Philips DVDR3505/37 1080i Upscaling DVD Recorder with Built-In Tuner

• Built in digital SDTV tuner to receive HD boradcasts
• Dual Media play and record in DVD-R-RW and DVD+R+RW
• 1080i upscaling for HD picture performance
• i-Link for easy connection to camcorder for play and recording
• Plays MP3/WMA, CD-R-RW, Video CD's

The Phillips DVDR3505/37 has the best "digital tuner" picture quality out of the two other DVD recorders that I have tested with "digital tuners" (Panasonic and Samsung). The Phillips DVDR3505 produces an amazingly clear OTA digital picture on my old 27 inch Sanyo analog "box" TV using an indoor antenna. The Phillips 3505 and the 27inch TV are connected with regular "composite cables". The resulting OTA digital picture is amazingly detailed and clear with little or no annoying "dot crawl". Another important feature for me in selecting the Phillips DVDR3505 is that it allows you to choose "4.3 pan & Scan" to view OTA digital programs in full screen on a "box" TV (no black bars caused by "HD" OTA programs). In the 4.3 pan & scan mode the OTA digital picture is shown in full screen but is not distorted looking (no long and stretched faces) and the picture framing matches the full screen picture seen on my analog OTA TV in a side by side comparison. In addition the picture clarity/sharpness in the "4.3 pan & scan" full screen mode is superb! The same effect should be achieved when watching a purchased or rented "widescreen" DVD movie on your "Box" TV in the 4.3 pan & scan mode. The cons for the Phillips DVDR3505 are its slow channel change and slow recording set up. One additional problem I have experienced is that the unit looses its channel set up under certian conditions. At this point in my life, the quality of the picture that you see from your cable, Sat, or OTA programs is what is most important to me and my family when watching TV. The truth is that I have put up with poor reception using analog TV with "rabbit ears" antennas long enough, so the amazing picture quality of the Phillips is what sold me. The Phillips DVDR3502 wins hand down in that category and is the main reason that I sent the other more expensive feature rich DVD recorders back to the store. My family and I have been able to work around or forgive all of the "cons" reported about for the Phillips DVDR3505 and because we are basic users the Phillips meets our needs for recording OTA TV programs while providing a "Wow factor" in picture clarity when watching "real time" OTA digital TV through our analog "box" TV. Also, a "Wow factor" is achieved even when watching OTA digital program recorded on DVD using the Phillips DVDR3505. Image reproduction is excellent in two highest image recording modes. Before buying see if the features on the Phillips DVDR3505/37 matches your basic needs. If viewing pleasure has been lacking for OTA broadcasts then get ready to receive the "Best Picture" award from friends and family when using the Phillips DVDR3505.

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I purchased the Philips DVR3505/37 refurbished (the new ones being either too expensive or unavailable) from J&R store through Amazon so I feel obliged to write a review about it because there were a handful of questions I would have wanted answered before I made the decision to purchase it. I was thinking I would, more than likely, have to return it, and lose some money mailing the damn thing back. But as it turned out, I didn't have to return it after all.

Keep in mind that I paired the device with a 42 inch plasma TV and connected the audio out through the coaxial output to my home theater receiver as well. I'm giving you this information because I think it is relevant for people with a home theater system with a free coaxial input or a free optical audio input (you can get powered coaxial to optical audio converters on Amazon if your receiver doesn't have a free coaxial-in but has an optical-in instead. That is what I did and the home theater receiver even displays the DTS or Dolby Digital logos when DVD sound from the DVR3505 is played on the home theater receiver and DTS or DD is selected through the DVD menu. In this case, the sound becomes 5.1 surround sound when watching movies with DD or DTS tracks. TV can also play the sound when watching DVD or TV since it is connected to the TV via an HDMI cable and HDMI cable is able to send both HD picture and sound. Without having the receiver turned on, you get a decent stereo sound on your TV and some TVs have better sound than others. Mine has decent DD stereo and SRS Surround that can produce an OK virtual surround sound but connect the unit to your home theater receiver to get great sound during prime time TV shows which are broadcast most of the time with 5.1 surround sound, or to watch DVDs with 5.1 surround sound tracks.

Others questions in Q/A format.

Is Philips DVR3505/37 an HDTV tuner?

Yes. Using the HDMI connection, it outputs 1080i (720p and 1080i are two different HD resolutions that most HD programs are broadcast today) signal, so that makes it an external HDTV tuner. It will also up-convert 480i and 720p broadcast and send them out as 1080i signal if it is connected to your TV via an HDMI cable.

If it is an HDTV tuner, why does the product description say it is an SDTV tuner?

Unfortunately, most people who make these products don't actually use them themselves. At one point, it might have been more marketable to call it an SDTV tuner since more people had standard televisions and let's face it, most TV stations were broadcasting in SD/Analog formats. And yes, it is an SDTV tuner if you happened to own an SDTV today. Let's say it is an external TV tuner with both SD and HD output capabilities.

I have an HDTV with an unused HDMI input, will this until connect to my TV via an HDMI cable?

Yes, it has an HDMI out. That will connect to your TV's unused HDMI-in.

My TV is a standard analog TV, will this thing work?

Yes. It has AV-out (Yellow video cable and the red and white audio cable a.k.a RCA cable). It will be sending out analog signal directly to your TV. You need not use a government coupon type converter box.

Will I need to make separate connections for DVD and TV?

No. Connect with whatever suits your TV and that connection is used to both watching TV and playing DVDs. Just one connection out from the unit to your TV for everything the unit does.

Will it display analog stations?

Yes. There is a DTV/TV button on the remote control to switch between analog and digital stations.

I have a 16:9 HDTV, how will my picture look like?

Great. Go to the unit's setup menu and set your TV type to 16:9. With your TV's remote control, set your aspect ratio to normal (or natural) and HD programs should now appear wide screen, at least during prime time. ***Important*** Most users have complained that the unit didn't record on 16:9 mode, or rather, it recorded 16:9 programs on 4:3 mode. This is not true in my case. Once you have set your TV type to 16:9, wide screen programs will be recorded the way they were broadcast. Programs broadcast with black bars on the sides of the screen will also be recorded with black bars. You might stretch your screen in case of annoying local stations that are in love with side black bars that ultimately could cause plasma screen burn in if you own a plasma TV.

If it can record shows on wide screen, why does the user's manual say the unit can only record on 4:3 mode?

Again, the user's manual is wrong. Probably written by some underpaid college intern. If your TV is 16:9, and you have set your TV type to 16:9 on the DVR's setup menu, then wide screen programs will be recorded in wide screen and 4:3 will be recorded panned and scanned, unless the station broadcast them with black bars such as letter-boxing and postage-stamping. In this case, it will record the shows with the black bars included.

Will my clock reset itself and record wrong programs overnight?

Yes. But go to the clock setting, set the time, and turn off auto clock setting and turn off daylight saving options. It will stop doing that until you lose power next time.

How much material will it fit on a DVD when recording TV programs?

High Quality (HQ): 1 hour; and Standard Play (SP): 2 hours. I am not going to bother with other lower settings that are supposed to give me up to 6 hours of recording time on a single disc. You might play around with it. Use a Rewritable disc so that you can reuse it again and again.

Will this unit connect with an external device such as a VCR?

Yes. There is one A/V line-in in the back and there is another on the front panel. The front panel also have a DV-in slot for your video camera.

Does the unit have component-out?

Yes, it has the Y/Pb/Pr out and audio stereo out for it. Component and HDMI cables are not included in the box.

Does it play DivX?

Yes.

Does it play DivX through a USB slot on the Front panel?

No. This until does not have USB slot like my two other Philips DVD/DivX players do. You can play DivX files after transferring them to a DVD.

Will it play DivX files that are burned on a DVD Rewritable disc so that I can delete them and reuse the disc later?

Yes! Burn your DivX files onto a rewritable DVD. Burn with 4x speed. I have no problem. I use a free program called IMG Burn and it formatted the rewritable DVD right before it burned them the first time the DVD was inserted into the computer. You might want to try that program. That burning software is amazing.

Will it give me 5.1 surround when I watch shows like 24 or when I watch DVDs?

Yes, if you have home theater receiver with a digital coaxial in. The unit has a digital coaxial out. This option will send 5.1 channels from this unit to your home theater receiver with a use of a digital coaxial audio cable. If your home theater receiver just has an optical-in, use a digital coaxial to optical converter. It works great for me as I mentioned earlier. I vouch for it.

I have a plasma screen. Will this unit give me ghost outlines in place of black colors?

Yes. It is a common problem with plasma TVs. I had crazy ghost images in the beginning when watching channels through this unit, especially when actors were wearing black color clothes. Go to the unit's setup menu and go to HDMI setting and change your color output from RGB to Y/cb/cr. It truly took care of that problem for me and I am very happy with it. If you have plasma screen instead of an LCD screen, and if you can live with it, reduce your brightness and contrast to 50 or less in order to avoid burn-ins or ghosting. Programs with black bars on the sides or top and bottoms also could cause ghosting in your plasma screen. If your TV allows you to change picture size (this is not an issue when watching HD 16:9 broadcast) use it to increase it until black bars disappear. Don't pause movies for longer than 20 minutes if you have your DVD screen saver disabled. If your plasma TV has picture shift option, turn it on. It is meant to shift the picture when it becomes static, preventing phosphor burn-in.

