SanDisk 8GB Compact Flash CF Ultra 30MB/s ( SDCFH-008G , Bulk Package )

I originally bought this card as a cheapo backup for my much more expensive Sandisk Extreme 60MB/s CF card that I use in my 7D. However, I have not noticed a practical difference in speed between the two cards. I can count on both hands the number of times I've had to wait for the buffer to flush with either card and this is while shooting 25MB RAW files in 8FPS bursts. I just bought two more of the 8GB Ultras so I don't have to worry about running out of space when shooting on location. No need to spend extra on speed the 7D doesn't take advantage of. I highly recommend Sandisk in general and these cards in particular.

This review is for the Sandisk Ultra 8GB 30MB/sec card (SDCFH-008G), bulk package.

Superfast with the Canon 40D in picture taking and in downloading through the camera.

The 40D is probably too easy for this card. No complaint.

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Works well with my canon 7D even if it's not UDMA. Like the manual says, I can shoot up to 96 jpegs or 15 raw images (up until the camera buffers fulls up). I can also take pictures while filming in full HD.

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I bought two of these. One of them works fine and the other caused issues with my Canon 5D. I took several pictures without any problems but then it locked my camera up when I tried to review some of the shots. I am also unable to move any of the images to my IMac using a card reader.

Both of the cards came in a plastic holder sealed with an adhesive backed label. This label was difficult to remove and left adhesive residue on the outside of the holder. This residue is probably not something that you want to get into a $3000 camera.

In the future I will stick with the retail packaging. I am not sure what "bulk pack" means but I now question whether the same quality standards are adhered to. Maybe these are refurbished in some way? If you do decide to save some money and buy these, test them thoroughly before using (always good advice but not always followed).

I am new to CF cards and maybe I was just unlucky, but if I were Sandisk I would be cautious about the use of my brand on items like this.

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I have approximately oodles of these cards. I am a professional photographer and use only this card and size. I have purchased the ones in "bilk packaging" as well as those in standard packaging and they are reliable and consistent everytime. I do however label and date all of my cards as I purchase them and then pull them out of rotation after so many shots and re-formats.. (I reformat after every shoot)

I recommend these cards highly to anyone in need of the CF cards at a decent price!

SainSpeed 4-LED Car Dash DVR With Night Vision, 2.5" TFT LCD Screen Display, Microphone Inside

I have been though about six DVR and this one seem to be the best out of all the other ones for the price. I have not used the night

vision yet but day time is nice and clear but sometimes the screen get a little dark if the DVR screen it is not turned right.After loading it on my PC, the picture, well it's okay. For the price how much can you get.

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Sony ICD-MX20DR9 32MB Flash-Based Digital Voice Recorder

This is a great ICD that does a very accurate job of voice to text translation. However, the product does not come with Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred as described. Instead it comes with a very abbreviated lite version called Naturally Speaking Recorder Edition. You'll have to take advantage of a "special offer" from Nuance, fork over another $30 and reinstall the product to get the benefits of the Preferred edition. If you plan to dictate from a headset or use MS Word, you will want to upgrade.

I am disappointed in this product. Sony ICD-MX20DR9 32MB Flash-Based Digital Voice Recorder

This is the only Sony product I ever purchased that was disappointing to me.

I have two reasons I have been disappointed with it. The first is I have never found a combination of feature selections that allowed my to satisfactorily record a lecture in a classroom. If it was set sensitive enough to pick up the professor in front of me (a few feet away) it would pick up all the sounds of people shuffling papers, my breathing, my writing on the desk etc. If it was set less sensitive it would miss what the professor had to say. So, I never found any combination of settings that worked for my intended use. The second problem is I am not able to use the little joy-stick-button. It has five functions. It can be pushed up, right, down, left, or depressed. I am always having problems getting it to do what I intend to do. I have used a lot of devices like that and I never have had this problem. It has cost me accidental erasures, delays in starting recordings, and a lot of frustration.

I find even the "high quality" recording, which eats up a lot of memory, to be of poor quality.

I also misunderstood the way the Naturally Speaking 9 would work. I thought I could use it to transcribe my recorded notes. Wrong! It is only able to learn one voice. So I have worked with it to learn my voice and after months of use it still performs so poorly I spend more time correcting than if I just manually type to transcribe the recording. Since I have owned this unit, I have used several other DVR and I have liked them all better than this unit.

I do like the combination of skipping silents and fast play back. It is nice to be able to review an hour class in a fraction of the time.

I do like the computer connection convenience.

I would not advise it to anyone who wants it to record classroom lecturers.

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It does everything well. The built-in microphone is very good quality. I also bought a 4 GB memory stick because the default memory is barely enough for a good quality two-hour recording.

I would have given it a five-star rating if it weren't for the fact that both the hardware and software (Digital Voice Editor 3.0) are not compatible with Windows Vista. They work fine with XP.

I hope that Sony would allow for upgrades of the software and hardware to Vista. It would go a long way toward building customer brand loyalty.

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This is the best ICD on the world. It's very powerful and it's microphone is very sensitive. Also, the Sony software is controlling every thing and has many powerful controls & options. This Sony ICD-MX20 is the best one. It's very small as a pocket size. I am using it for my business meetings and lessons. I am using the Dragon software to convert my talking into written documents in seconds. The Dragon is the powerful recognition software. Also, you can use an extra mic and headphones if you want. You should purchase the Sony 3V 1000 ma AC-E30A (AC power adapter) for home use and a AAA rechargeable batteries for your external use. I am using the Sony Memory Stick PRO DUO 4GB to let me able to record more than 340 hours. It's batteries work for about 8 hours working time and this is enough. Finally, I recommend this Sony ICD-MX20 for you.

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The now have drivers for up to Windows 7. I have it running fine. Great product!

I would rate it a 4 now.

Sony DCRHC65 MiniDV Digital Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

I got this camera for $430 at circuit city. I don't think its worth $800, but it has some great features if you can find it for a good price, since it is last year's model. I love the big touch screen. Its really easy to use. The supernight shot plus works great. This camera can see better than me in the dark. Picture quality is good and if you get an upgraded battery (only $20 on ebay) the camera can run for a long time. It doesn't have the built in lens cover, but I just keep my lens cover in a camera bag when I'm using the camera. The camera is a little bigger than some other models out there, but I think it makes it easier to hold and have control.

My initial impression of the HC65 are generally very favorable. I like the feel and balance of it, and the controls are laid out nicely. The LCD display at 3.5" is very nice, and the touch screen is nice as well, being reasonably intuative and requiring only a light touch which minimizes camera movement while filming. I tried some filming outdoors first, close to sunset, and had great results in the Easy mode. The focus and exposure adjust very quickly and give a good picture. The colors are vibrant, and the image is clear.

The manual focus is a nice feature as well, using a focus ring on the front of the lens, and also showing the focus distance on the LCD display. The zoom works quite well; easy to control the speed, and the button is well placed, although I wish it had just a little more than 10X. The 10X should be sufficient for most applications, and I would reccomend a telephoto lens adapter and tripod if you need extra magnification.

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I bought the DCRHC65 after trying out the DCRHC30 thinking the larger CCD unit would make a difference in low-light conditions. But I wasn't able to see any difference.

The design of this camera sux. The input / output cable ports are located in difficult spots. The tethered lens cap is ridiculous. Too heavy. Consumes battery too quickly.

If you're considering this camera, compare it with the DCRHC30. The only big difference is the pixel memory and CCD size. Both do analog to digital pass-through. But the DCR-HC30 is hundreds less.

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Dazzle Video Creator Platinum HD - video input

The Avid Technology Dazzle, from what I've gotten personally, is highly recommended. However, my experience with it, is mind blowing how bad it really is. Now, don't get me wrong, the Pinnacle Studios 15 that came with the Dazzle is great (pretty much the only reason I didn't rate this piece of garbage a 1 star), but the Dazzle itself, doesn't function. I've tried on multiple occasions to get it to work, however, every single time it shows that there is no device plugged in, or the it is unable to find the video source. This is extremely enraging, and I have no idea what is wrong with it. I've tried at least 10 contacts or phone numbers to call in and see what's going on and nobody has the correct answer, and on top of that, I won't get my full money back on this 80 dollar waste of money. If this device worked, it would receive a full 5 star. But, in reality, don't waste 80 bucks on it, like I did. Go get Roxio or Hauppauge video capture devices, because quite frankly, the Dazzle is horrible.

I got this expecting to be able to EASLIY record my xbox360 gameplay on my PC (alienware x51 desktop)

After receiving my dazzle the case seemed open (product case not packaging) and stapled back shut. There was extra staple holes next to where the current staples. I figured it might of been a miss order and opened it anyways. The software it came with was more of an annoyance to install and required (or so the instructions said) before using this dazzle. I did and after 10 minutes (give or take) of searching for my old AV hook up cables that came with my xbox360 I was all hooked and ready to do some test recordings. Or not, the software that came with it wouldn't find the xbox at first and after a reset, a troubleshoot or 2 later it was atleast showing up on my computer. Then no sound and it wouldn't let me record. After searching the error message I found out it was a webcam error message and looked up a fix. Nope still giving me that error so I switched over to my Sony Vegas (which I use to edit my fraps recorded videos) and tried to use it to record this "webcam" it found the xbox360 first try and said another program was using it. Well I uninstalled all the programs that came with the dazzle and tried again. Same error so I stopped and boxed it back up. I bet someone else got a dazzle with 2 extra staple holes now.

