Showing posts with label personal digital voice recorder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal digital voice recorder. Show all posts

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Sony CFD-E95 PSYC Boombox (Blue)

Sony CFD-E95 PSYC Boombox
  • CD, cassette, and radio boombox with rounded PSYC model fashion design (including stylish PSYC accessory clip and tag)
  • 3-color backlit LCD display with customizable functions
  • Compact, color-matched remote control
  • Sleep/wake timer, jog dial for easy tuning and track selection
  • Audio CD-R/CD-RW playback compatibility, Mega Bass low-end sound enhancement

I asked for a small boombox for Christmas of last year for my bedroom because my main system is in the living room and I listen to music constantly. I used to have a Sony boombox that I had to junk when I moved because it was too bulky, but something like 10 years later it STILL WORKED! At any rate, I thought that this would be a good buy cute, compact, still loud and Sony. That being said, I got this one for Christmas.

A few weeks ago (conveniently right when the "labor" part of the warranty ran out), the damn thing just STOPS playing CDs. So I thought, gee, maybe it's my CDs because they're scratched. Nope! I put A BRAND NEW CD in there and it still gave me that whole "No Disc" nonsense. One of the appeals of this thing is that it's also supposed to play CD-Rs as well, which some older systems have a hard time doing. Well truth be told, that is neither here nor there since it doesn't play ANYTHING.

The only thing that works is the radio and the sleep timer. I'm just annoyed because what on earth is the point of having a CD player boombox if it can't play CDs!??! I expect more, a lot more, from Sony and am extremely disappointed. I have to bring it in to be repaired, so that should be fun. (UGH!)

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After less than four months, the CD player failed by displaying the infamous "NO DISC" message. Sony should recall this product. Don't buy it! Its functionality is nothing close to its look. This is the second Sony product (the first one being a 32" TV) that has failed shortly after I bought it.

The better part of this deal was, when I called Sony customer service, I was told that I could send it for repair for $83 and they will cover the parts cost. And I was assured that it was not a joke!

Read Best Reviews of Sony CFD-E95 PSYC Boombox (Blue) Here

I don't recommend this device because the controls aren't well

designed and of course there is the "no disc" problem. However

I got mine to to play CDs by plugging it into AC power instead of

running it on batteries. I think maybe the batteries were too

weak to power the laser.

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I bought this in June 2003. In August it stopped playing cds. Luckily my warranty covered fixing the repair. However, upon return I noticed scratches on the unit. When I called to complain, they said that the unit came into them as "Fair". Considering I got the unit 6 weeks earlier and it has been on my desk the whole time, I would not considered it "fair". Whatever! This month, November, the antennae literally just fell off. Mind you, I usually listen to cds so I don't touch the antennae. Sadly, the warranty does not cover the repair. The unit seems to me to be very fragile. Not a unit I can recommend.

This a good boombox. The only problems I have with it though is that you have to use a remote to skip the cd. I use this manly to record cds on to tapes and it does that with no problems. I have had this boombox for a year now and it has not broken down on me.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Philips DVP3345VB DVD Player -Black

Philips DVP3345VB DVD Player -Black
  • DVD Player (not recorder) and VCR Combination
  • Plays MP3 and JPEG digital camera photos
  • Plays CD, (S)VCD, DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R DL, VHS
  • Hi-Fi stereo VHS enhances audio playback
  • Progressive Scan component video for optimized image quality
  • Combination
  • DVD
  • Direct Dubbing
  • Hi-Fi stereo VHS
  • VHS

My order was shipped in a very timely manner and I am very pleased with the product. I bought a refurbished Philips DVD/VHS player and it's worked perfectly! I was unsure about buying refurbished but now I'm really glad I did because not only was it a lot cheaper, but I got the same quality as if it was brand new! Great buy!

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I did purchased the Phillips DVP3345VB/F7 DVD/VCR combo brand new from a retailer not Amazon. Two major issues I discovered: (1) no built-in TV tuner (I can't receive TV signals from my cable company), and (2) the DVD player did not work. I tried several different types of DVD's, but they all failed to play. However, the VCR worked perfectly. I needed a VCR/DVD combo to replace an older VCR VHS player/recorder with built-in tuner that kicked the bucket, but this unit lacked the main item I needed, and the built-in DVD player would not even work. How sad. Will be returning this unit and will look elsewhere -However, I found two promising DVD/VCR combo units at Amazon that look very promising with built-in TV tuners -Toshiba DVR670 and the Magnavox ZV457MG9 Dual Deck DVD/VCR Recorders. Can't decide which one to get, but I'll keep reading.

Read Best Reviews of Philips DVP3345VB DVD Player -Black Here

Philips DVP3345VB/F7 DVD Player and VHS Combo

I purchased this item from Amazon.com. I had a little problem getting it connected properly, but with some expert help from a freind, and some excelent help from philips, it was connected properly. It seemjs to work well with good picture and sound. we are very pleased with it for the price.

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2 for 2.

Bought this in Sept. and when hooked up the tracking on the VCR side wouldn't work. Returned to Philips for a replacement. Guess what? The DVD player on the replacement wouldn't load a DVD, VCR worked fine on the second one.

Philips blamed it on UPS and rough handling in shipping. Both boxes were in perfect condition so doubtful the shipper was the issue.

So, now stuck with a DVD/VCR combo which only works on the VCR side.

No more Philips products.

Oh and customer service with them is highly suspect as far as being able to handle the return issues.

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Right from the start the VHS playback quality was very poor. The picture would drop out intermittently. That is to say, the picture would go black momentarily as the tape played. At first, I assumed that the problem was in the prerecorded VHS tapes, however; the problem got worse with time and tapes recorded from broadcast television would experience the same problem. Also note, the fast wind is rather slow and does not slow the tape near the end of the tape as do better VHS tape players.

The DVD side worked very well both video and audio.

Sony ICD-BM1VTP2 Digital Voice Recorder

Sony ICD-BM1VTP2 Digital Voice RecorderExcellent Product. I also have Sony ICD MX 20 but don't use it at all as compared to the BM1 due to the nice placement of buttons on BM1. It is extremely hard to use them on the ICD MX 20 even though it was reviewed better for speech recognition on the Scansoft website for use with their Dragon naturally speaking software.It is very well thought of equipment with excellent speech recognition.I would definitely recommend it.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Canon PowerShot A2300 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue)

Canon PowerShot A2300 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical ZoomWe've had this camera now for a few weeks and have come to really like it. It is so thin and lightweight that it can easily be carried in a pocket, purse, or backpack. Compared to the size of today's smartphones, this is actually smaller than some.

The pictures are decent. I find some of the interior pictures are a bit grainy, even with the flash. The flash is plenty bright so no issues there. Switching to low light mode made all the difference. This quick change off the menu function made for clear crisp pictures.

Outdoor pictures are really outstanding. Super clear and crisp. Sometimes it has problems figuring out what to focus on. However, when a face appears, it is really pretty good at identifying it and focusing on it.

One of my favorite features is the rechargable lithium ion battery. I hate having to deal with batteries. However, it is a bit of an annoyance to get it charged as it requires the battery to be ejected from the camera and placed into a charger.

The final reason why this inexpensive camera does not get a five star rating is the long time it takes between pictures. Even on a fully charged battery, it takes on average 5 seconds for the camera to process each shot. If you are trying to take a bunch of group photos, this can seem like forever.

