Olympus WS-560M Digital Voice Recorder with MP3 Playback

Good voice recorder, rechargeable Ni-MH AAA battery, USB jack slides out the bottom for upload to PC. Very capable device, good sound quality. Have used with Dragon Naturally Speaking, so far so good. GRIPE: To recharge, slide USB jack out, HOLD STOP BUTTON, and plug into USB port. Um, not great. Forget to push the button the right way, no charging happens, with no alert (silent FAIL).

I use this recorder to record messages preached at a local church. I hook a lapel microphone to it and drop the recorder into my pocket. It works wonderfully. The recorder comes with a rechargeable AAA battery; however, one can use a standard AAA as well. It recharges when plugged into the computer, but only when you place it in recharge mode.

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Coby DVD-R1300 5.1 Channel DVD Player/Recorder with Progressive Scan & AV Input

• Slim-line, progressive scan DVD player/recorder with 5.1-channel surround sound output
• Records to both DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW discs; plays CD-R/RW, MP3, JPEG
• Includes FireWire input on front for connecting digital video camcorders
• Connections: Composite A/V (1 out, 2 in), S-Video (1 out), component (Y/Pb/Pr) video (1 out), RF (1 in)
• Dolby Digital decoding, coaxial digital audio output

We had two other "inexpensive" dvd players that died recently and needed to replace them. This unit jumped out at me for three reasons, the ability to record to DVD, built-in TV tuner and the price. Setup was pretty simple and now the kids can watch their DVDs again. The recording quality of this unit is "ok". The unit has three different types of inputs: CABLE, RCA and S-Video, so it should work for most situtations. I gave the unit 4 stars, because it is not a high-priced or high-quality system and it met my low to medium quality device expectations.

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This Coby product arrived defective: power would come on but unit would not function. Otherwise, Coby products are great and this unit would have had great "bang for the buck". In fact, after reading the manual I have to say that this product would have been too advanced for this user.

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I purchased this unit not too long ago and find it very reliable as far as playing the multitude of discs that it features. However, upon reviewing the manual many times, I have tried to understand why the Technical Reviewer states that it can record to DVD-R and DVD-RW discs when the manual plainly states this unit can only record to DVD+R & DVD+RW discs.

Aside from that, I have found this unit very attractive and reliable. The picture quality is very good and the functions are easy to handle.

The greatest feature about this Coby DVDR1300 Player/Recorder is that it has a built-in 5.1 channel tuner which can be hooked up to your TV set. Audio cables are necessary for the sound and included with this unit.

Overall, this unit which is reasonably priced is a sure bet for anyone looking for a notably fine product and a satisfactory performance.

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HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS AT FIRST BUT IT'S A LITTLE BETTER NOW. I HAVE HAD BETTER AND I DEFINITELY WOULD NOT PURCHASE AGAIN

Hace unos dias compre este modelo aprovechando el excelente precio, y por supuesto luego de ver algunos "reviews". Es mi primer DVD recorder, por tanto, no tengo ninguna referencia. Pero en general, hace lo que quiero: grabar programas de la tv (el tuner funciona bien) y grabar el monton de mini DV tapes que tengo tomados con mi camara sony. Me parece excelente esta funcion, con la entrada DV. Mi unica queja ahora ahora es el control remoto, poco alcance y necesita que este direccionado exactamente hacia el sensor. Ademas, no siempre responde.

VideoSecu 4 x 150 Feet Audio Video Power Security Camera Cables with Free BNC RCA Connectors for CC

These cables shipped and were in new condition at a great price compared to what I could get them for locally. The only issue with these cables is that they are extremely long and did not come on a spool, so they can easily get tangled if you do not carefully unwind them.

These are very nice cables that have the 3rd plug for audio and seem to have good quality connecting ends. I would recommend and also would purchase again in the future.

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Go outside and work on a field that is at least 75 feet long without obstructions. Go to one end of the field and with the bundle of cables in your hand separate the ends that have the connectors in a big V, one end to the right (camera) and the other end to the left (VCR). Now walk backwards toward the other end of the field unwinding the bundle in a rolling matter until you get to unwind the whole thing. Make sure that when you are walking backwards, you keep the lines separated. When you arrived at the end of the field, your whole 150 feet will be laid in front of you, now grab one end and get to work on your installation...ask your wife for a recompense ...lol ;)

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Mustek DV3000 Multi-Function Digital Video Camera w/1.5-inch LCD and 2x Digital Zoom

This camera is a good one to start out with. I got this camera back in 2005 for a trip to Switzerland, Italy, and France, and it got the job done. It was my first digital camera, and insanely easy to use.

The picture quality is not the best, and the difference between the middle and highest resolutions is barely noticeable save in how much space is taken up on your memory card. Over time, the camera itself will most likely begin to break. Mine has started to separate down the middle, but the camera still works the same as the day I purchased it and this problem can easily be fixed with superglue.

I do not recommend this camera for someone who is looking for high-quality images. While it is a nice camera for home and personal use, the overall quality of the images is not great, and I find myself looking at other digital cameras, possibly a Canon, for my next trip that have a higher resolution and that have image stabilization. Another thing to note is that this camera has to be held very still when taking a picture. Movement of any kind often results in a noticeably warped image. The length of time the camera takes to actually take the picture definitely has something to do with this. It takes between six and twelve seconds, depending on resolution, to take a picture. The battery life itself is good, lasting about three hundred pictures before I had to change my batteries.

I have no real complaints about this camera. It is a good, basic camera with few options, and the fact that it doesn't have a flash really is not a problem once the camera adjusts to the light. When I was in the Vatican, cameras with flashes were not allowed, and I found that once my camera adjusted to the light, I could take pictures that were just fine. This even in spite of the fact that many of the rooms there are barely lit in order to preserve the artwork.

I recommend this camera to anyone who is just starting out in the realm of digital photography. This camera is perfect for anyone who is looking to take basic pictures and shines as a personal camera. The images I took when abroad are of good quality (though not the best), and the majority of the images turn out rather clear.

I bought this camera and was very happy with it. It took clear pictures and was very easy to use. Although it was small in size it got the job done. Then, after less than a month of using it, it simply stopped working. It wouldn't turn on, the LCD screen wouldn't show anything, and when it rarely did turn on, weird sounds came from it. I took good care of it, didn't drop it or anything of the like. After repeatedly calling Mustek customer service and finally getting help from them, all they said was that it had a malfunction and to ship it in, but we never got a new camera. It was horrible service, and a cheap camera.

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Well it's an ok camera except for the fact that can't take videos at 6:30 PM cause it gets to dark, and if I want to take a video in my house the blinds have to be open and the lights have to be on and it has from 5:00 AM to 6:20PM. Other than that it's an ok camera. The pictures are the most clearest, and the videos are sortta fussy.

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I recently purchased the mustek dv4000 and I hate it, the pictures are awful! I used the highest quality setting and got very poor results, the only thing I do like about the camera which is why it even got one star was the fact that the digital recording I took came out OK, but digital still pics are awful and I'd advise folks to look elsewhere and not spend their money on this one. I'm sending mine back! I'm new to digital photography but I know on the highest quality setting, the photo quality shouldn't be grainy. High quality settings yielded low quality pics on mine....Anyone out there have a better experience? Could I be doing something wrong?

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I only use the digital camera capabilities for the Mustek DV 3000. This small digital camera is great for quick pictures that are going to be used for digital purposes and the software that comes with the camera is eay to use. Even the novice computer user can upload pictures with this camera. The downside if no flash and the video capabilities seem to capture very dark video unless outside or in a very extremely high light area. So I use this camera to take quick pictures of my kids or for items I am selling online, so this camera is very functional for it's quick digital camera functions.

Panasonic PV-GS85 MiniDV Camcorder with 32x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The recent arrival of our first child prompted this purchase. I knew that I wanted MiniDV to allow me maximum editing flexibility and software compatibility. I scoured the internet for product reviews and had decided to get a Canon Elura 100 as this was widely considered the best "budget" digital camcorder. Of course, I decided on that just as the last stocks ran out Canon no longer make the Elura line. I was then faced with starting from scratch as all the majors had just released new cameras. I've used Canon SLRs for years and so naturally gravitated towards the Z-series camcorders. They didn't get great reviews though.

Then I spotted the Panasonic PV-GS85 and was immediately grabbed by the fact that it has OIS optical image stabilization. It uses an actual optical component to counteract hand shake as opposed to the electronic jiggery-pokery that other cameras at this price point use. I tried out both a Canon and the Panasonic in an electronics store and the difference between the effectiveness of OIS and EIS is amazing optical stabilization is just leaps and bounds better. That is what sold me on the Panasonic.

