Leading out with the bad news, the first USB cable and wall charger I received did not work, but instead of dumping a bad review on Gizmo Dorks, I sent them an email through Amazon. Gizmo D. responded very quickly and sent me a new USB cable and wall charger that works just fine (No charge? No charge...for a replacement). The problem with the first shipment, I believe, was a bad USB cable (not designed for both data transfer and charging). It was a bit of a hassle, but considering that Kodak charges $24.99 for the USB cable sans wall charger, it was a stupendous deal. I recommend Gizmo Dorks...great seller. And actually, I use the little blue carabiner too...slather some more icing on my cake please!The reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because the little blue clip, it really is just an extra waste of money. I realize that it might help for something but I think we should have a choice if we want the blue clip or not.The original that came with my daughter's PlaySport fell apart, and the replacement from Kodak cost enough to pull the company out of bankruptcy. We tried this, it's worked well.What can I say? It did what it was supposed to do. My Kodak Sport did not. However, I will keep this neat little tool for other items...just as described and works as expected for my unit as the previous one was left somewhere while on a trip~!
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Kodak PlaySport HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera 2 Item Travel Bundle: Micro USB to USB Cable (3 F
Leading out with the bad news, the first USB cable and wall charger I received did not work, but instead of dumping a bad review on Gizmo Dorks, I sent them an email through Amazon. Gizmo D. responded very quickly and sent me a new USB cable and wall charger that works just fine (No charge? No charge...for a replacement). The problem with the first shipment, I believe, was a bad USB cable (not designed for both data transfer and charging). It was a bit of a hassle, but considering that Kodak charges $24.99 for the USB cable sans wall charger, it was a stupendous deal. I recommend Gizmo Dorks...great seller. And actually, I use the little blue carabiner too...slather some more icing on my cake please!The reason I didn't rate it 5 stars is because the little blue clip, it really is just an extra waste of money. I realize that it might help for something but I think we should have a choice if we want the blue clip or not.The original that came with my daughter's PlaySport fell apart, and the replacement from Kodak cost enough to pull the company out of bankruptcy. We tried this, it's worked well.What can I say? It did what it was supposed to do. My Kodak Sport did not. However, I will keep this neat little tool for other items...just as described and works as expected for my unit as the previous one was left somewhere while on a trip~!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
AGPtek® GS5000 270 Rotation 5.0MP H.264 Full HD 1920x1080P 30FPS Dashboard Car Vehicle Camera Vide

- 1920x1080P FULL HD high quality resolution, advance H.264 video compression technology 5 Mega Pixels, 4X digital zoom, ranges from 12cm to limitless distance, 1.5 inch high resolution LCD, can watching while shooting, 5 resolution forms can be changed for video recording, 30/60frames per second for smooth video flow.
- Matching LED for supplementing light at night, Support HDMI high quality video transmission, equipped with special auto suction cup holder, conveniently fix and use.
- Built-in GPS, record traffic speed, driving track, G-sensor to keep records of sensor data and real-time display on the player.
- Powerful document protection, even in the recording process, the occurrence of sudden power outages, machine damage, etc., video files will be intact, seamless continuous recording, will not miss any data, adopt auto cigarette lighter power supply, to make the video recording while driving.
- To start the auto automatic off; to start the video recording function, set the video recording time, stop recording when the setting time is up, automatic circulating video recording, being able to set the record time for each file.
Design of device is wrong, the windshield attachment device interfers with either the power port or the power button so that it is not possible to have both the power port and the power button clear, you have to pick which side of the device you want the turn knob located to free up either the port or the power button but you can't have both at the same time.
Software programing is worthless, does not have GPS integration, in fact, to my knowledge, there is no way to integrate the GPS data with the video data. A GPS text file is created, good luck on actually using it. Directions were worthless.
Since I am not able to return the device I am stuck with it. Do your homework and get a device that has good software integration and has all the function buttons/ports accessible.
Finally, device needs to be told when to switch to infrared, this is annoying as it should be smarter and know based on programming.
It's a nice camera, pretty small and easy to handle. The video is nice, clear, continuous, a bit washy maybe. The bad parts: battery lasts a little over 30 minutes and GPS doesn't work. You better keep the camera plugged in and if you don't mind driving with a wire hanging in front of you while charging, it's a good camera. Let's say I recommend it.
PS. I don't know why, but the clarity of the video uploaded to Amazon is way worse than the original. I will post a link from YouTube.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
ZMODO 8CH H.264 CCTV Surveillance DVR System with 8 Sony CCD Night Vision Weatherproof Security Cam
For the price, this is a fantastic system that was fairly easy to get up and going after the initial install. I love being able to keep an eye on things around the house while we're out and about. Being able to check up on things and receive motion activated e-mail alerts brings peace of mind. You won't find any other security systems this good for the price. Something to know that's not really mentioned is that only one channel can record in D1 the rest will be in CIF, but it's really no big deal as the CIF resolution offers good clarity as well. Easily the best bang for the buck!it works , in the daylight it is ok , but at night I was expecting a bit better qualityand I am not sure that the cameras are made by sony , it seems they are sony type .
plenty of cables for a house install , pretty easy to view and search record
not bad for the moneyMy initial draw to this was it's cheap price, and the fact that it was an all-in-one package, that means less headaches for an intermediate installer as myself. But the actual experience was far from expected.
Pros: All-inclusive system, inexpensive
Cons:
1. 420TVL is a complete lie. Even bypassing the DVR and hooking this straight to a monitor, you'd be lucky if you could make out people's faces at more than 10 feet away.
2. Buggy software, making programming and remote viewing over internet very difficult.
3. Extremely cheap cables. A light duty staple as able to kink, and render the cable useless during installation. Upon closer inspection revealed that each connection is barely the width of a strand of hair.
4. 4 days after installation, 1 camera started exhibiting symptoms and darkening of picture, with no changes to the surrounding environment at all. And this was all In-door.
Conclusion: STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCTAfter lots of reading, I finally committed to the Zmodo DVR. Then, after lots of cussing, bleeding, and dirt, I finally got all the cables pulled where I wanted them. I plugged in the power supplies, all the BNC cables, and turned it on. Wow, it popped up all 8 channels! My wife was impressed, and my kids were having a blast dancing and looking at themselves in all of the cameras.
I still have to set up the internet functions, so there's still some "fun" ahead. The on-screen menus are reasonably understandable; I was able to set it up for motion detection recording, change the sensitivity, and review recordings all without delving into the manual.
That said, pulling the wires was NOT for the faint of heart; my wife had NO IDEA what I had committed to for installing this! I did, though...
