Lorex LW2031 LIVE connect Wireless Video Monitor with Skype

Well, I'm thinking that it's just me and O'Sullivan who are the only people to have been suckers enough to actually pay for this. Everyone else in the world seems to have received a free one through Amazon Vine.

The battery life in the monitor and camera is appalling. Both need to be constantly plugged in.

The range is ok but not great. Certainly, not as far as claimed.

Picture quality is good enough to see the kid but the photo thing is a pointless gimmick.

The biggest and by far the most annoying thing is the Skype feature. It shuts down constantly which is irritating but far worse is that it literally cripples the home network & internet speed. Now, I have good enough internet speed at home (around the 10MB mark). Normally we can have 2 tv's watching Netlfix/Hulu someone happily browsing the internet and also someone on Skype, all at the same time with no complaints. Plug this piece of junk into the network and say goodbye to broadband speeds and go back to an era sometime before dial-up.

Do not waste your money on the extra box for skype just get the regular monitor and camera. Get the cheapest one you can find as they're all a bit rubbish... "Viners" seem to get the best bang for their buck and if I got this free I'd be happy, too. At $200+, not so happy!

If I could give it a -1 star, I would. We bought 3 cameras and one monitor. One camera and monitor worked ok and I could connect via Skype for about a week. Then out of nowhere I couldn't connect via Skype. The monitor only works when plugged in, and it seems like it's constantly charging. And we were never able to connect the other two cameras to the network. My husband and I are pretty savvy with technology so we tried everything under the sun, researched options online and what makes this experience most frustrating is that we have NOT been able to get a hold of Lorex customer service. We left messages, sent emails, and each time we call we're "caller number 3x". It's impossible to get a hold of a human being to walk us through what needs to be done. Unless the equipment we got is faulty, I am shocked that there are positive reviews about the Lorex LIVE. Ugh!

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The package comes with everything you need to set up the camera. 3 power cords (one for the camera, one for the gateway, and one for the handheld unit), network cable, camera, screws to mount the camera, and 1GB micro SD card.

Setup was reasonably easy and took about 30 minutes. Since you'll be using Skype to call into the camera system, you'll have to register 2 Skype accounts, one for your personal (that you call from) and one for the gateway system that operates the camera (that you'll call to). You'll also need to install the Skype software on the PC that is connected to the network that runs the camera system. I had some difficulty understanding how to get the 2 accounts going on my iPhone, but the instructions were good enough that I was able to figure it out.

Once it was up and running, I used the Skype app on my iPhone to view the camera. It connects about 65% of the time, but the video image takes up to 30 second to display once the connection is made. Several times it would connect, but the video image failed to load and then disconnected. Other times it would drop the call all together. I also had issues with calls ending at random times once they connect, sometimes lasting for a few minutes then dropping, other times just a few seconds. I found this to be very annoying and made the device quite frustrating. This was all done over my internal WiFi network at home, so I would have anticipated that the connection reliability would have been the best possible.

Image quality is so-so (quite a bit of pixelation, but good enough to see what's going on) . The camera doesn't much care for fast movements and seems to be running about 3-4 frames per second. Night vision works pretty well even in very low light, but again the image quality is what suffers here. If there is just a little movement in the frame, then the pixelation cleans up quite a bit, but as soon as there is movement, it can lose the clarity of the picture and become pixelated once again.

The handheld monitor that comes with kit works better than the Skype app on the iPhone, but picture quality is still lacking a bit. Color is very monotone and not bright. The pictures on the box are VERY misleading! The actual picture quality is nowhere near the pictures shown on the box (which of course why it reads 'pictures simulated' underneath them!).

I think it would work reasonably well for watching a baby when using the handheld monitor, since there wouldn't be a lot of movement in the field of view. Trying to watch children playing where there is a lot of movement would be more difficult. Why you would ever want to try to capture a movie or image is beyond me because the quality is so poor it's not really worth watching.

As a security monitor, it's lacking features that make it a good solution for that. There is no motion detection capability, and no video recording triggered by motion. You can record video using the handheld monitor which gets stored on the micro SD card. But the video recording is manually triggered and not triggered by a motion event. And there is no ability to record video using Skype, so if you're away from home and looking in through a smartphone or external computer, there is no way to see what happened, only the live feed. So unless you want to just dial up the camera to make sure your house is secure, it won't alert you if someone breaks in. For the price, I think this is significant lacking feature of the camera. Even it there is no capability to record video, I think motion detection is a feature that really should have been included. Maybe using Skype limits this functionality?

Overall, given the quality, amount of dropped calls, and limited functionality, I would have a hard time recommending this as a purchase. I thought streaming image quality in this day and age would be a lot better than what this camera system has to offer.

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The correct add-on camera for the Skype edition of the Lorex Baby Cam is "Lorex Wireless Accessory Camera LW2031AC1", I purchased the LW2003AC1 thinking they would work with the Skype edition, but they do not. Please use the LW2031AC1 model add-on camera.

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I'll list pros and cons, but I ultimately replaced this with the Motorola

Pros:

*connects to Skype. I liked this for when my baby was sleeping, I could be outside and listen to the monitor through the earphones of my iphone. The monitor itself didn't have enough range, and I couldn't plug in the headphones. I love being able to use my phone as another screen

*family members can watch her too, but not when your monitor is on. (My dad lives out of state and would log in and watch her before we woke up)

*The monitor is small and easy to use.

Cons:

*you have the choice of skype or the monitor, not both, so you end up kicking each other off if someone is logged in to the skype and you want to look at the monitor

*The video quality is poor, and frequently cuts in and out, like the screen is refreshing itself or something

*The camera doesn't move. If your baby does, they will be out of the picture pretty easily. The thing I like the most about the Motorola is that the camera will move to follow the child

*I frequently had to reset the router when the connection was lost

*With the router plugged in, it slows down your other internet devices

Overall, I don't feel that having the Skype connection made up for the other faults of this monitor. It was a fancy, fun thing to have, but it did not provide me with enough of the practical, day-to-day use features that the Motorola did. I still use this monitor when we travel because it is small, compact, does the job, and we don't have to un-mount the Motorola. I wouldn't purchase this again unless it was a really good deal, and I bought this on a Lightning deal. For me personally, I find this to fit in the quality and usefullness of the $60-80 monitors.

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Sony DCR-HC42 1MP MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/12x Optical

By many measures Sony DCR-HC42 isn't the best camcorder in its class, but it strikes a good balance for many intended buyers. For instance, similarly priced Panasonic camcorder records more vibrant images. Canon's similarly priced camcorder performs better under lower lighting situation. But it has few nice features that separate DCR-HC42 from these camcorders, particularly if you like widescreen composition.

Let's examine its pros and cons.

Pros:

Excellent form factor, among the smallest and lightest camcorders in its price range.

Excellent DV Widescreen support, including great widescreen LCD.

Long battery life (nearly 2 hours in continuous shooting with LCD backlight turned off, about an hour in demanding situations). Optional batteries offer longer battery life.

Included docking station makes it easier to connect to computer or TV.

Very good outdoor performance.

Automatic settings work well.

Built-in lens cover.

Cons:

Optical zoom is only 12X, which is inexcusable considering lower-end DCR-HC32 goes up to 20X.

Proprietary accessory shoes for attaching accessories such as microphones and light. These accessories aren't cheap.

No headphones jack for monitoring audio recording.

Sensitive microphone may pick up button clicks (best to turn off the button click "beep" sound).

Not so good low light performance.

Most functions require you to access touch screen LCD.

Touch screen menu system can be complicated to use.

So-so digital camera image stills quality.

