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

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

1x RCA Composite Video Subwoofer Digital Coax S/PDIF Patch Cable 6 feet 6ft

1x RCA Composite Video Subwoofer Digital Coax S/PDIF Patch Cable 6 feet 6ftDon't buy. I purchased this to use as a subwoofer connection from my home theater system. After installing, I pushed the subwoofer back in place, maybe a few inches and very lightly and the prong on the inside of this cord broke off in my subwoofer. It looks like the prong was made of plastic with a layer of "gold" over top.

Works as needed. No issue. Had to replace the subwoofer cable ona radio I just bought. Fit perfectly and is currently playing. Still haven't turned the volume to max, don't want to disturb the downstairs neighbor.

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Friday, October 24, 2014

Samsung DVD-C350 DVD Player (Black)

Samsung DVD-C350 DVD Player
  • Super-scan playback
  • Advanced 14-bit video DAC
  • EZView Letter Box Eliminator
  • Multiple playback formats DVD, DVD±R, DVD±RW, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3, WMA, JPEG
  • Progressive scan output

This newly developed Samsung DVD is an unbelievably great DVD for only $35.00 including taxes and delivery. I was looking for the newest DVD players at a good price. My problem was there was not one review on this DVD player.

Great upconverting picture, sound, fast loading, reads and plays really bad discs that would skip or freeze on my old dvd/vcr player. Plays burned DVDs with no problems. Very easy to set up and hook up.

I bought this as a replacement for a refurbished Toshiba DVD player that only lasted 15 mos. I have used this DVD player for 1 day. The only problem is an incredibly small remote which is hard to read if you need reading glasses and no hdmi port.

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I bought this cheap DVD player for the bed-room.

In the living room we have a big HDTV, with an HDMI DVD player.... and lots of fancy shmancy stuff.

But in the bed room for my old standard def TV, I just wanted a cheap DVD player, and didnt care about HD or Blue-Ray.

I looked at a bunch on Amazon for under $50, and decided on this one.

So far so good!

I didnt care about Component Cables, or HDMI. I just wanted an old fashioned AV-out or Coaxial-out DVD player.

This unit is sleek looking, simple, light, and came with a small simple remote control. I set it up in literally 2 minutes, and was watching DVD's in bed!

I give it 5 stars.(So long as it doesnt break!)...(if it does I'll be sure to come change this review.)

So if your looking for a cheap, Non-HD, non-fancy DVD player, this is it.

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I rarely ever give anything one star.... but this one deserves it. From day 1 it was really slow to boot up, and after watching just a couple of movies, it would start skipping. I've never had to clean a DVD player so much! Even after cleaning sometimes it wouldn't work properly! I only wish I returned it the moment I got it. It's the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned.

Buyer Bewaretake another $10 and buy something worthy... I guess the old saying is trueyou get what you pay for!

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It started out fine, simple but seemed to work okay. In less than 3 weeks though every DVD I tried to play (retail DVDs, DVD-Rs & DVD-RWs) started skipping and distorting kinda of like when your cable or dish is acting up. possibly the worst electronic device I bought since ... well I honestly can't think of anything that was worse than this item. Buy at your own risk. I have a $40 DVD player I bought at Wal-Mart a year ago that is used an average of 4 hours daily that works great.

We purchased this Samsung DVD player and were very dissatisfied. First off, the remote control is TINY! It's about the same size as a small, travel-sized USB mouse for your laptop. Not a huge deal to me because I have good eyes and nimble fingers. But the player also experienced a lot of problems with invalid format errors. We have several DVDs we've burned ourselves and this player was unable to play many of them. Plus, even with our pristine, unscratched DVDs that were purchased from reliable retailers, the player would skip a lot. Rarely did we make it through an entire movie without the player skipping at least once or twice. We ended up returning it and exchanging it for a PIONEER DV-220V-K (which works great by the way).

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Video Inspection Borescope Endoscope Small LCD Camera

Video Inspection Borescope Endoscope Small LCD CameraBEWARE OF SELLER!! ElectroFlip never returned my money. I returned the product I bought from electroflip (I bought on amazon for $240) by mail 2 months after purchasing and after communicating with representative about the return. Because it was past the warranty date of 30 days, they offered me only $50 cash back or $60. I chose $50, lost $190. They never sent me my $50 like they said and it's been 3 months. Customer service will not return e-mails. I have sent 11 e-mails with no response. I have no PayPal credit. These guys are rip-offs!!! Beware: DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM ELECTROFLIP!! I lost $240 on it..please learn from my mistake.

Pros

The product is excellent, it has an excellent viewing angle and takes great videos with excellent voice recording.

Cons

Product does not come with instructions or memory card. Instructions can be viewed on the web and sd card has to be purchased separately, i would recommend at least a 8 gig card, it fills up rapidly!

The cigarette lighter charger is useless. Mine has disintegrated and i have had to be conducting repairs on it, presently i have not been able to use device for one week because charger has gone awry. The battery is supposed to give 3 hrs when charged, it doesnt, however it is a blc-5 battery that is used in some Nokia phones, so if u have one you can use it.

If there was not an issue with the charger, i would have given it a 5 star rating.

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Saturday, October 18, 2014

Teac W-890R-B Double Auto-reverse Cassette Deck (Black)

Teac W-890R-B Double Auto-reverse Cassette Deck
  • Variable Pitch Control
  • Bi-directional Double-deck Continuous Record/playback
  • Parallel Recording decks 1 & 2 simultaneously
  • Mic/Line Mixing Recording desks 1 & 2
  • Dobly B Noise Reduction HX Pro

This Teac double cassette deck is a replacement for a Denon unit that finally gave up the ghost after more than 10 years of service. Even though the price is similar to its predecessor, this unit is more sturdily built and has superior playback quality. I have a large collection of opera recordings, domestic and imported, which will be the job of this deck; for me it was an easier decision to upgrade the tape deck than to convert weeks worth of music to CDs, especially since so many are copy-protected and would have required a professional workaround.

Everything arrived in good shape, the Teac carton inside the larger, padded Amazon box. The multi-language manual is clear and easy to follow, and setup took just minutes, not hours. I have played back recordings in Normal, Chrome and Metal tape modes, and all three project solid bass; the latter two have a lot more bloom and extension on the high end. The Dolby noise reduction works just fine, so much so that I have to strain to discern any tape hiss at all. The adjustable reverse function works as advertised: you can play one cassette in both directions or set up a continuous loop so that each side plays in both directions--very helpful for three-hour operas. If one side is shorter than the other and there is prolonged quiet, you can always fast-forward to the end or just get up and take a snack or bathroom break while waiting for the next side to start up. Although recording will not be a big deal for me, everything is laid out logically and the keys are very responsive, as is the battery-powered remote control. The sound level meters and tape counters are easy to read, and there is a handy feature if you want to return to a particular song or passage. Just mark the spot by the count, click, and you get an encore. The manual suggests cleaning the heads and capstans every 10 hours of use with a bit of Isopropyl alcohol and a Q-Tip, so you want to be sure this deck is placed in an accessible location with good sightlines, so you can see what you're doing without a flashlight or standing on your head.

Certainly no complaints in terms of meeting my expectations, and better built than most I've seen, I'm looking to many more years of reliable service from this deck as I revisit my collection.

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After going through both of my old cassette decks, buying a used one from ebay and returning it.

I thought I would try the ion usb cassette deck, the tape dragged and the frequency response sucked. Sent it back too!

Now I have a great tape deck! This brings back the quality of deck that I was used to.

Smooth eject tape door, noise reduction, play and record from both sides, quality buttons all around.

BUY this deck, it is TOTALLY worth every penny.

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Like most Teac products it is 1st class quality. I use two of these for analog recording of live music and then transfer the final product to CD ( on another Teac product). The push button controls are smooth and accurate. It stops and starts instantly and I have used it to edit ( splice ) on occasion. The hi speed dubbing is outstanding. For analog recording this is the way to go.

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I AM ON A MISSION TO COPY MY LP'S AND CASSETTE TAPES OVER TO A DIGITAL FORMAT. MY OLD CASSETTE PLAYER DIED AWHILE BACK ON ME SO I SEARCHED AMAZON FOR CASSETTE DECKS STILL AVAILABLE. I OPTED FOR THE TEAC 890 AND I'M OFF AND RUNNING WITH MY CONVERSIONS. I ORDERED THE TEAC OVER AMAZON AND RECEIVED IT TWO DAYS BEFORE EXPECTING IT. VERY HAPPY WITH AMAZON AND VERY HAPPY WITH THE TAPE DECK.

