C2G / Cables to Go 40001 1.5ft Velocity SVideo Cable

This appears to be a quality cable, but it has a very stiff jacket. Due to this and its short length, if you put any twist on the cable, the connectors want to spring out of the device they're attached to. I suppose after some time the jacket would conform to the shape you force it to take, but I'm going to return this and try a longer cable.

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Weatherproof WIRELESS HOME VIDEO SURVEILLANCE 4 CAMERA SYSTEM DVR

I've experienced dealing with, BETTER STUFF company, and i'm satisfied with their service and the way they go the extra miles to please their customer, l'll recommend them to anyone, for their quality product and customer service. They're simply the best!

El producto presenta manual de instalacion deficiente. La informacion para la compra es deficiente, presentan camaras inalambricas y las mismas tienen cables para transmitir la imagenes y el sonido.

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Maxell 3.5 1.44MB IBM MF2HD High Density Preformatted Disk (10-Pack, Assorted Colors)

I actually have customers that are still using a DOS based Point-of-Sale system that I wrote back in 1988. Therefore, I still have a 25 year old DOS computer that can only be backed up via flex disks. I recently moved and felt that I really needed to back up the computer before I even thought about moving it, due to its age. Therefore, I was very grateful to see that I could still buy new 3.5 flex disks since my older ones failed everytime. Needlesstosay, the move went well and the software is still safe on these new diskettes. I can't give these disks any higher rating than pure perfection because they came through when I needed them the most!

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Onkyo DV-CP706 6-Disc DVD Player (Black)

• HDMI out with 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p output
• Chain Mode for Successive Disc Playback
• Vector Linear Shaping Circuitry (VLSC)
• Optical and Coaxial Digital Out
• Slow Motion DVD Playback (1/2, 1/4, 1/8 speed)

As previously posted, this unit will NOT play rental (or even mildly scratched) DVDs. Which is a problem because a number of our DVDs are kids movies and they get scratched with repeadted use. All the problematic DVDs play perfectly fine on a cheapo ($20) DVD player but this "high-end" unit is too much of a prima donna for these DVDs.

---------See Update Below

January 2010 UPDATE:

Took the unit to an authorized repair shop and they honored the warranty (I originally purchased it from Amazon). After the repair, the unit is AMAZING! No problems whatsoever and the sound and picture quality is far superior to cheapo DVD players! Repair center said some parts with laser, etc. tend to come loose with shipping and handling from online retailers. Took them a week to get the required parts and repair... all for free and worth the wait! If you're having problems with this unit definitely try taking it to an authorized repair shop! Would give it 5 stars if it came this way out of the box!

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We've had this product just a few weeks, but are quite pleased with it. The only snag was when we hooked it up to both our receiver (with RCA analog jacks)and our new HDTV (with an HDMI cable)so that we could play our CD's through our receiver and our DVD's through the television. The problem was in hooking up the TV. We received a picture but no sound. Talking to our tv technician was of no help. We figured the problem out through trial and error, namely that the Onkyo's menu had a variety of sound options, to include some that we had no idea what they were for. One option, I believe it was the "PCM" option, did the trick when we turned it on. Apparently this option lowers the kHz frequency of the output so that it is compatible with the television (whatever all that means). Once I clicked that option on, the sound came through the TV. These instruction booklets all assume that consumers understand these technical terms, so you have to be something of a detective to finally figure it all out. Now everything (finally) works.

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Purchased for parents who are not tech-savvy (was somewhat of a worry with setting this up), and are huge movie fans. (They like movies so much, they even sleep to them...) I wanted to make sure the DVD changer supported both their new TV (HD) and their old, CRT tube TV. And this certainly fit the bill.

The setup is very easy. (I was able to help with the setup over the phone in minutes.) However, the ease of setup doesn't mean that it is lacking options; there are plenty of options that are available to tweak the sound, the picture, etc. But for just getting the machine playing DVDs (maybe not optimally, but playing nonetheless), it's simple.

When visiting, I was able to see and hear this player in action. It's mostly silent itself, and had a picture/audio quality that was adequate for how it was hooked up using the composite cables ("RCA cables" red and white for audio, yellow for video.) When using an HDMI connection, everything really came to life, stepping into the modern world.

On a side note (in regards to some negative reviews here) Amazon.com *is* an authorized seller of Onkyo products (the "refurb" version part Warehouse Deals or whatever, likely is not.) If there's a problem, I can't see how you wouldn't be covered by either Amazon or Onkyo. I had actually purchased this same unit from another online vendor, and the DVD sounded like it was going through a meat grinder when it was playing. Returned it, bought from Amazon and the new one is working great... bottom line: Onkyo is a very quality and reputable brand, but no brand is going to be perfect 100%.

Would definitely purchase again.

****************UPDATE, September 2009*********************

This unit is now receiving "Cannot Read Disc" errors pretty randomly. It may not work on a disc, but the next time you try, it works fine. We tried cleaning all the discs, but after purchasing a few brand new DVDs and having the error, it's going to head back to Onkyo. Meanwhile, the $30 backup cheapie DVD player still works... bummer.

****************UPDATE, November 7, 2009****************

We finally got around to taking this in for warranty work. The nearest authorized service center was King Audio/Video (Redmond, WA.) The service folks were very pleasant and professional... after about 10 days, they called us up to come pick it up. (Apparently, Onkyo also covers shipping charges once the item is repaired, but we decided to just pick it up.)

Now, this is back to being a fantastic player. It's quieter than it was before, and it plays ALL DVDs, even if you can see some visible damage (scratching and such) on it.

If others are experiencing the disc read errors on older/scratched DVDs, I'd recommend getting it repaired while under warranty. (The problem eventually gets worse to where it won't even read a brand new DVD.) Yes, it's unfortunate that you have to get it repaired. But on the other hand that's what the warranty is for, and now this this is working GREAT.

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Does a nice job upconverting DVDs to HD, plays data CDs and DVDs as well; it's nice to have a few dozen hours of MP3s on a DVD and an on-screen menu to navigate them all. My only complaint is that the Onkyo set-up menus are somewhat low-tech in look and feel, but they do the job. All in a all a great little machine at the price.

One thing to keep mind with my review: I've been an Onkyo owner for quite some time and am partial to the brand and in addition, I am using this component in a set-up with all Onkyo equipment (including the Onkyo 876 AV receiver), so that set-up might improve the performance I get.

Reduces the number of components you need, plays everything you thow (I've thrown) at it (DVD+/R, DVD DL+R). Interfaces with my Onkyo Receiver seamlessly. Picture quality is top notch. Just double check the spec this player is lot deeper that most components.

Sony DCRTRV8 Handycam Digital Camcorder

Having just emerged from camcorder-purchasing hell, I will share my thoughts with my pals as Amazon. I may keep this one because it is a good compromise and has the best sound I've found, but I may take it back. Here's why: 1. Picture--not nearly as good as the Canon Elura, similarly priced, or even quite as good as the Canon Ultura, $300 less. The colors aren't as saturated, and the image isn't as natural (The Canons, however, have sound pickup problems, severe in the Elura, which make them unacceptable. What does Canon think? We don't want to hear the tapes we're recording?). 2. The battery charges inside the camcorder, a particularly dim idea since you can't charge and record at the same time. External battery charger is an extra $150 accessory. 3. How can a camcorder at the turn of the millenium not come supplied with an S-video cable? This one doesn't have one.4. The still photos aren't as good in quality as either of the Canons (with or without progressive scan) or nearly as good as the high-end JVC model (with progressive scan). 5. The digital image stabilization, crucial to non-annoying video playback, is better than any JVC, but not close to as good as the optical stabilization in the Canons (the only ones which do it optically).6. The zoom is only a measly 10:1 optically, the equivalent of high-end JVCs, but not as good as Canon's 12:1 and 16:1 optical zooms. And don't let anyone fool you about a zillion:one digital zoom. The quality of the picture deteriorates so rapidly that it's virtually useless. Frankly, our 5-year-old Ricoh 8mm has better, warmer microphone pickup--and hence audio playback--than any of the digitals I've tested, and its picture quality isn't that bad. I think I've just talked myself into saving a thousand dollars or so. Maybe in a year, the digital crop will be more promising.

