Samsung BD-D6500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (Black)

• Samsung Smart TV with built-in Wifi
• Samsung BD-D6500 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
• It has enhanced picture qaulity
• It has slot-in loading mechanism
• Power:AC 120 V

I needed to replace an aging Panasonic DMP-BD35K, which had decided to become selective as to which BD's it would play( typically newer titles wouldn't load, I'm not sure if it's a question of a lack in newer firmware, of which Panasonic hasn't released an update in about two years, or if it just isn't working any longer.).

I had researched extensively on the purchase of the Panasonic reading many reviews from several websites, but on this purchase I just decided to take a chance with Samsung. I do own a Samsung television which I really like and the reviews of Samsung's 2010 Blu-ray player were also good. Nearly as good as the 'King of the hill' Oppo( according to cnet video test scores. ). I was also aware of the many negative reviews of the 2010 BD-C6500 and I also noticed that they were mostly in regards to the web enabled apps, and not in regards to video playback. I have an Apple TV which I use for Netflix streaming( it does an excellent job of that, 720p only, but no biggy for me ), and I don't really have any use for the other apps.

So in comes the BD-D6500, I unpack it and connect it in about five minute. The set up is basic with many of the menu selections being 'Auto'. I'm still playing with the set up to see if anything looks better/more accurate. I pop in a disc( Avatar ) and wow, it just looked better. I start going through several BD's and they all look great. The blacks are darker without an over zealous increase in contrast. I run it at 24Hz and it appears to do that better as well( it was always so-so on the Panasonic. ). The Imax shots in The Dark Knight look awesome. And all the while as I am going through several BD's I notice how fast this player loads the discs. Really fast compared to the much older Panasonic.

I'm really impressed by this player. I also played some old DVDs to see how well it upscaled and it did a great job. Again it clearly out performed the Panasonic.

Now as far as the Smart TV apps are concerned I did try to watch a movie on Vudu as it gave me a free rental, and after I selected a movie( Machete ), the player locked up. Maybe it didn't like the movie I picked, but it still shouldn't have done that. I did notice that after I registered the player, the Vudu, along with all the other apps that I went through seemed to work. Perhaps I needed to register the player before I was able to use the apps? And there isn't any built in memory for BD-Live which is kind of lame. You need to use an external USB drive.

In the end I am very happy with this purchase and to be completely honest, a part of me was hoping that this player would have sucked just so I could justify the $500 purchase price of the Oppo BD-93. But it doesn't. It's just a really good Blu-ray player and that's what I wanted. So if your not too concerned with Smart TV apps( which are now working for me ), or too worried about playing files off of your PC( which I think it does, but I haven't a use for. ) then buy with confidence, as I am sure that once the different review sites get their hands on the this new BD-D6500, the results will be stellar.

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I been using the Samsung BD-D6500 unit for a month now and found the picture and color rendition to be great. 3D viewing through my Samsung 3D ready HDTV and optional 3D glasses works well. The wired and wireless connection work but I found myself resetting the unit's network interface on occasion in order to get the unit to function. I strongly recommend using the wired connection for speed and reliability. The standard remote control works fine but the "EXIT", "RETURN", "INFO i" and "TOOLS" buttons are crammed too tightly around the navigation buttons causing inadvertent button depressions. Also, I would have preferred if the "EXIT" and "RETURN" buttons where interchanged. The "Smart Hub" Internet applications are fine when they work. I have found that the "Netflix" application interface is limited compared to the "Netflix" PC interface. If you plan to use the "Smart Hub" applications extensively you may want to consider purchasing the optional "QWERTY" remote control. The BD-Live feature was a challenge to setup and I have yet to get it to work reliably without hanging up the unit. Instructions on how to get the BD-Live feature to work are spares and unclear. However, it is a feature I can live without and of questionable use and value. You will need a thumb drive or external hard drive to get the BD-Live feature to work. Also, you need to let the unit know that you are using the external drive for this purpose. Try the "Digital Data Management" function on the on-screen menu for this.

Overall, if you own a Samsung 3D ready HDTV and 3D viewing is important to you consider this unit. The picture and color quality is great. Otherwise, if 3D viewing is not important consider other Blu-ray (BD) units that may do a better job of network applications. Note, this unit does not provide for direct 5.1 speaker connections.

Now for the tips!

As soon as you connect your unit out of the box and configure your network performed a "network" firmware update! Look in the manual for instructions or under the "Settings" then Support menu on-screen.

If you find yourself resetting the unit's network or having network problems try manually assigning a static IP network address above your router's DHCP addresses or range. To do this first perform a "Network Status" on your unit and note the submask, gateway and DNS server addresses. Now "login" to your router and find the range of the dynamically assigned DHCP addresses. For example, on a Linksys router it is usually 50 addresses starting from 192.68.1.0 to 192.68.1.49.

Pick any address above this range, say 192.168.1.160 for example. However, any address above the DHCP IP address range will do for your specific router. Next, return to BD-D6500 and press the following sequence of remote control buttons for a wired connection: "Menu", select Settings on the screen and "Enter", select Network and "Enter", select "Network Setting" select Wired and "Enter", select IP Mode then select Manual and "Enter".

Finally, enter the IP 192.168.160 and then enter the noted submask, gateway and DNS server addresses your recorded previously. Finally, press "RETURN" your done. Wireless connection is similar to the above press "Wireless" for "Wired" above. You should perform a "Network Status" to make sure all is well.

If you unit is hung after using the BD-Live feature or a "Smart Hub" application try the following:

1. Power off the unit. 2. Disconnect the Ethernet wire from the unit if using a wired connection. 3. Unplug the power cord of the unit. 4. Press the "Power" touch button on the front of the unit and hold in for 20 seconds. 5. Release and reconnect the Ethernet cable and then re-plug the power cord.

If you were using the "Netflix" Smart Hub application you may need to re-activate it after resetting the network on the unit.

Hope this help! If not, contact Samsung and alert them of problem you are experiencing with the unit. I've been able to reach Samsung support in several occasions without much delay.

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I bought this after returning a sony google tv blu ray player. After opening the box, I had the basic set up finished within about 5 minutes. The set-up of the blu ray player took a little bit longer because I had to create new accounts for samsung smart tv, not a big deal just takes some time to finish. Once set-up, I loved it!

PROS:

1. GREAT content offered: Hulu plus, netflix, blockbuster, vudu, MLB network, local event listings, tv listings, and much more!

2. Easy to navigate user interface. Lots of graphic content, large print, items are grouped in a logical order so you can find them easily.

3. Good basic search feature

4. Picture quality on netflix and hulu plus is excellent

5. Price...compared to the sony google-tv, which has less content and a higher price, I was VERY happy with this price tag.

6. Sleek design, front-loading dvd player without a tray. Also, it is lightweight and does not take up much space in my entertainment center.

CONS:

1. No QWERTY keyboard slows down your typing a little, not a big deal though

2. Response time in the user interface and for loading features like apps and netflix is a little slow, but again this is not a big deal.

3. The unit did freeze a couple of times on me, but a simple shutdown and reboot seems to solve this

4. The remote included can function as a basic universal remote, but the codes did not include my tv model so I had to go through all of them until one worked. Cumbersome to accomplish, but ultimately I found a working code...again, not a big deal.

5. Does not come with an HDMI cable. Depending on what you are connecting it to you will need at least one HDMI cable, or as many as three if you are like me: blu ray player, cable box (I am dropping cable service now that I have this), TV, and an AV receiver.

I know that is not the Porsche Boxter of internet blu ray players, but I feel VERY good about this purchase and the content offered.

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Samsung has consistently ignored broken software upgrades, abandoning its customers who have no option but to buy a new player, all the while touting their corporate "leadership" in Blu-ray technology.

I've been a loyal Samsung consumer for many years, buying three TV's and four video disk players. Two of those players are now all but unusable. One Blu-ray player stopped being able to read DVD disks, forcing me to connect two players to that set one for DVD's and one for Blu-ray disks. This latest Blu-ray player purchase, the BD-D6500, stopped being able to effectively stream Netflix after the last software upgrade. Since Netflix streaming is what I use the player for 95% of the time, this means I'll have to get yet another player. I guarantee you it will not be a Samsung product.

If you search on-line, you'll find others with the same problem. Samsung itself has no response to this issue, continuing to claim their leadership in the field, but saying and doing absolutely nothing about the problem. CNET even did an editorial highlighting the significant discrepancy in their own review ratings versus customer reviews of Samsung products. Obviously, Samsung only cares about pleasing reviewers and couldn't care less about the people actually buying their junk. As for me, I'm done. I'll never buy another Samsung product. It's too bad they used to be good.

