Samsung UN46B7000 46-Inch 1080p 120 Hz LED HDTV

• Ultra-slim 46-inch LED HDTV with full HD 1080p resolution for the sharpest picture possible
• LED technology enables a true-to-life range of picture brightness; uses 40 percent less energy than conventional LCD TVs
• Internet@TV online content service from Yahoo!, Flickr, YouTube via your broadband connection
• Inputs: 4 HDMI, 1 component, 2 USB, 1 Ethernet, 1 PC, 1 optical digital audio output
• Includes detachable swivel table stand; measures 44.4 x 30.2 x 10.8 inches (WxHxD) with stand

My requirement for a television is quite simple: plug it in to the cable box and have it work the first time; then turn on the sports event of the day, e.g. Mets or Yankees, Jets or Giants, etc. The Samsung 46 inch LED TV does that very well. You plug it in, it works.

This TV does more with less. It weighs only about 40 pounds plus another 10 pounds for the stand. Compare that with the older Samsung 950 model of the same size which weighs 70 pounds. The elegant stand allows for easy rotation. The TV is only a little over one inch thick! Power consumption has been measured by reviewers at about 105 watts. The 950 model comes in at 180 watts.

The picture is great. The contrast ratio, rated at 3,000,000 to 1, exceeds that of older LCD TVs. The black areas are dark and the picture has an almost 3D quality. There are four preset picture options. I chose the "normal" setting. The next higher setting, "standard", makes infield grass look almost dayglow. I do not think that there is a need to have any further adjustment done on the picture. However, there is an automatic dimming of the overall brightness for dark scenes. For instance, when the credits of a movie run against a black background the lettering becomes dimmer. This has no effect on sports, but does effect dark movie scenes.

The screen surface does reduce reflections but does not eliminate them entirely. The black frame is shiny and does also reflect some light. Rotating the screen to the best angle helps.

The remote provides choices for four picture size variations. I use "16:9" for the HD format or "wide" to make the non-HD, 4:3, video fill the screen. That loses some of the 4:3 picture at the top and bottom edges, but the picture quality is still good.

The sound also has four preset choices. Although, the internal speakers are not bad, I decided to use my sound system for the audio. The TV has an audio output connection, but the TV remote volume control only allows variation in the sound level for the internal speakers. The audio output stays at a constant level. I got around this by taking the audio from my cable box directly to my sound system and controlling the level with the cable remote. This works.

Although Samsung provides a version of the instruction manual on a USB drive with the TV, I found it easy to download and print a pdf of the manual from the Samsung support center. Having the printed manual is helpful. See my comment for the web address of the support center.

After one month, I still really like this TV. It is great for sports. An added bonus is that my electric bill has actually gone down.

Note: This review was written for the 6000 model. The 7000 model differs from the 6000 model in its I/O capabilities. Recently some people have reported that the 7000 has a better picture. If you do not need the extras, go with the 6000 and save a few dollars.

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I won't go into as much detail as some others, but I do want to say that I've had this TV for 3 weeks and I absolutely love it. One thing I noticed on all TV's my friends have is when the scene goes dark, you can see the entire screen glow and most LCDs will only go so dark. Due to LED technology, which does not disappoint, this TV will go pitch black on dark scenes and very bright on light scenes.

One thing I do want to mention is that Samsung's Auto Motion Plus (AMP) is something that takes time to get used to, if you choose to use it. The funnies thing I've read about this TV is a person who paid over $2k and then sent the TV back because they said TV made everything they watched "look cheap, like a soap opera", so they rated TV one star, shipped it back to the store and bought a different brand. As soon as I got the TV hooked up, I popped in Matrix II into the DVD player and I did notice what that person was talking about. Entire movie didn't feel quite like a movie, but more like someone was holding a video camera and was following all the car chases and everything else. It did remind me of those "cheap" TV programs, but is also looked kind of like you are actually there. I read more about it and realized that if I turn off AMP, the TV will show everything "normally" and there is absolutely no reason to send it back if AMP is not your thing.

However, I read more about AMP and from what I can tell, it is the imperfections in normal movies and motion blur that we are all used to. What AMP does is figure out where all moving objects are, "unblurs" them and actually plays back the scene at 120fps instead of 24fps. Extra frames are extrapolated based on object motion in the scene. The result is that everything is extremely sharp and clear and motion blur is almost entirely gone. I've seen Matrix II about 8 times and when I watched it with AMP turned on, I noticed extra cool, little details which I've never even noticed before when watching it on a regular TV.

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This TV has produced a lot of controversy. After having spent a lot of time wading through it, passively and actively (debating it in threads), I came to the conclusion that I would get this set for a number of reasons:

1. I was not convinced by the people who were claiming that there were serious issues with this TV. One reviewer claimed to have seen trails in large dark objects. I went to the store and found NO ability to see it, and it was right next to the 750 (and a lot of other sets). As to the LED being edge and thus the lighting being inconsistent, ditto. I am not saying that it's all lies and local dimming is useless. I am saying that it's not something I can see right now (and that's really all I care about).

2. This set is INSANELY thin. I have a space for mine where this actually makes a big difference.

3. I like to vote with my dollars. This is the lowest consuming television ever made. The CNET list of sets showed that the range was 8:1, which is pretty phenomenal if you think about it; in cars, mileage is not even that spread out. This is a REMARKABLE achievement and it's a drag to hear people whining about dumb little imperfections that 99% of people would never see while they are buying from the other end of the spectrum. Of course, the amount of energy less you are going to use is not going to make a revolution, but a tiny percentage of all TVs using this amount would make a huge difference (game theory 101).

The biggest difference from my prior set (Westinghouse LCD) is this one actually has blacks.

The controls, menus, remote, etc., are all fine (I use a universal remote). Having a bunch of HDMI ports is great. I plugged in the connection to the web and looked at the Yahoo Widgets. Calling them useless at this point is an understatement. Should be interesting to see what is coming from that direction.

The argument that if the 750 looks just as good, save the money and get that is a compelling one. In terms of value overall, I paid ~$1500 for my 42" Westinghouse 3 years ago. I just replaced it because it had developed background noise (patterns you could see). If this set lasts 2 more years, it will have exceeded the prior value in size and savings of energy.

Again, this is a remarkable achievement in an industry that had told us we'd all be using power sipping OLED by now, this is a hybrid strategy, here today.

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I bought this TV about a week ago and have been fairly impressed. There is a lot to like about this TV, but there are also a few problems.

The Good:

The picture is great; very clear with both HDTV and BluRays. The black levels and contrast are very good. The sound isn't terrible (with some tweaking), but it isn't anything to write home about. The settings are very intuitive and easy to work with.

The Bad:

I've already mentioned the sound, but it bears repeating: the sounds levels are just okay. You will not be able to turn the bass up to what I would call an acceptable level without making the speaker housings vibrate which can be very annoying. This wasn't a deal killer for me as I paired it with a surround sound system, so I barely hear the TV speakers.

This TV is terrible for gaming. I should qualify this: This TV is terrible for playing music type games. There is considerable input lag using a Wii, even with the game mode turned on. I attempted to play Guitar Hero: World Tour after connecting the Wii to the TV using the new composite cables I had to buy (more on that in a minute), and found it to be unplayable. Because there is considerable lag, the strum does not register until just after the notes have passed, resulting in a missed note... many, many missed notes actually. This is not acceptable for me.