I went for the GS85 over the GS80 for the addition of snapshot capability it will take a still photo to memory card whilst you are filming. The quality isn't fantastic, but it isn't terrible either and it is perfect for capturing stills of those magical moments for emailing to relatives when you happen to be in the middle of filming.

I don't use Windows, so can't comment on the software included, but the camera works flawlessly with iMovie on my Macbook Pro and with Kino on Linux.

The video quality is very good, color reproduction has so far proved excellent. The auto white balance takes a little while to adjust after turning the camera on (maybe 20-30s) so you have to be a bit ahead of the game. Startup is very quick even without the fast start option where the camera "goes to sleep" when you close the LCD rather than switching off all together.

All in an excellent camera.

I was looking at buying this camcorder or the comparable Sony. I am so glad I went with the PV-GS85. The OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZATION IS KEY! This little piece of tech keeps your videos nice a stable even when you are zoomed way in. The SD card slot is a hidden gem. It is so easy to hit the snapshot button while recording and get some great (although low resolution 640x480) shots WHILE you are recording. The only downside is that it cannot record in very low light conditions like the Sony can. The PV-GS85 does not have the capability to see infrared very well like the Sony can. One day I will probably be annoyed by not having this feature, but it hasn't been an issue yet. Overall, the optical image stabilization far outweighs the NightShot technology... unless you are going to recreate Blair Witch or something like that!

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After much research and reading many reviews, mostly here (thanks everyone for the excellent reviews), I chose to get the Panasonic PV-GS85 over the Canon ZR850 for the following reasons:

Claims of motor noise on the Canon

Panasonic has Optical Image Stabilizer

Panasonic has a built-in light (seems like LED technology)

Now that I have the camera and got a chance to play with it a bit, here's my review...

PRO's:

Somewhat small (not the smallest, but not large by any means)

Smooth zoom (either analog or it has many small speed increments)

Optical Image Stabilizer

Built-in light

SD card slot for snapshots (although I don't intend to use it for that)

Color viewfinder

CON's:

Hand strap mounted too low and allows camera to pivot away from fingers

Charger has cumbersome heavy-guage power cord (not easy to stuff into a small bag)

Very few buttons -almost everything is done through the joystick menus

Menu and Light buttons can't be reached with thumb and require some dexterity to reach with index finger

Built-in light is VERY weak (although it probably doesn't consume much power -I think it's a small LED lamp)

This camera will probably make most home movie makers very happy -overall, it's very easy to use. Features, such as Night mode or Fade, take a little effort to change since you'd need to shuffle through a few menus.

It supports USB photo transfers, FireWire video transfer to PC, and A/V out to a TV.

Overall, this is a very nice and easy-to-use camera.

This was the first time I've tried uploading a video onto a PC, editing, and burning a DVD. I used Windows Movie Maker (comes with Windows XP) and was VERY impressed by how easy it was to use and how robust it was for a bundled utility. It does a nice job of controlling the camera to transfer the video (keep the camera on Playback mode when transferring -not PC Connection mode... took me a few minutes to figure that one out). Once all of the video clips are transferred, Movie Maker automatically splits up all of the scenes. So, just click-and-drag your scenes, trim unwanted pieces, set transitions, effects, music, and create a movie.

The tough part was managing the HORRIBLE DVD burning software out there! Roxio used to have good DVD software, but their last few releases of MyDVD are AWEFUL! They simply don't work.

I hope this last part helps newbies like me through the jitters of diving into the whole digital video realm.

x_hobbes

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Pros:

1. Really easy and convenient to use

2. 16:9 widescreen recording

3. For Windows users, simply connect to the PC and use Windows Movie Maker to download your recordings

Cons:

1. Relatively short battery life

2. USB 1.1 !! Inexcusable for a new product. It does have FireWire which is fast, but if you're a USB only person, then you're stuck with 1.1

3. The battery needs to be removed to connect USB or FireWire to the computer. Consequently, power needs to come to the camera from a cord hooked up to the battery charger... an inconvenience. What's even more irritating is that when you connect the battery charger to the camera to power it up, the battery stops charging... i.e. the charger will either charge the battery or feed power to the camera but not both! Really annoying since I'd like my battery to charge up while I'm downloading the recording.

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I just bought this camcorder. My older Sony miniDv finally died. And needed a cheap one quick. You can't really get the old Gen of Canon ZR500 etc. (wihch were the best cheap ones) So I went with this.

Still not sure having the SD card and light make it worth $XX more than the 80.

Some comments

1. I WAS SHOCKED to get to the FireWire or USB you HAVE TO REMOVE BATTERY and use the electricitystupidist thng I have seen

2. Stills can only be 640*480 wihch is REALLY quite low-

3. BUT you get a 32X optical zoom which is really cool with stills

4. You can NOT make video clips for the SD card just stills

5. Gives a lot of manual control

6. Light is good only for 1 meter of so

Overall a good camera nice quality. If Idea is to go chepa look carefully at delta between this and 80.

Sony ICD-SX700D Digital Voice Recorder with Voice Operated Recording

I had been looking for a device like this, and based on reviews had it narrowed down to the ICD-MX20DR9 and the ICD-SX68DR9. But seeing that Dragon Naturally Speaking was already out in version 10, it seemed odd that Sony hadn't updated the recorders to operate with the new software release.

Well, Sony did one better. Not only does the ICD-SX700D feature the Dragon version 10 software (recorder edition, not the full), but the device itself overcomes many of the criticisms of earlier models. You can see all the specs for yourself and see what I mean.

Another source of my earlier hesitation to buy a Sony stemmed from criticims of the documentation accompanying this model's predecessors; users reported having virtually no information about the Dragon software, and having to spend hours on hold with tech support trying to get the device and transcription software to work properly together.

I confess that I would greatly welcome some documentation from Nuance about the codes and special language one can use when recording in order to accelerate accurate transcription.

Nevertheless, I found it was a fairly straightforward thing to get this up and running. (1) First install the Sony software on your computer, (2) then install the Dragon software on your computer, and (3) recite and record your choice of reading passages given you by the Dragon software. Then, (4) transfer your recording from the ICD-SX700D to your computer (using the Sony software), convert it into a transcription again using the software, and watch it type away in the word processor. With time, you'll grow comfortable enough with the device to begin using the special transcription codes.

It works great. Very impressed with it. It was easy to set up and it did not take as long as indicated. It was up and running within an hour. I purchased it mostly for dictation. I wanted to be able to record lectures and interviews and tranbscribe them to text. Basic dictation/transcribing works wonderfully. Recorded lectures/transcribing is 50/50 based on how close your are to the speaker and the surrounding noise. Interviews/Conversation have not been successful for me when it comes to transcribing. The transcribing software cannot distinguish between the two voices and it defaults to [inaudible] to the program. Another issue I had, and this is my mistake for not double checking compatibility, I bought a new computer as well and my new computer being 64 bit, could not read the 32 bit software (this is what was explained to me). So, I have to use my older computer for transcribing. Make sure to double check system compatibility before you purcahse. Its also quite pricey but all in all, I use it for work and it does make my job easier. So, it pays for itself.

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After researching features of several comparable devices, the Sony ICD-SX700D was the only logical choice. The Dragon software I am already familiar with and it's still "okay" and is still learning my voice. It does take work for accuracy. The ICD-SX700 looks complicated, but Sony has a knock of creating intuitive menus that more often than not, make sense. Buttons have a decent tactile feel and the screen is easy to readand I don't even need to use my reading glasses to operate. The main feature I was seeking was the VOR-voice activated recording. That works very well, very natural and clean. I highly recommend buying an additional lapel clip-on mic. Skip the pricey Sony ECM's. An Olympus brand or other lapel mic designed for video camcorders will suffice. I move around a lot in my noisy kitchen and this set-up works well. I'm also the using the ICD-SX700 as an mp3 player, downloading podcasts and music to their own folder. Invest in a better set of earphones at some point, since the ones that come with it are very basic. The Sony software is standard for Windows as is the stripped-down DragonSpeak. I wish they were Mac compatible. They do work well together and there have been no problems with the install or operation on Win XP (32-bit mode only). It's fun to watch the screen typing away what I just spoke a few minutes earlier. After a bit of clean-up, I'm ready to post text to my blog. Overall; good Sony quality, a fair value, Mac compatibility would be nice, but I run Win on my Mac for the best of both worlds. My technical expertise level is mid-range, so I did need to read the manual. Amazon as usual, made ordering and delivery easy.

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Need I say more! Everything I ever wanted in a digital recorder. If you need anything better then you need a professional digital recorder. This little gizmo record voices in big conference rooms with an incredible clarity! great as a Dictaphone, for interviews, and pretty much everything else. It records in Stereo or mono.

