Canon VIXIA HF R21 Full HD Camcorder with 32GB Internal Flash Memory

I spent a fair amount of time (four hours) reading reviews and comparing features of Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and Canon videocams. I also read all the reviews on Amazon regarding all the Canon videocams in the consumer line. Overall the Amazon had a slightly negative undertone, but I decided to go with Canon because of good experience with a point and shoot camera I had bought several years ago. But once I got the Vixia HFR21, I had a difficult time loading some test videos I had shot.

I remembered an Amazon review that said the .mts video format and the software used to upload Canon video was questionable. That's when I was a minute away from packing it back up and returning it. I am an above average computer guy, and I am an expert on Photoshop; a good user on Adobe Illustrator; above average on Microsoft products; and generally can do what I need to do to make things work via a pc. The mistake I made was following the directions included with the videocam that said if I don't have Windows 7, don't use the "VideoBrowser" software--it said to use the "utility" software. Wrong!!!!!!!!!! The VideoBrowser worked just fine with Windows XP.

After I discovered that, I pulled back from the brink of returning it. And now I've spent more time with HFR21, I am impressed. It's easy to upload video to your PC; it's even easy to watch a video you just shot on your flat screen TV. Also, of critical importance to me, is that .mts videos that Canon shoots, is readily useable by Adobe Premiere Elements 9. I'm updating my software (haven't yet) and any video I shoot must be compatible with Adobe. And it is.

All that is the backstory (but what good is video if you can't quickly upload it or view it????).

About the HFR21: the video is sharp; shoots GREAT video right before sunset, when the dusk makes it difficult for a person to see really, really clearly. Video I shot last night at dusk looks as if the sun was shining; it wasn't, but you couldn't tell by watching the footage. Unbelievable really!

The battery is good; the size of videocam is SMALL and I LOVE IT! I want to be able to put the cam in a pocket and take a walk on the beach. I would never argue it's too small as some have on this website. The smaller the better.

The touch screen is good, average sensitivity. The size of the screen and the size of the icons is good. I have Polish-sausage sized fingers and the icons on the screen work fine.

I highly recommend the HFR21, especially at $449!

One other thing: this is not a fake review written by a competitor to Canon or by an employee of Canon. I'm telling like it is.

Just got my Canon Vixia HFR21 in from Amazon and it seems great so far. I really haven't played around with all the features yet, however I just wanted to write this review for Mac users, since I had a little trouble making the decision to buy this model due to the conflicting information I was reading on the subject. I've read many reviews with people saying that this camera wouldn't work with their macs. My Vixia is working flawlessly.

I have a brand new macbook pro running imovie11. At first I thought I was going to have trouble because I couldn't figure out how to get imovie to import a few quick videos I took. After about 20 minutes I figured out all I have to do is plug the camera into through the USB, click the import video button on the camera, and then click on "All-For PC only" and whallah...videos imported to i movie. That simple. I did not have to install anything or download any conversion software.

Now, let me get back to shooting videos.

Buy Canon VIXIA HF R21 Full HD Camcorder with 32GB Internal Flash Memory Now

This is a really nice camcorder. It is small and lightweight and fits snugly in your right hand. The adjustable grip belt, holds it securely in place, for easy one hand operation. You can even adjust the zoom and take still pictures while holding it with one hand. This leaves your left hand free to adjust the rotation of the LCD screen and use the touch screen to change settings.

This camcorder is also intuitive to set up for basic operation. For more advanced functions, you will probably want to download the PDF manual. First thing I did, out of the box, was install the battery and then use the included power cord to charge it. After plugging it in, there is a LCD that flashes red as it charges and then turns green when the battery is charged.

While it was charging I installed the included software. It comes with 3 disks. One has the transfer utility, which you can use to transfer videos from your camera to your PC. You can also use the transfer utility to transfer videos and audio to your camera. The camera has built in editing functions, so you could actually compose and edit a movie on your camera, and then view it from the camera or use the included A/V or HDMI cables to view it on your TV.

It also comes with a Pixela Video Browser that you can use to view, edit, and create slideshows, with still pictures taken with the camcorder. The other disk contains some additional audio files for video editing and a manual for the included video and photo viewing software. I downloaded the actual manual, for the operation of the camcorder, from the Canon website. The manual is nice, because it explains less intuitive functions, like how to adjust settings when you are not using auto mode, and how to initialize the SD memory cards.

The HD video quality of this player is really nice. I used the included HDMI cable to hook the camera to my HD TV and the video quality blew away a standard definition camcorder hooked to the same TV with an A/V cable. This player also has 32 GBs of internal memory and two SD slots where you can add 32GB SDXC cards, and the player automatically switches to the next card when the previous memory is full.

The 28X Zoom works flawlessly and there are several presets for filming in different conditions. The auto focus makes filming as easy as pressing a button, and built in image stabilization will make even the work of a novice, look decent. The LCD screen is a touch screen and when used with the included stylus is very responsive. There are some fun added features, where you can use the stylus to draw on photos and add other effects suchs as bubbles or square pixels.

Besides the power button, the zoom, the photo button, and the record button, you will not find any other controls until you open the LCD screen. Once you open the LCD, it is a touch screen that enables you to browse photos and videos and change settings. Against the camera body are four other buttons, which let us toggle between record and view, video snap, auto focus, and an extra display light to make the LCD brighter, so it can be viewed in direct sunlight. You will find the mini USB slot and the HDMI slot under these buttons.

This camcorder has a lot of built in and adjustable advanced functions. Yet, it is easy enough to turn it on, hit auto focus, film some video, and hit playback on the LCD screen. You could also use one of the included HDMI or A/V cables and playback the video on your TV. This is a really nice camcorder and it's really fun to use. I have a feeling this will be replacing my regular camera and I will be getting a lot of use out of this camcorder.

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I have had this Canon VIXA HF R21 for about a month now and I got it super cheap. For what I paid for the camera (205 on a Woot! offer) it works just fine for the price range. If you're looking for the step up from your Flip HD camera to a better quality camera, this will suffice. But for the upper 300-400 dollar range, this just doesn't make the cut. I would recommend the Canon VIXIA HF M40 or M41. The M40 is 50 dollars cheaper and you get a better CMOS censor, an accessory hot shoe for attachments like professional microphones or recording remotes, better zoom lens, and the low light recording is fantastic. This camera is about as bare bones as you can buy for a HD camera. The quality of video is pretty good when you play with the settings and crank them all up, but nothing too spectacular. The auto white balance doesn't ever seem to work for me, but custom white balance addressed that for the most part. I work with a professional lighting set up and green screen and when shooting with this camera, even with a 3000 watt lighting set up perfectly, i have to color correct in order to for chroma key the green screen. I tried to shoot my nieces ballet recital and I'm glad i always come with 2 batteries because it was definitely needed, and it didn't get very good quality video in low light. It turned out very grainy and saturated. I have to use an external microphone while working with this (I prefer Rode VideoMic Directional Condensor) because the on board mic picks up the camera motor and it sounds like you are shooting next to a jet engine. It is truly noticeable, especially when zoomed in, and because there is no hot shoe, I can't mount the microphone on the camera directly, i have to use a mic stand. Still photos look like they are sub par to cell phone photos, but thats not why people buy this kind of dedicated cameras. One thing I can really appreciate is the 32 gig of on board memory. I can stick a card in the bottom and get a lot of recording time. I regret buying this camera. Spend less money and get a better camera. Ive had to invest quite a bit of money to make this camera functional enough to use it, while i could have spent more money just to get a better camera. This isn't the worst camera I have worked with, and it isn't really all that bad for your average consumer, but for the money you can do A LOT better.

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Each new generation of technological advances makes camcorders better and better. This brand new Canon HFR21 is no exception. Let's look at its positives first.

* Very lightweight--less than 10 ounces

* Compact and rounded--fits in a woman's hand--2.4"x2.4"x4.8"

* Easy to use

* HD video lens has 28x zoom capability

* Can be used for both still and video photography

* Excellent resolution (picture clarity) for video (have not used it for still photos)

* Records HD video to a 32 GB internal flash drive

* Camera self-focuses (Canon Face Detection) on faces for a more professional shot

* Smart Auto Mode automatically adjusts settings to record correctly for settings/scenes

* Written manual and 3 CDs (1 instruction manual; 1 Video Browser for average users; 1 Transfer Utility for more complex/sophisticated capability)

* Instructions for use of camera are clearly written

* Camera has both built-in memory and can use a memory card (not supplied)

* Screen measures 3" (diagonal) and swivels manually as needed

* Touch screen panel (like the smart phones) for ease of use

* Records up to two hours under optimal conditions

* Has two SD card slots

* Easily gets your movies on the web from the camera/computer

* Helps to eliminate a shaking picture when used while in motion

There are few drawbacks that I've found so far. But, they should be noted. Here are the negative features:

* Instruction manual's graphics are too small to be seen clearly (see narrative below)

* Instructions for initial set-up are not clearly written for `non-techies'(see narrative below)

* Lacks a brief `take-along' guide for users (as typically provided with cell phones)

The written manual's size is compact--like the camera. Unfortunately, the graphics are so small as to be difficult to see. Pages 9-16, 22-24, 31, and 36 need to be enlarged as they are critical in learning how to operate the camcorder. When I tried following the PDF format on-screen, I still had to enlarge the graphics to 125% to be seen easily. (My corrected eyesight is 20/20, so the problem is not unique to a few individuals.)

