Samsung VR8260 4-Head HiFi VCR

• Dual-azimuth, 4-head stereo recording and playback with HQ video circuitry
• Front-panel audio/video inputs accommodate a camcorder, gaming console, or a second VCR
• Digital auto tracking, 19-micron heads deliver the clearest possible picture when recording or viewing in EP mode
• Up to 400x rewind, jet picture search with scan & play
• Onscreen programming with 8-event/1-month timer

I have a satellite dish, and didn't realize until we got this vcr all set up that it wouldn't work with the dish! We started with the setup menu, and tried to program it to record, and it wouldn't recognize the satellite channels! It is going right back to Amazon[.com], and hopefully the next one we try will actually be compatible with the dish. If you have a satellite, don't even bother with this vcr. I am sure it is wonderful, but we didn't even get as far as putting a tape into it, and now we have to pay to have it shipped back. How frustrating!

Samsung i8 8.2 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (White)

This great little camera takes pretty good shots, though there is just a little bit more artifacting going on when I take pictures of text than my old LonicaMinolta Dimage X1.

I paid a little extra to get this camera over the other Samsung 8.1MP camera because of the PMP (portable media player) feature after seeing the onboard demo video, and while it does have a great little screen it doesn't seem to take any kind of standard video (I tried lots of different mpeg4 and mov and avi files and they wouldn't even show up on the menu)you have to use the video converter they supply, which runs on proprietary OS only.

As an MP3 player, it's OK, and it does let you delete a file after you've listened to it (which is a key feature if you listen to podcasts).

There also seems to be no way to charge and listen at the same timethe USB/charge cable and the headphone jack go into the same connector. I guess I'm buying an external battery or two and an offline battery charger.

I bought this camera elsewhere for $99.99 and have been VERY happy with its performance with regards to its camera function. It takes good pictures in both low light and during the day. It has a very convenient size and easily fits in your pocket.

The MP3 and video functions are a nice bonus, but to be honest, I have not had a chance to try them out fully yet.

Buy Samsung i8 8.2 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (White) Now

Recently there is a trend to make every electronic device into a multifunction device. A cell phone that also plays mp3s and take photos is the most common instance of this, but it appears camera makers are catching on and creating cameras that double as PMPs (Personal Media Players). What's good for the goose...

However, in my mind having a camera on a cell phone is adding a feature to a device you're going to carry around with you anyway. It gives you a functional camera for those times when you don't have your real camera with you. I'm not sure that a camera that doubles as a PMP is really as good a concept because when I bring a camera with me its so that I can capture excellent images, not listen to some music.

In point of fact, the Samsung I8 is primarily a camera, and the PMP features feel a bit tacked on and burdened by confusingly designed menus that are not very intuitive. The camera features are somewhat easier to access, and this a slick, attractively designed camera to be sure.

Thankfully that I8 knows how to be a camera not just a convergence device. The photos that it produces are pretty sharp, and the metering feels pretty spot on in most situations. However the camera is haunted by some serious shutter lag and this is probably the most irritating problem with the camera. It is slow in general: navigating menus is slow, booting up the camera is slow (thanks to the PMP needing to do a database search each time it boots. You cannot turn this off) and taking pictures is slow.

The I8 is just about average. It's more of a gizmo than a camera. If you want a solid camera I suggest getting a Canon Powershot. Their light sensors are among the best. If you want a PMP get a Cowon D2. At this point a camera that doubles as a PMP doesn't get either application quite right.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung i8 8.2 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (White) Here

ITS SOO CUTE!! :) IF U LIKE CUTE THINGS AND BEING CUTE..GO FOR IT

OV COURSE....I >ONLY< USE THE CAMERA ASPECT OF IT..NOT ALL THE EXTRA CRAP..IF U WANT A GOOD MP3 PLAYER, BUY AN MP3 PLAYER..THATS LIKE GOING TO A BURGER JOINT AND EXPECTING EXCELLENT CHICKEN..NOPE.

BUT IVE HAD IT FOR YEARS AND ITS NOT MESSED UP ONCE

LOVE IT!!

Want Samsung i8 8.2 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (White) Discount?

Photo quality is excellent. The UI, on the other hand, is cumbersome and poorly conceived. Switching from photo to movie, which I do all the time, requires several button presses, with slow UI screen paints in-between each. I get the sense that they tried to give it a flashy UI in order to appeal to the teen demographic, without considering those of us who just take photos and movies and want a snappy response from our device.

Ditto the flash. The flash does not pre-charge, so when you go to take your photo, and press the fire button, nothing will happen for a couple of seconds while the flash charges. Those are a looonnnnnggg couple of seconds too. Nor does the UI respond while this is taking place. Multi-threading, anyone?

(The UI contains a ton of other neat-sounding goodies, like an MP3 player and a travel guide and other hoopla that looks good as bullet points on a sales flyer. Perhaps some people use those, but I didn't and you probably won't either.)

I accepted its shortcomings because the camera has two killer design wins: first, the lens does not extend out of the camera body, which means that it won't get dirt or water in the mechanism and die young; and second, the camera itself is small and has rounded edges, which means it will fit neatly in your pocket. I did indeed carry it in my pocket and whip it out whenever it was needed, and so I have had a happy year of taking great pictures while cursing at the lousy UI.

...until the hardware failed this month. Around my 1500th picture (according to the filenames), a solder terminal inside the camera gave out, taking the red CCD with it. Consequently, the camera sees everything as blue-greenish. I can twist the camera body, and flex its motherboard enough to reestablish the electrical connection to the red CCD, and it will work for a couple of minutes, but this won't last long. (I know it's the CCD and not the viewscreen because picture review always works fine.) They call this situation a "cold solder joint", and it will worsen over time until the camera becomes useless. I may just be unlucky, or maybe this is a demonstration of poor quality control on the Samsung assembly line.

GS2000 FULL HD Car DVR 1080P 1.5" LCD Display 5MP Car DVR Camera Recorder Extend to 32GB TF Card

• Watch video while make video recording in driving. Support on-spot play back
• 1920x1080P FULL HD high quality resolution
• Advanced H.264 video compression technology
• Support HDMI high quality video transmission
• 5 resolution forms can be changed for video recording.

I bought this to record my driving just in the case I get ticketed for an offense I did not commit. Very easy to setup, and the suction cup sticks very strongly to the windshield. It comes off also with very little effort.

I used this for 2 weeks and the video was very good. You can mute the sound if not, it will record everything you talk in the car so be careful what you say with this one recording :)

I returned this product after 2-3 weeks for 1 reason: I park my car outside, and do not want to take a chance of some burglar breaking my windshield to steal this I had to remove it every night before I go to bed, but it is too hard to remember every night. Hence I returned it.

If you are someone that parks the car inside the garage, or does not worry about someone stealing electronics from your car, I strongly advise buying this.

** There is no GPS nor speed sensor in this. Just records the video **

Buy GS2000 FULL HD Car DVR 1080P 1.5" LCD Display 5MP Car DVR Camera Recorder Extend to 32GB TF Card Now

quality is really good. i done my search before buying it, and its worth it. Menu is very easy, easy to set up and use. Good quality even in the night.

Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote

Prior to getting this remote, I have had a separate remote to control my TV, VCR, DVD Player, AV Receiver, and Cable box. I had gotten used to having to switch between remotes to do different things. My TV, DVD, Receiver and VCR are all Sony, so I did get multiple uses out of some, since each remote could be programmed to control another Sony device; however it was still a bit cumbersome.

That was until I got this remote. I have messed with universal remotes in the past, and only got so-so performance and functionality out of them, but this one was different. The set up was long, but was pretty easy to do; the hardest thing in fact was getting behind my entertainment center, and having to lift up some of my peripherals to get the model numbers which is essential in order to have this remote work properly. Another thing about the setup is that you need to be a bit technically savvy because the software does ask you questions about what input your TV needs to be on for different devices to work, as well as what settings the receiver needs to be on. It was pretty simple for me, but others who are not familiar with how the devices work together will have problems. The literature says that it has over 5000 models, and for me all of my devices were recognized, even my XBOX 360 is now able to be controlled from this remote, something I did not expect it would be able to do. For me I can control every one of my devices directly from one remote, while all buttons on the remote do not match up directly with all the buttons on my receiver remote, the Harmony has a bright LCD screen to control every function on my receiver and every other device in my setup, for example because of the DVD player model number I supplied it, it knows my DVD player is a 5 disc changer the remote's LCD screen has the ability to switch between each DVD.

