GW Security CCTV Female Power Pigtail Female Plug Lead Power Cord Wire for Connecting Security Came

I used this product with the "GW Security CCTV Male Plug Lead Power Cord Wire Male Power Pigtail" and they were a perfect match. The wires on this product are all black, as pictured. I used this to connect multiple strings of 12v LED strips.

Blackmagic Design UltraStudio SDI, USB 3.0 Connection to PC

The description of this item is EXTREMELY misleading. I purchased this and could not get it to work. I then asked someone in person during the NAB in Las Vegas what the issue could be. The answer I got from the rep was "The Blackmagic-Design" UltraStudio SDI's success rate on PC is slim to none. These were HIS words, other then that I was brushed off and that's when I decided to return the item. I went with another solution from another company after speaking with them about my needs and wants during the same NAB show. I got their item and I have been very happy with it so far.

It is very unfortunate that BMD did not seem to want to listen to my problem at all. This device will ONLY work with very few motherboard and CPU combinations. And they will NOT work with any DELL systems.

I have been using one of these for the past few months and it has worked very well for me with very few issues. I am a Script supervisor and I use the device by connecting it to an on set HD monitor via a BNC cable. For short runs of cable a standard def cable is fine. For longer runs you will need to upgrade to HD cables. It also requires a USB 3.0 connection to work. I have had no problem using it with my PC, but if you haven't upgraded your computer recently you may have trouble. My computer is outfitted with the following: Intel® Core(tm) i7-2630QM (2.0~2.9GHz, 45W) w/6M L3 Cache 4 Cores 8 Threads, 8GB (2x 4GB) DDR3/1333 Dual Channel Memory, 60GB Intel® 520 Series SATA III Solid-State Drive, and Windows 7 Premium 64-Bit w/Full Version OEM + Drivers & Utilities. It will also not accept a standard def signal. It must be a true HD signal if you expect to see an image. There is one other issue that needs to be addressed. Under preferences you need to choose the video format that matches the signal you are receiving. I usually consult the Video Tech about this. The other alternative is to go down the list of options trying each one until you find a setting that works for you.

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In Manual I read Renesas Chipset is supported,(I have that!) but the driver or firmware may need to be upgraded. Didn't appear in Device Manager, alone or with other USBV3 devices. So spent 2 evenings upgrading firmware and driver on Renesas USBV3 card. Went from 2.0.26.0 driver to 2.1.39.0, and to firmware 3.0.3.4. This improved the USBV3 hard disk throughput 12Mb/sec, but neither before or after the driver & firmware updates did the "UltraStudio SDI" appear in Device Manager, or work. I tested it at another location, and it works on an Intel Motherboard USBV3, but not on my W7-64 system with the card that the manual says it's spec'd for. DARN!!

If this device is so picky on USBV3 driver and firmware, they should have sold a card with it... It never worked. I returned it.

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Sony CFD-S07 AM/FM Radio Cassette Player CD-R/RW With MP3 Playback Bass Reflex Speaker System

My husband and I owned two of the predecessors of this boom box and burned them out through intensive use. But they were so terrific that we bought one of these offspring for our dinnertime classic jazz concerts. After fumbling around for a short time figuring out where the right buttons were on the player and the remote (the layout differs from that on the previous machine), we got going and were so impressed with the sound quality and the compact size of the player (it's about half the size of its parent) that I bought another one for my office. Can't comment on the MP3 playback as we do not have any material in that format.

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Panasonic Pro AG-DVC30 3-CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/16x Optical Zoom

This is a great camera for the wedding videographer or other serious amateur or semi-professional. It's well built, has great manual control, and takes super video including good low-light performance. You will probably want the external mic attachment, which lets you use professional microphones without additional adapters and signal processors. Now that the price is well below $2000, it's a great deal. One caveat: If you plan to shoot 16:9 format, this is not the best choice. The Panasonic GS400 handles that much better, and at a lower price. (But the GS400 doesn't have the low-light chops that the DVC-30 has so you have to set your priorities.)

Plusses:

* Very good low light capability

* Sturdy, metal body construction

* Will take professional external microphones (with optional attachment)

* Unbelievable B&W no-light capability with infrared (short range built into camera; medium range add-on IR light increases range to hundreds of feet.)

* Excellent manual control available via menu AND you can put your favorite four settings on programmable buttons on the camera body for extra convenience.

* Without attachments, the body with built-in mic is small and consumer-like (won't draw attention to itself), not to mention light-weight.

* Lovely video with three 1/4-inch CCD's.

Minuses:

* The Sony 2100 has even better low-light ability

* The 16:9 mode isn't as good as the PDX10 or GS400.

* The still picture capability is only adequate.

* The built-in mic is only average.

This is a superior camera for the money. Simple operation and well constructed. It has a "well built feel" to it and fits well in your hand. The detail of the image is awesome, better than I hoped for. I'm very impressed with the 16x zoom, very nice and clean image.

Don't be fooled by the size of this camera, the quality of the image is beautiful. A lot of camera in a little package. It has 4 built in shooting settings for different situations. It has a low level light option that does a decent job of capturing the scene after dark.

I gave it 4 stars because I didn't like the manual that it came with and the manual controlling for the iris and focus could have been made easier to access and use. The built in microphone does not really pick up the desired audio that well. I recommend picking up an external boom microphone or lapel mic system to supercede the built in mic depending on your application.

If you are in need of a firewire cable to download the video to your computer make sure you pick one of those up as well. The camera firewire port is a 4pin firewire connector.

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While the Sony vx2100 does better in low light, this camera holds it's own very well. For the price, it's impossible to beat. Great picture quality, 3.5 inch LCD and solid build quality. Most cameras in this range still have the plastic body, but the magnesium alloy body on the AG-DVC30 is rugged and feels great. I've used it for regular family shooting and filming plays. So many choices on the manual settings. Can't say enough. Here's a great forum for it. http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/f131

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Strengths: 1. Great price. 2. Very good picture quality. 3. Excellent low light capabilities. 4. Excellent auto-focus. 5. Excellent zoom range and control. 6. Small and light. 7. Small and compact.

Weaknesses: 1. Ok, internal mic. Low audio output. 2. No true 16x9 mode. 16x9 squeeze mode reduces quality.

Summary: I have used this camera on three shoots so far and it continues to surprise and impress me. For the money its an excellent deal. The image quality is comparable to its big brother the AG-DVX100. Didn't think the night modes would be usefull but they can be and can produce some very artistic shots in B&W.

My only disappointment is no true 16x9 mode. The 16x9 modes they have reduces image quality noticably.

I would definitely recommend an external mic. I use the Rode video mic...very sensitive but comparable to the more expensive shotguns. Also, a wide angle lens is a must. The Raynox HD-6600 is an excellent lens for the price and it produces a great soft focus effect at the long end of the zoom range. Also the Libec zoom controller works great on the camera and for creative shots check out the new Manfrotto Fig Rig.

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Titles says it all. For the money, the best camcorder hands down. After 2 weeks of intense research and a month of using this camcorder, no regrets.

Four Port HDMI 4-Port (4x1) HDMI Powered Switch Switcher w/ IR remote and AC Adapter- Supports Blu-

I just hung my LED to a slim, picture style mount, and wanted just one connection after it was all said and done. Honestly, I only have 2 devices connected to it, my PS3 and a DVD/VCR combo with an HDMI output. I rarely use the combo, but when I do, it automatically switches. Have not used the remote. It's serving its purpose. Thanks!

I've only had this unit for 2 weeks. The unit does not seem to sense the HDMI signal unless it is disconnected and reconnected again, and senses the signal intermittently for all of my sources. I could live with it if it found the signal by manually cycling through the inputs, but every morning I have to disconnect and reconnect my hdmi cable from the Dish Network box for it to pick up the signal. What a pain in the ASS! Frankly, it is useless.

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08Feb10

Hi! Everyone,

This is the first time I've written a review for any item purchased on Amazon. This particular

product is everything you'll need to switch the input feeds from 4 different components.

I anxiously awaited for the item to arrive as our LCD TV has only one HDMI connection.

The external power adapter has not been used as the switch works well with the HDMI feed while the remote

gives you complete control from where you sit.

The 4 port switcher was working immediately after the 5 minute set up. Great! The best value listed for the dollars spent. Delivery was within the time promised and the email prompts were very helpful as well.

Thanks! Enjoy!

Hugs2

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Works very well. Does improve long cable run to projector. Won't switch automatically from cable box unless you switch the cable box to not pass the signal through while off. Otherwise works great for this price, much cheaper than a new receiver if you like your current sound.

