Sony DCRTRV33 MiniDV 1megapixel Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Color Viewfinder & Memory Stick capabiliti

I would like to give my opinion and view on Sony TRV33 model. I know how important a review of a product

is. After a month of research on camcorders, I had two options Canon ZR70MC or a Sony TRV33. Both of these

models had their own good and bad points. But ultimately I bought the TRV33 because of the following

reasons which I think clearly surpassed Canon.

Pros:

1. Clear, crisp and detailed video.

2. Best Image quality when compared to Canon.

3. Excellent low-light performance when compared to Canon.

4. Mind blowing Nightshot in total darkness, though in Greenish tint.

5. Carl Zeiss Lens definitely has proved its name and quality.

6. Image quality when downloaded on PC using a USB 2.0 was "excellent" both indoors and outdoors.

7. The 1.0 MB still pictures are OK but not fair, best for sending an email.

Cons:

1. 10x Optical, but I did not get a chance to use beyond 10x. Technically anything beyond 15x Optical

would produce shaky video unless on a tripod.

... If price is a constraint, I would request my readers to also check the TRV22, but

purchase with a long term perspective and image quality and optics matter a lot when deciding on a

camcorder. Sony truly shines in that aspect.

Good camcorder hunting !

I've owned a number of Sony digicams (most recently the PC110) and decided to upgrade for some new features like analog pass-through (hook a VCR up to the camcorder to capture directly to your computer). I first tried the TRV70, but returned it and got this one instead. The 70 is a very different camera...considerably larger and with much better stills, but more expensive. I decided to go with the 33 because I wanted something smaller. The digital stills from most camcorders aren't going to be anywhere as good as from a halfway decent digital camera, so not a reason to pay a lot more. I got the same size LCD touch screen (a nice new feature!) and one thing I like about this model over the 70 is that the zoom is not so fast! The 70 has the same kind of zoom control, but it's very touchy and it's very hard to do a gradual zoom. The 33 allows much better control. Well, unless you have a need to do really fast zooms. I prefer to have one that does not. I find this is particularly important if you want other people to use the camera...anytime I gave someone the 110 to use, they had problems with that touchy zoom! This is an issue on a lot of Sony camcorders, I really wish they would correct it across the board.

Image quality is good and I personally don't have problems with motor noise, it's pretty typical for camcorders this size. The 10x zoom is decent, I looked at the Canons that were 20X zooms, but their image quality was not as good. The touch screen is great for features like spot focus and metering. I find it a lot easier to use than the myriad of buttons all over the camera that most models use.

Another new feature is the ability to quickly check the battery life on the camera without powering it up. I've sometimes thought it was charged when it was not and missed being able to film as a result, so this will be a lifesaver! The Sonys are great about telling you how much time is left on the battery and the tape.

Overall, an excellent camera I would highly recommend.

Buy Sony DCRTRV33 MiniDV 1megapixel Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Color Viewfinder & Memory Stick capabiliti Now

I read all of the reviews here and went through exhaustive research before I purchased the TRV33.

First, the infamous buzzing noise. This had me very nervous since it appeared to be the one constant complaint in these reviews. Yes when you operate the camera there is camera noise. There also has been camera operating noise on every other camcorder I have owned over 15 years. It is no different from any other camcorder. As far as recording noise goes, if your footage is in a dead silent environment, then yes, the noise is slightly audible. Not annoying, not a "loud buzzing", just slight mechanical noise. If there is any amount of background noise in your footage, the "buzzing" is not noticeable at all. As a matter of fact, I edit footage in Final Cut Express on a Mac, and the noise in so slight that it doesn't even register on the audio meter.

Having said that, I will let you know that the features are fantastic, the camera is easy to use (I shot footage and transferred to my Mac through Firewire without even reading the directions) and the video footage is great. The LCD Touch Screen is fantastic as well.

The only negative thing I noticed so far is that when the footage was captured to the Mac it seemed to lose some of its clarity. When I hooked it up to my TV via composite video and played directly from the camera it rivaled DVD quality. But when I captured it to the Mac it seemed to be more jaggy and the colors we darker. I haven't burned a DVD yet to see how the final product looks, and there may be some settings I can change as well but other than that this is one fantastic camera!

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCRTRV33 MiniDV 1megapixel Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Color Viewfinder & Memory Stick capabiliti Here

If you are reading this review and are shopping for a MiniDV camcorder you are in the learning mode for shopping. Isn't Amazon.com a great place to learn about electronics such as this. I will be happy to share my experience with this camcorder so far. This review is all about money and how I decided finally that with consumer level electronics you do usually get what you pay for. The camcorder that we origionally purchases when we were ready to buy a MiniDv camcorder was by Sharp. It was about half the cost of the Canon and Sony models that were being sold by its side. I took notice that there were often large rebates for Sharp camcorders that hammered the price down to a very low price that was just too good to pass up. Due to numerous unfortunate issues with this camera our memories that were recorded were trashed due to what I can say was just poor build quality. So the rule is don't buy a KIA and expect it to provide you with the memorable experience of a Honda/Toyota etc. Right???

Here is the good stuff. This camera is worth every dime that Sony is asking for it. After reading some reviews the only negative thing that you may read is that you can hear the motor working when recording or playing back a tape. I say that but you really would have to be listening for this to hear it. My DVD player makes more noise than this unit. So some folks really need to get a grip. More sound insulation in the area that houses the motor for the camcorder would cure this but there is really no room for anything else to be stuffed in there. This in NO WAY means that this noise is at all recorded on your tape. Anything that Sony makes in Japan seems to keep with the origional high standards that this company is known for. This camera is made in Japan and everything from the quality of construction to the quality of the images that you will see on the TV screen will just amaze you. The colors are just perfect and the sound is more than what I expected from a compact recorder. Enjoy the TRV33 if it is the final choice that you make in this search for a good camcorder. If it is a bit high for your budget then check out the TRV19 and the TRV22. The TRV19 may be the best buy that I have seen in the MiniDV world yet.

All in all this camera is compact, efficient and it is ergonimically perfect when it is held in your hand. After you purchase the Camcorder register it with Sony online. After you have done so they will most likely send you a 20% off coupon in your email to buy upgrades for the new product that you have purchased. WIth this cupon go ahead and upgrade the battery for the camcorder to at least the FM50. The FM30 that is included is just not sufficient to be the main battery. It will be a nice backup for you in a pinch but should not be relied on. The FM50 should have been standard issue IMO. Happy shopping!

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One of the major considerations for me in buying a camcorder was the size. My family has owned several camcorders and they've been bulky enough that after a few months when the "new electronics" glow has worn off, nobody wants to lug it around on vacations, to amusement parks, camping, etc. It's just too much of a hassle.

I've purchased a DCRTRV33 and LOVE this thing! The PC interface through firewire (IEEE 1394) is flawless--I just plugged it in and it worked beautifully with Pinnacle Studio 8. It's packed with features, has a great picture and sound.

I've read other comments about the noisy motor and it's true that the motor is a little louder than I thought it would be. However, after indoor recording in quiet rooms for testing, I haven't been able to hear the motor during playback on my computer or TV. I think it's a negligible problem that wouldn't deter me from a purchase of this otherwise amazing piece of technology.

DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver

Update 12/17/07 After using this DVR for about a month I am removing a star (*/*****). The machine has frozen several times (to the point I had to unplug it to reset it) while trying to fast forward or rewind, the unit also has very poor support for audio and picture streaming. It needs some serious stability updates!

D*TV customer for 5 years

Previously owned: 2 DSR704 Tivos & an HR10-250 Tivo

About the HR21

The Good: Decent interface design, seems to record what you tell it to, Has an icon in the program guide that shows you if you have marked a program for recording, networking port built in for streaming music and photos, lots of HD channels, good forward and backward "skip" buttons.

The Bad: inability to swap between tuners or quickly see what the other tuner is recording, if you have a DirecTivo you know what I am talking about. Overall the interface is not nearly as nice as a Tivo. The remote control is not really user friendly, I remedied this by using a logitech 880 universal which makes navigating this DVR much more tolerable. NO OFF AIR ANTENNA!!!!, This is almost a deal breaker for me. I was not the person at home when this was installed or else I might have refused this unit. As it is the installer told my wife that all the locals will be available in the next few weeks over the dish. If this is not the case D*TV and I will have a problem. On my HR10-250 I recieved locals from 2 major cities around where I live. Apparently this was done to make the unit cheaper.

