Xtasy Theater 550 Pro Xp Ed.

Honestly, having read enough rave reviews of VisionTek's adapted ATi chipset, this was a no-brainer. Crystal-clear video, and incredibly little CPU utilization.

Save 20% Off

Mini Video Recorder Spy Helmet Tiny Camera Car DVR CAM

Dissapointed that memory card was not noted as being needed. It was also not available at time of purchase so I could have gotten it at same time. I cannot use the camara until I get one.

Sony DVP-S7700 DVD Player

• Component and S-Video outputs
• Dolby Digital (AC-3) and DTS outputs
• 10-bit, 27 MHz digital-to-analog video converters
• 96-kHz/24-bit digital-to-analog audio converters
• Dual discrete pickups with separate lasers for CD and DVD

This is a great DVD player. Only one problem really: This DVD player only supports 96khz/24bit ANALOG output. It downsamples on the DIGITAL output. Sony did this to prevent piracy.

Buy Sony DVP-S7700 DVD Player Now

The best DVD player I have ever seen. Expensive but worth it! Superb picture and sound quality. Dual discrete lasers. Precision Drive System enables this player to play discs that are warped or otherwise less than perfect. The Quick Access Drive allows very fastvirtually instantaneous access to DVD chapters and CD tracks. Great remote control that glows in the dark. The Sony is vastly superior to the Panasonic DVD player I also (unfortunately) own.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DVP-S7700 DVD Player Here

There are many similar purchasers of the Sony S7700 that are extremely disappointed in the sound quality of this unit and have had another piece of equipment previously who's audio was far superior and cost less money. For example, my previous player was a Sony S-530D which had within 6 months lip-sync problems, an audio that would periodically cutout, and a picture that froze and broke-up into pixels (similar to satellite broadcast problems), however, its' audio was excellent when it worked. Now that I have moved to the top-of-the-line in Sony DVD players, I am again disappointed and am of the opinion that they can not make a quality product that is complete. Thus far, I have contacted Sony to see if they are willing to do anything about the situation and to determine if the reported down-sampling of the digital output from 97 MHz to 48 MHz is the cause for the poor sound quality or, if not, whether they will do something about this issue. At this point I am not very optimistic about Sony satisfactorily addressing this issue and offering a fix via a service center. Unfortunately, out of all the buyers who have this same issue and want good sound quality, none have posted results of pursuing the down-sampling fix by MSB to address this issue-does it work or is it something else. This unit was supposedly designed to be a top quality audio player since it has dual discrete pickups with separate lasers for CD and DVD at the optimal frequencies, however, the audio output is dismal at best for both. If I were the manufacturer of this product, I would be so embarrassed about my top-of-the-line product, I would move heaven and earth to rectify this issue, we can only assume that they are either incapable or don't care.

Want Sony DVP-S7700 DVD Player Discount?

I set out to purchase a DVD player to complement my already in place home theater setup. I previously had a second generation, yet ~2 year old Panasonic DVD player with the DTS output. I finally found a dealer with the S7700 in stock and bought it. Once installed, I was thoroughly impressed with everything but the sound. I purchased, along with the player, a 36" Sony XBR WEGA TV, and, as expected, the picture quality was incredible. Unfortunately, I soon realized that I had a problem on my hands. After connecting the player into my sound equipment, there was something missing. The sound on my older player was much better than the Sony. Caveat emptor: If you are looking for a top-of-the-line player, purchase the DVP-S7700. It's ease of use and picture quality are great. If you have already invested a lot of money into a sound system that works great with your current player, beware... you are in for disappointment.

After exhaustive comparisons with the best DVD players out there, only one player could deliver the goods, with no digital artifacts, fastest and smoothest scanning, and for anamorphic widescreen, the chosen format for today and the future, the Sony DVP-7700 is the absolute reference. Not even players at twice the price could reproduce home theater sound without harshness, and bring all the dynamics and excitment like the Sony DVD player. This was well spent money, and defining what I want out of DVD.

DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver

Update 12/17/07 After using this DVR for about a month I am removing a star (*/*****). The machine has frozen several times (to the point I had to unplug it to reset it) while trying to fast forward or rewind, the unit also has very poor support for audio and picture streaming. It needs some serious stability updates!

D*TV customer for 5 years

Previously owned: 2 DSR704 Tivos & an HR10-250 Tivo

About the HR21

The Good: Decent interface design, seems to record what you tell it to, Has an icon in the program guide that shows you if you have marked a program for recording, networking port built in for streaming music and photos, lots of HD channels, good forward and backward "skip" buttons.

The Bad: inability to swap between tuners or quickly see what the other tuner is recording, if you have a DirecTivo you know what I am talking about. Overall the interface is not nearly as nice as a Tivo. The remote control is not really user friendly, I remedied this by using a logitech 880 universal which makes navigating this DVR much more tolerable. NO OFF AIR ANTENNA!!!!, This is almost a deal breaker for me. I was not the person at home when this was installed or else I might have refused this unit. As it is the installer told my wife that all the locals will be available in the next few weeks over the dish. If this is not the case D*TV and I will have a problem. On my HR10-250 I recieved locals from 2 major cities around where I live. Apparently this was done to make the unit cheaper.

Overall: The only thing that really irritates me is the lack of OA support and the inability to flip between tuners or easily see what is recording on the other tuner. The interface is not as slick as a Tivo but suffices once you get used to it. As to how well it records season passes, that remains to be seen. Basically, a fair effort by D*TV at a DVR, not as good as a Tivo, but not as bad as Dish Net. Note: If they fix the local stations issue I would give it 3 stars.

After trying at least 3 of these units, directv has admitted that they don't work over HDMI with about 1/2 of all TVs. They CLAIM this is the TV's fault, not the recievers!! Funny, everyone elses HD units work fine on these TV's, but DIRECTV still insists it's the TV's fault, not their non-functional reciever. Don't accept this junk for your money. Insist on TIVO returning. TIVO works. This unit can't display HD, freezes, drops audio, has lines in the picture, etc. Don't accept it, demand dual buffering. Call and write DIRECTV and insist on it, it's your money. Don't waste it on this non-functional unit. I only wish I could give 0 stars.

PS DIRECTV has also admitted they COULD have dual buffering, but they won't pay TIVO to lease the copyright unless enough customers complain about the loss of dual buffer. I've made it my mission. Call them, write them, stop trucks on the road and berate them. Insist on dual buffering and you may get it back. Remain silent and you'll get nothing. That's direct from directv's customer service.

chase.carey is the president of directv, if you can figure out his email (just think, where does he work?), email him.

Buy DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver Now

Freezes, then freezes, then voices are off ... I'm on my THIRD unit ... After a year I still have to keep the lights on in order to know what buttons I'm pressing on the remote, terrible design ... I had the TIVO remote memorized in a week ... If you cancel recording a show when both tuners are recording for some reason it stops recording but forgets to tell the brain it stopped so it still won't let you change channels ... RESET! ... Now my screen is stuck on step 1 of 2 and won't EVER change ... I hate you direct tv.

Read Best Reviews of DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver Here

First off, for those concerned about the lack of an OTA tuner, DTV is releasing an add-on device (model number AM-21) some time in February. This sits on top of the HR21, is about an inch tall, same width, and connects to the HR21 via USB to enable OTA capability on the HR21. This was undoubtedly done to keep HR21 costs down so people who had no use for the OTA tuner didn't have to pay for it. Initial rumors are it will go for about $59. And yes, the HR21 can record OTA programs even OTA HD programs via the AM-21

Second, DTV has recently updated the firmware for this unit to enable DirecTV On Demand. A service that allows you to download various programs at your leisure--most for free though they do offer PPV this way as well now. This function only works if you've got your HR21 connected to the internet via a broadband connection.

Aside from the new features, the HR21 menu can get sluggish at times, but the ability to record two HD shows simultaneously seems to work great and I've had no problems with playback, recording, or other issues like lockups.

For those wanting to use the HR21 for media sharing, it is NOT necessary to have a PC with VIIV hardware. All you need is Windows Media Player 11 or other compatible software as listed on their website. This again assumes your HR21 is networked to the PC running WMP11.

Want DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver Discount?

Dir-Tv offered 2 of these installed as an upgrade from 2 HR10-250's and frankly they are not an upgrade.

