Showing posts with label cheap digital recorders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cheap digital recorders. Show all posts

Friday, November 7, 2014

Night Owl Security LB-4DVR5-8LCD-4CM 4 Channel H.264 D1 DVR with, 4 pack CMOS Cameras 400+ TVL and

Night Owl Security LB-4DVR5-8LCD-4CM 4 Channel H.264 D1 DVR with, 4 pack CMOS Cameras 400+ TVL and 8-Inch Color LCD Security MonitorThis is a great security starter kit. I emphasize the word "starter" kit. I received it, everything worked well, but it is a very basic unit. The cameras are on a fixed focal length so you can not zoom, tilt, or pan them. I wish the lenses had a wider focal lens on them because they would be better in my opinion. Unless you mount it far away you don't get so much in the picture. The lenses do work well in low light which is a plus.

To hook it up to your phone or PC seemed exceedingly complicated but to NightOwl's credit, their phone technical support was extremely helpful and got the whole thing working for me on both my PC and iPhone.

The picture quality is really not too good and the color is really not too good. But like I mentioned, it is a great started kit to see if this is something you might want to use. I plan to upgrade the cameras to the ones that can zoom, tilt, and pan because the DVR it comes with is already programed for these functions.

I like being able to check on the home front when away so it is a great comfort for me to call up all four cameras on my iPhone and see that the dogs are ok, the air conditioner unit or water heaters are not flooding, and no one is trying to come in the front or back door. Like I said, this is a good starter kit.

Have installed this system and am very disappointed in the camera resolution. Even after adjustments, the clarity is extremely poor. Such has now been wired down so any return is impractical. There would be no way the outside camera could read a license plate. Heck, it'd be lucky to distinguish the model of car!! This, plus my inability to yet get it connected to the Internet, has me feeling I was ripped off.

Buy Night Owl Security LB-4DVR5-8LCD-4CM 4 Channel H.264 D1 DVR with, 4 pack CMOS Cameras 400+ TVL and Now

You can buy all the pieces of this separately for around 350. Plus you can get a better dvr, and better cameras with 25+ lcd's. Also none of the cameras have audio. Buy it separately and you will get better stuff.

Read Best Reviews of Night Owl Security LB-4DVR5-8LCD-4CM 4 Channel H.264 D1 DVR with, 4 pack CMOS Cameras 400+ TVL and Here

cameras are worth anything after dark. they say 30 feet of night vision, at 30 inches you can only see blurry images. recommend a better camera and more space on monitor. I probably wind up giving these 4 cameras away and buying better security system. Night owl not worth $25.00, don't buy.

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It did not work as advertised. I have to do this because I am required to submit a certain amount of words to review when only a few would work.

RCA 6' AC Replacement Power Cord

RCA 6' AC Replacement Power Cordhi. my mom lost her power cord, for RCD159 RCA CD boombox. I searched the net alot, and this RCA Universal power cord replacement model, seemed 2 be the right thing 2 get. It doesn't work on my mom's RCA RCD159 CD boombox, or my friend Fe has RCA RCD200 CD boombox. So, u see, i just know 2 RCA models that IT DOESN'T WORK FOR. Better be sure, cuz they will tell u anything, and usually they have no idea of what works, or doesn't work. I'm gonna email Thompson Electronics, who handles support for RCA items, i think they r in Indiana, and i will find my mom the same power cord that Fe uses on her RCA RCD200 CD boombox. i rated this 4, cuz it's ok, but it's not right 4 me. Good luck 4 u.

I ordered this cord as a replacement for my CD player, but it did not fit as it was supposed to.

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The description of the power cord was insufficient while viewing online. The cord did not meet my requirements. In addition, I had to pay to send the power cord back to the manufacturer, which was not cost effective

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Just what the Doctor ordered, and came in just as promised.

Great picture, I know it would work from the picture

THANKS!

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Needed a new power cord because I lost the old one. Fit perfectly. Price was right too. Would highly recommend this item.

Sunday, October 26, 2014

GW Security CCTV Female Power Pigtail Female Plug Lead Power Cord Wire for Connecting Security Came

GW Security CCTV Female Power Pigtail Female Plug Lead Power Cord Wire for Connecting Security Camera, Pack of 10pcsI used this product with the "GW Security CCTV Male Plug Lead Power Cord Wire Male Power Pigtail" and they were a perfect match. The wires on this product are all black, as pictured. I used this to connect multiple strings of 12v LED strips.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Hauppauge Computer Works Hvr950q Hdtv Stick (1191) -

Hauppauge Computer Works Hvr950q Hdtv Stick -I love this thing. I recently dumped cable (which was costing me $1800 a year) in favor of a broadband plan and TV antenna in the attic run to my TVs with CAT6 lines, and a subscription to Netflix and Amazon Prime (all of which costs me around $300 a year, depending on how many shows I get). But that didn't fix the issue of how to record programs if I'm watching something else, and I didn't want to pay the high-price for a DVR. And why would I, when my computers have more than enough room to record TV shows? A friend gave me an older model of this HDTV stick to use with my laptop, but it didn't work with Windows 7. (Do your research!) I found this one, which was recommended for Windows 7, easily installed the software and set it up in my kitchen with the little antenna in the kitchen window. (You can go to to see where your signal is strongest, and I live close to the signals. If not, I could always hook it up to the antenna cable from the TV antenna.) I get some 20 free stations, and the software that comes with it makes it super easy to record a show. Works perfectly! I watched (insert crappy summer reality show here) and recorded (insert ANOTHER crappy reality show here) on the laptop and just watched it later. Free TV rocks!

I've had this tuner for about two weeks, connected to Windows 7 with Media Center. It records commercials with ease and matched with the Media Center guide it's a breeze to setup recording times. However, when it comes to recording the television shows I want for viewing later... I do get a picture and the sound effects, but no vocals. I tried contacting Hauppauge, but they have failed to respond. If you're looking to record commercials for the super bowl, by all means purchase. If you want to watch a drama, look elsewhere.

PS The supplied software from Hauppauge (Win 7) is utter trash, no radio, no scheduler, just a simple tuner that can do still screen captures.

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The thing came as it was described, it was missing some stuff, but it said that when I ordered it. Came in mail quickly, great condition, no scratches or things like that. Works pretty good. Didn't know you have to pay for the software.

Read Best Reviews of Hauppauge Computer Works Hvr950q Hdtv Stick (1191) - Here

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Mini Adjustable Tripod+camera Holder for Iphone and Other Cellphone

Mini Adjustable Tripod+camera Holder for Iphone and Other CellphoneA very useful and surprisingly well built mini-tripod for smartphones. I bought this for use with my iPhone, mainly to have a video camera rolling from a second angle.

**** One thing I forgot to demo is the telescoping legs, which about double it's height if you need it.

I have taken a look at most iPhone stands listed in Amazon. Most of them are very fragile (made by thin plastic) and do not provide enough stability (usually have very small base). The good part of those stands is that they are very portable for travel use. However, they are often overpriced and range from $8 to $25.

This stand is the opposite of all the above. For $11 (including shipping), it actually contains an iPhone-to-tripod adapter and a mini tripod. It is very sturdy and 100% adjustable. You can place your iPhone and iPod in any angle you like and it always remain stable (especially in the portrait mode). This is especially critical when you are doing face time with your friends and family since you want to properly face the camera.

The adapter is made of plastic, and the middle part works like a clamp that securely fastens your iPhone. The side bracket is just to protect the phone from falling off the bracket by accident. So far I only use it for 1 day, and cannot comment on the durability.

