Video Reviews

I highly recommend getting this Optical Digital Cable if you own both a surround sound theater system and a dvd player that have slots for this type of fiber optic connection. But make sure they both do or else you will waste time and money.

I am admittedly a novice when it comes to audio equipment...but I know what my ears tell me. Before I bought this cable, I had the basic RCA cables that come in the DVD player box. I thought my surround sound system sounded good...after plugging this cable in, the good sound quality has improved leaps and bounds (and I am not kidding here).

Sounds now go precisely into the surround speaker it was meant to go to...the sound is much cleaner and definitely in the proper location. When I had the RCA cables, the "surround" effect also wasn't as good...now, it is no doubt perfect.

Buy this cable...it improves sound quality 10 fold...plus it is much cheaper than the bigger name.

The Acoustic Research HT181 Optical Digital Cable is a wonderful choice if you are looking to take your stereo system to the next level.

As I've come to notice, it seem that the only cables out there where the Monster cables. Not true. The great news is, for a cheaper price and without sacrificing quality, the Acoustic Research cable is the perfect match for those of us who are watching our money and want a good quality product.

If you have a DVD player (mines an RCA...) that has an optical audio plug and a stereo receiver that receives optical audio, don't wait any longer!! Stop using those RCA left and right plugs and buy an optical cable.

The AR HT181 cables will expand you're listening please due to the fact that every speaker in your system (front: left/right, back: left/right, Center & subwofer) will receive it's own independent audio signal creating incredible audio effect and enhance your listening pleasure to any DVD movie.

To try and be super technical about these cables and compare them to Monsters is overkill and every room has it's own unique acoustics. The point being . . . if you're looking for a digital optical cable and are looking for a good price these should be an excellent choice.

The construction of the cables are good. They are well packaged and protected with plastic caps on the tips (remove before using) and they fit snug and properly into the jack on my DVD and stereo receiver.

This cable has served me well for 2 years now, and with a silver core, O2 free copper, double shielding, machined ends, 24K gold plated ends, silver soldered, etc., what more could you want in a component video cable in this price range?

It's a far better value than M _ _ $ _ _ R.

I highly recommend getting this Optical Digital Cable if you own both a surround sound theater system and a dvd player that have slots for this type of fiber optic connection. But make sure they both do or else you will waste time and money.

I am admittedly a novice when it comes to audio equipment...but I know what my ears tell me. Before I bought this cable, I had the basic RCA cables that come in the DVD player box. I thought my surround sound system sounded good...after plugging this cable in, the good sound quality has improved leaps and bounds (and I am not kidding here).

Sounds now go precisely into the surround speaker it was meant to go to...the sound is much cleaner and definitely in the proper location. When I had the RCA cables, the "surround" effect also wasn't as good...now, it is no doubt perfect.

Buy this cable...it improves sound quality 10 fold...plus it is much cheaper than the bigger name.

The Acoustic Research HT181 Optical Digital Cable is a wonderful choice if you are looking to take your stereo system to the next level.

As I've come to notice, it seem that the only cables out there where the Monster cables. Not true. The great news is, for a cheaper price and without sacrificing quality, the Acoustic Research cable is the perfect match for those of us who are watching our money and want a good quality product.

If you have a DVD player (mines an RCA...) that has an optical audio plug and a stereo receiver that receives optical audio, don't wait any longer!! Stop using those RCA left and right plugs and buy an optical cable.

The AR HT181 cables will expand you're listening please due to the fact that every speaker in your system (front: left/right, back: left/right, Center & subwofer) will receive it's own independent audio signal creating incredible audio effect and enhance your listening pleasure to any DVD movie.

To try and be super technical about these cables and compare them to Monsters is overkill and every room has it's own unique acoustics. The point being . . . if you're looking for a digital optical cable and are looking for a good price these should be an excellent choice.

The construction of the cables are good. They are well packaged and protected with plastic caps on the tips (remove before using) and they fit snug and properly into the jack on my DVD and stereo receiver.

This cable has served me well for 2 years now, and with a silver core, O2 free copper, double shielding, machined ends, 24K gold plated ends, silver soldered, etc., what more could you want in a component video cable in this price range?

It's a far better value than M _ _ $ _ _ R.

I highly recommend getting this Optical Digital Cable if you own both a surround sound theater system and a dvd player that have slots for this type of fiber optic connection. But make sure they both do or else you will waste time and money.

I am admittedly a novice when it comes to audio equipment...but I know what my ears tell me. Before I bought this cable, I had the basic RCA cables that come in the DVD player box. I thought my surround sound system sounded good...after plugging this cable in, the good sound quality has improved leaps and bounds (and I am not kidding here).

