Sony ICD-BM1VTP2 Digital Voice Recorder

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

ZMODO PKD-DK0865-500GB-Pro Complete 8 Channel H.264 DVR Kit with 8 Weatherproof Cameras 500GB Hard

For the price this is a decent system. The day time color is a little off and the nightime views are ok in the center of the pictures. For 8 channels and 8 cameras this is really nice little package to keep an eye on your property. Again for the price impressed on the setup and the fact that you receive everything you need to setup the system. The multiple outlet power set is really nice, only two power outlets needed. With a two story house the cable lengths actually made it to all the points except two so not a bad deal. Overall again the price is the key here so to see if anything is going on and be able to capture at least enough to get a basic description of the individual or vehicle that might be causing issues it works good.

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SDE-3004-DVR 4 Channel DVR, 4 Universal BNC inputs

Bought a refurb unit that included the 500GB drive but no cameras. No problem using the inexpensive night vision cameras I had bought elsewhere. Setup and documentation is not straight forward but right clicking on the live video screen brings up a list of commands. Eventually, it mostly starts to make sense. The biggest issue I had was with the DDNS setup. I have done this before with cameras that have a built in web server so it was not a real mystery. Or so I thought. The biggest issue I had was with the port forwarding. Nowhere did I see any documentation that indicated that you might have to set each port separately for the webserver and the cameras. The documentation would lead one to believe that you can just put in a range of ports in your router (e.g.: 4520 to 4524) but mine did not work until I put in each of the six ports individually (those five plus the webserver port). I'm using DD-WRT on a Linksys 54G router so maybe others don't work that way. I also tried both the free iPolis DDNS account and the free no-ip account. I think that you need to set up the DDNS in the DVR and then register your DVR with iPolis. Apparently the DVR communicates the port to the iPolis website because I didn't see any manual setup for it. As far as I could tell, you can only access the DVR from the iPolis website. Maybe there is a logical name that can be used without having to log into their website but I didn't see it. With no-ip, I don't think you even need to setup up the DDNS in the DVR because no-ip allows you to manually redirect the port number when you create a host. Also, the only host that you need to create is for the Webviewer (don't need one for the TCP Port). No-ip also allows you to use a logical name (host name) to access the DVR remotely without having to log into their website. No-ip has a little download that periodically sends an updated IP address for your home computer just in case the IP changes (some providers do this, others tend to stay static).

Update: I did figure out that you can use iPolis to get directly to your DVR using the following format: where xxxxxxxx is the username of the iPolis account you created when registering your DVR.

This is the second DVr that I purchase from Samsung. Here's what I did. Connect the DVr to a monitor and your cameras to the DVr. ( note your cameras do not have to be where you intend to place them ,this is just to check the hook up .) next connect the DVr to your router. You're done because now call the toll free no. Samsung techs will take control of your computer and finish the hook up. They'll give you all the info you need for smart phone and Internet hook up with an icon on your desk top . Outstanding now mount your cameras where you want them.

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Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1 - Blu-ray Disc player / digital multimedia receiver

You know when they say: you get what you pay for! There is no exception like this Bluray player. I am in the process of building my HDMI capable cinema home universe right now. After many many searched and evaluation of where to start and what to buy and build, i sort of went this route:

1.bought and looked at all sort of source material both HD and Bluray

2.kept track of the HD wars from all sorts of places

3.looked at lists of movies i wanted to see in HD

4.made lists of things i wanted to see and do with the titles on what TV

Now that i have decided which format, now comes the even much harder part, the TV and surround systms. I was very much in the mood to go with JVC LCOS 70" but after recognizing how this amazing Pioneer handle 24FPS i retracted from that decision.

Let me put it to you folks simple: this player on a component cable connection to a DELL 24'' flat panel looks amazing, astonishing, juicy, delicious, pure, tantalizing and many many words i cant think of! I don't think the DELL would keep up with the player since some bluray titles are not fully 16x9 show-able on a computer screen.

When people have a choice between a PS3 (for movie viewing only) and a standalone beauty like this player, please give this a thought. Its a bit pricey but think of how much you invested so far in the content, audio AV system, and television. This is the icing on the cake. I however reversed my purchase decision since this came out just recently:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665156111

I just received this player and set it up with my Arcam AV9 Processor, Anthem AVR7 7 channel Amp, B&W Front and Surround, Tannoy Rear Surround and Boston Acoustic Center Speakers and watch BBC Planet Blu-ray on my Sony 60 inches TV. I have only one word to describe the performance of all these: "WOW!"

:)

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Philips LFH0884/27 8GB Digital Voice Tracer with Built-In Zoom Microphone Voice Recorder

I have a few recorders and I like the LFH0884 (or LFH882 which I also have) over the Olympus DS-40 because of the following reasons:

What's better on the Philips LFH0884:

--------------------------------------

a) The Voice Activated recording (pauses when there is no sound) will not cut off like the Olympus does. It will also connect the audible parts better and not leave you the feeling that you missed the first 1/2 second of every segments.

b) The quality of the recording and the sound is better on the Philips (frequency range on the Philips goes higher so more "HiFi quality than the Olympus").

c) Buttons are better positioned. With the Olympus, they feel like there are everywhere and it's hard to hold it and not press a button. Philips is easier to hold.

d) Comes with an external mic, and a zoom mic and headset.

e) Can do Mp3, radio (but don't use it for that purpose)

f) Recording range is also what you would expect (some recorder don't have the "range" because they are less sensitive) so no problem with the "range" with this one (I would not expect to record sounds I can't hear but it seems to record all that I can hear unlike some other recorders). The Olympus can also get a good recording, but does not have that "Zoom" capability isolating what you point to and not sounds around that you don't care about (option can be turned on or off if I remember correctly).

What's better on the Olympus:

-----------------------------

a) Heavier build.

b) You can plug in an external power supply so that you don't drain the batteries when you are the recorder sitting in V.A. mode waiting to record for days. That said, the Philips can easily do a full day (and more) on the 2 AAA in Voice Activated waiting mode.

c) Menu is easier to navigate on the Olympus.

Overall, if I had to pick on, I would just get the Philips LFH0844 or LFH0882 because of the button placement, the quality of the recorded sound and the better Voice Activated recordings which works better on this model (it's useless if it cuts off low sounds and makes a choppy recording).

At first I really liked the recorder. It worked well for my class lectures. Then it stopped working. I was no longer able to return to the seller and support from Philips is in Austria. Told from seller to work with manufacturer and manufacturer says mail it to Austria and they will see what they can do. It will cost a lot to ship it to Austria which of course I have to pay for. Seller says buy a new one. Now why would I buy the same product that I know is garbage from a seller not will to help?

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This device is superior to the Olympus product I previously purchased and is affordably priced, yet its recording capability lacks the tonal quality I am seeking.

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For those who use their voice recorder many. many times each day and have already owned a Philips recorder. Difficult to figure out, counterintuitive (or wrong) button labelling, poorly written manual that doesn't even explain the different screen indicators, absolutely non-existent online support (they send you to "Philips Dictation Solutions, which doesn't have this model), hostile phone support. There is no explanation to be had of what's on the screen. There is no designated power button, even though one is desperately needed, especially to get you out of the bizarre alleyways you can find yourself in. Instead they have an absolutely pointless "hold" slider and an "index button" that toggles between folders, or possibly indexes (they use different words at different times for the same thing). The indexes (or folders) are unnecessary anyway, as you can't label them. But they help make everything more confusing, which is Philips's idea of a good time.

There is also an amazing lack of basic, actually useful features. You cannot fast forward within a given recording. If you are foolish enough to simply tape a 90 minute lecture without hitting the index button every minute (like if you were not there, or trying to pay attention), you have to play through the first 89 minutes at normal speed just to hear what was said in the last minute. So it is not even as practical as a 20-year-old micro cassette deck.

Oh, and the speaker is horrible, too. To get any advantage of Philips's supposedly fine recording, you have to play it back on the headphones.

There is one positive- it's easy to transfer recordings to your computer, and no drivers are necessary.

Buy this if you like figuring out how to work your technological doo-dads as a hobby, or want to punish an employee by making it his job to get it working.

