Sony Electret Condenser Omni-directional Flat Tabletop Microphone For Conference Meeting Recording

• Desk-top Electret Condenser Microphone
• Omni-Directional
• 100 to 15,000 Hz Frequency Response
• Effective Output Level:-51 <+->4 dBm
• Requires CR2025 Lithium Battery (not included)

DO NOT BUY THIS MICROPHONE IF YOU CARE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE ACTUALLY RECORDING A SESSION OR NOT. Steer clear!!! These mikes might look great, but of what use are they when they need a battery and there is no low battery indicator? There is absolutely no way to know that you're not getting a recording until you try to play something back and there's nothing there or it's faint sounding. What a useless microphone!! You also have to turn the microphone on and off on the bottom which is difficult to do because of the switch design and if you forget to turn it off, you'll run your battery down. Arrh!! This is the worst waste of money of my whole life... Thankfully, I only bought two, and they are not terribly expensive.

As a court repoorter, I'm always looking for new equipment and thought I would try these mikes for court as they looked low key and would be a nice addition to my microphone stable. I didn't see in the specs that they also require batteries (which by the way, don't come with the microphones) and I bought them only to find they would be of no use to me in my work as I can't run the risk of not getting a perfect recording each time.

Do not buy these microphones -any microphone that needs independent batteries and doesn't have a low battery indicator is worthless. I highly recommend the Labtec VERSE 333 MON MOUNT MIC ( 980184-0403 ) which are available on Amazon and are cheaper than the Sony. They have identical plugs and are about the same size. I have three of them and they work great. I have never had a problem. I take down courtrooms, public meetings in large rooms, depositions -and I get everything clearly enough to be able to provide a perfect transcript to my clients.

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First of all, you can't blame the seller for this. They delivered what I ordered on a timely basis and it looked like it looked in the ad. Exactly like the ad. So if you're expecting the common size of omni-directional microphone to cover a conference table, this isn't it. Instead this is a mini-microphone to go with your mini-recorder. I'm sure it will be worth the $18 or so I paid for it, but if you're looking for something of a more professional nature, you need to be prepared to pay a professional price.

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This product does what it's suppose to do for the price you paid for it. It collects the sound from all directions fine, but when playing it on the computer, it only comes from one speaker (the left one for me).

When you pay for a cheap product you get cheap results, I'm just glad it was my boss that paid for it.

There is no indicator whether the battery is low or not, or even if it already died. You best have a quarter in your pocket or turning the thing on or off can be a touch of a challenge.

It works, not how I'd like it to work. it collects sound, but you can only hear it from one side, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants some quality results.

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I can't say this item is very impressive. Granted you get what you pay for and this was a low cost item. If you are right on top of the microphone the clarity is good. However I turned my laptop into a phone and was able to perform conference calls and take notes when I am not in my office. I don't have a built in microphone on my laptop so I wanted to start with something that was not expensive but a brand I can trust. Sony usually is a strong brand and if I was doing this for personal use opposed to business it would probably be good enough. The unit is very small so it is able to travel which is a plus but the disadvantage is the performance. I would not purchase this item again for business reasons.

Tried this item for a business related conference, new battery, new Sony digital recorder. Found the mic on the recorder alone was far superior to what this product could do. Very disappointed. As other reviews state, you get what you pay for. Absolutely true statement. Definitly does not perform as the literature suggests. To me, it is not even worth the cost of the battery they do not supply.

Creative Labs Vado HD Pocket Video Camcorder 3rd Generation,120 Minutes (Black) - NEWEST MODEL

Vado is my favorite brand when it comes to pocket size "HD" camcorders, even at 720p and 30 fps the 2nd generation was one of my favorite for its crisp frames, very wide lens, and color contrast. I was very glad to hear that the 3rd generation came out (due to some issues with the low sound quality, over-saturated colors, over-exposure of sky and other little nuances with the 2nd generation). Then i saw this... (!)

The 3rd gen. Vado HD has half the memory (4GB) and as such can only record 1 hour of HD+ footage (as opposed to 2 hrs with the 2nd gen). And it still comes with no external memory slot. The nice matte, scratch resistant and fingerprint free finish is now gone. And the buttons that were previously neatly located and easy to press and navigate are now a touch-sensitive surface that you can easily brush (thus press) and not ever realize it. Still the camera does not have optical zoom (understandable for its size), still no image stabilization (still ok since at that price range, most digital-IS does nothing and optics take space) but still no 60fps or 1080p settings much un-like most of its competition. In addition, the memory is now cut in half and there is no way to add more!

The addition of motion detection is a 'fun' feature, but i don't see when mainstream users would take advantage of that.

Personally i would -muchrather see a timelapse feature (like the Samsung pocket cameras have), which is great for sky-scapes.

Alternatively, the ability to double as a web camera (like the Sony Webbie) would also be good and perhaps useful.

The 3rd gen also takes pictures, which (even at 1280x720) is a minor plus due to their low quality and the fact that you can always take frames out of video files and use them as pictures that's what the Vado's software does anyway.

The manual light-adjusting setting works pretty fine, but i always have to be careful not to touch the buttons and activate them by accident.

Color-wise, the 3rg gen seems closer to reality, without over-saturating reds/greens that much. As a result the video looks more natural but also not as lively or vivid as the 2nd gen. I guess that is a matter of personal preference.

When it comes to sound, the 3rd gen seems slightly louder, but it also comes with an external mic input for more demanding users or situations. I think that's a great addition over the previous model.

Finally, when it comes to the crispness of each frame of the film, some was unfortunately lost. This is sad, because the previous Vado still has the sharpest video-frames i have seen coming out of any pocket size camera i have ever used (which includes Sony, Kodak, Samsung, and Aiptek). I have a lot of side-by-side footage comparing the Sony, Samsung, and both versions of the Vado HD, it is all on YouTube, if you are interested, let me know.

--Video comparison: This model (3rd gen) on the left, Previous model (2nd gen) on the right. For the same video with much better detail and clarity, watch the original on yougube at:

So, overall, we had a pretty great 2nd gen. Vado HD.. and instead of adding a much needed memory card slot, and perhaps adding a color option (i.e. vivid vs. normal) to give the user a change to choose whether high color saturation is desired or not, or maybe add a 60fps or 1080p setting.. we got a 4GB / 1 hour / glossy / colorful camera that can detect motion!!

My suggestions to Creative: Drop the internal memory all together (if some is needed for usb connection/drivers/codec/etc, just use that much), ADD a micro-SD memory card reader, add manual controls for saturation/contrast/light, keep the external mic and HDMI out, keep the replaceable battery, and do not downgrade the currently high data-rate of more than 4Mbps @ HD and more than 8Mbps @ HD+ (which is great to be able to record at these high bit rates and imo larger files with quality are better than small useless ones, we can always compress later)

Offered to me for free by Amazon Vine, this is the first such product I have ever owned. Years ago, I took many home movies on film with 8mm silent, Super-8 silent, and Super-8 sound being the types I used, and then later I went to a JVC GR-SZ9 Super VHS camcorder. However, several years ago, I lost interest in video tape and I stopped taking home movies.

Fast forward to now: we have a granddaughter of whom we'd like to have some videos; I had been investigating various camcorders but had not yet made a decision.

Amazon Vine, with this Creative Labs Vado HD 3rd Generation Pocket Video Camcorder, 120 Minutes (Black) NEWEST MODEL, made it for me.

I received the unit yesterday and, per the instructions, I charged the battery. Now the instruction say to insert the battery into the camcorder and attach the camcorder to a USB port on your computer. I wanted to see if there was an alternate method of charging the battery and there is! You need only attach the camcorder (with the battery inserted) to a Creative Labs Battery Charger for Vado and Vado HD Camcorders or similar and plug the adapter into a wall socket. This is quite advantageous.