Compared to lower-end DCR-HC32, DCR-HC42 adds many features in an attempt to justify higher cost, including DV Widescreen, widescreen LCD (LCD backlight can be turned off to conserve power), color viewfinder, noticeably superior CCD for better image quality, accessory shoe that powers external microphone and lighting attachments, and higher resolution megapixel still camera. If widescreen does not interest you, DCR-HC32 may be a better buy.

DCR-HC42's most obvious gimmick is widescreen. If you have HDTV set, this is the low-end camcorder for you. As of now, Sony is the only big name manufacturer that includes widescreen LCD, which while not necessary to capture DV Widescreen, helps the experience immensely. Many camcorders with conventional 4x3 LCD do in fact record DV Widescreen as well as standard DV but LCD will have either black bars on top and bottom or worse, squeezed to accommodate wider images onto narrower frame. It is worth noting that while DV Widescreen increases horizontal resolution, it does so at the expense of vertical resolution. DCR-HC42 has real-life DV resolution of about 400x300 and DV Widescreen resolution of about 450x250. But this is still better than "fake" widescreen DV camcorders such as DCR-HC32, which records widescreen composition onto 4x3 frames, which decreases vertical resolution without increasing horizontal resolution.

Taking DCR-HC42 out of the box, I was surprised how small and light the camcorder was. My previous camcorder was bulky Hi8 model, and while I have played with many MiniDV camcorders at the store, its size still surprised me a bit. Recording a long footage without the use of tripod, I appreciated every ounce that DCR-HC42 sheds from heavier models.

Recording indoor in lazy afternoon, I was disappointed by recorded footage at first. But tinkering with the camcorder taught me a trick that cleans up noisy low-light images immensely the back light feature. This feature is designed to brighten up the subject set against brightly lit background (e.g., a person standing before sunrise) but significantly cleans up noise under indoor situation as well. Some footage takes on much smoother appearance with this feature turned on (helped further by using other features).

One of my biggest pet peeves is touch screen menu system. While personalized menu feature helps immensely (in which you can assign up to 28 frequently accessed features available within few clicks), I much prefer using physical buttons. Features such as tweaking exposure, adjusting focus, selecting automatic exposure, and adjusting white balance require using touch screen menu system. Thankfully, very frequently used features, such as enabling fully automatic mode (called "EASY" mode), previously discussed back light feature, and zoom are physical controls.

The main reason to choose MiniDV over other formats (e.g., DVD, MicroMV), is because the format is computer friendly. Using light weight compression algorithm (similar to MJPEG), DV format offers minimal digital artifacts and is highly suitable for linear editing. Before connecting the camcorder to computer, invest in FireWire (also known as i.Link or IEEE 1394) cable. This cable, along with FireWire connector on your computer, is necessary to edit DV footage on your computer with zero loss in quality. Windows XP includes Windows Movie Maker 2 which is good video editing software and works well with DCR-HC42. Sony includes video editing software, too, but it is pretty limited with many usability issues. If you are using Windows XP, stick with Windows Movie Maker. Macintosh users have even better tool at their disposal, iMovie HD, part of iLife `05. iMovie HD supports DV Widescreen, which lets you work with widescreen footage directly. Using this software, I was able to cut fairly well edited home movie.

All in all, DCR-HC42 is a good camcorder for point and shoot crowd, and particularly appealing to those with widescreen TV set. Its touch screen menu system may detract some buyers, but the Easy mode works pretty well for "set and forget it" crowd. More advanced users will have to put up with touch screen menu, but it wasn't so bad once I got use to it. If you record lots of footage under low light situation, this isn't the best camcorder for you. DCR-HC42 shines under bright outdoor.

I bought this camcorder about a month ago and have used it for recording nearly 4 hours of video so far.

Things that I like most about this camcoreder are

1) Image stability

2) Image Quality (Both Video and Still)

3) widescreen mode (40' angle for widescreen capture)

you loose tiny bit of resolution in wide screen still images

4) handling and portability

all the manual conttols are well arranged

smaller size allows easy portability

5) Battery life (I got almost 1hr 30 mins each time)

6) Touch Screen Menu (I wonder why some found it difficult)

7) Ease of use

8) Docking station

9) Still Image modes

exposure bracketing (three photos taken at various exposure)

normal burst mode (three photos taken consecutively)

10) LCD/viewfinder (2.7" Widescreen LCD screen)

it doesn't solarize like others when viewed from an angle

both LCD screen and viewfinder in color and 123K resolution

Areas where this camcorder lags behind

1) Low light performance

2) Scan rate (it should be 24P)

3) Optical zoom (It offers only 12x optical zoom)

while DCR HC32/21 offers 20X optical zoom

Overall

This camcorder is good for

1) Point and shoot users

2) Techno freaks

3) Outdoor video

4) Indoor video with decent lights

5) If you own a SONY laptop (ease of capturing movies and image)

Recommended Accessories

1) Tripod (set it up and operate camera from far using remote)

2) External flash (Very useful, can be attached on top)

3) Additional battery

If you want to capture more than 1 hr video w/o recharging

If using external flash

Buy Sony DCR-HC42 1MP MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/12x Optical Now

This is one of the best camcorders in the market today and I would definitely recommend it to anyone planning to buy a Mini-DV camcorder

Positive factors:

Very small and easy to hold with one hand. Can be easily attached even to a mini-tripod with ease.

Excellent widescreen video and hi-fi audio. Your videos finally get that "Hollywood" feel when you shoot movies in 16:9 ratio (widescreen format). Even if you don't have a widescreen TV currently, you will very soon have one as more and more people are buying them. So its better to buy this camcorder and shoot in 16:9 format to enjoy your movies later in widescreen format.

Includes widescreen rotatable LCD so what you see is what you get when you shoot in 16:9 ratio (widescreen format)

Good battery life. One extra battery is enough. You can easily manage a day's worth of shooting with two batteries before recharging them again

Includes docking station making it easier to connect to computer or TV. If you have a good computer with a firewire port, please buy a firewire cable to connect the camcorder to your computer. You can download your movie in excellent clarity in .avi format and edit it as required

Make sure to change the audio setting to 16 bit (instead of the default 12 bit) for very good hi-fi audio

Touchscreen menu system is great. You don't have to search for any buttons as they are all available in the touchscreen menu itself.

12X optical zoom is more than sufficient for ordinary home videos. Anything more produces more "shaking" and would necessiate the use of a tripod. When you shoot without a tripod, 12X is the best zoom you can achieve without worrying about shaky videos

1 MP widescreen still photo. You can use this feature if you forgot to bring your digital camera. The photo clarity is not good so please don't expect great shots. Since the photo is in 16:9 format, you can take panoramic photos and cover more people in group shots

Nightshot: Cool feature that records using infrared light. Useful for shooting at night as you can record a video even in 100% darkness

Color widescreen viewfinder Very useful when you are running down on batteries and need to use the viewfinder. The color widescreen viewfinder gives an excellent picture and is as good as the LCD in clarity

Negative factors:

Outdoor videos especially in bright sunlight are overexposed. So please adjust the white balance when shooting outdoors. Add the white-balance menu to your shortcuts so that you can easily access it and return to default once you start shooting indoors

Sensitive microphone may pick up button clicks (best to turn off the button click "beep" sound).

Notes:

Use a fresh cassette after recording 2 or 3 times on the same cassette. The head tends to get dirty if you re-record on the same cassette more than 3 times

You can edit movies in Windowx XP using Windows Movie Maker, but beware it does not support 16:9 ratio video. Hence your videos look ugly as you shot them in 16:9 but Movie Maker converted it to 4:3. Invest in Pinnacle Software version 9 or 10 for better movie editing capabilities. Pinnacle is the only software, I am aware of, that preserves teh 16:9 ratio. Even Roxio could not allow 16:9 format.

