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!

Sony DMXNV1 Bravia Internet Video Link

• Streams videos directly from content providers with broadband connection
• Integrates with the Xross Media Bar™ (XMB)
• Allows access to the latest weather, news and traffic at the touch of one button
• Access content through the TV remote control
• New video service partners may be added to the XMB™ to expand video choices

Unless you are prepared to watch video clips, from 1-5 minutes, with poor video (Not HDTV quailty), poor sound (Not Digital quality). I was lead to believe I would be able to watch full length movies and TV shows, not trailers. What a laugh!!! Don't bite!! Don't waste your money!! Spend it on a Blu-ray player instead.

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When Sony announced the Bravia Internet Video Link, the concept sounded great. VOD on my TV controlled by the same remote and all native.

BUT this product is nothing more than a dead-end. The content is lackluster at best and totally out of date. The video quality is no better than a YouTube-ish website and the sound as abysmal. Its such a sad shame that Sony botched this up. It really does not add up to a worthwhile purchase. I do hope Sony learns from this mistake and puts in a more scalable VOD system directly into their Bravia TVs.

Sony has updated the Bravia Internet Video Link but I can't run the update until I update the Sony Bravia XBR KDL-32XBR4 32" TV... and to do that I need to call some 800 Number.

IF you are looking for a VOD Product that has HD content and seems to have a direction (albiet slow one at best), I highly recommend the Apple TV 160GB.

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Though the price point of $299 USD is still disproportionate to the benefit, the recently announced addition of Amazon downloads makes this a more compelling option. That said, if one already has an Apple TV and/or a Roku box, you are likely already getting better entertainment value in the long run compared to this device.

If Amazon offers a superior VOD selection than the current 'direct to TV' streaming options, this could quickly change. However, we will ALL have to wait until the new VOD service is launched to 'all' existing Internet Link users (not just select ones) later this summer.

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The BIVL attaches to the back of the TV, and you control it with the TV remote. It has YouTube, clips from a variety of sources, and just recently, Amazon Unbox. The interface consists of some nice semi-transparent menus over a soothing blue background.

That's the good part.

The downsides are many, compared to the AppleTV (ATV) which is similar:

The interface always seems to lag a little compared to the ATV.

We have fast internet, but Amazon Unbox is much slower than ATV, and doesn't show trailers. Painful.

Most of the other programming is junk, some of which I had to block on my home router since I didn't want my kids watching it and there aren't any parental controls that I could find (e.g. "Fright Night" movie)

Directions on hooking it up aren't very good, took me about an hour to realize that you have to plug in the USB cable between the device and the TV to allow the remote to control it.

Bottom line, we have an AppleTV and the BIVL, but we rarely use the BIVL -mostly when we find ourselves thinking, "Gee, there's gotta be *something* good on there..." There hasn't really been much yet that wasn't on the ATV. If you don't want an ATV, though, this at least lets you watch YouTube clips and Amazon Unbox movies/TV shows.

If hulu shows up on either, my story will change.

Save 40% Off

I read a lot of so-so to bad reviews of this. But I got one anyway because I found out it now supports Netflix. I could not be happier with it. I have not yet tried the Amazon "on demand" feature and most of the other features are worthless. But the Netflix steaming does everything I want it to. At $199 it's a huge rip off. Buy a Ruku for less. I got mine for just over $50. Hope this simple review helps.

Zoom H2n H2 n Deluxe Digital Recorder System with Accessory Pack, Soni-Case, 16GBSD, HP10 Headphone

• Includes Zoom H2n as Packaged by Zoom PLUS:
• APH2N Accessory Kit for Zoom H2N plus 6 foot Stereo Mini Cables
• Soft SoniCase Carrying Bag for Travel/Storage and Protection
• Samson HP-10 Heaphones For Monitoring and Playback
• (4) Energizer Lithium-Ion 8x Batteries for Long Recording Sessions

Very good value and a convenient way to get the essential stuff. The remote is fantastic!!!! Earphones are what you'd expect for the next-to-nothing price, so you may want something better. The bag is a generic lap-top bag that requires creativity with it's non-specific design. But hey, did I mention it's inexpensive?

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Records awesome clear sound, only downfall is indeed the lack of soundproofing the case, so if you are handling the device while recording you need to be very carefull not to rub hands on the case, it makes very unpleasant noise on recording, but for using with stand or mounted as a boom is great!

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I needed an easy way to record music in different rooms of our music building (other than music hall which is setup for recording). This records to a WAV file in stereo, surround, and other mic positions thus making it easy to dump to the computer and edit with your favorite software before burning to CD. There are some editing options on the unit itself like Normalizing which is very cool for digital recording. I bought a tall boom stand and an adaptor for the boom stand that converts threads it to a camera mount (http://www.amazon.com/CM01-Camera-Digital-Recorder-Adapter/dp/B001GWCC4I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333374507&sr=8-1)...which fits the bottom of this mic. One can adjust the input levels with the volume wheel and watch the meters grow and shrink so as not to go over zero DB while recording. For me the meter is on the correct side of the unit because I am recording other people/groups. If you buy this to record yourself this could be a problem because there would be no way to see your levels as you record...you would have to experiment with a few takes and play it back to make sure it is loud enough or that you don't distort by going too loud. For the price this is a great, simple way to record. I recommend.

Sony HDR-UX10 4MP DVD High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom

Excellent HD cam at a low price,

it's a SONY,

the video quality is very very good, 1080i! FULL HD, crystal clear.

the 5.1 channels mic records amazing sound.

the menus are easy to use, if you dont get it: use the "easy" button, it sets up the cam and you're good to go.

the photos are very good taken thanks to the "Steadyshot" feature and the integrated flash. You can take photos at any time during video recording.

the "night shot" func. really works.

it fits in your hand perfectly and it has a good weight, not too light nor heavy.

transfers to PC are easy and fast. just connect the usb, it's software detects it and download the videos, once it's done you can watch the videos on Windows media player, if you have any issue doing so, just google: "ffdshow" and download this codecs pack, so your pc can play almost any kind video out there.

If you have a PS3, just plug the memory stick and play the vids.

The photos can be transferred without using the sony software just copy/paste.

Opportunity:

-The Slow motion feature could be better, you won't get good video quality using this function, it's helpful if you just need to observe something in slowmo but not if you want to make an artistic video or something like that. What i do is take the regular video on HD and slow it down with Windows Movie Maker ;P (You can speed it up too)

This a very good HD camcorder for the price; you can't go wrong with SONY.

Edit: here is the link to the actual codecs you may need to play the videos with Windows Media Player,Just install them and you're good to go.

I picked up this little gem for around $425. I compared it to more expensive Sony HD camcorders with built-in hard drives, but ultimately decided to go with the MS/DVD camcorder so I could catalog my movies, avoid having all my stuff on one hard drive (in case of camcorder loss or hard drive failure), and did not want to have to use a PC as an intermediary device.

We took this camcorder on a recent trip to Washington DC, and all I can say is this: the picture quality of the videos at the highest quality HD setting is simply stunning! Every little detail shows up incredibly well when the movies are replayed on my Panasonic 58" plasma at home. The 5.1 Dolby sound is incredible too.

It's really easy to dub movies from the MS to the DVD using the camcorder. I picked up two MS Pro Duo cardsan 8GB and 16GB. Between them, I can record 180 minutes of 1080i video. Be warned thoughif you intend to record solely to DVD, you will only be able to store about 15 minutes of Hi-Def footage at the highest quality setting.

I usually record in Hi-Def onto the MS cards, and record SD video directly on the DVD's.

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I'm very happy with this camcorder. The definition is awesome especially in good lighting, not so good in dim lighting, but I think that goes for all camcorders. It's recommended to play back the DVD's on a compatible player like Blue Ray to get HD, as a matter of fact in the instructions it warns against playing the movies back on regular DVD players because it could erase/damage your disk. I recommend buying the double sided mini DVD disks, each side holds about 25-30 min of video.

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I researched new high definition camcorders costing anywhere from $100 to $1,000 in hopes of finding a good one for around $300 $400 which I found was virtually impossible considering the technology is so new. I stumbled across this one on Amazon and was immediately impressed with it's specs, but not too impressed with it's price tag of around $550. To my surprise, Sams Club had this exact one marked down for $270 as it was the last one they had in stock. I immediately purchased it having read the great reviews on it.

All I can say is: AMAZING!!!

I highly recommend this camcorder as it takes exceptional high def videos. It has great specs including Low Lux capabilities for night shots and movies. Although the accessories are endless on this device, it just proves how professional it really is. You can swap out the lens, add extra light, cases, batteries, etc. I don't expect my review to change people's minds, but all I can say is if you can find this camcorder at a decent price, you will not be upset. It is a hybrid which means you cna record to 8cm DVD which by the way plays in a PS3. It also allows you to record to the Sony ProDuo Media cards too which some of the newer Sony models don't let you do.

