Macally FreeCam2 Securityman Wi-Fi Interference Free Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Bullet Color x2 Kit wi

These cameras have a problem with the frequencies they use. They advertise operation at 900 MHz, and they do, but they also transmit in the 800 MHz and 1800 MHz range which caused interference to nearby cellular and PCS towers. As a result we can't use them. It appears there is a good reason they don't cost much. I would not recommend them.

This was easy to set up and it gave a clear picture during the day and at night. The range is pretty bad; it says 100' indoors but I found it to be more like 50'. There was feedback from the sound so I had to disconnect it. I am returning this item because it isn't what I am looking for. I will have to spend at least twice as much to get what I need.

Buy Macally FreeCam2 Securityman Wi-Fi Interference Free Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Bullet Color x2 Kit wi Now

I found this system to be better than expected in video quality and construction especially the bullet cameras. They are noted as 510H x 492V pixels and I noticed very good color match even at night in IR. When indoors I could see about twice as far as the advertised night range of 23 ft. Also, at night through a window with the camera about 1 foot from the window I could see at least the specified night range. Transmission range performance through 2 inner walls at 50ft appears to be slightly fuzzy for the IR mode but clear in daylight mode. The only interference I really notice is when I step up close to the receiver and get directly in line with the camera.

If you need to mount the cameras outside your home, consider that each camera power cord is 3ft long and each AC adapter cord is 6 feet i.e., there is 9ft of connected line from camera to adapter. This should be enough length to mount the cameras near the wall and have 3ft of camera cord to feed the connecting plug through the wall and inside the home so it will be safe and out of sight.

One drawback to the system has to be the receiver's camera select and mode switches. They are located on the back of the receiver and are contained in a 3gang micro-toggle dip switch which is hard to operate. Two of the switches are on-off toggles for the display of camera 1 and camera 2. The third is a mode switch. There are two modes, namely "auto-loop" (continuously cycles the display between the two cameras for about 6 secs. each) and "hold" (locks the display to the active camera at the time of toggling from "auto-loop" to "hold"). The active camera is indicated by one of two green lights on the top of the receiver. The switches are difficult because they are physically quite small, too close together, stiff to flip and hard to get to as they are located between the power jack and the RCA audio connector. Other than the switches being difficult, you might say that the cameras' field of view is not wide angle, the LEDs are the visible red type and the cameras are not ID'd. But none of these is really a show stopper.

The receiver itself is only about 5"x4"x1" so it's very compact. There is an on-off switch in front and there is a video and an audio cable supplied for the outputs in back. All this for a reasonable price makes me want to give it a 4 star rating but will give it a 3 because the system I bought was an opened box used item. It was returned for some reason. I don't know. They seldom state why items are returned. All I know is that reliability in commercial electronics is only as good as the quality control.

Good Luck !

Read Best Reviews of Macally FreeCam2 Securityman Wi-Fi Interference Free Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Bullet Color x2 Kit wi Here

Sony ICDSX46VTP - 128MB Digital Voice Recorder w/ MP3 Playback

Outstanding value with the included Dragon Naturally Speaking 8 software!

Very clear playback sounds. Those who complain about its recording quality should definitely compare it with other portable voice recorders (i.e. Olympus), or they simply don't know how to properly operate this advanced product.

This is a perfect device, hard working and no complaint. Very easy to use and well made as all Sony products. Batteries life is extra long and sound playback is the best you can get. Well done once again.

Buy Sony ICDSX46VTP - 128MB Digital Voice Recorder w/ MP3 Playback Now

Just for reference: I'm no expert and this is only my second experience with digital recorders.

I have mixed feelings about the Sony ICDSX46VTP. I've been testing it out for a couple of weeks.

The folders, recording, controls and software are all very good. But, I have these issues with this unit:

The reviews about it picking up your touch thru the mic are not exaggerated. I was surprised (shouldn't have been) by this major disapointment. It would probably be impossible to capture an interview with any quality while holding this unit.

The display is too dark to control it very well in dim situations.

If I had to do it again, I'd try a different product.

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICDSX46VTP - 128MB Digital Voice Recorder w/ MP3 Playback Here

The sony ICDSX46VTP digital voice recorder is very versatile. It is easy to use and the sound quality is great. I am able to record my lectures without adding an additional external microphone without having the teacher put it in their pocket. Transferring, editing, and converting files takes all of 30 seconds. It's a must have.

Want Sony ICDSX46VTP - 128MB Digital Voice Recorder w/ MP3 Playback Discount?

Nice item. Very functional particularly for class room purpose etc.

Well recommended.

4 Ch Channel Video 1CH Audio Supports Full D1 Standalone H.264 Security DVR Surveillance with No Ha

It's cheap so don't expect a fancy DVR. Great built in software. Can access anywhere online. All in all it's exactly what I wanted. And it was cheap as dirt. Throw in a hard drive i had lying around and boom! CCTV at home!

Due to lack of information, and poor product details, I ordered this product. After recieving this DVR, I learned it was the wrong product for my needs. When I requested to return it, the seller informed me that I would have to pay to the shipping cost back in order to get a refund. So, all-in-all, I did not get back my full refund and had to pay for return cost. I lost over 40 bucks on a 70 dollar purchase. Will not be ordering any more from this seller.

Buy 4 Ch Channel Video 1CH Audio Supports Full D1 Standalone H.264 Security DVR Surveillance with No Ha Now

Samsung DVD-R145 DVD Recorder

• Ultra-slim DVD player/recorder with time-slip recording feature; measures 17 x 2.3 x 9.6 inches (WxHxD)
• Upconverts standard DVD 480p resolution to high-definition 720p and 1080i
• Records to DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, dual-layer DVD-/+R, DVD-RAM; plays CD-R/RW discs and MP3, JPEG files
• Connections: 1 HDMI, 1 component out, 1 composite out, 1 S-Video out, 1 Firewire in, 1 RF in, 1 RF out
• Digital optical and digital coaxial audio output for home theater surround sound

I don't normally write reviews on products but in this case I feel I must share the value and features of this product. You can't go wrong in selecting this player/recorder for your DVD needs. The quick start guide is just that "quick" and well planned. The people at Samsung know how to write manuals and this manual is the best I have seen well documented with pictures (in full color) and just that step-by-step for the novice. The setup diagram is excellent. The features are numerous you can throw any discs you have left over from other recording machines and through it in takes three seconds to intialize (any disc) and away you go. One touch record starts immediately. The quality is superb especially in High Definition. I couldn't wait to get it after reading the reviews from the last Electronics Trade Show so I was able to get it from back East about three weeks ago. Finalizing discs is a snap and easy I have had difficulty formatting on other machines but the Samsung is so easy the on-screen menu is good and the remote is easy to navigate even with my big fingers! It will play mp3s, CDs, computer made DivX movies, Region 1 DVDs, Picture discs from your computer and you can make your own movies from your camcorder or video camera and burn on the fly. You can also program your other electronics into the remote but you must know the manufacturer's codes which they list in a handy guide. If you are shopping for a multi recorder/player search no more get this one you won't be disappointed.

Buy Samsung DVD-R145 DVD Recorder Now

This is an update to my previous review from 10/19/06. I'm returning the second one now. The picture freezes completely during regular playback of DVD-RAM discs. You press fast forward and it just freezes. You stop and play again and the picture is jagged. Very disappointing because the features are excellent. The previous unit froze during chase playback.

I am on my second Samsung DVD-R145 in two months. First, the things I like: great picture quality, excellent user interface, and I especially like the MP3 playback (specifically, the ability to create a playlist and to play tracks in random order, not all DVD recorders provide those functions). Second, the minor annoyances that may just become major: during "chase playback" (using DVD-RAM discs, watching the program currently being recorded), after fast-forwarding and then pressing play, the picture jitters consistently. You have to press STOP and then press PLAY again in order to stop the jittering. Then there's the bigger issue of synchronization of sound and picture. Many programs that I've recorded, when played back, do not have the picture and sound synchronized and they can be off pretty badly, too, not just milliseconds. The first unit did that and I ignored it most of the time but now that the second unit does it, I am losing my patience. Add to that the fact that when I contacted Samsung about it, after finally getting a response to my e-mail (8 days), the recommendation was to record at "a better speed." I record at LP. Not the end of the world, and I've never had this synchronization problem with any other DVD recorder (Panasonic, Toshiba). So that's not helping. I will wait and see but I suspect I'll return this one too and go with yet another brand (I can't seem to find the right combination of quality and features).

