Computer Reviews

I need you!
Henadzi Filipenka.
http://home.ural.ru/~filip

We got this mainly for it's space-saving features, mostly to keep the TV out of our way. We don't have cable, and were worried the picture would not be so good. It is better than good, it is simply great! (but you do seem to need an external antenna.) I am amazed at how sleek it is!!! Highly recommend.

The Sharp 15 Inch Flat Screen TV is wonderful. I gave one to my husband last year for Christmas and it is the only TV (we have four TVs) watched on a daily bases. We have a large screen TV however it does not have clean, clear picture that the Sharp Flat screen TV has. Thanks Sharp and keep up the good work.

I need you!
Henadzi Filipenka.
http://home.ural.ru/~filip

We got this mainly for it's space-saving features, mostly to keep the TV out of our way. We don't have cable, and were worried the picture would not be so good. It is better than good, it is simply great! (but you do seem to need an external antenna.) I am amazed at how sleek it is!!! Highly recommend.

The Sharp 15 Inch Flat Screen TV is wonderful. I gave one to my husband last year for Christmas and it is the only TV (we have four TVs) watched on a daily bases. We have a large screen TV however it does not have clean, clear picture that the Sharp Flat screen TV has. Thanks Sharp and keep up the good work.

I bought this from Amazon Marketplace, recieved it within a few days, and stuck it in one of the open memory slots on my computer. When I turned the computer back on, it had 256 more MB of RAM! And it has worked perfectly ever since. The end.

Who knew more memory could make such a difference! I purchesed 2 256MB for a total of 512MB. Simply put, my PC is at least 100x faster! And at this price, you can't go wrong. Thanks Amazon.com :)

I recommend Simpletech's 256MB DDR PC2100. It was easy to install and the results are amazing. It feels like I have a new computer. I can do just about anything. The price was low and the performance is fast.

When my iMac's internal CD-R drive failed, I bought this as an alternative. What I like most is that it is small, bus-powered (no A/C adapter needed), and QUIET. It can get rather warm when there is a disc in the drive, however, so the drive needs to be kept on a sturdy, flame-resistant surface, with papers and other flammable materials safely away from the drive.

I had already installed Toast 5.1.2 long ago, and assumed that it would instantly recognize this drive when I added it. Even after restarting the computer, Toast refused to recognize it; Toast could read from it, but could not write to it. After downloading the update to 5.2.1, the SmartDisk drive was recognized for all functions. All this occurred using MacOS 9.2.2.

Being a portable drive, this can easily be taken anywhere; there is unfortunately no carrying case with the drive, but that is not a big issue. This is the first SmartDisk product I have ever owned or even considered, and based upon my experience thus far with this drive, SmartDisk will definitely be considered for my future computing needs.

Very sleek design and Mac friendly. I was able to plug it in, install the software and start burning CDs within 30 minutes. Fast and reliable this burner is a welcome addition to my system, especially after an extremely disappointing experience with another brand. Worth twice it's weight in gold~

I know this rating is a little premature since I've only had this drive for a little over a week now but I am impressed with this burner. At first, it was a little confusing to operate but I talked to someone at SmartDisk and they told me what to do and since then it has been easy to operate with no problems.

The burn speed is quite fast. My only gripe is that since I have a Mac 10.2 operating system the software that comes with the drive is not compatible. The customer service rep. said he would send me an upgrade free of charge. Even with that small problem, I was able to burn by just dragging the files from the original disk onto the CD-R disk then I was able to burn it onto the CD-R.

I recommend this purchase.

This is a very nice camcorder with the best video imaging available in a single-chip camcorder. Video pictures are crystal clear, digital images are the best of any consumer level camcorder anywhere, and the manual switches on the camcorder put you in control of important functions. i must say this is better than any other camcorder. buying this camcorder is not overkilling. if you want good quality go for this. but if you think this is expensive then you have choice. you can go for trv27. but remember you cann't compare TRV50 with TRV27 becoz the features are different. TRV50 is latest....for this century.

Sony's MiniDV DCR-TRV50 is their upgrade to the popular DCR-TRV30. The camcorder is a standard form factor, with many neat features and good still quality. The DCR-TRV50 carries a street price around [$$$].

The Sony DCR-TRV50 has a 1/4 in. 1.5 Mega Pixel HAD CCD. The effective video pixels used is 970K while the still is 1,390K, but more about the still performance later. The DCR-TRV50 has a 10x optical, 120x digital zoom while the horizontal resolution is rated at 530 lines, the top for the MiniDV format.

