Sony HDR-PJ10 High Definition Handycam Camcorder with Built-in Projector (Black)

SUMMARY

Delivers the quality and all the features you'd expect from Sony PLUS this has a built in projector for serious "Gee-Whiz" factor. Projector delivers decent functionality but comes at a significant size, weight, and cost.

There's all sorts of things I can talk about on this camcorder we've had 6 video recorders including 2 Sony mini DV, one Flip, and one Sony Bloggie HD. I've also shot video on my phone and our various still cameras. I've been researching camcorders in the past few months to get up to HD and transition away from Mini DV, so the opportunity to review this camcorder came at an excellent time.

BUT... Before I get into any more detail, I'll get to the most important question you probably have if you are reading this review. HOW IS THE PROJECTOR AND IS IT WORTH IT?

The projector is a lot of fun to play with. If you like having envious friends drooling over your latest gadget, this is for you. Although it only puts out 10 ANSI lumens, it's reasonable for sharing videos. The overall experience reminds me of looking at vacation slides when I was young.

Sony claims that you can get up to a 60" (diagonal) image and you can actually get more, but the display gets to be very, very dim. I would say that in a lighted room, a 20-24" projected image is acceptable. Since brightness falls off as the square of the distance, it gets dim pretty fast and by the time you have a 30-40" display size you need to be in a very dark room for it to be viewable.

The focal length for the projector is fairly long that 20" display requires 3 feet between projector and wall. At 5 feet you get a 33" diagonal display, and at 8 feet you get 53" diagonal. There's a focus slider on the top and the volume on the built in stereo speakers is surprisingly good, but you still will need people to keep quiet if you want to hear.

Is it worth it? The best estimate on cost of this feature is to compare it with the Sony HDRCX160 which is the closest Sony camcorder without a projector. It costs about five bills while the PJ10 is 7, so it's about two Benjamins or 40% more for this feature. (Our gracious hosts here dislike us discussing price but I think it's a very valid point) If you look at the 3M Pocket Projector MPRO120--.33LBS, which costs around this much, it has 12 lumens and a resolution of 1280x800. I'm having a hard time confirming the resolution on the Sony projector but it is surprisingly sharp. There's something to be said for having the projector cleanly integrated into the camcorder.

In comparing the PJ10 to it's two bigger brothers and it's projectorless cousin, I'd note that they all appear to have the same sensor and image processor so image quality should be the same. Similarly they all carry the same 3" touch screen. The main difference is with the bells and whistles (and of course, the price). Interestingly enough, the two "lower" models have (IMO) the better optics (30x zoom)

Model.........Internal....Optical..Digital...35mm Lens Eq.

.................Memory......Zoom...Zoom....(16x9 Movie)

---------....----------..-----....-----....------------

HDR-PJ50V...220Gb HDD....12x...160x.....29.8mm 357.6mm

HDR-PJ30V...32Gb Flash....12x...160x.....29.8mm 357.6mm

HDR-PJ10.....16Gb Flash....30x....350x.....29.8mm 894mm

HDR-CX160...16Gb Flash...30x...350x.....29.8mm 894mm

A couple of key items the PJ10 is missing It doesn't have a GPS Tag, built in video light ando it only shoots at 60i and 60p where the PJ30 and 50 can also do 24p. Should you care? The LED light would be nice as far as 24p, if you don't know what a video pulldown ratio is, then trust me, you won't care. GPS well, I'm not into Geotagging so I'd say no.

The 30V and 50V are actually about the same price both a pretty big jump over the PJ10. My opinion is to stick with the PJ10, or if you don't need a projector, go with the CX160

Do note that the PJ30 takes still images at 7 MP instead of 3 MP. This makes the PJ30 a somewhat reasonable replacement for a P&S still camera, but we have a DSLR so we certainly won't be replacing that.

Likes: Projector super, super neat and convenient for sharing videos. "Highlight reel" feature makes it even more fun, though the music not my taste. "Golf Shot" works well for soccer and other action shots. WIDE angle lens from the get go makes shooting birthday gatherings, etc much more practical. STEREO speakers on playback give some serious volume

Annoyances: What's with the CR2025 in the remote? I always cram a CD2032 in these remotes they actually fit, are easier to find, and have a lot more capacity. I wish I didn't need the remote to scroll through menus while in the projector mode.(where the touch screen is disabled)

CONCLUSION:

Wow your friends and family! The Sony HDR-PJ10 offers something I've never seen before the ability to project movies built right in. The camcorder portion is comparable to the CX160 a very capable, high quality HD Digital video camera. Shoot a video and share it the same day without having to worry about bringing extra cables or even a display! Execution of this concept is very competent. The cost size and weigh penalty is significant (24% more weight (2.1 oz) and 34% more volume (113 cc) than the CX160) but still delivered in a very reasonable package (See pictures)

If you have any comments, questions, or found this review helpful, please let me know!

I put the Sony HDR-PJ10 through its paces to create this video review. See my ill-timed pimple in high definition! The buzz you hear in the audio is actually cicadas, not a problem with the camera. It's hard to find a quiet place to film at my house during the day. In fact, the wind noise reduction feature cut down the cicada buzz by an impressive amount. Just keep in mind that the picture quality had to be reduced significantly in order to fit within Amazon's file size guidelines.

Bottom line, it's a great camera.

Buy Sony HDR-PJ10 High Definition Handycam Camcorder with Built-in Projector (Black) Now

Cool camera, solid hardware. Nice quality output. Easy to use.

Some amazing options.

Wish capture was not so hard on my wrist. But, this is a common issue.

Looking forward to hours/years of usage and Sony makes a great product so this is easy to imagine.

OUT OF THE BOX:

First of all unlike other electronics that I have purchased, this camera did not have a "Get Started" that jumped out at me. I had to find it on page 14 of the manual. That's okay, kinda.

I found it funny that their first step, was Turn off the camera by closing the LCD. Either they intuitively know people are just going to dive in, or they wrote the instructions for later usage.

Out of the box, the battery had enough charge to use, but predictably their first step was to install the battery and charge it by installing it in the camera. Took me a minute to figure out how to put the battery in, as it had a slider, so I tried to slide it. Apparently you drop in and then slide. But other than that, this step went seamless. You get a USB cable that can go into your computer, or the transformer that goes into the wall. One comment on the charging method: If you had a second battery, you would have to charge it right in the camera which means you have to plan ahead to have two batteries to use.

You also get component connectors to hook into your TV, so you have this ability right away. But you also have a mini HDMI connection in the camera(no cables) so this can be an option,if you can use it . You need an adapter to use the HDMI connection with a standard size HDMI cable, so we have not tried the HDMI hook up yet.

HARDWARE:

A solid well made camera. Hey it's a Sony, would you expect anything less? Yeah I have a bias, but I have had good luck with Sony.

Capture controls are a separate button for video and still capture and a zoom button. That's all you really need.

All other settings are in the menu.

Inside the LCD area, there is a separate Power button, Review button and Projector button. So once you open the LCD to turn it on you can see Live view (if you do nothing), look at Menus (control on the LCD), look at your pictures/videos (control on the camera or on the LCD) or Project (button on the camera). Under a flap inside the LCD there is the input and output stuff (head phones, microphones, HDMI and USB hook ups). On the opposite side you have your DC-in and your component hook ups inside a cute little door. Yeah, I know the guys are groaning, but this was well done. Seems weird that HDMI and component video connections are on opposite sides. Must be space related. The projector has a focus control on the top of the LCD. This works great.

On your handle you have a USB cable that is nested in that. That was really neat. Nice you don't have to haul out a cable to use to do this.

The one physical complaint I have on this camera, was that the handle and shape of the camera forces you to hold your hand straight up and down to capture. This is fatiguing. Since the barrel of the camera has to be held perpendicular to what you are capturing, not much you can do. But, it is uncomfortable. As this is my first video camera, this is the first time, I have noted this. Might be a common issue.

TAKING VIDEOS:

One thing I have always noticed is that video cameras seem to need less light than regular cameras. I have been in sporting events where I could not get a shot with a regular camera and next to me people were taking videos with no issue. Sony apparently is also known for this. I walked around my house in dusk deliberately seeing how this camera would perform and it was great. It had only a few issues with focusing on scene changing (very minor) and the picture quality was decent. If you can see it, apparently so can the camera. This camera has several modes. Besides the standard video you have golf shot mode, which can take a series of shots to evaluate a golf swing or any other fast moving action. When you figure the camera can take about 60 frames in one second you get action easily in 1/60 of a second intervals. We can't see that fast but this camera can. I've only dabbled with that, as I don't golf or something that would be a natural for that.

There is also a Smooth Slow record mode and this is a means of taking a shot of an event like making a goal, or something that can be anticipated. My son used it to take a shot of our cat jumping up on the bed and we captured her motion. It plays back in slo-mo, so that was cool. For us this is a novelty. But, it is one we plan to play with. I could have used it when my kids were younger and in sports. Now I get to use it on my grandkids.