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I'm learnin ! I don't have 14 more words for you at this writing!! Bug-off you darn pest ! Aloha

Remanufactured iRiver H10 5 GB Digital MP3 Player, Trace Red

• Remanufactured to like-new condition; 90-day manufacturer's warranty
• Compact, lightweight 5 GB hard drive multimedia player--weighs only 3.4 ounces
• Compatible with MP3 and WMA; also Secure WMA from online services
• Built-in voice recording and FM tuner with FM recording capability
• Swappable rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 12 hours of battery life

The refurb unit received looks as new. Before and after purchase I strongly suggest you look at discussion threads on the misticriver web site. You need to understand things like "the ums trick", the differences between the firmware in the US version and the asian version of the player, and the kinds of things that other users have had trouble with. If you buy one, before you load it up with all your music files, load two or three albums or playlists and get a feeling for how it works. Then, after reading he misticriver threads, go to the iRiver web site, download the updater for the latest firmware, and do a reformat/restore of the player. You will end up doing it some time in the future, anyway, so learn how to do it before you fill the player up with all your music. It works, but it has a personality. The music quality is great into a pair of circa $30 Sennheiser headphones. The FM tuner is a great plus if you like listening to FM radio.

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I loved this product for 4 months (it does have lots of gadgets that I love) and then.....for no reason at all my computer no longer recognizes it! Rhapsody doesn't recognize it....It's turned into a ghost although I can see it!

I can play all of the songs that I owned myself but everything through the subscription service has run out and can't be reinstalled. I've done a little research about the disappearing MP3 player and it appears to be a problem that is affecting a lot of the H10's and 1 other model I can't remember right now and iRiver can't figure it out; although I've been told they are trying desperately to find the bug....So buy with caution....

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This seemed like a great bargain. It worked adequately for two days, then began various problems. Downloads didn't work, it skipped, etc.

The refund was very prompt.

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This mp3 player was great when I first got it. However, I've not had it even a week yet, and it has begun freezing up and having other various problems. I would not suggest this item.

Love this IRiver H10. It looks great, the battery is long-lasting and the product is pretty easy to use. Just upload your music onto it no need to change format or use ITunes it just takes the MP3 files from your computer. You can also upload your playlists. Takes a little time to get used to if you're more familiar with IPod, but once you play around with it, you'll be sold.

RCA Rp5032 128 Mb Voice Recorder With Usb

This is the first digital recorder I have ever owned, and I think it's the neatest thing since sliced white bread. This is just a wonderful little recorder.

I don't know what planet the other reviewers are from, or maybe they're hearing impaired from listening to earsplitting music volumes.The playback on this little recorder sounds great to me. I picked it up for much less than the listed price. It arrived and I took it right out of the package.

I treated it just like my digital watch, and if you think of it that way it's much easier to set up.

I have mine set to: no AVR, dictation mode, and HQ recording. I haven't tried it in a noisy environment yet. I write as a hobby, and I wanted something small, and portable. to carry around to record ideas when they strike, so that I don't have to scrabble for pen and paper. I also plan to use it to record reminders for appointments, events, and to send voice emails to friends and family.

Even on the HQ setting there is plenty of room for what I need to record. The HQ setting gives me 17.5 hours of recording time for heaven's sake. How much recording time do I really need when I can transfer my files to my computer and burn them to a CD or DVD? Anyway you can get much more recording time on the lower quality recording modes. I haven't used those though, so I can't say what the playback sound quality is like.

The speaker is on the front of the unit, and the microphone is at the top. It has connections available for an external mike, and headphones. I haven't used those yet, but I'll bet the sound quality is even better with headphones, and the recording quality and playback sound is good but I bet an external mike would make it even better.

This unit records in MP3 format and transfers directly to the computer. No software is needed to transfer files, just the USB cable included in the package.

I can hear everything I have recorded clearly.

The unit is light and small, and has an on/off switch. It also has a lock button switch located on the side, to lock all the buttons. That way your settings aren't messed up by buttons being accidentally pushed when it's in a pocket, or being jostled in a back pack or purse.

It has four folders, the folders are fairly simple to navigate.

The time can be set in 12 or 24 hour format.

The recorded messages are easy to erase.

This unit is fairly intuitive to operate.

It comes with a USB cable to transfer recordings to your computer. Transferring files is easy and I've done it without a hitch. The MP3 files can be played on anything that takes an MP3 format. winamp, real player, windows media player, etc. Or they can be burned to a CD or DVD. No proprietary file formats to fool with or software to download. If you want a WAV format download "Switch" which is a free file converter, and convert the MP3 to a wav file. It's really that simple.

This unit sounds great, is easy to operate, has plenty of recording time, records and transfers files in MP3 format, and is reasonably priced. What more could I ask for in a recorder?

Soooo you guys that spend 60.00 or more on a recorder that you have to use software with, because of proprietary recording formats, and more than that for one that records and transfers to the computer in MP3 format. Well, you're welcome to them. This little unit is everything I could ask for as far as a recording device goes.

I'll give it five stars for:

Functionality

Ease of Use

Non proprietary file format: recording and transferring to the computer or laptop.

Sound quality

Recording time

Size

On/off switch

Lock button switch

Value for money spent.

I believe this recorder to be the RCA RP-5030 (at least the specs and picture match that model).

I have been using (or attempting to use) this recorder for two weeks now. I have finally decided to give up on it and get an Olympus voice recorder instead.

One feature that attracted me to this recorder is that it creates MP3s instead of producing WMA (Olympus) or a proprietary format (as is the case with some Panasonic and Sony models).

The recorder also connects easily to almost any computer, allowing the MP3 files to be easily copied. No special software is needed (nor is any provided). The recorder simply shows up as a USB drive.

Operation is easy and fairly intuitive. Without using the instruction manual, I was able to make recordings and listen to them. With a little research, a user could also insert new material into existing recordings and append the recordings as well, right in the recorder itself.

However, my significant disappointment with this recorder is in the quality of the recordings. All of them seem "muddy," whether they are made using the built-in microphone or an external mic. Part of the quality problem is that the recorder only makes MP3s that are 32 kps at the highest quality, and 16 kps at the "standard" setting. Coupled with the low bit rate is what must be incredibly low sampling rates.

The resulting recordings are noticeably lacking in any kind of "presence" or "high fidelity." For example, almost no "s" or "t" sounds can be detected in the recordings. They come out sounding like "th" or "d".

Comparing the quality of the recordings of the RCA RP-5030 with an Olympus, using both the internal mics and external ones, the RCA falls very flat.

On the positive side, the RCA RP-5030 is one of the least expensive recorders available with the ability to easily transfer the recordings to a computer. It is also the only one I could find that recorded in MP3 format -even if there are others, they are rare.

If you need an inexpensive recorder to carry around on a college campus or other places where things tend to get lost or stolen, the low price of this might make it attractive. However in any use for which good sound quality is required, I bet you would be happier looking elsewhere.

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This was a waste of money. I returned it in less than an hour. The recording quality (there was none) was awful. I could barely understand what I said. I bought the RP 5022A by RCA instead and it is like comparing a Rolls Royce to a VW Beetle !!!! This recorder is way overpriced here and not a good buy at all. Keep your money!! Get the RP502A and you wont be sorry!!!

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I am not impressed with this....

it worked for two days and hasn't worked since. I have had one like it for 7 years and it worked great...

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I have had this one for years and it still works and sounds great. Its a freakin little voice recorder, what do people expect $4000 sound system in a tiny little recorder, come on!! It's great and very simple to use. I am a beginner songwriter/singer/musician and it is Fantastic for recording ideas riffs and lyrics at spur of the moment inspiration. I keep with me all day in case the mood hits!

Creative Zen Vision W 30 GB Widescreen Multimedia Player (Black)

• 30 GB multimedia device holds tens of thousands of photos, up to 120 hours of video, and up to 15,000 songs
• 4.3-inch WQVGA wide aspect, high-resolution TFT LCD screen delivers crisp, clear details
• Built-in Compact Flash memory card slot lets you transfer pictures directly from your camera
• Connect the Vision W to a projector or TV with the included AV cable
• Measures 5.27 x 2.95 x 0.87 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 9.7 ounces

The first thing you'll probably notice about this player is it's gorgeous widescreen. How big is it? Well, technically speaking it's 480 x 272 resolution, 4.3 inches wide diagionally, and capable of displaying about 262,000 colors(same as Zen M). For those of you who now own a Zen M, to illustrate how big the screen is on the Zen W: You can lay an entire Zen M on the Zen W, and the entire area of the Zen M is about the size of the screen of the Zen W. For you Psp owners out there, the Zen W screen is exactly the same resolution and size as the screen on the PSP. Although, the PSP screen is actually more advanced and can display over 16 million colors. Though both of these screens are much better than the screen on the video Ipods(which is only 320 x 240, and only display 65,000 colors). The screen on the Zen W does the job very well, and you can adjust the brightness levels. Even at %50 brightness, it's adequate. Though it outshines the Zen M in screen size, I noticed that it's not quite as sharp and the colors are not as vivid as on the Zen M. Also, I noticed that while playing Divx video, the Zen W doesn't play the video as smoothly as on a computer. The video frame-rate seems to look more jerky and less smooth. Although the pre-installed videos looked fine in Xvid, so this may only apply to Divx videos. Some other great features about the player are it's built in FM radio, voice recorder, custom sound equalizer, built in speaker, and Compact Flash slot. The built-in speaker can get surprisingly loud and is adequate for watching videos... But if you're an Audiophile, it's not good for listening to your music. It's sounds quite tinny and is only a single speaker. One huge improvement over the Zen M is that you no longer need to carry a stupid adapter to charge or upload songs or media. The mini-usb power, and A/V out ports are already built in to this player. Also the magnesium casing seems much sturdier than the Zen M's plastic casing... and probably not as prone to scratches. The thing looks and feels very solidly built. The interface is also simple and easy to figure out and very similar to the Zen M interface.