Amazon offers a spare battery [Creative Labs Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery for Vado HD Camcorder] and external chargers, one for the home and one for the car [Creative Labs Vado HD 720p Pocket Video Camcorder 6 Feet USB Extention Cable, Car Charger, Travel Charger], thereby offering the option of having two batteries using one while keeping the other one charged. That will be quite a convenience and you'll never run out of power. Amazon also offers several carrying cases for this unit (one is even waterproof), including this Creative Labs Vado VF0570APS Pocket Video Camera Mesh Pouch (Silver), the one I bought. The prices for these accessories, as well as several other useful accessories offered by Amazon, are quite reasonable.

I want to emphasize the fact that the battery is easily removable and replaceable. This is a rare thing in this age of built-in non-replaceable (except by the factory at a very high price) batteries and, for me, is a distinct advantage.

I was a bit worried that the camcorder might not work with my computer; it is configured to work with either Windows (XP SP2, Vista, or 7) as well as Mac but I use the Ubuntu Linux operating system on my computer.

I need not have worried. The camcorder works perfectly in conjunction with my computer and it will obviously work well with yours, regardless of your operating system. And transferring a video or picture file from the unit to your computer is a snap!

Thus far I have had only enough time to try the cam minimally. I have tried all three video settings HD+ and HD (both are configured to produce MP4 files with AAC+ sound and the video in both is 1280 x 720) and VGA, which also produces MP4/AAC+ files with the video is formatted at 640 x 480 (ideal for e-mailing and for posting to YouTube, etc.). I did send via e-mail a VGA video [33 seconds, 8.9 MB] to my son (who lives across the country in California) and he said the video was fine though there was some "snow" in the picture (I had sent him a video of our latest snowstorm! ... ;-) ... just to bring back to him some "fond memories" he always hated shoveling snow!).

The picture quality in all three settings is excellent. (My son was actually quite amazed at the quality of the video I had sent him and remember that this was taken at VGA, the lowest quality setting.) I believe that any purchaser will be surprised and VERY pleased with the results this camcorder supplies. I am!

Sound recording, being somewhat more problematic, is good if care is taken; an external microphone, which this unit can accommodate, would greatly improve the sound quality but at a price, of course both the cost of the microphone as well as the cost in portability and ease of use.

I think that, for most people, the built-in microphone will suffice.

It is very easy to convert MP4 files to the Audio_TS and Video_TS files used on DVDs and I plan to make DVDs from the videos I take with this camcorder.

I also tried taking a still picture. It turned out quite nicely though not as good as that which can be obtained with a dedicated digital camera.

Nonetheless, taking into consideration its size (tiny), weight (next-to-nothing), ease of use (REALLY easy!), and the relative high quality of the videos and pictures it produces, this camcorder is a definite winner.

Frankly, as I'm sure you are aware and as I indicated, it is not going to replace an elaborate dedicated video camcorder or a dedicated digital camera (especially a DSLR or Micro Four-Thirds model) for certain applications but, with its portability and ease of use and the fact that you can take it everywhere you go, this unit will be available to you when you might not be carrying one of those more elaborate cameras. Plus it "boots up" VERY fast (and can be set to turn on even faster, if you wish) so you will never miss a shot. The videos and pictures it produces are far better than anything that I have seen produced by a cell-phone. It even features a standard tripod mount!

Is there anything I would like to see changed? Yes I wish Creative would introduce a model which had NO internal memory and used an SD or similar card. The user of such a product would essentially have "unlimited" room to take video (imagine using a 32 GB card!) and would not have to transfer files to a computer or external hard drive (and delete them from an internal memory) nearly as often.

But that is really a minor point. Given this camcorder's wonderful attributes (including its obvious superb construction quality which includes its lens and LCD screen), I can give it NO LESS than five stars as well as my highest recommendation possible.

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Update: April 12, 2010

Last night, using my ASUS Eee PC 1000 10-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 40 GB Solid State Drive, 20 GB Eee Storage, Linux, 6 Cell Battery) Fine Ebony (no longer available) in conjunction with my Western Digital WD Elements 320 GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive WDBAAR3200ABK-NESN (Black) (on which I store my videos), I projected a three-minute video of our granddaughter (taken in a supermarket) onto a 110" (diagonal) screen, using my PT-AE4000U LCD XGA 16:9 1600 Lumens HDmi Svid 16.1LBS Hdtv Projector. (On Friday I had received a VGA cable which allowed me to connect my computer to the projector.) I ran the sound from the computer into my Yamaha RX-Z9 AV receiver 7.1 channel. The projected picture was absolutely clear and sharp with almost perfect exposure (the first 5 or 10 seconds were too 'red,' as I described in a comment, but the color quickly settled down) and the sound was excellent.

I took the video using the middle video setting (720p). I had converted the MP4 file the camcorder produces to an AVI file but this would make no difference to the quality of the projected image. (One of these days I suppose I should try the higher 720p HD setting.)

Both my wife and I were really astounded that is the only word I can use at the quality of the image and sound we were seeing on our screen.

We both HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this product. I'm quite certain that anyone who buys one will be REALLY pleased.

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Update: July 14, 2010

Having owned this Creative Labs Vado HD Pocket Video Camcorder 3rd Generation,120 Minutes (Black) NEWEST MODEL and the Kodak PlaySport (Zx3) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera (Black) NEWEST MODEL and using them side-by-side, overall I now prefer this Creative one. It is just as easy to use as the Kodak, its images, at 720p, appear to be as good as Kodak's 1080p images, at least on our 110" screen, and the Creative's battery lasts much longer. Even though the Kodak can hold, with a 16GB SD card, much more video than the Creative, its battery runs out before you can take even a fraction of what the card can hold.

Neither camcorder is perfect and I could be happy with either. I think most people would feel the same. But, having had and extensively using both, overall I prefer the Creative.

As always, it's your call. Thank you for reading this and I hope it has been of some help to you.

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Update: August 26, 2010

We just returned home from a four and one-half week vacation in which we drove across the country and back, taking two different routes. We had with us both this camcorder as well as our Kodak PlaySport (Zx3) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera (Black) NEWEST MODEL.

I had charged both of my batteries I had bought a spare and, during that time, I needed only to swap batteries once (and did not charge them until we got home). We took about four hours of video (transferring them to a netbook computer every day).

Frankly, we never used the Kodak at all; I am very disappointed with its battery life. This Creative one, on the other hand, offers excellent battery life and, if it's not quite as convenient to use as the Kodak nor can it hold as much video as can the 16 GiB card I have in the Kodak, the battery life is really the most important factor for me, at least on an extended trip.

The videos that both camcorders produce is amazing but this one also takes fantastic and I mean FANTASTIC! video in very low-light settings, something the Kodak is unable to do nearly as well. (This Creative Labs Vado has a very fast f2.0 lens.)

Though the Kodak model has much to recommend it (especially for use at the shore or in inclement weather), I find that I personally favor this Creative model and I recommend it to all. Thank you again for reading this.

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Update: November 13, 2010

A reader of this review asked, in a Comment, whether this camcorder has a wrist strap or a means for attaching one. It DOES have a place to attach a wrist strap though Creative certainly doesn't make it obvious or supply, in the documentation, any indication of this ability. Nor does Creative make or sell an appropriate wrist strap. An owner will have to take the unit to a craft store and see if a suitable one can be had there. I discovered this information while I was browsing Creative's web site.

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Update: July 9, 2011

Though I own two other pocket video camcorders, this one remains my "go-to" camcorder. It is easy to use, reliable, offers superb battery life, and it takes good videos! I couldn't ask for much more.