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I tried to give it some time work with trying different configurations. The unit does not seem to sense the HDMI signal unless it is disconnected and reconnected again, and senses the signal intermittently for all of my sources. I could live with it if it found the signal by manually cycling through the inputs, but it seems it is not better than connecting and reconnecting plain cables anyway. Frankly, it is useless.

Samsung DVD-VR357 Tunerless DVD Recorder and VCR Combo

• Multi Format DVD/VHS Recorder
• VHS HiFi Player
• HDMI Upconversion
• One Touch - 2 Way Dubbing
• DivX Compatible

Having had three combos in the last 5 years I decided to try a number of them at the same time and then return the worst of them because as many would agree, what I actually want is just not available.

In comparison to Toshiba 650, LG 797, Sony 555 (these are the ones I have tried so far), this one is the cheapest, by a significant amount of money and better than all of the others in one way or another. The LG797 is best but it is so sensitive to copyright there are TV shows (Mad Men on AMC), even cartoons (Stuart Little), Sometimes even Lifetime Movies that it will not record from a DVR or straight from Satellite. Samsung is not sensitive.

Samsung has three drawbacks that are almost dealbreakers except that the other combos are so much worse in so many areasnot enough connections and it is slower than the others in editing features. It records RAM but not Double Layer discs. I have never had a combo that records RAM or DL until now so I would like it to record both like the LG does.

If you research all of your components and maybe even get an adapter when needed, the hookups is no problem. The speed for deleting a portion of a dvd or dividing, is slower than the others. Since I do lots of dividing and deleting on my +RW's, this would normally be enough to send it back. But it beats the others in so many other areas, it's still close to the best.

I have been transferring 24 hours a day from VHS to DVD or DVR to DVD and it has only frozen once (the others have several times). It is not sensitive to copyright so I can tape a movie and watch it later. I only make dvd's for myself to watch and I pay for the tv stations so I should be able to watch them and Samsung gives me that opportunity at my convenience.

The video quality from VHS to DVD or DVR to DVD is ridiculously better than the Toshiba and the Sony (Both over $240 each). It records every format it claims to record (unlike Panasonic which has great difficulty with +R and +RW). I am a +RW fan if you haven't tried it because you think it is no different than -RW you are sorely mistaken. Not having to finalize and "make compatible" or unfinalize to add something saves time and the discs still play on all of my DVD players. Not to mention more editing ability and reusing the beginning of the disc while there are shows still on the end (I have not figured this out on the Samsung yet my previous LiteOn's did this quite easily and from all the features with +RW Samsung allows, I think it will do this also). I have used 8 different brands of DVD's (and have tried +R/+RW/-R/-RW/RAM and every single one has recorded and played back without a problem. From high end discs down to office depot generics. This is rare. In +RW mode it has the lovely feature called "Divide" also available on Sony and LG (not Toshiba). If you are transferring or recording and you let it run long or fall asleep you can divide at the end of your show and delete the part you don't want. You can do this with all the commercials also if you wanted to take the time. You get to use variable recording speed so if you are recording in SP but the last show you are adding to the disc is a bit longer, you can record the last show in LP so it fits. When you press Record mode to set SP SLP etc, it shows on the screen how much time you would have left on the disc for recording if you used that speed. So you don't have to open up the title list or figure it out yourself. There is much more and as I continue to use the Samsung, if there is anything important, I will add to my review. This combo is not perfect there are more things I would change if the DVD makers would let me creat my own machine with every feature I want but so far this is surprisingly better than the Sony or Toshiba and beats the LG if you tend to record show or movies to watch on DVD later. I need two combos and this is good enough that if I can't find something that has the LG797 positives and the Samsung's positives I will actually buy another one. I am very picky with my media and especially because the combos out there generally do not do what they say they do and that's heartbreaking when you are spending anywhere from $170 $400. My three others were Liteon's and JVC and all three broke in less than 3 years.

IF you have right hookups and this combo has the features you are looking for, I can certainly say, it is excellent compared to the others I have tried.

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UPDATE 8/2008: After 18 months, it stopped working, giving a series of software errors, a message says "turn off/on" but the errors return. So today i would rate it much lower. The very first one i got was dead-in-box and an instant return, and this second one went kaput after 18 months of ordinary use. Amazon lets me edit this text but Amazon does not change my five star rating.

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We delayed several years buying a DVD-R because so many models had mixed good/bad reviews. Finally when our DVD player died we moved up to this DVD/VHS double recorder. It doesn't have a 'tuner' it expects some form of cable/dish tv input but we haven't used an antenna in 10-15 years, so that didn't matter to us at all.

1) Ease of use. There are multiple types of DVD (DVD+R, -R, -RW, +RW etc). There are extra steps with most, to "initialize" the disk and to "finalize" the disk. But the VR357 will do most of these steps automatically if you want to. It will also make automatic chapter titles every 5 minutes.

2) Works with hard disk recorder. We have a hard disk recorder with our cable system and I've heard some DVD-R are extremely finicky about recorder. This one seems to record anything so far that is on the hard disk recorder of the cable system.

3) Compatibility with older equipment. We've tried both DVD+R and -R and they have always played on our DVD-PC, and most have played on a four year old plain DVD player in the house. Apparently no recorder generates a home DVD disk that plays on every machine always. This one seems pretty good.

4. Advantages of DVD-R. Obviously, the DVDs are vastly smaller than VHS and you can use them in portable players, laptops on airplanes, etc. There are four record fidelities. 1 HR, 2 HR, 4 HR, and 6or8 HR. (Double each if you use more expensive double layer DVDs). We have a routine old TV set, and the 1 HR and 2 HR modes are visually the same. 4 HR is a little fuzzy, and 6/8 HR is noticeably fuzzy, but better than 6 hr VHS for sure. At best it's probably not quite as good as commercial DVDs but neither were home recorded VHS tapes. It does take a while to recognize any DVD (commercial or home-made, maybe 20-30 seconds; apparently it has more to "think" about than a regular old dvd player).

5. In/Out cables. It has a wide array of input/output cable types, including HD cable output (but it is *not* an HD recorder).

6. Bells and whistles. When you are finishing a disk, for example, it will have 2 one hour shows on it. The DVD will open with two little pictures of the first image of each show. You can get into a menu with 26 letters and scroll around and pick out a title for each track, if you want. Tedious but possible. There is one-button copy between DVD and VHS, assuming it is not a commercial and copy protected DVD or tape source.

7. Disappointment. The box says "plays MP4" and the manual "plays .AVI video." We could not get any home videos in these formats to play. Would be great to solidify this feature in a later model. Does play standard audio CDs and MP3s-on-CD.

7. Summary. The world of DVD-R is a little more complicated than VHS recording but this model automates most of the options if you want it to, like auto-initialize and auto-finalize. DVD-Rs are compact, take on airplane etc, and cost as little as a quarter for blanks if you buy a large spindle. We're quite happy with the visual quality but we have a routine old tv and routine cables, we are not video experts or HD people.

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Firstly the "Consumer Alert" about pending obsolescence is utter and total nonsense, it was posted by an idiot. This device does not have a tuner, it does have both analog and digital inputs and outputs so it is compatible with the old TV standard ( current NTSC standard circa 1939 ) and the new digital standard starting in February 2009 ( ATSC digital TV ). I needed to replace a failed 10 year old VCR. We own a large collection of Tape and DVD media. This single box solution replaced not one, but two boxes on our media shelf, and outperformed both. We are very happy, as it is not very expensive. The only warning I have is that this runs a bit hotter than the DVD and VCR it replaced make certain you don't block the air vent, I add two small sticks under the unit to aid ventilation. It is very easy to dub old VHS tapes the DVD with the push of a single button. We like the thing.

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This device has worked for me pretty much as expected. I have recorded only onto DVD-R media, from programs recorded by a DirecTivo and from VHS tapes. I purchased a movie (Ratatouille) from DirecTv and recorded it from the Tivo onto DVD. The machine did this correctly, no DRM problems. When recording normal programs from Tivo, you can use the pause/play button on the recorder's remote to effectively edit out commercials or other material. I have checked the finalized DVDs by playing them back in a different DVD player (Denon) and in a Macbook laptop.

If you buy this machine here are a couple of usage hints. Buried in the manual is the fact that you can adjust the VHS tracking using the remote. Look very carefully for a tiny gray label "tracking." This can make a huge difference in the quality of recording from VHS. Each time you are recording and press Stop, the DVR creates a video segment it calls a "title." When you finalize the DVD, it creates a DVD "Top Menu" which lists each Title in sequence, with a thumbnail made from its opening frame. You can turn on a "chapter creator" and when you end a long (15+ minute) Title, the DVR creates chapter markers at equal 5-minute intervals through that segment. When you finalize the DVD, it creates a Menu (not the Top) menu listing each chapter with a thumbnail.

