Showing posts with label digital 8 track recorders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label digital 8 track recorders. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

RCA RC5400P Portable DVD Player

RCA RC5400P Portable DVD Player
  • Portable DVD player lets you watch movies anywhere; 6 x 1.25 x 5.5 inches (W x H x D)
  • 5.8-inch LCD screen with 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio to match the dimensions of your favorite DVD movies
  • DVD-Video, CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 CD compatible
  • Lithium-ion battery provides up to 3 hours of DVD playback
  • Use built-in stereo speakers or optional headphones; AV outputs let you hook it up with your home system

grab (sorry cats). I love it. I just bought it last week and I use it almost daily. RCA has made a splash into the portable dvd pool. I've tried other brands but for the price this one stood out. First off the matrix screen simply buries its LCD counterparts. Why one would ever want to have a screen that fades with shifting sun/light sources (like on a plane) baffles me. Sure the 5.8 in screen doesn't match up with some competitors 7" version but size doesn't matter. Bottom line for the buck this is the best dvd portable out there. Devils advocate: battery life of 2.25 hours makes iot impossible to watch Braveheart on battery power alone:( I'm willing to bet however that the good people at RCA will come out with a longer lasting version of the battery before Christmas...remember this product is so new, the customer service people were asking me about it. also if I need to spit out another trivial complaint is that the unit can not charge while it plays. Hey life isn't perfect but this little beauty almost is...

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This product does deserve a 4 or 5, but I am unable to give it that high of a rating. I actually bought this after buying the Toshiba one (Click my name for that review). I seem to have bad luck with all these DVD players. There are only 2 reasons why I give this DVD player a bad review. Since I bought this to watch on airplanes and trips, this con is not such a big deal. When you attach the battery, the cords end up blocking the video ports. They really need to fix that. The other issue is a big one. Every other time I play a DVD, the DVD gets a rather long circular scratch on it. I have friends who also have this DVD player and it seems that every 1 out of 3 has this defect. So the realy question is, Do you feel lucky?

Read Best Reviews of RCA RC5400P Portable DVD Player Here

I bought this unit as a gift for my dad, who travels extensively, and isn't the most technically inclined person. I love it, my dad loves it, and so does my seven year old nephew. I give a nod to the 'cons' that other reviewers bring up, such as sound quality with the built in speakers, the unit heating up, and the inablilty to charge the battery and use the player simultaneously. My only beef is not with the unit itself, but with the manual. On the plus side, it is organized into "How to" sections for setup and for playing each type of disc (DVD, CD, VCD and MP3). My dad found it easy to read and was able to use the player both as a stand alone unit and connected to his TV. What the manual was missing was a section that describes the function of each button, jack and switch on the console. For example, I could find no mention in the manual of one of the biggest buttons on the unit, marked 'Image Display', which changes the display mode of the built-in screen. Setting the proper mode can make all the difference when it comes to image quality. The unit also has a switch on the back that turns the video and audio outputs into inputs, allowing you to use the player as a monitor for some other video source. Somehow, our player's switch got flipped to 'input' mode, which turns off the DVD player entirely, leaving only a black screen. I could not find any documentation of this feature, even in the troubleshooting section. To make matters even worse the switch is on the back, and is completely covered when the battery is attached. Until we figured this out, we thought the player was broken.

Don't get me wrong -I think this player has great image quality and is easy to use. It was also a great value for the price I paid, and I would buy it again, either as a gift or for myself.

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I purchased this unit from another retailer about a month ago and just started using is pretty heavy in the last two weeks. I was watching a brand new DVD yesterday and could not figure out why the disk stopped playing and became distorted. When I examined the disk, I noticed that it was developing wear marks on the edges but I could not figure out how. Then I noticed that the wear marks were in the same position as the white felt pads. I believe these were designed to keep the disk from scratching if it was bounced due the portable nature of the unit. However, either due to the internal heat of the unit or whatever may be the case the pads seem to actually touch the disk and wear off onto it. I could not remove the marks and luckly was able to get a replacement for the disk. I also returned the player in hopes of finding another unit that was designed without these type of pads. It is a shame as overall the unit is pretty good for the price.

Pros:

plays MP3s and CD-Rs

AV out/in selectable

viewable screen (at any angle)

Cons:

battery heats up too much

you cannot charge the battery while using the player

Suggestions for improvement:

multi-region DVD capability (a portable player should have the feature of being useable anywhere)

auto-voltage power supply

support for PAL format

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Archos AV500 30 GB Multimedia Player and DVR

Archos AV500 30 GB Multimedia Player and DVR
  • Record television programs, movies and home videos and watch them on 4-inch LCD whenever, wherever
  • Plays and stores up to 400 hours of video, 250 movies, 55,000 songs or 1,000,000 photos
  • Compatible with MP3, WMA, WAV, protected WMA, MPEG-4, WMV and protected Windows Media Video
  • Supports the Mophun mobile gaming platform; USB 2.0 port for fast file transfers
  • Up to 15 hours of battery life for music and up to 4.5 hours for video playback on the built-in LCD

As many of you have probably done, I have researched and read the few limited reviews I could find on this item, but finally i purchased it yesterday from the Sharper Image. So far its amazing, I did have the Archos AV420 but returned it because the battery failed on me. The AV500 is truly an amazing machine. The screen is so much sharper than the AV400 that it is indescribable. You can record directly from your DVD player, VCR, Satellite or Cable Box, which I am doing as I type this. I already put about five different cd's on the AV500 from my collection from Windows Media Player, and that took a mere twenty seconds for each cd. Also, the AV500 displays the album cover for each cd. The AV400 did not recognize many of the album covers that the AV500 does. The "TV Pod" is much easier to hook up on your tv than that of the AV400, and it seems that there are many less wires coming out from the pod. The built in speaker is good if your sharing with someone else, but the included earbuds have very good audio quality. In the case comes a user guide, 2 sets of audio and video cables, a USB 2.0 cable and USB host adapter, AC adapter and charger, Stero headphones, the TV cradle and IR emitter cable, Remote control with batteries, and the Protective Case. All in all the AV500 is a must buy for anyone who likes music, photos, and videos. I am in luck too because I am going to Washington in a few days which is an eight hour drive. On average the AV500 probably will have about 4 hours of playback on the battery while on video, and 10 hours of playback for music, but I have yet to test that. I am very happy i purchased the AV500 from The Sharper Image.

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I read a review on CNET stating that the Archos AV500 didn't have as good a screen as the Creative Zen Vision 30Gb player. Closer scrutiny shows that there is much more to the story, however. For those of you choosing between these two major competitors in the personal multimedia player category, I'll summarize what I've learned in my research (leading me to buy the Archos AV500).

1. Archos AV500 has higher screen resolution than almost all current laptop computers. The AV500 has a 138 DPI (dots per inch) screen. The current Apple MacBook has a 110 DPI screen (looks gorgeous playing videos). Sony VAIOs tend to have 128 DPI screens, identical to the Sony PSP. If you like video on your PSP, MacBook, or VAIO then you'll definitely like video on the Archos. The Creative Zen Vision has a 216 DPI screen, but see additional points below.

2. The Archos AV500 has a 16:9 screen: perfect for widescreen movies. The Creative Zen Vision has 4:3 screen, so your nice widescreen movies will be little letterbox movies on the Creative. The Creative is best suited for TV shows, but these will display at almost exactly the same size on the Archos (with black on the left and right, as they would display on a widescreen TV). The Archose definitely makes the most of your video files since it displays TV shows at about the same size as the Creative, and does a much better job with movies.

3. The Creative has serious problems with limited viewing angle. You have to hold it just right to get a good picture, and even then many people report that the angle is so narrow that one eye can have a good view and another can see a slightly "silvered" view. The Archos is much more forgiving here, making it a lot easier to enjoy on a long plane flight and a lot easier to watch with a friend.

4. The Creative can't record. The Archos can; it can even record DVDs legally, working with the MacroVision copy protection on the discs you own. I was able to save about $130 on a device to record from my DVD player or DVR. I count that as a $130 discount on the price of the Archos.

5. The Archos is Mac and Linux compatible. The Creative is locked into one operating system (Windows XP) and won't even allow music and video files to be transferred when it's connected as a USB drive. This means that you have to use a bunch of proprietary software and drivers to get the thing to work: not a lot of fun if you want to use it with a friend's computer or if you're having problems with getting the software to install correctly on your system. The Archos can connect as a standard USB drive: universal access and no reliance on a bunch of proprietary software.

6. The incidence of the Creative freezing and requiring lengthy recovery procedures is fairly thoroughly documented in the Amazon reviews. The Archos appears to have a much lower incidence of problems.

So, if you're looking for a portable video player you may want to consider the above in making the choice. Obviously these points led me to the Archos. Your mileage may vary.