Some more thoughts; you MUST have a way to get the mouse OR the remote control to work near your TV. I bought an IR extender for this job, but it doesn't work (although the remote works just fine). If you have to choose which control method to set up, I would go with the remote, as it has buttons that address many functions directly. As far as I can tell, the mouse can work everything too. I experimented with a presentation remote (as a mouse substitute), and it worked OK. Not as well as it works on my computer, though.I bought ths system and hooked it up home. Whn the guy came to install it one of the camera wasnt workin at all and the conneting cable fm tht drv to the television wasnt in the box. So I had to go and look for a camera and cable other thn tht the system working ok so far
Sony ICD-UX200WHT Digital Voice Recorder with Built-In 2 GB Flash Memory (White)
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Sylvania 6260VF 4 Head VCR

- Compact, full-featured 4-head VCR; measures 14.1 x 8 x 3 inches (WxDxH)
- Schedule to record eight programs for up to one year in advance; one-touch recording capability
- Freeze frame, slow motion, and frame by frame advance; auto rewind and repeat
- Easy hook-up of camcorders or video game consoles via front A/V input; also includes RF and A/V input/output connections on back
- Auto rewind and repeat functionality
Buy Sylvania 6260VF 4 Head VCR Now
I got this thing on closeout for about a Ulysses S. Grant. I got it to replace a rather expensive Sony VCR that gave faithful, quality service under heavy, daily usage for at least 5 years. I tried really hard to hate this thing, or find a reason to return; not. I have to admit that it is fully capable, budget VCR with no untoward habits, so I am forced (reluctantly) to give it top rating.Issue #1
The menus are hard to set up, the instruction manual only of marginal use, and you will take a lot of trial and error to figure out how to set up the menus. I keep pressing the wrong, doggone button. However, this is not unlike the old Sony, so PAR for this issue.
Issue #2
Lightweight, plastic, cheap, Made-in-China quality. The footprint of this thing on the shelf is barely half of the Sony. It barely weighs more than a bag of movie theater popcorn. So what else is new? PAR.
Issue #3
The instruction manual is pretty sketchy. I am still trying to figure out how to use the program-search feature. However, I have yet to ever see a VCR manual that is complete and easy to understand. PAR.
Issue #4
How long will it last? Judging by the hard, mechanical 'klunk' of the various relays in this VCR, I suspect that it's lifespan is better measured in months rather than years. So what? At the price, I have no problem with just buying another one. Certainly, the 'extended' warranty is a waste of money; when it craps-out, just by another one. BIRDIE.
Read Best Reviews of Sylvania 6260VF 4 Head VCR Here
This is a very poor vcr. I have only used it a few times and when I put it on "record" it will stop recording halfway thru the program. This also happens when I use the programmable recording. Either way its a piece of junk. I've bought different brands of tapes and it doesn't make any difference. If you are able to record (which has only happened once) the playback is awful. Save your money!!!!!!Want Sylvania 6260VF 4 Head VCR Discount?
I just purchased this yesterday morning at our local K-Mart, & even though this is definitely not the first VCR that I've ever had to connect, neither the picture nor sound would show up/sound on our TV no matter how much I fiddled with the connecting cable(Our TV is quite old, but not broken....)!Also, the Fast Forward Button just wouldn't work on a completely re-wound tape(It only started working after I had loosened up the tape by using the Play Button on the tape for a few seconds....); & this thing'd make extremely loud noises whenever I pushed a FF, Rew., or a Stop Button.... I've ended up returning this item within an hr.....I purchased this item and was very surorised at the speed it was deliveredBUTI connected it and was going to record a program that i really wanted ,as it was the only time it was to be aired. i put a tape in the slot-NOTHINGto make a long story short i contacted the service dept of sylvania and got the address and phone nr, of the closest waranty repair shop-72 miles after a trip there and a wait of three weeks i finally had my recrder back. so check carefully anything you buy on the web
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
SVAT GX5400 Wireless Indoor Nightvision DVR Monitoring System
I got this after reading another review that doesn't appear anymore? They stated they got their neigbors wireless camera from next door. I can see my neigbors (signal comes and goes) from about 200' down the street in my house so I'm impressed. Mine can flip thru the 4 standard 2gig frequencies and record. I haven't been able to play with the motion sensor part. You have to use the menu to format the CF card (memory) and my old spare 16mb card will only record 1 min on high def so a large 2,4 gig card would be handy. You can get audio if the cam has it and adjust the volume from off to high which is nice. I got mine used from shoptronics, it was perfect and shipping was quick. I have a router and it hasn't interfered so far.Hi, we got this camera to see any action on our driveway. It took a couple of hours to figure out the exact set-up, with one call to SVAT(which was returned promptly), and a bit of tweeking, but in the end we are happy with it. Crystal clear during the day, great reception. At night, not sure if it's because we have sensor lights on, but you definitely couldn't make out "who" was walking up to the door. You could see the car, not the plate number, and tell there was someone, but that's it. We haven't turned the sensor lights off to see if that works better. At first it was filming non-stop and running out of memory on the card within a few hours, but after setting the quality and sensor properly, we have it working perfectly. Good camera for the price.Buy SVAT GX5400 Wireless Indoor Nightvision DVR Monitoring System Now
This concept of this product is what I wanted but after using, there are two major issues I encountered.1. If you have a wireless network in your home, it knocks it off. Could not figure why my WiFi (N) was going down. After unplugging the camera, my WiFi came back up. Did it several time to be sure. It was definitely the transmitter on the camera. My wireless home network is "N", not sure if this problem will be the same for the B/G wireless networks.
2. The second issue i had was after turning the power on for the DVR and press "Record" I have to format the memory card every time. So if you have recording that you want to save, you will have to use a different memory card.
The system works OK but if you can deal with the two issues above, it will work for you.
Hopes this helps with your purchase.
Thanks
Read Best Reviews of SVAT GX5400 Wireless Indoor Nightvision DVR Monitoring System Here
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Blackmagic Design Intensity Extreme HDMI and Analog Capture & Playback Device - Thunderbolt
Blackmagic has some amazing stuff and this is yet another great addition to their product lineup. It could not be simpler: plug in HDMI, get video and audio out through the thunderbolt port.What's great is that your Mac will see this as a web camera, making it instantly compatible with any application that supports camera input. I've tested it with everything from Final Cut Pro X to the Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder and it has all worked flawlessly. My only caution is that you need to know exactly what resolution and framerate your HDMI is putting out first, and then select the appropriate camera in the driver. For example my Canon HV20 camcorder outputs 1080i, so I needed to select the 1080i 59.97fps option.
I'm using this with the Blackmagic Design ATEM Television Studio Production Switcher and it's working flawlessly. I connected the intensity extreme to the ATEM's program out via HDMI and was able to broadcast to Justin.TV using Flash Media Live Encoder. It carried both the audio and video from the ATEM the moment I plugged it in.
If you're still using firewire to stream high definition to your Mac, this is a great path to using more recent cameras. It not only allows you to live stream 1080p from some of the newer AVCHD cameras and record that video completely uncompressed. Many newer cameras will bypass their internal compression when sending video out through the HDMI port.
Like many other Blackmagic products, simplicity is key to the operation. You'll find it will start working right away when something's plugged in with very minimal configuration. It's really impressive especially considering how inexpensive it is. Just be sure to pick up Apple's overpriced thunderbolt cable as the intensity does not ship with one.My company has purchased several of these. Here's what you need to know.
First, it's not all solid state. There's a fan. Be prepared to vent it, and not stuff it anywhere. Out in the open, even on a warm day, and it's ok.
Second, these are fragile. Treat this like glass. If you travel with it, protect it well.
Finally, if you're on the road doing streaming, carry extras. I won't go so far as to call these 'unreliable', but I will say that they cannot be abused at all. We purchased 4, and 3 had to be exchanged. No doubt we treated these like regular gear, and that would be a mistake. When they work, they work great. When they stop working, it's a boat anchor.
I would highly recommend this for the cost. I'd pay triple for this, and in the end, I still might. The less often it moves, the more of a bargain you have.