The tripod is very basic. But you can always use your own tripod with the included adapter.

The only drawback is that it is not as small as the other tiny stands. However, it can easily fit any hand bag or carry-on luggage without any problem. However, I will trade off some portability for the build quality and its full adjustability.

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Does not really fit iphone4. Would not recommend. Clamp piece breaks off at width of iPhone4 with no case on. Extreme finesse required.

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iPhone won't fit/hold. The reviews that say it does are LYING. Doesn't work. Don't buy it. End of story.

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Awesome shipping time. Ordered on 7/15, arrived 7/18!!! Yet it took less time to break. This thing is very flimsy and poorly designed and constructed. It reminds me of the products we used get from the "5and10" stores when I was a kid. In fact the product is built like a toy, not something you would mount an expensive camera or cellphone unto. I should have been more discerning with my shopping.

Monday, September 8, 2014

8GB Smoke Detector Hidden Spy Camera DVR with motion detection

8GB Smoke Detector Hidden Spy Camera DVR with motion detection
  • Motion Activated Auto Recording! (3 to 4 meter range)
  • 720x480 resolution / 30 fps / 2 megapixel
  • Records for 2 hours continuously
  • 72 degree viewing angle
  • Includes 8gb SD memory card

Well I got it, I charged it, I found a good place to mount it followed the instructions and set the camera on motion detection mode and when I went back and checked it the only video I had was the video of me putting it on the wall... After that nothing at all, I set it to continuously record and it did fine for about 2 hours and 30 minutes when the battery died it records sound forever and takes pictures ok. I have been playing with it for a while and still can't get the motion detection to work other than that everything else is great

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Wow, now this is one cheap piece of Chinese garbage. The detector is incredibly cheaply made and the instructions are a joke. After leaving the camera plugged in and charging for two days, it still will not turn on and the lights flash as though it is still charging. When unplugging the camera, it doesn't turn on at all.

My personal favorite was the packaging for the SD card that states "All in One Menory" and calls it Menory all over. It also has the following line at the bottom of the packaging saying "TF Special High-speed spread to steal".... no idea what the hell that even means lol. Apparently the manufacturer wrote the instructions and packaging in Engrish instead of English.

I've bought plenty of stuff from Amazon and Ebay, including some other cheap products from Asia; however, they all worked perfectly. This thing is by far the worst product I've bought.

If I could give this a 0-star rating, I'd still consider it overrated.

Read Best Reviews of 8GB Smoke Detector Hidden Spy Camera DVR with motion detection Here

What Jessie said, got mine yesterday, charged it up this morning and have spent 3 hours so far today trying to get it to work. The lights don't follow what the manual says and I've tried 4 times to get it to work on motion detect. When I remove the flash card and insert it into my computer, it's empty of any photo or video. About 10 minuts ago I turned it on and now the red and blue lights are still on, turning it off and trying again to get it to follow the instructions does not help.... Do not waste your money on this like I did.......

Day two, I have had it pluged in ( charging ) into my computer for the last 6 hours. Red Indicator light is still flashing which suggests it's still taking the charge... yesterday it took 4 hours to charge and the 3 hours I spent yesterday trying to get it to work ( it was off most of the time ) seems to have emptied the battery of all of it's charge. If I can get the thing to work I'll keep it otherwise I will request a replacement or a refund.

Day 3 will not / does not work, requested permission to return for refund.

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I have purchased "cheap" hidden (spy) cameras before, and the problem is the image quality is not very good, especially in low light. I decided to give this product a try based on the two mostly positive reviews of it. I will say that the image quality is not too bad, especially in good light. But other than that, I really can't say anything positive about this product. As a spy camera it is pretty much worthless. As a toy it is kind of fun to play with, at least until you get frustrated with it. The instructions that come with this say the continuous recording times is "over 12 hours", but on the Amazon website, and on the box the unit comes in it says "Records for 2 hours continuously" and "work time about 2 hours". The 2 hour time might be accurate for audio recordings, but I am having a hard time even verifying that. The problem I have is it seems the unit goes into some sort of sleep mode after a period of inactivity. So, if you set it to motion detect mode, it will detect motion and record video for a few minutes, then nothing. If you set it for video mode, the same thing happens. When you go back to the unit and press the button on the remote which is supposed to stop it and save the pics/videos, no lights come on or even flash, unless you press the power button. So it is like the device went to sleep and stopped recording. The picture thing works OK if you want to stand there and click the button on the remote to take pics, but that kind of defeats the spy camera aspect. Also, even in picture mode it seems to go to sleep, so when you come back you need to hit the power button on the remote to wake it up, and then you can take pics. I tried charging the battery, but even that doesn't work like the instructions say. The instructions say to hook the device to your computer with the USB cable, and the blue light will flash when it is charging. But when I connect it to the computer, the red light just keeps flashing. I guess it is charging, but I don't know. I will keep playing with it and see if I can make it work better, but I have played with it for a few days, and so far nothing seems to work as advertised in the instruction manual.

OK, so I have had time to play with this some more. I still don't have any positive comments to add about motion detection, pictures or video. However, I was able to do a good audio recording test and verified that it will record just over 13 hours of non-stop audio in an unattended mode, when the battery is fully charged. So if you are looking for something to record audio, this might be good for you, but I suspect you can find something smaller and cheaper that would do the same thing. I can't really vouch for the quality of the audio recording either, as I wasn't trying to verify the quality, and I just left it turned on somewhere where this isn't a lot of talking. Another thing I will add is not to waste your money buying a higher capacity memory card. The unit comes with a 8 GB SD card. I bought a 16 GB SD card thinking I could record more stuff. The 13+ hour audio recording only used 361 MB of space. And as previously mentioned, you can't record very much video because of other limitations of the device. So the 8 GTB SD card is more than enough.

I received the item and had a problem reading the directions (small writing) plus directions didnt say anything about how to open the door to battery compartment but I figured it out product worked as advertised love it will buy another

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Honeywell Ademco 5809 Wireless Heat Detector Transmitter

Honeywell Ademco 5809 Wireless Heat Detector TransmitterThis product requires programming into an alarm system. I was unable to use this product and have requested a return.

I bought this for a small apartment where one of the three smoke/fire detectors had to be in the kitchen. It was always going off. This solved the problem.

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Monday, August 4, 2014

iLuv I182 Video Recorder and Converter for 5G iPod

iLuv I182 Video Recorder and Converter for 5G iPod
  • Records video onto the hard disk drive of iPod with video capability or onto a USB device, Memory Stick, MMC or SD memory card
  • Accepts AV or S-Video input and converts it into the digital format for playback on iPod
  • Simple 2-button user-interface with start/stop and pre-set recording
  • Works with 5G iPod, PSP, USB storage devices and memory cards
  • Includes USB/memory card adapter, AC adapter, AV cable, docking adapters and AV patch cable

i knew this was a very old style device but just wanted some cheap that would allow me to record off rca input from time to time. it works but the software is for windows pc only and getting the recordings off the ipod using a mac is a hassle. not as "easy" as the description claims

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This is the best recorder I have and I have many. Why they stoped making them I dont know. For a gadget geek, if you can get one you will be happy.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Canon TV or VCR Video Playback Cable STV-250N-Mini to RCA

Canon TV or VCR Video Playback Cable STV-250N-Mini to RCALook no further if you're searching for a genuine STV-250N cable. It costs much more but let me tell you it works! I've tried twice unsuccessfully to purchase those cheaper versions. Although they claim to be STV-250 and they're NOT. Don't waste your time and get this one instead.