TAKING STILL SHOTS:

This camera only has a 3.3 MP still camera capability. Comparing this to my cell phone which has an 8 MP sensor, this comes off as disappointing numbers wise. But, that is not what this camera's purpose is, now is it. At least you can capture stills if you need to. However, I don't know why you would ever put it in Still mode for this camera, since you have an external still button. Seems like you could add another fun video one. You need to also remember you can pull stills from your videos. Years ago, this was a waste of time, but that is no longer the case. Mind you, you might not be able to make poster size prints of them, but you could still print them smaller if you wanted to or use them in a photo book.

PROJECTOR

Except for really dark videos, this does a great job. I have used the projector on some white walls. It was cool. I have displayed as little as 1-2 feet diagonally to 6 feet diagonally and it impressed everyone that saw it. Really cool for sharing. The adjustment to the focus on the top of the LCD makes this easily possible.

VIEWING

You can look at your pictures on the LCD, a TV, or in Projector mode. The LCD touch screen allows navigation in the menu as well as the zoom button and still button. Zoom hops between controls, the still button allows selection. The ability to share makes viewing nearly seamless. The only complaint noted earlier, was the lack of mini to regular HDMI adapter connector in the box.

You can also automatically create a highlight version of all your videos/stills and display this in a playback sort of mode. This can be saved too as a scenario, so you don't have to recreate it. Music is selectable and apparently you can add your own music. If you are really into this, I'm sure you can go wild.

BUNDLED SOFTWARE:

Picture Motion Browser (PMB) is the provided software. This installed seamlessly. It also added a Sony commercial to my laptop. I thought it was suspicious when I had elephants show up in my home videos.

The Software allows you to capture stills from video and trim videos. There are also some still editing capabilities. You can share quite a few ways: DVD, online, email. But, overall it is pretty limited. If you wanted to create multiple clips from a single video, you would have to start from an original each time and save a new one. Pretty cumbersome, but at least possible.

Apparently the files can also be used by other Video software. My boyfriend altered some with Nero 9. That's a good thing because sometimes videos can be proprietary disallowing use with other manufacturers software. Not sure, why. Like I said I'm new at this.

I will update this review over time with more usage.

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This is a video of the Sony HDR-PJ10 HD Handycam Camcorder in action.

** NOTE: This video is choppy, particularly during zooming or panning, because it has been downsampled from the original HD video (I had to shrink the video down to size because Amazon limits the size of uploaded videos to 100 MB). The original high resolution video is of extremely high quality -the picture is sharp and the playback is smooth. **

The video does exhibit a problem that is present in the original video -chromatic aberration (colored fringes around images). The chromatic aberration can be quite pronounced under bright lights (the problem is most apparent in the snow-crested mountains in the video). Apart from this shortcoming, the quality of the HD video is really quite good.

Moving on... there are a few features I love about this camcorder:

42x Zoom

The zoom capability is impressive. The 42x extended zoom allows you to take incredibly close-up shots. The electronically controlled zoom function allows for very fluid zoom movement.

Projector

The light output of the projector is a dismal 10 lumens (dedicated projectors have brightness ratings upwards of 2000 lumens). The largest projected image (measured diagonally) that the projector can produce that's reasonably bright/viewable is about 50". Still, despite this limitation, the projector is a very practical and useful feature -it allows friends and family to gather round and comfortably preview the videos you've shot.

Long Battery Life

The battery has enough power for about 2 hours of recording or 30 minutes of projection.

---

I'm really pleased with the Sony HDR-PJ10 High Definition Handycam Camcorder. If you're looking for a camcorder, this one is definitely worth consideration.

Want Sony HDR-PJ10 High Definition Handycam Camcorder with Built-in Projector (Black) Discount?

This little Sony Handycam is the bomb! It does exactly what it says it will do. It's compact enough to fit in the palm of my smallish hand, the settings and operation are both intuitive and idiot-proof and the projector built into the side of the body is fabulous.

The zoom takes a little time and trial and error to figure out, but once you get the hang of it, it pans out and in with grace.

My only complaint is that the software that comes with the camera is pretty useless, and it's necessary to spend around a hundred bucks on the Sony software that will allow true editing, captions and music.

The picture is just as crisp as you'd want, and I can heartily recommend this camera. Just be prepared to buy some software.

JVC Everio GZ-MG630 60GB Standard Def Camcorder (Silver)

I had read nothing but positive user reviews on another website and then read the negative ones on Amazon regarding the bundled software only working on systems with Vista. The camera itself had had such great reviews, and it was a great price, so I decided to buy it last week so I could film my son's school performance. The camera did an awesome job in a darkened auditorium -the video was nice and clear, there was minimal distortion when zooming in, and the audio was clear and at a good level as well. Afterwards, I installed the software on my Windows XP computer, hooked up the camera via USB, and was able to easily transfer the video to my computer. Playback was extremely clear! While I did have trouble with upload fails trying to get it to YouTube using the MediaBrowser software, I was able to upload from YouTube without a problem. I just fell compelled to write and let other readers know that the camera and software DO work with XP -no problem at all. I'm very happy with this camera!

Unless you want a High Definition camcorder, I highly recommend this camcorder to anybody who wants a camcorder that is small, light, and easy to operate, has a hard disk drive, gives high quality videos, and is still reasonably priced.

I got this camcorder about a month ago, learned how to use it in a few minutes, and shot quite a few videos with it including four test videos which you can see at Shoban Sen's YouTube channel.

I especially like the cameras zooming capabilities, strong built-in microphone, and the image stabilization feature (it automatically and effectively neutralizes camera shake to a great extent though the manufacturer does not advertise this feature much). The microphone is so strong that it picks up the noise made by blowing wind during outdoor shootings you have to turn on the "Windcut" feature from the camera's menu to stop this noise. The low-light shooting capability is also reasonably good, although the camera's built-in light is nothing but a gimmick (and the camera does not have a shoe to attach external video light). The laser touch scroll bar of the camera eliminates the need to touch the LCD monitor to select desired functions, and I love it. No more finger prints on the LCD monitor. The little remote control that comes with the camcorder is very handy almost addictive! I have not tried the Core Filter yet. I did notice some annoying background noise (sounds like rumble of thunder) in some of the scenes that I downloaded in my computer. The manufacturer says, "The core filter reduces interference caused when connected to other devices." I think when downloading videos to my computer, if I use the provided Core Filter on the USB cable, this noise will go away or will be reduced to a great extent.

THE SOFTWARE THAT COMES WITH THE CAMCORDER WORKS FINE WITH WINDOWS XP (BOTH HOME AND PROFESSIONAL EDITION WITH SP2/SP3). BUT DO CHECK THE CPU AND RAM REQUIREMENTS. THE MANUFACTURER CLEARLY TALKS ABOUT THE OPERATING SYSTEMS ON PAGE 29 OF THE ENGLISH MANUAL THAT COMES WITH THE CAMCORDER. THE SOFTWARE WORKS WITH WINDOWS VISTA AND WINDOWS XP. Only the Direct Upload to YouTube failed when I tried it once. But I won't say, it is the fault of the software I may have made some mistakes myself. I tried it only once. I do not use that feature anyway.

I have one negative point to talk about. The first Everio camcorder I received had a faulty rubber cap or cover on the USB port on the front side of the camcorder. It didn't close after I opened it for the first time. But thanks to Amazon.com's excellent Return Policy. They immediately shipped a replacement camcorder to me, even before they received my return!

A word of caution: do not swing or jerk the camcorder while carrying it. Its Drop Detection mechanism is very sensitive. The camcorder shuts itself off if you unknowingly swing the camera a bit while carrying it.

In conclusion, TWO THUMBS UP to this product. You cannot buy a better camcorder at this price.

Buy JVC Everio GZ-MG630 60GB Standard Def Camcorder (Silver) Now

I'm very happy with this device. It does everything I wanted it to do. I don't do broadcast, but I do post video to iTunes for use on my college campus. The good video quality and the included software make file conversion and uploading to iTunes very painless. I really like the hard drive; I doubt that I could ever go back to tape storage. It seems to have good picture stability when zooming. If I could change anything about it, I would consider two things. First, I would make the documentation a bit more understandable. I have a PhD and it still took me quite a while to understand the conversion and uploading process. There are two sets of documentation, one print and one on the CD, and both continually refer you to the other. I eventually got where I needed to get by trial and error. The other thing I would change is that I think it would be nice to have an input for an external microphone. In general, I am pleased with this product.