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I bought this on April 29, 2010. It is currently February 6, 2012. this is a pretty well-designed recorder. the shape and layout of the recorder is very intuitive and portable. the recorded audio is great quality and is easy to transfer the files to and from the computer. it doubles as an mp3 player that i use to listen to audio books. the batteries charge while you have it hooked up to USB for moving files off and onto it and it comes with a docking station that gives you a more aesthetically and functionally appealing arrangement for using the recorder with a computer. the battery life is very, very good i keep the device on all the time (but not recording all the time). it comes with the Dragon Naturally Speaking software which i do not use since it takes incredible amounts of time to train and still fails far too frequently, but i do not fault the device itself for this. you are not restricted to the 5 file folders the device uses by default for storing files you may rename/delete/add folders using the computer for categorizing the things you record. i've also dropped this device several times from waist height onto concrete and it has not affected the performance at all. this has been one of the most satisfying purchases i have made, as i get a lot of use out of this device for recording notes nearly every day to make sure i do not forget certain things. for me, this was definitely money well spent. my only criticisms is that the carrying pouch that comes with it is basically useless, it doesn't support any open-source audio formats, a couple of the buttons are oddly labelled (HOLD instead of POWER, wth?), and it doesn't display the time unless you're powering the device off or on. regardless, i give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Sony HDR-UX10 4MP DVD High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom

Excellent HD cam at a low price,

it's a SONY,

the video quality is very very good, 1080i! FULL HD, crystal clear.

the 5.1 channels mic records amazing sound.

the menus are easy to use, if you dont get it: use the "easy" button, it sets up the cam and you're good to go.

the photos are very good taken thanks to the "Steadyshot" feature and the integrated flash. You can take photos at any time during video recording.

the "night shot" func. really works.

it fits in your hand perfectly and it has a good weight, not too light nor heavy.

transfers to PC are easy and fast. just connect the usb, it's software detects it and download the videos, once it's done you can watch the videos on Windows media player, if you have any issue doing so, just google: "ffdshow" and download this codecs pack, so your pc can play almost any kind video out there.

If you have a PS3, just plug the memory stick and play the vids.

The photos can be transferred without using the sony software just copy/paste.

Opportunity:

-The Slow motion feature could be better, you won't get good video quality using this function, it's helpful if you just need to observe something in slowmo but not if you want to make an artistic video or something like that. What i do is take the regular video on HD and slow it down with Windows Movie Maker ;P (You can speed it up too)

This a very good HD camcorder for the price; you can't go wrong with SONY.

Edit: here is the link to the actual codecs you may need to play the videos with Windows Media Player,Just install them and you're good to go.

I picked up this little gem for around $425. I compared it to more expensive Sony HD camcorders with built-in hard drives, but ultimately decided to go with the MS/DVD camcorder so I could catalog my movies, avoid having all my stuff on one hard drive (in case of camcorder loss or hard drive failure), and did not want to have to use a PC as an intermediary device.

We took this camcorder on a recent trip to Washington DC, and all I can say is this: the picture quality of the videos at the highest quality HD setting is simply stunning! Every little detail shows up incredibly well when the movies are replayed on my Panasonic 58" plasma at home. The 5.1 Dolby sound is incredible too.

It's really easy to dub movies from the MS to the DVD using the camcorder. I picked up two MS Pro Duo cardsan 8GB and 16GB. Between them, I can record 180 minutes of 1080i video. Be warned thoughif you intend to record solely to DVD, you will only be able to store about 15 minutes of Hi-Def footage at the highest quality setting.

I usually record in Hi-Def onto the MS cards, and record SD video directly on the DVD's.

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I'm very happy with this camcorder. The definition is awesome especially in good lighting, not so good in dim lighting, but I think that goes for all camcorders. It's recommended to play back the DVD's on a compatible player like Blue Ray to get HD, as a matter of fact in the instructions it warns against playing the movies back on regular DVD players because it could erase/damage your disk. I recommend buying the double sided mini DVD disks, each side holds about 25-30 min of video.

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I researched new high definition camcorders costing anywhere from $100 to $1,000 in hopes of finding a good one for around $300 $400 which I found was virtually impossible considering the technology is so new. I stumbled across this one on Amazon and was immediately impressed with it's specs, but not too impressed with it's price tag of around $550. To my surprise, Sams Club had this exact one marked down for $270 as it was the last one they had in stock. I immediately purchased it having read the great reviews on it.

All I can say is: AMAZING!!!

I highly recommend this camcorder as it takes exceptional high def videos. It has great specs including Low Lux capabilities for night shots and movies. Although the accessories are endless on this device, it just proves how professional it really is. You can swap out the lens, add extra light, cases, batteries, etc. I don't expect my review to change people's minds, but all I can say is if you can find this camcorder at a decent price, you will not be upset. It is a hybrid which means you cna record to 8cm DVD which by the way plays in a PS3. It also allows you to record to the Sony ProDuo Media cards too which some of the newer Sony models don't let you do.

The picture quality is spectacular and the mic is amazing on it allowing for 5.1 surround sound.

I RECOMMEND THIS CAMCORDER!!!

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I wanted a camcorder to record AVCHD directly to DVD media and play immediately in one of my Blu-ray players (one is a PS3). This camera looked like a good choice and I am very happy with the purchase. Although I understand most consumers will use a PC for editing and/or playback and/or storage of home videos, that isn't of any interest to me. If transfer to PC is the intended use, you probably don't want to record to DVD media and possibly don't want this camcorder but instead may want something with built-in memory or hard drive. I don't have a PC connected to any of my three HD displays but I do have Blu-ray players on each.

I am happy with image quality and ease of use. Quality with recording inside under low lighting is only average at best, I am sure. That one shortcoming is normal for camcorders in this price range with such a small CMOS sensor. Outside with sunlight is where I use the camcorder almost exclusively and the image recorded at highest bitrate looks great even using my projector and 100" screen. Image quality at the lower bitrates is excellent as well but I have decided to record at highest quality even if the improvement is only subtle.

I did purchase a couple of 4GB SanDisk PRO Duo memory sticks with MagicGate, and have recorded to one then copied the video to a DVD-R so I have no idea what the reviewer with complaints about memory sticks is referring to. Even that process was more trouble than I want to mess with so I plan to continue to record directly to DVD. I will keep the memory stick in the camcorder for those times when I don't have a DVD handy.

I can confirm the video recorded plays fine in my LG BD300, Sony BDP-S1, Oppo BDP-83 and 40GB Sony PS3. If I recall correctly, it takes a few seconds to format a DVD-R before recording and about 1 minute to finalize after recording before playing in another device, pretty painless requiring a couple of button pushes on the LCD screen. I did install an AVCHD player in my laptop but apparently I don't have the horsepower to play AVCHD, it is choppy and stutters, totally unusable.

Creative Labs NOMAD MuVo NX 128 MB Flash Drive MP3 Player

• 128 MB of flash memory holds up to 4 hours WMA or 2 hours MP3 music when recorded at 64 kbps (WMA) or 128 kbps (MP3)
• Works as a USB Flash Drive with any PC or Mac with USB 1.1 port, holds the equivalent of 176 floppies
• Built-in microphone records up to 8 hours of high quality monaural voice recording
• Connect to any Creative Speaker system with the M-PORT interface for instant music playback through your speakers
• Compatible with Windows 98SE, 2000, Me, and XP

I first purchased the RIO sports mp3 player (the red one). Anyway, it was a piece of junk. I took it back and got this one! This thing is the best! the detachable portion that holds the battery is replaceable, which means if you drop it, most likely it will fall on the detachable battery until and leave your player in tact. I just can't say enough about this player,, in the 50 hours of use I have used it, I have not had one problem! It has suffered swet, drops and general abuse and has held up wonderfully!

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I have my MuVo NX 128MB for 6 weeks now and I can't fault it.

I find it strange that the 256MB version of this product gets 5 stars and this 128MB version gets 3. It's the same product with a different memory configuration.

I see one user , Emir complaining about the uneven length of the earphones. This is normal. The longer one is supposed to go behind your neck. I've seen this with Sony & Sennheiser earphones too.

I also see someone else complaining about the sound quality. This unit has a Signal To Noise Ration of 98dB. This is much hihger than any other MP3 player. If the music doesn't sound good then the chances are that it's your MP3 recording which is at fault.

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This MP3 is AWESOME! It also doubles as a mass storage device. I particularly like the fact that you can put ANY music format on it. I put FIVE albums with .wma format, and listen for hours with one battery (I usually don't crank the volume past 21). Emir Causevic rated some problems with the device, but the solutions follow: First, you have to PRESS & HOLD the play button to power the device up. Same to power it down. This protects against inadvertant operation. Second, the earphones are SUPPOSED to come different length, because when you wear the device on your arm, the distance to the further ear is greater, so the extended cord reaches over, so you don't have excessive cord dangling about. Comes with arm band and red AND silver casing. This MP3 ROCKS!!!

