Craig Micro Cassette Voice Recorder with LED Recording Indicator (CR8003)

This little recorder really surprised me a bit. I expected that it would record and play but I really didn't expect it to sound as good as it does. It has a very slight hiss level but this isn't really as bad as a lot I've used. I was really impressed by how well it worked in a large room and in smaller areas. In a recorder in this price range, I really didn't expect much but this recorder was far better than I expected. For a general purpose use recorder, this should serve most people well.

I ordered two of these microcassette recorders so that I could record bedtime stories to my grandchildren who live in Germany. One of the recorders did not work from the start. It would not rewind or fast forward the tape. I tried the other recorder and the sound quality was so bad that I decided to spend a little more money and ordered two more recorders made by a different company.

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For a low cost recorder, this one acts like a high priced digital. Using it on ghost hunts. Got audio results on my first one (no, it was not background noise).

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Got this to listen to some of my dads old tapes, really made me happy I could hear his voice again. Great price and was shipped very quickly.

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this recorder does exactly what i need it to do! i use it to send my voice to my husband in afghanistan

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HD Portable DVR with 2.5" TFT LCD Screen Vehicle Backup Car Cameras LCD 270° LSRotator - 6 IR LED

• Real 720 HD video recording; Rotatable 120 Wide angle len; IR day and night vision for recording; Records automatically after the car's power up
• Audio Recording, Real-Time Recording; With the camera holder, you can fix it on the car dashboard or car windshield very easily
• Video format: AVI; Repeat storage by section:2/5/15 minutes; Still JPEG Image Storage Format ; Record Resolution:1280 x 960 pixels/ 720 X 480 pixels/ 640 X 480 pixels
• Support SD/MCC Cards up to 32 GB (SD Card Not Included); 6 LED's 120 degrees viewing angle; Battery source Built-in rechargeable Battery or 12/24V Car Charge
• 2.5 inch TFT LCD Colorful Screen and USB Interface; Support Real Time & Date display on video; Light Frequency Set: 50HZ/60HZ

The day time recording is very good but night time recording is not good. The image does not rotate with camera so if you mount it atop your dashboard like I did with the screen on the top everything records upside down so when you put it on your computer you will have to use a video editing software to rotate the video right side up. I did not use the supplied windshield mount because I did not want to create a blind spot in my windshield.

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This was a disappointment. Upon arrival I immediately noticed the LCD was cracked. While it was still view-able I wanted to see if it lived up to other expectations. It didn't. By now everyone should know the manual is a joke. Hardest part of the setup was learning that the "OK" button is actually the red record button. After that it was easy to set up all remaining options. Two big disappointments on the unit was that, when recording, the red record button is blinking red. While some may find it comforting to know it is actually recording, I want this to be invisible to me and my passengers until its needed. Second is the video quality. Perhaps this unit was bad due to the LCD damage but it was horribly out of focus. And it is most certainly not HD even if it was. I set the resolution to 720 and the picture was grainy. Amazon is awesome as well on the return.

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This product comes with a sloppy packing, broken parts. You can tell it was opened before. Would not recommend to buy!

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This dashboard camera works, but... not without issues. The user manual is very poor and I have not been able to get the camera to loop, write over past recordings. It says it reports the memory full with just 10 minutes of recording on a 2 gb card. This would work if it would loop and overwrite. I would tell you to look for a better unit. I will.

FOR THE PRICE YOU CAN,T BEAT IT! Nice little camera. The motion detector works great also.... The picture is very good. Very happy with this camera.

Vivicam DVR410 Grape 1.8IN Swivel Screen 4XAAA

Bought this for my daughter for a santa gift-received and wrapped-she open xmas morning and the screen is all scrambled-cannot return because I needed to return within 14 days-thanks for ruining my daughters xmas morning-now I need to but her another--Never buy from you again!!!!

this unit wasnot the same quality,doesnt focus well, on off button is quirky and video feture says (sd card too slow) and doesn't work.new and improved no doubt

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It was just as I expected. Just a little camera that didn't cost much that I can practice with. Great value!!

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Don't waste the money. Functions horrible, takes horrible video, worse than some of the toys on the market. wish the package hadn't been cut open

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Sony HXR-NX70U NXCAM Professional Camcorder

Overall, end product (film quality) is great. G series lens lives up to its rep. HOWEVER:

HUGE HUGE HUGE Problem with this camera is the zoom. It's beyond terrible. The see-saw zoom button that rocks back and forth is so bulky and unpredictably inaccurate it's worthless. you have to depress the button half way (which is a good quarter inch) until it does anything and then it's so sensitive that it zooms in out out super fast out of your control. Even worse, the zoom ring on the barrel of the lens is unusable. THIS PRODUCT SHOULD NOT EVEN HAVE BEEN SHIPPED LIKE THIS. In my eyes, it's broken right out of the box. The reason you can't use the barrel zoom is because when you turn it ever so slowly for a creeping zoom, it steps in little tiny jerk movements. In other words, it zooms in like this: "zoom, pause, zoom, pause, zoom, pause,"etc. It renders your footage worthless. And I'm not talking super slow either. I'm talking at a medium speed it does this. So it's either super fast zooms or no zoom. How could a conglomerate like Sony ship these with such a design flaw is unfathomable. I have read other reviews of this camera with the same gripe so it's not just me. So there is really no usable zoom on this almost $3000 camera. Lastly, it's only a 10x zoom which is nothing. Gimme a 20x at least like all the other cameras in this price range (It has a digital zoom but we all know you cannot even use that in a professional end product. It looks like utter garbage I don't even know why it's offered, it's just "cropping" the frame, it's not actually zooming). Anyway, all the pros to these cons can be found in any other cameras in this price range (IE 24-60i frame rates) so i wont mention them. Here are a few notable unique pros worth mentioning:

Pros: it is supposedly water/dust proof which I'll never use (or be confident enough to attempt ruining my new camcorder)

The wide angle G series lens operates at low light very well. Night shot might prove to be useful one day, the user interface is laid out very intuitively. Reminds me of my Nikon D90 DSLR menu ... kind of... and I am a big fan of the on board analog mixer which has a 10db and 20db pad for the condenser mic. In the end the half inch sensor in this beast gives me incredible imaging so I'll keep it, but damn it Sony, you better come out with a software update to fix the zoom so i can change this review and give you 4 or 5 stars!!!! Until then, I would only recommend this camera to people who will not be zooming in or out of the subject they are filming. Which is no one.

P.S. For almost $3000 you can give us the longer lasting FV100 battery. It's like a $30 difference sheesh. how cheap are these guys?

I've been a pro videographer for over 10 years and always look for video cameras that perform extremely well without having to pay 5-10K. For the money, this cam is extremely good. The claimed features and specs are real. The depth of color is outstanding. Plus, the low lux setting is much more than a small enhancement. There's a definite improvment at venues with lower lighting. Very good cam. I would add 2 features: Controls for the zoom speed & streaming video out/firewire. We proudly use this at XoomworX.

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We bought this camera for a high school to shoot events and such. It is a GREAT camera!!! WE LOVE IT!! The Menus are easy to access and get around. The option for internal storage or SD Card is GREAT!!! I shoot a football game on the internal storage for the team and halftime events on the SD Card. I agree with the other review the zoom control sucks. FORGET about a smooth slow zoom. I have stopped using the zoom controls and now ONLY use the ring to control zoom. Even this does not produce a smooth zoom and the zoom ring is backwards to me. BEST product we have bought in a long time!!!