Overall I like this camera. It is relatively inexpensive and takes great snapshots.

The Canon A2300 is a great point and shoot camera for casual users. It's easy to use, and takes very clear pictures with wonderful color rendition. It has reasonable resolution (clarity) in zoom mode, and performs well for action shots at sporting events. The auto mode settings are fine for most photos. Low light zoom shots (such as stage shows in dark auditoriums)may not be completely acceptable, but that's a tough condition for any camera and should NOT be considered a serious flaw. The movie mode works well, with good clarity and color. Bottom line: for everyday shapshots (condidering the performance, features, and price) you'll be happy with the A2300. For more details you can download the user manual from the Canon website.

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This is a pretty neat little camera.

This is not a power house this is a small camera to carry for quick shots of your kids or even something light to travel with when you larger camera is packed up in your luggage.

It has a few simple really useful functions, a modest zoom (though 5x out does some of the other cameras like this)the lens seems to be doing it's job. 16 mega pixels makes for a pretty clear photo.

There is small shutter lag but a good sd card seems to help that and it's on par with other digital cameras of this kind.

I really like this little camera and I look forward to using it.

So far...

Cute

Light

Compact

easy to use

decent photos

A+ for this sort of camera.

I will update at a later date after I use it a bit, maybe even post a sample photo or two.

Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot A2300 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue) Here

I have owned several canon cameras, including SLR, DSLR, and several point-and-shoots, and this one is by far the most disappointing. Looking at the specs, I couldn't figure out why this camera was only a third of the price of other recently released Canon point-and-shoots, so I decided to try it out. I got it just in time for a trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona, AZ... and now that I'm looking through my photos, I wish I would have just stuck with my DSLR. The colors are very dull on auto mode. We were at Red Rock National Park, and the rocks look brown in my photos, not red like they actually were... I tried the vivid color setting, hoping it would help... but that setting added TOO much color. It made a cactus look neon green and the red rocks look bright orange. And if you use the vivid color setting to take a photo of a person, they will look like tan mom. (i.e. orange)

Besides the colors being either very dull or unnaturally bright, the photos from this camera are just not very crisp. The sky is pixelated/noisy in almost every image, and the photos of us are just kind of flat and blurry looking. I wish I could blame this on a lack of knowledge about cameras, but I can't... I use a two thousand dollar DSLR in manual mode every day for my job.

For less than a hundred bucks, it isn't terrible... but I was just hoping it would be as good as my Canon Powershot SD1200IS, which only cost fifty dollars more (3 years ago) and took amazing photos.

It is a cute camera though (although the entire body is plastic)... so if you don't want to spend more than a hundred bucks, I think it's an okay deal.

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I was about to make a trip to China for five weeks and was worried about the camera I was already planning to take, a Nikon Coolpix, getting lost or stolen. So I went to the store to look at buying a back-up camera that wouldn't cost much just in case my Nikon failed me during the trip. This camera was on sale for only $99 and had a good rating on the store website, so I bought it on the spot thinking it would just be a nice replacement if needed.

However when I took it home and was playing with it, I was amazed at how much better this camera works than my Nikon. It is a lot better at adjusting to different settings automatically, and most pictures come out almost professional quality even without focusing and setting up the shot. It works really well in low light settings which I definitely can't say for the Nikon and which is something I was going to look for the next time I seriously went shopping for a new digital camera. Now that "next time" will be a long way off because I'm so satisfied with this one.

Like most cameras, this one will work best if you stop to choose the right setting and focus your picture properly, but in most environments even a quick point and shoot will deliver a good quality picture. I also love that I was able to get it in bright blue, and I've even dropped it on stone but it still works perfectly! Considering I only spent about 100 dollars on this camera, I'm extremely satisfied with it.

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Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Mini Spy Surveillance Infrared DVR Color Audio Video Camera Recorder

Mini Spy Surveillance Infrared DVR Color Audio Video Camera RecorderDoes everything it says it does.

Accurately picks up text written on a sheet of paper.

Software is surprisingly polished and easy to use.

Quick start guide and documentation is detailed and well-written. Not Chinese to English transcribed like some product documentation.

One major flaw I experienced was the clip that is used to attach the receiver to a sheet of paper is cheap and is easy to break off, which renders the receiver almost useless (the receiver needs to be firmly attached to a fixed point and not moved in order to pick up written text accurately). Be VERY gentle with it or you'll have to find a way to superglue it back on to the receiver.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P50S1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV

Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P50S1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV
  • 50-inch plasma HDTV with full 1080p HD resolution and three HDMI inputs
  • Neo PDP screen provides brighter panel, Full-Time 1080 TV Lines Moving Picture Resolution
  • VIERA Image Viewer lets you share your digital photos with friends and family directly from SD cards
  • VIERA Link lets you control your compatible Panasonic DVD recorder, Blu-ray Disc player
  • 600Hz Sub-field Drive produces crisp, focused images for sports, dramatic action, and all other fast-moving scenes

The value you get for the price of this tv is second to none. I just recently put this tv in my house replacing an old rear projection tv and i am amazed at its color accuracy. I did find my self making a few tweeks from the factory settings but once you get it to where you like the picture you'll fall in love. Sports and movies shine on this set. I preferred the plasma over the lcd because the movement on the tv was much more natural than the 120hz lcd displays. I sell T.V.s at sears and after being around both for a while I find the plasma image much easier and natural to look at. I chose Panasonic because they seem to have mastered the plasma technology and even a Samsung rep told me that he preferred Panasonic's plasma to Samsungs plasma. I will admit to liking some of the new Sony's coming out and the new LED tv is really cool but you cant touch those televisions at this price point. I kind of wish I had waited for the G10 seeing as it came in at such a close price difference but I cant complain I love this tv and it is a few hundred dollars cheaper. I should also note that the anti-glare filter works really well I wouldn't be worried about glare issues. If anyone got through this review my advice to you is to buy this or the step up G10.

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I decided on the P50S1 after about 250 hours of daily HDTV research for the past 3 or 4 months, in which I debated everything from plasma vs. LCD to screen size to features to ease of use to durability.

The 2009 Panasonic plasmas use the new "Neo-PDP" panels, which I can tell you personally having lifted both are much lighter than an equal size 2008 model plasma. The manual prudently warns against a single person lifting the set, but I did so myself with no problem.

This model was initially sold on Amazon at the initial MSRP of $1799, but has now dropped to a street price of under $1400 one month after being released. Placed my order on Wednesday the 8th, scheduled delivery for the following Wednesday the 15th. Was very surprised to get a phone call from Amazon's freight carrier, CEVA, asking if they could deliver the TV on the 11th. Four days early, and on a Saturday no less. The CEVA driver carried the box into my apartment, unpacked it, let me inspect the TV, assembled the stand, put the TV on the stand, and let me hook up the power and HDMI connection to turn the TV on, all before I signed for it.

Picture quality in the Cinema preset is already outstanding to my eyes. However I'm sure color accuracy will improve once I tweak some settings as posted at [..]. The Panasonic 2009 S series, G10 series, and V10 series all use the same physical panels, so the only differences between them are software/firmware, and extras like the VGA input and VieraCast on the other series. If you don't need the extras and are willing to tweak your picture settings, the S series is the best value for money out there.