You lose:

1Ability to flip back and forth between tuners.

2Doesn't buffer the two tuners. Have to be recording to go back and forth, but then you have to find your place in the recording each time

you flip.

3-No OTA connection. We live between two "markets" and I lose over 16 local OTA stations, most in in hi-def that the 10-250 would record. Worst is losing the ability to Tivo 6 different HD Public OTA stations. D***tv only has 4 of the locals, none in HD

4User interface is not anywhere near TIVO's.

5These are leased machines which they want you to pay for, and initially wanted to take my upgraded and owned HR10-250's as trade in....

You Gain

1Many more HD channels, which look good and are worth having. Many more HD movie choices, NGS, Discovery, etc. About time for what I've been spending for HD service for the past few years.

2Nice, attractive shiny black box.

I'm going to have them switched out for the HR-20, which I understand has OTA. Wish me luck!

Sony CCDTRV608 Hi8 Camcorder with 3.0" LCD, Video Light & USB Streaming

Hi.

I got this camcorder few days before, and now using it daily almost 5 hours in day. I have listed out some of the Advantasges and problems i face with this new avtar of sony lineup.

1. The quailty of the recorded is very good and i feel happy when i shoot videos inside the house in low light, the lense did a good job.

2 Nightshot feature is also impressive and i have shoot some videos in total darkness and quailty is really good.

3. The battery that comes with the Kit is seems to be OK , if you are not planning to use the LCD while recording. You can also choose the battery with the higher life time.

4. The most welcome feature is the USB straeming of your data by connecting to ur PC. i have brodcast my movie using the yahoo messanger webcam feature and its done very well.

Well now i m sorry to say but this machine has some inbuilt problmes like.

1. If you are planning to capture the recorded video on your computer using the USB and the supplied software named PIXELA, u will be disappointed with the quailty as it was very very bad.

2. The built in light does not seem to have an great extent while working on the low lights.

3. The external Microphone Input is not provided and u have depend on the inbuilt mic.

In last, if you are a new comer and ur requirments are not like gorge lucas , u can easily go for this low budget handycam and enjoy the pleasure of movie making.

I got this camcorder last week to take with us on vacation. Last year we had used a VHS-C camcorder that we borrowed. We enjoyed using it, but we had to get this adapter to play those little tapes in the VCR.

I got this camcorder mostly because it has streaming USB. It is incredible!! Technology sure has changed. The software and driver were easily installed (even on Windows XP!!) and then there was the movie, on my computer!! I could capture stills and then either edit them with the packaged software or export them to Photoshop Elements. It is very easy to use with a ton of features and it even films in the dark!! We went into our bathroom and turned out the lights, turned on "night-shot" and lo and behold we could see in the dark and record!! Also the camcorder just hooks to the VCR so you can play your movies on the TV. It's like have a digital camera and camcorder in one... I am really impressed with this product and am very glad that I got it!!

Buy Sony CCDTRV608 Hi8 Camcorder with 3.0" LCD, Video Light & USB Streaming Now

1. The Camera is esay to use, simple which makes it great for use at anytime.

2. The Camera is stylish and not at all heavy.

3. For connecting to your PC it's easy and works great.

4. Price is great, not too expensive.

5. Disappointment: The pictures are really pixeled and not at all that clear, even at close distances. Even still shots, aren't that clear. I'm not sure if this is related to the PIXELA program or not. Also I have to import the movie and then the sound which makes it hard to even make a 1 minute movie, then edit the sound into the movie and having it come together in unison.

In conclusion: The one most important thing is missing, a clear picture. This is the reason many of us bought this. To capture the smile, laugh, or action of a loved one.

Read Best Reviews of Sony CCDTRV608 Hi8 Camcorder with 3.0" LCD, Video Light & USB Streaming Here

This is my first camcorder of any kind. i have used other types, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, but this is probably the best that i have used. It's easy to learn the basics with and takes really great videos. The USB streaming capability is really easy to use and works great. Pixela seems to pixilate(spelling?) the movies, but it's nothing that really hurts and it's that severe. The NightShot is great, the lamp is really good, and the camera has a few little effects for the pictures. No big complaints except a remote would be nice for playback, and a colored viewfinder. But with a 3" color LCD screen, the chance that someone will use the viewfinder is small. i recomend this camera to anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot on a good quality camera.

Want Sony CCDTRV608 Hi8 Camcorder with 3.0" LCD, Video Light & USB Streaming Discount?

I love it! it is a great quality camera and does alot of stuff. It even hooks up to my computer and lets me do alot of stuff. I can edit videos or copy them off and even stream video like a web cam its great! Works well with WinXP. I bought from Amazon and they got it to me quickly even with the super saver shipping and the lowest price I could find with a free bag who can ask for more!

D-Link DWL-P200 Power over Ethernet Power Injector

THE DWL-P200 PoE has two pieces (the picture doesn't simply show two views of the same unit) one is an injector (combines power and data in the cable) the other is a splitter, which breaks out the data connection and the power in two separate cables. To provide power and network connection for my outdoor video camera I didn't use the splitter).

The units are well-built and work well in my application.

Save 22% Off

Toshiba SDK1000 DVD Player with 1080p Upscaling (NEW Model) (Includes HDMI Cable)

This model number, SDK1000, appears to be a package specifically sold at Costco. It includes an HDMI cable, in addition to composite RCA cables. The DVD player itself is super-thin and slim and small and lightweight, yet it does a very good job at upscaling regular DVD images to 480p, 720p, 1080i and 1080p, as long as you use the HDMI cable. (In other words, upscaling is not available on RCA cables, composite or component.) Image quality and audio quality are both very good. I paid less than forty bucks at Costco for this, and I think it's a GREAT value.

The user's manual is hard to read, typical of electronics. The remote control is actually easy to use, once you get used to its layout, or just use a universal remote if you prefer.

My review is not nearly as technical as others due to me being way behind the 8 ball when it comes to electronics. I bought one of these Toshiba units because my very old Polaroid player would play store-bought dvd's just fine, but would play dvd movies that I had recorded from VHS tapes on my Go Video machine terribly. There were herky jerky movements, skips in the audio and pixillation plus dropouts continuously. I was reluctant to buy the Toshiba because I knew it wouldn't solve the problem, and I would get bogged down hooking it up and getting through the manual. WRONG. My hookup of the RCA cables to my old picture tube TV was easy, and I just popped in one of my old recorded movie dvd's. It played beautifully, with a picture quality that I didn't think possible with my ancient setup. I'll get to the instruction manual later. Thanks Toshiba, for solving my problem. But now I'll probably stay up half the night watching movies.

Buy Toshiba SDK1000 DVD Player with 1080p Upscaling (NEW Model) (Includes HDMI Cable) Now

I debated buying a Wifi enabled Blu-Ray DVD player but decided to wait for prices to fall further. Also, I don't own any Blu-Ray discs so it seemed silly to buy one at this point.

I researched a number of basic DVD players that will do up-converting to 1080p. This Toshiba seemed a good choice. The price was right. Also, Toshiba has a good reputation for relability. My wife has owned a Toshiba DVD/DCD changer for over 6 years and has never had a problem with it. She also wns a Toshiba TV which has been very reliable.

The only downside so far has been fairly slow loading and starting of DVD's. I have an old Panasonic DVD/Cd changer which loads much more quickly.

So far, this has been a good vaue for a basic DVD player.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba SDK1000 DVD Player with 1080p Upscaling (NEW Model) (Includes HDMI Cable) Here

This is my first purchase of a DVD player over $50. All of my previous DVD players worked fine, I purchased this DVD player for the HDMI option for my new VIZIO tv. I like this DVD model, it is slim and looks great, great picture, however the manual is useless. There also does not appear to be a resume option which is very annoying and really unbelievable for the price I called Toshiba for live support, and it is not available for DVD's, only a prompt that is also useless for specific questions or issues other than a bad disk. I'm a little disappointed, but I like the quality and the picture, so I will keep it

Want Toshiba SDK1000 DVD Player with 1080p Upscaling (NEW Model) (Includes HDMI Cable) Discount?

The SDK1000 is avalable from many vendors on the net and almosts all sell as "refurbished".

In fact, Amazon is about the only vendor that sells it as "new".

Now I know exactly why.

I connected it to my TV via HDMI and it worked for a total of about 2-3 minutes and then, it suddenly died.

