RCA RP5007 Digital Voice Recorder

The RCA RP5007 is a good little voice recorder, but it has its flaws. I give it four stars because, for certain applications (long dictations in a quiet room, or short interviews and speeches in louder situations), it's very handy indeed, and much better than a mini-cassette recorder.

Its major flaw is the lack of storage for high-quality recordings. The included 4MB SmartMedia card only holds 17 minutes of HQ sound -so I'd recommend buying at least an additional 8MB card. Unfortunately, that's as big as you can get, since the unit doesn't accept cards bigger than 8MB, or 34 minutes HQ. The SP (low quality) mode lasts a long time (nearly 1hr 40min with the stock 4MB card), but the sound is highly compressed and very hard to understand unless there is no background noise at all.

It is considerably less expensive than other digital voice recorders, so compromises have been made, but they detract little from its good basic features and usability.

Here are the pluses and minuses:

GOOD:

Small and light

Reasonably easy to use

Sound quality quite good in HQ mode

Every clip is time and date stamped

Button lock prevents accidental activation

Both manual and voice-activated record modes

Dictation (close) or Conference (distant) modes

Sound clips can be stored in folders

Sound clips can have annotations appended

Rudimentary editing (insert/delete segments) possible

Quick preview mode plays 3 sec of each clip

Uses standard AAA batteries, and lasts a long time with them

Standard SmartMedia card storage included (4 MB)

Standard mini microphone and headphone jacks

BAD:

Sound quality in SP (low quality) mode barely usable, especially if there is any background noise at all

17-minute limit on included 4MB card in HQ mode (1hr 40 mins in SP mode, but as I said, it's barely usable)

Cannot use SmartMedia cards bigger than 8MB (34 min in HQ mode, 3hr 20 min in SP)

Record button pauses, but does not stop recording a clip (which requires the separate Stop button) -can be confusing on the fly

Deleting clips is confusing at first -RCA even includes a separate addendum to the manual clarifying how it works -but once you get the hang of it, it's simple

Fast-forward and reverse features are choppy and rather slow

Plastic case seems a bit fragile

No included AC adapter (but there is a plug for one)

The RP5007 is about as portable as a voice recorder can get.

To me, its most useful feature is the ability to have different memos in individual files, so that a quick listen to the first few seconds of each is all I need in order to track down a particular piece of information that I know I have stored. An "append" feature lets you listen to the start of a memo and then add further notes, which will automatically appear at the end of the existing file. The total recording time is relatively long for recorders in its price range, and the number of different files (297, I think) seemed adequate for almost any purpose. I liked the capability to add my own microphone and headset, or to use the built-in mike and speaker. Press the "lock" button after you turn the unit off, and the unit won't start up accidentally (which could run down its batteries).

Limitations? * For me, the most serious problem is that I have not yet been able to get the Rp5007's SmartMedia card to read on either a PCMCIA reader or a Clik! (Pocket Zip) drive's reader, so my original hope to transfer voice files to my PC has not been possible. * RCA appears to have discontinued the unit, so availability may be limited.

Buy RCA RP5007 Digital Voice Recorder Now

I bought this player on clearance at a local... store, hoping to use it for notetaking in school. The Recorder works fine for this purpose, but with marginal audio quality, as it must be used in the low quality setting to record any more than 18 minutes. There is no built-in memory on this recorder, all memory is through SmartMedia cards, which would not be a problem if they could be over 8 MB. (This recorder will not accept any SmartMedia Cards over 8 MB), and comes with a 4 MB. 8 MB and below cannot be found anywhere that I have seen, and the recorder formats the cards for storage in such a way that they cannot be read by Card Readers and transferred to a PC. Therefore, this player is only good for someone looking to record once, listen, and delete. Nothing else can be done with the recorder that I have seen.

Read Best Reviews of RCA RP5007 Digital Voice Recorder Here

It is a great recorder with many revolutionizing functions, but with revolution comes mistakes. It is found that with many of the RCA DVR'S that there seems to be a short in the system and very often it will shut off when trying to use the DVR and makes it very unreliable to when it is actually going to work. So if you have patience then this is the product to use, if you don't then i would recomend a different DVR..

Want RCA RP5007 Digital Voice Recorder Discount?

I purchased this digital voice recorder about a week ago and I can say to this point I am impressed with its ease of operation. Compared to the old minitape recorders, it is less than half the weight and provides a superior quality of recording. The only thing my unit doesn't have is the backlit screen. Most of the promotional info indicates this unit is backlit, but the users manual for the 5007 makes no mention of this capability. Overall this recorder should prove to be a useful item.

NOKIA 6215i 6215 VERIZON CDMA CAMERA CELL PHONE

If your main reason for using a cell phone is to make phone calls and crystal clear reception is a priority for you, then this is definitely the right phone for you. My wife and I both made separate trips to the local Verizon store, and we tested this phone against the LG VX8300 and the 8600 and the Motorola RAZRs and KRZRs. Yes, the other phones all look cooler and have better cameras and more features in general; however, the Nokia 6215i phone was much, much clearer and had less static than any of the other phones. The calls sounded better on both ends: for the Nokia cell phone caller and for the person who received the call. We called both landline numbers and other cell phones, and tested each phone one after the other and multiple times during our visits to the Verizon store.

We spent an inordinate amount of time on this process because we did not want to get stuck with bad service and phones ever again. We have been miserable customers of Cingular for 3+ years now, and we are in fact expending $600 to break our family plan contract with them 6 months early. It is completely pointless to have a cell phone if the reception for your calls is so poor most of the time that you can't even carry on a conversation. I could not make calls from my Cingular phone from my office in downtown Arlington, VA despite the fact that everyone in the offices around me had no problems making calls with other carriers. I could not make phone calls from the Convention Center in Boston despite the fact that everyone around me was merrily chatting on their cell phones, etc., etc., etc.

I am sharing this experience in hopes of saving others a lot of time, aggravation and expense. If we had ordered our Nokias one day earlier from Verizon, we would have gotten the phones for free and paid no activation fee. Unfortunately, they changed their online offers overnight and we were out an additional $220 as a result.

I've had this phone for about 3 days now. I got it to replace my old Samsung A530. Here are my thoughts:

PROS:

-very light, compact, and small

-black glossy exterior looks professional and classy. yes, it does show fingerprints and scratches, but it's not that bad

-dual OLED screens are vibrant and sharp. the inner screen is smaller than most other phones, but i haven't found this to be much of a problem

-reception is great. haven't had a dropped call yet. for some reason i rarely get more than 2 bars of reception while indoors, but this doesn't seem to affect call quality

-ringer is loud with a nice selection of built-in ringtones

-earpiece and speakerphone is clear with adequate volume

-battery life is amazing. i've had light-moderate use for the past 3 days and the battery indicator is still full!!!

CONS:

-both screens are very hard to see in bright sunlight, even on highest brightness setting

-no bluetooth, SD memory, MP3 player, etc. but these aren't important to me. i just need a slim phone that doesn't have a lot of extra bulk.

-camera could be better, but it's a phone people, not a canon powershot!

Overall, I'm very happy with this phone and I'll be glad to own it for 2 years. If you need a nice compact phone that performs well, this is for you. I haven't had any problem transferring the phone book. You just have to take it to a "flagship" store where they have the right computer to do it. I took it to a Verizon branch first, and they had a different machine that transferred only the numbers and not the names.

Give this phone a try. It's no Motorola KRZR, but it's much cheaper. You'll be happy with it!

Buy NOKIA 6215i 6215 VERIZON CDMA CAMERA CELL PHONE Now

I upgraded to this phone primarily on the opinion of a the c-net review which said this phone had such good voice quality that it was indistinguishable from a land-line (San Francisco), and reviewer (VA) who said this phone had the "best voice quality" -since i was having trouble hearing on my previous phone, especially in mobile-to-mobile calls. Perhaps it is the area I am in (north Jersey), but I sure can tell I'm on a cell phone! While better than my previous model, I'm still saying "what? could you repeat that?" In calling Verizon Wireless to ask another question, the technical supervisor just told me "the voice quality and even reception ability varies a lot from individual phone to phone within every model: we can get 5 phones of the same model and line them up and each one sounds different and right next to each other they'll display different signal strengths..." Wish I'd known THAT before I bought!

I like this phone's features, and since Verizon has it on promotion, it's a great deal right now. It has more "conveniences" than I'll really use. It doesn't have bluetooth for hands-free, but that's OK with me.

My biggest complaint is that the LED display (it's not an LCD but new LED display) is completely unreadable in daylight. Also you must use some kind of cover: the battery comes unclipped with the slightest of touches on the clasp such as pulling the phone out of a pocket or purse. I find the more "rounded" shape phones a little easier to hold than this "squared" shape, and it's easy to press on the exterior screen or the buttons on the side when holding the phone closer to the ear when trying to hear better in a noisy or outdoor environment.

