Panasonic SVAV100 D-Snap MPEG4 Digital Video Recorder w/10x Optical Zoom

(...) I purchased my Panasonic SVAV100 D-Snap tapeless video recorder three days ago from a retail store within the first six hours (six hours in a car without Internet access) I was ready to return it. I could not get the MPEG2 video to play outside the camera. The supplied software, as it has been aptly described by others in the above reviews, is one of the worst applications I have seen in recent years as one reviewer put it "what were they thinking?" I was ready to return the camera really I was making plans to go back to the store then finally got to the Internet and I read the oh-so-simple comments on the this review board about renaming the .MOD to .MPG and I completely changed my mind about the camera the results are spectacular!

"What an engineering marvel" we all said upon seeing the results on the PC. With the camera producing native MPEG2 files it was doing what I expected it should do files that can be edited with any desktop video editor. I still can not believe the no other word for it `blunder' on the part of Panasonic's marketing and software groups. This is the only tapeless video recorder under $800 (I paid $600 with a mfg. rebate coupon) that produces native DVD quality MPEG2 files period. Why don't they just say that? Why don't they suggest renaming the .MOD to .MPG and call it a short cut for advanced users? It's just weird.... My impressions point-by-point:

First Light Setup 10/10 (out of the box and shooting video as fast as I could unwrap the plastic very easy PC software on the other hand ... read-on below...)

Ergonomics 9/10 (minor same points made by others no tripod screw, buttons though not needed for most functions while capturing images require a bit getting used to located under and behind the flip screen)

Camera menus usability 10/10 (what you need for each mode where you need it)

Convenience (read: size) 10/10 (you will always take it with you you will find yourself taking video and capturing moments like never before)

Image quality 9/10 (Carl Zeis was a genius no CZ lens here; white balance quite sensitive, but good though there is a manual mode and this videographer needs to master it for low light, contrast-y, indoor shooting)

Image stability 10/10 (as good as my image stabilized binoculars even with the optical zoom extended)

Accessories 9/10 (comes with all you'll need but why is the charging system brick and tray assembly larger than the camera itself? Charging batteries separately in a small form-factor unit is a must out-of-the-box, Panasonic requires batteries to be charged in the camera apparently there is a third-party external charger available separately. I'll be buying one soon!)

Recording Capacity 10/10 (this may surprise you I use the NORM MPEG2 that's 22 minutes good but not quite DVD quality on the supplied 512M chip and over 40 minutes on a 1G chip how much video do you need to shoot anyway? For family and activities I've not had a problem plus I can dump the chip to hard drive in a few minutes. At $60/Gig buy a couple chips. The 2G chips are soon to be sold and 4G chips are on their way that will be three hours of video on one chip!)

PC Software 0.0001/10 (total utter failure on Panasonic's part. Fortunately it is not required at all as I came to find out. Simply take the chip out, plug it into your SD chip reader desktop or laptop unit copy and rename the files there is even a freeware utility available on the Internet)

Did I mention convenience `-) 10/10 !

When I first looked into this product I was in a quandary I worried about cutting edge: "high wow factor low performance" "sounds too good to be true" I took a chance anyway I am happy I did. For more info excellent source: Do a Web search on "SVAV100" and "Jack Brown" you'll find an excellent "SVAV100 Forum" Panasonic should give this group part of their marketing budget they are far more competent.

This is a great little camcorder for having with you at all times to take short videos. You will have to download often to your computer since the SD card cannot hold much. These .MOD files for MPEG2 take up a lot of room. Most people don't like to watch long videos anyway. You will have this camcorder with you when the bigger one will be at home or in the car. The supplied software is not worth a dime. It cannot keep up with your files if you need to move them. Get Moonlight El-ecard MPEG2 Player software from the Internet. You can also transfer the videos to VHS, 8mm or DV tape. Actually, they look better doing this (then watching on your TV) than by viewing them on your computer.

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Even after reading about all the 'problems' with the SVAV100 I decided I still had to have one. I wanted a way to capture video of my daughter without looking like the proverbial "dorky-dad-with-a-video-camera." This camera lets me do that.

But, surprisingly, I've either not experienced these problems or found very simple workarounds for them. Here are some examples:

Software: there are numerous, high-quality editing programs that handle the task of editing MPEG2 video with aplomb. Most offer free demos so you can decide which works best for you at no cost.

.MOD file format: simply change the files extension to .MPG and nearly any video tool (Windows Media Player included) can read the MPEG2 files produced by the SVAV100

CODECS: I have WinXP running on a fairly new PC I didn't need to install anything to get up and running.

SD Card: the camera records 10 minutes of MPEG2-fine on the included 512M card (I get just over 20 minutes from a new 1G card). Between the two cards, 30 minutes of storage covers all the video situations I've encountered.

Battery-life: I have found replacement batteries for less than $15 each. I carry a couple of fully-charged backups which provide all the battery life I could possibly need (certainly more than enough juice to fill both SD cards, and then some).

Anyhow, this has been my experience to date; YMMV. Overall, I am very pleased with the quality of the camera and it's output.

Finally, I'd like to give kudos to Jack Brown for establishing an extremely useful SVAV100 users' forum (see URL in his review here). It contains a wealth of information and is definitely worth checking out.

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The advantage is that it is small and light, even smaller and

lighter than my cannon power shot camera. The biggst problem is

battery life, it claimed that it would be capable shoot about

60 minutes continuously, but in my experience, the battery is

gone before I finish all 20 minutes SD capacity (in Mpeg2 normal

mode).

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While the Pansonic D-SNAP has the potential for usable video quality, you need to realize that it is going to take atleast an additional $799 card to make it functional. To reach a useful quality, the D-SNAP uses a high speed Panasonic version of the SD card, which is now available as a special version 32x SD card by other sources. Today, people try to get the best price for a 30 60 minute DV tape at $5. With the D-SNAP, you'll be shopping for a $799 32x SD card, with 1 gig of storage, so you can move from 10 minutes of video to a whopping 20 minutes (which really is the bare minimum) at $799. Also, beware that the manual is clear that the high speed write times will wear down the card, and you need to run special procedures to help reduce the errors which will start occurring.

The goal with compact devices is to make recording on the road possible. So if you can avoid 2 devices, one for STILLS and one for videos, this goal is possible. However, while most cameras today consider anything less than 2 megapixels (2 million pixels) for STILLS bare minimum, the D-SNAP can only do .3 megapixel (330 thousand pixels). You can't even print a high quality wallet size.

The quality of the video is there with the D-SNAP. But the STILLs are completely unacceptable and you will be paying thousands of dollars to get 30 60 minutes of video.

The Sanyo Fisher is equally as compact, very solid construction, provides 3 megapixels for STILLS, and provides the resolution (30 frames per second) and size (640*480) required for TV. It also comes with a 512kb card, BUT it achieves 20 minutes of DVD-like quality or 45 minutes of VHS-like quality (which is very good), out of the box. It uses more recent compression technology to write at multi-mb speeds on a normal SD card. You even get 30 frames per second to meet your 360*240 PC requirements, which provides more than an hour of video. The interface is much better thought out on the Sanyo (everything is there at your finger tips, whereas the Pansonic makes you want to rip off the LCD at times because the controls are at the side). The focus is 6x zoom optical on the Sanyo, instead of 10x like the Panasonic, which is still excellent. And the ISO levels and features are exceptional. Bottom line, you can live with any downside of the SANYO. You can't live with the downsides of the Panasonic.

Sony ICD-UX200RED Digital Voice Recorder with Built-In 2 GB Flash Memory (Red)

I found this unit to be an excellent value. It is a nice compact size, an excellent combination of features without being too pricey. You can plug it into your USB port and just copy the audio files right off the device without installing any additional software at all. I love that part as I hate installing any odd software I don't absolutely need. It simply looks like a USB style thumb drive to your computer. The audio files are standard MP3 format, so they can be used with just about any modern audio tools. I found the built in omnidirectional microphones (stereo) to be very sensitive and works great in a typical meeting room or office. If you are using it in an environment with lots of background noise, then you might want to use an external directional microphone to help eliminate any extra background noise.

To the reviewer who gave the item a bad review because it did a poor job at recording music... a few points. One, this is a Voice Recorder and is clearly marketed as such. So unless you checked the manufacturers specifications to see if it is rated to record the type of audio range that would be in music instead of just voice, then you should have realized this type of device might not be suited for that type of recording. You should not fault the product if you did not research it properly. Second, if it does support such a range for general audio recording, just because you can plug a line into it, does not mean that you are going to be getting a good recording. The input jack on this unit defaults for use with microphones. You can go into the menu and change it to Line Level Audio. But if you really expect to get the best recording quality from external sources (for this or ANY recording device), then you need an intermediary device inline with the signal to adjust the line impedance and/or signal levels so it matches what the recording device is expecting. Otherwise your signal and input may be mismatched and at best your recording will be poor or distorted. This device does provide active audio monitoring with a headset, so you certainly could have checked signal quality if you were using a headset with it and should have been able to get much better results with it.

