LG BD650 3D Network Blu-ray Disc Player with Smart TV

• Enjoy 3D Blu-ray Disc movies in Full HD 1080p
• Smart TV enables an easy way to access limitless content, thousands of movies, downloadable apps, videos and browse the web all organized in a simple to use interface
• Standard DVD Up-Scaling delivers exceptional image quality from standard DVDs with 1080p up scaling via HDMI output
• Dolby Digital Plus lets you experience all of the enveloping surround sound that Blu-ray Disc, high-definition (HD) broadcast, and streamed and downloaded media make possible
• WiFi ready: connect to your wireless network via LG's wireless dongle (sold separately)

I've had this unit for about a month now. I agree with the other reviewers that state that they released this product too soon, without the proper software in place and tested. For instance, up until a few days ago, I constantly had problems with it loosing it's connection to the internet, even when it was connected via ethernet cord. However, since an automatic firmware update a couple of days ago, the player has worked flawlessly via the WiFi connection. (Please note: with the 650, you DO need the separate WiFi dongle, which plugs into the back of the machine). The last firmware update also added several new apps, such as Amazon VOD. It appears that new apps will be added in the coming months, including a web-browsing app, which I read about previously online (search for info. from the launch of LG's entire SmartTV product line to find this information).

The Netflix application is easy to use and fast. It also allows you to update your instant queue.

The Blu Ray function is fast-loading and I haven't had any problems. Good upscaling of DVD's as well.

Overall, I give the unit a 4/5 stars based on it's current performance and previous software glitches.

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Unfortunately, I bought two of these.

The good news:

1) Of the two I bought, one is still working.

2) One is on it's way to LG for repair under warranty (and within 90 days so they will not charge me $70 for labor).

The bad news:

1) I bought these to play movies from my media server and Netflix. While this feature DOES work, the sound doesn't synch with the video while playing mp4's. When played on any other player device, the mp4 file sound synchs perfectly.

2) For some blue-ray disks, it takes about 3 minutes from the time I insert a factory blue-ray until it shows the menu.

3) These are downloading updates weekly. The updates fail more often than they succeed.

4) Tonight, while I was watching a movie from my server, I paused the movie, fed the dogs, and came back to a bricked BD650. Hard reset doesn't work. LG is nice enough to offer to fix it after 20 minutes on the phone.

Wow, what a dismal failure from LG.

The "customer service rep" told me that it was likely bricked because of the mp4 file I was playing. OMG.

I will be searching for a different player for my media library. These will be up for sale soon.

It's a shame I waited longer than 30 days to decide to get rid of them.

---edit

I am editing this to provide three more details:

To elaborate on the sound sync issue: when played with VLC, Windows Media Player, XBMC on Apple TV, iPad, the sound synchs perfectly. When played on the BD650, the sound out of sync on all mp4's.

I'm preparing to ship this back to LG. Unfortunately, there's a (not cheap) blue-ray disk in the player and I CAN'T GET THE DISK OUT. There's no "emergency eject" hole into which you can insert a paper clip. So I have to send this in with an expensive movie and cross my fingers that they will return it.

The warranty is effectively 90 days. After 90 days, there is a $79 "inspection" charge for warranty service and you pay shipping to LG AND return shipping. It's anyone's guess how much more the repair labor will cost after the $79 inspection charge and $30-40 shipping both ways. Since the unit cost about $100 brand new delivered, consider it disposable after 90 days. I'm undecided if this is praise for the purchase price or a complaint about the repair price.

----Update.

The bricked player has been replaced. It works fine and the DID return the disk that was stuck in the device. However, I still can't recommend these devices because occasionally, they refuse to interact on the network. Just last week the both stopped interacting with the network, so I ordered a 2nd Roku to stream content. As soon as the Roku arrived, they both started working again. I didn't change anything!

----Update 2013-03-01

One of the players now has a disk clamping problem. You can hear the disk slipping when it spins up and it ejects the disk while the disk is still spinning at a high rate of speed. Yes, I said I would be replacing them, but haven't done so yet. The Rokus are effectively replacing them. Rarely do I need to play a physical disk.

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I purchased this player mostly for its DLNA and Smart TV (Pandora, You Tube, etc.)

I have had this player for barely 3 days and there were already 2 automatic software updates. The first software update failed 3/4 times and then it succeeded after some stars aligned. I could enjoy pandora and you tube and a movie in the last 3 days. This morning there was an update forced on the player. I don't clearly remember how that happened but the update was forced on it. After that whatever smart (??) operation is performed (opening pandora or you tube) the player informs me that the software needs to be updated.... but when it tries to update the software it pops up another dialog box stating that the software is already the latest one. Essentially the player is unusable.

A little browsing of online forums revealed that this sw update was forced on all 6xx players and most of them have this problem. It clearly reveals that there was inadequate quality testing performed on this player and it is nowhere near being market ready.

I called up LG customer support. The support rep asked me to downgrade the player to previous version, but that trick did not work. It again got stuck in that forced upgraded and dead state.

[I will wait for a couple of days to see if this thing gets fixed quickly. If it does not, it is still in return period, the player goes back to amazon for being defective item.

If I keep this player, I will update this review with my experience.]

OK -I decided to keep this player now. LG pushed out a new update within 2 days of the problem. The problem is fixed (for now). I will stick with 2 stars and the comment about inadequate software testing. I will update the rating based on my experience over next few weeks.

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This DVD died within 6months of purchase after playing just 3 or 4 DVDs. Any time I put a DVD or a Blue Ray Disc in the player, it will just make a loud grouting noise and display an "ERROR" message. I usually stream my movies online from Amazon or Netflix, so I didn't play the disc very often. You would expect the player to be ready when you need it, but this player is extremely unreliable.

This is a common problem with the LG players. When I called the LG customer service to explain the situation, they seem to be very aware of this situation and confirm this as a common problem with the player. In fact, once I gave the agent the model number and said the DVD is broken, she went on to say "the player is on, but making a grouting noise, right?" Then I went on to confirm that this is a common problem with this model. LG customer service said since the purchase is over 90 days, I would have to pay $69 service fee and they will change the parts for free. Imagine! In summary, this is the worst DVD player I have ever bought!

I have had good luck with this Blu-Ray player. This is not the most expensive unit on the market, but it met my requirements for doing a good job playing Blu-Ray disks, as well as having network applications that will enhance your viewing and listening experiences.

It does a wonderful job playing the movies, with the sound handling being just as good as the visuals. I have had this for about a month, and I have used it on 6-7 Blu-Ray movies, as well as some standard DVDs. It does a good job of enhancement of DVDs, and the Blu-Ray is all that I could ask for.

One of the bigger reasons that I got this player was for the network capability. I do have a wired connection at my Television location. I have had no experience with the Wi-Fi portion. (It might not have Wi-Fi, please check the posted specifications.) I have a very adequate Internet connection and that all helps for the network applications. I can see if using Wi-Fi which has less access to the full bandwidth of your Internet connection that it could slow things down.

I do love the compliment of applications provided. One of my requirements was that it had MLB.COM available, and it does. Some other applications included are Netflix, Cinema Now, Vudu, Accuweather, You-Tube, Pandora, and a lot of new entries into this field.

This is my second LG player and the last one was last year's model. One of the additions for this year is something that I have tried and it works well too. That is the Amazon service for movies. If you are a Amazon prime member, you can watch some of the movies free. You can also make purchases from Amazon from this unit.

Some of the applications will require that you set up an account on a computer prior to using the service. Most of us have a way to do that, so the main thing when setting up is that you have to enter in the user name and password for each respective service to get it to log into your account. Once that is done, the player remembers it for later. This is a one time setup.

Netflix works quite well on it, and they are adding new services all of the time. I do enjoy the Internet Radio application as well. It plays stations of all genres and from all over the world. The quality of the music is more than adequate played through my sound system connected to the television. It will also tell you how the station is streaming, for example in MP3 @ 128 or WMA @ 96 (bps). All of the streams that I have listened to are more than adequate to have great sound quality through my component system.