My TV would no longer recognize it (no signal) and the remote no longer could comunicate with it.

So, It goes without saying that it will eventually wind up as another "refurbished" SDK1000.

It evidenly has too many problems for it to be considered.

Olympus DP-201 Digital Voice Recorder

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

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

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

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

Buy Olympus DP-201 Digital Voice Recorder Now

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

Read Best Reviews of Olympus DP-201 Digital Voice Recorder Here

Olympus DP 201. Digital recorder

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

Want Olympus DP-201 Digital Voice Recorder Discount?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Save 36% Off

Samsung DVD-709 DVD Player

• Horizontal resolution (more than 500 lines)
• Video S/N (more than 68 dB)
• Audio S/N (more than 120 dB)
• Dynamic range (more than 96 dB)
• 5.1 channel surround audio x 6

I have owned my Samsung DVD-709 for over 2 years, and it still works fine. When it first came out, it was truly one of the best top of the line players, retailing then for about 300 dollars or more. It plays DVD, VCD and CD, and is DTS compatible, with S-video and digital audio out. By today's standards, it would be outdated, just like an older Pentium I PC would be. However, most people use their DVD players mainly, if not only, to watch DVD movies. The Samsung DVD-709 does a great job at this and has been very reliabe. Once in a while, particularly with rentals that have some scratches, it would stop or skip, but most players tend to do the same at some point. It has been "old faithful" for me, and I plan to sell mine and upgrade to a progressive player that accepts CD-R/RW with MP3 and JPEG/photo playback (I will probably look at Samsung again). If I was writing this review 2 or 3 years ago, I would have given 5 stars (or more), but this is 2003 and DVD players have become more advanced and cheaper. However, if you want a good and reliable DVD player (or an extra cheap one) just to watch DVD movies, I would definitely recommend this one.

Buy Samsung DVD-709 DVD Player Now

When it first hit the market, this was one of the best DVD players out there. It had all the options, a great remote, and incredible picture quality. Now, however, it is out of date "high tech" DVDs like _Planet of the Apes_ will make this player go nuts, and sometimes just jam completely. So, while this may be an OK starter DVD, there are cheaper models that are more compatible with the current crop of DVDs. They may not have as many options, but they won't break down when watching "The next big release," either.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung DVD-709 DVD Player Here

I bought this DVD Player 2 years ago, and it's still working perfectly. My only major complaint is that if there is a little piece of dust on the disc, the player skips repeatedly. This only really happens with rented discs. And it spit out rented discs of Scary Movie, and The Cell. Also, this player does not play CD-R, DVD-R, or MP3s since it is an earlier model. But the 3-D surround effect is astounding when used through a conventional stereo system. All in all, a great DVD Player for the first time DVD owner, or for a small room home theater.

Hauppauge 1178 WinTV-HVR-1600 Internal Hybrid TV Tuner/Video Recorder

I don't write many reviews, but I thought I'd put in a good word for this product. This is an excellent tuner, especially for the price. I doubt you'll find a better tuner capable of HD at this price range. It handled a SD signal very well. While watching SD television, I could have several other programs running at the same time without a problem. The card handled a SD well enough that the CPU was free to do other things. At one point, just to put it to a test, I had a DVD playing on my television, a youtube video playing in my internet browser, and the tv playing. They all ran fine.

HD was a slightly different story, but that's to be expected. As long as I was only watching the television, everything was fine, but I could forget doing a lot of multitasking. I could run other programs at the same time, but only if they weren't too demanding. My computer's over a year old though, and was hardly a high end supercomputer when I bought it (AMD 3400+ processor). I haven't tested it out myself, but if you've got a newer PC with a dual core, you should see much better performance.

A couple of warnings though. I would NOT get this as a substitute for a true HD television. Even on a very good monitor, the picture just isn't quite up to par with a decent HDTV. The same is true when it comes to recording. It does the job, but its a little crude compared to a DVR like, say, TiVo. There are other little shortcomings too, like a half second delay between the signal and the picture showing up on your screen. Not a problem for television, but it makes playing games nearly impossible. Don't plan on hooking up your console to this thing.

Also, plan on doing a little tweaking when you install it. This is not a plug and play device. I'm not an A/V expert, but I do have some experience installing PC hardware, and it took me a couple of hours to get the drivers and the settings straight. Plan on going to the company's website for drivers and troubleshooting guides. It got me through the install without too much aggravation.

These shortcomings are things you'll experience with nearly any TV tuner, unless you plan on spending a small fortune. They aren't due to flaws in the product. The technology just has some limitations at this point.

Overall, an excellent PC TV tuner. Even on a computer that was far from high end, it ran very well.

Strengths: FAST channel switching, Vista compatible, Remote works with Media Center, Dual tuners for analog and ATSC content

Cons: No HDMI input, Card is pretty wide may not fit in some narrower cases

After upgrading my PC to Vista Home Premium, I discovered that the tuner on my All-in-Wonder wasn't working in Media Center. With a bit of research, I quickly learned that ATI/AMD has no intention of providing Vista driver support for AIW's. Splendid.

After further research, I decided to give this card a try, and was not disappointed.

Based on my previous experience with the AIW, I was anticipating having to jump through hoops to get it working in Media Center. I was pleasantly surprised.

I popped the card in, booted up, downloaded the drivers from Hauppauge's website, and loaded Media Center. It immediately picked up both the analog and ATSC HD tuners.

The picture quality from my analog cable feed is highly satisfactory equal to if not better than my AIW's performance in XP MCE.

This card also features an independent tuner for over-the-air ATSC HD content up to 1080i. This is strictly for over-the-air digital HD content for which you will generally require an amplified antenna. It is not QAM enabled, so you cannot plug in a digital feed from your cable/satellite provider. There is, however, an S-Video port which you can connect to your set top box. This is useless though for HD content above 480p, which leads me to wonder why there is no HDMI port.

I was also very pleased to discover the included remote works flawlessly with Media Center.

Recommended? Absolutely.

Buy Hauppauge 1178 WinTV-HVR-1600 Internal Hybrid TV Tuner/Video Recorder Now

I build Media Center PCs as a hobby for the past 2 years and I've played with a fair share of tuners from Avermedia, Divico, Hauppauge, EMuzed, ATI, nVidia, etc. As I rebuilt my Sony XL-1 CE-EPC, I wanted to swap our the OEM card and an old ATI HDTV Wonder card I put in with something more stable than the OEM analog + HDTV wonder that also fit the XL1 chassis. After using the HVR-1600 for the past 6 months, I'm pleased to report that ATSC tuning/channel change is quite fast, it has good ATSC signal sensitivity and most importantly, stable while running Windows Vista Ultimate Media Center app. I do get a glitch on occasion switching between analog and digital channels with a MCE 'video error' message. I can't target the problem but I will say the OEM analog card + the HDTV Wonder card also exhibited similar issues when switching between A & D channels.

Last but not least, image quality, I find the analog channel has good brightness and decent color saturation (most analog tuner cards have problems with color balance anyways). The digital tuner as expected didn't degrade the ATSC signal and does a great job with brightness, contrast and color saturation as well.

In short, a good balance of price, quality and stability. I even bought it for a friend and he notices improvments over his previous solution.

Read Best Reviews of Hauppauge 1178 WinTV-HVR-1600 Internal Hybrid TV Tuner/Video Recorder Here

The included IR Blaster does not work with the Motorola QIP-2500 STB.You can only record from the channel you are watching.This seems to be just fine and dandy with Hauppauge.Apparantly Hauppauge does not consider FIOS customers worthy of support and don't really want to hear from them.

Haupauge support states that there is no working code.They also state that any resulting inconvenience is the fault of the customer for failing to verify that this" state of the art" device works with current technology.How foolish of me to assume it worked with a small,rinky dink, bit player like Verizon.

Hauppauge does not have any support at all on their USA webpage.There is a UK page that has a good forum, but nobody over their has FIOS so there is really no support.

Hauppage phone support consists of them arguing with you.Email support is nonexistant.They just deny any problems or blame the customer.You cannot get past the stonewalling.Even leaving messages for the USA distribution companies owner doesn't workthey just don't call back.

This is definitely a company you want to avoid.

Want Hauppauge 1178 WinTV-HVR-1600 Internal Hybrid TV Tuner/Video Recorder Discount?