The Harmony comes with setup software and a USB cable so you can connect it directly to your PC in case you need to run the setup software again to tweak the settings and actions on the remote. If you want to control a different device in your setup, all you have to do is press the "Device" button on the remote and scroll through the LCD screen to select the device you want to control, and the remote basically turns into the remote for the selected device. If you choose to control the cable box, then remote knows to turn the channels through the cable box, and not the TV, if you control the DVD player, the remote can play the DVD, eject, go to the DVD menu...you get the point. While this is cool, the coolest thing about the Harmony is the one touch activity buttons, which is perfect for people who are tired of having to do many things just to do one thing, or for people who simply don't know what to do. These "Activity" buttons do everything that needs to be done by only pressing a single button. For example, before the Harmony, if I wanted to watch a movie on my TV, I had to have

1) The receiver set to DVD,

2) The TV set to input 5

3) DVD player needs to be turned on.

Now I am able to do all of this with the simple press of the "watch movie button" on the remote, pressing this button will do all the above steps for you. The default action for these buttons is turning all other devices off, so pressing the "watch movie" button turned my cable box off, which is not what I wanted to happen, no problem, I just went into the setup software and tweaked the DVD action to leave the Cable Box on. Plugged my remote to my PC, pressed "update remote" and after few moments, the new actions are programmed to the remote.

What about other activities that don't have a specific button on the remote for it, say for example, I want to play the XBOX 360. No problem, Just press the "More activities" button and the LCD screen displays all the actions you can do with your given devices. So for me to play the XBOX360, I just press "More Activities" scroll down to and select "play XBOX360", and the Harmony does the following automatically

1) The TV goes to Input 5

2) The Receiver goes to "TV"

3) The XBOX 360 turns on

4) The Cable box stays on

5) And if they are on, the DVD, and VCR player turns off

pretty cool huh?

I am very satisfied and pleasantly surprised with the performance and functionality of the Harmony. It is literally replaced all of my other remotes, which will save me in batteries. I originally thought I would still need my other remotes for not so obvious things I might want to set, but it seems like the Harmony can control everything you might need to do. Of course there would be a slight learning curve in figuring out the buttons, but all of the basic and even some not so basic things can easily be controlled through the Harmony.

If you are getting this for someone who has no idea how TV's, receivers, DVD, VCR players work together then they will have problems setting the remote up, and if you are able, do them a BIG favor of setting it up for them. After its set up properly, I think anyone would be able to use it with the ease of the one touch activity buttons. Now even my wife can watch a DVD when I'm not in the house without having to call me all the time.

I originally was going to give this remote 4 stars because of the potentially complicated setup process for some consumers, but once the remote is set up properly, I don't think it could get any simpler. The ease of use and functionality after the setup process is near perfect, therefore the Harmony 670 gets 5 stars! What a great product.

I purchased this item at the local store because I was tired of doing the remote control shuffle. All of my remotes are multi item programmable but none of them carried all the codes for all my devices. Store had it on sale for 129 so a comparable device. Programming was very easy. A few clicks, entering model #s. It only choked at my receiver which is a slightly older one. But after a few questions and pressing a few buttons on the original remote it was set up and ready to go. I am controlling a SDTV, Satellite box, 2 dvd Players, cd changer and a A/V receiver. I frequently use both DVD players for DVD-Audio or SACD playback so going into advanced functions for both players and the Receiver is a must. Very easy to find what I was looking for and using the remote is very easy to learn.

My drawback is the volume. I use the receiver for volume on everything and if I use the programmed activity keys it is ok, but once I have to get into the advanced features of each device I lose volume control until I go back to the receiver, but than at that point I lose dvd/cd control. Pressing one of the smart keys tends to solve the problem but I wish there was a way to make the volume always locked onto the reciver, no matter what the device.

Buy Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote Now

If you were like me you resisted getting a universal remote, much less paying almost $100 to replace your existing remotes which function perfectly (but separately). I was also highly skeptical (based on past experience with "programmable remotes" from the cable co) that one remote could really handle all the complicated functions for each component such as:

changing the "aspect ratio" on your HDTV

browsing your cable and DVR listings

programming your DVR

and controlling your stereo which provides sound for everything else (including DVD and CD players).

Much to my surprise the Logitech does it all. As other reviewers have noted, the online setup takes about an hour and is a bit more complicated than the cheapo universal remote where you just plug in a 3-digit device code. But the Logitech database is pretty extensive, right down to suggesting the proper model number format for each component manufacturer. And you can then customize the device though I found the default settings were adequate for most options.

Logitech now controls:

Panasonic 50" HDTV (c. 2006)

Phillips HD-DVD player (c. 2006)

Comcast/Motorola DVR (c. 2005)

Sony Stereo (c.1994!)

Alas my old Pioneer CD and Tape players (c 1988) never had remote capability but I am loathe to toss them as my wife still loves her cassette mix tapes.

The best part is that I now simply push one button to turn on/off both the TV and Stereo. Or TV/DVD/Stereo. Not sure what I am going to do with the 4 old remotes, but our babysitter is sure going to be happy.

Thanks Mom and Day for a great birthday gift that will keep on giving even if I buy new equipment or change to Sat TV.

Read Best Reviews of Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote Here

I searched Amazon and about a dozen other sites for weeks, reading reviews, comparing features, looking for sales, and even though I found this off Amazon for a special deal several weeks back, I love Amazon and wanted to share my experience with other potential buyers since this is where I come for product info and reviews.

I chose this model over the higher end Logitech models because this has slightly larger buttons, even though it isn't as fancy (it's also less expensive). After a few searches, I realized that the Logitech Harmony brand was the only remote really worth looking at for ease of use, both the remote itself and the software used to set it up.

I liked the design of this remote as the layout of the buttons most closely resembles my TiVo remote. My biggest concern was whether my wife could use the remote. We have an older TV, newer odd-model Onkyo AV receiver, TiVo, cable box, DVD player, VCR, and an old Technics Tape deck and CD player. I needed something that could be used for everything easily. This purchase was much more for my wife than for me. If you could read her review of the remote from the standpoint of someone who fears new technology and hates having to use complex remote controls, you would buy this remote instantly.

I am what you would call a Power User, where I like to customize everything in extreme detail and this remote lets me do this. It also is very easy to use once it is configured. One of my devices was not found in the Logitech database, but I pointed the old remote at the back of the Harmony and it figured out what it needed to do. Now, instead of using two remotes for most things and three or four if we want to do something other than watch basic TV or TiVo, this remote does everything with minimal button clicks.

I've read a couple of complaints that people feel the software is too confusing or takes too long to set up it's not for complete novices or people who want something to work out of the box with no setup, but I challenge you to find a remote that will work as well as this one without some configuration. Some slightly less than obvious features need to be brought closer to the main configuration screens, such as leaving my TiVo and cable box on when I turn everything else off, but all in all, this remote is really fantastic. Mac users the software works beautifully in Mac OS X, but I expected no less from Logitech. Using the software makes it obvious that adding or removing a device and/or activities (such as "Watch TV" or "Play VCR" or "Watch DVD") should be easy, and if I need a replacement remote, I can simply plug the remote into the computer and click one or two buttons and be off with a fully customized remote again in two or three minutes. My guess is that the remote stays configured when the batteries die, but even if it doesn't, you can simply plug it in with the new batteries and the software will reconfigure it.

I also heard a few people complain about battery life. I have had it working for about six weeks straight and it is still going strong. Even if the batteries don't last forever, how much do 4 AA batteries really cost when compared to the convenience of this remote? It is an excellent trade-off in my mind.

Now that it is set up, it is so easy to use, it's not even funny. You point the remote at your stuff, press a button and leave it pointed until the indicator light on the remote says it's done turning everything on or off (1-3 seconds). My in-laws and a couple of friends have seen it in action and now want the same model for themselves. My biggest complaint with this remote from the entire experience of taking it out of the box to using it every day for over a month now is that it takes some getting used to when you are so used to using other remotes, especially TiVo. The placement of the rewind, forward, pause and play buttons is a bit different than I am used to with the TiVo remote, but the other day, I went to my in-laws house to fix their TiVo and it took me a few minutes to get used to the TiVo remote which I used to think was the best remote ever. So if that is my biggest complaint, I have to think I made the right choice.

The remote has a built in Help screen which is really easy to use. My wife accidentally pointed the remote away from the screen too quickly the other day and it only turned on the TV and not the Receiver. So I told her to hit the Help button and within about twenty seconds, she had figured out (on her own) what to do, and now she doesn't need my help if the same thing happens again.

I highly recommend this remote if you are a DVR user with a lot of system components with the need for an easy to learn, easy to use remote, but be prepared to spend a good 30-45 minutes setting it up for the first time, and even longer if you are a power user like me or if you have a lot of system components. Being this was my first universal remote, based on what I have heard from friends and family who have had others in the past, this experience has been vastly superior to theirs.

Seriously, this is the best purchasing decision I have ever made, and I could not recommend a product any more highly than this.

Want Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote Discount?

