Video Reviews

First of all, when I opened the box there was no user guide, and when I installed it to watch a movie there was alot of snow, I tried to adjust the tracking and there was still snow. The sound was terrible. This has been a very disappointing experience for me.

This machine is fine for watching movies or setting up the timer to tape programs while you're out; however, for my taping purposes (trying to tape specific segments of shows) I find it very frustrating. There is no memory function for the counter so I continually need to adjust the tape's position myself, and there is an annoying delay upon pressing record and the machine does not start recording immediately (missing things when trying to hit record on a program coming back from a commericial break when I paused/stopped it). A few other annoying details as well; I will be going back to Magnavox next time.

I don't know if I received a defective one, but this this is louder than the VCR I have had since 1984! It sounds like a snowblower is outside my window when I play movies. Just my 2 cents.

There are a lot of pluses and a few minuses for the DV51. The biggest plus is you're getting all the video quality of a much more expensive camera like the DV601. The 680,000 pixel CCD is a big part of that. Most low-end digital cams (including those from Sony) don't have anywhere near this kind of resolution. If you currently have a VHS or 8mm camcorder, you're in for a big step up in image quality.

The DV51 is reasonably easy to record with. If you want to do much more than defeat the EIS, enable manual focus, or enable the backlight compensation however, you'll have to go into the menus. The "jog dial" makes menu selection reasonably easy but for some reason, you sometimes turn the dial to choose which selection you want and sometimes you're forced to press it multiple times depending on the menu. The same jog dial is also the manual focus adjustment and it's a bit awkward for that purpose.

The EIS works well. It takes it a second or so to kill any undesired camera shake after you stop panning or zooming but that's typical of most digital EIS systems. You can also use it after the fact on playback which is a bonus as EIS usually shortens battery life (and can cause side effects you might not want in your final video). If you want to export your videos via the digital 1394 link to your computer, however, you best use it when recording.

The battery life with the included battery is less than an hour with the LCD monitor in use and close to 1.5 hours if you use the viewfinder instead. Most will likely want to get a spare (and possibly larger) battery but this is typical of most camcorders.

The zoom is quiet (you can barely hear it on the recorded video) and has multiple speeds but it takes a light touch to keep it at the slow speed. The digital zoom works well up to about 30x or 40x but beyond that, you lose a lot of quality (just like with any other digital zoom).

There are "program" settings for sport, portrait, low light and bright (i.e. snow) scenes. There's also a "gain up" setting that, when used, allows the DV51 to shoot decent video in relatively low light. Like most camcorders, however, the video noise is much more noticable under such conditions.

My biggest complaint is this camera lacks a microphone input. If you've done much camcorder work, you probably know that capturing quality audio is often difficult. The lack of a microphone jack makes it impossible to use anything but the built in stereo microphone. While this isn't a big deal for taping your baby crawling around the house, it would be a big deal if you want to pull off a professional sounding interview or record your son's band performance.

The built in microphone of any camera can't help but pick up some camera noises, any noise made by whoever's doing the recording and the noise of the camera being handled. Plus, if your subject is more than 5 feet away, you'll get a lot of echo indoors. The microphone in the DV51 is decent as far as built-in mics go, but your videos will still scream "amateur" from the poor audio.

The camera is a little light on accessories as might be expected for this price. You don't get an 1394 digital cable. You also don't get a blank miniDV tape.

I didn't buy the DV51 to use as a digital still camera. It's not well suited to this as you have to record the images to tape and transfering them to your PC is an involved process. If you want this feature, spend a little more money and at least get the PV-DV101 which has a serial connection or the PV-DV201 which steps up to faster USB. That way you can directly download the images to your PC.

In summary, Panasonic chose to throw out features instead of video quality for their least expensive DV camera. For my needs, it's mostly a good compromise. I just wish they could have spent the extra dollar or so and included a microphone jack.

Relatively speaking, DV cameras are likely to continue to rapidly improve. I would expect that two years from now a $500 camera will have a megapixel rating, 32mb or more of still picture memory plus added bells and whistles. In the meantime, the DV51 is a good choice if you're on a tight budget or just want something to get you buy until DV cams are more mature.

If Celia reads this review, I would like to know what specific cable you bought from Pinnacle to use to transfer still pics to the computer. I can't seem to find any info on that. Amazon has cables but I don't know which one I need. It would be helpful if on the despcription of the product, there was a despcription of the accessories and what you need, not just a list.

the video is very good on this one and I find it very easy to handle. I'm just frustrated about not being able to get the still pics on the computer.

Another big note. We have had this less than 2 years now and we had the same case break by the handle that the guy had mentioned above. Not happy with this camera at this point. Going to move up to a DVD camcorder and not panasonic(if they even make them!)