All of this is simple to hook up if you have HDMI connections. Basically, there are three connections for this, power, ethernet network and HDMI. And then you are ready. However, when I first got my system, I allowed myself the time to go into setup and tailor the system to work well with the equipment that I have. My amplifier for example had recommendations on how to set up external devices that connect to it for the best performance. Another thing that I allowed myself to do was to update the software on it, just as soon as I hooked it up.

Most of these units sit in the box long enough that there will be a software update for it by the time that you get it. I recommend that you consider downloading that just as soon as you hook it up. It will remove many of the bugs in the original software that are likely there. I do know that many manufacturers release products quickly and will find bugs in the system. But since I downloaded the new software, I have not experienced any. This might not have been the case with some of the earlier reviewers.

This weekend, there was a software update pushed to the system, which I found a bit aggravating at the time. I didn't want to stop and be forced to download an update as I had done in the past. But it seems that the ones that they push are very quick and not for the same purpose. After the short download was complete, there were several more applications that appeared in that area, including HULU and a new music service.

The main software updates for the drivers and the core software will have to be requested, which is easily done. You just hit a button to check and see if there are any updates available, and it will let you know if there are and offer to download them. If you choose not to, you can do the same thing later when you have a few minutes (it doesn't take that long, but it does take a reboot of the system) to spend doing this.

My friends have been impressed with the video for MLB and some other functions. I have no issue with Hi-Def video over the network. However, I believe that it is a benefit to have a wired network on these if it is available. If not, there should still be enough bandwidth on Wi-Fi to do the trick. However, I can not verify that.

Overall, a pleasing purchase for the money.

Diamond HD Media Wonder Mini Media Player

• USB 2.0 and compatible with USB 1.1
• Supports RM, RMVB, AVI, MPEG1(VCD), MPEG2(DVD) and MP4 video formats
• Supports JPEG, M-JPEG, BMP, TIFF and PNG photo formats
• SD, MMC and hot-swappable
• Support USB and card insert at the same time, and can switch to each other

Does what it says ... sort of. I bought this item mainly to play mp4 files but when I tried none of my mp4 files would play "unsupported file format" was the error message. I tried the photo function for playing slide shows of jpg files and that worked fine. I produce my own mp4s using an iMac and iMovie as well as one other software program so I thought this could be a compatibility problem. I contacted the Diamond support desk and they were quite helpful although they confirmed the problem was that there are several types of mp4 files and the ones produced by my Mac weren't compatible with the HD Diamond. There is a solution though if you're faced with this dilemma. I checked and found DivX conversion software () and downloaded the trial version and converted my unplayable mp4 file to a DivX file which played with no problems on my TV using the HD Diamond Media Wonder. This software costs about $10 so it's an added cost if you have a Mac. I have no idea if Windows-produced mp4s are OK or whether similar problems would be encountered on other media player products but if playing mp4s is what you're after, before you spend your hard-earned dollars you might want to check to see if your files are compatible.

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Ignore the rebate on this item, because you use Amazon Receipts that you print out on the printer since a packing slip is NOT a receipt they will not honor this rebate (I sent the packing slip and the printed receipt and was denied). Do yourself a favor and find at least a good player and do not be taken in by this. It works somewhat, but has a bad habit of freezing up and also every time you have to find something new you have to go through the entire list to get back to the folder you was in, it doesn't just automatically go back like you would expect it to, annoying to say the least especially if you have a ton of digital files on a hard drive and you're switching episodes in a season of whatever... If you do get it, good luck, but really I wouldn't waste the stamp again to try to send off for the rebate here is what they emailed me:

Dear XXX XXXX

Thank you for submitting your recent Mail-In Rebate Application. We have

reviewed your claim and discovered that it is invalid for the following

reason (s):

Original Store Sales receipt or invoice/ packing slip (for mail/ catalog orders) are missing (copies not accepted).

We appreciate your purchase of our product, and thank you for your

participation in this promotion. We regret that we cannot honor your claim.

Sincerely,

Best Data Products Incorporated/Diamond Multimedia

Audit Department

Tel: 818.773.9600

Fax: 818.773.9619

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Like the the title says the Diamond Multimedia Mini Wonder MP700 Player

Works Great and at the price (I ordered at the $32.99 price and also got the

$20 mail-in rebate bringing the price down to a whopping $12.99 incl. shipping)

how could anyone complain as the other reviewers stated 'it mostly does what is stated that it's capable of... That is it plays many formats streamed to ANY television. I could see how this would be a nice feature for older flat panel wide-screen TV's but It seems many of the newer LED Flat panel TV's have this technology built in they come with USB and Memory Card slots to allow playing of data files.

Where this little unit really shines is for use with old-school analog tube TV's.

With only an RCA plug for L/R and Video I'm able to watch (with very nice quality I might add) all the content on my little 500GB WD Passport portable USB drive (no additional power supply needed the Mini Wonder provides all the power needed to run your external USB drive). It also allows for plugging in your memory card at the same time and switching between the two via the remote. It brings photos up in thumbnail format for your choice of viewing and also offers slideshow ability with customizable

transitions and you can even have it play your choice of music (off the same drive/card) in the background while the slide show runs.

Format recognition is not very diverse but enough are recognized to make the unit more than useful. Another user mentioned using a DivX converter and that will come in very handy for the 10 out of about 100 movies I have on my external USB drive.

That's right only 10 out of 100 of my titles wouldn't play without conversion.

That's a decent enough ratio to make the Mini Wonder well worth the money.

If you get the Diamond Mini Wonder MP700 Multimedia Player expect to have a little learning curve about media formats. Not all AVI, MP4, MPEG etc. files are created the same. The unit DOES play all the formats mentioned but not every type of those formats.

As long as you plan on needing to convert some things and that most stuff will play fine this product should more than meet your expectations.

I also wanted to touch on the size and portability that many mention is important to them. Yes the unit is half the size of an iPhone; and yes it is extremely portable, perfect for carrying around with you. BUT, unfortunately the small size is somewhat negated by the fact that you must have the power adapter, TV patchcord and remote along with the unit for everything to work. So yes it very portable all things considered, but it's not like all you have to carry around is the little 2.5" x 2.5"

player.

At the current $32.99 price the Diamond Multimedia player is a good value, if you can find it for less it makes it a GREAT value! Buy one NOW!

Edit Addition:

Forgot to mention a few things which I find important features of the Mini Wonder.

The player recognizes and will 'play' (bring up on screen) plain text (.txt) files great for lists, descriptions, reminders etc.

One of the major assets when using the Mini Wonder is having the ability to copy and/or delete files directly. You can choose single or multiple files (in the same directory) to delete or copy to the same device or the other device. So if you have

a new movie on a memory card and you have an external USB drive connected you can copy between the two. Copy and delete operations are pretty fast -almost instant (though I would think the class/speed of a given memory card has something to do with that speed).

Especially handy when you have a large drive that needs 'weeding' you can just sit back on the couch and using the Mini Wonder remote, go through the drive to delete

what you no longer need/want. Also handy to delete the movie you just watched but don't intend to keep/archive.

All-in-all I'm liking the Diamond MP700 Mini Wonder Multimedia player more and more the more I use it.

I can't say much in regard to the long term durability and reliability of the unit since I've only had it about a week seems fairly sturdy but I could imagine frying the thing if it is left powered-on 24/7.

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This product does what it says. For the size and the price a good buy. Able to play recognized formats straight off external hard drive, or flash drives. Does not play MP4, most of my stuff .avi, so not a real issue. Only problem I can see is if you loose or break the remote the device is useless. Take good care of the remote.

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(1)This machine can only recognize English and Spanish. If you download a movie with a foreign language of Title, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and etc, it can not read. You will see $##&^%$ on the TV screen.(2)The product I received was defected with the picture color. The screen will become a reddish color in the background. I returned it.(3)It can not read Apple-MP4 format.