Read Best Reviews of Archos AV500 30 GB Multimedia Player and DVR Here

Throughout all of my experiences of shopping for a perfect portable media player I have decided that no such device exists. The Archos Av 500 is one of the closest to that high standard.

The AV500 has all of the requirements for a great pmp and then some. However, it also has it's flaws. It boosts a monsterous 4 inch LCD which is one of the biggest save for the Archos AV700 (that supports a lousy resolution).

I purchased the 30GB model and I was impressed right off the bat with the power of the videocorder function but was unimpressed with the fact that there is no middle ground between the 30GB model and the 100GB model memory wise. I really wanted a 60GB version that cost somewhere in between the two.

The movies look spectacular when you connect a dvd/vhs/tv input and record at the right settings, I didn't even try to go the computer route because the AV500 has such a simple recording interface that there is no desire to use the computer as a middle man between the dvd and the Archos. Several dozen recordings later, I thought about attempting to go the computer way and I found a very interesting peice of info that I would like to pass on to you. The resolution recording settings on the archos are VGA (640x480) and a lower version of 512x(something I forgot). However, the screen resolution is 480X272. When the archos has to shrink the picture, it causes some distortion in the picture quality. This happens because there aren't enough pixels for the video resolution. The archos then decides whether or not to show some of the pixels and when the camera is moving or there is a particuarly large amout of detail on the screen then the garbage quality is shown on the screen. If you can find a good dvd to avi converter program (I used the "dvd to pocket pc" program from www.pqdvd.com) then I recomend that you set the settings to have the output resolution to be exactally 480x272. I did this and I recieved a picture resolution that I thought was literally DVD quality. It blew me away! Note: If you go this route then you cannot use the cropping feature.

If you dont want to go that way, then use the onboard recording feature. Be warned that it is very possible to make the recording look like crap so pay close attention.

The way to avoid this is to set the resolution at VGA and keep the KBS at 1500 (the files become a size that about 16-18 movies can be stored on the AV500). This sweet spot is my key to making the movies that I record look on par with DVDs on my AV500's screen (not a tv output). I encountered some glitches (the AV500 randomly froze during a recording process)that caused me to worry at first but several recordings later and I forgot all about them.

One secret hidden feature that I had no idea about was the editing feature of video files. Due to the fact that I wanted as many movies on my Archos as possible and that I typically only watch the action sequences, I was able to cut out all of the scenes of Anakin Skywalker and Padme in Star Wars Episode III to make a 45 minute movie that jumped from one action sequence to another. I am now able to get all of the aciton from any movie into one file roughly 300-700MBs which allows me to fit 50-60 movies on my Archos.

The photo feature is OK. I say "ok" as a way of being nice. The photo feature is there so i can't really complain. However, it sucks. The photo feature has very limited zoom function that becomes quite annoying. The load times are delayed just slightly which made the device seem a bit slow compared to the fact that it can record a tv signal at VGA resolution with 2500 kbs and sound at 48khz.

The device went above and beyond on the music standards. The AV500 automatically sorted all of my music files into categories such as Artist, Genre, Album, ect. The music from the headphones sounds nice but the built in speaker comes up just a little bit short, a very little bit. The control of a built in equalizer was also a very nice touch.

One of the flaws that I came across was the USB host and what it could connect to. My deepest desire was to connect the AV500 to a portable USB hard drive and cut a corner to save me money from spending 700 dollars on the 100GB version but that plan failed. The AV500 flat out didn't recognize the hard drive. The Archos will however connect to a digital camera and a desktop hardrive but no portable ones.

The feel of the Archos (which I should have probably talked about at the beginning of this review) is that of a peice of solid metal except for those lousy buttons! The face buttons of the AV500 are the worst part of the whole device. I can't stop giggling them while I am watching my non-stop action movies.

All in all, the AV500 is the best gadget for your buck. It has it's minor flaws but the tought of overlooking them isn't really that bad. The AV500 out performed every single other pmp that I have tried and belive you me, my quest for the perfect pmp has driven me to nearly try every single one.

(...)

Want Archos AV500 30 GB Multimedia Player and DVR Discount?

Ok, so I spent A LOT of time researching different PVPs online and the Archos AV500 came up as top in its class. Still, after all of my research, I was a bit skeptical in purchasing this device, as there were some obvious cons. I took a deep breath and shelled out the $500 at a local retail outlet and have never been happier with a gadget as I am now. This little device is tops. A solid (i.e. metal) casing houses this PVP which is capable of not only audio and video playback, but recording of both as well. The first thing I tested was the mp3 player portion of this toy. Once plugged in via a USB 2.0 port, my computer recognized the device right away and it was as easy as dragging and dropping the audio files into the Music folder on the AV500. In mere seconds I have loaded the AV500 with about 10 full CDs worth of music. Unlike some mp3 players, the AV500 quickly (seconds) sorts through its new files after being unplugged from the PC. My wife has RAVE mp3 player and it can take up to 5 minutes to sort through new files after you toss them in there. The AV500 was waaaaaay faster. Playback on audio files is a breeze with the easy to use nav buttons on the face of the AV500. You can search by file name, artists name, song name, and even music genre. If you're as anal about your mp3 files as I am, you've probably associated images of the albums to them. Well, the AV500 will pop those graphics up on its 4 inch screen while playing the tune. Playback features include random and repeat. There is a built in, mini EQ, but I didn't mess too much with that. I did notice that while playing back thru an outside audio source, such as through a car or home receiver, it is best to turn down the volume on the AV500 to about 75% in order to get the best playback. I've read some reviewers who noticed some noise in the background during playback, but this seems to be avoided if you reduce the volume on the unit itself. (It also helps if you properly encode your mp3s for optimum playback...don't whine and complain about hissing and background noise if you encode anything under 128.)

Now onto the video....Amazing. The 4 inch (wide)screen does make this device larger than an IPod, but at the same time, this is not to be confused with a simple mp3 player. This is a portable DVD player. It took all of 2 minutes to hook up the AV500 to my DVR and start the recording process. The TV docking pod acts as a gateway between your DVR (or DVD, VCR, cable box, etc.) and tv, allowing you set it up and forget about it. Recording is as easy as plugging your AV500 into the docking pod and pressing one button. I have yet to fool around with the timer options, as I have a home DVR for that purpose, but if I am watching something on my DVR and decide that it's a keeper, I can easily record it into my AV500 and watch it on the go, or even transfer it into my PC and burn it to a DVD. One downside that I discovered too late was that the AV500 will not playback ITunes video files. I realized this a tad too late, as I had already purchased and downloaded about 6 episodes of The Office. Oh well.

The AV500 is 100% compatible with Microsoft's PlayForSure music sites, but the video offering on these sites is limited.

I also sprung for a car mount for the AV500. $22 w/ s & h off of EBay...not a bad deal.

Other options that I have yet to play with include:

TV playback watch files from your AV500 on your television

Remote control

Picture viewing

Video editing tools

Playlist creation

The only cons I can think of are minor

1) It would be nice if the buttons on the face were backlit. Very tricky to maneuver in the dark.

2) The inability to browse the AV500 files while listening to music. The minute you try to do so, the music stops, but with the built in resume feature it quickly picks back up right were it left off.

3) The inability to play ITunes videos. Maybe one day in a firmware update they will address this issue.

All in all, this is a fantastic little gizmo that does a lot. I know that PVPs are fairly new to the marketplace and with time they can only get better, but for a first generation device, this one does fantastic.

First off, I would like to say that when the AV500 is in working order, it is amazing. I encoded all my video with XviD (after turning off stuff the player doesn't like, such as GMC and Qpels) using Gordian Knot and it plays back amazing. The screen can get a little motion blur, but it is hardly ever noticeable. For a device of its size, the picture is very sharp and clear.

Music playback is very nice with my Sennheiser headphones (encoded using VBR mp3). I will say that the ear bud phones that come with the system sound fairly poor. I don't like buds in general. But, even compared to the ones that come with the iPod, they are sorely lacking.

So why give the AV500 three stars, you might ask? Well, the first one I got was great. That is until I noticed that after about 5-10 minutes of use, a bright horizontal, flickering band would appear on the screen every few seconds. They told me it was a faulty screen and I got it replaced. The new one was awesome for about 3 weeks. Then, all of the sudden, the right arrow on my 4 way directional button stopped working. I can now only navigate in the OS up, down, and left. This is a problem, because it renders my Archos into a 450$ paperweight. So now I suppose I will have to send this one back as well. You can imagine the frustration.