The picture quality is spectacular and the mic is amazing on it allowing for 5.1 surround sound.

I RECOMMEND THIS CAMCORDER!!!

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I wanted a camcorder to record AVCHD directly to DVD media and play immediately in one of my Blu-ray players (one is a PS3). This camera looked like a good choice and I am very happy with the purchase. Although I understand most consumers will use a PC for editing and/or playback and/or storage of home videos, that isn't of any interest to me. If transfer to PC is the intended use, you probably don't want to record to DVD media and possibly don't want this camcorder but instead may want something with built-in memory or hard drive. I don't have a PC connected to any of my three HD displays but I do have Blu-ray players on each.

I am happy with image quality and ease of use. Quality with recording inside under low lighting is only average at best, I am sure. That one shortcoming is normal for camcorders in this price range with such a small CMOS sensor. Outside with sunlight is where I use the camcorder almost exclusively and the image recorded at highest bitrate looks great even using my projector and 100" screen. Image quality at the lower bitrates is excellent as well but I have decided to record at highest quality even if the improvement is only subtle.

I did purchase a couple of 4GB SanDisk PRO Duo memory sticks with MagicGate, and have recorded to one then copied the video to a DVD-R so I have no idea what the reviewer with complaints about memory sticks is referring to. Even that process was more trouble than I want to mess with so I plan to continue to record directly to DVD. I will keep the memory stick in the camcorder for those times when I don't have a DVD handy.

I can confirm the video recorded plays fine in my LG BD300, Sony BDP-S1, Oppo BDP-83 and 40GB Sony PS3. If I recall correctly, it takes a few seconds to format a DVD-R before recording and about 1 minute to finalize after recording before playing in another device, pretty painless requiring a couple of button pushes on the LCD screen. I did install an AVCHD player in my laptop but apparently I don't have the horsepower to play AVCHD, it is choppy and stutters, totally unusable.

JVC GR-SXM520U Palm Size Compact Super VHS Camcorder With LCD Monitor

I really like this machine. The owner's manual is good and the features are useful. For VHS-C format, one has the option of standard-play for 30 minutes of recording or extended-play for 90 minutes of recording. The night vision feature is good I recorded shots in almost total darkness and the camera made it look like the lights were normal in the room. The LCD screen is really good so that the user can use it for shooting or for playback viewing. The zoom freaked me out at how sharp the picture could be at about 50 or so yards. The price seems okay and this camera is a pretty good deal for my purposes anyway.

it is very difficult to tell but i think it good

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Sylvania SDVD7015-Blue 7-Inch Portable DVD Player, Blue

This dvd player is pretty good. I bought it a year ago to fly with my 2 little boys and it has held up. We also used it at home to watch DVDs in place of a tv, so it gets alot of use, wear and tear. IT has been dropped, spilled on, crumbs all over and it still works. actually, I thought it died a month ago and I went back to just make sure before I ordered another one and it was working again! horray! Picture is good, easy access to controls on side, long (enough) battery life I think about 2 hours. and I'm pretty sure it charges while you play the movie, so if it does die in the airport, you can plug it in and still have your little ones watching while you charge.

We've only been using this product for 2 months now, but have been very happy with it.

Pros (for our family):

-easy to operate

-remote (also easy)

-long battery life (2+ hours per charge)

-plug in to wall outlet to watch or charge

-plug into car unit to watch or charge

-max volume is loud enough for the whole car to hear if needed

-operate as a DVD player and use with tv

-good quality picture and sound

-has been dropped twice, stepped on and left in hot car for days on end, but still works

-closed captions available if needed

-great price (paid 59.99 in April 2011)

Cons:

-cords could be longer for the car and tv hook up

-7 inch screen

-no materials to hang on seat in car (we use velcro)

-no case

UPDATE: October 28th, 2011

My initial review was 5 stars. My kid watches her DVD player every other day or so in the car. Battery life is excellent, abuse it took is great and surviving in the car from May-October with use contantly was pretty good. It broke last night. I'm returning it and getting a new one just like it.

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I "ENJOY" my DVD player VERY much I use it everytime I go on a trip with my family (Trips & Vacations)My family also enjoys it.

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It was a good buy for what we needed for traveling by plane. The kids used their headphones and the rest of the people on the plane ride were stating they wished they had one like ours. Granted the tablets were a popular device to have on the planes to watch movies, but at that cost and when we have a 2 and 4 y/o, I did not have to worry about it being damaged.

Like all reviews, if not using the headphones, the built in speakers are weak. Battery life was about two to 2-1/2 hours. During layovers, we would plug it into a wall outlet, spread out a blanket and have a picnic while watching the planes depart.

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We bought this item for our grandson to keep him occupied while traveling in Germany. It worked out well with only 1 exception.... the battery life is under 90 minutes, so it is limited when you are expecting to be in a car or on a plane for a few hours (such as a 9 hour flight to Germany) In all other respects, it performs as expected. The manufacturer could provide this information about battery life, and it would help the consumer to make a well informed choice

Panasonic TH-42PX500U 42-Inch Flat Panel HD-Ready Plasma TV

• 42 Screen Size (Measured Diagonally)
• 16 - 9 Aspect Ratio
• G8 Progressive HD Plasma Panel offers the latest generation of development for superior reliability and integrity
• HDMI Input, Component Input (Y/PB/PR) x 2, S-Video Input x 2, PC Input, Optical Digital Audio Output
• Detachable Smart Sound Speaker System (26 Watts Total Power) using Ultra-Slim Speaker Units and Twin Woofers Built Into Panel

This model (Panasonic TH-42PX500U) is a lot more expensive than the Panasonic TH-42PX50U. The difference in prices in amazon for both items is a bit too much. This model is not available in most chain stores (Cicuit city, best buy etc.). A local store had both models and I could buy this model for a couple of hundred dollars more. I think for $200 more it is worth it, as it has the following advantage over the 50U.

1. 500 U has 6 speakers (2 bass-reflex woofers: 6 ohms, 120Hz-2Khz, 10%THD) (4 tweeters: 8 ohms, 500Hz-15Khz,10%THD) 26 W power. VS

50 U has 2 (16W, 6 ohms, 105Hz-20KHz 10%THD)

2. 500 U has BBE ViVA HD3D sound.

3. 500 U has a photoviewer (SD and PC card slots).

4. 500U has Sd card slot

5. 500 U has 2 rear and 1 front composite video input vs

50 U has only 2 rear ones.

6. 500 U has 2 rear and 1 front S-video input vs

50 U has only 2 rear ones.

7. 500 U has 2 rear and 1 front audio input (for video) vs

50 U has only 2 rear ones.

8. 500 U has PC input (RGB-VGA) i.e., mini D-sub 15-pin (rear)

9. 500 U has a audio input for PC (M3 stereo plug)

10. 500 U has a TV guide on-screen program guide.

11. 500 U has Picture-in-picture (split screen display -2 sources)

12. 500 U power consumpition is listed at 357 W and for 50U it is listed at 399W.

13. 500U dimensions: 28.7" X 44.&" X 5.4"

50U dimensions 27 39/64" X 42 3/64" X 3 51/64"

14. 500 U is 88.2 lbs; 50 U is 76.06 lbs.

15. The stand for 500U has a swivel but not in 50 U

So far i am very happy with my 500 U. My only wish was that it had two seprate inputs for cable and over the air programming.

Buy Panasonic TH-42PX500U 42-Inch Flat Panel HD-Ready Plasma TV Now

Panasonic has proven again that they do make one of the best plasma TV out there.

My TH-42PX500U arrived from Amazon is one perfect shape. Setup was super easy. The beauty of this plasma is viewing the HD channels...the quality is unbelievable.

Yes, I did my extensive research before making my purchase.

I researched LCDs and DLP LCDs (rear projection) as well as other plasmas.

Pioneer PDP-4350 and Sony plasmas were considered until I compared the picture quality side to side at the store.

Bottom line: the picture quality of Panasonic 42PX500U is equal or better in most cases.

My only complaint: the TV only has one input feed for RF antenna. I would prefer two (as Sony and Pioneer do have) input feeds where I can connect an DHTV antenna and as well as cable antenna.

Other than that, it's worth the keep!

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic TH-42PX500U 42-Inch Flat Panel HD-Ready Plasma TV Here

This is a great tv. The picture quality is supurb. The images from HD programs are especially impressive. I've had this tv for 2 months now and have no complaints.

Features that set this tv apart from others:

-PCMCIA slot with a PCMCIA adapter you can use almost any camera memory card to view photos on your tv.

-Even standard definition channels look great on this tv. I know some people have had complaints that standard definition doesn't look as good as on a normal tv, but for wide aspect tv's, this one has great images in standard definition.

-Nice sound/invisible speakers You can hardly tell that this tv has built in speakers. The tv itself is black and the speakers blend in perfectly. I used the tv speakers for a month before getting a new receiver and they worked great.

I researched pasma tv's for a couple months before selecting this model. The price is great (purchased for around $2,700) and the picture quality is excellent.

