Jazz DVX50 Video Recorder with Camera, LCD Color Screen, YouTube Ready, facebook, flickr, & myspace

It's very good, but it's got this strange buzzing/squeaking/screeching noise in video. Also, it doesn't seem to have flash for still pictures. Those are the only complaints that I really have.

SPECO 4 Camera Digital Video Recorder w/80GB Hard Drive

This was one of Speco's first DVRS with INTERNET PROTOCOL and has been updated since its introduction in 2004. It still is a remarkable unit for the price. As I Custom Install and sell Video Surveillance Security Systems and Equipment, I have installed many of Speco's DVR-X4/IP. They are easy to install and are client user friendly. SPECO's tehnical support is excellent (1-800-645-5516) and their website (www.specotech.com) is very easy to nevigate.

You can download their complete catalog and technical tips for this product. Speco technologie offers Quality, Reliabilty and Affordabilty. Regards, Eddie. WEBSITE: www.eddiescustominstall.com CONTACT: info@eddiescustomintall.com

Digitalway MPIO FL100 128 MB MP3 Player

• 128 MB built-in memory
• 3-line, backlit, full-graphic LED display shows track information in several languages including English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese
• Features built-in FM tuner and microphone for voice recording
• Includes manual, set-up CD-ROM, USB cable, earphones, AA battery, carrying Case, and hand strap
• Compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, and MacOS X

This player met all of my qualifications:

#1. It's very small. Inside the included belt clip it looks exactly like a pager. You could easily keep it in your pocket or wear it around your neck with the include strap. For me the IPOD wasn't even an option because I wanted my MP3 player to be pocket-sized.

#2 There's no hard drive. The FL100 uses flash memory so there's no chance of skipping during exercise, etc. I don't care what the Mac folks sayif it has a hard drive it CAN skip.

#3 The FL100 has lots of memory. In researching this product, it seems that 512MB is about as big as you can get in flash memory. Sure, the IPOD has more, but I normally don't have more than about 5 or 6 CDs in regular rotation. However, if you need more you can always expand memory using the SD/MMC memory card slot. I haven't shopped around very much for memory cards, but I know that the capacity goes up to at least 512 MB, meaning you could at the very least double your memory to over a Gig.

I use the included Real One software to rip CDS at a variable bit rate (128 average). With better headphones I might notice degradation in quality, but so far I have no complaints. Even classical sounds great! Real One seems to be drawing from a better internet database than others (like MediaPlayer). I have yet to find a CD on which it can't find title/track info. Files are extracted into folders: Artist > Album > Track # and Title. You then use the MPIO manager software to download these folders directly to the device.

The architecture of the FL100 is superb. Browse through titles while listening, display titles or MP3 tag IDs, set repeats, delete tracks directly from the device, display 1 of 2 different peak meters while track plays, and so on. The graphic EQ presets are not very good unfortunately. But you can manually set the EQ to your liking. The voice recorder is fun, but even better is the ability to record FM radio. I'm a talk radio fanatic so this is something I use frequently. You can choose high or low quality recording. With only about 40MB free, I recorded about 3 hours of talk on low quality.

I do wish this device had the ability to function like a thumb drive in explorer. Unfortunately all data must be uploaded/downloaded through MPIO manager. Perhaps this could be changed in a future firmware updateI don't know.

Lastly, I would recommend picking up some AAA rechargeable batteries. I use my player all day and burn through about 1 battery a day.

Buy Digitalway MPIO FL100 128 MB MP3 Player Now

I finally found an MP3 player that could replace my Sony S2 AM/FM radio. The MP3 comes in real handy whenever I'm in the part of the gym that has bad reception and the FM radio is great when i don't want a repeat of my MP3 tracks. After hearing each song 2-3 times with your routine workout, it kind of loses its luster.

Two features I haven't really used are the external memory slot and the voice recorder. Haven't had a chance to buy an external memory card.

The two problem that people complained about to which I concur are 1) the battery has a low life expectency and 2) the sound quality is so-so. First off, i read some comments about the volume not being loud enough or that the sound quality was below average. The reason, in my opinion, is the lack of bass. I've even switched to a pair of high quality Sony headphones that's suppose to increase the bass. In addition, I even adjusted the preset graphic equalizers. Didn't seem to make much of a difference. This leads to our second problem. Because I constantly need to turn up the volume, almost to the max, it drains the battery at a much quicker rate. For gym use, with the volume in the low 30 (range being 0-40), I get a battery life of about 4 hours. But while in the office, with the volume at 7 or 8, I can obtain a battery life of up to 9 or 10 hours. But with that kind of volume in the gym, you might as well listen to the barely audible sound coming out of the gym's overhead speakers.

Overall, this unit is great if you need an MP3 player and a FM radio with an external memory slot. I'm hoping to have a different memory card for each genre of music in the future. If you aren't extremely picky about sound quality, then I would highly recomment this unit. By the way, it looks great too and clips right on to my existing arm band that came with my Sony S2. One other recommendation I would also make is to go out and get some rechargable batteries if you do buy this unit.

Read Best Reviews of Digitalway MPIO FL100 128 MB MP3 Player Here

I just bought the mpio FL 100 256mb to replace my Rio S10. I was quite happy with the S10 although it only had 64mb memory, no radio and a few idiosyncracies such as not being able to delete songs directly from the player (instead of having to use music manager software).

I am very pleased with my purchase. The fl100 is just plain sexy with its mirrored face plate. the controls are small but seem to work well. the multi-function buttons enable the player to have a lot of control with a minimum of size. The battery life is probably in the 8-10 hour range for me. My Rio got nearly 25 hours with a single AA battery, the fl100 uses a AAA battery thus not as much juice available, but still respectable I think.

the fl100 is so light and compact in size you can carry it virtually anywhere. the included leather case with belt clip is quite nice but has one MAJOR flaw. there is a clear plastic side panel which completely covers the volume control and the menu button. the result is that the volume can change on you when the player is in the case...either full volume or no volume. this can be circumvented by carefully stretching the case a little bit after you've put the player in it and then using the lock switch once you've set your volume. It's too bad that digitalway didn't design the case better because that is really the only major flaw with the unit.

But wait, there's more...

The manual is so poorly written it is laughable. I can't even understand what it is saying much of the time. I normally don't even read manuals but this player is a bit complex to figure out without some assistance from a manual. Even now, I'm not sure what a couple features are supposed to do because I can't discern a difference whether they are enabled or not. for instance there is a system setting for "fade in/fade out". I would assume that if enabled this is supposed to gradually fade in and out of the song that is currently playing...but I do not notice a difference is this is enabled or not. Also the function of the 'study mode" is to actually enable you speed up or slow down the material that you are listening to, sort of like a tempo control. It's particularly useful for listening to the spoken word.

I like this player a lot. I wanted a player that had decent battery life, FM radio, good amount of built-in storage but also expandable memory. The fl100 has all this and more. I had considered the iriver players because of their small size and apparent durability, but the non-expandability of them turned me off. It does take a bit of time and effort to learn how to use all the features of the fl100. I had a really hard time figuring out how to create folders of music and navigate between them.

Another thing is that Mac users can use iTunes for music management but creating folders on the mp3 player is not intuitive.

I would rate the durability of this unit as very good in the case and average out of the case. It is very light, but if dropped could get dented pretty easily. The Rio S10 on the other hand has a padded protective clam shell case which is excellent for durability and the player itself is plastic which would help protect it in falls I think. Motto is, don't drop it.

Want Digitalway MPIO FL100 128 MB MP3 Player Discount?

At about half the size of a small deck of cards the MPIO FL100 is pretty small. Light too, even with the AAA battery it weighs almost nothing. The inteface is intuitive. The MPIO Manager software makes transferring files simple. Windows Media files are also supported.

The FM reciever is outstanding. In my office building this little device gets better reception than my Sony portable stereo. The FM tuner has a seek feature also.

The electronics inside the device are manufactured by Samsung, but what makes this thing so nice is that attention to detail and the software and firmware support provided by MPIO. Unlike many small electronics that tout the ability to firmware upgrade, MPIO actually follows through. Currently you can update both the Media Player software and device firmare for tweaks and new features.

The only weak points to this MP3 player are the earphones and the LCD dimming too fast. The headphones are OK, but seem a little cheap. Whenever you press a control the LCD backlight comes on and goes off too fast. There is a backlight setting in the firmware settings, but is only turns the backlight feature on or off.

Well, I'm pretty happy with it. The leather case has been feels pretty tough (and the volume control now has a spot for it, so there's no longer that issue that some people had a while ago). The software works okay. Their MPIO allows you to upload songs, create folders, delete songs, etc. You can also name radio stations for frequencies that you have already saved on your player. Finally, there's a feature to change the start-up and shut-down animations (haven't tried it yet though).

However, I'm somewhat disappointed that I can't store the same file in multiple folders. For example, I would possibly want to put a file in the folders "My favorites" and "Easy Listening". It would also be nice if it had smart folders like in Windows Media Player 9. But, I think the only portable players with such features are the heavy and bulky hard-drive based MP3 players.