Overall, the device performs well... when it works. I think, however, Archos may have a serious quailty control problem. People may want to be careful of this product.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

iriver PMP-140 Portable Media Player (40 GB)

iriver PMP-140 Portable Media Player
  • Plays digital music and video files, including WMV, MP3, WMA, DivX (AVI), BMP, and JPEG
  • 40 GB storage total storage capacity--up to 160 hours of video, 1,200 hours of music
  • 3.5-inch color TFT LCD
  • USB 2.0 support, audio inputs and audio/video outputs, built-in FM tuner and voice recorder
  • Includes rechargeable lithium-ion battery; up to 16 hours (audio only) and up to 5 hours (audio/video)

I got this for xmas, and despite being 26, i play with it everyday like a child with their favorite toy.

I'll try to really cover the points that i was concerned about, as the general stuff such is pretty well explained in the description.

Size:

Yes it's a bit bigger then the ipod or the music only irivers, but it's still smaller then a cd player, and is about the same size as the new gameboy DS. So size isn't really an issue for me, and with having big hands (yes i like the original xbox controllers!!) it's a great fit.

Construction:

Feels very solid, I don't have any fear of breaking it if i drop it, unless i'm throwing it around. The usb port door is likely the only thing that could break on it easily, but i'm always gentle with things that cost a lot of money, so again not an issue with me.

Button layout and use: So this is the exact opposite of ipod. The controls are unique and this is one of the few times that i've had to read the manual to figure some things out, but even if you're confused, there's a help button that you can hit at anytime to give you the hints you need with the buttons. Took me about a full day of messing around with it before i became comfortable and could navigate with no problems.

Screen: the picture on this is absolutely amazing, really impressed with the colors and the contrast between darks on such a small screen. Bright colors are bright, dark are dark, and there is little bleeding that i've been able to notice so far with the videos that i've put on it. Very very happy with the screen. Viewing angle isn't too shabby either, so if you're sharing, you don't need to sit on each other's lap to both watch.

Software: Besides the internet connection that you have to have, didn't realize it at the time, and had to use dial up when i tried to install, zzzzzz) and make sure you have direct x installed, the software is great, and easy to use. I've put an entire season of one of my fav tv shows on it using the provided software, and it works like a charm. For all you replay tv owners, this is a dream, record to your pc, then put on your iriver, any show you missed you can now watch on your way to work, school, whatever.

Overall, i am thrilled with this gadget, i think they could use a solid firmware update to address the little things, like spelling tunner right) and better recognition with the .ogg files (had a little hitch with that earlier), but i can find issues with anything if i look long enough.

IRIVER if you're reading this... sell a remote for this, i'd be nice to be able to keep this in the case all the time that i'm just listening to music.

IF you have the cash, and want to buy something other then ipod (boo mac/apple) that gives you a huge amount of flexibility for music, photos, radio and movies, this is the toy for you.

Hope this helps!!

Buy iriver PMP-140 Portable Media Player (40 GB) Now

I was looking for a player that could play my huge library of .wmv format TV shows (I have 200GB of them) and according to the Amazon review here I would have been mislead into buying this product.

It's NOT a .wmv player.

If you want that, go for the iRiver PMC-120, which is a Portable Media Center device and natively supports .wmv files.

Unfortunately the PMC has much less useful functionality than the awesome PMP model.

Looks like iRiver don't make the perfect player for ME yet. I'd like a PMP-80 or PMP-120 that plays .wmv files without needing to convert them first.

Read Best Reviews of iriver PMP-140 Portable Media Player (40 GB) Here

I have had my PMP 140 for around 15 days. In this review I will briefly describe the pros and cons of this device

Pros: this device is all you need, with a 40 GB storage capacity, you can store 160 hours of full length movies, 1200 hours of songs, and thousands of pictures. It can record directly from any source with a headphone jack, it has an integrated voice recorder, it has a FM tuner, and it even has a stand. The screen is 3.5 inches, so it is pretty decent. But what if you want a big screen? No problem, you can easily connect it to a TV or monitor and it shows up there! This pack even comes with a case. All together, the sound is high quality and the graphics are also good.

Cons: This device does take a moment to turn on (around 15 seconds) but what do you expect when you have thousands of songs, pictures, and hours of movies! It takes a little while to get used to the navigation of this machine, but when you do learn it, it is very easy to navigate. It even has help button that tells specifically what each button does at that time. The actual speaker on the device is mediocre, but the earphones are very high quality. In order to put full length movies, you must get a ripper, which converts videos to different files compatible with the PMP 140. The rippers cost around $30.00-$40.00. Another con is it just barely fits in your pocket. I would not recommend you use this device while jogging, or running. No, this device would be best used on the road. The bad part about using this on the road is the battery life is not good. I would suggest, if using this device on the road, you get a car adapter. (the pack does not come with one.)

Overall, buy this device! It is very high quality. I would say that the cheapest place to get this would be on ebay.com. I got my PMP 140 for $320.00.

Want iriver PMP-140 Portable Media Player (40 GB) Discount?

This is a good product, it works well and has the advantage over the iPod of letting you dump the music files right into the device folder without using iTunes. It has a great screen that is larger than the Photo iPod and runs .avi videos well. I have over 200 music CDs, hundreds of photos and I'm backing up my laptop hard disk to it. However, it is clumsy with the user interface but I hope iRiver will have an operating system upgrade soon to fix the problem. Then I will rate it Very Good.

Wow I just love this new media player plays songs at Top Level quality sound, crystal clear picture too nice everything! It's got TONS of space 40GB of disk space which is enough to watch movies, thousands of songs, and is portable to take with you anywhere. Easy to connect to the computer as well, simple USB cord. Just plug it in and go.

I think what I like about this the most is just how simple it is to use, I thought it would be difficult, but it's very easy -you can take songs from your home computer and just transfer it to the media player with a touch of a button and you can listen to songs or watch videos or store pictures, etc.

This is an awesome buy and I'd recommend it to anyone -it looks very sharp and has excellent quality sound and picture.

A very satisfied customer

Friday, October 17, 2014

Cyclops Gear HD Video Sunglasses - Black

Cyclops Gear HD Video Sunglasses - BlackThese would be truly awesome if there was some way to adjust the sides. It hurts after wearing (at least for me). Other than that, it is most excellent to be able to record hands free/conveniently. Good quality. Easy to access vids (no special software).

This is the first time I have used video sunglasses and I love it. The video I just took outdoors was very good. I am very satisfied with this product. I am sorry I can't see what I have videotaped with the glasses on. I have to connect to my computer to see what I have videotaped, but other than that I love these. I can't wait until sunday to tape at church.

Buy Cyclops Gear HD Video Sunglasses - Black Now

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Mini Gadgets Inc DVBPR5 Economy Pen DVR

Mini Gadgets Inc DVBPR5 Economy Pen DVRThere's a few of these on Amazon under different names, but it is the same pen depicted in the product's picture. Where to start... The pen itself is of medium quality, and does write well out of the box. Mine came in a nice box, but the pen itself was a little sticky at the top as if it has a sticker on it at some point. The instruction manual is primarily why I'm giving this pen 3 stars instead of 4. It is primarily in Chinese, and the English translation is very VERY hard to understand...nearly maddening. I almost wish I got a text version of the Chinese manual so I could run it through Google Translate. But for anyone that's bought this pen or thinking of getting one, here's what to keep in mind:

1. You'll need to get a miniSD card separately. The pen does not seem to have any internal storage.

2. You have to put the pen into "standby" mode to get things going..this is iniated by holding the button for a second or two to get the light solid blue

3. Once the light is blue you can either a) breifly tap the button to take snapshots or b) hold in the button for 3 seconds/release and it'll start recording

4. When recording, there's no light indication. To stop recording, hold in the button for a few seconds to get it back to "standby" blue

5. Hold in the button for about 10 seconds to shut it off completely (it'll flash blue and red then turn off)

The quality is fairly decent for a low cost camera pen and the battery so far does seem to hold up well under a full charge (atleast an hour while recording). Once you get past the manual and initial expirimenting, it's not bad at all. I didn't get a chance to use it as a webcam (after plugging it in, hold the button for a few seconds and the removable storage disappears as it goes into webcam mode). I probably wouldn't recommend it unless you have gamma/contrast correction within your webcam software. By default, it struggles a little under low lighting...and the quality is what you'd expect from a mid grade smartphone.

This pen blows for many reasons

1. Instructions is hard to read in the english side

2. The pen says the light is blue when in standby mode and there was no blue light just a green and red

3.The pen wasnt reconized on my computer

The only thing good about this pen is the little pen part besides that this product sucks. maby if it was the right product i could understand it

Buy Mini Gadgets Inc DVBPR5 Economy Pen DVR Now

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Mini Adjustable Tripod+camera Holder for Iphone and Other Cellphone

Mini Adjustable Tripod+camera Holder for Iphone and Other CellphoneA very useful and surprisingly well built mini-tripod for smartphones. I bought this for use with my iPhone, mainly to have a video camera rolling from a second angle.

