Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone

• Quality microphone for digital media recording; ideal for DAT, NT and MD recorders
• Plug-in power operation
• Uni-directional recording to capture stereo sound
• Gold-plated contacts for sure connection
• 1 meter long cord (3' 3")

I recommend the Sony ECM-DS70P stereo microphone.

This mic is great to use with the Sony Mini disc recorders such as MZ-N707 and up. Although it is referred as uni directional, I have found the stereo separation very good.

As you are recording yourself with other singers for example you distinctly hear the vocal separation or instrument separation on playback so, then you can get an interesting separated sound by adjusting the mike direction.

So, even though the L and R mics are close together they must be facing in different directions to get that quality of separation.

There probably are better mikes, and I am sure they cost more money. I am critical of what sound goes in my ears, and this is excellent for my needs, which is self recording, recording voice lessons, live performances etc.

I hope this review was helpful.

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I bought this mic for two reasons:

1. It is stereo not mono

2. I just bought a Kodak Zi8 Digital Camcorder

Although the sound is surprisingly good on the Zi8, it has an external Stereo mic jack. The Sony ECM-DS70P is highly regarded and works perfectly with the Zi8. There is a notable difference in the sound when I use the Sony mic. You can clearly hear the stereo sound difference when recording in a 360 degree environment (like outside in a playground or other event). I have also used it for voice recording and it does a nice job there as well.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)This unit is not as compatible as compared to others. But, what it loses in compatibility it makes up for in features. It's wonderfully small and works great with Sony MD recorders. True, it isn't as versitile as the battery models, but it's a lot smaller too. If you just want to do MD recording, this is the unit for you.

The sound quality is sufficiently clear when recording, but is not sensitive enough to satisfy the most demanding users such as musicians or professional reporters. You need a relatively strong source.

Here's one MD player recorder that I know has the microphone jack and works great with this microphone:

'Sony MZ-NF810CK Net MD MiniDisc Recorder with Car Kit'

However, don't be fooled. Not every MD player has the appropriate Mic Jack. Double Check the technical documentation to make sure. Units that definitely do not have it are:

'Sony MZ-NE410 High Speed Net MD Walkman Recorder'

Notice the deceptive "Recorder" moniker in the product name. Don't be fooled! Very few MD "recorders" actually record with a microphone!

Not sure about these:

'Sony MZ-NF610 High Speed Net MD Walkman Recorder'

'Sony MZ-N510CK NetMD Walkman/Recorder with Car Kit'

'Sony MZ-N505 Net MD Walkman Player/Recorder'

Do your research before purchasing any MD player. All in all, this is a good value and the ideal microphone for those wanting to record onto a Sony MD.

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I am a musician and own my own studio in Nashville, TN. I have thousands of dollars worth of microphones. This product is what it is and for the money is a brilliant little microphone. Even though I have a 250 track digital recording studio, sometimes I want to record without doing a major "studio" setup. I bought a Boss Micro BR and this mic to go with it. This is a fantastic combination. The sound is definitely studio quality. I did a location recording of a simple trumpet and piano. Rather than drag my whole set up I took the Micro BR and this mic and made a very fine sounding recording. I got a pair of windscreens that were made for a telephone headset. I put one over each side of this mic and never take them off. This mic does have its limitations and does not sound as good as my $650 studio vocal mic for sure, but that's not what it is intended for. This is for portability with clear crisp sound. With a Micro BR it's a phenomenal combination. I almost didn't buy the Micro BR because it only has a mono on board mic, but I ordered this mic to go with it and I'm so glad I did. This magic combo is a serious upgrade from a Zoom H2 or H4 and for less money go figure. Sony well done.

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Contrary to earlier review, this microphone works GREAT with devices other than Sony; just make sure that your recording device provides plug power. I use this microphone with my iRiver iHP-120 20GB MP3 Jukebox --records great stereo sound directly into MP3s. Fantastic for recording my kids' concerts. Highly, highly recommended.

JVC HRS3800U 4-Head S-VHS VCR

• 4-head stereo Super-VHS VCR with 19 micron heads for high-resolution recordings
• 1-year/8-event programmable timer system, 181-channel autoset tuner, and jog/shuttle dial on remote and unit
• A/V, RF, and S-video inputs and outputs
• 2-head Hi-Fi stereo audio input and output with MTS decoder
• Measures 15.8 x 3.8 x 11.2 inches (W x H x D)

For the price you can't beat it's S-vhs quality on a standard vhs tape. You can hook it to your cable, and get the S-video output, better picture than composite out on most cable boxes.

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Received a prompt response from DWYNSTRA. VCR was insured and shipped the next day. The package arrived well-wrapped and in perfect condition. Super response and service!

Covert Pen Stealth Microphone

If you are going to use this with a bunch of people joining in the conversation it gets choppy. When used with only a few it works great

Item works great as desired. Got it quick and just as expected. Iwould recommend this seller and this equipment to other customers.

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TIVO HD, HD XL & Series 2, Series 3 AC Power Adapter Cord

Item does not look like picture. While the end that plugs into the TiVo itself is polarized, the outlet end is not. Not only that, the prongs on the plug end are thin and easily FALL OUT of the outlet almost by gravity alone! I am seriously torn as to which cable is safer, this one or the original one that was chewed by mice down to the bare wires (then repaired with electrical tape).

Do NOT BUY THIS. LOOK ELSEWHERE!

This is the best power cord ever! Why did I wait so long to get one! And the fact that it comes in black, black or black..... Well, lets just say I was overwhelmed ...

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Philips BDP2900/F7 Blu-ray Disc Player with Ethernet Connection

• Blu-ray Disc playback for sharp images in full HD 1080p
• Netflix-Streaming TV Episodes and Movies over the Internet
• DVD video upscaling to 1080p via HDMI for near-HD images

I really don't understand the bad reviews being thrown towards this player, a lot of the bad reviews I've read is due to it not having wifi, so what, I mean sure, it would be great if it did, but generally you're going to pay more than $70.00 for a good blu ray player with wifi, so if you're looking for the wifi, I wouldn't buy this, I don't really care about the wifi myself, I just wanted to have a blu ray player, so I could witness what all the hype is about on blu ray, and it is unbelieveable, and I've had this player for about 4 months, and I have not had one single problem with it, and I've used it a lot, and not once has it froze, skipped or not loaded like I've read from other reviewers, it is a bit loud during playback, but thats a minor complaint for me, machines usually have to make noise anyways, I'm sure there are more quiet ones out there, but for the money, I cannot complain, plus this player plays DVD's as well and upscales them, so you really get a blu ray/dvd player that does have Netflix and Vudu capabilities if you have the internet connection, it has an excellent picture, and excellent audio.

So if you're just looking for a basic blu ray player, at an affordable price like I was, I would say this is the player for you, I am very happy with it, so I don't understand all the negative reviews, I love this player!

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Unit didn't make it three months before it blew up. Unit will not turn on, will not respond to remote or power button on unit. Tried to reset power, did not work. Won't be buying any more Philips products.

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I was going to hold out as long as possible before purchasing a Blu-ray player, but I received the PHILIPS BDP2900 BLU-RAY PLAYER as a Christmas gift. I've used Blu-ray before and have watched movies on them at the homes of friends. Therefore, I wasn't completely naive about the quality or how they work. The machine has worked great and I haven't had any issues with it (it has never frozen up, never skipped a scene, etc.). The picture and audio quality are both great. I've also used an ethernet cord an connected the PHILIPS BDP2900 BLU-RAY PLAYER to our DSL router and used it to connect to Netflix without any issues.

