Honeywell Ademco V20P60RFPK Vista 20 Panel Wireless Kit

I bought this kit for a new installation in my house. I went the self-install route and purchased a plethora of entry, motion, and glass break sensors from amazon and other places online.

Quick summary: I like this alarm panel. It has been around forever and has plenty of sensors and extensions available. For example, I have it plugged into my z-wave home automation system via a third-party product called the ad2usb. WThe options presented to the installer/user shows the appreciation for the risks and use cases addressed by panel. My dog hated the keypad sounds at first but has since gotten used to the the sounds. The panel works but this is my first experience in physical security systems so I don't have anything to offer in the way of technical comparison. I'm giving this 4 out of 5 because the hardware is way, way over priced.

1 what comes in the box?

Basically you're getting the Honeywell/Ademco 20P panel's:

a. metal enclosure, circuit board, transformer

b. siren

c. keypad 6160rf

d. motion sensor (passive infrared)

Benefit of this kit everything you need to get started. The 6160RF is particularly nice since you can now extend it via wireless sensors without having to purchase a transmitter/receiver separately.

Drawback not enough to do anything useful yet (but it is a start!)

2what will I need?

You're going to need a bunch more sensors. Personally I went with 1*Honeywell/Ademco 5816 wireless sensors for each door and openable window. Then I added audio-based glass break sensors the Honeywell/Ademco 5816. I have too many animals over 80 pounds so I can't do PIR motion sensors, hence the 5816s to detect glass breaks.

Oh and time and patience. You're going to need a lot of time and patience when it comes to programming the alarm. I'm now up to 24 wireless sensors added to my panel and I'm getting quite good at adding new ones but it was a struggle at first. If you're going the DIY route check out all the DIY alarm forums. Some have FAQs put together for these panels.

3 home automation?

This panel and hardware line has been around for decades. That means there are tons of extensions. I have mine connected to my z-wave system (Vera Lite) via ad2usb. It is kinda slick. Enter the correct PIN on my front door's deadbolt (Schlage) and the alarm is disarmed; no need to enter the same PIN at the deadbolt and inside at a panel. I can also arm and disarm it remotely using this system. You can get cellular boards (2G/3G/4G), ethernet boards, serial boards, etc and, with the right hardware and effort, you can control this from any typical operating system like OS X, Windows, Linux, BSD, etc.

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LG LST-3510A HDTV Receiver / Hi-Format DVD Player

• ATSC Tuner for HDTV Terrestrial and QAM Tuner for Digital Cable (Unscrambled)
• All Format HDTV Receiver
• Built-in Hi-Format DVD Player is capable of multi-format Quasi HDTV outputs including 1080i
• 5.1 Channel Dolby Digital Sound
• DVI with HDCP Connector (HD Video)

After reviewing many receivers, I decided to go with the LG LST-3510A receiver. I didn't buy it through Amazon, however, I did find some refurbished units on Ebay for half price (~$170). The picture quality is awesome. As mentioned in an earlier review, this unit upscales DVDs to 1080i. The native resolutions of DVD (not HD-DVD or Blueray) are 480p so with this unit, it looks awesome.

I live in high rise condo in downtown Chicago and have no problems with reception at all. I even get some channels from Indiana occasionally. Plus another bonus for getting a refurbished unit is that they are region-free programmable. Do a search for vendors that will supply you with the region-free units as you can watch any DVD on the planet with these.

Buy LG LST-3510A HDTV Receiver / Hi-Format DVD Player Now

I own 3 of these receivers. They are HDTV receivers, not DVD players. I know there is a DVD player bolted into it, but don't rely upon that. If you have the proper firmware and and if you have the proper inputs, and if you have the proper display device, the DVD output can be outstanding, but that is a few too many ifs. I have one hooked up to a Syntax 26" LCD TV over DHCP enabled DVI, and it looks great, but maybe you don't have all your ducks in a row for DVD playback.

Over the Air HDTV reception is another story entirely. Filled with flexibility and performance. Things I like:

1) Hook it up to an old CRT computer monitor using the RGB (VGA) connector, play around with the zoom level and you get a cheap little TV, which shows standard definition programming especially well.

2) Hook it up to a widescreen computer monitor over DVI and get a great picture (may be a little vertically stretched).

3) Plug it into a audio receiver via digital TOSLink. Don't have a free fiber optic input? Try digital Coax instead. Only have old school RCA stereo? Go that route instead.

4) Far away from the broadcast towers? This box has good sensitivity.

5) Want to share the antenna feed with another device? It's got an antenna pass through. I have one cabled to share the antenna with the TiVo upstairs, and one downstairs sharing with a PC capture card. No need for an extra splitter.

If you have cable service, the QAM support for local network is good, but cumbersome as two networks might share the same frequency making it difficult to navigate. (For instance NBC might be on 84-1, and ABC might be on 84-2).

The remote is a bit large and is missing such basic buttons as fast forward/fast reverse (if you do happen to use the DVD player). And there is no icon for the CW network (WB and UPN icons are still in there).

In summary, if you can get one of these for a good price (less than $100 like I did), you end up with a very flexible over the air tuner with the potential for DVD playback and use with a digital cable system.

Read Best Reviews of LG LST-3510A HDTV Receiver / Hi-Format DVD Player Here

I read the other reviews and thought I'd put something down from someone who is satisfied. The unit works great, LG has great quality, great reception, and a great picture. You save on cables and inputs because the DVD and Tuner are in the same box, which is a brilliant design concept. I never experienced ANY of the problems listed here by the reviewers before me (freeze up, delays, reception, etc), save one:

The remote has two buttons that allow chapter skipping forward and reverse accordingly. These same buttons are used for fast forward/reverse and slo-mo stepping by holding the buttins down. LG would have gotten 5 stars instead of 4 had they sprung for two more buttons!

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I bought this HD receiver/dvd upconversion player to replace a Sony 715 dvd player I had connected to my 48" JVC tv. It also replaced my Zenith HD receiver, which is also made by LG, in fact it's the same receiver which just incorporates a dvd player. After a couple of months of use I was curious about the picture compared to my old Sony dvd, which in my opinion had a excellent picture. I set up both dvd players to my TV. The LG 3510 was connected with a Acoustic Research DVI cable and the Sony 715 was connected with premium monster component cables. Using the same dvd Terminator 2 Extreme dvd set to scene 7 I continously switched back and forth between the two. Clearly, the LG has the better picture quality of the two. The upconversion and DVI cable makes a HUGE difference. The only draw backs of the 3510 is that I cannot get it to read my DTS signal from my DVDs. I have tried many times without success. Furthermore, sometimes it doesnt read some dvd's picture and/or sound. Almost all the time the problem is eliminated by restarting it. The remote is really bulky, but that's a minor detail. It's also a bit expensive.

I thought the quality of the picture was good, and I liked that I could have DVDs upconverted to high definiton outputs.

However the unit had a lot of trouble locking onto over-the-air signals, and without a paid-for cable/satelite source it was frustrating to get HD reception, depsite being near strong signal s from multiple stations.

The remote control is horribly designed. I constantly end up skipping to prev/next scenes instead of scanning back or forward. Idiotic choices in the design of buttons and controls. The system is set for english but on startup it always says "Inicial" and menus come up in foreign languages despite having chosen english.

Finally the DVD drive now fails to play every single disc I put in. After about an hour of the movie it will start hanging, skipping scenes, jumping to earlier scenes or back to the menu. No disc will play completely and I must now return the unit for warranty service after just 7 months.

I can't be happy about a defective unit--even if it turns out to be a rarity. I've never purchased an LG product ever before, and since I've already encountered a lemon--I will be less likely to try this brand inthe future. If you choose to purchase make sure you can return it without penalty for full refund. Play the hell out of the unit in the first 14-30 days and determine if you should keep it. I wish I had returned mine now.

Toshiba SDV393 Progressive DVD/VCR Combination

So many people from previous reviews complain about this model but mine works PERFECTLY fine. Every DVD I have stuck in there plays very cleary with no problems and the VCR tapes just fine as well. What annoyed me at first when I was taping something was at the beginning the display stayed at 0:00 for awhile but then I realized the numbers change every minute it tapes. I bought this since it was cheap and something I could use in a college dorm...but get this the description says it only plays DVD-R discs. All the homemade DVD's I have are from DVD+R discs and this model played them! I was pretty happy about that. So yeah unlike all the other reviewers before me I am very happy with this DVD/VCR combo.