Will this unit record shows on a DVD?

Yes, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW. It will not record on CDs.

Does this unit have a hard drive on it to record shows?

No. You can only record shows on recording media mentioned above.

What does the record timer look like?

It allows me to pre-program 8 shows, that's it. There's no option for recording the same show daily, weekly, or anything. There are these 8 blank lines that show up when I press "timer" on the remote control, and I just have to punch in the date, time, channel, sub-channel, record begin time, record end time, and recording mode. You have to do this five times if your program is aired 5 nights a week. There is no option for programming something and then choosing "daily" option. The user's manual says something about repeating the program by pressing the side arrow key, but I realize that the user's manual shows the menu different from what I saw on my unit's setup menu. So there must be a couple of different models floating around under the same model number. You might get the matching one with the user's manual. I also got a different (probably worse) remote control from what was shown on the user's manual.

Does changing channels really take a long time?

Yes. It could take up to 7 seconds to change from one DTV station to the other. On my unit, it takes about 4 seconds. You might want to press the channel numbers on the remote control to jump channels. There is no previous channel option on the remote control, at least not on mine.

Does it really take forever to read DVDs?

No, I thought not. It takes longer than a regular DVD player, but it isn't as long as some of the reviewers are complaining about on Amazon.

Do I have to finalize the disc in order to play it on a different DVD player?

No. I put the disc without finalizing into a different DVD player and it played just like it would play any other discs. Some DVD players are pickier than others so try it without finalizing and see what your DVD player has to say. I tried playing the recorded show un-finalized using two different DVD players. Both played without a frown. Yeah!

Can you tell me other things?

Yes. The fan is quite noisy. You can actually hear it during audio-less moments when you watch TV or watch movies. Sort of like a laptop fan. I don't know if you are bothered by that kind of things. It is definitely worth mentioning. DVD pictures from HDMI look great on my plasma screen. Empty out your disc before going to bed so that your show is sure to be recorded on the empty disc at night. Don't rely on the unit to overwrite your existing recording.

Would you recommend it?

Yes. It has some flaws but it is great for what I needed to do, record programs that are aired too late at night for me to watch them. I am only recording one or two programs a day so I am not a heavy user so I am perfectly happy with this until. If you are thinking about recording crazy amount of programs, you might want to consider the one with a hard drive.

Are you happy with this unit?

Yes. I needed an external tuner for my older HD ready tuner-less plasma TV. The fact that it does that plus record shows on DVD RWs and plays DVDs makes this product perfect for me. This unit also gives people with analog TVs a DVR in addition to allowing them to watch DTVs without having to use a converter box.

Explain your 3-star rating. You said you are happy with it, right, so why not a 5-star rating?

It has a few, but significant flaws: a very-very user-unfriendly remote control that is absolutely difficult to see even for someone with a 20/20 vision; very out of place play/skip/ff/stop/pause buttons on the version of the remote that came with my unit; and a noisier than normal cooling fan. I give the product a generous 3-star.

Thank you for reading. Leaving a comment on the review if you have a specific question. I will reply, promise.

Update: As you can see below, someone pointed out that I omitted the fact that it does not have a built-in QAM tuner. Product says it has Built-in ATSC tuner and never claimed it has QAM tuner. It doesn't make coffee and clip your nails either. Should I have mentioned those facts in my review too?

Having said that, the reason I had no reason to mention the QAM part was that I do not have a cable running at my home. However, on the unit's menu, when you first do your channel scan, you have choices of cable, digital cable, or air to scan from. I don't know if that qualifies it as QAM. Not all of you might have this option since there are a couple of different firmware versions floating around under the same model. Even if the unit tunes cable channels, and your service provider uses two or three digits subchannel numbers, the unit won't be able to handle anything more that one digit subchannel number. For example, if you service provider has channel numbers such as 18.233, it won't display. Whereas it will display 18.2, 18.3, and so on. This was mentioned by another reviewer. I have not the opportunity to test it myself.

Please refrain from writing rude comments. I am not getting paid a penny to write this review.

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The picture is wonderful. The features are terrific. The ease of use is astounding. FYI I'm a James Bond fan and own a few titles. One of the movie channels had a Bond-a-thon a few days ago, so I decided to put my Philips DVD recorder to the test. I recorded one of the titles that I already own from the movie channel broadcast to my DVR. The next day, I recorded the movie from my DVR to a DVD. I then had my family watch the first 10 minutes from each movie on one of our other DVD players and, based upon picture, sound quality, etc., tell me which one they thought was the store bought version and which one was the recorded version. My wife and all three kids picked my recording over the store bought version of the movie. Truly remarkable. The primary reason that I bought the recorder is to build upon our DVD collection without having to fork over the big $ to buy the movies from the store (the HDMI connection and upconverting were icing on the cake). At $180 for the recorder and about $1 per blank DVD disc, the thing is going to pay for itself with 10 recordings and then it's all gravy from there. Also, I travel a lot and have about 80 hours of programming on my DVR that I never seem to have enough time to watch. Now I'll be able to burn those programs to a DVD and watch them on my laptop when I'm on the road! How awesome is that?!?!?!

Five stars for the Philips DVD recorder no doubt. I had tried a few other DVD recorders before I found this one (including a tunerless Philips) for most, I had paid more and received less. For those of you with complex audio/video setups, beware of DVD recorders that don't have a built in tuner. I don't need the tuner for OTA broadcasts, I need it to make my A/V life hassle free. I'm sure glad that I found this baby...

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Accepts almost all media types, has lots of features, DIVX, HDMI with good upscaling picture quality, and the SD channels come in clear.

This recorder does have an integrated QAM tuner that allows free reception of unscrambled digital programming sent "in the clear" by your cable provider. The instruction manual does not state this fact and neither does most websites.

The only down side is that in my area Comcast provides cable service and ABC, CBS, and NBC are on channels 86-431, 85-433, and 86-432.

This recorder's tuner only accepts two digits of the sub channel number. Therefore if you have three digits like in my area you have no chance of watching or recording any of those stations.

The digital channels I am able to get do come in clearly and picture quality is an A+ on recordings. If you don't have this problem in your neighbourhood then this is a great recorder for the price.

I did end up returning this unit for the Panasonic DMREZ27K because of the problem with the two digit sub-channel.

The Philips DVDR3505/37 DVD Recorder records ONLY in a 4:3 aspect ratio [full screen]. It will NOT record in a 16:9 aspect ratio [wide screen]. Rather, it chops off part of the picture on each end. I had wrongly assumed that it would record whatever was received through the inputs without modifying the aspect ratio. This information was not made readily available or I would not have purchased the unit. I found the info buried in a note box on page 38 of the User Manual. Otherwise, it is a pretty good recorder and has good video quality. But, if you are going to watch the DVD recording on a wide screen TV don't buy this unit. The lack of 16:9 aspect ratio recording is a deal buster for me.

PYLE-HOME PTTC4U Multifunction Turntable with MP3 Recording, USB-to-PC and Cassette Playback

• Three Speed Belt-Driven Turntable Fit For 33, 45, and 78 RPM - One Key Cassette Player Deck - AC Power Supply
• Jewel Stylus with Ceramic Stereo Cartridge - Two Built-In Stereo Speakers - USB Cable and Free Audacity Software Included For Vinyl-to-MP3
• 45 RPM Adapter - Stereo RCA Output - Dimensions: 12.72'' x 11.97'' x 6.30''
• Automatic and Manual Stop Selection - Power On/Off With Rotary Volume Control
• USB Port For Converting Vinyl and Cassette to MP3 via Your PC - 3.5mm Aux-In Jack

This fit the bill. The record portion plays 78s,(large size) records at the exact speed, smooth...it doesn't vibrate,skip, this is belt driven, i think belts better for the simple fact it rotates freely and is much more quiet.

Needle arms magnetic pickup works awesome,powerful and sensitive, the cassette player's fine and so are the speakers.

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This is a very cheaply made item...you get what you pay for. The cassette player hummed, which ends up on your digital file and the turntable turned at 30rpm when set on 33rpm, resulting in a "slow" digital recording. Spend the money on a better unit.

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I love this and have used it every day to work on converting my large collection of vinyls to MP3s. Today I decided to begin doing the conversion on my smaller cassette collection.

If you want a machine that's easy to use, this is the one. I highly recommend it.

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If you have a collection of 33s or other size older records, and audiocassetes, get this product that works fine and is relatively inexpensive. The adapter allows one to plug the unit into your external and even TV speakers for dynamic sound. If the software is not compatible, you might have to download another version to store mp3 songs on your computer.

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(50) AG2 397 396 LR726 SR726 SR726SW G2 BATTERY

Ones I have used so far work fine.

Don't know if I ever will use 'em all but for the price I'm already ahead of the curve.

They seem to be quality batteries.

This was my first order from this vendor. I ordered it because of the cheap and reasonable pricing. It did not take long to arrive. I will definitely order watch batteries from this vendor again in the future.

