WD TV Live Streaming Media Player Wi-Fi 1080p

• Enjoy Internet entertainment on your TV
• Play your personal media collection
• Built-in Wi-Fi and intuitive interface
• High-performance, streaming-ready WiFi
• Bring the arcade to your HDTV
• Audio Formats Supported: MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby Digital, DTS
• Image formats Supported: JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG
• Video Formats supported: AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, VOB, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1),TS/TP/M2T (MPEG1/2/4, AVC, VC-1) MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, FLV (h.264)

I recently decided to start a little weekend project of completely digitizing my 200+ home DVD collection. I wont get into any arguments over the legal ramifications of this type of project, but rest assured every digital movie in my collection is a straight rip of a physical DVD I own. That being said, I really needed a good option to actually "deliver" these movies to my HD TV in my living room. I have an Xbox 360 but that just didnt seem to be making the cut. So I started researching these fancy smart set-top boxes.

At first I was convinced the Roku XS 2 was the way to go but I started reading more and more about its lack of specific filetype support (i.e. MKV, M4V, AVI to name a few). That and it really didnt do network streaming/sharing well (if at all). I saw the WD TV Live HUB with 1TB harddrive for 199 and thought that was just a little too steep for my price range (the Roku is 99 afterall). Then I somehow accidentally found this device on Amazon. The price was right, and the specs seemed right. Too good to be true?

No! This device is incredible! First of all, I cant get over how tiny it is! Its literally thinner than a regular DVD case and maybe as tall as 2 dvds stacked. It sits nicely right next to my 360 with some breathing room! It only comes with a cheap pair of composite (or maybe component I didnt check) cables but I quickly ignored them due to an extra HDMI cable I had lying around. That coupled with the extra optical cable I had as well completed this package although Im sure many will argue that its fairly lacking that the unit didnt come with either in the box (I agree but both cables can basically be purchased for an extra 10 bucks so not that big of a deal and I did have extras lying around).

Basically, setup took seconds and I had it online in no time. It found my wifi box right away although it appeared to have little to no "connection" strength (it showed no bars). This isnt unusual as my wifi router is fairly weak and my laptop consistently has issues dropping the connection etc which is unfortunate because the box is only upstairs and like 20 feet away?! But I digress. After the wifi connected I downloaded all the latest firmwares (quickly and painlessly) and was up and running! All the online services you could want are on the dashboard. A few notables I saw missing were Amazon Unbox and HBO Go but Im not sure what the situation is with those on other devices (Roku supports Amazon Unbox I think? 360 will have HBO Go in like 3 weeks?). But, this review really wont/doesnt cover all of those online services available to the unit. I tried Netflix and Pandora and they both worked fine. There are also a few games preinstalled which is neat I guess.

So, later in the night I put it through its paces. I basically threw every type of movie file I could at it, all with different file sizes and resolution (all streamed off a network share). I tried some 480p DVD rips of M4Vs, some 720p AVIs, even some 1080p MKVs. All streamed flawlessly (even over my poor wifi connection!). I was never disappointed. Even browsing the folder structure via the network share was quick and painless with no delay (with only 120ish folders so far). Later in the night by the time I was on my 3rd movie I noticed that the lip syncing was off. I started to panic! Was my too good to be true situation finally starting to show its true colors?! I tried a few other movies and all seemed fine, but that one with the syncing issue was consistent. Then I noticed in the quick options a Lip Syncing delay option. Toggling this (delay or advance) by 100ms chunks fixed the problem perfectly! I was VERY relieved to see that this option existed and it was so quick and easy to get too as I could see this being an issue for certain files etc. Lastly the only other issue I really noticed was that home videos taken with my Flip cam (1080p mp4s) were very choppy and delayed/unwatchable. I have experienced this before on every device Ive tried to watch them on (i.e. 360/PS3/etc). I have to assume that this is simply the result of trying to stream a file thats too large over my weak wifi network. Hopefully a Wireless N router will find its way under the Christmas tree this year!

At the end of the night I was very thrilled with the little device! Its doing exactly what I could want and more! My ONLY purpose for buying the unit was to stream my digital DVD collection via my network. The fact that I can throw an external HDD on the unit if I want to stop dealing with the network is gravy! Add on top the online services like HuluPlus, Netflix, Blockbuster, Pandora, etc, etc, and I have one tiny little unit that packs quite a punch! Most users here will review the online services and only glance over the networking/file type support. Hopefully Ive done the opposite here and covered all the "other" angles that most people arent concerned with!

PS Its worth noting that I cant really see a reason to get the more expensive WD TV Live HUB with built in 1TB harddrive. Its lacking WIFI and something else I cant recall but you can get an external 1TB drive for basically 1 hundred bucks anyway nowadays and just attach to the WD TV Live unit and have the same situation only better (because you have a replaceable drive AND wifi built in!).

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---------------UPDATE 5/25/2012-------------------

There's been a lot of changes since writing this review but just this week, WD updated the youtube leanback app and made a ton of improvements!. Now I can play my new videos from my subscriptions playlist :) There's also more data provided about each video and a sleek ui overhaul. You can also control the app through your iphone/android device (haven't tested this yet). Nice job WD! Loving this so much now!

--------------/Update----------------------------

I want to start by letting you all know that I'm very picky about my electronics and I'm not easily satisfied nowadays, so I always play with several products before sticking with one. I've gone through the wdtv live plus (grey model with small remote), sony smp-n100, and the apple tv 2 before trying out this device (also used various BD players, gaming consoles for netflix/youtube streaming). I must say that this unit takes the cake in terms of what you get for the price.

Too lazy to give you my full story and thoughts so I'm just going to sum it up and give comparisons to the atv2, which I'd consider the next best choice for a set top box.

-Video quality exceeded my expectations (netflix, youtube, network streaming)

-Youtube steams HD (unlike smp-n100 and other revisions of the wdtv live/plus)

-Wifi is integrated in this unit but won't see my N network (no big deal)

-Youtube won't allow you to access your subscriptions from the app, only your favorites list, search, popular videos, and your published videos (biggest downside for me)

-Can stream nearly every video file format I would ever use

-Netflix app on this device functions very well, better than other devices I've used.

-Includes a few games like chess, memory, dumb boring stuff mostly.

-The remote is more responsive and has more buttons (which I love) than the other model I used (WDBABF0000NBK-NESN)

Okay, now for my comparison of the WDBHG70000NBK vs the apple tv:

Both devices operate exceptionally well compared to the sony smp-n100 and the wdtv live (WDBABF0000NBK-NESN).

I was very pleased with the performance of Youtube and Netflix on both the apple tv 2 and the WDTV live; However, I appreciated the interface of the atv2 Netflix app slightly more simply because it gave me more choices and allowed me to specify sub-genres of movies to choose from and giving me similar movie/tv choices based on the content that's currently selected... similar to how Youtube shows related videos on the sidebar. The wdtv live had slightly better loading times with netflix buffering than the atv2 but not by much. The major selling point for me on the wdtv live was the fact that it consistently streams HD and doesn't change the video quality as often as atv2 did while watching Netflix. I hated switching from HD to SD or worse during a movie!!! The atv2 also has a noticeably blurry/pixelated image quality even while streaming HD content. That alone was the reason why I had to try out this revision of the wdtv live. This unit does not experience the loss of image quality that my atv2 had undergone, but I read somewhere that atv2 uses a different bandwidth standard for HD streaming than other devices and will dynamically change the quality while streaming without notification to avoid disturbances... I have a 20Mb downstream rate... still looked ugly with my 20Mb connection so I'd stay away from that unit if picture quality is important to you. Your wife probably won't find it irritating but if you've gotten used to the clarity of 720p, you WILL see the lack of focus and pixelation while using netflix on the atv2 (youtube was less noticeable). Jailbreaking the atv2 was a MAJOR selling point for me and in my opinion, increases the value of the unit by at least another $100 if you use the couch surfer addon or xbmc :) I won't go into that but google it if you want to learn about it.

WDTV live also supports almost every video format you'd ever want to stream from your pc so you wont have to go through the hassle of converting file types to make them work on your device. Atv2 lacks strongly in this department.

Alright, I'm getting restless typing all this ****. I'd rate the wdtv live a 9/10 and the atv2 an 7.9/10.

I'd highly recommend this device especially for the price!

PSIf you buy elsewhere, make sure you buy this unit with the large remote (as seen in the picture listed) not the version with the tiny remote, that's the old model and it sucks compared this this one. I'm too lazy to list the details, just take my word for it. I'm a wizard.