If you are a novice or, unsure of yourself when dealing with technology, you will want someone to guide you through the initial steps required, prior to using your camera. You must install two CDs. One is an instruction manual. The second and third CDs offer you a choice. The Video Browser CD is for the more casual user. Its software allows you to manage, edit, and play back your movies. And the third CD (Transfer Utility) is for saving and transferring movies and music files used for background music. This third one is for the savvy user seeking more editing capabilities. Once the CDs are installed, the camera's usage instructions are readily understood. The difficulty with the manual is the reason I rate this four stars and not five.

It is not necessary to purchase an SD card (extends your recording time seamlessly) but, the camera has two SD slots. SD cards, depending on their capacity, run from $40-$90. Canon claims that, using the cards allows faster filming starts than when using the internal memory.

Another useful feature is the camcorder's ability to focus on one face (Face Index). When searching for photos of a particular individual, the camera `remembers' the face and finds all the pertinent shots for you. This is a great time saver.

This camcorder should be more than sufficient for those of us who want video and stills of life's momentous events, vacations, etc. For the aspiring cinematographer, its potential extends beyond casual filming and editing.

A final note: The Canon camcorder was supplied to me for review by Amazon. We last purchased a camcorder 18 years ago. It was bulky, about double the price, and could not take still photos. One of our sons broke it and it was never replaced. If I were buying a camcorder today, I would definitely get this one. Beyond the initial difficulty I had with the manuals and graphics, this camcorder is a pleasure to operate. A last note to my sons: Keep your hands off!

Samsung DVD-HD860 Up-Converting DVD Player

• Upconverting, mult-format progressive scan DVD player; measures 16.9 x 1.77 x 9.8 inches (WxHxD)
• Transforms standard DVD to HD-quality video--720p, 1080i formats
• Compatible with DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, SVCD, MP3, WMA, JPEG
• Outputs: 1 HDMI, 1 component, 1 S-Video, 1 composite, 1 coaxial audio, 1 optical audio
• Supports both Dolby Digital and DTS encoded DVDs

I picked up a refurbished job from Tiger (I like Amazon but the deal was just too good) Works great for the short time I've had it. Got a new big HDTV that does the 1080 thing so I'm impressed. You can set it up to just come on at that rate but it has a botton to "toggle" through the options. The only minor complaint is the on light the BRIGHT blue on light is a bit much. Put a little round sticky thing to tone it down. Should you care, I'm going to give you a little "hack" information should you play disc from other than Zone One (you know who you are) It worked like a charm first time for me so I pass it on. I have the Alley McBeal complete set from the UK (can't get it in the US) plus a few DVD I pick up on vaction.

This just sets you DVD to Region "Free"--Region code hack posted by

Silver Surfer, November 05 2006:

DEAR FRIENDS, IT TOOK ME A LOT OF TIME AND PATIENCE, BUT I DID IT

GOT A SAMSUNG HD860, JUST HACKED THE REGION WITH THE SAMSUNG

REMOTE 00054D, I BOUGHT DVD PLAYER ON USA, REGION 1, I DID THIS, NOW

I CAN SEE ANY REGION DISK ON MY DVD PLAYER. . . SO HERE IS HOW

FIRST SET HDMI SEL BUTTON TO 480P, THEN OPEN TRAY NO DISK ON IT,

PRESS INFO BUTTON, AND PRESS NINE, UNTIL NUMBER 9 APPEARS ON LEFT

CORNER OF TV DISPLAY, THEN, TURN OFF DVD, THEN ON AND. . . . ENJOY

FREE REGION LIFE. . . BYE BYE!

You have to hit the number 9 repeatedly to get it to show and it will appear on the upper left corner of your screen (be careful the #9 shows up "over" the other information on the screen) but the whole things pretty groovy. Tiger had them for about $40 but even at twice the price it's very cool. The HDMI works great I put that into my HDTV then run the Optical sound from the the TV (it has optical out) to the Receiver for my "Surround" sound. Actually due to that blue light its gets just 4.5 stars but I rounded it up to 5! It does require the HDMI hook up to benifit from the Up-Convert feature, works for me my Toshiba HDTV has 2 in HDMI and wth the "Optical" sound out from the TV makes for a very good set up for me.

Buy Samsung DVD-HD860 Up-Converting DVD Player Now

Okay so I just bought this item but I am feeling the need to write up a review so here it goes. I picked this player up from Best Buy after examining all the other players they had, the deciding factor for me to go with this Samsung DVD player is because my HDTV is also a Samsung. I wanted a good HD-upconverter and this was priced for $98 at Best Buy and was the only player I saw of this brand so I figured this is probably the best what Samsung had to offer so purchased it, but it was only until I got home and saw on BB's website that they sale a higher model HD-960, but the only difference I could tell is that the HD-96can do 1080p and play back DivX which this player (HD-860) is not advertised to do. Although if you look at the middle of the HD-860 manual you will see in the section it describes the formats it can play by logo it also has DivX logo there. I later discovered that this player actually DivX support its hidden and has to be accessed a certain way and it doesn't require a hack to do it. Just create a video CD containing DivX files on there, you have to create folders and place the Divx video files in those folders so don't put DivX files just on the top level of the disc. Burn and close the disc when you've finished and insert it into this player. It will show a menu displaying the content on the disc (the folders), just select a folder you put your videos under and then the menu will display the list of video files it contains. To watch the video move the selection back up to the top in the folder where it will show "..." and just click the PLAY button on the remote there and it will play back all the videos in that folder. Pretty cool isn't it. I figure Samsung must have disabled the function to auto-play or playback any video files on disc thats a DivX file when selected, but they forgot to disable the ability to hit PLAY on the "..." folder itself.

Now I would have gave this 5 stars but this player like a lot of new players that are starting to come out I notice wont allow you to do HD (720p/1080i) over Component connection. Usually this feature is there but not openly available in the menus and it has to be unlocked through a hack code with the remote. It seems that the previous Samsung DVD players could easily be hacked to do HD over component, even my last DVD player a CyberHome could do it, but this HD-860 does not, I searched the web but couldn't find any info on how to unluck it, and my guess is that Samsung just hasn't leaked how to do this to the public yet or was forced by the Movie industry to remove the feature.

I really dont see why the movie industry is being so tight on only allowing HD via HDMI. Most TVs only have one HDMI and if they have HD digital cable like I do, then that one HDMI is probably already occupied. Most HDTVs have 1 or more component connection. Component connections can do HD so I dont see why consumers have to go the hassle of this, I just wish somebody would really do something about this cause I see it as a really unnecessary copy protection trend.

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If you need a nicely priced up-converting DVD player, without all the bells and whistles, this is the player for you. You can definitely notice the picture quality increase (when using the up-convert setting) compared to the usual picture quality provided by standard def. progressive scan (480p) DVD players.

The higher the quality of the DVD transfer, the better it looks with this DVD player. With my old Sony standard-def player, it didn't make much of a difference whether the transfer was high quality or not. Now I can tell which DVDs received a good treatment or not.

I have this DVD player matched with a Samsung HL-S5086W 50" DLP HDTV and the picture quality is excellent. It pays to use an HDMI cable rather than the component video as the picture is sharper and seems to have deeper color saturation. I'm very pleased with the purchase.

In summary, this is a great low-priced player and does exactly what most people would need from it: up-converts your standard definition DVDs until you are ready to upgrade to Hi-Def DVDs and it doesn't bog you down with a lot of unnecessary options or complex menus.

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I purchased this player on a recommendation from a (non-commissioned) store salesman (who clearly had nothing to lose) at the same time that I bought my Sony KDL-46XBR2 HD LCD TV (which, by the way, is a STELLAR television). He could have easily talked me into the Sony DVP-NS75H, which was sitting on the shelf next to the Samsung (for about $15 more), but he spoke very highly of the customer satisfaction rating on the Samsung unit, while also indicating a fairly low satisfaction rating on the Sony (excepting that my TV remote would have also been able to control the DVD player, a nice bonus that I chose to forego on his recommendation).

When I got the unit home, I plugged in the HDMI cable to my TV and the digital coaxial cable to my Denon receiver and everything worked beautifully on the first try. I don't know exactly what problem an earlier reviewer was having, but I knew that I had to go in and program my receiver as to which input selections corresponded to the digital inputs: optical is assigned to the TV/DBS, coax 1 is DVD, etc.

