Sony MZ-R37 Portable Minidisc Player/Recorder

• Horizontal design with easily accessible buttons
• 40-second shock-resistant memory
• New remote control includes editing functions
• Battery compartment holds 2 AA batteries--no external case needed
• High-quality recording with digital, automatic gain control

I bought the MZ-R37 early this summer. I got a refurbished model on Ebay for a resonsable price for recording concerts over the summer. This is a great model, durable and very shock resistant. I purchased a binaural microphone after I recorded a couple shows on a cheaper mono and man what a difference. One major tip if you are starting to record with the MZ-R37 be sure to hold the record button in place and be sure recording has commenced, I missed some songs at gigs because the recorder didn't start. Better to be safe than sorry. Anyway, this is also great for recording MP3s off of your computer just get a connection line from your sound card to the line in and you are set. You can also transfer concert recordings or band demos onto you computer if you have a recordable sound card. Great investment. Forget about MP3 players, too expensive to add memory. Minidiscs are inexpensive and far more durable than CDs also, with identical sound quality. If you are a music fan I don't know how you could live without one.

Buy Sony MZ-R37 Portable Minidisc Player/Recorder Now

I've had my MZ-R37 for several years. I'm a professional musician, working solo (vocals, electric harmonica, guitar, organ bass pedals) or with other musicians. I use the MD to record my/our live performances. I originally had rather low expectations. I just wanted to review the music. Generally I used the output of the sound reinforcement system (tho I made a lot of very good recordings with the included stereo mic). The quality is excellent. I've been able to use many tunes recorded on the MD for CD's. Yes it's THAT good.

I'm not claiming this will replace a full blown Pro Tools studio with Neumann U87's and a staff of Hollywood recording engineers, producers, and such. One can truly do magic with top line gear and a highly skilled production staff in much less time. But many of the MZ-R37's recordings were good enough to be on a CD with these and not embarrass me in comparison. And that's saying a LOT for a dirt cheap pocket size recorder with 1/8th inch input/output jacks.

Mike Curtis

ironmancurtis.com

Read Best Reviews of Sony MZ-R37 Portable Minidisc Player/Recorder Here

I got this model MD as a present last Christmas and I love it for many reasons: 1.) It is sturdy yet compact. The newer models I have seen don't seem as durable as this model. 2.) I can make my own "mix tapes" thousands of times over because MD's are re-recordable without losing audio quality. Also I can take my favorite songs from CDs and put them on one disc instead of lugging around several CDs. 3.) I can record from any audio source. Download from the internet and make your own MD without investing in blank CDs. 4.) The batteries last forever, or seemingly forever. I listen on long road trips (8 hours +) and seldom need lots of extra batteries. 5.) It's so easy to use that I am able to use it. 6.) I have never had any problems with it. I have even dropped it on the ground (accidentally) a few times and nothing has been damaged on the inside, or outside 7.) It's less bulky than a portable CD player.

There are a million great reasons to buy an MD player, of which the above are only a few. I dn't understand why more people don't own these.

Belkin F7D4515 ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless AV-to-HDTV HDMI Adapter

• Store AV equipment up to 100 feet away even in another room.
• Enjoy full-HD 1080 pixel resolution, 3D video, and up to 7.1 channels of surround sound.
• The IR Blaster gives you total device control. Just point your remote at the TV, and ScreenCast does the rest.
• Ideal for wall-mounted HDTVs.
• Easy setup. Connect your AV devices to the transmitter and hide them away.

This is my experience with the Belkin Screencast AV4:

Thursday, June 14: Received the Screencast. It worked perfectly with my DVD player, my laptop and Apple TV, but it did not work with my cable receiver (a standard Comcast receiver). With the cable, there was only an occasional flicker of picture and no audio. This appears to be a problem that multiple reviewers have had. I tried placing the Screencast receiver and transmitter side by side, a few feet away, several feet away, etc. There was no wall or anything blocking the signal. Also, I power cycled the Screencast, changed the HDMI wires, tried turning off my router just in case there was a frequency issue, etc. Nothing worked.

Friday, June 15: I contacted Belkin support through the Belkin website. I received an auto-reply saying I should expect a response within one business day.

Tuesday, June 19: Still no response from Belkin support, and so I e-mailed customercare@belkin.com and asked for a response. Later that night I received a response with a phone number to call for support.

Wednesday, June 20: The person I spoke with at support was nice but couldn't help me. His advice was more or less limited to power cycling the Screencast and checking the HDMI wires. After I spent a good deal of time on hold, I was transferred to a Level 2 technician. This person was also nice but didn't have any additional advice. After more time on hold, I was then told that a Level 3 technician would call me later in the day. I stayed home waiting on the call, but it never came.

Friday, June 22: I wasted more time trying to get the Screencast to work with my cable receiver. It wouldn't. The Level 3 technician still hadn't called, and so I called Belkin support again. The person I spoke with put me on hold, then came back and assured me over and over that a Level 3 technician was going to call me later in the day. He said to just wait for the call.

Saturday, June 23: More time gone forever while trying to get the Screencast to work. Also, the Level 3 technician never called. I called Belkin again and was put on hold again. The person I spoke with finally came back and her advice was to continue to wait for the Level 3 technician. I thanked her, unplugged the Screencast, placed it in a box, and returned it. The urge to soak the Screencast in gasoline and blast it with a flamethrower was almost irresistible.

Tuesday, June 26. I received an e-mail from a Level 3 technician asking if I still needed assistance. I deleted the e-mail.

Buy Belkin F7D4515 ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless AV-to-HDTV HDMI Adapter Now

If your HDTV is in a location that is not well suited to HDMI cable connections from your cable box or DVD players, the Belkin ScreenCast AV4 may be a satisfactory wireless solution. Although the product delivers wireless audio and video of excellent quality, it has some limitations and is not well suited for all situations. Read on for details.

PROs

-----------

+ Wireless video/audio quality appears to be equal to direct-HDMI connected video

+ 40 foot video feed through my walls worked flawlessly

+ No interference (that I could detect) with my wireless network

+ Basic setup surprisingly easy

CONs

-----------

Flaky behavior of remote control

Slow to change display input source

SETUP

-----------

The ScreenCast AV4 was fairly simple to attach to my home theater. The package includes two pieces of hardware; one attaches to your television and a power outlet, the other attaches to each of your AV devices and a second power outlet. Once done, I powered on both of the Belkin boxes and within 2 minutes there was video on my TV.

Because this was my first time to power on the ScreenCast AV, a setup menu appeared asking me to select my language. After that it said it was preparing to help me setup my inputs with usable labels (i.e. "Satellite", "Blu-Ray", etc...). Unfortunately, something went wrong with the ScreenCast AV at this point and that menu never appeared. The included remote control, used to change inputs on the Belkin between your AV devices, quit working completely. Fortunately, I powered one of the Belkin boxes off, then back on, and the remote control started working.

Aside from the problem setting up my inputs on the Belkin, the fact that the audio and video automatically started working is quite nice. I think that if Belkin can come up with a firmware update to fix the issues with the remote control, setup would be a major positive for this product.

USAGE

-----------

Most operation of this device is transparent. If you had a simple setup involving nothing more than a cable or satellite tuner box and your HDTV, you would never interact with the Belkin. Everything would just work.

Unfortunately, many of us have more than one device attached to our HDTV. It's common to have a DVD/Blu-Ray player or possibly a gaming system or Internet-attached device. Each of these typically consume an HDMI input on your HDTV. The Belkin ScreenCast AV4 takes care of this by providing 4 HDMI inputs. The problem is that changing between those inputs is a chore. The included remote control is very tiny and the selection of inputs was a clumsy and slow affair that caused immediate frustration.

There is a noticeable lag between when you push a button on the remote control and the Belkin responds. This gets old fast. The process of changing input from my DVR to my Boxee Box easily takes 10 seconds. I can't imagine anyone being satisfied with this level of performance.

After some period of time (hours?), the remote control quit working again. The box was sending audio/video and I was able to watch TV, but I was unable to change the input. Powering off the unit with the IR receiver (for the remote) and then powering it back on solved this problem.

GENERAL

-----------

The ScreenCast AV4 only supports HDMI devices. If you have any older component video devices, they will not work. If most of your equipment is newer than 2005, you probably don't have this problem. If you do have some older equipment you can't use this product.

