APC J25B 8-Outlet J-Type Power Conditioner with Battery Backup

I am a big fan of APC UPS and power conditioning units. I have several in my house for various uses and they have never failed me. I was excited to see this unit specifically for AV purposes.

The unit is very clean looking and fits perfectly with other AV equipment. It is well constructed and is very easy to get up and running. The batteries come disconnected (for safety in shipping) but it is as easy as popping off the front cover, which is very sturdy and well constructed, pulling the battery out by grasping the provided tabs, flipping it over and pushing it back in. My unit was 100% charged when I got it.

There are many usuable outlets on the back of the unit. Most of them are battery protected and there are two that are only surge protected. The display is a cool blue color and is easy to read. It displays the approximate current run time with the load it currently has.

The only downside flaw with this unit is that I could not get the coax filters to work with my DirecTV satelite boxes. When I used the coax surge filter the box would say searching for satelite continually and never find it. As soon as I connected directly it worked just fine. I have other surge protectors with coax filters and they work fine with the DirecTV boxes. I contacted DirecTV and they stated the UPS is filtering too strongly and has weakened the signal below the level that the DirecTV box allows. APC confirmed this as the most likely cause. DirecTV actually told me they recommend NOT using any coax surge filters anyway as they can't gaurantee signal strength if you do.

So, if you can live without the coax surge filter then this is a good product for you.

-Edit from 1/21/13-

Based upon a comment to my original review I want to add this information. According to the commenter, it MAY be possible to get DirecTV to change the signal strength so as to overcome the associated signal loss introduced by adding this device.

When I talked with DirecTV however they stated there was nothing else that could be done to get it to work as designed. You may want to try contacting DirecTV yourself if you think they may be able to assist.

I really enjoy the product, but today the front panel is red and is stating "warning fan defective". I have opened a case with APC to see what their resolution is. I feel that a product failure after only 5 months is unacceptable. I suppose it is nice that the system was able to detect the failure, though. I hope that their support department is able to assist me in an inconvenient manner it would be quite a pain to have to ship this back to them for a defective $3 fan. I will try to update this review with my support experiences.

Edit: Within 24 hours their support dept had contacted me and asked me to basically turn the UPS off, unplug everything, disconnect the batteries for 30 seconds, then plug it all back in again. The error cleared and hasn't been back in the week since. But the support rep said that the fault indicators "are usually very reliable" so I'm not sure if I should believe the error or their support rep.

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Does what it's supposed to and it has the right size and shape to go with your home theater system. It has a nice readout on the front to give status. Costs a little more than the average UPS made for computers, but it's really solid and a standard computer UPS would look lame in your living room. A few years down the road when the 7Ahr batteries give out, they can be replaced with 9Ahr ones that fit in the unit nicely.

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This is exactly what I wanted for a Conditioner+UPS on my A/V system. Simple plug-and-go setup is perfectly fine for typical use. For fine tuning there is a nice configuration menu, no computer required. Conditioner-only outlets are separate from UPS outlets, gives high quality protection for all equipment while getting longer run life for things that I want to keep alive across brief power outages. A nice bit of industrial design for the battery compartment: no switches or terminals to connect/disconnect, just turn the battery around backward in the bay for safe shipping.

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Where do I start & how do I review something like this:

I'm a little confused by the players involved in this purchase process . . .

For example, I bought the APC J25B 8-Outlet J-Type Power Conditioner with Battery Backup (aka: J25B) via Amazon.com; however, the order was fulfilled by "Ocean Reef Electronics".

So, when it came to contacting someone regarding 'the defunct coax ports' with this unit, I initially contacted Ocean Reef Electronics (& they were absolutely useless as they responded w/ "we're not able to provide any product support"); and I also contacted my cable provider, Comcast Cable (to rule out their end of the equation & make sure it wasn't a cable signal issue); then I started corresponding w/ Dan Camara of Schneider Electric (who is apparently the company/person that provides product support for APC products).

Dan was incredibly helpful in his efforts to help me problem solve my issue w/ the coax connections & after all the problem solving efforts were exhausted, Dan offered to immediately send out a replacement unit at no cost to me . . .additionally, he provided me w/ a prepaid return mailing label for the old unit.

All this to say, this review is really a 'customer service review' rather than a product review; because, really, how do you evaluate this product if everything is running fine and I have no real issues w/ my electricity at this time. I can say that EVERYTHING in my AV/HT system runs through it . . . and that brings me some peace of mind. So, that's a pretty significant plus for me and as far as the initial product goes, it did have a faulty 'coax connection' . . . but it's difficult to assign fault here; it could have been either (1) a manufacturing defect of ADP or (2) could have been damaged in transit as "Ocean Reef Electronics" shipped the item in it's original packaging ONLY (meaning they didn't double box it; which ADP did when they sent the replacement unit). So, who really knows where the fault lies.

I do know this, back to the customer service review, I will NEVER again make a purchase from Amazon.com if the order is fulfilled by "Ocean Reef Electronics." And I say that for two reasons, (1) First & foremost, they're were useless when it came to remedying my initial situation . . .they simply responded w/ "we don't provide technical product support," & (2) the manner in which they shipped this unit to me: they didn't double box this unit. This is a heavy unit and should have been double boxed (again as ADP did when they sent me the replacement unit).

So, there you have my 2-cents on this purchase . . . beware of "Ocean Reef Electronics"; but give praise to Dan Camara and the folks at Schneider Electric.

Thanks,

Shek5150

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JVC Everio GZ-MG360 60GB Hard Drive Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

I've recorded probably just 10 hours with the camera, and I am pleased with my purchase of this camera. My wife and I were expecting our first baby (who was born 7/9/08), and I had done quite a bit of research before deciding to but this particular model. I "test drove" several different brands and models by JVC, and decided that the Everio was the route I wanted to go. The good things about this camera that I've noticed thus far are the battery life, the massive 60 GB hard drive, the built-in light, the size, and definitely the price. There are points that I would like to warn folks about. The video and audio recording quality is decent, but not exceptional. If you are looking for a camera based upon purely video and audio quality, you might want to look at something else. The video files are shot with proprietary files with a .MOD extension. Although file extensions and video files are relatively simple to convert, you can't just drag and drop the .MOD files in most applications. The software that is bundled with the camera will convert the files to any type that you want, but this is just another step or another application that you must go through to burn your movies via PC. I haven't yet got the direct burn stations that JVC markets, but I am willing to try them just to make it a bit easier to get my movies on DVDs. For the most part, to view our movies, we hook the camera directly up to the TV...which works very well for quick video showings.

All in all, for my entry level camcorder and the way in which we will use this camera, I am happy that I chose this model (Everio GZ-MG360). I hope my little review will help...because I know how nerve-racking shopping for a camcorder can be!

I wanted something light and compact to record my son's soccer games and birthdays, family events, etc. While this would probably be fine for the other events, it was very poor quality for the fast-moving soccer game. It was okay when holding still, but following the players was pretty much a blur and the still shots so far at any distance are VERY poor, I'm pretty disappointed after researching and being so excited to get this model. Great price at Costco, however ours is going back. I was unable to change the recording mode from the default, which won't publish to the web as far as I can tell, which is highly disappointing. The tutorial is very limited and the software not much more of a help. Pretty disappointed all around.

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It is a very light and small camcorder. It records for a long time. It records for 14 hours at the best quality. It looks cool. The external light is very useful. Video quality is good, not too great but very good. Three JVC software comes with this product, a DVD-CD authoring software a video editing software and a video-computer link software. They are all easy and fun to use. Don't worry about the still pictures. Get this and get a tiny camera to go with it. This camcorder is so small that you probably can fit this camcorder and a good camera in a small bag. I did it and it worked out fine. I used this camcorder to record a family vacation and I am pleased with the result.

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What can I say? After trolling through pros and cons and tons of reviews, it came down to Panasonic, Sony and JVC. The Panasonic received too many negative reviews on their file format, and the only Sony option was Hard Drive since the flash camcorders used the very expensive and proprietary pro-duo memory cards. So Hard Drive camcorders it was. The 30 GB Sony was a tad more expensive, by about $, than the JVC. But it had 0 lux night vision. Awesome! The 30GB JVC Everio was cheaper and also had tons of great reviews. Then I checked the used camcorders. I picked up this 60GB version for a mere $ with an included JVC camera bag. So my choice was obvious, especially when I was able to score a 60GB for cheaper than the 30GB. It doesn't look used, only an open box item. Plus the Seller was great and got the camera to me sooner than expected. Awesome service from Offprice.

Here's a list of programs I use. I convert into i-Pod, wmv and AVI for all my portable players and to send across the net. I convert into VOB and MPEGII for all my DVD recordings. Here's a list of all the programs I use, some free, some not. Nero Vision Express, Super encoder, TMPEG nc plus, TMPEG nc DVD Creator, and Archos media converter.