Using this in a dedicated DVR computer in my living room. The quality of the encoding is great at standard DVD spec. Installation was a breeze, and the remote control is well configured.

The reason I'm giving this product 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the software. First, the box included an older version of the WinTV recording software that remained on the machine when I installed the already-available (and much improved) new version. So, I had multiple versions competing to record scheduled programs. Additionally, the WinTV software is hard (if not impossible) to read on a TV screen. Tried all available screen resolutions but no dice. Same goes for the very limited schedule recording application. Very small, very lacking in functionality.

It all ties in well enough to the TitanTV program guide, but that guide is also limited.

Browsing for recorded shows is difficult.

All tasks are impossible without the aid of a keyboard and/or mouse. In my scenario, that wasn't going to work well because I wasn't planning to use either. The remote control, however, cannot be programmed to navigate around the different buttons and icons on your screen.

Enter SageTV.

I downloaded a trial version of the SageTV application, and instantly my experience with this device went from "eh..." to "WHOA!!!!" The SageTV application is an all-in-one deal that works closely with this and other Hauppage cards for the recording, program guide and other functions of the PVR/DVR experience. All text and icons are clearly legible on the screen, and all functions can be accessed via the Hauppage remote.

Setup is easy, and if you set the SageTV app to launch upon Windows startup, you do not need a keyboard or mouse (sidebar I'm trying out a wireless keyboard with integrated trackball right now, and it is nice for things like searching for content, renaming or editing labels on your recordings and so forth, but it's nice that using the SageTV application has freed me from feeling like I MUST have a traditional input device).

With that said, I will say that this Hauppage device is one of the finest tuner cards available and has a very nice remote, but is lacking in terms of included software to the degree that I will be spending $60 for a better software package. I would have preferred no software at all! Some places will sell you a combo 1600 card with remote and SageTV software, but I would recommending getting this unit first, then trying out the SageTV software to see if it is useful for your purposes rather than throwing all that money down upfront.

Tascam DR-07mkII Portable Digital Recorder Bundle with Headphones and Polishing Cloth

• Handheld portable recorder
• Adjustable stereo condenser microphones (XY or AB)
• Up to 96kHz/24-bit WAV (BWF) linear PCM recording
• Stereo MP3 recording from 32-320 kbps bit rate
• Reverb effect

I bought this recorder to record live gigs for my band. I was pleasantly surprised, as it has exceeded my expectations. In a nutshell:

The built-in microphones are extremely sensitive (both a pro and a con). Do not expect to be able to record a live event when you are holding the unit; the noise your hand/grip conducts into the shell of the recorder will will drown out whatever you are trying to record. However, if you tripod mount the unit, you will get exceptional sound quality and clarity.

Additionally, the built-in mics are extremely susceptible to wind. The first gig I tried this at was an outdoor concert on a mildly windy day (maybe 10 mph with gusts to 25 mph) and the recordings were unusable because of the wind noise. I have since bought a "wig" type wind screen from a company in Hawaii called "red headed wind screens", which took care of the issue. Now outdoor recordings, even in heavy wind, are no problem.

Aiming the built-in mics is a bit of an art. They are *very* directional. The first two times we tried it out I placed the tripod-mounted unit about 10 feet in front of the band (4-piece rock setup, Guitar & Amp, Bass & Amp, Drums, Keys & Amp).

-With the microphones in the "inside/crossed" position, all I picked up was the two guitars (Barely any vocals, keys, vocals and only picked up the cymbals on the drum kit).

-For the second set, I tried them in the "outside/spread" position. Then all I got were the keys and the vocals (through the PA) and basically nothing else.

-I've since learned to aim the mics so that left mic is pointing midway between the bass rig/drums, and point the right mic midway between the keyboard & lead guitar (also vocalist). I also make sure that one of the stage monitors (vocals) is pointing roughly at the right mic.

The menus are a bit confusing and the manual is typical "written in Asia and poorly translated". I'm pretty good with electronics, so I eventually figured it all out.

I found that the best setting to use for recording live rock performances is to let the unit automatically adjust the gain on the recordings. It works pretty well, but the first second or two of some songs gets distorted; after that the recordings are consistent at about 0db (+/3 db). If you had an operator for the unit during the show (I am the operator but I'm on stage performing), manually setting gain would probably get you cleaner recordings, since you could continuously dial-in the gain.

As originally stated, the sound quality is pretty amazing once you get it dialed in.

Overall, this is a great quality unit and I am highly pleased with my purchase.

Save 46% Off

Best CeeNee MiniPlus Full HD 1080p Karaoke/Network Media Player. (VOB,MOV,MKV,MPEG,AVI,XVID Video;W

• Supports VOB, MP3-XML, and MP3-CD+G Karaoke
• High Definition USB/Network Media Player
• Supports USB WiFi + 3G
• Play HD movies, music, photos, web browser, karaoke
• Karaoke: Queue songs, search, enable/disable vocal channel, custom playlists. create and print karaoke book

This is just too good product for karaoke.

Its small, decent, easy to carry and fun to have products. It is way better than other karaoke players in the market. Just loved my purchase!!!

Buy Best CeeNee MiniPlus Full HD 1080p Karaoke/Network Media Player. (VOB,MOV,MKV,MPEG,AVI,XVID Video;W Now

Since the CeeNee Inc's head quarter is very close to where I live, I bought the product directly from it. I still have to pay the same price as it is sold at Amazon. I have had it for couple months but I did not try all of its features yet. Here are what I found about the device:

In general it is pretty good. However, I did run into some difficulties that I believe they are defected in either hardware and/or software of the device:

I cannot change the zip code for the weather

I cannot keep wifi connected as default. Every time I power up, I have to connect to wifi again. I think if it is too much to keep user's preferences then the default should be "wifi enabled"

In karaoke mode (and probably in other modes as well) Fast forward and backward seems to work but I cannot resume play.

After getting into karaoke mode, the device brings up a form where I can enter a song name to search. However, there are two issues here. first, the search is very slow with the search form comparing to the search without the form. Second, the song names in the menu are displayed on top of the song index. While this does not hurt much but it degrades the image of the product as well as the company's reputation. Tip: after getting into karaoke mode, the first thing I do is push the menu button to remove the form.

Only youtube application works. The other applications do not work at all. If they do not work, why they are there. At the minimum, there should be a message saying that the app is underdevelopment so that people like me do not have to spend time try to figure out how to make it to work.

In youtube application, after playing a selection, the application continues to the next one at its own choice. I think it should stop and let the user to decide what would be the next one.

In Karaoke mode, the repeat function can only repeat one song, not a group of songs and there is no saved favorite songs or playlists that can survive power down.

We had bad time once, when a friend of mine accidentally disconnected the power cord to the device while it is playing in karaoke mode. After that, the device seemed to work normally but all songs with high index became invisible to CeeNee Plus. We tried to power off and restarted it several times but it did not help. Our karaoke party was scaled down because of that. The next day, I connected the hard disk to a computer and found that there were one folder and one file generated by CeeNee Plus. I deleted them and connected the hard disk to the device again and found that it was back to normal. Now it can see all songs in the hard disk. This recovery should be documented in the user manual. Or it is better to have the device knows automatically that the created files are damaged and they should be destroyed and regenerated automatically. I know many people who sing very often but their knowledge about computers is very limited and they cannot figure out how to recover from an accident like this.

I cannot figure out how to bring a song which is in line to be the next one to play. For example, if I have 4 songs pending, A, B, C and D in that order. Normally, song A will be played next. Can I boost C to the front and play it first without deleting A and B? I cannot find a way to do this.

Since the device is very small and light, the cables connected to it may not allow it to rest firmly on the surface. I wish there is a way to tie it up nicely to the hard drive.

If you use a video-audio cable (likes the one provided) to connect CeeNee Plus to your audio system (since you already get the video with HDMI cable), you will find out that the right channel is dead. After many hours suffering, we accidentally found that the color code is not correctly used on the cable. We have to use the yellow plug which is normally for video, for the right channel audio.

C2G / Cables to Go - 29743 - 50ft Sonicwave S-Video Cable

For the price charged I'd rate this a top quality cable. I got it as well as a composit and Component Video cable to go with a Panasonic HD1000U projector. Can't say i'd complain about the picture. Granted you can get better cables but good luck at this price point for a 50' length.

