Memorex 4GB Digital MP3 Music Player -MMP8595-BLK

• Built-in 4GB flash memory
• Digital FM radio, Stop watch function
• Bright 1.5 inch (measured diagonally) OLED color screen display
• Plays MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM 10, WAV, and JPEG
• Digital voice recorder, Equalizer with presets , Rechargable battery

This item is truly a piece of junk. The MyDJ function is a great idea, but every time I tried to use it (using Windows Media Player) my computer crashed. When on the "shuffle" feature, songs would be repeated a lot. You'd hear one song, hear another one, and then be back to the one you just heard; skip past it and hear it again 3 songs later. Customer service told me to reselect Shuffle (I did that repeatedly, it made no difference). Within 1 month, the battery needed charging after only 6 hours of use. And now the final insult is that after 3 months of ownership, it started warbling (like a scratched record) and then died...permanently. Seriously, an absolute waste of money. Very disappointing. We bought this during our last visit to the States and are back in the Caribbean. There is no way to return this for a refund or repair. Annoying.

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ilove it! its small, its easy to use , the battery charge fast , and during long!

great soung, the only thing isthat i recommend you to change the headphones!

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The battery doesn't hold a charge for very long. This was the case right from the first time I used it after fully charging. The shuffle is not randomized very well. You hear the same songs frequently, even with a full drive. Save your money and buy a real MP3 player.

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This player is a disaster.

Took me 1 hour to figure out how to copy files into it (I am not bad with electronics). The player was half full, while I was able to find only 1 song on it.

The next day it would not start. Returned the player to the store with pleasure.

RCA 7" Portable TV, RTV86073

• 7-inch LCD display
• Built-in ATSC digital/NTSC analog tuner
• Detachable antenna, flip-out stand, AC power adapter, rechargeable battery, and full-function remote control
• Parental control, speakers ideal for public viewing, and standard headphone jack for viewing in privacy
• Weight Without Stand: 0.88 lbs

This is my 4th attempt at buying a portable digital TV since the over the air broadcast standard changed from analog to digital 3 years ago in June 2009. I've already been through the 7 inch VIZIO and two 7 inch COBYs. I had to return them all what a waste of time and energy. None of them was satisfactory (see reviews) but this little RCA looks like a keeper.

In my metro area, I am able to pick up 12 channels with the included antenna.

The picture is bright, reasonably clear and the color very natural.

The screen has a dull, non-reflective surface so you're not looking at the reflection of your own face as is the case with the pricey VIZIO which has a very shiny screen. The RCA display is 234H x 480W PIXELS.

The clarity is quite acceptable noticeably better than the COBYs but not as sharp as the hi-resolution VIZIO which has inferior color and NO tint control.

The sound is clear but tinny and it's consistent in level from channel to channel. The audio is NOT as good as the COBYs but far superior to the very weak VIZIO. There is a headphone output allowing for use of a headset or powered external speakers.

The image scaling is excellent. If you set the aspect ratio to AUTO, the picture is properly proportioned from widescreen stations to those broadcasting in the old standard 4:3 format. Circles are always round and people are NOT stretched wide to look short and fat. VIZIO could not get that right.

Here's a plus unlike the VIZIO, when you power down, the RCA retains the channels you found as you would expect a TV to do.

The RCA has a full range of picture and audio controls as well as closed caption capability.

I have yet to connect it to cable or test battery play time.

I am just so happy to have a decent portable TV again. At this nice low price point, this TV is worth buying.

Though I wish it had a higher resolution screen, this will do nicely until something better comes along.

I've been researching these little beasts for 3 years now and in my opinion, this is the best portable TV on the market for now.

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

1 MONTH UPDATE:

We had a very bad storm come through on 6-29-2012 and were without electric power for almost 3 days. This little TV was a blessing. The battery only lasts about 90 minutes but I previously bought a 12 volt car adapter that allowed continued viewing. I also re-routed our cable signal to the 7 inch TV and scanned for cable channels. It found all 65 analog stations but none of the digital QAM signals. Most importantly, it found the cable radar station.

A day later, I rescanned for the unscrambled digital stations and it found all 16 of them.

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The RCA 7 inch HDTV is a good portable HDTV, but it's not perfect. Surprisingly the TV does not have a built in telescoping whip antenna but a short 6 inch antenna which attaches to the TV by it's 30 inch cable. Although a whip antenna wouldn't be great it would be vastly superior to the included antenna. Curiously this set up exists in other portable TV's too. All these 6 inch vertical TV antennas are a joke unless you and the antenna can actually see the television station's transmitting tower, that's all you should expect from these antennas. Face it, would you connect a 6 inch antenna to your home TV and expect reception? This micro antenna also has a very thin coaxial cable. Without getting into the science of it, thin coax loses whatever signal it's carrying very, very quickly even over short lengths like 30 inches. Bottom line the supplied antenna and it's cable is junk. The tuner in this RCA TV is just as good as most home TV tuner's, it just needs an adequate antenna to work well.

The remote works fine but uses what I call bubble buttons. They all feel the same because they all have the same round bubble shape. This is different from most home TV remotes where one can feel the different round, square, or triangular shape of various buttons without needing to look and study which feature is which.

Finally the Li-ion battery is built into the TV. I see no means to replace it if/when it eventually fails.

Otherwise, the RCA works quite well and I like it. This RCA TV also has the standard coax connector antenna fitting that is used with real coax. Some portable TV's use a proprietary micro connector that is impossible to connect to real coax. This unit is nice to have on camping trips and the like but again be prepared to get a true functional small portable antenna preferably using real coax, for any of these portable TV's, these antennas do exist. Something like the Mohu Leaf or Terk antenna should work (I haven't tried them though). Don't buy the old school rabbit ears. They were designed for old analog TV's which operated mostly on VHF frequencies. Today's HDTV's mostly use UHF bands, the obsolete rabbit ears were never designed to work on the UHF band. I could explain the science but your eyes would glaze over after an hour.

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I was replacing an Auvio 3.5" screen w/this unit because I didn't like having to replace batteries as often, and it didn't seem to have a car adapter available, and the home adapter was half the cost of the unit price.

The RCA unit has a rechargeable battery and comes w/both a car and home recharger and larger screen for about the same price I'd paid originally. A secondary benefit was the external coaxial(RF) connector for a better antenna connection, also.

The only drawbacks were the small antenna that doesn't really provide good reception and the really POOR remote control, which almost doesn't work, very difficult key responses, as well as no better reception than the Auvio unit has.

Overall, a better value, but nothing to brag about. It's worth the price, though.

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At some point almost every kid in America has had a desire for a small portable television set that could be sneaked into bed and used under the covers after one parent or the other has announced that it's "lights out" for the night. This RCA 7" Portable TV is just the type of device that so many of us fell asleep dreaming about, wishing that we had one.

On a more serious note, NPR ran a program a couple of years ago, 'Medical Detectives Focus On Myopia,' and in an interview Dr. Don Mutti (College of Optometry, Ohio State University) noted that "near-work" the things you do close up with your eyes, like reading or watching television or playing video games, had been a suspect as one of the causes of myopia for many years. German astronomer Johannes Kepler wrote about it about 400 years ago, and Dr. Mutti's advice was simple: "Don't watch too much TV, or don't read, you know, under the covers with a flashlight."

That being said, I found that this small 7-inch television didn't need to be viewed that closely, and that arm's length was an excellent viewing distance where the picture could be viewed clearly and easily once everything was set up as per the instructions. But let's get past the good and bad first...

Pros:

* Very light weight; about 1.1 pounds (0.50kg)

* Sharp and bright 7-inch diagonal LCD screen; 480 x 264 pixels

* Excellent controls, easy to master quickly

* Easy setup; good instruction manual, easy to follow

* Decent full-featured small remote control

* Built-in Li-ion rechargeable battery keeps it portable

* Convenient flip-out stand on back

Cons:

* The included external antenna is abominable and almost worthless

First Impressions Setup:

This television was well packaged, and was better in that respect than many on the market. It came with the TV itself, a remote control with CR2025 battery, a power adapter, a telescoping antenna with a magnetic base, a power adapter and a user guide. Following the directions, connected the antenna and plugged in the 12V power adapter, then turned the TV on. The manual said to perform an auto scan to search for the locally available channels. And that's where the first problem arose, as in the NYC area there are plenty channels, yet the reception ranged from just OK to very poor, which I found to be quite surprising from RCA.