The only big difference is that the Zen W uses buttons instead of the touch thumb-pad on the Zen M. I think they should have tried to integrate the thumb-pad somehow because it worked so well on the Zen M. In this respect, the Zen W buttons seem like a step backward in progress. However, I do like the fact that they made all the buttons on the right side so you can effectively use the player with only your right hand. (sorry lefties).

The built in Compact Flash slot is also a very cool idea. You can backup your compact flash or microdrive photos onto the player with the slot. The only thing is that you can't use the compact flash as a secondary hard-drive... meaning you can't just slip a compact flash card with video on it and watch it straight from the card. You must import it onto the player first before you can play the media. You can't play mp3s or browse photos straight from the CF card either. All the files must be imported onto the hard-drive of the Zen W first. This seems pretty lame to me because you're not using the slot to it's full potiental. Hopefully there will be firmware upgrades that will let you do this in the future. Another thing about the player that needs to be improved is it's thickness. The second thing you'll notice (after the lovely huge screen) is how thick this thing is. I mean, it's barely pocketable. So it's not quite as portable as the Zen M. How think is it? Well, it's nearly an inche thick... a little less thick than a PSP. If they could cut the thickness in half, it would make this player much more portable.(not to mention sleek and sexy). Here's a quick run-down on Pros and Cons.

Pros:

-Gorgeous 4.3 inche (480x272 resolution) screen that displays up to 262,000 colors. Movies look so much better than on a 320x240 (Ipod)screen. And if you like to watch Anime, you'll have no more problems reading subtitles.

-Built in mini-usb port, power, and Audio/Video out port(for tv output).

-Sturdy magnesium casing and solid feel.

-Lots of extras like FM radio, organizer, calendar, voice recorder -Audio/Video cable included, plays Xvid and Divx files.

-Built in compact flash/microdrive slot for photo backup.

-Removable battery (yes, finally!)

-Optional wireless Remote control available (built in IR reciever)

-ZenCast organizer (allows you to download/organize Podcasts to Zen W)

Cons:

Pretty thick at almost an inche thick. (barely pocketable)

Divx playback (Frame-rate) a bit jerky. Screen not as sharp-looking and colors not as vibrant as Zen M. (I'm nit-picking, you may not even notice the difference...especially if you don't have a Zen M)

No video line-in for video recording. It would be great if they had this built in and you could record from any video source... don't know why they don't.

When viewing files on Compact Flash using CF slot, you must first import/upload files over to the Zen W drive first to view.

In conclusion, this player packs alot of punch for the money. And almost everything it does, it does very well. If you love movies and music like I do, you will definately enjoy this device. It's very impressive and looks and feels sturdy. The biggest flaw/turn-offs to me is it's thickness. A device made for portability should be ... well, more portable. In a world where other mp3 competitors are sizing down their players, creative seems to be sizing their's up. If they could somehow cut the thickness of this player to half while not sacrificing any of it's other features, it would be perfect. Still with it's minor imperfections, this player is still worth every penny and outshines it's competitors. If you value portability over video capability, I'd go for the Zen M. The Zen M still plays video...but on a smaller screen.(And it's cheaper too)

One last thing, the viewing angle on this player is great, unlike the first model zen vision media player that came out a few years ago. And since the screen resolution and dimensions are the same as the PSP, so you can buy a screen protector for the Psp and use it on this baby :) Cool huh?

Update: For those of you interested in a case for the Zen Vision W 30GB version, the Nintendo DS lite is about exactly the same size as the 30GB Zen Vision W so many of the cases for the DS lite work pretty well for 30GB Zen W as well. However the 60GB Zen W is a bit thicker and the cases probably won't work as well for it.

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I just got my Zen Vison W yesterday. Pulled it out of the box and had it up and running within 30 minutes. The entire package is well thought out with an AC adapter, decent earbuds and a well designed software package for importing content into the player.

I took about one hour to import my music to the player and also used the Zencast service to import Rocketboom and other video broadcasts to the player with zero problems. The import process for RSS-driven videocasts (no, I won't use the i*od word, since a certain fruit-based company is using legal tactics to go after anyone who even utters the word now). The Zencast service that Creative sponsors is just great and really is simple to use for both the Zen Vision and Zen touch players I have. I hope Creative extends the service with more functionality and features over time.

I'm still working out how to load videos from my Directv Tivo, but overall, this is an amazing package. The only weak area I see is that the FM radio is a bit insensitive for folks like me who live further out in the boonies. I was able to pick up stations and feel that if I were closer in to the city, I'd do just fine.

Powerup switch is sort of unique with a momentary contact switch that takes a little getting used to. At first, I thought I had a broken switch and then it became clear that this was all designed in. I'm going to be careful when turning the unit on and off, since I never have liked momentary spring-driven switches They just seem to break unless you are very careful. I would expect that Creative used high-quality components for the switch.

Powering off uses the same switch with a momentary hold to signal the system to shutdown. The system powers off and on in a matter of seconds and despite complaints about similar units being slow, I don't see what the big deal is. Where else can you get this kind of performance, quality and sheer information storage? If it takes a second to get things to work, so be it Frankly, I think it is a very good balance that Creative achieved with technology, form, function and limitations. In other words They did great!

I was surprised that the sound w/o earbuds, using the inboard speaker was as good as it was. It can overdrive a bit, but honestly, it is just fine for watching videos in quiet locations and the sound is clean and just loud enough for most needs.

I was very pleased with the video quality. The screen quality is outstanding and the angle of view is *very* good. I have yet to try hooking the output to my Westinghouse LCD, but I'll bet it'll be amazing.

The photo section is great too I was able to transfer all my photographs quickly and the ability to play through the pictures is just great. Very nicely done. I also took one picture and zoomed in on a spot I liked and used that zoom picture for my wallpaper. Yep, they have wallpaper that can change just like on a PC and it really is pretty cool.

Getting data into the system is easy and just involves a USB cable and plugging into a standard Windows XP box. I was up and running in minutes. The battery charge time states 3 hours on the box, but it seemed like I was topped off in far less time, so I'll have to see how it goes over time.

The only weird thing is how to set the time and date. Takes a bit of fudging to work the menus and figure how to do it, but overall, it was pretty easy. The alarm feature was interesting too... I'd guess you really need to set the volume high to make it work and I'd suggest future versions of the Zen incorporate a small buzzer or pleasant chime to make this feature shine more.

Creative hit a home run with this unit and this should be the standard for all portable video. Huge screen, easy to operate menu and high quality. I'm glad I've always stuck with Creative they always give exceptional quality and functionality for a great price. I recommend this player highly and think you'll be glad you bought it if you go for it.

By the way, all my friends and family were blown away when they saw it... ;>) I'm happy with the product and will be using it for a long time to come.

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I'm a semi-professional photographer whose dSLR takes Compact Flash cards, and so I was very excited at the prospects of using the Vision W as a way to offload images from shoots (using the compact flash slot) and to free them back up so that I could continue shooting.

I was hopeful that I would be able to even use the W as a proofing device to hand off to clients directly after the shoot so that they could immediately delete the photos that they didn't like.

I also was looking for a new MP3 player and was very interested in having a video player.

After using all components of the Vision W, I have the following observations.

Good

-Almost everything about this player is good! It's very sleek, reasonably priced, it excels at almost everything it does, and is pure joy to use.

-The screen is gorgeous. It is easily viewable from any angle. Pictures and movies alike look great.

-I love the organizer feature and am syncing the device to outlook daily. This has gone very well.

-The options for video play back work well. If you're not watching something in 16:9 format, you can zoom in to fill the whole screen with a portion of the video, stretch it to fit the full screen, etc. I've used this more than expected.

