MAGNAVOX DV220MW9 DVD Player VCR Combo

It's a shame that a company like Magnavox, which used to put out some fine quality products, would put their nameplate on garbage like this. Bought for my 80 year old mother-in-law we found that the DVD plays and sounds fine, but the VCR is pretty much horrible. Terribly poor quality. It records only in MONO!...is ANYTHING mono anymore? And it doesn't play well with other machines. She has to blast the TV volume on any tape from another machine. That means when you turn off the player, the TV (now playing regular cable TV) is blasting. Mom-in-law jumps a foot. Many features which used to be present on VCR's are not here. No TV/VCR button to check on regular TV while watching a tape and nothing to tell you how much tape is left. No front line-in jacks for the grandchildren coming over with video games and now forced to pull out the TV to plug in their toys. And setting the timer is bewilderingly tedious...plus, mom-in-law is going crazy listening to the cacophony of noise coming from the VCR motor. Literally...whirls, squeaks and chatters...heard by her though she's going deaf. This is a 6 month old machine no less! All in all, a waste of bucks.

I understand that VCR is an archaic technology but there are a lot of older folks out there who will continue to use them...so if Magnavox doesn't mind taking their money, at least give them their moneys worth!

Just like the first reviewer said, these players are junk. Strangely, the DVD portion has excellent picture and sound, but the VCR portion audio is analog. It's taken off the linear audio track running along the edge of the tape, which is old school. So, the sound is weak and fidelity is very poor. You would think people buy a combo unit so they could still play their VHS movies. Evidently Magnavox figured people buy a combo unit because they look neat or something. The VHS portion of these players is nearly useless. Don't buy one if you plan on playing your VHS movies. Especially if they're movies with special effects or lots of music. There's no bass whatsoever, and very weak everything else. I'd rate it zero stars if I could, so that one star is way more than it deserves. I'm going to avoid any and all Magnavox products. They've shown their true colors with this unit.

Buy MAGNAVOX DV220MW9 DVD Player VCR Combo Now

I gave this a one star because there is no way to give a negative number of stars! We bought a total of 4 of these all the exact same. Less than 6 months later EVERY one of them has bit the dust. The first one the VCR went out followed by the DVD and all the others the DVDs went out. 5 months later, 4 machines and we have 1 left that the VCR works on (and not well!). 1 year warranty is a joke. The 800 number is a recording that will tell you that for that product number you have to visit the website. The website has the model number listed and when you click on it says that information is no longer available. I have kept boxes, receipts, and owners manuals and the only thing that it seems like they are going to be good for is the recycle bin! Sad that what used to be reliable brand names have fallen by the way side!

Read Best Reviews of MAGNAVOX DV220MW9 DVD Player VCR Combo Here

My parents bought this. When my father had trouble setting it up he asked me to try. Neither of us could find an input connection for the VCR. I finally found a notation in the manual about connecting a camcorder or other device to the recorder, but nothing about TV.

Want MAGNAVOX DV220MW9 DVD Player VCR Combo Discount?

I just got my Magnavox combo but I've already watched a couple of tapes and one DVD with none of the problems I'm reading here. Sound quality and volume on the tape is essentially the same as with the TV and the VCR motor is noiseless. I didn't have to adjust the volume when I switched from one mode to the other and the small speakers on my TV aren't exactly great for good bass no matter what. All I wanted was a machine to play my discs and tapes and this one fits the bill quite nicely so far.

It was really simple to hook it up and get it operating, the remote is easy to understand and read, and it looks tidy and compact. The operations buttons on the front of the unit are easy to see and read, too, unlike so many that have black buttons on a black background with charcoal gray labels to tell what they do. For right at 40 dollars including an optional one year money back warranty and free shipping, it was a super bargain. Maybe the outfit I ordered it from rejects any that are poorly refurbished. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is that I haven't had it very long so I don't want to be overly enthusiastic yet.

Swann SW-P-MWC Mini Wireless Camera - Powerful Small Security Camera Transmit up to 328ft/100m

I have 2 of these I bought to monitor my home. If you have a capture card on your computer these work great...hook up to a vcr is easy too but you better have an older unit with RCA ins. Also live monitoring via TV or thru a vcr is great but if you plan on recording thru the VCR, as I said before you'll need an older model that allows you to record from the line in. Or you'll need to convert an RCA (or S-Video) connector to Coaxal. I have a mutli-port capture card and some great software by Lorex that allows me to do more with the camera. also the 9 volt adapter is a great idea, but will only last around 2 1/2 hrs. All in all it's a good basic monitoring camera.

i buy one this camera end they send me a diferente item. the shiping is to slow i pay for 3 to 5 days and i get on 7

Buy Swann SW-P-MWC Mini Wireless Camera - Powerful Small Security Camera Transmit up to 328ft/100m Now

Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive

• DVD recorder and Personal Video Recorder with 160 GB hard drive; measures 17 x 2.5 x 13.25 inches (W x H x D)
• Interactive Program Guide provides an easy to read listing of the television programs available to view or record
• Records to DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW; plays CD-R/RW and MP3/WMA digital audio formats
• One set of component (Y,Pr,Pb), 1 S-Video, and 1 RCA video outputs; Firewire input for connecting to video camcorders
• High-speed dubbing from the hard drive to disc without any deterioration of digital signal

This recorder offers some of the best features for a DVD recorder. Of special interest is the ability to tailor the bit rate of the recording in very small increments from 2Mb/sec to 8Mb/sec. It has the ability to record LPCM audio. It also allows you to record in Dolby Digital in 2 different bit rates. Overall, this unit offer incredible flexibility for the user. This was a huge selling point for me. It has a very easy interface (which becomes intuitive after a couple of uses) to create menus for DVDs. It's well designed and attractive.

Now for the bad news. A total showstopper: The TV Guide menu system never worked. The manual tells you to go through the set up process, then turn the unit off for 24 hours, avoiding unplugging any connections to the unit. I live in Austin, TX, and get my signals over the air. Reception is excellent in my area. The unit displayed all the available channels. They all came in clearly. But after 24 hours, I turned on the unit to find no program data. I must have done something wrong, so I went through the entire process again, ensuring that I waited 24 hours (this time, just to be safe, I waited 30 hours). I turned on the unit, and again, no data. I tried one more time. No luck. I called Toshiba. They said, "well, if the data doesn't show up, we can't help you".

I would have kept the unit if I could have recorded off the air by setting up schedules manually. The unit REQUIRES the TV Guide program guide. It is the only way that the unit can record TV shows.

Second huge issue for me, regardless of the state of the unit (on/off), the fan in the back of the unit stays on ALL THE TIME. And it's not so quiet. Forget about putting this unit in a small room, because you'll hear it...ALL THE TIME.

Given these two issue, back in the box it went. And here's the really disappointing point...I did my research. This unit has the best features for the price. It has a hefty 160 GB hard drive. It was the perfect unit....almost.

Buy Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive Now

I purchased the RD-XS32 for my parents last December and was impressed with its capabilities and functionality. So I thought I'd buy the updated version, the RD-XS34 for myself. Huge mistake as many reviewers have already stated.

If you are thinking of purchasing this product, do your homework beforehand:

1) Call your cable/satellite provider and ask if they have a deal with TV Guide to allow their signal to come through their system.

If they don't you'll be purchasing a $500 boat anchor because you cannot set up timer recordings without the TV Guide system. A huge oversight on the part of Toshiba. A huge oversight on the part of TV Guide for not informing Toshiba about this little detail. Toshiba will be getting a lot of these units returned because they didn't inform their customers about TV Guide's limited support.

2) Read other reviews about the reliability of the TV Guide system. This is not the only other unit that has TV Guide and many people have reported some really annoying bugs, such as losing entire program guides and channel preferences, plus recording memory.

3) If your cable company has support for TV Guide and you're willing to risk having some headaches, this unit may be for you.

4) On the other hand, regardless of the TV Guide system, as other reviewers have reported, the fan on this thing is loud and stays on all the time! Turn the unit off, and the fan still runs!

The older RD-XS32 was almost a rock star. Why Toshiba completely got rid of the manual recording features of that unit on the RD-XS34 is beyond my comprehension. Why there is no way to turn off the TV Guide features on the XS34 is also mind boggling, especially when dealing with the very new, not well-tested TV Guide system.

I returned the unit and will not purchase a unit with TV Guide unless they work out the bugs on it and provide a way to download their program information without having to use cable, satellite or telephone. I think TIVO decided to eventually go the LAN route. Maybe TV Guide will in the future.