Edit 1: Found a few minor negatives about this device that I'd like to address here for the manufacturer to make notice of:

1. HDMI cec cannot turn off the device when Netflix app is open due to confirmation promptFIXED!

2. Youtube app should include subscriptions section or the ability to view only videos from specific usersFIXED!

3. New FW update causes issues with video output when the device wakes from sleep (might be related to hdmi cec)

4. general sluggishness of the menus with all the additional apps taking up space, maybe give us an option to uninstall certain apps?

5. youtube leanback has occasional buffer error where it wont come out of a buffer ring state

Read Best Reviews of WD TV Live Streaming Media Player Wi-Fi 1080p Here

I got this media player elsewhere locally, before Amazon dropped their price. Anyway, the GUI is fine. It's easily navigable, not cluttered at all, presented in a beautiful package, and certainly easy to read. All pluses there. The first videos I attempted to play were 720p mkv files over wireless network (on a 1TB HDD connected to my computer in the basement via USB). After taking a few seconds to gather the first few pictures from the USB--> wireless connected storage device, the WDTV Live streamed the videos seamlessly! I even paused one for like 8 minutes while making dinner, and it resumed with no noticeable glitches, artifacts, or rendering/buffering. The second (and only other) file type I attempted to play was a 1080p TS file I had recorded from my cable box. This took a little bit longer between hitting play and seeing video on the screen, but time was minimal. I want to say no more than 4 or 5 seconds. Again, it had to pull the video from the HDD to the computer via USB, and then again from the computer to the media player over the wireless G network. This video also played flawlessly! No artifacting, no rendering/buffering/, no audio sync issues or dropped frames. It plays video from hella far away on the network beautifully, and resumes from pause just as well! I only have 2 cons listed below:

-The out-of-box immediate software update took EONS! I was waiting for the newest firmware to download for almost 30 minutes.

-The remote control has highly raised rubber buttons that cannot be pressed in fast succession, or must be pressed a little bit harder in order to get signal sent. It's annoying, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. (Also, on this note, there are privately developed remote control apps for both Android and iOS in their respective app stores which may be an alternative for myself or some of you)

In conclusion, the new interface is exactly what I was expecting (if not better) after seeing last years release of the GUI on the hub. This player plays absolutely everything! It even plays items from peripherals on computers 2 floors down in my house wirelessly with very little wait time or visible effort. The price point is fantastic, and the product does not disappoint.

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In my review, I'm going to tell you how you can easily play all of the popular video formats/container formats with the following requirements: WD TV Live WDBHG70000NBK, a PC with adequate storage for your media, and a home network. Scroll down to ::HOW TO:: if you don't want to read my preface, albeit I recommend it for those who are new to all of this, so they have an understanding of the what and why this method, I feel, is the best.

*UPDATE: I changed references to PS3 Media Server to Universal Media Server, as it is a more up to date piece of software, headed by those who contributed to the PS3 Media Server project)

::PREFACE::

It always shocks and pains me whenever I read about people who can't seem to get certain file formats to play natively with their Media Renderer, so they decide to go through the laborious and error prone process of converting and re-encoding all their files into a format that they know will work with their device. Worse yet, they'll write off their otherwise great device as a piece of garbage, switch back to using risky and insane roundabout methods for media playback, or give up on networked home entertainment altogether, without ever getting to experience how great/economical/simple a functional, networked home entertainment setup can be.

I've been running networked home entertainment setups since around 2007, have tested many pieces of software and hardware, and have settled on this one solution that has been able to handle pretty much everything that I've thrown at it for years, with only very minor, albeit acceptable limitations. My setup requires having a networked PC to work as the actual media server which handles all of the processing gruntwork and compatibility issues that you find people moaning about in reviews on the shortcomings of various streaming media devices. While a lot of people desire ultimate simplicity by just having a box connected to the TV and internet, with no mucking about with a PC, this is a flawed methodology, as the variety of DLNA Media Renderers (ie: Xbox360, PS3, WD TV Live, AppleTV, Roku, etc) all have different, hit-and-miss support for various file types, meager, limited and slow onboard storage, and quite often do not have the horsepower to support quality playback of the most demanding files (1080p video playback with a full surround 7.1 channel DTS Audio stream). Others believe they can re-encode their way out of compatibility issues by converting those pesky (in reality, wonderful) .MKVs into .AVI, .TS, or |insert-filetype-here|. Format conversion is probably one of the absolute worst things someone can do, as PROPER video encoding requires a bit of know-how, the right encoding tools, no interruptions and perfect RAM, as even the slightest processing interruption or memory error can cause video and audio artifacts, loss of quality, and/or synching issues. I'm sure you've all come across and downloaded "crappy encodes" or "rips". A good, proper networked home entertainment setup can play just about any file natively, without requiring the user to convert anything. Make the player fit the file, not the other way around (time consuming). By incorporating a PC with the right UPnP media server/playback software, you eliminate the guesswork out of the compatibility, get access to a vast file library on much faster storage, much easier media management, and few worries of performance anxiety, so long as your computer is decently up to speed and has a fast enough network. Essentially, the PC + software does all of the work, while the Media Renderer, like the WD TV, is just the pretty front end that accesses it. In reality, this applies to AND works with many DLNA compliant Media Renderers, not just the WD TV Live...but there are compelling reasons why I have switched to this device.

The WD TV Live caught my eye because it uses very little power, is DLNA compliant, is inexpensive and has a fairly easy to understand interface. I had been previously using my Playstion 3s reliably for years, but as I've had less time for video games, and my wife and I were predominantly using them for Netflix and media server video playback, I could no longer justify their gluttonous power consumption. My original PS3 Fat was consuming a 160W at idle and up to 180W during playback, with the PS3 Slim consuming around 80-90W. It was having a pretty serious effect on my electricity bills. WD TV Live? A scant 6.6W while playing a 1080p video being served by my PC, idles at 5W!! And it functioned just as well as my PS3, with an interface that was a lot more attractive than Sony's XMB (cross media bar).

If you're adequately sold on this product and are interested in getting a great networked home entertainment setup started, continue on!

::HOW TO::

You'll need the following:

PC running Windows/MacOS/Linux, at least a Core 2 Duo @ 2.4Ghz and 2GB RAM. I recommend Intel i3 2300 or i5 2400, as they have fantastic power consumption:performance ratios. The more HDD space you have, the better.

Home network. For high end media streaming, nothing beats wired gigabit ethernet. If you worry about cabling, Amazon carries some fantastically discreet flat Cat6 cables here: Cables Unlimited UTP-1800-50W UltraFlat Cat6 Patch Cables (50 feet, White). Wireless is doable, but you must often turn down quality or face ugly stuttering issues. No less than 802.11n (Wireless N)

A DLNA compliant Media Renderer, aka the WD TV Live WDBHG70000NBK

1: If your PC is going to just be a dedicated media server, remove any and all codecs you may have previously installed. If you are also going to use it regularly and watch video with it, I recommend only having one codec pack installed, such as CCCP codec pack. In many cases where people can't play videos from their computer, it is because they have too many garbage codecs installed over each other.

2: Google and download Universal Media Server for your flavor of OS (I use Win7) and install the latest stable version on the computer hosting your files. Your computer + the media server software will be the brains behind your media streaming experience. It is a wonderfully coded pieces of open source software that can natively stream many video types to a wide variety of devices, including PS3, Xbox360, Boxee, WDTV Live (of course) and many more. It comes with all of the proper encoders to stream natively, or if it has trouble, it can transcode (on the fly video conversion to a compatible format, without damaging the original file) a wide variety of file types. It also supports multiple processors, multiple audio and subtitle tracks, and can read DVD ISOs. There are many options to explore, but for most people, everything works out of the box.

3. Launch Universal Media Server

4. Go to Navigation/Share Settings tab.

5. Add all folders that you would like to access from your WD TV Live

OPTIONAL (These settings have always worked for me, for just about any video, albeit the default out of box settings will work for most)

6. Go to Transcode Settings tab and see "Common Transcode Settings" options. I have mine set to use all cores and only "Remux when audio is AC3..." as the only things checked.

7. In the Transcode Settings tab and "MEncoder" options, I have "Use multiple cores" and "Remux videos with tsMuxer..." as the only things checked

8. In the Transcode Settings tab and "txMuxer" options, I have "Force FPS parsed from FFmpeg" as the only thing checked.

9. Hit the "Save" button on top and "Restart Server"

10. Start your WD TV Live

11. From the Videos tab, select your media source as "Media Server" (this can also be accessed by hitting the red button). You should see the Universal Media Server listed. Select it and start enjoying your collection! If you can't see the Universal Media Server listed as a media source, check your WD TV Live network and workgroup settings and ensure that they match your network. On your PC, ensure that it is "network discoverable" .

