Samsung BD-P1500 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been using this for 2 weeks now, and it's my first blu-ray player (no PS3).The good stuff:Excellent look, not too loud, amazing picture and sound.Working ethernet and USB port.(I haven't had to download any firmware or code updates, but I'm sure it'll work fine.)

Operations:No fan noise, no noise while playing, but during menu & loading, you hear some track-seeking which is audible at 10'... nothing offensive, though.I just noticed last night, after my 5th blu-ray a little flicker in in the bottom center of the screen during the credits of Juno... not sure if it's a bad disc or a player having a problem.It was repeatable, and the disc seemed clean.Lastly, the load time, eject time, etc seems just fine.Not instant or as fast a nice DVD player, but not noticably slow.I've heard alot about slow disc-loading, and if it is a problem on other players - it's not a problem on this one.Lastly, sometimes when you click on a menu instead of pausing, the screen with show a "progress-bar" for 2-4 seconds while the next manu loads, which isn't completely kosher, but doesn't bother me.

The so-so stuff:I'm giving this 5-stars because it's near-perfect at what it's designed to do for it's price, but it's not perfect.One reason to get a mid- to lower-cost player is to (duh) save money... if you're someone who has an older receiver that doesn't decode the two new DD and DTS formats, and (probably) doesn't decode multi-channel PCM, this player isn't for you.It only has stereo-out analog RCA plugs, not 5.1 or 7.1 analog outputs.

That means you can't bypass your receivers pre-amp to play the newer audio formats and let the blu-ray player decode them.My old Receiver (which I used the player with for a week) only decoded DD 5.1 (no DTS, and only 2-channel PCM to 48khz).This player lets you send a PCM stream to your receiver from an internally decoded DTS 5.1 signal, but this didn't work for me... as my player can't receive 5.1 PCM streams, it only saw it as 2-channel.At least the player lets you downsample 96khz PCM to 48khz, so that I at least got sound (Golden Compass only has DTS 5.1 or DTS HD Master).

With my new receiver, all formats work perfectly, all bitstreamed.

Some people perhaps are holding off for new receivers because they don't want to connect through the player's analog RCA 5.1/7.1 connectors - but this is probably mis-information.What you want to avoid is taking digital sound, converting it to analog, then back to digital, then back to analog...don't worry - you wouldn't be doing this.Basically you would be doing all your processing in the player digitally, then once it is sent out through the pre-outs to the receiver you'd bypass the receiver's processing and it would go straight to the amplifier (which is of course analog anyway).

So my conclusion for thos people with older (but good) receivers - this blu-ray player won't save you any money.The best savings would be to pay a little more for a player with 5.1 analog outputs and continue to use your existing receiver.

-Kevin Moore
Natick, MA

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Product Description:
Experience the Blu-ray difference with the SAMSUNG BD-P1500. You'll get incredibly detailed images with brilliant color in full high definition 1080p resolution. It's the only media capable of delivering true 1080p performance on an HDTV set. Its Anynet+ technology lets you control all your SAMSUNG AV devices from just one remote. The BD-P1500 lets you have it all. It's backward compatible with earlier formats. watch your current collection of DVDs or listen to audio CDs with the highest-quality sound available. 1080p resolution - Enjoy lifelike, vivid visuals and crystal-clear details with full high definition 1080p resolution when playing Blu-Ray discs HDMI keeps it simple by using a single cable wire to deliver the sharpest, richest images possible. Conveniently and easily transfer high-definition video and audio from your DVD player to your HDTV and other digital devices using a single cable. HDMI version 1.3 transfers deeper color and higher resolution, and handles new, compressed audio formats. Control it all with one remote - Anynet+ delivers streamlined, one-touch control over all your Anynet+ compatible devices such as the TV, AV receiver, and home theater Playback Media - BD-ROM / DVD-ROM / DVD-R / DVD-RW / AVCHD / audio CD Playback Formats - VC-1 / MPEG2 / H.264 DVD Upconversion DTS Decoder BD Profile - profile 1.1 USB 2.0 (for SW upgrade only) HDMI CEC Composite Video Outputs Component Video Outputs HDMI Outputs Optical Digital Audio Outputs Analog Audio Outputs - 2-Channel Built-in Ethernet connection - RJ45 USB Port Picture in Picture Dimensions - 16.9 in. x 3.3 in. x 10.8 in. Weight - 8.6 lbs.