Read Best Reviews of Samsung DVD-R145 DVD Recorder Here

Am very disappointed with both the unit and Samsung service. The unit started rejecting all discs...no matter what format...after only two weeks. Samsung service insisted that I try a cleaning disc before they do anything. They couldn't understand that the unit was rejecting ALL discs.

After another two calls it took a full week to get authorization to send it out for repair. The unit has been sitting at their designated repair facility for two weeks now "waiting for parts". No one can tell me what is specifically wrong and Samsung will not just replace the unit.

I can only say this is a very bad Samsung experience.

Want Samsung DVD-R145 DVD Recorder Discount?

Was a decent machine, and was good for the price. Worked well for 3 months, and then death... Will load less than 10% of the Discs you put in the unit. Yes, the very same Discs that were working a few weeks earlier. Blasted with air and tried again, so dust wasn't the issue. Sending back for Warranty service, but of course Shipping is MY cost, and god knows how long that will take.

I bought this unit with high hopes. Its produces great picture, but thats where it all goes bad. Lipsync issues, constant freezeups, pause goes into stop after 5 mins, HDMI issues (directly w/ a samsung TV, so its not a compatibility issue). The customer support for this product is even worse. You can explain all your problems, and they will say "thats the way it is," "Contact DivX for DivX issues," and "please call us." If you insist on the customer calling, why even have a web form? copies of my support corespondence are available to those who ask.

Stay away from thsi unit, and this is coming from an videophile/geek.

1gb Voice & Telephone Recorder, Record Telephone, Cell Phone Calls

As a feature writer, editor, and co-author, recording telephone interviews constitutes a large part of my job. This piece of equipment seemed a perfect step from old-fashioined tape recording to digital files that could be saved to a computer. And the first time I used it, it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, when I tried to use it a second time at a different location, I learned the hard way that it doesn't work with phones hosting more than one line. So okay, it has its limits. But when I tried to use it a third time, back on a single-line phone, it wouldn't turn on. The batteries had gone dead (although I had used it for less than one hour in total since purchasing it). I replaced the batteries, turned the phone on again, and recorded for a few minutes. I turned the phone off, left it for several days, then tried to turn it on...and the new batteries were dead. I then tried to run the recorder off of the AC adapter that came as an accessory. Time after time, with the phone plugged into the adapter, I received an LCD message saying that the battery was low, and then watched helplessly as the little bugger went dead. Making sure the phone was turned off, I then replaced the batteries yet again and used the phone immediately. It seemed to work fine--until I tried to play back the sound file. It had recorded my side of the interview, but not the incoming voice of the interviewee. This wasted 90 minutes of my time and hers--and since she will now be unavailabe for 2 weeks, I'll also be way over deadline on an assignment. This may cost me several thousand dollars. I am not a happy camper. So as far as my experience is concerned, this recorder is a piece of worthless junk. It's unreliable, difficult to use, and the operating manual was obviously written by someone who struggles with English, leaving the reader to guess at what the operating instructions might actually be.

Digital Recorder not as easy to figure out set up as sounded. I thought it would be easier than it was, better instructions might of helped.

Buy 1gb Voice & Telephone Recorder, Record Telephone, Cell Phone Calls Now

I am a student so I tried it for recording my classes and lectures. The product for the price worked great. I was happy with it's easy of use and clarity of recording. I also connected it to my cellphone and recorded my conversations with my mom, dad and other loved one's which I downloaded to my PC and will treasure forever. I am very happy and have since recommended it to other classmates.

Read Best Reviews of 1gb Voice & Telephone Recorder, Record Telephone, Cell Phone Calls Here

AJA Ki Pro Rackmount Kit for the AJA Ki-Pro Portable ProRes HD -by-Connectronics

What can you say? The screw holes line up, and the choice for mounting the unit slightly protruding was great. A bit overpriced for what it is, but hard to find and you know we need to take care of these boxes!

If you rack-mount an Aja KiPro deck using this shelf you will have to leave an open space in the rack just above the deck to be able to remove the KiPro's hard drive module. The KiPro module doesn't eject like an old videotape. You have to grab it from the top and slide it out while holding the module release button. This is impossible if you rack-mount the KiPro and do not leave a space above it to get your hand in to grab the top of the module. Other than that this rack-mount kit works fine. Attach the KiPro to the rack using supplied screws.

Buy AJA Ki Pro Rackmount Kit for the AJA Ki-Pro Portable ProRes HD -by-Connectronics Now

Panasonic DMR-ES10S DIGA Series DVD Recorder , Silver

• Single-disc DVD player/recorder with DVD-RAM, DVD-R/RW, and DVD+R recording capabilities
• Plays DVD-Video, DVD-Audio (2-channel only), DVD+RW, video CD, MP3 CD, and JPEG image CD
• Progressive-scan video output renders seamless, flicker-free images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs
• Video enhancements include Visibility Modulation technology, integrated noise reduction (NR), and 4x Natural Gradation
• Measures 16.9 x 2.5 x 13.9 inches (W x H x D)

Don't tell my girlfriend, but I think I'm in love.

I picked this unit up yesterday, so this is obviously a very preliminary review, and I'll update it later if my opinion changes, but this seems like a real winner. And at a list price of $200, a real steal also.

After buying (and returning) one pile-of-junk DVD recorder, I did a fair amount of research and found many horror stories and much dissatisfaction ... except for the Panasonic DMR-E55 (and slightly different models), which almost everyone here and at videohelp.com loved. However, it did have some difficulties for my intended use, in particular that it only wrote to write-once discs and to DVD-RAM. Now DVD-RAM seemed slick as a greased weasel, allowing the DMR-E55 to do TIVO-like tricks such as starting to record a show while you're out, getting home midway through and then watching the beginning while it's still recording the end, but if you wanted to watch the resulting disc on a standard DVD player, or to use your computer to make copies or transfer to hard drive for editing, you were out of luck (or would have to buy a DVD-RAM supporting drive). Plus, forget archiving stuff on DVD-RAM, even for use on Panasonic machines, since they run $4+ per disc.

Nevertheless, with a somewhat heavy heart and plenty of reservations, I decided the E55 was what I'd go for, the least-bad solution, so I hied me down to Best Buy thinking I'd probably come home with one. Alas, they only had a display unit left, with no box, no remote, etc. But the sales guy sort of offhandedly mentioned, "Well, we did get this new model in, there's a stack of them over there." We opened up a box, checked the manual to make sure it had all the nifty features of the E55, and in a kind of daze I walked out with one, all the qualms and the feeling of settling for something that might be a pain-in-the-neck gone.

I spent yesterday afternoon and evening playing with it, and what can I say ... it just works, smoothly and efficiently. I obviously have tried only a portion of the features and possibilities [and of course can't say anything about long-term reliability], but this new machine gets around some of the difficulties with the old E55. It seems like Panasonic was actually listening to the complaints, and came up with solutions ---

-except for the not widely supported DVD-RAM, the E55 only recorded to DVD-R, and reportedly not to (most) 8X blanks either. The ES10 additionally records to -RW and +R/4X and +R/8X, all of which I tested (and the +R were cheap discs, Teon and WinData). The results play on my computer's DVD drive. Being able to use DVD-RW gets around the DVD-RAM incompatibility for now (I can record, say, a bunch of episodes of Frasier, then transfer to the computer to edit out the ads, and re-use the original disc), though I might install a DVD-RAM compatible drive eventually. [For some reason, DVD+RW discs are not supported for writing.]

-many people commented on the obtuse manual and difficult to use remote and menus. I can't compare directly, but having been driven to blinking distraction by one bad DVD recorder, I can say the ES10 was a delight to use -it was easy to find what little I needed in the manual, and I could largely just wing it. I was making "flexible record" discs (where compression is chosen based on total program length to use the entire disc precisely) immediately. If you hit the wrong button by mistake, the unit does not begin to make grinding noises and/or go into never-never land; it's OK to try things to see what they do. And if you're stuck, the "magic" button that gets you out of certain menus or situations seems to be labelled Return.

