Dell Axim X5 300 MHz Pocket PC

I worried and read every review available before getting the AXIM, so I'll share those things I most wanted to know before the purchase.

I purchased the AXIM X-5 300 on 11-26 with a ship date of 12-18. I received it on 12-9, a very pleasant surprise. The case is sturdy silver plastic with rubberized sides. I've had the AXIM in my hand for as long as 4 hours and, because of the size, shape and rubberized gripping surfaces, I have experienced no cramping or muscle tension. Very good human factors design in this instance. Most importantly, the unit feels secure in my hand with no sensation that it's slipping or that I'm about to drop it. With the screen setting as bright as it will go (and it is very, very bright and clear), I have used the AXIM for 16 total hours on it's original charge and have 40% of the battery remaining. This is not gaming, but does include about 1 hour of Media Player to watch video (excellent!). With the backup battery I have no fear of taking it until it shuts down. The stylus is OK, all metal except for the point, and better than those little round plastic styli. The Navigator button does not have an "enter" feature, but it does scroll appropriately. To see the real potential of the button it should be used in Excel. The speaker is limited, but there is a headphone jack (I have not used this yet). Otherwise, everything is sturdy and functional.

The synch software installed with no difficulty (HP laptop, P-III, w/XP) and I am very pleased with the Pocket PC interface and applications. It appears to be a very full-featured software package. At the entry-level price I have money left over to purchase some software I might really want (but it is such a good package, I have no clue what else I should buy. Look at your MS Office and Explorer and think "I can do all of this on a handheld").

This is my first venture into Pocket PC, and I made the appropriate choice with the AXIM X-5. I have the potential of my laptop and desktop in an extremely portable package. Don't worry about the size and weight of the AXIM; to me it is a non-issue. I cannot fairly compare the AXIM to other Pocket PC's, but it is almost exactly the same size as my Palm III-XE. As for weight, it's light enough. All of the other Pocket PCs I've seen and hefted are too big and too heavy. All of them. Everyone wants a matchbook size computer that throws out an 11X14 holographic screen that we can navigate through telepathically, and that weighs only 4 grams. Even at that size and weight people would carp that it's too big and heavy to be an earring. The AXIM is as light as a feather compared to any laptop. On a budget, it is outstanding. If budget were no limit, I say get a Winnebago to carry your servers, satellite uplinks, wet bar, and Jacuzzi.

...Unless you really loathe inserting a CF card (it just slips in the top), connectivity is a non-issue. Memory: CF, or Secure Digital cards that slip in the side (so you can have boat loads of memory). In the box: The AXIM; CD-ROM software; USB cable; charger; sturdy carry case; ubiquitous manual, quick start guide, warranty, etc.

First, if you don't have a PDA or not familiar with them, learn about them. You will be amazed how easy they are to use and with only a few options, the convenience they provide will save you a tremendous amount of time. They are becoming as natural and common us as the cell phone. If you know nothing about computers, this system is so easy you will feel smart!

Knowing the Dell's Axim X5 400 MHz is available, I didn't think that the 300 MHz was worth buying knowing that a more advanced version was already available. However, conversations with engineers more knowledgeable than I reminded me that I am buying a PDA not a server and that 300MHz is all the processor I would need. Also, the DELL AXIM X5 was one of three models that was always recommended. After doing my own research I had to agree. I purchased the Dell X5 300 MHz and buyers remorse set in. I thought I wasn't going to get as much use out it that I originally thought. I was wrong. Now, before I go anywhere, I pick up my PDA before my cell phone and keys.

Using the Dell provided software, installing activesync was very easy and the set up was effortless with my Microsoft Outlook. Dell and Microsoft made this install so easy I thought I did it wrong! I have the PDA synced to my Sony laptop and my Dell desktops. Remember, to disable your firewall protection before using the activesync. After the system has sync and you have exchanged files, enable you firewall. McAfee will disconnect your sync.

After just one week using my PDA, I bought a second PDA (same DELL 300 MHz) for my wife knowing we can share the accessories I bought. I packaged an extra battery, stylus, and screen protectors as well as additional memory, the wireless phone and camera. My only disappointment is the protective cases that I bought. I have both the leather and the hard case, neither have a belt option. I had to make a belt clip from a few cell phone parts. Hopefully Dell will offer a case that can be worn and has room for a money clip. I strongly recommend you take the time to learn about the PDA world. PDAs will replace your cell phone and provide a tremendous amount of assistance to you.

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I've had my Axim for a few months now and I still love it. No troubles at all except when I enable WEP on my wireless card; I have to restart after inserting the card to recognize the network. I suspect this is related ot my no-name wireless card and not Dell's fault.

Only disadvantages are the size (it is much larger than other handhelds). I knew this going into it and I find the size comfortable to hold, though it doesn't fit into all of my pockets. The other disadvantage is the Dell support. I haven't had to deal with them since I know a bit about computers, however I ordered my PDA from Dell and was going away in 2 weeks. Their estemated delivery time was one week so I thought I was good. Turns out their site doesn't update daily and the unit was on back order. I had to argue with supervisors for 4 days before I finally got someone who got the situation resolved. All the others would say they will make sure it will ship today, then they 'forget' about it.

As long as you order from Amazon that shouoldn't be an issue. The fact is that only 25% of the service reps at Dell speak english without a THICK accent, and only 25% of those people really care about their job enough to go out of their way to help customers.

What it comes down to is I love the PDA, but hate Dell and can't recomend this product to anyone who can't troubleshoot software issues with the device.

P.S. Dell shipping and handling is a KILLER! If you are planning on buying accesories make sure Amazon or another retailer has what you need or you will end up paying $7 shipping on screen protectors that weigh nearly nothing.

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I purchased my 300 MHz Axim X5 from Dell in mid December and it arrived about 2 weeks later. This is my very first pocket PC, although I did have a Palm V about 2 years ago. This thing just amazes me. The screen is nice and bright... the style is very comfortable to hold (rubber sides).

My choices for pocket PCs were the Toshiba e740, the HP IPAQ 1910, and the Dell Axim X5 mainly because they were all under $... after rebates. The 300 MHz Axim is by far the cheapest and the best value since it has dual expansion slots (SD and CF). I am currently using a Netgear CF Wireless adaper card to surf the internet anywhere in my home.

Bottom line... the Axim is the best PDA for the best price. I love mine!

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I highly recomend these handheld, i had a iPAQ before which I bought, these device is one third of the price and has everithing built in with out the hassle of carring a lot of ad-ons. But among all the reasons i can find to recomend this device is the promt support and extended warranty of 3 years from Dell wich I have experienced for many years now.

I bought it from dell on-line store.

RCA RP5012 16MB Digital Voice Recorder

This unit carries the best price and longest recording capability on he market. Features and operation are excellent, BUT, the sound quality is not acceptable. Tried HQ and SQ no joy.

I do stand-up and need to record both bits and performances.

There was nothing funny about this unit and it went back to [the store]. Depending on your needs, this still might be the best deal out there, but it wasn't for me.

The device works well connected to a police-scanning

radio, it will record the all-night transmissions

of which i play back over breakfast in the morning!

Works perfect! I monitor police, fire & medical

radio-traffic.

Just make sure your scanning-radio has the

required 'jacks' to patch-up to this device.

I also you a power-cube for the power too

instead of batteries. I have used mine for

a couple of years now and it works perfectly

today with no gliches at all. I bought mine

used. Excellant product and EZ to use.

I hooked-up a larger speaker on the device

to hear it across the kitchen/diningroom.

Use the device in the DICTATION MODE WITH

THE AVR Turned-ON to activate the

auto-recording. It will stop recording

after a radio transmission is done.

Very useful indeed. Entertaining.

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Organize yourself with this Digital recorder. No more stopping to take notes. Has 4 folders. Example. Use folder #3 for phone numbers, accessing is very quick. Use folder #1 for to do list. #2 for project, #4 personal. This main function of this unit is voice recording and organizing your schedule. Sound Quality is great.Your more on top of things due to ease of use and speed. Date and time stamped for reference. Real time clock. No memory loss during battery change. Runs on power or battery. External mic.ear phone. LED indicator during recording. Auto Scan message mode. If you want to be on top of things, discard the electronic organizer ( input to slow) Best bang for your dollar.