Sounds now go precisely into the surround speaker it was meant to go to...the sound is much cleaner and definitely in the proper location. When I had the RCA cables, the "surround" effect also wasn't as good...now, it is no doubt perfect.

Buy this cable...it improves sound quality 10 fold...plus it is much cheaper than the bigger name.

The Acoustic Research HT181 Optical Digital Cable is a wonderful choice if you are looking to take your stereo system to the next level.

As I've come to notice, it seem that the only cables out there where the Monster cables. Not true. The great news is, for a cheaper price and without sacrificing quality, the Acoustic Research cable is the perfect match for those of us who are watching our money and want a good quality product.

If you have a DVD player (mines an RCA...) that has an optical audio plug and a stereo receiver that receives optical audio, don't wait any longer!! Stop using those RCA left and right plugs and buy an optical cable.

The AR HT181 cables will expand you're listening please due to the fact that every speaker in your system (front: left/right, back: left/right, Center & subwofer) will receive it's own independent audio signal creating incredible audio effect and enhance your listening pleasure to any DVD movie.

To try and be super technical about these cables and compare them to Monsters is overkill and every room has it's own unique acoustics. The point being . . . if you're looking for a digital optical cable and are looking for a good price these should be an excellent choice.

The construction of the cables are good. They are well packaged and protected with plastic caps on the tips (remove before using) and they fit snug and properly into the jack on my DVD and stereo receiver.

This cable has served me well for 2 years now, and with a silver core, O2 free copper, double shielding, machined ends, 24K gold plated ends, silver soldered, etc., what more could you want in a component video cable in this price range?

It's a far better value than M _ _ $ _ _ R.

i had purchased a gravis controller to use for emulators on my laptop. it just didn't cut it. i read some reviews and did my research online and settled on this gamepad. it works perfectly, is comfortable to use and installed easily. i have no complaints. it works really well with my NES emulator. i am now able to enjoy playing ninendo games on my laptop. i would definitely recommend this product.

If you want to play 2-D games then look for Microsoft's Sidewinder Gamepad, it's ease of use is uncanny; however if you want to play 3-D games like Halo PC, then you will need a controller with 2 analog sticks like this one. The controller is a great value and it does what it does extraordinarily well. The buttons are cramped, the shift key is a jip, and the extra software (not including the drivers) did nothing but mess-up my computer, regardless I am glad I chose this controller.

First of all, let me say that I have no regrets after buying and using this gamepad. For $20, it's a steal. The construction feels mostly solid, and the analog sticks are very handy. The "Smart" technology software that comes with this product is mostly useless, and all the games it tested recognize the buttons well. A few minor complaints: the shoulder buttons feel quite flimsy and don't always register button presses, and I wish there were more than 10 buttons. Other than that, this gamepad is a great value.

I bought this cable to hook up my Playstation 2 with a Promedia DD-5.1 (Digital Decoder). The Problem is that the cable I bought didn't produce 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS, just stereo. Read the reviews for the X-box Lightwave 100 cable; they are the same cable except for the color. Some people maybe haven't figured it out yet because they don't use a Digital Decoder, but all they are hearing is Stereo sound. Im pretty upset because I sent my Digital Decoder back to Klipsch thinking that was the problem, but it was actually the cable. By the way the customer service at Klipsch is simply the best, they produced high quality equipment, not like over at monster cable. So beware! If you are paying big $ for a cable shouldn't it at least work or do what it say it does?

Your PlayStation is state-of-the-art in terms of audio quality. PS2 is equipped with a fiber optic digital audio out, enabling you to experience movies and games in Dolby Digital Surround Sound as well as listening to your favorite CDs in crystal clear digital stereo. No matter how you use your PS2, with pure digital audio connection you have access to the ultimate Dolby Digital Surround experience and the best in home audio entertainment.

Digital is the preferred high performance audio connection over analog because it has a wider dynamic range, which results in clearer highs and deeper, tighter bass, without the distortion common with analog connections. Also with digital audio, you don't run the risk of problems like hum and buzz caused by electromagnetic and radio frequency interference.

To start, this is a reasonably priced 3.3M (10ft) toslink-to-toslink cable. Compared to other higher quality and longer length optical cables and you'll see the difference in price. I use this cable but not for my connection to my PS2 since my DVD player functions far better than the console itself.

Now, if you do NOT run your Playstation2 into a receiver/home theater system, it's not a wise decision for you to buy this since it won't serve any purpose for you. (For example, if you don't use this unit to watch DVD movies or pump it through your receiver for 5.1 Dolby Digital/DTS sound. (5.1 Digital Sound has yet to be implemented in a PS2 title.)