-to fast forward/reverse, you had to use and hold the chapter skip buttons; there are now separate buttons.

I have no substantive complaints so far, but here are some annoyances. That most are so trivial speaks volumes --

-the open/close control is on the opposite end of the unit from the disc drawer; for some reason this is not intuitive to me.

-there is no on screen display of the record mode (XP, LP, etc, i.e. recording quality). Only the display on the unit itself, which can be hard to read across the room.

-the unit uses 8.5 watts even turned off; the manual notes this and says you might want to unplug it when not used for long periods. Why can't they just put in a genuine 'off' and a 'standby' if they feel it's needed?

-some of the remote buttons are too closely spaced for my stubby fingers, yet there is unused or underused real estate in the configuration.

-'stop' and some other controls seem to leave the unit in a kind of intermediate state (though they do have the desired effect); to go to a 'neutral' or startup state, I have to hit stop again. (Maybe this is some feature I just haven't figured out yet. Or maybe it's somehow an example of ...

-the menus maybe go a bit too far trying to protect you against doing foolish things. You get asked twice, not just once, if you really want to format a disc, for instance.

-the 8-hour/disc mode really is substandard, worse than a 6 hour VHS tape; but the 4-hour mode should be acceptable for many uses. [There is a 6-hour mode, but apparently you have to select that instead of 8-hour in Setup and I haven't tried it yet.]

Buy Panasonic DMR-ES10S DIGA Series DVD Recorder , Silver Now

If you're going to copy a lot of VHS tapes to DVD-R or DVD+R discs, this is the one to get. I tried both a Philips DVDR600VR DVD recorder/VCR combo and a Sony RDRVX500 DVD recorder/VCR combo. The Philips had a couple problems and I returned it, so I'll compare the Panasonic to the Sony:

The Sony had a lot of nice features and overall good quality, but I found that it had a major problem copying VHS tapes from a separate VCR with a GoDVD device. The quality in that case is substantially degraded, with streaks of interference, as with a satellite dish with the polarity or azimuth tuned wrong. This is either with the composite video connection, or using an S-Video cable from the GoDVD to the Sony. The odd thing is a signal from a separate DVD player comes through the same GoDVD device OK, and the signal from the VCR is OK without the GoDVD. The only way I found to get a decent signal from a separate VCR through the GoDVD to the Sony was through an adapter to the coaxial input, which of course is lower quality anyway and somewhat defeats the purpose.

However, with the Panasonic DMR-ES10, I made perfect copies of the exact same tapes from the same VCR through the same GoDVD device. Additionally, the Panasonic has the following handy features not on the Sony combo unit:

1. Flexible speed recording. If you have a tape that's 2 hours 5 min. you can record it at a speed that exactly fills the DVD-R (or +R), where if you just left it in SP mode it would run out. I tried a DVD-R disc recorded this way on 2 other players and it works fine.

2. You can change the thumbnail images in the menu. With the Sony you're stuck with the first frame. With this model Panasonic you can play the title to any frame you want to select for the menu image.

3. You can store phrases for the titles. For instance, if you're recording Perry Mason episodes, every title starts with "The Case of the ... " You can store that so you don't have to spell it out each time. I like to add previews to the extra space on a disc, so I saved "PREVIEWS."

The only problems I've had with the Panasonic DMR-ES10 is with DVD+R media. When recording stops, it fouls up the disc so it's unusable. I've had this problem with TDK, HP, and Sony DVD+R disks. Once in a while it works if the recording is under an hour. It always works fine with DVD-R.

This isn't a combo unit, so the quality from the VHS tape depends on the VCR. I tried two different VCRs, an old Toshiba and a newer cheaper model, and got great quality DVDs from both. I tried both VCRs with the Sony and both had the problem with the GoDVD described above, but seem fine without the GoDVD. But the VCR built into the Sony combo unit seems to have worse performance than the separate VCRs, causing flickering sometimes.

Because of that I don't see much advantage to the combo unit, and recommend the Panasonic DMR-ES10 as the best option for copying VHS tapes to DVDs.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DMR-ES10S DIGA Series DVD Recorder , Silver Here

Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD Recorder

Pros: Great low price. Excellent recordings ,even in the LP (4Hr) speed.

Cons: PIP & Commercial Skip wont work on Finalized DVDs.

Full Review :

Unlike all previous Panasonic DVD recorders. Besides being able to record on DVD-R and DVD-RAM. This new model will also record on , DVD+R , DVD-RW. This is a much needed and smart move by Panasonic.

But a word of caution. Due to strict new copy protection laws. Some broadcasts now contain Copy Control signals. They may have one of three signal types: Copy-Free, Copy-Once, or Copy-Never. The recorder limits the recording according to the copy protection signal. Copy-Free encoded signals can be recorded at any time with any compatible blank disk type.Copy-Never encoded signals can not be recorded on this unit. Many of your premium cable stations(HBO,SHO)are Copy-Once programs. This means you may record the program to a disk. But you are not able to take that disk and then make a copy of it. According to the manual copy once programs may only be recorded using DVD-RAM. I did have some problems finalizing copy protected recordings from HBO using DVD-R and DVD-RW disks.

I highly reccomend purchasing the Sima CT-2 (GO DVD) Video Signal Processor (Amazon Price: $69.49) This will allow you to record any copy protected source (Cable,VHS,DVD).

Being that this is only a $200 unit. It is not made as sturdily as some of the previous models. But the many important new features and low price make up for that.

Panasonic made alot of bold claims about this unit.I was hesitant about them , especially since this is only a $200 unit. While other DVD recorders like the SONY sell for nearly $400.00. But I am happy to report that all the claims are true. The unit works great. Panasonic really backs up all thier claims about this DVD recorder.

All the DVDs I made recorded played back with very high quality. I also found no problems with compatibility when playing those DVDs back on other DVD players. Recordings made in the four (4) hour (LP) speed looked nearly identical to those made using the (2) Hour(SP)speed. The VCR Plus feature is fairly useless if you have it connected to a CABLE box. But if you have it connected to a standard antenna then VCR Plus is a useful feature.

The remote control also controls your TV. It can also be adjusted so that it wont control any other Panasonic equipment you may own. Among the important new features is that all the new Panasonic models for 2005 now have improved horizontal resolution. In the LP (4 Hours) mode, this DVD recorder has images twice as sharp as last year's models. It gives up to 500 lines resolution. This is double the horizontal resolution compared to the 250 lines of conventional LP mode recording. Thanks to this, you now have high quality four hour recordings as sharp as the Two Hour (SP )speed.

Another new feature is what Panasonic calls "VHS Refresh". This feature offers improved quality when Dubbing VHS to DVD. When connecting a VCR and the DVD recorder to record VHS videotape images onto a DVD disk. Something similar to a "Time Base Corrector", helps reduce jitter and also performs signal conversion to create a stable signal.

The unit also has 3D Digital Noise Reduction which detects and virtually eliminates randomly generated noise and color errors to help minimize flicker. This 3D DNR works on any video input source. Thanks to these two technologies, the video input signal is automatically detected and optimum processing is performed to provide an easy way to even more beautiful digital pictures. There is also a Digital Noise Reduction for playback. This helps clear up recordings made in the EP 6 hour speed. This unit has an option to allow up to Eight (8) hours of recording time. Although I really don't recommend recording with the 8 hour speed due to quality issues.

One of the most important new features is the nearly instantaneous response time in start-up and recording. It is as quick as five seconds from the DVD-RAM insertion to Play or Record. The unit has nearly as fast times for other blank DVD media. Disk finalizing takes about four minutes which is a bit slow.But that's a minor trade-off for the very quick disk recognition. The Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD Recorder also has a "One Touch Record" button. Each press gives 30 Minutes recording time up to 4 hours. The unit then powers itself off after the recording time has finished.

All Panasonic DVD recorders offer all the benefits of the DVD-RAM format. Which include " Chasing Playback". -This feature lets you view a program that you're currently recording from any point that's already been recorded, while continuing to record the live program in progress. So you no longer have to wait for the entire program to be recorded before watching it from the beginning to the end. Simultaneous Recording & Playback are also possible using DVD RAM. This way you can record a live TV program while watching any other program that's been previously recorded on the same disk. Time Slip Button -Just press the Time Slip button once during recording on a DVD RAM, to start playing back the scene recorded 30 seconds earlier. You can also use the cursor keys to return to any point from 1 to 360 minutes earlier.