This camera stands out because the video quality is great, while unneeded features are left off. I don't need a color viewfinder--or a color LCD for that matter, even though this camera comes with one. I want to be able to aim it, that's all. I have a nice Olympus digital camera I bought on Amazon last year that takes PERFECT pictures and I don't need an inferior "still mode" which is commonly included with lots of these digital VIDEO cameras. Mercifully, Panasonic made the effort to make a camera for the real, practical world which does not force me to pay for a high-end digital camera and media capability that I do not need at all. The 2.5 inch color LCD is even too much in my opinion! I LOVE that this camera takes such good video and has an excellent zoom capability the most. That's all I really need!

It couldn't be easier! I just finished 2 major projects in my house - carpet & trim - and the Intellimeasure made it simple and quick. I double checked the first room with my tape rule and found that the measurements were right on. The auto calculating features were great and saved me from having to write down every measurement.

And a great one at that. I use this handy device when I am out surveying sites which calls for room measurement. Many times our clients time is limited and the IntelliMeasure provides a quick and easy way to get the information I need. I have used a couple of ultrasonics in the past that have ended up in the trash, no accuracy or reliability. This one will be a keeper. It is definitely not a replacement for a tape measure but provides great accuracy at +/-.5% for estimating and that is what it is designed for.

I use this to double check or measure area for productivity assessments in cleaning. The add function works well and as far as accuracy, it is great when you have a relatively clear shot at a blunt target. This is a SONIC unit that uses a laser only for targeting. I use a laser rangefinder for long distances. This one is great for room measurements.

If you have reasonable expectations and are applying this for what it is designed, it is the best I have found for the money. Stanley is normally not a brand I look for but in this case, it is much better than I expected.

Bought this vcr less than five months ago and it is already busted, though I have not used it more than ten times in that period. A real hunk of junk. Stay away from this product, unless if you are happy buying a new two hundred dollar vcr every five months. Obviously while parts are under warranty, the labor isn't after 90 days, so you would pay as much fixing it as to buy a new one. What a waste of money. I've had bad vcr's before, but this is by far the WORST.

I don't know what the other reviewers are doing, but this baby deserves a WOW! This is a great picture and a very comparable picture quality to my DISH PVR-its 400+ lines of resolution double a standard VCR and come close to DVD/digital 480p. Try using this baby for a little while and read the brief manual which other reviewers unfortunately did not do. Use the SP-ET setting for optimal quality on a regular VHS and you will not find a better VCR reproduction-especially for its low price. These S-VHS models have been dropping in price in 2003 and can now be had for about the same price as a standard model ( I got mine for [money amount]). Too bad it does not have S-video port on the front, but I believe later models have this convenience. Otherwise, it is a breeze to run the S-video into my computer for DVD back-up of all video, giving me a with great picture.
JVC invented the technology and they remain on top.

I cannot be happier than I am with this lovely purchase and father's day gift from my family.

TO ALL THE MANY THAT HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS VCR GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND LEARN HOW TO READ AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTONS. THIS VCR IS ONE OF THE BEST IN IT`S CLASS OF SUPER VHS VCR`S.IT`S NOT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST LIKE ONE REVIEWER WROTE. AS FAR AS SONY THE CONSUMER LINE IS JUNK IF YOU WANT SONY YOU HAVE TO GO INTO THE PROFESSIONAL LINE. IT`S REALLY ASHAME THAT MOST ELECTIC COMPANIES ARE GOING THAT WAY SCREWING THE CONSUMERS AND PUTTING THERE MONEY ON THE PRO LINE. BUT THE HR-S3901U IS A HELL OF A MACHINE...............

I notice another reviewer reports losing sound output after 18 months. Exactly the same thing happened to me. Otherwise, I have been satisfied.

A good vcr. I personally like the vcr plus featre. but there are many featres like Dolby ProLogic-compatible hi-fi sound Advanced VCR Plus+ recording features Rapid rewind/fast-forward Commercial Advance skips over 3 minutes of commercials in 25 seconds Multibrand universal Light Tower remote control. a good BUY!

Wow. This puppy continues to amaze us every day. Here's the last couple of surprises:

* After taping a show, it asks whether you want to delete the commercials right away, or do it later. How nice to have choices!

* It tapes SVHS quality on VHS tapes. Wait until you see SVHS quality, then see how yucky normal VHS looks.

* When you rent a video, one button on the remote fast forwards past all the previews. You see all the junk fly by, then the tape slows down, and the audio cuts in at precisely the first note of the movie soundtrack. Amazing.

Needless to say, we love this one.

This camera take good pictures only in sunlight! Otherwise, without light, with artificial light it is so poor, so blur! I've got a create pc-cam 300 with 640x480 resolution and it's better better than cardcam.
So, with almost sixty dollars I recomend you buy another one! Try philips key, it has low resolution but you can store almost 1600 photos!!!
Good look!!!

I think is a good product but in features the Built-in RAM is 8 MB

This camera fits in my wallet and takes great pictures!

I got vcr 604 and not 704 if they dont have that one then they need to say so.