The picture produced at 1080i was stunning. I don't know why people were having problems with the remote. Mine worked flawlessly out of the box, with only very minor delays between pressing a button and seeing the unit respond, most notably while movie playback was commencing.

All in all, I'm very pleased with this product and would recommend it to my friends.

We loved this DVD player for the first 6 months, then it the power started shutting off randomly. I did every troubleshooting thing I could think of, and came up with nothing. I also went to the Samsung website, and tried to find help there and came up with N-O-T-H-I-N-G! We bought the DVD player b/c we bought a Samsung HD flatscreen TV (love it-no problems). However, this is our second samsung dvd playerhated the first one too! I should have known! The first one was several years ago-thought it was a fluke. For as much $$ as this one was I can't believe how much this one SUCKS! I am going back to buying cheap DVD players. I am so mad! The power won't stay on for more than 1 or 2 minutes! NOT WORTH THE $$$$$$$

Mitsuba DV3000BLK 16MP (Interpolated) SD/SDHC Digital Camcorder w/8x Digital Zoom, 2.4" LCD & Carry

Love this camera. easy to use. but picture isn't he best quality. good for the money if you need something easy to use

It sounded like it would be a great, easy to use, simple camcorder but the battery is terrible and the memory is even worse.

Buy Mitsuba DV3000BLK 16MP (Interpolated) SD/SDHC Digital Camcorder w/8x Digital Zoom, 2.4" LCD & Carry Now

This is not a bad little unit , but it has it's drawbacks. The veiw screen is far from as clear as I'd hoped for not good in low light. The other point is the zoom,the switch is really hard to make work every time. I haven't worked with this as much as I'd like to see if I can over come these faults , sometimes problems are operater error. Not bad camera for the money....

Read Best Reviews of Mitsuba DV3000BLK 16MP (Interpolated) SD/SDHC Digital Camcorder w/8x Digital Zoom, 2.4" LCD & Carry Here

The video is fine (not great though you definitely need a well-lit room, and only shoot in early morning), but the audio is barely intelligible. There's also no jack for an external microphone, so unless you want to record with another device and try to synchronize it later in editing (not exactly a fun task), think hard before buying it. You can get a normal digital camera that shoots video clips, with decent audio, for a similar price.

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Sony RDR-VX525 DVD/VHS Player/Recorder

• One-touch dubbing DVD to VHS or VHS to DVD
• One-touch recording using i.LINK Interface for DV & Digital 8 Camcorders. DV & Digital 8 Camcorder Control for Editing via i.LINK Interface.
• Video Head Stereo VHS with 19 Micron Heads. Easy to use graphic user interface.
• Parental Control. Child Lock for locking the disc tray. Disc Capacity: 1 .
• DVD+RW/+R, DVD-RW/-R, DVD+R DL recording and playback. DVD-Video/Video CD/SVCD/CD-DA playback. MP3 on CD-R/-RW playback.

My wife has been bugging me for the last year or so to convert all of our

VHS video tapes that I took of the kids to DVD's. Some are 20 years old

and though stored under ideal conditions could become fragile. I chose

this deck mainly because it was a Sony and I have had good luck with

their products.

I have not been disappointed. It has performed perfectly. Very easy to

use for dubbing. Once you have your DVD loaded and your VHS tape

loaded, it's push one button and it starts. It stops automatically after either

the DVD is full or the tape is empty, whatever comes first. You then

push a couple of buttons on the remote to "finalize" the disk and you are

done. On the high quality and standard modes the picture looks just like

the orginal.

This deck will also record TV shows and sourcing from video cameras.

Excellent value !

Chris

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I have mixed feelings after having purchased this DVD Combo this summer. Some DVDs play flawlessly, but others skip so badly they aren't viewable. Also, sometimes it's impossible to shut off subtitles. Even when going through the DVD menu, the subtitles will still play. You must click options on the player remote and shut it off that way. Several cases...the movie Spygame with Redford and Pitt. Skips and jumps through the hole flick, subtitles cannot be shut off at all. You can actually hear the DVD player head or something internal buzzing trying to do error correction. Transformers..first viewing was flawless. Now it skips towards the end of the movie. Last night wathced Talladega Nights, first 3/4 movie was fine. Got to last 30 minutes or so and and it started skipping. May wind up sending it in for repair. Spygame played flawlessly on my previous DVD only Panasonic.

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I received this as a gift, it WILL NOT RECORD ANYTHING from my satellite receiver, says "copy protected" I planned on using this to record programs I could not watch becaude I was working. A dvd PLAYER would do all this product can do for a LOT less $$$.

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Ok so it doesn't copy old vhs movies because of copyright issues. I was expecting that. but after 6 tries, I finally got an old vhs of some tv shows to record onto DVD-R disks. The manual is overwhelming and does a rotten job of walking you through a sample recording. So I finally figured out that I needed to Finalize the DVD, but guess what? the DVD was only usable (fully) on the sony unit. It would play on my laptop, but no chapters, I had 360 as one big chapter, plus the time index was only up to the 24 minutes. so chapter 18, at the 24 minute mark, was for minutes 24-360. Apparently the timer thing is busted on the sony recorder as well. because I had same 24 minute marker as the last chapter on it as well.

The dvd wouldn't even play at all on a regular, DVD player hooked up to my TV.

I want my weekend of frustration back.

I have just gotten this dvd player to replace an other of mine. Guess what???? I am taking it back. It will not play other DVD's that I have recorded on my other recorder, and oh yes they have been finalized and they will play with no problem on other dvd players. On the Sony, they will not play. One may play for a moment and then the picture will hang up and sound will stop a few seconds later. Just can't get any of the DVD's recorded to play.

Canon ZR40 MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, & Digital Still Mode

I'm always been fond of the Canon line of consumer DV cams. They always have great optics, electronics, and durability. But what really sets them apart is thier menu systems! It's totally disgusting that on most any other brand, including ones as prestegious as Sony, that they lump all the menu options into a hoard of small, finger nail sized, buttons for most of thier consumer models. For Canon's you simply press the menu button then scoll and press a togele wheel. This way, once you get the hang of the wheel, you now understand how to use the whole menu system for any function. This is a great improvement over those that require the manual to find that "secret button combination". This is a consumer camera but I use it for many large applications. It has been sized down from it's Optura and Ultura ancestors but pretty well all the functionality and then some. It has other sister cams such as the ZR45MC and ZR50MC. These pack the all-in-one memory card digital camera and mini Dv. I have friends who love these models dearly. Personally I go for a seperate camera with larger resolution. Whatever your needs are ...

I've noticed a large number of reviews that say something to the affect of "I pulled it out of the box, plugged it up, and the image was grainy" or "I turned on steady shot and nothing happend".

This might be old news for most but to explain for those of you that might be concerned by this ...

Video cameras these days still thrive on ample lighting! This and other cameras have a sort of slow motion low light mode (accessible from the menu) that works by slowing down the frame rate and sucking every bit of image data off the CCD. THis is ok for an emergancey but if you want good image, turn on an extra light or two. Human eyes are so adaptable that you might not even notice if the lighting is more subdued than usal but it will make a mile of diffence for the camera. Secondly, get to know the manual menu and exposure system. The auto functions can't always guess what your trying to do.

About steady shot... this only takes of the headache inducing shock that occurs when you jar the camera. It's extremely useful in it's own right but it won't keep you from waving the camera around.

This is a great cam that I fully recommend. THere is one issue that doesn't dampen my five star rating but is noteworthy. To size this camera down to an even more portable size, the engineers made it with the DV cassette loading from the bottom instead of the top. THis is fine except that if you are a true believer in tripods, as I am, then you have to take the camera off the tipod or tripod plate every time you need to swap tapes. Just a minor concern...

Expecting a baby, I did research for about three weeks before I ended up with this Canon ZR40. Couple of features that I wanted to have were external mic input, analog input, no still images since I already own a nice digital camera, and most of all, affordable price tag. Amazingly, ZR40 had this all! 18x zoom is nice and its compact size is pretty neat. Still, I have minor complaints after extensive tests.

1. As pointed out by many people previously, the picture is somewhat grainy specially indoors. Because this is my first digital camcorder, I don't know if this happens for other high-end models, but I suspect it may stand out somewhat more for ZR40 with only 480K CCD pixels.

2. What has also been noted was the motor noise, which is my primary concern for now. Maybe, I would not been able to tell if I had not read those reviews, but I could certainly hear the noise when recorded in a quiet environment. I tried to use an external microphone to remove the noise, in which case the noise is gone, but the external microphone does not match the internal microphone in sensitivity. (I used a low-end microphone for the test with the sensitivity of -75 dBm, though.)