Worked perfectly with my canon video camera whose cord i lost. Was nervous about ordering online without knowing if it would work, but my fears were unfounded and super happy with my purchase.

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The product made it simple to view our video movies on a large screen TV However, I am disappointed in how easy the miniature plug 'pops-out' from the jack on the camera body.

Not certain if this is a Canon problem or the plug on the cable is too small.

Read Best Reviews of Canon TV or VCR Video Playback Cable STV-250N-Mini to RCA Here

Ordering the product was easy as 1 2 3 on your website. Got delivery earlier then estimated (which was great) product was in excellent shape no problems. You guys Rock Thank you

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This product works well and is just what I was looking for. It is a three to one video cable.

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Friday, May 30, 2014

Night Owl Security APOLLO-45 4-Channel H.264 DVR Surveillance Kit with 4 Color Indoor/Outdoor Night

Night Owl Security APOLLO-45 4-Channel H.264 DVR Surveillance Kit with 4 Color Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras and D1 RecordingSetup all 4 cameras around the house. Colors are not very realistic but ok for surveillance purposes. Motion recording works good and it has captured several critters walking around in my yard I didn't know about! Networking access works well and I've opened ports on my DSL router to allow access to the cameras and recorded video from anywhere (internet explorer needed some tweaking added the ip of the DVR to trusted sites list did the trick).

Apps for my iPhone and android phone work good as well and I can view live cameras from my phone anywhere (required some tweaking on the dsl router as well).

All said and done this system is good for the price. I got the extended warranty as I've heard the cameras don't last too long? Time will tell.

I bought this from Amazon for basic home security. I read the reviews and seeing that some were positive, some negative, and others in between...I wasn't expecting a great product. The unit is fine for my basic needs. I just wanted to record around my home. The daytime colors are not accurate and the night vision is limited. However, I figured this would be the case for spending under three hundred. If you want a simple setup that is easy to use, this is a nice choice. If you want high resolution, the ability to expand,or any major features, you will need to find another unit. I have not played with the networking yet as some other steps will be needed because my ISP does not provide a static IP.

Update 12/20/12: The system still works great. Despite nasty storms, cold weather, hot weather, etc. all my cameras are working like new. I was able to get the phone feed for a while, but I made some router changes, and lost the ability. The internet/phone feature is a bit of a pain.

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I see that there are mostly 3-star reviews...i think that is a disservice. for what you pay, this is a great starter unit. The fact that it comes without a hard drive is, to me, a feature...i can install any size drive i want, and change them out easily.

i just receiveced this unit and installed...the images are not that bad...even with cheap cameras. if you have full featured PTZ cameras, you can rotate, zoom,focus...and the images are as good as any professional system...it's the camera's stupid...not the dvr!

Comes with decent software, i can monitor over a lan or the net. even comes with a remote and mouse. and you can connect a keyboard if you like.

while i've only had it a couple of days, if it doesn't crash, it is well worth the money...

Read Best Reviews of Night Owl Security APOLLO-45 4-Channel H.264 DVR Surveillance Kit with 4 Color Indoor/Outdoor Night Here

This system is excellent, with it's night vision, apple and android link up, it's excellent for small stores and people who want to keep and eye on their employee's. To add it is price excellently cheap. I recommend this to my people as often as I can. Thanks, S'No Whyt

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I have installed several of these systems and I recommend to replace the cameras with a good 600tvl camera. Should you do that you will have a great system that will last. The cameras that come with the system are ok should you only need to know if someone is around, but if identification is what you seek get the better cameras. I have installed systems for 30 years and highly recommend Night Owl products.

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Sunday, April 27, 2014

Philips Dvp3040 Multi Region Code Free Divx DVD Player

Philips Dvp3040 Multi Region Code Free Divx DVD Player
  • Plays All-Region DVDs: Region 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 0
  • Plays PAL and NTSC Region DVDs on all TVs.
  • DivX® Playback
  • Playback Media :CD-R/CD-RW, CD, DivX, DVD, DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW, Video CD/SVCD
  • Video disc playback system :NTSC, PAL

So far I am very impressed with the quality for the money. The picture looks nice, it's easy to use, the features are very nice for the price, and it will play anything. I decided to buy this player instead of a recorder because I think the recorder technology is still not settled.

The only thing that could sour my review is if it breaks too soon, and I will not know that for a couple years.

I recommend this model.

UPDATE in April, 2007. I am VERY pleased with the DVD player. The picture looks great, the player has several nice conveniences, and has experienced no problems. I am happy.

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Hello, I had some problems like many peoples about free region on this product. So, I found a solution in the Internet that can help everybody. There are 2 methods depending on the version your set is pre-loaded.

1) Go to preference page in the Setup menu. Press 138931 on the keypad of the Remote Control. Options will be available to be selected. Done !

2) Open tray. Press 99990 on the remote control. Done !

That is it! Enjoy the best product

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Just got this baby and so far it's outstanding. It plays everything I've thrown at it so far. I wasn't sure if it would play my xVID files, but it DOES, and I wasn't expecting them to look so good! I only paid thirty bucks for it (black friday), and it's blowing me away. And not only does it play everything, but it looks so sexy and thin. Even the dvd tray is super thin, but solid.

So if you're not quite ready to fork over the money for an HD-DVD or Blue-ray player get this all in one DVD player now.

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Great region free DVD player, makes life easier, and means you have more options for buying dvds from all around the globe... quick and easy service recomended

So far so great!

Player DOES play all regions; UK dvds are crystal clear and so is any other DVD that pops in. The player even stabilizes the letterbox and makes it centered and even, no matter what is put on.

Great buy for a fair price!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

VideoSecu Color CCD Smoke Detector Covert Security Camera 420TVL for CCTV DVR Home Surveillance Sys

VideoSecu Color CCD Smoke Detector Covert Security Camera 420TVL for CCTV DVR Home Surveillance System 1ALI have many types of camera's and I really like this one (I've already caught two thieves with it). Depending on the area I mainly use this camera or the smoke detector camera with fish eye. Both work very well in lit area's. Good price for what you get

This pinhole lens camera is built well and works great! Only took a minute to mount and plug in. Picture quality isn't perfect but it does work great. Highly recommend if your looking for an affordable camera that does a good job.

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I brought this product to be used in a garage as a extra hidden security camera. The picture quality is poor at best and the camera is angled at the ceiling. Ive had 10 other cameras that Ive installed from a different company and wanted to try this brand. Im going to get this junk out and go back with the same brand that ive been using. Dont buy this junk. Spend a few more dollars and get a better brand. It even looks odd compared to the other brand.

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This particular item is not a smoke detector model, but rather is a motion detector look-a-like. Equally as descrete, but not as advertised. The picture does not match the product delivered.

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Guys this tool is great as long as you have a mega hard drive and cable. I purchased all necessary components and feel that my property is protected.

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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Jazz® HDV189 Hi-Definition Deluxe Video Camcorder Kit

Jazz® HDV189 Hi-Definition Deluxe Video Camcorder KitI purchased this for my husband. He loves it! It is easy to understand and use. He really likes being able to take video and still shots all in one.

I saw someone else give it one star but he just got a defective unit and expected everything to be taken care of in a day (seriously?).

This is great and the HD is spot on. Small, compact and easy to use. What else do you need?

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This was a gift given as an everyday type camera. It does a great job. It was priced right and the accessories were good.

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JAZZ HDV189 A Great Gift

I ordered this for my grandson who wanted to make movies for youtube. He really loves it. It's very easy to use and was reasonably priced.