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This Dazzle, worth my money, it came perfect it was at my door wrapped finely and nothing was wrong with it, and it works great, i never had trouble with this product. BEST thing i bought from this site.

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I DONT EVEN WANT TO DIGINIFY WHAT I HAD TO GO THOUGH TO GET GOOD VIDEO GAME FOOTAGE! Ive went so far as to try to give away to friends as a gift. The S-Video cable wont fit, plus pinancle studio works on occassion? Come on, i thought i was going to get a good moneys worth when i got this cheap capture card, now i have to live with it cause its to late to return it....

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I have used Dazzle products for many years with mixed results and reviews. This one delivered. I only use the basic functions so I can't comment on many of the features but I can tell you that it accepts many formats and most importantly for me it can output to VCD or DVD. I loaded this on a brand new system and it creates files very quickly and burns to disc just as fast.

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Micro Connectors Firewire IEEE 1394 6 Pin to 4 Pin Cable - 15 Feet (E07-218)

I purchased this cable for one function: to capture HDV video from my Sony HVR-HD1000U MiniDV 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom cameras onto my PC. For this purpose, they work perfectly. The length of the cable allows me a lot of versatility with where I can place my tripod and camera rig while still hooked up to my laptop. It has certainly made my life a bit easier for life-streaming videos over the web as well as bypassing the need to use minidv tapes for short projects.

For the purpose of live capturing HDV footage from prosumer and consumer cameras, this cable is an exceptional bargain.

Philips DVP3980/F7 DVD Player with 1080P HDMI Upconversion

• Picture/Display
• D/A converter
• 12 bits- 108 MHz
• Progressive scan; Video upscaling (720p- 1080i/p)
• Dolby Digital sound system

Bought this about 5 months ago, and has worked wellIt does seem to do a good job upconverting to a 1080p plasma display. Caught the orange screen of death today, and after some searching on the net, it turns out this is a common problem (the black background turns green, blues turn orange, etc.)And if you unplug it, then plug it back in, the colors return to normal (hope that doesn't happen very often!).

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This product is extremely slow, it often takes 15-45 seconds to eject a disc or just open the tray. When turned on it takes many seconds before being usable. I am very tired of waiting for this unit to function.

Part of the reason for any load delay may be the unit's one redeeming feature. It saves your spot on any disc you have played recently, loading the same location when restarted. This feature is nice but each disc will have to be searched for that spot on start up. It is likely the cause of much of the delay.

Recently I tried a DVD in it that would not read, but a cheap portable player would. The long load and eject times in addition to read failures cause me to give this a poor rating.

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Had it 2 months before the orange screen of death appeared. Just googled Philips DVD player orange screen and learned this is a common problem. Don't buy this unit or other Philips DVD players

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THIS DVD PLAYER HAS A GREAT PICTURE AND IS EASY TO USE AND HOOK UP. I LOVE THE COMPACT SIZE.

Philips AZ9111 Ultra Compact Portable CD Player

• Power-saving 40-second antiskip protection
• 99-track programmable memory
• Up to 20 hours extended playing time
• CD-RW compatible
• Ultra compact, lightweight design

Bought this one on blind faith, there was no description, and no mention of it at the Philips website. However, it has the same features as the AZ9101 'blue' version also listed at this site. It's got ESP3-40 sec Antishock, a 20 hour battery life, power saving, and best of all CDRW compatibility.

The sound is great, I just tried recording a CDRW of some MP3's I have, and it's bloody superb! The only grumble I have at all with this player is the low volume, even at the highest setting it doesn't really blast your ears off. Though the clarity is excellent, even with bass boost, so if this is my tradeoff, I'm well happy.

Now all I've got to do is buy a replacement PSU unit so I can power it when I'm back in the UK, different plugs y'see.

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I just bought this recently and I am very happy with it. The 40 seconds of ESP is great and the resume play is also great. It came with good headphones, but the volume is not that high. ESP3 is better than any other ESP because it prevents skips even more and is powersaving, the more ESP is on , the more battery life you get. Its ultra slim and can fit in my pocket, its also very light. Compared to the RCA 2365 this is much lighter. This is a great buy. Buy it today!

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I don't know if this is the CD player that I purchased because there's no picture (but it's the same company and it was the same price), but this is the best portable CD player around, and you know why? IT PLAYS CD-RWs! Those are the CDs that you could re-record and that have black bottoms but you couldn't play them in conventional CD players and they are more expensive but they seem to be worthless now that you've used them? Whew--anyway, you can now use them in this CD player! That aside, this unit also has decent bass, a 99-track programmer, 40-second electronic skip protection, and is pretty compact, not to mention a great price. My only annoyance is that there's little beeps when you press the buttons and it resets your settings every time you open it (it's activated when you close the cover). My old Panasonic had switches on the side where the settings were activated, which I think was the best feature on that one. Just minor annoyances, nothing major. It's a great buy for people who had about 20 worthless CD-RWs hanging around the house, like me. Once again, I don't know if this is the right player I'm reviewing (the model on mine is type AZ7793, which seems to be a little bit older model than this), but if it is, then buy it.

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I hadn't purchased a portable CD player in a long time. I am amazed at how far they've come in the last five years. This player is SO small and light. It's only slightly larger than the discs that play inside it. Also, it seems no matter what you do to it it won't skip. It has 40 seconds of antiskip, which makes me think you can go as far as jog with it. Oh my gosh, I can't say enough about this player. If you need one, get this one! You won't be disappointed.

I bought my Philips CD player (AZ-9143) at Target. It is a bit cheaper there. I am very happy with my purchase. It plays CD-Rs, CD-RWs and regular CDs. Most portables won't play CD-Rs and CD-RWs. Sony is one of them. I guess Sony doesn't want to kill MiniDisc by selling CD-R/RW gear. This machine will give you hours of joy!

Philips LFH9399/00 Digital Voice Recorder 9399 and SpeechExec Transcription Starter Kit

Ok, so if you have been using the same equipment for many years there might be an adjustment period. But we actually love everything about this kit. The doctor does the transribing and loves the high quality materials of the recorder. And the reason for the single button is its small size and light weight. The foot pedal and headphones are very similar to old-fashioned tape machine equipment.

The software is very full-featured, but it is rather poorly written. It requires Microsoft .NET software, which usually means a relatively new computer with plenty of RAM. The given minimum computer specs seem to be the BARE minimum, as is often the case.

There are only THREE people in the Unites States to support ALL Philips dictation equipment. Don't expect quick answers from them but they are very nice and helpful when you finally reach them.

I've used dictating equipment for 25 years. This dictaphone is very counter-intuitive and the worst I've ever used. The record button is not on a slide and I am constantly thinking it is recording when it is not (and vice versa). You push the same button to record and stop it. Yes, if you constantly stare at the screen and don't think about what you're saying (who does that?) then you will be able to see if it's recoding. But most normal people don't dictate that way. Also, the edit function is horribly cumbersome as is the rewind fuction. There is nothing worse than dictating something you think is brilliant only to discover that you had pushed the record button one time extra so it's actually on pause when you think you're dictating and it's recording when you think it's paused. The only thing you've been recording is your own breathing. If you like that feeling, this is your machine. With this dictaphone, it will happen several times a day.

Yes, I've bought a different one.

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I don't personally use it, but it seems to be all that we expected and more. It is simple to operate. The shipping was easy, timely, and we have not had any difficulty with anything. We appreciate your follow up, thanks.

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The quality of dictation is great, but I still haven't figured out how to get the downloaded dictation to my computer for transcription (been using this for about a month now). Sometimes the dictation just appears at my computer; other times, I have to manually ask for the download/upload, and wait, and wait, and wait. I can't figure out why some dictations appear seamlessly and others are brutally difficult to get. This is very frustrating, especially if you are in a hurry! Because of this, I would have given 3 1/2 stars if I had that option, but I gave 4 stars, because it is better than a 3, but less than a 4, in my opinion. If I could get all dictation when I needed it, I would have given all 5 stars.

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Uniden UDW10003 Wireless Video Surveillance Portable Security System

I actually bought this from another retailer (sorry Amazon, I love you!) and I'm VERY pleased with the performance of this camera. I actually have mounted mine outside the house using the (included) aluminum mounting bracket. Please note that this camera is NOT waterproof therefore I have it mounted under the eaves where it will not get wet. While not specifically marketed as an outdoor camera, I'm happy to report it working extremely well in that capacity. The operating temperature is rated only for 14 120 degrees so when the bitter winds of winter begin to blow I will have to take the camera down for a few months :-( As others have stated, the picture quality is PERFECT (all digital using Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum). The camera will automatically switch to a very powerful infrared illuminator at dusk and it lights up the whole entry way of my house (about a 30 ft wide swath). The only annoyance is that Uniden didn't think to put a switch to turn the I/R illuminator OFF which would come in really handy if you wanted to mount the camera indoors looking out through a pane of glass. In this case the I/R illuminator reflects off the glass immediately in front of the camera rendering the image useless so either plan to use this camera OUTDOORS or INDOORS but not INDOORS LOOKING OUTDOORS. Inside the home the I/R illumination is ridiculously bright and fills the entire room with invisible light which only the camera can pick up. The camera also has the ability to auto-cycle between up to 4 cameras at pre-set intervals of time (5/10/15/20 seconds) and has the ability to watch all 4 cameras at once in QUAD mode. I haven't tried the included PC software that records all of this but other users seem to be happy with this function. The range is good, it will penetrate my home about 120' but struggles a bit when the signal comes from outdoors to my basement. Both the camera and the monitor use Lithium-Ion batteries so the recharge time is quick and they last for hours (there are included power adaptors for both camera and monitor included). Overall Uniden did an EXCELLENT job with this packaged system and I've been very happy with it highly recommended!