Long story short, the supplied antenna is just about worthless. After charging the TV for a couple of hours, took it outside to a park area, did another auto scan, and found that reception was reasonably improved, but it didn't help indoor reception. Tried it briefly with my older Terk Technology HDTVi VHF/UHF HDTV Indoor Antenna and the reception improved greatly, but this antenna is somewhat directional and I didn't feel like having to readjust and auto scan for better reception every time the TV was moved. Came online here and read a number of reviews, then ordered the RCA ANT1450BM Refurbished Multi-Directional Digital Flat Amplified HDTV Antenna (reviewed here separately) which was on sale at the time. It arrived a few days later, and once it was hooked up, the reception was excellent. Note that this TV has an industry-standard coaxial antenna connector that enables it to be used with cable television if you like.

In Use:

Once the new antenna was installed and the auto scan was performed, found this television to be excellent in all respects. The size is small yet not too tiny, and the reception on all channels is first-rate. The available controls for setting such items as the picture, audio, V-chip and other controls are quite good, and if you (or someone else) screws them up, there's a reset option to restore things to the default settings.

Thought that the tiny remote control was nothing other than cute at first, but once one uses it for a while it has proven to be the preferred method of controlling this TV. The stereo sound wasn't so good until I plugged in a set of ear bud headphones, and the difference was remarkable.

Summary:

As with anything, how a product is rated has a lot to do with its performance vs. the price paid. In my case, I bought this here on a Lightning Deal when the price was below forty buck, which made it an exceptional value, even with the almost useless antenna. From past experience with televisions over the years, I expected that the antenna would have to be replaced, and was glad that RCA had chosen to not use a built-in telescoping antenna that would have to be adjusted every few minutes. All this being said, will have to say that at the regular price this would probably be a very solid +4-star product, but with an upgraded antenna, it's subjectively worthy of a 5-star recommendation... and don't let your kids use it under the covers late at night.

6/2/2012

I find that this TV is amazing considering the price.

Using the magnetic six inch antenna that was included with the unit, I was able to receive ninety-eight channels including twelve PBS channels.

This TV presents a nice picture with many picture and audio controls and also, it has built-in speakers (stereo) with the option of using headphones or ear buds.

The battery life is indicated to be limited to one hundred minutes but, that should suffice whenever there is a power outage and you would like to check periodic news updates.

I also found that 12 volt car adapter plugs into this TV and can also serve to recharge the TVs' built-in battery.

CTA DIGITAL MI-IRP1 Portable Internet Radio with 1GB Memory

Update: After very limited use for 18 months or so the radio stopped working -just would not turn on. I disassembled it (I build such electronics, so not a big deal). Battery is fully charged, switches are functioning (tested with ohmmeter), no loose wires. Must be a component failure. Not good, considering it was always in a padded case when not used. Add the that: The price is $100 more now than when I bought it in mid-2008. Definitely NOT recommended.

Phil

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

This radio works well as an internet radio. Manual says 10 hrs on battery when in internet radio mode and I have no reason to question that (but no life tests as yet). And, if you have a USB AC supply (as from an iPhone or iPod) you can power it from that. It is also an FM radio, but I've yet to try that mode.

Construction is fine for the purpose and size (it is really tiny -thinner than my iPhone, a bit narrower and about 2/3 as big in the longest dimension).

However the description is a bit misleading. It says "Add more media to your device with the Micro SD/MMC card slot". I can find no such slot in the unit (it's so small it would be hard to hide such a slot); nor is one mentioned in the manual. You can load MP3s, images and video into the 1 GB internal memory, but it will not accommodate a Micro SD card as I had hoped. This is why I gave it 4 stars instead of five.

The lack of the promised slot is a bit disappointing. But my reason for buying this unit was to have a small internet radio for travel (already have a large one next the bed) and it is that. And I have several other MP3 players.

Phil

I'm not sure how this product is listed as having a micro SD slot. If it has one, it is very well hidden and is not mentioned in the instruction manual. Also, I haven't been able to figure out the recording function (I don't think it exists either). Further the support website listed on the device is not functional (just a random South Korean public relations site...zero support). It does have a seemingly endless list of internet radio stations and the interface is relatively intuitive. I can't think of much more nice to say. In short, I wouldn't buy this again. If they made it with a real record function, external memory support, and with a TIVO like program, it would be what I actually had hoped for (and wouldn't stink).

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The features work great especially the internet radio but the interface and overall cheap feel need improvement to rate a 5 star review.

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Updated: internal battery no longer holds a charge. Unit is now useless.

Love this player. When I bought this, there were 7 reviews on Amazon, and after having this product for a number of months, I would say all 7 reviews are dead-on. Read them all and since this is only one of three portable wifi Internet radios that I could find I decided to take the plunge. First one I received one did not hold a charge, but Amazon exchanged it (yay Amazon!). The second one worked great at home, but would not connect to my wireless network at work. Updated the firmware in my work wireless router (was an old wifi-B Netgear unit) and now works great! Battery lasts about 6 hours on wifi, and only charges via computer's USB, not from my AC-USB adapter. Love this player. Have not used too much for video or even MP3 as for me it is my portable wifi Internet radio. Love the radio choices. Very light-weight. Bought a small belt-clip holder at local dollar store and carry it with me around the office. Headphones are fine, charger fine, instructions fine. Works as 1 GB USB storage device so I can access player from Linux. Fairly expensive, but unless you use your phone for Internet radio, this unit makes a great portable Internet radio. Just make sure you get one that works, and if it does work, make sure you update your wifi firmware if you can see the network but can't connect.

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It's so frustrating this product is exactly what I wanted, and as has been said elsewhere, it's a one-of-a-kind device: if not this, then there is nothing else that provides wifi internet radio in a pocketable format. Sadly, although I have had three from Amazon.com, none of them was capable of charging the battery.

I tried two laptops, a powered hub and a USB charger, but the experience was always the same: while connected to a PC it would appear as an external drive, and the battery indicator would go from empty to full in about 4 minutes. Alternatively, while connected to a USB charger it would display "Battery Low | Charging" for about 20 minutes before displaying a perpetually rotating hourglass. But even after being left connected for 4 days, it would die the instant it was disconnected and refuse to power up. All three examples behaved the same (and I did check the "Hold" switch that locks the on/off was in the unlocked position).

All three had boxes that looked scuffed and a little faded, making me wonder if they had been stored too long, maybe by the importer: rechargeable batteries have to be given a part charge for storage but if they go totally flat it can kill them. That's all I can think of that would prodce this unfortunate result.

Amazon Returns have been swift and efficient about providing a replacement, but I felt that after 3 tries it was probably time to give up. A shame....

Pharos Traveler 127 Unlocked Phone with gps navigation, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.1, 2 MP Camera, Med

Touch screen is not sensitive enough. GPS software (Smart Navigator software) that come with it is really bad. Smart Navigator has a very poor user interface compare to OCN8. I couldn't use any other GPS software (TOMTOM, Iguidance). You can install them, but they wouldn't start. Garmin XT (One of the worst GPS software) works and Finally made OCN8 working by doing some editing. Build quality is very poor. Feels plasticky. Very low call volume. If you are in the city you cannot hear anything. Poor battery life. Compare to HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger it is very slow. In my opinion if you want a QWERTY keyboard enabled Windows Mobile device buy HP iPAQ 910 Business Messenger (it also has poor battery life).

From the specs, a wonderful smartphone. Except that voice dailing is unsupported. And that it apparently doesn't work with bluetooth certified devices. And let's not forget the GPS that can't find a satelite at night. Or the company's refusal to provide warranty support if you received one as a gift and therefore don't have a receipt.

Let's also not forget the poor battery life and the microSD slot only accessable with the battery cover removed. My advice: buy anything else.

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My experience with this phone is different from other users. My previous phone, a blackberry .. was my 4th blackberry in under 2 years so I have officially given up on the company. They don't make phones like they used to. That's how I discovered this phone .. I was looking for a phone that could do all my tasks at work and still handle a decent phone call or occasional picture. Some of the reviews for this phone were outstanding and others were down right terrible. I found a good deal for it on the internet, ordered it, and it arrived within the week. Its features are really good and it could do everything my blackberry could (at least on paper) and more. I have used blue tooth with it no problem. I used the gps at night no problem. It was a little clunky with regard to applications but I changed my sd card from a 512mb to a 2 gig and that fixed it. I even upgraded it to windows 6.5 using a nifty hack by Erick Will. This phone puts my blackberry to shame. Now on the other hand my girlfriend has a google phone that makes my phone a little prehistoric in comparison. But, a lot of the applications I get standard with my phone (courtesy of windows), she has to purchase from android marketplace so I reckon its a win/win for me. I recently had to contact Pharos tech support due to an intermittent microphone issue. Their support was outstanding and offered to replace my phone under warranty (thanks Natalie). Hows that for customer service? Now, my largest gripe for this phone is its lack of accessories. Try finding a case or cover for it. Impossible!