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The Jazz HDV 189 Camcorder did not work properly, right out of the box. If the camcorder does power on, the unit won't come up. If it does come up it won't go into menu logic, if it does go into the menu it may or may not follow a menu path. It just does not work properly. The only way to reset the unit if it hangs up is to pull the battery. I called and email Jazz(Digitac), no one home over a six hour period. I called Digital World NYC, no one home. I e-mailed Digital World NYC, no response as of yet. I think it is time to get my money back.

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Dazzle Digital Video Creator DVC-90 Video Capture Device and Movie Maker

Dazzle Digital Video Creator DVC-90 Video Capture Device and Movie MakerI purchased the Dazzle 90 product to convert my 8mm cassettes from an older Sony Camcorder to DVD. I have made about 6 DVDs now, and I am pretty happy with my purchase. The software is fairly simple to use, and the end product looks good. I do not notice any drop in quality. If you simply want to covert your tapes to DVD, with no frills, then I would highly recommend this product. A few notes after using the product...

It takes alot of disk space. Just installing the software that comes with it took 7 gig (you could probably get by with less by not installing all features?). You can get about 60 minutes of high quality film onto a DVD, and this takes up about 7 gig. Also, the software requires space on your harddriver to burn the movie to the dvd. I kept getting a message that I did not have enough space. It was annoying that it would not tell me exactly how much space it required. So I cleared off space, and did not get the message to go away until I had about 12-14 gig of free space. For this reason, I would suggest doing a defrag before starting.

One thing to be aware of, there is a mention option to remove a captured video and free up space. But if you have burned the movie(s) to dvd, you can also build up a great deal of space in My Documents/Pinnacle Studios/Auxillary Files. I was running out of space again, after burning numerous movies, until I found this directory and how much space it was eating up. I then found there is a menu option for deleting these too (when you are in the edit option)

You can create the movies in mpeg rather than avi, and this takes about half as much space. But I did this once, and thought the quality wasn't quite as good as the avi. It was very close, but I am going to go with the avi.

The software comes with the basic features and some extras. If you want to do more fancy things with the movie you create you need to upgrade your software. If you pick certain features that are not available with the base software, you will get a popup box asking if you want to upgrade.

This is not a fast process. The movie converts to your PC in real time. So a 60 minute tape will take 60 minutes. Editing the movie does not take any time at all (if you are doing the basics and once you get the hang of it) Then the burning it to DVD takes awhile. I have not checked exactly because I let it run and come back later, but I would guess it takes at least 4 hours for 60 minutes of tape. This time is much shorter when burning mpegs rather than avi.

I have not had any crashes or major problems. But I have had a couple problems with getting the menu screen to work when editing. But I just start over, and can get it to work the next time. Note. If you don't see images in each of the menu chapters, do not proceed. I made this mistake and waited forever for a movie to burn, before realizing it was stuck trying to make the menu.

Overall it has proven to be a good product. I have had wanted to get my precious memories off of the tape and onto DVD for a long time. This is MUCH cheaper than having it professionally done,and I did not need anything fancy, just the tape onto dvd.

I purchased the Dazzle 90 with the Studio 9 Quick Start program included, not knowing anything about making DVD's or the programs with a rebate which made the final cost under $50. The cost wasn't nearly as important as the results as long as the price was a reasonable value for what I received. I followed the instructions and everything works as advertised. I found "Studio 9 Quick Start" to be more difficult to use and less user friendly than Roxio's "Easy CD & DVD Creator 6". The unit captures video, sound, and anything else it claims on my system without a glitch. My CPU is a 2.66gb Pentium 4 with a 533 BUS, 512 RAM, 2ea 120 GB Maxtor 7200 sp Hard drives, TDK CD & DVD burners, and I'm using my USB 2 ports because I don't yet have a 1394 port which is recommended. I did find that it was important to dump the DVD material onto a clean (defraged) drive (prior to burning to a DVD) which I have dedicated to the program. I really don't understand why anyone is having any problems with this unit when I'm a novice at this DVD stuff. My first DVD had different chapters and was met with rave reviews from some more computer-savvy friends I felt would "dis" it into oblivion. Instead, they wanted to see the system and programs so they could do the same thing. I heartily recommend this unit to anyone who cannot afford the stuff the "Pro's" use, but want good to excellent results from a non-professional system.

Buy Dazzle Digital Video Creator DVC-90 Video Capture Device and Movie Maker Now

I was looking for a means to convert some of my VHS collection (namely Centennial) to DVD. I had looked in to several systems, and am no complete amateur, as I have done video conversions since my Amiga days over a decade ago. I recently bought a new computer system with a USB2 port and a DVD burner, so I figured now was the time. I read bad things about the other Dazzle systems, but this one had good reviews. They were right. Within minutes of receiving and opening the box I was feeding the video into my computer and ready to burn the DVDs. I have since burned quite a few. It's almost idiot proof. The quality is not exceptional, but it is quite good for home movie conversions for those that are not perfectionists. You must have a USB2 port, and that seems to be adequate speed. You also should specify and remember where you want the output to go, or it tends to hide files on your drive, taking up quite a bit of space. Very simple to use, and fun to play around with. One thing. I use Nero to do the actual DVD burn. The burn function in Pinnacle take forever. No big deal to me, but might be to others. Also, maybe I've had no problems because I have an up-to-date system, with XP SP2, 3.4GB P4 CPU, etc. One more thing...I am stationed in Germany and Amazon would not ship to me! I had to order through J&R, but got it way quicker than I ever have through Amazon, and at a better price. Wonder why they won't ship item to an APO? Okay, maybe should only be 4 stars, but I really do like its ease of use.

Read Best Reviews of Dazzle Digital Video Creator DVC-90 Video Capture Device and Movie Maker Here

I tried 3 different capture devices in one week, and this was by far the easiest to use and the most portable, with good quality images. Set up is simple, install discs, install Pinnacle Studio Version 9, which has a great instruction video for beginners on how to capture,edit and make movies. USB2 device, which I am using in conjunction with a laptop. Captured old analogue video images, and off many monitors at work with images I need to use for presentations. Reasonable price for what you get.

Want Dazzle Digital Video Creator DVC-90 Video Capture Device and Movie Maker Discount?

Capture device will not install on my system. Windows XP SP2 refuses to install it with the supplied drivers. I contacted Pinnacle tech support, who suggested using their drivers from their website. No change. My Dell, P4 2.0 GHZ, runs fine. This device appears not to be compatible with XP SP2, as the drivers were released in early 2004. Their tech support is responsive, but their last suggestion was to replace my PC. The DVC 90 is now in the trash can. Don't waste your time or money.

Monday, March 31, 2014

SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)

SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player
  • Tiny, ultra-portable 4 GB MP3 player
  • Plays MP3, WMA, secure WMA, and Audible audio file formats
  • FM tuner with 40 preset channels
  • Up to 15 hours of play time with internal rechargeable battery
  • Voice recording with built-in microphone

I was leaving my bulky 80 gig video iPod at home all the time because it was just too large to comfortably stick in my pocket. I wanted something small that I could use for both music and audio books (I use Audible.com).

It has achieved that and a LOT more. I never even use my iPod at home anymore! I'm actually thinking of returning it (Costco gives cash back forever) and buying four or five of these to give away as gifts!

I initially bought a shuffle and returned it the same day because it had no way of bookmarking in my audio books-a chapter is often more than an hour.

Next I bought the smallest Sony Walkman mp3 player... it was very sexy and sleek, and about twice the size of the Sansa clip... but I couldn't load my Audible.com files onto it, so that was returned the next day.

After what seemed like a full week spent in BestBuy I finally settled on the Sansa 4GB Clip and could not be happier.