Plays .avi .mp3 .mp4 files either on a cd,dvd or usb drive. Plays my old store bought cd's too.

Has a shuffle option for playing music files.

Microcone USB Microphone Array

I was searching for a microphone that I could use in a conference room at the office for Skype meetings with many people in the room. I had several demonstrations from A/V vendors come to the office. The requirement was that it needed to work with Skype since we have so many remote employees and partners and Skype meetings are very frequent around here. We tried several demos including in-ceiling microphone arrays etc. but none of them were that great and in some cases, 10x the price!

I found the Microcone when I searched Amazon for a USB microphone array and took a chance on it since Amazon has a great return policy. Everyone I have asked says the sound quality is exceptionally clear and everyone can be heard from all areas of the room. I have tried both close up (appx 12") and as far as about 12'.

This is an exceptional product and I'm very pleased.

5.0MP Cmos 7-IN-1 Multi-functional Camera with 2.0" Swivel LCD

I was very pleasantly surprised when I saw the very favorable images from this inexpensive video camera. Granted, it is quite small and sometimes it is difficult for senior hands and fingers like mine to manipulate. On the plus side the small size makes it so easy to tuck in a pocket and have it ready to use on a moment's notice. Another plus is the camera uses SD memory cards rather than tapes; you can run over an hour of video, or several hundred still images, on a 2 gig card. There's only a built-in mic, so the audio is so-so; you need to be quite near the audio source for decent results.

This product was good for the amount of money i paid, except it did't contain the protection bag or earphones like it said it included. This is big problem bicause the earphones that i already have don't fit the hole for the earphones. So now i can't listen to the mp3 player with out disturbing my peers. (also the mp3 player was the main reason i bought this camera). The down side is going to be trying to find earphones that fit. The upside is that the mp3 and the rest of the camera is easy to mannage after the first two days, with help from the manuel (which is pretty helpful :) Also the pictures come out pretty good and the flash works as well. This product, in my opinion, is best to get if your looking for a camera rather then a video camera because the sound on the video camera is pretty hard to hear, though i haven't tried hooking it up to the tv, where the volume may be louder, i don't know yet.

Buy 5.0MP Cmos 7-IN-1 Multi-functional Camera with 2.0" Swivel LCD Now

7-in-1 Multi-Functional Camera: Digital Still Camera, Digital Video Camera, Voice Recorder, MP3 Player, MPEG-4 Player, PC Cam, Mass Storage.

64MB Flash Memory

Memory Card

Package Contents:

*DV520T Digital Camcorder

*Power Adapter

*USB Cable

*Audio / Video Cable

*Strap

*Rechargeable Li-ion Battery

*Protection Bag

*Installation Guide

*Getting Started User Guide

*Earphones

*Built-In IGBT Flash

*Built Microphone & Speaker

Read Best Reviews of 5.0MP Cmos 7-IN-1 Multi-functional Camera with 2.0" Swivel LCD Here

Video is grainy, sound is just ok, even in light conditions the camera is not very good... I returned it got the kodak Zi8.

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I got my 5.0mp cmos 7-in 1 Multi-functional camera and I am not real pleased with it unless you get a extra memory card you can't take but 2 pictures with it and 2 videos with it. And the mp3 is very hard to use on it I haven't figured it out yet. And it don't work real good on Windows 7. Will not purchase another like this one. Will get me a new one that is better and easier to work.

Olympus VN-3600 Digital Voice Recorder

Yes it is a nice and small recorder, and certainly one with the best recording time in it's price. But the Olympus VN-3600 Digital Voice Recorder has a few frustrating flaws.

First of all, forget about using low quality recording. You can hardly make out the voices. You can still get 2.5 hours of decent sound out of it at medium quality. That should be plenty for most users.

What's really driving me crazy is the joint buttons for skipping to the next file and for fast forward. Supposedly, if you hold the button, you'll fast forward, a single push will skip. But since both play/pause, next track, previous track and stop are on jog-dial-style button, you can accidentally press stop when you want to fast forward, or fast forward when you want to pause.

Why is this frustrating? Imagine you have recorded an one hour interview and are listening to it. Accidentally pressing next track or stop will skip you from the current point in the recording to the next track or make it stop. You'll have to fast forward to the point where you ended up. And since FF is really that fast, it take a frustrating amount of time. Seperate buttons for fast forward and fast backward would have solved this issue, although there isn't any space for them on the device (since it's so nice and small...)

Maybe this is less of a problem if you've got small finger, although I don't consider mine to be extrodinarily big.

Had I know about this issue in advance, I definately would have opted for another make/model!

It's very good gadget. Before buying, keep in mind what the use would be. For memos/reminders/thoughs its great, and for lectures/interviews too. You can use the LP mode to have 6 hours available, but I recommend this mode only for memos, or things that you don't need to keep crystal clear; the recordings in LP mode are understandable.

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DXG 579V Blue Hi-Def Pocket Camcorder

Had this for a few months now. It is capable of some VERY nice photos and more than decent video.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pros:

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

Feels durable.

Compact like most other flip cameras.

Takes good still pictures.

Built in light to help with dark shots.

Cons:

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

Limited zoom

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

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

Geovision GV-1480A 16CH Displayx480fps, RecordCIFx480 , with free CB220D

This card is very rich in features. The one thing that is important to know is that if you connect 16 cameras to it, and plan to view video history over the internet, ensure that you have a capable quad core processor in the PC.

The card uses the PC processor to render the video streams. When viewing video _history_ over the internet, if you don't have a quad core processor, the video history will be choppy (frames will be dropped.) This is not a negative point for this card, it just needs to be matched to the proper equipment (in this case, a capable processor.) If you don't plan on viewing video history over the internet, you can get away with a dual core (though I would not recommend it.)

Obviously, sufficient upload bandwidth is also required to view the video over the internet. The more cameras you have, the more bandwidth will be needed. To get decent FPS over the internet, plan on having at least 32KB/s of upload bandwidth per camera. For a 16 camera setup, that translates to half a megabyte per second of upload bandwidth which is more than what you get (by default) with most internet providers. 32K really is the minimum per camera. If you can get more at a reasonable cost from your ISP, don't hesitate to get it.

Also required is more than one hard drive in the PC. Have Windows on one drive and the cameras storing their video on another drive. You can get away with using only one drive (provided it is really fast) if you are only using a few cameras (say 6 or less) but, even then, there will be occasions when frames will be dropped.

The PDF manual that comes with the card is adequate (not great but not too bad.) Demonstration videos of the card capabilities are included in the CD. Plan to spend some time going over the manual, there are lots of nice features, some of which you will likely find very useful.

Conclusion: This is a very capable product, works very well when installed in a capable PC and offers lots of features. A short review like this one cannot make justice to it.

I will never buy anything from Amazon and its affiliate sellers. This company I bought the card from never responded to my concern about support for this card. Second, this card and the software included don't work. I couldn't download the driver for it. It always gives me (download fail) message. I called other Geovision websites, and they charge $39 per hour to help fix the problem. I don't recommend buying anything from this company.

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Sony HDR-TD30V Full HD 3D Handycam Camcorder with 3.5-Inch LCD (Black)

I bought this camera exclusively for the 3D function, as I'm sure you will. A couple things about the product advertising. They were not deal breakers, but I prefer honesty in advertising. You are not buying this for 2D, DLP LED projection, lens options, or anything other than just 3D so don't throw away that 2D camera if that's what you wanted.

1. 1080i is the only 3D format. 1080p is not available in 3D, no frame rates, no bitrates, no codecs, nothing.

2. You can not take a picture in 3D. This was unexpected as several Sony 2D cameras can do a 3D picture.

3. Low light performance, is not HD. Instead it is adaptive to the light in that part of the picture. Brighter objects get higher resolution and frame rate. On a big screen, it appears distracting like a cheap low bitrate webcam with low res and a slow frame rate on dark areas, high fps high res on bright objects. There is no way to disable this, so either record with the built in light, which is surprisingly bright enough or have some regular lights on indoors. Oh and prepare for friends and family to ask you "how much did you pay for this again?" As with any Sony camera I've owned, auto focus in lower lighting doesn't work, it keeps guessing every few seconds. Usually in the wrong direction, but you can go manual from the touchscreen.