Read Best Reviews of NOKIA 6215i 6215 VERIZON CDMA CAMERA CELL PHONE Here

Have had this phone for 36 hours (9/25/06)and am being told by Verizon I have to delete all 150+ of my stored numbers and start from scratch (I had an LG 7000 series which I never liked). Seems there is a software issue and there is no data on when it will be resolved. Phone makes a call from phone book but does not complete the call when your intended answers the phone. Speakerphone calling seems to negate this defect and if you press the speaker button when the person answers, it seems to work. Pressing it twice did get the phone to work but not the headset. Blue tooth headset (Moto H500)paired easily only it did'nt work through the speaker option I may have discovered. Looks like a nice phone, light, easy to use but decision is, is this worth the extra steps, reliable enough to function normally and then left to guess when the software fix is available and just "stop-in to Verizon"? Surely they aren't going to tell me when it's ready. Probably worth it to wait to buy this phone or choose another if you have tons of numbers to enter. Verizon should have known this, but I'm sure it's a great first time phone or if you don't have lots of numbers to transfer over.

Want NOKIA 6215i 6215 VERIZON CDMA CAMERA CELL PHONE Discount?

This is my first cell phone that I got with the Verizon Wireless plan and I am quite impressed. I really like the sleek glossy look that goes around the phone. Suprisingly enough after 7 months of use it doesn't have any major scratches on its surface.

I have NEVER lost a call or had no service wherever I have gone while using this phone. It is amazing since I always used to have a terrible time trying to find a spot where my older phones would get one bar of service.

I do have a complaint though, the screen on the inside of the phone is tiny. If your eyes are bad then I would recommend a phone with a larger screen. Other than that I praise this phone, especially since I didn't have to pay anything for it with my plan.

Memorex MVD-2027 DVD Player with MP3 Playing Capabilities

I bought the 2026 from Target two years ago and up till yesterday, I hadn't had any problems from the unit. Yesterday, I tried to look at a movie and...nothing!!! I tried the plugs and the power cord but they were correctly connected. The owner's manual was a joke. The worst part is that my movie is stuck in the player. I know this player is the 2027 and it may not happen to youbut do you want to take a chance?

I got this DVD player about a year ago, and needless to say, it has never been able to play a complete DVD. Sometimes it is able to play for about 10 minutes, but most of the time, it won't play them at all, let alone open or close the tray. When it reaches its certain 'point of no return', the whole thing freezes, the display is messed up, there is 'noise' on screen, and none of the function buttons work. Do NOT buy this DVD player! To make matters worse, I've not been able to get a direct response from Memorex about these issues.

Buy Memorex MVD-2027 DVD Player with MP3 Playing Capabilities Now

This in response to Jordans comments on the DVD "revolution". Why would anyone in this day and age prefer tapes to DVDs simply because of the Start/Stop feature. If you owned a Digital Video Player you`d know that once you press the Stop function the disc Player "remembers" what chapter you were on, unless you press the Stop button twice or turn it off alltogether. All this commentary is made moot by the fact that DVDs are broken down by chapters, all you have to do is select the chapter where you stopped whatching. The most basic DVD player is packed with features the most advanced VCR (that would cost 3X`s as much) could never duplicate. My only beef with the DVD industry is the ridiculous encoding they have in order to stop reproduction (you cant yet copy a DVD to another DVD), but give it a few months and my friends and I will have that little problem all figured out.

In closing Jordan if your reading this, please pay specially close attention we are in the digital age now, anolog is dead and good ridance. Better sound, better picture, subtitles, different laguages, directorial and cast comments, alternate endings, all in a media package so small and convinient you could carry 5, 10 or even 15 movies in a cd wallet that fits in your coat pocket. YOU CAN TAKE IT ON A PLANE AND WATCH IT ON LAPTOP TRY DOING THAT WITH A VCR AND A TAPE.

I can only strongly suggest to anyone who is thinking about purchasing a DVD player to go ahead and buy one; get one for your parents, one for your sister, brother, uncle, niece, grandparents, for your kids, for enveryone on your XMASS shopping list you cant go wrong.

And Jordan, stop being a Ludite, and join us in the 21st century. Once you get here youll be amazed at how much fun we are all having.

PS do you prefer music tapes over CDs?

Read Best Reviews of Memorex MVD-2027 DVD Player with MP3 Playing Capabilities Here

Belkin AV22305-12-WHT HDMI to HDMI Cable - 12 ft in White

The HDMI cable is great, I use it for my macbook pro, with an adapter, and the picture is lovely. I don't regret getting it, and it's not too pricey either. Much cheaper than store prices for graet quality. 4 stars.

Can't believe I almost spent $170 at Best Buy for a very similar cable! This cable works great for what I needed. I used it to connect my HDMI Apple TV to my HDMI Visio TV. Download speeds are fast and without slowdown. Delivery was as promised. I would highly recommend this company and its cable.

Buy Belkin AV22305-12-WHT HDMI to HDMI Cable - 12 ft in White Now

This is a great quality cable by Belkin. I use it personally to connect my PS3 and TV. However i have also tested it on my computer monitor and my desktop and it works great as well!

Read Best Reviews of Belkin AV22305-12-WHT HDMI to HDMI Cable - 12 ft in White Here

Cable works great for HDMI uses. I use mine for my Apple TV. The price on Amazon makes local stores look like thieves!

Want Belkin AV22305-12-WHT HDMI to HDMI Cable - 12 ft in White Discount?

I've had problems with this product connecting my TV to my Apple TV. The contact points always seem to be loose. I frequently have to plug and unplug the cable to get it to work properly. Belkin usually makes good stuff, but this doesn't appear to be a great product.

Save 63% Off

Canon Elura 50 Ultra Compact MiniDV Camcorder with 2"LCD and Memory Capability

if you are going to shoot videos with plenty of light and you want a very compact camera, the elura 50 could be for you. however, if you plan on shooting low-light scenes, you'll be disappointed. there's not even an accessory shoe so you can use an external light source.

pros:

very small and lightweight: 1.9"W x 3.4"D x 4.2"H, 13.4 oz.

very good video performance when you have enough light.

uncluttered, easy to use menus.

10x optical zoom.

1 megapixel still capability.

progressive photo mode.

miniDV media is widely supported.

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

allows some degree of manual control.

ability to record mpeg videos directly to SD card.

as with most canon products, the printed manual is very good.

digital image stabilization works well.

cons:

a couple of deal breakers for me: poor low light performance, and,

no accessory shoe (to think that you would really need an accessory shoe for an external light given this camcorder's low-light performance).

mic placement is on top of camcorder (most vertical camcorders do) which means it picks up the videographer's voice more readily.

a greater capacity battery protrudes sideways from this camcorder's body, making holding this unit a bit awkward.

the lcd is real small, only 2".

you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80 and trv70 and panasonic's PVDV953 have 2-3 megapixel capability but those camcorders are much more expensive.

don't expect miracles from 1 megapixel stills.

video too choppy with low light modes.

motor noise can be heard when recording a very quiet room.

the included 8MB SD card is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for for more memory (at least 32MB).

at this price point, i would recommend panasonic's gs70 or sony's trv33 or pc-105. although slightly bigger, i believe these camcorders offer a better package than the elura 50. peace.

I bought this 3 weeks ago and have used it in all conditions. I love it. This is my first camcorder and after reading all the reviews for various camcorders, I picked this one. So far, I have only used the auto mode and I have not seen any grainy effects like the other reviewers said. I've shot in low light and sunlight and the picture is perfect. I have already made DVDs with it and my family can't believe the quality from such a small camcorder. My only con would be battery life. It lasts about 45 minutes for me. I am just going to buy a high capacity battery then I'll be set.

Buy Canon Elura 50 Ultra Compact MiniDV Camcorder with 2"LCD and Memory Capability Now

I have had the camera for three weeks and it was the best tool to take on vacation with the family. Its small size makes it easy to fit in a small pack. It takes great outdoor pictures and works well indoor. The auto focus does not work well on all indoor settings. It can be resolved by using the low light or spotlight manual settings.

Read Best Reviews of Canon Elura 50 Ultra Compact MiniDV Camcorder with 2"LCD and Memory Capability Here

I replaced a 7 year old analog Sharp camcorder with this unit last month. I had seen it in a retail shop in the spring, and watched the price come down to a very reasonable $$$$ at an online discounter. My goal was simply to get to the digital age. Boy, was it easy! I had this camera about 10 minutes before I was shooting still photos and within half an hour I had downloaded sharp looking pictures to my PC. The software that accompanies the Elura is very easy to install and use.

I have been shooting the kids' soccer games, apple-picking here in New England, etc., and it seems to work with ease. If I had to nit pick I might say that the record button for video should be up at the forefinger position where the still photo button is, but this is a minor nuance. Dads will appreciate the smallness of the Elura especially as we usually have to tote so much other stuff on almost anything involving the family. The Elura fits in a large pocket.

Battery life at 45 mins to 1 hour is fine! Who the heck wants to go home and watch 2 hours of little Susie's ballet anyway? I don't have a PC that will support the Firewire or IEEE1495 (or whatever) connection for downloading video to edit on a PC, but this is my goal, and it looks to be very easy from the above average (keep in this mind, the bar is low) user manual. I find the camera's balancing features take my "shakes" out of play, and record a steady picture. I think the low light critics must be filming in dark strip joints, because in my exciting "Dad" life I get fine pictures of birthday candle blowouts, etc. Yes, the motor does make a lot of noise, so if Susie is a concert pianist, you might have a concern. For the average soccer Mom or Dad, I recommend this camera with no reservations.

Want Canon Elura 50 Ultra Compact MiniDV Camcorder with 2"LCD and Memory Capability Discount?