Here's what I've done so far. I took the thing out and started recording at the best quality. Why not, it has 60GB of space. I also recorded an instructional video. After all my recording, I hooked the JVC up to the computer (external HD style), and simply drug the files directly into NERO Vision Express to create a DVD. I also created a DVD another way, by converting the files to .VOB and using TMPEG products to have total control over my DVD creation. Works like a charm, and quality is ok considering standard definition. On the 42 inch LCD HDTV, it looks ok. Not High Def, but I was only budgeting $, not $, so I wasn't expecting movie quality. But if you hook the player directly up to the TV, the quality is much better. So I'll tinker with it to find the best fit.

I haven't tried the direct to DVD back-up yet from the camcorder, so I'll try that next.

Now for the meat:

Pros:

It was the best deal I could find. $ for a 60GB 35x optical zoom is unbeatable. Speaking of the zoom, it gets a little fuzzy around 30x or so, but you can still make out a clear image. The optical stabilization works great when zooming in that close. I think the term for this type of zoom is "Stalker Zoom." The 60GB HD will allow many hours of the best quality recording (15 hours I think), and hooking it to the computer is a snap, like any other external HD. Working with the files is easy with the right programs, and many of them are free. I haven't installed the JVC stuff. Its small form factor (about the size of two packs of Marlboro 100s put together) is very compact and as the wife says, "cute." It's very good indoors, even better outdoors, and pretty good in low light situations. It's everything I expected it to be. I started recording as soon as I took it out of the box, so it's also very easy to use.

Cons:

The auto focus gets confused and sometimes takes a while under lowlight conditions. I'm still trying to figure out how to use the built in LED light; it seems to have a mind of its own and turns on and off by itself if it thinks the computer screen you're shooting is too dark (for an instructional video).

It's not HD so expect standard definition quality on a large screen HDTV. That's all I can really think of other than the extra-life battery sticks out like a sore thumb, but at least it's out of the way during operation.

Summary:

I'll get a different point of view when the wife takes it out for our daughter's field day. As of yet, I call this the purchase of the year for me. I got what I wanted. Next, I'll look into HD camcorders, but that's going to be a long while from now. This JVC will suit our needs just fine and fit our budget perfectly. I highly recommend it.

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I searched high and low for a good HD camcorder that wouldn't break my bank and I finally found the JVC Everio GZ-MG360 for a decent price. I took it with me on a trip the day after I got it and have just now been able to see the finished product. Here's my eval of it:

Pros:

-VERY easy to use... if you're the least bit tech savy then you can figure out how to use everything by just simply clicking through the buttons.

-Nice, functional design lightweight, small, and very stylish!

-Even on the highest 'ultra fine' setting I got 8 hrs of video.

-Transfer between the camcorder and PC is a piece of cake... when you plug it in... it takes over!

Cons:

-Even though they do not lie about it... the battery life is only around 1hr or so... I would recommend buying a second battery... I had access to an outlet so no biggie.

-I wish there was an automatic lens opener on it because I kept forgetting to open and close the lens... it does remind you however!

-Not that this is a big deal but WMP does not recognize the 16:9 aspect ratio so you will need to use DIVX or RP to play the vid files with the correct aspect ratio.

Summary: Overall I am VERY pleased with this camcorder and would highly recommend this for anyone wanting a low end price memory snapper! :)

Mega Mini Pro Spy Camera with Built In Recording by Brickhouse Security

The red/blue indicator lights do not tell you when the device is fully charged. In fact, I could not find any battery life indicator anywhere. After charging the battery overnight, the longest recording I could make was 43 minutes until the battery died. I charge the battery at least overnight each time I use the camera, but I only get 20 to 30 minutes of recording before the thing shuts off. 43 minutes was the longest recording. Too bad, 20 minutes is long enough sometimes, but I could really use something that records for a couple of hours, even if there is no motion or sound for a long time. The picture quality and sound quality seem to be pretty good for such a small device.

For this spy cam to be so small, it packs a lot of punch. Both the video and audio are crystal clear and this thing can slide into any little spot. Also, retrieving your video could not be easier. It is so user-friendly. I AM NOT technologically savvy but I managed to figure it out just fine. If you are shopping for the perfect spy cam, believe me when I say this is the one.

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PHILIPS STREAMIUM SLA5500 Wireless Music Receiver

After researching several other streaming audio devices in the sub-$200 range, this product seemed to have the features I wanted plus a lot of good customer reviews (here and at other sites).

I have a large collection of MP3s (non-DRM) on my PC and a WEP-secured wireless network in my house. The physical setup was really easy plug in the AC adapter and connect it to my stereo with the provided audio cable. The wireless setup took more effort than I expected, but in the end my problems were with my wireless router.

Even though it's a DHCP server and works fine with all the PCs in my house and my Tivo, the Streamium was being assigned an invalid IP. I fixed this by using the 'reserve IP' feature of my router to specify the IP that DHCP will assign to the Streamium based on it's MAC address. Your mileage will vary depending on your brand/model of router.

After I got it on my network, the rest was a breeze. I decided to use the Philips Media Manager software instead of the Windows Media Center (or whatever it's called) because I really don't trust Microsoft to not-screw-up my existing MP3 collection. iTunes already wreaked havoc once (it tried to rearrange all my files until I disabled 'manage my music folder'). I wasn't going to tempt fate a second time.

The Streamium device looks really slick. The screen is easy to read and displays a decent amount of information. Selecting songs, artists, albums, shuffling, etc. were all easy to do. And, most importantly, the sound quality is great.

The only negative comment I have:

You have to use the remote. There are zero controls on the device itself. If you lose that remote, might as well chuck the rest of it in the trash. The same thing can be said about many competing products though.

At this price, it does everything I expected and it does it well. I'd give it five stars if it didn't rely solely on the remote.

Pro: Good looking, easy to use interface, relatively easy set-up

Con: Have to use WEP encryption, does not support WPA (or you could go w/o encryption). Need to set up exception in firewall software. These are not really cons, just technical items that may be difficult for non-technical types to do.

I just set up a new home theater system in my basement, and thought it would be convenient if I could transmit the music on my computer to play on the A/V receiver. I searched the net and Cnet for recommended products, and came across this. Some wireless systems will stream video too, but most seemed to have technical issues doing it and/or seemed technically complicated. This fits my needs for transmitting music I do not have movies or TV shows stored on my computer. (This will also show pictures and play videos, but I have not connected through to my TV.)

All you need is a computer with a 11b or 11g wireless connection and Windows Media Player v.10. Set up was quick and easy, and it automatically downloaded the latest firmware from Philips. I have a Philips MP3 player, and Philips seems to be good about updating software and keeping web support pages up to date. I had problems switching my wireless encryption down to WEP level, but I have had issues any time I changed the encryption settings. I made input & output exceptions in my firewall software (PC-cillin from Trend Micro) and I was good to go.

As long as your computer is running, you point the remote at the wireless receiver and select what you want to hear. You can play, shuffle, & repeat songs from your computer, or listen to Web radio stations. My computer is only about 30' away, but I am guessing that reception is as good as any wireless device. For $60 delivered (the website for the Arkansas based store, starts with a 'W'), this is a GREAT deal. Looks good, too not like some computer component. No more loading CDs in the DVD player for me.

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This item is no longer available on AMAZON (Thank god!). I made the mistake of purchasing two of these after falling in love with the idea of being able to play all the music from my computer on my home stereo systems. Out of the box we had issues as the device only support WEP encryption which has been known to have security issues for several years now. The device does not (and will never) support WPA encryption which provides true wireless security. I went through the trouble of creating an entire separate network without security simply to provide music to the receiver. Even then with full signal strength and after spending HOURS on the phone with Philips tech support the music would still skip to the point you couldn't listen to it for more than about 1 minute. The bottom line is Philips created this line of products to compete with other similar devices on the market and when they weren't able to get them working correctly, they ditched the entire line and stopped supporting it. BAD BUSINESS!!! If I ran my business like that, I would be out of business.

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I have been all over the net learning about this line of products... only to find that this device has a firmware upgrade that enables what I believe are several shoutcast streams! BOO-YAH, Soma FM without running my PC!

I believe some basic premium services can also be enabled... pretty neat.

Eventually I will try the media server aspect, but thanks to John's tip below, I was happy to get a $50+ dollar internet radio! Set it up in about 3 minutes and its AWESOME.

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JVC GR-SXM37U Compact S-VHS Camcorder w/25x Optical Zoom

This was a camcorder that replaces one I had that just got old and tired and also went swimming at one point! The one I purchased works like brand new. I needed one that could play my old tapes so I could put them on DVD. This purchased worked out perfectly.