Buy Blackmagic Design Intensity Extreme HDMI and Analog Capture & Playback Device - Thunderbolt Now
I purchased the Blackmagic Intensity Extreme for recording in the field from a Panasonic HMC150 to a MacBookPro (running under Lion) via HDMI-out on camcorder and Thunderbolt-in on computer. My hope was to avoid the good-but-not-great AVCHD format/H.264 compression, and to record straight to ProRes. In comparing some footage and color bars shot simultaneously using the HMC150's AVCHD format vs. the ProRes 422 (using Blackmagic's MediaExpress), the ProRes was very noticeably better. Of course you can expect those files to be huge compared to those recorded to the camcorder's SD card.Also to note (if you're not Barry Green), if yours is the same setup as mine, to get any image to come through to MediaExpress, you need to set your HMC150 to 1080/30P and MediaExpress preferences to HD 1080i 59.94 (or 720P/30P(or 60P) and 720i/59.94, respectively), as the HMC150 seems to record in a 59.94fps container, which I was not aware of. Additionally, a $50 Thunderbolt cable is required not a $10 Mini DisplayPort cable. The TB cable has some necessary circuitry.Watch my video review!! (copy and paste link in browser)Pros:
Multiple input AND output options.
HIGH speed with thunderbolt cable.
Clean design, looks great on desk.
No annoying indicator lights.
Cons:
The biggest con is its price+the price of the thunderbolt cable wich is NOT INCLUDED and there is no way to run this device without one.
Another small con is the software can be a little difficult to understand at first, but it is not a big issue once you figure it out.
Wrap up:
The blackmagic intensity extreme does everything it claims to and does it well. The build quality is unmatched and I would recommend it to anyone who intends to get good use out of it.I bought this product and had to return it because it was not operating correctly. I was sent a replacement unit that was 100% non-functional. My opinion is this product is absolute garbage. 2 units and both were garbage.
There is at least one upfront caveat. The unit is completely incapable of accepting a progressive signal over component cable. I spoke to a technician on the phone and he revealed as much. He also said that they are having serious issues working with Thunderbolt technology. For some reason they are building devices that are compatible with a new Macbook Pro (for example), but another identical Macbook might be completely incompatible. These things are beta at best.
I bought an Elgato video capture device and it flawlessly captured video from a VCR. The first (semi-functional) Intensity Extreme unit was dropping video/audio constantly with the same material. A product that is less than 3x the price did a better job.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Sony ECM-719 Walkman

- High-quality electret condenser microphone with oxygen-free copper cord
- Music/meeting mode switch enables suitable recordings for each situation
- Designed for table-top or clip-on use
- Frequency response: 100Hz-15kHz
- Dual power options: plug-in or LR44 battery
- Gold-plated L-shaped stereo miniplug
The microphone is designed to clip to a lapel or stand on a table. It's fine for the lapel: the mic will capture the speaker's voice and not much else. For standing on a table, it is absolutely useless. The speaker's voice must be within 6 inches to pick up anything. It's also very poor for a uni-directional microphone, it's more omni-directional in practice. Not what I expected from what Sony brands a "uni-directional" microphone.
This is the last time Sony robs me. I will never again buy another Sony-branded proprietary piece of junk. Never again!I've used this mic pretty strenuously for just over five years now, and it's still going strong. I've used it with a Sony MZ-R700 recording minidisc Walkman and a Sony Hi-MD MZ-RH1 recording minidisc Walkman. It records the voice beautifully in every environment I've used it including tours of industrial areas, dedications in the windy outdoors, presentations in bustling meeting rooms, and quiet interviews in closed offices. If you use it with these recorders, the compact size of the mic and the resulting quality of the recordings simply can't be beat.
Saturday, May 17, 2014
RCA EZ209HD Small Wonder HD Camcorder (Black)
I bought this RCA camcorder two weeks ago and am generally pleased with it. I chose it over the popular and highly rated Flip and Vado camcorders because the RCA also takes still photos. It doesn't hurt that it is also costs less. I've taken some very nice HD videos and beautiful stills with it. I've also taken some not so great videos and photos with it, generally due to inadequate lighting or shooting into the sun. This camcorder, and probably any pocket camcorder, is best used in good light. That doesn't mean you need to shoot outside in bright sun, but that helps. Good indoor lighting works too. As the light decreases the video will soon get grainy and that becomes very obvious on an HD TV. But in low light all is not lost. I took some low light video (one lamp on in my living room) using the low resolution WebQ mode that looked pretty decent on my computer. The digital zoom is okay but, as with any digital zoom, you lose resolution with it so it is best used sparingly. The sound is generally good but sometimes seems to be kind of low when played on my computer. But that is not really the camera because I have converted videos to a format that can play on my Linux laptop (DivX video codec and MP3 audio codec) and the sound comes out much louder. (I didn't do anything to intentionally boost the audio.) The audio also comes out louder when I used the RCA Memory Manager software to convert the video for emailing. Additionally, when I try to play the raw HD videos on my PC using Windows Media Player, the video and sound are out of sync (but are in sync when played on through a TV). The videos also play well using the RCA software, but they only appear in a small window. I think that my PC or WMP just has a problem with the raw format. When I convert the video to the DivX/MP3 format, everything plays fine. (I used the free version of Any Video Converter to convert my videos, but there are other free software programs out there like Handbrake or Auto Gordian Knot that can convert videos.) The RCA's 2 inch display is viewable even in bright sunlight but it may get a bit washed out.I had no problem with the RCA Memory Manager software. It loaded easily but required two updates (one for the Memory Manager software and one for the camera firmware). The software automatically looks for updates so you don't have to check the website for new software. The Memory Manager software is only for the video, not photographs. It provides basic video editing capability, frame capture (so you can make a still photo from the video) and conversion capability so you can make a smaller file to email. There's a little more it does but I haven't had the need to try it yet.
This device doesn't take the place of a "real" camcorder or digital camera (this RCA has no flash) but it works well enough as something that is extremely portable so you can take it along to capture events that you otherwise wouldn't. It's more than just a toy but it is fun to play with. For example, yesterday I used it to video and photograph my family at the beach, playing mini-golf, and visiting a lighthouse and the videos and photos all came out very nicely indeed. For a cost of 100 bucks, I definitely think I got my money's worth.I bought this camcorder for a road trip, and I bought it specifically for these features:
-Charges by and Connects to Computer by mini-USB. This makes it compatible with other charge/USB cords I had for other devices (like my cell phone) and meant I could charge the battery in the car while on the road. Don't underestimate buying products that use mini-USB!
-Instantly recognized by Mac OS X without any special software. Tested it on both Tiger and Leopard. I was able to easily pull the media I wanted from the camera.
-Storage on micro SD made it cross-compatible with my phone and my other camera; I can just switch out the memory cards.
Unlike other reviewers, I didn't have any issues with the controls or ports on this camcorder. The controls are very easy to use and precise.
However, the quality of video and sound is not truly HD. You can expect slightly better than normal camcorder quality. I think that's pretty good from a device that fits in your pocket.
For capturing memories quickly and easily, this is a fantastic product. For making high-quality films, you should probably buy something that isn't a pocket-sized camcorder.
Buy RCA EZ209HD Small Wonder HD Camcorder (Black) Now
This little camcorder is a GEM! I really am amazed at how good it is. Very light weight, great battery life (like 3 hours) , and excellent video quality.When I took this guy out of the box, I read the quick start guide that came with it and quickly learned several things.
1. It needs to be charged before use (even though when I turned it on, it was at 75%).
2. The power on/off switch is a sliding switch on the right side of it. It's kind of springy, and you just slide it down and release it.
3. It has three resolution modes, and you need to just switch it to HD (720P!) and not look back. (Left side of camcorder).