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I am not one to typically write a review of a product (this is my first)... but the Vado made me do it! After having spent time with the Flip HD cam, i was ready to give up on the mini/micro HD market, because the quality (sound and video) was so poor. I assumed that would be the case for all similar products. But a friend convinced me to give the Vado a shot, and I was immediately impressed. I love the fact that it takes both static pictures and video. This is a great fix for all of the woes of packing bulky equipment and accessories to memorialize trips and vacations. Now you only have to have room in your pocket. And the quality is outstanding! I am definitely a fan, and am going to look into other products that Creative Labs develops... because we should all experience this type of happiness with all of our electronics.

Read Best Reviews of Creative Labs Vado HD Pocket Video Camcorder 3rd Generation,120 Minutes (Black) - NEWEST MODEL Here

I own both a 3rd generation Creative Labs Vado HD and 2nd generation Flip MinoHD so this is my review and comparison of the two side by side.

*Size / Weight Comparison*

The Flip and the Vado are almost identical in size. The only difference is that the flip is about a quarter inch longer and the Vado is about a quarter inch wider. Both camcorders seem to weigh just about the same. The screen size of both camcorders is exactly 2 inches, which is measured diagonally.

*Accessories Included*

Neither the Flip or the Vado come with a charging cable that allow you to charge them by plugging them into any outlet however you can charge them by plugging them into any USB port whether it by on your PC, PS3 or even your TV if it has USB ports on it.

Neither the Flip or the Vado come with the HDMI connector that is needed to play video on your TV. You will need to purchase the connector separately but both the Flip and the Vado have HDMI output on them so you can plug the HDMI connector right into them and plug in the other end to your TV for quick and easy viewing.

The Flip comes with a carry pouch that that will keep it nice and clean and might keep it from getting scratched but it will not protect it from damage due to falling or moisture. The Vado doesn't come with a case at all.

*Recording Time / Battery Life*

Both have recording time of 120 minutes. The Flip has a built-in internal battery that can't be changed. This could be a bad thing if the battery goes bad the whole camcorder is no good. The Vado has a removable battery that can be replaced if needed. The Vado seems to hold a charge much better than the Flip as well. I noticed that both were fully charged and stored for about 1 week and the Vado still has a full charge but the Flip has about 2/3 charge left.

*Picture Quality*

Both offer high resolution 720p and the picture quality is impressive. Both lack any compensation to adjust for hand movement. There is only a slight difference in the picture quality between the Flip and the Vado. The Flip seems to have a slightly brighter and more brilliant picture.

*Tripod Mount*

Both have the option to be mounted to a tripod

I love both the Vado and the Flip and it would be difficult to pick a favorite. The performance of both is very similar, they have mostly the same options and they are usually about the same price. I like the physical appearance of the Flip better than the Vado. I like the video software better that comes with the Vado than the Flip. My only problem with the Flip is that you can't replace the battery if it goes bad.

I would feel very comfortable recommending either the Vado or the Flip to anyone at this point. If my opinion changes in the future then I will update my review.

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I owned the first generation of this camera, so when the lcd broke on the other one after an accident, I was pretty confident that I would love this one as well. Not so.

The worst problem is the addition of the touch sensitive controls. It's very easy to accidentally push any of the buttons. I'd read about this in reviews before I got the camera, but it ended up being way worse of a problem than I expected. The only actual button on the back of the camera is the record button, and it must be way too easy to press as well, because in the short time that I owned it I recorded well over 3 hours of footage from my pocket. This even after I turned it off and disabled the quick record option. Call me old fashioned, but I think you should be able to put a "pocket camera" in your pocket. Also, I never had this problem with the first generation. Let me also say that I was really disappointed that they cut the amount memory in half from the first generation of this camera, and still without adding the option for a micro-sd slot to add anymore memory. Lastly, it may be a bit superficial, but they changed the wonderful mat finish of the first generation to a glossy finish on this one, and it's covered in fingerprints after only a couple minutes use. Plus, the new design on the front of the camera is just plain ugly.

On the plus side, the video quality is pretty good for the price range and given that it's a pocket camera. It definitely captured the colors well and in stunning resolution (though I would love to see them add options for 60fps and better image stabilization). The sound quality is about what you would expect (not so bad), but I love the addition of a microphone jack (for using an external mic instead of the built-in) and I wish I could've tried this out! Also, they added the option to choose your exposure level with this generation, which made me very happy, because the first generation definitely needed it, and so this camera works much better in lower light. Not great, mind you, but better. The added option to to take pictures instead of video was also a nice surprise, and the pictures came out pretty well as long as you could hold the camera relatively still and choose the correct exposure amount.

Overall, I was very unhappy with this camera. Mine ended up having some sort of issue, so luckily I was able to send it back and get a full refund; I would not have been happy had I been stuck with this one. I was happy with the video quality, and some of the new options were a step in the right direction, but creative definitely took a number of missteps with this camera that make it almost unusable. The biggest drawbacks of this camera were definitely the addition of touch sensitive buttons and the cameras tendency to record while in your pocket. Creative has definitely fallen behind the pocket camera market, and I do hope they step it up and come out with a camera that can compete a little better. At this point, I'm probably going to be getting the Kodak Zi8 instead.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

2) Solution from another user:

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

3) Solution from yet another user:

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

Hope this helps.

PTC 6 ft High Speed HDMI 1.3 Category 2 Certified Cable w/Ferrite Cores (Gold Plated Connectors) -

Using this cable to connect my up-converting DVD player to our new TV. Works fine with great audio at 1080i and 1080p. I tried it with my laptop as well, just because and it worked well too.

The included dust caps are a nice feature as well. I have two of these and the extra sits coiled up behind the TV for when friends bring over game systems and such, so the dust cap was a welcome freebie!

Just bought a 55 inch Sony. Shopped around for different HDMI cables and thought I'd try these out before a spent big money on the more expensive cables. The price difference is ridiculous so I wasn't expecting much. I was plesantly supprised. The cables all (I bought 5 for my various devices) worked fine and delivered a great picture. Why spend more?

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Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box (for Antenna Use)

• Set-top box converts digital broadcast stations for viewing on your analog television set
• Standard RF antenna output and RCA with stereo audio outputs for connecting to your television
• Fully ATSC compliant--receives RF channels 2-69, supports all 18 broadcast formats, decodes Dolby AC-3 audio
• Parental control with V-Chip technology, lockable channels, and downloadable Rating Region tables
• Selectable aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9 for different TV screens

I've been playing around with three DTV converter boxes over the past three months (Magnavox DTV Digital to Analog Converter, TR-40 CRA by Dish Network, and this Zinwell), and none of them stands out above the rest. They all do about the same thing, providing excellent picture quality over their analog equivalents, and I can get 27/28 channels with a rooftop antenna in the Baltimore-Washington area. This Zinwell is the latest, and after about 2 months of testing it, here are my observations:

Pros:

It has a power button and channel buttons on the front of the box in case you misplace the remote

It displays signal intensity/quality meters each time you change the channel so you can adjust your antenna for best reception

Internal firmware is upgradeable for future updates

Built-in timer changes channels for extending the life of analog VCRs

Great picture quality

Analog pass-through (kind of)

Volume control from this remote (based on TV's current max volume)

Parental controls

Cons:

Remote control is pretty flimsy

Power cord is only 3' long so you may need an extension cord to reach a wall jack

Analog pass-through signal is not as clear as without the box

Picks up one less channel than the Magnavox on the same antenna

Built in time clock slips a few minutes over a period of weeks; annoying if you're using it to provide programming to an analog VCR

red LED to tell you it's "off" is an unnecessary waste of energy

Having spoken to others using various DTV boxes/setups, it seems like the deciding factor on how many channels you'll receive is what kind of antenna you're using. Those with rabbit ears inside the house get as few as 4-6 channels; my 18-year old stationary roof-top antenna gets 27-28 as of today.

Aug. 2011 UPDATE: It's been 3 years since I first wrote my review, and Amazon has now changed the product photo to one that looks nothing like the model I purchased in 2009. I don't understand why they wouldn't have given it a new model number if it totally changed; you may need to do some research.