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I found this recorder a great buy for the price. The price is worth the cassette/recorder/player. I never thought I could still buy a cassette recorder/player which sound great as a Cd. I would recommend this unit to my friends,without hesitation. Amazon can't be beat for the price and good customer service".....................

Friday, August 15, 2014

Mini DVR 640*480 30fps(RD15) chewing gum shaped with camera

Mini DVR 640*480 30fps(RD15) chewing gum shaped with cameraWindows 7 was successful in charging and interfacing with this device. It is a very cool little camera, with good battery life. Needs a microSD card to store the videos or pics onto (NOT included). Lights up when recording, so it is hard to keep inconspicuous. You can always cover the LEDS with black electric tape if you'd like. I also have the Keychain camera, but prefer this one. Video footage is good, for its size. Exactly what I would expect from a pinhole camera. I bought this to test and play around with, but don't really expect it to last long. It is very cheaply made.



When plugged in, no way to tell when fully charged. Sometimes, it locks up Windows Explorer when it tries to generate thumbnails of the videos, -1 star. You have to switch to list view quickly before it crashes. It also doesn't work with functions like format drive or defragment, which worries me for long recordings. It uses a mini USB instead of a micro USB. It takes 1 switch, 1 long button press, and 1 button press to start recording video, with a delay of about 7 seconds, -1 star. The point of this is to record quickly, unobtrusively, on demand. You have to switch it on, hold the round button to actually turn it on and get the lights to light up, then you have to wait for the blue light to turn on, then you can press the round button again to start recording with a flashing blue light.

The instructions are terrible. You can't understand them and they conflict with the actual device. You just have to experiment with all the different modes and memorize what the lights mean. This should probably be a minus star also.

It's actually SMALLER than my pack of gum! The camera lens is above the clip, so you can have the body, lights, and buttons hidden with only the clip exposed. The clip looks very fragile and plastic, with no way to repair it should it break. It actually fell out of my purse twice in a bar because it caught on clothing and slipped out, and luckily I was sober enough to find it on the floor before anyone stepped on it. I wish it was a metal clip like iPod shuffles.

The video was taken with this camera.

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Excellent purchase. Check out the video I just made with this camera. I wanted a small camera to attach to an HO train car to film my layout from a moving train. Years ago I purchased a Lionel camera engine for over $100 but it broadcasted the picture to a TV and was difficult to use. This Mini DV with the additional purchase of a microSD chip cost me less than $20. Easy to use, physical slide switch on to make power ready, press central button 4 seconds to turn on video, then 1 second push to turn video camera on or off. Setting the date was tricky but exactly as explained in the user guide. I'm still having trouble turning off the date stamp but at least I have the correct date and time. The Mini DV is about 1/2 inch too long to be perfect for me. There are two sections on my layout that do not have the clearance necessary to film the entire layout. I have ordered a key fob camera which I will try which might be better for what I want to do. I plan to use the Mini DV with my motorcycle this summer. A 9 minute video clip uses up only 430mb. I am very happy and pleased with this little camera!

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I bought this as a On-board camera for R/c cars, it has been in several high speed crashes (talking over 60mph) and aside from a few bruises its still ticking away! The image quality for video is very decent for its size, the 30fps keeps the movements fluid, you will get some grainy-ness at high speed shifting but overall best in its class. still shots are decent under good lighting. best thing is there is no goofy setup, just install a card, record and download it to your computer, easy as pie. also, the sound quality is pretty decent, not super sensitive but clear.

worth every penny.

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This product is very large for what it's supposed to be used for, doesn't turn on, and the camera is in a crappy location. All in all, it sucks! Don't waste your money, instead buy the $10 really small one that takes good videos and activates with voice in one of its several modes.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Toshiba DVR610 1080p Upconverting Tunerless VHS DVD Recorder

Toshiba DVR610 1080p Upconverting Tunerless VHS DVD Recorder
  • DVD Recorder/VCR Combo
  • Progressive Scan
  • 1080p Upconversion
  • ColorStream Pro
  • JPEG Photo Viewer

After half a decade of waiting for a machine that'll do merely what I want it to do--transferring my old VHS library to the more permanent DVDs--I jumped at the opportunity to get the DVR-610, at a great price (I purchased it at BestBuy, which allowed me to return it within 30 days for full refund if it wasn't up to scratch).

I must say: it passed the "probationary" period smashingly, though with a few small reservations I will mention later. Supposedly this deck is Toshiba's new improved version of its DVR-600 from last year. That deck brought forth quite a few frustrated reviews from buyers, and with this buyer-beware in mind, I assumed we were still in the Dark Ages as far as preservation on home DVD's was concerned. I initially thought a deck with merely a DVD recorder would do the trick (i.e., wiring my old VCR to its inputs to do duping), but I received conflicting and discouraging reports on these machines, too.

And so, the present model does a very, very nice job concerning the purpose for which I bought it: it will transfer my old (blank recorded) videos I made myself with almost no occurences of the "RECORDING ERROR" message; I had just one instance of this so far, which made me relegate that blank DVD to the "toss-out" pile. Actually, I'm using the discs with abortive recording projects for "test discs": that is, using them to see if a particular VHS video will transfer OK or not. I'm finding most '81-'85 rental tapes (pre-copyguard-era) will transfer OK, but you're up the creak without a paddle as far as dubbing your old prerecorded videos from '86 onward: specifically from the majors (Columbia, Warner, MGM, etc.). If your friends with similar movie tastes still have off-the-air broadcast tapes, by all means tell them to dig them out of storage!

While preserving taped-off-the-air movies has been a top priority, my FIRST DVD project was duping the one-hour tape full of films my old college animation class did. I made it a point to dub it at the high-quality speed (XP), and the transfer came off quite well, though there was a bit of picture jitter here and there. But after finalizing it, I found it played back well not only on the DVR-610 itself, but on my OTHER two DVD decks: my old Samsung player, and my 11-year-old Compaq computer. I used a Fuji blank disc for this one. The playback was smooth, and in time I learned how to make menus for later discs I recorded.

You would do well to reserve, as I did, a small pile of blanks for practice & test purposes; you will want to do comparisons of the sound quality of the highest speed compared to that of the slowest (for music videos--even those taped off a small 14" screen mono TV--the differences in sound reproduction are revealing). For feature films taped from mono television, the picture reproduction isn't that significantly different: not only in comparing your final DVD copy with the original tape, but also at the different DVD recording speeds. (I may think differently, of course,when I finally get a widescreen TV, but newer programs aren't of concern to me).

One thing I'm glad I learned quickly is how you can make individual cue-ups for separate films: unfortunately, you have to stop the DVD recorder at the end of each film. (For a cartoon collector like myself, this becomes VERY complex & involved....patience is mandatory!) At least I didn't find an alternative to this method in the owner's manual; and with my budget, I can only go with the cheapie DVD-R's that can be recorded only once. You CAN separate scenes for cue-up in a feature-length film, but THAT process is complicated by the machine's own automatic insertions of its OWN chapters in anything running over ten minutes. As for myself, I don't even bother separating scenes--only one movie from an entirely different one.

I was apprehensive during my first one or two tries at the "one-touch dubbing" feature, but this proved groundless (I used home-recorded tapes, of course). But I hasten to suggest: PLEASE DON'T throw out your old VCR, for a small number of tapes (yes--even your prize blanks) won't record on the new machine's all-in-one, two-decks-in-one feature.....you will have to wire patch-cords from your old videotape player to the front input jacks on the DVR-610. It is the only way around on these tapes.

One or two things I have to concur with on the other reviews of this machine: the manual CAN stand a bit better organization (it's categorized well, though not necessarily in the order you'd anticipate); two weeks back, when trying to find a mistake I made accidentally (I pushed the input button to "camcorder," or "DV," making it impossible to do tape-to-tape dubbing), the manual didn't list this problem which had me panicking for a few hours till I corrected it on my own. I have little quibble, though, with the English translation, which makes perfect & grammatic sense. AND: YES, the remote IS a pretty feisty critter! I've had about a dozen-and-a-half endings on some recordings where the "STOP" button goes to sleep, and I must rush to the machine itself to use the stop-button on IT. And the remote's own RECORD button is also as aggravating as a toilet handle. They work, alright (and you DO have to wait close to half a minute for the information from a just-finished recording to write itself onto the disc--as well as when you first turn on the deck with a blank disc still in it).