Many owners of the Elura 50 have eperienced the dreaded "Eject Cassette" error. It seems that MANY of these cameras are failing within the first two years of ownership with said error message. Canon has acknolwedged the problem and is apparently repairing these cameras at no cost (see Canon USA's web site for details). But my problem is different and it seems that a number of others have seen my problem as well.

I've used the camera a total of 1 to 2 hours over the 19 months I have owned it and it has worked reliably with a good quality image and decent low light sensitivity. It's a little awkward to operate because it's so small but when you get used to it, you can get some nice shots. I used it last around a month ago, when my baby daughter was born and it worked fine.

Today I turned it on and while it powered up fine, I get no image on the LCD screen or on the viewfinder. The menus show up fine, but there is no image from the lens/CCD. It's as if the lens cover were on (but it's not). Ths unit has not been dropped or abused in any way.

Checking on camcorderinfo.com, I have found that many others are experiencing this exact same problem and it seems to occur 12 to 24 months into ownership and particularly on units that are infrequently used. I did purchase an extended warranty so I guess the repair will be covered but if it is a design defect (as it may be, considering the frequency of its occurence) then I'd like to get Canon to repair it directly.

Anyone considering purchasing this camcorder today new, used or refurbished, should probably consider a different unit. If I hear more from Canon about this problem, I will update this review accordingly. Consumer Reports 'Best Buy' indeed!

Update: I sent the unit into Canon for repair and they did cover the repair under their current service bulletins at no cost to me and without the hassle of using my extended warranty (even though it was out of warranty).

Lascar EL-USB-1 Temperature Data Logger with USB Interface

I needed a data logger to monitor the fridge temperature in my restaurant and this low-cost unit seemed the best choice. Software is supplied with unit which is great.

Installation on Windows 7 was straightforward. After plugging in the data logger you use the software to set the data logger up. This is easy to do using the software which follows a wizard based format. You then leave the data logger where you want it to pick up the temperature (in my case the fridge) and the use the software to download the data a few days later. It shows you a graph of the temperature over the time the data loggers been in the fridge fortunately mine seems to be working correctly!

So far I've been using for 2 months and had no problems. Would recommend this to anyone with a similar requirement.

I couldn't install the driver on Win XP SP3 and had to email the manufacturer, who answered promptly and suggested I do the installation in Safe Mode, which worked OK. Once the software is active (three days after receiving the logger), the product works just as advertised, although I've not tried to calibrate it.

Buy Lascar EL-USB-1 Temperature Data Logger with USB Interface Now

We have used this item for about 3 weeks to monitor temps where medications are stored. It is simple easy to use: the software is basic but functional and allows exporting to Excel; you can quickly set up new temp logs, including changing the frequency of temps taken; it is very small, so it fits anywhere. People in the clinic next to us also use the same product (and are the ones who recommended this one to us). They are very satisfied with it as well.

Read Best Reviews of Lascar EL-USB-1 Temperature Data Logger with USB Interface Here

I purchased this data logger to use with an XP SP3 computer. Other reviews suggested problems loading driver. I went to the company website and downloaded the latest software version, and it installed perfectly. I quickly discovered that this is a wonderful device, very well designed and simple to set up and use. Great flexibility. Put the device into a USB port and the data is immediately downloaded and charted. There is also an export function, when you click on that, the data is put into an Excel sheet, along with a chart of the data. Complete flexibility within Excel to manipulate the data. Considering the quality of this product, the price is very reasonable.

Want Lascar EL-USB-1 Temperature Data Logger with USB Interface Discount?

The plastic must have been flawed at the time of manufacturing because the battery compartment cannot withstand the tension of the battery spring. When one broke after a couple of years I thought it was a fluke but after the second one broke I was upset.

The EasyLog USB program exports data into a txt file but it doesn't repeat the serial number for the device on each line. I store my temps so I had to write a little code to make sure that the serial number stayed with every record.

Cannot stop logging so that you can pick the device up and take it to a USB port. This cases bad readings that you have to remove.

1gb Voice & Telephone Recorder, Record Telephone, Cell Phone Calls

As a feature writer, editor, and co-author, recording telephone interviews constitutes a large part of my job. This piece of equipment seemed a perfect step from old-fashioined tape recording to digital files that could be saved to a computer. And the first time I used it, it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, when I tried to use it a second time at a different location, I learned the hard way that it doesn't work with phones hosting more than one line. So okay, it has its limits. But when I tried to use it a third time, back on a single-line phone, it wouldn't turn on. The batteries had gone dead (although I had used it for less than one hour in total since purchasing it). I replaced the batteries, turned the phone on again, and recorded for a few minutes. I turned the phone off, left it for several days, then tried to turn it on...and the new batteries were dead. I then tried to run the recorder off of the AC adapter that came as an accessory. Time after time, with the phone plugged into the adapter, I received an LCD message saying that the battery was low, and then watched helplessly as the little bugger went dead. Making sure the phone was turned off, I then replaced the batteries yet again and used the phone immediately. It seemed to work fine--until I tried to play back the sound file. It had recorded my side of the interview, but not the incoming voice of the interviewee. This wasted 90 minutes of my time and hers--and since she will now be unavailabe for 2 weeks, I'll also be way over deadline on an assignment. This may cost me several thousand dollars. I am not a happy camper. So as far as my experience is concerned, this recorder is a piece of worthless junk. It's unreliable, difficult to use, and the operating manual was obviously written by someone who struggles with English, leaving the reader to guess at what the operating instructions might actually be.

Digital Recorder not as easy to figure out set up as sounded. I thought it would be easier than it was, better instructions might of helped.

Buy 1gb Voice & Telephone Recorder, Record Telephone, Cell Phone Calls Now

I am a student so I tried it for recording my classes and lectures. The product for the price worked great. I was happy with it's easy of use and clarity of recording. I also connected it to my cellphone and recorded my conversations with my mom, dad and other loved one's which I downloaded to my PC and will treasure forever. I am very happy and have since recommended it to other classmates.

Read Best Reviews of 1gb Voice & Telephone Recorder, Record Telephone, Cell Phone Calls Here

Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder

Digital home video is the wave of the future, and this camera truly expresses it. This camera comes close to perfect. It offers EXCELLANT picture quality. The quality is so good I compare it to twice the quality of a full size VHS camera (no not VHS-C). This camera has everything you need. An explanation of the features: Video format: Digital 8: Digital 8 is a digital signal recorded onto a High Band 8mm tape. There is less degradation as the film is played over and over because it's all Digital. Audio: 16 bit PCM Stereo: This meaens that even with that little microphone on the front, you're getting much better quality than with a 8mm or hi8. And it records with 2 channels instead of 1. Maximum CCD Resolution: 460,00 pixels: Thats a freaking ton of resolution for a home video camera. Thats more than anything you've probably ever used. Other things this includes: Super Nightshot 0 LUX: This enables you to shoot in perfect darkness at a better distance than normal nightshot. The camera emits two infraed beams from the front of the camera. This beams scatter and bounce of objects. The camera detects the beams bouncing back, using them to see. i.link DV Interface: This is the new standard for high speed transfer of information, usually digital video. This way you can plug into your computer and edit with it, with out having to sell the farm on equipment to turn analog into digital. 450x Digital Zoom: This means you can zoom in 450 times what the camera normally sees. Perfect for football games or looking for people far away. Auto Focus: The camera focuses it self, so you don't have to do any focusing to shoot S-Video Output: Amazon.com claims it isn't there, but it is. This enables non-digital transfer of very high quality video, your DVD player probably uses this feature. There are other features, but there are too many to mention! Over all this is an EXCELLENT camera. It lives up to the name Sony.

I am only 13 years old and I purchased this camera because me and my friends wanted to make movies. I use it every day and have had it for 8 months! It can be used for stop motion animation with clay and legos at 8 FPS and is 30 FPS during normal record. The remote is great for seting up the camera and then starting it when your also in the movie scene. Slow Motion is cool to and the Night Shot feature is great! Night shot has a 10 Foot range out side and from personal experience it has over a 50 foot range inside because it can bounce off walls. Night Shot is even better with the night shot upgrade attachment (Sold Sepretly, boost to 100 feet outdoors and over 300 feet indors!) Also in playback mode the buttons light up orange, a bug plus! Also the 25x OPTICAL gives you close ups at great quallity. For example you can zoon into someones PUPIL from 10 feet away with that much zoom and then 450x digital degrades quality but is helpfull for those far away shots. Super Steady Shot is great image stabilization to! The Carl Zies lens can focus at only .5 CM away! If you press your finger on the lense you can see your fingerprint clearly! Photo mode is great and so is the 100 min battery life! LCD screen degrades life by 10% when on. The 480 min batter (8 hour) lasts a long long time and is sold sepritly .... Has IEE 1394, S VIDEO, LAN (For pictures) and RCA COmposit cables for output and RCA Composit cables, S VIDEO and MIC input ports. Also a HEadphone jack and inteligant accesory shoe. YOu can search for pictures, dates, and times on the film and has 14 picture effects like negative and Pastel. 2.5 inch color LCD screen and manual/auto focus and exposure. So many more features I cant list. Has been a great buy and VERY durable (Has been dropped at 4 feet, fallen in puddles, ect). GREAT BUY!