If Pharos still makes phones in the future, and I am still in a financial position to purchase a phone from them (since its a world phone it doesn't come from a cellular provider and must be purchased outright), I probably will get a Pharos phone again. That is a lot of "if's" especially in today's economy where no-one has any money and technology is getting faster and cheaper. But, if you are in a position to give this phone a try, I would say you should go for it. Its a very decent phone.

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Sony ICD-UX81 Digital Voice Recorder with 2GB Flash Memory

The recorder has funtioned well in ALL the ways I have tried it. I did order the external mic later which improves the operation somewhat. It is lot of recorder in such a small package. I use a direct patch cord to hook my tape player to the recorder and transfered the audio to digital format. Down loaded them to my laptop and burned them to CD. After playing a little with the settings, it worked great. Now about the info screen, it is a little hard for me to read because of my years yet the unit being as small as it is, they did a great job.

I use this recorder mostly for listening to Audio Books after converting them to MP3 format and downloading them from my PC. The quality of the sound is amazingly good, and one AAA battery seems to last forever with earphones. I use Logitech FreePulse Wireless Headphones when listening while doing manual work. I use it in place of an iPod or smartphone for playback at a fraction of the cost.

I tested the recorder function and it seems to record very well. I suggest using an external stereo microphone with an extension connector because this thing is so sensitive that touching it while recording results in unacceptable noise in the recording.

This recorder has a long list of features and beats any cassette tape type recorder by "light years" of technology. It is so tiny that four of them could easily fit in a shirt pocket so it never gets in the way.

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Very good design and manufacture. Pick up is great. Wish they had a simple audio editor in memory out of the box. (There are free ones on the web but be careful which codecs you use. I took an 8M file and threw 2/3 away and re-saved and the new file was 13M. No reflection on this device though except that the codec Sony uses is pretty good). Plan on getting a rechargeable Li ion battery, because when you record, it uses up the battery fairly fast. Again I think that it is relatively unavoidable (amplification and filtering going on etc.) Have not bought a rechargeable yet but the docs say if you do you can simply leave it in a usb port to recharge.

This thing does exactly what its supposed to and is easy to use. Wish they had a 2M version with the FM radio, I might have opted for it... On the other hand, how often would I use that...

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I use it primarily to record choir rehearsals and performances. The recorder has a very good range and the sound quality is good for such a small, inexpensive recorder. It's also very easy to transfer the music onto my Mac (into iTunes). i'd recommend it.

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This Sony IC Recorder worked well when I first purchased it, but I'm experiencing some issues with files becoming damaged and having trouble transferring mp3s to the unit.

My computer (running Windows XP Pro) freezes up during mp3 file transfers frequently.

Out of frustration, I find myself going back to my old Sony NetMD disc player. More cumbersome, but it works.

The Sony IC Recorder does still record audio well enough. I'll probably buy some product specifically used for storing and playing music files and just use the SONY IC for recording audio from the microphone. Nice stereo microphone, by the way.

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KWorld ATSC Digital HDTV USB 2.0 TV Stick KW-UB435Q

Testing Configuration

Motherboard: ASUS

Processor: AMD 5600 (dual core 3 gHz, X2/64)

Memory: 3 gB

I ordered this USB stick from Amazon and received it in four days. Good service!

Software install went exactly as listed on the sheet that came with the install disk.

I attached an RCA flat plate antenna with internal low noise preamp to the USB stick. I am using the USB extension cable. I then scanned for channels (as part of the setup), and got all 13 available channels. The scan took about 4 minutes or so, updating the screen to show me what it had found.

Tuning the various channels in a windowed (not full screen) mode displays a signal level meter. Most stations are running between 80 and 100%. I am located 27 miles from the transmitter complex. I love the signal meter display. It is large and responsive when I move the antenna around. The tuner appears to be quite sensitive. I was able to get 8 channels with nothing more than the included whip (magnetic base) sitting on top of a lamp shade.

The display of channel numbers is crude. No use of "-" or "." for subchannels. Channel 13-2 is displayed as 132. This is a very minor point, but can be disconcerting at first. The fastest way to change channels is to just enter the numbers, 132 (from the keyboard), in this example.

The software is very easy to use. I never looked at the manual, just clicked around and was easily able to follow the program flow. After installing, be sure to go to the Total Media setup screen that lets you enable hardware acceleration. (if your graphics chip supports it). With hardware acceleration enabled my processor loading is less than 20%, even while recording HD.

The ability to record, and schedule recordings using the EPG (electronic programming guide) is a nice plus. Playback of recordings looks very good. This software basically gives you a DVR, and you can burn DVDs of your recorded programs if you like. The GUI is not as smooth as my DirecTV DVRs, but it is easy to use and functional. After playing around for a while (that is why bought this thing, isn't it?), you should have no problem navigating.

I like the ability to save the channel list (Export), so it can be imported later. You can save several lists if you like, and only import what you want.

Summary:

1. Very sensitive tuner with excellent signal meter.

2. Feature filled and stable (no crashes) software.

3. Easy to use, intuitive software.

4. Low processor loading on my machine.

5. Picture Quality is Excellent (of course, it's HD)

6. Playback audio is in sync with video (recordings)

7. Live View audio is in sync with video.

Operational Note: If in full screen mode, using all your display area, you can go back to the windowed mode by hitting the escape key. You can also use the menu mode to do screen captures, etc. Placing the cursor at the bottom of a screen will bring up a menu.

It will be interesting to see how reliable this thing will be. It runs warm, and for only 39 bucks, I'm not expecting it to run forever. For now, I'm very impressed!

I bought this product so I could get 1080i local channels through my cox cable provider. The channels are crystal clear. However, the channel set up is a little annoying. It also has a record feature that will make a MPEG file. The burn to dvd disc feature will not work for some reason. I downloaded a copy of EASY MPEG and I now am able to burn 1080i channels to a dvd-r. Overall I am very happy the price was right, I bought mine on NEWEGG for $29.99 + shipping.

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I ordered one of these and was so happy with it I ordered another to use at work. The second I received was "version 2". The case is the same but the LED was a different color. After I installed the drivers and software, it seemed to work OK at first. I then noticed it would not receive half the channels the version 1 was able to. I also noticed the software locked up a lot when version 2 but didn't with the version 1. Because of Amazon's great return policy, I returned it and ordered an "Avertv Hybrid Volar Max Tv Tuner Kit for Windows MTVHVMXSK" as a replacement.

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Works good in Windows Vista 32bit SP2 and Windows XP SP3 and Linux Xubuntu 11.10 "Ocelot"

for ATSC "over the air" viewing -had some trouble with aborted timed recordings.Using "HyperMedia Center" or "TiVme" software for Windows and Kaffeine Media Player for Linux.

With Xubuntu 11.10 "Ocelot", my Kworld ub435-q USB TV tuner works great in Kaffeine Media Player v. 1.2.2 and KDE v. 4.7.4 for "over the air broadcasts" without any modifications.

A) Simply open up Kaffeine

B) choose "Digital TV" in the Start Menu

C) hit "Configure Television" option icon

D) Click on "Device 1" tab

E) Choose "Source" which for me was "us-ATSC-center-frequencies-8VSB" for over-air broadcasts

F) Close window, go back to Kaffeine TV window and click "Channels" option icon

G) In "Channels" window, make sure "Source" is set to "ATSC", then hit "Start Scan" button -the scan took about 3 minutes and 17 channels were found -I believe all that are in my area.

H) Once the scan is complete, highlight all channels found in the right-hand box "Scan Results" (or all that you would like to save) then click "Add Selected" and those channels will then appear in the left-hand box called "Channels"

I) Hit "OKAY" to get out of "Channels" window and you will return to Kaffeine "Digital TV" window with your selected channels appearing in the left margin column.

j) Double click on a channel to select -and now hopefully you are watching !

Thanks Ubuntu and Kaffeine for programming for this tuner.

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Many competing products also work as analog tuners perhaps so you can record analog cable signals on digital. I however bought this so that we could bypass cable TV entirely and since there are no longer analog OTA signals in the US, there was no reason to pay extra for a tuner with analog functionality as well as digital.

Installation? This was the first USB product I have ever tried that Windows (Windows 7 64-bit) didn't recognize and find drivers for. Instead I had to use the CD that came in the package. I didn't bother with the crapware on the CD. I just use Windows Media Center.

Result: it works great. Since all it's doing is getting MPEG-2 files encoded by a broadcaster from radio waves into your computer's hard drive, it'll either work or not. There aren't really any issues of quality to discuss. So far, it's been fine, and a small computer with Windows Media Center has replaced our Tivo HD box in the sitting room. The only thing the Tivo has that this doesn't match is a second tuner; I suppose I could just buy another of these and plug it into another USB port, but so far I haven't felt the need to try that.