You can also invest in wide-angle lens as it gives excellent coverage

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCR-HC42 1MP MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/12x Optical Here

After much searching for the perfectly priced, and well performing mini DV camcorder, I came back to Sony's HC42 model. I've owned a LOT of sony products over the year, and have yet to be disappointed. This is a solid camera, packing a touch screen, an upgraded lens, 12x optical zoom, and a docking station which connects your camera to the computer (via a firewire cord that YOU MUST PURCHASE separetly, it only comes with a USB cable for tranferring pictures) and is also a charging stand. It comes with some video editing software, but I would suggest Pinnacle 9 Plus, or a 3rd party if you are really into video editing. The picture quality is awesome, ease of use is great (it even has an 'EASY' mode, where high tech options disappear from the screen!). You cant go wrong at this price point. I wouldnt go for lower models, and the higher runs over 1000 bucks..this is the sweet spot. Enjoy

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I had recently bought one and returned after observing its poor low light performance. This camcorder gives exceptional quality video in outdoors. In indoors with minimum lighting, it produces below average quality video and grainy pictures even with night shot. Especially if you are planning to shoot lot of video indoors (involving kids, for family events), this is not the right camcorder to buy.

Archos DVR Snap-on for Archos 5, Archos 7 and Archos Android Internet Tablet

At the present price, this Archos DVR Snap-on is a really poor value when compared to the Archos DVR Station. The DVR Snap-on allows you to record and playback video through low-resolution Composite Video (RCA jacks), nothing else. The DVR Station costs a bit more, but it provides you with additional features such as:

Record through S-Video or Component Video inputs (in addition to Composite video)

Playback through S-Video, Component Video or HDMI outputs

Connect to digital camera or portable hard drive through the USB port

Recharge battery through the included AC adapter

You even get a remote control with QWERTY keyboard, which is handy for surfing the web.

Last but not least, the 'HD Cinema' plug-in is included with the DVR Station but not with the DVR Snap-on. This plug-in enables you to watch MPEG-2 (DVD format) movies on the Archos 5/7. It is priced at $39.99 if you buy it separately from Archos web site. As of this writing, the price difference between DVR Station and DVR Snap-on is just $40 ($90 vs. $50). So essentially, you get all the additional features in the DVR Station for FREE!

It works alright but I think the tiny electronics involved should have been built-into the Archos 5. Maybe this will happen in future generations of the Archos.

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I have not used it much but it does perform as expected. This primarily being used for when I travel.

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I love you your snap on I use it with my Archos 5 everyday give me more power than I need I love it so much I bought a second and I would recommend it to anyone I need an extra battery pack:-)

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The DRV get the job done but I feel there should have been a base with this item to aid the Archos 5 in standing. Because with attach DVR the leg stand is of no use.

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Olympus DP-201 Digital Voice Recorder

I have to do a lot of end-user interviews for my job (I am in product marketing) and this voice recorder is perfect for that purpose. I have used it in restaurants, on the street in NYC, on construction job sites, and in quiet conference rooms, and it performs very well in all circumstances. I leave it in my front pants pocket during the interview and it does a great job of picking up the voices while cancelling a lot of the background noise. The batteries last a really long time.

As long as you take it for what it is (doesn't connect digitally to computers, and doesn't have a lot of advanced functionality or editing tools), you'll be satisfied with your purchase.

Be aware that the screen scratches fairly easily. Don't throw it in your bag/pocket with stuff that can easily scratch it.

I do recommend this little recorder. It has really good sensitivity and can block background noise out as well if you just click that feature. The sensitivity is adjustable also.. YOU CANNOT download files from this to your computer, so be advised of that as I am a police officer and this is a requirement with our handheld recorders, but that's ok as I will be buying another that does for that purpose,still this is very clear and a good recorder for this price range. I highly recommend it.

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This voice recorder is easy to use. All the recordings can be traced by dates instead of folders system which makes it such practical gadget. Also, this date system can be subdivided and the user can have several recordings in one date. If it is not in use, it turns itself off. When it is necessary to turn on, just press the REC button and ready to use.

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Olympus DP 201. Digital recorder

Amazon came up with it! As a writer I have to do interviews. This small recorder is perfect. Best of all, it is very easy to transcribe from, as easy as from a tape recorder. A visual line shows where you are in the recording, you can fast reverse or fast forward with two easy buttons, and there are two degrees of slowing the recording and two degrees of speeding it up. It is as easy to use as was the old tape recorder but with the advantage of many more hours of recording time, better clarity, light weight, and general utility. At any price its an amazing product and beautifully engineered. At the quoted price it's a steal!

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This little recorder is excellent! It's very easy to use and very lightweight. It picks up sound very well. I can pace around muttering ideas to myself and the microphone picks up my rambling thoughts quite easily.

The microphone is powerful and the playback speaker can be quite loud. I like the playback volume knob, so I can adjust the playback volume to my exact preferred level.

It has a standard size earjack for headphones and takes 2 AAA batteries. The battery life seems to be decent, but I can't be sure since I've only used it for a few hours. There is a handy battery life guage on the LCD display so you can tell when the batteries are getting low.

Cons: There is no USB jack or power jack (but I don't personally need either).

The recorder beeps when you use it, and although you can turn the beeps off, I wish there was a way to just turn the beep volume down.

The size is a little big about the size of an old flip phone fine for me, but others might not like it.

This lovely little recorder has raised my productivity a lot! If you just need a simple, easy to use recorder, I definitely recommend this one.

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Samsung Digimax A7 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

i love this camera!

there are a ton of easy-to-use settings (ie portarait, sunset, dusk, close-up, etc.), but you can also set it to manual and do all of that yourself. the photo quality is fantastic, almost every shot is crystal clear.

i took a picture of a flower with dew drops on it, and when i uploaded it and zoomed in, i could see my reflection in one of the drops! how crazy is that?! my photo hosting site says the shots "print best up to 20x30." with my last camera, the site either said, "best up to 4x6" or "not recommended for printing" even though they looked perfectly clear to the naked eye.

in list form:

inexpensive

7 mp

crystal clear shots

able to shoot video w/ sound

lots of settings

compact

rechargeable batteries w/charger included

you will want to upgrade the memory because it comes with only 32 mb internal memory. (if you're looking to buy a memory card with the purchase of your camera online, you will need an 'sd' format card).

I recently got the DigiMax A7, and I knew it was a lower priced 7 megapixel camera, so I expected it to be good but not great. Overall, I would say it is somewhere between good and great.

One thing I recently noticed while taking pictures in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs is that this camera doesn't take such great pictures in lower light. Maybe I was using the wrong settings, I had it set to Automatic, and I have used cameras all my life. If I was more familiar with this camera, I would have tried more of the manual functions. I do like how you can adjust the f-stop and shutter speed to whatever you want, this may have solved my problem. The low light images came out a little bit blurrier and grainier than brighter light pictures.

In bright light, I can't say how great this camera is. In bright sunlight, which is often ideal for taking pictures, the image clarity is AMAZING. I took pictures of a valley here in Colorado, and literally, I zoomed in on a house about a mile away (after I took the picture I zoomed in while viewing it on the LCD), and although the house wasn't extremely clear, you can tell if there is someone on the deck!