3. This is a really minor point, but the camcorder automatically shuts down if I don't start recording within 5 minutes.

Overall, I think ZR40 has great features at such a price and is certainly worth owning if you are looking for one in the price range.

Buy Canon ZR40 MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, & Digital Still Mode Now

This is really the ideal entry-level camcorder for someone just getting into digital video editing. The optical image stabilization is far better than the electronic kind, and the picture quality is pretty good. It has a tendency to overexpose in bright sunlight, but you can easily adjust the exposure down half an f-stop. It's small and light, the viewfinder and flip-out screen are both color, battery life is pretty good with an add-on high capacity battery. Best of all, you can connect your old analog camcorder to it and import all your old videos to DV! Works great with Apple iMovie.

The one downside to this camcorder is the audio. It's a problem with most tiny cameras, and this is no exception: motor whine. DV requires a high speed rotating head, which means fast motors--and because of the small body, they're too close to the built-in microphones.

My solution was to spend an extra $99 on a Sony WCS-999 Wireless Microphone kit. It's a clip-on belt pack with a "tie clip" style mic, operating via 900MHz wireless. Just like professional TV presenters use, but at a fraction of the price. After that investment, I got great sound.

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Unfortunately I had a very bad consumer experience buying this camera. I had borrowed a ZR20 from a friend the year before and liked it, so when the ZR40 came out I wanted to buy it. I read online that some people were complaining about motor noise with this camera, but I figured I try it anyways. I bought it at Best Buy (should be called Worst Buy), and when trying it out found that it does have super bad motor noise. You can't hear it while recording it's when you are watching a tape you recorded playback on your TV etc that you hear it. The motor noise is recorded in with your audio, so you hear a loud hummmm in the background. It was too loud for me to live with. If I was recording something with no background noise (like my baby playing), then it was as loud as his voice! ... I have now ordered the Panasonic PVDC152 which is supposed to have good sound. We'll see...

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I did extensive research on this model (the whole ZR series) and I must say, a lot of things are positive for this little camera.

* light weight, * small, * bright outdoor pictures, * PRICE.

And some negative points raised by many so far, which of course I have not been able to test as I have not bought this item, is the motor noise being recorded and the night shots being grainy.

I will not discuss anything about it as they have been beaten to death by now.

What I want to talk about is the smaller CCD resolution on the ZR series camcorders.

As we know, the US spec ZR series have the 460K pixels, out of which only 290K pixels are used for video (effective pixels). We need about 420K effective pixels to get a 500 line video resolution on the TV. Most of us know that, the VHS format (video tapes) allow upto 240lines of horizontal resolution. The S-VHS tapes allow upto 400 lines and the Digital Video format goes to 525 lines (really crisp and sharp pictures) on the TV/visual media.

So now, with mere 290K effective pixels of video resolution being recorded on the ZR40/45/50, the best lines of resolution would be around 300. Now, not everything is bad. If you intend to transfer your videos into VHS tapes for storage and future viewing, you will not have any complaints as VHS tapes store at 240 lines of resolution. But someone like me, who wants to store the video digitally, by burning them into DVDs or storing them in DV tapes, I would like to get the best resolution that I can, right?

In simple words, I want 500 lines of resolution for my video, full stop! Even though ZR40 is a DV camera, its resolution is very poor for real digital quality video.

By the way, the resolution has got everything to do with what we call SHARP, crisp and colorful pictures. It is the same difference you see between the movies played from the VHS tape and movies played from the DVD.

Oh by the way, if your TV doesn't have a 500 line horizontal resolution capability, you are not getting the money's worth by renting DVDs. The TV I bought about 4 yrs ago, a proscan 32 inch, has 700 lines of horizontal resolution. So I can assume most TVs in our houses have capable enough TVs. Going slightly off topic, do you know why the picture quality of HDTVs are so sharp? Bcoz their resolutions are almost double than the 500 lines I am talking about.

8GB Smoke Detector Hidden Spy Camera DVR with motion detection

• Motion Activated Auto Recording! (3 to 4 meter range)
• 720x480 resolution / 30 fps / 2 megapixel
• Records for 2 hours continuously
• 72 degree viewing angle
• Includes 8gb SD memory card

Well I got it, I charged it, I found a good place to mount it followed the instructions and set the camera on motion detection mode and when I went back and checked it the only video I had was the video of me putting it on the wall... After that nothing at all, I set it to continuously record and it did fine for about 2 hours and 30 minutes when the battery died it records sound forever and takes pictures ok. I have been playing with it for a while and still can't get the motion detection to work other than that everything else is great

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Wow, now this is one cheap piece of Chinese garbage. The detector is incredibly cheaply made and the instructions are a joke. After leaving the camera plugged in and charging for two days, it still will not turn on and the lights flash as though it is still charging. When unplugging the camera, it doesn't turn on at all.

My personal favorite was the packaging for the SD card that states "All in One Menory" and calls it Menory all over. It also has the following line at the bottom of the packaging saying "TF Special High-speed spread to steal".... no idea what the hell that even means lol. Apparently the manufacturer wrote the instructions and packaging in Engrish instead of English.

I've bought plenty of stuff from Amazon and Ebay, including some other cheap products from Asia; however, they all worked perfectly. This thing is by far the worst product I've bought.

If I could give this a 0-star rating, I'd still consider it overrated.

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What Jessie said, got mine yesterday, charged it up this morning and have spent 3 hours so far today trying to get it to work. The lights don't follow what the manual says and I've tried 4 times to get it to work on motion detect. When I remove the flash card and insert it into my computer, it's empty of any photo or video. About 10 minuts ago I turned it on and now the red and blue lights are still on, turning it off and trying again to get it to follow the instructions does not help.... Do not waste your money on this like I did.......

Day two, I have had it pluged in ( charging ) into my computer for the last 6 hours. Red Indicator light is still flashing which suggests it's still taking the charge... yesterday it took 4 hours to charge and the 3 hours I spent yesterday trying to get it to work ( it was off most of the time ) seems to have emptied the battery of all of it's charge. If I can get the thing to work I'll keep it otherwise I will request a replacement or a refund.

Day 3 will not / does not work, requested permission to return for refund.

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I have purchased "cheap" hidden (spy) cameras before, and the problem is the image quality is not very good, especially in low light. I decided to give this product a try based on the two mostly positive reviews of it. I will say that the image quality is not too bad, especially in good light. But other than that, I really can't say anything positive about this product. As a spy camera it is pretty much worthless. As a toy it is kind of fun to play with, at least until you get frustrated with it. The instructions that come with this say the continuous recording times is "over 12 hours", but on the Amazon website, and on the box the unit comes in it says "Records for 2 hours continuously" and "work time about 2 hours". The 2 hour time might be accurate for audio recordings, but I am having a hard time even verifying that. The problem I have is it seems the unit goes into some sort of sleep mode after a period of inactivity. So, if you set it to motion detect mode, it will detect motion and record video for a few minutes, then nothing. If you set it for video mode, the same thing happens. When you go back to the unit and press the button on the remote which is supposed to stop it and save the pics/videos, no lights come on or even flash, unless you press the power button. So it is like the device went to sleep and stopped recording. The picture thing works OK if you want to stand there and click the button on the remote to take pics, but that kind of defeats the spy camera aspect. Also, even in picture mode it seems to go to sleep, so when you come back you need to hit the power button on the remote to wake it up, and then you can take pics. I tried charging the battery, but even that doesn't work like the instructions say. The instructions say to hook the device to your computer with the USB cable, and the blue light will flash when it is charging. But when I connect it to the computer, the red light just keeps flashing. I guess it is charging, but I don't know. I will keep playing with it and see if I can make it work better, but I have played with it for a few days, and so far nothing seems to work as advertised in the instruction manual.

OK, so I have had time to play with this some more. I still don't have any positive comments to add about motion detection, pictures or video. However, I was able to do a good audio recording test and verified that it will record just over 13 hours of non-stop audio in an unattended mode, when the battery is fully charged. So if you are looking for something to record audio, this might be good for you, but I suspect you can find something smaller and cheaper that would do the same thing. I can't really vouch for the quality of the audio recording either, as I wasn't trying to verify the quality, and I just left it turned on somewhere where this isn't a lot of talking. Another thing I will add is not to waste your money buying a higher capacity memory card. The unit comes with a 8 GB SD card. I bought a 16 GB SD card thinking I could record more stuff. The 13+ hour audio recording only used 361 MB of space. And as previously mentioned, you can't record very much video because of other limitations of the device. So the 8 GTB SD card is more than enough.

I received the item and had a problem reading the directions (small writing) plus directions didnt say anything about how to open the door to battery compartment but I figured it out product worked as advertised love it will buy another

AT&T CL4940 1-Handset Landline Telephone with Large Display

I purchased my AT&T CL4940 locally because I needed a that-day replacement for a long-time-in-service Nortel.