I received two DVD/VCR combo players as gifts at the same time--the Toshiba and the comparable Sony model (SLV-D360). Based on Amazon reviews, I tried installing the Sony first. The only way to do so is by running the cable through the DVD, which for me caused problems with my cable reception. In contrast, the Toshiba comes with wires that allow for coaxial hookup or hookup through the television's video port, which I did. We've had no problems so far and are very happy with it (no skips, etc), in cotrast to the Sony, which we will be returning shortly!

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This was one of the best gifts I've ever received. The buttons make sense; both DVDs and videotapes play perfectly. I've had mine for a year and a half. I see that other folks have written that they have had problems, but I have had no problems at all. Although I primarily use it for DVDs,I really love this machine, and would recommend it to anyone who still has videos, and who hates complicated buttons and/or directions on their remotes.

12/31/2010 5 years and still going strong! -BK

Read Best Reviews of Toshiba SDV393 Progressive DVD/VCR Combination Here

I needed a Video recorder with a programable timer to record all my TV shows and now I can watch DVDs at the same time! Good picture, easy to hook up, easy to use. I love it.

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I called Amazon to complain about the description of the item. It does not have the "Up Conversion and Memory Slot" described in the product listing. There used to be a picture of the product, which showed the memory slot, and I was frankly surprised that the unit lacked it. So clearly they had a picture of another unit, as the model number is correct.

P.S. The machine completely died after about a year of very light use.

Flylink Watch DVR - HD 1080P Night Vision Waterproof Video Recording 16GB Internal Memory.

The company is useless. As everyone, the instruction is translated on Google, and they printed it. Their products are very cheaply made but they want to sell it directly in US market through Amazon and make the direct profit. But, their product does not stand up to the US market standard, and specially not having office or support in US. The worst part you cannot return their products for a refund. The pictures look great, but their product actually only suitable for the dollar store. Amazon should let all these factories sell their crap to US customers....

I got this for more than a week, i was giving it time to see if i could figure out the problems this product have, but enough is enough, and i have to say the product is garbage, the video quality is horrible, the video comes out with a strange color... and i hava the night vision off so thats not the problem with the color... i only manage to get a few videos out of it afther decoding the manual book as it is in horrible english aswell..... i am a person who really needs something like this for security, and i should have not aim at cheap product to do the job.... i took the watch for a test... i left it connected to the computer all night downloading the videos i took... and not a single video came out of it, saying they have errors....

DO NOT BUY YOU WILL END UP WITH A 90 DOLLARS 2 DOLLARS WATCH

Buy Flylink Watch DVR - HD 1080P Night Vision Waterproof Video Recording 16GB Internal Memory. Now

My fiance bought this watch for me as a gift. Like the other customers, the instruction booklet is laughable in it's instructions.

In order to use it, I strongly recommend that you check the youtube videos which are more informative in 3-4 minutes than the entire booklet and disc.

I love collecting "tech" watches, but this one is truly NOT worth the money.

Read Best Reviews of Flylink Watch DVR - HD 1080P Night Vision Waterproof Video Recording 16GB Internal Memory. Here

It's good watch camera, but it doesn't have "WriteTime.exe" file in it's CD-Disk (written in it's guide). Need help, please :)

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It was intriguing and very entertaining. We bought it for its novelty and fun recording and it is wonderful. I always look for interesting learning opportunities like this one on Amazon.

Encore P2009HD2 USB 2.0 HD Color Mini Digital Video Recorder with Sound Activation (Black)

pro:

image quality is good

4gb micro sd card included

neutral:

sound activation works but not sensitive enough

con:

won't interface with computer

driver software won't install even in xp

time/date software doesn't work

sound recording sensitivity and quality very poor, you pretty much have to yell into it to record sound

instructions are minimal and not helpful beyond basic operation, no setup instructions for computer installation

no way to contact manufacturer

micro sd card must be removed from camera and inserted in card reader (not included) to access files

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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.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Electret Condenser Omni-directional Flat Tabletop Microphone For Conference Meeting Recording Here

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.

Roku SD Player

• Start watching movies on your TV in seconds using your high-speed Internet connection
• Instantly plays the entire Netflix Instant Watch library with your Netflix membership - no additional subscription cost required
• Plays DVD-quality video on any TV
• Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) as well as wired internet connectivity
• Sets up in 5 minutes

A few months back when my husband had started talking about the Roku box, I admittedly thought it would be a big waste of money. We aren't TV watchers and thus have lived on basic cable for years, but we do have our dedicated "movie nights" where we routinely enjoy watching movies together. We've had Netflix for about 6 years now and we've never gone back to traditional rentals. I thought our unlimited DVD rentals from Netflix was all we needed. It can't get any easier than picking a movie and having it show up at your door two days later, right?

I was wrong. ;)

Since we have jumped on the Roku bandwagon, I've gotten a lot of questions from others around me who are now considering the purchase. I find there is a lot of confusion about what exactly the Roku does, so here we go. The Roku box streams media (movies, TV series, podcasts, music, etc) to your TV in real time. You don't need a Netflix subscription for it to work, but it hugely enhances the enjoyment of the Roku box as it is undoubtedly the most popular feature of the device. With your basic unlimited Netflix subscription (beginning at $8.99/mo or $7.99/mo if you only want the Starz Play streaming media with no DVD option) you have unlimited access to watching streaming videos on your TV at any time of day or night. All you need is a TV (of any kind, new or old) and an internet connection. Cable or DSL is required for good performance of the streaming media. I wouldn't try this on dial-up. You can set it up via traditional ethernet cables or set it up on your wireless network in minutes.

One thing I've noticed in talking with people is that a lot of people may already have a compatible streaming device in their home and not realize it. If you own a PS3, Xbox 360 or Tivo, you can stream Netflix to your TV and you do not need to buy the Roku. Rumors of it coming to the Wii are on the horizon but are not confirmed, to my knowledge. Also, some select Blu-ray players and internet connected HD TVs are compatible as well. Check with Netflix for more information. Again, you do not need to buy the Roku if you already have one of these devices in your home!

The other main feature of the Roku is the ability to stream Amazon on-demand. If you have ever purchased a movie on Pay-per-view, Amazon on-demand will seem instantly familiar. You can rent movies digitally and stream them to your Roku (or other compatible device) any time for a fraction of the cost of your typical Pay-per-view movie. Amazon's digital rentals range in price from $0.99 to $3.99 for newer releases. Each rental has a specific rental time. Some you can enjoy and watch as many times as you like for a full 7 days and others for 24 hours. You also have the option to purchase media this way which is usually the same price or less than what you would pay for the DVD. This allows you to stream it any time and as many times as you like until the end of time. Without taking up shelf space! Pretty nice. You are also able to download it to your PC and/or portable media device for enjoyment on the go. You can download it as many times as you like. As long as you have your Amazon account, Amazon will remember what titles you have purchased and you will have access to it forever. It works just like Amazon's MP3 downloads.

The lesser known features of the Roku include instant access to 12 additional channels which include (in addition to Netflix and Amazon on-demand), MLB.com, MotionBox, MediaFly, Blip.TV, Twit.TV, Facebook Photos, Revision3, Frame Channel, Flickr, Mobile Tribe, and my absolute favorite, Pandora. If you have an account at Pandora.com, it takes seconds to link it to your Roku and start enjoying your music channels instantly. The Roku also supports different Pandora accounts if you have the need. Being able to listen to Pandora on our beautiful surround sound setup any time of the day or night is blissful. My 4-year-old's favorite feature, aside from the plethora of children's titles available on Netflix instant play, is the MediaFly channel which streams 5,000+ audio and video podcasts. Among them, two of my son's favorite video podcasts, Ultra Kawaii and Sesame Street. You have the ability to add your favorites to a list that you can quickly access at any time. My husband is in love with the Twit.TV channel which streams all of their internet shows, including This Week in Tech. The Flickr channel also has a really neat feature that showcases random artistic photos and is actually quite interesting to watch and is never the same. There is really something for everyone in this growing library of channels and it is far more than I expected from the Roku.

Being the new spokesperson for Roku (I kid ;), I also hear a lot of concerns of TVs not being compatible with the Roku. No one should be concerned with this because the Roku ships with all cables needed to hook up to any TV, new or old. If you don't have an HD TV, you might be purchasing the SD version which will connect to any TV with the standard red, white and yellow cables. If you do own an HD TV, you will receive both an HDMI cable and the standard red, white and yellow, just in case. The same goes for the HD-XR version. As far as compatibility goes, there should be no reason that everyone can't have a Roku box, regardless of their type of TV.

In the same vein as the prior concern, there seems to be worry from the less than tech savvy movie lovers out there, fearing setup will be complicated and frustrating. Not so. Roku is able to hook up to your router via a standard ethernet cable or link seamlessly with your existing wireless network in a matter of minutes. Anyone can set this up and avoid frustration completely. It's very straightforward and simple and the onscreen prompts will guide you the entire time.