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Panasonic HDC-SD9 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabiliz

I just received my camera today. Of course, I've been researching this little gem since it was first announced for production by Panasonic a few months ago. Along with that research, I've been playing with it now for several hours and I wanted to run by some first impressions:

Pros:

* Lightweight! Panasonic touts this as the smallest, lightest HD camera available for HD recording (as of 1/2008). That's certainly no joke. You're expecting this to weigh like a brick given it relatively compact size, but it's extremely light. I'm not expecting any arm fatigue here!

* Exceptional image quality. HD recording at 17 MBPS (variable bit rate) is exceptional and image artifacting that occurred in previous generations (SD1 and SD5) are pratically eliminated. I typically burn to DVD, but I'm assuming that image quality should be good considering my eventual plan on burning to Blu-Ray through Sony Vegas Pro. The video compression uses AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) which is based on the very efficient H.264 compression.

* Flash media storage. No more dropped frames/corrupted media on magnetic tapes! No limitations imposed by a fixed hard drive! No more wasted DVD media for footage that I want to edit anyway! More importantly for me, NO MORE MOTOR NOISE. Now I can film an art gallery in true silence. Also, with the only motor in the camera servicing the camera lens (which can't be heard at all), there will be considerably less wear and tear on the camera overall. The SDHC cards are pricey, but you can get an 8 GB SDHC Sandisk Extreme III card for about $ $ through independent sellers on Amazon, although I suspect the price for this media will be headed down. I bought 3 that way. An 8GB card will store about 1 hour of video footage at the maximum bitrate setting. Note: It is IMPORTANT to get at least a Class 4 card to record at the substantially quick bitrates. Personally, I just went ahead and got Class 6 cards (faster) since it wasn't that much more. Pony up the extra cash for the SDHC cards at the rate that I film, it will pay for itself after several usages. Try and make the same claim about using a tape more than 2 times without some noticeable degradation.

* Image advisor. Are you panning too quickly? Subject too dark? Too much backlight? Are you not holding the camera still (pops up if you have the image stabilizer off)? The advisor identifies these issues and brings a menu option up immediately to rectify the issue; all you have to do is simply accept the advice and you're good to go! I've exposed the camera to several unfriendly environments and the advisor was quick to chime in with problem identifications/solutions.

* OIS. The image stabilizer on this camera is exceptional...and I have NEVER said that about any stabilizer for cameras that I've owned in the past. Image stabilizers are typically exaggerated on most cameras (i.e., super steady-no-motion claims), but this one does a "wow" kind of job. At 4,000 times a second, the optical stabilizer does an impressive job at stabilizing an image even at the full 10x optical zoom. This is approximately 5 times faster than Panasonic's predecessor's. I've tried the system on and off and it's extraordinarily impressive. Don't expect the same results, however, on digitially enhanced zooming which I never use anyway.

* Pre-record. Ever catch yourself saying, "Man, I wished that I had hit record about a second sooner to catch my kid saying that!" Well, with pre-record enabled, the camera keeps the last 3 seconds of video buffered in standby mode so if you do hit record at the opportune time, you can "go back 3 seconds in time to capture what you might have missed!"

* Exceptional sound. Yep, the camera comes with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. I'm a bit of an audiophile, so I truly appreciate being immersed in a home movie environment that has sound around me as if I was still there filiming it. There are 3 options with the micorphone: surround, zoom mic, and focus mic. The regular surround options records all ambient noise equally, although you can actually change the gain, if you want. The zoom mic actually directs more input to the front microphone if you zoom in closer to an object further away; this allows you to "zoom" in on sound originating directly ahead. I haven't had a chance to fiddle with the focus mic, but I'm sure that it works just as well.

Cons:

* Battery life. According to the manual, the supplied battery can optimistcally handle 1 hour and 45 seconds of continuous record time (a full charge does register at 119 minutes). Realistically, the manual says, it would last about 1 hour, if you factor in zooming, switching it on but not recording for a few minutes between shots, lighting conditions (and compensation), etc.; Panasonic's predicted time is probably close. I would recommend getting the Panasonic VW-VBG260 battery from a 3rd party dealer which will last twice as long (got mine for $129.95 Panasonic charges $169.95). You could get the VBG6 battery which lasts a LOT LONGER, but it requires a separate pack to carry the power supply since the battery is so large. Not worth the hassle, in my opinion.

* No viewfinder. Minor inconvenience for me, but I prefer the old style viewfinder. However, the camera is so small and comfortable that using the LCD screen works fine. I'm willing to concede that this is a non-issue.

* No accessory shoes. You want to hook up a camera light? Forget it nowhere to put it unless you rig something to it (shoestring anyone?). Again, though, I'm fed up with trying to light a completely dark room and I find myself not really wanting it. That said, the low-light function on the camera as well as Magic Pix (full color in both modes, not the green washed out night vision with scary eyes!) does surprisingly well with 1 lux of light available.

Overall, the camera is extremely impressive for the price and the 3rd generation of HD cameras from Panasonic are a cost-effective way to enjoy high quality images. For standard DVD usage, this camera is more than perfect. However, as a caution, check that your video software is capable of using the AVCHD video format. It's still in its infancy, but an increasing number of software vendors are adopting it is a viable alternative. If you're serious about video editing, I would highly recommend Sony Vegas Pro Version 8.0 (current version as of 2/08) or later.

I got this camera as soon as it came out. I'm extremely happy with how small and light it is i can carry it around in a coat pocket and record easily. The pre-record function is very nice, especially if you don't want to be recording all the time.

Video editing was a little sluggish, but that's not hte camera's fault just takes a lot of muscle to edit HD video. I started out with the included software (Pinnacle 11 trial) with a Quad-core 2.4Ghz machine with 2GB of ram, 800mhz FSB, and the computer just about died. I upgrade the RAM to 3GB and it is still sluggish but works. So definately should make sure you have a FAST computer.

I would agree with other reviewers that having the HDMI port behind the battery is bad. Also, you ahve to have the camera on AC power to move video from the card to the computer. Otherwise, you can just unplug the SD card and plug it straight into the computer througha card reader seems to be alot faster that way anyhow.

Battery life seems pretty good, especially since you are using the LCD screen all the time. Which, by the way, even in bright sunlight is very visisble.

Overall, very happy with the camera, and looking forward to taking lots of videos of our upcoming newborn. But i will definately be looking to upgrade the software package to get better editing.

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This camera is great! I have had this camera for 3 months... The highlights include great HD video quality, very straight forward usage, very good and easy SD to DVD transfer software and tiny size. You can take the SD card out and pop it right into your PS3 for immediate HD playback. You can also use the software to create same quality HD-DVDs on DVD-R-DL discs that hold 1 hour each. Buy the 8GB SD card to match 1 hour of DVD-R-DL. I thought that the price was good at $800 for this camera and now I see that it's less than $600. Buy it you will want to send me a thank you note after you get it... (but it's really not me you should thank I thank panasonic for coming up with this winner).

PS. While some people here complain about the low light performance, I think that they should really read the manual... They probably tried the Low Light mode (which really isn't very good)... they just need to switch to manual mode and open up the iris a couple of notches (1 switch move + 4 clicks) , it's very quick and easy to do with this camera and then the low light videos will be good and the camera will also stop playing with the white balance as is commonly an issue with indoor video camcorder shooting).

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic HDC-SD9 AVCHD 3CCD Flash Memory High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabiliz Here

There are already several very good reviews here, so I'll only hit on a few points that should be emphasized:

1.) Very small and light; almost unbelievably so. This camera is already getting much more use than our older one simply because it fits easily into my wife's purse or a fanny pack.

2.) Quick startup. I haven't timed it, but the startup is so quick that many spontaneous events, which you'd usually miss, get recorded.

3.) Removable SD card. Very easy for transferring files to the PC for editing or backup. My wife and kids love the ability to shoot something, remove the SD card, plug it into the PlayStation 3, and watch it. DON'T pay for the built-in 16gb memory; it costs too much, but more importantly you lose considerable ease of use.

4.) Awful low-light performance. The camera works like a dream in bright light, but suks donkey b*lls in anything less; It does work, but the quality is barely acceptable. I really really hope that a company will some day realize there are consumers who are willing to pay a significant premium for high-quality low-light performance in consumer (small and easy to use) camera.

5.) Almost too light. The image stabilization is barely adequate offset how much this thing bounces around. I guess everything is a tradeoff (see point #1)

All-in-all a wonderful camera as long as it's used within its limits. The low average score really represents the poor state of AVCHD editing software and, to some extent, the camera's poor low-light performance; it seriously mis-states the quality and usefulness of this camera.