:: NOTES & LIMITATIONS ::

You'll notice an extra "Transcode" folder in all of your video folders. Transcoding, as mentioned before, is a method where the Universal Media Server will convert the video to a compatible format on the fly, without damaging or altering the original file. This is why it is good to have a PC with some horsepower. Transcoding is rarely used, only on the rare occasion that a file doesn't play natively. The folder can be disabled from showing withing PS3 Media Server.

One HD videos, fast forward or rewind buttons do not work well. Rather, pause the video and jump to specific times. Attempting to fast forward will overflow the memory buffer (HD video uses a lot of bandwidth) and can possibly crash Universal Media Server, resulting in you getting up and restarting the program on your PC. This is the biggest limitation.

Many videos in containers like MKV support and contain multiple subtitle and audio tracks (different languages, director commentary), use the "Subtitle" and "Audio" buttons to effortlessly switch them.

The default firmware on the WD TV Live will work just fine, but input response on older firmware is slow. WD frequently improves their product with regular firmware updates that have proven themselves to be beneficial.

:: OTHER THOUGHTS ON WD TV LIVE ::

I'm really happy with my WD TV Live, especially when used in conjunction with great UPnP media server software like Universal Media Server. WD TV Live will work with other UPnP media server software (ie: PS3 Media Server, PlayOn, TVersity, Plex) but I've found Universal Media Server to be the quickest, most lightweight, and most compatible with various video formats. Even without a PC serving media through a UPnP program, the WD TV Live is still a good device. It does natively support an impressive number of video types, but it did struggle with keeping up on some, crashing in one case. This device is a worthy investment for the amount of things you can do and access with it. If you invest a little time in understanding how media streaming works, and how to get the most out of it, you will absolutely love it.

I hope someone will benefit from my mega information dump!

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UPDATE January 30, 2013

Well, a new firmware update just killed my WDTV. It no longer sees my Windows Share even though every other device on my network does (AppleTV, Windows Computers, Mac Computers, etc). My Windows Share does not even appear on the list of Windows Shares. There is a thread on the WD Forums with users having the same issues as well as other issues with this firmware:

In addition phone technical support is useless and rolling back to previous firmwares as suggested does not work either. Everything was working just fine before this latest update and now the unit is useless even after trying to rollback firmware.

Doesn't look like WDTV cares either.

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

This product is a nice upgrade over the previous model since it does add Wifi and a greatly improved GUI. But some of the new features are kind of handicapped.

-The wireless N function of this device is 2.4ghz only. So if you have a 5ghz wireless N network you will be stuck either changing your router settings or using wireless G

-The metadata information only downloads for files that are directly attached to the device through USB not over the network.

-Unable to rate or add favorites for your files or folders over the network, only on directly attached storage.

Overall, still a great product since it plays everything I've thrown at it but could've been much better.

NAXA Electronics NPB-237 Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio

• AM/FM stereo radio with top loading CD player
• 20 track programmable memory and LED digital display
• Soft-eject CD cover and included play/pause, skip/search, and repeat function
• Telescopic antenna and Aux-in jack with dynamic high performance speakers
• 2 way power either DC battery or AC power

The CD player did not work. but had no issues returning it. Not sure if it was just a fluke as I didn't purchase another one.

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It seems with everything digital these days, it is hard to even find an old school CD boombox. I needed one for our baby's nursery and this is where it sits. It plays a CD and that's all I needed it for. The buttons, etc. are pretty durn cheap and flimsy, but what to expect for under $20? I don't expect it'll last all that long.

REMOTE CONTROL UNIT / SYLVANIA / EMERSON / SYMPHONIC - NB108UD

• Original Factory Remote - No need for programming, it just works!

My original remote controller wore out after using it for 5 years. I ordered a new one from AMAZON and it worked perfectly. So, if you have one that has quit working I highly reccommend getting it from AMAZON.

JVC GZ-HM300 Dual Slot High Definition Camcorder

I am an amateur when it comes to cameras, camcorders and the like. I'm basically a point and shoot type of customer that wants a good quality camcorder for recording our families activities. This is an outstanding camcorder for the money! First and foremost it takes very good quality videos. While I'm sure the videos aren't the highest of hi-def possible keep in mind this is a $300 and change camcorder. The video quality far outshines your standard camcorder. The two other features the time elapse and the motion detection both work very well, although outside of surveillance I'm not sure what the use of either is. The motion detection might be handy at something like a basketball game where you would point it at one end of the court and only capture the action when it's on that end. The only con I had with the camera wasn't really the camera's fault. I couldn't get the Patriot 16GB memory card to work consistently. I bought the Transcend cards and they work perfectly.

This camcorder seemed like a great deal, with a 20x optical zoom, HD filming, Time-Lapse, and CLAIMS of super low-light performance.

Reality: Low-Light performance is TERRIBLE !!! Horribly grainy pictures in even moderate lighting. Inside at night, with normal lighting from 3 overhead lights plus a lamp on, the video is grainy and washed out. The video looks like the sample pic in their description that shows what it should NOT look like. This thing has a TEENY TINY little sensor. There is no way this could ever take good video in low or moderate light. I bought this to take video of my soon-to-be-born first child, which will be mostly indoors with normal lighting. To use it for this purpose, I would need to invest in several industrial-strength halogen lights and aim them all at the baby at the same time to illuminate him enough.

Outside, this takes good video, assuming there is plenty of light.

The time-lapse feature seems awesome at first, but it sucks down the battery very quickly, unless it is plugged in. The screen must be kept open while filming or else the camera will shut off. Why not have a time-driven system that only turns on the camera for a few seconds at a time, which would vastly improve the battery life???

This camera is HD, but it is 1080(i)... Interlaced, and not full true 1080p. The description is misleading when it states that it can PLAY BACK in 1080p... they don't come right out and say "oh but by the way, it only records in 1080i." Quite misleading.

This cam does not come with a HDMI cable (most in this price range don't, either). It does come with a RCA type connector and usb cable. This is an HD cam, WHY oh WHY would I EVER choose to use an RCA cable to watch it??? I can't even tell you if it takes decent hi-def video because I can't hook it up properly to my HD tv. Should really INCLUDE HDMI CABLE... they could include one for very cheap, since they would be buying them in bulk at probably 50 cents apiece.

I returned this the day after I bought it. I have ordered the Sanyo FH1a instead, which has a MUCH larger sensor, and is actually CHEAPER now than this JVC! Whatever you do, watch some youtube videos showing demo videos of the actuall camcorder you want to buy, BEFORE you purchase.

This gets 2 stars, one for good zoom and one for time-lapse. But this cam really is 100% worthless indoors. I tested it indoors first at Best-Buy, but they have those very bright ceiling lights, so I was unaware of how bad this cam really is.

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It was a tough choice, but I feel confident that I bought the right camcorder. The timelapse function was the main factor in my search, but don't feel that I sacrificed much else in this decision (except for horrible low-light sensitivity).

My only real regret about this camera is the output file format. The software allows for some output options, but the .mts file format is not compatible with most apps. Apparently, the HD output will not be as good as what you see thru the camera playback. The software assumes that you will be burning the videos onto DVD, which is OK if you don't care for HD. I'm still not sure if full HD playback is possible without the camera as the player. There are some conversion programs out there that will allow the videos to be edited with the popular editing apps, but I don't yet have any experience with such conversions. This is the biggest problem with the JVC GZ-HM300.

Good zoom, excellent resolution, and good battery life. Now, if I can only get that HD video out into the real world.

If I'm wrong, please someone set me straight...

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Before I begin I'd like to point out I paid $120 for a recertified version of this camcorder. That included the battery, manual and all the cords. If I had spent $1,000+ for this camcorder my review probably wouldn't be as positive as it is, but considering the performance of other ~$100 camcorders this is by far the best camcorder you can buy.

Probably the best feature of this camcorder is the 20x optical zoom. A good zoom is absolutely necessary on any camcorder. I've noticed some other brands of HD camcorders are only 10x or 12x and they still want $800+. I have no idea what people are thinking when they buy a camcorder with only a 10x zoom. That's fine for a birthday party or indoor home movies, but if you're recording a school play or soccer game you're really going to miss not being able to zoom in and see your child's face as they deliver their lines or score the game winning goal and smiles at you from across the field. Five or ten years ago every camcorder was 40x zoom, not sure why we've fallen back to only 10x but I'd like to see this trend reverse.

I've read other people complaining about the low light abilities of this camcorder. I'm not going to lie, I've seen better, but most modern HD camcorders don't seem to handle low light well, you'll have to pay $1,000+ for one that does a really good job of low light. When I say low light I don't mean christmas morning home video, I mean turning off the lights when presenting a birthday cake or sitting around a campfire. It does have a feature where it will record in low light but it slows down the framerates to the point where it's not useful unless no one is moving. There's video examples on youtube of this camcorder in low light if you'd like to see how it does. If you really want good low light you're only real option is a Sony HD with nightvision.