I wish I could give this camera 5 stars, but to be honest if you bought a $700 7 megapixel camera, you are probably going to get a 5 star device. I believe the price paid for this camera was about $200 though, so if you are an average consumer, not a professional photographer, you will probably love this camera. You definetly can't find a better camera in this price range, and I'm hoping this camera serves me well as I would have no problem keeping this as my main camera for the next 3 years (until I beat it up)

One last thing, a friend of mine recently got a camera (6 or 7 MP) and I don't remember what brand, but it could take pictures literally like 2 per second. This camera does take about 3-5 seconds for the flash to charge back up, so it's hard to take action shots since you can't take a quick succession of pictures. That would be nice, but honestly not many cameras can do that anyway.

Buy Samsung Digimax A7 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Now

WOW!! I'm impressed. I just bought this camera for $177.74 at Sears. (Price match of Target sale price $188.00 minus an additional 10%). It takes great pictures 7MP, and near broadcast quality video (640x480 @ 30fps). It has full auto mode for the beginner, and full manual mode for the pro's. I love the manual mode, you can set the shutter speed from 1/2000 sec. up to a full 15 sec. exposure. With that exposure you can do those really cool night shots of the highway with the car headlights / taillights streaking by, or even take indoor pictures without using the flash. You can record audio sound bytes and attach them to a still image. I recorded the family singing "Happy Birthday" and attached it to a photo of the candles being blown out. It has adjustable white balance, and for color correction, you can choose the type of lighting being used (ie, Flourecent, Tungsten, Sunlight, etc.).

The bottom line is: This is a wonderfull camera even at the $299.00 MSRP. But, if you watch the add's you should be able to find it for under $200.00.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung Digimax A7 7MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Here

This camera is the best camera I have purchased yet! The pictures are beautiful, that quality is great, and this camera is no were near as difficult to operate as my old digital camera!!! A must buy camera!

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A friend of mine picked up one of these cameras at Sams Club for $199. He loved it. I tried it and found it was great! Records short video! Zooms so close that you can see every line in the iris of someone's eye, even though they are photographed from across the room! AND you can crop photos right in the camera, e-mail them from the camera (if you plug it into a computer) and even get bigger memory cards. Mine came with a 128 mb card, and it holds about 60 photos when set to highest quality. Also came with a carrying case, a USB cord, and a battery charger. I've loved it since the first time I tried it, and couldn't pass up the deal of just $199 with a 1 year warranty! Best camera I've ever had. May even get better if I read the manual!

Patazon(TM) EZTV645 USB DVB-T DAB FM Digital TV Tuner Receiver Stick (Latest FC0013 Chips)

This tuner does not work for US digital tv. It will not work in Region 1 or United States.

The Tuner is a SDR, but software does not have a selection for United States. If you select 6 Mhz, it will select the correct frequencies, but will not find any of the US channels. Looks like it would work good with other software for making a SDR receiver to listed to frequencies like HWM or Public Safety.

SIIG CB-0000J1-S1 DVI-D Dual-Link to DVI-D Dual-Link Cable, 2-Meters

When i received the cable it was the fourth cable I ever purchase and it was the purpose for dual monitors. I have bought cables that claim that it was dual and failed to deliver. It had the required pins on the cable but upon testing them with with electronic tester (used Ohms to check if it had connectivity ) I realized it was not dual but just single dvi. I was on an HP web site ( ) when they were advertising and that's how i became aware of SIIG cables. I went to Amazon because I know i would get the best price there and I have no regrets.

The cable was thicker than the other ones I have received (from pcrush-outlet) and when i checked I realized I got a good quality cable. I will recommend this cable to anyone. It was of good quality and it performed!

MAN IT IS AWESOME!!!!

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Q1C1 12V DC CCTV Security Camera Power Supply Adapter with 4 (2.1mm) Channel Connectors, UL Listed

Camera power supply works great!!! Easy adapter for running all my power supply to. Delivery was great as well, on time as mention. Great price and fast shipping . I would highly recommend ordering again

VisionTek TV Wonder HD 650 USB TV Dual Tuner/Recorder

I was able to get this tuner during a 24 sale the weekend after Thanksgiving at a VERY good price (over 50% off) and I have been very happy that I did. To be honest, this model was on my short list to start with but the price made it a no brainer. I've been using this tuner daily since the first week of December when I first installed it and have had very few issues with it.

For the record, I have used this on two different software installs: Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit and the Windows 7 32-bit Beta.

Pros:

Easy integration with Media Center both under Vista and Windows 7. In fact, it's been better under the Windows 7 Beta Media Center than under Vista!

Easy hardware set up. Plug it into your computer, install drivers, and plug in a TV and radio antenna and you're set. No needs to worry about the hardware aspect (minus turning the antenna in some cases).

Onboard MPEG-2 decoding that takes some of the pressure off of your CPU and other components.

Not very steep hardware requirements for your PC.

Can be used with other Media PC DVR software suites.

Great HD picture!

Cons:

The included Catalyst Media software is very buggy.

Cannot get the included remote to work.

As alluded to under cons the Catalyst Media software is more than a little buggy, both under Vista and Windows 7. It will work, most of the time. However, if you're like me "most of the time" just won't cut it if you're counting on it to record shows when you're away from your PC. Further, the Catalyst software does not seem to be able to display on a 16:10 ration display such as my LG LCD 22 incher. The upside is that if you play the recorded content back in another application such as Windows Media Player the aspect ratios are correct. It's just very distracting, to me at least, when watching live TV.

After two days of trying to get used to Catalyst I decided to seek out alternatives and settled on two. The first was Beyond TV and then Windows Media Center (Vista). Beyond TV works much better than the included software, produces a better picture quality, and has the correct aspect ratios. Windows Media Center under Vista has just a tad under the quality of Beyond TV. To me it was worth it to rely on Media Center after the trial period of Beyond TV was over as I wasn't ready to pay $40 more than I paid for the tuner for a software package.

My only complaint using under Media Center with Vista was the lack of the digital sub channels that many station simulcast. This is a problem with Vista and not the tuner so I do not ding the tuner for it.

The tuner really started to shine though under Windows 7 Beta, of all things! Media Center under 7 is more feature complete than it is under Vista and displays all the digital sub-channels and records in better quality (max quality under settings) than under any of the previously used software packages. In fact, even though the Catalyst software is installed under Windows 7 I have only used it once in the last month and rely totally on Media Center for my TV recording.

Now on to some of the issues some may have with this tuner.

I do not have cable so I rely on over-the-air broadcasts for my TV viewing. At first I was using my old trusty rabbit ear antenna figuring that I live less than 8 miles from the three main broadcast antennas for my television market. This was a mixed bag of results. The three main stations came in fine but I had "issues" picking up others such as the local PBS station. A quick run to the store to pick up an amplified antenna (RCA ANT1450B Multi-Directional Digital Flat Amplified Home Theater Antenna (Black)) and I was in business on all my local stations.

One other issues is my inability to get the included remote control to work. The poor documentation that comes with the tuner offers no help in this regard and I've given up. I don't really listen to FM radio so other than testing it to make sure it works once I've not used that feature.

Overall, this is an excellent choice for someone looking to setup HDTV recording on their computer in either a home media center setup or on their desktop machine for casual watching.

There are numerous complaints in various forums about the ATI HD 650 Combo loosing signal, hanging or panicking the system while trying to handle/switch between digital and analog signals. I'm on my second pair from Visiontek and have had nothing but problems with them under Vista and Windows 7. Avoid this product.

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I am running Windows 7 RC1 and with media center, when you plug-in this to the USB port, the drivers will automatically download from Windows Update and you are ready to go! The video quality is excellent and the remote control make it a pleasure to use. Highly recommended.

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This would have been a good USB digital TV tuner if the included software and drivers weren't so unusably horrible!

(1) The included TV tuner software is unusably buggy. The system often crashes and loses audio/video sync when changing channels. The recorded video stutters. No closed captioning or other advanced features.