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I purchased this camera a week ago, used it for the first time yesterday, filming a concert, and it worked flawlessly....I was very pleased with it, especially since the light was very dark in the club where the band was playing...I downloaded the video to my computer using their software, and after I figure it all out, I think it will work fine, seems to be simple to use...the picture quality is very good, the sound could be improved, but, all in all, not bad for a built in mic..I was concered by the negative review I saw here, but since having the camera, Im pleased with my purchase....the only thing it needs, is a longer life battery, I will have to buy the bigger battery for filming a concert or a trip, the one provided is only 90 minutes or so..bottom line is, Im happy with it, and would recommend it to anyone

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This is an outstanding camera. Out of the box it was easy to use and performed flawlessly. Took it to NHRA drag races and captured all the action without a hitch. Sound quality is outstanding, picture quality is almost as good as HD. Software included makes backing up the video a snap. Great lowlight enhancement also.

Aiptek DV-S ISDV32B MP4 Digital Camcorder and Still Camera with Built-In MP3 Player (Blue)

I have had this video camera for over a year, originally purchased to record my dance practices. For $, it has definitely done the job, and with indoor lighting the quality is surprisingly good. The most amazing thing about this camera though, is it is tough. A couple of months ago I dropped it from a height of almost 5ft, which cracked the back casing but the camera still works as well as ever! You can see my Belly Dancing video at to see the video quality after I dropped the camera. The colors are a bit off but for $50 I didn't really expect much, the colors were not affected by the drop. I am upgrading to another camera though, because this does not do well in the bright sunlight. At noon and other very bright times this camera does not hold details on faces well at all from a distance of more than 12 feet. Still, I am giving this camera a very high rating because it is tough, inexpensive, and more than met my expectations.

Got it for my 14 year old for his birthday and he loves it! I am surprised at the clarity of pictures and video. He has made lots of "movie" clips and has had a lot of fun with it. It is small enough to take everywhere, but big enough to handle easily.

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I am really disappointed in this product. I read reviews from others that seemed fairly positive. I purchased this for my 8 year old son as a Christmas gift and felt the price point was great and the features seemed enough for his use. From the time we got it, it seemed to have poor battery life. It almost seemed as if closing the screen didn't turn the camera off. I decided to invest a few more bucks and get the best batteries I could. I bought Energizer ultimate lithium and loaded them up. Almost immediately the screen displayed "low battery" despite the fact that the battery meter showed it as full. I tried other batteries and the same thing happened. I tried everything I could think of to get it to work; nothing helped.

So off I went to e-mail tech support. The only response was "remove the memory card" and "use nimh rechargeable batteries". What? Nowhere did I see that this camera only supported rechargeable batteries, and one would assume that if it has a memory card slot it supports memory cards, right?

Unfortunately I am beyond my 30 day return policy so it looks like I have a blue and silver paperweight. I would stay away from this camera and maybe spend a little more to get a brand name that is more reliable.

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The batteries do okay unless you are in record mode. Then they will drain in about 2 minutes! Unless you have several rechargeables on standby, I would not recommend this item. There is NO built in battery with AC power cord!

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I gave this to my teenaged grandson for Christmas along with a memory card. No complaints yet but it has only been a few weeks.

Zing 571-224 MPEG1 Medium Electronic Belt Bag (Green)

I bought one of these to use as a camera case for my Canon SX110IS. I wasn't sure from the product description that my camera would fit into it, as it's a rather large camera (1.8 x 2.8 x 4.4 inches), but it fits beautifully. The case is snug and cushions it nicely, and is long enough that I can stash some extra batteries or memory cards in the bottom and still fasten the velcro closure on the top.

Which brings me to my only complaint (other than the color, which looks completely different than it did on the website, and is dorky as hell): the velcro is mega, mega strong, and I predict that my camera's wrist strap is going to be completely shredded in a few months, given that I spend most of my time tearing it off the velcro.

Other than those few small things, though, I am very happy with the product.

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Panasonic DMR-EZ47V Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with Built In Tuner

• Multi Drive Ram + others
• DV Input for transfer
• VCR Record and playback
• HDMI out put, SD card slot
• 1 Sec Quick Start

My setup: HD antenna directly into the Panasonic's coax input, then connected via HDMI, coax and component cables to the back of my LCD panel (a Sharp LC37D62U, a 1080P panel with HDMI inputs).

The tuner in the Panasonic unit, while capable of receiving HD signals, cannot output a full HD signal, but only 480P. If you are looking for a unit to act as a full-on HD tuner, this unit is not for you, but if your TV already has an HD tuner, then this unit offers some cool features. Before I start though, I want to point out that the unit does "pass" a full HD signal that is, when using my TV's own tuner with the Panasonic set to "TV" (on the "TV/VCR" selection), the TV receives a pass-through of the HD signal coming in over the air to the Panasonic. Other descriptions of this unit had me believing that it would pass-through a 480P signal, but this is fortunately not the case.

Cool Feature #1: Recording HD TV shows over the air. This is one of the first of a new generation of DVD recorders that can record an HD signal onto a DVD disc (although only at the lower 480P resolution). Despite the lower resolution, the picture looks great, obviously not full HD but far better than analog TV. I have recorded "Lost" and "House" and both shows look pretty good. While the unit appears to be able to record on every DVD format known, DVD-RAM format provides some advantages. Using a DVD-RAM disc and the HDMI connection to the TV, the TV switches automatically to a full wide screen picture. Setting the unit on its LP recording mode, I can record 4 hours of HD programs on one disc, and the sound is great.

Cool Feature #2: Chase play. After starting a program recording, you can start watching the recorded program before the entire recording is complete skipping past commercials and so on until you catch up to the "live" point in the recording. This works only with DVD-RAM discs, but is pretty nifty. By the way, the DVD-RAM discs can (according to the Panasonic manual) be re-recorded up to 100,000 times, so they are ALMOST like having a hard drive in the unit.

Cool Feature #3: Disc navigator. This allows you to see all the programs recorded on a DVD disc on a single screen you can then use this to select which recorded program you want to watch. Nifty! No more hunting through VCR tapes for the program you recorded you can't remember when...

The VCR output is also fine (although obviously much less impressive that the DVD output). I can't comment on its ability to output upscaled 1080P as compared to other DVD units with a similar feature, but the outlook looks pretty darn good to me, no noticable "jaggies".

Complaints: The auto-channel setup missed one of my local HD stations, instead tuning a secondary station being broadcast on the same signal. Annoying! There appears to be no way to manually select which channels are tuned by the unit. I have been meaning to call Panasonic about this, but haven't gotten around to it. Also, long-ish startup time (like 15 seconds). Sometimes the DVD output seems a little washed out, but this can be taken care of by re-adjusting the TV's color settings. Having to turn the unit off in order to have it launch a scheduled recording.

Overall, quite happy with the performance.

FYI, the first unit I bought (from Amazon) arrived DOA, but they were great about returning it and I had a new unit two days later. They even paid for the shipping to return the first unit. Nice!

Buy Panasonic DMR-EZ47V Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with Built In Tuner Now

I bought this model yesterday after a frustrating week: my professional grade (but 4 year old) JVC bit the dust just when I needed to transfer a stack of tapes for a a client. I initially bought a Sony Sony RDR-VX555, which transferred tapes beautifully...but lacked inputs to get any decent quality from a cable box (unless you wanted to have a S-VHS cable sticking out of the front of your device). And even when it was hooked up to the cable box, the picture stuttered when recorded (or wouldn't record at all. Turns out Sony has a chip that 'protects' cable box signals...so it really is false advertising to have "record from cable box" on the item's box)

So I returned it and bought the Panasonic, which was almost $100 more. And I have to say it has been worth it so far. It plays DVDs beautifully and upconverts to my Samsung LCD HDTV like a dream: tested it with "Return of the King" and it looked like the TNT HiDef broadcast. I was able to hook it up to my TV via HDMI with to problems whatsoever (and I've noticed that Samsung is a bit touchy on that regard). And as I was also able to hook it up via Composite out, I was able to test the signal quality HDMI vs. Composite. Personally thought the HDMI was a lot sharper and the colors truer (the Composite signal added a lot of red to the mix).

Had some initial problems hooking it up to my cable box and called Panasonic (who really weren't much help...I figured it out while explaining the problem to them for the fifth time). Basically, I kept getting an error message saying that my TV wasn't accepting the DVI source for some reason. So I didn't get picture, just an error message when I tried to run signal from the Cable box to the Panasonic. I was worried for a moment, as the instructions for the Panasonic want you to run the cable into the DVD/VCR first and then output it to the cable box (which caused a huge breakdown in picture quality and doesn't work for most of the channels). So I was afraid that the Panasonic would also prove to be incompatible with signals coming out of a cable box directly.

Turns out that it was probably the TV not wanting the signal coming from two HDMI inputs or from the cable not wanting to output it essentially to two HDMI inputs (I had the cable box hooked up directly to the TV and the DVD/VCR hooked up to the TV, both through HDMI). When I unplugged the HDMI cable from the cable box, the signal miraculously appeared through the DVD/VCR. So basically, if that happens to you, just unplug the connection between cable box and TV when you are wanting to record a show

(this might be due to the pass-through capabilities of the Panasonic DVD/VCR, and supposedly the signal going to the TV from the Panasonic is going to end up being as good as directly from the Cable box...but I would rather not risk it, since my picture is finally doing great now that Time Warner figured out the problem after a year).