There are not enough inputs for gaming devices and there are only inputs for HD devices. While this may seem like a stupid complaint, remember that neither the Wii, nor the PS2 (outdated I know, but bare with me) have an HDMI output. I had to go buy HD Composite cables for both and a switch box because there is only 1 composite input on the TV. These cables aren't really cheap, so that was another $60 I had to shell out. Also, there are only 4 HDMI inputs total, so if you have multiple gaming systems, a BluRay player and a cable/satellite box, you may need to buy an HDMI switch to get everything to work.

The Ugly:

You will need to take quite a bit of time to calibrate this TV to make everything look the way it should. Here is a quick tip though: if you don't want everything you watch to have the quality of a commercial, turn off the 120Hz options (located in Picture Options > Auto Motion Plus 120Hz). Some people may like the ultra crisp effect that this adds to movies and programs, but I just feel it makes everything look very plastic and without depth.

All-in-all, this is a decent TV, that could be great for some... but terrible for others. If nothing I listed will bother you, this is a great TV for the money and will not disappoint.

I was eyeing this tv the day it was introduced and had to put it off for a while because of my upcoming wedding.

After that was over though, I was right back to salivating over this set. I was ready to pay retail for this at a certain blue big-box store. Never even thinking to check Amazon for it. Long story short I did and I am in LOVE with this set! It has been worth every penny so far.

I have been drawn to Samsung LCD's ever since they came out with the Touch of Color. We ended getting this one in the red because it brought a really good balance of color to our living room. This tv is also available in TOC gray at the aforementioned big-box store. But why get something this beautiful in a color that won't make it stand out?! Of course the profile only being a little over 1" makes this look incredible mounted with Samsung's slim wall mount kit. With the kit it only stands off of the wall about two inches and is easy enough to install. I love when people first come over and see it. I get comments on how nice this tv is every time. And that's before I even turn it on!

Hit the power button and WOW, the colors are just incredible and the blacks are actually black. No issues have been seen that have been mentioned in other reviews(ie: inconsistent backlighting). I was afraid I was going to have to adjust the settings like crazy to get the screen as good as it looked in the store. Boy was I wrong. I changed maybe two sliders slightly in the menu. Speaking of which.... the menu's are very easy to use and are laid out thoughtfully. Everything seems to be customizable too, including the standby light and little jingle when you power on and off(Nice touch, Samsung! I cannot say the same for the Vizio in our bedroom.). Tons of connections in the back too.

I also cannot get around the fact that this tv just flat out saves us money too!! It's power consumption is insanely low. We use the DLNA Technology in this to access our home server directly and watch movies, listen to music and view photos we have saved. So it is on almost all the time in our home. I was intending to do this with whatever tv I purchased so this one is essentially paying for itself over a standard LCD. And of saving money makes my wife happy! :)

Two things that bug me though:

The internet features that seperate this model from the 6000 series seem to be of limited function though. I check it occasionally to see the new content that is available, but nothing has really seemed to interest me yet. I will keep watching though, I have heard of some promising things on the horizon for this.

The glossy finish on bezel is EXTREMELY SCRATCH PRONE!! I knew this, my wife did not. With luck though, I realized that Zaino show car wax fixes the bezel back to better than new. Much better actually! It almost looks liquid now! I have yet to take a good picture but look at the Nissan 350Z on their home page and you'll get the idea.

I would say that covers all of the major stuff with the Samsung UN46B7000. I have owned this tv for about four months now and would say that if any other annoyance would be popping up, it would have happened by now. Thanks for reading and hope I helped you decide to pick up this amazing television! Please rate!!

Sony HDR-FX7 3-CMOS Sensor HDV High-Definition Handycam Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom

I purchased the Sony HDR-FX7 to replace my eight year old Sony DCR-TRV900 Camcorder. The image colors are excellant and the picture quality is even better because this camera can record in HD or mini DV. The microphone is also better and you can see the stereo levels in the view finder. You can set Zebra Lines to manually control exposere. You can even take still pictures on a memory card while shooting video. You can press a button and see the last few seconds of your last shot. I am a retired professional video cameraman and this camcorder meets all my needs.

This is an amazing piece of equipment. Get the large battery for better balance and OVER EIGHT hours of taping. Broadcast quality. You will rarely NEED to go off "auto" unless you have special needs or are in a totally controlled studio situation where you can control lighting and movement. Pricey but worth every penny. The HD is as good as Discovery HD Theater's, and the std. DV recording (due to the new chips) is better then other 3-chip cameras I have owned.

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I have had this camcorder for two months now and I could not be happier. The camera is great indoors and out, including low light conditions. The high definition quality is incredible, the best I have seen. I also like the small size and light weight, a definite improvement over the fx-1.

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I bought this item for a Church looking to do it's own production. We tape both services and do more produced and edited media for use in services. The camera is in use alot. If you are buying it for indoors filming, invest in a good set of lights. This camera gets grainy on high zoom in low light. I don't know any camera in this price range that does not. Other than that, I have not found any problems that will jump out and surprise you. But the quality will.

You can complain about what this camera does not offer (XLR ins, and it is menu driven), but those are advertised. Don't buy this camera if those are deal breakers for you. What it does do it does well. And the battery life with the cmos chips is worth some of the trade offs with ccd cameras. I easily shoot two and a half hours without plugging in (on the OEM battery that comes with it). That is amazing to me. I can position for best shot of the event, instead of hanging with the others by the plugs.

I have been happy that I made the technology jump to this camera instead of playing it safe with a more industry standard camera. I would recomend this to anyone who is looking for an entry level production camera. It is a bargain at its price.

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I bought this camcorder to replace a damaged 2100 Sony camcorder (which I really liked!) and I wasn't so sure about the HDV. After all, most of my customers/clients aren't buying HD products yet.

Well, my first job was a shoot at a convention, doing a celebrity "roast" for one of the guest writers.

Can you spell 'flawless'? Sure you can!

Can you say 'beautiful imagery'? I figured you could.

Can you hear the GIANT SMILE on my face when the director complimented my shots?

Even a near-idiot like me can look good with a camera like this one. Smooth zooms, effortless focusing (it could be a little faster on autofocus, but considering the low-light in that auditorium, not so bad after all) and the light weight and balance were great on the end of my jib crane! And considering that I hadn't even practiced with it (I wasn't expecting to be using it until 2 days before the shoot; my plans were for my cameraman to be shooting on Sunday while I was directing!), this camera was FANTASTIC!

Sony ICD-UX71RED Digital Voice Recorder with 1GB Flash Memory

Have had this recorder for about 9 months. It has been excellent for everything we need primarily for recording meetings. Battery life is long, sound quality and gain are excellent, and the built-in USB connection makes it a breeze to transfer files to a computer or put on CD. I have used it it to easily dump the files to both a PC and a Mac (via iTunes) and it couldn't be easier. Very pleased.

I bought this for recording lectures and it works well. I've tested it from various areas in large lecture halls and it works best from the first few rows. It does pick up a lot of side noise like people coughing etc which can be annoying, but finding the right settings makes a big difference.

The small buttons are fine for me, but I can see how large fingers might have a problem with them. It has great battery life and plenty of storage capacity.

Aesthetically it is very nice and I love the color!

The usb makes it extremely easy to use and it works well with my mac without needing software or cables. That was the biggest selling point for me.

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I searched everywhere for a mac compatible voice recorder. Even called the Apple Store. All I could find that was reasonably priced was this one. And it's worked out really well. I can record, download to my Mac and then put it on my ipod. I can listen through stereo speakers in it's dock. I can listen in my car with an adapter for the ipod that fits into the cassette deck. I haven't tried to burn a cd yet.

