Samsung BD-D5700 WiFi Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

• Play your Blu-ray Discs or select from a wide variety of multi-format discs
• Connect to Samsung "Smart TV" Internet TV services for streaming media, social networking, and more
• Enjoy music, video, and photo files from both USB and networked DLNA-certified devices
• Built-in Wi-Fi for a wireless network connection without the hassle of cabling
• High-definition audio with decoding of Dolby Digital TrueHD and DTS Master Audio
• Enhanced Picture Qaulity
• Fast booting and loading time
• Samsung Smart TV
• WiFi Built-in

I bought this machine about a week ago. Was concerned about the reviews that critized the Netflix streaming but comforted by the person or two that said the firmware updates would cause it to work. Anyhow, no problems. I followed the set up instrucitons on the screen and it has been working fine. Pic is great. Streaming is too. Have viewed several movies--streaming and DVDs-and everything seems to be as it should be. I am receiving my internet from Comcast using a Netgear N 150 router (a recent addition from them). And by the way, if the firmware was updated during installation, I wasn't aware. All I did was follow the instructions as they came along ----entered my password from Comcast ---and the one from Netflix.

I have never written a review before (it probably shows) but felt I should cause a lot of the BlueRays have been receiving some bad press. Almost went for a PS3 even though I am not a gamer...but that would have been a waste of another 100 or so.

Only negative is the remote. Too many buttons. Obviously not a big deal and at some point I may remember what I need to push without looking.

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It surprises me how many negative reviews I read about Blu Ray players in general that have nothing to do with the player, but has everything to do with the person's lack of knowledge about electronics. While researching for a Blu Ray player for my parents, I came across a guy who gave a player a negative review because the player's box didn't tell him that the cable modem that he was using wasn't capable of supporting two Ethernet connected devices and that he would need a router for the player and his home computer to be hooked to the internet at the same time. It is not the Blu Ray manufactures job to inform the customer of basic facts. That would be like getting mad a car dealership for not telling a customer that the automobile needs gasoline to work correctly.

The next one that drives me crazy is when people complain about firmware updates. Wake up people. Your player is a dumbed down computer that is made especially for videos and will need updates from time to time. Do you get mad at Microsoft every time your home computer gets updates? No, you don't. It may be annoying, but you do it anyways because you know it will make your computer run better. Also, whining about needing an update right out of the box is plain stupid. In fact, it makes me feel more secure about my purchase. It lets me know that the manufacturer is still working to make my device better even after they have my money. And it lets me know that if any new apps are released, my player may be able to handle them and, once again, make my home theater experience better.

The Samsung BD-D5700 was purchased because of the Built-in WiFi (I really have no idea why they even make WiFi Ready Players). I researched and compared all of the mid-priced Blu Ray players with Built-in WiFi and it came down to either a Samsung or Sony. I wanted the Hulu Plus App and these were the only two with that option. Both the Samsung and Sony models had decent reviews but each had a few negative aspects. The Samsungs had a slow load time reviews (time it takes to power up the player and play a movie) and the Sony models apparently had some spotty WiFi video steaming (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube). This player was going to be used at my parents on an N wireless router, so the Sonys were out. But a few weeks later I ended up buying a Sony that I hooked up to a hard line in my own house. Both work amazingly and have not had a single issue. But then I knew what situation each was going to be used for and planned ahead. And just so this review is complete, the Samsung does not load as fast as the Sony, but it is nowhere near the wait time as the earlier Blu Ray players.

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I haven't much to add to the recent decent reviews for this product. I'll give you my $0.02 and let you decide whether or not it helps.

I bought this after the death of my beloved LG BD390 whose ability to recognize any and all disc both puzzled and frustrated me. What I loved about that player was its ability to play almost anything I burned to disc and the added convenience of Netflix streaming. What I didn't like, even when it was working, was main menu structure and the lack of sorting/searching for the Netflix app.

So flash forward to March of this year when I lost the ability to play any discs and was left with a device that could only stream Netflix (although a bad interface) and computer content (which was the spotty dnla) and I'm ready to research the purchase of something that will hopefully last longer and be more of what I want in an all around player.

With the expansion of online content I was hoping to find a player that was essentially a Roku box with the ability of playing blu-ray discs...and be able to play a host of other video filetypes (divx, avi, mp4, mkv etc) from streaming and from files burned to a data disc. I know that was a lot to ask, but I was hoping that this year's LG offering would be the ticket. After reading reviews here on Amazon and elsewhere, I see that LG is having difficulty implementing their online content (i.e. hulu plus etc. not coming online--something I was looking forward to adding since I don't subscribe to cable) and factoring in my 1.5 year short-lived player, I wasn't too happy to jump back on the bandwagon. So I turned toward Sony and Samsung (my TV is a Sammy and the Anynet feature was icing on the deciding-factor-cake). Sony has a good reputation and feature set (Netflix, Hulu+, dnla, etc.) however, they have limitations on what filetypes are compatibile with the player (for me, this was important since I have hundreds of compressed video for my kids that we use on the TV and portable devices).

So, stacking up the feature lists, this player was ahead...stacking up the reviews, I should wait until 2012 to buy a player. Well, I'm somewhat impatient and decided to give Samsung the benefit of doubt.

It's been a month, and so far so good. The online content does take some time to access. However, it works...just be patient; the dedicated Netflix button works well. I currently have Hulu+, Vudu, Youtube, Vimeo, Netflix, Picaso, Pandora, et al. all working fine with no problems with the high definition content. And having them all work, albeit slower interface than any computer, is better then having a faster interface with none or only a few of them working. Plus, the Netflix interface lets you search and see new arrivals! I find that I really like the Hulu+ interface and find myself using that service more and more. I do hope that Amazon VOD becomes available, but currently have enough to keep me occupied for the forseeable future.

Well, I won't be purchasing the Roku & Blu-ray combo. I don't need to. Wait, what about discs you say; afterall this is a blu-ray player: Blu-ray looks fantastic (I only wish one could skip all the ads from the Netflix discs), all content streaming or otherwise has worked (mkv, divx, etc.) and my kids are happy about that. I'll update this review if things change.

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I bought this to use with my Samsung UN55D6000 LED TV to avoid buying the proprietary Samsung wireless adapter. I wanted to wirelessly stream movies and video thru Netflix and YouTube, as well as from my computer. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed in the streaming quality. Both Netflix and YouTube are very choppy. I did head to head comparisons with my Wii and Roku HD boxes and they both streamed wireless video flawlessly, while the Samsung spit and sputtered along intolerably. It was like the modern equivalent of the old 8mm projectors in grade school, when the film would get stuck.

Other cons:

Entering anything with the onscreen "keyboard" is onerous at best, intolerable at worse. Try it in a store and you'll see what I mean. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that keypress response on the remote is slow, so entering an e-mail to use Netflix in the SmartHub is measured in millenia, not seconds.

"UltraFastPlay" disc loading was was neither fast nor ultra.

Biggest pro:

Incredible image quality. Can't say enough good things about that. And because it does that SO well, I have forgiven it for the other shortcomings. I am keeping the unit, and just streaming video via Wii.

Maybe a software update will sort out the above streaming issues. Samsung?

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I'm not sure what's causing all the negative reviews, but I bought this a few days ago and had it set up in less than 10 minutes...and I'm not a "tech geek" either. The built-in WiFi automatically picked up my home network and setup was a breeze! My wife loves watching streaming media on NetFlix and the image quality is perfect. We watched an entire movie on NetFlix last night, and you would not be able to distinguish whether it was streaming online or from an actual disc. Absolutely no buffering delays, and image quality was better than HD cable.

I did a lot of research before buying this model (and I agree with the other review...I have no idea why they even still MAKE Wifi "ready"....just build it in and be done with it), and this Samsung has the best features for the best price. They are consistantly adding to the available apps and the selection is great. I have not ventured into many of them, as I pridominatly bought this for NetFlix. I do have a Samsung Plasma, so I'm sure that helps the overall compatibility, but I have had ABSOLUTELY NO ISSUES with this player.

I can't say enough good things about the BD-D5700. No problems with load time, buffering streaming content, or playback. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a Wifi built-in Blu-Ray player with great Internet apps especially if NetFlix is a must.