I'm writing this review based on initial quality as I have only owned the phone for 24 hours. Thus far I am impressed by:

1. Sound quality through both the handset and speaker. This is adjustable with a 4 setting equalizer, I'm using the default 'Natural' setting, there are two treble boost settings and one bass boost setting available.

2. Volume available through both handset and speaker is individually adjustable and can be made very loud on the highest settings.

3. Answering machine ease of operation.

4. Total message+announcement recording time of 25 minutes -these days that's good, many answering machines have less than 15 minutes of audio storage. 60 minutes is still the target amount for manufacturers in my opinion -the problem is that like most answering machines, this one will stop taking messages once the memory is full -and a busy business day or some political robocalls can fill things up pretty fast and shut the system down.

5. Good human interface -big buttons, readable and backlit display, clealy labled control buttons -you do still need to look at the manual just a bit to see how the menu and control system is set up but it's about as simple as it can be made, IMO.

The one disadvantage is the index in the user manual which has way too few entries -I downloaded the .pdf version of the manual just to search for info on the 'equalizer' (it can only be set while you are listening to something) -and how to reset the 'missed calls' counter (press and hold the CANCEL button). Other than the lack of a complete index, the user manual is clear and explanatory.

At the time of this review there are two 2-rated reviews. The one mentioning the need for a DSL filter if you have DSL service applies to most phones and fax machines. Although I did not try the included wall mounting bracket, looking at it I would agree that this phone is not well suited for wall mounting -I don't know of any larger desktop type phones that include an answering machine that are.

Overall I give this phone high marks for design, execution, and value, with durability being the unknown factor.

The AT&T CL4940 is a single-line speakerphone with answering machine functions and caller ID, which makes it one of many similar phones crowding the market.

What sets this phone apart is the large, backlit, tiltable display. Why every landline phone doesn't have a display this nice is beyond me. Most everything else about the phone is typical, but it does add further functions to help those of us who are growing older:

* A large keypad for easy dialing

* A four-setting equalizer function to tweak sound

* "Audio Assist" to temporarily boost receiver volume

* Relatively intuitive functions that can be set up easily

That said, one of the failings of this phone is that--for all its audio-altering capabilities--it does not have a rich sound compared to a cheaper AT&T phone I used to own. This seems odd given this phone's equalizer and Audio Assist functions, but the duller sound quality is obvious in comparison. Another quirk is the dial-back feature; there seems to be no way to program it to add a "1" automatically when dialing outside a set of local area codes, reducing the function's usefulness.

If all those sound bells and whistles had worked as advertised, this could have been a five-star phone. As it is, it's okay, but that still makes it better than many phones out there. And did I mention how great the display is?

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I bought this phone to replace an AT&T CL4939 which failed just three months after the warranty expired. While the phone has many nice features, when I hooked it up, the phone would not ring when a call came in. It took two different techs at AT&T customer service to figure out that I needed to upgrade my phone line to a digital signal box. This was nowhere disclosed either on the box or in the owner's manual. It should be. So, before you buy this phone, make sure you have the correct line coming into your system.

Read Best Reviews of AT&T CL4940 1-Handset Landline Telephone with Large Display Here

The phone is well designed, except for one major flaw, which I discuss later. The basic controls are easy to use. It has some clever features, like the redial format selection, which allows one to select the format the phone uses to redial a number from the phone log. After selecting a number from the caller ID lot, you can select whether the phone dials seven digits, 10 digits, or 10 digits preceded by 1. The major flaw goes to the heart of the product, the large display. It is large. It is not backlit. An LCD display that is not backlit appears black on gray. It can be read only with strong direct light on it. It is all well and good to see the new message light blinking, but I wish I could glance into the kitchen as I pass and read the text display of how many calls I'd missed, or be able to review the caller ID log without turning on the brightest light in the room. While I'm at it, it is grossly misleading to market this phone with a picture of a backlit display. That is not what the phone looks like when installed.

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Bought this through Amazon.com. Price and delivery were very satisfactory. The phone has nice features like the amber back lighted display with large characters in addition to the large dial buttons especially good for older folks with less than perfect vision. The speaker phone works in a satisfactory manner.

Now for what I think may need some improvement:

when you record a voice greeting you have speak to the phone approximately 9 inches away from the phone. There should be a way to record your greeting on the handset. The resulting recorded greetings were not as good as they should be in this day and time I would not let this keep me from buying this phone at this price point.

our mounting location in the kitchen is under a high cabinet but lower than what many wall phone elevations are. The display on the phone is ok if you are sitting or kneeling down, but if you are standing the ability to read the display is diminished. The display tilts down, but I think the manufacturer should consider giving the display more range of tilt to include a few degrees up tilt.

the small recording controls buttons at the top of the keypad could be a little larger to accommodate larger characters so they would be more readable by the visually challenged.

Overall this phone is very nice and I recommend its purchase it just could use some improvements.

(Some reviewers complained about a flimsy wall mounting bracket that comes with the phone I have had no problems with the phone coming off the wall even with small jerks on the handset cord.)

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Sony MZ-RH910 Hi-MD Walkman Digital Music Player

• Skip-Free G-Protection technology for uninterrupted playback
• Five-line LCD screen for data display
• Huge song and data storage capacity with one GB Hi-MD disc
• Excellent recording and digitizing capabilities with mic input and line-in jack
• USB connectivity for 100x, high-speed file copying

This device can be used to:

Listen to music i.e. instead of an ipod.

Record audio (with a microphone, not included)

Function as external disk, when connnected via USB to a PC.

It uses 1GB removable disks which sell for about $7 each (plus shipping). As a audio recording device, it is unique for its capabilities in this price range, and essentially substitutes for a DAT (digital audio tape). The device has a line-in and microphone analog inputs. You can record in one of the three formats: high compression (Hi-LP), low compression (Hi-SP), and uncompressed (Linear PCM). The recording times per disk are 34 hours (Hi-LP), 7 hrs 55 min (Hi-SP) and 1 hr 34 min (Linear PCM). The compressed formats are stored in a proprietary Atrac format developed by Sony, which are basically are only of use on this device. Thus most crucial and invaluable feature, however, is that for audio recordings made from an analog microphone, you can convert the recording to the open .wav format when you upload the recording to your computer. The upload requires the SonicStage software which comes bundled with the device. There is pointless restriction that you can only upload the audio file once to your PC, but then you can convert it to the open wav format (the uncompressed CD quality Windows format), and then you are home free--you can do whatever you want with the audio file i.e. make an unrestricted number of copies, copies of the copies, edit the file using sound software, burn CDs, whatever. The sound is exceptionally clear; I use the ECM-719 Sony microphone (this is great mic, the cable is almost 6 feet long however which is a little too long for my preference). I generally record at the Hi-SP level, and it sounds great. For no loss of fidelity due to compression, you can record uncompressed and still get 1.5 hours on a disc. The manual warns that the device should be plugged in when recording, due to high battery consumption while recording, but I have used it off the battery for short periods with no problem.

This device does incorporate SCMS (serial copy management system), which puts all kinds of restrictions on copying digital files. As mentioned previously, you can only upload your analog-source recordings once to a PC, which is not really a problem as long as nothing goes wrong during the upload, and there is no particular reason why it should. As far as MP3s or other digital music, you can load them onto the device, but you can't copy them again after that i.e. back to the computer. The MP3s are not converted to another format, this device can read them directly so there is no loss of quality. You can also copy uncompressed audio to this device, or you can compress it into the ATRAC format to save space. The highest quality compressed format is ATRAC3Plus, which reduces files size to about 20% of uncompressed, and sounds very, very good. It is supposedly better than the highest quality MP3. ATRAC3Plus is the format used by the Hi-SP recording mode also.

This device also has an extra battery holder which holds on AA battery an can power the unit in the event your rechargable battery fails. This is an exceptional feature; it means that as long as you bring some AA batteries with you, you will be able to power the unit.

The reliablity of the interchangable Hi-MD disks appears to be exceptionally good. They are basically infinitely re-recordable; Sony claims you can re-record 1 million times. They are encased in a well made enclosure, well protected unlike CD-RWs or DVD+RWs. I would guess they are much, much more reliable than CD-RWs and DVD+RWs. They are also quite compact, and make a good replacement for thumb drives, or can be used to back up files. For example, you can use it to back up the wav files from your recordings. Howevery audio files, copied directly to the Hi-MD disks cannot be listened to on the device, you have to download them using the SonicStage software. The songs you download are then placed into the some special files on the disks which contain the song catalog, and all the music--i.e. you cannot manage the songs/audio on the Hi-MD through the Windows file system. This was probably done because of the SCMS restrictions, to prevent from copying audio at will. This is an annoying restriction which means that if you want back ups of your audio on the Hi-MD disks, you must do extra work and consume extra disk space--i.e. backup your MP3 or wav files to the Hi-MD disks as Windows files (which cannot be listened to directly).