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Sony BDP-S470 Blu-ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was excited to get this player. I had been waiting a long time for one that had a good set of features and a reasonable price. Overall, in the 2 weeks I've had it, I've really loved it. I'll go over the good and the bad of this Blu-ray player.
First the bad:
The remote, like all Sony remotes, are very basic. It handles the Blu-ray player functions fine. It also has built in TV remote functions as well. I have a Sony Bravia TV that is about 2 years old. However the remote doesn't work for about half of the functions, making this remote useless for controlling the TV. The remote can be set to a handful of TV brands. You would think that it could at least handle a Sony TV properly.
NOTE: When registering the device on the Sony site, this model is not listed (as of this review). I selected the model S570 instead and that worked for me.
When playing a Netflix movie, one time the movie locked up the player. It didn't respond to the remote, then completely restarted itself. Of course it didn't remember where it had stopped in the movie and I had to search to find where I was to finish the movie. Hopefully this doesn't happen often.
At the time of this review DLNA has not been included with the player and will be available later, so I could not test this out. Being that it isn't relly a new thing, you would think that they'd have this already included.
AVI file playback is only avalable to Canada players.
The buttons on this box are tiny and the labelling is just as small and hard to read. Pale white print on black is always hard to read. In a dark area it is nearly impossible, even with the little light that it shines on the lower button panel, so using the remote is the way to go. Don't forget it when you go to load a disc. You'll probably end up memorizing button locations if you like to use the buttons on the player itself.
If you are playing a disc and decide to stop play for any reason, it exits disc mode entirely, connects you to Gracenote, and returns to the Xross menu. Forget about returning to where you stopped. You have to go back to the very beginning of the disc loading process.
You have to point the remote directly at the player to get it to do anything. It's very picky about this.

The good:
This is a very nice machine. It oozes high-tech. It is small and lightweight and no bigger than the slim Sony upconverting DVD player it had replaced. They could have used the exact same case for it.
Load times are excellent. There is a setting that can have it load even faster if you don't mind keeping it powered in standby mode.
The Sony Xross menu system makes sense and is easy to navigate. The menu is in 1080p, so it looks smooth and not cheap like other older players have done.
Setup was a breeze. Plug in your connections and power it on. You're ready to go. You just have to register the device with Sony and Netflix and Amazon if you use those services. Simple and quick. Sony already had a software update for the player, so I had it do the update and it was done after a few minutes.
There are a number of on-line sites you can visit for music, music videos, a handful of movies and other misc. on-line video content. Assuming that the original on-line content is in good quality, the video picture quality is very nice.
You can use your DVDs to play your own content. You aren't restricted to using the USB connection. If you have a supported video or audio format stored on a disc, you can play it on this player. Really awesome.
I look forward to the DLNA support coming later. I'll be able to connect to my PC where I have my own video and photos stored there.
Standard DVD playback is excellent. This is not just upconverted playback. It also puts it in 24p and it also appears to have cleaned up the DVD picture quality, so it's seriously close to Blu-ray quality. For your regular movie you'll start to ask yourself if you really need those Blu-ray discs after all.
Blu-ray disc playback is, of course, excellent. If you haven't had one before, you'll see colors and depth that you've not seen before on a TV screen. Details are sharp and it's performed without the slightest hesitation in this area.
3D support is coming later for this player. I probably won't use this, but it's good to know that it's going to be there if I do decide to go that route.

Overall, this is something that I've thoroughly enjoyed and I expect I'll be using for years to come. Some of the issues can be overlooked and some can be fixed with software updates if Sony decides to do so. A universal remote is in my near future. I'm very happy with this purchase.

Update: April 12, 2010
Sony has sent out a firmware update for this player. It mainly gives you some enhancements to Gracenote and for the photo slideshow feature. Still no DLNA.
I have a SanDisk Cruzer 8GB USB device where I have some video. I tried using this in the front USB input in order to play my video. However I got a message that the USB device is not compatible. Apparently you can't use just any USB storage with this player. The manual says nothing about limitations in this area. My old 2GB drive works fine.