Wasabi Power AC Adapter for Sony Handycam DCR-HC20, DCR-HC21, DCR-HC26, DCR-HC28 Series

The prongs on the product will not fit in any North American outlet I've ever seen. They are shaped exactly like the plastic thing you put in an outlet to keep babies out. The plug just falls out of the socket.

Only get this product if your AC adapter is faulty but you still have the electrical cords from Sony.

This is not a Sony product (it doesn't claim to be) and it's made in China. Buyer beware.

Still cheaper to get this ordered than to get Sony to fix it.

Review a power cord? Well it worked for the camera I purchased it for, and a year later is still doing the job! Would purchase from this company again.

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Thank goodness I found this. The price at Best Buy was waaaay more, and this works perfectly.

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This item was the perfectbreplacement for he lost charger for my video camera. It arrived on time an in great shape.

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I lost all my accessories for my Sony Handycam DCR-HC20, so I needed replacements. The Wasabi Power Adapter works fine as a replacement unit, although the materials feel a little cheap. I haven't noticed any flaws so far.

HD Portable DVR with 2.5" TFT LCD Screen Vehicle Backup Car Cameras LCD 270° LSRotator - 6 IR LED

• Real 720 HD video recording; Rotatable 120 Wide angle len; IR day and night vision for recording; Records automatically after the car's power up
• Audio Recording, Real-Time Recording; With the camera holder, you can fix it on the car dashboard or car windshield very easily
• Video format: AVI; Repeat storage by section:2/5/15 minutes; Still JPEG Image Storage Format ; Record Resolution:1280 x 960 pixels/ 720 X 480 pixels/ 640 X 480 pixels
• Support SD/MCC Cards up to 32 GB (SD Card Not Included); 6 LED's 120 degrees viewing angle; Battery source Built-in rechargeable Battery or 12/24V Car Charge
• 2.5 inch TFT LCD Colorful Screen and USB Interface; Support Real Time & Date display on video; Light Frequency Set: 50HZ/60HZ

The day time recording is very good but night time recording is not good. The image does not rotate with camera so if you mount it atop your dashboard like I did with the screen on the top everything records upside down so when you put it on your computer you will have to use a video editing software to rotate the video right side up. I did not use the supplied windshield mount because I did not want to create a blind spot in my windshield.

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This was a disappointment. Upon arrival I immediately noticed the LCD was cracked. While it was still view-able I wanted to see if it lived up to other expectations. It didn't. By now everyone should know the manual is a joke. Hardest part of the setup was learning that the "OK" button is actually the red record button. After that it was easy to set up all remaining options. Two big disappointments on the unit was that, when recording, the red record button is blinking red. While some may find it comforting to know it is actually recording, I want this to be invisible to me and my passengers until its needed. Second is the video quality. Perhaps this unit was bad due to the LCD damage but it was horribly out of focus. And it is most certainly not HD even if it was. I set the resolution to 720 and the picture was grainy. Amazon is awesome as well on the return.

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This product comes with a sloppy packing, broken parts. You can tell it was opened before. Would not recommend to buy!

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This dashboard camera works, but... not without issues. The user manual is very poor and I have not been able to get the camera to loop, write over past recordings. It says it reports the memory full with just 10 minutes of recording on a 2 gb card. This would work if it would loop and overwrite. I would tell you to look for a better unit. I will.

FOR THE PRICE YOU CAN,T BEAT IT! Nice little camera. The motion detector works great also.... The picture is very good. Very happy with this camera.

Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built-in Tuner

• DVD Recorder
• Progressive Scan
• 1080p Upconversion
• With Built-in Digital Tuner
• JPEG Photo Viewer

This is a review of the Toshiba DR560 Upconverting DVD Recorder with built in high def tuner.

BACKGROUND:

I bought this unit to handle a few needs with one piece of hardware:

1. I wanted a high def tuner for my tuner-less Sharp Aquos 26" LCD TV (purchased in 2007 before the new rule requiring tuners in TVs!)

2. I wanted to be able to take old analog home movie footage and transfer it directly to DVD with no editing. My old VHS tapes were approaching their shelf life limit.

3. I wanted to upconvert standard 480 resolution DVDs to make them look better on the Sharp TV.

SETUP:

The setup of the device was simple. I hate the fact that manufacturers still don't include HDMI cables with hardware that costs this much. So I grumbled for a minute and then purchased an HDMI cable for it (don't get me started on how most electronics stores charge an obscene price for digital cables! I bought one at a large discount retailer). All I had to do was connect the HDMI-out from the Toshiba to the HDMI-in on my high def Sharp. That's it. No audio plugs needed. I like having just a one wire connection.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

For the remote control I don't have many complaints. It does not appear to be capable of controlling my TV I didn't see anything in the guide about programming other devices. Someone please comment and correct me if I'm wrong on that. The keys are not lighted.

When I first started the player I went through the simple setup prompts. The instructions said I might need to hit the HDMI button on the remote to match up to the display of my TV, but it automatically selected 1080 for me. (there are lighted 480, 720, and 1080 indicators on the player itself, so you can tell what mode it is in) If you are not connected via HDMI then these lights don't function. I initially tried a component video connection and noticed that the resolution selection was not available.

When I first opened the DVD tray I thought I had activated a paper shredder! It is the loudest, oldest sounding motor noise I have ever heard from a DVD player. To me it sounds like it is straining just to open the tray. I hope that holds up long term.

I found the disk read and startup time to be a little long.

SPECIFIC IMPRESSIONS:

UPCONVERTING DVD PLAYER:

I put in a DVD "Star Wars Attack of the Clones" to test the upconverting video quality. I was immediately concerned with how loud the motor was in spinning up the DVD. But my worry went away once I hit "play". Once you start playing the movie the motor noise goes away and is very quiet.

To test the upconverting quality I played a scene from the movie on the DVD player, and then switched over and played the same scene on an Xbox 360 connected to the same TV via a component video connection. To my untrained eye the upconverted picture was brighter and had a slightly higher level of detail. So I was satisfied with it.

DVD RECORDER:

I have only used DVD-R recording media. Once I try a DVD+-RW disk I will update this review. But using the DVD-R was very user friendly. You pop in a blank DVD-R disk and the machine has it ready to go in a few seconds. No interaction needed.

I then hooked up a VCR using the RCA video and audio ports (the recorder included RCA and S video cables). There's one set of inputs on the back and one on the front. I used the back ones because it was just as convenient for me.

Before recording I went into the DVD recording options menu and selected it to do automatic 5 minute chapter breaks.

All I had to do what hit play on my VCR and hit record on the DVD recorder. A little red disk of light displays on the panel so that you know it's recording. Going from memory I believe the recording quality options were 1 hour, 2, 4, 6, and 8.

I was able to record successfully from both VHS and a HI-8 Camcorder feeds (both using the RCA jacks).

Once the tape finished I hit stop on the recorder, and it finished writing the recording very quickly (less than one minute for 2 hours of recording). I then had the option to edit the title that appears on the menu, which is not the most intuitive process using the remote control. I had also expected it to create a DVD menu with chapters for every 5 minute break, but it only had one menu selection. When playing back the disk it did skip 5 minutes every time I hit the Chapter+ button.

As a final step I "finalized" the DVD to make it able to play on other DVD players. I tested the disks on a circa 1997 Sony DVD player, and also a 2005 Toshiba. DVDs that I created from VHS played fine on both players, but the DVD I recorded from the Hi-8 tape source would not play correctly on the 1996 DVD player. It played fine on the 2005 player. I still need to test more Hi-8 recordings to see it that was an isolated problem or not.

UPDATE 05/30/08: I think it's just my 1997 Sony DVD player that just can't handle DVD-R media very well. After replaying VHS source and HI-8 source videos, they are both hit or miss as to whether they play correctly. I don't think this will be an issue for most people with newer DVD players.

I still need to test recording from a mini-DV digital source.

HIGH DEF TV TUNER:

I have a large UHF antenna mounted in my attic receiving local HD quality broadcasts (see my other reviews for that). I ran a coaxial cable from that antenna down to the DVD recorder and connected it to the antenna-in port. Then using the same HDMI-out feed to the TV I was able to tune in and watch local digital broadcast stations. I watched the season finale of American Idol on it (David vs David), and the picture quality was excellent. Changing channels does take about 2 seconds, as another reviewer said. That is a little slow, but I am willing to put up with slow channel changing for free high def!

