Showing posts with label personal digital recorder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal digital recorder. Show all posts

Sunday, November 2, 2014

SanDisk Refurbished Sansa Clip+ 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)

SanDisk Refurbished Sansa Clip+ 4 GB MP3 Player
  • Store up to 1000 songs, 2400 photos or 12 hours of video
  • Memory card slot for pre-loaded cards
  • Digital FM tuner with 40 presets
  • Rechargeable battery lasts up to 15 hours
  • Built-in clip for easy carrying

I don't know how well this will do long-term, but I hope it lasts a long long time. It works well, is inexpensive, and is very small. It comes with a pair of earbuds that sound just fine, but I didn't find them to be very comfortable. I'm really not an earbud fan, though, so they may work fine for others.

05/23/13 Still working great, holds a charge for ages, could not be happier with this little player! I did find some inexpensive Koss earbuds that fit well and sound great!

Buy SanDisk Refurbished Sansa Clip+ 4 GB MP3 Player (Black) Now

Hmmm, 25 bucks for a device that is small, lightweight and works flawlessly. FM radio is great for the gym on the tredmill. If you smash/drop in water or otherwise break this thing you can get 4 of them for the same price as a similar "I"device... Oh and adding songs is as easy as dropping a file in a USB folder, not a silly program that assumes you are not smart enough to know how to do that...

Run out of memory, no problem add a Micro SD to the slot and you are off and running.. How do you do that on your Apple? for 4-5 times the price... Just saying.

Read Best Reviews of SanDisk Refurbished Sansa Clip+ 4 GB MP3 Player (Black) Here

Ordered device. Got it in the mail a few weeks ago and just now tried to use it. Computer wont even recognize the sansa clip+ so i started reading forums to figure out how to get it to work with my computer. lots of people having the same issue. contacted sansa customer support and after troubleshooting they determined the device doesnt work and for me to contact the seller. Problem is i waited to long to test it "which is my fault" but they only have a 15 day return period with BLUEPROTON. do not order from them. i emailed them when i originally got the device because they didnt even send the correct charger! oh and yeah, they didnt even respond or send me a new charger. should have returned it right then!

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I love this product! i had bought one refurbished several years ago, and lost it. I wanted another, and was able to get another. i just love the sound quality, and it's easy to use.

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My wife loves to run, almost as much as she loves to lose, drop or otherwise ruin her Ipods. I needed to find an alternate means of getting music to her ears. The Clip was perfect. I bought it thinking it would be a great, cheap, disposable player, but it's so great I bought another one for myself. Long battery life, can take a beating, and with a huge micro SD it handles all the music we need.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Zmodo 8 CH Security DVR Surveillance Camera System With 1TB Hard Drive 4 Sony CCD Video Audio Outdo

Zmodo 8 CH Security DVR Surveillance Camera System With 1TB Hard Drive 4 Sony CCD Video Audio Outdoor Cameras 3 Sony CCD Video Camera 1 PTZ CameraThe kit arrived and as the manual recommended I un boxed and checked all the components. One of the cameras was dead and took some coaxing to fire up. As I removed the casing on the DVR, I noticed that the 1TB drive inside was being held on to the base by a single screw and it was only partially tightened allowing the drive to flop about and into a portion of the mother board. Thankfully no damage had been done as far as I can tell. The PTZ cam was a much larger unit than I had expected it to be but other than those mentioned the whole kit was a super value for what features and functionality it has. I replaced an 8 channel system with cmos cameras and WOW, what a difference in picture quality ccd cameras make. Crisp clear and full of very sharp color! These cameras wont have any problem identifying any one who steps into view. Overall it's a good solid investment for the cost as there are not many other systems with this level of features, quality, and Sony cameras in this price range.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital Camcorder (White)

RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital CamcorderI just got this baby and am actually kind of pleased with it. The video quality isn't wonderful, but for a "webcam level" DVR I'm not surprised. (I AM surprised that my $200 12MP digital camera takes such lousy video.)

I've noticed some complaints about this camera, and I can assure most of the complainers that the issue is your MEDIA, not the CAMERA. If you are not using a high speed microSD card you will probably have blur in still photos. I noticed this when working at Circuit City in the photo department a couple of years ago. The only cards we were allowed to use in the expensive cameras were cheap Sandisks, and the result was that we sold few of them because the $1300.00 cameras would take blurry photos. Once I convinced the manager to let me replace the Sandisks with a better quality card we started selling more of the high end cameras.

Further, if your camera insists that you configure the card constantly, or your computer doesn't immediately recognize the camera AND CARD when you plug it in, then your CARD is defective. Try it in another piece of electronics.

As for this camera, it works surprisingly well and is idiot simple. There are five buttons on the back: On/Off, Play/Pause, Delete, Web Photo, and a big red Record. Around the record button are the controls for moving forward and back in the video list and FF/REW while playing, and for zooming in and out (digital only, unfortunately) while recording.

There are two video modes: web quality (448X336) and high quality (640x480). Both of them give a decent picture.

Web photo gives a surprisingly clear 1280x960 photo. There is no flash.

It is actually slightly smaller than the still camera I use most often, a Samsung s860.

There is a tripod mounting hole in the base of the camera.

There are a few things I don't care for:

Sound levels are low. There is also no external microphone jack.

Although this review is for the white version, I actually have the black (not available here on Amazon, hence this review). It has a high-gloss finish that holds fingerprints better than CSI equipment.

AVI files produced are enormous.

The packaging said it worked with HCSD cards OR microSD. It only works with microSD, which annoys me because those cards are about three times as expensive as they actually should be. (This is the main reason I give only four stars.) I happen to think EVERYTHING should have an SD card slot (Including the Kindle, Amazon, are you listening?)

Digital zoom only (What'd you expect for $60?)

That last line is actually rather important. This is a $60 camera that gets better quality than the webcam you probably bought for $45, but also allows you to take it with you and functions as a low end digital camera as well as a pocket sized camcorder. It's not for the camera snob or the photography expert. It's for the folks who want to shoot a few quick minutes of film with a limited depth of field. (I plan to use it for ghost hunting and shooting footage of football drills for YouTube.) As long as you understand its role it will perform well for you.

We bought this for our 6 year old as a birthday present, he loves making movies with our regular digital camera. He got the camera 2 weeks ago and has already made 20 videos with it. Once we got the batteries in and showed him how to use it he hasn't had any problems, nice size and simple controls. He likes the flip around screen so he can see himself while recording, now we just have to keep him out of his 2 year old brothers face with it.

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I gave this to my wife for her birthday and she really loves it. It is easy to use and takes decent quality video. It was really handy when we went on vacation. I am considering buying one for my daughter for christmas.

Read Best Reviews of RCA EZ207 Small Wonder Digital Camcorder (White) Here

When you record video on this camera you'd better talk loud because otherwise the volume is terribly low. If you want to use it for you tube you'll have to find a way to edit the audio channel to raise the volume somehow. As is, the camera is almost useless.

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i have numerous digital camera's and camcorders....... the rca camera is by far the worst of my cameras..

it takes terrible video and the still pic's are all out of focus.......... but you get what you pay for...

if you have any thoughts of purchase'n this camera please think twice...... its just not worth it....

rca of china should be ashamed for selling this product......

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

DXG 579V Blue Hi-Def Pocket Camcorder

DXG 579V Blue Hi-Def Pocket CamcorderHad this for a few months now. It is capable of some VERY nice photos and more than decent video.

I would say its only drawbacks are its very poor LOW LIGHT performance. It has a NIGHT setting, but this really does nothing, so do not plan to film dark nightclubs, concerts, night-time camping, etc...

Internal Memory is about 3 pictures, so remember to get a good Memory Card. If you get a 32gb card, you will run out of batteries about 2 times before you fill that card. I use only 8gb and have chocked it full for days.

It is a little awkward in the hand for long filming, but has a tripod connect on the bottom, which I would say is really required for long family films and weddings.

I do wish it had a lens cap, I worry about scratching when it sits in my pocket.

Overall...stable software, easy to use, very portable, great camera for the price.

For starters one thing to take in mind with this camcorder is that it's cheap. It isn't a professional camcorder and you shouldn't expect it to be. First thing I noticed about this camcorder is that it has nice quality as advertised, it isn't perfect, but it is much better than a vga camera. The screen is a good size and the batteries last moderately long. They wouldn't last for a 2-3 hour for one event, but since they are AAA, you can bring a spare pack. The zoom works moderately good too, it does jerk a little when zooming in, but hey, its digital zoom and it doesn't degrade the picture too much. Some have said it has bad poor lighting shots, but only if it's an exceptionally dark room. A normal lit room will work fine. The sound is not so good, you can here a lot and some times you can't be heard on the camera. One thing this camera is not good at at all is taking pictures, unless you have a tripod it won't work, but it is a CAMCORDER, not a camera. As an overall camera, if you want to make youtube videos or music videos or some random videos once in a while, this is the camera for you. Otherwise, spend some more for a non-cheap camera.

