On Hold Plus Ohp6000 Mp3 Digital Player For Pbx/Ksu Telephone Systems (Telephone Access Packaged /

We purchased this product AGAIN after six years. It's far improved and has very nice music (not the "canned" sounding music), AND there are interruptions with, "thank you for holding, we'll be with you in a moment" interspersed throughout. Well done!

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Panasonic DMPBDT330 Wi-Fi Blu-Ray Player

• Fast Booting and Loading
• DVD/CD/JPEG playback
• Energy Star Qualified

Update 3rd May 2013:

Adding another star. Got samsung s4 and retried miracast...worked superbly with this dvd player. Love being able to mirror photo albums, videos, even music from the phone. Love it.

Also, after a recent firmware update haven't seen the freezing issue repeat.

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Have had it for few weeks. Looks sleek, Works great....well for most parts.

3d, 2d to 3d is great. I like the network drive functionality...just enter the local ip address of your drive to browse through the shared folders. DLNA functionality worked quite well (i use plex server). Most of the files i tried streamed well. Netflix, Amazon VOD and VUDU worked quite well. Its quite fast to load, easy setup, remote is nice (dedicated netflix, internet, miracast buttons).

Few reasons I bought this to replace my LG BD670:compliments my Panasonic plasma; 2d to 3d capabilities; web browser and Miracast.

Well, Miracast has been a let down. I have tried to pair with my Samsung galaxy tab and also with S3 smartphone but the connection never stays on for more than 5 seconds. Hoping that will get fixed soon via some sort of firmware update.

The built-in browser did not look useful to me. Typing via standard remote is a pain. One Flash site that i tried didn't work (i.e. flash doesn't seem to be supported).

Right now, my biggest concern is that it sometimes freezes on me when navigating between icons. Have had to unplug and replug to get it working again...handful of times only though.

Holding on to it for now.

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Bought this from one of the vendors, abt Electronics. Pluses on this unit are many, including:

1) Finally, a unit that does wifi some justice. Connection is fast & reliable, and once connected, virtually no lag. Best feature.

2) Video quality is very good. Crisp, clear pictures on blue-ray, dvd, and on-line.

3) Compact and light, silver shiny unit is attractive

Didn't try hooking up a mouse, but I would think that would work fine.

Now for the negatives, which were two of the biggest factors (along with #1 above)

1) No Asian language support on browser, so words were broken from Youku, Todou, etc.

2) Opting to just test out playing videos from these sites, it did not allow for plug-in installs, so we couldn't watch anything anyway.

These two are pretty much the only negatives, but it was huge for us and catalyst for returning the item. The only thing we would ever do on the browser from this machine attached to a 52-in TV is watch videos, so these two drawbacks makes the web browser feature virtually useless for us. Too bad, it's a great product otherwise.

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Quick load times to get to viewing movies fast with a simple remote. Sleek slim cool design great deal for under $190.

I was looking for a upgrade that had fast load times. The ability to access the internet and use Netflix, Cinema Now and Pandora. It also is 4k ready so when more movies come out with that technology I will be ready

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Several years ago (it's hard to believe it has been that long ago, really, but 2009 is several years ago now), I bought a Panasonic BD player (DMP-BD60). Besides wanting the ability to play Blu-ray discs on that player, I had gotten that particular player because it also offered the ability to stream content from Amazon (along with a few other network apps that it supported).

That older player was getting long in the tooth and showing its age with a lack of some key network apps that I would like to have had available, among them one for streaming UV content from the nice little library that I've built up at Vudu.

This player offers the ability to stream content from Amazon, as well as Netflix, Vudu, YouTube, hulu+ and others such as CinemaNow. Throw in, on top of all of that, the ability to browse the web directly on this player with it's own Web Browser application and you actually get a pretty nice little player that does a pretty nice job of offering everything you might need in your own media center.

Others would certainly look for the ability to access shared content from their own file servers, as well as the ability to play back content from memory cards and Flash Drives, and yes, this does that as well. It may not play all of the formats that could possibly be thrown at it, or, it might require updated firmware before it is able to play the formats you might want to use, but it is plenty versatile and well enough featured to sit firmly in the 4 star territory for purposes of this review.

Likes:

* Short and shallow (some would say sleek) design. While I'm a little surprises that it is as wide as it is, it doesn't take up much room vertically, or in shelf depth (from front to back).

* Shiny brushed metal/stainless type silver casing looks very nice.

* Drop down door/cover for the front of the device helps keep the front from getting too dusty (as the cover is easy to wipe off with a dust cloth)

* The remote control offers a "Netflix" button in a prominent place. (Hmmm, I wonder how much it cost Netflix to get that prime spot on the remote control) -this does make it easy to jump right to Netflix for streaming content if you have a Netflix account and are so inclined. (My own preference is to Amazon, but to each their own.)

* Fast boot up compared to my now 4+ year old player, it is worlds faster.

* Built-in Wi-Fi support (no need to string cable if you don't want to)

Interesting:

* Multi User Mode up to 4 people can customize their own settings for the unit. Not really needed in my home, but I like the concept

* Automatic input switching Power On Link. If your TV supports this and you are using the HDMI connection, your TV will automatically switch inputs to this Blu-ray player when it is powered on. (Also supports automatic power off functionality when you power off your TV)

Dislikes:

* Remote control doesn't seem to control my TV. Instructions mention controlling some TVs, and certainly I wouldn't necessarily expect it to control ever make and model out of the box, but the instructions don't offer any way to try different settings/control codes that might offer control of other TV models than the default selections.

Honestly, I didn't find much to not like about this unit. I didn't rate it at the 5 star mark because I do think there is some room for improvement and expect that as the firmware continues to be updated, it will keep getting better, including lessening of freezes that might have experienced along the way (by others, not so much me).

Of note: this unit does not come with an HDMI cable. HDMI cable must be purchased separately. This unit also does not offer any other connection types for video (in case someone wanted to consider hooking it up by other means).

Bottom line: a very nice, though not yet perfect, player. Priced (currently, as I write this review) a little towards the upper end of the scale that I would expect to have to pay for a nice Blu-ray player, but aimed at the higher end of the scale, including the ability to play back 3D content as well as offering 4K upscaling.

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I bought this to be able to play 3D movies on my older not 3D compatible Yamaha receiver. It has 2 HDMI ports so you can connect one directly to the TV and one directly to the receiver bypassing the video portion of the receiver. This works very good with an 3D blu-ray movie. However if you want to use this setup for playing a regular blu-ray movie the video output is restricted to 1080i. So you can not play regular blu-ray movies at 1080p/24hz. I contacted Panasonic support about this problem but I found that they didn't have very much knowledge about this product. Their solution was to connect the audio of the player with an optical cable and thus losing all the HDMI audio quality and functionality. Panasonic advertises the player as capable of connecting a legacy receiver with HDMI which is simply not true if you want full blu-ray (1080p/24hz video with HD-MASTER 7.1 sound) functionality.

UPDATE:

I bought a brand new 3D ready receiver but am still experiencing the same problem. I finally got it to work by connecting it with one HDMI port and some tweaking of the settings other than the manual advises. Unfortunately the player is not stable and freezes often, especially when navigating in the menu or after the end of a movie. You have to unplug the power cord to reset it again. I posted my problem on the AVSforum and got a reply from somebody else with the same problem. The player is only a few weeks on the market now and Panasonic all ready released the third firmware version to make it stable. So, I know they are working on it and I hope they will fix these problems soon. Nevertheless I decided to send this unit back to Panasonic for repair.

Focusrite ISA828 Eight Classic Microphone Pre-Amps and Class-Leading A-D Conversion

• Eight original ISA series transformer-based pre amps in a single robust 2U chassis
• Selectable impedence per channel; choose one of four carefully selected input impedances, including the original ISA 110 setting, to suit any microphone
• Each instrument input features high and low impedance options to provide a comprehensive and accessible DI solution.
• High pass filter, Phase reverse and Phantom power
• Convenient 25 pin D-Type connectors for quick and seemless integration with Pro Tools
• Selectable impedence per channel; choose one of four carefully selected input impedances, including the original ISA 110 setting

I bought my first Focusrite ISA828 preamp and A/D conversion card 3 years ago and they have been amazing. I now own 2 of these units for a total of 16 channels of supreme pre-amplification. The quality is on par with anything out there at an incredible price. Worth every penny and much more! People are blown away when they hear my drum recordings, as well as other instruments (bass, guitar, vocals, horns...). This is my studio's work horse.

The sound you can expect from these units is transparent, yet warm. To compare the difference between this unit and my previous PreSonus Firestudio: it is a difference between a movie shot on film and a cartoon. You can hear all the subtle nuances, so you better make sure your instruments is perfectly in tune and sounding great on its own as this preamp will capture that.

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Exceptional quality and flexibility from one of the benchmark suppliers of professional audio components. I cannot say enough about how pleased I am with this purchase.

Magbox 10000mah (3 USB Outputs 2.1a/ 0.5a/1a) LED Touch Light Backup External Battery Pack Charger

I purchased the 10000mA MagBox primarily to recharge my Kindle Fire, since I have a 3 hour commute to-and-from work 6 days a week.