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We bought or Panasonic in October 2005. We installed a cable card but were unhappy with the lack of a DVR. Almost immediately the TV Guide feature failed, then the clock, then the re-call program data feature. We got a new tuner installed (took 4 weeks) and then failed again. After 4 service calls (they recorded 2 because "they don't count until we fix it"). In February, Comcast came out and pulled the 'not ready for prime time cable card' and installed a cable box. The TV's features were built around the cable card and the service guys told me they are nothing but trouble. The second tuner was defective from the factory so they put the lame one back in. By now it was April and 5 months after buying my new plasma I've had very little use of the features I paid for, So I got a hold of Panasonic and they told me about the jerk (Peterson) field service rep who plays God about who gets a new TV. Long story short, you need to hire an attorney when you purchase a Panasonic product. It's now June, and after taking my TV into their shop for 3 weeks it finally works. But I have a used TV I've barely used and never again will I buy Panasonic.

Great set, except when viewing HD the commericals are very loud, especially the background music.

Also, was not told that in order to view HD I would be required to purchase a special cable box and the monthly cable fee would be greatly increased (Dish network)

Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC)

Olympus has just introduced its new Olympus VN-6200PC Digital Voice Recorder. The VN-6200PC is identical to the nearly 1 year old Olympus VN-5200PC Digital Voice Recorder in function and features, but now has twice the memory, 1 GB, for the same suggested list price as the VN-5200PC. The Olympus VN-6200PC, VN-5200PC and VN-3200PC Digital Voice Recorders all operate exactly the same and are boxed with the same "Instructions" sheet for all 3. The VN-5200PC I own is great. The VN-6200PC is even better!

If you need a quality, low-cost, monaural digital voice recorder that easily records and transfers Windows Media Audio (WMA) files fast via a USB 2.0 connection to your PC without any extra software, the Olympus VN-6200PC is a great choice. It outperforms the popular Olympus VN-4100PC Digital Voice Recorder in nearly every way...more storage, longer recording time, longer battery life, more folders and files, greater frequency response, greater output level. Over 444 hours in LP record mode, and you still get almost 71 hours in HQ mode...that's 200-13,000 Hz range, good enough to hum or strum your spur of the moment musical inspirations if you are into songwriting. It also has variable voice activation and a dynamic display of audio recording level. About the only feature the VN-4100PC has which the VN-6200PC doesn't is timer recording and playback if you really need it.

It does take a couple of readings of the instructions and a little practice to familiarize yourself with operating the VN-6200PC, but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy and intuitive to use. There are 5 folders, each able to hold up to 200 files. Every time you start and stop a recording, a new file is automatically created. The files and folders are easily transferred to your PC via the USB connection. Just plug in to your PC, and your VN-6200PC automatically looks just like any disc drive or storage device on your PC with a Windows directory displaying the files and folders. Just "select all" and move or copy the files to a disc drive to save the files in one operation. Playing the files just involves clicking on the audio file icons, and Windows Media Player pops up and goes to work. You can easily play all of the files in a folder in sequence with just one click on a Windows playing option that automatically creates a playlist of all the files. The files can easily be renamed both on the disc drive and on the VN-6200PC. They can be any name you choose. They don't have to have any specific format. Any file of any type with any name (text files, PDF files, etc.) can also be copied to and stored on the VN-6200PC. However, for an audio file to play on the VN-6200PC, it must be a WMA file and it must be copied or moved into one of the five specific audio folders on the VN-6200PC.

The Olympus VN-6200PC has no editing features. You can easily place and remove index markers to quickly return to specific file locations in playback mode, but any file editing must be done on the computer. While Windows Media Player allows you to select and sequence the files via a playlist, you will need to purchase separate software if you wish to edit or combine the files or convert them to other audio file formats such as MP3 or WAV.

One annoying feature of the VN-6200PC is that the earphone jack is monaural and, without an adapter, not compatible with the stereo headphones everybody has for their iPods or their old Walkman players. That's just plain stupid on the part of Olympus. Even my old mono GE microcassette recorder has a stereo earphone jack. A 1/8" stereo jack to 1/8" mono plug adapter can be bought at Radio Shack for $2.99 to solve the problem, a cost and inconvenience that should not be necessary. Another gripe is that the USB cable provided by Olympus with the VN-6200PC is only 6 inches long. This is okay for a laptop computer, but a USB extension cable may be necessary for your desktop computer. Target sells the 6 ft. Belkin USB Extension Cable (A-A) for $7.99. A type-A plug to 5-pin mini-plug USB cable can also be used.

In short, the Olympus VN-6200PC is for notes, meetings, lectures, dictation, emailing audio messages, and even songwriting. Its features are basic, price is modest, and the value is good. If you are into live music and MP3, news interviews, need stereo and fancy features, then go for the higher-priced Olympus digital recorders.

NOTE: Free, full-feature (not a "demo" copy), open-source software downloads to edit and convert audio files are available. SUPER© from erightsoft works on Windows platforms and will convert just about any audio file format to any other audio format. Audacity from Sourceforge is a full-featured audio file editor that works on Windows and Mac. Audacity is not licensed to directly import and convert WMA files, so it makes use of 3rd party software for WMA conversion. With Audacity 1.2, SUPER© or iTunes can be used to first convert WMA files to a format Audacity can accept, such as WAV. Audacity 1.3, a beta-test version, makes use of a free, separately downloaded ffmpeg import/export library to seamlessly import, export, and convert WMA files. (Currently, for use on the Mac, the ffmpeg library source code must first be converted to binary code... a job for "Mac-techies" only!)

For those who complain there is no software to organize the audio files, you are wrong. Windows and the VN-6200PC already provide you with firmware and software tools to do so. Managing and organizing your audio files is easy. First, if you toggle the VN-6200PC Disp/Menu button, you can choose to display the file recording date, the time it was recorded, and/or the duration time of the recording as you page through the audio files. Since you've got the recording dates and times, you can identify your recordings. Second, when you use your computer and the USB interface to view the audio file folders with Windows, you can display a detailed column listing of all the audio files showing the date and time the audio files were recorded by clicking on "View" in the Toolbar and then selecting "Details". (Also click on "Choose Details" and add "Date Created" and any other preferences to the list of file details displayed.) You can even choose to arrange the audio files in the detail list in order of the "Date Created". Besides being able to rename the audio files, if you "right-click" on any audio file and select "Properties" followed by "Summary", you can fill in text for "Title" and "Comments" fields to provide more info about the audio file.

I haven't tried all of the VN-6200PC's capabilities in differing circumstances yet, but below are a few preliminary comments.

Pros:

Lots of memory: 1 GB of built-in memory gives about 70 hours of HQ recording and up to 400 hours of lower-quality recording.

Playback sound quality (at least in HQ mode) is pretty good for a voice recorder.

When connected to a PC, it shows up and functions pretty much like a flash memory card (you can even use it as one).

Cons:

Looks and feels rather kind of cheaply madei.e., it has a light-weight, "cheap plastic" look about it. The Sony voice recorders looks sleeker and feel better in your hand.

There are no adjustable options for naming files; e.g., you cannot automatically name files with the date/time of the recording. All sound files are automatically named by sequential numbers, and when you transfer them to your computer you would have to manually re-name them with the file date if you want that. (The files do have standard modification dates, though, since you can set the date and time on the recorder.)

There is no sound file management software either included or available on the Olympus Web site. All files are in .wma format, so if you want to make them into .mp3's or anything else, you'll need converter software from an external source. The same is true if you want to do batch-renaming or any type of sound or file editing.

Mono only: no stereo recording/playback.

Bottom line: Works pretty well if you want to do straightforward recording of occasional lectures, meetings, dictation notes, etc. However, if you're doing complicated tasks, like a series of interviews with different people, it might get difficult to keep track of the files and manage them. Also, if you want to do any editing of the files or anything beyond simply playing them back on your computer, you'll need to either pay for a separate sound editing program or be comfortable finding and using a freeware one.

Buy Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC) Now

I got this recorder to record tutoring sessions which I do with local high school students. After installing the batteries and setting the date and time, I did a quick test recording. I set the recorder on a table in Record mode. My position at the board was about 12' away, with an angle to the mike of about 45d. The distance to the student area was 5-7', with the mike angle from 45d to a full 90d. Tests from all of these areas provided a clear Playback.

I then plugged the USB cable into the recorder and the computer (Windows XP Home, USB 1.1). After automatically installing standard drivers, Explorer showed the device as just another drive like a flash drive. Using Explorer, I copied the test WMA file onto my hard drive, then opened Windows Media Player and played it back perfect, with excellent volume and clarity. To finish, I just right-clicked the recorder drive in Explorer and clicked on "Eject", unplugged the recorder from the USB port, and that was that.

All this using only the factory-default settings. I'll play with those later.

