Koss DVP2161 Compact DVD with MP3/CD Player

• Compact DVD/CD player with Dolby/DTS passthrough offers ready connection to TVs, computer monitors, car screens
• Plays MP3 CD, audio CD, DVD-Video, video CD; offers full-featured audio CD and MP3 CD menu controls
• Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound passthrough (for use with surround-decoding audio/video receiver)
• Includes full-function remote control, AC adapter
• Easily transportable, but not portable per se (no screen, not battery-operable)

I bought this player about three months ago, and here's my experience with this unit.

-Design: 4/5. The unit is sharp-looking, with a nice silver chrome finish that's pretty durable. I have the purple "hip hues" version and despite its toy-like appearance it stands up pretty well to wear and tear, and the "psychedelic" look is unique. A point off for the lack of functions on the unit itself; it's pretty much play, stop, a/b view, fast forward and reverse. Everything else is on the remote, which could have matched the look of the unit a bit more.

-Portability: 5/5. Small, sleek and easy to transport. Great if you want a unit that you can easily move from room to room, bring to a friend's place, or, of course, for traveling. Setup with the audio/video outputs (or s-video) is a snap for the majority of televisions and adapters are easy to find for monitors without a/v inputs.

-Picture Quality / Sound: 4/5. Despite some limitations with Dolby 5/1 and surround sound (this won't give you the same bang in that area as most standard-sized players) the stereo audio is excellent on this unit. My dvd of "Showgirls" played with Cristal-clear sound ;), and Ditto for its mp3 playback, which comes with a nice onscreen display which lays out any folder structures your pc or mac creates on the cd-rom. More good news: the picture quality is superb, as good as any full-sized unit. Color and definition are outstanding. I hooked this up to a 27-inch monitor and played a DVD of "Last Tango in Paris" and it looked as good as on a full-sized Sony DVD deck which was connected to the same tv.

-Performance: 2/5. And now the bad news...the majority of disks should play on this deck. However, the sad truth is that this unit will reject a good number of DVDs. I've been able to play about 90% of DVDs on this deck. Another 5% had problems with skipping or, most aggravatingly, picture freezing. The other 5% won't run at all on this deck, not even registering a DVD menu. The motor will turn, the player will struggle to register with the material, and after a couple of attempts the unit gives up. This player seems to play single-layer DVDs very well, which don't offer a lot of special features (i.e. only a trailer, a couple of stills). I tried to play my Criterion copy of "In the Mood for Love" which is packed with a fully rendered menu and special features; it was a disaster, the player couldn't even register the DVD menu. A rental copy of John Carpenter's "The Thing" which didn't have any noticeable scratches only played about fifteen minutes of the film, then froze. Another DVD which had a small scratch froze in the last five minutes and would only continue if I skipped ahead to the next chapter. On the upside, the majority of disks I've tried on this player have played acceptably, with only occasional problems (see below). It's just sad that the temperamental nature of this unit would generate more suspense in keeping you wondering if it will make it through a whole movie than anything in the actual film you are watching.

-Engineering: 1/5. It's amazing that this thing made it through product testing, if that was even performed on this model. As others have mentioned, one of the major reasons this player malfunctions so much is that it doesn't have proper ventilation. It overheats, so after 1.5 to 2 hours of play (if not sooner) the picture will begin freezing and skipping. If you are watching a disk of television shows in half-and one-hour chunks, that might be fine, but curling up with three hours of "Apocalypse Now Redux"? Not too darn likely. And if your DVD is loaded with special features, the demands placed on this little cutie will cut your viewing time even further. All the special features slow mo, step frame, a/b view, chapter search work as they should (although you can only access most of them on the remote, so don't forget that if you plan on traveling with this player). Overall, the player's tendency to overheat renders it unacceptable for all but the lightest applications. Considering the possibilities of DVDs, that's a huge liability. Also, the remote's buttons are tiny and take some extra pressure to activate---and compared to my other vcr/satellite dish remotes, its lack of range is annoying. Basically you have to aim it directly at the unit, since it seems to have problems when used at angles.

-Suggestions: as others have mentioned, the ac adapter packed with the unit is really bad. Replace it with a compatible adapter from Target or Radio Shack and performance will improve. Some users have mentioned cutting a hole and installing a small fan---for the mechanically uninclined like me, this is not an option. The ac adapter heats up if it's plugged into the socket even when the unit's off, so unplugging the AC adapter from the socket between uses greatly improves performance. Also, setting the unit on top of a well-ventilated area helps, especially if air can pass under the bottom.

Overall, it's a commendable attempt by Koss to produce a small, portable DVD player for multiple purposes and situations. Had the design/engineering team resolved the player's basic problems overheating, incompatibility with some high-performance DVD software, and erratic performance with even basic functions this would have been a winner. Too bad. It could've been a contender.

Buy Koss DVP2161 Compact DVD with MP3/CD Player Now

This pint-sized dvd player does almost everything that all the big boys do. This is about one-third the size of a regular dvd. It has a head-phone jack for personal listening. It's very light.

To tell you the truth, when I looked at the brand name I was kind of skeptical to get this player. Usually I'm a Sony guy, but the price and size were right. The picture is just as good as any of the other dvd's I've seen. That goes for the sound as well.

It also has a lot of features not found in other dvd players. One of which, you can select a portion of a scene and view it over and over again by a button called "A-B." Very useful if you want to examine a part very closely without having to rewind then play then stop, then rewind and so forth. Another feature is being able to view a "Scene" over and over again. This baby's got a volume control also within the dvd player. That way you don't have to switch between controllers so much. It's also NTSC/PAL compliant and VCD 2.0 compatible too. Another thing is that if you burn a cd with jpeg pictures (a type of format that pictures can come in) you can view them on this player. You can take digital pictures, burn them, then view for your family and friends to see on the tv. It also tells you on the screen what scene you're looking at if you press |>|. It also has an optional optical digital output for exceptional viewing (if you don't know what I'm talking about don't worry, just know it's there).

Basic features are Dolby Digital 5.1, MP3 playback, CD/CD-R/CD-RW, Parental controls, zoom. It also has a small LCD screen to tell you which scene or time the dvd is playing. It comes with an AC adapter, A/V wires, and a very handy remote. There's pretty much a button for every feature which is handy for quick clicks. It has S-Video output. Handy buttons on top of the case also for play, stop, rewind, fast-forward, etc.

Small quirks that I have with this player are that it is a bit flimsy. It also gets a bit warm after playing a movie (but I guess that's with any dvd player). There also is no DTS surround sound, but for many that feature won't be needed, I know I won't utilize that.

Overall, I am very happy with this dvd player. I bought it because in my dorm room there isn't much space for a bulky heavy one so when I saw this I grabbed it. Plus, mailing it back and forth between my school and home won't be as expensive this this light and small package. It was a very reasonable price for such a small player.

It may look small and dinky but inside's got a full fledge dvd player. If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive small light dvd player, with some extra features (not found in some of those other brands), opt for getting this one.

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In short: this item is so bad that I'm actually amazed that Amazon is carrying it. In fact, giving it one star is far too generous! Sure, the price is alluring, but please -PLEASE! -read the overwhelming number of other negative reviews regarding this item and believe them. I have an extensive (and scrupulously tended) DVD collection (i.e., no scratches, no duds), yet the Koss unit has trouble regarding 9 out 10 discs it's asked to read. The picutre either drops out completely (leaving the tell-tale blue screen) or simply freezes on whatever image in on screen at the time. No amount of coaxing or encouraging will solve this problem. One wonders how, in good conscience, Koss could release this dismal piece of engineering. I've seen much better units in electronics stores for less -do a little searching and your extra effort will be repaid handsomely that way. If you don't want to feel frustrated or foolish (for having paid money for this piece of junk), save your money and go somewhere else!