If I really nitpick, the only negative I can come up with is the glossy black finish shows dust very easily, but that is true of most any HDTV currently sold.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic VIERA S1 Series TC-P50S1 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Here

This tv is great! I have been researching tvs for over a year to find the right one. I read all of the professional reviews (cnet) and this is the tv that I decided on. I was on a budget, I am a college student who does a lot of gaming and blu-ray watching. I am extremely picky about picture quality and this tv delivers an amazing picture! This blows nearly all LCD tv's out of the water. I was not going to get a plasma to begin with because of the supposed "image retention" which I have yet to notice. I am extremely glad that I got a Panasonic Plasma. The blacks are so deep, it almost looks as though the tv is off when the screen is black. The deep blacks make the colors pop! I have watched a number of blu-rays and played a couple of hours of games and I am in love already. I highly recommend this tv to everyone. It is an extremely good deal. Any LCD for this size would be much more expensive and have a much lower picture quality. Also for those of you deciding between the G10 and this tv I would recommend this one. I went to the local Best Buy and compared the two next to each other and I could not notice any difference between the two. Save yourself some money. Good luck deciding on your next tv I hope this review helped.

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My current TV was a Toshiba DLP, which was going through $ bulbs once a year ! So i went looking for a new lcd or plasma. First, i don't see how anyone will be very impressed with the standard picture setting ? It's a dingy, dull screen. However on "Cinema" or "Custom" setup, this picture is night and day brighter and more colorful. Maybe too much so. But at these settings, this tv easily rivals anything out there.

Here are CNET's calibrated settings, which i was'nt impressed with at first, but am using now.

On your remote click "menu", then click "picture" to get into these adjustments. Use the "arrow buttons" to navigate and change settings. Click the "return" button to get back out.

Use a quality HDMI cable, and give it about 3-4 weeks to break in. These settings really work well after some break in.

_________________________________________________________________

picture mode: CINEMA

Contrast: +55

Brightness: +63

Color: +32

Tint: 0

Sharpness: 0 ( I am at +50 )

Color temp: Warm

C.A.T.S: Off

Video NR: Off

Zoom adjustments: ( Grayed out )...not adjustable

-Advanced picture submenu...< same menu, but arrow down and you'll see this.>

3D Y/C filter: ( grayed out )...not adjustable

Color Matrix: ( grayed out )...not adjustable

MPEG NR: Off

Black level: Light

HD Size: Size 2.......(mine is now on size 1 now and grayed out,Maybe a Dish network thing ?)

H size:( grayed out )......( mine is now adjustable and i have it on size 1 ) I'm guessing another Dish Network thing.

____________________________________________________________________

I have the TV picture size ( format ) on "Normal".

I have the Dish box tv size ( format ) on "Normal"

For best picture and easiest setup, use a quality HDMI (digital) cables instead of Component (analog) cables. They don't have to be $150 monster cables. I ended up using a $9.00 HDMIKing HDMI cable. Component cables will provide HD, but you won't get as sharp of picture as HDMI.

I got into it with Charter because they had given me a HD box that was component cable only, and they would'nt swap my box out for a HDMI box. I ended up switching to Dish Network, and am glad i did.

In 1983 i paid $750.00 for a 27" Toshiba flatscreen, picture tube. 4 years ago my 46" 720p DLP cost me $. This 50" 1080p Plasma was under $ !

Out of the box, this TV is nowhere near it's potential. With some time and setup it it has a very good picture. I still compare it to more expensive LCD's and i still feel i made the right choice.

I've been using the S1 for almost a month now and absolutely love it. It has a beautiful, realistic picture that is perfect for video gaming and Blurays. It may not have quite the 'pop' of an LCD, but I much prefer the look of a plasma with it's improved accuracy and uniform picture. I'm coming from a 34" Sony XBR970 which itself is a very accurate set but this Panasonic has made me a convert. It's plasma from here on out (or as long as they keep making them I suppose).

Of course one of my concerns before purchasing this set was burn in. I do a large amount of gaming and letterboxed movie watching, and I didn't want to have to be constantly worrying about damaging my set. Well, I've been gaming on this thing since day 1 many of which have static HUDs and I have yet to see even the mere hint of image retention. Same goes for letterboxes, they leave absolutely no lingering image. I play 360 and PS3 on the Game picture setting and movies on Cinema both of which have their contrast set around 80.

Regardless, I have been running break-in images while I'm not using the set. I'd say it's getting on average about 15 hours of use a day for the past few weeks. Not necessarily because I'm worried about image retention any more, but more as a stress test because I figure if anything is going to break down it'll be in the beginning. I'd also like it broke in for proper calibration as well.

The blacks are very black but not pure black. There's a bit of brightness still there, but it's more than acceptable. In my opinion still better than any LCD I've seen, and even more important more uniform.

The remote is pretty awful, so maybe plan on replacing that with a Harmony or something.

SD signals are what they are SD. They tend to look a little worse on this plasma than they did before on the Sony, but I think a large part of that is just because of the bigger screen. Flaws and static are more readily apparent at 50".

I'm no videophile, so personally I'm not seeing any sort of green push. Sometimes I *think* I see it, but I can't totally convince myself it's not just the source because 99% of the time the picture looks great. I'm still looking to get it professionally calibrated down the road though, so I'll be curious to see what difference that makes.

Friday, May 9, 2014

HP Pavilion DV7-6b78us Entertainment Notebook/ 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor 2.00GH

HP Pavilion DV7-6b78us Entertainment Notebook/ 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor 2.00GHz with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.90 GHz /6GB DDR3 System Memory/750GB/SuperMulti DVD Burner/17.3' diagonal High Definition+ HP BrightView LED Display/cam/9cellI own a couple of this model ,for 2 months now ,got it from office depot for $700.00 a piece ,Pros good quality build, i7 quad cores 8 treads is more than capable on any task I put this machine through,keyboard is very responsive,dual harddrive compartments ,screen quality better that my 17 inch toshiba satelite, 6 gig ram is big enough memory I push this computer to the limit and it will only use a bout 4 gig of ram space so no need to waste your money on upgrading your ram to more than 6 gig ,also the i7 quadcores 8 hypertrades cores is alot of cores if your doing basic stuff your only ganna use about 3 to 4 treads at a time ,unless your using it for photoshop CS5 ,photoshop ligthroon 4.0 or gaming then 4 to 6 threads will start to kick in ,but if you used any 3D programs like ZBrush or Maya ,then you will start to used 6 to 8 threads but still it wont even used more than 60 percent CPU power because you have 8 cores spreading the load ,so unless your into 3d stuff you really dont need the i7 ,the i5 will do great and youll save some of that hard earn money ,even the AMD A8 quadcore series APU models will also be powerful enough ,the way I see it i7 quadcore 8 threads models are for people who have money to waste or for people who thinks its really that much of a defferent when it comes to power ,but I believe its all about tricking you people to spend more money ,beware do not spend more money on things that you dont even need ,the reason why I bought this computer is to test the power and because I work on computers to be familiar with latest stuff,Cons the hard drive is only 5400rpm having 7200rpm would be better ,the harddrive tend to heat up because of lacking ventalation holes and the harddrive is pack so tight in the first comparment,simple fix take the harddrives cover drill bigger holes ,also transfer the harddrive from first to the second compartment because it has more space to cool down,also be careful on taking out and put in the harddrive Ram cover back ,its very fragile almost impossible to take out and put back in with out damaging the pigs that hold it in place ,to take the cover out push the battery release to the opposite side that will help push the harddrive-Ram cover out then just grab and pull slowly ,installing it back in , the last part that came off is the first one to go in if your not sure what your doin dont atempt or youll just damage the cover pigs and it will never stay back in ....