Overall: The only thing that really irritates me is the lack of OA support and the inability to flip between tuners or easily see what is recording on the other tuner. The interface is not as slick as a Tivo but suffices once you get used to it. As to how well it records season passes, that remains to be seen. Basically, a fair effort by D*TV at a DVR, not as good as a Tivo, but not as bad as Dish Net. Note: If they fix the local stations issue I would give it 3 stars.

After trying at least 3 of these units, directv has admitted that they don't work over HDMI with about 1/2 of all TVs. They CLAIM this is the TV's fault, not the recievers!! Funny, everyone elses HD units work fine on these TV's, but DIRECTV still insists it's the TV's fault, not their non-functional reciever. Don't accept this junk for your money. Insist on TIVO returning. TIVO works. This unit can't display HD, freezes, drops audio, has lines in the picture, etc. Don't accept it, demand dual buffering. Call and write DIRECTV and insist on it, it's your money. Don't waste it on this non-functional unit. I only wish I could give 0 stars.

PS DIRECTV has also admitted they COULD have dual buffering, but they won't pay TIVO to lease the copyright unless enough customers complain about the loss of dual buffer. I've made it my mission. Call them, write them, stop trucks on the road and berate them. Insist on dual buffering and you may get it back. Remain silent and you'll get nothing. That's direct from directv's customer service.

chase.carey is the president of directv, if you can figure out his email (just think, where does he work?), email him.

Buy DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver Now

Freezes, then freezes, then voices are off ... I'm on my THIRD unit ... After a year I still have to keep the lights on in order to know what buttons I'm pressing on the remote, terrible design ... I had the TIVO remote memorized in a week ... If you cancel recording a show when both tuners are recording for some reason it stops recording but forgets to tell the brain it stopped so it still won't let you change channels ... RESET! ... Now my screen is stuck on step 1 of 2 and won't EVER change ... I hate you direct tv.

Read Best Reviews of DirecTV HR21-100 HD Satellite Receiver Here

First off, for those concerned about the lack of an OTA tuner, DTV is releasing an add-on device (model number AM-21) some time in February. This sits on top of the HR21, is about an inch tall, same width, and connects to the HR21 via USB to enable OTA capability on the HR21. This was undoubtedly done to keep HR21 costs down so people who had no use for the OTA tuner didn't have to pay for it. Initial rumors are it will go for about $59. And yes, the HR21 can record OTA programs even OTA HD programs via the AM-21

Second, DTV has recently updated the firmware for this unit to enable DirecTV On Demand. A service that allows you to download various programs at your leisure--most for free though they do offer PPV this way as well now. This function only works if you've got your HR21 connected to the internet via a broadband connection.

Aside from the new features, the HR21 menu can get sluggish at times, but the ability to record two HD shows simultaneously seems to work great and I've had no problems with playback, recording, or other issues like lockups.

For those wanting to use the HR21 for media sharing, it is NOT necessary to have a PC with VIIV hardware. All you need is Windows Media Player 11 or other compatible software as listed on their website. This again assumes your HR21 is networked to the PC running WMP11.

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Dir-Tv offered 2 of these installed as an upgrade from 2 HR10-250's and frankly they are not an upgrade.

You lose:

1Ability to flip back and forth between tuners.

2Doesn't buffer the two tuners. Have to be recording to go back and forth, but then you have to find your place in the recording each time

you flip.

3-No OTA connection. We live between two "markets" and I lose over 16 local OTA stations, most in in hi-def that the 10-250 would record. Worst is losing the ability to Tivo 6 different HD Public OTA stations. D***tv only has 4 of the locals, none in HD

4User interface is not anywhere near TIVO's.

5These are leased machines which they want you to pay for, and initially wanted to take my upgraded and owned HR10-250's as trade in....

You Gain

1Many more HD channels, which look good and are worth having. Many more HD movie choices, NGS, Discovery, etc. About time for what I've been spending for HD service for the past few years.

2Nice, attractive shiny black box.

I'm going to have them switched out for the HR-20, which I understand has OTA. Wish me luck!

Olympus VN-1000 Digital Voice Recorder

EXTRA UNADVERTISED INFO regarding the Olympus VN-1000: You can play/feed your digital voice files to your computer by separately purchasing an inexpensive generic 1/4" male to 1/4" male audio cable: Plug one end of the cable into the voice recorder's ear phone port and plug the other end to your PC's microphone port. Similarly, you can play your digital voice files through your stereo system if your equipment has an auxillary port.

I played with this model and the Olympus VN-960PC at an office supply store. The speaker on this model sounded much better than the 960. It is definitely much clearer with less distortion. The only real difference I could make out from the box, was the USB capability and Voice activation recording. I dunno if voice activation is useful or not but I would have liked the USB function. But I really didn't feel like paying $21 for that one function. They both record up to 16 hours in LP mode, so I think the recording times for SP and HQ mode is the same regardless of the amount of memory in each device.

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I traded in my micro-cassette because the tapes could only be used once so I was spending just as much on tapes as I would if I just broke down and spent a little extra on a digital. I am so glad I did! The sound quality is amazing, and it is super small, and light. I use it to record my college lectures, it is amazing. It has four folders to store your files, and you can store them by date too. If you are fed up with your micro-cassette I would highly recommend this to you!

Read Best Reviews of Olympus VN-1000 Digital Voice Recorder Here

This is one of the cheapest voice recorders, and it delivers! I think it would be good for any use such as school, interviews, etc. It has hours of recording time, which I don't think I need that much, but you can also index your recordings so it's easy to go back to a certain spot you want to remember.

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I purchased this to record a series of interviews. At top quality it allows 3 hours of recording, at mid level it was 7 and at lowest quality it said there was 13 hours of recording time. I set it for middle quality and it did great. It clearly recorded the interviewees' voices, though in one instance it also picked up a television in another room. You need to point the top of the recorder directly at the subject you are trying to record to keep background noise from overpowering the recording. It can pick up a conversation from a pant pocket, though it will be a little faint.

I skipped on the manual due to length but it only took maybe 10 minutes of fidgeting with the thing to figure out most of it's capabilities. It is definitely easy to use and is so small no one was distracted by it ... it could easily be mistaken for a cell phone. The digital display is useful and easy to understand.

2 draw backs and these could be rectified by spending a little more money on the next level up of this device.

1 the indexing funtion only allows ten indexes per recording. For interviews that were over an hour long this was NOT enough indexes.

2 I did not think the lack of USB connection would bother me, but after having transcribed the interviews I do wish I could have played it straight from the computer instead of having to constantly go back to the device to pause, back up and go forward.

Overall the device does exactly what it describes, and does it well. But I think some will find they prefer a few more options in their recorder.

Lorex LW2401AC1 Add-on Wireless Color Camera for Lorex LW241 & LW2401

I bought this monitor because of a friend referral. I also bought the Summer 3.5 Touch, and the Motorola MBP35 (3.5 screen). I originally bought the Summer Touch but wasn't 100% sold on it. That is why i purchased the other two.

First off, the good:

Screen Clarity Seemed better than the Summer and about the same as the Motorola.

Night Vision This monitor had the best vision at night of all of the monitors. Everything was much brighter and easier to see. (also listed in the Negatives later).

Battery life It seemed to get around 5 hours on a charge. About the same or a tad less than the Summer, but about 2 hours better than the Motorola.

Ability to record and save. I only played with this feature, but I thought it would be great to have if a nanny or babysitter was over and you could keep track of the actual happenings with your baby. Neither of the other two monitors had this feature.

Lullaby function I'm not sure how much this would actually be used, but I thought it was a nice feature to have. The Motorola also had this.

Night Light Again, not sure how much it would be used, but another nice feature. Neither of the other two monitors had this.

VIDEO STAYS ON when off of the charger. I thought this was a great feature because on the other monitors you have to keep pressing the video button after it automatically times out after about 2 minutes to be able to see the screen and what is going on. They do this as a power saving feature but it is more aggravating than anything. The Lorex stays on and makes it easy.

The ability to add other cameras and be able to view them all simultaneously. The other two monitors allow you to add cameras, but have to view one at a time. Again, not sure if most parents would ever need this, but it is a nice feature.

Now, with the BAD.

No Zoom feature on the Lorex. Both the Summer and Motorola have this ability. It has a pretty clear picture, but there are times where I want to zoom in on my child and could not.

No Panning feature on the Lorex. Both the Summer and Motorola have this. While this may be ok with some who just want to see a certain area of the crib, or don't mind leaving the camera in a fixed place, it could be an issue for others. I thought I could easily get past this, but I couldn't.