Buy Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder Now

I just recently purchased this video camera after deciding to upgrade from an old Hitachi 8 mm analog camcorder and I am really very pleased with this decision! This particular model is no longer being manufactured by Sony but Sony has a full line of parts and accessories for it and you can find some really excellent deals for a new or refurbished model if you do a little bit of web searching.

The cheapest digital camcorder far surpasses the best analog out there so if you are considering a new video camera, consider this one. I personally do not need, or want to pay for, state of the art features that many more expensive digital cameras have. This one has all of the features that I personally find important:

1.) Really nice resolution @ 460,000 pixels (Same as the 130,140,240,310,340,520,530 for starters)

2.) 25 X Optical and 450 X digital zoom

3.) Electronic image stabiliztion

4.) 2.5 inch swivel LCD screen

5.) Nite Shot and Super Night Shot modes (you can vid in total darkness!)

6.) Backwards compatability with my 8 mm and Hi 8 tapes

7.) Firewire (IEEE1394) output

8.) LANC interface for editing on pc

9.) Last, but not least, a reasonable price!

It has lots of special features that I don't use such as different fade options, titling and special effects but these also can easily be created by editing on your pc.

As a side note, Sony has put together a nice editing package called EZ Editor to go with their digital and digital 8 video cameras that contain the firewire card for the pc, the I-link cable for the camera's connection to the pc, Pinnacle 7 Studio editing software and a thick user's manual. It is so easy and so much fun to edit videos on the computer adding music and titles and voice over's along with different fades. I believe you can also edit analog video as well.

I am very happy with this camera and with the quality of the video that I am taking, especially at the price I paid! It is well worth the money and a high quality Sony product.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder Here

I got one of these used a few years ago after doing some research into the features and reputations of similar cameras. I've had no problems with it.

Video quality is excellent, and it works seamlessly with iMovie, which I use for editing.

I disabled the digital zoom (which degrades the picture quality); 25X optical zoom is already impressive, especially with the SteadyShot camera-shake compensation.

The camera operates surprisingly well with low light, even without engaging NightShot.

The "digital still photo" feature on any video camera is essentially a gimmick, so I'm not counting this camera's poor still-photo quality in my rating. Even the cheapest pocket digital camera will take a better still photo than a high-priced video camera -so hey, buy a used DV camera and get yourself a cheap still camera to go with it.

I've found Digital-8 highly convenient, because I can get Hi-8 tapes in many stores that still don't carry MiniDV tapes.

I only wish the camera were super-tiny, but hey, it's not a cutting-edge supercamera -it's a good, solid camcorder. Works for me!

Want Sony DCRTRV120 Digital Camcorder Discount?

I recently purchased this to replace my old Canon Hi8 camcorder. I've been always the fan of Canon camcorder but this is very solid and high quality camcorder. I have lots of old 8mm & Hi8 tapes and this is a great camcorder to transfer them to DVD or upload to PC (since this camcorder is Digital8). Being able to digitally transfer your old 8mm & Hi8 tape to PC is a great function to have. This also has amazing Zoom and very good video quality. I am very satisfied with the purchase.

Spectroniq DVD70X 7 Inch Portable DVD Player

• 7 Inch TFT 16:9 LCD Monitor/ Dolby Digital Decoding
• NTSC/PAL Compatible/ Play DVD/ CD/ CD-R/ JPEG
• Plays Audio CD/ CD-RW/ DVD-RW/ Positive RW/ DVD/ MP3/ VCD/ SVCD/ JPEG
• 2.5 Hour Rechargeable Li Ion Battery/ Auto Adapter for Car Entertainment
• 6.00 Lbs (WxLxH) 6.00" x 7.10" x 1.40"

I paid $99 through HSN. It came with battery, two sets of earplugs, an earphone splitter for two sets of ears, various cables, including a car adapter and AC/DC charger, remote and a free heavy-duty carrying case. I thought I was getting a great deal.

The picture is fantastic. Sharp and clear. The battery was sufficient for a two+ hour movie.

The sound, however, stinks. Even with the volume turned all the way up, the sound comes out as a whisper. The earplugs provided made the sound louder, but they are uncomfortable, button-type earplugs. I tried a set of over-the-ear plugs, but the sound didn't register as well. So, I bought a small set of Sony external speakers at WalMart for $9.99, figuring that would solve the volume problem, but they didn't help either. The sound barely registered through them, so I'll have to return those speakers to the store.

I connected the DVD to my computer speakers. The sound came out loud and clear, but it isn't practical to lug those big speakers around. I bought this DVD player because I wanted portability.

I am puzzled as to where to turn next. I don't care how great the picture is. If you have to strain to hear the movie what good is a clear picture?

I am more than a bit disappointed with this machine.

Buy Spectroniq DVD70X 7 Inch Portable DVD Player Now

Bought this player 2 years ago when it was called PROTRON.

Got it from Walgreens for $99. It came with a battery, remote control, 2 ear buds, the AC adapter, car adapter, A/V cable and carying case.

We got it for our 1 1/2 year old when we go on road trips and to watch on the deck outside.

It has been through hell over the last 2 years, used EVERY day and even dropped a few of times.

It is finally starting to show some signs of abuse, the display works intermitantly depending on the position its in, but it is still woking.

I have not had the audio problems that others have mentioned.

Glad we got it, would buy it again.

Read Best Reviews of Spectroniq DVD70X 7 Inch Portable DVD Player Here

I bought this player for $69 which includes a car case which straps on the back of a car seat, 2 earphones, earphone splitter, ac/dc power cords and several patch cords. While the picture is excellent the sound was so lousy that I almost returned it to hhgregg. Since I bought this unit to entertain kids on a road trip I decided to consider external speakers. My search took me to Walmart where I stumbled upon a $9.00 cassette which allows me to play the sound through my car cassette/cd stereo. I just watched "Jumanji" in my van and the sound was fantastic and almost as good as my 5.1 surround home system. If you want better sound in your home you can run the sound though your home stereo or buy some cheap powered external speakers that work with a Walkman or laptop. For $69 I couldn't be happier!

Want Spectroniq DVD70X 7 Inch Portable DVD Player Discount?

Wonderful. Have already one for six years that gets lots of use by grandkids when they visit or travel with me had to get an additional one to meet the demand.

the product was exactly what was advertized. the shipping and receiving was literally a click away. amazon is very relianble and the product was in great condition and i was very please and will use amazon for future purchases.

NBOX 2nd Generation True 720P TV Media Player Manufacture Gift Pack - Play MKV with Enhanced Chipse

I was looking for a simple media player that would be compatible with my old tube TV. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it either. Once I received it, I just hooked up the AV cables to the TV and followed the quick installation instruction provided by the seller. Within minutes, I was playing my first video. It was so easy to navigate through the menu. I'm playing .mp4 and .xvid files mostly. I had some minor issues but when I contacted the seller that he responded back within an hour and all problems were resolved. He even offered to take back the product and give me a new one. But everything is working fine now so I'm keeping it. The seller was very helpful and I appreciate great customer service as much as the good product. This is a good product that I'll be using for a long time. No complicated setup. Very simple to use and good picture quality.

This product is inexpensive but seems to be well but together and has done everything I have asked of it. I did run into one slight problem Nbox V2 does not display in alphabetical order it displays by time stamp of when the file was written. (Example your copy the first 5 episodes of your favorite tv show on to your thumb drive depending on the order they were written to your thumb drive they may list in the order of 5, 3, 1, 2 ,4)if you select episode one it will play them all in the correct order. I contacted the seller who quickly verified the issue and is pressing the manufacturer to issue a firmware update to correct it. In my opinion this product is well worth the money and I would have no problem recommending this product to anyone.

Buy NBOX 2nd Generation True 720P TV Media Player Manufacture Gift Pack - Play MKV with Enhanced Chipse Now

Works great with most formats, however, there are some rmvb for HD it is not able to read. We can use a computer to play those files without any problems. This is a nice gadget to have, no need to hook up your computer to the TV anymore for playing video files.

Read Best Reviews of NBOX 2nd Generation True 720P TV Media Player Manufacture Gift Pack - Play MKV with Enhanced Chipse Here

This is the media player that I'm looking for. I'm glad to get this device to play all my media on my external hard drive without plugging in lots of cables around my laptop to connect to the TV and view the media. It basically plays all the file types I want.

The device is lightweight and pretty! It comes with a sleek design of remote control. The user interface looks beautiful and easy to navigate too!

With the price of this device, very good deal!

Want NBOX 2nd Generation True 720P TV Media Player Manufacture Gift Pack - Play MKV with Enhanced Chipse Discount?

I was looking for a media player to play some the youtube videos. The video was for some classes I am taking, so that the 720P quality is good enough for me.

I am amazed this little devices playing so well for MPG4 files on TV RGB inputs. It plays the MPG4 as well as FLV files. However, for the same video, downloaded MPG4 file has much better quality than FLV files on its TV output.

I was able to plug in a 1.5TB external USB drive and select go to sub directories, play the videos, at least once. Next time, it would not reconginize the 1.5TB drive any more. I don't know if the manufacture tested with that size of drive. But at least it works with large external USB drives.

One thing I think they need to fix is how they read the FAT file systems. Does not matter is the flash chip directly plugged in, or through USB external drive, they display and play the files in the order they were copied to the drive. Which means the player actually use inode to identify what is next file to play, not by the actual file name. When I have a lot of video files copied from computer to the flash card or USB drive, I am not copying one file at a time, rather is whole directory of 20 to 30 files. I wish they fix this problem.