I've owned this computer for about a year now.

Primarily, I'm a gamer... Why didn't I purchase an Alienware? overpriced. The graphics card in this system is a 1 gig dedicated card. Once you figure out how to lock it to this graphics... you will have a much better experience.

The only thing I wish I did was install an ssd drive for a boot drive. My kid and Fiance decided to upgrade my memory to 16 gig... Didn't make a big deal. i'd go 8 if I had ot do it over, and spend the balance on the SSD. Other than that... I'm completely happy with this system. Fast, I7, Good size HD/ Enough ram to not need anything.

Don't worry about the system. It will handle almost vertyhing thrown at it.

Buy HP Pavilion DV7-6b78us Entertainment Notebook/ 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor 2.00GH Now

HP has very good customer service. I bought used laptop and found that the battery doesn't work. I called HP and they helped me to solve the problem. Now I don't have any complains. It works fast and doesn't overheat.

The only CON is the bottom cover you must be VERY careful removing it. Pins are very fragile and it's easy to break them.

Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion DV7-6b78us Entertainment Notebook/ 2nd generation Intel Core i7-2630QM Processor 2.00GH Here

Im having to replace the charging cord already replaced the battery, the webcam cord was loose, the computer was scraped on the top. all in all im pissed but I guess I will live!

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I have owned this laptop for several months and it has a wonderful i7 processor, plenty of memory and a large hard drive. The 17 inch monitor and keyboard is great for editing Excel, Word and PowerPoint presentations along with watching movies. The speakers are good, too! Most importantly, the battery life gets 8-9 hours of continuous use depending on what is running. Overall, I highly recommend this laptop if you want a powerhouse, portable computer.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Panasonic DMR-EH59 250GB HDD Multizone DVD Recorder - PAL

Panasonic DMR-EH59 250GB HDD Multizone DVD Recorder - PALThe good:

Excellent picture quality up to 4hrs/SL DVD, great HDMI upconverting.

Quick to burn and finalize DVDs.

Records to DL media.

FR, a flexable speed where you can fit anywhere between 1-8 hrs/DVD. I just love FR to match any length movie to the disc.

Nice size HDD for many hours of good quality SP or LP.

Phrase save and shorten title features.

Multi voltage/frequency power supply, auto switching.

Region free playback, but doesn't convert systems.

The Bad:

No US tuner, use line inputs to record NTSC from a VCR, STB, DVR, DVD player, etc.

Slightly elevated black level when feeding line outputs from a US standard +7.5 IRE device. This device is looking for a IRE of 0 but N. American devices output +7.5 for SD, most DVD players have a DARKER setting that will correct this. It's very slight but I notice it.

Warranty only 30 days and only from seller, but truthfully it's a very reliable recorder and I haven't had any issues and I've had mine for ~1 year.

This DVDR is almost identical to the EH-69 which has a larger HDD and USB and SD card READER(not for recording).

Greetings,

I have been using the unit for the past couple of weeks now. I previously had a Panasonic recorder that I used heavily over a 5-yr period. The panasonic units are the only recorders that allow you to create DVDs that auto-play. How parents can manage with anything other than DVDs that auto-play when inserted, I have no idea (especially in car situations).

Panasonic doesn't make these recorders for the U.S. market any longer, so it is great that Amazon offers this one offered normal to the European market. It's a little more expensive than the those sold here by other manufacturers, but it is worth the extra cost, IMHO.

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Our old DVD recorder died and my wife wanted to get another one to replace it. I thought we should go for one of the HDD units as long as we were going to spend the money.

Some things about the interface could be better -hence 4 stars. It's annoying that it always starts up with its menu screen. The procedure for deleting portions of a video is quite clunky. On our old Pioneer unit adding chapters splits and deleting chapters could be done all from the same interface. On this one, to delete portions of the video you have to go to "delete partial", and that requires you to specify both a start and end time, which is annoying since one of the most common things to do is trim the beginning of the video off. When you go to the "delete partial" screen it starts playing immediately (why would you want it to play if you're trying to delete things?) So if you want to delete the first bit you have to press pause, skip back, then press "ok" to select that as the start. They could have just automatically selected the beginning of the video as the default start. But no. Typical idiot design decision that you seem to get out of every electronics manufacturer besides Apple. It's like they hire interns to design the on-screen interface.

But the box works. And I'm very happy we paid the extra money to get the HDD. I never really used our old box to do recording, because it's quite a mental drain to make sure you have the right DVD-RW inserted at the right time so that your recording works. But with the HDD, I've already added a few weekly recordings, and they just work -no hassles!

We use this with DVDs from Japan and the US. I also tried a PAL DVD of Mary Poppins I have that's from France. It played fine too. All that is using the HDMI output. That's the only output I've used.

Having just a single composite input on the back is also a bit disappointing, but not the end of the world. There is a composite input on the front to plug something extra into.

Oh, and I was so delighted to find that it works with our Toshiba flat-screen TV through some HDMI AV.link thing (see ). So that when we turn on the Panasonic and do something like pressing the main menu button, it automatically switches our TV to the right input.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DMR-EH59 250GB HDD Multizone DVD Recorder - PAL Here

This item should not be sold in the U.S.

When I called the vendor to return it ,even he told me it is designed for use in Europe.

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The Panasonic DMR-EH59 250GB HDD Multizone DVD Recorder PAL is not for use in the US. Panasonic told me that they did not provide a warranty for this product and it was for use outside the US. Amazon said that my purchase price would be refunded but, so far two weeks later, no refund. Be very careful if you intend to buy this product. Other items purchased through Amazon were great.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

T-300L+DCGO: Extendable Twist and Lock Handheld Monopod for GoPro Hero Hero2 Hero 3 camera

T-300L+DCGO: Extendable Twist and Lock Handheld Monopod for GoPro Hero Hero2 Hero 3 cameraThe components are mostly plastic. As you can see from the pictures, there is not a "clip-in" / "clip-out" option. You can only "screw on" the go pro unit. Right out of the box i am able to extend and lock into place by turning the stem to the left. There are grooves in the stem to help it lock into place by rotating.

I'm not sure how well this would hold up underwater, but its not bad for the price.

With the weight of a hero on it, this thing does not stay extended anymore. At first it did stay extended, however, after maybe 10 or so use, the telescoping handle wouldn't stay extended. I made a commend to the seller, no answer. Worst way to spend $30.00+!!!

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Its a good product for basic usages. Works and functions well for your normal everyday pictures or taking videos. Its lightweight and locks fairly well into place. One thing I was not anticipating was the entire handle being plastic and not real sturdy. I would recommend this handle if you are using it for simple pics or videos but if you plan on using it for shooting something where you will be moving around this might not be the choice for you.

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Works really well! I've been following people for a skate video all week, and I love it! Well built indeed!