-The formats of video that are supported are great! It's nice not having to worry what format it is. I appreciate that the software handles converting the video into a format that it can handle.

-The interface is very intuitive. I haven't yet picked up the user guide and have been able to navigate successfully around on it.

Bad

-Photos copied over from Compact Flash cards take a long time to transfer to the device and are very slow to load when cycling through them on the player. Granted, they're coming directly out of an 8.2 MP camera and so they are huge files, but I had hopes that they would load much more quickly. Also the thumbnail icons for these photos look distorted and load slowly, too. Photos copied to the device via the software (rather than directly from the compact flash card) do not have any of these problems.

-The headphone ear buds are too large to fit my ears. They literally fall out immediately because they don't fit. I had to buy a new, smaller set. (Note: I do often find that headphone ear buds run a little big these were even bigger than normal. If you generally don't find this to be the case then it shouldn't be a concern for you).

-Like another reviewer, I wish it had a stand for watching movies so that you don't have to hold it in your hand. It would have been nice to set it down on the tray table during a flight. (Update: I've had wonderful luck with a business card holder like this one that I bought for just a couple bucks at an office supply store I now have two of them one for my desk at work and one for my desk at home! It works perfectly the angle is great! I wouldn't recommend it on an unstable surface, but for most of the time it is perfect).

-When connected to the device from your computer, you can't interact with multiple directories at once. For example, I was copying over a large video file and wanted to recategorize images in a separate folder. I was not able to do so until the video had finished copying.

-I had hoped that there would be a setting to auto-rotate portrait orientation photos so that they would automatically show up sideways (thus making better use of the viewing area on the screen) but haven't found this feature. Instead, I manually rotate each picture.

-Deleting photos is not easy and intuitive enough for me to be able to hand the device off to a client. Overall, it's just not a robust enough photo viewer to reasonably plan to use it as a proofing device as I had hoped.

-There may be a way to do so, but so far I haven't found any easy way to quickly check what time it is on the device. Instead you have to go into the date/time submenu.

A couple other things that would have really put this over the top if they'd been able to successfully pull it off, but that I didn't really expect:

-Two headphone jacks, with one on each side for when two people are watching a movie together. We bought a splitter and that worked OK but a jack on each side would have been much easier and neater.

-AM radio tuner

-Slightly thinner body

-Inputs for other memory cards than Compact Flash.

Despite some minor complaints, I'm extremely happy with the device and strongly recommend it to anyone, especially anyone who uses a camera with a Compact Flash card.

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My Creative Zen player died on me (through carelessness on my own part) and I decided to get a replacement. I was looking for another mp3 player but spotted this instead. Afer much deliberation I only wanted to spend under $100 on an mp3 player, so I had to take in account the other features that come with this I decided to go for it. And I have not regretted it since.

Like I mentioned in review title, this is strictly non-technical, because I am as layman a user as you can get, so the technical stuff just go over my head. I will simply tell you what I like about this player and why I feel every penny spent is justified. I'm not someone who will read the whole manual, and I'd rather just start using and learn as I use the item. Only when I am stuck or something bad happens do I start looking through, therefore everything I say here is from my own experience with my player. This might be a good review for someone else like me.

My findings:

The screen is very good, the picture is clear and the angle of view is good. My friends and I crowded around it when I first got it, and everyone could see clearly what was shown on the screen. The sound on the built-in speaker isn't that great for songs, but for watching a movie, it works good.

It plays everything I have downloaded so far. When the format or file is unsuitable, the software automatically tells you to convert. All you have to do is follow the steps and the files will be changed to fit into the player. It will even transfer the file when the conversion is finished. Granted, conversion takes a while (I don't know what a standard time to convert a full movie file is though) but usually I leave it to convert and transfer while I sleep and everything's done by the time I wake up. I love how I can just leave it to work while I go away or to sleep.

The files you download, if under a folder, will automatically be transferred under a folder of the same name. I haven't worked out if I can move the files around in the player yet (when hooked to the computer), because I would like to just have all movies under one folder instead of having 20 differently named folders with 1 movie in each. But some people might like this aspect, so it's a personal issue for me.

A small thing that I like is that the album picture of the song you're playing will be displayed when you play the song. This is not the case for all songs, especially if downloaded from unknown sources online. But if you ripped it from your cds, it should display the picture.

I'm still a little confused about how the fast forward and rewind button works. It seems that for some movies it will simply skip to bookmarked points, whereas others it will work as if it's a VCR and you have to stop it. When in such a "VCR mode", picture doesn't run while in fast forward or rewind, so you'll need to get used and I bet you'll be able to estimate well with experience.

There are a few view modes on this player, Fit to Screen, Stretch to Full, Zoom to Full & Original Size. I find myself using Zoom to Full when viewing widescreen movies. The Stretch to Full makes everything look out of proportion, so I'm not touching that.

I tried the built in microphone once to record my friend snoring from about 2 feet away. I couldn't hear it when I play back on the built-in speaker but I can hear the snoring when I use the headphones. Another instance I recorded my friends and I chatting normally while sitting at different positions in a enclosed room, and we could hear just fine from the speakers when we play it back. So it might be ok for normal volume recording but most likely you'll use it for personal voice recording.

I don't know if it's a technical issue, but I'm bummed that you can't use the fm radio without using the headphones. It'd have been nice to be able to set it down and listen to the radio sometimes.

I haven't had the player go flat on me yet it charges up whenever it's plugged through the USB, so I never have to worry about it. I only plug it in with the adaptor when I am in a hurry to charge it up, otherwise I wait till I am transferring files on it. It gives good playback life, although I haven't really timed it. All I know is I bring it with me on the road and after watching 2 or 3 movies, it's still not out. The auto-shutdown feature is great because there will be the occasion when you just forget to turn it off and you'll be glad that it didn't run flat because of that.

I uploaded photographs and although the quality of the pictures isn't perfect (you get that compressed look), it's more than sufficient to be able to view the photographs in detail. You can even rate your pictures so that you can view only pictures from a certain rating that you wish. Of course, the slideshow feature is always a good thing.

Plugging the player into the tv was easy! Once plugged in, your tv screen will reflect what is shown on the player. All you have to do is select your movie/music/photo slideshow and play as per normal! It's that simple!

A lot of people have complained about the size of it, though I admit it is a little bulky, I don't see the point of having a tiny player which will come with a tiny screen and then you won't be able to view much anyway. So for my viewing enjoyment, I'll gladly accept the size :)

Hope this has been helpful to you!

I have the old Zen Xtra MP3 player and I thought that would suffice, but after doing research and reading reviews, I just had to get it! The Creative Zen Vision W, 30 GB.

It was packaged well, and very easy to set up. Amazon does an excellent job of being competitive on price and delivery. (where else would I buy it from :) )

Picture quality excellent for it's size.

Sound quality is excellent

fun to play around with and marvel at it's compactness and function.

Removeable battery

Seamless integration of MP3 files.

Ability to play video, music, and show pictures on a TV because of RCA wire.

Software that comes with it is really easy to use and it works.

Downside: (very little) but maybe because it is new to the market.

I still would recommend purchasing, and I love mine. But real love for something has improvement recommendations right? Where here they are!

No docking station (at least I don't see one yet)

no remote control

no practical way to carry it on your persons, at least I don't see a case. Who wants to carry around a small black bag?

no way of moving to the next song without getting the screen finger marked if in your pocket.

small buttons, not good for fat fingers, but acceptable, just wish it had fast forward, back, pause on the side instead of the front.

I would prefer it another type of media card acceptace, or 3 in one card, beside buying the adapter.

WiFi would be the ultimate

Gets pretty hot in temperature if on and playing.

I am so very pleased with Creative Labs innovation and quality. Please keep it up! I think that this will be better than the ZUNE from Microsoft.

Tascam DR-07mkII Portable Digital Recorder Bundle with Headphones and Polishing Cloth

• Handheld portable recorder
• Adjustable stereo condenser microphones (XY or AB)
• Up to 96kHz/24-bit WAV (BWF) linear PCM recording
• Stereo MP3 recording from 32-320 kbps bit rate
• Reverb effect

I bought this recorder to record live gigs for my band. I was pleasantly surprised, as it has exceeded my expectations. In a nutshell:

The built-in microphones are extremely sensitive (both a pro and a con). Do not expect to be able to record a live event when you are holding the unit; the noise your hand/grip conducts into the shell of the recorder will will drown out whatever you are trying to record. However, if you tripod mount the unit, you will get exceptional sound quality and clarity.