With the ScreenCast AV4 attached to my Panasonic plasma television, the HDTV is no longer able to sense when a component attached to it has been turned off. With direct HDMI connections, if I turned off my DVD player, Boxee Box, or DirecTV DVR, and somehow failed to turn off the Panasonic, it would automatically shut off about 2-3 minutes later. Now it stays on forever showing only a black picture. I don't think this is a big problem but I do want to note it since I know some people probably have careless kids in the house that might not remember to turn off the TV. If that is your situation, this device might cause premature wear on your TV and larger electricity bills.

Combined power consumption of the two ScreenCast AV boxes was about 6 watts when idle (when your TV and cable box are off). When you power on your TV and cable box, the combined power usage increased to about 11 watts. That is a relatively low power consumption that you will not notice on your monthly bill.

Neither unit has a fan; you will not hear any noise when they are turned on.

SUMMARY

-----------

If you're looking for a wireless connection to your HDTV and only have to deal with one audio/video source, the Belkin ScreenCast AV 4 is probably a very good choice. The non-intrusive design, great audio/video performance, and very easy setup are great features. For such a user, I'd give this product 5 stars.

If you have a more complicated audio/video setup involving multiple devices, I'd probably see if there is something else out there that is better at handling changing of inputs. For such a user, I'd give this product 3 stars.

Read Best Reviews of Belkin F7D4515 ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless AV-to-HDTV HDMI Adapter Here

I like to plan my projects down to the last detail. My home AV setup project worried me a little because wireless video transmission was an area that was fairly new (at least to me and people I know). I purchased a Samsung UN55D6000 LED tv to put above our fireplace, mounted on a Sanus full-motion mount. Our den is wired so that all the speaker wires and components are on the opposite wall of the TV and in the corner, about 25 feet away. I have a Samsung blu-ray player, Comcast HD DVR box, Apple TV3, and an Onkyo receiver. I decided to go with the Belkin Screencast AV4 for a few reasons: I wasn't using a plasma screen (I read there was interference), It had a longer range and had less interference through walls, and it wouldn't interfere with my home wireless network (Linksys E4200 v2 Dual Band Router). I decided to go with a Harmony 900 RF remote to handle everything and allow me to hide all the components across the room.

When I got it all in and hooked up, I was very pleased with the performance. I've had crystal clear HD content with no glitches (I've been using it for a month now) The only drawback is the automation of changing sources. Since I have a Harmony remote, I set it to change between them in a sequence, but it doesn't always catch. I resorted to putting "soft buttons" (customizable buttons on the touchscreen of the remote) for the commands that are on the remote that comes with the Screencast AV4. This allows me to dismiss the dialogue box once it has changed to a different source.

Note: When I first tried using the blu-ray player, it wouldn't play a DVD, only blu-rays. The screen would go green and the top would be pixelated. I tried and tried and even opened a service ticket with Belkin. I finally found the issue on my own: I had the blu-ray video settings set to auto, which would change resolution as the content changed(menus, previews, the movie, etc). The Screencast didn't like this. I went in and changed the video output to only output 1080p and it fixed it.

It was hard to trust the reviews because I wanted to know exactly how it would work with what I wanted to do. I think I've come to see that it does "just work". Changing sources can be a slight hassle, but other than that, it's perfect for me. Now I have a TV above the fireplace and not one device showing in the room.

Want Belkin F7D4515 ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless AV-to-HDTV HDMI Adapter Discount?

It works great when it works. The chassis is a poor design. It does not have good air flow. Placing a fan on it solves the problem, but it needs a package redesign. It will overheat if placed on a flat surface. It needs to have a larger heatsink and a better chassis. The receiver gets warm as well so again it is a design issue.

I have a fix. As I thought, the transmitter unit overheats just sitting on a shelf. I went out and bought a cooler master notepal x-lite and a usb power supply. I put the transmitter on the x-lite and it no longer overheats. The x-lite is quiet and I put in in a built in cabinet about 10 feet from the receiver. Signal is good and the unit seems to be staying up fine. Will report after a week or so on what I find. I have also found that when they are telling you it does not work well with a plasma TV, that is not true.

BELKIN, fix the design. I responded to your email request, I suggest you read it.

A thought, the remote functionality on this thing is poor at best. I use a receiver to switch my hdmi and use this as a point to point to the TV. If you need a point to point, you look at my earlier stuff and you don't try and use the switch, it works fine so far, if you want to switch with this, you probably ought to think about a different approach. Frankly, Belkin ought to just get rid of the hdmi switch in this thing, there are far better solutions out there that are more reliable and come with most consumer stuff now anyway. Not well thought out. KISS definitely applies for this device. It really does solve a problem that many people have and it does work, but don't over think it.

06/12/12

Well, we're 4 days in and something actually died. I think it is the receiver which has been sitting out in the open. It won't link at all. So, for 250 bucks, go buy yourself a couple of hdmi over cat6 connectors, wire it up, and take your lady out to a nice dinner. This thing is definitely not ready for prime time, so I will be finding Chester John Pipkins contacts and letting him know what I think of it. I will also be getting in touch with some friends at Intel to find out what the reference design for this thing actually looks like. My guess is not much like this.

Whoever the quality folks are at Belkin ought to be ashamed of themselves. This product should never have been brought to market. It must have been designed by a high school student in Hong Kong. Very poorly done. And Intel should be ashamed for letting this type of product be produced. If their reference design is any sort of reliable, this thing is embarrassing. Makes WIDI look horrible.

Avoid anything WIDI kids, it is really an embarrassment for Intel. I work in this industry and I would never let a product like this be released to production.

Save 16% Off

This product worked great for 3 Months. Then the transmitter shut off and would not turn back on. Called Customer service and sat on hold for 15 mins just for them to ask if it was plugged in and to reset it. When it still would not turn on, they said I would have to call customer service between the hours of 8-5 (which are the hours I am at work) to process a return. They then informed me that I would have to pay to ship the broken product back to them! I have never been treated so bad as a customer. I am now black balling Belkin from any of my future products and would STRONGLY ADVICE YOU TO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. I am now not able to watch TV as the cable box is located across the room. AVOID making the same $250 mistake I made.

DO NOT BUY!!!!

Bell+Howell DNV900HD Night Vision 1080p High Definition Digital Video Camcorder with 3.0 Inch Touch

I really hate to give such a bad review, but this item has earned it. If I could I would have given it a negative 5 star rating! Remember making a pinhole camera in grade school? Well now you know the abilities of this camcorder. In daylight shooting, everything has a purple tint. In night vision mode, if you're more that about 18 inches from your subject, just shut off the camera because you won't see anything anyway. I even bought the Phantom Lite external IR light, which has capabilities to almost 60 feet and I still only got images from about 3 feet, then total darkness. The battery lasts about 20 minutes, after cycling it through about five full charges and discharges. No website for support, supplied driver to use this for a webcam does not work with Windows 7, after three uses, the HDMI out port stopped functioning! Needless to say it's on it's way back to Amazon for a full refund.

DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA.

JUNK JUNK JUNK.

I really like this unit. It's a little on the small size for someone with big hands. Easy to use. The camera is really 5mp, interpolated to 12mp. The zoom only works for stills, not video. The IR source is a little weak for outdoors use, but is as advertised. That being said, the unit is easy to use and produces good images. It comes with all cables needed. I was surprised with the image quaility when played back on a large LCD TV. I would recomend this, The extra SD slot and dual power option are cool, as is the IR mode. If you have teenagers in the house you might need two of them, Really big hit with them. Is it my turn yet?

Buy Bell+Howell DNV900HD Night Vision 1080p High Definition Digital Video Camcorder with 3.0 Inch Touch Now

The main issue is that under any light except florescent light, the image on video and still camera turns everything purple or blue. Simple example: In my kitchen with florescent light, Blacks come out black and browns come out brown. In the living room under normal incandescent light bulbs my Dark Brown couch is bright purple. I took some video of my friends band and they looked like blue Smurfs on stage. I reset the camera to defaults and still same issue. I really think mine came with a defective ambient light sensor or something. Also, not all the commands or buttons work plugged into my TV with the HDMI cable. I have to start the video I want from the LCD then plug it into the TV and if I even try and fast forward or pause with the buttons it does all kinds of crazy things. There was no instructions on how to playback even when plugged into HDMI. The good side is that the video is not bad in 720p. You cannot use the zoom if in 1080p, I'm guessing it's all digital zoom and no optical? It is very small and lightweight, which is nice. I really haven't seen any issue with the battery as of yet. The infrared is cool, and if you're complaining about the distance for night vision, then you need to invest in a bigger IR light to connect. You can't expect much from that little IR light. Every ghost hunter knows to have a powerful IR light if you want to see all the way down a hallway. I called support and am sending it in. They were very helpful at 1 -800-647-2290 and have promised to rush me back a new camera and reimburse me for my shipping to them. If I get a replacement camera and all is well then I'd say you get a pretty good product for the price. The dual 32GB SD card slots are nice, just don't let stores upsale you on SD10 cards, because the SD4 card I used worked just fine.