I will also be hesitant to buy a Toshiba product in the future and you should be too. For the time being, JVC has a unit without TV Guide and you can still pick up the Pioneer DVR-520H without TV Guide. They lack the coolness factor of the on-screen program guide a la TIVO or a working TV Guide, but having used the older Pioneer DVR-510H, I know the system works well without hassle.

My one star rating should be zero but there is no option for that. If the unit had the option of manual timer recording, the star rating might be closer to a four based on my experiences with the XS32, but since I couldn't test any of that, the unit was a $500 boat anchor.

Update: One month after I called Toshiba techincal support (returning the product a week after my call), TV Guide support called to help. Wow! How responsive TV Guide is. If you have a problem with TV Guide, they'll get back to you in a month! No, really, avoid this product.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive Here

Please don't put down this recorder when you either are technologically challenged or cannot read the manual. Several people mentioned there is no way to record TV shows unless you use the TV guide, and does not work with satellite. IN THE MANUAL, it explicitly explains how to record shows manually. You can set the device to record at a certain time just like a VCR, at whatever quality you want and whatever medium (DVD or HDD). To record from your satellite, set your satellite receiver to tune to hte appropriate channel, and go into the TV Guide feature. Then, go to schedule, then hit menu twice, and it will bring you to the manual record option. Or READ THE MANUAL! Just wanted to let everyone know.

Want Toshiba RD-XS34 DVD Recorder with 160-GB Hard Drive Discount?

I think this product is unfairly rated very low by some frustrated users. Actually I could have been one of those who gave only one star, because in the begining, it did not seem to work at all. Now I have owned this machine for over a month now, and I really love it.

I did a fairly complete research before purchase, and among the comparable products from SONY, TOSHIBA, PIONEER and PANASONIC, I chose this one, and I believe I made the right choice. The negative reviews are mostly targeted on the EPG systems. But if you have problems with EPG on XS34, then possibly you will have more headaches with all other manufactures with EPG. Contradictary to what people said, it is quite easy to just use the Time Recording (like you do on VCR) with this unit. It is true that it is not an easy job to manually re-set the clock (and I think Toshiba should consider improve on this), but you do not have to manually re-set. Leave it there for 24 hours and it can pick up the right time through over-the-air broadcast (which is exactly the case I had). I guess it could only be a problem if you live in an area where you do no have any over-the-air broadcasting, in that case, you need to contact the Toshiba support for firmware upgrade.

The DVD recorder is fairly new thing in our life, and fairly complicated compared with VCRs. Most users who complain are the ones who just purchased the product and before they adapted to the new way of operating the machine. Once you become familiar with the unit, you will feel a lot happier and the more you use it, the more you like it. Each product has its strength and weekness, but comparing with the cost and overall quality (picture quality, ease of use, edit function etc), XS34 is a very solid product in my opinion.

This is in response to the problems S. Rys and Dan J. Grams said they were having. (Unfortunately, I don't have their e-mails to answer them directly. Perhaps the good people at Amazon can forward these answers to them.) S. Rys said the it was slow to change channels. It does take a few seconds if you just punch in the channel and wait, but if you punch in the channel and press the "Enter" button, it changes immediately. Now for the much more difficult one. This one wasn't in the instruction manual, I found this quite by accident. Dan J. Grams said he didn't like the fact that you couldn't program a show manually. Well, I found out how to do it. While you have the TV Guide page on, press the "Menu" button on the remote. The "Episode Options" window will appear on the left side of your screen. Move up to and select "Go To Service Bar." You should be at the top of your screen now. Move over to the right until "Schedule" is highlighted and press the "Menu" button on the remote again. The "Schedule Options" window appears on the left side of your screen. Move down until "New Manual Recording" is highlighted and press the "Enter" button. You're there, enter the recording info and enjoy! The only shortfall about doing it this way is it won't name the recording you made the way it does when you use the TV Guide.

Logitech USB Desktop Microphone (Black/Silver)

Hey guys,

I figured this would help you to see the difference in audio quality between the USB Microphone, a Logitech C910 Webcam Microphone, and a built in laptop microphone.

The USB microphone is far superior. Be sure to watch the video below, and if this review was helpful, THUMBS it up so other people can see it.

Thanks to the reviews posted here, I bought this microphone. It's awesome and I highly recommend it to other Amazon electronics consumers especially at this price.

In addition to the sleek look-and-feel, feather-light design, on-off illuminated button (so you can keep it plugged in but not active or use as mute button while recording see Customer Images), its best feature is the 8-foot long cord which allows amazing flexibility and range despite being anchored via the USB port to your computer. For me, that one simple design component speaks "volumes" about the overall design quality of this product.

This microphone is recommended for voice not music recording. But I found the music playback perfectly acceptable, especially as a background track.

The installation is as easy as plugging it into your USB port. Software is freely available via download.com and then by searching for EXPStudio Audio Editor Free 3.93, which features multiple track capabilities (background music with voice-over). Using your computer, the software and this microphone, you definitely can create your own in-house recording studio.

Buy Logitech USB Desktop Microphone (Black/Silver) Now

Before purchasing a product, especially electronics, I read Amazon and technical reviews, review the manufacturer's documentation, and determine if the product will satisfy my needs.

A cursory glance at Amazon reviews of the Logitech USB microphone immediately discloses that 21% are less than favorable (1-3 star rating) a significant number which, prudence dictates, should be considered. The following accomplishes that end and is presented in no particular order and assumes a properly functioning microphone, i.e., it is not defective. I run Windows 7 Pro SP1 x64 in a custom machine.

1. Driver conflicts or faulty drivers. The Logitech USB microphone DOES NOT install any drivers, i.e., it relies on existing, native OS USB drivers. As a consequence, any lack of functionality, related to drivers, issues from one's configuration, which includes installed software.

2. Does not work with one's OS. As in number 1, above, this is always an issue which has its source within one's configuration, installed software, or conflicts therewith. By design, the Logitech USB microphone is simply a USB PNP device that handshakes with and operates via one's OS. On its site, Logitech lists the OSs and versions with which the microphone is compatible.

3. Have to have the microphone very close to one's mouth. This is always a function of one's sound configuration, either that found within Windows and integrated audio or related to one's sound card. This is especially true with Windows 7 whose default sound setup does not produce the best results with the USB microphone. There are ample discussions and suggested configurations of USB/sound setup on the Net related to various Windows and Linux versions pertaining to noise cancelling USB microphones.

4. Insufficient or no noise cancelling. This could be related to any number of configuration settings. In my system, if I record while music is playing through my speakers, the music is barely audible while my voice is loud and clear. Such being the case, one can imagine that I do not pick up case-fan noise or nearby TV, radio, or voice conversations.

5. Poor sound quality; not good for lectures, singing, music, or game playing. I, again, have to suggest that this is a function of one's sound configuration. I had to make numerous changes in my default sound setup to achieve what I consider excellent results. To satisfy my curiosity, I conducted a "lecture," in a normal tone of voice, at 20, 15, 10, and 5 feet and, in each case, my lecture was loud and clear. Similarly, I sang a few bars of my favorite tune and I must report that the microphone recorded my dreadful voice faithfully. When playing games, when I am silent, the game sounds/music are loud and clear; when I speak the game sounds are muted (cancelled) and my voice is loud and clear.

6. Poor construction; breaks. My microphone sits on my desk in back of my keyboard. I imagine that, unless I abuse it, it cannot break. Therefore, I guess the question is how much abuse can this microphone take? Since I have no plans to abuse it, I cannot answer the question.

7. Has to be close to the mouth to record. As noted in number 5, above, I am able to record at a distance of 20 feet (presumably greater if I spoke more loudly). As it normally sits on my desk, it is approximately 18 inches from my face and my voice recordings come across 5-by-5.

The following is a summation of other reported negatives.

Records only in 60 second snippets (not microphone related); records when off (impossible it's off); does not compare with professional microphone (really!); does not work with ABC software (software issue); too much of a pain to set up in Windows (OMG!!); no installation instructions (plug it in USB slot then configure sound setup according to OS/audio card); Windows and this microphone, like MS Word insisting on caps for the first word in a line are an annoyance (choose one: laugh or cry); while on, if one fiddles with the mute button or otherwise uses the microphone as a drum set, it records the sounds produced there from a design defect (do I really want to comment . . . naw).

I believe that I have shown that the overwhelming majority of the negatives have nothing to do with the Logitech USB microphone under consideration; a scant few might be related to a defective product out of the box. Therefore, even though they constitute 21% of the reviews, worthy of consideration because of their number, I suggest they need not be considered further. I find that the Logitech USB microphone is well made, will survive any non-abusive handling and, when used in a properly configured system, will more than adequately serve all but the most demanding "professional" needs.