Update: June 11, 2010
Sony has now added an update to play 3D discs! You may turn the 3D it on or off or keep it in auto mode.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BDP-S470 Blu-ray Disc Player

Product Description:
Enjoy Blu-ray 3D movies in Full HD1080p and improve the quality of DVDs to near HD with the Sony BDP-S470 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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Panasonic DVD-RV30 DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This Panasonic DVD player is made in Japan, and comes with a plethora ofuseful features; cinema video setting, dialogue enhancer,"resume" function (will resume movie from where it was left offeven after powering off the unit), DTS and DD output (you still need areceiver with the decoder) and excellent image quality.
It plays all ofthe major DVD titles including problem discs such as "the Matrix withoutstanding picture quality and sound. I liked that this unit did notdisplay the annoying layer change delay common in other models. It wasseamless
On the down side, there was no Chapter access from the remote.What I mean is that I was unable to access the Chapters directly via thenumeric pad. I think the only way to access the Chapter directly (say fromChapter 1 to Chapter 18) is by pressing the display button first, thenpressing the fast forward button once to C, and then enter the Chapternumber via the numeric pad. This is very cumbersome.
The remote couldalso be larger and backlit.
Overall, the image and soud quality areexcellent and the player performs well with any DVD. It dous not earn fivestars because of the faulty chapter access feature and the remote - butthese may be flaws many users will not mind at all.
Hope this helps.

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Product Description:
It's a digital world. A world where sound surrounds you and pictures dazzled the imagination. It's a world where the excitement of the movies is captured and brought to life on a simple five-inch disc - the size of a CD. Welcome to the incredible world of DVD. As a leader in digital technology, Panasonic made possible and forever changed the face of home theater. Panasonic has packed big-screen excitement into the world's smallest and lightest DVD player. Come and experience the ultimate in home theatre entertainment.The DVD-RV30 comes with advanced features to offer you a full cinema experience. It features advanced virtual surround sound (AVSS), letting you enjoy the thrilling sounds of the cinema without an elaborate home theater system. In addition to the usual left and right channel audio jacks, the DVD-RV30 comes equipped with an exclusive subwoofer output. Through an on-screen menu icon, you can choose to send bass tones to the subwoofer output for reproduction. Cinema mode lessens glare, giving you colors that are more cinema-like and improves the visibility of details in dark scenes by automatically adjusting picture contrast. Discrete Component Video Out allows for high quality transmission of digital video to compatible video equipment. 10-bit Video D/A Converter gives amazing picture quality. Still Picture Display (I/P/B) freezes an image to allow for precise picture quality adjustments. Dialogue Enhancer makes the dialog channel clearly audible over the other sound channels.

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Sony DVP-SR500H 1080p Upscaling DVD Player, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a fine product and the picture shown through a HDMI cable is astonishing.My only complaint is the remote control does not have a button for opening and closing the drawer.A small thing, I know, but surprisingly annoying.

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Product Description:
Enjoy your DVD collection with Sony DVP-SR500H upscaling DVD player. It upgrades your DVD collection to near high definition for an improved picture quality at an incredible value. In addition, you save energy as it meets ENERGY STAR standards.

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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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Sony DVP-S530D DVD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm a SONY freak. From my XBR projection set to my pro-DV cameras at work, it's all SONY.I love the company but they, like anyone else, can drop the ball once in a while.The lip-sync problem gets worse as time goes onbecause newer DVD releases employ the latest MPEG-2 codes which theseplayers were not properly set-up to decode.So SONY will now pick-up viaFED-EX any 530-550 player still under warranty and install a new processorchip and firmware and deliver it back home within 2-3 weeks free of charge. (Not Bad, right!) However, a buddy of mine had this done and it still hasthe lip-sync problem! Oh Nooooo!..as Mr.Bill would say.
Not surewhat I'm going to do.My player is 3 months old.One other thing, thisplayer will not play CD-R and CD-RW discs, the new PIONEER 626D's will. Youmay want to look into this one.I wish I did.Good luck out there!

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Product Description:
DVD Player with built-in dolby digital decoder and 5.1 channel output. Plays DVD's, Audio CD's, and Video CD's.