This vcr is just bad. The DNR doesn't work, and sound is just terrible. I can't believe my friend wants this vcr. He's just stupid. For a good vcr get the Sony silver vcr SLV-N80. That vcr works. Especially when you have some good audio and video cable from Monster Cable. But this toshiba is just terrible. I wish it never existed. It's possible to get a better vcr for your money.

This unit has excellent picture reproduction. This is one of the best VCRs I have seen within the past year. I made recordings and played them back and also played back pre-recorded tapes with good results as stated. I don't see what all the fuss is about the remote. The small buttons are ideal so large fingertips do not get in the way! That is good ergonomics. Time recording was a bit confusing I'll have to admit. The unit also is rather lightweight which made me concerned about the size and durability of the motor. However, the picture looks good in any event.

Software EXTREMELY difficult to install. Hardware crashes computer. If you use WIN98SE, look elsewhere because this so-called webcam is not for you. Yeeccchh!

Don't bother! (...)Other than [the] critical failing, the camera works fine. Good video, no need to focus, set light levels, colors, anything. The interface is easy to use and intuitive. Easy to configure. If all you want is a webcam that gets your pearly whites on the internet, this will do it for you.

When it will do it for you.

One other thing... it SAYS that it will E-mail pictures as it snaps them, but this is only if you have some funky Microsoft mailer program. Gotcha!

Bottom line: Try something else.

I bought this camera for my laptop because I WAS frugal and didn't want to spend a lot of money on the only laptop camera out there. I found it to be a great camera for the price! It focused well, and the software loaded on just fine. Terrific little buy!

I am usually a fan of DLink products but they really dropped it on this so called bridge. This is absolutely not a bridge. If you are looking for speeds slower than 802.11b this would be perfect but DLink insists on using terms like "turbo" and "extreme" Two tin cans and a piece of string communicate more effectively than two of these relatively pricey units.

Having this DWL-G810 Wireless Bridge is a great addition to any network ready device. I have this wireless bridge configured to connect to my network with 108Mbps speeds, and I can plug and unplug this into any network ready device. For example I've plugged it into my Playstation2, my computer in the garage when I want Internet access, a laptop when my friend came over, and even my Dad's PDA with Ethernet adapter installed.

The setup is rather simple, just follow the instructions, reboot the box and plug it into whatever you want. Just make sure it is within range, and sometimes fiddling with the antenna helps with the signal.

OK. I have DI-624, DWL-G650 and DWL-G810.
I connected my KISS DP-500 Network DVD to the DWL-G810 and everything is working perfect, but you will need to work with settings for a few minutes.

DI-624:

Firmware - 2.42
Open System
WEP Disabled (#1)
TX Rate - Auto
Transmit Power - 100%
Beacon - 100
RTS - 2346
Fragmentation - 2346
DTIM - 1
Preamble - Short
SSID Broadcast - Disabled (#2)
802.11g only - Disabled
CTS - Auto
Super G Mode - Super G with Dynamic Turbo

DWL-G810:

Firmware - 2.12
Static IP
No Gateway Address (#3)
Infrastructure mode
WEP Disabled (#1)
TX Rate - Auto
Authentication - Open System
Super Mode - Super G with Dynamic Turbo

#1 - First you can try with security settings disabled and later you can enable security.
#2 - Guys: broadcast SSID is NOT necesary! No security issues!
#3 - this is the key!

Unplug both devices and it's done!

This was my first vid cam so I didn't have anything to compare it with. The only person whom I talked with previously on vid conference had an old vid cam so I didn't see a big difference. Then a family member called and said he just bought a new vid cam (a Logitech Quickcam 4000) and I couldn't believe the difference. I can see now why the Veo Velocity is getting such a bad rap. It's well deserved. It's very grainy and jittery, and doesn't work consistent in any light, not to mention very poor in low light, even with the 2.0 USB card. I'm not much into the vid conference thing, but since it looks like I'm going to be in touch with my family member now on a steady basis, I went out and snagged a Logitech 4000 and am very pleased with it.

Don't settle for the Veo Velocity cam. If you are communicating with someone who is using a Logitech, it will only remind you what poor quality your Veo is.

Just got the camera and read the fine print found only on the bottom of the box. It says, "Resolutions supported by hardware for third party software compatibility. Not supported by Creative Studio." The software it comes with only supports the usual 640x480 resolution. I didn't see any advantage from the optics or the USB 2.0 functionality, but then mine came with a busted focusing lens. I'm sure Amazon will take the return no problem, and the free shipping that was supposed to take 5-7 days miraculously brought me the camera in a single day, but I won't be ordering another one all the same.

The previous reviews for this product are right on the money... This cam looks great in the daytime with the shades open, but once night falls, in order to use it , my computer desk has to look like a photographers studio.. I have several lights blinding me just to get a decent picture.. also I find I am constantly having to adjust light to make my image viewable. When I bought this cam, I also fell for the impressive stats, but they all go out the window at dusk..