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I wasn't sure about buying this camera. The rain/dust proof feature is quite important to me, but didn't want to spend 3K on something with bad reviews... Well, last month Sony released the so waited firmware update, solving a lot of the main problems exposed here... I bought the camera 2 weeks ago, and I'm really happy with it. Of course it lacks the features found on 5K $ cameras, but this one has more than enough to me. It's a great product....and rainproof!!!

UPDATE months later: I enjoy more and more this little camera! Image quality is fantastic (check some at my Vimeo page for a small sensor camera. The trend today is dslr video, but if you're looking for a very easy way to capture good footage, this camera is great. No need for lens changing, great sound, zebra, peaking, histogram, acceptable manual controls for everything when you need... I'm happy with my choice to document our canoe trips and even some paid jobs.

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HXR-NX70U Firmware Upgrade

Sony is offering a firmware upgrade for NXCAM Camcorder "HXR-NX70U". The applicable products are with the firmware version "Ver.2" or earlier.

Additional HXR-NX70U features*

1. Improvement of zoom rocker operation(Selectable zoom speed)

2. Dual Recording for Simultaneous Rec. to its internal memory and memory card

3. Added 1920x1080/30p and 1280x720/60p.

4. The EXPANDED FOCUS and HISTOGRAM buttons are now assignable keys.

5. Added Last Scene Review feature.

6. The Display ON/OFF button now also controls display of the Face Detection Box onto video output.

7. Display ON/OFF optionally overlays Zebra and/or Histogram display onto video output.

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Bell+Howell DV5HDZ Touch Screen Full High Definition 1080p Digital Video Camcorder with 5x Optical

When I was a kid, the closest thing to a camcorder that was available were movie cameras that used either 8mm or 16mm movie film. Some had no sound recording capabilities for home use, and some did. Our family had a Bell & Howell 16mm camera, projector, and take-down movie screen on a tripod stand. The camera and projector were very good quality and a top selling brand at that time. This year's offering from Bell & Howell, the DV5HDZ Touch Screen Full HD Digital Camcorder follows in the footsteps of its ancestors for quality and features. Obviously, digital video is more complex than 16mm film, with the advantage that the user doesn't have to send anything to a lab for processing.

The Bell & Howell DV5HDZ Touch Screen Full HD 1080p Digital Camcorder has a 5x optical zoom with 4x digital zoom enhancement for up to 20x zoom range. I received the camcorder ahead of the estimated delivery dates and immediately opened it and read through both the hard copy of the User Guide and the PDF version. The PDF version is more detailed.

When I had set the time and date, tweaked the settings, and was confident enough, I tried out the camcorder, holding it in my hands rather than mounting it to a tripod. I panned around the room, zooming in and out on various objects, narrating as I recorded to check the sensitivity and quality of the mic and sound recording.

I first shot some footage using the "Florescent" white balance setting at Full HD (FHD) (1920 X1080, 16:9) resolution. The results were very good, with very good color, excellent resolution, even in the shadows, where the light was low, and excellent sound quality. On my 50" HD plasma TV, the images were in sharp focus, overall picture quality was very good, and the video played flawlessly. I discovered, however that my computer, with it's single core 2.53 GHz Pentium 4 processor and slower bus speed could not play back the video in Windows Media Player or InterVideo WinDVD without stuttering and freezing the picture mid-stream, even with the nVidia GeForce video card's GPU. The ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre media player that came with the camcorder played the FHD video just fine until I went to full screen. Then it couldn't keep up. Again, the problem was my old, slow motherboard and not the recording or media player's fault.

Next, I shot footage using the "Auto" white balance setting at FHD. This time, the color and overall picture quality was better than before, and again it looked very good on the TV screen. However, I still had problems with the video stuttering and freezing when playing the video on my computer except when using the ArcSoft TotalMedia Theatre.

Next, I lowered the resolution to 1280 x 720 pixels, 16:9 screen ratio (HD), leaving the white balance on "Auto", and shot some footage. The color and picture quality were excellent, and the video played without a hitch on both the TV and computer. This time my computer had no problems playing back the video in normal and full-screen mode using WinDVD, Windows Media Player, and ArcSoft's TotalMedia Theatre.

The DV5HDZ camcorder's White Balance settings are Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, and Tungsten (incandescent). It's resolution settings are FHD (1920 x 1080, HD (1280 x 720), WVGA (848 x 480) and WEB (320 x 240). Videos can also be shot in normal color, black & white, or sepia. For very low light conditions, there is an LED light underneath the lens, right beside the self-timer. The mic is built inside the pivoting touch screen, with a speaker on the camera's body underneath the touch screen.

Other features are too numerous to mention here, and the ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme software that is provided with the camcorder offers further flexibility.

The Bell & Howell Touch Screen FHD 1080p Digital Video Camcorder has some built-in video memory, but also has a regular size SD slot and a micro SD slot beside the battery compartment, underneath the battery compartment cover.

The camcorder comes with a carrying pouch; Quick Guide; an HDMI cable for playing directly from the camera to the TV or for using the TV as a monitor while recording; a USB cable for transferring video from the camera and SD cards to a computer; a video cable with standard red, white and yellow phono plugs; a Lithium battery; a power adapter/charger for recharging the lithium battery; and a software CD containing ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme, a PDF reader, and a User Manual in PDF format. SD cards must be purchased separately.

For the money, I'm happy with the Bell & Howell DV5HDC Touch Screen Full HD Digital Video Camcorder. I gave it a 5-star rating, because it does everything I need it to do at a reasonable price.

We got this about a week ago. It doesn't have any internal memory, but it does have the capability of holding up to 64gb of video/pictures/audio at one time through the use of it's two SD card slots. One fits a micro SD and the other fits a regular SD card. Each holds up to 32 gb. The video quality is crisp and it handles different lighting situations alright. The LED light on it is very bright. I have recorded about 3 hours of video. We first put an 8gb SD card in and it showed about 2 hours of 1080P record time available. with a 32gb it shows about 10 hours. Well more than I need. The only real complaint that I have is that it records in MOV file format but the program that comes with it doesn't have the codex to convert it to AVI or MPG which would be great. You can get a free converter to do that called FFMPEG if you need to convert it to any other format for streaming or burning to a DVD. Oh, a very very small issue is that most of the controls for browsing through the files on it and playing them are on the touch screen, but if it's plugged into a TV through the HDMI port it turns the touchscreen off. You can still make selections with the buttons, but it's a bit clunky.

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We had to return this item because the screen had a large lune through it that would not ho away. Amazon sent another camcorder of the exact same model and it's battery would not hold a charge. The one bright spot in this purchase was the service from Amazon.

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Car Dashboard Video Camera Cam Accident DVR Full Hd Resolution , 2.0" Ltps TFT LCD Display

Unit turned off after 5 seconds. Internal battery would not charge. Manual impossible to understand. Ended up getting a Vacron for $300. After looking at other dashboard cameras, it appears that you won't get anything reliable until you get into the $300 range. The $29-$59 dashboard cameras all appear to be junk. Some people apparently get them working, but the vast number of bad reviews on most of them should have been a warning.

Suggest getting dashboard cameras that record in H.264 rather than AVI. AVI is "freeware" whereas for H.264, the manufacturer had to pay for that software which suggests that the rest of the system is equally high quality. If you don't really need a dashboard camera, any of them will work, but if you really want one you can depend on, you'll have to step up...