Audio When compared to the Summer, you practically had to lay your ear on the back of the monitor (where the speaker is) to be able to hear the child. The Summer picks up the swing going back and forth, and allows you to adjust the volume to hear much more than the Lorex.

The Talk function. If you put your mouth right on the microphone, it works ok. However, testing it with my wife and the Summer, she continuously said the Summer's sound quality on the other end was much better.

Audio Alerts. a great idea for a feature, but it randomly worked and was more irritating than anything.

The Auto Mute, and Scan features. While these are great features to have, they did not seem to work. They randomly chose when to turn on and it usually had to come from a loud noise, but sometimes chose not to even come on then. And YES, I did adjust the sensitivity on the side.

Skype while this is a GREAT selling point, it has its flaws. First, you cannot plug the monitor into a Mac computer to use this feature. Second, even when plugged into a PC, the video is so far behind and lacking once on Skype, it takes away the usefulness of the feature all together. Sometimes it would not even show movements that clearly happened.

Inability to connect the monitor to a TV or other video source. The Summer allows you to connect the monitor to a TV through RCA/mini usb so that you can view it on a larger screen if desired. The Lorex and Motorola do not.

The Night Vision. While stated as a positive earlier (which it is), it also has a slight negative. The LED's on the camera are red and clearly visible at night, whereas the ones for the other monitors are not. This may bother or alert some children/etc., and may not for others. It is just a point I thought I should mention.

After wanting to love this monitor and replace the Summer with it (already sent the Motorola back due to lack of technical support and inability to plug into another video source), I am afraid I am going to have to send the Lorex back as well. I wish someone would take the good parts of each of these monitors and combine them, but as of now, they have not. For now, we are sticking with the Summer monitor because it had the least negatives of all 3. I think the main reason I wanted something instead of the Summer monitor is because they specialize in baby clothes, products, etc. Motorola and Lorex specialize in communications and surveillance, therefore I figured there products would be better. I was mistaken.

The LW2451 unit just arrived this afternoon, but since there are no reviews as of yet, I thought I would post one so people would have some initial idea of how the system performs.

The setup only took a few minutes. It started beeping right away. It turns out that it was the alert that the child is making noise. The loudness of that alert is configurable. It stopped once I stopped touching the camera.

The camera is small, about 4 inches tall. It pans and tilts, no zoom. The resolution of the image seems fine. I did see some noticeable color shifts (hue). I will try it again in daylight and see if that is still true. Given how far it tilts, it strikes me that it would work well with a wall mount (bracket not included.) I placed it on a tall dresser right next to the bed. Because of that, and my unwillingness to move the bed or dresser, I had to put a small box under the rear to get the 20 degrees I needed. Someone setting it on a lower table or one just a little further from the bed would not have any issue at all getting a full view of the crib/bed. The camera has an on/off switch, volume for two-way talk and a sensitivity control for how loud the child must be to set off alerts on the monitor. The IR LEDs are visible as very dim red lights. My daughter noticed it, but it did not keep her up. They are barely visible.

The monitor is a convenient size, about the size of a smart phone. It has dedicated volume buttons. Button placement seems well thought out. There is a mini-joystick for pan/tilt/menu nav, press to accept. The power adapter can be plugged into the cradle or the monitor directly, which appeals to me. There is a great deal of leeway when setting it in the cradle... Placement doe not have to be exact for it to charge. There is a stand so the monitor can sit upright without the cradle. There is a swing out antenna which does add a bar of reception, but I have not needed it yet.

It seems to be playing well with my wireless router, but I would not want to guarantee there is no interference at all until I run a few more speed tests.

The camera and monitor are made of the same white plastic that most nursery products are. It is lighter than it looks, which I know does not alway convey a sense of quality, but it seems solid enough and I would not want them to add weight just for that.

Pros:

System performs out of the box as advertised.

Has features of systems costing a lot more.

Night vision works well

Sound is clear

Cradle and charging well thought out

Temperature is always visible on monitor and is proving to be accurate.

Menus are simple and easy to navigate with thumb controller

Reception is great

Volume can be turned all the way of if desired.

Video can be turned off if desired.

Lots of buttons and functions

Cons:

Operating pan/tilt or moving through the menus causes beep which may wake spouse

Sensitivity control for alert that says child is making noise is on the camera, not monitor.

Would benefit from a few more configuration options such as turning button beep off.

My voice sets off the noise alert when using the two-way talk feature, so I have to wait for the 3 beeps to end before I can hear the person on the other end. That meeans I miss the first word or two of the reply.

No zoom other units that offer this supposedly get very graining, so I do not care for it.

The monitor has been runing for over 4 hours, so the battery performance seems quite good.

My experience so far has been excellent.

Buy Lorex LW2401AC1 Add-on Wireless Color Camera for Lorex LW241 & LW2401 Now

There is a SERIOUS lack of reviews on this fine product, so I'm writing my first Amazon review to give people more information before they buy. I would give this a 4.5 because of the few CONS listed below, but since I can't, and there are so many PROS, I'm giving it "5 Stars"

We received it in the mail today and the camera is MUCH smaller than we thought it would be, which is great because it fits well on the shelf above our daughter's bed. The monitor is cool, sleek and feature filled...too cool in fact, we had to have a firm talk with our five year son old about playing with the features because it wasn't one of his disposable toys.

The last monitor we had was simply a static radio wave audio monitor which had not worked for some time, and with a new baby on the way we needed something. We had originally purchased the Motorola MBP36 which seemed great, but as a protective dad, I wanted something to watch how the baby sitters handled my two hellions while we were eating Thai Food. After hours of reviewing iPhone apps, cameras, monitors, etc, this seemed like the perfect fit. What sold me was the video: easy to use, set up, and was MAC capable. The camera doesn't have to be plugged into the computer (like some other baby monitors) but the monitor does (which is great because that's when we'd use it as a nanny cam).

With regards to the first review, you CAN actually turn the beeping of the buttons on the monitor down by turning down the Alarm Sound. So now my five year old and I can geek out swinging the camera around while not waking up the rest of the family. I wish the camera could be controlled from our iPhones, but as an engineer and a pilot, I think this product is overall pretty sleek. Here's the breakdown:

PROs:

Pan/Tilt all around the room

Auto IR night cam (no need to turn it on like some other cams)

Good quality video day/night (unlike other cams. Example footage from the Amazon product video is accurate)

Intuitive monitor and simple controls (My five year old gets it)

Camera Skype account was easy to set up with set-by-step directions

No white noise when monitoring. Just comes on when the kiddo starts cranking.

-Nifty features:

Talk through monitor (to sooth baby or freak out the dog...both work great!)

Musical soothing tunes

Skype dial up for mom & dad, or aunts, uncles, grand parents...but they can't see inside your house unless you hook in the monitor and turn on Skype.

Record onto a mini-SD. Don't have one, but neat.

Expandable to four cameras, can be the LW2400 ($50-$70) or LW2451 ($91-$150) prices from Amazon, any other cameras?

See all four cameras at once (control them one at a time if needed!).

Auto-sound detection so you don't hear static while you're trying to sleep.

Temperature monitor and alarms

Timer alarms, if you need it.

Extendable monitor antenna to walk down and get the mail.

CONs:

Green light is always on the camera (nothing a little electrical tape can't handle)

Auto-sound detection sensitivity is on the camera, not the monitor

Musical tunes rhythm is a little quick, and songs change automatically which is a bummer

Lack of zoom

Lack of tilt/pan through Skype (obviously. Hopefully Lorex will push a native app as a software update)

3 Steps to view on Skype as Nanny Cam (not bad, but if you do these out of order, and open Skype first, the Skype camera defaults to the iSight and you have to go back into PREFERENCES and re-select the Lorex camera):

1) Plug in Monitor

2) Then open Skype to that account

3) Call the Lorex Skype account your set up to view

Again, I understand the third party app requires help, but I think code could easily be added so that Skype automatically opens when the computer detects the monitor and closes down when the monitor is disconnected.

However, these may be considered Nit-Noid CONs to some, and, in fact, they are small potatoes, but some factoids that some may find interesting. Overall, great camera and system! I have to go, my son wants to play with the Monitor again!

