Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I already own a Sony BDPS-360 downstairs as our main Blu-Ray player, but wanted a streaming player for upstairs (an Xbox360 takes care of that downstairs). Since I won't have a 3D TV for quite some time, and have wired ethernet running to the appropriate room, the 470/570 offer me nothing over this player, so I bought the 370.

Blu-Rays are very quick to load. Checked out Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl, and the biggest delay in getting to the movie was skipping the previews up front. Menu was up in just a few seconds, and the movie launched very quickly after that. Maybe 30 seconds from putting the disc in until I was watching the movie.

The remote does have an Open/Close button on it. That was not a big deal for me with the 360, but others complained about it so I thought I'd mention it.

Streaming takes a bit of setup, with the biggest item of note being that you need to register your Blu-Ray on internet.sony.tv before activating the streaming features. I had fits trying to create an account directly on that site, but creating a SonyStyle account first and then activating here worked much better. This works similar to Netflix activation in that you get a 4 symbol code from the player, enter it into your account, and now the Blu-Ray is activated. I then needed to go through the typical Netflix activation, getting another code from the player and entering it into my Netflix account. Amazon VOD linked directly to the Sony account and was then available on the player. Instructions for each of these are included in the screens on the Blu-Ray player, where it will provide the codes and the website address, and you then go the computer and finish linking from there.

Netflix works only off your Instant Queue, so you need to add movies to that queue on the website (or from the Xbox360 or other device with a full browser). Amazon VOD seems to have a fairly complete browser included. Netflix HD quality was reasonable, but most importantly about what I get on the computer or Xbox360; the player does not interfere in any way. This player was my first experience with Amazon VOD, and I must say the Sample HD clip (Superman Returns) was a lot higher than I expected, and actually better than most OnDemand offerings I get from my cable company (TWC NC).

So for Blu-Ray playback and Internet streaming, the box does a really good job. I wish the Netflix interface was more robust like the videogame consoles have, but actual playback and access to the Instant Queue works fine.

(Updates for this paragraph below) The big disappointment, and the one that keeps it from getting 5 stars, is that the SonyStyle page for the player lists DLNA as a feature. This is the standard for letting media devices connect to your computer and stream video / pictures / music over the network. Services like PlayOn also support this. DLNA, however, is not actually active on the player. From checking other sites, no one knows yet if this will be available in a future firmware update, or if the site is incorrect. If DLNA support is critical to your decision making, you may want to hold off until there is some answer on the DLNA picture.

Aside from that, I'm really happy with it as Blu-Ray player and Netflix/Amazon VOD streamer.

I have not yet tried a standard DVD, or any of the music streaming services. I'll update this review if anything changes as I use the player more.

UPDATE MARCH 1, 2010: Sony has updated the product page and changed the footnote for DLNA support. It is now due in a July 2010 firmware update. That's good news, and once the firmware ships I'll try to remember to report back on how well it works. If it works well the review will probably bump to 5 stars, as this is a pretty full-featured, fast, stable Blu-Ray player for under $200, especially if like me wireless and 3D are just not important to you.

One other bit of info for those who buy the player: if you have a Vizio TV, the remote code to use appears to be "04". It's not in the manual, but I tried this after a web search revealed others using the code for other Sony remotes, and this works for turning the TV on and off and changing the volume. The INPUT button does not work for me, though. The manual also seems to be missing the instructions for changing the TV code, but thanks to the manual for the S360 I have downstairs, the instructions are to hold the TV power button on the remote, enter the code, then release the TV power button on the remote.

UPDATE JUNE 9, 2010: The long-awaited DLNA firmware is now available for download. This is working great with my Windows Media Center (from Windows 7), with all my pictures, videos, and music available. One gotcha here is that the Sony has separate menus for all 3 categories, and you must play content from the correct category, even though all files show up under all options. So, for example, if you select your Windows Media Center server from the Video section, it will also have a folder for Pictures and Music, but every folder under those will show "no playable files". All the videos will play fine. It will be similar if you go to Music, except that only the music folder will have playable files.

However, at this time PlayOn is incompatible. The PlayOn server shows up, and you can browse and select videos, but all videos return a "This file is corrupt or unsupported". I've submitted a help request to PlayOn, and from the PlayOn forums it looks like others are as well, so we'll see if PlayOn can make a change, or if this needs to be reported to Sony. My Xbox360 streams the PlayOn stuff fine, so it's not a global issue with my setup.