Documentation: (I assume translated from Chinese) is a bit sketchy but fortunately the unit is pretty intuitive to operate. The outputs (2.1A, 1.0A, & 500mA) & input (500mA) mini USB are clearly marked.

Parts: It came with a charging cable & 8 different tips/adapters (not 9 as advertised). So far I've used it to charge 2 Motorola, 1 Samsung, & 1 LG cell phone w/ no problems and there is both a micro & mini USB plug included.

Operation: After you charge it fully (the 4 blue LEDs will tell you if it's at 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% charge) the unit will automatically shut off. Disconnect it from the source and press/hold the on/off button until the LEDs are all on (note: once it's on quickly pressing the on/off button twice will turn on the 2 LED flashlight). One minor irritation is that the unit HAS to be on in order to turn the flashlight on/off. Shutting the MagBox off with the flashlight operating means you'll have to turn it back on to shut the light off.

One of the things NOT covered in the documentation is that you can't charge the MagBox and recharge a device at the same time. The outputs automatically disconnect while charging the unit.

Charging/Discharging: Plugging into a laptop it took 4.5 hours to fully charge the MagBox out of the box. Initially I used it to recharge my fully discharged Kindle Fire, Motorola 376G cell phone, Motorola 260g, and RCA H100 mp3 player. The cell phones (500mA) & Kindle (2.1A) were plugged in simultaneously with the mp3 player replacing the cell phones once they were charged.

Charging times:

376g 45 min

260g 47 min

H100 56 min

Kindle Fire 2h 23 min

At this point I still had a 0% 25% capacity remaining so I plugged it into my Freeplay radio, turned on the flashlight & went to sleep. The next morning the radio was fully charged, the flashlight was still on & there was still a bit of a charge left in the MagBox.

Summary: For the price (at least when I purchased it) this unit is absolutely a steal. Small enough to fit in a pocket & not terribly heavy the MagBox provides plenty of on-the-go power. 5 stars for now but I'll update this in a few weeks once I have a chance to play with it a bit more.

UPDATE (12/14/12):

THE BAD STUFF After using the MagBox under uncontrolled conditions for a bit there are a couple of issues...

1) One of the LED bulbs has quit working but since I don't use it primarily as a flashlight it's not a major problem.

2) I haul this unit around in my backpack and on several occasions I've found the flashlight has been turned on by the various bumps & jostling associated with 2 bus trips per day.

THE GOOD STUFF The MagBox holds a charge wonderfully. Since I charged it up on 12/3 I've used it twice to boost my Kindle Fire (from about a 50% state) and recharged my Supervisor's Iphone before I had to plug it in.

This is a very nice charger with an iPhone5 or a gs3 you get about 4 full charges if you're trying to use light you need to make sure the blue light is on and then double tap the button (The light looks about 30-40 looms)

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Although the shipping box was intact, the product packaging was damaged and clearly had been opened. The one sheet instructions are in what appears to be Chinese, with no English translation nor reference to where to get them in English. The box indicates that there should be a charging adapter included, though the description on Amazon did not. None is actually included, but given the representation on the box the discrepancy is puzzling. The unit itself is larger than I expected, but hopefully that will translate to more powerful. Flashlight is quite dim, but was not the primary reason for purchasing. There are 3 DIFFERENT output ports,labeled 2.1A, 500mA, and 1A with no information to help determine the appropriate one to use for individual devices. The USB cord fits the center port best, but with some fiddling will also fit the other two. Once the item was delivered, the option of contacting the seller disappeared from the options available, or I'd have addressed my concerns there first.Description mentions 12 LED bars of electricity. I see 4 pretty blue ones. Would like to know where to find the others. Last point is now moot as the device stopped taking a charge after about 6-8 recharges. Each full charge did charge my phone 2-3 times.

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I keep my tablet hooked to this at night and when I wake up it usually only has 2 bars left on the led, strange since the tablet is on standby /w screen off, it really shouldn't use more then one bar..who knows maybe the tablet still draws power when it detects its hooked to a DC power source.

With the tablet on and full power (and fully charged first), the pack lasts about 8 hours, I needed this for a trip and it did its job, I'm just not sure about the 10,000 mah (my tablet is 3200mah (3.7v) , 2A port) so I think I could probably pull 1 or 1 1/2 charges before it depletes, that said it could be 10,000mah but just from power conversions ..etc it could cause it to loose some efficiency, plus with the device running, will cause some consumption.

This product is sold elsewhere with various names, (Magbox, OKIT (see newegg), Hd10000, U10 (the real "unbranded" product sold from china, search "U10 10000 mah" in google))

On the bottom of the pack it says this

PowerBank

Capacity : 10000mAh

Input DC 5.0V-1000mAh (charging port)

Output1 5.0V-500mAh

Output2 5.0V-1000mAh

Outout3 5.0V-2100mAh

LED readouts

All bars full = 75-100%

3 Bars = 50 75%

2 Bars = 25 50%

1 Bar = 0 25%

From the price point its a good product, feels sturdy (I tried to open it to see what kind of battery it had but it's sealed tight), flashlight is a handy bonus, takes about 8-10 hours to charge at 1A, maybe less if hooked to a 2A charger,

I only tested the 2.1A usb port.

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Sometimes we buy products and we ask our selfs why did I ever buy this,with this product I said what was I waiting for

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ALZO Shock Multi-Mount for Shotgun Microphones & Audio Recorders - includes Zoom H4n, TASCAM for DS

I purchased this after buying another product to suspend my Zoom H4N. The first product was cheap, but too small, so I bit the bullet and bought this one. I am pleasantly surprised by the build quality of the item. The problem people are talking about is there the parts you mount on the main bracket do not tighten properly, so there is "play" in the fit, they wobble a bit. I remedied this by simply wrapping black electrical tape ONE time around, poking a hole thru the tape, and attaching and tightening, and it is a nice snug fit, no extra cost. You could also use two very thin rubber or plastic washers, but either way, it is a minor issue. The thing is solid, has great options for attaching accessories, and holds my Zoom H4N suspended just like I needed. It's a little heavy to lug around attached to your DSLR, but otherwise this is a good product.

Great concept, poor execution. The inability to fully tighten one of the mounting brackets should really be addressed by the manufacturer. Also it is a bit pricey for what it is especially given its flaw. Contemplating returning mine.

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I just received this mount. First, in terms of isolating a recorder, it does that very nicely...and there are not many other options out there. The problem is with the screws that hold it together. They cannot be torqued down enough to keep the unit tightly together. I ended up stripping two out. So, if you attach just a light recorder, it's not the end of the world. But, if you attach anything else, like a light or monitor, it's wobbly. Maybe yours will tighten. Mine simply would not. I ended up using a metal adhesive to hold everything together...and I'll see how that goes. I don't plan to reconfigure it...so I don't mind making the current configuration permanent. I give it three stars because I like the concept...but that's being a little generous. Good concept...poor manufacturing/components.

Read Best Reviews of ALZO Shock Multi-Mount for Shotgun Microphones & Audio Recorders - includes Zoom H4n, TASCAM for DS Here

I purchased this item to hold my Tascam DR-40 recorder on my DSLR rig to avoid the handling noise that was being transferred through the Tascam's 1/4-20 screw mount. It does a decent job of holding the recorder, and is pretty adjustable to accomidate future recorders or shotgun microphones. It eliminated all normal handling noise I was having, and still allowed me to view the Tascam's lcd screen.

My only gripe with this mount would be the shoe mount. It is difficult to tighten enough to really keep it in place. I think I will need to find a different knob that can give me more torque for tightening. In hindsight, I think it should be priced closer to the $30 area, but considering there are few good vibration dampening solutions out there for these field recorders, they can charge whatever they want.

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This is a great mount for microphones and other accessories for video. I wish some of the screws connected tighter. I really had to put a lot of force to tighten it. Other then that its a great product.

BOYA VM-200 Video Condenser Stereo Microphone for Digital SLR Camera/Camcorder

I own both of these microphones and you can't tell the difference in the sound quality. I was looking for a mic for my second camera and this was perfect. So, if you are on a budget, save yourself a bunch of money and get this thing. You won't be able to distinquish between the two.

Western Digital WD2500KSRTL Caviar SE16 250 GB SATA 3.5-Inch Hard Drive Kit

I replaced my 80GB IDE drive on a Dell 4600 with this drive. It's made a significant difference in performance.

The directions for install were a bit confusing but once I figured it out the included software installed the drive and copied all of the files from my old drive including the boot record and Windows XP. I then disconnected my old drive and rebooted using the new one.

I built computers as a side-business and I have owned HD's from all the maor companies. So, I know what a good hard drive has. This one is superb. The speed is astoundidng due to the sata 300 and the 16mb cache, reliability is excelelnt and its whisper silent. Definitely reccomend

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The other poster states that you can get this drive for $50 less through the Manufacturer but fails to mention that they are selling the bare drive (oem) through Western Digital and Amazon sells the retail version which is always higher, which doesn't include data cable.

Read Best Reviews of Western Digital WD2500KSRTL Caviar SE16 250 GB SATA 3.5-Inch Hard Drive Kit Here

Originally reviewed by me June 4, 2006

Pros: Sweet deal for an entry level Enterprise class hard drive.