4. Ps3, can only playback the 2D portion from the 3D recording. So use the hdmi cable instead.

5. No adapter ring to fit a UV/dust filter, neutralizer, polarizer or water housing.

6. The sony 2008 waterproof housing fits, and operates the camera functions fine, you'll have to use construction paper to block reflections, and software to adjust the waters pink color balance. If you don't own the water case, they only made it with cheap stereo mic's. but it is water tight, even in salt water.

7. No slow motion in 3D.

8. No golf shot in 3D

9. X.V. Color range must be reselected ever time the battery is removed. If you have a 3D tv, you have xv color range. Charge the battery in the camera, or when swapping batteries, make sure your settings are all there.

10. Steady shot is better than my 2008 model Sony. Actually better than most current movies and tv shows that think shaking makes drama more realistic. It's not perfect but for 3D, reduced shaking reduces eyestrain headaches.

11. Other things that do not work in 3D. White balance, spot meter, spot focus, iris, shutter speed, auto gain limit, low lux, scene selection, fader, self timer, telemacro, digital zoom, auto backlight, smile shutter and sensitivity, flash, red eye, recording mode, frame rate, HD/SD option, 4:3 option.

A note about 3D on such a small 20mm dual lens camera, the bigger the tv, or closer you sit, less 3D effect. Farther away, smaller tv, bigger effect. Probably why most stores use small 40" demo tv's and upsell, expecting customers just to assume bigger is better. They call this 3D roundness. If you are like me, after a short time, my brain tries to compensate and flatten the picture because it knows its really a flat tv that should not have any depth. Thats why the end of avatar doesn't look 3D anymore. An exaggerated roundness factor, helps. PS 3 games usually have a 3D effect option to turn a soccer ball into a football shape so your mind sees a round soccer ball. This is not the same as the 3D depth option on a camera or TV set. That depth option is a parallax screen alignment only. If the whole scene shifted in front or behind the tv, you can adjust that, not the actual depth perception or roundness. That would require a specialized computer program to calculate scene depth and then fractal multiply it, which isn't available to consumers yet.

I took 3D video at a colorful Indian wedding. Everybody, even the hired videographer, who saw the video in the 3.5-inch LCD would go WOW. I have to try the video on my 65" 3D TV.

The camcorder replaced an earlier excellent Sony camcorder HDR-CX500V, lost in Nepal. I am too new for this camcorder, but I am sure this will be a good or better replacement.

The 3D video is crisp and amazing and so much better than the 2D.

I recommend this camcorder to all.

Buy Sony HDR-TD30V Full HD 3D Handycam Camcorder with 3.5-Inch LCD (Black) Now

Another post mention that a big screern 3d tv shows lack of 3D effect...

Humm...

I also bought Vizio 3D 65" ($1600) from big brand store and the 3D effect are awesome from the camera. I watch at 8' from the TV which vizio recommends for 3D viewing.

The OEM battery (NP50) only has 71 minutes to start with, so I bought 2) NP-100v's & charger aftermarket kit for $40 online, far far cheaper than just 1 of Sony's batts. It now starts with 245 minutes (4hrs) remaining on the cheap np-100's. 2 np100's should last you all day, but the more you zoom in & out, it will use it a bit faster. Getting the 100's is almost a must.

One can get confused on after market battery ratings. Camera says 6.8v but you will see 7.2 or 8.4v battery advertised. 8.4v is the charge voltage, 7.2 is a full charged battery and 6.8 is the means voltage (in operation). So don't worry about how other manuf. rate the specs. Its the same correct battery.

Does NOT come with an SD card so you cannot record (no built-in memory). I had to wait. Be sure to look for seller in USA and not china less you want to wait for weeks.

I picked up 2)64g PNY Pro X SDXC cards fairly (very) cheap ($40 ea) as no one else was bidding on them.

Few days later, am playing with the camera and am very satified with it.

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Xtreamer ULTRA Mini-ITX SFF HTPC (1.8 GHZ Intel Atom Dual-Core D525, nVidia ION 2, 4GB DDR3, HDMI 1

I've had this for about 2 weeks now and absolutly love it. It comes with everything pictured (although I had to get a euro to us power adaptor 2$). The machine boots from the USB stick and out of the box runs XBMC, Boxee and their ubuntu linux OS (you can install a HDD and install windows). There is a slot in the machine for a 2.5 HDD and through the xtreamer forums you can find instructions to install all of those and a version of windows to the internal hard drive pretty easily. I think the xbmc is faster from the HDD than the usb stick, but that's just my observation. Both ways, there is no lag or slowdown and the machine plays all kinds of movies with ease. I own about 250 DVDs that I converted to .ISO files and have on an external 3T drive works great, I never have to search for a dvd or worry about it being scratched.

The only cons the included keyboard remote is not the greatest, I would reccomend getting a wireless keyboard/trackball combo. The machine does get hot, but mine constantly runs and has had NO problems at all.

Would definately reccommend to anyone looking for a digital media server / HTPC.

I have bought quite a few media streamers (Popcorn hour, Dvico Tvix and Mede8er) in the past. Now, it appears I will be going back to XBMC (bringing back memories of XBMC on the xbox and on my old noisy htpc) on this really truly awesome device. I really love this thing. I will admit that you better have a 2.5 hdd available, since running on the usb thumb drive is very slow. After putting an old laptop hdd in this thing, my god (and loading the ultra os, which can be downloaded from xtreamer.net)... this thing is AWESOME!

If you are not the type of person who can put a 2.5 drive in a pc, then you should not buy this. If the menu appearance is not too important... and you want simplicity, then go buy a Tvix or Popcorn hour. However, if you are comfortable with computers, then for the price, this really is a great product.

Pro: Very quiet, Can play around with loads of options (Boxee, XBMC, load windows, etc.), can customize like a pc to load Tversity to stream your media collection to your portable devices.

Cons: running the device with the usb thumb drive should only be a workaround until you can get a 2.5 hdd. If you are cheap, buy a $10 hdd drive. The xtreamer ultra might not be a good fit for someone who is not comfortable with computers.

This is hands down...the best packaged HTPC in the market. There is not many products that make me act crazy like Droopy Dog...

... I'm happy.

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The XTreamer Ultra is a nice little machine hardware-wise, but running the included OS from USB is WAY too slow. I bought a 120GB SSD drive and installed Windows 7 Home on it, and now it works great! I'm considering installing the Linux OS that comes with it onto the hard-drive and dual booting from there instead of the USB. That should make it less frustrating to use XBMC and Boxee.

The main reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that the included mini-keyboard would simply not pair with the USB stub. I tried it on existing Windows 7 machines as well, and it just would not work. I went to the Xtreamer web site and used their contact us form to inform them, but never got anything at all back from them. Apparently since this was sold to me via a 3rd-party vendor (Xtreamer US Distributor), I needed to inform the 3rd-party, but I just didn't feel like dealing with it anymore, so I simply bought an equivalent mini-keyboard via Amazon, and this one works great. I love not having to have a large keyboard sitting next to me on the coach.

Read Best Reviews of Xtreamer ULTRA Mini-ITX SFF HTPC (1.8 GHZ Intel Atom Dual-Core D525, nVidia ION 2, 4GB DDR3, HDMI 1 Here

I upgraded from the sidewinder 2 which for the money still is one of the best media players out there, had it since they came out and never had any issues with it. The Ultra rocks, it is faster, it can be expanded, you can stream just about to any other device in the network and it performs superbly. I just got a NAS and consolidated all task to it, now I can stream, transfer and share from it. The Ultra is running Windows 7 on a 128 GB SSD, it is fast, quiet and it allows me to run any application I desire. It does have a fan on the side but it is quiet very quiet and efficient.The connection to the network is made using the Rosewill RPLC-500KIT Powerline AV Wall-Plug Gigabit Adapter, it will never do the advertised speed but it is faster than wireless and is steady again streaming to and from is not an issue in my case. I have it hooked up to an inexpensive Onkio 5.1 system and again works and sounds great. My experience with customer service was outstanding, I had an issue and they took care of it very efficiently, communications, and great attention to detail. I"m just a regular customer here, but if I had to do this all over again I would without hesitation. I hope this info will help someone, please if you got any questions send them to me.

Want Xtreamer ULTRA Mini-ITX SFF HTPC (1.8 GHZ Intel Atom Dual-Core D525, nVidia ION 2, 4GB DDR3, HDMI 1 Discount?

The HW is good, but the OS it's a headache. It does not even recognize the 4MB it comes with, so many adaptations are required. I ended up removing this useless OS and putting plane Ubuntu on the box. The HW is nice and has good interfaces, but the OS and the Tech-Support are terrible..