(2) Due to the buggy Windows Vista drivers, you cannot use any 3rd-party PVR software to watch digital TV. (Only the analog DirectShow drivers are installed correctly!)

(3) 3rd-party PVR software does work with Windows XP, but even when everything is working, the drivers are crash-prone. I would often get a bluescreen when connecting or disconnecting the device when the computer is on. Rarely, the driver will go into an infinite loop while recording, causing the SYSTEM process to consume 100% CPU until reboot.

(4) The device does not have proper power management support, and the tv tuner consumes a lot of electricity and feels hot to the touch, even when the computer is turned off.

I do not recommend this product to anyone, unless it's on sale and you have a high threshold for frustration.

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My system is a 1.83 Mac Mini Core Duo with 1 GB RAM.

First...the picture that is shown for this product is NOT what you get. There isn't a remote that is included with the tuner. As a matter of fact, if you plan on controlling this device, get yourself a wireless mouse because that is the ONLY way you will change channels. Universal remote? Nope. Apple Remote? Forget it!

Okay, plug it all up...CATV, check. Digital antenna, check, Power supply, check. USB, check. That wasn't so bad. Let's put the CD in.

Now, lets talk about the installation. Plugged it in, slipped in the disc and start the installation. Step 1, select your destination for recorded shows. Check. Step 2, select destination for exports. Umm...not sure what that is, but okay. Step 3, download guide...okay. Wait, did it? Not sure since there isn't any confirmation. Step 4, scan for channels...go to lunch. 20 minutes later...I think it scanned...again, no confirmation. Step 5, finish installation and...WHAT THE??? "Unexpected error. Your system needs to reboot. Hold down the power button to restart." This is the ONLY installation that has EVER crashed my system.

After the reboot, I finally tested the software. The guide could never download. The menu is clunky. Changing channels is a tedious activity. You scroll through the channels, then push the select button (I think that is what is called) to finally change the channel. Want to surf through the channels? I didn't think so. Want Dolby Digital sound? Nah, I think you will prefer the choppy sounding audio that it does put out. HD, sure...looks like garbage. I didn't even bother to record anything.

In closing, this thing is a huge pile of junk. If I could give it negative stars I would . Stick to EyeTV. The only reason I got this is because I can only do either CATV of ATSC OTA with the EyeTV. That is a small price to pay. EyeTV is much more polished solution for the Mac, regardless of the number of RF inputs.

I will say it again...AVOID the TV Wonder 650!

Vivitar HD Digital Camcorder DVR548HD (Black)

It was really disappointing. The video is not really 720p like as advertised; it does GOOD 480p. And the video is annoyingly choppy -not one of the smarter buying decisions I've made.

This is not an high tech Camcorder so you can start looking somewhere else for greatest. I got this because I'm low on cash, although it did do the job I wanted to get done but it wasn't in great standard... Like the saying goes, You Get What You Pay For!!!

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This was a Christmas gift for my daughter. Even though it was not here in time for Christmas (which was the only problem), She loves it..

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VideoSecu 1 Pair Video Balun Network Transceiver with Video Audio Power Connectors 1EK

I have been using these Baluns for several weeks to connect to a 12v high resolution color underwater video camera through a 500' cat5e cable. Image is perfect and voltage drop isn't too bad(about 1/2v every 100 feet). Great buy at this price. (Make sure your source voltage is high enough to counter the voltage drop or you won't be able to power your camera)

I purchased video baluns that look like these from another company at a much higher price ($35.00). I thought I try these at half the cost an after they arrived I found them to be in a different package and both were made in China, identical right down to the stickers. I have used these for at least 5 months now and the quality of video is great.

Why pay more for the same product, I highly recommend these.

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It is nice to know I can just pull Cat5 wires and have audio, video, and power ready.

These things worked perfectly, it is the only way I'll ever set up CCTV again for the rest of my life. I ran one stretch of wire almost 300 feet through conduit to my gate at the beginning of my driveway to catch license plates.

Checking the video coming in through this and coming in over the standard 60' cables with just Audio/power there seems to be less noise and interference going over Cat5. foolish to not use these!!!

The only downside is the size of the unit with the BNC connection fastened to it. not a big deal.

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I bought four of these and all four worked perfect. What a time saver. Much easier than dealing with BNC cables and connectors.

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I ordered a competing video balan which arrived DOA. I got 5 of this balun and they all worked as expected. The video quality is excellent over all of my Cat 5 runs (my longest is about 80 ft). Easy to hook up. Great price relative to others I saw. Highly recommend.

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Sony RDR-GX330 Single Tray DVD Recorder

• DVD+RW/+R, DVD-RW/-R DVD, DVD+R DL Recording Compatible
• Compatible with +R Double-Layer Disc (8.5GB)
• Precision Cinema Progressive Technology
• i.LINK Interface for DV & Digital 8 Camcorders
• 12 Bit Video DAC with 108 Mhz Processing

This recorder offers different features depending on which type of media you use.

To get all the bells and whistles you need to use -RW or -R media formatted in the VR mode.

-RW(vr) is the only recording method that allows CHASING.

-R(vr) and -RW(vr) also allow you to use the PLAYLIST function, which allows you to do some really nice editing like cutting out commercials at the exact frame that they start in. It allows you to combine scenes from different recordings and it allows you to change the order of playback. It took me a while to get the hang of this, but now it takes me about 20 minutes to edit 40 minutes of commercials out of a 2 1/2 hour movie.

Now the bad part.

The VR format is not compatible with most DVD players. -R(VR) is not the same as -R(Video). This unit will record -R(Video) and -RW(Video) mode, but then you don't get the sophisticated editing features. Those editing features are really important because as other reviewers have noted there IS NO RECORD PAUSE BUTTON.

The last thing I want to do is edit a recording and then have it be playable on ONLY that machine!.

This is how I solved my dilemma. I bought a Sony multi-format DVD player DVP-NS55P and it will play the Sony -R(VR) and -RW(VR) file formats and you don't even have to finalize them first. When I am satisfied with the edit I put the DVD in the player and output it back to my recorder where I can make one clean copy in either -R(video) or +R depending on where I want to play it. Then I erase my RW DVD and I'm ready to record my next movie.

I really think SONY was forcing us into the VR mode by removing the REC PAUSE button. Unfortunately they didn't think it through enough because sometimes you'd like a higher quality recording and maybe removing a few commercials during recording might buy you some extra space to get a higher quality recording. And sometimes you might want to play your recording on something other than a SONY. I've been able to get the DVD player to pause using a JP1 programmable remote, so this is something they took out for for a reason. It couldn't have been that expensive to include a REC PAUSE button on a remote.

I just wish I understood this before hand. I'd read lots of reviews and nobody mentioned this compatibility issue. I tried to play the -R(VR) disks on all the DVD Players I could find, and the only one that could read it was another SONY. Maybe people haven't encountered the problem because they only have Sony equipment. Why don't the just come out and say that -RW(VR) is proprietary to SONY. Anyone remember Beta vs. VHS?

I love the picture quality of my DVD's. I love the chasing feature. I love getting away from VHS!

It's a very cool tool. I'm a movie nut, and I love having a library of movies that I can view without having to sit through hours of commercials is great for me. I've burned about 150 -R(video) DVD'S so far and only 10 of them turned out to be coasters (meaning that they couldn't be played on my Toshiba).