As for recordable discs, I've stuck with NAME BRAND blanks--those from Fuji, Maxell & TDK; and as yet, I've only recorded on DVD PLUS R (DVD+R) discs. All three brands play flawlessly when they're finally ready, and of course you must acquaint yourself with the "DVD MENU" feature which shows the option of finalizing the disc (necessary, of course, to have it play on other decks).

FINE deck, overall: there's still small room for more improvement, but this one gets an "A" for the job I want it to do: it's my main RECORDER now, and I'll be saving the playing for "play-only" decks (which I'll feel confident of buying in the future). It'll at least give me the security of knowing that the only film/TV fare that matters to me will be preserved to the time I kick off.

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This is the 3rd attempt I've made at purchasing something to transfer my old videos to DVD and I think I finally have a winner! The user's manual leaves a little (ok, a lot!) to be desired, but after deciphering the badly translated English, I was able to transfer my videos to DVD with no problem. It literally takes about 3 button pushes and off it goes.

The quality so far seems excellent in both video and DVD playback too. And everyone I've given a DVD to has been able to play them so far!

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba DVR610 1080p Upconverting Tunerless VHS DVD Recorder Here

This Toshiba D-VR610KU took away my headache and fustration from other DVR/VHS recorders that I own. Other DVR's did not copy to certain brand DVD blanks or if it did copy the quality was poor at all settings.

Pro(s):

I use Verbatim Archival Grade and Taiyo Yuden blanks from Japan in this Toshiba DVR and it copies with NO problem.

Playback quality after recording at all settings. VHS-DVD dubbing is EXCELLENT and picture is very close to Blu-Ray.

Con(s):

Another remote control you do not want to lose. 48 BUTTONS!!!

Owner's Manual is poor.

VHS Rewind is very slow.

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After a month of frustration with a similarly priced unit that was a major name brand, we returned that unit and bought this Toshiba model instead. The other unit was constantly making DVD's from old home VHS movies and the audio would be out of sync. We tried seven different movies and five different DVD recordable disc types. No matter what, when the DVDs came out, the people's mouths would move and the audio would come across two to three seconds later!

As stated, this unit is a huge improvement over the other previous unit we owned/returned. If you're looking to copy VHS to DVD on a budget, this is the model for you. The unit features a full set of outputs (HDMI/Component/S-Video/RCA) and has 1080p upconversion when watching DVDs.

The only downsides to this unit are the somewhat funky remote and the overall layout/complexity to the user manual, I feel that the manual could have been much easier to understand with a bit better organization and not so much crammed on every page.

Like many others, I was searching for a simple way to convert VHS tapes of family home movies to DVD, considering that VCRs are almost completely unavailable, and soon these family tapes would be unplayable forever. I first purchase the Samsung model, and discovered that much to my dismay, the audio and video did not synchronise! Turns out that it was a Samsung problem, and they could do nothing about it. Returned it.

Then I thought I'd try this Toshiba model. Well, first off, THERE ARE NO AUDIO/VIDEO SYNCHRONIZATION PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL!!!! If you follow the steps listed in the manual (and it's not hard to understand, don't know what everyone's complaining about), and if you record in "SP" mode for two hours, the end result will look and sound exactly like the source VHS.Terrific, Toshiba strikes again!

In regards to editing menus, if you've owned a Magnavox dvd recorder before this one, it will be like deja vu. They use the exact same program!

Really, this is the vhs/dvd recorder to buy. It will not disappoint you!

Monday, June 23, 2014

Intelligent Recording Digital Telephone Phone Call Recorder SD Card USB Call Logger

Intelligent Recording Digital Telephone Phone Call Recorder SD Card USB Call LoggerWorks perfectly and perfect for recording conversations. This is a must buy for your recording needs, it is only comparable with a windows machine. Thank you!

Absolute TOP QUALITY AND FAIR PRICE. GET YOURSELF ONE! Best on market you will be pleased with ease of use. No computer required

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I purchased one these a few months back because i needed to record myself talking to perspective clients. Being able to easily play back my conversation really helped me improve my technique and get new business. I tried another more expensive unit by another company but it was to hard to setup. The SD Call Recorder is much easier and perfect for what i needed.

Read Best Reviews of Intelligent Recording Digital Telephone Phone Call Recorder SD Card USB Call Logger Here

I bought mine over a year ago when they were $200.

In that time it as only successfully recorded about 15% of my calls. (fyi my average phone usage is 5 calls per day) The other 85% were lost in a black hole.

The unit goes through all the motions of recording the call except when you discover nothing was saved to the sd card.

I've tried various things to attempt a fix but none have worked.

The unit is really cheaply constructed using the lowest grade plastic and fit and finish is poor.

The SD card is nearly impossible to remove because it inserts to deeply into the slot to grip it. You'll need tweezers.

The display is so tiny its nearly impossible to read without a magnifying glass.

The audio files require special software to play back. The sound quality is really poor and crackly..

Its as though the technology used in the design is over 15yrs old.

If you need reliability I'd suggest looking for something different.

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Didn't worked as expected and advertized.

Did not have complete part.

literature said it works with batteries but couldn't get to work.

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Saturday, June 14, 2014

Panasonic AM-4PA/4B Alkalineplus AAA Batteries, 4 Pack (Black)

Panasonic AM-4PA/4B Alkalineplus AAA Batteries, 4 PackWe ordered the batteries as an "Add On" as we were ordering an electronic item for our granddaughter. The premis of the "add on" was that it would be shipped at the same time so as to lower the cost of shipping. The batteries were sent seperately and arrived the day after the rest of the gift. Good thing she waited until her actual birthday to open her gift. I suppose this is more of a customer service complant that a review of the product it's self.

Thursday, June 12, 2014

2.4 Ghz Wireless Surveillance System

2.4 Ghz Wireless Surveillance SystemThis video was taken with a Kodak EasyShare DX4530 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom aimed at my Insignia HD LCD TV that is projecting the images from the Instapark 1.2GHZ Hidden Mini Pinhole Nanny / Spy Wireless Color Video Camera with Microphone.. The "Beeping" sound is from a Driveway Patrol Sensor and Receiver Kit that I have mounted inside a feeder........... Yes I live a boring life :)

BTW, The video did lose about 10% clarity from being taken with the Kodak from the TV.

Overall a nice wireless video spy camera, but a 500' range? More like 50'-75' range.

UPDATE: 04/25/12

I had to take down the camera and feeder (along with all the Peanuts) :( because the Squirrel's UGLY "Cousins" aka the Rats started visiting!

I wish I took videos of the "Mexican Standoffs" and seldom skirmishes between them.

BTW: The Squirrels always came out the "Victor"

Camera is small and discrete. It works great and the picture and sound is acceptable. The downside is that the camera eats up 9V batteries when you use wirelessly and the camera and receiver cannot be too far apart or you will lose the signal. Also on the signal, there is intermittent static and distortion at certain times and if the camera and receiver are placed too far apart.

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We use this as a supplement to a standard baby monitor. It allows us to see *what* the little guy is doing, without peeking in the door, which will guarantee that if he's awake he *will* see us, and that's it, even if he'd otherwise go back to sleep on his own.

Now for function. This is extremely easy to set up, and doesn't seem to have any interference from our wifi N home network. We use the wall-wart power supply, so I cannot comment on battery life. We're only transmitting about 10 feet, through the front and back walls of a closet.

The picture quality is pretty good -not excellent, but pretty good -*IF* the light levels are high enough, that is.

As the light level drops off, the quality of the image drops with it. We have it in a room that at night is lit only with a 40 Watt bulb, and the picture is grainy, but more than sufficient to tell what our baby is doing. We can't see if his eyes are open, for instance, but we can see if he's still, looking around, moving around, etc.

If you application is not dependent on high image quality, then you're likely to be happy. If it is, then you probably won't be.

Read Best Reviews of 2.4 Ghz Wireless Surveillance System Here

I just received my camera today and was impresses with the color quality.... not so much the sound and low lit environments. Great deal for the price though. Just make sure you have a good supply of 9volt batteries on hand because the camera powers through them pretty quick, but for the overall performance that is alright with me. Good buy!