The only problems:

1. The batteries were plastic-encased. Until you realize this and remove the plastic, they won't work well.

2. I agree with others that labelling what is essentially the on-off button as "Hold" is idiotic.

3. I also agree the USB cable is really short too short. This isn't a problem for me but may be for you.

4. The recorder controls are difficult to read and in a low-lit room, you'd better have them memorized.

5. As others have noted, the format is WMA, which is fine if you have Windows Media Player. If you need WAV format, I "beethink" you can find a good free converter program for Windows.

Added note WMA files are small and fast I can attest to that. If you need to convert to WAV, you may find the conversion time very slow, and the new file very big. Consider downloading a WMA-compatible player. The last I checked (Sep '09) Windows Media Player V11 is free (25MB download), and if still so, download and install it. I think the first time you go through a WMA->WAV conversion, the long Windows Media Player download will look a lot more attractive.

All the above aside, this little thing works perfectly for what I intended it to do. For my use, great product.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6200PC) Here

There are several digital recorders on the market in the price range of this Olympus. I chose this model for several reasons (see below) and have not been disappointed. The size, weight, screen, buttons and rocker switches are all well placed and, combined with their ample size, makes them easy to operate. The menu system is easy to navigate and is intuitive. In fact, it is so easy to use I only used the instruction manual to figure out how to play tracks in fast forward. The most important feature to me is the plug and play ability of the device (I tried it on Windows XP and Vista). Without installing ANY additional software, the device shows up in Windows Explorer as a new drive that contains your recordings in .wma format. This makes playing, burning and format conversion very simple. No buggy software to install and update. Easy to use between home and work. In a nut shell...

The Pros,

* Well laid out

* Really easy to use

* No extra software on Windows machines

* Records in a file format that needs no conversion to store and play on your PC

* It comes with a nice slip case

* Connects to the PC with a standard mini-USB

* The recording in the highest quality (71 hours) is very good

The Cons,

The wrist band is an ACCESSORY. I can't believe that cost cutting measure!

The USB cable supplied is less than 8 inches long

The recording quality in the longest mode is pretty poor (but you get 444 hours)

The sound is hard to hear with the built in speaker when recorded in the longest play mode

For my meeting recording needs, this player hits the mark.

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Just purchased this recorder today. Literally went from Staples to history class, unwrapping it along the way. Didn't have to read the manual at all, just sat in my chair, in the middle of the class, turned in on (of course, put the batteries first) and hit the record button. I recorded an hour and a half lecture and went home and transferred it to my computer in about 2 minutes.

This is a really handy device and for the price, I think it serves it's purpose very well. As other reviewers have mentioned, however, it does have a slightly light-weight, almost flimsy, feel, but overall I think it seems well-built and would probably tolerate being dropped a couple times.

Today is my first time using it, and, I'd say within about 10 minutes I'd figured out everything that can be done with it. Which, in one way, may seem to suggest that it has limited functions, but, I feel that it's more important that an item like this be fool-proof, and super easy to use. This Olympus is fool-proof.

Coby TF-DVD8503 8.5-Inch Widescreen TFT Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player with Swivel Screen, Black

• 8.5" widescreen TFT portable DVD/CD/MP3 player with swivel screen 180-degree rotation,TFT color display
• DVD,DVD+R/RW, CD,CD-R/RW, JPEG and MP3 compatible
• anti-skip circuitry, Dolby digital decoder
• digital and analog AV outputs allow for use with home theater system, audio/video input jack for video games, VCR's
• Multiple languages, parental lock control

When the dvd player arrived I was really impressed with all of its features: 1. car mount for the headrest, 2. remote control, 3. swivel and 4. car charger.

Major Advantages: 1. extremely functional; 2. battery last for over 2 hours and if the battery runs low, you can always plug it into the the car charger; 3. the screen is large enough to view across the room; 4. you can use the remote from nearly 8 feet away and 5. most of all it works!! :>

Disadvantages: 1. you can not control the volume with the remote and 2. for the price, the material of the dvd player does not appear to be of quality (it feels like plastic).

All in all it is a great product and so far so good. My 2 year old received it for Christmas and he never leaves home without it!

Buy Coby TF-DVD8503 8.5-Inch Widescreen TFT Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player with Swivel Screen, Black Now

I bought this DVD Player for my 4-year old to watch in the car. When we got it, I was impressed by all it had to offer. However, when it started playing, the slightest jolt would cause it to say that the cover was open or cause the movie to re-load. Needless to say this didn't go over well with my daughter. I ended up sending it back because of the poor quality.

Read Best Reviews of Coby TF-DVD8503 8.5-Inch Widescreen TFT Portable DVD/CD/MP3 Player with Swivel Screen, Black Here

I've tried several portable DVD players and this was the best. It ran smoothly right out of the box, playing older DVD's , newer DVD's, CD-RW disks of music and video files, everything I played in it worked perfectly. The built in screen is clear enough and big enough to display all aspect ratios crisply, the built in stereo speakers are more than adequate to produce the full range of audio, and the unit comes with all the cables you will need for hookup to a stereo receiver and/or to a TV or monitor if you want. I used this unit both ways, as a portable player using its built-in screen and features, and also hooked it up to my 20 inch television and technics stereo. The image was excellent on the television and the sound was very deep and full through the stereo receiver. The remote is very slender and feels a little too light, but it worked as it should as long as I aimed it directly at the front of the unit. I was about eleven feet away and it worked fine. Still, I would treat the remote carefully, don't accidentally sit on it or leave it to get stuck between the sofa cushions. I say this because the buttons on the DVD player itself are a little awkward to use. The are under the built in screen and not positioned very well. The buttons on the unit do work, I've tested them all, and they function as they are supposed to, but it's much easier to control it with the remote, so you want to make sure you don't damage the remote. The built in 360 degree swivel screen is great. It functions well no matter how far you have it turned. Though the screen is large enough to watch comfortably from about ten feet away, you will do better sitting about eight feet or less from it. All in all, I have not been able to find anything negative about this unit, except as I mentioned with regard to the buttons on the unit itself. I highly recommend this portable DVD player.

Mike S.

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This DVD player is very nice. It has so many options and you can even put a rating limit. I didn't know that a few days ago. lol. Its just cool 'cause I'm still learning stuff about it. The swivle screen and two headphone inputs are good for watching movies with friends. I'd recommend this type of DVD player to anyone looking to buy one. :)

Not only a great price, but it made a six hour flight go by quickly.I love that it has close caption. It is very easy to use and has a nice picture. I did read other reviews before purchasing, but ( knock wood ) I have had no problems and feel it was a positive purchase.

Sony Clie PEG-NZ90 Handheld

Well, let's start by the basics. This machine is HUGE by any means if you compare it to any other PDA. It's like, well, the Darth Vader of all the Palm Powered devices. It's black, it's menacing, it's all-powerful. You can stun an attacker with it if you whirl it over your head and hit him (it includes a convenient hand strap for that purpose).

Jokes aside, it is well built (i used to have a Clie NR70V and it was very fragile), the hinges and swivels are tight, it won't open inside your backpack and get all scratched inside.

It is also a nice PDA, with all the useful stuff that any common handheld has. (Memo, Agenda, Address, To Do, Whatever). But it excels on the add-ons. That's the best part.

The digital camera is awesome (autofocus/manual focus, flash, 2.0 MP) and it can store hundreds of pictures. There are many options and settings to play with.

It also has audio recorder software. The sound is crisp, clear, and you can record many, many, many hours of speech, enviromental audio or anything.

As any other Clie, it has its own mp3 player. There's no need to buy the special SONY smartmedia card to use it: a Lexmark alternative will do the trick.

Of course, if you combine audio + pictures, you'll get a video camera. It works as one. Not great quality, it might be compared with having a webcam with you all the time.

What else ? Integrated keyboard, speaker, remote control, a couple of headphones, infrared port.

I can even speak about Bluetooth. I don't have any bluetooth gear in my house, but i'm leaving the wake-up option enabled and see if i find any BT devices in my office. Besides the blinking blue led looks cool :).

It has many improvementes since the last Clie versions. The memory stick has changed its place, so it doesn't flip out every time you put it in your pocket. The craddle is now foldable and you can take it everywhere to charge and/or connect your clie. You can even attach it to the PDA and carry it around.

Even when it is bulky, it is very well built and with a nice eequilibrium... you can hold it in your hand and it won't fall easily. That happened with the NR70V: the screen was heavier than the body, so it fell backwards always.

The keyboard is a lot better and easier to use by now. Also the back button has been moved a little and it's easier to use than before.

The camera doesn't rotate anymore... but i didn't miss the feature, since you can still use it in the open or closed form, to take pictures of yourself or others.

I would complain only about few things:

The pen is thin ! It looks thinner compared to the huge agenda. And it has a very weird way to attach to the PDA.

The picture browsing is waaaay slow. I'll better find a better program to handle the pictures.