I purchased this cable to connect my AV home theater system to my ceiling mounted DLP video projector. The required distance was about 40 feet and i was concerned that the video signal might be degraded. To my delight, the signal was perfect. This is a great cable and highly recommended.

Buy C2G / Cables to Go - 29743 - 50ft Sonicwave S-Video Cable Now

Sony ICDTX50 Digital Flash Voice Recorder

This Sony unit is an excellent voice recorder with only a couple of negatives (resulting in a 1-Star deduction). It is not only a very high-quality product, but it's packed with many nice advanced features and options. So here are most of the unit's Positive Features, Official Sony Specs, and at the very end of this review, the Negatives.

ULTRA THIN & LIGHT: There is nothing else on the market today that even comes close to being this thin. So for this reason ALONE, it could be a great reason to buy this recorder (if you can afford the premium price that is). It is absolutely PERFECT for a shirt pocket or clipping onto a notebook (all without the bulkiness and extra weight of other voice recorders). *See my above 2 photos for a "side-by-side comparison" of my 2-year-old Sony ICD-PX820 voice recorder vs. this ultra-thin recorder.

RECORDING FORMATS:

WAV (CD quality) 95Hz 20,000Hz, 44.1 kHz/16 bit, (stereo).

MP3 192 kbps, 95Hz 18,000Hz (stereo).

MP3 128 kbps, 95Hz 16,000Hz (stereo).

MP3 48 kbps, 95Hz 14,000Hz (mono).

NOTE: 192 kbps is considered to be "FM radio" quality, or 75% of CD quality...and 128 kbps is considered to be 50% of CD quality. Also, a "WAV" format (CD quality) records at exactly 1,411 kbps, which is why the audio quality is so superior).

RECORDING TIME: The unit's 4 GB's of Internal Memory will hold...

WAV = 6 Hours.

192 kbps = 44 Hours.

128 kbps = 67 Hours.

48 kbps = 178 Hours.

(The Micro SD/SDHC card slot can hold up to 32 GB's of additional memory).

BATTERY TIMES: Depending on which one of the above 4 recording formats you use, the "Recording Time" on a SINGLE CHARGE will range between 18-24 Hours. "Playback Time" using the Internal Speaker will range between 10-11 Hours. Playback Time with Headphones will range between 19-26 Hours (which largely depends on the size of the headphones).

EQ: There is no Equalizer, but it does have 7 optional "EQ presets" for Playback listening, which are: Clear Voice-1, Clear Voice-2, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Bass-1, Bass-2.

MIC: Has 3 Mic Sensitivity settings: LOW (for dictation/loud sounds), MEDIUM (for small-room meetings/interviews), HIGH (for extra-large rooms/far distances).

"TRACK MARK" side button: Pressing this button at ANY TIME during a Recording or Playback sets a "bookmark" for easier locating later. You also have the option to instantly "divide" ALL of the Track Marks within a recording into their own separate files.

OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE: **Has both "Power Saving Mode" and "Stand-by Mode" options. **DPC option (allows slower or faster playback without changing the "pitch" of the voice). **Cue/Review side buttons (allows you listen to "bits of audio" while in fast-forward or rewind). **Customizable "Easy Search" (allows you to set the length of the "time jumps" when pushing the fast-forward or rewind button, and these times can be set anywhere from 5-Seconds to 10-Minutes). **Allows the option of turning OFF all the unit's "beep sounds" and/or LED lights for your secret recordings. **LCS option (this is a special noise filter that diminishes low-frequency background noises while in the recording mode, such as an air conditioner, "ruffling" of a shirt while in the pocket, outside wind, etc). **VOR option (automatically pauses a recording after a short period of silence, and the unit's "recording buffer" enables the unit to catch "nearly" 100% of the very first word spoken after a pause...as long as the mic's sensitivity is set correctly). **Has convenient Drag-n-Drop capabilities for moving recorded files around. **The unit can PLAY virtually ANY pre-recorded audio format, which include: MP3's between 32 kbps 320 kbps, VBR's, WAV's, AAC's, and WMA's. (How well it sounds as an MP3 music player using the 7 EQ presets I don't know). **The unit can double as a USB Storage Device for pictures, videos, documents, etc.

THE BATTERY: The fact is, the battery in this unit is NOT replaceable, and Lithium-ion rechargeables DO have a limited life span. So when the battery has reached the end of its life cycle, this voice recorder WILL turn into a $120 PAPERWEIGHT. Therefore, I want to talk about prolonging the life of this very expensive voice recorder, which is to say, its battery.

If Sony were to be completely transparent, their spec sheet would have to state the "minimum life" of the Lithium-ion battery...which is 300-500 "discharge life cycles". That means if you let it go completely dead before each recharge, after 300-500 recharges, the battery will have reached a permanent end to its life, and will no longer take a charge... rendering this Sony recorder useless.

So how do you get the longest life out of your recorder? Well, the highly-respected "National Institute of Standards and Technology" (NIST), has published the following results concerning their extensive studies on the life of a Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery.

Charging a Lithium-ion Battery after a...

100% Discharge (dead) = 300-500 cycle life (when it becomes 100% non-usable).

50% Discharge = 1,200-1,500 cycle life.

25% Discharge = 2,000-2,500 cycle life.

10% Discharge = 3,700-4,700 cycle life.

As you can see, a lower discharge before recharging can significantly extend the battery's life, that is to say, its relative "full" cycle lifespan. In other words, the less discharge before recharging will result in "extra" full cycles. A good rule-of-thumb might be to try and recharge the unit after a 25% discharge, which according to the Sony specs, is equal to every 4.5 to 6 hours of actual Recording Time (depending on the recording format used). It doesn't have to be "every" time of course, let's just say "more often than not". But most of all, it is very important not to let Li-ions go completely dead. There is really no faster way to shorten the lifespan of Li-ions other than letting it go completely dead before each recharge.

Also, since Li-ions have NO "memory effect" (unlike nickel-cadmium rechargeables for example, which DO have a memory effect), it is perfectly fine to charge this unit at ANY battery level. However, keeping it ALWAYS plugged-in and charging when not in use is not very good for Li-ions either. Li-ion electrons like to "move around" a bit, and they do not like being charged while at 100%. It puts sort of an "overcharging strain" on the battery, or more officially called "voltage-related stress". (This is exactly why all Apple iPads are designed with a safeguard to automatically STOP the charging current once they hit 100%, and they will not start recharging again until it drops to around 98%). BTW, all this advice goes for ALL Li-ion rechargeables, which include the Li-ion in your smartphone and laptop. However, many smartphones/laptops go into a safe "trickle-charge" mode once they hit 100%, and will then only accept a charging-current that is equal to its natural discharging rate when not in use (which makes it safe to keep plugged-in). So unplugging a Li-ion device when at 100% is not necessarily a universal recommendation...just for this voice recorder.

Various other factors contribute towards reducing the lifespan of Li-ions as well, such as the "charging current" (how many volts/mA/watts are sent out from a USB slot or a/c plug adapter)...and elevated temperatures (anything above 86-degrees Fahrenheit). However, the charging-current for Li-ions is not as critical of an issue as it is to avoid extremely high temperatures, like keeping the unit stored inside a parked car on a hot summer day for example. And lastly, whenever you DO decide to charge, always make sure the unit is turned OFF. When left ON, something called a "parasitic load" will occur, and it will confuse the charging process. A parasitic load is when the unit is actually charging & discharging at the exact same time. Nothing critical here, just a recommendation to keep in mind.

3 NEGATIVES (a 1-Star Deduction): Well, I do agree with other fellow reviewers in saying that the tiny side buttons are fairly difficult to read, locate, and push. Large fingers may have to resort towards using their fingernail tips to push the buttons..."when" you can locate the right one to push that is. Transferring 3 of the more commonly-used side buttons (FF, PLAY, REW) to the FRONT of the unit (where the Stop & Record buttons currently are) would have been a MUCH BETTER design...or at the very least made the side buttons more of an easier to "see & distinguish" color other than all black. (*See the above 2 photos of all the side buttons). A 2nd negative is that the unit WILL automatically shut down after 10 minutes of non-use while in the "Stop" mode, and there is NO WAY to change this. It's a battery-saving feature, but it really should be an "Option" for people who would like to use the recorder on a very frequent basis throughout the workday. Being forced to turn the unit back on every 10 minutes could easily become a significant inconvenience. And why they force you to do this when the unit is supplied with an incredibly long 24-Hour battery makes very little sense. Plus, on a more minor note, there is no "physical" paper manual, only a digital English manual on the CD. You could of course print-out the massive 120-page manual on your own printer, but that's a whopping 120 pages of your ink! However, I found the digital 120-page English manual to be highly detailed and very easy to understand. Though as one reviewer correctly pointed out, some features may take awhile to find in this long manual.

