Microphone Recorder

We have had one of these little mics for years. I used it as a travel toy in the car and on airplanes (though it is hard to hear it over the hum of the engines). My kids have played with it on and off. They enjoy saying silly things and then hearing their voice played back.

Thanks guys, the shipping was fast and it reminds me where I'm parked :) handy little thing.. Initially bought it as a present but decided to keep it lol

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This toy is a lot of fun for the price. My kids played it with it for almost a week, which is more life than the majority of their toys get.

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I bought a few dozen of these to hand out at a 7 year old's birthday party. All the kids seemed to get a kick out of them and the gifts were a big heat so I couldn't be happier.

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I'm not sure if this was meant to be a toy or not, but the kids seem to like it so thats all I can ask for. Also, the clarity of the recording isn't half bad for such a small device.

2GB LCD Digital Audio Voice Recorder Dictaphone MP3 Player

voice recorder has lots of uses. the instructions are a little vague, but adequate. this recorder even records telephone calls.

I had read the reviews for the 4GB version of this, and read that it is great foreveryday use.

I found that it is very slow to start up, and neaerly 5 seconds pass before it starts recording. There is also no brand, so I had nothing else to reference but the small booklet (which is very unhelpful) that came with it.

The main reason I bought this was for the MP3 fomat, but I couldn't figure out how to change the recording format, and like I said, the booklet that it came with was terrible.

Another thing was, neither my laptop nor my work desktop recognized the device, so I was not able to transfer the files. By recognize, I mean even popping up as a USB device.

I do not recommend this item.

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Panasonic PV-GS300 3.1MP 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I've only had this camera for a few days, but I am quite pleased with it.

Before buying this camera, however, take a look at what else is out there. This camera sits in a very strange place between consumer cameras and pro level (or at least prosumer) cameras.

While it has some excellent features like 3 CCDs (so it captures richer color), optical image stabilization, and fully manual controls; it also lacks certain desirable qualities such as a real focus ring (it has manual focus, but it's joystick driven and imprecise), a headphone jack (although it does have line-level audio out), and the ability to pass analog video through to digital video.

To get all those features, you'd need to spend about $200 $300 more on something like the PV-GS500. For $200 $300 less, you can get a very comparable camera that simply omits the 3CCDs and has digital image stabilization.

What those extra features give you, however, is a richer picture with less noise and more detail, and a much more stable handheld image. You will especially notice the richer image detail if you edit your video in the built in software or iMovie or Final Cut or whatever you use. You can make much broader color and image adjustments on the picture from this camera than you could with a 1-CCD camcorder.

Personally, I am very pleased with this camera. I very much like the controls (although I definitely recommend trying out the Panasonic-style joystick control before buying -some people can't stand it, although I think it's definitely the way to go). The ability to go full manual permits me to take excellent shots in low light, backlit, or otherwise strange situations. The auto mode, however, takes care of 99% of what I need, and does a surprisingly good job managing white balance and shutter speed.

The only things that makes me give this camera less than five stars are the manual focus, which requires that you be in full manual mode and also requires two button presses (one on the side of the camera, and then you adjust using the joystick), rather than being entirely joystick-driven as all the other manual controls are; and the AC adapter/battery charger which can EITHER charge the battery or power the camera, but cannot do both at the same time. Expect to buy a separate charger for long shoots.

Got this for $480. There is no new camcorder on this planet and at this price which can give you better quality.

The 3CCD capture colors and detail like nothing in this price range. I've compared this to the Sony DVD403 camcorder and the GS300 is light years away. One reason why the GS300 is so much better than the Sony DVD403 in the same price range is because the Sony uses 1 chip. 1 chip will not be able to reproduce the colors realistically.

This past weekend I've shot footage at the NOPI XBOX at MIR in Maryland with a home made shoulder stabilizer and everyone who has seen it told me that I can make DVDs and sell them (it was that good).

A big feature is OIS. Optical image stabilization. Unlike EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) OIS does not degrade the picture quality. EIS is found in lower end camcorders.

Some reviewer complained about the RCA output. I recommend making DVDs or using S video. Why would you buy a camcorder that can produce such high quality video and then try to run this in via RCA? Everyone has a DVD player or Xbox or PS2 that can play them, and a blank DVD is 22 cents. I've looked at the RCA and S video quality and you can tell S video is better. Me personally I just make DVDs.

The camcorder has a ton of manual controls for gain, IRIS, white balance, etc.

For low lighting conditions the camcorder will not do so good as some Hi8 camcorders I've used. Here is a BIG TIP. Shoot in manual and adjust the gain down and shutter speed (you have to adjust the shutter first). The reason people get sucky low light video is because they have it on AUTO and the picture is boosted through the roof to 18Db which adds a lot of noise. Shooting in manual and adjusting the noise down then brightening up the video in post with you favorite NLE is the same way the pros do it.

The number 1 accessory to get is a UV filter. It is cheap insurance to protect the lights and blocks out the UV ray which can make the video look purple. Then get a polarizer to make the colors look natural and give it a nice contrast.

Another thing you may want to get unless you have it is Sony Vegas 6. Best $100 ever spent. Renders super fast, does not crash (like Ulead and Premier). Easy to learn (unlike Premier). Best NLE I've used.

I would recommend getting an additional battery so you can record more.

I've used the multi RCA SVideo cable and I don't find any problems with it.

Using the firewire you can write back your edited video on the MiniDv tape. Nice feature for archival purposes. I just edit and then make DVDs.

The fact that you can transfer using USB makes it a bonus (there is no qulaity loss if you go USB or Firewire).

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When shopping for a camcorder, you have to realize that at this price point there are going to be compromises. According to all the reviews, this is one of the best at this level. I've had it for about a month now, and I can't imagine that there is anything out there better than this and comparably priced. Here are my likes and dislikes:

The Good:

price (obviously)

picture quality outdoors is excellent. Beautiful color and clarity. The lens seems to be extremely sharp. Should be, it's a Leica, but these days Leica is throwing their name on a lot of low-end (relatively) consumer cameras and camcorders with varying results.

I like the joystick control. Some people don't, but I'm a big fan. Makes selecting options very fast.

Reasonable battery life. Third party extended life batteries are inexpensive, I recommend getting one.

Menus are fairly easy to navigate. You do need to spend some time familiarizing yourself with all the options, but this will be time well-spent and you only need to do it once.

The Bad:

Low-light performance is good but not great. I'm not sure how it compares to others, but some reviews mention that the Sony model in the same price range is superior in this regard. If you're going to do a lot of indoor shooting check into this carefully.

Manual focus is done with the joystick. Focusing with the joystick is AWFUL..an exercise in frustration. Panasonic really goofed here, this camera needs a focusing ring like a baby needs a mother. To me this is the most serious drawback of this camera. If not for this I'd give it 5 stars.

Auto white balance can be a little slow to kick in, but seems to work well otherwise.

This camera is just too small and light to hold steadily.

Manual is one of the worst I've ever seen, takes several reads to get through. A background in still photography helped me immensely in understanding some of the manual features, but I feel sorry for those who open this manual without some kind of previous experience. On the other hand, if you're just going to turn it on and shoot in automatic mode all the time it's not an issue.

Overall, I'm convinced this camera is a great deal. The only serious flaw is the lack of a focus ring, everything else is just a function of the compromises you have to expect in this price range. In good light the picture quality is outstanding, so if you're shooting mainly outdoors this is the one for you.

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I bought this camcorder after returning a Cannon Elura 100 for motor noise. The Panasonic PV-GS300 is virtually silent and you can't hear the motor noise during playback on the computer or TV. The camcorder has good sound and video quality. The indoor quality is not as good as I expected, a little dark, but outdoor video is very good and vivid. Overall a good camcorder and I would recommend buying it.

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I bought this camera after looking at several others and must admit the price-point for the features was a key selling point.

We don't do as much videotaping as we did when the kids were younger, but with two in sports we're doing more and more again.

I have started taking a lot of still pictures with it as well and wound up putting a 1gB SD Card in it, giving us a pretty high capacity for photos in addition to 1 hr of video tape.

The ability to use it as a still camera both stand-alone as well as while videotaping is nice, the picture quality thus far has been outstanding and the "needed" features are sufficient. Sound is as good as one could expect and once one plays with the camera for a few hours, it's use is quite simple and playback/transfer is equally easy.