Read Best Reviews of RCA RP5012 16MB Digital Voice Recorder Here

All recordings using the built-in microphone have a very disturbing high-pitch background noise! This makes the unit unacceptable, even though it records fine on an external microphone.

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Sony PCM-M10 Portable Linear PCM Voice Recorder with Electret Condenser Stereo Microphones, 96 kHz/

Somebody finally got it right. This recorder sounds great, with very low self-noise and wide frequency range from the internal mics. It is easy to setup, and super-easy to use.

Other reviews cover general features. Here are some remarks about stereo recording in particular:

Stereo recording:

The two built-in omnidirectional condenser mics give you nice stereo separation when the recorder is in the midst of a sound field. I was a little surprised, as you wouldn't expect to get decent stereo imaging from omnis so close together, it's why stereo recorders/mics typically use two cardioid pattern mics. The downside of cardioids is less sensitivity for low frequencies, whereas an omni will capture those lows. Sony has a neat trick here: the omnis are set into the body of the recorder, shielded from each other, so each effectively sees its own half of the room (plus reflections of the other half). You get a nice stereo separation (though not the kind of imaging that lets you pinpoint sound sources). And you get the wide, flat frequency response of omni microphones. If anything, the bass can be a little boomy when you're too close to a sound source -and the recorder has a low-frequency cutoff you can switch on if you want to lose some of that low-end rumble. They are nice-sounding mics.

Using your own mics:

If you want to use your own microphones, you will need a female XLR to mini stereo cable (Hosa 2' Right Angle Mini Stereo Male to 2 XLR Female Breakout Y-Cable) to plug them into the recorder. The recorder is advertised as having plug-in-power (eg, phantom power) for external mics. But that's the 2V variety of phantom power for little electret condensers, not the 48V you need for your nice condenser mics. You'll have to power them separately, either using a phantom power box like Rolls PB223 Dual Mic Phantom Power 48 Volt Power Supply or an external pre-amp. The recorder will accept both line-level and mic-level inputs.

A case!

The recorder does not come with any sort of protective case. It's an odd size, but I've found that a PSP Go Soft Carrying Case works beautifully, will also fit the official Sony windscreen, and has an extra pocket for the remote control.

The sonic attributes are exemplary----the auto recording seems well thought out, recording the noisy hubbub of a choir rehearsal was nicely within range, no distortion or overload. THe buttons are intuitive and large enough to be easily pressed, but not so large or tall that they are easy to press inadvertently. The supplied remote works well and is uncomplicated, just 4 of the most necessary buttons: Pause, Record, Stop and T-mark. There is an indicator light on the remote telling you recording status.

Unfortunately, there is no way to name tracks from the recorder's menu---there is a disk supplied with Sound Forge Audio Studio, but it is PC only----no good for us MAC owners. The recorder assigns a name or rather a date stamp to each track, such as 100302_3 for the fifth track recorded on 3/2/10. Not very useful. If you are recording in the field, various birds for instance, or bells in Tuscany, or "songs" by a music group, you'll need to make written notes as you go along for later editing in your computer----a PITA. My little ZOOM H2 had the ability to name the tracks with its onboard editor, something Sony should have included! A wireless remote would be a better solution that the plug-in one, for stealthy use.

The onboard mikes are nice, sound is quite realistic---at least for the spoken and sung voices I recorded of the Vashon Chorale singing Mozart's Requiem. They are recessed into the topsides of the unit, making it somewhat clumsy to attach a windscreen, but there will probably be plenty of after-market products coming along. The "dead-cat" type work better than the foam, so a trip to a fabric store for some fuzzy fake fur will be in the offing for me---no $49 Sony OEM product, thanks. The mikes are (on the "hi" setting)---extremely sensitive. Your own breath sound is quite audible from 3 feet away! I think this will be the gold standard unit for nature sounds. I used in-ear binaural mikes to make some outdoor bird recordings, the soundfield is astonishingly realistic.

Using $300 Shure earbuds for playback, there is no preamp or mike noise audible (but then, my ears have 67 years on them....YMMMV). The little onboard speaker is useless for anything except making sure you actually got a signal of what you were attempting to record---I got this unit for less than $300, including shipping. Considering the way above average build quality and exemplary sound quality, a steal!! Unhesitatingly recommended. My "cons" are pretty minor, except for lack of onboard track editing, but I'd still rate it 5 stars due to the terriffic audio and build quality. The manual is pretty good, index could be more complete but it's logically written by a tech writer whose first language is English!

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The Zoom H4 is the benchmark portable digital recorder, and Sony's M10 blows it away.

The M10 is a very small recorder, roughly the same shape as an iPhone but as thick as a deck of playing cards. The buttons are firm, and the recording level wheel stays where you leave it. You get LEDs for -12db and overload for each of the two microphones.

Sound quality is noticeably better than the H4. There is very little handling noise, unless the recording gain is cranked way up. If you do need to turn up the gain, just use the included wired remote to start and stop the recorder. The noise floor is present when you are recording quiet sounds with the gain up, but it seems easier to avoid than with the Zoom.

A tripod socket is built in to the bottom of the M10, just above the twin AA battery bay. You can record to the built-in memory, or to an M2 or MicroSDHC card. The screen is large and easy to read. The menus are just as easy to navigate.

You don't get a wind screen, and you will wish you had one as soon as you encounter the slightest wind. There is no option for digital input, and both the line and microphone port are 1/8".

In addition to a wind screen, you should also pick up a Gorillapod mini-tripod.

Read Best Reviews of Sony PCM-M10 Portable Linear PCM Voice Recorder with Electret Condenser Stereo Microphones, 96 kHz/ Here

I bought this to replace a Zoom H2. So far so good. Compared to the Zoom, this unit starts faster, is easier to use and has better sensitivity.

The automatic recording level control is usable, and it's a good thing to have in cases where you can't pay attention to the recorder (e.g. if you're recording yourself live). Otherwise, manual level will probably get you better results. Switching between manual and auto level is easy, and the manual level control is easy to manipulate. A green led lights up when your input is at -12dB and a red led lights up when you reach 0dB. Your goal is to keep the green light on and the red light off. :-)

Another useful feature is the ability to switch the output from headphone to line-out level. Line-out will drive an external amplifier much better than headphone level. It would be nice to have 2 separated dedicated outputs, but of course it's a compromise between size and usability, and the change is only about half a dozen keystrokes away when you need it.

Connection to a Windows 7 PC via USB cable was straightforward and didn't require drivers. The unit's internal memory and the memory card (if you have one) show up as separate "disks" in Windows Explorer. Moving files between the unit and the PC is straightforward, although the folder structure in the unit is unnecessarily complex.

The unit comes with 4GB of internal memory, which is enough for about 6 hours worth of CD-quality recording, i.e., more than enough. But if you decide to use a memory card, do what the manual says, and format the card in the recorder (not in your computer). I'm using a SanDisk 8GB micro-SDHC, and the card started performing much better (the M10 was able to boot much faster) after I re-formatted the card in the unit. I would have preferred a standard SD, since the micro SD card is so tiny and easy to misplace, but thumbs up to Sony for supporting a standard, and not only their own brand of memory sticks. The manual lists the makes of cards that have been tested: Toshiba, Panasonic and SanDisk, up to 16GB. Be sure to read the manual about positioning/orienting the memory card. I had to insert mine a few times before i got it to work, which i blame on the flimsiness of the micro-SDHC card as much as on my clumsiness. Once i got it in right, it worked reliably well.

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I spent more than 2 months searching for the most suitable recorder. I was comparing between price and models I looked at were: the Zoom H2, Zoom H4, Olympus LS-10 & 11, Marantz etc. I did an extensive research and finally I selected the Sony PCM-10.