Cons: As with any SATA drive, the install can be difficult.

The Bottom Line:

With its popularity, you would be hard pressed to go wrong buying this drive. It offers compatibility others haven't approached. Just be sure your system is properly set up first.

Author's Review

The SE 16 SATA II WD2500KS is no stranger in the marketplace, having been around since May 2005, and I was in the market for a new set of SATA drives for my last years model GA-7N400 Pro2 motherboard (nForce2 chipset with Sil3512 SATA RAID chipset). Those old Maxtor IDE PATA drives on it are approaching five years in age and that was their expected lifespan. Fortunately, all my Maxtor drives are all still running well including one six years old.

Note: This is a long review of this drive covering its features, install, and specifications in some detail. I have broken it into subtopics for ease in finding what you may be more interested in. Feel free to skip around if it pleases you.

Why I looked to Western Digital:

Why would I switch after so many years of good service? Well, Maxtor has been bought out by Seagate, a company I've just never given a hard look. The Maxtor Maxline III 300Gb. drive was in my mind but, the lack of website support for looking at compatibility and features was lacking. Hey, it even had a five year warranty, but without that needed support, what can I say? I don't buy equipment only to find out later it won't work in my applications.

I checked the Internet for SATA drives, capable of the latest second generation speeds (3Gb. compatible over 1.5G. and vice-versa), and came up with a number of models from different manufacturers that sparked my interest (I wanted SATA II for later possible swaps into my AMD X2 4400 XP system. I also wanted models that had good support with later chipsets for good compatibility with my motherboards SATA and RAID functions. I like drives that run cool, quiet, and fast. That narrowed the field quickly as I found many below the 16 Mb. in buffer, which I wanted for improved data acquisition speed in these large platter drives.

It was then down to studying reviews, and the other seemingly less important features sets left. What I found first was an extremely large following for the WD2500KS that was more or less overwhelming with praise for the units capabilities and service in use.

Of note, NewEgg.Com had no less than 377 customer reviews, at the time I started writing this review, of this drive with an overall excellent approval rating of 76.66%. I found this odd, so I began reading the better ones. I concluded many were indeed from experienced consumers who really thought highly of this product made in Thailand . Many of the lower ratings still had praise for the drive noting their problems were due to a poor install. My other drive choices had no such record of praise, nor have I noticed so many reviews for such an item before. I have to admit this weighted the scales heavily in favor of the WD2500KS.

Western Digital didn't compromise anything when designing this drive it seems. True, some server support provided in the Maxline III for supposedly faster data movement is not supported here, but the advantages of the WD2500KS far outweigh this minor exclusion and I would still consider this an Enterprise class drive. Those two programming features? Well, TCQ (Tagged Command Queuing) and NCQ (Native Command Queuing) aren't even supported by many machines. So, why add more procedures in the way of your data flow? They're just not that mission critical here and they don't provide that much of a performance boost to single user or single processor machines (standard/high performance desktops).

Website support for this drive just blew Seagate and Maxtor SATA drives out of the saddle. Not only has Western Digital provided necessary specifications there, but pictures as well that clearly show all connections and settings! Neither Seagate or Maxtor SATA drives had this. WD also provided a number of software options for transferring data or the OS to your new "bootable" SATA drive/s from your others being replaced, with suggestions for other sources should their Data Lifeguard Utilities fail. Instruction on just how you should proceed with your particular installs is also easily available there.

My price for the WD2500KS was a welcome low at $88 each for a total of $176 for the two I purchased. The nearest competition, in other brands, was $10 to $20 and higher each.

Warranty is three years for this drive and is quickly looked up by serial number. The drive can also be easily registered at the site. The competition had a five year warranty, but three years is still a decent warranty that doesn't mean you should expect any troubles. (Note: The RE II model of this drive does include a five year warranty and has NCQ support.) The WD2500KS is rated a minimum of 50,000 power cycles while the others stated an at least one million hour expected lifespan. Odd, Maxtor used to rate their better drives at a minimum of 50,000 power cycles also so this could mean the WD is easily the equivalent of their 1,000,000 hour expected lifespan (MTBF). But, the WD SATA drives are rated a minimum of 1,200,000 hours MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) along with SCSI drives.

Accessories:

The WD2500KS is "hot swappable", but not if one uses the added SecureConnector for communication available from Western Digital as it requires use of the "MOLEX" connector. Of course you still need to check to see if your motherboard supports this, but it is no less a nice server class offered feature. That connector maintains a sturdy connection to the unit, but is only for Western Digital SATA drives so don't expect to use it on any others. Some have remarked they wish this connector were longer so check for your length requirement before purchase as the cable is one size at 19". It runs $9.99 at the WD online store. PCI adapters, RAID controllers, and standard SATA cables are also offered there for this drive if needed.

Compliance:

As for compatibility, concerning connections, the WD2500KS has standard SATA power and data connections and an additional standard molex power connection designed for older power supplies that were used with earlier PATA drives. This means those older power supplies need no adapters or replacement. Just don't hook up both power supply connections on the drive at the same time you can only use one at a time or risk damage!

Jumper settings are well marked and easily available for study at the website if changes are needed. This means a possible problem with 1.5Gb. or 3Gb. controllers can be eliminated by using this manual switching. Power configuration information for SSC (Spread Spectrum Clocking) is also available there if needed. (Most users will only need the Default settings from the factory and there are no more Master, Slave, or Cable Select settings as there were with PATA drives) Don't concern yourself with SSC unless it is enabled in your SATA controller. It's nothing more than than a device designed to lower electrical emissions the FCC might require for equipment compliance. If enabled, it will require your drive set to "enable" for proper synchronization. It performs no function to improve computer performance but should be used for SATA chipsets that make use of it.

A feature for WD desktop drives, not used with SATA RAID drives also means this Enterprise solution will not drop out of the RAID controller array by going into a deep recovery cycle trying to repair an error a SATA feature that provides definite improvement over PATA drives used in RAID arrays.

Getting ready to install the WD2500KS:

Some further explanation of these jumper pin settings and plugs may be helpful in preventing some severe headaches. If hot swapping is supported with your your SATA motherboard chip, you can use this feature with the WD2500KS only by using the standard SATA power connector and data cable. The legacy 4-pin Molex connector does NOT support hot swapping of drives at any time. Better yet, just DON'T be plugging in or out your drives' connectors with the computer power supply turned ON. "Enabling" SSC (if your chipset supports it) requires the jumper set opposite to the factory DEFAULT your drive used when it arrived. If no jumper was present on pins 1 and 2 then a jumper placed there will enable SSC SO, NOTE THIS SETTING WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR DRIVE/S. If your chipset is an early SATA 1.5Gb. one, you may need to place a jumper on pins 5 and 6. This will revert the SATA II 3.0Gb. WD2500KS to operation at 1.5Gb. This may be necessary as some earlier chipsets will not be recognized by the auto-set feature. By now, you may be realizing why some have problems using SATA drives.

S.M.A.R.T. (Self Monitoring And Reporting Technology) is included on the WD2500KS and all other Western Digital drives. This means you can take advantage of it, if your motherboard BIOS has the feature setting. Don't get out of your BIOS too quickly, as you may also need to set it for SATA drive recognition. This could require several settings to be made to enable it depending on your motherboard. You will also need to make any RAID settings at this time to enable striping or mirroring. In new OS installs, you may also need a driver disk to load a driver if your motherboard BIOS is not capable of loading one automatically for SATA. PCI card controllers will require a driver to be loaded in DOS. If you have an already updated OS installed, you may already have the drivers installed. At the WD site, you can download a set of tools to make the needed driver disks. You will have to run an extraction wizard to mount them to disk first. This all means you should visit the WD website to view the instructions needed with your motherboards specifications which means you may also need some facts concerning your motherboards specifications for installed chipsets and proper BIOS settings or BIOS updates. Finding chipset information will sometimes require you to visit the site of the chipset manufacturer, as all motherboard manufacturers don't supply this. Several options exist, at the WD website, for which download of Data Lifeguard Tools you need for the type of installation you will be making. So, consider how you intend to mount the the WD2500KS beforehand.