On a different note, I've also since tried several standard DVDs and done some music streaming, and those features work fine. Others might be picky somewhere about DVD upscaling, but I've never really noticed an issue with this or any player, so I wouldn't worry about it. You do need to be aware that there are settings in the video setup to control the aspect ratio, so if you want a 16x9 picture (not letterboxed), you need to change the aspect ratio settings off "original". Aside from that, DVDs have played perfectly for me. And streaming music seems to work okay with the little I've done.

UPDATE August 9, 2010: PlayON has released updated software that fixes the streaming issues with this and potentially other players. Now that the DLNA support is working for all the stuff I want to stream, I've upped my review to 5 stars, as I have no complaints at all with it.

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Product Description:
Enjoy Blu-ray Disc movies in Full HD 1080p and improve the quality of DVDs to near HD with the Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray Disc Player. Play your favorite movies faster than ever or connect to the internet and instantly access a wide variety of movies, TV shows, music and more. Plus turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a remote control by downloading a free app.

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Toshiba SD-V296 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There are so many things wrong with this unit that it's unusable and I have to buy another, different brand. It's the worst VCR I've had in 35 years.

Connectivity is limited, as noted by the previous reviewer. In my case, the hookup is RCA only so I can't connect it to an older TV with an RF coax.

Timer recording is so convoluted (actually, EVERYTHING is so convoluted) and you can't watch TV through the VCR while it's recording - it locks you into the DVD mode. In other words, if you set the timer, you can't watch TV or spot-record in the VCR mode. You have to shut off the unit to watch TV.

The sound level drops *depreciably* from the sound level of the TV, not only when playing VHS/ DVD tapes, but even when you just turn it on.

There's no auto-tracking and the tracking buttons do nothing to adjust the picture. The sound drops even lower playing VHS and you can't get rid of those rolling tracking lines. I haven't checked to see if this also happens on tapes recorded by this unit or if it just happens on tapes I've recorded on another unit.

The open/close button on the remote doesn't do what it's supposed to do. It either stops the action or else it cycles back and forth between open/close. I have to get up from the couch and manually press open/close from the unit itself.

Moving through/selecting the menus is primitive and so counter-intuitive. It takes forever. And the manual is totally useless.

The remote is convoluted and not user-friendly. It's also cheaply made - there are several spots where the plastic is splitting and I've only had it one month.

Rewind is excruciatingly slow.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some other really annoying problems. This unit is almost as primitive as VCRs/DVD players when they first came out. I bought Toshiba to get away from the SONYs I've been buying that die within a year, but it looks like I'll have to check out other brands now.

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Product Description:
DVD/VHS Combo DVD Player

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TEAC GF-350 Turntable / CD-Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Here's a new electronic wonder that could have been truly great, but isn't.

On the plus side, it's great looking and very easy to use. Put in an Audio CDR or Audio CDRW (it won't take blank computer discs), adjust the recording volume, push a button and voila... you have a CDR of your old favorite record album or cassette. It can automatically insert track breaks as well, but it is probably better to use the manual track break insertion method (as recommended by the instruction manual), as many original musical sources have quiet spots that can "trick" the Teac into adding one where you don't want it.

Now for the negative... as previous reviewers have stated, the playback sound is disappointment, and by this I am referring to what you get when you put your newly created CDR into your stereo system. The bass response is not adequate. This is the result of Teac chosing to use a ceramic cartridge for the tonearm. This otherwise great machine would have been better served with a magnetic cartridge. Yes, it would have cost more, but would have been worth it.

A few lesser negative points include the fact that Teac chose to include an AM/FM radio rather than a cassette player. My guess is most people would buy this machine to transcribe their old collection of LPs and cassettes that have not been received official release in compact disc format. So why the radio instead of a cassette player? You can record cassettes using the input jacks and provided cables, but you also have to "tie" the Teac to your stereo system in order to do so. Also, what's the story with having input jacks, but no output jacks? You have to listen to the records on the okay, but small speakers provided in the unit, but you cannot listen directly through your stereo system.

In summary, this is a fine machine for those who are not audiophiles. Again, it is easy to use and after a couple of "practice" recordings, you can burn CDRs as fast as it takes the records to play. But if you're expecting CD-quality results, you'll have to use the input jacks to connect to your old magnetic cartridge turntable. This could have been best electronic invention since the advent of the CD, but it falls a little short.