Additionally, the built-in mics are extremely susceptible to wind. The first gig I tried this at was an outdoor concert on a mildly windy day (maybe 10 mph with gusts to 25 mph) and the recordings were unusable because of the wind noise. I have since bought a "wig" type wind screen from a company in Hawaii called "red headed wind screens", which took care of the issue. Now outdoor recordings, even in heavy wind, are no problem.

Aiming the built-in mics is a bit of an art. They are *very* directional. The first two times we tried it out I placed the tripod-mounted unit about 10 feet in front of the band (4-piece rock setup, Guitar & Amp, Bass & Amp, Drums, Keys & Amp).

-With the microphones in the "inside/crossed" position, all I picked up was the two guitars (Barely any vocals, keys, vocals and only picked up the cymbals on the drum kit).

-For the second set, I tried them in the "outside/spread" position. Then all I got were the keys and the vocals (through the PA) and basically nothing else.

-I've since learned to aim the mics so that left mic is pointing midway between the bass rig/drums, and point the right mic midway between the keyboard & lead guitar (also vocalist). I also make sure that one of the stage monitors (vocals) is pointing roughly at the right mic.

The menus are a bit confusing and the manual is typical "written in Asia and poorly translated". I'm pretty good with electronics, so I eventually figured it all out.

I found that the best setting to use for recording live rock performances is to let the unit automatically adjust the gain on the recordings. It works pretty well, but the first second or two of some songs gets distorted; after that the recordings are consistent at about 0db (+/3 db). If you had an operator for the unit during the show (I am the operator but I'm on stage performing), manually setting gain would probably get you cleaner recordings, since you could continuously dial-in the gain.

As originally stated, the sound quality is pretty amazing once you get it dialed in.

Overall, this is a great quality unit and I am highly pleased with my purchase.

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Equiso Smart TV

Stay away from this product is my advice, here is why. I backed this project on kickstarter, as it looked pretty good. When i received the product, i opened the box only to find the micro usb port in the remote had fallen out! Very cheap construction on the unit itself, and the remote. When i plugged in the unit to my TV, it would not connect to my wireless network. When i tried pressing the flimsy reset button on the side, it wasnt doing anything. It then became recessed into the unit, at which point i used a little screwdriver to push it. It stiill did nothing to reset the unit. Troubleshooting with them was a joke, and i was told to send it back. Once they received it, i got a couple of snarky emails asking me why there were marks on the reset button, which i explained to them. After 2 or 3 weeks, they finally emailed me to say that it was my fault, and they were not going to replace the unit. They offered me to purchase another unit from them! Needless to say, i was less than thrilled with their proposition.

I would like to save you all for making a horrible mistake in purchasing this product. I'm one of the original backers and it doesn't do nearly half of what they said it was going to.

The remote is cheaply made and I feel like I'm breaking it every time I use it.

The unit cannot use Plex even though they said it was going to be integrated. They do claim they will fix this in an upcoming software update...You know, the one we were supposed to get when we use it for the first time that now after almost a month is still not to be seen. (They did release a beta update but I can't tell a lick of difference)

YouTube works but you can't log in to it so you can't view your subscriptions. I couldn't care less about playing Angry Birds on this thing and that is hardly anything to use as a benchmark as just about any smartphone can play it. (Even the Nook Touch eBook reader can play it!)

Do yourself a favor and check out the comments on their kickstarter page. I'm not sure what the people who gave this thing a 5 star review were using but it likely is not the Equiso. (Either that or they work for Equiso)

Very dissatisfied with this thing and I would return it if I could.

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Product is great on paper, and some of the features are really good. But there are too many negatives, and the resulting product is a waste of money.

Good:

Remote/Keyboard is a great item. The gyroscopic movement is precise and easy to use. The keyboard is a bit stiff (the buttons are loud), but overall worked well.

Great for quickly setting up a TV to display a web page or Powerpoint slide deck.

Con:

Very poor/spotty wireless connectivity. I have 20 Mbps download on my wireless network using my laptop (that is sitting next to my TV). Equiso will barely break 1 Mbps. The result is you cannot watch high resolution videos that are streaming.

Slow processor. The hardware cannot run Plants vs. Zombies or Jetpack Joyride. The framerate drops off a cliff and no amount of tweaking options/settings will get the games to be playable.

Applications crash. The Android-native apps for Youtube, Hulu, and Pandora crash with too much frequency to be useful. Numerous other applications will display a "application not responding" error, but sometimes they recover without crashing.

Overall: Great concept but poor execution. Wait until the technology catches up so the promise of features can be delivered. Equiso aims high but misses the mark.

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I can't even give these away to my friends as they are unstable and build quality isn't great.

One of the Standard's USB ports fell off and if you search the EquisoForums you'll see Im not the only one. The Standards are plagues with wait/close popups and extreme lag. Even with root access, custom build.prop, speed tweaks it still runs horrible. The built-in WiFi is horrible so I had to use a USB Ethernet adapter but this kind of defeats the point of having such a portable device if I have to carry my USB AC Power adapter, USB Hub, USB Ethernet adapter, etc.

The Pro's on the other hand aren't laggy but thanks to the dual cores they run decent. The major gripe with the Pro's are they can't stream Netflix or Live Feeds across the Internet without major pixelation. Looks similar to 8bit resolution on a old PC.

Software updates:

Standard got a beta but it was pieces the community hacked up and they rolled it up into a update.zip file.

Pro Well, still haven't received anything.

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I got the standard version through kickstarter as it sounded like a great idea but when I eventually received the product it had taken so long that there were other products with better specs at around the same price if not cheaper.

Also the software on it is so buggy i could barely do the some things I wanted to do with it and other things I just plain couldn't do.

There are constant popups saying the application is not responding(wich you never see in any of the demonstration videos) which leads me to believe the device is underpowered for what its being asked to do, which leads me to why its bordering on a scam it was advertised as having a 1Ghz CPU when in fact the CPU is running at 800Mhz which they say is to keep the temperature down yet mine is still overheating even at a lower speed than it was advertised as running at.

When I informed them I was unhappy with the product and wanted a refund they simply said they are sorry Im unhappy with the product and left it at that.

So I am writing this review to give all fair warning that this is not a product to invest in and there are plenty of other products leaps and bounds better than this for around the same price point.

I hope this review saves others the disappointment it has caused me.

Samsung YP-MT6V 256 MB Digital Audio Player Black

• Supports MP3, WMA, ASF and Ogg files
• Built-in flash memory holds 256MB
• FM Tuner and recorder
• Line in & voice recording
• SRS WOW optimization

The Samsung YP-MT6V 256 MB is a perfect easy to use music player. The things that I like the most about it are its perfect compact size, and great stylish look. Also, whenever you are not around a computer, you can just hook it up to a cd player, or other music device that takes headphones and mp3 encode a song. It has a great sound and I think its much better than the same priced iPod Shuffle. Mainly because it can record voice, FM radio, you can record straight of a cd player, and you can see what you are listening to, unlike the no screen shuffle. The only disadvantage of the 256 mb player is the fact that it only holds 256 mb.

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The Samsung YP-MT6V 256 MB digital audio player is a superb mp3 player. It is able to play all types of codecs including ogg which was the big seller for me. It also has a root directory meaning all you have to do is copy your digital files directly to the player using windows explorer. You do not need to use some fancy program that complicates the process even more. The one "AA" battery is said to last up to 42 hours, and with the quality of sound and performance of this little gem that is remarkable. It also has an FM transmitter and a voice recorder. The factory headphones produce great sound, so overall this is a heck of a player. Easy to use, and a true digital media player. Highly recommended

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I like this unit very much. After my IRiver was stolen, I looked around for a replacement.

The unit is easy to use and comes with everything. The software is a bit unwieldy though. At first I had a split screen to rip songs and see what is on the player itself, but that went away and I don't feel like reinstalling to bring it back. Then you have to go to Windows Media Player (I use 9) to transfer the music over to the device.

I've gone to a another CD ripper and just drag the files over. Much faster and much easier.

I'm a runner and the screen is bright and clear. I like being able to lock the controls as they tend to get pushed when I run if I don't lock them.

The sound is really great with the ear buds and even better even using a cheap headset.

I bought a wireless transmitter (GE) to use in my car but you have to really crank the volume up to get anything out if it. I think this may be more a function of the transmitter.

Everything else about the unit is great. Samsung did a very nice job with this player and FM tuner.

I am a very satisfied user.

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I own a iBook G4, and copying songs from iTunes to this device was easy. I'm a ver exigent quality sound person and at first sight I was wanting t to buy an iPod Nano, but was very expensive for me. One Friend of mine toll me that this Samsung was very very good enough for his daugther so I gave it a chance, and I'm impressed!!