Overall I would rate this DVD Recorder 4 of 5 stars. It certainly does serve the three needs I outlined at the start of this review.

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Got my Toshiba DR560 on Amazon, shipping was quick as usual, been using it for 2 weeks and is hooked up to my Samsung LN37A450 37-inch 720p LCD HDTV via HDMI cable. I'll focus on my user experience:

Pros:

IT WORKS. Easy push-button to setup one-time recordings

GOOD WITH COMCAST CABLE. Picks up my Comcast channels both the regular Analog *and* the Digital TV (DTV) cable broadcast channels. I'm not sure why the other reviewer said it did not work with Comcast digital?? It works just fine and tunes to both the analog and digital signals from Comcast cable, DO NOTE that there is an "EXTENDED SCAN" mode to learn the digital cable channels maybe the reviewer missed that option and just did the regular analog cable Scan.. I have not tried tuning into the FREE OTA (Over the air) HDTV programming since I get weak air TV signals in my area.

DECENT UP-CONVERSION. I did find a better picture quality in the upconversion of regular DVDs compared to my regular DVD player, however my old DVD player was connected via cheap RC/A AV cables not composite not S-video so just by nature of HDMI there would be a difference already!! In any case I now get deeper blacks, less noise, and sharper details. Can't complain.

HDMI CONTROL. here's a pleasant surprise.. the Samsung "AnyNet" HDMI control actually recognizes the player and now I can use buttons on Samsung remote like the Play/ Pause / Stop/ FFW / REV to control basic functions on the DR560 which is great since the Toshiba remote totally SUCKS as mentioned earlier! Tip: you do have to activate the HDMI Control on the DR560 in one of the setup menu settings.

Cons:

POOR MENU. the system setup menu navigation is very poor and reminds me of the old DOS programs before there was a Windows operating system! You can't see the live TV picture when you enter system setup menu to program recordings, set the date/time, etc... However there is another shorter settings menu called "Display" which brings up a semi-transparent menu-bar on top of live picture and you can tweak most things like audio, black level, etc.. so it's OK for most things during playback you don't have to enter an archaic menu system.

TIME SLIP RECORDING. The "Time Slip" Tivo-like recording mode only works on DVR-RW (the minus "-" RW) media, so i'll need to buy new disks to try that feature. I addition the manual says you can't tune to other channels while recording.. bummer. However the regular recording mode (without time slip feature) works on both DVR-RW and DVR+RW so no big deal if you already had DVR-RW media in your home or if you don't miss the Time Slip functionality.

BOOT TIME. The thing takes forever to boot! Longer time if it has a disk inside the tray. Afterwards there is no noticeable lag it's response time is decent.

NO EPG. No EPG (Electronic Progamming Guide).. but you should already now that most manufacturers of DVD recorders after 2005 dropped this functionality since the whole thing was a fiasco.. the greedy Cable companies were blocking the free programming guides or charging subscription fees, and the existing EPGs feeds were coming from public stations like PBS that sometimes shut the feeds off by accident. For those of you that must have an EPG note there's only like one brand/model out there a Samsung DVR model with built-in Tuner that still includes EPG but apparently was discontinued this year and it's very hard to find one also reveiws are mixed saying EPG sometimes not work at all.. the model is Samsung DVD-AR650. Oh well.. it's time for Sunday paper TV GUIDE for everybody i guess.

POOR DTV TUNER PICTURE. Ok.. here is the final catch: The DR560 digital tuner works fine, BUT the picture quality is noticeably inferior compared to the native Samsung HDTV built-in digital tuner. I tuned to PBS 11-1 digital 1080i broadcast on both the DR560 tuner and the Samsung HDTV built-in tuner, switched back-forth, and no matter what the DR560 HDMI output set to 480p/ 720p / 1080i/ 1080p the native Samsung's HDTV digital tuner is waaaay superior in sharpness, detail, and color rendition. It almost felt like DR560 was downscaling the image to SD 480p and then trying to up-convert to 720p or similar.. there's quite a visual difference from both tuners. The DR560 lost many fine details and colors were not as punchy as in the native Samsung HDTV digital tuner no matter what the color tweaking I did on the TV.

------Bottom line: i'll keep it until something better comes along at this price point that improves the menu system at the minimum (I would have chosen the Panasonic-? brands but users complained of very sluggish controls..). For now, it will happily replace my archaic VHS tape recorder (VHS.. tape.. what's that?? LOL !!) which was second reason I bought it for. And the main reason the playback video i get from both DVDs and TV recordings is still decent quality so i'm happy with it. I really don't mind the digital tuner output since I use the TV one instead. BUY IT I Recommended it for the price of about $178.

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I waited for the release of this new model (end of March) and it was WELL WORTH IT! Setup was easy and the ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital/analog tuner produces a clean, crisp, 3D-like picture on my analog TV from over-the-air broadcasts. We were blown away by the HD-like quality! I use an outdoor antenna and bought this mainly for the digital conversion and recording of TV shows. Recording quality is awesome, even recording in LP (4hr) mode produces DVD quality video with perhaps a hint of fuzziness on the edges of numbers/letters. I will use this mode most of the time because of the quality and 4hr record time. SP (2hr) gives superb quality all around. It's hooked up to my 36" Toshiba TV with a component video cable for best pic quality and I am using optical cable for audio to my home theater amp. It does have HDMI for those with HD TVs. Power up takes a few seconds if there is a disc in the tray as it scans/loads it. Formatting is very quick. I use DVD -RW's but it can do DVD +RW as well. When changing digital channels there is a 1-2 second delay but I can live with that. Only con is with the remote. The lettering should be done in bright-white to make it easier to read in low to moderate lighting conditions. Because of this I would give the whole package a 4.5. Highly recommended this product and think it's one of the best on the market to date.

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Does as advertised. I primarly picked this up for its DTV tuner. I am getting away from cable and their year to 2 year contract agreements. This in combination with the DB2 antenna has changed how I watch local TV.

Sure, I don't get HBO or comedy central, but with the DIVX playback on this DVDRec. all I need do is download my favorite shows and burn them to a dvd-rw/r. Please, don't download movies, it's illegal. But as far as I know, TV shows broadcast on tv are fine. :)

As the DTV tuner was my main reason of purchase, that is what I'll focus on. Reception with an decent antenna (DB2, I can't recommend it enough) quality is great. DTV channels take a few seconds to load, but that has been the case for most OTA DTV set top boxes. I can't compare times, but it is roughly 2-3 seconds for the channel to display. Nothing drastic. One touch recording works perfectly, so long as you pre-load a DVD-r/rw. Recording starts withing a half second of pressing record. And this model has a live pause feature called "time Slip" which lets you pause where you are watching and it will continue to record.

This combined with the "Play" while recording feature, is essentially a DVR. I've done this 2 times in the 30 days of ownership. It works as advertised. There is a one minute gap in what you can watch, as that is the buffer of recording.

Example: Program a show to record (yes, DTV broadcasts in HD can be recorded)for best results so that it will stop automatically. Now, press play and the recording will return to the beginning of the show, yet still continue to record in real time. Another option is the "Time Slip" function. The time slip will let you jump back to where you pressed Time slip and continue where you stopped.

Toshiba delivers again.

Only negative, like some have said, the DVD drive is loud on opening and closing, but I had an old RCA which sounded like a metal door opening under hydraulics... so this isn't too bad. The gears do sound shaky, so use the eject button at all times, even when closing. Pushing the drive in feels as though it will crumble.

DVD playback, is upconverting. 1080i over component and 1080p on HDMI. The front display will show you what resolution you are displaying if you have HDMI, but not with component (RGB). It makes my current DVD collection look amazing. Currently my Toshiba rear projection (5 years old and still looks great) does not have HDMI, but my Next HDTV will be a model with HDMI and it will be a Toshiba again. :)

Sorry for the long review.

This unit has about every feature you can imagine & then some. It has a built in tuner for both analog & digital. Something you want to have for a number of reasons. Automatic channel scan; add or delete channels as you like. Beware the cheap ones that are just players. Read the reviews; most are pretty negative. The Toshiba has input & output connections for all kinds of devices so you can connect other components you have. All brands of DVD-R & DVD-RW blanks work. I've had no problem playing commercial DVD's or ones I made off my computer. DVD-RW's automatically format when you insert the disk. The set-up menu allows you change most anything to suit your specific needs, but the defaults will do just fine. You're good to go from the time you plug it in. The complete list of defaults is in the manual so it's easy to find & change anything to your liking.