I am absolutely satisfied with the choice I made. The sound quality is superb and feels sturdy to use. I like the dual micro/sd slots. I also bought two 16Gb cards for saving my recordings into. (I use one of the cards for music files so I can also use the recorder as a Player & the other one for my instrument recordings). I use the recorder for woodwinds and piano. It comes with a remote control which is very handy as in this way you eliminate handling noise. One small minus is that the device does not come with a windscreen and they are a bit costly. One big plus is that the batteries seem to last forever. The only disadvantage this powerful little recorder has is that the MENU is not so easy to navigate through (I still have the manual next to me when I use it, just in case) and that you can not rename the tracks. Everything else is wonderful. It has a superb sound quality, great feel to it and I am very satisfied with my choice. I could not have chosen a better hand-held digital recorder in this price range and for this purpose. I do not include all the specs and stats here as you can see them on the product review page. I wanted to upload my comments because reading what other users posted for their own recorders when I was searching mine helped me tremendously.

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TiVo TCD649080 Series 2 80-Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder

• Record two basic cable channels, or one basic and one digital cable channel, at once.
• Up to 80 hours of digital audio/video recording capacity (NTSC); works with cable, digital cable, satellite.
• USB and Ethernet ports offer ability to stream digital music and photos from a computer to TiVo and transfer programming to PCs
• TiVo service includes Season Pass, WishList, program guide, digital music, digital photos, and online scheduling
• Everything required for installation is supplied; subscription to TiVo service is additional requirement. An appropriate set top box is needed for digital cable, or satellite.

After years of sticking to a single-tuner model (except for the DirecTv versions), Tivo has finally released a dual-tuner model. For the most part, the only difference between this model and previous Series 2 Tivos is the ability to record two channels at once.

The box keeps the look of the more recent series 2 Tivos, except for a black-accented faceplate. The connections in the rear are laid out largely the same as past versions, with the exception of an ethernet port that has been added for wired networking.

The software has minor changes, particularly slight modifications to the menu background images and the newer "tivo introduction skit" that appears when the tivo is powered on. The software and hardware work smoothly. There seems to be a faster processor included, as navigation through the menus is quick and smooth.

The dual-tuner functions work well. Having grown accustom to the single-tuner model, it took me some time to get used to the ability to change channels while recording (and that what is on screen is not necessarily what is being recorded). It was also pleasant to schedule 25 season passes without a single conflict-such is the benefit of being able to record two shows at once.

But the dual-tuner function needs some explanation. The people who benefit most from the DT function are those who have analog cable without a cable box (as I do). I simply plug in the coax cable into the tivo, and it is ready to go. (Note: there is only one coax input-the signal is split internally and sent to the dual tuners.) If you have a cable box or digital cable, things start to get a bit trickier. In fact, in order to use the dual-tuner feature, you MUST be able to receive at least some channels through an analog cable connection. This means that if you have purely digital cable that requires a digital cable box, you will NOT be able use the dual tuner functions, as there is only one connection allowed between the cable box and tivo. I suggest you go to tivo's website and download the product manual for the DT tivo and read the part about connecting tivo to your cable. If it seems like too big of a hassle, you might want to wait for the series 3 tivos that will include cable-card technology (which allows you to use digital cable without the cable box).

One additional note, tivo has stopped supporting over-the-air antenna tuning with this model. If you hook up an antenna to tivo, it will only receive channels 2-13. Any broadcast channels above 13 will not be received.

And for those who are thinking of "upgrading" this tivo to a larger hard drive-the DT tivo is upgradeable in the same ways that past series 2 models were. I used the standard methods (which are published all over the internet) and replaced the 80GB hard drive with a 250GB one. Upgrading, however, voids your warranty (which is only 3 months anyway).

Overall, I am happy with the DT tivo, but that is in large part due to fact that I receive analog cable without a cable box. Many of you who have been using antennas, cable boxes or digital cable will likely be somewhat less satisfied with this model.

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When I received my new TiVo I rushed right in to install and play with my new "toy". The instructions were clear and I followed them to the letter. Unfortunately, I was unable to get the second of the "dual-tuner" channels working. After many hours and much fiddling I gave up and called customer service. As it turned out my RF input was not working properly; however, I found out something extremely important. New laws require that all signals be digital beginning in 2009. Many providers are currently in the process of changing over now, and according to the customer service rep. the second channel of the "dual channel" system is analog only and therefore useless in the new digital environment. I was not made aware of this fact when I purchased the unit as it would have made a definite difference in my decision to purchase it.

Read Best Reviews of TiVo TCD649080 Series 2 80-Hour Dual Tuner Digital Video Recorder Here

I have listened to the hype about TIVO for a couple of years now. With the hundred dollar plus rebates on the hardware, as well as substantial discounts on the service, I thought I'd break down and give it a try. Here' my experience...

The Good...

1. Very intuitive user interface for the set-up screens and remote; it could be argued that Tivo is the gold standard for ease of use

2. Very secure packaging of unit

3. Included cabling is of unusally high quality (not Monster cable grade, but still very good for included cabling)

4. Installation directions are very easy to follow (though not as good as Dell's color coded design)

5. There is a 30 day money back guarantee

6. Customer reps are friendly and well trained (and they speak english too!)

The Bad...

1. The front of the box says all required cables are included; the directions state that a second A/V cable -required for the recommended installation method -is "user provided" (i.e., sold separately)

2. The service is not compatible with some VoIP services

3. Though set-up is easy, it is a one to two hour ordeal, requiring multiple visits to websites and countless button presses to ensure interoperablity with the cable box

4. The remote is pretty low tech looking; it also has a lower quality feel tha leads me to belive that I'll be shopping for a replacement in a year or less

The Ugly...

1. They try to get you to sign up for a three year, pre-paid service contract; if after 30 days you find that you don't like/need Tivo, you forteit all that money -ouch!

2. When I attempted to use the website to activate the service, the site was unstable and wouldn't allow me to complete the order. I then called the 800 number for service, where the hold time exceed 25 minutes. Hope I never have cause to call again as this is a totally unacceptable wait time

Net/net: this is a well thought out product that does just what it says it does -enables consumers to watch TV on their terms.

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WOW! My wife bought me this for Father's Day. I'm not a jewelry type of guy, but TiVo is drop-dead freakin' awesome, speechlessly amazing!

If you don't know TiVo: plug it in, let it set itself up, and every time you turn on your set, it quietly records as you watch, so if you get up to take a call or get a snack, no problem: TiVo's got you covered.

Watch "The Dead Zone?" Take a 20 minute break and let TiVo start taping for you: you'll zip through what you don't want and back up to what you want to see again. No tape, no picture loss.

TiVo starts with a 15 second or so guide over your picture of what's on that show, how long and whatever else you need to know; not even "Today Show" is immune from TiVo knowing what's coming up. If you think there's nothing good on, use TiVo to search it all out. Cut your cable back to basic, bud; you'll have more finds with a lot less, guaranteed.

Program what you want to copy via the net. Yahoo! support for photos and junk.

Fandango ticket purchases, movie previews, it will even learn, if you want it to, what you like to watch. Very, very easy to hook up although working it into my LCD TV has yet to figure out what hook up is best, although we rewired it and the picture dramatically improved, so thanks Tivo for showing me a few options that were better!

I do NOT use TiVo's alphabetical directory of shows: slow. I DO use Yahoo! TV guides to just click and pick: fast and easy as pie.

My eMac still can't use TiVo's desktop app, but one'a these days I'll get it working.

Slide shows: better than I thought I'd ever use. Love it!

Check out the newest features and tutorials; you'll just flip and keep flipping.

Recommended: Sign up for the 3-year plan and f'get about it. By the time it's paid up, the next generation of Tivo will be around. It is a safe bet.

Anybody who trash-talks TiVo doesn't know it, so tune out critics and tune in devotees and never, ever miss a good show again.

The dual tuner Tivo is great for standard cable customers. The Tivo can record 2 programs while we watch a pre-recorded program and it allows networking with wired or wireless computers via Tivo Desktop. You should expect to pay about $100/year for the channel guide service. Tivo currently has a 3 years for the price of 2 promotion. This means that 3 years of service cost about $300.

Tivo desktop allows us to transfer files from the Tivo to the larger hard drives in our computer thus extending the 80 hours on the Tivo to over 200 hours. In addition, Tivo desktop allows us to watch programs on our computers anytime we want.

Tivo to Go is a new feature of the Tivo desktop software. For $24.95, Tivo desktop will convert standard Tivo files for playback on PDAs, cell phones and other handheld devces.