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i've owned the device for 5 mo now, and it's done a beautiful job as a "walkman" and a usb storage device (ppt files, etc.). having read every review on amazon, i was a bit concerned about the 'lasting quality' of the device, but i haven't had any trouble, even after having dropped it a few times. the factory headphs are undeniably bad; i bought a pair of sennheiser mx500s as a replacement. the irivers obviously have a solid reputation when it comes to these "compact mp3" players, but i couldn't deal with having another connecting cable (from mp3 player->computer) on my desk. the built-in plug on the muvo and its size just makes it an all around convenient little gadget. to echo a previous reviewer, if you're concerned about the 'order' of your uploaded songs, use the "copy to device" function in windows media player. oh and for those that are just doing +/-30-min workouts, 128mb is more than enough storage space.

finally, if you're really paranoid about warranties, etc. look into your credit card options visa (platinum) said it would double the manufacturer's warranty, so that took my muvo from 3->6 mos. if that's still not enough for you, then look into buying an iriver from best buy and purchasing the additional 1-2yr coverage direct through best buy.

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I have always wanted to have a MP3 player + USB Flash drive combo. Creative Muvo was a step in that direction, but it had its drawbacks: cheap plastiky look, max memory of 128MB, no LCD.

Then along came Muvo NX with all these issues fixed. One of the best things you'll like about this player is that it does not require any drivers on the Windows 2K/XP (maybe other versions also but I haven't checked). So you can practically work off any computer. Just drag and drop your MP3 or WMA into the player and you are all set...

It sounds great and is light-weight enough to put in your shirt pocket and not feel it. At 256MB storage capacity, I can simultaneously have sufficent number of songs on the player to last me a long trip as well as have a number of work-related documents to carry between workplace and home.

You will need to get a good headset, though. The earphones that come in the box are uncomfortable and slippery and would just not stay in the ears.

Western Digital WDAVP00BE USB 2.0 1080p HDTV Media Player w/HDMI - Turn Your USB Hard/Flash Drive I

I bought and used this unit for a few months. And I really thought it was great. After about 10 weeks the remote stopped working. I tried new batteries, checked the battery placement in the remote, and several other things. And nothing. I could get the unit to power up if I plugged it into the power outlet, and I could get the on-screen display. But the remote just would not work. And there is NO other universal programmable remote that has a code for WD. So you are stuck with a cheap non-working remote. When I called WD on Sept 13, it seems that this is not warrantied. Sorry folks, just got to buy a new WD brand remote. And the remote is really cheaply made! It seemed fragile when I first got it out of the box, and it proved to be just that. BAD. I cannot recommend the unit just because of the remote. Too bad, really. They had a nice thing going, but will not back it up.

There is nothing better than being able to carry a weeks worth of entertainment in my pocket on a flash drive and tiny Western Digital player, connect it to the TV, and enjoy HD movies and TV shows without a big bulky DVD player. I also take it camping All I need is a flat screen computer monitor, the WD player, a car battery and a small inverter and I can get about 40 hours of prime entertainment while camping in the woods without power. It's also great for when the power goes off at home. It has no motors, no moving parts, and is pocket sized and draws only 12 volts a miracle. I really got a good price too.

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

Very happy that I got to archive my old home VHS to DVD with great results.

Great features:

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

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

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

The have not:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zmodo 8CH H.264 DVR Security Surveillance CCTV Camera System With Advanced 4 Bullet 4 Dome Sony CCD

Didn't state it on the description, but this may be a low-end product that doesn't have the capability to record only when motion is detected. Would have been nice to know this up front, would have ordered a more expensive product.

Very recommendable product !! easy to install. easy program. good picture. everything work as they say. good quality for the price

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Love the DVR with it, has pretty good picture, was easy to install and works just as described in the description. Arrived right on time too

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Royaltek RDV-1000 GPS Car Driving Video and track Recorder (SiRF IV, G-sensor, Night Vision)

• Please note: MicroSD card is not included. Storing images manually. LCD Screen Display.
• Real time and Continuous recording. Audio Recording. GPS automatic Time setting. Backup battery support.
• Auto storing GPS information. Build in 3 axis G-sensor to store car acceleration information. Clear View day and night.
• RDV-1000 is a digital video recorder installed in car windshield to record video, audio data related to vehicle impact or accidents while driving.
• Product features a full-color LCD, wide-angle camera, built-in GPS and a 3-axis G sensor.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my RDV-1000. I have mine recording whenever I'm moving. I've been using VLC to watch the videos on my mac and my windows 7 computers with no problem. The unit's display comes set to Cantonese by default. It takes a little effort to set the preferences to US English. The RDV-1000 creates an .INI file on the SDHC card. (not included) Here is a copy of the settings file after I set my unit for US English and Central Time Zone.

#

# BlackBox Setting_Valiable Information

#

[Recorder]

Format = 2 ;

Quality = 2 ;

Audio = 1 ;

[Display]

LCD B/L = 1 ;

TV = 0 ;

[Setting]

[System]

Utcoffset = -6 ;

Language = 0 ;

[Accelerometer]

EventTrigger_Mode = 1 ;

Scale = 0 ;

Trigger_Level = 1.0 ;

[Camera]

Brightness = 0 ;

Contrast = 0 ;

Aeweight = 0 ;

[SD]

Format = 0 ;

One concern that I had is that the mini-usb connector on the camera is not usb. The manufactor is using it for 12 volts to power the camera. This might be a problem is the included cable where to be plugged into an other device. I think the USB specification is for 5 volts. 12 volts would be to much.

Piano and Keyboard Method V2.0 2007

• Over 300 step-by-step lessons starting from the basics; such as hand position, rhythm, and playing on black keys; followed by music notation, sight reading, scales, and much more
• Get specific feedback on note and rhythm mistakes to help you get it right the next time; personalized reports show your rate of progress, including scores for specific songs
• Over 70 high-resolution, large-format videos and a built-in recorder to help you hear your progress
• Songs and exercises are enhanced by live recorded audio, variable-speed MIDI keyboard tracks, and colorful MIDI accompaniments
• Animated Keyboard displays correct fingerings as the music plays or for any note or chord that you double-click

I started using this software tool June, 28th. Before that, I took some lessons but never believed myself capable of playing an instrument. I thought my ears were plastic and my fingers were wood. Today, after 250 lessons and two months and a half, I am playing. I put about an hour daily. More or less, one song every day. At the beginning of each lesson, computer feedback is 50 or 60% but it improves faster to more than 90%. Once I get more than 90%, I consider that lesson learned and start next one. The feedback provided by the computer every time I play is tremendously helpful for a better try. I have played in public "country gardens", "piano man" and "heavens door" in a satisfactory manner. Thanks to emedia! I am now planning moving to intermediate level, which also looks like an amazing product.

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Potentially, a computer could really help a person learn piano. However, most of this product's features fall short of helpful. The midi preview of each exercise and tune is useful for anyone who cannot read music at all, but nothing you could not get with an audio CD. The animated keyboard is just a distraction. The course includes occasional video clips, but they add little. At least one potentially useful feature, the musical accompaniment, is actually broken, at least on Macintosh. If you turn on the accompaniment, you won't be able to hear your own playing. There is a volume adjustment control for it, but it does nothing. The company is aware of the problem, but they still advertise this feature, and keep shipping the product.

The program runs in a cramped little window. A menu command lets you make it full screen, but it just lowers the resolution of your monitor, making the contents of the window larger, but blurry.

I would recommend a book and audio CD (like the Alfred's All-In-One, level 1 piano method) over eMedia's Piano software.

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I was really surprised to see so many dubious reviews here.

I've had this software for a few years now and basically, it works, it's engaging and it's very well thought out.

I found my progress improving rapidly using this software.

The songs are fine in that they a very well chosen to introduce each new concept.

The marking of the user's playing works surprisingly well.

Sure, the music is very 'straight'; it's not bluesy or particularly soulful, but there are wonderful classical tunes and it gets down to the business of getting you to play as soon as possible. There is room for you to play with expression with this software.

There are ample quizes, tunes and videos to keep you interested and I found the whole thing hard to stop which is pretty impressive for what is, essentially, piano practice.

I don't know of any software up to the standard of eMedia's and I can heartily recommend this package.

It may seem obvious, but you obviously need a MIDI keyboard and a MIDI connector to make this software work. I had no problem on my MacBook Pro. I just plugged it in and off I went.

I hope they add more to this series because, basically, it works, it's a substantial body of work and a great way to learn without having to fork out for a piano teacher.