Just got it today. So far its working great. It took a little to learn the functions, nothing difficult. At the 640 setting the picture is clear, can read plate numbers. So far I'm impressed. I'm using a 2gig card, and am recording a total of 16 min in loop mode. I've ordered a larger card. So far I'm very happy, I will update after more testing. Thus far I would give the pic a 8, the sound a 6, and the mount a 5. At this point I would recomend this to a friend.

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TASCAM PS-P515U AC Adapter for Select Portable Digital Recorders

• AC Adapter for DR-05, DR-07 mkII, and DR-08 portable digital recorders

This adapter works fine with my TASCAM DR-05 recorder and should do so for a decent product lifespan, earning at least three stars. As a one-size-fits-all solution for many TASCAM recorders, it's overpriced and oversized for the DR-05. Per the tascam.com DR-05 specification, the DR-05 is "Powered by 2 AA batteries, AC adapter (optional: PS-P515U), or USB bus power." USB 2.0 (max load for DR-05 jack shape) bus power draws a maximum of 500mA (0.5A, per Wikipedia). The PS-P151U is simply a 1.5A USB adapter, with a bulky AC cord, marketed as "the" TASCAM power solution for the DR-05 recorder, which really just needs a normal 0.5A USB adapter. Amazon has all sorts of competitors for this product, once you know what you need. For use with other TASCAM recorders, go find out from their specs how many amps you need, and then find the adapter that best fits your bag and budget. For some TASCAM device, this adapter is probably the ideal answer. Not trying to corner the USB adapter market, I can understand why TASCAM has just one solid, reliable, if bulky adapter to support up to their most power-hungry product. For my DR-05, the PS-P515U is overkill, wasting money, space and power. Be green, save green and shop for a better fit.

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Works well with my TASCAM DR-07MKII. No more wasting batteries. Because it is plugged into the mini USB port it asks you if you want the port to be used for "power" when you turn it on. Press select button and you are ready to go. It is a little expensive but I guess it will pay for itself in the batteries it saves.

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If you own a Tascam DR-40 digital recorder then you must get this power adapter .... it is a must have accessory and works silently when using it ... no hums or buzzes etc ... highly recommended.

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This charger is described as a charger for your Digital recorder.

However if you buy the recorder, and this charger, you cannot power the device until you go and get another USB to USB cable.

I was disappointed that it is incomplete.

I was surprised this unit doesn't come with a USB to USB cable. Look closely at the picture -all you get is the adapter and a power cord. You have to fend for yourself on the USB to USB cable. With a price tag in the high twenties, that's a real disappointment. If Tascam is going to charge such a high price for this, they should at least make it a turnkey solution so the poor customer doesn't have to add a trip to the store to get a cable before using the adapter.

This is my second adapter -because I have two recorders and need two power sources. The adpaters work fine, but I only give two stars because of the price.

Also, another review indicated the power supply is 240 Volts, and indicated that is a problem because America is 120 voltage. Mine is a 240V adapter and I have not had a problem using my first adapter in America.

jWIN JDVD143 2 Channel Progressive Scan Compact DVD/MPEG 4 Player with USB

• Compatible with NTSC/ PAL System
• Progressive- and Interlaced-Scan Video Outputs
• Capable of Dolby Digital Decoding
• Coaxial digital and 2 channel audio output
• Front USB port

I bought this DVD player because it has a USB port and can play DivX movies. Keep in mind that is not a high quality DVD player. However, it does work, and I have been using it for 4 months without any malfunctions.

DVD player: works fine with U.S. and Chinese DVDs. No problem. It detect subtitles that are not accessible from the DVD's own menu, which is a definite plus.

USB: works ONLY with flash drives NOT with portable hard drives. I have a hard drive full of movies, but that doesn't work. I have to transfer movies onto a flash drive before using. Some subtitle formats work, others do not work. Also, this player will NOT accept any DivX movie that is higher than 420p. In fact, it has trouble with some standard definition DivX movies. It prefers low definition DivX movies. Only AVI format will play on this thing. I tried to play some MOV videos I took on my camera, but they wouldn't play.

My next purchase will be a high quality Blu-ray player with a USB port. This DVD player is okay, a solid 3-star product. Don't expect to get more than your money's worth!

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Best investment I've made in years!!! Plays all disc,(NTSC & PAL) The price was so good,$35, I bought another one. You can't go wrong by purchasing one of the fantastic little players.

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For the price, the USB function is great and also reads subtitle very well, it takes a while to load the AVI but it works. For regular DVD discs it is VERY picky, a lot of DVD-Burner made discs failed to load. The good USB can save you discs.

Reads 4GB USB drive well, but do not read 8GB USB, beware of this.

Edit: Reads commercial DVDs very good

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I have a hi-def DVD player, so I didn't need that functionality. I DID want a player that had the digital audio out so that I can play my CD's on it and I also wanted to view pictures, play music and videos using the USB function.

For both of those functions, this player was perfect. It plays the CD's with the best sound quality you can get out of a CD (hooked to my surround sound system via the digital audio output), and it allows me to share with the family items that I have on my computers without having to drag everyone into the office to see it on the computer!

Wasn't expecting a great DVD player and for what I wanted it for it's great!

I knew when bought this player, how affordable it was. And I read a lot of reviews, so I really didn't expect much. Gotta say though, it's been two years now. I've been using it almost daily (couch. Potato.) It still reads my mp3 player pics & flash drives just fine.

I'm very pleased with this prdouct. I don't buy bootlegs or use home made discs, just the commercial ones and it really plays them fine.

I never expected this unit to perform as well as one that cost $500 or more. Which to me, is part of it's charm. Nuff Said.

iLuv I182 Video Recorder and Converter for 5G iPod

• Records video onto the hard disk drive of iPod with video capability or onto a USB device, Memory Stick, MMC or SD memory card
• Accepts AV or S-Video input and converts it into the digital format for playback on iPod
• Simple 2-button user-interface with start/stop and pre-set recording
• Works with 5G iPod, PSP, USB storage devices and memory cards
• Includes USB/memory card adapter, AC adapter, AV cable, docking adapters and AV patch cable

i knew this was a very old style device but just wanted some cheap that would allow me to record off rca input from time to time. it works but the software is for windows pc only and getting the recordings off the ipod using a mac is a hassle. not as "easy" as the description claims

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This is the best recorder I have and I have many. Why they stoped making them I dont know. For a gadget geek, if you can get one you will be happy.

Yamaha CD-S300-RK CD Player Single Disc Rackmount, USB Port, MP3, WMA Playback, DAC Conversion

I wanted a basic but quality CD player for a small equipment rack in my home music studio. Integrating music stored on USB devices was essential. The Yamaha CD-S300 is well made and performs as expected with one exception: you cannot play WAV files stored on USB devices. The manual explains this, but who reads the manual before purchase? Some of us prefer the higher fidelity of WAV. So aside from having to convert my WAV files to MP3/320/VBR or AAC format, this is a good player for the price. The remote control enables extra features and is easy to use. Navigation of folders and files on USB is simple; you see the name of the folder/file on the digital display. I like everything about the CD-S300 except for the lack of WAV on USB. If that doesn't matter to you, the device gets five stars.

The unit works perfectly. CD's that skipped on my old player don't skip here. The unit came with "feet" so it can be placed directly on a shelf as opposed to using a rack. That was important to me because I don't have a rack. The "ears" for rack mounting shouldn't be removed. There is a warning slip with the packaging stating that the mounting ears should not be removed. They're small enough that I don't really have a problem with that. However, if aesthetics or space are all important then consider carefully what to do. Hope this helps.