Right now I'm copying a VHS to DVD and the picture quality of the VHS to my TV is incredible: much better than it was with the old JVC. One nice feature I already noticed is that the DVD recorder automatically put in a break when it sensed a change between programs.

Recording off TV last night produced an excellent result and I'm sure that when this tape is over (in 1:30) I'll find the same (if not...I'll be back!)

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DMR-EZ47V Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with Built In Tuner Here

If you are thinking of buying this for its "1080P Up-Conversion", look elsewhere! No big improvements here. Get the Oppo DV-980HD 1080p up-conversion DVD player instead if you are sticking with the DVD format. You'll get everything you are looking for. This Panasonic's Up-Converter gives plenty of ghosts, noise, and dragging. It drove me nuts! We had just purchased a Sony 46" 1080P 46XBR2 LCD television and we were expecting to get the promised HD quality out of this new Panasonic since our Panasonic DMR-ES45VS went only to 720P/1080I. We figured perhaps the visual flaws were due to the lower resolutions. The TV works beautifully, however this Panasonic simply couldn't do the job of effectively bringing out that full HDMI-powered picture. We got better viewing out of our old 1997 standard TV and a 2001 RCA DVD player.

However, other than this, it does a fine job of copying non-commercial VHS onto DVD, even cleans up the quality in the process (just make sure to run a test on this to see if there are any visual flaws in the transfer; this happened with the machine we bought, and the prior Panasonic). As a DVD Recorder, easy to use and excellent quality. The only thing that bugs me is that you have to turn off the machine in order for a programmed recording to activate. The DMR-ES45VS that we bought at allowed for scheduled recordings to happen regardless of whether the machine was on or not; a much better design. Anyway, when the finalization process is complete after either copying or recording, it plays in pretty much any player.

The Digital Tuner is a nice add-on, but it seemed to take a little while to load each channel when switching between stations. Not a big deal to me, but it bugged my wife understandably. Then again, we had analog cable instead of digital or HD-digital. BIG NOTE: No matter how much either a TV or DVD-PLAYER/TUNER claims to clean up analog singals, it will still look like garbage. If your getting an HDTV and/or DVD-Player/Tuner, make sure you get at least Digital Cable or HD-Digital. If you don't, all you'll get is extremely grainy TV. Yuck.

The Remote is just like the prior models, with one exception: when pressing the menu button during a movie, it does not go directly to the menu like the prior models. Instead it brings up a glaring box that offers "Menu" "Top Menu" and "Cancel". Personally, if I hit menu, I've meant to hit menu. A little too bothersome.

We never had any use of the SD card input, so nothing to say there. HDMI connection works great. So do the other connections. Also, it does take longer to load than the before-mentioned prior Panasonic, and it can be noisy sometimes.

Also, an odd side note. We bought the similar Panasonic ES45VS and hooked it up to our old 1997 TV, thinking it would pump better quality through it. Nope. The old 2001 RCA DVD player was much better for that type of TV. The Panasonic's de-interlacer messed with things visually and made horizontal lines appear anytime things moved. Just a note so others can avoid this.

Overall, as with prior Panasonics, this model does everything else well except the up-conversion. If this has everything else in it that you need, then do get it. If not, then get an Oppo or go Blu-ray.

Want Panasonic DMR-EZ47V Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with Built In Tuner Discount?

Although this unit has a great set of features & capabilities, it has so many fundamental problems that it's given me nothing but headaches. I even bought a second unit to compare & found that it had *the same problems*! This is not a case of me getting unlucky & buying the 1 bad manufactured unit--these are flaws in the software & programming itself!

Many calls to Panasonic customer service (after looong waits & painful menu navigation & customer service reps who were not very helpful) resulted in 2 firmware upgrade discs being mailed to me in 8/07 & 11/07. They didn't fix the problems.

My unit is now at the local Panasonic authorized repair center, awaiting new parts, which will leave me without my player for about 3-4 weeks in total, if I get it back when they claim it will be done.

In no particular order, here are the problems:

1 The unit freezes up frequently. I'll walk by, look at the clock, see that it's way off, press every single button on the unit & the remote to try to turn it on or get it to respond, but nothing happens. I have to unplug it & plug it back in to be able to use it again. It has missed recording so many scheduled TV shows because it froze up. The period of time between freezes ranges from a day to a month--totally random & inconsistent.

2 While watchng DVDs, the big status window in the top right of my screen pops up occasionally, reminding me that I'm in DVD mode. Duh. This is very annoying. Sometimes it pops up every few minutes. Sometimes I can watch hours of movies with no pop up. Again, random.

3 The SD card playback is sooooo slow that it's useless. I'm using a 4.0MP camera, with 2MB file size, and the time required to flip from picture to picture on the card makes a slideshow utterly impossible.

4 The one-touch dubbing from VHS to DVD has given me huge headaches. First, it will abort the dubbing if you have a segment of static snow on your VHS in between the items on your tape. I'm trying to copy tapes of personal videos to DVD for archiving & easy access & sharing, but I have to babysit the machine to keep restarting the dubbing process.

5 After dubbing a tape to DVD & following the directions carefully, I am unable to make the chapter manipulation menu appear. So, I'm stuck with chapter breaks every 8 minutes and cannot add/remove chapters, so I'm unable to make an easily-navigated DVD menu.

6 After I figured out that I can manually stop my dubbing after each segment on my VHS tape, I had many hours invested & was on my way to making a DVD that had all the breaks in the correct locations to be able to generate a proper top menu. But then I came across one portion of my VHS tape where the machine refused to dub properly. 3.5 minutes into this section of tape (which is just like all the other sections, recorded on the same VCR), the unit stops recording, tells me that it's dividing the recording, rewinds the tape a bit, then starts recording a new DVD segment. This puts an illogical & unpleasant break in what is supposed to be continuous footage, and it adds an unnecessary chapter to the top menu. I tried this twice, with the same result. The manual shows that this should not happen.

7 Unfortunately, unlike every other DVD player I've seen, the menu button on the remote pulls up a menu that lets you go to the DVD top menu. Usually the menu button on the remote just sends you to the disc's menu. Silly.

This product has given me so many headaches & made me *very* frustrated. When I get it back from the repair shop, I hope that Panasonic will give me some sort of refund, because I don't see how swapping out a circuit board will be able to fix what appears to be poor design & programming...but that's all the repair shop could recommend as a fix...

I bought two different models of DVD/VCR recorders at separate times (from vendors other than Amazon) and returned both within days. Either the user's guide was written so poorly it was incomprehensible, or the machine itself didn't function as advertised.

Not so with the Panasonic DMR-EZ47VK Up-Converting 1080p DVD-Recorder/VCR Combo with Built In Tuner. The user's guide is well written and has an excellent index and table of contents, making it easy to find what you're looking for when you have cables and boxes spread all over your living room floor.

The machine works as advertised and has an easy-to-use onscreen menu. The remote control is like any other. After a few minutes with it, the functions become clear.

The fact that the remote does not operate the open/close tray of the DVD or the eject function of the VCR is not really a problem. If you're changing DVDs or tapes, you've got to be at the box anyway.

The one-touch recording is simple to use. You get an onscreen prompt to press the button for three seconds to start recording. I suppose this is to prevent accidental recording.

I've put twenty hours of use on this box, recording ten DVDs, with no problems at all.

This is a good example of "you get what you pay for". My previous two models were significantly cheaper.

SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)

• Listen, watch, and play all day with 24 hours of battery life and room for up to 2,000 songs
• Watch your favorite video clips or share your photos on the 1.9-inch color screen
• Digital FM radio with 40 preset stations
• Voice recording with built-in microphone
• Expand your existing 8 GB memory with the microSD/microSDHC slot

I began the search for the most versatile MP3 video player I could find at a descent price. Yes, my search included the ipod as well. When all was said and done, I choose the Sansa Fuze due to the amount of features, and they happen to come at a better price than the Ipod.

I wanted the ability to expand, in the event I fill my fuze, I can use the micro sd slot. The micro sd cards are relatively cheap and seem to be expanding is size all the time. I bought the 8 GB fuze and can expand as needed.

FM radio is a great feature. You may have all the music you want, but sometimes it is nice to listen to the news or hear new music. And just in case you hear something you like, it can be recorded and played back on your fuze.

The navigation is straight forward and things load very fast. The battery life is great at about 24 hours when listening to music. I have not watched many movies at this point so I can't give an estimate for viewing time.

Sansa releases updates that are easy to obtain when they make improvements to the firmware. I suspect some of the reviews I read before I bought my fuze regarding slow load time were fixed with firmware updates.