**** One thing I forgot to demo is the telescoping legs, which about double it's height if you need it.

I have taken a look at most iPhone stands listed in Amazon. Most of them are very fragile (made by thin plastic) and do not provide enough stability (usually have very small base). The good part of those stands is that they are very portable for travel use. However, they are often overpriced and range from $8 to $25.

This stand is the opposite of all the above. For $11 (including shipping), it actually contains an iPhone-to-tripod adapter and a mini tripod. It is very sturdy and 100% adjustable. You can place your iPhone and iPod in any angle you like and it always remain stable (especially in the portrait mode). This is especially critical when you are doing face time with your friends and family since you want to properly face the camera.

The adapter is made of plastic, and the middle part works like a clamp that securely fastens your iPhone. The side bracket is just to protect the phone from falling off the bracket by accident. So far I only use it for 1 day, and cannot comment on the durability.

The tripod is very basic. But you can always use your own tripod with the included adapter.

The only drawback is that it is not as small as the other tiny stands. However, it can easily fit any hand bag or carry-on luggage without any problem. However, I will trade off some portability for the build quality and its full adjustability.

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Does not really fit iphone4. Would not recommend. Clamp piece breaks off at width of iPhone4 with no case on. Extreme finesse required.

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iPhone won't fit/hold. The reviews that say it does are LYING. Doesn't work. Don't buy it. End of story.

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Awesome shipping time. Ordered on 7/15, arrived 7/18!!! Yet it took less time to break. This thing is very flimsy and poorly designed and constructed. It reminds me of the products we used get from the "5and10" stores when I was a kid. In fact the product is built like a toy, not something you would mount an expensive camera or cellphone unto. I should have been more discerning with my shopping.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Sandisk 16mb Smart Media Card 16 Mb Sm Card in Retail Package

Sandisk 16mb Smart Media Card 16 Mb Sm Card in Retail PackageThis product works well, the only issue I have is with the availability and the high cost of this product for the amount of memory.

I purchased this for my mother for her camera. Her old one quit working. She is thrilled to be able to use her camera again. It came in the mail very quickly also.

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Monday, August 25, 2014

Uitstor USA Inc M50-US Mobile Media Player

Uitstor USA Inc  M50-US Mobile Media Player
  • Play-back All Audio, Video, Photo Files Format On Your HDTV or Standard TV.
  • Use Your HDTV As Large Digital Photo Frame.
  • Digital Signage Player For Your Business or Home.

My husband bought this as he knows about these things more than me, this is HIS review : I was looking for a player mainly for mp4 and mkv files, after reading the reviews i thought this must be the best option available, so i bought it. Connected it to my 1080p TV and the picture quality was terrible, very jumpy, distorted at times, and very dark image, even when adjusting the settings it was too dark etc. Tried it on my 720p TV and much better, very good picture quality, much brighter image ( tried on both TV;s setting up 720p and 1080p but no noticable diference.

Played mp4 and older mkv fierls great, but wont play the latest MKV files at all. I can play them on my PC after installing latest MKV codecs but nothing available for the Uebo yet. Personally, i think there must be a bettr product out there somewhere.

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I bought this to use in an museum display. Getting it set up to play the video did take a little bit of fooling around with the file type, but once it was set up, things have been great. It runs 8 hours a day, seven days a week for five months now with no problems.

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I bought the Uebo M50 to play MKV fikes and it works better than I had hoped.

No problems found.

Monday, August 18, 2014

GPX KC218S Under Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Digital Readout (Silver)

GPX KC218S Under Cabinet CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Digital Readout
  • Slim drawer-load programmable CD/CDR/CDRW player
  • AM/FM radio with blue backlit LCD display and rotary tuning
  • Adjustable kitchen timer
  • Dual front-firing speakers
  • Battery back-up remembers time during power outage (uses 3-"AAA" batteries, not included)

I love the fact that it is nice and compact but there is a lot of static and it is somewhat difficult to change from one function to another.The station finding dial has to be played with alot before you can get the station you want. Probably would have purchased a little more expensive radio if I had known. But it does serve it's purpose.

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I bought this as a gift for my mom. I have an older version of this product at home and I have had no problems with it so I was confident it would be a great present for my mom. When she used it the first time the CD player made a constant humming sound that could easily be heard over the music. So....I sent it back and a new one was sent...it was the same. I know there are lemons for all products but I didn't expect there to be 2 in a row. I do not recommend this product.

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I bought this for signficantly less at ALDI, but that doesn't make up for the fact that it is a piece of junk. The first one I got made a rapid thump/thump/thump sound when I played a CD. It seemed to be worse on higher tracks. I exchanged it, and the new one did the same thing. I see here that this is actually a common problem with these units. The radio is OK, but unless you turn up the volume to drown out the CD motor, the CD playing is pointless.

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the gpx under cabinet radio that i purchased didnt work properly, the cd player broke the second i went to use it. the sound was harible and the preset buttons didnt work. i do not recomend this.

YIKES! I've heard distortion guitar effects pedals that had less background hiss than this thing. Too bad I found that out AFTER I drilled four 1/4" holes in my cabinet. THREE CHEERS FOR WOOD FILLER!

This thing is a stinker. If CD players sounded like this in the 80s people would have stuck with cassette tapes. GPX how can you even put out something like this with a serious face? This is not some new technology... it's a CD PLAYER!

The good news is that it yanks out faster than it went in. GPX should reimburse me for my gas and time for selling such a pitiful excuse for a CD player.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

i.Trek ME-CD Sticky Dash mount for digital camera Flip Sony Kodak Toshiba Video Recorder

i.Trek ME-CD Sticky Dash mount for digital camera Flip Sony Kodak Toshiba Video Recorder
  • Easily mounts your camera or dgital video camera on dashboard of your car
  • Ball joint for easy adjustment
  • 2.5" x 2" flexible base which accommodates to curved dash
  • No tools needed but Semi-permanent installation
  • Convert your digital camera or video camera into a car DVR

Amazingly simple product, easy to use, and fits any camera with the 1/4" tripod hole (which is like 99% of all consumer cameras not just the ones listed)

The sticky dash mount is not adhesive like I thought, its actually like a static cling that will hold it from sliding horizontally, but will hold nothing vertically.

I removed the static cling backing and replaced it with some 3M Outdoor Mounting Tape which can hold up to 5 pounds in any position. The base is semi-flexible so it can be mounted to concave or convex surfaces like helmets, or the inside of a mixing bowl, and of course flat surfaces.

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After sticking and removing several time the sticky is unable to stick...ended up having to double face tape it in place. Do not waste money on buying this...

ME-CD: Sticky Dash mount for digital camera Flip Sony Kodak Toshiba Video Recorder

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It does what you need it to do, that is, hold your hand held handycam. The drawback though is that the sticky surface doesn't always stick. I have been attempting to use this with a GPS dashboard hold which has a smooth plastic bottom and even then there are issues with it remaining in place. The "Sticky Dash mount" by itself won't stay on the dashboard. If that one problem could be fixed then I would enjoy it more.

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Despite what the name implies, this is just a generic item that will work with any device with a standard tripod mount. It is surprisingly stable, and both my m4/3 camera and DSLR balanced on it just fine. The bottom plate is flexible, and has a friction pad on the bottom. Though this will help it not slide around, it is not sufficient on its own to keep a camera safe and pointed in the right direction, especially not in a moving car! You will want to tape it down, or do something along those lines to make it steady.

The lock ring on the bottom gets very tight, which is good, since I have not had it slip; the ball joint stays very solid and keeps your camera pointed where you set it. The plastic seems nice and durable, and based on the image here, what you are likely expecting is what you get.

Exactly what I needed to mount my flip cam and record while driving. It could also be used by a vlogger, etc.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Orei BDP-M2 Multi Region Zone Code Free 2D/3D Blu Ray DVD Player - PAL/NTSC - Worldwide Voltage

Orei BDP-M2 Multi Region Zone Code Free 2D/3D Blu Ray DVD Player - PAL/NTSC - Worldwide Voltage
  • Plays all region DVDs (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) & Zone A B C Blu-rays
  • 2D/3D Blu-ray Playback - Zone A B C discs, Blu-ray Profile 2.0
  • Supports PAL & NTSC System - Built-in PAL to NTSC converter allows you to watch PAL or NTSC DVDs on ANY TV
  • 2.0 USB Input, Multi-Format Support: AVI, MKV, MP4, MPG, MP3, Full HD 1080p upscaling for DVDs
  • HDMI, Component, Composite, Optical Audio & Coaxial Audio Output, LAN Connection

For starters, the item shipped the following business day. I received it two days later. That is almost unheard of nowadays. I was nervous about the challenge of switching regions. But it is incredibly simple. It has handled every blu-ray and DVD I've thrown at it from every region. I haven't received my copy "Creature From The Black Lagoon" yet, so I can't comment on the 3D playback, though I'm sure it's fine. The picture quality on every other blu-ray is terrific, and it does a wonderful job of upconverting DVD's. I can't recommend this player more. There is a slight issue, but it when you consider all that this player is capable of doing, it's easy to overlook. When you start a movie, the player will freeze for 4-5 seconds while loading. This only happens at the beginning, and it doesn't happen for the rest of the movie. If you hit the back track button, the chapter will begin without the freezing. It's really a non-issue, but I figured I'd mention it. Also, this player isn't wireless. There is an ethernet jack to get to Orei's website for any firmware updates. In case you were wondering, the firmware updates will not affect the region-free capability. This is a wonderful blu-ray player and I give it my highest recommendation. Thank you for reading my review.