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I do lots of research before I buy. My research lead me to the Panasonic ES15. It reads and writes to just about every type of media. Bad choice. The tuner quality was horrible and the disks it burned were as bad as the tuner. It went back and I bought my second choice, the Samsung R130. This one only writes to -R/RW media but the picture quality was great. Unfortunately, the disks it creates can only be read reliably on itself. They wouldn't play correctly on my Sony DVD player nor my desktop (with two different drives and two software packages). What good is it if I can't play the disks anywhere except itself?

Enter the GX330. It was more expensive than each of my first two trys. This one writes to dual layer media though. Picture quality is great, maybe a bit better than the Samsung. But here is the best part. I can play the disks it creates on my other player and my desktop with zero problems! This player creates a menu on the disk that actually works! I haven't had a chance yet to play with all the settings when you finalize a disk but just plain vanilla out of the box worked great for me. It does what I need it to do. The quality is super. I couldn't be happier.

This is the player to get hands down!

Read Best Reviews of Sony RDR-GX330 Single Tray DVD Recorder Here

Ok, the skinny on DVD recorders and this model, and the Bare Bones you probably want for a DVD recorder:

-You want to be able play and write to: DVD-R, DVD+, DVD-RW and DVD+RW (This Model Can do all.)

-You want to be able to edit out commercials on recordings. (This model can more easily and more accurately remove commercials/segments than the manual "pause when you see a commercial" technique as described in others comments. This model is simple: Just push record (AND PUT DOWN YOUR REMOTE AND ENJOY YOUR SHOW! ) then after recording and ENJOYING your show, remove the commercials in the recording using the easy edit function. (Remember to use DVD+RW discs for this function.)

-You want DVI input/RCA inputs so you can burn DV camcorder, old Camcorder movies/vhs etc to DVD.

-You want an easy Recording Timer. (This one is very easy.)

-You want to create DVD Menu's for your multiple recordings on a disc. (Is done automatically on DVD+RW's, though can be edited if you want...)

-You probably don't want a recorder that burns onto DVD-RAM. (DVD-RAM cannot be played anywhere but in a DVD-RAM player and cannot be copied via computer. DVD-RAM has no true advantage over DVD+RW's unless you plan to re-write 100,000 times. DVD+RW's are extremely cheaper and can be rewritten more times than you could want and can be played across almost any player.

-This machine has a ton of extra bells and whistles that you probably never use but can take advantage if needed.

-Have used this model without a hitch to record on DVD+RW's all my shows, removing the commercials and having a DVD menu created automatically to play on most DVD players. Have copied my full DVD+RW's using the computer to other DVD formats so I can re-use the original DVD+RW's. Also I regularly record my DV camera tapes to DVD with the DV in.

I love this machine for what it provides.

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This is a good DVD Recorder if you are new to making your own DVDs and don't need a lot of features.

As an owner of a LG LRY-317, Sony GX7, GX315, and now GX330, I can say this model is step foward and a step backward on the previous GX315. Sony gets points for having the most recording modes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 6, and 8 hour modes (keep in mind that anything over 3 hours looks terrible). Sony finally put an S-Video input on the back with this model. There's also a new 16:9 record mode which is handy for recording widescreen (but not HD) camcorder footage.

On the down side, the disc tray feels very flimsy. The user interface took a step backward and is very similar to the GX7. The interface is also very slow as there is a noticeable pause between pressing a button on the remote and having that on-screen button activate (the previous GX315 was very snappy in comparison).

I'm also unhappy that Sony has removed thumbnails in the title list with -R, +R, & +RW discs (only -RW VR supports thumbnails). They've also removed the "split title" function with +RW discs. There is a new A-B erase feature, but it does not free up disc space (it only hides video by modifying chapter marks). The only way to really use the other advanced features (like thumbnails and title joining) is to use -RW VR mode, which is the least compatible format if you want to play your discs on other DVD players. Sony clearly favors -R/-RW discs because +R/+RW discs take an extraordinary long time to format and finalize (over 5 minutes for each process).

I'm also unhappy with the redesign of the remote. Sony's remotes continue to be a mess of tiny, poorly grouped buttons. These missing features will probably be noticed only by advanced users. If you don't know what Title Split is, you probably won't miss it (but for me, it's the #1 most wanted feature. #2 is thumbnails).

If you have to buy Sony, try to find last year's Sony GX315 at clearance price. Otherwise, I would suggest looking at LG's recorders.

I Agree with other reviewers that the ommision of the record/pause button on the 330 is baffleing,but you can get the rdrgx330 to pause in the record mode.I had an rdrgx300 recorder and wanted to upgrade to the 330 because of the ilink input which the 300 does not have, so what I tried was using the 300's remote which has the record/pause button on it and it does work on the 330 unit allowing me to pause while in the record mode.

TDK SA 90 minute Super High Resolution Type II Audio Cassette Tape

• Type II / High Position
• Super Avilyn Cassette

TDK SA 90 competes with Maxell XLII 90. The recording quality of both is excellent. The mechanism in the TDK SA 90 is superior to the one in the Maxell. The Maxell mechanism has too much drag, which negatively affects the consistency of recordings made on Class A cassette decks. For years, l had routinely purchased a five-pack of SA 90 tapes at about the same price as a five-pack of the Maxell. The price of SA 90 has recently increased to an extraordinary high level. The Maxell XLII 90 five-pack is currently priced at $13.20 on Amazon, but the Amazon price for TDK SA 90 is $4.95 PER TAPE, which is $24.75 for five tapes. Amazon's vendor for TDK SA 90 is Burlington AV Recordings of Oceanside NY.

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These type cassettes are hard to find, and that is what works with my 4 track recorder. It came fast and works great. Thanks

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This audio tape is great for recording even the most intense and powerful cds from the 80s. Of course, if you are listeing for it, you can probably tell the difference between the cd and the audio tape. However, the VERY SLIGHT difference is easy to tolerate considering the fact that by using tapes when you travel, you are protecting your cds from cd rot. For those of you who don't know about cd rot, it is caused by heat and moisture. Basically what happens is that heat and moisture corrode the cd. It turns the cd purple and renders it unreadable. In extreme cases, tiny holes are also present. The best way to combat cd rot is to keep your cds in a cool dry place. (A drawer if possible.) Keep your cds safe, and use this great audio tape to make travel friendly copies.

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TDK Super High Resolution tape is just about the best. The price was very reasonable and it was delivered in a flash. I am just sorry that I did not respond with this review sooner! I look forward to my next transaction and will recommend this company to my friends.

Stem IZON IOS WRM-WA0-00 Remote Room Monitor

UPDATE: After spending some time with it I have decided to update my review. This device quickly became an absolute nightmare when that glitch appeared in their system that kept replicating the cameras. After weeks of going back and forth with support via e-mail I was told the following.

1. You shouldn't have your SSID hidden.

2. You shouldn't have any dashes or underscores in your SSID.

3. You should consider using basic WEP.

?!? Keep in mind that it worked fine just the way it was before their weird back end glitch. They deleted my account and we restarted from scratch several times. That device is now a paperweight. And a bad one at that since it is so tiny. $130 wasted. I'm leaving one extra star because I really like that it uploads to YouTube and hope other companies follow suit.

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The Good: The best thing about this device is that it works. Once you have it up and running it records video and audio. The motion and audio alarms are a little quirky but they do work. The YouTube compatibility is a MAJOR PLUS. All other alternatives are much more expensive. The camera is surprisingly small and well built. The magnetic stand is cool and I prefer it to those screw based tilt solutions that loosen after time.

The Bad: The monitoring limitation. It limits you to 5 minutes at a time when you are viewing remotely which I don't understand. You tap it again and it starts over. Perhaps its a heating issue? Worse part of that is that it rarely works for the full 5 minutes anyway. It disconnects even when you have 4 or 5 bars seemingly at random.