Also, you can't rearrange songs from your player. You can do this with your computer, but I would like to be able to organize my songs from the player alone.

I previously considered buying a minidisc. So, I think for the same amount of money, minidisc can still offer more features (in terms of playback options and folder management). However, the fact that mp3 players use optical media is still the deciding issue for me (mp3 players are definitely smaller/lighter and are guaranteed to be skip-free).

Thus, I would recommend this product for someone looking for a small and light music player. It doesn't have all the advanced organizational features, but considering its size, oh well.

SpygearGadgets Motion-Activated Camera with Night Vision and 10-Day Battery Life

The camera works OK as a motion sensor camera, it's small enough to be hidden in day time, ah but the glowing Infra Red led lights beat the whole purpose of the hidden camera (not hidden anymore)

The manual it's in well explained English, simple and detailed with some graphics to help you understand better the functionality of the device,

also what the other guy said about the 5 seconds trigger video it's TRUE, the manual states 2-3 seconds (Lie) it's actually 5-6 seconds after the cam has been triggered to record something

plus the glowing led lights, let me put it this way.

You open the door,

Motion sensor detects you right away(in half second IR led lights turn on) that doesn't mean the cam is recording.

you have now 4 seconds to close the door and the camera would record just an empty room for the time you set the camera to record

The camera works

Video Quality is good

FPS are smooth

Audio/Mic is good and clear

Trigger time is 5-6 seconds

Customizable settings are just a few:

Time recording:30,60,180/s

Video Resolution:640*480, 320*240

Video Quality FPS:10,15,30FPS

Time/date stamp on video

Indicator Green light On/Off while recording

Description of the camera on video I guess (in case you have several around the house to see to which camera corresponds selected video)

What it misses in the settings or should've been added too:

On/Off IR led lights

Select # of IR led lights to be activated on triggered cam: 0,1,2,4,6 or the whole 8,

(seriously, the 8 IR led lights give great illumination to the night vision camera(more than enough I would say), but they show to the intruder the camera location and what it is at first sight)

and that beats the whole purpose of the SPY/HIDDEN camera,

so,

NO, this is not a night vision "SPY" "HIDDEN" cam,

maybe a daytime spy cam or just a motion sensor night vision camera,

Battery Life is stated to last about 10 days,

Haven't get thru that yet, I'll review that Later

It took some time to find exactly what I needed and fortunately this little gadget fit the bill precisely.

It works exactly as described. It's early days yet but it seems to be robust and well made to last a long time.

The short videos it creates are time stamped which is what I was looking for and can view something in absolute darkness.

The videos are a bit over exposed as they need to be to catch the tiniest of light sources. I don't intend to do anything

except keep track of animal movements at night so the videos are just fine for me.

The instructions are clear. But, they tend to assume that the reader is completely aware of what they are referring to.

In order to set the time and date stamp (which works very well) you need to create a small .txt file and transfer it into

the folder of the camera.

For those confused by this on a Windows machine (sorry can't speak to what is needed on Macs, . .) in the 'Accessories'

folder in the programs of the Start Menu, you should find 'Notepad'. This is what you would use to create the .txt file with the

current date & time. (The text you type in and save is completely spelled out in the instructions, . . .)

Once created and saved you drag and drop it into the camera folder after you have connected the camera to ]

your pc. That's all there is to it.

One note this may be tripping up some trying to set the time and date The time that needs to be set is based on a

24 hour clock (which most of the world uses, . .) as opposed to a 12 hour clock that we use in the States. So 5PM is

written as 17:00. This may be one of the reasons setting the time hasn't worked for others.

Buy SpygearGadgets Motion-Activated Camera with Night Vision and 10-Day Battery Life Now

I bought this camera to put into my car and everything works fine except the motion activation takes too long to activate. If you walk at a normal pace past my car then the activation is too slow to catch the motion. If you linger for more than 5 seconds, only then will it will catch the motion. I have an internal motion activation system in my house that senses motion instantly even in the dark. I guess I am used to INSTANT motion detection and this camera has 5 SECOND DELAYED motion detection. I was able to set the date very easily, the battery does last for over 50hrs continuous before recharging as promised and it does film in complete darkness.

Read Best Reviews of SpygearGadgets Motion-Activated Camera with Night Vision and 10-Day Battery Life Here

After seeing evidence of a rat, and no luck catching it, I decided to try using this camera to capture it on video, if not in a nice, baited trap.

Upon arrival of the camera, I was initially disappointed to not see any option for adjusting the sensitivity of the IR detector, as I had seen on other cameras advertised (I was worried that the factory adjustments wouldn't be sensitive enough to detect something as small as a rat). Oh well, I thought, I'll give it a try and if it doesn't work I can always throw it into the vast pile of other useless electronic junk that I seem to be addicted to buying off of the internet.

Using the factory settings for video capture time (30sec), I mounted the camera on a tripod, in our kitchen, and aimed it in the vicinity of where we've been seeing evidence (droppings, puffballs of fiberglass insulation, etc). I turned the unit on at 11pm and went to bed not expecting much.

After waking up the next day, I went about my business, not being overly excited about the camera; still convinced that it couldn't possibly be sensitive enough to detect a rat. I finally got around to retrieving the camera and attaching it to my PC with the included video cable (BTW, my unit did not come with a memory card, and had to purchase a 4GB one from Best Buy for $13 + tax. Be sure to buy one from Amazon as the price can't be beat).

Anyway, after attaching it to my PC, I opened up the camera's folder, and there were 15 videos, ranging in time from 30 sec to 90sec. Could the camera have actually caught one of the little son-of-a-guns?, I wondered? With anticipation, I opened up the very first video file and was pleasantly startled to see what I saw. There it was in all it's tiny glory, skittering around my kitchen floor, thumbing it's wiggly little nose up at me!

Based on my new-found knowledge of his whereabouts, I'm in the process of putting together a party for my little friend a party from which he'll hopefully never return!

Want SpygearGadgets Motion-Activated Camera with Night Vision and 10-Day Battery Life Discount?

I've been using this for a few weeks to watch for people snooping around my work cubicle after hours. So far I'm fairly impressed the device works as advertised.

Pros:

Excellent battery life, I have left it unattended for several days at a time.

There is a tripod mount on the back of unit, but I haven't tried it yet.

Very small package does not look overly conspicuous.

Included rubber stand allows for easy positioning

Incredibly easy to use once configured just turn the switch "on" when you want it active.

The night vision, while I have only tested it once, is surprisingly pretty good.

Cons (mostly already covered)

The instructions are not very clear.

The field of view is not very wide I'm only able to capture about 1/2 of the area in my cubicle.

When in pitch dark, the IR LED's light up for the night vision to work. The IR's are not invisible they emit some low red light, which to me was clearly visible in a mostly dark room this makes it somewhat conspicuous in the dark.

There is a definite delay in time to start recording. This is the price for long battery life the device is in "standby" until it detects motion, so there's a delay for things to get rolling. Typically a person is fully in frame by the time recording starts. I don't think it's a big deal personally, but expect the first 2-4 seconds of an "event" to be missed.

Connecting it to my PC is rather flaky using the built-in USB port. I usually remove the microSD card and use a separate microSD reader to access the stored videos.

And here is a rough setup guide that may help those who struggle with the included directions:

1) Acquire a microSD card that is at least rated as "Class 6" I bought a 16 gig one from a different online site. It is NOT included.

2) You must be able to access this microSD card as a drive on a Windows PC either by following the included directions for activating the "removable storage" on the camera, or the much easier method use a microSD USB reader. Many microSD cards come with a reader.

3) The camera comes with a small CD containing a setup executable (.exe) file. You must copy this setup file to the microSD card. Do NOT launch the setup program from the CD copy it to the microSD card, and then put the CD away you won't need it anymore.

4) From the microSD card, launch the setup program that you just copied. Here you will set resolution, frame rate, and date/time. Click the "save" button.

5) The program will instruct you to reboot the camera. If you are using an external card reader, take the card out and put it into the camera remove the battery cover and gently pull the battery aside to expose the microSD slot. If you are not, then disconnect the camera from the USB cable and thrn it "Off".

6) Wait a few seconds, then, turn the camera switch to "On". Set it somewhere, dance around in front of it, whatever, to test it. I would recommend running it for several minutes, some of that time spent moving in front of it, and some of that time spent out of the field of view, to give it a thorough test. The camera generally will NOT save the video it is CURRENTLY recording, so if you just turn it on, move around, and turn it off, the camera will not save any videos. You must allow it to reset to standby at least once for it to write the video to the card.

7) Turn the camera off and move the microSD card to your reader (or, follow the directions to put the camera in mass storage mode). Open the "VIDEOS" folder on your SD card. There should be folders sorted by date, and then videos within for each motion detection, the file name being the timestamp. Make sure you can play them.