I can't recall anything else, but i'm sure that there were some things that bothered me. Ah ! The memory !!! Yes. That's upsetting: you see, there are 16 Mb of RAM but you can access only 11 of them. Why ? I don't know. However the better use of the memory stick features compensates the lack of actual memory. I would have expected at least 64 Mb RAM for a beast like this. Well, let's say it's 4 and a half stars. Oh, the price !!! Wait a little until it drops. But even now it's worth every cent. For a journalist is the perfect tool. And for a physician (who i am) too.

And, it might seem crazy, but i find this size more comfortable for me than before. I don't think of it as a PDA, instead i think of it as a pocket sized notebook.

I finally made the plunge and bought the NZ90. After being a die-hard Palm user (starting from the Palm Professional,III,Vx,M505), I switched to the Sony Clie.

I truly enjoy playing with the NZ90. It has more functionality than the Palm M505. The camera and video features are amazing. The 2mb still camera produces decent quality pictures. One use I make with the camera is to take shots of documents from work. Now I can reveiw my work on my Clie without having to take home hard copies. The video function gives me the opportunity to film short clips on the fly of my baby boy. (I chose to defer purchase of a digital video camera and opted to use the video on the Clie.) The video quality is poor, but serves its purpose until my son begins to walk when I then plan on purchasing a digital camcorder. Also, I purchased the wireless card for the Clie. GREAT. I love this. You can check pop3 email and browse the internet without having to boot-up your laptop or computer. The easy power on/off of the pda makes it quick for me to check email as well as read the daily news.

2 negatives that needle me:

1) Batter life is poor, especially when using the still camera with flash. The flash drains the battery after 10 shots.

2) The size is a hurdle. Unlike the sleek m505 design, I have to carry the bulky NZ90.

I enjoy playing with my NZ90, emphasis on the "playing". As for practicality, I miss the m505 design as I daily use the address book, calendar, memo.

Buy Sony Clie PEG-NZ90 Handheld Now

I just got this recently and I am very happy I made the decision to spend the cash. Yes the price tag is hefty but you get what you pay for. I read some reviews from handheld sites that said the weight and size were annoying. Now that it is in my hand, I can say that NEITHER are annoying. It weighs more than the typical palm and certainly is bigger, but as an engineer who is used to holding TI scientific calcs., it is nothing that disturbs me. It is roughly the same weight as my TI-86 and is about 25% shorter.

Pros:

The screen resolution is very crisp. As a matter of fact, the screen looks so good, you can decrease the brightness to 1/3 to improve battery life and it still looks fine. The sound that comes out of this little thing is quite clear as well. I love the fact that it can play music as well as play Flash and other movie files. You can also make voice recordings and they are pretty good. Also, the construction is superb...very solid and sturdy feel to it.

The camera is a huge benefit since I will never be anywhere without one. For a handheld camera, it serves its purpose and then some. No, it will never get better pictures than my Minolta Dimage 7i but then again, I would never carry the 7i around everywhere. The camera lens is protected by a flip cover. Very thoughtful so the lense doesn't get scratched.

The cradle design is extremely ingenious...no more bulky cradles. It is a foldup easel style cradle which is very transportable. Hot syncing is very easy between my PC and this unit.

I also love the fact there is a jog dial on the side that you can use to scroll between applications and select w/o having to use the stylus. This is useful for mass transportation users like myself.

Cons:

There are some design issues with this unit but nothing to go nuts about. The main thing is that there is a battery yo-yo effect when the flash is enabled in the camera. This is well documented in handheld website reviews and I assure you, this is a real issue as I am seeing it for myself. It seems that as soon as your flash is turned on, the battery remaining indicator takes a dip. Not a big deal when the battery is near full charge, but an issue when you get around say 50%. If the battery indicator dips too low, you cannot use the flash.

I can live with this b/c I am not planning on snapping countless shots on this unit BUT not everyone may be in that boat. I also fully expect SONY to address this issue (looks like it is a power management issue with the software) but if they don't, I will be very disappointed as it seems like it is a design flaw.

Another small con I have is the stylus location. I don't like the way it attaches to the side. I think that if I were clumsy, it would easily drop if I weren't careful when I tried to snap it back into the unit.

I want to amend my original review...I have stumbled upon one thing which is a little annoying but once again, something I can live with. You CANNOT play the recorded movie files to the TV. Yes, this is for real...I must say that SONY really didn't put much thought here as most digicams that can record movie clips allow you to show both still images and movie clips on TV.

All in all, I love this machine...very sleek and beautiful...very useful and at the same time fun as heck. I hope SONY addresses the battery yo-yo effect and maybe somehow upgrade a driver so I can show movie clips on the TV.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Clie PEG-NZ90 Handheld Here

Pros: Fast processor; built-in keyboard, Bluetooth, and 2-megapixel camera with flash; large, sharp display; removable battery; precise battery meter.

Cons: Bulky; camera is slow to start up and shut down; no built-in Wi-Fi.

Summary: Sony's NZ90 is significant not because it's going to be the world's greatest handheld (though it might be) but because it raises the bar. A built-in 2 megapixel camera with flash, Bluetooth, mpeg movie record and playback, MP3 playback, voice recorder--these obviously are way beyond the basic to-do list/address book/calendar. If you buy an MP3 player, a 2MP camera, a voice recorder, and a color PDA, you may very well spend [a lot of money]. Having it all in one is nice. Sony's not perfect; they need to kick the memory stick habit and support CF/SD cards, which are much cheaper and more versatile. As others point out, the onboard RAM seems a bit stingy, though PalmOS doesn't require as much as PPC. Anyway, I'm excited to see this happening and I hope a bunch of other companies copy Sony. Competition is good for everyone!

Want Sony Clie PEG-NZ90 Handheld Discount?

Well, let's start by the basics. This machine is HUGE by any means if you compare it to any other PDA. It's like, well, the Darth Vader of all the Palm Powered devices. It's black, it's menacing, it's all-powerful. You can stun an attacker with it if you whirl it over your head and hit him (it includes a convenient hand strap for that purpose).

Jokes aside, it is well built (i used to have a Clie NR70V and it was very fragile), the hinges and swivels are tight, it won't open inside your backpack and get all scratched inside.

It is also a nice PDA, with all the useful stuff that any common handheld has. (Memo, Agenda, Address, To Do, Whatever). But it excels on the add-ons. That's the best part.

The digital camera is awesome (autofocus/manual focus, flash, 2.0 MP) and it can store hundreds of pictures. There are many options and settings to play with.

It also has audio recorder software. The sound is crisp, clear, and you can record many, many, many hours of speech, enviromental audio or anything.

As any other Clie, it has its own mp3 player. There's no need to buy the special SONY smartmedia card to use it: a Lexmark alternative will do the trick.

Of course, if you combine audio + pictures, you'll get a video camera. It works as one. Not great quality, it might be compared with having a webcam with you all the time.

What else ? Integrated keyboard, speaker, remote control, a couple of headphones, infrared port.

I can even speak about Bluetooth. I don't have any bluetooth gear in my house, but i'm leaving the wake-up option enabled and see if i find any BT devices in my office. Besides the blinking blue led looks cool :).

It has many improvementes since the last Clie versions. The memory stick has changed its place, so it doesn't flip out every time you put it in your pocket. The craddle is now foldable and you can take it everywhere to charge and/or connect your clie. You can even attach it to the PDA and carry it around.

Even when it is bulky, it is very well built and with a nice eequilibrium... you can hold it in your hand and it won't fall easily. That happened with the NR70V: the screen was heavier than the body, so it fell backwards always.

The keyboard is a lot better and easier to use by now. Also the back button has been moved a little and it's easier to use than before.

The camera doesn't rotate anymore... but i didn't miss the feature, since you can still use it in the open or closed form, to take pictures of yourself or others.

I would complain only about few things:

The pen is thin ! It looks thinner compared to the huge agenda. And it has a very weird to attach to the PDA.

The picture browsing is waaaay slow. I'll better find a better program to handle the pictures.

I can't recall anything else, but i'm sure that there were some things that bothered me. Well, let's say it's 4 and a half stars. Oh, the price !Wait a little until it drops. But even now it's worth every cent. For a journalist is the perfect tool. And for a physician (who i am) too.

And, it might seem crazy, but i find this size more comfortable for me than before. I don't think of it as a PDA, instead i think of it as a pocket sized notebook.

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BestDealUSA TF Card Digital Video Recorder USB Security Dome Camera Intelligent Detection

Mostly poor things to say. The Camera will work okay recording a small office, but that is about it. The resolution and sound quality is poor. The night vision is really poor unless you're in a small room. It is very difficult to set the camera angle because the USB cord is too short for reaching a lap top once the camera is mounted, then one must move the camera angle to remove the Micro SD card. Worst of all, the included software for viewing the footage is written in Chinese, the manual was poorly translated making it difficult to understand. Finally, it's an indoor only camera.

Sony ICDLX30BLK Digital Flash Voice Recorder

If you're old enough, you may remember the thirty dollar cassette recorders they used to sell for recording basic audio stuff at home. The fidelity was decent, and the operation was as simple as can be. Turn it on and press the red button to record. This little Sony is the modern equivalent of that simplicity. Except it uses standard SD cards instead of cassettes, and it records a whole lot better.