An upgrade of the DCR-TRV50 over the DCR-TRV30 is the addition of a touch panel LCD screen. The LCD is 3.5 in. and 246K pixels. The camcorder also has a color viewfinder. When you first hear of the touch screen feature you?re likely to think it?s frivolous, but it?s actually quite useful. Using the touch screen LCD you can adjust the focus and the exposure. If you have an area that is under or over exposed or an area that you want to put in focus all you have to do is touch on it an the camcorder adjusts automatically. This is a great intermediate between automatic and manual control. It gives the inexperienced user a way of tackling the camcorder controls which can be very daunting. Sharp was the first company to add a touch screen LCD but I think Sony has really taken this option and flown with it. It?s a really great feature, especially for those less experienced camcorder users.

if you are planning to buy a good handycam go for trv50. if you are planning to buy trv950 or sony vx2000 please have a look this camera too. i bought this camera last month....it is really nice. picture quality is excellent. still mode is wondeful and touch screen is very useful. the only gimik is bluetooth technology, but other features are just fantastic...you cann compare trv50 with trv950 only.the difference is only 1ccd and 3 ccd. but otherwise you will not feel much difference. i recomend this handycam to semi professionls too.

We bought this camera in the summer of 2003 to replace our older video camera and have had a great experience. The video quality is excellent. The color is superb. Great audio quality. The video records at more lines of resolution than current televisions use, so I have no doubt that the quality will still look great after high definition televisions dominate the home television market.

Recently, my 4 megapixel digital camera needed to be sent in for repairs ... it is not a Sony :( ... We were upset as we did not think we would be able to print pictures until it returned...we decided to test printing out the Sony TRV950 digital pictures...we were amazed that we were able to print out wonderful quality pictures (3x5). So, we have been very impressed with a feature we never intended to use.

The features included on the camera are great...but two that stand out in my opinion are the super steady shot to help get rid of the "jiggle" and the auto white balance...the best I've seen.

This camera does cost more than other consumer level cameras, but the value is well worth it in my opinion. We bought it to take good video of our baby growing up...we are convinced that this is, by far, the best option and we will never regret spending the extra money.

We purchased a 3 Watt light attachment, a 256MB memory stick card, and an additional M71D battery (250 minutes). I would strongly recommend these accessories.

great camcorder. the 3CCDs really make a difference in video quality in my opinion. unfortunately, you pay for this quality!

pros:
- as expected from a 3CCD camcorder, the trv-950 delivers excellent video quality - colors are reproduced accurately.
- 1 megapixel still capability.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- 12X optical zoom!
- steady shot optical stabilization system works well.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to memory stick.
- progressive shutter system.
- offers color bars and zebra striping.
- the 3.5" LCD screen is great.
- built-in flash for stills.
- built-in mic does a good job picking up sound from the target, not the operator.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- buttons along the left side and back of the camera body control essential camera functions (manual settings for focus, white balance, audio level, shutter speed, and special lighting situations) so you won't need to dive into menus for these commonly used capabilities.
- side-mounted cassette means you can change tapes while the camcorder is mounted on a tripod.
- low motor noise.
- intelligent accessory shoe - very useful if you use the appropriate accessories.
- allows a great deal of manual control.

cons:
- no built in video light but you can get a video light for less about fifty bucks.
- you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80 and trv70 have 2 megapixel capability while panasonic's pv-dv953 delivers 3 megapixel stills.
- as with most sony products, you pay a premium, pushing up the price.
- don't expect miracles from 1 megapixel stills.
- not as compact as i would like. dimensions are 4"H x 3-3/4"W x 8"D, weighing 2.4 lbs.
- the included 8MB memory stick is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for at least a 32MB or bigger memory stick.
- does not have a NightShot mode (although i'm not a big fan of this feature).
- MPEG movies saved to Memory Stick are much darker than the same scene recorded to a miniDV tape.
- noticeable shutter lag for still captures.
- bluetooth communication requires optional purchases = more $$.
- touchscreen menu system is not intuitive.

this is great camcorder if you are looking for a 3CCD system. it sits atop sony's prosumer line. the competition is catching up though so make sure you also consider the panasonic pv-dv953. peace.

Pros: Compact three-CCD camera; large, readable flip-out screen; one-megapixel still-image capture; clean, clear video images.