Now that we know what the Roku can do, I'm sure you want to know, does it actually DO them? Absolutely, YES! Obviously with the SD version, you will be viewing in SD, but the HD and HD-XR Rokus stream HD beautifully. We read some reviews that recommended using the wired ethernet connection to avoid hiccups during viewing, but we have had none whatsoever with our wireless network running on a cable internet connection. I would suggest trying the wireless first as it takes only minutes to do and requires no additional hardware, and if you have problems (which I tend to doubt) you can go the ethernet route. It should not be necessary as long as the Roku is within reasonable range of your router. Keep this in mind when choosing where to set up your Roku.

Navigation of the Roku menus is extremely simple and intuitive. There are your four directional buttons, select, home, and your standard fast forward, rewind and pause/play. I love the simplicity of this remote as our remote collection contains numerous remotes with countless confusing buttons that I have never even used. Don't be fooled by it's looks, however, because this remote is all you need to quickly and effectively access all of the Roku's features. I also wanted to point out that if you lose your remote and you have an iPhone or iPod touch, you can download an app that acts as a remote for your Roku. Sweet!!

Last but not least, you need to carefully consider which Roku you purchase. As nice as it would be to have an all-in-one box which includes all features at one price, currently you have to choose from three versions: the SD, HD and HD-XR. To put it plainly, they ALL have the same exact features. The only difference being the SD is limited to streaming only SD content, the HD can stream all HD and SD content, and the HD-XR can stream all HD and SD content and also includes an as of yet unused USB port (maybe for an external hard drive in the future?) and the ability to link with your "N" network. Given that the price difference is marginal, I would probably grab the next best up from what you are currently needing. If you have any intention at all at any point in the near or distant future to buy an HD TV, get the HD version. It's $20 more and you will spend much more than that getting a new box if you ever do get a new TV. Also, if you are at all enticed by the possibility of having an external hard drive to play all your own media, get the HD-XR. It's not been said what they intend to do with this USB port, but I think it seems fairly obvious what their plans are for it. You may not want to invest the money in a feature that is not yet supported, however. I do think it's a bit cheap to charge $30 more for a feature that should have been standard on all versions, but it is what it is.

In the end, if you love movies and like to save money, you will not be disappointed with the Roku. You will never have to visit a rental store or buy a pay-per-view rental ever again! And you may even save a nice chunk of change from canceling some channels that will now become obsolete with your new toy. If you are at all on the fence, rest assured that you will get your money's worth from this device. It's worth every penny.

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I previously had Netflix but I canceled it because I was tired of waiting for DVDs in the mail, I didn't think that I was really getting my full money's worth and could probably get a better deal renting from RedBox locations. But, when the folks at Netflix mentioned that there are "Netflix-ready" devices out there that could allow you to play their "instant" movies, I was intrigued. I have an older Mac laptop at home and I wasn't able to play their instant movies on it (only Intel-based Macs can do that). And, I was never really happy with watching TV shows or movies from other networks like ABC or NBC on that computer anyway. The lag-time is too long and the images were choppy and usually inconsistent. It just feels weird to watch stuff on computers. Besides, my legs would get too hot from the laptop sitting on them. So, deciding to give these Netflix-ready devices a try, I re-upped my Netflix subscription for $8.99/month (the cheapest plan for UNLIMITED instant viewing) and ordered this Roku box thing (By the way, Roku is the word for "six" in Japanese--whatever that means. Perhaps because the box has six sides? Who knows?) Anyway, I remember waiting anxiously everyday until it arrived at my doorstep. (You should know that my wife thought I was crazy for spending money on something that I had no idea how worked). But man, oh man! She got quiet and got to smiling really quick! Was it ever worth the wait!!! Please understand, I do not work for Netflix or Roku, so get that out of your head. I teach middle school. I am just a regular Joe that loves to watch movies. This thing is like having a several thousand item DVD collection right inside your living room. The quality of movies is amazing (like DVDs except there's no subtitle option, which I like reading sometimes) and there is no delay in the image at all (at least on my directly-connected AT&T DSL service). What an amazing new invention! If you wait to get this thing, you will be missing out on a major addition to modern technology that I know will be as common as the remote control in a few short years. I love it!!! And, when you add movies or TV shows to your Netflix instant queue, you don't have to watch them one at a time. You can cycle through your choices, just like spinning a wheel--a poster image of the movie or program appears on-screen. All you have to do is stop on the choice that interests you at any given time. When you pause or stop watching, you can resume viewing at the exact same spot whenever you want. Dude, I am rushing through this review just so that I can get back to watching my movies again. Many other companies and services are being added as time goes by thanks to Roku's new "Channels" feature. Through your TV, you can view Facebook photos, listen to Pandora internet radio, view or listen to your favorite Podcasts, and sooooo many other things. So, don't be left out!!! Roku seriously rocks!

FINAL NOTE: (For those of you who were concerned) As of 12/4/09, Amazon's Video On-Demand is working on this Roku model as well!

*Note: (3/14/12)

My household recently purchased the newest Roku 2 XS. This is a very small, yet far superior model than the original one.

The remote has a bluetooth-type connection so you have no trouble using it even if it's pointing backwards.

Also, it has support for subtitles in English which is nice as well as a cable for HD viewing. Love it!

Read Best Reviews of Roku SD Player Here

The Roku SD does exactly what it's supposed to do: stream Netflix offerings to your television in standard definition. This is the 'no frills model' and the cheapest Roku offering. There are three: Roku SD, Roku HD and Roku HD-XR. (See my reviews to read about all 3.)

Being the 'low end' Roku offering, it only provides standard RCA (red/yellow/white) composite video hook-ups. NO HDMI hook-up here! For that you need either the Roku HD Player or Roku HD-XR Player. Both can provide HD streaming and stereo sound. The HD-XR can also stream over a 'n' network and has a usb port (although no known use for that port as of yet).

This device will allow you to enjoy Netfix wirelessly or via a wired connection on your home network. It will work at b or g network speeds, but not 'n'. It will not stream content in high definition, but would be perfect for someone with an older television and no plans to upgrade. It also saves you a bit of cash (about 20%) from the price you'd pay for the HD version.

This unit will not give you the best audio and video, but it was never made to do so. There is no optical audio input, nor is there an HDMI connection on this unit. It will give you Netflix content on your television (provided you have a Netflix account) and allow you to enjoy over 17,000 movies, documentaries and television programs. Roku's are great, but you do need to find the one that's right for you!

NOTE: None of the Roku devices are currently DVR's, have built in modems or diversified mass media players or storage units. Also, THIS UNIT WILL NOT STREAM AMAZON ON DEMAND, but the Roku HD and Roku HD-XR will!

1/11/09: The Amazon On Demand (SD) store opened in December 2009 according to the Roku website. On-Demand content in SD from Amazon for the Roku SD should be available now. I've updated this review per an Amazon customer's comments regarding this issue.

Roku SD Player Specifications per the ROKU website:

Networking

Wi-Fi (802.11B/G) with WEP, WPA, and WPA2 support

10/100 Ethernet (RJ-45)

Video Outputs

Composite video (480i)

Video Modes

16:9 anamorphic

4:3 standard

Audio Output

Stereo (L/R RCA)

Remote Control

NEC protocol, supported by various universal remotes

Power Input

5V, 1.5A provided by included AC adapter

Power Consumption

5 watts peak, 4 watts in standby

Size

5 x 5 x 1.75 inches (130 x 130 x 41 mm)

Weight

11 oz (300 grams)

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I had no idea how much was available to watch instantly. I have the low-end model that works just fine for my older TV. I should have thought ahead and bought the HD model. I've put off going with a new TV til I see what happens with the 3D TV's.

I recommend the Roku. Despite occasional glitches, I would buy a Roku again.

Go ahead and push that "Buy Now" button. You won't regret it. Do consider what model you want first.

BTW...When I get a glitch, I simply disconnect the power cord for 15-20 seconds. That takes care of it. I wouldn't at all be surprised if I cause the glitch myself. When it comes to understanding the works of electronics, I'm all thumbs. I do know how to enjoy them, and I do just that with my Roku.

I posted this review on the ROKU site, but wanted to post it to Amazon as well...

Pros:

Great value, High quality picture, Easy to use, Easy to set up, Compact, Reliability, Built in Wi-Fi, Video selection

Cons:

Want more video choices

Best Uses:

Dorm Room, Living room, Primary TV, Secondary TV, Bedroom

Describe Yourself:

Technophile, Home entertainment enthusiast, Power User, Netflix fan, Early adopter

Bottom Line:

Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

REVIEW:

I am so very pleased with this device and recommend it to everyone that has broadband internet and would like a la carte as well as specialized programming.