After it was fully charged, I plugged it into my PC and Windows detected it, and asked me if I wanted to install the Memory Manager software. I said yes. It installed Memory Manager and immediately told me there was a new version. Cool! RCA made some improvements or something, so I let it update it. After it installed it again, it told me that the camcorder it self also had an update. Wow! I let it update the camcorder. It was very simple!
I have been playing with the Memory Manager software and it is very slick! It lets me edit and cut videos into a larger (or smaller) video and save them. I can even splice different resolution of videos together. I can also use it to create a smaller size video to email to friends, or upload to Youtube! This thing is SWEET!
I did find out that you HAVE to install the RCA software... Apparently, it installs a "special" video codec, and without it, you are not going to see the videos. Once you install the RCA software, you can also use Windows Media Player to view the videos! Again, WOW!
I bought an 8 GB micro SD card for mine. I get like 4 hours of HD video.
OH yeah, it also is a 8 MP camera!!! You have to be patient at first when you learn how to use it. You press the camera button once, and it puts it in camera mode. Press it again and it takes a photo. Just hold it still, as there is a shutter delay. Photo quality is awesome. To go back to video mode, you press the big red record button. Real simple to use!
A+ RCA! Great job!!!
Read Best Reviews of RCA EZ209HD Small Wonder HD Camcorder (Black) Here
I've had this camera for a few months now, it replaced an older model Flip that I gave to a family member and was half the price of the HD Flip.If you're a technical person who doesn't mind messing around with .avi files, then by all means get this camera. The included software is horrible, you're better off just copying off the .avi files, playing them in VLC and editing them in whatever you like, on the PC or on the Mac (I've worked with them on both).
Video quality is pretty much on-par for this type of camera, great for quick, cheezy family videos, but you won't be winning an Oscar for cinematography with this camera, nor any camera in this class. Audio quality is on-par too. I did not have any buzzing or other camera interference as others have mentioned.
I did have a problem with a 4G SDHC card that the camera simply would not recognize, but a 8G card by another manufacturer works just fine. The battery gives out (about 2 hours of continuous video shooting) long before the card fills up.
Charging is quirky, it will work off of full-powered USB ports, probably draws 1000mw, so your 500mw ports won't work. Has problems on some of my laptop ports, but works fine off a powered USB hub. You can not replace the battery, once it is dead you'll probably replace the camera.
You'll probably never use the low-quality modes, what's the point? Just shoot in HD and be done with it.
The ports are all covered in goofy rubber flaps. Easy to rip-off if you're not careful. They'll keep dirt and water out. The body is plastic, good or bad, that's up to you to decide, I don't mind at all.
It's small, lightweight, and very thin. It has a strap but no mounting points. I found my arm getting tired holding it up for long periods, and you can't stand it up on a flat surface easily.
The playback on the unit itself is good enough for watching in the field.
The sensor is 5mp but the camera interpolates still photos to 8mp, don't know why, I wish it didn't bother and just left them at 5. If I don't feel like carrying my 10mp camera with me along with this, it's good enough for most family shots.
RCA support has been prompt and responsive, but could not answer all of my questions and had a little bit of an attitude.
Advantages over the flip, cheaper price, smaller and lighter, takes standard memory cards. Disadvantages, the software is horrible for non-technical people, no camera mount, can't replace the battery.
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I really wanted to like this camcorder, however, the video quality was so poor that it was basically unusable. If you record in anything but the brightest sunlight the results will be terrible. The design of the camera is nice. Its light weight, stylish and comfortable. Used it for a few days before finally giving up. If you have memories worth recording then they deserve better than this camcorder. Oh, the memory card retaining latch broke the forth time I ejected the card so now its actually completely useless as I can't get a card to latch in anymore. Somehow a fitting end to a disappointing product. Shame on you RCA!Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Bedol Digital Message Center
On searching for something on which I could record short messages, most items I found that could do that were single message gadgets, 10 seconds or less per message. This little wonder allows 4 stored messages of up to 17 seconds each.It comes well packaged, the design is well thought out, it looks good, and it feels very solid. So why, says I, is the price so low on this. I learned the answer with the first message I recorded. The playback has distortion in it. I presume the distortion issue is what forced Bedol to sell these things so dirt cheap. It's a shame. It's a really nice unit.
That said, the distortion is not so bad to where one can't understand what's been said. I didn't buy it for its fidelity, so for me it does exactly what I hoped it would do, record thoughts for future reference. It's a very effective message center as long as you don't mind the sound of distorted (but reasonably easy to understand) voice. I will say though, less garbled would be nicer. Also, it's quite possible that mine is defective.Hi there,
I received these products they work well thank you very much all of them will be presents for family!
Thanks,
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom
I got this camcorder a few days ago. It is very user friendly and simple. This is great for those of us that are not the most savvy. Sadly user friendly can also be a curse. Even though the picture quality of the video is great(still shots not so great, but thats not why I got a camcorder) special effects and other features are lacking. So if you want a camcorder thats easy to use and will make great home videos this is a good buy. You'll have few worries and no tapes. Easy DVD burn(just one button). If you want features and loads of them you may want to browse some other models. No light, but good night vision. No view finder, but the lcd screen is pretty good, I could even see it well outside with the sun hitting it. No adjustments to still picture quality. No special effects built into the camcorder. But really easy to use.I wasn't originally planning to buy a hard drive camcorder (was mostly looking at mini-dv), but I saw this one at a discount at Circuit City, so that's why I purchased it.After using this camera, I realized that it would have been a big mistake for me if I got the mini-dv tape camera. The advantages of convenience of a hard drive camera by far outweight the extra price (sometimes as low as 50$).
The best thing I like about this camera is of course the convenience of not having to buy tapes, and the ease with which the videos are transferred to the computer. I also really like the fact that I can review the clips on the camera right after recording, or earlier clips on the drive, without having to wait for the tape to rewind and trying to catch the right moment.
I also think that the audio is very good, the sound is clear and it records very quite sounds which make the videos even more interesting.
The other great thing I like about this camcorder is its powerful 40x zoom. I read a review here claiming that it's only a 25x zoom, but it still is really powerful and allows me to zoom up on people's face when they are so far that they wouldn't even be able to see that i have a camera. High flying airplaines can also be zoomed up to a full screen and I don't use the digital zoom.
There are other great things I like about this camera but I am sure it will be covered in other reviews so I am going to list some things that I thought were its weak sides.
First of all, the camera doesn't have a viewfinder which means that in order to see what is being recorded, one has to keep the LCD screen open, which uses the battery power pretty quickly. The camera can record, though, if you point it at something while it's on a tripod, and then let it record with a closed LCD, but hey, how often does that happen?
There is no usb port on the camera itself, the usb cable pluggs into the docking station, which means you have to carry it with you if you need to download a video on some other computer away from home.
As far as the video quality, it seems to be quite good by my standards. I mostly watch it on the computer and it is quite clear and sharp. The video is slightly better than on a Sony HC21 I tested before, and is about the same or slightly better than on my brother's JVC GZ MG21U hdd camcorder. The video is nowhere near the professional quality of course. But hey, professional cameras don't shake like camcorders either.
The bottom line, I think this is a good camera and the conveniences of instant file transfer combined with good zoom and audio should help the potential buyer make his/her decision. .