I do have a few minor issues. Before I was able to start using the Blu-ray player, I discovered it wouldn't connect to my tv without an adapter. So, I purchased an adapter. Unfortunately, even after purchasing the adapter, I couldn't get the video to show on the tv screen. So, I broke down and got rid of my old tv and upgraded to a newer HDTV. I realize that many people own HDTVs nowadays and it is quickly becoming the norm. However, for those of you who are looking to make a problemless switch from your old standard DVD player to a Blu-ray player, be forewarned that you are probably going to have to upgrade your tv to an HDTV as well (even if the Blu-ray packaging makes no mention of this).

The other minor issue I have with the player is that it does make noise when it runs. Granted, the sound is no louder than the hum of a desktop computer or a video game system, but there is still some sound there. Personally, this doesn't bother me, but I know there are some who might find that really distracting.

If you're just looking for an inexpensive, basic Blu-ray player that has Netflix (or Vudo/Hulu) capabilities, then the PHILIPS BDP2900 is a great deal. I've been very happy with it.

As a side note, I've noticed there are a lot of negative complaints about this Blu-ray player because of the lack of wi-fi capabilities. I'm really not sure what the complaints are about. I still have the box my player came in and no where on the box does it say anything about being wi-fi ready. If you are looking for a Blu-ray player with wi-fi capabilities, you should find a different Blu-ray player that actually says it is wi-fi ready. This one doesn't. If you're looking for a wi-fi ready Blu-ray player, you will be paying much more money than the modest price the PHILIPS BDP2900 sells for.

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Don't buy this product! I'ts cheap, but you get what you paid for. I've had it fot two weeks, played discs fine, now it won't play them no more. Very disapointed. Won't buy philips products again.

Just as the last reviewer said, you need a wifi 'dongle' ($40). I threw the box away, but I had looked at the box before I bought it to see if I needed to buy an HMDI cable (didn't occur to me that I might also need a dongle). I didn't see anything that said that the 'wifi dongle' wasn't included for this 'wi fi ready' device.

I haven't tried to see if an ethernet cable works. If it does, this won't be so bad for me. I'll just put it in the study which doubles as a guest room where the router is located.

I'm not going to buy their rip off dongle. I did try another dongle (netgear), and it doesn't work. Like the last reviewer said, you probably need to buy the Philips brand.

I will buy another Roku (truly wifi ready) out of principle.

That being said, the blu ray and DVD part seems to work well enough and probably makes it worth the money if you don't need it to be wifi ready (assuming the ethernet cable works). I just don't like to do business with companies that play games.

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

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

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

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

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

The video was taken with this camera.

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

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

worth every penny.

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

Sony MZ-N420D Psyc Net MD Walkman Digital Music Player

• Store 5 Hours of music on 1 standard MiniDisc
• Record MP3s or CDs at up to 32x speed
• Uses high-tech, affordable MiniDiscs (1 included)
• Up to 56 Hours battery life with 1 AA battery
• The Psyc Net's recording features and bundled software are not compatible with the Mac OS operating system.

First I am a huge Sony Minidisc fan and have used md's for a long time. Entering the mp3 and wma time, I decided to get a net md to play these files. Unfortunetly Sony forgot to give their users an easy way to transfer their files to the net md. Here's why;

First even though the package says it plays mp3's and wma's, it actually means it will convert them to Atrac then store it to the player. Taking too much of your time.

Second it doesn't even convert all wma's or mp's. Most of my files are wma and it didn't even convert 75% of them.

Third the device soemtimes thinks it's full when not and heres the kicker, you must use batteries to to do any tranfers. Most mp3 player uses the power of your computer to do that.

Honestly I have never been so mad at sony. I do still love most of their products but they should have put more effort into this.

Sorry customers, but if you want an easy to use and better quality mp3 player look at anything other than net md. If Sony was smart they would have made the Net MD like a mass storage device and let the customer decide if they want to convert their music to atrac.

I ended up buying a 40gb Creative Labs Zen. Very easy and also lets me store files other than music too.

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I just bought this about a week ago, so take that in stock when you read this review. I plan to update it after I've owned it for longer. BUT here are my thoughts so far.

PROs:

--Over 5 hours of music on one MD

--Sound is very good, even at the highest compression rate it's just barely below CD-quality

--MDs are relatively inexpensive (about $2 apiece)

--Low price compared to most mp3 players

--Bass and treble are adustable

--Transferring music to MD is fairly simple and fast

--MDs can store track information (album name, song name, etc) and display it on the player

--Unit is very small (it fits quite comfortably in my pocket WITH my cell phone)

--HUGE battery life when playing music

--MDs are very easily rewritable

CONS:

--MD has limited memory for storing track information (normally not a problem but if you go much beyond about 80-90 songs it may not store names for all the tracks or albums)

--Actual transferring of songs to MD takes up quite a bit of battery power

--"Shuffle" setting does not shuffle among different groups (albums), but only in one group at a time (probably not a big deal to most people)

--No voice recorder (I don't care, but some people probably do)

--Very small display screen (but I got used to it pretty fast)

--Headphones are crap--use another pair

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A good value. The battery life (1 AA) is incredible. All files (MP3 etc.) must be converted to the Sony file format but the included software does this. There are two programs. "MD Simple Burner" is the easiest and fastest way to get music from your audio CD's burned on a MD(3 to 5 minutes per CD.) "Sonic Stage" will convert various file types (mp3, wav, wma) to the Sony format and transfer it to the MD. There are 3 different transfer modes, SP, LP2 and LP4. SP provides the best quality while LP4 the smallest file. I don't download music from the internet so I can't verify this feature. The Good: It is cheap (mine was $100,) reliable, small, each disk holds 70-80 songs (5 hours of music) in LP4 form, good sound quality, disks cost less than $2, good battery life and has good anti-skip protection. The Bad: Sonic Stage is slow, awkward and unstable, tiny display, confusing manual, other than headphones and a MD, no other accessories are included.

It is smaller and much cheaper than an IPOD and has much longer battery life. I use an inexpensive rechargeable NiMH battery. I use it in my car (a Miata) with a wireless FM transmitter. It is small enough to lock in the console and plays through the radio well.

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I was given this as a gift and especially since it was given to me, I love this thing. It's the poor man's ipod, who wants to spend $200+ when they could get this for like $60-80. It holds up to 50*almost* 80 songs per disk I believe (each of my disks have a different amount-depending on the length of the songs),is skip proof, sound is great, and it's easy to transfer music onto. I find no fault with it. I've had it for over a year and it's held up beautifully, even with being dropped. So personally I think it's a great gadget to have if you can't afford or don't want to splurge on the oh so hyped ipod.

Just the type of quality you would expect from a Sony product. This MiniDisc player is durable, sleek, and gets the job done very nicely. The only complaints I have is with the SonicStage software, but none from the Player itself. My problem with the software is just something that gets on my nerves, the fact that once I convert to LP4, I can't transfer it back to my library. Everything else in this is great, I can fit over 3-5 hours of music, less if I want to keep the full titles of songs, and amazing battery life. I listen to my MD Player about 1-2 hours a day, and have to replace the batter about once ever 1.5-2 months (one AA, how awesome). The MD Player is small, light, and doesn't skip (not that I've experienced) so it is PERFECT for joggers that don't want to risk the harddrive of an MP3 Jukebox. MiniDiscs are really cheap and easy to take in and out, come in cool colors, easy to store, and pretty durable. Also, MiniDisc players can stand more extreme temperatures. The only thing I wish that this had that it doesn't is a backlight, but that would ruin the good battery life.