I bought it mostly to use during chorale rehearsals. I sing in a local community chorale. I record the rehearsals and now can use what we sang to practice. The sound quality in the recorder really good.

My learning curve was a little high and I had to take the time to read the manual carefully. I became really frustrated for awhile because it was almost impossible to read the display window. Then a friend showed me how to take the plastic cover off the face of the display window. I can't believe I was so dense! Then I could see the display well enough to make it work.

This recorder does just what I need and would be good for anyone to record interviews, class lectures, or learn music. The quality of the sound on just the recorder is great and it translates well onto other media.

It's fairly easy to use once you learn how (read the manual). I went from a cassette recorder to this, so it was a big technological jump. It's a little small and the display window could be bigger. I'd love it to be about the size of an ipod. But I can read it well enough and again I can transfer everything onto my mac. That's the real bonus!

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Very useful recorder. Perfect size and weight. Excellent audio and recording quality. My wife use it to record her college classes and works perfect. Very nice product.

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I bought it to record vocal/instrumental concerts (both rehearsals and performances). The results were better than I expected for the price. It was equally good in a home setting as in a large concert space. The only criticism I have is that it's not entirely clear at first (even if you read the manual) how to record things in different folders; I almost overwrote one of my recordings accidentally by not switching folders properly. The rest of the process is very straightforward. The recording is clear and not wavy or garbled. It records what you don't want just as clearly as what you want, even with the correct settings, so for more offical recordings you may want to use editing software. Overall, I recommend this product.

Sharp SD-AT1000 600 Watt Home Theater Audio System

the sharp sd-at1000 is by far one of the best home theater out there for its price(i got mine for 199). it has 600 watts or total power and can decode everything, dts, dolby digital, pro logic and pro logic 2. its also utilizes sharp's 1 bit technology which converts analog signals into digital, while its ultra-high speed sampling rate captures detailed, high frequency sounds that could never before be experienced. it also has 2 digital and 3 line inputs and a nice design. this system also doubbles as a am/fm radio with magnetically shielded front speakers. my only complaint is it does not have a dvd play but for the price i really wasn't expecting one. later models such as the sd-at 3000 and 4000 dv do contain dvd players but for a much higher price. i'd recommend this system to anyone, just buy a good dvd player and you're good to go.

I simply do not believe to my ears! This sound quality should be on triple price. Or more. :-) This Sharp system is crazily out of category. All the others I tried before on this price level are far far not up to this experiment.

May be I look too enthusiastic. But that's the reason of writing here. (Normally I don't.)

I bought it in Europe. Don't ask me the price, but I let you know that the European price level for these things are MUCH higher than the USA one. But it doesn't matter from the aspect of price ratios.

I love this world: With the technological advance things get parallel better and cheaper.

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1080P HD 140 Degrees View Angle Car DVR with 270 Degree Rolling Display Panel

• With 2.0 inch LTPS 270 degree optionally rotating high resolution display panel. with full HD 1080 x 1920 HD resolution. With HDMI output line, support HDMI out put.
• With 140 degree wide view angle 5.0 Mega Pixels high definition lens. Besides, something special, the lens can rotated 180 degrees, thus makes the views angle becoming much wider than before.
• Support Motion detection, loop recording, auto recording when start up.support auto night mode.Support Micro SD card Up to 32GB.
• With built-in double LED light, With built-in microphones and speaker.With both English and Russian user manual, a best reselling item.
• Characteristic: Support Video, photograph, loop recording, Auto recording when start up, HDMI output, Photos play back, video playback.

This camera is better than expected in color quality. The instructions left something to be desired but with a bit of time and experimentation you can get this camera up and running. The only bad point on this camera is the sound quality in the playback mode on the camera. It is static and grable and you cannot make out any voice or sounds from the background when it was recorded. It is best to get the 32 Gig disc, otherwise I am happy with my purchase.

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Wow, I thought this was a cheap device, but to my surprise, this is an awesome recorder. I drive 18 wheelers and this device performs well in the truck. The playback is great. I'm going to buy another.

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I like this camera. It works fine. I have even downloaded some video on my laptop. I would buy another one for sure.

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1. There is no useful english manual, the broschure contains only a list of menu options, whose anyhow can be seen on camera.Russion manual is so stupid and ridicoluos that can be used in stand-up show.

2. Write now it records in random intervals, instead of 10 minutes which i choosed in menu. I have no idea how to fix it.

3 .The vacuum holder simply does not work, the camera fails after 2 minutes of being adjusted to window pane. I had to fixed it with glue.

4. The video quality is degenerative. I don't care if it's HD or not, but registration numbers can be seen only in almost perfect light conditions and near-zero distance.

Summary

I didn't return the device, becouse dealing with the return process worth less then 60$, since i'm outside US. I think in a case of accidet it's better than nothing. If considering to by camcorder, choose another one

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Trying to figure out how to make it work properly is quite the chore. Works well with a high volume memory card untill its full . Did not format card and keep working. Sent it back !

MV-8GBP: i.Trek Polarized Sport Sunglasses with built-in dual mode HD 720P Video Recorder and Pictu

• Spy camera sport sunglasses with High-Quality Polarized Lens with UV400 resistance
• Built-in HD 720P Video Recorder Video format: AVI HD 720P 1280x720 @30fps
• Built-in Digital Camera and Highly Disguised Control Buttons
• Super Strong Frame made of Swiss Imported Material
• Memory: Built-in Nand flash 8GB (80 ~ 100 minutes of video) Battery Life: 1.5hoursUSB 2.0

I bought this to film the hunts. Well I am disappointed. I am not sure what angle the actual camera is in, but the only thing I got on video is about 20 feet of the ground in the front of me. On all 20 or 30 videos that I record that day. So if you want to get anything you have to keep you chin pretty high, which is not natural.

I also had an issue when glasses stop responding and I have to reset it.

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Euroge Tech® 4GB Gold Bar Shape USB Flash Memory Drive

I thought I was purchasing digital voice recorders. These came up on a search for digital voice recorders. The product description states

* Telephone recording function allows you to record detailed conversations

* Long time voice recording, it is a best choice and good assistant for you

* This digital voice recorder supports Windows and Mac system

* Connect to computer to play the recording file

The listing is somewhat misleading as well since it pictures three items sided by side, when they're sold individually.

It`s beautiful and perfect to use at work.

All my friends love it.

I love it.

It was exactly as I expected.

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Craig Electronics 4GB MP3 Plus Video Player With 1.8-Inch Color Display

• MP3 plus Video Player
• 1.8 inch color display
• Digital Rights Management (DRM10)
• 4GB Built-In Flash Memory
• MP3 Video Player

I got this thing for about 30 bucks at my local Safeway, and let me tell you it looks almost exactly like an iPod! Even my friends that owned one thought it did until they realized it was a little shorter and wider than one. It even comes with the traditional white earbuds! Right away I liked it when I took it out of the box; it felt sleek, tiny, and cool in my hands, and the pink was shiny, this is exactly what mine looked like

The USB cord that comes with it for charging and uploading songs to, had a lead warning, but I still used it. This may put people off at first, and if you want you can always buy another cord without the lead (or the warning at least, not sure if it was actually viable).