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As the cheapest wireless camera on the market, you get what you pay for. The picture will be fuzzy and greenish, you have to fiddle with the tuner a lot, a battery lasts maybe an hour, and it needs a lot of light But with the EasyCap USB adapter and some video recording freeware you can have an instant security camera!

Monday, June 9, 2014

Pentax Cordless IR Remote Control D for *iST and Optio

Pentax Cordless IR Remote Control D for *iST and Optiothis is a nice little remote for the pentax, works well and does what it's supposed to do.

It works in front of and behind the camera. It will activate the autofocus function if it is turned on in the Custom Menu of the camera.

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This control works like they say it does. The range is a little short, but good. The only thing i don't really like it the IR. You have to make sure that the remote is pointed in the right direction to get the camera to respond. Not good for macro. I have gone back to the tried and true on a wire controller.

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The Remote is simple in construction, and works well with my Pentax Kx DSLR. Features one button to fire the shutter, settings for this action are set on the camera itself. Product Manual that is included states that the remote needs to be returned to Pentax to have the battery replaced -all you need to be do is remove the screws on the back side of the remote, and the watch-style battery is located under the cover!

Great remote for a good price!!

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IMO, this is an inexpensive, handy accessory that works as its supposed to. The range is a little shorter than I would have liked (about 13') but it still gets the job done.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

K6000 Vehicle DVR Car Recorder DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard with 2.7 Inch

K6000 Vehicle DVR Car Recorder DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard with 2.7 Inch LPS Screen Full HD 1080P Night Vision 140 Degree A+ Wide Angle
  • High-definition, high -definition video
  • HOLD function
  • Supports high capacity TF card
  • Motion Detection
  • support auto ignition boot, turn off shutdown

[Edit: Warning. Other uses report getting either a perfect unit or a scratched, used one. You might need to roll the dice and do an Amazon exchange if you get a bad one. IMO it's worth it for the low price.]

Pros:

Very low price.

Has just the right set of features. Auto-power starts it recording, does automatic file rotation, visible timestamp, etc.

Reliably records without driver needing to worry about it. (Using it for a week now.)

Power cord is thin and long enough to make installation easy. The cord is 150 inches long. Thin is also important so it slides under car's interior trim. I installed without needing to remove any trim.

Fits *securely* behind mirror on my Mini Cooper using included suction cup. Driving a Mini in SF can be very jarring because of the roads and firm mini suspension; however, it hasn't fallen off.

"Low profile" device. Meaning it doesn't attract attention so your car gets broken into.

Customization is fairly easy and manual is close enough to native English to figure out. (First test is setting the day/time.)

Decent field-of-view without too much fisheye. See my posted video stills.

Can easily swap out microsd card without removing unit.

Timer to turn off LED screen so video doesn't show while driving.

No GPS nonsense. Why is this a feature? GPS isn't reliable without antenna AND consume more power.

Supports large, 32gb MicroSD card.

Cons:

Power plug only fits into cigarette lighter.

Power plug is very large. This is the biggest issue for me. (See product photos)

Product Improvement: I'd like it better if it was a standard USB plug and included a low profile cigarette lighter adaptor!

Slight buzz (bizt-bitz-bitz) in audio as it writes to internal memory. Not huge deal, might be related to MicroSD Card speed.

It doesn't perform great at night, but it isn't an IR camera. With HiDef video, you can still make out what's happening.

It has bright-white LED lighting option and I have no idea why. Seems useless. Just increases cost of unit.

It needs a plastic polarizing filter on the front of lens that can be rotated to remove window glare.

Recommendations:

Buy a fast 32gb micro usb drive with this unit. Files are 1.25GB per 10min of HD footage. I purchased this one and it works:

SanDisk Ultra 32 GB microSDHC Class 10

User should increase clip size in settings so it saves 14 minutes at a time.

Pictures showing "HD" quality:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B00ABW6L5K/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_dav

[See replies to this post for more questions answered.]

Buy K6000 Vehicle DVR Car Recorder DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard with 2.7 Inch Now

Firstly; this is not an HD dashcam! It's native resolution is 640x480, and it's interpolated (up-scaled) to HD.

Which means, if you look at the resulting video in a 640x480 frame, it looks great! If you look at it in full-screen (1080p), it looks quite poor.

If you want a good, basic dashcam to record everyday driving, this is it. But if you want something that can read license plates and produce true HD, then the DOD LS400 at about $150 is what you want.

Read Best Reviews of K6000 Vehicle DVR Car Recorder DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard with 2.7 Inch Here

I got this because there seems to be NO app for Android (even the one I paid for) that can give me good video, cycle over on top of the files and basically work right.

So I bought this, and it does seem to be good. Now it does not have GPS (which is good because it can stay on and not consume a lot of power when I have left it plugged in and parked and left my truck).

It does save in either 1 min, 2 min or 3 min or continuous video. They are all .AVI, so I have a mac and just select them all and open with VLC, which will keep playing them in the order of the file name. It does seem good.

There is only like .25 of a second when it goes to the next file name.

This is a lot for the little bit of money. Now don't EVER thing that a dash cam, with "infrared" LED lights could EVER show the outside in a good picture. It is impossible. You would need to have the IR LED's outside and way more than 2 or 4 or even 10 of them. Inside they would reflect of the windshield anyway.

This is a good deal for the money. Now at night, it will do so-so, not nearly as much resolution and very limited to what's in front of your vehicle by the head lights (say 20-30 feet), but on lighted streets the picture is ok. NOT crystal clear, as I could not make out my face when I got out of my truck and left it recording and it was night time. Think VGA 1M pixel resolution.

Daytime, as you can see, was ok. It is just as a 3rd party witness if anything (accident) was to happen.

Want K6000 Vehicle DVR Car Recorder DVR Road Dash Video Camera Recorder Traffic Dashboard with 2.7 Inch Discount?

I'm not happy with this purchase, a first bad charger USB header communicates, the second does not work night mode. I don't know maybe I had gotten defective recorder or could all of this quality. I havent been able to send the product back.

The item sent to me was clearly used, even though I bought the product "new". Most importantly, it does not work. The camera keeps telling me memory error and would not record. I tried two different memory card, and both of the memory cards were functional ones I was using in other electronic devices. Had to return the camera the next day.

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player
  • Full HD picture quality (1080p),Power AC 120 V
  • WiFi Ready(Wireless LAN Adapter not included)
  • Internet at TV
  • AllShare , Full HD 1080p and 1080p up-conversion
  • BD-Live (Profile 2.0)

I have had the Samsung BD-C5500 Blu-ray player for about a week now and I absolutely love it. It was very easy to setup and worked perfectly right out of the box. It's smaller in size than the DVD player it is replacing but noticeably heavier. It starts up quickly and loads Blu-ray discs quickly too. The buttons on the front of the player are touch sensitive and don't give the user any tactile feedback so sometimes it's hard to tell if you have pushed them or not but at the same time they are cool and have a cutting-edge appeal. Some people have mentioned that they don't care for the remote but I find it to be very adequate and easy to use. I like the larger size of the buttons since I have big hands. The remote seems to work well at different angles and distances as well. When I first hooked up the player it did a firmware update and about a week later it notified me that there was a newer firmware and again did an update. It's comforting to see that Samsung is actively working to improve the device's firmware by releasing updates frequently if needed. I didn't know what issues/features the firmware updates were addressing because the UI on the player doesn't really tell you but Samsung does list what the firmware updates change/fix on their website. The device didn't have any problems connecting to my home network using a CAT-5 cable. It doesn't bother me a bit that this player doesn't support wi-fi out of the box. In my experience wi-fi is very susceptible to interference from other devices such as microwaves, cordless phones, and other wi-fi routers so using it to stream a high-definition movie could be problematic when you decide to pop some popcorn during the show or if someone calls you on your cordless phone. You'll always get better streaming performance from CAT-5. Plus, it's a lot cheaper than the players that do have wi-fi built in.

I have used this player to stream Netflix content from my Netflix instant queue. Before having this player we watched a lot of Netflix streaming content on our computer but watching it on the HDTV using this player has been a lot more convenient and sounds better on the home audio system than on the computer speakers. Streaming works very well and I haven't seen it skip frames or stop to re-buffer the stream. It takes a little longer to buffer the stream at the beginning of playback than my computer does but after a 15-20 second wait it's good to go so it's not a big deal. I have spoken with people who stream Netflix through the PS3 or XBOX and they have told me it takes about the same amount of time to buffer on those systems and I would imagine other Blu-ray players that stream Netflix would have similar performance. Some of the Netflix streaming content will stream in 720p resolution which looks and sounds great. One thing to note is that this player will only see titles you have added to your Instant Queue on the Netflix website. You cannot use the player to browse for different content and add it to your queue. This has not been very bothersome to me but it might bother some people. I actually like the fact that I can put titles in the Instant Queue for my children to watch and they can't browse around Netflix on the player and find adult content accidentally in the process.