Buy DXG 579V Blue Hi-Def Pocket Camcorder Now

The video is very crisp and clear. It is very convenient and compact. It's perfect for parties and meetings with friends.

Read Best Reviews of DXG 579V Blue Hi-Def Pocket Camcorder Here

I had a chance to try one of these out for a bit. It was a gift for my nephew. For the price, it is about the best you will find. It was recently $100 anywhere, so it is a convenient price drop.

Pros:

Good video and audio for the price. Records full 720p video and good audio. It is better than some $100+ cameras.

Feels durable.

Compact like most other flip cameras.

Takes good still pictures.

Built in light to help with dark shots.

Cons:

It uses regular batteries. Your best bet is to get a battery charger and rechargeable batteries to use with it.

Limited zoom

It is definitely a no brainer at the current price. Even for someone on a budget, this makes a great little camera for home videos. It is designed for adults in mind, but is cheap enough to make a great gift for a child.

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I agree that the batteries do not last long. I also keep struggling with the video portion. I can only record very short videos with poor quality. Funky menus with poor insturctions.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

GoPro HD Hero Naked

GoPro HD Hero NakedThis is close to being a perfect example of a wearable/mountable POV camera. But unfortunately, close isn't quite good enough.

The pros:

Video is awesome, in all of the modes.

Stills are very good quality, the timelapse feature is fantastic.

It's waterproof.

The mounting options are (almost) limitless.

The cons:

It's awkward to set up. Menu is like something from 20 years ago.

Firmware issues have yet to be addressed by the manufacturer. This is inexcusable as the camera has been available for sale for nearly a year.

Audio is useless. They could have saved weight and cost by just not including a mic. The only instance where it even sort of works is when mounted right near a loudish sound you want to highlight, such as an engine.

There are too many instances where "Macgyvering" is required to get the desired result. The quick release mount rattles so you need to tape the base plate, the non waterproof back allows too much wind noise, so you need to tape over the openings, the shutter button rattles, so you need to tape over that. Moral of the story: BUY TAPE.

The support by the manufacturer is not quite adequate. I realize it's a small start up company, but for all the issues with the use of the camera and the handling/editing of the files, they really need to release some conclusive videos or articles to address these concerns.

People who might find this camera useful:

Auto racing enthusiasts

Mountain Bikers

Sailors

Hobbyist videographers looking for those unique shots

People who will likely be disappointed and frustrated by this camera:

Pretty much anyone who thinks they'll be using it as a camcorder.

People who aren't really tech savvy and/or have an older computer

People who don't like to tinker and engineer solutions to make it do what they want.

******UPDATE******* ******UPDATE******* ******UPDATE******* ******UPDATE******* ******UPDATE*******

As of September 7, 2010, Gopro released the new firm ware for the camera. It seems to have fixed most of the bugs/issues. It also provides the option for upside down mounting.

I have used this camera a couple of times since receiving it for Christmas. I have used both the strap mount for my vented bicycle helmet as well as the permanent stick on mount for my dual sport motorcycle helmet. In both cases, the mounts work as well as the camera. I still have the previous generation GoPro HERO in standard definition, but not in the wide field of view lens configuration like the current HD version. I like the wide field of view of this HD model. It is great at giving a very good view of both the trail as will as your handlebar movements while riding both my mountain bike or motorcycle. The quality of the video is fantastic. The files do get large, but that is to be expected with the high resolution of this camera. I have been using a 16GB SDHC card and have filed up about half of it on one battery charge. I would recommend a high speed card reader to improve the download times from the card. A 12 min video was nearly a gigabyte. The battery last I think longer than the previous standard definition camera which ran on AAA batteries. I think that I will buy an additional battery someday for long rides with lots of action.

The only reason I have not given it a full 5 stars is the difficulty in reading the small status screen with all the various modes it has. The same issue I have with the standard definition HERO. The icons that tell you if you are in burst, still, timed, or video mode are very small across the top of the display. The numbers to tell you the number of pictures or videos taken are much larger. It is just difficult if you have the camera mounted on top of your helmet and you try and look in the mirror on your bike to see if the camera is on and what mode it is. You have to use the select button on the front to both turn the camera on and select the right mode. The shutter button is on top and is easy to operator even with gloves. It is not difficult to read the display if you are holding the camera in front of you, but much more difficult when mounted on top of your helmet. You can unclip the camera from the mount, but that can be difficult when it is on top of your helmet.

I am looking forward to the expansion port options being available, like the LCD screen to view the videos in the field. I am also thinking of investing in the chest strap mount so I can get different view over the handle bars as will as making it easier to see the small status display. Other than the small icons telling you which mode, this is a very nice camera that takes very high quality action videos. It is very small and light and easy to use when you have it in the right mode. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone wanting action videos of their bicycling, motorcycle, or skiing activities.

Buy GoPro HD Hero Naked Now

I bought this HD camera to replace a VholdR Wearable Camcorder (Black) which didn't survive getting run over by my SUV. The Hero is a well constructed camera, very solid feeling with quality construction.

Pros: The camera has four modes video (in several resolutions), still pictures, self-timer still pictures, and interval photos (pictures every few seconds). The lens gives a tremendously wide wild view which is nice for HD's 9:16. It will shoot 1080p, 960p 720p (at 30 and 60 frames per second), and 480 (at 60 frames per second) line resolutions. It uses standard SDHC memory cards and has an internal battery which recharges via a USB cable. The recorded audio is very good both inside and outside of the motor sports waterproof case that came with my kit. Video is relatively good, not as vivid as a dedicated camcorder but the resolution is good. My kit came with a variety of mounts and a suction cup mount for windows and car body use. The waterproof case comes with two backs, one that is watertight and one that is not for better audio when waterproof use isn't required. The kit comes with connectors for connecting the camera up to an HDTV monitor (component video) or a TV monitor (composite video). A neat feature in the menu is that you can flip both the video and still photos so you can shoot with the camera upside down without a problem.

Cons: The quick release mounts have a bit of wiggle to them. The back of the waterproof case can be difficult to lock closed. The menu system is a bit troublesome to use as there are only two buttons and three LCD characters to use. Once set you'll not have to go into the menu very often.

Future: There's a connector on the rear that GoPro plans on using for an external battery or a monitor. Neither are available at the time of this review but they are being worked on.

In use on the trail the mounts worked very well. I used the suction cup primarily to mount the camera to my windshield, bumper, side body panel, and side window. Across rugged rocky trails the camera held firm and the video came out very well. The simple interface was easy enough to use. One button to turn the camera on and select the mode and another to stop and start the recording.

Read Best Reviews of GoPro HD Hero Naked Here

the good...

Great package. Plenty of accessories for customized mounting. nice small and simple design. strong housing, yet clasp can be broken easily if not properly aligned and forced to close. Amazing picture quality. setup menu a little dated.

the bad...

Was bought for its waterproof qualities in preparation for a Fiji trip. HOWEVER, contrary to what GoPro touts, it is not great for underwater. The reason is the housing curvature over the lense curvature combined with water defraction creates blurry images. this is only found in the GoPro FAQs. very misleading. do an internet search on this. had to buy a special housing with flat lense from eyeofmine.com at $80. Now picture quality underwater is the same as above water. this is where my two stars came from.

If you want it for underwater and don't mind buying a new housing for $80, then I recommend, if not, don't buy.

If you are using this not for its waterproof qualities, then I recommend.

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I am extremely happy with this camera. I use it on my GSXR-1000 in the twisty roads for great action HD video as well as mount it to my radio controlled sailplane for great HD video of the flying area. The picture quality is astounding and shake free. The video is eye watering on a plasma TV or wide screen projector during playback.

The kit is very complete with a large assortment of mounts. I'm surprised that there are so many mounts and that they don't try to charge extra for them in an "additional" kit. Supposedly the camera is waterproof to 180 feet and comes in a waterproof primary case (that can be removed).

Overall, I don't know how they can deliver so much product for so little cost, I am completely happy....get your own :)

UPDATE 09/05/2010

I am having an issue that appears to be fairly common with other GoPro HD users. When you finish a video and hit the shutter button to stop recording, the video gets corrupted due to some issue with the camera, the SD card, or a file allocation issue with the firmware. I am using a high quality Class 4 SD card and know it works fine with other hardware. I am seriously unhappy that after a weekend of great video, the SD card is corrupted after multiple reformats and everything else in the book. I understand a firmware is in progress but has been so for a long long time. I recommend this camera AFTER they get the issues fixed.