VideoSecu Day Night Vision Outdoor Security Camera IR Infrared Built-in 1/3" Sony CCD 540TVL 12mm L

I think this camera is actually 5 star worthy, however, the lack of detail in the product description is the reason why I am giving it 4 stars.

I was taking a chance with this camera since no one else had place any reviews for it, but with the price I got it for, I figured I'd try it.

First of all, let me say that this camera is not a wide angle camera as I was assuming. It is zoomed in, I think the ratio is 1:1.6. I actually need a wide angle camera, so this did not suit my needs properly. Although, I suppose I should have known that in the product description when it says "Long range", so it's partially my fault as well.

However, if you do need to be able to see far distances, this camera works really well. The infrared LEDs do a great job of lighting up the scene, even with no additional lights on outside. My back patio is very dark and I was able to see the woods in the distance pretty well.

Also, the screws that come with it confused me a bit. On the bottom of the camera, there are two screw holes, however, this only came with one screw to mount the camera. When I went to mount it, I realized the screw is too long to fit into the camera. The way I found to fix this was not very obvious to me at first. On the rear of the camera, there's a little bracket that will fit a screw as well, which is held in by two hex-screws. The fact that a hex-wrench was included with this camera hinted to me that I had to use it somewhere. With the included hex-wrench, I was able to remove the rear bracket and then use it as a spacer to mount it on the bottom. This is actually a useful feature in case you want to hang your bracket from a ceiling.

Also, this only comes with the camera and the bracket. No power supply or cables. Fortunately, I already had both since I was replacing a Swann camera that already had the wiring and power going to it.

I will probably end up selling this camera as my goal is to be able to see as much in a close distance, but like I mentioned, this is great for longer distances.

EDIT 2011-04-26

Instead of selling this camera, I ended up using it affixed to the side of my house and pointing down the street that leads to my house. This camera does a great job for that, and looks great in both daylight and night time. Most night vision cameras that I've seen like these tend to skew the colors during the day a bit, but this one looks pretty natural. At night, it's very crisp with very little noise at all, especially compared to some other cameras I have.

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Harman Kardon CDR 20 CD Player/Recorder

• Supports CD-R and CD-RW (rewritable) formats
• Records to CD-R at 4 times normal playback speed
• Audiophile-grade AKM 24-bit/96 kHz digital-to-analog and analog-to-digital converters for superior sound quality
• CD record from an external CD player
• Dual-disc changer plays 2 discs simultaneously for multiroom use

I've had this unit for about six weeks now and have been on a binge of copying, dubbing, editing CD-Rs from LPs, CDs & CD-Rs in my collection and on loan from friends: compilations & copies for myself and gifts for friends. I figure I've burned about a hundred CDs at this point & this unit has performed well. I've used most of the features this component offers & I find it works reliably. I'm very impressed with the sound and overall efficiency. Compared with the Harman Kardon 5-CD changer (model FL8380, I believe I bought one of those at the same time & it died on me after a month & had to be replaced by the dealer I bought it from) it lives up to the Harman Kardon reputation. I don't know if this unit will wear out a year or two down the line, but right now I'd recommend it to anyone...

Well, I had the unit about a year before one of the decks started glitching out So I replaced it with a great Sony combo 5-disc changer / dual deck recorder RCD W-500C The Sony outperforms the HK in features, functioning, and just about every area except looks Harman Kardon makes great receivers, but you can forget about their CD players & recorders...

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I bought my unit about 3-4 years ago, and it worked fine for the first 6 months, although not all cdrs would play in other cd players. Then, when recording LPs, it began to encode static-like noise onto the cdrs, and finally even direct copies of cds were unlistenable. It was sent to the HK CA repair shop, where it languished for nearly 2 months before the software was reloaded. I finally got it back, and it seemed to work fine, but I have recently noticed older cdrs I recorded now have a similar static noise. Too much money and trouble to be worth a postive recommendation.

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The CDR20 is easy to use and the quality of sound CAN be beautiful. I bought the unit and immediately noticed low level static when I made a mix but thought it had to do with my connections. Then, I made an exact duplicate of a CD and experienced no problem. For a number of reasons, I did not make any recordings for several months, using the unit daily as a CD player. I recently bought a new receiver and connections and have repeatedly had problems with static something like a "scratched record" sound. Harman Kardon's internet service has been great. I learned thay have had a "few" similar complaints that were fixed by upgrading the software. So, the unit is on the way to a service center to be repaired. We'll see. I hope it gets fixed, because I do see the potential for easy use and enjoyment of the unit.

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I have had this unit for 6 months and it is really easy to use. My only problems are that there is static on some recorded discs. It sometimes refuses to read it's own recorded cd's. CD's wear out (I record them and play them for a month or two, then all of a sudden, the CD ceases to play on all CD players.) This Recorder is a total piece of junk. I suggest you look elsewhere! If they can't get CD-R's going, what makes them think they can get DVD-R's to work???

This cd recorder is easy to operate and sounds great when copying an entire cd. It picks up static when recording a compilation (mix)of songs from multiple cds. Harman Kardon's service people were great when I initially contacted them via email, and they promptly gave me instructions on returning the unit to their service center, European Hi-Tech, in Torrance, CA. After a month, I received the unit back, hooked it up, and had exactly the same problem. I've emailed Harman Kardon twice within the past five days, and they have not responded yet. With a little research, I have discovered this is not an uncommon problem. I suspect some sort of manufacturer's defect that cannot be repaired, and most people just live with it while others finally give up. I intend to have the unit repaired or replaced without a lot of additional expense and time. Depending upon how Harman Kardon responds, it may very well be my last purchase of anything they make.

Wireless Color Spy Video Camera Complete Package

I gave it a good shot, I tried with it for several hours to try to make it work properly, but it was to no avail. I used the provided power supplies and wireless adapter that it came with along with every combination of dip-switch settings on the camera and possible position of the knob on the receiver with nothing better than a very irritating noise from the audio and an extremely choppy and unable to be made out image from the video this was at only 24 feet away with no obstructions. Then I tried even closer (see the posted video) at less than 7 feet with no obstructions and still had a terrible picture and sound. I am an avid technology geek and DIYer and I can usually get anything to work, so if I can't make it do what I want, it will surely disappoint you. I'd advise to all others to find an alternative as I will be doing the same.

Okay, so, as advertised, this package came complete, down to two little mounting screws for the camera.

Camera (mounted to a small stand) with color video and single mic also includes mounting screws, a 9vdc power adapter and a 9v battery adapter.

Receiver includes video out, mono out, tuning knob, antenna, and 9v power adaptor.

Also included is a double male RCA cable to connect receiver to vcr or TV.

I also got a generic 9v battery to test everything out. I set everything up and connected the receiver to a small portable display. I eventually got sound, but no picture. My initial setup was with the 9v battery, and I think it may have been a bit underpowered as I got no video. But once I switched to the power adaptor, the video popped right on.

color, 4:3 aspect, mono sound. All good. I'll update with ranges.

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Nice system. The only bad thing is this camera's battery only lasts one day. The range is good, but not that far as I thought. The quality is good, but the signal often goes crazy. I would buy it.

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I purchased this system for my father, as he was having trouble with a neighbor and didn't feel comfortable leaving his home for long periods of time. The system was very easy to set up and worked pretty well as long as we where there. However, with movement, the signal does bounce all over the place, as it does when going from day to night. Also, the receiver gets very warm, which did surprise me. I don't know that I would trust it without being there for the majority of the time it's running, but it would be great to set up in a backyard to watch over your kids while they play.

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"New high power 1.2 GHz technology provides 300 feet range with solid stability"

Deascription states that item is 1.2ghz Item is actually 2.4ghz I bought the 1.2 and 2.4 packages and both were the same item, from the same seller and Fullfilled By Amazon. Same Item, two different Asin's and the other Asin cost less.