Samsung SC-D372 MiniDV Camcorder with 34x Optical Zoom

I am not an expert at using a camcorder by any stretch of the imagination so I approached this product's mass of settings and controls with somewhat wary an approach. A family vacation up to New York and Canada earlier this year gave me the opportunity to put it through its paces and it passed with flying colors. I also was able to hook it up to my DVD recorder with a firewire cable (not included) and transfer it easily onto regular DVD. One thing that surprised me (given the reviews here concerning lighting) is that my camcorder works great in poor lighting. Watching it with my travel companions as I transferred the home video to DVD they remarked that the shots at an aquarium were brighter than they had been to the naked eye and brought out more detail. One troubling detail about the camera is that it needs to be hooked up to recharge the battery (which itself lasts about an hour). However I bought a TechFuel Premium Advanced Desktop Battery Charger as well as more powerful batteries by TechFuel (both given as accessories on the Amazon product page) and they work great.

This is pretty nice considering the SC-D372's price range. The best feature is the conveniently located "Easy Q" button seems to figure out the best settings.

It has easily accessible VCR-style multi-function controls that are not under the LCD fold-out. The contour of the camera is comfortable to the hand.

The SC-D372 is an affordable way to capture moments.

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i like the camcorder, no complaint here. battery life is not that good , so u need another battery.picture is good. i taped my sons party with it, the video is clear. i just got it a month ago. so far i like it.

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I bought this because I like to snowboard, and I thought having a small camcorder to capture footage would be awesome...

**

When the camera got cold (not wet), it just shut-off.

The battery doesn't last long, especially if the display is open.

It takes a while to start, and before it begins recording... the tape rewinds 0:03 seconds, deleting some past footage.

The color/quality isn't very good, and it takes a long time to focus.

If you speak too loudly/close into the mic. it has a 'high screeching noise' during playback.

***

What's good about it?

It has good zooming capabilities, the lens is a Schneider Kreuznach, small/portable, easy to function, pretty sturdy, small light for night, and the low price.

****

Samsung has good products, but this isn't one of them. I would recommend another camcorder.

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I always trust Samsung and they impressed me more with this camera. probably the cheapest video camera availible, it is better than you would expect it to be. Although it isn't so good in night or dim light, not a lot of other cameras are anyways. It's perfect for anyone who simply wants a basic video camera.

Vulkano 010410VK All-In-One 8 GB Media Placeshifter, Black

I preordered my Vulkano direct from Monsoon, after a few delays I received it August 23rd. The first day I hooked it up to my TV via Composite connections and couldnt get a picture. I called tech support and they said that Composite is not enabled right now and would be in a later firmware release.

I then used a networked PC to set it up given that the TV setup wouldnt work. Within a few hour's of trying it out I now have this laundry list of issue's.

1/ Composite Video out is not enabled and this is the only input available on my TV.

2/ Overscan lines visible on Desktop player.

3/ Cannot stream while recording to the Vulkano's memory.

4/ Audio/Video not in sync on recording's.

5/ Cannot stream to more than one device on local network at same time unlike hava's

6/ EPG sometimes decides to stop recognizing my US Zip code.

The first time I called tech support I was told the new firmware would fix the Composite out issue, a few days later still no firmware update so I called back and asked for an RMA (their policy is that you can return it for ANY reason within 30 days which they kept touting when people would say its unproven.. "try it, and if you dont like it send it back" (paraphrased).

Well I was told I couldnt have an RMA because that had to go to another department (this is after arguing with the tech support that I didnt want it even if there was a firmware fix). I have still not heard from the RMA dept and I get stalled everytime I call and told the RMA people are working on it.....

This review is for those who are thinking of upgrading from Monsoon's older Titanium WiFi product.

I've been using the Monsoon Titanium WiFi for DVR and placeshifting purposes for more than a year now and it was a pretty good product. Overall the Vulkano line is a good upgrade from the Titanium WiFi with the following notes:

** Why you should upgrade:

1. The Vulkano now has an HDMI built-in so you can use it to play back recordings to your 1080p HDTV I was impressed with the playback quality, even though the recordings were done over a composite feed.

2. The Vulkano local streaming works very well the picture quality appears to be much better when viewing on the PC application. I have not tested this on an iPhone or other mobile app but assume it will be pretty good on the smaller screen.

3. The Vulkano setup is pretty much the same process as the Titanium in fact aside from color and font changes the screens and process will look very familiar. The one problem I ran into was setting Port Forwarding to enable place shifting and remote viewing of recorded video. The user guide was helpful in pointing to a website to find the TCP and UDP port numbers and clues to how to manually add these to your WiFi router to make it all work. The Vulkano setup process only tells you it encountered a problem and wasn't much help. See additional notes below on this issue.

4. As other reviewers have indicated the Vulkano like the Titanium does not charge anything extra to support remote viewing. No annual service fees.

5. Over time, my Titanium's video quality degraded as the device warms up. For the first 5-10 mins the remote video and recordings look like the first day I bought it. Then it gets what appears to be snow or horizontal interference dashes. So far the Vulkano is working great will find out how long this lasts.

6. Video capture is the same as the Titanium via composite or component inputs and output.

** Things you should know before buying/upgrading

1. The Titanium allows you to plug any USB memory stick or external disk drive into the device's USB port and it is ready for use for recording no formatting or anything. I used to do recordings on a 2.5" Solid State Disk (SSD) drive and then took it with me on road trips and played the video on my laptop or saved the recording in a media archive. The Vulkano requires any USB device to be formatted to something that a PC will not recognize. This means you have to dedicate a Memory stick/SDMC/Ext Disk to the Vulkano and leave it plugged in. This is the biggest negative aspect of the product really kills making your recordings portable. So I ended up dedicating a 1Tb hard drive for DVR.

2. Here on Amazon and on the Vulkano websites there are 3 models you can buy Platinum (lowest cost); Delux, and Delux Pro. I would recommend buying the Platinum and get a much cheaper USB/SDMC and disk drive from Amazon.com than spending $100+ on the bundled versions.

3. Port Forwarding configuration the old Titanium worked right out of the box and didn't need me to fiddle with my router. What you need to do is find out the UDP (place shifting) and TCP ports the Vulkano is trying to use it will show up during the setup process. If both the default and after enabling UPnP fails you will need to write these port numbers down and log into your WiFi router's administrator application often it is a website at . Look for advance administration and "Port Forwarding". Add the ports the Vulkano is trying to use to the UDP and TCP look up you will also need to know the IP address assigned to the Vulkano device.

4. The Vulkano advertise being able to automatically locate UPnP media devices/PCs on the network to share video and images no indication this actually works. The YouTube widget seems to be the only thing available. I haven't yet found documentation about this and how to get it to work.

Hope this is helpful I'll update when I figure out how to get media sharing working... by the way Monsoon is having a sale on these devices through 1/23/2011.

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Overall I really love it and promote it amongst my friends. We used it to stream to a laptop (connected to projector)to watch a baseball game on the patio and it worked great for that purpose.