Specifications supplied courtesy of WD:

Rotational Speed 7,200 RPM (nominal)

Buffer Size 16 MB

Average Latency 4.20 ms (nominal)

Contact Start/Stop Cycles 50,000 minimum

Seek Times

Read Seek Time 8.9 ms

Write Seek Time 10.9 ms (average)

Track-To-Track Seek Time 2.0 ms (average)

Full Stroke Seek 21.0 ms (average)

Transfer Rates

Buffer To Host (Serial ATA) 300 MB/s (Max)

Buffer To Disk 748 Mbits/s (Max)

Physical Specifications:

Formatted Capacity 250,059 MB

Capacity 250 GB

Interface SATA 300 MB/s

Number of Platters 3

User Sectors Per Drive 488,397,168

Physical Dimensions:

English

Height 1.028 Inches (Max)

Length 5.787 Inches (Max)

Width 4.00 Inches ( /0.010 inch)

Weight 1.32 Pounds ( /.10 lb)

Metric

Height 26.1 mm (Max)

Length 147 mm (Max)

Width 101.6 mm

Weight 0.6 kg ( /.082 kg)

Environmental Specifications:

Shock

Operating Shock (Read) 65G, 2 ms

Non-operating Shock 250G, 2 ms

Acoustics

Idle Mode 28 dBA (average)

Seek Mode 0 33 dBA (average)

Seek Mode 3 29 dBA (average)

Temperature (English)

Operating 41° F to 131° F

Non-operating -40° F to 149° F

Temperature (Metric)

Operating 5° C to 55° C

Non-operating -40° C to 65° C

Humidity

Operating 5-95% RH non-condensing

Non-operating 5-95% RH non-condensing

Altitude (English)

Operating -1,000 feet to 10,000 feet

Non-operating -1,000 feet to 40,000 feet

Altitude (Metric)

Operating -305M to 3,050M

Non-operating -305M to 12,200M

Vibration:

Operating

Linear 20-300 Hz, .75G (0 to peak)

Random 10-300 Hz, 0.004 g² / Hz

Non-operating

Low Frequency 5-20 Hz, 0.195 inches (double amplitude)

High Frequency 20-500 Hz, 4.0G (0 to peak)

Electrical Specifications:

Current Requirements

12 VDC

Read/Write 450 mA

Idle 430 mA

Standby 20 mA

Sleep 20 mA

5 VDC

Read/Write 800 mA

Idle 730 mA

Standby 270 mA

Sleep 250 mA

Power Dissipation

Read/Write 9.50 Watts

Idle 8.75 Watts

Standby 1.60 Watts

Sleep 1.50 Watts

Additional relevant system hardware in my computer:

AMD XP3000 333MHz. processor at 2.2GHz.

1.5Gb. Ultra Pure DDR433 Winbond memory

500w TruePower supply

Two 80GB. 133 ATA hard drives (RAID 0 PATA)

Three high speed optical drives

3.5 floppy drive

Apacer card reader

ATI 9500 Pro Radeon overclocked to 9700 Pro (BIOS Flashed)

Hauppauge WinTV-HD card

USR wireless PCI card

Logitech Bluetooth hub with MX keyboard and mouse

Logitech video cam

How my install progressed:

After receiving my new drives I allowed them to sit in their anti-static packaging to come to room temperature. (I had already loaded Data Lifeguard Tools to my Windows XP OS drive, checked to see my BIOS was the latest version, and downloaded all the the latest drivers installing them.) Meanwhile, I had re-set my BIOS by removing and replacing the small battery on the motherboard. This meant I also had to reset my BIOS settings. On my motherboard, entering BIOS at post and hitting Ctrl+F1 opens advanced settings. From there, I made the necessary adjustments for enabling SATA RAID, S.M.A.R.T., and the various others I use for monitoring and performance. These default automatically to OFF and other settings after a reset. I recommend the reset when making such changes, but it is not always necessary. I still wanted them fresh and saved to my Gigabyte Dual BIOS so no errors could occur. With the power supply connected and switched OFF, I then attached and neatly routed all the needed new connections. As I did this, I removed two of my older drives from the four 80Gb. Maxtors I had in my ANTEC Sonata case. That allowed me to remove the larger PATA data cable for those two quickly making my case more open and neater.

Next, I opened the anti-static packaging and noted my SATA drive had no jumpers installed. As I had already been to the manufacturers site for my SATA chips and learned they were SSC enabled, I added a jumper to pins 1 and 2 on each drive. My SATA chipset is also 1.5 Gb., but I decided it might have been manufactured late enough (in my version 2 GA-7N400) for the auto-set feature to function. (Western Digital provides some information at their site for which chipsets will not function using "auto-set" at their FAQs search section.) I then installed the new drives and the computer. While posting, SATA RAID "discovered" my drives and offered to set them in an array by pressing Ctrl+S. I went on into Windows without this step.

After Windows booted fully, I opened Data Lifeguard Tools and it instantly found one drive and I allowed it to make that drive ready for use. I had to re-boot for it to find and ready the second drive. This only took seconds each time after opening Data Lifeguard Tools. With both drives now appearing in Windows, I checked C:\ControlPanel\System\Hardware\DeviceManager and found my new drives listed and no conflicts. I then re-booted and entered my SATA RAID setup by pressing Ctrl+S at the appropriate time. The setup to RAID 1 array was instant and I rebooted to Windows. My SATA data program now showed my drives set for RAID 1 at 1.5Gb (the "auto-set" feature worked). With this change to RAID 1, Windows now showed only 1 drive for the two new ones installed.

From this point, I used Data Lifeguard Tools to transfer all data from that data drive to the new RAID 1 array. 25Gb. of data there took roughly 15 minutes to copy completely with no losses. I then formatted that 80Gb. drive and used Data Lifeguard Tools to copy the OS drive to this one and enable it to a boot drive.(My OS drive was 5 years old.) This took 30 minutes and the procedure using Data Lifeguard Tools was flawless. I then shut down and replaced the original boot drive with one of my newer 80Gb. drives, that had been in place previously, and transferred its data to the RAID 1 SATA array also then formatting it. At that same time, using a temporary connection, I had connected the remaining 80Gb. drive and transferred its data also to the new SATA array. I will later make two of my newer 80Gb. drives into a RAID 0 array, transferring my OS with Data lifeguard Tools and making them bootable.

What I observed during and after the install:

The WD2500KS drives did feel cooler to the touch than the older Maxtor drives. I do have a Digital Doc 5 but haven't installed the sensors as yet to the drives again. Previously, the Maxtors had run 43 degrees C. under load and the new SATA drives were decidedly cooler to the touch while they copied the data. Noise was negligible and no louder than the Maxtors which have always been quiet. With my Sonata, the drive trays are isolated by rubber. While touching the drives as they worked, I could detect no more vibration in the new WD2500KS drives than was present in the older Maxtors.

From this standpoint, the WD2500KS drives do run cooler in operation. At idle, I noticed no difference in temperature. Noise generation was not increased, as would have been quickly noticed in the quiet Sonata case.

Data transfer was a painless experience using the Western Digital Data Lifeguard Tools 11.2. The program has nice prompts and features, throughout, that make using the program extremely easy. In the event of a problem, information is provided to correct the issue. I had no problems, but the prompts for help were there if needed at each step.

The overall response of this computer is noticeably faster, and data transfer is faster than between my 133DMA PATA drives on the same machine. RAID 1 could be playing a large part in this picture, so I will not make a judgement saying how much improvement I have beyond I do recognize some improvement. That however, was not my intent in adding the drives. I just wanted the use of the improved data backup features I available. My four 80Gb. drives were adequate on this machine. Using the 250Gb. Western Digitals in RAID 1, with only two of the older 80Gb. drives, I have similar storage capacity with much greater reliability. At the price, they were a good value that looks to be a winner.

*Note: For those wondering, the build date on these two new drives was May 1st.

Final thoughts:

Note: I purchased my two WD2005KS drives at ZipZoomFly.Com who, previous to March 15th 2006, offered free two day FedEx shipping. Not aware of the policy change, I didn't notice I could have had the same two day shipping I was accustomed to for only $1.99. Ugh! This meant my drives came slowly, cross-country by truck, FedEx Home Delivery one option I certainly never would have selected for a hard drive shipment! This has meant I had to do a thorough inspection of each of my new drives. So, watch that shipping carefully at purchase. At the least, this means my drives have passed a decidedly rough handling test before receiving them, and it's a testament to their strength and the foam packaging they came in inside the box.

The two drives have been in two days of service at this writing. That's just not long enough for any statements on durability, but the drives do look solid with the exception of the SATA connections which do look as if they could snap off with rough handling. That's no problem for me as I had no problems and won't be moving the drives around. I have read Western Digital is very forgiving about replacements should a problem occur.

Since my install did go so well, I do feel my new drives should be a pleasure I won't regret. Time will tell but, from all my observations, I do believe my decision has been a good one.

***Update 6/6/06***

Last night I had installed all eight sensors on my Digital Doc 5 and installed my audible-reporting EasyTune 5 software supplied by Gigabyte for my motherboard. Ouch! Shades of "666"? I awoke this morning to find my computer screaming warnings of higher than normal temperatures. My New SATA drives were running 45 and 46 degrees C.! The motherboard was reporting 49 degrees C., and the processor at 58 degrees C. One of the new SATA drives had dropped out of the RAID 1 array and was trying repeatedly to unsuccessfully repair itself.

The likely problem? Remember, I originally used the WD Data Lifeguard Utilities with its quick format to enable my drives. I backed the still functioning SATA drive up to one of my old Maxtor drives, switched drivers to "basic" SATA, dropping the array configuration using my motherboard BIOS settings so both drives would then appear in Windows. I then reformatted both SATA drives from Windows using a full format. Whew! After this was done, I noted all temps returned to normal. My drives were all reporting temps of 35-36 degrees C. a testament of the superior cooling of the Sonata case over the previous file server case I had these components in. (I had swapped cases with an older system I had in the Sonata.) The motherboard dropped back to its more normal running temp at 35 degrees C. and the processor back to 48 degrees C.