JVC RX-6000VBK Dolby Digital/DTS Audio/Video Receiver

• Dolby Digital and DTS decoding
• 100 watts per channel x 5
• S-video switching
• 6 DSP (digital signal processing) modes
• AM/FM radio with 45 presets

This JVC A/V receiver delivers most of what it advertises and, for most home theater users, that is more than enough. The case is a bit bulky, but very sturdy. Front controls are easy to follow, and the remote is very user friendly.

The receiver is generous in the number of inputs allotted, so that a user can connect VCR/DVD/CD/Television/Tape smoothly, quickly and with little or no confusion. The 6000VBK also gives the user a choice of digital or analog input. All of the connections are both logically and conveniently placed, making set-up a relatively painfree process.

Up to six speakers can be connected, four front and two rear, plus a sub-woofer. At 100 watts per channel, that's enough power to knock the walls down with anything approaching a decent speaker. I run my system with 15-inch woofers, and the base response is so powerful that a sub-woofer in unnecessary.

There are two minor weaknesses in the 6000, and they are just that, minor. First, the instructions stress that trying to connect a graphic equalizer in-line with any other component will cause distortion in the sound, particular on the low end or at high volume. The receiver features bass-boost and adjustable bass and treble levels, in effect providing an internal low-end equalizer, so this becomes a non-issue. Second, although the JVC 6000VBK claims to automatically switch the required video feed signals on the attached television/monitor, I have been unable to make that feature function properly. However, since this is easily accomplished at the television itself, it has no adverse effect on the performance of the receiver or any attached components.

Overall, this receiver is an exceptional value, delivering top-end performance at a budget price. Highly recommended.

Buy JVC RX-6000VBK Dolby Digital/DTS Audio/Video Receiver Now

This receiver is an amazing deal for the price... I purchased it for my new apartment in MD. My family owns a high-end receiver, and the JVC is much better in my opinion... it is really easy to use and interface, and serves an entire home audio/video theatre... The sound it produces with the digital connections is unbelievable, and if you can hook up multiple speakers to enjoy the amazing surround sound, it is well worth it... I have 2 floorstanding 350 WATT KLHs as well as 2 100 WATT Aiwas and a KLH sub... the power this system can produce with its 5 100 watt channels is amazing, and i never knew that my aiwa speakers(which I use as rear surround speakers) could ever sound this good. BUY THIS PRODUCT

Read Best Reviews of JVC RX-6000VBK Dolby Digital/DTS Audio/Video Receiver Here

The center channel sound from this machine is plainly bad. And just try to get support!

It's off the market by now, but don't bother spending the money.

Want JVC RX-6000VBK Dolby Digital/DTS Audio/Video Receiver Discount?

This is almost an ideal receiver. I have 2 problems with it. First, there are not enough video inputs. I had to plug my PS2 in through my VCR since the only video in are VCR and DVD. That knocks off one star. The other star goes because my display window slowly stopped working. At first I could tap it and the display would work again, but finally it just quit, and this happened in less than a year. I'm sure it's a fluke everyone gets a bad egg once in a while.

This receiver is old tech, heavy, and gets hot quickly. I bought it as a replacement receiver for a similar year and model JVC which I accidentally blew out during a move--wrong voltage was selected when I plugged it in. The replacement is now serving admirably ....

Sony CFD-S05 CD Radio Cassette Recorder with Batteries and Auxiliary Cord (6 feet)

• Combining old & new technology, this is the portable sound sytsem with all options. Whether you're playing CD-R/RW discs, listening to cassettes, enjoying your favorite stations on the digital AM/FM stereo tuner, dubbing music on blank cassettes, or connect an iPod or MP3, this compact sound system does it all. Even better, it features large, easy-to-use buttons and deep bass thanks to Sony's Best Reflex Sound System with Mega Bass.
• Audio in Jack with the included 6 Foot Auxiliary Cable lets you connect any iPod or MP3 Player to hear through this system, or connect this system VIA Output Headphone Jack to an additional home theater sound system and hear your cassettes through the Home Theater speakers
• Compact & Lightweight Body with Large Comfortable Carry Handle for Easy Portability; Weighs Less Than 6 lbs and works on Batteries (Included) Measures only 14.26"W x 5.26"H x 9.1"D Inches
• CD Play Modes: Program, Shuffle, Repeat and 20 Track RMS Programming
• Digital AM/FM Stereo Tuner / Best Reflex Sound System with Mega Bass / CD-R/RW Playback Compatibility / Synchronized CD/Cassette Dubbing / Stereo Record/Playback Cassette Deck / Large Easy to use Control Buttons and LCD Digital Display / 30 Programmable Preset Stations / Auto Scan Radio

I have had the Sony CFD-S05 for several weeks and it does exactly what I need it to. I have it sitting on my desk so that I can listen to a CD, tape or the radio while I am working or moving around. I have used all three media and I love it. The sound is good, and all of the controls are on the front and are at my fingertips. I particularly like being able to set my CDs to repeat so that I don't need to be bothered pressing the "start" button unnecessarily. Since I am in a small space I don't play the unit loudly so am not concerned with the volume that it will crank out. The specifications sheet states that the CD player produces sound in the 20HZ to 20,000KHz range, but I am sure that the small speakers don't produce that range. However, you might get it from good headphones. Still, it is pleasant and more than acceptable. I have played classical music (Sinfonias by Waldo de los Rios remains a real treat), Gerry Rafferty, Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins and Eva Cassidy, and I just listened to two hours of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion on tape. I initially tried to play a decades-old cassette tape on it and found it difficult to close the tape player lid. However, I had no such problem with new tapes. A couple of things that could be improved include having the headphone input on the front of the unit, and having a larger indicator for the CD play mode (such as repeat, shuffle or random play) -I need to use a magnifying glass to read the setting. However, I find this to be a good unit and heartily recommend it.

Buy Sony CFD-S05 CD Radio Cassette Recorder with Batteries and Auxiliary Cord (6 feet) Now

I bought this as a gift for my husband. We were searching for a radio such as this with a digital display as we hated the analog distortion. There are very few radios that offer a digital display as we searched for quite a long time before finding this one. The sound quality is superb and he likes the versatility of having the CD player. We also were surprised that radios still come equipped with cassette players, but this one does. This a great versatile radio and with this one, those old cassettes can again be enjoyed!

Read Best Reviews of Sony CFD-S05 CD Radio Cassette Recorder with Batteries and Auxiliary Cord (6 feet) Here

The item was purchased as a gift. The person who received it was immensely pleased with it as it has a cassette player in it. It was able to replace 3 players and have them in one player

Want Sony CFD-S05 CD Radio Cassette Recorder with Batteries and Auxiliary Cord (6 feet) Discount?

It looked nice kind of a retro feeling all around.

The sound was even better than expected. It is being used in a family members workout room, so they wanted all these features.

I would definitely recommend it.

I had a 30+ year old Sony "Boom Box" model CFS-209 that finally crapped out after schlepping it hundreds of times to the beach in Florida over the years. Now THAT was a great quality Sony...Substantial case, REAL bass, every button labeled, wonderful sound AND quality. And not much bigger than the new one.

Now I needed a replacement to listen to cassettes of my now deceased Mother playing the organ, and reciting scriptures. As well, I was a professional "pop" organist and made a lot of different tapes since the 70's. I bought this because it is a Sony. Unfortunately, it does NOT come up to the quality or sound of the old one. The plastic case is light and flimsy, cassette buttons not labeled, the handle is hollow plastic, the volume is button controlled, so when you push them, you push the unit away from you...and I couldn't hear much of a change with bass reflex on. The sound is "tinny", but everything works. I think the price is a bit too much for this kind of quality. The batteries did NOT come with it. After several attempts at tuning the FM, I've decided to return it. When tunred off, it does NOT remember last station, but returns to 87.5, and you have to go through the laborious task of searching and stopping at EVERY strong signal to get to the one you want. You can set presets, but there are not enough. Too bad. I'm going to purchase an Emerson at 2/3 the cost, that at least has labels and a tuning wheel.

Tascam DR-07 MKII Portable Digital Recorder System

• Specially Priced Package includes Tascam DR-07 MKII as packaged by Tascam, PLUS:
• (1) Soft Case, (1) Tascam VT1 Closed Back Stereo Headphones
• (1) Mini Tripod, (1) 6' Stereo Cable
• (1) 6' RCA Pair Cable Left & Right
• Sonic Sense One-Year Extended Warranty Adds One Year to Manufacturer's Warranty.

Don't get me wrong, the Tascam DR-07 mkII is an awesome little recorder for the price. This package, however, is probably not worth your time. For an extra $30, (the Tascam DR-07 mkII usually goes for about $149.99) you are getting a worthless little tripod that I wouldn't trust to hold even the cheapest or lightest point and shoot camera. The bag is mehhh at best. My biggest complaint is the product title says "Tascam Headphones". This seemed odd to me as I wasn't aware that Tascam made headphones, but I went with it without researching. Don't be fooled like I was. The headphones are not Tascam, but Samson (model HP-10). They are almost decent, but are very rigid, plastic-y, and rather uncomfortable to wear. They fall of my head easily and never really feel secure. I'd save the $30 bucks, buy only the recorder and if you need them, get a nice pair of Sennheiser headphones instead. You'll end up paying about the same, and won't have a bunch of gear you'll never want to use.