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This one does it all. It plays blu rays from all 3 regions. ANd I have some region b blu rays and can back this up. It plays dvds from all regions too , I have dvds from australia, china , thailand and aurope. Which are a number of dvd regions not just europeon ones. It will also play 3d blu rays from region b and a. I only have one region b 3d blu ray and over 70 region a 3d blu rays. You have to set the player of course to do different regions, except dvd regions , you can set that to zero and it will play all dvds. This won't play divdx or video cds though. divdx was a failed format from 1998 that somehow still is around. and vcd's were around since the 80's. I still have some of those , and if you do you need a older dvd player because no new ones play those anymore. The picture is as good as any blu ray player in it's range too. It looks very good. If you want a better picture then you have to spring for a much more expensive player. But this is good enough that the improvement would is small enough for only true videophiles to grasp on a higher priced one. So this is for someone who NEEDS a all region player, that can do all regions of blu ray and 3d in all regions, and for someone who needs a all region dvd player as well. The picture is similiar to players in this price range and you could get some cheaper that look the same but they won't be all region players. So all region owners need this one and those with only region a u.s discs don't need it. As far as it goes though for what you want it for this one is a success in a very good way. This one can pass through all the top sounds to your amplifier too. It does a straight pass and does not decode them like a higher end player would though. It always truehd , and all those types of surround sound so that's a plus.

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The player does everything that the product description says. Actually, I have been really surprised at the overall quality of the video and audio playback. Regardless of it being dvd or bluray I really am impressed. Actually, it may look and sound just as good as my $250.00 Samsung model. I won't waste time with the bells and whistles but its really a steal at this price. If you have any discs that are for outside the US players then this is a must own. If you want a great player for just US discs, it can do that too. I have had no problems with anything I have attempted to play. A+++++++

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We received a defective unit--had to reboot it after each play. We contacted the seller, Bombay Electronics. They immediately emailed a UPS return label. We returned the unit. A replacement arrived in record time--less than a week. The replacement unit works as advertised and has the best picture of all my DVD players (we have 5) except maybe my Oppo. Bombay's customer service is EXCELLENT and the DVD player plays region 1 and 2 without a glitch. I would give it five stars except that the first unit was indeed defective. I recommend this unit, M2, to anyone looking for an all region blu-ray player. And I highly recommend AMAZON & Bombay Electronics for the purchase of electronics.

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just looked up "region free bluray player" and ended up finding this player. i'm from Europe therefore would really like to enjoy blurays from back home. (i already owned a region free dvd player)

so i ordered this player, and unfortunately when i received it it must have been somehow damaged as when a disc was spinning inside it would be very loud. i returned it and purchased a new one (price had gone down $10 in the meantime) got my refund quickly without any question. i received the new player and it works perfectly! it does look a little cheaper than a samsung or panasonic, but i love it and highly recommend it, IF your main purpose is to watch foreign blurays/dvds. otherwise, you might as well buy a regular player...

Friday, June 27, 2014

Sony Blu-Ray DVD Player with Full HD 1080p Playback, DVD Upscaling to Near-HD Quality, Front USB Sl

Sony Blu-Ray DVD Player with Full HD 1080p Playback, DVD Upscaling to Near-HD Quality, Front USB Slot, Online Connectivity via LAN, Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Hulu & More, Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Decoding, High Definition Audio Support, IP Noise Reduction, Child Lock Feature, Black Finish
  • Blu-ray Disc Full HD 1080p Playback DVD Upscaling to Near-HD Quality
  • Internet Video Streaming Instantly stream a wide variety of online movies, videos, TV shows, and music from Netflix, YouTube, HuluPlus, Pandora, and more
  • Front-Panel USB Port Share your videos or photos on the big screen or listen to your favorite music. Simply connect your digital camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device
  • Dolby and DTS-HD Audio Support Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD (Master Audio and High Resolution Audio) codecs reproduces high definition sound with 7.1 channels of discrete audio so you can enjoy uncompromised audio
  • A/V Playback Formats - VideoBD-ROM, BD-RE, BD-R, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW - Audio - CD, CD-R, CD-RW, SACD

We like it very much. I'm 82 years old and had to get my 16 year old grandson to set it up. He immediately ordered one for himself.

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I chose this player because it was wi-fi capable. Once it was delivered I was concerned about the packing or lack of. This unit was shipped in its original box with a brown paper wrapping nothing else. I have photos of the damages the package went through getting here. I feel maybe this could have been placed in a larger box with more packing around it for protection. One puncture went completly through box putting a small scratch in side of unit. After removing it from its box i hooked it up and it seems to be working fine. All things considered I am happy with purchase.

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This device not only plays Blu-Ray DVDs but it also uses Wi-Fi to bring the Internet to your television set. It has built in links to not only well known Internet media sources (such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTube) but more services than I have ever heard of before. I don't know how many, I got tired of scrolling down the list. Once I got it set up, watching shows on Netflix, Hulu, etc., is easy. And it's great to be able to watch these shows on a large TV, rather than a laptop. And that allows for group watching as well.

I would have given this device five stars, except I have two complaints.

the documentation included was insufficient to get it set up completely. I had to go online to get the additional information I needed. If you get one of these devices, have a tablet or laptop, etc., nearby when you set it up, you will need it. Not just for the extra info, but you also need to go to each media site you subscribe to (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) and register the device in order for it to connect to that particular service.

I do not think it's possible to use a keyboard with this device. Trying to arrow around the on-screen key-pad with the remote is very tedious. I did a bit of research, hoping to find a wireless keyboard of some type could be connected to the device, but I haven't found that to be the case yet. It does have software to link an Android tablet to it for input, but I do not own a tablet running Android at this time.

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Very, very pleased with this player. Had an LG blu-ray 3D player first,

and it really was a big disappointment. But this product really delivers

... or should I say, "So far, So good!" I feel very comfortable with this

purchase. Highly recommend it.

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I like this player. It does what is supposed to and that is play 3D movies but beyond that the wifi is nice. I have 3 standard blue ray players and they all require an ethernet cable. So either buy an AP or do without using it to watch netflix, etc. Having wifi built in stream netflix, amazon and some others. I took my Roku to the bedroom bonus :)

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Sony Carrying Case for PCM-M10 Recorder

Sony Carrying Case for PCM-M10 RecorderI bought this item based on description where it mentioned the case can carry PCM M-10 recorder, as also necessary cables that go with it. The case itself is very well built, but there is room in it only for the recorder. Do not expect to be able to put any cable into it. I plan to retain the case with me and use it with batteries . My rating should have been only 3.5 stars, but I liked the construction, so upgraded it to 4 stars.

Fits the M10 perfect, but little room for cords or anything else. Its small and compact and holds the recorder, which is what I was after. I'd recommend

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Could use a little more room for additional cords. An expansion gusset could make this a better product

Liked it

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Sunday, June 22, 2014

SainSpeed P5000 Vehicle Car DVR Camera Video Recorder HDMI HD

SainSpeed P5000 Vehicle Car DVR Camera Video Recorder HDMI HDThis item claims to have hdmi out interface but has a port that is covered with a qc sticker instead. When the opening is exposed, inner components are revealed, but no hdmi port. And no hdmi cable.

The video quality is ok, but not hd. If u are expecting 1080p, you will not get it.

Specification says it supports SD(SDHC) from 512M to 32GB, but it actually seems to need a microSDHC memory discovered error within 2 minutes of receiving.

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Sunday, June 15, 2014

Harman Kardon CDR 26 CD Recorder

Harman Kardon CDR 26 CD Recorder
  • Dual-tray CD-R/RW recorder/player with 4x dubbing speed
  • Create custom CDs or copy an entire disc using inexpensive CD-R blanks
  • Synchronized recording from external sources (digital or analog)
  • Continuous two-disc or one-time/one-disc playback; headphone jack with level control
  • Full-featured ergonomic remote control

I highly recommend avoiding this product. The first unit I had would not play properly, and when I exchanged it for another unit, that unit would also not play properly! I had never purchased a Harmon Kardon product before, but I knew of their good reputation, and I actually did some research on CD recorders before buying this unit and thought it to be the best choice for the money. But I am extremely disappointed, both with this unit and with Harmon Kardon. I returned the second unit and got my money back. Read on...