Don't be intimidated by the 117 page instruction manual. In case you think it's long because it's multi-language, not so. The reason it's long is because each feature is treated separately & explained in very simple instructions with diagrams. The manual has index tabs so you can find what you're looking for very easily. Unlike most, you don't have to read all of it to do the task you want. The topics stand alone on one page. Best manual I've seen. There's also an index of terminology. Not needed to use the machine, but you can impress your friends.

You can select recording quality just like on a VHS machine. The higher the quality, the less recording time you get. I use the middle setting which gives 3 hours, 45 minutes with excellent quality. I can't see a difference versus the highest Q that gives only 1 hour recording. But, the low end Q, 8 hours recording time is poor so I wouldn't recommend it. Remember, the maximum quality is dictated by the source not the recorder so adjust according to what you're doing.

There have been comments about the lettering on the remote being hard to read. Yes & no. For all the primary functions (channel, play, record, fast forward), the keys have bold white on black which is very easy to see. The lesser functions (set-up, program timer) are harder to read but that's the same on all remotes since black became the popular color. But, the keys are logically placed & after a week of use, I was able to use all functions on the remote at night with no lights on. The objections are overstated.

The second big objection I noted in these reviews is that you have to add the closing code to the DVD to make it transportable to other players. That's the same with CD or DVD off your computer. Computer software does it automatically as default. Not so with the Tosiba but it's mentioned on every applicable page in the instruction manual & very easy to do. You can set the Toshiba to do it automatically, but you don't want that on a VCR because it complicates the erase of recorded tracks on DVD-RW's. Read the manual. Do the disk closing by your command.

Negatives. None major. (1) On DVD-RW's, the track recording has to be consecutive. So, if you have 4 programs recorded, deleting # 3 will not allow you to record a replacement in the empty space. Deleting both # 3 & # 4 will allow 2 more. (2) The video screen format can be adjusted using the "zoom" key to cover various source material. But, what you enter isn't retained. Have to set it each time. (3) An HDMI cable isn't included. But, you may not need an HDMI cable depending on what TV & cables you already have. A quick look saves time & money.

I like it. Best deal was on Amazon. From the mouse click to my door took 48 hours so I'm really satisfied.

Panamax M10-HT-PRO Home Theater Management

Don't buy it from Amazon thinking that it's going to provide insurance for your equipment. Panamax

will not honor that protection for their products bought online except from a list of authorized

dealers, which can be found at panamax.com. I do wish this had been mentioned somewhere in the

product description or even on the outside of the packaging, instead I found it in the fine print

of the little booklet packed with the unit, after my husband spent some hours carefully attaching

everything. It's a good unit, but if you, like I, are buying one of these with the insurance as

a feature partially justifying the expense over cheaper protectors, get it somewhere else.

Many folks on here talk about the power strip, it's size, whether or not it actually improves sound quality, etc. Well, I agree it is big, heavy. Build quality from the outside appears to be top notch. But one unnoticed/misunderstood, but very useful feature is the 12v Triggering capability. The bank of three outlets nearest to the power switch (opposite end to the coax connections) can be (switchable) controlled by a 12v triggering mechanism. For folks who have remotely placed HT components such as sub-woofer, power amplifiers, etc. this a tremendous value. Running a 12v trigger cable (25ft Ir Emitter 3.5mm Mono Extension Cable By Infrared Resources) from the back of your HT receiver/pre-pro to this unit, will trigger those remote components on/off as needed, without you have to either a) leave them on all the time, or b) have to remember turn them on/off. This one feature is in itself worth the price of this unit, which is frequently discounted 50+% here on Amazon. Comparable 12v triggering devices from Niles CS12V Current-sensing 12-volt trigger and XANTECH AC1 Controlled AC Outlet run well above the price of this unit, and do not also have the ability act as surge suppressors and/or power conditioner in themselves. All in all, for those who are looking for this type of functionality, as I was, this represents a huge value.

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After doing some research on different power centers/conditioners, I ended up deciding on this one based on a few things.

First off, the price. I'm glad I got it when I did, it was a little cheaper during the gold box deal. I knew I didn't want to spend $200+ on a power conditioner at this point. It was an upgrade from the 8-outlet Belkin surge protector (which featured no clean power feature). Secondly, I wanted to get better audio and video performance (which it delivered). And finally, I wanted more reassurance that my components were safe from a surge. Since Panamax is a highly respected brand in the Home Theater world, this fit the bill perfectly.

Since other reviewers have done a fantastic job of describing the physical unit, I will focus this review more on the audio and video improvements I've experienced.

The video is improved quite a bit it seems like a layer was taken off of the front of the screen, much like looking through a window after it's been cleaned with Windex (but don't use Windex on your TV!). There is less noise than there was before. Even my wife saw a big improvement, and she can't tell much difference between Blu-ray and DVD.

The audio is also greatly improved. It has a similar effect to what the video was: it sounds that much clearer. You could swear the sounds were in the room and not coming from the speakers. We watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon on Blu-ray and the fight scenes sounded more clear than before.

I would highly recommend this to those who have the space for it. The video/audio improvement is worth it alone! Take the time, measure and make sure it will fit where your TV/home theater is. Then get this power center!

Equipment and Plug Location:

PS3: Filtered

Receiver: Filtered

Samsung HDTV: Digital Video

Subwoofer: Delayed

DVD Player: Normal

VCR: Normal

Cable Box: Normal

EDIT: I forgot to mention one more nice feature of this power center. It has two diamond shaped cut outs on the back side of the strip, so it is wall mountable. I know that at some point I will make good use of that and mount it behind the TV, out of sight!

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This is my 4th Panamax product and I love them all. I live in FL where lightning and power surges happen frequently. Sometimes the power will go on an off 4 times in a row from the power company. Lightning hits always seem close. The surge protectors react immediately and shut down power until power comes back. All my electronics have survived. Prior to going on a buying binge with panamax, a lightning hit blew out a High Def DVD player, receiver and a cable signal amplifier. I took 3 months to get the receiver fixed properly with a dozen trips to the electronic repair shop that was 25 miles away. Very frustrating and something I would not wish on anyone. I've seen all my panamax units react well with power surges (nearby power transformers cycling on and off) and nearby lightning hits. Nothing will protect your electronics from a direct lightning hit, but so far panamax technology has dealt well with nearby hits. I highly recommend panamax products.

P.S. I've read comments on the large size of this unit. When I saw it for the first time, I just smiled ear to ear. I loved the large size and design of the power surge protection strip. Go figure.

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I play electric guitar with numerous effects pedals and one amp for guitar as well as another one for vocals. Everything was plugged into either the wall outlets or a power strip. I had HUGE problems with ground loops, which would cause unlistenable amounts of hum, hiss and buzz to come from my amps. I found that the only thing that worked for me in reducing all the noise was to whittle my system down to the two most essential and noise-less pedals, but I still had some hiss and I missed having all the other cool effects to play with. Then a friend got me one of these, and I bought a Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus to power the pedals instead of using AC adapters. Oh my God, night and day difference! I have tons of effects pedals back in the chain now, and I can go from a screaming monstrous roar to instant dead silence just by muting the strings on my guitar with my hand. Amazing! This thing makes me love playing guitar again. I highly recommend the Panamax M10-HT PRO -and the Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus -for any musician who plays through electrical gear and has issues with unwanted noise getting into their system. The Panamax is bulky and expensive, but it is no ordinary power strip and it is well worth the extra coin.

TaoTronics TT-MK001 Mini Portable 2.4GHz Wireless Fly Air Mouse Keyboard Remote Control for Mini PC

Just plugged it into my windows box and it works great. I think I need to calibrate the sensitivity, but the driver just auto installed. I'm eager to see how it works with my android mini PC if it ever gets here.

Very effective, good-looking. I am very satisfied with the product.

I recommend it for its functionality.

Full trade my expectations, interesting purchase.

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The remote works flawlessly. Very easy to use. Just insert battery and start using. The cursor doesn't drift and is stable. I use it for my mk808.