When the device is connected to your PC it gets power from the USB cable, and actually appears to even recharge the battery while connected. The LCD screen is adequate but has no backlight, Sony makes a lit version for the next model up from this one, for another $100. You need to basically angle the player reflect off the main light source to see the screen. This is not really a problem for me, but the lighted display is probably more convenient. The fit and finish, as with all Sony devices, is excellent. The battery life when used as a player is quite long, they claim up to 34 hours; reports on the internet report that 20+ hours is common.

In summary, the only downside to this device is the SCMS restrictions, but generally you can still do everything you want to do. In particular, you can record audio from a mic (or from any analog input using the line-in; i.e. old cassettes) and make unrestricted digital wav files out of them.

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I recently decided to abandon the use of my beloved Sony Pro-Walkman Cassette Recorder in favor of the Minidisc (MD) format. As a musician, the lure of being able to capture practice sessions, rehearsals, and gigs in a digital format was too great to resist, particularly with the price of first-class MD recorders dropping in recent years.

After a fair amount of research I purchased Sony's new MZ-RH910. What a delight! This unit (along with its higher priced big brother, the MZ-RH10) continues the evolution of Sony's Hi-MD format, introduced in 2004. (For a great intro to Hi-MD go to minidisc.org's site and look for the Hi-MD faq).

For me the biggest selling points of the MZ-RH910 were:

a) the ability to record in Linear PCM Mode...16 bits/44.1 kHz (i.e., uncompressed audio, CD quality). This is a biggie if you demand the absolute best recording fidelity,

b) the capability to perform high speed bi-directional audio transfers between the computer and the MZ-RH910,

c) the ability to save your uploaded recordings in WAV format (via the supplied software), at which point you can do pretty much anything you want with the file,

d) great battery life...30 hrs of playback in Hi-SP mode when the supplied rechargeable battery is used with a standard AA alkaline battery,

e) to these ears, recording in Hi-SP Mode is virtually indistinguishable from uncompressed mode (Linear PCM) in most cases,

f) very generous recording times...on a 1 GB Hi-MD disc you can get almost 8 hrs of recording time in Hi-SP Mode...[34 hrs (!) in Hi-LP mode],

g) for you MP3 addicts out there, the MZ-RH910 supports MP3, although you must use the supplied software for the transfer, i.e., no drag-and-drop.

Ok, that's all good, but what about the cons? Many reviewers complain about the lack of a backlit display. Yes, that woulda been nice but if you really need backlighting buy the MZ-RH10, which is essentially the same unit for about 100 bucks more.

My biggest complaint about the MZ-RH910 is that if you set your recording levels manually, as I almost always do in my work, the unit will revert back to "automatic recording level mode" every time you stop recording. That's a bit of a hassle...Sony should have allowed a feature whereby you could choose whether you want your default recording level adjustment mode to be "manual level setting" or "AGC" (automatic gain control).

And speaking of AGC, it works great in most instances where there are no sudden volume swings from loud to soft, or vice-versa. If you're doing basic voice recording or, say, recording a string quartet, choir, piano, etc., you'll be fine. But my experience shows that if you have sudden volume spikes (up or down) you'll get weird "pumping" and "clipping" effects. I'm a drummer and I got unacceptable results when recording in AGC mode when my playing had wide dynamic swings. This behavior is not unique to the MZ-RH910 it's a limitation of most AGC systems. Just be aware that if your intent is to use the MZ-RH910 for live music performance with widely varying dynamics, you'll need to manually set your recording levels.

One other drawback I found on this unit is that the headphone output volume is not as loud as I'm used to. The volume output of my old Sony Pro-Walkman Cassette Recorder is substantially hotter than the MZ-RH910. Don't get me wrong the MZ-RH910 gets loud enough for standard headphone use (protect your ears, please!!), but as a musician I often need to plug the MZ-RH910 into external sources via its headphone out jack (no dedicated line-out on this unit). A bit more output volume headroom on this unit would have been welcome, but I've been able to compensate by adjusting the volume on whatever I'm plugging it into (mixer, stereo system, etc.).

On another note, make sure you understand how Sony's aggressive copyright protection scheme works and what limitations it may present for you (other reviewers on this site have explained this quite well). I called Sony to make sure I grasped the whole scenario, with the result being that there's nothing I can't work around if necessary. (Unless your intent is to make pirated digital copies and distribute them will-nilly, you'll be fine.)

All in all I'm thrilled with the MZ-RH910! The bottom line is sound quality and useability -this unit sounds fabulous and is easy to use. Sony's been making great stuff forever and this unit is no exception to that legacy. It was quite a thrill to capture my group's musical performance in uncompressed digital audio, upload it to my PC via the USB connection, convert it into a WAV file, and burn it to a CD. Now THAT'S something to get excited about!!

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The Sony MZ-RH 910 is the second generation of the HI-MD player-

recorders on the market from Sony. It and the MZ-RH 10 do something no minidisc recorder has done before you can record and

play back in MP3 as well as ATRAC3PLUS. The thing I find interesting about both of these new HI-MD machines is that except

for the displays and the model numbers they appear to be pretty much the same machine in many respects. Granted the MZ-RH 10 has the new Organic EL LCD display which is really good looking and very cool too, but I see one possible fault with it. The display looks like it might be easily scratched up. As for the 910 model it is a big improvement over the previous minidisc recorder models that have come before. Plus being able to put almost Eight Hours of music on a HI-MD minidisc in Standard Play makes the new HI-MD discs quite attactive to, and the abiltiy to put

either 45 hours of music or 1GB of computer data on the disc is also a welcome feature. I still wonder if SONY will

make an effort to "push" this format or are they just going to

"throw it in the deep end and see if it swims". I hope Sony will

have more faith in it than they seem to have. One possible drawback is that this model does not include a remote control. It also does not have a charging stand you just recharge the "gumstick" battery in the player by plugging in the A.C. adaptor. I can say after a weeks use that the 910 is a great machine, and works well I have had little or no trouble with the

Software, and the machine itself works quite well. The only problem I have encountered is trying to decide what music pieces

to put on the 1GB Minidisc. I ended up putting all Nine Beethoven Symphonies on the disc, and still had room left over, and that was in the HI-SP setting. This little player recorder promises to be a lot of fun.

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This is my second MD player. My first one was a first generation model from Sony. I was happy enough with that one, but the SonicStage v 2.X software could be a nightmare.

I'll start with the software.

If you have experience with previous MD units, particularly with the SonicStage 2.x software and are hoping they have improved the software, they have. SonicStage 3.0 is a HUGE improvement over 2.x.

-While not a drag and drop interface, the code monkeys did a good job with making this software intuitive. The relatively short learning curve more than makes up for the minimal documentation. Any reasonably computer-literate person should be able to figure out how to do what they want in a short time.

-I'm not sure if this is a software, firmware or hardware quirk, but I've noticed that if I have a disc in my MD player and hook up the USB cable before I boot, SonicStage will insist that the disk was formatted by a source other than SonicStage. I'll add that this doesn't happen every time. This isn't a huge problem. Boot up, start SonicStage, THEN hook up the player and put a disc in.

Sony thankfully did away with limiting the number of transfers you can do in all cases. In previous versions, every track you converted to ATRAC3 had a limit of three transfers. I know there are cases where the number of transfers is limited, but I can't figure out when this applies. I have music I've downloaded from the web, stuff I've ripped from CDs and things I don't remember where I got. The number of remaining transfers in all cases is unlimited.

-SonicStage is a little picky about DRM. I had tracks I'd previously ripped from CDs that had DRM on them. The software wouldn't deal with them. I re-ripped the tracks using SonicStage. They play and transfer just fine with no limit on uploads.

There will be times when the software has appeared to freeze when you are ripping or transferring tracks, particularly if the job is big. However, after the transferring is done, SonicStage updates the disc status, which can take a little time. A little patience saves a lot of frustration.

-I was happy to see that Sony decided to start supporting MP3 and WMA. You don't need to convert all your music to ATRAC3 anymore. I don't know how it deals with the MP3 or WMA format and frankly, I don't care. I do know it transfers and plays both types just fine. That is what I care about.

Tranfers are neither particularly slow nor particularly fast. I'm not a real fanatic about transfer speeds, so this wasn't a huge issue.

You can make playlists and songs are played in the order you want. This is a small point, but sometimes I want songs to play in a specific order.

Now, the hardware.

The player came with some bud-style headphones. Normally, I toss OEM headphones because they are garbage. The ones that shipped with the unit were pretty good. After I tweaked the equalizer a bit to suit my tastes, I was impressed.

YOU CAN REPLACE THE BATTERIES. Sony ships the unit with a replaceable battery. Thank you. My last MP3 player (a Rio Nitrus) was retired because the battery was dying. The addition of the external battery case makes it nicer. I frequently find myself away from AC power for days at a time. Having AA's as an option (but not my only option) is nice.