Buy Tascam DR-07 MKII Portable Digital Recorder System Now

I received the Tascam DR-07mkii very quickly and started to use it right away. I have a home recording studio set up in my bedroom and record alot of original music. I have many musician friends always asking to here some of my music and I don't burn to CD much or not at all. So, this recorder came in real handy for that purpose. I just record line in from my computer and presto, I have my recordings in hand that sound amazing. I don't see a problem with the line in input at all. The recordings are nice and clear and can be used in the place of demo CDs.

Of course if there is any interest in any of the tunes they can be burned later.

It is also nice to have the case to carry the recorder with you and although the supplied Tascam headphones are not up to snuff for my liking, I have lots of headphones to use in their place and will just add these to the others.

Also, I have been able to capture some musical ideas in the early morning hours when an idea hits me. I just get up and grab a guitar and start to record. As a musician I'm sure most of us know those moments can get away from you and fade very quickly.

The battery life does not last very long and I have to invest in a power cord although you can power it through USB which I have yet to do. I am very pleased with this purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Tascam DR-07 MKII Portable Digital Recorder System Here

As a professor looking to do audio and video work with students and to conduct interviews in remote locations abroad, this is an ideal solution. Intuitive controls, easy integration with a Mac laptop (i.e. without any setup, it mounts as a drive when you plug in the USB cable to the laptop), and the sound quality was more than I expected. For the audiophile, I think this would be a great mobile solution and for the uninitiated to sound recording, a better solution than built-in mics within mobile devices. As a sidenote, I'd encourage anyone who wants the options of focused sound and broad, ambient sound to go with this choice versus the fixed, dual mic option from Tascam (the dr05 if I'm not mistaken). I thought I was going overboard getting the adjustable mics, but it really does make a difference in the end product. The bundle too is a bonus the bag is bulky and unnecessary for me, but the cables and tripod alone make up the price difference.

Want Tascam DR-07 MKII Portable Digital Recorder System Discount?

I'm a member of a barbershop quartet and I needed a decent recording device to bring to rehearsals that I could also use to playback during rehearsal time. So I needed a carrying bag that could handle a few things. The bag itself is very good. I wish it had a bit more padding, but it has oodles of pockets even a tiny Velcro pocket for the tiny memory card the device uses. The headphones seem good, and there is a 2.0 USB included which connects the device nicely to my Mac. However, the tripod is not so impressive (I suggest the Gorilla flexible mini-tripodJoby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod (Grey and Black)). Overall, I really like the bag because it holds many things, recorder directions, my Wowee speaker WOWee One Power Bass Portable Speaker for iPad, iPhone, MP3 Players, Laptops, Mobile Phones, and Personal Game Systems (Black) (I also suggest one of these if you like to playback during rehearsals), the tripod, various wires, etc. The whole shabang really isn't much more than buying the device alone, so I think it's worth the extra $$$ even if a few of the "accessories" will end up in the trash.

I am a gadget lover and a music maker. When I was shopping for a recorder there was really no doubt in my mind. I bought this kit for the extras. I love the unit! The headphones are nice sounding but quiet. I've used them on my pc and laptop and get the same quality. Other wise everything is great. I have recorded two songs with this unit. Listen here www.reverbnation.com/dakotamusic listen to the tracks "KCI to Knoxville", and "sunsets and supernovas"

Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black)

Questions I often get~ Where have you been? You don't have one of these yet?

I know show me some footage you say! You must check the site for some great videos people have made from just quick clips some with no editing at all to full on short movies. I recommend that because there is not enough room to describe how cool this wireless and very light camera is to use but I'll try! I'm a customer not an employee... and "i am pc!"

Camera is so light and versatile I've used a basic piece of Velcro strapped to my cap visor during golf, stuck it to my bike frame, velcro'd to my motorcycle kickstand, strapped it to ski pole to check a wasp nest, and of course it serves great as a plain ol' helmet cam too.

Someone even stuck it to an RC Plane. Even on their dog for a dog cam view. yup! Set yourself free!! no wires means you will not have to worry about much except wiping out while catching your buddies on film.

With the flick of the glovable slider on/off switch and audible sounds and aiming lasers you are able to basically use it with your eyes closed or even place it where you can't see it during filming. Its got a supermic as well it will pickup a pin dropping ;o) All which can be adjusted when you edit/censor your movies even add music.

The build quality is very durable and can take impact. Trust me ;o)and the adhesive with supplied mount is semi permanent you may have to use a crowbar to take it off but you do not have to worry even at well ~ unsafe speeds. Basically you can be creative on where you place this camera knowing it will film for over an hour+ of footage at a time. Battery life will last about 3gb or more of video on a good charge.

Package comes with microSD card but Sandisk premier 2gb card is best to use with this unit. This battery should be charged by separate charger which seems to super charge the battery, usb charge by a pc is not going to help you get out there filming quick enough. Specially, when you need 2 batteries for a full day of mtn.biking, or Snowboarding so you still have juiceafter you warm up and stop wiping out. The packaged items that come with camera is a good starter kit with a mount, cam, sd card, battery you have software(which VholdR updates with cool new features every so often) which assists you in producing your video to the VholdR.com site for sharing. Yes, they have a producer hub for you to share your videos.

Oh yah, the desktop software also supports _mac now. of course "I AM PC!"

My VholdR carry along always ready ALLDAY bag contains: 2 batteries and 3 2gb sd cards since camera software does not yet support larger sd cards. Which really is not a problem because 2gb cards are cheap. Cabela's #2 scope cover for lens, extra stick on mount(never know where you might be)

Quality of video for this unit is not HD but captures quality STABLE videos when moving fast. At slow captures like walking or filming a party its just like any other camera. Some lighting issues may occur depending on where you are filming at high speed, i.e. Night time, shadow/bright light changes.

640x480 is still a fine size which uses less space on SDcard, it sure would be nice to be able to toggle resolution WHEN larger SDHC card support is there.

My VholdR has been thru rain, mud, dirt and has so far over 4months has been such an enjoyable experience i can easily recommend to others.

VholdR receives additional "way cool marks" for providing Desktop Software to help with managing movie uploads. Software updates and firmware updates prove they are not just a camera maker. Oh did i mention a cool site to share your movies for free?

Overall experience is that this is not just a camera so two swollen thumbs and two purple toes up for this gem of a camera from me!

Ok enough typing... check for yourself get out there and shoot its almost snow season get your angles dialed. Where you been?

my best examples would be ~ thatsMOCKFOO on VholdR website btw, i have no idea who that nut is!

~ go get some videos people!VholdR Wearable Camcorder (Black)

My only negatives are,

* 2gb max microsd support(not a big deal) after cutting up videos i find smaller clips are easier to manage anyways.

* When the battery dies if you are still in ON mode your video is not closed so the last video clip could be corrupt. So I changed my habit until that is figured out.

* Making shorter clips is easier to manage I've found. Just accept turning it off then on about an hour into video or gauge your battery life like a gas tank. You can check how much battery and sd card is left by pressing the button btw.

* Lighting changes from super dark shadows transition to super bright sections of trail may take a short while for focus depending on where camera is mounted. Not many cameras can handle this anyways.

These are minor negatives but prevent a 5 from me.

Still a super camera for a such a light wireless and reasonably priced for good action video camera that i won't mind thrashing a bit filming in the elements. This is a rugged camera which you can capture action in ways you may not with your bulky thousand dollar HD camera. Like strapping it to your snowboard or your motorcycle kickstand, or how about your mountain bike pedal? Escape from the paradigm of the helmet cam.

well, this camera is amazing.

my first action camera was the atc2k, which i still own.

i loved it since it was small, durable and i could make videos from the coolest angles.

this camera is pretty much the same, with a few improvements and a few drawbacks compares to the atc2k. it all depends on what you want to do with it.

1. size and weight great. small, light. perfect for what it needs to do.

2. controls i like the big record button. quick. comfortable. perfect for those "i gotta get this shot" moments.

3. lasers and rotating lens AMAZING! i love this! one of the most annoying things in the atc2k is the fact that you cant rotate the lens, and need to edit the video and flip it after you are done. the lasers help you align the camera. cooool!

4. mount much easier than the atc2k, but the drawback is you cant put it on your handlebar or your arm. only a helmet or a flat surface.

5. comes with a memory card. sweet!

a few other missing things that would make this product a 5 star:

1. waterproof. resistance means nothing.

2. option to change video quality and such

3. a screen to replace the confusing LEDs that tell you the battery status and memory card status.

so if you want to take videos of crazy rides on your bike this is the one for you! perfect!

anything more "all around" get the atc2k but remember that all around things always have drawbacks.