UPDATE 09/06/10

Instead of updating the 09/05/10 report, I have found somewhat of a solution. I found that you must format the SDHC card with the GoPro HD(which I was doing) BUT pay attention to the red status light by the lens when the format is complete. If after the format the red light does NOT blink red three times then the format was successful and the videos won't get corrupted. In my case, every time I formatted the 32GB SDHC, I got three red blinking lights at the end of the format. The camera acted like the card was OK by displaying OOO for the video but it would corrupt 100% of the time. So, in my case, the 32GB SDHC was faulty. Pay attention to the status lights, this information was not in the manual that I could find.

ANOTHER UPDATE :( 10/18/2010

The same problems resurfaced. I would go out and take awesome videos, the camera acted like everything worked well. i plug in the camera to the computer via USB and it says "You must reformat the card" I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS CAMERA until GoPro fixes this issue that appears quite common (researching the issue on the internet), extremely frustrating... YMMV (Your mileage may vary)

UPDATE 11/1/2010

GoPro finally sent me a replacement camera and it works fine, I think there is a significant number of defective cameras in the system but they will work with you and eventually send you another one.

UPDATE 2/14/11

I thought that the new GoProHD camera sent to me to replace the original defective one was working. It did for about a month. Once again, it started corrupting videos and costing me lots of grief. Imagine if you climbed Mt. McKinley and got to the top, take your "hero" pictures, go all the way down, and discover that your camera screwed up, that is the kind of frustration I'm talking about. The camera hosed me on too many shots like that to put up with anymore. I'm probably going to take this thing to the shooting range and blow it to pieces. Buyer beware.

++++ ANOTHER UPDATE 5/25/11

LESSONS LEARNED: I did update the GoProHD to the latest firmware (v01.01.54) I also tried yet another SD card. Perhaps the combination of new firmware and the Patriot 16GB Class 6 SDHC did the trick. I learned that this camera is extremely picky about SD cards. If you're are having trouble with your video getting corrupted, update the firmware and try another SD card. Once you get the right card, the corruption issues should stop. I have been using the camera a lot for two weeks since the new firmware and Patriot 16GB SD card and have had no issues. I changed my star rating from a one to a three.

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Panasonic DMR-E65S DVD Recorder with SD Card Slot (DVD-RAM & DVD-R)

Panasonic DMR-E65S DVD  Recorder with SD Card SlotVery happy that I got to archive my old home VHS to DVD with great results.

Great features:

This is an excellent entry-level DVD-recorder. The TV Guide feature is the reason to past over Panasonic cheaper brother the E55s which just have the VCR-plus feature. TV Guide is a simpler and free version to TiVo. It has an on-screen menu of the channels including title, time, info and the option to record. Sadly, TV Guide feature only work for antenna broadcasting and basic cable. Digital cable and satellite users might have to invest more money into a TiVo recording device (lack of component input here).

The recording quality is great, which is almost the same or lesser then the original, but never better. I transfer old VHS home video to this device and it was easy with excellent quality. Recording TV programs through the antenna is simple, but the quality depends on your reception. DVD-r is more common then DVD+r. I use XP or SP mode (1-2hrs) for VCR transfer, and LP or EP mode (4-8hrs) for TV program.

This is one of the most intelligence video devices I have own yet. There are so many option and setting to configure base on your needs. The SD card reader is a nice extra for this device. I have a Panasonic digital camera with a SD card so it is just plug and play. The manual is simple to follow and understand to figure this complex device.

The have not:

As an entry level recorder would mean this device have less of the advance input features. There are no component inputs which mean you can't recorder from higher quality image. No DV(firewire) input for newer digital camcorder. No hardrive for mix and match recording. The recorder is a 4-stars but the DVD playback is a 3.75-stars. The progressive scan has a lot of settings to customize from, but my Toshisba's DVD is a little smoother. The basic DVD-playback feature is just basic and limited. The old Toshiba has many features as zoom, slow forward, display length of the DVD, which I have yet figure/found. Slow boot time, but that is true to most recorders.

Panasonic quality is great. I have a Panasonic's HDTV for almost a year, a digital camera and they all are working fine with great results. I like Panasonic's pricing which is producing great quality for the price, but they leave out some of the more fancy features and style that Sony has that will jack up the prices. I use Verbatim's Digital Movie DVD-r at 4x and Panasonic's DVD-RAM, anything faster like 8x does not seem to work.

For the price and the not so technology enabled person, this is a great peice of equipment. It was easy to set up and use. The only thing that may be a problem is the sd slot. I used this to see a slide show of my pics from my digital camera. The picture quality was not the best, but then this was only to review and edit my pics. Putting them on a disc, the picture quality is great. I am very happy with this product.

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"U99" Error Problem.Piece of junk, one can not do anything with this machine in presence of that error code.The Machine has not been even used for any rcording-brand new and I was using Panasonic Brand DVD-Ram.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic DMR-E65S DVD Recorder with SD Card Slot (DVD-RAM & DVD-R) Here

In the year that I have had this model I have had to talk to Customer Support eight times. Not only did I have to call them to help me with a problem, I frequently had to wait a long time (over 45 minutes) to get someone on the phone. Once I was talking to someone I either had a really bad experience or a so-so experince. For the amount of technical trouble I have had with this machine, I would never buy another Panasonic product again.

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Although I have called Panasonic and gotten assistance, after 4 weeks I am still unable to get the on-screen TV Guide to work. I am technology-saavy, and even had a friend help me with the unit. No luck. Programming recording without the TV Guide is fine, but that defeats the purpose of buying this machine.

Monday, August 11, 2014

SanDisk Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player (Black)

SanDisk Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player
  • Up to 15 hours continuous playback using internal rechargeable battery
  • Supports MP3, WMA, secure WMA, and Audible audio file formats
  • Includes digital FM tuner with 20 preset stations voice recorder w/built-in microphone
  • Hi-speed USB 2.0 port for fast and easy transfer of files

(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)The Sandisk Sansa Clip 1GB is a great value MP3 player. It has the same capacity as the iPod Shuffle at $35. It also has a screen, FM Tuner, voice recording and more. You can get the 2GB version for $25-40 more.

Pros -

+ good sound

+ nice capacity for a decent price

+ light-weight

+ FM tuner (20 Presets)

+ voice recording

+ nice design with color options

+ Nice format compatibility (MP3, DRM WMA, WMA, Audible)

+ USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity

+ Can be used as a USB drive / mass storage

+ Can sync music with drag & drop or via software

+ 15 hours battery life is better than Creative Clip Plus

Cons

larger than the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod shuffles

for just $20 more you get the 2GB Clip with added features

The new Sandisk Sansa Clip has the advantages of the iPod shuffle with some of the compatibility, feature, and price benefits of other MP3 players. Unlike the Sansa Express, which you can plug in directly into your USB port, the clip uses a standard USB B cable.

The Clip is definitely a little bigger than the iPod shuffle, but not by much. It has a great feel and a nicer clip. It is also priced VERY well for the holidays. It fills the market for a starter MP3, workout unit, or gift.

The rechargable battery seems better than the Creative Zen Stone Plus and gives you a respectable 15 hours. The sound is nice. The earbuds are passable for beginners but most people will replace them. As for durability, only time will tell; so far it's holding up nicely.

The Zen Clip also has a larger 2GB option. For those needing more space, you will have to explore the Creative Zen, Sandisk Sansa View or new iPod Nano. All of those units have higher price tags.

Sandisk 2GB Pink Sansa Clip

SanDisk Sansa View 8 GB MP3 Player

SanDisk Sansa View 16 GB MP3 Player

Creative Zen 4 GB (Black)

Creative Zen 8 GB (Black)

Creative Zen 16 GB (Black)

Sandisk SDMX4-4096 Sansa e260 4 GB MP3 Player with SD Expansion Slot

SanDisk SDMX4-8192 Sansa e280 8 GB MP3 Player (Black)

Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation)

Apple 8 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Black (3rd Generation)

Overall, an awesome starter unit that deserves a try. Enjoy!!!

Buy SanDisk Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player (Black) Now

This thing is amazingly small and light. The display is not much, but it will hold 3 lines and is well lit and easy to read. The menu system is good and lets you scroll through songs by title, artist and album. It uses a standard mini-USB for data transfer and charging. It requires no software or drivers as it uses Windows Media Player to sync songs.