I am only giving 3 stars because of two shortcomings. First is the cheesy remote, which has rubber keys that you have to mash unmercifully to get a result. This is made worse in that sometimes the DVR responds slowly, or if it is in the wrong "mode," not at all, to a remote command. So you mash and grind on the flimsy rubber button until you get a response or give up.

The second problem is an awkward, poorly designed user interface that shows up in two places: recording from VHS and editing names of Titles. To record from VHS you are given a "copy list" menu that shows the VHS tape in a small window. You use the VHS play/ff/stop/rew controls (the pause doesn't work for some reason) to cue up the start of the segment you want, and press Enter. The starting tape position is noted. Then you have to locate the end point and press enter. When you tell it to copy this segment, the DVR rewinds (slowly) to the start point, plays and records one Title, and exits the menu completely.

The stupid thing is that the copy list menu has positions for up to 6 start/stop segments. I thought, "Great, a job-list!" However, you can only use one of them. As soon as you tell it to copy one segment, it does and completely forgets any other start/stop points you have tediously entered. It looks as if the interface was shipped half-finished, or they cut back on device memory at the last minute, or something.

The other interface issue is in renaming the Disk or any of the Titles. You do this with an on-screen virtual keyboard that is horrible to use, especially when the remote is so balky and uncomfortable. But if you don't name the Titles, they have default names of the date and time, meaningless. You can name the Disk as well. However this name only appears on the Top Menu. If you put the finalized disk in a PC, its volume name is generic, not the disk name you tediously entered.

In short, this device works but the remote and on-screen interface make it somewhat painful to use.

Later: after more use I have found that the main problem with the remote is a very weak and directional IR emitter. It needs to be close to, and pointed directly at, the machine. When you point it carefully, the buttons are responsive, you don't have to "mash" them as I described. The other issues remain annoying.

Researched a bunch; all I wanted to do was get some old family vcr tapes burned to dvd, which was easy as pie to do with this machine. I don't care that it doesn't have a built-in tuner (as it clearly says on the box) because I have cable anyway. The upconvert playback of the dvds is impressive. Onscreen menus are easy and complete and intuitive. Looks nice and has plenty of inputs and outputs for my needs; hdmi, component and rca (composite) s-video; whatevery you need. Optical and digital audio too. Plenty. But about the remote; I hate it. It feels little, and flimsy to me. Could just be my preference; I'm used to big heavy clunky remotes with big lit buttons, etc. And, you have to be close and have a good aim when using the remote. My entertainment center has glass shelves and I suspect the signal bounces crazy off the glass which could explain the touchiness of getting the remote to work easily, maybe. Anyway, for less than $200 you can't beat it. It upconverts people. Nuf said.

Archos Vision 30c 4 GB Video MP3 Player with 3-Inch Touchscreen and FM Radio (Silver)

• 3-inch TFT LCD display
• FM Radio & Voice Recorder; 13hr Battery Life; USB 2.0; G-Sensor; Built-in Microphone; 4GB MP3 Player
• 13hr Battery Life; USB 2.0; G-Sensor
• Supports MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, APE; MPEG4, AVI, FLV, RMVB

This media player comes with 4GB of space. It has a nice feature set:

Touch screen interface, fm radio, recorder, video, mp3 and other music formats, and text file handling. It also features a calculator and calendar.

The included usb cable is the only means of charging hooking it to a computer. The player goes into a mode where it's a USB storage device and the unit can't be used while connected, whether just charging or moving files. There is no media manager or calendar sync software of any sort with the unit.

The screen was sluggish and not very response. I frequently had to select an action several times before it would take effect. This is MUCH worse than my Samsung touch screen phone or iPod touch. At the low price of this unit I don't expect the same quality of use. I also don't expect it to aggravate me into wanting to punch my finger through the screen. I did refrain.

I should say after my initial impression I went through the screen calibration and that was a frustration in exercise. Maybe this is a defective unit? It seemed the bottom of the screen is less sensitive than the top by quite a bit.

When I had it plugged into my computer I tried to play some of the mp3 sample files on my computer using windows media player. This is using the latest version in XP SP3 and fully updated. Bummer windows media player got hung-up on the 2nd file I tried to listen to and forced a hard (hold the power button in) restart. I don't know what caused this and I didn't want to try to reproduce the problem given the result the first time.

I checked for firmware updates on the Archos web site and none were available when I checked.

the mp3 files on the unit as samples were all recorded with very low volume. My impression of the ear buds is they are what I would expect with a low end unit. Nothing impressive but not disappointing either.

The video on the unit was an avi format file. A animation which included a chipmunk smashing a butterfly with a rock and playing with the dead butterfly's wings... not a good choice in my opinion.

On all the included sample media I listened to the audio levels seemed very low. The video quality was OK. No video out of any sort.

The FM radio was preset to the European region. When I went into the FM settings to change these to USA settings and to auto-scan for stations I was in for more disappointment. I had to go back and change those settings again to get them to stick. The selection of FM stations with the headphones as the FM antenna was poor. I get a bunch of FM stations clearly but this unit only picked up a couple clearly. Most had very noticeable hiss and static. Hey, FM no static at all? Huh? Manual tuning let me receive more stations but other than two, none very well.

I have an OLD Toshiba walkman clone (yes a cassette player) with FM. I compared this 1980's player with the Archos 3oc FM. The Toshiba brought in good FM most of the stations came in clearly, no static, some with noticeable hiss. Only manual tuning on that old thing, but compared to this new Archos device technology has not made positive progress over the years!

For me the FM was a nice feature until I tried to make it work. This was too bad.

I didn't try the voice recorder, so there might be a good possibility for some redeeming feature. I'm not losing sleep about not getting to this.

So one star is what I give this. I don't know about Archos other products but this one made a poor first impression on me.

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The MP3 player is already set with 4MG memory but HUGE drawback you cannot add anymore memory to this player. I was very frustrated with the quality of this product. I found it difficult to transfer music from my computer's music library. When a miracle does happen and music is added the playback is just awful. The player either dies out or the quality of sound is not up to par. The touchscreen feature is nice but depending how you move the player the screen switches back and forth to either a horizontal menu or vertical which I found really annoying. I guess you do get what you pay for. My suggestion would be to save your money and purchase an Apple iPod. Please please please do not buythis. You will be very dissapointed.

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I would have given this media player 5 stars for the money if Archos had included a micro sd slot. As it is, it is still a handy little device for a reasonable price. It does not have the feel, the fit, or the touchscreen quality of an iPod Touch (which is about four times as expensive). This is very much a low budget experience, but if you want video and touch in a small package without spending a ton of money, this is a pretty good deal. For the money.

It doesn't sync with iTunes, but dragging and dropping is actually easier for me with my media library spread across a couple of computers (one of which is a pc).

I was able to charge it and get it up and running without even looking at the manual. It charges via the usb port, so you can either plug it into a powered port on your computer or plug the usb cable into an adapter. I used the one I plug my iPhone cable into, and it charged right up.

When I plugged it into my computer (a Mac), it was recognized immediately, and I had no trouble moving files onto it and off of it. Photos and videos look great. The sound quality is excellent again, for the money.

The touchscreen is plasticky and looks like it could scratch. It works pretty much exactly like the bottom screen on an NDSL: you want to think more in terms of tapping than in terms of touching. Battery life is more than enough for a feature length movie. It hasn't run out et, but I will update the review when I know how long it lasts during continuous use.

I wasn't really sure I needed this, since I do have an iPhone, but I'm finding it very convenient to be able to load this with content I don't necessarily want to have permanently (new songs I'm not sure I want to carry everywhere, or videos I'll only watch once) and play my content without draining the battery on my phone. There is plenty of room in my purse and my life for this.

Want Archos Vision 30c 4 GB Video MP3 Player with 3-Inch Touchscreen and FM Radio (Silver) Discount?

The Archos Vision 30c 4 GB Video MP3 Player with 3-Inch Touchscreen and FM Radio comes loaded with features. You can play music (it supports MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, and APE), and even see the lyrics on the screen if you want to. It has an FM radio and you can record songs from the radio onto the MP3 player (you can also record your own voice if you need to remind yourself of something). It plays videos (it is equipped to play AVI, MPEG-4, FLV, and RMVB video files). It also stores photos (it comes preloaded with photos and a movie). Finally, it comes with a calendar and calculator.