Read Best Reviews of Lorex LW2401AC1 Add-on Wireless Color Camera for Lorex LW241 & LW2401 Here

I don't even have a baby -what I do have is a teen and a tween. I also have a finished basement where my kids hang out and I like to monitor what goes on down there. I can clearly hear and view from 3 floors up! The clarity is superb, the features are great. As the description states, you can hook this up to skype so you can even see what's going on if you are not even home. So when my teen is babysitting, I can see what's going on from my iphone via skype! How cool is that?! There is also a "talk" button so if you choose, you can use it as an intercom system. I have been playing around with it and so far, I'm super impressed with what this can do. If you have any place in your home you want to monitor, this is the item. This is not just a "baby monitor", it's an in-home surveillance system and can even give you peace of mind when you aren't home. I would think this would be a great item to keep an eye on a puppy as well. Highly recommend. It is expensive but the quality and features make it worth the price.

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We just received received this monitor today. We bought it to replace our Summer Infant Complete Coverage Color Video Monitor Set with 7" LCD Screen and 1.8" Handheld Unit. We have had the Summer Infant for about 3 years now. The main screen started going out so we decided to try something new. The thing we loved about the Summer Infant was the fact it came with 2 monitors (not cameras but the screen to watch the camera). This is important to us because we have the large one in our master bedroom and use the smaller one for babysitters (who stay the night when we are at work). When we get home from work we like to be able to still have the monitor in our room so we can check on our little guy. No other monitors seem to have this so we had to figure something else out. What lead us to this was the ability to view the cameras from Skype. Sounded like a great idea but here is the problem. The monitor must stay hooked to the computer in order to view it remotely. In my opinion it kind of defeats the purpose on why we purchased it. Set up is pretty straight forward pairing the cameras to the monitor and I love the ability to pan and rotate the camera. We also purchased an additional camera that we put in our upstairs loft. The quality of the picture seems to be good and the interference is much better than the Summer Infant was. Not sure if we are going to be able to keep this one because of the remote viewing issue. For anyone that this isn't important to you should love this monitor and I would recommend it. I will update the review as we live with it over time and hopefully I can figure out a way around the Skype issue.

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iMBAPrice - Pelican iMBA Series - High Speed HDMI cable (6 FEET) - 1080P - Lifetime Warranty

Very clear picture, and sound. All tested with Blu-rays Via a playstation 3 and no issues what so ever with my laptop. Don't get ripped off in the stores with there over priced name brand HDMI cables... And For free economy shipping. HDMI is the way to go, these cables will make great gifts for people getting new tv's, Blu-ray players, Ect.

Looked thin at first glance but work well with both my HD blu-ray and Roku. Can't beat for the price

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As long as you don't mess with it, they work great, This cable is actually rather cheap, again for the price, super high quality should be the last thing on your mind. The ones I bought actually came from newegg rather fast.

Again, set it and forget, if you plan on messing with the cable or have an unstable set up, get a better cable because this one will give you artifacts if you move it around or mess with it too much, other than that it's perfect.

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Fast shipping I received on the 2nd day. I cannot believe the quality is better than my $29 HDMI cable. After I compare both cables by connect with my LG BlueRay and my Samsung LED 3D. Don't waste the money on a high dollar cable. This Seller and HDMI cable I rate 5 STARS.

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Not of good quality. Being a new item it has scratch on the plating of the connectors!

I ordered it from Amazon, but the package came from Newegg's RMA warehouse... not sure if it is a repackaged used item.

Doesn't has the brand name anywhere, looks like an unbranded product. But it was sold as "Pelican iMBA Series".

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Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic USB/XLR Microphone

• Handheld dynamic microphone with USB digital output and XLR analog output
• USB output connects to your computer for digital recording, while the XLR output connects with your sound system conventional microphone input for use in live performance
• Smooth, extended frequency response ideally suited for podcasting, home studio recording, field recording, voiceover, and on-stage use
• Built-in headphone jack allows you to directly monitor your microphone output without audible delay
• Cardioid polar pattern reduces pickup of unwanted sounds from the sides and rear
• Dynamic Microphone With Usb Digital Output & Xlr Analog Output
• Usb Output Connects To Computer For Digital Recording, While The Xlr Output Connects With Sound System'S Conventional Microphone Input For Use In Live Performance
• Built-In Headphone Jack With Volume Control

This microphone is quickly becoming a standard for podcasters. It can be used without a mixer or preamp by connecting it to a computer with a USB cable. If you want to use it with a mixer, it also has XLR output. Both the USB and XLR outputs can be used at the same time.

The mic's sound is excellent. The podcaster's microphone of choice and justifiably so is the Heil PR40. It's the one that Leo Laporte uses on his Internet and radio shows. If you can afford a PR40, buy one. However, if you want to save some money and get a fabulous value, buy this mic. It's cheaper than a Shure SM58, a Blue Snowball, or Audio Technica AT2020, and it sounds better.

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I bought 2 of these mics to use as guest mics on my podcast and I'm floored by their sound quality. I have a Shure SM7B mic costing 7 times as much as this mic and although I like the Shure a little better, I'm sure that this is because of my investment. The ability to work with both USB and and XLR is another great plus.

The sound quality is amazing for a mic in this price range and in my opinion is equal to other mics costing at least triple the price. Unlike another rater, I haven't had any problems with my mics using the USB or a mixer.

This mic is cheap enough to buy as just a Skype mic, but also good enough to work well with podcasting, and by this I mean head and shoulders over some other cheap mics like the Blue Snowball. Also, because it is a dynamic mic it also cuts down on the background noise.

Please don't feel that this is some sort of starter mic, it isn't. Even for triple the price it would still be the best sounding mic in my humble opinion. Also, my Mackie mixer has no problem powering this mic and does so easily, plus it works great on USB mode.

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The microphone is responsive and clear, but don't confuse yourself about the USB connection. Just because the mic has USB out does NOT mean it's a USB microphone. This microphone requires drivers to work, and hence it won't work on systems you can't install drivers on, eg. the Xbox and other various electronics. It may seem minor, but it's half of what I bought this mic for. Other than that, it's a great mic, but it's silly that something so simple needs drivers.

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The microphone was delivered a week early, and was an excellent buy. The mic is used for podcasting and just perfect for the job. Works perfectly on either my iMac or iPad.

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I use this mic for podcasting, and I am very pleased with the quality for a $40 microphone. I run the USB output straight into my Apple MacBook Air MD224LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (NEWEST VERSION) (with linein, soundflower and audacity so I can record Skype calls using the mic). It's completely plug and play with the Mac. If you speak at a normal conversational level, the levels may seem a bit low, but there is just about zero noise, so you can amplify it fearlessly and get fine results. Speaking with more of a stage voice or singing into it will results in higher levels if you want.

My only complaints are minor: the desk stand that comes with it is a little cheesy and light weight, so I can't mount my pop filter to it, and you definitely need a pop filter. You may want to get your own desk stand. Also, the blue LED light stays on even when you have the microphone switched off. Would that the LED changed color or went off when the switch was off.

Crosley CR6001A-BK Archiver USB Turntable (Black)

I bought this being very wary of the Crosley brand and always hearing about them being crap etc. When I got this I couldn't be happier. The cd, cassette, and vinyl functions work perfectly. The only downside I could find to this is the speakers. Which really aren't bad at all for what they are. I plugged some external speakers into it though and that really boosted the bass and helped it become a whole new beast. I would definately buy this product again for the price.

The description says: "Simply put the record or tape on, load your re-writable CD and press the "record" button to get the ball rollin'." First of all, all it does with a tape is play it. You cannot record a tape at all. It makes it sound like the machine has a CD recorder on it. It does not. You hook your computer to the machine and you can copy an LP to your computer then you use your computer to cut a CD. Getting it to come out right takes some time and study. So, what you have is a CD player, a cassette player, and record player, and a USB cord so you can connect the record player to your computer. The software is freeware and not especially easy to use.

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I wanted to record directly from a record to my computer, but this turntable did not do that. The description online was confusing enough that we thought it did. We returned the item.

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Just opened the box and hooked up all connections to my Crosley Archiver USB Turntable CR6001A. I needed to transfer some 45RPM records to a CD so I put a test record on the turntable and boy! Was I disappointed. The turntable would speed up and slow down, over and over, the music sounded horrible. I tried an LP record with the same results. The turntable sounded like it was dragging as it made its turns. I sent an email to Epic Rec Rooms with instruction request to return the device. It is not usable for the intended purpose.

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I wasn't as impressed with this when it arrived. Luckily it wasn't damage because the box had been through hell. It also didn't arrive with a needle it looked like it had been returned at one point. Ended up returning this for those reasons plus I mismeasured the space I intended it to fit. I was amazed the tuner wasn't digital and the knobs were so cheap feeling. Anyway great idea though. If it had arrived brand new with the needle and had fit, I would have kept it. Also, it only burns CDs through the computer it's not a direct burner which I wasn't clear on.