The dual SDHC slots are great. I only bought one 16gb which lasts about 90 minutes at the highest quality setting, 120 at 2nd highest, 180 minutes at 3rd or up to 7 hours at the lowest quality. I never record at the lowest quality, everything so far has been highest or 2nd highest and I can't tell the difference in quality between 1st and 2nd. So far I haven't needed more than 2 hours of recording before I could get back to a PC but it's nice to know I could spend another ~$20 on 16 more gb and record at the highest quality for 3 hours.

Nice thing about a flash memory SDHC camcorder like this instead of a hard drive model is if I had to I could just put another SDHC card in there but once a hard drive is full it's full, you have to download everything first to a PC.

When you connect it to the PC it gives a few options. I've always chosen upload to PC or backup to PC (not sure of the difference), but it does list record to DVD as a option. Not sure how that works, I'll have to select that sometime and see what it does. I don't use the software that came with the camcorder, I've always used Windows 7 to transfer the files over and edit them with Windows Live Movie Maker and upload them to Youtube in 1080 HD.

Another concern when choosing the amount of memory you need is to decide now what you want to do with the video. If you put your videos on DVD or Blu-ray or just leave them on your computer there's no problem, but if you upload them to youtube or other sites than just 30 minutes of HD video is 5 gigabytes which takes several hours to upload even with a fast internet connection. So if you do decide to get a 32gb card or two you might also want to call your ISP and ask them how long it would take to upload 32gb of video, you might be surprised when they tell you a day or two.

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I have read some of the negative reviews posted for this camera as well as the HM320 and HM340 (which are identical cameras with built in flash memory). First, I think the "haters" need to understand where this product is positioned in the market. This is a mid-level consumer grade HD camcorder, that has been market down to ~$200, making it an entry level price. If you want to compare this camera to flag ship Sony and Canon cameras, the "haters" can fairly say that those cameras are superior in most respects and they are welcomed to buy them for an extra $600 to $800. This JVC Everio GZ-HM series of cameras will give roughly 75-85% of the performance of those cameras, for a fifth of the price. I have had roughly 8 camcorders, and I currently own a Canon HG10-which was the top of the line Canon two years ago. That camera still takes the best video footage I have ever seen short of a professional grade camera.

In outdoor shooting, the JVC looks very good--so long as the zoom is kept below 8X, unless you're using a tripod.Because this camera has a small sensor, using zoom above 8x does reduce the quality of the video, although it is still very watchable. The lack of optical image stablization does the quality of the image as well, but none of its competitors have optical image stablization and you will need to spend an additional $400 to find a camcorder that offers this feature.

As far as fit and finish is concerned, the camera is SMALL--it is basically a smidgen larger than a Flip UltraHD camera and weighs about an ounce more. This camera can fit in your pocket, although you will get a slight bulge (not a bad thing for some of the guys out there). The camera seems to be solidly built, although it is mostly plastic. I would have preferred a mechanical lens cover as proposed to the manual clip on cover that can be easily lost. It's not the end of the world--but for a camera with a list price of $399.99--this is a bit cheap. Although the camera does have a multi-function on/off button, turning the camera on or off is as simple as opening and closing the lcd screen. The camera is equipped with not one, but two SD card slots. I purchased two kingston 32gb class 6 and a cards for $49 each here on Amazon, giving me 63gb of storage--more than enough to cover any trip. If you run out of space, just throw in another SD card and keep shooting.

The user interface is a little difficult to operate. I am not a fan of the "lasertouch" functionality, which is nothing more than a capacitative strip on the side of the screen. It's not particularly sensitive and I find that make the wrong selections half the time. I would definitely prefer a touchscreen or a joystick control like the one used by Canon on its R-series of cameras. Once you managed to navigate the choices, however, you have a wide array of settings, including manual white balance and focus settings. I have found that, for the most part, you're better off just leaving the camera in full auto mode and only tinkering if you're in some oddly lit room.

When this camera launched, it had a list price of $399.99. I found the a factory reconditioned version of this camera online from another retailer for $125.00 and snapped it right up. Currently, fresh new cameras can be had for $175-$210. This puts the JVC in the same price range as the Sony Bloggie Touch, Flip Ultra HD, Mino HD, Kodak Playtouch and Playsports etc. Those are cheap, entry level packet cams that can't come close to matching the JVC in terms of quality or performance (and aren't much smaller). If you can buy this camera for $225 or less, you got a good deal.

If you would like to see some sample footage, I posted some test shots on youtube:

Update 7/28/11: My review and comments regarding the JVC Everio GZ-HM300 remain the same, however, I am reducing the rating from five stars to three. Assuming you intend to buy the JVC new for ~$200, there are currently better options available. The Sony DSC-HX7V or WX9, both are compact megazoom point and shoot cameras that have the ability to record video and 1080i at 60fps in AVCHD at a 24mbps bitrate or, in the case of the HX9V, at 1080p at 60fps at a 28mbps bitrate. Both Sony's are excellent point and shoot cameras and the video quality is outstanding. Both sony's use superior quality lens and have some of the best optical image stablization on the market. I have seen the HX7V for as low as $249, with case and 4gb card at a big box store (currently using a $30 instant rebate). The HX9V sells for around $348. Also available is the compact Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX9, which has the same video capability as the HX7V and sells for less than $200 on Amazon (including optical image stablization). All three cameras have better video performance, take beautiful photos and provide custmers with a better value for dollar than the JVC. Based on this new competition, I can no longer recommend the JVC (the Sony's are that much better).

CTA DIGITAL MI-IRP1 Portable Internet Radio with 1GB Memory

Update: After very limited use for 18 months or so the radio stopped working -just would not turn on. I disassembled it (I build such electronics, so not a big deal). Battery is fully charged, switches are functioning (tested with ohmmeter), no loose wires. Must be a component failure. Not good, considering it was always in a padded case when not used. Add the that: The price is $100 more now than when I bought it in mid-2008. Definitely NOT recommended.

Phil

-------------------------

This radio works well as an internet radio. Manual says 10 hrs on battery when in internet radio mode and I have no reason to question that (but no life tests as yet). And, if you have a USB AC supply (as from an iPhone or iPod) you can power it from that. It is also an FM radio, but I've yet to try that mode.

Construction is fine for the purpose and size (it is really tiny -thinner than my iPhone, a bit narrower and about 2/3 as big in the longest dimension).

However the description is a bit misleading. It says "Add more media to your device with the Micro SD/MMC card slot". I can find no such slot in the unit (it's so small it would be hard to hide such a slot); nor is one mentioned in the manual. You can load MP3s, images and video into the 1 GB internal memory, but it will not accommodate a Micro SD card as I had hoped. This is why I gave it 4 stars instead of five.

The lack of the promised slot is a bit disappointing. But my reason for buying this unit was to have a small internet radio for travel (already have a large one next the bed) and it is that. And I have several other MP3 players.

Phil

I'm not sure how this product is listed as having a micro SD slot. If it has one, it is very well hidden and is not mentioned in the instruction manual. Also, I haven't been able to figure out the recording function (I don't think it exists either). Further the support website listed on the device is not functional (just a random South Korean public relations site...zero support). It does have a seemingly endless list of internet radio stations and the interface is relatively intuitive. I can't think of much more nice to say. In short, I wouldn't buy this again. If they made it with a real record function, external memory support, and with a TIVO like program, it would be what I actually had hoped for (and wouldn't stink).

Buy CTA DIGITAL MI-IRP1 Portable Internet Radio with 1GB Memory Now

The features work great especially the internet radio but the interface and overall cheap feel need improvement to rate a 5 star review.

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Updated: internal battery no longer holds a charge. Unit is now useless.

Love this player. When I bought this, there were 7 reviews on Amazon, and after having this product for a number of months, I would say all 7 reviews are dead-on. Read them all and since this is only one of three portable wifi Internet radios that I could find I decided to take the plunge. First one I received one did not hold a charge, but Amazon exchanged it (yay Amazon!). The second one worked great at home, but would not connect to my wireless network at work. Updated the firmware in my work wireless router (was an old wifi-B Netgear unit) and now works great! Battery lasts about 6 hours on wifi, and only charges via computer's USB, not from my AC-USB adapter. Love this player. Have not used too much for video or even MP3 as for me it is my portable wifi Internet radio. Love the radio choices. Very light-weight. Bought a small belt-clip holder at local dollar store and carry it with me around the office. Headphones are fine, charger fine, instructions fine. Works as 1 GB USB storage device so I can access player from Linux. Fairly expensive, but unless you use your phone for Internet radio, this unit makes a great portable Internet radio. Just make sure you get one that works, and if it does work, make sure you update your wifi firmware if you can see the network but can't connect.