I like the Harmony remotes. They're easy to program, easy to use. I bought the 670 to replace a several year old Harmony model SST-659, which basically has the same functions. My complaint with the model 670 is that the buttons I use constantly: play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and stop, are all small and squished together around a central "select" button. This makes them hard to find and hard to differentiate them from each other. Since I mainly use the remote to watch TV or movies with either a DVR or DVD player, often in the dark, these buttons (together with volume) should be BIG and easy to find. They're not. My understanding is that the layout is trying to mimic the layout of a TiVo remote; I would have preferred that they came up with their own better-thought-out layout. If you can find the older model SST-659 I would recommend that; the layout is better, it does the same functions, and it is a good deal cheaper.

SIIG CB-0000L1-S1 DVI-D Dual-Link to DVI-D Dual-Link Cable, 5-Meters

Fast delivery from Amazon. Cable is built sturdy and does what it's suppose to do. I use it to connect my macbook to my LCD TV. The 16.4 feet give me a lot of flexibility to move around.

If you need the extra length, this is a quality cable to get the job done. MY PC is in a cabinet around the corner from my monitor. I had used a long VGA cable, but there was problems with screen centering because of no EDID data. Long story Short, Theres no issues with a pure digital cable solution. Screen is nice and sharp.

Buy SIIG CB-0000L1-S1 DVI-D Dual-Link to DVI-D Dual-Link Cable, 5-Meters Now

Q-See QS458-811-5 8 Channel Security Surveillance DVR System with 500 GB Hard Drive and 8 Weatherpr

After dealing with Q-see customer service without success, they asked me to pay a fee to a partnership they have in order to solve a problem I had to view the cameras on line, I paid and for my surprise, they didn't help either and I lost $30 more. Now 6 months after installing the system, the hard drive died and since they have discontinued the system I bought, no returns are allowed. They gave me a lot of reasons and I sspent a lot of time trying to get some help but nothing. Do yourself a favor and read more negative reviews and listen so you will not waste your hard earning money as I did.

My husband and I own twenty-five percent of a storage facility which is run by my brother, who owns the other seventy-five percent with my sister-in-law. The security system that came with the place when we bought it was old, black and white and full of glitches. We installed this about four months ago. My brother-in-law did all the work himself and we are very pleased with the performance we've been getting. So far no glitches. This is a system that has been working for us, without problems, so if you're considering a system like this, I would recommend going with Q-See.

Buy Q-See QS458-811-5 8 Channel Security Surveillance DVR System with 500 GB Hard Drive and 8 Weatherpr Now

Toshiba SD4100 Progressive Scan DVD Player

this is one fine dvd player i have 2 my self .man there great . i can play what i want in dvd,s from diffrent countrys and it is the best and the place i bought mine is where you want to buy yours to,amazon .can,t go wrong .from me wess.

Apogee Toslink Optical Digital Audio Cable SPDIF - 2m 6FT

It's digital. It transfers data. That means it works as well as any cable on the market. The build quality could be better but I don't expect any problems since it will remain behind my tv where it won't be stressed. I'm happy.

Line 6 FloorPOD Plus

• 32 Amp models from POD 2.0 with Drive, Bass, Mid, Treble, and Channel Volume control
• 16 modulation effects, including chorus, flanger, and tremolo, plus 6 delay models (dedicated and separate from the modulation effects)
• 128 Presets
• 7 footswitches with 1 Volume/Wah Pedal and Tap Tempo / Tuner footswitch
• Inputs/Outputs include a 1/4-Inch Input, 2 unbalanced 1/4-Inch Outputs, 1/4-Inch Headphone jack and 1/8-Inch CD/Mp3 input

First of all, the problem with reading many of the reviews for devices like this is that many of them are written by newbies who have been playing guitar for two years and have no idea what a good tube amp sounds like, and have no clue what the purpose of the Line 6 Floor Pod is. It is NOT an "effects pedal"; it's a digital amp modeler. That is, Line 6 closely examined numerous classic and modern tube amplifiers and created software that emulates those tones, so that you can use great amplifier sounds for recording or performing without having to shell out the $$$ for a bunch of different amps. This unit duplicates amplifiers by Marshall, Vox, Matchless, Dumble (sort of...), MESA/Boogie, Fender, Soldano, and others. For the most part, if you heard these models in a recording or a performance you'd never know they were digital models they sound that good. Now, there are tube amp snobs that will reject this whole concept as a "toy", but I guarantee that if they heard a recording that was done with the Line 6 Floor Pod they'd never even realize it wasn't a real tube amp. This unit works best direct into a PA system or into a PC sound card for recording. It has built-in speaker emulation that is highly flexible. It even has a built-in "stomp box" that you can put in front of the amp models for more gain. The built-in effects (chorus, flange, delay, reverb, etc.) are decent. I have owned several Marshalls and MESA/Boogies and I will say that the Line 6 emulation of those is very realistic. It has a bunch of presets, but these are completely useless because they are so over the top. It's best to program your own sounds and overwrite the presets. For the price, you will not find a more versatile, realistic sounding tube amp emulator anywhere.

Buy Line 6 FloorPOD Plus Now

This product is my first entry into guitar pedals and it meets all of my expectations on sound output variety and quality. A few minor annoyances exist, such as no easy way to turn power off/on to the pedals, and you have to refer to the manual frequently to understand all the different sounds that are available and how to get to each. Other than that it has been fun playing with the different sounds at the touch of my foot!

Read Best Reviews of Line 6 FloorPOD Plus Here

Well, I bought this to replace my Pod 2.0 and my floorboard. This is a more compact package with much better effects. The device is plastic, and probably won't be as durable as the floorboard (which is probably indestructible). I don't notice much of a difference in sound, if any. I haven't recorded with it yet, mainly used it live.

Want Line 6 FloorPOD Plus Discount?

I've owned every type of stomp box, rack mounted gizmo, and floor units like this and I have to say, this unit is amazing! Better than the Vox, or Digitech or Rolands Ive owned, it does take some getting used to the controls, but other than that the effects are crystal clear and editable. The amp models are accurate and with some tweaking you can get some amazing tones happening here. The gate keeps the unit very quiet at loud volumes with high gain. Whoever the modeling team is at Line 6 did a great job here and the manual is easy to read and well written. This is the best unit around for the money.

I have been play guitar for 18 years now. Have had a variety of pedals over the years. THis is currently the pedal I use. I was inspired to buy a line 6 after hearing the quality of their effects from other guitarists in my church band.

This is a very good pedal for the price. There are absolutely excellent sounds effects. With all the customizable amps and effects, you really can get just about any sound that you want. AC/DC, Led Zepellin, Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Creed, Collective Soul are some of the bands I like to cover and this pedal can recreate all their sounds. The great thing is that you don't have to have a fancy amplifier. This pedal sounds great connected directly to the PA system. ALso sounds great connecting my acoustic through it. The wah/volume pedal is easy to switch on/off and sounds great. I had a crybaby wah pedal that I never use now because of this pedal. The quality of the effects are comparable to those of the XT live, though I think that pedal has a few more effects than this, but to be honest, I don't even use all the sounds on this pedal as there are so many to chose from.

A couple of drawbacks: It doesn't have digital display/interface like the XT live pedal. ALso, there is no USB output for digital recording, so keep that in mind. If you want a truly professional footpedal, pay the extra dough and get the XT live. But for me, I wanted professional sound for a cheaper price and this is the pedal for me. ALso is much less complicated than the XT live. Easily customizable, and comes with some great presets.

Oh, and btw, the case for the XT live fits this pedal perfectly.

Sony DCR-HC48 1MP MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included)

The DC-HC48 is a great camera very nicely sized and easy to use. I chose this version instead of the HC38 due to the support for stills and the improved CCD.

The picture quality in good light is great. I actually displayed it on my 60 inch TV and the picture was as good as normal television. I was very impressed with the picture. It was also nice how easy it was to switch aspect rations to either 16:9 (wide-screen) to 4:3 (standard). However as it got darker outside and the light got lower inside I notice much of the "color" from the picture began to fade and the picture became somewhat mono-tone. This seems to be a common complaint for cameras in this price range with low-light.

I took the camera into a dark room (I couldn't see a thing) I turned on the night mode and was very impressed. People and things showed up great in the pitch black. The IR light emitted by the camera was picked up nicely and acted like an flashlight that only the camera would pick up. The subject had to be 5-10 feet away and of course the image was best in the center. The effect was very much like Survivor's night shots, or the Blair Witch Project.

The camera has two modes of operation. Normal node , which allows you to custom set settings like set Focus, Exposure, White Balance, or Effects like Old Film etc or set the settings to Auto. And Easy mode, which lets you basically turn beeping on and off and leaves all settings set to Auto.