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Sony BDP-S560 - Blu-ray disc player - upscaling Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The BD unit was dificult to set up, more specifically the network, secondly once it was set up unless you have a 1 gig flash memory you can not see if it works.Having only the BD link was not good either, why not have access to netflicks(etc) as well.Sony is to one sided, it is either sony or nothing.I have a new Sony TV 120 hz lcd and uverse cable connection.swithing from BD to uverse TV requires all three controllers. (my wife asked for a training class to switch) it is definately not intuitive and there is not a manual to work with.... one would think if the network was connected that at least the manuals or help would be possible over the network.There is litterally no features to think that sony tv engineers are communicating with the bd group. and both groups don't listen or think of the customer.even windows has ability to recognize new hardware and automatically set the device up. Then Getting to know the sony tv controller does not mean you know the BD remote.The layout of the remote, location of keys and how they look is totally a mess.The only thing that is in common is the black body.Sony start thinking of ergonomics and customeone would think sony to sony connect would be easy. ie change he screen set up on the tv and the bd must be changed.i lucky i don't have a sony surrond sound system, i bet it another complete set up.Oh yea, what's this about not having the timer etc displayed on the BD player and not on the screen of the TV.If I am the designated distance away from my TV I can not even read the timer information on the BD Display,it is to small!Put it on the screen Sony!Sony lets start using the technology thats industry leading related to set up of your equipment.then maybe you can start working with hardware thats from another company. Relative to viewing BD.great display especially with graphic oriented Movies.Did not really see a diffference with the display with regular movies.also would have liked to have means of stopping and recording location in the movie ie markers so i could go back or pick the movie up at a later time at location i stopped, single frame advance, slow motion etc.no unique features in viewing the movies...

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony BDP-S560 - Blu-ray disc player - upscaling

Product Description:
This Kit Includes:
1- Sony BDP-S560 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player Brand New Factory Sealed w/Supplied Manufacturer's Accessories
1- HDMI to HDMI 6 Foot Cable (Enhance Your HD Experience!)

More About This Blu-Ray Player:
Elevate your HD experience with the BDP-S560 Blu-ray Disc player. Featuring Full HD 1080p video output, you can take full advantage of your HDTV and the unparalleled detail of Blu-ray Disc video content. Plus, this player upscales your existing DVD collection to near HD quality via HDMI. With built-in wireless functionality, you can connect to the internet to download and stream BD-Live content 1 such as additional scenes, shorts, trailers and more. Additionally, this Blu-ray Disc player also supports Wi-Fi protected set-up (WPS) for a quick and easy connection to WPS enabled wireless routers. You can even wirelessly stream digital photos from your PC to this Blu-ray Disc Player and view photos on your HDTV. In addition to an exceptional picture, the BDP-S560 supports Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD audio codecs for up to 7.1 channels of high-definition sound.

Supplied Manufacturer Accessories in addition to mentioned above:Remote Control, 2 x AA Batteries, A/V Cable (RCA), AC Power Cord, Owners Manual, 1 Year USA Warranty

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Sony ES HES-V1000 Blu-ray Home Entertainment Server Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The item looks great and has a plethora of home server features, but for this pricetag you would expect it to work flawlessly and not be missing some very important features. It does not decode nor transmit DTS-HD and DDHD audio signals which is a big negative. Another big negative is that it is not yet supporting BD-RE authored blu ray discs which is what I have been making for my home videos. As the previous user mentioned, disc loading is awefully slow and can be embarrassing if you are trying to show it off to friends. Hopefully future firmware updates can address these issues.

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Product Description:
Sony's top of the line 200 disc Blu-ray Disc Home Server. The HES-V1000 Features a 500GB Hard Drive and a 200 BD/DVD/CD Changer, that delivers the ultimate media organization solution for digital movies, music and photos in a stand-alone device.

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Sony DVP-FX730 7-Inch Portable DVD Player in Black + Accessory Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I actually bought this for a gift for someone. They are well pleased with the product, and it arrived ahead of the promised delivery date.

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Product Description:
Integrate the Sony DVP-FX730 7" Portable DVD Player into your home theater system or take it on your next vacation. Either way, you will enjoy high-quality, multi-format DVD/CD playback capabilities, and Dolby Digital audio decoding. The 7" wide-screen TFT LCD display offers 480 x 234 pixel resolution, and multiple viewing angles while maintaining a very bright image. Just connect the audio/video output to your Plasma/LCD TV and utilize the DVP-FX730 as a standalone DVD player. Moreover, high-quality DVD playback is achieved with a 12-Bit/108MHz video DAC; and it's compatible with DVD-Video, DVD-R/W, DVD+R/W, CD, CD-R/W, MP3, and JPEG formats.

Accessory Kit Includes:
*Sony Headphones.
*Portable DVD Player Case.
*Audio Splitter Adapter.
Cleaning Cloth.