For some reason, I like the thought of having my songs on removable discs. I can honestly say I've never been in a position where tossing a couple of mini-discs into my bag or in a pocket has been a burden.

The unit is a little larger than previous generation MD players. This isn't a defect or a quirk, it's just something that is. I had two cases that had seen service with my previous MD and MP3 players. The 910 was a little too big to fit into either.

The USB cable is pretty generic. I have two or three of the same type so loss shouldn't be a problem. Sony ships the unit with two extra EMC shields.

The sound. Obviously, you don't expect Surround Sound with something like this, but it's still pretty good. I've hooked it into my home stereo, cranked the volume and it still sounded good.

Disc availability. The unit ships with a 1GB disk. I bought three more from a vendor here on Amazon, but I haven't tried to find any locally yet. I do know the smaller ones are available at the store down the street.

Conclusion:

I don't understand why the MD format never quite took off, or why Sony isn't really marketing these things. I suspect they are the personal audio version of the Brooks leather bicycle saddle. Those who like them, really like them, but they do lack some measure of the techno-sexiness of more agressively marketed units.

I chose this unit because I'd liked my previous MD player (software and firmware issues notwithstanding). This model had specific features I wanted (removable batteries, flexibility in how songs are arranged, mechanical durability) for a reasonable cost.

I would recommend buying one of these, particularly for people who have used MD players in the past. I would also recommend it for people who can't quite find what they want with hard drive or flash-based MP3 players.

I would not recommend them in the following instances:

1) If having a single, self-contained unit is a high priority (it isn't for me, but it takes all kinds).

2) If you use any OS other than windows 2000 or higher. It's kind of a shame that they don't have SonicStage for Mac or Linux.

3) If a high-degree of techno-sexy is important.

Ok, all of my friends have IPODs or some other type of either hard drive based or memory chip technology based devices. And YES, they do cost about the same or less than this device. So why did I spend my hard earned money on an aging technology like the Mini-Disc?

Well, is it really aging? Of course it is, and getting better every minute! Sure, you can record millions of times on any minidisc with no noticeable degradation of signal quality. But I like the long term facts that I'll still have my MDs long after all of those other devices are already dead and gone and buried in some landfill somewear. Now don't get my wrong, my device will be buried right along side theirs. But I'll still have my music collection and most likely a newer device to play them in. And with Sony kicking the tires on this technology and coming up with such things as ATRAC 3 and ATRAC 3-plus, I'm sure that ATRAC 11 is right around the corner! Hell, I've already got 13 CDs on my Hi-MD 1 GB mini-disc and I'm not even halfway to it's storage limit! Sheesh! It's small, it's compact and the MDs just don't break. Sure, it's an aging technology... but something do get better with age, don't they?!

Sony SLV-N60 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR

• 4-head hi-fi VCR with plug-and-play setup
• Commercial skip, digital autotracking adjustment, and parental lock
• Multilingual onscreen display and 8-event/1-month programming timer
• Front and rear composite inputs, 1 set of composite outputs, and coaxial inputs and outputs
• Hi-fi stereo recording and MTS stereo broadcast reception

I guess it wasn't the product fault...it was a refurbished machine that had something overlooked. I am in the process of sending it back

Buy Sony SLV-N60 4-Head Hi-Fi VCR Now

This VCR has a 2nd life and servers the purpose of being connect the a computer to convertor old home movie. It was a good value. alittle rough looking but it is fine.

Sharper Image 720P HD900 HD Camcorder with Touch Screen, 5.0 MP CMOS, Image Stabilization, 3-Inch T

What a great buy!!!!! This camera is great I got it for my son for his birthday, but I sneak and use it from time to time! The touch screen is so cool and the quality of the picture is top of the line. It even comes with a pen for the touch screen on the LCD.

Highly reccomended.

Google Android 4.0 ARM Cortex A9 HDMI HD 1080P Wifi Internet TV Set-Top Box Media Player Black

XBMC is not smooth. Very slow on live streams. Live channel lovers please wait for a better hardware acceleration. Especially crashes all the time. Remote with mouse is very irritating. You need a wireless mouse to have easy access to on screen key board and navigation.

Rgds,

Kalai

I was very disappointed with this item. I bought it specifically to use with my TV (Netflix) and it is not compatible at all. I am not even able to watch YouTube videos. Waste of time product... Buyer beware!!! I will not recommend this item for those of you seeking to use it for the same as I was....

Buy Google Android 4.0 ARM Cortex A9 HDMI HD 1080P Wifi Internet TV Set-Top Box Media Player Black Now

This is a complete Android PC. It comes with some popular websites, and Google Play store. You can install various Android apps. You can use this system easily like all other Android tablets and phones. Many Android apps were written for Android tablets and phones. You can still install and use them, without difference. Of course, you need to shuffle the screen left and right to mimic the touchscreen effect. When you open a website, most likely you enter the mobile version, as the website treats your system as Android tablet. Hard drive is sufficient to install many apps.

There are several disadvantages: 1) YouTube. The latest YouTube version does not work on this Android 4.0. But you can install an earlier version. 2) There is no upgrade on OS to 4.1, etc. There is a pre-installed Upgrade icon, but the connection to server does not work.

I recommend you buying a wireless Air Mouse. It works perfect with this system. In the end, this is an excellent product with good performance (response, stability, heat dissipation, ease to use). Inexpensive and complete Android PC.

Read Best Reviews of Google Android 4.0 ARM Cortex A9 HDMI HD 1080P Wifi Internet TV Set-Top Box Media Player Black Here

I got this since you can add your own apps the self loaded apps take to the webpage On mine the Netflix did not work you get audio but no video i tried some fixes but still does not work . it work good on youtube and any other apps that are compatible. If you are thinking of buying this one don't try another brand

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This is the 4th Android TV box I have tried. It will not launch or run the current version of XBMC. If you intend on using it for XBMC to stream movies you can get much better results from a G-Box Midnight or G-Box Sav for about the same or less cost. At least they work out of the box. If you want the best bang for your money a MK808 beats this thing hands down in performance. It's also less than half the cost at this time. The little MK808 is not without flaw but replacing the stock firmware with the Finless 1.6 ROM makes it a real winner. I bought this one because I wanted to give it as a gift to a friend with an older TV who needed the component connectivity this thing offers. Since it wont run XBMC it's pretty much useless.

USA Gear FlexARMOR Protective Neoprene Carrying Case for Sony , Olympus and RCA Flash Memory Digita

The bag is perfect for the voice recorder I have Sony ICDPX312.

My only complaint is that the packaging and pics show and describe a "removable arm band" and there is no arm band included. Not that I really needed one, but just FYI.

The carry case was just what I needed for my voice recorder , it has those well defined slots for my memory card , voice recorder, ear phones and fits every thing perfectly. The quality of the zipper and the over material is very good too.

I found this to be a great value buy.

Buy USA Gear FlexARMOR Protective Neoprene Carrying Case for Sony , Olympus and RCA Flash Memory Digita Now

I bought this case for my Sony Digital Voice Recorder ICD-PX820 and it fits perfectly. Modern shape. Good quality. Thank you very much.

Read Best Reviews of USA Gear FlexARMOR Protective Neoprene Carrying Case for Sony , Olympus and RCA Flash Memory Digita Here

Allows more storage space than the Olumpus case. Choice of color so you may color code items if you purchase two or more.

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I like the case. It fits the Sony RX-100 camera, with nice zipper for an extra SD card. It's light and flexible. It works.

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Compaq iPAQ 3630 Color Pocket PC

I bought the iPAQ because I wanted to upgrade from my Palm to a color screen, and the Palm color display was just terrible. Enter the iPAQ, a stylish executive gadget with a great color display, and a built-in MP3 player. Add the built-in speaker with a joypad, and this unit would be great for games too! So I ordered one, and after months of waiting, it arrived.

The first thing that struck me was that the reset door was not closing, but rattled like a rattlesnake if you moved the unit. Research on the internet showed that this was a common flaw, but it could be fixed by bending the door with a small screwdriver.

Next I found out that dust had entered the display, and due to the construction of the backlighting, dust particles shine brightly and can only be removed by fishing them out with a long hair. Apparently this too is a common problem, since Compaq forgot to seal the display of the unit, so dust can enter between the display and the touchscreen foil. Compaq does exchange the iPAQ if there is dust in the display, but the replacement unit will have the exact same problems since this is caused by an engineering flaw. So don't bother sending it in until Compaq has a real fix.

The MP3 player proved to be pretty much unusable, because the amplifier is switched off and back on between tracks, causing a deafening popping noise on the headphones. Compaq has promised a firmware update to remedy this problem, but that keeps getting postponed every two weeks, the latest announcement is sometime next year. I won't hold my breath.

Using the unit for games is also all but impossible, because the joypad/buttons are somewhat limited by the hardware design.