Cons: Poor low-light sensitivity; low-capacity Memory Stick supplied; stills require more light than video; Bluetooth communication requires optional purchases.

Summary: I bought the TRV50 2 weeks ago.I returned it for the TRV950 because zooming with the auto focus made video blurry.The TRV950 is instantaneously sharp.I also had made a tape just filming around the home with the TRV50.I compared that tape with the one I just made with the TRV950,just experimenting around the home.Now I see why 3ccd's are better than 1ccd.My best overall experiment was the digital alarm clock(with the big red LED numbers)in the bedroom.With the TRV50 the numbers always looked fuzzy.With the TRV950 those numbers looked crisp and sharp.Hence, I guess that where they get the term "color bleeding"from.I noticed that alot with the TRV50 while looking at bright objects.I even experimented with an UV and Polarizing filter on the TRV50 with no success.I know TRV950 is getting some bad press because it doesn't have Progessive scan,like the TRV50, but TRV950 has what's called Progessive shutter.Sony says it 's a step up and I believe it is too.I compared some of the stills I captured on tape and to me TRV950 comes out on top.I wonder if the number of ccd's has anything to do with this.If not then Sony needs to do more marketing in the Progessive shutter business.TRV50 has and TRV950 does not have infared.Does anybody out there ever really use the thing.Especially when it's only good for what 20 feet at most.Go to your local gun shop and get the real thing.I know the Carl Zeiss lens gets alot of publicity, but the TRV950 does not come with those lens. The less quality TRV50 does. What's the story with that?Logic only tells me that the higher end Sony lens must be better than the Carl Zeiss lens.Also TRV950 eats up more battery time than the cheaper TRV50.Be prepared to spring for a larger battery.I wonder if this has anything to do with the number of ccd's also.

If you want to hang your TV on the wall I understand the attraction of Plasma. If not (I believe the majority of people out there do not hang their TV on the wall yet)this is a real alternative with significant advantages. If it breaks buy a bulb, not a whole TV as you would with Plasma. Burn in is very unlikely with this technology, whereas Plasma is very prone to it. Picture quality is better in my opinion in normal conditions, additionally you do not have to suffer the irritation of pixel distortion that currently is a fact of life with Plasma.

There is no comparison with CRT, just the 60lbs of weight and the fact it measures around 14" in depth make it worth the change for me. The picture is truly excellent and unlike non LCD projection TV's the light conditions in the room have a minimal effect. The viewing mode can be adjusted (vivid, standard etc)to taste and used to enhance the mood of a movie or offset light conditions.

Freeze frame and PIP are cool allthough I don't see me using them very much, my brain can only watch one thing at a time unlike other people.

One bonus I did not know about when I bought it but love, is that I can insert the memory sticks from my digital camera and watch a slide show of my pictures in seconds after getting back from a trip.

If you are a non geek you will love how easy and quick it was to set up, with no knowledge I hooked it up in minutes.

If you want to move it any time you do not need to hire a fork lift and three big guys to help you, at a push I can carry it myself limited by size more than weight.

At the end of the day it's just a TV and compared to CRT a very expensive TV at that. But if you want Flat Screen, HDTV, that is big but light and has outstanding picture quality but you don't want to take on the Plasma risk this is one great package.

I hesitated in buying this TV as with all new innovations. However I took a leap of faith and purchased one anyway. It took me 2 weeks to finally find one as every store in my area was completely sold out of them (from 42"-60") & some store are still sold out to this date. That excited me more as I was not the only person who liked this tv. You can make the pictures the same size in PIP mode which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience as I play my xbox and watch my favorite shows. I have do not have HDTV in my area yet but I did hear it's night and day difference. However most cable company's do not offer a lot of HDTV channels, thus the low cost. But I do watch the discovery channel a lot so I will benefit from it.

This tv is HD-ready: Fully capable of high-definition display when connected to an optional HDTV source. Conventional analog TV reception is provided via a built-in NTSC tuner.

Equipment:
TV: Sony Grand WEGA 42" KF42WE610
Video Monster 3: Coax Cable & Component Cable

WARNING, WARNING, WARNING!
Component/Coax wires do affect the quality of your home video experience. The best DVD player connected to the best Plasma/LCD/DLP/LCOS TV will have negative effects on picture quality if you are not using the best grade of Component/DVI/Coax cable. Yes, you will have to shell out more money for theses accessories (in my opinion Monster Cable has proven itself in my house). However, this is the only way to achieve your large screen TV's maximum video performance. It appears that it's not only necessary but simply required! I get mad every time I read negative reviews on this DVD player or my TV when they never invested in high-grade video cables or, their TV is only 480i compatible & not 480p compatible (they can't properly use the DVD player's progressive scan feature). Please check your manual to verify 480p compatibility for your TV, as some are only 480i compatible while others are only 780p to 1080i compatible!!!