This player has a few things greatly improved over their older ones (like the Sansa e260 I own). It has about the best sound quality out of any MP3 player I have seen. It also has a nice seemless quick fade from one song to the next. I use my MP3 players for listeming to audio books in MP3 format. Some of these are 20+ hours long. My old player took forever to fastforward through, about a 20:1 fast forward, so yes, fast forwarding 10 hours would take about 30 minutes. Now this one has a progressively accelerated fast forward that can run through hours of MP3s in 10 seconds. Also when you turn off the MP3 player it will start back at the exact spot you left off and if it was playing when you turned it off then it will start playing automatically when you turn it back on. It also start up in only a few seconds.

The only issues I see is lack of colors on the 1GB version and maybe a few more colors overall would be nice. The only bug I found is that it does not change the hours on the time elapsed counter and leaves it at 0, but the progression bar is still right.

I was so impressed with the 2GB pink one that I got for my girlfriend that I got a 2GB black one for myself... yes to replace my more expensive 4GB Sansa e260. If I could give it 6 stars I would.

Read Best Reviews of SanDisk Sansa Clip 1 GB MP3 Player (Black) Here

I have the 2gb version of the Clip. I own other mp3 players but this is by far the best. Few players have the features of the Clip for such a reasonable price.

Pros: It's smallthe size of a matchboxand easily and firmly clips to shirt or pants. The controls are very easy to use and the screen is easy to see. The sound quality is very good when used with better headphones than those that came with it. You can play and record from FM radio. And, most importantly for me, it works with Audible downloads.

It also looks good. I have the red one and many people have asked about it and where to buy one.

Cons: The sound quality of the voice recorder could use improvement. And, as someone mentioned, there's a glitch in the counter that impacts files that are over an hour in length other than Audible files. Supposedly Sandisk is working on this and there will be a firmware adjustment at some point.

For anyone who wants a player with storage of 2gb or less, the Clip is the best available.

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Update: 9-17-2009: Although there are a few books that still do not work with Apple iPod/iProducts, OverDrive books are now transferable to most Apple iProducts. The trick is to open iTunes AND the OverDrive console and it will convert the protected content for your iPod etc.

Because of the conversion process, it does take MUCH LONGER to transfer an audiobook to an iPod so in my opinion, the Sansa Clip a still the superior product for this usage.

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Update: Battery on my Clip gave up charging just before the one year warranty period was over. I use it almost daily. I contacted Sansa and was able to obtain a replacement Clip at no charge. They did need to know when I purchased it (Amazon makes this easy with a shipping invoice available in your purchasing history.) Sansa did want to know if I had the original box but when I did not, it was not an issue. Sansa provided a postage paid label to return the dead Clip. My replacement is working great. This was very good customer service experience for me.

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I got this mp3 player in order to listen to Overdrive audiobooks that I download from the public library. I have an IPod that I happily use with my Audible books but Ipods were not compatible with Overdrive at the time I purchased this. This is no longer the case. See above.

The Overdrive audio software works perfectly with the device and books transfer very easily.

Update: It is a good idea to go ahead and install the SanDisk Firmware Updater on your computer at

It automatically checks for firmware updates whenever when I plug in my Clip.

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Now the player works beautifully with the Overdrive books. It holds my bookmark (stopping point) if I remember to click hold (top of the circle) and fast forwards perfectly if I need to find my place.

It has great sound, the FM tuner works wonderfully. I love the small size and the clip feature is fantastic.

There is not a reference to the firmware updater site anywhere in the product literature which is unfortunate. Happily I was able to find the information I needed on the Sansa Forums.

We bought one of these for a Christmas gift, and a second one for my wife. What I really like about it is that you just drag and drop your MP3s into the Sansa music folder. No special software needed.

Sounds great, although we used earbuds we already owned, rather than the ones included.

It is slightly bigger than an IPod shuffle, but it has a very clear OLED display. Makes it easy to select the songs.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Toshiba SD-V295 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo Player

Toshiba SD-V295 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo Player
  • DVD and VCR Combo Player
  • One Touch Recording
  • ColorStream Pro Progressive Scan Component Video Outputs
  • Simultaneous DVD Playback and VHS Record
  • 7.70 Lbs (WxLxH) 9.00" x 16.95" x 3.53"

Picked this up from BestBuy last night should have thought twice as there was one on the shelf that had been returned already. It does not come with a tuner so without a cable or satellite box you're screwed.

My television lacks RCA jacks so I have an RCA/Coax converter. So far so good but the annoying part that I can't figure out is that I have to move the cables from VCR OUT to VCR IN when I want to record something, then back to VCR OUT when I want to watch!

The DVD part worked fine, no real problem there, picture quality looks good and the VCR recording quality looks great. The remote is a joke. You have to press combination keys to get things to work and it was very confusing to learn. It also hates to leave DVD mode. You cannot turn off the DVD side and only focus on the VCR ergo you'll be programming a timer or something and suddenly you're in DVD mode!

The other model at BestBuy was the Sony SLV-D380P. As far as I can tell it's just as bad but with an extra $10 Sony markup!

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The unit itself worked fine and seems like a good value for the price. BUT. The remote control requires a full 5 seconds after you press a button before you can press that button again, or any other button. That's a long slow count of 5 in between button presses. The manual warns of a delay in the fine print, but 5 seconds for each button press? It would have taken me a week to set the clock!

Perhaps my particular unit was an outlier in this regard (can they all be like this?) so if you want this product you should probably check out your exact unit right at the store before buying.

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba SD-V295 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo Player Here

This is exactly what we needed and it works just the way that I would expect. We have had it for several weeks now and we watch movies and shows with it daily. It hasn't given us a moment of trouble and let's face it; vcr's are not as easy to find as they use to be.

I don't see any other product like this being a better deal than this.

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I haven't had this very long, so I can't comment on it's reliability, just it's function. It works fine as far as recording and playback of VHS tape, and the DVD is good. I esp. like the DVD feature that remembers where you left off viewing a DVD. When you power the unit up, it starts right where you stopped the DVD. Great for those 3 and 4 hour movies it takes 2 (or 3) days to watch. The function indicators for DVD or VCR are tiny little boxes on the unit, and are both the same color. I wish they would have just made them different colored lights, or 1 led for VCR and 2 for DVD or some such...of course you can tell which function you're on if the TV is on, but if you just want to eject a disk or tape, you have to be right in front of the player to see which function you've got. The remote control is the big problem with this otherwise nice deal. It's only 6" long and 2" wide, and the buttons are tiny, and the print by the buttons is microscopic. And you can see the labels for the DVD functions OK (barely), but for the VHS functions, they used a dark mustard colored print that is awful to try and see. You need to keep a flashlight handy, which (along with the tiny buttons) kind of takes away that "braille" method of getting used to your remote. Luckily, I had a larger remote from another Toshiba DVD player I own. It's cream colored (as opposed to black, like the new one) and has big, easy to read labels, but I still have to use the new one for the VCR. So why the tiny remote for this job-ee-do? I don't know. Also, on the remote, they put the REW and FWD buttons right in between the SKIP FWD and BACK buttons, so you try to go for the rewind or forward on a DVD, and end up skipping froward or back a whole scene! Very painful! And also, they put the SLOW button up and right, away from the other play buttons, NEXT TO THE OPEN/CLOSE button, so there's more potential fun. Remember, it's tuner-less, so you can't hook it up with your coaxial cable, it has to hook up directly to a cable or satellite box. You need one of those 3 lead cables, with two audio and one video, which, by the way the cheapskates don't provide with the unit, so don't forget to get one. Well, otherwise, it works well, is inexpensive, and is pretty.

Deliver was as forecast by Amazon.