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Sony MHCEC68Pi Mini Hi-Fi Shelf System with Digital Media Port and 140-Watts RMS (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I wanted a stereo that was louder then a clock radio but smaller then my home stereo. I also wanted to be able to plug in my MP3 player. There weren't a lot of units to chose from so I went with Sony. The stereo sounds good even when cranked up. It's definitely louder then any portable CD player or iPod dock that I've heard. The only drawbacks are that it's not "portable", the speakers don't attach to the stereo. Also, the Digital Media port only fits iPods. There's an "audio in" port for other MP3 players but I had to buy an adapter.

EDIT: 4-15-09I just saw the Sony with the Subwoofer at Walmart for $20 less then 'zon. Buyers beware.

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Product Description:
Play your iPod through the MHC-EC68Pi Mini Hi-Fi component system, with the included digital media port accessory and experience big sound without the big system. This system has enough power to fill any room with quality sound.

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JVC GRD93 MiniDV Digital Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just purchased this JVC GRD93 camera elsewhere, and recorded my first short video on a new JVC tape.While the camera itself didn't seem to make a lot of noice, the camera noice recorded on the tape was very annoying during playback.JCV customer service was of no help.I'm sending the camera back.

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Product Description:
Mega-pixel, Mega-convenient JVC Compact camcorder is designed for those who are searching for a fun, slimline and convenient camcorder. The GR-D93US 1.33 Mega-pixel CCD camcorder boasts our new Just Very Convenient features 3-D NR to eliminate noise up to

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Sony NW-E75 256 MB Network Walkman Digital Music Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Once and for all this is a great unit.The only true con has been the Atrac format. Here is your answer.

Sony is now supporting an MP3 File management utility.Go to Sony's site and go to support for the NW-E75.Find the MP3 File Manager Application and run it to automatically load to your player (make sure you unit is connected).Open 'My Computer' - open the ESYS directory and run the utility.You will be presented with instructions on how to use the utility to drag and drop MP3 files directly to your player.You will be able to load and play MP3 files in just a few minutes.

This is a tremendously simple utility that does direct MP3 transfers. You don't have to load SonicStage.If you do, the NW-E75 will load and play both file formats.Just put them in different groups.

With this new MP3 utility, the Sony NW-E75 is about the smallest, full function, longest battery life unit on the market.It is well designed and easy to use.Read the rest of the reviews - they sum it up for you.

Now for the really good news.Check out Amazon for the new NW-E99 that is about to release.It is the same unit as the NW-E75 but will be 1gb memory.Research at Sony site shows the new model will come packaged with the new MP3 manager.I can't wait - have one on order already.

So for all you folks that say the only con is Atrac3 and the clunky SonicStage software, load the MP3 manager, be pleasantly surprised and try to find something else that might be wrong with a brilliant piece of work from Sony.

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Product Description:
2/8/200615-19-32...

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Swann SW243-9MB DVR9-Net-4000 - 9 Channel Digital Video Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This item is currently with Swann, for repair or replacement, since 3/16/10, I am not sure yet.
The video is weak, we had 3 monitors hooked to it and the screens were hard to see. I never thought about it, till I replaced this one with another brand and the video is bright as a television, easy to see.
We chose this item because you could hook 9 cameras too it, the large hard drive, & internet access.
We recorded everything, but never needed to review it. so basically we were monitoring. Our warehouse has no windows to see when someone drives up.
The item locked up mid January, but went un-noticed till mid February, since video still worked, just no recording. What got our attention, was the video started getting wavy and upon further review found the unit was locked up. Upon trying to reset the unit, power down, unplug, it just completely failed, to the point it would not even post. I would not buy this unit again.

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Product Description:
9 Channel Digital Video Recorder with CD-R/RW Drive - Enhanced MPEG4 video quality & compression wth easy CD back-up!

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Sony ECM-F8 Electret Condenser Omni-directional Flat Tabletop Microphone For Conference Meeting Recording or Phone Conferencing with Boundary Effect Design - For all Digital or Analog Recording Devices Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)DO NOT BUY THIS MICROPHONE IF YOU CARE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE ACTUALLY RECORDING A SESSION OR NOT.Steer clear!!!These mikes might look great, but of what use are they when they need a battery and there is no low battery indicator?There is absolutely no way to know that you're not getting a recording until you try to play something back and there's nothing there or it's faint sounding.What a useless microphone!! You also have to turn the microphone on and off on the bottom which is difficult to do because of the switch design and if you forget to turn it off, you'll run your battery down.Arrh!!This is the worst waste of money of my whole life...Thankfully, I only bought two, and they are not terribly expensive.