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Very good product for the price. will be able to use it for snorkeling or out videoing with my go pro

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom

Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical ZoomI own this camera, and it's my best friend. Well not really, but it's the most amazing camera I've ever had. You get what you pay for, and you get a lot from this camera.

This is however, NOT a camera that the general public should buy. It's far to expensive, and really wouldn't be worth it to someone who will be using this for filming say a birthday party. There are many features on this camera, which make it as wonderful as it is, but these features would likely be unused by someone new to video cameras. So if you are in this boat, save your money and get a different camera.

What's great about it? The image quality is better than anything I've seen before. With 3CCD, it's good. Unlike the XL-1S, the GL2 has a 2.5 inch color LCD. However, I rarely use this. It takes up more battery power, and you can't see it when there's sunlight. I love the audio controls, and how it's not only stereo microphone, but you can control the levels of your left and right audio, right there, on the camera. I love to convert analogue video into digitial video, and it's almost too easy using the GL2. It's great for getting your older stuff into a digital format, and being able to easily get it onto your computer.

What's bad about it? Really not a whole lot. The 1.7-megapixel photo mode is really uneeded. 1.7-megapixels really isn't that good. The included 8MB card for these pictures isn't enough. If you're going to want to take digital pictures, then get a digital still camera, and don't use the GL2 as a still camera.

But I can't stress enough that if you aren't going to use this for more professional projects, then you really shouldn't get this camera.

This unit is pretty awesome especially with frame.

Also, a noteworthy thing is this camera first does 16 x 9 and then encoding producing a higher quality image than a comparable Sony model.

I've actually owned the precursor unit to this one, the GL1, and was also pleased with it.

This camera has the hotshoe feature and the longest OPTICAL zoom in its class.

Optical VS Digital, optical definitely wins.

This camera is all-a-round useful and also, this unit is actually the preferred camera of choice for many sports film-makers.

If you take this thing to the slopes like i have, strangers will come up to you and instantly recognize the unit.

Great with kenko lenses.

Only actual thing I've seen is that it doesn't like low light, so adding a VL-3 is a must, or a VL-10 is recommended.

One thing to watch out for is that you must keep care of the camera. For example, you must get yourself a tape-head-cleaner. The Maxell's are a good buy, but you could go OEM if you want to.

Also, don't cheap out on the cassettes.

In my 6 years of using the GL1/GL2, I've always used TDK and JVC tapes. The JVCs come in a 6-pack and can be found a a best buy. The TDKs also come in a 6-pack, and you can find them at Costco.

For more reference, I have pushed this camera beyond its specification as it has been rained on, snowed on, and frozen to the point where there is actually lag in the LCDs and yet, it still works like brand new.

Definitely a good buy !

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I bought a GL2 because I had used the GL1 and I liked it. The GL2 was just past the warranty and I kept getting the error message on the screen that said "Remove The Cassette" I paid almost $250.00 for the repair facility to replace the tape transport system which they said was bent. No camera in the world gets better treatment than this one believe me, $2,200 is a lot of money to me. Now the camera is doing the same thing again after less than 6 hours of use. I would strongly suggest doing some searches to see just how many people are having this problem. Mine is anything but an isolated incident. Go to google or dogpile and do a search under gl2 remove the cassette or go to camcorderinfo.com and read the many complaints about this problem in the Canon forum area.

Read Best Reviews of Canon GL2 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom Here

Not for the faint of heart... if you want to shoot a little league game, bbq, or basically don't have much experience with cameras this isnt the one for you. However if you have outgrown other DV cameras then by all means go ahead because it really is the greatest camera ever. I am a film student and have been using the GL2 for the past 2 years. The incredible image quality has saved many an ill fated piece. Its versatility makes it a must have for anyone who wants to shoot in a variety of situations. Bottom line, if your experienced and know exactly what you need, you can't go wrong with this camera, but if you're new too this and are unsure of the features you need, go with something cheaper.

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Pros:

The video quality for the GL2 is excellent in good lighting and still good in low light but has noticeable noise. The image stabilizer works great even if you don't have a steady hand, even full telephoto won't make you nauseous. The analog to digital feature is nice being able to convert just about anything to digital. The full manual controls are great for anyone who wants to control how their video comes out. The automatic modes are pretty good but that's not why you would buy this camera. Even the automatic focus and aperture work good but are kind of slow. This can work to your advantage if someone walks in front of the camera or you pan past a window, but if it loses focus or changes the aperture it doesn't bounce right back.

Cons:

This camera is notorious for faulty tape decks. If it doesn't give the EJECT TAPE message it still requires constant cleaning with a head cleaning tape, about every 5 hours horizontal lines appear on the LCD. The photo feature is kind of pointless, only 1.7 Megapixels, anyone who could afford this camera would already have camera that would take better pictures. And it can't be used while recording, requires a seperate shooting mode.

Summary: All around great camera but gets dirty easily. Video quality and manual controls are top notch.

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Sunday, March 16, 2014

SanDisk SDCFB-64-A10 CompactFlash 64 MB

SanDisk SDCFB-64-A10 CompactFlash 64 MBSandisk has been a very reliable brand for me. However 64 MB is not enough capacity for anything except a 1 megapixel camera. If your camera is above 2 MP, get a couple of 256MB CF cards. If you're at 4 MP or over, get a pair of 512MB cards. Don't put all your eggs in one basket with one huge cardif it goes bad while shooting, you're sunk. Lexar is also a very reliable brand of CF card. Don't worry about the write/read speed of the cardthat's mostly a waste of time unless you're a pro photographer shooting with a $5000 camera.

SanDisk is one of those companies that has never failed me. In my line of work, I sometimes put my camera and media cards to the test. Every SanDisk card I have ever used has been able to keep up with the demands I've place on them. They are some of the best products I have ever purchased, unlike a PNY card that broke after only one use! Regardless of what format you need, I highly recommend this and other SanDisk products.

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bought it for a camera I used almost 10 years ago, but still use the card to store pictures. works great every time I take it out.

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I have an old machine that will only read up to 1 GB and this card reads much faster than the smart media I was using. I can't suggest this as a great product because it will depend on what your need is. However for what I needed it worked well.

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I have ordered this product before and have had great results, but NOT this time!!

these flash cards will not work in my sewing machine!! I think they were NOT new as stated when I bought them

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Thursday, March 13, 2014

Olympus WS-100 64 MB Digital Voice Recorder with USB Interface

Olympus WS-100 64 MB Digital Voice Recorder with USB InterfaceI'm part of an Irish/Celtic musical duo, and so many times I've wished I had a recorder to capture those spur of the moment and fleeting "inspirations" when we come up with some good musical ideas that we can't remember at the next rehearsal session. "Let's see....what was that cool guitar part you did last week....?" "I don't know....can't remember." So I bought the WS 100 to record our sessions and it does an excellent job. We usually sit about 6' apart, facing each other, and with the WS 100 placed between us on the LO mic setting, it clearly captures every nuance, note and vocal. Best of all, after the session, I can plug it into my USB hub, download the files to my computer and burn a CD for my partner to take with him for practice or to listen to in the car. No, it's not CD quality, but for the purpose intended, we don't need it. We can go into a recording studio for that. But the audio quality is surprisingly good when played through my computer's Altec-Lansing speaker system (the WS 100's internal speaker is pretty lame). I've run a few of the live musical tracks through Gold Wave editing software, adding effects and EQ, and come up with some surprisingly good sounding material.