It's ridiculously small, AND (unlike the iPod shuffle) it has a display. I don't know about you all, but bookmarks aside, not being able to choose a song now and then, or confirm who is performing one when I am unsure, that would drive me crazy!

It is PERFECT for my Audible content. It actually asks when you first hook it up to the PC if you want to sync with Audible Manager. You can also simply go to the Audible Manager and "add device" and follow the steps to activate the Sansa. That way you can just add the specific books you want and not attempt to sync your entire library if you have a lot. I've been a member of Audible.com for nearly ten years and getting two books a month you can imagine the size of my library by now.

I loaded five large unabridged books (average ten hours each) and then nearly 1000 songs and I still have plenty of space left to add more as the spirit hits. Transferring files to the Sansa is VERY smooth and fast. Best of all, it resumes where you left off in a book when you turn it off.

There are other nifty "extra" features, as well! The FM radio is pretty special, and I get excellent reception both in San Francisco and out in the sticks around Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. Even near the airport! Pretty impressive for such a tiny thing, huh?

It has a voice recorder that I have not really tested out properly, but i know it works, just from speaking into it. I will try to record a lecture or some other more demanding application before giving the recorder feature the same accolades I have bestowed upon the rest of the amazing little player.

A lot of people have posted excellent, detailed reviews, and I agree with almost all they have said, so I'll try not to repeat it all.

I will just say that I LOVE THIS LITTLE DEVICE!

It's tiny. Yes, it is almost twice the size of the ipod shuffle, but seriously, still small enough to put in the "key pocket" of Levi's 501s (you know, the tiny useless pocket inside the right hip pocket).

It has good sound, easily on par with my video ipod. If you replace the earphones with something better it has the potential of VERY good sound.

So, how does it compare to the iPod shuffle? For only $20 more this has:

~ four times the capacity

~ a visual display

~ a voice recorder

~ an FM receiver

~ drag and drop functionality in both PC or Mac format (no iTunes or other software needed)

~ standard USB cable, so easily replaced.

~ can be rapid charged using the same AC (wall) or 12v (car) adapters that came with my Motorola RAZR phone!

~ can be used as a regular portable drive (like a thumb drive) for any data

~ seamless Audible.com audio books loading and listening

~ clip on the back is removable, if you don't want to use it, making it even smaller

One poster complained that it was "Difficult to tell when it is fully charged I charged it for 5 hours and didn't see any indication that it was fully charged yet"

I found the same thing happening, the first time I charged it right out of the box it took several hours using the USB cable. Later, much by accident I stumbled upon this: when it is plugged in to your computer (I use a PC, not sure if this will work on a MAC), right-click on the Sansa drive icon and choose PROPERTIES, it will tell you the % of the battery charge.

I also discovered the car and wall chargers from my Motorola RAZR phone work for it, and MUCH faster than the USB cable. When charging I also found that when I unplugged it from the cable I had to power the Sansa off and back on to see the battery indicator register the "full" status.

Hope that helps.

Buy SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver) Now

The Sandisk Sansa Clip accomplishes all that I wanted in an MP3 player which I intended to use at work, to use while riding on the subway and to use while working out at the gym.

Pros:

Small, compact, light-weight, and better looking than pictured (as is the case with the 1MB, 2MB and 4MB versions). The 4MB has a very cool, beautiful mirrored finish. But I would recommend you buy a silicone case or something to protect this finish and the player itself.

Crisp, bright display but as mention in other reviews, because of the mirrored finish it can be a bit hard to see in the sunlight

The clip in the back, hence the name, which makes it easy to attach the player onto your pockets, an armband, or anywhere you want to clip this unit.

Awesome sound coming out of this little player. The better the headphones you attach the better the sound. But even with the included headphones, very nice sound.

Better value than the 4MB iPod nano that I was considering purchasing. Way more features and most importantly, it has a radio. Not sure why after all these years Apple never seemed fit to put FM tuners on their players.

I like that there's a mute button for the radio as opposed to having to turn the volume all the way down.

There's radio broadcast recording.

A voice recorder

The unit has an on-the-go playlist. You can compile all your favorite songs at an instant.

You can drop and drag songs and create playlists right onto the player itself. You don't have to use another program such as iTunes or Winamp. You will find out once you get the Sandisk Sansa Clip that Sandisk recommends that you use the Rhapsody player program, which you can download and use for free and works best for editing the songs and playlists on the unit.

Just another note about creating playlists on the Sansa Clip. I found through trial and error that it's best to first create playlists on the unit itself, meaning when the player shows up in My Computer on your desktop, double click on it and add songs to your Music folder, then select and right click on the particular songs you want to make a playlist. Click the option to "Create Playlist". By default, you will see, "New Playlist" in your Music folder. When you double click on it, you will see all your songs you made into a playlist. You can rename "New Playlist" to whatever you want ex. Playlist 1. You then cut and paste your newly created playlist to the Playlist folder. This method is preferable rather than doing it through programs such as Rhapsody, Windows Media Player, or Winamp. In my experience, when doing it with these programs the playlists either didn't display correctly or didn't show up at all. Once your playlists have been created successfully on the unit then you can go into Rhapsody(recommended) or any other MP3 player program and edit or add songs to your playlists.

Cons:

For some reason certain songs are unable to show up on the list of songs on the playlists I create even though they are on the unit. In other words, say you put, "Elvis Heartbreak Hotel" onto the player and that's in "Playlist 1", the song will be there and you will be able to play it, however when you look through the list of songs in "Playlist 1", all you see is a blank space where the artist and title should be. Even when I edit the tags and type in the artists and titles of the songs, it still doesn't display. This can be a problem when you are looking for a particular song via the list. Strangely though, when you are playing the songs within the playlist and you manually scan through the songs, the artist and title that was not being displayed before shows up. I haven't figured out why this happens. Very weird.

As far as design and function, I think it would be easier if the Power/Reset button slid down as opposed to up.

As said by other reviewers, I don't like that the volume toggle switch is under the headphone port. The headphone plug gets in the way. If the headphone port was at the top of the unit, this wouldn't be a problem. Because of the location of the headphone port, having headphones plugged in and sticking out increases the width of the player.

Overall, even with the minor gripes I have, the Sandisk Sansa Clip is a solid MP3 player and a great value for the price.

Read Best Reviews of SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver) Here

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)I'm a big fan of the Sansa Clip. I have a few of them, some I have my workout music on and one I use to take notes. At CES in January 2008, Sandisk has introduced this new 4GB version in a limited addition silver color. The Sansa Clip was a great value in 2GB; at 4GB it ROCKS! It has four times the capacity as the iPod Shuffle for about the same price. It also has a screen, FM Tuner, voice recording and more. You can get the 1GB version for $35 Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player or the 2GB for about $60 SanDisk SDMX11R-2048K-A70 Sansa Clip 2 GB MP3 Player (Black). But by coming out with the first 4GB clip MP3, Sandisk has raised the bar. Now with MacWeek next week, can a bigger iPod shuffle be far behind? We'll see.

Pros -

+ good sound

+ nice capacity for a decent price

+ light-weight

+ FM tuner with 40 presets!!!

+ voice recording

+ nice design and color options

+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, DRM WMA, WMA, Audible)

+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity

+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage

+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via software

+ 15 hours battery life is better than Creative Zen Stone Plus or iPod Shuffle

Cons

larger body than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles

The new Sandisk Sansa Clip has the advantages of the iPod shuffle with some of the compatibility, feature, and price benefits of other MP3 players. Unlike the Sansa Express, which you can plug in directly into your USB port, the clip uses a standard USB B cable.