Well, I hope all this info helps! Yes, it has a few negatives, but overall it's a very nice, "hi-tech" looking, top-quality voice recorder, with many great features & options. With proper battery care, this Sony unit should last you many, MANY years, with absolutely no need to upgrade to a newer model.

Bill in Denver

I'm a military police officer, and for years i've used voice recorders for work (mainly for covering my butt). I've used several different types of recorders, and so far this is the BEST one i've ever had. I'ts sleek design makes it easy to place in pocket and remain hidden. the only drawback i see with it is because of it sleek design it worries me, the next time i have to get into a fight and take someone down it might break from an impact. But I've had it for a month now and its yet to break or fail on me. I highly recommend this recorder.

Buy Sony ICDTX50 Digital Flash Voice Recorder Now

For several years I've been trying to be more productive with respect to academics after suffering a major illness that significantly weakened me in many areas, one of which was concentration.

I used this to record myself speaking my ideas into it. This allowed me to get all my immediate thoughts out quickly when I was reading papers for my research. And with Dragon Speak I could put those onto pages to read later.

In any event, great recorder, and I give it a strong recommendation!

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICDTX50 Digital Flash Voice Recorder Here

I have the Sony ICD-BX112, PX312 and now the TX50. I also have an Apple Ipod with the feature of the voice recording. They are all good, depending on your needs. But this last, the TX50 is awesome. I've been in meetings with more than 100 people as audience, seating in the rear of the room, placing it into my pocket shirt and recording it's been amazing. And then, being able to save the recording in MP3 format, what a convenience! I highly recommend the Sony ICD-TX50.

Want Sony ICDTX50 Digital Flash Voice Recorder Discount?

I purchased this recorder for meetings and it picks up even those who speak very quietly. I love that it is so thin.

Save 30% Off

RedFoxSecurity - 720P HD Mini DV,The Thumb DV, Digital Camera Recorder With Motion Detection

Wow, could someone write some directions that make sense? It has a nice picture, when you can get it to work, but everything else is terrible. The directions are a waste of time. you just need to play around with it to get it to work. It freezes up my computer everytime. wasted time and money .

Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera

The person that left the first review obviously has never owned a digital camera before and probably will never like any digital camera. I have 4 digitals and this is my favorite. Why?

1. The size is first. 1"x 3" inches. Fits easy in your pocket or purse.

2. Easy to maneuver menu. Once you get use to the icons.

Downloadable Manuel. http://mustekmu.brinkster.net/Download/manuals/mustekmanuals.html

3. Unlimited video. My other digital cameras only shoot video for 30 or 60 seconds. With the Mustek you can shoot video with audio as long as there is memory.

As for the time between pushing the button to take a picture and when it actually fires. The red eye reduction or self timer is on. If you want to point and click without delay these options should be turned off. Do this by pushing on the left side of the menu wheel scroll down with the down key, adjust with the right side of the wheel, make your selection, and push on the left side of the wheel again. Point and click. Once you are familiar with the icons it is a breeze. Don't forget to adjust the macro select located on the front or the zoom. It is a manual selcet.

Images taken with this camera can be seen at http://www.nauticaloilpaintings.com/my_mustek.htm

I did download the manuel. It is easier to read than the one included with the camera.

This wasn't my top pick by a long shot, but it was my top pick in this price range (strict budget). I chose it for price to feature ratio. I shopped around extensively for the best deal on this camera & Amazon won my vote with price & free shipping.

Features:

-5.0 mega pixels (awesome!)

-Digital Camcorder (limited, but OK)

-up to 4x digital zoom (a bit grainy, needs optical zoom)

-Voice recording (nice bonus feature)

-16Mb internal (20 high quality pix or 45 secs of video)

Other features:

-Self timer (10 sec), red eye flash, SD/MMC card slot, Fine (best) resolution 2560 x 1920(h/w interpolation)

Included accessories:

-2 "AA" batteries, Strap, A/V cable, USB cable, Camera bag (chinsy fabric drawstring bag! Good ONLY for keeping dust off the lens.)

This camera NEEDS a lens cap & optical zoom.

The menu & controls were somewhat awkward. It wasn't as self explanitory as other cameras that I've handled in the past. I had to read the entire instructions (although short) & will most likely have to refer to them until I am more familiar with the camera.

All in all...a good point & shoot digital camera for the money.

------------------

2nd Review...a week later... 3 Stars (Amazon won't let me adj. the star rating)

After messing with it for a week, I'm in the process of returning it. Unfortunatly it didn't meet up to my expectations although there are some very nice features on this camera.

#1 Flash too intense. It washes out all indoor pictures. I've tried putting tape on the flash, no help. I also tried adjusting the white balance, no help. However, the camera does take nice indoor pictures WITHOUT a flash as long as the lighting is very good.

#2 No optical zoom. I quickly learned the diff between opt & digital zoom. The digital zoom is grainy, but probably a nice feature WITH optical zoom.

I'm currently looking for a 2-3MP camera with 2-3x optical zoom.

Good starter camera, but you probably won't be happy with it if you are used to a decent point & shoot 35mm camera.

Buy Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera Now

I've only had this camera for a couple of days, and I didn't buy it for the video or voice capabilities. I purchased it because it had the best features for lowest price in the 5MP still digital camera category (I have a high-end digital camcorder and only wanted something to take still pictures with). I've taken a number of indoor shots with it and they have come out really nicely. I have not used the zoom feature on it (goes up to 4x) yet. I agree with the other reviewer that the controls are not all that user-friendly and I've had to refer to the manual a few times. It also shuts off very quickly if you aren't using it; I think after 30 seconds of inactivity, but that's fine because it saves the batteries. The flash works really well in low-light conditions but never washes out the subject, which is great. The menu has a redeye-fix feature that I've found works very nicely. The only complaint I have is the delay from clicking the button to take the picture until the picture is actually taken; it's tough to take photographs of anything that might move unexpectedly like animals or children because you either miss the moment or it blurs a bit. Also, so far it seems that it doesn't show you a preview of the picture on the LCD after the picture is taken, but I have to spend some more time looking into the menu features. I might just be missing it. All in all, a really good camera, fantastic for the price.

Read Best Reviews of Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera Here

I bought this camera because of the great price for a 5MP (Hardware resolution) I agree with all the prior reviews that:

1. Menu not very user friendly, but can be learned with book

2. Zoom is horrible not able to get a good picture at 4x zoom.

But in addition:

3. Great for regular shots very clear crisp pictures, but there is a little bit of a delay.

4. I LOVE the size of this camera, very easy to carry (got cheap camera bag @ walmart)

5. It runs on 2 "AA" batteries which seem to last a lot longer than other digital cameras I have used. I have only had to change the batteries once.

Over all, this is a great beginner camera for easy shots. Easy to attach to computer and download pictures.

The 3 stars is because of the zoom and menu otherwise I would give it 4 or 5 stars for price, size and picture quality.

Want Mustek MDC-5000 Digital Still Camera Discount?

Recently bought this camera for my 10-year-old daughter after her hand-me-down digital stopped working. The Mustek MDC-5000 is an excellent camera for the money. Compare its features with other similarly priced cameras and you'll see this one comes out on top--particularly when you compare resolution and special features (incl. sound recording, a nice extra). Not a bad shutter lag at all, hardly noticeable. Small, fits into the palm of your hand, and easy to operate (provided you've used digital cameras before; if this is your first digital camera, take the time to understand the menu details).

Be advised this camera obviously can't be expected to compare to far more expensive models. If you want a digital to match what your old 35 mm SLR could do, then drop your cash on a digital SLR such as Canon's Digital Rebel. If you just want a handy little digital or one for a kid, I think this is the one if you cannot afford to spend more.

HUGHES DirecTV DVR TiVo Satellite Receiver SD-DVR40 SDDVR40

The product might have been ok but uawl want believe the story.