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I've been trying to find a descent small remote sized keyboard/mouse for a couple years now and have tried several and been very disappointed. This one, thus far, has been pretty good. It's solidly made, the keyboard works very well, and the way the mouse works is very convenient. My only complaint would be that the mouse can be troublesome at times when trying to double-click on something. As you double-click, the mouse has a tendency to wiggle slightly (because pressing the mouse button causes the remote to move a bit and therefore moving the cursor as well) and cause the double-clicking to not work. I imagine this remote could be very frustrating for someone who has a tough time keeping their hand steady.

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The biggest problem I have with this keypad is that several essential keyboard buttons are just not there... so this is definitely not a keyboard replacement for an HTPC. It's more of a keyboard supplement.

The other issue I have is with the mouse control: you press the middle button, which unfreezes the mouse. You then have to press it again to freeze the mouse. While this works, it's not as smooth a process as the Gyration air mouse, which is hold-move-release.

That doesn't mean this is a piece of junk: far from it, I found that this was useful device in its niche. It works acceptably well as an HTPC remote or a presentation remote. For the money, it's definitely a worthwhile purchase.

KJB Security Products DVR90 Prograde Minicam Camcorder

Our department now has 6 of these and we love them. Great video and Audio. Only problem we have is the date constantly changes on it and the lip sync is off with the video. Those are minor issues for us though.

To be fair, only used camera a little, but found some flaws.

Liked:

-Small size

-Micro SD slot upgradeable

-Voice feature option (bud did not use it)

Disliked:

-Poor sound quality

-Camera too heavy to hang on breast pocket; clipped here in pocket with the weight makes it point to your feet.

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I just received my replacment MD90 DVR mini camera. The original unit could not be read by my computer, so I had to return it. Nonetheless, the vendor was great in following up with me to have the issue resolved, as well as send a new replacement camera. I charged the new camera and did a couple of short recordings (aprrox. 30 seconds). The camera worked great and the images were great as well! Would recommend for anyone that is interested in a mini camera. Great customer service and quick resolution!!

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RCA DRC300iH DVD Player with Dock for iPod and iPhone

• DVD player with dock for iPod and iPhone
• HDMI output; digital audio coaxial output; analog audio and video outputs
• HD upconversion to view your movies in 1080p resolution
• Multiformat playback - DVD, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, CD, CD-R/-RW, HD JPEG, JPEG
• Remote control and AV cable included

I have an Ipod touch 4 that I use for drum students as a source device for music,video's and such. This dvd/ipod player is super compact and works very well , it also charges the device! the hdmi output is handy , as well as the traditional outputs . It has been very durable so far.

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The unit could not be controlled from the iPod directly rendering useless to me. I found that a cheap DVD player and hooking iPod using the phone jack on receiver did the same thing.

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The iPhone dock doesn't work. Right out of the box it doesn't work. As in, you plug it in and it says it's not supported. It plays DVDs, but don't buy it if you want to use the iPhone feature.

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The dvd player its self is nice for the price nothing special. When it comes to the ipod menu its real sluggish and lags out to the point you have to click to enter menus and scroll around, you'll find yourself mashing the buttons on the remote a doven times before you get any response. All in all its worth the 70$, cheap and it does the job.

512MB Sandisk Compact Flash Memory Card (Bulk)

Works perfectly. Seems to be the max. capacity for this camera. More than fast enough. Good price!

This memory card size is great for the use with Fanuc controls. This memory size is large enough to hold plenty of data. This memory size is small enough that the control allows the use of this memory card. I have been told that if you use to large of a memory card on Fanuc controls the card will not work. This card used with the adapter SanDisk SDAD-38-A10 CF to PC Card Adapter will work well on a Fanuc cnc machine tool controls.

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I got this for use with my old digital camera on a tripod for taking pictures of my years of journals -hundreds of pictures. I found it took a good two or three seconds longer to write each image to the card than my older card does.

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This 512 memory card is very hard to find in local stores, now that all new cameras and video products require much larger MB capacity, like gigabyte + actually. While I am still using my digital Nikon camera that only has 5 megapixel capacity, the camera will not accept memory cards with more than the 512MB. I found out when I put a 4 gigabyte card in the slot...got a no memory alert. You simply cannot use large memory in many of the former cameras. I was very glad to dilscover that Amazon had the smaller cards available online. I plan to get a few more, just until I purchase a newer camera, with say, 14 + megapixel.

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I bought this for my SLR Digital camera. I have had one 512 MB Flash Memory Card since 2005. I figured it was time to get a new one. When I saw it was offered on Amazon, I was glad it was the same one I have. I tried it out and it is perfect and no problems with anything. My camera has excellent resolution and a backup Flash Memory Card was just what I needed. Now I do not have to run out and buy a new camera because I can capture more images on the new disk. I can lock it as well since it has a slide lock on the side. Follow the directions when inserting as some cameras need to have it placed in the camera white side facing rear. Until my next camera upgrade, this will do the trick for my needs.

NAXA Electronics NPB-251BK Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio

• AM/FM stereo radio with top loading CD player
• 16/19 track programmable memory and LED digital display
• Soft-eject CD cover and included play/pause, skip/search, and repeat function
• Telescopic antenna and Aux-in jack with dynamic high performance speakers
• 2 way power either DC battery or AC power, UL/ETL listed

Makes a good small radio. It's actually even smaller than I thought it'd be but I don't mind since it fits nicely on the small shelf by my computer. The speakers aren't wow, but sound clear and work solid for it's simplicity. It came very quickly and had no problems. My only complaint is that the radio tuner is in the back which makes it almost impossible to change stations without picking it up and turning it around. Also the antenna will only go straight up so don't expect to be able to finagle it much.

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It has very good sound for a small unit. It is very easy to operate for a child. It is used by a six year old and it fits nicely on his desk.

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Great player for the cost, My 5 month old grandson loves it! (So did his mom) It came fast and in perfect shape.

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I was looking for a Portable CD Player with AM/FM Stereo Radio that I could plug in headphones. The product description didn't state that you couldn't plug in headphones.

I purchased this based on the reviews. Unfortunately, the one I got performed so poorly I am sending it back. Maybe I just got a defective one....

Olympus DS-2 Digital Voice Recorder

The Olympus DS-2 Digital Voice Recorder is one of those breakthrough products that makes me want to recommend it to everyone I see.

Digital voice recorders have been around for a number of years and I have owned a few, a Sony and an older Olympus model. They have previously been very disappointing, mostly because of the poor sound quality. Comparing the DS-2 to older digital voice recorders is like comparing a high-end stereo system with a Victrola.

The DS-2 is a reasonably sized, very configurable digital voice recorder. But the term "voice recorder" is not the best description of this little gem. You will discover, as I did, that the quality of recording can be so good that you can easily record music and be quite satisfied with the incredible sound. It has a built-in stereo microphone and you can also attach an external stereo (or mono) microphone using the mini-jack mic input.

The built in speaker has decent output for its size. You can also use headphones or connect to a stereo or other audio device using the headphone output jack. I use a cassette tape adapter in my car which enables me to listen to my audio notes on my car stereo while driving.

The DS-2 has 5 different recording modes. 2 of them are Stereo (Stereo HQ-Stereo High Quality recording and Stereo SP-Stereo Standard recording) and the other 3 are mono (HQ-high quality, SP-standard recording, LP-long term recording). Olympus uses two different recording formats, WMA and DSS, depending on which recording mode you are in. WMA mode is used for all stereo recordings as well as the highest quality mono mode (HQ). The DSS format is used for the 2 lesser quality recording modes, SP and LP.

Recording time for the DS-2 can be as much as 22 Hours 20 Minutes in LP mode and as short as 1 Hour 5 Minutes in Stereo HQ mode. If you are using the DS-2 strictly for dictation or general voice reminders, you will be quite pleased with the recording quality in the lowest quality mode, LP. And remember that in this mode you can record for over 22 hours. I think that is pretty amazing. If you bump up the quality to SP, you can still record for over 10 hours. HQ mode records for over 4 hours. Stereo SP mode records for over 2 hours and Stereo HQ mode records for just over 1 hour.

You can alternate recording modes and your total time will adjust according to whatever mode you happen to be in.

The DS-2 display is small but more than adequate. The text is sharp and clear, while the back-lighting makes visibility excellent during daylight or in dark situations. There is contrast adjustment

The unit uses 2-AAA batteries. You can also use NIMH batteries if you want to be able to recharge batteries. Battery life is pretty good averaging about 10-12 hour while recording or 8-10 hours of playback.