Read Best Reviews of Bell+Howell DNV900HD Night Vision 1080p High Definition Digital Video Camcorder with 3.0 Inch Touch Here

Phenomenal 1080p Camcorder. Works in total darkness with the IR (infrared) mode. Takes either the supplied NP-40 lithium rechargeable batteries, or standard AA batteries. Also has 2 SD card slots = 64gb maximum total removable memory. The touchscreen is also a breeze to use. Very clear picture. Nice, sturdy, and firm build quality. Very impressed.

Want Bell+Howell DNV900HD Night Vision 1080p High Definition Digital Video Camcorder with 3.0 Inch Touch Discount?

It is a nice little camera with night shot, but even with extra IR illumination the battery's life is very short. Is it worth it for the money no it doesn't even have a lens cover.

DX-P7DVD 7 Inch Portable DVD Player

• 7-inch Dynex DX-PDVD7A Widescreen Portable DVD Player General Features: Silver color Region 1
• 7-inch widescreen color display 480 x 234 display format 16:9 aspect ratio Dual stereo speakers
• Zoom feature MP3 digital decoder Built-in headphone jack
• Built-in NiMH rechargeable battery with 2.5 hours of battery life Supported Media: DVD DVD+RW

Per the other review, mine also did not hold a charge very well. However, given that issue, it works quite well when plugged into either the wall outlet or the 12v car jack. Screen is good, controls are easy and user-friendly even if you're in a darkened room. It played factory DVDs as well as my backup copies without problems.

Buy DX-P7DVD 7 Inch Portable DVD Player Now

I have two players, a Sony and this Dynex. I wouldn't recommend the Dynex for battery operation. The battery on mine won't hold any charge. It works fine as long as I plug it in to an AC outlet. I've tried charging it for a full day and it won't hold a charge. If you're looking for one that operates on batteries, I recommend you check out the Sony players. Sony DVP-FX930 9-Inch Portable DVD Player, Black

Read Best Reviews of DX-P7DVD 7 Inch Portable DVD Player Here

Don't buy it unless you plan on throwing it away after the battery no longer holds a charge. After about six months one of two units bought holds no charge at all and the other is weak and dying. It works fine plugged in, but that's it. Won't buy another.

Want DX-P7DVD 7 Inch Portable DVD Player Discount?

Purchased one the other day. Plugged it in to the adapter because the battery portion did not work. Played fine, for about 5 minutes, then made a noise like it was shorting out and QUIT ! Half a minute later it came back on... but for only about a half minute then made the shorting out sound again and quit again. This continued several times until I finally got tired of it and pulled the plug. Anyone want to buy this real cheap ? Make a good paper weight.

Well I recieve the item I order & it workers but the seller is rude & dont want to help the people that but his stuff he wont have to worry about me buying anything else from him for now on Have a great day & a great life thank you for the dvd player.

Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 PCI TV Tuner with Remote Control (1045)

I wanted to put a TV in my child's play room, which also had a computer. This device enables me to use the computer as a TV. It works great, my 4 year old has no problem using it.

I installed the device in my only PCI slot, hooked my cable coax into it, started my PC, and the drivers automatically loaded. I have XP SP2. The whole process took about 10 minutes. The software then starts and after about 5 minutes, goes through the cable channels to store the channels. Then, you are ready to go.

The unit is equipped with a remote. The remote points to an "eye". The eye is attached to a medium-sized small cord that is attached to the PCI card (under the coax cable). You are able to position the eye where you want it, although the cord the eye is on is not long. If you have a desktop sitting on the floor, it will barely reach the top of a computer desk. I taped the cord just under my keyboard shelf, so the remote needs to be pointed low.

The functionality of the software is great. You can change the channel with the computer or remote. There is a button to enable "full screen" on the computer, but not on the remote. The picture is excellent. The ability to pause live TV, or record ad-hoc or timed works extremely well.

This is a great product.

I've had the PVR150 for several months. Prospective buyers should be aware of the following:

-The card has audio problems. Audio levels, especially from the card's Line Input are too high, which results in clipped audio. And -get this -there is NO WAY TO ADJUST AUDIO INPUT LEVELS ON THIS CARD. Hauppauge has acknowledged the problem but so far (it's been 9 months) have been unable to fix it. In fact their "workaround" has been to install an audio limiter in their driver which automatically clips all audio at +6dB. A few months ago they were offering customers who complained about the issue free exchanges for PVR250's, which does not have the same problem as the 150. Not sure if Hauppauge is still offering this exchange.

-The card's video also has substantial problems. Particularly with some graphics adapters (most notably ATI), at normal contrast levels whites are extremely overexposed. If one compensates by decreasing the contrast so that whites are properly exposed, darker colors are completely washed out and most detail is lost. And Hauppauge's tech support so far has been worthless trying to address (or even acknowledge) the problem.

-Other problems exist, such as "judder" (constant skipping) when recording from VHS source and fast forwarding to a different part of the tape, or when the included capture software (WinTV2000) is paused or muted for too long. Hauppauge's "fix" is telling customers to revert from DirectX 9.0c to 9.0b, but as many of you know, this may require a complete reinstall of your operating system.

I believe this is a case where Conexant, the manufacturer of the PVR150's hardware MPEG encoder, brought a product to market well before it was ready. They attempted to combine the functions of separate video and audio controllers (which were in fact separate chips on the PVR250) into a single chip, with lower power draw and much lower manufacturing cost. In my opinion they fell short. I strongly advise against the PVR150.

Buy Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 PCI TV Tuner with Remote Control (1045) Now

I am not the first person to have this problem. What I received was in fact a WinTv-HVR-1600. Which is not at all the same as a WinTV-PVR-150 because it does not have Linux drivers. Then I had to go to the trouble of calling Haupauge to get them to switch it out. Had to pay shipping to send them the 150. More than a week went by before I was able to build my MythTV Box.

Read Best Reviews of Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 PCI TV Tuner with Remote Control (1045) Here

I bought this product and it works great. I had previously bought the ATI TV wonder pro remote control edition, and had to return it because they software wouldn't work right with my computer. I exchanged it for this one and am very glad I did. the WIN-TV PVR does everything I need it to do, and seems to have a little better quality than the ATI one, even though it still isnt nearly as good as TV quality. The software works great; however there are a few problems I have found:

1: I haven't figured out how to open the videos and make them work with programs other than the program they give you. I've tried changing the record format, but it doesn't change it. Therefore, I can't record a show while I'm watching one I've already recorded.

2:The TV guide is online and is a pain to try and get it to work with the program scheduler because it requires that you download a file and doesnt work all the time.

3: Sometimes when I am watching a recorded show, I will pause and then hit the Play button, but then it will reset the video back to the beginning, and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. It doesnt do it all the time though, and if it does it it's not the end of the world because I can just drag the slider back to where I was.

Other than these minor problems, the recorder works great, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a PVR.

Want Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 PCI TV Tuner with Remote Control (1045) Discount?

I tried to set up a PVR using my computer on the cheap on my less than state of the art computer (Pentium 4 2.2ghz). I experimented with a cheap tv card and half a dozen freeware software applications. I wish I could have the time back trying to set up all those lame products. The first thing that's essential that the cheaper tv cards don't have is an onboard chip to encode the video. Software encoding-how the cheap cards worktotally bogged down the computer. Tying together all the bits and pieces--cable box, remote, drivers, software can be a major headache. The Hauppauge card bundles a decent remote and ir emitter. This is a big plus. In light of that the $91 and free shipping made it a deal. This is only half the solution though as the software provided is not worthy of this fine hardware. I tried all the software out there for Windows-except for the expensive Windows media center-the only thing that works is Beyond TV. No other software is even close. The Beyond TV software is designed to work mainly with the Hauppage products. The IR emitter did not work satisfactorily for my Motorola cable box, but luckily I was able to control that with a serial cable connection. The TV picture is better than what I got directly from my cable box, though there is sometimes a slight, almost imperceptible, jerkiness. A Hauppage card, Beyond TV and your computer will bring you an excellent PVR experience. With a big Harddrive and a video card with tv-out, you're there.