Sony DCRPC9 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder

I originally did extensive research on the "vertical palm size" mini-DV camcorders and narrowed my decision down to the Sony DCR-PC9, the Canon Elura 20MC and the JVC GR-DVM75. Let me tell you that this was an extremely difficult evaluation because all three cameras have their strengths and weaknesses and there was no clear choice. The digital video technology found in all three of these compact cameras is absolutely amazing. I originally purchased the JVC but I had concern with the workmanship and the quality of the hardware I had read several reviews where the owner eventually experienced problems and the cost to service the camera was extremely steep. I ended up buying the Canon Elura 20MC and did a side by side comparison against the JVC. Not being completely satisfied with either camera, I finally purchased the Sony camera as well. This ended up being an involved process but it was the only way to really evaluate the cameras.

Although you can make arguments that one camera had slightly sharper images or another one handled colors slightly better, overall all three cameras produced crisp, accurately colored images in outdoor sunlight settings. Under outdoor overcast conditions, the colors can be on the dull side but the video still was of decent quality. All three camcorders performed poorly under low light conditions. The low light video taping was indoors at night with single or double lamp lighting with light bulbs between 60 and 100 watts. The Cannon Elura produced the poorest quality video (even with the low light setting) very dark and grainy and the quality was actually poorer than an 8mm analog camcorder. The Sony and JVC with standard auto-shutter settings produced about the same level of video quality which was less grainy but still on the dark side. The lower shutter speed settings on the JVC and Sony improves the image but the video becomes very choppy. As stated in other reviews, the Sony Night Shot (IR based) feature is impressive and works relatively well under "no light" conditions but creates the greenish monotone image. I am not sure how much video I will actually keep with the Night Shot but it is fun to use.

Sound quality is good on all 3 cameras but I do agree with the other reviewers who have commented on the problems associated with having the microphone located on the top of the camera. All the camcorders pick up some motor noise but the noise seemed to be more prevalent on the Canon. I also thought the sound was a little muffled on the Canon when compared to the other two camcorders. The Canon and JVC have wind screen options but I found them to be of limited value.

Not surprisingly, the digital stills from all 3 cameras were extremely poor. Even with the XGA resolution and built-in flash, the JVC stills were only marginally better than that of the other cameras. The best field stills (captured from video) came from the Canon and then the JVC. If you want to produce "print quality" digital stills, my recommendation is to purchase a separate dedicated digital camera instead of spending extra money on a higher CCD count.

You can read about specific features and functions in other reviews for the 3 camcorders but here is a summary of my side by side comparison:

For the Canon Elura 20MC

Pros: Quality Video, Progressive Scan, extended Recording Modes, good ergonomics and design, well constructed, the smallest of the 3 camcorders, manual exposure and shutter speed settings

Cons: Poor low light quality, short battery life, too small for large hands, microphone picks up the most motor noise of the 3 cameras, poor stills, no software, requires a shoe for external microphone and head phone, no USB support

For the Sony DCR-PC9

Pros: Quality Video, NightShot, the most features/functions of the 3 cameras, battery life was about 30% better than the other camcorders, lens ring for manual focus

Cons: Construction feels cheap, Poor Ergonomics, poor stills, cumbersome menu system, uses Sony's proprietary memory stick, limited remote controller functions

For the JVC GR-DVM75

Pros: Quality Video, High Band Processor emulates progressive scan, Built In Flash, well designed remote controller, good number of features/settings

Cons: Construction feels cheap, Poor stills, short battery life, poor viewfinder resolution, requires a shoe for USB connection,

Here are a couple of general observations for purchasing a camcorder. Most sales people only know the specs of each camera but have limited (if any) "actual use" experience outside the store. The image quality on the LCD screen is not a good indicator of the actual quality of the recorded video you really need to view the video image on a TV screen. Finally, you cannot fully assess the quality of a camcorder within the confines of a store.

Because I am planning to do quite a bit of indoor video taping I decided to keep the Sony. I really hated to give up the Canon progressive scan. I originally thought I would keep the Canon (see my review under Elura 20MC) but the poor quality video in low light eventually prompted me to evaluate the Sony. The bottom line is that each camcorder is an excellent product and the best camera for you is dependent on your needs. If you are on a budget, the JVC offers the best overall value, performance, features for your money. Although I only had limited, the hardware quality of the JVC seems to be on par with the Sony. If you are primarily video taping under good lighting conditions and want to capture stills from video, then I would recommend the Cannon. The Elura was also the most compact, most comfortable and best designed. If you need a camera with many digital effects, options and special functions and are video taping in low light/night conditions then I would purchase the Sony. Good luck!

I have been using this camera for a month now and have a few remarks which maybe helpful to you.

1. Size !!!! This thing is so tiny ! and does not look like a regular camcorder. People do not pay attention to it at all which allows you to capture great scenes ! Once I had two film cameras. One was really good but heavy and expensive. Another much cheaper. So ! 90% of my best shots I took with the cheaper camera. Of course you can buy a camcorder with much better quality of the picture for 3-5 grands but will you take it with you everywhere ?

2. Touch screen. I don't bother about onscreen menu. As for me old style wheel is absolutely good. But there is one thing spotmeter. You just touch most interesting point on the screen and exposure adjusts better then you would (OK, I would) do it manually !

3. Image quality good. But colors could be better. I beheld that there is some lack of green, more then need of red. Blue is perfect ! But that can be seen only in comparison with high end camcorders.

3. Viewfinder. The wickest part of the camcorder. I must say I almost returned it back to the store because got tired pulling it out and pushing back. Why Sony didn't allow to change the viewfinder focus so it would be possible to use it for a short moments without pulling out ? Using of swivel screen could solve the problem but it eats the battery too fast. Another thing that when you put the camera on a tripod you cannot turn the viewfinder up, which is not very convenient.

Otherwise very good camera and definitely worth buying. If you planning taking video for yourself you will not find a better choice. But please ! DON'T BUY IT FROM ROYAL CAMERA. Go to the store with good repuitation despite the price seems to be higher there.

Buy Sony DCRPC9 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder Now

Best of the miniDV camcorder around. After searching for about a month, comparing more than 15 minidv camcorders. Even actually bought one. I'd have to say that this is the best one that we found.

At first, we bought a JVC GR-DVM90U because after. This camcorder has so many features, lightweight, and thinner than other digicams.

But after we've bought it, we found that it's image quality is very poor in low light condition. Though it has many features in it (such as AE program with 12 digital effects and 17 scene transitions), we never use any of it. Moreover, the image stabilization also not as good as we expected.

As for the digital camera capability, we don't really use it because we have a FUJI digital camera. And the quality of the camcorder's snapshot won't match the quality of the digital camera.

Since we're not really satisfied with our JVC, we tried to look around and end up with 2 choices. Canon Elura 2 or Sonny DCR-PC9. The review of Canon Elura 2 is better than our JVC, but we can't find a review for Sony DCR-PC9 because the product is new. But we know that Sony has a respectable quality, so we take our chances and bought this camera.

The moment it arrived and we hold this camcorder in our hands, we're sure that this is a great camcorder. The camcorder is less the size of the palm. It has the best image quality and the touchscreen is nice to use. The amazing part is that it performs really well in low light condition. You can even use it in total darkness with it's Nightshot feature. Really cool. The image stabilization is also really good.

The only flaw that we found is that the AUTO setting for the light is not really good. If you're using this camcorder indoor, you might want to switch it to the INDOOR option instead of leaving it at AUTO.

Battery life is okay. With around 2 hours of recording (much better than the JVC with only 1 hour of battery life).

So far, in our opinion this is the best digital camcorder around for the money.

Read Best Reviews of Sony DCRPC9 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder Here

I was in the market for a small, high-quality MiniDV camcorder, and the PC-9's specs looked perfect. I have had mine for a month now, and I am very happy with it. Although it is slightly larger than some of the JVC's and Canon's Elura II, it is still very small. Also, unlike JVC and Canon camcorders, the PC-9 feels extremely solid and robust. The construction is top-notch, and you don't feel worried about breaking it, despite its small size. One note of caution, however: be careful not to leave the camcorder in a bag with a lot of stuff crowding it, as the lens cap is prone to coming off. This shouldn't be a problem if it's in a nice padded case, but I carried mine in a bag with other equipment and several times was alarmed to find the lens unprotected.