The zoom range is adjustable at either 25:1 or 700:1 and while one would never be able to use an image zoomed in 700x, the 25x zoom is quite good and the variable speed of the zoom at 25:1 is more than adequate.

Battery consumption is good a 1hr tape and the standard battery are fairly close. I also bought a non-Panasonic extended battery which gives a far longer capacity. With still photos, it eats up that battery far more quickly!

One thing I would like to see a little better is the image stabilization, as when zooming in, the shake is magnified and when using much of any zoom, the small size makes it difficult to hold steady. I put it on a tripod and that solves the problem, but years ago in the larger full-size VHS cameras, the stabilization was better.

Over-all, this camera has been everything I hoped for and would heartily recommend it to anyone looking for a 3-CCD camera in the lower price ranges.

ViewSonic 8-Inch Digital Media Album with Auto On/Off Light Sensor (VFM820-70)

I love this frame way too much! I have bought several digital photo frames before and this is by far the best. The display and picture quality is flawless, I really like the color and the feel of it (does not feel cheap), easy to set up, the light sensor is really handy, and the background music option is definitely worth the extra money. I cannot think of anything that I would improve about it; it is the perfect product. The step down of this model is the VFD820-70, which I have gifted before, but this one looks a lot better, has a better feel, and is just an overall much better value. If you are unsure about buying this, do not hesitate. You will not regret it!

It may be small but photos display extremely clear. Not intuitively easy to setup though. Prefers landscape photos over portraits, because of the screen orientation. Portraits are fit to the screen so you have empty space on both sides of the photos.

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Very easy to use, I just put in the memory card right out of my camera and the pictures started to display. The resolution is very good but the sound for videos is not so good. Nice/Clean design. Bottom line for under $50, this is a good deal.

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Perfect for monitoring anyone sick or dying in your home..Even allows night vision!

Easy Portability and set up. Best Ever purchase!

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Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote

Prior to getting this remote, I have had a separate remote to control my TV, VCR, DVD Player, AV Receiver, and Cable box. I had gotten used to having to switch between remotes to do different things. My TV, DVD, Receiver and VCR are all Sony, so I did get multiple uses out of some, since each remote could be programmed to control another Sony device; however it was still a bit cumbersome.

That was until I got this remote. I have messed with universal remotes in the past, and only got so-so performance and functionality out of them, but this one was different. The set up was long, but was pretty easy to do; the hardest thing in fact was getting behind my entertainment center, and having to lift up some of my peripherals to get the model numbers which is essential in order to have this remote work properly. Another thing about the setup is that you need to be a bit technically savvy because the software does ask you questions about what input your TV needs to be on for different devices to work, as well as what settings the receiver needs to be on. It was pretty simple for me, but others who are not familiar with how the devices work together will have problems. The literature says that it has over 5000 models, and for me all of my devices were recognized, even my XBOX 360 is now able to be controlled from this remote, something I did not expect it would be able to do. For me I can control every one of my devices directly from one remote, while all buttons on the remote do not match up directly with all the buttons on my receiver remote, the Harmony has a bright LCD screen to control every function on my receiver and every other device in my setup, for example because of the DVD player model number I supplied it, it knows my DVD player is a 5 disc changer the remote's LCD screen has the ability to switch between each DVD.

The Harmony comes with setup software and a USB cable so you can connect it directly to your PC in case you need to run the setup software again to tweak the settings and actions on the remote. If you want to control a different device in your setup, all you have to do is press the "Device" button on the remote and scroll through the LCD screen to select the device you want to control, and the remote basically turns into the remote for the selected device. If you choose to control the cable box, then remote knows to turn the channels through the cable box, and not the TV, if you control the DVD player, the remote can play the DVD, eject, go to the DVD menu...you get the point. While this is cool, the coolest thing about the Harmony is the one touch activity buttons, which is perfect for people who are tired of having to do many things just to do one thing, or for people who simply don't know what to do. These "Activity" buttons do everything that needs to be done by only pressing a single button. For example, before the Harmony, if I wanted to watch a movie on my TV, I had to have

1) The receiver set to DVD,

2) The TV set to input 5

3) DVD player needs to be turned on.

Now I am able to do all of this with the simple press of the "watch movie button" on the remote, pressing this button will do all the above steps for you. The default action for these buttons is turning all other devices off, so pressing the "watch movie" button turned my cable box off, which is not what I wanted to happen, no problem, I just went into the setup software and tweaked the DVD action to leave the Cable Box on. Plugged my remote to my PC, pressed "update remote" and after few moments, the new actions are programmed to the remote.

What about other activities that don't have a specific button on the remote for it, say for example, I want to play the XBOX 360. No problem, Just press the "More activities" button and the LCD screen displays all the actions you can do with your given devices. So for me to play the XBOX360, I just press "More Activities" scroll down to and select "play XBOX360", and the Harmony does the following automatically

1) The TV goes to Input 5

2) The Receiver goes to "TV"

3) The XBOX 360 turns on

4) The Cable box stays on

5) And if they are on, the DVD, and VCR player turns off

pretty cool huh?

I am very satisfied and pleasantly surprised with the performance and functionality of the Harmony. It is literally replaced all of my other remotes, which will save me in batteries. I originally thought I would still need my other remotes for not so obvious things I might want to set, but it seems like the Harmony can control everything you might need to do. Of course there would be a slight learning curve in figuring out the buttons, but all of the basic and even some not so basic things can easily be controlled through the Harmony.

If you are getting this for someone who has no idea how TV's, receivers, DVD, VCR players work together then they will have problems setting the remote up, and if you are able, do them a BIG favor of setting it up for them. After its set up properly, I think anyone would be able to use it with the ease of the one touch activity buttons. Now even my wife can watch a DVD when I'm not in the house without having to call me all the time.

I originally was going to give this remote 4 stars because of the potentially complicated setup process for some consumers, but once the remote is set up properly, I don't think it could get any simpler. The ease of use and functionality after the setup process is near perfect, therefore the Harmony 670 gets 5 stars! What a great product.

I purchased this item at the local store because I was tired of doing the remote control shuffle. All of my remotes are multi item programmable but none of them carried all the codes for all my devices. Store had it on sale for 129 so a comparable device. Programming was very easy. A few clicks, entering model #s. It only choked at my receiver which is a slightly older one. But after a few questions and pressing a few buttons on the original remote it was set up and ready to go. I am controlling a SDTV, Satellite box, 2 dvd Players, cd changer and a A/V receiver. I frequently use both DVD players for DVD-Audio or SACD playback so going into advanced functions for both players and the Receiver is a must. Very easy to find what I was looking for and using the remote is very easy to learn.

My drawback is the volume. I use the receiver for volume on everything and if I use the programmed activity keys it is ok, but once I have to get into the advanced features of each device I lose volume control until I go back to the receiver, but than at that point I lose dvd/cd control. Pressing one of the smart keys tends to solve the problem but I wish there was a way to make the volume always locked onto the reciver, no matter what the device.

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If you were like me you resisted getting a universal remote, much less paying almost $100 to replace your existing remotes which function perfectly (but separately). I was also highly skeptical (based on past experience with "programmable remotes" from the cable co) that one remote could really handle all the complicated functions for each component such as:

changing the "aspect ratio" on your HDTV

browsing your cable and DVR listings

programming your DVR

and controlling your stereo which provides sound for everything else (including DVD and CD players).

Much to my surprise the Logitech does it all. As other reviewers have noted, the online setup takes about an hour and is a bit more complicated than the cheapo universal remote where you just plug in a 3-digit device code. But the Logitech database is pretty extensive, right down to suggesting the proper model number format for each component manufacturer. And you can then customize the device though I found the default settings were adequate for most options.

Logitech now controls:

Panasonic 50" HDTV (c. 2006)

Phillips HD-DVD player (c. 2006)

Comcast/Motorola DVR (c. 2005)

Sony Stereo (c.1994!)

Alas my old Pioneer CD and Tape players (c 1988) never had remote capability but I am loathe to toss them as my wife still loves her cassette mix tapes.

The best part is that I now simply push one button to turn on/off both the TV and Stereo. Or TV/DVD/Stereo. Not sure what I am going to do with the 4 old remotes, but our babysitter is sure going to be happy.

Thanks Mom and Day for a great birthday gift that will keep on giving even if I buy new equipment or change to Sat TV.