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It's so frustrating this product is exactly what I wanted, and as has been said elsewhere, it's a one-of-a-kind device: if not this, then there is nothing else that provides wifi internet radio in a pocketable format. Sadly, although I have had three from Amazon.com, none of them was capable of charging the battery.

I tried two laptops, a powered hub and a USB charger, but the experience was always the same: while connected to a PC it would appear as an external drive, and the battery indicator would go from empty to full in about 4 minutes. Alternatively, while connected to a USB charger it would display "Battery Low | Charging" for about 20 minutes before displaying a perpetually rotating hourglass. But even after being left connected for 4 days, it would die the instant it was disconnected and refuse to power up. All three examples behaved the same (and I did check the "Hold" switch that locks the on/off was in the unlocked position).

All three had boxes that looked scuffed and a little faded, making me wonder if they had been stored too long, maybe by the importer: rechargeable batteries have to be given a part charge for storage but if they go totally flat it can kill them. That's all I can think of that would prodce this unfortunate result.

Amazon Returns have been swift and efficient about providing a replacement, but I felt that after 3 tries it was probably time to give up. A shame....

Polaroid PDM-0722 7" Portable DVD Player (180 degree rotating screen)

• 7'' widescreen (16:9) color LCD screen gives you a beautiful color picture
• LCD screen swivels 180°, folds flat against player for viewing convenience
• Plays DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW ,Plays music CDs, CD-R/RW ,JPEG image compatible
• Built-in Dolby Digital Decoder for fantastic sound ,Built-in stereo speakers deliver sound anywhere
• ESP (Electronic Skip Protection) for an uninterrupted picture while in motion ,Switchable audio and video input/output

I bought this at least 2 years ago. We took it on several car trips and it held up just fine with two boys! We also took it along on several flights to keep the boys occupied. My only complaint is that the sound is too low, but if you use earphones it is fine. The other day, I brought it to my room to watch a movie and it was hard to hear without using earphones.

I'm trying to find a cable so we can hook it up to the TV. I can't remember if it came with one or not, but we have lost it if it did.

Pioneer Elite BDP-HD1 - Blu-ray Disc player / digital multimedia receiver

You know when they say: you get what you pay for! There is no exception like this Bluray player. I am in the process of building my HDMI capable cinema home universe right now. After many many searched and evaluation of where to start and what to buy and build, i sort of went this route:

1.bought and looked at all sort of source material both HD and Bluray

2.kept track of the HD wars from all sorts of places

3.looked at lists of movies i wanted to see in HD

4.made lists of things i wanted to see and do with the titles on what TV

Now that i have decided which format, now comes the even much harder part, the TV and surround systms. I was very much in the mood to go with JVC LCOS 70" but after recognizing how this amazing Pioneer handle 24FPS i retracted from that decision.

Let me put it to you folks simple: this player on a component cable connection to a DELL 24'' flat panel looks amazing, astonishing, juicy, delicious, pure, tantalizing and many many words i cant think of! I don't think the DELL would keep up with the player since some bluray titles are not fully 16x9 show-able on a computer screen.

When people have a choice between a PS3 (for movie viewing only) and a standalone beauty like this player, please give this a thought. Its a bit pricey but think of how much you invested so far in the content, audio AV system, and television. This is the icing on the cake. I however reversed my purchase decision since this came out just recently:

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665156111

I just received this player and set it up with my Arcam AV9 Processor, Anthem AVR7 7 channel Amp, B&W Front and Surround, Tannoy Rear Surround and Boston Acoustic Center Speakers and watch BBC Planet Blu-ray on my Sony 60 inches TV. I have only one word to describe the performance of all these: "WOW!"

:)

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Sharp Aquos LC42D64U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

• 42" HDTV LCD-TV with Full HD 1080p resolution
• 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• 4ms Response Time
• It featurees PC Input
• RS-232C Input for control

After researching for 3 weeks, I was set on a Sharp TV. Sony was too expensive for my price range, and while I read a lot of good things about Samsung, this TV's features for the price sold me. After having it for a little while now, this is how I would rate it.

Price Excellent. 4.5/5 Sharp was the cheapest prices between the top 3-4 brands I looked at that had a familiar name and plenty of reviews. I did examine other brands with lower prices on 1080p TVs, but I couldn't really obtain enough informational reviews or enough good ones to justify purchasing any of them just for the lower price.

Picture Excellent. 4.25/5. I'll be honest, I was a little worried when purchasing a Sharp TV. First of all, I saw it's previous model (the D62U) at a Best Buy and a Circuit City and was not totally impressed with the picture, but I had heard that sometimes bad feeds or other issues can make a store-display not as attractive. However, my real concern was if my TV would have the infamous "banding" that seemed to plague some of Sharp's earlier models. You can easily find out what banding is by searching something like "Sharp banding issues". I won't go into specifics myself about that. Anyway, I had read this model of TV -canhave banding, but that it is not near as common nor as significant in earlier models. My TV has no noticeable banding issues at all, and I'm not going to go out of my way to nitpick and search for any small issues that may be there as I can't see them now.

As for the picture itself, it is great. Much better than the store displays for the earlier model that had me worry. Obviously, out-of-box settings aren't the best. At first I tried to change picture modes (of which there are several) to a User setting and tweak it using recommendations from some tech forums. This became tedious as people posted different specs and none were really quite looking right for me. So I gave up on that and just tried them on the default settings for what I was doing. I set my HDMI PS3 input to Gaming picture and it looks great. I see no reason to change it beyond that, it looks exactly as I was hoping for. Same with the Movie setting as well for my DVD input. No dead pixels and a crisp clear picture with good contrast black levels and brightness make it a great choice.

Plenty of options available for picture adjustment as well.

Features Very Good. 4/5 Plenty of inputs. You can read the specs in the item description. My only reason for docking it a point is because the 3rd HDMI and 2nd Component are located on the side and stick out when plugged in. I can understand this could be an eyesore for those wall-mounting it or just not wanting to see them sticking out. I am not using that 3rd HDMI port (yet), but I do have 2 component items hooked up and the cords sticking out the side and noticeable from looking at the TV straight-on plus the location of my TV itself does make it a tad annoying, but I am getting used to it and it's not really bothering me as much as it might others.

Overall Excellent. 4.75/5 (note, the overall is not meant to be an average of the other scores). Overall, it's definately a great buy. There is more that I could say and some things I have probably forgotten about that I wanted to say, but that's ok. I don't want to make this too awful long a review. So, yeah, basically my experience with this TV is amazingly good and I would easily recommend this TV to anyone who asked me. It's price, features, and picture easily won me over.

Buy Sharp Aquos LC42D64U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Now

I am writing this because I have seen some reviews trashing Sharp's customer service, and I felt the need to share my own experience to even things out.

I had originally ordered the LC-42D62U (not from Amazon sorry!), but discovered some minor 'banding' issues with the set when I hooked it up. Overall, the picture was outstanding, but in dark or deep shadow areas slight variations in tone were evident as horizontal bands. If I'd only spent a couple hundred dollars on the set, I might have just let it go, but for over $1500, this wasn't acceptable. I was initially nervous because, although most customer reviews for Sharp's LCDs were positive, some of the negative ones were accompanied by customer service horror stories. So, with some trepidation, I called Sharp. It was a Wednesday afternoon. The representative I spoke to was courteous and friendly, and asked if I could take a digital photo of the problem and e-mail it to Sharp. That was reasonable to me, so I agreed. I didn't get a chance to send the pics until Friday around noon, from my office. By the time I got home from work I had received a reply thanking me for the pics and promising a prompt reply. By the time I woke up on Saturday, I had received another e-mail saying they had reviewed the pics, would exchange the set, and would contact me to make arrangements. Monday morning I got a call at my office from another courteous rep telling me that my new set would arrive in 7-10 days, and the trucking company would pick up the old set when they dropped off the new AND that since the D62 line was no longer in production, they would be sending me one of their brand new (thinner, lighter, more feature-laden) D64's.

The exchange went off without a hitch, and the new set looks absolutely fantastic. Like all LCDs, some fine tuning was definitely required, as the out-of-box settings are overly bright and saturated (to make them pop on showroom floors), but once the set is properly tuned it looks amazing. Blu-ray is awesome!!

So, the product is a definite winner, and my initial problems were handled with speed, courtesy, and professionalism. All in all, I have to say that this turned out to be the best experience I've ever had with customer service from ANY company.