Buy Sony DCR-SR42 30GB Hard Disk Drive Handycam Camcorder with 40x Optical Zoom Now
OK, I have to start by saying I have not actually used this product. However, I have to comment on the review that says Sony is falsely advertising a 40x zoom. Unfortunately, the reviewer does not understand what 40x means, and since this is likely true of many readers, I wanted to clear this up.If you read the specifications, you will see that this Sony camera has a lens with a minimial focal length of 36mm and a maximum focal length 1440mm. To calculate the zoom multiplier, divide the maximum focal length by the minimum focal length. In this case, 1440 / 36 = 40 so indeed the Sony camera has a 40x lens.
So, what happened when the reviewer "GAB" went to the video store and compared this to the JVC and other models? The answer is, he only compared the maximum zooms of the different cameras. The JVC, for instance, turns out to have a greater maximum zoom. JVC's camera specs for this model indicate it has a minimum focal distacne of 2.3, and a maximum of 78.2. You can't really compare the focal length numbers since the cameras are on different scales, but you can apply the same formula to the JVC, in which case 78.2 / 2.3 = 34, so indeed the JVC has a 34x zoom, as advertized. However, to completely compare the lenses, you should also zoom ALL OF THE WAY OUT, and compare those pictures as well. If you do this, you will find the Sony gives a much wider view than the JVC. In other words, the Sony has a wider angle lens than the JVC. So, if you are close to the subjects you are viewing, you will get much more in the picture with the Sony than with the JVC.
The bottom line is that zoom multipler on any camera lens is the ratio of the widest angle to the strongest zoom. Which is more important is up to you. Do you plan to shoot more indooors than out? In that case, a wider angle is probably better due to the close quarters. Do you plan to shoot lots of sporting events from the bleachers? In that case you probably want a greater zoom to get close to the action from a distance. Some of of both? You probably want greatest flexibility, which in this case the Sony gives you slightly more.
Consider how you plan to do most of your shooting, and buy the camera that meets your needs. But make sure you are comparing apples to apples, and considering all aspects of your decision. Zoom is only one of many features on these cameras compare them all!
Note: Since I have not used this camera, but I had to select a rating for it in order to write this, I choose four stars in order to average with GAB's rating of 2 stars and end up at 3. I apologize is this is misleading to anyone.I had to think twice about getting this camera due to the price, but I'm glad I did. I have had it since last December. I used it at Christmas time and was able to store quite a bit of video on it, before downloading it to my computer and adjusting it. You can adjust features yourself or just use the Easy mode. The camera does such a great job of adjusting itself most of the time during Easy mode, that I haven't bothered with other features, except for the night vision. That does come in handy when taking night shots, though the video is black and white when using the night vision feature. Downloading is SO easy! Battery life is long. Video quality is great. My only complaint is that still pictures are very grainy and pixelly. I was hoping for just one camera that would give me good stills and good video. For some reason that holy grail has yet to be achieved. But as a camcorder, the quality of this product is excellent.
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I will start with the bad first......This camera and included software is NOT Mac compatible. Not to say you can't use it with a Mac, just not as easy as it should be. From what I understand many other Sony products are Mac compatible (including DV tape based video cameras), so I am not sure why their HDD cameras aren't. The Manual only explains how to transfer images to your computer using the included software. I had to figure out how to get the images into my Mac on my own and it is a fairly long process. Importing 1.07GB worth of video took 20+ minutes to get into the computer. Once it is finally in the computer, you will have to convert the MPG2 files into DV files if you want to use it in IDVD or Imovie. This is also a long process and requires the purchase of additional software. I am not able to use some of the features like the direct to disc burn feature on the camera. I also can't use some of the features on the Apple software that requires you to load video direct from your camera. Although I blame Apple for not allowing the use of MPEG2 files in their software, I also blame Sony for not including some sort of simple software or instructions on getting the files into your Mac.
My other complaint is the Manual. It includes a "guide" that constantly tells you to refer to the "handbook" which only comes on the disc in PDF. The 140+ page handbook includes instructions for at least 1/2 a dozen models and every you look it says except for this model or except for that model. Very hard to follow. For the cost of this camera, it should have had a hard copy manual specific to this model.
As far as the battery issue others are having, it doesn't seem to be much of a problem for me. I don't leave it on in stby mode too often and I always put it back on the dock at the end of the day. Most cameras come with the entry level batteries and longer life batteries are available.
Now for the good...
The size is amazing, it is comfortable to hold and easy to use.
Picture quality is pretty good considering they are compressed MPEG2 images.
A DV tape based camera does not compress the video and is a little better quality, but the trade off of not having any tape or discs was more important to me. Not having to worry about tape is great and 30GB is plenty of room for hours of video.
The 40X optical zoom is also great, which is the highest I found in any HDD camera including Sony's more expensive models.
Bottom line is it is a nice camera, but think about how much trouble you are willing to go through if you own a Mac.
Monday, May 12, 2014
VideoSecu Outdoor Day Night Infrared Security Camera 600TVL Built-in 1/3" Sony CCD 20 IR LEDs Vanda
I am a mid-20's tech-geek, that happens to work in private security. I do a lot of camera work, so my expectations are always high. Our neighborhood has had a lot of break ins, so this system has a purpose...to make sure I put the guy behind bars. This camera was very easy to install, and the brackets went on very secure. I also purchased an Aposonic DVR card for a dedicated PC with 500gb's of storage, so keep in mind that when I refer to video quality it is describing the video after being converted to digital. So far I have been recording 4 shots, at 640x480 @ 100% quality and in a week have only used 4% of my storage capacity.The housing design is very slick, and is by no means an "eye sore."
The IR lights are powerful enough to view the immediate area of the camera, but the quality deteriorates at about 30 ft. The iris adjusts very quickly if any light sources enter the shot (ie: headlights). I purchased 5 of these cameras, all for outdoor use (however I only used 4...I ruined one, which I will explain later). This camera does capture a wide angle, so I probably could have covered my entire house/yard using 2-3.
Pros
-Crisp, clear shot during the day. Adequate shots in the night.
-Very solid, great quality
-Great design, which is also very functional
-Great Autofocus, Iris, and Color.
Cons
-The factory cable is built in, and cannot be replaced if ruined (that's how I ruined a camera)
-Wires are accessible when camera is positioned at certain angles.
-Very fast movement (such as wind blowing) makes the camera appear very pixelated.
Overall recommendation:
A+ This product is great for home security, or to cover large areas. If this is to catch shoplifters, you may want to go with something that gets you a closer shot.
Side Note:
This camera does not include a power supply, so make sure you purchase one. Also, be careful when loosening the enclosure as I stripped the security screw....and I had to drill it out.The "microphone" model is just the standard camera with a seperate external microphone add-on: it looks like a 12inch siamese cable (but it's 3-way:power-in, power-out, audio-out) with a tiny mic wraped in tape. The "microphone" is just thrown in the box of their standard model.
Over the last six months I've bought 6 dome cameras from warehouserseller: two 420 line with power supply; two, of the "microphone" and two of the 480 line models (power supply extra). The manufacturer's spec sheet is the same for ALL cameras that I received. The camera housing varies a little (pull-apart or twist (or screw) off).
As to the Videosecu label and serial, most the cameras I ordered didn't not have it, but Jenny who answers the phone (and does tech support) swears everything is good.
OK, the cameras work fine.
The 480 line camera had a sticker on the outside of the box, but inside the box the manufacture's spec sheet says that its a 420 line camera.
I like the camera (all cameras I orderd appeard to have the same resolution) and warehouseseller ships quickly.
I recommend ONLY the standard model ($65.00) that comes with the power supply, because that's what you'll probably get anyway.