The Ugly: The setup leaves a lot to be desired. When you first configure it, the device opens a unsecured wireless hotspot (it doesn't give anyone access to anything but itself) that ANYONE can connect to which is a little unnerving. If someone recognizes that type of device it isn't beyond the realm of possibility that they could figure out how to connect and then have access to your camera. I don't know if the camera can be registered on multiple devices. Once it is set up correctly you can place it on a secured network but its those first few minutes of vulnerability which could be disastrous if you are using this for home security.

The Summary: Some little problems take away from the overall package BUT it really is the BEST solution in this price range right now. I rarely connect to view for extended periods of time but that YouTube recording makes up for it. Saving to a private remote account really is the safest bet for home security and for $130 you really can't beat that. The closest alternative is Dropcam which starts at $200 for video ONLY and NO RECORDING AT ALL. You can pay $9 a month for 1 week of motion activated backups or $25 for 30 and that really gets expensive very quickly. iZON does that for free, with audio and for $70 less for the hardware alone! I only hope they develop a budget outdoor night-vision capable solution soon that is as discreet and easy to use as this camera.

I bought mine directly from Stem at a slight higher price than Amazon. The camera works very well for the price. I have very expensive Axis cameras that are a nightmare to setup this isn't. You log directly on to the camera's own WIFI to setup then log back into the primary WIFI of your house. Setup a account with Stem and your done. All setup done directly from my iPhone.

Cons:

video/audio lags about 20 secs.

Software locks up on occasion (google "end task on iphone" to restart just the app) *as of 4-5-2012 this is no longer an issue both IOS app and camera firmware (1.3) has resolved issue.

Pros:

Inexpensive

Great design (especially the magnetic base)

Looks cool

Easy setup

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This is a pretty good camera, much better than I was expecting after all the bad reviews. It took a little while to set up, but after that it works well. Also, it took awhile to get the remote access to work on my iphone, but after an update to the app it works well now. The picture is good and the motion and sound sensors work well. I really like that it records automatically to youtube when there is motion or sound so I can see what is happening throughout the day. It's everything I was hoping for. Now I can keep an eye on my dogs throughout the day which gives me peace of mind.

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Funny the folks at Stem Innovation / iZon are a little thin skinned and deleted my original post about their customer service.

...so I ultimately got my answer from Chris Doran at iZon. Despite the cameras completely stopping any recording merely 60 days after I spent $264 on 2 cameras, and not having any ability to record for the last 60 days, iZon refuses to stand behind their product. How companies deal with situations like this is what differentiates great companies and products from poor ones. iZon, based on this experience, is a poor one. I would avoid buying any of their products.

Amazon may want to pull them and discontinue the relationship.

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I didn't have any trouble with the initial setup (all wifi served over a Time Machine) and used the iPhone and iPad apps from as far away as Australia with no real hiccups.

This is perfect for my needs.

Hisonic HS116 Waistband Voice Amplifier, Color Gray

I am a tour guide at a historic site in Moultonborough, NH. This amplifier serves me very well. I use it during those times when the large number of visitors requires me to give my introduction on the trolley, starting at the parking lot in the valley and ending at the site on top of the mountain. Even with large groups in the historic home itself, the amplifier is a tremendous aid. Besides, it adds a sense of professionalism. I do, however, find that the microphone has to be very close to my mouth to get the proper amplification. In fact, I actually hold the lapel mike with one hand. Attaching it to my lapel does not work.

Tascam CD-RW901 Professional CD Recorder

For over a decade I've been looking for a product that could dupe a CD while one could listen to the original. I've got about 20 linear feet of CDs, and when I brew up a CD for a friend it's nice to be able to preview what one is about to record, and listen to it while being duped. About 10-plus years ago, I got the Philips unit that was dual tray. It was easy to use and I was very satisfied with it until it stopped working. Reviews of this unit on Amazon are pretty excoriating and indicate my experience was not unique. Reviews of other products in this space, like the one from Sony, are also on the negative side. Somewhat of a mystery as the technology involved is pretty basic and one would think the electronic manufacturers could master it; apparently not. I then (recently) got the TEAC CD-RW 880 that was a total dud couldn't get it to record anything and sent it back. (One indication that there might be trouble ahead is the "quick start" one page instructions had totally different instructions on how to record than that contained in the manual; neither worked.) Then I got the TASCAM.

First thing one notices on opening the box is there is no optical link cable provided; at least the TEAC had one, a bit cheesey for TASCAM as the unit costs about twice as much and they are the same company. The unit does record, but drops about half the tracks. Used both the manual and the auto-record option and it seems to make no difference. I might be doing something wrong, but I've devoted many hours to figuring this thing out, and I'm pretty good at reading instuctions. On the positive side: Recording quality is excellent. I've got a pretty high-end hi fi system that makes poor quality CDs audibly obvious; the TEAC seems bit perfect. The controls are well laid out and seem to be of high quality. For the professional crowd, there are a lot of advanced features MIDI etc. Save for the (not unimportant!) fact it won't take about half of what's served up, a nice piece of equipment.

LiveWatch ADC-V720W Wireless Outdoor IP Bullet Camera w Infrared

In short, I disagree with all the comments of the 1 star rating from others. This is the best quality for this money. I think the issue is that pele are perhaps not clear with configuration and setup flexibility. Very happy with these.

The camera looks solid and it connected very easily but it has the worst picture ever.... Its like comparing a Nintendo DS to an ATARI. Only 5 Frames Per Second recording, bad graphics and really bad alert triggers, not to mention that night vision is really good for 10' at most. Not worth $300.00

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Bell+Howell DV1200HD Camcorder with HD Recording, 5 x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD Screen (Black)

This camcorder is absolutely fantastic! Bell & Howell makes a real professional camcorder with this one. The videos come out in crystal clear 1080p High Definition Resolution. The camcorder also has an SD card slot that can hold SD cards up to 32GB. That gives me hours of video. I love this camcorder! I'll be watching for more Bell + Howell product.

normally a review like this is bad luck, but i'd like to say that i'm proud i bought this camera. it has amazing quality, and has great audio too! one important thing to know is that if you are not going to use it for a while, take out the battery. Only because, if you don't, the tow spring like fixtures keeping it in will flatten and you simply push them back up so they function. through and through, consider buying this camera. it looks great, it has a great price AND it works on a mac! CONNECTION HELP!!! turn camera on before hooking up to computer. and the large bump on the back is not a viewfinder just so you know, it is actually a LED light indicator. at this point, i can say that it is truly the best camera i've owned so far. FHD stands for full HD. enjoy making your first HD movie :D

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I'll start by saying that before I purchased this budget HD camcorder, I was also wavering around the idea of buying the Sanyo VPC-FH1A. Though I cannot personally attest to the quality of Sanyo's camcorder (which rests at around $75 above the price of the Bell+Howell), given that no previous ratings have been given to the Bewell+Howell, and that reviews for the VPC-FH1A seem to point at the camera being a great investment for its price point (albeit with a few drawbacks), I'm willing to bet that for an additional $75, you'd be getting so much better than this piece of junk.

I'll start with the worst.

This camera has no means of setting a manual focus; and the auto-focus is terrible.

It can't decide what it wants to do, and even on a tripod, viweing a still environment, the auto-focus goes haywire.

On top of that, each automatic lense adjustment triggers a very loud clicking and popping noise from the camcorder.

On playback, you'll find that this ruins ALL footage.

This in itself is enough to determine my single star rating. Do you even need to hear about any of the other drawbacks?

No, you don't.

The horrible auto-focus and loud internal motor noise ruin everything you shoot, or are ever hoping to shoot.