Read Best Reviews of Sharp Aquos LC42D64U 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Here

After many hours of research I came to the conclusion that this TV would be the right one for me. I needed an LCD because the room that I have set it up in is very bright during the day and is in direct sunlight and LCD was the right choice. I have set it with PS3 as my DVD/Blue ray player using HDMI and the picture quality is fantastic. Overall I am extremely pleased with the build quality and picture quality of the TV. The remote control is not the best in the world but is sufficient. You will likely need a surround sound system since the speakers on TV's are not of the highest quality. I have used a Yamaha receiver coupled with Infinity speakers and this has worked great. One word of advise: If you buy from Amazon contact the seller after they have shipped the item so you can get the phone number for the shipping company so you can make sure someone is home when the TV is to be delivered. I had no problems whatesover. The TV arrived in great condition with no dead pixels. Overall I am extremely pleased with this TV and the price obtained at Amazon was great. I would highly rec. this TV to anyone.

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What a great TV. My first week was with standard signal, great picture. No sign of problems reported with earlier Sharps such as banding or dead cells. Appreciated how easy it was to move around and how it fitted into my entertainment center where other brands would have forced me to go 40". Yesterday I got HD satellite. Wow! Whether we watch high speed soccer games, or the Gallery channel fine art, everything is true to life. The satellite intaller also said he had never seen a TV that recognizes the satellite box rather than him having to set it up. He also said it was a very good TV, and I guess he sees a lot. The audio is very good. We don't have a home theatre setup, but the TV audio is more than fine. Amazon was a good buy. I see that Circuit City just advertised this box for a $300 discount, but still $200 more than I paid even if you include shipping. The package arrived in perfect shape, and I didn't have to carry it. Very happy customer.

Sharp 42" LCD HDTV

Model #: SHA LC42D64U

This was my first purchase for a flat screen television and I waited 3 months to ensure that this product review is as accurate as possible. I'm not the type of buyer to buy a new piece of electronic equipment on a fly. My last television lasted 10 years, needless to say I shop for a long term investment. This television in one word is "beautiful."

We (my wife and I) went to the store to buy a Sony Television--that's all we ever purchased in the past. They are simply too expensive and with the guide of Consumer Reports we started looking at the Toshiba televisions. We saw the picture quality of the Sharp Aquos LC42D64U and we were awestruck. We kept viewing other televisions and kept going back to the Sharp Aquos.

It's just a beautiful piece of Art when it is off. It is incredibly slim and the shiny bezel gives it a golden touch. When it's on, watching the HD channels is so mesmerizing that it literally transcends you. The regular channels look very good as well but of course, not as beautiful as the HD channels. We have a standard DVD player and even with that, the picture is absolutely stunning--imagine with an HD DVD player.

In addition, the television has an amazing list of features. It has several features including: an analog PC input, HDMI 1.3 with CEC and Deep Color support, side input panel, and a lot more picture adjustment settings. It also has an RS-232 control port if you have a control system for your AV. It has a USB port for updating firmware in the future which is a great addition (this will allow future HDMI protocols to be implemented).

The only draw back I would give is that the speaker sound quality could be better BUT that doesn't take away from the overall performance of the television. If you have a surround sound system, then that reasoning is moot. If you don't, I would still purchase this television because the sound is very good, just in comparison to the television you'll expect a master sound theatre.

Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone (Textured White)

• Uniquely designed plug-and-play USB mic connects to either a Mac or PC
• Dual capsule design and unique three-pattern switch can handle everything from soft vocals to loud garage band
• Switchable mic patterns for a variety of recording applications, including podcasts
• Swivel mount located on the bottom center of the mic body
• No additional software required

Always hold it close to your mouth to eliminate echo and get that deep, rich satin voice you're looking for!

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Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone Bundle

This video demonstrates how the Blue Snowball microphone sounds and its different modes.

I have read some reviews that stated that the microphone had problems working with Vista. I did this review on a Vista PC. There is a product FAQ for this mic on www.bluemic.com that states that after a certain serial number (starting in 2007) the mic was updated and now supports Vista. I can attest to that as I had no problems setting it up. I just plugged it in and it worked.

Read Best Reviews of Blue Microphones Snowball USB Microphone (Textured White) Here

Okay, I own a lot of microphones. I am very picky when it comes to sound and I would gladly waste $40 in gas to return a microphone that just didn't have the sound I expect. I was delighted to hear the quality of this USB mic! It has a great clarity to it, without being "tinny" or "crispy", and without sacrificing on the lows either. No "boomy" or "hollow" sound, just a nice clean and full-range quality that I expect from my $500-range microphones (but thankfully, without having to fool with an audio interface or goofy proprietary driver software!) What a great find... plug it in and it is ready to record!!

If you are looking for an intelligent, clean, affordable microphone for voice-over projects, podcasts, quick-and-easy live recording (with your laptop, of course), or open-mic music composition before dragging all the gear out to record a full-blown multitrack, this is the best money can buy in this category. Not to mention, it looks great sitting on your desk! BLUE has definitely convinced me to buy again, solid construction and solid sound (and no stupid drivers like Samson's USB garbage). Maybe next I'll get a Bluebird or Baby Bottle, this company is worth a closer look now that I've heard the very smooth sound of their entry level -BLUE has got my attention!!

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I've been using this Mic a little over a month and am very impressed with it. What I want to do is add some value to the many reviews that have already been posted. But first, let's get past the obvious good points:

This thing looks way cool. It's a nice techno-retro mix that I really like. It sounds great (with one caveat mentioned below. The price is very reasonable. The build quality is solid. They evey provide a heavy duty USB cable. If you need a mic and are looking for tremendous value this will fit the bill.

The audio issue I had, and I'm not alone, is that while the quality is outstanding the output level is a tad low. I contacted Blue support and learned that a fix will be released soon. Until then it's a matter of speaking up a bit or turning up the gain on whatever audio processing software you're using.

Now, to address some issues raised by other reviewers... My mic was new stock, serial number 092xxx. I plugged it into my Windows 7 (64 bit) system and it "played" right away. The stand is fine. (If you want to replace it then the On Stage DS7200B Adjustable Desk Microphone Stand, Black seems like a nice option. However, I like being able to keep a pad of post-its on my desk below the stand :)

Finally, some suggestions. I've been using audacity, a free, feature rich audio editor. Windows recorder is fine and I can't see any reason not to use audacity instead. Also, while a replacement stand is a possible add-on to consider, you should first look into a pop filter. I use the Nady MPF-6 6-Inch Clamp On Microphone Pop Filter If you check out my audio/video review which accompanies the product listing (it's somewhere near the top) you can hear a comparison of the Snowball with and without the filter. You even get a chance to guess which is which before I tell you.

Another small issue besides the slightly attenuated output is the selector switch. There's a three position switch that allows you to select cardioid (directional), -10db cardioid, or omni-directional. Unfortunately it's labeled 1, 2, and 3. I wish the manufacture had done a better job of labeling that switch.

One final comment is it would have been nice to have an analog output available. I'm no engineer (actually, I am but not that kind) and don't know if it's possible. However, if it was it would be nice to have.

Those minor issues and my hallucination about the analog output aside, this is one fine mic and you would have to spend lots more to get something even approaching this level of quality.

UPDATE: I've been using this mic for several months and continue to be impressed. One "enhancement" I've used and suggest you consider is to replace the really nice looking stand with one that I've found works a bit better: On Stage DS7200B Adjustable Desk Microphone Stand, Black. It allows the mic to be raised a bit higher and also locks in place much more firmly.

UPDATE 2: I've also started using a Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone. My review for it, a few down from the top, provides a comparison between the Snowball and the more-expensive Yeti.

BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.

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I'm not a professional.

Up to now, I've been using a cheap $20 non-usb mic to record podcasts. I was having all sorts of problems with background noise. My biggest problem, though was that you could hear each and every sound my mouth made when I was talking. Also sounded tinny, shallow, and overall not good, which made it difficult to edit in Audacity as well.

In comparison, the Snowball is a freakin' miracle mic. It's not even from the same planet of mics that my other one was. Completely amazing. My voice sounds deep and rich, and there are no more annoying squishy mouth noises messing everything up.

I've never recorded in a studio, never been in a sound-proof room, and never recorded with a real studio mic. So I don't know how it compares. But for normal people wanting a great sound from a relatively inexpensive mic, this will blow you away. Hats off to Blue Mic for putting this together!

Samsung SC-D382 MiniDV Camcorder

I'm covering this camcorder in more detail on youtube with user "rofthorax", that's my account.