As a court repoorter, I'm always looking for new equipment and thought I would try these mikes for court as they looked low key and would be a nice addition to my microphone stable.I didn't see in the specs that they also require batteries (which by the way, don't come with the microphones) and I bought them only to find they would be of no use to me in my work as I can't run the risk of not getting a perfect recording each time.

Do not buy these microphones -- any microphone that needs independent batteries and doesn't have a low battery indicator is worthless.I highly recommend the Labtec VERSE 333 MON MOUNT MIC ( 980184-0403 ) which are available on Amazon and are cheaper than the Sony.They have identical plugs and are about the same size.I have three of them and they work great.I have never had a problem.I take down courtrooms, public meetings in large rooms, depositions -- and I get everything clearly enough to be able to provide a perfect transcript to my clients.

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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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705MIN Digital Voice Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It is a nice solid unit, although relatively expensive for the features included.
I was disappointed that it is completely incompatible with anything Apple.
If you want to convert the sound files to a format you can use on other devices, i.e. mp3 player or windows media player or, quicktime, you MUST have access to a pc to run Sony's conversion software, otherwise they are in a useless format from the recorder.
The other problem is that the Sony conversion software takes forever to convert the Sony sound files to something useable.

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Product Description:
705MIN Digital Voice RecorderREPLACEMENT FOR ICD-MS515- Sony digital voice recorder-Compatible with Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice-to-print software (NOT included)- Up to 705 minutes record time using the built-in 32MB flash memoryin LP mode (260 minutes SP mode)- Compatiblewith Memory Stick PRO Duo up to 128MB- Slim and compact design- Digital pitch control (playback speed control)- MP3/WAV compatible (files are saved and played in LPEC format on the recorder itself)- Built-in triple microphones (selectable for stereo and directional recordings)- Directional microphone on/off switch- Menu for recording mode, alarm, and other settings- Folder and file label- Up to 340 folders to organize messages- Digital "voice up" technology provides well-balanced audio playback- Easy to use control keys- Digital voice editor software included- Easy PC connection: memory stick or USB- Various player functions- Easy attachment of voice files to email- SilverPackage Contents:- Voice recorder- Digital voice editor software (CD-ROM)- USB cable- 2 AAA batteries- Stereo earphones- Carrying case- Manual

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Sony ICD-ST25 Portable Digital Voice Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Buttons are very small, so large handed/fingered people might have trouble with them. Nice sound quality on SP (7 hr); LP (15 hr) is the usual MP3 on low resolution warble, ST is pretty good, but creates pretty bulky mono-sounding files, unless you're using external stereo mics, or a stereo line-in.5 user folders for sorting - can do Add or Overwrite, but takes about 2-3 clicks to change the mode.Display normally stays on, but it's like a digital watch with a backlight.Sound output is quite audible for a little wafer speaker.

Bought as a replacement for a micro-cassette, and used for vocal presentation preparation, so I like the scan/review features and the variable speed playback.Vocal-Up does a modest job of basically compressing the input to equalize amplitude (think of it as auto-gain).

Delicate refers to the overall feel in that it's pretty much all plastic, and I'm worried about dropping it and having a lot of damage from a fall.But that's what one gets for the price, and the size (which is like a couple of matchboxes stacked vertically).

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony ICD-ST25 Portable Digital Voice Recorder

Product Description:
695Min Voice Recorder- Digital voice recorder- Record meetings, lectures, dictate letters, memos, reports- Stereo recording- High quality sound- PC connect with USB cable- Windows XP/2000/Me/98 compatible- 695 Minutes (11.5 hours) max record time- Full function dictating machine- Compatible with Dragon Naturally Speaking voice to print (VTP) software (NOT included)- Multiple recording modes (stereo 85 minutes, SP 260 minutes, LP 695 minutes)- Built-in multi-directional microphone- Includes digital voice editor software on CD-ROM- In-line controls: record/pause, stop, play/stop/rew/ff/menu/folder, volume control, USB - Digital pitch control- Overwrite function (correction)- Add recording function- 5 File folders- Priority function- Voice email function- 32 MB built-in flash memory- stereo earphone/microphone jacks- Up to 495 recordings (99 per folder)- Alarm playback function- Digital voice-up function- Directional mic mode- Digital voice operated recording- Low battery indicator icon- Large display- 2 AAA batteries included- USB cable included- Carrying case included- Compact, discreet design- Silver- Dimensions: 4"l x 1.75"w x .75"h- Display dimensions: 1"l x .75"w

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