The Panasonic DMR-ES10 DVD Recorder offers a PIP(Picture-in-Picture function) and commercial skip during playback.

Please note : These two features will NOT work after the DVD +/-R/W disks are finalized. These features also wont work on pre-recorded (store bought) DVD movies. They do work on on DVD RAM disks. Since those disks do not need to be finalized.

The unit has a new layout with finalize and disk setup which makes it alot easier to use. Also new is that it goes into record mode and loaded blank and pre-recorded DVDs so much faster. Both are major improvements over earlier units. I also liked the smaller size, and large easy to read numerical readout. Total ease of use is also much improved. But novices will still need to read the manual thoroughly. I like the new sleek look. This model seems very user friendly and priced low enough. So if you haven't already purchased a DVD Recorder. Then this is the unit that may make you put away your VCR. For those who like their components to match. This unit also comes in Black. I have only one minor complaint. There is no disk time remaining display during a DVD movie playback. The time remaining display is viewable during all recording modes to view the recording time left on disk.

Connections 1 RF(TV) Input/1 RF(TV)Output, 1-Front Panel Audio/Video(S-Video)3-Rear Panel Audio/Video(S-Video),1 Rear Panel component video input. 1Audio/Video (S-Video)Outputs,1Digital Audio Optical Output.

If you need even more features than the DMR-ES10 offers. There is the DMR-EH50 model ($500) which features a 100GB hard disk drive. This gives up to 177 hours of recording time using the hard drive.

The Bottom Line :

Low Price with great Quality LP speed video ,new user friendly features. All adds up to an excellent DVD Recorder

Want Panasonic DMR-ES10S DIGA Series DVD Recorder , Silver Discount?

If you have been looking at options for converting your old analog tapes to DVD, then this unit is a consideration.

After looking at multiple options, including countless computer accessories, software, Digital8, firewire, I finally decided to use the "point and shoot" approach this unit affords.

Since we already own a Panasonic DVD/VCR unit, the user's manual was a cinch. It took about 15 minutes to get this thing out of the box and begin burning my first DVD from a vintage 8mm tape via a camcorder.

Quality was excellent. Many approaches complain about the ability to sync sound with action. This was not evident on this particular unit.

What was especially nice was that I was able to utilize a batch of Verbatim DVR-R disks that I picked up on sale.

One drawback is the inability to create multiple chapters with the -r format. The documentation states that the unit automatically creates 5 minute chapters with a DVD-RW, however I have yet to test that feature.

One other glitch is Panasonic does not seem to differentiate their remotes. In other words, the ES10 remote will turn on, activate and eject DVDs from my other Panasonic unit. I will be moving this unit to another location to avoid this.

If you invest in the DVD-RAM technology, you can edit, create new chapters etc. This might be a consideration in the future. However, since the "RAM" technology seems to be favored by the Panasonic brand, I would prefer to burn a few "generic DVDs" first.

Another option is to invest in a DVD recorder which has a hard drive built in. Prices seem to be dropping on these as well. However, reading reviews of this technology indicates a greater tendency for breakdown, so an extended warranty would certainly be a consideration.

If you are looking to convert analog tapes to DVD, are on a budget, but still desire high quality output, then this is the unit for you.

I have a digital cable box from cablevision with the built in DVR which to me is a better option than buying a $500 + DVD recorder with a built in hard drive. Considering that I rent the cable box for 10 bucks a month, and considering the lifespan of a hard drive, I think it is a cheaper option. Also if you have a digital cable box

you can't record one show while watching another, so spending all that money would be pretty useless to me.

The reason why I bought this model is because aside from owning a dvr there are occasional times where I want to keep a permanent copy of a show or movie.

You can record one show while watching another if you bypass the cable box, however you can only watch or record the analog channel's (1-99).

To record digital channels:

With the dvd recorder connected to the cable box I can set the VCR timer on the cable box to record my programs while I am not home, the VCR timer on the cable box will turn the box on and turn to the channel you want to record for however many shows you want. You just have to program the recorder to record channel 3 and set the times you want to record. The menus are pretty simple and it really isn't any trouble at all.

DVD-RAM is the best media option for this recorder because it allows you to edit the disk before you finalize it, it allows you to watch one recorded show while recording another as well. With DVD-rw if you want to erase a program in order to free up space you have to erase the last one you recorded, with DVD RAM it doesn't matter which chapter or program you delete, the free space will be useable.

DVD-RAM can be rewritten up to 100,000 times and you can buy the disks in a protective cartridge which will play in this player.

The only downside to dvd-ram is that it is not compatible with most other players and you can't use it on your computer unless you have a dvd-ram drive. I would recommend buying two or three dvd-rams double sided and in the cartridge for recording your disposable sitcoms (the ones you only want to watch once). You do of course have to flip the double sided disks if you want to record on the other side.

For the recordings you want to keep I would recommend getting some

dvd-r disks as they are most compatible with other players (more so than dvd+r).

You can also record from your DVR to the dvd-recorder, I have not tried this myself but I have read on several forums that you can.

I have copied an old VCR tape and it came out great.

The picture quality is very good on two hours and pretty good on 4 as well.

The dvd recorder will not record dolby 5.1, but it will record 2 channel dolby digital. There are no dvd recorders on the market that will record 5.1 (set top boxes that is, of course you can copy 5.1 and DTS on your computer if you have a recordable dvd drive).

This unit is perfect for use in my bedroom, since I have the DVR in my living room. I wouldn't spend much more money on one of these things because you know in a few yrs it will be obsolete with the new blueray technology.

Ematic 2.4 Inches Color MP3 Video Player with Built-in 5MP Digital Camera and Video Recording, FM R

• 4 GB capacity for storage of up to 1,150 songs, 3,500 photos, or 10 hours of video; expandable to 12 GB via MicroSD card
• Up to 8 hours of music playback or 4 hours video playback on a single charge
• 2.4-inch color TFT LCD display with 320 x 240 (QVGA) pixel resolution
• Supports MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, FLAC, and APE audio files; AVI, MP4, RM, RMVB, and FLV video files; JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, and TIFF images; TXT text files
• One-year limited warranty

I wasn't sure if I should purchase this mp3 player because of the incredibly mixed reviews. Turns out, I really like it. The sound is good. It's fairly easy to navigate through the menus, and the battery life is awesome. My only complaint is the cheap ear buds they package with the product. Doesn't really fit the jack, so I was constantly having to fiddle with it and twist it around to get the sound back into both ears (and eliminate static on the FM). This was easily fixed with a purchase of some moderately decent $5 ear buds. All-in-all a good purchase for $39.

Buy Ematic 2.4 Inches Color MP3 Video Player with Built-in 5MP Digital Camera and Video Recording, FM R Now

Just received this item, and it is really neat, but not touch screen as described in the description. The picture listed is the item i received and bought it because i thought it was touch screen. I will keep it and use it but if you want the touch screen version don't buy this one. Look for the Ematic E6.

Read Best Reviews of Ematic 2.4 Inches Color MP3 Video Player with Built-in 5MP Digital Camera and Video Recording, FM R Here

i have no problems with this. it does everything i expect. the first time you charge it takes forever after that it's quick and painless

Want Ematic 2.4 Inches Color MP3 Video Player with Built-in 5MP Digital Camera and Video Recording, FM R Discount?

We were very excited about this product. However, we purchased this product because of its FM radio capability in combination with it's built in speaker. Only to determine upon receipt of the product that the FM radio does not function without the use of headphones. This information was not apparent in the description of the product and we now have a device that does not meet our unique needs.

For the price of this player it is decent ... That being said i wish that whoever designed it had made it a little easier to navigate... some of the buttons are hard to push and some are too easy to push... The sound could be a little clearer but to the average listener you probably wont notice much.... the radio is ok not powerful but not horrible ... pictures play clear but seeing as the screen isn't very big you would notice much anyway .... i had problems getting mine to charge until i figured out that the on/off switch must be switched to on to charge .... which was wierd because it would let me put files on the player but would not charge.... the shuffle feature isn't the greatest as it keeps trying to throw the same song back at me .... if you aren't picky the camera is ok .... but nothing really great

BestDealUSA Multi TV Media Player 1080P HD USB HDMI SD/MMC RMVB MP3 MPEG AVI Divx MKV

The media player has managed to play every video format I have thrown at it for the past couple of months. A really great product and you will not believe how small it is.