The PC-9 has a 680K pixel CCD, which is more than is needed for 525 lines of horizontal resolution. Be wary, however, of other cameras with a 480K pixel CCD, because even though the DV format only uses 525 lines, a single CCD doesn't actually record as many discrete pixels as its pixel count claims (thus the advantage of a 3 CCD camera, which the PC-9 is not). Unfortunately, many people are looking for an end-all solution for video and still photography. There is nothing for a reasonable price that accomplishes this goal. While still digital cameras are 3 or 4 megapixels, with this camcorder, you are stuck at .68 megapixels not too impressive. Yes, they are acceptable for small internet jpegs, but forget about looking at them on a nice monitor, and don't even think about printing them. I mention the poor quality of stills not because the PC-9 is any worse than its competitors, but simply because paying extra to have a Memory Stick slot for stills is an utter waste of money (and space, to some extent). Still, the PC-9's fantastic video quality, small size, excellent build, and easy-to-use controls and navigation make it a great buy for anyone looking for quality, affordability, and style.

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While I was slightly disappointed opening the box ( I expected a metal case it's plastic and scratches easily magazine pictures put me off) a month of use has overcome this initial disappointment. While I would agree with the previous reviews re the flimsy cover for the USB and video connection ports (appalling), the overall performance has been great. The small size is a real boon, you can fit it in the pocket of your (loose) chino's with relative ease (sans battery maybe that's why we have two pockets?). Other reviewers have had problems with the handling and button position but I found both intuitive and convenient (medium cadet golf glove i.e. pretty small hands). I bought the camcorder for the slow motion reply primarily for my golf swing (great, the slowmo, not the swing) general performance (family vacasion) has also been exemplary. I also bought both a quick charger (necessary if you value the covers), a 32 MB memory stick (not really necessary 32 MB is 200 an odd pictures) and a 10 hour battery (Require at least a 2 hour real life). In summary I love the handling, the touch screen, the size, the MPEGs (rough but fun), the stills ( good enough for e:mail and playback on a pc not to print) and the slowmo. I hate the connection covers and the fact that in 12 months it's going to look rough. Hope this helps.

Adorama 5' Coiled Sync Cord, Household (AC) to PC.

These will not work with my flash trigger. Not sure why ... simple sync cord. Similar sync cord by Paramount works fine.

The cable works great and is very reasonably priced. The best of both worlds!

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Panasonic PV-GS90 MiniDV Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I purchased this camcorder to document the vacation of my lifeime. And I have been extremely pleased with its performance. Panasonic has addressed several design flaws in previous models to make this one sweet little unit. They've also added a few new improvements.

The bottom line is that it takes good video overall. Quality is very good in outdoor lighting. Indoor performance is good; low light performance is minimal, but much better than expected. Considering what you pay, video quality is on par with units costing hundreds more.

Pros:

1. Great video for a single CCD camera. Great for outdoor shooting.

2. Amazing 42x optical zoom. Picture stays crisp & clear.

3. Advanced Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). Panasonic has a reputation of having the best. This allows you to zoom in and move the camera with minimal screen jitter. Better than other brands costing $100's more.

4. Uses inexpensive miniDV cassettes. These can be purchased just about anywhere if you need one in a pinch.

5. Lots of software available to do video editing. You'll also need a firewire cable and card to transfer the video to computer.

5. Built in lens cover; it slides open and close by moving a sliding button. Say goodbye to dangling or lost lens covers.

6. Firewire port has been moved to side of camera under the foldout LCD. You no longer need to remove the battery to get to it. The AV output is on the front right side.

7. A usable built in LED light. It won't light up a room but just enough helpful illumination for a subject 3 to 5 feet away in dim areas.

8. Lots of manual control. User can switch from Auto to Manual modes at the touch of a button. Controls include focus, white balance, iris, f-stop, and others.

9. Shoots and displays video in widescreen 16x9 and standard 4x3 formats.

Cons:

1. Poor battery life. Battery included barely lasts 1 hour. Using the viewfinder instead of the LCD helps a lot. You'll definitely need to buy an extra battery.

2. Expensive replacement batteries. I found that the batteries for previous Panasonic camcorder models work just fine, and are a fraction of the cost.

3. Poor low light performance.

4. No slot for memory card. Takes video stills. Plan on using your digital camera for regular pictures.

5. No way to use accessories such as lighting kits or extra lenses.

Basically what you get is a minimalist digital camcorder that takes good video. The limitations of this camcorder are hardly "cons" considering how little you pay for it. MiniDV is on its way out, but is currently still a viable media. If you need a camcorder that takes HD quality or good low light video, this is not the camera for you.

But if you are looking for a great first time camcorder, or an inexpensive little unit to document that once a year vacation or occasional event, you'll be pleased with this one.

I bought this camera first at Best Buy first in order to record a very important event. However, after the event, I noticed, while reviewing the video, that there was a distracting dead pixel (greeen spot always on) right in the middle of the image. After verifying that it was on the CCD and not on either of the two viewfinders, I returned the camera for a full refund. I would have exchanged it but every store was out of stock. The techs verified the defect and waived the "resocking fee." :-)

Next, I purchased the same camera, used, from Amazon.com. This time the unit appears defect-free and I am very happy with it.

The picture is great, the interface is intuitive, and the optical image stabilization is wonderful when you take advantage of the 42x zoom. I haven't played too much with the digital zoom because it degrades picture quality, but it seems to work as well as digital zoom can be expected to.

The only reason I can't give this product 5 stars is because the package is incomplete. It comes with no transfer cable, so if you want to load the video into your computer, you will have to run out and buy an expensive firewire cable (about $30). It also comes without any software. However, you won't need additional software if you are happy with the free movie editing software that is included with Macs and Windows.

Buy Panasonic PV-GS90 MiniDV Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Now

Panasonic PV-GS90 MiniDV Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

I have purchased the Panasonic PV-GS90 from Big Value Inc. through amazon.com and the product is pretty good for the price. I have had Panasonic Camcorder (the PV type) before. If you are a MiniDV tape fan, this product is a good choice. Like other reviews, I expects this product to perform minimum picture quality when taping inside my house. I was right! The in-house picture was grainy, because there was not enough lighting inside the house. I was not upset because I expected this problem to happen. You can try to have more lighting inside your house when recording. Maybe that would fix the grainy pictures problem. For a little over $180.00, this product is supper. Out-door taping is excellent for the price, once again. I love miniDV tape because the movement of objects I am taping is recorded clearly, not jerky like other memory-card camcorder or DVD camcorder producing. I have never seen the quality of hard-drive camcorder; I imagine it would not product jerky movement of object when recording, but the price of hard-drive camcorder is too high for my checkbook. Overall, Big Value Inc. delivered what it promised and I am happy with my purchase.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic PV-GS90 MiniDV Camcorder with 42x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Here

My Sony is getting old and I didn't want to lose the ability to play my mini DV tapes. Got this camcorder and like it lots. Image quality is fine for my needs. Great zoom range and the anti shake works well. Have not tried (and don't really care) about super low light or HD.

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I still use the first two from 2002 and 2007. I love the mini DV tape models. I actually bought this one because not only am I still using them on vacations, I use them to create DVDs I can play on my TV. After editing in Final Cut Pro, I pass through the camcorder to a DVD recorder to burn the DVD. I did not want to get orphaned, so I really bought this unit as a back up. It does have a higher zoom but a weaker low light record.

Sony Xplod Powerful All-In-One Mega Bass Reflex Stereo Sound System with a Digital Tuner AM/FM Radi

• This All-In-One Sony Sound System Combines Old & New Technology. Play all CD or MP3 CD discs, listen to programming from your USB device, enjoy your favorite radio stations on the digital AM/FM stereo tuner, revisit sweet memories while listening to your tape cassettes, record music from a CD, radio or cassette to your USB memory flash drive or cassette, enjoy music from your iPod, MP3 or PC by connecting to the built-in Aux cable. Also conveniently works on batteries to take it along anywhere.
• Powerful Rich Stereo Sound, with two 4" stereo speakers & 2 tweeters you can fill any room with the most beautiful music. Plus the powerful 12 watt 5.15" woofer delivers rich deep bass and can be adjusted to 2 different levels. The sound power gauge and Light Sync flashes along with your music to liven up any party. Subwoofer & Light Sync can even be turned off for a nice romantic setting.
• Sleep Timer puts you to sleep peacefully while playing your favorite tunes. Options are 90, 60, 30, 20 or 10 minutes of listening pleasure to relax you asleep. The light sync will not flash when sleep mode is on, to give you a peaceful dozing off.
• Built-In Auxiliary Cable & Audio in Jack lets you connect any iPod or MP3 Digital Music Player to hear through this amazing sound system - Headphone Jack allowes you to listen to your sound system without disturbing anyone around you. Play Any Music that you have stored on your Sony MP3 Player or USB Digital Device with Various Modes of Playback.
• Portable - Just the right size for dual use, as a shelf system and a portable, weighs 18.75lbs and measures 21.7" Long x 10.3" High x 15" Deep. With the fold-down handle and Battery power option you get the freedom to use this anywhere, at home or on the go. Take it to the park, on a trip or use it at home and easily carry from room to room (Batteries not included).