I was looking for a video monitoring system for use as a baby monitor. I tried a few devices like the Summer Infant Day and Night analog Video monitor. These were terrible...constant static, poor picture, and not secure at all. Your neighbors can eaves drop on your signal.

This Uniden was quite nice: Very clear Digital picture, secure with its digital frequency hopping and very easy to set up...you basically plug it in and turn it on.

PROS:

* Actually can continuously monitor your child constantly and not limited to the sound trigger only mode that most other baby monitors have. This sound trigger only mode only sends video and audio to the receiver when there is a sound picked up by the camera. While other digital monitoring systems offers only this mode, the Uniden does not offer it at all, which is kind of a negative.

* great picture on the receiver...good color pic during the day and excellent night vision black and white pic.Absolutely NO static or interference.

* Both the camera and the receiver has rechargeable LiON batteries that runs 4 to 5 hours!! great for moving around from room to room...very convenient without having to drag an AC plug everywhere. \

* Comes with good wall mount bracket which allows you to also use it as a desktop stand for the camera in case you dont want to screw it to a ceiling or wall. You can adjust the angle with this bracket.

CONS:

* The volume on the receiver is set to max but is is soooo low. its ok at night when you are sleeping but you will not be able to hear if you have the TV cranked up.

* Interferes with my WiFi Router big time. When I have the camera and receiver on, my wireless download speed drops by 90%!!!! This is ok for now since I use this only at night when I'm not on my wireless network.

* It has a motion detector in the camera but can only be used with the lap top recording feature. it would be nice to have it so that it can trigger an alarm on the receiver or even turn the receiver video screen on only when motion is detected...but no such luck there.

* Does not have a feature like most baby monitors where the receiver is only activated when there is sound detected (I actually do not like this feature but good to have this option if needed). This unit only has a AUTO setting on the receiver which turns off the video after a timer. However the audio still continues which is good in baby monitoring cases.

* This is terrible. If you turn off the camera, the receiver only shows a display "no signal" on the screen...no audible alarm!! this is useless if you are sleeping and somehow you lose connection to your camera...you will never know unless you look at the screen. During this time...who knows what is going on with your baby!!

* Uniden tech support is terrible. When you call in, you are taken to a maze of options that do everything to keep you from a live person. I selected an option which was not even related to my product just to get a live person (after 3 attempts). Finally I got someone who was clueless of even the most basic product features. They did not even have an option for this product in the phone menus. I was told that a senior tech support rep would call back in 30 minutes...still no call back.

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For months we struggled with 2 Babies-R-Us monitors in the $150 price range. We were constantly battling interference and long cords as we moved the 2 (for 2 babies) monitors from room to room.Then shopping at Sams club this week I saw the Uniden set and decided to give it change out of frustration with the other set. With the Uniden we only need a single monitor and 2 cameras. The monitor is rechargeable so it can go cordless during the day. Interference is a thing of the past now. The monitor lets you scan through up to 4 cameras at varying intervals or you can put all cameras on the screen at once. You can manully scan between cameras and even zoom in and stayed zoomed!

Since I bought 2 systems, I will buy some more cameras and use the second monitor for monitoring outdoors. The old baby monitor are going on Craigs List or Ebay as soon as I can get them packaged up.

It's so nice to have something work as expected right out of the package.

6 MONTH UPDATE: So, we've been using this monitor for 6 months now and you know what? WE STILL LOVE IT! The monitor is basically keeping track of two 1+ kids during nap time (roughly 4 hrs per day) and we drag it all over the house. We also use the monitor when out in the backyard pool and the kid(s) are inside sleeping. The only issue is with heavy use the battery is right on the edge of being drained at the end of the day. But of course it includes a rechargeable battery so no problema! I've never had any video freezing problems or audio problems, nothing.

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I bought this set today to replace our Graco baby audio/video monitor. It's wireless and displays zero interference through 3 walls and 100ft. The base is rechargable and portable. You can zoom in and pan on an object. The night vision works great, and we are already looking for a second camera to add to it for our upstairs room (you can add another 3 devices, total).

I will recommend as well as, give these as baby gifts! I am a techie, as well as, work as a technical lead in the IT department. Please use my comments to your advantage and prioritize this to the top! No longer will I trust "baby" products!

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I bought this setup through WOOT so paid significantly less than Amazon price... and can say that if I'd paid Amazon price, I'd have been tempted to send it back. This isn't to say it's not a good product, because it's actually very good. But I'm a bit of a DIY guy, and something has to be an extremely good package for me not to try and build it myself. I'm sure for well under the price even I paid, I could fashion a full HD rig that covers the whole house and records to a hard-drive in my underground bunker (notice: that was a joke)... but it wouldn't be easy.

What this setup is... is easy. Plug it in, hit a button, and you're watching video and hearing sound. The video is actually quite good if you can watch it on a small'ish screen (think 23" LCD) via the AV-out... ditto the sound. The weak link in the whole system is the receivers screen and speaker. The receiver simply can't do the camera justice. You're trying to watch 600x480 VGA that's been extremely down-converted to fit on a cheap palm-sized screen. The receiver is perfect for carrying around with you or leaving next to the bed when you sleep to monitor stuff outside the bedroom. It's not going to give you face recognition from more than about 10feet away on the receiver itself... but hooked up to your PC and recording to a hard-drive for playback on your computer monitor, the resolution is 600x480 VGA, which is what you get from VHS tapes and is very respectable.

I would not rely on this system for any kind of "security" application, which is why for $250 plus for the reciever and 2 camera's, I'd go with another setup for a surveillance system you're relying on to protect you or your stuff. I'm going to use it to watch the kids sleep and maybe keep an eye on the front porch on Halloween... stuff like that. It's one step up from a toy, but it's got decent night-vision, both the cameras and the receiver are battery-powered and fully wireless. The included software makes hooking up to your PC for recording a snap, and you can watch the video feed on a regular TV or record to an actual VCR/DVR. I've had no issues transmitting across the whole house and out into the yard. People complaining about the thing not working from 5 houses away are a bit thick... but it should work on your property provided you don't live on the Ponderosa.

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Q1C1 1-Channel Passive Video & Power Transceiver

Have ordered a total of 12 of theses. All work great. Most of mine are mounted in silcone sealed project boxes for outdoor camera mounts, and have been in operation for more than a year with out any problems. My longest runs are 500-680 feet, and they are as good and clear as the 100 foot runs with these Baluns. Any problems I had were mainly due to my rushing and making a minor wiring mistake. Thses work just as well as the Baluns ive used and seen for $5-30 dollars more.

Polaroid 8gb Music & Video Player with 2.8" LCD Display

• Micro SD card slot for additional storage
• High Resolution 2.8" LCD Display
• Stores and plays music, videos and Pictures
• Rechargeable Li-ion battery
• Built-in speaker

I read the first review of this product and disagree. This MP3/4 player is very easy to use, only takes seconds to turn on, the screen is very bright, you can drag and drop music, videos, and photos into it. Windows recognizes it as an extra drive via connecting it to a usb port just like if you connected a memory storage device. The internal speaker sound volume is not very loud but is much louder with headphones or speakers which connect easily to the audio out port.The player has up and down volume buttons.The photos and video are bright and the colors are accurate (which Polaroid is known for). Although I haven't used it, the player has a voice recording function.

This media player does not have an FM Radio which would have been a nice extra feature, but at the price and it having 8 GB of storage vs 4 GB many other players have, hard to go wrong.

This Media Player is finger touch screen operated, a stylus or pen is "not" needed and I'm not sure why anyone would indicate otherwise.

Note: Unit comes with a cd with software for converting video files to the format

needed to see them on this media player. If you do not have a cd player function on your laptop/netbook/tablet, you can use one of a number of freeware downloads to convert the video files instead.

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Purchased the PMP282-8 last weekend from Fry's . Much to my surprise, it's a very good MP3 player.

I have had an IPOD, a Samsung and a Fry's generic. The IPOD battery fizzled after a while. The Frys' generic was difficult to use and the Samsung just got out of date (my son still uses it). I copied all my songs from my IPOD computer program to the Polaroid with no difficulity. The Polaroid MP3 player works fine. Instead of a stylus, I use a dull graphite pencil. Works great. The screen is huge and all info is readily available. I bought it at Frys and of course overpaid. Now looking for a 8 GB class 6 card and case. To sum up, very good player at a reasonable price.