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I purchased this camera from a B&M store (sorry Amazon) and since I always use Amazon reviews in my evaluation of new products, I wanted to leave an update for those of you looking at this camera and are concerned about software. There are plenty of reviews out there on performance, size, etc....read those for that info. This is specific to software and importing.

Several reviewers have stated that the footage from this camera is not editable. Up until recently, this was true.

iMovie 08 does not yet support this camera's files. There are rumors swirling that Apple is close to releasing an update to take care of this. Given Steve Job's personal endorsement of AVCHD and Panasonic at recent Keynotes, I don't doubt this will be addressed. That said, folks have said that a product called VoltaicHD can be used to process the .mts files into .MOV files. This software costs $30 but a trial is available.

Another reviewer said that the included trial software, Pinnacle Studio Plus, does not handle the files either. As installed from the CD, this is true. However, go to the Pinnacle website and look for the latest update. After updating to 11.1.2 (you can do this while still using the trial, just bypass the product registration), Pinnacle is able to process, edit and export the .mts files. I have successfully exported to MPEG2, MPEG4 and DiVx from Studio Plus.

The reason for 4/5 stars it is only trial software and right now there is only the single software package out there that handles it. It should be expected that you will need *some* purchased editing software to edit enhanced codecs such as this but only having one to choose from is a little limited.

Other than the software/editing hiccups, this camera is destined to be a terrific addition to my family.

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4-Port (4x1) HDMI v1.3 Certified Switch with 6ft Cable - Supports Blu-Ray, PS3, Xbox, HD-DVD, HD-DV

I took a chance on this switch considering it had not been reviewed yet. so let me start by letting people know about the performance of this unit. The switch itself is small and compact remote is smaller than a crdit card, I have the switch connected to the following in this order

1. Mitsubishi hd1500 projector

2. Toshiba A30 HD player

3. Sony Playstation 3 80(GB)

4. Directv hd reciever

So after 3 weeks I haven't had any problems with this unit. great performance Great price!

Have been using this little hdmi box for a couple of weeks. My tv had only 1 input and I had a dvd player, hp media smart, and hdtv tuner to connect to it. The unit has lights on it and the remote works great from a distance. I am about 12 feet from my tv, and it works with no problems. I like the lights so I can see if the inputs are changing, since the tv does not respond instantly when switching hdmi inputs. I highly recommend this box.

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Works well on my Panasonic plasma. Did not want to use the front hdmi input. Nice and compact also. I use the rear hdmi 1 input to switch between dvr 1, dvr 2 and the cable box. I use the hdmi 2 input for my blueray player. So small you hardly know it is there. Nice product.

Read Best Reviews of 4-Port (4x1) HDMI v1.3 Certified Switch with 6ft Cable - Supports Blu-Ray, PS3, Xbox, HD-DVD, HD-DV Here

I use this Switch with my PS3 and Xbox360. My Logitech Harmony Remote was easy to setup with the switch.

I was hesitant to purchase an Automatic Hdmi switch in the event I left one console on while swapping to another. With a Macro remote, you don't even notice the switch.

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We just connected this unit to our TV, using 2 ports, 1 for the HD set top box and 1 for the PS3. We have video on the set top box but no audio. When we switch to the PS3, no picture or sound. This is really frustrating! We were really looking forward to this unit, based on the reviews. Any one have similar experiences?

Personal 3d Viewer Sony Japan Import

• Truly immersive 2D and 3D1 movies and gaming
• Virtual 51 Headphones for surround sound
• The equivalent of a personal 150 inch movie screen
• Dual HD OLED Displays for outstanding image quality
• Adjustable for comfort for virtually all head shapes and sizes

Guys, here's my personal take of this item thus far from (total) of 3 hours playing with the unit at the Sony Store:

1. It's VERY EXTREMELY EASY to put this unit on, take it off and putting it on again.

2. Playing 2D materials, both 16:9 and 21:9, the screen appears to be slightly larger than when they're playing 3D. Why? I don't know

3. Using QTEC FPD blu-ray, it shows no visible colour shift between 0 IRE to 100 IRE test pattern

4. There is slight red push but not the point of distraction.

5. I played 24p movies, and the display seems to play it properly, there is no OSD shown on the prototype HMZ-T1 so I don't know whether it's doing 2:3 pulldown properly or doing 5:5 or 3:3.

6. For the demo HMZ-T1, it seems like there is no MotioFlow/CineFlow activated, no video-look at all

7. Both static and motion resolution shows approx 700 lines (according to the QTEC FPD blu-ray).

8. The black level is amazing although I can still see that it's not completely black. With brightness control I'm pretty sure that the black level can be brought down a bit more.

9. White is very close to calibrated white (warm-ish white) without noticable clipping.

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BRIEF -

The 'Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer' is surely one of the most futuristic gadgets that is currently available on the market, it most definitely has a Star Trek if not Cyclops from X-Men kinda look to it, maybe something that doesn't quite belong in this current space of time, but nevertheless it is and boy was I excited

The items included in the whole package are:

01) Head Mounted Display (HMD).

02) Processor Unit.

03) AC Power Cord.

04) HDMI Cable (3D Compatible).

05) Light Blocker (Left & Right piece).

06) Headband Strap Clip.

07) Connecting Cord Holder.

08) Thin, Medium & Thick Forehead Supporters.

09) Forehead Supporter Cover.

10) Reference & Start-Up Guide.

SET-UP -

There are two parts into setting this device up; the first part is connecting your HD device to the viewer, that was the easy part and to be honest doesn't take more than a minute, it's the second part where you have to configure it to your head which at first is the more challenging part.

Connecting the devices really is as simple as counting "1, 2, 3"; make sure all devices (the HD device you want to connect & the processing unit) are powered on via the appropriate AC power cords, plug the HDMI lead from the HD devices HDMI "Out" into the processing units HDMI "In", then plug the HMD's cable into the HMD port located at the front of the processing unit, it really is that simple. If you're wondering what the "Out" part is for on the processing unit, basically you can connect the "Out" to a TV's "IN" so when the HMD is on standby, the processing unit will send the audio/video signals to the TV instead (when the pass-through option is enabled).

To view pictures on both the HMD & TV, this will require an HDMI splitter, however be cautious if trying to view 3D content at the same time of the TV if the TV is not 3D compatible, so if it isn't, I would recommend sticking to 2D content whilst using the splitter, otherwise just connect it directly to the HMD.

The next part is the most important and will determine whether you'll get fantastic viewing results, or trashy blurriness. You need to make sure that not only are the lenses in focused with your eyes, but also the HMD having a snug fit on your head and there is barely any pressure on your nose. The easiest way I went around this is by firstly making sure the HMD is on, this is because you get a "Welcome" message which is great to use to make sure your eyes are focused. Start by unclipping the straps and make sure the sides are extended to as far as they can go, then use your hands to adjust the HMD whilst switching the focus around to get the writing as focused as you can. Don't forget there are different sized forehead pads, if you feel like you're not getting the best results, don't hesitate to change them around. Once you believe you have the optimum level, whilst having one hand to support the HMD, use the other to tighten up the straps and push them in further to get a snug fit, once done, adjust the headphones until you are satisfied. This may take awhile like it did me, or it might take a few minutes, just have patience and eventually you will get it right. Once done, go through the options on the viewer, when done you will finally be seeing whatever interface is set by your HD device.

For those who are using it with a PS3 and did not have it connected to a 3DTV previously, you may want to go through the "Display" settings again and re-configure the HDMI settings, this way you will make sure the PS3 has 3D enabled.When viewing content through the HMD, you can also access the HMD options by pressing the "MENU" button, this will give an variety of options ranging from:

1) Information; Identifies input signals (Video/Audio) from the current device connected.

2) 3D Settings; Change from Auto 3D settings, to "Over-Under" & "Side by Side" 3D settings.

3) Display; Change picture mode from vivid to cinema, adjust the brightness, colour temperature. sharpness and more.

4) Sound; Change settings from standard, game, cinema or music & adjust the treble and bass.

5) General Settings; Set password, enable HDMI pass-through, control for HDMI, power & language options.If you want to adjust the sound volume, this can be done by pressing either buttons located just above the "MENU" button.

EXPERIENCE -

Using this viewer is literally like watching a film or playing a game in a hugely sized cinema screen, but for your own personal use, it's a weird yet awesome sensation that is one to be personally experienced.

The very first piece of content I viewed through this device was Tangled 3D and I can assure you my mind was blown into another dimension just by seeing the title screen, never mind the actual film, it was like seeing 3D for the first time all over again... but better! The 3D had no ghosting at all, the colours were full and vibrant... it was just perfect, absolutely perfect. I've seen 3D films at cinemas with the polarized glasses, and I've seen 3D films on 3DTV's using active shutter, even on the Nintendo 3DS and I can safely say this 3D viewer would win hands down in any competition these other 3D experiences could dish out.