Streaming music through Pandora has been great too. The Pandora app works well and has a good interface. You can give songs a thumbs up or thumbs down but only while the song is playing. It would be great if you could go back through the list of songs that have recently played and give them the thumbs up or thumbs down after they have played like you can on the Pandora website but that's not the way it works sadly. The quality of the audio seems very good and the time it takes to buffer the music is not even noticeable. We have really enjoyed having a device capable of using Pandora connected to the home audio/theater system.

I used the Blockbuster service to rent a movie for my kids. The video/audio quality was excellent and I had no streaming problems but the price was a little absurd. The movies cost about $4 to rent and you only have access to watch the movie for 24 hours from the time you first start playing it. At that price I would expect that you would get to watch the title as much as you want for 5 days just like you would do if you physically rented a movie from a Blockbuster location. I don't think I will be using the Blockbuster service very much unless there is a movie I really want to watch and I'm too tired/lazy to physically go to a Blockbuster and rent it.

Overall I feel like the device does a lot for how much I paid for it and is definitely worth the money. I have already recommended it to numerous friends and co-workers who have been looking to get a Blu-ray player. This is the first Blu-ray player I have owned and might possibly be the last since it's so feature-rich and works so well.

Update 4/14/2010:

I have had this player for over a month now and I have received 4 firmware updates I think. With the firmware updates the device has only gotten better. The updates didn't appear to add any new features but they have made the player more stable so it is less likely to freeze-up or stop working in other ways. Everything has been working flawlessly for me.

There is a new service called Vudu now that this player supports. I have not tried to use it yet but it appears to give you one free HD rental so that you can try the service. It looks similar to the Blockbuster streaming app. Most movies appear to have options to rent/buy the title in 3 different formats. HDX (1080p 5.1 Surround), HD (720p 5.1 Surround?), and SD (Standard Definition 480p and I'm not sure on the audio). I have watched a few trailers on Vudu and they stream fine but I haven't tried actually streaming a movie from Vudu yet.

Buy Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Now

This is my first stand alone Blu-Ray player purchase. I also have a Playstation 3. Setup on the Samsung was fast and easy. Blu-Ray discs load up fast. I didn't notice any difference in load speeds between this player and the Playstation 3. The quality of upconverting regular DVD's to 1080p was decent. To access the internet features, I'm using an ethernet cable connected to an Actiontec Powerline Adapter. So far, I have streamed HD Netflix movies and checked out a few videos on Youtube. Both worked flawlessly. As another reviewer mentioned a bug regarding sound, I haven't had that issue at all.

As of now, there aren't many internet apps available. That's not a big issue to me since the only ones I will use are Netlfix and Youtube. One issue I did have was using the AccuWeather App. Every time I went into the setup area to input my current location, the app would freeze (New York City weather is the default location). I tried this at least 5 plus times and the freezing issue didn't go away. I had to power down the player and turn it back on every time the app would freeze.

Overall, I'm really happy with the Samsung BD-C5500. I would recommend this to anyone looking to purchase a Blu-Ray player. Besides the issue with the one application, everything has worked fine.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Here

Bought unit, connected it to wireless network, and unit seemed to work. After less than an hour of use getting familiar with features of unit I received notice there was a Firmware update: loaded update. Unit would not reconnect to Internet! Spare the details, after more than six hours with level one and level two tech support I was finally turned over to Executive Customer Relations: phone calls were disconnected four times requiring me to go back through the question and answers with a level one tech each time!!! After another hour plus with the Executive Customer Relations they said they would Email an UPS Ground shipping authorization to return the unit for repair. Did not get the Email. Had to call back six times (yes six times!!!)over four days to get them to enter the correct Email address in their system: not a very long one and I even gave it to them in the Military Alphabet Juliet Whiskey Sierra each time.

Finally got the Email. Boxed up the unit and shipped it out same day UPS. Got it back twenty days later. It was just as inoperative as when I sent it in. Called Executive Customer Relations, again: they wanted me to go over troubleshooting issues with tech, again. Non-starter, time for an exchange of units I suggested. I had to finally tell the representative I would not argue with her further about the issue and to put her supervisor on the line. The supervisor agreed to an exchange and said a shipping label would be sent out. Two more days pass and no Email with shipping label, so another call to Executive Customer Service: now I am informed that it takes five business days for any decision to be made as to whether or not an exchange will be made. If and when that decision is made a shipping label would be mailed to me within eleven (11) business days (and why not by Email as before????). So, I may or may not get an exchange for a useless unit this year.....

I spent about US$250 for the unit and the UBS lan. I have wasted better than twenty-five (25) hours of my time troubleshooting this defective unit and dealing with Samsung's customer service department. I am doing now what my wife said to do when she heard me on the phone with the level two tech's telling me to do the troubleshooting steps I had already taken before I had called support. I just deposited the unit in the trash. I shall buy the Sony unit with the integrated lan. Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

Want Samsung BD-C5500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Discount?

I am very pleased with this unit. It worked just fine right out of the box. As someone who has worked in IT all my life, I expected at least some problems connecting to the streaming features. I was pleasantly surprised when the Netflix and Pandora interfaces worked without any setup problems whatsoever. And, by the way, the quality of the video and audio are stunning. Can't find a reason not to give this unit five stars.

This device...very nice when it works...horrible and comparable to a beta level product at best when you really try to use it (should not have been released as is or passed validation/quality control are the people at Samsung sleeping??).

Issues experienced in first month:

1) Firmware (master operating code for the device) will not upgrade over Internet it downloads, turns off on its own as it's supposed to for upgrade, but does NOT complete upgrade (yes, I do have a working connection and device confirms Internet connectivity)

2) Samsung knows about the problem I called them and the offered to send me a CD that will upgrade the firmware...ETA 9 business days...until then, it's a decent looking piece of furniture (NOT customer oriented company Samsung should ship this overnight to address the problem, not in 2 weeks!!)

3) Google maps app freezes the device when you turn traffic feature on have to turn it off and then back on to get control over device

4) Will NOT play Avatar or Percy Jackson & Olympians: The Lightning Thief...so far...expecting more new releases to not work (get the red screen when trying to play movie)

5) No on-screen display ANYWHERE of model number and serial number for device. Guess what the smart guys at Samsung first ask you for when you call them (to attempt a fix of the issues noted above)...the model and serial numbers. You have to pull the device out of your entertainment center to look up info on the back of the device very frustrating!! This info should be available along with the firmware version (that is available) in the setup/status menu or the special menu (tray open and press/hold info button). Again, not customer oriented at all something that a good consumer company would get right.

6) Slow! It takes what it seems like forever for a DVD to start playing.

7) Privacy policy outrageous!!! The terms force you to accept to use Internet features and specify that Samsung refuses to be subject to any federal or local laws and only subject to laws of South Korea...but that I as the consumer am OBLIGATED to provide accurate, complete and immediate personal information...to which Samsung will have full access to.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Sony Bloggie 3D Camera (Black)

Sony Bloggie 3D CameraStill playing with the device but considering the pricepoint, I think I will be fairly satisfied with the device.

Pros : The 3D quality is better then I thought it would be, it really does a decent job and with the mini HDMI connection, it's pretty quick to watch it on your 3DTV. There isn't nearly the level of ghosting that I would have expected given it was a 250$ 3D recording device. I went in thinking I wouldn't get that level of 3D. Non 3D movies shot in HD end up looking very nice as well. I've had a flip and two kodaks of this class type in the past and this was the best quality out of all of them. Also, one thing most of the compact devices lack is any sort of light/flash, it's nice to have a little help in low light situations with the built in led light. The menus are easy enuf to navigate thru and I love have seperate dedicated buttons for pics or video. I like the integrated usb slide out dongle. The unit itself seems to have a good quality build to it.