The issue I found is in Easy mode the Still Pictures did not work. Also you have to stop recording to switch between Easy and Normal mode. The still photos are a fine quality for considering its a 1 Mega-Pixel camera. I wouldn't recommend using this as your primary still photo camera though its nice to have the option.

The touch screen I found to be somewhat cumbersome since you have to scroll through looking for the choices that you want. So if you want to make a setting change quickly and if you are unfamiliar with the camera it might take a while to find. I also tend to shake the camera some when I use the touchscreen. A nice feature is that you can create your own custom activity list so settings you set frequently are more accessible then those you don't use.

Where I was most disappointed was with the accessories. The standard battery it ships with lasts 1.5 hours, which seems like a reasonable time considering a MiniDV tape only holds 60-90 minutes depending on your setting. But like all batteries the 1.5 is ideal conditions and not real world turning the camera on and off and playing with the features and zooming in and out etc. Additionally the Battery takes an 1 hour and 40 minutes to charge which is surprising. Unfortunately the battery is not the newer ActiForce batteries which charge in approximately 20 minutes (with the actiForce charger).

Also to take still photos you'll need to buy a separate Memory Stick Duo card. (Not a Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo has a smaller form factor). The USB cable that ships with the camera lets you get the Still photos from the camera (attached to the dock) onto your computer. However it does NOT let you get the video. Instead you need a fire-wire cable which is not included. Sony sells this cable for around $40. Belkin makes that cable for around $12. The fire-wire (i.Link) cable only allows you to download video onto your computer (not the still photos). Again you must be attached to the docking station. If your traveling and wish to download to a computer you'll need to bring the docking station with you (it is pretty small but my be a hassle to bring with you). The docking station is one way to charge the camera or you can connect it to the wall with the supplied cables. Unfortunately there is only one power cable for the dock and the camera so if you plan to just bring the power cable you'll have to disconnect it from the docking station.

In short the camera is great just be aware you might be buying some more cables, batteries, chargers, memory sticks or other accessories that will end up affecting your total price of ownership. And that the Sony brand name versions of these accessories can be surprisingly pricey.

my skill level: beginner

I picked up the latest Canon ZR800 from a local store and tried some shooting with it, since there were no reviews of that latest model but i was totally disappointed with the quality video had granulation & the worst part was it has a motor noise which gets dubbed on the tape :(

so i ordered this Sony HC48 & i am really really impressed with the performace, great video quality (no granulation) & sound too. As some of you are curious, it has infrared light which is great plus point for shooting in night time. Infact, when i tried shooting in dark with the NightShot Plus turned on and i tried to put my hand in front of the infrared light, I could see a patch of light on my hand, i was really thrilled by that, seeing its actually a light coming out of the camera. Ofcourse you probably need to use a tripod to shoot in night light for better stability.

Also, it has various other features/modes that i didnt notice in canon. for instance, it has a color mode to bring out colors more effectively in low light, a shooting mode to capture minute objects like insects etc..

I am glad i returned the Canon ZR800 and bought this one

Buy Sony DCR-HC48 1MP MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included) Now

I picked up the Sony DCR-HC48 Handycam just three days before heading out for a southern California vacation (had to replace my Panasonic from 2002 because it just wasn't cutting it anymore).

I was expecting about the same picture quality I was used to with my old Panasonic DV-103, boy was I wrong. After returning home from a week in the sun and editing the footage with Premiere Elements 3.0 and burning the finished product to DVD I was astonished. I have never seen such detail in a home movie in my life. The colors were so vibrant I thought maybe I had hit a time warp and ended up back in Hollywood. Truly an amazing camera. Even the paltry sized battery that was included with the unit lasted a fairly reasonable amount of time.

As a general warning to those in the market for a new camcorder I'll include the follwing side note:

My friend, who was with me in Cali, was also shooting with a Sony camcorder. However the unit he was using was the Sony DCR-SR62 HDD Handycam. After attempting to edit the footage on his PC and burning a DVD, the scenes were of poor quality...very shakey with tracers trailing every movement in the frame.

This is (from what I understand) because of the MPEG 2 files HDD (and DVD) camcorders use. Apparantly these files are useless to edit with because of the degradation involved in encoding and transfering MPEG 2s on a PC.

Too bad...wish someone had told my friend that before the trip.

For now anyone who is intresting in editing their video footage on a PC should stick with MiniDV camcorders. I highly recommend the Sony DCR-HC48 Handycam as a quality consumer level camcorder with a decent price tag (especially online).

Neccasary Accessories:

bigger battery (I recommend the Sony NPFH70 H Series)

carrying case

The Sony VF-30CPKXS 30mm Polarizing Filter Kit with protective lens cover (this may seem like an excessive accessory for some but when shooting at Santa Monica Beach I got a tremendous amount of sea breeze on the lens, which had me stopping at the local Office Depot for a lens cleaning kit. A bit frustrating considering I'd owned the camera for less than a week).

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCR-HC48 1MP MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included) Here

I hope to give a more in depth review later, but wanted to be sure to make it clear to everyone that a Firewire cable (the so-called iLink) is not included with this product.

The camera itself is intuitive and easy to use out of the box but also highly customizable. The video and sound quality are excellent, and the LCD screen is gorgeous and uses touch screen buttons in addition to the button bar beneath it. But Sony has a way of making fantastic products and then alienating the purchasers of those products (a la the PS3). So understand that in order to do the very basic and essential task of transferring your DV images to your computer requires you to shell out $35-70 more to buy a Firewire cable. The provided USB cable is for transferring stills from the Memory Stick only. Thus, this camera can only receive 4 stars due to Sony's cheap skate approach. Caveat emptor...

Want Sony DCR-HC48 1MP MiniDV Handycam Camcorder with 25x Optical Zoom (Handycam Station Included) Discount?

Purchased this for my husband we are both happy with the Camcorder. We originally bought a Panasonic upon a friend's recommendation NOT HAPPY WITH PANASONIC! Compared to the Panasonic, the Sony is far more superior: easier to use, lighter, and most importantly MUCH BETTER PICTURE QUALITY AND IMAGE STABILIZATION FEATURE.

Sharp Aquos LC46D64U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV

• 46" HDTV LCD-TV with Full HD 1080p resolution
• 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• 4ms Response Time
• Feature at least two HDMI inputs, a PC input
• RS-232C Input for control

If you want a 46" HDTV, buy this one!

I had a Sharp LC42D62U and then upgraded to the LC46D64U recently; the original LCD was great but there are several improvements made to the new 64 series. The 64 series LCD's are incredibly slim and have a smaller bezel. They really look awesome wall-mounted due to the small profile. No other LCD is currently available that is this slim and has this picture quality. The 64 series TV's also add several tone and picture corrections, an analog PC input, a USB 2.0 port for firmware upgrades, an RS-232 control port and three HDMI 1.3 inputs. The picture quality actually seems to be slightly better which is amazing because the 62 series looked fantastic (specifications indicate a better backlight system).

I am a professional AV systems design engineer and part of my job is to keep up on new TVs. This unit is currently the best we've seen for a consumer model and we specify it all the time. I highly recommend this unit or any of the 64 series.

Buy Sharp Aquos LC46D64U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Now

Compared to Samsung 1080p with tons of reviews and which I returned simply because of lack of picture formats this TV rocks.

In short, Samsung provide you with great and bright LCD panels but with zero technology. so a letterbox directtv movie on a 32 inch Samsung will be actually 22" viewing area on the screen. Try to use the picture formats such as wide and zoom and you get blurry and distorted picture which is to me impossible to view. This is were Sharp step up with it's technology. Picture formats are all viewable so you can super stretch a 4:3 picture without almost any distortion. The only con is lack of brightness (450 nits compare to 500-550 in other popular LCDs) but the blacks are superior. You can increase the brightness by playing with the contrast to full but then it is not like the Samsung whites but less eye soaring. I found that the Samsung brightness is great but after a while watching it sores on your eyes and the Sharp auto dimming feature is great for movies and it is fully controlled by the user.

Aside to that, this TV is probably the thinnest and idle for hanging on the wall. The connections on the back are extremely well thought after for wall hanging. It seems that what people complaint about in the previous models in series 62U is now fully addressed in the 64U.

I am perfectionist and recommend this TV. Most of my comparisons were for regular directtv broadcast.

HDTV and DVDs shows naturally prefect. The colors are well defined as oppose to Samsung and you have tons of options to program it to your taste. Sound from these little speakers is the best comparing to not a few LCDs I had. Very well done!

It needed 2-3 days to break-in and some customization. It is professional TV for professional users but very user friendly and within no time anybody can easily program the brightness, contrast, color and other cool features to its liking. This TV is also ready for the future and I find the 46" great size and very well balanced.

Read Best Reviews of Sharp Aquos LC46D64U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Here

I bought this Tv on Balck Friday at Best Buy at 50%. I didn't stand in line for 2 days but i went to check out if anything was left at 7AM.