I was skeptical about purchasing this model because of one negative review on it's sound quality. After doing more research, posts on other sites explained that the small external speaker does not provide adequate playback quality. Truehowever, the recordings sound awesome once downloaded (or when using the provided headphones). . . especially when I hook up my external camcorder mic. I use it for recording band rehearsals & gigs. Very easy to download and email the mp3s to the other players(who rave about the audio clarity). I considered the Tascam which costs about triple the price, but after hearing other bandmates complain about the complexity of file format conversions, I am glad I chose the simple route.

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I bought this recorder to record my lectures for class. I have a Macbook, and it works amazingly with it. You do not have to order any additional software. It comes with a USB cable, a rechargeable battery, AND a pair of headphones! I have posted a video review of this product on my youtube channel. You can check it out here:I demonstrate the sound quality and explain it in greater detail. =]

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This was my first purchase of a digital recorder, so perhaps with current technology, my expectations were too high. As features go, this unit has everything I wanted: rechargeable battery, stereo mic, external stereo mic jack, headphones, 2GB, multiple recording quality levels.

However, this unit fails miserably at the only thing I need it to do record high quality sound via the built-in mic. There are so many problems where to start..

1) Any slight breath of air into the mics, even from a foot away, cause wind distortion and render your audio useless.

2) Every time you click the Stop button during a recording, you have an audible, hollow clicking sound at the end of your recording. That means after every clip, you have to edit that sound out. You can't simply start and stop a recording without worrying about having to edit out something from every single clip.

3) If you're holding the unit while talking, any contact with the unit itself causes noise on the recording that gets picked up. If your finger slightly slides across the unit sound. If you tap the back of the unit sound. If you accidentally rub up against some clothing, even if the mic itself doesn't touch anything, that contact resonates through the unit and you get that noise picked up in your recording.

4) The audio itself comes with a lot of background hiss, also rendering the unit useless if you are recording anything for a podcast or other high-end use.

If you only need this for dictation and audio quality isn't a high priority, then maybe this is good for you, but then you don't need a stereo mic and there are much cheaper units with the same features that would do the trick. I honestly don't understand what Sony was thinking with this semi-high-end recorder.

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This takes all the stress out of dictating. Its easy-to-use controls and USB plug are as handy as the color is refreshing. Plus, it's easily identified. I use it with Dragon Speaking Naturally Pro 11 and am writing faster than ever.

Creative MuVo Slim 256 MB MP3 Player Black

• 256 MB holds up to 8 hours WMA or 4 hours MP3 music
• Super Fast USB 2.0 transfers music and data up to 40x faster than USB 1.1
• Built-in FM and FM recorder with 32 presets
• Built-in microphone for easy voice recording
• Compatible with Windows 98SE, 2000, Me, and XP

After having a Memorex mp3 player die on me in the 4th month, I read a lot of reviews and the Muvo series seemed to get top marks for performance and reliability. The Muvo Slim even got the top recommendation from a prestigious Consumer technology-review site. One of the best things about it is the lithium ion rechargeable battery, which even recharges quickly through the USB port. I went through a lot of batteries before. Even if your mp3 player gets 10 hours on one battery, if you work out or walk to the bus stop every day, that can mean 1 battery per week -that starts adding up quickly, believe me!

I ended up going for the Muvo Micro instead, but that's only because it has an arm band, and I go running. I actually like the credit card shape of the Slim better, and it fits excellently in a top pocket. But I finally got my hands on one in person, and I noticed that the nice leather case doesn't have a place for a belt clip or strap, so even if I had created my own arm strap, there was no place to guide it through.

Hope this helps someone else who was thinking the same thing.

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I just got mine out of the box and fooled around with it for a couple of hours. I honestly did not know they made stuff this cool. No it can't hold a week's worth of continous play like an I-pod, but then again it's about three hundred dollars cheaper. The recording mic. works well and you can record stuff off the radio. And it's so damn small. I am completely and utterly satisfied, so satisfied that I decided to sit down and write this review at 1:00 in the morning. If you've even thought about getting an MP3 player, this one is great.

Second Review: This review is written about five months after the above review. I'm responding to some of the negative reviews here listed about the muvo slim. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you guys, but as far as I'm concerned, the muvo slim is still the best MP3 device available for under $100. I am an avid skateboarder. I've taken about five good slams while using my muvo (one time landing more or less directly on top of it) and it's never had the slightest problem. I don't think I'd run over it with a car, but it's pretty tough. Battery life is still very good and it has never malfunctioned at all for me. I love it.

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I think I have taken a good decission in buying this product. After searching over the net for a month, I choose this compact MP3 player as the best one and after using it over a month now, I found it to be the ultimate one when I compare this with other MP3 players those my friends are using.

It gives a harmony sound effect, no need to go for another ear piece. The voice recoding is excellent. I recorded so many songs and sent those to my friends and they couldn't believe that the voice is so much clear when I told them it is recorded by a mp3 player. They felt like I am singing infront of them. Lookwise, it is very nice and very handy for travel purpose. I also carry it with me whenever I go for a meeting. The download is very fast, only you need to attach the cable to the USB port.I don't see any disadvantage of this item. Worth buying it if you are a music freakout person. This item is for someone who loves music and listens to the soft voice. Also, it is one of the best gift items you can think of.

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A great purchase. I bought it about a month ago, and it still works great. The equalizer allowed me to make the crunchy guitars in my music well...crunchier. The radio was pretty good too. It doesn't have AM, but who listens to AM anyway? The voice recorder is EXTREMELY handy, Especially for people without microphones on their computers, seeing as how this thing comes with one of the fastest ways of file transfering out there. Simply amazing. The quality is second only to my 6 speaker car stereo. If you do choose to buy this, I would recommend that you buy a pair of headsets to go with it. The included ones are very fragile, and constantly fall out of my ears.

Have owned many MP3 players over the years, this is by far the best, and the lowest cost. Battery charges quick (though the latch to close it is poorly designed, hope it does not break) with USB port to computer, I found the radio stations to be clear, and the size and shape is ideal for the exercise club. Not much to add to other reviews other than I use with Audible.com, and the download speed was very fast. What really made this a great unit is the fast forward button, which I did not expect it to have. You can listen to recordings, and if you miss something, go back and relisten to any section easily. Other MP3 players can stop, and start at same spot you left off, but here it is like a tape player. I record off of my PC webcasts and other events, and they download perfectly into this unit. So, in one unit, can listen to music, radio, books, or recordings. Only thing I would want more is satellite radio!

Patazon(TM) EZTV645 USB DVB-T DAB FM Digital TV Tuner Receiver Stick (Latest FC0013 Chips)

This tuner does not work for US digital tv. It will not work in Region 1 or United States.

The Tuner is a SDR, but software does not have a selection for United States. If you select 6 Mhz, it will select the correct frequencies, but will not find any of the US channels. Looks like it would work good with other software for making a SDR receiver to listed to frequencies like HWM or Public Safety.

JVC HRS3902U VCR, Black

• High resolution Super VHS and VHS
• Super VHS ET recording
• Pro-cision 19 micron width EP heads
• Hi-Fi Stereo with MTS decoder
• 181 channel tuner

Really pleased with this VCR but only got 13 months out of it. Noticed the clock was off and discovered VCR was dead. Of course, warrenty was 12 months parts and labor for ONLY 3 months. So guess I'm shopping for a different model (not JVC) now.

Buy JVC HRS3902U VCR, Black Now

I recently purchased a JVC HRS3902U VCR that was supposedly in good condition. It was a little more than I wanted to pay but since you can't buy a new VCR anymore, I opted for this assuming the price meant it would be good! Wrong! After being used just a few times it started having a loud background noise of the tape running during viewing. It also needs a head cleaning after viewing about 4 videos. Seems a little bit of overkill to me. Not at all what I feel is a good bargain. Sounds inferior, but have always like the JVC's I have gotten before. Guess you learn from your mistakes. However, this is the first item I've ordered from Amazon that disappointed me.

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I bought this model in Sept. 2006, so I've had it almost 4 years. It has worked great, with no problems at all. Once my wife and I got used to how to program it, it has been very easy to use. A couple of other reviewers have gotten models that were defective or died in a little over a year, but that has not been our case.

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Not many VCRs left for sale these days. I bought 2, one for me and one for a friend. This one is a great one but a little difficult to get used to, different from others I have had. My other VCRs don't always play the recordings easily. Fairly easy setup for recording up to 8 recordings. Once recordings are set up, you have to remember to turn on the timer which is only on the remote, and you have to turn it off to use the VCR and remember to turn it back on when you finish! There is no eject button on the remote! The front display doesn't show rewinding and forwarding which is something every VCR I have owned has done if they have a front display. However... This VCR is one of the few left on the market and a very good choice. Once you get used to it, it is great!