The Clip is definitely a little bigger than the iPod shuffle, but not by much. It has a great feel and a nicer clip. It is also priced right. It fills the market for a starter MP3, workout unit, or gift.

The rechargable battery seems better than the Creative Zen Stone Plus and gives you a respectable 15 hours. The sound is nice. The earbuds are passable for beginners but most people will replace them. As for durability, only time will tell; so far my units are holding up nicely.

I definitely recommend the larger sizes, whether 2GB or 4GB. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the CreativeZen, Sandisk Sansa, Sansa View or new iPod Nano. All of those units have higher price tags.

SanDisk Sansa View 8 GB MP3 Player

SanDisk Sansa View 16 GB MP3 Player

Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)

Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)

SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)

Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)

Overall, an awesome starter unit that deserves a try. Enjoy!!!

Want SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver) Discount?

Pros:

-It's tiny yet still has a display, albeit a basic one

-Holds a lot of music, especially for its size

-Clip is convenient for the gym

-Pretty eye-catching with that 2-way mirror reflective coating

-Drag and drop file transfer (no software--i.e. iTunes--needed)

-USB cord is of the same type as my Canon digital camera, in case I ever lose it

-Amazing sound quality (really--the sansa clip line has garnered accolades from audiophiles)

Cons:

-That sexy reflective coating? There's a trade off: it makes viewing the screen pretty much impossible outdoors on any but the dreariest day. There's supposedly a firmware update coming out soon to make the display brighter so as to counter this effect, but I doubt it can be remedied completely

-Poor FM reception, even in the big city

-could go a little louder (though you can tweak the EQ settings for this)

I love this little thing and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a small mp3 player with a high capacity. It does have a few shortcomings but, then again, at least it has a screen & FM Player, unlike another, very popular, more expensive small player. Also note that even though the navigation pad is round, it doesn't function as a scroll wheel; rather, its a 4-way directional with a center button (still works fine).

First off, it's really great, the sound is very good, the price very fair. I tried as best I could to compare it against my PC with a top notch audio card playing through an HK amp, and couldn't detect a difference, but that could be related to the medium. And, do you think they can make these things any smaller? Kidding, but actually I could do without the "clip". I had no problem with the FM, programmed it in less than a minute, it even picks up the college station about ten miles away. Of course, FM in Seattle isn't worth a cup of warm p**s anyway.

Okay, minor gripe number one. The earphone output is in the wrong place for offset plugs, they rotate around and cover the volume rocker. Probably not an issue for other brands, but my UE's (love 'em) cost 4 times the player, so it should be the one to conform! Very minor gripe.

Minor gripe number two is that it's a pain passing over my Winamp playlists, which I've spent years and years assembling. You can do it, but it's hardly drag and drop. Curses, but of course that could be Winamp's issue, eh? Oh well, I need to spend a few weeks with a tag editor anyway to recast the mp3's for my Samsung phone, so no biggie, it will be fun. Yeah.

Anyway, great player, very easy to use, took all of five minutes to get some songs on it and play. For 4GB, gotta be the state of the art right now, unless you want to be in the clutches of Evil Empire Jr. (Apple).

PS: Look for the dual charger/silicone case package here, great deal and the clear case works perfectly, it's on there for good.

PPS: Okay, two more minor gripes with two redacted. First, yeah, you can't read the bloody screen outside. That's more annoying than I thought it would be.

Second, 4GB turns out to be too small. Yes, I would like to have my total music collection on my fingernail, but 4GB is what I paid for and 4GB is what I got, so this gripe isn't even fair. Anyway, I'll redact this gripe because of the superior ease of moving subdirectories in and out of the "music" folder through the PC. I haven't even bothered with my Winamp playlists, so I'll redact that gripe as well. I just copy files into new directories on the PC, hit them with a tag editor, and kazaam, instant Clip playlists that can be moved in wholesale. That's just fine, applause to the Sansa software people, who got that right.

PPPS: A word of explanation regarding Clip music organization. There are three ways to access music aside from playlists, and in fact I find myself using "artist" the most often, fits my mood. If you use "artist" it will break up the songs into "albums" automatically. Therefore, in tagging a directory for the Clip, plan accordingly. For example, my goth playlist is best tagged with "goth" in both the "artist" and "album" tags, which is trivial with something like MP3tag. You could also use the useless "genre" tag as a quasi playlist via tag editor. That's not how you want your archived music tagged of course, it loses information, which is why I keep a separate set of Clip subdirectories. Additional hard disk space (so?), but you want to trim your archive anyway to save space on the player. Very rarely will you listen to all the songs archived for an artist, usually you just go with your favorites. Anyway, you can go simple or complex to please yourself freedom of choice, I like that.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Olympus Stylus 7030 14 Megapixel Digital Camera - Blue

Olympus Stylus 7030 14 Megapixel Digital Camera - BlueMy old camera met it's doom in Yellowstone National park. I had him for a few years and used him off and on. Finding a replacement was gonna be difficult because I didn't want to spend a whole lot, but I still wanted a good quality. I gotta say, this camera is that good quality without a HUGE pricetag. Panorama sweeps are absolutely epic and stitched very well. The interface is awesome and you can go from Auto, to sort of Auto, to everything being manually set. I don't work with the cool stuff (beauty, magic, etc) 'cause I don't think they're that great. Any sort of editing I feel should be done on the computer, not on the camera. But aside from that, this is pretty much amazing. Really small, a lot smaller than my last camera that had 4 AA batteries, and that was hard to get used to. Definitely "slim." I think the most useful setting is the "macro" as I can shove the lens right up to the object and he's totally fine with it. His battery also lasts me weeks. I've only charged him the original charge and once again more recently and I got him in the middle of February. He's not on all the time, but I have the constant "turn off" "turn on" mode going on. So that has to count for something. :)

If I were to have a problem with this. It would be that the timer automatically sets back to automatic. So if you're trying to do a series of pictures that you need a 2/12 second time for, you're doing a lot of button pushing. Also, if you use the flash when the camera light is set to "incandescent," everything is blue. Doesn't matter if it was red before, it is now blue. However, I don't really use the flash that often, so that's not really a concern for me, but if you are the type of person who does use flash, just be wary of how the light settings affect the flash.

Monday, January 6, 2014

Pro AV Media Extender - 5GHz Digital Wireless

Pro AV Media Extender - 5GHz Digital WirelessI purchased AITECH's Pro AV Media Extender 5GHz Digital Wireless for a guest bedroom. The item was rec'd the day before Christmas. It was easy to set-up and it worked just like advertised. However, after about 45 days, it stopped working and I reported that fact several weeks ago. First, I called on one day and was told that I wouldn't get a call back for another day--OK fine. Then I got a call, went through the troubleshooting exercise and it was found that the power plug is bad -that was almost 3 weeks ago. No response -no new power plug. I am disappointed.

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Monday, December 16, 2013

HP iPAQ 1910 Pocket PC

HP iPAQ 1910 Pocket PCI have mixed feelings about my HP1910. Overall, I like it and I carry it with me most of the time. What I don't like about it, though, is its battery life but I am getting a little ahead of myself.

I obtained it to replace my HP Jornada 568 when it malfunctioned. The 568 was a great device that I used primarily as a phone book and a book reader, with occasional MP3 playing, gaming, and note taking. I really liked my Jornada and was upset when it died.

What originally attracted me to the 1910 was its price and its size. At ... list price, it is one of the lowest cost Pocket PC's available. There may be 1 or 2 others avail for less, but I was rushing to find a replacement and this was one that I could obtain quickly.