I needed to buy HDTV only so i went straight there. I saw this TV up on the wall and right next to it was Samsung 46"@ $2200+ and this was reduced to $1399. I compared these 2 & Sony(3rd in line). This won me over as i found Shark's eye(Video being played) was richest Black on this TV then Samsung & Sony.

Its beautifull to look at.

Got it at home now installed & running for more than a week.

I hooked it up to my PS3 with 3Pin cable and results were amazing .. I ordered HDMI cable 2 days back and can't wait to check out the picture with HDMI connection.

PROS:

1. Price, BEAUTIFUL & sleek finish with silver speakers at bottom.

2. Picture Qaulity is SHARP & rich. Colours are Vivid, BLACK is Deep black.

3. Easy to setup, thin like 4 pancakes, stcaked.

4. Regular DVDs/Video games look alive on this TV.

5. Tons of HDMI & other connectivty ports.

CONS:

1. Remote is too big.

2. Caliberation is not easy to do & i could find much help online as well.

3. I'm skeptical about Banding Issues(as i have read it all over the net for this TV) Although I've not seen any yet but i'm afraid it might show up on any fine day.

4. TV Speakers are disappointment.

Overall I'm very PLEASED with this product. I recommend this to anyone who's looking to buy a Great 1080P 46 inches TV.

Want Sharp Aquos LC46D64U 46-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV Discount?

This TV has pretty good picture quality, a slick design, and intuitive menu, however all this is ruined by a major design flaw -BANDING. Google "sharp acquos banding" is you don't know what I'm referring to. It's basically horizontal and vertical bands of uneven uniformity on the screen. Shows itself the most during panning shots (hockey games, wall pans on HGTV, etc., etc.) It's too bad, because I really liked this TV, but the banding ruined it and I ended up returning it. Bought the Samsung 46A550 instead and it is by far a much better set. (And cheaper too through Amazon.)

I had always spent the extra money on buying TV's with the Sony models. Sony TV's for me had always been great. I decided to go with Sharp because I knew this TV was going to be on sale at a brick and mortar store for Black Friday and wanted to save money this go around. So I went to the store to check out the TV before the sale to see if it would be worth getting up early. After conversing with the sales person and seeing the picture and comparing the picture to the other TV's there it was a no-brainer. I probably would have paid more for this TV. It is awesome. I play playstation 3 games in 1080p and blue ray dvd's and what a picture. Its awesome. The sales guy actually talked up the Sharp which was less expensive than the Samsung and LG tv's. You can't go wrong with this TV.

Sanyo Incognito Prepaid Phone (Boost Mobile)

Bottom Line: a good phone at a reasonable price if you do a lot of mobile e-mail and prefer a physical keyboard. It is as useful for e-mail as a Blackberry, at a much lower price.

I wanted a cell phone that had a large physical keyboard for writing e-mail when I am away from my computer. The Sanyo Incognito has the largest physical keyboard that I have seen on a pocket size phone and it is easy to write even a lengthy e-mail at a good speed.

I have service through Boost/Sprint and have had no problem getting a strong signal, even indoors, in the Houston, Texas area. The Boost version of the Incognito comes with a good app for texting, and it took just seconds to set up my Gmail e-mail account.

The Incognito can be used as a phone with the cover closed. It is an invisible touchscreen until you release the screen lock...then it lights up so you can dial a number. I have set mine to auto re-lock so that the phone doesn't dial numbers while sitting in my pocket...so I have to remember to release the screen lock to answer incoming calls. It also works well as a speaker phone. Open up the phone (it looks like a mini-netbook computer when opened) and you can use voice recognition to call numbers in your contact list. The speaker phone mode works well even if I am five or six feet away from the phone.

The internet browser included with the Boost version of the Incognito is very basic. It works best by setting all of your favorite websites as "Favorites". That way, you can go directly to websites instead of through the clunky browser. I also downloaded the Opera Mini 5 browser and installed it as an app. It works well with many websites, such as ESPN or Google News. Some websites connect as "mini" version formatted to fit a phone screen. Others connect as the full-zize version, and Opera lets you scan across the page and then zoom in to the section you want to read. Opera would not let me enter numbers from the Incognito. The basic Incognito browser would let me enter numbers, such as entering a password for my Amazon.com account.

Videos from YouTube work well, but the Boost Incognito will not play video at sites such as the New York Times because it can not use Adobe Flash.

You can buy a mini-SD card to transfer songs from your computer to the Incognito. It has a very basic camera without a flash. You must open the phone into its "mini-computer" configuration to use the camera and the lens is positioned where your hand is sure to get in the way. That makes the camera pretty much useless.

If your primary use for a cell phone is mobile e-mail, the Incognito is a good alternative to a Blackberry, at a much lower price.

This was our first foray into Boost Mobile space to take advantage of the very reasonable all-you-can-eat service (web, talk, text) rates. The phone was chosen because of the advertised touch surface and fold out keyboard with a full color internal screen for web and texting, pics. The experience of using the phone when closed takes a bit of a acclimation period. The numbers fade out of view after a certain time which can be perplexing on any manufacturer/utility company's support line (Press 1 for English now). The calls were clear and sounded great. The main use for the phone was texting which was a joy with this keyboard. It provides solid feedback when keying in a reply and the spacing between the keys helps for accurate input. The built in web browser and default menu choices on the phone are fine but we opted to install Opera's Mini web browser for a much faster and modern look and feel to browsing (use the directional arrows on the keypad and the two main buttons under the screen for most actions). The biggest drawback is the somewhat plastic feel of the body, we invested in a screen protector for the outside face (recommended) and internal screen. Overall a solid phone!

Buy Sanyo Incognito Prepaid Phone (Boost Mobile) Now

I had this phone for 7 months before the charger spot quit working and the phone was useless. However that being said it is a great phone. It plays youtube videos and has an mp3 player built in. Sound is good too. For $50 a month it was great. Im buying another one to replace the broken one so its well worth the $100 or less to buy this phone. And we live in the middle of no where and get great signal.

Read Best Reviews of Sanyo Incognito Prepaid Phone (Boost Mobile) Here

I've had this phone for a little under a year. It really is a good phone, sturdy, reliable. It has AIM, Yahoo, and MSN along with Email and Youtube.

I bought it when it was relatively new and a bit more expensive then it is now.

Overall, Good phone for a good price.

Want Sanyo Incognito Prepaid Phone (Boost Mobile) Discount?

This phone has a fantastic keyboard and loads Youtube videos and Facebook very quickly, making it useful when you're bored and want to kill time. However, the phone isn't too great when it comes to doing what phones are supposed to do: making phone calls.

The touchpad disappears and has to be controlled by the user. I've missed quite a few calls because I didn't get the touchpad to appear quickly enough or had it fail to respond when I pressed the answer button. Going through an automated system is a nuisance with this phone because of how fincky the keypad is. It is very sensitive to smudges and sweat on the keypad, and won't work too well if either are present making it a less than ideal phone for Florida in the summer which is what led me to replace it after a short 4 months.

My phone also had frequent "system errors" when I closed the slide out keyboard and took several minutes to recover.

This phone also had really really lousy service, even for a Boost phone. We live in a semi-rural area and my husband's (also boost but different model) phone had significantly better signal virtually everywhere we went except right in the middle of town.

All in all, for 80 dollars, I was not happy with the phone and wanted to get rid of it within a month of purchase.

Samson Meteor Mic USB Studio Microphone (Cardioid)

• Large (25mm) diaphragm condenser for rich audio recording
• Cardioid pickup pattern
• Smooth, flat frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz
• CD quality, 16-bit, 44.1/48kHz resolution
• Fold-back leg design provides optimal mic positioning

This is a great workhorse mic for multiple types of use.

I am a private voice instructor, and also give music lessons on multiple instruments. I mainly teach in my studio, but I do travel to student's houses as well, and always have this mic with me. It comes in a nice carrying case, but I carry it in the solid box it came in just as an extra precaution.

I record lessons as practice tools for my students, and also as a reference tool for myself, to see where I can improve my teaching methods.

The Meteor works great on the iPad for this function, (with the USB camera adaptor). It also shows up immediately on the MacBook Pro, whether opening Logic, Garageband, etc.

I read a review that said that there was trouble connecting to iChat. I had no trouble connecting with iChat or any other audio/visual based communication app. The Meteor comes with a headphone jack to monitor your voice while recording/talking, and you can manage the input/output settings in the apple menu preferences, and/or in the application preferences.

This is one of several smaller mics I have tried for the iPad, and is the only one that stands not only the test of time. It doesn't break down within weeks, (like the 3 iRig mics I have had in the last 6 months), but it is a vast improvement over the already excellent built in iPad mic. HIghly recommended.