While the Archos Vision 30c 4 GB Video MP3 Player sounds good on paper, it fails to live up to its promise. The biggest problem is the touch screen it simply doesn't work well. You have to touch it several times to get it to work and when you do get it to work it often takes you to the wrong screen or locks you out. The screen shows the fingerprint marks (probably from my repeated tapping to try to get it to work) much more than other touch screen devices I have). Another problem is the on/off button there is a switch on the bottom that turns it on and another button to get it working this seems like overkill to me. Once I do get it working there are some nice features. The one I use the most is the FM Radio, which seems a bit of a waste of an MP3 player. I like the ability to record songs as they are playing but since the touch screen technology is so wonky, I often end up capturing the songs in the middle rather than from the beginning. For a small screen, the videos are remarkably crisp, but I'd rather watch them on a larger screen. The picture sharing is another nice feature although the preloaded pictures are a bit of a waste. The MP3 player is nice and light but has no clip to anchor it to a belt if you wanted to listen to music while exercising. Finally, the headphones that come with it are very uncomfortable.

I was very disappointed with the Archos Vision 30c 4 GB Video MP3 Player.

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What the heck do I mean by that?

Well, the Archos is a bit big for what is essentially an MP3 player with benefits. FM radio is nice, but not nice enough to sacrifice size. The screen is decent sized compared to an ipod, but smaller than the smart phone that you probably also have. It has a touch screen, but not one as good as any Apple products of most smart phones. It's not particularly expensive, which is a bit of a plus, but I don't think it will replace any other device that most folks are using.

Bottom line: if this were the absolute only MP3 video device you could afford, it is mostly passable for the things it tries to do. I guess that is both its niche and its epitaph: mostly passable.

Flip UltraHD Video Camera - White, 8 GB, 2 Hours (2nd Generation)

If I'm going to spend more than a hundred bucks on an item or somewhere around there, I do extensive research first to know I got the best bang-for-the-buck and, consequently, dodge any potential future buyer's remorse.

I've realized that the time I spend doing my product comparisons is often time that others don't have so I may as well share what I can.

I'll start by saying that you'll see my "Verified Amazon Purchase" on the Flip HD Ultra Camcorder review because, obviously, that's the one I wound up buying and I'll share with you why. But what I like in a camcorder may not suit your own needs so I'll break it down and let you decide what's best for you via what I found out:

Here are the pocket camcorders I compared:

Flip UltraHD (will be referred to as "F")

Flip Mino HD 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "M")

Creative Labs Vado HD 8 GB 2nd generation (Will be referred to as "CL")

Kodak Zi6 Pocket HD (Will be referred to as "K")

Why HD cameras only? Brighter colors and better images, wider images

HD SHOOTING TIME:

F: 120 minutes.

M: 120 minutes

CL:120 minutes

K: 25 minutes with batteries they included, 120 minutes if you buy an SD card

MEMORY:

F: 8 GB

M:8 GB

CL: 8 GB

K: internally only 30 MB recording space but it has 32 GB expandable SD/SDHC card slot. Because it comes with such small recording space you really need to buy an SD or SDHC card to maximize its potential, but the potential is really good and this will increase your ability to shoot longer.

RESOLUTION:

All 720p which is excellent, just one step below the top 1080p format.

MICROPHONE:

F: Stereo

M: Mono **Update** They are now putting Stereo Mics in the Minos as of 2010.

CL: Mono

K: Mono

SOUND:

F:Premier AAC audio. Best stereo sound quality but still not great in winds

M:Good sound quality. Still not good in winds.

CL:Poor sound quality; had issues with sound and picture not being in sync.

K:Poor sound quality

ZOOM:

F: 2x

M:2x

CL:2x

K: poor quality zoom on the one I tried but I still think it's 2x. It has a great macro focus for very close-up objects if, for example, you see a bumble bee and want to shoot it on a leaf a few inches away! Kinda cool.

CAMERA SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 4.3x2.2x1.2 4 oz

M: 3.9x2x0.6 3. 3 oz

CL: 3.9x3x0.6 3.5 oz

K: 5.5x2.5.0.9 5.6 oz

SHIPPING SIZE AND WEIGHT:

F: 6.2 x 3.1 x 3.1 inches ; 11.2 ounces

M: 2 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pound

CL: 3.3 x 7.9 x 6.3 inches ; 11.2 ounces

K: 4x 5x 2.5" 2.4 lbs

TECHNICAL DETAILS:

F: USB cable pops out of the back so you don't need to keep up with a separate cable. Comes with Flip Video rechargeable AA battery pack (recharges when connected to USB); also supported by standard AA batteries. Note: Some sets come with the HDMi mini included and others come with the rechargeable battery pack on Amazon. Looks like one or the other but of course if you need both you can buy the other.

M: USB cable pops out of the back on this one as well. Has child safe button to prevent accidental deletion of videos. Internal lithium ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm

CL: USB in camcorder. Included in box are HDMI cable (nice), USB extension cable,(nice)silicon skin (cool) & rechargeable battery.

K: Included in box are HD and AV cables and wrist strap and rechargeable batteries and battery charger. Has built in USB arm.

SPEED:

F: 30 frames per second.

M: 30 frames per second

CL: 30 frames per second

K: choice of 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second.

VIEWING SCREEN: All 2" except the Kodak was the largest at 2.4"

IMPORTANT NOTES:

F: Best low-light performance for the mini cameras (though not perfect at all) and least amount of blurring and dropped frames in my opinion. Best color. Only one with stereo sound. You can get an underwater case for this one! Though that may sound crazy for a Texan, we use the camera non-stop on vacations and even when we aren't IN the water, we are around the water...on boats, in the sand with sea mist, etc. Then we can dive in and record the fish. Comes preloaded with flipshare software...just plug in to computer and it pops up. Only one with stereo sound.

M: Colors don't appear as good on the Mino as the other cameras. Thinnest camera. Make sure you get the one that only comes in the color aluminum or brushed metal. If it comes in any other colors it is the 1st generation MinoHD and they improved upon that one in the newer models. Great audio. Better shooting in low light than most mini cameras. Camera comes preloaded with FlipShare software. Can get still images through flipshare software.

CL: Decent filming in low light but not nearly as good as the Ultra or Mino; Software is preloaded in camcorder.

K: This is the only camera that I compared without the built in image stabilizatin which corrects for shaky images. What appears to be metal in picture is actually a chrome colored plastic. That said, this had the largest viewing screen of all of them. 2.4" Very poor in low light and seemed to have far more shaking and blurring. It also takes still pictures but they are really really poor quality...same as a lesser-quality cell phone pictures but good in a pinch if you want a still shot and have no cell or camera I s'pose. Heaviest for a pocket camera. Software is not preloaded in camcorder but a cd comes with it.

HOW CNET'S EDITORS RATED THE CAMERAS:

F Excellent

M Excellent

CL Very Good

K Very Good

And, finally, the reviews of the Flip from experts swayed me quite a bit:

Fast Company: "Flip Ultra HD is Pure Digital's "Best Pocket Camcorder Yet." 6-09

USA Today: "New Flip Ultra Video Cameras Might Flip Your Switch" 4-09

Business Week: How do you Invigorate a Recession? Look to i-phone, Flip, Kindle, and Zip Car For Answers

There were lootttts more I came across when researching the Flip Ultra HD but those are some of my favorites.

CONCLUSION: Clearest picture and sound was important to me, expert reviews that pointed to the Flip UltraHD as well and I liked the built in software and the case I can get to shoot underwater. It is the number one selling camcorder as well. So that was my personal decision-making process. However, keep in mind that if you need reading glasses none of that will matter if the 2" screen is too small for your viewing the shots easily for playback in which case you may wish to get the Kodak if that's important to you..

Also: No matter which one you get, you will probably want a mini tripod if you ever want to be in the shot yourself do don't forget those.

Also note: It's confusing because when these manufacturers make changes in the camcorders, they do not change the names on the new versions, nor do they change the names if it's an HD version or a non-HD version so be sure you look for the "HD" after the brand name and look for "2nd generation" or "newer version" on the Mino and Vado if you like one of those better so you don't get the older models.

Hope my obsessive comparing and contrasting for my own purchasing assistance helped you as well even if what you wanted in a camera was different from me. :-)

This video shows you what you get, and how it compares to the Flip MinoHD. Why should you buy one over the other, when they are similarly priced? Shows a side-by-side comparison of the video, and a feature comparison table.

Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black)Flip UltraHD Camcorder, 120 Minutes (White)Flip Video Battery Pack for 2nd Generation Ultra & UltraHD

Buy Flip UltraHD Video Camera - White, 8 GB, 2 Hours (2nd Generation) Now

I previously owned the Flip MinoHD so this review is based on a comparison between the Flip MinoHD and the new Flip UltraHD.