I bought this for distributing family videos. Since this camera contains a IEEE 1394 adapter, it's very simple to transfer video to a computer. It has lived up to it's promises.

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Great camera with large LCD screen. Takes great pictures

in bright light. Not bad in low light with slow shutter.

Problems

No shutter speed control above 1/30.

No pass through of RCA/Svid to IEEE 1394 for capture use.

No line level audio input while taping.

Focus controls right next to microphone.

Zoom control fragile.

Camera forgets last mode when shut off.

No histogram of exposure.

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Great picture. Wonderful features. Easy to use. Terrific 3.5" LCD screen. Goes in my pocket. Firewire for my computer. I am very lucky to have it. A great investment! Can you see me smiling?

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I would actually give this camera a 4.5/5, but since there isn't the option, I will just round up. This camera is fantastic for what it does for its size and price. I couldn't decide whether to go for the PC-1 or the PC-100 (the little rectangular cams.) or this camera, which holds true to the "standard camcorder shape"; but, after trying out the alternative designs, I found them to cramp my hand and just be awkward to use with such tiny buttons and strange button/control placement. I am glad I went with this design instead. The quality of the picture and sound on this camcorder is simply great! The colors are well balanced and contrast is handled quite well. When watching what has been recorded with an S-Video cable (another review mentioned that one wasn't included in the box he's right, but I would recommend getting one if you're going to use this camera the way it was meant to be used a decent S-Video cable is only about $5-$10 anyway), you can really tell there are about 500(!) lines of resolution. The picture is almost DVD quality it seems. Also, the stereo mic does a great job in picking up voice or other ambient audio. For instance, during one filming session, we had a CD playing in the backgroud and the music ended up sounding as if it were dubbed onto the tape; it was not overpowering but actually added to the "atmosphere" of the recording. Very nice in my opinion, but it my be bothersome for some users that the mic can be a bit touchy sometimes. This camera is loaded with features and I would recommend it over the TRV10 with a savings of about $200. While this camera doesn't have the memory stick option [and a few other bells and whistles], you really won't need the TRV10 if you a) have a digital camera already or b)plan on connecting your MiniDV camera to a PC/Mac. However, I wouldn't really recommend using this camera for stills. While they are okay, an actual digital still camera would be better. It should also be noted that the build quality of this unit seems very good. This camera, while fantastic, is not without its subtle flaws. One small problem I have noticed is that when recording in low light conditions, the picture tends to be a bit "grainy" on playback. The picture is still good, just not exceptional like those taken with this camcorder outdoors or in well-lighted conditions/rooms. I haven't tried the "Low Lux" mode to see if this will compensate for or reduce the grainyness, but it will probably help a bit. Another problem with this camera and the MiniDV format in general is the price of the media. It can get a bit pricey if you don't plan on transfering recordings to VHS or SVHS tapes with your VCR. Sixty minute tapes can run you anywhere between $8 and $25 depending on what brand/quality you purchase. I usually use Sony tapes that end up costing about $11.50/hour. And the last problem I have is that the use of the 3.5" LCD screen can really eat up your battery charge (almost cuts it in half, it seems). The screen is great, but just expect to charge a bit more often if you use it regularly or buy a spare battery. So, to sum up: for the money, this camera is absolutely superb. It provides a *fantastic* picture outdoors or in well-ligthed areas, and a good picture in dimly lighted rooms. This camera is also LOADED with features that will make any user happy. I highly recommend this camera to anyone in the MiniDV Camcorder market.

Nokia E90 Communicator Mocca Phone (Unlocked)

After using Blackberry, Treo...etc., I thought I would struggle w/ size of this phone. However, I really like it. I have Nokia's Mail For Exchange for Exchange email, latest Quickoffice Premier (excellent software) plus the rest of the software on the phone makes this a mobile office powerhouse. Once I got used to the BIG keyboard, I can fly. So I fly through emails and docs. The screen size is excellent as well. Last it is Nokia voice quality. I do use WiFi and wish the folks at Nokia would do some sort of 'smart sniffing' if WiFi available. Anyway, a bit expensive but a GREAT mobile office device.

The letters are small and the phone is heavy, not suitable for carrying in pockets or waist of trousers.

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Best phone ever. It is my second E90, as the first one was stolen. I did not doubt for a second to buy it again.

I love its keyboard to write SMS and edit E-Mails and documents.

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Full featured phone with clamshell form factor for business and network (browser/email) related tasks. Has been able to handle everything I've thrown at it including making VOIP calls via integrated Gizmo Project client, streaming Shoutcast internet radio, and watching TV via Slingbox.

The device has a Linux feel to its user interface. Not a lot of bells and whistles on the GUI, but solid performance. I'd have liked a more featured email client with the capability to load more than just headers on download, but it did support IMAP with SSL and authentication and works over the EDGE network in the US or over WiFi.

You aren't going to get a sexy slim form factor with this phone, but it is nicely designed and certainly full featured.

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Magnavox ZV427MG9 DVD Recorder / VCR with Line-In Recording (No Tuner)

I purchased a factory refurb of this machine via Amazon, in order to transfer NTSC home videos of my son. It came in perfect condition, is easy to use, and creates consistently good DVD copies. I would definitely recommend it.

I was replacing a non-working DVD recorder, which probably explains why I didn't even have to read the book to use this remarkably easy machine. It makes clear copies. I love it, and would recommend it to anyone needing a VCR/DVD recorder.

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SUMMARY: works beautifully to transfer VHS tapes to DVD as long as you don't need to do any editing.

I bought this VHS/DVD recorder to transfer old home movies to DVD. It's difficult if not impossible to edit those DVD's on this machine although that functionality is supposed to be included to a limited extent. My machine was missing a key menu item described in the manual. And after attempting an edit, the sound and picture would get out of sync on other DVD players. In order to dub without error I had to dub all the way through a VHS tape without any stops or pauses or edits. Later I would transfer everything to my computer and edit there. Overall I am pleased with the results and pricing. I would purchase this unit again.

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Ok, if you're buying a product to convert VHS tapes to DVD disks (like I was), there are much less costly and simpler ways to do it. One of the $10 VHS to digital converters should suffice. I purchased this one for my Dad because he is not computer savvy and I didn't want him to have to use a computer. I thought it would be a simpler (all in one) unit that he could use to get the job done. As it turns out, it is simply a VCR/DVD-player/burner and must be used in the traditional (connected to a TV) way. I had hoped to be able to (without a TV)pop in a VHS tape, press "Play" on the VHS and "Record" on the DVD. Not so. You have to connect it to a TV and go through the on-screen menus to get to the VHS to DVD option. Also, there are no specific instructions for doing the VHS to DVD copy. After searching and re-searching the manual, I finally found a small section that refers to "Dubbing". You'll want to use the dubbing instructions for the VHS to DVD copy capability. Sigh...after all of this, you absolutely CAN convert your VHS tapes to DVD but it's more than most would need. This unit is primarily a VHS/DVD unit (with DVD recorder)that you would use in the conventional way, so, if you need to replace one of those, this would be a great fit. If you want to convert VHS to DVD but don't want to add or replace a VHS unit in your media cabinet, there are other options that would suffice.

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This is the worst electronic investment I ever made. It functioned for awhile and then began making awful noises and chewing up the tapes I was transferring to DVD.

Magnavox gave me the run around, even though the machine was under warranty. After being hung up on, transferred to a non-existent department, and generally thwarted at every turn by their terrible representatives, I was told that although the parts were still covered, the labor was not and it would cost me $60.00 to have them fix it.

Why would I spend another $60 when I can buy one from another company.

Do I have to tell you this product is made in China?

This is NOT your father's Magnavox.

You may as well set fire to your money as buy a Magnavox product.