The remote is powerful enough that you don't have to point it directly at the receiver.

Get an HDMI cable to keep things simple and enjoy the best video quality.

The unit will read both FAT32 and NTSF formatted hard drives, but it only can copy, past, delete files on a FAT32 drive.

Never hangs up, starts up very quickly, and the on-screen menu is so simple you never have to read the manual.

No problems with powering a USB hard drive.

Watch home movies and listen to music anywhere, this device delivers! Just hook it up to any TV, monitor or projector. The only drawback is the remote. It does not respond unless you point directly at the device, for the reason of 3 stars.

Buy BestDealUSA Multi TV Media Player 1080P HD USB HDMI SD/MMC RMVB MP3 MPEG AVI Divx MKV Now

It reads all video formats so far. High quality HD video. Sometimes it lags between audio and video on very heavy files, but by fasting forward or back it entrains again. Simple menus, and it has english and chinese characters on remote control if thats a cumber. Very light unit. Best price at the moment. Recomended.

Read Best Reviews of BestDealUSA Multi TV Media Player 1080P HD USB HDMI SD/MMC RMVB MP3 MPEG AVI Divx MKV Here

8GB Transcend T.Sonic 860 MP3 player with Radio, Voice Recorder, Video, Photo, E-Book

• 8GB T.Sonic 860 MP3 player
• Plays music and movies
• Photo viewer
• E-Books
• FM Radio

On the recommendation of a friend, I purchased the T-Sonic MP 860. I needed to record an important event which I attended and which would be broadcast on a local FM channel. It surpassed my expectations for ease of use! It was small enough to slip into a pocket, and had a display that was easy to read. [I am NOT a super-tech oriented individual] The record quality, even though I had it set on "low" was very good. I'm looking forward to see what else it can do now, and know I'm covered for upcoming events which I want to record. I am VERY pleased!

Buy 8GB Transcend T.Sonic 860 MP3 player with Radio, Voice Recorder, Video, Photo, E-Book Now

I bought this for my sister and she had many problems with it. It disorganized her music and would drop audio on videos and shut off at random.

Read Best Reviews of 8GB Transcend T.Sonic 860 MP3 player with Radio, Voice Recorder, Video, Photo, E-Book Here

I was looking for a replacement for my beloved Creative Zen Vision M and this was my 4th mp3 player that failed miserably. The specs look great on paper and the 2 year warranty was encouraging. It even came with a nice silicon case and neck strap. Although it would feel pretty heavy around your neck.

I loaded about 14 cd's onto the player and ended up with over 600 tracks. There were 3 to 7 copies of each track which I would have had to remove one by one. I tried the RESET BUTTON , no luck. The radio commands didn't work properly nor did the video or settings commands.

Unlike the other players that I had tried and was able to return to Amazon for a refund, the MP860 had to be returned to Transcend. Transcends website is a runaround of dead links. So I called the company and was told that since I didn't buy the player from Transcend directly I couldn't get a refund, only a repair or replacement. I informed Amazon of the problem and was told to send an email requesting a refund to Transcend via Amazon's website. I quickly received an apologetic response from Transcend explaining that the person I talked to was 'new" and misinformed. There was a link in the email that was supposed to take me to a webpage where I could get a RMA code to return the player. That link took me to the same useless webpages that I had already been at. I sent another email to Transcend requesting an RMA. Their response was another useless link. After a couple more emails I was finally sent a link that worked and was able to print out a refund request form and get a RMA code.

There was about a 2 week delay in Transcend sending me the MP860 and it took 2 to 3 weeks after sending it back for me to get my refund.

I finally found a new mp3 player that I am very happy with, a Sony Walkman. It worked perfectly from from the start. Simple controls, very intuitive, feels sleek and solidly built.

VideoSecu Fake Bullet Dummy Imitation Security Camera Simulated Decoy Infrared IR LED Camera with B

Modern IP/network security cameras are white, and in the case of bullet cameras, slim. Most of the fake cameras are silver, which at this point is 1980's retro and not a viable ruse for home use. This fake camera is white, slim, a modern ergo design and has realistic looking LED bulbs surrounding the lens... all tell tail signs of a real IP camera being sold today. Spend the few extra dollars and get a fake camera that actually looks like a modern IP camera, because IT geeks and well researched criminals can tell the difference!

Save 62% Off

Archos 404 30GB Portable Digital Media Player with Camcorder (500867)

• Archos 404 Camcorder 30GB Portable Digital Media Player (500867)
• Lightweight and portable digital video, movie, music player and photo viewer with 3.5-inch LCD and 30 GB hard drive
• Integrated camcorder/camera for capturing video up to 640 x 480 pixels and 1.2-megapixel still photos
• Compatible with MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA music files, JPEG, BMP, and PNG picture files, and MPEG-4 and WMV video files
• Uses high-speed USB 2.0 for both file transfers and charging, and includes a rechargeable Lithium-Ion polymer battery with up to 12 hours of music and 4 hours of video life

I hate writing reviews like these.

Why? Because this little guy has so much potential...! And I was so excited to finally get this thing! But, at the end of the day, it's a bit of a mixed bag.

Some back story: I'm a Mac guy who had given up on a widescreen iPod (thanks a Steve!), but stumbled upon this. All the reviews on the Archos 404 from the "in-the-know" sites like Wired and CNet gave it really good reviews: "Great little screen...! fairly spacious hard drive...! decent camera/camcorder...!". Sure, it was a jack-of-all trades they said, but it was a darned good one.

So I bought one. And, well, it's not bad! It wasn't too expensive. It certainly does have a great screen. And the camcorder and camera aren't too shabby either. Even the interface, for a Mac user, wasn't the worst thing in the world.

But then I tried to play a movie.

It's supposed to play .mp4 movies "right out of the box", and it does. Sortof. I had transferred a movie I own (and watch way-too-much: "Office Space") w/ Handbrake (a great program) and saved as an .mp4. But I could only watch the first 20 seconds on the Arcos. Anything after that the sound still played, but the picture froze. And fast-forwarding or rewinding just made it angry. Always kicking me out to the video menu.

So I put some smaller .mp4s on. But not only did it have trouble playing them, when I scrolled down the list, the unit restarted! I thought I was crazy, but it did it over, and over.

So, undaunted, I download the "Podcast Plugin" from Acrhos: $19.99. It allows you to play H.264 video (a better compression) and AAC audio, which is darn good too. I was impressed at the Mac friendliness of the offering to boot.

I then re-ripped my movie in Handbrake using the H.264 setting, and it played. Finally. Without crashing. And it looked, and sounded great. Yay. Whew!

But then I tried the camcorder.

I've got to give Archos a bit of credit here, because for what it is, this is a cool little camcorder. You can even get this optional little "snake cam" (which I bought: $129). Stock, even though it doesn't have a zoom, it makes impressive video.

The only problem is the resulting .mov movies don't play in Quicktime. Or iMovie. Or anything else I can use. While the video looks fine, the sound stutters uncontrollably. And it sortof plays in VLC, but while the sound is good, the video glitches.

Well, it says right on the box that it's a Windows Media Center® device, and I began to wonder if some of the files I was trying to work with were just a little to "Appley".

Hmmmm, I thought. And I did a little "get info" and I found that the sound on the camcorder's .AVI files uses DVI ADPCM compression. Both very Windows®-esque formats. And while Quicktime, etc, does support most AVI files, it doesn't support DVI ADPCM.

I called tech support. And after a looonnnngggg time on hold, a sleepy guy finally answered and curtly answered "sorry, you can return it who you bought it from" to every one of my questions.

So I emailed tech support. And I got the same answers, plus an offer for a "repair" (I think it was the same guy!)... but I kindly explained that it wasn't broken, but simply needed some support and firmware upgrades.... To no avail.

So, bottom line is the Archos 404 is has got a severe case of the yinyangs. On the one hand it's simple, beefy and gorgeous. On the other it's twitchy, finicky and handicapped. Especially for us Mac people. In fact, I'd like to go on the record and say this is an EXTREMELY Windows® friendly device... And for a guy who got this primarily to quench his iPod jones, that's a bit of a heart breaker.