JVC GRD33 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/16x Optical Zoom

I bought this as an upgrade from my VHS-C camcorder. I tested it against my roommates' Canon ZR80 and Panasonic GS9.

The video quality in low-light situations was suprisingly good, given what I had heard about most digital camcorders' abilities. The video quality in outdoor situations was even better. It's not up to spec with a Sony, but it's way cheaper, and it outdoes the more expensive Canon ZR. The GS9 was about the same in quality.

However, the camcorder didn't seem to handle combined bright/low-light situations all that well. While it had no problem filming dark regions (shaded/indoors) from a brightly lit area, when filming brightly-lit regions from indoors, the camcorder recorded white streaks that partially obscured whatever was being filmed. I had this problem with the ZR80 and the GS9, so it may just be an issue with low end camcorders in general.

The camcorder had no problem focusing when zooming below 20x magnification, though above 24x, it had noticeable difficulty focusing in low light. It couldn't focus at all above 40x in either bright or low light even with highly contrasting backgrounds and scenery. It shares this problem with the GRD73 and GRD93. The GS9 and ZR80 were noticeably better at focusing at these magnifications.

Though it offers the option to record photos as "stills", the quality wasn't very good. It was also difficult and time-consuming to retrieve these "stills" because the camcorder doesn't use a flash card to store them. I ended up sticking with my digital camera for taking pics; the low quality setting was better than the high quality setting on the camcorder.

I had no problems with audio. The motor, which could be heard during recording and playback (on the camcorder) was not recorded to the video and was not audible when played back on a tv or computer. However, it is very loud, and quickly became annoying. The GS9 recorded a barely noticeable shrill, but the ZR80's motor drowned out softer sounds and was very noticeable on playback (using a TV or computer).

The camcorder doesn't come with the cable needed to hook it up to a computer, but any Firewire card (aka i.Link or ieee 1394) you buy comes with the cable, so that's not much of an issue.

However, I was peeved that most of the packaged software were demo or trial versions.

I spent some time trying to find a Minidv camcorder under $400 that had great low light capabilities. I ended up with JVC's GR-D33, and here's what I found after shooting some test footage and making a DVD:

The picture quality of footage shot outside was outstanding and never looked digital. The low light capabilities are in fact impressive. Footage shot in my basement (less light than a "low light situation") was clear and wasn't too pixilated. There is a neat backlight feature that cancels out background light to record detail of the subject in the foreground. The motor noises from the camera and the zoom can be heard on tape only when recording in quiet situations, but this shouldn't be a problem under any normal circumstances. My Windows XP system saw the camera when I Firewire'd it to the computer. I captured footage in the native DV format, edited it, made a DVD to watch on TV, and was extremely impressed by the quality of the picture. This is a fantastic no-frills camera with great low light performance, and is a steal at the price.

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I was looking for an inexpensive digital camcorder (i do own a very good digital camera) and this fit the budget perfectly. Its very easy to use on auto mode (it does have a manual mode for savvy users) and the video quality is great even indoors on dim light situations. The audio quality is good (though the mic is not external) and there is no motor noise that i've seen people complain about in other camcorders.

Pros:

Great quality, incredible value, easy to use.

Cons:

Remote control for play back.

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I can tell you from personal experience with JVC mini camcorders that purchasing one is an expensive mistake. Even with a protection plan from Circuit City, Best Buy, etc., the units are EXTREMELY fragile (esp. the cassette loading/ejecting apparatus) and the now infamous "E04 Safeguard Mode" (go ahead, Google it) message will eventually appear and that will be the end of recording digital videos with a JVC mini DV camera. Further, JVC support is nonexistent with regard to these error messages and how to correct them.

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Received camera within 1 week.Looked very presentable.Tried it out in 1 week.Looked at the video a week later.Was very clear. Got a good working unit. Seller was honest

GSI Super Quality High-Definition Helmet Action Audio/Video DVR Camera/Camcorder - USB Interface, I

The camera states it has an IR light, but that isn't accurate. It has a red laser light for focus of the lens. The camera does see in darkness if you have an external IR light source (which thankfully we do). The instructions that come with the camera are 100% useless, you will simply have to play with it to figure it out (it comes direct from China and there are no worthy documents with the camera). Now with that said, our dog has been wearing the camera and it doesn't do bad for $40some bucks, compared to paying over $100. The batteries don't last too long, but in the end, you get what you pay for and as long as you know what you're looking for and what to expect, this camera isn't too bad. If you're not the type that can easily figure out electronics, this isn't the camera for you.

This item did not work at all. I was looking forward to it because of the price.

I returned it a month ago and still haven't received credit.

Buy GSI Super Quality High-Definition Helmet Action Audio/Video DVR Camera/Camcorder - USB Interface, I Now

That's it in a nutshell, it sits on the side of your helmet so it gives a strange point of view. If it mounted flat on top of your helmet it would be much better.

Read Best Reviews of GSI Super Quality High-Definition Helmet Action Audio/Video DVR Camera/Camcorder - USB Interface, I Here

This is the first negative review I have written on any of the many Amazon purchases I have made.

This camera is little more than a toy. To compound the poor quality plastic and overall shoddy materials and construction, the camera came with no batteries, evidently directly from China, and no memory card adaptor, both of which are needed to operate the camera. You can do much better than to buy this product. The only reason I do not return it is that another reviewer stated that he was still waiting for his refund after doing so. If the camera sold for about one fourth what it does, it would still not be a good value.

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I believe this one was the first ordered an it did not work properly. It recorded in the house but not when it was on the helmet.

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Canon Elura 100 MiniDV Camcorder

There's a lot to be said for compact cameras and digicams most people will be happy with the results, and they get used a LOT more than bulkier, heavier, more complicated versions. 2.2 x 3.0 x 4.3 inches is pretty small!

But there are some inevitable compromises the main one being, the size of the lens and sensor has a lot of impact on the quality of the images, especially in low light. Personally, that's fine for me there are so many shots I'd otherwise miss, that I get with a compact camera. So if that's your approach, you'll want to consider this entryto mid-level budget Canon.

The Elura 100 is the replacement for all of last year's Elura models the only 2006 Elura. (Amazon has it wrong, this camera was announced January, 2006 and just became available.) It's a step up from the ZR line, but below the Optura line.

There's a lot of info above already, so some key points that might not jump out:

Video is headed toward widescreen; this camera is actually designed for it, not just in the video capture but also the LCD and the viewfinder. It may take some getting used to shooting with it, though.

At 1/5th inch, the sensor is larger than some low-end models; though it claims 1.33 million pixels; that's reduced in practice, but still more than many at this price: using 16:9 widescreen mode, it's 750,000 (with image stabilization) or 880,000 (without); and using 4:3 traditional form, it's 690,000.

It has a semi-usable snapshot mode; you can actually make an OK print from a 1 megapixel (1152 x 864) image. You need a memory card, though.

The lens accepts accessories, like a wide angle converter.

The external microphone connection is a plus for some, the kind of thing you might realize later that you want; though there isn't a place to physically attach the mic.

The built in lens cover is handy.

Like many (but not all) camcorders, it has an analog input; so you can convert your old tapes to digital by using this as a recorder, or even just passing the signal through the camera.

Some caveats:

Compact cameras can't perform as well in low light as some might like. Experiment a little before you really need it, to learn how to make the most of what it can do.

Controls may be small and awkwardly placed for some.

If you want to transfer the video to a computer, you still need a Firewire cable and port. The USB port is only for stills, and analog to digital conversions.

The viewfinder is fixed, not moveable.

The movie mode that records onto the memory card is too low-resolution to be any real use (320x240 15 fps), but that's not what you're buying this for.

The feature menu is a little complex.

I'll leave it to others, for now, to comment on how they like the joystick; the lights; and the low light performance.

Stuff you might need to buy: get an SD memory card for images they're cheap enough that it's worth having just in case, and standard speed will do, given that there's only low res video modes; and a Firewire cable to transfer digital video.

Filter diameter is 27mm.

