Computer Reviews

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In my humble opinion, if you are primarily interested in blowing off the roof while you crank up the volume for rap music, then put the CD in your stereo.

These speakers are not causing Dolby to lose sleep at night but for a home computer system, they are nothing short of excellent.

Sleek, extremely lightweight and designed so they can fit almost anywhere, they are wonderful for any home/office. And the sound? Perfect. Test them with any of Amazon's audio clips while you are on-line and you can see how professional Altec Lansing made these.

But what brings it all together is the price. For [a reasonable price], these perform better than most speakers that come with boom boxes and mini-audio systems.

So, if you want concert hall sound, go to a concert hall. But if you want to upgrade from the (usually) shoddy speakers that come pre-packed with most computers, these are the ones to buy.

I bought these speaker many years ago, probably about 7 years ago I think, for $100. They are a great set of speakers. I was happy with them then, and I am still happy with them now. Yes, I still have them and they still sound great. I listen to CD's in my car, on boom boxes, and on other computer speakers, but am still amazed at the quality and extra sound reproduction that I get with these speakers on my home computer or laptop. I see that Amazon has them for just over $50, at that price they are a steal. You won't be disappointed

For a month I researched and looked at so many speakers. I decided on these speakers. All I can say is WOW! These are better than most stereo speakers I have heard. I am MORE than satisfied and was TOTALLY blown away! Combine the unbelievable qualtiy with the price and these qualify for a five star rating. I can't say enough and have absolutely nothing negative to say about these speakers. I am very happy with my decision and would recommend these without hesitation. If you are looking, look no further.

I bought this device for use at work. I work as an emergency medicine physician so I was looking for something that would be "almost" pocket size or just easy to carry around in scrubs.
Good points about this unit. It is very light compared to later models. Great color screen, very durable, sony brand quality. No camera. A good point because the unit is lighter, you are not paying extra money for poor, poor quality pictures, and you can purchase a pocket size digital camera for good prices now if you really *NEED* to take pictures.

Overall, Great unit, great price. Worthwhile investment.

This is the first PDA I've ever owned, although I've been eyeing them for years, waiting for just the "right" one to come on the market. This is it. I could not be happier with it.

I opted for the PEG-NX60 over the NX70 because I have a great digital camera and didn't need one in the Clie. Since my camera is a Sony, it is very easy for me to swap memory sticks between the two devices. I've got tons of photos and videos saved on a 64 meg memory stick that I use predominantly for the Clie, and with the included image/video conversion program, I still have a comfortable amount of free space on the memory stick.

I found the Palm OS 5 to be quite intuitive, and even Graffiti was not a problem for me, although I was certain at the beginning that I would be using the hardware keyboard most of the time. Now, I use it infrequently, but I am still glad I bought this clamshell design Clie because of the additional protection it provides to the screen. I have been using this since December and have not felt the need to buy a protective case for the device. It rides in my purse and the well-built metal shell, plus clamshell design, feels very secure to me.

The included apps, especially Documents to Go, are terrific. I've set up the Clie to sync several Word and Excel documents between my home and work PCs, and it works like a dream. I always have the most current copy of those documents with me.

All in all, it's a good work tool, and a great play tool as well. I love having the ability to keep current work docs with me at all times, plus having a digital photo album as well. There's more to tell, but I think each user will tell his or her own story.

It's a winner, and I'm once again thrilled with a Sony product!