From the moment I took the first unit out of the box, the lefthand CD player would not work correctly. When a track began playing, the player would skip ahead twenty seconds or so.

This happened on a regular basis, with a wide variety of CDs, from old to brand new. To further rule out that it wasn't the condition of any of my CDs--all of which played fine in my old Sony player--I played the CDs in the rightside player, and they always played fine.

I was especially troubled by the fact that it was the lefthand player, since this is the one that only plays and does not record, so there didn't seem to be much excuse for it not working.

But wait, it gets worse. I actually returned this unit and received another unit. I really liked the sound of the player, and for the most part I liked the functionality of the CD recorder and the quality of the recorded CDs.

So, I got the new unit, and...I immediately had problems with the lefthand player! This one malfunctioned even more than the last one, frequently skipping ahead a few seconds on different songs, and occassionally skipping back to the end of the previous track, while still displaying the current track!

I will say this: the sound was fantastic, and I had no problems recording. The fit and finish was not really first rate, but I would have readily overlooked this if the thing would just play correctly.

I'm not too pleased with the company's response, either. When I called, a rep told me that the store I dealt with had obviously gotten a bad batch of players. A bad batch? We're not talking tomatoes here! Some people might say three strikes you're out, but for me, two was plenty.

Two brand new units, and both would not work properly, right out of the box. Shame on you, Harmon Kardon. By the way, I asked to speak to a higher-up manager at the company, and someone did call me, a week later, and he left a message. I called him back and left a message, twice, but he has yet to get back to me.

Twice bitten, forever shy. No more Harmon Kardon for me!

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I bought the CDR26 mainly to back-up my DAT library from the last 15 years of work. I own a recording studio and my DAT recorder (Tascam DA-30 ) started to fail, so I needed the ability to interface digitally through coaxial input which the CDR-26 has two, one on the front and another on the rear besides the optical interfaces. I also needed the capacity to convert the sample rate on the fly because some DATs where recorded at 48 Khz instead of the CD 44.1 K standard.

I have been working with it for the last 3 months and it has done its job flawlessly. No problems at all.

It is handsome, easy to operate, the manual is well written and easy to follow. With its two trays you can make digital copies of your favorite CDs and with the ability to make dubs at 4X,, dubbing is a breeze.

And the sound quality ? well, it is outstanding and I dare to say that some burned CDs, sound better than the original DATs, with more warmth and less of a harsh sound.

The only drawback at least for my purpose is dealing with the SCMS copy protection, because some older DATs that were recorded on a non-pro DAT machine, were coded with the SCMS and therefore, making DIGITAL copies from those DATs was impossible, but the CDR-26 automatically turns on the ANALOG copying and so far, I have NOT been able to distiguish from the original.

The trays seem a little flimsy, so I prefer to close them with the front pannel buttom or the remote one instead of pushing them.

It lacks separate outs, one for each tray, so you can not listen to each one separately or make DJ's type work, but you can play continuosly the two discs and it has all the repeat and programability functions anyone expects from a machine like this.

There are no fancy functions like title writing, but I really dont use those, and besides there are fewer functions that can go wrong.

The display has all the needed information and it is legible despite having small characters and the remote is all you need to work, you wont miss anything from it.

When making ANALOG recordings, you have to be carefull with the Level Settings as it is quite easy to get digital distortion, so it is better to be somehow conservative and not run frequently on the overload mark !

The Phones jack is only good for location reference, because the sound quality is not acceptable.

I have recorded CD-Rs and CD-RW from diferent brands and lengths (74 & 80 Min.) and have never had any problems with any disc, besides you can erase and re-write a CD-RW for 99 times ( a limitation on the CD-RW format and NOT on the CDR-26 ) without any sound degradation.

All in all a terrific buy so far.

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Aprroximately 1 1/2 years ago I bought a new Harmon Kardon CDR 26 (CD recorder). It worked well for the first year, recently though it has been skipping during recording and playback. This skipping problem occurs frequently and is especially annoying during the recording process. In the middle of a recording the laser will skip, basically ruining the recording.

The malfunction only occurs on the right side (record side) of the player. The only reason I bought this unit was to record. It has been a huge disappointment and not worth the hassle or the money ($150-$200) to repair.

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Right side laser (record side) skips frequently during recording and playback. This problem occurred about 1 year after purchase ($400). Still skipped after cleaning laser. I am very disappointed with this unit and would not recommend it.

The CDR26 replaced a defective CDR20, which I rated very poorly. I saw the promise in the ease of operation and the Harman Kardon name and was willing to give the CDR26 a chance. I'm so glad that I did. I use the unit primarily to make compilation recordings and the difference between it and the CDR20 has been like night and day. I really do not see how I could find another CD recorder that sounded any better or was easier to operate for the money. The CDR20 was a mistake. The CDR26 is a winner!

Monday, June 2, 2014

Stealth Cam Jim Shockey "Sniper Pro" 8.0 Mega Pixel Digital Camera

Stealth Cam Jim Shockey 'Sniper Pro' 8.0 Mega Pixel Digital CameraNights shots are TERRIBLE! Overexposed, all pink and blue, blurry. Most animals come out at night, so if you can't get a decent night shot, what's the point? I would not recommend this stealth cam. No response to email questions about resolving this issue from the manufacturer.

Since I evaluate a lot of my purchases using Amazon.com reviews, I feel I should give my opinions on this trail cam. When it comes to trail cams, you pretty much get what you pay for. In the $1-200 range, it's gonna either be hit or miss among the same type of unit. If you want a good one, I hear Reconyx makes the best. Don't know from experience though. I know a lot of people have problems with this particular unit, and I am one of them...sort of. I had gotten this thing as a package with a First Champion 2GB SD card from Dick's and just opened it the other night. I popped the SD card in and took some pics. When I plugged it into my comp, the pics wouldn't load ("unable to view image" error). I took the memory card out, and took some pics having them save to the built in 38MB memory. This time I could view the images on my computer. I intially took the pics inside my white-colored rooms and they were very washed out due to the very bright flash, so I took it outside (where it was dark) and shot a few. In my opinion, the outodoor night picks turned out great, even on base (1.3mP) settings. Yes there was some white out on lightly colored objects. but it does what it needs to do.

So then I had to figure out the SD card issue because what's the point of using this thing if it can only hold 38 pics? After searching for people who had similar issues (seems to be problematic in other brands as well) and calling Stealth Cam, I figured it was the SD card I was using. Apparently, trail cams are very finicky with the types of SD cards they can read/write. It was recommended from Stealth Cam to use a SanDisk 4GB SD card with this unit. I got one and went home to try it out. Sure enough, the pics and video were now viewable on my computer. The daytime video turned out quite nice, too.

I can't give a review on durability, lifespan, or range since I only had it working since today. I will be testing it this coming season, so if anything breaks down or doesn't work properly I'll be sure to let you know.

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This camera sucks. The flash images are washed out. I ordered a lock system for my 1850 and the lock system sent fits over the cord to hold it to the tree and the lock system is sloppy and still had to go buy a pad lock. Pictures are grainy for a 8 mm. I've called the tech line at Stealth and it busy day and night and they won't answer my emails for the last three weeks for help.

Julie

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THIS THING DOESNT EVEN WORK THE BATTERIES DONT STAY IN PLACE IF YOU MOVE IT IT SHOUTS OFF CANT KEEP THE DATE AND TIME ON IT I WOULD NOT RECOMEND THIS CAMERA SPEND THE MONEY FOR A BETTER ONE AND HOPE IT WORKS TO

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It just doesn't do anything. It doesn't take pictures, doesn't store pictures, and "doesn't work with MAC". Look elsewhere.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2014

HDE ® 1/4"- 20 Tripod Screw to Hot Shoe Adapter

HDE ® 1/4'- 20 Tripod Screw to Hot Shoe AdapterThis is an all aluminum product that's nicely machined. I know it's inexpensive and simple but it's way nicer than I expected.

I bought this a few days ago. I bought it to go with my hotshoe on my camera and also on the small rig that attaches to my hot shoe. This rig adds several hot shoes to your camera in an oval shape. I bought this adapter so that I could attach my Recorder to my camera through this rig.

The erason why I had to mod is was that the flag hot shoe adapter on this is slightly wide. It fits in the hot shoe on the camera very snug, but when I tried to attach it to the rig it wouldn't fit. It was very slightly too large. This may be a problem with the rig rather than this adapter, but I wanted to warn people and give them an easy quick solution. I took a dremel tool (battery powered grinder) and grinded down 1 side about a mm or a cm and checked if it fit in the rig. It did, so what I did was used the polisher/finer grinding bit to smooth out the grinded down area and this works great! The adapter fits perfectly, and for the money I can't complain the extra 3 min of work I had to do to make it fit. I mean if your looking to buy something this cheap then you have to be willing to do some DIY work.