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Secuvox Motion Detection HD Covert Camera with Talking Alarm Clock and Six Natural Sound Soothing M

I was really excited to get this little recorder. Straight foreward operation but it always records. It makes three minute clips until the card is full. even in motion detect mode.

If thats all you need it works great and the picture quality is good as well as the wide ange view.

The sound is pretty good as well.

Not at all what I expected and they video is terrible and the AC wall plug was not even for a standard wall outlet. It had the 2 prong plug that it don't even tell you about and the cords are very short. I am sending mine back for a full refund. Very disappointed!!

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I'm, setup the time correct in the clock , but when Show information the Video Show order time , Incorrect time.

The instuction say , i cant put the cd for setup the device clock but, this Cd no run becouse no compatibility with my hardware Dvd.

but , I need this drivers for setup information again the this device clock.

Please showme the link for donwload this driver to my computer

thank

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Sony DVP-FX701 7-Inch LCD Portable DVD Player

• 7-inch TFT LCD screen with 16:9 aspect ratio to match the dimensions of your favorite movies
• Includes built-in stereo speakers with simulated surround sound; plays DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, MP3 CD, and JPEG image CD
• Dolby Digital and DTS passthrough with optical digital-audio output
• Rechargeable battery with 3-hour playback ensures uninterrupted viewings of 1 to 2 movies; includes remote control, AC power adapter
• Measures 5.9 x 1.55 x 7.4 inches (W x H x D) with battery

I purchased my Sony Port/DVD Player a year ago from CC. Last week I had to take it in to CC to have it returned to Sony for repairs. It started to freeze up as another reviewer stated.

But we have run this thing like crazy for the last 12 months. Between my husband and I we have put at least 750 hours of viewing time into it before this problem occurred. Having purchased the extended maintenance program, if Sony can't fix it I get a new one. To me the price was well worth the enjoyment we have already received from this player, not to mention the future with the repaired/replaced unit. Can't find one better by me...and I looked around alot before purchasing last year.

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The screen is nice, but no where near as sharp as what you would find on the new X-brite VAIO's. I started receiving a "disc error" on all of my DVDs (which had previously worked with no problems) after six months of use. Unit was not overly used, just for the occassional weekend trip. The odd thing is that the unit still plays JPEG's & MP3's with not problems. Since this was a gift, I had no additional warranties purchased. After calling Sony support, I had a choice of getting an exchange at $33 or repair at $87. Sony support was helpful, but their automated voice robot "Max" is annoying.

I also have a Phillips DVD player that I bought in 1997 which has never given me a problem but it's not a portable. I own other Sony products and really enjoy them. I'm disappointed in this product and hope my replacement won't let me down. Sony stuff is nice, but you may be better off with a lower cost model should anything go wrong.

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Used for approx. 50 hours over 5 months. Now constant freezing with any dvd or cd. It appears that this is a common problem with this unit. I can not recommend buying this player.

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I purchased this product from amazon.com on December 27th, 2004 & I received it in mid January. I have used it to watch a couple of DVDs a week. Starting last month it began to have a problem playing DVDs. It will not play any DVD past a few minutes then it freezes. I'd suggest passing on this item since it seems to break after it is out of labor warranty. I can replace the unit for $33 with a factory refurbished unit or have mine repaired for $87.

Even though I had read about this problem on amazon.com, I assumed that maybe only a few units had this problem and that I would only be unlucky to have the same problem or that people had not been careful in their use of the DVD player. Either I'm just really unlucky or there is something wrong with the quality of this DVD player...My unit lasted only four months with careful use.

I received one of these as a gift. Took it out of the box, the DVD played for like 5 seconds, then it switched over to the blue screen of death and said DVD error. So we took it back and got a new one. Same thing happened. We tried half a dozen DVDs, no luck. I have a friend who has a portable DVD player who paid about $300 less than this one and hers works great! Go figure!

Pyle PSPL01 Mini Digital Sound Level Meter

I just got this today but wanted to get the word out that this unit(at least the one I received) is C-weighted, not A-weighted like the description currently states. The "weighting" has to do with the frequency response and the different versions are intended to match the human response to noises under different circumstances. A-weighting is more common and typically used for noise ordinances and OSHA requirements. There's a general consensus that A-weighting is not appropriate for anything over quiet room levels, but from what I've read, A-weighting is used as the standard for many situations (for better or worse).

That said, C-weighting is probably better for my purposes anyway. Often you have to get a more expensive unit that has both A and C to get C-weighted response.

As for the unit, for the price, it feels solid and looks like it could handle a drop or two. It has an automatic back-light, min-max functionality and a 1/4-20 threaded boss for mounting to a tripod etc. The unit is basic, but I'm happy with it. I don't have reference equipment to test the accuracy, but the values seem to match what I would expect for different environments.

I have been taking speech theraphy. My therapist uses one of these to measure my voice output volume. She suggested I get one to practice with so I'll know when I'm getting the proper output volume. The Pyle was reasonably priced and works well.

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I purchased this sound level to measure and setup my new 5.1 home theater setup. My receiver has an auto calibration utility, but I wanted to validate the sound levels and as to tweak the settings as needed.

The measurements were in line with the receiver's calibration utility, and allowed me to further adjust the settings as I wanted.

It performed as expected and for the price it is well worth it.

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The item I received is not "A" weighted. The packaging even says "C" on the back. If you are looking to pick up noise from your noisy neighbors, this product is not for you. "C" weighted is more ideal for musicians or music clubs checking their noise levels. It randomly skips around numbers below 60 unless it's really really loud. The only plus is that the screen lights up so you can see the numbers if you are in a dark place. I am returning this item. Fix your information Amazon.

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Very easy to use.I especially like the digital readout as it seems to be very accurate.We used this to level out our sound system for each of our prerecorded

music cds.I give it an A++.

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Hewlett Packard - HP Pavilion dv7t dv7tqe Quad Edition, 2nd Gen. Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2 GHz

I'm in my early 50's and not a computer guy. If you need specifics, read the specs on the seller page. I have owned several desktops and laptops and what I can tell you is this product is everything you ever wanted in a laptop. I have had mine for over two years now and never a problem. This notebook is lightening fast and is loaded with everything you would want a laptop to be. It has beats audio, lightscribe, cd/dvd/mp3 burners and my favorite feature is the biometric fingerprint scanner. It is impossible for anyone but me to access my notebook. My fingerprint can take me to any saved login screen, type in my user/password, and select login for me. It's so cool and well worth the bucks. Every click is instant. The turbo quad is the way to go.

Gooddi A7 Super Slim Spy Camera with Video, Digital Camera and Voice Recording Function (8 GB Micro

small nice .. it works good in the small wallet nobody can t see there s a camera inside :)b so i used to day wth some girl in a dark room well tv was on. so u still can see a little and u can make it more bright wth windows program s so yeah... then i turn on some light n the rest of the video was very nice..n she didn't know i was recording.. ok it came with earphones why idnt know..? the videos eve 10 minutes cut n record t in parts of 10 mnts why? idk but thats ok ... ill give t 5 starts works nice for me ..

Sony DCR-SX85 Handycam Camcorder (Silver)

After using both HD camcorders and devices like the FlipCam, I was looking for something that fit somewhere in the middle given that few of the computers around the office are equipped to store and edit HD video files. Ironically, the older standard definition camcorders (D8 and miniDV) laying around would have fit the bill, if not for the fact offloading and sharing footage on them is cumbersome compared to the drag-and-drop file transfer you get with a flash media recorder.

So ultimately I was looking for something with all the convenience of a FlipCam, but with a few more features like zoom and SD card recording. I didn't really think I'd find something (at least from a major manufacturer) that fit those requirements and that wasn't HD, but with a few clicks of a product wizard, I found Sony's SX85.

The camera lacks two features I usually look for headphone and external microphone jacks but since I'm not the one who will be using the camcorder most of the time, those features were easy to forego. The video quality is decent not great but given the rather unremarkable needs (recording meetings, quickly documenting something to share with colleagues), it's sufficient. The lack of a viewfinder can be a little problematic in full sunlight and having a lot of the functions and settings buried in the menu doesn't make the camera a standout for usability, but for dead simple recording and easy access to the video files, it does what is needed.