Ty

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I applaud the excellent service from Pro Acoustics. Our Yamaha CD player arrived nicely packed, in perfect condition, and several days early to boot! We will certainly purchase products from this fine company again.

It has been a pleasure to write this glowing review. Thanks, Pro Acoustics! (P.S. The Yamaha CD player is even better than we had hoped for, and no pun intended, the acoustics provided by the player's DAC lend to a very life-like performance level throughout our entire house).

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Plays nicely and never fails, except at every power-on... Then, it totally ignores all the buttons until it loads a CD -orchecks to see if a CD is loaded. This takes the unit considerable time (as it does with most brands). If you push the button to open the drawer when (or before or at the same time as) you power it on, it ignores the button, and goes through it's thing trying to load the CD. So if you turn it on intending to insert a CD, it won't let you do that until it fusses and figures out that there is already one loaded or actually loads any CD you left inside. The microcode should first interrogate the "Open Drawer" button at power-on and perform that function if the button is pressed. It's quite annoying.

WORK AROUND: Before turning it off, open the drawer and then power it down with the drawer open. The problem with this solution is that it allows dirt to enter into the unit. A partial solution to this problem is to (after it is powered down with the drawer open) gently *Almost* close the drawer -until it's about 1/4" or a little less "open". Just leave it open enough so that you can grab it with your fingers BEFORE you power it on again and insert any New CD you want to play. That way when the unit powers up it will have a CD inside that you intend to play -which is what you want the thing to do anyway. It's just a real bother to have to do this every time you power it off, and I worry that it's still not completely sealed, but that's the only fix I've been able to find. [Unless Yamaha wants to send me a microcode upgrade... ]

MY CONCERN: The engineer(s) who did this design were obviously not the swiftest guys on the block. I worry what else they did wrong. Under this heading I have found that if you load any music that isn't a standard CD -i.e. a flash drive or MP3 player or a CD with MP3 [or WAV] files -the microcode only knows how to read a "flat" directory structure. In other words, if you have something with multiple directory levels -with folders and subfolders, if you will -this CD player will not handle 'em. It's not a huge limitation -you can still play a lot of stuff -but if you tried to organize your music with multiple levels of directories/folders (as is frequently the case on an MP3 player) you are out of luck. The thing will only recognize the first directory level it encounters. One would expect more from something that costs a few hundred dollars.

BTW, my old unit did the power-on function quite nicely, thank you.

MISSING FEATURE: This is not a bug, but it IS another function that got left out of the microcode load: How about the capability to display "Remaining Time" on a CD? I can understand why this might be difficult for non-CD (non-.WAV file) media, but why not include this at Least for the Standard CD case (if it's too difficult to make work for all cases). This used to work just dandy on my old Yamaha CD player. Unfortunately that unit finally ceased to be able to synch to and read CDs, so it had to be replaced (after a number of years). I paid good money for a replacement, which sadly was shipped without a design check or review by the team that was supposed to do this. Sigh.

Yes, I'm an engineer... did super computers... and they worked.

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Great CD player. USB+iPod is plus plus. It plays whatever iPod can play and bypass iPod's DAC. That means it can play all the Apple lossless format includes ALAC and AIFF. I compared the integrated DAC with Arcam rDAC. The integrated DAC does a very close job to rDAC.

It's also one of the best responsible retailer I have encountered. They called me when they received my order from Amazon and told me I might need to wait few days. And they called me again on the date I received this item to make sure everything is OK. Seems I am not only one who cared and who's tracking my order.

I was considering to order an AMP from this retailer again. Unfortunate they do not carry the AMP I was looking for.

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Philips 9173 Lapel Microphone for Digital Pocket Memos and Digital Voice Tracers (LFH9173/00)

This little microphone does a good job of being inconspicuous while delivering a clear voice recording. When I received it, the mic clip was on "backwards," with the wire on the outside, in front of the clip, which makes the wire more obvious to the audience. So I carefully pried the clip off of the wire (be careful, the wire channel is so tight you could damage the wire), flipped it over, and reattached it to the mic wire. Now it's even more unobtrusive.

I have another mic that uses batteries, but checking the batteries before each recording session is a pain, so this unpowered mic is a fantastic convenience! The cable length is perfect for slipping the recorder into your pants' pocket. If you have a stereo recorder, just remember to set it to Mono. If you leave the recorder on Stereo, you will only get sound on one side (the Left channel).

Bought this mic for a wedding video business. I plug this into my Zoom H1 and let it record at level 70-80. Works like a dream. The small tiny capsule is a gift from god to the wedding videographer. I never use the the wind screen bc i'm always in doors. Very Very durable and the cable is the exact length I need. I pop the recorder in the inside jacket pocket and let it roll. The audio quality is crisp and more often then not can pick up the person standing next to the them as well.

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I'm going to give this tiny microphone good points for durability. I got it to use with a mini-recorder. I keep the mic plugged in, with the cord wrapped around the recorder, in my purse. I fully expected the foam windscreen covering on the mic would be lost or torn almost at once, but it is staying on very well, and in good shape, despite the somewhat rough treatment. Likewise the clip and wiring is very good though it's taking some battering being unprotected in my purse.

Very decent omni sound quality. Using it in my vehicle, it's picking up the truck noise, but my voice--with the mic clipped at chest level--is perfectly clear. It's very much a step up from using the digital memo recorder's internal mic.

The cord is more than long enough for me to put my recorder in my truck's cupholder and clip the mic at chest/neck level. As someone else mentioned--and it's this way with my recorder, too, so probably a mic-specific issue, rather than recorder-specific--recorder needs to be in mono or you'll only get one channel.

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Exactly what we ordered. Just wanted we needed for church recordings. Nothing further needs to be said about this item.

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I am not audiophile, I just wanted an external mic for my Zi8 and this does a great job. I just wish cable was a little longer.

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VideoSecu 2 Channel Mini DVR Motion Detection MPEG-4 Portable Audio Video SD DVR Recorder for CCTV

THIS UNIT DOES WORK, BUT FOR HOW LONG WHO KNOWS. AS ONE OTHER CUSTOMER STATED IN HIS RATING YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!! HERE'S WERE MY PROBLEMS LAYS. THE PROBLEMS IS THAT I ORDERED ON NOVEMBER 29th THROUGH WAREHOUSESELLER-AMAZON MARKETPLACE. IT ARRIVED APPROX.5 DAYS LATER. UNIT DID NOT WORK. THE ONLY THING IT DID WAS BLINK A LITTLE RED LIGHT THAT WAS ALL,PERIOD. I E-MAIL WAREHOUSESELLERS VIA THROUGH AMAZON. EXPLAINED TO THEM THE SAME AS ABOVE. AFTER ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF OF B/S HASSLE DEFIANTLY NOT WANTING ME TO RETURN THEIR JUNK. THEY FINALLY GAVE ME MY RMA# ON DEC 12th AFTER E-MAILING AMAZON WHO ARBITRATE THE DISPUTES THANK GOD FOR THE HELP FROM AMAZON OR I WOULD HAVE RECIEVED NOTHING IN RETURN. WAREHOUSESELLERS SENDS OUT MERCHANDISE AND THEY DON'T CARE IF IT'S JUNK OR NOT AS LONG AS THEY GET THEIR MONEY. WELL, ON DEC.30th I RECIEVED MY MINI DVR AND THIS ONE ACTUALLY WORKED. OH YEA, IT COST ME ANOTHER $12.78 TO SHIP IT BACK FOR A REPLACEMENT. MY RATING IS THAT IF THE SELLER IS WAREHOUSESELLER THEY CAN KEEP IT!!!! I WILL HAVE NO MORE TO DO WITH THEM. RATING VERY VERY POOR, BUYER BEWARE!