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Philips PD703/37 7-Inch LCD Portable DVD Player with Wireless Game Controller, Black

• Enjoy the gaming feature with the portable PD703 DVD player. Let your kids have fun with wireless game controller.
• Comes with wireless game pad and 10 pre-loaded games. Movies and games travel with you
• Play your movies, music and photos on the go
• Game-ready for extra fun with 7" TFT color LCD display for high quality viewing.
• Extra touches for your convenience upto 2.5 hours of playback with a rechargeable battery.
• Wireless game pad for hassle-free fun. Games CD provided for instant fun

I have a Memorex 10" portable DVD player (Memorex 10.2-Inch Portable DVD Player), so I thought it would be interesting to compare the two in some aspects of this review.

The first test run for this unit was a 2-hour car trip, and I thought it would be a good way to check out the portability (size and weight), as well as battery length and the car power cord. On a full charge, I would say that the battery lasted about the stated 2-hour duration. My kids watched The Polar Express, which is approximately 100 minutes long, and we did not have to plug it in during the movie.

When it came time to plug the player in, a message on-screen informed us that the battery will not charge while the player is on, which is unfortunate. It would be nice for the battery to be charged, even if it is a little, while the player is being used, but at least the notification was there to let us know what was happening.

From a portability standpoint, this 7" player is more portable than our 10" unit. Its smaller dimensions made it easier to take a long, and its lighter weight made it less cumbersome to carry, but I had issues with the quality of the screen (which I'll elaborate on shortly).

With any portable device, durability is a factor. No matter how gently you treat your devices, gravity happens and they end up falling to the floor or ground once in a while. This happened while it was on a table and plugged in. Someone walked into the power cord and the player went flying while it was playing a disc, falling onto a wood floor. Fortunately, the player was not damaged in any visible way, and it still plays discs just fine.

Audio quality is fine on this unit. There are stereo speakers, but they are so close together, that little separation is going to be evident during playback. A simple dial volume control provides plenty of volume range to overcome room noise and road noise, without being tinny or distorted.

The aspect of this player that I was most disappointed in was the quality of the screen. As soon as you power it up, you get an indication of the low quality of the screen from the first message that appears. The menu text is pixelated, which left me hoping that it was just because of the text used for the menus.

Unfortunately, I noticed the low quality of the screen while playing back DVD's as well. DVD menu text is fuzzy and poorly defined. I've uploaded photos of the DVD menu for The Polar Express to demonstrate what I'm referring to. Those photos are unresized, unretouched photographs taken with a Canon SX110IS 9MP camera at a distance of approximately 9" from the screen with no zoom applied. There is a distinct lack of detail in the displayed image that is noticeable when compared with the 10" Memorex unit. There is also more overscan on the Philips display than on the Memorex. If I had to estimate, I would say perhaps about 10 pixels.

Comparing this player's 7" screen to a player with a 10" screen may seem unfair at first glance, but given that the resolution of the source is the same, a 7" screen should look better than a 10" screen with the same resolution. The pixels on the smaller screen should be closer together, making the pixels per inch value greater. In contrast, the pixels on the Philips display are very distinct, giving the image the effect of looking through a screen door. You can see this in the sample photos as well.

Given the large quality difference, I would assume that the Philips model does not have a screen capable of the full 720x480 pixel resolution of the DVD format. If I had to guess, I would say that half that resolution might be about right.

Does the screen quality matter during actual viewing? After all, it's one thing to see it during a brief visit to the DVD's menu system, but the issue is only significant if it's noticeable during movie playback. Fortunately, it's not all that noticeable for casual viewing, especially if you are doing so while it is on your lap or strapped to the back of the seat in front of you.

I asked my kids to try out the games disc and the battery-operated controller, and they played with it for a little while, but the games are quite basic, and I don't think they would hold their interest very long compared to those available on an iPod Touch.

On a packaging note, I echo the comments of other reviewers about the sticky adhesive used on the disc lid. It's nearly impossible to remove, and causes the clamshell lid of the display to stick to the lid of the drive bay. That should be an easy fix, but it's surprising that no one at Philips noticed this before the product hit full-scale manufacturing.

Overall, how does this player stack up? Against, the 10" Memorex, not very well in the picture quality department, but it is lighter and smaller. For casual portable use, it's decent enough. The kids preferred the 10" screen over the 7" because it was bigger, and therefore easier to see. This player would be a slam dunk if it were $50, but at $100, I suggest evaluating other alternatives before making a purchase.

Buy Philips PD703/37 7-Inch LCD Portable DVD Player with Wireless Game Controller, Black Now

I must admit that acquiring a portable DVD had never crossed my mind but I was offered the Philips PD703 for review and decided it was worth a shot. Impressions follow.

The Philips PD703 has a 7" LCD screen and comes with a wireless game controller that assumes the end user is familiar with its operation (i.e., it has no instructions), a DVD containing a number of games (the instructions for which, unlike the excellent instruction booklet for the unit itself, are provided both in hard copy and on disk in a truly execrable attempt at English), and--I was truly appalled to discover--the means of attaching the unit proper to the back seat of an automobile--what on earth happened to kids looking out the window, listening to the radio, and/or talking to each other and their parents?! ("I see something...green," anyone?) It's no wonder we're in trouble if a ride in the car without some sort of video pacification is impossible, But I digress.

DVD playback, with regard to both video and audio, is surprisingly good. I played both an "Academy standard" and an anamorphic widescreen disk to test the setup: if left on the standard setting, the widescreen disk's image plays in the correct format but doesn't fill the screen and is somewhat vertically compressed as well, hence manual setup is necessary for each title unless your disks are all of similar AR. Setting up and operating the Philips PD703 is very easy.

The games are cute but ultimately dumb. The stickers on the unit REALLY stick; I still haven't decided how to go about trying to remove the residue mine left (some of it on the border near the screen). The battery is rated to last 2.5 hours which I feel is rather short--perhaps they based it on the perceived attention spans of the backseat passengers who comprise part of the target customer base.

Bottom line: for what this is, it seems okay. I used to be a huge fan of Philips--a Dutch company who have never been properly credited for their innovations over the years--I only wish their manufacturing base was still in the Netherlands. I'm not really sure, in these days of inexpensive laptops, why someone would really need this but for those who do, this one seems just fine.

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As a relatively new parent with family in some far-flung destinations, it was nice to acquire a portable DVD player for those upcoming car trips. The Philips PD703/37 7 inch LCD portable player is extremely lightweight and travels well. I thought the sound and picture quality were very good, considering that it is not a large screen. I had no problem playing a variety of DVDs or navigating through the menus and buttons no the unit itself. The instructions for the device are very well-written.

However, the "extras" the video games are a bit ludicrous, and so is the set of game descriptions for each of the ten games included which read as if they were translated from a foreign language into English by someone who doesn't speak English. While they somewhat defined the intent of each game, the player must figure out how to play it and the battery life for the controller was next to nil. The battery life for the DVD player averaged between 2 to 2 1/2 hours perfect for shorter jaunts, but maybe not so for the longer hauls since the battery won't charge while the unit is playing. All in all, the Philips PD703/37 is a great compact portable DVD player for those "just in case" or "last resort" moments.

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Very good quality playback and the added versatility of being able to strap it to the back of a car seat makes this device a very good buy. If all you need (or want) is a small DVD player this is highly recommended.

The games that are loaded on it are pretty lame and you have to figure out how to use the game controller, so don't buy it for that part.

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Over all I love this item. I bought it to replace an old portable dvd player we had for our car. I had to rush to purchase it when taking a 12 hour road trip to Disney World. But I had already did extensive research on a new dvd just in case our old one died. The battery lasts around 2 and half hours. The games are simple and took my daughter (3 1/2 years old) a few weeks to learn the games and use the control (you only use half the buttons on the controler when playing the games) with me coaching her.

Only two draw backs:

1. The thin vehicle power adapter cable. (may break after a while) but that is common for portable dvd players to have thin cables.

2. Which is a big draw back for me is the fact you can't charge up the battery unless you turn off the dvd player. Would be better if its just charges the battery like a laptop computer so when you do turn off the power the player continues to run. (like when you are pumping gas, etc) This would also help for those vehicles with only 1 power outlet which they can switch electronic items out without fear of losing a movie or a game if not fully charged.

Ematic 4GB eBook Reader with Kobo, 7" Full Color Display, MicroSD Card Slot, USB 2.0, Pink

I Have this same Ereader.I got mine from (Fingerhut.com)So,I'll be paying mine off slowly.It plays videos,saves MP3 and Holds EBooks in a few different Formats.EPub and PDF. It takes a microsd card...Only up too 16 GB.It takes different formats for videos also.On mine I got Ten Short Videos.With the regular 4GB memory built in.I also have the option of playing a MP3 file while I read.It loads Pictures,Videos,Mp3,and EBooks.Thats it,no other extras.Its in Color also.Battery Strength is'nt so good.Would have been nice for a search option,especially when you have more than Hundred Books.Any flaws to fix would be longer battery power.And a search option to locate your EBook.I also wanted to add the Volume,watching videos and playing Mp3.The volume is'nt so Good.Good enough if you were in a Quiet Room.Or maybe I need better Headphones.

Would'nt be so good if you have alot of Background Noise.Battery Life sucks.Would have been nice for a Search Box.Especially when you have over a 100 EBooks.I Checked it again,I Charged it till it had a Full.It remained with the Full Charge.When I use it the Battery begins to go down fast.