These dome cameras are fish-eye wide-angle: good as a front-door cam, back or front-yard cam. For a driveway get the swann Bulldog (bullit type) cam. To keep an eye on my car in the street, I use the swann.
Mike the KVery sharp picture day and night that smoked the two other $220 cameras I bought. I exchanged those for two more of these. Great camera.I own a number of cameras and this one left me a bit flat after some of the great reviews. For a "fixed" camera with "sound", I expected a bit more perhaps. While the night vision is really quite good, the color during the day is really "washed out" looking.
Image "Clarity" is acceptable but not what I would classify as "HD" quality.
The sound is pretty much useless as it is muffled and mostly unintelligible on playback. (h.264 dvr set to HD)
Cabling is decent enough and so far the unit is "reliable"
If I was just purchasing for "surveillance" use only and not needing good "facial recognition" then the camera is good enough. If you are trying to "ID" a stranger, I might suggest stepping up to a better grade camera.I bought this camera to replace another which I paid much more for. This camera is a Gem. Great focus and wide angle view. Night time is superb. You wont go wrong with it. Solid construction, none of the mickey mouse plastic stuff.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Zmodo 16CH Video DVR Security Surveillance Camera System With 1TB Hard Drive Pre-installed
I purchased this and had to return it. Could not get it to work to view on iphone, etc. I have another dvr hooked up to the same router and works perfectly fine. Customer service tried to troubleshoot it but was unsuccessful and told me that they would call me back to figure out the problem. Never heard from them again.In terms of overall quality, very cheap. When viewing live footage on my mac, the resolution was terrible and there's no way to adjust it. I called customer service yet again and they could not help as there were no adjustments.
Even at 100.00, it's not worth it.The DVR is very basic. The remote serves almost no function, you can't use the record buttons, software is very scetchy. But it is a 16 channel DVR for a very low cost.
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System works well so far, its the first 6 months. I read the last review and wondered what mobile app they were using. I was able to set up 3 mobile phones for viewing and one of them was an iPhone. My favorite free viewing app for this DVR is Asee.Because of its basic setup I would normally give this DVR three stars but because of the great price I will give it a four.I would give 5 stars if: 1) there is better manual. Like other Chinese products the manual is lacking in detail, 2) the receptacles in the back of the box, for the 16 cables are placed so close by that it is difficult to get proper hold with my not so stubby fingers. I had to use pliers to turn the quick connects, 3) the on-screen menus could have been better designed and explained.
Having said that, I have used other brands more expensive ones and this one is far better, and offers a great value. I have not used all the features yet though.I can't get this machine to prerecord the three seconds that is should be doing. When motion is detected, a three second pre-record should occur. That way when you click on an alert you can actually see the event as it happens. However, this 16 channel machines software does not allow for that. What happens is when a motion is detected let say at 10:23:31 PM you click on the alert video and it starts viewing the occurrence three to four seconds after the motion occurred. Say at 10:23:34. This time delay allows someone to actually NOT be caught on camera if they were to move across viewing area of camera.
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Vivitar DVR 850W Waterproof Digital Camcorder - Flash Memory, Memory Card - 2.40" Active Matrix TFT
My daughter is an avid swimmer, as well as an video and photo enthusiast. At nine years old, our more expensive camera has had a few knocks and bumps, and it was high time to buy her a decent camera, since the off-brand cameras were not up to the task. My wife found the Vivitar 850W and it fit all her needs! Waterproof to 10 ft, great video, 8.1 Megapixel photos, small, light, floats and ruggedly built, it seemed the perfect gift we have not been disappointed! It went into the bath, then into the pool at a local hotel and has given her no end of enjoyment. The video is great, can use an SD card up to 8 Gigabytes, has easy to use software. Only complaint is that it can't easily be connected to a tripod (has the screw hole for it, but it's recessed too far). Looks like an easy thing to adapt, though, so I'm not worried. I've got more info at [] .Perfect timing! Beautiful camera, my daughter loved her gift. ,Thank you so much! Love that she can record under water.I got it for my 10 year old daughter. The charger has to be in just right or it wont charge. The sound you get on playback is so quiet you almost can"t hear it.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Irecord Personal Media Recorder
If you are like me and looking for something that will do like a computer, but skip messing with the computer this item is not the one. It down loads fast, but your album info shows Unknown Artist, then "iRecord,(the)date(recorded),(then the)time". If you click on that info the album starts playing NO song list at all. If you don't have a record of what album was loaded at what time you will never know what you are playing. If you are looking for a specific song it will be very time consumning to find it! I looked for more info on how this iRecord worked and what it actually did before I bought and could not find anything on it and took a chance knowing it might not be what I wanted. So I am just writing off the cost but please beware of how little it does! It's going to be a garage sale item now!I have owned two units of this for the past five years and I'm still recording TV show on my Apple I-Pod classic that Amazon sells. I don't do any other fancy things with this. Beats programing the computer and transfering to I-Tunes, them onto the I-Pod. Hook up to the VHS machine via RCA cable. Just turn on the VHSwon't record with the VHS off, select channel on VHS machine, turn on I-Record by pressing the on button until the light changes from red to amber, Plug-in I-Pod, wait until the blinking green light on the I-Record changes to a steady green light. Then push the record button. The other only button is for the power with its own red light. Keep on pressing the record button until the green light changes to a blinking red light, then release. Records in blocks of three hours with a few seconds of no recording and resuming recording again. I start my recording on the hour while the ads are playing instead of the interupting the show itself. To stop recording, just press the same recording button until it turn green. Wait until the I-Pod screen show the prompts that says OK the disconnect. If you pull before that, the entire block will be deleted leaving only the privious blocks avaiable the watch. Can fast forward to skip the ads on the I-Pod. Should I be saying that part? I have two I-Pods so when I use one, the other can be recording. Passes time on my bus commute and waiting at the doctor's office, etc...Have fun! Oh yeh, it also grabs the shows of the VHS tape and DVDs from the VHS/DVD machine. Now Have Some Fun! Would buy it again, but mine is still going strong! Don't forget to buy a small card size UBS battery with a docking cable from Amazon to extend the three hour I-Pod battery life.Buy Irecord Personal Media Recorder Now
I had seen this advertised in a SkyMall magazine on a flight and got really excited about it. So I bought it from eBay.I wanted to use it to record episodes of TV shows I owned onto my ipod.
Well... First, to start recording you have to time it just right so that when you hit the record button, there is a lag of about 4-5 seconds.
Second, you might not be able to watch and record simultaneously with the supplied cords, which makes recording total guesswork.
Third, this device does not list any information about the recording, simply: "iRecord, (date recorded),(the time)". So you'll never know what you are watching or listening to prior to choosing it.
But thats not the worst...
THE AUDIO is completely unusable with this device. An episode of say, Star Trek TNG, spiked uncontrollably the entire time. I made multiple attempts of different episodes, and the same issue persisted.
I guess if you don't care about the integrity of the audio, it's nice to simply record a show or DVD/Blu-Ray onto your ipod, but I'm sure there are better, less expensive ways to do it. Even iTunes would be cheaper!!
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
DNT 8ch 8 Channel H.264 Standalone Cameras Surveillance Cctv Dvr Digital Video Recorder Security Sy
The DT-L3108HV DVR is a small 8-channel DVR (desk footprint slightly bigger than a 10" netbook). It accepts one SATA 3.5" hard drive (although the electronics look like it was designed to accommodate 2 drives since there is an unused SATA data connector on the board). Note that NO hard drive is included, this is a DIY addition. I have installed a 2TB drive and it works fine.THE GOOD:
+ There is a front mounted USB port so when you want to backup to a USB drive you don't have to fumble at the back of the DVR (possibly disconnecting a cable).