The Canon site has more info, and the Support Download Library has a PDF of the manual. Google for reviews, though few are out yet.

And as always ... never pay list price!

Regarding the Canon Elura 100, this is my third camcorder. Having had a Sony analog and JVC Digital in the past, I spent considerable time researching what my next camcorder would be. Ideally, I wanted a Panasonic PV-GS250, but that's just to high an investment for my personal use and abuse.

The earlier purchaser reviews do a great job at detailing technical pros and cons of the Elura 100. Personally, I have not experienced a problem with motor noise in my recordings.

I have a large hand but I enjoy the compact size of this camera -I can easily slip it into a coat pocket.

Recording in true widescreen is new to me and takes a bit of thinking to adjust old habits of framing the person I'm recording. But the results look great.

Video transfer to my Mac (OS 10.4) and iMovie HD works fine with firewire. I haven't been able to get iMovie to recognize the Elura when hooked up via USB cable provided.

The Elura's on screen menu is fairly intuitive. Navigation by the new joystick isn't hard to get used to.

I love the built in lens cover. No more hassle with stupid lens caps dangling in front.

The instruction manual provided has enough details to answer the few questions I had.

I'd rate the battery as the worst feature of this camera. My complaints:

1. Battery life is horrible. I don't understand why it is nearly drained every time I pick up this camcorder.

2. The battery is mounted internally. You open the view screen and remove a plastic cover to access the battery. Not easy to do on the fly. Nor can you buy a bigger size with greater capacity like externally mounted batteries.

Keep in mind a few things when considering a new camcorder:

1. How much are you willing to invest? That includes buying SD card, spare battery, or any accessories you don't already have like a new tripod or case.

If you say your max budget is $500, then you can get decent video quality for a $400 camera and spend another $100 on the accessories.

2. Who will use it? In my household it is mainly me. But if you have to share with wife/kids, think about how the camera might get abused.

3. Where will you use it. Many early reviews on other sites said the Elura 100 doesn't perform well in low light conditions. They are right. But if you are smart about where and when you use the camera, low light probably wont be an issue. Take advantage of natural light. Turn all the lights on in a room indoors, even during daytime. Pick well lit part of the room and try to steer your subjects there.

4. Do you want to digitize your old analog 8mm or VHS tapes? Those old memories are deteriorating and Do It Yourself digitization has never been easier. The Elura 100 is one of the few cameras I could find that had A/V input along with decent performance features.

5. Even though this takes still pictures, you should invest in a separate good quality digital camera. I carry both when I'm out with the family. The camcorder still camera feature wont provide as high a quality as you can get from a dedicated digital camera.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Buy Canon Elura 100 MiniDV Camcorder Now

So far so good. I like my new Elura 100 MiniDV camcorder. It has a lot of options and is within a good price range. Most of the reviews below covered the important aspects of the camera. I bought this to replace my old RCA, analog camera. In general the quality of the picture is much better on the Elura. This was something I was worried about in switching to the digital format, but the pictures from the Elura have been incredibly crisp and show up well on a large (standard resolution) TV set. The only exception is low light recording, where the RCA seemed to do a little better. I'll break it down to pros and cons:

PROS:

1. Small size--a true palm sized camcorder. By the way, there were some reviews that were critical of the 'small controls.' I have at least average sized hands and the controls, including the joystick, were easy to operate. They do take some getting used to, but they are very straight forward.

2. WIDE SCREEN FORMAT: 16:9 and 4:3 formats are available. One caveat, is you will need capture software for your computer that can handle the 16:9 format to make DVDs from this. The software supplied with the camcorder is barely adequate and very clunky. But it is usable.

3. ZOOM: 20x Optical Zoom--some have larger zooms but stabilization becomes a real problem after 15x or so. This camcorder has electronic stabilization which seems to work well. I've turned off the digital zoom option. Digital zoom just makes for a grainy and unstable picture. Theoretically, the camera can go up to 800x. This is, of course, completely at the expense of the picture. 20x is a fine Zoom range. The highest zoom range in this class appears to be 30x. As I said before, above 15x it can be a chore to keep the image stable and probably requires a tripod.

4. LOTS OF MANUAL CONTROL if you want it. You can either control Nevertheless there's an automatic mode which most of us will use 99% of the time. Exposure can be totally automatic, you can use pre-determined 9 scene modes, or manually control the exposure. Very nice. Focusing can be done automatically (two different algorhythms to choose from)or manually using the joystick. I'm not a fan of the the effects but you have 9 different fading effects and 9 different digital effects to choose from. (This is fine if you like it, but most of this is better done post production on your computer.) Interestingly, the manual makes all of these features appear incredibly complex. In practice I have found the camera to be quite intuitive, and it is far easier to use out of the box than it would appear to be if you look at the manual.

5. ANALOG VIDEO TRANSFER: You can transfer video tapes or old analog video to digital through the camera. You can even record right off your TV. This has been a nice feature to transfer my old Hi8 videos to digital video.

6. LONG BATTERY LIFE: I'm getting about two hours from a battery so far. This depends on usage, but is generally good. Others have stated that battery life is poor, but I think about 2 hours is great. I wonder if there is variability in the quality of the batteries supplied.

7. INTEGRATES WELL WITH WINDOWS XP: no problems with firewire capture of the mini-DV. The ease of capture may depend on your software. Mine is pretty straightforward. Windows recognized the camera instantly. (I have a fairly neanderthal set up--right now I am using a 900 mhz Athlon powered laptop. So if my computer can find the camera, I imagine yours can too...)

8. COMES WITH A REMOTE CONTROL: not necessary, but a nice feature.

CONS:

1. NO TRUE USB CONNECTIVITY: One of the reasons I bought this camera was because the hype stated that it has USB connectivity. Well it does. But then again, it doesn't. Being a MiniDV/digital video virgin, I didn't realize that the USB connectivity only works only for images on the SD card. It DOES NOT work for standard MiniDV capture to a computer. For this you need a firewire connection. Once you have the firewire, there's no problem with connectivity.

Some reviews thought there was something wrong with their computer connectivity. Nope. YOU NEED FIREWIRE TO GET VIDEO TO YOUR COMPUTER. So you will have to invest in a firewire cable if you don't have one and make sure you have a firewire port on your computer (or buy a card).

The funny people at Cannon only supply you with a USB cable as if that is all you need. This only suffices to transfer the 1 megapixel and the 320 x 240 (76,800 pixels) video on the SD card. Even if the thing took great still pictures, they would only be 1 megapixel. This is less than most cell phone/cameras nowadays. The video recorded on the card is a joke. It might be 'fun' for a website, but it looks small and grainy even on the flip-out screen on the camera itself. It will look more ridiculous on your computer. Skip the SD Card. Use the MiniDV tape and record at 690,000 pixels or greater depending on the mode. This may not seem like a lot compared to a standard still camera, but this represents far more pixels than can be displayed on a conventional TV and translates into a great picture.

2. "MEGA VIDEO LIGHT": These twin LEDs are supposed to help with illumination indoors. You turn them on using a separeate switch. If you do not manually correct the light balance, however, you will find that all your subjects have an eerie bluish cast. Additionally, these small LEDs don't provide the 'mega' illumination needed for subjects that are beyond a few feet away from you. They're better than nothing and a nice try, but not very effective and so they really don't enhance the low light perfromance in a real, palpable way.

3. LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE IS NOT SO GOOD: One area that my old RCA analog recorder did better than this one is in low light performance department. This probably was due to the lens being three times larger in diameter. It was less compact, but captured more light. Still, in this price range, low light performance appears to be universally poor. At times, you have to manually override the automatic exposure as the shutter speed is set so slow that moving objects have small tails like comets flashing through the night. Also subjects become more mono-chromatic and grainy. Once again, this kind of poor low light performance seems to be a 'class' feature. Reading the reviews, the Elura 100 may be one of the better cameras in its class.