I received the Tivo and called direct tv to obtain their card number that would start the service.

Every unit needs to be activated. The young lady told, after I gave her the units serial number that

She was not able to activate the unit. Why I asked? "THE UNIT STILL HAD AN OUTSTANDING BALANCE"

I was going to return it but the cost toWdo so would be $17.90. The unit cost was$43.00. This i the third time I have had problems with sellers other than Amazon Direct.

As I said in the beginning of the reponse the unit might work ok.

Something to ponder isn't it. BW Dallas Tx.

I've had the DirecTV Tivo's for some time now. After many years of good service, one of the standard definition units lost its dual-tuner capability. I purchased a used replacement unit from an Amazon store front since I wasn't ready to upgrade to HDTV.

When I called DirecTV to activate the unit they said it came from an account that "was not in good standing" and they refused to activate the unit. I don't know why they refuse to let you use hardware associated with an account (I do understand why they would not let you use the old access card) but they simply will not.

So unless you're buying these used unit strictly for parts, consider yourself warned that DirecTV may not let you use the unit.

Buy HUGHES DirecTV DVR TiVo Satellite Receiver SD-DVR40 SDDVR40 Now

Products was exactly what I expected when received. I received product within days. Was satisfied with purchase. I have owned the product before; however, you can't purchase this exact model new anymore. Hope to get years of service with this product!

Read Best Reviews of HUGHES DirecTV DVR TiVo Satellite Receiver SD-DVR40 SDDVR40 Here

purchased one seller said was used excellent condition. this was a lie, item i received was full of dust and dirt and had to use a spray duster to clean it out completely filthy and i plugged it in never loaded up...buyers beware

Want HUGHES DirecTV DVR TiVo Satellite Receiver SD-DVR40 SDDVR40 Discount?

Roku SoundBridge M1000/M1001 Network Music System

• Wireless digital music receiver for streaming music from a PC or Mac to any home stereo or surround sound system
• Native support for Apple iTunes and Rendezvous, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Player 10, and Rhapsody
• Compatible with Windows Media DRM 10 music services, including Napster, MusicMatch, and Walmart.com
• Easy-to-read 280 x 16 vacuum-fluorescent display with 4 EQ music visualizers; built-in WiFi and Ethernet interfaces
• Ultra-fast 400 MHz Blackfin DSP; measures 10 inches wide by 2.37 inches in diameter; 1-year warranty

Note that there is no functional difference between M1000 and M1001. Also, both devices are equipped with 802.11b which is perfectly adequate, so not having 802.11g is probably irrelevant. The following are some observations:

Pros:

1. Intuitive UI design for browsing.

2. Attractive industrial design.

3. Able to play internet radio without the computer on.

4. Natively supported by Media Player 11. No additional software needs to be installed.

5. Good sound quality. Optical port is a plus.

6. Painless firmware upgrade. It is done directly over the network. No need to disconnect or reconnect anything.

7. Reasonably priced.

Cons:

1. Does not support double byte languages.

2. Could have given better diagnostic messages when media server is not found.

3. LED of the optical port is always on, even in standby mode. I wonder if it will wear out.

4. Standby mode still draw 3 watts of power. Most of my other gadgets draw only 1 watt of power at standby.

You need some knowledge of wireless network setup and firewalls to get this device working.

Yeah, it is still a 5 stars product. Despite imperfections, it is still more fun than chore. That is a lot more than I can say about a lot of other hi-tech toys I own.

Buy Roku SoundBridge M1000/M1001 Network Music System Now

I bought a Roku SoundBridge M1000 last month with two objectives: Firstly, I wanted to listen to the MP3s on the stereo in the living room (without resorting to CD-R), and secondly, I wanted a to turn my PC into a "media center" and get out of the business of trying to find a CD in a cupboard of hundreds of non-alphabetized CDs. The Roku SoundBridge achieved both goals, though not without difficulty.

The SoundBridge appears to be solidly built and looks stylish on the sideboard. No need to hide this one away!

Initial set up was straight forward. It worked with both Netgear and Linksys wireless routers with WEP, and within about 30 minutes I had achieved objective #1.

Sound quality is very good, and herein lies the problem MP3s that are great through PC speakers, sound lack-luster through a good stereo. The problem is inherent with MP3. I needed loss-less compression. SoundBridge, in conjunction with the excellent and free FireFly media server, can play FLAC format and sounds absolutely spectacular when it does every bit as good as the original CD. Unfortunately, the configuration is not straight forward. It took me several days to figure it out and maybe beyond someone less technically savvy. Roku should add native support for FLAC and remove this burden from their customers.

Another gripe the WiFi is "b" and not "g", was not robust enough to run from one side of the house to the other, especially with high bandwidth material e.g., loss-less WAV and would "rebuffer". I gave up on wireless and ran a wire and plugged it in. With CD's ripped as FLAC and a wired connection I achieved objective #2.

Read Best Reviews of Roku SoundBridge M1000/M1001 Network Music System Here

Since moving into our current house and with the establishment of our wireless network, I've gone through some grief trying to connect the family computers' music collection to the central sound system in the main family room / den. Our setup consists of a Motorola broadband modem wired to a Linksys Wireless-G router wired to the two computers in the study. There is one wireless access point in the den, as well as a new, third computer, which connects to the wireless network via a Linksys WMB54G Music Bridge (I'll explain).

Last Christmas, I bought the Linksys Music Bridge for my parents, with the idea of broadcasting music to it from the computers located in the den. I had read about the problems encountered with trying to make it work, but I saw it as my only real option at the time and decided to risk it. Following some of the user-created tutorials here and elsewhere on the net, I managed to get it working for periods at a time.I say periods at a time, because inevitably, it would lose connectivity and the bridge software would not be able to pick it up, requiring me to tinker with it to try and reestablish a connection. Recently, it seemed to stop connecting altogether.

I read about the Apple Airport Express, so I picked one of those up. I brought it home from Best Buy and plugged it into a socket just behind the main entertainment system's cabinet. It has one light that blinks amber if there is a connection issue or solid green for an established connection with the network. Going through the configuration routine a couple times, I was able to get it to connect to our wireless network without nearly as much trouble as I had 8 months prior with the WMB54G. The only drawback to the Airport Express is that you can only access it with iTunes, which, when an external speaker connection is detected, creates a dropdown box in the lower area of the main window that lets you select which external speakers or Airport you would like to output to. To me, this felt a bit limiting, but I would probably have lived with it, had I not encountered an anomaly:

Now, I was planning to junk the WMB54G, but we had just bought a third computer (den), which of course needed a way to connect with the network. On a whim, I plugged it into the Linksys Music Bridge. Lo, and behold, it was able to use the Music Bridge like a wireless modem! (so it wasn't a total loss, after all). However, opening iTunes, it was somehow unable to see the Airport Express, and despite my efforts, I never could get the dropdown box to appear. I wasn't about to have a 2/3 solution, so back the Airport Express went. I scanned the isle, and there was the Roku M1000. It looked promising and well-made, so I bought it.

I cannot describe how cool this thing is! Setup of the Roku M1000 to the network was a real pleasure, for a change! In the first place, all setup configuration is performed at the Roku itself, using the remote and the display, which sure beats the heck out of going through a setup routine at every computer on the network! The Roku is an electronic Einstein compared to the others. It found and displayed the network name on the screen. I told it to connect. It immediately acquired all the right IP/gateway information without me having to baby it. Awesome!

Second, the Roku is smart enough to be able to scan for and find music sharing servers on the network by itself, without any additional software installed on each computer. I have not tried WMP specifically yet, but so far, whenever I have had one or all of the computers running iTunes with sharing enabled, the Roku would always find and display their library names on the screen. Sweet! Then it's just a matter of choosing one, and deciding which browsing method to use. That simple! It also will connect to hundreds of internet radio stations, right out of the box! So, even if you have not set up a music collection on your PC, you can still use it. It also shouldn't be overlooked that, unlike other devices, you don't have to go to the computer to play music from it. Since the Roku has its own display, you can browse and change the music right there, using the remote.

When I contrast my experiences regarding other devices, such as the Linksys Music Bridge and Apple Airport Express, both of which are more limiting and more prone to setup issues, with the Roku M1000, I feel that everyone wanting to get music from their PCs to their home stereo system should be made aware of this little guy, as it is by far the easiest and most versatile solution out there.