Avoid this camcorder at all costs, and please, spend your hard earned money elsewhere.

Read Best Reviews of Bell+Howell DV1200HD Camcorder with HD Recording, 5 x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD Screen (Black) Here

All my comments should be prefaced with:

"for a $200 camcorder..."

5X zoom (as stated by the print around the lens) is one of this camera's strengths. I have heard of some cameras having as much as 60X zoom in this price range, but I always wonder how much of that is true zoom versus BS. This camera clearly displays the threshold where true zoom stops. It's enough zoom to stalk your neighbor with in a residential area, but not really from a high-rise to another. I can testify though that at the end of the natural zoom the video quality is identical to un-zoomed.

The microphone is horrendously bad in high volume environments. It is clear enough if the volume does not exceed a moderate home stereo, but if you plan to record your band then this camera will be entirely useless without a separate sound recording device. There is no input for an external mic, that I can find.

The interface leaves something to be desired. Of course it would be easy to get a camcorder with a much more complex interface, but calling this camera "point-and-shoot" is a bit of a stretch. It does not adapt to the light environment automatically, without adjusting multiple settings, and those setting are sometimes lost when you turn it off. The touch screen is a nice touch (pun intended), but I would rather they had saved that money and beefed up the mic, or casing.

...which leads me to the durability/craftsmanship. I have had this thing less than a year, and only used it sparingly, and yet my casing has already developed a hairline crack in a non-stress area (near the record verification light on the back). If your child gets a hold of this, I suspect they will immediately break off the flip screen. It can not handle being dropped at all, and the case it comes with is little more than a dust cover.

The flash is for still pictures only, but well-lit stills look really amazing as far as resolution goes. However, the camcorder is borderline useless for medium-to-poor lit indoor shots, unless you are unconcerned with having visible grains in your HD video. To me this defeats the purpose of HD. The resolution is acceptable when it is well-lit, but the lens is larger than many compact cameras, so I expect even more resolution. Good luck finding the setting to go from 720 to 1080 in the menu.

You will need a tripod, because hand-held shots shake like hell.

What is this good for? The flipscreen, at $200, puts me in a situation to attach this camera to a mic stand (with a special adaptor that costs under 20), and stick it out my car window (of course, heavily stabilized to minimize shaky shots). Or, if I was filming in a warzone or other place where my camera could get destroyed or stolen...the swiveling flip-screen allows some sneaky shots, the hand strap allows for a really good grip, and the price is nearly disposable. However, it has a tad more bulk for difficulty in hiding the camera.

Final positive notes: The battery life satisfies me if I fully charge prior to each shoot, because I can get 1-2 hours, especially when the battery is brand new. Charging the battery can be confusing though, because sometimes it seems like it won't charge without the flip screen open, and one time my power jack would not respond (light didn't come on). I suspect it was severely dead that time. Also, the screen size is extremely ample. I can extend it on a boom and still see the basic placement of my figures on the screen, as long as it is not too bright outside, because the screen can be a bit dim outdoors where this camera works best.

To sum it up, I am glad to have this second camera, which exceeds my Zoom Q3HD in battery life, 5X zoom, comfort of use, screen size, flip screen, and by having this excellent still picture option. It is worth the money for the still camera shot quality alone, but navigating the touch menu is a pain in the butt, the mic is stupid for live music (even muffled), and I honestly think 1080P should look a little better than this. You might want the version with the infra red feature, since it's not much more.

PS: I dropped my review by two stars from my initial impression, because it developed an obnoxious mic/noise problem that made me unable to use it for audio in ANY environment or on any setting. It makes these pop sounds that are impossible to work around. Really this thing is constructed horrifically with an awful navigation and poor construction. Buy it for your son (though you could still find something cheaper and better) as a first camera that he is likely to loose or break, but not as something to cherish or use for any semi-serious film work. Mostly just skip this one, really.

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Everything stated by SUPERLongD in his review is true, plus more negative attributes, such as short depth of field.

This is, without a doubt the worst Internet purchase I've ever made based on price and some bogus reviews.

DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA AT ANY COST!!! You will surely regret it.But don't take my word for it. Watch the video review.

Vivitar DVR426HD-RED-SOL 5.1MP DVR426 Digital Video Camera with 1.8-Inch LCD (Red)

Body looks like it's made of aluminum but is really flimsy plastic. Memory card wouldn't go in all the way. Pushed it in as far as it would go but camera kept saying "no card". After some wiggling I finally got it to go in all the way. Then the camera wouldn't turn on at all. Also, once in, I couldn't get the card out. Had to grab with a pair of needle nose pliers and pull hard. Took it back to the store.

before one year it began to give "no card" error. Card is OK (computer sees it). Don't purchase this camera. Image quality is less than good

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First off, let me say, you get what you pay for. If you're looking for a high end camcorder, then don't get this one from Vivitar (I got mine at Walmart when they had them). This is like one of those "Bloggie" type cameras. It's ok if you use for what it's intended for (to play with). Otherwise don't expect high quality on a low end cam. As technologically literate as you guys are, you should know that by now.

Read Best Reviews of Vivitar DVR426HD-RED-SOL 5.1MP DVR426 Digital Video Camera with 1.8-Inch LCD (Red) Here

I bought this little red camcorder as a present for my daughter. I was initially surprised by the price, but then though about the fact that I had a Flip Video camera back when those were new and that was several years ago, plus cameras are now integrated into mobile phone so it seemed reasonable that the cost for just the camera components could be had for $30. The brand name Vivitar sealed the deal for me, surely they wouldn't manufacture (or slap their name on) a crummy product, would they?

Apparently they would. As others have pointed out, the light, thin plastic feels so cheap I was afraid I would break it just trying to put in the SD card. But I would have been able to live with that given a decent video quality. The packaging says HD, so that means at least 720p (1280x720). Well maybe it technically is, but the video was terribly grainy; I was amazed at how bad it was. Even after trying to adjust settings or moving outside into direct sunlight the video turned out blurry and grainy, worse that my first cell phone camera with 640x480 resolution. DO NOT BUY, or if you got suckered like I did, return it immediately. Vivitar, you disappoint me greatly.

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As soon as I took it out of the package I could tell it was flimsy plastic. The battery door nearly broke just putting in the first set of batteries. The seams where the housing comes together look and feel like it could break at any moment. The card went in fine though. There is no lens shield for when you are not using the camera. The picture on the screen looks like blue fuzz, you can barely make out what you're looking at. When I tried to install the CD it would not work. It took forever to download the driver and when done, it did nothing. The computer would not recognize the file on the card so I had to use the USB adapter and plug the camera straight into the computer. I had to prop up the camera since the weight alone of the camera was enough to break the USB adapter. I played the video that I took and it was horrible; blue fuzz with pink streaks running through the screen. There is nothing "HD" about this camera. Do not waist your time or gas with this piece of junk. Heading to take it back right now.

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Western Digital Caviar SE 250GB SATA Hard Drive ( WD2500JD )

Well I also was pessimistic when ordered 4 of those to setup local backup on 4 SATA drives on a 30$ SATA controller using software RAID under linux... but now, when around 2 years left, none of the drives has failed, SMART diagnostics never produced any warning on the self-tests... and that is under quite heavy load (this box backs up around 6 desktops and 1 heavy server)

So I can't say anything bad about these drives. Surely it is up to the sampling luck but, make your own judgements

I knew that WD quality control has been going down in the last few years, but I was still foolish enough to give this a try. This probably shouldn't be a surprise, but the drive was DOA. It makes loud noises when spinning up, then seems to work fine for 5-10 minutes, then another loud noise, and it causes a blue screen. I'm waiting for the RMA now.

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