The only think that I had to do was update it's firmware (Downloades form Samsung's support page), but that was very very easy. Why? I like see Spanish menus on my devices and with it's original firmware (V.1.1) has problems, but with new one (V. 2.1) was working like a charm.

I reallu recomend this product!!! Great work Samsung Group!

P.D. If you want more great sound avoiding external sound, buy an earpad pair and put it over the the earpad that comes with this device!

NightOwl 8 Channel DVR Security System w/500GB HDD

Cameras: a lot of cheap fixed cameras are better than a couple of pan/zoom cameras, you want fewer perimeter blind spots and cameras in each other's field of view to capture tampering. 8 was about right for a house and garage, 4 might work for a condo. These are full of compromises, a license plate is difficult to read when the car fills the frame, and the LEDs cause a halo glare at night. But HD cameras would have cost twice as much. Blooming trips the motion detection algorithm. I didn't like black so I painted them to reduce overt big-brother feel.

Wires: Others say "cheap wires," I think that really means cheap connectors; I had a camera "die" less than 24 hours after installation, turned out to be the spring-loaded BNC connection.

DVR: Latest hack, from January 29 this year, no firmware update to address it. http://securityadvancement.com/2013/01/dvr-flaw-swann/ . Instructions poke too many holes, I opened fewer ports and changed the numbers from the instructions. Controlling it from a browser requires an unsigned activeX plug-in and defeating a lot of security settings on your computer, Windows wouldn't even let me over-ride to install the plug-in-ironic for a security product to be so indifferent to security. Installed NetViewer instead; NetViewer can't paste password from KeyPass manager so logging in is tedious.

I also wish there were two sensitivity thresholds and schedules, one for recording, and then a tighter screen for email/alarm; if it would even put the camera number in the subject line, I could use an email subject filter to pick the cameras I'm most interested in, but the other cameras would be available for forensics. Anyway, I set all the sensitivities to the lowest setting and had ten emails overnight.

Android App: Functional and helped a bunch for aligning the cameras. Annoyances: doesn't exit when you push the power button; I had to make two profiles one if I'm on the LAN and other if I'm outside on internet; and there's a pop-up to prevent you from leaving the app.

But when I can buy a package this cheap that does most of the good for so little of the cost, it's hard to justify spending more to protect a residence.

AGPtek® USB Portable Tape to MP3 Converter With Headphones

• Convert your old mix tapes and cassette to MP3 toPlayback on iPod/MP3 player or burn to CD. 3.5mmearphone jack. Plug and play USB device, no drivers required.
• Audio output enables you to listen on your stereo, headphones, or other speaker system. Audio editing software included. Rediscover your old cassette tapes on the go.
• Portable design fits in virtually any bag and enables you to play and transfer anywhere. Flexible battery or USB-powered operation. Comes with tape converter software to guide you through transfer.
• System Requirements: Pentium 4 1.7 GHz CPU or above, 512MB RAM or above, 1GB free HDD space, VGA card with 32MB memory, One available USB 2.0 port, CD-ROM for installation, Microsoft Windows 2000/ XP/ Vista/ Win 7.

It is Good for the price that I paid. I had just 1 cassette that I wanted to transfer to an MP3 file. It connects with Audacity to record the Audio file in your computer.

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It is a cheap little thing (you get what you pay for) but it has done what I required it to do. I can see where people would have some problems with the door popping open but it just needs to be handled gently. The only thing I would change is more detailed instructions on the software. I had to re-record about 10 tapes because none of them were saved.. Otherwise it is a useful device.

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I have 12 old tapes that I wanted to copy to my computer and I didn't want to spend a lot to do it. So I took a chance on this little device. It worked just fine. The software that came with it is not so good but the Sony Sound Forge software that I got with my USB Turntable worked with this device also so no problem getting my tapes recored. I can't say how long it might last but if you only have a few tapes you want to copy this will do the job.

VideoSecu 1 Pair Video Balun Network Transceiver with Video Audio Power Connectors 1EK

I have been using these Baluns for several weeks to connect to a 12v high resolution color underwater video camera through a 500' cat5e cable. Image is perfect and voltage drop isn't too bad(about 1/2v every 100 feet). Great buy at this price. (Make sure your source voltage is high enough to counter the voltage drop or you won't be able to power your camera)

I purchased video baluns that look like these from another company at a much higher price ($35.00). I thought I try these at half the cost an after they arrived I found them to be in a different package and both were made in China, identical right down to the stickers. I have used these for at least 5 months now and the quality of video is great.

Why pay more for the same product, I highly recommend these.

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It is nice to know I can just pull Cat5 wires and have audio, video, and power ready.

These things worked perfectly, it is the only way I'll ever set up CCTV again for the rest of my life. I ran one stretch of wire almost 300 feet through conduit to my gate at the beginning of my driveway to catch license plates.

Checking the video coming in through this and coming in over the standard 60' cables with just Audio/power there seems to be less noise and interference going over Cat5. foolish to not use these!!!

The only downside is the size of the unit with the BNC connection fastened to it. not a big deal.

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I bought four of these and all four worked perfect. What a time saver. Much easier than dealing with BNC cables and connectors.

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I ordered a competing video balan which arrived DOA. I got 5 of this balun and they all worked as expected. The video quality is excellent over all of my Cat 5 runs (my longest is about 80 ft). Easy to hook up. Great price relative to others I saw. Highly recommend.

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Olympus TP-7 Telephone Recording Device - OLY-145051 - TP7

The accompanying video review provides an example of sound quality from recording made by this mic. It also describes another way to use this beyond recording phone calls.

BTW, it's not just for use with an Olympus recorder. For example, to create the comparison I used a TASCAM PR-10 Portable Digital Audio Recorder (Black).

Bottom line, good value, especially given there aren't many choices.

BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews, accompanied by detailed videos, can take the place of first-hand experiences that are often lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and try to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and the video at least entertaining. If there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.

Great device for recording conference calls or discussing requirements for applications. You don't have to focus on taking notes and conversing with the client at the same time. Recording allows you to prepare more detailed notes while reviewing the conversation later. Also, reduces the number of phone calls to the client to verify what was said.

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The device records very well. The earpiece is a little uncomfortable initially, but after a while (say ten minutes into the conversation) I didn't feel it any more. The big complaint is the recording level. Needs some sort of "volume control" to limit the recording level. Overall, it's a great device. Way better than the way-expensive Dynatech that I had purchased, which no longer works.

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The Olympus LS 10 is a very nice recorder, and a definite upgrade from an older and less expensive model I have had for several years. The only problem I am having is that I specifically bought the LS 10 to record client telephone consultations and there are some problems with recording calls. I bought a Radio Shack adapter to work between the telephone and the LS 10, but there was a voltage feedback noise that came through on the recording. Olympus tech service advised me to stop using the Radio Shack adapter as it could damage the LS 10. Their solution was to sell me a passive device called a TP7 which is an annoying ear plug that you wear in your ear between the phone handset and your ear. This is not comfortable and you cannot switch ears without changing the earpiece too. So although I like the recorder, I would advise looking for a different product if you want to record telephone calls.

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Coby 2 GB Sports MP3 Player with FM Radio (Red/Black)

• High contrast LCD display with backlight
• Integrated FM radio and recorder
• Integrated microphone for digital voice recording
• Plays MP3 and WMA digital music files/Plays digital music from most online stores and subscription services
• ID3 and LRC support for song and synchronized lyric information display

After two months it stop working, I will check if I can still use the warranty.

I cannot even turn it on to listen music. However, I can connect it to the computer and use it as a usb disk (a very expensive one).

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I recently had the opportunity to get two of these through my Pepsi points. The entire checkout process was simple and the shipping was pretty darn quick...I received them in a matter of 2-3 days. The Coby's are packaged nicely, with everything sorted into little baggies that you can reuse if you so desire. Not a bad idea, I think. My MP3 players came with the power cord, headphones, armband and even a battery so you can use your player right out of the box. Now THAT was nice of them! Right away I got to using my players and the accessories. They rate as follows.

Pros: Great size. The Coby is small and light enough to use during physical activities, but not so small that it makes reading the screen difficult. The screen is a decent size and features a pretty good display system. There's a good set of options which even include changing the backlight color. That may not be important to some, but to others, the aesthetics are a plus. The player is pretty durable, my daughter having dropped hers many times over, and yet it still works like new. The 2GB storage is perfect for me and even my daughter, holding a great deal of music. Of course it may not hold your entire music library, but it will certainly hold enough for several hours of listening pleasure, depending on the file size of course. As for the MP3s themselves, you can load your music easily and even sort them into your own created folders if you like. It's really just drag and drop music files. Simple as that.