Got it couple days ago. Took it out of the box and hear the sound like some part is broken or some screw is loose and moving around everywhere (chances of short circuiting). Buttons are cheep and you have to press them firmly still they miss some time.... Connected DVR with camera, it worked..... Tried to play recorded video but that was recorded in 3 5 seconds clips (Annoying). Sent an e-mail to seller (warehouseseller) asking if there is any way I can get more instructions because I wanted to get at least 15 30 minutes clips. They answerd NO, this DVR records 5 or 10 Seconds clips only..... What ????? Crazy ...... I would have never bought this DVR if I would have known this. This is one of the major factor in DVR performance but it is NOT MENTIONED anywhere in description on the website. Oh yes, only one channel is video clips, second channel takes only still pictures. I don't know if I would be able to use this .... Wasted money .....

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Bought this last month....i waited until i got my cameras and sd card before testing it...finally got cameras and sd card...i put Sd card in the Sd card slot and it will not read it..smh!!..tried and still trying to contact seller..no reply cool...i will be calling the store tomorrow to exhale on someone!!

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I love the 2 channel DVR. It worked nicely with my cameras; especially for the price. It has great picture. You can choose this one if you want to display 2 cameras together. You won't be disappointed.

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There are many superior features I like, such as schedule, automatically recycle the storage space, by deleted the oldest data. No need to worry about it (full or not). In brief, everything is ok, I like it.

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Magnavox ZC320MW8 DVD Recorder

If you're looking to buy the Magnavox ZC320MW8 DVD recorder you are probably looking for a no-frills machine that does the job for a reasonable price; you wouldn't expect a top of the line model with all of the whistles and bells for this price. However, if you are looking for a DVD recorder that will make perfectly good copies from VHS, TV, your home cable box with a hard drive DVD recorder, or from other DVDs, then this machine will not disappoint.

Having read the other reviews for this product, I would make the following observations:

1. The pause function works perfectly well; the BIG red pause sign that is displayed on your TV (but not on the DVD being recorded) for a few seconds is a good enough indicator of the machine's current recording status. If you forget whether or not you pressed the pause button because it is not continually displayed throughout the pause process, I would attribute any confusion more to user error than to a design flaw. In essence, it would be nice to have the pause sign displayed while the machine is paused, but I SERIOUSLY doubt it will be an issue for you.

2. The lack of a continuous 'time remaining' feature will only be a problem if you plan your recording badly. The user sets the amount of recording time on each disc before recording begins, so he should know how much time he has. And after each recording session the disc menu clearly shows how much time is still available on the disc with even a modicum of planning, this will not be a problem.

3. The machine doesn't make copies of the disc it just recorded, but by repeating the recording process you will have an exact copy. The only problem with this would occur if you were creating a disc from a large number of sources, but I'd guess that most (95%+) users will make straight copies from VHS, TV or DVD which would negate this issue entirely. BTW, I have copied many films from TV and edited out the commercials with no problems whatsoever. And you could always hook up a DVD player to the machine to play the first disc and make a copy that way.

4. I've never had a problem with the remote (pointing it even vaguely in the direction of the machine has always worked for me) or with the editing process. The only tiny issue I have is with the user manual; while the step-by-step instructions it gives are very clear, difficult to get wrong, and even have pictures to illustrate each task, I found the order of the chapters not to be intuitive. So if you can handle having to check the table of contents the first couple of times you use the machine (after two uses you should be able to use the machine without needing recourse to the manual), then you will have no problems.

To sum up; for all but the most finicky of recordings this machine will very easily do exactly what the user needs, and will do it for a good price.

Like everyone else, I also wanted to copy my old VHS in DVDs. It's easy to setup, does the job, no problems.

The price was fair and I have had it for more than a year without problems, but no heavy usage either.

Remote is kinda oversimplified. Labeling the titles is like using your cellphone to type text... clumsy.

Pause key is used a lot, so it should be bigger. In a nutshell, the design of the remote is horrible.

You want to make a second copy to send to mommy ? Too bad: the device doesn't make copies by itself, so you have to have your player hooked to it.

No display of any kind, so you have no idea how much time you have recorded.

No pause indicator.. this is worse as it only flashes on the screen for a couple of seconds, so while you mess with the source of program you find yourself unsure if pause is engaged or not.

So, here the pros:

price/value

easy to hook up

does the job

slim

your grandma is probably smart enough to use it :-)

Cons:

no pause indicator: you will miss this !

no elapsed/remaining time indicator

doesn't make copies of the finished disk : you will wish for this

remote needs to point straight at the unit.. you can live with that

editing and finishing the disk is kinda of hidden

Recommended for beginners and non techie people or, just as an entry level recorder.

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Just to clarify I bought this machine from walmart.com. The machine was refurbished and cost me $56.55 after taxes and shipping fees.

I bought this machine because I needed to transfer my 8mm Sony Camcorder tapes to DVD. About two months ago I bought the Diamond One Touch digital converter to convert my 8mm tapes to my computer so I could then transfer to DVD. Bad idea. The Diamond One touch simply sucked and created out of sync audio, choppy and off centered picture, along with black static lines appearing on the picture often. I am so glad I did some more research and opted for hardware that would convert straight to DVD rather than converting to a digital file first.

Magnavox DVD Recorder is simply awesome if you are using for the purpose of converting to DVD. I'm not sure how it plays as a simple DVD player since for the past two days I've been recording only. Thus far I have successfully converted six home videos. The audio and video quality is very good. Keep in mind though that if you are transferring from video, the quality is probably going to only be as good as the video. I played back my DVD's in a blue ray player and viewed on a HD TV and the quality was pretty good for some old 8mm tapes. The color is a little washed out yes, but that's because of the 8mm tapes and not this player. Make sure you are using high quality DVD's that have enough space. Also be sure to read the directions, it took me two DVD's to mess up before I got it right.

If you also want a digital file of the tapes you are converting then after you have recorded on to DVD and finalized, place the DVD into your computers CD/DVD drive, go to your computer options and open up the drive location for your CD/DVD and copy over the VTS files, the longer the video the more VTS files you will have. No need to convert these files since they should be .vob which will play in windows media player, not sure about quick time player. Anyway, this was a great buy if you need to convert home videos. Of course you will need the camcorder to play you 8mm tapes. Simply connect the camcorder to the DVD recorder the same way you would connect the camcorder to your TV. After that connect the DVD recorder to your TV so you can see what you are transferring. Pop in a blank DVD into the recorder, read the instruction manual which comes with the DVD recorder and go fourth from there. Everything records in real time, so it will take some time to convert everything.

Magnavox ZC320MW8 DVD Recorder

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I have 2 of these,,,one with the vhs combo and they all 3 do the job. Nothing fancy as far as trying to operate it. (That's what I like about it.) Records nice with a good playback picture. I think Walmart mightta originally sold these. I've had several dvd recorders and these do what you want for a fraction of the Panasonic and Sony's cost.

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I have two other Magnavox DVD recorders. Simple to the point. Very happy with this product. Refurbished scared me. Not anymore.