+ There is a single 40mm fan to cool the electronics & hard drive.
+ The local DVR Interface (i.e. using the mouse) is polished, with slick menu icons. The only thing that's missing from the local DVR interface is an exit playback button (you have to right click then select stop playing, then view desktop to exit playback mode and resume live view)
+ An interesting thing is that for the 9-view split (remember only 8 cams can be connected) the 9th view shows codec bitrate information for each channel which can be useful for understanding how different resolution/quality settings affect bitrate. This is something that I have not seen with other DVRs that I've used. However it would be useful if the DVR would average the last 30 seconds of video and display MByte/Hour statistic as well as the # of days of currently stored recorded video.
+ The DVR interface does show the start/end dates of stored video (you have to dig in the menu options to find it)
+ You can schedule periodic reboots.
THE BAD:
Monitor output is only VGA, there is no HDMI output (you can also connect a "spot" monitor via BNC output connector but most people will not use this). Even though there's no HDMI support the GUI interface allows "widescreen" resolutions via VGA (up to 1440x900)
Case was a little harder to open/close than expected, you have to slightly bend the sides apart while raising/lowering the back of the case.
The printed documentation is atrocious, even by DVR OEM standards. There are no instructions on how to open the case, and the operation of the DVR isn't really covered in the sort of detail that I'd like. However by playing around you can probably figure out most things, but I would prefer to read an accurate manual to save time. There were also documentation files on the CD but my CD was defective (see further below) so I don't know if a better manual was on the CD.
Placement of video out (BNC) jack is right next to channel 1 input, if you are not careful you might plug a cam into this jack. There should have been clear visual separation of camera inputs from similar-looking connectors (or at the very least a label on the top of the DVR pointing this out).
Unlike most other DVRs the hard drive LED just remains "on" all the time, it doesn't blink to indicate activity.
IMAGE QUALITY:
+ Recorded playback quality is very good at D1 resolution and "best" quality. It is SUPERIOR to the Nightowl Zeus DVR that I have previously reviewed (which has a blocky mess of pixels for video playback)
PC CLIENT (CMS) SOFTWARE:
+ Software has good layout and options
+ You can actually view live video while playing back a video file (each in different windows). This is both good & bad both use bandwidth so if you only want to playback and don't care about live monitoring you should stop the live live (click on the cam icons to turn off) before playback. Many DVRs don't allow live monitoring while playing back.
+ You can click on the video timeline to quickly jump around during playback.
+ You can adjust DVR settings remotely via the client software.
Slow/Fast playback does not display an onscreen speed indicator "2x, 4x, 8x" etc like on other DVRs.
One negative thing is that Fast Forward sometimes causes playback to stop, especially at the higher fast forward playback speeds. When this happens you have to click stop then restart playback of the video file that you were watching (you don't have to close or restart the client software though). I have verified that this consistently happens even on a LAN connection, so it's nothing to do with internet bandwidth or transmission. This really should never happen for a DVR and is an unfortunate black mark against it.
I have not tested the web-based (IE browser) software because I think the PC CMS software does everything needed for most remote access. The DVR also comes with mobile software for Android/Blackberry/Symbian & Windows Mobile devices (untested by me).
The miniCD that was included with the DVR was defective I could not read the software from it and on visual inspection it had a bumpy defect on the data side. I downloaded the software from D&T's website at
BUILD CONSTRUCTION/INCLUDED ACCESSORIES:
Remote does not come with batteries. Some other DVRs include them.
There were a few solder splashes inside the case. I removed them but production staff is obviously not being careful enough they could potentially cause damage to the internal electronics.
The plastic cover that covers the DVR's infrared remote sensor came out and was rolling around inside the case. I guess this was not glued down as it should be (this is a cosmetic issue, the remote will work without the cover in place)
OVERALL, I would recommend this DVR, even though it's an 8 channel DVR. In terms of the last DVR I reviewed (16 channel Nightowl Zeus DVR) the DT-L3108HV has better image quality, a more usable interface, and is also smaller in size (although it only holds a single hard drive).
I hope you have found this review useful!The manual helpfully tells you it has a one year warranty, and contact them if there is a problem. Of course, it then provides no way to actually contact them.
Update 1:
Contacted DNT directly through Amazon. After a series of emails expressing healthy skepticism ("you CLAIM it doesn't work" yea, that's what I am claiming) they agreed to allow me to ship it to them at my expense. After a week the first email said there was nothing wrong with it, then eight minutes later another email was sent telling me the power supply was bad. Well, possible, though I had tested it with a multimeter before sending it off, so doubtful. We'll see what they come up with next.
Konka KD1800U1 DVD Player

- Coaxial digital-audio output
- Dolby Digital output
- S-video output
- Plays CD-R discs
- Supports up to 8 different languages for soundtracks and up to 32 languages for subtitles
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The Konka KD1800 is exactly what is purports itself to be; a budget-priced, reliable, low-end DVD player. The 'low-end' tag applies more to the units electronic response than to its sound or video reproduction.The Konka is simple to install, using either analog or digital connections. It produces a high quality video image and very impressive sound. There are a variety of fancy visual options which will intrigue some users but probably be ignored by most, such as the variable view angle capability.
The only significant drawback to the KD1800U1 is its extremely slow response to the remote. As almost all of the control features are on the remote, this can be quite a nuisance. The functions are reliable and perform as advertised, they simply take forever to activate. If this is the only problem that manifests itself, however, it is a small price to pay for the dollar savings in the purchase price.
The final determination on any video system should be the quality of the image it provides. In that area, the Konka is superb. The DVDs I have viewed have been everything I expected. They are clean, stable, and visually impressive. In a word, the visual product is excellent.
If you want a high-end electronic toy with which to manipulate your DVDs, this unit is not a good choice. However, if you want a DVD player so that you can enjoy the visual clarity and dynamic sound of DVDs, there is no reason to spend more money. The Konka KD1800U1 will satisfy your needs.
Read Best Reviews of Konka KD1800U1 DVD Player Here
I did a fair amount of research when I decided to enter into the DVD world. Based on my audio reciever's capacity (doesn't support Dolby Digital, for example), I opted for a player without all the bells and whistles--I'll get one of those players when I upgrade my TV and stereo a couple of years from now. In the $200 to $300 price range, I was dizzy with all the choices. I liked the Toshiba 3109, but I kept coming back to the Konka KD-1800U. I had found so many complementary reviews (both editorial and customer) about the Konka, but I was wary because the brand was pretty unknown to me. I am glad I took the chance, though, as my first viewing with the Konka was fantastic.I should explain, though: I had ordered the KD-1800 and Amazon shipped me the KD-1800U1. I had seen a couple of mentions about this model in reviews, but didn't know that much more about it. There are some differences, including no coaxial out (despite what the description says) and support of Dolby Theater (DTS) (though the KD 1800U did support DTS, even though it didn't say it anywhere). I was pretty confused when I recieved this player, as I didn't know that much about it. The www.konkausa.com site said nothing about this new model. Amazon didn't have any info about it. I eventually got through to a very knowledgable guy at Konka who explained that the KD-1800U1 is the new/replacement model for the KD-1800U, which was discontinued a couple of months ago. It seems that the geographical zones that the KD-1800 was set up for barred it from being used in Asia and Mexico, so this 1800U1 is for North America (zone 1). With this update, they also put in some extras, like another set of A/V OUT jacks (for example, to hook through a VCR, though I loathe to think what a taped DVD would look like). All in all, the Konka rep convinced me that this was indeed a better model than the 1800U for the same low, low price of under $200.