The Roku is very affordable, simple to set up, and tiny enough to have in the smallest of places.

I canceled satellite in our bedrooms and bought two Rokus... one for my master bedroom and the other for my daughter's room. She plans to take it back and forth from her dorm room to her room at home (it is that compact and simple to set up!). She told me it was the best Christmas gift and has been using it nonstop.

My favorite thing about the Roku is being able to watch my favorite video podcasts... such as ANYTHING on the TWIT channel. I also enjoy the Revision 3 channel. These channels make my Roku worthwhile. It reminds me of watching old school TechTV, but better!

WISH LIST:

I would like to see Roku add additional channels such as Hulu. I would also like to see them build in a browser that would enable viewers to surf to sites and stream video off of those websites.

It would be nice if the remote were able to be integrated with a master remote.

----

I highly recommend this device. We absolutely love ours!

Jazz DV151 VGA Digital Video Camera (Red)

See my Video Review of this product Jazz Pocket Camcorder

We found the "Jazz DV151" pocket camcorder at one of the big box stores for somewhat less than the current retail price on Amazon. At roughly 1/2 to 1/3rd the price of the Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (Black), it seemed to be worth the risk of buying it as a backup pocket camcorder. Here are my observations:

Pros:

* Acceptable video quality *FOR THE PRICE* it is only 320x240, not even VGA (the Flip wins hands down)

* Very good microphone this was real surprise, the microphone is more sensitive than the Flip

* Has built in USB connector Like the Flip, but only USB 1.1

* Comes with a USB extension cable!

* Works as a SD card reader when connected to PC via USB (see above)

* Has Video Out can be connected to a TV for playback, cables included

* 1.5" LCD screen can rotate for convenient viewing while self recording (the Flip cannot)

* Saves files in AVI format No conversion needed

Cons:

* Low video quality it is 320x240 (but again good for the price)

* Does not come with any memory You must buy a SD card (up to 2GB) before using (sometimes included as a bundle)

Misc:

* Uses 2 AA batteries (not included)

So for a really inexpensive camcorder, with YouTube usable quality, this is a fairly good option. For use in any meaningful way, not so much.

I purchased 2 of these cameras for Christmas for my kids ages 15 & 19 and what a mistake that was! They worked fine for the first week but now my oldest daughters does not work at all, when you turn it on it just says 'card read' and that's all the further you can go, of course there was no troubleshooting guide in the 'book' that came with the camera so I had to go to their website so I could contact them. Unfortunately their website is a piece of junk too and I was not able to log onto it for about a week, I finally got a number that was directed to a company called Digitac apparently the company that manufactures the Jazz camera is no longer in business and they are handling all issues with these cameras. At this point my only option is to send the camera to Digitac for a replacement. I am very disappointed with this product and had I known better I would have invested a few more dollars and gotten a better camera! I will chalk this one up as a lesson learned!

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Simple controls. Needs plenty of light for a fairly decent picture. Can't remove the time stamp.

Feels insubstantial. Doesn't feel like it will take much knocking around. It is worth the $40 or so I paid, but no more.

Read Best Reviews of Jazz DV151 VGA Digital Video Camera (Red) Here

Cons:

1. No flash

2. No SD Card (Required)

3. Grainiest Picture

4. Plastic feeling

5. Bad sound quality

6. Not compatible with Macs

Pros:

1. Pretty Color

If these are the qualities you're looking for, than this is the camera for you; otherwise, don't bother.

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poor quality piece of junk avoid this item ordered two sent them back

AT&T CL4940 1-Handset Landline Telephone with Large Display

I purchased my AT&T CL4940 locally because I needed a that-day replacement for a long-time-in-service Nortel.

I'm writing this review based on initial quality as I have only owned the phone for 24 hours. Thus far I am impressed by:

1. Sound quality through both the handset and speaker. This is adjustable with a 4 setting equalizer, I'm using the default 'Natural' setting, there are two treble boost settings and one bass boost setting available.

2. Volume available through both handset and speaker is individually adjustable and can be made very loud on the highest settings.

3. Answering machine ease of operation.

4. Total message+announcement recording time of 25 minutes -these days that's good, many answering machines have less than 15 minutes of audio storage. 60 minutes is still the target amount for manufacturers in my opinion -the problem is that like most answering machines, this one will stop taking messages once the memory is full -and a busy business day or some political robocalls can fill things up pretty fast and shut the system down.

5. Good human interface -big buttons, readable and backlit display, clealy labled control buttons -you do still need to look at the manual just a bit to see how the menu and control system is set up but it's about as simple as it can be made, IMO.

The one disadvantage is the index in the user manual which has way too few entries -I downloaded the .pdf version of the manual just to search for info on the 'equalizer' (it can only be set while you are listening to something) -and how to reset the 'missed calls' counter (press and hold the CANCEL button). Other than the lack of a complete index, the user manual is clear and explanatory.

At the time of this review there are two 2-rated reviews. The one mentioning the need for a DSL filter if you have DSL service applies to most phones and fax machines. Although I did not try the included wall mounting bracket, looking at it I would agree that this phone is not well suited for wall mounting -I don't know of any larger desktop type phones that include an answering machine that are.

Overall I give this phone high marks for design, execution, and value, with durability being the unknown factor.

The AT&T CL4940 is a single-line speakerphone with answering machine functions and caller ID, which makes it one of many similar phones crowding the market.

What sets this phone apart is the large, backlit, tiltable display. Why every landline phone doesn't have a display this nice is beyond me. Most everything else about the phone is typical, but it does add further functions to help those of us who are growing older:

* A large keypad for easy dialing

* A four-setting equalizer function to tweak sound

* "Audio Assist" to temporarily boost receiver volume

* Relatively intuitive functions that can be set up easily

That said, one of the failings of this phone is that--for all its audio-altering capabilities--it does not have a rich sound compared to a cheaper AT&T phone I used to own. This seems odd given this phone's equalizer and Audio Assist functions, but the duller sound quality is obvious in comparison. Another quirk is the dial-back feature; there seems to be no way to program it to add a "1" automatically when dialing outside a set of local area codes, reducing the function's usefulness.

If all those sound bells and whistles had worked as advertised, this could have been a five-star phone. As it is, it's okay, but that still makes it better than many phones out there. And did I mention how great the display is?

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I bought this phone to replace an AT&T CL4939 which failed just three months after the warranty expired. While the phone has many nice features, when I hooked it up, the phone would not ring when a call came in. It took two different techs at AT&T customer service to figure out that I needed to upgrade my phone line to a digital signal box. This was nowhere disclosed either on the box or in the owner's manual. It should be. So, before you buy this phone, make sure you have the correct line coming into your system.

Read Best Reviews of AT&T CL4940 1-Handset Landline Telephone with Large Display Here

The phone is well designed, except for one major flaw, which I discuss later. The basic controls are easy to use. It has some clever features, like the redial format selection, which allows one to select the format the phone uses to redial a number from the phone log. After selecting a number from the caller ID lot, you can select whether the phone dials seven digits, 10 digits, or 10 digits preceded by 1. The major flaw goes to the heart of the product, the large display. It is large. It is not backlit. An LCD display that is not backlit appears black on gray. It can be read only with strong direct light on it. It is all well and good to see the new message light blinking, but I wish I could glance into the kitchen as I pass and read the text display of how many calls I'd missed, or be able to review the caller ID log without turning on the brightest light in the room. While I'm at it, it is grossly misleading to market this phone with a picture of a backlit display. That is not what the phone looks like when installed.

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Bought this through Amazon.com. Price and delivery were very satisfactory. The phone has nice features like the amber back lighted display with large characters in addition to the large dial buttons especially good for older folks with less than perfect vision. The speaker phone works in a satisfactory manner.

Now for what I think may need some improvement:

when you record a voice greeting you have speak to the phone approximately 9 inches away from the phone. There should be a way to record your greeting on the handset. The resulting recorded greetings were not as good as they should be in this day and time I would not let this keep me from buying this phone at this price point.

our mounting location in the kitchen is under a high cabinet but lower than what many wall phone elevations are. The display on the phone is ok if you are sitting or kneeling down, but if you are standing the ability to read the display is diminished. The display tilts down, but I think the manufacturer should consider giving the display more range of tilt to include a few degrees up tilt.

the small recording controls buttons at the top of the keypad could be a little larger to accommodate larger characters so they would be more readable by the visually challenged.

Overall this phone is very nice and I recommend its purchase it just could use some improvements.

(Some reviewers complained about a flimsy wall mounting bracket that comes with the phone I have had no problems with the phone coming off the wall even with small jerks on the handset cord.)