TVIX-HD S1 Slim with Screwless Hard Drive Bay and eSATA

Reliable, solid very custom-able streamer.

Perform as it should, can also stream content strait from PC, via Net-share software supplied with the product.

Good web site and lot's of support for this product. Something that is very important, and lack with other streamers.

TVIX-HD S1 Slim with Screwless Hard Drive Bay and eSATA

I just purchased this media player and am very happy with it. This is my first media player so I'm far from being an expert on this type of products. What I can tell about this unit is the following:

Good:

Handles media files flawlessly (avi, mov, jpg, etc)

Has a simple, effective user interface

Remote is good and with plenty of functions

Firmware updates are easy to perform

Available internet channels, web remote don't use either of this but did test the internet channel functionality

1080p output

The negatives so far (these are minor in my point of view, but may be of consideration to others):

I haven't yet been able to set up the wireless functionality, works fine with a wired network connection, appears to be a common issue as per other users I will contact the manufacturer for support.

Cover art for some media files is only usable on the last folder icon, not on "upper" levels of file folder structure when a tree structure is used for sorting out media content on the storage device (internal HDD [not included] or external HDD)

Have read comments on forums stating that eSATA connection is slow haven't tested it yet...

Cannot use for Netflix (hence my disappointment with the wireless connection issue)

I am planning to use this to take content with me when I travel plus obviously to store and play media at home. This unit has so many other features that I have yet to explore and try but it is serving its main purpose excellently (media player), while working ok for other uses as advertised (wireless access)

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I have tried a few different media players, and this is the best, and easiest one I have had. very simple set up, basicly plug and play. I preloaded my hard drive with my media, plugged it into the player and bingo, there everythiing was. nothing else needed. I LOVE this, going to be getting a second one for my livingroom, this one is in my bedroom.

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Cowon iAUDIO M3L - Digital player / radio - HDD 20 GB - WMA, Ogg, MP3 - silver

• 20 gb HDD
• Support WAV, MP3 & WMA file extensions
• Line in recording
• Radio
• Comes with all parts including manual

There's been a lot of talk about this being the first real "iPod killer," but having used the iAudio extensively, I would say that is a bit of an stretch. It is, however, a strong alternative. The M3L has a less elegant but more pragmatic approach to portable music. The aluminum casing can withstand abuse, the display is small but crammed with information, and the buttons are many but functional. Fit and finish is excellent, the main unit is solid and amazingly small. The screen moved to the remote is inspired in my opinion, but it is purely personal preference. I can commute to work with the iAudio safely tucked in a pocket and still be able to control the music. But the tradeoff is the small screen and the reliance on the remote for all functions without it the iAudio would be almost useless (additional remotes can be purchased).

Navigation is through folders which is a blessing if you've sorted your music collection, and it seamlessly plays M3U playlists, a huge plus if your comfortable with Winamp. The sound is amazing, a bit louder than the iPod and with the extensive DSP effects a bit more dynamic. But even directly from an MP3 or Ogg, it renders the sound precisely. The included headphones are decent and fontunately the iAudio can power a big set of heaphones easily. I've pulled 32 hours (!) of use from the M3L before recharging, and I was able to fill the unit's HD in just a few minutes through the USB connection. The FM tuner is clear with good signals but has trouble grabbing weaker ones, and the built-in recording is suprisingly good for voice, radio and line-in. In fact the line-in sounded beautiful, recording at 320kbs MP3 with good range and little static. I'd have no hesitation using the iAudio to snag a recording if I'm far from home.

All in all, it is an incredible player that has distinct style and features very much it's own, a well-kept secret I'm happy to have found. It should also be noted that Cowon's response to users' ideas and complaints has been solid, and they've continued supporting the M3 with firmware upgrades and features.

Highly recommended.

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I've had the player for a few months. I was planning on purchasing the ipod, but the poor battery life and the lack of additional features (such as FM radio and in voice recording) steered me away from the product. Instead I opted for the M3L which has a 35 hour battery life on a one time charge (compared to the 12 really 8 hour battery life of the ipod). I'm not really a high tech person, but in case I ever did become one, I wanted to have the player that had the most features.

The only negative complain I have of the item is it having no screen on the unit itself. It can be a pain using the remote (it's tiny) and the wires really tend to get in the way. To avoid this I create my own playlist ahead of time and scrap the remote. Anyway, for the specs this is good, but for ease of use and portability, other players would probably beat this one out.

Also the sound is AMAZING on this player. If I were you guys I'd wait until next year when Iaudio will release an M3 with a screen on the main unit. I really should've waited for that. Anyway, hope my review helps!

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The iAudio really out did everyone with this mp3 player. It's small, compact, and lightweight. It weights practically nothing. There are a gazillion features this wonderful mechine has, including a FM tuner, a Voice Recording and a line-in recording. This is useful because if you want to hear something new instead of your music you can listen to the radio, and it is easy to even record the music from the radio to the mp3 player if you like the song. Have a memo and no pen? just record what you have to say in hifi quality on your mp3 player, and it takes about three seconds. The Line In is wonderful because you cant record a friends song to your mp3 player from there mp3 or cd player at an equal quality on the go. Plus you can record it at plenty of bitrates and it is all mp3 format, so compatibility is no issue.

But now with the actural playing. The player hase a wonderful array of features to make the music sound beautiful! It has BBE for high definition sound and MACH3BASS for wonderful clarity on lower notes. It has 3D surround sound on it as well that up-mixes the music to a mock surround sound, and it does feel like it is surrounding you. And the most wonderful thing is that it has a mp3 enhance to help bring out some of the music from compression. These things make the sound feel like it it coming from th e studio as you are listening. Litterally everything with the mp3 player is customizable, and very efficient. With the long 15 hour batter life, which i got over 20 hours out of, is marvelous, and hardly any other player out there has such amazing features like this.

The External screen is sweet. It may be small, but it has all the information on it and with the controls on it which I find very easy to use. You can't go wrong. There IS a learning curve to the thing, but it is about only ten to fifteen minutes. I clip it to the inside fo my jacket and leave the main unit in my pocket, so I don't risk breaking it and if you break the screen all it costs is 20 dollars, instead of like $90 that Apple charged me for my iPod. Yes I had an iPod, and this is simply better, not counting the fact that they are the same price. But comparing this to the iPod is an insult to the M3, so i won't do it. Go with the iAudio, and I guarantee you wont regret it. Firmware updates come very often from cowon, and keep the player at a marvelous condition for a long time.

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This is probably the best consumer electronic item I've ever purchased. Essentially all of the best features of the iPod and iRiver are incorporated into the iAudio.

JVC XL-FZ158BK 5-CD Changer

• Play exchange lets you swap any 4 discs while 1 is playing
• 32-track programming
• Headphone output with volume control
• 8x oversampling digital filter
• Compu Link remote

I found this unit to be of excellent quaility like all JVC products. The unit does not come with a remote. It is accessed through JVC's Compu Link using the remote ,in my case, with my JVC Receiver. Sound is excellent and the optical output is a plus. I would recommend this product for anyone with a JVC Receiver.

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I agree with most that has been said about this player: the sound was excellent, its features were easy to use, and truth be told I didn't mind not having a remote. But the unit arrived shoddily put together, in particular the disc tray, and within hours of setting it up the tray stuck. I don't know whether this is an isolated incident or not, but I can't recommend for that reason.

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I love this JVC CD changer. Sounds great and works flawlessly. Only downside is that it does NOT come with a remote so if you don't have a JVC receiver to hook it to (with compulink system) in order to use one remote, I'd suggest another model.