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I searched Amazon and about a dozen other sites for weeks, reading reviews, comparing features, looking for sales, and even though I found this off Amazon for a special deal several weeks back, I love Amazon and wanted to share my experience with other potential buyers since this is where I come for product info and reviews.

I chose this model over the higher end Logitech models because this has slightly larger buttons, even though it isn't as fancy (it's also less expensive). After a few searches, I realized that the Logitech Harmony brand was the only remote really worth looking at for ease of use, both the remote itself and the software used to set it up.

I liked the design of this remote as the layout of the buttons most closely resembles my TiVo remote. My biggest concern was whether my wife could use the remote. We have an older TV, newer odd-model Onkyo AV receiver, TiVo, cable box, DVD player, VCR, and an old Technics Tape deck and CD player. I needed something that could be used for everything easily. This purchase was much more for my wife than for me. If you could read her review of the remote from the standpoint of someone who fears new technology and hates having to use complex remote controls, you would buy this remote instantly.

I am what you would call a Power User, where I like to customize everything in extreme detail and this remote lets me do this. It also is very easy to use once it is configured. One of my devices was not found in the Logitech database, but I pointed the old remote at the back of the Harmony and it figured out what it needed to do. Now, instead of using two remotes for most things and three or four if we want to do something other than watch basic TV or TiVo, this remote does everything with minimal button clicks.

I've read a couple of complaints that people feel the software is too confusing or takes too long to set up it's not for complete novices or people who want something to work out of the box with no setup, but I challenge you to find a remote that will work as well as this one without some configuration. Some slightly less than obvious features need to be brought closer to the main configuration screens, such as leaving my TiVo and cable box on when I turn everything else off, but all in all, this remote is really fantastic. Mac users the software works beautifully in Mac OS X, but I expected no less from Logitech. Using the software makes it obvious that adding or removing a device and/or activities (such as "Watch TV" or "Play VCR" or "Watch DVD") should be easy, and if I need a replacement remote, I can simply plug the remote into the computer and click one or two buttons and be off with a fully customized remote again in two or three minutes. My guess is that the remote stays configured when the batteries die, but even if it doesn't, you can simply plug it in with the new batteries and the software will reconfigure it.

I also heard a few people complain about battery life. I have had it working for about six weeks straight and it is still going strong. Even if the batteries don't last forever, how much do 4 AA batteries really cost when compared to the convenience of this remote? It is an excellent trade-off in my mind.

Now that it is set up, it is so easy to use, it's not even funny. You point the remote at your stuff, press a button and leave it pointed until the indicator light on the remote says it's done turning everything on or off (1-3 seconds). My in-laws and a couple of friends have seen it in action and now want the same model for themselves. My biggest complaint with this remote from the entire experience of taking it out of the box to using it every day for over a month now is that it takes some getting used to when you are so used to using other remotes, especially TiVo. The placement of the rewind, forward, pause and play buttons is a bit different than I am used to with the TiVo remote, but the other day, I went to my in-laws house to fix their TiVo and it took me a few minutes to get used to the TiVo remote which I used to think was the best remote ever. So if that is my biggest complaint, I have to think I made the right choice.

The remote has a built in Help screen which is really easy to use. My wife accidentally pointed the remote away from the screen too quickly the other day and it only turned on the TV and not the Receiver. So I told her to hit the Help button and within about twenty seconds, she had figured out (on her own) what to do, and now she doesn't need my help if the same thing happens again.

I highly recommend this remote if you are a DVR user with a lot of system components with the need for an easy to learn, easy to use remote, but be prepared to spend a good 30-45 minutes setting it up for the first time, and even longer if you are a power user like me or if you have a lot of system components. Being this was my first universal remote, based on what I have heard from friends and family who have had others in the past, this experience has been vastly superior to theirs.

Seriously, this is the best purchasing decision I have ever made, and I could not recommend a product any more highly than this.

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I like the Harmony remotes. They're easy to program, easy to use. I bought the 670 to replace a several year old Harmony model SST-659, which basically has the same functions. My complaint with the model 670 is that the buttons I use constantly: play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and stop, are all small and squished together around a central "select" button. This makes them hard to find and hard to differentiate them from each other. Since I mainly use the remote to watch TV or movies with either a DVR or DVD player, often in the dark, these buttons (together with volume) should be BIG and easy to find. They're not. My understanding is that the layout is trying to mimic the layout of a TiVo remote; I would have preferred that they came up with their own better-thought-out layout. If you can find the older model SST-659 I would recommend that; the layout is better, it does the same functions, and it is a good deal cheaper.

Ematic EM638VIDBL Touch Screen MP3 Video Player with 5MP Camera with LED Flash and Video Recording

• 8GB Flash Memory
• 3 inches Touch Screen Display
• 5MP Camera with LED Flash and Video Recorder
• FM Radio and Recorder
• Durable Aluminum Body

I ordered and received my Ematic EM MP3 player.I wanted a player that also had capabilities of taking photos while I was was out walking. The player I received was of inferior quality as it sounded tinny and I was not able to listen to my songs because of the poor sound quality. The radio only received one station and the camera images it took were of very poor quality..I sent the unit back after waiting a over a week for them to send me a RMA# so I could return the defective player. After I sent the player back and after waiting two weeks for replacement I called the customer service and was told it could take up to six weeks to get my replacement unit. The entire process took a little over two months. I received my new replacement unit 3 days ago. The 2nd player was defective as I could not access any of the functions on the screen when I tapped on them. I contacted customer service by e mail about the problem of the defective 2nd unit and have yet to hear back from them. Stay away from this company. Its customer service is almost non existent and their products seem to be of very poor quality..I have ordered many items from companies on the internet and never have I had soo much problem getting a quality product or getting decent customer service.. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY...

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This mp3 didnt last too long before my niece wasnt able to use it anymore and now it just sits there. IT WILL BE RETURNED

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I'm enjoying the opportunity to have music wherever I am. Only negative comment is that having to jab the picture-taker with the stylus often results in a less-than-crystal-clear picture, but I'm practicing on that.

Olympus DS71 Digital Voice Recorder 4GB (DS-71)

Works great as a recorder.

Unexpected benefit: I use this as an Audible.com audio book player and love it.

For audio books, it works far better than the Ipod because you can listen to multiple books at one time, with a bookmark in each.

This model is very easy to use and operates nearly identically to the DS-50, which keeps the learning curve low for those who are upgrading.

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Olympus markets this device as a professional dictation device, which apparently justifies the high price. However, it lacks the most basic file editing functions of append, overwrite, insert, partial delete. It's a nice recorder but not a dictating machine. If you make a mistake on a recording you have to start over.

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DS71 IS THE BEST VOICE RECORDER I EVER HAD BIG MEMORY WITH SPEAKER PHONE . THIS UNIT HAS GREAT QUALITY

I GIVE IT 5 STAR TO THIS RECORDER

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This is a handy item for recording just about any kind of situation. I am a court videographer and take a feed out of my mixer into the Olympus so I can have an audio recording just like on the video. I can download the mp3 into my PC and e-mail it to a court reporter without any hassle. It is small enought to carry in my pocket and the mic that comes with it is also very sensitive, however, I can remove it and plug into my mixer and get the audio exactly how it sounds on the video. Downloading is simple, the unit is very easy to use and will record an enormous amount of data. I usually download right away so it is unlikely that I would ever fill it up. It is made of plastic and feels cheap for the money, but I don't intend to abuse it and the recording quality is fantastic. I recieved the Olympus Digital Recorder very quickly and would purchase again from this company.

Sony Professional DSR-PD170 3 CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom

I've used this camera on several professional video shoots now, including talking heads, outdoors and an indoor music video. The low light capability of this camera is nothing short of stunning, with clear, crisp images available even when using only available tungsten room lights. We shot a girl playing the piano with candles in the background and only the piano lamp and it looked great. The PD170 is very easy to use for the beginner and a breeze to tweak on the fly. It has solid, nicely positioned controls (for full auto and full manual configurations), pro XLR audio/mic inputs and easily accessible miniDV cassette mechanism that lets you change tapes while the camera is on the tripod. Its DVCam recording mode runs the DV tape at a faster rate, giving you about 43 minutes of recording on an hour miniDV tape. The higher recording speed is not mandatory, but does improve quality when you choose to use it. Autofocus is crystal clear, but easily manipulated manually with a great focus ring. This camera has lots of bells and whistles, including the ability to monitor both channels' recording levels onscreen, while taping. I've heard the networks' embedded reporters in Iraq are using PD170's and I believe it. The quality of the images captured by this camera is nothing short of professional. The heft and feel of the PD170 is just right. it's got a nice, built-in lens cover that's actuated by a solid feeling lever on the side of the lens housing. It also features two built in neutral density filters that can be flipped into position with another lever. The list of features and thoughtful design elements goes on and on. Obviously, I'm crazy about this DVCam and literally don't have a single complaint to share. If you're looking for a rock solid, professional grade camcorder in the $3000 range, look no further. Read up on it and the competition. Then buy this gem and prepare to be bowled over by its performance, pictures and exceptional design.