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Philips DVD740VR DVD-VCR Combo

• Space-saving DVD/VCR combination with front-panel AV input for camcorder or game console
• Plays DVD-Video, MP3 CD, CD-R, CD-RW, audio CD, and VHS tapes
• 4-head stereo hi-fi VCR with SQPB (S-VHS playback at VHS resolution)
• High-quality DVD component-video output, Digital Zoom during DVD playback
• Coaxial digital-audio output passes Dolby Digital, DTS surround sound; 3D sound simulates surround through 2 channels

Attractive Black front panel. Easy to set up, worked first time right out of box ! Video and audio quality good for a mid priced unit. Quiet DVD and Tape. Labels for lights and buttons on front of unit difficult to read in dim/under shelf location. Remote is on the small side. Some remote button labels in blue difficult to read in low light, not back lit. Still pleased with the purchase and give 4 stars. Worth the price

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This is the way to go. Phillips has made a great little machine here. The controls aren't as straight forward as a stand alone machine, but 5 minutes with the manual will take care of that. Its quite simple to use once you get the hang of it. So far no problem. DVD and VHS playback are great. VHS recording is good quality. I'm not dissapointed at all. If you don't have either a dvd or vcr stand alone or if you're looking to replace both at the same time I'd recomend this model. I'm sure there are higher quality playback and record features on some stand alones but I haven't had any qualms here. Also this is something of a space saver. If I had to do it over again I wouldn't hesitate picking this model again.

Read Best Reviews of Philips DVD740VR DVD-VCR Combo Here

I found this unit to have a very good picture quality in the VCR mode. In the DVD mode is not was as good as I thought it would be. It may be in the Quality of the DVD movies I tried. I do have it hooked up with the S-vidio cable to the TV. Hope to hear more form others that know more about this high-teck stuff. Thanks John

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I would at all costs stay away from any product made by Phillips. I bought a dvd/vcr combo, it broke, I shipped it to them for repair, they charged me shipping and then sent back another broken unit. They then refused to take it back at their expense, even though they had shipped a broken unit (The first time the dvd didn't work, the unit they shipped to me had a defective vcr). Their customer service people have no authority to help you, and neither does their management. Repeated attempts to move up the ladder were ignored (i.e. being constantly told they weren't available, they never returned phone calls even after telling me they would, etc.). Beware of any Phillips product.

I bought this model a year ago and love it! It's easy to use, easy to see and beautiful, and have had zero problems with it.

I bought a different brand for another room and have only used it 3 times since. That was about 9 months ago.

Guess which one I'm going to be buying again so I can get rid of the other? ;-)

Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

• Enjoy Blu-ray Disc movies in brilliant high-definition resolution or upscale the quality of your DVDs to near HD
• Instantly stream a wide variety of movies, TV shows, live sports, videos, and music from Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, Hulu Plus and many more
• Free, downloadable "Media Remote" app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone turns it into a versatile remote
• Connect your digital camera, USB-enabled MP3 player, or USB storage device to enjoy videos, photos, and music on the big screen
• Add a Sony USB Wi-Fi adapter to easily connect to your wireless broadband network, or connect via standard Ethernet port

I just purchased two of these one for myself and one for an out-of-state friend. I'm using mine with a Sony Bravia 1080p flat screen; my friend is using hers with an older 30 inch CRT TV (4:3 aspect ratio) until she gets around to taking her flat screen out of its box.

I was thinking about getting a unit with built-in WiFi, but before making the purchase(s), I did some research online and heard (read) some horror stories about streaming via WiFi that were, let's say, somewhat less than complementary (glitches, disconnects, freezes requiring reboots, etc.), so I decided to purchase this unit BECAUSE it didn't have WiFi (why pay for a feature that I'm not going to use?). I already have a Sony BDP-S370 (using it with a Samsung flat screen) and like it a lot; I would have bought two more of them, but they weren't available directly from Amazon when I ordered, so I got these I prefer buying from Amazon for their returns policy. Also, the BDP-S380 supports 'vudu' AND it has an on-screen digital throughput speed readout (in Mbps) which appears when streaming is starting up both welcome additions!

My setup took about 15 minutes from the time I opened the box until I was watching discs, Amazon VOD, and Netflix (the only ones that I've set up so far). I connected the BDP-S380 to my TV via HDMI, and my LAN via Ethernet cable and everything just worked (of course, I had to set it up for my Amazon and Netflix accounts, but that took less than five minutes each). After going through the on-screen quick start menus, the unit told me that there was a firmware upgrade available, so I told it to do it, and a few minutes later, it finished and turned itself off (normal when upgrading firmware).

My friend's setup took a bit longer, since she had never set one up before and I couldn't see what was happening while I tried to talk her through everything (from memory). She connected to her TV using the (supplied-in-the-box) AV cable. Because her TV was 4:3 aspect ratio, some of the menus didn't display legibly, which is probably what made things take a bit longer. Anyway, we got everything working properly within about 20-25 minutes.

One thing of note I would like to mention is this: all BD players manufactured after 01/01/2011 have DRM firmware which prevents HD signals from using any output other than HDMI. For me, that was no problem since I was using HDMI; since my friend was using AV, everything was displayed on her TV in SD (not really a problem since that is all it's capable of displaying anyway, and she'll be using HDMI if she ever sets up her flat screen *:^).

I'm very pleased with this unit (and so is she). Its outputs are crisp and solid, its user interface is staight-forward and easy to understand, and its physical size, shape, and appearance should fit in anywhere.

Definitely a 5-star device.

======

NETFLIX Note (04/15/11):

It seems that Netflix is no longer limiting selections to your Instant Queue! There is now a choice entitled "Top Picks For You" -also, you can now press "Options" on the Remote and when you select "Categories >" you will be presented with a Category list from which you can search and select movies! Yay!!

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I purchased this to replace an older blu-ray that had trouble commuinicating with my receiver. It was first gen and I couldn't wait but it still had some bugs.

So far at playing discs this has been awsome, the sound and the picture quality couldn't be better. The load time is much faster than with the older players.

If you're looking for streaming then I think we need to give these guys a couple more years to work out the bugs. Before I purchased this I bought the best rated top of the line model that was supposed to be the best at streaming and I was dissappointed. So I waited six months, bought this and the streaming is a little improved but do not expect to sit through anything uninterupted from Netflix or Hulu. So I still default to my labtop for anything streaming.

Anyway I will not return it as I am very happy with the way it handles my blu-rays.

Read Best Reviews of Sony BDP-S380 Blu-ray Disc Player (Black) Here

I really like this player. I've had it about a month now and can't think of anything I dont like about it. It's nice and quiet. Great picture, seems to upconvert well enough. It loads very quickly even with the "quick start" turned off. I have it hard wired to the internet so I have no wireless problems to speak of. Its slim, sick and shiny; goes great with my Sony Bravia LED. I have a PS3 so the whole Netflix "in queue only" thing that others have complained about doesn't bother me. The other internet apps are basically a rehash of whats already on my Bravia. But, Oh Well. I bought it to play Blu-Rays and that it does just fine. This player actually replaced a Samsung BD-C6500 that I had in my possession for less than an hour before taking it back to the store. It was scary awful. Seriously. Overall, I am very satisfied and actually will be buying another in the near future for my bedroom. I have no problems giving this 5 stars and would recommend it to my friends and family. If your looking for an inexpensive, quality, entry level Blu-Ray player, look no further, you just found one.

EDIT: Wow! It's already been two years since I've had this player! I just wanted to update my review to let everyone know that it is still going strong. I use it all the time, practically daily, and have not had a single issue with it. It's a great little piece of equipment and am extremely happy I chose this player over all the other options.

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I was the happy owner of a BDP-S350, which was an excellent little Blu-ray player which performed seamlessly, even though it was one of the early generation players. The BDP-S380 was purchased because the S350, even though it can connect to the internet, can not stream Netflix. The S350 has an ethernet slot for receiving network upgrades, but there is no firmware update that allows it to stream. Perhaps it doesn't have the requisite hardware. Anyway, the S380 purchase solved the problem and the S350 is now on Craig's list looking for an adopting family.

The S380 is a very small, very light machine. Aesthetically, it looks beautiful. The main external difference to the S350, aside from its tiny size and miniscule weight, is the fact that it offers a coax digital audio output compared to the optical audio output of its predecessor. Of course, you can also output sound to HDMI, but in my setup I send video directly to the screen and the audio directly to the amp, without using the amp for pass-through of the video signal. My amp has a digital coax input, so this wasn't an issue for me, but if you want a digital optical out then this would not be the player for you. A digital coax cable is not included, but I simply used one of the cheap and nasty RCA connectors supplied and this seems to work fine. If I have any problems with the sound, I will spend the $15 or so on a dedicated cable. As a final comparison, there is more plastic in the case and the power cable does not detach, unlike that of its predecessor.