This is a great PDA. I was thinking of the Tungsten-T, but decided for the Clie because of its extended screen and multimedia capabilities. Programs like Documents To Go, media player, and web browser use the extended screen. Comes with a lot more programs. The screen tilts and moves over the keyboard for easier screen-only use. Tilt screen also allows to position the PDA on a desk and more the screen for better viewing. Memory expansion is a plus, specially to play MP3s, but the memory sticks are expensive. You can buy the compact flash driver (forgot the company name, $20) and use regular compact flash memory. I use the wireless LAN card so it is better for me to use the memory stick. Netfront 3 is great IF YOU DOWNLOAD THE UPDATE from the Sony web site. It eliminates/reduces the annoying "page too large" message. Netfront is by far the best browser I have seen on PDAs, and I can browse virtually any web site. Make sure you download all the updates. The keyboard is not that useful for typing documents, but it is great for small things.
ADVANTAGES: larger screen, lots of buttons, lots of extra goodies like the media player controller, nice screen, and NICE LOOKING PDA. Tilt screen feature is the best.
DISADVANTAGES: long format is not the best for business only purposes. MS is expensive.
CAMERA? Why? Buy a real digital camera. I can't see how useful it will be to have a digital camera in a phone or PDA unless you have a special use for it (like inventory, etc).

The HD-580s are probably the best buy in quality headphones going today. These are true audiophile headphones that bring quality construction and sound with them. The 580s are akin to the equivalent of a pair of $1100 speakers if you use the rule of thumb of $1 for headphones for every $6 in speakers. [I own a pair of ACI Sapphires and a pair of Quad speakers].

While other headphone companies make quality gear, they really don't have anything at this price point that performs well. Grado's R2, a great headphone in its own right, is over two hundred dollars more than the 580.

The reason for their value, I think, is that it contains much of the same internal electronics as the HD-600 and 650s. These retail for at least $150 or so more than the 580s, the only difference being the 580s are made of hard plastic and the 600/650s have additional electronics that only nominally effect sound.

These get my highest recommendation.

I received these headphones for Christmas. After searching for headphones, having used a few (Grado 60, Sony MDR-V4 and V6s), I find the HD580s are great.
They are comfortable, offer great sound reproduction and imaging and are adequate in bass. What's interesting is the fact that they are good enough to hear things I've not heard on some of my music CDs. I haven't experienced ear fatigue that I usually get with other headphones. Highly recommended!

I have a pair of 580s I bought over 9 years ago, and paid almost twice the current price. They are still the best sounding, most comfortable headphones I've ever used. I listen to music 8+ hours a day at work. These headphones are incredibly comfortable. Sound reproduction is excellent, I originally bought them to listen to live recordings I was making of local bands. They work great with my dat deck, or with my pc. After nine years the only signs of wear is the thin piece of foam between your ear and the speaker element. It's finally worn enough to need replacement. Should anything happen to these, I would buy another pair immediately.

Hi everyone,
Each year around this time, your old friend Sam gets into high tech gear and explores the latest gadgets out there. This year I wanted to add big screen video to our bedroom to take advantage of watching more of the many, many DVD's I have amassed in the past few years. Why watch lousy TV programs when you can see a good feature and see it movie size?
Well, I had NO IDEA what a REVOLUTION has occurred in video processing technology at a price ANYONE can afford right now. Those of you who have seen my eight foot projected picture at home will appreciate what I am about to tell you....you can have close to that great quality for DVD's, Cable TV or High Definition, or other sources for only $999.99 and all you need do is go to Circuit City and buy the INFOCUS X1 projector. Infocus is one of the leading manufacturers of projectors for industrial use and their sets are now being tailored for home use. Their products use the DLP technology (Digital Light Producing) and the latest Texas Instruments chip. This baby is smaller than a typewriter (about 5 by 10 by 12) and weighs only six pounds. The bulb will last for up to FOUR THOUSAND hours and is relatively cheap to replace. The brightness and contrast specs are actually better than my two year old six thousand dollar Sharp XV-9000 projector. It has lower resolution than some higher priced machines, but still enough punch to make any DVD look great for picture sizes up to nine feet. It even has a small speaker and amp built in so you don't need to hook up a sound system, which is especially handy if you want to carry it out anywhere. It has a zoom lens that allows you to adjust picture size and a handy remote control that provides all the choices for any adjustments you need.
Right out of the box, and without making any adjustments, the picture on "Annie Get Your Gun" (an exceptional DVD!) looked beautiful. I hyped the brightness, color, and contrast a bit and was even more pleased. Truly, this projector is just unbelievable and it is a thrill to share this review of its great performance with you.
You don't even need a screen to enjoy the picture, as it will work on a white wall or even a sheet. A cheap screen will be better, however. Anyone with at least a five foot throw distance can enjoy this baby in a darkened room. I had mine about fifteen feet from the screen for an eight foot picture. Even with light on in the room, the picture can be enjoyed.
This projector was introduced at $1,600.00 and was recently lowered in price because a newer model is coming out next year...BUT the new model will not include the fine Faroudja processor that is built into the unit. This processor is great at cleaning up imperfections in video. Jagged edges, video noise, and more will be smoothed out.
As usual, I did much research into this and compared other models and read countless reviews to find the best bang for the buck right now. There are a few other models that average a couple hundred more and will probably give similar performance, but I don't think any other machine will come close for this price.
So, if a big beautiful video experience is what you have been waiting for....go get one and enjoy! Just hook up your cable box or an inexpensive DVD player and you are in business. BOTTOM LINE: People who are going out and buying those huge rear projection TV's that are heavy and take up a lot of room paid from two to three thousand dollars and sometimes much more. You can have a picture double their size, that will have no "burn in" problems, take up no space, and almost certainly will have a superior picture....for a third of the price. The projector also has a THREE year warranty.
I think Santa Claus came early this year...because it feels like Xmas here today!
best to all,
Sam