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Is a great and userfull littler piece.

i'm using with a mic on camera like zoom and is very good idea.

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I am trying to attach extra things to my flash bracket like a recorder (zoom h4n) so that I can shoot video with my 5D mk2. I needed this as the 'missing component' to fit my flash into a 'sound and light' cold shoe y bracket. It is strong, inexpensive, and it does the trick!Opteka VLB-3 Video Light/Microphone Dual Cold Shoe Y-shaped Splitter Bracket (Includes Sony AIS Adapter)

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Bought this to attach my Zoom H4N recorder to my 7D. Effective, great price, and I even got a coupon for my next purchase. So far so good!

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Sunday, May 11, 2014

Livescribe Deluxe Carrying Case

Livescribe Deluxe Carrying CaseI own the older Pulse SmartPen (not the newer Echo) so my model is a bit bigger. That said, it has no problem fitting in this case. There's also room for a cable, and even a few pens and pencils if they are the right length.

All in all, it's a functional case, and I like it a lot better than the standard case that comes with the pen. I can toss this into my bag with my books and notebook and not worry about anything getting damaged.

I deducted two stars because the material is cheap feeling its faux leather and the texture is just not particularly pleasing. From a distance it looks like leather, which is good, but it's definitely not (nor does it claim to be, so my star reduction is not for that, but rather for the material they did use). The inside lining is a nice felt/velvety material that protects the contents well.

The second star was for the zipper and the price. I think this is a bit pricey for what you get, and the zipper is a bit difficult to get closed at times. I've had to wrangle with it more often than not. Not a huge deal, but at the end of class when I want to pack up and get going, to spend a minute trying to close the case just seems unnecessary. Take this as you will it could be user error or maybe I just have a slightly funky zipper on mine but it's worth noting.

It's definitely a step up from the standard case and if you are a LiveScribe junkie like me, you'll appreciate this addition to your repertoire.

I had read one previous review saying that the person had had problems with the zipper, but had also read positive reviews, so thought I'd give it a go. I wish I hadn't! I do like the size and compartments, but that's of no use if the zipper breaks which mine did before I even got the chance to use it. It is such poor quality but priced as if it were good quality.

I looked again at the feedback by the person who had given negative feedback about the zipper and a representative from Livescribe had written a comment suggesting that the person contact Livescribe directly so that they can help sort the issue. So I contacted them. Their response was that they could not help as it was bought through Amazon. I work for a charity outside America and bought various Livescribe products from Amazon as it is a lot cheaper. I feel like I have wasted this money and wonder if it's even worth the cost of sending it back (Amazon seems to only pay a portion of the return cost).

I do not recommend this product.

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I purchased this case and the zipper was the biggest pain it continually was stuck. I couldn't close or open the case. I emailed the company and without knowing they had a new case set to me within 2 weeks. The new case works perfect and I haven't had any issues! While I had issues with this first case, I defiantly appreciate a company that stands behind their products!!

I use this case for my 4 GB Echo pen to hold the pen, extra supplies (ink, pen tips), and cord -after having my issue resolved with the case I LOVE IT!

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Honestely, I find it really hard to say anything positive about this case. The material of the case feels and looks (and smells!) very cheap. The worst element is the zipper, which is not working at all and gets stuck all the time it's virtually impossible to either close or open the case.

The inside is ok; I think the case could be smaller, too, there is a lot of unused space in the case.

Overall, my advice is to skip this one, unfortunately.

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This case is a must-have for travel, to protect the investment of a LiveScribe device. Personally, I think it's totally worth it! It looks classy (not real leather but it holds up just as well maybe better and it looks like leather), it's large enough that you won't lose it, but small enough that it fits inside my laptop tote. It holds the pen, the USB charger, the headphones, and extra ink cartridges. I was carrying everything around in a pocket in my bag, and I was worried that the little parts would get lost (not to mention my $150 LiveScribe Pulse pen!!!) so this solves that problem QUITE nicely. It also perfectly matches the portfolio, the flip notebook, and the journals... and I'm a "fashion" person, so I appreciate that. :) Love it!

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Monday, March 31, 2014

SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver)

SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player
  • Tiny, ultra-portable 4 GB MP3 player
  • Plays MP3, WMA, secure WMA, and Audible audio file formats
  • FM tuner with 40 preset channels
  • Up to 15 hours of play time with internal rechargeable battery
  • Voice recording with built-in microphone

I was leaving my bulky 80 gig video iPod at home all the time because it was just too large to comfortably stick in my pocket. I wanted something small that I could use for both music and audio books (I use Audible.com).

It has achieved that and a LOT more. I never even use my iPod at home anymore! I'm actually thinking of returning it (Costco gives cash back forever) and buying four or five of these to give away as gifts!

I initially bought a shuffle and returned it the same day because it had no way of bookmarking in my audio books-a chapter is often more than an hour.

Next I bought the smallest Sony Walkman mp3 player... it was very sexy and sleek, and about twice the size of the Sansa clip... but I couldn't load my Audible.com files onto it, so that was returned the next day.

After what seemed like a full week spent in BestBuy I finally settled on the Sansa 4GB Clip and could not be happier.

It's ridiculously small, AND (unlike the iPod shuffle) it has a display. I don't know about you all, but bookmarks aside, not being able to choose a song now and then, or confirm who is performing one when I am unsure, that would drive me crazy!

It is PERFECT for my Audible content. It actually asks when you first hook it up to the PC if you want to sync with Audible Manager. You can also simply go to the Audible Manager and "add device" and follow the steps to activate the Sansa. That way you can just add the specific books you want and not attempt to sync your entire library if you have a lot. I've been a member of Audible.com for nearly ten years and getting two books a month you can imagine the size of my library by now.

I loaded five large unabridged books (average ten hours each) and then nearly 1000 songs and I still have plenty of space left to add more as the spirit hits. Transferring files to the Sansa is VERY smooth and fast. Best of all, it resumes where you left off in a book when you turn it off.

There are other nifty "extra" features, as well! The FM radio is pretty special, and I get excellent reception both in San Francisco and out in the sticks around Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. Even near the airport! Pretty impressive for such a tiny thing, huh?

It has a voice recorder that I have not really tested out properly, but i know it works, just from speaking into it. I will try to record a lecture or some other more demanding application before giving the recorder feature the same accolades I have bestowed upon the rest of the amazing little player.

A lot of people have posted excellent, detailed reviews, and I agree with almost all they have said, so I'll try not to repeat it all.

I will just say that I LOVE THIS LITTLE DEVICE!

It's tiny. Yes, it is almost twice the size of the ipod shuffle, but seriously, still small enough to put in the "key pocket" of Levi's 501s (you know, the tiny useless pocket inside the right hip pocket).

It has good sound, easily on par with my video ipod. If you replace the earphones with something better it has the potential of VERY good sound.

So, how does it compare to the iPod shuffle? For only $20 more this has:

~ four times the capacity

~ a visual display

~ a voice recorder

~ an FM receiver

~ drag and drop functionality in both PC or Mac format (no iTunes or other software needed)

~ standard USB cable, so easily replaced.

~ can be rapid charged using the same AC (wall) or 12v (car) adapters that came with my Motorola RAZR phone!

~ can be used as a regular portable drive (like a thumb drive) for any data

~ seamless Audible.com audio books loading and listening

~ clip on the back is removable, if you don't want to use it, making it even smaller

One poster complained that it was "Difficult to tell when it is fully charged I charged it for 5 hours and didn't see any indication that it was fully charged yet"

I found the same thing happening, the first time I charged it right out of the box it took several hours using the USB cable. Later, much by accident I stumbled upon this: when it is plugged in to your computer (I use a PC, not sure if this will work on a MAC), right-click on the Sansa drive icon and choose PROPERTIES, it will tell you the % of the battery charge.

I also discovered the car and wall chargers from my Motorola RAZR phone work for it, and MUCH faster than the USB cable. When charging I also found that when I unplugged it from the cable I had to power the Sansa off and back on to see the battery indicator register the "full" status.

Hope that helps.

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The Sandisk Sansa Clip accomplishes all that I wanted in an MP3 player which I intended to use at work, to use while riding on the subway and to use while working out at the gym.

Pros:

Small, compact, light-weight, and better looking than pictured (as is the case with the 1MB, 2MB and 4MB versions). The 4MB has a very cool, beautiful mirrored finish. But I would recommend you buy a silicone case or something to protect this finish and the player itself.