After reading about the Flip UltraHD's addition of an HDMI output, larger screen, and longer battery life I decided to sell my 4 month old Flip MinoHD and purchase the Flip UltraHD. Since the MinoHD is very sleek and diminutive in size, my first reaction to the UltraHD was that it was quite a bit larger and bulkier to hold, and has taken some time to get used to. However, unless you've used a MinoHD the larger size of the UlraHD will probably be less noticeable. I found the camera controls on the UltraHD to be slightly easier to operate vs. the touch sensitive buttons on the MinoHD. As far as video quality between the two, I compared two different videos and both are about the same, however, the colors appear to be slightly more vibrant with the UltraHD.

If you are trying to decide which one to purchase, if maximum portability is important to you than the MinoHD is the better choice. Otherwise, if you're looking compact camcorder with more features (HDMI output, replaceable batteries, longer record time) then you can't go wrong with the UltraHD.

My ultimate wish is for Pure Digital/Cisco to introduce a MinoHD with all of same functionality as the UltraHD. Until then, the UltraHD is the all-around better choice.

Read Best Reviews of Flip UltraHD Video Camera - White, 8 GB, 2 Hours (2nd Generation) Here

So when I was 17 (and convinced that I would someday be famous) I really wanted a video camcorder to try my hand at making movies, or to film myself to see whether I had what it took to be a TV reporter, but never could justifying spending $500+ on one. Over the years I moved onto other tech cravings and ambitions. Then last year a friend showed me the Flip Mino and I had to have one. It was super easy to use and fun, and I started getting great videos of my own kids and captured moments that otherwise would have been fleeting, including my youngest child's first steps. I wish this had been around when I was a kid. Anyway, the Mino is great, but it's tiny tiny tiny. That's convenient when it comes to having a camcorder on you at all times, or when trying to get into events that prohibit cameras, and the screen is really small. So I just picked up this new Flip the Ultra HD. The screen is wonderfully large. It comes with a rechargeable AA battery back, which works through the USB, but it looks like you can throw in regular AA batteries in a pinch. Sound quality is great, video seems even better than the Mino. Only drawback with both the Mino and Ultra is you have to keep your hand steady when filming but I find that easier to do with the Ultra than the Mino. Also, it's not ideal for filming kids' concerts, because the zoom is only 2x. But for capturing otherwise fleeting moments in great quality, the Ultra HD is now my standby. The software that comes with it makes it easy to email videos to family and friends, or to upload a video to Flickr or wherever. Bottom line is I've been carrying this thing around nonstop since I got it. Hasn't made me famous yet, but I love my Ultra.

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Originally I went in to Best Buy to pick up a Mino HD so I could record studio and location "behind the scenes" photography shoots for my business. The employee I spoke to handed this to me saying "it doesn't come out for another week, but its cheaper than the Mino that is on sale". It was a no-brainer for me to pick up.

Its a nice little unit; compact, fits in my back pocket if needed, and the controls are very basic click da big red button to record. Click da big red button again to stop. Simplicity at its finest.

I love that the unit has a USB built right in, but I still use a USB extension because I'm using an iMac, and since it ends up hanging upside down, I don't want to add stress to the USB prong.

I haven't used the built-in editing software, as I'm importing my files into iMovie and editing from that.

Quality wise, I'd say is pretty darn good considering its about the size of a box of Necco valentine sweet-hearts candy. However, I must insist that it is to be used as a stationary "fixed" lens, and not to use the digital zoom. Once that digital zoom is used, the quality, like *any* digital zoom, suffers greatly. To circumvent this, I've super-glued a step-down ring to the front of my Ultra HD so I can screw on a wide angle and a telephoto lens. If you don't mind Frankenstein-ing your Ultra HD, then go for it.

I haven't done much low-light shooting with it, but I have a feeling that it could get somewhat noisy and grainy. I'll see more results soon when I start using this inside the studio.

I'll be mainly using my Ultra HD on a tripod to record behind-the-scenes footage of my photography sessions, so I'll have a way of keeping the camcorder static and not moving around a lot.

Overall, I feel this is greatly worth the $199 I paid. You have to remember that this is a dinky little device with a tiny sensor in it, so the quality won't be as good as a larger dedicated video camera, or one of the newer DSLR's with the built in high-def. Apples to Oranges.

With a little extra cash and some super-glue, you can get more reach and wide angle out of the unit.Great little unit. Don't come in to this expecting a goose that lays golden eggs. For what it is, it does well.

Recommended.

:: edit people have been asking about the wide-angle mod you can do. I picked up a Sunpak 37mm .5x video camera lens that comes with a set of step-up/step-down rings. I glued one of the rings around the lens on the Ultra, let it dry, and it allows me to screw the wide angle lens over the existing lens. I picked the wide angle lens up at Best Buy. Can't find a link here for the item.

Mutant MIG-MT201 LP Capturer USB Turntable with Direct Record to USB Flash Drive/SD Card

• Direct record to U-Drive or Flash MP3 or MMC/SD card
• 33-1/3, 45, 78rpm 3speeds turntable
• Auto tone arm reset
• RCA line out for amplifier or analog recorders
• Built-in MP3 Encoder to Record the Contents from vinyl records onto UFD/Flash MP3 or MMC/SD card

I purchased this unit in February and used it a couple of times. It works well when recording to a s/d card. I have to listen carefully to the songs I am recording for start and stoping the songs. Maybe I need to get more familiar with the unit to find a way to connect speakers, other than that what I record comes out perfect. It is easy to use.

Thanks

J.Cadeau

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I was hesitant to buy this record player because of the lack of reviews. But I wanted a 3-speed player and didn't want to pay over $100. And I'm happy to report it's a solid machine. I've had it for about 3 months now and have played hundreds of records and it works great so far. Has a nice, elegant look to it and is super easy to use. Being able to record to an SD card is a cool feature, so you don't have to bring over your laptop to hook it up.

The only negatives I have are I wish it had a tone control. The sound is a little flat. If you hook it to an amp you can adjust this, but there are no sound adjustments built into the unit. It also doesn't come with software for editing your mp3's. Again, if you have Garage Band or whatever, not a big deal, but if you don't have sound editing software, you'll need to get it if you want to edit the recordings. But those are tiny complaints, especially for the price.

Definitely a good all-around record player. Would recommend.

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I got the Mutant MIG-MT210 to transcribe to digital 78 and 33-1/3 RPM records left by my father when he recently passed away. Some time before he died, his record player broke (he was always tinkering with it unnecessarily). I have a Realistic (yep, Radio Shack) LAB-310, not a great turntable, but adequate. But it doesn't play 78's, which is why I ordered the Mutant.

My copy of the Mutant has a very, very noisy motor. Even after I made adjustments, according to the manual, the noise was not only directly audible, but showed up on the MP3's produced. Filtering with Audacity, which should have been an unnecessary step, was not sufficient. I can't stand the noise.

The Mutant operated as described in the manual, no problems there. However, the noise is unacceptable.

Wildview 8 Mp Digital Game Scouting Camera with Infrared

Got this for my grandfater down in south Texas for a Christmas gift to replace his old TGL2M. He was a little worried about the IR emmitters instead of the flash he had been used to after all these years. All his concerns were waved off after the first 2 weeks of images. Great day light photo and wonderful black and white photos at night. The only "difficulty" he claims to have had was in positioning. Seems the technology has gotten alot better than on his old camera so the old spot didnt give the same centered images at first. Once he readjusted for the newer and better sensor everything is great at his place. Now he wants me to get him 3 more for his birthday coming up in August.

I bought this camera to replace a flash version from the same company. The price was right and the day time pictures are good, but the claim of 40 foot flash range at night is not what I saw. The few deer that came within 15-20 feet took ok pics but any further and they were darks shadows. I also had a couple pictures that showed up as digital scramble. I am going to return this before I get stuck with it.

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Great Camera. We have been using it for over a month and it has taken some excellent photos, both day & night. So far, no problems.

Great buy for a great price.

Read Best Reviews of Wildview 8 Mp Digital Game Scouting Camera with Infrared Here

Biggest flaw: battery life. Be lucky to make it a week with C batteries. Sometimes every four days I need to replace the batteries. Very unexceptional! Make sure you buy the Stealth Cam 12V Battery Box. Supposedly will last a solid month maybe more.