Model number CFD-RG880CP. As far as I can tell, this is basically the CFDG700CP, but with USB. The manual is copyright dated 2008.

I got the box so I could play from USB and use audio input from laptop. After a short learning curve, I find this box sounds very nice at lower and mid volume levels and the remote controls most everything, except some setup options. My best trance mp3 at 320vbr cannot be turned above about 82 of 100 on volume because there the bass just doesn't sound right.

Once I rewire the battery input, I can directly connect to a 12-Volt marine battery and play on the beach all day and night ;-)

I did get the demo mode turned off by following the directions and it stays off.

I would like for the bass to bump without the LED lights on, but cannot figure out how to turn them off without turning off the bass.

I had previously tried the BOSE Soundlink and this box reproduces better sound at Soundlink's volume levels for half the price and is much more versatile although kinda large.

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I gave it a five star because it has everything you need from cassette tapes to USB and Ipod connections. I like playing Mp3s CDs so this boom box has that feature. The sound is great very loud.

Read Best Reviews of Sony Xplod Powerful All-In-One Mega Bass Reflex Stereo Sound System with a Digital Tuner AM/FM Radi Here

I was looking for a stereo unit that would give me all the functions in one small unit. I expected that I would have to accept a number of short cuts which is usually the case when buying an "all-in-one" unit. However, I have been pleasantly surprised by this product. It performs extremely well in all it's functions. Sometimes one enjoys the bass sound when listening to music, but not when listening to speech. This unit allows you to turn off the "mega-base" if you don't want it. Great feature. The sound is very good and I find that I am more than satisfied with the unit. In the event that you would want to take it along and use it where plugging it in is not possible, it is battery driven. It takes 8 "D" cells so if you used it a lot on battery power, the batteries could cost a bit. Great radio and I would recommend it to anyone looking for this type of stereo.

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Ok first, the price is frakin' outrageous! Now, if you can get past that part, you'll love this thing. I wanted to put speakers outside for my backyard pool but thinking about running more wiring through my attic just didn't get me motivated. So, came to Amazon and looked for the alternative, a "boom box." After reading a few reviews and noticing that this system came with what I wanted (USB flash drive support) I bought it and hoped for the best. Let me tell you something, I LOVE THIS THING! Radio, meh, tape deck, meh, CD player, meh, but USB support for mp3's?! Yes!!! My own uninterrupted music with on a box that can push the sound out Fan-freakin-tastic! The Sony Xplod isn't perfect by no means, but for what i go it for, it simply shines!

Fantastic. Rich deep bass and good stereo sound. I have had other similar systems but none were anywhere near as good as this.

Panasonic DVD-CV40 5-Disc DVD Player

• 5-disc stack changer
• DTS and Dolby Digital output
• Optical output
• Dialogue enhancement mode
• Advanced Virtual Surround Sound

I am an ardent Panasonic fan. All of my home electronics bear its name. However, this stacker dvd changer really is not a good product at all. Rather, it is perhaps better to say that it is the inherent flaw in this type of technology. The changer works just like the car cd changers and unfortunately sounded like one too. It is noisy and it is slow. One might find this unit acceptable if random music player is not a concern. If it is, then beware at the slow speed which this unit switch from disc to disc and the unbearable amount of noise it makes.

You will be happier with a carousel type changer.

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Me parece que el DVD debe ser tomado como un nuevos sistema y no permite comparación con la vida real.

Sony ICD-UX71 Digital Voice Recorder

I saved $$$ on this used item and received it as my expected. I got on time too. nothing wrong with this item except bottom cover was missing. This didn't matter to me.

ADATA Speedy 2 GB CompactFlash Card ACF2GZR

This is a fairly "cheap" card. I haven't had mine for long, so I don't know how durable it is. I do know that the "Speedy" line (the yellow label) of A-Data compact flash cards are the slower 40x speed cards. That might be okay for digital cameras, but I intended to use it to store and play back mp3 files on my table pc. It'll play them, all right, but can't transfer fast enough to avoid the occasional glitch in the sound. If you need fast read/write speeds, don't get this one. Look for one that has 133x, 150x, or even 266x.

I have not had a chance to try it much yet but it seems to be serving its purpose which is to provide space on a digitial camera and hole a lot more pictures than the compact flash I already had.

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Olympus WS-500 Digital Voice Recorder (Pink)

I bought this as a backup to my other Olympus recorder (which I frequently lend out). My other recorder is an Olympus WS-100 which I bought 4 years ago. It was one of the first digital voice recorders ever made. It has served me well.

This unit contains a number of improvements over the WS-100 and the WS-400.

When I bought this, I was afraid I would have to carry around a USB cable with me. However, this unit has a little slide button on the side which extends a built-in USB connector. Plugging this into a USB port is a snap.

This unit is a little more compact than the WS-100. It also seems to solve the record delay which was a time vampire on the WS-400. This unit starts to record almost immediately on pressing the record button.

I would give this unit five stars except except the menu is almost indecipherable without spending an entire day memorizing and studying it. This means that you pretty much have to have the manual available for the first months you use this or you will not be able to use most of the features (unfortunately, this seems normal for most digital personal devices nowadays (except for Apple products)).

The arcane menu arrangement does not lend itself to quick and easy use of the unit if there are constant changes to your recording requirements unless you memorize the manual or have it available.

Other than that the plusses are that it supports Vista 64 bit, and, contains all of the features of the WS-400. The unit is easy to snap record conversations and other items.

It is a good buy at the price and easier to use, with all of the features, than any of the other small personal recorders I've looked at over the years by other manufacturers.

Specifications:

Recording Format: WMA

Input level: -70dBv

Maximum working output: 60mW (8 ohm speaker)

NAND FLASH memory 2GB this unit works excellently as a flash drive with VISTA 64 or 32.

MIC Jack: 3.5mm mini-jack; impedance 2k ohms

EAR jack: 3.5mm mini-jack; impedance 8 ohms or more

RECORDING TIMES:

STXQ mode 34 h 30 min.

STHQ mode 69 h 40 min.

STSP mode 139 h 25 min.

HQ mode 139 h 25 min.

SP mode 247 h 10 min.

LP mode 544 h. 55 min.

I bought this after seeing classmates using their voice recorders. Most had purchased an olympus but a less expensive one and they eat batteries. The WS-500 is rechargeable by you USB outlet on your computer. There are approx. 200 files for keeping this organized and you can even record music. Not a feature I will be using but it's on their. Also I can hook it up to my outlet for my ipod in my car and listen to my notes while I am driving. Awesome in a long commute. Hope you find this helpful.

Buy Olympus WS-500 Digital Voice Recorder (Pink) Now

BY JENNIFER OURADA: OK, so I admit up front that I only bought this recorder (I have two other WS-100 recorders already) because it's pink... Sick but true.... It was just so cute and I couldn't resist it. It was also about $80 cheaper than buying another WS-100 which makes zero sense at all as this one has double the memory of the WS-100 and a retractable USB plug instead of pulling the WS-100 apart to plug it in or using a cord that a lot of the other Olympuses have. It also has a rechargeable battery via USB port so I can recharge instead of throwing away batteries every week, so it's eco friendly.

Anyway, the fact is the sound quality is awesome. I'm a court reporter and I just got back from recording an examination under oath with a witness who mumbled all the time. I didn't even use an external mic today; I made do with the internal mics of the Olympus which are one on either side of the top of the recorder. AWESOME is all I can rate this. It picked up ALL of the witness' "under her breath" mumblings that she thought wouldn't make it on the record -hahahaha!!! I actually did three separate recordings today to see which would be the best, and this pink recorder beats all my external mics by miles. They are hissy and this one is the proverbial clear as a bell. I would recommend this to court reporters both freelance and official. It's awesome. All these mumbling attorneys and judges have no chance against this. And probably all those fumbling mumbling professors if you're a student. :) It also records in wmv format which is about 10 times smaller than wav so it's great and easily uploadable to yousendit and the like.