I purchased the X1 just before Christmas (delivery in 36 hours!) to be the video source for my Home Entertainment system. I use a computer to supply DVD input and for computer games. The Xbox and game Cube are connected through the s-video input. I am projecting on a 84 inch diagonal white screen. Viewing distance is about 11 feet.

DVD movies look perfect. There is no visible pixilation and blacks are close to true black (in film mode). Part of this is no doubt do to using a computer for the DVD input. I believe a direct s-video input may not be as good (I have not tried this though).

The video game systems also look great. Four player Halo on a big screen has to be seen to be believed.

I also have a TV tuner (Hauppage)in the computer and astonishingly, the TV image (at about 65 inch diagonal)is excellent.

The only reservation would be that the light output is not great (especially in film or video mode) so you need to use it in a room that can be fully blacked out.

The picture is much better than any rear projection HDTV's I have seen (of any size). For the money I doubt you could by a better picture for TV or DVD viewing.

The native resolution is SVGA so Text is slightly ragged, especially when displayed in XGA mode. Again due to the SVGA native resolution computer games do not look as good as on high resolution monitor. I would therefore not recommend the projector as your only computer monitor or for large amounts of web surfing.

Definitely recommended.

I am writing this, because i made my decision mainly over the others opinions and i will be very happy if i can help others with their decision. I am not an expert but i can tell you that i am very hapy with the result. My wife was very pesimistic about the idea of buying a projector but now she is also accept that result is impressive. This is my first projector and i don't think i need an upgrade for a while. I'am using it mainly for dvd. I have a 100" screen. Colours and contrast are very good but there are minor problems with dark scenes. If you want to use X1 during the day you have to have a light control because this is not a projector you can use it in a bright environment. Seting up X1 is easy. Component video is deffinitely giving the best result but s video is also not bad. For component video you have to use a special adaptor and it was difficult to find when ý bought the X1. If you can not find it you can use a VGA to 5BNC cable (like me). It can accept progressive signals but you should decide whether your source or the procector's video processing is better. X1 has a Faroudja video processing and it is very good. I know the rainbow isue is a problem with DLP projectors (Specialy projectors with 2X color wheel like X1). But i am at the lucky side. I have more than 300 hours on the lamp and neither me nor My wife or any of my friends see any rainbows yet. I think, if you don't see the rainbows you can not go wrong with this projector. Result is perfect for the price. I think this was the best 950$ i spend for my home theatre. PS: you can find lots of useful information about X1 at http://members.shaw.ca/technut/x1faq (unofficial X1 FQA page)