Overall, this is a really nice device and worthy player.

Save 56% Off

Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black)

Questions I often get~ Where have you been? You don't have one of these yet?

I know show me some footage you say! You must check the site for some great videos people have made from just quick clips some with no editing at all to full on short movies. I recommend that because there is not enough room to describe how cool this wireless and very light camera is to use but I'll try! I'm a customer not an employee... and "i am pc!"

Camera is so light and versatile I've used a basic piece of Velcro strapped to my cap visor during golf, stuck it to my bike frame, velcro'd to my motorcycle kickstand, strapped it to ski pole to check a wasp nest, and of course it serves great as a plain ol' helmet cam too.

Someone even stuck it to an RC Plane. Even on their dog for a dog cam view. yup! Set yourself free!! no wires means you will not have to worry about much except wiping out while catching your buddies on film.

With the flick of the glovable slider on/off switch and audible sounds and aiming lasers you are able to basically use it with your eyes closed or even place it where you can't see it during filming. Its got a supermic as well it will pickup a pin dropping ;o) All which can be adjusted when you edit/censor your movies even add music.

The build quality is very durable and can take impact. Trust me ;o)and the adhesive with supplied mount is semi permanent you may have to use a crowbar to take it off but you do not have to worry even at well ~ unsafe speeds. Basically you can be creative on where you place this camera knowing it will film for over an hour+ of footage at a time. Battery life will last about 3gb or more of video on a good charge.

Package comes with microSD card but Sandisk premier 2gb card is best to use with this unit. This battery should be charged by separate charger which seems to super charge the battery, usb charge by a pc is not going to help you get out there filming quick enough. Specially, when you need 2 batteries for a full day of mtn.biking, or Snowboarding so you still have juiceafter you warm up and stop wiping out. The packaged items that come with camera is a good starter kit with a mount, cam, sd card, battery you have software(which VholdR updates with cool new features every so often) which assists you in producing your video to the VholdR.com site for sharing. Yes, they have a producer hub for you to share your videos.

Oh yah, the desktop software also supports _mac now. of course "I AM PC!"

My VholdR carry along always ready ALLDAY bag contains: 2 batteries and 3 2gb sd cards since camera software does not yet support larger sd cards. Which really is not a problem because 2gb cards are cheap. Cabela's #2 scope cover for lens, extra stick on mount(never know where you might be)

Quality of video for this unit is not HD but captures quality STABLE videos when moving fast. At slow captures like walking or filming a party its just like any other camera. Some lighting issues may occur depending on where you are filming at high speed, i.e. Night time, shadow/bright light changes.

640x480 is still a fine size which uses less space on SDcard, it sure would be nice to be able to toggle resolution WHEN larger SDHC card support is there.

My VholdR has been thru rain, mud, dirt and has so far over 4months has been such an enjoyable experience i can easily recommend to others.

VholdR receives additional "way cool marks" for providing Desktop Software to help with managing movie uploads. Software updates and firmware updates prove they are not just a camera maker. Oh did i mention a cool site to share your movies for free?

Overall experience is that this is not just a camera so two swollen thumbs and two purple toes up for this gem of a camera from me!

Ok enough typing... check for yourself get out there and shoot its almost snow season get your angles dialed. Where you been?

my best examples would be ~ thatsMOCKFOO on VholdR website btw, i have no idea who that nut is!

~ go get some videos people!VholdR Wearable Camcorder (Black)

My only negatives are,

* 2gb max microsd support(not a big deal) after cutting up videos i find smaller clips are easier to manage anyways.

* When the battery dies if you are still in ON mode your video is not closed so the last video clip could be corrupt. So I changed my habit until that is figured out.

* Making shorter clips is easier to manage I've found. Just accept turning it off then on about an hour into video or gauge your battery life like a gas tank. You can check how much battery and sd card is left by pressing the button btw.

* Lighting changes from super dark shadows transition to super bright sections of trail may take a short while for focus depending on where camera is mounted. Not many cameras can handle this anyways.

These are minor negatives but prevent a 5 from me.

Still a super camera for a such a light wireless and reasonably priced for good action video camera that i won't mind thrashing a bit filming in the elements. This is a rugged camera which you can capture action in ways you may not with your bulky thousand dollar HD camera. Like strapping it to your snowboard or your motorcycle kickstand, or how about your mountain bike pedal? Escape from the paradigm of the helmet cam.

well, this camera is amazing.

my first action camera was the atc2k, which i still own.

i loved it since it was small, durable and i could make videos from the coolest angles.

this camera is pretty much the same, with a few improvements and a few drawbacks compares to the atc2k. it all depends on what you want to do with it.

1. size and weight great. small, light. perfect for what it needs to do.

2. controls i like the big record button. quick. comfortable. perfect for those "i gotta get this shot" moments.

3. lasers and rotating lens AMAZING! i love this! one of the most annoying things in the atc2k is the fact that you cant rotate the lens, and need to edit the video and flip it after you are done. the lasers help you align the camera. cooool!

4. mount much easier than the atc2k, but the drawback is you cant put it on your handlebar or your arm. only a helmet or a flat surface.

5. comes with a memory card. sweet!

a few other missing things that would make this product a 5 star:

1. waterproof. resistance means nothing.

2. option to change video quality and such

3. a screen to replace the confusing LEDs that tell you the battery status and memory card status.

so if you want to take videos of crazy rides on your bike this is the one for you! perfect!

anything more "all around" get the atc2k but remember that all around things always have drawbacks.

Buy Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black) Now

The Quick Take: It's pricey compared to the competition, in some cases twice as expensive. Video quality is OK, not outstanding and not HD. It is not waterproof but can get splashed on with no ill effects. Memory has a 2GB limitation (other cameras have 32GB capability!). Battery life is not exceptional and uses a proprietary lithium ion battery. vHoldr software is not that useful and is buggy on the Mac platform. My 13 year old nephew though it was awesome, I thought it was OK but way too expensive for what it offers.

The vHoldr is one of a number of video cameras in the "sports cam" or "helmet cam" genre. It is intended to be used in action situations, such as extreme sports, where capturing video using a conventional video camera or video capability of a point and shoot camera would be difficult if not impossible.

The vHolder box contains the camera, a 2GB microSD card, a 15-inch USB cable (which may be OK for laptop use but is far too short to be useful with a Tower computer that's on the floor), Lithium Ion battery, helmet mount with leash and manual. The vHoldr software for PC is included on the microSD card and is also available from the vholdr website. A Mac version is finally available.

Some people strap the camera to their dog to get a first person point of view. Other people use them to capture video of various activities such as skydiving, motocross, bicycling, snowboarding, etc. The usage of a camera like this is limited only by your imagination.

The vHoldr is a fairly compact design, measuring about 3 3/4 inches long and about, 1 1/4 inch wide and about 2 1/8 inch tall. The casing is made of aluminum with plastic side rails which are used for mounting the camera onto a variety of pricey optional mounts, such as a handlebar mount, or the included helmet mount. The camera has a fixed focus lens and a 90-degree field of view (which is great.)

There is a simple control system consisting of a large sliding recording on/off switch on the top and a small push button on the rear of the unit to power it on and off. The sliding switch could be made easier to use if it had a ribbed area to create a more grippy surface. Its quite likely you might have gloves on your hands and the ribbing would provide a better tactile experience when turning recording on/off.

The rear (back) of the vHoldr slides up and then down and out to reveal the microSD slot, Lithium Ion battery compartment with plastic locking arm and USB port. The battery locking arm if of questionable durability and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it snaps off one of these days.

There are three LED's that provide various indications: power on, charging state (only visible when rear door is open) and memory usage. The LED's change color between red, yellow and green. For many color blind individuals, discerning the color change of the LED's will be impossible thereby limiting their usefulness.

There is also an LED at the front of the vHoldr that, when lit, indicates that power is on. The vHoldr also incorporates two laser indicator lights to help you orient the camera by adjusting the lens orientation and mount positioning during the power on sequence.

Video is captured at a resolution of 640x480 and the quality is acceptable in moderate to bright light outdoor situations. In low light the quality diminishes greatly. There is no image stabilization so depending on the method of mounting the camera, you may not be happy with the constant jerky movement of the video. However since the field of view is so large, essentially a wide angle lens, the jerky effect is less than it would be otherwise.

The microphone is extremely prone to picking up wind noise making it mostly useless for situations where wind will be an issue. Covering the microphone hole (located on the bottom of the vHoldr) with tape is an option but doesn't help much.

The software provided is abysmal. It provides no way to export the video except to "share" it on the vHoldr website and only once it is shared, are you able to email a video somewhere. If you don't really want to share a video, you're out of luck. Of course, you can pull the video file right off the memory card but on a Mac, you can't view the video in Quicktime since the codec used by vHoldr is not compatible with QuickTime at the time of this review. On a Mac, you can use the Open Source software VLC to view the videos produced by the vHoldr. On my MacBook with 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, I had constant problems with the vHoldr Desktop software crashing, freezing up and generally misbehaving.