I read whenever and wherever I have a spare minute. I used this ereader for my pdf books and reading in bed at night without light. I use Kindle keyboard for all other books. After only three short weeks the fitting inside the USB slot came loose from casing. Now I can't charge ereader or download my puchased books that were stored on the ereader. Sent email to seller (ANTOnline) but no reply. I would love to have a better version with a warranty that would insure more than a month of service.

Buy Ematic 4GB eBook Reader with Kobo, 7" Full Color Display, MicroSD Card Slot, USB 2.0, Pink Now

Flip MinoHD Video Camera - Black, 4 GB, 1 Hour (1st Generation)

The camera

The camera has a 1.5 inch screen that is vibrant but small. The camera is thin and can easily be slid into the front pocket of your jeans. It is extremely light. The buttons on the back are touch sensitive and are not typical buttons that you "press". There is a nice quality built in microphone. Operation is dead simple. Turn it on and push the large red button to start record and then press it again to stop.

The video quality:

The video quality from this camera is phenomenal considering its price tag. No its not a Canon HV30 but its not supposed to be.There is very little motion blur and the colors are nicely saturated. Due to the higher quality video shakiness is more pronounced in the videos but its not terrible. The more still you can hold this camera the better. The sound is crisp and clear. I can easily say the quality of this camera trumps all other flash based camcorders in this price bracket.

The Software

Mac users rejoice! The Mino HD's video files ( MPEG4) are natively supported by Mac OS X, Quicktime, & iMovie 8 or iMovie HD. The software (Flipshare) even allows stitching the footage together, adding music and transitions and exporting the finished result directly to Youtube or just onto your desktop. I am very impressed Pure Digital rewrote the software package so that the features for Mac Users were the same as PC users. When you first plug in the camera iPhoto will open and offer to import the video's. You can override this in iPhoto's preferences. From then on the Flipshare will open automatically.

Final Conclusion:

The Flip Mino HD billed as the worlds smallest HD camcorder (as of 11/14) is worth its weight in gold. Especially if you have a Mac! If I had to choose one con for this camera I would say that I wish they would've added an external microphone jack to it-but thats really reaching. It's a wonderful camera for the money and they say the best camera for the job is the one thats with you when you really need it.

Flip camcorders are easy to use like the name suggests. So your friend starts pulling a stunt, or your baby starts taking the first step, you may have missed getting it on video earlier...but with the Flip you don't. You flip out this sleek camcorder from your pocket (or purse)and take that video and then flip out the USB arm, plug it into your computer and start "flipping" your video directly into youtube. You can set your privacy options on the videos you upload to include only your circle. It's super easy with the Flip and so nice to share special moments with your far away family and friends.

Here's what I like about this camcorder:

-Takes HD video (720p) in 16:9 ratio, picture is very sharp especially when viewed on a computer screen or LCD TV.

-To upload your video you just flip out the USB 2.0 arm and plug it into your computer like a mini external drive. You can then directly upload your video to youtube, myspace or any other video-sharing website without having to transfer it to your computer. Or just upload it to your computer.

-Super sleek and easy to carry in a pocket or small purse. Weighs only 3.3 ounces and is 50% slimmer than the earlier Ultra series Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder, 60-Minutes (Black). And Mino also has 4GB capacity compared to 2GB of Ultra although both take 60 minutes of video

-Controls are super-easy, really child's play. A simple press of the big red button records video. The +/signs operate the digital zoom and the left/right arrows scroll through videos. Touching the trash can button deletes a video. That's it!

-Good performance in low light although one wishes for some sort of extra light source sometimes, this camcorder performs above average in low light

-Sound is good especially given the size. The sound syncs well with the picture too. The videos I shoot with my digital camera sometimes go out of sync but not with the flip.

-Easily charged through your computer, has a Li-ion battery as opposed to the Flip Ultra that used 2 AA batteries

-Creates MP4 video with good compression so the files are not huge, easy to load files into youtube or your computer. The upload feature seems to be faster than the previous Flip Ultra. Video uploads can be slow but Flip seems to make good time with its H.264 video and AAC sound compression which is stored as a MP4 file.

-Software drivers are on the camcorder drive so you're good to go with any PC or Mac. This camera works perfectly with Mac and iTunes for viewing your videos as well as Windows Media Player or any other popular player.

-Included Flipware can be used to edit/share/organize video files. I don't use it though, I just drag and drop the files to my computer, so easy

-It also comes with video cable to watch your video on a TV

-The camera is smooth and sleek and self-contained which makes it fairly rugged compared to the super sensitive traditional camcorders. The lens is also protected and has been able to weather some minor drops.

--Comes with a basic soft carrying pouch although you may prefer to buy a separate case.

Here's what I don't like:

-Zoom is limited at 2X digital zoom. It's great for making videos of people right in front of you but if you're trying to record a performance from a distance prepare to be disappointed.

-Given basic controls it's also difficult to zoom in as smoothly as my Sony MiniDV camcorder to capture people's facial expressions without noticeable camera shake and repositioning. I find Flip is best for mostly fixed focus videos.

-Due to higher definition video, camera shake can also be more pronounced. A tripod or putting the camcorder on a flat surface will help minimize shake.

-Li-ion battery replacement is only available through the Flip Support as of now, the earlier Ultra series used the widely available AA batteries

-The 1.5" screen makes it difficult to see what you're recording at times. Since there is no tilt like traditional camcorders it is also not possible to hold the camcorder over your head and shoot something. Although FLIP says the screen is trans-reflective, it can be hard to see in bright sunlight.

Overall, I like this camcorder for its super sharp videos and ease of use. A high end camcorder may be nice for very special occasions but it's not possible to carry my bigger camcorder at all times. You can also use your digital camera to make videos but the resolution is not good and files are large and unwieldy and cannot be widely shared. I find it worth carrying the Flip with a digital camera in my purse and can do so because of its slimness.

I have found myself capturing more moments on video since I started using the Flip camcorders. These moments would have never got on video if I did not have the Flip camcorder which I could pull out and turn on in a few seconds!

Buy Flip MinoHD Video Camera - Black, 4 GB, 1 Hour (1st Generation) Now

Amazon should really consider only allowing those who actually purchase the product to review it.

Contrary to D. Knapp's inaccurate claim of false advertising(do your research), this unit is indeed capable of High Definition video at 1280x720 and it looks quite stunning, more so than I expected. I was satisfied with the original Flip Mino's video and audio quality. This is icing on the cake.

The software seems to be improved over the original and regular Flip devices. I found it to be much snappier too.

My only gripe is low level lighting situations. It would be nice to see an add on infrared light system or a light accessory attachment. I'm sure battery issues might play a role in the decision to leave that option out though.

If you're like me and only drag your real camcorder out on the holidays, or you always seem to miss those Kodak moments with the kids, the Flip Mino HD is for you!

Read Best Reviews of Flip MinoHD Video Camera - Black, 4 GB, 1 Hour (1st Generation) Here

The folks at Pure Digital have created a tiny little HD camcorder. If you watch the video you will get a full appreciation for just how small it is.

A few details-

Unlike previous versions the Flip Mino HD records as a MP4 file (instead of AVI). This is not a big deal, but it does prevent you from going straight from recording to Apple TV you will need a program like Roxio Crunch to convert the file.

Maybe not the greatest camera if your only goal is to pot videos on YouTube. The extra resolution will not show up, but it will take the video significantly longer to upload.

Capture speed is a bit too slow this causes the picture to blur during motion. It can also give your videos a "Blair Witch Project" feel if you film while walking.

Final Verdict if you are want a camera that is highly portable with great quality look no further. If you would prefer a video camera that you are only going to use for posting videos on the internet ou ay want to go back a model.

5 Stars

Want Flip MinoHD Video Camera - Black, 4 GB, 1 Hour (1st Generation) Discount?

There are no more excuses for missing the moment. This camera isn't designed for producing major motion pictures, but it does a terrific job of being available, while being ridiculously easy to use. It will be tossed into the purse for recording moments at gatherings.

I would say that the "HD" designation is mildly exagerrated, but the picture quality is better than what I get from the Sony miniDV Handicam (which does a nice job), but with far less aggravation when it comes to importing and viewing. And I have never thrown the miniDV into my purse to capture a moment at a gathering. This Flip MinoHD, I doubt if I'll ever leave home without it.

Auto-focus is first-rate. It automatically adjusts for lighting conditions and does a good job in dim light. The sound quality is not exceptional, but it isn't exceptional on any home video camera I've ever used, either. Still, it picked up my granddaughter's voice from across the yard without distortion. I haven't tried to edit the video yet, but the included software is straightforward when it comes to storing and viewing videos. The camera also comes with a cord to connect to your TV.

It is what it is and at a very reasonable price. This thing...this is truly a score. Oooo oooo, I have to get a DryPak so I can use it in the pool...!

UPDATE:

A potential customer asked a question in the discussion area. I answered, but include it here as well in case others are curious, too. The question -how does the video compare between TV or HDTV, and a computer monitor.

I tried four different screens -a 42" plasma flatscreen, a 42" lcd flatscreen, a regular old-style TV and an lcd computer monitor.