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I purchased the two major timer event schedulable/programmable converter boxes available as of this date: the Zinwell and the DTVPal Plus (enhanced version of the DTVPal or TR-40 CRA). These are some of the major problems and advantages of each.

The biggest problem I have with the Zinwell is that the remote control is the flimsiest and cheapest control I have ever seen with any product. The down arrow button is already having problems responding to pressing after only a few days. It usually takes several years before buttons on a remote control begin to go bad, and I am concerned that this one will not even be working a year from now. The text labels on the buttons are rubbing off and becoming harder to read.

The biggest problem with the DTVPal Plus is the reception. The Plus is supposed to have enhanced reception over the prior models which were famous for bad reception, but in my area it gets a couple less UHF channels than the Zinwell and often has severe breakup on the ABC affiliate and two other channels (even with an amplified antenna). Perhaps this will be less of an issue if digital signals get boosted in February.

The Zinwell has 8 timer events to 5 for the DTVPal Plus. The Zinwell lacks a recurring M-F weekday scheduling option. Both devices make you go through several menus to get to the timer scheduling. The DTVPal Plus has an awkward event scheduling process that takes you through two screens. The Zinwell has its own awkwardness-it makes you choose a channel from a list of station call letters rather than channel numbers! The Zinwell also requires confirmation at the end of the timer scheduling process, and defaults to Cancel making it easy to accidentally cancel your timer event, so watch out.

If you like on-screen program guides, the DTVPal Plus has a fuller one than the Zinwell, and you can even schedule timer events direct from the program guide with the DTVPal Plus. The DTVPal Plus has an annoying download each time you turn on the converter box, but you can cancel the download.

If you get a Zinwell, do not throw out the manual. Zinwell has unfortunately set a password on some of the channel functions, so you will need to look up the default password in the manual if you try to access these functions.

Do not expect much support. Both companies took several days to respond to an inquiry and gave canned answers that did not address my question. After supplying follow-up information, neither company got back to me. There are several other issues and quirks with both devices.

(--some updated notes 9/16/2009 after a few months of using--)

The Zinwell picture quality has been nice. Occasionally, I have had an issue with the Zinwell audio and video getting slightly out of synch (as also reported by some other reviewers)-but doesn't bother me and turning off and on puts them back in synch.

The biggest problem I have had with regular use of the Zinwell is that scheduled recurring events (weekly, etc.) get messed up regularly so I have to constantly monitor them. The Zinwell loses the channel on the recurring events and resets the channel to the highest station number. (I believe this is the most commonly reported major problem with this device.) Periodically it loses the recurring events completely and they need to be reentered. One-time events also get corrupted sometimes, although less often. Even the most popular 5 star review of this box by couchbum, in the Comments link, acknowledges that the timers fail periodically.

The DTVPal Plus tends to run hot, so I have propped it up at an angle to give it some cooling space. I have had a disturbing problem a couple of times where the DTVPal Plus would not power on-had to unplug it from the power source and plug it back in again, and then it resumed working.

Since they boosted the digital signals after the transition, the DTVPal Plus weaker reception has not been a problem and it now gets all the channels that my other converter boxes get. (However, I live in an urban area and have an amplified antenna, so the weaker reception may still be a problem for many people.)

The DTVPal Plus regularly loses timer events and is very unreliable. I have found two specific sequences of timer events that cause it to consistently drop events. The DTVPal Plus timer issues have been far more numerous and problematic than those with the Zinwell. I used several VCRs over two decades and never had a device malfunction on its timer events or spontaneously change the selected channel. Not sure why it is so difficult for these digital boxes.

I get the best results with both devices by setting timers the morning of the same day as the programs. Setting timers a day or more in advance of the programs increases chances for timer event corruption.

Although the on-screen station program guide for the DTVPal Plus is robust, it has an inadequacy. The normal program guide access turns off audio and video while you are browsing the guide, so you cannot hear or watch television as you peruse it. To view television as you browse the guide, you cannot use the Guide button on the remote but must use the directional buttons to access the guide-but the guide still overlays much of the screen (semi-transparent).

In the clock settings, the Zinwell has no daylight savings on/off, while the DTVPal Plus does allow you to control daylight savings. The Zinwell has the advantage that you can manually set the time, while the DTVPal Plus does not allow you to. If you manually set the time in the Zinwell, I found it loses 1-2 minutes per week and also loses the clock time completely if power goes out even for a second (most devices will hold the time for 2-3 minutes in a power outage). I have mine on a UPS (backup battery) to keep it from losing time in a brief power outage. At least the Zinwell allows you to control the time if you want to. (Early in the digital conversion both boxes were keeping erratic time so clock options were important, but digital time signals have improved enough now that using automatic time is generally fine. This has made the options of manual time setting and daylight savings much less important but I have included this info for those interested.)

The DTVPal Plus has one bright spot: it handles poor signal quality well. The two aspects of reception are signal strength and signal quality. While the DTVPal Plus does not pick up low strength well, it does handle poor signal quality very well. There are a couple of minor stations with poor quality (but adequate strength) that my Zenith and Zinwell cannot receive but that the DTVPal Plus picks up. In my experience, it also has less dropout from other things that reduce signal quality, such as splitting the antenna feed or electrical interference.

One other small plus I have found with the DTVPal Plus: it operates from my old universal remote (as a SAT box), which allows me to control all my devices-very, very handy. None of the other converter boxes that I have will work with this old universal remote, although I have heard that some of the newer universal remotes can control converter boxes. This somewhat makes up for the fact that the DTVPal Plus has no buttons on the box and can only be operated by remote control. (However, it may be too sensitive-it also turns on when I press the fast forward button on one brand of VCR remote!)

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I only have an outdoor TV antenna. No cable or satellite. I too bought this converter for the built in timer. You can record different channels at different times while you're away from home with your VCR and TV antenna (However, you can not record one station and watch another station "at the same time"). You have to set your TV and VCR to channel 3 (always) and the timer in this converter is what you set for the time and channel to record. Make sure the clock time on the converter box matches the clock time on your VCR. Or you may miss part of your show. There is one problem that I haven't figured out yet. I hooked this converter to the TV in my living room. My outdoor antenna cable line continues on and goes to the bedroom and the TV in the bedroom only plays the channel that the converter box is on in the living room. I have 2 of these converter boxes and so I hooked the second one up in the bedroom. It receives no channel signals. Well, that didn't last long since I received my DVD recorder in the mail (Toshiba DR560 1080p Upconverting DVD Recorder with Built-in Tuner, bought on Amazon) and this DVD recorder has a built-in ATSC/NTSC/QAM digital/analog tuner. Meaning, I don't need a converter box in my living room now. This DVD recorder allows me to record one station and watch another station at the same time from my over the air, outdoor antenna. Just like a VCR. Awesome! Now the converter box works on the bedroom TV. Since the DVD recorder is allowing the signal to continue on through to the bedroom. I am a happy camper. I now have an extra converter box. Maybe I'll sell it on Amazon.

Over 3 years ago, I got rid of my cable (yes, the first 3 months was very difficult). I bought an outdoor TV antenna and lived with that for about a year. The reception wasn't good, lots of white specs or lines. Then I bought a "booster" for the antenna. A big improvement almost like receiving paid cable. This converter box allows me to receive more TV stations then the outdoor TV antenna alone. I haven't figured out yet what these stations are. I think they're cable or satellite channels. This converter box also improved the reception of all the TV stations. My new DVD recorder, as I mentioned above, also improved the reception even better then this converter box.

By the way, so far I've saved over 2 thousand dollars by getting rid of my paid cable and going to an outdoor antenna. Add up your monthly cable bill and times it by 12. That's what you're paying a year for paid cable.