Cons : No optical zoom in any mode, no zooming digital or optical in 3D mode. The optical I get, I don't think anything in this class does but the 3d no digital zoom is dissapointing. Also, it is supposed to have some image stabilization but I found this part of it to be poor too, videos in the upper hd modes can get very jittery. In playback mode, there is no slideshow or auto play feature I can find which is a shame. If you have a bunch of mini clips recorded and are trying to watch on the tv, you will have to get up and manually play each clip. Also, I wish, especially with this device having two lenses, there was some lens cover implementation. The led light is not of the quality of lets say the iphone 4 one, it's nice to have but it does not make this a flash camera or flash video device. As stated in the other review, the 3d screen is very, very poor, almost unusable in 3D mode. The 3DS screens in video mode are just as bad though in my opinion. Battery life does seem to be poor in 3D mode, average in non 3d use. Quite a bit of my cons I can understand given the class of device it is, hence only the one star ding. I just wanted to portray all the negatives I had come up against so far.

Not con nor pro : Stills are average per class usual, software provided is average

I didn't test out the sharing options although it seems to have a wealth of them. Also, in non U.S. territories, there is also a package sold with a panaramic 360 degree view add on device. The manual talks about it. As far as I can tell, this device is not sold seperately anywhere yet, and the combo package is not offered natively in the U.S.

End of the day, content and 3D integration is still pretty limited for 3DTV users and in that scenario, I reccomend it to 3DTV purchasers as another way to get some bang for their buck from their 3dTV purchase. That said, would I buy this if I didn't have a 3dTV? No way, the 3d screen is too poor for that to be the only method of your 3d watching of your content and sans the 3d, all the rest of the features are offered on their lesser costing versions of the bloggie.

Sony's first 3D camera makes a good impression but leaves room for improvement. The 3D Bloggie takes good quality 1080P 2D and 3D video that may be uploaded to Youtube & Facebook with just a few clicks. This camera supports Youtube 3D. Video recorded in 3D mode will automatically be displayed in 3D on Youtube and viewed with colored glasses, 3D devices, or just plain 2D.

The stereo 3D effect is good although not as strong or versatile as the Fuji W3 camera. Sony can shoot 3D at closer distances than the Fuji, and seems suitable for close ups and 3D Video Blogging.

The LCD looks poor in 3D mode, small and pixelated, does not show much 3D effect or pop out.

The 3D Bloggie is a good choice for anyone that has access to a 3DTV or 3D Monitor. It can play back 3D video directly to a 3DTV using it's built in mini HDMI port, Video looks good on a 3DTV. Photos and Video may also be viewed in 3D on the PC using a program called Stereoscopic player.

Pros: Highest resolution 3D video in its class (960x1080 lines per eye), small, light & easy to use, side by side 3D format may be edited and shared easily, built in USB port, 60FPS 720HD(2D) 1080P(2D), low cost, built in memory.

Cons: Small and poor quality Viewfinder (in 3D mode), short battery life in 3D mode (less than an hour), no flash, replaceable battery, lens cover, optical zoom, 3D Adjustment.

VS the Fuji W3: Fuji's 3D LCD is fantastic. Fuji takes higher quality pictures and has more features.

Buy Sony Bloggie 3D Camera (Black) Now

With a few changes, the Bloggie 3D could have been a great video camera. But its high price tag and lack of accessories earn it only 3 stars.

On the positive side, the camera does seem to take pretty decent 3D videos. As advertised, its twin camera lenses enable you to take both still shots and full-motion video in 3D. (It's also possible to take traditional 2D photos and videos). The camera can even snap still shots while simultaneously recording a video.

Videos can be played back on a 3D TV, through the YouTube 3D Channel, or right on your Bloggie screen without glasses (though this requires you to look at the little screen from a certain distance and angle, and tires the eyes quickly).

As the name "Bloggie" suggests, this camera is all about social networking. It's a breeze to make your video, plug it into your computer, trim the length, and then with the click of a button you can upload it to sites like Facebook or YouTube.

Nevertheless, this camera has some real shortcomings. It has no optical zoom and takes very poor still shots. Even in good outdoor lighting, I was disappointed. It does not have a flash, though it does come with a mediocre LED light. You will definitely want to buy a separate digital camera if you plan to take a lot of still shots.

The design of the back of the camera also makes it difficult to hold with one hand. When taking a video, my thumb keeps wanting to bump into the directional key, which causes the lens to zoom in or out. Another big drawback is that the Bloggie does not have RCA jacks to plug into a traditional TV, nor does it have an AC Adapter (you have to charge it using the USB cable, which means you'd better have your computer with you if you plan to do very much recording).

If you want to dabble into 3D movie-making, then the Bloggie might be right for you. It's not a bad camera, but at a retail price of $250, I expected more from Sony than this.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Bloggie 3D Camera (Black) Here

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) I was skeptical of this little camera that purported to shoot digital video in 3D, mostly because I couldn't imagine that it would translate well to my 55" Samsung 3D TV. First, I wasn't sure of the compatibility between the Sony Bloggie and Samsung technology. Second, bad quality video always looks worse when enlarged to 55". And last, I read some reviews that said the LCD screen on the back made video look like those old style trading cards that you flipped back and forth to get "action," and I didn't want cheesy fake 3D. But I'll tell you right now: you will not care about the pixelated false 3D on the viewing screen once you see it on your TV. The Sony Bloggie 3D is not perfect, and it does have its cons; however, I haven't had such fun with a video camera since I got my first generation Flip camera. Although it can also shoot 2D, I see no reason to get this if that's your primary purpose since there are less expensive options. You'd be better off with Kodak PlaySport HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera (Black) or, if you can find one, Flip UltraHD Video Camera.

The Bloggie comes with a short USB extender (in case you can't plug it into your computer directly using the Flip-like USB arm) and a wrist strap. If you want to view this on your 3D TV, you'll have to also get a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable. I bought AmazonBasics High-Speed Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable with Ethernet (6.5 Feet/2 Meters) but any length or brand will do, as long is one end is mini-HDMI (for the camera) and HDMI for the TV AND high-speed. (Older HDMI cables might not support the greater demands of 3D.) The camera does not come with a case or even a pouch, so you might want to get something to protect the lenses. The Bloggie does not have a removable battery and must be charged via USB.

The camera itself has two lenses, side by side, to shoot stereoscopic video. The body is much more slender than the Flip UltraHD -and that's a feat. The record button has just the right amount of sensitivity.The 4x zoom can only be used in 2D mode; although the zoom is more powerful than the Flip UltraHD's, the results are more grainy. The on-screen menu takes some getting used to, although with use it gets easier. Changing between 3D and 2D modes requires pressing only one button, and for that, I'm thankful. The no-glasses-required LCD screen, while not showing you how good the video will be on your 3D TV, certainly gives you an idea of what you have. The tripod attachment hole is on the short end of the camera, requiring a vertical positioning of the camera; unfortunately, you can shoot 3D ONLY in a horizontal orientation. The camera is smart enough to know the orientation, so it both warns you if you can't take 3D that way and adjusts the on-screen menu so you can read it.

The software that comes with the Bloggie is bare-bones. Even trimming the ends of a video is not intuitive. And weeks after receiving the Bloggie, I'm still trying to install a firmware update on my iMac. You cannot view or edit the 3D video using a regular video editing program because the camera shoots two separate images that are merged in a file with a .thm suffix, although you can convert any 3D video to 2D MP4 format, which then can be edited. Fortunately, the Bloggie software allows you to move 3D video from your computer, where it is saved in your Bloggie library, back to the camera for playback on your 3D TV. Unless you have the necessary software and DVD burner, you cannot save the 3D video to a DVD for later playback. Everything must be replayed through the Bloggie, making that mini-HDMI cable crucial to your enjoyment of your 3D home video. It's easy to share videos shot with it, albeit in 2D, with the Facebook, YouTube, and special circles icons at the top of the software window. I don't understand why the software won't allow me to combine clips into a single movie that I can then play back through my Bloggie. To me, that's a major omission. Only 3stars for the software.

The drawbacks are not enough to take away the wow-factor of this camera. When I sat my husband down with Samsung 3D glasses and started up the video, his first comment was, "Holy cow!" Then, he said, "This is the real reason to get a 3D TV." The depth of the video is awesome. I recorded birds on a feeder, and they hopped into the foreground, underneath the swaying flowers that seemed to reach out of the screen, but perhaps even more impressive was the baseball game I recorded, with rows of people in front of me and the game unfolding beyond them. It felt as though I was there again. Wow. This camera is perfect for recording family get-togethers, sports events, nature (as long as it's close up), and special occasions. It makes home movies seem more real. 5+ stars for how it looks on my 3D TV.