Buy Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black) Now

The Quick Take: It's pricey compared to the competition, in some cases twice as expensive. Video quality is OK, not outstanding and not HD. It is not waterproof but can get splashed on with no ill effects. Memory has a 2GB limitation (other cameras have 32GB capability!). Battery life is not exceptional and uses a proprietary lithium ion battery. vHoldr software is not that useful and is buggy on the Mac platform. My 13 year old nephew though it was awesome, I thought it was OK but way too expensive for what it offers.

The vHoldr is one of a number of video cameras in the "sports cam" or "helmet cam" genre. It is intended to be used in action situations, such as extreme sports, where capturing video using a conventional video camera or video capability of a point and shoot camera would be difficult if not impossible.

The vHolder box contains the camera, a 2GB microSD card, a 15-inch USB cable (which may be OK for laptop use but is far too short to be useful with a Tower computer that's on the floor), Lithium Ion battery, helmet mount with leash and manual. The vHoldr software for PC is included on the microSD card and is also available from the vholdr website. A Mac version is finally available.

Some people strap the camera to their dog to get a first person point of view. Other people use them to capture video of various activities such as skydiving, motocross, bicycling, snowboarding, etc. The usage of a camera like this is limited only by your imagination.

The vHoldr is a fairly compact design, measuring about 3 3/4 inches long and about, 1 1/4 inch wide and about 2 1/8 inch tall. The casing is made of aluminum with plastic side rails which are used for mounting the camera onto a variety of pricey optional mounts, such as a handlebar mount, or the included helmet mount. The camera has a fixed focus lens and a 90-degree field of view (which is great.)

There is a simple control system consisting of a large sliding recording on/off switch on the top and a small push button on the rear of the unit to power it on and off. The sliding switch could be made easier to use if it had a ribbed area to create a more grippy surface. Its quite likely you might have gloves on your hands and the ribbing would provide a better tactile experience when turning recording on/off.

The rear (back) of the vHoldr slides up and then down and out to reveal the microSD slot, Lithium Ion battery compartment with plastic locking arm and USB port. The battery locking arm if of questionable durability and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it snaps off one of these days.

There are three LED's that provide various indications: power on, charging state (only visible when rear door is open) and memory usage. The LED's change color between red, yellow and green. For many color blind individuals, discerning the color change of the LED's will be impossible thereby limiting their usefulness.

There is also an LED at the front of the vHoldr that, when lit, indicates that power is on. The vHoldr also incorporates two laser indicator lights to help you orient the camera by adjusting the lens orientation and mount positioning during the power on sequence.

Video is captured at a resolution of 640x480 and the quality is acceptable in moderate to bright light outdoor situations. In low light the quality diminishes greatly. There is no image stabilization so depending on the method of mounting the camera, you may not be happy with the constant jerky movement of the video. However since the field of view is so large, essentially a wide angle lens, the jerky effect is less than it would be otherwise.

The microphone is extremely prone to picking up wind noise making it mostly useless for situations where wind will be an issue. Covering the microphone hole (located on the bottom of the vHoldr) with tape is an option but doesn't help much.

The software provided is abysmal. It provides no way to export the video except to "share" it on the vHoldr website and only once it is shared, are you able to email a video somewhere. If you don't really want to share a video, you're out of luck. Of course, you can pull the video file right off the memory card but on a Mac, you can't view the video in Quicktime since the codec used by vHoldr is not compatible with QuickTime at the time of this review. On a Mac, you can use the Open Source software VLC to view the videos produced by the vHoldr. On my MacBook with 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, I had constant problems with the vHoldr Desktop software crashing, freezing up and generally misbehaving.

The bottom line is that this camera captures video of average quality. It's not HD. It performs pretty well in lower light situations. There is no way to format your memory card in the camera. In fact, you can't really format the card unless you purchase a microSD adapter and a separate card reader that hooks up to your USB on your computer. In addition, for people with large hands, getting at the microSD slot to insert or remove the card is quite a challenge in dexterity. You can't download video to your computer if the vHoldr battery is depleted even though the USB cable provides power to the camera. The Camera must be "ON" and connected to your computer to enable downloading. It's ridiculous because if you've just spent several hours capturing video, you're probably going to have a dead battery and you then have to curb your enthusiasm for watching the video until your camera can charge the battery enough for you to transfer it to your computer. And vHoldr does not even provide a wall plug USB power adapter so you have to let your computer USB charge your camera.

I feel this camera is overpriced and does not present a good value particularly when you factor in the exorbitantly priced mounts and adhesive pads. There are similar products, notably the ATC5k Oregon Scientific ATC 5K Waterproof Action Cam Flash Memory Video Recorder with 1.5-Inch Color LCD Screen, Still Image and Web Cam Capabilities (Blue), the ATC3K Oregon Scientific ATC 3K Waterproof Action Cam Flash Memory Video Recorder with Web Cam Capabilities (Black), both by Oregon Scientific and the Tachyon XC (which takes up to 32GB memory cards and comes with a remote control) by Tachyon Inc., that cost half as much as the vHoldr while providing similar video quality. By the way, forget about getting spontaneous videos quickly because the vHoldr takes a full 23 seconds to boot up before it is ready to capture any video.

Pros:

Aluminum casing is durable but scratches

Captured video is adequate.

Decent low light performance

Very wide angle of view

Cons:

Expensive

Extremely short USB cable

No image stabilization

Difficult to access microSD card

Not waterproof

Expensive accessories such as additional mounts

Memory capacity is limited to a 2GB card.

No built in way to erase or reformat memory card

Microphone is subject to extreme wind noise during movement.

Takes 23 seconds to power on and boot

Power adapter is not included

Other cameras to consider

ATC5K by Oregon Scientific

Tachyon XC by Tachyon Incorporated

UPDATE 1/2/2009

I felt compelled to update my review because my satisfaction with this camcorder has diminished from what I wrote. Two main issues are the ability to easily or conveniently mount the camera to anything and the other issue is the difficulty formatting the memory card. Formatting the memory card cannot be done in the camcorder. It must be removed and mounted via a USB memroy card reader to your computer. Yeah...if you don't have one you'll have to buy one. Big hassle. And concerning the mounting of the camcorder; because of it's odd shape with the "rail" system, it is extremely difficult to fashion any sort of homemade mounting solution. About the only thing I've been able to come up with so far is to attach a piece of velcro to the cylinder of the camcorder and attach it to the matching velcro on whatever you want to attach it to, It's not totally secure and can wiggle a bit but at least it gives you a bit of flexibility other than buying their expensive, single use mounting discs. I would honestly have to rate this only 2 stars at this point.

UPDATE 7/10/2009

OK, vHoldr has now introduced a new model thus this model has been reduced in price to $129. I still would not buy it since it has so many issues which I've already documented. But many people will find it attractive at the new price point. It does provide a pretty good value now at $129.

Read Best Reviews of Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black) Here

I have strapped VholdR on my dog, using tape, in order to demonstrate the camcorder in action. The video is shaky, especially when Savannah runs, but I think the results are brilliant. Obviously the results would be better if taken by a person on a bike, skateboard, ski etc. to eliminate shaking while walking. I think VholdR is a fun gadget and I will be inventing new ways to use it. However it is not a replacement for a regular camcorder.

Software would not install properly on my Vista, but it is not necessary, as files can be uploaded directly via USB. To those who are frustrated with charging via PC, you can get an USB charger adapter for faster charging.

Want Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black) Discount?

One word comes to mind ... WOW!

This is a very well thought out unit. There are some CONs which I will get into later in this review, however I wish to focus more on the PROs. This little gem is small, light and very easy to use. The laser aiming gave me a perfectly pointed and level video, right out of the box. I purchased this to record what I was doing while in a Kart in the hopes of helping my driving capabilities. Only after one use, I am now seeing and hearing (for the first time) mistakes or lack there of, through every turn and down every straight-away. I also used it as a hand held video recorder to capture some of the action of another heat from the sidelines; a bit cumbersome but still very useable.

I must say I have no experience with other types of helmet cams, but unless you want wires to route, remote recorder and batteries to hide or a bulky looking box sticking out of the top of your head, I think this might be the perfect solution to capture the action. I do wish it had the capability of a remote microphone so as to be able to make comments during the video recording. You can yell with a full face helmet and not hear it on the video.

When I was first "getting to know" the cam, I found references to wind noise problems (in my case it does not cause problems) but the cure is to place a piece of tape over the microphone. This would not usually be a problem, but where is the microphone?!? I could not find anything that even remotely looks like a mic and could not find anything in the user guide or online to point out where it might be hiding (just in case).

If you decide to download the video via the USB port, be prepaired to go and get a cup of coffee or beer ... it takes almost as long to down load through the camera USB as it did to take the video. Use a reader to transfer the videos, much faster (only a few seconds for 20 minutes of video).

The vHoldr Desktop is a nice piece of software for viewing and very limited editing but if you want to do anything even remotely creative or burn to DVD you will need to get some extra software that converts .AVI correctly. Windows Media player does not (in my case) even show the video correctly.

In any event, if you decide to get one, you will probably need a few extras ... BUT ... Enjoy it! It is fun!!