I say the internal speaker is lame, but actually, it's ok if you adjust the volume and place the speaker against your ear. Obviously, music played back on the small internal speaker won't have the bass and treble spectrum it'd have when played back through a better speaker, but it's still respectable when the speaker is right against your ear. If you're simply listening to the spoken voice, it's very clear. The included ear buds work pretty well, but I don't particularly like sticking things in my ears. When I want to listen to something closely using just the WS 100, I use a set of Sony headphones.

I've gotten to the point where I take it with me when I leave the house. Often I'll be in a store looking at various products that I'd like to check out online, and with the WS 100, I can verbally record the product information for reference instead of walking around the store looking for something to write on.

The tiny size, quality, versatility, direct USB, features, and price make this a real winner for me.

My design requirements were stringent, but voice quality requirements were not, since this will mostly be used for making quick "to do" notes.

Features I needed:

* Compact design able to fit into a small purse, which holds just a little more than a wallet. Must be able to fit into a pocket also.

* Good, simple layout of buttons, with easy to discern "record" and "stop" buttons. If needed to make a note while driving at night, wanted to be able to record without looking and without having to take concentration off the road.

* Ability to upload files to PC, if desired at some point in the future.

After reading tons of reviews of many brands and models, I decided on the WS-100, but checked it out first at a local store. The dimensions were just right not too bulky, but no microscopic buttons.

Other reviews have noted the attached USB port and ability to upload WMA files, which is a plus. No need for separate cables (although an extension is included), nor for USB docking stations or extra software.

I took this home and was amazed at the quality of the voice recording. The speaker was fine for shopping list type of notes. Setting the microphone sensitivity to "Lo" (dictation mode) cut out a lot of background and hand noise that was picked up in the higher sensitivity setting. The extent of sound tests was spoken words at the kitchen table. Even so, playback quality was excellent with the supplied earbud headphones far beyond what I would have considered acceptable.

The menus were easy to learn and the instructions were easy to follow. Within a few minutes it became very simple to turn the unit on / off and make recordings without looking. The recorder beeps to confirm that it is on, that recording has begun and that it has stopped. The beeps are even different pitches. Red and green lights flash at the top of the unit for further confirmation that you have started / stopped recording.

This was the only model I found in the stores that ran on only one AAA battery, which is supposed to last 13 hours. Recording time at highest quality is about 4 1/2 hours. It is nice to know that the capacity is there to record meetings.

My requirements were met and then some. I will be able to carry the WS-100 everywhere and use it on the road, if necessary, without thinking about it.

Well done, Olympus.

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I paid a bit more than I wanted at Fry's for this, but I was looking for a dedicated portable recorder for voice and music. The WS-100 certainly fits the bill in the portability department; hand-held, it can easily pick up conversation (and noise) in a room. You can listen via the tinny speaker or monitor using the included earbud headphones but there is really no control of input volume. Think of it as a high-tech cassette recorder.

I was able to record and download audio files into my iMac G5 using the USB port. The trouble began when I tried to edit these WMA files in Quicktime. QT7 Pro will play but does not allow editing the Windows Media format. GarageBand refused to deal with them, and when I tried to import them into iDVD I got a message that my original recordings were "Copy-protected" media. On going to the Windows Media Player website I learned that I would have to purchase an "upgrade" that would allow my Mac to edit WMA files. I was suspicious since it seems that WMP for the Mac had not been updated for a few years.

Fortunately I found a workaround. Switch (www.nch.com.au/switch) is a freeware app for Mac OS X that allowed me to easily convert the WMA files to AIFF. Still, I think Olympus could be more Mac-friendly in their sound formats...

Read Best Reviews of Olympus WS-100 64 MB Digital Voice Recorder with USB Interface Here

The Olympus WS-100 has a few flaws. As has been stated in other reviews the on-board speaker is terrible and you really cannot listen to anything clearly. You need to use the included earbud earphones, plug into a larger speaker, or transfer the files to your pc. The recorder can record in three speeds. The slowest speed the one that you get 27 hours records with a tinny, poor sound. It is ok if you just need to hear what was said, but it is not a good reproduction of sound as it runs at 5bps and is highly compressed. The middle speed and the high speed have good reproduction quality but this reduces this recorder's record time to 8 hours or 4 hours. Not the 27 hours you might have hoped for.

The other minor problem is that there are two red leds on top to show that the unit is recording and if in voice activated mode these flash flashing or not this calls attention to the recorder and can be distracting at a meeting, etc. There seems to be no way to turn these leds off. Since the recorder has a display screen that shows the recordig activity, they are not really needed.

Good points are the size very small and the need for only one AAA battery for 13 hours of recording. There are four folders to organize recordings. The USB connector is easy to get to and plugs directly into your pc. The recordings on a pc require Windows Media Player or any other player that reads wma files. These also may be converted to mp3 or wave files with independent software and could be burned to CD. The unit is very light and fits easily into a shirt pocket. The mic is very sensitive and records well across the room.

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When I first bought this, I was very disappointed in the playback quality. This is not the fault of the recorder but simply the speaker size. When listening back with headphones, or when the file is transferred to a PC, the quality is fine. I fly a plane and need to get weather briefings from flight service stations. These guys can rattle off stuff pretty quickly, so rather than trust my memory to write it all down, or make them repeat everything, I simply turn on the recorder, put the telephone on speaker, and capture the entire conversation. After the call, I can then play it back and catch anything that I may have missed in real-time. I also use it when at industry trade shows, when walking the exhibit floor. If I see something that I want to discuss with someone at the office, I make a quick note in the recorder and then move on to the next booth. I then transcribe these notes to an email when I get back to the hotel room. You can adjust the playback speed: Slow, so you can write stuff down or type on a PC while it is playing back, or fast, so you can quickly go over something that is not as important. (This makes it sound like you are drowsy or just had too much coffee but it serves the purpose.) I'm just now starting to use the index marks. I wish I had this when I was in college. My only complaint is that the buttons down the side for play, stop, record are not the easiest to navigate by touch alone. It would have been better if they would have used different sizes or shapes so you could feel exactly where you were without needing to look. And they are a little small so I find that I have to push them with my fingernail so as not to hit two at once. Minor complaints though.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

HP 16 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card CG789A-EF (Amazon Frustration Free Packaging)

HP 16 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card CG789A-GEI recently purchased this HP CG790A-AZ 32 GB Flash Memory Card Class 10 SDHC, mostly because it is budget-priced (similar class-10 32GB card from Sandisk would cost nearly twice as much). To my surprise, this HP card turns out to be faster than all my other class-10 cards.

I used a benchmark program called "H2testw v1.4" to find out the write speed for large (1GB) files. This is essentially the same as the sequential-write speed used for SD card speed ratings. To qualify as a class-10 card, the card must be able to sustain sequential-write speed of 10MB/s.

Here are the results for all my class-10 SDHC cards:

HP CG790A : 15.1MB/s (* see update)

Transcend TS16GSDHC10E : 14.6MB/s

PNY P-SDHC16G10 : 13.6MB/s

Kingston SD10G2/16GB: 10.7MB/s

Wintec Filemate 3FMSD32GBC10-R: 10.2MB/s

(See the chart I uploaded to 'Customer Images')

For completeness sake, I also benchmarked this HP card using other programs, including "Flash Memory Toolkit v2.0" and "CrystalDiskMark 3.01". The results are even more impressive (see 'Customer Images' section for details). The HP card delivered excellent write speed for both large and small files, while all other cards performed poorly for smaller files.