This camcorder was purchased as a gift for a beginner, works fine, would only wish for longer battery life, although I believe longer life batteries are available.

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Rando HD Mini Car DVR Video Camera Recorder 2-inch LCD w/ HDMI Cable built-in Microphone

Just recieved the camera today. There are 3 resolutions, 1080p, 720p and native(i think thats what its called) i took videos on all 3 but i cant really tell the difference.

Took it for a stroll during the day. I think the reflection of my radar detector & car made most of everything out of focus, i will need to retest this again and hopefully, it would be clearer.

The so called "Night Mode" is BS. They just added 2 super bright LEDs and it doesnt really do much of anything. On well lite roads, it records pretty well, but on dark roads, u can only see what ur headlights are shining, its not bad though. Wide Angle? It doesnt look to wide to me.

As for most ppl ask, i actually saw license plates better at night than day. Need to be at least 1-2 car lengths to read the plates clearly though. Not sure if theres a way to make it clearer.

watching it on screen also shows this pixalated video, but im watching it no a 27" monitor was i cant blame the camera.

Overall, i like it, though i think my iPhone4 with the same megapixel can probably record a lot better...

I received a package with the camera very quickly in less than a week.

For comparison, a colleague of mine got the same camera from another seller about a month.

For its price the camera is very good clear images during day, and night is quite acceptable.

At the highest resolution of the video is approximately 95mb/min.

Mounting the camera on the windshield is very reliable.

The only negative the complexity of placing the camera behind the rearview mirror on a jeep.

PS. Jelly watch to trash!

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I bought this camera to keep me covered legal wise while I was on the job driving. It works fine but it doesnt want to stay on. Out of no where, it will turn itself off for no reason. It also freezes up and stops recording for no reason. That results in me having to constantly take my eyes off the road and make sure it is still recording. This is a cheap product. I suggest spending a little more money and buying something more reliable.

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The camera worked for about two days then the micro video card stopped working so I got another video card and the same thing happened. For some reason the cards will not work at all now. I had to return the camera. Camera was returned and money was refunded.

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This car cam works great, even after it slipped from my hand and dove straight into my large cup of orange juice I had in the car. After a good drying off in front of a space heater, I'm completely amazed it still works, 2 months later. Initially it took about a month before it arrived in the mail (coming from Hong Kong) and required a signature, which were not ideal, but I'm thrilled with the product. The camera records in 2-minute segments and saves them as separate files. An 8GB mini SD card (separate purchase) holds about 7 hours' worth of driving, then the camera starts overwriting what's there until it says it's full. You don't want to get stuck with a long commute and a full card, so just buy 2 of them. Also, the cards get lost easily because they're so tiny. I've already captured several near-miss roadway incidents, which are exciting to watch later on.

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Canon ZR200 MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom (High Metal)

Great Camera, Battery Sucks

I bought this camera to replace an old Panasonic VHS-C camera. After reading many reviews over at www.camcorderinfo.com (a great site BTW), I decided to save a few bucks and get the ZR 200 instead of the 300. The light seemed useless to me and I already had a SD card.

The ZR 200 outperforms our old Panasonic in every way. Very happy with this camera. I've been using it mostly in "easy" mode. I did try out the wide-screen feature, and MAN was it cool! I filmed a concert band at a local community college, in low light, on a ti-pod with lots of panning and zooming. It really did a great job. It looked like a freakin' documentary!

You will read lots of reviews complaining about motor noise. These are greatly exaggerated. I've used it to tape the audio of my wife's sonogram (fetal doppler sounds) in a very quiet doctor's office and it worked perfectly, no motor noise.

This is a consumer level camera, and as such performs very well for casual capturing. Kicks butt for home movies, low light concerts. Real pros might want to consider spending more.

One bummer, the battery really sucks. It lasts about one hour, so you'll want to get another one, or do what I do and plug it in whenever you can.

One little tip: You must hold the focus button down! You will read complaints of slow manual focus times, and I noticed the same thing, until I HELD DOWN THE FOCUS BUTTON. Manual focus is very snappy.

Amount Paid (US$):

239.99 (www.dell.com, w/ 2 coupons from www.dealmac..com)

Ease of Use:

Excellent; operates with the touch of a button

Durability:

Good; solid it will last until new technology develops

Battery Life:

Average; lasts 45-90 minutes

Movie Quality:

Good; stable and crisp image, very good sound

Recommended for:

Home and Families Keep Memories of Family Vacations

Pros:

Great Images, Very Small, Easy to use

Cons:

Batteries only last one hour.

The Bottom Line:

Highly recommend it for home, family buyers AND budget buyers.

Overall Product Rating:Above Average

Recommended: Yes

This camera replaced Canon's ZR85, which was another lightweight, no-frills camera. This one is even lighter, and a fair bit smaller. It fits just right in the palm of my hand. If it was any smaller or lighter it would be awkward -I like there to be a little bit of weight to a camera, since that gives it a litle bit of stability due to inertia; as it is it is just right.

It has more functions than you'd really want in such a camera -if you are ever going to do something with the footage you will be using a computer and an editing program, so you don't really need the editing modes on the camera. Still, there's no complaint here, and it's flexible enough for most non-professional, home users.

My only complaints are: when they "upgraded" to the ZR200 from the ZR85, they got rid of the neck strap. So this unit is totally free floating and you have to be more careful about dropping it. I suppose you could rig a neck strap but it isn't included and it would be a little more awkward, since the slots they give you to fasten a strap are very close together. I ended putting one on there but rarely use it, because it makes the camera twist around a bit. I really liked the neck strap on my ZR85 as a way of stabilizing the camera: I could put the camera down near my waist, and look through the LCD monitor, and the tension from the neck strap would help me keep the camera steady as I walked, usually while filming my children ahead of me. The other complaint is that the viewfinder on this one no longer swivels up and down, but is fixed in place. This makes it much less usable for me -because it means that the camera has to swivel with your head if you are using the viewfinder. It means that I use the LCD screen much more often than I used to, and that runs the battery down much more quickly. Still, for simplicity and convenience and ease of use, you'd be hard pressed to find a better camera at this price.

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I purchased this camera to replace my Panasonic VHS-C camcorder. I was very surprised at how much smaller the camcorders are as compared to when I had my VHS-C. This camera is great. Its small, compact design makes it easy to fit into the palm of your hand, and the mini screen is perfect for viewing images while recording. The feature that really sold me on this camera, aside from its low price, was the image stabilization. With the stabilization on, there is no image bouncing, and you'll be sure to get clear, sharp images every time. I was disappointed in the short charge that the battery holds, so I recommend purchasing another battery or plugging the camera in whenever possible. The tapes the camera uses are very small, and you can easily store several in a camera bag.

I highly recommend this camcorder. It was ranked the best camcorder in its price range by Consumer Reports magazine. You'll be sure to get many hours of enjoyment using this teriffic camcorder from Canon.

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I imagine most people who buy this camera will be using it to make home movies and so far I've found it to be very easy to use and the video quality to be excellent.

A few words of warning, the provided USB cable is only good for tranferring still images to your PC. If you want to transfer video you need and IEEE394 cable (I think that's what it's called). This does not come with the camera. However if you do some looking online you can get one very cheap (I got one for $1.95). Most brick and mortar stores sell them for a much higher price, as much as $30.

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You get what you pay for and more... For a camera that is normally under 300 bucks, one can not really complain. If you expecting it to perform like a 2000 dollar camera then don't buy it. If you are looking for something simple to use (for me it was for the birth of my son etc...) It was perfect. Get another battery, an SD card for pictures, and a few DV cassettes and you are good to go. Amazon sells it for a bit high, I would go to Dell and purchase it with a few coupons, normally ends up to be like 240-270 free shipping + your local taxes, so under 300.

Philips LFH0888/00 Digital Voice Tracer 0882 with Docking Station/Leather Case

I've many digital recorders. This is my favorite, 4 gigabytes of memory, supports multiple formats, superb interface, good speaker, rechargeable batteries included. I use it for remote recording and transmission of text to speech files. I wrote a business plan by dictating the draft while driving in the car!

I returned this item because you can barely hear it play back. It had great features but was a horrid little item.

Too bad it could live it up to its great features.