*********

PROs: very light and unobtrusive, close to 2 hours of video on 2 GB storage. Battery 2.5 hours, but memory and battery both replacable at the track, or the slope, in just a few seconds.

CONs: resolution could be higher, memory not capable of more than 2 GB, not remote microphone capable, online problem support limited to news groups and some Q&A's, supplied video editing software great to watch but could use improvement. AVI format causes problems sharing video with friends.

D-Link MediaLounge High-Definition Media Player (DSM-510)

First off, I'd like to say that I firmly believe that digital media players similar to this one are the future of digital home entertainment. A simple and inexpensive device like that allows you to stream digital media to your home theater from your laptop, desktop or a dedicated media server located anywhere in your house. This is a great idea. This technology is here to stay. It's just a question of maturity. And, sorry to say, D-Link DSM-510 is not quite there yet.

I truly liked its design simplicity. There are no frills, but all essentials are there WiFi, Ethernet, HDMI, optical audio and USB port. Exactly what I needed, no more and no less, in a small and neatly done package with clean and straightforward user interface.

However, the device is palgued by fimware bugs that eventually made me take it back to the store where I bought it.

First, the most obvious and the most stupid one is the absence of the on/off indicator. The blue light on the front panel goes on once the power adapter is connected and remanis lit whether the device is turned on or off. So you have to turn your TV on to tell whether it's on or off.

Second, there's no on/off or reset button on the front panel. Well... there's no buttons whatsoever, period. And boy, will you miss that reset button now and then. The only way to turn it on or off is by using remote control.

The most annoying thing is, the device's video output goes completely dark for no apparent reason once in a while and won't come back even if you power cycle it using remote. The device appears to be alive (you can ping it), but video output remains black no matter what you do. The only way to remedy from this is to physically disconnect power supply (there's no reset or power button, remember?)

I upgraded to the latest firmware version (1.01), but to no avail. By the way, firmware upgrade is done via Internet and went very smoothly, although at some point you're left wondering if it's hung up or what? Just be patient and wait for a couple of minutes for it to finish.

I'm really surprised and disappointed that D-Link's QA have not caught this nasty "black screen" problem. Hopefully, it can be fixed with a firmware patch. But until then, the DSM-510 goes back to the store shelf.

And D-Link, take note. If you want to enter consumer market, you have to change your attitude. Consumers are less forgiving than computer geeks you sell your networking stuff to. They won't tolerate bugs that require reaching behind the box and pulling the power cord.

Like the previous review, I also think that Digital Media is the way of the future. I had high hopes for this device as it support DVR-MS format, except, it does not. Your home PC needs to transcode the DVR-ms files in order for the DSM to work. Said another way you better have one fast PC.

Now to the problems. It looses sound quite often easy to fix by just turning power off/on, but after the 10th time that gets old.

As reported before the screen goes blank every once in a while only way is to un-plug power.

The quality is bad. First unit I got was DOA. Second unit worked for 4 weeks then started to default to Analog output whenever you power it down. So then you have to plug the analog cable in, change the setting to digital and never turn it off.

Customer Support. It only took me 1 hour to go through the normal service desks to be forewarded to their expert level support. But there is nothing to do. His advice return it to the store as their service call take quite long.

This experience was bad enough that I'll most likley never buy D-link again or at least until there are enough review to warrant oterhwise.

Stay clear!

Buy D-Link MediaLounge High-Definition Media Player (DSM-510) Now

Finally, something I can recommend: the Dlink DSM-510. Here's my story.

My wife bought me DSM-510 around Thanksgiving for this Christmas. They had it on sale. I did lots of research before hand to ensure that I knew what I was doing. I was going to ensure that the firmware on the unit was upgraded to v1.07. Problem was this unit was fubarred. I turned on with the Dlink screen and then went black. No video no nothing. The only way to get the unit to work again was to unplug it and wait acouple of minutes before plugging it back in. Regardless of what I tried. The Dlink screen would come one and something I could get alittle further into the next screen and then the video would go out. Back for a full refund. I found out that this particular unit was purchased and returned twice. I told them not to try to resell this brick.

I purchased a new one it was a different story. I plugged it in to the TV. It came on and went searching for the wireless network. I put in the wpa passcode was immediately connected. I had previously download TVerisity on my pc. Started the server and shared my media drives. I even went into the Windows firewall and made an exception for Tversity. Everything seemed to work on the network PCs but the DSM still could not see the TVersity server. It turns out that the you also have to go into your router and open up the port 41952. After I did this the DSM-510 saw the server and all my share folders and files. I had set TVersity profile to DSM-510 and while i could see the share divx/avi files they were grayed out and inaccessible. After searching on the TVersity forums and here on avsforum, I got the answer from a thread by tonedeafdan. You have to change the profile.xml file in the TVersity software application.

Open profiles.xml with Notepad or Wordpad and search for DSM-510, and then find the line:



Now delete that line, down through the line:



And replace with the following lines (between the cut lines):

-------------cut line -----------------------------------------------































---------------cut line ---------------------------------------------

Then don't forget to save the file and restart sharing!

After I edited the profile.xml. All was good. All my divx/xvid/avi files came up in black on the DSM-510. Everyone of my movies plaved wirelessly without any problems, no glitches, no skipping, or locking up. I even took the DSM-510 to rooms on far end of the house and hooked it up to TVs in the other rooms with serveral walls in between on different floor and still was able to run The 510 and play a video file completely with no stuttering or locking. Likewise the I was able to play the photos, and music files without problems. Actually, I was so happy with the way this unit finally functions that we went back to Fry's tonight and purchased another DSM-510. Now I will have one in the theater room and another in any other room I choose.

Summary: This unit is great for the money. Athough it is not recommended for the uninitiated. It is by no means just plug and play. Dlink has done a horrible job with there supplied Nero server software and their firmware is never up to date. If you update the firmware to the latest v1.07 and use TVersity as the server with alittle modification then all will work well. Once you take the time to modify the setup for the way you want it will work flawlessly everytime. It does have an HDMI connection and you can also connect via RCA cables.

Read Best Reviews of D-Link MediaLounge High-Definition Media Player (DSM-510) Here

I admit I was overwhelmed when I purchased this product as in the past I had Sony's version that I was unable to hook up, no matter how much I followed the directions, called tech support, finally got it working only for it to crash and never come up again.

For those without the ViiV computer that this is designed for, relax it's not a big deal. Though the directions out of the box aren't as helpful and I glanced at the manual on the disc, I pretty much went through the setup on my own. You will need to use the remote and the box to actually set up the product. Took me a few minutes to figure that out.

Next step is setting up your network. I went with wireless, set it up, had to look on my computer to figure out encription type but no problems there. It reboots. No big deal. Then I upgraded software and had to once again input the network info. A bit of a hassle, another 10 mins or so wasted but easy enough.

After you do this and manage to connect to your computer, I suggest using WMP11 (research online if you want to) to use your songs. I spent 10 hours doing the entire setup today and 8 or 9 was because the audio files weren't showing up. Then when they started to they weren't all there with only folder names. It's not difficult to use WMP11 and its much quicker!

Now I still had problems with audio/video stuttering, freezing. I was frustrated, researched the net to come to no real conclusions. I defragmented my computer. Slightly better but not enough to make any difference. I couldn't listen to a full song or watch an entire minute of video. It was upsetting, frustrating, and I dug through the trash for the receipt I thought had got thrown out.

Finally before going to bed I decided to hook up my external hard drive to the USB connection in the front. (My iRiver mp3 player doesn't seem to connect not sure about other mp3 players). Immediately it worked! The connection was SUPERIOR. The video was as it is on a computer without any interruptions (if not better!). The audio is synced up. If you are going to buy this product I recommend using your External Harddrive or picking one up (especially if you plan on using it with a wireless connection). I can't say how the wired connection would have been. I'm on the same floor, down the hall with one wall of interference. I believe the main problem was the computer interfering more than the actual internet. Some people may have better luck (especially if you have the viiv computer that this is made for).

If you decide to buy this product (I got mine at Frys on sale for $100) I recommend picking up an External Hard Drive if you don't have one. (They run about $100 for a 500 gig--usually on sale).

ETA: If you do use an external harddrive be sure to keep your folders to about 25 max. So if you have a music folder I recommend A-Z and a reorganization because I had trouble accessing my music folder with just artists listed. I called Tech support and they were AMAZING. They helped with that and transfered me to a higher level for the issues with my computer and video/audio stability. I admit I hung up not wanting to wait but I had emailed tech support a day before and this really nice guy was emailing me back and I mentioned I had called the other day and so he called me wanting to help fix the problem. How often do you have tech support calling you? I was in shock but the guy was Fantastic! He walked me through downloading D-Links Media Server software (you actually download the 520 version) and it works great! My laptop has no problems for listening to music. It doesn't seem to support AVI files however or WMV(unless its a specific version)--something my external drive will let me watch (at least AVI files). So if you have problems setting up, make sure you call tech support. They were great and at they weren't outsourced to another country---even better!