Archos, if you're listening, you need to offer a free plugin for Quicktime so the sound works, pronto. Or, a firmware update that allows for a different on-deck sound compression option. Or better yet, do both.

Until then, this will be a crippled unit. Another could-have-been in the handheld what-have-you category. Another iPod casualty. A frigid lover. Especially for us Mac users.

e

Buy Archos 404 30GB Portable Digital Media Player with Camcorder (500867) Now

I bought this for recording TV programs and making videos without using external device and wires. It works great when connected to my Panasonic HDTV which has a video output on the back. This little device also allows you to make photos at the resolution for e-mails, such as made by a cell phone. The 30GB storage and the USB connector make it a replacement of a needed computer for transferring files from other portable devices or cards. For the price and portability, it is a great buy.

Read Best Reviews of Archos 404 30GB Portable Digital Media Player with Camcorder (500867) Here

I bought this for my son so i guess I'll let him write the review from here on in. Hell yeah this is better than an over hyped mp3 player(iPod). I've had it for about a day now and to be honest the only complain that I can make is that Archos is cheap. This product deserves the 5 stars it's just that you have to buy simple little things that should've came in the box. My brother's mp3 player came with a/v plug that could connect with the tv to record or play on-screen. Archos wants you to fork up $99.99 for the DVR station, when I buy mines i'm getting it from Walmart for less than $74.00. The camera and camcorder is great and the built-in speaker is superb. The clarity and crispness of the 3.5" screen is eye-orgasmic when watching pictures or videos. Pros: It's a damn good mp3 player/camera/camcorder Cons: Archos wants you to pay for certain things that should be included in the box

Want Archos 404 30GB Portable Digital Media Player with Camcorder (500867) Discount?

Archos can be added to the list of consumer electronics companies that will put faulty products in the market and then refuse to take responsibility for them.

I have experience with three of these units, only one of which is still functional. The first was a friend's whose screen cracked while the unit was in a protective case inside a bag. I realize electronics are more delicate than the average consumer product, but this thing was more sensitive than an iPod nano, which also happened to be in his bag and did not break.

The second unit I received as a gift and it worked well for about a month. I have to say, when it worked I liked it, with the exception of the really poor sound, which I crancked up to be able to hear anything. A few days ago I awoke to find my unit with the back casing distended like it was about to burst. I immediately unscrewed the back to release the pressure and found that the battery was inflated like a balloon. I put the unit in a sealed bag to make sure if it burst it didn't ruin anything else in the apartment. When I called Archos customer service, I was told by the goon on the phone that having unscrewed the back of the unit, despite the fact that leaving it as it was could have been dangerous, nullified the warranty. So now I am stuck with a month old unit whose warranty is useless.

Way to go, Archos. You've guaranteed I will never buy anything from you again.

This little bugger is great. While, like some of the other reviewers, I was torn at first with some of the bugs, I quickly downloaded the firmware updates from the Archos website. It fixed every problem I had and I just love the way this thing does it all pretty well. It's no camera or camcorder replacement, but the picture quality is better than most any cell phone camera.

The controls and UI are easy to understand and figure out with only minor exceptions (adding songs to an existing playlist took me a bit to figure out).

I downloaded the codec that allows you to play podcast and iTunes files for $20. Well worth not having to convert all my music.

Only con is that it doesn't come with a charger. It charges via the USB cable rather slowly, and the docking station/charger is sold seperately.

Considering what all this little thing does and its price, you can't really go wrong.

Cisco Flip Video SlideHD 3 Item Bundle Kit: USB Extension Cable (6 Feet), Car Charger, and Wall Tra

the usb extender is a must have for any flip. Makes it easy to plug in the flip anywhere. Car charger is very handy

This product does NOT charge the FLIP SLIDE HD video camera. DO NOT PURCHASE it if you need an AC charger for the Flip Slide HD. Your camera will not recognize it! That being said, it may be useful for other devices (especially the DC charger) but it is useless for the Flip Slide HD

Buy Cisco Flip Video SlideHD 3 Item Bundle Kit: USB Extension Cable (6 Feet), Car Charger, and Wall Tra Now

The kit is perfect and is just what is called for when traveling and it contains just about everything needed to use.

Read Best Reviews of Cisco Flip Video SlideHD 3 Item Bundle Kit: USB Extension Cable (6 Feet), Car Charger, and Wall Tra Here

This product is NOT by Cisco as claimed on the product page. Normally, I would just return the items, but at $8.63, I figure they're not worth my time nor gas to go to the PO to return them.

Want Cisco Flip Video SlideHD 3 Item Bundle Kit: USB Extension Cable (6 Feet), Car Charger, and Wall Tra Discount?

So glad I found this package, nothing came with the video camera and they stopped manufacturing. The price was very reasonalble for the entire package.

Save 70% Off

SiliconDust HDHomeRun PRIME CableCard TV 3-Tuner HDHR3-CC (Black)

I've been following this product since it was first promised earlier this year. I read all the gotchas, problems, etc, and thought I would be able to use that knowledge to help when I finally got the product myself and installed it. I also have an HDHR so thought it would be similar. Here's my experience:

I received it today (wonderful one-day shipping from Amazon), and had picked up my MCard (CableCard) at Cox yesterday. Hooked everything up, plugged everything in, and went through the install so far pretty straightforward. The setup did upgrade the firmware to 20110830, however, on SiliconDust's website they've released 20110920beta1, so I went ahead and upgraded to the latest. Finally get to the part where you call your cable company, and that's where things started getting interesting. The first call activated successfully, and I thought it was done, I said thank you and goodbye. But I only got basic channels, not extended (no ESPN, CNN, etc). So I called back, and she sent "hits" and "INITs", to no avail. Finally she had me unplug the Prime, pull out the CableCard, plug it back in and re-insert the CableCard. Then she re-paired it. But in my error, I gave her the wrong codes (you give them three ID codes). I didn't know that when you unplug, remove and reinsert the CableCard, it generates a new ID for the Data code. The other two codes are static. She couldn't get it to pair up again, but strangely, I started receiving all the channels! So we assumed everything was fine, even though it wasn't activated. Sure enough, in a few minutes I lost the channels again. A third call to Cox, and I gave him the correct codes (even though he was on the verge of saying he would just as soon send a tech out), and finally, it all worked!

My recommendations:

1. Get the setup and card activation done before even going into Windows Media Center. Use the SiliconDust Setup and QuickTV to verify things are working. Get familiar with the Prime setup web browser, so you can get the codes and see the status of the activation. Check the logs to see if the channels are subscribed or not.

2. Be prepared to give the cable company what they need the three (correct!) codes from a web browser pointing to the Prime. Cox didn't need any special instructions for this product. The last tech kept referring to my Tivo (I didn't correct him).

3. Once you've verified it all works from the Setup/QuickTV, close all of the HDHomeRun windows so you won't get tuner availability errors, then go into WMC and configure your TV Signal. This part actually worked great for me.

I've been watching TV for a few hours now, both on my computer and on my Windows Media Extender, with no glitches or hiccups. Will withhold final judgement until I've gone a few weeks.

(ETA, just want to say that Cox was very helpful, this was all done on a Saturday night, and the second tech even called me back after giving me some time to find the codes and so she could do some research on it.)

Update 3 1/2 weeks later: So I was missing a bunch of channels, and after several calls to Cox and an onsite visit, they said I needed a tuning adapter for Switched Digital Video (SDV) channels. The tech that came onsite didn't have any, so another trip to the Cox store, and then I hooked it up at home. The TA wouldn't lock on the signal, so a few more calls to Cox, and another onsite visit finally resulted in the SDV channels coming in, but no cable channels! Finally one more call to Cox, and now I'm getting all the channels I should be getting.

Other than the channel problem though, I have been recording several shows a week, sometimes two shows at a time, and have had zero problems! It has been very reliable.

HDHomeRunPrime provides cable card decryption for my Comcast TV. Converting the encrypted channels that you pay for (anything above ch 30 and above) into IPTV format.