Tron 3D was to follow, but this time I had watched the whole film as the previous one I was skipping through to check out the 3D effects. Tron 3D was really enjoyable, but it soon came to my attention that needed a break now and then was worthwhile, not in the sense of my eyes getting funny, but rather the pressure on my head I was feeling, after all the device weighs 2lb and after time it adds up, for me in this circumstance I was laying down and had a 10 minute break after 1 hour of watching the film. This obviously for some people may be an annoyance, but for me it didn't bother me too much, this may be due to the fact I had been enjoying myself so much, if it required a break now and then so be it! I also tried several games in 3D; Super Stardust HD, Mortal Kombat, Batman: Arkham Asylum & Call of Duty: Black Ops. Stardust & Arkham Asylum were definitely my favourites, it added a whole new depth to the gameplay as well as making them feel like a whole new game, you feel fully immersed and with the top-notch quality the headphones provide, this really is the ultimate gaming experience.

So what about 2D games? Well, I've played Battlefield 3 multiplayer and am more than satisfied with the results, you can see enemies more clearly, hear the surroundings clearer, the explosions sound amazing, and weirdly although being in a 2D game, you get a slightly more depth to the game than you would by playing on a TV. The best part was flying a jet in the cockpit, whizzing through the skies, if you're a Battlefield fan, you need this device! Another thing to add was the experience playing Modern Warfare 3, I honest believed it was a 3D game but it actually isn't, it gave me a really good depth of field which made it seem 3D, this is due to the having screens for both eyes. :)

POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENTS -

Whilst the experience has been fantastic, there were a view issues I would like to point out:

1) Headphones: Audio quality is fantastic, but they aren't noise cancelling so people around can hear what you are viewing depending on certain sound volumes, it would be great to see noise cancelling headphones for future models!

2) Prolonged comfortability: For short-medium terms of use, using this HMD is comfy, but for extended use pressure can amount onto your forehead and can be uncomfortable. When sitting upright, around the 30 minute mark you may want to have a 10-minute break, or if you're lying down, you could possible extend that to an hour+, to be able to watch a full featured film without any breaks would make this product even better!

3) Easier to connect light blockers: For most people, the light blockers whilst connected to the viewer make it really hard to put the HMD on, but if you try to connect them whilst you have the HMD on, it's just as hard, this needs to be improved, but I'm fine without them.

As for the next idea's, these are merely just something I would like to see in future models:

1) In-built Bluetooth headset; so people who play PS3's can talk to their friends whilst playing.

2) Head-tracking (if compatible); There was a PS2 HMD version in Japan which had a head-tracking feature which allows the user to have sweeping views of the surroundings.

3) Detachable headphones; this will give people an option to use their surround sound instead. Having an optical out would be useful in this scenario, however the main device (i.e. PS3 or Blu-ray player), should have one anyway.

4) Optional wireless connectivity; At the moment, the wire is completely fixed to the viewer, if in future models they can make this rechargeable and wireless, but with the option to still connect it via wire, this will increase the movability for users.

They were just a few idea's that I'd personally think would make this product better.

OVERALL -

What can I say? Personally, it's been & still is giving me the best personal 2D/3D film/gaming experience I have ever had, it really defines home entertainment to a whole new level and would like to thank Sony for making such device available on the market! This obviously comes with a high price tag which I hope to see will drop down in the near future and also the fact it's a one person at a time experience, and when you're showing off the device you will not only have to reconfigure it, but you will also have to redo it again when your using it again yourself.

Although the sound & image quality this device delivers to me is perfect, sadly the device isn't, it has a few bits that need improving for future models before it becomes perfect but in my eyes it's still the best personal home entertainment device currently available on the market and that's why this still gets top marks from me and I would recommend it to anyone who can get their hands on one!

Read Best Reviews of Personal 3d Viewer Sony Japan Import Here

Summary: If it is comfortable for your particular head, this is an impressive and immersive device. If not, no amount of cool can make up for the pain.

I spent some time watching IMAX Hubble 3D and playing Wipeout HD in 3D, both with my PS3. Here is my take.

Picture: Overall picture was very good. Good colors, great brightness, and dark blacks. The only downside was that for me, I could see the pixels at 720p. Other reviewers have said that it is not noticeable to them, but for me it was always there. This would not have been a deal breaker, however, because in spite of the resolution, the picture was immersive and impressive enough to make up for it.

3D: 3D is fantastic on this device. I do not agree with other reviewers who think that the 3D lacks "pop." This is how 3D should be. Besides lacking crosstalk, the picture is realistic and immersive not distracting.

Sound: Meh. Not good, not terrible. This could really use the ability to use your own headphones. How about an aux. out Sony?

Comfort: I tried for a very long time to find the right combination of forehead pad and tightness to make this comfortable. While keeping the viewer in a position that the picture was clear, I could not succeed. For me, the viewer went from very comfortable to downright painful over 45 minutes of use. There was far too much pressure on both my forehead and the back of my head when I tightened the viewer enough that it would stay put in the correct position. If I loosened the device, it would slide down and hurt my nose.

With sadness, I sent mine back. If it was more comfortable, I would be happy to pay $800 for this type of experience as the only alternative method of producing a similar experience in your home is to pay at least $4k for a quality 3D projector and screen. Far more if you need an AVR and surround sound system.

I recommend trying this out at a Sony store if possible (try one with straps, because many at the stores have the straps removed and you just hold it to your head). If you can't, make sure the store you buy from has a good return policy. For those of you who happen to have a head shape that works with this device, I recommend it. For everyone else, you will have to wait.

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Being an engineer, it took me a while to muster up the courage (and funds) to purchase this item. It being so much out-of-stock only fueled my desire. Reading the reviews I weighed the trade offs and took the plunge.

Let me start with the issues in previous reviews:

Yes, the design is NOT comfortable, maybe this was a poke yoke decision by SONY to limit the time to use it. A bit on the heavy side, with the ergonomics geared toward the small headed (nuyk nuyk). It did give me a stamp of approval on my forehead visible for at least 15 minutes after use (the recomended break time per hour).

Set up does take some time, and even after that, ever time you use be prepared for a 1-2 minute mini setup.

Now, for what I did not find in the glowing reviews:

The lenses in front of the screens are flexible to optimize clearity. Unfortunatly, this includes a design flaw where if you set them too far apart, there are gaps that allow dust to seep in between the lenses and the screens. An area you can NOT reach to clean. So now I have to store the visor in an air vaccumm when not in use.

The lenses themselves are concave to allow clear viewing of screens so close to the eye. This makes the sides of the picture blurry (like those submarine windows, clear in the middle, foggy all around). This may not be a problem for movies but I could not read a single trophy description I got playing my PS3.

I will not state the good points as many have (and you can find them in the product description). But I will say this:

This is an awesome product, that provides a getaway from reality with near total immersion (try mimicing head movments while moving your view in FPS games, WOW!). But like all Silent Hill games, you can only maintain that jump to the 'other' world for a short period before crashing back to the real world with a migrane.

I've tried a number of head-mounted displays (HMD's) at stores, trade shows, etc, and the one thing I they never get right is the fact that the screen feels like it's an inch away from your eyeball, and it causes strain.

While on vacation in Tokyo I went to the Sony Showroom and was pretty impressed when I demoed it. There is a real feeling of depth as to to where the screen was it felt like I was sitting in the middle row a big-screened (but not quite IMAX) theater. Of course, you can say that's no different than sitting six feet away from 60-inch flatscreen, but your eyes can tell when you're sitting that close to something.

They showed the trailer for The Amazing Spider-man, and the resolution did seem slightly lower than what I would see in a theater (it's 720p as opposed to 1080p), and at least once I saw some trails in the picture when the action went pretty quickly. That said, during the first-person sequence at the end, I did feel it in my stomach. The 3D was there, but not too noticeable. I don't know if that was because the device or if parts of the movie were shot in 2D and later converted to 3D.

As of this writing, I've only seen it priced for Japan at around $800. This will be awfully tempting, but I haven't made my mind up yet. It'll also be interesting to see what people will do with this for virtual reality software, whether it be with a head tracking mouse or a Kinect hack.

UPDATE 7/2/12

I've owned this for about four months now, and I love it. The biggest issue was comfort, and it took A) a lot of fiddling around with the settings and b) ordering a third-party accessory that allowed for extra padding. Should Sony have had that extra padding? Yeah, they should have.

The 3-D is great, better than what you'll get with a 3-D TV. The sound is passable, but it's better when you use this as only the monitor. For games, racing and flight sim games are amazing.