The bottom line is that this camera captures video of average quality. It's not HD. It performs pretty well in lower light situations. There is no way to format your memory card in the camera. In fact, you can't really format the card unless you purchase a microSD adapter and a separate card reader that hooks up to your USB on your computer. In addition, for people with large hands, getting at the microSD slot to insert or remove the card is quite a challenge in dexterity. You can't download video to your computer if the vHoldr battery is depleted even though the USB cable provides power to the camera. The Camera must be "ON" and connected to your computer to enable downloading. It's ridiculous because if you've just spent several hours capturing video, you're probably going to have a dead battery and you then have to curb your enthusiasm for watching the video until your camera can charge the battery enough for you to transfer it to your computer. And vHoldr does not even provide a wall plug USB power adapter so you have to let your computer USB charge your camera.

I feel this camera is overpriced and does not present a good value particularly when you factor in the exorbitantly priced mounts and adhesive pads. There are similar products, notably the ATC5k Oregon Scientific ATC 5K Waterproof Action Cam Flash Memory Video Recorder with 1.5-Inch Color LCD Screen, Still Image and Web Cam Capabilities (Blue), the ATC3K Oregon Scientific ATC 3K Waterproof Action Cam Flash Memory Video Recorder with Web Cam Capabilities (Black), both by Oregon Scientific and the Tachyon XC (which takes up to 32GB memory cards and comes with a remote control) by Tachyon Inc., that cost half as much as the vHoldr while providing similar video quality. By the way, forget about getting spontaneous videos quickly because the vHoldr takes a full 23 seconds to boot up before it is ready to capture any video.

Pros:

Aluminum casing is durable but scratches

Captured video is adequate.

Decent low light performance

Very wide angle of view

Cons:

Expensive

Extremely short USB cable

No image stabilization

Difficult to access microSD card

Not waterproof

Expensive accessories such as additional mounts

Memory capacity is limited to a 2GB card.

No built in way to erase or reformat memory card

Microphone is subject to extreme wind noise during movement.

Takes 23 seconds to power on and boot

Power adapter is not included

Other cameras to consider

ATC5K by Oregon Scientific

Tachyon XC by Tachyon Incorporated

UPDATE 1/2/2009

I felt compelled to update my review because my satisfaction with this camcorder has diminished from what I wrote. Two main issues are the ability to easily or conveniently mount the camera to anything and the other issue is the difficulty formatting the memory card. Formatting the memory card cannot be done in the camcorder. It must be removed and mounted via a USB memroy card reader to your computer. Yeah...if you don't have one you'll have to buy one. Big hassle. And concerning the mounting of the camcorder; because of it's odd shape with the "rail" system, it is extremely difficult to fashion any sort of homemade mounting solution. About the only thing I've been able to come up with so far is to attach a piece of velcro to the cylinder of the camcorder and attach it to the matching velcro on whatever you want to attach it to, It's not totally secure and can wiggle a bit but at least it gives you a bit of flexibility other than buying their expensive, single use mounting discs. I would honestly have to rate this only 2 stars at this point.

UPDATE 7/10/2009

OK, vHoldr has now introduced a new model thus this model has been reduced in price to $129. I still would not buy it since it has so many issues which I've already documented. But many people will find it attractive at the new price point. It does provide a pretty good value now at $129.

Read Best Reviews of Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black) Here

I have strapped VholdR on my dog, using tape, in order to demonstrate the camcorder in action. The video is shaky, especially when Savannah runs, but I think the results are brilliant. Obviously the results would be better if taken by a person on a bike, skateboard, ski etc. to eliminate shaking while walking. I think VholdR is a fun gadget and I will be inventing new ways to use it. However it is not a replacement for a regular camcorder.

Software would not install properly on my Vista, but it is not necessary, as files can be uploaded directly via USB. To those who are frustrated with charging via PC, you can get an USB charger adapter for faster charging.

Want Contour Wearable Camcorder (Black) Discount?

One word comes to mind ... WOW!

This is a very well thought out unit. There are some CONs which I will get into later in this review, however I wish to focus more on the PROs. This little gem is small, light and very easy to use. The laser aiming gave me a perfectly pointed and level video, right out of the box. I purchased this to record what I was doing while in a Kart in the hopes of helping my driving capabilities. Only after one use, I am now seeing and hearing (for the first time) mistakes or lack there of, through every turn and down every straight-away. I also used it as a hand held video recorder to capture some of the action of another heat from the sidelines; a bit cumbersome but still very useable.

I must say I have no experience with other types of helmet cams, but unless you want wires to route, remote recorder and batteries to hide or a bulky looking box sticking out of the top of your head, I think this might be the perfect solution to capture the action. I do wish it had the capability of a remote microphone so as to be able to make comments during the video recording. You can yell with a full face helmet and not hear it on the video.

When I was first "getting to know" the cam, I found references to wind noise problems (in my case it does not cause problems) but the cure is to place a piece of tape over the microphone. This would not usually be a problem, but where is the microphone?!? I could not find anything that even remotely looks like a mic and could not find anything in the user guide or online to point out where it might be hiding (just in case).

If you decide to download the video via the USB port, be prepaired to go and get a cup of coffee or beer ... it takes almost as long to down load through the camera USB as it did to take the video. Use a reader to transfer the videos, much faster (only a few seconds for 20 minutes of video).

The vHoldr Desktop is a nice piece of software for viewing and very limited editing but if you want to do anything even remotely creative or burn to DVD you will need to get some extra software that converts .AVI correctly. Windows Media player does not (in my case) even show the video correctly.

In any event, if you decide to get one, you will probably need a few extras ... BUT ... Enjoy it! It is fun!!

*********

PROs: very light and unobtrusive, close to 2 hours of video on 2 GB storage. Battery 2.5 hours, but memory and battery both replacable at the track, or the slope, in just a few seconds.

CONs: resolution could be higher, memory not capable of more than 2 GB, not remote microphone capable, online problem support limited to news groups and some Q&A's, supplied video editing software great to watch but could use improvement. AVI format causes problems sharing video with friends.

Zmodo 16CH H.264 DVR Security Surveillance Camera System With 8 Sony CCD Sensor Night Vision IR Out

Has a very clear picture but think thats to do with the sony cameras. Video very jerky while watching on ipad and iphone over lan connection unlike Zmodo silver from model. Will replace it with that version of 16 port one.

Save 38% Off

Harman Kardon AVR 210 Dolby Digital Audio/Video Receiver

• Delivers 40 watts x 5 channels
• MP3 decoding with coaxial or optical inputs
• 30 station presets
• Ultrawide-bandwidth amplifier
• EzSet remote balances speaker levels

I have to give this a five star because I see absolutely nothing wrong about this receiver. Well, if you are a remote control freak, you might be disappointed with HK's non-learning, non-universal remote. This reciever has pretty much everything you need to set up a nice home theater. It has DTS and Dolby Digital, essential for making full use of your DVD player. One reason I got this Harman Kardon instead of another reciever that's cheaper and has as many features is because of its sound quality and durability. Note that this receiver only outputs 40 watts per channel. Obviously, this wouldn't be suited for college parties (although I think it's quite loud at high volumes). If you are thinking of building a home theater and if space is one of your concerns, this is an IDEAL receiver for smaller speakers systems with satellite speakers (like BOSE or Polk Audio). You will never have to worry about blowing out the speakers. It will complement and make use of every thing your smaller speakers can handle with beautiful sound output.

Buy Harman Kardon AVR 210 Dolby Digital Audio/Video Receiver Now

I just picked up one of these beasts. It is awesome. Don't let the power rating fool you. It says 40 watts, but that is over the full 20Hz to 20k Hz, and that isn't peak power, like cheaper recievers tell you. It can drive the speakers at high current without any detectible distortion.

This thing has more inputs and outputs then anything else I have seen, for example. Check out the detailed specs. It will convert s-video in to composite out, which is nice for me, since my tv does not have s-video in.

I love the auto level setup for the speakers, using a pressure sensor on the remote. Incredible.

The remote now controls my tv, dvd player, cablebox and reciever, plus you can set up macros on it, up to 17 steps, you can make it turn on your cable box, reciever, and television with one button, plus turn them off with another.

The On Screen display is nice. The best part for me is that I got it as an open box for $300 at circuit city.

Try it, you'll like it

Read Best Reviews of Harman Kardon AVR 210 Dolby Digital Audio/Video Receiver Here

When I received this unit on 10_11_12 had a slight hum eminatting from somewhere barely noticeable,seemed to go away after about 20_25 min.Almost a month later would turn off by itself.Ithought maybe it got too hot even tho the volume is set at_19 not loud ar all was just watching t.v. shuts off so turn back on w/remote and it is ftne for rest of the night.Even ran my palm over top of cabinet barely warm?Had an older AVR70years ago woked,sounded great that crazy thing all of a sudden would turn on by itself after Ishut her down for the night.Dont know what it is w/me and H/K recivers probably cause they were used units.Enough of these used units got my eye on a different H/Kmodel here at Amazon 2 new ones left still in supposedly the original box unopened.Just waiting for xmas bonus next few days then will order.Will post a review on it 1or 2 weeks after enjoying it.Iknow why in the world would you get another H/K simply b/c H/K ROCKS!!! I should have better luck w/a new unit even tho it was manufactured 7or 8 yrs. ago still in org.box no runtime࿿

Want Harman Kardon AVR 210 Dolby Digital Audio/Video Receiver Discount?