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I bought one of these with some trepidation after reading the reviews posted here--in particular, the concerns about overheating due to a poorly regulated power supply.

The unit I got (not from Amazon) was factory-refurbished by Koss. (it wasn't much cheaper than a new one--so I'd recommend buying new.) To my surprise, it came with a switchmode inline power supply, rather than the linear "wall-wart" supply described by some owners. My trusty Fluke DMM showed the supply's open-circuit output to be 12.21 volts--very good regulation!--and the player was not noticeably warm even after running for a couple of hours.

Now, I can't guarantee you're going to receive the same AC adapter I did. But it looks to me as if Koss recognized that they had a problem with the old linear supply and replaced it with something a lot better regulated, thus eliminating (as far as I can tell) the overheating problem.

With that trouble spot gone, this is a sweet little player for the price...and an exceptionally versatile one, as others have mentioned.

Andy Baird

I've played with one of these for about 6 months now. There is a bit of a heat problem as others have mentioned, I hacked mine to install a small fan (mpja.com part 12929 FN) and have not had problems since. I haven't found any format it won't read, from VCD to SVCD to CVD, DVD-R and -RW, JPEGs and MP3's on a DVD. (80 hours of music on one disk!) Outputs for composite video, S-video, and component video, as well as analog and optical digital audio. User interface isn't great, but it works. There are buttons for some functions on the player, but Koss didn't include enough to run a typical DVD, you will need the remote (which reduces its portability somewhat). Video filters are very sharp, which looks really good on some movies but introduces a little edge noise on some others. Runs on 12vdc, I've used mine in my small trailer with a LCD monitor, it's great to be able to take your movies and songs on the road.

Sony ICD-MS1 Digital Voice Recorder

I received the Memory Stick-equipped voice recorder as a present, originally under the impression that recording a note or memo would quickly be turned into a typed document in Word, Wordperfect, or another similar type of software. What I did find was that while it is EXTREMELY good at picking up your conversation, even in a noisy car, its use is limited initially unless you have a Memory Stick-equipped computer to process the information, and even from there, you need more stuff.

If you have no port for a Memory Stick, you have to spend a fair amount of money for the adapter, which takes the Meory Stick and encapsulates it into a standard 3.5 inch disk for your computer. For voice applications to now use the recordings and type them, you also need to have a voice recognition program such as Dragon 5 or better. This is not a cheap program, and earlier versions won't do if you want the automatic typing done, and of course, you have to take the time to train the program to recognize your voice.

The recorder itself does a great job. It's the additional costs for using it that have been disappointing, and therefore the 4 stars. Still, there is no question that this is a very good recorder.

NEEWER® 5 Port full 1080p HDMI switch With REMOTE For: Blu-Ray, PS3, Xbox, HD-DVD, HD-DVR, Digital

I was really hoping this switch would work with my application. It was nice and small. It had a separate power source and IR receiver and came with 5 HDMI cables. However, I just couldn't get it to work with my Directv receiver. It worked with my pc and HDMI monitor, but would not work at all for my Directv. I'm disappointed. Now I've got to find something else to try.

I like very much their auto switch. It's may delay your TV input changing from HDMI to other input (bacuase TV still searching for that input) when this switch is off. I don't think I need to spend a lot money for other switch. This one is good for a very little money.

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No matter what we have done the remote does not work. Switch does work between 2 hdmi cables.

Anybody know how to fix remote. Tried to contact company but can not find any information on them.

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Sony Dvp-f21 Dvd Player Silver

Sony DVP S560D DVD player black

DVP S560D, Worked Great until I joined the C:13:00 Error Club, Google "Sony C:13:00" to find out more.

I've used quite a few dvd players in my day and none have matched the picture and sound quality as well as this. If you have the cables to connect all 5 sound channels, you will experience DTS like you never have before. I have a surround sound setup and this was as clear as I've ever heard it before. These are getting sold pretty cheap nowadays with the advent of Blu-Ray but you should pick one of these up if you have the chance, it'll provide you with crystal clear picture quality for a fraction of the cost of the Blu-Ray.

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Intel Pocket PC Camera, CS-630

I wasn't ready to take the leap and get a mega-pixel camera because of the cost and the fact that 90% of the time I would just shrink the pictures down to post on the web anyway.

For what it is, it's pretty good. It's a nice webcam for connecting directly to your PC. It's a convenient camera to carry around with you and take lots of reasonably good pictures. The software that comes with it is nice and works from within my image editing software so I can download, edit, and save very easily. The size is just right for slipping in a pocket and it's survived a number of minor drops intact. This is definitely not a high-end camera, but if you just want something to take pictures to post on the web and work as a direct-connect webcam it's a good deal. Battery life is good and it uses Alkaline batteries. I'd rather have the option of rechargable batteries charged via the USB cable, but that isn't available. The one thing that really bothers me is the button. It's kind of hard to push down and when it finally gives, it tends to jerk the camera a little. If I'm not careful to keep it steady, this results in a blurred shot.

Pros: Good battery life. Enough memory for 128 pictures. Adjustable focus for close-up objects. Shoots 10-second video clips away from PC. Shoots nice higher-res videos when connected to a PC. USB interface with slick software. Timer mode so you can set it down, click the button, and get into the shot

Cons: Cannot upgrade memory. No screen to view/delete pictures. Not Windows 2000 compatible a beta driver is available to download pictures, but it cannot clear pictures from the camera's memory! Video limited to low-res 10 second clips. Low-light pictures do not come out well and it doesn't have a flash. Can only adjust focus when it's connected to a computer

Keep your eye out for rebates. CompUSA recently had a MAJOR price break on these things.

My roommate and I bought this camera about six months ago, and it is one of the most-used and most-enjoyed items in our apartment. It doesn't use up any film, so we never think twice about grabbing the camera when we go somewhere with friends.

Though it has no flash or zoom capabilities, it takes large, clear pictures even when used portably. The video it takes when it is not connected to the computer is a bit lacking because it comes out so small, but it is still useful for some things -I took it on a roller coaster last week and videotaped the ride at 60 miles per hour!

As for the video taken while the camera is hooked up to the computer, it is sharp and good quality when there is plenty of natural light, but at night, even with all the lights on, it has a lot of trouble detecting motion and the video tends to be slow and choppy.

The cute little camera is very durable--we know because we have dropped it countless times and it has never malfunctioned. battery compartment does accidentally come open sometimes, causing the batteries to scatter all over the ground, but the pictures already taken still remain in its memory, so it is really more of a nuisance than a problem.

It comes with its own software which works well for organizing and editing the pictures, but its movie making software doesn't have many features, so it's better to use the movie maker that comes with Windows or a professional one. The pictures it takes come in .jpg format, and the videos come in .avi format, so they're perfectly compatible with other viewing and editing programs.

All things considered, we are very happy we have this little camera; I would recommend it to anyone who wishes to have fun with unlimited pictures and video, though those with concerns about very high-quality video might do better to seek out more expensive digital equipment.

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best value for your money? probably. i've had it for about 3 months now and have not had any problems. the camera is advertised as being able to take 128 pictures at 640x480 but having have taken it on vacation, it took a good 165 before being full. the remote video at 320x240 is okay, light permitting, but for 129 bucks, i'm not really asking for all that much. attatched video and macro lens are REALLY impressive and the software is really consumer friendly. If people are having all of these problems with it, i'm assuming that they are running an OS that is not compatible (ie W2000). I'm running it on 98 and am having no problems whatsoever. Only drawbacks are that it has no flash and no remote audio, but if you know that going into it, its really not a dissapointment. Great pocket cam. Takes really good pictures and has a great supplementary software package.

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I found the packaging for this camera very misleading. The "2 minutes" of video can only be used in 10-second clips. The video does not have sound. The quality of the video is less than expected (even for the price of the camera).