Buy Samson Meteor Mic USB Studio Microphone (Cardioid) Now

I got this mic to go along with my iPad and it sounds great! I use the pro version of FiRe to record the sounds with. I had originally planned to use my Blue Microphone Yeti with my iPad but to do you need an external powered USB source (like a hub). Well, that killed that portability idea. So after I read online reviews of this Samson Meteor mic, I gave it a try and am glad I did. My Yeti sits at home while my Meteor goes with me everywhere. If I did not have the Yeti already, I would only own this Meteor.

Read Best Reviews of Samson Meteor Mic USB Studio Microphone (Cardioid) Here

Perhaps more than anything else, it was the introduction and subsequent success of the Zoom H2 personal digital recorder that led to an explosion of interest among home audiophiles, who suddenly found themselves equipped to make quasi-professional-level recordings with their computers plus a minimum of user-friendly equipment at reasonable prices. The price of the Samson Meteor USB mic, a fairly recent entry, has come down to the point of being fairly valued (initially, I was seeing it going for prices above the better-sounding Blue Yeti mic). It's an attractive (some would say "cute") little mic with its quaint "retro" design and deceptively fold-up, portable size. I say "deceptive" because, due to the non-adjustable mic stand, it can be more than a little challenging to find space for it on a desktop, next to a computer, and squarely in front of the narrator's mouth.

Bearing in mind the above reservation along with the actual quality of the recorded sound (it's good, but nowhere close to studio-quality), it would seem to make the most sense for those seeking "high fidelity" audio to spend the extra 20% for a Blue Yeti or an Audio Technica AT2020 USB (as tempting as the lower price of the non-USB version of the AT2020 is, be sure to try it out with a pre-amp supplying phantom power before going that route. I've known a couple of individuals who ordered the AT2020 condenser mic, only to discover that it was useless with a computer, even with the addition of a Snake Light cable).

If your primary considerations are convenience and portability, the Samson Go mic sounds almost as good as the Meteor and is unmatched in size, convenience and portability. (It scored higher than the Blue Mikey and Blue Snowflake in my auditions.) I'm tempted to say it's the perfect laptop mic, clipping to the top cover more securely than the Snowflake, whereas the Yeti is ideal for desktop use, producing rich-sounding recordings rivaling those of a professional studio's Shure SM7B mics.

Want Samson Meteor Mic USB Studio Microphone (Cardioid) Discount?

I have been using this mic along with the Meteor multi-track recorder app (I don't believe they are connected in any way). It works great. I am sure that it would work with any of the other multi-tracking apps, like Garage Band or Multitrack DAW. I can use the camera connection kit and connect directly to the iPad. It also has a stereo mini jack for real time monitoring which is great. It is a well built, well designed mic and I carry it with me to use when I am on the road.

Save 53% Off

Some of us are looking for recording solutions that are simple to use. We're not sound engineers or experts in electronics. If that's you, check out the Samson Meteor Mic.

Here's why:

#1 The Meteor Mic is simple to use. It connects directly to your computer or iPad via USB. No driver required. Simply plug it in and play. I was up and running within minutes. All I had to do was to go into my system preferences and select the Meteor Mic as my audio input. Then I opened Garage Band and started recording.

#2 The sound quality is great. The Meteor Mic features a 25mm condenser diaphragm, which is larger than other USB mics. My recordings came out very good when I spoke within 3-6" of the microphone. There was no background noise and the recording was clear and understandable. I did notice, however, that as I pulled away, it caused a slight echo. If you're going to do a lot of recording, you'll probably want to invest in a stand. The Meteor Mic has a built-in 5/8" thread mount for a stand.

#3 -It's fun! The zinc, chrome-plated body with LED lights and fold-back legs is very retro looking. Cool to look at and it's portable.

The Meteor Mic is compatible with Garage Band and is ideal for Skype voice recognition software, podcasting and recording music.

Pyle Home PTCDS2UI AM/FM Radio/CD/Cassette/USB Classic Turntable with iPod Dock

• The USB is not included in the box.
• Phono/Radio/CD player/USB record/CassetteAM/FM Radio - Ceramic stereo cartridge - 2 speaker
• Front loading,single CD, drawer type - Auto return - AC Power
• CD/MP3/CD-R/CD-RW discs compatible - Audio output power: 2.5W(max) - Dimensions: 20.08"X13.39"X8.86"
• USB record - iPod player
• 3 speed turntable 33-1/3, 45, 78 RPM - Remote control for CD/USB

I've been so stoked since I got this, it looks vintage, sounds modern, has every way of playing music that I need. Check out the video if you want to hear itit sounds really clear and full, no distorting or vibrating from the cabinet. It's an old-school lookin' set up with all the perks of modern featuresit's awesome, and I could not be happier with how good it sounds.

Buy Pyle Home PTCDS2UI AM/FM Radio/CD/Cassette/USB Classic Turntable with iPod Dock Now

I purchased this for Christmas this year since I own quite a few records. While not overwhelming, the sound is good from all forms of media (tape, cd, record, and mp3). I have yet to try and pull data onto mp3s on my computer through the USB connection, but I was a bit surprised that there was no software provided with the system in order to do so. All in all, I feel it has been worth the price paid so far.

Read Best Reviews of Pyle Home PTCDS2UI AM/FM Radio/CD/Cassette/USB Classic Turntable with iPod Dock Here

I purchased this a month ago, mostly for the purpose of converting my large collection of cassette tapes to digital. Unfortunately, the weakest part of this system is the tape player. It has a puny motor that won't turn anything but the newest of tapes and there is no reverse button. Also, there is no way to regulate the input level, so some tapes won't make good copies. I found a workaround (using a different tape player plugged into auxillary) but that doesn't speak well for this system.

Also, the record feature does not give a good indication when the recording is actually starting. It took me numerous attempts to get a good recording that didn't cut off the first few seconds of the song.

Sound is pretty good though and recording directly to flash drive is a big help.

The instruction manual is about five pages long with no index. Very difficult to use.

Want Pyle Home PTCDS2UI AM/FM Radio/CD/Cassette/USB Classic Turntable with iPod Dock Discount?

I ordered this in hopes that it would make my LPs sound great, and it does. My only complaint is that it is very cheap-looking for something so expensive. Even though it works just fine, I get the feeling that the tape player will stop working at any minute and I dislike how the lid on top of the phonograph player doesn't lift very high. This makes it hard to see the speed settings for your records. I had to shine my cell phone light in there just to read it! Overall, the CD player works great, I love the little remote control, and the speakers sound fine, and I have yet to use the USB/iPod features, but I'm sure they're well worth the price of the product.

Save 66% Off

Bought this for my wife and her collection of albums from back-in-the-day. Playback is outstanding and was expected from such a tech vendor like Pyle. They are known for great sound. The ability to dock an MP3 player, play/burn CDs and pop in the dusty cassette tapes are also a major plus.Setup is plugging in the power... Easy to use, beautiful finish which is real wood(not particle board like some others) and exceeds my initial expectations. If you are on the fence about which brand, I will tell you that our family and guests have been enjoying loving it. Enjoy!!

Lorex LH1361001C16B Eco2 Security Camera System with 16 Super+ Resolution Cameras (Black)

Just set this up .. and have to say Not bad for the money!

The web interface is really nice .. better then most expensive DVR'S

The Cameras are OK .. They do not seem to be what they state for the 660TV lines of resolution!

The cameras switch automatically to black and white in low light.

However seem to switch to black and white even if there is a lot of light.

Easy to setup .. nice unit .. cool interface .. low cost!

So over all I would say get it!

Save 29% Off

7-inch Nexxtech 16:9 TFT LCD Portable DVD/CD Player

• Portable / 7" TFT LCD screen / Widescreen (16:9) / Region 1 / Supports CD and JPEG
• Kodak Picture CD compatibility / Built-in stereo speakers
• Multi-format playback: DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/+RW, CD, CD-R/RW and JPEG
• Electronic Shock Protection / Dolby Digital decoding

The item arrived in good time but the battery was not fuctional when you tried to charge it . the charger worked when it was connected to the player, but without the battery it was not portable.I contacted the seller who said it worked when she shipped it so the fault was not on her part. She thought I didn't know how to use it.

Buy 7-inch Nexxtech 16:9 TFT LCD Portable DVD/CD Player Now

We've had this product for 3 years now. We use it for our (now 5 year old) son while traveling. The battery life only lasts us about 1 hour when fully charged. That is my only beef. But it comes with a car charger and an ac adapter. We bought a power inverter that kind of acts as an extension cord to get this thing to the back seat and in my son's lap (on top of a pillow). That way if we have an extra long trip that is longer than an hourwe can just plug right in to the cigarette lighter. It has headphone jack and you can plug it right in to any sound system or TVso you can use it as a regular DVD viewing back up when your regular DVD player goes broke. Ours was VERY VERY durable. It's slide off my son's lap a few times and hit the floor of the car. It's still intact and in perfect working order. I think it's a great buy. We use it while doing laundry at the laundry mat too. It's saved us from many a grey hair.