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I've had my Zinwell converter box for two months and a few days ago, it simply stopped working. The unit powers up and five seconds later goes off. The real problem though is with Zinwell. When I called I went to the tech support line where I was told to leave a message only to find out the mailbox was full. After two attempts, I keyed in the customer service extension and same thing happened. THIS ISN'T BAD CUSTOMER SERVICE, IT'S ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE. BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

The main reason I bought this product was for the DVR/VCR Timer. This feature allows you to program your favorite shows, and the box will automatically change channels to that show. You can then use your DVR or VCR to capture the video off the box.

Other boxes like the Zenith DTT901 have better reception capability, but lack the ability to operate with DVRs or VCRs.

The Zinwell also has analog passthru for people who will be watching Low Power or "clear air" stations after the February 2009 analog shutdown. If you're like me, and don't have any analog stations post-transition, then this feature has no real relevance.

The Zinwell's guide is rather poor, since it only tells you what program is on now, and what program will be on next hour. The Dish DTVpal has a full=featured guide upto 12 hours into the future, but I don't recommend that device due to poor quality build & software bugs that make it almost unusable.

Overall I'm satisfied with the Zinwell's DVR and VCR capability, although I still use the Zenith as my main box when watching live television.

Creative ZEN Touch 2 8 GB Android Based MP3 and Video Player (Black)

• Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) enabled, which lets you connect to the Internet on-the-go within any Internet hotspot
• This means you can surf the net or log-on to your favorite webmail site and correspond via email.
• The intuitive 3.2" touch screen allows you to navigate with ease and responds to your every touch
• Android 2.1 web browser with auto rotate and double-tap zoom features.
• Built-in 2 MP camera lets you take photos and record videos.
• Bluetooth 2.1 Wireless Technology works with all compatible stereo Bluetooth speakers & headphones such as the ZiiSound D5 & Creative WP-300.
• * This means you can surf the net or log-on to your favorite webmail site and correspond via email.
• Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n) enabled, which lets you connect to the Internet on-the-go within any Internet hotspot.

Addendum 1/29/13:

I've seen a lot of reviews for this MP3 player, where people are having trouble finding apps, since Google Play is not available with this product. Besides Amazon.com, I've discovered 1mobile.com. It's great and completely accessible with the Zen Touch 2 (as well as the ZiiO 7 & 10). The site offers free apps, many of which are on Google Play. They offer an app for the 1mobile Market, which gets you to the site quickly right from the Zen. I've found apps that I couldn't get anywhere else. And, they are the most updated versions (which is not always true with Amazon). Just remember, as pointed out in other reviews ... this is an MP3 player with internet access. It's not powerful enough to do what most tablets can do with the internet and various streaming sites. It will freeze and malfunction if pushed to those limits. However, if you enjoy it as an MP3 player with additional internet features, you should enjoy it a lot. The sound is fantastic, with wired headphones or with Bluetooth headphones/speakers. I also use it for reading ebooks (using the Bluefire Reader), recording conversations with ease and stealth (using Easy Voice recorder app), and checking out sites on the internet (as well as getting my email).

I have a lot of experience with MP3 players, having owned many Creative Zen players over the years. So, when it was time to upgrade and retire my older players, I wanted to find one with Bluetooth capability and the ability to play music saved on MicroSD cards. Using MicroSD cards allows me to carry all my music (hundreds of albums) with me while traveling, without having to put all the music directly into the MP3 player's internal memory. After checking the information available for Creative's Zen M300, I decided to give it a try. Although it had all the features that I wanted and more, it did something that was very annoying for me. Specifically, it played the tracks from my albums (each album in separate file folders) off the MicroSD card in alphabetical order. I experienced this problem once before (with the Creative Stone MP3 player) and have never understood it. Why would any player be programmed to play tracks alphabetically instead of by track number? I get the idea of playlists. But, sometimes, you just want to put an album in your player (so to speak) and listen in order (like a CD ... or even a record!). This is especially important if you listen to classical music and operas, in addition to all the other music that you like. So, I wrote to Creative tech support, and they quickly responded noting that this could not be changed with this player; they suggested looking into the Touch2 which uses the Android operating system. I liked this idea, owning 2 Creative ZiiO tablets (with Android 2.2) and enjoying them and their ability to play music in proper order right off the SD cards.

So, I sent back the Zen M300 and ordered the Creative Zen Touch2. Now, I'm very pleased. First, it was a breeze to set up. The Android 2.2 operating system is easy to navigate and works really well. Like I noted earlier, I have a lot of experience with this OS from the ZiiO tablets. There are a few differences, but nothing significant. The touch screen works very well, although it takes a little practice and time to get used to the feel and amount of pressure needed. It was very easy to set up the wireless connection and then to connect to the internet. I've worked around google play by using Amazon's App store in the past. It worked great with the Touch2 as well. Connecting the Bluetooth to my headphones and wireless speakers was simple and fast. And, as expected from Creative's MP3 players, the sound is fantastic. Oh, and I almost forgot to emphasize that it reads the tracks in order to track number, not alphabetically with the installed player. If I wanted something more elaborate, there are plenty of music players that I could download from Amazon or another site using the WiFi and browser. Battery life has been good so far; I own a Creative universal MP3 charger which allows me to use an electric outlet instead of my computer's USB. I read other reviews that spoke about the player freezing up a lot. My player initially was frozen after the first charge for some unknown reason; I used a pin to reset the player (next to the MicroSD card slot), and it started with no problem. There've been no other freezing up problems since. I think the updated firmware (which was already installed on my player) should help the earlier versions to fix this problem. Overall, I'm very pleased with this new Creative MP3 player, which now uses Android and allows internet access, in addition to playing my music properly.

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Mostly use it for gym, morning jogs, bicycling, etc. I've dropped it so many times and it has never stopped working. Had an ipod, dropped it once, died. If you are looking for a player that keeps playing, this is it. Plus, it's super easy to use and stores videos. So I can put my workout videos on here too.

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I bought this because it has Bluetooth, so I was willing to put up with just about anything so I could use wireless headphones excercising. The Firmware is really buggy so maybe there will be a fix later. The issue I would not expect is that it freezes up ALL the time. Powering down, at the end of an album, using the explorer etc. So much you need a permanent paper clip handy so you can reset the device every time you use it. When it freezes it will drain the battery so watch out.

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Our daughter wanted a "Touch" mp3 player, but Apple is outlawed in our house. (My husband is an IT mangager and will not allow iTunes on our personal computers.) We both own Android phones and love them, but don't want our 12-year-old to have a phone yet. So...this was the next best deal. This Android based mp3 player works great. There is some work-arounds we've had to do to get important components on it for her, but with our familiarity with Android we're able to do it easy enough. I found her a sleep timer app so it would turn off in the night. I also found her an app especially for listening to audio books. She loves being able to get to her email on the wifi. She can also read books via a Kindle app attached to my account. The cost was also much better than an ipod with the same attributes. The only trouble we have that we can't figure out right now is that once we upgraded the device using the file on the Creative website, her wmv files don't seem to work anymore. They play only the audio and not the video. They worked before the upgrade. However, I have contacted Creative and they helping us out. We are still in the process of finding a solution.

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I've had this item for about 2 months now. It's an adequate MP3 player, but don't expect too much. If you're expecting it to behave like an iPod touch or a higher end Android based device, then you'll be disappointed. Like other reviews have mentioned, the software is buggy and you'll have limited access to Android apps. I loaded the Android Market App from the web, which the device doesn't recommend, but it does give you more access. You don't have full access to the Google Play Store and some apps won't function correctly or at all.

WiFi capabilities is handy because a file manager app allow you access to local network storage. Mobile versions of the web is also available, but at times sluggish and the screen is not very big. Touchscreen response is also sometimes delayed or not very responsive.

The camera is not too spectacular, but it does have that capability of taking pictures and video (make sure you have plenty of lighting because it doesn't have a flash). The Micro SD expansion slot is a plus for storage.