I'll be honest and admit that if you want to spend a thousand dollars on a camcorder than you will definitely find something better. However, if you are somebody like me who had limited funds to spend but wanted all the everyday features a ... person would want, then this is the camera to buy! All the basics are included (still photo shots, fantastic zoom abilities, picture stabilization, ability to film in complete darkness and amateur picture manipulation capabilities).

It also hooks up to a PC using a fire wire cable (IEEE1394) and a video capture board, which I recommend buying the StudioDV from Pinnacle Systems that includes both for ... then getting sucked for ... by purchasing Sony's brand. Also I found the Laser Link feature to be the best features, allowing me to play back my tapes on the TV without having to hook up the camera to it every time.

Overall, the DCR-TRV130 is a great camera for what you're going to spend on it.

i dont know what the guy befor me wanted but this is a camera NOT a VCR, but if u REALLY want to put ur analog tapes on ur computer or camera, then buy a SONY VCR with an I-link or IEEE 1394 compatibitily. I am more than an ameture videographer, i do alot of DV editing, and this camera has ALL the features that i need, its I-link IN/OUT compatibility makes for an easy hook up to your PC (if u have a fire wire card), a remote controle, and several Picture effects as well as some digital effects, including oldmovie, and u can superimose a nother picture onto a live feed.

I've had this camera for almost a year now, and it's the first movie camera of any kind I've ever used. I have a digital still camera (an olympus 2100cz) so I'm not a neophyte.
I'm finding it easy to use. I use to film my wifes speaking engagements. So i've used this camera in a small room with only 5 or 6 people in it, or in very large auditorium with 200 or so people in it. It worked beautifully. The remote helps a lot when using a tripod. It does an especially nice job picking up audio even at distance.
I had to get a special cable to do transfers to my Macintosh, but once on the mac everything gets really easy.
I guess it doesnt have all the bells and whistles of the more expensive cameras, but if you look over the stats in the discription above, you should be able to figure out this one is for you.

This gizmo has revolutionized my TV watching habits. No more surfing up and down the dial through 200 channels of drivel. Now I return home, even if I have been traveling for weeks at a time, and find a neatly cataloged selection of shows I really like to watch.

My only regret is that I didn't spend the extra $200 or so to get the 80-hour model. Forty hours is a lot, but you do use up a great deal of memory if you record primarily in the "high quality" mode as I do. Spending 30% more for twice the memory is a no-brainer.

Certain reviews I read of earlier versions of this product were a little ambiguous about the need for a Ethernet connection to the Internet. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE AN ETHERNET CONNECTION. Without it you will not get halfway though the setup process.

Can you imagine? You're into a really good show, and suddenly your wife starts nagging you about something... the trash, the dog needs to go out, dinner is burning! :D So you hit PAUSE??? Yes! Pause on live TV! Okay, so this is no different than TIVO. What is though is the broadband connection that allows you to send shows over the internet to friends and family, along with the ability to send any type of video you've recorded on the DVR from say your camcorder (forget even trying DVD's... Macrovision won't allow you to do this, as it's enabled on this device: unless of course you buy one of those nice little devices on the net that disables it :D) You can store your own digital photos on this and display them as a slide show screensaver for when your unit is on pause. Going on vacation? Forgot to tell it to record the Drew Carey Show? Hop on the net from anywhere in the world and from www.myreplaytv.com you can program it to record!

Skips commercials (I hate that I pay for TV and have to watch advertising... it's like the networks are getting paid twice for the same thing! I DON'T GET PAID TWICE AT MY JOB!) The major networks are scared to hell of this ability, because it will fundamentally change the market for advertising on television... and they HATE UNPREDICATBILITY AND CHANGE! They want to TELL YOU HOW TO WATCH TV. Then want you to watch what they WANT YOU TO... WHEN THEY WANT YOU TO! Well, now... they can shove primetime right up their rears! Primetime in my house is WHEN I'M READY!

Also, if you buy multiple ReplayTV 4K's, you can network them together and stream shows back and forth from one room to another. www.avsforum.com has a replaytv and showstopper forum which contains a lot of info also on how to pull video files off of your replayTV and then use your CD Burner to write them as VCD's and/or DVD's (if you have a DVD burner) so you can watch them at a later date, without having to use up hard drive space on your computer or replaytv to store it!

If you don't have a TIVO and you were thinking about it... don't even bother. There's no reason you should buy anything other than Sonic Blues' ReplayTV 4K. The only hard decision is WHAT SIZE RECORDING TIME SHOULD I GET?

Nobody tells me what I'm going to do with television services I'm paying to watch. I'll watch them when I choose and commercial free!

If you want the next generation of personal video recorder today proceed to the checkout with a sweet ReplayTV 4040. They are the top of the line without a competitor in sight, but don't get me wrong, TiVo was great when it first came out (I was one of their first customers), unfortunately they have fallen woefully behind. My TiVo is at present unplugged and departing for auction shortly because I upgraded to one of these beauties.