Anyway I plugged the device into my computer via the cord and my computer immediately recognized it through both Sync Center and Window's Media Player. If you have Sync Center on your computer, I'd would advise to not use it since it tends to just load all your mp3 files at once onto the mp3 player, and in the future it causes duplicates. I used Window's Media Player; dragged and dropped my music into the playlist they give you, and then hit "sync". It is very fast, and I was able to put about 70 songs on in just 6 minutes.

Then I finally used it! I don't remember if the earphones were of particular bad quality, so I think it's safe to say they were all right (though I think the hard plastic made my ears itch). The sound quality was better than I expected after I adjusted the settings for the audio (mainly bass, and 3D

JVC GR-DA30US MiniDV Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom

If you're looking for a good camcorder but BUDGET is keyword...look no further. This is one of the lower priced cameras out there and it doesn't lack in design or quality. The ability to tape in 16:9 is a plus too. I love the rear facing LCD screen...just a neat design that sets this camera apart from the others. The only thing I would suggest to JVS about this product is for them to have made a cover for the viewing screen while not in use.

This is a good little camera for the price. The picture quality is a little lacking compared to some of the more higher priced cameras, but with that said it is worth the cost. I have had this unit for about 2 months and I am happy with the camera. Great cheap camera to take on hiking or camping trips where you might worry about damaging a more exspensive camera. Good camera also for someone who may want a camera around for just occasional and dosen't want to tie up a alot in something that get's used 3 times a year.

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I've only had this product for a few days but so far I love it!! My wonderful wife bought it for me as an early Christmas gift and I'm so pleased! The tilt screen in the back is so cool and really helps create a small profile for this camera. Having the ability to shoot in 16:9 is a fun perk. I definitely recommend the JVC GR-DA30US to anyone who's looking for a small video camera with a ton of great features!

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I've always been satisfied with JCV products and this is no exception. The sound and picture are excellent and the zoom is great! I know that digital is the way most people are going, but the tapes are inexpensive and easy to use and I like the idea of having everything on tape. The camera connects to the computer easily and the uploads are very simple. On top of everything else, the quality is high and the price is low. In fact, this is one of the most inexpensive video cameras on Amazon! Great buy!

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I bought this camera to video my daughter as she grows up. It is easy to use and very simple to set up. The picture quality is fairly good.

The only problems with it are it doesn't come with a case and it doesn't come with a firewire cable. The cable only costs a dollar, and I can't see why one wasn't included.

Vivitar DVR480-RH-TA 1.3 Megapixel Digital Helmet Camcorder (Red)

I owned this same camcorder before. The old one quit unexpectedly. I've taken some video with this one. It appears the same as the other. Wind noise makes sound recording impossible over about 25mph. The video is a little pixillated and choppy if there is a lot of vibration. Having said that, it does record what is going on. I have a mount on my motorcycle helmet, and one on my bicycle handlebars. I like to record bicycle rides best. The video gives a good feel for being there. If I continue to use this one, eventually I'll probable upgrade to a higher megapixal.

Samsung DVD-V1000 DVD-VCR Combo

• DVD player and 4-head VCR, compatible with S-VHS, VCDs, CD-R, and MP3 audio
• 400x speed rewind; 16-event/1-year timer recording; records non-copy-protected DVD to VHS
• Component-video, composite-video, and S-video outputs offer optimal connection with compatible DVD player
• Virtual surround sound simulates 5-speaker sound using only 2 speakers; DTS digital output for DTS-enhanced DVDs
• Measures 17 x 4 x 14.3 inches (W x H x D)

If you don't own a DVD player yet, you won't know much of what you are missing. The quality of the VCR portion of the product is excellent, and the DVD playback is also fine. No need for an RF modulator, as everything you need to connect to TV's old or new is in the box. Get an S-Video connection ASAP, though.

Most problems start when you go to use the thing. Others have mentioned problems with the remote and menu functions; I, too have had situations where I had to turn it all of, and try it all again until it worked.

The biggest irritation will be to electronics buffs who chose this because other models were too high. If you have a DVD in the drive and turn the unit on, it will start the DVD no matter what you are trying to do. In the middle of getting the news? It will play the DVD. Switching to catch the latest MTV video? It will play the DVD. And forget RESUME functions. Turn the player off and you have to find your chapter anew. We have started to eject the DVD on turning the unit on if we want the VCR channel to stay on screen. Big irritation big.

For the VCR side, until you PLAY a VHS tape the VCR display is not shown on screen (tape status, etc.). The controls on the remote are poor, and although it does double-function for your TV I wish some buttons were just TV and some buttons were just VCR. You will know what I mean when you see how small and oddly placed some of the remote functions are.

At a slightly lower price this product would be a great value; at the current price it isn't worth it, but does the job for a 2nd DVD player in the home to get rid of that old, yucky VCR you have had for years.

Buy Samsung DVD-V1000 DVD-VCR Combo Now

This player is perfect for the average user (as I said in the title). It combines a good ... DVD player with a good VCR ..., saving space and electrical cord confusion.

DVDs play perfectly, exactly the way they are supposed to, without skipping or anything. While there are no special frills or anything, it does exactly what any normal person wants out of a DVD player; plays DVDs without skipping or screwing up. In addition, the DVD player can play audio CDs, including ones with MP3 files on them. This means you can listen to 10 straight hours of music without pushing a button, as long as you also have a CD burner.

The VCR part is great (or at least much better than the 12 year old VCR we had previously). It has 4 tracks in it, which means when you pause it, you dont get those little white lines all over the place. Even better, you can record from a DVD onto a VCR (but not vice versa) provided the DVD isn't safe protected.

As far as ease of use goes, I only had one problem with the entire thing. When you first connect it, it tries to auto-detect the time and what channels you have. For some reason, it couldn't find my antenna, which forced me to tell it what the time was, as well as what the channels were, manually (adding about 2 more minutes to the 5 minute procedure of setting this thing up).

I don't have tons of experience with DVD players, so I can't say this is the best DVD player on the market. I would be lying, because I have nothing to compare it to. However, it fits the average user's needs perfectly. If you want like ultra amazing picture that you need to zoom in 8x to notice, you might want to shell out that extra $... for one of the newer ones. But for now, this is perfect.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung DVD-V1000 DVD-VCR Combo Here

After spending some time researching the 3 combo DVD/VCR players I could find, I settled on this one based on userfeedback from several sites. The first one I purchased was a bit of a dud (VCR door didn't open when ejecting a tape), but after exchanging it for a new one, I'm glad I picked it. Overall, it's a good sturdy unit. A bit wider than my original VCR. Initial setup is very easy. Plug the cables into the TV, plug the CATV from the wall into the unit, turn it on and let the autosetup run. The unit goes out and adds all the channels it can find, and even sets the time for you.

Video quality is very good. VCR playback looks very nice, and the auto-tracking is a nice feature. Very fast rewind too (a full T-120 in less than 2 minutes).

DVD image quality is very good. If you can get S-Video into your TV, go for it. Playback/pause works smoothly, although FF/Rew scan takes some getting used to if you're coming from the VCR world.

Only complaint (as with some other reviewers) is the remote. Buttons are kind of small, and takes some getting used to. Labels for a few buttons are pretty small, and it took me about 10 minutes to figure out where the Return button was. There are buttons all over the place, and not all of them are in the usual places you expect them.

If you're looking for a new VCR, and want to get into the DVD world without completely obsoleting your video collection, I'd give this one a good looking over.

Want Samsung DVD-V1000 DVD-VCR Combo Discount?