I can confirm the camcorder is compatible with Mac computers recognized both by iMovie '11 (which converts the native MPEG2 video files to MOV on importing) and the Mac OS (Snow Leopard) itself. For those looking to just pull the recorded files off the internal storage or SD card, the volumes will mount without problems (just be sure to acknowledge the USB connection on the camcorder menu screen). After that all it takes is hunting a bit through the folders to find the recordings. Be aware that without the MPEG2 codec for Quicktime, the files won't play in that application (you'll need to buy Quicktime Pro), but VLC has no problem handling them and is in most cases a better option over Quicktime anyway.

I paid more that I had planned for a small still & video camera because I've had such good luck with Sony digital cameras in the past. But I'm very disappointed in this one. On a sunny day, outdoor pictures, whether still or video, come out great if you are lucky enough to have pointed it at the subject you wanted to take. The viewer has so much glare that it acts like a mirror, and about all you can see is your face in it, no matter how much you try to adjust the angle or shade the viewer. Indoor pictures have all come out extremely dim and grainy while my friends with their cheap little cameras are getting great shots. I'm really sorry I bought this one.

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Just purchased this Camera this week and it is great, I am also a mac user and did not have any trouble

getting it to work with my macbook pro. I had already upgraded my ilife to 11. But imovie was able

to download the movies with our any issues.

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Research is the first thing I do, when I buy items like these, I read all the comments and evaluate what I think is a reasonable assessment of the comments given and then I go and take a chance.

Did that with the SX85, and I found that it performs adequate for what I'm looking for, that being a basic video recorder for on the road and sometimes mounted on the dash of my big truck for some interesting video in traffic when it gets difficult, as long as it is not in serious zoom.

It records a good video image and shoots a good single picture also.

If you are looking for a vidcam to make quick shots with, you're likely to be frustrated, as the startup and selection of your particular mode will take a minute, but if you just want a cam to take scene videos or take a picture or two, or generally have it running on like I do sometimes, I would say that this camera is pretty decent for the money.

I bought it with the secondary thought to have the 2000x magnification when zoomed in, so I could watch birds and objects from a distance (have that tripod handy!)

We all know that zoom like that brings the shakes with it when you hand hold a cam, so I use a variety of tripods, and that works very well with this camera. I have other cameras that do jobs of a more delicate nature when situations need for them.

In general with the reproduction of the image when you take the video or shot, they are never what you saw when you took the shots in the first place unless you bought something a bit more expensive.

I thought that the reproduced pics or videos from this camera were just fine.

Gritty video or grainy shots happen sometimes, it depends on lighting at the moment of capture, but I found the camera to be all it said it would be after playing with it for a bit so am happy with it.

Dislikes;

-I do not like the USB lead in the strap, although I like the idea of it being right on the camera as a handy thing.

-I do not like the start button where it is, because when you have your hand in the strap, it is hard to get at without using the other hand, and that produces another form of the shakes, or aimless wandering of the scene you are trying to stay focused on.

-I do not like the strap comfort when you take a video while moving, not somuch for the hand comfort as the arm that has to hold it all up.(Working on that with a custom made hard grip with a trigger.)

I agree with another commenter here, on the preview screen's vulnerability to glare in almost all positions, but I have a sticky film that eliminates that problem by diffusing the light that causes the glare, similar to some coatings on glasses or lenses.

You may want to experiment with some satin finished Scotch tape of the right width, the stuff I have came frome somewhere I can't remember and is slightly tinted but works fantastic.

All in all, I think it's a handy little cam.(No pun.)

I would suggest some dilligence and careful checking out of products on YOUR part, when you go out to spend your hard earned cash on something BEFORE you buy it. That may give you a better situation all around and you most likely will enjoy things a lot more once you have them.

I'd buy one again if this one was lost, Thx, John.

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Well I have read all the reviews here and elsewhere about this Video Camera... truthfully Im glad I took the chance on it. I bought it from somewhere else and paid.. 199 for it. AT THIS PRICE or even the Price that Amazon is asking for this fine Camera its a steal..

The people who saw grainy pictures with this Camera must have gotten defective cameras, because mine has a beautiful picture both on close up and zoom. I dont see any grainyness. For those who complained you couldnt see the screen in the daylight may I suggest antiglare screen protectors and adjust the screens brightness. This is a touch screen camera and a screen protecter is a must so to not damage the screen with your oily fingers...

For those really wanting to see what the zoom of this camera (70x and 2,000x) will do go to YOUTUBE and search for sony handycams 70x ... you can even take a very good close up of the moon... this camera is great. No its not HD but you can set the picture qaulity to HD which is very very good. I dont get the name of MOONJOGGER for no reason at all... I like taking Videos and Pictures of unexplained things in the night sky. If this is you also, you will not be disappointed.... lol... set the sceene setting on Spotlight and go to Manuel Focus, put your camera on a trypod and your set to film planes that fly over... giggle...

For those who complained the supplyed sony picture software would not load on their computer... the camcorder has this application already loaded on it, so you can hook it to any computer and download the Camera content... its a portable version that you can get under the HELP column... It takes a lot of time to learn all the settings. If a filming looks to bright go to the sceene selection and try a different setting.

All and all... I just got done filming deer in my back yard... where is the grainyness.. I dont see a bit use the HQ settings instead of LP. This is a great deal because they are no longer making VIDEO CAMERAS with Monster Super Zooms like this... but if you use it make sure you put it on a trypod and use your manual focus because AUTOFOCUS has a limited distance...

Olympus Stylus 790SW 7.1MP Waterproof Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Bl

I will admit I was a skeptic when I bought this camera. I have a toddler and a tech-retarded wife, both of whom are responsible for previous spectacular digicam annihilations. So I turned to the Stylus 790 more out of desperation than anything.

Now I admit to being a total convert. For the price-point, I was just hoping for something that took mediocre pics and wouldn't die in 6 months at the hands of my ruthless gadget assassins. It, in fact, takes remarkable pictures, comes with a ton of handy features barely noted on Amazon, and really is indestructible.

Really. And by indestructible I mean it has survived being burried at the beach, dropped in the bubble bath, thrown in the toilet (more than once), gone through the dishwasher cycle (don't ask), dropped from our 3-level balcony to the sidewalk below, and having been laundered (washer AND dryer).

Plus battery is good for hundreds of shots, the video clips are surprisingly crisp, and I rarely have issues with blurry pictures any more. Also, Olympus' face-finding technology is pretty amazing stuff.

Overall I would highly recommend this camera on its own merits as a great camera. The fact the it survived my household is the icing on the cake, since (I hope) you won't be nearly as rough in testing it. Enjoy!

I have some special requirements for a digital camera, and the Olympus is one of the few that seemed to fit the bill. In particular I needed a camera that had image stabilization and be somewhat weather proof as I use it to take one-handed shots from a moving vehicle. While I am not a photo journalist, I do take a lot of photos for a motorcycle publication and needed something that I could use in less than ideal circumstances.

Unfortunately my last camera had no image stabilization, so about 1/3 to 1/2 of all the photos I took came out blurred. But before I could make a decision on a replacement, my old one died. Apparently some road grit had gotten into the lens and one day it refused to extend or retract. Since most of the compact digital cameras on the market have lenses that extend prior to use, it narrowed the field down dramatically. This was the main reason I decided to go with the Olympus.

I've had it for a few months now and had occasion to use it for both moving and normal photography (I've posted a few good and bad photos here). I'm not completely sold on it, but to me the pros outweigh the cons so I'm going to keep it. There are however, a few design issues that I find frustrating.

The first is the focus time (the time between pushing the shutter button and when the photo is actually taken). With my old compact digital it was almost instantaneous, so "I got what I shot". With the Olympus it takes a second or two, which when shooting moving vehicles (from a moving vehicle) is enough time to allow the subject to change position and now be slightly out of focus. Unfortunately image stabilization will not compensate for that.

Another issue is the placement of the flash. On most cameras the flash is on the opposite side from where you hold it (the flash is usually on the left while you hold it on the right). However, on the 790SW the flash is on the same side as the hand grip, which means that if you are not extremely careful your finger will block part of the flash. I have some group photos taken at night where the people on the right side are in darkness while those on the left and in the center are properly lit.

But the biggest issue I have is with the battery life. Typically I would get between 300-400 shots from the battery on my old compact digital camera. However, the battery life on the 790SW is amazingly short. My first trip I got only 170 daylight shots before the camera completely shut down. As it was only mid morning and I wouldn't be able to charge the battery until that night, I spent the rest of the day with a useless camera while dozens of great photos got away. Since then I picked up a second battery, but still have to keep an eye on my power consumption so that I don't run out before the end of the day. I thought about buying a third or forth battery, but at that point I would be spending a large chunk of the overall cost of camera just to keep it powered.