Everything else I tested (recording on PC or built-in SD, streaming via iPhone using WiFi, watching YouTube) worked fine. Some improvements in regards of usability would be nice, but again it works. And I knew that some of the other features might not be there yet before I bought, but only because i looked into the forum and reviews.

I agree the cables/remote delivered with the product are on the lower end of quality at least from look and feel, but other devices don't even include cables...

Support was responsive/helpful (and friendly ;-) when I sent a questions via email and got back to me within a day.

So why just 3 out of 5 stars:

1 star off for not having all the features they advertise (pictures on TV via UPNP from NAS is not available with the current firmware, Oct 2010, no blackberry support yet,no 3G support for iPhone...)

1 star off for releasing too early and forcing customers to be beta testers for some of the features

Clearly the product has high potential, if monsoon gets the missing features out soon and improves the software a little, I'll be more than happy to chage my review to 5 stars.

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After 365 Days of waiting for the product to be released. I Have requested an RMA yesterday.

The Product looks and sounded like the "god box" it has been touted to be. Instead it is a fancy, flat, faux sho' only box.

On your wifi it streams decent video. + for Ipad owners who would want a extra portable TV.

Anyone on 4.0.2 or higher iOS don't bother on wifi the app closes after 20 seconds. If your on 3G despite what the website, reviews, and box says no connection.

This is supposed to be a DVR right? Wrong, you can schedule recordings and they appear to be waiting for you to transfer however they never do transfer, and I suspect they never recorded since my e-sata hard drive free space never changed before and after recording.

All in all I very much wanted this product to work as advertised and chalked up the wait time (originally announced for release same time as ipad) as extra Q&A testing. Not so, The Beta testers were me and everyone else who

pre-ordered through monsoon.

All that said if they actually get working all the things that I and other posted are wrong (they have a great forum from myvulkano dotcom) Then I would purchase again.

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I have 2 Slingboxes,the Pro and Pro HD. I loved the Slingboxes but when a problem happens, if it's after the 90 days of support, then it's $30 per call not even per incident. That was so annoying that when I had a problem, I looked for an alternative and found the Vulkano, they have lifetime free support. I found the Vulkano to be frustrating to set up but support was so good and easy to get, I made a good decision to go with Vulkano. Works well to placeshift. I like the Slingbox player interface a little better but I was told down the pipeline they would address some issues I have. I would also like to, like Tivo, pause and reverse live tv, supposedly that too is coming. Like Tivo, Vulkano records well. There is room for more improvement and I believe they will come. The product as it is now is terrific, I love it.

Sony CFD-S300 CD Radio Cassette Recorder Boombox (Silver)

• CD, cassette, and radio boombox with CD-cassette synchro dubbing
• 2.3 per channel x 2, with two 4-inch speakers
• Slim, basic-function remote control simplifies listening
• Offers 10 front-panel direct-access buttons for tuner and CD; 20 FM and 10 AM station presets; drift-free digital PLL tuning
• Audio CD-R/CD-RW playback compatibility, 20-track programming, and Mega Bass low-end enhancement

I was looking for a cheap boombox for my office, and I really did not want to spend much money. I was looking for a boombox that had: CD, AM/FM Radio (digital tuning), and Cassette player. I originally bought Sylvania SRCD4400 for $39.00 + tax. But I quickly returned it and payed extra $20.00 for this Sony boombox and I love it.

1. The design of the boombox is sleek and easy to use. All the buttons are easily recognized and clearly marked (not so with the Sylvania!). The silver color is very nice, looks more expensive than it really is.

2. The sound is clear and booming. I was impressed with the reception of AM/FM radio stations -the reception was clear! (Not so with the Sylvania model, couldn't get some of my favorite AM stations!). It is true however, as other reviewers said, Bass "mega bass" sound could be deeper. So if you like bass sound a lot, then this model may not be for you.

3. The remote control is easy to use. It has all the buttons you need to access the boombox. (Not so with the Sylvania model, no power button). HOWEVER, if you have thick fingers like me then you might have little trouble pressing the buttons. Remote control is slender and buttons are small. But it works well.

Overall, I am very happy with the boombox. I recommend to everyone who looks for inexpensive and quality boombox.

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I bought this unit so that I could have something descent to put in my newly remodeled room. It works as expected, although I would have liked something a little more compact, and the remote is a nice feature too (even if it is really dinky looking). My only other complaint is that The Bass could be a little deeper, and the sound could be a little louder, but I'd definatly recommend this unit to anyone interested in a quality boombox on a low budget...

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This is a great product. The price is awesome. I was looking for something to play my old cassettes and still be able to pop in a CD. It has great sound, even with some really old teaching tapes I listen to. It's not that compact, but it's very light and very portable. I would definitely recommend this product.

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I purchased this system at Wal-Mart in December, 2004. It is very convenient and fits perfectly on top of a folding table that I have in my room. It is perfectly portable, and it's not like other systems that are best suited for a bookshelf or cannot be carried around very much. CD sound quality is excllent as well. You can play commercially issued CDs and CDs that were recorded from stand-alone recording decks or burners on your PC. Whenever I don't use it, I keep it in its original cardboard box. The nice features this system has are: 10 button direct access for radio or CD and a small remote control that you can use for CDs or radio. I don't listen to tapes on this system very often, but it does work quite well. I even tried recording on to tape from CD several times. The playback quality on a recorded tape (that was recorded on this system) is decent; you can hear the music, but there is a SLIGHT degree of sound distortion when playing back music that you had just recorded on to tape. But, that does not mean that this system is total junk. It is still quite nice. With the remote, you can control the CD player or radio, without having to touch the buttons on the system. You can jump right to a CD track (or radio station) with the touch of one of the numbered buttons. This system also has wide-directional convex speakers, which project sound to a wider area, they are not like most other speakers that only project the sound to a limited area. My system still works quite nice, so I'm not complaining.

The CD player failed just after the warranty expired. Radio reception is poor. This one's going to the Salvation Army.

Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0 2007

• Over 300 step-by-step lessons starting from the basics; such as hand position, rhythm, and playing on black keys; followed by music notation, sight reading, scales, and much more
• Get specific feedback on note and rhythm mistakes to help you get it right the next time; personalized reports show your rate of progress, including scores for specific songs
• Over 70 high-resolution, large-format videos and a built-in recorder to help you hear your progress
• Songs and exercises are enhanced by live recorded audio, variable-speed MIDI keyboard tracks, and colorful MIDI accompaniments
• Animated Keyboard displays correct fingerings as the music plays or for any note or chord that you double-click

I started using this software tool June, 28th. Before that, I took some lessons but never believed myself capable of playing an instrument. I thought my ears were plastic and my fingers were wood. Today, after 250 lessons and two months and a half, I am playing. I put about an hour daily. More or less, one song every day. At the beginning of each lesson, computer feedback is 50 or 60% but it improves faster to more than 90%. Once I get more than 90%, I consider that lesson learned and start next one. The feedback provided by the computer every time I play is tremendously helpful for a better try. I have played in public "country gardens", "piano man" and "heavens door" in a satisfactory manner. Thanks to emedia! I am now planning moving to intermediate level, which also looks like an amazing product.

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Potentially, a computer could really help a person learn piano. However, most of this product's features fall short of helpful. The midi preview of each exercise and tune is useful for anyone who cannot read music at all, but nothing you could not get with an audio CD. The animated keyboard is just a distraction. The course includes occasional video clips, but they add little. At least one potentially useful feature, the musical accompaniment, is actually broken, at least on Macintosh. If you turn on the accompaniment, you won't be able to hear your own playing. There is a volume adjustment control for it, but it does nothing. The company is aware of the problem, but they still advertise this feature, and keep shipping the product.