If are looking for a feature packed MP3 player at a great price check out the fuze.

Buy SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) Now

I've tried a ton of MP3 players. A TON. And for the money, I will argue that you can't find a better MP3 player on the market.

I've owned and loved Sansa MP3 players for years. They have a great interface, are super easy to use, and have excellent sound quality. The Fuze, as opposed to the View, has the same sound processing as the amazing Clip. What does that mean? That means that this MP3 player arguably has the BEST sound quality of any MP3 player right now.

It's thin, light, and bright. It has a great screen (would be handy for movies, although I haven't tried watching any yet) and a very slick interface.

It has a rubberized back which makes me much less paranoid about babying this player. I can toss it around on the table or in my pocket and not have to worry about scratching it up. I use a protective clear skin on the front (from bestskinsever) and it keeps the screen pristine and scratch-free.

The absolute best part about the Fuze is the microSD slot. I have the 8 GB player, and an 8 GB micro SDHC card inserted which gives me a 16 GB mp3 player for 70 dollars!! You canNOT find another mp3 player with that kind of memory for that kind of money. Period.

I use this with my Rhapsody-to-go subscription. It works perfectly with Rhapsody, and even has an option to transfer Rhapsody channels on it (radio type stations with a ton of different music that Rhapsody thinks you would like based on your previous selections). Superb.

You don't need Rhapsody to enjoy this player though. I drag and drop mp3s just using Windows Explorer (you can also use Windows Media Player). It's got amazing compatibility and will play just about any kind of music file.

You won't find a better deal on the market today. Set any brand snobbery aside and just get an amazing mp3 player with amazing sound you won't regret it!

Read Best Reviews of SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) Here

This little player is a bargain. Your going to be hard pressed to find another 8gb player with these features at this price. Very nice build quality, above average user interface. Above all the sound quality is stellar judging by 320kbps tracks I used on it. Good soundstage, full & neutral.

That said the player does not come with software, which is fine as it will work with Windows Explorer or Windows Media Player as an MTP (media transfer protocol, for protected content such as Rhapsody) or MSC (mass storage compliant). Unfortunately it will not work with Winamp (my preferred media organizer) without rolling back Windows Media Player to version 10 (there is a conflict between Winamp and version 11).

My other gripe is that the expandable external memory (the MicroSD card) is seen as separate from the device's own internal memory. What does this mean? If you have 8gb of internal and 8gb of external for a 16gb combined and want to put 16gb of media on the player you have to do your own calculations or simply try dragging and dropping media on the player or card until it tells you no more will fit. It would have been much nicer to simply bundle the player with a small utility for managing storage space so both the internal and external are seen as a whole if you like.

Finally, while I'm impressed with the build quality, the jog wheel is a bit frustrating. It works fine but is overly sensitive and too easy to turn. A bit of friction would have been nice. If the player is going into a pocket the wheel is going to get turned, activate some other menu item or adjust the volume randomly.

Lastly, a small gripe; the headphone jack in on the bottom. I've owned at least 6-8 players in the last few years, none have had this feature. I realize this is becoming more prominent as several of the Apple players have this feature as does the 4/8gb Zune. Frankly I find it frustrating, the only good argument for a bottom placed jack is when you are holding the device in your hand and looking at the screen (hence the cord is more easily held out of the way). However, it puts the cord in an awkward position for any other use such as in the pocket or clipped to the waist or arm, necessitating the cord go from the bottom to the top of the player. It could be argued in fact that most people aren't buying these small screen flash players for video (the only realistic time you may want to hold the player for easy viewing) as the screen is too small to be very useful.

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When I got the Fuze it seemed pretty nice. It downloaded most of my music when I asked and the sound was good. Unfortunately the Fuze stopped being recognized by my computer. I was pretty surprised when I found I could call the SanDisk Help line and talk to a real person. After about 2 weeks of trying stuff out and discovering that my Fuze wasn't recognized by any computer, they gave me a return authorization and I sent it back. After sending it back it was as if I disappeared from the planet. SanDisk has failed to return any emails I've sent them asking for a rough time to expect a repair or replacement. I've had the thing for two months but I haven't been able to use it for 45 days.

I see the great reviews and they were why I bought the Fuze in the first place. I understand my experience is probably a rare one, but I really hate it when a company simply ignores a customer's problem. I also should mention that during the two weeks I worked with SanDisk to resolve the problem I lost the ability to return the Fuze to Amazon (30 day limit). If you have a problem with the Fuze my experience says to get it back to Amazon within the thiry days because I haven't had much success with SanDisk.

Seriously. I've had it for 15 months. A couple months ago I stepped on it drunk, somehow, and smashed the wheel into the device. I could still turn the wheel but not really, like barely. And then yesterday I left it in my pocket and sent it through the wash. I was like, Oh man, that s(cks. It didn't work, of course. I set it on a fan and came back a few hours later. Still doesn't work. I plug it into the computer; turns right back on (even with foggy windshield). It works perfectly now, the wheel works as good as new, inexplicably. Honestly I cannot remember the last time I was so impressed with the durability and staying-power of...really anything, since the 8-bit Nintendo game system (just blow, jiggle it in the Nintendo, and push "Power" and it works).

OK, I bought 3 iPods before this, they all crapped out within the 6-month to 1-year time-frame (conveniently when the warranty was not valid, except when I bought the 15-gig when they first came out, that apple discontinued, that went out, that I mailed back to them per the "terms" of the agreement (they paid the shipping), that they said there was no refund for (See: discontinued) and had the audicity to offer to "fix" my iPod for 20 less than the original list (5 months later)). No. Apple=terrible customer service. This was not the first nor last time.

Enter the fuze. I bought it on the cheap (it's since dropped 40, still far and away cheaper than iPod). The only bad part is it doesn't sync to iTunes, which I have an account with an indie-music website that syncs fine. I am forcefully avoiding iTunes, I don't like the seeming monopoly iPod has over the industry, in my personal experience they know they have a good thing and abuse the consumer. 3 iPods, ironically, I've had about the same amount of time as my 15-month fuze.

I'll admit, I'm rough around the edges. I get boozed and other forms of happy and drop/kick/fall asleep on/wash/etc. and this is still going. You have no idea how happy I was when I plugged it in and it worked. I was amazed. Maybe I just lucked out and finally got my karma but this was so good, I'll never, NEVER, buy another apple mp3, I'll forever buy fuze b/c literally I'm that impressed, I'm 27 and may buy another half-dozen before I kick, but forget apple, they're pretensiouns and vainglorious anyway. I assume microsoft operates this, I don't even know, I'm not tech-savvy, but I took the time to write this review, something I don't do much anymore, b/c I'm so pleased. It's rare nowadays; as for the player, I don't know, its an mp3 player, read the other reviews, but this is one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Its been so long people probably don't even buy this model anymore but this is recommended, read other reviews but I def recommend...

PHILIPS 1080i UPCONVERTING - MULTI REGION CODEFREE DVD PLAYER with HDMI, DiVX UlTRA, USB DIRECT. Th

• Plays all PAL/NTSCDVDS from any country on any american TV.
• DivX Ultra 6, Mpeg 4 video , HDMI, 1080i Upsampling
• USB Connect, plays flash drive files, Ultra Slim Design
• Composite and component inputs cables supplied are only for composite no optical out just digital coax
• Movies: DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, (S)VCD, DivX, Enjoy enhanced DivX 6 features with DivX Ultra player

I have had a Philips DVP5960 for about 3 years. I bought it to be able to watch European DVD's, and was happy with it except for very slow tray opening/closing. That is, until I recently tried to play a new Region 2 DVD, and got "region error" (on an "all region" player). The manual was unhelpful in solving the problem, but the following "hack" worked like a charm to reset the machine to the all region setting:

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This is not a multi-regional player. It claims to be zone free but I am unable to play zone 2 DVD's without a converter that costs more than the player. The company upgraded this to one that does play region-free. Don't waste your money though a good DVD player if you don't want to watch Zone 2.

Read Best Reviews of PHILIPS 1080i UPCONVERTING - MULTI REGION CODEFREE DVD PLAYER with HDMI, DiVX UlTRA, USB DIRECT. Th Here

To be brief, I felt this machine does what it is supposed to. Play DVDs decently. The player does at times have a hard time playing DVDs that are old or scratchy and these will stick. If your DVDs are relatively clean and you want good sound quality, check this out. Phillips does make decent TVs and DVD players and though not major top of the line, will be a decent addition to any teenager's bedroom or mom's kitchen. And it's small, and can slide in anywhere. The remote was a bit of a problem in that the batteries were not connecting to the connectors properly and one has to really slap it around but that's probably my lemon. It has an upconverter button and a USB port.