In short:

Pros:

Bulletproof (water/dust/freeze/crush/shock proof)

Non extending lens will not jam from dirt or dust

Auto open/shut metal lens cover

Image Stabilization

7.1 Megapixel

Cons:

Focus time

Placement of the flash

Battery life

Must remove the battery to charge it

While the focus lag-time problem might be unique to my work, the flash and battery issues are ones that everyone should consider before buying this camera. If you have unique needs (camera robustness, weather/water proof) then this is one of the few choices on the market and worth the money. However, if you don't need the special abilities this camera has to offer, I think you would be better served looking for something else in this (or even a lower) price range.

Buy Olympus Stylus 790SW 7.1MP Waterproof Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Bl Now

I am a pro photographer, shooting with a Nikon D2Xs. I was looking for a compact camera for my wife, when I saw this camera in the reviews, it seemed like a good choice. I did some research and found a SCUBA website that tested it to 64' deep, and although the depth gauge stops at 30 something feet, it performed fine event at over double the rated depth.

I was specifically concerned about the contrast these little point and shot cameras have, coming from the world of pro DSLRs... This isn't a $4500 D2Xs, but I was very surprised how good the picture is. The large screen is very sharp and bright. The integrated lens cover is metal, and seems like it would be sturdy.

I would recommend this camera as a high performance compact point-and-shoot.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus Stylus 790SW 7.1MP Waterproof Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Bl Here

First let me say, while not the highest MP's on the block, the advertized "oopps-proofing" of this camera drew me in. Drops from up to 5 feet can be weathered, its submersible, can operate in temperature conditions to 10 below 0, and the portability are all sure fire winners in our family. Now onto the software: Can I say WOW? Very user friendly (as I have YET to crack open the book). Was able to literally shoot right out of the box, navigate the settings on the camera without issue(still more to learn I am sure, though), and with a simple plug in of the USB, uploading is automatic! SOOOOO much easier than my first digital camera circa 1994 (yes, you read me right)....AND WORKS SEAMLESSLY WITH VISTA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nice editing tools within the software, thus no need to import pics into Photoshop or the like to correct red eye, etc. You can even email right out of the software v. attaching pics of old camera softwares gone-by. Camera boasts the ability to shoot video as well (although I'd recommend the 2GB card, which likewise allows for tons of still images should you be away on vacation and unable to download/free up space). Case colors are eye catching too. All in all, considering the rough-in-tough capabilities (without the tank look of many electronics that are made for active and or clumsy users), the requisite/acceptable number of mega pixels (note I did not say stellar, just acceptable), the software (both in and out of the camera) and the large viewing screen (considering the overall size of the camera to begin with), this was a good buy for our family's needs.

Want Olympus Stylus 790SW 7.1MP Waterproof Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Bl Discount?

Pros

He's a tough little guy, he's not going to break if you bump him or spill on him

He's an attractive camera

He's small enough to go with you anywhere

He's easy to hold and handle, he comes with a safety strap too

He's easy to use, no steep learning curve, just point and shoot

He's plug-n-play style with Windows XP, no software install required

Cons

His battery doesn't recharge unless you pop it physically out of the camera and pop it into a separate charging tray

Additional Thoughts

It's a good-looking, tough, small camera -perhaps more bulky than the pictures you see on the web reveal, but still small and comfortable in the hand. I didn't need the manual to start using it right away. I am enjoying new freedom from paranoia! I know that if I knock this camera around a bit it's not going to die on me. The toughness of the camera makes me brave about it, and that's why I bought it. As for picture quality, features, battery life... they all seem very good to me, pretty standard for your daily point-n-shoot. I've have the camera for a few weeks now and I use it constantly. Again, the big selling point is its hardiness. I am not shy about keeping it with me in a bag or pocket because it can handle being bounced around a little. I haven't found a thing about this little guy I don't like! :-)

Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder

I purchased the Olympus DS-40 as an upgrade to my Olympus WS-320M. As mentioned by another reviewer, the DS-30/40 series improves upon the WS-300/310/320M series. I have owned a number of digital voice recorders from Voice-it to Sony and Olympus.

The DS-40 without its external microphone is about the same size as the WS-320M. It is slightly thicker and heavier. The exterior of the DS-40 is mostly metal. On the bottom, the battery door is plastic and hinged like the Olympus DS-4000. The mini-USB port is covered by a tethered plastic cover. On the lower right side, there is a power/hold slide switch. If you do not power the DS-40 off, it will enter a power save mode and the display will blank. Pressing a key brings it out of power save mode. The power save mode time is user adjustable. The control buttons are well spaced and shaped to make the DS-40 an acceptable dictation recorder unlike the WS-320M. The WS-320M has small flat closely spaced keys. The LCD screen is backlit in white and is very legible. The speaker is located in the back and produces enough volume to be heard in a moving car. On the top of the DS-40 is a stereo microphone jack which supports an optional remote control / microphone jack and is where the external stereo microphone is plugged in. Curiously, Nuance in their Dragon testing of the DS-30/40/50 writes that this recorder does not accept an external microphone.

The DS-40 is setup as a standard plug and play external USB drive. So you can transfer audio by using the supplied DSS Player software, Windows Explorer, or Windows Media Player. The USB audio transfer speed is about 140mb per minute. That is about five times faster than the WS-320M.

The DS-40 can be used as a digital voice recorder, a music player, an audiobook player, and a podcast player.

As a voice recorder, the DS-40 offers a lot of flexibility. With the three microphone sensitivies (dictation, conference, lecture), the DS-40 is suitable for handheld dictation (works best with the optional remote control), for meetings, for classroom / lecture hall use. I found the conference sensitivity adequate for a small to midsize classroom. As an aid for dictation, there is a voice activation option with 16 levels of sensitivity. You can adjust the activation level while recording from a barely audible whisper to a very loud trigger level. The voice activation feature along with the disable signal LED option are useful for surreptitious recording (check your local laws).

With the different recording quality modes, you can increase your recording time capacity by lowering the recording quality. I found the HQ mode (over 34 hours of record time) is quite sufficient for normal speech recording. The HQ frequency range is from 50 to 13000 Hz. The ST XQ mode produces very high quality recordings. Using an Olympus attenuator cable, I dubbed a recording from my IHP-120 music player to the DS-40 using line-out to dictation level. The sound quality of that dub was very satisfactory. There was a barely audible amount of added background noise in the recording. I think this is an excellent recorder for rehearsals, jam sessions, and practice. During my recording of a loud music presentation using the conference sensitivity, I noted that the recording levels went full bar and there was some slight distortion when the sound level was loudest.

As a music player, the DS-40 is just adequate. It plays music with a sound quality that is noise-free, warm, and full. Music navigation is by folder. There is no shuffle mode and no equalizer. The play mode allows single, folder, all, and repeat modes. However, the play mode applies equally to music, podcasts, and dictation. The WS-320M is a better music player. The DS-40 will play 320Kbps mp3s. The WS-320M will not.

As an audiobook player, the DS-40 will play audiobook content (after activation) from Audible.com in formats 2, 3, and 4. It supports Audible.com features such as bookmarking, fast and slow play, and book sections. It will also handle mp3, wma, and Netlibrary audiobooks with the useful features of resume position on a power cycle, fast/slow play speed (digitally corrected no chipmunk voices), fast forward / rewind over track gaps, and audible cue / review. The rewind over a track gap feature is important when a book is split over multiple tracks and you need to review a section you just listened to. If that section is near the end of the previous track, you would have a problem with Ipods and Zens. They both stop rewinding at the beginning of a track. There is no bookmarking with mp3 and wma tracks. You can set a temporary index mark with an mp3 or wma track. The mark goes away when you move to another track.

As a podcast player, the DS-40 will play podcasts loaded from the DSS Player software. You can add URLs to the player software to subscribe to podcasts. There are options to set the download interval, set delete options, and auto update the DS-40. As with audiobooks, you can use fast/slow play speeds and audible cue/review. There is no bookmarking feature. There is a temporary index mark feature.

In summary, this dictation voice recorder is excellent. It is well built, easy to use, and records very well.

Pros:

Small size, good price benefit ratio, long battery life, solid metal construction, standard mini-USB connector, large informative display, excellent quality voice recordings, voice activated recording with sixteen sensitivity levels, WMA codec, dictation capabilities, included external stereo microphone and input, date-time stamped recordings, plug and play for file/music transfers, and music/podcast player.