It still has a few downsidesOlder DVD's don't look at nice, as you can start to really see their flaws, so you'll feel restricted to watching HD-only content. Also, it's not a very social platform. What I mean by that is, if you live someone and you're watching a movie on a couch, they won't exactly feel comfortable sitting in the same room and reading a magazine or something.

But, I'm happy, especially when comparing this to the price of a new TV.

Philips DVD727 Progressive-Scan DVD Player

• Plays DVD-Video, DVD+RW, DVD+R, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3-CD, VCD, S-VCD and Picture CD Format
• Picture CD with MP3-CD playback:Playback MP3's while viewing digital (JPEG) on TV
• Offers progressive-scan output with 3:2 pulldown for distortion-free viewing of 24 fps movies
• Optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs pass Dolby Digital and DTS surround signals
• PAL-to-NTSC format conversion--great for viewing non-region-encoded European discs

I replaced my older Pioneer DVD player with this one and trust me guys, it's awesome. And I definitely don't mean that it's just awesome for this price. Plays every single DVD and even the clumsiest of VCDs that even my PC wouldn't even read. As a test drive, I copied a single .dat video file on a slow CD-RW and this baby played it oh-so-smoothly. In short, being packed with features like built-in picture and sound controls, 32x FF, optical out, 5 disc resume, and DTS render this model a "must-go-for". I got mine from Singapore a month back and my DVD viewing habits have gone from bad to worse eversince.

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This unit plays EVERYTHING.. including VCD/SVCD/Raw MPEG/MP3/WMA files off of RECORDED DVD's and CD's. This is the best thing about this unit. I could not find any other player that would do this. Skipping from file to file and scanning thru files is a breeze, even with 100+ VCD files on a single DVD-R disc.

The PAL->NTSC and back conversion on the fly is also flawless!

Picture quality on DVD's is very very good.. much better than expected for a [the price] DVD player. Menu and remote are easy to use as well.

Only complaint is the coaxial digital audio output has to be switched back and forth to get audio from DVD's or regular mpeg audio files.. but using the Optical output doesn't have this problem.

This unit appears to be made from the same Chinese manufacturer that used to make the old Apex units (AD-600a), although I could be wrong on that.

Either way, it's a great "Plays Everything" unit that doesn't seem to sacrifice video quality.

Highly Recommended!

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I am orgianly from Europe and have a 1 year old daughter. I was looking at several DVD Players, so I could play for her some Children DVD's in our native language as well as other languages.

This is the BEST buy!!! The quality, features and picture are excellent. And the ultimate Bonus, it plays any DVD from anywhere in the world.

Region free hack is simple:

Just open the tray , press 9999 and 0 from the remote with pauses between every digit. You will see Region 0 on the screen and you are all set to play any DVD from any region!!!

You don't even need a special TV. Just connect it and your are set to go.

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This puppy can oversample at a 4X rate -meaning it can read ahead of the data stream and anticipate/correct variances before you are even aware there was a problem. Add to everything else written here about its features. I just burn plain ole MPEGS and this baby has no issues. Nice internal volume and picture settings for special tweaking. All region hack capable. And LORDY they even include BOTH optical and coax audio out-a simple necessity which the Panasonic chowderheads apparently neglected in rushing to promote their soon to be outdated DVD-RAM format. As the long-time tech leader in Europe with its inherent multiple, incompatible formats, Philips has always demonstrated a technical flexibility with media it plays DVD+R/RW also.

WARNING! Do NOT use the Philips upgrade disc (found at their website)with their earlier models as this effectively froze my beautiful 724 player and I have read others also having this happen to theirs. On the bright side, Philips is exchanging this despite being almost a year old! I am impressed-so far.

I ordered it Sunday, it arrived Friday (same week)by standard shipping. I had it hooked up via Digital Coax and 3-Component video in less than 10 minutes. Picture and Sound are great! I set it to Region 0 (i.e it plays DVDs from Europe and Asia. Even the ones that don't say "All Regions". I have a bunch of German DVDs). The Region 0 setting is not described in the manual.

Open the tray, type 9 9 9 9 0 slowly on the remote. Then it played the DVDs no problem.

The start-up time (on to playing the picture) is a litte longer than my previous player, but not very annoying.

Overall I love it!

Samsung NV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Advance Shake Reduction

This is a great great unit. I say unit because it is so much more than a camera. But make no mistake, this is also a great camera. This is my second digital camera and suits my needs perfectly. I was looking for a compact camera with true optical zoom to take on my bike rides. The addition of an MP3 player, personal media player (to play DVDs) , voice recorder and text viewer were nice pluses. Let me first talk about the many camera features since this was the most important to me.

All the controls are logical and easy to use once you get past the initial learning curve. Point and shoot...no problem...turn the dial to the clearly marked green AUTO, press the shutter half way to focus and all the way to shoot....nice picture...rich in colors, clear, focused ...perfect. Need to zoom...press up on the zoom...it automatically stops before the digital zoom. The zoom setting shows on the screen with a slider. Need more zoom...push up again for another 5x digital zoom. I've found the digital zoom to work quite well...nice pictures...not too much noise. Focus is a breeze, there is a nice box in the middle of the screen which turns green and beeps when the camera is in focus. The camera turns on quickly and is ready for another shot shortly after the first....much faster than my other digital camera (HP-R717).

So...you want more control...use the scene mode. Turn the dial to scene and press the OK button ...lots of scene types to choose from (sunset, portrait, landscape...etc. no panorama though). Oh and when you turn the dial, the wheel shows on screen clearly showing you which mode you are in....you don't need to look at the writing on the dial....nice...particularly if you need reading glasses like I do.

Want to get really fancy, try the program mode. In this mode you can try the many "effects" programmed into the camera. These include...composite (select from 4 different types of composite pictures...I like this effect a lot), photo frame (a fanciful set of boarders that can frame your picture ...nice fun), color pallet (change the picture to black and white, sepia, red hue, blue hue, green hue or negative), highlight (sharpen the focus and blur the rest of pre-selected portions of the picture). Or perhaps you want to adjust the exposure...hit the +/button and change at will. You can also change the RGB balance, ISO from 80 to 1000 or the white balance.

In all camera modes you can select macro or super macro mode. These modes open a whole new world of photography for you, allowing you to get in very close to your subject. Want to take pictures of ants...no problem.

Turn the dial to anti shake mode and take two pictures...one with flash and one without. Both pictures are displayed simultaneously along with a zoomed in view and you can select which one you want to keep. Alternately, you can just take the photo without the flash and see only one picture.

Once your picture is taken it is simple to add a voice comment. You can also zoom in on the picture, crop it and even remove red eye if there is any. The red eye removal works very well most of the time and frankly I haven't seen that this camera generates much to begin with.

So now you've got lots of pictures and want to see a slide show. You can select the interval (1sec, 3sec, 5 sec, 10 sec), transitions and play or repeat play....you can't select the starting photo...all are shown. You can even add music of your choice to the show...turn the dial to MP3 first and a push of the button or two and you are there. Unfortunately the camera doesn't rotate pictures for you automatically and though you can manually rotate them, they don't stay rotated. Not a big issue though.

The flash is a marvel in that it can light up large areas...very powerful. I recently took many outdoor Christmas light pictures and was very pleased with the results. One thing I did notice is occasionally the presence of small white spheres in the picture as a result of the flash hitting dust particles in the air. I actually like the effect of this. It doesn't happen all the time so if you don't like it, you can just retake the picture.

Want to take a movie, turn the magic dial to movie press the shutter once to start and once to stop. You can zoom in and out with ease and it doesn't corrupt the sound. I've only tried the low resolution movie mode but there are also higher resolution modes to choose from. The movies are not bad and the sound pick up is very sensitive.

Uploading pictures is easy. Just plug in the USB cable (which also charges your camera....nice), press the shutter and connection is established. The included computer image manipulation software has many bells and whistles and serves me well. You will be very happy with the quality of the pictures. I've no doubt that other cameras take equally good pictures, but I doubt other cameras have all the features of this one.

OK, now that we've established that this is a capable full featured digital camera lets talk about all the other features.

I've got a 2 gig card loaded with my favorite music. The MP3 mode lets me listen to music either on headphones or through the built in stereo speakers. I have to admit I was skeptical about the speakers before I heard them. I was very pleasantly surprised to find how good and loud they sound. Many different sound stages are included so you can adjust the sound texture to your liking. You can select between random play or repeat play or single play or ...etc. You can organize your music into different folders but it won't traverse folders while in play. This means random play only works within a folder. Of course with enough memory you can combine all your music into one folder as well as keeping it in separate folders, then you can random play from the combined folder for a broad selection of random play.