A VCR/DVD player combo is a great idea and most stores are sold out of them. However I have had nothing but problems with my Samsung. The DVD player locks up and won't let me access the menu on some of my DVD's and therefore forced to watch some movies with subtitles and not able to skip chapters. If you want the advice from someone who ownes one, my advice is, if you are going to spend the money up grade. I wish I would have spent the extra money to get a better top of the line model.

This is an excellent choice overall. It has many useful features to it. The remote however lacks a lighted keypad this should be standard these days. An additional drawback is whenever the VCR channel is changed the VCR signal interupts the television mode, on most video players this usually happens only when going from TV to VCR mode. This is a real pain if you use picture-in-picture (PIP) as I do, you then have to press the TV/VCR button after changing channels. Also this has NO VCR Plus capabilty (a minor drawback). Hookup for this unit is easy. It transmits an excellent picture even when the cable signal is a little weak, unlike the Panasonic PV-D4761 that has every feature imaginable but has miserable picture quality in VCR mode, whether playing back a program you taped with it or simply watching the cable piped through it. As great as the picture quality is on this Smsung with both the DVD and VCR/Cable the Philips DVD/VCR combo picture is slightly better, however the philips ate my VHS tape & seamed to lack an illuminated front panel clock. The Samsung is an excellent electronics gift or self purchase. It doesn't have all the features of the Panasonic PV-D4761 but it has every one of them you'd need and more than a few that you would want including 2x & 4x zoom. It plays CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, VCD, and quasi S-VHS the panasonic does not play all of these CD types and cost me approx [price] more than the Samsung & Philips.

Manfrotto 482LCD Micro Ball Head with Hot Shoe Mount

Not only does it fit well in the hotshoe but unlike so many other hotshoe accessories the lockdown works well. It's metal rather than plastic so you can tighten it down with out the fear of hurting the plastic parts. This is a great option for any accessory you might want to mount. I currently use it to mount my Flip Mini on my camera so I can shoot some basic video while I shoot images, simply so I can go back and look at what was doing. It is also a great mount for a voice recorder. I use this on the Canon 5D MKII so to capture good audio I mount a recorder there. I also use a constant light on occasion in low light situations when I don't want to use a flash.

I use this to attach a Zoom H4N or Litepanels MicroPro LED light to a Canon 5D Mark II. It's much sturdier than plastic mounts, and once you set it you can forget it. All the right parts are metal, so you don't have to worry about it moving when you don't want it to.

Buy Manfrotto 482LCD Micro Ball Head with Hot Shoe Mount Now

I bought this to attach a Zoom H4N mic to my Canon 7D. It's super solid and will never break, but it kills me that it's 1/5 the price of my nice mic. I could also do without any extra weight on my 7D since I already have a heavy 17-55mm f/2.8 lens. I should have tried out a cheap, plastic one first, but oh well!

Read Best Reviews of Manfrotto 482LCD Micro Ball Head with Hot Shoe Mount Here

This micro ball head is made very well, support my Marshall 7" monitor with no problems. Highly recommended, micro may be in the name but it is anything but micro in quality.

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Canon DC220 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

After researching and reading reviews, I purchased this camcorder from BrandsMart at what seems to be a good price at $278. I had to test it and make a decision to keep or return within 5 days because of their return policy and ended up returning it.

Outdoor videos looked great, even on my 50" HD Plasma TV, however, when I recorded indoors in my living room, the quality was horrible. My old VHS camcorder did better than this thing. Although it was night time, I was shooting in a fairly well artifically lit area, hardly dark, and what I'd consider even more than 'low lighting'. The picture came out extremely 'grainy', certainly not what I'd expect from today's technology. On other small non HD tv's it was still very grainy and bad quality.

I would have loved for this camcorder to live up to my expectations, as it was fairly simple to use, although the manual is not very well written, eventually I figured it all out. Things are laid out pretty nicely and it fits well in the palm, even with a small hand.

Now I'll have to read another manual and learn another and different camcorder. Right now I'm looking at a Sony dcrdvd308 and the associate at BrandsMart now informed me that Sony's night recording feature is much higher quality than this one from Canon. Wish they had told me that before I wasted my time on this one.

Unless you're planning on filming outdoors or inside only during daytime with the blinds open, I wouldn't recommend the Canon dc220. I think there are better options out there for nearly the same or little more money.

The camcorder was received rather quickly and we really do like it. For a non-techy the camcorder was very easy to understand immediately. The only two drawbacks are the quality of picture isn't top notch and recording in not so bright of a setting is not too good. However, overall I think this is a great camera for the price.

Buy Canon DC220 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Now

This is a great inexpensive camcorder. MUCH easier than our VHSc camcorder that has been sitting in its bag for 5 years now and also better than the short videos we can record on our digital camera. After you are done you can just "finalize" the DVD, put in in your DVD player and watch the movie.

I blank miniDVD-R are inexpensive (I got 50 for $20) and very easy to store.

One minor complaint. The "finalize" option is only available if the camcorder is plugged into wall power. This is no problem but there is no way to know that unless you read the small comment burried in the manual somewhere that mentions that. Having that comment on the camcorder "finalize" menu would have been a lot more stright-forward.

Read Best Reviews of Canon DC220 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Here

Purchased as a gift. REcipient likes that it records on a DVD. Wants an extra battery pack as the battery lasts about an hour and a half.

Want Canon DC220 DVD Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Discount?

I have had a DC220 for a couple months and I am growing to dislike it more and more although some of this is due to frustrations with the mini-DVD format.

The DC220 records on mini-DVDs. These cannot be viewed on a DVD player or transfered to a computer until they are "finalized". Once finalized you cannot record any else on a mini-DVD. I have been using the included DVD-Rs and have been forced to finalize a couple with only a few minutes of video so others could watch them. Kinda wasteful.

You can use DVD-RWs, which can be un-finalized, but in my experience these have only 30 mins of recording time while a DVD-R will record 60 mins.

The finalization process seems very touchy. The camera will not even allow you to select this option unless it is connected to the power cord, not the battery. The process can run for a long time (6 min for the disks I did, which had 5 min of video) and there are warnings all over the manual to not touch the camera while it is finalizing or permanent data loss may result. Also you are warned to only attempt the finalization when the camera is at room temp.

I tried to play un-finalized movies back on a external TV. Eventually I was able to but the process is not straight-forward.

The manual is 100 pages of extremely small, dense text, small pictures and references pointing to other areas of the manual. It lacks any kind quick start guide and I am unwilling to read the whole thing through.

The controls are located in three areas: A circle on the side, a push button on the back and buttons along the bottom of the view screen. It is not clear when each control should be used so each time I want to do a function I need to flip the camera around pushing buttons trying to find the appropriate control, finally having to dig out the manual and reading glasses.

The viewfinder looks into the camera at a slight down angle instead of the more normal (for me at least) straight through. This proved very awkward when I was trying to film from from a deck looking down.

Panasonic DMR-ES40VS VHS / DVD Recorder Silver

• Watch and record programs at the same time
• DVD Recording Supports DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, & DVD+R media
• Plays DVD-Video, DVD-R & DVD-RW, DVD+R & DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, and video CD; DVD-Audio, CDs, audio CD-Rs & CD-RWs, and MP3 CD
• VCR - VHS HiFi stereo with MTS decoding / 4 video heads / 3 VHS recording settings (SP, EP, VP) / VCR Plus+, timer, and manual recording
• Built-in NTSC TV tuner for recording

First the negatives: Built in copy protection prevents one from, say, sticking in a Disney VHS tape and attempting to create a copy from that onto DVD. Also, dubbing wide screen aspect formatted videos dumbs them down to pan and scan, presumably to satisfy the movie industry. When you insert VHS tapes for one touch dubbing, you cannot "pause" the recorder. That functionality is not present unless you use the external inputs.