Ematic 2.4 Inches Color MP3 Video Player with Built-in 5MP Digital Camera and Video Recording, FM R

• 4 GB capacity for storage of up to 1,150 songs, 3,500 photos, or 10 hours of video; expandable to 12 GB via MicroSD card
• Up to 8 hours of music playback or 4 hours video playback on a single charge
• 2.4-inch color TFT LCD display with 320 x 240 (QVGA) pixel resolution
• Supports MP3, WAV, WMA, OGG, FLAC, and APE audio files; AVI, MP4, RM, RMVB, and FLV video files; JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF, and TIFF images; TXT text files
• One-year limited warranty

I wasn't sure if I should purchase this mp3 player because of the incredibly mixed reviews. Turns out, I really like it. The sound is good. It's fairly easy to navigate through the menus, and the battery life is awesome. My only complaint is the cheap ear buds they package with the product. Doesn't really fit the jack, so I was constantly having to fiddle with it and twist it around to get the sound back into both ears (and eliminate static on the FM). This was easily fixed with a purchase of some moderately decent $5 ear buds. All-in-all a good purchase for $39.

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Just received this item, and it is really neat, but not touch screen as described in the description. The picture listed is the item i received and bought it because i thought it was touch screen. I will keep it and use it but if you want the touch screen version don't buy this one. Look for the Ematic E6.

Read Best Reviews of Ematic 2.4 Inches Color MP3 Video Player with Built-in 5MP Digital Camera and Video Recording, FM R Here

i have no problems with this. it does everything i expect. the first time you charge it takes forever after that it's quick and painless

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We were very excited about this product. However, we purchased this product because of its FM radio capability in combination with it's built in speaker. Only to determine upon receipt of the product that the FM radio does not function without the use of headphones. This information was not apparent in the description of the product and we now have a device that does not meet our unique needs.

For the price of this player it is decent ... That being said i wish that whoever designed it had made it a little easier to navigate... some of the buttons are hard to push and some are too easy to push... The sound could be a little clearer but to the average listener you probably wont notice much.... the radio is ok not powerful but not horrible ... pictures play clear but seeing as the screen isn't very big you would notice much anyway .... i had problems getting mine to charge until i figured out that the on/off switch must be switched to on to charge .... which was wierd because it would let me put files on the player but would not charge.... the shuffle feature isn't the greatest as it keeps trying to throw the same song back at me .... if you aren't picky the camera is ok .... but nothing really great

Philips DVP5140 Multiformat DVD Player with DivX, MP3, Windows Media Support

• DivX 3.1, Mpeg 4 video
• Ultra Slim Design
• Progressive Scan
• Component and composite video outputs, digital coax and analog stereo audio outputs
• Windows Media

This a GREAT and nice-looking DVD player. Lovely picture, terrific audio and many cool features.

Please be aware that Philips only makes one model of the DVP5140. It will play any NTSC/PAL DVD onto any PAL or NTSC TV. I know this beacuse I called them and asked before buying mine.

So if you want to play DVDs from any region in any format on any TV, DO NOT BUY the "Multi Region Code Free DVD player" which costs $89.99. Simply search for "DVP5140" and get the standard player which costs $57.95 on Amazon and is identical to the so-called multi-region DVP5140.

To make it region code free follow these instruction:

1. Turn on the unit

2. Open the loading tray

3. Press the "Setup" button on the remote

4. Navigate to the "Preferences" page using the right arrow key

6. Press the down arrow once to enter the Preference page

5. Enter 138931 on the remote

6. You will now see the current region code displayed

7. Use the Up/Down arrow keys to select the region required or "0" for all regions

8. Press the "Play" button on the remote

Buy Philips DVP5140 Multiformat DVD Player with DivX, MP3, Windows Media Support Now

This a GREAT and nice-looking DVD player. Lovely picture, terrific audio and many cool features.

Please be aware that Philips only makes one model of the DVP5140. It will play any NTSC/PAL DVD onto any PAL or NTSC TV. I know this beacuse I called them and asked before buying mine.

So if you want to play DVDs from any region in any format on any TV, DO NOT BUY the "Multi Region Code Free DVD player" which costs $89.99. Simply search for "DVP5140" and get the standard player which costs $57.95 on Amazon and is identical to the so-called multi-region DVP5140.

To make it region code free follow these instruction:

1. Turn on the unit

2. Open the loading tray

3. Press the "Setup" button on the remote

4. Navigate to the "Preferences" page using the right arrow key

6. Press the down arrow once to enter the Preference page

5. Enter 138931 on the remote

6. You will now see the current region code displayed

7. Use the Up/Down arrow keys to select the region required or "0" for all regions

8. Press the "Play" button on the remote

Read Best Reviews of Philips DVP5140 Multiformat DVD Player with DivX, MP3, Windows Media Support Here

I raved about this player too when I first purchased it. It literally played EVERYTHING. It was cheap, and I used it quite a bit, so when it stopped reading any discs after about a year I wasn't all that upset. With all the features, and for the price, if I had to buy a new one every year, then so be it...a small price to pay for the ability to watch all my multi region DVDs and avi files on my TV.

I originally bought it at Wal Mart, who I discovered no longer carried it (now I understand why), so I looked online and found out it was available at Target. I rushed out, bought the replacement, got home, set it up, punched in the code, and was back in business...for two whole days, after which it once again would fail to read any disc.

A fluke I thought...a defective machine is sure to get by occasionally. No problem, I pack it up and take it back to Target who graciously exchange it for another one. I get the replacement's replacement home, get it all set up, pop in a movie, and I am once again back in business...for two whole weeks, after which it once again would fail to read anything.

At this point I am starting to get upset. I look in the manual and get the number for technical support. I call, tell them about my problems, and let them know the complete history of what has happened up to this point. "Have you tried unplugging it, and plugging it back in again?" they ask, knowing the answer before the question even leaves their lips.

I explain to them that yes, I tried this...on BOTH machines...and that it failed to resolve the problem. "Well why don't you try it again?" they ask, convinced that somehow through sheer force of will, their presense on the phone would somehow change the outcome.

I begrudgingly do so, knowing it will do no good, knowing that I am just wasting my time, knowing that every condecending remark from their so called technician is bringing me closer and closer to baldness as I rip out my hair in frustration.

Loading...loading...loading..................NO DISC.

"Well, there must be some internal problem with the machine. I can give you the address for our warranty department where you can send it for a free product exchange."

I once again explain to them that I only bought the machine two weeks ago, and ask them why I would PAY to send it back to them, when I could just as easily return it to the store and exchange it for a different brand. I explain that if THEY would pay the shipping costs, I would be happy to send it to them for repair or replacement, provided they can figure out what the problem is and get it fixed. After all, I had been a loyal customer to them; I have now had THREE of these machines come down with similar problems within a relatively short span of time, and that while I might enjoy the options and features of this model, these features do me little good if I can't get the machine to read a disc.

"I understand that sir, but if you don't want........"

"I like this model; I would like to keep it, but I would also like it to work."

"I'm sorry sir, but I don't believe there is anything else I can do to help you.....click"

And Philips loses a customer for life. And so, while I agree the features of this model are great, the quality of it is complete crap. You might as well pay the extra money for a better quality product. In the long run you'll be much better off.

Want Philips DVP5140 Multiformat DVD Player with DivX, MP3, Windows Media Support Discount?

Unlike other temperamental machines that I have owned this one plays everything. You can save money over the higher priced version of this machine by making it region free by following these instructions:

To make it region code free follow these instruction:

1. Turn on the unit

2. Open the loading tray

3. Press the "Setup" button on the remote

4. Navigate to the "Preferences" page using the right arrow key

6. Press the down arrow once to enter the Preference page

5. Enter 138931 on the remote

6. You will now see the current region code displayed

7. Use the Up/Down arrow keys to select the region required or "0" for all regions

8. Press the "Play" button on the remote

Probably can't beat it for the money

I cannot fit all the good things I want to say about this product in only one review. I bought this due to the massive amounts of re-encoding required for converting DIVX and XVID movies to standalone-DVD format. It would take hours on end.

With this player you can copy the clips themselves to a blank CD-R or DVD-R and it works fine. I don't know why people report so many problems with this player It's played every single disc I've thrown at it. Multi brands too, both -R, -RW, +R, and +RW. It also plays CD-R/RW discs with the DIVX/XVID/WM files burned to them.

This player is the last one I'll ever get. I've just purchased one for my parents too, since I've enjoyed mine so much. Try it You won't be sorry.

Dane Elec 4 GB Compact Flash Card

I am a professional photographer, and I love the Dane Elec CF cards! Dane Elec cards are slimmer than some of the other CF cards out there, and they come with their own plastic case.

Its wonderful having a card to hold so many pictures.

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Intova Sport Pro HD Video Camera (Clear/Red)

I was looking for a camera to use on a recent SCUBA trip to the Caribbean and it came down to a debate between the Intova Sport Pro HD and Go Pro HD Hero2. I took a chance with the Intova Sport Pro HD because it had the following nice advantages over the Go Pro:

1. Flat casing around the lens means that it won't have problems focusing underwater like the stock case of the Go Pro HD Hero 2 (fwiw, Go Pro sells a dive housing for an extra $50).