Audio Technica AT9910 | Stereo Plug-in Microphone ( Japan Import )

• Element: Stereo Electret Condenser | Polar Pattern: Unidirectional | Frequency Response: 70-16,000 Hz
• Sensitivity: -39dB (11.2 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa | Impedance: 1,500ohms | Power Supply: Battery: Plug in Power
• Dimensions: 58mm(H) x 58mm(W) x 20mm(D) | Weight: 16g
• Connector: ?3.5 mm L-type gold-plated stereo mini jack
• Accessories: Ring Stopper

I needed a mike to record interviews and events in the field: it gives professional quality recording in stereo in conjunction with an iPhone 5 or an iPad, and the Tascam ixJ2. That combination is a killer!

Save 35% Off

Sony Cybershot DSCW150/R 8.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot (Red)

Let me start with stating that most point and shoot cameras are compromise on various basic performance parameters. I bought this camera for my wife for whom any feature beyond the basic auto mode is unnecessary. For a point and shoot it has lots of very advanced features typically available in dslr or prosumer cameras. I am talking about things like bracketing( takes pictures at different exposure level), dynamic range optimizer and my favorite live histogram. Let me summarize its positives and negatives:

Wide angle lens 30mm to 150mm (5x zoom)

Image stabilizer is very good, I have taken very good pictures at 1/4sec & iso 100. Basically it will let you take good pictures at low iso(to avoid noise), where you can not use flash.

-DRO (dynamic range optimizer): Autmatically adjusts for a balance between highlight & shadows, two different levels of DRO available

Live histogram: I have this feature in my nikon 8400 (prosumer camera)and is very useful for adjusting exposure in extreme lighting conditions e.g. daylight scenery in Yosemite, Bryce. Metering systems of most cameras can not keep up with such extreme lighting conditions.

Three levels for flash. Soft flash for closeups, standard, flash+ for far away objects.

Colors: It has very bright and saturated colors even in basic color mode. If you are mainly going to use it take pictures of kids, you may like prints from it. I am used to subdued colors of Nikon.

Now the negatives, some of which could be a problem for someone.

In auto mode, it pushes up the iso to 400 therefore producing grainy pictures.

Flash is underpowered, stated range is 4.3m. I would stick to half that distance for decent pictures.

You can restrict the iso to below 200 to keep noise low. I have found that even at iso of 100 the detail in pictures is not that good. My theory is that it has a very strong noise reduction algorithm at all iso's. If you are mainly going to take 4x6 pictures this might not be an issue for you.

I hope this review is useful in your decision making.

I purchased this camera as soon as it was made available April 28, 2008.

I think this camera is perfect. It takes great pictures all on its own. There is no need for you to know about the aperture, focal length, lighting, ISO settings, etc. Simply put the camera in easy or auto mode and shoot to your heart's content. The picture colors are amazingly accurate and vibrant.

The smile shutter feature is pretty cool also. Simply put the camera in smile mode push down the shutter once and wait for your subject to smile. You'll be able to take six smile shots without having to press the shutter button.

Another cool feature is the in camera editing. Say a subject did not smile as big as you had hoped, you are able to go into the editing feature in the camera and make the smile more evident. To me, that's cool! You are also able to remove redeye, sharpen the picture and crop the picture all by using the camera. You no longer have to upload them to the computer to do these fixes.

The battery life is very good and you don't even need a memory stick to shoot up to 10 pictures because of the installed 15 MB of memory. It's not a whole lot, but it helps if you are in a pinch for a shot and a memory card is not handy.

The screen is very clear and very large. The colors are accurate and very bright. The camera is lightweight yet not flimsy. It feels like a solidly built camera.

I really haven't seen anything to complain about. I think everything this camera offers for the price is well worth it. I am very happy with the black color as well. I think Black goes with everything and that's why I didn't choose a different color.

If you are on the fence about this camera, I can just say that my experience has been very positive and I think yours will be as well.

Buy Sony Cybershot DSCW150/R 8.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot (Red) Now

This camera is great compared to many many many similarly priced cameras I tried out. It takes pictures really fast and is ready for the next one very quickly too. These were big considerations when I was shopping around and this one is the fastest. The camera takes great pictures with the automatic settings compared to others that didn't seem to know when flash or other adjustments should have been necessary/unnecessary. The smile shutter is cool but I don't think I'll use it often. The 5x zoom is great. The in camera image alteration is neat too, especially the feature to make people appear smiling. Good for a lot of laughs. The rechargeable battery seems to be holding up well. I love the deep red but the sheen makes it appear pink in some lights. It looks bigger than other cameras but really is at most only 2-3 mm wider than the canon elph sd1100/750.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Cybershot DSCW150/R 8.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot (Red) Here

Before I decided to buy the Sony Cybershot DSC W150, I really looked into many cameras and models. The big factors I was looking for: compact in size, optical or electronic viewfinder, 5x or more optical zoom, adjustable LCD display (LCD screen that folds out and can be adjusted to be viewed from different angles or closed towards the camera to protect it).

This camera is comparable in size to the Canon elph series, which is great for factor 1.

A basic optical viewfinder is present on the camera which although doesn't have any special features (it's not an EVF and is on the small side) is great to have for shooting in bright sunlight and saving battery power. I can't stand cameras that don't have a viewfinder and absolutely refuse to buy a camera without one, which unfortunately ruled out many compacts currently on the market. Factor 2 good enough to me.

Camera has a 5x Optical zoom which as of this review is starting to get more popular with the compacts for many companies. There is a 2x Digital zoom also, which I felt would have been better as a 4x or higher Digital zoom but not too big of a deal since the Optical zoom is what really matters. Factor 3, check for the Cybershot.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a compact that had an adjustable LCD display, which is disappointing because I've gotten so used to having one on my Canon Powershot A95. The only thing that might be sacrificed with an adjustable LCD display is the screen size, which unfortunately so many camera makers seem to be focusing on having huge energy draining screens. So I compromised on this factor and went with the Cybershot DSC W150 with it's non adjustable 2.7" screen.

As for shooting modes, they're not too different (if at all) than other typical point and shoot cameras on the market, and more or less function the same. The in-camera editing features are pretty cool and can add some style and effects to your pics.

As usual, there are many accessories that don't come included such as a telephoto lens (VCL-D2046), a wide angle lens (VCL-D0746), the adaptor ring for these lenses (VAD-WE), a silicon camera jacket (LCJ-WA) and even more such as a better not included battery and battery charger, adapter and camera protective cases. I think they really should have included the silicon camera jacket with the camera instead of selling it for around $25-30 each, it is just a protective case of silicon, after all...

Overall, I'm satisfied with this camera and enjoy using it, but I still think there is a lot of room for improvement within the compact point and shoot camera line for all companies, and hope that not all companies will continue to go the path of bigger LCD screens and getting rid of traditional camera features such as a viewfinder.

Want Sony Cybershot DSCW150/R 8.1MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom with Super Steady Shot (Red) Discount?

We own two-a silver and a red cybershot, so that my wife and I will be able to take the photos we want particularly on an upcoming Galapagos cruise. The large LCD screen is bright in near-direct to direct sunlight, something that is completely lacking in my 2-year old Pentax Optio 6mp and one reason for buying this camera. Continuous shutter speed is fast for moving objects-again something totally lacking in the Pentax which has very slow shutter speed and produces nothing but blurs for moving objects. The large optical zoom is another plus. So far, nice pictures are produced in low light with and without flash and the Smile feature is interesting and works. It has 2 menus. The "Home Menu", which is not the easiest to navigate, provides options like varying iso, smile, continuous shutter, etc. The hard copy operating manual that comes with the camera provides the basics; the software CD manual provides sufficient detail tho it would have been nice to have that in its 130-page hard copy version. Battery takes about 4-5 hours to recharge which is about the same as my for my Pentax but the charger is more compact and plugs in the wall rather than requiring a bulkier cord attachment. Cost downsides are the proprietary memory stick-duo--a 2gb which my camera onscreen indicates will be good for 800+ pics at the third or mid-range pixel setting good for 4X6 and larger, typically runs $20-25 and proprietary battery which in its o.e.m. version can be bought for about $15--about the same cost as aftermarket lithium batteries for my Pentax and more costly than the AA batteries used in a 1-year old Casio ExLim7mp that stopped working for no discernible reason and was not worth repairing. A U.K. camera review for the Sony says that this sony will take more than 2x the pics of an equivalent Canon elph before the battery has too be recharged-we'll see. I went with an extra proprietary battery becuase an aftermarket battery,costing a few dollars less, produced a "no signal" message" on both cameras despite its being advertised as compatible with this model.