Ed

Read Best Reviews of Logitech USB Desktop Microphone (Black/Silver) Here

First, I had some doubts about reviews below for the performance of this mic.

I got this thing today, and my... let me apologize to reviewers below. This thing works beautifully!

I put this mic about a feet away from my mouth(bit more than a feet... right next to where I use mouse with my right hand), and spoked a few words in normal voice level(maybe a bit lower) while my air conditioner was making some noise. When I played the recording back, the voice was captured loud and clean. This mic is outstanding with reasonable price tag!

Want Logitech USB Desktop Microphone (Black/Silver) Discount?

I'm a bit perplexed at another review that stated the microphone does not work with Windows XP (Service Pack 2); in fact, it almost prevented me from purchasing. Nevertheless, I took a chance, and I'm glad I did. All I had to do was plug the jack in, and I was off and running.

Sound quality is best at about 6 inches away, although tone is muted a bit. I was very impressed, however, at the complete absence of background noise despite the fact that my washer and dryer were both running, and my wife and kids were talking and watching television only a few feet away. For my weekly podcast, this is the perfect choice.

Interweb research shows the next best microphone to be in the $60-$80 price range so the $20 price makes the Logitech USB Desktop Microphone a no-brainer.

As for that Service Pack 2 issue, it's possible that the difficulty was the result of another problem (such as a conflict), or it's possible an update has rendered the problem obsolete. In any case, mine worked right out of the box. Highly recommended.

VideoSecu 4 Channel Stand Alone CCTV Security Camera Network Real Time DVR Remote Digital Video Rec

This unit has very good features for the price. Large disc storage, records in D1 and CIF, and has a decent user interface to a directly connected monitor. What was not evident from their ads, nor from any specs that could be found on-line or acquired from the importer, was that this device requires a PC running Internet Explorer and ActiveX. This is the only full function, network accessible, computer interface that is provided.

Since I am a Mac user this really does not work and its reliance on ActiveX is problematic at best from a security point of view.

I was able to get this unit to work using WinXP on the VMWare emulator, but only via the IE browser with ActiveX enabled. Neither of the PC based tools that they provided in the distribution worked to control the unit from WinXP. There is also an iPhone app, MobileEye+, that works to remotely review the status of the video, but it only provides CIF level viewing and I have 700 TVL cameras. There is no option to increase the resolution. There are no instructions on how to configure the device to work with SecuritySpy or Vitamin D software.

If you have a PC and are willing to run IE and ActiveX this may be a very good, cost effective, unit. If you are a Mac user or have issues with IE & ActiveX, shop somewhere else. Exelon, LiLin, Seyeon and Vivotek all offer networked servers that have these high resolution features and support Macs as well as PCs.

Save 80% Off

Sony SLVD560P DVD / VCR Combo

• 4-Head Hi-Fi Stereo
• 19 Micron Heads for Optimized EP Recording
• Flash Rewind for rewinding a T-120 Tape in 60 seconds
• Quickset Timer Dial for easy timer recording
• Progressive Scan Output (480p)

This product was a complete disappointment. I have had it less than a year & have had problems with the dvd player from the beginning. Now it doesn't register dvds in the machine at all. Sony's website gives you the option to return the item & get someone else's refurbished machine aka someone else's problem {$33} or to have your machine fixed {$90} return shipping also to be paid for by the consumer & this is if your machine is under warranty. Not satisfactory options from a company like Sony. I have found countless other complaints about this machine on other "review" sites online, naturally after I had already purchased and was having problems with it. I have found that Sony is no longer the "leader" in electronics there are other companies, Panasonic, Samsung, etc. that have products comparable & in many instances better than Sony there is no reason to pay more for a Sony when their quality seems to be going downhill. Save yourself the hassle and buy from another company.

Buy Sony SLVD560P DVD / VCR Combo Now

The unit itself does technically work, but I am not very impressed. The user interface is horrific due to its complexity, which is unusual for Sony products. You have to push the buttons on the remote control too hard to get them to actually respond, which is half of the problem. The manual is a little too concise, leaving out pages for setups that are probably fairly common, which means that you have to guess instead.

Worst of all, when I plugged it in using Sony's recommended setup, the unit noticably degraded picture quality on my Sony WEGA 24" television. (I bought this unit to match the TV.) Sony's technical support was less than helpful, acknowledging that they understood that my picture quality was being negatively affected by their product, but refusing to admit that such a problem constituted a "failure" on their part. Eventually, I narrowed the problem down to the cheap coaxial cable that Sony supplied, but I had no composite cable to replace it with, because Sony decided not to supply one--even though it does with its other VCRs.

Maybe if there's a SLVD570P, it'll be better. If not, I wouldn't bother wasting your time.

Read Best Reviews of Sony SLVD560P DVD / VCR Combo Here

Record quality is very good. DVD progresive is also very good. Remote control is non responsive. No TIME back-up when power failure... IT WILL NOT RECORD your programs if any power failure happends. You will have to set the time before it will record again. For some illogical reason, your programs will remain in memory, but the time will not!??!?!? Cant understand this, first VCR i know does not have this simple feature and it is frustrating when you record every day. Imagine if you leave home for a weekend and set to record a final match of your favorite football game, unluckly power failure occurs and your miles away... you simply will not be able to see it or record it.... That is the biggest complaint. Remote control es really bad too. Bottons have to be pressed harder then normal, and is not responsive. Be advised, time will not be permanent and control is unresponsive. DVD quility is very good. Recording VCR is also very good. No component nor digital cables supplied, nor AV. Only coaxial cheap cable. I am disapointed. Very bad SONY....

Want Sony SLVD560P DVD / VCR Combo Discount?

What else to say :-). I put in a pre-recorded tape, it made a clunk sort of noise and wouldn't play tapes after that. 2/3 of the screen was all snowy. I tried several different tapes before returning it to the store. Aside from that, I found it clunky to use. I should have come here for the reviews first.

I was expecting a quality Sony product when I bought this. I have another sony DVD player that I have been using for about 3 years without any problems. This unit is another story.

After 4 months of use, the player stopped working with DVD/RW disks. A few days later, manufactured disks stopped working, now a few days later, no DVDs will play on the unit.

I am so glad I got an extended warranty, because I am going to go and pick up my third new unit today for another 4 months of usage before the inevitable failure.

Ematic EMS004BU eSport Clip MP3 Video Player with Video Recorder

• 4GB Flash Memory
• 1.8 inches Color Display
• 5MP Camera with LED flash and Video Recorder
• Sports Clip
• FM Radio

I bought this mp3 a few months ago and I must say I am impressed with all of the things I can do on it. It has many handy tools, such as voice recording, calculator, and stopwatch. (It also has a camera, video recorder, and eBook feature, but I doubt I'd ever use those). It also has a nice little internal speaker so you don't have to always wear earphones. However, it isn't the most user friendly. I find the "touchscreen" type buttons to be sluggish or downright unresponsive. My hands are always very dry, so I don't know if that has any effect on the touch-type buttons or not, but I do get frustrated trying to manipulate the thing. I am also disappointed that I haven't found a "random" or "shuffle" feature for my stored music.

Buy Ematic EMS004BU eSport Clip MP3 Video Player with Video Recorder Now

I spent 2 hours trying to navigate my new mp3 player and the only progress I made was getting a single avril lavigne album to play over and over. The controls are so frustrating and pretty much impossible to work. Every time I managed to do what I wanted it would end up over clicking and then I couldn't get back. I often pushed 10 or more times before the thing responded at all.

Read Best Reviews of Ematic EMS004BU eSport Clip MP3 Video Player with Video Recorder Here

We purchase a number of these models including this one because

a number of customers had ask for them. About half have been

returned mostly because of battery life issues and an Interface

from Hell. The touch is far too sensitive and it will scramble

your menu and setting unless you place it On LOCK.

The Ear buds were unacceptable. Battery life is, at best, fair.

The Camera is a non-factor: the quality leave much to be desired.

We are thinking of giving away the rest of our models to charity (we do

that every now and then). The screen is suspect to easily breaking.

This is an awful product. Where the good reviews are coming from

are probably from employees and friends of the manufacturer.

Brandon Eli Roman, Walters Judson group.

Want Ematic EMS004BU eSport Clip MP3 Video Player with Video Recorder Discount?

I bought this for my 4 year old grandson. He loves it. His mom says, he never puts it down. Very satisfied for the price.