This is the deal.... Literally.....

Read Best Reviews of Olympus WS-500 Digital Voice Recorder (Pink) Here

Although playing the recorded audio file on it might not sound so great, but once the file is transferred to a computer, the sound quality is actually fairly decent.

The product does what it suppose to do, but the user interface definitely could use a lot of work; its entire user interface feels like it was designed by someone who never used a computer. Another minor flaw is that once connect to the computer, you can not change the folder structure in it, therefore instead of organizing your files in a folder with clear understandable name, you will have to place it in "Folder A, B, C, D, or E".

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Pros: compact, lightweight, seems sensitive to hear fainter sounds

Cons: operation is not intuitive. For example, holding the stop button while plugging in the USB to charge it. If you don't hold the button, it won't start to charge. Also, no explicit "on/off" button...well, there is one but it's not labeled "on/off". Very odd.

Records in WMA, instead of MP3. Had to get a plug-in for QuickTime to play it on a Mac (which is what the recipient of this device uses).

Overall a good recorder, but you will need to read the manual (which is a pdf file stored in the device...which we found by accident) because it isn't very intuitive.

Canon ZR800 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom

I am writing to offset some negative opinions on this unit. I bought the Canon because it has facilities for an external mike. I am a new camcorder user and so have no practical experience to bias my opinion one way or another. First on the matter of tape drive noise: yes I can hear it if I put the unit up to my ear. But no noticeable noise comes up on actual movie clips when played back through my computer. Second, they claim you can interconnect and capture clips to your computer. What they don't tell you is that you need a Firewire card and cable (about $70.00 total at Best Buy). You cannot simply hook up through the available computer USB port. Fortunately, Microsoft provides the necessary drivers in the XP OS and minimal capture software called "Moviemaker".

I am not too pleased with the tape system but considering the price of the unit, I think it is a bargain. Finally, I have become aware through short experience with the unit that the ergonometric design for the right hand was very well thought out. Your thumb easily controls on/off and tape transport functions. It is really easy to use, at least for right handed users. All considered, I am satisfied with the product. Of course, if it dies next week, I will have a different opinion.

I recently purchased the Canon ZR-800 (my first digital camcorder) and couldn't be more pleased. The color reproduction on this camera is the best I've ever used or seen. As to the motor noise complaints lodged by others, I can honestly claim that the motor noise has at no time been noticeable during playback. I am even using this camera for amateur movies, and its many features make it very controllable. Granted, the ZR-800 is not in any way a professional camera, but it does a great job for those on a micro-budget. The 35x lens is a great addition and makes extreme closeups look great. The "Widescreen" feature isn't true 16:9 (rather more like 4:3 widescreen)but it still looks great. I bought it primarily for the microphone input to use my shotgun mic, but even without it the sound is pretty good. All in all, a bargain for what I paid for it.

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I love this camcorder. It is very easy to use, the piture quality is great. You can record wide screen or full screen. Light weight, fits in the palm of your hand which is more stable and less shaky when taping. The controls are within easy reach while taping. It is so easy to use that both of my kids have even been using it and they are only 9 and 6. It is also a great price. Can't wait for all our summer vacations to start taping.

I bought this camcorder two weeks ago from best buy. I just wrote my review and then read the others and I had to add this in, there were comments being made that you can hear the tape while recording and then in the play back. I slightly hear the noise when I am taping, but I cannot hear it when I am playing it on my dvd player. To hear the noise while taping you have to have it right next to your ear. But not noticable on the playback on computer or through the dvd player.

Read Best Reviews of Canon ZR800 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom Here

I really think this camcorder is great. I'm amazed at how good the picture is for the price. It's nice and light and easy to carry around, and I got tons of great video from my family's recent trip to Disney. I'm not a real technical person when it comes to these recorders, but I can certainly say I'm very happy with it esp. for the money.

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The Canon ZR800 camcorder is a solid little unit with plenty of features for the most folks. And with a great price, it's surprising that Canon even included an external microphone input (after all, 90 percent of video is the AUDIO). Actually, I bought the ZR800 as a "deck" to play and capture mini-DV tapes that were recorded on my prosumer camcorder (avoiding wear and tear on the expensive cameras), but once I tried the ZR800 I loved it and often use it for day to day use instead of hauling around huge camcorders.

CleanDr 60128 00 VHS Video Head Cleaning Kit

The product received was not the same as pictured. The liquid was not contained in the cartridge. The tape would not run at normal (play) speed. I had to fast forward in order to get the tape to move.Don't feel the heads were cleaned properly in this manner. I ran it 5 or 6 times.

I followed the intrsuctions of the manufacturer. After pushing START there was a short noise and then my VCR shut itself off. Now I can't get the cassete out of the VCR, it is just stuck there. Don't buy it!

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We have a TV with a VHS and a DVD system. The VHS is for our library of old videos. This product was just what was needed to clean the heads on the VHS

Read Best Reviews of CleanDr 60128 00 VHS Video Head Cleaning Kit Here

I'm completely satisfied with this liquid and cassette VCR head cleaning product. It has removed all the snow from the pictures when I play my video cassettes. It has also cleaned up the 'tracking' problems that I was having before. RECOMMENDED.

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I have several VCR's and they all are very old never cleaned them, but started to see not so clear pictures when I would play back recorded programs so did some research on line and found that the problem could be that the heads needed cleaning so I figured that what do I have to loose cause I was just going to disgard of the units beings I also have the new CD recorders and players. I ordered this Clean Dr. and cleaned all three of my VCR's and now they work like new I am getting alot better play back pictures. Yes I would recommend this product and also Amazon for having for the best price. :>)

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Panasonic VDR-D300 3.1MP 3CCD DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom

The Panasonic VDR-D300 "Palmcorder" is a compact 3CCD camcorder that records videos to mini DVDs: 3" (8 cm) DVD-RAM, DVD-RW and DVD-R. (Note that it cannot use the "plus" version of DVD+R/RW.) Thanks to the three separate 1/6" CCD image sensors inside, it shoots broadcast-quality videos and turns in decent low-light performance. It also doubles as a 3.1MP digital camera, but its forte definitely lies in shooting video.

5/4/06 UPDATE: before going any further, let me offer a bit of a "warning." The fundamental differences between DVD camcorders and tape (miniDV) camcorders are two: 1) DVDs let you access a scene quickly and easily, while tapes have much faster start-up times (assuming you are already at the point where you can record or play); 2)DVD camcorders like the VDR-D300 use MPEG4 compression whereas miniDV camcorders compress much less. For most scenes you won't notice a difference. In fact you can probably shoot a good professional-looking movie on the VDR-D300. Just be aware that the MPEG4 can very occasionally raises the ugly head of heavy compression for certain shooting conditions. The "warning" concerns the DVD media: if you use DVD-RW, which is more common and cheaper than Panasonic's DVD-RAM, be prepared for up to 5 minutes of formatting time and up to 10 minutes in finalization time (both have to be done with the AC adapter attached, not from battery). In a nutshell, if you plan to do some editing, use DVD-RAM. If you plan to just shoot and watch (like me), use DVD-R or DVD-RW in Video mode (both require finalization but can be played back on almost all DVD players). I just wanted to point out the long formatting and finalization times as the biggest caveat with DVD camcorders, including the DVR-D300.

Update2: if you buy this between now and 7/31, you can get a free camcorder bag and 3 DVD-R blanks from Panasonic by mail. Check their website for the PDF rebate form.

Before offering my take on the VDR-D300, let me tell you why I chose it. My story might be of some help in your own decision making.

First, I had always wanted a 3CCD camcorder of my own. Most consumer camcorders on the market have one image sensor inside. The image sensor is like the eye of the camcorder. The VDR-D300 has not one, but three CCD image sensors, each designed to process a specific color: red, green or blue. In fact, all professional video camcorders -like the ones used to shoot things on TV (news, dramas, etc.) -use the 3CCD design to better capture color. Together with proper white-balance calibration and judicious choice of lens, you get eye-pleasing colors and sharpness not found in most consumer camcorders, which tend to give dull, bland, fuzzy video images.