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this camera is good for the price i paid. it serves both purposes reasonably well, though to get good picture quality we need to take pictures in bright light. no flash is a major disadvatage to this camera. software that comes with this is easy to install and easy to use. i could get 120 pictures of good quality out of this camera at a stretch. looks cute and fits easily in the pocket.

Hauppauge Computer Works Hvr950q Hdtv Stick (1191) -

I love this thing. I recently dumped cable (which was costing me $1800 a year) in favor of a broadband plan and TV antenna in the attic run to my TVs with CAT6 lines, and a subscription to Netflix and Amazon Prime (all of which costs me around $300 a year, depending on how many shows I get). But that didn't fix the issue of how to record programs if I'm watching something else, and I didn't want to pay the high-price for a DVR. And why would I, when my computers have more than enough room to record TV shows? A friend gave me an older model of this HDTV stick to use with my laptop, but it didn't work with Windows 7. (Do your research!) I found this one, which was recommended for Windows 7, easily installed the software and set it up in my kitchen with the little antenna in the kitchen window. (You can go to to see where your signal is strongest, and I live close to the signals. If not, I could always hook it up to the antenna cable from the TV antenna.) I get some 20 free stations, and the software that comes with it makes it super easy to record a show. Works perfectly! I watched (insert crappy summer reality show here) and recorded (insert ANOTHER crappy reality show here) on the laptop and just watched it later. Free TV rocks!

I've had this tuner for about two weeks, connected to Windows 7 with Media Center. It records commercials with ease and matched with the Media Center guide it's a breeze to setup recording times. However, when it comes to recording the television shows I want for viewing later... I do get a picture and the sound effects, but no vocals. I tried contacting Hauppauge, but they have failed to respond. If you're looking to record commercials for the super bowl, by all means purchase. If you want to watch a drama, look elsewhere.

PS The supplied software from Hauppauge (Win 7) is utter trash, no radio, no scheduler, just a simple tuner that can do still screen captures.

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The thing came as it was described, it was missing some stuff, but it said that when I ordered it. Came in mail quickly, great condition, no scratches or things like that. Works pretty good. Didn't know you have to pay for the software.

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Micro Connectors Firewire IEEE 1394 6 Pin to 4 Pin Cable - 15 Feet (E07-218)

I purchased this cable for one function: to capture HDV video from my Sony HVR-HD1000U MiniDV 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom cameras onto my PC. For this purpose, they work perfectly. The length of the cable allows me a lot of versatility with where I can place my tripod and camera rig while still hooked up to my laptop. It has certainly made my life a bit easier for life-streaming videos over the web as well as bypassing the need to use minidv tapes for short projects.

For the purpose of live capturing HDV footage from prosumer and consumer cameras, this cable is an exceptional bargain.

VideoSecu 4 Channel PCI PC DVR Card CCTV Security Camera System, including 4 Day Night Vision Outdo

A couple of minor problems only. CD with documentation and instructions is for an earlier version of software and load up must be done manually on Windows XP.

This system requires a dedicated hard drive or a partitioned hard drive to properly work.

While I doubt if the equipment was originally $1,000. This is good equipment with clear cameras, working IR, and what must be advanced security software as it is quite flexible in processing surveillance footage.

The seller is helpful.

The only question in my mind is whether to buy a second set to expand.

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Sony SLV-D100 DVD-VCR Combo

• DVD player and 4-head hi-fi VCR combination unit
• Plays DVD, CD, Video CD, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-Rs, MP3s
• S-video and high-quality component-video output terminals (for use with compatible TVs)
• Front A/V inputs for easy game system or camcorder connection
• Virtual surround sound for theater-style audio

First let me tell you why I buy this. It's a Sony right. I found out that I was wrong. This lovely Sony SLV-D100 DVD/VCR combo is ACTUALLY made by Samsung Electronics Corporation. This is the electronic corporation that manufactures Go Video VCRs and DVD/VCRs combo. Don't waste your money in buying this. I highly recommend a Samsung or Go Video DVD/VCR combo for less. The brand names may sound funny BUT they perform the same picture, quality, and reliability as the Sony because the two are made by Samsung. How do I know this, try looking at the vcr mechanism and see the similarity of Samsung VCR's design. So don't blame on Sony for this poor design and unreliable product. Sony only designs and markets this DVD/VCR combo and let Samsung Electronics Corporation do the rest. Thanks for reading this review.

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Before you buy this first edition of a DVD/VCR combo from Sony I would like for you to know some of its rather disappointing shortcomings. I'll quickly list them as well as give you a comparison to another DVD/VCR I've tested.

1. DVD portion

The built-in software & functionality falls far short when compared to Sony's entry level DVD player (DVP-NS315). The SLV-D100 has only an on/off surround option, no adjustment of the picture quality, and it's method of handling MP3s will often not allow for easy picking and choosing of selections.

2. VHS portion

The VHS portion of the player is suitable, but just from the look & feel from the first few hours I wouldn't compare it favorably in any way to my Sony SLV-701HF.

3. Comparison

The first DVD/VHS combo I tested out was the Sansui VRDVD4000. It's software & functionality is superior to that of the Sony. It provides many more options and displays (it can even indicate the bitstream rate that the DVD is performing at!). I wouldn't say the VHS portion was too bad either. Also, it seems that the remote-control eye was better at picking up the signal from its remote control. The Sony control on the other hand would need to be directly pointed at its eye in order to get a response. Lastly, when the Sony tray is left open it will cease to allow any remote control switching between DVD and Line input unless it is closed. No such thing on the Sansui model, you may have the tray left open and not struggle with the loss of any functionality on the remote control . A major drawback on the Sansui model is that it ONLY has front inputs

If you are a Sony enthusiast like me, you will find that the SLV-D100 will miss your expectations entirely. Good luck.

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I wish I had read some of these reviews before I bought one of these. I experienced two of the problems experienced by other reviewers. Hookup was easy and I liked the Auto Setup feature. However, I bought 5 new DVD's to watch and they all skipped at various places throughout the movie. At first I thought the disks were dirty, but they all did this just like another reviewer wrote. The picture quality was great but I would rather watch a VHS tape than sit through all these pauses and skips. Its like the screen freezes for a second or two. The other problem I experienced was slowness of the remote. I would push a button to navigate through a menu and it would take a second for the unit to respond. The audio and video quality was great but these two problems are causing me to send my unit back. Very disappointing as I have 100% Sony equipment in my Audio and Home Entertainment Center. I have been waiting for the Sony combo DVD/VHS unit to come out, now I'm sorry I did. I will send this unit back and continue to use my old Sony VHS deck and buy another brand of DVD player. Sony lost a customer on this deal.

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I have a Sony DVD player. Sony claims a 1 year part/90 day labor warranty. First, the machine simply stopped working after 5 months. Second, to send it in for warranty repair, Sony wants for labor, upfront, plus I have to pay for the cost to ship the item. They don't assess the problem and then give you an estimate, permitting you to decide whether or not you want to go through with a repair. Third, when I noted that the cost to repair closely approaches the cost of a new machine, their customer service representative told me I should have purchased the extended warranty.

My suggestion is, buy a more reliable product, not a Sony. Check out what the warranty, when you purchase. Select a product with 1 year parts and labor. Otherwise, find out what the manufacturer charges for warranty service.

Sony will probably charge more for labor for a more complex, more expensive machine. Watch out for deceptive warranty policies.

I love the convenience of a combo unit, and I've had no problems with the DVD player. After just a few months, however, the VCR portion of the unit broke down. I play many more DVD's than tapes so this is pretty alarming. The picture looks exactly like what you get when you have dirty heads, so I used the same cleaning method that I use for the other VCR units that I use, (in the kids rooms). I have one of those tapes that you insert and play after putting a few drops of cleaner in it. Well, that didn't fix the problem, (how could the heads really be dirty after a few months of very light use anyway?). Be forewarned about this unit. I bought it since it had good features and didn't have the cheap "feel" of the lower priced units available in the market. My mistake. I'm ditching the thing, (will probably hook it up with my kids TV/VCR combo so that he can watch DVD's too), and going with a better brand.