Here is a tip to improve picture quality for analog cable/antenna viewers:
Use a A/C powered, 2 port, coaxial, Electroline Drop Amp to improve analog cable
reception. The 18 gauged Satellite coax cable runs from the cable co. to the Electroline Drop Amp in my house. The 1 Meter Monster Video 3 coax cable (gray colored wire) will run from the Electroline Drop Amp to the TV thus improving picture quality.

Features Include:
Improved Contrast
Improved Black Level
High Resolution Panel
Clear Corner Focus
No Flicker
No Phosphor Burning
No Misconvergence
Slim Table Top Design
Increased Longevity
V Chip Parental Control
Sony's Wega Engine™ system maintains picture in the digital
domain
Sony's Optical Engine delivers high-resolution picture
corner-to-corner
3.28 million dots resolution delivers stunning detail and
clarity
Fixed pixel display and constant light eliminate flicker
Slim, lightweight design enhances any décor
Images and MP3''s come to life with Enhanced Memory Stick
media
Expand the life of your TV with easily replaceable lamp
Enjoy outstanding picture quality on HDTV monitor

Video Features:
16:9 Aspect Ratio
High Definition Television Monitor
Three Wide XGA LCD Panels: 3.28 Million Dots resolution
(1386 x 788 x 3)
UHP Lamp (100W)
First Surface Mirror
Cinemotion™ Reverse 3-2 Pull Down Technology
3D Digital Comb Filter
Multi-Image Driver (MID™ X) Circuitry
Flexible Twin-View™ 2-Tuner Picture-and-Picture (HD, NTSC)
Wide Modes (Normal, Full, Zoom, Wide Zoom)
Program Palette™ Presets

Specifications:
A/V Inputs --- Component Video(Y/Pb/Pr) Inputs: 2 Rear (1080i, 720p, 480p, 1480i) Composite Inputs: 1 Front/2 Rear S Video Inputs: 1 Front/2 Rear DVI-HDTV Interface: 1 Rear Audio Inputs: 1 Front/5 Rear Control S Out: 1 Rear
Subwoofer Out: 1 Rear
Power Requirements --- AC 120V 60Hz

Weights and Measures
Approx Dimensions (w/h/d) --- 47 1/4" x 32 1/4" x 14 1/2"
(1201 x 819 x 371 mm)
Approx Weights --- 100 lbs (45 kg)

Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr) Inputs --- 2 rear (1080i, 720p, 480p, 1480i)
Composite Inputs --- 1 Front/ 2 Rear
S Video Inputs --- 1 Front/ 2 reer
DVI-HDTV Interface --- 1 rear
Audio Inputs --- 1 front/ 5 rear
Control S out --- 1 rear
Subwoofer out --- 1 rear

Summary:
If you own a 32" to a 19" TV the SONY DVP-NS425P is more then adequate. However if you have a TV larger then 32" you needa high-grade component/dvi/coax cable to produce the clarity/color/contrast/hue necessary for a great theater quality picture. Sony does need to move the remote sensor from the upper right corner to the upper center.

After spending months looking at traditional big screens, plasmas and the Samsung DLP, we decided on this technology. I just wasn't impressed with what I saw from the DLP televisions. Few plasmas are true HD, and the DLP image seemed soft to me. The picture on the Sony Grand Wegas is crisp and clean, never soft (unless you want it that way - Sony provides several settings). One of the greatest things about this type of TV is that there's no burn-in issues, so I don't have to "zoom" all the traditional NTSC. I much prefer to have black bars on the left and right than have, everyone look fat. The 480p off a DVD is stunning - and I can't wait to get an HDTV tuner hooked up. The black levels are quite good, it works well in our sun-lit living room, and the viewing angle is very wide. Strangely, the viewing angle gets better after the TV has warmed up a bit. We happen to have a Sony digital camera, and with the memory stick feature, my wife can watch photo slideshows on the big screen - a bonus feature she really likes.