The old-style TV, I wasn't surprised, was "grainy," to use an old-fashioned term. The plasma was disappointing. The particular model I own didn't allow me to shrink the video to its natural size, so the picture was blown up edge to edge and that caused the picture to degrade. (DVDs on that TV are great, by the way.) Your plasma might operate differently and therefore, offer better results.

The lcd TV allowed viewing the videos at natural (large) size, best quality of all, although even full size it looked great. And the computer monitor was great, too.

If your potential gift recipient is a casual videographer as most of us are, they won't be disappointed. Fancy themselves as the next Baz Luhrmann and the Flip will promptly find itself on the return pile.

2011 UPDATE: This camera is still useful and enjoyed at our house, so I'm stunned to learn that Cisco bought and then dropped the product line. I know most people have phones that shoot video, but not very good video. Anyway, didn't know where to place a vent. This space seemed as good as any. -Regards

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Nokia N85 Unlocked Phone with 5 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S.

This is an updated review; I originally wrote it before this phone was commercially available in the USA. After having tried one out in a store in Singapore, I had decided to keep my N95 8GB and wait for the N97 instead. First, I was unimpressed with the keypad design, as the flat surface gives you very little guidance to help you hit the right keys. Plus, both the N85 nor the N96 are merely incremental upgrades, neither one offering the type of groundbreaking advances that the N95 did two years ago.

Well, being a compulsive gadget geek, I succumbed in a weak moment. As the price started dropping (and it has been dropping fast, and continues to do so!) I latched on. The couple of factors that did it for me was the bright, crisp screen (and it is gorgeous!) and its smaller, more pocket-friendly size compared to the N95. Also, I liked the new features that it offered: Tri-band UMTS ("worldwide" 3G), FM transmitter, a UI upgrade with "transition effects".

I was soon taken in with the N85. Not only does it have a much sleeker and modern-looking design than the N95 (especially the N95-3 now looks klunky by comparison), but there are dozens and dozens of little details that have been tweaked in the user interface, making for an overall more pleasant experience.

One thing that came up for me, as apparently for many others, is the issue of build quality. After having used the N85 for less than two weeks, a lot of dust had gathered underneath the display it turns out it is not sealed properly onto the base. I returned it to Amazon for a replacement initially I actually ordered a N96 because of this issue. It turns out that there were other problems with the N96 (particularly related to its slow performance and low available run-time memory), so I returned that too in favor of my second N85. This time I was luckier, and I can now say that I have never been as happy with any other phone.

My original review follows, including some reasons I had planned to forgo it; I have marked updates as appropriate.

Both the N85 and N96 incorporate nearly every feature of the N95: GPS w/optional voice navigation, 5 MP camera with LED flash (though these newer models use two LEDs for brighter indoor pictures) and built-in geotagging, support for up to 32GB of µSDHC removable memory (currently 16GB are largest available), standard 3.5mm headphone/headset connector which doubles as a TV-out port, comprehensive bluetooth suppport, and last but not least Symbian S60 (by far the most popular smartphone operating system in the world, far ahead of Windows Mobile, Blackberry OS, iPhone, etc with a corresponding wealth of available applications). See my review of the N95 8GB for some more details. Also, both the N95, N85 and N96 are issued in a "standard" version for international markets, and a "NAM" version for enhanced support of North American 3G networks.

The N85 and N96 differ from each other as follows:

UPDATE: I have added the older N95 8GB into the mix for comparison's sake.

* The N85 has a 2.6" OLED screen, whereas the N95 8GB and N96 has a 2.8" standard LCD screen. OLED offers brigher colors, especially in sunlight, and lower power consumption (longer battery life). That's because the pixels themselves illuminate, rather than relying on a backlight to do this.

* Both the N85 and N96 are running S60 release 3 "Feature Pack 2", which means that they support "transition effects" for an overall smoother UI and interactive experience. In particular, the N85 seems overall more "modern" than the older N95. (ADDED 3/19/09)

* In addition to quad-band GSM/2G (850/1900 MHz for North America, 900/1800 MHz for the world outside), the N85 also has a tri-band UMTS radio. The North American version supports the 850/1900 MHz UMTS bands (for e.g. AT&T), plus 2100 MHz for roaming internationally, while the N85 8GB NAM and N96 NAM only supports 850/1900 MHz. (Conversely, the international versions of the N85 and N95/N96 support 900/1900/2100 MHz and simply 900/2100 MHz, respectively). In short, it means that if you take your N85 with you abroad, you should still be able to get faster 3G coverage in most places where available, something which is not true for either the N95 or the N96. (Plus, among the North American models, the N85 is the only one that also will work in Japan, since there is no 2G/GSM network available there, only 3G/UMTS over 2100 MHz).

* The N85 has a built-in FM transmitter, for streaming voice calls and music e.g. to your car stereo. This is particularly useful if your car is not equipped with bluetooth (incl. A2DP) technology.

* The N96 has a built-in TV tuner, supporting DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds). However this feature is not enabled in the North American version, because such broacasts are not available here. AT&T, like other North American carriers, have instead chosen to use MediaFLO for digital video broadcasts.

* The N96 has 16GB of built-in mass storage, in addition to a µSDHC slot. Thus, in theory, it is able to store up to 48GB of data with the addition of a 32GB µSDHC card. The N95 8GB is limited to the same 8GB of memory for its lifetime, while the N85 has a µSDHC slot (I currently use a 16GB card in it).

* The N85's processor contains a 369 MHz ARM11 core, while the N96 has a dual 264 MHz ARM9. It is difficult to say which one performs better, but both use Symbian S60 version 3 feature pack 2, which offers significant improvements in interactive feel over the N95 (which contained a 333 MHz ARM11 core). That said, none of these have the graphics coprocessor that the N95 did, so applications (mainly games) that are optimized for this, will run much faster on the older N95. The N95 also wins hands down in JBenchmark trials.

UPDATE 3/18/09: Now having owned/tried all three, I can say that overall, the N85 is the snappiest one of the bunch. The N96, in contrast, is quite underperforming; it even has problems streaming audio to my Pioneer car stereo over Bluetooth A2DP without hickups every 11-12 seconds. As for interactive use, both the N85 and N96 feel a little bit quicker than the older N95.

* Some people have complained about cheap, plasticky build quality on the N85 (see e.g. HowardForums); in particular, the keypad is seemingly somewhat flimsy and simply glued onto the phone. People who have tried both generally seem to prefer the N96 on this account.

UPDATE 2/8/09: With a few day's use of the N85 under my belt, I'd say it is no worse than the N95. The keys are flat and with less tactile feedback, so it may be a little bit more difficult to text with one hand; however it's no worse than, say, the Motorola RAZR or some Samsung phones.

UPDATE 2/19/09: As described above, mine had a problem with the display peeling off the base, and dust gathering underneth.

UPDATE 3/19/09: My replacement N85 has been stellar.

* The N85 is smaller (mainly due to the smaller screen) and will fit easier into your pocket. UPDATE: Both the N85 and N96 are slimmer than the N95.

* Both the N85 and N96 use the micro-USB standard (a slightly wider and flatter connector than mini-USB as seen on the N95) for data, and both can be charged through this port as well. In addition, the N96 has a separate Nokia charging connector. Now, here is the single reason I will not be replacing my N95 with a N85: This connector is at the top of the phone! To me, this is stupid (and the only reason I subtracted a star from my rating), because it precludes the ability for third party manufacturers of docks and cradles to create one that you simply dock your N85 into for syncing/charging. This is especially important in your car, if you plan on using the GPS navigation feature of this phone (keep in mind that when the GPS reciever is turned on, the batteries are drained pretty fast). With my N95 8GB, i simply got a Brodit/ProClip device holder, along with a corresponding vehicle mount from PanaVise, and voila I have a very nice little GPS device/music player/etc readily available; the N85 is definitely a bit more cumbersome in this regard. UPDATE: Obviously I caved in and got the N85 anyway. now has a cradle for the N85 but as I said, it does require that you manually plug the charging connector into the phone.

* As always, beware of rather dismal repair/warranty service from Nokia USA (c/o PALCO). You buy it, you own it. You should be able to do most repairs yourself, though, with parts from e.g. cnn.cn once available for this device. UPDATE: Various customer accounts both here and on[..] indicate that PALCO have gotten significantly better lately.

All this said, the bottom line is that there is simply no match for these phones when it comes to their sheer capabilities and the amount of features found on them. Sure there are phones out there with more emphasis on ease of use and eye candy (e.g. iPhone), and sure there are ones with their own unique features/gimmicks (e.g. the Google Applications in the new T-Mobile G1) but Nokia S60 smartphones are widely regarded as pure workhorses with the best overall feature sets.

The N85 pushes the limits a little further, and is perhaps the phone with the most capabilities on the market today. But if you are concerned about a solid build, you might want to consider the N95 8GB or N96 instead. Or, wait for the newly announced N86 8MP, where apparently a lot more attention has been paid to build quality.

First and foremost, Nokia phones have the BEST reception of all phones on the market. In addition, the call quality is exceptional. This is one key reason I bought this phone. Tried the iPhone....amazing gadget but mediocre reception (do a google search on the topic) and lousy camera. Tried the Samsung Eternity...also a really nice gadget but so-so reception and call quality.