Bought this to replace a leased cable modem with AT&T (old modem: Nortel LanCity installed by ISP about 4 years ago.) Received the PCX1100 and installed it the same day with no problems. Logged into an online chat session with AT&T support - got it registered and activated in less than an hour. There was NO (i.e. zero) user configuration required - hardware or software. Just gave AT&T the ser# and MAC address, plugged in the cables, went to the AT&T registration website, and then waited about 20 minutes for them to activate it in their system before giving it a power cycle. At that point everything worked as normal, but faster. Configuration settings if any, were done by the ISP. As delivered it's just a black box to the user, although software exists on the web which allows access to the internal settings. QuickStart software CD-ROM delivered with modem for installation walk-thru, but doesn't access internals.

PCX1100 is noticeably faster than previous leased modem.

Quite simply one of the easiest installations for your computer today. Literally remove from box, hook to cable line, plug into the computer, call cable company, and 5 minutes later done.
Company needs the MAC address of the modem, which is supplied nearly everywhere you look in the box. Takes roughly 5 minutes for the company to enter the MAC address and have the system recognize your new modem. And finished. Period. It's that easy.

I received this modem from Time Warner Cable. I use this modem for Road Runner High Speed Online. I have found that this modem is easy to install and there is only one thing to do to maintain it. Periodically the modem will run slow, because it is always on. All I have to do is to unplug the power, and then it runs fast like before. There is really only one essential thing you need to buy for this modem, it is called Norton Antivirus 2002. The reason why you should buy this is because with highspeed Internet the viruses will come into your computer faster. That is the only con about this product. I have had only one problem with it but is wasn't caused by the modem, it was Time Warner mistake. If you want this product call up your Time Warner company at 1-877-TWC-EASY or 1-877-TWC-FAST. Ask them specifically for the Toshiba PCX1100U. The other ones are not that great. Plus they really don't need to install it for you. All you need to do is connect the cable line to it, plug in the power, and hook it up to your Ethernet card, then you are ready to go.

It's worth it! Spend a little more $$ and purchase this Toshiba player. Don't waste your time and money on cheaper models like I did. I first purchased the Mintek MDP-1810 to save a few dollars but I was very disappointed in the picture quality. I could barely read the text titles on Alien Resurection (You can especially see the quality difference in movies with darker scenes). Unlike the Mintek, the Toshiba LCD screen has one of the sharpest displays I have seen while shopping around for a better portable DVD player.

My final decision came down to models: The Toshiba SD-P2500 and Samsung L200. The three deciding factors were: 1) The Toshiba is not as bulky as the Samsung L200 and has progressive-scan output. 2) The Toshiba has easier menu functions and ergonomic design IMHO. 3) Longer battery life: 3.5 vs 3 hours. I was able to watch the entire EXTENDED version (2 DVDs) of Lord of the Rings Two Towers before the battery died.

I have only two complaints about this unit:
1) The view angle is not the greatest and takes some adjusting but once you find the right placement, the picture is sharp and clear.
2) The included accessories are limited. I wish Toshiba would have included the BitstreamPCM cable to connect into your receiver for 5.1 digital output. Also, no car AC/DC adapter is included.

My 16 month old daughter and 12 year old step-daughter love that I have purchased this portable dvd player. Long car rides will never be the same again. Plus I'm sure my husband will get a lot of use taking it to work with him. I own a 2002 Dodge Durango and this unit fits perfectly between the two front seats and with my youngest behind me in her car seat she can't reach the unit to kick it. Battery life is long and charges quickly. Picture quality and sound is so good I don't need headphones to enjoy anything I am watching. This unit isn't very expensive for all the quality you get out of it so don't buy the cheap Minitek models because this one smokes them all.

It doesn't come with a car adapter, but go on ebay and they sell them cheap. Because of the size of the screen it was hard to find a decent case because most of them will only accomidate barely 8 inches. I went to Circuit City and they sell a bag called "Targus" and this bag will do the trick. I even brought my Toshiba 2500 into the store and sized it up. Plus the bag holds extra dvd's and cables, really a good buy and I recommend picking it up because this one switches from a back-of-chair viewing to a suspension between the two front seats.