Sizewise, it is smaller than all Pocket PC's I've ever seen and even smaller than some Palms. For sure, it is smaller than the Palm 100 series, being about ½ inch shorter, about ½ inch thinner, and about the same width. It's very light and is almost unnoticable to carry. I never thought I could be able to say that about any Pocket PC.

So, with the low price and the smaller size, I purchased it with the expectation of fewer features than my Jornada.

One very pleasant surprise was the quality of the screen. Although the 1910 was significantly smaller than my Jornada, the 1910's screen was exactly the same size the Jornada. The best part was the 1910's brightness and vibrancy of the colors. At the lowest backlight setting of the 1910, it's screen was as bright as the Jornada at its maximum setting. Another pleasant surprise was the sound quality, both recording and playback.

Although not a surprise, another good feature is the removable battery. Additional batteries are availible for purchase as well, so I can do this without having to send the device back to HP. My Jornada has this also, but the IPaq family of devices usually didn't provide replacable batteries before the HP-Compaq merger.

As for the compromises, I list as many as I can . This list is kind of long, most of them are minor to me, although a couple of them do bother me. I include them so that someone who chooses this device will have a idea what they are getting themselves into:

The CPU is an xscale processor running at 200 MHz. This is supposed to have comparable performance to other pocket PC's featuring the arm processor running at 206 Mhz like the Jornada. However, the 1910 is quite noticably slower at some tasks than the Jornada, but not always. For instance, MP3 and game playing seem to be at roughly the same speed, but paging through lists of file names or through documents seems slower. Accessing files on the storage card is slower as well. Some utilities are starting to appear to allow users to change this to a faster setting.

The total amount of RAM available to users for storage and program running space is a little less (48M instead of 64M) than with other Pocket PC's.

The ROM memory has also been reduced somewhat from other Pocket PC's. The impact of this is that the Microsoft Media Player and the Microsoft Book Reader applications do not come pre-installed like on the other Pocket PC's. To use them, they must be installed in RAM, which reduces the RAM available for other programs even more.

Although the device has a SD slot for an SD card, it cannot be used for SDIO devices, only for SD memory at present. There are rumors that a coming update will change this, but don't count on it.

Although the 1910 has great sound playback, the headphone jack is subminiature rather than miniature. This is not standard for most headphones including all headphones that I own. There are earbuds included with a matching plug, but if you would rather use your own, you will probably need to get an adapter from Radio Shack.

Due to a missing serial interface, it is unlikely that a external keyboard will ever become available for the 1910 except for one that uses the IR interface as its mode of communication.

Although a power adapter and a sync cable is included, there is no docking cradle or a case included with the device. The docking cradle must be purchased separately. Cases are just recently becoming available. I've been using a leather case designed for the Palm m100 series that seems to be working well.

The usable battery life was probably my biggest disappointment with the 1910. Perhaps I am spoiled, coming from the Jornada with lots of battery life, but I am seeing typically between 2-3 hours of usable time per charge. Because of this, I find myself not using the device as often as I might out of concern for using up the battery. This mostly hurts my note taking activities. I may try to obtain another battery to see if the battery life is better. There are some users who are claiming to get 4-5 hours of use per charge. I would be happy if I could match that.

Most 1910 screens are not completely aligned with its case, causing a very slight amount of tilting. This doesn't bother me, but there are some people that are quite annoyed by this.

I've had my Jornada repaired since obtaining the 1910, but the 1910 is the pocket PC that I carry around with me. It's easier to carry in my pocket and easier to see and it's less conspicuous when I use it in public.

If you are looking to use a pocket PC for networking, internet access, or using other peripherals, then this is not the device for you. However, if you are not looking to connect to other external devices and plan to use this for PIM activities, book or document reading, or light to medium gaming, this device might be just the ticket for you.

I've been a Palm and Pocket PC user for several years and have had several of them, and I'm a big believer in them. They are great organizer and productivity tools for the busy business person, professional, student, or anybody who needs to be better organized. Next to my car perhaps, my PDA is the most useful piece of technology that I own.

This is the best PDA HP has come out with yet. It's slightly smaller, lengthwise, than the other major Pocket PCs from Compaq, Casio, Toshiba, and Viewsonic, and at 1/2 inch thick, has one of the slimmest profiles, and is significantly thinner than the Palm Tungsten and Sony SJ30 models, which are about 1/2 inch shorter in terms of length. It would fit nicely in your front shirt pocket, where I like to carry mine, the first Pocket PC really small enough to achieve this.

The unit fixes some of the problems with the early HP Jornada models, which only had 16k colors compared to the other Pocket PCs, which had 64k, and the dimmest screen. I compared this screen side by side with the Toshiba, Palm Tungsten, and Sony PEG T665C and SJ30, and it's just as bright as those. The only problem I could see was that with the unit in power save mode with the backlight off, the screen is somewhat darker and harder to read than the others, but it's okay. The screen doesn't seem to have the slightly milky appearance to it that my Compaq iPAQ 3650 has, which has a partially back-reflective screen. This is supposed to be a transreflective screen, but I'm not sure how that differs from mine, or if it does.

The only shortcomings are it only has one expansion slot instead of two, like the iPAQs do, and some options aren't available yet like on some of the other units, such as a case, keyboard, and so on. There aren't screen protectors specifically for it, but my iPAQ's screen protectors might fit it, since the screens look to be the same size. But you'd need to check that to make sure. Screen protectors are essential because, although normally the stylus doesn't scratch the screen, all it takes is one piece of grit to get trapped under your stylus and then try to write something, and then you have a big scratch on your nice new screen.

Someone here mentioned the 200-MHz processor was slow, compared to the 400-MHz processor in the Compaq, Dell and other models, but I doubt most people would notice the difference. This processor should be more than adequate for most people's needs. It's the same with the Sony PEG models. Although the new T655C and T665C Palm platform models have a 66-MHz processor compared to the earlier T615C, which only had a 33-MHz processor, I've compared all of these and couldn't really seem much difference, if at all, as far as regular use goes.

Overall, this is a fine PDA and should provide some major competition for the popular Compaq iPAQ and other Pocket PCs.

Buy HP iPAQ 1910 Pocket PC Now

I've had my iPAQ 1910 for about 2 weeks and I am 100% satisfied with the unit and what it came with.

Some of the reviews that complained about the lack of a docking cradle (don't need it) and how the software to hot sync (ok, I'm an old Palm user) with your pc stink are both very much over stated.

The 1910 comes with a charger with a USB connection. I just lay the 1910 on my pc's tower where it is safe and out of the way, when hot syncing. The cradle on my Palm was always in danger of getting knocked over (once after knocking it over I had to buy a new cradle because a little plastic piece broke off and could not be glued back on).

This unit is slimmer and lighter than the Palm Vx. I like that it has the capability to replace the battery. The Palm Vx I had to replace after 3 years has an internal battery and guess what? I found out that lithium batteries typically last about 3 or 4 years and in the Vx can't readily be replaced (supposedly the factory might be able to).

Besides the weight and size, it was the great color that really impressed me. I looked at the Palm Tungsten and other color Palms and they looked washed out to me (and cost about the same as the 1910).

Read Best Reviews of HP iPAQ 1910 Pocket PC Here

I recieved an HP iPAQ 1915 as a gift at the end of last year, and it's great. The only difference between my 1915 and the 1910 is that the 1915 supports SDIO. But the 1915 is very hard to find, so this is the closet thing to it. If you need Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, this does not have it and a card for that feature will not work without the SDIO slot. So if you need those features, look at higher end models.