I purchased mine through the Warehouse Deals, and I must say this little guy is exceeding my expectations. If you are looking for a cheap Apple-type product, look elsewhere. But it works well for me; I wanted an MP3 player that I can take with me to college that if I was stolen I wouldn't have to worry too much about someone stealing it (or having to replace it if it would break), and this fits the bill. There is a bit of a learning curve to it, but over all a well designed, cheap player.

I feel I must add that the packaging looked a someone ran it over with a car, and then let a 3 year old tape it back up again nothing against the player, but a little disappointed in Amazon for that...

Toshiba SDP94S 9-Inch Portable Black DVD Player (Black Gloss)

• Portable DVD player with swivel-and-flip 9-inch widescreen LCD
• Multi-format disc support, including DVD-R/RW and CD-R/RW plus MP3 and JPEG playback
• Secure Digital memory card slot (for MP3 and JPEG playback)
• Connect to external TV via composite AV; can also be used as a monitor from compatible digital camera/camcorder
• Up to 5 hour lithium battery life; includes AC and car power adapters

Just got this player over the weekend, on sale for $129.99. It plays everything I threw at it so far, DVD, DVD+r, DVD-R, CD, etc.

Brilliant color and excellent picture quality for its 9" screen.

The speakers are loud enough for the car, and audio through dual headphone is excellent. For the budget, I love the swival option because it really increases reflexibility in viewing. And it is a beautiful player with its glossy black finish and very up-to-date style.

The only down side is that it won't play divx like its previous model, however, everything else is better and since DVDs are so cheap now and renting from Red Box is only $.99, I don't really care nor miss the divx option.

It has a SD card slot and it plays both SD and SDHC formats. This is a good option to play mp3s and pictures for the kids in the backseat.

5 hr battery life is pretty good and enough to play two movies.

It is very easy for me to recommend this player!

Buy Toshiba SDP94S 9-Inch Portable Black DVD Player (Black Gloss) Now

like others who have posted here, I had a battery failure at 10 weeks. That's ridiculous as is the price of the replacement battery, 70 bucks. I regret buying a Toshiba computer now, fully expect it to die a quick death as well, and will not buy any of their products ever again.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba SDP94S 9-Inch Portable Black DVD Player (Black Gloss) Here

This was the best item I have purchased for in the vehicle. This helps keep my 7 year old and my 2 year old quiet. I didn't think it was necessary to have this in the vehicle, because they do watch more than enough TV at home, but this makes our rides peaceful. Usually once my 2 year old falls asleep watching something he likes then my 7 year old can watch what he likes. I can't believe how a movie can keep their attention and keep them from fighting with each other.

The feature of the tilt screen and the flip mode is wonderful, because I don't have a carrying case yet and I had to hold it for them in the vehicle and the tilt worked perfect. The remote is small and very handy. I still need to purchase good kids headphones so we can enjoy listening to the radio instead of the kids movies. Would purchase another.

Want Toshiba SDP94S 9-Inch Portable Black DVD Player (Black Gloss) Discount?

Other reviewers have written about the great video and sound quality, so nothing to say there, other than Toshiba's no mom-and-pop shop, so they put out a very good product.

I'm a features and functions person, so a couple things I like that I didn't see in other reviews is the fact that you can stop the video, turn it off, and when you turn it on again, it resumes where you left off. It also returns to the same point of the video when you switch to listen to songs via the SD card.

And I love the ability to listen to your MP3s or watch video whenever you want. I keep this in the area where I exercise, so I can watch or listen at any time. The volume is more than ample, but I also use a small plug-in amp via the speaker port. And you can use either the controls on the device, or the remote, which is not a complicated remote.

And for the decent price, I recommend it. Haven't used it on the battery power yet.

Over all a nice dvd player. The price was right and had all the features we were looking for. Would have given it five stars but the volume rocker can be a bit flaky.

Sharp BDAMS20U 1080p 3D Blu-Ray Disc Player

• Number of Discs-1;Video-Video Formats-BD Video, DVD Video, DivX, DivX HD, MPEG-2, H.264;Audio-Audio Formats-CD-DA, MP3, AC3;Network & Communication-Wi-Fi-Yes;Controls/Indicators-Remote Control-Yes;Physical Characteristics-Height-1.9
• Media Formats-CD-RW, DVD-RW, BD-RE, DVD+RW;Video-Scan Format-1080p;Image-Image Formats-JPEG;Interfaces/Ports-HDMI-Yes;Power Description-Operating Power Consumption-16 W;Physical Characteristics-Width-16.9
• Features-Internet Streaming, Parental Control, BD-live, Bonus View;Video-Scanning Modes-Progressive Scan;Network & Communication-Ethernet-Yes;Interfaces/Ports-USB-Yes;Power Description-Standby Power Consumption-200 mW;Physical Characteristics-Depth-7.1
• bdams20u

This player has been much better than my more expensive LG. Faster to start the movie with great picture quality. I did have wifi problems as it seems to be weak or defective, but I hardwire anyways, so didn't spend too much time on this. The latest updated did speed up the internet apps for me, but with so many devices now that are connected that have Netfix, etc. I don't use them. Ex. Wii, PS3, Xbox, Mediacenter, Roku. If you are looking for internet apps then look away from any TV or Blu-ray player, and go with Roku or other similar device. It will be faster and have more choices.

If you are looking for a DVD player with a good feature set including MHL then this is a great player. Again very fast to start movies and the video and sound quality have also been very good.

Giving a Blu-ray player bad reviews due to speed of internet apps is not all that fair, as it is a BLURAY player 1st and foremost. And this player does that very very well.

Almost forgot. The menu is great. It is not as fancy as the LG, and can look a little bland, but it is blazing fast and easy to navigate. So many manufacturers have tried to make things look pretty that I forgot how fast things can be when you forgo all that. My LG was very sluggish when in the menus. Very well laid out, too. I highly recommend this Blu-ray player for playing...well...blu-rays. If you are looking for an internet app player then go with Roku.

Buy Sharp BDAMS20U 1080p 3D Blu-Ray Disc Player Now

The boot time on this DVD player is a bit slow however it generates a fantastic picture in either DVD/BlueRay or BlueRay 3D with my Sharp Aquos TV. I purchased this because Sharp recommended it as a compliment to the TV and it works great. It is also nice using the TV remote to control this DVD player so I don't always have to go searching for 2 remotes.

Read Best Reviews of Sharp BDAMS20U 1080p 3D Blu-Ray Disc Player Here

I have had this player for about 2 months. The player side of it works great the only downfall is it does not resume play you will have to fast forward but that's ok. It plays my dvd r-rw perfect which most these day do not. The smart side of it is good the only downfall I see is I do have to re enter my wireless information more than id like. The menu is plain and that's ok it does have Pandora under the apps menu and all apps work well as well as Netflix and Vudu. Overall great player for the money !!

Want Sharp BDAMS20U 1080p 3D Blu-Ray Disc Player Discount?

This is one of the greatest 3d Blu Ray player. It can play all of my DVD with RW, DVD and 3d blu ray. I have enjoyed it so far.

Save 21% Off

Slip a disc in, sit back, and relax. No really, take off your shoes, massage your feet a little, clip your fingernails, make a sandwich, and then MAYYYYYYBE this player will be at the main menu for you to start watching your film!

All of the extraneous features like Pandora, YouTube, etc. are useless to me because EVERY SINGLE MEDIA DEVICE/TV NOW HAS THOSE NOW!!!

Sharp makes excellent TVs, and maybe they offer other models of Bluray players that are responsive, but this one is not one of them!

GE DV1-GG Waterproof/Shockproof 1080P Pocket Video Camera (Graphite Gray)

I'm giving this camera 5 stars, not because it takes the best pictures of any camera I've seen, and not because it has more features than any camera I've ever owned, but because this camera survived surfing, snorkeling, a dusty ride on the back of an ATV, and being dropped from a zip-line in the mountains of Costa Rica (take a look at the video that was taken immediately after it was retrieved). For less than a hundred bucks I would not expect any camera, waterproof or not, to survive even half the activities I made this bad boy a part of.

As far as the camera itself, it takes decent pics in good light. It does not have a flash, so you won't get much out of it if used at night or in a dark room, but with the sun is shining and the picture taker facing the right direction, you can snap some really high-quality photos with this sucker. I got some amazing shots that my Canon Elph has yet to shoot.

The user interface is a little confusing to figure out because at first it looks a bit complicated with a bunch of icons on the screen, until you realize that it's really just a basic point and shoot camera and the icons are just there to let you know what you are working with (how many minutes you've been recording or what your zoom level is, for example).