Now, for the test: I hooked everything up with my jury-rigged home theater system (I'm a scrapyard wannabe-audiophile) and my workhorse 27" TV. My first test run was with Fight Club, and the opening credits, with the camera running along a tangled network of neurons and synapses, really looked amazing. Even my friend, who isn't too discriminating when it comes to fuzzy pictures and poor-quality video, was amazed at the resolution of the picture. The sound (during the THX "volume swell") was super crisp and sounded great, even through my hodge-podge of varied-quality speakers. Suffice to say, the movie looked and sounded great and made me realize what a great technology DVD is. After that, we had to take the Matrix for a test run, and skipping through the chapters was a breeze...again, everything looked wonderful. My only complaint is that the remote, which is layed out pretty terribly with tiny buttons and no backlight (which I'd expect with a player of this price), is PAINFULLY SLOW. Not that big a deal and I'm sure I'll get used to it, but still a drawback. If you get impatient easily, you might think about plunking down the extra money for a more responsive player, but I hardly think it will make me (who is admittedly impatient), too antsy.
For the value, the options and the quality--both audio and video--the Konka 1800U1 is a fantastic entrance into the world of DVD. I highly recommend it!
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All I wanted was a basic DVD unit for playback. I have a 32" Sony hooked up to a standard component stereo system. The Konka unit delivers superior reproduction of sound and video with all the functions I could ever want. As a matter of fact, I am trying to figure out what it is the expensive units do that this one doesn't.However, there are 3 small problems. 1. I can't turn the unit on with the remote control. I have to turn it on at the player itself, even if the red-light is lit. 2. Response to the remote is slow, sometimes causing me to punch the buttons again and again (I don't need to; it will eventually accept any legitimate command). But if I repeatedly enter the same command, it will.... 3. Respond with the on-screen warning "invalid operation". Which will sometimes go away and sometimes freeze up the unit. Pushing the command buttons in the wrong sequence will also sometimes cause the same problem.
Experience with the remote will solve almost all the minor annoyances of 2 and 3.
I would recommend it to a friend, but I would tell them about the software-like learning curve. I am happy with the unit, but also wanted to tell others what they might expect.
Also, the aluminum case is quite attractive. The player is solid. It is easy to hook-up
PMThis machine plays DVD GREAT! The playback is superb and one of the greatest features is that it plays CD-R and VCD, so you can use your computer to burn your own movies and then play them. I don't know why this is so cheap, but it a great player!
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Prodisc Digital Audio 80-Minute CD-R - 100 Pack
I am editing my first review since I have purchased twice now...Being a musician, I record heavily on a "Phillips Brand stand alone CD Recorder" and had been using "Memorex" for years as they worked better than other brands. With time I noticed that all "Digital Audio blank CDs from Memorex, as well as other brands were getting harder to find and my machine also started having problems reading and recording from the newer marketed blank CDs. I figured maybe it was just due to normal wear and tear on my recorder; However, after reading many reviews about this product (Pro-Disc) my machine has worked flawless. I would recommend using this product for any home CD recording over anything found at the store... My second purchase was also made thru "GenesysDTP" as they are who I bought from originally the first time I noticed some new 1 star reviews saying the product was not up to standard maybe due to other sellers of this product but this seller has been awesome. I have tested my second batch of CDs and again flawless recording. Also, the review about not being able to distinguish between the recording side of the CD there actually is a slight greenish tint on the recording side. Also, I really don't care to see a cheesy brand name on my CDs as all store brands will have so it is an added bonus!After reading the reviews i thought my problems were soved in finding Digital Audio CD-Rs that work with my Phillips Stand alone burner, My shiping statement said that the product that i ordered was the Prodisc Digital Audio CD-R 100 pack which was what i ordered BUT Insted i got a 100 pack of Spin-X CD-Rs that DO NOT WORK WITH MY BURNER I AM VERY UPSET WITH THE SERVICE OF AMAZON AND THERE ORDERING SYSTEM I WILL LOOK FOR ANOTHER PROVIDER IN THE FUTURE. DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU READ BEFORE OPENING THE PACKAGE BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT GET YOUR 25.85 BACK IF THE PACKAGE IS OPENED.Buy Prodisc Digital Audio 80-Minute CD-R - 100 Pack Now
Received these from Amazon. Purchased the 'digital audio' CDsfor my TEAC LP-R400 LP to CD recorder since regular CD-R CDs will
not work; must be 'Digital Audio'.
Anyway I am returning these CDs because it is impossible to
determine which side of the CD is the recordable side; both
sides look identical with no marking of any kind. Take a look
at any purchased music CD and look at the shiny silver side you
insert into a player silver side down in order to play.
Now picture both sides of these CDs looking just like the silver
side. Duh . . . which side do I insert down on the recorder.
Can't tell so I am returning. What a waste of time to have purchased
these.
Read Best Reviews of Prodisc Digital Audio 80-Minute CD-R - 100 Pack Here
I have ordered these cd-r's before and they worked fine on my Marantz audio recorder. Not so this time. I received an OPC error when I inserted these cd-r's in the drive which I found to mean that they are not digital audio, but standard cd-r's for use in a computer optical drive. I put one in a computer to verify and it worked fine.I'm not sure if I just happened to be shipped the wrong product this time or exactly what happened. All I know for sure is what I received is not what is advertised and I will not be ordering these again.
Want Prodisc Digital Audio 80-Minute CD-R - 100 Pack Discount?
product is as advertised. Good sound quality in repro of vinyl records of ages past.Thursday, December 5, 2013
100 Gray / Grey Colored Paper CD / DVD Disc Sleeves With Flap & Window #CDIWWFGY - Perfect for Orga
I ordered some white, black, and these gray disc sleeves-wanted a few colors, and also for comparison.These seem to be a little thicker / tougher than either the white or black ones I ordered.
I gave 'em 4 stars based on the fact that they're a heavier weight paper-only time will tell if they get an extra star based on durability, although as with most sleeves, they'll see only light use.Can't complain about a simple CD sleeve, I will note though that the color of grey in the picture is about one to two shades darker than the actual cases. I was hoping for the shade in the picture, as it matches my wedding colors, but the lighter shade will do.The sleeves I received where of nice quality. They comparable to OEM sleeves found in commercial software packaging. I like the grey color alot!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Sony ICD-BX800 Digital Voice Recorder, 2GB, Up to 534 Hours Recording Time (SONICDBX800) Category:
Great Recorder! Sony quality never ceases to amaze me. Easy to use...good sound quality. Five folders to file recordings. As good as others I've heard for much higher prices.The operation is simple but the recorder should have a telephone recorder atachment as part of the package.Why has this to be bought as addisional equipment? Amazing sound quality from the lil built -in mic, but with no usb port, impossible to download or share recordings. On board editing features are hopelessly confusing. Storage and file systems are as impractical, complicated and hard to use. The Sony Digital Voice Ic Recorder is ok I am happy with the product I purchased, but I am not received the Carryin Pouch announced in yu ad. I am dissapointed that you send the voice recorder without the Premium and I hope you send it to me.
Thanks