Canon ZR45MC MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Digital Still Mode & MMC Card Slot

After an extensive market review, I decided to buy this one. Recording quality is excellent when you have appropriate light conditions, and it works ok with poor light. Excellent zoom, and very good stabilization features. The digital still camera feature takes average pictures (640*480), good enough if you are just sending them to friends/family and the software included is quite easy to use. In order to download your movies, you must have a firewire connection in your PC. Consider to buy an extra battery.

The major problem I found is the fact that the microphone records the camera noises, making your movies have an annoying background sound. This is really unacceptable if you want to have good quality audio. If you are concerned about the sound, I would suggest you either to try another camcorder or wait until Canon fix this model or release a new one. Or, if you have the expertise (I don't have it) edit the film with your PC.

I got this camcorder for a few reasons. First, Consumer Reports loved it in their 2002 buying guide, and second, the size and capabilities.

The zoom lens on this is incredible, but obviously shouldn't be moved too quickly if you are zoomed in on something. I took it to an airshow and was able to zoom in on things other people were missing, and the digital recording allowed us to clearly pick out details when we paused a recording that were surprisingly sharp. The camera is easy to use, and having the LCD screen and onboard speaker is heplful when playing back.

The still camera will do the job, but it isn't as sharp as a normal digital camera, although the memory card in this camcorder is separate (the newer, smaller type) from the tapes used to record the movies. Also, the lower resolution still images can be stored in greater numbers, though, with an estimated 300 pictures possible on my 36 MB card.

The included software, USB cables, and cables to attach the camera to the VCR/TV are all easy to use, and I have had no problems. Those folks who have seen my videos thus far have been very impressed, and I have been very happy.

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Just got the zr45 and am amazed at the quality of the video. My kids just had a talent show in a large auditorium and we had seats in the very back of the room (about 23 rows back). It was dark except for the stage lights, but the zoom worked great. I was worried that it only looked good on the LCD screen, but when we hooked it up to the TV for playback, the quality was sharp.

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First off, this is my first digital camcorder/camera. I purchased this camera only 3 days ago and I'm already having too much fun with downloading pictures to and from the cam. It's capable of doing all this (and pretty easy I may add) to do all this even if you're a first timer. It comes with a CD with the necessary software and also a manual on how to install the software and how to use it for downloading/uploading pix. Very easy and informative. The MMC card can take as many as 100 pictures at a time, so it's more than enough for me.

As for the quality of the camcorder for "regular filming", I'm impressed. It has 7 or 8 different settings for different filming situations such as "sports", "portrait", "night mode", and others. Also, the buttons in this camera don't look as intimidating as some of the others I've seen/used. All buttons are nicely placed on the camera and I have no problems with any of them. Plus, this camera is pretty small for this price. The only ones that I've seen that are this small (or smaller) are the ones in the [price range](and above) range. I got this one for [price], and I'm more than happy with it's $ize ;-)

So far, I think I'll be enjoying this camera for a long time. I'm very happy with it and I recommend this for anyone who is just getting into digital cams/camera. It has more than enough features for someone who is just getting into the world of digital camcorders/cameras. The quality of the pictures are not excellent, but I think it's nice enough to even impress some people. I highly recommend this cam/camera.

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Want Canon ZR45MC MiniDV Digital Camcorder with 2.5" LCD, Digital Still Mode & MMC Card Slot Discount?

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1) Solution from Canon's online tech supt website: CanonDv

Q. In quiet situations, I can hear the noise of the motor being recorded. What can I do about this?

A. Automatic audio gain will set the volume to capture any available noise. In a very quiet setting, this may be the sound of the camcorder motor. To correct for this, provide some 'white' background noise, such as a radio or television.

2) Solution from another user:

Open the mic housing and stuff sound dampening material b/w the mic and the motor. This user said that it works great.

3) Solution from yet another user:

Buy a generic external mic, or Canon's DM-50 Microphone. This completely eliminates the motor noice and improves audio recording, but adds size to the camcorder.

Hope this helps.

Canon ZR200 MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom (High Metal)

Great Camera, Battery Sucks

I bought this camera to replace an old Panasonic VHS-C camera. After reading many reviews over at www.camcorderinfo.com (a great site BTW), I decided to save a few bucks and get the ZR 200 instead of the 300. The light seemed useless to me and I already had a SD card.

The ZR 200 outperforms our old Panasonic in every way. Very happy with this camera. I've been using it mostly in "easy" mode. I did try out the wide-screen feature, and MAN was it cool! I filmed a concert band at a local community college, in low light, on a ti-pod with lots of panning and zooming. It really did a great job. It looked like a freakin' documentary!

You will read lots of reviews complaining about motor noise. These are greatly exaggerated. I've used it to tape the audio of my wife's sonogram (fetal doppler sounds) in a very quiet doctor's office and it worked perfectly, no motor noise.

This is a consumer level camera, and as such performs very well for casual capturing. Kicks butt for home movies, low light concerts. Real pros might want to consider spending more.

One bummer, the battery really sucks. It lasts about one hour, so you'll want to get another one, or do what I do and plug it in whenever you can.

One little tip: You must hold the focus button down! You will read complaints of slow manual focus times, and I noticed the same thing, until I HELD DOWN THE FOCUS BUTTON. Manual focus is very snappy.

Amount Paid (US$):

239.99 (www.dell.com, w/ 2 coupons from www.dealmac..com)

Ease of Use:

Excellent; operates with the touch of a button

Durability:

Good; solid it will last until new technology develops

Battery Life:

Average; lasts 45-90 minutes

Movie Quality:

Good; stable and crisp image, very good sound

Recommended for:

Home and Families Keep Memories of Family Vacations

Pros:

Great Images, Very Small, Easy to use

Cons:

Batteries only last one hour.

The Bottom Line:

Highly recommend it for home, family buyers AND budget buyers.

Overall Product Rating:Above Average

Recommended: Yes

This camera replaced Canon's ZR85, which was another lightweight, no-frills camera. This one is even lighter, and a fair bit smaller. It fits just right in the palm of my hand. If it was any smaller or lighter it would be awkward -I like there to be a little bit of weight to a camera, since that gives it a litle bit of stability due to inertia; as it is it is just right.

It has more functions than you'd really want in such a camera -if you are ever going to do something with the footage you will be using a computer and an editing program, so you don't really need the editing modes on the camera. Still, there's no complaint here, and it's flexible enough for most non-professional, home users.

My only complaints are: when they "upgraded" to the ZR200 from the ZR85, they got rid of the neck strap. So this unit is totally free floating and you have to be more careful about dropping it. I suppose you could rig a neck strap but it isn't included and it would be a little more awkward, since the slots they give you to fasten a strap are very close together. I ended putting one on there but rarely use it, because it makes the camera twist around a bit. I really liked the neck strap on my ZR85 as a way of stabilizing the camera: I could put the camera down near my waist, and look through the LCD monitor, and the tension from the neck strap would help me keep the camera steady as I walked, usually while filming my children ahead of me. The other complaint is that the viewfinder on this one no longer swivels up and down, but is fixed in place. This makes it much less usable for me -because it means that the camera has to swivel with your head if you are using the viewfinder. It means that I use the LCD screen much more often than I used to, and that runs the battery down much more quickly. Still, for simplicity and convenience and ease of use, you'd be hard pressed to find a better camera at this price.