Out of the box it had a backgorund hum to the audio -a replacement unit had the same. Now looking for alternative S-Video capable player.

ATI Technologies TV Wonder VE Remote (100-703145)

I bought this product because it had been very highly rated. However, I quickly realized that with windows xp the installation would not be simple. After going through a long process to get this thing installed, I was given the worst quality video I have ever seen in my life. The quality is so poor that it is unwatchable, even from a distance. The only reason that I even give this product two stars is because the TV Listings function is very nice and makes recording simple. Unfortunately I have never wanted to record anything because who wants to record something that they can't even watch?

Sony DCRTRV310 Handycam Digital Camcorder

I've played with this digital camcorder for about 5 days now and I am delighted with it's quality and features. If anyone's disappointed with the quality of the video (see reviews below), they are probably being unrealistic in their expectations. To get better video, you'd have to go up to a 3CCD camera (at about 3times the cost!). As for those who say that the camera is too big and heavy, I say just TRY shooting a still video without a tripod with a camera as small as a paperback book! You NEED something larger to get a good steady picture (even with "steadyshot"). I appreciate Sony's innovative digital 8 because the tapes are less expensive, but you still have the quality of digital recording (the Pauses are terrific!). I'm not worried that these tapes are not interchangeable with the mini-DV format. I mean, how often would I want to trade digital tapes with someone? I also have the option of playing back any old 8 or hi-8 videotapes that were previously recorded, and converting them to digital (try THAT with a mini-DV camcorder)! I like having A/V outputs AND inputs so that I can digitally record from a source other than the camera lens. The Sony infrared "nightshot" is astounding. It's like have nightvision goggles for your camcorder! The LCD screen on the TRV310 is WONDERFUL... 3.5 inches! The 20X optical zoom is sufficient, and going partway into the digital zoom ain't too bad either (as long as you don't try to actually use the full 360X!) I cannot say enough good things at this point. If I have to find something negative to say, I wish some of the controls were in easier locations to get to while I'm still filming. All in All, a nifty camcorder that I HIGHLY recommend!

I bought SONY's similar top of the line model TRV 510 shortly after becoming a new dad, this after much debate between the 310 and 510. I decided that the 510's features and extras were worth the added expense. Overall this camcorder does a very decent job of making digital home videos and digital stills, but make sure you have plenty of light, otherwise the results will be slightly grainy. Didn't notice the difference between the regular video and S Video hookups to my TV, SONY should have also included a titling function, the included battery is not sufficient for heavy taping and use, need to get the optional battery, at least 4 hrs, use the original for back-up. Still satisfed with my decision to get the TRV 510, but the TRV 310 would probably be a good choice too and also at less cost.

Buy Sony DCRTRV310 Handycam Digital Camcorder Now

Forget the other cameras. TRV-310 and the TRV-510 are the best ones for today... by far. Don't loose your time looking for other options because no other portable camcorder (in this category) can provide the features and the quality of these cameras. I've played with my TRV-310 for about 10 days and I am really impressive with this camera. This is my fifth camcorder (all 8MM and HI-8) that I have used and this the best camera that I have seen.

Some comments...

The LCD screen on the 310 is amazing. Certainly the best LCD that I have seen in my life. It is clear, bright, sharp and big... 3.5 inches. The color is truer. It is a real pleasure to play my videotapes in any place with no connection with TVs. This is one of the most important features of this camera and you have to consider that in your analysis. You will use it a lot.

The 20X optical zoom is enough and works fine (much better than my old hi-8 camera).

The PAUSEs are terrific. It is impossible to avoid the PAUSE key. Try to press the SLOW key and you will get a limpid and crystalline image.

I have lots of videos recorded on 8 and hi-8 format. The 310 is capable to play black perfectly any videotape on these formats. This camera is the right choice for everyone that have 8 and hi-8 tapes. Don't loose your time thinking to buy a mini-DV camcorder, you will have much more flexibility using the digital camera that supports your old tapes, with the same quality and flexibility. By the way, the hi-8 tapes are cheaper than the mini-DV tapes.

I didn't see notable difference between the regular video and S video hookups to my TV.

The included battery in not sufficient and an additional battery is very important.

The infrared nightshot works very fine (do you think that is it really important ? ).

The 16:9 aspect ratio feature is wonderful At the beginning you don't give so much attention on that, but when you start to use you will love this alternative. If you have a 16:9 aspect ratio television this feature will be fantastic for you. If you are considering to buy this kind of TV (to see your DVDs) this can be a considerable feature to consider.

One of the big things and rarely I see comments is the SOUND. The PCM System is fantastic. I connect the camcorder to my receiver system and I was surprised with the quality, clear and powerful sound. There is a huge difference between this PCM AUDIO SYSTEM and the audio system in my old hi-8 camera. Normally, when we study to buy a camcorder we don't invest so much time analyzing the audio, we keep focus on the video system and don't give importance to the audio. I am sure that the AUDIO SYSTEM of this digital camera will surprise you positively. You will feel the big difference if you connect the camera to a pro-logic Dolby surround sound receiver or a digital receiver. If you have a home theater system with Adobe Digital 5:1...

THE BAD THING: The missing feature on the 310 is audio dubbing. For this kind of camera this feature will be important and convenient. I would like to record narration or add a sound track on the camera after I've recorded the video. Based on the manual I can do this editing the video on my PC, but until now I didn't try it. So, I really don't know if it will work well...

GRAINY VIDEO: I read some comments about to make sure you have plenty of light to avoid a slightly grainy on the video. This is true but not at all. The illumination is not a bid deal... Don't make your decision using this comment as important ! In most of the 95% of the time you will be recording with enough light to make a brilliant and wonderful video.... So, the other 5% of the time you can face poor light and you will have a little bit grainy in your video... And so what ? The important here is that other cameras have the same problem, so it is not a decisive factor for buyers... Don't waste time with these comments...

Finally... I made a very deep analysis comparing the TRV-510 and TRV-310, the 310 is probably the good choice because it has the most advanced features with less cost.Repeating a comment that I saw below... The 310 is LIGHT YEARS beyond the other ones...

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Well, I had read all the reviews of this model on Amazon and based my purchasing decision partly on this information. I expected picture quality from the 310 to be at least as good as my old PAL Sony 8mm. However, after 2 weeks of using the 310 we had to conclude that it simply provides inferior picture quality in most lighting situations. Inferior in both colour reproduction and in clarity, whatever the technical specs. say. For example, I have a coat with a maroon sleeve but this appeared bright red whatever exposure or program setting I used; same with the shop model we checked with when returning the purchased unit to the store it didn't appear to be just a snafu with the particular unit we had purchased. We also compared the 310 picture with the supposedly inferior Panasonic 910 and both colour and clarity were actually better on the latter. Why? What is Sony playing at? We were expecting twice the clarity ("resolution") and 3 times the colour depth from this Digital 8 camera, as widely advertised. What are they talking about? When it comes down to it, its about picture quality, no matter what bells and whistles the machine has.

Boy, was I glad to get my money back!

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This camcorder is highly capable. The quality of the pictures/zoom and the features are outstanding. However, instead of buying this camcorder, I purchased the similar TRV-510. The TRV-510 has a color viewfinder rather than the B&W that comes with the TRV-310. Even better, the TRV-510 comes with the ability to take digital stills and save them onto a 2MB memory chip rather than onto tape, and then to download these stills directly into your PC WITHOUT any need to buy a video capture card. The TRV-510 is a great way of getting a 640x480 digital camera and a digital camcorder in one device!

The only problem, of course, is that Amazon doesn't (yet) sell the TRV-510...

Vivitar DVR910 HD Camcorder

The 4 stars is only in the context that this can be yours (price+tax(if any)+S/H) for less than $70. So here we go.

Pros:

Price. I've spent money on $1500 packages on high end video and still cameras, but for someone who takes pics and videos only a few times a year and mostly for personal use, these expensive purchases really didn't make sense, especially when the technology changes/advances so much and they go from "top of the line" to "average and legacy" within 3 years. At this price, I have no regrets if it sits around and collects dust most of the time or if it becomes obsolete in 3 years.

Ease of use. I've owned a lot of cameras throughout the years, both very expensive and cheap ones. Since I'm not a pic/video enthusiast, the expensive cameras have always been frustrating because of all the settings/modes/buttons and sometimes I end up making the pic/video quality worse, or it just takes a lot of prep for me to get the camera operational in order to shoot one small vieo. This one is mostly basic and easy to use.