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Product Description:
Finally, there's a way to burn vinyl to CD that doesn't require a computer or an engineering degree. With Teac's GF-350 turntable and CD recorder combo system, you simply load a blank CD-R or CD-RW, put on your LP, press "record," lower the tone arm, and press "play." You can record the entire album or simply pull select favorites from your entire collection to make your own unique compilations. Monitor your recording through the systems amplifier (3.5 watts per channel x 2) and twin 3-inch speakers, or avail yourself of the convenient front-panel .125-inch headphone jack.
The system is finished in black with a handsome woodgrain texture. Level meters and other CD feedback is visible from the system's backlit LCD. Please note that the GF-350 records only with CDs designated as "music" or "digital audio" (also CD-DA); computer-grade data CD-Rs are incompatible.
The GF-350 also offers features like automatic or manual track increment options (with 2 different level thresholds to choose from), manual record-level control, and an auxiliary set of RCA stereo analog audio inputs for recording from external sources like cassette, reel-to-reel tape, or even another CD player or MP3 player. Playback features include shuffle play, repeat play (1/all), and 32-track programming.
Tune in your favorite swing or big-band station on the rotary analog AM/FM tuner. The turntable supports 33-1/3, 45, or 78 rpm records, so you can play your entire collection--it even comes with a handy center-hole adapter for your 7-inch/45 rpm singles. A remote lets you operate everything from the comfort of your easy chair (but remember, you still have to get up to flip the records!).
What's in the Box
GF-350 system, 7-inch record adapter, a remote control, remote batteries, a user's manual, and warranty information.

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Aiptek DV4500 4MP MPEG4 Pocket Digital Camcorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I gave it 5 stars not because it's a great camera, but because it's great & handy for the price.

My new pocket Digital video camera (DVD quality) I just got for Father's day (a week early) I take everywhere. The camera has headphone jacks & a built in speaker. It doubles as an mp3 player & is a great little still camera too. It can also play the role as an external disk drive to hold or transfer any type of files.

The camera is about the size of a pack of U.S. cigarettes which easily fits in any pocket. It encodes video into MPEG4 compression format, the same format used in HDTV broadcasts. So with a 512MB card (not included) if I don't have any stills or music loaded in it, I get 90 minutes of DVD quality recording time on it. The catch is it's only 10fps at DVD resolution. But still looks very good. It has several lower resolutions too, including VHS resolution at 30fps for smoother motion. But at that resolution it still looks better than standard VHS tape. No tape noise, grain, jitter, saturation, sync or color dot problems. It has no moving parts except for the buttons & the swing out screen. Everything is recorded digitally onto a memory chip.

Of course most computers are much higher resolution than most TVs. So the slightest flaws or artifacts will be more noticable on the computer than on most TVs. Burn them onto VCD, SVCD, or DVD to play them on your TV. If your graphics card has s-video output or better, just plug that into your TV.

On the lowest video resolution, also 30fps, it looks like those small low bandwidth online streaming videos you can watch on the net, not good at all but usable. If you're planning on sending video on limited bandwidth or file sizes the lowest resolution will be handy.

On that low a setting it'll record for hours or until the batteries die, making it great as a hidden spycam or nanny cam. It also is a net cam too.

It takes only 2 AA batteries so you won't have to keep running to the charger with expensive short-lived battery packs. I'm using Sony 2600mha newer rechargables I already owned. They lasted till the memory was full with a readout of 80% of battery life still left. So I have no experience on how long ordinary cheap AA batteries would last. The specs say 60 minutes with ordinary AA alkalines. I threw in a pair of 2000mah rechargables I got cheap in a 20 pack from Amazon. It recorded 90 minutes of video with plenty of power left over. When plugged into the USB port, it'll use the USB power, not the batteries, averaging a current draw of about 300ma.

The included video editing software is better than software that I already had that cost almost as much as the camera... & it's easier to use. It will work for editing any video, not just the ones made by the camera.

The camera & software are specifically designed for XP. But because without the software, if you plug it into the USB port, any computer will recognize it as an external drive. You can tranfer your files off or onto the camera as easy as you can move files from 1 disk, folder, or drive to another. Doing it that way, without the included software you can watch or burn your videos & pix on any computer, even a mac or linux machine. I tried it, it does work. Your computer will need an MPEG4 player to play the video. It will list video as AVI files, but if you ever had MPEG4 files before, it usually lists them as AVIs.