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Toshiba SD4700 Progressive-Scan DVD Player

• Super ColorStream Pro progressive-scan component-video outputs (deliver stunning visuals on HD-ready TVs)
• DVD-Video/DVD-Audio/CD/video CD/CD-R/DVD-R compatible (also displays CD and DVD Text)
• 24-bit, 192 kHz high-resolution, multi-channel DVD-Audio decoding and playback (for unparalleled realism and immersive music mixes)
• Video black-level expansion and PLUGE (for optimizing theater-like conditions in your home)
• Aspect ratio control and NAVI menu simplify setup and picture adjustments

This player packs a lot of value into a relatively well priced package. On average, for a few more bucks than it's main competition (ehem...Panasonic, etc.), not only do you get progressive scan and CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 playback but this unit also includes DVD-Audio, which delivers amazing sounding 24-bit 96KHz audio on 6 channels (or 2 if you prefer). It just kills regular CD audio. Toshiba's Colorstream Pro progressive picture on my Toshiba 43H70 TV (high def progressive rear projection) is as good as it gets for picture quality in this price range. No aliasing or artifacts, rich and detailed picture. Add optical, coax, and 5.1 outputs (all gold plated) plus component out (of course) plus cool looks (blue LED, scrolling + fading matrix display, cool navi menu, etc.) and you have an awsome player that people will drool over. Best in class for the money.

Buy Toshiba SD4700 Progressive-Scan DVD Player Now

I purchased the SD-4700 mainly for its progressive scan feature and I must say that it does make a big difference. I'm using this player with a Philips digital widescreen HDTV (32" tube) and, finally, I'm starting to see the full potential of the DVD format. Some people may argue that since a lot of new TVs (especially HDTVs) are equipped with high quality line doublers, you get all the benefits of progressive scanning directly from your TV, but at least in my case, the SD-4700 does a much better job than Philips' own "Natural Motion" technology in presenting progressive output while still maintaining that "film quality" of the... err... film :)

The remote control is a lot easier to use than previous Toshiba models and provides very easy access to all the features you may need during playback (e.g. subtitles, audio and angle selection). It also contains a rather large joystick that makes it very easy to navigate menus. Also worth mentioning is the fact that all the controls are also available on the player itself. Very useful for these times when you accidentally "misplace" the remote.

As for the supported formats, I had no problems playing DVDs, VCDs, music CDs & CDRs and MP3 CDRs. The MP3 support is very basic and has some quirks. For example, I still can't really understand how the player determines the order of tracks. Seems a bit random to me but there must be a logical explanation here :). Anyway, the feature actually does work, the overall sound quality is good and that's what counts. I haven't tested the player with DVD Audio discs yet so I can neither confirm nor deny the problems reported in other reviews.

Now for the kinks, which are minor but still prevent this player from getting 5 stars:

1. Some widescreen HDTVs (my Philips among them) do not allow the user to manually set the aspect ratio for progressive signals. This means that you may get just a little bit frustrated when you play widescreen, NON-anamorphic DVDs ("letterboxed" -where the "black bars" are coded into the frame to make it display correctly on 4:3 TVs). Your options with these DVDs are to either watch them letterboxed in a rather small 4:3 viewing area (annoying!), have the SD-4700 stretch them to 16:9 (annoying because it will mess up the aspect ratio) or use the zoom feature of the player to try and get the optimal picture (frustrating but doable). What this player really needs is a smart zoom feature that removes the black bars and scales the picture to fit the screen (like most widescreen TVs have) but I guess you just can't get it all. That said, since most new DVDs are anamorphic (contain no black bars and therefore always displayed in the correct aspect ratio), this can be considered a minor inconvenience.

2. The player has some problems displaying menu items in 4:3 progressive mode: highlighted menu items sometimes get totally messed up. This doesn't happen with native 16:9 DVDs or when you set the player to stretch everything to 16:9, so it's not really that big of a deal.

3. Pixel cropping I think this player crops almost half an inch off the bottom of your picture (I made sure this was not a problem with my TV not being properly aligned). According to the AVIA test signals I used, over 25 pixels were cropped out and that's considered a little too much. Still, I guess many people wouldn't notice this glitch because their TVs are probably cropping so much more... :).

All in all, I am very pleased with this player. You really do get a lot for your money here! Sure, there are a few kinks but they are not horrible (unless you are a non-compromising videophile). If you have an HDTV, you really owe it to yourself to get a progressive scan DVD player, and this is probably one of the better (and cheaper) ones out there.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba SD4700 Progressive-Scan DVD Player Here

I purchased this unit wanting to have one player handle all formats, as well as progressive scan, which will be my next upgrade (16:9 format screen).

As a DVD player, it doesn't get better than this! The player has exceptional picture quality with no "hangs" or artifacts. The freeze frames are crystal clear. The zoom function was far more useful than I had expected. It is amazing how far you can zoom in on a picture with minimal picture quality degradation. If you do not care for the black bars you are forced to have on some wide screen DVD movies, you can "zoom" as much of them away as you want! Right now it is connected to a Mitsubishi 46" with an S-video cable. This is the best picture this set has ever displayed. I can't wait to see what it will do on a progressive scan set! All the outputs you need for audio are there coax, RCA, and optical, as well as the ability to handle Dolby Digital, DTS, etc.

As an MP3 player, I am disappointed. Some files that played flawlessly on an MP3 player or PC had distortion, and LOUD sound artifacts when played on the Toshiba. Other similar files played fine. Although the addendum sheet stated to use 8 character file names and no more than a 74 minute CD-R, it seems to work also with 80 minute CD-Rs and CDR-Ws (same results with MP3 poor). No problems when the MP3 file was burned in standard CD audio format, though.)Also, no problems with standard audio CD playback.

The remote control was easy to use and intuitive for major functions. It is not the "universal" type. The menu structure is easy to use.

The manual was clear, but I would like to have seen it broken down by type of media being played back. An extra manual is included to correct all the errors in the original manual Most of these correct functions the manual states the player will do, but in reality does not do.

Overall, I am pleased with the machine as a DVD/CD player.

Want Toshiba SD4700 Progressive-Scan DVD Player Discount?

The perfect DVD player. It has all the features you could want, and if you someday plan on upgrading your TV to HDTV (and you should), the progressive scan feature on this player will blow you away. This model packs in all the high-tech yet user-friendly features you'd want. Did you know that hardly any other brands feature a ZOOM feature like Toshiba does? Gosh, I thought it should be a standard feature. The Toshiba SD4700 (and most other Toshiba models) has it, as well as every stereo decoding feature you'll want or need. Prepare to be awestruck by the superior sound, picture, and breadth of options!

Considering this is my first standalone dvd player, it's hard for me to fully ascertain how strong this product is. I bought the 4700 for the video quality more than the audio features, and in this respect, I am more than pleased. But it's not all peaches.

After two months of owning this product, I have confirmed that this dvd player has the ill-fated "chroma bug" problem. I only became aware of this recently when watching Vertical Limit on DVD. While watching the "making of" featurette, there was significant bleeding of bright red, especially evident with the subheadings. For the more casual consumer, this isn't that big of a problem, because it's hard to notice. But I'm sure any meticulous buyer will want to know. However, since many of Toshiba's, Sony's and Pioneer's lines of dvd players are conflicted with this problem, I don't see any reason to particularly bash this model. (By the way, this chroma bug flaw can't be fixed. Let's just hope future mpeg decoding technology will overcome this problem. As far as I know, only the Panasonic brand has consistently avoided the bug.)

The chroma bug issue is not a big deal, since it's rarely noticeable to the untrained eye. What's more important is the overall picture quality, and that's where this product shines. I'm using this player with standard analog connection (no S-video, no hdtv, interlaced mode), and the video is SUPERB. I can only imagine how much better the progressive scan would be. There should be no concern that the video display will far surpass expectations.

However, dealing with the audio features can be frustrating. Switching between 5.1 Dolby Digital audio, DVD-audio discs, normal CDs, and mp3 music requires you to switch modes manually. There is no automatic conversion, so if you use this player a lot for audio playback between different mediums, be prepared for some tedious menu changing. Some reviewers have complained of the player's poor mp3 playback. I don't know personally since I only use this player to watch DVD movies, but I could imagine audio problems existing. The LCD panel only has 8 characters, so I'm sure this will come as a problem for long mp3 filenames.

The zoom feature was surprisingly good, and although I think the remote is ugly and bulky, I quickly adapted to it. The manuals and documentation were pretty good, and the Toshiba website seems to provide good support and FAQs, although I haven't found them to be necessary yet (that's always a good thing). The warranty is only three months, which is downright sad.

Despite it's flaws, I'm still giving it 5 stars. Why? Because 1) the video is superb (my main priority), 2) there are a plethora of features, 3) lots of connectivity choices (all gold-plated), 4) $250 (Best Buy) is an absolute steal for a progressive scan player, 5) very simple graphical menu system and ease of installation, 6) fast and silent disc loading, 7) plays problematic discs (ex. Matrix) without fault, and 8) it doesn't heat up and seems to have strong build quality.