4. STILL PICTURES ARE SMALL: Not great still picture capability. This is standard for these kinds of camaras. I guess it would do in pinch, but is absolutely no substitute for a digital still camera. There are a number of features you can use for the pictures, including a 'burst' mode, but given the size of the image, none of this is worth the worry. Given the lack of megapixels, I'm not sure why Canon spent a lot of time on a wide feature set here. I played with stills initially, but given the low megapixel count, I don't really use it any more.

5. NOISE: Canon may not be the only camera to have this problem, but the camera generates a soft but significant hum while operating. This IS picked up by the microphone. You can set the camera to eliminate wind noise, and this effectively blocks out the hum. I have my camera set to this and never touch the setting. This is a significant problem with this camcorder (and looking at the reviews) other Canon camcorders. One would think Canon would have thought this through better and made the thing more silent.

CONCLUSION:

All in all, you get a lot of bang for the buck. If you have an extra $200-$300 to spend you might want to try a 3 CCD type camera. But in the under $350 budget range, MiniDV category this one is well worth it. This camera may not be for the amateur cinematographer, but is a great, easy to use, and portable family camera. The picture quality is excellent for a camera in this range and it has a broad feature set as well.

Read Best Reviews of Canon Elura 100 MiniDV Camcorder Here

I purchased this camera to start a videography business. I know I know you need to have the $1000+ Canon GL's and XL's for that! But, I just could not afford so I started hunting.

The #1 thing that drew me to this camera was the single LARGER ccd. It seemed that most other cameras in this price range/category were smaller and had some poorer reviews.

The second item that drew me was the price point. I needed something within my budget that would offer what I needed.

Third, I use this to film in foreign countries. There are times that having a small descreate camera allows for capture of other wise uncaptured footage. It's size tucks away nicely in almost any shoulder bag and well...there is not much weight.

I have used this camera for two weddings and two documentaries. In my most recent wedding I borrowed a pv-gs150 and shot from the wedding from two different angles. Ready for the cool part...When editing and viewing the video there is NO difference to the average person which video came from which camera.

Sure the Canon does not shoot AS WELL in lower lighting. But how often are you going to shoot in the dark?

Some of the features I have grown to love on my Elura is the effects button and still photos.

First the effects button allows you to on the fly change from your pre-determined effect, my case b/w, without shutting the camera off.

Second, I like to incorporate some still photos into my videos to change things up. This camera will rapid shoot to a sd card and I have gotten some CRAZY good pictures. Here again I like the ability to use the effects button. I have also found out it is not to painfully bad to switch from video to still and back w/o much effort.

Ok...so I do like my Elura. BUT, two main issues leave me on the hunt for another camera. There is NO shoe whatso ever on this camera. I very much want to add a shotgun mike, in an effort to reduce background noise. (I did not mention, but the built-in mikes don't do a horrible job. They just pick up to much like most other mikes.) To work in conjunction with that, the controls for the shotgun mike volume would be better accessible. (Actually I guess to say the input.)

I did add an inexpensive wide angle and filter. (Even though it has a good wide angle w/o) and have plans for a shotgun mike.

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I spent a bit of time researching MiniDV recorders and felt that the Canon Elura was best suited for our needs. We wanted a recorder that would convert VHS to DV and one that would work easily with a Mac and a PC. We have not been disappointed.

Our first run was a recording of each of us reading a children's book to our grandchild who lives in Germany. The recording was done indoors and the results were excellent. The raw footage was transferred to a Mac, edited and made into a DVD.

The second trial was a recording of golfing buddies on the golf course in action. This recording took several weeks and was filmed on sunny days, cloudy days and foggy days. The recording was great. It was transfered to a Mac edited and converted to a DVD.

If I have one complaint about the Canon it would be that the zoom button is located in a spot that is difficult to operate easily with one hand.

If you are looking for a recorder that is priced right and easy to use, you can't go wrong with the Canon Elura 100.

Emerson PD6548BL Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio and Cassette Recorder

• Portable CD player with AM/FM stereo radio and cassette player; CD-R/RW playback compatible
• 20-Track programmable memory; Records directly from radio or CD player
• Wide range twin three-inch stereo speakers
• Stereo headphone jack
• AC/DC operation (detachable AC cord included)

My parents bought this CD player for my sister over 6 years ago. About 3 years ago, she gave it to me. I used to use it every day until I got my MP3 player. I pulled it out of my closet this morning and it still plays CDs and tapes, and the radio works great even with the antenna broken off. Most of my stuff doesn't last more than a year, and this thing has survived 3 years of my abuse and still works like the day I got it. If you want a durable, fairly cheap CD player boombox, this is your best bet. It outlasted 2 high-end Sony Boomboxes and numerous portable CD players over the years. I highly recommend this boombox not only for durability, but also great sound quality and style.

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I bought this little item primarily to play CD's since all my higher priced CD players had croaked. For the price, it plays and sounds just fine, though no adjustments can be made to the sound quality. If you are one who needs bigger bass or wants to fiddle with sound controls, this is not the unit for you. My only real gripe is the lid for the CD player doesn't open quite wide enough which makes it more difficult for me to insert and remove the CD. It's doable just a little inconvenient. Overall, I'm satisfied with the product and would recommend it if all you need is something with fairly decent sound at a very reasonable price.

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I received this cd and tape player as a gift about a year and a half ago. I use it to listen to radio, cds, or tapes at work while I work. The tape player doesn't automatically stop at the end of a tape. You have to push the stop button to get the play button to pop up. That is the reason I think that my tape player wore out. The knobs inside to turn the tape will no longer turn but the play will still push the film through and thus it chews and ruins every tape I now put in it. So it worked for a year and a half and I really liked it but now I think when I buy a replacement I will find a better quality one.

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It holds up well to the kids' abuse. They use it all of the time. For the price it is difficult to beat.

This radio CD player is adequate, there is a big however....If you have cassette tapes you wish to use that are Chrome (CrO2) or Metal or 90 or 120 minute tapes; the instructions warn you not to use them. Use only regular 60 minute tapes.

The metal and chrome do work , I just do not know for how long, or what it is doing to the player; but since that is my cassette collection it's what's going in this machine. I just wish there would have been some warning and I would not have purchased this particular model.

The sound is not the best, however so far it has allowed me to record some books on CD to cassette tape.

There is a repeat playback for the CD as well as the ability to program up to 20 tracks to any order

The tuning for the radio is not the best, it takes me back to the days of the first portable radios I had where it was a challenge to get the station into the best reception sound. For the price it is okay, but really would have appreciated a bit more warning on the tape situation.

Panasonic VCR 4-Head PV-8451

I ordered this to replace and older VCR that died on us. We tried other formates DVD and Blue Ray,But always ended up with it not recording the shows.

The VCR works best for us, My wife is a OR Nurse, She works late on some of her show nights. It's the easies for me to program quickly when she working late. The Panasonic is what I was looking for, It work very well and programs easy.

Sony ECM-DS30P Electret Condenser Digital Microphone

• Suitable stereo recording microphone with ICD/MD
• Compact and lightweight microphone for easy use
• Plug in power (no battery required)
• Includes carrying pouch and wind screen

I purchased this Sony ECM-DS30P mic to use with my Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera. I wanted a little better sound capture at not a huge price. I trust the Sony name brand in sound equipment and the price was right. The total length of the mic is 2.2 inches (56.5 mm) and its' diameter is 0.45 inches (11.42 mm). It does capture sound in digital stereo. I haven't used any soft or hardware to determine the sound quality compared to the built in mic of the video camera. It does sound better to me, but don't get it twisted, it doesn't come anywhere close to the mics I use with my hand held HD camcorder. This mic does have a pivot point which allows you to rotate the sound capture head up to about a 45 degree angle. Because the external mic port on my Kodak cam is on the side, plugging this mic directly in would have its' sound capture ports (remember it is a stereo mic) facing up or down or front to back. Not ideal! Therefore, I purchased a 90 degree stereo adapter (with a male and female connection) from my local Radio Shack. It allows me to rotate the mic in almost infinite positions including straight down by the pocket cam's side for easy storage. There are probably better mics out there, but let's keep it real, for the price and quality and its' intended use this Sony ECM-DS30P microphone is hard to beat. I will up load some photos shortly.