The remote control is OK, but I use a Harmony 1100 universal remote anyway, which worked fine after a few setup problems, so the supplied remote was simply tossed into the remote control drawer to join so many others. It's a markedly smaller remote to that of the BDP-S350 plastic, but nicely constructed.

I use a wired connection for internet access to the player and have a 100 mbps Comcast cable connection, which probably explains why streaming is so magnificent. You can buy a Sony wireless adaptor for the unit for circa $75 if you need wireless connectivity or, alternatively, buy a more expensive Sony Blu-ray player which has this incorporated into the internal circuitry. I don't need wireless, but it is good to know that there is an upgrade path available if I need it. I simply split my Comcast coax into two, using a T-splitter, with one of the coax leads coming out going to my Comcast box, and the other into my modem.

Setup of the S380 was really simple. The screen interface is Sony's unique crossbar system, which takes some getting used to at first, but which is actually very efficient after a time. I hated it at first, but grew to like it very much after a few days.

First of all, on power-up, the machine worked out that it could use some updated firmware. This downloaded without any problem and took less than five minutes. Obviously, when you do this, you need to ensure that the power and internet are stable and you need to leave the process to complete, otherwise you will be that idiot who "bricks" his player before you're even started. But the firmware upgrade is really simple, quick and completely automatic.

With the firmware upgraded, it was time to register for the various online streaming services. This was really very simple even though you have to go through a registration procedure for every site separately which is mildly annoying. Fortunately, Sony has set up customized portals to the online services, so this is also really very simple to do. I probably spent fifteen minutes doing this.

Upgrading the Harmony remote was a bit painful (which is not at all the fault of Sony). I found the answer to the Harmony's problems was to power down my laptop, make the USB connection from the remote to the laptop, then boot up my PC. I spent maybe an hour messing around with the Harmony (disabling firewalls, anti-virus, taking the battery out of the remote, trying different cables and so forth) before I realized that the power-down, connect, power-up sequence solved the problem. So, the biggest pain in the S350 to S380 transition was actually down to Logitech, not Sony. I love the Harmony, but it is crazy in this day and age that it can't effect a USB connection on the fly.

At this point, I am now up and running. Sound and picture quality are magnificent. The player is completely silent in operation. Streaming is wonderful and I get top of the range 5.1 sound. It's just fantastic and a film buff's dream.

Some reviewers comment that the Netflix interface is only so-so. For me (and I guess most people) I simply choose my Netflix movies on my laptop and add them to my queue, and they simply appear on the Sony Blu-ray ready to play. So, I don't honestly know what the big deal is here.

On final point as I sometimes watch Japanese and UK DVDs and Blu-ray disks, it would be helpful to hack the S380 to perform as a universal, all-region player. With the S380 this requires a professional hack it needs a pro to physically hack into the surface mounted chips, so it is a $100 $150 cost, which I will probably go for at some stage. With the S350 there was a software hack, but this is not the case for the new machine. For now (until I get the hack done) I will keep my hacked cheap and nasty Chinese DVD player (all of $30) to play my Japanese and UK DVDs. It's annoying that Hollywood continues to enforce this anti-competitive nonsense which is a serious pain to anyone who is multi-lingual or who wants to watch British or European sourced content. It seems Hollywood may be waking up to this, as most Blu-ray disks are now shipped without this ridiculous regional coding.

In summary, a tremendously good, near-perfect product. Messrs Morita and Ibuka must be looking down proudly from the heavens seeing that Sony is still producing such outstanding consumer electronics.

Pros:

Cheap amazing value for money.

Setup extraordinarily simply.

Aesthetics it's small, beautiful and light.

Picture and sound extraordinarily good.

Streaming magnificent.

Firmware upgrades simple, quick and efficient (though don't be that winning dude who disconnects his player during a firmware upgrade duh or you will "brick" your player).

Cons:

Build quality probably not quite as good as the S350 with more plastic used.

Optical output there isn't one, so if you need this, the S380 is the wrong player for you.

WiFi network connectivity you can't do this out of the box you need a $75 adaptor so you should consider buying one of the more expensive Sony players which has this incorporated already if this is important to you.

Multi-region capability this requires a specialist to do a hardware hack of your machine at a $100 $150 cost, it can't simply be hacked through software.

Boy am I behind times. Finally, a way to watch TV the way you should; when you want to and what you want to watch. Yeah, I'm talking about the "streaming video" feature of this player. Not only is the DVD quality great, but the streaming is awesome! After just 30 minutes of trying this player out, I returned my cable box, canceled all my channels, and for a fraction of what I was paying for cable, that I never watched (due to such lame channels) I'm watching all the programs I want, either via NetFlix or even better, via Amazon's Prime service. To anyone wondering if the Prime is worth it, I can say, YES. Not only do you get free two day shipping, you get a ton of free streaming videos. Movies, TV shows and the such, and many are in HD.

Some may say "what does this have to do with the DVD player", but if you read the description, you will find that this is way more than just a DVD player.

The only fault I have about the player, as of now, is that the remote is so darn small!! Yes, I have fat fingers and the "home" button and the "arrow down" button are so close together that I often hit the home key trying to scroll down and hence, I have to start all over again. ARG!

Other than that, again, WOW!

OH yeah, I forgot.... my first month's savings on cable will pay for the cost of this product...

I recommend this to anyone that is tired of paying outrageous prices for cable when what you really like to watch is either free or really cheap via the Internet and a device like this.

Update 06/12/11.. Beware of replacing your cable with Netflix. Seems they are the masters of "bait and switch". Yes, for three weeks, the streaming was great, now all they will stream me is very LOW quality. Even if I choose a HD movie. They will blame it on your ISP, even Sony, but if you Google them, you will find that they "down stream" all their video, and not just in Canada.

Buyer beware of Netflix if you want to use them to stream video. As of today, Amazon's Prime still streams flawlessly!

GW Security Professional 1/3-Inch SONY EXview HAD CCD II 700TVL, 6mm Lens, 36pcs IR LED Waterproof

I was totally happy with this camera, it has great night vision and excellant day time clairity, I would recamend this camera to anybody adding or replacing to your current system.

Toshiba Satellite P25-S607 17" Media Center Laptop (2.80-GHz Pentium 4 (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RA

I purchased a P25-(s)607 about a month ago and have been nothing but pleased with its performance.

Pros-

a. HUGE screen that really allows you to see a lot at one time

b. really fast computer. Benchmarks were outstanding for this product when I ran them right out of the box. They did nothng but improve after I did all the recommended steps (esp. driver upgrades)

c. Lots of goodies that no other laptop has... 4 USB 2.0 ports are great, and the DVD R/RW is really fast (4x) by today's standards. The 5400 rpm hd is fast, though with 60GB isn't the biggest out on the market these days (though with a dvd rw you really can't mind too much)

Cons-

a. This puppy is BIG... and heavy. Even though the screen is a whopping 17 inches, there is an area around the screen of unused plastic (about a 1-1.5 inch edge) This only adds to the huge footprint of this laptop.

b. The keyboard is relatively big, but is still not quite full size. In fact, the keyboard on my 15 inch compaq laptop is actually wider by almost 3/4 of an inch. It is still a capable keyboard though. It is also placed in about the center of the huge case, which can make using it a bit uncomfortable.

c. Lights, Lights, Lights... boy, this thing has a lot of pretty blue and green lights... and I can't find any way to turn them off. This can be a bit distracting while watching a movie in the dark.

d. Battery/TV tuner issues. there is only one battery port, and if you want to use a secondary drive (or the included tv tuner for that matter) you have to remove the battery. I know it seems semi-logical as you will be plugged into a cable anyway for the tv, but at the same time, you would think toshiba would find a way to incorperate a battery.

e. pricelets face it... this isn't the cheapest laptop on the planet... though it is one of the fastest and best equipped

All in all, I would probably rate this as a 4.5 star computer. I haven't fallen in love with it yet, but the courtship is well on its way.

L.

I waited a long time for a windows laptop to get a 17" screen, and this model made it worth the wait. This machine is huge! It weighs almost 10 lbs, and dwarfs my old 15" machine. If you plan on taking trips with this, think again.

The screen is very crisp, and gives you the room to place two windows side by side. So far, everything seems very fast, probably due to the faster hard drive and the extra video memory. But, I would have liked to have seen a 7200 rpm drive instead of the 5400 rpm one.

One thing I will say is that the machine looks much better than the pictures indicate.