Don't bother purchasing this camera if you do not have a 3D set because playback on the no-glasses LCD screen is not satisfying enough. And unless you have the right equipment, don't expect to burn DVDs to share among 3D sets. The best thing you can hope for is to save the video to your computer now so you can create 3D movies and DVDs in the future when 3D technology has gotten more prevalent.

For now, though, my whole family is in love with the Sony Bloggie 3D. Although it makes me yearn for better software and playback options, I wouldn't give it up for anything. 5 stars for the sheer fun of seeing home video in 3D.

-Debbie Lee Wesselmann

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I'm a film maker who probably generates about 1 hour of polished edited footage every week, and I've long suspected that 3D was going to become a format that just can't be ignored.

The truth is I stayed away from 3D simply because i didn't understand it, and was worried that the workflow of taking a video to being able to edit and upload a polished piece of footage was going to be too complicated to understand.

Then I found the Sony Bloggie 3D, I hadn't originally planned on purchasing it, it was more of an impulse buy. (Lets be honest at less than $200 it really is a bargain compared to most Video Cameras)

The truth is I haven't been disappointed. OK It's not a pro camera like many of my others, and it doesn't have the best features. But you're not buying it for that. You're buying it for a simple point and shoot 3d video camera, and if you remember that's what it's for you will NOT be disappointed.

It does exactly what it says on the tin.

The Picture quality is good. (I managed to shoot some amazing 3d Lens flares in this short )

The camera is light enough to carry around in a pocket.

The Workflow through FCPX is awesome Providing you use the plugin Stereo toolbox LE. ($99)

And to be completely honest for $199 you can't really ask for much more.

Highly recommended.

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

(10) Clear 24-Disc Capacity CD DVD 2-Ring Album Wallet Book Storage CDBR4324CL (UniKeep Style)

(10) Clear 24-Disc Capacity CD DVD 2-Ring Album Wallet Book Storage CDBR4324CLI am using these for my downloaded multiple disk music and Audible books.

Certainly not fancy, but really does the trick and the cost is far better than some of the other choices. I decided on the 24 disk size as it was the most versatile for my use, plus you can remove or add the disk sleeves. It's supposed to easily carry up to 24 disks, with 12 double sided sleeves in the unit, but, so far, the most I've used is 12 disks.

I also like that I can print out a cover and track-list pages to insert in the front of the binder, both inside the cover or within the clear cover going around the entire outside like on a regular view snap binder.

It's actually pretty sturdy, too, even though it seems a bit on the flimsy side at first.

Will definitely protect and organize your disks for you and I do recommend this product and you do get a full 10 units per order.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

PEAK 4X STAND

PEAK 4X STANDWhen you take a picture in bright sun it is impossible to see the results without finding a shady place. I looked at several makers of this product, all with a higher price. I was not disappointed with this product. It does magnify the picture which some people don't want but I have found that the magnification allows me to see the sharpness better. It works great for me. The picture shows a white or fogged part of the device which some might think would let in light and defeat the purpose. However, that piece is removable. Haven't quite figured out why someone would use that part but who cares the point is this is a good product for a fair price. Received it in two days.

This is a wonderful product that preformes as expected. It in excellent for seeing your photos on viewscreen in the field.

Buy PEAK 4X STAND Now

Bought the Peak 4x loupe as a replacement for one I bought years ago. Loved the fact that it showed the complete 35mm slide and and had sufficient magnification to analyze the photo. Highly recommended.

Read Best Reviews of PEAK 4X STAND Here

I ordered this product as someone else had recommended it....and I am glad I did...Now I can see my photos much better and clearer without my glasses! Always in my camera bag...a must for small views!

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I got this to use on the LCD of my Nikon P5100. At 4x it was too much. The overpixilation defeated the purpose for which I bought it. It did the opposite of making the image sharper.

I returned it.

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

Philips Universal Remote

Philips Universal RemoteWe bought the Philips SRU4105WM/17 recently for a Panasonic TV/VCR/DVD combo unit and an Insignia Digital Converter and a 15 year old Sony rack stereo system. I was able to program ALL UNITS to work with this remote.

We're very happy with this purchase. I had lost the remote to the Sony a long time ago and wasn't sure if this would work, but it does. I also didn't see any digital converters on the list of approved products that this works with, but after doing the search mode, it found my unit.

The learn feature is very simple and has worked every time for functions that the remote didn't automatically program in. You have to have the orignial remote if you want the new one to learn any functions. So there will probably be things with my Sony that it won't be able to do, but I can live with that.

The stickers are very handy. No more pushing 12-3 for PBS, I can just program it in for PBS Kids and push the button next to that sticker.

Great product. Worth more than the eight bucks I paid for it.

Philips SRU4105WM Universal remote control infrared

It was a Christmas gift. I love not having to remember favorite channels. It was easy for me to set it up. Ended writing the person who gave it to me to get the company name and product number as it isn't on the product (should be!). I need another one for another TV.

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This product seems to be well made and it worked with my Samsung TV. It was easy to program for the TV but it did not have the capability to work with many of my DISH receiver controls. It would do some things but only the very basic things. Would not skip forward or backward. I plan to return it because it won't work with the DISH (I have a Hopper).

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When I started programming for TV, DVD, and DTV Cable box I thought it was going to be easy. The TV code went in pretty easy and the DVD code went in well. Then in order to change channels I needed to be able to control the Digital TV converter. The website says

"No , because this product was developed before the DTV convertor boxes were developed.

If it is not mentioned in your user manual it's not supported.

Note : When your remote is able to learn key's you can use this option to control your DTV box "

The learning keys was going to be a little work but I had time. Then I started learning the number keys. One, two, three went fine but it would not take 4, 5, 6, 9, ch up, ch dn. That effectively makes the remote rather useless because it gives no way to change channels...

I have seen these advertised at fire sale prices but I don't recommend this remote. There is a good chance it will not work for what you want it to.

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I like Philips remotes. They're the only replacement remotes I buy and they work well for me. I don't have a lot of products to use them on so I can't say how well they work for other electronics but for my tv sets, Toshiba and Panasonic, they work perfectly, and this one in particular. I love the favorites buttons and being able to mark them with stickers. It helps my grandson choose the channels he should be watching easily since he hasn't learned how to identify his numbers yet.

The shipping and delivery were also very quick.

Sony CCDTRV108 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5" LCD

Sony CCDTRV108 Hi8 Camcorder with 2.5' LCDI have used many video cameras in my life, but I have never owned one until now. I worked at audio/video stores for several years and saw lots of different formats and brands come and go. Never a fan of the VHS format or its junky little brother, Compact VHS, I knew 8mm was the way to go, at least back then. Nowadays, though, Mini DV seems to be taking over with even smaller cassettes and better picture quality. However, I don't have that kind of money to afford a DV or Digital 8mm camcorder. Yet.

Enter the TRV-108, a nifty little video camera that uses the HiBand 8mm format, superior to 8mm, but certainly not in the ballpark of Digital8 or DV. Still, its compact size and light weight make it easy to carry around almost anywhere and given the first 8mm camcorder I ever used was big enough that part of it sat on my shoulder, this is a great improvement. It comes with a 160 minute `InfoLithium' battery and little else except a lens cap and strap. It takes great pictures and has a nifty menu system navigated by a little wheel at the back that works like like a volume control and when you have selected what you want from the on-screen display, you just press the wheel to make it happen. This makes titling a snap. I do miss the title image-grabbing function from older 8mm cameras, though.

The 2.5" color back lit LCD screen is clear and easy to read in all but the brightest sunlight and failing that, it also has a small .5" black and white display through the view finder. The 40x zoom is fantastic, but you better have steady hands in order to use it. And using the 460x digital zoom is impossible with anything but a tripod. The camera is equipped with a nightshot mode that actually does work, amplifying light in dark areas, making the image more visible, if green. The TRV-108 also comes with some neat digital effects like sepia tone, which gives video a nice old movie look, a pastel effect which gives everything a cartoony look, black and white, 16:9 aspect shots, plus other effects. It can also do snazzy digital fade-ins and fade-outs.