I later returned to my SATA RAID driver and RAID Bios settings. Then retuning the almost 70Gb. of data to my SATA drive array using "drag and drop". Did the drives heat up this time during the data write? NO! In fact, the Maxtors started running cooler by one to two degrees C.! Down to 34 C., and 31 C. on the C: drive. Will the problem reoccur? Well, if it does I'll be back reporting it quickly. Whatever the cause, the remaining WD2500KS did save my data using the RAID 1 array and I was able to later restore both WD2500KS drives to RAID 1 operation. Be cautious of using the Data Lifeguard Utility to format your your drive when it enables it. Just go ahead with a full format after you see the drive before you start using it.

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Instructions lacked instructions. Included manual tells you to go on-line which is great if you have a computer that is up and running. The drive itself is fine though built years ago therefore no factory warranty.

Philips PET710 7-Inch Widescreen Portable DVD Player

I was originally looking at two other models of 7" portable DVD player, the Samsung DVD-L75 and the Toshiba SD-P1600. After looking at both at a local Best Buy store, I was dissapointed by their lack-luster (literally!) LCD screen. But thinking that there was no better choice available around the same price range, I still bought the Samsung since it was lighter in weight than the Toshiba and had a better button layout.

When I got the Samsung L75 home, I was further put off by the inconvenient way to adjust the aspect ratio on it (I don't like images from my TV show DVDs being horizontally stretched out to fill the widescreen) you have to get in layers of menus to do it, and it doesn't remember your preference for the next disc. The final straw was that it also randomly stops (not just skips) in the middle of a show, so I returned the Samsung L75... and am SO GLAD that I did! Because the next thing I found was this little gem of a Philips PET710, which is MUCH better in many ways.

Pros of the Philips PET710:

best LCD screen amoung competitions

very good (and loud) speakers for the size

brushed aluminum casing, not cheap plastic

good user interface design (button layout and menu navigation)

can be made region-free (more on this below)

Cons of the Philips PET710:

no AV input ports (for gaming/digital camera/iPod/etc.)

loud spin-up noise when loading a disc

battery life is adequate, but not as long as I'd like

And here's the hack to turn the PET710 into a region-free DVD player:

1. power on

2. open the DVD tray cover

from remote control:

3. press "setup"

4. navigate to the "preferences" page

5. press "OK"

6. key in "2" "5" "2" "3" "1" "5"

7. press the left arrow

8. press the down arrow

9. press "0" when region code is displayed

10. press "setup" again to exit

I can confirm that this model works with home made DVD+R, DVD-R (although the "-" formats are not listed as compatible), VCD, SVCD (but doesn't seem to support SVCD subtitles), and MP3 CD. Have not tried DVD+RW or DVD-RW discs but they probably will work as well. Aside from being region free, it can also play both NTSC and PAL formats on its own LCD screen (but does not seem to be able to do conversions say if you want to play a European PAL DVD in the player and output to your North American NTSC TV set).

[Added 12/6: In response to another reviewer's comment on the screen being "not a true 16:9" it definitely is! You only need to take out a ruler to verify this. The actual LCD screen on this player measures 154 mm by 87 mm, which is compliant to the 16:9 ratio. The top and bottom filler black bands do still show up on some movies, because some movies are filmed in the 2.35:1 ratio, an "ultra-widescreen" if you will.]

This is a good portable DVD player for the mony, but it does have some negative points that you should be aware of. It has good build quality that seems quite sturdy, unlinke a lot of other portable DVD players out there. The video and audio quality is excellent. It plays all kinds of DVDs (including ones from other countries if you use the multi region code as described in other reviews).

The only reason I'm not giving it a great rating is because there are some real negatives:

-No AV inputs. You cannot connect your digital camera to display your photos, nor can you connect a video game system to this DVD player. Most all other brands do have this functionality, so Phillips needs to get with it.

-I wish the battery didn't protrude out the back of the unit (it should be under the player instead).

-No resume function. You will lose your place if you stop a DVD movie while watching it and turn the player off.

-Very loud spinning noise. This player is annoying loud when spinning the DVD.

This Phillips seems like a solid player that will last beyond what you would expect for the price, but you should be aware of the negatives. If you cannot get beyond these negatives, I would recommend going with a Toshiba which has all the features the Phillips is lacking, although is probably not quite as good in terms of display and build quality.

Buy Philips PET710 7-Inch Widescreen Portable DVD Player Now

UPDATE 5/20/2011

I junked this unit today. While the player itself still worked, the monitor portion gave out. A DVD player with sound but no picture is pointless. The funny thing is that I think I paid $250+ for this item in 2007. Today a similar unit is under $100. The way of technology...

ORIGINAL REVIEW 3/16/2007

If you are looking for portable DVD player that is durable and offers great picture and audio quality, and plays any DVD you can find, this is it.

I'll get the flaws out of the way first...

As other reviews mentioned, the battery is a little clunky in design, and the DVD player doesn't integrate with several devices. The other small complaint I have is that the fast forward function does not work well with burned or homemade DVDs. But this may be the fault of the DVD and not the player. The skip and rewind functions work fine, however, so sometimes I will circumvent this problem by skipping forward one scene and rewinding instead of fast forwarding. I don't have this problem with regular DVDs.

But the pluses are numerous...this unit is durable, nice looking, super-easy to use (a 3 year old could figure it out in 10 minutes), and comes with both AV and car adapters, as well as a mini remote.

The weight of the unit is very reasonable. I carry it around with me a lot.

Another big bonus is the extended battery life above and beyond the manufacturer guarantee. I can usually get at least 3 hours of use on one battery charge. The battery appears to fully recharge in less than 2 hours. Another reviewer provided helpful advice about purchasing extra batteries direct from Phillips at a pretty reasonable price.

Another big plus is that this DVD player appears to play any and all DVDs. It plays DVDs in any format I have tried, including burned DVDs and PC-edited home movies. It has played DVDs that my other DVD players have rejected (including my Panasonic DVD Recorder/VCR combo that I paid $300+ for). I can't say if it plays DVDs from other regions (like Europe or Japan).

But the biggest plus to me is the picture and audio quality. On a 9" screen, picture quality really counts.

I wish I could give this unit 4 1/2 stars. It's perfect except for a few flaws noted above. If you're ok with those, this unit is perfect for you.

Read Best Reviews of Philips PET710 7-Inch Widescreen Portable DVD Player Here

I debated getting the similar Polariod 7" player, before finally settling on this Philips model...glad I got this one.

It feels very sturdy, the case is made of metal rather than plastic. The picture is beautiful, easy to view from all angles, and the built-in speakers work fine (however, I use headphones for use in the car/plane rather than jacking up the volume...it includes TWO built-in headphone jacks...very nice). There is a surround sound option which is quite effective.

The battery life absolutely blows me away, especially considering the smallish size; the package stated 2.5 hours, but it lasted almost 4 continous hours on our first use! I don't know how to explain this; maybe it's a first time use anomally...we'll see. Regardless, I would buy this unit again in a heart beat...Great value!

BTW, if you want spare batteries (Philips OEM, rather than 3rd party batteries) you need to call Philips via their Customer Service number on their website (I searched the web high & low, nobody sells these Philips OEM batteries). I just purchased 2 more batteries from Philips for a total of $45 (including tax & shipping)...what a steal.

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We have been using this DVD player intensively for about a month.

For the price you get a very decent and sturdy DVD player, with a relatively sharp screen (I've seen better ones though) and very good sound quality. In my case, the fully-charged battery last for almost 3 hours. As an example, my son was able to watch Finding Nemo and Toy Story II without the need of recharging.

Controls are very easy and intuitive and it also comes with a remote control with a decent range (I tried from about 9ft-3mts and still worked).

Another plus I can see is the fact that you are able to switch from regions and easily play DVDs purchased in other countries.

The only downside I found is that the power adaptor is only meant for 110 volts so if plan to take it with you to a country with different electricity parameters (i.e. any in Europe) you better think about buying another transformer. Having said that, you always have the choice to charge it via the car cigarette plug, this is what we did in our recent trip to France.

Would I buy it again? yes!

Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD Player

• Plays high-def HD DVD discs for sharper, more detailed picture performance than standard DVD discs ; measures 17.7 x 4.3 x 13.4 inches (WxHxD)
• Backwards compatible with current DVD and CD formats; upconverts DVD movie discs to near high-definition
• Ethernet port for upgrades; USB port on front; compatible with MP3, WMA, and JPEG files
• Connections: composite (1 out), S-Video (1 out), component (1 out), HDMI (1 out), USB, Ethernet
• DVD offer Dolby True HD/Dolby Digital/DTS decoding; coaxial and optical digital audio outputs

Being the first to market in the High Definition DVD Player area, with Blu-ray right on its tail, id have to say its one amazing box. I started with last samurai regular dvd popped it in and wow was a standard DVD simply AMAZING, the upconvert in this box is the best ive seen. I then followed up by putting in the HDDVD version of Last Samurai and I was definately more pleased, stuff that was blotchy and pixelated no longer is so, most notable when standing or sitting close to an LCD TV the quality is noticably better. The price is a bit steep, but then again the first DVD Players were quite pricey as well. The prices for the HDDVDs are nice compared to costs for other new media standards such as the UMD Disc in fact about the same price as UMD Disc. The only cons I would have about this player is it takes REALLY LONG startup once turned on and HDDVD can take some time to get going and the thing is HUGE! It wont fit in most setups!