Buy Canon ZR200 MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom (High Metal) Now

I purchased this camera to replace my Panasonic VHS-C camcorder. I was very surprised at how much smaller the camcorders are as compared to when I had my VHS-C. This camera is great. Its small, compact design makes it easy to fit into the palm of your hand, and the mini screen is perfect for viewing images while recording. The feature that really sold me on this camera, aside from its low price, was the image stabilization. With the stabilization on, there is no image bouncing, and you'll be sure to get clear, sharp images every time. I was disappointed in the short charge that the battery holds, so I recommend purchasing another battery or plugging the camera in whenever possible. The tapes the camera uses are very small, and you can easily store several in a camera bag.

I highly recommend this camcorder. It was ranked the best camcorder in its price range by Consumer Reports magazine. You'll be sure to get many hours of enjoyment using this teriffic camcorder from Canon.

Read Best Reviews of Canon ZR200 MiniDV Camcorder w/20x Optical Zoom (High Metal) Here

I imagine most people who buy this camera will be using it to make home movies and so far I've found it to be very easy to use and the video quality to be excellent.

A few words of warning, the provided USB cable is only good for tranferring still images to your PC. If you want to transfer video you need and IEEE394 cable (I think that's what it's called). This does not come with the camera. However if you do some looking online you can get one very cheap (I got one for $1.95). Most brick and mortar stores sell them for a much higher price, as much as $30.

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You get what you pay for and more... For a camera that is normally under 300 bucks, one can not really complain. If you expecting it to perform like a 2000 dollar camera then don't buy it. If you are looking for something simple to use (for me it was for the birth of my son etc...) It was perfect. Get another battery, an SD card for pictures, and a few DV cassettes and you are good to go. Amazon sells it for a bit high, I would go to Dell and purchase it with a few coupons, normally ends up to be like 240-270 free shipping + your local taxes, so under 300.

kdLinks HD680 Extreme Network 1080P HD Media Player w/ Realtek 1185 & Built-In Wifi

If I needed to sum this review up in one word, it would be impressive.

I'll start out by saying that this review is not about what it can do wirelessly or with streaming, just with a hard drive plugged into it. I have not, and will probably not test the wireless/streaming functions, though this does have both wireles and wired internet abilities.

The way I use my media player is to run my hard drive off of it to watch movies and shows.

I am not usually a fan of people who use their reviews to talk about other products, but I have to really quick.

I got the WDTV Live, WDTV Live Streaming, and I have another WDTV product. I am a big fan of the WDTV's. The problem I ran into is that when I moved from first a 500gb, to a 1TB (1000GB) to a 1.5TB and then to a 2TB and 4TB hard drive, my WDTV couldn't keep up. The WDTV worked fine with less than 2TB hard drives. They put out a firmware update so that you can use the larger ones, but the WDTV doesn't "see" the drives after you power it down the first time, because they shut down and maybe take too long to spool up and the WDTV doesn't register them anymore.

So I tried the KDLINKS HD680, basically because it said it played most every format, and there wasn't really much info about the limit of the hard drive you could use. And the fact that I couldn't find any other player that would do everything I wanted it to (play amazon video on demand AND all the formats that I needed). So I decided to take the risk and give it a try.

I have to say I'm very impressed with the KDLINKS. It's played every format i've tried, including

MP4, MKV, AVI, TSO, M2TS. It did have an issue with resuming play after fast forwarding or rewinding the .MKV format, but it did play it fine. It would freeze up and not start replay though, and have to be shut down. NOT all formats, just the MKV one.

Most importantly for me, it would recognize the 4TB hard drive, even after it had been shut down. Just start it up and wait about 15 seconds and it's good to go. Then you don't have to wait until it reads it all, just start navigating.

Also, FYI, it does show thumbnails (pictures you put in the movie folder), and you can navigate by folder (ie. you see the foldes as they are on your hard drive and can open them) off of the hard drive (2 biggies for me that I wasn't sure of before hand.)

The only real bad I have is. 1. the MKV and 2. the remote control seems a little weak. It has trouble picking up the box from about 20 feet away (ie. my couch). but it does work, and it has a ton of options on it.

I highly recommend it. The few marks against it aren't enough for me to dock a star. I'm very excited to have something that works with the 4TB hard drive (actual 4TB, not 2-2TB discs) without giving me any issues.

Hope this helps someone.

My wife bought me a [[ASIN:B005KFHVES kdLinks HD680 Extreme Network 1080P HD Media Player w/ Realtek 1185 & Built-In Wifi]] for Christmas. I had been using an XBox 360 for streaming media content to our hdtv, but the file type limitations have been a real bother. I tried a WD TV-plus but that was buggy (especially with audio-synch issues) and didn't have built-in wifi support. Needless to say I was excited to see this product under the tree!

The packaging and presentation were top notch, but to my dismay the unit I received had a video output issue. I could not get video and I contacted the kdLinks support email on Christmas morning. Within a few hours I had a personal response! Pleasant and helpful we attempted to trouble shoot the issue. When it persisted they immediately and with no hassle agreed to send me a replacement unit and return waybill for the defective unit! The responses were prompt, friendly and very honest and straight forward! A pleasure to deal with!

I received the replacement unit less than a week later (the only delay being these kind folks knew a firmware upgrade was due, and delayed shipping a day to ensure I had the latest!) I hooked up the new unit and it worked like a dream!

I have 2, 1-TB external HDD hooked to the unit with video, audio and pictures of all formats and resolutions and the kdLinks HD680 played all of them wonderfully. Subtitle files were seamless and the audio was perfect. The 1080p output is perfect!

The wifi found my network in a remote corner of the house that most devices fail to receive and it maintained a strong enough link to play 720p MKV flawlessly from UPNP networked PC. The online apps such as Youtube worked very well. I was floored by the versatility and quality of the play.

The one-touch music feature is one I plan on exploring more but seems to work flawlessly with both my mp3 and flac recordings.

I can't speak highly enough about my experience and the quality of this product. If you are looking for a low cost, high quality STB that handles all of your many video format needs, the kdLinks HD680 is it.

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The main reason I got this was because it said it could handle almost any format I threw at it. And unlike other people in other reviews of other products like this, I only use a few types of files to play. Mainly wmv, mp3, avi and mp4. And since it said it could play all that plus had built in wifi and a Ethernet connection, AND could handle HD, I decided to go for it.

I got it very quickly, faster than they said it would arrive, and right out of the box it was extremely simple to setup. Like all electronics to do with television, everything is color coded, came with regular A/V cable and component cables. It doesn't come with an HDMI cable so you have to buy it separately, which I did and amazingly I'm still waiting for that. It can handle a USB flash drive easily, can connect directly to a hard drive without an enclosure if you don't have one but I haven't tried it yet, I do have an enclosure and it works great.

All the files I've thrown at it have worked, even swf movies I have saved up work fine. The one weird thing I've found is that flash video is one it doesn't like, but instead of just skipping to the next working movie, the thing shuts down and restarts. I found that weird but since that was just a test file and I don't have any actual movies of that type, that's no big deal.

It has great audio output, used it on our stereo system and it just rocked the house. I've noticed also that I've seen other products with reviews saying "product overheats" or "overheats, has to restart" or "overheating causes sluggish video" or something along those lines. Well I'm pleased to say that this thing barely gets warm. I ran it for a 2 hour movie, you can almost feel it warm in the back, but not anywhere near alarmingly warm.

The remote seems tough, LOT'S of buttons and options for you to endlessly change and it's main menu is simple. Want music...select music, all music you've connected to in your USB drive or network shows up. The search option is a LIFESAVER when you have a lot of music or media that you don't want to go thru folder after folder. Plus, you can mark files as favorites and go straight to them without having to search.

In closing I should say I've this is my first media player, I have nothing to compare it to except the reviews I was seeing on the others. Simply put, it's a great buy, I'm glad I got it over another one I was looking at.