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I have recommended this software to beginning keyboard players and have found it to be very helpful for them. I wish I had this available when I learned piano many years ago! For those already taking lessons, it makes an excellent supplementary tool. Visual and corrective feedback make learning much easier and the videos are well done.

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If you have a keyboard that can hook directly into your PC through MIDI or USB, then this is a must have teaching program. I absolutely love it. I have already gotten through the first 43 lessons and it has helped me a lot so far. I could already read music a little and could tell you where the keys are on the keyboard, so it only helped solidify this for me, but it has helped improve my music reading significantly. I love how it can tell you exactly what you have played wrong when you are hooked up to the PC. It will tell you the percentage of how well you did and whether you played the wrong note or played the note too soon or too late. It has helped me a lot with my timing. I can't wait to go further. It goes through both the beginners and the intermediate lessons, so there is a lot to learn.

Olympus Refurbished WS311M Digital Voice Recorder and WMA Music Player

After borrowing a friends recorder, I was so impressed with the recording quality, I decided to purchase one. The price for my refurbished recorder was so much less expensive than a new one, I bought it. I've used it twice and have been very pleased.

I am using this product for college lectures and is useful, practical and most of it works! I would recommend buying this product.

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Aiptek MZ-DV-MPEG4 Camcorder with 3x Optical Zoom

I bought this camera for backpacking, where size and space is critical and any equipment is subject to harsh conditions so expensive cameras can be a bad idea.

My main computer is a Mac, so I had some reservations about the MZ-DV, since it uses Microsoft's proprietary ASF video format. That's right: it says "MPEG-4", and MPEG-4 is indeed based on QuickTime, but the MPEG-4 standard is implemented as more of a framework than a specific codec, so any vendor who doesn't like to play ball with open standards (sound like our friends in Redmond?) can make their own proprietary variants and it's left to the consumer to sort out the confusion.

Fortunately, I found a handy little software tool called EasyWMV which is dirt cheap and does a great job of easily converting ASF files for use on a Mac with any QuickTime-based program like iMovie.

And the photo format is JPEG, requiring no conversion at all to use on any computer.

I've only had the camera a couple days, but so far it seems a good value for what it does. With all of its features at such a low price it isn't best-of-breed with any one of them, but to have them all in one convenient device is pretty nifty, and the folks at Aiptek have done a competent job with this model.

The quality of low-light video is as reported by the others here: There is a low-light setting, and it's good for pictures but the video is indeed of much lower quality. But in all fairness, I've not seen any hybrid camcorder that didn't have similar issues. You'd have to go up in price and abandon other features if shooting in low-light conditions is important to you.

So far the only limitation I've seen is the one disclosed on the packaging: when mounted on a Mac, the camera acts as a read-only volume. This means you can't load MP3s into it, or use it as a portable drive. I've written Aiptek technical support on this, and if I learn anything useful I'll post it here. I also run Windows under Parallels, and have no trouble loading MP3s and other files into the camera from there.

But aside from the download limitation, everything else on the camera works a treat, with very intuitive controls that often provide multiple ways to change modes conveniently. And with EasyWMV, it's a breeze to use video from it on my MacBook.

I would rate it higher, at least a 4, if I was using Windows primarily. But even for Mac users, if you need something inexpensive that offers these features, I shopped around and couldn't find a better model.

I got this little gadget a few days ago and I love it. I think the negative reviews have come from people who were expecting too much. For a device that does so many different things, it does them pretty darn well. Granted, it isn't GREAT at any one thing, but, face it, you have to pay a lot more for ANY device that does even one thing "great." If you are looking for professional quality videos or photos, you will have to pay a "professional" price. If you are looking for an amazing little gadget that packs a lot of functions into one little package, look no further.

For what it's worth, I took great indoor video and photos, and the pictures came out just fine.

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This camcorder is terrible in just about every way:

Cons:

Unacceptably blurry video; the specs say it records at 640x480, but it looks more like 320x240 (if that!) blown up to VGA.

Noticeable aura around any dark shape on a lighter background.

Awful light sensitivity; forget about recording indoors--no matter how brightly the room is lit, faces will come out too dark. The built-in LED's don't help much (and not at all at distances over 4 feet from the subject).

Noisy zoom that gets picked up loud and clear by the microphone.

Zooming goes in irregular steps--completely useless while recording.

Video lags noticeably behind camera movement; when image stabilization is turned on, the lag becomes so atrocious that you can't tell when to stop panning--UTTERLY USELESS!

When using AV-in and AV-out cables, the firmware has frozen on me a couple of times; the only way to reset the camera was to remove the battery.

Video encoding (through the AV-in cable) produces an unacceptably noisy and undersaturated result.

The LCD display has a very narrow viewing angle; anything more than about 10% and you can't make out a thing.

Still photos taken at the native 5MP resolution come out strangely grainy and uneven--something like a "sharpen" effect gone wrong. I can get better looking pictures with my 2MP Canon Powershot A40 camera.

The manual recommends keeping the camera motionless for 2-3 seconds AFTER snapping a picture (that's on top of the 3-4 seconds it takes the thing to focus BEFORE it snaps); but you can't keep THE SUBJECT from moving, folks! Welcome to the psychedelic land of image trails...

Flash photos come out with wildly different color balance depending on the color of the background.

The manual is a sorry affair--only 17 pages long and doesn't go much beyond identifying external controls and menu options.

I could go on and on, but I'll stop now, as you probably get the picture...

Pros:

The camera body seems sturdily built; the controls also have a sturdy feel to them, as do the battery and the USB port covers. Hmm... it's the only nice thing I can think to say about it.

Maybe a child (think pre-teen) could find this "camcorder" exciting as a toy, but I don't see how it can be enough even for an undemanding person looking to capture occasional life's moments on video.

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All I wanted when I bought this camera was something easy to use every now and then, sadly this camera fails so bad that I'm looking for something new now. I go to conventions every now and then and like to snap shots while there, however this becomes an issue with this particular camera. It may be that I'm not doing something (even though I've fiddled with all the controls) anyway when trying to film in areas with lots of people the video comes out awful. The camera attempts to focus on everything or something and you end up with all these blurs of light moving around on screen.

Then if you try to take stationary pictures your target must remain perfectly still or there will be a blurred effect to the picture. Another annoying thing about the pictures is how long it takes to take a single one. First you have to wait for the camera to focus, then you must hold down the button for a second or two, THEN after the camera makes the sound to let you know the picture is taken you must keep the camera aimed at your target or it will blur. If you are trying to take a picture of someone who is in a hurry good luck keeping them still that long.

I didn't expect this camera to be top of the line and ignored the bad reviews because of it's cheap price, however I seriously wish I had spent the extra money for an overall better camera, the only plus for this thing is that it's durable and easy to carry.

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For starters, 5+ stars to Amazon for delivering this in about 14 hours (literally) when I opted for 2-day shipping. I'm going on vacation in a week and speed was of the essence.

This is my first experience with a "hybrid" camera so I had no preconceptions.

Appearance: Sleek. High tech. So intuitive I barely opened the manual (which is good because, while at least being in English (with proper grammar and everything!), it's about as bare-bones as you can get). Attractive graphics on the menu screens with buttons/icons logically placed for maximum ease of use. And so compact -I've seen bigger cellphones.

Performance: The still photos are acceptable quality to me. There is the annoying delay between shutter press and release (and true, your hand can't move a millimeter in that time). I like how the still camera and video camera operate in the same mode (different buttons) so no need to switch back and forth in between.

Video. Well for this price, as others have noticed, the videos aren't exactly high-def. If you're in full sunlight they're more than acceptable (to me). Only minor complaint is the constant auto-focusing that can be heard on the video, but again, at this price for taking simple, fun videos I didn't have high expectations.

Lower light does create the annoying trails with movement, and this is where I encountered my first real problem: With the Night Shot feature enabled (which doesn't remove the trails, but makes the difference between normal quality and a "Ghost Hunters" effect), the camera started freezing every time I stopped recording. When it didn't freeze, the videos it did create appeared blank on the camera, and showed up on the computer but without sound (please don't stop reading at this point though).

I emailed and called tech support, desperate for a simple solution before my trip. Email was a waste of time, but I did speak to a person on the phone. He made a few (unsuccessful) suggestions, told me sending it in for repair would take much longer than the week I had before my trip, but assured me I could wait until after the trip to do so. I figured I would just shoot in daylight so I would at least have a camera.

After experimenting a lot, I made some discoveries of my own: My previous attempts were on an A-Data "turbo" SDHC and a Kingston regular SD card. Using a Hewlett Packard SDHC "high-speed" card, the problem seemed to resolve -as long as I made sure to aim the camera somewhere stationary when I stopped recording. My theory is trying to simultaneously auto-focus and stop recording probably overwhelms the camera (or the card? These aren't top-of-the-line cards as I didn't want to spend tons of money if it didn't work out). It's the best I can come up with, having no experience, but at least I know if I HAVE to record in lower light it's not completely impossible.