Of course, the REAL benchmark needs to be done in the actual application. For that, I inserted each card in my Canon Rebel T1i, set it to save both RAW and JPEG formats, then took 10 consecutive shots in burst mode. Again, the HP card is the fastest, taking only 16.7s to save all 250MB of data. In contrast, the slowest card (Wintec Filemate) took 28.3s to finish.

Bottom Line:

This HP SDHC card, despite of its low cost (I picked "Amazon Frustration Free Packaging"), is actually the fastest among all class-10 cards I have tested. That makes it the best deal in my book.

[Update on June 26, 2012]

I purchased another HP 32GB SDHC card, because the current price (66 cents per GB) is just too good to pass up. The read/write speed of the second card is identical to that of the first one. So the quality is consistent.

[*Update on May 24, 2013]

The old card reader I used (Transcend M5) was limiting the speed of this HP class-10 card. I re-ran the H2testw benchmark with a new Transcend USB 3.0 Card Reader (TS-RDF5K), and the Write speed jumped from 15.1 to 21.3MB/s. The Read speed also jumped from 18.1 to 30.1MB/s, which is limited by the USB 2.0 port I used. I should expect even better results if I had a USB 3.0 port.

I picked this up in a gold box deal at a great price. I wasn't sure how fast it would really be ("Class 10" is rather ambiguous, since it only means >=10MB/s write), but I'm very impressed. This card is fast and inexpensive.

Raw ATTO Benchmarks Chunk sizes in kB Write & Read speeds in kB/s

Size--Write---Read

0.5---160-----1070

8-----2272----14194

64----13429---36008

256---17700---47403

1024--26683---49435

4096--26816---51523

8192--26703---49618

Equivalent max 'x' ratings (where 1 'x' = 150kB/s):

26816kB/s / 150 kB/s = 178x write

51523kB/s / 150 kB/s = 343x read

Data on the back (As of April 9th, 2012):

Made in Korea

SD32G10133MMC4HB

1VJS414PVB 1312

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I've only had it for a few days, but so far, so good. The speeds are fine, haven't classified them yet.

As for the other review, the card does seem slightly thicker than other SD cards. There is some extra friction when putting it into my Canon 300 HS, but it does not get stuck.

Read Best Reviews of HP 16 GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card CG789A-EF (Amazon Frustration Free Packaging) Here

Tested against an Adata class 10 card and it was a bit faster. It ran about 19.6MB/S write speed for most of the ATTO benchmarks, and 20MB/S for read. The price is really good for a real class 10 card. It works in my Canon T2i just fine

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I had Kingston SD cards with my old Canon Powershot S3 IS. I bought a class 4 SD card for my new Canon EOS T3i but I was unable to record 1080p videos with that card. So I decided to by Class 10 SD card.

I found this card for a good price and bought it. I am very much satisfied by the throughput that I get with this card. I am able to record 1080p 30FPS videos with my T3i using this card.

I am very much happy that I bought this card. The packaging of this card was not as impressive as any other card, but thats fine as far as it have such a great throughput.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

C2G / Cables to Go 27027 Toslink Digital Audio Splitter (Black)

C2G / Cables to Go 27027 Toslink Digital Audio SplitterTigerDirect's shipping is a little exorbitant, but I can't otherwise complain about a fine product. I bought it hoping to reverse it to put both my CD changer and my Playstation 2 into the same input on my receiver, and it works just fine. I can't have both on at once, but wasn't planning to anyway. I'm sure it works fine splitting one input into two, but that's just not what I was looking for. This product is, however, and I'd happily pass it on to anybody looking for the same solution.

I was very skeptical when buying this spliiter/switch after seeing so many bad reviews. It worked for me after little trial and error and here is what I found. For all those who complained that these splitters/switches do not work, this is what you need to do to get it right. I bought this splitter from eforcity, so I cannot say about those shipped by other sellers.... It works both ways i.e. as a splitter and as a switch.

1. For it to act as a switch, the critical thing is that only one source needs to be ON. Some sources send signal even when on stand by mode. To check whether it sends out signal, just plug one end of the toslink cable into port of the source(cable box, ps3, etc) and check the other end for red light. when on stand by, the light should not be lit.

2. The second most important thing for this splitter/switch to work is the length of the cables used. I used all 1.5 ft cables and they work perfectly. Earlier I had 3 ft cables coming out of the cable box and ps3 to the splitter and then 1.5 ft cable to the home theater. The ps3 did not work but cable box worked (not consistently though) as the signal attenuated too much by the time it reached the home theater receiver. I am not sure if there is a shorter cable than 1.5 ft and it would be great if you do have them. 1.5 ft cables work fine. I got the 1.5 ft cables from RiteAV.

Finally, the basic test to see if it works is to check for the red light after the connections. Connect in the way shown below and check for the light near the * before connecting to the receiver. Make sure only one source is ON at a time. If you see light and it still does not work after plugging into the receiver then it means that the signal attenuated too much and your receiver cannot pick it.

source 1 -->

...................splitter -->* receiver

source 2 -->

--> = 1.5 ft toslink cable

ignore the dots...

Good luck!.

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I use it to output the sound from my optical a/v selector (Impact Acoustics A/v Selector) to my surround sound receiver and also to my surround sound headphones simultaneously.

It streams the sound to both outputs without any noticeable loss of quality. Highly Recommended.

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I was hoping to use this to direct audio to both my Logitech Z-5500 speaker system and my AstroGaming A40 headset from the output of my XBox 360. Unfortunately it didn't work. No audio was detected by either the headset or the speaker system.

I had a 3 to 1 mechanical optical switch in line that I thought might cause some attenuation and when added to the attenuation of this device caused the failure. I removed the switch and connected this unit directly. Audio was detected, but it was constantly stuttering and occasionally stopping entirely. By carefully moving the cable I could get it to keep the signal but the stuttering continued.

I would not recommend this to anyone for any use without an optical amplifier to place in front of it.

Needing an optical splitter I decided to purchase an inexpensive optical amp: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I94FRM

Placing that amplifier before the splitter allows the signal to be amplified enough so that everything works.

I've raised my review to three stars because it does work.

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Plugged it in and it didn't work. I can see the light coming out when I plug the cable in but I think the splitter dulls the optical signal too much.

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Sunday, February 9, 2014

KJB Security DVR007 PI - Cam Stick

KJB Security DVR007 PI - Cam StickCompact clip-on mini digital video and audio recorder (DVR) smaller and lighter than a disposable cigarette lighter. The mini DVR has a one touch record button that records real time video using the 3GP video format with a resolution of 352x288 using a CMOS image sensor. The video can be viewed on your computer with a free software download from quicktime.com or real.com (currently Windows Media Player does not support the 3GP format) or can be played back on cell phones that support 3GP video format by simply connecting the included USB cable into the DVR and an open USB port. The unit is powered by a built in Lithium-ion battery that is charged when the unit is connected to a USB port. The color camera with audio can be placed up high or concealed down low, allowing you to clearly see and hear anyone in the camera's range. The tiny size of the recorder makes it ideal for a variety of uses. The DVR also has the added feature of taking still pictures with a resolution of 640 x 480. The DVR will record continuously for two hours (until memory is full or the unit is manually turned off). The mini DVR has 2GB of internal memory. A Micro SD card (not included) can be used to add 2 GB of additional memory. This unit weighs 0.67 ounces. Measures 2.87" x .78" x .43".