That being said, the image quality takes my breath away, and appears to improve videos that are substandard. I surmised and anticipated correctly that an effective workaround to copy protection could be to instead utilize the recorder's electronic component inputs, namely the three input RCA pin jacks that are standard (yellow for video with red and white for audio) on many stereo and video components. We have lots of Mr. Wizard episodes, Dr. Who stories and much educational material taped off broadcast TV years ago that should do nicely as they do not carry inserted "copy protection" like today's prerecorded commercial tapes.

In my first test with the newly purchased unit, I created a personal DVD compilation consisting totally of Beatles "Ready, Steady, Go" British television appearances followed by the Japanese Budokan concert from several laser discs. The laser disc transfers do very well. There appears to be no conflict with copy projection kicking you out as occurs in prerecorded tapes inserted into the unit for dubbing.

I next dubbed a Japanese import laser disc of Disney's movie "Song of the South." As many of you know, Disney has refused to release that children's movie in the American video market. The transfer is outstanding.

I have dubbed off camcorder footage, but could not use the DV input as my particular Canon camcorder uses a different jack. So, I used the RCA pin jacks. Outstanding image quality.

I pored over the excellent instruction manual for a number of hours to acquaint myself with what this recorder does. It is laid out well but takes time to review at first until you become familiar with its layout. That was a good investment in my time to address my learning curve. I haven't yet mastered chapter thumbnails. Others have reported that the Panasonic keeps stopping when the video changes. That appears to have been corrected. When dubbing via the input jacks, you can keep the recorder in pause mode for several minutes to allow you to switch source media of edit past unwanted footage.

I am ecstatic with the possibilities for making these precious video moments more accessible, perhaps preserving them for another few decades before the medium transitions yet again.

I'm also pleased that I had declined to dump my large collection of laser discs. There is so much material on certain of these discs which has yet to be marketed in DVD format and some may never make the cut.

Enjoy!

Bruce

Buy Panasonic DMR-ES40VS VHS / DVD Recorder Silver Now

The unit worked fine for me until I discovered that it won't play DVDs recorded on other devices. I tried DVDs recorded and properly finalized on both my IBM computer and my friend's Sony recorder. I used the proper media and tried several different brands, but all I got was "ERR". I took these same DVDs to a retail store and they played fine on every brand of player, except for the Panasonic recorders (DMR-ES20 and DMR-ES40).

This is a new model and it clearly has a hardware or software problem. I'd stay way from it if you plan to play anything recorded by any other device (like home movies from family members).

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DMR-ES40VS VHS / DVD Recorder Silver Here

I purchased this unit after a little hesitation from the initial online reviews. I wanted the flexibility of transferring VHS tapes to DVD and my camcorder. I own a Toshiba TIVO DVD recorder unit (TX20) which is excellent but tedious for transfer of tapes.

In short this is very good DVD/VCR recorder unit except for some quirks. The VCR portion is like any other VCR. The DVD recording quality is excellent for XP (1 hour) and SP (2 hour) and better than most for the EP (4 hour) mode. EP on the Panasonic was as good as high quality (2 hour) mode on my Toshiba unit. Pixelation and image blurring is a problem with both for fast moving images in this mode when recording from TV sources. With VCR sources, image quality suffers in EP mode from old VCR tapes and is better with SP mode. I have not experienced DVD compatability problems. DVD's made with the ES40 play on my Toshiba player. DVD's I have made on my Toshiba and on my Dell using Nero 6 and a Plextor burner work fine on the ES40. I also have not experienced any unit lock ups that have been reported.

The one button recording is fairly simple to record from VHS to DVD and vice versa. However editing features are tedious and nearly indecipherable from the owners manual. The owners manual is about as readable as a federal income tax worksheet. The unit cannot insert chapters easily for DVD-R discs. The trick to this machine is learning how to record and finalize as well as add names to the disc and chapters which is not easy. As with many DVD recorder units, it does not remember where you last stopped a DVD if you turn the unit off so you have to go through the intro screens again and the scene index to get to where you left ff (my toshiba has the same problem).

Conclusion: If you can get past the not-so-user friendly interface this is a good unit to purchase if recording quality is important to you.

Want Panasonic DMR-ES40VS VHS / DVD Recorder Silver Discount?

First off, let me say that DVD recording technology is amazing. With a little effort, you can create your own DVD library from old videotapes, directly off the TV, etc. That's the good news.

Now for the bad news. The Panasonic DMR-ES40VS has the following problems/flaws (At least I have experienced them with mine) or is missing features.

No High-speed dubbing? Either I haven't found it, it doesn't have it, or it has this feature but forget to tell the user how to get to it. Therefore, anything you record, you have to record in real time. Meaning a 2 hour videotape must run for 2 hours. If the Panasonic does have this option, they don't display it in their meager owner's manual. I've been thru that thing 50 times and haven't seen it.

The recorder locks up on me about once or twice a day. When it does, I turn it off (as tech support told me to do). Often, that locks up on me too, so I have to unplug the power at the wall. It always begins working again, so I'm thankful for that, but it's a ridiculous situation. It reminds me of the computer crashes of the early PCs in the late 1980s.

You can only set your own chapters with -RAM discs. I went out and bought 200 DVD-R dics. They record great, but this unit doesn't allow you to insert CHAPTER breaks on any discs other than -RAM. Therefore, it's back to the old fast-forward, like the old VCRs. I can't believe someone couldn't have figured out a way to enable "custom" chapter breaks. If you're not familiar with this, it is probably the biggest problem and is truly a dealbreaker. It means, unless you solely buy DVD-RAM discs, if you record a 2-hour family picnic, you won't be able to "earmark" your favorite 5 or ten scenes. You must fast-forward thru 2 hours of film --EVERY SINGLE TIME!

Meager owner's manual and instructions. I'm a technical writer, and I'll admit, it would be very difficult to fully document all of the mechanics of this recorder. But their index is only 2/3rds of a page. Troubleshooting is incomplete and gives patronizing fixes like "Check power cord." Come on. I think most of us are a lot smarter than that. I think Panasonic could have easily supplied a navigatible system DVD that would have walked the end-user thru each operation.

Problematic other features like:

No eject buttons on remote control (for VHS or DVD). All of my other DVD and VHS players have them on the remote also.

No counter when you are recording. Supposedly, there is a way to enter several commands and go thru multiple menus if you want to decipher this. Why couldn't they have just put it on the unit like my old VCR? It couldn't have been that difficult since that technology has been around since the early '80s.

Overall, I'm happy that I have a device that can record to DVD. But, consider yourself warned, they are still working the bugs out on this model. If you're desperate to get a DVD recorder (like I was) you might be happy with this one. But if you can wait, you might want to put off getting one until the next generation. I'm assuming next year's models won't lock up every 6-8 recording hours.