Night Owl Security LTE-DVR8 DVR with Smart Viewing

• View your cameras anywhere in the world from your smartphone or tablet
• Compatible with all 3.5-Inch. SATA HDD (up to 2 TB)
• Free "Night Owl Lite" application

I got this to replace a 7-year old Honeywell DVR that was no longer sending video. My cameras were already in place. As another reviewer noted, there is no real secure place to mount your hard drive. I used stick-on velcro. So far, so good. Hooking up the cameras and connecting the unit to a monitor, and setting it up to record, was super simple. The internet interface was harder. The big thing that's not clear from the manual is when you change things (IE, input IP addresses and passwords) you have to reboot the DVR. This is not obvious because you get a nice message saying your changes have been saved, but then it still doesn't work. Once you get the right info inputted, and saved, and you reboot, everything is fine. The app for phone viewing (I have an android phone and my husband has an iphone) works great. I did send a couple of questions to tech support by email and got reasonably prompt and helpful responses.

Buy Night Owl Security LTE-DVR8 DVR with Smart Viewing Now

bought zomodo before this unit, had to return unit trouble with some of the channels from the beginning. Replaced the zomodo with a night owl, been using for 2 months with great results, would recommend this unit. Sets up very easy without the instructions. I purchased without a hard drive, no problems installing a hd. It will accept any HD.

Read Best Reviews of Night Owl Security LTE-DVR8 DVR with Smart Viewing Here

When I received this DVR, I opened the case to install the hard drive, and discovered that there was nothing in the case or inside the shipping box for mounting the hard drive, just a few smudges on the case wall. The SATA cables were there, yes, but that left the hard drive free to bounce around inside the case. Surely I could expect brackets and screws for installing an HDD?

And if they couldn't get this right, could I really expect the product itself to last?

Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter (Black)

I have been using the Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter for about three weeks. During that time I have used it in 18 one hour lectures. The presenter does everything it was designed to do effortlessly. I decided on the Logitech Presenter for a two reasons. First, it installs with no software. Just plug the USB radio transmitter/receiver into the back of your computer and it is ready to go. During my initial installation Windows XP said there was a problem, but everything operated just fine. Second, this presenter has a limited number of functions. It was my view that when giving a lecture the last thing you need is to have to hunt among a dozen or so buttons to do something. Also, more buttons increases the likelihood of hitting the wrong one. On the top the Logitech Presenter has 5 buttons: 1) forward, 2) back, 3) laser pointer which is between the forward and back, 4) F5/ESC which starts PowerPoint at the first slide or returns to the work view and 5) black the screen. All of the buttons are conveniently placed, work as promised and are easy to find without looking at them. On the left side is the on/off switch and volume control and on the right side is the button to set the countdown timer. The timer starts vibrating at set intervals 5 minutes before it reaches 0. It appears to use batteries sparingly. After about 18 hours of use the battery meter has yet to move.

There are two possible negatives to the Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter. First, it has no mouse (I actually consider this a positive). So if you need to use a mouse in your presentations this is not the presenter to get. Second, it only appears to work with PowerPoint. It may work with other programs, but I have found no mention of it.

Based on the above review and the fact that the machine does exactly what it was designed to do, I give the presenter 5 stars. However, before purchasing one you need to decide if you really need its capabilities. If you regularly teach/make presentations in a large room it no doubt is handy. As Logitech advertises, the range is at least 50 feet. If you always present in a small room, the Logitech Cordless 2.4 GHz Presenter is really of little advantage. Nevertheless, it is cool to be able to change slides away from the projector. Perhaps the determining factor should be who is making the purchase. If your employer is springing for one, get it. If it is coming out of your pocket, consider carefully.

I purchased this about two weeks ago, and have already used it several times. I'm just wrapping up my graduate education, and wish I knew about this sooner. If you present in teams, and usually have someone controlling the slides, you know how its difficult to sync your presentation with the other person. The Logitech Presenter puts the control into your hands. This also allows you to step away from the computer, and focus on the actual presentation than changing the slides.

This unit does the following:

start presentation/exit presentation

black out the screen (good for when you want to have people focus their attention on you instead of the slides)

forward/back, to navigate through slides

volume control

laser pointer

time limit notification (warnings at 5 mins and 2 mins)

Also comes with a compact fabric case.

Contrary to what a previous reviewer stated, this receiver is NOT a USB bluetooth receiver. It is only USB, and transmits at a 2.4 GHz frequency.

As some others have stated, this is NOT a mouse. The more expensive Logitech Presenter (that costs over $150) can double as a mouse.

I have only utilized the Presenter with PowerPoint. I do not know if it is compatible with other presentation software.

Pros:

The buttons are well positioned making it very easy to learn.

very light, fits comfortably in hand

the usb receiver is compact, and can be stored within the Presenter. I like the fact that it is so compact because on certain laptops, the USB slots are stacked on top of one another. With some other over-sized USB cords/receivers, it can cause trouble connecting both simultaneously. The compactness of the receiver is perfect!

battery indicator

comes with batteries

the laser pointer can double as a toy to play with a cat. my cat chases the red laserbeam all around the room. who knew the Presenter could be so much fun? :)

Cons:

time limit notifications can only be increased in 5 minute increments.

the USB receiver can easily be put into the Presenter in the wrong way, making it somewhat difficult to take out.

did not work on a couple older laptops. They were both running WinXP. However, these could be isolated incidents.

Took at least 30 seconds on new systems for the Presenter to be recognized and set up.

No resume feature

The fabric case should have come with a belt clip

I took the Logitech Presenter to class, and fellow classmates loved it so much they all wanted to use it. They were able to learn it on the fly. This unit is money well spent!

Buy Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter (Black) Now

I've owned 3 other remote clickers, and this one is the best by far. For starters, it uses AAA batteries which are easy to procure and replace, whereas other models use those little quarter-size batteries that require a special trip to Radio Shack to buy. Plus, AAA's hold more juice to begin with, AND this clicker has an on/off switch, whereas others turn off on their own after time without use, meaning after they drain the battery! The transmitter on this clicker has plenty of power to reach the back of the computer/USB receiver stub from long distances, whereas others require the presenter to be close to the computer because they transmit a weak signal. The form factor of this one is perfect in your hand and the buttons are easily used, even by people unfamilar with it -it's very intuitive. It has a very useful timer/clock that allows me to watch how much time I have left to finish my presentation -it will also vibrate in my hand with 5 minutes to go, 2 minutes to go, and when my time is up. It allows me to add more time on the fly. This remote clicker is absolutely perfect in every way, and I can't tell you how many colleagues have purchased one after they tried mine. Don't waste your money on anything else -they really got it right in all the human factors/UI aspects and all the engineering aspects when they made this.

Read Best Reviews of Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter (Black) Here

My husband "bought me" the other Logitech cordless presenter (which costs about 3x as much as this one) a year or so ago because, as a high school teacher, I often use PowerPoint to teach new lessons and to show photos of unfamiliar events or references in literature. The truth is, I took the thing to school once before he hijacked it for his own laptop/flat screen combination and used it as a glorified cordless mouse, with laser pointer.

Honestly, this little thing is a lot more convenient than the other one for use in a classroom, and the reduced cost makes me less concerned about it "getting jacked" by one of my well-meaning but sometimes-misdirected students. It doesn't have the cordless mouse functionality, so I can't switch between programs. It's pretty much only functional for use with PowerPoint, but that's fine for me. I can now move around my classroom freely, switching back and forth between slides and pointing out specific things on the screen without having to be right next to my computer. It helps to be able to spot-check my students' progress and walk the room, and students everywhere are just more attentive when they see presenters who can actually move more than in just a 5-inch radius. I also love being able to "black screen" the TV at certain points (to answer questions, to address side issues, at the end of the presentation) without having to interrupt my presentation/presence in front of the class.

I especially like the little case and the USB storage in the unit when it's not in use -I tend to lose things. I also like the size and feel of this presenter over the other one, which was too bulky for me. The 50-foot range is GINORMOUS, and not having to have "line of sight" to my actual computer is a lifesaver. I don't use the timer/vibrate feature at all, and the on/off switch is really easy to get to -not like the one on my cell phone that requires a lot of fumbling and fighting to get it to depress.

Want Logitech 2.4 GHz Cordless Presenter (Black) Discount?

I bought this recently and it was easy to use. Most people have written on the positive side of things so I will just add some shortcomings. It can only be used for power point presentations. It would be better to use Keyspan or something like that which includes power point presentation and a mouse as well. Secondly, this does not have an auto time out. I tried it the night before but forgot to switch it off (there is no LCD light anywhere so one does not realize it is switched on), and the next day when I tried to use it at a presentation it was out of power! Other than that it is a really cool device and easy to use.