The program runs in a cramped little window. A menu command lets you make it full screen, but it just lowers the resolution of your monitor, making the contents of the window larger, but blurry.

I would recommend a book and audio CD (like the Alfred's All-In-One, level 1 piano method) over eMedia's Piano software.

Read Best Reviews of Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0 2007 Here

I was really surprised to see so many dubious reviews here.

I've had this software for a few years now and basically, it works, it's engaging and it's very well thought out.

I found my progress improving rapidly using this software.

The songs are fine in that they a very well chosen to introduce each new concept.

The marking of the user's playing works surprisingly well.

Sure, the music is very 'straight'; it's not bluesy or particularly soulful, but there are wonderful classical tunes and it gets down to the business of getting you to play as soon as possible. There is room for you to play with expression with this software.

There are ample quizes, tunes and videos to keep you interested and I found the whole thing hard to stop which is pretty impressive for what is, essentially, piano practice.

I don't know of any software up to the standard of eMedia's and I can heartily recommend this package.

It may seem obvious, but you obviously need a MIDI keyboard and a MIDI connector to make this software work. I had no problem on my MacBook Pro. I just plugged it in and off I went.

I hope they add more to this series because, basically, it works, it's a substantial body of work and a great way to learn without having to fork out for a piano teacher.

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I have recommended this software to beginning keyboard players and have found it to be very helpful for them. I wish I had this available when I learned piano many years ago! For those already taking lessons, it makes an excellent supplementary tool. Visual and corrective feedback make learning much easier and the videos are well done.

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If you have a keyboard that can hook directly into your PC through MIDI or USB, then this is a must have teaching program. I absolutely love it. I have already gotten through the first 43 lessons and it has helped me a lot so far. I could already read music a little and could tell you where the keys are on the keyboard, so it only helped solidify this for me, but it has helped improve my music reading significantly. I love how it can tell you exactly what you have played wrong when you are hooked up to the PC. It will tell you the percentage of how well you did and whether you played the wrong note or played the note too soon or too late. It has helped me a lot with my timing. I can't wait to go further. It goes through both the beginners and the intermediate lessons, so there is a lot to learn.

Eforcity Black Molded 12 Foot Digital Optical Audio TosLink Cable for CD, D/A Converters, Dolby Dig

Wow these cables are great, for the price and come gold plated. They seem very durable also, with plenty of thickness and shielding.

I couldn't believe the price of this 12-foot TOSLINK cable. With shipping, it was still under $6 and it arrived in a huge hurry with standard shipping (Priority Mail got to me in one business day!). At brick-and-mortar stores I have shopped and at competing internet vendors, the price was in the $20 to $50 range.

The only issue is that the ends aren't quite big enough so the cable won't stay in the Optical S/PDIF socket. There is a ten-second fix: simply cut out a 1-inch square of the plastic bag it came in, fold it over once (so it's double-thickness), punch a little hole with a small screwdriver in the middle of the area and stick the optical end of the cable through this. Then, stick the assembly in the S/PDIF socket. The plastic acts as a shim and makes for a really tight, reliable connection that won't ever pull out by accident.

It works greaaaat!!!! and the price is awesome!

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Screw the bad hype about this product!

I bought a cord half the length and at 5 times the cost of this one and this one works just as great or even better. Idiots claiming it falls out....well then, quit kickin your stuff around! Seriously, what the heck are you peoples doing for it to fall out?!?!? This clicked in BETTER vs the shorter cable (phillips) I purchased at a name brand store!

Product came as pictured with the protective tips that stay attached to the cord after removal. The shorter more expensive Phillps cord i bought? Those tips weren't attached to the cord and have disappeared. Weak.

Read Best Reviews of Eforcity Black Molded 12 Foot Digital Optical Audio TosLink Cable for CD, D/A Converters, Dolby Dig Here

12 feet is a pretty good length, and I am having no problems with this. I love it, and the price can't be beat

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This cable works. My cable came almost exactly as shown in the picture, albeit the tip covers were not connected to the cable as is shown in the picture, but as separate easy-to-lose caps. It's got 2 male fiber optic ends, connected by 12 feet of cable. The ends plug in and have a reassuring and positive "click" into both my xbox 360 and logitech z-5500 system, which is sure to not wiggle loose. Sound obviously comes out of all speakers on my 5.1 surround sound system. No issue there, as it's transmitting digital data. I have no clue what, in a home theater environment, could possibly add interference to a fiber optical signal? A star erupting in your living room?

One thing to mention is that the cable part is quite thin (maybe 3.5 or 4 mm in diameter). The only downside of this that I could see is that it's probably easier to destroy the cable if you were to accidentally place heavy furniture over it, but I don't see this being an issue for most people. On the flip side, it's quite easy in stringing from my xbox, out of my TV unit, and to my 5.1 receiver without having to move my TV or TV unit, since the cable is thin and flexible. Some thicker cables, like HDMI or super-shielded fiber optic cable, can be troublesome and require you to move your TV unit in order to actually bend the cable behind your TV.

I'd definitely recommend this cable over more expensive alternatives.

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Sony HDR-TD20V High Definition Handycam 20.4 MP 3D Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom and 64 GB Embedd

The predecessor, the Sony TD10, had a stereo base of 30mm, which is already on the low end for producing a clear 3D effect.

Sony managed to reduce this down to 20mm in the TD20, which means you will have a 3D effect exclusively on close-ups. Not on material with normal to far distances to the camcorder.

If you do not mind the bigger exterior, the Sony TD10 is the BETTER buy for 3D filming.

(Pardon my English grammer, because I never studied English at school and my mother tongue is not English either but just love the language)

I studied about this camera for two months on the web and finally played with it at local Best Buy and bought it for 1169 dollars on a web price match and it worked. I have used it now for two weeks filming historic places, flowers, birds and my son playing soccer. I have also purchased the Best Buy 209 dollars ADW for 3 years for peace of mind because the LORD's rains fall on all humanity equally.

Also objects close to see its real 3D effects on the 160" of screen with Optoma 3D Projector (with 3D converter 3D-XL) and I have to tell you that what my family and I saw was amazing. Almost as equal with the quality of Hugo (the movie) clarity.

I used 3DXL connected with the provided mini hdmi and the camera communication set to SBS (not the 3DXL but on camera itself) and watch it diectly from the camera to the projector in amazing 3D.

I also took footage of turtle under the water from above the lake in the local park) and it was just amazing.

I know some says the 20mm (this one) with the 30mm the TD10, I have to say that actually even with the 20mm, this one beats the TD10 in many respects including the finish of the the HD quality both in 2D and 3D.

I am a professional and this camera is not a professional camera but it is still a professional in the price and quality that this product brings.

I have a bi-weekly TV show (live gospel and teaching) and the studio takes care of that part with BIG BOYS but for my pre-edited TV programs, I am impressed enough to switch from my faithful 8 years old Sony DCR-VX2100 to this new blessing.

I downloaded the Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 (Trial) from Sony's website and edited and recorded my first Blu-Ray with LG-BE12 and the results were wonderful. Now I am going to order the Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 11 Visual Effects Suite from Amazon for only 53.50 (compared with 194.95 from Sony's website) and praise the LORD for the provision!!!