Buy Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD Player Now

AND.........i'M GLAD i DID! There has been a lot of reviews out there and all the negatives and positives hold true, BUT most of the reviews, now that I experienced the HD A1, were more like nitpicking. Here's my take:

Bulkiness: yeah this thing is bulky when compared to today's 30-100 dollar cheapo dvd players...but when compared to the more expensive upconverters this thing is not big at all (just look at the denons, pioneers, and other high brand models that can put out the performance that the toshiba does when upconverting) Anyone who is looking to spend this type of money on a this dvd player or any other dvd player in its price bracket will probably deal with this issue.

Remote: yeah its bad....hard to see what button does what and has a bad, uncomfortable feel to it. My harmony 880 had no problem assuming control of the toshiba. Just buy a universal remote. Look into logitech's harmony line, no biggie!

Slow: This is where I scratch my head. I turned it on, pressed the eject button, pop in a dvd, and by the time I go to sit down and get comfortable this thing will start like in 5-10 seconds....everyone needs to go thru this routine to watch their movies! No one pops in a movie and watches it from right there...this slowness issue is a non issue in my book.

Video: SD DVD never looked better to my eyes . I have gone out of my way to look at all the upconverters that I have give thought to(oppo 971, denon 1930 and 2930, and the samsung 860 and 960) with the exception of the 2930 the toshiba IMO was better than the rest. Keep in mind the denon lists for over 800 and only upconverts. When I did HD DVD nothing that I have witnessed Has come even close, not even Blue Ray....so this is where I giggle when I look back and question why the heck I was on the fence about this product to begin with? when you look at the price it is a no brainer, good bargain , and versatile.

Sound: This is where I went crazy! My SD DVD's never sounded better, but then again I wasn't crazy about my cheapo dvd player that I had attached to my Home Theater, but this was the right move. everything sounds louder, theres more bass, vocals are clearer and most importantly the video and audio are top notch and envelop you into whatever you watch thru the Toshiba.

Gen 1 player: yeah gen 1 players are always a risk....anything that's new is always a risk. You become a beta tester for these companies when they first dish out there machines. But that's technology folks and coming from someone who for a living deals with servers and the likes in the IT world.....I'll be the first to say that no technology is perfect. But the fact that Toshiba has made it very clear that they will not neglect the A1 once the A2 comes out is enough for me to pull the trigger on this player which leads me to my next point.

Compatibility: This is a word that in my profession is very important. You don't want to get the biggest and baddest thing just to say that you did and then find out your other stuff doesn't like it. The fact that this gen1 player has analog out and firmwares tells me that: a. this player will stay in tune with most of the technologies (true hd and DD+ in the 2.0 firmware for example) and b. the 5.1 analog will let you keep your current receiver that you probably dished out alot of money for!

I really think the toshiba HD A1 has its bugs and I'm sure future gens will be better, but this format war isn't really going to go anywhere right now so the prices will more or less stay the same for at least another year. So if you're on the fence and want to wait for this thing to be over with, you might wait a while. So why not enjoy this technology now and your current dvd collection as well. You will not be dissappointed.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD Player Here

I bought this player about a week ago. The picture on standard DVD's is great. The picture on HD-DVD's is awesome! I bought 5 HD movies when I purchased this player. "Perfect Storm","Training Day","Apollo 13","Million Dollar Baby" and "Cinderella Man". The picture on all of these movies is incredible! The sound is also great. My player is hooked up to a 42 inch Panasonic plasma via an HDMI cable. My receiver is a Harman Kardon 240. If you hook up the sound using a fiber optic cable the sound is down converted to DTS. If you use the analog connections the sound comes across in Dolby Digital Plus. I'm using both connections. The sound of the DTS is louder because it's a digital signal, but the Dolby Digital Plus is clearer. It's sounds more like the sounds you'll hear at a real movie theater. Sometimes I watch movies using DTS, other times I'll use the Dolby Digital Plus. Both sound great. I was going to buy a Blu-Ray player but after reading lots of reviews and doing some research, I decided that the price tag on the Samsung Blu-Ray player was just too much. I haven't seen the picture on the Blu-Ray, but I bet that it's nothing like the Toshiba. The only concern I had when purchasing this player was the support of the movie studios. Blu-Ray has the support of most of the major studios. HD-DVD is basically only supported by Warner Brothers and Universal. Hopefully if HD-DVD continues to gain consumer support, more of the studios will switch sides. Nobody knows which format will win out, but even if HD-DVD loses out you'll have a high end DVD player that only cost 499.99 dollars. Buy this player. You won't regret it.

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I've only had this thing for a couple of days, and have been absolutely blown away by the video and audio quality of the two HD-DVD movies I've watched thus far: Sahara and Goodfellas. Both the picture and the sound (when the player is properly connected and properly set up) are far superior to that of DVD when viewed on a high-definition TV.

For video, I set the output to HDMI and the resolution to 1080i (even though my TV is an older 720p model). A supplemental sheet that comes with the manual recommends that, for HD-DVD discs, the resolution be set to the native format of the disc rather than that of the TV. Every HD-DVD I've read about thus far is encoded at 1080-line resolution, so I set the player at 1080i. I haven't yet noticed anything in the manual regarding what to do for regular DVDs, so I experimented a bit and concluded that 1080i is the best setting for DVDs as well. Thus, I set the thing at a resolution of 1080i and plan to leave it there.

I connected the player to my TV's DVI input using an HDMI-to-DVI adapter, then connected the six analog 5.1 audio outputs on the back of the player to the analog 5.1 inputs on my stereo receiver, then calibrated the audio for speaker size and distance using the "Setup" feature. Note: The owner's manual doesn't mention that the "Setup" button is hidden under a sliding panel on the lower end of the remote control.

My only complaint is that the remote control is an un-backlit version of the backlit remote that comes with the more expensive HD-XA1 player offered by Toshiba. The only way I can read it is with a flashlight. Fortunately, once I got things figured out, I found that I really only need to use a few key buttons, the positions of which are easily memorized. Also, there ought to be a label on the sliding panel that hides the setup button.

The menu of an HD-DVD disc can be accessed and operated while the movie is playing. This is much cooler than it sounds. The features that can be operated from the menu are much more sophisticated than those on a regular DVD.

Picture quality is phenomenal, even on my 42" 720p LCD rear-projection TV (a 3-year-old model that's already antiquated). It's obvious that HD-DVD is designed to be optimatlly viewed on a high-quality big-screen 1080-line TV (at least 60") in order to achieve a true home-cinema experience. I calculated that the ideal TV for my living room (viewing distance = 12 feet) would be a 65" screen with 1080-line resolution.

The picture quality is even better than what I get from HD satellite and broadcast channels. I could detect no video-compression artifacts in either of the HD-DVDs that I've watched thus far, even in scenes with lots of complex high-speed motion. In addition to extreme picture clarity, HD-DVD offers a very noticeable improvement in color gamut over DVD. Watch an HD movie, and you'll see real-world colors you've never seen on TV before. Once I switched back to watching a regular DVD, the color seemed a bit phony-looking.

What really caught me by surprise was the quality of the sound when using the Dolby Digital Plus soundtrack. Right now, the only way to listen to the DD+ soundtrack in its pure form is to connect to the analog 5.1 outputs on the back of the player, which involves a bit of extra cabling. It's well worth the trouble, however. DD+ apparently allows the use of a much lower compression ratio than ordinary DD or DTS. The surround effects are much more like those you'll hear in a good theater, and the realism and clarity of the sounds is absolutely electrifying. You can, alternatively, connect to your receiver via digital optical cable, in which case the DD+ track gets converted to ordinary DTS (possibly losing some of its quality in the process).

We're in the midst of the TV Revloution, with a combination of new display technologies, new audio/video formats, and new audio/video media. The biggest problem has been the scarcity of HD material to watch on your HD television, and the lack of pre-recorded HD media (the obscure D-VHS format having been the only option until now). It will probably be quite some time before a sizeable portion of the cable/satellite/broadcast universe converts to HD. Even the local ATSC digital terrestrial broadcasts in my area are still standard definition much of the time, and my HD satellite programming package only provides me with 3 full-time HD channels and 3 channels that are mixed HD/SD.

HD-DVD and BluRay discs could enable people to gain access to a lot of high-quality HD material while we wait for the cable/satellite/broadcast industry to catch up. After that, HD discs will be able to fulfill the same function that DVDs and VHS tapes currently provide, enabling you to own or rent a wide variety of programming for viewing at your convenience. Now that I've watched a couple of HD-DVDs on my HDTV, I may never want to buy or rent a regular DVD again (even though, admittedly, the HD-A1 does a very nice job of playing regular DVDs). Sales of HD players and discs could also drive sales of big-screen 1080-line TVs as well, as this is the only type of TV that would enable the home-theater enthusiast to really take full advantage of what HD-DVD and (theoretically) BluRay have to offer.