This replaced my previous Tobshiba VCR and DVD player. Operation was integrated and much simpler than with the previous two pieces of equipment. Installation was almost nothing. Plugged it in as described in the summary sheet, turned it on, and all worked without a problem.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Orei BDP-M2 Multi Region Zone Code Free 2D/3D Blu Ray DVD Player - PAL/NTSC - Worldwide Voltage

Orei BDP-M2 Multi Region Zone Code Free 2D/3D Blu Ray DVD Player - PAL/NTSC - Worldwide Voltage
  • Plays all region DVDs (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) & Zone A B C Blu-rays
  • 2D/3D Blu-ray Playback - Zone A B C discs, Blu-ray Profile 2.0
  • Supports PAL & NTSC System - Built-in PAL to NTSC converter allows you to watch PAL or NTSC DVDs on ANY TV
  • 2.0 USB Input, Multi-Format Support: AVI, MKV, MP4, MPG, MP3, Full HD 1080p upscaling for DVDs
  • HDMI, Component, Composite, Optical Audio & Coaxial Audio Output, LAN Connection

For starters, the item shipped the following business day. I received it two days later. That is almost unheard of nowadays. I was nervous about the challenge of switching regions. But it is incredibly simple. It has handled every blu-ray and DVD I've thrown at it from every region. I haven't received my copy "Creature From The Black Lagoon" yet, so I can't comment on the 3D playback, though I'm sure it's fine. The picture quality on every other blu-ray is terrific, and it does a wonderful job of upconverting DVD's. I can't recommend this player more. There is a slight issue, but it when you consider all that this player is capable of doing, it's easy to overlook. When you start a movie, the player will freeze for 4-5 seconds while loading. This only happens at the beginning, and it doesn't happen for the rest of the movie. If you hit the back track button, the chapter will begin without the freezing. It's really a non-issue, but I figured I'd mention it. Also, this player isn't wireless. There is an ethernet jack to get to Orei's website for any firmware updates. In case you were wondering, the firmware updates will not affect the region-free capability. This is a wonderful blu-ray player and I give it my highest recommendation. Thank you for reading my review.

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This one does it all. It plays blu rays from all 3 regions. ANd I have some region b blu rays and can back this up. It plays dvds from all regions too , I have dvds from australia, china , thailand and aurope. Which are a number of dvd regions not just europeon ones. It will also play 3d blu rays from region b and a. I only have one region b 3d blu ray and over 70 region a 3d blu rays. You have to set the player of course to do different regions, except dvd regions , you can set that to zero and it will play all dvds. This won't play divdx or video cds though. divdx was a failed format from 1998 that somehow still is around. and vcd's were around since the 80's. I still have some of those , and if you do you need a older dvd player because no new ones play those anymore. The picture is as good as any blu ray player in it's range too. It looks very good. If you want a better picture then you have to spring for a much more expensive player. But this is good enough that the improvement would is small enough for only true videophiles to grasp on a higher priced one. So this is for someone who NEEDS a all region player, that can do all regions of blu ray and 3d in all regions, and for someone who needs a all region dvd player as well. The picture is similiar to players in this price range and you could get some cheaper that look the same but they won't be all region players. So all region owners need this one and those with only region a u.s discs don't need it. As far as it goes though for what you want it for this one is a success in a very good way. This one can pass through all the top sounds to your amplifier too. It does a straight pass and does not decode them like a higher end player would though. It always truehd , and all those types of surround sound so that's a plus.

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The player does everything that the product description says. Actually, I have been really surprised at the overall quality of the video and audio playback. Regardless of it being dvd or bluray I really am impressed. Actually, it may look and sound just as good as my $250.00 Samsung model. I won't waste time with the bells and whistles but its really a steal at this price. If you have any discs that are for outside the US players then this is a must own. If you want a great player for just US discs, it can do that too. I have had no problems with anything I have attempted to play. A+++++++

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We received a defective unit--had to reboot it after each play. We contacted the seller, Bombay Electronics. They immediately emailed a UPS return label. We returned the unit. A replacement arrived in record time--less than a week. The replacement unit works as advertised and has the best picture of all my DVD players (we have 5) except maybe my Oppo. Bombay's customer service is EXCELLENT and the DVD player plays region 1 and 2 without a glitch. I would give it five stars except that the first unit was indeed defective. I recommend this unit, M2, to anyone looking for an all region blu-ray player. And I highly recommend AMAZON & Bombay Electronics for the purchase of electronics.

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just looked up "region free bluray player" and ended up finding this player. i'm from Europe therefore would really like to enjoy blurays from back home. (i already owned a region free dvd player)

so i ordered this player, and unfortunately when i received it it must have been somehow damaged as when a disc was spinning inside it would be very loud. i returned it and purchased a new one (price had gone down $10 in the meantime) got my refund quickly without any question. i received the new player and it works perfectly! it does look a little cheaper than a samsung or panasonic, but i love it and highly recommend it, IF your main purpose is to watch foreign blurays/dvds. otherwise, you might as well buy a regular player...

Friday, June 27, 2014

Motorola RIZR Z3 Unlocked Cell Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, MicroSD Slot--Internationa

Motorola RIZR Z3 Unlocked Cell Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, MicroSD Slot--International Version with WarrantyI ordered this Phone because I have really good experiences with Motorola Phones before. This Phone surprised me because the body kit was already loose and it looked cheap.By that I mean that I knew that the phone won't last long and it didn't. The second thing I noticed was that the phone wouldn't charge with the charger. The only way I could charge it was with an USB cable.After 1 month the Motorola sign at the top of the phone came off too. I also had problems hearing the caller,the call sounded muffled.I don't know if this model of phone has these problems in general or if I have been sold a bad phone. All I know is that I am very disappointed

While many people have said that they do not like this phone because of the small keys, as a female I have not found them to be too small and I have average size hands.

I do text, everyday, perhaps not as often as others, but nevertheless, find the texting not to be an issue.

PROS

I love the camera, my phone came with a USB connector, it is so easy for me to transfer pictures. THE FLASH is amazing!! it is so bright, i like using it as a flash light

The mp3 player has amazing speakers

I bought this phone so i would have a good camera, mp3 player all rolled into one for me.

One thing i dont' like is that it won't take really big memory cards (8gb) i think its limit is 1 gb.

Overall i have been pleased i have had it for about 5 months now. One thing i don't like is that it doesn't display the date, just the time, but that really isn't that big of a deal.

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I bought this to replace the RAZR that my two year old destroyed. I like the slider because it feels sturdier. The only problems I've had have been technical I can't log on to the internet, thereby prohibiting downloads ringtones, games, etc. Of course, this might be user error.

Also, the keypad is smaller, making texting a bit slower as I become accustomed to the difference.

Read Best Reviews of Motorola RIZR Z3 Unlocked Cell Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, MicroSD Slot--Internationa Here

This phone has a great look. But I don't like the software. For example, you can't even input multiple phones numbers for the same contact person. User Interface can be confusing at first. Overall, it is a decent phone.

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It is not a habit of mine to post reviews and comments but after you notice that you have been scammed it is only important for you to write something to assist others in not making the same mistakes.

I got this phone back in 2011 and it only took about a week until the phone started giving problems, the main button was not working but with some nifty navigation you could still make calls though it was a pain in the neck. After about a month of use the charging stopped and unless you wiggle the connection it would start charging again. It got to the point to where the contact for the charger got messed up so I stopped using it.

It is now Feb 2013, yeah been quite a while but here goes. I was unearthing some stuff from storage and came across the phone and I figured why not open it up to see if maybe contacts inside were the culprit of the phone not working. Before going at the screws I realized that the phone had previously been opened and after i finished unscrewing it I noticed a piece of masking tape that was making an ill fated attempt at holding up some connections inside the slider. Too bad it took me so long to realize this but it is never too late to warn people of these types of scoundrels that make money by scamming others. It totally screws it up for others, I don't even have confidence buying on Amazon as a result of this.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Aurum Gold Series Toslink Cable - Digital Optical Audio Cable - 50 Feet

Aurum Gold Series Toslink Cable - Digital Optical Audio Cable - 50 Feetthese are very good quality cables. i ran these in walls and int the attic for a home theater setup.

The cable appears to be very well made and was easy to install through the attic at home. Audio is excellent as you would expect from fiber. Good solid connect to our amp. Time will tell if it can hold up to the heat of a Florida attic in the summer.

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Friday, May 23, 2014

Archos 704 80 GB WiFi Portable Digital Media Player

Archos 704 80 GB WiFi Portable Digital Media Player
  • Portable media player with 80 GB hard drive stores up to 70 DVD-quality movies
  • Integrated 802.11g wireless networking for connectivity to desktop PC, downloading videos from online stores
  • Bright 7-inch LCD touchscreen for input from fingers or included stylus
  • Plays MP3, WAV, WMA and protected WMA music files; also compatible with JPEG, PNG and BMP image files
  • Measures 7 by 5 by 0.75 inches; weighs just 22 ounces

I like this player a lot. 3 minutes out of the box I was connected the home WiFi. 2 minutes later it found my Infrant ReadyNAS (ReadyNAS NV+, 1.0TB (4 x 250GB pre-installed Seagate Barracuda ES SATA HDD), X-RAID, 256MB memory, Silver, SFF desktop NAS) and was streaming MP3s and video to the player flawlessly.

Size:

It's thick and heavy. It has a similar footprint to a Sony ebook reader, but much deeper and heavier. It's just about as wide and tall as a DVD case, but again, much deeper (almost 3/4 of an inch deep).