Oh, I forget to mention, if you have or plan on DVD or BLu Ray player of some kind, instead of buying a full on player, just buy a USB drive of that version, plug it into this and this will act as DVD or Blu Ray player, fully supporting it with menus and such. I was actually thinking of getting a Blu Ray player, but then when I learned you could use this as one, I'd rather get a cheaper (-$100) USB player than a $200+ blu ray player.

::::UPDATE:::::

Upon finally getting a wifi network at my house, I set up this to connect to it....SOOOOO EASY and no hassle whatsoever. But since I've had it for so long I figured by now that they might have had a update to the firmware...I'm a nerdy tech person so I want everything up to date. Theres only like one or two things buggy with the original firmware but they don't bother me simply because I don't play/have those types of files to play. But I used Google to look for firmware, of course it took me straight here first and upon looking on this page to find a link, I realized they changed it. Now it's white with control buttons on the front, while mine is black with only the power button. I figured I'd update this so people know and there is firmware for both...black and white...but they're different. I nearly downloaded the firmware of the white version for my black one.

Black Firmware:

White Firmware:

I'm sure the white one they've tweaked things and made things better. I mean the black one is great and I still use and love it, so if they've changed it I'm sure it's even better than I can think. But for those people that want to get this, my review is a bearing but it's only for the Black version of this box. I hope it still applies.

Read Best Reviews of kdLinks HD680 Extreme Network 1080P HD Media Player w/ Realtek 1185 & Built-In Wifi Here

This media player is amazing. Love the features: built in wifi, interface, apps, the ability to adjust the location of where the subtitles goes (and size I believe). It has played every type of file I've thrown at it and it stays cool during long hours of usage. The wireless remote could be improved though. Sometimes the device does not receive the signal or there may be a slight delay. Overall, it is the most powerful player I've ever owned. Highly recommended!

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Excellent Amazon shipping. Hope this helps someone out in choosing this product.

The Product: I am rating this primarily on the use of connecting to my Network and my NAS or other network devices. I do not use internet TV or other movie sites to stream. If any product can stream my 20GB MKV movies, then it'll be more than capable of streaming regular Netflix or HULU sites. HOwever, this product is not capable.

Good:

Can play or decode any movie or subtitle I have and that's a huge accomplishment because I have just about every format type of movie out there.

OK WIFI if you can connect to it

OK GUI, not best organized or user friendly as my Sony WIFI Media Player

Bad:

No way to connect to my security enabled router. I have the new CISCO E4200 which is a beast and pushes 300Megs at 2.4GHZ and 450Megs at 5GHZ. My NAS is direct connected to my router via GIGAbit cable. This Media player can only connect if I add the MAC address to my filter and enable SSID broadcasting. AND the worst part, it will only connect through WPS. That means everytime I turn it on, I have to log into my router and then click on the WPS button on the HD680 and on my router. Then wait for them to find each other, communicate and connect. No other way to connect to a router with any type of security. If you have ANY security, no matter how small, it can't connect. Just no mether to connect. You can't put in any SSID, PassPhrase or anything. When you connect via WIFI all you do is type in the SSID and go to next screen to connect. No security input, no band selection, NOTHING. So either connect via WPS which is a pain if your router is in a different room, or connect to your router but disable ALL security. How can a great product have horrible WIFI methods!

Because it can't connect to my router with all my security enabled, I have to log into my NAS everytime. So boot up, connect to my router/network via WPS, and log into my NAS. A HUGE hassle everytime. My Sony media can connected via SSID and PassPhrase so it connects to my network immediately upon powering on. AND because it's connect to my network (not via WPS (guest)) I don't have to log into my NAS. And it saves all my info. The HD680 doesn't save your settings. It has a mind of it's own. Some settings it saves, but when i set back to factory all my old settings are there after it reboots.

GUI is not the greatest. Sometimes it jumps two icons or selections over with one push of remote, sometimes it does nothing.

Remote is pretty bad too. Sometimes sensitive and jumps, sometimes does nothing when a button is pushed.

DO NOT attempt to play huge files or large MKV bluray or HD files. This thing really struggles and will make you dizzy within 10 seconds. It's like watching a movie and someone hits the pause and play button every 3 seconds.

Does not keep any of your files (movie or music in same order as it's saved on your computer or NAS). All my files are in alphabet order and sorted by folder name. When it connected to my NAS, the folders are out of order and when I go into a folder, all the files are out of order. May not be a big deal for most, but if you have 100 songs or movies in one folder and you try to find one of them. Now multiply that by 50 folders and it takes 30 minutes just to find a file you want to play.

I've been looking for a product like this for months. With it's awesome range of file types it's capable of playing and it's "fast wifi" and "play 1080P". How can you advertise high speed wifi and 1080p streaming if you can't even have the capability to connect to 5GHZ bands and play so slow over WIFI? I have 2 other TV's, a Desktop and a Laptop hitting my NAS at one time and none of them struggle like the HD680. I can play a different movie, or the same movie on all my TV's and devices at the same time, NO lags or issues. Even with all my devices turned off, the HD680 struggles to stream MKV or large movies. I really wanted to like this media player, but the WIFI killed it for me. Not worth $99. Sony's $49 media player is much better and streams without hesitation or lag.

Save 33% Off

BestDealUSA Multi TV Media Player 1080P HD USB HDMI SD/MMC RMVB MP3 MPEG AVI Divx MKV

The media player has managed to play every video format I have thrown at it for the past couple of months. A really great product and you will not believe how small it is.

The remote is powerful enough that you don't have to point it directly at the receiver.

Get an HDMI cable to keep things simple and enjoy the best video quality.

The unit will read both FAT32 and NTSF formatted hard drives, but it only can copy, past, delete files on a FAT32 drive.

Never hangs up, starts up very quickly, and the on-screen menu is so simple you never have to read the manual.

No problems with powering a USB hard drive.

Watch home movies and listen to music anywhere, this device delivers! Just hook it up to any TV, monitor or projector. The only drawback is the remote. It does not respond unless you point directly at the device, for the reason of 3 stars.

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It reads all video formats so far. High quality HD video. Sometimes it lags between audio and video on very heavy files, but by fasting forward or back it entrains again. Simple menus, and it has english and chinese characters on remote control if thats a cumber. Very light unit. Best price at the moment. Recomended.

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Starlite 043769970399 7-Inch Portable DVD Player

• 7-Inch TFT 16:9 LCD Screen
• Supports CD, CD-R and CD-RW playback
• Dolby digital (AC3) digital audio output, audio decoder
• Requires 2 "AAA-Inch batteries, included

I loved the look its light and small and cool. I bought it for my daughter in the car. However we only used it maybe a dozen times within 3 weeks it broke. And of course this is considered a disposable item. No one can fix them or take them back unless you bought the insurance. It turns on but the dvd no longer spins. I would not recommend a product that breaks within one month! Clearly, anything marketed for children should be more robust!

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Pleased this was on sale, I purchased it for our 10 yr old so she could use it on our trip. It's small, which is nice, child can customize, and it has a nice handle. I was taken aback when I realized the battery plugged into the back of the unit and stuck out two inches. Kid didn't care, so whatever. Charged it, light went from red to green on battery, and kid was ready to try it out. Put in Enchanted, a 107 minute picture, and 15 minutes before the end the unit shut down. Battery was dead. Figured I would charge it again, did, and the unit shut down almost at the same point in the movie. If you plan on running off the battery alone, for longer than 90 minutes at a time, look elsewhere. The limited buttons, and the response of the buttons is also a disappointment. We did like the handle and the included items. The "free dvd" included is one episode of Cory in the House. The rest were all promos, come on Disney give me a break.