With the price and quality that I have experienced, this is worth.

Thank you so much.

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I bought this purely as part of my hobby in 3d photography and filmmakers. I assume many people will be interested in it also as a general camcorder, for which it's pretty slick:

a nice zoom range

decent touch interface (if a little dated-feeling)

good stabilization

But as a 3d enthusiast, I have some serious gripes, even after just a few days.

The 3d is recorded in a format that I've had trouble finding support for.

The camera advertises that it can shoot stills, and it can shoot stereo video. But it CANNOT shoot stereo stills. HUH?? You'd think that all of the hardware and software is there to do this, and yet they quietly reveal (in the thick instruction manual only) that 3d stills are not possible.

The camera advertises that it can shoot 24p and 60p. Search the fine print and you'll see that it can't shoot progressively in stereo, only interlaced. This kindof destroys my purposes with the camera, unfortunately.

I'm still deciding if I want to return it. It's really fun to shoot, and I'm planning to get a 3d tv so I can review footage at home. But it's an expensive device if you're not 100% supported in your purposes... Wondering if a TD30V will come out, and if so, they will address these concerns? I hope so, because home 3d filmmaking offers huge opportunities.

Read Best Reviews of Sony HDR-TD20V High Definition Handycam 20.4 MP 3D Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom and 64 GB Embedd Here

Overall, I think this is a very nice camera a little on the pricey side for your typical consumer, but if you need to have a lot of the whistles and bells of a video camera you may want to consider this one. I've waited a while to write this review, but now have used this for about a month and have tried out most of the features. As my basis / background / comparison in reviewing the camera, I also own the Sony HDR-CX160 camera.

The picture quality to me is crystal clear and transferred over to my computer for ripping to a DVD without any issues at all. Colors, shapes, everything is crisp and in nice detail.

Using the 3-D capabilities of the camera, it is fairly effective for up close and personal recording, but forget it at a distance. I hooked up a recorded 3D video I had made to my TV (also 3d capable) and, without glasses, you did get a minor 3D effect. Wearing a pair of 3D glasses it was a bit more pronounced. I don't watch much 3D, and for my purposes I'm not sure how much of that feature I will use in the future. The cool thing was hooking it up to my TV via an HDMI cable vs. alternate means and running the video directly from the camera. Kids really like that, also (3D or not), especially as they relive the birthday party that happened just a few hours previous on the same day.

The camera comes with 64 gig is more than sufficient for my purposes after filming two birthday parties, a piano recital, and two other events I wasn't anywhere near to filling it up before I was transferring video off of the unit.

I have not purchased an upgraded / higher capacity battery, as I haven't really pushed the battery that was standard. I went three hours of recording and did not get a low battery warning before I put it back on the charger before I went to bed. Three hours is more than enough for my purposes, and with the USB-compatible charger included with the unit, for this camera I will be able to plug it into my USB-compatible cigarette adapter or the 101 other USB charging bases I seem to have everywhere.

I like the tracking feature category as I was filming a person talking and another walking around, and it does keep that spot focused in if they maintain a "normal" speed; with running children it's not perfect but a lot better than not having it at all.

The unit's size is about 50% bigger than the HDR-CX160, primarily due to the second lens for the 3D option. I think that is great as I have larger hands, and I always thought the CX160 was too small.

The unit also comes with a built-in GPS receiver and the ability to tag your location of filming. Besides trying this feature out to see if it works, I don't know when I'll ever need this feature with my types of recordings. However, if you travel a lot, it may help jog your memory some years down the road of just where exactly a specific recording was made.

Overall, this is an outstanding camera but maybe a little bit of to many whistles and bells for the average person wanting a camera to record birthday parties. However, if you are looking for crisp shots and need that something extra, I'd highly recommend this one.

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Update tips:

When panning (especially if you are using any zoom) exaggerate the slow motion for the finest details to show without blurring. Even in interior rooms you will get distinct video without using the light. In low light or when using any zoom, pause for a few seconds to let the camera adjust its focus before you begin your real filming. Text is extremely clear even when situated within a display case.

I filmed from about 1' away through a glass panel at a miniature model (2' high x 12' long) of city buildings on a street about 15" beyond. The buildings were store fronts, apartment houses, and restaurants with windows that showed miniature furniture, dinnerware, and merchandise within the rooms. These items inside the rooms came out stunningly distinct. I used a slight amount of zoom and the camera picked up items my eyes did not see.

I was in the middle of a room with a picture window looking out toward the nearby tree packed slopes and there was no blurring because the camera focus was on the distance, not the window. In the past this has been a problem that other camcorders had.

I am so pleased with the still photos that I took under all conditions, that I have decided to retire my expensive Pentax camera.

Review:

This is not a professional grade camera but its at the top of the amateur level. Excellent features that auto-adjust or you can tweak manually for those out-of-the-ordinary situations. The built-in memory cameras haven't stored the amount of video I was doing in one day. This camera addresses everything I could want. I have used generations of Panasonic camcorders with great success. Kudos to Sony for getting this one right!!!

Storage: the 64 gig internal will hold about 5-8 hours of stop/start 2D video and I can use the 32 gig SanDisk memory for when I can't off-load the video to my computer. (Sony's recording time is unrealistic)

Low light: I tested in unlit areas and areas in deep shadows. The result was slightly colorized pixelation which showed at 1920x1080. Using the flash or spotlight produced very distinct images. And I really liked that you can vary the light brightness.

Zoom toggle: very touchy and fast but you can learn to have a light touch.

GPS and Date stamping in the background: great for those using Aperture, iPhoto, iMovie or some other archiving program for quick sorting. This is not shown on the screen or when playing the movie or photo.

Back Light: the auto feature will save editing time when panning suddenly reaches a overly bright background.

Anti-shake: worked great while walking and filming at the same time. This has always required extra equipment in the past. It splits the all-or-nothing choices.

Touch screen LCD and Menu: sharp, and surprisingly good 3D. The warnings about watching 3D are realistic. I was very pleased to see all user friendly icons, menus, and menu items that allow quick and easy adjustments. This was the best layout I have ever seen without too much clutter.

Direct to iPad: used the Apple Connection Kit and just waited for the photos/video to appear on the iPad.

Direct to Mac Pro: use Image Capture which automatically launches when USB is connected. It was an easy import to Final Cut Pro 7 and 10. It looked awesome at 1920x1080 and even better at 1600x900 on my monitor.

Direct to TV: you can use ANY TV with 3 jacks through the A/V cable. You do not have to use the AC Adapter for power if you are not transferring a large movie and have battery power.

Location of control buttons: excellent and intuitive

Use either hand: the traditional right hand through the strap with the record/stop on the camera back and the zoom and photo buttons on top OR use your left hand and select the same functions on the touch screen. Now you are assured of holding the camera more steady while enjoying easier access to controls.

Personal comment: 3D is an expensive domain that has more verbal WOW than practicality. Its use is in filming someone or something with a little additional closeup impression. For those who have to have the latest, this will be a "gotta-have". For the average person, this camera will record a good enough 2D that depth of field will make you see it as almost 3D. I was impressed.

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PenCam Mini Video Camera & Recorder tiny Pinhole Camera 4GB built-in memory

This product is a waste of money! It does not record or take pictures. The light goes on like the directions say it well indicating that it is recording, but it doesn't. Not worth the money. I'd give it 0 stars but I have to give it 1 star minimum.