I have tested it with Microsoft Media Center and have found that it works well streaming the content real time over the Ethernet. For those who do not have Microsoft you should be glad to know that they support a variety of TV watching applications (on Linux to boot). However their is one big thing to note. If a broadcast has been flagged on TV you cannot watch or record it on any program except Microsoft Media Center. Be sure to check to see if your TV provider flags all broadcasts or leaves it off by default. Comcast (which I have) leaves about 99% of their TV programing un-flagged by default. ALSO for flagged broadcasts be sure your have a complete hdcp complaint setup as the flag requires that type of DRM.

Now as for streaming stability, I have noticed that if you go to wireless and attempt to access HDTV their will be some glitches as wireless does not provide the consistent quality of service and will drop packets causing your show to stutter. Wireless N might be a possible solution to solve this issue. However all I have is wireless A and G so I cannot test N.

Recording TV shows on any PC is now possible no matter its location in the house. We have three pc's and this device can send HD TV to all three without even breaking a sweat. Keep in mind if you have Ethernet over power in your home it will have the same issues as wireless. (How do you think I know that >_>

Silicon Dust provides a TV preview window so that you can quickly see if the device is working when you activate it. Oh speaking of activation, if you have Comcast expect to set some time down to get this device activated as most reps at Comcast are not to familiar with cable card activations. Ah, one other thing if you pay for TV you have the right to get one Cable card from your TV provider free of charge. MAKE SURE for this product that you request a CABLE CARD M and NOT CABLE CARD S. (FYI You can get the cable card from your Comcast store.) I have a you tube video overview of the physical device (update you will need to look for it on youtube amazon removes links.)

(Update 1-15-2012) Having had the HDHomeRunPrime for a while I have a few observations to bring to light. First and foremost if you have multiple windows pc's and have purchased this device you will need to get each one activated with your cable provider. Second for your machines to receive HD on certain channels you will need to know if your machine is HDCP compliant. Lucky for you Microsoft has put a testing application in media center under settings to test to see if you are HDCP compliant.

Buy SiliconDust HDHomeRun PRIME CableCard TV 3-Tuner HDHR3-CC (Black) Now

Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable for most Sony MiniDV and DVD Camcorders

This cable works fine for my Sony DCR-DVD403 Handycam. I can play and record in S-Video with this cable. The key is to change the setting in the camera so that it uses S-Video instead of the default composite video connection. I found this in my Handycam's user manual.

It works exactly as it should. Perhaps this is not the case for all Sony Handycams.

The Sony VMC15FS AV Cable is a very nice cable that is used on several Sony Camcorders. My Camcorder is the Sony DCR-HC28. This cable allows you to transfer Audio and Video from the camcorder to your VCR, TV, or an external DVD Recorder. This cable may do more things that I am not aware of as I have never used the "S" cable that is part of this cable.

The Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable for most Sony MiniDV & DVD Camcorders does the same thing that the Sony 18231661 AV Cable does plus it has an S-video cable added to it.

I have both the Sony 18231661 AV Cable and the Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable. Both cables are great but if I had to choose it would depend on if I used the "S" cable portion of the Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable and if I did I would pick the Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable.

If I didn't use the "S" cable I would pick the Sony 18231661 AV Cable. I have both cables and recommend both cables.

Buy Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable for most Sony MiniDV and DVD Camcorders Now

SONY has manufactured their cord with a propreitary connection so that you have to order directly from them. Most cords can be purchased for about $7 locally in stores but SONY's has to be ordered. Amazon had the best price on this item and it works great but it is annoying that you have to purchase a SONY original part.

Read Best Reviews of Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable for most Sony MiniDV and DVD Camcorders Here

When trying to make a DVD using my Sony Handycam and my Sony Multifunction DVD Recorder I discovered, after studying both manuals, that I was going to need this cable (Sony VMC15FS). I went to Walmart and Circuit City and couldn't find it. Then I went to Radio Shack and was told that I won't find it in a store it's a specific item that only Sony sells...I'd have to order it from Sony. So I went on line and found it and ordered it, and, indeed, it does exactly what it's supposed to do. Ordinarily, I'd give it a 5-star rating, but I'm only giving it a 4-star because it's so difficult to obtain.

Want Sony VMC15FS A/V Cable for most Sony MiniDV and DVD Camcorders Discount?

I specifically plugged in my camcorder model number to be sure I located the proper cord, and this is the one Amazon identified for me. I took for granted they knew what they were talking about. Very disappointed.

Save 85% Off

Philips DVD621AT DVD Player

• DVD player with DVD-Video and audio CD playback
• Component-, composite-, and S-video outputs accommodate a range of TVs
• 96 kHz/24-bit audio DAC for high-quality audio output
• High-speed scan and slow motion with smooth scan
• Graphical user interface for easy operation

Well, I have now bought 4 DVD players for separate locations about the house and by far, the Philips DVD621has been the biggest disappointment yet. Load time is frustratingly long, about 45 seconds to even recognize that a disc is in the drawer, then, you guessed it, more load time. The player does not offer any display for what chapter you are on and in more DVD plays than not, the movies begin skipping around an hour and a half in. I have also experienced "freezes" if a movie has been paused for more than about an hour. When I say "freezes," I mean the entire player locks up (including the power button) and the only way to reclaim your DVD is to unplug the unit. Avoid at all cost and buy a fast, reliable and features aplenty Sony.

Buy Philips DVD621AT DVD Player Now

After reading the other reviews here, I was hesitant to buy this model, but it was advertised locally at an unbeatable price, so I took the plunge. Unfortunately, my gamble didn't pay off because the unit has the same problem described in another review. It gets half way through a disc and then freezes. This happened on both a rental disc and a brand new one. Once the unit froze, none of the controls worked, including the power button and the only way to turn off the machine was to unplug it. While some units may not be defective, clearly enough of them are that you should consider something else. Mine's going back to the store to be traded for another brand.

Read Best Reviews of Philips DVD621AT DVD Player Here

I received this about 2 weeks ago and have had nothing but problems. It freezes on movies then will go blank and say insert playable disk. It does this on every single DVD put in the machine. I called philips about the problem and was told by them that this is an internal manufacturing problem with this particular model. ALL of them are like this. I waited 4 weeks after I ordered this to receive it. Now I have to wait for the RMA letter from Philips, ship it back at MY cost, then they will ship me a replacement. If you are in the market for a DVD player, stay away from this one.

Want Philips DVD621AT DVD Player Discount?

This is not what I expected out of a reputable company, but with so many DVD players to choose from stay away from this unit. Freezes up or skips on most discs. Load time is excessive and remote is not very intuitive. Got taken on this unit plain and simple.

This is the first DVD player that I bought, and that was almost a year ago. Today, it still works as good as the day I bought it.

It was easy to get set up, the remote fits in your hand well and it's got great features for a great price.

I watch DVD's ALL the time, and alot of them contain alot of extras. I have NEVER had a problem with the DVD not playing, stopping in the middle of a movie, not ejecting, or not taking a command. Mine has worked flawlessly.

The ONLY thing about this player is that it does take a few extra seconds for DVD's to load, and it will not play CD-R's. If you are looking for a great beginner player then this is for you. But if you are wanting a player that plays CD-R's, and has tons of features, then pay more and get a better player. This isn't the best player out there, but it's the best player for the money.

Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle SSD Field Recorder, HD-SDI Input and Output

This product is amazing, but not for my purposes. Let me explain:

Pros: Super easy setup, plug and play, battery powered, super solid design. This device does exactly what it should: hook into your HDMI/SDI stream and records. You could even yank out the SSD, and put in another it would just start recording again! Buttons easy to understand and use. To top if all off, it has a battery in case you are in the field or need a recording fail safe. Records in the highest quality. The design is built rugged and besides the SDI ports sticking out a bit too much, was built strong and I would be very surprised if I could break this, even while traveling.

Needless to say I was very happy with it, till I tried to record for my particular needs.

Cons: This is a broadcast ready, professional device, and did not translate into the world I wanted to use it for, let me explain. I was using this device mainly to record the video out of my Macbook Pro, since I am a video artist and would like an easy external recorder that can take an HDMI signal. It did so, but I found the recordings only came out in the color GREEN. I asked Black Magic support, and received this back:

"-------,

Actually most HDMI outputs are YUV, graphics cards unfortunately tend not to. Normally our devices will handle this conversion automatically for you, but this is not yet working on the Hyperdecks."