No proprietary software required. I haven't jumped fully into it, but it records in an AVI format for video, so there is no proprietary conversion software required to get it from the camera/media to your PC or a DVD. The recorded video can be viewed directly by most common devices.

Cons:

Where is the lens cap? Mine came with no lens cap and from what I can tell, you don't get one. I understand leaving out the SD card to cut costs, but how expensive can it be to include a "one size fits all" lenscap so I could feel more comfortable taking it on whale watching trips or somewhere else where the lens can get exposed to the elements.

Need SD card to do anything (possible price creep). Yeah, great price, but since there is no internal storage, you will need to buy a class 4 or greater SD card (I spent about $30 for an 8GB SanDisk Ultra) unless you already have one to spare. Because I didn't have one to spare, it took my purchase from the $60s to the $90s.

AAA battery requirement (price creep). I will usually never purchase an item like this that does not come with an AC adapter and/or its own rechargeable battery pack. Because I already owned a AA/AAA battery charger and some rechargeable AAAs, this did not bother me. Also, as mentioned, I am an infrequent user, so replacing normal Alakaline AAAs once or twice a year would not bother me either.

The bottom line for me is that I am not a picture/video enthusiast, so I will use it once a month maximum and do not need perfect quality and there are free and low cost touch up software solutions to fix most things. I didn't want to spend too much for something that sits around most the time, the video quality is actually decent (I won't use this for still images as I have other cameras I prefer for that), it is something that if I don't use it for 6+ months won't require me to pull out the user manual to set it up and learn how to use all over and then have to re-learn the software to convert the video to a widely compatible format, and also with the infrequent use, the battery situation is not an issue either.

This camera can be used for fun stuff outside or in well lit rooms but not so much in any other situation. If the light is insufficient, even when the brightness is turned all the way up, the picture is really too dark. If you want something better you need to spend 3 to 4 times more. It is definitely not high def.

Buy Vivitar DVR910 HD Camcorder Now

So you should not expect a nicely loaded camera, it does the job for us. We have a one year old granddaughter and it takes pictures of her doing things well.

Have not tried other then indoor shots of granddaughter.

Read Best Reviews of Vivitar DVR910 HD Camcorder Here

terrible product, you get what you pay for. images are grainy, video is terrible, forget about taking a pic or vid in low light. there is a "flash" but its just two LED lights on the front and they dont help at all. only saves videos in avi format. the buttons are cheap, the zoom isnt smooth, it increments and you dont hold the zoom button to make is zoom in/out, you hit it once, it zooms in one increment, hit it again to go to the next...terrible. cheap plastic, hard to hold, makes my hand hurt, save your money and get something better. i got this as a gift from work, would love to send it back but i think i will give it to my kid

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This camera does not take very good video...might want to shop around more...it is almost worthless in low light and by low light I am talking shade, not pitch black. The camera is extremely low resolution....not what I expected from a Vivitar

Roland OP-R26CW Cover/Windscreen Set for R-26 Recorder

Just what I needed. Got it quick and what I wanted. Three things: One. Inside velcro is laminated on. It got loose but some rubber cement fixed it fine and I don't shove it in any more. So a little care goes a long way. Two. I had a shoot where I needed to use the recorder without the cover. Not easy to do as the straps have to be undone. Three. Still can't figure what use that extra snap on the strap is for.

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KiSS DP-600 Networkable DVD Player

• Progressive-scan DVD player compatible with DVD-RW, DVD+RW, MP3, WMA/Windows Media 9, and JPEG image files
• Also processes DivX (3.11, 4, and 5), ISO MPEG-4, and XviD video and Ogg Vorbis open-source audio format
• Networking ability lets you hook the player up with your PC or broadband Internet modem for streaming media playback
• PAL/NTSC video outputs; Internet-upgradeable firmware
• Measures 17 x 3 x 11.5 inches (W x H x D)

Picture Playback Excellent

Sound Level Excellent

Range of Features Excellent

Durability Excellent

Value for Money Excellent

Advantages: Plays Anything, Wireless Streaming, Quick Set up, PC Link

Disadvantages: Can't think of any

Recommend to potential buyers: yes

The Kiss DP-600 is unreal. I have seen negative reviews on this product but I still went ahead and bought it because I thought even if these reviews were correct that the offering was too good to miss.

The negative reviews stated the following

1) The DVD drive gives out a constant whine that is so loud you can hear it over the TV

2) The PC link software is rubbish it doesn't work and they had to use windows media connect.

3) The box will crash on occasion and you have to power cycle it.

4) The wireless capability is limited you need to have your access point right next to the DP-600

5) It has no Hard drive

In answer to 1

I suspect that this person had a faulty drive,Tinitus or is using it as a pillow because I can't hear anything lout of the ordinary let alone over the tv.

In answer to 2

I had my Kiss DP-600 up and running and streaming content from my PC Over wireless using PC link in under 10 minuts. It was very easy I didn't even read the instructions. If you are having problems with PC Link download the latest version from the Kiss site and make sure that your firewall is not blocking it. If you are using Win XP SP2 remember that windows firewall is on by default.

In answer to 3

This box has played everything that I have thrown at it. Things that my old DP-500 couldn't play. If you put something in to the DP-600 that it can't handle and it crashes powere cycle it and either look for an update or don't play unsupported formats. remember also that the people who encode the media that you are downloading don't always know what they are doing. I had this problem with my old DP-500 but I would power cyle and not play that file. I'm sure that you will have the exact same issues on other similar products. For the price I can live with it.

In answer to 4

I live in an old Victorian house my TV is in one room and my Wireless router another, there is probably 15 meters between the Router and my DB-600 and a Brick wall. I have 95 % signal strength. need I say more.

In answer to 5

If you are streaming content why do you need a hard drive? it has wireless and an ethernet port. But if you are that fussed about it, there is also a USB port so you can connect an external Hard drive if you want to

I love this product, I loved the DP-500 and Old as it was it still out performed any of my firends dvd players. The DP-600 is light years ahead of the DP-500 which to my mind and from my personal experience makes it the best that you can buy for the money.

Ease of Use Very Easy

Ease of Installation Very Easy

Remote Control Excellent Quality

Instructions Very Helpful / Very Easy to Understand

Buy it you wont be dissappointed

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Don't listen to the negative review below: the item hasn't shipped yet. I saw a prototype at NAB last week, and I was very impressed with the picture quality. They were showing WMV-HD DVDs (German pressings), so it will play those at full res. Not only will it do 1080i, it will do 1080p, according to the brochure, and the salesperson: the first consumer device to support it. Check this out for yourself when it ships in the summer! ( I know I will...)

Read Best Reviews of KiSS DP-600 Networkable DVD Player Here

This thing has been vaporware for as long as I can remember and now if it comes out this summer, it won't have near the options it should have. It doesn't have SMB support (windows directory sharing), it can't show GIF images, it has no Linux support, no FLAC support, no AAC support, no playlist support (i.e. m3u, asc, etc), no confirmed multiregion support (albeit someone will probably figure it out). It has some redeeming features like tv listings and games (who would want to play games on their tv anyway?). For the kind of money you'll have to pay for this thing (selling for $435 in the UK right now), the feature list falls quite short. Do yourself a favor and look into the competition (Zensonic z500) which provides (shipping internationally from AU or from US in July 2006) all the above support and more minus the TV listings (not that you'd use that anyway because you're really using this to watch time shifted programs from your server computer anyway right?).

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The device was announced with the feature to play not only 480p, but also WMV-HD DVD's with 720p or even 1080i. The product description does not say it can do that, so be warned: you might get a good DVD-Player, but don't expect it to feed the DVI-Connector of your Flatscreen-TV with WMV-HD in 1280x768 Pixel Resolution and progressive scan. It is max. 480p = 640x480 Pixel in progressive scan.

Aiptek MPVR 8MP MPEG4 Digital Camcorder with 4x Digital Zoom

but luckily I was wrong. I bought the MPVR at Target for $128.77 (the lowest price I found). There were only 2 left, so I took that as a good sign. After the initial charge, which took less than the four hours stated in the manual, I was ready to play. I took a few pictures inside my house in low-light conditions, both at 1 and 3 megapixel resolution. I also shot a short video just so I could test it. The following morning I shot another video outside (it was a beautiful day with plenty of sun), and I took pictures in all the available resolutions: VGA, 1, 3, and 6MP. Here's what I think:

For under $150 you get a digital still camera, digital camcorder, MP3 player, voice recorder, and TV-DVD recorder. It's an amazing deal.

-The camera:

While it does tout the camera as being able to take pictures at 6MP resolution, the actual sensor is for 3MP. I was a little thrown off by this, but if you research, you'll find that more megapixels doesn't necessarily mean better quality, and this little camera is a perfect example. The way it achieves the 6MP resolution is by taking them at 3MP and adding in the extra pixels by the use of an algorithm (similar to what happens when you enlarge a picture using any photo-editing software) before the JPEG encoding, so the results are good. The images are crisp and vibrant. The get a little fuzzy when you take them at full zoom (4x optical), but that's nothing a good tripod can't fix. I currently have the resolution set at VGA because it's the perfect size for email attachments.