Cons: The headphones are a waste. Not only do they sound terrible, by the looks of the size of them, they're meant for a giant's ears. So, not only do they sound awful, they're also uncomfortable and they won't stay in your ears. The armband is kinda cheesy. It's a great idea in theory, but with how it's adjustable, there's so much extra "band" that it not only is uncomfortable, but it just looks plain stupid. I don't see many people getting much use out of it, to be honest. On the plus side, the Coby does have a spot to attach a lanyard to it, which would be better than the armband anyway.

All in all, I'd rate this a 4/5. It's definitely worth the price and isn't a bad little MP3 player.

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Good Overall Player, Good Price, Very easy to use, Good FM Tuner and Recorder function that few players have. Only complaints are: 1the headphones are too big to fit my ears, the cable tends to get very tangled, there is no quick release of the headphone leash to the player

2-The armband came in a cream color that did not match in my opinion the player color, black would have been better.

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It is really good for the price.

The 2 GB size is great, especially with the FM radio built in.

Will someone please make one with AM as well.

I do wish that it had a clip on the back in addition to the eye on the top.

You really need a rechargable battery with it.

It goes through the single AAA battery fairly quickly.

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After reluctantly steeping into the MP3 player world I looked around for a cheap intro player. After several useless ipod rip off models from eBay I went with this player. I like the fact that it can record ambiently (not great sound, but decent) and has an FM player. I thought it might last four-six months, but it's been more like a year and going strong with heavy usage. I'm still happy with it in general, and for what I spent on it, very happy.

Goods:

-Plenty of storage for me (I listen to about 8+ albums and thirty+ podcasts at any one time)

-Data storage capability is nice

-Small, super light

-Simple to navigate

Bads:

-The fact that it takes a AAA battery may be a pain for some, but I just got a 4-pack of rechargables, and I could care less. When it runs out I can put a new one in and keep listening while the other charges unlike a built in battery.

-Navigation knob is easily moved unintentionally

-I'm suprised the flimsy battery flap hasn't broken or been lost yet, it tends to fall off.

-Display light doesn't stay illuminated nearly long enough, easy to re-illuminate though.

Hope this helps.

-N9

Jwin Electronics JD-VD138 Compact 2 Channel Progressive Scan DVD Player

• 2 Channel Progressive Scan DVD Player
• Progressive Scan With Digital Coaxial Audio Output
• Multi Media DVD/SVCD/ VCD/JPEJ/KODAK Picture CD
• Built -In Dolby Digital Decoder
• Video Disc Playback System-NTSC/PAL

I will be returning my Jwin JD-VD138 DVD player. The video is jerky, and the spoken tracks get a bit off from the video at times. This does not make the disks unwatchable, but it is very distracting. For one of the disks I tried, "Head in the Clouds" (ASIN B0006J27WO), the menu cursor did not render although the menu worked if you counted the number of times you pushed the arrows.

These issues were clearly the fault of the DVD player and not the disks or the rest of my set up. I have tried other players with the same disks, TV (a Zenith Z23LZ5R 23" LCD Widescreen, ASIN B0007MGCLM), stereo receiver, and speakers. I always use the component (YCbCr) video and the digitial audio outputs. The Sony DVPNS75H DVD player (ASIN B000EDK8V4) I immediately replaced this Jwin with has none of the problems I just mentioned. Of course the Sony is about $100 (4x) more expensive, so I guess you get what you pay for.

To be fair, my JWIN did "work." It played every disk I tried. I had no problems with it not opening as others have. In the short time I had it, it never skipped. I would give it one star, but given how cheap it is, I give it two. It probably deserves 1.5 stars. Of course, I had it only a day before I replaced it, so I do not know if it would have broken in a month. Maybe it really deserves zero stars.

Panasonic DMP-BDT320 Integrated Wi-Fi 3D Blu-ray DVD Player

**Upfront advice:

if you're looking for excellent disc playback and streaming performance, buy this player.

This is my fourth network streaming BD player in the past 15 months, and it's the only one that seems to do everything right.

**Positives:

Wireless streaming totally works on the BDT320. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon have not given me any problems. No rebuffers, no freezes, no disconnections. This was my single biggest complaint about the other players I tried (two Samsungs and one LG).

The player's picture quality from discs is excellent, for either Blu Ray or DVD (the DVD picture is surprisingly good, actually).

This thing is fast -faster than the other three players I had. It's fast to load, and fast to navigate. The menus are clean, polished and responsive. Even the streaming app menu responds quickly, although the Netflix app itself is rather slow.

Build quality is quite good, and the design is very attractive and unique.

**Negatives:

There's really only one, and it's minor: the remote uses a touchpad that can be tricky. I applaud the concept, because it's a great way to control the player without having to look at the remote. And it does work...sort of. It's just too inconsistent, sometimes missing gestures, and other times responding incorrectly to gestures. Also, some of the player functions are accessible only through the touchpad using onscreen menus. This means that there's no way to teach these commands to a universal remote, so accessing them will require several button presses instead of one.

All in all, the remote hasn't been an issue. I use a Harmony One universal remote, and although the code set for the BDT320 isn't yet in the Harmony online database, by using the code set from last year's Panasonic BD players I was able to get most of the functionality of the BDT320's stock remote. As I noted above, some functions are menu driven, so the remote can't learn them, but on the upside, using last year's player codes gave me buttons not available on the BDT320 remote such as Eject and discrete On and Off.

**Unknown:

I have not attempted to play burned DVD media, and I don't do network (DLNA) or hard-drive streaming (such as for DiVX files) so I can't comment on any of this.

**Bottom line:

For user-friendly, high-quality playback of discs and streamed content, this player is a winner. As an early adopter, I paid $180.00, and I definitely believe I got my money's worth.

For newest updates please read down to bottom...

I have just spent the last few hours having fun with my new Panasonic 320 and am excited to replace my Samsung BD-D6500. Good Riddance!

First of all, I have to say I like the remote overall. It seems that this little device seems to generate the only well-founded criticism of this player. It is a little strange to have a remote without a button covering every possible function of the player. After getting over this fact the remote was surprisingly easy to use and setup was a breeze. You can always hit a single button and bring up a virtual keypad onscreen. So even if you don't memorize the swipes you can always cheat by hitting one simple button.

The form factor and look is great! The player is TINY. It's very thin and very shallow. So I had to find a prop to go under the rear legs of a component that rests on top. Also you have to leave the front inch or so on top clear as there are top-mounted buttons. Optimally this player should sit at the top of a component stack. But my other device has a curved surface so...

Setup and initial configuration was simple and easy. This applies to Netflix login too. Again super-easy. I saw another review where someone complained about the lack of alpha keys on the remote and another complaint about network logon/ Netflix login difficulties. I have no idea what these people were doing to make their situation so difficult. Its really not hard. Also the initial software update went smooth, taking about 10 minutes to complete. I had no need for the owners manual throughout my setup process though some might need to reference it.

Netflix loads very quickly and the menu navigation is easy. Also the video quality while streaming is great. Not one single,"Rebuffering," as my Samsung used to do several times over the course of shows. Blu-rays load very quickly and I found that menu navigation within the disc was smooth and easy. At this point I really began to love the remote swipe and tap functionality.

I am very happy with my purchase so far and really appreciate Panasonic building such a great and simple player. I was almost convinced that Blu-ray was a joke technology and streaming was going to be terrible at best. This player has restored my faith in this area of consumer electronics!

UPDATE: The correct App in Apple's App Store that is compatible with this player is "Panasonic Blu-ray Remote 2012." Trying to use the 2011 version is of no use with this player. There are a bunch of negative App reviews that come from people who, I believe, are maybe using the wrong version of the app. Maybe Panasonic will merge the different editions.

Also it took me 5 minutes to explain the remote's operation to my wife. That makes two of us who can use it easily now.

Still love this little player and no hiccups. I experimented with family photos on an SD Card and all went easy.

*** Update 4/28Still love this player. No issues with it at all. Its very stable. Love the remote and the response time for loading discs and apps. Using Amazon Instant in addition to Netflix. Love it. The picture is AWESOME!!!

*** Update 5/28I am revising my review way down!!!

About a week and a half ago I started experiencing issues with the player losing connection with the internet. We'll be watching a show on Amazon or Netflix, then suddenly the image will disappear and I get a message that the player cannot connect to the internet. After dealing with this about 8-9 times and unplugging to reset and get a working connection again, I called Panasonic support. (I note that during this time none of our other connected devices like Wii and iPad have any issues.)