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Very nice unit, but doesn't seem to work with iPhone 4. I suspect it requires more power than the iPhone delivers through the mini-jack. It would be nice if they specified that the mic isn't for iPhone. I'm still looking for an inexpensive directional mic for the iPhone.

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I use this microphone with my Olympus DM-10 digital voice recorder. The entire package fits easily in a shirt or jacket pocket. As a radio/tv broadcast journalist, this compact microphone allows me to record spontaneous interviews in broadcast quality. This is a superb microphone and worth every penny.

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The microphone performs admirably on my Olympus DM-1 (I'm thinking of getting a DS-2000 eventually), but one thing that needs to be known about this microphone is that it HAS to be plugged in for long-term usage.

The batteries on my DM-1 provided a little more than an hour's worth of energy before this microphone sucked them dry. Other than that, the product works just fine.

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I use this with my digital recorder whenever I have a traffic stop start to go bad.Its clear as a bell and when the defendant takes me to court and starts to lie that I was a rude officer,I whip out my recorded conversation for the judge and catch the defendant in a lie.Great microphone.

Digital Voice Recorder - USB Dictaphone

This voice recorder starts recording several seconds after you flip the switch, but you never know when it has started. I think it averages about 15 seconds (that's a long time). Then when you turn it off, it somehow deletes the last 15 seconds or so that you should have recorded. This makes it a flash drive only to me, and an expensive one for the amount of memory. Sound quality is horrible anyway.

useless, I haven't been able to record anything... I've turned it on for more than 3 minutes but nothing happens.

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Got this product in plenty of time for Christmas for my Dad, who's elderly and he has become forgetful. I thought this would come in handy for things he wants to remember.

Read Best Reviews of Digital Voice Recorder - USB Dictaphone Here

Very good recorder, but you should know how to use because it's very sensible. I recommend to put it into a pocket to filter the extreme frequencies.

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Complete waste of money. It only records! You cant replay it unless you download it to your computer. I wanted something small that I could record things like pick up milk at the store,etc. and then be able to play it back on the recorder. This does not help me AT ALL. Very disappointed!!

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XtremeMac IPV-MIC-00 MicroMemo Digital Voice Recorder for iPod Video (Black)

I purchased this a week before my college classes started this quarter, primarily to record lectures. It is past the half way point of the quarter, and I am pleased with the results.

Recording is easy; just snap it on the bottom of the iPod and the recording menu will automatically show up. From there you have an option of recording in either high or low quality.

Personally, I did not find any great difference in quality, but there is a significant difference in the power consumption (with the high quality mode sucking almost all the battery power of my 30gb iPod video when recording for 80 minutes), and file size (low quality mode records at about 2.5 mb/min) between the two options.

My class lectures are 80 minutes long, and I had no problem with battery life. In fact, I am able to record 3 of these lectures in one day, as well as walk around campus using my iPod, and still have about a quarter of the battery life left.

I have only tried recording when I am in the very front of the class; I felt it's not worth it to experiment by moving around the class each time. With that said, it works great when I'm up there.

My only complaint is that it cannot work with an iPod skin or protective case. That is, you have to take your iPod out of one of these for it to connect properly to the microphone.

Finally, if you are in college and have been considering recording your lectures, I highly recommend it. I am a third year, and wish I bought this sooner. You cannot write down everything your professor says, and when reviewing for a test and are unsure of a topic covered in the lectures, all it takes is a push of a button to hear what the professor said EXACTLY.

I frequently record interviews as part of my job as a magazine editor; they're a drag to transcribe, but it was a bigger drag before I started using digital recorders. The MicroMemo has performed extremely well on "mission critical" recordings in the field.

On my 3G iPod I used the Belkin F8E462 Voice Recorder for iPod, which offered much lower fidelity and recordings were often plagued with hard disk access noises -but it got the job done. I haven't heard either problem with the MicroMemo, and I've recorded three or four interviews in different spaces (plus I've used it with telephone handset pass-through recording cables). For face to face interviews, just place the MicroMemo about five feet in front of your subject and you should get great results.

I have had no problems with the included mono microphone but I've often opted to use the Sony ECMMS907 Digital Recording Microphone, a stereo, battery-powered condenser mic originally intended for use with camcorders. If you're considering a microphone upgrade, this works perfectly with the MicroMemo. I particularly like the fact that I can record 44K, 16-bit WAVs, so any juicy interviews can then be turned into podcast material, too. On a full charge, I've recorded for about two hours straight and still had some juice left in the battery.

The downsides: My first unit was flaky, but I returned it to MicroMemo and the replacement has been bug-free. And as others have noted, I had to invest in an easily-removable sleeve-style iPod case, since the MicroMemo will not attach through a full-enclosure case, like the ISkin eVo3. With the (optional) new case and the (optional) external microphone, the financial investment can quickly get steep -but it was money well spent for me.

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I was very disappointed to find the signal to noise ratio on the Micromemo was terrible 40dB, akin to a cheap cassette recorder of yester year. Fortunately, when J&R Music World (who fulfilled the Amazon order as an affiliate supplier) received my poor review, they EMAILed me and were happy to give me a refund! Great service, J&R!!! They not only proactively look for customer feedback but took the initiative to contact me for a refund wow! Hopefully, Extreme will eventually fix the engineering problem on the MicroMeo I now find many others who have had similar problems.

Warm Regards, Michael

Read Best Reviews of XtremeMac IPV-MIC-00 MicroMemo Digital Voice Recorder for iPod Video (Black) Here

I've been using the Micromemo for several months to record lectures and segments for my podcast. So far I have not had any problems, though there is an hour limit to recording even on "low" quality. At times I have used it with a Sony stereo microphone. I can not vouch for its use as a high-fidelity recording device, but for my purposes it has proved useful and it has vastly increased the functionality of my iPod.

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so far so bad. this was half the reason i bought an ipod and i ordered this in august (in stock now as described on website). half a dozen emails and phone calls later i cancelled the order (direct from xtrememac) and ordered from an apple store. the night it arrived (oct. 24th) i was pumped. i recorded my band practice as a trial for a Dylan concert the next nite. well, my 30g ipod (battery) died after about 30 minutes (there's no way to plug into AC while recording). for the recording i'll say this: mic input was distorted and worthless, possibly for "voice recording". line input was fairly clear, though mono with slight fuzz. i then substituted some vintage ecm mics in stereo, and the sound was better though still slightly fuzzed and less vs. the quality of recording to minidisc. then the battery died 30 minutes in, maybe this isn't meant to record much...during playback, after 15 minutes it starts skipping and missing chunks of data...

night two, recording dylan. well, what a fiasco. i thought it would be great, i just angled the mics (ecm) towards the stage and hit record, line in. as it turns out my ipod froze after 27 minutes (probably the battery again). and what did record is missing bits/fragmented again. unusable.

i'm going to give it another try this weekend at a gig. i can already tell recording to MD is better, but i like the idea of recording and USBing right to my computer, importing the WAV real quick. let's hope things get better...

Sharp AQUOS BD-HP22U 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player

• Full HD 1080p output for Blu-ray Discs and upconversion of standard DVD video to 1080p
• Ethernet connection for accessing bonus content from BD-Live Blu-ray Discs such as additional scenes and shorts
• Advanced audio decoding; high-quality picture with AQUOS Pure Mode; Quick Start feature for quick disc loading
• Outputs: 1 HDMI (1.3), 1 component, 1 composite, 1 analog audio (L/R), 1 digital optical audio
• Includes remote control and composite AV cable; measures 17 x 2.4 x 10.25 inches

Great picture, easy setup, but I agree with D. L..M about the AQUOS LINK. In fact, after reading that review I called Sharp to make sure my TV (1 month old) supports AQUOS LINK before ordering this player. They said it supported this feature so I ordered the player.