Weighing the cost-benefits, I'd say it's as close a perfect product as one could get for the first-time or casual DVD consumer. An audiophile, however, might want to entertain more scrutiny.

Panasonic DVD-S52S DVD Player

• 720p output
• Up-conversion to 1080i
• Supports DVD Audio (5.1)
• Dolby Digital and DTS decoders
• Plays DVD-R, CD-R & CD-RW; MP3, WMA, JPEG & MPEG4 playback with on-screen navigator

I bought this dvd player thinking it should be quality product. At a good price I didnt second guess myself. I have had good luck with Panasonic dvd players. My first one I bought back in 1997 when they first started becoming popular It was over $300. That old player still works flawlessly.

I purchased this dvd player along with my new 50 inch screen rear projection lcd t.v. I hooked it up through HDMI cables. I watched The Incredibles first , being that I have kids. I thought the movie looked good on regular tv but this was not only bigger but better overall picture than my old 32 inch. My kids now call this my Movie theater. I have watched a lot of computer animated movies and they all look as if I am watching a real movie screen. Very impressed with picture of most movies. There are some movies that dont look as good but definatley not bad picture.

As far as the upconversion I didnt see a big difference from 480p, 720p, and 1080i, I keep it set at 720p and this work fine for all movies. I find it pretty easy to jump from one setting to another.

Overall I think I could not be happier, dvd movies look good, not too complicated to operate. On a side note, I think watching sports in HI DEF is the best way to take advantage of this technology. Movies look real good but nothing like watching outdoor game on Sunday.

Buy Panasonic DVD-S52S DVD Player Now

I bought this to replace a sony progressive scan player I bought about 4 years ago. Remember when 480p was the bomb resolution? After recently purchasing a 1080p HDTV I wanted a solid upconverter w/ an HDMI output. I am in no rush to consider (true 1080p sources) HD DVD/Blu-ray until their "war" is over (& price drops on movies & equipment). The HDMI is spec. 1.2a for those who are familiar. The unit itself is very slim (a big plus design wise) and lightweight (about 5 lbs.) The sole drawback is the remote's design w/ it's ugly bottom battery bulge. I strongly considered Sony's 75H player, but this model offers more features and a lower cost. In fact I was able to buy an HDMI cable & this player for less than the sony cost! It's nice to see the DVD audio is finally playable through a digital output (HDMI). Keep an eye on these kind of players I'm sure they will all be upconverting to 1080p soon, perhaps by next year? In closing, this Panasonic is an overall great value and I would highly recommend.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DVD-S52S DVD Player Here

This is a pretty good upconverting DVD player, and I am happy with my purchase. I have it connected to my Panasonic 42" plasma and the picture quality is great!

Note that for the upconverting to work, you have to use a HDMI cable (component outputs only 480p in this player) and turn on 720p/1080i output explicitly from the menu.

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This player displays movie dvd's with optional image zoom which can display a widescreen panavision 2.35:1 anamorphic dvd to fully fit a 16:9 widescreen tv vertically as well as horizontal, cropping only the sides of the image and preserving the enhanced vertical resolution of the anamorphic widescreen dvd. The zoom control settings are specific to standard film types as well as an Automatic mode which works for panavision. Tv's with aspect control to display the anamorphic widescreen image (via the required horizontal stretch preserving the height) leave horizontal black bars consuming 1/3 of the screen height because of the extremely wide format; you may get the higher anamorphic resolution but not the display height. None of them have the particular mode required even when equipped with various zoom controls. I have not found any other player with this particular zoom control either, and some will only zoom static photographs. The panasonic feature allows a 32" widescreen tv to display the movies in the same height as would a 40" screen, at the cost of some cropping of the sides only.

This is less of a problem with less wide Academy Standard 1.85:1 widescreen films, but most films with panoramic scenery are in panavision.

For best results it may be necessary to use the new HDMI cable, as the component video connection only outputs 480p; the 720p hd signal is only on the digital connector.

I bought this DVD player to replace the Toshiba SD-K860SU DVD player, which was giving me trouble mainly because it would pause every once in a while, apparently to "buffer" the program data. So far, after about a month's worth of use this machine does not exhibit that problem the movies play fine from start to end.

This Panasonic has a feature that I really like, and that the Toshiba and some other players I have had were lacking. It is that if you turn off the unit while you are watching a movie, it will remember the exact location you were at so you can resume at some later point (without removing the disk of course).

Another feature I really like is that you can move captions down, out of the way. That won't matter to you if you don't use captions but most people do for foreign films, and I use them for most movies because I'm hard-of-hearing. When the movie has a very widescreen aspect ratio, you will get a small black letter-box effect at the bottom and top of the screen (when using a 16:9 HDTV), so it's great to be able to move the captions down into that black area. The DVD player will not remember that setting from one movie to the next, so you have to set it each time you want it. No big deal. Note that if the movie has the 16:9 aspect ratio, it fills the screen all the way to the edges, as it is supposed to.

It has various audio enhancing controls that I've played with but don't fully understand. One of them is supposed to enhance dialog, so the background music doesn't overwealm the dialog. I think it works pretty well, but I have not done exhaustive parallel testing. Also I do not have an audio system, just the speakers in my Visio HDTV, which I'm actually pretty happy with (someday we'll upgrade to home theatre audio...)

You can set the various menus to be semi-transparent, so you can see the action behind the menus while the movie is going on. I like that.

Of course this player is an "upconverting" model. I am no videophile, but I am extremely impressed with the pictures I get on my TV from this DVD player. They are brilliant, and quite satisfactory.

Meanwhile speaking of pictures this DVD player appears to be much more "intelligent" that the Toshiba in this way: A lot of the time the special features on DVDs are presented in 4:3 aspect ratio maybe to save space on the DVD or save production costs. The movie itself is typically in 16:9 ratio or some such. The player is "smart" enough to show each in its correct ratio. With the Toshiba, I would have to manually switch to 4:3 when watching the features, and then switch back for the next DVD. (Unlike some people, I really prefer to watch the pictures in their original format I don't get the notion of stretching the picture, which distorts all the images. I know using 4:3 on a 16:9 set "wastes" the space on the sides, but so what?).

Now for the ONLY thing I've found that could be improved: On my old machine (the dreaded Toshiba), if I pressed the "info" button, it would tell me the elapsed time, the time remaining, the chapter number, and the number of chapters. The Panasonic will give all that information, EXCEPT for the total number of chapters. I would have liked that information, because the main on-board digital display just gives the current chapter number (no elapsed time, like on some DVD players), so you don't have a sense for how far into the movie you are, unless you are watching the clock. Of course this is completely irrelevant if you are watching a gripping movie, but when you're watching "My Dinner With Andre" you really want to know how close to the end you are.

I read some other reviews indicating that the DVD tray was flimsy. It is not made of iron and I wouldn't use it as a sledge-hammer rest, but it seems sturdy enough to me.

Delivery of this machine from Amazon's vendor was rapid and uneventful, and setup was quick and easy.

I have not used the remote, since I use a universal remote (the Osiris MX-350). I used a pre-programmed Panasonic DVD code on the remote, but had to make numerous manual programming adjustments to get all the buttons to work. As every Osiris owner knows, making those adjustments are VERY fun and something to look forward to.

I'm very happy with my purchase and expect to use this DVD player for a long time to come at least until they settle on an HD-DVD standard and HD-DVD players become affordable.

Hewlett Packard Jornada 525 Color Pocket PC

For almost three years I had exclusively used a Jornada 820 (Windows CE handheld with built-in modem and keyboard) as a portable device. And while I still love to take the 820 along on trips, there was one drawback: It was always just a little too big and heavy for my purse. This is why I recently bought a Jornada 525 Pocket PC.

The main reason for deciding on a 525 was its price, but I was also pleasantly surprised by its great functionality and design. The device fits well into my hand and exudes a sense of quality no thin plastic body but substantial metal with rubber coating on the sides for a better grip. It looks pretty cool.

Of course there are a few compromises compared to higher-priced Pocket PCs: The 525 does not come with a cover, although one is available separately; the stylus cannot be stored in the device itself, although there is a slot for it in the included protective glove. Also, this Jornada has only a 256 color display, and no USB interface, however, a serial cable is included for synchronization. Another thing that's missing is a docking station, but again this can be purchased as an accessory. The 525 has only 16 MB memory, and not the fastest processor (SH3, 133 Mhz).

But all these things do not bother me too much. I synchronize via infrared anyway (which you CAN do with this device), and I have already purchased a cover the silver-colored one looks quite good with it! Sure, the 16 MB memory is not great, but luckily the 525 has a Compact Flash Card slot. With prices for these cards plummeting, I put in a 128 MB CF card and I'm loaded for bear.