The biggest reason I chose the MZ-DV was for the media player. It seemed like the perfect way to travel light and still bring along videos to watch on the plane. This is what makes this camera exciting. Getting the computer file to the camera is involved, but well worth it. (Again, this was learned through dogged trial-and-error, the manual is purely decorative): It has to be converted to an .asf type, which can be done with the handy bundled software. You also can't rename the file, it has to stay in the "CLIP0001" etc. format -a bit of a pain for locating later, but those are the rules. I needed tech support again for this revelation, but I was just so happy to get it working I didn't really care. Then you drag and drop into the removable drive/DCIM/100MEDIA folder and voila! Instant portable DVD player.

Recording from a DVD is much easier, though takes longer since obviously it has to be done in real time. Just the fact that it's possible is pretty thrilling.

Watching the video isn't trouble-free. I've noticed if you attempt to fast-forward or rewind you lose audio/video synchronization, and of course any kind of "resume from last stop" feature is too much to expect for this price. Last night I realized using the camera's external speakers also results in audio/visual mismatch, but using headphones fixes it. Quite a quirky machine (perhaps too quirky for some).

I haven't tried the mp3 player yet, I'm more of a video fan. If that disappoints, it's not like my iPod Nano takes up so much luggage space.

The battery life seems respectable. I played with it off and on for at least a couple of days before it ran out. It took awhile to recharge (about 3 hours). I don't know if that will go down over time, but spares are pretty cheap from the manufacturer's site (aiptek.com).

The bundled software is half useless (ArcSoft PhotoImpression and Muvee autoProducer), 1/4 useful (ArcSoft Media Card Companion for extracting files to the computer) and 1/4 essential (ArcSoft Media Converter, for converting files to the correct format to use in the camera).

Customer service: Very satisfactory. I had to sit on hold to get one, but both times they were very helpful and friendly. I think it's a little rare these days to even get a person when dealing with off-brand products.

Conclusion: For the price, the versatility of this camera repeatedly amazes me. Playing with it and figuring out all that it can do is extremely fun. "Fun" is the operative word here. I wouldn't use this to film someone's wedding professionally (or your child's first steps, just in case). But for a couple of days in the Big Apple with not much luggage space, I think this is just about the perfect machine.

OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD, DVD-Audio, and VRS Technology

• Universal Blu-ray disc player providing playback for a myriad of video formats
• Supports Blu-ray, SACD, DVD-Audio, DVDs, and CDs
• Two USB ports allow for playback of media stored on a flash drive
• Uses award-winning video processing chip for a clear, true picture
• Device measures 17.0 x 3.0 x 13.25 inches (WxHxD)

This is my second high definition player. I bought a Samsung BD-UP5000 when they were first released since it played both HD DVD and Blu-Ray discs. Poor support, lack-luster performance and the end of HD DVDs left me wanting something "better". I found what I was looking for in the Oppo BDP-83.

Oppo is a customer-driven company and conducted an extended beta test to uncover bugs. The beta testers had to accept the state of the player before it could be released! I've emailed Oppo support a few times and they are prompt to respond with real answers not just an automated or canned response usually the same day. I can't say enough good things about the company.

The '83 is rock solid. It has not frozen or even hiccuped once. It plays all the discs I've put in. (The 5000 had trouble with some and often required the discs to be fingerprint free and occationally locked up requiring restart to even eject a disc.)

To me, one of the important features of a disc player is SD DVD upscaling. Standard definition can look pretty bad on a HDTV. Even the networks and cable channels often do a marginal job up-converting. My 5000 had a very good upconverter (Reon) but the '83 is better something you'd expect from a company that focused on SD DVD players long after the introduction of HD DVD and Blu-Ray. Sometimes I forget I'm watching SD material!

Most high def players are sluggish, acting more like underpowered computers than audio/video gear. Boot and disc load times often exceed 30 seconds. Not the '83 it's responds more like a DVD player than a computer. The tray opens in under 3 seconds from pressing the eject button (with power off) and playback begins in under 10 seconds (for SD DVD). For Blu-Ray, play start does depend on what enhancements the content provider loads before playback can begin (custom menus, etc.). (Remember Blu-Ray discs allow the content provider lots of control over the player and playback of the content.)

The '83 decodes all advanced audio formats: Dolby TrueHD, DTS HD Master Audio, etc. So the lossless audio is available via 7.1 analog outs as well as PCM over HDMI. You don't need an A/V receiver that includes decoders for these formats the player does the work. Speaker management provided by the '83 makes the 7.1 analog outputs usable, but with some limitations: The bass management frequency is fixed at 80 Hz, and there are limitations to speaker distance delays.

The user manual explains things so that the user/installer can make important setup and usage decisions. For example, there is a section that explains the various output resolutions and which is best for various scenarios; and another that helps choose the correct "zoom" for various disc and TV aspect combinations.

So often, modern computer-based A/V gear is released without a complete set of features with the promise of adding them later. Again the '83 was released fully featured so there's little to wait for. But Oppo realizes there will be bugs to fix and new features to add as well as new disc behavior to support. They've provided THREE separate ways to upgrade firmware: via a network connection, via CD/DVD or USB memory.

I use a universal remote to control all my A/V gear and thanks to a document provided by Oppo, I was able to program my remote prior to receiving the unit. Most of the commands use the same data as their previous players so I was able to start with the configuration for an older mode. Oppo provided an Excel file with all the control codes in a format that can be imported into Universal Remote Control and Pronto remotes (maybe others). I've never seen this level of support from any other consumer electronics company and this material existed BEFORE product release. Where documentation was lacking, customer support provided the missing information.

There's been one (public beta) firmware update and a user manual update since the '83 was released at the beginning of June 2009. The firmware update was fast and painless (via USB memory).

My one compliant of the BDP-83 is it's power cord. It uses a 2-pin connector resembling an IEC connector found on many pro and prosumer equipment, however there is not sufficient holding tension and the cord has unplugged itself from the unit twice. I had to wrap the cord around one of the feet to prevent it from happening again.

Buy OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD, DVD-Audio, and VRS Technology Now

From the moment you unpack the Oppo BDP-83 Universal Blu-Ray player you realize that this is going to be a truly unique experience. Wrapped in a reusable carrying bag, shipped in a double-thick cardboard box, the fit and finish of the Oppo BDP-83 matches the quality of the packaging. And the good thing is that unlike many Blu-Ray players, the best-in-class experience continues from the time you power it on to daily use.

I was lucky enough to get in on the Oppo pre-order in late May, after reading the early reviews of beta units, and knowing the reputation of Oppo's upscaling DVD players. For me, the Oppo BDP-83 offered the promise of super-fast load times, outstanding video quality, and the ability to play high-resolution audio (my SACD library).

A bit of background I have a pretty high-end system configuration (Marantz SR-8002, KEF Reference speakers, Mitsubishi HDTV, Sony ES SACD player, Bang & Olfusen turntable). And I have pretty demanding standards especially for audio.

I waited to buy my first Blu-Ray Player (the very good Panasonic DMP-BD55K) until a standalone player offered quality and load times at least *close* to the PS3. And, although its load times and DVD playback are good, it still didn't quite meet my standards.

From the moment I connected the Oppo BDP-83 to my system, I was blown away by the experience. Extremely easy to setup (I literally unplugged my Panasonic and plugged in the BDP-83 using the same HDMI and component cables), very very easy on-screen instructions and setup. The remote is definitely much better than average with large backlit buttons of different sizes.

The speed of the Oppo BD-83 certainly grabs your attention:

BluRay load times are about 2x faster than the Panasonic BD55K it replaced

BluRay menu navigation, etc also very fast and responsive

SACD and DVD (Audio/Video) load times are nearly instantaneous

The SACD load performance really stunned me. My high-end Sony ES SACD player (remember, Sony co-developed the standard) can take 1-2 minutes to load a hybrid SACD. On the Oppo any SACD (stereo, hybrid multichannel, etc) loads in under 2 seconds.

But it is the video and audio quality of the Oppo BD-83 that truly sets it apart:

BluRay video performance is outstanding, but you come to expect that from the format. (I can't say I notice a difference here from my Panasonic which is also excellent.)

DVD video performance is stunning a noticeable upgrade in quality on your HD set. This is where you start to see the benefits of the embedded AnchorBay processor.

High resolution audio quality will blow your socks off.

I personally didn't notice a difference in high-res BluRay formats such as DTS-Master and DolbyTrue HD, but to be fair my Panasonic player is also excellent in this area.