If you can get your hands on this please do so. I did my homework on portable dvd players for over 6 months and I am proud to say I know I couldn't have done any better.

I travel a lot, and since I bought SD-P2500 I cannot imagine travelling without it. While I never owned a competing model, I've looked at them, researched them and this is the one to get. 8.9'' screen is just the right size -- probably the biggest you can have and still call it portable. The sound and picture quality is simply great. Two headphone jacks can definitely be handy. The battery lasts, and charges fast. And now, four months later, I can also add that this DVD Player can live through a lot of abuse. :-)

I've got this one and the old Sonicare toothbrush. I bought this one as a replacement for my Sonicare, whose juice has just about run out.

Pros: smaller head, cheaper heads, interdental head, cheaper toothbrush
Cons: not as clean feeling as old Sonicare, battery life is worse, head life is shorter, no quadpacer

The two-speed thing feels useless because the lower speed feels harsher. The spinning brush doesn't do a better job either. Basically, you get what you pay for. Sonicare costs more and is better.

If you are like me, then you have just returned from the dentist and have vowed to take better care of your teeth.
This toothbrush is a great buy!

Pros:
1. Teeth feel cleaner compared to brushing with a regular toothbrush. I will never go back to regular toothbrushing again. It's just more convenient and most of us are probably brushing incorrectly anyway.
2. small brush head to reach the "hard to reach" places, like the molars.
3. easy to use.
4. replacement brush heads are relatively inexpensive.
5. price for the unit is not too bad.
6. big difference in performance as compared to the $15 base oral b electronic toothbrush i use to own.
7. 2 speed option just in case. (i dont really care for this feature).
8. great for taking care of the gums. I use to focus more on brushing my teeth, but with this toothbrush it helps take care of the gum line too.

Cons:
1. the toothbrush heads can be detached and stored but the problem is that after a couple of days it gets dirty in the storage area. just be sure to clean that area out frequently as you do not want to keep use a toothbrush that has a bunch of bacteria on it.
2. while the small brush heads make it convenient to reach harder places, you have to keep in mind that there is less surface area for the brush head so you literally have to brush tooth by tooth which takes a longer.
3. brushing can get a bit messy.
4. no auto shut-off feature (discussed below).
5. not as satisfied when trying to clean my tongue and below the tongue. (could be because of the small brush head)

Compared with Sonicare 7500.
1. price- oral b has price going for it.
2. reliability- this is arguable but i have never had any problems whatsoever with previous oral b products. While reading the reviews of the sonicare models I came across some reviews that indicated problems here and there. (i just didnt want to deal with that type of problem.)
3. RPM - the oral b model spins at approx. 40,000 rpm vs 31,000 rpm for the sonicare. i really dont know how much a factor the difference in speed helps but i assume that faster is better (?).
4. both the oral b and the sonicare models feature oscillating heads. (although not noted on the oral b description). (again, i dont know how much it helps having an oscillating feature).
5. No auto shut off feature- The Oral B does not have this feature, while the sonicare does. The reason why i believe this is an important feature is because at 40,000 rpm's you don't know exactly how much pressure is ok to use with the Oral B. At least with the sonicare, if you are using too much pressure, it shuts off automatically. Incorrect brushing can cause excessive wear and tear on portions of the teeth- such as with the enamel. Especially with the rise in use of whitening toothpastes that have more granules and such, you can do damage to the outer layer of the teeth. just keep in mind that you do not want to use too much pressure while brushing.
6. curiosity- being that we always want things that we dont have, i am curious as to how the sonicare performs.

Conclusion: great buy, and i am now a believer of electronic toothbrushes. i have tried regular brushing and it just doesnt feel the same anymore. dont expect this toothbrush to do miracles because in the end its a toothbrush. Even so, it performs as promised and my next dentist appointment will hopefully confirm that the health of my teeth and gums have improved. Price is reasonable and i do not foresee any issues with reliability.