Clean, beautiful images. Rugged construction. A fine run'n'gun videographic instrument, although after a year now I wish that I had gone with the shoulder cam version, the DSR-250, but that's another story...

Likes:

Wide range of shutterspeeds (1/4-1/10000).

Clean gain up to 9 or 12 db

and very light sensitive to boot.

Simultaneous B/W Viewfinder and color LCD.

Fairly sharp B/W Viewfinder, a must-have feature, imo.

Dislikes:

A few misplaced and unnecessary controls along the bottom ridge.

A few misplaced and very necessary controls, such as the iris control wheel that gets blocked by LCD screen when open and isn't very accessible for handheld besides.

Weak audio preamps.

For event videography, this camera just plain reigns supreme, for the price.

Buy Sony Professional DSR-PD170 3 CCD MiniDV Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom Now

I have owned my PD170 for about a year now. I bought it to replace my VX2000 (another great camera).

Pros:

1. Excellent quality images for a non HD camera.

2. XLR connectors.

3. Compact size with excellent weight for steady one handed shots.

4. The low light ability of this camera is second to none.

5. Professional look.

Cons:

1. Not a shoulder mounted camera.

I shoot mostly weddings, events and indoor theatre productions.

You can't go wrong with this video camera.

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I bought this as a companion to my Sony DSR 200A almost two years ago. Its been a great addtion for two-camera shoots when color temperatures need to match. Both cameras shoot 16:9 (but not HD), which clients have asked for. Its great for interviews, spontaneous action, b-roll and so much more. Its low-light capabilities have produced some amazing shots to many a client's delight ("how'd you do that??").

The one drawback is that it is not a grab-and-shoot camera. Its automatic features don't respond well and you'll end up with unusable images, especially in bright sunlight. Also its wide angle lens seems to have some focus issues. I tend to not use it as much as I'd like, especially for "live" situations, I don't want to risk losing a shot because I couldn't focus. If you have time to set up the camera properly, you'll get great footage.

Otherwise, its a very handy and smaller version of the DSR 200A, down to the XLR inputs, attenuators and variety of controls. It records on the small DVCAM tapes or on Mini-DV which for some projects, I'll use the less expensive Mini-DVs because of price. I haven't been able to tell the difference.

This has been my go-to camera since I bought it.

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Here we record the sad passing of the PD-100 series of SONY grab-n-go solid video cameras. The PD-170 is discontinued, sadly, lackiing the glitzy features of HD, chip recording, etc. Its single HD replacement model has not shaken out, yet, but when it is proven (if ever) THAT will be the video camera of choice for bottom end of pro video cameras because it will have all of the PD-170 ruggedness, great optics, flexibility of audio, clean recording ONTO REAL STUFF...VIDEO TAPE, and on and on.

I had my school buy the last 5 PD_170 available in this foreign country. Newer is not necessarily better. SONY, please bring back my old friend... if not my PD-100 that went successfully to the mountains of Nepal, at least the PD-170 should live again! No chance, I guess.

Sony CCDTR416 Hi8 Handycam Camcorder

I own this one, and finally after ~10 years of moderate use it seems to be dying (suddenly no recording or playback). This camera is a good one for the purpose (easy to use, a pretty good quality of recording), but it is not a Hi8 format, but a lower Video8XR . It is essentially the same format as the original Video8, but "with 10% improvement in luminance detail while retaining full backward compatibility with older, non-XR equipment. XR recordings were fully playable on the older equipment, though without the benefits of XR". By the way, the format is clearly shows in one of the shots.

So you get a pretty good Video8 camera, but not a Hi8 one!

This was a purchase for a gift and turned out to be a great gift that my brother still loves to this day!

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I have owned this camera for a few years now and I think all of the features and quality are the best around. The newer Sony hi8 cameras don't even have this many features!

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Mustek DV-3500 Digital Camera w/Digital Video, Voice Recorder, and MP3 Capability

it has a 2MP sensor so actually you're buying some bad 2MP camera. Which is kinda worthless. I bought it, thinking it was 4MP, thinking I would have excellent shots with it! But when I tried it out, pictures were really bad!! And it doesnt have a flash so... 2M is like emailing quality so.. dont be fooled, it says 4 MP everywhere, i got fooled too, but when I looked closer (too late) i saw it only had a 2mp sensor, this is with most of those cheap models.

IT DOES HAVE AN EXCELLENT webcam functionality!! its a great webcam cause most webcams are only 1.3 MP. And it'll probably be a good mp3 listener too.

Good Day All! I hope you're enjoying a pleasant one. I bought my Mustek DV-3500 used on Ebay for about 20 bucks grand total... it came complete with the box and all included contents. I like the heavy duty USB cable with the toroids on either end. The owner also gave me a small tripod which was a plus. The camera is old technology I guess. It may have been great in its heyday... but not so now. I believe even the cheapest Dollar Store digital video camera has better features, software, and video quality.

It really all boils down to the video quality... which... on this unit... is poor. It doesn't do well in low light conditions and doesn't have a headlight or hotshoe for placing a headlight. I'm only a very amateur digital photographer... all I can say is... if you want a nice pic with this camera you better have decent light.

The sound recording works great. While recording a video, I noticed that the camera does a great job recording sound... I'm using it on the tripod, setting on a stool, to record my 78 Rpm records playing... for YouTube videos associated with Ebay listings and classified ads. I take some outdoor video of my sweetheart and our dogs occasionally. So for me... it's Ok.

I still would like better video quality, working drivers, and even some simple usable software for Windows XP Home... I'm using Google Picasa for creating videos to upload to YouTube. My still picture cameras, both Kodak, also do video about as good if not better than this Mustek. I was hoping being a Digital Video Camera, the Mustek would outshine my still cameras... not so.

The really bad part is that the Driver Software doesn't work. You can download the latest version from the Mustek web site... but I'll bet it doesn't work for you. I searched the web... and didn't find anyone who got it to work with Windows XP or Vista or anything. I haven't found any software really integrates with the camera and knows it's there... plugged in.

Fortunately though, Windows recognizes it enough that you can get the files off of it. It works great as a storage medium. Windows will also ask you what you want to do with the files on the camera... and you can choose from whatever list of programs it presents to you. I find it convenient to just choose Picasa and place the pics/videos in a folder of the current date.

The Menu on the camera is also lackluster. The Advertising says it can do Video Soundtrack... but I guess you need the software to work for something like that. But again, fortunately you can import the video files (ASF File Extensions) to your favorite photo/video editing program (I use Piicasa) and do whatever with them.

I bet it would make a nice WebCam! ...if you can find the drivers and software that will recognize the camera and work with it... if anybody knows of any... post the link in a review or something.

Enough said... if you want an affordable, useable digital video camera, keep an eye on the Dollar Store Ads and sales... get an Emerson or something for 30 to 40 dollars.

Enjoy Everything!

John B.Mustek DV-3500 Digital Camera w/Digital Video, Voice Recorder, and MP3 Capability

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I received this camera as a gift. Let it sit there for a couple of months without looking at it. Finally decided to try taking pictures. The first pictures I took didn't turn out that great. It turns out theres settings where you can choose the quality of the picture. I am not sure why this is since most people I know would almost always prefer top quality pictures.

It takes pretty decent pictures and I plan to use it more now that I know it takes pretty good pictures. I just need to purchase an SD card to use so that I can take more pictures.

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CP TECHNOLOGIES CP-UC-108 10-IN-1 I-series Card Reader

I've had this card reader for many years and it still works as good as the day I bought it. I had only on device back then but I knew that I would invest in other image capturing devices. Since this card reader has multiple sizes of card accepted, I have not had to worry if I could retrieve my data. Plus it keeps my desk clear of clutter only having one card reader.

Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

I needed a cam to make some movies of my new daughter. I wanted something compact so that I would never hesitate to carry it around. I also wanted to make sure it was easy to use and took great video indoors. This narrowed my choices down to the Sony PC-105, TRV22 and the Canon Optura 300 / Elura 50. Except for the TRV22, all were the vertical style which while small, were awkward to use (the Sony being the worst with its horrible zoom control). The Canon's also do not have the IR-illuminated night shot capability. So, I was all set to buy the TRV22 especially since it has outstanding low-light capability when I tried out the HC40. The HC's form factor is just so great, I couldn't pass it up. It to me seems as small as the PC105 but is the much more hold-able horizontal style everyone prefers.

So I bought both the TRV22 and HC40 and compared them at home. Yes, the TRV22 does shoot noticably better in low light conditions, but practically speaking the HC40 is good enough for me, and the form factor more than makes up for it. I'd give it 5 stars if 1) its low light ability was as good as the TRV22 and 2) if its auto focus responded a bit quicker.

I used to have a Canon Elura 2, but I despised its nightshot capability and the battery life was dismal. I discovered this camera searching several review sites and after seeing it in person, I was sold by its compact size.

This camera is very easy to operate and the quality of footage taken with it is phenomenal. There aren't a lot of buttons on this camera, as most of the configuration settings are accessed through the screen-based menu system. I've read a lot of people find the menu system annoying, however I find that it's laid out quite nicely. Once you pick a setting, the camera will shut down other options that aren't applicable given the settings you've selected.

I'm very happy with the nightshot mode. If you've ever watched Survivor, the night shots shots taken with this camera look like.

The zoom control on the camera took some getting used to and I've found that using your right hand middle finger to control it works quite well. You'll also want to adjust the hand strap to firmly hold your hand to the camera.

I have not used the software that comes with this camera and that seems to be where a lot of the whining comes from on CNet. If you're going to get a DV camera and you plan to edit the footage, invest in some decent video editing software (or buy an iMac).

Buy Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Now

After looking at/researching cameras for a few months, I decided on this one. Here is what I was looking for (and what I got) in this camera.

1. Small. I wanted to be able to carry it in my pocket for easy access. This is not much bigger than my digital camera. It's freakishly small.

2. MiniDV. This appears to be the dominant home camera format, and I didn't want to be stuck w/ a format that would be out of date in a year.

3. Easily transferrable to my laptop and/or DVD recorder. No problems here. Very, very simple to transfer video.

4. Video quality. I wasn't comfortable paying a bit less for lower video quality. I'm glad I chose to pay a bit more. I'm very pleased w/ the quality. No washed out colors in my experience (as indicated in some other reviews). Very crisp and clear.

5. Low Light Capability. A number of cameras in the under-a-thousand price range have trouble w/ low light. This one does a very solid job.

A Couple of Caveats:

1. I've had a bit of trouble with wind noise. Granted, I live in Oklahoma where there are perpetual 459 mph winds, but I am surprised at this. It's not a deal-breaker, but it's mildly annoying.

2. Buying this through online services offering ridiculously cheap prices is annoying at best and dangerous at worst. I tried, no kidding, 6 different stores trying to 'get a good deal.' They all had something wrong--either it was a gray market product, or it didn't come with a battery, or it was going to take a month to get it. My strong suggestion is that you pay a bit more and buy this from someone you can trust.

3. You may want to consider buying a spare battery. You're looking at somewhere in the hour and a half range for the battery, but if you're filming your daughter's 83 hour long dance recital, or if you don't have electrical access to recharge it, the extra battery is a good investment.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're looking for a solid videotape-the-kids-at-the-beach-or-playing-t-ball camera that you can use indoors and outdoors, this is a wonderfully small, convenient, and fairly reasonably priced option.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCRHC40 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Here

I bought this camera at a retail store the day before a trip to New Orleans. My original intent was to purchase a camera but I noticed that the DV recorder was only a little more and felt adventurous. Of course, I paid a hefty price but I wasn't able to go through amazon because it was the day before my trip. That being said, I was afraid that I had been suckered into buying something of lesser quality. Being a photographer and used to high definiton cameras I thought that the DV camcorder would be a great step down.. I hadn't really even investigated camcorders for at least 5 years. Now that I'm back from the trip having shot both indoor and outdoor scenes, and watched the results on my widescreen tv I can say that I was very pleased. The camera is very very easy to use (as are most SONY products) and the quality is superb. I'm not sure what the other reviewer is complaining about. Color and contrast are great. Low light scenes will be difficult regardless of the tool you use.. the camera can't make light where there is none.. the nightvision mode helps but takes away some color.. but overall a great camera.

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If you're looking for a tiny miniDV camcorder, especially if you want to do widescreen 16:9 recording now or in the future, this is the model.

The HC40 is about 32 cubic inches, and very lightweight.

It can fit in a small-medium size camera bag, or in a large pocket. Much easier to take with you than larger camcorders.

If you don't care about size, there are some discontinued models you might find for much less, like Panasonic DV-53, or the Sony TRV22 or 19.

Unlike the HC20 or HC30, this model provides a high quality widescreen mode, with little or no loss of data when using widescreen. Instead of just putting black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, you actually record a wider area when in widescreen mode, and the image is stretched to fit normally on the tape, filling the screen with a distorted stretched image. You can then use your TV setting to compress the image to widescreen 16:9.

I've tried it, and don't notice any loss in quality compared to 4:3 mode. (To evaluate, I also looked at the stretched image compared to 4:3, to make a more fair comparison. It's hard to make a true comparison.)

Doing direct A/B comparisons on an HDTV, the image seems a little better than the Sony TRV19 (19 is similar model to the 22) in medium indoor light, but much worse in low light.

However, the motor noise is much quieter than on the TRV19.

If you want to do low light recording, less than 100 watts incandescent in small area, you might want to get a camcorder with a larger sensor. This sensor is only 1/5 inch.

The menus are customizable, which is very convenient. You can make your own menus for each camera mode.

The lens cover switch is a nice touch--no lens cap.

The battery is small, but still has about the same capacity as last year's larger one.

The LCD display has a new feature which makes use of external light. It is much more visible in bright sunlight, and you can turn the backlight off, saving the battery.

An s-video/composite/audio cable is included. One end is a small plug similar in size to iLink, and the other end of the cable has audio&video plugs.

Unfortunately the viewfinder does not tilt upwards like other models. And, you can't slide it out halfway to make extreme diopter adjustments; you can only turn a dial to make the normal adjustment. I can't use the viewfinder without my eyeglasses, because I have a strong prescription.

The photos are terrible; I wish camcorders would eliminate this feature, and focus on better video.

The strap is nice, but cannot be removed. Makes fitting in a small bag more difficult.

Sony camcorders are reputed to have great automatic point-and-shoot capability, including this model. When steadyshot is on indoors, the camera tries to set shutter speed at 1/100 to reduce blur. But if there isn't enough light, it will step down to 1/60. Gain is only applied after the aperture has opened completely and the shutter has reached 1/60. When using a tripod, you can shut off steadyshot, and the camera will automatically use 1/60 shutter, to allow a smaller aperture for better focus, or in low light, less gain for a better picture. These adjustments are made very quickly, and very intelligently. You can display the settings the camera chooses on screen while recording or in playback.

Wonderful camcorder, glad I got it!

JWIN Portable AM/FM MP3/CD Cassette Recorder Stereo Radio Model JXCD483D

• Top loading MP3 CD / CD player. 20 track programmable memory.
• Skip and search functions. Integrated AM / FM stereo radio with digital display
• Four speakers system with powerful audio output.
• Playable media: CD / MP3 CD / CD-R / CD-R
• Auto stop stereo cassette player/ recorder. One touch recording, soft eject cassette door. AC/DC 110V-220V Dual Voltage

This product is great. It is an all-in-one boom box which should be a no brainer. I can't believe it's a one of a kind.

Great for music teaching. Just needs an Off button for when it is not in use. I would definitely recommend this product. Especially if you are over 30 and still have some of your music on tapes. Again great for voice teachers who get music in all different types of formates and need to record student music and vocal tracks.

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Very unhappy with Jwin mp3 CD player. Came without proper packaging, & was defective. Send product back & agent said..they sent fully packed and will not refund for product. Will never purchase this product ever again!!!!