The unit also comes with a USB docking station and software which works on both Macs and PCs. This enables you to upload audio files to your computer where you can then listen to them or just store them

Here are some of the other features of this device...

-5 folders which can hold 199 files each for a maximum of 995 recordings. You can also name your folders something other than the default "Folder A, Folder B", etc. There are also some pre-set folder names available such as ""Meeting", "Memo", "Note", and so on. Although it is tedious to change folder names on the player itself, using the DSS software and making the changes via the computer is a breeze.

-VCVA (variable control voice actuator). A fancy phrase that simply means you can set the device to only record when a certain loudness threshold has been reached. This enables you to avoid recording silence thus effectively extending the total recording time. This feature is very adjustable and you can adjust it to compensate for ambient background noise.

-Mic sensitivity can be adjusted for either "Dictation" which is lower sensitivity or "Conference" which is high sensitivity.

-Timer record function lets you set the recorder to begin recording at a specified time.

-File Comments: You can enter up to 100 characters to name a file. There are also 10 pre-set comments such as "Important", "Confidential", "Priority" and so on. Although it is tedious to add file comments on the player itself, using the DSS software and making the changes via the computer is a breeze.

-Noise Cancel Function: The recorder has a feature to reduce background noise during playback. This can be useful if the recording was made in an environment with a lot of background noise.

-Alarm: You can specify a time for an alarm to sound and you can also attach a specific file to play after the alarm is turned off. This is a great feature for giving you audio reminders at specified times.

-Variable playback speed: You can vary the playback speed in intervals up to 2x. This is great for listening to long recordings in half the time.

-Index Marks: You can "mark" files during recording or playback with up to 16 index marks per file. This is handy for quickly accessing specific parts of a long lecture, for instance.

-Files can be moved from one folder to another.

-The device can also be used as external memory for your computer...for the transport of files to another computer for instance.

The features are numerous, but easily accessed via an intuitive menu system.

I absolutely love this little device. It is an excellent performer with great features at a very good price. It is an excellent value overall.

As far as I can tell only Sony, Panasonic, and Olympus manufacture digital voice recorders. The Sony web site SORELY lacks good technical information on their units. In contrast the Olympus web site is rich in technical info and specs for their units. You can even download the DS-2 manual in .pdf format. The DS-2's sofware (DSS Player) is Macintosh compatible (OS X). It is clean, intuitive, and very functional even though it looks a bit OS 9-ish. It converts the .wma or .dss files to .aiff for manipulation in Garageband, iTunes, or Quicktime Pro. The DS-2 is simple to use and I am pleased with the sound quality right out of the recorder.

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The Olympus DS-2 has become my memory, and my safety net at work. I can't imagine working without it.

So why would I only give it 4 stars? It's not perfect. Let me give a few reasons and caveats:

First, the bad...

It's 64MB. I knew the recording time going in, and I'm not complaining -it's just a touch expensive given the memory size in my opinion. Wish it were 128 for this price.

There is no on-off; just a "hold" that essentially turns it off, sort of. Not a big deal, but you wouldn't know it unless you read the instructions thoroughly.

Finally, the menus. I really would suggest reading the manual about the recording lengths and qualities. Within the menu structure, it doesn't say whether you're recording as .wma or .dss, just hi-quality, super hi-quality, etc. etc.

Now the good...

It records in .wma file format. This is key for me. I did not, and will not be installing the software that comes with the product. I'm sure it's fine, but a great selling point for me was that the recorder acts as a mass storage device under Windows XP. What's that mean? You plug it in, and it's recognized as a drive. You open it, and it has a matching 5 folders the same 5 folders that are available on the menu. Open them, and you see the .wma files. Drag them on your desktop. Double click, and they play. Windows Media Player goes to work without any conversions or proprietary software. Also, Ctrl-Shift-G speeds up the recording to 1.5 times. Even better! Read the manual to be sure that you have the device in Mass Storage Class mode.

The microphone is excellent! You'll notice the frequency response on the specs. It's pretty darn wide. Nothing below 100hz, but that's fine for voice. I don't think I'd try hi-fi recording, but the .wma at 128 is pretty darn crisp, even if you only get 1 hour of that. If you're picky, it has a mic port on a 1/8" on top.

Oh yes, the mic plug port. My lifesaver! (Follow all of your local laws here, of course.) I record business calls. Find a $7 phone mic (your local RShack) and you can keep a phone record of conversations, too. How many foreign dialects have you heard that you wish you could go back and listen to again?

It's USB. Very important to me. I don't have to do anything special to move files. The little dock is nice, but totally unnecessary. I generally just take the included cable.

I wish I had this in college. I could have slept a whole lot more.

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I just got my DS-2 the other day and I have been putting it through its paces before I take it out to the real world. Here is what I have learned:

Recording is fairly simple. There are some features & options associated with recording, and it's a little annoying at first figuring out how to manipulate those features. But once you get past that initial learning stage, it's pretty easy. And the recording quality is good, no complaints there, even at the lower quality levels.

The main reason that initial learning curve exists is because manual that comes with the product sucks. Clearly, it was written by people for whom English is not their first language. In addition, key steps are often omitted from the instructions. This becomes especially apparent when you try to plug your device into your computer and go forward from that.

But now that I've gotten past the various technical hurdles, I think I'll really like using this recorder. I've decided my favorite recording level is HQ mode, which provides a high level of clarity, and it still gives me over 4 hours of recording time. A higher quality level would trim back my recording time too much for my needs. The playback is very clear, and lots of aspects of the playback are adjustable.

For transcription purposes, the DSS player software allows as much functionality as a cassette transcription machine with foot pedal. Instead of using a foot pedal, you can stop, rewind, raise the volume, or make other adjustments using the function keys, or other keys you customize. You can set it to auto-rewind back 0 seconds or up to 5 seconds, you can slow the playback, reduce background noise, or raise the volume, all on the fly. And once you've got the keystrokes down, you don't have to tab back & forth between screens as you're typing, either. For a speedy typist like me, this is a huge benefit.

If you're using the DS-2 to record music, you can also access your files through another media system like Windows Media Player, or simply from your Explore menu, which would probably be better for your purposes. But because I'm transcribing interviews, the DSS Player software is a very key part of this device's functionality for me. And so far, after I got past the very annoying technical issues associated with start-up, I think this is going to make cassette transcription a thing of the past.

Plus, I purchased my DS-2 through Amazon, and at $98 plus shipping, it was cheaper than every cassette transcription machine available.

For those of you who've already purchased the DS-2 and want some extra help, or for those of you who love detail, I've provided a few tips that Olympus doesn't provide, or doesn't do so very clearly, in their manual. Hope this helps you get your machine working to its fullest extent faster than I did.

ON THE RECORDER ITSELF

To get to the Menu screen from which all other options become available, press and hold down the button on the side labeled DISPLAY. Navigate among the options using the INDEX (UP) key or FOLDER/REPEAT (DOWN) key. To select an option, hit the middle DISPLAY button again.

If you're in Conference mode (the preferred mode -sorry, dictators), your recordings will be saved in files within folders. The folders are named A, B, C, D, E. You can only scroll down through the folders, you can't go backwards. You can re-name the folders, but you can't name the files. The files are named as numbers. For example, if you had made 4 recordings in folder A, the screen would show you a little A in a black box, and in big numbers the number 04 to designate the number of files in the folder, followed by a slash and another number to designate which file you're in. If you've been recording, pressed stop, and press recording again, it will automatically record in a new file.

You can choose one of 5 modes in which to record, of varying levels of quality. The first 2 (LP & SP) record as DSS files. After that, they switch up to WAV files. The better quality recording, the shorter the recording time.

ON DOWNLOADING FILES

Here's where the true suckiness of the manual reveals itself. You get a little booklet which is the Cliff's Notes version of the complete manual. The complete manual is available online, after you load the CD-ROM. To load the CD-ROM, you need the serial number. The serial number is not anywhere on the device, contrary to everything you might expect. Even the Olympus tech support guy I called did not know this. The serial number is in fact on the sticker on the CD-ROM sleeve.

It's best to load the CD first, before you try to plug in your device to your computer. But if you don't load the CD first, it'll work anyway. You just might curse a few extra times.

The CD will load software that helps in the playback / transcription process, and it also provides a driver for the device. Plug in your device using the USB cable, and your computer should recognize it automatically and load the driver as well.