I have a house in Boston and Vermont. The house in VT is in the mountains and the n85 is the first cell phone that my wife and I have ever used that worked at the house....3 bars. Moto razor, 2 Blackberrys, Sony Ericcson 810i, the iPhone and Samsung Eternity...none had reception...the n85 is a standout in that department. Also love that the n85 is a slider and a fantastic 5MP camera w/flash. The browser is pretty quick, screen flips from vertical to horizontal smoothly and there is a 3.5mm jack for std headphones. Previously had tried the Nokia n78....loved the phone but found it a tad long (like the form factor on the n85 better) and really did not like the n78 keyboard (needed to type using my nails). I like the form of the n85 much more than the n78/n82n95/n96. Do feel that if you do alot of texting, the n85 might not be for you, you may be happier with a full keyboard. One problem I have is that the phone is so striking looking that when I use it (especially as a camera) people want to check it out.....a striking nice piece of equipment.

Overall, if you care most about phone reception and quality of calls...buy a Nokia....the n78 was amazing...I had one a few years ago (3000 series), also amazing....does not have to be something as expersive as an n series phone. Nokia makes the best phones in the world....may not make the best gadgets (the iPhone definitely has the wow factor)....but their ability to make a phone is amazing

Pros:

Amazing reception, don't have to worry about losing/dropping calls like with other brands (particularly an issue if reception is not strong)

Solid product, feels high quality and great form factor

Great camera! Love that it has a slider lens cover that activates camera when opened

FM radio, FM transmitter (use it more than I thought I would)

Wifi and bluetooth (very easy to make connections)

Unlocked 3G (use ATT)

GPS (tried the n78 GPS, assume the n85 is the same)

3.5mm headphone jack, great quality loudspeaker (for receiving calls)

Fast browser

Love the 2 direction slider (keyboard, mp3 controls)

Brilliant display

Cons:

Keyboard not ideal if texting frequently

Price may not be what some are willing to pay

Buy Nokia N85 Unlocked Phone with 5 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Now

Got the Nokia N85 sight unseen from amazon as an X-Mas present to myself. I have had it for 2 weeks and the battery life is great. Reception and call quality are excellent. AM-OLED screen is terrific. The phone came with 8gb microSDHC pre-installed which was a nice surprise because this was not apparent from the Amazon descriptions. Pictures are good for a cell phone digicam. I used the GPS once and it locked down the Sats plenty fast from a cold start but I haven't tried turn by turn directions yet. MP3 player outputs nice and loud by selecting headsets option when plugging in my AUX jack for my car stereo.

So far am very happy with the phones swiss army knife options lists and performance except that (and I am not sure how the other amazon reviewers missed this)the N85's plastic housing is very cheap and flimsy. The battery compartment lid is loose and rattles like a cheap dollar store toy made in dime store factory. The plastic finish also scratches very easily. I am very afraid of dropping this phone and so immediately ran out to get a good snug case and belt clip for it. My last phone was an all metal Motorola SLVR L7 which was built like a Sherman Tank though options wise and call quality cannot compare to the N85 but in contrast the N85 falls way short of the outstanding build, materials and finish of my old SLVR L7.

Lessons learned is that this is the last time I will buy an expensive unsubsidized phone without seeing it in real life first. Had I done that I would of passed on the N85. My advise to Nokia is to go back to tight fitting aluminum or any other high quality metal casing builds and keep plastics for the $200 and under phone lines or I will not be a repeat customer for their $400 and over smart phones ever again.

Btw, Amazon was great with their overnight shipping and I had the N85 in my hands the day I had to fly out of country just before the holidays. Amazon did not dissappoint me but Nokia kinda did.

Read Best Reviews of Nokia N85 Unlocked Phone with 5 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Here

I've owned several Nokia phones over the years: 2190, 6190, 8890, 6310i, 6230, 6133. These were all "dumb" phones, although I think they were all quite capable for their times, especially the last one. This time around, I decided to go with a Nokia smartphone and picked the N85 because of its amazing array of features, compact dimensions, and a very reasonable price after rebate.

Being a novice S60 user, I won't write a lot about it. It is obviously a very mature and powerful software platform that's also easy to use. Sure, there are a few quirks, and a couple of things seem like they are done a little better in Series 40, but, generally, this thing is a joy to use from the software perspective. Like the other current Nseries devices, this one is a true multimedia powerhouse. Unfortunately, I am disappointed in the hardware.

The biggest disappointment is the OLED display. I don't understand why everyone raves about it. The problem is that it is incapable of producing any shade of grey, which is immediately obvious when the default Nseries theme with abstract grey figures in the background is selected. The grays look brown. Even with the brightness set to the maximum level, the grays still have a hint of brown in them, and with the brightness control set in the middle, everything has a brownish tint. I also don't really like the material that the phone is made of. It looks better on pictures than in your hand. I prefer matte plastics that don't show dirt and fingerprints so much.

The next problem is the center button and the Navi wheel. They are loose and imprecise. The center button makes a rather loud clicking sound. The Navi wheel is too narrow, and the center button is too close to it, so I constantly hit the down scroll button and the center button simultaneously, which produces an even louder clicking sound. Luckily, hitting both the buttons still yields the desired result, but these controls can prove tricky even for small fingers. The touch-sensitive Navi wheel is a gimmick that works sometimes; it's easier to just use the scroll buttons. The other buttons on the front of the phone are a little harder to press than I would like and also make loud clicks. I see that Nokia may have addressed this issue in the N86, which appears to have separate buttons, whereas the soft left menu, soft right menu, main menu, and clear buttons on the N85 are all a single piece of plastic. The dial pad is good though.

The camera in this phone also fails to impress me. Don't expect it to replace your regular point-and-shooter. It is nice to have a 5-megapixel camera on you all the time, just in case, but you'll still want to bring your main camera on trips and to events. Same issue with the built-in stereo speakers: I've never seen or heard a Nokia with decent speakers. Sony Ericsson phones sound a lot better.

The phone is a little heavy and nearly impossible to use with the slide closed, because the buttons are so close to the bottom edge, but it is alright with the slide open. The spring-loaded slide mechanism works quite well, but opening the multimedia side is not as easy as opening the dial pad side; I feel like I'm going to drop the phone whenever I try to get to the multimedia keys. The battery cover is a little loose, but it's not really a problem. The good news is that it's easy to remove and put back, if you have to replace batteries and/or SIM cards often.

So, what can I say in conclusion? In my mind, the versatility of the S60 3rd Edition FP2 and the vast world of available applications definitely make up for the problems with the N85's hardware. I'm sure I'll get used to it. Had it been more expensive, I would've seriously considered returning it and looking at other options, but I think it's worth the $300 that I paid for it (after rebate), and I'm happy with it in the end.

UPDATE AFTER HAVING HAD THE PHONE FOR 2 MONTHS:

I'd like to add that my opinion has not changed after I've had the phone for 2 months. As I expected, I got used to the phone and its shortcomings, which are easy to overlook. I was a bit skeptical when I first heard Nokia label their Nseries devices "multimedia computers", but I have to say they were right to do so: this phone really deserves the title. The software is just a little buggy, but Nokia has already released a major firmware update for the European N85 variant, so they will provide one for the North American model very soon. If you're still undecided, I highly recommend this phone. It's the best value right now.

Want Nokia N85 Unlocked Phone with 5 MP Camera, 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS, MP3/Video Player, and MicroSD Slot--U.S. Discount?

So I currently have an N75. I had a 6230 before that. I went from a candybar 6230 to a flip N75 and then to this slider N85.

I did a TON of research on which phone to get. I've read practically every N85 review available thru google and then some. 3G was a must along with a good camera.

I looked at the N79, N78, N82, N95 and the N95 8GB.

I ruled out the N79 and N82 because they didn't have 3G (I have at&t).

The N78 was good because it brings me back to the candybar style (I'm not sure about the durability of sliders) but the camera didn't have a cover and it was only 3.2MP. Plus, most reviews said the software was buggy and for practically the same price you can get this N85 and get more features. The clear button being on the bottom was a deal breaker, also.

So I went to a Nokia store and was stunned by the N95 8GB screen. The thing just looked massive. I considered a regular black or red N95 but its screen was recessed and I didn't like that (hard to keep clean). And the thing just looked THICK. Plus, it didn't have a dual LED flash and no lens cover or FM transmitter.

I narrowed it down to either the N95 8GB or this phone.

I finally decided the OLED was better than LCD (for battery life and viewability). And the navigation key was larger and has the added bonus of having a navi wheel. The n85 also had a lens cover and dual LED. Plus Euro 3G compatibility on top of the US3G. Plus Symbian OS 3rd w/ feature pack 2.

So I was sold and I've been trying to play with the phone the past week...

Build Quality..

Somebody said it was made in China so it must suck. Well, my N75 was made in Finland and that thing was horrible. It fell apart after a few months (hinge problem). So for this phone I read both ways.. some said it was solid, some said it was flimsy. I've held all phones in my hand and this one feels pretty solid. The slide doesn't wobble when opened or closed. The plastic does not feel cheap at all. It doesn't attract thumb prints or grease like the N75 did. Or maybe you can't see it as much since it's all black.

MP3 player..