EDIT (February 4th, 2006)

TWO new disturbing developments with my Panasonic DVD recorder:

a) The DVD recorder has started "eating" some of my VHS tapes. These tapes were previously in decent (or new) condition, but in this Panasonic DVD recorder, they locked up or the tape spooled off the reel. Luckily, nothing irreplaceable yet, but it's rather upsetting.

b) I do a lot of my VHS tape to DVD dubbing at night, after I go to bed. Since some of these tape to DVD transfers take several hours in real time, I find that it's more efficient to wake up in the morning, after the main dubbing has occurred, then "finalize" the DVD. This saves me from sitting around for hours waiting for the transfer process. This system usually works well, but I've found in the last two weeks, at least 4 times, when I attempt to FINALIZE the DVD with the movie(s) on it, the DVD recorder will lock up. Obviously, I'll attempt it several more times, but I've found, if the Panasonic locks up on the first Finalize try, that DVD will need to be scrapped. It only costs me about 35 cents in DVDs (each time), but because of the Panasonic's real-time only dubbing, I lost the entire night's taping. What's worse, concurrently the VHS player half has starting "eating" my VHS tapes so, if the DVD transfer didn't work, what was on that VHS tape originally is lost forever.

I just wanted everyone to be aware of these two additional problems.

First the good news: when it worked properly, the quality of DVD's dubbed from old VHS tapes was great.

Now, for the REST OF THE STORY...

I am a law enforcement officer in NC and bought this product for just ONE reason and ONE reason only: to dub all of my old VHS home movies onto DVD.

I wanted a machine that was easy to use, i.e. with the push of 1 button, and based on a Consumer Reports recent review of the Panasonic DMR-ES30, I went to get one.

The ES40 was on the shelf so I figured this was an improved model, so I purchased it instead.

What a disaster!

1. The directions are terrible. The process called "finalizing a disk" (WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR DUBBING FROM VHS TO DVD) is not included in the section about dubbing from VHS to DVD. You find it buried elsewhere in the manual. You CANNOT play your dubbed DVD on another player WITHOUT "finalizing" your dubbed disk.(By the way, GOD bless those of you who are trying to read this manual for other purposes!)

2. Most of my dubbed disks would NOT finalize, therefore I wasted almost 2 hrs per disk, and with the amount of VHS tapes I want to dub, life is too short to waste on this sort of nonsense. Dubbing is done in real time so you're either going to have to sit in front of the TV monitor or do it overnight, but when you can't finalize your disk you've wasted all that time.

3. One nice feature that is buggy, also, is that Chapter Markers are put in place onto your DVD whenever your VHS tape changes scenes, or at least that's the way it's supposed to work. However, this isn't always the case. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Potluck. Otherwise you're gonna be stuck having to fastforward through your DVD to get from scene to scene, which is another time-wasting event.

4. Some disks would not finalize because it said "there was not enough room to finalize". In other words, I recorded too much on it!! Why in the world is there not some sort of automatic function that would stop the dubbing so you could have enough room left to do whatever has to be done for finalizing a disk? So, you're stuck guessing how much is too much. I just started doing only 1.5 hrs or so, but what a waste of disk space.

5. For those disks that did finalize, the machine TOTALLY froze up after finalizing, and I could not remove the DVD unless I unplugged the unit and let it reset itself. This happened 100% of the time.

6. Customer service at Panasonic is terrible. The wait time alone was up to 1 hr, and then the poor rep on the other end didn't have a clue or passed the buck by saying it was "probably the media, i.e., the brand of DVD disk, I was using. Yeah, right. I tried Verbatim and Sony discs and I still get the same frustrating problems.

I finally got fed up with this machine and took my unit back for a refund at my point of purchse. The ONLY ES40's on the shelf were RETURNED units!!!!!!! Does that tell you something, too?

Therefore, buy this unit at your own risk and be prepared to put up with alot of unnecessary, time-wasting problems.

Sony Ericsson K800i Unlocked Cell Phone with 3.2 MP Camera, 3G, Media Player, M2 Memory Slot--Inter

This unlocked cell phone can be used with a GSM network service provider and it provides tri-band connectivity (900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz).

For best results with domestic Cingular / AT&T service, select a phone that uses the GSM 850 frequency. For best results with domestic T-Mobile service, select a phone that uses the GSM 1900 frequency.

Works fine on Cingular for now in many regions, but won't work in say VT where the Cingular network is entirely 850. Cingular is apparently moving GSM off 1900 to 850 so coverage will become more patchy over time.

The K800i is a 3G data-enabled device, compatible with third-generation mobile networks that offer broadband-like transfer speeds--up to 384 kbps--providing quick and easy access to audio and video streaming, Web surfing, multimedia messaging, and email wherever you go. Note this functionality will only work on european/ROW networks, not Cingular as the frequency is wrong.

This phone is a great upgrade from the 750ki.. I am an international traveller and with the G3 networks of this phone I now truly have global reach (Korea and Japan). I won't even begin to talk about the great pics this phone takes.

Excellent purchase!

Buy Sony Ericsson K800i Unlocked Cell Phone with 3.2 MP Camera, 3G, Media Player, M2 Memory Slot--Inter Now

VUDU Set Top Box for Movies On Demand

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

First the good news:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Alex Baird-

Vudu Evangelist

*********

Update to review: 11/03/08

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Because of content!

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is truly a great product.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Yamaha Corp. Digital Audio Recorder 40 hrs

I auditioned this unit in comparison to the $100 less expensive Yamaha 2G which is very similar but with lower quality mics built in. Both function very similarly. I found the sound quality for spoken word to be great, and for acoustic jamming, also quite fine. For recording a live band in a practice space (my intended use) I found the cheaper 2G to be a tad compressed and "washed out" sounding with a not very extended high end. The CX sounded clearer but with a reedy high end and poor bass response. Both models sounded FAR better when using a plug-in external stereo mic like a ATM-822. Lastly, the 2G plugs directly into your USB port without a cord. Convenient, but the design makes the USB port support the device, and it feels like it is putting strain on the port floating out of the side of your laptop 6". The CX uses a micro-USB cable to plug-in.

At $400, I'm not sure this product is a great deal. I'd expect the mics to be better for the money, otherwise, you can just use the cheaper 2G model with a external mic and get better sound than the CX.

I have owned this for a month now and it keeps amazing me. I use it for Voice recording not musical recording.

The quality is superb and has a ton of features so it takes a few days to really get acquainted with it. The battery life, and recording times are off the chart good, plus the mic is super sensitive. It picks up everything. I would think for music use its equally as good.

Pros:

1. Long battery life and uses only 1 AA(comes with rechargeable Ni-Mh)

2. recharges directly through the unit

3. records to microSD and includes 2GB card and usb cable

4. Wav playback if needed.

5. Superb frequency response and mic sensitivity

6. lots of recording quality settings

7. Markable playback and sweet FF Rew options

8. PCM modes(uncompressed WAV) expandable to 12 hours with 8GB card

9 Amazing recording time on 2 GB card, has a low power processor

10. good editing software

11. actually a decent MP3 and WMA player for a VR

12. real 5-band Equalizer functionality

13. Can Edit and Divide files

the list goes on and on!

Cons:

NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You really can't go wrong for the $300 price or even below, it's by far the best $ for $. Plus you will save money on batteries. non-proprietary battery and media. I mean WOW it's close to perfect.

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I just got the Pocketrax CX. The first thing that I noticed about it is how reasonable Yamaha is. Unlike a number of other portable audio devices, the CX has a standard AA removable NiMH battery, a standard MicroSD memory port, and looks like a memory device when plugged into a USB port. No proprietary memory, hidden built-in battery, or computer-slogging software needed to access it!