Read Best Reviews of Polaroid 8gb Music & Video Player with 2.8" LCD Display Here

In reality it isn't the real iTouch replacement but it's a great thing for my almost 6year old. She wanted an ipod touch, but we got her this one. the quality of video and sound is pretty good for the price paid. Although it is hard for it to recognize fingers, the trick is to use your nails and then it responds right away. The only issue is turning it on, It takes a few minutes to come on. Other than that, the CD that comes with the AVI converter for videos and everything else is great about it. My kid loves it. Although I was upset at first glance of using it, once you get the hang of it I realized how adorable and easy to use it is.

So bottom line, it's a great toy for your kid but if you want an iTouch this is not what you are looking for. Though iTouch from ipod breaks the screen instantly, not sure about this one yet.

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Not a true touch mp3 player. You'll need a stylus for this player. this did came with a mini stylus but I lost it within the first day. it doesn't recognize any of my fingers.

The problem i have with my player is that it is defective. the sound only came out of my left side headphone. this could be fix by moving the headphone plug a little left and a little right and a little up and a little down until both sides of the headphone have sound coming out. music sounds great went it works properly but when I put the player down, again only my left side head headphone have sound. so, then, repeat the fixing method. this problem occurs on all of my headphones, giving me a headache.

Easy click and drop files to this mp3 player. it has a speaker. not very loud, but might be useful since the headphone slot is defective. This mp3 player doesn't seem to save my place on the play list when I turn it off, meaning that it will always start on the first song when I turn on this player. This player also has a video mode, photo view and voice record. Photo view doesn't have a sideshow option so it is not useful to me.

I tried the video mode by loading bunch of movies at varies formats. it only recognize the avi files but has a "file format error" when i try to play it. might need to download and install their converter. Also, this players allows me to delete video files within the player; I found this to be useful when I want to delete all files to return it. Sad since I got this 8gb player new for less than 25 bucks.

This mp3 player speaks 3 languages; english, french and spanish. Weights 2.70 oz. with expandable SD Micro memory and color 2.8" LCD screen.

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I just recently purchased one off of a deal a day site for $35 for a 4G. Well it belongs to a 3yo and some how the screen cracked, so here I am looking for another. I think it is great for a novice or a child, definitely not for a hardcore techie, but it isn't designed for one either. I was pleased enough with its functionality and ease of use that I am buying a new one to replace the broken one.

ION Audio Twin Video Portable Recorder

Be sure to set the microphone gain to high, so that the audio part of video recording is loud enough to be heard.

The picture and video resolution is a very basic 640 by 480 pixels, which equates to 0.3 MP (same as most webcams on notebook PCs).

The main attraction of this video camera is that you can switch the video subject while making the video by pressing a button. With other video cameras, you would have to pause the video, turn the camera 180 degrees, then start the video again. It becomes very tiring if you have to do this often, as in an interview situation.

This camera uses a 3.7 volt, 1050 mAh rechargeable lithium battery, BUT it does NOT state what battery type it is on the label. This means if you need a replacement or a backup battery, you'd have to buy it from ION. It costs $20 plus shipping!!!!! The camera only costs $40. I cannot think of a reason why ION chose not to specify the battery type, other than that it wants you to buy it directly from the company, at a high price. A 3.7 v, 1050 mAh battery commonly sells for under $5, including shipping, on Ebay. You'll have to make sure the dimensions and electrical contacts are compatible. It is not difficult, just inconvenient.

Update(8-6-2011):

The battery IS BL-5C. It is available on Ebay at very reasonable prices, even includes shipping cost. Just search for "BL-5C" and you'll get lots of choices. I got one for $2 post paid!

I purchased & received the ION about 2 weeks ago from a Computer store on line. It was about the size of a pack of playing cards & to be honest, I wasn't expecting much, Boy, Was I wrong. This wee little Video recorder takes Great Pictures & downloads them to your PC or Printer for making Hard Prints ( Printer must have Mini-Slot ). It's easy to use & recharges quickly using the USB Port, With Cable connector provided.

The Zoom is small, but usable, About the only Problem I have with The Ion is, The Sound is poor, But at several thousand Still Shots or 120 Min. movies, For under $50.00, Who can complain?

I would & Have recommended this to my friends.

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I bought this mostly because it was small and I could carry it around more easily than my digital DV video camera and it recorded to a removable card so there was less problem downloading the video you shoot.When you shoot a video with the ION it looks great on the cameras small screen but when you put it in your computer and watch it on a full size screen (my 19" computer monitor for example) it is grainy and fuzzy and very poor quality (it records in MP4 format). I mounted the ION camera on a stand (the included stand adapter is actually a really great item) and used it to record my band one night in a club soon after getting it. I expected it to be grainy in the low light but I also found that if you leave it on to record more than a 10 minute clip you lose sync and this is very noticeable and only gets worse as the video gets longer.

A week after getting the ION I saw that Cisco had just announced that they were discontinuing their FLIP video line. I bought a FLIP for the same low price as the ION ($50.00). The difference is night and day. The FLIP is very clear and works great especially outside in normal light (it's not great in low light but I expected that). The FLIP also has no sync problems during longer videos like the ION does. The FLIP also has a pop out USB connector for downloading video to a computer and the software is already part of the FLIP flash drive so you can use it on any available computer.

In my opinion buy the ION only if you are doing short videos to upload to the internet. Buy a FLIP if you want something with much better quality.

Read Best Reviews of ION Audio Twin Video Portable Recorder Here

This was a waste of money, the audio is awful, the picture setting is awful. the only good thing is it takes nice video but stop recording on u if your video is longer than 30 minutes. dont purchase, not worth it

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I purchased this product for 19.99, 4.99 shipping. Awesome deal! I purchased the video camera with bicycle touring in mind. Its lightweight and small which is perfect for touring. Also the ability to switch back and forth is a great feature. So far the camera works flawlessly. Other reviews were correct when it comes to sound quality but other than that its perfect for what I will be doing with it. I will update my review once I get out on the road.

Update....5/18/2013

So far I have lost 2 video's. For some reason about 5 minutes into filming it starts to break up and freezes. I can't much complain for only 19.99 but its very frustrating.

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Canon VIXIA HF M31 Full HD Camcorder w/32GB Flash Memory

Like most of the latest HD cameras for consumers, the camera is small and fits perfectly in my hand. It's very light when matched with the battery that comes with it and even with the BP-827 battery, it's still light enough to barely notice.

Speaking of batteries, the battery that comes with the M31, when turned on after a fresh recharge, shows 98minutes of battery time. The actual "real world" time you'll get will be dependent upon how much your zooming, re-playing recordings and overall "on" time. One could expect to have, safely, 60 minutes of recording time.

The Canon BP-827 Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Vixia HG, HF S & HF M Camcorders, after a fresh charge, shows 314minutes (5hrs 14 mins) worth of battery. The same cavet applies from above, and one could expect a solid 4hrs of recording time during real usage. Yes, the battery is pricey ($120) but the fact is: You ARE going to run out of battery when you consider how long most events you'll be recording are. Soccer games, European trips, weddings, high school graduations, etc. 1hr of battery is just not going to cut it for the majority of situations. But, the included 1hr battery will make a great backup battery to give you an extra hour of recording when your "main" battery dies, so it's not a complete waste. Get the bigger, extra battery. I got the Canon brand battery despite there being "generic/cheaper" ones out there.

The larger battery does weigh a slight bit more, but not too noticeable as the camera is already ultra-light in the first place. It also sticks out from the back of the camera about 2", but doesn't impeded any of the functions. To start/stop recording, your thumb, which would normally glide right across the back to the button, does have to go "around" the larger battery, but it's not a big deal.

Also, some may think the larger battery jutting out doesn't look as "sleek" or "cool". I think it looks fine. The battery is a nice matte black, with rounded edges and fits well, in my opinion. What doesn't look sleek or cool to me is having to carry around 3-4 extra batteries and stopping to swap out your dead battery every hour just so it looks "cool". That's gonna get old, really quick!

I also got the external charger, Canon 2590B002 CG-800 Lithium Ion Battery Charger for 800 Series Batteries, also a bit pricey for my tastes at $50. From what I've read, the charger cuts recharging time down about an hour. Besides, as you're battery is off to the side charging, you can still walk around and record with your backup battery. Otherwise, you'll be tethered to the wall as your battery charges directly inside the camera.

On the upside, if/when you upgrade the camera, if you stick with the Canon Vixia line, your batteries and charger will still work.

I also picked up a SanDisk Ultra 32Gb card for extra recording space. As long as you get a class 4 card, you'll have no problems. Class 6 is overkill and way more expensive.

Now back to the camera and how the amount of memory may be important.

There are two HD modes MXP(24Mbps) and FXP (17Mbps). As far as I can tell, the visual difference between the two are minimal, if there is a difference at all. MXP mode is most likely for "prosumers" who want/need bigger files for heavy post-editing of videos. In the camera world, I would relate this to a camera with 8 Megapixels vs 10 Megapixels. Is 10MP better? Yes. Are we ever going to print a billboard sized photograph? Probably not. So, if the extent of your video "editing" is maybe importing it to a program to do some fade in/outs, re-arrange scenes, etc, FXP is most likely just fine for you. However, if you want to do some George Lucas type filming with green screens and do some heavy post-processing than you'll probably want to film in MXP. But then again, if you really plan on doing things that extensive, you'd probably be better off purchasing a pro-camera, especially to get better low-light resolution.