The rep was very courteous and I connected with him fast. He had me go through a software reset process and explained that there was a firmware update that occurred that resulted in the connection problems. He told me that they were taking a ton of calls over it. After completely resetting I had to go back through the apps and reenter all my login info for my streaming services. It took forever with Pandora, Netflix, Amazon etc all requiring a re-login. So its been reliable for a couple(2) days then, all of a sudden, the same gremlins return with frequent dropped connections require an unplug, replug to connect.

I'm very letdown after writing a great review following a terrific experience with the player. Although I have had no issues with discs, the streaming part of the player has failed to live up to its promise.

*** Update 6/3/12OVER IT!!! Panasonic support has been terrible. I have spoken with multiple reps in an attempt to resolve the streaming issues. THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH MY WIRELESS NETWORK. Talk about playing the blame game. The support techs are inept to say the least. I had one real interaction prior to my 5/28 update. The rest have been canned, scripted finger pointing at everyone from my ISP to Cisco. Every other product in the house works on wireless. This includes Roku streaming, Wii streaming, iPad streaming, iphone streaming. The issue is this. The player loses connection midpoint during a show (Netflix, Amazon, Pandora.) I go into the settings menu and lo and behold there is no network detected. Unplug from power, replug, back up and running until the next fail. I have revised to one star as a very highly touted function of the unit does not work as advertised. This unit will now be used for disc only and streaming will happen with my old Roku device.

*** Update 9/26/12

So I pretty much wrote off the unit as disc only but I didn't toss it out. I downloaded firmware update 1.4X last week and now it is streaming very well. There have been no other changes in my network or hardware. Over the past week we have had no dropped connections and the wireless issue seems resolved (knock on wood). Both Amazon Instant and Netflix are performing as designed. I moved to 2 stars and if this continues I will revise up again. I still loathe the support team that doesn't know how to troubleshoot or correctly support the product and only knows how to point the finger at other factors, but the product seems to be ok.

*** Update 11/2/12

The streaming has been mostly stable since the 1.4 firmware update. I have had maybe 3 drop issues from Amazon, but no Netflix issues. I am moving to 3 stars. I also ordered the remote control for the DMP-BDT220 from Panasonic's website for easier remote operation. It was only $9.00 and is perfectly compatible.

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I purchased this unit from Amazon last week. The DMP-BDT320 is extremely lightweight and sleek.

The setup seemed simple. My plan was to hard wire the internet using a LAN connection and not to the wireless since LAN speeds are faster. After fumbling with the mouse pad remote for a few minutes, I soon realized it is ultra sensitive. Only a slight sweep across the pad works. After following the screen setup instructions everything worked. I didn't even have to mess with the setup for the LAN it was already on and working at least I that's what I thought.

I connected to the internet by touching the internet button on the remote. By the way, the remote also has a separate NETFLIX button which is quite nice actually. I then setup my existing NETFLIX account without any apparent issues. I then tried the internet and watched a couple of You-Tube videos. Then inserted a Blue-ray movie into the player. The sequence is the same as if you were inserting a DVD into a auto dash unit. The movie started fast much quicker than my previous Blue-ray unit. I then discovered the remote apparently does not have an eject button. Back to the manual only to discover you must touch an eject button on top of the unit in order to release the Blue-ray disc.

I turned the unit off and a few minutes later decided to test watch a NETFLIX movie. I soon found out NETFLIX's streaming selections are terrible maybe one out of 20 fairly new DVD releases might be offered. So, if you are considering a NETFLIX streaming account for purely economic reasons you might want to think again. I personally am going back to the mail program and a much better selection of newer movies. Anyway, after I turned the unit back on I could not get my LAN connection to work. After gaining some insight from googling a few online sites, I determined the DMP-BDT320 has to be connected to your home network. This of course requires network instructions from your computer and cablemodem/router. The DMP-BDT320's instruction manual does not offer any insight on connecting to the internet using a LAN connection via a home network. I guess I'll get that done later. I have no idea why the player recognized the LAN at the time of my initial setup. I went ahead and connected by wireless through the unit's setup instruction. Setup was easy and after inputting my router's WEP security code, the wireless connection was solid and steady.

I had difficulty getting the unit to connect me to my existing NETFLIX account. I kept getting an error message. I went back to my computer and my NETFLIX account online. NETFLIX's online instruction said I needed to obtain an "activation" code from my Blue-Ray player. I went back to the player and could not come up with any screen that gave me a NETFLIX activation code.

I called Panasonic support and had difficulty getting a phone connection. When I finally did, the representative said that since I had setup the unit already, the activation code would not be displayed again unless I "reset" the player. That sounded reasonable but they gave me reset instructions for another Panasonic unit because their instructions discussed buttons and features on a remote that I did not have. I called back again. Panasonic support again me reset instructions for a unit other than the DMP-BDT320. I tried again and this time was elevated to a third level support desk. This person finally supplied me with the reset instructions for the DMP-BDT320. For those interested here are the instructions which will reset the DMP-BDT320 back to a new factory unit:

Turn off the electricity or power to the DMP-BDT320 (Player) wait a minute and then replug the chord back into the wall outlet or electrical strip.

Do not turn on the power to the unit using the remote.

Using the remote, press the "Key" Button along with the "B" and "Y" buttons at the same time for about 10 seconds or until the players screen displays "00 RET."

Immediately press the "R" button until the player's screen rolls over into the "08 FIN" display.

When "08 FIN" is displayed, hold down the "G" button until the screen says "Hello."

When the screen says "Goodbye" you are finished. The player will turn itself off and the unit will have been reset.

After I reset the unit, I went back and sure enough the player asked me instructions as if I was turning on and programming the DMP-BDT320 for the first time. Please remember this has nothing to do with setting the unit to the "default" setting which is available on the remote and player setup. That command does not bring the machine back to first time use.

Lastly, I returned to NETFLIX only to find out my NETFLIX account settings were in error and I did not even need to input an activation code. I guess knowing how to reset the machine was worth the trouble.

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I have been looking for something to replace my ps3 for streaming videos/blu-ray playing as well as something that supports Amazon Prime video streaming. This thing fit that niche perfectly for me. Not only can it stream videos but it can do it wireless without the annoying stuttering I used to get with my PS3 when streaming HD files wireless within my home network. The interface for Amazon Prime videos is pretty nice and since it is a blu-ray player I played a few from my collection to test it out and well.... it plays. Very easy to set up and being it is only half the size (depth) of a conventional blu-ray player is a plus.

The only thing I can see that might be a problem though is the remote. It's not like a regular remote since it has that swipe pad in the center of it. It really limits what you can do since you need to go to different screens within the interface instead of simply clicking a button on the remote. Having to navigate around instead of just having a button to push is going to irritate some people.

UPDATE: Universal remote works fine with this unit, eject works as well so the remote that comes with it gets put in the drawer along with the rest of them.

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This machine is exactly the same as the 220 model but it has 1) a slot loading drive and 2) a fancy remote with a touchpad and minimal buttons.

No real complaints about the slot loader. It looks sleeker but it's otherwise immaterial. I would note that there's a flip-down panel on the front and mine broke the first week under normal usage. Now the panel is stuck in the down position which ruins the sleek look they're going for. Pretty poor design and engineering. The size/shape is also non-standard and it doesn't lend itself to have other AV devices stacked on top of it.

My main gripe is the touchpad remote. It sounds like a good idea but it doesn't work well at all. It's not precise and mis-reads your gestures. It also requires the screen to be on so you can see the available menu choices. This is hugely annoying if you've already turned off the TV and/or only want to listen to audio CDs. There's no eject button or any of the other choices you're accustomed to on a remote (forward, rewind, pause). My Bluray player is in my cabinet at above-eye-level so it's really hard to find the eject button on the player by fishing around on top. I completely regret buying this and I wish Panasonic would offer free BDT220 Remotes to anyone stuck with these awful things.

Traditional remotes with dedicated buttons are tried and true. There's no reason to change the format. This seems like somebody at Panasonic had an invention in search of a purpose. If I needed fancy, pointless gadgetry that actually made my life *more* complicated, I'd shop at Brookstone.

Second rant: It's hard to type/navigate the on-screen keyboard with this thing (also true of the BDT220). Using Netflix and other online applications that require typing is painful via this remote. Instead of adding a pointless enhancement that does nothing for the users, they should have had a small flip-up (or slider) QWERTY keyboard in the remote ... like some of the smartphones have.

The other aspects of the player are fine, as expected. But I can't give this product a decent rating considering how poorly designed the hardware and UI are.

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