Most portable audio recorders have tons of setup options buried in multi-level menus. This unit is very basic. Insert the batteries and the SD card, and there's nothing to set up. Turn it on, press the button and you're recording using the built in mikes. You really only need the menu to set the date or switch to the external mike port.

The unit records full fidelity standard mP3 files at the 192K data rate, which is more than enough for perfect voice recordings, and nearly as good as CD audio for music. It has AGC, which is automatic gain control. This boosts the sound levels a bit to pick up voices across the room. If you talk loud, the AGC reduces the volume so the sound does not distort. There is not too much AGC pumping, and the AGC transitions sound quite natural. If you are looking for an audio recorder to produce studio quality recordings, this is not the tool for that job. It's the fact that you can't disable the AGC or change the data rate that makes this unsuitable for professional recordings. The recording quality is certainly good enough. But if you just want a great audio recording of a lecture, some dictation or a family sing-a-long around the piano, this is what this unit is designed for. With an external mike, it's good enough for recording radio interviews and narration for your home or corporate videos.

The unit does what it was designed to do, and it does it simple and well. It will record 22 hours on a 2 gig card and run 22 hours on two AAA batteries.

This recorder was purchased to provide backup for written minutes of charitable foundation meetings. Sitting unobtrusively on the table, its twin microphones pick up voices from all over the room, and its speaker reproduces them with lifelike accuracy. The controls are simple and intuitive and the recordings are catalogued by date for easy retrieval. This is my first experience with a digital voice recorder, and it is much better than a microcassette recorder. For the purpose it was purchased, I don't think I could find anything better for a comparable price.

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This digital recorder works well and easy to use. It saves files based on date though and it would have been nice if you could save as a file name for future easier finding.

Read Best Reviews of Sony ICDLX30BLK Digital Flash Voice Recorder Here

Been looking for a pocket-sized voice recorder to go with me each time I attend seminars and conferences and this one fits the bill.

The sound is clear and the operation is easy. Love it ! And YES, it comes with an A/C adapter.

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I bought it specifically to record commentary for music performances, however it did not recognize the SD cards provided by the festival. It caused me to have to buy another more expensive model from a local store. I will keep it, but I will likely have to buy SONY SD cards. That was inconvenient.

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Pioneer DV444 Progressive-Scan DVD Player (Silver)

• Progressive-scan ouput reduces flicker and artifacts for a more filmic image
• 10-bit video DAC for excellent video quality with analog devices
• 192 kHz/24-bit audio DAC for superb sound quality
• Dolby Digital- and DTS-compatible digital output
• MP3-CD playback

Bought this player in September/2001. It has an excellent range of hook-up options including a full range of digital and analog alternatives. This means that it will fit whatever configuration you have and will take advantage of the top end features of your other units (monitor/TV/amplifier/receiver). It also means that it will be able to grow along with your system. The manual is well structured and steps you through the hookup and basic setup quickly. You can then move into the custom setup to mix and match to your preferences and the other components of your system. Once you get used to the on screen menu with navigation through the features and options then finer tuning of your setup is a piece of cake.

The player features are as advertised including the Audio CD (off-the-shelf and burned) and MP3 playback and navigation functions. I was looking primarily for progressive scan DVD features and was not disappointed. The quality of image is excellent and it is able to drive my Hitachii projection TV better than the older Pioneer DVD/LD player that it replaced (being retired to another room with our LD collection).

The slimline features and easy to read display make this unit easy to fit into any setup. If you have a TV/DVD setup in mind, then the feature of being able to control both the set and player from the one control will come in handy. The unit does a good job of self identifying the features of your components as well as the media that you have fed it. It takes the guesswork out of setup and operations.

Bottom Line: I'd highly recommend the Pioneer DVD-444 if you are looking for a first time DVD/CD unit, an extension to your existing setup or an upgrade to a DVD unit that can deliver a higher quality image.

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I have had this machine for three months now and have a high end home theater system. I have been using laser discs since the invention of AC-3 and had two other DVD players before this one. I can say that this has been the most solid player to date the the sound and video output are awesome. I would highly recommend this player to anyone seeking a high quality player that supports most new and old formats in the DVD universe today.

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This DVD player is nice looking. Very thin and the remote works well. I found the picture to be a little bit grainy on a 57" Sony widescreen HDTV. I dont know if I expected too much or what. It does look better than my laser disc player, but not much difference between the xbox and the dvd player. I think for the price, you cant go wrong.

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BUYERS, BE AWARE.

I had 2 DVD players made by Pioneer. They are nice machines... for a little over a year. Then the warranty expires. The problem these players seem to have has to do with poorly designed dual laser pick up (one for DVDs, the other one for CDs and Video CDs). The first player I had stopped playing CDs and Video CDs, I got the other one this one stopped playing DVDs.

On the positive side the picture is very good, so if you are after a short-term buy go ahead, otherwise look for another brand.

Pioneer DVDR software suck! stay away. they need to actually hire interface designers to redo the software.. its unusable.

Vivitar DVR 850W Waterproof Digital Camcorder - Flash Memory, Memory Card - 2.40" Active Matrix TFT

My daughter is an avid swimmer, as well as an video and photo enthusiast. At nine years old, our more expensive camera has had a few knocks and bumps, and it was high time to buy her a decent camera, since the off-brand cameras were not up to the task. My wife found the Vivitar 850W and it fit all her needs! Waterproof to 10 ft, great video, 8.1 Megapixel photos, small, light, floats and ruggedly built, it seemed the perfect gift we have not been disappointed! It went into the bath, then into the pool at a local hotel and has given her no end of enjoyment. The video is great, can use an SD card up to 8 Gigabytes, has easy to use software. Only complaint is that it can't easily be connected to a tripod (has the screw hole for it, but it's recessed too far). Looks like an easy thing to adapt, though, so I'm not worried. I've got more info at [] .

Perfect timing! Beautiful camera, my daughter loved her gift. ,

Thank you so much! Love that she can record under water.

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I got it for my 10 year old daughter. The charger has to be in just right or it wont charge. The sound you get on playback is so quiet you almost can"t hear it.

Read Best Reviews of Vivitar DVR 850W Waterproof Digital Camcorder - Flash Memory, Memory Card - 2.40" Active Matrix TFT Here

WinFast Tv2000 XP Deluxe Edition - PCI Digital Video (DVD/TV/) Recorder for Computer PC

# New Full function Remote control. Easier, friendly fancy user interface.

# PIP ( picture in picture):

One for live and the other for captured program. And master video can be alternative. The slave video can be displayed with any size and anywhere.

# Time-Shifting: you can pause, rewind live television and instant replays. Take your breaks during a TV show or movie and never have to miss a scene again.

# De-interlace:

Make the best quality for fast-motion video. No noise and flicker on the edge of motion objects.

# Capture format profile:Support friendly setting for MPEG-1/MPEG-2/MPEG-4/WMV/VCD/DVD video and MP3/WMA audio encoding format.

# Support Video Streaming(WMV/WMA format) for Web Broadcasting and Network Video/Audio sharing.

# Provide full version of Ulead Video Studio 8.0 and Cool 3D 3.0 for Video Editing and VCD/DVD/SVCD Authoring.

# Support NetMeeting for video conference, you can share TV programs with your long distance friend.

# All-in-one control panel:

Friendly graphics user interface, not only support TV and FM programs online, also TV captured and FM recorded files playback in playlist.

# Support playlist for video/audio playback, several files can be played seamlessly as one file.It can play with a CoolCommand remote control and hot-key with keyboard.

# Supports MPEG-1/MPEG-2/WMV video codec and MP3/WMA audio codec configuration to get the smaller file size for capturing

# Supports De-interlaced function to get high quality of motion video

# Make pre-scheduled recordings of TV and FM broadcasting programs, to achieve the features of Video & Audio On Demand

# Preset TV and FM channels with preferred name

# Watch high-quality TV with dbx-stereo in full screen or a scalable window

# Bridging video to PC from VCR, camcorder, LD/VCD/DVD player

# Support video mail communication

# Optional on-board FM receiver, MTS, and Teletext features

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Yada BT50839F-4 Yd-V35 Bluetooth Voice Recognition Speakerphone

Let me start the review by saying that I consider myself to be an early adopter of most technologies. Despite this fact, it took me all these years to finally find a solution for using my cell phone in the car. Add in the fact that in my home state of California it is illegal to talk or text while driving, and I was playing with fire--Bottom Line.

So I finally gave in and picked up a Yada Bluetooth Voice Recognition Speakerphone. Installation took approximately 30 seconds (I had to turn Bluetooth ON in my Android smartphone, then it connected instantly) Get in the car, attach it to the visor, and you're done. This product has done a great job recognizing my phone and reestablishing the bluetooth connection in between car trips. It's completely hassle free.