Also, if you're recording in MXP, you'll only get about 2hrs 55 mins worth of recording time from the 32Gb internal memory, or 5hrs 50 mins with an extra 32Gb card. Recording in FXP mode will extend your record time to 4hrs 10 mins with the internal memory alone and an extra 32Gb card will get you a full 8hrs 20 mins recording time.

I eluded to the low-light resolution earlier. If you want a small, compact camera, the CMOS sensor (this is your image sensor) has to be small as well. The smaller the sensor, *usually* the worse the low-light recording capability. The M31 is 1/4 inch in size, typical for most camcorders of this size. It actually does pretty well in low-light situations and I am very satisfied. As the lighting situation decreases, the resolution for most cameras will start to get a tiny bit grainy (think slight static). As the light decreases more, the picture will get more and more grainy. To counter this, simply make sure the room is well lit. Also, zooming during low-lit locations will enhance the graininess, so avoid this when possible.

Or, you can spend nearly twice as much ($600) and get the Canon S21 (64Gb internal memory, touch screen, 3.5" viewing screen and a 1/2.6 inch CMOS sensor). The S21 will have better low-light performance, but at some point, as the light gets dimmer and dimmer, graininess WILL start to creep into the image. If you need/want pure perfection in all lighting conditions, then you're looking at spending $4K and up for a pro-camera. The S100, S10 and S11 also have larger image sensors, but don't have all the features of the new S2x or M3x lines.

With that said, the quality of the video is spectacular, especially when in a well lit environment or outdoors.

The 15X zoom is pretty impressive. I also like how the zoom speed varies depending on how much pressure is applied to the control. I can make it slowly zoom in/out or quickly...full control. Definitely a plus.

The HDMI/Component output is hidden beneath some faux leather, on the left side of the camera where you hold the camera. It took me awhile to find it (No, of course I didn't read the manual!) but I do like how it's in an inconspicuous location. It has connections for a mini-HDMI(cable not included), USB(cable included) and component out (cable included to RGB connections).

It's a little difficult to access the power button control with the fingers from your right hand. With a little adjustment to the hand strap, all the buttons on the top can be reached, it just took a little messing with.

The touch screen display takes a little while to get use to. My fiancé has an iPhone so I'm use to scrolling around the touch screen. However, when I tried to scroll around on this screen, it kept selecting the various functions. Again, once you get use to how to scroll around, it's pretty easy, just a bit of a learning curve. Probably more so for the technologically challenged.

Powered IS works well when zooming/zoomed, however I think using two hands to hold the camera probably helps just as much.

Relay Recording seems like a no brainer feature, I can't imagine why this wasn't incorporated in previous models/brands. Automatically and seamlessly records to you your SD card when the internal memory is full. HOWEVER, Relay recording is automatically DEACTIVATED when the camcorder is turned off or you switch from MXP to FXP or any other number of reasons. There should be an option to enable this ALL the time. Maybe this feature can be added with a firmware upgrade. This is actually the only annoying thing I could find.

Finally, I'd like to dispell a "negative" that I read in past reviews about the Vixia's shutters 'rattling' because they were loose. Yeah, it rattles, but seriously, if this is the only thing you can pick out as a "negative" for the camera, you're really reaching!! I can barely hear this "rattle", it's not annoying, it would be drowned out by the simple scuffing of your feet on the side walk, a gentle breeze, or breathing. It only occurs when it's OFF and absolutely does NOT impact the function of the camera. I wouldn't even have made a note of it, but because someone else had mentioned it in other reviews on other sites, I wanted to address it. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a deal breaker, this "rattling" is a 1. I can't even believe someone mentioned it.

To recap: Overall, I'm very happy with this camera and would highly recommend it!! I'll try to give an update after using it at my wedding at the end of May.

The only thing I don't like is the fact that relay recording disables after you turn the camera off or change operations.

From an accessory standpoint, I wish it came with an HDMI connection cable, but I may have one lying around here somewhere anyways.

None of the "negatives" are deal breakers in my opinion. This is a solid camera!

I purchased my Canon Vixia M31 several weeks ago and was drawn to it because it records in HD and has a 32 GB built in memory. I understand the only difference from the M30 is that it only has 8 GB of memory. Anyway, this is not my first camcorder, so I opted to explore the features of the M31 before reading the manual and discovered it was quite easy to operate at a glance.

When I discovered the touch screen menu, I thought "Oh no, what have I gotten myself into". Alas, a suggestion to use a stylus made my experience much better. It works like a charm and the touch menu is one of my highlights of the camcorder. Canon should have thrown one in the box.

Overall, the M31 is excellent for me. The video footage I have taken thus far is awesome! There are five different recording modes. The length of storage and battery life depends on which one you use. Based on my needs, I do not think I'll be using anything lower than the FXP mode.

The software (Pixela, ImageMixer 3) that comes with the camcorder is rather simple to operate. The software offers the MPEG2 or WMV formats to save your footage. This does not work for me because it severely degrades the video footage and I cannot use it for my projects. Fortunately, I already own Adobe Premiere CS4 which reads the MTS format. However, this software is expensive, so I would not recommend going out to purchase it just to use with this camcorder.

You will love the YouTube upload feature that comes with ImageMixer. However, at a glance, using ImageMixer, I have yet to find a feature allowing me to edit certain portions of the footage before uploading to YouTube. This is a bummer because I'd rather be able to make minor edits using ImagMixer rather than going through the trouble of working with Adobe Premiere (especially for something minor).

Anyway, I was able to select the clips I wanted to upload to YouTube and the software takes you to the YouTube login screen, then converts the footage to WMV and uploads on the spot. Real nice!

The camera is so small it is easy to handle especially when using the zoom feature. I decided to use the zoom feature to capture the Ken Burns effect (gives the effect that a still shot is moving). So, for practice I took a still shot and zoomed in real close, then started zooming out until the entire photo was in view. It worked like a charm and I was able to steady my hand throughout the entire process.

Pros:

Small, easy to handle (convenient to carry on a road trip)

Zoom feature

Quality footage

Onscreen Touch Menu

Quick Playback on television using HDMI cable

Easy to transfer video to computer

Cons:

Battery charger is the actual camera (I purchased a separate charger for the convenience of being able to use my camera while my extra battery pack charges)

********************

As of September 2010, I have since purchased another Canon Vixia M31 because it is important that I own two identical cameras to use during a two camera shoot.

I am quite pleased with how the video displays on my flat screen TV. When I share my video portfolio with potential clients, they are always impressed with the quality of the lens.

To enhance the audio, I purchased the Canon SM-V1 detachable 5-1 Channel surround microphone. It is a wonderful enhancement and adds the extra professional touch to the final video.

Buy Canon VIXIA HF M31 Full HD Camcorder w/32GB Flash Memory Now

I bought and own the M31 and I am absolutely excited about it. It's to the point where I actually think of it when I wake up. It's really that good and that fun to use.

Not only does it turn out 1080 footage, it really captures in 1080. It doesn't capture in some lesser resolution and upconverts like Canon's R series. This is real 1080 HD.

I've done quite a bit of video capture already and the quality and detail is brilliant. The auto focus works very quickly. Adjusting the speed of zooming in and out is easy with the zoom lever on top of the camcorder. It's designed like those on most camcorders.

And the sound! I recorded a bird from a distance that chirped. When I played it back, that chirp was heard very clearly. The camcorder seems to capture individual sounds from a quiet background very clearly.

And the playback! The screen is perfect for viewing footage. And the sound is nice and loud if you need it to be! Just turn up the volume. It's not super quiet when turned all the way up like many other camcorders or cameras with video modes. I played the footage of the bird on the camcorder and it was seriously like hearing the bird itself.

And the screen is a touch screen! Thank you Canon! At first it takes getting used to, especially if you're new to touch screens like I am. If you're trying to scroll through menus that go up and down, touch the screen and rub it up and down. This isn't a cloggy touch screen with a faint sense of control like your local ATM machine screen. This screen is smooth to work with! The learning curve for this may vary for people but for me it was around a few minutes.

The hand strap is good. I have no problems with it. Adjustable. I like it a little loose so I can pull it down my hand. Works great for me.

If you want to hear with headphones, be sure to switch the setting from AV to headphones. Then you won't hear the interference or pink noise type of sound. Instead you'll hear your live feed or playback with excellent clarity.

Don't worry about getting a hundred dollar 4 hour or whatever battery yet. Unless you need to immediately have this thing on for multiple hours. I went around capturing video footage a few minutes at a time. Captured some random conversations in public. Encounters with people's dogs. Turned the camcorder off when I wasn't capturing video for a while. I still had plenty of battery juice left. If you're thinking "oh the included battery is useless, I have to add a hundred bucks to the budget for a better one," just plan for that better battery later. Get this camcorder and have fun now. I don't work for Canon or have anything to do with them other than having bought a few other products that they made. And I'm saying this camcorder is giving me so much fun.

When you get the camcorder, invest in a ten dollar 37mm UV filter. Do this for the main purpose of protecting and sealing the lens from dust, contact with physical objects, scratches, marks, damage, etc. If it happens to the filter, big deal. It's 10 or 15 bucks. Get two or three to start with.