Biggest pros: Does what it is intended to do. Captures anything that sets off it's motion sensor. So far, I've managed to get cats and birds, and was hoping for deer and bears. Patience is a virtue so don't lose it. Overall a solid device that is ideal as a game scout camera. Plus it is nice to see what is going on in the backyard at night. You never know, you might catch a thief!

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The Wildview is considerably more affordable than Moultrie models and has slightly shorter range. Mine malfunctioned (stopped taking pictures) after a couple of weeks in service. The Factory Tech Reps weren't able to resolve, so Amazon exchanged for me. So far the new camera seems to be working after a couple of days of service. Programming and set up are a little more limited than Moultrie, but the pictures are very clear. Mounting the Wildview is actually easier than the Moultrie models I have.

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Archos Helmet Camcorder for Generation 5 Archos Portable Media Players

The Archos Helmet Camcorder is good in the sense that it's extremely easy to use and setup. However, the lack of picture quality is enough for me to start looking for another bullet camera to replace the Archos.

Here are the three things that rock with the Archos bullet cam...

1) Easy to setup... You take your Archos Helmet Camcorder and plug it directly into your Archos recording device, and you're good to go.

2) The Archos Helmet Camcorder is powered by the Archos recording device, (Archos 604 for example). For those of you that have never owned or have seen the other bullet cam systems, most of them require a separate power supply to power both the camcorder and the microphone. The Archos uses the battery power of the Archos 604 to power both the camcorder and the microphone.

3) Control of record start and record stop are at your fingertips. No need to purchase an extra control Lanc. device, or any other third party remote that may or may not work with your setup. The Archos Helmet Camcorder has the controls you need, in a place that's easy for you to get to.

Now the downside...

PICTURE QUALITY!!! Yes, 420 lines of resolution is good, and yes 640X480 is good, but it's just that... Good. If you're looking for great, you need to go for a bullet camera that has 520 lines of resolution or even splurge for the Sony 580 ExView bullet camera. The problem with these bullet cameras however, is the problem I mentioned above. These bullet cameras require extra power supplies. Now, you're probably thinking what's the big deal with an extra power supply? Let me say this. I ride dirt bikes with three other guys that own bullet cam systems, but they never use them because it's such a process to put them together. That's the difference between the Archos helmet cam, and all the others helmet cameras out there. The Archos unit is easy to use and setup... It's as simple as that.

I gave the Archos Helmet Camcorder three stars because Archos is on the right track. They just need to come out with another helmet camcorder, just like this one, only next time with more resolution! Also, the DVR travel adapter that allows the helmet camcorder to attach to the Archos recording device (which is included) is a little rickety. Sometimes the DVR travel adapter will pop off of the recoding unit, making your video stop in the middle of its recoding. This is bad! One more thing... I had to purchase a helmet mounting kit from a third party, (Viosport). Why wouldn't Archos sell helmet mounts? They sell a helmet camcorder, but don't sell mounting kits... Whatever!

If I had to put another helmet cam system together, I would buy the Archos 604 recording unit, and buy a higher quality bullet camera. Get yourself the proper Viosport mounting kit and you're good to go. Pass on the Archos Helmet Camcorder.

The camera seemed to work ok and the picture looked good. I was just hopping something made to mount on a helmet would be much more durable. Sound was low and hard to hear. After reading the instructions I was afraid to use this on my dirt bike. It is not water resistant and it also said not to use in a dust or sand environment. Also the camera attaches to the Archos similar to how the docking station does. It just seems way to weak and easy to break. The mount strap might work ok for a bicycle helmet, but will not work at all for a motorcycle. If you plan to ride a bicycle on the road, this might be ok, but for a dirt bike, forget it! I ended up returning it because I do not think this would be suitable for a motorcycle. Chad

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I love Archo products. I have had no problem using them. The quality has been good and I find them very easy to understand. Except for this one. I have yet to be able to create a useful video from it. In dim light it is useless. In bright light it is merely fair. The microphone's range is minimal. This is the only Archos purchase I have regretted.

Read Best Reviews of Archos Helmet Camcorder for Generation 5 Archos Portable Media Players Here

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Way too expensive for what you get. The resolution is awful even on the player's screen. Don't think about watching it on your PC full screen or upload it to YouTube.

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Rikomagic MK802 II New Generation Mini Android 4.0 PC Google TV Box HD IPTV Player

I received this as a gift for Christmas 2012. I threw it on my wishlist because it was cheap but it still seemed like a bit of a frivolous item to buy myself. In short, I'm glad I didn't buy it for myself, as it's a bit frustrating to use. At the same time, however, I'm glad I asked for it, as I might just manage to get some use out of it. To start, I'll go ahead and list the pros:

-Very competitive price.

-Pretty easy to set up (if you've got the right equipment to complement it).

-It comes rooted (that's right, a device that you can actually own).

-You can plug standard USB keyboard and mouse into this.

-Google Play Store access (I'm pretty sure they have to pay google for access to this).

Those are some serious pros, in my opinion. The price alone should make this worth buying for a lot of people. But for me, the cons are pretty substantial:

-It defaults to 720p at (I think) 60hz. This only worked on ONE of the displays I tried it on. Changing the display (so that I can actually use it) only lasts as long as the device is plugged in. If the device crashes (something it does often), the only way to reset it is to unplug and replug.

-Video streaming on YouTube and Netflix was extremely slow (I read somewhere that this might be because the antenna is just too insulated and the device is not getting a strong enough signal; a problem that can be solved with a little tweaking of the case).

-It crashed on me at least five times in an hour and a half.

-The device feels slow, all around, both doing online and offline activities. Even seemingly simple offline activities!

-It gets hot! People have said that it'll crash on them when it gets too hot.

-The male to female HDMI cable they give you is a bit frustrating. It's really short. I get why they did what they did, so that you would not need any additional cables to use this out of the box, but given that the device gets too hot for comfort, it would be better off running on a much longer cable. I could use one of the many 6' male to male cables in my house, IF only they had provided a female to female extension, or if they had just put a female jack in the device, but they did not. A minor gripe, but worth mentioning. If you want to buy this, and you don't want it jammed directly behind whatever tv/monitor you're going to use it with, get an appropriate extension cable!

-Support for this device appears to be pretty lame (although there is a co.uk forum that seems pretty active, but I don't know if there are substantial differences, if any, between my device and whatever they're shipping over to Britain).

While the pros are pretty sweet, the cons are pretty damning for this device, at least for the use I would give it. Some of the cons are kind of resolvable. I might be able to solve some of the speed issues by either tweaking the case or moving the device closer to my router. I might be able to reduce overheating by purchasing a longer M-F cable and using the device in a more ventilated space. It might also be that the speed issues I noticed were due to the device's start up procedures not being totally complete. I'm still investigating. I should probably investigate further and update my review, but right now, based on the brief use I have given this, I'd recommend it to people who don't mind monkeying around with what is a pretty forward-thinking device, but NOT to people who expect to just plug and go with absolutely no worries.

I ordered 2 of these, took it out, hooked it up with the HDMI wire and USB, and could not get a good connection to the Wifi. I read the reviews and thought this unit is crap but .. then I figured it out. Anyone who is having wifi problems ,it is the HDMI cable. Plug the in the unit DIRECTLY into the TV (do not use the provided HDMI cable)

The provided HDMI cable is not shielded therefore causes interference and you will never get a good wifi connection! I plugged it directly into my tv without the HDMI cable and bam netflix streaming works!

It is a bit slow for browsing and installing apps but hey it works! Took me a while to figure out that the HDMI wire was causing interference! They really should be selling these with shielded HDMI cables or no HDMI cable at all!

Buy Rikomagic MK802 II New Generation Mini Android 4.0 PC Google TV Box HD IPTV Player Now

This thing is awesome. Worked out of the box perfectly. Every app I downloaded worked perfect. Had it running in like 1 minute with no fails. Just plugged in a wireless keyboard and mouse and I was watching movies. Plays Xfinity without a problem (comments on this are probably about the persons' network rather than the ability to play them). Does not overheat. I watched videos all night and it was just warm. I did not experience any of the problems that I saw in the comments so that leads me to believe that there were other problems not related to the item. I am buying a couple of more of them. I am not paid by these guys by the way. I am a software engineer but my wife is using this gadget and I am buying one for my 70 year old mom LOL.

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Device was very unstable and frequently locked up. The WiFi connection was unreliable and slow. I had great expectations, unfortunately they were not realized. Sadly I returned it.

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Not an authentic Rikomagic MK802 as verified by Rikomagics web forum. Although USB webcam was detected by apps and video was perfect on screen, it did not work correctly and only showed green bars on the screen while viewing the online stream of the webcam. I have searched for hours for a solution only to come up empty handed.