It came per loaded with an 8GB card with some music and accompanying album art:

Blind Sorrow Pritchard, Banks, Coons, Dilk

Bring the House Down Ben Wheeler

Hot Nights Ian Clarke, Simon Painter

Love Forever Vanessa Condev

See Me Alive The Winyls

Waste Robert J. Walsh, Rober Grad

Whenever You Say Love Me Day Eleven

Won't Let Go Negative

You Got the Message Leigh Gracie

Navi wheel works great while browsing your songs (feels just like an ipod scroll:)

Software..

Everytime you get on a menu and you stop for a second.. you would have to tap the buttons twice. Once to wake it up then another to actually select it. Kinda annoying but I got used to it.

Games Included w/ Free trial:

Block Breaker I've played it before and didn't like it. Deleted.

Space Impact Kappa Basekinda like Galaga shooter w/ excellent graphics

Tetris no change from a typical tetris game

Snakes Subsonic horrible. Confusing and graphics suck.

Asphalt 3 Street Rules nice graphics but short run for trial

Fifa08 once you picked a view (landscape or portrait) you can't change it. I picked landscape thinking it was the sideways option but it ended up being a portrait.. so i can't use the side buttons.

World series of Poker nice game

Brain Challenge pick the answer by moving the selector up,dwn,lft, right

Bounce long install (5+mins) and long load times fire it up.

Sims2 Pets -

Creatures of the Deep -

Midnight Pool -

Reset Generation

I haven't played the last four games so I have no comment on those. The Ngage app is pretty useful for a few minutes or so to waste time but certainly not a psp or ds replacement. The side buttons are just too small. It will make your hand cramp.

Now here's why i love this phone:

Joikuspot Light -

This app turns your 3G phone connection into a wifi hotspot. I use an ipod touch w/ version 2 software to connect to the internet. If I use the open option it keeps dropping the connection while you're on idle. The WEP Shared did the same thing as well. The WEP Open works great and keeps the connection until you disconnect. The only limitation I found was that it didn't connect to any secured sites. IE the bank of america app on the ipod touch wouldn't connect. 3-4 hours of use with a fully charged battery.

Internet radio -

Inculdes FM radio broadcasts from your area. Some AM radio, too. Not as good as pandora (no album art or music background literature) but good enough. Plenty of ad free music and it can be broadcast thru your car radio with the FM transmitter! Full charge battery lasted about 3 hours with just using this app non-stop.

Google Maps -

I read somewhere that 3rd party apps couldn't access the GPS but that's not true. Google maps acquired your position within SECONDS. Or sometime a couple of minutes. It does drain the battery, though.

Nokia Maps -

Turn-by-turn voice navigation is free for three months. I tried it out and works fine. Had to restart that phone because it couldn't get a GPS signal for 30mins. There's no tone to let you know when to actually turn it just comes on and says.. 'NOW TURN RIGHT 200 YDS THEN LEFT IN 2.1 MILES' I think it's a great backup GPS but not a replacement. I say that because I can't keep it on the dash and I don't have car charger. It drained from a full charge to halfway within 45mins.

Download!

An app/link that shows you all the available software that can be downloaded over the phone. Most are free trials and most are useful. I have the Accuweather Bug (Forecaweather is nice but you have to pay for it!). Fring is an all in one IM (yahoo, gtalk, aim, etc) and it's free. It also lets you make VOIP calls thru wifi but I haven't tried it.

Overall, the feature pack 2 is definitely an improvement over the N75. It's hard to explain but some little things that irked me about the N75 have been substantially fixed or changed this time around.

The front panel green button (call) and red button (disconnect) are actually separate buttons which is good. I couldn't see that from the pictures.

FM transmitter -

I thought I could broadcast my phone call through the radio but that doesn't work. What works is having the Internet Radio/ Podcast/ MP3 player on + the AGPS voice guided Nokia maps. You have commercial free radio/Music that fades out when the voice nav comes on, and fades back in when it's done giving directions. Awesome.

Battery Life -

2.5hrs with Internet radio

3.5hrs with just Joikuspot Light

Internet on/off, light texting, a few calls 6-8hrs

OLED -

Reminds of that time I took the cover off the 6230 and saw the LCD screen 'naked' and thought 'Wow, this is really clear.' Direct sunlight does make the screen unviewable. But indoors/ inside a car, it's an excellent screen.

Keypad -

Obviously smaller than the N75 but practically the same size as the 6230 so I have no complaints. It does get some getting used to txting/typing on a flat keypad but I got used to it after a couple of days.

What I didn't like about the phone:

-USB charging port ONLY. Although it did come w/ a USB wall charger, there will no more going to a friend's house and borrowing their Nokia charger.

-Front keys are little hard to press. Compared to the N82 navigation button it's definitely more difficult to press. The N82 felt like butter this one not so much.

-The naviwheel is not perfect. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

-FM transmitter was a little weak. Anything farther than an arms length and it fazed out.

-Music store is not avail yet for the US.

Vuescape Digital Camcorder 5MP 2.4" TFT Color LCD 4x Digital Zoom 16MB Buid-in Memory Silver.

This camera was very inexpensive and was purchased to keep in my automobile to document an accident or emergency. A couple of weeks after I bought the camera, I got whacked in my new, four week old vehicle. I immediately took a video of the other driver's completely frosted over windows. We'd had a freeze, he was in a hurry, and hadn't scraped his windows. By the time the police arrived, he'd run his heater until the windows cleared. I forwarded the video to my insurance company. The camera worked fine for this purpose. I wouldn't use it for much else.

I bought this camcorder because it was inexpensive, and I was going oversees on a Cross Cultural trip with my college. The videos weren't absolutely fantastic, but it did the job! This camcorder also took pictures, and it did take very good pictures. I definitely got my money's worth in this little camcorder, and I didn't have to worry about somebody stealing it because it didn't break the bank!

Buy Vuescape Digital Camcorder 5MP 2.4" TFT Color LCD 4x Digital Zoom 16MB Buid-in Memory Silver. Now

There really isn't much good to say about this camera. The video quality is poor and it eats batteries. I sent mine back after the first day. If you use the zoom at all the video becomes absolutely unwatchable. It is just a blocky mess and it still doesn't look very good zoomed out.

Read Best Reviews of Vuescape Digital Camcorder 5MP 2.4" TFT Color LCD 4x Digital Zoom 16MB Buid-in Memory Silver. Here

Sony HDRCX580V High Definition Handycam 20.4 MP Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom and 32 GB Embedded

I just purchased this video camera on Monday evening, Feb. 6, 2012 from Beach Camera and received it today. I have only been able to work/play with the camera for a few hours, but these are my experiences so far.

1. This was my first experience ordering from Beach Camera, through Amazon. Was a little concerned at first when product didn't ship for a couple of days, but when they did ship, it must have been shipped two day priority, because it arrived halfway across the country by Saturday. Package arrived in perfect shape and sealed in factory condition. So far, impressed by Beach Camera and their service.

2. Camera is physically much smaller than I expected. It feels about the same size of a can of soda laying on it's side. Very nice! My last video camera was a Panasonic mini dv. That camera was a decent size, but this Sony is even more compact and fits very nice in my hand. The controls, zoom, photo button and record button all line up nicely and are easy to use. The camera feels solidly built, just as most sony products.

3. One item that I was concerned about was whether there was an available SD or memory card slot to add memory. The Sony website doesn't really make it clear whether there is that feature, or if it's just the internal memory. Well I can positively confirm that there IS a SD memory card slot on the bottom side of the camera. A little door flaps open and you insert the card. It probably accepts a memory stick too, but I only tried a SDHC extreme memory card 16gb card. Worked perfectly!

4. Now, for the feature that was the biggest hit with my family.... the built in projector! This is truly amazing technology. I projected a few of the short movie clips I just took, onto a large empty wall, and we were all totally amazed at the quality and sound. I backed up about 15 feet from the wall and projected an approximate image of 8 feet across. I am impressed at the image it can project at such a distance. Our wall is painted a medium brown color and it still looked good. Of course it would look even better if the wall was white or was actually projected onto a movie screen. Sound is pretty much what you'd expect from a pair of small speakers, sort of tinny, but it was pretty loud and definitely good enough to sit around and listen to our home movies. Good job Sony!

5. As for the quality of the video, this is what I've experienced so far. I played around briefly with the top two quality settings, 60i and 60p. I hooked the camera directly to my HD tv via the HDMI cable that came with the camera. The 60p looked slightly better, but both videos looked great. The video I took was at night, with only interior lighting on and it still looked great. I can't wait to see what daytime video looks like. It was super easy to view the video on the tv. As soon as I plugged the camera into the tv, the tv recognized the device and displayed exactly what was on the LCD screen. The only annoying thing was the sound coming out of the video camera and the tv at the same time, gave it an echo sound. I'm sure there is a way to turn down the sound on the video camera when plugged into the tv, just haven't figured it out yet.

6. Another feature I love is the crispness of the LCD screen. The high resolution of the screen makes the image so clear and easy to view. Love it! The only minor complaint I would have of the screen is the touchscreen feature. So far it seems like I have to press on the screen twice in the same spot to activate what ever button I was trying to push. Maybe it's just me being to careful and not wanting to press to hard on the screen or the screen isn't as responsive as it needs to be. Either way, I'm sure after a little more use, I'll get use to it and it won't be a big deal.