Battery life is not like other MP3 players I've tried that only last for a couple hours, but it doesn't last for 24 hours if you use it continuously for any function whether for music or surfing the web. It does last about 8 hours continuously (more or less) as an MP3 player from my experience. Having Bluetooth and/or WiFi on will drain battery so it will shorten how long you can use it before charging again.

For my purpose as mainly an MP3 player with Internet and Bluetooth capability, it is adequate although some of the interface is at times cumbersome. Again, don't expect an iPod Touch replacement because you will be disappointed.

New 4gb 2.8-inch Touch Screen Mp4 Player with Camera Black

I debated between 4 or 5 stars because there are quite a few things that could have been done much better, but I can't believe all the features they crammed into this for just $28 (including shipping).

If you're looking for a high quality device, this might not be right for you, but if you want a cheap device that does one or more of these functions adequately, it could be quite the deal. While there are a few usability annoyances, most of the features do appear to be at least useable. I've encountered a lot of ultra-cheap devices that have a log checklist of features, but they are implemented so poorly that they can't be used. While the cheap hardware does put limits on the function and some of the interfaces could be improved, most do seem usable.

Here are a few features and specs that aren't mentioned in the product description:

The ear-buds are white. This is a genuine iPod wana-be.

The camera takes pictures up to 1280x960 resolution (defaults to 1024x768, but can be adjusted up or down). It appears to only save images as very low quality .jpg's. A 1024x768 image was 100kB, a 1280x960 was 150kB.

Video recording 320x240 resolution with audio.

Comes with stylus (but no good place to store it).

Can operate as a USB PC camera (not tested)

Built in speaker (not high quality sound, but handy on occasion).

Switch to lock out the touch screen.

Other Apps included:

Calculator (simple, not scientific)

stopwatch

calendar: just displays a calendar with a few major holidays. This is not a planner.

Games: Go, Chinese Chess, "road" (shuffling blocks to get the big block to the exit), Minesweeper

Notebook (A simple text editor). This has an on screen keyboard and handwriting recognition of English and simplified Chinese. The English recognition doesn't seem to work very well, but it appears that with some practice one could find the way to write each letter so it would be recognized. The keyboard has a bug where pressing the shift key prompts to "Clear all text", so I haven't found a way to make capital letters except with handwriting recognition. Trying to make a capital C can be difficult. One way to work around this was to "return" to Chinese character entry mode and select "all" instead of simplified Chinese. then when you draw a character, it will display a large number of characters it thinks you might have typed (both Chinese and English), and you can select the one you want. For some reason however, when entered this way, the characters have spaces between them that can't be deleted. The notepad application has locked up on me twice, requiring resetting the device. Reset can be done by poking the stylus in a well-marked hole in the side of the case. It reboots in less than 15 seconds. So this app appears to not be too useful, but looked impressive at first.

Touch screen:

The touch screen is pressure sensitive (not capacitive), so don't expect it to work like an iPhone. With the included stylus, it works pretty well. Some operations can be done with finger touch, but the accuracy isn't good enough for a lot of the small buttons, or buttons near the edge. This could be an annoyance. Since there is no slot to hold the stylus, I probably won't bring it with me, so I'll need to improvise. The ear-bud plug can be used in a pinch.

Manual:

The printed manual appears to have been based on a different version of the software than is on the device. It comes with a CD that might have more info, but I haven't gotten around to looking at it yet since it is a small CD which I can't put into my CD drive without tipping my PC on its side. The most important part is the instructions is to hold the power button for three seconds to turn it on, which I might not have guessed without the manual, but it doesn't mention that it's a slider, not a button, and you have to slide it the correct direction. Sliding the other direction is to lock out the touchscreen.

The Display is adequate. It looks like 320x240 resolution. The viewing angle is pretty bad (only one person can really look at it). I haven't tried it in daylight yet.

Quality:

lightweight

It arrived with the Mini-SD card slot cover detached. I was able to put it back on, but it seems to fall off when I open it. The SD slot cover is hard to open.

The case has a slight misalignment, but it doesn't look too bad.

I noticed a lot of static on the radio as I was listening to the radio in the background and doing other things. I'm not sure if it's whenever the screen updates or when the processor is working.

Quirks:

Up down arrows. to increase a number, press the down arrow. To decrease, press up.

The play/pause/stop button shows the current state, not what will happen if you press the button, which is different than most apps I'm used to.

This product is overall good. It weighs much less than I anticipated which is nice. Some things about it are not what I had thought when I bought it. This media player looks like an iphone, but does not compare in performance. The touch screen is very difficult to work at times. And not all videos can be played on the player. But what music I do load onto the player plays very well. And is much smaller than an iphone, which is nice.

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The product arrived on time and was exactly as described! My son got this for his birthday and loves it. The instructions were very easy and he was able to download music, videos, and pics, by himself.

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I received mine 2 weeks ago. It is perfect for me, was able to download music easily, and pretty fast. The only thing I can not figure out is how to download my TXT file books on it? I have books to add to it, but I can not figure it out, seeing that the user manual does not give details. If anyone knows how I download games, and e-books onto the MP4, can you please share? Thank you in advance :)

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It is cheap plastic and you have to bang the crap out of it to get the touch screen to work

JVC XL-FZ158BK 5-CD Changer

• Play exchange lets you swap any 4 discs while 1 is playing
• 32-track programming
• Headphone output with volume control
• 8x oversampling digital filter
• Compu Link remote

I found this unit to be of excellent quaility like all JVC products. The unit does not come with a remote. It is accessed through JVC's Compu Link using the remote ,in my case, with my JVC Receiver. Sound is excellent and the optical output is a plus. I would recommend this product for anyone with a JVC Receiver.

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I agree with most that has been said about this player: the sound was excellent, its features were easy to use, and truth be told I didn't mind not having a remote. But the unit arrived shoddily put together, in particular the disc tray, and within hours of setting it up the tray stuck. I don't know whether this is an isolated incident or not, but I can't recommend for that reason.

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I love this JVC CD changer. Sounds great and works flawlessly. Only downside is that it does NOT come with a remote so if you don't have a JVC receiver to hook it to (with compulink system) in order to use one remote, I'd suggest another model.

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THIS UNIT IS A GOOD VALUE WITH GREAT FEATURES AND SOUND FOR THE PRICE. IF YOU'RE LOOKING IN THIS PRICE RANGE, CHECK IT OUT. AS USUAL, JVC DELIVERS.

We are thoroughly enjoying our CD player. it came promptly, very well packed, no damage. Everything works as promised. It was a terrific bargain. Thanks.

Nokia 002L4D0 N86 Unlocked Phone with 8 MP Camera, Auto Focus, Flash and Carl Zeiss Optics - Unlock

I am not an expert, just a regular guy who buys a new phone every year because I like toys.

This phone has all of the important features I need on a phone. I have had other Nokia phones and this combines all of the great features and adds some that were not present. For example:

1. 3.5mm Headphone jack. No more need for an adaptor for a 2.5mm.

2. Bigger screen. I guess 2.6 is not comparable to other phones like the iPhone's 3.5, but this does not have a touchscreen interface. I can still text without looking using the keypad.

3. The AMOLED display is rediculously clear and vibrant. My wife is using my Nokia E51 and the difference is stunning.

4. 8 gb of storage plus microSD. This is more memory than I could fill up right now.

5. This phone is also much faster than my E51. it takes less than 1/2 second to access any application once selected.

6. Scratch resistant screen.

7. The phone is well built, feels solid, a little heavy, but strong.

8. The battery life is exceptional. I have used the camera for three days taking pictures, video, listening to music while I run etc. and still have 2 bars left.

9. The speakerphone is LOUD. I can have my windows down on the BQE commuting to work and still here the callers over the traffic noise.

10. Font sizes are adjustable and can be made noticably larger. I hate phones with tiny fonts.

I can go on and on.

