professional quality.

Very highly recommended, and I've had no problems or issues using this microphone at all.

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Good sound, nice features. I use it with a Tascam field recorder, unfortunatly the mic's gain is a little low so I have to push the gain up and end up with some noise. I have not seen this on my VS 2480 mixer so I assume the mic is pretty clean and the problem with the Tascam's preamp. I am on my second mic, the first one suddenly developed a nasty buzz on one side. Overall a good mic for the money.

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I first used this mic for a men's barbershop quartet, then used it for a horn playing band, then to mic a small choir. It does amazing things that other condensor mics can't because it is stereo. I even pushed monitors pretty hard with no feedback so it is very stable in the live mix. I haven't used it to record but I'm certain it would be great. It can run on phnatom power or if that isn't available it can be powered by a battery so that is a plus. Next I will use it for a vocal group playing banjo/guitars or maybe to capture a drum kit. If you are a sound man and want a special mic this one can do a lot of things and the price I paid made it sweeter.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Portable DVD Player with 12.8 Inch Colour LCD with Micro Super-thin Infrared Remote Control,tv Func

Portable DVD Player with 12.8 Inch Colour LCD with Micro Super-thin Infrared Remote Control,tv Function,Game Function
  • LED clear display,
  • 27MHz/10 video digital/analogue converter
  • 192KHz/24 bit audio digital/analogue converter
  • Have TV function
  • inside have rechargeable polymer battery

Very nice little unit that has incredible extras included with it; accessaries included remote control, 3D glasses, DVD with 300 games (only 1 controller though), earbuds for private listening, and a TV tuner.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

The Mini Wilson Compact Digital Recorder

The Mini Wilson Compact Digital RecorderI purchased this product to replace a VXI Voice-It recorder that has served me well for many years. I'm sorely disappointed as the product is most inferior. Its buttons function intermittently which renders it virtually useless.

This product was a gift for a friend that's visually impaired. I got this because of it's simplicity. Sooo easy to operate. I wish the recording was a little louder. but it works great for recording quick notes or phone numbers

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Monday, April 7, 2014

Belkin PureAV AV52400-04 4-Foot HDMI-to-DVI Video Cable

Belkin PureAV AV52400-04 4-Foot HDMI-to-DVI Video CableNice sturdy cable that works like a dream. I am using the connection on a PS3 to LCD 1080p monitor and I could not ask for a better HDMI-to-DVI cable. One other thing. The knobs Belkin uses on the dvi portion of the cable are great! If you have ever had a hard time conecting or unconnecting cables because they were hard to unscrew don't worry about having this problem with the Belkin PureAV. The grip and size of the knobs make it easy and painless.

This is one heavy duty cable, built better than most.

I had to return a Amazon Basic cable that was faulty and bought this one as a replacement.

Belkin makes high quality cables, buy with confidence.

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First of all let me state that I purchased this cable 'Used' for like $3.95 from an Amazon retailer... It literally cost more to have it shipped. I've seen the same cable advertised for like >$29.99 which I would have never purchased... It is just a cable.

That being said, I have a 2007 MacBook Pro w/ a DVI port and purchased a Veiwsonic VX2453mh-LED that only has HDMI connections (mistake on my part) so instead of returning the monitor I decided to go with a conversion cable.

The cable works as advertised but this thing is beefy and VERY inflexible. If you are trying to wall mount a monitor or if you have some space restrictions DO NOT buy this thing. It is a little comical how over built this thing is. The HDMI end feels like it could be used as a club to destroy a standard HDMI port. Again, it does NOT flex. If you dont have at least 100cm of space @ either end, do not purchase. I think the thing ways like 16kg, so at only a little more than a meter long it must be made of solid tungsten.

Also, I have only used it as a DVI-out to HDMI-in... I have not tried to converse and cannot comment.

So aside from price and ludicrous build quality, go for it.

Cheers!

-MM

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This is a wonderful product. The construction is top notch and easily matches and exceeds the build quality of the much higher priced Monster Cable wire. If you have not tried a Hdmi/Dvi wire for your HDTV you are missing SOOOOOO much as far as picture quality. MY HDTV cable box is vastly improved with this wire compared to the monster cable componet wire i was previosly running. As a long time Monster Cable Fan I am now a Belkin Pure AV due to the low price and very high build quality. I also recommend the Belkin Pure AV Pf40 power consule in order to get the best signal possible.

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Changed my PC to HDMI monitor after years of the other way around.... Still ticking without any issue. Highly recommended.

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Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Olympus LS-10S PCM Voice Recorder

Olympus LS-10S PCM Voice RecorderI didn't expect it to work as well as it did. I'm traveling in Mexico and, before leaving, I made it a last minute purchase intending to record live music wherever I might find it. It's easier to use than I might have imagined but doesn't seem to have separate channel recording capability. Still, for a pocket size device, it does a more than adequate to good job of recording music in a variety of settings from street-side to opera hall or open arena concert. Expect to trap a lot of surrounding crowd noise. Still, for portability, ease of use and quality of sound, it's worth the money for roadworthy recording device. And no, I'm not using it for taking notes or doing interviews. At least not so far. I assume it would work equally well for those purposes.

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