It comes with a little bit of internal memory, but I recommend you pick yourself up a SD card with a decent amount of memory so that you don't have to constantly be transferring pics. If you're planning an long, active trip somewhere, the last thing you want is your SD card running out of memory right as soon as things start to get exciting (speaking from experience).

It takes really good video/pics underwater. And being underwater does not change or affect the mechanical functioning of the camera from my experience. I took more pics and videos underwater and diving into heavy waves in the ocean than I took in a dry environment. And the camera still works as good as it did the first day I got it.

I will continue to use this camera for all active outdoor photos until it can't take any more. And then I will probably buy another.

EDIT: Please note that the video that is part of this review is of much higher quality when watched straight from the memory card. Although it uploaded at poor resolution here and appears grainy and somewhat pixelated, the video is actually crystal clear you can even see the ocean in the distance beyond the mountains. This camera produces much better picture and video quality than meets the eye!

I read loads of reviews for this type of HD cam and was all set to get the kodak playsport, but I was lucky enough to be able to test several, in my local electronics shop. This one is by far the best quality in my view, in not only movie quality but sound and still's. The feture I like best is while your taking movie, you just hit the camera icon and it takes a real good quality photo without disturbing your movie and saves it sepately. I read in some reviews of other brands that there good outside but rubbish inside, not this one, takes movie and stills inside just as good. The only problem I have is that my PC finds it hard to keep up, so I have to render it to a smaller avi size to convert to dvd, not a problem for me as I love doing stuff like that. P.S the sound quality is great as well, I'm well chuffed with my purchase.

P.P.S I use a 4gig sdhc class 4 card and it works great at all resalutions.

Buy GE DV1-GG Waterproof/Shockproof 1080P Pocket Video Camera (Graphite Gray) Now

Amazing little camera. It is waterproof. I took it in the shower. Strong water stream and moderately hot water. I found one tiny drop in the USB area. Then I went swimming in the pool and took video and stills under water to a depth of 3 feet. No water found in either the USB or SD card area. Then I took it kayak fishing and sailing in saltwater. Never dunked the camera in the saltwater but it did get splashed and handled with wet hands.

The camera saves video as .MOV files and stills as standard .JPG files. My camera with an 8gig SD card shows about 2 hours and 20 minutes of video record time (720p @ 30 frames per second). The manual gives just the basic functions and was not clear how to charge the camera. Had to figure how to spring open the USB port. The USB charging cable is only about 15" long.

The under water video and stills are amazingly good with bright sunlight in clear pool water. Your not going to win any photo contest with this camera. With the fixed focus 2.8f lens, sharp focus isn't the camera's strong point, but good enough for 4x6 prints with good light. This camera need lots of light. You'll be disappointed in the video of your 80 yr old grandmother blowing out 80 candles. I said fixed focus lens, I should mention fixed zoom lens. It has digital zoom. What a joke. Don't even thing of using the digital zoom. A noisy, unsharp mess in both the video and stills with digital zooming. If you need to zoom, use the professional photographers tip, "Zoom with your feet" get closer.

I am happy with my purchase. I bought it to use on my kayak in wet conditions. Considering the price of other waterproof point and shoot cameras, it's a great bargain.

Read Best Reviews of GE DV1-GG Waterproof/Shockproof 1080P Pocket Video Camera (Graphite Gray) Here

I really like this camera as soon as i got it it's a great size fits in the palm of the hand very nicely, looks like a mobile phone people keep asking me if it is a mobile.

Well built or so it seems so far tested in the pool, has sturdy rubber waterproof seals the battery life is pretty decent also as the screen is no bigger than a nokia E72 lasts long enough with a good power save function when not in use.

Not sure if i'm a fan of the USB interface ... click out the USB connector and plug it in directly to a port! i'm always paranoid i'll damage it so i tend to use the supplied extension cable to charge and transfer pics which can be slow when u have HD res movies...

Doesn't shoot on motion or sound detect which would be a cool feature to have. actually this camera is relatively featureless but makes up for it with simple user interface and control.

Movie quality is very good a clean the best i've seen underwater with good low light conditions has a zoom function which is rather slow but useful.

Camera does not take good still any closer than 1 meter at least.

it's also very wide screen so make sure you shoot this thing the right way up or it will just look odd.

Easy to scratch the surface be careful to keep it in a pouch or it'll be looking shabby in no time ... black surround on the back comes off easily.

Apart from that ... one of the best around buy buy buy

Want GE DV1-GG Waterproof/Shockproof 1080P Pocket Video Camera (Graphite Gray) Discount?

I was a little nervous about buying this camera since it's so new and very little has been written about it. But I'm glad I did. The camera is easy to use, has good battery life, and takes great pictures and videos. I really like that the memory is expandable unlike other palm camcorders.

Save 54% Off

Philips LFH9399/00 Digital Voice Recorder 9399 and SpeechExec Transcription Starter Kit

Ok, so if you have been using the same equipment for many years there might be an adjustment period. But we actually love everything about this kit. The doctor does the transribing and loves the high quality materials of the recorder. And the reason for the single button is its small size and light weight. The foot pedal and headphones are very similar to old-fashioned tape machine equipment.

The software is very full-featured, but it is rather poorly written. It requires Microsoft .NET software, which usually means a relatively new computer with plenty of RAM. The given minimum computer specs seem to be the BARE minimum, as is often the case.

There are only THREE people in the Unites States to support ALL Philips dictation equipment. Don't expect quick answers from them but they are very nice and helpful when you finally reach them.

I've used dictating equipment for 25 years. This dictaphone is very counter-intuitive and the worst I've ever used. The record button is not on a slide and I am constantly thinking it is recording when it is not (and vice versa). You push the same button to record and stop it. Yes, if you constantly stare at the screen and don't think about what you're saying (who does that?) then you will be able to see if it's recoding. But most normal people don't dictate that way. Also, the edit function is horribly cumbersome as is the rewind fuction. There is nothing worse than dictating something you think is brilliant only to discover that you had pushed the record button one time extra so it's actually on pause when you think you're dictating and it's recording when you think it's paused. The only thing you've been recording is your own breathing. If you like that feeling, this is your machine. With this dictaphone, it will happen several times a day.

Yes, I've bought a different one.

Buy Philips LFH9399/00 Digital Voice Recorder 9399 and SpeechExec Transcription Starter Kit Now

I don't personally use it, but it seems to be all that we expected and more. It is simple to operate. The shipping was easy, timely, and we have not had any difficulty with anything. We appreciate your follow up, thanks.

Read Best Reviews of Philips LFH9399/00 Digital Voice Recorder 9399 and SpeechExec Transcription Starter Kit Here

The quality of dictation is great, but I still haven't figured out how to get the downloaded dictation to my computer for transcription (been using this for about a month now). Sometimes the dictation just appears at my computer; other times, I have to manually ask for the download/upload, and wait, and wait, and wait. I can't figure out why some dictations appear seamlessly and others are brutally difficult to get. This is very frustrating, especially if you are in a hurry! Because of this, I would have given 3 1/2 stars if I had that option, but I gave 4 stars, because it is better than a 3, but less than a 4, in my opinion. If I could get all dictation when I needed it, I would have given all 5 stars.

Want Philips LFH9399/00 Digital Voice Recorder 9399 and SpeechExec Transcription Starter Kit Discount?

Adorama 5' Coiled Sync Cord, Household (AC) to PC.

These will not work with my flash trigger. Not sure why ... simple sync cord. Similar sync cord by Paramount works fine.

The cable works great and is very reasonably priced. The best of both worlds!

Buy Adorama 5' Coiled Sync Cord, Household (AC) to PC. Now

Creative Zen V 1 GB Portable Media Player (White/Orange)

• Portable media player fits perfectly in your palm or pocket
• Big 1 GB memory holds up to 500 songs, photographs, and album art
• 1.5-inch OLED screen displays rich and vibrant photos, full-color menus, and more at any viewing angle
• Direct CD Recording allows you to record songs directly from an audio source without using a PC
• Player doubles as a voice recorder with the handy built-in microphone

I got my zen v and was surprised how tiny it is. It is much smaller than you might think. It's light and easy to use. I found the new joy stick to be a great idea. I didn't have any problems and I dont have tiny fingers. This is an easy player to use and is built beautifully. The quality is as good or better than iPod. I was going to get the zen v plus with video but I couldnt wait and am not that into video on a small player anyhow. The price is very low for these zen v players, especially considering that they are super high build quality. All you have to do is charge the player for a few hours before you mess around with it. So, I highly recommend this delightful player for ease of use and build quality. IMHO it's better than apple and much better than sandisk. You will be impressed. I also would like to stress that the joystick system on this player is easy to use and very simple to figure out. I have had nothing but a good experience using this. Read the manual on the cd if you can hold back from just trying to play with it to figure it out. Even though it doesnt have radio or a video function, the zen v has a lot of options in its menu to mess around with. I am very impressed with the high quality creative is giving out along with low prices. The mp3 market has a lot of options now but the zen v plus is the best for my money. I have a lot of experience with MP3 players and this is the most impressive one yet for its size. Go to a store and check out how small it really is and how nice the player is put together and how easy the navigation is with the new joystick system. You will probably end up getting one. To be honest though, if you do check it out, you won't freak out how small it is when you get it in the mail like I did before seeing it,so flip a coin on that deal.Have fun!