When the DSS Player software is open and the device is plugged in, you'll see a window with rewind, stop, play, fast forward buttons at the top and a file menu at the left. If you don't see any filenames in the big space, your recorder and cable & cradle may not all be connected all the way (mine wasn't at first). You should hear a little happy beep from your recorder when everything's hooked up solidly, and you should see files on the computer screen. Your recorder will read STORAGE REMOTE.

When playing files using the DSS Player, your recorder will light up and read BUSY. You may also choose to download files to your hard drive and play them from there.

DO NOT SIMPLY UNPLUG THE DEVICE! If you do this, you will have to uninstall the device, restart, and re-load it. To unplug correctly, click on the little icon on the lower corner of the screen, tell your PC to disconnect, another window will come up confirming whether you should do this or not, and then it's ok to remove the device.

I have followed these intsructions and then unplugged the USB cable from the computer, and it hasn't liked it when I've done this. I'm going to try leaving the cable in and unplugging the device from the cable to see if that makes a difference. Probably it won't. But be prepared to monkey with this until you do things in exactly the order that the device prefers.

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I bought this digital recorder solely for the purpose of using it with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 voice recognition software. As other reviewers have previously pointed out, installing the DS-2 software and integrating it with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 is not as user friendly as I would have liked. I had to pay $9.95 to upgrade to "Plus" status, and then instructions were unclear as to how the DS-2 software actually got upgraded (e.g. I had no idea what form the upgrade came in). This was terribly frustrating since I had paid for an upgrade but wasn't told what the next steps were to find and to install the upgrade.

Once payment for your upgrade is accepted,however, you receive a licence number with the payment confirmation. I found a place in the DS-2 software to enter the licence number and presto!, the software upgraded itself. It is a shame that I had to experiment and improvise to figure out what to do next.

The Olympus manufacturers seem to assume that consumers know what they know and therefore do not need to be instructed clearly on what to do to upgrade and when to do it.

If you are smart and focused, you will figure it out. It's a shame that Olympus doesn't include easy instructiions for the consumer.

Bottom line, however, I got the DS-2 software and Dragon NaturallySpeaking 8 to integrate and I am one very happy camper. The recorder is light, records beautifully and crisply, and is easy to operate.

NEW DENLE Replacement Sucker Bracket Holder Mount for Car Vehicle Recorder DVR Camera

The windshield mount that came with the dash cam was a piece of garbage. The plastic center post that moves in and out to create suction separated from the suction cup shortly after I got the camera. The Denle mount has a more flexible suction cup (similar to those found on quality GPS mounts) and has not come off the windshield since it was installed.

1GB Sandisk Compact Flash Memory Card (Bulk)

I bought this specifically for use in the MPC 2000xl that I put an Addonics card reader into in place of the old floppy. Works like a charm!

I highly recommend this, but I hear the 2gb card is also a good fit with the Akai MPC2000xl and the current price on it is much less-expensive. So I will be trying it out next.

Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom

We used this camera to shoot our short film and it proved to be awesome. The P2 cards were a little tricky to work with, but certainly less difficult and more portable than film; without the added expense of telecine.

For the cost, we could not have gotten this level of quality otherwise. I believe its got the depth of 16mm, plus it shoots in 24p. When we saw our final projection, we were just amazed.

Great cam for the money.

I have no idea whay they are still selling this camera for $5400.00. I have used this camera many times since 2008. Every time I am forced to use it on a shoot I just keep thinking how much better cameras have gotten. The P2 media is way too expensive. Cameras now take SD cards which are 40.00 instead of 350.00. The picture quality is pretty good but not 5400.00 good. The HMC150 is so much better in many ways. I understand people want to be able to have 2 P2 cards in their camera at once. For one thing most people need to because they can only afford two 16 gig cards, meanwhile with cameras that take SD cards you can put a 32 gig card in there for $60.00! It's heavy due to it's SD shooting option. Who shoots SD these days? I haven't touched a mini DV tape in years. Bottom line, there are way too may better cheaper options out there these days.

Buy Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom Now

I am now a proud owner of the Panasonic HVX200A. This camera has treated me very well since I've received it, although, there are some really important things to consider when making this purchase. This camera comes with many great features and great picture quality with a quick and easy workflow. The camera is somewhat heavy compared to others in it's size class, but it's the best quality for the price in my opinion. (next to the Sony EX1, which I have not put my hands on yet)

One thing I didn't consider when purchasing this camera was the cost of getting it up and running. This camera comes with a great (big) price, too. P2 cards have come down in cost since the E-Series card came out, but thinking a little further into it is a must. In order to be in a run-and-gun situation there are a few more items needed. You'll need a place to store all your footage, and with the P2 card they haven't made it easy. There are 2 products that I would trust, although, Panasonic's P2 Store is the lesser of the two. Nexto DI has a product that I purchased to go with my camera so I can shoot events and not have to worry about running out of space or time. $2000 Nexto=500GB, $1500 P2 Store=60GB. You decide which is better.

With my Nexto DI storage I wish I had purchased the 32GB P2 card to go with my 16GB card because of how fast it unloads. My ave. with a full 16GB card was 5 mins.

Really consider the cost when considering this camera. It might save you some time and money.

I would recommend this camera to a friend.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom Here

The HVX remains among the best choices for prosumer HD camcorders. Previous reviewer was right to advise buyers to consider the cost. Realizing the full potential of the HVX will require at least another $2k worth of purchases, depending on what you intend to do with it. Plan to buy at least a couple P2 cards or a Firestore, an 82mm UV filter, the HVX book by Barry Green, a solid tripod, and a good case before getting started. The quality is excellent for the price, but it is overkill for most consumers.

Want Panasonic Pro AG-HVX200A 3CCD P2/DVCPRO 1080i High Definition Camcorder with 13x Optical Zoom Discount?

Smaller components, such as the headphone jack, IEEE1394 jack, etc will fail on you and repairs will cost you hundreds of dollars. I purchased one of these cameras in august of 2009 only to have both the headphone jack and IEEE 1394 port fail only days out of the one-year warranty expiration period.

Do NOT buy this camera because for what your paying (an extremely expensive $3,000+ price tag) you would expect a much more quality product. **These various ports and jacks failing are a known issue with these cameras. See the panasonic forums and other websites**

Compaq iPAQ 3135 Monochrome Pocket PC Bundle (with Compact Flash Jacket)

The Compaq iPAQ 3600 series (specially 3630, 3650 and 3635) are really great units. I use my iPAQ as a replacement for several devices. As I usually have a 1GB IBM Microdrive in the iPAQ it works as the best MP3 Player yet (I have some 700MB of MP3 files continuously available) and still plenty of room in the MD and RAM. I also use a Lucent Orinoco for wireless connection, which allows me to chek my emails wherever I am at my place. The comprehensive software package (Inbox/PocketIE, PocketWord, PocketExcel, etc.) allows gerat functionality out of the box (you can add many shareware/freeware to increase that further (I recommend Resco's Utility PAckage for Zip compression/Decompression, etc.).

For travelling I am about to get a stowaway keyboard which will allow me to conveniently leave my notebook at home and conveniently check emails and eventual webpages.

My iPAQ was one of the very best purchases I made last year. As one of the very few PocketPCs to allow the use of cheap & standard PCMCIA cards such as:

Any NE2000 compliant Networking Card, which usually costs as little as $20

Some PCMCIA Modems (including the 3Com Cell Modem, which may be used along with your cell phone or landline)

Wireless NIC, such as the pretty standard Lucent/Agere Wavelan/Orinoco

IBM Microdrive up to 1GB (using this CF card with the PCMCIA adapter allows for better battery usage)

Kingston 2GB PCMCIA drive.

Much more...

I am anxiously awaiting the time I manage to get a CyNET Inc. CyPAQ (which is a dual PCMCIA slot for the iPAQ, along with their Wireless Cell/Modem, which allows one to use the iPAQ as a cell phone!).

I already got rid of my former MP3 Player and in the future I'll get rid of my Cell Phone too. All will converge into a single unit my iPAQ!

We recently installed Linux in one iPAQ and using teh very same PCMCIA cards we could run applications such as vic for video streaming, etc. It was quite impressive!

Last but not least I installed a PersonalJava JVM in my iPAQ and I can run any PersonalJava compliant code, such as my own H263 Video Decoder called jStreaming (http://jStreaming.com). That runs smoothly in my iPAQ. I am conficent that if you are thinking about getting this unit you'll not be disapointed. Do think about getting a Microdrive to go along with it tough.