I've owned a basic Sonicare for about two years now and just switched to the Oral-B 7850dlx.

Cost:
One of the things that bothered me about the Sonicare was the high price of replacement heads and, at times, difficulty in finding a replacement head at all. The Oral-B 7850 doesn't have this problem. The replacement heads, while still more than a regular tooth brush, are far cheaper than Sonicare's. The cost of the brush itself, depending on where you purchase it, is also far less expensive.

Operation:
Both Sonicare and Oral-B have the same principle of 30 seconds per quadrant of your mouth to make a total of 2 minutes brushing. As others have noted, the drawback here is the lack of an automatic shut-off on the Oral-B.

In terms of cleanliness, the base of the Sonicare rests inside its recharger where old tooth paste and general muck tend to accumulate. The Oral-B, however, rests on top of a rod. Since there's no depression there's far less mess and what there is you see and can immediately clean up.

Effectiveness:
Consumer Reports has ranked Oral-B as being the best electronic tooth brush. It seems that other researchers have confirmed that conclusion. The smaller head of the Oral-B is far more effective at getting at hard to reach areas. After just a few days use it seems to me that it is indeed better at cleaning.

Overall:
Sonicare is a good brush. But in just a few days use I can safely say that the Oral-B is better. It's cheaper and more effective. About the only drawback I've seen is that it feels less solid than the Sonicare. It just feels like it might break more easily. But for now my brush is working great. I absolutely recommend it.

The battery on my ipod died after a year of having it. Now the charge only lasts about twenty minutes. I still use it every day, but only in my car with a charger attached.

I own the 3rd Generation iPod with the buttons on it and it's amazing. My brother owns this new 4th Generation iPod and it is also amazing. It doesn't come with the dock, however, this is not a much needed accesory. You can still transfer songs onto it and charge it if you use the firewire cable. Amazing MP3 player. It holds 5,000 songs- something you're not going to fill up anytime soon. Mine has about 900 on it and I've had it a year now. Once again amazing product, stop by the store and pick one up for yourself. You'll be doing yourself a favor!

If you are looking for a real good mp3 player, this is the one to get! It has everything i am looking for. First off it has a 20gb hard drive which can store 5,000 songs. my iTunes playlist has at least 600 hundred songs! second it has the new click-wheel which makes things much more easier to manuver around. the 3rd gen. iPod is real nice too but i don't like that the play, pause, stop buttons are at the top. finally the design is really high-tech looking. It has a nice white coating on the front and a metal finish at the back. it's thin as ever now also! i bought this for my wife for christmas but i also bought one for me too! these 20gb were sold out evrywhere!

I needed a card reader for the proprietary XD memory used in my digital camera so I bought this reader. It is a great value for this price because it reads 8 different formats of memory cards. Great if you use several formats of memory cards or have friends with other cards.

It hooks up via a USB docking station and is backward compatible with the older USB standard. It also comes with a short USB connector if you do not want to carry around the docking station. It just plugs and plays in Windows XP. It creates 4 removable disks in my computer for each memory format because there is 4 slots and each slot fits 2 different memory formats. This makes it possible to move data from one format to another very easily with some obvious limitations.

Overall a Keeper

In my opinion this is the best memory card reader you could get. The price at Amazon is a good deal, plus with the free shipping you won't make a mistake. Here is the summary:

Pros:
1. It looks elegant. The colour combination of silver and black makes it look like a serious tool you could display even in an office environment.
2. Comes with a bonus stand to enable the display at an upright position. Saves space in a cluttered environment.
3. Comes with another USB cable to you could position it horizontally (flat) on a table. You will have to keep the stand, in this case.
4. USB 2.0 speed which means faster transfer speed.
5. No drivers needed if you use the latest Windows XP or Mac OS X operating system. I use the Mac and there is nothing to install.
6. 8 in 1 memory card reader. Try finding that in othe products at that price and design. You connect as much memory cards that could fill the slot and they will appear individually in your desktop. This means you can transfer files between memory cards without having to transfer and use your desktop as a holding place.
7. Each slot has its own individual lights to indicate correct installation and file activity transfer.
8. Light and portable.