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Toshiba Camileo BW10 Waterproof HD Recording with 2-Inch LCD Screen (Yellow)

Even due I am not very good at this, but I will give my opinion about this camcorder. Let me tell you first before I even begin. money very well spend. It's worth it.

Now let me tell you if you are a die hard, deep driver, hardcore outdoor person who is into hiking and cave crawling, let's move on to something else that will hold up your adventures, but if you are kind of married and have kids and got tired of having a camera and being fearful around the water which will destroy your camera, and living on zero disposable income, here is it. You got yourself a great deal. With around $130.00 you got the best camera/camcorder that money can buy.

Now let's begin with this: it is digital camcorder, meaning you need "light". It's not designed for indoor or low light, but for outdoor and lots of light. It's a first time that I got to see my kids diving into pool and how they do and look like from inside the pool, vs having to shoot from the distance zoomed in. The movies came out great with 1080i resolution crystal clear and the Pictures are awesome when they are viewed on our HDTV. Now there is a lots of difference between the pictures that I took inside of the house vs the one I took outside. The inside shots are not so great. But the one with lots of light it came out very good. There are not too many buttons on the camcorder and it's easy to operate. You can even take picture when you're recording video. I had mine in my swimming trunk pocket all the time during our visit to the pool and I beat it in and out the water. No sign of water anywhere inside the camcorder and no fog on the lens either. But I did not cannon ball into the pool with it either. Somehow I think that impact will force the water into the camera.

Bottom line, if you are wants to have your memories with kids/wife/family, documented, then don't let the water stop you, me personally lots a lots of picture for lack of ability to snap a shot in or around the water. I do recommend this little camcorder.

This review is from: Toshiba Camileo BW10 Waterproof HD Recording with 2-Inch LCD Screen DON'T Touch the zoom! When taking pictures of any kind, the zoom makes everything look horrible. Zooming even at any level makes the entire picture grainy. Any or all pictures taken without the zoom are clear and nice.

PROS : The camera is as waterproof as they come, we took it to a water parks, a wave pool, etc and all the videos and pictures (those without zoom) turned out great.

So, be warned, the video camera is nice, but you need to know its limitations and downsides.

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I was concerned that this camcorder would leak after reading some reviews, but I took it snorkeling several times, and I dropped it in muddy water once. It never leaked a drop.

I had a great experience shooting underwater 1080p video of sea turtles in Hawaii. The built-in screen looked a little dark and blurry while I was shooting so I was concerned, but the actual video was bright and focused and looked great.

This is a sport camera so don't expect the highest perfect quality video or stills, but the quality surpassed my expectations. You can take still pictures while recording video as well.

The internal rechargable battery lased all day with heavy use. I charged it every night, but I suspect it could have easily lasted 2 or more days of heavy use. Now that we're back from Hawaii my wife keeps it in her purse and the charge lasts a week with very light use.

The only negative thing I have to say about this camera is that it takes several seconds to wake up when you press the power button. If you need to catch a very quick shot, you may miss it while the camera boots up. Other than that I have nothing bad to say about this neat device.

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Just received my new BW10 and went swimming; excellent quality photos and video above and below water. One feature that I appreciated was the ability to take photo shots during video recording. Interestingly those photos are only 2M, rather than the larger 5M photos possible stand-alone.

The book is lacking on some details, and don't imagine you can see the buttons or icons underwater even with goggles (they could have made them large splashy colors so as to know with certainty) thus only 4 stars, but I'm very pleased so far.

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Took this camera on a trip to Israel. The camera took pictures for 9 days without a charge, and weeks after. The pictures came out very acceptable for an inexpensive camera with good clear HD. I found the settings should be all set to "on". I am not a camera buff so this worked for me in most kinds of lighting. The choice of still or video was clear and convenient. It is also water proof. I did not buy it for water shots, but is was great in the rain and humid conditions -you have both in Israel during the winter. It came with a 4 gig card cables and pouch. All in all it was a treat to use.

Sony ICD-PX820 Digital Voice Recorder (Black)

I purchased the Sony ICD-PX820 to record meetings. My first use was in a conference room about 20x35 ft. Eight people around a large table. The recorder was placed at one end. Ninety (90) minutes of recording on HQ, noise reduction, high sensitivity. Sound quality was amazing. At the meeting I had trouble hearing some softer voices. Sound quality was reasonably good from the built-in speaker. Playback on my laptop was crystal clear. Headphones sound great too. Softer voices came in clearly. 90 Minutes at HQ created a 80mb mp3 file.

Why I bought this recorder and think it is excellent:

1. Device records in MP3 format.

2. Connects to PC via USB.

3. Drag and Drop files directly to PC in Windows explorer.

4. 4 Quality Levels SHQ, HQ, SP, LP.

5. Record time SHQ 22+ hrs, HQ 33+ hrs, SP 89+ hrs, LP 535+ hrs.

5. Voice Activated Recording (Starts recording when there is sound, stops when there is no sound)

6. Noise reduction setting eliminates background noise like rustling papers.

7. High sensitivity for meetings, Low sensitivity for dictation.

8. Adjustable speed playback.

9. Sturdy Build quality.

Basic use is very easy. The buttons and interface are easy to use and understand. I was comfortable using the recorder after I played around with it for about 5 minutes. It took another few minutes to get familiar with the menu navigation. I would recommend testing the settings before you need to use them.

I have not tried the included voice editing software.

I am very pleased with my purchase. This is an excellent value.

I purchased this for my wife who is a technophobe and who wanted something easy to use. She was able to figure out how to record memos on this with zero prompting from me.

So I'm rating this 5 stars simply for the following reasons:

-No nonsense controls/interface

-When plugged into the PC (or Mac!), shows up as a generic Flash drive

-Files are MP3 format

-Generous capacity

It really could not be any easier to use and I've seen a lot of terrible gadgets in my day. I really appreciate the fact that no software installation is necessary to get files off of it and the files are a very portable format (MP3). And since it's a generic Flash drive, you can use it like a regular Flash drive for file transport. I put a text file on it with basic contact info in case it ever gets lost.

I can't really vouch for the quality of the recordings since we haven't used it in a wide variety of circumstances yet, but the one use so far was of a seminar in a large auditorium and, given the conditions, it did a fine job of it (at the highest quality setting).

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If you are looking for a reasonably priced voice recorder that records in a high quality MP3 format, look no further. (Official release date of February/2010) Sony's new SHQ mode (Super High Quality) can record an MP3 file at 192 kbps, with a frequency range of 75Hz 20,000Hz, and at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. And for a voice recorder, those are EXCELLENT audio specs! According to the manual, the 2 GB of memory in this unit will hold approximately 22-hours of recording time in this SHQ mode, with a rated 30-hours of battery life in this same SHQ recording mode.

As a self-proclaimed "audiophile", 192 kbps has forever been my MP3 sweet-spot for music (even back when 128 kbps songs were all the rage). To me, 192 kbps has always been the perfect compromise between small file size & high quality audio, so I am VERY pleased to see that there is finally an affordable voice recorder with this high quality recording option. And by the way, these recorded files are just like any other MP3 file, which means they can be dropped right into an iPod's Playlist Folder.

My 2nd favorite feature is its built-in "recording buffer". When you set the unit to record in VOR (Voice Operated Recording) and there is no sound for a few seconds, it will automatically "pause" the recording, and then automatically resume the recording when it detects another sound (or spoken word). What the recording buffer does, is that whenever the recording resumes (in a lecture for example), it will record "almost all" of the first syllable of the first spoken word. In comparison, my previous Olympus voice recorder would usually MISS the WHOLE first word after a recording pause. As a result, every sentence after a recording pause usually began with a missing word, which I always found a bit irritating. This Sony recorder will not do that.

Though I am not as big of a Sony fan as I used to be in years past, you really can't go wrong with this voice recorder, and I highly recommend it.

PROS:

* Has a SHQ (Super High Quality) recording option which records at 192 kbps with a wide frequency range.

* The VOR (Voice Operated Recording) mode records every word spoken, which is particularly helpful when recording important lectures with lots of "pauses". It's not 100% perfect, but it's pretty darn close.

* Has a DPC (Digital Pitch Control) mode which allows playback of a the speaker's voice at any speed without changing the "pitch" of their original voice. This is good for slowly writing down notes from a recorded lecture.

* Has a very user-friendly button interface which could not have been designed better, (an area in which Sony has always excelled at). It's the perfect compromise between full functionality & user-friendly simplicity.

* The optional software is not buggy on my XP computer, and has a nice interface. It's a simple screen that allows easy access to all of the unit's features.