Direction were a bit hard to understand. Picture was just ok.. It will do the job for recording secret squirrel happenings..

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DIGISTOR 25GB 6X Blu-ray Disc Recordable BD-R Blank Media (25 pack)

Blu-ray media is not coming down in price all that fast. To find a 6x 25GB disc for less the a dollar each,

I was hard pressed to come close. Even checking the more common blank media sites, these discs are the best deal out there.

Having said that, the proof is in the burn, and I have already burned 25, with all of them successful.

Theses discs are great (I will check their longevity in 6 months and report back).

I have just purchased another stack and will recommend them to my clients.

I have two 32TB RAID need to backup monthly... and Digistor media is by far the best media!!!! I have used Sony, Panasonic, TDK, and Optical Quantum(trash media do not buy Optical quantum!!!!).....

digistor save me tons money and write at 6x speed and so far 100% success.... amazing!!!

I strongly recommend this bluray disk!!!!

JIN

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Digistore offers comparable quality in disc construction to the more popular name brands. This is not uncommon for a product trying to break into an already prolific market.

From DATA to BD video burns these discs performed as well as other more recognizable name brands. I'm half way through my 25 disc spindle and have yet to come accross any defective discs or quality issues in playback.

I would recommend this brand for anyone looking for a reasonably priced alternative to the more established "Big Boy" brands.

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This is the first time I've tried these BluRay 25GB (single layer) discs. They are awesome, and my bluray burner has no problem burning data or movies. No coasters. I use several apps to make this work, including DVDFab, AnyDVD HD, ImgBurn and others. You can use Nero, Handbrake or any good app. The dye color is very rich and dark blue/violet, which seems to make them higher quality. I've noticed that CDs have a light green dye, DVDs have a silver or light blue/purple dye, and these single layer BluRay discs are a much much darker color dye. I'm very satisfied :D

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These disks are quite good and recording quality is amazing. With my Pioneer BDR-2207B5PK drive and these discs, I have made perfect 1for1 backup movies with no errors so far. Need to buy more soon. But needs to come down in price.

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Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

I did quite a bit of homework before purchasing the HC-90. I wanted High quality DV in a 16:9 format. I own a 42" Sony LCD HDTV and I wanted sharp, high quality performance.

Other factors for me: Solid build (exterior), and good quality parts (interior). Firewire, size, ease of use, MiniDv, and price.

Things that I got but didn't expect:

sizeWhen the package arrived, I was surprised at the size of the box it came in. It is small. When I opened the box, I was even more surprised at the size of the camera. I was expecting something compact but this little camera is small. I own a JVC MiniDV camera and it is about twice the size and 4 times as heavy. I wanted a small camera but thought that I would have to sacrifice some functionality for size. Well, I didn't. I don't think that I would want a smaller camera or it would start becoming difficult to push the correct buttons without looking around the camera first.

Still shotsI have read some comments that this camera doesn't take quality still pictures. I didn't buy it for that but this camera takes really nice photographs and in 16:9 format so it is just like having a wide angle lens. If you email your images or make DVD slide shows, this camera can take some quality shots. I have email some of the pictures to family and I had to resize them all to make them a lot smaller in dimension and subsequently, the images became sharper and details stood out. The flash works just as well as any other still digital camera I have owned. More than adequate for emailing or sharing on the web. I will be leaving my Olympus still camera behind on family outings because the HC-90 can take its place.

Motor functionI was simply amazed at the motor and function of the motorized parts in this camera. This thing is fast. Really fast. My JVC is a 3 year old piece of clunky crap compared to the HC-90. When you are playing back a movie and want to scan forward quickly, there is no waiting around for it to change gears, it does it instantly. The push button LCD is very responsive and the camera will take commands without clunking and whining. It rewinds very quickly. It sounds solid and it performs. I am most pleased with this surprise.

Things I expected (the good)

The video qualitySo far it has been awesome. As I said earlier, I own a 42" Sony Widescreen and to see the entire screen filled with video is a delight for me. The colors are rich and the details are fine enough to satisfy me. The camera seems to handle 16:9 perfectly. My wife was astonished at the quality when she first saw it. I used the camera in low light mainly. Dimly lit rooms with lamps. The steady shot works great, giving a flowing look to video when you are walking around. The colors remained bright in low lit areas and in the sun, colors are rich. I messed around with some of the features and they all look good. My wife is a point and shoot person and I taught her to push the easy mode button and she was off. No teaching her how to use it. Common sense is all you need.

Dumping DV to my MAC G4 PowerBookI plugged it in via firewire, IMovie picked up the camera instantly and I began dumping DV as well as editing. That was all there was to it. I haven't even looked at the software that Sony sent. IMovie also recognized the 16:9 ratio and set up my project accordingly. Quick Time and the Sorenson 3 codec had to be fed the aspect ratio manually. I have to figure out pixel sizes with a calculator. I plugged in the USB cable to the camera and my MAC and the MAC mounted the volume and imported my images flawlessly. I also did the same with my WINXP PC. Just plugged in the USB cable and Voila. It showed up as a new drive in My Computer.

I also used the HC90 for ICHAT on my MAC laptop. The guy on the other end said he got great video from me. The chat session was between Hawaii and Ireland.

Build Quality Awesome. There is NO creaking (like my JVC). The camera is ergonomically great for my hands and my wife also agrees. All of the buttons are in the right place. The touch panel LCD is wonderful for me. It is solid and I don't worry about it ripping off when opening it and when you close it, it makes a satisfying thud like it was meant to be slammed shut in a hurry. The top loading of the tapes is great. No need to lay the camera on its side or anything like that. I can change the tape while the camera is plugged in to fire wire and the power simultaneously. The camera is very light but built very, very well. I am totally pleased with the build quality. It feels like a Sony. The zoom button is light or easy to manipulate but it can either zoom slowly or very quickly. It is quite sensitive and took a little getting used to. My old JVC felt like it was going to crumble in my hand and the mechanisms seemed so fragile but this camera feels like it can be handled with less apprehension.

Things that could be an issue but not as of yet.

The pry open plastic doors for cable plug in access To charge the battery, you have to pry open one of the plastic covers to access the inputs. I can understand that these covers protect the jacks from dirt, etc. Some have said that they may easily become detached in the future. I beg to differ. My JVC has the same type of protective covers and I have not broken them off in 3 years. I was always prying on them because I am always plugging firewire, etc in to the ports. They never broke and most likely never will. I think the hinge is that annoying plasic that never breaks no matter how much you flex it. The more you use the covers, the more plyable they becaome and easier to access. The sony covers are good quality and I doubt these will ever be an issue. It is somewhat inconvienient to charge the camera because you have to open the cover first. The stand alone chargers are not that expensive and I purchased a spare battery so it might be worth getting the charger.

Memory Stick Pro I spent a bunch of money for a Memory stick original for my Sony Still camera and it will not work in this DV Camcorder. The little one that they sent in not adequate. Looks like I will have to buy another one soon. I wish I did not.

Lens cover This camera has a shutter that opens when you turn the power on so that you don't have to fiddle with lens covers. I absolutely love this feature but, dirt, sand, crap can collect in that area even though the lens will be protected. There are threads there for lenses and filters. There should have been a plain glass lens there to occupy and protect that area from the elements. I will most likely get a cheap filter to screw in there and protect the fine threads.

All in all, I love this little camera and I am sure that my family will enjoy it for years to come. Between this, my 12" MAC PowerBook, my 42" Sony HDTV, and living in Hawaii, I think I have what I need for ample amounts of fun.