The only down sides are the quality of the tuners and the remote control. We clearly see a difference in the picture quality between our TV's tuner and the tuners on the Tivo. The second issue is the remote will not control our Bose surround sound system.

The convenience of the DVR off-sets the quality of the tuners and a third party remote will fix the second problem.

I hope you enjoy your Tivo as much as we enjoy ours.

Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Microphone - Black

• Rugged all-metal housing
• Integral shock mount for rejection of handling noise
• Switchable sensitivity for long and short distances.
• More than 300 hrs operationg time from 1 AAA battery.
• Fits all camers with a standard hot shoe mount and an external microphone input

I bought this microphone a couple weeks ago to use it with the Panasonic tm700 camcorder. My experience level with microphones is above average. I have several high end larger shotgun mics that were just too awkward to use with a traditional camcorder. My overall impression of this microphone is that it sounds good and functions as intended.

1. The sound quality from this microphone is pretty good and it performs as a shotgun mic should, rejecting sounds and noise from its sides and behind it and

focusing on sound in front of it. (which is why its superior to on board omnidirectional mics when ambient sounds are a problem)

2. Form factor is small. No one should buy this mic if they don't have to have a miniature shotgun mic.

Conclusion: The Sennhseiser MKE 400 works well and sounds good for its intended purpose. It is a shotgun mic. It is not an omnidirectional mic.

It will help if you have a noisy camcorder and want to eliminate the sound of the camera. It is useful in "focusing" on sounds in front of it as

opposed to behind or to the side of it. It is a 200.00$ miniature microphone and won't perform as well as larger more expensive shotguns.

Like all shotguns it will sound better if its closer to its subject like on a boom pole.

A word about microphones.....almost any camcorder you buy new will be worth thirty to fifty percent less in a years time and nothing in 5 years. Any microphone you buy will be worth almost what you paid for it. Quality microphones don't lose their value and the technology hasn't changed in decades. While I am recommending this microphone for its intended purpose I would suggest anyone that doesn't already have another larger microphone to go ahead and get a full size high quality mic first. Otherwise you will be penny wise and pound foolish.

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I need to record some conversation with canon 7D. Tried almost every hotshoe mic available from local stores and this is the only one I kept. It suppresses background noise while improving the voice. Exactly what I want.

All other models I tried either amplify noise along with voice, or don't show any improvement compared to the internal mic.

My original budget is about 150, so 200 is a bit steep. I still bought it because that's the only one that works for me.

(I didn't buy it from amazon. Instead I went to San Jose Camera and Videos local store to try and buy. Very nice store with knowledgeable employees. Only concern was that they don't accept return on this item. It does come with 3 yr warranty though. So we brought our camera to record some samples, went home and listen on the computer, then went back to the store and bought it.)

Read Best Reviews of Sennheiser MKE 400 Shotgun Microphone - Black Here

Unless you are spending around $2000 dollars on a camcorder, you are likely to be getting a surface mounted camera mike that gets all sorts of extraneous noise that is not coming from your picture subject. if your camcorder has a stereo mini microphone jack, This microphone really changes the sound quality of your recording and is well worth the $200 Amazon is selling it for.

Pros: Small footprint compared to the Rode camera mikes; this is especially important if you are using wide-angle lenses or want to film without calling attention to yourself. Long battery life. Good sound. Functional shock absorber.

Cons: Hard to tell if it's on. Foam windscreen easily pulls off the conical shaped mike and is not easy to replace thru Sennheiser or anywhere else if lost. Umbillical cord is in the way on cameras with a small distance between the accessory shoe and the mike jack.

Overall this is a great purchase for b-roll cameras or home video cameras where the sound is awful using the built in mike.

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I've been using this mic with my Canon 5D mkII for a year now and it's a great little mic, although definitely not perfect. I'll keep this short:

Pros:

Compact

Good performance/sound

Easy to use

Cons:

Fragile

Shock mount is prone to break at the rubber connections (I've crazy glued it back together twice now, once each mount).

A more accurate battery display would have been nice.

Windshield falls off easily, its fallen off many times and lost it the last time it did.

Price for performance (I paid $250 for it a year ago, but at $200 I still feel it's over-priced).

I would give it 3.5 stars if I could but bumped it up to a 4 since it's above average.

I guess I need to try out other mics, but from everything I read and saw this was the best in its class. I eagerly await the next model.

I have a Canon 7D that I use this on since the auto focus noise can be heard with the on board mic. This fixes that problem while producing a crisper and clearer sound than the built in Mic. Battery life is pretty good also.

Toshiba SDP94S 9-Inch Portable Black DVD Player (Black Gloss)

• Portable DVD player with swivel-and-flip 9-inch widescreen LCD
• Multi-format disc support, including DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW plus MP3 and JPEG playback
• Secure Digital memory card slot (for MP3 and JPEG playback)
• Connect to external TV via composite AV; can also be used as a monitor from compatible digital camera/camcorder
• Up to 5 hour lithium battery life; includes AC and car power adapters

Just got this player over the weekend, on sale for $129.99. It plays everything I threw at it so far, DVD, DVD+r, DVD-R, CD, etc.

Brilliant color and excellent picture quality for its 9" screen.

The speakers are loud enough for the car, and audio through dual headphone is excellent. For the budget, I love the swival option because it really increases reflexibility in viewing. And it is a beautiful player with its glossy black finish and very up-to-date style.

The only down side is that it won't play divx like its previous model, however, everything else is better and since DVDs are so cheap now and renting from Red Box is only $.99, I don't really care nor miss the divx option.

It has a SD card slot and it plays both SD and SDHC formats. This is a good option to play mp3s and pictures for the kids in the backseat.

5 hr battery life is pretty good and enough to play two movies.

It is very easy for me to recommend this player!

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like others who have posted here, I had a battery failure at 10 weeks. That's ridiculous as is the price of the replacement battery, 70 bucks. I regret buying a Toshiba computer now, fully expect it to die a quick death as well, and will not buy any of their products ever again.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba SDP94S 9-Inch Portable Black DVD Player (Black Gloss) Here

This was the best item I have purchased for in the vehicle. This helps keep my 7 year old and my 2 year old quiet. I didn't think it was necessary to have this in the vehicle, because they do watch more than enough TV at home, but this makes our rides peaceful. Usually once my 2 year old falls asleep watching something he likes then my 7 year old can watch what he likes. I can't believe how a movie can keep their attention and keep them from fighting with each other.

The feature of the tilt screen and the flip mode is wonderful, because I don't have a carrying case yet and I had to hold it for them in the vehicle and the tilt worked perfect. The remote is small and very handy. I still need to purchase good kids headphones so we can enjoy listening to the radio instead of the kids movies. Would purchase another.

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Other reviewers have written about the great video and sound quality, so nothing to say there, other than Toshiba's no mom-and-pop shop, so they put out a very good product.

I'm a features and functions person, so a couple things I like that I didn't see in other reviews is the fact that you can stop the video, turn it off, and when you turn it on again, it resumes where you left off. It also returns to the same point of the video when you switch to listen to songs via the SD card.

And I love the ability to listen to your MP3s or watch video whenever you want. I keep this in the area where I exercise, so I can watch or listen at any time. The volume is more than ample, but I also use a small plug-in amp via the speaker port. And you can use either the controls on the device, or the remote, which is not a complicated remote.

And for the decent price, I recommend it. Haven't used it on the battery power yet.

Over all a nice dvd player. The price was right and had all the features we were looking for. Would have given it five stars but the volume rocker can be a bit flaky.