For SACD, the improvement offered by the Oppo BDP-83 is simply stunning! My Marantz receiver can decode DSD over HDMI, and the audio quality is dramatically better than the analog 5.1 output from my high-end Sony ES SACD player. I didn't think the standard could be elevated, but was pleasantly surprised by this.

DVD-Audio performance is also outstanding. I never had a DVD-Audio player, so I've used this opportunity of having a truly "Universal Player" to stock up on high-resolution multi-channel titles that were never released on SACD (eg. Crowded House, Seal, Queen, Yes...)

There are other very nice touches:

BluRay Profile 2.0 with 1GB of onboard storage (my Panasonic made you buy an SD card for this)

two USB 2.0 ports (one front covered by a flat rubber port, another in the rear), neither port is recessed, so you can use standard USB memory sticks/adapters

analog 7.1 audio out

supports simultaneous HDMI and component video output (eg. you can send high-res audio over HDMI and video over component)

support for NTSC and PAL format DVDs, but they must be unlocked (this is a region-locked player, unfortunately)

IR in and IR out ports

optional RS-232C control port for professional installations

very heavy-duty removable power cord; even heavier gauge than the one Marantz shipped with my $2000 receiver!

nice onscreen menu system graphics and easy-to-use interface

What could be improved?

well, first of all, Profile 2 support is only through hard-wired ethernet (no WiFi)

speaking of Profile 2.0, the interactive services aren't particularly fast, but I have yet to find a BluRay title that actually has compelling Profile 2.0 content

no support for streaming services like Netflix, although there are rumors that the hardware *might* have the capability to support through a firmware update I wouldn't count on this though

the BluRay and DVD player are region locked unfortunately. (CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio discs are by definition region-free)

I personally couldn't be happier with the BDP-83. Certainly the best $500 I spent! It not only compares but blows away high-end players costing 4-6x greater.

Read Best Reviews of OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD, DVD-Audio, and VRS Technology Here

A year in the making, OPPO has finally released the BDP-83 Blu-Ray Player their first entry into the market. They have produced some of the finest upscaling standard DVD players, including the exceptional DV-983H. Thankfully, the BDP-83 uses the same Anchor Bay chip as the DV-983H, so your standard def DVDs will look as good as possible. On the Blu-Ray side of things, the audio and video quality are exceptional; on par with the best Blu-Ray players available. The BDP-83 also plays back DVD-Audio and SACD discs, making it a truly universal player. Anyone familiar with first-generation Blu-Ray players is all too familiar with their slow disc-loading times. Recent players have made great strides in this area, but the BDP-83's loading time is the fastest I have seen.

OPPO chose to forgo the trendy conveniences of YouTube, NetFlix, and Amazon Videos on Demand. I find these all to be quite convenient, but can't fault OPPO for sticking to their mission to create the best and most universal Blu-Ray player. Adding these features would have inevitably detracted from the performance of the machine.

OPPO has included all of the connections you may want. Along with the HDMI interface (which supports 1080p HD video output (with 24p), and TrueHD audio), the BDP-83 has 7.1 channel analog audio out, a dedicated stereo output, and both digital optical and coaxial outputs.

The BDP-83 also includes two USB ports (one in front, one on the back) to play back video and image files. It will even play PAL-formatted DVDs and convert them to NTSC on the fly. It also includes IR in and out ports to integrate into home theater control systems. Finally, the remote is a step up from previous OPPO models and easy to use with its back-lighting.

Bottom line: this is the best Blu-Ray player available. The image and sound quality is unparalled, the load times are fast, and it's ability to play any format of disc is a wonderful convenience. I can finally retire my dedicated SACD player!

Want OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc Player with SACD, DVD-Audio, and VRS Technology Discount?

I have owned this player since March. I was 1 of the 1st 50 that was chosen as a part of Oppo's Early Adoption Program. I had the player for about a month and was ask to vote on whether or not to expand the Early Adoption Program. The vote required a 70% super majority, but received and overwhelming vote of 96% with 2 owners not voting. Because of this overwhelming vote the EAP was expanded to 300 additional people as opposed to 100 as Oppo had previously stated. The 350 EAP participants had to vote again after several weeks of use. The 2nd EAP vote yielded a 92.2% (only required 70%) acceptance with 69 participants not voting. This vote led to eventual release the player to the general public.

The Early Adoption Program allowed Oppo to flush out most of the bugs and compatibility issues due to the diverse setups of the early adopters. This was a highly visible and bold move by Oppo to expose their product to the general public prior to release. This program worked to perfection allowing Oppo to flush out most of the issues prior to public release. What other manufacturers would expose their product to this kind of scrutiny? NONE!!!!!

My basic premise for wanting this player is because of my previous association with Oppo DVD players (DV-980H, DV-981HD & DV-983H) and their outstanding customer service department which left an impression upon me. I know blu-ray playback for the most part is very similar, but DVD playback can be night and day from player to player and the Oppo has one of the best solutions in the VRS by Anchor Bay ABT-2010 under the hood. I own several SACDs and DVD-As; over 100 blu-ray discs and over 600 DVDs and I want the best (though subjective) 1 box solution that I can afford. I also own 2 Pioneer BDP-51FD and a JVC XV-BP1 blu-ray player all of which are fantastic players and serve different purposes throughout my house. I've also owned players from Samsung, Panasonic and Sony.

First Impressions (Impressive)

-Player protected by a black cloth bag (nice touch)

-Spears & Munsil High Definition Benchmark Blu-ray Calibration Disc (video)

-AIX Records Audio Calibration Disc HD Music Sampler (Audio)

-Back lit remote (Alkaline batteries)

-HDMI Cable

-Composite cables

-Owners Manual (Best written manual that I've experience)

My Setup:

-Pioneer Elite PRO-950HD (sit 6' 8' from the screen)

-Denon AVR-3802

-Speakers: BIC Venturi DV62s (fronts) /DV62CLR-S (center) /DV52si (surround & surround backs)

-Velodyne Subwoofer

-Atlona HDMI 1.3b cables

-Analog cables from Monoprice

-Media Players: BDP-51FD, Oppo BDP-83, JVC XV-BP1

BLU-RAY PLAYBACK

I used the blu-ray discs the Dark Knight and Hellboy. The playback was excellent. The colors looked natural and the picture was not unusually sharp or overly vibrant. Some players at their default settings seem a little too sharp or bright in my viewing. Some may refer to this as the picture having more pop. The Oppo has the most neutral or natural picture of the players that I own in my opinion. Others have also expressed the neutrality of the Oppo. Blu-ray playback should be similar amongst most players for the most part. I would be skeptical of anyone seeing a night and day difference in blu-ray playback.

DVD PLAYBACK

For DVD playback I 1st used the disks from Star Trek The Next Generation Season 1. I chose this disc because I know is doesn't have the best rendering. I wanted to challenge the up-converting of the Oppo. The Oppo did a good job with this disc definitely improving the video. While it wasn't night and day there was definitely a visible improvement to my eyes. The picture was smoother with less noise. I also looked at other DVDs and the Oppo did a fantastic job with those also. The BDP-83 will squeeze the very last ounce of picture quality out of your DVD collection. I was initially going to replace some of my favorite DVDs with their blu-ray counterparts, but that number has dropped significantly with the addition of the Oppo.

AUDIO

I'm using the analog connections of the Oppo since my AVR is pre-HDMI. The playback of SACD and DVD-A is outstanding in my opinion. Also, multi-channel analog surround sounds very good decoded by the Oppo. I have not used the Oppo or any of my players for 2 channel audio since I have a dedicated CD transport that I am quite happy with. There are those who don't think very highly of the Oppo 2 channel audio or have another 2 channel analog solution, but the consensus seems to be that the Oppo 2 channel analog is very good. Also, listening to audio is too subjective given the various setups and room acoustics. Last, the Oppo uses the same DACs (Cirrus Logic CS4398) for their 2 channel audio that are found in the Marantz models SA8003 and SA-KI-PEARL SA-CD. Both are CD/SACD players. The DAC info is strictly for informational purposes only.

OTHER

The multiple zoom settings for both SD DVD and Blu-ray are fantastic. The "Full" zoom mode removes the black bars from the top and bottom of the video while maintaining the correct aspect ratio. You do lose a minimal amount of the picture, but not enough to be concerned about in my opinion. I know the video purist don't like this, but I do. Also, all the audio outputs are active all the time. This allows you to change the audio from your AVR or Pre/Pro without going into the setup menu. You can also make adjustments to the setup on the fly without stopping the player. There are a host of other features like being able to choose sub-titles or change the movie soundtrack on the fly. There is also a "Demo Mode" which splits the screen allowing you to make on-screen real time picture adjustments and see the results before accepting the adjustments. Last, there is the back lit remote which is laid out nicely and logical in my opinion. The player is very easy to setup right out of the box and you can have it up and running within 10 minutes if you are using an HDMI cable. For those looking to get everything out of the video you can tweak until your hearts content.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For those who have commented about whether or not this is truly a universal player; Oppo never marketed it as such. If you go to their website it clearly states that it is a "Blu-ray Disc Player W/SACD & DVD-Audio". I guess the inclusion of SACD & DVD-Audio led to it being called a universal player on the various forums.