If you are like me and I would dare say like most of the Pocket PC users you will probably use such a device mainly for storing contacts and appointments, for playing Solitaire or read an eBook while waiting at the doctor's office, or for listening to MP3 files when the wait gets REALLY long. Also for storing other information like credit card numbers, passwords and PINs, and for keeping track of projects, orders, etc. With the optional camera module, one can even take pictures and view them.

All these things work on the Jornada 525, and work well. I would urge anyone who is in the market for a Pocket PC to really think about what he/she wants to do with it, and not blindly go for ads that make you want to spend hundreds of dollars more for a little more speed, contrast, and built-in memory. The fact is that all these devices have a very short shelf life, and what is top-of-the-line today, will very likely be gone by this time next year. Unless you are one of those rare power users who really live and breathe this technology, I believe the Jornada 525 will more than meet your needs.

The reason I didn't give 5 stars is that in my experience its battery life is not the best I've learned to never stray too far from an electrical outlet. But again: This also depends on what kind of applications you are running, and how many at the same time... Nothing to gripe too much about.

I have been using the Jornada 525 for about week, and I am very satisfied with the quality of this product. The unit has a nice solid feel, and there are rubber grips on each side to make it easier to hold. The leather case that is included works well, and has a sleeve inside for holding the stylus.

The 12-bit (that's 4096 colors) 240x320 display is surprisingly detailed and sharp compared to other similarly priced products. The Jornada is also equipped with a built-in speaker and a stereo headphone jack. The "up to 8 hours of battery life" for the rechargable battery usually turn out to be around 5-6 hours on low power use settings. The screen responds very well to touch, but I would recommend buying screen protectors to prevent scratching.

There are thousands of third party applications and games out there to load onto the Jornada as well. Installing programs is very easyyou just have to download the installation file, sync the Jornada to your PC, and run the installation file. The program will take a minute or two to transfer depending on the size.

Here are a few of the things I like/don't like about the Jornada:

GOOD:

Performance vs. price (compare to Palm IIIc, Handspring Visor Platinum, other Windows CE handhelds)

Sharp, colorful, well lit display (fully adjustable brightness/contrast)

Fast. Very few delays while opening programs or navigating menus.

Included items: A/C adapter, serial sync cable, carrying case

Easy to use. Windows CE should be simple to pick up for anyone familiar with windows 9x/NT.

Shortcut buttons. You can access your calendar, daily tasks, etc. with one touch of a button instead of navigating menus.

BAD:

Short battery life compared to less powerful handhelds.

The included stylus is very light. (Most people prefer heavier, more solid ones)

The rubber pieces on the sides of the device (the smaller ones near the top) are too easy to peel open (they are not intended to be opened) They push easily back into place, though.

The cover to the expansion slot is a little flimsy.

Windows CE bugs. I have encountered a couple bugs, but all I had to do was reset the OS with the red button on the back of the unit to put things back to normal. This does not erase your data.

I would recommend the Jornada to anyone who wants a powerful handheld computer for keeping notes and appointments as well as playing games, viewing pictures, working on word/excel documents, and listening to music. For people who just want to keep calendar dates and simple notes, I would suggest buying a less powerful handheld with a longer battery life.

Buy Hewlett Packard Jornada 525 Color Pocket PC Now

I moved over a Visor Prism last week and even though I still love my Visor I am very satisfied with the HP 525. It has a very nice sleek metal design and it feels solid in my hand. I have to tell you that I spent around 3 long nights figuring out the last detail of the software and the "infamous" windows CE. Maybe not that easy to handle compared to the Plam OS but the more I got into the new system, the more I liked it. Running at 133mhz it handles the programs well when you are not using multitask. The 256 colors do nicely on the programs but this is not a multimedia device specially if you want to play a video or to watch high resolution pictures. The MP3 player sounds great with my headphones and with a built in compact flash you have no problem with the space. I have to tell you that I wasn't sure about buying a Pocket Pc since I have been with palm devices for the last 3 years but I wanted more features out of the box for less money this time. What I don't like about it?? Well, it doesn't have a metal cover, you can't hold your stylus inside the device, it only has 16mb, it doesn't use USB to Sync, no cradle and short battery life. Putting aside all the limitations, the HP 525 is a nice machine with an elegant design. If you are moving from a Palm handheld this could be a very good and affordable option for you.

Read Best Reviews of Hewlett Packard Jornada 525 Color Pocket PC Here

Nothing can beat the price to function ratio of this machine. I got a Visor Edge and bought this one for $220 (It's a long story). And my friend kept asking me why this color one is even cheaper than the B/W Edge? If you are looking for an MP3 player and/or a PDA for cheap this is what you should get. The MP3 playback is awsome. Music quality is great with earphone jack and it has no problem playing Music as good as 128bit/sec. You can easily get a 64mb CF card for less than $40, or 128mb on Amazon for $60, which bring the total down to less than $300 for an MP3 player + COLOR PDA.

There are a few downside of this PDA, though. The color is 256, which means that you won't be able to see great pictures that you took from your digital camera on it. And there is only serial cable connection for it. I will suggest you buy a USB card reader if you are actually using it as an MP3 player.

A few tricks you might want to know. You need to create a folder called "My Documents" in your card so that mediaplayer can find your music. And, to save energy, the screen toggle function in the option can be set so that you can turn screen off while listening to music.

In all I think this is worth at least 4 starts.

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It's not the fastest, it's not the lightest, it doesn't have the best screen, it doesn't even have USB sync... But, for about half the price of those "best" units, Jornada 525 does everything well that's expected of any PocketPC. I bought Viking 128MB CF expension card (here @ Amazon) to store all files (so I can allocate more memory to run programs) and still have enough room left over for over an hour of MP3 music to enjoy with pair of good headphones. With only a serial connection and slower processor than the competition, this unit is for those of us who are patient and will use it mainly as a secondary portable device to compliment our primary portable notebook computers. All in all, I am completely satisfied and it's all I expected and more.

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Sanyo VPC-FH1A Full HD Video and 8 MP Digital Photos (Black)

Pros

Superb low light response.

Excellent Mac compatibility

Reasonable price

Generally good set of options in the menu.

37mm threaded front lens so it it is compatible with a large assortment of attachments

Reasonable HD performance

Also functions as a pretty good and easy still camera

Cons

Zoom speed cannot be slowed or controlled in any way. (I stand corrected on this point read below)

No mic or audio line input.

General Discussion

All things considered, this is a fine product. If you are a Mac person this will save you many hours of work. The MPEG4 file format is very mac friendly. But there are a few things to keep in mind.

This camera has an unusually large sensor; as such this has some interesting consequences. On the positive side, this produces stunning low light capabilities. Furthermore, one can isolate the subject from the background very easily by carefully controlling ones exposure and focus; few other consumer camcorders have this ability. However this places great strain on the auto focus. If one is simply wishing to place it in an auto mode and leave it there, it tends to have a lot of focus problems.

The zoom speed is too fast. Aside from the fact that I feel, that it is aesthetically unpleasing, in every case except bright sunlight, the zoom is faster than the auto focus. Therefore almost any attempt to zoom in while shooting will yield out-of-focus pictures. Consequently you must consider the zoom on this camera to be essentially useless.

For some inexplicable reason, they chose not to include an external mic/ audio in jack. This severely limits its usability.

David Courtney

Houston, TX

* Questions from the comments (I can't reply the post for some reason so I have to update the review here): No. An adaptor cable comes with the camcorder (one end goes to the camcorder, the other end connect the USB cable of your external drive). The drive has to be in FAT32 format (not NTFS, which is the current format standard for vista and win7 system). FAT32 is format for older windows. The limitation is file on it can not be larger than 4GB (this is why the sanyo camcorder can not record file larger than 4GB, though I don't know why you would have one file that large, not reliable at the first place). Also a note by a comment that the harddrive may have to be self-powered, according to the manual.

I have not actually used the Xacti library feature myself so please refer to the manual (a pdf file you can google) before you make up your mind.

===========================

I believe the FH1A is just the FH1 with the additional Apple iFrame video format (an odd format, smaller then 720p, so I doubt anyone would use it). So my review applies to the FH1 model as well. Btw, most of the camcorderinfo review on the VPC-HD2000 model applies to this one as well.

When this camcorder is on sale for $400 or below, it is certainly the best HD camcorder for the money.

Pros: -Many video resolution options, covering 1080p, 1080i, 720p, vga, and ultra-slow motion video. The 1080p (60fps progressive) is really detailed and smooth. I have read that someone may have problem playing back the 1080p video smoothly on an even quad-core windows (can be solved by choosing the right software). But video play back is quite good on my quad-core Mac (well it's an HP hackintosh).