I have no complaints. I studied the features before I bought it
and had no surprises. It does what I intended it to, and doubles
as a body mic when wanting to record some schmuck running his/her mouth. Use Ni-MH Rechargable batteries and save. Maha
Energy makes a couple of great AA/AAA rechargers, and when you have as many AA/AAA toys as I do, it is cost effective. Smart Chargers are the way to go. (auto shut off, then trickle)

I bought this product just a few hours ago. I asked the manager at the store if I could return it if I was not satisfied. Well, to tell the truth, I am so satisfied that I think this is worth more than the $ that I paid for it. I can pick up loud noises almost 4 rooms (in a house) away and I can easily pick up regular voices from 25-30 feet and have near perfect clarity. It gets a little softer as you move further away but it is definately a good investment.

The product answered to everything that waited. I was looking for a recorder to use in the university and to record the classes, Sony ICD-BP150 simply surprised me, the quality of the sound is incredible, same when we used in way LP is perfectly audible. The time to record in high quality were enough to record the classes. I already used the recorder in way LP to record seminars and the recording was very good, the resources as Index, Bookmark is very good to organize the recordings as well as the 5 Folders (A,B,C,D,E) that use to divide the matters that I record in the classes, puts each matter in a different folder and I transfer for the computer. I can maintain like this all of the organized classes in folders for subsequent study.
It is very comfortable of to handle and to transport, I already got used to carry it.
The software that accompanies the recorder, transfers the files in a very fast way for the computer, where we can still get better more the quality of the recordings.

After researching, looking at, and buying (then returning) several compact CD/Radio combos (I wanted it to go from kitchen to bathroom, but didn't have room for a boombox) I can finally rest. The Sony Liv Shower Radio is small, easily carried around with its attached handle, and has great sound--no distortion as volume is increased, and no background fuzziness. The one quibble, which I only noticed in the store as I compared it to the matching new Sony Dream Machine CD player, is that the Dream Machine gets much louder and still maintains the integrity of sound--but you have to plug it in, so you aren't going to be carrying it anywhere. That being said, mine is in the kitchen right now on a low-to-middle volume setting, and I can hear it out here in the living room--so it's loud enough, for sure. Love it!

The Sony Liv Shower Cd Player/clock radio has far exceeded my expectations. I live in a rural area, and with other radios, I have always had trouble bringing in stations clearly. The Sony Liv has clear, crisp sound, excellent fine tuning, and the CD Player and clock are an added bonus! It's an excellent package.

I highly recommend this product and would not hesitate to purchase another.

After reading many reviews on many different shower radios, this was the only shower/radio/cd player I've found with good reviews, so I decided to buy it. I love it! It's nice being able to listen to the news in the morning in the shower, and the sound quality is great, totally clear. The only cons Ive found is the price, but it IS worth it, and the volume doesnt go up as high as Id like. Other than that, it's the best Ive found.

Shame to see this greatest of the great shortwave portable receivers discontinued from the Sony line like the venerable and magnificent ICF 2010. Most long time dedicated shortwave listeners will undoubtedly own one or both of these two great radios from the Sony of days gone by...Let's hope that Sony is avidly working on an even better successor, but somehow I doubt they can top this one...Since they are still available here and there, grab one while you can - if you are a short wave enthusiast, this radio is worth every penny!

This has been called the best of the current Sony Shortwave radios. Infact it may be the best of any manufacturer's portable shortwave. I have several radios, both desktop and portable. When compared to my other radios, this one has excellent sensitivty and selectability.I use it with a loop antenna as a bedside radio to find the distant AM stations at night. When I lock in the station with the synchronous feature it greatly improves the stability of the station and makes listening a lot easier. On SSB I am able to listen to Military and Ham broadcasts with no difficulty. It even has stereo on FM with a headset. I like the radio and I highly recommend it. Jim

Hello folks its Vince the radioman . I have been a collector and buff for many years and love to do compares. This is the undisputed KING OF ALL RADIOS! It is miles above all the others in functionality , tuner sensativity and overall performance . However , it has a price to match . I know that this is an expensive radio so I take that into account when I rate all the others . But , if you can afford this price GO FOR IT ! It has a 162 memory capacity , it has .1 kh increments ( thats point one) only found on professional equipment. It has a great sound and wonderful functionality ( great information window , timer , factory presets , editing capability ...etc.)And a spectacular side band set up . I love it! It is my main radio and I have approx. 50+ radios . If you can afford it , its the best and most complete radio out there . KING OF ALL RADIOS!!!