When the term "Universal" was introduced several years ago it meant a 1 box solution that played all the different types of media discs (DVD, CD, SACD and DVD-A). Now "Universal" loosely means BLU-RAY, DVD, CD, SACD and DVD-A. For this player to be a "Universal" player in the true since of the word, then it would need to play HD-DVDs. There are other current and future releases by Denon (DVD-A1UDCI & DBP-4010UDCI) and Marantz (UD9004) that are being advertised as "Universal" players, but have this same shortcoming.

If you're just looking for a plain vanilla blu-ray player and If your only criteria is PQ for blu-ray and DVD, then there are several players from other manufacturers that will do a very good job with blu-ray and DVD playback. However, if you need the additional features and media support, faster load times, GREAT customer service, SACD and DVD-A support just to name a few; then the Oppo is a bargain at $499.00. The only other players with this feature set that I am aware of begin at $1,999.00.

I've occasionally read where some think the Oppo is "over-hyped" which is phrase I don't particularly care for. I would say that there is a lot of "enthusiasm" from the owners of this outstanding player. I also find that most of this "over-hyped" speak are from those who have never owned the player. We refer to these people on the various threads as "trolls". These are individuals who have comments that are mostly negative about equipment that they have no hands on experience with.

There have been over 20+ reviews of this player and the overwhelming consensus is that the player is worthy of all the "Hype" or "Enthusiasm" that has been bestowed upon it.

Do you think the Oppo would be receiving all these glowing reviews and comments by owners if they were not impressed or satisfied? Remember people are forking out $499.00 when there are capable players for basic blu-ray and DVD playback available for less than $100.00 on sale. If the masses were unhappy with this player, then we would all know about it; especially in this economy. (lol) I know of several people who have bought this player for strictly blu-ray and DVD playback, because the feature set outside of blu-ray and DVD playback is that good.

This player is not perfect, but it is the closet to perfection that I've had in my setup. If you're skeptical take it for a test drive. If you are not happy then the most you'll lose is $18.00 shipping (I live on the east coast) if purchased directly from Oppo.

Before I purchased this Blu-ray Player (the Oppo BDP-83) I owned a PS3. I also have several friends who own various Blu-ray Players including Samsung and Panasonic. Before I start the review let me say that all of these were connected to the TV with Monster HDMI 1000 cables into Sony XBR series televisions. I am writing this review mainly to assist those comparing current models primarily those who own or are thinking of buying a PS3.

First and foremost, now that I have been operating this Oppo player almost daily for the past 3 weeks I can make the following blanket statement: This Blu-Ray player does indeed live up to its promise in terms of visual quality; however, it also has more than enough small quirks to annoy those who were hesitant towards the $500 price tag. Is it better than the PS3? Visually Absolutely. Performance Hit or Miss. Here's where I will break this down into sections:

Visuals: When I first purchased this player I changed the settings for 1080p, 16 x 9 ratio and made sure the settings were accurate as I went through the included manual. Then I put in a standard definition dvd. And...I was initially disappointed. The upscaling on newer films and older films including Ghostbusters, Batman Begins, Mad Max, and Harry Potter Order of Phoenix looked exactly the same as my PS3. My tv visual settings were left on Vivid for both players. After my initial shock, I came to the conclusion that at least it wasn't any worse. Then I put on a few cartoons for my daughters including: the Ducktales series and Dumbo. The colors and contrast were ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. The colors were much richer and vibrant than those that had been displayed through the PS3. The outlines on characters were much bolder and the quality of the original tape was so well represented that I could actually see tape defects on older cartoons from the transition to dvd. After much more comparison I have found that upconversion for most standard dvds is very similar to the PS3 although anything with bright visuals (most noticeably cartoons) stands out amazingly when placed side-by-side.

As for Blu-Ray playback I used Coraline, I am Legend and Band of Brothers. On all accounts the Oppo excelled, offering richer colors, greater depth and more accurate image representation. In some scenes, such as the lions in I Am Legend, the Oppo clearly showed a well defined computer generated animal whereas the PS3 was unable to generate the image to such a degree. The Panasonic and Samsung showed nowhere close to the same quality that this Oppo produces. Some images are so glass-like that it makes my tv look more fragile! Therefore, visually, if you want a stand-alone Blu-Ray player, go with the Oppo. However, if you will not be watching as many cartoons and still do not own a large Blu-Ray collection, the PS3 is not a bad choice.

Hardware: The Oppo does have a few glitches in this category I am sure they will eventually work out. The company seems to have incredible support and customer service as I will later talk about. Several times I have tried to turn the player back on and no image is sent through HDMI. It seems that if you stop playback at certain locations (menus within menus i.e. special features) or at certain parts of the credits before the dvd loops, the player is unable to read back the disc. This has happened three times within three weeks and I have had to eject the disc, turn off resume, and reload the disc. The signal was sent properly thereafter. In addition, the audio between some menus and general playback is occasionally at very different sound levels even with DRC on (Dynamic Range Compression). I have tried having it on and off to no avail. It seems that they are encoded differently I cannot figure it out. This is not a huge issue, but it is something that the PS3 did not do. The third point I would like to STRESS is that the "award winning upconversion technology" also pulls in a few extra frames from time to time in its upconversion process that leave one image stuck on the screen for a fraction of a second longer than other images in series. It looks like the dvd is sticking for a second and then resolves itself. I find this more often in cheaper produced dvds (never in blu-ray discs), but it is still something the PS3 did not do. At first I was annoyed, but then I realized that 1 small glitch in an opening title was still ok given the enhanced colors in the cartoons. It IS something you will notice from time to time on Standard dvds and almost always occurs during a transition from one shot to the next or a jump cut. Furthermore, as another reviewer stated, the fast-forward is somewhat slow on 1x, 2x and 3x. However, it goes to 5x, which seems to be about the same speed as a 2x or 3x on any other player. This is more than enough to fast forward within a scene because Blu-Ray has scene forward and back. Use the two in combination and you will not have any problem finding your location. In addition, keeping time on the outside of the unit makes things amazingly simpler. Load times are EXACTLY the same as PS3, almost always instantaneous although you will find a 5-10 sec load from time to time. This is MUCH better than the other aforementioned players. Despite these shortcomings, the picture quality is fantastic for a standalone player. If you wanted to play PS3 games, however, the only performance issue I had was an occasional game freeze (which never occurred on dvds).

Presentation: The Oppo REALLY shines in its presentation. The entire unit is made from an etched black metal and feels very sturdy. The Led light on the front for time display also has a dimmer that with High, Low and Off for your preference. The remote is backlit and has several great features including zoom processed by the player itself for tvs that do not have that feature (or to use in combination with the one your tv has to enlarge a picture without cutting as much off). The zoom levels and automatic 16x9 are fantastic and do AT LEAST as good of a job as the PS3, although I believe it is somewhat better. The only problem I have found with the remote is that the LARGE buttons on it are somewhat difficult to press and must be depressed in the center for the player to read them. Pressing a button off to the side will turn on the backlight, but will not register with the Oppo even when directly in front of the unit. The unit also comes in a double thick cardboard box built specifically for the Oppo. The manual looks like what you would expect from a VERY HIGH CLASS startup company and features thick glossed paper and very explicit well versed instructions. The package also includes all necessary cables, standard AV and HDMI (although I already had Monster) and a tv/ bluray calibration disc for home theaters. I spent 9 hrs going through all settings with this disc, however, only to find that the standard settings on my tv seemed better. However, I admit that if you have a "professional" do this for you, then it may work correctly. I didn't think that $300 for a professional was necessary after seeing the quality I already had.

All in all, from the time you get the Oppo in the mail until you view your first Blu-Ray you will be presently surprised. The system does have great visual, although a few minor problems keep it at a 4, in my opinion. More specifically, I would give this unit an 8.5/10. A very good choice now that I decided I would no longer be playing PS3 games, but not the "PLAYER TO RULE ALL PLAYERS" as some reviews have made this out to be. Please Note that through firmware upgrades, some problems may be remedied in the future. I have called customer service twice both times I went directly to a representative who spoke clear English, sounded very professional and knowledgeable, and helped me without question. Never put on hold and never transferred through an automated service. That in itself was enough to make me decide that this was the Player to keep.