Want Roku SoundBridge M1000/M1001 Network Music System Discount?

Being able to play the music in my PC anywhere in the house is killer. My CD collection is in the basement and that's where it's going to stay. In the past I'd connected my mp3 players to my home system, which worked well, but they had to be loaded and recharged, and they couldn't carry ALL of the music stored on my PC, which made them somewhat limiting. All of that is over. With a wireless network music player, I can listen to EVERYTHING, whenever I want, anywhere within the range of my network.

The Roku Soundbridge is a great addition to my collection of gadgets. It was easy to set up and connect to my PC. I initially connected it through Itunes, which allows any Itunes radio station to by played through it in addition to all COMPATIBLE format music files. I have also installed Windows Media Connect in my PC, which also works very well for sharing files on a wireless network (which the Soundbridge is connected to). Media Connect starts with the PC startup and runs in the backround, and it doesn't eat a ton of memory like ITUNES does. So if you don't have or don't like ITUNES, that won't stop you from using the Soundbridge. But I haven't spent any time yet trying to get internet radio through Windows Media Connect, so I can't tell you how accessible internet radio is. For now, when I want to listen to internet radio, I start ITunes, then shut it down when I've finished, even though my PC can easily handle Itunes in the backround. I just don't like to keep it running when I'm not using it (just a personal preference).

Wiring the unit to the stereo system is very easy. Browsing the Soundbridge is fairly easy, and it has a great sound. You'd never know it's wireless. The adjustable volume feature is KEY, because you don't have to keep the volume control for the reciever handy. Just keep the receiver set at the loudest you want it to get (with the Soundbridge at 100%), then control the volume with the Soundbridge.

It has a cool, compact look and bright (dimmable) display, which allows it to be either the center of attention, unobtrusive, or hidden, depending on your preference. I like gadgets, so mine will be very noticable.

JUST DON'T LOSE THE REMOTE!!

I was very excited to get this for X-mas last year, but instantly became disappointed when I was unable to get a wireless wi-fi connection outside of the room with my router. All of the other wi-fi devices in our house connect well, especially with the Linksys booster in the kitchen, but not the Soundbridge. I have given up on wireless, and am now trying to figure out how to directly link it to our stereo, which is currently far away from the router. On the plus side, the configuration and controls are great when it does connect, but this unfortunately doesn't help me. Beware of this device if your goal is a wireless connection across any distance.

Ematic EM608VIDHP 3-Inch Touch Screen 8 GB MP3 Video Player with Built-In 5 MP Digital Camera(Hot P

• Hot Pink

Bought this for my daughter and she loves it. Yes it has some issues, but from my experience all of these cheaper mp3 players do. If you want something that is great for a kid or preteen because they may not take the best care of it then this is a great prodcut for you to purchase. If you want something comparable to an ipod...then just buy an ipod. Fun features on it that my daughter loves are the camera, games, touchscreen, etc.

Buy Ematic EM608VIDHP 3-Inch Touch Screen 8 GB MP3 Video Player with Built-In 5 MP Digital Camera(Hot P Now

I had read a lot of reviews about this player and some were pretty bad, and I also saw that Amazon and other places had almost sold out of them. I figured Amazon wouldn't stock a faulty item over the long term, plus the newer reviews seemed to be more positive.

I give it 4 stars because it does what it's supposed to do. I load videos, songs, listen to the radio, listen to recording I loaded on there flawlessly.

I gave it 4 stars because I don't think the camera is as good as advertised. The picture quality is somewhat grainy, but then, I've never taken videos under perfect circumstances.

The complaints I read had to do with the device freezing up. The directions say that it's not made for big files and will freeze up if you try to load them. I think some of the problem is with the somewhat less than perfect interface with Windows Media Player, Real Player, etc and the conversion software that comes with it. The software, if you read it while it's converting, says "unconverting files". Well, that's a program glitch. Every media file that you want to load has to go through the conversion program before it will load correctly only the player. Once I realized that, every video played just fine.

The FM radio is great too. Some of the complaints are that you have to reset the radio every time you play it. Well, not if you hit the right button, you don't. It scans automatically when you hit the scanner button. Otherwise, it automatically goes to the last station you played when you had it on before. It also saves in a list all the radio stations that it picked up. But you do have to let it scan all the way up the first time.

Also, when turning it on and off, you have to press the button and hold it down for about 10 seconds before you see a change. It's a little slow that way.

The problem, as I see it, is that it's not an iPod, it doesn't have the seamless interface that maybe people are expecting.

And you have to read the manual all the way through.

Read Best Reviews of Ematic EM608VIDHP 3-Inch Touch Screen 8 GB MP3 Video Player with Built-In 5 MP Digital Camera(Hot P Here

Very good quality. Love the camera and taking pictures. Reasonable price. Plus there was a radio. Screen quality not the best but its great for the price.

Want Ematic EM608VIDHP 3-Inch Touch Screen 8 GB MP3 Video Player with Built-In 5 MP Digital Camera(Hot P Discount?

Not recommended.

1.Device froze up often. Tiny reset button would fix it, but freezing was a persistant and an annoying problem.

2.Windows Media Player would not recognize it. User manual did show that you needed to open player and music files through "explore" and transfer music that way which was managable. But then....

3.Computer stopped recognizing that the device was hooked up to it at all. Maybe just a coincidence, but my computer crashed a few days later. Using recovery disk and running diagnose computer, it said something about a malfunction from a device connected to the computer. Hmmm, could it have been this device?

Bought 2 of them for my granddaughters. Had to start resetting them from the first day. One lasted a month and the other about a week longer. I notified the company and it would have costed another time as much to get replacements. Needless to say I didn't. 2 out of 2 is not a coincidence, it's junk. Very disappointing product and company.

Mintek MDP-5861 5-Inch Portable DVD Player

• Portable DVD player with 5-inch widescreen LCD, stereo speakers, and anti-skip protection for active use
• Plays DVD-Video (PAL/MULTI/NTSC), MP3 CD, and Kodak Picture CDs
• Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround output through optical digital-audio connection facilitates hookup with an audio/video surround receiver
• Includes rechargeable lithium battery, vehicle DC power adapter, AC power adapter, and audio/video interconnect for use with home theaters
• Measures 5.4 x 1.4 x 5.6 inches (W x H x D)

The product worked nicely easy to set up and use, nice picture and sound. But I purchased this portable DVD player in August. Within a month I had to send it back for repairs, as the power connection and headphone connection jacks were loose. I was lied to three times by the customer service department who said my unit shipped and then it turned out it didn't. By the time I receive the supposedly new unit, I will have been without it for nearly 2 months because of their poor customer service. Watch out!

Buy Mintek MDP-5861 5-Inch Portable DVD Player Now

I got this unit as a Xmas gift and it already screws up. The unit constantly locks up. I will be returning it for a unit from a differnet manufacturer.

Read Best Reviews of Mintek MDP-5861 5-Inch Portable DVD Player Here

I today had to send back my MDP-5860 model to the company. The DVD player screen stopped showing movies today. I called the company and apparently the 586x models are all having this problems and they are all being recalled back. Worst thing yet: I have to pay for shipping to send it back to them so that they can send me the EXACT same player back. Definitely NOT WORTH THE HASSLE. I'm going out today and buying myself a Toshiba or Sony; those brands, at least, you can trust.

Want Mintek MDP-5861 5-Inch Portable DVD Player Discount?

After two months of moderate, gentle use, the picture tube died. It went completely black. Sent it to Mintek. After six weeks, they sent me a new one.

Within three weeks, the picture started to freeze on the NEW one. Then, the picture tube ALSO went black. Mind you, neither unit had been dropped, left in the sun, and were fully charged or running on house current. Sent this one to Mintek, too. Haven't heard from them in two months.

I bought the Mintek through Amazon because I had planned a trip for the holidays and wanted to use it on the flight. The price seemed reasonable compared with other players. From the day I received the player it failed to work. Initially it loaded the DVD (the Godfather) but immediately began skipping. After about 15 minutes it froze and refused to play at all! When I turned it off and re-booted the disk it displayed "Loading" but froze and never loaded the disk. This occurred with every disk it put in. Mintek tech support was inept and useless and the user manual was no help. I returned the player for a refund. I recommend you stay away from Mintek products.