2. Standard tripod mount makes it fairly versatile and means I don't need additional strange mounts.

3. Manual white balance

4. Available red filter for when I'm too lazy to white balance underwater

5. Integrated LCD screen

6. Cheaper

Initial tests were optimistic with the Intova Sport Pro HD. Video quality was good, but not spectacular. The red filter added in nice colors underwater. Audio was okay, but had the presence of a distinct whine in the background. Still pictures were rather mediocre as it needs to be very still underwater and I have not yet fully mastered the fine art of buoyancy control. In any case, it was inexpensive and took decent video to document interesting stuff underwater. The buttons were firm but I could still navigate the menus underwater with no difficulty. It was good but not great device.

Well, that is until the second day of the trip. Sometime during my fourth dive of the trip the battery got low and it powered off. This was understandable as it had been running for about three hours at that point. I charged the device and the next morning it wouldn't power on even when outside of water (I tried turning the camera on before jumping off the boat and it didn't work). Further attempts to charge it were fruitless. The design of the device makes it impossible to take the camera out of the casing and examine the battery. So, I was left without a camera for the last fifteen dives of my vacation.

I've sent two emails to Intova, tweeted to them, and called their customer service line over the past eight days and I have yet to receive any response or acknowledgement from Intova. At this point I'm writing the device off and have concluded I would've been better off spending the extra money to get the Go Pro HD Hero2.

I purchased the Invota Sport Pro HD video camera despite several very critical reviews. Enticed by the pricepoint, I was hoping I would have better luck . However, it failed within a few hours of use right and after the second battery charge. This product has many flaws and is not ready for market in my opinion.

1) The housing was extremely difficult to open for the first time. Almost as though there was a partial vacuum inside. With great care, I had to use a jeweler's screwdriver to pry open the door and even then it was resistant to opening. After the first opening the door operated normally which leads me to think it may have been manufactured at altitude. I am at 550'.

2) I didn't mind the buttons being hard to press as other reviewers commented but I found that the controls were often not activated by a press of the buttons, quite frustrating. Felt as though the inside surface of the housing buttons is just a little too short to make good contact the the camera's buttons.

3) The wrist strap broke immediately upon use as another reviewer commented.

4) The image quality was about what I expected at the price point.

5) The camera went completely dead after the first battery charge in the field. It was charged from an automotive USB cable. I returned the unit to Amazon for a full refund.

Buy Intova Sport Pro HD Video Camera (Clear/Red) Now

I have taken this camera on about 7 dive trips and also borrowed my brother's Go Pro Hero2 camera as well; so here's the differences:

PROS:

this camera is almost as small as the Hero2 but it has a built in screen which the Hero2 does not. So if you added the screen accessory to the Hero2, then this camera would be smaller.

the picture quality is great with less fish-eye distortion than the Hero2 camera

this camera floats, unlike the Hero2, which is good if it falls off somehow

the head-mount does have a quick release and the Hero2 does not

this camera costs hundreds less the the Hero2!

this camera has more buttons and is easier to navigate the menus than the Hero2

the owner's manual is on a mini CD and has about 15 pages and is easy to understand

the case is made of high quality material which resists scratches (I know because I bumped it twice against rocks)

the lens does not fog up in cold spring water (72 degrees)

NEUTRAL:

this takes a micro SD card unlike the Hero2 which takes a regular SD card

CONS:

the back opens up to access the mini USB port and SD card, but you will need a butter knife to gently pry it open because a vacuum seal forms when closed

this camera does not have an audible beep when it starts or stops recording, unlike the Hero2

the head mount sticks out far from your head, which makes it easy to wobble; the Hero2 headmount is very compact and doesn't have this problem

the buttons are stiff and hard to press, after some time the buttons might even stick down

the audio has a high pitch tone or ringing sound in the background! it also doesn't pick up sound very good above water; so the audio track in your videos is almost worthless

I frequently had memory card errors when recording 1080p video! I bought a new memory card and still had the same problems. Basically, I had to erase all data on the card and record 1 long video, because I would get an error trying to record any more videos.

the camera will turn itself off in 5 min if you're not recording video or taking pictures.

this camera slowly leaks water! I greased the O-ring but it still happened in less than 60ft.

**Overall, it would have been better if I spent more money to get the Go Pro Hero2. The Sport HD camera records better video, but it doesn't work like its supposed to.

UPDATE: I called Intova customer service at 877-837-0074 and found out that their 2nd batch of cameras were defective, so they will happily replace your camera if you send them the old one. Their new batch of cameras are supposed to work correctly.

Read Best Reviews of Intova Sport Pro HD Video Camera (Clear/Red) Here

Purchased this unit a couple of months ago as soon as I became a certified OW Diver. Got also the red slip-on filter and cleaning kit at the same time.

First time I laid my hands on the unit I felt that it has a decent build, albeit with buttons that are very hard to press (I assume that they will become soft in time). The lock seems to be sturdy and reliable in sealing the inside of the camera from water.

I was a bit surprised at the audio quality of the item as well. Even as it captures excellent video at HD resolution I found that it has a consistent high-frequency ringing and a low mechanical whirring noise (not sure where it comes from). Audio recording was pathetic at best. I guess the best way to explain it is that the sound is similar to what a person hears after a bomb explodes nearby. Distant voices and lots of high-freq noise. Not really good.

What Intova is good at, however, is recording nice underwater videos. Video captured is crisp, clear and absolutely a visual delight. Photos taken are the same as well -when you are talking about wide-angle shots. Once you decide to come a bit near to your subject, the images begin to distort similar to the effect you see on a fisheye lens.

Despite all the negatives, though, I thought it was a nifty piece of equipment that is value for money and designed specifically with divers in mind.

That is, until I actually brought it to a dive.

The unit is highly unreliable. First, the buttons are very hard to press, so your thumbs and fingers become callous in a very short period of time. You will look like an idiot trying to press what looks like a button but does nothing to the unit itself.

Second, the unit dies in unexpected moments. I brought it with me for a 40minute dive while recording a total of ten minutes of footage when the unit suddenly died without any warning. No battery low message is being prompted on the screen (in fact, the battery indicator showed that it still had a full charge right before it died). Pressing the power button also proved to be futile. It only turned on when I got home and plugged the unit to my computer.

Imagine your dissapointment when the only camera you have brought for a dive trip dies on you, making you lose out on opportunities to preserve memories which is why you have purchased the camera on the first place.

Third, after just having been with me for a total of barely 2 months, 2 pool dives and 4 water dives, my camera is now dead. The unit turns on when you plug it to a power source but dies after removing the plug and refuses to turn on. I suspect that it has a problem with the power button as it is not responding to varying levels of presses being applied on it. It dissapointed me again and therefore I find it hard to trust it again.

I have written a letter to intova about this and I hope they will respond to it asap. But I've decided that since it is highly unreliable I would just get a go pro regardless whether they will replace my unit or not. Its unreliable build makes me not trust it on dive trips, making me feel that the Go Pro, while a bit pricey, might have been the better choice all along.

Want Intova Sport Pro HD Video Camera (Clear/Red) Discount?

So far, so good. This camera is a lot of fun. I like the super wide angle, the ease of operation, the durability, and the features.

This is a portable, rugged sports video camera. It is not very suitable for home movies or vlogging, nor is it a great still camera though it can perform those functions in a pinch.

I'm using a Class 4 32GB card which looks to hold about 8 hours of 720p video. I'm settling on this resolution for most of my work. The 1080 looks quite good too, though some of my PCs don't play it back well. This is a consumer camera, not a pro, so the optical quality is not like my Nikon. For what it is, it's quite good though. The wide angle hides a lot of sins. (And at 140 degrees coverage, expect a lot of distortion of nearby objects at the edges not fisheye, but getting there.) I saw some digital artifacts akin to posterization in dim areas of a scene with a wide range of lighting par for low light situations I think. Auto exposure seems to work well and adjust well I'm playing mostly with the Center mode (there is also Average and Spot, or something like that.)

The viewscreen is small but crisp. Audio playback is muffled by casing. Moreover, audio reception is muffled, and my audio contains a faint pulsing sound that almost sounds mechanical not something I can remove adequately with software (and I'm very good at audio restoration.) Will play with other resolutions and see if this persists. You should not expect to get hi-fi audio from a consumer U/W camera, and for my purposes, the audio is adequate. When people are talking, it picks it up okay, but drops off quickly with distance. You won't get much if people are across a room, say. So this isn't for home movies it's for outdoor dynamic shots and underwater videography. UW audio is good, since sound conducts better there you can hear the bubbles, for example.