Sony DVPSR210P DVD Player (Progressive Scan)

• Ultra Slim, New Mid size Design, Progressive Scan, JPEG, MP3 Playback, Multi Disc Resume, Multi Brand TV remote, Energy Star.

I was shopping for a simple inexpensive DVD player to replace a magnavox model that died, and selected this one. It works perfectly and was easy to set up/connect. I use it to play dvds that I've purchased (movies and tv shows) and couldn't be more pleased. The only thing that surprised me was discovering how cheap the color-coded plastic or rubber things on the ends of the connection cord were. When I was hooking it up those plastic things came off the end and slid down the cord. So, I tossed them in a box and used my old connection cords from the dead dvd player. After using this dvd player for 6 to 12 hours per day for 2 months, I'm ordering another one tonight for a secondary TV.

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This review is for the SONY DVP-SR210P DVD Player.

I have not had any problems with this DVD player. It is a basic, entry-level CD/DVD player. Priced in the $30-$40 range, it does what it needs to, play DVD, DVD-R, CD, and CD-R. I did not test DVD+R. The player also has parental control which lets you lock out DVDs with specific ratings (G, PG, R, NC-17) from being played. I'll update as necessary.

Included: A/V Cables (Red-White-Yellow), Remote Control with 2 SONY AA Batteries, Manual.

This DVD player is very lightweight. It measures 10.5"W x 8"D x 1.3"H. The power cable is 56" long (4" short of 5 ft). The back of the DVD player connections are: Component Video (Green-Red-Blue) or Standard Video (Yellow), and Standard Audio (Red-White). There is an Orange Digital Out Coaxial port.

When powering up, it takes 3 second to turn on, and another 3 seconds for the tray to eject. When ejecting, the front door pushes down as the tray slides out. The tray feels a little flimsy and is just barely recessed for the DVD. The remote feels comfortable in my hands, but it's not illuminated so seeing in the dark is difficult. The batteries are genuine SONY batteries but feel lighter than other AA batteries. The remote can be used for a SONY TV as well.

DVD Options: By pressing Display on the remote twice, the following options become available: Zoom (zooms in on picture), Camera Angles (if DVD has multiple angles), Custom Picture Mode(Standard, Dynamic, Cinema) commonly found as a TV option, and also Sharpness Option. The Custom Picture and Sharpness option make a minor adjustment to the picture colors and sharpness. There are individual buttons for AUDIO and SUBTITLE to easily cycle through those options.

FF/RW: You can almost smoothly play at these slow/fast speeds: 0.6x, 0.8x, 1.2x, 1.4x. Fast-forward options are seconds per second: 2.5, 5, 15, or 60.

This player works for me and has not given me any problems yet. I would have preferred a slightly longer power cable, and quicker loading, but for the price it accomplishes the basics. Rating 4.75.

UPDATE: I wanted to add some information from questions that people had asked.

Q: Does this player show the time passed on the front?

A: This player does not show the time that has passed on the front of the DVD player. The only thing on the front is the green LED light to signify it is on. No digital text at all. In order to get the TIME, press the TIME/TEXT button to view the time on-screen, either in TOTAL time or CHAPTER time.

Q: Does the player advance one frame at a time?

A: Yes. Press pause, and press the advance button to go one frame at a time. Or the replay button to go back one frame at a time. Going forward is always smoother and faster.

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The Sony DVPSR210P is a good DVD player, which misses a few buttons, does not impress with the menus, and slowly turns on/closes/loads, though it surpasses the competitors especially in the fast/slow forward/backward capability. The RMT-D197A remote control has the buttons well spaced out considering normal finger thickness of the average men in USA or Europe. Though small, the 8-digit display shows the time (hr:min:sec) of already seen or remaining part of the title or the chapter. Unfortunately, those times cannot be permanently displayed alone on the screen in a corner, but only for a moment or as a part of the big menu covering almost entire screen.

The remote control is ergonomic, but its direct functions fell short of those of the Toshiba SD7300. It lacks a button for zooming, which is available only through the second step screen menu. The two tier menu is far inferior to those by Toshiba. However, it automatically (without any input from the user) remembers the place of ending watching not only on the disk after pausing/stopping, but on the last 6 disks removed as well. Also, the motor stops after pausing and does not wear out by rotating nonstop, as in the cheap Toshiba SD4300, which additionally does not remember the place of watching 20 minutes after the disk was stopped.

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I paid $35 for this DVD player back in June, 2012 which I thought was a pretty good deal. Now I see it is under $30 so my advice is to buy it while it is hot! My old Sony player was about ten years old and every other rental DVD I received skipped around so badly I couldn't enjoy a movie. As I wasn't sure if I wanted all the bells and whistles right now (Blu Ray or wireless to stream movies, etc) I went for cheap. So I was expecting a basic machine and that is what I got. So my five star rating is based on the price and that it plays DVDs, which is all I need. If you are looking for a player that walks the dogs and does the dishes, or to impress your techie friends, this item is not for you! My main complaint (at first) was there is no digital time display. I was used to seeing how far along the movie was by looking at the face of the player. But now I just press the "Display" button on the remote and it tells me how many minutes I am in to the DVD. This is important when I am playing my aerobics DVDs. So I am used to it. The nicest feature is that I can take a DVD out of the machine before it has ended, put in another DVD and play it, then when I want to finish watching the previous one it starts out at that same point. If you don't want it to do that all you have to do is go to the menu and start over again. Maybe all players do that now but my old one didn't. This unit is half the size of my previous one and space is always a consideration for me. So all in all I am very happy with the purchase.

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So far, after a few months, everything is working. Sometimes it's a little slow to open, but it eventually opens after 2-3 pushes. Opens perfectly with the remote. Honestly I use netflix most of the time, so I'm not too concerned about a high quality DVD player.

If you have a family who watches a lot of DVDs, this is not he DVD player for you. Spend more money and get a better DVD player. But if you watch DVDs 2-3 times a week, this is the DVD player for you.

Vivitar 8.1 Mp High Definition 1080p Optical Zoom Digital Camcorder, 2.7" Screen with Start Kit

The video and photos taken were okay. I am not impressed with the Zoom. The lens cap keeps falling off. It does not come with an instruction book. You have to go on line (65 pages if you want to print it). You can download the "Vivitar Experience Image Manager" if you do facebook, etc. This camera is great for people who want to upload to YouTube, or facebook or any of the others such as MySpace, Photobucket, etc. I had to uninstall the software as I was not interested. I had a difficult time finding a second battery as the Vivitar site was not helpful. The camera does not have an internal memory so every time you remove the battery and replace it, you have to reset the date and time. You get what you pay for. I use it since I purchased it but I am not overly thrilled with it. I purchased this digital camcorder new from Amazon. There were no reviews written when I purchased it. It does come with a very nice case, battery, battery charger, and an SDHC 4 GB card. I could only give it a 3 star rating.

TaoTronics® TT-CM04 7-inch TFT LCD Widescreen Headrest Car Rear View Monitor w/ Headrest Frame, Un

• Wide screen, high definition, anti-glare and full color 7" TFT active matrix display;
• PAL/NTSC system support, screen ratio 16:9/4:3 adjustable, and brightness, contrast, color adjustable;
• 2 RCA Video inputs (V1 for DVD player/V2 for Backup camera) and automatically throw-over;
• Easy to install with 2 ways available: on car seat headrest with headrest shroud, or on dashboard with the stand;
• Available for car VCD, DVD, GPS, etc. and especially designed to connect to your car camera.

Definitely recommend this for anyone interested in installing their own rear backup camera system. As mentioned in title above the quality is absolutely clear as is, not high definition but still as good. Very happy with it. I bought this as my first install rear backup camera system. It took me awhile to find my truck's wire location but once it was found it was easy to tap in. As for package wise, it came in a very good box with clear instruction and all the tool you'll need.

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Look folks, it's a 7" monitor that you're likely installing to entertain your children. Do you really want to put something with iRetina like quality within reach of a 4 year old armed with any manner of stickiness?

No, probably not. I bought two of these for this exact purpose and installed them in the headrest of my GMC Canyon. They performed flawlessly and worked right out of the box. No muss, no fuss. Kids are happy, daddy is happy, we're all happy.

Seller is excellent as well. Product was delivered a full 3 days ahead of schedule.