BlackVue Wi-Fi New DR500GW-HD, Car Black Box/Car DVR Recorder, Built-in Wi-Fi, Full HD (1080p@30fps

• New Wi-Fi Feature, Full HD Video: High Definition & High Frame Rate, Extended recording time with a high compression rate
• 2 megapixel CMOS sensor, Diagonal 120, horizontal 98, Built-in microphone, High-Capacity Meory Card Support (up to 32GB)
• Various Recording Modes, Motion Dection in Parking Mode Recording, 360 rotation cylinder in sleek design, Full HD label
• Universal File Format: MP4, Video Playback on various devices, BlackVue App and Software(for PC), MyWay Viewer
• Built-in GPS and G-sensor, Internal Emergency battery, Voice Guide, 3-color LEDs, Video out, Resolved Heat Issue

youtube.com/watch?v=oITJ2xGBuT8 YouTube compresses video quality is actually much better than shown on YouTube.

I am new to dash cams but not to mobile technology.

Its pretty cool it has WiFi, GPS, 3-axis gyro, accelerometer, shock sensors and ambient light sensor. It records to a MicroSD card or you can download directly via WiFi to your iDevice or Android.

I bought this 500GW-HD about a week ago and I have been fiddling with it via Telnet/SSH/FTP, iPhone 5 & iPad 4 iOS app, Android app (rooted Kindle 2 running Jelly Bean 4.2) and the MicroSD card directly. I am primarily a Mac and Linux user on the desktop, although I loaded Windows 7 on my Macbook Air & iMac to look at the Blackvue Viewer Windows application (which is much better than the Mac version, BTW. More on this later)

My first impressions of the Blackvue DR500GW-HD are, by and large, positive. The 500GW-HD gets warm, but never hot. The camera mount is solid and very adjustable, the angle of view is excellent and the video quality is much better than I expected, even at night. Audio is crystal clear and in-sync. I expect that Firmware updates will fix/mitigate some of the more glaring defects discussed below.

It has some kinks, which is to be expected as this technology is still maturing. In particular, the firmware is not actually updated with any changes you make on the SD card (config.ini), the camera just reads the config.ini and uses that. But not always. Sometimes, after a power down/power up, the SSID and pwd will be forgotten or some of your other settings (timezone etc.) will be ignored. This may be a Blackvue Mac vs. PC application problem rather than a Blackvue firmware bug, although this did happen twice using the Windows app only.

My Firmware is in English and the latest version as of this writing version 1.003; I bought the 500GW-HD along with a Sandisk 32Gb Class 10 MicroSD card from Amazon. I also bought the Power Magic Pro (from eBay) and hardwired the Blackvue. The PMP is set to 12v & 48 hours and has been rock solid so far. A little background for anyone new to hacking the Blackvue 500GW-HD you can Telnet, SSH and FTP to the device via WiFi. The IP address is 192.168.8.1, login as "root", default password is "pt". FTP is ftp://192.168.8.1/Blackvue/Record/ to access all of your videos.

My config.ini is set to Normal, 1080p, Brightness 1, all flashing LEDs off, default LED colours, default sensors, voice on for everything except Events, custom SSID & pwd, custom root pwd, 1 minute record intervals, MPH and TimeZone to 174. I am in Houston, Texas, if that helps with the timezone thing. I tried setting the Blackvue to 802.11n by adding the line "ap_11n=1" to the [WiFi] section of the config.ini, but it didn't work. Fastest connection so far is 802.11g

Let me briefly discuss the Blackvue desktop Viewer applications for Windows and Mac. The Windows apps I am sure most of you are familiar with (and has been discussed many times elsewhere) so I won't spend any time on it other than to state that if you want to make changes that will persist over reboots, use the Windows application. Contrary to what others have stated, the Mac Viewer app does indeed have configuration settings, and they do write out to the config.ini but I would suggest you do not do this. Use the Windows Viewer app or manually modify the config.ini.

The Mac Viewer app looks identical to its Windows counterpart except for the configurations settings and video quality. Yes, you read that correctly; the Windows video quality display is better, on the same hardware. Go figure. I tested this on both a late model 27" iMac and late model Macbook Air, both running Mountain Lion on the Mac side and Windows 7 on the PC side (via BootCamp). Same files, same SD card, the Windows video looks way better.

Below are some screenshots of the Mac Viewer app. You will notice the similarities to the (superior) Windows app all the same functionality (Events, Parking Mode, Normal Mode, date/time, GPS mapping etc.), until you get to the configurations screens. There you encounter extremely limited TimeZone selection and if you save these settings, all bets are off as to what the Blackvue will actually do when it boots up using these settings (not what you expect, that's for sure). My advice; do not use the Mac app to make any configuration changes.

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue4.jpg

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue1.jpg

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue2.jpg

grond.tv/blackvue/blackvue3.jpg

Let's move on to the iOS and Android apps, both also pretty rough. Both looked like they were written by a 8 year old, with an extremely poor and confusing interface, insane choices of font colours and sizes (very light, bright green on a white background!) along with confusing options. To get to the Live View, you have to swipe the top menu to the right (seriously?) and you cannot delete any videos on the SD card only copy them to your iOS or Android device. Copying a 1 minute video (about 55Mb) takes a while at 802.11g speeds so get comfy. You can configure the Blackvue via iOS/Android, which simply modifies the config.ini file and then you have to reboot the Blackvue for it to read the new config.ini. But given what I have said above (especially the font colours!), don't bother. There is no dedicated iPad app that will take advantage of the big 10 inch screen, just a iPhone app that you can double the size. It is actually better to do this than use the app on a iPhone as you can see the screen much better. The Android app is phone sized and looks fairly bad on the Kindle 2 but it is usable.

Parking Mode takes a while to both engage and disengage, but that can be tweaked via the motion sensors configuration. Event Mode, likewise can be tweaked.

Reading this review, it may appear as if I have been overtly negative towards the 500GW-HD, but that is not the case. As I started out saying, my impressions are largely positive. The Blackvue does what it was designed to do record video unobtrusively 24/7, and it does that very, very well.

The camera is remarkably configurable and very capable, far beyond my expectations. Video quality is par excellence for a 2mp CMOS.

I recommend the Blackvue 500GW-HD.

Buy BlackVue Wi-Fi New DR500GW-HD, Car Black Box/Car DVR Recorder, Built-in Wi-Fi, Full HD (1080p@30fps Now

UPDATED 4/12/2013

Upgraded to latest firmware 1.0.5, but didn't notice any new features or improvements. Also switched to using 32GB card and now on a few occasions it wouldn't record. I have to unplug the camera power to start recording again. WiFi feature maybe selling point, but I haven't used it in 2 month. The video feed is choppy and with delay when using live view feature. I covered silver accents with black tape, looks tacky, but at least it doesn't stand out as much now.

Virus issues: There were reports that there is a virus on the sd card from this seller. I have not had this issue because I purchased this from another source, but prior to upgrade my blackvue to 1.0.3 I've actually formatted the card, so I don't know if I had the virus or not.

I've been using different DVRs over the years, mostly Chinese made, this is first Korean DVR and this is the first one that actually I really like and it addressed most of my previous concerns:

THE GOOD

Compact, simple, non distracting design and solid quality feel

No built-in display, it's substituted with WiFi connection to your smartphone which becomes DVR display. Love this feature! Keep in mind there is about 1-2 second delay in the live image. You can also stream live video to a browser without using any apps, simply by entering the following url in the browser (without spaces) h t t p:// 192 .168 .8 .1 / blackvue_live.cgi.

Excellent daylight quality

Low profile mount, but see cons

Parking mode motion sensor, haven't tried yet

Bunch of venting holes for hot climates, I haven't tried it in the hot weather, but it doesn't seem like it would have any issues as previous model

Voice notifications, fun to have at first, but I would rather turn them off

Extra wide angle, you will most likely see the A pillars in your car. If you turn it facing inside the car you will see the sides of the front windows which may be handy, but the image doesn't flip over.