***THIS REVIEW CONTAIN QUALITY INFORMATION***

Some complaints:

(1) Battery life is POOR (only last in terms of hours instead of days for other PDAs), especially if one uses a CF device with the included sleeve. Problem is CF memory is a MUST if you want to listen to MP3s. (2) Apparently Compaq still has not corrected the problem with dust getting into the screen. The dust reflect light from the backlit apparatus and is quite visible. A minor annoyance but one nevertheless. I recommend keeping the stylus silo occupied so there is less of a chance that dust will creep in. (You get 2 styli with the package so you can keep one in the silo at all time.) (3) The high-gloss silver finish of the iPaq is very bad with fingerprints, but if you keep the CF sleeve on all the time this problem would be minimized.

Productive recommendations:

(1) Don't get coerced into shelling out [the $] getting a CF modem; they are completely unnecessary. The only thing that modems are good for is emailing in real-time. Browsing regular html paged with the iPaq is neither practical or productive. (2) Make sure you get an AvantGo account. This makes an iPaq really worthwhile. (3) Make sure you install ActiveSync 3.3 and set up a relationship between your PC and your iPaq so that you can do email and access the internet (in conjunction with AvantGo). (4) Make sure you find MS Transcriber on the ActiveSync CD and install that puppy. This writing recognition program is AMAZING! (Transcriber is an different program from the writing recognition program in th iPaq, so you need to install it separately.) (5) Finally DO look through the iPaq Tour CD, there are some VALUABLE applications hidden in there that you can install.

Enjoy this wonderful lil machine!

Buy Compaq iPAQ 3135 Monochrome Pocket PC Bundle (with Compact Flash Jacket) Now

I waited a long time to buy a handheld and spent weeks researching the pros and cons of the two I was most seriously considering, the iPAQ and the new Palm m505. When I finally bit the bullet and bought the iPAQ, I initially was apprehensive regarding its price and some of the "glitches" I read about on the Compaq website message boards. Let me tell you, I have had this thing for 6 weeks now and I absolutely love it. Once you have decided between the advantages and disadvantages of Windows Pocket PC OS v. Palm OS, I don't think there is a better Pocket PC out there. Putting aside the superficial factors about how sleek and cool the iPAQ looks, it does so many things and synchronizes so well with Microsoft Outlook, that I think it's the best handheld out there (notwithstanding the price). The calendar, contacts and other organizer features are excellent. The games I have downloaded are pretty good (I am looking for better ones -clearly Palm has an advantage here). I live in the city and play chess every morning on the subway -which is a fine distraction when coupled with a CD player on my ears. I am still working on how to get MP3s downloaded to the iPAQ.

What really sold me on this product, though, was the excellent quality of the screen -there are 5 levels of brightness to choose from; and the fact that I wanted color to go with it. I compared this to the Palm m505, and it was no contest. You could barely see the Palm screen in the store. Who cares about 65,000 colors v. 4900 when you can barely see the screen? This is one of the most important features of any handheld, in my opinion. The iPAQ memory is expandable, which will allow me to use it for a long time (barring any accidents). The handwriting recognition is excellent, and is much better than Palm's "graffiti."

The negatives I have read about and experienced re: the iPAQ are: (1) the slide-on expansion sleeves. People are complaining because there is no internal expansion slot in the iPAQ. Who cares? The sleeve does not add that much bulk and it's a fair trade-off for the other things you get. That said, the iPAQ is not necessarily something you can carry in a shirt pocket. I have carried it in a jacket pocket however, and it felt comfortable. (2) There isn't as much software out there for PocketPCs as there is for Palm products. I think, though, that due to the popularity of the iPAQ that is changing rapidly. Many of these games are free on Handago.com and Microsoft's PocketPC website. I downloaded a great chess game and a tankzone game that is just like "Battlezone" from the early 80s. I also downloaded "PocketQuake" for free, but need more memory to use it. (3) BATTERY LIFE. This is definitely a negative. I have constantly needed to charge this thing, so I bought a charging adapter for work and home. I take it with me whenever I travel. You can use this for about a day of regular use, then you will need to charge it. I have read that you can keep a Palm on for weeks without charging. Palm has the iPAQ beat hands down in this department, but then again, in my view, the battery drainage is due solely to the advantages I feel the iPAQ has over the Palm. It's a tradeoff. (4) Accessories will cost you. This is a product for people with money to spend on it. While you can get basic everyday usage out of the 32MB that comes with the iPAQ, you will need to buy at least another 64 MB of memory to really get the most out of it. (I haven't yet). Internet connectivity, which I would love to have, is still ridiculously expensive ($59.95/mo. with Omnisky). When this comes down and the connection rate improves (or I win the lottery), this will be a great thing to have.

The last thing I want to say is that it is a lot of fun exploring new things to do with the iPAQ. As with all handhelds, this is not a product like a washing machine that comes with clear directions on how to use its every aspect, particularly, downloadable software. The technology is still evolving, and it requires some work to find new things to download and use. I am still working on the MP3 issue, for example. But there is a growing community of users that provides advice on all aspects of the iPAQ on the Compaq website. It is a great feeling when you find something new to do on this product. If you are someone who likes things spelled out 100% and don't want to search for anyting -do yourself a favor and buy a Palm. Better yet, stick to a notebook. On the other hand, if you like a little adventure and have some money to spend on this fantastic organizer/MP3 player/toy/computer, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Read Best Reviews of Compaq iPAQ 3135 Monochrome Pocket PC Bundle (with Compact Flash Jacket) Here

I have received mine 3 days ago, after about 6 months of using a Palm m100. PC synchronization, which IMHO is must feature in a PDA, works beautifully, I did not have to spend more than 10 minutes installing the new synchronization software over the old Palm HotSync, and I had all my agenda items, contacts, and notes, moved to the iPAQ.

All that and I have not actually had to install the included USB cradle yet this was all done via my notebook's IrDA port!

Setting up IrDA equipped GSM phone connection to an ISP also went pretty smoothly, and I was able to download emails using a motorola Timeport (TriBand) one day after I got the iPAQ.

Now to the machine itself certainly a LOT sexier than a m100 ... The screen really shines and the wealth of built in applications and add-ons is nice. email is usefull to an extent (vs. useless to my mind, in the m100). I also got myself a 'vaja' case, a class leader, it fits great, and is very convenient to use single handed opening and closure are almost as easy as with the m100.

Some critique -

The iPAQ, even though probably the most compact PocketPC PDA today, is still noticably larger and heavier than Palm Vx or m100, this could make a real difference to people who pocket carry their PDA all day long. I wouldn't even dare thinking about carriend one of these WITH an expansion sleeve in my pant's pocket.

The included soft case is inconvenient, purchasing a better replacement is almost inevitable. Also, the device metal case is very slippery, holding a bare device in your palm is uncomfortable because of this.

As bare bones, agenda /contacts manager, Palm would probably be the practical choice, if this is what you're after, then save your bucks and get one.

The pocket versions of window applications (word and excel), including email, MS money, can be usefull for many people though. Mainly because of the better screen (higher resolution, color, and clearness), and friendlier handwriting recognition (compared to palm). This, (and higher fun factor ...) make the iPAQ the more appealing PDA.

Want Compaq iPAQ 3135 Monochrome Pocket PC Bundle (with Compact Flash Jacket) Discount?

While color is nice, the price of a color iPAQ is not worth it when compared to this unsung model. Often overlooked the 3135 has all of the same features as it color siblings, Excel, Word, IE, Outlook, Calendar, Contacts, MS Money, but albeit with less RAM 16 compared to 32mb or 64mb for the color versions. However with the inclusion of the CF sleeve, which allows you to plug in CF cards from 8 to 256mb, the 3135 is the best PDA bang for the buck. And let's not forget the iPAQ comes with Windows Media Player, making it also an mp3, wma player, and it has the ability to record voice messages. With the CF sleeve and a few flash cards one can literally carry ones music libary with you where ever you go. Compared with the Palm Pilot, and Handspring Visor, this inexpensive jewel is perfect for the enthusiast, student or professional. After spending almost 6 months researching, playing with and talking with friends, neighbors and co-workers about which PDA to get I have yet to regret my decision.