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Coby Electronics TF-DVD7006 7-Inch Widescreen TFT Portable DVD Player

• Compact 7" widescreen (16:9) TFT color display
• DVD, DVD±/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, JPEG and MP3 compatible
• AV Output: Composite video, optical digital audio, RCA stereo audio, 3.5mm headphone, integrated stereo speakers
• 6.75" W x 1.5" H x 6" D unit dimensions
• 100-240V UL AC adapter, AV cable, car/boat DC adapter, and rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack accessories included

I had been looking for a portable DVD player but simply did not want one bad enough to spend the $100 $200 for a decent one. I found the coby 7006 model for only $19.00. I was skepitical due to the price but figured I had 30 days to return it if it turned out to be a dud. Turns out it was anything but a dud. It plays many, many types of media that more expensive models do not play. It has a slew of bells and whistles. In fact, more bells and whistles then my regular high dollar DVD player/recorder. The picture is excellent. All the bells and whistles are very easy to use. No reason to even read the manual it is so simple to figure out. A great full featured remote control does about everything you can imagine, very easily. My only gripe, which is a gripe with many portable DVD players is it does have a rechargeable battery (lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes before needing to be recharged) and it does come with an ac jack for in home use and a DC cord for use with your cars cigarrete lighter. However, you must remove the battery, which requires unscrewing the back panel, if you are going to watch a movie using the ac or dc connections, as if the battery is left in, it will work on the battery as well as charge at the same time, ruining the battery, which is $40 to replace. However, all in all, this is a great portable DVD player. I like it as much or better then some of the $200 models I have looked at and am quite pleased I found it for only $19, although I would pay regular retail if wanted one ASAP and didnt want to wait to find one at a great price.

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If you know anything about brands, you know that Coby is as cheap as you can get in price and QUALITY. The unit I received did not have its LCD pannel aligned properly so there was a white fuzzy border on the right and bottom edges of screen. The motor is also unusually noisy so much so that you have to either crank up the volume to high or wear earphones to aviod hearing it. I contacted Customer Service by email a month ago and never heard back. For any service even under waranty, they expect you to send thing back at your expense WITH a check/money order for almost $20 for shipping/handling. I regard this policy as worthless considering the thing isn't even worth $20. One last thing to convince you not to buy you cannot watch moves using the included AC adapter as this will fry the onboard battery! So you either have to charge the battery in the unit for several hours then operate off the battery only, or remove the battey completely from unit (involves taking unit apart). A joke all around and horrible product. DON'T BUY!

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I got mine at a really good one day price from a local Video store. So far, so good. I'm happy with the performance. However, I kinda agree with the one reviewer on the battery/AC. I'm used to plugging in rather than relying on an internal battery. The battery so far plays thru a 2 hr movie (may have played longer but I recharged after the movie) Unless it plays back to back movies I would prefer AC. I'm using it for travel so time will tell.

Glad I was warned about not running AC and battery together!

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I got this for my mom so that she can watch DVD while she's on the road. It only lasted about roughly 6 months. It stopped reading the disc correctly. It'd indicated that the disc as "invalid disc".

We bought 2 of them for the children ages 3 and 8. We love them. There is no loud motor sound as mentioned in a previous review. The volume is perfect. It can never be so loud it will hurt ears. The children can hear it just fine in the backseat and it can't be turned up so loud that the front seat has to hear it, too. The price was very reasonable and the battery has made it through about 3 hours or more of viewing before signaling low battery. I love the light weight and the small size. The picture quality has been excellent and we have been using our players frequently. I recommend these players highly!

Headset, E-20 Dual Monaural Earphone

I bought these to use with my Olympus voice recorder, because I was tired of using regular stereo earbuds and hearing my college lectures in just my left ear.

The audio quality is pretty good, and it's nice to have sound in both ears--that makes it so much better for me to listen to and understand what I'm hearing.

Poor sound quality

Don't stay in the ear

Cheap but still not worth the price.

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These earphones are fairly good for the price. I have a hearing problem to start with,so that may account for my 3 rating. Worth their price. Darn Yankee in SC

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These were necessary for the Sony DVD player, otherwise you have to use two sets of earjacks. They solved a problem and work great.

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Headset, E-20 Dual Monaural Earphone.I purchaesd at amazon. As advertised sound good but little pricey but overall good product works grate.

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Spy Mp3 Video Camera Inside a Music Player Mini Camcorder Connect to Tv or Computer Hidden Digital

Pros: Good Video, Good Sound, Easy To Use (Once you read the iunstructions several Times)

Cons: Information too Poor to set the Actual Date on the Camera. I Had to google a little and finally found a good video on You Tube that explain Everithing you can see it here,

I was very excited about this product. Unfortunately once I received it didn't work. I had all ready read bad reviews on this product but I thought I wouldn't happen to me but it did. Customer service was great I got my money back without any hassles!

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Directions are not the best but regardless I found some on the internet and I still could never get it to work. I have sent it back for a refund.

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Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus High Definition (1080p) Game Capture Device for Mac/PC with

To start off, I'm writing this review solely from the perspective of someone using this to record footage from video game consoles (an Xbox 360, in my case), because that's why I bought it and that's all I've used it for so far.

Upon opening the box, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there was a component cable included, a nice bonus. The first thing you'll notice is how light the device itself is. The all-plastic body and the lack of weight contribute to give it a slight cheap feeling, but this is not reflective of the overall quality of the device, as I'm about to explain.

The HD PVR has pass-through outputs, which means you can plug your console into the PVR and then the PVR into your TV (with the included component cable), eliminating the need to split the signal. I was a little bit worried about any input lag caused by the pass-through, but I was thankful to discover that there is absolutely none. The one downside of this, if any, is that the PVR has to be on for the pass-through outputs to work. It doesn't have to be recording and the software doesn't have to be open, so it's not that big of a deal, but it's just one more device that is sapping power.

After getting everything hooked up, you have to install the included software on whatever PC you're going to be using to record. The software installation was pain-free, although I recommend getting the latest driver updates from their website and the latest software updates through the software itself. Make sure that you do NOT lose the CD, as you can only download the driver from Hauppauge's website, not the included software. One of the downsides of the PVR is that only the included software and a small list of 3rd party software will work with the device. Luckily, this isn't that big of an issue as the included software works great, with minimal issues.

One of the great things about the HD PVR is that it does all of the H.264 encoding on the box itself. In other words, you won't need a high-end PC to record in HD because the HD PVR does all of the heavy processing. You will need a high-end PC to watch and edit HD video, however. Unless you're just archiving or using the PC as a storage device (and then accessing the recorded videos on your 360, for instance), you're going to want a high-end PC to edit and playback the video that you record. There's simply no getting around this: if you want to produce videos in HD, you're going to need the tools for it.

The preview window provides smooth, full-quality video. There is a significant amount of lag between the source and the software preview window, however. If you were hoping to sit at your PC and play by watching the preview window, you can forget it. The input lag will make it impossible.

Overall, the video and audio quality are excellent. This will produce video miles beyond any SDi capture card you have. The device will record in whatever format you input (1080i, 720p, etc.). I would recommend going with 720p over 1080i. The lack of interlacing outweighs the gain in resolution, in my opinion (unless you're taking a screenshot or taking video with little movement). It support frame rates up to 60fps, maybe beyond. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 in 720p at 60fps looks absolutely beautiful. The device lets you change the bitrate from 1MBps to 13.5MBps, so you can increase the quality of the video and sacrifice a small file size, if you wish. I find 8MBps to be a good balance. It allows you to fit 1 1.5 hours into around 5GB, and it still provides video that's good enough for YouTube HD uploads and similar casual usage. If you're going for production-quality video with almost no compression artifacts, you can easily increase the bit rate, but you're going to pay for it in file size and the power it requires to process.

All video is encoded in H.264. The software lets you record in 3 container formats: .TS, which is a generic 'transport stream' compatible with many digital media players; .M2TS, which is compatible with the Sony Playstation 3; and .MP4, which is compatible with the Xbox 360. These are somewhat-confusingly labeled "AVCHD", "PlayStation 3", and "Xbox 360" in the software, respectively. It's important to note that *this has nothing to do with what you're recording from* it only has bearing on what device you want to play back the recorded footage. The MP4 format will play back on an Xbox 360, while the other formats will not. I recommend choosing the format that works best with whatever software you're going to use to edit the video, or whatever device you plan on using to watch the video. Note that most software will be able to open/edit an MP4 file, while I've found less compatibility with the other formats. If you plan to burn footage to Blu-Ray disk, though, go with .TS, as it's the format used on Blu-Ray disks and so your video won't require any transcoding, which is very nice (you can burn a Blu-Ray disk in just a few minutes).