I want to add some things here. First of all, I am not a creative fanboy. Secondly, I own a lot of mp3 players. Now back to the zen V. I've read a lot of bashing on this and I think it's just spin against Creative. First of all, I've had zero problems with this player. I also wanted to say the pictures are better on the screen than you might think from reading some of the reviews on the internet. Although the zen v has mainly gotten very high marks from the pro reviewers, they sometimes mention the controls as hard to use or Ive even seen one review that you cant "scroll". Well, if you hold the joystick you can lol. THey also sometimes say the picture quality isn't so great. Well, I own a few others with picture capability and this is the best and clearest of them all!. I read about 15 reviews before I bought this little creampuff, and I have to laugh at how wrong even the few cons were. I am not praising the zen v as the best overall small but feature filled mp3 player for any other reason than that it is. If you want video and a radio, get the v plus but the zen v is pretty darn cool. I dont even really need the pictures. I just wanted something nice. I own apples irivers, cowens, sandisks and other no name mp3 players. I am dead serious when I say this little gem is hot for good reason. Even the battery life is a little BETTER than they say it is, but if there is a slight negative its the battery life, but it's really not so bad as they say. If a new iPod came out this good, I would praise that too. I have no love for any company that makes these little music players. This one really deserves the praise, and the bashers will lose out as more people talk about how reliable and what a solid and nice looking sounding gem this player really is. Besides that i found out it has the latest chip powering it from Sigmatel, which runs around 200mhz. That is a powerful and award winning relatively expensive chip folks! THis is no cheapo player. From the outside to the inside its all top notch.

Buy Creative Zen V 1 GB Portable Media Player (White/Orange) Now

Update:

The player freezes with no sound and with the screen on (displaying album artwork), at random times and for no apparent reason. One of my two units had to be reset so many times that it can no longer be reset: it feels like that internal pad you press on with a sharp pin has now disappeared (it must have broken off). Our only recourse now is to wait 3 days for the battery to run dead, and hope that it will be reset simply by recharging it from scratch. We've only had this unit since August (it's now December), so I no longer feel the reliability level of this product is sufficient to justify its purchase. Buy something else that doesn't have to be reset all the time!

I bought the 2 GB model because it had the largest flash memory of any unit that works with the Napster-To-Go subscription, so it can store the largest number of songs and color photographs. The 1 GB version is identical except for the amount of installed flash memory.

Why did I choose to buy a flash memory based MP3 player? Compatible hard drive models with much larger storage capacity abound, but I figure they'll break prematurely because they use a hard drive that can't withstand much jogging, accidental bumping or dropping.

I bought two of the players plus the separately sold AC wall charger, and attached one of them to the wall charger for 6 hours, while I attached the other one to a USB port on my PC to charge it for 6 hours.

At the end of 6 hours, the unit attached to the PC was fine until I unplugged it, then it went comatose and would not even revive when the reset button was pushed several times. I had to exchange it for a replacement unit just two days after buying it.

The unit attached to the wall charger was fine, and I went on to load it up with music using my Napster-To-Go subscription. That was fine until 2 weeks later, when my wife charged it on a PC using the USB cable. After charging and disconnecting from the PC, it too went comatose.

This time I was able to revive it by pushing the reset button.

Then I took a look at the other unit, which had been charging on the AC wall charger. It had also gone comatose, and I was able to revive it by pushing its reset button.

The reset button is inside a tiny hole on the left edge of this unit. You can find it by following the thin groove that's below the screen all the way to the left edge of the unit, where you'll find it on the side. The picture in the manual does NOT accurately depict its location.

The hole leading to the reset button is very, very small. The instructions say to penetrate that hole with a pin.

I used the sharp end of a safety pin to do this. When the pin is inserted, it's quite easy to miss the reset button unless the pin is inserted at exactly the right angle. You'll know it's not at the right angle if you don't feel that you're pushing on a pad with a spring behind it when you reset the unit. That pad travels a short distance until it's stopped by a control surface inside the unit; that's when you know it has been reset.

The reset system should be redesigned so that it doesn't depend on the angle you insert the pin to work. I suspect that the first unit I returned could have been reset if I had known that you have to insert the pin at just the right angle to do it. Since I didn't know, my several attempts to reset it were not successful.

Resetting the unit is akin to rebooting a PC: it revives it when the internal software (called "firmware") has frozen by restarting the software. It does not erase your songs or photos.

Make no mistake: this MP3 player looks, feels and works beautifully. However, since the firmware is newly designed, it appears to have bugs relating to disconnecting it from USB or charger power that cause it to freeze, and the reset button is a little hard to use if you don't know about the things I described above that could cause you to be unable to reset it. You may just end up with a unit that's frozen and not be able to reset it.

It needs to be a little more user friendly than that. Hopefully a future firmware update will be available that will lower the occurrence of the unit locking up (freezing), especially when disconnecting from a USB port or AC charger after recharging it. As another user noted, the "safe disconnect" icon is often times not even in the system tray.

If you don't subscribe to Napster-To-Go, your options to get content for your MP3 player are to transfer your favorite songs from CDs you own to your hard disk ("ripping the songs"), or purchase songs one track or album at a time, at a price ranging from 88 to 99 cents per song from sites like Napster, Rhapsody or WalMart.

You can also download books you want to listen to (such as best sellers and classics) or "podcasts" (your favorite newspapers read aloud, or your favorite radio programs like NPR) from a plethora of sites (like NetLibrary and Audible) that make these available, to your computer's hard drive. Now you can listen to your music, audible books and podcasts over your PC loudspeakers while sitting at your PC.

Then you can transfer your songs, audible books and podcasts from the hard drive of your PC to your MP3 player(s). This enables you to take your MP3 player with you to enjoy listening in your car, in your office, while jogging or working out at the gym, while shopping, or at the pool or the beach to hear your music, audible books and podcasts anywhere.

Read Best Reviews of Creative Zen V 1 GB Portable Media Player (White/Orange) Here

I bought this as an IPOD alternative for Audible books . It takes a long time to start and stop and does not return to where you left off in a book accurately. Maddening. I'd avoid this if you listen to audiobooks.

Want Creative Zen V 1 GB Portable Media Player (White/Orange) Discount?

Many of the negatives written about the Zen are true. It does lock up (esp if you try to scroll too fast), you DO have to install software on your computer and learn how to use it (duh), and it's not quite as sexy as the brand name iPod, but I think for it's particular market niche it is a good little player and stands up well against the Apple products. I for one LOVE my little Zen. (note: resetting the Zen is easy, installing/learning the software was not difficult, and for the $200+ price tag of an iPod, I can live with the loss of prestige).

The keyword here is "little". It is truly small (about the size of my car alarm remote) and of negligible weight, so I can comfortably and securely wear it around my neck like a necklace without special cases, pouches, armbands, or pockets built into my jacket or backpack (though all of these accessories are available for those that feel a need for them). Because of this compact, lightweight design, I tend to carry ("wear") my Zen more often than other players and so it has become my favourite.

Secondly, the fact that it is inexpensive (I won't say "cheap") is actually a big plus for me because I am not constantly afraid of damaging it as I would be a more expensive player. I tend to "wear" my Zen through some rugged use (workouts, hiking, traveling, skiing, etc) and it has held up perfectly so far (!), but I am not over-worried about it.

I don't use mine for audio books, so I can't speak to the "bookmarking" problem. I mainly enjoy a large collection of my favourite music which can be nicely categorized into handy playlists, like an energetic workout list, a mellow relaxing list, by music genre, by artist, or even play an entire "album" in it's original order. I love this feature because I can rock out when I want to, or play some quiet background pop when my Mom is in the car... LOL. The Zen has brought a lot of additional joy to my life, hearing my favourite music, esp when sitting around waiting or traveling long distances.