Crisp, bright display but as mention in other reviews, because of the mirrored finish it can be a bit hard to see in the sunlight

The clip in the back, hence the name, which makes it easy to attach the player onto your pockets, an armband, or anywhere you want to clip this unit.

Awesome sound coming out of this little player. The better the headphones you attach the better the sound. But even with the included headphones, very nice sound.

Better value than the 4MB iPod nano that I was considering purchasing. Way more features and most importantly, it has a radio. Not sure why after all these years Apple never seemed fit to put FM tuners on their players.

I like that there's a mute button for the radio as opposed to having to turn the volume all the way down.

There's radio broadcast recording.

A voice recorder

The unit has an on-the-go playlist. You can compile all your favorite songs at an instant.

You can drop and drag songs and create playlists right onto the player itself. You don't have to use another program such as iTunes or Winamp. You will find out once you get the Sandisk Sansa Clip that Sandisk recommends that you use the Rhapsody player program, which you can download and use for free and works best for editing the songs and playlists on the unit.

Just another note about creating playlists on the Sansa Clip. I found through trial and error that it's best to first create playlists on the unit itself, meaning when the player shows up in My Computer on your desktop, double click on it and add songs to your Music folder, then select and right click on the particular songs you want to make a playlist. Click the option to "Create Playlist". By default, you will see, "New Playlist" in your Music folder. When you double click on it, you will see all your songs you made into a playlist. You can rename "New Playlist" to whatever you want ex. Playlist 1. You then cut and paste your newly created playlist to the Playlist folder. This method is preferable rather than doing it through programs such as Rhapsody, Windows Media Player, or Winamp. In my experience, when doing it with these programs the playlists either didn't display correctly or didn't show up at all. Once your playlists have been created successfully on the unit then you can go into Rhapsody(recommended) or any other MP3 player program and edit or add songs to your playlists.

Cons:

For some reason certain songs are unable to show up on the list of songs on the playlists I create even though they are on the unit. In other words, say you put, "Elvis Heartbreak Hotel" onto the player and that's in "Playlist 1", the song will be there and you will be able to play it, however when you look through the list of songs in "Playlist 1", all you see is a blank space where the artist and title should be. Even when I edit the tags and type in the artists and titles of the songs, it still doesn't display. This can be a problem when you are looking for a particular song via the list. Strangely though, when you are playing the songs within the playlist and you manually scan through the songs, the artist and title that was not being displayed before shows up. I haven't figured out why this happens. Very weird.

As far as design and function, I think it would be easier if the Power/Reset button slid down as opposed to up.

As said by other reviewers, I don't like that the volume toggle switch is under the headphone port. The headphone plug gets in the way. If the headphone port was at the top of the unit, this wouldn't be a problem. Because of the location of the headphone port, having headphones plugged in and sticking out increases the width of the player.

Overall, even with the minor gripes I have, the Sandisk Sansa Clip is a solid MP3 player and a great value for the price.

Read Best Reviews of SanDisk Sansa Clip 4 GB MP3 Player (Silver) Here

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)I'm a big fan of the Sansa Clip. I have a few of them, some I have my workout music on and one I use to take notes. At CES in January 2008, Sandisk has introduced this new 4GB version in a limited addition silver color. The Sansa Clip was a great value in 2GB; at 4GB it ROCKS! It has four times the capacity as the iPod Shuffle for about the same price. It also has a screen, FM Tuner, voice recording and more. You can get the 1GB version for $35 Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player or the 2GB for about $60 SanDisk SDMX11R-2048K-A70 Sansa Clip 2 GB MP3 Player (Black). But by coming out with the first 4GB clip MP3, Sandisk has raised the bar. Now with MacWeek next week, can a bigger iPod shuffle be far behind? We'll see.

Pros -

+ good sound

+ nice capacity for a decent price

+ light-weight

+ FM tuner with 40 presets!!!

+ voice recording

+ nice design and color options

+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, DRM WMA, WMA, Audible)

+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity

+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage

+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via software

+ 15 hours battery life is better than Creative Zen Stone Plus or iPod Shuffle

Cons

larger body than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles

The new Sandisk Sansa Clip has the advantages of the iPod shuffle with some of the compatibility, feature, and price benefits of other MP3 players. Unlike the Sansa Express, which you can plug in directly into your USB port, the clip uses a standard USB B cable.

The Clip is definitely a little bigger than the iPod shuffle, but not by much. It has a great feel and a nicer clip. It is also priced right. It fills the market for a starter MP3, workout unit, or gift.

The rechargable battery seems better than the Creative Zen Stone Plus and gives you a respectable 15 hours. The sound is nice. The earbuds are passable for beginners but most people will replace them. As for durability, only time will tell; so far my units are holding up nicely.

I definitely recommend the larger sizes, whether 2GB or 4GB. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the CreativeZen, Sandisk Sansa, Sansa View or new iPod Nano. All of those units have higher price tags.

SanDisk Sansa View 8 GB MP3 Player

SanDisk Sansa View 16 GB MP3 Player

Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)

Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)

SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)

Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)

Overall, an awesome starter unit that deserves a try. Enjoy!!!

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Pros:

-It's tiny yet still has a display, albeit a basic one

-Holds a lot of music, especially for its size

-Clip is convenient for the gym

-Pretty eye-catching with that 2-way mirror reflective coating

-Drag and drop file transfer (no software--i.e. iTunes--needed)

-USB cord is of the same type as my Canon digital camera, in case I ever lose it

-Amazing sound quality (really--the sansa clip line has garnered accolades from audiophiles)

Cons:

-That sexy reflective coating? There's a trade off: it makes viewing the screen pretty much impossible outdoors on any but the dreariest day. There's supposedly a firmware update coming out soon to make the display brighter so as to counter this effect, but I doubt it can be remedied completely

-Poor FM reception, even in the big city

-could go a little louder (though you can tweak the EQ settings for this)

I love this little thing and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a small mp3 player with a high capacity. It does have a few shortcomings but, then again, at least it has a screen & FM Player, unlike another, very popular, more expensive small player. Also note that even though the navigation pad is round, it doesn't function as a scroll wheel; rather, its a 4-way directional with a center button (still works fine).

First off, it's really great, the sound is very good, the price very fair. I tried as best I could to compare it against my PC with a top notch audio card playing through an HK amp, and couldn't detect a difference, but that could be related to the medium. And, do you think they can make these things any smaller? Kidding, but actually I could do without the "clip". I had no problem with the FM, programmed it in less than a minute, it even picks up the college station about ten miles away. Of course, FM in Seattle isn't worth a cup of warm p**s anyway.

Okay, minor gripe number one. The earphone output is in the wrong place for offset plugs, they rotate around and cover the volume rocker. Probably not an issue for other brands, but my UE's (love 'em) cost 4 times the player, so it should be the one to conform! Very minor gripe.

Minor gripe number two is that it's a pain passing over my Winamp playlists, which I've spent years and years assembling. You can do it, but it's hardly drag and drop. Curses, but of course that could be Winamp's issue, eh? Oh well, I need to spend a few weeks with a tag editor anyway to recast the mp3's for my Samsung phone, so no biggie, it will be fun. Yeah.

Anyway, great player, very easy to use, took all of five minutes to get some songs on it and play. For 4GB, gotta be the state of the art right now, unless you want to be in the clutches of Evil Empire Jr. (Apple).

PS: Look for the dual charger/silicone case package here, great deal and the clear case works perfectly, it's on there for good.

PPS: Okay, two more minor gripes with two redacted. First, yeah, you can't read the bloody screen outside. That's more annoying than I thought it would be.

Second, 4GB turns out to be too small. Yes, I would like to have my total music collection on my fingernail, but 4GB is what I paid for and 4GB is what I got, so this gripe isn't even fair. Anyway, I'll redact this gripe because of the superior ease of moving subdirectories in and out of the "music" folder through the PC. I haven't even bothered with my Winamp playlists, so I'll redact that gripe as well. I just copy files into new directories on the PC, hit them with a tag editor, and kazaam, instant Clip playlists that can be moved in wholesale. That's just fine, applause to the Sansa software people, who got that right.

PPPS: A word of explanation regarding Clip music organization. There are three ways to access music aside from playlists, and in fact I find myself using "artist" the most often, fits my mood. If you use "artist" it will break up the songs into "albums" automatically. Therefore, in tagging a directory for the Clip, plan accordingly. For example, my goth playlist is best tagged with "goth" in both the "artist" and "album" tags, which is trivial with something like MP3tag. You could also use the useless "genre" tag as a quasi playlist via tag editor. That's not how you want your archived music tagged of course, it loses information, which is why I keep a separate set of Clip subdirectories. Additional hard disk space (so?), but you want to trim your archive anyway to save space on the player. Very rarely will you listen to all the songs archived for an artist, usually you just go with your favorites. Anyway, you can go simple or complex to please yourself freedom of choice, I like that.