Formats:

I do not have any media formats that this won't play. I did purchase the optional .VOB codec from the Archos site. It plays my WMV (including DRM stuff), Divx, AVI, MP3(all kinds).

Accessories:

It comes with a nice woven nylon case and a 120V power adapter. It has headphones (with inline volume) and USB in and USB out.

Connections:

It has audio out (headphones), power, USB (mini in, mini out, two Archos plugs for docking and that's it. Everything else needs a dock to work.

Screen:

The touch screen is vibrant and very bright. I have big fingers so I do better with a stylus for controls. The high resolution is amazing.

Sound:

The speakers are "OK" but headphones could be louder. I took this on a plane yesterday and the included headphones were not loud enough to hear over the engine noise. I had to use my Sure E5c headphones to hear anything on videos and MP3s (Shure E5c Sound Isolating Earphones).

Internet:

It comes with Opera and surfing was fine. A great device for webmail or shopping (it comes with am eMusic 50 free MP3s certificate). I will take this (instead of a laptop) on my next vacation.

Sync:

The platey can snyc (USB) as a Windows Media Device or a USD hard drive. I love that option (it asks you each sync).

Issues:

1. I would have liked a place to "plunge" the stylus in the device for storage (the case has a tiny pocket).

2. I would have liked Svideo out without buying a dock.

3. Audio out should be louder.

Wishes:

1. I would love to see this use a bluetooth phone as a DUN to the hit the net.

2. I would love to have and SD Card reader on board to help move media on the road.

Other Issues:

1. Be careful with Unbox video. The resolution of this player far exceeds most mobile players. One of my goals was to start buying Unbox videos instead of ripping my DVDs all the time. Problem: the "mobile" size of Unbox video looks very poor on the screen (please try an inexpensive one for yourself)due to low resolution. And Unbox does not allow you to sync (no snyc rights) the larger video that you download. So I have a video that I "bought" that I cannot use on this device because the low version looks so bad, and the high-res version has DRM restrictions that won't let it play on the 704 Wifi. Not terrible, but it will keep 704 owners from renting or buying from Unbox for sure.

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I orignally purchased this as a companion to my A504 so I can watch videos from a further distance while at a hotel (I travel A LOT). The first thing I learned is that the screen is a fingerprint magnet so using a stylus is the best bet. The included stylus is okay (one extra is included) but I've been using a pen/stylus combo that works just as well and isn't as liable to get lost. The case is acceptable, but could use a little more rigidity for my taste.

Video clarity is pretty good; not as good as the A504 but it is still decent with less glare than the A504. The screen is also nice and bright and can be seen under most lighting conditions (except direct sunlight which I encountered while flying to southern California recently). I was also happy with the embeded speaker volume as it didn't need to be jacked up 100 to be heard in a mildly noisy room like the A504.

Video & Audio out are just as good as the A504 while using the DVR station. One little nitpick would be the adapter for the DVR station could be a little deeper to make the connection more secure.

PC connection is very good as you can use a cable from another AX04 unit or a standard USB mini-plug with the choice to sync as a Windows device or use as a hard drive. I generally use it as a hard drive as the files I transfer are all Xvid or Divx and I don't want WMP11 to re-code my files. The only gripe here would be the lack of USB charging. All other 4th generation Archos units are USB chargeable, but this one isn't.

Using the unit as a web tablet was a real suprise. I didn't think that I would use it in that capacity very often, but I found (on a recent trip) that I could do almost everything on the web with the 704 that I can do with a laptop. It came in very handy during a recent conference where I needed to get to some .PDF files off my corporate website to show a customer. It isn't the fastest unit in town, but it works quite well in a pinch. I've found myself using it at home with my wireless connection almost as often as I use my laptop. One thing I would like to see is the ability to connect a small keyboard for data input as trying to write an email using the onscreen keyboard is a bit of a pain. Also, trying to access streaming video off of a webpage is an effort in futility.

Battery life is very good for a unit this large. I turned it on and let it run through my video folder (at brightness level one which is the default and at 75% volume) and it took just over 4 1/2 hours to deplete the battery. I haven't noticed if using the WiFi drains the battery any faster but it doesn't seem to.

All in all, I am very happy with the unit. I'm a huge Archos fan (except for their customer service, but I digress...) and I look forward to getting the spare batteries as soon as they are available.

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I've eagerly waited for a device that could do all the things the 704 says it can do. And believe me I've had all the devices out there. 1st gen I=pod to Video I-pod and the Archos 704 Wifi blows them away. If you are a true techie like myself you'll have to agree that nothing comes close to this little baby. The screen is excellent especially if you have Divx files, not to mention that it can handle almost any video file out there with the plugins of course. Mpeg, VOB, WMV, Divx and even Apple Mp4 files without a hickup. I used to own the Archos 504 but when I saw this baby, wow was I sold. Connecting to my home wireless network is a breeze and using it as a file server took a bit longer than I expected, but once I was up and running it was easy! What I'll be looking for next is the ability to watch streaming video or music and then I'll die happy! In a nutshell, an I-pod is nice to have if you're just into music and paying for one at $299 is not the best way I like spending my money. I hooked it up to my plasma and it was like renting a DVD movie, clear and sound was pretty good. I also hooked it up to my LCD projector and was surprised that the quality was also good.

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This is a great device. As previous reviews mentioned, it took me less then 2 minutes to get on the internet, check weather and read the latest news on the BBC. The browser works a lot better then I expected.

Displaying pictures is extremely fast, even large jpgs of 4-5 MB load under a second. This was for me the main purpose as I often do extensive trips where I take lots of pictures. Bringing 30-40 1gig memory cards is just not practical nor is bringing a heavy laptop.

I had no problems playing DIVX files and jumping to the middle of the movie was extremely fast, better then my current PC. The sharpness of the screen could be improved a bit, but it is far better then my old AV400 (which I am replacing because it only has a 20GB HD) and above all it is nice and large.

There are a few things I wish they would fix/add.

1)viewing PDFs is slow since only one page is loaded at the time, even for very small PDF files.

2) No way to view or type up a quick text file

3) The device is Linux based and has a browser, so I wish they would release some limited utils/games for it. A text/notes editor, Sudoku, solitair... Or at least allow the user to point to the 704's drive to pull up self made web pages.

Oh and I almost forgot, it played my MP3s flowlessly.

I can't wait for my next vacation trip and really test it out!!!

Let me start out buy saying that I have always been a huge Archos fan. This is my third one and it is GARBAGE. It arrived borken (from Archos). Instead of taking the broken unitback and sending me a new one, they insisted on trying to fix it. It came back still not working. I was told to wait 5-6 weeks for a firmware update, that would fix my issues. When the firmware did finally come, it did nothing to address any of my issues. So called them. Still wouldn't send a new one; wanted to try to fix it again. I paid, again, to have it sent out. Came back broken again. Keep in mind, each time you send it to their horrible tech and customer service, it takes 4-5 weeks to get back. So now I called them and told them I just want to return the item for a refund. I was told I was past my 30 days! hahahhaha. I told them I haven't had a working unit for 1 day and the only reason I have held onto the unit is because you guys told me your firmware would fix it. So I now have mailed the unit back a third time and it has been sitting in limbo with them for 4 weeks now. I ordered this unit the day it was released. It is now months and months later, and I still have no working item; even worse, the nest generation 705's will probably been weeks away when I finally do get a wroking unit. This customer support is pathetic. I am a huge backer of Archos, and I am telling people to avoid this company like the PLAGUE. They got to big to quick and can't keep up with what is going on around them. They don't care what their customers think as long as they haveyour money. You will hear a ton of people say that "mine works fine I don't know what he is talking about". Trust me. Go to any Archos site dedicated to Archos, and there is just one horror story after another, talking about broken units and zero help in getting them repaired or replaced. If you happen to get on of these lemon units, the company will acts as if it is your problem and you must have done something to cause it. As stated...I have always been such a huge Archos fan and have heared the horror stories, but now that I am on their side of the fence, I know completely what they are talking about. STAY CLEAR OF THIS COMPANY. Purchasing anything from them is like putting $500 down on black in roullette -you have a 50-50 chance of hitting with a winning unit, but if you don't your out %500. Because they will not give you your money back and it will pretty much become a second job getting it fixed (they put you on hold fo HOURS at a time and then they eventually just let the phone system disconnect you. At which point you have to call over and get back into the waiting line which will take hours again). Please do yourself a favor. Look at Cowon or some other company.