May want to get a protective cover for the touch screen but it's not as big a deal there.

Oh, if you use it indoors and use the DC and plug it into the wall, the plug that goes into the camcorder is pretty secure. It won't fall off as easily as some other ones like Sony's Mini DV camcorders.

Join the other Canon Vixia junkies on YouTube and upload some 1080 HD videos for us to see!

Read Best Reviews of Canon VIXIA HF M31 Full HD Camcorder w/32GB Flash Memory Here

I decided to shoot a short clip discussing the Canon Vixia HF M31 HD video camera. It is a WORK OF ART to say the least. I have been shooting film cameras since the early 70s and that's how I got my training. I still own my film cameras and shoot film every now and then if required. With the 32 gig internal HDD and the SDHC slot for added storage, you can't beat this M31 camera. Touch screen, 24P, 1920x1080 and all the functions in a camera that will make any indie filmmaker happy.

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Well I just got it delivered today. I normally use Amazon but they offered no discount off retail of $799 so I went elsewhere and saved approx. $80. So far so good, camera is very small, light and feels like it is well put together. I have owned various camcorders over the years, including a two piece unit with a full size VHS tape too many years ago to remember, and this is a great step up from my current DV digital tape model. I'm not sure how storing all my videos will work out (with my old DV tape model I just saved the original recordings on tape), but I guess I will be buying additional external hard drives.

The size is perfect for my reasonably good sized hands, it fits in a small canon digital camera case I had bought some time back for a still camera. Touch screen seems very good... not too sensitive and doesn't require a lot of pressure to work...

One of the main reasons I bought this model is because I can "downgrade" the recorded HDV recordings (from the internal memory) to standard definition video for editing. I produce/edit a local television show on public access and they broadcast in standard definition. I can record in a quality HD mode, save what I want in HD, then download directly from the camera to my computer in SD mode. Now, I haven't done this yet... BUT I will keep you posted.

I was also told by a Canon representative that I can simply transfer the video files from the internal memory of the camera to my netbook by simply using Program Manager (or similar) in Windows. Just drag and drop from the camera to the PC. This will really help on long trips, and will save me from having to buy multiple SDHC cards once the 32mb internal memory is full.

Again, I'll keep you posted...

Dictaphone 3750 Microcassette Transcription Machine, Base Unit Only

This is the best dictation transcriber! I bought it to replace an old, cheap sony machine. There is just no comparison! Well worth the extra I had to pay. Makes my old one seem like a toy or floor display.

DXG DXG-581V High Definition Digital Camcorder - Flash Memory, Memory Card - 2.5" Active Matrix TFT

I am glad I purchased this instead of the other HD camcorders in this price range.

I was about to return this and get an aiptek a-hd+ but its a good thing i found some raw MOV files of the aiptek a-HD+ on forums.

After seeing the quality of the aiptek a-hd+ raw MOV files I decided to keep the DXG 581v.

After comparing the raw MOV files of both camcorders, DXG 581v looked so much better, and sharper. The aiptek a-hd+ looked like it was only upscaled and was actually only 480p...the aiptek lacked sharpness and detail

The DXG's 480p at 60 fps is smooth as butter and still sharp and detailed. UPDATE: The 720p mode and the 1080 mode is also smooth change sure your frequency setting is set to "50 hz" and change "TV format" to PAL. This will smoothen out the panning...i guess the electronics inside are PAL but the software is set to NTSC because the unit is sold in the states.

The problem with the raw MOV files I saw with the aiptek was that it would sometimes skip frames. It appeared aiptek found a way to double the frames of its 720p at 30fps mode...it is a faux 60fps and doesn't look good.

If you want an HD camcorder that can catch a clear view of a car's license plate as it unintentionally passes by your camcorder's line of sight then get the DXG 581v.

Pros:

large lcd screen.

Sharp even at 480p

smooth 480p at 60 fps compared to the other HD camcorders at $130+

-UPDATE: also smooth 720p and 1080 after changing TZV format to PAL and frequency to 50

comes with cables:

> composite inputs and USB input.

> mini HDMI to HDMI

audio passes through the HDMI connection

good audio quality...very detailed and can pick up deep bass sounds.

can change resolutions on the fly pressing right on joystick

can change exposure on the fly pressing up/down on joystick

can turn on the LED flash during video recording press left on the joystick

very light

very smallyou can actually hide it in your fist.

comes with pouch you can attach to your belt.

720p and 1080i are very good quality. can catch alot of detail.

macro switch is firm and in perfect spot if you want to quickly change to macro and back to normal mode

autofocus does a good job of getting every detail.

works with my 16gb class 6 sd card

battery is rechargeable and only costs $3. It uses FUJI NP60 battery.

battery life long i will update this and do a battery test. battery gave me 2 bars out of the box. UPDATE: did a continuous recording at 1080i which lasted 1 hr 30 min. using my replacement battery gave me 2 hour recording continuous.

-voice recording is great. I was able to record a lecture 30 feet away from the professor and could hear his voice clearly during playback.

when camcorder is plugged into HDMI slot of HDTV it enters playback mode. Files will play continuously and will loop.

can upload the raw MOV files directly to popular video sharing sites

battery is secure...no wobble.

camera is more steady then other camcorders. (less shaking)

was able to attach camcorder to tripod.

able to keep camera stable without tripod.

Cons:

720p and 1080i run at 30 fps.

1080i only. it is not 1080p (1920x1080)...it is actually 1440x1080.

no lens cap

does not include an SD card.

movie mode and voice recording mode must be selected in the menu. After shutoff movie mode is set as default. you must go back into the menu to enable voice recording.

raw MOV files do not play on the xbox 360

only 32 mb internal memory. about 5 seconds video, or 20 photos, or 1 minute of voice recording.

Since I can change resolutions at a click of a button on the joystick, I use 480p when I am recording a fast motion video, where I know there will be alot of panning.

Then I will use 720p or 1080i, when the video calls for slower or litte to no panning, and details need to be captured. UPDATE: after changing TV format to PAL and Frequency to 50 hz panning is now smooth. so I use 720 and 1080 most of the time now.

In staples I was hunting for a laser copier. I could have used my phone to take photos of each copier and price tag but using the DXG 581v made it so much quicker and easier to review when i got home.

I used the 1080i resolution. took a full body shot of one copier then focused on the price tag while switching to macro mode and taking a shot of hte price tag. Did this for the whole aisle of laser copiers. It was quick and I ended up with everything I needed on one file when i got home.

UPDATE: Attended a trade show in Las Vegas and I have to say the DXG did an amazing job.

I recorded each workshop and seminar at 1080i and during playback the video quality was so clear. The power point presentation on the projector screen which I recorded was very sharp on playback.

Using the replacement battery I purchased for $4 here on amazon, lasted 30 minutes longer than the original battery that came with the DXG 581v.

UPDATE:

To hook up the camcorder to an old HDTV with the HDMI port that doesnt support audio.

1.) plug the usb cable with composite out and left channel out to the dxg 581v

2.) plug the left channel audio out to the audio input of the HDTV

3.) plug the HDMI cable to the HDTV

4.) plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the DXG 581v camcorder

You will now have audio while using the HDMI portof the HDTV.

Prior to a March 2009 vacation to Disney World, I was looking for an inexpensive HD camcorder to take along. I almost bought the Kodak Zi6, which records up to 720P. Then I saw an article from the February Consumer Electronics Show that mentioned the DXG 581V, which records up to 1080P. I had to make a purchasing decision before I could find any reviews of the DXG, but decided to purchase the DXG any wayfor about the same price as the Zi6. I was not disappointed. Shooting in both 1080P and 720P, the DXG captured very good quality HD video. The proof of this was provided by connecting the camera directly to my 52 inch Sony LCD TV via the provided HDMI cable. On the 52 inch screen, the 1080P video was crisper than the 720P, but not by much. Shooting in 720P means you can fit much more video on the memory card, and it greatly reduces the processing time if you are making a movie in Apple's iMovie or something similar. Until Blu Ray burner prices come down, I will continue to shoot in 720P.

Outdoor shots in sunlight are excellent, while indoor shooting in low artificial light is not great, but is useable for my purposes. The camera does not have image stabilization, and it is essential to really concentrate on keeping the camera steady when panning, etc. The camera is very easy and intuitive to use, except that the LCD screen is tough to see in strong sunlight (a common problem). The camera also shoots 5 MP stills, which are pretty good. However, at Disney World I carried a little pocketable Pentax digital camera that shoots 8 MP stills and has a 7X optical zoom for more versatility.

Battery life with the included 1200mAh battery is very good (20-30 minutes). I purchased an 8 GB SDHC memory card, and used only about 60% of its capacity in shooting 1.5-2 hours of mostly 720P video. The 4X digital zoom is useful, although an optical zoom would obviously be better. However, considering the $150 price, the features provided are very good in my opinion. The included belt holster is not much bigger than a cell phone holster and is convenient with its velcro flap.

My one complaint is that the built in microphone is extremely sensitive to wind, which can completely overpower any other ambient sounds. When wind wasn't a problem, the camera did a good job of recording music and other ambient sounds in the Disney World attractions. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the DXG 581V.