My only concern is the camera. The video capability is great but I have been experimenting with the image quality and I don't think it is as good as Nokia will have you believe. The 8MP camera takes 8MP pictures, but they come out dark indoors even at close range with the flash. Outdoors they are as good as you would expect from an 8MP camera , and hopefully they will release the firmware update enabling face detection that has been rumored.

Also, the notification light for missed calls, messages, and emails is kind of weak. My E51 would scream with vibrancy lighting up my bedroom at night, where the N86 is more of a whisper.

I would reccomend this phone for many reasons.

Well I just got mine today. Build quality is excellent, slider is solid, feels great in hand. Buttons are great, glass and metal/plastic case is top notch. OLED screen is also a winner, love the always on power saver clock. Overall, much improved over the N85. Phone feels snappy especially the camera, nokia messaging works well. Call quality is excellent. Pictures leave a bit to be desired, however I am used to this on early Nokia firmware. Shutter button is much improved over the horrible one on the N85. The flash is surprisingly good. The gallery and also photo viewer are still painfully slow to load the thumbnails, they stay blurry far to long, I don't understand this as my N95 had no problems here. FM transmitter is not as good as the N85, but still a nice feature. Cell and GPS reception are excellent, compass I am sure will prove useful eventually. Overall hardware wise the phone is near perfect! As I predicted this phone is the ultimate interpretation of the dual slider N series design. The firmware is surprisingly good for an early one. I think this phone will get a following with the N95 faithful and as a result will end up with an excellent firmware within the next year. I wish I never had to use the N85 for the short while that I did. If I had been going from the N95 to the N86 I would be overjoyed. As it is going from the N95 to N85 then to N86, I just feel as though Nokia cheated me on the N85.

I feel this is the true successor to the N95, I cant wait for the v30 or v31 firmware, when the software is perfect.

If you are looking for a powerful feature packed smart phone with an excellent camera, like typing without looking, one handed and don't mind that its not a flashy touch phone. The N86 is for you. Not to mention, you are free to multitask, don't have to pay for an overpriced data plan and it is a pocket camera/iPod replacement.

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Definitely worth every penny and I recommend this to everyone! GREAT PHONE and is loaded with features, great camera and performance!

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Got the N86 8mp from Amazon.com and it's a great phone (5 stars), but it's made in China. Why do I feel a little disappointed? The phone is as advertised and works great. How much more would it be if it was made in Finland? Now China makes some great things, like really long walls and tasty noodles. But my Nokia N86 too? Oh well, sign of the times I guess.

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To begin with I am guy who is all for the all in one phone. As a guy i put all my esential stuff in my pockets so it was very annoying for me to carry my wallet, keys, phone, mp3 player, and camera ... if you can imagine it was horrible. Having a phone that can take good pictures, plays my music all in one simplifies my life a lot. So I constantly look for a betteer camera phone. My first all purpose phone was the N95-3 phone and will be comparing it to the N86

To start with I will be writting about the things that the N95 is better at than the N86

The first thing i noticed was that the outer speakers for the N95 were a lot better than the N86. Before I was able to use my N95 as a music player everywhere, infact my phone could play music louder than my old laptop. However with the smaller N86 they made the speakers smaller, and as a result when you put the volume all the way up it doesnt sound as great as the n95s.

The second thing i noticed was that the n95 had two shortcut buttons at the top, one that would acces the camera and would be used to take pictures, and the other that was set to go to your images and videos. The n86 only has the camera button. Even though its not esential I found it very convenient to have that button so i could quickly access my pictures without having to go through the menues, or even looking at the screen.

The third thing i noticed is that the buttons on the front and keypad for the n95 are bigger and alot easier to press. the n86 buttons are kinda small and sometimes is hard to press if you have big fingers.

This one I am not entierly sure because i havent played with my phone a lot yet only got it for a day, but in the n95 camera before you could change settings to take pictures with different filters, like a black and white picture or enhanced color pic, but i havent seen it on the n86 yet.

Now for the things that the N86 is better than the N95

One difference is that the N86 is smaller, so espceially for guys it is not too bulky in your pant pockets. The n95 was a bit bigger and blukier, however i do prefer the squared edges rather than the rounded ones but that is just my preference.

the next most obvious difference and why a lot of people bought the n86 is the camera. The CAMERA IS AWESOME. The 8mp definately improve the quality of the pictures taken, the colors are better and resolution has improved. The dual led flash compared to the single flash in the n95 also helps take better pictures in dark room conditions or at night. There is also a focusing square that tells you were you are focusing at similar to that of a real camera. The n86 also has a sliding plastic cover that protects the lens from getting scratched a feature not present in my n95. (not the n95 original had a lens protector but was removed on the n95-3 which i have and the n95 8gb model)

Another cool feature in the camera is the panoramic mode. This mode allows you to take pictures of a large area. this is done when the phone takes several pictures at key points and crops them all together making it seem as if you had taken a picture of a really wide and large aread. The results are awesome. (MORE updates will come as i play arround with my phone, I have only had it for a day as i said before)

Another advantage of the n86 is that i has already built in memory and does not require a micro sd card. Although there is a micro sd card slot allowing you to expand your memory even more. this feature was not available in the n95-3 (only had micro sd slot) and i believe the n95 8gb only had the 8gb and no micro sd slot

They added a Fm tunner to the n86 that allows you to tune your phone to any radio which is useful when playing stuff from your car or anyother place.

There is a small stand at the back that allows you to place your phone on a desk and watch things, much essier on your hands when watching videos. before you would have to hold the phone and if the video was long your hand would get kinda tiered ... especially if you were showing someone a video

... I am sure there are more differences i just need to play with it more and will update more stuff later

My conclusion IF you want a really good camera phone THIS IS THE PHONE FOR YOU ... the difference in picture between the 5mp and the 8mp are easily seen at least for me.

UPDATE 1

so after using the phone more i got more updates ... btw ... i am not talking about the oled screen because you can find it in the description of the product ...

Ok back to comparing the n95 and the n86 ... so the n95 had the headphone jack on the side ... which was kina annoying if you were putting the phone in an armband to go work out and stuff cuz you couldnt fit it on the armband ... on the other hand the n86 the headphone jack is on the top making it easy to access and put on an arm band to go work out :)

further more sometimes when you plug the headphones in it automatically detects headphones while the n95 you had to tell it you were plugging headphones in.

also on the video format of the n86 there is a light option that will use the dual LED lights as a camera light allowing you to film at night a very very good function that the n95 did not have

more updates to come ... still havent fully figured out my phone yet LOL

Q-See 8-Channel Surveillance System with 500 GB Hard Drive and 8 Weatherproof CCD Cameras (QT428-81

Great product, easer to install. The night vision of the cameras are perfect. I usually check the image using my ipad, iphone and blackberry.

I bought this Q-See QT 428 from Costco to keep an eye on my house. Currently I could monitor my house and search events through online. But Q-See uses compact video format h.264. This format video from Q-See DVR is a lot harder to share with others. Q-See DVR produces some sort of avi files with another conversion executable file h264code.exe. These avi files from Q-See are not recognized by Real Player and Apple QuickTime other than Windows Media Player even after installing codec files. Q-See does not support files uploading to Youtube.

Remember once you're done with time-consuming, wire installations of cameras around the house, it's not a good idea to take them down and return the system back to your seller. So be sure to check all the Q-See features before you start the complete wiring setup around your house. I started out accessing to Q-See DVR through my big TV Sony Bravia. It was difficult to look up close to the large screen since DVR was connected to Bravia closeby. Later my DVR was connected to a smaller screen ViewSonic; this is an easier setup similar to using desktop computer.

The arrow movement with Q-See mouse gives different feel from normal use of computer mouse. It took a little while to get used to the Q-See user interface which is a little primitive. User interface is a lot better when I access to DVR through Internet Explorer.