Read Best Reviews of TaoTronics® TT-CM04 7-inch TFT LCD Widescreen Headrest Car Rear View Monitor w/ Headrest Frame, Un Here

Easy install item, has remote, reverse screening. View quality is decent even though using a low end back up camera for it. Has slight horizontal lines, but thats probably due to alternator interferance since my radio picks it up as well if im charging anything through the cig. lighter

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Even tho they are not name brand you can't tell that buy the picture they give off i have three of these in my car in a custom built front an rear console. I plan on buying more

RCA RP5020 32 MB Digital Voice Recorder

Inadequate memory, no usb connector, a low sampling rate to make up for the low memory, poor microphone pickup from any distance other than right on top of it even with the "conference" mode. I can't say for certain whether it was the microphone or the sampling rate or I just had a lemon, but I would have to say pass on it because you can get so much more in other models for just a few dollars more.

Also, the speaker faces the back of thing, and weak, like most. This means that you have to turn it over when you want to listen, and can't see the display at the same time. I found this pretty annoying, maybe you would not.

If you want to stick with RCA, look at the model 5030, you will be much happier. 5030 comes with a usb connector to save to your computer and load files, saves automatically in mp3 format, plays mp3 files, has a higher quality sampling rate option which cuts your recording time to 4 1/2 hours, but that is more than enough time for me. Much better recordings with that setting. This setting is higher than the HQ setting of the 5020. You can also turn the 5030 clock display completely off, saving batteries greatly. You can even copy your previous recordings to your computer with dead batteries, since the usb draws power from the computer.

On the plus side 5020 does have a larger display than the 5030, is a little shorter than other models, and feels a little bit more rugged. I also liked having the record, stop, and play buttons on the side like a traditional microcassete unit. But this model was simply too underpowered for me. If you literally only want to dictate messages to yourself, and not record speakers in meetings, this does do that just fine. But I think you will find the other limitations quickly frustrating.

I feel the RCA 5030, and other's in it's class, is the bare minimum to be a useful entry level DVR. You may want more, but you will be greatly disapointed with anything less, such as this 5020 and other's of it's class.

the recorder works nice and was priced right. It is easy to use and seems well made

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Samsung SV-5000W Worldwide VHS Format VCR

• Worldwide NTSC, PAL, SECAM playback
• 4-head Diamond video system with stereo sound
• High-speed rewind and digital auto tracking
• S-VHS playback capability
• Luminescent universal remote control included

I got the Samsung Worldwide VCR for Christmas and am really satisfied with it. It's not just an excellent worldwide VCR, but it also plays video images in such a crisp and clear quality, much better than my standard VCR's. When I play a video from Germany the quality is exactly the same as when I play a video from the US or from any other country. However, we did have a little trouble trying to set it up. Since it's a worldwide VCR there was no TV channel that I could set it to ( 3 or 4). So the worldwide VCR had to have extra cable wires hooked up to my TV for it to work. And then my second VCR had to be set to the channel Line. It was also a huge inconvenience to call Samsung Technical Support, it took me two days to get someone to help. There is another item with the VCR that I noticed, when a program has to be tracked it will automatically track it. But for some reason the color goes black & white (for about a split second). Overall I really enjoy the VCR.

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To the folks who have had trouble using this unit for recording

(or viewing) SECAM L tapes, THIS UNIT WON'T DO IT PER SAMSUNG. Buried on page 18 of the Owners Manual it clearly states "*SECAM L (FRANCE) is not available on this VCR.

I called Samsung and the confirmed. If you want to do SECAM L (France) you need to step up to the SV7000-W VCR. Supposedly it's about the same price according to Samsung Cus.Svc. but so far the only price I got was $190 higher !!! I'm still looking.

The vendor I'm delaing with Elite Video recommended the Emerson

EWW7070 (which amazon offers too) but I don't think the specs are the same. I don't think much of Emerson VCRs either (had 2

other regular Emerson VCRs crap out) Hope this helps some of you.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung SV-5000W Worldwide VHS Format VCR Here

I say this assessment is the "most accurate" only because -having read all previous reviews here, good, bad and middling -I can categorically state that nobody's wrong and everybody's right. Here's the deal:

The Samsung SV-5000W is a complicated but comprehensive unit. It does all the tricks it's supposed to. Once you figure out how to set it up (not altogether easy, ESPECIALLY if it's in a daisy chain of devices; being a "worldwide" model it has different protocols) it's a pretty impressive and useful "toy." But here's the problem:

Quality control on this product line clearly doesn't much exist. Based on prior reviews, and my own experience, you have as good a chance of getting a functioning unit as a lemon. My tale?

Without checking prior reviews I somewhat impulsively bought the SV-5000W from an eBay "Buy it Now" vendor located in NYC. It was weird out of the box. I did experience the chronic "snow" in the video (described by others) but there was even more disturbing stuff -the onscreen counter display showed numbers that had nothing to do with the actual location the tape was at; somehow the unit even demagnetized and corrupted a couple of cassettes. I was about two weeks into the purchase and that last was the definitive clue: It wasn't that I hadn't mastered its unusual operations, it wasn't that I didn't understand fully how it should work, whatever its complexities: the unit just sucked.

THEN I did my research and saw the furious mix of reviews. I called the vendor. His eBay listing had specified a NO RETURNS policy. But I brought the bad reviews to his attention, in addition to my own problems with the unit. I asked if he had another worldwide make/model ... I was happy to trade up. He did not: the Samsung was all he carried -but he couldn't have been more reasonable. He said, "Let's exchange the one you have for another. If that one also doesn't work, you'll get a full refund." Well, okay.

I'm into the third year of ownership now and so far the replacement has held up. It goes long stretches without being used (I have other VCRs for normal use, so I try not to tempt the gods by taking it for granted) but when I do use it, it gets a fair workout. And it does a very decent job.

2005 Update: Shortly after posting the text above, I too experienced the snow problem. The way to correct it is to effect a partial reset: Eject your tape, go to the front panel and hold down the PAUSE and STOP buttons at the same time for ten seconds. Turn off the machine for ten seconds. Turn it back on. (Note: A previous reviewer mistakenly identified the reset pair buttons as PLAY and STOP. When this didn't work for me, I re-examined the panel and realized that PLAY/STOP were rather far apart, whereas PAUSE/STOP were contiguous "Twin" buttons: the most likely, design wise, for a "hold down together" protocol. And indeed this proved correct.) Head cleaning cassettes should not be used to clear the snow problem; however, used SPARINGLY they can sharpen the picture when the resolution becomes grainy. I discovered this by accident. I tried head cleaning for the snow before I learned the reset steps. It of course did nothing to clear the snow ... but on my test cassette (a PAL version of the miniseries SHOGUN) the colors and definition became immediately more vibrant.)

To address a question posed by an earlier reviewer: this is not the model to buy if you need to view or convert tapes from the SECAM-L format (used in France). The SV-5000W has only one converter onboard, which handles the more common NTSC/PAL/SECAM play and convert variations. But SECAM-L is different from straight SECAM, and requires an entirely separate converter. The more expensive SV-7000W model has the second converter built in.

One more caution: The onboard clock runs fast and tends to pick up a minute or so each month. So you have to periodically reset it if you plan on using it for off-broadcast recording.

2008 UPDATE: The "snow" problem finally hit permanently about a year or so ago. My collection of PAL cassettes is so small, with most having been replaced by DVD or media-file equivalents, that I haven't raced to get the thing fixed (for my limited purposes, I can't see where it would be cost effective anymore). Not chucking it, may indeed fix it some day, but I would say nonetheless and on balance I got less use out of this machine than expected for the price -even refurbished, less than what's listed here. Given its frequency of use (as opposed to calebdar age), it lived about as long as cheaper "off-brand" electronics (the kind you buy on impulse just knowing they'll only fill a temporary gap) do. And with that said, two more notes.

Note #1: In 2001 I bought a dirt-cheap Broksonic Hi-fi stereo VCR. One of those aforementioned "off-brands." And yet ... the darn thing is a warhorse. Three speeds, excellent picture, great sound, and despite clunky load-sounds and a poorly designed remote, it's maybe the best VCR I've ever owned. I bought another, even cheaper, off eBay for my lady friend's house and that one has proven just as sturdy. I mention this because Broksonic ALSO makes a universal VCR (albeit supposedly only for the South American market). I don't know if it's Hi-Fi stereo or not, but if you can find a way to purchase the unit from them, I daresay it'll outlast and outperform the Samsung. Look up Broksonic on the web.