Battery life is impressive. I've gone on entire 3-day weekend trips without it quitting on me. It charges from any USB port (cord included) and has an optional car adapter (an after market NECESSITY).

With a few minor accessories (a USB power cord, a car power adapter cord, a car "cassette" adapter, a protective silicone shell, waterproof earbuds), I have tricked my Zen out to fit very well into my life and my uses. Perhaps I am just not a demanding customer, but I think that the Zen is a very nice little player for an excellent price. I am very happy with mine and I would confidentally recommend it.

I have had my Zen V about a month and so far I love it. I have downloaded books from netlibrary without a hitch. Copying books from CD's and then transferring has been more of a challenge due to each track needing to be edited manually. It bookmarks great and does remember where you left off after shutdown as long as it isn't on pause. Not sure why that is but I learned that fairly quickly. I am still learning all the extra features, but I recommend it if you want to do audiobooks.

NAXA Electronics NPB-251RD Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio

• AM/FM stereo radio with top loading CD player
• 16/19 track programmable memory and LED digital display
• Soft-eject CD cover and included play/pause, skip/search, and repeat function
• Telescopic antenna and Aux-in jack with dynamic high performance speakers
• 2 way power either DC battery or AC power, UL/ETL listed

I highly recommend this product especially for little kids. My 2 year old loves it and has figured out how to work all of the controls and play all of his CDs. Sound is good and the radio works well too.

Buy NAXA Electronics NPB-251RD Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio Now

I bought this for my Grandson's bedroom so he could listen to music at night. It's sturdy and the sound is very good for the price. I would certainly buy another if I were in the market for one!

Read Best Reviews of NAXA Electronics NPB-251RD Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio Here

Don't waste your money. Wanted a small CD player for a new grand child to play lullabies at night and nap time. It stopped working after four months. CDs started skipping and then it just would stop playing all together.

Want NAXA Electronics NPB-251RD Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio Discount?

Very cute little CD player. Bought it for my son for Christmas. It's great except for one very important problem: it won't play CDs. We can get the radio to play but won't play a CD. We tried with new and old CDs. Every so often it might start a song but that is only have 20 or so tries of getting it to start. Maybe it's an isolated incident, but we are disappointed.

Save 16% Off

I wanted this to play the Mp3 books that I get from our library, not for music. I can work around the house and play my favorite books...it's great!

TrekStor i.Beat Organix 512 MB MP3 Player (Silver)

• Sleek silver digital audio player with 512 MB flash memory and digital voice recorder
• Supports MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, and WAV audio formats; line-in recording to MP3
• Compatible with secure WMA-DRM9 music services; SRS WOW virtual surround sound
• 11 preset equalizer settings; 2-color OLED screen; digital clock with alarm and stopwatch
• Lithium-polymer battery; measures 3.1 x 1.3 x 0.7 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

PROs: Versatile gadget. Lots of recording time.

CONs: Cannot delete files unless you have a computer with loaded software to manipulate files on mp3 player. Also due to multiple functions of buttons, it is easy to make mistakes.

Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner

I tried SiliconDust HDHomeRun Dual High Definition Digital Television HDHR3-US (Black) but had pixelation problems several times every show on two channels so I decided to try Hauppauge 2250 PCI-E Dual TV Tuner card and I am so delighted. Not only are my pixelation problems history, I also get better picture, FM radio, and analog channels for no additional cost!

This is my setup on Windows 7 64-bit. First let me say that installing the card and setting up the Hauppauge 2250 was the easiest part of my setup. I have TimeWarner cable and am paying $41/month for standard internet (10Mbs download and 1MBs upload) and basic cable. I have a three-way splitter on the cable coming out of the wall. One cable goes directly to the FM radio on this Hauppage 2250 pc card and I receive numerous FM channels which I can access through the radio player in Windows Media Center (WMC).

The second cable runs from the splitter to the TimeWarner modem to my ooma Hub VoIP Phone Device with No Monthly Phone Service Bills where I get a landline for free then to Netgear WNR2000 for wireless connection of printers, tablets, smartphones, etc and then ethernet out to Gateway DX4350-UR21P Desktop (Black) from where I can couch surf on Logitech Illuminated Ultrathin Keyboard with Backlighting, Logitech Wireless Mouse M505, and Logitech Wireless Touchpad with Multi-Touch Navigation (910-002345) which share one unifying USB receiver so only one USB slot is taken in my pc. I especially like the keyboard which lights up only when my hands come near for easy viewing in a darkened room.

The third cable runs to the TV tuner in this Hauppauge 2250 card. I did not install or use anything else included in the box as the ir cable was too short and I don't need extra inputs. The Hauppauge 2250 card is available on Amazon card only without all the extras Hauppauge 1229 WinTV-HVR-2250 White Box for System Builders Dual Hybrid PCI-E TV Tuner Board but I purchased the 1213 instead of the 1229 thinking I was going to use some of the extras which seemed like a bargain for only $9.40 but I ended up not using any of them.

The Hauppage CSR told me that the tv tuner was a dual tuner and that during installation I would have to decide between whether I wanted digital HD OR analog SD OR antenna. However, using Windows 7 64 bit Windows Media Center, I just followed the prompts letting it automatically install and W7 WMC found 2 digital tuners AND 2 analog tuners and I clicked that is correct and let it search for channels finding both analog SD and digital HD on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, TBS, CW, HSN, and WGN as well as analog only on CNN, TNT, Lifetime, Nikelodeon, USA, MTV, FNC, SPIKE, TWC, AETV, AMC, DSC, BRAVO, MBNBC, CNBC, EP, Food, FX, KUSI, HGTV, TLC, HIST, SyFy, WEP, TCM, Comedy Channel, LMN, Toon, Disn, APLP, TVLAND, BET, and IONSATP. All of the analog channels I was unable to get on the HDHomerun dual tuner as it does not have an analog tuner. While I would prefer HD to SD, I like receiving all these analog SD channels that I did not get on the clear-qamm HD only tuner. Some shows I like are not available anywhere in HD and others are available in a variety of places in HD or SD for various prices. For example, I would not want to live without the Daily Show with Jon Stewart or the Colbert Report which I can watch on HuluPlus in HD for $8/month or on the Comedy Channel website for free or iTunes for $1.99 per episode which comes to about $32/month (tip, buy Apple stock not Apple products)or in SD with this 2250 card for free. So in Windows 7, this one Hauppage 2250 card is viewed in WMC7 as 4 tuner choices but only available to use two at a time with these two hybrid tuners able to free switch around between digital HD, analog SD, and FM radio automatically controlled by WMC7. WMC in Windows Vista was able to control only 2 tuners which may have been with what the CSR was familiar.

I control my WMC with my Logitech Harmony One Universal Remote with Color Touchscreen using the Infrared receiver in the Windows 7 Vista XP Media Center MCE PC Remote Control and Infrared Receiver for Home, Premium and Ultimate Edition with USB 2.0 Extension Cable Type A Male to Type A Female 6 ft, Black to get the receiver on top of my Onkyo HTX-22HDX Ultra-Compact HD Home Theater System (Black) with add-on speaker set making 5.1 surround sound without any tweaking on my Gateway DX4350-UR21P and then HDMI cable out to Samsung 52" HDTV. BTW, the code you need for your Harmony One remote to send signal to the IR receiver to control you W7WMC is Ortek VRC-1100.

It was much more of an ordeal than I anticipated to get this setup. I tried many products and found that all kinds of various electronic issues that were further complicated by no technical support or technical support that did not speak English or was not familiar with their products or was unable to solve their problems or with defective products. I remember the good old days when companies had their products checked out by TWO quality control departments before releasing to the retailer but now the consumer has to figure it out and return defective products within the alloted return timeframe. My FAVORITE technical support was Gateway who said "No Tweaking required, IT JUST WORKS!" So I am watching full 1080p with 5.1surround sound via the Hauppage 2250 tuner card and I am thrilled. My audio and video have never been better even when I was paying $100/month to Times Warner. My PC records faster and searches 1000 faster than the TW box I had to rent for $15/month Good riddance! If I want to pay for more additional channels such as ShowTime or HBO, I would need to rent a descramble box from TW and place it in the cable from the three-way splitter to the tv tuner in the Hauppage 2250 card. However, I like Amazon Prime Instant Video for movies better as there is more available to watch when you want to watch something and my Amazon streaming experience is better than I ever got from Netflix, Blockbuster, or HuluPlus.