Second, I was a little fed up with using tapes for video recording. You know the drill: you buy a tape-based camcorder, then you find out it's a pain to dub it to a VHS or a DVD, or to transfer it to a computer, so you end up using the camcorder like one or two times a year. Like many folks I have been using the video function of my digital camera a lot and left my Sony DCR-PC5 camcorder behind in the closet. My Fujifilm F10 digital camera shoots pretty good video for a camera, but for important occasions, I still want a real camcorder. (Cameras are designed for still images whereas camcorders are designed for moving pictures. For now and the foreseeable future, there's no perfect hybrid camera that does both very well.) DVD-recording has always appealed to me because I could just pop in a recordable/rewritable DVD, shoot some footage, and then play it back, without all the fussing involved with tape recording. I played with my friends' DVD camcorders (Panasonic and Sony) and really liked this "new" way of shooting videos. I waited until someone released a camcorder that combined DVD recording and the 3-chip design. Panasonic finally did, and I bought.

Oh, when I was contemplating the purchase I also considered Sony's HD (high-def) camcorder, which records high-def video on MiniDV tapes. In the end, budget constraint (that one is $1500, a lot of dough for a poor guy like myself), compatibility concerns (i.e., impossible to burn HD video to DVD, not many friends having HDTV) and also the fact that I have been totally let down by the subjective quality of HDTV content on TV convinced me to stick with the standard NTSC resolution. My priority was to get a camcorder that shoots great colors and clarity, not one that gives the highest resolution. It's the same thing with buying a digital camera: higher number of megapixels doesn't necessarily mean a better picture; the camera's image sensor is just as important, if not more.

OK, let's take a look at the VDR-D300 itself. (A slightly cheaper model, VDR-D250, also sports the 3CCD design and records to DVDs. It has slightly lower resolution and lacks a built-in flash and a few other features.)

Whenever you evaluate a camcorder, video image quality should account for 75-80% of the composite score, because you buy a camcorder to shoot videos! Here, the D300 shines, thanks to its 3CCD design. Video quality is especially excellent when there is a lot of light. It's difficult to describe in words, but let me just say that with this camcorder, you can shoot video that looks almost like the professional stuff you see on TV: clear pictures, pleasing colors, smooth motions. Even though the D300 shoots at the same resolution as other NTSC (standard defintion TV) camcorders, its video images are very noticeably clearer and look sharper. Many consumer camcorders exhibit bleeding reds, but the D300 is largely free from this defect. I would like to point out that when I say "professional-quality eye-pleasing" colors, I don't mean high-saturation colors. Most people like warm, high-saturation colors that "jump out" of the screen. The D300's colors are rather muted when set to auto white balance. If you want to get warm colors, you'll need to manually set the white balance to achieve this effect. I personally use WarmCards from VortexMedia.com.

Indoors, without professional-grade lighting rigs, the D300 turns in good performance. Definitely better than 1CCD camcorders (except probably Sony's HD camcorders), but you'll get most of the 3CCD prowess if you provide enough lighting. After all, photography and videography is 99% about lighting. Not just how much light, but the angle of light, the temperature of light (i.e., white balance), and the quality of light (i.e., diffused or concentrated). Having a 3CCD camcorder like the D300 helps improve your home video images tremendously, but if you want your video to look close to being professional, you need professional lighting techniques. For example, when shooting indoors, use a video light. You can buy a cheap one and just mount it on top of the D300 (it has a cold shoe) and turn on the video light manually. Also use the WarmCards I mentioned earlier to achieve the white balance you desire.

The D300 records videos in three quality settings: XP, SP and LP. XP here means the best quality. (On some video equipment XP means eXtended Play, which equals the least quality, but not here.) You can fit about 18 minutes of video on one side of the DVD media (DVD-RAM, DVD-RW or DVD-R). SP, or Standard Play, gives you 30 minutes, but the quality is noticeably inferior. I'd never use LP (Long Play), because video quality there is worse than VHS. The battery that comes in the package lasts well over an hour of shooting with LCD on (you can also use the viewfinder only to conserve power). You can buy an extended battery that doubles the battery life.

The D300 has some nifty features not found in other brands. One truly unique feature is something called AGS (auto ground-directional standby). This mysterious-sounding function automatically pauses recording when it detects the camera titled straight up or down. This is most useful when you (like I) often forget to stop the recording and end up shooting a lot of junk footage of the ground, shoes, etc. Another nice feature is optical image stabilization, which utilizes a set of small lenses to compensate for handshakes. In theory, optical image stabilization is better than the electronic type (found in Sony's products); in practice, the D300 seems to do a good job of minimizing, but not completely eliminating, handshakes.

The D300 can double as a 3.1MP digital camera, but this feature is nothing to write home about. Still image quality is just okay; I defintitely prefer to use my Nikon D70 or Fujifilm F10 for photography anytime, anywhere. Pictures are recorded on an SD or mini SD card (neither included). BTW, unlike with Sony's recent offerings, you cannot record video to the SD card or capture pictures on the DVD. It doesn't matter to me at all, since I would have wanted to keep video clips and still pictures separate anyway. (You can insert a still image captured on the SD card into your video during editing.)

Video editing can be done in camera, or on a computer. Both Windows and Macintosh are supported, but you definitely get more functions if you use a Windows PC. In fact, Mac users will be disappointed to know that the things they can't do with Panasonic's software, they can't do at all (i.e., no other software is compatible). In the end, it's worth keeping in mind that you buy a DVD camcorder really for its convenience; in my case, for example, I hate editing, so I'm just going to shoot, delete bad scenes, and finalize; no editing whatsoever. If you are an editing type, a miniDV camcorder will be better as all the major brands (Canon, Hitachi, JVC, Panasonic, Sony) offer comprehensive editing support for both Windows and Macintosh.

Conclusion: The Panasonic VDR-D300 (along with its lesser sibling, the D250) is the first DVD camcorder that offers the 3CCD design. Having three separate image sensors for the different primary colors improves image quality tremendously. Recording to a DVD provides the videographer lots of convenience, at the expense of having fewer editing options available than with miniDV tapes. If you want the convenience of shoot-and-watch and want broadcast-quality video, the D300 is absolutely worth its price tag.

I cannot fit everything I have to say here on Amazon, but you can check my blog for more comments and you can also e-mail me if you have any questions about this camcorder. Check my profile for contact info.

One final note: I've seen this model advertised for much less than Amazon's price on other websites. Those websites, all run out of Brooklyn, NY, are all masters at the bait-n-switch game. I know because I'm from Brooklyn and was neighbors with these irresponsible stores. Do not believe the high ratings these sites seem to have on shopping sites; if you search on the web you'll find a lot of unhappy customers who never received what they had ordered. Go with a reputable seller like Amazon or Best Buy or Circuit City. Good luck!

I reviewed many DVD camcorders over a 4-5 month period and feel this was the best choice. I almost purchased the Sony DVD405, but color was one of the first priorities on my list of wants with this new camcorder. Although the Sony has a better chip, the fact is that the Panasonic, with 3 chips, according to many reviews I had read had better color. The ease of use is nice also. Finalizing DVD's takes only a few minutes and not really a big deal, my only issue so far is the fade control which requires the operator to select it via the joystick control each time you want to use it. Selecting this control while recording requires a steady hand so that the camera does not shake. None the less, it puts my eleven year old, 8mm camcorder to shame. Love taking videos again.

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This is my first DVD camcorder and I absolutely love it! It's also my first 3-chip video camcorder. The image quality is just really good, like the other guys said. The machine is also apiece of cake to use. I e-mailed "gadgester" and he recommended TDK 8.cm dvd-r blanks from amazon, so I bought them and now I just pop one in and go! No formatting needed. Finalization in the camcorder is needed to make the dvd-r compatable with my Sony dvd player at home as well as my Thinkpad.

One gotcha to look out for is the slow start-up times, from power off to on. It takes anywhere between 5 and 10 seconds for the camcorder to be ready to record, after you insert yoru dvd-r. If you use dvd-rw, the manual says it might take up to 20 seconds! Other than that, I have no problems with the camcorder. It's high quality, and I just love the conveneince as well as image quality.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic VDR-D300 3.1MP 3CCD DVD Camcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Here

I have been using mine for about 2 months now. The picture quality is very good. I purchased a Sima light as an add on. It enhances the pictures even better. The still pictures are amazing too. I was trying to decide between Sony and this one. Finally decided on this one because of the picture quality.

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The picture quality is exceptional and it is very easy to use. So much nicer than punching the screen for menus like the Sony 405. Who wants to worry about finger prints and scratches all over the screen with those touch screens? It is also priced better than the Sony 405. We researched these cameras a lot before settling on the Panasonic, with picture quality being our #1 objective. We are more than pleased with our purchase!!