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Add-On Camera For Lw2311 And Lw2712 Weather-Resistant

Add-On Camera For Lw2311 And Lw2712 Weather-ResistantThis is the best camera for the money . Nice wide angle lens . Three cameras cover around my whole yard. This system was on the DIY show I want that .

I added this camera to my system to cover the back of the house. The original covered the front. Installation was easy and the operation of the two cameras has been consistent. No down time. Only minor flaw is that I've found it very hard to sync up with Skype, which may be my fault more than the the camera system.

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Monday, January 13, 2014

DXG DXG-505V 5.1 MegaPixel Camera with 2.4" Rotating LCD

DXG DXG-505V 5.1 MegaPixel Camera with 2.4' Rotating LCDThe DXG-505V is an inexpensive, value-packed multi-function device that tries to do everything, but is spread a bit thin in terms of practicality. As a camera, its pictures are mega-sharp although it's surprising to experience internal mechanical focusing noise (and such short battery life) on a solid-state camcorder that has no moving parts. DXG should have really bundled in the optional NP-60 Li-Ion rechargeable battery (found online for under $11) and a 2GB SD card (about $25) and raised the price accordingly, because you WILL be buying these items.

As far as features go, let's run down the list:

1) Pictures. Quite good! Very basic lens, but sharp with decent color, 5.1MP resolution, auto-focus, & flickery electronic flash.

2) Camcorder. Grainy, even in HQ (640x480) mode, with rather low color resolution. Spend $25 and get yourself a 2GB SD card. Haven't tried the Direct Printing support, but it's in there.

3) FM radio & MP3. These work, barely. Clumsy and primitive.

4) Webcam. Yep, this works. You can capture pics or movies with it in Pinnacle Studio or Vegas. Bonus for also being able to record and playback via NTSC.

5) Flash drive. Works just like any other, very easy to get your files in and out of the camera.

6) Audio recorder. Primitive. Sound is fixed at 12KHz mono, and record levels are not adjustable.

So, you get the idea. The LCD rotatable LCD display is excellent, and the firmware is very well done for the most part so as long as you keep your expectations modest, it's a very fun device but strictly for kids and hobbyists.

What this is supposed to do best is probably the worst feature of this product, which is recording video. If you don't mind low res video, and just want something to mess around with, then it's fine. It does take good pictures, but if I wanted good pictures, I would've bought a digital camera. Same goes for the mp3 player, radio, and voice recorder. I wanted this for capturing decent video, and it does a really lousy job with what they should have made thier number one priority. I didn't expect too much from this camcorder for it's price, but it's pretty bad when my brothers digital camera, which was cheaper than this, takes much better quality video. So yea, your probably just better off buying a digital camera that records video, because it'll probably be better at pictures and video than this sub-standard camcorder.

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Overall the camera is "okay." It does not come with a memory card so be sure to keep that in mind when purchasing because those alone can cost anywhere from 20 to 200 dollars! I have a 512MB one in it right now, and it's not enough. The camera takes pictures okay, but only in very good lighting. Don't try to use it inside...even the very cool lighting features can't save the poor quality pictures it produces in poor lighting situations. Also, unless you have a very steady hand, most of your pictures will come out blurry or with a glare created from the flash....not sure why that is though...The video it takes is very very very pixeled. You can see colorful dots all over the picture, even when you transfer it to either dvd or your computer. The MP3 features are neat, but it eats up too much space for what it's worth. The camera comes with headphones, usb ports and cords to hook into your tv. Pretty cool, I think. All in all, it's a good camera for what you are paying for...but I would reccommend saving for another month and buying a step up. It's good for a college student like myself, who will in the next few years be building a family and purchasing a better quality camera. :) Hope this helps...

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I am pleased with the purchase I made and the price I paid.

I am still getting aquinted with it. I have one problem, I don't know how to erase the internal storage, which is very little. If there was some more internal storage, it would have beem great. Could do with some help there.

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Saturday, January 11, 2014

Sony SRS-T33 Compact Portable Speakers (Blue)

Sony SRS-T33 Compact Portable SpeakersIn my quest for the perfect portable speaker I came across this little beauty at Target. At about the size of a ballpark frank but less filling, the Sony SRS-T33 provides more than enough sound for an afternoon at the pool. Admittingly, I was fairly skeptical about getting decent sound out of any portable speaker; this was reaffirmed after plugging in my iPod. The sound was absolutely weak. I considered returning them but I wanted to hear what the power amplifier sounded like. So as soon as the NiMH AAA batteries I purchased were charged, I threw them into the speakers and the difference was like ketchup and mustard. The sound was full, deep and suprisingly powerful. I've "test driven" a few other speakers in this price range, mostly separates that are 3 times the size and weight (do you know how big a pain it is to carry those to the pool?) and the Sony definitely sounds significantly better, while the others usually sound like tin cans.

The only drawback is the audio cable is only 10 inches long, meaning you'll probably "reposition" (or knock over) your speakers as you're changing songs on your iPod. On the plus side, the cable integrates into the design and seamlessly hides when not in use (no wrapping the audio jack around the speaker 10 times). For $40 it's definitely the best choice for size, sound and design.

I find it hard to believe that any of the reviewers who have made positive comments have actually listened to and compared several different sets of portable speakers. If they had, they would tell you to avoid these losers.

The sound is tinny, even with the amplifier on. With only .15 watts per channel, you get volume only marginally above that of a typical set of headphones just lying on the table. These might do OK if you put them on the pillow next to your head, but I suspect that you will still be disappointed.

Instead, consider the Panasonic RP-SPT70 travel speakers. They are, when folded, only slightly larger than the T33s. They use four AA batteries and have 1 watt of power output per speaker. They also cost about $10 less than the Sonys.

To be fair, the Sonys DO fit in just about any handbag or briefcase. And they are very solidly constructed. But this does not compensate for the poor sound quality.

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I purchased this product and specifically wanted to use it with an AC power source. As you can see from the technical specifications, it can use the optional AC-E60A AC Adapter. (The same note is provided on the Sony web site.) That is not true. I spent a long time today with Sony support and the same answer from everyone was that, in fact, this speaker is not compatible with an AC adapter. If you want to use batteries, fine (although it did sound "tinny"), but if you want to use an AC power source, look elsewhere.

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I wanted a small, portable speaker for my mp3 player that didn't cost too much and had decent sound. This unit fits all of those criteria and I'm happy with it. No, the sound quality isn't extremely high fidelity and the bass lacks depth, but it gets the job done.

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Ok, after reading the multiple good reviews on Amazon i persuaded myself to buy these speakers thinking some people were just pessimistic. Ok, i got these and immediately put a pair of batteries in. These things sound absolutely awful, it goes about the volume of someone quietly talking and the sound is distorted and fuzzy, forget about any bass. Absolutely do not buy these things. Oh yeah, whoever has been rating these things as good must be working for sony or something cu these things are terrible