7. As for software, there is no cd/dvd's that come with the camera. There is a "lite" version of Home Memories software that comes preloaded on the internal memory of the camera. When you first plug the camera into your computer, you upload the software and install it. The software then offers to download additional features from it's servers. I downloaded and installed the additional features and it worked perfect. I have a computer with windows 7 that is about 4 years old. The software looks pretty basic, but it does do a nice job of importing and organizing your old photos and then imports your new video and pictures from the camera. I haven't worked with it enough to know how easy or hard it is to edit video or burn discs. I was able to import the new video clips I recorded tonight and was able to play all of the clips, including the highest quality video on my computer no problem. I played the video in both windows media player and in the Home Memories software and both looked really good!

Overall my initial impressions are very good. The still picture quality appears to be average to good for a video camera. Definitely not as good as a stand alone digital camera, but truthfully I haven't taken very many pictures, so maybe it will be better than I think. I plan on buying an extra high capacity battery, since I have never had good luck with batteries lasting very long, plus it's always good to have a backup.

One feature I haven't been able to figure out yet is what happens when you're recording video and either your internal memory or memory card gets full, does it switch over to the other memory seamlessly? Or does the recording stop and you have to switch to the other memory. When i determine the answer to that question, I'll post an update.

In summary, this appears to be a high quality camera that seems appropriately priced for the features it has. I definitely recommend it. My kids can't wait to make home movies with their friends and have a movie/popcorn night and watch their creations projected larger than life up on the wall!

I have had this camera about 2 months and have not found a single thing wrong with it.

I am a semi-pro photographer filming and photographing weddings, parties. style shows and many other things.

I just finished a weeding where this Sony HDR-CX580V worked outstanding.

Yes it will not automatically switch to the SD card when the memory fills, but never in my life have I recorded and event of over 4 hours. It only takes 4 or 5 seconds to switch, which is plenty flexible for me.

This last wedding I did 2 weeks ago was outside and I feared the wind would be a problem. I use wireless mikes for most of the wedding, but several scenes without the wireless showed no wind problems. I don't use the ridiculous 5.1 sound. I also don't use the ridiculous GPS feature.

The picture quality is as good as advertised. They are near 30mb with very true color. I typically use a Nikon D200 DSLR and find, to the naked eye, there is little difference.

Both versions of the "PlayMemories Home" software loaded with no problems. I used this software to review and transfer all files to hard drive and that works easy enough. I use dedicated software for editing pictures and videos so I don't use the included software for these task.

I highly recommend this camera.

Buy Sony HDRCX580V High Definition Handycam 20.4 MP Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom and 32 GB Embedded Now

I had this for 2 Months and I have to say the picture quality is Great as long as there is bright lighting. In dim (Indoor) conditions the quality gets very grainy, almost unusable. Sony should have went with a bigger sensor for the price this year. Last year they included alot of features such as a mode dial and night shot. They took all that away this year. I ended up selling my CX580v and getting a better Camcorder..

Just becareful before purchasing:

On Sony's website they say it has the mode dial which it does not. Also the 20.4 MP stills are not good at all. My 8MP cell phone camera takes better pictures. If you want a great Sony Camcorder from this years line up then I would suggest going with either the HDR-PJ710v or the HDR-CX760v. They have all the features as last years CX560v & CX700v did plus a few extras.

Read Best Reviews of Sony HDRCX580V High Definition Handycam 20.4 MP Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom and 32 GB Embedded Here

Overall, I am very happy with my latest purchase of the Sony Handycam HDR-PJ580V. I've had it for just under one month, have made two completed FCPX projects and am working on the third. After looking at several camera brands and models, it came down to three cameras: the Sony Handycam HDR-CX580V, the HDR-PJ580V, and finally the HDR-PJ710V. I discovered that the HDR-CX580V and the HDR-PJ580V are identical except for the projector. The HDR-PJ710V, which also has the projector and costs much more, comes with a few different upgraded features which didn't convince me to spend the extra money. Here are a couple extra features that I found on the HDR-PJ710V that the HDR-PJ580V doesn't have:

1) CMOS Sensor 1/2.88"

Res: 6.65 megapixels

2) Min Focal Length: 3.8mm

Max Focal Length: 38mm

3) JPEG 6544 x 3680,

JPEG 4672 x 2628,

JPEG 4912 x 3680

But, that simply didn't make a big difference to me.

I like the fact that the Sony Handycam HDR-PJ580V works perfectly well with Final Cut Pro X, iMovie and iPhoto. The HD quality, color and the stabilization feature are excellent. The owner's manual is not as detailed as I would have liked, but Sony on-line real time support has been excellent for what I didn't understand or for what wasn't included in the manual. For example, there is no on-screen button that tells you when to change from the internal memory to your flash memory card. The manual does not explain this. However, there is a very small "pin-like" icon (the GPS Triangulating Meter) in the upper left hand corner of the screen, which allows you to view the time remaining. Just gently press the icon and you will see the remaining time for a few seconds.

Another feature, the projector, which works very well, is somewhat limited to the raw footage you shoot, or perhaps what you can edit on the camera itself in terms of what you can project. I was hoping that after I edited my FCPX projects, I would be able to import the footage back into the camera for showing on the projector. Not the case...this camera does not allow for that.

One more thing that may be my doing: I noticed that while I'm filming video and totally unaware of it, I apparently am also producing a number of still photos, which are then uploaded to iPhoto when I connect my camera to the computer. I don't know why this is happening yet.

Overall, I found that this was a best buy for my criteria which was 1) able to use with FCPX, 2) not too expensive (under $1,000.00), and reliable with good customer support. Also, I have had good luck purchasing from amazon.com in the past. This was no exception. They had the best price for what I wanted and are a trusted commercial web entity .

Want Sony HDRCX580V High Definition Handycam 20.4 MP Camcorder with 12x Optical Zoom and 32 GB Embedded Discount?

This was irresistible. It's very small and lightweight. It worked right out of the box, without even having to charge the battery. It's so easy to use I was recording video as soon as I picked it up.

And what video it shoots! When they say HD, they mean HD. What amazing clarity. I shot a test run of a fifteen-minute video around the house, in low light, and had it projecting on the wall without needing to look at the directions at all. When I projected it on the wall, it was out of focus, so for the first time I had to look at the instruction booklet and found out there is a little slider that adjusts the focus of the projector. At a distance of about eight feet away from the wall, the projection was about five feet by four feet. So I must say this is practically idiot proof.

The viewing screen is very bright and clear. There are a lot of settings, if you want to really adjust everything. As soon as I opened the screen up, this had me set the date and time, with my choice of how I wanted the date displayed, and asked if I wanted it to remember to set daylight savings time. Then I was off to the races, recording a video.

I love macro photography and this will automatically adjust itself to macro mode and take sharp very close video, and in fact I put a bottle with tiny print up against the lens and it was crystal clear and could be read easily. I could clearly see my fingerprint ridges on the tips of my fingers in the video I shot.

I like how there really isn't anything you need to set on this, since it does all the work, in auto mode. If a face is in the scene it puts a thin red box around it on the viewing screen and keeps it in focus. Of course, there are a lot of options for anything you can think of. It comes with a fully feature loaded small remote also. There is also GPS.

This has a much wider angle lens than my eight year old Sony camcorder. I can get an entire landscape or room full of people in the shot.

This really seems to be almost too good to be true. It will even edit your movies for you, allowing you to indicate which scenes you definitely want to keep in the video. It will add music. All of this in this small, lightweight, easy to hold little sleek package.

It has a nice sized internal memory of 32 gigs, rated for up to 11 hours of recording time, depending on the mode, but you can also use an SD card for more storage if you want to.

I took my first video in ambient room lighting at night, with a few ceiling lights on, and there wasn't any graininess. It was crystal clear and razor sharp.

The lens has an automatic lens cover that closes when the camera is turned off, which you do by closing the screen.

There is a little built in USB cable so you can plug this into your computer. The cable tucks out of the way in a little compartment when not in use. I know there are a ton of features that I haven't listed, but I wanted to get this review online due to having unbridled excitement.

Fun features:

* Automatic smile recognition--snaps a photo automatically while shooting video whenever a smile is detected

* Tap the screen while shooting and it will maintain the focus on the subject

* Shoot a photo while you are shooting video

* GPS--shows where you were on a map, even finds the satelites indoors

* Auto-editing--can automatically edit your videos IN CAM, and add music

* Built in projector--playback your videos instantly by using the built in

projector, project onto any flat surface

* Fantastic image stabilization.

I wanted to say a word or two about this last feature. I shot video holding this camcorder while walking around on rough terraine and there was absolutely no shake to the video. Image stabilization is the best available.

The still photos this shoots will be fine for most people. I wouldn't recommend enlarging them beyond 4.5 X 6 however.

The tones were excellent. I didn't notice any flaring or moire. White balance seems to be excellent also. AF works perfectly and instantly.

A couple of scenes that were backlit were on the dark side, but other backlit scenes were perfect. Colors are brilliant.

This lightweight, solidly built small camcorder is a joy to use. I highly recommend it.

Consumer Reports rates this camcorder as the top pick along with the other Sony camcorders in this lineup. This is truely the best camcorder you can buy for the price.

edit: See my still photos of flowers above. These were taken while I was shooting video. This was the first time I used the camcorder.

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