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I bought this for my son for our upcoming vacation. It is junk to say the least! The buttons do not work. The battery emits a high pitched whine that made me wonder if it would explode. And we can only seem to get 35 minutes of playback time. My son is upset to say the least and I plan to return it and buy a Sony. I liked the handle and that seems to be the ONLY thing positive about this product! Do not waste your money. Soend a little extra for a better unit!!

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I was lucky and unfortunate enough to buy this at Target. I got it home charged it and popped in a Disney Dvd and it wouldn't load the movie. I even tried the Dvd it came with and it played 15 sec and then froze. I'm really disappointed that Disney's name is associated with player.

This is a great DVD player for young children. The handle is wonderful and the interchangeable inserts or cool.

EASYCAP USB 2.0 Audio Video Capture Adapter TV VHS DVD

With all the negative reviews I've seen for this product, I can't believe no one has said anything like this. The Easycap is a GREAT product. For the price, you're getting more than what you've paid. No, the software does NOT crash constantly. If it does, it's your computer. It DOES record in color with clear sound, you just haven't adjusted the settings well. I hate seeing a negative review on a product when the negative is actually the user.

If you have any troubles with the product, go to youtube, look up some quality settings and follow them. You will have a great product.

Hello All:

I have a security DVR which gives me direct AVI extracts out of its USB port, but without audio. So my project was to find a way to video capture extracts from the DVR. I bought this EasyCap. Had to make several passes with the WinXP driver install routines until all of EasyCap's drivers installed. Then I installed their video capture software. I was able to get sound but only got fuzz in the video display panel. Then tried Win XPs Movie Maker. Same thing albeit more frustrating. Movie Maker would lock up after each attempt. Next, I went out on a video capture software hunt and tried several other products which had trial downloads. No luck and I was almost at my wits end. My last stop happened to be nchsoftware, who offer the Debut video capture software. And the basic version is free.

Unbelieveably, after a little bit of fudging, the video feed from my dvr showed up in the Debut display on my pc. This amazing software lets you record in any of multiple formats: vcd, avi, mp4, etc. There are a couple of quirks, not so huge though. One is that in the 'tools' options to adjust the device I have to keep changing the video input format to NTSC_M each time I launch Debut. Culprit is EasyCap which keeps defaulting to PAL_B. Not sure why PAL_B was chosen as default while marketing to the US. Secondly, while recording I can see the green audio bar moving in the Debut display panel but cannot hear the audio.

After I 'stop' the recording session and replay the newly created file from 'recordings' on the menu I have both video and sound in the file.

Hope this information will help you too. Saved my day. And I recommend a robust donation to nch software for the free version of Debut. Alternately, buy the Debut Plus to support the company. They have a huge line of other video related products.

Hope this info helps you and good luck.

Ahmed

USA

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I bought 2 to stream video from 2 composite sources simultaneously.

Had them both up and running in xpsp3 within 15 minutes of opening the shipping container. Very simple, follow the directions: hook em up, put the cd in, let XP search for the drivers & install keep hitting "automatic" and away you go. Change the camera config to NTSB from PAL if you're in the US like me.

Win 7 was a little more tricky, I hooked it up, win7 tried to install some default drivers for video capture devices, they didn't install correctly, following the prompt I removed the adapter, that didn't solve anything so I hooked it backup, went into DM & updated the drivers by pointing to the drivers on the cd-rom and then forcing it to install the unsigned drivers, then rebooted and it worked. Not too difficult. Not trivial either. But this is standard fare for xp drivers in win7.

The units seem to be built well though they could use a standoff for side USB ports on a laptop, seem to be working like a charm...my only complaint is that at 30fps it's easy to see scanlines in the video when something moves through the camera FOV. But that could be the camera. I've definitely seen better video but this isn't too bad. The drivers are somewhat limited in the resolution options, my camera has 500-odd lines and none of the listed resolutions match this. So there's some black at the top of the video.

For the money it's a steal. If you are worried about flexibility or upgrades I'd have to look elsewhere. But then at $10 for one of these it's a safe & cost-effective fallback option. They definitely work and they definitely are cheap.

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The following forum explains why you might be getting ripped off on this purchaseTo summarize it, there are two different computer chips in the EasyCAP.

One variety is known by the models numbers STK1150 or STK1150, built by a company called Syntek. These work with the appropriate drivers, which are a bit of a chore to track down, but apparently can be found.

The other variety identifies as "SM-USB 007" or "SMI Grabber DEV" when plugged in and installing drivers. This one does not appear to support audio capture, or does not have the drivers necessary. You must patch the red and white RCA coming out of the device you have your video tape in into a microphone jack. These adapters are available from more electronic boutiques, but the audio quality can suffer.

In the end, you may be advised to go with the EZCap instead, as it is the genuine product to which this is a knock-off.

TL;DR Some of these EasyCAPs are made with inferior parts and software and are nigh impossible to patch around. You're running a gamble this.

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I bought the Easycap device to transfer vhs to dvd and I must admit it was very frustrating trying to get it to work. I searched the internet for a week reading reviews pros/cons of the device etc. then I realized I had plugged it in to front usb's on my pc and once switched to the back usb's presto worked like a charm. Ulead studio 10 that comes with it is a piece of crap, it provided substantial lag between audio and video (about 3-4 sec.) so I used windows movie maker and everything trasnferred no problem. I run a 2.9 ghz dual AMD processor, 4 gigs ram on XP for OS. I have read that there a problems with vista 32 and it WILL NOT work on vista 64. This device has more than paid itself off for me!!!!

Vivitar HD Itwist 8.1MP Digital Video Camcorder Black

I'm not one to do too many reviews for consumer electronic items,such as camcorders and such. But as a photographer it seemed necessary to address many issues regarding this camera. Now I actually thought recently that I really enjoyed the look of HD (high definition) video and the quality it seemed to create via YouTube videos I was watching that used the format. So I was at the local Big Lots store and say this mini camcorder along with many others made by Emmerson,Kodak,etc. Anyhow because this seemed to offer the best features for the best value,and mainly due to my lack of experience I decided to do something very out of character-buy on impulse. Well it's impulse buying by my standards. Never usually pick up any even low end electronic item before looking at data and doing a great deal of research. My own personal experience with this camera isn't what I want to discuss here because I had a lot of trouble shopping for my first SD digital camcorder in the first place. But as with my other two camera reviews I'll just stick with the facts. It's likely the best way to express my thoughts on this device.

First of all I'll start with the pros. The camera is strongly built and the menu provides both a lot of option AND is easy to use-that's actually a pretty rare combination for these types of devices. Also it provides you with a lot of features for the still camera part of it. As a matter of fact it offers more features for that than the camcorder element. Basically it seems to be more geared toward being a still digital camera and from the limited part of that aspect of it I tested it did that job reasonably well for such a small device. It even handled low light conditions well. And that goes into the cons of this device when used as a camcorder. And this con is sadly so big that it almost totally outweighs it's better features. I tested this camera in a variety of lighting conditions. And in all honesty this camera has absolutely no ability to pick up even strong lighting. For all the different lighting settings,including night and beach side photography the videos were very dark and blue tinted in color that all the camera settings seemed for not.

So in the end,this cameras faults don't really lie in the features. Or how it works as a still camera even. It has to do with a cameras most basic function-it's ability to receive light. Something this camera seems to be entirely lacking in. Sadly enough,in the end if you looking for the best quality inexpensively there's simply no way of getting around doing research. If your in the state of mind for impulse buying best to keep it on a more sure bet such as a DVD and/or Blue Ray player. Something that would require the minimum of research and does it's job without a lot of fuss. Because a camera or camcorder is a creative tool as opposed to an static one (such as a television or MP3 Player).......there's no way of getting around the fact that it just doesn't lend itself well to being purchased as an adult electronic toy. It is going to be a serious commitment involving a lot of research and time. And maybe a little more money spent. But it's definitely worth that time and effort so you won't end up with hassles such as this. So if you like high quality results,your just going to have to settle for camcorders in the triple digit price range. I don't like that it has to be that way. But it is. So another word to the conscientious electronics consumer.