-H.264 mp4 video format makes it very easy to work with, especially on Mac platform. Just copy the video onto the computer and you can start editing it in iMovie natively without converting, transcoding, etc. Saves tons of time. I have worked with 720p Motion Jpeg (MJPG) videos. Their quality is good but they waste too much disk space. The mp4 video from the sanyo has good compression without visible quality loss. Therefore, this camcorder should be at the top of one's shopping list if you are a Mac user.

-Excellent low light performance. Many camcorders/cameras suffer big time when shooting video at low light (such as in door at night with usual lighting). I have compared to 720p video my other camera, the video from the Sanyo is much cleaner.

-Comes with a lot of accessories (but as the video can be easily copied onto computer, one don't really need the video cables). Good build quality. Small but with large screen. Can be operated with just the thumb. Great battery life.

-Comes with remote controller, which is hard to find on even much more expensive camcorders.

-Great stereo sound quality.

-Can store video onto portable hard disk without using computers (Xacti library). This is a great feature as you can just bring a portable hard drive and the camcorder when traveling, off-load the videos when the card is full, and continue shooting. Portable HDD is cheap and can hold hours of videos. Without this feature, you either have to prepare multiple SD cards for the trip, or you have to pull out laptop from time to time.

-Ultra slow motion video, though at low resolution. It may be a gimmick for many but can be very useful and fun if you want to capture a special action.

-8M still photo. The quality is on par with most consumer level digital cameras (but a little over sharpened, nothing close to prosumer or DSLR quality).

Cons:-The only real complain I have is the lack of Optical Image Stabilization. It only has Electronic IS, which works a little when you are not moving the camera (the natural shaking of the hand can be countered). But as soon as you start walking, panning, anything involve intentional camera movement, the EIS has no use. For Optical IS, even some of those movement can be countered to certain degree so the end results are not as shaky. Anyway, good shooting techniques are always useful, and iMovie has a image stabilization function that can be applied on shaky video, and the results are pretty good (but time-consuming). I wish Sanyo could bring OIS to their next generation camcorders.

-The menu is just OK. Not really up to current standard. I've seen much better executed animated menus on other cameras. Well they all do the similar thing but make you feel better. I don't think processing power of this camcorder is the problem, it's a lack of development in this regard. Due to a lock of buttons, one has to remember lots of settings if you want to make quick change. Good thing is that some frequently used function can be set as shortcut to the joystick.

-Only provided software for windows, not for Mac; However I doubt there are good alternative to iMovie on Mac (at this price point) so it's OK forgivable.

-Lack of parameter adjustments for video and photo quality. Just three options (normal, vivid, soft) and don't really make a difference. On my computer when playing back, just a tiny bit of increase in saturation brings the video to a better level. I wish I can shoot the video like that at the first place.

-I find it too dark to my taste when left as automatic exposure, especially indoor night shot. Therefore I customized the exposure compensation on the 4-way toggle, and raise the exposure by 0.3 or 0.6 before shooting.

Buy Sanyo VPC-FH1A Full HD Video and 8 MP Digital Photos (Black) Now

Pros:

1. Records in iFrame format. iFrame is just a specification made up by Apple for recorded movies to be more iMovie friendly. It uses the standard H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec. However, it's not HD as the resolution is only 960x540 (although it's still higher than 480p), but the bitrate is set at 24Mbps. That's a lot, considering even the 1080p mode on this camcorder only has a bitrate of 16Mbps. Another plus of the iFrame format is that it's progressive. I'm getting sick and tired of camcorders recording interlaced video. I can't see the point. Interlaced video looked horrible, and requires extra processing time/quality loss due to transoding during editing to de-interlace it. Most consumer HD camcorders, even the expensive ones from Sony and Canon, records in 1080i. Try importing/editing that 1080i clip on your computer, it's more difficult than it should. iFrame clips recorded by this camcorder can be scrubbed smoothly on my 2008 iMac with iMovie09. Out of the box, iFrame is the default recording setting.

2. Records in 720p. As nice and iMovie friendly the iFrame format is, the higher resolution of 720p video is just amazing. You can see details that you won't normally see on 480p/480i videos recorded by standard def camcorders. Now, you must be asking why I put 720p as a pro, considering this camera can do 1080p. Well, that's because other HD camcorders, even more expensive ones from Sony/Canon, cannot record in 720p. Most HD camcorders by other manufactures only record in 1080i. I already pointed out that I hate interlaced video. I'd rather have 720p than 1080i. On my iMac, iMovie 09 choked a little bit with the 720p video. Scrubbing is not as smooth as the iFrame format, buy boy the extra resolution is just nice.

3. Price. I got this camcorder when Amazon had it for $329, which is an awesome deal. Even at $399, this camcorder is still cheaper than the competitors. Most other camcorders at this price range have smaller sensors than this Sanyo.

4. High speed recording/slow motion. Basically the camera records the video at a much faster frame rate than the standard 30/60 fps, and when played back at 30fps, you get a smooth slow-motion effect. Alas, the resolution is greatly reduced. You only get 448x336 on the 240fps mode, and a measly 192x108 resolution for 600fps, too small to be practically useful. Still, a nice feature to have for some fun/creative things, and unlike the Sony CX110 that only supports 3 seconds of slow-motion, the FH1A doesn't have that limitation.

5. Comes with a remote.

Cons:

1. No optical image stabilization. The FH1A only has digital image stabilization, which doesn't really say much. Videos can be quite jerky during movement and panning. However, considering the price, you would have to spend $600+ for camcorders with optical IS. Even the low end Sony/Canon HD camcorders don't have optical IS, and they're more expensive than the FH1A.

2. No built-in lens cap. Can be annoying to remove it and put it on the side of the handstrap if you need to record video quickly. Even Samsung cheap camcorders have the lens-cap built-in albeit with a manual slider.

3. Doesn't come with a pouch. It's nitpicking, but I bought a cheapo Samsung camcorder a while back, and it comes with a soft pouch. I kinda expect a bit more goodies.

4. Annoying instruction voice. Really, I don't need the camcorder telling me to insert an SD card. Good thing it can be turned off.

5. The power adapter. Instead of a compact battery charger, or a compact power adapter that has the prongs built-in, Sanyo's power adapter requires two cables. One goes to the camera, the other is the power cable.

I want an HD camcorder that is iMovie friendly where I can import the videos without transcoding/de-interlacing. The Sanyo FH1A delivers. However, the lack of optical IS kinda hampers the overall video recording experience. Still, you can't beat the features for the price. Here are some video comparisons I took, comparing the FH1A with various other devices with video recording capabilities:

Edit: Arrgh, Amazon caught the urls for my video comparisons. Go to youtube dot com slash pata2009.

Read Best Reviews of Sanyo VPC-FH1A Full HD Video and 8 MP Digital Photos (Black) Here

Let me preface this by saying I am not a Professional. I do however take pride in my work as a hobbyist. I have had several cameras, and my specialty is dSLR's and still photography.

I was looking for a decent camera to shoot sports and this is it: 1080p at 60fps is perfect.

Yes the image quality is very good as good as if not better than anything I have seen under 1000.

Low-light is very good, although it has some trouble focusing while zooming in low-light.

Image Stabilizing is pretty good for a camera at this price, obviously its digital.

The camera is fast to turn on and start video/pics.

The camera is very small and portable, I can put it in cargo pants pockets

I love the fact that it is SD card with no hard drive

You can put the pics directly onto a flash drive w/o a computer (cam must be plugged in) This is great option to have

HDMI out is awesome as well.

Macro is very good for a camera this price.

I actually have no remorse in buying this camera and would have done it for 200 dollars more as well.

The 240fps is just a cool feature to have.

I use a monopod often, which, coupled with the digital image stabilization, works great.

Highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for anything under 1000.

EDITED: updated to 1 star because the camera died October 2011, meaning one day it decided to never turn on again and that was it. After I babied it and never dropped it or exposed it to moisture it died on me. I always kept it in the same padded camera bag as my Canon Rebel XT it dies. My canon is still going strong. I know its a DSLR, but build quality is build quality, and this one is not very good. After a year and a half, should have gotten that warranty.

Want Sanyo VPC-FH1A Full HD Video and 8 MP Digital Photos (Black) Discount?

Forget all the negative reviews of this camera. For the money this camera can't be beat. It is easy to use and the HD and HR movies have incredible detail. Also, you only have to carry one camera since it takes pictures. Don't let the image fool you, this camera is very small! Also, the battery life is excellent. My dad has two newer HD Cannons and he said mine is better. Lastly, it works very well indoors. I would recommend a 16 GB chip as well, but an 8 GB chip will be sufficient for most people and will save money if your budget is tight.