If you have the memory card, the computer will recognize it as 2 drives, the card & the internal memory.

Oh, it also includes jacks to plug it in to your TV, VCR, external burner, or stereo, & play your images, movies, or music without a computer.

Digital cameras need a lot more light than their analog tape or film sisters... this one too. It has a flash for still pictures, which works well, but no built in light for video. For indoors video you'll need all your ordinary house lights turned on their highest setting, or be near a good window in the daytime. Outdoors, there was plenty of light even on the cloudiest days even after sunset at dusk. Shortly after that, there won't be enough light.

It also comes with a mini pocket tripod, cheap but useful.

I experimented by duct taping a fairly bright 7-LED flashlight to it to video in a dark nightclub. I still had to get within 3 feet of my subject to get a fairly lit image. In the future I may build an infrared LED illuminator for it & video in Black & white in the dark... yes it has a B&W setting.

No optical zoom, digital zoom only, so any more than a tad of digital zoom,
& your images will look like the lowest resolution settings.

Bottom line, this is not a great camera. It's a cheapie. But for ease, portablity, flexibility, you can't beat it for the price... very handy, you can take it anywhere, & I never leave home without it.

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Product Description:
The Pocket DV4500 is a multi-functional DV camera designed for capturing previous moments anytime, anywhere. It's equipped with a maximum resolution of 4 Mega-Pixels and a1.5" color LCD screen.Record video inMPEG-4 VHS quality with sound.On top of all this, it's a voice recorder,mp3 player, andweb cam. This product comes with 16mb of internal memory, and has a built-in SD card slot that can hold up to 512MB (Card not included). It ships with a tripod/stand, usb cable, av output cable, camera bag, and headset. Requires Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000 /XP;Direct X8.0 or above, 128MB of Ram, 64MB Video Card, 4x Cd-Rom.

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Archos AV 700 100 GB Mobile Digital Video Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had the chance to play with the AV 700 100GB unit for about three weeks now. Here is my overview.

The good:

- The biggest display on a PMP of its kind out there. It's almost as large as the unit!
- Can record in real time from DVD, VCR, Camcorder, Cable/Sat and other video devices with RCA (composite) or S-Video outputs. Much faster than DVD rippers I've tried.
- Allows for limited editing (cropping) of recorded movies. Lets say you want to cut out commercials or the end credits of the DVD you just recorded- you can do this very easily.
- Allows for selection of both video resolution (from 500 - 2500 kbits/s), format (4:3, 5:3, 16:9, 2.35:1) and audio frequency (32 or 44KHz) for recording.
- Can time record (through a very nice scheduler) - you can use it almost like a TiVo!
- Can organize movies by name and under various directories (or categories.)
- Has an audio recorder to allow music (or whatever audio) from an external device with selectable frequency (24 -48 KHz). This is higher than your standard CD quality.
- Has a photo viewer.
- Can be setup as a USB disk drive or a Windows Mobile Media device (it claims to work only under WinXP with service pack 1 or higher - I've been unable to get this to work as of yet.)
- USB 2.0 protocol. It's so fast I can actually play recorded movies from the device on my laptop in real time!
- 100 GB Drive! Can't get much better than this.
- Comes with a remote control, docking station (well, kind of) and all the cables for connection to your PC, camera, TV, DVD, VCR, etc. The remote is universal and allows you to select your device (i.e. cable box, TV, etc.)
- Very easy to upgrade the firmware. I recommend doing this if you have an older version.
- Removable battery.
- And many other nice features.

The not so good:

- Display resolution and quality could have been a lot better.
- Battery doesn't last nearly as long as it is claimed on the spec. sheet.
- The recorded movies are not "near" DVD quality when played on a TV. This is a bit misleading.
- The unit runs hot - extremely hot when plugged into the power supply.
- The stand is a nice thought but not very stable or functional.
- The most un-intuitive user interface I've ever used! The firmware upgrade made this a bit more tolerable.
- Built-in speakers are very poor in quality. But it sounds good with high quality headphones.
- Can't play protected movies (Macrovision) on TV. Only on the device. I guess I can understand adhering to the copyright laws.
- Will only play AVI formatted videos encoded in XviD or DivX MPEG-4 codec. But it comes with a PC based MPEG-1 translator which uses VitualDub as its conversion engine. I've tried this and it worked well.
- Won't work with the AAC (Apple) audio format. My iPod is not getting retired any time soon but, if you use Windows Media format (wma), WAV or MP3 for your music, then you're good to go.
- Archos' VERY unfriendly customer service.