Don't be fooled by the metal looking case; it's really just painted plastic, and the paint comes off easily. Just slide on one of the Expansion Packs regularly and see for yourself where the scratches develop.

By now I was subscribed to a forum and found out about a myriad of other problems, including that the symbols on the buttons rub off after a few weeks of using them. Compaq thinks this is normal, so my conclusion would be: don't use them. Great. My advice to Compaq: don't print on metal unless you're certain the paint will stick! The paint on my (plastic) Palm buttons stayed on for two years, and probably will stay on for another twenty.

Would I buy it again? Yes and no. The iPAQ was a great idea, it's currently the fastest Pocket PC around, and if it didn't have the quality problems it has, I'd buy it again. But for this price I expect a unit that works as reliably as my Palm did, that I can actually use daily and not just carry around and not use it to prevent it from becoming unusable.

Unfortunately the demand is currently so great that Compaq seems to be getting away with anything, as people don't care about the problems as long as they can get their hands on an iPAQ. Personally, if I were you, I'd wait a while until either Compaq gets things done right, or the competition comes up with a similar product which doesn't have the problems the iPAQ has.

If you're waiting for the iPAQ to become available again, stop waiting and be glad you didn't spend your money on this prototype that accidentally went into production, and spend your money on something else instead.

I purchased the Compaq Ipaq not out of dire necessity, but mostly because of the many features it has:

One, it looks the best out of all of the PDA's. It has a sleek, futuristic, design, unlike the Jornada, for example, which is just plain black.

Two, the stylus can store inside of the body, so there is less of a chance of losing it and you don't have to carry it around separately.

Three, It has an Mp3 player, which is one of the main reasons I picked it over the Palm and Visor, in which an Mp3 expansion costs as much as the PDA itself.

Four, the writing area is retractable and there is an on-screen keyboard; the Palm and Visor don't have the keyboard, and the writing area takes up precious screen space.

Five, the processor is an Intel Strong ARM 206MHz; the other pocket PC's only have 133MHz or lower, and they're not Intel, which is the best and most reliable processor.

Six, it doubles as an E-book, you can read books on your iPaq with Microsoft Reader and download them from numerous websites, even a thesaurus and dictionary; the Palm doesn't have this feature and the Visor expansion is expensive and you can only choose from a selection of four books.

Seven, one of the most important factors in my buying the iPaq is the color screen; the resolution is the best out there, especially compared to the color Palm and Visor PDA's, which are expensive and have very low resolution. Not much of an improvement from a Game Boy.

I went through excruciating research on the other PDA's before I decided on the iPaq, visiting Casio, HP, Visor, Palm, and Compaq. The Palm and Visor I ruled out immediately after seeing the capability of the Pocket PC's. I looked at CNET, Epinions, and PDA Buzz, and went to my local Best Buy, CompUSA, and Circuit City. I saw that it got high praise from many electronics and technology magazines, such as Best of the Year from Popular Science.

It took me 2 weeks before my final decision. That was two weeks too late, into the middle of the Christmas shopping frenzy. Almost every retailer was out because of the popularity of the iPaq and on eBay, it cost around $600-$700. I finally snagged it at a Brandsmart USA, it was the last one.

A very useful feature is AvantGo, which is included. You can load your favorite web site onto your iPaq for viewing anywhere. Also, you can read the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USAToday, you can play Jeopardy from SonyStation, you can access Yahoo(with movies, news, sports, stocks, etc.), and thousands of other sites.

There are many games and lots of software that you can download for it, like Flight Simulator.

I am very happy with my iPaq, and I would suggest it to anyone. It's good for the music lover, disorganized person, businessman, etc.

Buy Compaq iPAQ 3630 Color Pocket PC Now

This is a great product. DUST DOES NOT ENTER THE SCREEN. People saying that is incorrect. What was behind the screen had nothing to do with dust. Compaq had a problem with a company in Taiwan that installs the screen. Do to poor work tiny glass fragments were left behind. That is what the so called "dust" is. This problem has been fixed with all the new iPaqs. Amazon.com only sells new ones, their will NOT be a problem with the screen. Microsoft activesync has a problem when other usb devices are in the computer. I found Microsoft ridiculous when you call user support. Your best bet is to call compaq where they will give a solution that works perfectly. There is a lot of softweare for the ipaq out, and much more coming. For gamers, go to PocketGamer.org for all the gaming news. You can get great emulators to play all the old Nintendo and SuperNintendo games. I recomend the IBM microdrive or if that is too expensive get the Viking cf card. This is by far the best Pocket PC on the line. The 3630 and the 3650 are the exact same product w/ ho differences what so all. I called Compaq to confirm this. The only difference w/ the new compaq 3635 is the cf card that comes w/ it. The new one costs 100 dollars more, where you can buy a cf expansion pack for 35 dollars. I recomend getting the 3635 or 3650.

Read Best Reviews of Compaq iPAQ 3630 Color Pocket PC Here

I've owned this unit now for 3 months. I've got the PC Card expansion for it, allowing me to use a wireless ethernet card to surf the web when I'm at home. The included applications from contact management to excel and word are all first rate. The synchronization is fantanstic (much better than old CE devices). I actually sync via the wireless card. I read and send my email through this thing. It really is much close to a full function laptop in terms of capabilities that a contact management device such as a palm. I've also got the Pharo GPS device/software combo for it, works great, actually talks you through the directions as you drive! The Reader software is also fantastic. I've read a couple of books (the ClearType is amazingly smooth and readable) and the best part of it is I don't have to leave the light on to read! Your significant other would appreciate that!

I would strongly recommend this product.

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When i first bought my ipaq in november, i hated the fact that my computer wouldnt recognize with active sync all the time. but i found a solution that has yet to fail. do the following:

1. when active states "connecting" and it doesnt connect. take your ipaq off the cradle. 2. when active sync now says "disconnected" click on file, then get connected 3. another screen pops up and on this click next or ok 4. now a screen that shows that your computer is searching for your ipaq on all ports shows up. 5. turn off your ipaq and set it on the cradle. 6. ipaq turns on and connects.

this works all the time when i have the problem and i never have to restart the computer.

email me if u have any questions: stealth123@aol.com

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Sony CDP-CE500 Compact Disc Player

• 5-disc carousel capacity
• Optical and analog audio output
• Plays MP3 files burned to disc
• LCD display shows disc and track numbers
• Remote control included,1-Year Parts and Labor Warranty
• Output Connectors : Analog (L,R) jack x 1, Digital optical x 1 and Control PortUSB x 1

I have only used the unit for a couple of days. So far the CD portion is working fine. I put it on shuffle all disks and let it go. No glitches, all good. Not so when playing mp3s off USB sticks. I have tried 4 different brands of USB drive. In each case the unit plays at most 1 or 2 complete songs. Then in the middle of a song playback stops, the unit shows DATA ERROR and advances to the next song. I have tried drives between 1GB and 8GB from SanDisk, PNY, Memorex and MicroCenter. Same results for all drives. I am in the process of having the unit replaced and will report the results on the new unit.

11/15/2011 update

Kudos to Amazon for a very quick turn-around on the replacement unit. Requested Sunday, received Tuesday! So far I have listened to parts of 4 CDs from 2 different USB drives with no problems. So it appears the first unit was just defective. Will post more when I get more hours on the unit. It is definitely nice to have the USB capability!

12/8/2011 update

I have been using the unit several hours a day since 11/15 with no problems. Having the flexibility to play CDs and mp3s off the USB is really a plus. The ability to erase tracks on the USB when a song doesn't fit my intended mix is a nice feature. I am changing the review from 3 to 4 stars based on the function of the replacement unit and Amazon's great customer service.

Buy Sony CDP-CE500 Compact Disc Player Now

this disc changer is awesome no problems what so ever, very clear sound and it doesn't even skip on CDs with minor scratches on them.

Read Best Reviews of Sony CDP-CE500 Compact Disc Player Here

My husband wanted this CD player for his birthday...because in addition to playing CDs it will also play music downloaded to his computer and then to the flash drive. Our old speakers are

still working great and now the new downloaded MP3 songs can also be played,as well as our special CDs that he has made over the years. Wonderful MP3 player alternative! We've had no problems with the CD player performing perfectly.

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I read some mixed reviews on this unit prior to buying, but I love mine. It works as it should and sounds great. There may be more high-end units out there that are better, but no one should be afraid to pick up this piece. It's sleek and works perfectly.

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I play my CDs quite a bit (average 2-3 hours per day) and have gone through five of these in seven years. They last about a year maybe a little more if you get lucky. My last one lasted 8 months. Then the crazy thing just spins and spins and can't land on a song, be it one CD or five that I'm trying to play. I hadn't been able to find a good option to the SONY but I finally got a YAMAHA that I'm hoping will last longer. For me having a 5 CD player is important and there just aren't many choices out there.