CONS:

* For a compact recorder, this unit is not "all" that small. In other words, I would not label this as a "slim line" voice recorder. The total width on the bottom half of this unit is actually 3/4" thick. The reason is because the item's battery pack (which holds 2 AAA's) tapers "out" on the bottom half. So on a front-angled picture you don't see it's overall true thickness. Not a big deal, but it's worth mentioning if your looking for something super thin.

UPDATE: If you are looking for a "super-thin" voice recorder, look at the new "Sony ICDTX50 Digital Flash Voice Recorder", which I also wrote an extensive review on. http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICDTX50-Digital-Flash-Recorder/dp/B007BD0H1G/ref=cm_cmu_pg__header

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I've had this for about a week now and use it at work. It works exactly like a flash-drive and I have had absolutely no problems loading the Sony editing software into my Windows 7-64 bit computer. The sound is great and the software seems to work as advertised. I don't even need the software if I want to simply burn a disk. The recorder records in MP-3 and the software allows it to be converted to a number of other formats. The only thing I wish it had was the ability to rename the folders that are in the recorder itself, and a direct USB connection to an MP-3 player so I didn't have to go through the computer to put stuff onto the player. Otherwise, I love it. I'll make additional comments as I use it more.

Two weeks later: This is an update from Jack. I still really like this recorder. If I had the internal USB jack I wouldn't have the speaker, and I like the speaker. So far I would not change a thing.

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The Sony ICD-PX820 does most of what I want, and even more of what I wish it didn't. The menu is cluttered with unnecessary or indecipherable options, including an alarm clock feature, overdubbing, audio appending. But most annoying is the fact that when used with an external mono microphone, it creates a stereo mp3 file. This means that audio is only on the left track... This can be fixed in post production, but it is just mind-blowing that someone thought that stereo recording was a good idea for this device.

Panasonic PV-GS120 3CCD MiniDV Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

Panasonic out did themselves by releasing two 3CCD camcorders below the $1000 price point (the other being the PV-GS200). No other consumer DV cam boasts 3CCDs, and the difference in image quality really shows. Getting a similar image quality from any other brand of DV cam requires spending at least $1500. The only reason I gave this camcorder 4 stars instead of 5 is because the battery life is far too short. Even with an extra battery, this camcorder beats out everything in the same price range from Canon, Sony, JVC, etc.

I was like anybody else, which camera to buy? The first thing I did , bought a Pinnacle AV/DV Firewire card and Studio v.9 software package. I have a Nikon D70, so I was looking for a camcorder not a digital camera.

I made my decision the "dirty way": I bought 3 different cameras from 3 different stores (made sure they will not charge re-stocking fee if I return it within 2 weeks) I will not mention the stores, but the cameras were my final 3 after extensive online research. Sony DCR HC40, Panasonic PV-GS120 and Canon Optura 65.

I took all three home, made a 20 minutes movie with each camera: low light, medium light indoors and outdoors, macro, etc... I've uploaded the movies from the camera I took it with, unto Pinnacle Studio v9, and then I burned a DVD of this 1 hour movie.

To make the long story short, I did return the Sony and the Canon, and here is why:

3CCD really works, you can't match the color separation, even if the "one" CCD is larger and has more pixels.

Panasonic's picture quality was almost broadcast quality, vivid colors and sharp edges, Canon and Sony looked like a very good Hi8.

-Canon was horrible in low light, and my palm never got used to it.

-Sony's touch screen is Stupid, why would you wanna use your oily fingers on the screen which you are using to see what are you capturing.

-Sony's night vision shot might work with 1% of the population, I don't really want to look at grainy green pictures.

-Carl Zeiss makes very good lenses, but this Leica is superior to Sony's (notice that Panasonic is using Leica only on their "top" models)If this camera would have a Leica badge on it instead of Panasonic, this camera would be 3 times more $.Please see Panasonic and Leica dicams.

-Set the sound to 16 bit and you will better sound pick up than Sony or Canon.

-Yes, Sony Steady Shot is better than EIS, but I don't have shaky hands, and never use digital zoom more than the 20x.

Few things I would change on the Panasonic:1, The manual focus is weird. 2, use of an internal lense cap. 3, Could use a 20x optical zoom. Other than that, I am very happy with this camera, I've paid $500 at Costco.

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There is no doubt that this is an excellent camcorder. Compared to PVGS200 Panasonic and going for that one because of few extra features. Worth the extra cost (for me at least). Main reason I am writing this review is because there are few features that are listed on Amazon site for this camcorder but they are not available in this model (they are in PVGS200 model). Here are those:

MPEG4 Movie Recording

MagicWire Remote Control

Built-in Auto Pop-up Flash

Again these features are *not* present in PVGS120 model.

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Have had the unit 6 months, and been through 10 tapes of kids, events, and such. The unit has been flawless, with two exceptions. First, is battery life on the default battery. I quickly determined that a spare battery was needed and picked up the CGA-DU21 which gives me a solid 4-5 hours of shooting time when I combine the two batteries.

The second issue is the button layout on the "folding screen" area. The layout is ambiguous and some more thought should have gone into making those functions usable WHILE shooting (e.g. Fade, date/time stamp, etc.)

The screen is very nice, but has a narrow viewing angle. Low light performance is great and when you have plenty of light, the color is wonderful. I'm very pleased about my purchase. If you plan to use the camera for still digital, you may want to get the unit with the higher res camera.

I also added a 512 MB SD card to it so that I can use this as a digi cam for those times when enlargements aren't likely. The shots make great 4x6 prints even with the lower end unit (1.2 megapixels.) I recently came back from holiday with 2 full DV tapes and over 90 beautiful photographs all from the same camera. The photos aren't anything like my Canon Digital Rebel, but are as good as any point-and-shoot digital camera with 2 megapixels can be.

Another quick point. It's hard to find a point-and-shoot digital camera with a fast lens (usually they are f3.5 or slower) ... but with a digicam, you automatically get like an f1.4 and can take digital stills in very low light (kids on stage, etc)... they are a tad grainy, but when you're out of flash range or flash isn't allowed, it's great.

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Whether or not it comes with a firewire cable is of no importance. I don't believe any of these DV cams come with one. Just spend $20 to buy a kit that comes with a firewire card, a firewire cable and entry-level editing software. Enough said.

Now, in terms of quality, from my first observations I've gotten good video. Outdoors these digital cams are all good. This one will have better color rendition and won't blow out highlights as much, due to its 3 CCDs. Not as high resolution as some, but I doubt one can tell in the final image. Indoors it's better than most other consumer DV cams, which actually isn't saying much. It has less grain and more color than the others, but still isn't great. You have to spend $2,000 to get a digital camcorder that does well in low light. The GS120 automatically turns off the electronic image stabilization in low light, which helps with low light but makes for shakey video if you zoom in.

VIZIO 3D Blu-ray Player with Wireless Internet Apps VBR338

• Blu-ray Disc Resolutions of 1080p / 1080i / 720p / 480i / 480p
• CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 Support Up to 7.1 Digital Audio via HDMI 24-bit / 192KHz Audio DAC
• Dolby Digital / Dolby Digital Plus / Dolby Digital TrueHD / DTS 2.0 + Digital Out
• Amazon Instant Video, Hulu PlusTM, NetflixTM, Pandora®, VUDUTM, YouTube®, FacebookTM, Twitter® and more
• WiFi, 802.11n

I had the previous version of this Vizio player, and wanted the most recent one, thinking it might allow me to view my Flickr photos on the TV as a slideshow. That wasn't included in the package, but it was extremely easy to set up.

I have it set to the TV input of HDMI1....the TV is also a Vizio full HD, and this unit adds many extras to the scene. It connects to the Internet and does Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, Pandora, and a couple of others that I am not accustomed to using.

About a week after I got it connected, I turned it on one night, and it said it was going to update the software. Which it did with no help from me, thankfully. The lack of a software update had been an issue with some reviewers of the Vizio units, and now maybe the update goes all across the product line. My previous unit was included in the sale of our house, connected as it was to the wall-mounted Vizio TV. I like this newer model even better than the older one.

Nice feature is this one has no tray, it just sucks the disk in if you are watching a BD or DVD or listening to a CD. It is also shallow enough to fit flush with the edge of a 10" floating shelf even with the cable connections on the back. I was hoping to have a cable input from the RF coax, but that is not included in this unit.

I would definitely buy it again. Vizio website was out of stock, and other providers were as well. I was relieved to find it at Amazon.

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while i was looking forward to getting into the Vizio brand i had a horrible first experience w/ it. Back to Samsung.