Toshiba SD-V296 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo

• One Touch Recording
• ColorStream Progressive outputs
• Simultaneous DVD playback and VHS record
• Power 120 V AC, 60Hz
• 14-Bit/108MHz
• Interfaces/Ports-Component Video-Yes:Interfaces/Ports-Composite Video-Yes:Interfaces/Ports-Digital Audio Coaxial Out-Yes:Controls/Indicators-Language Supported-English, French, Spanish:Controls/Indicators-Remote Control-Yes
• Technical Information-Number of Discs-1:Technical Information-Media Formats-VHS, DVD-RW, CD-RW:VCR-Number of Heads-4:Video-Video Signal Format-NTSC:Video-Video Formats-DVD Video, Video CD:Video-Picture Control-Zoom:
• Video-Scanning Modes-Progressive Scan:Video-Digital to Analog Video Converter-14-bit - 108 MHz:Audio-Sound System-Dolby Digital, DTS:Audio-Audio Formats-MP3:Audio-Digital to Analog Audio Converter-24-bit - 192 kHz:Image-Image Formats-JPEG:
• What's in the Box: Remote Control,A/V Cable (RCA),90-Day Labor / 1-Year Parts Warranty

My review is a lot different from most of the people here.

I saw the reviews others wrote, which were very negative, and one or two that felt it was a good solid basic machine.

I have used toshiba in my profession and it is generally a solid, quality brand. Not schnazzy and spiffy, but solid. A few quirks, but it gets the job done.

What I have done/intend to do with this machine:

1--Replace my old vcr which my son destroyed

2--Play old VHS tapes that have been given to us by friends/family, mainly children's videos

3--Play DVD's (for the children and for us--playing them on my laptop it's too quiet).

On these three points, honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better deal. the price was under $50 when I purchased it last week, and it's brand spanking new, not a refurb, and everything works good. The sound quality for the VHS side is not extra quiet for my tv. In fact, I had to turn it down some. DVD worked great too.

What I have NOT tried to do/don't intend to do:

1--record old vhs's to DVD

2--Hook this puppy into a state of the art audio/visual home theater

3--set the timer for recording programs automatically.

In these more advanced digital age things, probably this is not the best tool. All I wanted was something that could play both vhs and dvd's mainly to entertain our kids and sometimes for me and my wife. Our TV is not enthroned in honor in our house, it is just a tool. Our life doesn't focus around TV programming, so all we really needed was something to play VHS and DVD when we need or want.

Now it's possible if you have a nice nice system, you've already spent hundreds of $$$ on HD stuff, then maybe you need something that is more compatible. Check carefully on brands and make sure they have the exact connections you need, or you can end up spending a lot of money.

Also, if you have a TV that only goes through Co-ax, you'll need a special box to convert the RCA to Co-ax, and the manual says you might find reduced quality if you do.

So if you just need a basic solid piece of equipment to play your vids, I think you can't beat this one. The price has raised since I bought it, but it's still the most affordable one as of today, and I'm glad I got one for well under $100.

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The Toshiba SD-V296 DVD/VCR combo is the perfect product for those of us who still have a collection of VHS Video we want to be able to watch from time to time as well as DVD's. The price is right, it's great looking and very simple to attach and use. I am ecstatic with the purchaseToshiba SD-V296 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo

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This was a gift for a friend of mine and she just loves it. Her son hooked it up for her which was really easy and she has recorded several VCR tapes and she watched 3 dvd's. She thinks it is the easiest machine she has ever used.

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This is the 2nd one of these for me and even though the VCR is fast fading, I still have a few that need to be watched. The real bright side of this product is the simplicity of set up.

I would buy this again and I do recommend it.

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The items came fast. Ordered 2 for our school and both work great. Both play well and the best part is that came with rca cables needed to hook up. I did not have to buy anything extra to get it up and running.

Toshiba SD1800 DVD Player

• ColorStream component-video output for ultimate DVD picture quality (when connected with an HD or HD-ready TV)
• Optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs pass Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround sound (for use with compatible AV receiver)
• MP3-CD (CD-R, CD-RW) playback, QSound simulated surround sound
• Video Black Level Expansion and PLUGE for accurate, high-contrast pictures in darkened rooms
• Picture zoom for closer inspection of a given DVD

I recently replaced my deceased TV and antique VCR on the same day, and also acquired my first-ever DVD player (I'm not much of an "early adopter"). Like another reviewer, I was looking at the SD-2800, but this model in the same series was considerably less expensive and seemed to have all the features I'm likely to need. I don't have a home theater system, so I don't need advanced artificial intelligence in a player, or any of that. This player set up and attached to the TV with a minimum of fuss and played three DVDs one after the other perfectly and with terrific fidelity. In the three months since then, I've played perhaps 25 discs, both my own and multiple-rentals from Blockbuster, and the machine ticks right along without a whimper. So far, I really like what I see!

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The owners manual informs you that CD-RW's are not recommendable and sure enough it did not recognize a RW disc recorded with mp3's or one recorded in a regular audio format (non mp3). I will say that the DVD funtion is outstanding, as is the audio quality from pre-recorded factory CD's and CD'R's. Unfortunately the CD-RW non-support is a major factor for me, and all e-tailers who sell this product have not relayed the CD-RW information. If this is not an issue for you, then by all means buy this player.

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I bought this DVD player about half a month ago and has played more than 30 DVDs and music CDs since, and it played smoothly with superb video quality using its component video out. Even with the composite video, the screen is crisp and clear. Also tried some homemade VCDs, MP3s and CDRs and all of them played without any skipping. It didn't play my SVCDs though, and I have no DVD-R to test it.

The controls are user-friendly with the on-screen icons and simple remote control. I don't have to setup anything to get it work, really suits people like me who is not technically inclined.

It has all the features I need : simulated surround sound for a 2 speaker sound system that I have, enhanced dialogue, 5 different enhanced picture mode, and support for digital audio DTS/Dolby through its coaxial cable (though no optical output). Also supports Dolby Pro Logic.

One thing missing is the progressive scan. But at its price, I bet it is one of the best deals I ever had.

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I really don't know what is going on with some of these negative reviews. I bought this DVD player almost two years ago and it has served me very well with no real problems. I needed a DVD player that could play multiple formats, particularly VCDs, and wasn't too expensive. I decided on this model and I am more than happy with my purchase. The Enhanced Picture and Audio modes are useful and it doesn't take up a lot of space on the TV stand. My gripes are few and minor. The remote could have been better designed with more distinctions between buttons. This would help enormously in low light. The fast forward speed on VCDs could be faster, but that's not too big of a problem. Finally, I've noticed significant picture breakup on burned DVDs, but this only happens towards the end of the movie for some reason. This may be the fault of the disc, but then I tried it on my PS2 and didn't experience the picture problems. Despite these minor glitches, Toshiba really produced a winner with this player. Anyone looking for a value-priced and feature-rich DVD player should consider this model.

I bought this player about a month back and I have yet had no problems with it. I work for a video store and have rented some of the most scratched up dvd's we had just to try and test the limitations of my dvd player and all of them have worked to perfection. For the value and the quality they don't come better

Markus 750 1080i PVR, Hard Drive Media Recorder Player with Network,HDMI

• Record TV through Cable Box or Settop, record video from DV through Firewire
• Support hard drive upto 1TB (hard drive sold seperately)
• HD Media Player - with Network, HDMI, USB Host
• niveral 110~240v power
• Dimension: 203 x 164 x 63 mm

I thought I was buying a High Definition PVR for use with my TV-media center.

This recorder has a space for a hard drive but no storage media that I could find. It is clearly designed for TV systems in many parts of the world (very impressive) but these do not include North America. I had to adapt the input cable termination (European?) to our regular RF termination to connect it to our cable company (Comcast) to discover this. Scanning produced absolutely no results, so with regret and disappointment I had to return it

Teac DV-H350 DVD / CD Player

• User selectable multiple display aspect ratios
• Digital zoom function (2x, 4x Still and Moving Pictures)
• Multi-speed scan and slow motion
• Resume function
• 96kHz/24-bit D/A conversion for finest quality audio

Pros:

-Wonderfully small form factor, so it's easy to move between different rooms, houses, etc.

-Component, S-video and Composite options

-Very easy to make region free and does PAL/NTSC conversion on the fly ( no SECAM but does any player do that or need to?), so perfect for the fan of UK/European and elsewhere DVDs.

Cons:

-Sucker gets HOT! If it's in a stack of Teac components (they do a whole line in this form factor) make sure its on top or on a well vented shelf.

-The player can be a bit finicky: superbit or just really loaded DVDs can take quite some time to load and may not be initially recognized. We often get 30-45 seconds of spinning, followed by a "no disc" message. Pop the disc out, load it again, no problem. These issues happened before any fiddling with the region settings. We will sometimes also get player-based freezes on discs that do not skip in any of our other systems. Again, I think this might be part of the heat issue.