-The camcorder:

The first video I shot was indoors, at night-time, without engaging the night mode, and in low light. The image was good but a little fuzzy. The one I shot outdoors was beautiful. The colors were brilliant, and there was very little noise. Also the microphone is really good, and you can adjust the volume settings. You can also zoom in and out while recording video. There are two settings for video: VGA, and the lower-quality less-space consuming QVGA. All video is encoded in MPEG4 so it easily plays on your computer.

-MP3 player:

When you connect the camera to your computer, you'll find an MP3 folder. Just drag and drop your songs there and you're set. The speaker on the camera is pretty good, but it distorts a little if you have it on too loud. The included ear-buds are pretty good, although I'm sure it would sound much better with high-end Bose. You can't fast-forward or rewind a song, but how often do you really do that?

-Voice recorder and TV-DVD recorder:

I haven't used either of these functions yet, but from the sound I heard in the videos, I can probably say the voice recorder is good too. For TV-DVD recording, the camera comes with AV cables so it's just a matter of connecting the camera and hitting record. A 2GB SD card will hold about 2 hours of video.

The MPVR is amazing. It blew me away. And the size is fantastic. It comes with a 2.4" swivel screen, slim rechargeable battery and charger, AV-out/USB combo cable, AV-in cable, and wrist strap. It comes with an internal 16MB flash memory, and a SD/MMC slot accepting cards of up to 2GB. The only draw back that I could find is that the lens is not covered and it does not include a cap. So just be careful not to scratch it. When I first bought the camera I wasn't sure if I was going to keep it, but now that I've fallen in love with it I bought a small compact camera case (BestBuy has good, cheap ones) and a 256MB Kingston SD card. At the manufacturer's website, www.aiptek.com, you'll find extra accessories such as an AC adapter for the camera, extra batteries, tripods, and a wireless remote.

This camera does seem too good to be true, but I can assure you, you won't be disappointed.

This is a great buy. I was hopefull when I bought this, and I was not let down. In addition to the MPVR Aipteck camcorder, I also bought a 2GB memory card and the A/C adapter off of the Aiptek website. It takes great movies in the bright sunlight. It also does a good job of taking movies in lower light situations indoors. In addition, this camcorder takes high quality still pictures (which breaks the stereotype that multi-functional units short change you on one or the other features)and does a great job doing so. My test for the video quality was set on VGA quality, during the day. I played them back on a 55 inch TV and the picture was great, every bit as good if not better than a VHS tape. The manual is very detailed. It is necessary to follow the manual to the letter when installing the software. The software is fair, but I prefer to edit my pictures with Microsoft picture it. I can't say enough good things about this item. The price, options, and quality are unbeatable. When you want to transfer movies off of the camera onto your computer you have to switch the camera to disk mode, it is a easy process but not spelled out in the manual. Hooking the camcorder up to the TV is easy also, hook up the video and sound cable to the A/V in and the other side into the camcorder change the input setting on your TV and your in business. The only drawback is the digital zoom it has 4x zoom but I would never take it past 2x due to the drop in quality.

Buy Aiptek MPVR 8MP MPEG4 Digital Camcorder with 4x Digital Zoom Now

I purchased this a few months ago to suplement my photography bag. I already own a Nikon D70 DSLR, so I purchased the MPVR as a take-along digital cam for situations where I didn't want to lug around the D70, and also as a digital camcorder for quick videos.

Compared on any one feature, the MPVR falls short to any other dedicated device. But taken as a whole, and for the price, it's a useful gadget.

I have used over a dozen digital cameras and SLRs for over 15 years. The MPVR is impressive for the money. I paid about $130 for it, and I think it's worth that but no more.

The digital camera is acceptable good only under the best conditions and that's about it. White balance and colors are pretty good, though the color range is somewhat muted easily fixed with photo software. This is a fixed-focus camera, with two settings, Macro and Everything Else. With adequate lighting and if your subject is posed or otherwise unmoving, it does a pretty good job. Shutter lag is significant and there isn't any control of shutter speed/aperture anyway so don't expect to use this in situations with fast-moving objects. You can manually control the white balance, it has some effects such as B&W or 'Sepia', and some photo frames that will really only be useful for children, but they are there. There are no true 'photographic' customizations to be made. Photos can suffer from some strange digital artifacts at 6MP, simply because of the software trying to simulate 6MP from a 3MP sensor.

The photo quality is better than anything you'll find on a cell-phone, but it just barely compares to low-end digital cameras. For comparison, photos are about on par with an old 1.3MP Olympus camera from 2001. If you're primary goal is photography, I'd suggest getting a lower-end digital camera from Canon, Nikon, HP, etc. You'll get a lot more photographic power for your money.

As a camcorder, the MPVR is much more impressive. It does a good job at capturing any sort of scene, provided the lighting is adequate. Again, no focus control nor true zoom (the digital zoom is nearly worthless) means that your options are somewhat limited but it does a great job at capturing an everyday, well-lit scene. Audio quality is surprisingly good too. Direct playback using the supplied cables to a TV looks surprisingly good, and the videos are pretty decent even on a higher resolution PC monitor. But again, even the lowest-end dedicated camcorder will do a much better job at video than the MPVR.

It can also do line-in recordings, and it does a fine job. The quality is quite good and it's very easy to do. The included remote almost turns the MPVR into a digital VCR. Pretty cool. The files created, however, are massive and I've had some trouble converting them to other formats for use on my PC. 38 minutes of TV = 968MB of space, so the encoding is not very efficient.

I have not used the MP3 player, but it certainly has one.

The voice recorder works as a voice recorder not much to say here.

I have very few complaints about the software, but one major one is that the MPVR does not tell you how many shots (or minutes of record time) are remaining given the SD card. Very annoying, as there's no way to really tell (other than guessing based on experience) how much space your photos & videos are taking up.

To summarize, the MPVR is a good product, you just have to keep its price/features in perspective. It's ok at pictures, good at video, and has a few other neat 'convergence' features thrown in the mix. As a quick-and-dirty camera/camcorder, it's fine. But it cannot compare with dedicated devices. On the other hand, you'd need to spend 4 or 5 times the cost of the MPVR to get a collection of other devices to do the same work (camera, camcorder, mp3 player, voice recorder, etc).

Read Best Reviews of Aiptek MPVR 8MP MPEG4 Digital Camcorder with 4x Digital Zoom Here

I got this camera because it was cheap, and all I needed it to do was record simple things better then

my Digital photo camera. Well.... The movies on my Photo camera are actually better.... so are the photos.

For mac, you need to also download a converter software to allow you to play the movies. The other

functions are just plug and play. (love Mac sometimes) The software is called Flip4Mac WMV Studio. $49

Makes it so all .asf files can be played on Quicktime, and can be imported into iMovie.

My 2001 Dimage-X Shoots video. At night, in my room with just the normal room light, I can see

everything, but it all has a yellow tint to it.

The Aiptek is almost totally black. It Does, however, have a night Shoot setting. This makes the

room clear, and in color, far better then the Dimage-X Photo camera. HOWEVER..... As soon as

something moves in the frame, it's all blurry. It looks like it's using a very long exposure, to get the

night effect. Still objects, and a still camera make things look nice and bright, but move a little

and it gets so blurry, you would swear you were filming ghosts.

There is a 5 second delay from turning the camera ON, to being able to take photos or film.

There is a 2 second delay when it tries to adjust for light conditions (going from sun to shade).

Video seems to be pretty good in my room, in the morning, with the sun shinny through the windows.

The controls are beautiful. Everything is super user friendly and intuitive. The Video button and

photo button are next to each other, and it's as simple as pressing one or the other for shots. No

fumbling through menus to switch over (my photo camera has this problem).

Mic is not very sensitive for the sounds that matter. There is a lot of hiss, and any camera noise

(like rattling or the strap blowing against it) will be over powering to the sound of what you are

trying to record. Actually... strike that.... the mic is garbage. I can walk up to the camera, and

say something in a normal tone of voice, and it sounds like I'm talking through a pillow, but

you will still hear hissss like you got the sensitivity up too high.

All in all, it's not bad for a kick-around camera, but I think that there are better still cameras that do video

for the same price (and are Mac Friendly).

Samsung Digimax i5 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

$185.50 works with Power Mac G3

SD/MMC card slot (up to 1 GB guaranteed) better low light sensitivity then the Aiptek

MPEG-4 VGA 30 frames per second Movie Clip VGA: 640 x 480 pixels AVI (MPEG4) formats. Not

the ASF format in the Aiptek that has to be converted.