I really like this little guy, but it does have a few limitations.

The CX has very good audio quality using the internal microphones, and supports external mic's through a standard stereo 1/8" (3.5mm) jack that supplies electret mic bias voltage out. I have seen that larger digital recorders support XLR inputs with HV phantom power but you won't get that in this little palm-sized recorder.

I did find that, with the MIC SENS on high, and the gain setting cranked all the way up, that a bit of digital noise gets in. I popped a Sony mini-stereo mic into the input and the noise went away. It may be an artifact of the mic circuitry layout or internal mic power. Once again, this is with every part of the input stage maxed out definitely not what most folks would do.

Speaking of setting the mic gain, while recording, pressing the >> and

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Samsung DVDC600 5-Disc DVD Player

• 5-disc carousel system
• Dolby Digital and DTS output
• Coaxial and optical digital-audio outputs
• Component-video outputs
• Universal remote with joystick

First off let me say that I have not had a problem with this player and that it does play CD-R's. I guess it may matter what brand of CD-R you have. I prefer the TDK brand myself ( certified plus )

As you read the overview here on Amazon notice that it does have a very complete feature set and as currently ($$$) represents a heck of a deal. Remote is well laid out and operats cleanly. It is nice to be able to mix and match DVD's and CD's as I doubt I will have a marathon with 5 DVD's hey maybe if I am really board...:-)

The unit has all the various inputs and outputs you could use and produces a very nice picture, especially through the component outputs.

There is not much difference between this and the 601 so if you are looking for a lot of features for minimal $$ this is a great player. I have other Samsung gear and have not had a problem as well with any of it but I usually buy their mid range gear.

I view this as a good utility player where you can put in one or two movies and your favorite CD's and extend the party without having to load and re-load the player.

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Had this DVD player for years. It can be pretty finicky. Latest example I utilize this player with my Tom Holland 90 day Supreme Workout series. Player worked great through the first 90 days session. Played all disks. Now it no longer recognizes the disks. Will play other DVD's though.. Go figure. When it works it is great though..

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This Dvd is the best out of all of them, it comes with everything you need, and it never breaks. So buy this Dvd player and you get your money's worth.

Defender STEALTH1EX Recording System 2 Covert MPEG4 DVRs with Built-in Color Pinhole Surveillance C

Like my title says the best way to rate this camera would be an average home monitoring. And here is why. It's about the size of man's palm, not very stealthy, but it does look like regular motion detector. Battery operation could be a big plus, but lithium batteries only lasted half a day on motion sensing recording, it could last longer if that would be continuous recording, I think. So the fact that you have to keep it plugged-in in an outlet, and the cord is not very long really doesn't help. Also forget about low light recording, it's not existent. Lastly it could be just minor thing for somebody, but field of view it's only about 50 degrees.

We use for our new nanny and it works but needs improvements...

Other then it claims it will do, it forgot to mention a few thing I dislike:

1. Record into 12 sec clips (under high quality 640x480) even you set at 30sec clip per motion record.

2. Low light recording are not great.

3. Motion detection area is greater then camera angle.

4. Won't last a day if on batteries, need to plug in.

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How it is suposed You are going to review your nanny's activities without sound?...

Woh can i know if nanny is using porperly language with my baby if camera HAS NOT SOUND?

I think publicity MUST BE MORE SPECIFIC in order to AVOID customers about this feature limitation.

Other things i do not like:

Mounting hardware is not good designed, it do not allow you to "point" to every directions, only a few inclination is possible.

front face looks like made of paper... bad quality.

low ilumination recording is really useless... you cannot see almos anything.

A big "design" trouble... if you install your cameras and do not let ugly cables outside the walls (i mean, it is necessary for stetic stuff hide cables)... so... after doing this intallation... how it is supossed i'm going to get the camera connected to my TV?... may me a third AC/DC conversos is needed.

In few words: A very bad product... Thanks!

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Samsung VKKF011NUS SDE-5002 16 Channel DVR 1 TB HDD 4 Box Camera and 4 Dome Camera

I own a couple of retail businesses and use these Samsung Camera systems. There is a little secret though. The other model which is SDE-5001 is much better and it is also a 16 channel with 1 TB all specifications are the same. It's hard to find the difference between the 2 unless you buy both. The SDE-5001 has metal Body Camera's which are much better and more durable, while this SDE-5002 model has plastic body camera's. The model of the metal body camera is SEB-1005R which comes with the SDE-5001, while the new camera SEB-1007R is included with the SDE-5002 system.

This is odd because one would think that the larger model number is better when infact it's just the opposite.

Also another secretthe refurbished models are the same as new. I've used 4-5 refurbished ones and all worked great; no issue. They are always much cheaper. GOOD LUCK

Samsung Security System SDE-5001 16 Channel DVR 1 TB HDD 4 Box Camera and 4 Dome Camera

I purchased this system to use for my home. I was leaning to get the 8 channel version, but the cost difference from the 8-16 was minimal...If I could do it again, i would have gone with the 8. I cant imagine anyone putting up 16 camera in and around a residence. What makes this system really easy to setup is that it only takes 1 Ethernet cable per camera. Other security system require a BNC cable and a Power cable. This kit uses POE (power over Ethernet) This also makes getting a 100 foot cable or more a cheap upgrade (check amazon for cables) I need to get 2 100 footers since the included cables are only 60-70 foot. The night vision is not that good. What I understand is this is more of an issue with the availability of reflected light. I have motion activated flood lights near these security camera, but that seems to wash our the picture at night. Day time recording is great. Setup on the internet is easy, the gui screen and menus are easy to follow.

The Iphone app is really good too. If the night vision was better I would give this 5 stars.

Free advise: get a good nylon fish tape to pull the Ethernet cables through the attic. Get a buddy to help.

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Decided to pick this up after looking over many reviews for wired and wireless models. Looked like a decent product by a well known company. Install was not difficult except for pulling the cable to hook up the monitors. Everything hooked up fine and the software was easy to use. Main issue was poor video quality even on the live display. Called tech support and they said that is what is setup in the system and you cannot modify live viewing, only recorded viewing. Video now a days is cheap and easy. My throw away cell phone can record better video than this unit can. I could understand the recorded video being lower quality but just pulling up one screen and watching live you better hope you don't need any of it for the police to review. At least I didn't hook up all the cameras if I decide to return it.

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Everything is plug and play, making installation easy. Samsung has excellent tech support for their products too. I love the ability to watch my house from anywhere in the world

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Pros: The system does the job and has an easy to use interface. Was easy to set up. The fact that it is mouse and remote driven is a big plus. Cameras have decent enough resolution. POE is great. At least all of this is better than the 7 year old system it replaced.

Cons: The cameras themselves feel cheap with the plastic housing, and the DVR is not very rugged with flimsy housing feeling like it is made by COBY or one of those 3rd tier electronic manufacturers. Port 4 on the back was on the fritz on arrival and was flickering. I was already well into the install and had run CAT6 throughout the building, so I figured I would address this issue later instead of sending it back immediately. Port4 completely died soon after. About a month later one of the bullet cameras died. This was an outdoor camera under a ledge which was under an awning not in direct contact with the elements. When removed, I discovered it was full of water. I contacted Samsung for warranty service and my only option is to ship the 45 day old system at my own expense to a repair facility where I can expect a minimum turn around time of 2 weeks.

If I could send this back, I surely would. Not off to a good start with this pile of junk.