All in all this product has met my expectations and well worth the $100 spent. It was a pain in the butt initially but if you take my advice (use WMP11 and/or go to D-Links website, select products and download the DSM-520 software version 1.09--latest version) then you shouldn't have any problems!

Want D-Link MediaLounge High-Definition Media Player (DSM-510) Discount?

This little guy exceeds my expectations. I never take the time to write reviews, but after spending two days with my new little friend, the DSM-510, I feel he deserves some outward praise.

My setup:

I have a PC with Windows Vista MCE running in a closet. It has a tuner card on it, and I have webguide installed, so I can control my TV recording from a browser. I use a DVRMSToolbox utility to move new TV recordings to the NAS device (still working on stripping commercials out before the move)

Next to my PC, I have a D-Link DNS-323. It is outfitted with 2 500GB SATA Drives and connected to a Gigabit switch (also D-link). Using information I found in a WIKI, I used the "fun_plug" feature to access the linux Kernel of the DNS-323 and installed TwonkyVision v4.4. Twonky is a killer UPnP (Media) server software, and the DSM-510 is a supported client of Twonky. Twonky runs right there on the NAS device, where it catalogs my many gigs of MP3's, JPG photos, and now my recorded TV shows. The DNS-323 also acts as a file & print server, iTunes server, FTP, and a Lite Duty Web Server (more features added by the Wiki)

So I bought the DSM-510 to be able to access all of this good stuff on my NAS device. With Twonky support, it connected beautifully. After a few long hours of playing around with the Media tree features in Twonky I discovered how to make my media files very manageable.

I don't have cable or satellite, I'm just doing analog broadcast. That will be my next step. My tuner card supports it ( Vista View Saber DA-1N1-I Combo Analog/Digital), and the DSM-510 supports HD, so I'm really only a TV away from going HD. I've read that the 54mb wireless can be highly taxed by pushing HD through the air, so I may run a Ethernet cable at that point, but it works fine on wireless right now.

About the DSM-510:

I've gotta say something about the useability. First off, the DSM-510 came out of the box with older firmware and the GUI looked hokey. My first step was to update, but it was very easy once it connected to the network. Now the GUI is working great! I don't use the medai access features of the DSM-510, though because Twonky does alot better job of managing media. I access everything from by browsing the NAS under the "Server" menu. The interface is very nice, looks great on my old 27" Sony. The remote has some nice features, but I'd like a better commecial skip and you have to have it pointed directly at the DSM-510. If I could improve anything, it would be the remote, but I would call it "bad", either.

So using the DSM-510 with Twonky, I have access to Music, Pictures (very nice menu for pictures, and you can listen to music while you are browsing or viewing a slide show), Video, and Internet Radio. While I do think that alot of the functionality I love comes from Twonky on the NAS, this little guy is the perfect front-end for it all.

Next Steps? Definitely an HD TV and an HD Antennae.

Save 46% Off

Adorama 5' Coiled Sync Cord, Household (AC) to PC.

These will not work with my flash trigger. Not sure why ... simple sync cord. Similar sync cord by Paramount works fine.

The cable works great and is very reasonably priced. The best of both worlds!

Buy Adorama 5' Coiled Sync Cord, Household (AC) to PC. Now

iriver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey

• Compact, lightweight 5 GB hard drive multimedia player in Charcoal finish--weighs only 3.4 ounces
• Compatible with MP3 and WMA; also Secure WMA from online services
• View JPEG photos and album cover art via 1.5-inch LCD
• Built-in voice recording and FM tuner with FM recording capability
• Swappable rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 12 hours of battery life

I've been looking for a new replacement MP3 player for my Ipod 3G 30 Gig. I was thinking about Ipos Shuffle, Ipod Mini, or Zen Micro (or Zen Micro Color). Then by accident, I stumpled upon Irivier H10. It is very small, stylish, and easy to operate. It's got FM radio, voice/FM recording, color screen (to view pics), and other standard MP3 functions. It's only $30 more than Mini, but has so much more to offer. The sound quality is great (but not w/ the included earpiece) and there are 40 sound presets (including your own setting). In the package, you will also receive a transparent plastic skin. It fits the player perfectly and easy to remove if you choose to. This usually goes for $8+ for ipod, and you get it free. Sure, you can't view those pics on TV like Ipod Photo, but who cares? What's the chance of you carrying a cable w/ you at all times? The battery life is around 12 hours per charge and it is replaceble as well. That means you can buy an extra battery for your long trip to extend the battery life or change it when the battery dies in a year or so. It is a true Ipod Mini killer and I've used 2 Ipods, Sony MP3 player, and a Samsung MP3 players. Strongly recommended!

Edit 1:

*After I went to Apple Store yesterday and played around with Ipod Photo, I'm even more impressed with H10 color screen. On Ipod Photo, you have to view the screen directly (right in front of the screen) in order to see the photo clearly. Otherwise, the photo/lcd will look dim. But, Ipod Photo has faster photo browsing speed. As I said before, viewing photo on mp3 isn't a priority for me and I'm very happy as is right now.

*I haven't have much problem/bug with this machine yet as others have described here. The only thing that I've experienced is that once I connect the player to my PC, I can't see the "remove this external drive icon" in the taskbar after a while. So, I simply unplug the connection cable/usb. Luckily nothing has happened yet.

*Many people asked me about the skin, well, it is just the Ipod skin you buy in Apple store but fits much nicer on the player. I can't stress how nice it fits on H10. For my Ipod, I litterally have to force it onto my ipod (because it sticks to the player so much that the friction is making it hard to do). And yes, it will attracks dirt just like other skins. If you worry about the look of it, don't use it. If you want a good protection for the player on the go, this is a good choice.

Buy iriver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey Now

Pros: great build, feels nice and solid;

the touch pad is excellent very precise movement: tapping the top and bottom of the strip or simply holding it down allows excellent precision and accuracy.

great feedback with the buttons (you don't have to wonder if you pressed a button when it's in your pocket).

sound quality is excellent volume from 0 40. around 20 is already loud enough for me.

color screen; big pictures will appear blurry, but it's expected with a small screen

very intuitive controls. the back button always brings you back to the last screen no matter what the last screen is. example: while in the picture browser i wanted to change the song click FF then click back and i'm back in the picture browser.

excellent shuffle mode algorithm: you will not hear the same song twice as it the player takes the played songs out of the algorithm

MTP = drag and drop if you prefer it more than windows media player. there is no propietary software (but drag and drop is slower than syncing with WMP. it's still not UMS)

excellent FM tuner

battery life is excellent, it actually gets about 12 hours as advertised

removable battery

comes with a iskin like case (but the case attracts a lot of dust)

CONS

IRIVER hurried to release this product; thus, the software isn't complete. there are A LOT OF BUGS. Hopefully, these bugs will be fixed soon with a firmware upgrade. here's some of the bugs

1. some might encounter problems with syncing with wmp i/o error

2. albums on player plays in alphabetical instead of by track number

3. the clock on the player might not work

4. the back light turns on and off randomly in some units.

there are some more bugs... visit www.misticriver.net

you can rate songs on the player but it doesn't integrate with windows media. so a rating of 5 on a song does not update your library on windows media. the player just put the 5 stars first and 1 star last in a list.

for some, this might be a con but not for me once the backlight is off the screen is pitch black, you can't see anything. press any button turns the backlight on then proceed with function. so if you want the player to FF you got to press it twice.

file browing is slow in browser mode (not the music browser but the file browser the music browser by artist, title.... is nice and fast)

horrible tech support. expect long wait time. (called around 4:30 ish, never answered...finally at about 5:05 got a voice mail saying their hours are from XXXX to 5:00pm)

conclusion. i'm giving a 3 star because at $280 there are simply too many bugs with the player right now; with time IRIVER will release upgrades to fix these issues because it's their new flagship model. the functions and features of the player beats any player out there within the same price range. be patient with this player, it will be an excellent product if IRiver fix all the bugs.

for more research info goto www.misticriver.net click on forums then the H series

it's an excellent forum for support and faqs.

EDIT: regarding "tommygman" i'm glad your player works perfectly. and no i did not simply read something negative. I have a H10 myself and i'm waiting patiently for an upgrade. furthermore, i can tell you that the Korean version of H10 (UMS) which came out a month before the us version (MTP) already had 2 firmware upgrades while they're on FW1.10 the us is still on FW1.00 IRiver has a list of bug fixes which you can find at misticriver.net

Read Best Reviews of iriver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey Here

This is written from the perspective of a first time MP3 player owner... I've owned several MiniDisc units in the past, some of which made me happier than others. I am somewhat computer savvy and I've never played with an iPod. Basically, I'm pretty darn satisfied... vs. other competitors in its class (not the iPod itself) it wins in several categories.

1. Oh-so-sleek look. It doesn't have the same minimalist/modernist design of the iPod, but that's something I never wanted in the first place. Its appearance seems to suggest it's a distant relative of the PlayStation 2. The battery recharges quite quickly, about 2 hours on average.