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Having gotten the camera a few days ago I sat back and impatiently waited for the 8gb memory card to come in. Once the camera battery charged and the card was in I started shooting and experimenting like mad. Now granted the only two camcorders I've owned previous to this were not to great, but nevertheless will be my means of comparing. The first camera I owned was JVC mini-vhs, the second being the original Flip. I've also seen the footage and sound that the Flip Mino or whatever you wish to call it takes.

Here's my verdict:

CONS:

The camera only films 60fps with the 480p setting (nevertheless the 30fps

doesn't look too bad with the 720p and 1080i)

films like a vhs camcorder but slightly better when it is DARK inside a room

same goes for outside footage. But outside nighttime footage is slightly better than most portable camcorders.

no image stabilization but holds up to being not NEARLY as watery and bouncy as other portable camcorders such as the FLIP.

PROS

Video format really easy to work with in quicktime

Video files don't take up a lot of space for the amateur filmmaker who

doesn't want to have to by an external harddrive to work his camera.

Very VERY nice detail and quality in well-lit and outdoor situations

VERY GOOD and CLEAN audio pickup

Not too small, and doesn't feel necessarily cheap

TONS of features [unlike the FLIP] not just one touch recording

white balance

brightness

display settings

playback of video and photos

films decent macro video and still pics

takes decent pics from 5mp-8mp

nighttime settings

choose between NTSC and PAL

comes with plugins for HDTV and for playing on regular TV

In summary the only reason I gave it one star less is because it's not necessarily 100% HD. I mean on your laptop when you just finished shooting in a

good lit situation outside it looks pretty darn close. But I can't imagine it looking like your Blue-rays when you play it on your 42 inch.

If your looking for a cheaply priced camera with quality, durability, and tons of features this is as best as it gets. From what I've seen THIS IS the best model DXG sells and I would highly recommend buying it.

Read Best Reviews of DXG DXG-581V High Definition Digital Camcorder - Flash Memory, Memory Card - 2.5" Active Matrix TFT Here

I like the DXG HD 581 Camcorder because of its light weight and ease of operation. You can just put it on your belt like a phone. I really like that. Unfortunately, my rating on the battery is not so good. I charged the battery when I got it and less than two days later without having used the camera, the battery was dead. I tried charging it again but to no avail. Unfortunately, I had to go and purchase another battery at the cost of $32.00. So with the price of the camera at $115 and a new battery at $32, I felt that I got taken on the camera. Unfortunately that is why I'm rating the camera so low.

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I purchased this camera because it seemed to have a lot of features for the price. I received the item, removed it from the packaging and found that it was dead. The only thing that works on it is the little green power LED. Really poor quality control.

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Foscam FI8918W Wireless/Wired Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera with 8 Meter Night Vision and 3.6mm Lens

If you have never interfaced with your router's software before (and you are not brave!) than this might not be for you. It is not hard to set up. You plug in its AC adapter and plug it into your router. Follow the instructions and wow.

The picture is wonderful. The motion alarm is fantastic. We placed on of these inside our barn across the street from our home, about 350 feet away. We added an $80. antenna to our router from Hawking, also available on Amazon, and poof! I can now see what all the sqwak is at 2AM in my barn with out walking all the way out there! Wow, wow, wow. The pan and tilt features are really nice. We setup another at our front door, and three "out door" styles around the outside of the property. I don't know how long this black "indoor" will last in the extreme temps and humitity of our barn and front porch, but that is not Foscam's problem. I will update at the end of the winter, or sooner if they die during winter!

4/3/11 Well they made it through the winter. We have been able to review motion detection alarm triggered video clips that were saved on our pc. We have been able to remote pan across the barn to see who is making all the racket and why. It is lovely to know who has been on your porch while you were sleeping! The cameras are wonderful. the there is an antenna you can get on amazon that will extend you wireless cababilities. We view the inside and outside of our barn across the street. These are great.

Where to start...

Well I'll open with.. I'm IMPRESSED! I opted to get the white version of the FI8918W just because it was cheaper than the black version and was identical other than the color. I was first concerned because I got two camera's and the first one was "loose" it seemed (camera from the base). The second seems to be identical so this must just be the way these camera's are. I hooked this up directly to my router as per the instructions and tried to determine a standard ip address without having to use the included software. I wasn't able to so then used the mini-disc on my windows 7 PC. The computer prompted for reboot which I did before I noticed the icon on the desktop. When it rebooted I double clicked the icon and after a brief moment it displayed the ip address of the camera. Note: I'm also using zone alarm and it requested access to 255.255.255.255:10000, which I allowed and it displayed the camera.

When I double clicked the ip address displayed in the software window I was taken to ie which then I put in the user id: admin and for the PW. I don't know if I'm just lucky because I've had so many lessons with my other IP cameras, but this one was very easy (outside trying to figure out why the wireless config wasn't working as expected). One of the other things I was really impressed with was the ease of setting up the wireless. I "scanned" for wireless sources, found mine, clicked it and nearly all the fields were prefilled. I only had to input my security key. Now... The issue I had. I'm currently running 4 different cameras, x2 different Linksys camera's and a trendnet. Those all when setup kept their ip address. This Foscam uses a different one. So after you have it setup I'd recommend re-running their ip software and finding the new ip address after you have removed the cat5 cable. This took me about an hour to figure out.

My camera background:

I started out with x2 Linksys wvc54gca. These were my basis for learning about the IP camera's, the router work required to open the ports and more especially multiple camera's on the same router and how to accomplish that. After moving from the lower 48 to Alaska, we wanted a pan tilt zoom (PTZ) camera and opted for the Linksys WVC210. This camera is a very nice unit, but after getting the new Foscam night PTZ camera, I feel like I wasted a significant amount of money on this one unit, when I believe the Foscam FI8918W is easily a better buy. We also have the Trendnet tv-ip422w and compared to this new Foscam camera, the video is absolutely SUBPAR to the Foscam.

While this is a review about the Foscam FI8918W I want the readers to know and appreciate what this camera does. The Linksys WVC54GCA works perfectly in IE and Firefox (Safari as well). The WVC210 will NOT, repeat NOT work with IE. There is an active X that is required and Cisco must have an issue with Microsoft or something because I cannot force my computer to accept the active X. You can ONLY view this in Fire Fox (FF) or Safari (if I remember correctly), but FF is what we use to view it. These Foscam's work in: IE8, FF and FF on Mac OS-X (Snow Leopard). I haven't tried Safari, but our needs were met in that realm.

Mobile browsing: Both of the Linksys cam's were visible on our iPhone/iTouch. We have now ditched the iPhone (junk) and went with the Samsung captivate (android) and had the same experience. The Trendnet and Foscam units were not viewable on either of our phones. This was an initial HUGE issue, but I've found that on both the itunes and android app store there is an app (android has a free version, apple doesn't) called "IP Cam Viewer" by Robert Chou (android lite version works for free and has a banner at the top). If you use this program use "Add IP" in the settings to add your DNS address you established and go from there. This app also allows "swipe to pan" option.. NICE!!

In setting up, I mentioned that I have multiple camera's. I've resorted to using multiple different port's such as: myipcam,dot,com:1111 and the next is: myipcam,dot,com:1112, and: myipcam,dot,com:1113, etc. You will establish this in your individual camera settings and your router config.

Over all.

I know my setup was based on historical config's I've done with other camera's so I was aware of some of the pitfalls. But I believe these cameras were the easiest to setup. The camera's software/firmware is a little "hokey" and could be improved I believe, but It has everything it needs to have (that I could determine) so I can't fault the firmware (admin) settings/options about that. The actual web GUI (interface) was pretty nice, especially compared to the other camera's I have. I didn't try the multiple setup and accessing them through the internet because one of the two cameras we received will be kept a little more "private" and may have access to part of our bedroom from its location.

The camera is very quiet. I found myself enjoying that with the movement options you can hold down the arrow (on the screen) and the camera will move until you unclick it.

The status LED, which can be turned off, is located on the back. I appreciate that as well.

The only thing I found a little annoying was the IR bulbs are a little too visible. We have one of these in the kids' bedroom and the red glow (obvious) always attracts attention. This is visible even when the IR is turned "off" in the settings.

The package included everything I believe a normal user would require/desire. Camera, base (movable/adjustable which is a nice touch), antenna, screws and anchor, cat5 cable and the power cord.

On the audio, I didn't try/use the included option. I'm sorry that a review of that feature cannot be included. With the amount of camera's we are running we can't support the additional bandwith requirements.

The only problem I experienced was the wireless being a different IP address vs. the wired IP address. I've never experienced this before, but was a simple fix by using the supplied software.

In closing:

I wish I could provide a link so others could see how impressive these CAM's are. But I won't ;) Had I known how great a value these cameras would be I would have purchased at least a couple more, with the possibility of enough to replace / supplement all of our Linksys/Trendnet cam's. I'm leaving for a yearlong military deployment in 10 days so the ease in setup/config was a HUGE help and success on the part of this company. At this point I'd have no issue recommending these to anybody who is looking for an excellent camera. The day time image is excellent, the night vision (as with everything) is less grand, but the IR bulbs completely illuminate our 12x35' room with plenty of light to spare. These camera's are all usable on Win XP (laptop), Win Vista (laptop), Win 7 (PC) (Both with IE 8 and Fire Fox) and Mac OS-X (Snow Leopard) on a Macbook Pro and IMac , ipod Touch and Samsung Captivate (Android) WHEN using the app: ipcam viewer by Robert Chou (free on Android).