If you don't want your footage encoded in H.264, there is an included converter program that can convert to variety of formats, but I haven't tried it yet, so I can't tell you how well it works.

The only two minor issues that I've had have involved the software. Sometimes the capture program will not recognize the device, requiring you to unplug it from the computer and plug it back in, at which point it should work normally. It's not that big of an issue, and it may be specific to my computer, but it's worth noting.

Secondly, the included playback application, TotalMedia Theater, causes a hard reboot whenever I try to start it. This also isn't that big of a deal because there's lots of other software that can play back the recorded files. Based on searches in which I've found only a couple of mentions about the problem it appears to be a very rare issue, but it's still worth noting. (I'm using Vista 32-bit, for reference).

Overall, the HD PVR is great for recording footage from hi-def consoles like the 360 and PS3. It's easy to use, doesn't require an insanely powerful PC, and produces good-quality video and audio in a good format at a reasonable file-size. Although the price is a bit steep, it's worth it if you really want to record high-quality, high-definition game footage from your 360 or PS3. If you have any questions, feel free to post them in a response and I'll try to answer them as best as I can.

Here's the summary:

Not a DVR. This is a pass-thru from audio/video source to PC.

Generates H.264 at Baseline Profile 1.0 only -not the High Profile 4.1 that x264.exe-based programs generate. The Baseline H.264 quality is not as good as the High Profile quality using the same bit rate.

Generates default .M2TS files which are difficult to edit -use the .TS file output instead for easier editing.

Arcsoft software is good for capturing and that's it. The software for creating a disk always seems to re-encode -a process that takes my PC days or makes my PC hang.

After capture, I have to use third-party software to finish production.

The product is not an easy out-of-the box solution. Hookup is easy, and the Arcsoft software installation is easy, capturing is easy, but it gets tricky after that.

When you capture, you can set bitrates. I set my 720x480i broadcast to 4.1 MB/s thinking it would be fine. When I made a disk and played it on the Blu Ray player, the video had a horribly compressed look. That was a straight H.264 file from the HD-PVR 1212 unit to disk without transcoding. But when I transcode some other high-quality 480i video using an x264.exe-based application with 4.1 MB/s the video quality is fine.

Now I made the mistake of capturing my first video in .M2TS. Tried to edit it. Lots of software doesn't like .M2TS. I didn't know that then, but I know now. Fortunately I was able to use the freeware TSRemux to convert the .M2TS file to a .TS file. Now apps like H264TS_Cutter and multiAVCHD are happier. Lots of crashes and failures with .M2TS.

Editing. I use H264TS_Cutter to cut out commercials. This app is handy -you take clips you want to save and create a cut without transcoding. This is important in the H.264 video world because transcoding takes days on my PCs, but the H264TS_Cutter makes a cut in minutes. You can also join two files in this manner. H264TS_Cutter has never crashed on me with .TS files. I tried using a little more complicated app for cutting -TS Packet Editor -but I had to reboot my PC after each file edit.

Creating a video disk. I use multiAVCHD. It lets me make a simple menu for the multiple titles. To get this to generate a Blu-Ray format file structure, I had to (after clicking Start) select the button [AVCHD compatible players] -the button [For all Blu-ray players] wouldn't work in my Blu-Ray player.

The size of the output files determines what size disk I can use. I use Imgburn to burn to DVD-5, DVD-9, or BD-25 -this plays in my Blu-Ray player as long as I choose the UDF physical format and UDF 2.50.

That's the quick way of taking the output from the HD-PVR 1212 and placing it on Blu-Ray compatible disk. If all this that I've described sounds like Greek, be wary of this purchase. You'll need to do your homework on using these 3rd-party apps (though fortunately the ones I've described are free) to keep the production time to a minimum and spare yourself days of needless suffering. Had these tools been included and described in the bundled software for this purchase, it would have saved me about two weeks of trial, research, and error.

Buy Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus High Definition (1080p) Game Capture Device for Mac/PC with Now

June posting

ok I would have given this 5 stars but this comes with current problem with it, this has optical in for 5.1DD recording at this time hauppuage can not get this to work so you are stuck with PCM 2.0 or audio from the analog imputs, now to the rest, it records video at 1920x1080 at same or near Blu ray discs, you have a choice of bitrate constant from 1 to 13.5 Kb or on variable all the way up to 20.2, this records in the same codeec (AVCHD) as blu ray and HD DVD discs, it will take any component imput, I have mine through my receiver where my Dishnet PVR HD, PS3, HD DVD and Oppo DVD player runs through, just for test purposes I tried all my devices and what I test recorded from dishnet, blu ray, DVD and HD DVD the test disc looked no different than the original source, once you capture your source you can then edit or add chapters then you get to add a real cheapo menu and then put in what disc you need to burn either a DVD-R or a dual layer DVD Disc, it takes about 10 minutes to author your recording to Blu ray standard and burn on your normal DVD as a true Blu ray playable Disc, beware once you burn your DVD as a blu ray playback DVD you will not be able to read it in your computer again unless you have a Blu ray Rom or Blu Ray Burner, once and if Hauppuage ever gets the 5.1 DD fixed this could be the killer to blu ray Discs, hauppuage claims by next driver release they will include the 5.1 fix. Beware this is Xp service pack 2 or Vista operating system only, also you must have a fast computer to use this device and its programs, I have a dual core 3.4 gig Intel, 2gigs of ram, 2 500 sata HDD and had to buy a nvidia 7600 512 meg video card to get this up to speed and at the fastest bitrate 13,500 I cant do anything else on the computer, but this is the problem with Hi def, its power hungry, now I can finally put my hi def movies of all 6 star wars and 3 lord of the rings on DVD for 1080i blu ray playback, you can also convert the finished files over to movie factory 6 to burn on a normal DVD for HD DVD playback also.

August update...

Ok been doing alot of capturing, have made 40 dual layer DVDs for blu ray playback and 10 dual layers for HD DVD playback. the video qua;ity is great if you keep it above 7.8 bitrate, only major drawback is no 5.1DD audio, I am now Beta tesing the 5.1DD audio driver right now, wow this makes a huge difference with the sound. Problems still, wont work with the arch software yet, sync problems, but works with TSmuxer. There seems to be heat related issues with some boxes, mine stays on 7, 10, 15 hours at a time never gets overly warm and never locks up. I have done well over 100 captures with this device. Having an Lg blu ray burner and blanks getting below $8 each, this might be the future for capturing and buring HD content at the PVR's full 13.2 to 20.0 bitrate in the future. If hauppauge can just tweak this 5.1DD driver a bit more I think this will be a great little device.

October update,

I am now a beta tester for hauppauge and I finally got 5.1DD drivers and TME software that works, so now I got a card that finally works capturing movies the way I wanted it to, 5.1DD and can also edit with the software and no more sync issues, burn to dual layers DVD's or $4 blu ray discs.

December Update

Ok Hauppauge support finally has Drivers and software out for general public that makes this device work properly. you can capture 1080i from any component ouput using the 5.1DD and you get a great captured TS or M2TS file ready to burn to a blu ray or dual layer DVD with or without menu. since october I have captured and burned over 50 movies onto disc in 5.1DD and they look great, the ones from the 1080p sources look really great. Now I manually record all my movies, so I do not know how this works with a timer or sageTV.

Feb Posting

some here wanted me to post to let you know of known problems with this and dishnet, I find there is no exact problems per say with the PVR1212 and Dishnet, you should know that sometimes when you use this device with the dishnet you get out of sync problems and digital tears in the picture, most, if no all is the blame of dishnet or most likey the channel the show is broadcast from. Example: I have tried 7-8 times to capture and record Spaceballs from MGM HD channel every time its out of sync and every time its being played out of sync on MGM HD over dishnet before I even capture it. Please keep in mind when using this device, HD content is never perfect and they "big hollywood" does not want you to capture and record their programs. So dont be surprised if "they" are always trying anything to foil you capturing a Hi Def Digital program, be it dish, cable, PS3 or HD-DVD. so far I have captured and burned onto dual layer DVD's 130 movies from all such sources all coming out perfect, be it analog, 2DD or 5.1DD audio. yeah where else can you watch on a disc, star wars, lord of the rings, batman, star trek movies in hi def, way to go hauppauge. :)

Read Best Reviews of Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus High Definition (1080p) Game Capture Device for Mac/PC with Here

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)As long as you know exactly what you are getting with the Hauppauge HD PVR, you won't be disappointed with the performance of this little black box. It is designed for PC Windows users only, although Mac owners can use it with some add-ons.