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THIS UNIT IS A GOOD VALUE WITH GREAT FEATURES AND SOUND FOR THE PRICE. IF YOU'RE LOOKING IN THIS PRICE RANGE, CHECK IT OUT. AS USUAL, JVC DELIVERS.

We are thoroughly enjoying our CD player. it came promptly, very well packed, no damage. Everything works as promised. It was a terrific bargain. Thanks.

PYLE-PRO PPR80 Digital Portable Stereo Voice Recorder with Built-In 2 GB Flash Memory

I needed a digital audio recorder with a Line Input connection. I have used the PPR80 for capturing MP3 files from old reel-to reel tapes and to record sermons at our church by connecting it to our sound board. It has worked well and provided clear audio every time. It looks like a toy but really works.

New note: the recorder quit working within the warranty period so I contacted the Pyle repair center and they had me send it to them for repair. That was in October, it is now January. I sent multiple emails and even mailed a hardcopy letter, but I have heard nothing at all. As long as they work they work well, but there is no support at all if you have a problem.

AWESOME!!! Being able to load the recordings on my laptop is so cool. The recorder picks up my acustic guitar and vocals very well, and the play back through the stereo sounds super clear. battery powered, so playing anywhere is easily done, quit an upgrade from my old hand held recorder, i like it!

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Well.. I do like mine and I'd say it has been beneficial It was shipped very quickly which I appreciated., The bass player in our band is just learning to play and it really helps her for us to record what we did a few nights before. Actually it helps everyone. It is awesome that it is very compact and lightweight & wherever I take it we can load what we've done on anyone's computer. Has ample memory too.

But I do wish it was rechargeable somehow instead of having to buy batteries. And the recording quality isn't the best, it says something about recording delicate waves of sound in the advert and I don't think I'd go that far.

But for having only $100 to spend I dig mine!

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I can record hours and hours of music with this little device. I also admire linking the recorder to my mixer to manage edits and any changes I'd like before loading my final draft. This works very well with a direct line to record, and also well from the microphone pickup. Very pleased with the recording and playback, it's very clear audio.

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Build quality is not that cheap. Feature wise, there is more there than than I expected. I used a class 4 32GB micro-sd in an adapter, it gives me 16+ hours of record time at 9600k stereo. This is awesome! When I record myself playing acoustic guitar, it sounds great. When I play it back through a jam box, it sounds like I am playing the guitar live again. If you were outside the door, you wouldn't be able to tell the real from the recording. What more could you ask for? Love being able to put in new fresh AAs. Battery life was not as short as I expected, I am still on my original set, and have used the thing for recording and playback for several hours of run time. So far, it does what I hoped for, perfectly.

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VUDU Set Top Box for Movies On Demand

Vudu's combination of solid Standard Def and High Def video performance, stable hardware/software, easy to use interface, ease of setup and instantaneous playback make it the closest product yet to the "killer" internet based movie delivery platform. But for a few small improvements and one very critical issue with the studios, vudu could be the next way most of us watch movies on demand.

First the good news:

* Video quality is excellent on the SD content and outstanding on the HD. On Hot Fuzz (SD) there were NO discernable artifacts and the upscaled pic (1080p) on my RS1 FP was as good as the same movie I saw upscaled on my Toshiba XA2. The HD on the Bourne movies was very good and compares favorably to any HD DVD or Blu-Ray that I have. Video quality is nailed on this product.

* Interface is excellent. Quick to browse. The search function is fast and filtering results are relevant . Interface is the best I have seen for a video service.

*Setup is very simple. I would have no problem giving this to any tech challenged family member who has the prerequisite network requirements. Also it comes with all the cables you need to set it up on your HD tv, including HDMI and cat 5 network patch.

* Customer service is readily accessible and responsive by both phone and email. They seem to be solidly behind their product.

*The software and firmware on the unit is being updated regularly. It appears VUDU is commited to making requested changes and fixes on a regular basis. New features (such as TV and HD content) are being rolled out quickly to customers.

*Movie load speed is instantaneous on the features I have watched so far. No lag or glitches in playback.

And the areas that are pretty good right now but need improvement...

* Sound is hit and miss. A good number of films are only in stereo. Vudu says this is what the studios have given them. New releases are coming in with 5.1 but not all.

* There is no Closed Captioning right now in the box.

* The remote is compact and simple, consisting of only a few buttons and a down-click scroll wheel. Even though it is a joy to use, it is RF only. I wish that I could integrate this with my IR Harmony remote.

* HD content right now is limited to the free Bourne Movies. As I mentioned the quality is excellent for both video and sound. More HD content is promised and would be the SELLING point for this product if they could have well encoded, quality new titles available for rent in DVD release time window.

* Price for entry is still to high. Vudu will need to come down to the $49 $99 range for the initial hardware setup to be competitive. Indications are that the price is dropping.

The critical issue for Vudu? Studio release policies! Vudu is hamstrung right now by the fact that:

* some movies are not for Rent on first release but rather must be purchased. Movie purchase, even if a feature is in HD, is NOT where Vudu will attract customers. I don't go to Blockbuster to buy a film, and likewise I won't be buying a film from Vudu. However, I will pay more for a day/date release with the same DVD as Blockbuster has if I can just get it from Vudu. Even more so if it is in HD.

*New releases must rentable on the same day as they are released to DVD. This is THE market that Vudu will compete in. Catalog title rentals are great for the occassional view, but are not where Vudu's success will be made.

*HD content will be a HUGE driver for success. More HD content, especially HD new releases are necessary.

Vudu is a well executed, easy to use and stable product out of the gate. It is poised for greatness. If the above issues can be addressed, it will be under your TV sooner rather than later.

-Alex Baird-

Vudu Evangelist

*********

Update to review: 11/03/08

I wanted to update my review after living with and using the VUDU system for a year or so.

After this first year, Vudu is still being used extensively in my home theater. Vudu has consistantly updated and upgraded their product through both the interface and the quality of the movie software they deliver. This has improved the ease of use of an already great interface. For instance, they have grouped all their versions of a movie (Standard Def, High-Def, HDX (their blu-ray quality version) into a single listing so you no longer havea a confusing multiple list with each title. Sorting and finding movies has also been improved with the added bonus of "recommended" titles (think tivo recommendations) and a listing of the most popular rentals and purchases. In addtion they have instituted an archive feature where purchased movies can be stored on their servers to free up room on the local drives. Extended rental times and of course a much larger library of movies rounds out the changes to the interface.

The biggest and most important change for me though has been the quality of the movie software. The number of HD titles has been greatly increased. But more importantly is the release of many new films on the HDX format. This high bit rate codec is NOT a purchase/rent and immediate view format. It takes about two hours to download an HDX encoded title. However, the quality is truly the best of ANY downloadable service to date and is indistiquishable from a HD-DVD or Blu-ray. When I compared the HD-DVD version of "Chronciles of Riddick" with the HDX version it was impossible to tell the difference even on freeze frames swtiching back between the two. A similar comparison of the Blu-ray version of "The Spiderwick Chronicles" and the HDX version confirmed this. It is simply amazing to be able to get such high quality video through a download service! There is a difference in the audio quality between the HD disc formats and the HDX, with the HD-DVD and Blu-Ray having the more advanced lossless codecs (Dolby Tru-HD, DTS-Master HD or PCM uncompressed) with richer sound. But HDX is encoded with a high bit rate DD soundtrack in up to 5.1.