Motion Activated AC Adapter Hidden Camera Self-Recording Spy DVR - PRO Model with 8GB SD Card

I have tried at least 4 other type of hidden cameras without much success. Some were difficult to set up or use, while others were not really hidden. This hidden camera in an AC adapter is definitely the most discrete camera I have found and it actually works pretty well. My humble thoughts on the pros and cons of this device:

PROs:

Very discrete, you can plug it in to an AC outlet and start using it immediately. The camera opening is not visible at all. If you don't know it's a hidden camera, you won't even know the lens opening no matter how closely you look at it it's that discrete!

No batteries required, runs from power in the AC outlet. The cable attached to the end of the charger is not really required, I simply leave the charger plugged in without the cord. But you can attach it if you want to give the impression that it is actually charging something.

Motion activated, good this so it doesn't unnecessarily use up the SD card memory by recording empty walls when no one is in the room

Easy set up. Actually doesn't require any set up at all. Insert the memory card into the slot and you're good to go.

Decent video quality. It's not HD but it's clear enough to know what's going on. Not too grainy as some of the other devices I have tried. Overall not bad.

Playback simply remove the memory card and plug it into your PC. I think it records in AVI format. Whatever format it is, it runs fine on my Media Player.

CONs:

EXPENSIVE!! The price for a simple charger made of plastic is ridiculously high!! Most other devices sell for $40-50 or thereabout.

30-second recording The device records 30 seconds at a stretch. If there is continued motion, it will stop and start recording again (I think the interval between each stop and start is 1 min, but I'm not entirely sure of the exact time break).

No sound sound would have been a perfect addition of features to this device.

Port for the wire I think it will help tremendously if they simply include a USB port at the end of the charger instead of the current micro charging port they currently have, which only attaches the hanging wire without actually charging anything. A USB port will help charge a device so the charger doesn't look so out of place just sitting in the outlet by itself with nothing connected.

Yes, it is an expensive device for what you get, but this seems to be the only good device that we have been able to find. If this was priced more reasonably (I think around $40-70), I would have gladly given it 5 stars.

This is a great device and does exactly what the description claims. Works great as a security camera. A couple notes on the recording though:

1When motion is detected, it records one minute of video (not 30 seconds like other review(s) state. After that minute it will "black out" for 30 seconds, after which it can record again next time motion is detected.

2There is no audio available in the US. The manual does show a microphone but after checking the manufacturer website, they claim that units sold in the US has no mic/mic disabled. Presumably this is due to wiretapping concerns.

3Yes the video codec is unusual. Windows Media player (on default windows 7 install) cannot play the video files. And Quicktime didn't recognize it on my Macbook pro either. I recommend getting VLC player (free) which plays everything, so you never have to think about codecs again.

Pros:

good picture quality, considering the size. 720X480. I've seen other cameras that claim the same resolution but this one has good contrast and color depth.

very efficient on disk space. The 8-GB card can handle several days monitoring, depending on amount of motion in the room (Each 1-minute clip is 22.3 MB).

extremely discreet. you really won't recognize it as a camera, even if you know it's a camera and know where the lens is, you can't see the lens from > 5 feet away.

no batteries to worry about. With a large enough SD card you can monitor a space for months.

cons:

1 minute record time sometimes misses important details.

uses quite a bit of power when not recording...it keeps the camera on to detect motion.

no audio in the US.

not good in low-light applications.

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This item is very disppointingLooks great, but only records 60 seconds at a time. After a pause, it records another 60 seconds if motion is still detected.

It should record as long as there is motion, but it does not...you can miss alot of evidence using this product!

Expensivethere are other cheaper covert products that perform way better.

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Inside, worked great. The motion sensing lags a little so make sure you have it set far enough back to see the action for several seconds. I needed to watch something going on in my garage and it seemed like when the unit is in hot temperatures (late summer), it just recorded snow. But inside, picture was clear and color was good. The unit itself is top notch in being stealthy. I was afraid the lens would be visible, I had to look for it. What I like about this concept is power adapters are everywhere so it is never out of place. Con is the price.

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If you have a MAC you need to download a video converter. Did this and the video worked well for 3 weeks, except no sound on recording. Then it stopped recording video all of a sudden. I replaced the Scandisk with a 16GB one and it worked again for about a week then it stopped recording again. Hasn't worked since. Vendor agreed to a refund.

SVAT PI300-SD Covert Fully Functional Alarm Clock Security DVR with Built-in Color Pinhole Surveill

This is a total piece of junk. The field of view is very tiny and it requires bright daylight to record anything. During the evening with normal household lighting it records nothing but shadows. No audio, just video.

It looks and behaves like a normal clock. Programming only offers a 24 hour clock, not a daily setting. For example, I wanted to video M-T from 6am-6pm and shorter times on W-F so it would have to be reprogrammed or you risk running out of memory faster. I tried a larger memory chip, but the card gets extremely hot. You can't designate certain times for each day. This combined with the small memory forces me to empty the card each evening I found this to be inconvenient. It does work, but the image quality isn't great. Had to keep it on the lowest grade so it wouldn't consume the memory. Overall it performs good for the price.

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Bought it from Amazon. Item came earlier than expected super prompt delivery. This item was easy to set up for use as per instructions provided. Used a 16gb SD card instead of the 2gb provided and it work just fine. One comment though, picture quality under dim lights can be improved.

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The directions are not written well so I needed some questions answered. I emailed, no response. I called, they didn't call back. I plan on sending the unit back.

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Nice product didnt realize I had to take the back off to remove the sd card. Slight inconvenience for the situation I am using the product.

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Memorex 4.7GB 8x Printable DVD+R (100-Pack Spindle)

I have had a lot of luck with Memorex DVD+R in the past but unfortunately my luck ran out with this 100 pack. Memorex discs are made by several different companies. Some disc manufacturers are known for quality and some are known for putting out useless garbage. The Memorex 4.7GB 8x Printable DVD+R (100-Pack Spindle) that I received was made by CMC, a company well known for it's garbage. I thought about returning the spindle right away but I thought I would try them to see how well they worked. Well, their reputation of making garbage is well deserved. So far I have gone through 30 of the 100 discs and have had 25 coasters that did not pass Nero's verify disc process and produced lots of errors in Nero's scan disc. It didn't help to burn these at a slower 4x, they were still garbage. The last spindle of Memorex printable DVD+R that I purchased right here on Amazon was the 4x 100 pack. They turned out to be made by MCC, a company well known for its quality. I didn't have any problems with them at all. Some of the Memorex non-printable discs I have purchased were made by Ritek, a company with a decent reputation. I had very few problems with them as well. So if you're looking for some DVD+R printable media I'd have to recommend avoiding this 8x and sticking with the 4x Memorex for now. Hopefully Memorex will go back to using quality manufactures to making their products for them.

I wish I had seen the other review before ordering this. He was right on the money! Unfortunately I used these DVD+R's to make some Christmas gifts and already gave them out. I have had such good luck w/ Memorex CD and DVD products in the past I guess I just started taking it for granted. I'm sure I'll have friends calling me in the next week or two asking why the DVD's don't work for them. Maybe I'll just point them to this product on Amazon's site and wish them a Merry Christmas. I'll probably order the 4x pack today and try to get them back out between Christmas and New Years day.

A statement well made, stick with the 4x DVD+R from memorex. I have gone through many of them and have had no problems. I have a HP300i 4x internal burner and a LiteOn external 12x burner and neither have had any media related issues w/ the Memorex 4x products.

Hope this helps!

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All the previous reviews need to be updated. CMC Mag's 8X or speedier media have improved significantly since the 4X. As long as your burner is not one of those 1st or 2nd generation (AKA 2.4X or 4X) burners which do not have the writing strategy for the faster media like the 8X (requires firmware update); then you should have no problem with the new CMC media. Anyway, it is still not worth 70 cents a piece, maybe 50 cents.

In general, the quality of newer media starts from 8X is much better for all manufacturers, but I still don't want to touch Optidisc, Princo, and An32 media code discs.