First, you'll need to understand and accept what this PVR does not do: without any memory or hard drive inside, it does not store video itself, making the PVR label somewhat misleading, and it does not burn video to DVD. To use it, you must hook it up to a PC or Mac (more on the Mac later) for both recording and playback. And it relies entirely on software running on your computer to record, edit, program, and burn Blu-ray format DVDs. The box itself has no controls other than a power button. It has component, composite, and S-video connections (no HDMI) for video, and optical and stereo audio inputs.

So what does it do? It takes the HD signals streaming into it and compresses them in a format that preserves the HD quality in a savable AVCHD file; you can record/save manually or on a schedule. These signals can come from a set top box, camcorder or other video source that can connect with the above inputs. The included ArcSoft Media software for Windows allows you to record on either the computer hard drive or an external one. Once the files are saved, you may use your computer's DVD-R drive to burn a Blu-Ray-compatible DVD or HD-DVD, edit, play back on your computer or television, convert to iPod-, Xbox-, or PS3-friendly format (MOV, MP4, M2TS, or WMV), or share playback within the same wireless network. The included IR blaster can change the channels on your set top box to the one you've programmed to record. Note: the blaster works with the included software and therefore only on Windows.

Chances are, you're going to have to do some thinking before you decide how to set up the PVR. The conversion box is 7.5" w by 6.5" d by 2/5 " h, so it doesn't take up much space itself. However, you will need a computer next to the HD source. For those who don't have their computer in the same room as the set top box, this may mean buying a computer specifically for video, and naturally, that increases the price of the set-up. However, if you don't plan on recording every day, you can hook up/unhook a laptop very easily just pull out the USB cable and your connection, if any, to the television. Hauppauge includes the basic component cables (HD source to PVR) and USB cable (PVR to your computer), but, if you want to play the video back on your TV, you will need to buy the necessary cables/connections for that. As of June 2009, the bundled PC software includes a program that allows your PC DVD drive to play the PVR Blu-Ray-format recordings. Depending on your set-up, you may want to add a USB hub, an external hard drive, and/or Apple TV.

Unfortunately for Mac users, Hauppauge does not support OS X, which means you'll have an additional software expense. Two software packages currently work with the Mac and the Hauppauge. The cheaper and less elegant solution is a program called HDPVR Capture, developed and sold privately by a Hauppauge engineer. The fuller featured, more versatile option is Elgato's EyeTV , but unfortunately, you can't use several of the features because it doesn't communicate with the IR Blaster to change channels. Both programs are available only online, although EyeTV 3 comes bundled with Elgato hardware products. If you can find a workaround for the blaster issue, the EyeTV 3 will be nothing short of awesome. It converts the PVR files to a wide variety of formats used by iLife programs. Hauppauge really needs to work more closely with Elgato to satisfy the rapidly growing Mac population. If you are a serious videophile and Mac user, you'll probably also want a product like Roxio Toast 10 Titanium Pro.

The minimum systems requirements for the PVR are: Intel Core Duo processor, 512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended), graphics card with at least 256 MB memory, and a sound card. Windows users need either the XP Service Pack or Vista 32. I'm using a three year old Intel Core Duo MacBook without any difficulty. I bypass the MacBook's hard drive to save all my recordings on a portable external hard drive, the Iomega eGo 320 GB USB 2.0/FireWire 400 Portable External Hard Drive 34403 (Ruby Red).

Consumers expecting a DVR with onboard memory and playback may be frustrated with the Hauppauge since it requires a computer, but for those who want to capture HD content and do something with it, you've found your equipment.

With special thanks to fellow reviewer Frank Miller.

-Debbie Lee Wesselmann

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Look & Feel:

The device looks pretty slick and has a slim profile to it. It is very light and does not take up much room at all. This is a major improvement over the previous version of the Hauppauge.

Setup:

Comes with easy to follow directions and all the cables you need which is aweosme that I didnt have to buy the HDMI cables separately. Everything went smoothly for me, I followed the directions, hooked up the cables in the order directed, and put in the installation CD to install the driver and software. Everything went great, there was only one hiccup where I was directed to the company website to install a newer version of the driver. Nothing failed, I recieved no error messages.

FYI here is my setup:

PC Sager customized laptop

i7 3610M CPU

Intel 520 SSD, 120GB

Nvidia 680M GPU

16GB RAM

Windows 7 Home Premium

XBox 360

I even have the HDPVR routed through a 4x4 HDMI matrix (allows me to hook up multiple input/output devices to the matrix and easily switch among them with a remote rather than switching cables around)....and it still works great!

I experience zero lag while playing video games through the HD PVR 2.

Features/Customization:

There are lots and lots of configurations you can change to fit your needs. I am still exploring the menus but so far I see everything I need to capture HD video. I have done a few test videos and it looks great so it doesn't even seem like I will have to change much. This may be overwhelming to some folks, but if you just call tech support and let them know what you are trying to do, they will tell you exactly what configurations to choose!

Reaction to other ratings:

Hauppague is a great company with great products. There is pretty much a 50/50 split right now for 5 star and 1 star ratings. This seemed a little fishy to me when I ordered the product, I was worried there were goign to be issues. After my experience it is clear to me that the people giving it one star either A) dont know what they are doing and can't follow directions B) get frustrated very easily and run to their computers to write a negative review before trying to call tech support (who are very helpful by the way, CALL THEM! it is amazing how many people are reporting issues here but do not mention calling tech support...craziness...) C) have a unique computer setup or personal computer issue (which can be determined and fixed if you CALL TECH SUPPORT)

Conclusion:

Great price, great functionality, great support, excellent device

If you are having any kind of difficulty, just call tech support, they are great. They have people dedicating their time to go through reviews of the product and address issues through comments...if they are that helpful in a comment section without being contacted directly, imagine if you just call them yourselves!

Compaq iPAQ H3975 Color Pocket PC

I've had the Palm III, Palm V, Palm VII, and a BlackBerry so I consider myself a long-time PDA user. I've had the 3975 for about 2 months; here are my observations.

Screen is the best I've seen, in all types of lighting.

Battery life is good, but you can not swap out the battery, it is rechargable.

The ac adapter used for charging comes with a small "adapter" that is needed to charge the device when the cradle is not used, e.g. when traveling. On a recent trip, I brought the charger then realized I did not bring the "adapter". I had to go to an electronics store to buy one...at least it was cheap.

It is heavier and bulkier than Palm's, not something you can carry in your shirt pocket.

Includes Bluetooth funcitonality. I was able to download my entire phone list database to my cell phone (also Bluetooth enabled) in about 2 minutes (200-ish numbers). I've also used it with my PC after I got a Bluetooth USB AdapterPairing the iPaq with other devices is a bit klugey but once you've figured it out, it's good.

Comes with infrared also. It DOES NOT work with a PALM (atleast I have not gotten it to). I have used it with my PC however.

It interfaces smoothly with MS Outlook (synched via USB port). I use it to download emails and read/respond in meetings or on planes etc. The emails are dumped back into Outlook and sent off at next "autosynch" when attached to PC.

If it had BlackBerry "always on" capability, it would be much more useful with email.

It uses MS Pocket PC 2002 OS. I have not had any issues with it, one soft re-boot when internet explorer locked up (iPaq still worked fine, but could not launch explorer).

HOWEVER, do not expect this OS to function like PC-based Windows. It does have similar look, but does function differently. You have to get used to cycling through windows that are open to get at what you want...not bad, but not like PC-based windows...I still like it better than PALM OS.

There are several different methods for inputting info; Palm-like character recognition, handwriting recognizer that recognizes long-hand, and a small keyboard-like pad.

Software is decent and a lot is available in places like Avant-go, apps that are usually free for trial, then [a small fee].