I picked this little gem up at the Sony store less than a month ago. They had all their camcorder models lined up on the shelf and the HC90 stood out like a Beauty Queen on a Catwalk. The overall design is an aesthetic masterpiece and fits ever-so perfectly in the palm of one's hand. It is super light weight and you can carry it around effortlessly for hours (it is compact enough to fit in your trouser pocket). All the basic controls are easily accessible to thumb and fingers, and it couldn't be easier to operate.

This is my first camcorder so I was under the impression that I would have some intensive study of the included manual ahead of me. I was mistaken. All I had to do was skim the first few pages and I was off and running (albeit in Easy Mode).

I have read some critical reviews of Sony camcorders bemoaning their compatibility with third party components, such as PC's. Nothing further could be from the truth! I own a Mac Powerbook. I took a few snaps in Picture Mode and the USB cable loaded them seamlessly into iPhoto. I picked up a cheap 4 to 6 pin Firewire cable at RadioShack, connected the device to my Powerbook and iMovie instantly downloaded the widescreen video footage without any prompting. And it was the same ease of operation in connecting it to my TV, my VCR and my DVD player. I can honestly say that I have never encountered a piece of high technology that operated with such ease and joyful simplicity. I have already shot hours of video without further consulting of the manual and the included software disc remains in its sealed envelope. This little gem seems almost organic in its construction and operation.

At 3.3 MP, the still photos are quite excellent and the panoramic option is a real cool feature. The video is superb. I live out in the forest and I can only describe the image quality as true to life. The built in microphone is excellent. When I reviewed some footage shot out in the swamp it was as though the bull frogs were singing right in my living room! The only drawback is that it amplifies anything stronger than a light breeze, but I found that this can be minimized by closing the LCD display and taking advantage of the camcorders sleek exterior design.

The battery life can also prove irksome if you like extended shootings.But for a modest investment you can purchase a battery with twice the life.

Do I like my new DCR-HC90 Camcorder? No! I absolutely LOVE it!!! It is so portable and easy to use that you can just take it everywhere without even thinking about it, and it attracts looks of admiration and envy wherever it goes.

The one I bought was the last one in stock. The salesman whom attended to me said the model was selling like hot cakes, and even though it was the priciest item on display, they were literaly flying off the shelves into the eager hands of happy customers. It is easy to see why.I have a Canon G6, a fine device in its own right. Since I acquired my HC90, it is more or less collecting cobwebs in a forgotten corner of my cabin.

Buy Sony DCR-HC90 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom 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.

10X 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, 10X is the best zoom you can achieve without worrying about shaky videos

Widescreen still photo. The photo clarity is OK not too 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-HC90 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Here

This is the fourth camcorder I've owned, and it's definitely the best. I couldn't believe how small and light it was when I first took it out of the box. Other features I like:

> Wide screen recording looks great on wide screen and regular size TVs

>Touch-screen controls are much easier to use than buttons while recording

>Long battery life

>Great still pictures -I don't need to carry a separate digital camera

>Video is sharp, bright, and the colors are vivid

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I shopped around for a while before I bought this camera. I checked out many reviews and I have to say, I'm VERY happy with this camera. I wanted something that worked in low light. This was the most important feature I was looking for. I had a Canon video camera, and I now have very few videos of my daughter growing up because if there wasn't enough light it would make interference on the tape. This camera works very well with normal indoor lighting. You don't have to turn on extra lights. (It also has nightvision which works in very low light)

The only complaints I have are 1) the battery doesn't last more than an hour but I don't video that long anyway 2) the memory stick doesn't hold many pictures but I'm spoiled with my digital camera holding lots.

In general, I would highly recommend this camera. You can download the video to you PC really easily and burn it to DVD.

Oh, and in some reviews it mentions that the zoom is hard to use. I don't find that to be true at all. It is sensitive, but not hard to use.

Sanyo DRW500 Slim DVD Recorder/Player

This is the worst piece of electronic equipment I have EVER owned. It looks good but it functions poorly with many unwritten, mysterious and unknown attempts at explaning how and why it should work. Initially, there were questions but SANYO came out with a patch to help with the problem of freezing up and having to unplug it to make it work, that should have been a HINT. Then there was the small print stating that you can only use 2x-4x discs and some of those may not work. Now, I have the proper discs but keep getting disc loading, than an eject without any explanation or the ability to record onto them. Their website is usually helpful. But this product functions so poorly that now you cannot even find it on SANYO's website or any other DVD that they produced, imagine that. Information on this piece has been reduced to only a google search with more complaints than positives. SANYO should be embarrassed and should retify this but of course now that it is an OLD product they don't even remember that they sold it to consumers. I will think hundreds of times before purchasing anything from them. Really poorer than poor!

This recorder has been a solid performer for me for the past two years, but now I'm down to my last compatible blank DVD disc. The unit is very picky which discs it will record on. In the instruction manual I found online (the one that came with my recorder was in Spanish) only the following discs are recommended:

DVD+R:

CMC (2.4x/4X)

DAXON (4x)

Mitsubishi (2.4x/4x)

Prodisc (2.4x)

Richo (2.4x/4x)

Taiyo Yuden (4x)

DVD+RW:

CMC (2.4x)

Infodisc (2.4x)

Mitsubishi (2.4x/4x)

Moser Bare India (2.4x)

Optdisc (2.4x)

Philips (2.4x/4x)

Prodisc (2.4x)

Richo (2.4x/4x)

Ritek (2.4x)

Melody (2.4x)

As you can see, those are discs of a bygone era. I know of no software update that would enable the recorder to work with currently available blank 16x DVD+R discs or even many currently available blank 4x DVD+RW discs. As another reviewer mentioned, this unit seems to have been orphaned by its manufacturer so no updates are forthcoming.

As a DVD player, it will not play some DVD+RW discs that were recorded elsewhere that play fine in other players. It has played every commercially recorded DVD-R movie I've given it.

Note that this recorder will NOT record copy protected DVD movies or VHS tapes. As soon as it detects the copy protection feature, it stops recording. A couple of times it mistakenly thought it detected copy protection when there wasn't any and spontaneously stopped recording, thereby ruining a good disc in the process.

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I recently purchased a refurbished Sanyo DRW500 Slim Recorder/Player on Amazon and got a great deal on it! I chose this particular DVD Recorder/Player because it is identical to the one that I purchased new when they first came out around 2001. I have owned many kinds of Sanyo products over the years and loved all of them. Although my old original Sanyo DVD recorder/player was still operable after 10 years of daily use, I loved the idea that I had the opportunity to get a new refurbised one on Amazon, knowing that it too would last at least another 10 years or more. A real benefit of doing this was that it is compatible with my TV connections, so it was very easy and convenient to just unplug the cables on the old one and plug them in to the new Sanyo and it was ready to go. The Sanyo is also very easy to operate and to set up recording on the timer, and I am so grateful that I didn't have to spend time to learn how to operate a new DVD recorder/player which can be challenging at times. Thank you Amazon for providing deals like this!

Read Best Reviews of Sanyo DRW500 Slim DVD Recorder/Player Here

When I received my product it was not working but the company stay in close contact with me and we tried to resolve the problem. When they found out the issues could not be fix they refunded my money the very next day. I will buy from this company again and tell my family and friends to consider buying product here. This company was more than fair with me. I give them a five star rating.

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