I feel I have optimized getting the best tv entertainment experience for the least cost in my area and for my preferences. I think I am set now for the next year as Times Warner gave a 12-month price guarantee. Apparently 1080p will no longer be the best video quality out there when 4K is released this 3Q12 being 8 times better they say but it will be awhile before broadcasts, discs, and other video sources get up to that quality.

If my review was helpful to you in any way, would you please click on HELPFUL below?

Wow, I really dont know if I should give this product a one star or five star. I'll settle for a three for the pain it caused me.

First, my system: Core 2 Duo 2.53GHz, 4GB DDR2RAM, 256MB ATI graphics card w/HDMI out, 640GB HDD, Vista Home Premium 32bit. I am located in the mountains of SoCal, where OTA doesnt quite work, and so ClearQAM from TimeWarner is my only option.

Let me start off by saying if you are looking for a dual-tuner for digital/analog viewing, this is one of your best choices. However, expect to spend a night or two of surfing forums, updating drivers, installing hotfixes, etc... The problem is that Vista Media Center (initially) doesnt recognize the ClearQAM tuner, only the analog tuners. How to fix this? Well, my 8 hours of pain can be your simple gain.

Disclaimer: you will be adding a value to Vista's registry if you follow this review, so anything you do is on you alone!

1) If you've been trying to get the tuner to work, wipe all the tuner's drivers off utilizing the utility on the CD (select total and the checkbox below it) and restart Vista.

2) Update Windows.

3) Install the HVR-2250 and the BETA drivers from Hauppauge's USA website.

4) Install TV Pack 2008 (search online for it)

5) Install PC Ready Play (from MS download site)

6) Install the 2 hotfixes (KB951585 and KB950754 from MS download site)

7) Update Windows. (there will be a cumulative update for TV pack)

8) Open the registry (run/regedit)

9) Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hcw89

10) Add a new Folder (key) and name it: Parameters

11) Add a new DWORD to that and name it: AllowQAM_PowerToy

12) Make that value for the new string: 1

13) *Repeat 10-12 for: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hcwPrx89

14) Reboot Vista

15) You should be good to go. When in Media Center, the automated set-up might still tell you that it found two analog tuners, which you then select manual set-up and go through the steps. You should see a choice for ClearQAM!

*Notes: the hcwPrx89 folder did not exist in my registry, so I had to create the folder and then add the DWORD.

For $130, I would expect Hauppauge to have either better drivers or better support. Scouring the forums will result in similar fixes like I describe above. I guess something similar to this works for Windows 7.

Oh, the good: it works like it's supposed to (after forementioned).

Hope this helps and GOOD LUCK!

Buy Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner Now

Ok, I ordered the Hauppauge 1213 WinTV 2250 on Amazon. The device arrived promptly and the price wasn't all that bad. However, this was to the full extent of my pleasant experience with the product.

The Receiver/Blaster would not work even after installing new drivers from the manufacturer's website. I called tech support (which, by the way, is available M-F 9 to 6PM ET only) simply to determine that the supplied cable was defective. The tech representative-a fella named Brice Junior-assured me that he would send out a new cable and I should be up and running in a 3 or 4 days.

Seven days came and passed. I received no cable. I called back tech support and stumbled on Brice Junior again. Except this time, he had no idea who I was and had no recollection of his promise to ship me a replacement cable.

So we went through the same diagnostics again-as if this time the repair fairy had come to my house and repaired the cable. Well, again the WinTV did not work. Then, Brice assured me, again, with absolute conviction that he would send a new cable and usb adapter for the device as soon as he got off the phone with me. Another two weeks went by, and...a BIG nothing arrived.

As I did some research on the matter on the Internet, I begin to uncover that the company engages in a policy of systematic lies to its customers to avoid honoring its obligations under its warranties. The technic is simple. They give the customer a round-around for a few weeks at which time it's too late to return the device to the store of purchase. And, since they are out reach, you, the unhappy customer, chase after them until you get tired and give up.

Meanwhile, Brice Junior, their scum tech support, is happily doing the company's bidding by lying to customers.

So in conclusion, buy the company's products only if you are sure (a) you can install them on your own, and (b) you can return them immediate if something is wrong them. Ignore the promise of the 2-year warranty that you read on the box. It is NON-EXISTENT.

Read Best Reviews of Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner Here

This product works perfectly with Snap Stream Beyond TV 4. [.........]

I have 2 digital tuners and 2 analog tuners on my pc. This records multiple inputs and automatically downloads the cable TV and local TV program guide. The picture is great. The software takes some time to tweek to your inputs and program guide. You must be willing to spend some time.

Want Hauppauge 1213 WinTV-HVR-2250 PCI-E x1 Dual TV Tuner Discount?

I had 2 requirments for a TV Tuner Card. It had to be half-height and it had to be a dual tuner (so I can record one show and watch another). This card meets the bill. So far it has worked great. Sometimes when I tune to a channel in Windows Media Center the screen is blue and I have to change channels and then go back for it to appear. I don't know if this is because of the tuner or because of something else. Other than that I really haven't had any problems. Possibly a driver update will fix that problem.

Save 27% Off

Nokia 6300 Unlocked Triband Camera Business Phone (Black)

I had to wait for 1 month to get it! They never mentioned that it would be shipped from China, there were no 3 or 4 days delivery options. So I waited. I received it in 30 days. I used it for 3 days only. It kept on turning off by itself, specially in the middle of conversation. My friends complained that they couldn't reach me. I decided to send it back (note that time for returning the item without being charged is 30 days and I had been using it for 3 days after 30 days delivery). I wrote Amazon and they said it was too late. I contacted the seller, and the seller started to bargain with me saying that they would send me an extra battery and a charger. I refused because the problem was with a phone itself. They bargained again to send me a replacement phone. What??? To wait for replacement for another month??? Thank you!In the end I sent them the phone back and they supposed to refund my money. It has been 2 months now! I NEVER GOT MY MONEY BACK! INSTEAD I LOST MY TIME, MY NERVES AND MY MONEY AGAIN TO SEND THE ITEM BACK TO CHINA!!! FANTASTIC!

I've use this phone for 5 years. Now just changing battery. It's true that you can use it for 3-4 hours. But it's not a problem for me.

Buy Nokia 6300 Unlocked Triband Camera Business Phone (Black) Now

Good phone and received on time. It is durable, looks prety, I recommend to any one who needs the basic phone.

Read Best Reviews of Nokia 6300 Unlocked Triband Camera Business Phone (Black) Here

Pros: nice style/shape, small & handy, easy use

Cons: metal casing got warm/hot after 5-10 min on the phone from the battery (original nokia battery)

short battery life (3-4 hours talk time)

After about 1.5 years the charger plug (hole) did not work properly and the program kept freezing. was not able to use anymore

Want Nokia 6300 Unlocked Triband Camera Business Phone (Black) Discount?

I`m very satisfied with the phone.

For a long time i`ve been wanted to buy it, and finnaly I did.

I recieved it in a box unpacked, all new...:)

Once again great phone.

PC Wireless 4 Camera DVR Security Surveillance System

The title of this is pc wireless camera system Kinda hard to be wireless when you have to hook up each camera to the receiver that makes it wired Get it right and change the name tired of looking for wireless cameras and these show up

when properly installed work exceptionally good

have a little flicker sometime

great color and able to select from 1-4 cameras with the base control

see very well with little or no light, easily hidden and most of all

you dont have to open the door to see who is there but they dont know they are on camera

no mistaken who is at your door you see them about 50 feet away,

best thing i bought for security for my home and garage

the only thing i dont like about them is the hard wiring of them

i recommend them for anyone that is looking to keep an eye on things and door

its amazing how good they work at your doors, some one knocking at the door late at night, all you have to do is look at the screen and see exactly who it is then decide if you want to open it

Buy PC Wireless 4 Camera DVR Security Surveillance System Now

This item has many issues, but i"ll start with the connection. the receiver & cameras dont seem to want to link with one another, out of the 4 camers that come with this item i've only have 2 cameras that have linked with the receiver, and the other 2 have so much static in the video, its impossible to see anything, also, the 2 that are linked in are no better, What a waste, cameras are not far from the receiver and it doesnt work as describted... Saqve your money???

Read Best Reviews of PC Wireless 4 Camera DVR Security Surveillance System Here

The title includes the term "DVR", but this product does NOT include a DVR!

It is just 4 cameras and a receiver.

I tried to give it zero stars, but Amazon replies "please rate this item".

I'll give it one star to shut Amazon up.

Want PC Wireless 4 Camera DVR Security Surveillance System Discount?

This camera system is more for a hobbyist or child, than it is for providing actual security. Not at all what i'd been hoping for when i bought it.