MS Word is good, Excel is difficult to use unless you want to see a handful of cells at a time; I downloaded a program from Avant-go for viewing ppt slided, great unless there's a lot of text, almost impossible to read. MS Outlook is great, email, calendar come across perfectly. MS Reader is good, screen has enough resolution to make reading easy on the eyes.

It comes with SD card for adding memory, programs, etc. An expansion kit for Compact Flash is available, should have been included on a device at this price range.

There are expansion packs that slide on to the device for adding GPS, modem and ethernet hook-up etc. I have not tried them.

Comes with several other features, voice recognizer (you can include audio in notes, docs..), and other things; see the descriptions on sites like Amazon.com, thier all fine and not worth going into.

Overall, it's my favorite PDA to date. If it had "always-on" email capability, it would get 5 stars from me.

After reviewing all the literature and having a Jornada 568 already for personal use, I decided on the Ipaq 3975 fo business use. I purchased the expansion pack that adds a compact flash slot and an extra battery. This makes it a bit bulky but allows you to keep the unit on 7+ hours straight. The Blue Tooth technology is very handy. The screen size is a bit bigger than the Jornada 560 series.

Low points include the sometimes eratic screen behavior when switching between apps fast. I also don't like the fact that you cannot change the battery. You need to send the Compaq into HP/Compaq in order to get a new battery installed if the installed one ever fails. The unit (without the expansion) is heavy compared to the Jornada. With the expansion, the Ipaq weighs quite a bit.

Over-all I like the Ipaq. All they really need to do to make this a stellar item is make the battery swappable and add a backup battery in case you happen to wear out the charge in the main battery.

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I evaluated Pocket PC devices for two weeks before finally deciding on the 3975. I looked at the Toshiba E740 and the Hitachi and the Fijitsu Loox before deciding on the 3975 (which is the same as the 3970). The deciding factors for me where the stunning screen on the 3975, the 48Mb of flashrom which allows instant backup of your contacts and calendar, the built in Bluetooth capability, and a plethora of available accessories. The downsides are the built in non-changeable battery, the relatively high price, and only a SD memory slot (no built in CF slot). All in all, the 3975 was the winner, having more pluses and less minuses than the competition. Having now had it for a week or so, it seems to have been a good choice and I'd order it again.

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The Compaq iPAQ 3955 and 3975 are hands-down the greatest pocket PCs out there. I've learned a few things that might be helpful to other users, so rather than write another general review, I thought I would post a few suggestions on their use, especially for those that may be making the transition from the Palm platform to the iPAQ, (as I did).

The iPAQ saves individual Notes that you make in the sub-directory where you create them in the Notes app area. This results in them initially having a name such as "Work1, Work2, etc. (i.e., if you have a Note directory called Work). This is not very helpful so you have to rename them by doing a "tap and hold" on the file name, and giving it the new name. Otherwise you end of with lots of Notes with non-descript names with numbers at the end. Not too helpful.

For better power management, watch the screen brightness setting which you set from the Settings menu. You can also hit the "Q" button and pop up the Q menu and get to it from there. A lot of times you can reduce the backlight setting and save power and extend battery life. Otherwise running it at the highest intensity you'll only have about 3 hours. Also, in direct sunlight, where the iPAQ works great but the Palm and Casio units wash out totally, you can set it on "power save" mode

If you use the digital recorder function, be careful what you have for the settings here. The iPAQ will record anywhere from 8,000 Hz, Mono, 2KB/sec, to 44,100 Hz, 16bit, stereo, 172 KB/sec. You'll find that even the 22,050 Hz, stereo settings will cause even short notes to take up 300K of space. After a few of these you're out of memory and you'll wonder why. The default setting of 8-bit mono is okay so I just leave it there.

This setting is also hard to find and can be found under Settings\Personal\Input\Options.

I've found my iPAQ to be the best of the Pocket PCs out there. Hope these suggestions help.

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i've decided to purchase the ipaq3975 instead of toshiba e740 because i've read the not-so-good reviews on having to constantly soft/hard boot the unit. but as long as i don't encounter those problems, then paying a bit more will justify for the headache and unsatisfaction. so far, there hasn't been any problem. let's get down to business.

1. setting up the unit was a breeze. the unit function as expected. activesyn works fine with my toshiba laptop;

2. this is the 3rd day that i have the 3975. i set the backlight to med low, and so far have yet to recharge from the initial charge. although i don't know how many hours i have used in 3 days, the battery seems to hold up as stated per spec;

3. the transflective tft screen is amazing. i'm certain other brands will offer the same, soon;

4. have yet to use bluetooth. will do another review after i try;

5. plan to get a modem and cf expansion pack to go online through regular phone line. will do another review on how the unit responds to websurfing;

6. the unit is definitely heavier than my palm, but that is not a big issue. i've learned to adjust.

all in all, the price was justified by the problem-free ipaq. one should shop around for the best price, no matter what brand. amazon offered the best price to me. amazon also gave me a credit when they lower the unit price. thanks.

i gave the unit four stars because i've yet to use other features.

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Macally iCamDVR2 Securityman Internet Monitoring System and Video Recording

Skip to the bottom for short version.

I did lots of research before buying. I wanted multiple cameras and didn't mind hiding them myself. This product posted more technical data than any other, and the Tech Support guys were very helpful answering questions even before I purchased their product. I only found 3 reviews and they weren't very good, but I was willing to take a chance, especially with the very reasonable price.

The first problem is very poor image quality from the cameras. Whether I hook them up to my PC through iCamDVR or directly to my television, they produce an image that is nearly unusable with good indoor lighting. These cameras require outdoor lighting or something like it to produce a reasonable image.

Also, the wireless signal from one camera interfered with the other, creating moving lines across the screen if both were plugged in. I could live with this flaw if it were the only.

I decided to return the cameras, but not before tinkering with the iCamDVR. To test image quality, I hooked up a DVD player. Image quality on the PC through iCamDVR was very good. I also tried viewing remotely through my Mac laptop, which runs Windows XP SP2 (You must have windows to host or view remotely). After enabling all Active X controls, I was able to remotely download the software from PC to Mac, but I was never able to get past a pixel error to view the camera remotely. The Tech Support guys are troubleshooting that now, and if they figure out the problem, I will buy an iCamDVR without the cameras. I still may have another problem with remote viewing, in that the Tech guys were unable to ping my computer (I remoted in from inside my house, which is different than from outside). I'm using a wireless router and thought I had all the port forwarding setup, but it's not working. I'm not too worried though, because the Tech Support guys are very helpful and I think we'll figure it out. Nonetheless, setting up this system is harder than I anticipated. I have average computer knowledge, but I've had to learn about dynamic IP address versus static IP address, port forwarding on my router, and other topics I never before needed to learn.

I wish that viewing remotely only required the IP address and password, so that all you needed was a web browser. Instead, you have to install software on the remote viewing computer. Therefore, you will be unable to view remotely from many computers (public computers, Macs, any place where you don't want to or can't install software).

Therefore:

----------

Amazon Delivery and support: Great. Return policy is outstanding.

SecurityMan (iCamDVR) Tech Support Very helpful, although we haven't yet resolved hosting / remote viewing issues.

Cameras Very low image quality. Requirement for strong light makes these better for outdoors.

iCamDVR Complicated setup for web hosting and remote viewing. Depending on your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and router, yours may be complicated. If I gain confidence that Tech Support knows why I couldn't view remotely, I'll by an iCamDVR without the cameras and use with some other cameras. I'll update my review later.

cameras are not the best but if you want something inexpensive and good for indoor wireless use, it works. You can add 2 additional camera to this system. Not good for outdoor monitoring

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product did not deliver poor picture quality support terrible not widows 7 compatible do not waste your money on it no worth it the cameras are terrible

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I got this to use as a telepresence system in a R/C vehicle. I just connect the receiver output to a TV or monitor with an appropriate input. I found that when both cameras are operating they do interfere somewhat in spite of being on different channels. One of the receivers does not function. I am looking for an alternative system. I have a couple small monitors and hope to make a 3D display for real presence.

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The quality of this cam is poor. I cant get much of a picture on one and the second one cuts in and out, i have tried them on differant connections, the problem is the cams. I also have a larger cam mounted outside that works great so i do not think it is the modure.

Extech RHT10 Humidity And Temperature USB Datalogger

I like the feature set and it's well made, but it doesn't work with Windows 7 64-bit.