Note #2: I've owned three Samsung products in my lifetime:

-The Worldwide VCR under discussion;

-a 2006 DVD Recorder (with a tuner I never used);

-and a pre-millennium GX three-point surround TV set, 12 inch screen (designed, I am told, for gamers, batwing doors over the screen; flip them open and they're the left and right speakers; looks very cool).

The TV has some inherent imperfections I didn't notice right away and won't catalog here, but I made allowances as it has been (and for a while will remain) a decent bedroom set of its type -and it's still fully functional; though that's likely because all it needs to do is power on. I don't use the tuner and there are no moving parts within.

The DVD Recorder was finicky about blank disk brands (and types) out of the box, and though the manual warned that it would only support certain brands, it became even more finicky with time, eventually refusing to record on any disk of ANY brand (the deterioration was fast enough that I came in six weeks under the wire on the Tiger Direct protection plan, which gave me a full refund, so I was lucky).

Thus assessing all three products side-by-side, given their different functions and dates of manufacture (spanning about a decade), I'd have to say, in the end, Samsung products just don't deliver the goods. The designs are inelegant, the electronics range from imperfect to unreliable, and they don't stand the test of heavy use over the long haul.

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Bear with me I have the snow solution (AND 2 UPDATES) at the end but, I need to vent my frustration. Ok, I read some glowing reviews about this VCR and really had little choice as most multisystems are PAL based to play NTSC, not the other way around, and need an outside converter or multisytem TV that converts to work. Samsung's site praises the video heads as life long and needing no cleaning. I don't live in a region that would have any of these for sale so it was online for me. Wow, this thing was expensive! However, I found a demonstrator model on ebay for half retail and grabbed it. The first few months were fine, although the PAL conversion to NTSC was understandably sub-quality (NTSC uses more scans per inch than PAL), but softening the picture helped. Then the snow began to fall. ALL of you have heard of this and believe me I was floored when it happened. It looked like a tracking problem so I manually adjusted, no luck. Maybe the heads so I cleaned them, ditto. Then I went to Samsung's site and quess what I found? That's right, this problem in their FAQ section! Lo and behold the answer. Play a pristine blank tape for an hour to clean the heads (?!). If that didn't work, get a commerical "WET" head cleaner and wait about ten minutes after cleaning to play another tape. Well, I went to the store and picked up both. Played the tape, aargh! Used the head, Yaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Samsung just made me spend $15 bucks for nothing. Their no-need-to-clean-heads VCR had dirty heads. I have a twenty year old RCA that played better and I never clean the heads on it.

Then I read the second page of reviews here on Amazon. Oh brother, were there a ton of complaints about this problem. I did notice that when I rewound a tape and played it the snow cleared up. But after a while it returned and I fast forwarded numerous tapes just to play them. I had hoped to retire my RCA, but there seemed little hope. Out of options I decided to call Samsung's support. Mind you, I read horror stories about getting complacent CSR's and getting the runaround so I prepared myself. I got the friendlist woman who really listened to my problem gave me the advise that the site already did and when informed those methods didn't work, gave me a case # and transfered me to the tech division. After 10 minutes of music I was cut off. Huh! Called back to second helpfull CSR, transfered and hung up on again. RRRRR! Called back third time and asked not to be transfered. Well this guy somehow accessed a tech page and told me to eject the tape, hold down the "Play" and "Stop" button at the same time for 10 seconds and turn the VCR off for 10 seconds. Turn back on and play tape. What does that do? It is a reset to factory standards that doesn't make you have to go through the user set-up again (you know that little reset button under the "record" button you should NEVER push). Nope! Well call back tomorrow and give case # to be transfered to tech help again. Right!

Pushed the play button for the heck of it and zoinks, a perfect picture. I really worked! Put in another tape. Yeah! Put in third, Uh Oh. Tried reset again and found I had to do it a few times but it does work. I won't be using this as my main player, just for imports and a few tapes that have surround (the RCA is mono).

I know this isn't the greatest climax to the story, but give it a try. It may take a few times but it will happen. One thing I did notice is that this thing gets as hot as the sun and takes a couple of hours to cool down. This may be a big part of the problem and though I've not tried it a fan blowing in the vent couldn't hurt. I really hope this helps everyone with this problem because this machine can play like a champ when coaxed.

UPDATE 1:

I recently moved and left this player unplugged for a couple of days. When I put together my system, Voila! No problems. Since then I've had absolutely no snow whatsoever. Hmmm? Could it be this unit needs a break every once and a while? My new place is a lot cooler too so I still believe that has something to do with the problem and not the heads because it only appears during playback and not recording. Yes I have actually recorded with it. Although I bought it as a player, it does a damn fine job recording.

UPDATE 2: I recently had the snow problem come back and unplugged the player, as before, for a week. This time, however, the snow persisted when I played an NTSC tape. I tried several movies and also the reset to no avail. Hmmmm? I noticed the "though" button was lit (this means that what you play is not converted) so I switched to NTSC and put in a PAL tape. Still the snow. Frustrated I put in an NTSC and it played perfectly. This sucker is touchy and you have to work with it. Kind of a shame because this player has some great features that I've only seen on high-end players.

One other thing, I highly recommend getting a video enhancer, such as Sima. This player does not like the older Macrovision tapes and the picture fuctuates between over and undersaturation. Not great for viewing older rentals.

I really don't recommend this. I bought it a year ago and had to repair it many times. After only 3 months, with regular cleaning, the heads shows wear and the picture quality was poor. Also, the displays on the VCR are absolutely useless. You don't know whether it's playing or rewinding. It doesn't tell you. The machine itself is cheaply made.... This is the worst product I've ever bought. Now with its short life, it keeps ejecting my tapes and I can't play anything. I bought this machine because we moved from Australia to USA and had plenty of Aussie PAL tapes, mainly for my kids. We also have 2 other VCRs, it's not like we overused it. Learn from our mistakes, never Samsung again.... I'm really mad. I could have bought a really nice top-of-the-range VCR that plays PAL & NTSC from Australia for half the price. All I had to do was buy a power converter from 240V to 110V. My next trip I will be doing that.... Hope this helps, I hate for anyone else to waste their money. I'm so dissapointed.

Visual Land V-Touch 4 GB MP3/MP4/Camera 2.8-Inch Touchscreen/Mini SD Portable Media Player (Black)

• Internal Built-in Memory - 1GB
• Compatible Memory Cards - MS / MMC / SD / XD / CF / USB Flash
• Picture Formats - JPG / BMP
• Video Formats - AVI
• Audio Formats - MP3 / WMA

Truely, its not AMAZING, but its really cool, theres 2 or 3 things about it i wish were better, like the calender, you cant put your schedual or anything on it, and the music, you have to go to files then add them to your favorites, theres no way to add songs directly to a main list. But, over all, i would recomend it to a 15 year old like me.

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I bought one each of these for my kids to watch shows and movies and listen to music. MP3s work pretty well, but video very rarely works. I've tried every encoder and every format listed and none worked reliably. Especially since it's for kids they gave up trying to use them within a couple days of regular frustration. Do yourself a favour and get an iTouch, Archos, or even a Nokia Nxxx. All are better than this cobbled-together POS.

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I'm struggling to unlock the keyboard. I referred mannual, but nowhere I could find way to unlock it.

If anybody knows the way to unlock the keyboard, please email me at swapnil_saloni@yahoo.co.in

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This was pretty good.

CAMERA: It works well, but it can't zoom

VIDEO:Recording is goood, but the sound's soft, unless I can find the microphone... and getting it from the computer is good, as long as it's in AVI form

EBOOK: Why is this here???

AUDIO: It plays best as Mp3 file, and that is what gets organized ( if that matters) I just wonder why the organizating is a little messed up? I havn't tried the voice recorder...

RADIO: REALLY goood reception...

OVERALL: The touchscreen is good, but don't bother using the stylus. There isn't a place to put it. It was a little tricky at first to figure out the files and everything... but all in all, it was good(Plus, i got it for 65 dollars!)

I ordered this device in April and had trouble bringing up the main screen 2 weeks after setup. The screen was frozen after start up. I emailed to request for RMA and received a replacement in 10 days. Two weeks later, the device is locked up again after we re-charged for 36+ hours. I emailed Visual-land again and have not received any response so far (has been over 3 weeks).