Very easy to view your recordings on a smartphone. (I only tried Android app)

Included wire management clips, nice addon

IR sensor to turn on/off microphone. Interesting feature, but I don't see any practical use to turn off microphone.

THE NOT SO PRETTY

Night quality still has plenty of room for improvement, but overall it's definetely better then most cheap DVRs I've tried

Some minor user interface glitches in the Android app, hopefully will be resolved in the future updates

A bit pricey when there are plenty of HD cameras that cost less

Silver accents are noticeable. Blackboxes should be All-Black-Boxes, but nothing that black tape or marker can't fix.

Design does not allow you to move the camera horizontally

No built in battery, there is however some sort of capacitor that serves purpose of allowing the cam to save the file correctly when there is no power.

Standard bitrate is a bit low at 7000, but with some modding (search forums) you can increase it up to 15000

I've been having mixed feelings with the mount. On one had I understand the stick on clip design, but I prefer non permanent solutions, like suction cups. Also removal of the DVR is a bit cumbersome. You have to first unplug power then click the button to unlock and only then you can remove it from the mount.

It does get warm a bit to the touch, but venting holes help to cool it down fast after powering down.

Read Best Reviews of BlackVue Wi-Fi New DR500GW-HD, Car Black Box/Car DVR Recorder, Built-in Wi-Fi, Full HD (1080p@30fps Here

I received my purchase which was sent via UPS, 2 day business shipping. The package arrived on time, in great shape and everything inside the same. I had fun installing the camera in my 2012 Tahoe. I mounted it on the windshield, directly in front of my rear-view mirror and ran the cable above the headliner, along the passenger side, down and inside the windshield side support covering, under the dash and to the lighter adapter ( I plan on wiring it directly to the fuse box in the near future).

Before ordering, I had several email conversations with the selling company and they were professional and replied within just a short period of time. They stated that their testing showed the DR500 to run cooler than the DR400 and earlier models (more on that later). They also claimed to be an authorized seller for Pittasoft. I decided to give it a try and placed the order. After I received and set it up, I had a question regarding a setting, so I emailed the manufacturer Pittasoft. Before they would deal with me, they asked for my serial number to verify the product was sold by an authorized dealer. I emailed them the serial number which they indicated was an authorized unit and my questions were answered, however, due to and "only due to" the difference in time between USA and Korea, several back and forth replies took a couple of days.

I have had this in my vehicle for over 2 weeks and the unit runs perfectly. The unit records clear pictures, unfortunately, when I zoom in on a plate of a passing vehicle using the Windows software, most often the plate is unreadable due to the picture's pixels being scattered, and the unit is set at the highest setting, Full HD (1920x1080) @30fps, with no compression; thankfully this is not a deal breaker for me as the rest of the video and sound is exceptional. I did buy a larger 32GB mini SD card which works flawlessly.

The unit has been running 24x7 and goes into the parking mode about 10 minutes after I park in my parking spot. The parking mode records things at by movement, usually locking in on the event 5 seconds before it sees it and then for one minute in length. I'm using the factory settings which seem sufficient for me. One night I had a 1 minute recording at about 2 am. I played the video only to see a small moth walking on the windshield in the vision path of the camera. I liked that, knowing that any passing movement in the middle of the night is recorded.

I want my unit to be as stealth as possible, so in the event that someone were to break in to the vehicle, the recorder would not draw attention, I have all the LED lights settings marked "off" when the unit is operational which still leaves the WI-FI indicator on. I placed a piece of black tape over that LED and now it is totally dark. In addition, I have the voice settings off so an intruder would not be alerted by voice either.

I am currently in Florida and the weather is now in the 80's. With the sun hitting the unit, it does get hot, but then so does everything the sun hits. I have not seen any issues on any of the video, still clear, smooth and good audio. Even out of the sun, the camera is warm to the touch, not hot, and the card, if I pull it out and immediately put it between my lips, it also is warm but does not feel dangerously hot. I'll do an update on the units heat once summer is over or if I have problems sooner, but as of now, I'm very satisfied and don't see a heat issue.

So for now, the following on my likes/dislikes.

Pros:

*Cylinder shape -The unit is horizontal to the window making for a smaller look, so it's not as obviously a recorder is in the vehicle.

*Wi-fi, via an Android App(no screen-again keeping a small inconspicuous footprint) allowing to easily adjust height view, play back and verify everything is working properly. I can view it using my phone or my larger Android tablet, which really is nice. The application also has a settings page where all the camera settings can be adjusted (settings can also can be adjusted using the PC software; I don't have a Mac so I can't say one way or another for that). I have an old unused Droid I have set up with the Android App that is set using only the Wi-fi allowing me to keep it logged into the camera as long as I like.

*Available Settings; normal, event and parking.

-Normal, allows for normal live recording while the vehicle is in motion.

-Event, when an event occurs, such as a sharp corner, fast breaking/acceleration, hard bump, an accident or damage to vehicle, the recorder will ensure that in the case of power loss, the one minute event is saved before the camera can shut down preventing the loss of the data.

-Parked, the camera goes into what I visualize, a none record mode even though the camera sees everything going on in front of it and if and when any movement occurs, it begins recording 5 seconds before the movement and for at least 1 minute or until the movement stops.

*On all the time, so no lag for start up. When I get in the car, the camera has already recorded me approaching from the front and when I start the vehicle, the camera continues on recording.

*Internal clock, minutes are accurate but nonadjustable (this give credibility to the time of the recording), one only needs to adjust the time zone and the clock is right on.

*Long power cord, which should enough for most installations. In addition, unit comes with two 3M window stick-ons (more can be purchased) and 5 or 6 cord hooks that stick to the window or car molding to help direct the power cord.

*GPS system works well and is as accurate as any other GPS system I've used.

*No lag or missed time between video clips

Cons:

*The factory SD card had a Trojan Horse. My antivirus program (Norton) immediately found, quarantined and removed the "autorun.inf" file on the SD card due to it reporting the file infected with W32.Downadup/W32/Conficker. However, if one reads several forum posts about this, it seems this was common on these disks. I formatted the card with the format function built into the camera, all the operational files were automatically reinstalled but W32.Downadup was not. This must have been introduced only to the card when it was made, it is not in the camera software.

*The cost, however, now that it is installed and operational, I feel the cost was reasonable.

*The instruction booklet was translated to English, but it could have been done better, some sentences don't make sense.

*Even though the instruction booklet is in English and touched on most of the options, it did not go into depth about the sensitivity settings, so in the event I need to change them, it will be a bit of trail and error. There is also a "Brightness" setting. I've played with it a little, but I'm not able to see a difference and again, the instructions failed to explain this.

*Most functions of the Android app and Windows software is in English, however, there are a few spots where the English is poor or still in, I believe, Korean.

*The 140 degree view of the camera is nice, however in certain circumstances, mostly with rain or water, the playback view can look like a fish eye. If there were an option of an 120 degree lens, I believe I would opt for that.

Bottom line, I think this is a great unit and I'm glad I opted to buy it. I plan on putting a second camera in my truck, to the rear, however I don't think I will buy another DR500 for this since that unit won't need all the options.

Want BlackVue Wi-Fi New DR500GW-HD, Car Black Box/Car DVR Recorder, Built-in Wi-Fi, Full HD (1080p@30fps Discount?

WARNING: The SD card that came with my Blackvue was infected with Conflicker.B Trojan. Before you plug ANY strange software into your PC make certain autoplay is turned OFF, and scan the new device with a good anti-virus scanner. In my case, Windows Security Essentials (Free) detected the trojan and removed it. After that all seems well.

As for the dashcam itself, it arrived in very nice packaging, everything in English and very professional looking. Setup in the car went flawlessly with plenty of length on the supplied power cord for hiding it under the roof and door trim around to my center console cigarette lighter. Although, since the input pin on the cam is labelled for 12V input, I wish there was an option to buy a cable that fit the power socket on the cam and then could be direct wired into the car's 12V electric system. Even the available BlackBox Pro battery protector has the dashcam going through a lighter plug.

Getting the Cam to connect via WiFi to the android app seems a bit finicky, though I'm starting to suspect that it may just be that I'm too impatient. If I try to connect as soon as the voice notification that normal recording has started is over, I can't get a wifi connection without trying multiple times. If I keep trying, after a few minutes it connects and everything is fine. If I wait 5-10 minutes after turning the camera on, then it connects much quicker.