This camera only really has two failings. For the most part, built in camera lights are useless, but the TRV-108 doesn't even have an accessory shoe for mounting an external light source. Something I found kind of maddening to the point where I even toyed with the idea of finding a camera at a garage sale, ripping it apart, and super glue the shoe to the top. Second, while the built-in microphone is very sensitive at picking up voices and ambient sounds, it does not have a foam wind sock. In moderate winds the roar of the air as it passed over the mike caused a lot of noise. And if it's too loud, like when I shot at the base of a waterfall, the noise caused image distortion lines! These two missing features cost the camera a full five-star review.

All in all though, this is a pretty decent little toy. It's not a serious camcorder and a far from a Canon GL-1s or Xl-1s, but for what I use it for, it's still pretty darn good. It's also low cost enough that purchasing it and using it as a good way to find out if you want to go for a bigger and better camera with more features, whether it be a Digital8 or Mini DV camera. It has taught me a lot about framing shots and what a pain the noon day sun can be. The long life of the battery means that, with a little mental effort, you can shoot a full 2 hour tape on one battery. Not bad for a trip to the zoo to send a tape to your folks.

Hi8 is fast fading into oblivion as MiniDV takes over the world and gets cheaper. If you want good video quality, you should go with a namebrand MiniDV camcorder -I recommend Sony, Panasonic and Canon. On the other hand, if you don't shoot a lot of videos and want something cheap, the Hi8 is still a good way to go. (I bought the TRV108 as a gift but tested it before giving it to my uncle-in-law.)

To someone who's used to MiniDV camcorders, the TRV108 feels big. It's actually normal for a 8mm camcorder. The LCD screen is sharp and bright -but as we shall see later, also a battery hog. The traditional eye-piece viewfinder is b&w, which is bad if you want to use it to conserve battery power.

The TRV108 gives out good video quality on Hi8 tapes. I would rate it "high" for a Hi8 model, but even the cheapest MiniDV camcorders (except for Samsung) can match such quality -plus they offer more bells and whistles. One nice thing is the inclusion of Sony's NightShot infrared technology -now you can turn your lights off and make those ghostly videos like in Blair Witch Project and Silence of the Lambs. :) The TRV108 also includes a host of effects you can add to your video footage.

One bad thing, though, is this model does not have the stabilizer. The TRV308 and other more expensive models include Sony's digital stabilizer. On the other hand, digital stabilizers degrade quality, so they work better on a digital camcorder than an analog one like the TRV108. Just make sure you have sturdy hands and arms.

Now the battery. The battery is definitely a problem and you'll want to buy an extra capacity battery. While the LCD turned on, you'll run out of the included battery in a matter of minutes. You can save power by using the b&w viewfinder, but that defeats the purpose of having the LCD, doesn't it? One plus feature is the included AC adapter works at both 110V and 220V.

If you have [the money], I highly recommend a MiniDV camcorder. Otherwise, make the TRV108 your entry-level home video making machine. You just can't beat its price and good quality for a Hi8 model.

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I've been waiting and waiting for the best value in a Sony Hi8 Camcorder and by far this is it! This is my very first camcorder. I've been doing a lot of research and comparison on which sony model will suit me best, then this came out. I quickly grabbed it after finding out how reasonably priced it was. I bought it at [a local store] during [a] Sale... I've never laid hand on a camcorder before and I am very pleased to find out how easy it was to operate. I was able to do the playback on my TV and dubbing on my VCR with ease. It has great features, great sound and best of all best picture quality. I know there are a lot of people out there like myself who are not ready to spend a lot of money on a camcorder especially for the very first time. Well, you will not be disappointed with this one! It comes with all the accessories to get you started. Battery charging is very fast, instructions are easy to follow when it comes to recording, playback and editing, the night shot feature is great, best of all the LCD screen is so fun to use especially when you have a "little one" to capture on video. This is definitely as great buy!

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This was our family's first camcorder and I'd have to say that it does its job wonderfully. This camcorder has all the basic features you need to create great home videos. Our results so far are very satisfying. The only drawback is that you must buy an extra battery AND a camcorder bag! These are essential accessories that you must get if you plan to travel with your camcorder. What I love about this camcorder is that it could automatically convert to 220V, which is great when you travel. There's also the nightshot feature. I guess what this lacks is the 'image stabilizer.' However, I heard that stabilizers may actually worsen the picture quality on Hi8 camcorders. Whatever the case, we are very happy with our purchase and would highly recommend this product. It's high quality by a great brand and it would last you til you upgrade ...

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My old hi 8 went caput after 10 years use that was very trouble free.The new one has way more features that the 100 and costs much less. ...

I use the viewfinder instead of the display as I am used to it and so far have recorded 3 hours on it and it tells me I have 2 hours left. I used the telephoto constantly which takes power put am very happy with the results

I recharge the battery after use with the no memory effect so no problems. I use the supplied battery for dubbing and it will run 2 hrs in the dubbing mode which is great.

I dub hi 8 super vhs output to a super vhs vcr and do not notice andy difference in the quality of the dub.

Yes there is a more blurry picture if you dub to standard vhs but that is normal.

Unless you want to do some super pro stuff this camera is the one to get. Dave PS get metal evaporated tape for top notch 400 lines picture quality.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Panasonic RQSW44V Shockwave Personal AM/FM Cassette Player (Yellow)

Panasonic RQSW44V Shockwave Personal AM/FM Cassette Player
  • Water resistant with rubber-cushioned body and twist lock
  • Large LCD display
  • AM/FM digital tuner with 20 presets (10 AM, 10 FM)
  • Up to 25 hours' playback on a single AA battery
  • Includes lightweight headphones, 4 AA batteries, and a detachable belt clip

I bought this puppy about three months ago and haven't stopped using it since I took it out of the package. Aside from it's sporty yet stylish aesthetic, it functions like a dream! The digital "hold" button is my favorite feature (it's great to be able to toss it into a backpack and not have to worry about having the radio turned on after a little bit of josteling).

The only reason it didn't get a five-star rating from me is because the headphones that come with the Shockwave leave something to be desired. During my morning run I was constantly forced to reposition them; the headband kept slipping off or an ear piece would wriggle out. Maybe it's just the shape of my head. . . . Still, I love the Shockwave and would highly reccommend it.

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I have owned one for four months. I have mixed feeling

about it. It is a very durable walkman. I accidentally dropped it twice on concrete and there was no damage. Everything

worked fine on the walkman. My battery and cassette did not fly out upon impact. I am rough on my walkmans, which is

why I brought this Panasonic. The battery compartment is inside the cassette compartment, which prevents the battery

from coming out upon impact. The cassette lid locks securely. The FM reception switch works well. It helps prevent

interference from stronger stations. It's now time for the negatives. Panasonic should have equipped this walkman with

good, conventional headphones. These "in ear" type headphones come loose often. When I ride my bike on a bumpy

road, I have to re-adjust the headphones too often. I suspect joggers have the same problem. This Panasonic model has

the weakest super bass (they call it XBS) I have heard. The bass is too light. Panasonic's own RQ-CR15V delivers more bass. The sound quality is decent, but it needs more bass. The FM reception switch

is located inside the cassette compartment, which is inconvenient to operate when riding a bicycle. The play time (tape)

with one battery is good, but it's not 25 hours. If you have the XBS on and the volume is high, you can expect about 17

hours of play time. I suspect that is why Panasonic gives you four batteries. And last, this walkman is design to play

normal position (type 1) tapes only. You won't benefit from playing high bias (Type II) tapes. Type II tapes are generally

superior to type I. On this walkman, normal position (type I) tapes sound better. If you invested in a lot of high bias tapes,

look for a walkman that has a switch for normal position (type I) and high bias (type II) tapes. That is something I

neglected to do. Overall, I am a little disappointed with the Panasonic RQ-SW44V, but it is very durable.

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The Panasonic Shockwave player is a great player. It is well constructed, takes a beating and has a really good sound. This is not only a great looking player; but a great all around portable.

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I really am enjoying this walkman. It is great quality and looks nice too. I gave it only 4 stars because there was an armband promised with it and there isn't one. The hand grip, lap counter, and sound is great. I am getting one for my mom. I definitely recommend it.

The quality of the cassette player itself is very, very good. It is extremely durable.

But, as other reviewers have indicated, the headphones are terrible. They are hard unyielding plastic and flat out hurt.

If you buy this player, plan on buying some other headphone. I bought PHILLIPS #sbcHS303 for $10.00 at Target. They are 3-way flexible and adjustable to your ear. The sound is very good and they are comfortable.