So there you are riding along on your bike, listening to your favorite music and you feel the urge to snap a quick picture....just push the shutter and snap it without missing a beat. You won't have all the features and options available for taking the picture but big deal. If you want it all just turn the dial to the picture mode of your choice and snap away....turn it back to MP3 and start listening to the same music selection...very easy. Pausing and skipping music are also easy, requiring only one button push.

You're stuck in an airport or car and need entertainment....turn the dial to PMP and watch your favorite DVD movie. This requires a bit of preparation in that you first need to convert your DVD to and AVI file format (there are many software packages on the internet that do this). Then convert the AVI to a format the NV3 can play using the included Digimax converter. A full DVD shrinks to about 200meg or so...way cool. I've got several stored on my 2 gig card.

So there you have it, a truly versatile camera/entertainment center. You will find new ways and opportunities to use this unit's many features. I love it and so will you.

Very good picture quality. Very small and easy to carry around. The mp3 quality is good and even the speakers do a decent job considering the size of the device. A few minor complaints. The flash in auto mode flashes twice so your unaware subject will move after the first one and ruin the photograph. There is no problem with the other modes. Beware if you have a mac. I haven't been able to figure out how to put video on the thing which is not what I really bought it for so who cares. The mp3 function works fine with a mac and uploading pictures is no problem through iPhoto. In conclusion: A great little camera that is perfect for going out and decent for mp3's (great value for the money by the way). Video format needs to be reworked for mac but should work well with Windows.

Buy Samsung NV3 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom with Advance Shake Reduction Now

After reading all the reviews and comments on the web, I went for it and I'm very happy with it. OK, maybe it's not in the very topmost notch for pic quality compared to bigger pricier cams but at 7.2mp, and in this small size, the pic quality is right up there... According to most of the testimony on the web it's as good or better than others in it's class.

Everything works as advertised. Video & sound totally in sync... mp3 playback excellent with earbuds provided. Experiment with the 7 modes (jazz, classical, etc.) to find your preference... they really make a big difference. Text function works fine. Once you get past the initial learning curve, all the functions are sensible and intuitive. Hint: If it seems to be hung up, just flick the main thumb dial to the next mode and back again... that'll clear any hang-ups! I've had no real problems up and downloading anything once I figured it out. Create 3 files on your k-disk: mp3, PMP, and TEXT... and fill them accordingly... it'll work out fine.

I have a 2 gig card and haven't had any problems yet but Samsung only guarantees it with 1 gig... You might want to start with 1-gig, and after awhile if you find you want more space, just get another 1-gig card... that could be an alternative way to go. But I haven't seen any evidence on the web of people having problems with 2-gig... so... it's your call. One reviewer here complained about the automatically-charging-while-cabled-to-your-PC issue... I'm not an expert but from what I've researched this is NOT problematic because a lithium-ion battery(which the NV3 has)apparently doesn't have the charging-memory difficulties that the (older) ni-cads do. So, in fact, the automatic-charging seems to be a GOOD thing!

It's rugged. I've dropped/slammed mine a few times with no problems(use the wrist strap!). If you like multifunction gizmos, you won't be disappointed. It's the future now. Looks classy and sharp. Works great. (I carry mine in my pocket in a little form-fitting cloth bag I made in 20 minutes.) If you're asking me... it's very cool, highly portable (small, 5 oz.)and well worth the money especially if you're on the go a lot and like to have a good-quality cam and music with you most of the time. It also sports a decent-quality built-in mic which can record long audio segments in WAV files which line up in order in the memory just as the pics do... this is a very useful function to have along with you too!

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This little camera is great at capturing the wonderful moments of my little boy growing up. I love that I can carry it in my pocket or purse and will never miss anything. The video quality is awesome too! I agree with the PP that the flash can mess up some pictures as the subjects move after the first flash, but it's a minor glitch.

I'm so happy with this camera. I've really enjoyed the Red-eye reduction mode on the camera. Makes for editing a lot quicker.

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Well....this was my first camera ever and I do attest accurately that the advertisement holds VERY TRUE for most of the features. The picture quality is fantastic, the special editing the camera is capable of (built-in templates), and the different modes that the camera can be positioned to take photos.

One weakness I do want to point out is that it could be hard to determine which mode to take the appropriate picture in (outdoors, bad lighting etc). Therefore, I STRONGLY urge you to read the instructions which state, "Please experiment with this camera before taking photos" (basically I paraphrased it).

Other than that, this camera rocks!!! Advantages outweigh the disadvantages by far.

Olympus KA-333 Compaticord, Connects Earphone or Headphone Jack Output to Mic Input Jack

I bought this to transfer my phone recordings from my Olympus VN-7000 digital recorder to my WD external hard drive.

My Steps:

1. I just connect one end of the cable to the microphone of my digital recorder and the other end to the speaker of my laptop.

2. I use the free software version of Audacity to transfer my recording (press the record button on the digital recorder & click the record icon in Audacity menu--and voila!)

3. Once my recording is complete, I just choose from the Audacity software to save it as a ".wav" file, and I save it to my external hard drive.

I have an Olympus LS-7, a hand-held digital recorder capable of recording two channels in high quality audio formats. It has built-in stereo mics, but I wanted to record a direct feed from my performance mixer and the only external input jack takes microphone-level signals.

This cable allowed me to directly connect the line-level outputs from my mixer to the microphone-leve inputs on my digital recorder.

The only problem is that, being black like all my other cables, it's hard to pick out from the crowd. I'm going to have to figure out a good way to label it as a special cable so I don't lose it among all my others.

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I own an Olympus DM 420 digital voice recorder. Before buying this KA 333 connection cord I wanted to be sure that it would do the job of recording files to and from the voice recorder. Olympus tech support says that it will. I will now buy the cord and give it a try. After I use the cord, I plan to review for you how the product actually preforms in real life.

I've written below the information that I got from . I found this information in the FAQ section for their DS-2 model. I called the company and clarified that the KA 333 cord would accomplish the same function for the DM-420 and DM-520 models. Tech support said yes it would.

FAQ Is it possible to transfer recordings from other electronic audio devices using a connecting cord?

Audio recordings can be transferred to and from the DS-2, (DM-420, DM 520 and possibly other models,) by connecting to the other device with the KA333 Connecting Cord. The cord has 3.5mm male plugs at each end. To export from the voice recorder, plug one end of the cord into the voice recorder EAR jack and the other end into the receiving devices MIC jack. To import into the voice recorder, plug one end of the cord into the MIC jack, and the other end into the sending devices' earphone jack.

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I needed the cord right away, within a day or so. It came a day before I needed it and yet I was sure it would arrive much later. Fast, Excellent service. I will use them again as needed.

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Supersonic MP3/CD Player with iPod Docking, USB/SD/AUX Inputs, Cassette Recorder & AM/FM Radio

• MICRO-SYS,IPHONE DOCK,RAD
• CD/MP3,CASSETTE,USB/SD

Really did not believe it would sound this good at this price. Absolutely the best buy I have made in a long time. Will definitely be adding an extended Square Trade Warranty soon. We leave it on a dresser, turn it on, change tracks, change input, adjust volume, all by remote. This remote does everything except have a timer to turn it off after you fall asleep. Works and sounds great. Might have to buy a back-up at this price, just to be on the safe side.

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It's not easy to find a cassette recorder / cd player anymore. This offers both, and has a quiet, discreet design that actually looks good on a shelf (not the garish overblown monster design of other units). I'm not embarrassed to have this sitting on my shelf where people can see it.

The USB slot is a great addition it offers hours of music that you customized yourself!

The frequency response is narrower than higher-priced units like the $350 Yamaha shelf system, but the sound is clear and crisp from the cd. We've enjoyed listening to it. The radio tuner is weak. We live in town, and all the stations have a strong signal, and this thing always had the distortion that comes from being slightly off-signal. That's disappointing, but at this price you have to accept that it's a good cd player, probably a good USB player, but a poor radio.

Sony makes better cd / cassettes. USB players are available without the older technology. This brings it all together in one package, though with some poor results. Other reviews say this will fail in a few months. I'll write another reveiw in a while and report on its condition then.

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The volume knob was broken off out of the box. I went to glue it back on but it was obvious that a piece of the post had completely broken off. No sign of the piece anywhere making me wonder if it was knowingly shipped that way. My son threw away the box so I guess he is stuck using the remote for volume control.

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I bought this little "boombox" (with detatchable speakers) to use at band rehearsals when we want to listen to previous recordings of songs we're "covering," whether on CD or audio cassette or mp3 files. The quality is adequate to hear the essentials, although I wouldn't use the unit for careful study of important recordings. The controls are largely cheaply-made mechanical buttons, etc., but that's what I expected at this price.

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This unit is very cheaply made for what i paid for it does not hold the station and the signal is very weak