Cons:

No supplied carry case. Back placement of the speaker. No on-device editing capability except for delete and move.

FYI, there is a new series of Sony dictation recorders coming this year including the ICD-SX57. The SX57 is an upgrade over the SX46 with 256mb of memory, a backlit display, automatic record level and manual record level, three built-in microphones, an extra high quality stereo recording format, and record level display. A newer version of the Voice Editor software which converts to WAV and MP3 format is included to support podcasting.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this thing but I've been pleased thus far.

SOUND: Great quality, amazingly crystal clear sound in STXQ mode (highest setting). Stock stereo mic is actually pretty nice as well; I expected to have to buy another mic, but I don't know quite yet if that's necessary.

INTERFACE: Controls are a bit clumsy but a small price to pay for this quality, and given the extremely limited real estate on this tiny thing, I suppose they did a great job with design. It's plug and play so it's easy to use. It acts just like a jump drive for storage as well. Not to mention that I've been wearing this thing out and the batteries are still fully charged.

APPLICATION: I use it for lectures, business meetings, reminders, all the usual stuff. **HOWEVER, I actually bought it to try it out as a field recorder. I'm a musician and experimenting with sampling, and I've found that this is perfect for that. It was after all designed for podcasting. The specified field recorders out right now (Zoom H4, Edirol R9, etc.) have gotten tons of bad press; loud, clunky, low quality, etc., and there's no way I was going to buy an MD recorder. For less than half of the price of one of those, I bought this and the quality difference is unreal.

SHORTCOMINGS: Not many of these, but the big ones are the inability to rename files on the fly and the inability to resume a recording once stopped (you can do this if you simply pause the recording however but I'd like to be able to resume from a stopped or even powered `off' recording); it may do both of these, but I haven't figured it out yet. Also a problem is the fact that it doesn't come with a case of some sort. It's silver, metal and has a glass screen so I always feel like maybe it's going to get all scratched up. I'd also like removable memory option. For these small issues I've knocked it down to a 4 star rating; if there were a 4.5, I would have gone with that. If they came out with another that resolved all these small issues it would be worth another 25-40 bucks to me.

BOTTOM LINE: Truly outstanding bang for the buck. All in all, unbelievable sound (CD quality 44.1kz) and pretty easy to use. Good enough for a field recorder and no `tape' or hard drive ambient sounds.

Buy Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder Now

This recorder has excellent sound quality, impressive voice guided menu, easy to read display, great performance and key response, and is a great size and can conspicuously be put in your shirt pocket. It records to WMA files and can be plugged into your computer via USB as a USB drive. No software is even required to grab the files from it. It has a file system just like most digital cameras. The external speaker sounds quite good considering its size. The sound quality with headphones is fantastic. I didn't try it with music as there are much better things to listen to music with (i.e. iPod). The Music playback isn't a useful feature to me.

I first bought the Sony ICD-SX46VTP which had terrible sound quality and required software that complained of missing files during the install. I took it back in favor of the Olympus DS40 and I am really glad that I did. The Sony ICD-SX46VTP was terrible all around.

Read Best Reviews of Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder Here

I am very happy with this device which produces good quality recordings and is easy to use (didn't need to read the manual).

Here are a list of good and not-so-good points:

... Good bits ...

Very good sound quality. The supplied stereo mic (ME-53SH) does a great job and recordings sound very lively. I tend to use the middle sensitivity which gives great near-field recordings. The XQ quality setting sounds fine.

Good battery life. Using XQ (highest quality) I get nearly 8 hours of recording from a set of alkaline AAA cells. To save power I switch off the back-light because I hardly need it. I don't switch the device off, instead it goes into standby which means it is ready to use by pressing REC twice.

The supplied stereo mic is sufficiently directional to reject some ambient off-axis noise, giving better recordings.

I found the buttons quite usable, mostly you can operate the device without looking.

It is a very discrete unit tiny! I've even made good recordings while it sat in my shirt pocket. You can switch off the red recording LED if it is distracting during an interview.

... Not-so-good bits ...

The supplied stereo mic does not fit firmly onto the device it wobbles slightly. It is secured by a small jack plug in the middle and two small plastic locator pegs on the top of the unit. This means the mic doesn't feel firmly attached and isn't a robust connection. It is possibly subject to damage if mishandled. Perhaps this is why Olympus sell replacement mics for $25.

Olympus should supply a case for the device. I bought the $20 case (CS-113) which is expensive for a piece of felt but it protects the unit. The case also probably reduces some handling noise during recording.

The 256mb, 512mb and 1gb memory sizes are a fiction of marketing. At the time of writing you can buy a 4gb memory stick for $68 so there's no justification for the large price gap between the DS-30, DS-40 and DS-50 (which are otherwise identical apart from colour). I decided on the DS-40 which gives 8 hours at highest quality.

When recording, I can't find any way to review-then-continue, for example to replace something you just said. Tape dictaphones have done this for decades and it is feasible on a digital device, but not possible on this one!

... Other notes ...

There is no support for uncompressed WAV output, which would show what the device is really capable of in more serious settings. The DS-40 could capture nearly 1 hour of uncompressed audio. The XQ recording mode uses Microsoft's compressed WMA format and the standard editing tool on Windows is Movie Maker (not obvious) which again only outputs as WMA. Freeware tools like Audacity won't open WMA but you can solve this problem by using the dbPowerAmp Music Converter (free) and outputting as raw WAV, this produces large lossless files which you can edit in Audacity without further compression effects (add the LAME plug-in to make MP3s). I don't know what support exists for WMA on Mac.

Overall recommended.

---------

An update, 3 months later.

I'm still very happy with this device.

A couple of other points to add. The battery indicator is slightly confusing: after you've plugged the device into the computer via USB and then removed it, I found the battery indicator becomes inaccurate it shows more power than previously. The device doesn't do any kind of recharging so this is strange. Also, when the battery indicator drops to 1/3 (1 bar), change the cells if you want to avoid disappointment: I found the indicator doesn't mean you have 1/3rd of the battery power remaining!

On one occasion my device froze just like any good computer it locked up mid-recording. I removed the AAA's and it sorted itself out, no problems since.

I really recommend the soft case to protect it.

---------

An update, 1 year later.

This gadget gets regular (daily) use and it continues to be great. The sound quality on XQ is excellent.

Recently the device stopped recording in stereo so I unscrewed the plug-in stereo mic unit and found a tiny wire had become unsoldered: looked like a dry joint. I was able to repair this and now have stereo recording again!

While the stereo mic unit was open I noticed that the two internal mic capsules point outwards at 45 degrees, which explains how it captures such nice wide stereo sound. I would expect you could use this for recording music with good results.

For some reason the file counter reset itself to zero after about 1600 recordings, which was strange. But not a drama really.

Highly recommended.

Want Olympus DS-40 Digital Voice Recorder Discount?

SUMMARY:

Touching the unit while recording renders the internal mic and included stereo mic useless because of EXTREME handling noise, and the only way to fix this is to buy another mic that you will have to carry with you all the time.

DETAIL:

The other reviews adequately highlight this product's strong points, however there is one HUGE problem, in my opinion, and that is that if you touch the recorder or the table it's on while it's recording using it's own mic or the plug-in stereo mic that comes with it you will hear EVERY little touch or bump, even the tiniest ones. It is horribly bad in Lecture and Conference modes but also a problem in Dictation mode. If you are recording by setting the unit on a table you will not be touching, it will do fine. If, however, you want to hold the unit while recording (for example if you are dictating or doing an interview or walking while using it) or set it on a table at a coffee shop or the kitchen table while you're having a meal or even just resting your arms on the table you will NOT get a good recording; the voice quality is wonderful, but the internal mic is so sensitive that you will also hear when your thumb moves lightly across the unit even a few millimeters. I'm not exaggerating, I actually tested this by recording and lightly touching the unit, then lightly touching the table and when I say lightly I mean lowering my hand slowly until my finger makes contact with the table with as little force as possible and it picked up EVERYTHING.

BOTTOM LINE:

If you buy this recorder and want a recording clear of handling noise, the internal mic and stereo mic it comes with are USELESS, and you WILL need to purchase another mic with a cord that you can use with the unit. This is, in my opinion, a HUGE drawback for this price.

Why does my 10-year-old micro cassette recorder not have this problem but now these new digital recorders do? That is so frustrating. If any of you knows of a digital recorder that doesn't have this handling noise problem PLEASE TELL ME!