Monday, April 28, 2014

TRIPP LITE AV10IRG Eco Green RJ11/RJ45 Coax 10 Outlet 8-Feet Cord A/V Surge Protector

TRIPP LITE AV10IRG Eco Green RJ11/RJ45 Coax 10 Outlet 8-Feet Cord A/V Surge ProtectorLike one of the other reviewers, I think this product is based on a good concept but has serious drawbacks in every day use. If you buy this product, be very careful with firmware updates. Just about all entertainment devices now are built to connect to the Internet via your home network. Firmware updates fix bugs in the core software of the device and sometimes even enhance functionality. Manual firmware updates are best left to those of us with strong computer skills. But with most devices now connected to the Internet, firmware updates are usually just a matter of clicking "OK" when the device is ready to perform one. But even with automated firmware updates, you will see the warning, "DO NOT TURN OFF THE POWER DURING THE UPDATE". I had my Yamaha RX A820 AV Receiver plugged into one the "power saving" outlets. The firmware update info stated that the update could take up to 20 minutes. I have high speed FiOS Internet service and the connection to the receiver is wired. I walked away to get a cup of coffee. I figured no way it would take that long. It didn't. But the power strip didn't wait more than a few minutes before it shut down. When I came back the receiver appeared to be off. I figured the updated completed and the device powered off. When I pressed the power button, nothing. Dead. I pressed the button and held it down. An ominous message appeared on the LCD display: ROM ERROR! I knew what that meant. The firmware update was interrupted when the power was cut off. The memory that stores the firmware was now corrupted. In the I.T. biz, we call this the creation of a giant paper weight. Fortunately, Yamaha designed in a recovery procedure that lets you manually load a firmware update from a USB thumb drive. I was lucky I had the knowledge to find the procedure and perform it. Otherwise, the receiver would have gone to a repair shop where I would probably have been charged a pretty penny. The reciever is now plugged into one of the "always on" outlets. Tripp Lite would do well to give you the option of making any or all of the power saving outlets "always on".

The concept is good -let's kill the vampire devices -but this device is infuriating to actually use. I have my LG TV plugged into one of the "not always on" plugs... makes sense, right? The TV isn't doing any work when it's turned off, so it shouldn't get any current.

The problem is how the power strip tries to 'sense' load. If I pause my TV, guess what, the power strip shunts the outlet. My TV uses an ambient light level sensor to adjust its brightness -guess what happens if the TV decreases brightness? Yep, the outlet gets shunted.

So now I have an expense 4 plug powerstrip (since the 'not always on' plugs are useless -or worse, random). And now I will unplug it and throw it out.

Don't waste your money on this thing.

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I bought this to connect a Onkyo receiver, plasma tv, blue ray player, xbox, ipod player...

They all plug in but after just a few weekends of use this item does not work correctly. The "save energy" feature has gone haywire and it randomly shuts off all power while listening to music (right in the middle of songs). To get it back on, you hit any key on the remote and it fires back up. Not only is this behavior annoying, I worry it's doing more harm than good to my equipment. It shuts off at least 2-3 times per hour.

Read Best Reviews of TRIPP LITE AV10IRG Eco Green RJ11/RJ45 Coax 10 Outlet 8-Feet Cord A/V Surge Protector Here

Very convenient, it powers off the equipment connected to the switch-able outlets after 3 minutes, also displays the power being used.

Excellent design

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Saturday, April 26, 2014

Coby TFDVD9952 9-Inches Portable DVD Player

Coby TFDVD9952 9-Inches Portable DVD Player
  • 9 inch Widescreen TFT LCD, DVD, DVD±R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, JPEG, and MP3 Compatible
  • Dolby Digital decoding, Digital and analog AV outputs
  • 2 headphone jacks for private listening
  • Anti-skip circuitry, Convenient on-screen display
  • Multiple language, subtitle, and camera angle support

Purchased this for my 2yo on an 8-hour drive. Worked well do not really know what I would do without it. Used both in car and in a hotel. 2 chargers 12V DC and AC proved to be invaluable.

Video/audio quality is adequate as are remote and controls.

Never bothered to use 2 sets of earphones provided or a second monitor.

Played DVDs and DVD-RW. So far never tested AVIs or MP4.

Harness buckles do render headrest unusable for a tall passenger.

Replacing a disk with player in a harness is cumbersome. You are almost certain to inadvertently turn it off by catching the sliding ON/OFF switch on the harness.

Would be nice to store the remote with DVD.

Overall after 1 week of using it I am pretty happy with the purchase.

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We bought this specifically for a 12+ hour car drive from Northern California to Disneyland. We have two young children who just don't like to sit still, but this kept them entertained. We loved that we could hook it up to our car speakers so we could hear the movie too.

Read Best Reviews of Coby TFDVD9952 9-Inches Portable DVD Player Here

I used to have a flip down DVD player in my old vehicle. When I bought a new one I decided not to get the DVD system factory installed.

My husband and I have been looking at different dual screen DVD systems for a few months. The ones we saw were over priced and poor quality...

I saw this one, read the reviews and looked at the price and thought it was great.

We use it several times a week and my boys LOVE it. They can listen with the included headphones or I can plug it into my car speakers and they hear it all around. It is definately durable.... on 3 different occasions my son has pulled the middle seat forward, to let my son in the 3rd row out of the car... each time he slammed the TV/DVD unit with the headrest of the seat. It still works as if it were brand new!

I would recommend this to anyone looking to purchase a dual DVD system for their vehicle!

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The straps to hold the device on the head rest broke the second time we changed a DVD.

Changing a DVD is a pain in the ---.

The player does not keep track of where the movie was so everytime you stop the car for more than 20 minutes you lose where you were on the video.

This is the third one of these we have had. The other two had problems but not NEARLY as bad as this piece of junk. And since we didn't use it for a car trip until after 30 days of ordering it, we are now stuck with it. This is eactly why buying online is cheaper becuase you get inferior products with less return options.

grrrrr. I am going to think twice before I order anything over $100 from amazon again.

I bought this product so that our grandchildren could be occupied while on a 10 hour trip. The screens are large the cases sturdy and the connections secure. Our grandchildren are about the same age and sex so watching the same things worked great. I also bought two childrens head phones (A MUST HAVE) so the adults in the car could have conversations. The battery, when fully charged, I assume, will allow for viewing an entire movie. The picture quality is very good and bright. Because of traffic it ended up being a 16 hour trip and without the DVD player the adults would have really gone nuts. The product is well worth the money.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Cable, KP-18 USB for DS-2 & DS-20

Cable, KP-18 USB for DS-2 & DS-20I managed to lose my USB cable for my Olympus DS-2 and was shocked to pave to pay 21.99 for a replacement. (I only paid 70 for the recorder!)

While this price was competitive, I don't think it can be justified.

By the way, I found my missing USB cable 2 days after the new one arrived.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

DOD F900LHD Full HD Car Black Box DVR Camera 1080P LCD

DOD F900LHD Full HD Car Black Box DVR Camera 1080P LCD
  • High Definition Video Recording; Video reverse recording 180 degrees
  • 4x digital zoom in/out function; 12 mega pixels portable camera feature
  • LED light for night photography & Motion Detection recording functions
  • Wide Angle 120 degree lens; Screen rotation 360 degrees & Lens rotation 180 degrees
  • Supports up to 32 GB SDHC Memory Card; Convenient assemble/dismantle Windshield Bracket

Pros:

-It works. It supports loop recording, automatic recording upon power-on, and a car mount these are the only reasons why I purchased it over a conventional camcorder. In fact, I have two of these in automated operation in the front and rear of my car.

-Automatic exposure control seems to work well.

Cons:

-The included user manual is not too informative. It is also written in broken English.

-The user interface is not too friendly, but it works if you use it right. You'll get used to it. The only time I ever have to touch is when correcting for daylight saving time changes.

-Don't expect the best optics. With the device mounted on my windshield, I would have liked for the video to be good enough for me to read the license plates of cars, but the only plates I can read are those of the car immediately ahead of or behind me, and only if the light is right. I guess not all HD camcorders are the same.

-The video capture angle is reduced when recording at 1080p. "Wide angle" is available only with 720p. Personally I have been recording at 1080p instead so I have a better chance of capturing readable license plates.

-The video is written to files with the MOV extension. This is less preferable than say MP4, etc.

Bugs:

-Loop recording mode seems like it has a software bug. The device breaks the video file even though the specified period of time has not elapsed for a particular video. This was observed with the largest advertised loop duration of 45 minutes.

-In loop recording mode, there is a substantial gap between the end of one file and the beginning of the next file. There shouldn't have been any gap at all. This is a sign of inferior software design. The gap was observed to be approximately five seconds for the largest possible loop duration of 45 minutes. The gap was observed to be nearly two seconds for the smallest possible loop duration of 1 minute. With a 30 minute split, the probability that a random five second block is not recorded can be approximated to be 5/((30*60)+5) = 1/361 = ~0.3%.