Sony DCRDVD300 MiniDVD Handycam Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and Digital Still Capability

the DCR-DVD300 sits atop the recently released line of miniDVD camcorders from sony. other models in this line are the DCR-DVD200 and DCR-DVD100. the main difference the three camcorders in this line are LCD size and CCD resolution:

DCR-DVD300: 3.5" LCD, 1MP CCD

DCR-DVD200: 2.5" LCD, 1MP CCD

DCR-DVD100: 2.5" LCD, 640K CCD

pros:

records dolby digital stereo.

carl zeiss lens.

10x optical zoom.

video quality almost at par with miniDV camcorders (at slower recording modes).

Super SteadyShot image stabilization system and sony's system really helps.

three low light shooting modes: Nightshot, Super Nightshot, and Color Slow Shutter.

big, 3.5" LCD display.

great connectivity options: firewire, USB 2.0, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.

USB 2.0 support for fast downloads.

the convenience of DVD navigation simply select the scene and you're there!

supports analog-to-digital conversion.

hot accessory shoe with lots of optional accessories.

cons:

expensive as with most sony products, you pay a premium, plus you pay for DVD convergence.

average low light performance.

no memory stick support; if you want to take a still picture, it is saved on the DVD.

mic picks up DVD spinning noise in quiet environments.

finalizing a DVD takes upwards of 10 minutes, and it can be a confusing process.

don't expect much from the still images recorded, even at 1MP resolution.

no pop-up flash for taking stills and no built in video light but you can get a flash/video combo light for less than a hundred bucks.

no manual focus ring.

getting video into editing software (e.g. Final Cut Pro) is harder than it should be.

not Mac friendly.

poor battery life with included battery so add $$ to your budget to buy a higher capacity spare.

compared to current release camcorders, this is a pretty big one at 3.1 x 3.8 x 5.6" weighing 1 lb 9 oz.

this is a nice, solid effort by sony and i give them points for dvd convergence. however, in my opinion, the DCR-DVD300 is too big and not easy to use. it's expensive for the feature set but the alternative to this dvd camcorder (a miniDV tape camcorder and DVD recorder combo) is even more expensive. i already have a dvd recorder so for me, a smaller and easier to use miniDV camcorder makes more sense. if this is your situation as well, i would recommend a panasonic gs-70 or sony's pc-105, both miniDV camcorders. otherwise, if you want a finalized DVD straight out of your camcorder, consider the DCR-DVD300.

a final note. if you have decided you want to record directly to a DVD, which camcorder should you buy? DCR-DVD300 or DCR-DVD200 or DCR-DVD100? only one hundred bucks separate these three camcorders (street price). for me, a hundred bucks is worth it to get the 1MP CCD and the big 3.5" LCD.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

I just received my camcorder, so my experience is brief. A more detailed review will follow later.But since there are no good reviews comparing the camcorders on the market I wanted to share my opinion.

All 3 makers have a lot in common; but I chose the Sony over the Hitachi and Panasonic for a few reasons. The Sony had better resolution available for both movie and still mode vs the Panasonic. (I doubt I'll use the still much since it is only 1 megapixel). Sony, has infrared and can do night imaging. The others don't. Panasonic and Hitachi use DVD-Ram instead of DVD-RW. My Denon DVD player will play back DVD-RW and not DVD-RAM. Check your player for compatibility. This is a big deal!! I can pop a DVD-RW directly out of my camcorder and play it in my DVD player. With DVD Ram you have to download it to your computer and then burn a copy onto DVD-R before you could play it. Finally, the Sony had a 3" display, is designed to be compatible with its other cameras in its ability to use accessories universally, felt more solid, and in my opinion has a better reputation.

The layout is similar to their digital cameras and only takes minutes to learn how to use. It has 3 recording modes DVD-R and on DVD-RW (Video and VR) mode. VR mode allows you to do basic in camera editing: (saving the still images as a movie file, erasing, rearranging,dividing) Otherwise, you edit on your computer. You can use the player to burn edited copies & dub old video cassettes. You can fade, overlap, and wipe when doing your intro and exits; quickly review images and delete the last one recorded. It has a plethora of digital effects: sepia, B&W, pastel, mosaic, luminace and old movie effects. It has auto and manual set white balance,auto and manual exposure and focus controls. The dial is a little awkward.

It has 10X optical and 120 digital zoom. Digital zoom is usually poor quality, so the fact that Hitachi and panasonic were 240x digital zoom made no difference to me.

Weak Points: Buy a larger battery. The one included doesn't have enough juice. No case included.

I paid $830 at digitalmegastore.com vs $1099 retail

Buy Sony DCRDVD300 MiniDVD Handycam Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and Digital Still Capability Now

Most (if not all) the other reviews discuss the pros and cons of the camera. I'll quckly agree with them, and get it over: Great camera, excellent quality movies, needs a bigger battery (but then, doesn't EVERYTHING?). Love the camera's features.

I use a Gateway laptop, with Winders XP Pro (SP2). I had a problem when following the instructions in the manual: everytime I loaded the drivers, ALL (and I *DO* mean *ALL*!!!) of my drivers for EVERY device (including video card, hard drive, audio card, etc) DISAPPEARED! Gone. Nadda. Zip. History!

If I tried to install the software that came with the camera, it wouldn't recognize that the camera was hooked-up. Bummer!

I called Sony's Lack-of-Techincal Support. I went through all three levels of support, ending-up with an "engineer." The second level said "Yeah, the camera won't work over USB 1.1" He then sent me to the third level (the "engineer") who told me that the second level was in error: the problem is that the camera won't work with USB 2.0 on Winders XP! Guess Sony doesn't really know which one it does or does not work with.

Said engineer had me do several more advanced things with my operating system (by the way, I teach computer programming, and been a-workin' with 'em since 1973). Among other things, he asked me to "delete everything in your startup folder." To which I replied, "Uh, how about I move 'em to another folder. I'll need 'em back." To which he says, "Nah! Don't worry about 'em... you don't need 'em anyway!" When I pointed-out he had NO idea what was in my startup folder, he insisted I "don't need whatever is there." Of course, the software I teach for a living DOES need what it installs there, but Mr. Expert didn't know that, and didn't WANT to know!

After an hour of talking with people at Sony, the "engineer" decides it's not Sony's problem: the problem must be with Gateway. Call Gateway!

My Solution:

After the "engineer" hung-up on me, he WOULD have left a normal household user in such a state that no drivers would have been loaded on every system start or reboot. So, after I returned my operating system to normal, I started looking for another solution: I didn't want to return the camera.

Winders XP recognizes the camera in either USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 as an external hard drive device... but Sony's software still won't talk to it. Even the third-level support guy told me NOT to install the drivers that come with the camera if using Winders XP... and I agree (at least, on my machine)!

I can use InterVideo's DVD Copy to convert the MPEG 4 videos to MPEG 2. Then, I can use SonicFoundry Vegas Video (oddly, now owned by Sony!) to edit my videos. I'm certain *you* could use any video editor of your choice (e.g. Ulead or InterVideo or whoever).

Side note: for those of you using DVD XCopy to, uh, "back-up" your commerically-made, non-rented, non-borrowed, copyrighted DVD's: installing ANYTHING from InterVideo will probably break your DVD XCopy! (InterVideo is supported my the Movie Industry people, so I'm told). You have been warned. But since "backing-up" copyrighted video isn't something I do... it doesn't matter to me.

The camera is a darn nice camera. The video's are great. It beats converting VHS (or other format) conventional video to digital (you lose a lot in the process).

Buy it. Love it. Forget their technical support: you're probably "on your own."

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCRDVD300 MiniDVD Handycam Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and Digital Still Capability Here

Loved the convenience of Direct DVD-R/RW conversion. It stores 60 minutes of great video quality even in LP Format. Also, It gives very good night shots as well. It can store thousands of 1MP stills right on DVD. It came with ImageMixer Software. Just Install the Drivers and software on PC. It detected the Camcorder via USB Port and stored the Videos in MPEG format on computer. Visual Index feature to view stills and videos from camcorder/TV works great.

Cons: It comes with just 1 hr battery. And the 3 inch DVD-R/RW are still costly.

Want Sony DCRDVD300 MiniDVD Handycam Camcorder with 3.5" LCD and Digital Still Capability Discount?

This is the camera of my dreams, since I have lost a lot of time administering the data captured from camcorders and cameras. Now, this camera offered to me a way to record directly into an unviversally accepted media! I loved it! Secondly, the image quality is indeed very good.

The things I don't like are the media price. DVD-Rs and DVD-RWs are still quite expensive and not easy to be obtained. Sony should provide more media for free considering the price of this camera, not to talk about some other accesories such as filtering lenses, etc...