2. SIMPLE and easy to figure out interface. Menu system is very logical and it's easy to choose songs to listen to based on artist, album, genre, or playlist. Touch bar has just the right amount of sensitivity and appears to be pretty rugged. Great fit in the hand.

3. Windows XP compatible. Plays most, if not all, common forms of MP3 and WMA files. I haven't tested how well it handles media with Digital Rights Managment, but that's just not in the cards for me.

4. Great sound. Has around 20 preset EQs for all genres of music, including a Custom EQ. Haven't used the headphones but I hear pretty good... I use my own pair of earphones and the sound is many times better than even the MiniDisc units I've had (by Sony!).

Alas, there are a few downsides...

1. The silicone case hides the beauty of the player, attracts dirt, and the clip is somewhat awkward. It's good for protection, if you're on the go.

2. Though it has photo capabilities, the size and resolution of the screen don't yield very good results. Text interface also has its quirks, but it does its job. Same could be said about the FM radio... it picks up only the strongest stations in your area, but when it does, sound is good.

3. The player (out of the box) and its computer interface has a few minor problems. Best recommendation is to get the latest firmware upgrade ASAP. It still doesn't solve a few things... sometimes I've gotta Refresh the music database to maintain the order of music listed the same as inputted. Also recommended is to use Yahoo! Music Engine, although no program is really required (ie. drag-and-drop files onto the player in Windows Explorer).

It does require a little tinkering to get it set up the way you want it, and therefore requires a bit of computer savvy as well as patience. But once you get used to it, it's a truly high quality and convenient item to have. Also, I found a sale here for about $50 off (I paid $199). Definitely affordable and great quality for the price paid.

Want iriver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey Discount?

I researched this purchase extensively and finally chose this unit after trying to wade through all that crazy, confusing info out there on digital music players. I wanted something I didn't need to mess around with much but just load, go and enjoy all my favorite music on that's stashed away on all those buried cd's. I LOVE THIS THING !!

I didn't need 1,200 songs so I chose to input my music in at the highest quality option. I'm astounded at the sound quality of the playback. I don't want to hear the music in my ears I want to feel it between my eyes and this lovely little unit does that well without having to max out the volume. I have over 680 songs, photos of my baby grandson and the text file of the itinerary of my upcoming trip in it and there's almost a full gb of room left!!

If you have (you must have) Windows XP and the latest version of Windows Media Player... loading your files into this unit is sooo easy. Make sure before loading your files to download the updates at iRiver as the formatting will wipe out what you've put in. Updates are easy and the PDF manual is helpful and easy to read. The battery lasts a good long time and is removable and rechargeable. A spare is a bit pricey but affordable if you need more than 12 hours of playback at one time. The controls are pretty much self explanatory and I find very easy to use. I have a number of custom playlists and it handles them all with ease and like a champ. I've had none of the problems reported by other reviewers. That could just be from clean livin' (yurite) but so far so good!!

I found this at a great sale price too but even at full retail I think this unit is well worth every dime!! I'd recommend it for sure!!

OK first off, i will tell you that all the pro's people suggest are true. the SRS Wow feature is amazing, and i like it very much. It really adds whatever you are looking for.

now to address the cons that people have put forth.

1. The Headphones. The Headphones are Sennheiser MX400's, which are about 10.99-19.99 depending on where you buy them. I believe they are nice, but i would buy a nicer pair. They are by far higher quality then any other out of the box headphone, but i just prefer something nicer.

2. You can't play files in track order.

NOT TRUE! the current firmware fixes this, BUT, you MUST put the file tracks into WM10 and then load them onto your iRiver. You really think its going to magically fix them for you? (you may need to refresh the database after doing this).

3. Slow. I do admit, it is slow, but as with all MP3 Players, there is always a downside. My previous player, the Creative Zen 40GB Nomad Xtra, was a complete and total piece of crap. i used to, but now will never buy another mp3 player from them. Their cheapness comes at a price (a low one as a matter a fact)

4. Takes a while to turn off. It depends. sometimes is lightning quick, other times it takes about 10 seconds. Like its going to affect you anyway, when you press the button to turn it off, it will, and 10 seconds really doesn't kill the battery or damage it, does it?

5. Pictures suck. THEN DON'T USE IT FOR PICTURES. simple as that. The Radio, Radio Record, Voice Record, Line-In Record, Music should be enough for you, dont you think?

COMPARISION:

iRiver H10 20GB 299.99

iPod 20GB 299.99

Creative 40GB Zen 235.99

The iRiver is the SAME PRICE as the iPod, but it has these advantages:

Color Screen

Sennheiser Headphones (14.99 Value)

Pictures

Text

Music, No programs needed to transfer

Napster to Go

Plays WMA, MP3, Protected WMA

FM

Fm Recording

Voice Recording

Line-In Recording

Smaller

SRS-Wow and Custom Equalizer

FM in Korea, Japan and European Regions.

FOR THE SAME EXACT PRICE?

and as for the creative...i'm sorry, but its just a piece of crap.

HOW MINE DIED:

because of its huge bulkiness, i dropped it 2 ft. onto carpet. The hardrive broke, and after i smacked it (no joke) it turned on to work again. Then, about 3 weeks later, i was listening to it, and it just died. Completely, i tried everything, and i decided i didn't want to wait 2 hours to call them (it took that long).

iRiver support is ok, and they have a good online system. They also have smart tech support, but as with everyone, it takes a while to reach them.

I stand by iRiver, and i promise if you buy this product you will be satisfied.

Livescribe Deluxe Carrying Case

I own the older Pulse SmartPen (not the newer Echo) so my model is a bit bigger. That said, it has no problem fitting in this case. There's also room for a cable, and even a few pens and pencils if they are the right length.

All in all, it's a functional case, and I like it a lot better than the standard case that comes with the pen. I can toss this into my bag with my books and notebook and not worry about anything getting damaged.

I deducted two stars because the material is cheap feeling its faux leather and the texture is just not particularly pleasing. From a distance it looks like leather, which is good, but it's definitely not (nor does it claim to be, so my star reduction is not for that, but rather for the material they did use). The inside lining is a nice felt/velvety material that protects the contents well.

The second star was for the zipper and the price. I think this is a bit pricey for what you get, and the zipper is a bit difficult to get closed at times. I've had to wrangle with it more often than not. Not a huge deal, but at the end of class when I want to pack up and get going, to spend a minute trying to close the case just seems unnecessary. Take this as you will it could be user error or maybe I just have a slightly funky zipper on mine but it's worth noting.

It's definitely a step up from the standard case and if you are a LiveScribe junkie like me, you'll appreciate this addition to your repertoire.

I had read one previous review saying that the person had had problems with the zipper, but had also read positive reviews, so thought I'd give it a go. I wish I hadn't! I do like the size and compartments, but that's of no use if the zipper breaks which mine did before I even got the chance to use it. It is such poor quality but priced as if it were good quality.

I looked again at the feedback by the person who had given negative feedback about the zipper and a representative from Livescribe had written a comment suggesting that the person contact Livescribe directly so that they can help sort the issue. So I contacted them. Their response was that they could not help as it was bought through Amazon. I work for a charity outside America and bought various Livescribe products from Amazon as it is a lot cheaper. I feel like I have wasted this money and wonder if it's even worth the cost of sending it back (Amazon seems to only pay a portion of the return cost).

I do not recommend this product.

Buy Livescribe Deluxe Carrying Case Now

I purchased this case and the zipper was the biggest pain it continually was stuck. I couldn't close or open the case. I emailed the company and without knowing they had a new case set to me within 2 weeks. The new case works perfect and I haven't had any issues! While I had issues with this first case, I defiantly appreciate a company that stands behind their products!!

I use this case for my 4 GB Echo pen to hold the pen, extra supplies (ink, pen tips), and cord -after having my issue resolved with the case I LOVE IT!

Read Best Reviews of Livescribe Deluxe Carrying Case Here

Honestely, I find it really hard to say anything positive about this case. The material of the case feels and looks (and smells!) very cheap. The worst element is the zipper, which is not working at all and gets stuck all the time it's virtually impossible to either close or open the case.

The inside is ok; I think the case could be smaller, too, there is a lot of unused space in the case.

Overall, my advice is to skip this one, unfortunately.

Want Livescribe Deluxe Carrying Case Discount?

This case is a must-have for travel, to protect the investment of a LiveScribe device. Personally, I think it's totally worth it! It looks classy (not real leather but it holds up just as well maybe better and it looks like leather), it's large enough that you won't lose it, but small enough that it fits inside my laptop tote. It holds the pen, the USB charger, the headphones, and extra ink cartridges. I was carrying everything around in a pocket in my bag, and I was worried that the little parts would get lost (not to mention my $150 LiveScribe Pulse pen!!!) so this solves that problem QUITE nicely. It also perfectly matches the portfolio, the flip notebook, and the journals... and I'm a "fashion" person, so I appreciate that. :) Love it!

Save 12% Off