-In automatic recording upon power-on mode, if the car/power is turned on and then turned off before the recording has had a chance to begin, the right thing to happen would be for the device to shut down, but this doesn't happen. Instead, the device starts and idles displaying the current view on the screen. If the device is then ignored, it may technically drain its entire internal battery and lose all its non-default settings thereafter. You therefore never want to leave it indefinitely in this state. To reset this state and have the device shut down (or begin recording), restart the car/power, wait till recording begins, and then turn off the car/power as necessary. Alternatively, manually power the device off using its power button. To avoid entering this state altogether, always make sure that you allow recording to begin before you turn the car/power off.

Comments:

-The file format is MPEG-4 QuickTime. The video encoder is Ambarella AVC with a variable bit rate of about 8000 Kbits/s at 29.970 fps. The audio encoder is Ambarella AAC with two channels and a constant bit rate of 128 kbps. The file can be played with VLC media player. If your computer is old, just play the file at a reduced play speed, e.g. 0.67x or 0.5x.

-Be sure to check the website dod-tech.com for more info about this model before purchasing it.

-I picked this over the GS600 model because I intentionally did not want GPS recording, and I wanted an integrated display.

-In addition to SDHC cards, an SDXC card is also technically usable, but a 128GB SDXC card was formatted by the device to only a 26.96GB FAT32 volume, as if it were a 32GB card. I manually formatted this card to have a ~128GB FAT32 volume, but the card was then not recognized as being usable by the device. I currently use a 32GB SDHC card.

-I'm currently using it in 45 minute loop recording mode with automatic recording upon power-on.

-FAT32 has a max file size limit of 4GiB. Given the max observed data rate, a 45 minute file can typically be expected to be no larger than about 2.8Gib, which is safely less than the limit.

-There was an unrated seller on eBay advertising this item for a much lower price, but the seller turned out to be fraudulent. Don't fall for such scams.

I will update this review if I have more to add. If you know of an alternative car camcorder that you believe is superior, please let me know!

Buy DOD F900LHD Full HD Car Black Box DVR Camera 1080P LCD Now

Apparently four other people who wrote reviews here bought FAKE DOD F900LHD car DVR made in China. The only authorized DOD reseller here on Amazon is CameraTec who sells real DOD cameras (and where I bought it from).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main?ie=UTF8&asin=&isAmazonFulfilled=1&isCBA=&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&seller=A56FNWS5K0M3V

So, before you buy F900LHD see this page:

Read Best Reviews of DOD F900LHD Full HD Car Black Box DVR Camera 1080P LCD Here

It didn't come in the box like the one in the picture; in fact, it came in another box for another camera unit. So at first it appeared I received the wrong product until I opened it and checked against my order.

I am disappointed.

The 1920x1080 option records very choppily. When sound recording is on, the unit lasts only ~50 minutes on battery. It lasts ~70 minutes without sound recording. The default video resolution is 1280x720 (720p). With this resolution, license plate numbers and letters can be read when vehicles are stopped less than 3 ft away. While in motion, the only things legible are highway signs. This only applies during the day.

Night time recording isn't any better, and neither is the transition of coming out of a tunnel. When emerging from a tunnel in the daytime, it's like you're seeing the light (i.e., can't see anything for a second). Night time recording is like having extreme astigmatism; highway signs cannot be read at night, license plates become white due to headlight glare, and street lamps are just orbs of light.

The default recording length is 2 minutes. Other options are 5 and 10 minutes. With sound on, each 2 minute video file is ~230MB. It will overwrite the oldest file when it runs out of room. A 32GB card will do the job. This is the only good thing I can find about this unit.

The unit will turn itself off after a few minutes if you leave it on without doing anything. Any settings you set will have reverted to the defaults when you turn it back on, except for the time and date and time/date formats.

The unit comes with a mount and a suction cup windshield mount. The mount that I received wasn't very snug to the unit. Sometimes the unit will fall, and sometimes the mount to the suction cup apparatus will come off. If the unit does drop off the windshield mount, it will "freeze". A quick battery in-and-out will get it back to normal. The windshield mount is not very compact.

It also comes with a 3 ft USB wire, and an extremely long car charger wire (~8 ft?).

Unfortunately, it is not very durable. After only two weeks of use, the unit refused to record video, even after pressing the "Reset" button. The idea is good, but the quality is missing.

Thus, I have returned it. I am waiting for my refund.

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Camera is large but does not as much, worse I ever seen, I paid $70 and I am regret I did it.

Bugs:

Main one it can't record when card is full. It is freezing or saying no more memory available, should it loop recording?

Can't recognise SD card one time from 3

Video recording is weird and horrible in quality. Motion detection is slow.

Mount is horrible, not as easy to detach camera, not much flexability to move camera around, doesn't hold camera well on windshield

Battery can't hold < 10 min of work

Good:

HDMI and USB car charger cable I could use them somehow

This is not the DOD, it is of very poor quality fake. The real cost her $ 10. Immediately after opening the box, she fell off the plastic ring on the lens. Sticker pasted on the monitor displacement curves with a 2 cm! The recording quality s***. Sound is written with strange noises. I'm very disappointed. I do not recommend either this product or this seller.

The recording quality and sound:

Ring on the lens:

The sticker on the monitor:

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

SanDisk SDMX18R-004GK-A57 Sansa Clip plus 4 GB MP3 Player,Factory Refurbished (Black)

SanDisk SDMX18R-004GK-A57 Sansa Clip plus 4 GB MP3 Player,Factory Refurbished
  • Store up to 1000 songs, 2400 photos or 12 hours of video
  • Memory card slot for pre-loaded cards
  • Digital FM tuner with 40 presets
  • Rechargeable battery lasts up to 15 hours
  • Built-in clip for easy carrying

In my opinion this is the best mini mp3 player on the market (however they have a newer model that looks great!) I bought this refurbished mp3 to replace my clip+ that I had for about 2-3 years. It seems as if the batteries have failed so I am just replacing it for as cheap as possible. I have an 8gb card in the player so I can hold 12 gigs. It is perfect for running and I love the clip too! A great player and a great alternative to an expensive ipod player or annoying itunes software. This player is drag and drop so it makes updating music as easy as it could be! I highly highly recommend this mp3 player!

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First, the only downside, and it is close to universal for small media players: the battery can not be replaced. Once the rechargeable cell reaches the end of its useful life, the entire unit becomes junk to be recycled. Sad but true, this is typical of portable players.

Otherwise, this is a lot player for the bucks. Interface and loading could hardly be easier in Windows environments, and scarcely more trouble in Mac.

Fidelity and stereo imaging are great. Battery life is outstanding. Picking and choosing tunes or options is intuitive and simple. For those not sold on, or do not need, the Apple "mystique" the Sansa is money well spent.

Read Best Reviews of SanDisk SDMX18R-004GK-A57 Sansa Clip plus 4 GB MP3 Player,Factory Refurbished (Black) Here

cheap, small, sturd, GREAT sound with the right amount of bass (can be boosted up with the EQ settings).

FM is good, music plays well, battery life is good.

i didn't know you can even record what's being played on FM, great feature!

also has voice recorder, good for taking notes.

30 bucks for a 4GB mp3 of this quality is worth it!

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For the $$, this unit is hard to beat.

Lot's of functions for volume, music, radio,video and music lists, which sync with your PC.

After going through so many players that break after falling, this unit is very rugged and can take it.

You can put pics and video on this player, you just need a computer to view them.

The addition of an external card is a great feature, as your music lists will know, no bounds!!!

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This is my first mp3 player. I bought this so I could listen to music while in cardiac rehab after a heart attack. Rehab was tedious and boring. But one day I listened to some music I had stored on my cell phone and realized I needed a player to do it right. I know I'm probably the last one to purchase a player but I really didn't think I needed one. Well, this little (and I mean little) toy about blew me away. I've loaded a number of CD's and mp3's on it and it's like exercising in a new world. IMO the tone is great. I tried it yesterday while working out and the time went by so quickly I was trying to figure a way to extend it. All music came through loud and clear from Classical to Talking Heads, the Stones to Mannheim Steamrollers. Exercising to music is so much easier. Wish I bought this a long time ago. And as I said, it's sooo tiny. Good thing it has the built in clip to attach to clothing or pocket. Now I just need to find a better headset because, as anticipated, the ear buds that came with it have a tendency to fall out. Better yet, wish this was blue tooth.