But, even with the i5, you need 2 FREE softwares. One: DivX. You can get this on the Quicktime webpage. Two: Xvid for Mac OSX. You get this at xvidmovies.com/mac/ This will allow you to play all the movies you record on this camera in Quicktime, and bring them into iMovie. They will still be AVIs with a Xvid Codac but you will be able to see them. You will have to Export them as Quicktime to give them to your friends. but it's FREE, not $40.

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I was skeptical of an all-in-one camera at this price, but my purchase allayed all those concerns. As with most relatively low-priced things that claim to 'do it all' I expected a compromise among features and performance.... not so with this little gem.

The still picture quality is great (the only thing that I found to mess up stills is shaking while taking the pic). No, the video isn't like a high-end camcorder, but for the price the video is great, and doesn't seem sensitive to shaking. The flash performance with stills is impressive, taking good pics even in a pitch-black totally dark room.

It's as simple as dirt to use after a few uses, you can put away the instructions for good.

Although software is provided, you don't need to install any programs Just use Windows Explorer to transfer pics and movies to your pc just like moving files between folders.

There's nothing to switch when going from still to video mode.

The exposure can be adjusted for various lighting conditions, which I almost never need to do.

This is in addition to being an MP3 player, voice recorder, and micro-VCR to record directly from TV (haven't tried that yet).

Performance, simplicity, inexpensive, compact, and lightweight..... what else is there?

I wish I could score it a 4.5 I can't give it a 5 because:

No lens cap included (gasp!), and the lens is right out there so it's easy to smear.

Zoomed images get fuzzy beyond 1.5 to 2X or so, but that's typical with digital zoom.

Battery doesn't fit snugly in the charger, so it's easy to jar loose.

Shuttle RO-RP1015T Thumb DVR Personal Surveillance Model with Micro SD Card

I used this for a quick tour of Notre Dame and the south shore of Lake Michigan today. It worked well enough for my travel archive. Because it uses FAT formatted cards, the maximum video size is 2GB. The camera happily closes one file when it reaches that point and starts another if you have room on your card, so it's only a very minor issue. Battery life is more than adequate. I filled a 4G card and after a brief rest, made it through another 800MB of video before I stopped filming. There is still battery left, but without an indicator, you never know when it will stop recording. Overall, I'm very happy with it and may buy one or two more for traveling. At $30, I don't mind too much if I break or lose one.

Sony 24x External CD-RW Drive ( CRX1750U/A2 )

My Mother got me this burner for Christmas, and no sooner did I take it out of the package and install the software did I start burning CD's. It is so easy, even the most inept computer person can do it! The speed and quality is remarkable, as is the price.

The burner software program it comes with is simple, and yet does nearly everything that you would expect it to do. You can create image files of CD's so that you can burn them at a later date, you can copy disk to disk, create data cd's, music cd's, VCD's, virtually anything and everything and it is presented in a way in which someone with no computer experience would easily understand.

I've literally burned over 500 CD's already and rarely do I have a bad burn. Most of the time it is because I used a cheap CDR (most likely the disc was bad) or I had too many things going on at once and my computer was lagging.

IF you're looking for a good quality, easy to use external CDR drive that is great in price, this is your best choice!

I bought it in May 2002 and now it starts to give me problem. So I called the service center and I was put off for numerous times. The technician is absolutely lack of knowledge and does not offer any help except keep on asking you to reinstall the system or upgrade compter etc. etc. Also they ask you to use ONLY SONY CDRs which I think is junk. SONY is doing everything to let the warranty expire! Still keep on fighting to get it repaired before my warranty expires.

Also do not buy a SONY HDTV! One trainer from a Statistics Software company told me that Customer Report rated SONY's product so bad that SONY were seeking help from their company to sue CR. Of course SONY faliled because the data, no matter how they manipulate it, suggests SONY is bad. Think twice if you want to buy SONY!!!

Buy Sony 24x External CD-RW Drive ( CRX1750U/A2 ) Now

Don't buy from this deceptive manufacturer, their service is the worst I have ever had!

I got the same model half year ago, and it is not working anymore! Their products will just last for a little longer than the warranty period.

And, the wosre thing is their customer service. I called for help and they didn't try to answer you any question or ask you the details, but ask you to pay 19.99 for even answering some simple questions! In addition, they told me this is what their service should be. DON'T BUY from SONY AGAIN!!

WORST EXPERIENCE ever!

Read Best Reviews of Sony 24x External CD-RW Drive ( CRX1750U/A2 ) Here

if you are looking for a good cdr drive this is it. easy installation. very good recordings. the software is a little hard to get used to but is well worth it. hats off to sony once again.

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Olympus VN-801PC Digital Voice Recorder

I use these digital voice recorders on a regular basis, having started with the 4200, then the 6200 and now this model. I bought this one after comparing it with the 8100, and didn't see how they differed except the 8100 comes with a cover. I haven't explored the extra features with the 801, but am impressed with it's recording capability, and the option to use either wma or mp3 formats. Some changes I like are: the speaker being on the front, the improved visibility on the screen, the wider body, controls, especially choosing what to erase and the additional memory, and adding the word 'power' to the hold control. It's a nice machine and well priced. We use it for basic language data recording.

Jim

The way I evaluate how easy to use a product is by looking (or in this case not looking at the manual, this product is sufficiently easy to use, I do not need to open its manual to start to use it right away.

First, the good points:

1. I find the microphone came with the recorder is very senstive and can pick up volume quite nicely from a distance, this is good for me as I bought this for recording my conference minutes.

2. It appears to be well made, I drop it once (already!) from 6 ft, and it did not appear to damage it.

Now, the not so good point:

The play back volume and speaker is not very good, in a quite room you certainly can hear it, but if you are in an outdoor environment or driving, forget it, the playback is not very good. you can crank up the volume but distortion will set in, I was thinking first, this may be the recording volume issue, but after I upload to my PC with better play back device, I know this is not the case, it is the recorder itself.

Update 3-5-2012

After several month use, I can tell you another not so good point about the recorder, it will eat battery (2x AAA) quickly, with a new set of battery, no recording but just playback, it will last 3 weeks in daily use for 40 minute a day, I consider this is not very efficient.

Buy Olympus VN-801PC Digital Voice Recorder Now

Pros:

The sound of recordings is exceptionally clear. This unit replaced a Sony and the battery life of this unit is FAR FAR superior. This unit powers down after a few minutes of no use. It can also power down manually. That saves battery life. The Sony has no way to shut it off other than removing a battery. I use this to record hour long lectures and the batteries in the Sony would last four lectures over four days before really needing to be recharged. The initial alkaline batteries in the Olympus have recorded well over a dozen lectures and the batteries are still strong.

Cons:

To record in MP3, which I do since I am sending the recordings to others (and some want to play on devices that don't play WMA files and those recipients are not technologically astute), means large file sizes for a one hour lecture. The file size at the worst recording level is about 16 MB for almost one hour. That is too large for some email recipients. Drop Box is an easy workaround.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus VN-801PC Digital Voice Recorder Here

I purchased this so that i could keep track of my random ideas throughout my day, and have now been using it to practice my interviewing skills. very easy to use, love that it records in chapters, impressed with how much it can store, and that I can save my digital files.

only thing that would improve this would be if it was rechargeable.

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I've been using this for about 1.5 years now, and I like it. The battery has yet to die and I've been able to intuit the instructions easily without needing to consult the manual constantly.

Actually, I went to turn it on while I was typing up this review and it's dead. So there you go. About 1.5 years from 2 AAA batteries.

It has a port for microphones, a port for earphones, and a usb port for downloading the audio files.

I've been using it to record myself instructing new hires with a throat mic and it has worked quite well.

My only complaints are:

The USB port is not covered and gets dirt and lint in it quite easily.

The "on" switch is a toggle, and it can get activated by accident if you aren't careful. I haven't had too much problem with this though.

Zmodo DVR-H9104V-500GB Surveillance Security 4Channel H.264 Real Time RJ45 DVR/iPhone/Andriod

I have this hooked up very simply into the TV and haven't gotten into the PC or Smart Phone settings but it works great for my use. Can set the sensitivity of the camera for motion recording ( 4 settings for each individual camera). I use MOTION DETECTION...also can continuously record if you prefer. Can block areas of continuous motion as a flag or tree blowing in the wind so as not to trigger the motion detection. Playback shows date, time and can be played back at normal speed, or 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x and even 32x speed to search through recordings.....