Call quality has been great. Personally, I think having it attached to the visor makes it IDEAL for hearing people and speaking easily into the mic. I just talk in the car at a normal volume, and the person on the other end hears me clearly with only a faint background noise--not enough to distract, just enough to let the person know they are probably on speakerphone. Voice recognition on call commands isn't perfect, but that's because NO voice recognition software has truly figured it out yet... But it's definitely on par or better than Apple's Siri (for some reference).

Overall it has a nice sleek design, holds all of my contacts, and has completely changed my life in the car. If you don't have a Bluetooth speakerphone in the car, just make the investment! You won't regret it.

Sharx Security SCNC3606 Cat5 PoE Wired Weatherproof Outdoor MPEG4 IP Network Camera with Infrared N

This review is for the most part a copy of the write up I did for the Sharx 3605 because I own both. I will add a few details that are relevant to the 3606 but overall it is a similar experience.

A few months ago our house was broken into from a very brazen group of three robbers (punks) that backed their car into our driveway, jumped over the fence and smashed the back sliding door in order to gain entry. Luckily our home has an alarm so they quickly made their way through the house and out the front door without taking much. Our neighbor did witness the event but sadly only got to a brief description of the car and suspects. I decided it was time to take home security up a level and cover some key areas of the house with security cameras. After a lot of reading and studying, the Sharx line seemed to be a great way to start a system so I ordered one to try.

When the camera arrived I followed the instructions for set up and everything went smoothly. The manual is very easy to follow and written in clear English. I had the camera configured and running on my LAN system in about 20 minutes. After initial configuration I dialed in the picture quality and basic configuration, then next step was being able to see the camera when I am away from home. I have AT&T Uverse for Internet service and the Sharx manual includes absolutely perfect instructions to configure the 2wire router so you can view the camera remotely via the Internet. Without the manual I probably would have been lost on this step but the manual made the process so simple! After this step my next test was viewing the camera on my iPhone Safari browser using the 3G network to confirm I had a WAN connection, and yes it worked perfectly. After the test I installed an app that a friend who has a handful of Axis cameras recommended called Live Cams and again everything worked perfectly. This is a great app for viewing IP cameras and worth the money ($1.99) if you have an iPhone or iPad.

It was time to have my camera record events (alarms as they are called). Setting your camera to record when there is motion is again very easy and the settings can be adjusted for more or less sensitive motion recording activation. Make sure on this step you expand your open browser window to see the settings. The default window size will not show the settings options unless you do this. Windows IE has a more graphical window to adjust these but it can still be done in any browser by typing numbers (I use Safari). Just remember that the lower the "Threshold" numbers the more sensitive and the higher the "Sensitivity" numbers the more sensitive. You can also block off areas that you do not want to cause the alarm to start recording in this same settings window. For example if you have a busy street in front of your house you can configure the camera to ignore motion in that section of the overall picture.

Another great option is email. I set the camera to send me an email if it detects motion and that works just as intended, sending an email with a photo anytime it detects movement. Note that you can configure the settings to limit how often it sends an email so you don't fill your inbox when some bird, bug or dog for example is creating motion alarms on the camera. I have mine set to send an email no more then every 5 minutes.

I ran the 3605 for over two months without any issue before adding the 3606 and a 2607 (for the interior). I plan to add two more 3606 cameras so I will have almost the entire exterior of our home in view at anytime. I would really like to see Sharx come out with a Megapixel camera in the future but this current line up still has good quality.

If you plan on running several cameras or if you don't have electrical power close, I think it is much easier to use the 3606 with the PoE option so you only have to run a Cat 5 cable to each place you are going to use a camera. There is no dealing with any other power or data wires. I ran Cat 5 for PoE to 3 areas on the front of the house (preplanning for more cameras) including the driveway and sides of the house then homeran the wires into the garage and use a D-Link PoE switch: D-Link DES-1008PA 8-PORT 10/100 Poe Switch, along with a Netgear Powerline over Ethernet to get the camera data to my switch in the house.

My wife also has an iPhone and loves the fact she can check on the house and the dog from her phone at any time. She tells me she keeps an eye on the driveway from her work computer all the time and it makes her feel safer knowing what is going on at our house. The break-in really shook her up for a while, so her peace of mind is worth the cost alone.

Some of the key benefits of the Sharx camera for me:

-Because each camera can record to a MicroSD card built into the camera, it acts like its own DVR. Even if your home is broken into and everything taken, as long as they don't remove the cameras you will still have a record of the dirtbags.

-The camera uses very little wattage so it is easy on your electric bill.

-The picture is clear and sharp both day and night.

-The camera will work with a variety of browsers for configuring, monitoring and playing back recordings. I have tested it with Safari, IE and Firefox. Firefox with the Quicktime plug-in is my favorite and if you watch with the primary stream option you also can monitor live sound (creepy but good for eavesdropping).

-The camera works with both my Mac and Windows computers.

-The build quality seems decent and should last for many years.

-I have been in contact via email with customer support and there was a response within 4 hours.

I will be happy to respond if anyone has questions or comments.

At first I was a bit skeptical about this camera, a good quality outdoor, POE camera with an IR cut filter at that price seemed too good to be true. I had read some positive reviews on the Y-Cam Bullet, of which the Sharx is a rebranded version, but the Sharx version was priced even lower so I figured I'd chance it. I'm glad I did! Immediately after opening the box I was impressed with the quality. It looks and feels solid and well built. Setup was quick and easy. The image is clear and the colors are very good in day time viewing. The IR works well and I can clearly see the image at night.

While the camera does support POE, the wiring harness that comes out the back of the camera contains several other connectors, for power, audio and alarm. Unfortunately these cannot be removed, so any connections you don't use will need to be secured in a weatherproof location. I suppose it was expected that all of those wires be pushed through a wall to terminate indoors, but in my case that was not possible. An outdoor electrical box was recommended by Sharx in the manual. I picked one up at the local hardware store for a few dollars and hid it as best I could.

I using i-Catcher software and as this camera was not on its list of supported cameras I needed to contact Sharx support to answer a few questions about it. They emailed me back within the hour, were very knowledgeable about the product and quite helpful. Over the next several emails I asked them a lot of questions. They were always quick to respond and with complete and useful answers.

Pros:

Supports standard POE

Clear and vivid daytime image

IR lighting and cut filter makes for good night images

Well built, solid, appears to be well sealed

Outstanding email support

Very thorough printed manual

A good amount of adjustments in the menus

Cons:

No user installable firmware, requires Sharx support if you need to upgrade.

No downloadable documentation. Don't lose the manual!

Several hardwired connections on the wiring harness that have to be weatherproofed if not installed through a wall.

Overall I am very satisfied with this purchase. It is an excellent camera when considering the low cost, good quality day and night images and the superb support behind it.

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I have been wanting to get security cameras for my house for years now. Whether to catch the people who were throwing their dog's excrement on my porch, the guy stealing my UPS packages, to monitor my dog, or just to quickly check who's ringing my doorbell when I'm in another part of my house and may not want to talk to a solicitor. There are so many times I have wished I had a camera and didn't. As such, I have done a lot of research over the last 6 months into different inexpensive home monitoring options, research that was thrown into overdrive when I had someone break into my bedroom window and help themselves to my TV and Kindle Fire. Ultimately, I settled on several cameras from Sharx. The SCN3606 is an outdoor weatherproof camera with night vision that I use for monitoring my front porch.

CAMERA SELECTION

Initially I had a lot of confusion about which camera to get so I'll briefly list the different cameras and the main differences between them below:

SCNC2606 Wifi Wireless Indoor Camera This is an indoor wireless camera and probably the best option for most indoor applications.

SCNC2607 Wifi Wireless Camera with Infrared Night Vision Indoor wireless camera. This camera comes with infrared night vision, and is mainly designed to be used in low to dark environments. It does not have as good daytime colors as the 2606. It is not designed to be used outdoors, as it is not sealed, but if you use it in a covered environment like under a porch, and you do not have extremes in temperature and humidity, it might be acceptable as an outdoor camera. Be prepared for the possibility that using it outdoors will lead to rust and it may stop working though.

SCNC2700 Wifi Wireless Camera with MicroSD DVR and True Day/Night vision Indoor wireless camera with day and night vision. If you need to be able to record in day and night, get this camera over the previous two. The infrared filter cuts off during the day, so that it doesn't mute the colors, and then cuts on at night to allow video in total darkness.

SCNC3606 Cat5 PoE Wired Weatherproof Outdoor Camera with Infrared Night Vision and built in DVR This is an outdoor camera that requires a wired ethernet connection. It is completely sealed so it will last directly in the elements. It comes with PoE (power over ethernet) so it is useful in applications where you don't have close access to an outlet. As of March 2012, it contains an updated lens that is sharper than the SCNC2606, SCNC2607 and SCNC2607W

Additionally, as of Fall 2011, the SCNC2700 and SCNC2700W contain an updated lens that is sharper. The 3605 and 3606 received the updated lens in March 2012. The SCNC2606, SCNC2607 and SCNC2607W will not receive the updated lens.