I am a big computer person, and this is MY first PDA, although other people in my family have had them, and it's great. One of the things I use mine for is basic organization using the included calander, tasks, contacts, etc. The programs are done very well, the files take up little memory, and it takes little effort to record the info you need. But if you all you need is an organizer, there are much cheaper alternatives. If you use it for more, like me, then read on.

Those tasks don't show this PDA's true cababilities. So what does? Well, games of corse. And I don't mean tetris and solitare. Can you say Nintendo and Gameboy? Yes. If you get one of these, you can get an emulator for it, and it'll play your favorite Nintendo and Gameboy games flawlessly. Of course, to download ROMS, you need to legally own the actal game. But the picture is rich, and there is no lag unless you're multi-tasking or trying to run a more intensive emulator, such as Super Nintendo or Gameboy Advanced, neither of which I have tried. There are many games writen specificly for Windows CE as well, which should run well on it. The display shows all of these beautifully.

It can also play music! Download Windows Media Player from the included CD, and you can listen to WMAs or MP3s on it. Other progams can be downloaded or purchased that can play other formats. I use WinamPAQ to paly 80kbs ogg vorbis files, which maintain CD quality while being smaller than an MP3 file. The sound quality is superb, and under settings and audio, you can adjust the bass and treble. It goes pretty loud, but as any portable music player, heavy bass and high volumes will distort some. But my main complaint comes in here. A 2.5MM HEADPONE JACK. WHY HP!?!?!? This is smaller than most headphone jacks, which are 3.5mm. This means you'll have to use their bad included headpones, or buy and carry around a bulky converter.

An SD chip can be purchased if you plan on putting large programs, music, etc. on your iPAQ. They come in many sizes between 16MB and 4GB. 128MB-512MB should be sufficent for most people.

As far as specs, they are fairly good for the price. The 200Mhz XScale processor can run basic tasks very well, as well as some more complex tasks. But listening to music while doing other stuff can stress out this CPU, and performance will suffer. If you plan on multi-tasking, get a version with a better processor. The 1900 series come with 64MB of RAM, but only 46MB is available for the user because there is only 16MB of Flash ROM. So it requires some essential programs be loaded to RAM. The available 46MB is storage and temporary memory. If you want good performance try to leave at least 1/3 of the memory empty for programs to use temporarily. A slider in the memory setting allows the user to adjust this. But this ammount of memory can store thousands of word and excel documents, tasks, contacts, appoinments, etc.

All-in-all, it should be fast and versitile enough for most people. It is a good comprimise between price and features. And it is one of the smallest PDAs available with a 320x240 display. Those who need to run more intensive programs, have more features, etc. should upgrade to a higher end iPAQ. Those who only need basic organization features can get a low end Palm or dedicated elecronic organizer for a lower price.

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I love this PDA! I will not rehash the technical specs everyone else has already talked about, but I would like to mention what I consider its most notable features, both pro/com:

(1) Very small and sleek. Easily fits in even a small pocket without bulging. Reasonable minds may differ, but the size and weight differences between the 1910 and my previous PDA (an iPaq 3650) and my wife's PDA (one of the new Jornadas) is *very* noticeable in day-to-day use.

(2) Decent speed/memory. Frankly, I sort of wish that the 1910 had one of the faster (300-400 MHz) processors. But in actual use I find it to be plenty fast for the uses I actually put it to. E.g., I can listen to MP3s using Media Player while surfing with Internet Explorer at the same time. I got used to the speed of my old 3650, and this one is approximately the same.

(3) Expandability. I bought an inexpensive 256 MB SD card for my 1910 and now I use it as a portable MP3 player (six albums stored in 96 bps WMA format) and photo album. Nice touch. Also frees up main memory for running applications, which keeps its overall execution speed up.

(4) No cover. This is something I am not entirely happy with. On the one hand, no cover/case means a smaller and lighter unit, which is good. On the other hand, no cover means no screen protection, e.g., when leaving it in my pocket playing MP3s, or when rattling around inside my briefcase. I think all in all I would have liked HP to include some sort of screen cover (like in its Jornada series) or at least an inexpensive basic leather(ette) case.

(5) No frills. No built-in wireless, no built-in camera, etc. If had wanted that stuff I would have bought a larger and more expensive model. But for what I use a PDA for (scheduling, contacts, cached Internet browsing and MP3 playing) the 1910 does it all; and I get to pocket a savings of a lot of money that I didn't want to spend on frills I would seldom if ever use.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Zenith DVB312 Progressive-Scan Slim Design DVD Player

Zenith DVB312 Progressive-Scan Slim Design DVD Player
  • DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+RW, CD, CD-R/RW, WMA, JPEG, MP3 playback
  • Progressive scan technology produces superior, crisp, clear images
  • Moveable zoom allow user to view images in greater detail
  • S-video, component video, progressive scan video, and composite video outputs
  • S-video cable, A/V cables, remote control included

This is the 4th standalone DVD player I have owned and it is very good. It is super slim and has an excellent picture and features for the money. it would work great with any high-end projection TV as it has progressive scan and can be set to play in wide screen aspect too. I have it connected to a 32" TV with just the standard av jacks and the picture is still superb so consider that as your benchmark.

And, this unit will play DVD+RW/R discs without any trouble either! I just burned my first disc on my new Cendyne burner that I installed in my PC and it played flawlessly on this Zenith unit.

I highly recommend this player if you want a good single disc player with a great picture that can also play discs you have burned yourself.

Buy Zenith DVB312 Progressive-Scan Slim Design DVD Player Now

WE ... COULD NOT BELIEVE THE PRICE, AND IT LIVES UP TO THE 5 STARS I RATED IT, AT LEAST SO FAR. VERY ELIGANT, SUPER SLIM, AND THE PICTURE IS FANTASTIC. LOTS OF OPTIONS, AND IT NEVER EVER SKIPS. SO PLEASED, AS USUAL....

Read Best Reviews of Zenith DVB312 Progressive-Scan Slim Design DVD Player Here

I bought this player after having a bad experience with the similarly priced JVC XV-N40BK player. The JVC had audio and visual problems so I returned it. So far the Zenith player has worked out perfectly. I'm using it with an RF modulator and I've had no problems whatsoever. The sound and picture are fine. I've watched Disney and other store-bought DVDs and I'm satisfied with the performance. I haven't tried burned DVDs yet so I wasn't comfortable giving it 5 stars. But for $70, I'm perfectly happy with this player.

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I had no problem playing DVDs on this unit. It worked fine. I also had success with MP3 CDs. I was able to browse the directory structure of the CD and play the desired albums or tracks.

However, Audio CDs are another story. I regularly make CDs of live material, which I edit on my computer, burn to CD, and audition in my living room. When I played one of these CDs on the Zenith, I was dismayed to hear gaps between the CD tracks, with the first 1-2 seconds of each track missing. Thinking that it might be the CD writing software, I wrote another CD with a different program. Same gaps and skips. Finally, I tried a pressed music CD, with similar results.

If you intend to play audio CDs on your DVD deck, you should probably look elsewhere.

I bought this DVD player recently, and I love it! I haven't had any major problems with this player, and I loved the price. I've played a lot of DVDs in it, even at least one from Netflix that was so dirty I was certain I would have to clean it before it would play. I put it in just to see, and it played with no problems and not a single skip! The only minor problem I've had was the sound being off from the timing of the action while watching one DVD, but I restarted the movie and it has not done that again. I love the super slim design and it's very light-weight. The remote is very user friendly. I would highly recommend this one!