Insignia Progressive-scan DVD Player with 4-head Hi-fi VCR Is-dvd040924a

• Dual-Deck/Dual Record - Record to DVD or VHS in one easy to use unit
• Records on DVD-R or rewritable DVD-RW discs
• One-Touch Copy - Transfer* your VHS tapes to DVD or DVD to VHS.
• All Sources, All Outputs - Play VHS or DVD through RF, Composite, S-Video, or Component out. One connection convenience
• Versatile Entertainment - Plays VHS Tape, DVDs, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, Music CDs, Kodak Picture CDs, MP3 audio and JPEG image files on CD-R/RW.

I bought a unit from GO Video and experienced horrors with their customer service as mentioned in other reviews.

My unit came without any of the accessories and after 6 weeks of talking to more than a half dozen people (with more runaround than you can even begin to imagine) at go video, I still have a unit that will not work.

avoid this manufacturer!!

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Very reliable, great image quality, works fantastic and plays both PAL and NTSC. Never a single problem with it, had it for years. Remote control has subtitles button for multiple languages. Extremely satisfied by this product.

Swann SWDVR-42600H 4-Channel DVR with Remote Access and Smartphone Viewing (Black)

after hooking up the unit it was difficult to operate. i still have it running but i have never been able to get the audio running. ever. i have emailed swann many times and they have given me links to all the cables and i bought all the extra stuff. again the audio does not work. on any channel i do have it programed properly as i have read the manual about 10 times. and the audio still does not work. then swann just didnt email me back any more. so im stuck with a very nice shiny dvr that runs but doesnt fully function. the audio has a loud buzz on all 4 channels. it sounds as if it is shorted out. my last email i asked if i could return it. and thats when the swann tech just stopped emailing me back. i would recomemnd you chose a proffesional rather than try to do something this technical over the internet. and have it professionally installed. this is a very complicated device. but it does work half way for me. but again the swann tech team let me down. so this is my story. carl

I bought this DVR to hookup to existing analog cameras. I was looking for an inexpensive way to get remote access. There are a lot of good DVR's out in the market, but its the software and the service that really make the difference. I have limited tech. knowledge and I was concerned that I would not be able to set up the remote access. Sure enough I got the unit hooked up no problem, but could not get remote access to work. I found out that Swann has 24 hour a day 7 day a week free tech. support. I called them up and within 30 minutes they had my remote access and mobile view all set up for me. Everything is working great. I could not be happier with the DVR and the customer service.

Buy Swann SWDVR-42600H 4-Channel DVR with Remote Access and Smartphone Viewing (Black) Now

Samsung HMX-W300 Shock & Waterproof Pocket HD Digital Video Camera Camcorder (Orange) with 16GB

We have used this for bike rides, swimming and even make your own pizza night. The tripod makes this camera easy to just record and do our thing. The cameras features are great and cohesive to finding what you need. Picture quality is perfect.

Nokia E51 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Vers

The E51 is sleek, built for style and productivity...a rare combination that means popularity with true merit. So I'm quite puzzled that this phone isn't being pushed as much as the N95.

It's got the right dimensions, not too heavy in the shirt pocket, feels good in my hand, the keypad has excellent touch and layout with 1-press keys for Calendar, Contacts, Email, Bluetooth (on/off) and Silent/General mode.

It's real cool that the 1-press keys for Calendar, Contacts and Email have different modes.

Short press starts the app (Calendar, Contacts, Email).

Long press starts a new record within the app (new calendar entry, new contact, new message).

I've re-assigned the 1-press key for Email to start the Messaging app, and long press starts the CryptoGraf Messaging app to encrypt my messages.

There's WLAN internet access with a proper browser. The camera, with just 2 MegaPixels, is good enough for my needs.

The screen is crystal clear and good for viewing video and images. BTW, I thought it gets scratched quite easily, but that's just the plastic screen protector. I removed the screen protector and the screen stays scratch free even after I put the phone in my trouser pocket along with my keys.

Another feature that makes the upgrade from E50 to this E51 a great idea...there's a font setting for adjusting the menu font sizes to Large, Medium, Small.

Voice call quality is quite good. The speakers are also quite good but they're awkwardly located on the back.

The volume controls on the side of the phone are not easy to use...it's quite confusing that the 'cursor key' acts as a volume control for the media player, but the voice call volume control is on the side of the phone.

The CPU is very fast at 350MHz, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, Mini USB 2.0, 2.5 mm A/V connector. The BP-6MT 1050mAh battery gives me great talk time and standy time even with liberal use of bluetooth and WLAN.

After owning the device for a month now, here's my quick rundown of the positive and negative aspects of the phone.

Pros (in order of importance):

+ Excelent feature vs. price ratio. You'll be hard pressed to find another mobile device offering the same feature set, smartphone capabilities, and strong community following, for the same price. This is arguably the best bang for your buck smartphone on the market right now. After researching for quite a while before purchasing, this was a big deal-maker for me.

+ Slim, stylish, classic candybar design and quality construction. The phone feels sturdy and the noticeable weight provides confidence it's not going to break if you happen to drop it accidentally (I can personally attest to this).

+ High-quality screen. Sure, it's a bit on the small size compared to other Nokia offerings, but the QVGA resolution and 16M color display more than make up for it. You'll have a hard time watching full-length movies on it because of the size, but the pictures really look great and the UI is a pleasure to look at, especially with your choice of 3rd-party themes.

+ Excelent performance. Plenty of CPU power and RAM to run several resource intensive games and application, at the same time.

+ Symbian OS 9.2. This is a tried and tested smartphone OS. You just can't beat the huge application library available on the platform. Coupled with the performance bit above, the OS just flies through anything you run. Very responsive and stable.

Now, onto to the negatives.

Cons (in order of annoyance):

Weak battery. If you plan on using any of the features aside plain voice calls, get used to carrying the charger with you at all times. The battery is seriously underpowered, and a few hours worth of WiFi (for VoIP calls and light web browsing) on a full charge will last you--at most--24 hours. And don't even think about turning on Bluetooth for your wireless headset, since it will drain a full charged battery in about 5 hours--no joke. This is really a shame and it's one of the most frustrating aspects of the phone.

Application certificate: mandatory. The S60 3rd Edition Symbian OS makes a requisite that all installed applications must be signed with a proper certificate. This reduces the amount of software you can install on the phone by a large amount, since most freeware or small apps you might run into are usually unsigned. The only way I have found to remove this "feature" is to effectively hack your phone, with the risk of corrupting your system. Thankfully, all went well and I'm able to install all I want now, but this security measure is simply too restrictive for the end user. If you want to take advantage of the best aspect Symbian has going for it, get ready to perform this procedure.

Bugs in the current firmware. Although Nokia regularly updates the firmware of most of its lineup, it has recently set all their efforts on their flagship N series devices. The latest E51 firmware (200.34.36) was released on April 24, 2008, and has some major issues with the SIP client and browser, yet no update is in near sight.

=== Added on 2008-12-26 ===

I forgot to mention the very annoying case of the side buttons (volume, mute, power, PTT). They're EXTREMELY hard to press. You literally have to hold the phone firmly with one hand, while you push forcefully on a button with your other hand. It also helps if you have long nails to dig into the buttons. Not sure why Nokia decided to have them so difficult to press.

======

The following are not so much of an annoyance, as me nitpicking. The only feature missing from the phone that's not a gimmick (touchscreen, accelerometer, etc.) and would come in handy, especially in business oriented devices like the E series, is A-GPS. But since this would certainly drive the price way up, I think it compensates quite well despite not having this feature. The other feature gripes, like no flash or autofocus on camera, would really be pushing it, since this is not a camera phone, but it's still worth mentioning. One other small thing, is that the phone gets considerably warm during prolonged usage (15min+), be it WiFi, voice calls, video playback, etc. You can still hold it in your hand just fine, but I got worried the first time I noticed it. It's no big deal, really, once you get used to it.

In summary, the one thing that soures up the experience of using this phone is the battery. For that fact, I'll have to give it 4/5 stars, but I'm completely satisfied with my purchase, and will surely consider another Nokia smartphone in the future.

Buy Nokia E51 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Vers Now

Most of the cameras today are aimed either for kids (like the chocolate), fashion conscious adults (the big hit razr), or business people (the bulky blackberry or treo).

What if i want a phone that is sleek but also loaded with all the important business tools? well the E51 was a Godsend.

This sleek phone comes with high speed 3G internet and WiFi connection. Gone are the days paying $15 to connect to the internet at airports and hotels. Simply use the mini usb cable or download a symbian based modem application and you can use your phone as your modem.

The camera is decent (2mb) and since micro sd cards are so cheap nowadays (i bought a 4gb Kingston one at Amazon for $14) you can use this phone also as a portable mp3 player (stereo ear phones included).

The best part of all though; it runs on Symbian. Download Opera mini and Google Maps (with a neat 'show current location function) and you have the capability to browse html pages and use the phone as a water down gps device.

Read Best Reviews of Nokia E51 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Vers Here

You are either going to love this phone or hate this phone. I love mine. But I am going to write this review with an eye towards scaring away people who will hate this phone.