I bought this Data logger to log temps for Freezers, Ambient Car Temp (in the summer) and various other applications. Its very easy to use, Windows Interface works without complication for downloading and graphing Temp, Dew Point, Humidity. Software only works in Windows, but will work under VMWare Fusion (or Bootcamp / Parallels).

This unit was bought used and but was in brand new condition (it appeared it had never been used) very happy with this transaction and product.

Only drawback I saw was when you download the data, it quits logging new data. You have to reset the logger (and clear its previous logs) before starting a new log. You can't "spot check" the temp and then return it to keep collecting data... other than that, its an awesome product.

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This unit is good for remote monitoring as it has a built in battery that allows is to function without a PC. It does not function well as a PC connected unit as it does not use or charge from the USB port. Reading temperature requires downloading data, which stops measuring. The graphs, save to .xls or .txt are attractive features. The application is a minimal load for the PC as opposed to the EL-USB-RT which can put a disruptively large CPU load. There must be better options for monitoring temperature through a USB port for same room temperatures.

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As another reviewer commented, this doesn't work with Windows 7. I bought two of them originally, and of the two only one could be programmed. The bad one was replaced. I placed both in my test environment in November, with an hourly sample rate for a total of 2000 samples. This took us through February 2. One of the two downloaded its data, but the other refuses to communicate with my Windows 7 computer. Two months of sampling for nothing. Time to find another brand to try.

On the Extech website there is a software upgrade from late 2011, but this is only the PC software, not the software in the datalogger itself. I downloaded and installed the upgrade, but the logger still will not download its data to the PC.

There is a similar product available from Dataq (EL-USB-1), which I am going to try.

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Well built unit. Would love it if it worked. Win 7 64x system the drivers and software worked. BUT I can't get more than 768 readings any data after that is in error. Data download fails comnpletly if set for 2000 or more data points. Tech service a little slow but they walked me thru several possible problems, concluded my unit was defective and shipped another. 2nd unit arrived and performed exactly the same. More email tech support and attempts. Tried a second PC with Win 7 64x, than a Win 7 32x PC same performace. Tech support concluded second unit defective and sent a third. Same results. Used supplied CD software and also downloaded (same version) from thier website.

I found the apparent web site for the company supplying the drivers. Downloaded thier software development kit it had different driver version but same result.

I now have 3 units that work well if set up for 500 datapoints (or less). I wanted 2 to 10 sec data collection for my current project, but will settle for 10 minute data collection to get this job done. Will need to do a little bit of 2 sec collection to make sure I am not missing some short term variation. Lots and lots of extra work the only good side is I ended up with 3 units (no return requested for the "defective" units). When I get time I will build up a Windows XP on my computer to see if they will work with older Win systems.

The latest Extech software is version 5.6 as I write this its from early 2011. Win 7 64x driver is version 3.3. If you see later versions available than maybe they have fixed the issues.

Did I get three bad units or does software bug exist that prevents unit from working fully on Win 7 system? Either is bad if your system is Win 7. I think its a Win 7 issue and will continue to correspond with tech support, but regardless of future outcome the unit has earned a two star or less for me.

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Canon DC100 DVD Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom

The Canon DC100 is a very easy DVD camcorder to use, just set it to auto mode, press the record button by your thumb, and start recording. The microphone is surprisingly good for such a small camcorder. The camera boasts the ability to take still photos, but I haven't attempted to use this feature at this time. The camcorder is very small, slender, and very light to hold. Although it's a fairly good camcorder for its price range, it's not to say there aren't significant improvements needed.

A couple of things that I felt could be better are the following:

1. The recording function in low light needs improvement. Granted, I don't use the manual controls too frequently, but performance seems to be lagging a bit.

2. The mini-DVD disks hold 20 minutes of video at XP setting. Not that big of a deal to me, especially since the battery will only last that long, but it may be an annoyance to others.

3. The battery (as I mentioned above) only lasts for approximately 20 minutes. Get a spare on E-bay (it's cheap...less than $15 each).

4. You cannot finalize a disk, unless you have the AC adapter (plugged into a wall outlet) connected to the camcorder. It doesn't matter how much battery power you have, if you don't have the AC adaptor, forget about finalizing.

I purchased the Canon DC100 from Amazon in mid-May. This is my fourth camcorder since 1985. Therefore, I pretty much know what is needed by me in the manner in which I use a video. This camera is new but appeared to 'fit the bill', so I bought it on faith. I am not dissapointed! This is a little jewel. How small can a camcorder be designed? It will fit in your coat pocket or your purse. The ergonomics are very good. Who thought to hide that wafer sized battery behind the LCD? That gets it out of the way and it charges in situ. A surprise is the high quality of the fit and finish. From what I have seen in others, this was unexpected. The picture quality is good. Probably not great but this is what you get with small CCDs. However, you do get the long optical zoom (25X). Long zooms are absolutely necessary for my use. You can't get them with mega-pixel cameras. I was apprehensive about the DVD format,but my fears were unfounded. The discs are dirt cheap except for RWs and they are so easy to access and play. If you want a fun camera that you will actually use, this is a good choice. If you are a pro(you probably just think you are) or like to edit(a ridiculous activity) ,get something that costs $800 instead of $400 and let it collect dust.

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I recently got new Canon DC100. I was using Sony TRV350 for last 2 years and so was a bit shaky going for Canon. But it seems I did the right thing..

The new camcorder has almost the same recording quality as that of Sony. Audio quality is even better. The size and convenience of use is just incomparable.

More to that it directly writes to DVD. So now onwards no need to spend hours burning CDs/DVDs. Simply superb!!!

The pros could be absence of memory card. I will seriously miss that with my new Canon.

But All in all its a good deal...

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It is amazing how technology got so good last less than a decade, it was a dream to directly record right on DVD cd just a few years back. Now you can do that with a price range around $400 and that alone deserves 5 stars. Canon DC100 DVD does it what it says it does and does it so well. I am very satisfied with the quality along with picture resolution and I think this is a fantastic buy for what it costs, I bought it from Amazon and I am very happy with my purchase

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I like it for the size and convenience. I think the zoom is good as well. The only problem that I have found is that when recording on the slower setting(which gives you more time on a disk), it is not recognized by the computer or the dvd player. You have to play it thru the recorder. But overall, I am happy with the purchase. It fits in my jacket pocket and is perfect for kids ball games and other activities!

Lorex LW2311 Digital Wireless Video Recording Solution

First, I actually own a small IT/Telecom company in northwest Arkansas, and install much more expensive systems for customers. These systems are way more complicated to set up, and usually require some training to be able to use.

This setup is actually as good as, if not better than some of those systems. It's also a fraction of the price of any of them. Good resolution, good frame rate, and VERY easy to setup and use. I actually ran power through my attic so I could mount this on the edge of my roof where I have a blind spot of the house (no windows or way to see out) and it still only took a couple hours to install and have up and running. Comes with a 2GB SD card which isn't really big enough, but an 8-16GB (which you can buy fairly cheap) is plenty. I've gotten over 3 days of motion detect recording onto 11GB, and that's with this camera being triggered by traffic on a semi-busy street. Also, to answer a few questions I've seen, and to elaborate on a few other reviews I've seen. I have this thing mounted on the side of my roof with nothing over it. As I said, I live in Arkansas, so it's been rained on, blown by strong wind, and went from sitting in 100+ degree weather this summer, to sitting in below freezing weather this winter, and the only thing I've had to do to it since I put it up was take a broom and wipe cobwebs and stuff off of the front of it now and then. It's been on and functioning since I bought it in May, it never gets turned off.

Here is a tip though. If you intend to set this up using a TV for the monitor, and an SD card to record, my review ends here.

If you want to get more out of this system search for iSpy software. It's free but with a subscription you get more features. I use the free version with this system, and have the receiver hooked up to a PC. The iSpy software allows you to record to your hard drive on your PC instead of having to use an SD card. It takes snapshots and provides much better motion detect recording than otherwise, since you can select actual areas in the camera's view that you want to motion detect while leaving others not to be worried about. Rather than using Skype which is actually kind of a pain, you can use iSpy on your own network to view from any PC in it, or you can purchase a subscription and view your cameras live from anywhere, even your smartphone, using a browser. I highly recommend checking out iSpy for any surveillance system since, from my experience, the software that comes with them is usually terrible. I've used iSpy for a while now even with other systems and always been a fan. There's a lot of other software out there too that's free, but I can't vouch for any of it. So for those of you who are looking at this system thinking it won't function as well as a more expensive DVR setup, there's how.