INSTALLATION / CUSTOMER SUPPORT

I would say I am an advanced computer user, and intermediate when it comes to working with routers. I thought setup was going to be difficult since I didn't really know what port forwarding, DHCP, or UPNP was, but it was incredibly easy. The instruction manual is extremely thorough and describes everything in detail. This is one of the best and most comprehensive manuals I have received for a product. They think of every question you could have. Even if you have fairly basic tech skills, if you read the entire manual, you should have most of your questions answered. I had the camera set up and recording in about 10 minutes, and had the complete installation done (including running the ethernet line) in about two hours. You can run it wirelessly, but I wanted faster transfer speeds through ethernet. I really thought it was going to be a pain to have to deal with customer support through email but I couldn't have been happier. They answered all my questions (which were numerous) within 24 hours and were willing to provide all the support I needed for my router. They even notified me that the camera had been upgraded that weekend to a new 2012 model with a sharper lens, and allowed me to exchange my camera for the 2012 model, which they shipped out to me immediately (they covered shipping) without requiring that they receive my exchange first. At a minimum, you are going to need to know the address to access your router's administration page (it will be a local numerical address, like 192.168.100.1), and the password to login to that page. You can do a search on the Internet and easily find this information. Contact me through the comments page and I can help you if needed. You will also need to know the login information for your wireless network. I was initially going to purchase a much cheaper camera that I was told uses the exact same hardware as the Sharx, but I think the support you receive from this company is definitely worth the extra cost. I do wish their web site had a forum where users could exchange information and get help from each other. The hardware included with the 3606 is excellent. It comes with plastic plugs to insert in unused screw holes, a junction box for housing the cables that is watertight, and all the screws and hardware you will need. It has 6 different screws for mounting it in several ways. For my application, I wanted to mount it from a ceiling, so I removed the existing brackets and put them on the top, which allowed me to mount it straight down. Other than the size of the camera, it is incredibly flexible for almost any way you want to mount it. If you don't use PoE and have to use the power adapter, but it's too short (the power adapter line is fairly long at about ten feet), the manual even tells you the exact type of wire to get at Home Depot and how to splice it so you can extend the cable to the length you need. Most manuals do not go this extra distance.

SOFTWARE

The interface is very thorough if you use the advanced setup options, and gives you a lot of flexibility with the camera. It comes with a CD, but the program on the CD is really just designed to determine the local IP address of the camera and isn't really needed if you can figure it out yourself (unless you are setting up more than one camera, in which case you'll want to use the Multi Camera software from the CD). Otherwise, everything is handled through your web browser with ActiveX. I had to use Internet Explorer to get the full functionality for the camera, as some of the tools would not show up in Chrome and Firefox. I've added an image showing all the configuration options through the control panel. There is a "system" page that displays all of the current information about your camera, including your local and wide area IP address, UPNP status, Internet connection status, MAC address, and many other variables. This screen is very useful for troubleshooting and setting up the camera. Once you have your camera set up, you should turn on the On Screen Display so it captures the date and time on the video feed. You can set up a Gmail account to have it email you images during alarms or just at specific intervals.You can even set up a dedicated Gmail account and have it send a picture to itself every 5 minutes indefinitely (or until you use up Gmail's storage space, at which point you can delete everything and start again). There is a motion detector on the camera that works very well. It allows you to set up to 4 different windows/areas for monitoring, all completely customizable with different settings. For instance, you can set up the entire viewable area to check for any motion, or you can set up a very time section of the screen to focus on your door handle, so it will only trigger an alarm when someone touches the handle. Since I have bugs flying around on my porch that will trigger motion, I set up very low sensitivity in the main window so the bugs won't set it off, and then I created another window that focuses just on my front door, so I will know if someone opens it. You can also schedule the alarms, so my motion detection alarms will only be active between certain hours. This ensures that my mailman won't set it off. I wish you could set up different alarm schedules for each independent window for even more customization, but for right now, the software is pretty good as it is.

DVR/MONITORING

The main thing you will want, is a way to save your video feed to an external source. If a criminal steals your camera (if you are saving to the SD card) or your desktop the video you saved to it of the crime won't do you much good when you don't have access to it. Initially, I saved my video feed to an external hard drive that I mounted under my locked crawl space, and ran the cables to it through a small hole in my floor. A knowledgeable thief could still delet the video file right from your desktop, but I think that's very unlikely. To be extra safe, you could just password-protect your windows account so it locks after 15 minutes of inactivity. Even better, I eventually just added a link to the camera on my office computer and set it to constantly record there. Even if my house burns down, I'll have a copy of the video saved at a safe location.

The Sharx instructions give you complete details for setting up the camera through your phone's web browser, but I found it to be a huge pain to do. It is much easier to use a third party app. The best Android app is TinyCam Monitor. This program works beautifully. The paid version gives you a few more options and allows you to record directly from the phone, but it's not necessary at all.

HARDWARE

The SCNC3606 has a built in microphone that works very well. I can hear birds chirping in the distance, and it almost sounds as I would expect if it I was actually on my porch. There is also a microphone on the outside of the camera, so if you have a computer with a microphone, you can talk out of the camera. I actually have mine mounted on my porch, and can use it to talk to solicitors without having to see them in person, like an intercom. The camera also has a built-in microSD card, giving you the option of recording directly to the card instead of a hard drive. You can't easily remove the card like you can with their indoor cameras, but if you need to get to it, you can open up the camera and remove it. They even give you a Mini SD adapter for it. An alarm alerts me if someone is on the porch, and if it's a friend and I'm not home, I can just talk into my microphone and let them know I'm out. My main dislike with this camera is the size. This thing is fairly enormous. About the size of a can of biscuits. I wanted my camera concealed, which made it difficult to do due to the size. Even just 30% smaller would be nice.

UPDATES

One disadvantage with Sharx cameras is that you can only obtain firmware upgrades by contacting support, and having them install them remotely. My camera came with the latest firmware installed, but I don't see how anyone would know when new firmware updates are released since I couldn't find anything about it on their web site. Make sure you email them and get the latest firmware before you start setting everything up, because updating the firmware will reset everything.

CONS:

Camera is fairly large.

There is a bug when the camera is mounted upside down, and if the flip vertical option is chosen, then the image is grainy because the flip function is accidentally grabbing a lower resolution stream. You can resolve this by mounting the camera right side up, but removing the sun visor and using the included hex screw.

CONCLUSION

I have used many different outdoor cameras and the SCN3606 is the best camera under $1,000 I have seen. Excellent build quality combined with ease of use/setup and great software make for the perfect solution for home security and monitoring.

Read Best Reviews of Sharx Security SCNC3606 Cat5 PoE Wired Weatherproof Outdoor MPEG4 IP Network Camera with Infrared N Here

I bought the Sharx Security SCNC3605 (similar to this one, but a wired/wireless version without PoE) this past winter & have had it up and running for several months now. I'm putting the review here as the 3605 isn't available now & these comments should be relevant to the 3606. Installation & set-up were quite simple. I have very little experience at computer networking, but managed to do the manual configuration required for setting it up from a Mac. In short order I had the camera streaming & saving video clips & pictures on a motion alarm onto the included SD card. Quicktime on the Mac streams the video beautifully. A little fiddling with my router and I was viewing the camera stream from my iPhone while traveling overseas. A little more fiddling and the camera was storing the files to a Networked Attached Storage hard drive. The fiddling part was mostly with the router & NAS as the camera setup is straightforward and described in the manual. I did contact Sharx customer service with a question on the NAS after I had it functioning & they responded quickly (via e-mail) and helped me figure out my problem, which was more me not knowing about networking than any issue with the camera.

Some things to note:

* Do the setup before you mount the camera!

* The wireless capability of the SCN3605 wasn't that great. It worked, but the wired is much better....maybe that's why they're updating it with 802.11N (out in June 2011 according to their website)

* As noted in other reviews, keep the manual as there is no electronic version available. While the manual has a lot of information, it could use some improvements (e.g., a table of contents, index & an electronic version to allow searching).

All in all, a whole lot of camera for the price. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.

Want Sharx Security SCNC3606 Cat5 PoE Wired Weatherproof Outdoor MPEG4 IP Network Camera with Infrared N Discount?

This camera is a great buy easy setup IR works great nice sound everything I would expect from a mid level camera. Lots of advanced features for the money. The thing that impressed me the most however is that after a few months of having this camera I had a lightning strike close to my house which took out several electronic devices. I could not get this camera to power on and I thought it was toast. I contacted Sharx customer service and they informed me that most of the time the A/C adapter is the only item damaged from a lightning strike. I tested it with a voltmeter and sure enough it was bad. They sent me a new adapter priority mail FREE OF CHARGE and everything works fine. Very unexpected and the excellent customer service is why I will buy one of their products in future!

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