I've had this receiver for over 2 years now. It's a great name, with a clean, modern look. Here's what I have to say:

Buy this receiver. I cannot turn the volume up beyond half way without blowing my ears off. (I also have a JBL powered sub-woofer, which I recommend for anyone who is an audio/video enthusiast.)

I can find no flaw with this receiver. I should be able to keep it for 20 years. It has plenty of power, a slew of features a mile long (I still haven't figured out the entire remote control) with on screen programming (that blew me away, being able to adjust the stereo features through a TV menu).

Don't even hesitate to buy it. I bought it new ... and I think I only paid around [money] for it, brand new, including shipping.

The only reason I would not buy this receiver is if your budget allows, and you can buy one of HK's bigger brothers, the AVR-310 or higher. But if you are in the "I think I can justify [money] on a new stereo" this is THE one!!

I thought I had the ultimate home video setup, that is until I bought this receiver. I was blown away within seconds of getting it up and running. Try playing the opening scene of "Twister" on this machine. I wanted to run and hide in a closet! Or try the scene in "Jurassic Park" with the T-Rex's footsteps approaching the stalled jeeps. I kept looking for a T-Rex to come in my den. My mother thought someone was ramming the house. I have my system hooked up with Klipsch surrounds, it is devastating.

I only have one bad thing to say about this receiver and that is the remote. I can't get it to control the majority of my name brand components (but what universal remote does that).

I hope everyone gets a chance to at least hear a good Harmon Kardon system. You would be amazed!

Sony MHS-PM5 bloggie HD Video Camera (White)

Several people complained on various internet review boards about how this camera does not deliver very high quality video, etc. I'm a technology enthusiast, computer specialist, amateur photographer and have about 7 or 8 different cameras so I feel qualified to give a good review.

This is a camcorder meant for internet uploads/sharing, quick shots, etc. This is not what you want to film your wedding with. So don't expect broadcast quality.

Having said that I think the image quality is VERY good for its size. One huge advantage over Flip/etc... is the swiveling lens. This was the main attraction for me. I'm always embarassed waving a big camera in public. Just don't like when people stare at me for filming something. This is why Sony bloggie is a great product. You can turn the lens to an angle you like and hold the device like your cellphone. People will actually think you are just playing with your phone.

Let's get done with my complaints list quickly:

-CMOS sensor means you get the rolling shutter a.k.a jello effect when panning too fast with the camera (vertical objects appear skewed)

-Smaller lens angle when using 1080p mode. (i.e. picture is too "tele")... you get a nicer wide angle if using 720p.

That's about it, image quality -especially in daylightis very very good for such a camera. I actually prefer to record in 720p 60fps mode, the high frame rate gives it a very smooth motion.

FYI, it's compatible with Apple's iMovie. Will take some time to import your videos but once it's done, editing is super easy!

I hesitated for a long time before buying this camera but I'm glad to say I don't regret it at all! Very satisfied with my purchase.

My actual rating is 3.5 stars but I've rounded up for now.

First, I read the specs of this before I ordered it so I knew what I was getting myself into. I did not buy this for great recording capabilities and did not expect that. I bought this device to have a easily portable recording device for cheap and it delivers.

The negatives for me so far has been the awful sound recording and the lighting. I did not expect a great mic but the quality of sound recording is far below my expectations. Combine this with the inability to attach an external mic (let me know if there's a way that I don't know of) makes this device subpar. The lighting recorded fluctuates quite a bit. Sometimes I would have to set the setting a couple times to get video to appear versus a dark/black screen. Let me note that I was recording in the evenings indoors without much light in the first place. Yes, this isn't ideal but if it is not able to handle that lighting, setting the device's settings a couple times should not magically "fix" the issue.

The overall design works well and the navigation is a breeze, similar to other Sony cameras. You can also easily pull this device out of your pocket and start shooting either in camera mode or camcorder mode within seconds. I do feel that they could have utilized the screen space much better; video is displayed on the top of the screen and the bottom of the screen is basically wasted IMO. There are no exposed ports so the unit is nice and sleek. The area that goes over the USB doesn't completely move out of the way so depending on the USB port you are connecting to you might not be able to plug it in. No worries though, a USB extension is included. Oh, and you can use both SD and the memory stick, yay!

Buy Sony MHS-PM5 bloggie HD Video Camera (White) Now

I was really excited to see the next generation of pocket camcorders come out for 2010 and the Bloggie is the first I know of. It has a larger, updated optical sensor and presumably updated firmware and hardware to render better video quality. I bought it as soon as I found out it was available.

My initial impressions are less about the Bloggie and more about what an achievement the Flip cameras are. Here's why:

The Sony Bloggie seems brighter but is more sensitive to movement than the MinoHD. I go over my videos frame by frame to get screen captures and the majority of the frames the Bloggie seems lost on the action and repeats the same bad exposure for many more frames before it adjusts to get the best exposure. The MinoHD on the other hand, even though it is over a year old, is much quicker at correcting exposure, frame by frame, focus and light, to provide overall better video resolution. This is in spite of the fact that the Sony Bloggie has a bigger optical sensor and the newest hardware. Flip just seems way ahead of every pocket camcorder (haven't tested the Kodaks) in its internal intelligence in detecting focus and exposure. This is what truly gives it the edge.

The Bloggie does have a removable battery or memory card unlike the Flip. But I can't wonder if it's even necessary. I've never needed more memory or another battery in my Flip. Also it presents open compartments that will no doubt gather dirt in the electronics and buttons, unlike the Flip which is mostly sealed.

Playback mode? I'm a software developer so I'm not afraid of complicated stuff but I found the playback controls on this frustrating over and over. There are 6 or 7 different buttons you can push on playback to pause, ff, rw, etc and I kept finding myself pressing the wrong one and getting kicked out of play mode. Yes, the Flip had this right and so simple! I actually feel like I have taken the Flip's playback for granted thinking it was just without features. But for the same functionsplayback, pause ff, rw, the Bloggie feels like it is many times more complex and mysterious even though it's attempting to do exactly what the Flip does so effortlessly, mindlessly. As for uploading to Youtube, etc., like it is featured to do, I guess that's like programming your VCRpossible if you really want to learn it but more like a punchline than useful.

The Bloggie has still image, movable lens, and other bells and whistles the flip doesn't have, but is an order more complicated to use than the Flip. In the end the video, even at 1080p, is still not as sharp and clean compared to the smooth 720p of the Flip MinoHD.

Other features such as an external mic input are not available on either the Bloggie or the Flip MinoHD but are available on others such as the Kodak Zi8 etc. But this wasn't a factor for me.

I will also ad that looking at the instructions made me understand why this has the stupid name of Bloggieit is a uniquely Japanese product rushed to market without alot of careful insight into the aesthetic of the American consumer (If I may, nothing against Japanese products, usually I think them superior.) The instructions are pretty poor considering some of the dummy proof large font easy-to-read stuff I've gotten used to from places like Ikea and yes, Flip. These look like they were put together by a technical person in a tight deadline who doesn't speak English well...

Keep trying Sony, some good ideas here but mostly I think you need to improve on that smooth auto exposure algorithm!

Read Best Reviews of Sony MHS-PM5 bloggie HD Video Camera (White) Here

Here are the PRACTICAL reasons I bought this camera ...

1) I love having an SD card ... and "unlimited" video memory space

2) I love having a replaceable battery ... that can be charged either in the camera or in a charger

3) I love the fact that it is small, and compact and easy to use

4) I love the included USB extension cord, so that the USB doesn't block my other cords

4) I especially love the swivel lens ... you can set it down and aim it anywhere.

I will mostly be using this camera (as an adult) for videotaping family, but no matter how old you get, you never lose your imagination.

I keep thinking how great it would be to be a child again ... playing spy. I would sneak videos over the fence of my neighbors yard. I would set it in the corner of the porch and record my friends and me just hanging out. It would go up in the tree house with me, and I'd peek it over the edge and video what was going on below. Gosh, if I were a boy with imagination, I'd find a way to use it to sneak a few shots of my sister and her friends.

Just a quick suggestion, if you are into really fun features, you might want to pay a few extra dollars and get the Sony bloggie MHS-PM5 Camera Kit Camcorder High Definition widescreen 5.0 Mpix supported memory: MS Duo, SD, MS PRO Duo, SDHC flash card white which has the 360 degree lens included!

There is photo software included if you want to install it ... but if you don't need it, it's on a disk and you can leave it off.

I have used the Flip, the Aiptek pen camera, but of all of them, this is the most fun, and for sheer flexibility of things I can do the most practical. I purchased it with an 8G memory card, and will be purchasing an external charger for trips.

***Edited***

I used the camera on vacation and have further reporting

1) I recorded both indoors and outdoors and the quality of recording was very adequate under both lighting conditions.

2) The mike recorded well indoors and picked up a lot of ambient sound when recording outdoors.

3) The one difficulty that I had was in being able to clearly see the screen under very sunny conditions.

4) It was extra super to not have to change between video and camera click one button it is camera the other and you are videotaping.

5) The battery charge lasted for the full week I recorded a number of small clips rather than a single large event.

As I anticipated, having the SD card was super I simply popped it out, handed it to my daughter and she copied the videos and pictures on her computer before I left so we both have our own copies.