I like a couple of the extra features such as burst mode photography, and time lapse. I like the TV out port. Cable included is flimsy but works 3 connections, 2 for audio, 1 for video. The charge port is a standard, and cable provided has USB at the other end. I would have liked a wall charger too, but have some of those around anyway.

The electronic manual is adequate, perhaps better than average for this type of thing. It would be better if it included explanations of the various modes however. It only tells how to set them, but little or nothing about why you might choose them. Menu navigation is easy; I grew accustomed to the buttons quickly.

The lens and back window came with a clear protector sheet on them which I removed. Later put a better one on the back since it was starting to get scratched. I recommend this I can only imagine how scuffed it will get when used in the surf and such, which would eventually make it hard to see the image on the viewscreen. In bright sun the screen can be hard to see, especially due to the reflectivity of the casing. And don't forget to lubricate the seal mine came prelubricated, but it doesn't come with silicon. Buy some at a dive store and keep it with the camera!

I boosted the saturation by using the Vivid mode. It's a bit oversaturated, but I will play with that during editing. I found that without it, the saturation felt a little soft. Most sample videos you see for sports cameras are oversaturated that seems to be the style of extreme excitement!

In the pool the camera performed flawlessly. No leakage, no fogging in 70 degree water. Buttons work fine. Most water streams off when emerging, so video looks good bobbing up and down. Exposure compensation is reasonably quick in this application. I haven't tried an extreme close up yet, but will do that the camera focuses very close but does not do macro.

So far, battery life looks good. I haven't actually drained it yet. My guess is that the advertised life is about right under average conditions.

Adressing a couple comments from others. Someone complained that opening the casing will take off your fingernails. No, if you look carefully at the manual and packaging insert, there is a little curved lever to the latch that pops the back open no problem. It's quite clever actually. About the buttons being very stiff. Mine seem to have loosened a bit, and I don't generally have a problem. Sometimes I use both thumbs with nails together, which makes it easier. The button sleeve has a groove from top to bottom so that your nails will easily depress the buttons. (Long nails would be a problem here.)

PROS

Overall use meets my needs

Value

Portability

Underwater capability far preferable to the "deeply" flawed GoPro Hero2

Features

Usability

Standard 1/4" tripod mount easy to use with your own contraptions

CONS

Audio quality

Lack of optical zoom everything is W I D E. (Haven't tried digital zoom much yet)

Apparent inability to mute the digital "click" sound when snapping a photo

Apparent inability to douse the internal red "camera on" light

No macro mode

Lanyard durability; mine came apart when I tried to slide it up onto my bicep. Replace with better one.

Bottom line: Very good at what it's designed for.

Watch my WyrdNet channel on YouTube some sample videos there.

Columbus V-990 GPS Data Logger (microSD Slot, Voice Recording, 66 ch. MTK)

• A good data logger still needs practical track processing software. Time Album attached to V-990 can help you freely process track.Time Album has various personalized settings.
• It can export track according to distance or time, select metric or imperial unit or record intervals, and support various operating systems including WINDOWS, MAC OS and LINUX.
• V-990 adopts the currently most advanced and stable MTKII 3329 super single chip, with only 35s and 1s required respectively for cold start and warm start.
• It can realize rapid and stable positioning under various environments including urban district and suburb.
• The built-in high-capacity Li-polymer battery can allow you to use the device all day (24hrs).

-pros

easy to use

nice battery life

lighweight

audio recording for POI

motion detecting mode

-cons

hardly audible alerts outdoor

LEDs barely visible outdoor

4/5 stars

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A good device. I use it here in the UK for biological recording. I've had two of them now without too many problems (except that I lost one!). Some people I know have had problems with the recording sound quality and, sometimes, I've suffered this myself with voice tags being clipped or otherwise distorted. I use free biological recording software to process the sound and CSV files to make biological records.

Read Best Reviews of Columbus V-990 GPS Data Logger (microSD Slot, Voice Recording, 66 ch. MTK) Here

This is my first impression of the device, straight out of the box, unused. Nice looking, well finished, little heavier than I expected. The accessories did not include the carrying pouch pictured online, just a simple slip case. No AC charger. A charger apparently is an accessory. Really? It does come with a car adaptor for charging, so I plugged it in using what appears to be a USB cable but is expressley described as a dedicated charging cable and cannot be used for USB port data transfer or charging. How long before it is lost, confused with one of the many USB cables I have? Also, the unit came with no memory. Labeled "innovative", the data logger uses a micro SD card for memory. That's fine, but it should come with one. So....$70.00 in, no charger and no memory. Not even a good first impression. I have to wonder what else is missing.

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The V-990 logs as well as the V-900, however, it does not include bluetooth capability. Further, Windows 7 did not recognize the device to enable GPS 'mouse mode' which effectively limits this device to logging capabilities only.

Defender SN301-8CH-002 8 Channel H.264 Smart DVR Security System with Coaching iMenu and 4 Indoor/O

Thank you so very much for this product, it has help us in boosting our security around the daycare center. It works perfectly and I am very happy with this product. I also have another center, and I intend to purchase another unit soon. Thank you again and God Bless..

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VideoSecu WDR Day Night Vision Outdoor Weatherproof IR Zoom Security Camera 1/3" Pixim DPS Sensor H

It's a good outdoor camera with weatherproof housing. There are many infrared LEDs for night vision, so the image quality is very good even at night. I could not be happier with the camera.

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Coby DVD-588 5.1 Channel Upconversion DVD Player with HDMI Output & Progressive Scan

• HD Upconversion for enhanced high definition video
• DVD, DVD+R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, and JPEG Compatible
• 5.1 Channel digital audio for surround sound systems/Dolby digital decoder
• HDMI output for perfect digital signal transmission to Home Theater Systems
• Convenient front panel and On-Screen display function/Parental lock control

This does a nice job on the upconversion. Looks and sounds good using the HDMI output. Plays just about anything you throw at it as do most Coby's. Surprisingly will also do DTS sound although it doesn't specifically mention it in the spec's. Only question is how will it hold up in the long run.

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My first player was faulty and had to be returned. Note their return policy meant I had to pay the shipping costs to send back their faulty product!! Not happy about that since it didn't work in the first place!!

I heard nothing from them. After a week I called to discover they had not processed my return. My phone call did prompt a response, but even then I had to wait another week before I got a player which this time worked. They did not tell me they had a problem getting me a replacement, so player excellent.... Customer service I regard as poor since I had to chase them to get any action.

I doubt I will purchase from them again.

Read Best Reviews of Coby DVD-588 5.1 Channel Upconversion DVD Player with HDMI Output & Progressive Scan Here

I own this for the last 60 days. When I recently went to India, I bought some regional language movies that were in PAL. So I bought this thinking that for the price of ~$55 I get the one that can play PAL/NTSC, MP3/WMV/DivX. On top of that it is a region free player as well as has a HDMI interface. However 2 months later this is what sums up my experience:

1. I could watch all of PAL DVDs. Watched some of the DivX movies. Felt great about the player. However the remote was not that reliable. I had to press hard/twice some times. That didn't bother me as I started using my universal remote(came with my pioneer plasma TV).

2. After 5-6 days, DVD player doesn't respond to remote/keys. Even the power button doesn't work. I have to remove the power from my extension cord. I still have this problem at least once in 2 weeks.

3. After a while I realized the it is not upconverting to 1080i/p. Though they don't advertise it (Coby says unconversion of 5.1ch audio only), I didn't realize that earlier.

4. After 5 weeks I'm getting tired of this as I finished watching most of the movies I brought from India. Video is freezing once in a while, taking looong time to load etc.

5. After 8 weeks I decided to listen to some mp3 cds on Coby. Took too much time to load the mp3 to CDs. However it played all of them. Wait.. not for the entire day!! By evening COBY is almost dead!! No matter what cd/DVD I put in, it's always on "Loading" state!

May be its my bad luck of getting a faulty one. May be not! May be!!

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I wanted an all-region player that will last a year. A year is all I expect out of DVD players lately. So, out of the box, it works great. The picture is awesome, the sound is good. I like the HDMI option. Most of all, I like that I can play my PAL movies. You have to have the DVD hack code for this model to play regions other than North America, but its easy. Just type the model name and the word "hack" into google and you'll get it. You just open the tray, type the code and the region you want and presto. I know this brand has a terrible reputation, but I've had no problems.

I got this thing to abstain on the HD format wars for a year or so.

It works reasonably well. The video quality over HDMI is fine. It does seem to have trouble with audio on some discs. On some discs, the channels are somehow screwed up (effects are overpowering, voices are faint) when downsampling to our stereo TV. On others, the audio occasionally drifts out of sync, which can be fixed by pausing the playback. Weird, and a little irritating. On many discs, the audio is perfectly fine.

If you buy this expecting to be wowed, you should learn to manage your expectations. It's a cheapie, stopgap player; it costs less than dinner for two and it shows. However, it is the definition of "good enough" for us.