Video Reviews

I highly recommend purchasing this product. The video quality is superb, and the audio is much better than I expected. The price offered by Amazon was not to be equalled by any other vendor. The TV/DVD was delivered and set up by a professional. Kudos!!!

I just picked up this great little Toshiba TV/VCR combo for my brother who is living the dorm life.

He says it is perfect in that it takes up much less space than a TV and a clunky VCR, the reception, picture and color are good and it's easy to move around or bring to another dorm room to watch movies.

I say it's perfect because it cost less than a hundred dollars and made my brother so happy. Thanks Toshiba!

This is one of the better combination TV-VCRs I have seen. Panasonic and Sony also both make good 9-inch TVs. Toshiba's combination TV-VCRs often gets overlooked. However, this is an excellent set and performs equally well. The picture is crisp and sharp. The built-in Digital tracking 2 head VCR makes VHS tapes look very good. You get front A/V (RCA type) inputs with a TV/game switch. The VCR has good high-speed fast-forward and rewind performance. It also has time-shift recording capability and a built-in head cleaner. The front panel features a useful headphone jack. The 'Black' cabinet design is uniquely handsome and looks better than other competitor models.

The Avermedia TVBox 9 does everything as advertised! This unit fits the bill for the 3 indispensable features I had in mind for a TV Tuner:

1) includes a remote control
2) lets you work on your computer while you watch TV in a little window
3) Full screen mode

Additional features that were a welcome bonus for me:

1) PNP - or Picture-in-Picture with See-Through Translucent Mode -- pretty nifty!
At first I thought the PNP feature refers to the ability to view other channels in a little window overlaid on the current channel I'm on. Actually, to my disappointment, this feature refers to the ability to view TV in a little window over the computer desktop, so you can work on your computer while you watch TV. The PNP terminology was a little misleading! What's nice though is the little TV window can be made translucent, so you can see through it to view what's on your computer. There is no way, however, to adjust the level of transparency. I use the translucency feature mostly on news channels, where visuals aren't that important. You can also position the TV window anywhere on the screen with the remote.

2) This unit is pretty much a full-feature TV. It includes your usual TV features such as Closed Caption/Parental Control, Supports Multiple Input Sources (Video, DVD, Game Console, etc.), OSD (On-Sreen Display), Sleep Timer (30 - 150 min, in 30 min increments), Favorite Channel Programming (haven't figured out how to work it yet), Full-Function remote (in other words you can control or set everything with the remote along with the OSD).

3) Multiple Channel Preview.
View 13 channels simultaneously. Well, actually, each channel is set in motion for about half a second and becomes a still. Regardless, you're still able to get an idea of what's on each channel, select what you want to watch, and watch it in full screen. I do find this feature very useful to quickly find the channel I wish to watch.

Pros
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In addition to the above features, this unit also has the following pros:

- Easy setup. Within minutes, I was up and running. No need to install any software. Just plug in your video and sound cables to the correct in/out outlets and you're ready to go. I didn't even need the manual! The only hitch I ran into was the PNP function. Whenever I was in the PNP mode, the screen would flicker on and off. Adjusting the TV screen resolution didn't help. However, when I messed with the color setting by changing from 32 bits to 16 bits, then back to 32 bits, the glitch stopped -- much to my relief! I suppose resetting of the screen color setting somehow helped the TVBox recognize the video settings on my monitor/computer.

- Watch TV without turning on your computer.

- Good picture quality. Allows you to fine-tune the picture and has Brightness/Contrast/Tint/Color/Sharpness adjustments. I'm using it on a CRT monitor and I'm pleased with the picture quality (I still prefer CRT's over LCD's. Plasma's great, but gosh, they're still so pricey!) If you have it hooked up to a LCD, I reckon the picture quality will rival that on the Sharp Aquos line of LCD TV's.

- Console is really slim, space-saving, and cool-looking.
The silver color will match most computer systems. It can be laid down or set upright.

- Remote control buttons are conveniently laid out and intuitive (A big plus for me.)

Cons
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- PNP TV picture not resizable. Regardless, the size is big enough to allow me to comfortably watch TV while I work on my computer. On my 17 inch monitor at a 1024 x 768 resolution, the box is roughly 1/9th the size of my screen. Also, when you turn off the unit and turn it back on again, it doesn't remember the last mode you were in (PNP or full screen.)

- HDTV not supported. Not a biggie for me. The picture quality is very good as it is!

- Surround sound not supported -- only stereo sound is supported.

- A little pricier than other comparable units. The TVBox 5, the predecessor to the TVBox 9, is significantly cheaper than the TVBox 9. However, TVBox 9 is an improvement over TVBox 5 with the addition of Closed Caption/Parental Control , Channel Preview, and image enhancement capabilities.

Features Not Supported
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- Video capture/recording.
Consider the Avermedia MDVDEZUSB External Video Capture Device that lets you do just that. Other companies such as Hauppauge and Startech also incorporate this feature in their tuners. The Avermedia version even lets you record your TV shows onto your DVD or CD.

Conclusion
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The cons and the lack of some additional features have not deterred me from buying this unit. Make no mistake -- I love this unit! I only wish it had a true PNP function. I have looked at Startech, Viewsonic, Hauppauge, Samsung and I find the Avermedia to be the best TV tuner unit for a basic TV tuner. In my opinion, if you're looking for a TV Tuner for your home or office that has a remote control and lets you work on your computer while you watch TV and supports full screen mode, the Avermedia TVBox 9 is THE unit to get!

This bag is great! The main compartment has two customizable dividers, so no matter what shape or size your camcorder is, it will fit nicely. I wanted to put the charger as well as my camcorder in the main compartment, so the soft dividers were very helpful in customizing the space for my needs. The top of the main compartment has a zipper pouch, so it's good for storage. The front compartment has a zipper pouch as well as an elastic pouch. The two size pockets are perfect for tapes or batteries. The included strap is thick and nicely padded. Actually, the padding for this entire bag is quite thick, so I'm fairly confident that it can live through many bumps and minor falls. Everything is done in a stylish and modern way, so if you camcorder will fit this bag, then go and buy it! The entire Templeton line is very nice.

I really like this tripod for two reasons.

1) Velbon quality. Velbon makes great tripods. Yes, you could spend thousands for a pro tripod, but you dont have to!

2) Height. I have a large tripod (Velbon model ordered from Amazon) that I use for portrait shots, etc. However, for macro owrk and other shots that require close quarter and/or low to ground access, this is excellent.

It also works with both cameras and camcorders, which is very handy. The 3-way pan head is critical in a tripod, and of course it has a quick release like all Velbon tripods.

If you are an amateur photographer, you can probably do without this tripod, but for a pro - this is great. Comparable tripods by Bogen, Manfrotto are ALOT more, and not worth it. This one has it all. Very sturdy legs, great pan head, leveler. Highly recommend, especially if you have a D1, F5, or any 'serious' camera.

I bought this tripod locally (needed right away). It is all metal and very stable. The champagne finish is beautiful.

VERY SMOOTH compared to the cheaper Velbon models - I say go for it.

Amazon is thirti dollars less than I paid - good price.

I loved this product! Although this is my first video phone purchase, for the price you can't beat it! The image is much like that of what you may find on a computer. It's very easy to set up and use. Great way to keep in touch with older family members.

At first I was running my DVD Player directly through my VCR. Some copy protected DVD's will cause a degredation in sound and video quality. After installing the RF Modulator, the picture quality was beautiful and the sound was awesome. WELL worth the 25 bucks.