Overall the Vudu is the internet based movie service to beat. Vudu has done an outstanding job of upgrading their product and seem hard at work on delivering even more features in the future.

I received my Vudu last week. Set up was a breeze. Just make sure you have an ethernet/power/HDMI or Component connections nearby.

As far as looks and functionality, they are spot on. This box is made from the same guys that brought you Tivo, which is a GOOD thing. Simple and intuitive menus make toying around on the unit a joy. The remote, while funky looking, feels great in the hand and works like a charm.

As far as content goes, while large at 5000+ videos, was lacking a little in the new release category. I'm a big movie buff, so perhaps its because I seen alot of them already. Xbox Live has a much better selection right now of newer movies... and movies in HD.

Another quibble was the purchase/rent options. Some movies are only for rent, some movies are only for purchase. There seems to be no consistency here. You just have to hope you get the right movie with the option you are looking for.

I am a huge Mac fan. And I purchased this unit over AppleTV. Why?

Because of content!

I firmly believe, that whichever of these companies figures out how to get HD content onto their boxes first, with good studio backing, will not only be the clear cut winner of home movie boxes, but be the winner of the HD format period. And yes, I'm talking about YOU HD-DVD/BluRay!!!!

So Vudu... get it done. You are in the perfect position to do so.

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Having lived with a VUDU for the last couple of months, I can honestly say it has changed the way we enjoy our video experence.

Being able to select a movie to watch at the moment you start to watch is a wonderful experence, If the guys come by we can pick a "guys" movie, if the wife wants to see a "romantic" movie we pick one. If we are lucky to have the kids with us we can pick one that satisfies them.

With over 5,000 movies there is something for everyone.

The quality is great on my 52" LCD tv, better than DVD, plus no trips to the video store or waiting for the mailman, they are all in my VUDU.

This is truly a great product.

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First off...I really do like this box. It has a wide selection of movies available for download, movies look good for Standard Definition (more on that later), and the navigation is better than all other products in this category. Here are my areas of concerns that VUDU could (and probably will) improve:

1. HD content. I know it is coming, so I won't dwell. But, it is lacking right now in this area.

2. RF Remote is great if you are placing the VUDU in a room out of view. But, If you want to use one remote for your whole theater, you are out of luck. I think having the ability to accept IR and RF would be a nice (and let's face it, inexpensive) option.

3. The remote that you are forced to use fits nicely in your hand, but it rolls away when you set it down. It is shaped like a flawed fortune cookie.

4. Also, I know this is a studio thing, but the ability to stream the purchased video to another piece of hardware is almost expected now from new, cutting edge devices. Streaming video from your computer to the VUDU would be nice too.

Don't get me wrong, the VUDU is great and kicks the butt of my MovieBeam (except in the HD department for now), I just want more.

As a final note. The VUDU actually comes with an HDMI cable! NONE of the HD products sitting under the tree this year come one, so roll that into the price when making your decision.

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I got my Vudu for $399, a few weeks later it was $295. Smart move for Vudu, since Apple TV is trying to crowd them out of the market. Vudu is far better than Apple TV, it has more movies and a better platform for delivering them. I'll stick with the new kid on the block. The new price makes Vudu the better buy (more movies, more storage space, brighter horizon). I noticed that Vudu also dropped some vudu dollars in my account, maybe to compensate current owners for the price reduction in the box. Smart marketing.

The other big plus is that netflix and blockbuster are in my past!!!

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Canon ZR10 Digital Camcorder

After placing the order for this camcorder, I immediately began second guessing myself. I was particuarly worried about all the posts I had seen about the picture being "grainy in low light". I worried myself to the point of wishing I had just gone with a Sony Hi8. My camera arrived and the first thing I did when I took it out of the box (the battery was already charged and a 3 year old child can learn to operate it in 7 seconds) was to turn off all the lights but a table lamp and begin filming. Man did I feel silly for worrying. The people writing those comments must be used to watching HDTV movies, because I found the picture fine. It wasn't as good as if I was outside in sunlight (WOW does the camera do well outside), but that's because I wasn't in the sunlight, I was in a poorly lit room that was too dark to read a magazine. The image (my Jack Russell, Murphy) was clear and I could easily distinguish her facial features (in fact the camera picked up more light in the room than my "nekkid" eye could). You simply can't expect the same quality picture in poor lighting as in perfect lighting for less than 500 dollars. And unless you are fanatical about high definition, the quality is as good as one would expect.

The camera is so small. Any doubts you have about this camera will disappear once you slide your palm around this beauty. Also, the image stabilizer worked nicely. Ultra tight zooms produced some shake (this was almost unoticable if I braced with both hands). No shake was noticable on wide shots.

I also looked at the other ZR models, but the best I could tell the main differences revolved around the "digital camera" aspects of the camcorder. I wouldn't suggest the ZR-10 if you are looking for a "digital camera/camcorder combo". The ZR-10 just saves the picture to tape at 6 second increments (basically the same effect as pressing pause). This function is for the most part useless if you have a computer capable of video editing, in which case I would say never use the "photo" button and just capture frames from your video.

The ZR-10 has been out for a couple of years and is kind of hard to find new, but if you do find one or are thinking about buying a used one, I would highly reccomend it. I bought mine for just under 500 dollars and am VERY glad I didn't pay the extra dough for any of the newer models (the "extras" were to minimal for the difference in price for me).

I own pro digital cameras, but I get an awful lot of use from this little Cannon. Scouting locations, special events, vacations, you name it I've used it. The picture quality is superb, though don't expect the same results as a $10,000 pro cam. It does not work well in low light situations, using the low light setting the camera must be held perfectly still, as in tripod, even then the results are not very good. But that's what camera lights are for. That short comming aside, buy this camera and you will want to take it with you every where you go. It will far exceed your expectations. It's easy to handle, fits snug in the palm of your hand. Well worth the price.

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...we use the camera with digital editing software on the PC and Mac and have had no problems with the computers communicating with or controlling the camera. Makes it incredibly simple to shoot a short training video or video for the internet. Picture and sound are professional grade. Tape transport mechanism is much more reliable than the JVC we replaced. The analog input is convenient to take existing analog (S-VHS) footage in and convert to digital for use in our latest projects.

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This is my first digital camcorder and I am very impressed. It is easy to use, shoots excellent video and has great battery life. We visited Thailand late last year and the camcorder behaved flawlessly. It coped very well with lighting extremes, switching from bright, midday sun to deep shadow without missing a beat. Add the excellent steady shot feature and I was able to capture footage of the Jade Buddha from 200 feet away, shooting from bright sunlight, through a door into deep shadow. The best single feature is how small and light it is. We travel often and we like to use the cancorder to capture our journey and get candid shots of our surroundings. With larger camcorders, this is impossible, With this one, most people did not even notice I was shooting. We got some excellent street scene footage in Bangkok and almost nobody noticed I was shooting. It may not match the picture quality of a high end 3CCD camcorder but a highend camcorder would not fit confortably in the palm of my hand and the battery would not last through two hours of taping.

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This is an absolutely amazing little camera... and boy is it little! The only (minor) complaint I have is video quality in low light. Otherwise, this little camera is perfect for everything a normal person needs a camcorder for. I was using it out of the box in a few seconds (the battery came well charged). It is remarkably sturdy, easy to handle, and has a great selection of features. Add that to what I can do with my iMac and iMovie, and I have everything I need, and then some!