Square Perfect 48 Inch Light Tent Photo Cube Softbox with 4 Colored Backgrounds For Product Photogr

I bought one of the larger tents and to me, it seems the material is too thick and opaque. I placed 500 watt tungsten lamps on each side and the interior was "way" too dark to shoot. Had to eventually use a bounce flash within the cube to get the couple of shots needed. I have a smaller 24" cube from somewhere else and its a very light, thin white nylon that allows light in easily. In fact, I can illuminate that with a couple desk lamps and 100 watt bulbs.

I am so glad I didn't get a smaller tent. I shoot textiles and some can be quite small. Even so, I don't regret getting a larger tent. There's room to set up items without knocking into the sides and disturbing the setting. But the initial set up of the tent was surprising. It popped out of the case like that scene from The Dick VanDyke Show when Laura opens the closet door and the inflatable boat pops open. It was a bit of a shock and nearly took out one of my lights. So a word to the wise: hang onto an edge when opening it up or it will go flying! (Even so, it will try to go flying!) The backdrop cloth did have a lot of fold creases but after a few days of hanging, that got better. A steamer works better than an iron to get those creases out. Love the fact it came with 4 different backdrop colors. The light is wonderfully even. I highly recommend this tent.

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I'm a professional photographer (danielscherl dot com). I bought this for product photography and it's AWESOME! I love it! It made my job SO much easier than it used to be. See the picture of "Flynn Helper Custom Glass Blower" on my websites "Misc." gallery for a sample pic of the results (you do need good lighting as well).

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I've had this tent for about 10 days now, and I've been shooting my watches for Invicta....I must say that the light is very very flattering when using this tent. Positioning of the lights is very important, and while the tent softens the light...you still have work to do to get a great image. I have the 48 inch tent, and it's very very large...large enough to put small children in and shoot them. The fabric is top quality, and the sweeps/backdrops it comes with are nice velvet pieces. They do need to be ironed and can handle a good amount of heat on the non-Velvet side so I do recommend you iron on that side only...it flattens out pretty easily with steam. I've uploaded 2 images of my watches so you can see the quality of the light given by this tent. Folding it was pretty easy once you do it the first time (ten minutes) it's very fast the next time. If needed you can always go on YOUTUBE and check some videos on how to fold a tent... Feel free to ask any questions....as the reviews here are not very helpful. Thanks, Sylvester Potter Photography

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The material of the item is really cheap&its really hard to clean...when you open the product the top part of the item is already dropped and its not stable in one position.

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SVAT GX301-010 Digital Wireless DVR Security System with 7" LCD Monitor, SD Card Recording and Long

I wanted something for my entry so I didn't have to open the front door to someone I didn't know. This system was easy to set up. For me the remote control was easier to use than the monitor controls. The picture is not great and the night vision range very limited, but is ok for my purpose. The camera is about 15 feet from the front door. The best feature of this system is the audio. It is sensitive enough to pick up the sound of a leaf being blown by the wind. Very good to talk to the visitor without having to open the door.

I installed and started using this system since 3 days ago. It exceeded my expectations. It does everything as advertised. Just plug the camera and the monitor to 110v and paired automatically in just a couple of seconds. No bad surprises or any issue. I installed the camera to watch my home's main entrance and placed the monitor (display) in the secong floor of my house about 60 feet away from the camera, the reception is clear and strong. Please notice that display is black and white (no color image). If for any reason you turn off or unplug the camera and/or the display, it will immediately re-start with issue when you turn it on. You can set a continuous view or can be set to show image on the display only when the camera's motion sensor detects any activity (the sensitivity of the motion sensor is great), also, recording to the included SD card can be set to record continuously or only when the motion sensor detects activity, and can be set to record 5, 10 or 15 seconds everytime the motion sensor detects activity. You can also set to overwrite once the SD card is full, or can be set to stop recording when it gets full. Playing what is recorded in the SD card memory is done just by few clicks to a button. Actually, all the possible settings to the system are easily done with one or few clicks to buttons. The system is great, I fully recommend it. The intercom function works excellent. The video and voice is fully wireless between the camera and the display, and works great. Note that you will need a regular 110 volts connection where you will place the camera and the display. The unique CONS that I perceive in this system is that btoh camera and display do NOT have the option to run based on batteries (preferably rechargeable batteries), this would be great specially to be able to move the display around different rooms in your house. But, the system performas great as advertised, and it is a great system, I fully recommend it!.

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This little monitor and camera have lots of power. This setup makes seeing who is at the door or around the yard a breeze. Easy to install and use. My only complaint is that the remote control could be more user friendly.

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Simple to set up and provides a clear picture. Range on wireless is a bit sketchy but was able to get things positioned so signal is now consistent. In all, I am satisfied with purchase and can recommend the product for relatively close range applications such as a front gate monitor at a residence, for instance.

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This security system is great. Actually set up in minutes. Easy to adjust the camera and is clear. Remote is handy. Price was right.

VERIZON WIRELESS CELL PHONE MOTOROLA BARRAGE V860 V 860 NO CONTRACT REQUIRED WORKS ON VERIZON WIREL

Sellers sent this quickly and when you order something useful don't know what to expect. Was pleasantly surprised. Phone was in much better shape than I expected and it works great and battery was fully charged. It almost looked unused. For the price was great deal.

If you are skeptical about buying from this company, don't be! The item was shipped and received within two days of ordering. After I received the phone I called the phone number on the invoice and was immediately connected to a live person! Unheard of today, right? She was most courteous and helpful. Although the phone was a little dirty (I was told that's the way it came from the distributor), with a little alcohol and cotton swab it now looks brand new!

Do not think twice about ordering from here! TEN stars!

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great phone and great price. very loud ringer which I need also that is waterproof is a plus. reception is better than any phone I have owned

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Works great. This phone is the only one in our home that works in the basement, sunroom, or whatever room we are in. None of our smart phones will work in these areas. My husband loves this phone.

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I've owned this phone for nearly four years and I love it! I've dropped it and soaked it, and it still works perfectly. It has lots of nice features like a notebook function for jotting notes to yourself, a camera (although the photos aren't as crisp as with more hi-tech phones), alarm clock, calculator and stop watch. The original battery (from Verizon) didn't last more than a year, but replacements are inexpensive, and I adore this phone overall.

I don't like touch screens, and don't text enough to need a full keyboard, so this phone is perfect. I have the Internet capability turned off, although it would be useful for looking up addresses while on the road. While my husband and kids have gone through two fancy phones each in the time I've owned this one (one dropped in the toilet, one shattered on the floor, one just died on its own, and one started typing random letters in texts) I've had the same bullet-proof phone.

Rolls HR78 Half Rack AM/FM Digital Tuner

• Retains presets when power is off.
• 18 presets, 12 FM and 6 AM.
• Large LCD digital display.
• Output Level control.
• Auto search up and down.

I would like to tell folks that this is one very nice piece The sensitivity is great, pulls & locks in stations, that play with the clarity of CDs .. The memory function is very easy to work with, the whole package is a winner for the Stereo purist ..... one of the coolest parts of the whole deal ................ IT's made in the USA ............. well done Rolls I will be watching for your products ....

Thanks

Greg

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This product has all the audio quality one would expect from a company that specializes in audio equipment. The weak link is their choice of am/fm receiver IC: its sensitivity is about one-half to one-fourth of a good receiver, and the overload threshold is not very high. This puts more of a burden on antenna selection, location, and orientation particularly for am reception.

The quality of the hardware is very good, as is the layout and operation of the front panel.

There was a problem with the first unit I received, and it was promptly and satisfactorily handled by the factory but I got stuck with the return postage.