The video quality is great. The unit does get warm to the touch during operation, but with the vent holes, cools rapidly once powered down. I've been using it for only 2 days now, and we're still in winter, if you can call it that in Texas. I'm very interested to see how it continues to perform through it's first Texas summer in a few months.

Save 38% Off

I have both the DR400-HD and the DR500GW-HD

I purchased the DR500GW-HD for it's live view and wifi function. These features are nice but not what I had expected. It's almost a gimmick.

I had imagined the LiveView function to be just that, live view. Unfortunately the live view gives you a video which is delayed, of lower quality and not smooth. It's pretty much only good for adjusting the camera. On both cameras, the "Blackvue" logo can be used to adjust the camera. Align the Blackvue logo horizontally and the camera angle is pretty much set correctly.

Don't expect the wifi connection to be like your home router. If you think you can sit at a cafe and use Live View from across the street you'll be diasppointed. It's only good for a very short distance, less than the stated 10m. Additionally, even with the supplied class 10 microSD card, viewing recorded video through wifi is not a very smooth experience due to a lot of buffering (on multiple iOS and Android devices). On top of that, I occasionally get a "weak signal" error on my android devices when connected so I have to get out of the mobile app and reconnect.

It is 44% bigger (by volume) than the older Blackvue. Not sure why they had to make it so much bigger for the WIFI function but it is noticeably bigger. The camera recording angle is much wider (156 diag/123 hor/90 vert degrees vs 120 diag/98 hor /55 Vert degrees). Although the recording angle much better, it tends to loose some details of license plates.

The biggest problem is the video generated by the DR500GW. It is worse in quality compared to the DR400! In areas with a lot of trees and dark objects, the video quality is horrible with big blocks of pixelation. When viewing the video using the Blackvue windows application (approximately reduced to 30%) the video looks ok but you can still see pixelation. The same video zoomed out to 100% is pretty bad. In other situations the video is comparable to the DR400, just slightly less in quality. The video from the DR400 is also much better at night. The video from the DR500GW at night has too much constrast and looks greenish. The only setting you can change is brightness and mine is set to the lowest level)

Bottom line? Is DR500GW-HD a worthy upgrade? NO! While it has wider recording angle and better cooling, the DR500GW-HD produces lower quality video. Additionally, the Live View and WIFI function doesn't work as expected/implied.

If the bitrate can be increased to improve the video quality (perhaps a low, medium, high instead of just compressed and normal) and the WIFI streaming (both video replay and Live View) works smoothly with longer range, then Pittasoft has a innovative winning product. At the current iteration, it's a down grade from the previous generation.

SONY DVP-NC615/B 5-Disc DVD Changer

• Supports the playback of DVD-R / DVD-RW / DVD+RW / CD-R / CD-RW / MP3 media
• Dynamic Tilt Compensation
• Block Noise Reduction
• SmoothScan Mode
• SmoothSlow Mode

I got the NC615 (not from Amazon) in July 2002 primarily to check for DVD-R playability and quality control (I'm a video producer and burn DVDs for clients). I had a total of about 3 hours use on the player in the first 8 months I owned it. Then I bought Sopranos DVD sets and started using it more regularly.

It was then I noticed it would stall, freeze, and then cut off periodically. At first it was so infrequent that I tried to attribute it to disc abnormalities and let it go.

Dealing with defective products is such an incredible hassle . . . expensive shipping, multiple calls and many, MANY minutes on tech support hold lines, pulling out entertainment centers and dealing with a mass of wires and dust in a small spaces, etc. Also, since the measly 90 day labor warranty (by far much more important than parts) had long passed, I knew I'd likely be footing 90% of any repair bill at that point anyway, so I succumbed to the denial that the player was at fault.

I could only delude myself a few months longer as the problem got worse and worse, the player eventually freezing and shutting off 5-10 times during any viewing session longer than 20 minutes. Of course by this time, the parts warranty had also conveniently expired.

But since I've dropped over $20,000 on professional Sony video equipment in recent years, I thought Sony customer service just MIGHT want to keep me happy, so I phoned them. I was wrong. I was met with absolute indifference, abruptness, and a refusal to consider the individual circumstances which made it a travesty of fairness for me to have to pay for the repair of this product, which cost well over $200 at the time I purchased it.

To make matters even comically worse, my sister was given the same player for Christmas of 2002, and hers started to exhibit similar problems late in 2003, also conveniently well after the labor warranty had expired and just as the parts warranty was expiring.

Two out of two identical products with the same defects in one family is hard to attribute to sheer bad luck. This was very likely a lemon product, an inherently defective player with an abnormally short useful life that Sony is refusing to stand behind, even for a loyal customer that's given them many thousands of dollars in business. Because of this unforgivable customer service breach, I will never buy another Sony consumer electronics product and will certainly try to avoid purchase of as many of their pro products as possible.

I advise others to STEAR CLEAR of this player and all those in direct succession to it, which is likely to be anything with a model number like NC6##.

Buy SONY DVP-NC615/B 5-Disc DVD Changer Now

I'll admit, I'm demanding of my MP3 devices. I purchased this product with the desire to get a good DVD that would allow me to play my MP3 CD's and remove my 5 disc CD player from my entertainment center. The DVD is great. It plays nasty DVD's from the library and doesn't skip. Very nice.

The down side is the audio features. I have a Sony portable MP3 player and it has all the features I need and use. Unfortunately that spoiled me. I expected similar features and friendly interface from this player. If you're into MP3 CD's here are some warnings.

when it says it will randomize your MP3/CD/DVD discs, it won't go into the actual tunes on the CD. An MP3 CD or a DVD is considered one track and will want to play start to finish.

The on screen MP3 selection is a neat start but do you really want to go to the TV to select an individual song? Selecting a folder is logical but more often I would like to pick a bunch and set it running. Most importantly, you can't really get around without the TV on.

The interface is ugly and far from intuitive. There is no randomize button on the face so if you'd like to put 5 audio Cd's in and randomize you have to turn on the TV and navigate through several steps. And that setting is not persistant so plan on going there often if your a randomize fan like me.

With the lousy Audio features, I still use my portable hooked up to the stereo. And with the ugly Audio CD features, I still need my 5-disc CD. And I really see no reason for 5 slots of DVD so I pretty much wasted $80 by not going with the one disc model. If you're an MP3 fan, go run it at a store before you commit. You might find you're as irritated with the features as I was.

Read Best Reviews of SONY DVP-NC615/B 5-Disc DVD Changer Here

The one good thing about this product is this. When the motor that spins the discs burned out, I was able to buy the identical product with a different problem off of ebay for $20 and replace the motor. So many people have a problem with this product that you can easily pick up an extra one for spare parts.....sad.

I tried to just buy the motor, but Sony has some deal with the manufacturer so they won't sell this $2 motor to anyone but them.

Want SONY DVP-NC615/B 5-Disc DVD Changer Discount?

I've always recommended and purchased Sony brand. I didn't buy mine at Amazon.com, but I'm here 10 months later to buy a replacement. It stopped reading DVDs yesterday. I removed the cover expecting to find the sensor needed cleaning. What I found was that the disc motor isn't spinning it up to speed any more. Reading the other reviews, it's clear this isn't an isolated incident.

Perhaps I was just lucky, but I have had absolutely zero issues with this DVD player. The only complaint I have is that the disc numbers on the tray are black just like the tray, so it is hard to read. One of these days, I will highlight the numbers with a white paint pen...

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

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

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

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

2/ Overscan lines visible on Desktop player.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

** Why you should upgrade:

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

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

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

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

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

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

** Things you should know before buying/upgrading

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So why just 3 out of 5 stars:

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

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

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

Read Best Reviews of Vulkano 010410VK All-In-One 8 GB Media Placeshifter, Black Here

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

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

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

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

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

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

pre-ordered through monsoon.

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

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

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

AJA Ki Pro Rackmount Kit for the AJA Ki-Pro Portable ProRes HD -by-Connectronics

What can you say? The screw holes line up, and the choice for mounting the unit slightly protruding was great. A bit overpriced for what it is, but hard to find and you know we need to take care of these boxes!

If you rack-mount an Aja KiPro deck using this shelf you will have to leave an open space in the rack just above the deck to be able to remove the KiPro's hard drive module. The KiPro module doesn't eject like an old videotape. You have to grab it from the top and slide it out while holding the module release button. This is impossible if you rack-mount the KiPro and do not leave a space above it to get your hand in to grab the top of the module. Other than that this rack-mount kit works fine. Attach the KiPro to the rack using supplied screws.