The nice to haves:

- Even with a 100GB drive, it could still use a SD or CompactFlash socket (for PC-less transfer of data, if nothing else.) But I was able to connect a USB thumb drive with the aid of an included adapter and transferred files back and forth.
- A "display only mode" for connecting a PS2 or XBOX on the road with full screen view. Maybe on a future release of the firmware?
- You can play games on the AV700? What games?

I had to replace the unit I originally bought. It suffered from very annoying vertical scrolling lines that I could not get rid of with the built-in "LCD Stability" function or otherwise. This is when I had the displeasure of dealing with the Archos' unfriendly (and I must say rude) technical service rep. Without asking me any questions specific to my problem, she proceeded to tell me that the unit must have been dropped. To add insult to injury, she told me it would cost me $150 for an out-of-warranty repair and that was the end of it! But she suggested I go back to the store that I purchased the unit and see if they would replace it. I'm happy to say the store did replace my unit graciously and my second unit does not have the same problem. Also, I think there maybe an electrical ground problem with the unit but, I have to investigate this a bit further.

Overall, the AV700 is a nice concept and a great device but, it is in its infancy. I've been able to record DVDs with relative ease where it was a major task before. Now I can stop spending hours ripping DVDs to play on my iPaq! Next, I'm converting all my old home videos from VHS and then transferring them on to DVDs. In my opinion, the AV 700 is much more than just a replacement for a personal DVD or music player. I think Archos should continue to improve on the features and the overall quality of this product which promises to be one of the great personal media devices out there.

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Product Description:
Its a portable theatre!The AV 700 series Mobile DVR combines the mobility and wide screen of a portable DVD player, with the video recording and scheduling features of a digital video recorder.Directly record from your TV, DVD player or cable box and experience it on the amazing 7" wide-screen color LCD.Enjoy continuous video, music, photos and games on a flight from LAX to Tokyo, going on a camping trip, relaxing in a hotel room or virtually anywhere else. Built-in support for Microsofts PlaysForSure lets you download the latest movies and hottest music in a snap from your favorite online digital video and music stores - RECORD and watch up to 400 hours of VIDEO directly from a TV, DVD , cable/satellite receiver- Store and watch up to 250 full-length movies on the large 7" 16:9 wide-screen LCD or output to TV- Easily schedule and record your favorite TV shows with the ARCHOS TV Scheduler!- Supports MPEG-2, MPEG-4 ASP, WMV9, DivX, XviD formats- Record, download and listen up to 55,000 SONGS- Supports MP3, WMA (including protected files) and WAV audio formats- Record audio from any standard audio source or via built-in microphone- Transfer, store and view up to 1,000,000 PHOTOS- Transfer photos directly from your digital camera or PC using the USB host port- Make slideshows and share photos on the large 7" LCD screen or display out to a TV- Large 40GB hard-drive capacity- Transfer and store MEDIA and DATA files via high-speed USB 2.0 interface- PC and

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Crosley Radio CR2413A-BK Memory Master II CD Recorder/USB (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I took a shot in the dark buying this without there being any other reviews, and so far I am not disappointing. Information that I couldn't find was that YES it does have speaker outputs so that you aren't restricted to the built-ins, although they sound pretty good. Recording system appears to work, unit looks great. Of all the other recording turntables, I highly recommend this one.

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Product Description:
Finally, a way to record vinyl and cassette to CD without tangled wires, confusing hookups or extensive computer expertise. With Crosley's Memory Master II - the sleek, redesigned version of the popular Memory Master CD recorder -- simply put on your LP or pop in a cassette, load a blank CD and press "record." With its handsome cabinet, this system harkens back to the golden days while still nodding to technology of the 21st century. Users will appreciate its three speeds (33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm) so they can play and record their entire collection. The Memory Master II is USB enabled for connection to PC and Mac and includes a software suite for ripping and editing audio content. This Crosley also allows you to simply spin records, play cassettes and CDs, or tune in to your favorite station on the analog AM/FM tuner for hours of nostalgic enjoyment.

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