Want Sony MHS-PM5 bloggie HD Video Camera (White) Discount?

I bought the Sony Bloggie from Amazon along with a high speed Sony Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX 8 GB Flash Memory Card with USB Reader MSHX8G for a 3 week trip to Bermuda. The camera is very compact so it was easy to carry in my pocket in an old cell phone case. It's actually smaller than an iPhone or a G1.

It was easy to quickly take a photo or a video. The built-in software also makes it simple to upload videos and photos to the Internet. There are several sites programmed into the software but I just used Picasa for photos and YouTube for videos.

I shot all my videos in 720p and was very pleased with the quality of the video and sound. I only took a dozen or so photos with the Bloggie but they were acceptable. It was so much fun and so easy to take videos that I didn't even think about taking photos.

The Bloggie is not without its drawbacks. A jack for an external microphone would have been a nice feature but I found the built-in mic to be fine. Oddly the most irritating thing about the Bloggie is sliding the USB connector back into the camera. I always felt like either it would never go back in or that it might break. The USB extender cord that comes with the Bloggie is about 6.5" long; a longer one would have been more convenient. The screen is way too reflective and washes out in daylight so an anti-glare screen protector will be my next purchase for this camera. Documentation, once you have set the camera up is pretty much non-existent, so it's a learning experience as you use the camera. The will be some shake to your videos if you aren't firmly holding the camera or not using a tripod but that is true of all video cameras regardless of size unless one has a Steadicam or other camera stabilizer.

My bottom line is I really love this camera. It met all of my expectations; not too cold, not too hot but just right. I highly recommend it and would buy it again without hesitation.

Addendum: Took it on a cruise to Mexico and, well CURSE swimsuits with large pockets! I hopped into a hot tub with it in my pocket on the last day of the cruise! The camera died BUT the good news is that the Sony memory card survived with all my videos intact. Whew!

Now considering purchasing the Sony MHS-CM5 bloggie HD Video Camera (Violet) NEWEST MODEL with the 5x optical as a replacement.

Save 20% Off

F900,DOD,H.264,WIDE LENS 120 DEG,1080P HD CAR BLACK BOX,CAR DRIVING DVR CAMERA,DASHBOARD CAMERA,4X

I bought this cam to use during custody exchanges with the ex because it is sleek and simple and doesn't stand out (we all gota protect ourselves somehow). I received it and laughed at the box since it's written in mostly Russian. Just found out that over 1,000,000 Russians have these in their cars, that's how they caught so many clips of the meteor crashing. Anyway, the camera works well, 1080p ISN'T as clear and defined as I thought it would be... seems more like 480p in a widescreen format but hey, I'm not looking to make home movies with it. In 1080p mode and doing a continuous 10 minute loop recording it records about 2GB per file (2 files needed). So at minimum a 4GB SD memory card should be bought with this.... I recommend just maxing it out to a 32 GB card so you don't ever have to worry.

If your car cigarette lighter olug power turns OFF with the ignition you can set this up to record loops and start the car and have it automatically START recording and turn the car off and have it automatically STOP recording.

The product is made of plastic so don't expect some durable camera or anything... it's made pretty cheaply but with a price at around 50 bucks on Amazon what do you really expect.

Overall it is a very good camera and it serves its purpose well but I don't think that it is actually 1080p or that it should be advertised as 1080p since it is DEFINITELY not clear like a 1080p video should be.

F900 Box arrives quickly with many accessories. Camera weighs next to nothing, has shiny toylike look and feel of cheap plastic. Even so, tiniest screws all around suggest carefully put together. First problem: how to get battery into camera no help from Manual or from examining camera body. Finally figured it goes in fattest part and resorted after much effort or fruitless fumbling to another rough method: use a knife blade to pry open line around case where battery clearly must go, put blade into crack and twisted and lo, cover slid back. This has to account for some misery among buyers. I like this camera, will keep it, now list its faults.

SD CARD a struggle to get into tight area blocked by handle and harder to pull out with not enough room for fingers. Suggest file a groove on card edge so fingernail can grip and yank out.

MANUAL for English section has pictures so tiny as unreadable, even though next section for ?Japanese language shows much larger picture printed with a clear part number. Had to flip back and forth over three sections to follow instruction. Solution: use 3.5X reading glasses. Easier than interpreting Manual, I decided to just fiddle with each button and toggle post to learn how to operate just enough for my purpose to set language to English (why can't they do this before shipping to avoid horror of opening menu to foreign text?), adjust date and time and resolution, and turn off irritating beep.

PHOTOS on computer look fuzzy and distorted from bowing.

VIDEOS look fair, though good for this price, have obvious distortion, such that every straight line has a bow to it.

TESTING. I played with camera at my desk and pointing out window till comfortable with button operation and screen display, then did live field test now in attached video. Press On/Off button on top to turn on, getting blue working light, A second later, upside down display of nifty red automobile quickly righted itself. Press down on slightly raised joystick on top to begin recording, proved by red dot on screen.

For second test, I plugged into car battery for power. Camera did not turn on when engine started. It started recording when On/Off button pressed, eliminating need to again press down on Joystick.

Date and time appear thoughtfully at lower left corner in large white font. Time countdown appears upper right during recording, though oddly not visible on computer playback.

RECORDING, press joystick forward turns on Night Light recording -seems to make no quality difference except to put reflective glare on window. Joy to Left or Right zooms jerkily in or out with significant range on street and closeup desktop images. Zooming from 1X toward 4X got more grainy and fuzzy, obvious in video playback. To start or stop a recording, pressing the Stop Button seems to do same as pressing Joystick. SCREEN goes blank for a second or two at end and at start of recording. Zoom function useful by allowing closeup recording to enlarge detail on any object. [cc see house number and garage lamp in my sample video] In car test plugged into cig lighter bottom right of display showed flashing sign of power plug camera did not turn on or off with engine. I needed to press Power button, and once pressed, it started recording within a couple seconds.

Handheld test: DAYLIGHT recording has faint bluish tint and near objects not sharp. NIGHTTIME recording atest shows camera can record object with light on it and can get some detail within about 18 feet. At night it failed to show green or red or yellow color of street and car lights except as white spots. Moving camera slowly caused light to streak.

Car driving test: DAYLIGHT recording fairly sharp, showing wide view. Later playback confirmed cloudy day recording produces much better video, almost impressive. Street lights distinctly red, yellow or green though on playback appear pulsing or shimmering.

PLAYBACK, press Forward Arrow button on top. Use joystick to navigate thumbnails of combined video and photo images. Down goes forward, Up goes back. Press joystick to play. For still images fullscreen, Up and Down move backward or forward. Recording quality can show distinct letters on license plates when close, even better enlarged during playback on computer monitor. Camera lens makes nearly true sizes, without apparent stretching or squeezing image as do other cheaper cameras tested by me. I left camera in 720P setting for my tests, though maybe better if set to "1080". Camera produced huge AVI file that filled my monitor screen. Camera assigned my 4pm video in afternoon daylight number 164101 and my 4am video in dark night number 0434001, suggesting video naming may relate to time of day (16 as 16 hours on 24-hr clock or 4pm, and 04 as 4am), then 001, 002 for sequence.

BATTERY takes bizarrely long time to charge. After 5 hours mine only charged with 2 bars out of full max 3. Overnight still not full. And it wears down fast.

CONCLUSION? Good carcam for amount money paid and would recommend it as not too hard to use, producing clear enough images and good audio on computer playback. Showed sharp image of other vehicles on street, often making plate readable. Sound loud enough when playback on computer though barely can hear from camera speaker. My audio samples had a frequent grinding noise, not sure if camera or my car. Slight blue tinge to recording. Jerky zoom not a real concern. An important feature for fighting a traffic signal ticket, camera showed show true-enough color of street light during day (though poor color at night), Mount on windshield problematic as would not stay attached, while grip for camera does not allow easy positioning to film and view display at same time.

Buy F900,DOD,H.264,WIDE LENS 120 DEG,1080P HD CAR BLACK BOX,CAR DRIVING DVR CAMERA,DASHBOARD CAMERA,4X Now

i like the camera works good,has a good mount,been using it about three weeks,still working good.for the price it was a good deal.

Read Best Reviews of F900,DOD,H.264,WIDE LENS 120 DEG,1080P HD CAR BLACK BOX,CAR DRIVING DVR CAMERA,DASHBOARD CAMERA,4X Here

I owned this for literally about 30 days. That's how long the product lasted before it broke.

Something electronic inside prevented the camera from turning on again. It wouldn't work with battery or usb power.

I enjoyed it while I had it. It definitely took some getting used to having a screen on my windshield. You can't close the LCD with the camera on. This will shut the camera off immediately.

The mount broke from over-tightening... which i needed to do to keep it from bouncing on every little bump.

Want F900,DOD,H.264,WIDE LENS 120 DEG,1080P HD CAR BLACK BOX,CAR DRIVING DVR CAMERA,DASHBOARD CAMERA,4X Discount?

In title written "H.264" but camera does not support H264 encoding only MJPEG.

Therefore full 1080p does not make any sense because you need HUGE 32G sd card to have at least 1.5 hours capturing.

It is not dash camera and you need to start record each time you need to record and stop it then.

video quality acceptable (ohh yeah with such huge video files)

freezing from time to time

Summary: cheap video recorder to record short videos.