This phone's feature set is balanced differently than most other phones in its price class. Other phones in this price class emphasize megapixels, music, video, and fashion. This phone emphasizes productivity and connectivity. If you want productivity and connectivity, here is your phone. If not, there are plenty of others to choose from here on Amazon and elsewhere.

Let's start with what this phone does well -

This phone remotely synchronizes with Microsoft Exchange. If your company uses Exchange, you will have one phone book, one appointment calendar, and one e-mail inbox equally available on your computer and your phone. Updates in either place show up in the other. The Nokia implementation even handles contacts that have a company name but no first-name or last-name fields. My Motorola RARZ2 V8 failed this test.

The phone has Wi-Fi. I didn't know how much I would use Wi-Fi on my phone until I had it.

The phone can display word, excel, and PDF documents. It runs Google Maps very well, but without a GPS chip, you can only locate your position within about 900 to 5000 meters.

The phone has a real message waiting light. Why is this feature disappearing from modern phones?

The phone supports high speed 3.5G data on two bands. This is a lot for a European phone, especially one that came to market last year. Sadly, high speed data service is pretty much nonexistent here in the United States, and much of what does exist is on a band this phone can't handle. But will you get EDGE data (and voice) nearly everywhere in the United States and abroad. Indeed, reception in fringe areas is significantly better than my wife's Nokia 6086. I have connected to ATT's HSPDA network in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Madison, and Minneapolis. I can't connect in Chicago because the network runs on an incompatible frequency there (1900Mhz).

Battery life is outstanding, especially for a thin phone.

Now lets move on to this phone's weak points -

The camera is only 2 megapixels. And it is fixed focus at that. And it doesn't work well in the dark. And there is only one of them [most phones capable of sending video have two one facing outward and one facing you]. The camera is good enough for me, but I would never put shots from it in the family album.

The music player doesn't display album art. No flashy light show either. And you are limited to the built-in speaker or a 2.5mm audio jack (I think it helps 'em keep the phone thin forget about it and use A2DP if you want headphones). I must admit, however, that I really miss gapless playback. Music loads into the phone very slowly on account of the older 1.5 megabyte per second USB limit.

The phone will record video. I have not been able to record video at Nokia's claimed quality (15 fps QVGA). I think I have been lied to. I think Nokia means either 15 FPS or QVGA, but not both at the same time.

The phone will play video, even from YouTube, but not at high bitrates.

Be prepared for plenty of British spelling in the menus and applications.

This phone's idea of fashion is understated basic black. I like it, but then again I am this phones target audience.

Want Nokia E51 Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Vers Discount?

I had been following the E50 & E51 phones and I am quite happy with this phone. A smart phone has to be a good phone first. This one come pretty close. Small form factor, does not feel heavy in pocket, decent battery life, quad band, speaker phone, 3G, and wifi. I love the small light that blinks to let you know of a missed call.

Cons:

1) Speaker volume is low, compared to other Nokias I have had.

2) If you are a heavy user of the Wifi you might find the screen size small

3) Does not charge by USB cable.

I thought hard about buying the E51 or the iPhone. I think the iPhone wins overall, but I will never buy it so long as Apple arm-twists me into signing a contract with AT&T or any one phone company.

EyeTV Hybrid - Mac TV tuner stick that receives free over-the-air (OTA) HDTV, Clear QAM & analog TV

My MacBook Pro, combined with the EyeTV Hybrid and an over-the-air HDTV antenna, has been my first introduction into the beautiful quality of broadcast HDTV. While the USB stick is a little big and clunky looking hanging off the side of the laptop, the picture and DVR functionality it delivers has been top-notch! I'm certainly buying another one for the new desktop Mac I'm picking up.

I've had this product since version 2 of the software, and El Gato has been great about issuing software updates, bug fixes and interface improvements in the 6+ months I've owned it. Version 3 of the software is very polished and functioning well. Upgrades for software have so far been free and delivered in just a minute or two over my broadband Internet connection. The EyeTV software always checks for any new versions that might be out and notifies you on-screen that a new version is available.

The only thing I don't enjoy about the product is the remote control. It's a bit cheap looking and has some bad ergonomics in regards to controlling the software. Plus it does not take advantage of the Mac's own built-in infra-red remote receiver, but instead uses one on the USB stick. That can make for some awkward aiming to get the stick to see the remote's commands.

Other than that, I'd recommend this product to any Mac user wanting an HDTV connection. I'd imagine this would be a great space-saving device for kids in dorms too! Eliminate space taken by a TV. Your Mac will make an excellent HDTV and DVR with this inexpensive device!

ADDENDUM: 2/13/2010

As pointed out by another customer, EyeTV software _now_ is able to use the Apple Remote directly with the built-in infra red receiver on new Mac's with the latest updates to the soft ware. Thanks, El Gato! And it functions really well while watching recorded material. I have not tried it with menu navigation, etc., in the tuner section of the software. I loved this product so much that I did end up picking up another one. But this time I bought the more expensive EyeTV 250 Plus for use on a 24" iMac. The 250 Plus basically adds a small box with analog video inputs and its own processor for converting analog videos to digital. I have some old videotapes and LaserDiscs that I plan on archiving this way. You can also do this with the EyeTV Hybrid, but it uses the Mac's own CPU for most of the processing muscle. Depending on how you use your Mac, the 250 Plus could free up your Mac to do other things while converting video.Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus Digital/Analog TV Receiver and Video Converter

I got this to use in my office in New York City. The office building is surrounded by other buildings, which to me means that a signal for HDTV should be impossible. I connected this to my MAC, installed the included software, plugged in a TERK indoor HD antenna, and I was up and running in less then 10 minutes with the NY local networks in HD.

I WAS SHOCKED.

I had perfect signal strength and now a DVR on my mac. I was watching HD TV and able to pause, rewind, record, schedule, etc....

Pros:

MAC compatible.

USB which makes it portable between home and the office.

Software is top notch.

It works out of the box...no setup issues.

NO CONS I can think of.

I love the software interface and the picture quality.

Enjoy!

UPDATE 01/21/2009

I am a cross platform user, primarily because of job function. I have my MAC setup with boot camp to run Vista, Windows 2008 Server, and now Windows 7 BETA. While I was sitting here one day someone walked in and said there is a plane down in the Hudson River (I am in NYC)...put the TV on your mac. I said I cant...I am in Windows 7 and working....it will take me a few moments. But....I was anxious and thus I noticed that Windows 7 had picked up the Elgato and installed the drivers...WOW!. How to make it work??? Simple...I launched Media Center (I have Windows 7 Beta Ultimate) and started the setup process...took 2-3 minutes. Once completed Windows Media Center allowed me to use the Eye TV Hybrid to get my local networks in NYC and view them in HD in Windows 7. DVR, Guides, and just about all working in Windows Media center without the need to find drivers and or 3rd party software.

Another POINT for this device....

01/30/09

I also tested this device to take Composite inputs from a satellite box at home so that I could use the mac to record shows, etc and move them to a iPhone/Appletv etc... AGAIN flawless. It is easy and setup is as simple as can be.....It comes with a cable that accepts analog video, svhs video, and sound via rca jacks. All connects to the units mini-usb port so you can watch without a coaxial (cable) connection.

As a side note...remember, no tv tuner can descramble satellite or scrambled cable channels. You must use a cable box to record those types of channels...for example HBO, Pay Per View, etc....

Buy EyeTV Hybrid - Mac TV tuner stick that receives free over-the-air (OTA) HDTV, Clear QAM & analog TV Now

I've had the EyeTV Hybrid now for about 18 months. It was really great to be able to record TV shows right onto your computer. Recently, I started getting error messages and contacted Elgato about the problem. They told me that in "rare cases" the Hybrid unit fails. If its so rare then why is it the number 6 selection on their support site when you have problems with your unit. I think this problem isn't so rare. Be careful of this product.

Read Best Reviews of EyeTV Hybrid - Mac TV tuner stick that receives free over-the-air (OTA) HDTV, Clear QAM & analog TV Here

decided to replace an older elgato tv tunter for my imac with a new one. besides the fact that the hybrid is sooo small, the picture quality with HD channels (i use time warner cable) is AMAZING! my 20" imac immediately became a fantastic LCD tv! recording HD also worked fine (only recorded shorter programs though).

also like the fact that one gets free tv guide programming info....

all in all, i can recommend this product..

Want EyeTV Hybrid - Mac TV tuner stick that receives free over-the-air (OTA) HDTV, Clear QAM & analog TV Discount?

I thought I was purchasing the EyeTV Hybrid 2009 (I was buying in 2009 after all); however, I got this model, which is the 2008 model. The 2009 model also receives FM and claims to have improved reception. The newer model is now available on Amazon. Get that instead.