I really hope this review helps some other potential buyers as I had a ton of questions, to which few (if any) were answered by other reviews.

Buy Foscam FI8918W Wireless/Wired Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera with 8 Meter Night Vision and 3.6mm Lens Now

There are a ton of well-written reviews for this camera (also check out the other versions, e.g. FI8918W White, FI8905W) that give an excellent sense of its many strengths, minor weaknesses, as well as tips for setting up IP cameras in general. I won't rehash the basics, but I will give a brief overview of my setup. Then I'll make a comment on security, and finally go through some of the ways you can extend this camera's capabilities. This last section is where the Foscam truly shines, in my opinion. After all, if I just wanted a no-hassle cam/DVR, I could get something more basic (but much more expensive) off the shelf at Costco or through a residential security company.

If you have any questions, just comment on this review. I'm happy to respond.

Setup:

The setup process was very standard for any sort of web-enabled device. It'll take a bit longer if you've never gone through the steps before, but once you do it, you'll know how to set up a whole slew of similar devices (e.g. home webserver, media servers, etc.). There are literally hundreds of great tutorials on all of these topics around the web, so if any step or terminology is confusing, just google it and you'll find a bunch of good links. (i.e. don't get deterred by reviews that say "bad instruction manual" or "bad customer service", since you won't need either if you have the whole internet and the power of google at your fingertips). Anyway, here is the rough outline of the setup process for me:

1. Connected Foscam via LAN cable, checked "DHCP clients" list on router (I have a MacBook Pro and an Airport Extreme router) to get local Foscam IP, and then typed this into my web browser to get to the Foscam web interface. Alternatively, use the little utility included with the Foscam to get to the same place.

2. Added a new login/password, deleted admin login, and set up wifi access in the Foscam settings. Then disconnected from LAN and moved Foscam to the desired location. Plug it back in and now it's working via wireless.

3. Went into my router's settings and assigned a static IP to the Foscam's wifi MAC address (note: this MAC is different from the ethernet MAC). This is done with "DHCP Reservations" on the Airport, but of course the exact label will vary by router. Now the Foscam web interface will always be accessible at the same local address within my home network.

4. To get external access outside of my home network, I went into my router's "Port Forwarding" settings and forwarded some external port to port 80 at the static local IP of the Foscam.

5. Since I have a residential internet provider, my external IP is dynamic, which means it could potentially change. To get around this, signup for a free dyndns account. Then just use the updater client on the Foscam, itself, or one of many others that are available for free for mac, windows, and linux.

Security:

This is a bit confusing since the Foscam advertises "encryption". The part that IS secure is the Foscam's communication to/from your router via wifi. This is very good, and considering how easy it is to snoop traffic over an unprotected or WEP-protected wifi (there are even NYTimes articles describing the basics!), I would consider this a mandatory feature of any IP cam. While this is excellent to have, if you choose to make your Foscam web interface accessible from the outside internet (i.e. you did port forwarding), then this connection is public and completely unencrypted. Firstly, this means you should immediately add a new user in the Foscam settings and then delete the admin login. Even once this step is done, it means that there will be no little "lock" symbol in your browser indicating SSL encryption, and your new login/password and video stream will still be sent in the clear. This doesn't bother everyone, but if it does, you can use a computer on your home network to set up a VPN or SSH tunnel (easier) to make the connection encrypted (or just disable external access completely if you don't need this feature). At any rate, it's good to be aware of this limitation at least.

Enhancing functionality:

Misc information on advanced features There is a lot of useful information about these Foscams, including some more advanced topics, scattered around on various blogs and forums. Here are a couple (I'm sure google will find even more): gadgetvictims dot com, forum dot networkwebcams dot com, networkcamerareviews dot com.

mangocam dot com Free online storage for your cam stream. What's the point of having a security camera if the crooks steal all your computers with the footage!? This site just popped up with a free public beta, so it's definitely worth checking out. Sort of like the built-in FTP/email features taken to a whole new level.

Smartphone apps A neat way to check in on your cams remotely (but see important security note, above). IP Cam Viewer Lite works great for Android, and other reviews mention other apps for iPhone, etc.

ZoneMinder The holy grail for getting the most out of your cam. This is a free and open-source web application for managing your cam feeds. It is sort of like mangocam, but you install it yourself on your own webserver, and it does a whole lot more. For instance, you can define different motion detection "zones" in the image. Maybe zone #1 is the whole image, zone #2 is just a doorway, and zone #3 is a tree that is always moving in the wind. Then you can define all sorts of complex filters, like 1) Record a section of video footage when there is any motion in zone #1, excluding zone #3, or 2) Record a section of video footage when there is any motion in zone #2, but only during work hours on weekdays; then automatically send some still screenshots to my email and upload a movie of the event to some off-site server. Wow...the options are truly endless! With just this program, some $200 linux boxes, and some Foscams, you could start a business setting up surveillance systems for people!

Read Best Reviews of Foscam FI8918W Wireless/Wired Pan & Tilt IP/Network Camera with 8 Meter Night Vision and 3.6mm Lens Here

This is a decent IP camera with enough features for most first time users. I was able to configure and use the camera without having to load any of the included software without any trouble, but an average person might have trouble getting every feature working. If you don't know what DNS or FTP means, you are one of these people.

If you are planning on just sitting this on a window sill and pointing it outside as a 24/7 security camera, think again. It works fine in the daytime, but interior reflections on the window glass make it less useful at night. The IR LEDs reflect back off the window and effectively blind the camera.

Image quality is typical of a low-cost CMOS sensor. Color accuracy and saturation is poor, but adequate for most uses.

It also has several shutter speed settings....a 60hz speed for night/low light, a 50hz speed for medium lighting, and a slow shutter speed for outdoor use. While the camera is able to automatically adjust sensor sensitivity a bit to compensate for changes in lighting, it doesn't have an automatic shutter speed setting. This means that if you have the shutter speed set on the "Outdoor" setting, it works great on a sunny day, but at night is far too dark to be useful. You'd have to manually switch shutter speeds every day if you were using it as an unattended security camera. Leaving it on 60hz setting and trying to view an outside scene just results in a white video image...the sunlight totally overwhelms the sensor unless you use the "outdoor" setting.

The motion detection feature is excellent. You can have the camera automatically email you a sequence of still photos everytime it detects motion. I was pleasantly surprised at how well this worked. You can specify up to 5 individual recipients.

It is also capable of uploading the same still images to an FTP server if you wish to archive them for review later. A date/time stamp on the image would have been a nice addition but isn't a feature.

I did not try the audio features, thus cannot say if they are improved over the old camera. If you are looking to integrate this camera into your DIY home security system, you should purchase the previous model (FI8908W) as this new one doesn't have the RS485 port anymore.

Bottom line, whether you want to use this camera to monitor an interior room, or an outside scene, it's a good entry level camera. Just don't expect it to be able to do both without manually making some adjustments for one or the other.

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I really wanted to love this camera, the feature set appeared to be excellent. The set up was fairly simple to set up a static IP address and I even gave it a higher port number. It did work well in Firefox, Chrome and Safari, but the most advanced features like sound and better quality picture appear to be in Internet Explorer. I even got it to work via my iPhone. The problem I have is the constant freezing upon logging via Internet Explorer on my Windows 7 Laptops. I'm running both 32 bit and 64 bit IE. I looked for solutions and saw users have been experiencing IE issues with the buggy Active X controls since Vista.

I'm on the fence if I should keep this Wireless IP Cam, since the Activex code crashes on both my laptops and freezes them. I'm sick of having to reboot. It's very annoying, but I'm not sure if I really need the audio anyway, I'm more interested in photos and ability to ftp, and email pictures to an account. It's annoying since I even upgraded the firmware to the most current version and tried to follow all the useless instructions of disabling firewalls, disabling antivirus, and allowing all active x controls even whitelisted the IP in a trusted zone. NOTHING WORKED. So far the Active x controls are the only thing broken, besides two IR lamps seem to dim compared to the rest, the ability to pan and tilt are excellent. Image Quality is fair, seems almost better in the dark, but in the dark it's black and white.

Update:

I decided to keep the Camera. I've noticed it seems to go into a "look" mode randomly moving everywhere occasionally, but overall I'm happy with the product. I signed up for the free dynamic dns account, then put the info in my Verizon Fios Router and Foscam settings. I also used my ISP and set up an FTP Account. I also enabled UPnP, which allowed me to set up the port forwarding rules in my Verizon Router. I'm using a higher 4 digit port number ending in zero so I can add additional cams in the future. Other then the remote control with Internet Explorer, I was able to get all the other features to work, including motion detection, emailing via the SMTP settings (used my ISP again), and FTP of any activity out to my account (my hosting ISP is Bluehost which allowed me to configure the FTP and SMTP info very easily).

Let me know if you require any assistance configuring settings, it's convenient to access via Dynamic DNS Address or directly via the IP Address (must add high port to each to connect). The 5 dollar iPhone app is also a nice access option.

If they resolve the Win 7 Active X issues or allow sound via other browsers, I'll raise my review. Also we'll see how the quality holds up over time.

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