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Like other poor victims that bought this 100 dvds like me, I had a good experience before with Memorex DVD-R 4x not printable surface, so I thought WOW memorex DVD+R in 8x !! but I waste my money, I got it and try 2 DVD in 8x and it give a lot of errors in my dvd player, so I have to burn them in 4x to make them work in my dvd player...SO DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY IN THIS PRODUCT....SOUNDS GOOD IN THE BOX BEFORE YOU TRY IT !!!!

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DON'T DO IT!!!!

THINK AGAIN!!!!

In truth I insult good garbage. These discs are worse.

Over the past year I used over 500 4x printables, and in thaqt time I had 1 Coaster. 7 out of 7 with these. Discs always gave disc dirty error in player. Defects in the media itself. Visible to the naked eye on 3 of them.

Returned the rest of the spindle for a refund.

If you need your media to work the first time, you cannot trust Memorex.

Battery for T-Mobile Wing, Wing US

• 100% Brand New High Quality non-OEM Li-Polymer Enhanced Capacity Battery
• Allows the user to become even more mobile!
• Manufactured by Cameron Sino which means Quality! One-Year manufacturer's warranty.
• Latest Li-Polymer battery technology gives the best performance possible compared to other battery technologies.
• Amperage: 1500mAh

Just got this item so I can't speak to the long term effectiveness. However, T-mobile no longer carries this battery and referred me to the manufacturer. The battery I had was from HTC and was never what I thought it should have been, and being it was the weekend and HTC wasn't answering phones, I came to Amazon. So far it has exceeded my expectations; holding a charge for 24 hours of moderate use.

My phone died a week later.

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The title says it all. It works, but does not give me the amazing battery life I was expecting for a 1500mAh battery. If I have WIFI on and use the phone as I normally do, the battery will last about nine hours.

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I had problems with the battery that came with my t-mobile wing and I replaced it with another one from the dealer but it didn't last long. I puchased this one from Amazon and it solved my problems.

Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder

• Combination DVD player/recorder with camcorder-ready DV (i.Link), component-video, composite-video, and S-video inputs
• Record from TV directly to DVD; up to 6 hours video recording per side (either DVD+R or DVD+RW)
• Progressive-scan output for seamless, flicker-free images on high-definition and HD-ready TVs
• Motion-compensated Noise Filter, Virtual Time Base Corrector (for better-than-original copies of old video tapes)
• Favorite Scene Selection simplifies editing of your home movies; VCR Plus+ simplifies timer programming

Ok, you probably read lots of other reviews by now, but here is a summary, of what you will get for your money. But first, keep two things in mind, when you read other 'low rating' reviews :

1. This DVD Recorder is by far one of the less expensive ones but what you get for your money is truly amazing.

2. In electronics, there are always 'lemons', but with Amazon's great customer service, it is very easy to exchange a unit, that does not work properly.

Ok, so here is what you get when you purchase this DVD recorder.

A DVD recorder that records on DVD+R and DVD+RW in amazing picture and sound quality. Depending on what quality level you choose, the picture is clearer than on a pre-recorded DVD or (on the lowest quality selection) as good as a VHS tape. The sound is truly amazing.

When you copy from DVC to your DVD recorder using the Firewire link, you might get some distortion when playing the recorded DVD on another player. But if you use S-Video and the highest quality setting (M1), then there is absolutely no difference between the original and the copy.

The reaction time of the DVD player is a bit slow, when you press a button. But once you get used to this, it really isn't a problem.

The DVD+RW discs do not need to be finalized in order to play them on another DVD player this is a huge advantage over the DVD-RW format. In general, DVD+R and DVD+RW is much more likely to be compatible to other DVD players than DVD-R and DVD-RW. DVD-ROM is really not a DVD format and is hardly ever compatible to another DVD player.

Even this DVD recorder does not have a hard disk, it is still cheaper, to buy this unit together with Tivo (the total will be about $ 600.--) than another DVD recorder with a hard drive. This way, you will get all the Tivo benefits and copying from Tivo to this unit is a breeze !

Operating this unit is extremely simple and it is very easy to organize your DVDs (titles, index pictures, chapters etc.).

The DVD player is excellent and supports the most recent sound systems. The picture quality is truly outstanding.

My verdict buy this unit ! It's a fact, that in 2 years from now, it will be as 'outdated' as the more expensive recorders that are out now but for the price, you really get your moneys worth ! And the DVD+R and DVD+RW discs that you record on this machine will still be 'top of the line', when it comes to picture and sound quality, in many years from now.

Buy Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder Now

Bought this June 4th, 2003

Earlier that day I also had purchased the Panasonic DMRE-50s. The Panasonic DVD-R / DvdRam unit is back at Circuit City.

I'm using the DVDR 75 as we speak.

There are a few things to like and some maybe not so.

1st of all, I love the format DVD+RW. The unnecessary task of finalizing the disk sells me. My first attempt was a few SpongeBob episodes. it went like this.

Inserted Philips DVD+RW disk into drive

Selected appropriate inputs and cable channel

Pressed Record

Pressed Stop

Split a few titles into separate episodes (very easy to do)

Edited the names

Assigned each title a custom image thumbnail (from a frame in the show) (Very easy to do)

clicked eject

took the disk to my daughters room and inserted disk in old DVD player

and prayed ..........

I was amazed. It took less than 20 seconds for the title screen (think DVD MENU) to show up.

All my little editing and naming and picture thumbnailing all perfectly intact!

One button got a selected title playing (daughter chose it from the picture)

There was no significant lapse for title to begin playing, NICE!

No formatting, No finalizing, No disappointed daughter, NO KIDDING

But, I did find a few disappointing features here:

There are no real helpful buttoms on the unit itself (Menu, Rec Mode,etc...)

So, if you lose the remote you'll need a new one

Component input was inviting, but it will not accept Progressive Scan?

So, my HDTV Cable Box is now a "Watch 1080i, Record 480i tuner" 1 star

I have used optical audio out for years, but welcomed the Coax Digital Out as it allowed me to get the recorder away from my receiver.

I Would've been 99% satisfied if this unit would record Progressive scan and if there were a few more facia buttons, but for the price I paid it's well worth it.

Honorary mention goes to the iLink (FireWire) front input

All things being equal, I like this far better than Panasonics DVD-R units. Despite the Panasonics having a few more unit placed features, it doesn't allow recording to a DVD-RW format besides RAM, and RAM to me is useless because I can't play it back on anything but the Panasonic units that record RAM.

DVD+RW is clearly the more user-friendly format and the Philips DVDR 75 handles it quite well

4.5 stars

Read Best Reviews of Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder Here

I think the Philips DVDR75 Recorder is wonderful. It is a welcome replacement to my VCR; this is my first DVD recorder (other than the one on my PC); I never owned the DVDR985. Connecting was truly easy. Cable provides my TV and all I did was physically replace the VCR and appropriate connections with this DVDR 75. [The cable signal goes from the wall directly into the cable box; from the cable box to the DVDR75; then from the DVDR75 to the TV]. Philips included a "DVD+RW" disc in the box (the unit is not designed for DVD-RAM or DVD-RW rewriteable discs) and that is what I have been using to learn how all this works. We recorded at the M1 quality (1 hour of recording) all the way up through the M6 (6 hours of recording). There is a noticeable difference between M1 and M6, but I assure you the M6 quality is far better than my deteriorating VCR. My next purchase is going to be the Sony KLV 30XBR900 30in LCD TV and I can't wait to see what happens then...

It is important when using the remote to WAIT after pressing a button or combination of buttons (like SYSYEM and then MENU) and to pay close attention to the message(s) on the unit as they are displayed. There is distinct processing time involved which needs to be respected (like on a computer, too much clicking too fast can cause immediate frustration)...

Want Philips DVDR75 Progressive-Scan DVD Player/Recorder Discount?

For $399, you just can't beat it!!!

Here are the positives:

Very easy to setup, was up and running in 10 minutes

Impressive image quality even at M6 (6 hours recording mode per DVD), the quality was better than my VCR's, and I mean, A LOT better!!!