This machine has just about everything you need in a desktop replacement. Surpisingly, it runs very cool with a 2.8 GHz processor. There are 3 fans on the bottom and a huge heat sink in the back.

I would have liked to see a separate keypad since Toshiba had the room to put one in, but the overall feel of the full-size keyboard is good. The small tab key, though, is tough to get used to.

Another major annoyance is the touchpad. It will select items with a slight touch, and I have not found out how to turn it off. I have called tech support 3 times on this to no avail. Toshiba's tech support has not impressed me on this issue, and I have had trouble understanding the tech support staff.

***Update***

Tech support has told me that this machine does not support the features most touch pads have, like being able to turn off the tap to click feature. However, I believe it just needs a different driver.

***

I have also had trouble with the supplied TV Tuner. The machine will not boot with it installed, nor will it allow me to connect to the TV. Tech support's solutions so far are to re-install all of the drivers, which did not work. This has not been resolved yet.

Having said this, I am very impressed with the product, and would highly recommend it. But I think some of the lower models may be a better value. It depends on your needs, but you will not go wrong with these computers as long as you don't mind the size and the short battery life. The issues I am having look like they can be resilved.

Buy Toshiba Satellite P25-S607 17" Media Center Laptop (2.80-GHz Pentium 4 (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RA Now

Hello. I love this machine, You should know that the TV receiver can only be used without the battery, (the module goes in that bay) so you MUST be plugged to an outlet. Also needs an external antennae conection (includes conector) The Remote Control for the media center is quite nice BUT you need to attach an IR receiver (also included) to one of your USB ports so this is not that practical after all... Great buy, but I just wanted you to know what I did not when I ordered... :)

Awesome screen, very useful.

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I have not generally been kind to Toshibas, but I must say I took a liking to this one the first time I booted it up. It is impressive to look at, quite high-tech with great lines and lots of cool colored lights. But it's what's inside that counts.

It has a very, very fast 2.8 GHz CPU with an ample 512 megabytes of 800 MHz FSB RAM (expandable to 2 gigs), a 64 megabyte dedicated vidcard and a 17" display that is unbeatable. The 60 gigabyte hard drive, though, is a bit smaller than I would have expected.

That it has a digital TV tuner, can play and record DVDs as well as CDs (so it can be used as a true media center instead of just as a PC) and that it features a full function remote control are all just that much more "lagniappe" (oh, that's a cajun word for 'that little bit extra' you didn't expect but were pleased to get).

Anyway, why only 4 stars? Well, mainly because this computer is not really a laptop, unless you have a very, very big lap. This is a desktop masquerading as a laptop, and believe me, at a whopping 10 pounds it isn't going to be making very many trips. That may all be fine and dandy, but there is a significant penalty for it being called a laptop, namely a higher price than an equivalent desktop media center (look at the Gateways, for instance) would command.

For most folks, this is overkill. Where would it be perfect? I would say it would be true Nirvana in some lucky person's dorm room, though it would also look most handsome under anyone's Christmas tree!

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I will never buy another Toshiba Computer again. I've owned 3 laptops made by Toshiba (P25-S607, M30 and P25-S676) and am impressed with the machines. However, Toshiba's support is by far the worst that I've ever encountered; in fact, I would go so far as to say that they have NO SUPPORT!

One day I was working on my P25-S676 and I shut the lid of the computer, which would obviously put the system on standby. When I opened the lid again and tried to turn the computer on, it wouldn't give me anything but a blank, black screen. I found out that the motherboard was fried (???) and that it needed to be sent into the Toshiba Support Depot. I sent my laptop to Toshiba on 1/15/2005 and here it is 2/25/2005 and it is still not fixed. It's not the fact that I've been without my laptop for over a month that bothers me; it's that I was promised EIGHT different E.T.A.s! If I was told that it would take two months to fix my laptop, I would've been disappointed, but respected the honesty. However, it really ticks me off when a company lies to me eight times and counting!!! I have no faith that I will receive my laptop back in the next month, or maybe even this year. I've contacted the Better Business Bureau and I'm hoping that they can light a fire under Toshiba, since Toshiba's customers can't.

When shopping for a laptop, shop for support first and performance second.

VEC TRX-20 3.5MM Direct Connect Telephone Record Device (ADAPTER ONLY)

This interface plugs into the same jack as the headset and not the main line. At first this was confusing. However, once I figured that out all went well. The sound quality was as good as the phone receiver and it was easy to use with my laptop computer. For the cost, this was an unbeatable solution to the problem of recording meetings in an efficent and easy way.

I had a need to record interviews taking place via phone for some academic research that I'm conducting. This is an excellent solution, and very easy to use. I work at a university, on the university's digital phone system. Because this plugs in at the handset, it can be used, I would presume, on any network, digital or analog. It can't be used with a cell phone that I can see, but for traditional phones, you could not beat this item.

I am currently recording conversations on an Olympus DS-30 Digital Voice Recorder Olympus DS-30 Digital Voice Recorder. Of course, consult local and state laws regarding required disclosure the legality of recording phone conversations.

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Did the job it's suppose to while other cheaper ones from ebay failed.

Was worth the extra I think mostly because if fit the rj11 jacks better.

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I received this an hour back and tested by recording 3 calls (2 with a Sony Digital Voice Recorder, and 1 on my laptop through windows sound recorder). The recording is absolutely clear and crisp and it does the job well. The device is very small (smaller than it looks in the picture shown).

The reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is while recording playback, when Speaker pause I hear a background hissing sound. This hissing becomes very dim when someone is talking but it becomes louder during pauses. If you play in low volume its not that audible. Overall a good product.

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We liked our first coupler so much we ordered two more! Again, it took less than a week to receive the products. We're using them to record audio in Microsoft Office Live Meeting from Phillips phones and via Plantronics wireless headsets into Dell computers. We're also using them to record into Camtasia Studio 2.0 (the free version). They work fine out of the box. The person with the coupler on their phone is louder than others, but all quality is very acceptable (just like via the telephone only). We are working on the settings within the computer to lower the "coupler person's" voice highs and lows. The device also works fine when recording into Audacity freeware. I like them, too, because they are easy to hook-up. Easy for even a "non-techie" person like me to use.

Save 14% Off

iriver 5 GB H10 MP3 Player Lounge Grey

• Compact, lightweight 5 GB hard drive multimedia player in Charcoal finish--weighs only 3.4 ounces
• Compatible with MP3 and WMA; also Secure WMA from online services
• View JPEG photos and album cover art via 1.5-inch LCD
• Built-in voice recording and FM tuner with FM recording capability
• Swappable rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 12 hours of battery life

I've been looking for a new replacement MP3 player for my Ipod 3G 30 Gig. I was thinking about Ipos Shuffle, Ipod Mini, or Zen Micro (or Zen Micro Color). Then by accident, I stumpled upon Irivier H10. It is very small, stylish, and easy to operate. It's got FM radio, voice/FM recording, color screen (to view pics), and other standard MP3 functions. It's only $30 more than Mini, but has so much more to offer. The sound quality is great (but not w/ the included earpiece) and there are 40 sound presets (including your own setting). In the package, you will also receive a transparent plastic skin. It fits the player perfectly and easy to remove if you choose to. This usually goes for $8+ for ipod, and you get it free. Sure, you can't view those pics on TV like Ipod Photo, but who cares? What's the chance of you carrying a cable w/ you at all times? The battery life is around 12 hours per charge and it is replaceble as well. That means you can buy an extra battery for your long trip to extend the battery life or change it when the battery dies in a year or so. It is a true Ipod Mini killer and I've used 2 Ipods, Sony MP3 player, and a Samsung MP3 players. Strongly recommended!

Edit 1:

*After I went to Apple Store yesterday and played around with Ipod Photo, I'm even more impressed with H10 color screen. On Ipod Photo, you have to view the screen directly (right in front of the screen) in order to see the photo clearly. Otherwise, the photo/lcd will look dim. But, Ipod Photo has faster photo browsing speed. As I said before, viewing photo on mp3 isn't a priority for me and I'm very happy as is right now.

*I haven't have much problem/bug with this machine yet as others have described here. The only thing that I've experienced is that once I connect the player to my PC, I can't see the "remove this external drive icon" in the taskbar after a while. So, I simply unplug the connection cable/usb. Luckily nothing has happened yet.

*Many people asked me about the skin, well, it is just the Ipod skin you buy in Apple store but fits much nicer on the player. I can't stress how nice it fits on H10. For my Ipod, I litterally have to force it onto my ipod (because it sticks to the player so much that the friction is making it hard to do). And yes, it will attracks dirt just like other skins. If you worry about the look of it, don't use it. If you want a good protection for the player on the go, this is a good choice.