I purchased this for about 179 dollars from Sams Club, and have had nothing but fun with it ever since. I've only had it for five days, but in this time I've connected via Firewire to my PC with an old Firewire IEEE 1394 card that had been collecting dust for almost a decade. Purchased a Firewire cable from Radio Shack, and have had a flawless integration between this camcorder and Ubuntu Linux (Free OS) Kino video editor(FreeVideo Capture and Editor utility, comparable to Movie Maker on XP). I was expecting to have a lot of trouble and looking around for drivers, but it worked the first time without a hitch.

Some of the things I can do with this camera and Kino:

1. capture video to DV on the computer via firewire at ~3MB/sec, good enough for video editing.

2. control the DV cam via firewire with Kino, fast forward, rewind, step reverse/forward, shuttle controls, stop, pause, etc..

3. Even when I'm playing videos I've captured to the computer, on the computer, the video playback is shown on the DV Camera's LCD screen (not quite as flawless, a bit of skip, but not bad considering I wasn't expecting this kind of integration).

4. Can use Samsung SC-D382 camera to record video to the computer's hard drive via firewire, by-passing the tape.

I can't tell you how exciting that is.. Especially to do it on Ubuntu, I've been boycotting Microsoft products after having problems with a laptop that prevented me from obtaining drivers for XP.. I switched to Ubuntu, and have be desperate for video editing capabilities for months, and have finally found a work flow for doing it.

Samsung SC-D382 -> Kino -> Blender ..

Blender's sequence editor is capable of processing DV directly, and the sequence editor plugins are written in C, easily compileable with GCC in Ubuntu. Also Blender was the program used to make the animation "Big Buck Bunny", a completely open sourced movie that utilizes blender.

Anyhow, I've been able to do quality video work using Kino to captrue video from the SC-D382 and using blender to edit and render it to a format I can upload to youtube.. I've been able to dump hour long videos onto youtube using compressed OGG files ("oggconvert"), so now with this DV camera, I can do quality 16-bit audio with full-res NTSC video, not HD, but what do you expect to get for 180 dollars? Besides HD is a resource hog, and NTSC is sufficient for downsampling to Youtube.

The video is interlaced, so I have to find a way to merge the fields into 30fps full frame non-interlaced somehow.. Downsampling interlaced video produces larger files than downsampling non-interlaced video.

An hour of video from this camcorder produces about 10GB file, so if you are on XP, make sure you have a NTFS drive to store to, FAT32 can't use files larger than 4GB. Linux has plenty of file systems, JFS and XFS are ones that are commonly used for video work. I'm using EXT3 currently, because I'm working in "/var/tmp". I haven't experienced any dropped frames..

As for the Camcorder, the only problem I have is the joystick on the LCD preview screen is a bit tough to operate, but you should be able to figure-out the camera without a manual.. The Manual looks like it was made for an Idiot.. So if you are one, best use the manual. I was up and working with this one in 5 minutes.. The Firewire was plug-and-play.

Only stumbling block is I had to run Kino as root to get it to talk to the Camera, but that was like 3 minutes on google searching for help and a small leap of faith.

The camera permits you to change white balance and perform some effects in record mode.. You have stop recording to switch Digital Image Stabilization mode off and on. Zoom exceeds my 10x zoom Olympus SP-510UZ, and permits me to zoom and auto-focus and do all the things a video camera should, while recording. My Olympus doesn't permit me to zoom while recording Audio (don't ask me why, Olympus is probably trying to protect their camcorder line from their digital camera line, Olympus even reduced the audio quality to 8Khz with 8-bit sound, which really sucks).

I was thinking about getting the 18x Optical Zoom version of my digital camera, and was torn between getting that for 260 dollars, anbd getting a DV Camera.. And I'm sooooo glad I went with this..

Note, Tapes are best for archival! DVD's are easily destroyed, tapes have greater surface area and greater longevity than DVD's (which have been said to have a 5 to 20 year lifespan, depending on the manufacturer). Best to get Tape based camcorder than DVD or Hard Disk.. Hard Disks can crash and DVD's are easily ruined. The draw back to tapes is ease of access, its linear, and to transfer to the computer requires a re-recording.. But you could easily waste that much time performing a video render from a non-linear video editor like Adobe Premiere on Windows or Kino/Blender on Ubuntu. What's one more hour? You think you are that busy? Besides on Windows you could waste more time in other ways.. I've not missed windows one bit, switching to Ubuntu.. When stuff is supported on linux, it works flawlessly and without compromise, but

finding the software is the big toughy.

The Camcorder, has two modes, record and play. It's easily turned on and

off, menu button on top left, always accessible, video effects modes like "art (polarization), mirror, mosaic, sepia, negative", pre-set color balance and the typical white balance mode. 12-bit and 16-bit audio modes, mono and stereo audio (not sure if the mic is a stereo mic). Tapes carry about an hour. Twice the storage of a dual layer mini-dvd, and about the same size.. Rewriteable tapes, zero quality loss between uses, it seems.. White LED fore-lite, for lighting a night recording.. Your battery will last about 30 minutes if you use the LED Light.. If you don't, the battery will for an hour. Button to toggle extra on-screen details, record button accessible on LCD screen and on back of camcorder, accessible by thumb.. Button on top permits you to take pictures. Zoom is controllable by LCD flip-out pivotable screen and standard toggle on the top of the camera. Comes with AC Adapter, L-ion battery is charged when not in use.. Can be used without battery.. Can be used as a camera for recording to computer, via firewire, without a tape (or battery).

Plug behind battery looks like an HDMI plug, but not sure..

Cheers to the reviewer that got this camera to work on Linux. I could not get it to work with iMovie and Samsung support told me why.

This was the cheapest camera available at the time and when it arrived it seemed as though it fit the bill. The zoom was good and the picture in the camera was about what I would expect. It could do better in Low Light compared to other camcorders that I have had. It searched focus a lot and did not do very well with color and was very grainy but again I did not expect much.

However, there were a few glaring problems the video output of the camera when you plug it into the TV was greenish for low light but acceptable for brightly light subjects.

But the worst, it does not seem to use industry standards for DV out and will not work with Apple iMovie. A piece of my transcript with the Samsung rep:

{me}:I know what codecs are, but which one does this camera need? what is it's video format?

{support}: It uses AVI format and when the files are using AVI format it can be run and viewable .

{me}: hmmm. ok

{me}: any idea how I could use it with a Mac?

{support}: I am sorry to inform you that our cameras are not compatiable with mac and you can use it with other operating system, and our engineers are working on it to make it compatiable.

{me}: ok thanks.

Also there is a 16x9 record mode (by default) but (after some discussion):

{support}: You can set the 16:9 mode only in camera mode.

{me}: ok so 16x9 playback does not exist?

{support}: It will be exist only in camera mode.

{me}: ok

back to the store with this one.

Buy Samsung SC-D382 MiniDV Camcorder Now

Beware! Do not buy Samsung SC-D382 if you want to use it to play tapes that you recorded on another camera! The Samsung will not do the job. Video is jumpy and the audio screeches. Samsung acknowledges this, but they stick it in a little note back on page 44 of their manual: "We recommend that you use this camcorder to play back any [sic] tapes recorded on this camcorder. Playing back a tape recorded in other equipment may produce mosaic shaped distortion." Sneaky! A call to Samsung quickly confirmed this. Samsung should have been much more clear about this limitation, especially since they have rolled out this product at the end of the mini DV cycle.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung SC-D382 MiniDV Camcorder Here

I just bought this camera and it works on my MacBook.

You need a firewire cable to import your movie into

iMovie 06 and everything is fine. For the money it

is OK. I do stop action animation so that is why I bought it.

(I have not tried it yet in iMovie 08, so I don't know if it

imports into that.) You can download iMovie 06 for free if you

have iMovie 08 from the Apple site.

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This Samsung Camcorder is a good option for someone who wants to get something simple and easy to use that does the job and isn't very expensive.

The picture quality is good. For beginners, it is probably easier to use than some other cameras out there but you still need to have a little finesse to figure it out. There aren't many buttons and it's not too involved yet you have to push the button a certain way to forward and rewind. You can't just push itso that can be a little confusing at first...If you haven't used one like this before.

Other than that pretty simple. Easy to hook up to TV and play back. Also take photos. Comes with remote control.

Lightweight, easy to use, not expensive. Does the job and haven't had much of a problem with it.

I'd say it's a good deal for the price.

Royal Machines EZVue 8V Electronic Organizer PDA with 3MB Memory and 6-Line RoyalGlo Backlit Display

The product is very cheaply made. I have an ezvue6 that has last me 3 years and it's made more solid this this thing. There's no touch screen, you have to press the arrow buttons HARD and they won't take you back to another selection. you have to turn it off then turn it back on and start over. Royal has really gone downhill on this thing. This is NOT worth $30. try $10 at toys-r-us and label it "5 years and under".