I had contacts with several Q-See customer reps for help. Initially, I got a very lousy (for example, I mentioned I used Windows XP; a day later, a service rep gave feedbacks based on Windows 7.) to better ones. Below is the best rep's response I got for uploading video files to Youtube.

Q-See Customer Rep Jose Lopez: "as for converting your file so that youtube recognizes it, that's out of our support. you will need to find a 3rd party converter or video program that will allow this."

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I read many reviews about how bad Q-see's customer service was, I was ready for the worst. What I found was the opposite. I checked the knowledgebase and found some troubleshooting techniques. They didn't resolve the issue. I sent an email with a detail description of the issue. I got an e-mail back within hours, I was shocked. I tried the suggestions and sent a response. Once again I recieved a response back with a few hours. And again I responded and recieved another response. Within a day, mainly because I didn't respond I had three messages and responses. This was on a weekend as well. I have not had that kind of reponse from any other technology companies. We concluded the equipment needed repair and he sent me the steps to get that done. Maybe they have done some work on customer service area. But I haven't gotten that kind of response from other companies. Customer service is very important to me if I had listened to the blogs, I might have not bought this equipment. I have a very favorable impression of the companies customer service after my experience. I rarely write reviews, but because my experience was so contrary to the reviews out there, I felt compelled to write a review.

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WARNING DO NOT BUY ANY Q-SEE PRODUCTS.. HORRIBLE PRODUCTS AND HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE.. GO WITH A DIFFERENT BRAND.. VERY VERY BAD SERVICE

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TDK Blu-ray Disc 20 Spindle - 50GB 4X BD-R DL - 2010 Printable Version

There is no better deal out there (web or stores) than this one, a set of 20 BD-R DL for a little over $150 was something out of this world few months back. The only thing needed maybe a 20 jewel cases that may cost $10 to $15 and you will be all set. HUGE SAVING HERE!!!!!!!!

BEWARE OF HIDDEN FEES (Customs/Duties) when order from Japan.

Great disc love em, they are hard to find but the best out there, I was very glad to have found this buy at this price.

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These have worked perfectly for me, never creating a "coaser". A good product at a reasonable price. As usual the packaging was very poor and the container had some damage. Fortunately the disks were undamaged.

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Along with the devaluation of this product the quality have decreased significantly, before all discs worked to perfection, now 5 or more coasters per spindle which make the price vs quantity worse than before paying more. Will change brand.

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The original spindle is a 5 stars product but no anymore;

Many months ago I used a full spindle without problem, back them I remember paying $150, now I got a super deal from a Japanese seller and it turns out 7 coasters in a 20 tries and worse of all, the 13 remaining discs were not recognized by my Panasonic player (the same player use on my first order months ago) so I have the feeling that JAPANESE SELLERS are sending DEFECTIVE or DISCONTINUE MEDIA to us. I will give it a try to the similar spindle from Verbatim to see if I get the expected results since it is a newer model and is carry from USA base sellers.

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Grace Digital Tunewriter IV -Stereo Entertainment Center with Built in CD burner (Paprika, GDI-TW4C

• "Retro Turntable with Record Player, Cassette Player, CD Player / burner,AM/FM Stereo and aux in jack to listen to any iPod, iPhone, MP3 player or other music source "
• Plays 33, 45 &78 RPM records, Automatic tone arm return at end of play
• Two Full-range speakers deliver stereo sound with built in headphone jack for private listening
• You can play and record your cassettes and LP's (records) directly to the built in CD burner to play on the Tunerwriter IV or any home or car CD/DVD player.

This was a present for my parents. They love it. The Tunewriter IV has very nice sound and a pretty cabinet. The best feature is my parents are able to play their records but this device also allow him to make a copy of his records and tapes on a CD. What a great way to play your music and digitize them so they last forever!

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I bought one of these Nostalgic all-in-one wooden audio units for my parents for Christmas last year. They luv it. They go on about so much I decided to buy this one for me as an early holiday present. Have had it for a couple weeks and it looks and sounds great. Being able to record albums & tapes directly to CD is a terrific plus. May buy another to give to my brother for Christmas.

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My main reason for ordering this was to record old cassettes and record albums to cd. I have recorded dozens of cassettes and several records and am very pleased with how it works. One of my favorite features is that when you are recording an LP record, when you select 'track increment' it will temporarily stop the record to give the cd time to advance to a new track and then restart the record on its own. I also found that when you are recording from cassette to cd, and you want to record both sides of cassette, instead of selecting 'stop' as the directions say select 'play/pause'. It will automatically advance to the next track and pause until you flip the cassette and are ready to record the other side. Then select play again to continue recording. As was previously recommended by someone else I only use CD-Rs.

The sound is nice and the recordings sound great too.

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Bought this tunewriter for my 91 year old mother who wanted to put some old LP records & cassetts on CDs. selected this model since the CD burner was built-in & Grace products seemed to have better ratings than competitors. Mom is sharp for 91 years & mastered the CD recording process with no difficulty. The machine has been working well for about 2 months with no apparent problems. It would be better if the top raised higher, but it's not a serious problem.

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I purchased this unit to transfer the music my father left me when he passed. Most of this music is WWII era and on into the Rock Era! Also some more "modern". It is wonderful to be able to listen to this music after so many years. I have been without a working turntable a long-long time and living in a small village in AK it is so darn hard to shop! The reviews of previous buyers was what made up my mind to purchase this particular unit. I plan to hook up 2 speakers from and old unit so I will have near wrap-a-round sound! I am getting started on the transfer of different media to CD's in the am.! And the unit is very attractive and pleasant has nice sound quality. The music i recorded on cd from cassette is sounding beautiful. The instructions were very easy to follow and you can believe me when I say this has to be the best investment I've ever made relating to music!!!

This is an answer to "Julie" re wireless headsets. I haven't tried these so I cannot answer your question. But I do recommend this unit very high, perhaps a 5*plus!

RCA Rp5022 64 Mb Voice Recorder With Usb

Handy dandy, works almost as expected.

when connected to the PC it shows up as a drive, so you don't need any software for that, but it records files in a proprietary (.voc) format that can only be played or converted to a .wav file by the RCA software.

There aren't any freeware converters or codecs for this type of file (the RCA .voc file, not the soundblaster version)so, if like me, you were looking for something that would easily enable you to email files, look for something that records in .mp3 or .wav.

I bought this recorder for use in my college classes. It did not last two semesters! I am unable to transfer 50% of the files to my computer using their Digital Voice Manager software. I get an error message that says there is a 0 value. For the most part I am able to listen to the corrupted file on the recorder. However, I'm not sure how much of the recording I am able to retrieve. For example, on a 3 hour recording, I was able to hear all but the last 30 minutes of the lecture. It was caught in a loop. I'm now having to buy a new recorder since this one is unreliable!

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The hardware itself works as expected. Two button pushes to record, two more to turn off 396 recordings supported. The biggest downside is the default software requires you to select and convert EACH recording over to mp3 (or an exe format). This is fine if you intend to use the device for several lengthy recordings (ie: one hour each), but if you plan on hundreds of 15 second recordings, this is a pain. You cannot copy the recordings directly as they are encoded as *.voc files with the G.729A codec. I have tried to find a free converter for this standard under Windows but have been unsuccessful. I think I might be able to write a script to take care of it in linux but for most users this would be a unacceptable. Spend the extra few dollars for direct mp3 downloading on another device.

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I ue this recorder regularly at work as an investigator. It has excellent pickup and voice quality. Being able to record hours of conversations then having the ability to plug the inline directly into my lap top is a very handy feature. The date and time stamp and other features are easy to set up and overall the features are easy to use. The lock feature prevents accidental activation. It is compact and light weight and will not burden you when travelling. I was surprised how clear conversations were when the recorder was placed in the center of the table and conversation was made at normal levels.