Buy AJA Ki Pro Rackmount Kit for the AJA Ki-Pro Portable ProRes HD -by-Connectronics Now

Defender SN301-8CH-015 8-Channel H.264 DVR with 8 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras (Black)

I purchased two of these systems for a total of 16 cameras the rationale of two units being that there was a staggered element of redundancy should one 16-channel DVR fail.

First, the hardware is pretty good quality. The cameras offer a very narrow field of view (about 60 degrees) which can make it difficult to establish proper overlap if you are mounting the cameras at about 10 feet clearly this system was designed to be mounted on a second story roof. The funny thing is that I took one of the cameras apart, and they could easily manufacture a wide angle lens for it. As far as the DVR itself, it's a pretty impressive integration of components for an embedded solution.

Second, the software is absolutely terrible. It is quite clear their R&D budget was blown on the hardware, and the software was an afterthought. As a software developer, I don't understand how a company can sell a product with very apparent and frustrating discrepancies between the web interface and the console functionality there are several things you cannot do on the web interface that requires being on the console. This would normally not be an issue, but my DVR's are mounted in a secured location to prevent the theft of the DVR itself.

Third, the Active X control that runs in Internet Explorer only, doesn't properly capture keyboard events, like the tab key, to tab from the username to password field.

Fourth, the Q-see app for Android is actually pretty good, however you must reboot your phone after viewing the camera, otherwise the app will continue streaming in the background and kill your battery in short order.

Fifth, the email alerts simply do not work. I receive test emails, but motion detection and loss of video signal do not generate emails. This I find particularly irritating, and do not buy the answer they gave the other reviewer complaining of the same thing that "There is an error in the manual and website".

Sixth, and this is the part that irritates me the most they advertise 24/7 technical support. Except they are lying. You can submit your question 24/7, but you must wait 3-4 days for a response.

Overall, I'd have to advise against this system. If I hadn't spent 30+ hours meticulously installing this system and inhaling insulation dust, I would rip it out and return it.

The makers of this system, SVAT, Electronics, advertise it under the Defender brand name. On the Defender website, as well as Amazon, Sams Club, etc, this system is advertised as having a motion detection Email alert feature. I received this system last week and was able to easily setup every feature (web viewing, iPhone and Blackberry viewing, motion detection recording,) except for the Email alert feature. I called Defender support two times and sent an Email complaint, but each time the only response I got back was "We know about this issue and don't know when it will be fixed." If they know about this issue, why are they still advertising the feature??? If you don't need the EMail alerts then this is a pretty good system, but I really need the Email alerts to be aware when something is possibly happening at my home, so as far as I'm concerned this system is not worth it.

Buy Defender SN301-8CH-015 8-Channel H.264 DVR with 8 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras (Black) Now

This Defender 8-camera system provides 8 all-weather vantage points for less than $600, but understand its shortfalls.

Though clear, the cameras' CCD arrays have some shortcuts for size/power/cost, and they simply don't register green. Scenes look okay, but bushes look purple.

The composite video-out (the simplest way to port the monitor information to secondary displays) only shows the static 9-grid display. Only the VGA feed shows the full-screen views and the rotating viewing scheme.

Minor note, the metallurgy of the camera mounts is sub-standard. I split one of them with only finger-strength tightening.

Read Best Reviews of Defender SN301-8CH-015 8-Channel H.264 DVR with 8 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras (Black) Here

Received it today and hooked it up, Worked ok when hooked up (and arrived with 8 camera) BUT 2 of the wires were damaged and only allowed for 6 of the cameras to work. I"m returning it for another version

Want Defender SN301-8CH-015 8-Channel H.264 DVR with 8 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras (Black) Discount?

We had to return this camera system. The description listed the system to include 8 cameras. The system the shipped to me only includes 4 cameras. I would like to purchase the 8 camera system for the advertised price...

American Recorder DSCK-120 Digital Sensor Cleaning Kit for Kodak DCS, Fuji S1/S2 and Canon 1D

I tried this sensor cleaner only to leave streaks all over my sensor, and lens. Maybe I used it wrong, but I don't think so.

It is supposed to be streak free, but my results were not, and it was not due to a super dirty sensor/filter.

I just don't think this product works.

I own a Nikon D50. I have had this camera for about one year and it has got dust on the sensor over time. I tried to use a Q-tip to clean it and this made worse. Then I found this product. I was suspicious at first. When I received it, I tried it on my camera immediately. I followed the instructions and gave it a few tries. It worked. Now the sensor is clean.

Buy American Recorder DSCK-120 Digital Sensor Cleaning Kit for Kodak DCS, Fuji S1/S2 and Canon 1D Now

I bought a Canon 30D and love it. After a couple months I started adding lenses to my equipment list which meant changing lenses occasionaly. Even though I am very careful I found that I was getting some debris built up on my sensor. I noticed it mostly when I was taking pictures outdoors with a fair amount of blue sky in the field of view. I was freaked out at first thinking that I'd have to send in the camera for service. After some google searching I found that this is very common for DSLRs and came across this dital sensor cleaning kit. It's extremely easy to use and the provided swabs fit the sensor on my Canon 30D perfectly. I highly recommend the kit to anyone using a DSLR.

Read Best Reviews of American Recorder DSCK-120 Digital Sensor Cleaning Kit for Kodak DCS, Fuji S1/S2 and Canon 1D Here

Motorola RIZR Z3 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--International

As a long-time owner of Sony Ericsson and Nokia phones; I was a bit hesitant to buy any phone outside of those two familiar brands, but after my last phone got lost, I needed a replacement and needed a good phone fast.

You know know Motorola's popular Razr line dominated 2006 and is still a strong contender for 2007, so with that popularity, it seems the company is not going to venture too far from a line that really sky-rocketed them to the No. 1 spot. From the Razr came the new Krzr and Rizr line and so we will pick on the Rizr at this time.

I have had the phone for 3 days know, and I am really impressed with this little thing. The hardest thing for me was just geting use to the Motorola interface (this is my very first Motorola); but besides that, it had all the features I craved...

P..R..O..S......

1) WORLD PHONE Baby I love Ericsson phones, but they are usually tri-band phones...I needed a quad band phone with all the travelings and phone calls I make, and I knew Motorola is very consistent with this modality.

2)CAMERA & VIDEO basedtelephone I love to take pics and I love recording capabilities on my cell phones, so when I found that this nifty devide has a 2MP camera and an un-timed video recorder (both of which can be accessed with a dedicated button), I was very thrilled..It has full-fledged camera and video options, so you'd never need to carry a separate camera or video camera when you have this phone

3)MP3 Player I already have a dedicated music player, but it is nice to have the option to load as much as 40-50 songs on this phone ( with its included 128MB micro-SD card).

4) Great battery management You'd think with a gadget that boasts to be a phone, MP3 player, video and camera will die in few hours right...wrong..I have only charged it once (I love having my phone fully charged before I leave the house) and it is really good with its battery management ( definately squashed my last cell phone which boasted all the same features Sony Ericsson K700i)

5) EXPANDIBLE The phone only has around 24MB of memory, but with the included 128MB card, and the ability to upgrade the phone yourself and get a 2GB card, there is virtually no way to ever really run out of space

6) STEREO Bluetooth HEADSET anyone? Ok...so I havent purchased it yet, but because this is a Music player phone and because it does have Bluetooth, you can buy a Bluetooth stereo headset so that you can jam to your music and be totally wireless...NiCE!!

7) Perfect for NON-FLIP Lovers I have a thing for bar/candy bar phones...I never cared for flip phones, so this is a real treat for both the lovers of flip phones and those of us who still like the European-type non-flip phones...

ALSO, voice recordings & voice note-talking capabilites, JAVA-enabled, standard productivity suite (Calendar, Alarm, World clock), Instant Messaging ( if you are on the T-Mobile network), Ability to use your MP3s as your own ringtones...

C..O..N..S......

1) What? No Infraread Although I will miss having the IrDA technology, everything seems to be moving to a Bluetooth connectivity world, so I am not too sad about it.

2) No FM Tuner I didnt really need this feature on a phone, but I did have it on my last cell phone and it was great to have. This phone's other features do make the lack of a FM tuner bareable though, so its all good.

that's it...I am really enjoying this phone. I am glad I got it. Thanks T-mobile. LOL

Let me know if you have any questions or want to know anything else about this wonderful product!