After getting the player, I couldn't get the AQUOS LINK function to work. I called back tech support, asked the same question does this TV support AQUOS LINK? Yes they said. OK, tell me how to make it work. I'm put on hold, they come back after 10 minutes and tell me it is not supported.

So, heads up, these items might indicate your Sharp TV doesn't support AQUOS LINK: The remote doesn't have DVD function buttons, the little feature sticker on the side of your tv didn't say AQUOS LINK or your manual doesn't mention it. I guess that seems obvious, but since tech support said it would work, I just figured this was just a sharp feature that was inherent with the TV's and wasn't anything special.

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If you are thinking about buying this player because you have an AQUOS TV and you want "seamless operability via the AQUOS LINK function through the HDMI connection" ( their words) be advised that it may not work.

It seems that after you purchase this player and try to get the AQUOS LINK to work the Sharp people will tell you it will only work with certain AQUOS TVs

My AQUOS TV is less than a year old and SHARP people told me sorry but it won't work with your set.

I asked them the Sharp customer service why they don't advertise this feature as working with SOME AQUOS TVs but not all, the supervisor said words are words and it's how you take it

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I've had this player for about 2 months now and I'm happy with this purchase for the most part. I don't have an AQUOS TV so, I can't take advantage of the "Aquos Pure Mode" feature. Also, to date no firmware update exists for this model. The picture and sound quality is great for 1080p video and up to DTSHD 7.1 audio running through my Yamaha home theater system. I would recommend purchasing this unit for anyone's home entertainment enjoyment!

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easy to match up to my sharp aquos 52" E77U. First blue ray disc I watched was Dark Knight and the sound and picture were fantistic. It uses Aquos Link to automatically adjust the picture for the best possible color and contrast. the only con that I have is that it does'nt pick up the scene that you were watching after you turn off the unit and turn it back on. Other than that I would recommend it to anyone with a Sharp Aquos HDTV.

The Aquos link works perfectly with a Sharp Aquos LC40E67U LCD TV. The TV remote will control the blueray player including some of the more advanced features such as the setup menu, negating the need to use two remotes 99% of the time. Inserting a Blue Ray disk into the player will automatically turn on the TV and a few other minor convenience features. The blueray player itself is just an average priced profile 2.0 player with nothing remarkable. From what I can determine, this is big step up from the bdhp21u.

Transcend 16GB MicroSDHC Class10 UHS-1 Memory Card with Adapter 45 MB/s (TS16GUSDU1E)

The Actual product being offered and shipped by Amazon is the same model number, but the manufacturer (Transcend Taiwan) specifications are actually different. This is probably why there are a few reviews with people saying the speed is not as fast as expected/advertised. I have attached some photos of the actual product received on (2) separate occasions that confirm the true spec is up to 45MB/s sequential read (20MB/s sequential write). If you compare the photos I supply and the ones on the Amazon web site, you will see the Amazon photo does not show the printed speed rating to the right side of the device packaging. Regardless, the speed is fast enough to handle any phone and/or tablet read task which often peak at 15MB/s or less.

I have also attached a quantified benchmark using CrystalDiskMark 3.0.2 x64 within Windows 7 on a high-end Dell Precision M6600 workstation. The results are within the specification guidelines so I have concluded the Transcend 32GB MicroSDHC is snappy and as advertised on the *packaging* even if it is not on the Amazon web site. Therefore, the product receives 5 stars from me and Amazon should correct their error. Lastly, as with all memory, 32GBits = 29GBytes once you do the real world conversion so do not concern your with any discrepancies there.

I bought this due to the Crystaldiskmark posted by Transcend. I've posted my own tests, and while the card is nice, it's not the fastest out there, and at least when I bought it, it was priced at a premium to cards like the Sandisk ultras.

It's totally functional and a lot quicker than most, but I wish it was faster for what I paid.

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Very good speed for its price, faster and cheaper than Sandisk Ultra 32GB U1.

Bought for video on Gopro Hero3

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Works fantastic with new gopro hero 3. No issues whatsoever like the san disk one. On par or better with the other known brands.

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First off, I'm not going to tell you I gauged the speed of the card because I didn't. What I can tell you is that it works fast and has a lot of memory. There's little delay between pictures and movies are easily recorded for considerable lengths of time. That's what I wanted from the card, so I'm happy.

VideoSecu Outdoor Day Night Vision Bullet Security Camera Built-in 1/3" Sony Super HAD CCD Wide Vie

I had to replace some of my security camera's in the past, the construction in other camera's was poor. This Camera is superb. the construction is solid. No outside plastic material. The focus is sharp, and the wide angle aspect gives an excellent view without compromise. The night time led lights are abundant and gives a very respectful total darkness picture. None of the other cameras I have owned had as many led's as this one. All said, the price is a bargain. You should not be disappointed.

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ViewSonic 8-Inch Digital Media Album with Auto On/Off Light Sensor (VFM820-50)

Pros:

Viewing angle, picture detail, and color are great for the size and resolution.

Price ($45 at time of review)

Features abound (alarm, calendar, clock, motion sensor activation)

Will accommodate up to 32GB memory card.

Cons:

Controls are tiny and difficult to see, though they are fairly intuitive.

AC power required to view photos, time, etc. The battery is solely for saving settings.

No internal memory. You must have a micro SD card (not included, but they are cheap)

The VFM 820 will shrink some photos to fit the screen, but other larger images are not and will only show up as a red circle with a line through it until you re-size them yourself. Furthermore,the manual does not indicate what size that threshold is nor does it list this particular issue in its trouble shooting section.

Over all though my mother loves seeing her grand-kids on it, and other than having to edit a bunch of photos to display correctly its a good digital frame.

I bought this on another website for 35$ as a gift and I love it, will buy the white one for myself when the price will match the black one, idk why it's more expensive atm. The settings are fairly easy and explained in the manual. Also the manual says that the maximum resolution it supports is 4000x4000 but what it doesn't say is that it doesn't support files smaller than 90k, those show up as red circles, but simple opening and saving images in photoshop fixed it since it saved them as bigger file size ;).

Pros:

You can choose to display pictures in order or randomly

You can have calendar + clock displayed the whole time at the bottom of pictures

Easy settings

Looks nice and shiny, doesn't look cheap

Pictures look awesome, even the small ones, they are all fitted onto the screen either with auto-resizing or with keeping the original aspect ratio(can choose in menu)

Cons:

On random setting it likes to repeat some pictures, but considering most people wont keep looking at the frame for a very long time it's not bad

Doesn't have internal memory but supports up to 32GB memory cards

It doesn't automatically rotate pics but there is option to rotate them, but it's easier to rotate each pic head-up in computer ;)

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The pictures display nicely on this digital frame and it has a lot of options and settings to customize to your preference. But....I found the instructions confusing and frustrating. I struggled for an hour just to figure out how to get the "slide show" started without it lapsing to a black screen with a clock display. At times the clock and calendar would appear while the pictures were cycling, and I did not know why. I have managed to get a continuous show to play, but had to disable the auto brightness; every time the screen started to dim, the clock appeared. Something this simple should have simple instructions; unfortunately, ViewSonic needs to improve in this area.

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My product arrived very promptly. Its easy to use and set up. Even people who struggle with tech couldn't screw this up, and since I bought this for my parents, that is a huge plus. The picture is clear and bright. Plus the fact that its senses movement to turn on was nice. Even if that feature wasn't available its easy enough to unplug it and turn it back on when you want.

Over all, I'm very happy.

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It has an elegant design, very slim and simple and it has a nice screen. The user interface is not hard to operate but its not designed well, very sluggish and confusing at time and buttons don't respond promptly. My main problem with this product was first it would skip images and secondly it says it accepts multiple image formats but ultimately it only works with JPEG files. My suggestion is that you look around and see if you can find something better.