For everyday recording, M6 is great. If you want to keep them and get great image quality, use M4 (4 hours per DVD) or better (noticeable difference between M6 and M4).

Great compatibility so far has played every DVD's I've put in there, including the ones I burned on my computer without a glitch. My other DVD players have played DVD's burned on this one without a glitch either.

Same on the timer record function has been flawless

They have a very cool feature that allow you to hide chapters within movies, so if you make the commercial break a chapter, you can then hide it so it doesn't play during playback.

Love the fact that it uses RW's as well (My first recorder could only use R's).

Now for the negative

A bit difficult to navigate It does get some getting used to. The buttons on the remote are labeled strangely for what they do. I.e. while playing a movie or recording, the system button will show on-screen display. I was looking for a button that said display, silly me.

Though the 'hide chapters' feature is great, I wish you could delete them and gain the time back again to record. At this time, if you 'hide' 20 minutes of commercials in an hour show, though the time spent watching it will only be 40 minutes, it will still use one hour of your disc.

A bit of a delay when you push a button on some features (about half a second), which has a tendency to make you feel it did not get it. Not with every buttons, just some. A little weird.

If recording something, if you press the stop button, image will freeze for about 5 to 10 seconds, while it writes. Make sure you press the pause button instead, if you don't want to miss what is playing on TV at the moment.

480i on Component as opposed to 1080i

So with those negatives, why did I rate it 5 Stars?

Simple Bang for Buck! This is $390! I can't expect it to do everything I want for that price, and the negatives are more things I wish it had or did a bit better, not things that are of major concerns as far as what it does. If I had paid $490 for it, I would have dropped it to 4 stars, but considering the price, this is simply a great unit that does what it says it does.

I highly recommend it! The only ones I saw that did more things better started at $699 (ones that include a HD).

As far as the few negative reviews I saw here, I think every company has some bad units out.

My recommendation?

Just like anything else you buy, if it doesn't work right from the beginning, return it and get another one. You probably have a bad unit. Make sure you buy from a company that has a 15-day return policy. If it works fine for the first 15 days, you should be fine, if it doesn't, return it and get another one. Especially it it's a major brand. One bad unit doesn't mean every unit made is bad.

Just my 2 cents. Hope this helps.

I checked to see if it does what it advertises and I found it does a good job. However, I found that an old movie I had on a DVD+RW did not play anymore in another DVD player after I played it on the DVDR 75.

There is not as much lapse time when changing from one channel to another as in the previous Philips model 985. However, the remote control is not a universal one as the one that comes with the latter. This means I have to have another remote control for the TV volume.

The worse flaw is that when it is on it gets very, very hot. It has a fan built in (a fairly noise one), but it is not enough. I don't think this is going to do much for the life of this model.

Philips customer service, although very cordial and prompt, is useless because it is such a new model that they can't help you on anything especific to this unit.

ZMODO 4 CH H.264 Real-time CCTV Security Surveillance DVR System - iPhone & Android Network Remote

I just bought this dvr and apparently this is the old sku:DVR-H910V, the new sku is:ZMD-DD-SBNA. This is what the box says, but the dvr I have looks

exactly like this one, but also has a new model: D9104BH. So go figure. I had to return the first one and now will return the second for an exchange. I

got two one for me and one for one of my family memebers. So without making this too long I'll just describe it in the pros and cons to make it simple.

Note that these don't come with any hard drives. I just happen to have a few 500 gigers around so that save me some money and now I get to keep using

those. These are from my nas so they are just perfect for this.

Pros:

1. It's nice and small (I set these things up at work and the ones we use are still larger than this one.)

2: The price was low enough locally to make me want to try them.

3. So far it seems pretty easy to get up for me, but I did have to spend some time fitting in a fan and fixing a few things to make sure it runs without a problem.

4. The included remote and mouse are small and very functional which I like. I have not tried the software as I still need to figure out what type of

wire to use. I bought two sets with the bnc, power and sound, but the picture is crappy. I connected the cameras which are also from zmodo and they

looked much better when going straight into the tv so this is why this is important.

5. I do like this dvr because if the drive dies then I can change it myself. The company stuff, we have to send back to them to fix when we have

problems.

6. I like the simple button layout.

7. This dvr does come with a decent English manual and quick quide.

Cons:

1. I found that these don't include a fan unfortunately. There is a hole on one side where one would fit. I found out my drive got really hot in there

and I know that heat is just bad for hard drives and there's no way I'm going to run this without a fan. This is apparently also due to the low profile

unfortunately. I have now found out that the slightly bigger ones also heat up too, and sometimes they just freeze due to the heat. The bad side it the fan is loud, but keep it away from you and you will be fine.

2. I found that the sound inputs are only soldered on the bottom. When I was setting up the second one I got, I noticed the inputs were pushed in, so if

you were to use them you will end up pushing them in with the first one you try to use. This was really surprising and just not a good thing. So I just

pushed them back in to place. I also added hot glue on the top inside of the case to hold them and keep them from moving back when pushed in. I've had good luck with hot glue in keeping things together like this. It's the quickest, cheapest and very functional way to do it without getting all crazy

about it.

3. I couldn't find a fan to put into the dvr because the plug only has two pins and the ones at the store have three pins. My first unit was also

missing a case screw. Second and third are all there. In any case, I ended up getting two 40mm fans with the 3 pins. I measured the case and knew these

where the size that would fit in there. I'm a computer guy and with my rc hobbies I had what I needed to make them work. I used small red lipo battery

connectors on the red and black wire and just left the yellow out and zip tied to the other two. I first measured and cut the connector the fan came

with. I first checked to see if the new red plug I had would fit and it did, but it comes off easily, so I used hot glue to keep it in place and now I have a running fan inside. The good thing I forgot to mention is that the board does have a fan plug in it. The dvr is now noisy but it's just warm to the touch and

not hot like it was without it. The fan is a must in this dvr or it's just a matter of time before the drive dies. Could be just hours or a day if it's

a 7200rpm like the one I'm using. I forgot to mention that I just used double sided tape to stick the fan on the case. The screws I had would not work since they need to be low profile for the top of the case to go over them, so this is how I fixed this. I don't know what the manufacturer has, but this is the only way you can use this dvr or your hard drive will just die.

4. The dvr does not come with any connectors or wires so you can test your cameras straight on it. You will need to get these separate.

5. The front "OK" button seems to be like a lazy eye, it just sort of drops which is weird. Hardly noticeable, but it works. All the buttons work fine,

but just noticed this one is a bit loose or something. That's just how they all come.

6. The setup seems to be a bit more work vs the ones I've used. Meaning you have to have your own dyndns account in order to access the dvr remotely.

The company we use has their own that we use which makes it easier to get going, so you'll be doing a bit more work on these. I can't comment on the software as I have not used it yet. I'll update later as time goes on and on the cameras I also got. I haven't bother with dvrs due to their prices but it seems that they are getting lower and better with what you get. So it was time to try them now that I got a bit more experience with them.

6. Every time I press the tv/vga button, the screen freezes and I can't ever get out of that. I have to turn the whole unit off then back on.

7. The button labels are very hard to see from a feet feet away, you really have to be next to it in order to read the text on the front of each one.

Keep in mind that cheap doesn't necessarily mean, well cheap. You still need to figure out how you will connect this to your cameras and depending on that, the price for the whole system goes up quite a bit. I also tried some pre-made audio/video/power cables but the image from the cameras looked worst than straight to the tv. The cameras looked great when I plugged them directly to the tv though, so keep that in mind.

I finally got both dvrs running side by side to make sure they work fine before getting them installed. I got the fourth exchange today so after all that going back and forth I think these two are working the way they should now. I just have to wait for the rest of the parts to come in.

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Olympus VN-2000 Digital Voice Recorder 140110

I bought 4 since I'll want to use these for the rest of my life. I'm very careful now not to drop them, afterall they are breakable if you drop them. I wrecked a car while trying to write something down I needed to remember. This is so easy to use for a day planner, to do lists, shopping lists, and less urgent to do items for the "whenever I can get around to thems." I use a file for inspirational/spiritual notes I recorded for my spiritual needs and I can listen to them at the touch of a finger. It's so much easier than a cell phone because you don't need eyes to use it once you learn how.