Cons:
1. Light - plastic construction. Feels fragile, but I guess SanDisk knows better on making it sturdy.
2. The cable for the bonus stand is long, but the extra cable supplied to lay the product flat is short - and I mean short! This is a plus for those who bring this with their portable computers and don't need the extra long cable. A big minus for those who wish to forego the stand, but decide to use with their desktop on a desk. You will need to connect it to a hub if your USB plug is nowhere close.

All in all a great buy for the price.

I got this reader to read my Compact Flash, IBM Microdrive, Secure Digital, and XD cards. I've had it for a few months now and it has transfered all my image and video files from all my cards without any trouble at all.

The nice thing also is that it doesn't require any drivers - just plug it in and it's ready to go. Has lots of pretty LED lights too!

It adds 4 drive letters to your computer. Unfortunately they only have generic names ("Removable Disk" in WinXP). The manual tells you which slot each drive letter refers to, though. It also came with some bundled software (Adobe Photoshop Album) but I haven't tried it.

The docking base has a cable that is approximately 42 inches long. It also comes with a USB cable that's like 3 inches so you can hook up the reader to a laptop without using the docking base.

It's definitely a very handy reader. The fact that it can read 8 types of cards seemed like overkill to me at first, but when I got a new camera that required Secure Digital cards, I was relieved that I didn't have to purchase an extra card reader.

Most modern television sets come with only two Audio/Video (front and back), and one S-Video connectors. So what do you do when your DVD player, satellite receiver, Playstation, TiVo, etc want those for themselves?

You can either move your television and plug/unplug whatever you're going to use at the time (which can drive you nuts, not to mention wear out your connectors), or just invest in one of these little things.

I love how simple the Recoton is. You just plug your stuff into the back of it (up to 4 different devices), then run another set of cables from the "out" jacks to the back of your TV. That's it! I've seen other little boxes that do the same thing for hundreds of dollars, and need electricity to work. A total waste of money, in my opinion. I keep my Recoton on top of my television set, and switch between each device with a push of a button now. No more having to deal with wires everywhere or moving the TV.

The Recoton doesn't come with extra cables to run from the back of it to your TV set, so if you don't have some spare A/V and S-Video cables around, be sure to get a set. I personally use the brand from Monster Cable, which has wonderful picture quality.

I'm a big video game head and I'm the proud owner of 4 systems. The "Mad Catz System Selector" was cool until I purchased a Sega Dreamcast & a Sony PS2 with the S-type connection. I own a big screen TV and I need big picture color quality. The Recoton offered that and more. I'm now able to switch between 3 video game consoles and my VCR without the constant "plug-unplug" headaches that goes on behind my TV. The price is very reasonable for anyone to buy or you can buy a new receiver with more S-type connections (not a wise investment).

Secondly this device is an audio switch as well. When video games get boring, this device is connected to my audio amp for easy access to my MP3 player, CD-recorder, portable CD player and tape player. The one thing that would make this device better is a REMOTE CONTROL so that my lazy butt wouldn't have to get off the sofa. Please get this device if you need it......get it anyway because you may end up needing it.

oNe

I needed to evaluate a new version of the MSN Web TV component that hitches up to a television/stereo system. All my S-Video and RCA inputs/outputs were already taken up by -- and daisy-chained through -- a digital-CD player, a stereo receiver, a satellite antenna box, a VCR, an older analog television, VCR, etc. I rummaged through electronic aisles at CompUSA and found this wonderful solution, inexpensive and sufficiently easy to hook up that no instructions are needed. I don't know what model I have -- it sounds exactly like what is described here but looks a little different, more modern. And it does the job. As digital and analog media increasingly fuse together into a home media center, older components are going to be lacking sufficient s-video and other video/stereo connections. The Recoton S-Video Switch saves the day! My only concern is that the four hook-ups may not be enough.