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Pros: great build, feels nice and solid;

the touch pad is excellent very precise movement: tapping the top and bottom of the strip or simply holding it down allows excellent precision and accuracy.

great feedback with the buttons (you don't have to wonder if you pressed a button when it's in your pocket).

sound quality is excellent volume from 0 40. around 20 is already loud enough for me.

color screen; big pictures will appear blurry, but it's expected with a small screen

very intuitive controls. the back button always brings you back to the last screen no matter what the last screen is. example: while in the picture browser i wanted to change the song click FF then click back and i'm back in the picture browser.

excellent shuffle mode algorithm: you will not hear the same song twice as it the player takes the played songs out of the algorithm

MTP = drag and drop if you prefer it more than windows media player. there is no propietary software (but drag and drop is slower than syncing with WMP. it's still not UMS)

excellent FM tuner

battery life is excellent, it actually gets about 12 hours as advertised

removable battery

comes with a iskin like case (but the case attracts a lot of dust)

CONS

IRIVER hurried to release this product; thus, the software isn't complete. there are A LOT OF BUGS. Hopefully, these bugs will be fixed soon with a firmware upgrade. here's some of the bugs

1. some might encounter problems with syncing with wmp i/o error

2. albums on player plays in alphabetical instead of by track number

3. the clock on the player might not work

4. the back light turns on and off randomly in some units.

there are some more bugs... visit www.misticriver.net

you can rate songs on the player but it doesn't integrate with windows media. so a rating of 5 on a song does not update your library on windows media. the player just put the 5 stars first and 1 star last in a list.

for some, this might be a con but not for me once the backlight is off the screen is pitch black, you can't see anything. press any button turns the backlight on then proceed with function. so if you want the player to FF you got to press it twice.

file browing is slow in browser mode (not the music browser but the file browser the music browser by artist, title.... is nice and fast)

horrible tech support. expect long wait time. (called around 4:30 ish, never answered...finally at about 5:05 got a voice mail saying their hours are from XXXX to 5:00pm)

conclusion. i'm giving a 3 star because at $280 there are simply too many bugs with the player right now; with time IRIVER will release upgrades to fix these issues because it's their new flagship model. the functions and features of the player beats any player out there within the same price range. be patient with this player, it will be an excellent product if IRiver fix all the bugs.

for more research info goto www.misticriver.net click on forums then the H series

it's an excellent forum for support and faqs.

EDIT: regarding "tommygman" i'm glad your player works perfectly. and no i did not simply read something negative. I have a H10 myself and i'm waiting patiently for an upgrade. furthermore, i can tell you that the Korean version of H10 (UMS) which came out a month before the us version (MTP) already had 2 firmware upgrades while they're on FW1.10 the us is still on FW1.00 IRiver has a list of bug fixes which you can find at misticriver.net

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This is written from the perspective of a first time MP3 player owner... I've owned several MiniDisc units in the past, some of which made me happier than others. I am somewhat computer savvy and I've never played with an iPod. Basically, I'm pretty darn satisfied... vs. other competitors in its class (not the iPod itself) it wins in several categories.

1. Oh-so-sleek look. It doesn't have the same minimalist/modernist design of the iPod, but that's something I never wanted in the first place. Its appearance seems to suggest it's a distant relative of the PlayStation 2. The battery recharges quite quickly, about 2 hours on average.

2. SIMPLE and easy to figure out interface. Menu system is very logical and it's easy to choose songs to listen to based on artist, album, genre, or playlist. Touch bar has just the right amount of sensitivity and appears to be pretty rugged. Great fit in the hand.

3. Windows XP compatible. Plays most, if not all, common forms of MP3 and WMA files. I haven't tested how well it handles media with Digital Rights Managment, but that's just not in the cards for me.

4. Great sound. Has around 20 preset EQs for all genres of music, including a Custom EQ. Haven't used the headphones but I hear pretty good... I use my own pair of earphones and the sound is many times better than even the MiniDisc units I've had (by Sony!).

Alas, there are a few downsides...

1. The silicone case hides the beauty of the player, attracts dirt, and the clip is somewhat awkward. It's good for protection, if you're on the go.

2. Though it has photo capabilities, the size and resolution of the screen don't yield very good results. Text interface also has its quirks, but it does its job. Same could be said about the FM radio... it picks up only the strongest stations in your area, but when it does, sound is good.

3. The player (out of the box) and its computer interface has a few minor problems. Best recommendation is to get the latest firmware upgrade ASAP. It still doesn't solve a few things... sometimes I've gotta Refresh the music database to maintain the order of music listed the same as inputted. Also recommended is to use Yahoo! Music Engine, although no program is really required (ie. drag-and-drop files onto the player in Windows Explorer).

It does require a little tinkering to get it set up the way you want it, and therefore requires a bit of computer savvy as well as patience. But once you get used to it, it's a truly high quality and convenient item to have. Also, I found a sale here for about $50 off (I paid $199). Definitely affordable and great quality for the price paid.

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I researched this purchase extensively and finally chose this unit after trying to wade through all that crazy, confusing info out there on digital music players. I wanted something I didn't need to mess around with much but just load, go and enjoy all my favorite music on that's stashed away on all those buried cd's. I LOVE THIS THING !!

I didn't need 1,200 songs so I chose to input my music in at the highest quality option. I'm astounded at the sound quality of the playback. I don't want to hear the music in my ears I want to feel it between my eyes and this lovely little unit does that well without having to max out the volume. I have over 680 songs, photos of my baby grandson and the text file of the itinerary of my upcoming trip in it and there's almost a full gb of room left!!

If you have (you must have) Windows XP and the latest version of Windows Media Player... loading your files into this unit is sooo easy. Make sure before loading your files to download the updates at iRiver as the formatting will wipe out what you've put in. Updates are easy and the PDF manual is helpful and easy to read. The battery lasts a good long time and is removable and rechargeable. A spare is a bit pricey but affordable if you need more than 12 hours of playback at one time. The controls are pretty much self explanatory and I find very easy to use. I have a number of custom playlists and it handles them all with ease and like a champ. I've had none of the problems reported by other reviewers. That could just be from clean livin' (yurite) but so far so good!!

I found this at a great sale price too but even at full retail I think this unit is well worth every dime!! I'd recommend it for sure!!

OK first off, i will tell you that all the pro's people suggest are true. the SRS Wow feature is amazing, and i like it very much. It really adds whatever you are looking for.

now to address the cons that people have put forth.

1. The Headphones. The Headphones are Sennheiser MX400's, which are about 10.99-19.99 depending on where you buy them. I believe they are nice, but i would buy a nicer pair. They are by far higher quality then any other out of the box headphone, but i just prefer something nicer.

2. You can't play files in track order.

NOT TRUE! the current firmware fixes this, BUT, you MUST put the file tracks into WM10 and then load them onto your iRiver. You really think its going to magically fix them for you? (you may need to refresh the database after doing this).

3. Slow. I do admit, it is slow, but as with all MP3 Players, there is always a downside. My previous player, the Creative Zen 40GB Nomad Xtra, was a complete and total piece of crap. i used to, but now will never buy another mp3 player from them. Their cheapness comes at a price (a low one as a matter a fact)

4. Takes a while to turn off. It depends. sometimes is lightning quick, other times it takes about 10 seconds. Like its going to affect you anyway, when you press the button to turn it off, it will, and 10 seconds really doesn't kill the battery or damage it, does it?

5. Pictures suck. THEN DON'T USE IT FOR PICTURES. simple as that. The Radio, Radio Record, Voice Record, Line-In Record, Music should be enough for you, dont you think?

COMPARISION:

iRiver H10 20GB 299.99

iPod 20GB 299.99

Creative 40GB Zen 235.99

The iRiver is the SAME PRICE as the iPod, but it has these advantages:

Color Screen

Sennheiser Headphones (14.99 Value)

Pictures

Text

Music, No programs needed to transfer

Napster to Go

Plays WMA, MP3, Protected WMA

FM

Fm Recording

Voice Recording

Line-In Recording

Smaller

SRS-Wow and Custom Equalizer

FM in Korea, Japan and European Regions.

FOR THE SAME EXACT PRICE?

and as for the creative...i'm sorry, but its just a piece of crap.

HOW MINE DIED:

because of its huge bulkiness, i dropped it 2 ft. onto carpet. The hardrive broke, and after i smacked it (no joke) it turned on to work again. Then, about 3 weeks later, i was listening to it, and it just died. Completely, i tried everything, and i decided i didn't want to wait 2 hours to call them (it took that long).

iRiver support is ok, and they have a good online system. They also have smart tech support, but as with everyone, it takes a while to reach them.

I stand by iRiver, and i promise if you buy this product you will be satisfied.