The EZVUE8V is the most miserable piece of junk I have ever used. Every day it starts with "battery low" and requires two more. It will not schronize with my computer or any other. Instructions are useless and I will most certainly return it. I have been using hand held organizers for almost 20 years but not any that will work with the computer. This one doesn't work either Royal EZVUE8V Personal Digital Assistant

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I bought this product locally from Wal-Mart and it didn't last three months. "Pieces" of the display disappear making your entries unreadable. I have written to Royal Corp. and they have not even had the decency to respond. If I had the sales receipt at this time, I'd return it to the store and demand my money back for this piece of ****. Don't buy this item, you are wasting your money and time.

Read Best Reviews of Royal Machines EZVue 8V Electronic Organizer PDA with 3MB Memory and 6-Line RoyalGlo Backlit Display Here

I AVOIDED BUYING THISUNIT FOR SOME TIME AND BLEW A LOT OF $15 UNITS UNTIL I CAME BACK TO IT.

I LIKE ROYAL AND LOVE LOVE THIS ORGANIZER!!!! IT'S LIKE A PDA OR MORE, A SMART PHONE WITHOUT

PAYING THE PRICE.

READ THE MANUAL AND CONFIGURE THE UNIT STEP-BY-STEP.

DON'T FORGET THAT A LOT OF THE BUTTONS MENTIONED ARE ON THE KEYPAD.

IT IS VERY EASY TO LEARN HAS TONS AND TONS OF PROGRAMS--AND IT HAS SOFTWARE

THAT WILL WORK WITH WINDOWS. THE SOFTWARE IS TERRIFIC FOR NIGHT TIME LARGE INFORMATIONS.

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The EZVue 8V was a substitue for an old Rolodex electronic address book that was starting to go. After looking at different products I chose the EZVue. It seemed to have more stuff than I needed, and it worked pretty well. I did not like the fact that it went through my rechargeable AAA batteries like nothing. I had left it sitting for about 2 weeks, deciding whether I wanted to keep it and when I turned it on the batteries were dead. It also used the batteries when I was loading the information onto the unit. I ended up returning this baby. My old Rolodex had watch batteries that lasted years. I would have kept it if the batteries lasted longer.

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Swann SWDVK-430004-US TruBlue D1 3000 4CH DVR/4 600TVL Camera (Black)

For those of you interested in mainly watching the cameras from your smartphone or computer, this is the product and brand to go with.  I have been installing security systems for several years now and Swann continues to impress me.  I use other brands because clients sometimes buy their own, but none have an easy setup and support like this brand.  I read the review about the DDNS server being out and the reason from the tech representative explaining why and I like Swann even more for that.  What many non-techs don't understand is that a DDNS server is something you have to pay for, but Swann provides this for FREE.  Not only that it seems like they are beefing it up so that it doesn't fail in the future.  With other brand DVRs I used other DDNS services I had to pay for and those would fail more times than i could think of.  I had clients call me every time it went out, all except customers who owned a Swann DVR.  The setup is very easy for the DVRs and with this new D1 and 30 frames per second on every channel it's amazing that it's available for this price from the top brand.  In my reviews I like to also provide hints on how to make setup easier for those future owners. See below.

Hints 1: test all equipment before running cables and doing any drilling, you never know if the shipping man handled package badly.  Good thing about Swann is also their 1 year warranty and great customer service so no problem is something arrives damaged.

Hint 2: Install DVR near router and monitor/TV you plan to watch it on. Swann is great in that it doesn't force you to buy their monitor, you can use your HDMI compatible TV or a regular computer monitor.  To use the internet features, such as watching cameras on your phone,  you will need a hard wired connection to your modem, you can buy a long Ethernet cable if the DVR will be further than 4 ft from your router.   

Hint 3:  port forward ports 85 and 9000 to the DVRs IP address then reboot the DVR.  Go to Swanns website and under the support tab go to DDNS support to create your free DDNS account.  After creating your account you create a domain, this is your easy to remember online address for accessing your DVR on your phone or computer.  Input your account and domain information on the DVR and you are setup for Internet access.  See hint 4 for input on your phone.

Hint 4: on Swannview Pro app for name you put whatever name you want to give your DVR and for for "server" or "address" you put your Swann domain name plus the swanndvr.net that goes after it.  Put 9000 for port and user I'd and password are the user I'd and password for your DVR.  If you don't put password just leave it blank and the default user I'd is "admin".  Then you are done and you can see your cameras.  

Hope this review is helpful and hints help make it easier.  Great thing about this brand is also their technical support is awesome.  FYI They have support in French and spanish. Tienen apoyo tecnico en Español tambien.

We purchased this system for our small business about a month ago and have been very pleased with it. It allowed us to catch one shop lifter, one person breaking an item, and determine who was at our registers when various errors occurred in the first two weeks alone. The quality is pretty solid for the price, especially the picture quality which easily allows you to see faces, even in the dark. Colors are correct, unlike other systems, the menu is a very easy to use graphic interface that is incredibly self explanatory. The kit comes with everything (hardware wise) you'll need to set up your system, besides a monitor. To see what all the system has, I recommend checking out Swann's website for exact specs.

The set up was very simple for anyone who is 5+ on a tech experience scale of 1-10. If you the kind of person who can get your VCR to stop blinking 12:00 (if you have one) and are able to hang drapes with a drill and screw driver, you should have the ability to set this system up.

The tools I used:

-Phillips Head Screwdriver to screw cameras to wall or ceiling and adjust camera angle

-Power drill to drill to drill pilot holes for camera mounts and holes for wires

assorted drill bits

Electrical tape to secure connections

a straightened clothes hanger to help pull wires

The system is a snap to set up and took me only 10 hours or so to finish, from planning to programming. It took me so long mainly due to the fact that I was installing these cameras in a 150 year old building with countless renovations and alterations to work around. In new (post 1950) construction it should be a breeze. All the BNC cables twist and snap together. Plan where you'll put your cameras for best coverage, where you'll run your wires, run your wires, install your cameras, plug it all in, turn it on and SHAZAM, you are in business. You will need to buy a monitor for it, but that is pretty normal for these type of systems.

When in doubt, see the manual. It is easy to read, and was apparently written by someone sarcastic like myself. Hope this helps.

Buy Swann SWDVK-430004-US TruBlue D1 3000 4CH DVR/4 600TVL Camera (Black) Now

I ordered this DVR/Camera Security Monitoring Kit for our small business. Setup was generally by the book and simple to do. So far I have been impressed with the clarity and definition of the recorded video. With the 8 cameras in the package our company is able to effectively cover all entry/exit points of the building as well as monitor the premises during the night as we do unfortunately have some vagrants that loiter around the industrial park we are in during the night.

I love the fact that it includes the LiveView App that allows me to see the premises while away when needed and sends me email notifications if motion is detected.

It is also great that the product is upgradeable, so I feel the investment made is well worth it as it will not be outdated anytime soon.

Read Best Reviews of Swann SWDVK-430004-US TruBlue D1 3000 4CH DVR/4 600TVL Camera (Black) Here

This system comes complete with all needed to install and view. The tech support is excellent and have been able to contact them every time needed. I have had to contact support 7 times in 4 weeks. The system has locked up in the dvr hardrive 4 times now and my ability to revieve email alerts when cameras triggered has not been able to be set up by swann even when taking over my computer remotely and doing all teh stuff a senior level tech knows to do. the pictures are clear but when in low light even adjusting all adjustments has a lot of video noise and does not make out a clear enough image to identify unless within just 10 feet or so.Overall not bad price, not bad tech support my system has been problamatic and am waiting to see if the last firmware update fixes the hardrive problems if not swann says they will replace the dvr after I contact them for a return approval number and it is recieved at there facility and it has been checked out and found faulty I will get a new one. If it comes to that after all my calls to them and having to be guided over the phone 3 times to take apart my dvr while powered up removing the cover unplugging all the cameras first and then hardsetting the dvr reassembling everything and it locking up a day later in most cases I will have to rate the product lower.... Stay tuned.

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The problem with this system is that if somebody steals the DVR box, it's useless. So you have to hide it very well or put it in some sort of safe or something.

It has two USB 2.0 slots, but doesn't support a wireless USB network adapter? Whyyyyyyy!? It would be so simple and convenient!!.. 1 point off.

It also needs some form of cloud storage.. 5 gigs of real time cloud storage would be infinitely better than any amount of physical storage on the DVR.. So, you know, if somebody steals the DVR, you can still have access to the video of them doing it.. 1 point off.

Add those two options and it's 5 big gold stars, perfect.

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