We had an issue with a pre-teen neighbor boy liking to destroy property for no apparent reason, so we looked into getting security cameras. I didn't know they were this affordable. It was important that there was a storage option included as we really didn't have a DVR or anything we could hook up to it. The picture is okay, it's not awesome but I didn't expect awesome at this price. The night vision is good, you can still see quite well. I like that it has a motion-save function so it doesn't fill up the SD card super quick.

Also, an important note... it says its meant for outdoors, which is what we wanted but when you open it up it says it can't be put in direct rain. Um.. isn't that what outdoors means? We put it under our overhang, hopefully that will suffice, we've only had it up about a week so far. I figure if you advertise something to be an outdoor product, one should expect for it to come in contact with direct rain.

If you need something small just to keep an eye out, this does the job. Don't expect it to be crystal clear, though.

**UPDATE AFTER USING IT FOR 4 MONTHS**

It's still working quite well! The motion sensor seems a little finicky, especially at night. It doesn't catch ALL motion ALL the time, but I'd say it catches it about 80% of the time. I think it's the way it's pointed or something... honestly, haven't investigated it thoroughly enough to determine the cause there. Also, a note about the weatherproof/no direct rain issue... it works just fine under our overhang, even in the rain/snow.. so I guess that means it's out of direct rain. :)

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Samll and light, easy setup, strong signal through the walls. But really not designed for outdoors for the following reasons:

1. Not wide-angle lens. I ended up monitoring a samll spot on my drive way.

2. It does not really sense movement (meaning it does not compare frames) and rely on the IR sensor, I have to get really close to the camera to trigger recording.

3. Because the short range (unless it's a larger object) and narrow field of view, by the time it starts recording, there's very little to be captured anymore.

4. The IR sensor does not seems to be pointing at the same area the camera is pointing to, but it's not adjustable (it's triggered by cars going by, which is not seen by the camera).

5. It only captures "after" the trigger point, unlike the Logitech 700e that I also installed, which record 5 seconds before the trigger and 5 seconds after the trigger. (If you wonder, this can be done by continuously retaining the last 5 seconds of video, if there's a trigger, this "history" becomes part of the recording).

These shortcomings is not a problem if I only do continuous recording or remote viewing. In this case, my only complaint is the picture quality on the TV. 640x480 video should look better than what I see.

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I just received this system and after reviewing the manual and inspecting the equipment I've decided to return it. NOTE: I did not install it or plug it into power.

It came nicely packaged and looks like it would be a good purchase for a small business with one room to observe or for installation on a front porch.

I will return it for several reasons:

1. It is designed primarily to be used with a television monitor as a stand-alone system. There IS a way to hook it up to your computer via a supplied USB cable, but you need to use Skype & their supplied software. After reviewing the instructions, I decided the system is too restrictive. Another reviewer suggested using iSpy software instead of the supplied software to increase its capabilities, which may work for you. I researched the iSpy service and it is $8/month for full remote access. I decided I did not have the time to investigate that option any further.

2. The camera appears to have a built in microphone AND speaker, but there are no instructions on how to use a speaker. A diagram in the manual labels a speaker on the camera but there are no inputs for a microphone on the base. The manual even states "speaker for two way audio" but there are no other references to that in the entire manual. I don't have the time to figure out if it actually has that capability or not.

3. The manual states that motion activated recording will only work within 21 feet of the camera. I need a camera that will be activated by motion further away. This is the main reason I am returning it.

If this last limitation were clearly stated in the "item description" I would not have purchased it. Thus, 2 stars for having to purchase it to determine its capabilities and for time therein wasted.

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Honestly, I should have known better -these systems are extremely complex -to expect anything but abysmal performance from this product at a cost of $170 US D.

To make things worse, Lorex has chosen to build their products in China. The Chinese have the capability of making a quality product but the company in charge of manufacturing the item has to closely ride herd on their engineering and quality control down to the sub-component level or the customer ends up getting a piece of garbage like the Lorex LW 2311.

The images produced are very small, picture quality is atrocious, objects at virtually any distance are so blurry that positive identification of a particular individual, for example, would not be possible. The motion detection range (20 feet at best, despite their claim) is so limited it is useless. I had the unit aimed at our elevated back deck and walked directly next to the deck on the grass within the camera view but since my head was about a foot further away from the deck surface, the motion detection did not trigger even with the sensitivity set to 90%. Set any higher sensitivity, which does not necessarily increase the range, and the unit will start recording if a gnat flies by. I am not an entomologist.

Add all this to the fact the unit looks cheap and flimsy and the receiver starting acting erratically. When I powered the receiver on it would sometimes go through its diagnostics and sometimes not it would sometimes recognize the camera and sometimes not. My experience is when a complex product has intermittent problems when brand new, it's only down hill rapidly from there you won't be waiting long.

The final straw was the receiver would not respond to either the remote control OR the input buttons directly on the receiver itself. I called Lorex tech support who put me in an electronic queue and then an Indian gentleman, Marish, called me back about an hour later only to explain HE was not tech support, his job was only to ask what the issue was. Tech support would call me back. That was 48 hours ago and no call.

Bottom line, I deemed the product defective and I'm returning it for a refund what a huge waste of time: buying, setting up, testing, trouble shooting and now... returning. Anyway, it's always a craps shoot when buying electronics that you may get a bad sample but as I stated earlier the likelihood goes way, way up with Chinese products that are not stringently engineered and manufactured.

The harsh reality is in order to get a good, reliable system capable of reasonably good quality images; A. it will not be wireless and B. you will have to spend in the order of $ 5-600.00 or more to get one.

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I've dropped, thrown, gotten it wet, stepped on it hundreds of times with no protective case, its nearly indestructible unless you drop a 20lb dumbbell on it.

The only reason I ordered another one (this one pictured) is because I've started to wear out the internal lining of the earphone hole from plugging it in thousands of times. Drag and drop music files and your good to go, long battery life.

Small and easy to carry too, screen lock is easy to turn on and off. All around an awesome mp3 player, no bulls***, it's so good I'm actually taking the time to log on to amazon and write a damn review.

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After multiple frustrations with an iRiver MP3 player (continued freeze-ups with required repeated firmware reloads, lousy battery life, non-user friendly controls, I tossed it and bought this one. What a difference!!!

Thumbs ups:

1) Excellent sound quality whether on headphones or plugged into car stereo.

2) Excellent battery life just to see how long it would play, i left it on and playing a list of my entire library. It played for more than 24 hours straight before the battery died!!!

3) Can use MP3 files, no proprietary software needed! Hear that Apple iPod???

Thumbs down (Just one):

1) FM radio reception is lousy. I do like to listen to NPR on the bus ride to work and even less than 10 miles from the city, it just doesn't cut it. I thought about downgrading it to 4 stars for this but decided that's unfair since this is really not what it was designed for, so I still gave it 5.

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A Perfect Alternative to those of us who hate Apple. It also has a great battery life. The size doesn't hold much songs but you can always add a micro sd card later.

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This is by far, the best MP3 player ever made but there's a problem. If your thinking of getting one, get it because they don't make these anymore. Very user friendly. Great sound quality. Great battery life and up to 40 gb of on board storage with an additional 32 gb micro sd card. Careful, there is some price gouging going on from some dealers! I put this above anything any other manufacturer has come up with. The new Sansa's are ok but they are now tiny and the wheel is gone. The micro sd card and its built in memory work totally together on their own. Big mistake on Sansa's part to stop making these. Also, earbuds sound great.

This is an awesome mp3 player, great battery life (23 26) hours brand new, amazing sound quality, Micro SD card slot, and great vibrant color screen. I was searching for an mp3 player for a few but couldn't find one with all the features this one has. This mp3 player has not frozen on me at all or needed to be reset, I left it playing music for 5 10 hours at a time. Have not tried video or photo viewing.