....damn. So in summary, if you want this product for a video camera or professional setup, this is for you. But for any recordings of computers/game systems/or anything that only outputs RGB, this is not for you.

Oh well, next time. Had to sadly return. 3 stars for being a great device, but no more since I feel it was not for me and took up too much time to figure out. The limitation I encountered should have been mentioned.

Astrotel WD1-T/R 2.4GHz H.264 Digital Wireless Transmitter and Receiver

This is a product produces a good picture which is clear and stable most of the time but, there is one problem with the device's. I is not reliable for a security system because, It freezes the picture at times without you knowing it has happened. I look at my video at noon and it is still a frozen image of over night. I must reset the receiver in order to see a live picture from the wireless camera.

Save 38% Off

Defender Connected 8CH H.264 500GB Smart Security DVR with 4 x 600TVL IR Cut Filter 100ft Night Vis

excellent, is a 5 star product, meets all job requirements, though I ordered the 21024, and received 21012.

***for everything else excellent***

Save 27% Off

Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder, Black

• DVD and VHS Recorder with two way dubbing
• Records -R/-RW, +R/+RW Formats,Region:1
• Playback: MP3, VCD, JPEG, Kodak Pic,DV Input:1080P Upconversion
• An external tuner source is required to record television programming

I bought this DVD recorder to copy many old family home movies on videocassettes to DVDs. Our home movies date back to 1988. After some advice from customer service at Toshiba, I have been able to use the recorder to dub my old home movies successfully to DVDs.

Like several other users, I found that when I followed the instructions for dubbing to DVDs, the recorder showed a "Barred" icon, a slashed red circle. After several attempts with different brands of DVD disks, I called Toshiba. I got some very helpful advice from the first customer service agent at Toshiba, but I was still unable to resolve the problem. I called back and talked to another agent, who was able to help me resolve the recording issues. Both customer service agents at Toshiba were very knowledgeable and did an excellent job of explaining their advice. I was very satisfied with Toshiba customer service. I will summarize the advice below so that other people who have difficulties with the recorder can try these steps to resolve their problems.

1. Because old videotapes may not track well when they have been unused for several years, fast forward to the end of the tape and rewind the tape before attempting to copy it. The recorder may refuse to copy a tape if it does not track well.

2. Eject the videotape. Apparently Toshiba DVRs (both the 610 and 620) can balk if the videotape is inserted before the DVD.

3. Push the DVD button and insert the blank DVD.

4. Press Record Mode (not Record) button and set the speed (I use SP).

5. Press the Setup button and select Recording. Select Dubbing Mode. Select VCR > DVD.

6. Press the VCR button and insert the videotape. Press Play and then Pause (not Stop) at the point slightly before you wish to start copying.

7. Press the Dubbing button. Push Stop when you want to stop dubbing. You can then insert another videotape to dub onto the same DVD, until it is full.

8. You can add titles on the DVD disk with the Top Menu button by selecting the part you wish to title and clicking on Edit and Edit Title.

9. After adding titles, you should finalize the DVD by pressing the Setup button, selecting DVD Menu and then Finalize (this may take a few minutes). Then you should be able to play the disk on another machine. I have been able to play finalized disks on my Sony DVD player.

I hope this is helpful for others having some trouble with these machines. I am very happy to be able to make digital copies of my old home movies.

Buy Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder, Black Now

I have used this recorder over the last three months to copy all my home VHS tapes to DVD. Previous reviews of other Toshiba VHS/DVD recorders complained about problems with created DVD's playing in other devices. Also complaints of complicated manual instructions and complicated remote controls. I have found this new recorder to be easy to use. The manual is somewhat complicated but easy to follow once you try a few recordings. The remote control was easy to use. There is one HDMI output cable for both DVD and VHS replay. The quality of the replay in standard play speed is good for my recorded DVD's. The quality of store bought DVD's was excellant. The upconvert to 1080 is a good feature. The price was great. Bravo to Toshiba.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder, Black Here

I purchased this as a gift so I wasn't able to test out all of the features but I did get to test out the basic ones. First of all the recording quality is very good from the DVD recorder. In XP mode there is no difference in quality between the actual broadcast vs the recording. It looks identical.

The image quality of DVD playback is also good. I did not test this unit with a HDTV so I don't know what the upscaling is like but assume it is at least as good as competing models. The VCR could also record.

The unit's exterior design is elegant and simple and doesn't look cheap. It's not as tall as it looks in the pictures. The front bottom half is a door that flips down to reveal more buttons. The door has a shiny clear finish. This unit is very easy to operate out of the box, it doesn't require much tweaking to do basic functions. The remote is nice too with lots of functions.

The only thing that you should know before you buy this unit is the fact it DOES NOT have a built-in tuner so keep that in mind. You will need to connect a separate tuner, cable box, VCR etc. to record OTA broadcasts. Since it has no tuner, you cannot simply hook an antenna straight into this unit to record broadcasts.

Want Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder, Black Discount?

Unit doesn't come with HDMI cables, which is normal, so I used my own and plugged it into my Samsung HDTV. It plays my old VHS wonderfully! I can actually hear the sound on my old Disney movies ... a problem I was having with my old Panasonic VHS.

I then tested it on recording/dubbing my old home videos on VHS to DVD. I had problems because I got the red circle with the slash through it. So I called up Toshiba customer service and after a few button pushing of 1's, 2's, and 3's, I was connected to a representative who told me to skip step #7 on page 50.

Step 7 is the "press [dvd], then press [rec mode] ..." I basically skipped that step and went straight to the press dubbing button and everything works perfectly!

The catch with not being able to use step 7 is I have to sit and watch the entire VHS so I can hit the "stop" button again. But if I do fall asleep dubbing, the VCR to DVD duplication automatically stops if it senses no image for more than 3 minutes. So it's not that bad.

And one more tip the Toshiba rep gave me is that I must be in L1 mode. There is an L1, L2, and L3 mode (you can change by pushing the input button on the top left of the remote control). I haven't explored the rest. But she said I must stay in L1 mode to dub VHS to DVD. Which is the mode you first get when you plug in the unit ... so as long as you don't change it, everything is fine.

The reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I must have the remote control to eject the VHS. No remote, the VHS is forever in the unit. There's only 2 buttons on the entire unit ... 1) eject DVD button and 2) power button. If they had a 3rd button to eject the VHS, I would have given it 5 stars.

I will revise my review if I experience any more problems with the unit. But overall, I'm very happy with it.

Added January 2010 My unit still works find after all these months. Many thanks to V. Genova's post for telling me I can flip the bottom cover open and find the eject button to the VHS, plus other useful buttons. I'm still very happy with the unit even though I'm done converting everything to DVD in the house. Of course I couldn't convert the Disney VHS but I still kept them so my daughter can watch Disney VHS on the HDTV using the Toshiba player.

Added January 17, 2010 I hooked up TiVo TCD652160 HD Digital Video Recorder to my Toshiba player and now I'm recording my TV shows to DVD!!! I'm so excited! I used the A/V cables and set it up as TIVO OUT and Toshiba player IN. I was in L1 & DVD mode of my Toshiba player. I played an episode I saved on my TIVO and hit the record button on my Toshiba player. That's it! Now I can take my favorite TV episodes on DVD everywhere I go. The quality is decent, not HD. But it will keep my daughter very happy when we're on road trips. My TV is the Samsung LN46B650 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LCD HDTV with Red Touch of Color, also from Amazon.

Save 23% Off

It is important to note that this recorder does not have any tuners, limiting its usefulness.

Whether this is right for you, depends on how you are going to use it. If you just want to transfer VHS tapes on to DVD, then this would be OK.

You won't be able to record TV shows without some sort of external tuner. This could be a digital TV tuner for over the air broadcast or a cable box or a dish box.

But, in any case, you will not be able to record a high quality video picture. You will only be able to record in standard definition and not in widescreen.

For copyright protection (so people can't copy high defintion signals), no commercial DVD recorder comes with component or HDMI inputs. They only have composite inputs and in some cases, like with this player, S-video inputs. But, composit and S video are lower qualify.

I prefer a DVD recorder with digital ASTM and QAM tuners. With these, you can take direct digital signals from either over the air, or directly from a cable and record higher definition DVDs in widescreen.