Gathering from all the positive reviews in Amazon, I decided to purchase the HD-A1 after mulling it over for the past few months. I originally planned to put off buying it till the holiday season but I couldn't wait much longer. I needed to see with my own eyes what it would do to my existing home theater setup. No longer a stranger to HD progamming as I'm an HD subscriber to Comcast, I eagerly hooked up the HD-A1 to my Panasonic HDTV using HDMI Monster cable; furthermore, I connected the audio via optical cable to my THX 5.1 surround EX sound system. Initially, I played "The Chronicles of Riddick"; I wasn't impressed-I was totally flabbergasted! The opening preview of the movie was pure eye candy-six-times sharper and with an exceedingly brilliant color saturation than a standard DVD. The special effects sequence, particularly in the planet Crematoria looked so real you wouldn't have realized it's computer-generated. Details I haven't noticed before came to life-like intricate patterns of the necromonger's armor and facial blemishes of Vin Diesel. The fight sequences are even further enhanced by the Dolby Digital Plus signal it feeds my THX receiver-my system decodes it as DTS-ES + THX. I was in rapt attention all throughout the movie; "Chronicles of Riddick" for me was one forgettable movie when I watched it in the theater two years ago-watching it now is a completely different experience. I was acutely aware of the nuances in picture and sound; it gave me a renewed appreciation of movies I have long forgotten; Sahara, The Bourne Supremacy, Van Helsing, Serenity-these were movies I just browsed through-not anymore. For the first time, I could see picture clarity and hear high-fidelity sound in a format that not only plays HD DVDs but regular DVDs and CDs as well-and all these for half the price of Bluray. On top of it all, HD DVD boasts more titles in its library than Bluray. Only time will tell when all the major backers of Bluray will jump ship to HD DVD.

Update: 9/11/2006

Two major issues found on the HD-A1 are the slow loading times (45 seconds on the average) and the unwieldy remote control. To cut the load time, I simply hit the "open tray" button right away and push the play button once the disc is in the tray (that way I bypass hitting the "power" button and the "close tray" button). I also have resolved the remote control issue by buying the Sony RM-VL600 universal remote control. I have watched over a dozen HD DVD movies and all of them were in pristine high-def glory. I'm just waiting for the firmware update disc coming from Toshiba (I declined to use the ethernet hookup coz I didn't wanna mess up my HD-A1 if I did things incorrectly). The new 2.0 update should add Dolby TrueHD functionality and resolve some HDMI interface issues. Anyone on the lookout for an upconverting DVD player-do yourself a favor and invest a few hundred dollars more and buy the HD-A1 since it outperforms all other upconverting DVD players in the market today; regular DVDs definitely looked twice as sharp as rendered by the HD-A1.

Panasonic DVD-LV50 5-Inch Portable DVD Player

• 5-inch widescreen LCD with 4:3/16:9 zoom screen selector and Freestyle design for greater positioning flexibility
• DVD-RAM, DVD-R video playback; MP3, CD-R, CD-RW audio compatibility
• 2.5 hours of playback on internal battery (no bulky attachments)
• Optical digital-audio output passes Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel audio (for use with compatible AV receivers)
• Hi-Speed Smooth Scan scans as high as 200x (you can scan a two-hour movie forward or backward in just 40 seconds)

This unit was designed with the traveller in mind. Here are some of the excellent features I've observed:

1) LCD display can swivel out forward and lean almost flat against the unit great for cramped viewing quarters like economy class on an airplane.

2) Can simulate Dolby Digital and DTS effects in your regular headphones. The effect is breathtaking it's like having a surround sound home theater in your headphones. Action movies never sounded so good.

3) Comes with battery model CGR-H603 which lasted for 2 hours and 26 minutes in my test with the LCD set to factory default brightness and the audio level set to 6 (very loud). You can reduce the brightness to increase the battery life.

4) An optional extended life battery is available (CGR-H601) which in the same test lasted for a whopping 4 hours and 30 minutes. That's a combined 7 hours of battery life great for those longer flights.

5) When the battery dies in the middle of a movie, simply pop in another charged battery and the player will automatically continue the movie from the point where the first battery died. Very convenient.

6) Lightweight! This unit is very light and portable.

7) The 5 inch screen is very easy to watch. The size is not a limiting factor as you quickly get lost in the movie and even forget you're viewing a small screen.

8) This player supports 16:9 letterbox (widescreen) and 4:3 boxed modes.

9) Comes with a full featured remote control.

10) This unit can be hooked up to a TV or home theater receiver with the included RCA/Composite cable.

11) Options include car lighter adapter, cassette adapter, optical cables and more.

Overall, this is the best portable DVD player I have ever been exposed to. It's quality built and small enough for serious travel. ....

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I bought this DVD for my family this Christmas. It was the best buy of the season. It has already paid for itself in entertain-

ment hours. The picture is GREAT. The sound is wonderful. We have taken it on the road with us and hooked it up to the t.v. in the hotel room. There have been times when we have used this instead of our home DVD. The only thing I have not tried is the battery.

I read all the reviews on this item and others. Everything I read in the reviews were right on target. I am glad I bought this DVD. Price did play a role in my purchase. I wanted to spend around 300 400.00 dollars. I did not look at too many DVD's that were higher. But for the money I am very happy.

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When I bought this I was not looking for a DVD player. I have two children ages 8 and 9 who get bored during road trips.

When I saw this little unit playing at Circuit City, I could not believe the clarity of the picture. The fact that it attaches to any TV and works as a portable DVD player is amazing. I love it and so do my children. With the purchase, came a mail-in offer for a free carrying case and earphones, panasonic has done it again. I would highly recommend this unit to anybody who appreciates quality !!! IT'S THE BEST !!!

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I travel a lot and this little device has helped me to retain my sanity.

The screen quality is good, and I've been able to connect the device to my parents wide-screen TV using the accompanying A/V cable. No problems.

The battery could last a little longer (around 2 hours) but that can be solved by picking up the extended life battery (Panasonic CGR-H601A/B Rechargable Battery Pack for Portable DVD Players).

This model does not have a memory stick slot, as do other higher end models. But it does handle MP3 CDs just fine.

The only real complaint I have is that the sound system can sometimes not be loud enough on an airplane--the sound of the engines overrides the sound from the movie making it hard to hear some softer sounds or dialogue. Noise cancelling headphones go a long way to correct this shortcoming.

Having pressed my nose against enough windows admiring these portable DVD players over the last few years, I saw the DVD-LV50 in a store one day and fell in love. I just had to have one, and when my PS2 started having problems playing certain discs, that and falling prices -were the excuses I needed.

At first I was struck by a few negatives about the DVD-LV50. Contrary to what some stores say, it only has a single monaural speaker, which seems cheap and ill-advised in a unit retailing for six big ones and packing state-of-the-art audio processing.

I also think Panasonic should have included the larger rechargeable battery pack that runs for 3½ hours rather than the pack included that runs for two hours. Most folks will probably want to pop for a spare battery, and at only twenty dollars more than the two-hour pack, the bigger battery is probably the better choice.

But it's easy to overlook these quibbles when you see the picture on the DVD-LV50.

This is flat out the best image I think I've ever seen on a screen of ANY size. (In fairness, I don't believe I've seen HDTV, or if I have I didn't notice it.) Sharp, bright, with pure vivid colors and deep blacks, the picture quality is so good it's right off the chart. The picture really is almost three-dimensional, and the fact that it is appearing on a pint-sized player like this is rather astonishing.

Other owners who said you won't notice the diminutive size aren't kidding. The picture is that enticing. Plug in a pair of earbud headphones, and the DVD-LV50 makes a great companion when you're dining alone. Though I haven't yet traveled with the player, I'm sure it would save the day on a train or airplane as well, if you have enough battery power or access to an AC outlet.

One of the other significant pluses of the DVD-LV50 is its "free-floating" screen. Rather than being hinged to the back of the player as on most portables, the screen here rides on an articulated arm that hinges to the player. This gives you more flexibility adjusting the height and angle of the screen to optimize the picture.

Otherwise the player seems to work like gangbusters, tracking every problem disc I can throw at it with nary a glitch or hiccup. One little detail that's very slick is the way the screen fades to black when you turn the power off nice! Slow motion is also very smooth guys know how important this feature is!

In conclusion, the DVD-LV50 is quite a technological achievement, if a mite pricey. The day the price comes down ..., however, these players will simply fly off the shelves.

Sanyo Xacti CG6 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Blue)

The clip shown here was shot with my new Xacti CG6 camcorder, it was cut down to 320 x 240 (from native 640 x 480) and converted to .wmv format to make it viewable to most. It retains most of the quality from the original .mp4 clip. This is my nephew Jason and his beloved dog Daisey on Christmas Day 2007. This clip was shot with all automatic settings and zoomed in about 3X 4X.

I was really intrigued by the Flip Ultra video camera. Compact form factor, no more tapes, extremely easy to use and directly connect the camcorder to your PC via onboard USB connector.

Problem was that the features on the Flip Ultra were limited, or should I say non-existent. I wanted to look for a similar camera with just a few more features, without losing the simplicity and ease of use.

Then I came across the Xacti line of camcorders from Sanyo, read a review of the C6 from Steve's Digicams and I was hooked on trying one of these little guys. Then I found the CG6 at Walmart just before Christmas 2007 for $100 less than Amazon's standard price. I bought one for myself, 2 for Christmas gifts for my nephews, one as a Christmas bonus for our babysitter and talked a friend into getting one for himself for Christmas.