Motorola RIZR

First blush, day 1: Attractive phone, feels good & sturdy in the hand, buttons are very responsive, slide function is easy to use and graceful, GUI is not exactly pretty but mostly very intuitive. Rather well put together phone.

Why'd I get this phone: quad band, Bluetooth, good camera, a music player (or two actually, confusing) which seemed decent in the store. And because it was NOT a flip phone (which I loath), Tmo didn't have a decent candy bar (which I love), and ... it was not a Samsung (take that for what it's worth).

Pros:

1. Great camera compared to what I've had (SE T610, Samsung T809) with very strong flash, actually, it's like a flash light. Can I smart button this function anyone?

2. So far, reception is pretty good, antenna stronger than my old & beat up SE t610, and comparable to my Samsung t809 (which broke), but sometimes the call is scratchy or does that computer reverberation like sound (which I've never experienced on my other phones).

3. iTap text message entry is pretty impressive/smart (this is my first Motorola phone). I'm not sure of how it is implemented on other Motorolas but I like it on this one. I miss a few choices of T9 on my SE t610 (w/ Tmo) but iTap is cool.

Cons:

1. No timer or stopwatch

2. No analog clock option (but Moto if you're going to design one, make it look like the Nokia analog clock for the 6133 or the s60 menubar clock)

3. No mirror on the back for self pics like many Sony-Ericsson bar phones have

4. Placement of memory card: buy yourself surgical tweezers or hemostats to get this sucker out

5. Mac/Bluetooth/iSync: iSync does not work for me despite having first dl'd an iSync plug in which purports to doing so. With my Samsung this made me irate, but Moto has a good track record with iSync support so I'm waiting.

6. Headset has better mic, so others hear me better even than when I'm using the phone regularly. BUT, there's often (65% of the time) a buzz that either I can hear, or both my caller and I can hear.

7. Cannot access full menu when on a call, only some menu functions (but not text or call recording)

8. Cannot record calls

9. Some functions & settings hard to find (or completely lost)

Tmo has crippled this phone in some ways:

1. no MotoReader like the Moto site for the product says (which opens MS docs)

2. the option to save text messages to the SIM card has been removed. Tmo support says they can't control this. Moto says Tmo has removed it and thus controls that aspect.

3. cannot install Java apps like the Moto site says.

What? I thought this was MY phone now. Silly consumer, Deutsch Telecom owns it.

Comments:

1. screen is tiny compared to others, but still is very resolute and pleasant to look at

2. camera is great, doesn't have as many fun options as my old Samsung t809 (which I really didn't like but which did have lots of ways to play with your pics when taking them like comic bubbles etc)

3. my RIZR was set to display only SIM card contacts when I first got it from Tmo which frustrated me for a while since the phone kept telling me that the newly BT transferred contact was "outside current view"

4. I have decided to keep the phone with Tmo despite the drawbacks I've listed.

After long term use:

1. key pad lost responsiveness, would not enter some numbers, some numbers would enter two or three times, scrool pad lost sensitivity on one side.

2. after moving on to other phones, the features i miss are

flash light (simple feature, but once gone is missed)

iTap. going back to t9 is painful now! iTap took a little adjustment but once adjusted is far superior

Buy Motorola RIZR Z3 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--International Now

Ok so I have the a Unlocked Black Rizr I got off of ebay since amazon is still so high. That will probably drop before too long. But keep in mind amazon has warranties and protection compared to the hassles ebay can ensue. So heres my take on it after a couple weeks.

The good and bad of this sweet phone!

1: Mp3 player. I love having this in my phone! I have a separate one but

this is so much better if you just want to pack light. The interface isn't the best on the media player but its bearable. It allows playlists and sorts by artist, album, and song. Only thing that really bugs me is no link to the now playing. It has one when you just let it play but once you leave that screen your s.o.l. Overall decent though, however you can't do other things and keep the music playing. You can suspend it, but that still pauses the playback. You can also add a 2gb microsd card to really make it worth while. Just make sure you have a card reader to speed transfers to the card.

2. Bluetooth/Stereo Bluetooth: Whooh, this may be my favorite new gadget! listening wireless like never before. I have a Motorola S9 headset and a SonyEricson. The S9 really makes me never want to use wired headphones again. However, the sonys are more comfortable but you have something hanging down still. I love both though. Definitely worth the money. Just hope you have gotten used to pairing headsets. Sometimes the phone likes to play games with me and make me repair them. Especially if you switch headsets a lot. Also, you can use the bluetooth and the motorola software to backup your contacts, make ringtones, and sync calendars with your computer. You just have to get the software.(I suggest checking forums for it but you can always be honest and actually buy it and keep motorola in business.) The software is nice but beware paying much for it. Theres many other ways to do the same thing. Thats all for that.

3. Camera: I love having the camera but beware its not going to blow your mind or anything. Good lighting though so it will get decent pics when you want it to. So generally it serves its purpose of getting you a pic in the spur of the moment. The video camera is awesome however. You get a clear picture with as much recording time as you memory can hold. SO you can catch not just that one moment but the whole thing. Just don't think the 2 mega-pixel camera will look as good as the a good digital one.

4. Ok here's a few little random things: Expect moto menus. Not a whole lot has changed here however the voice dialing on mine was like the British version. Just a couple more weeks and I'll have my accent perfect to use this feature. Hopefully =). The amazon versions are probably more the american version than mine. A drawback to ebay but hey it proves this is truly a world phone. I'm using t-mobile and get good reception pretty much everywhere. Battery works good I usually charge it like every other night or so depending how much I listen to the mp3 player. Good battery life considering all thats packed in it. Screen is good. Would recommend a screen protector to keep it looking good.

Overall, I'm very happy with it. It works great as a phone or mp3 player or camera. Just watch the price. Thats the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. Also, get the black or red. The blue is sadly, real ugly.

Oh almost forgot, make sure you go to carriers website and get the download for the internet browser. Internet won't work without it. At least, not with t-mobile. Found it in faqs for phones not purchased through t-mobile. Don't worry, its free to download.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola RIZR Z3 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--International Here

PLUSES:

Looks futuristic, up to date, cool. Menu is easy to navigate through, phone is pretty user friendly. Great display and graphics. Cool ring tones and backgrounds. 2megapixel camera, light. Good reception.

MINUSES:

Here is what I just don't get: Sony Ericsson has this and I think it is one of the most useful features. This phone nor any of the other motorola one I know does not have the ability to light up the main display when a button is pressed. When the screen goes blank, you have to press something for it to light up, but any button you press will perform that button's command. If you press any button on a Sony Ericsson while the screen is black, it first goes to the main screen. This is VERY inconvenient. If you are on a call, the screen goes black, so if you want to check how many minutes you've been on the call, or see what number it is, or what time it is, you can't, unless you press a command key, in which case you'll end up in that command. Sucks. Also, the speaker is shoddy, sometimes it just breaks up and sounds muffled, as well as the ear phone. I don't think the people on the other line sound as clear as they should, I often find myself asking them to repeat thmselves, but not on my Sony Ericsson. The picture quality is OK, not good, not great.

Bottom Line: Cool, but far from great. A few tweaks to the interface would make this phone much better, but Motorola just didn't hit the mark yet.

Want Motorola RIZR Z3 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--International Discount?

I have had my RIZR from T-Mobile for a few weeks now after switching from Verizon. I was originally considering the Nokia 5300. But when I compared the 2 phones side by side, the RIZR seemed more solid, more durable and less flimsy than the Nokia 5300. So I chose the RIZR and I could not be happier. The phone is easy to program and a breeze to use. The display is bright, clear and very easy to read (even without my bifocals!). So far the sound quality and reception have been outstanding. The best feature for me is the mp3 player. With my new RIZR I can transfer mp3 songs directly from my computer to my phone with a simple drag and drop (the 128 MB card is not very large, but enough for my needs). I can then select the songs to act as ringtones. Being able to assign a song/ringtone to a certain phone number is a really cool feature, at least for me.

The mp3 player included with the phone is very easy to use too.

My only "minor" gripe is the screen goes black during calls. But I found pressing the volume up button, which displays the volume screen temporarily, brings the main screen back fast enough for me.

All in all a great phone and highly recommended.

Save 69% Off