Everyone who received this camera loves it! The video is very good and the still shots are excellent. The more I play with this camera, the more I find it can do. If the automatic settings don't give you perfect results, play around and you will eventually find the perfect setting for each type of video or still shot.

I don't know why more people aren't raving about this camera, for the money it may be the best choice in the Xacti line. It is so small you can take it anywhere. Having your camcorder with you most of the time increases the probability that you will capture that perfect shot or video.

One of the best features compared to standard tape based DV cameras is the ease of file transfer. With a standard tape based DV camcorder, you have to capture video in real-time via a firewire connection, then edit the footage and recompress for your desired output. With the CG6, simply remove your SD card from the camcorder, insert it in a card reader attached to your PC, transfer the file to your PC in minutes, then start editing in your favorite editor. (.mp4 is not directly supported by Windows Movie Maker, but Vegas, Ulead and other editors support it)

Stills I have printed from this camera are incredible, as good as photos from my Canon digicams. Check out your local Walmart, if instock it will be at a bargain price!

I purchased this model for use on my field trips and interviews in the Amazon Rainforest and the Philippines. It fits in your pocket, and with the removeable SD cards you can have as much storage as you want. It does what it says on the box. It also takes reasonable quality still shots. All in all it's compact size makes it a winner in my book (which is the reason I bought it). The only gripe is that the battery only lasts an hour (about 1GB of 'footage') before needing a re-charge, however I bought some spare batteries which are not expensive.

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This is a great camera for its size. I wanted it to take on vacations, and already have an SLR camera to lug around, so I needed something really small. Because of its size, it's a bit of a challenge to keep it still while filming. It has image stabilization, so that's great. I can't keep it still while holding it with one hand, but after a little practice, I'm doing well with two hands.

After reading reviews on the CG65, which is what I initially wanted but couldn't find, I was worried about lens flare. Some people had said it was bad even when you weren't shooting into the sun, and when it was overcast. I'm happy to report that, at least on my camera, it's only a problem when shooting toward the sun. And that would be expected. I did have an issue shooting inside once, when there was a light behind my nephew... there was a little blue spot right in the middle of the screen when the light was showing, but then when his body was blocking the light, it changed to a blue line that ran the height of the screen. Strange. But we turned that light off, and then everything was fine.

The auto controls such as white balance and film speed do not work well at all. If you shoot in a dimly lit room with auto film speed, it'll go to a higher film speed which gives you more graininess, but doesn't really look any brighter. I found that setting it on 100 film speed permanently gives you the same brightness, but no graininess. Also, the auto white balance inside a room will look really yellow, but when I set it on incandecent, it looks fine. Just have to remember to change it when you go outside, or it will look blue.

This thing takes great still photos. You can also take photos while you are filming, but it stops the filming for a second, so you'll see a pause in your video.

The battery life is my main complaint. I have filled my 2 GB card only 2/3 full, and already gone through two battery lives. You'll need a spare battery for this one.

You can't play these videos with Windows Media Player. I downloaded a free player called VLC Media Player that works great.

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This is a nice video camera for the price. The video and picture quality is as good as any standard camcorders, so don't be fooled by the size or shape of this. This is a fully functional video camera. It takes high resolution still images as well.

The only 2 downsides: MPEG-4 isn't compatible with Windows MovieMaker. It seems compatible with other video software (Sony Vegas, Adobe, etc...), but I was disappointed that the video won't play in Windows Media player or movie maker without converting. I am sure this will change at some point though once MS catches up.

I have a bit of trouble with the camera feature (still image), doesn't seem to want to take right away, etc...but I think that is just a lack figuring it out.

Overall, I'd recommend this camera, especially for the price.

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I bought this camera beause i was looking for something cute and small.

This is definatly Cute, and small.. but it takes grainy videos, which i suppose is expected of a compact camera.

It's not much bigger then a cellphone, and it has quite a few nice features and an INCREDIBLE zoom. My battery lasts for abotu 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

Great buy, but if your looking for crystal clear quality you wont find that here.

500 Red Color Paper CD Sleeves with Window & Flap

We make DVD copies of videos for our customers of These covers are great because they match our colors and have a window were we can still show our logo through them.

NEW Waterproof 18MP Digital Camera& Video Recorder (Pink)

The picture quality is ok. Very blurry if you move just a little bit. The video picture is ok but the sound for the video really sucks. Love that its waterproof but I'd prefer better sound and picture instead of waterproof.

It's what would expected for the price. I bought it for my grand daughter, it will meet her expectations, we won't feel bad if she breaks it or loses it cause it didn't cost a mint.

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The idea of this camera is great and, it seemed to be made well. However, for day to day use, the LCD is extremely dark and hard to see. Also, any slight movement results in a blurred photo (so dont buy this for kids). Also, the flash has to charge between shots and takes a full 5-7 seconds between pictures. Lastly, the menu isnt intuitive at all. For pure under water purposes, it may be just fine. Just not a day to day camera

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Zmodo 4CH Security DVR Sony CCD Outdoor Surveillance Camera System No Hard Drive

good .......good ................good

thanks ..

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good

happy new yeas ...

happy new yeas ...

happy new yeas ...

Panasonic HDC-TM60 Camcorder (Black)

I had this camera for only a few months but sold it and got a higher-end one because I needed a higher-powered lens for the type of videos that I shoot. But I can say that it was a very solid entry-level HD camcorder, especially if you can find it on sale.

The color accuracy is excellent in the videos. The video sharpness is competitive to other camcorders. You wouldn't confuse it for a higher-end camcorder but if you consider what it's price is, you will not be dissappointed either. The factory-supplied battery gets pretty decent life. Better than most factory-supplied batteries. And the on-board 16GB flash memory is also a step above what most other brands offer at this price-point. It's good for about 2 hours of HD filming in the highest setting.

The image stabilization is excellent on this camcorder. And also it has something that not a lot of other entry-level HD camcorders have and that is a Automatic Scene Adjust (or intelligent Auto as Panasonic calls it) which will automatically adjust the camera's settings to correspond to the conditions in which you are filming. The menu system on this camcorder is also very easy to use.

I really don't think the camera function on this camcorder is anything special. It gets the job done but it falls a little short in that regard compared to the Canon with respect to image quality.

I can't speak to the supplied software because I use Final Cut Express to edit my videos. But overall, this is an excellent choice for entry-level HD camcorders.

I bought a HDC-TM55K 6 months ago. A great camera. Unfortunately, my sun dropped it into the pool. So I went to buy another one, and I found the TM60K. With double the memory, wow what a great camera. The pictures are so vivid and great colors. I difinitly recomend this camer, if you are doing a little more than just making movies with your phone.

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I have owned the Panasonic HDC-TM60 for over a year now and have recorded several great quality videos when recording in good light or even an overcast cloudy day. When I record in a low light environment though, it is a much different story. The video becomes more and more grainy the darker the setting you record in.

The 35x intelligent zoom is very cool. Zooms way further than any other camcorder that I have owned and still has remarkable visual clarity. The optical image stabilizer is excellent. Very steady clean video from this camera.

I'm not that big on audio quality but in the line of work that I do, I notice wind in my recordings often because it is blowing at over 30 to 70 mph. With this camera the wind was an issue, but I assume it would be with any camcorder without aftermarket audio equipped. It wasn't near as bad though as my cheaper SD Sony camcorder that in any wind over 10 mph can't really gather any audio quality due to the blasting wind sounds.

It is a relatively small and light camcorder that can be easily handled and operated. I have noticed that after a good days work, I get home and go over videos shot that day and find sometimes a very lengthy clip due to closing the viewfinder without stopping the recording. The camera does not power off or even stop recording if you just shut the LCD screen.

Overall, it meets a pretty good percentage of what I need it for. The software supplied with it is good and even though I'm not big on still pictures it does pretty descent (unless compared to a DSLR). I have a YouTube account under the same name that is on here (holytornado84) and I have some videos I will suggest to watch if you want to get a better grip of the capabilities of this camcorder. First go to my YouTube page and select the videos option at the top somewhere. Then watch "Paradise Don" for the great visual qualities of this camcorder. Be sure to put the resolution at the bottom right all the way up and skim through the boring parts. Now for a good low light example of the same camcorder, (trust me it looks that much different in low light) go to "Mesocepting in Tushka Oklahoma" and watch it. There are some focus issues in this video as well, but it is because it was on auto focus and zoomed in about 1/4 of the way in the crazy environment it was in. I feel these two videos should easily some up what I have said here.

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I was pleasently surprised at the quality of the video. I didn't expect to to see this type of clarity from this particular camcorder. The flash card is definately the way to go. it's compact and has no moving parts, unlike an installed hard drive or disk. I found that I could successfully take videos during bright daylight or at night. I would highly recommend this camcorder to anyone interested in purchasing a mid-priced product.

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Great little camera! This is my first camcorder. (It's replacing a 1988 VHS Quasar video camera!) It's user friendly, and is not impossible to master all the settings within a reasonable amount of time. My only complaint is that it did not come with a mini-HDMI cable.