Here is a quick summary of the features I am enjoying attributable to the upgrade.

ReplayTV benefits vs. TiVo

The only networked DVR on the market, which allows you to take advantage of your broadband and home network investment
Video sharing inside and outside the home
Commercial Advance® to watch recorded shows without commercials
QuickSkip™ makes it easy to jump over boring scenes
No monthly fees or any service fee
Highest capacity DVR on the market with up to 320 hours
480P progressive output to connect to the new SD and HD ready TV.
Digital optical output to connect to your audio/video receiver
Show Organizer™ to organize your programs based on genre, personal name, etc.
MyReplayTV.com to program recordings on your ReplayTV unit from the web
Digital photo slideshows on your TV.
Built-in screen saver to protect your projection TVs from screen burn-in.
Lets you pick the shows and themes you like. We don't fill your hard disk with shows we think you'll like.
Faster setup to allow you to enjoy your ReplayTV quickly after bringing it home
Familiar grid-based channel guide for easier navigation
Front panel buttons so you can still operate your DVR even if you lose your remote control

This gizmo has revolutionized my TV watching habits. No more surfing up and down the dial through 200 channels of drivel. Now I return home, even if I have been traveling for weeks at a time, and find a neatly cataloged selection of shows I really like to watch.

My only regret is that I didn't spend the extra $200 or so to get the 80-hour model. Forty hours is a lot, but you do use up a great deal of memory if you record primarily in the "high quality" mode as I do. Spending 30% more for twice the memory is a no-brainer.

Certain reviews I read of earlier versions of this product were a little ambiguous about the need for a Ethernet connection to the Internet. YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST HAVE AN ETHERNET CONNECTION. Without it you will not get halfway though the setup process.

Can you imagine? You're into a really good show, and suddenly your wife starts nagging you about something... the trash, the dog needs to go out, dinner is burning! :D So you hit PAUSE??? Yes! Pause on live TV! Okay, so this is no different than TIVO. What is though is the broadband connection that allows you to send shows over the internet to friends and family, along with the ability to send any type of video you've recorded on the DVR from say your camcorder (forget even trying DVD's... Macrovision won't allow you to do this, as it's enabled on this device: unless of course you buy one of those nice little devices on the net that disables it :D) You can store your own digital photos on this and display them as a slide show screensaver for when your unit is on pause. Going on vacation? Forgot to tell it to record the Drew Carey Show? Hop on the net from anywhere in the world and from www.myreplaytv.com you can program it to record!

Skips commercials (I hate that I pay for TV and have to watch advertising... it's like the networks are getting paid twice for the same thing! I DON'T GET PAID TWICE AT MY JOB!) The major networks are scared to hell of this ability, because it will fundamentally change the market for advertising on television... and they HATE UNPREDICATBILITY AND CHANGE! They want to TELL YOU HOW TO WATCH TV. Then want you to watch what they WANT YOU TO... WHEN THEY WANT YOU TO! Well, now... they can shove primetime right up their rears! Primetime in my house is WHEN I'M READY!

Also, if you buy multiple ReplayTV 4K's, you can network them together and stream shows back and forth from one room to another. www.avsforum.com has a replaytv and showstopper forum which contains a lot of info also on how to pull video files off of your replayTV and then use your CD Burner to write them as VCD's and/or DVD's (if you have a DVD burner) so you can watch them at a later date, without having to use up hard drive space on your computer or replaytv to store it!

If you don't have a TIVO and you were thinking about it... don't even bother. There's no reason you should buy anything other than Sonic Blues' ReplayTV 4K. The only hard decision is WHAT SIZE RECORDING TIME SHOULD I GET?

Nobody tells me what I'm going to do with television services I'm paying to watch. I'll watch them when I choose and commercial free!

If you want the next generation of personal video recorder today proceed to the checkout with a sweet ReplayTV 4040. They are the top of the line without a competitor in sight, but don't get me wrong, TiVo was great when it first came out (I was one of their first customers), unfortunately they have fallen woefully behind. My TiVo is at present unplugged and departing for auction shortly because I upgraded to one of these beauties.

Here is a quick summary of the features I am enjoying attributable to the upgrade.

ReplayTV benefits vs. TiVo

The only networked DVR on the market, which allows you to take advantage of your broadband and home network investment
Video sharing inside and outside the home
Commercial Advance® to watch recorded shows without commercials
QuickSkip™ makes it easy to jump over boring scenes
No monthly fees or any service fee
Highest capacity DVR on the market with up to 320 hours
480P progressive output to connect to the new SD and HD ready TV.
Digital optical output to connect to your audio/video receiver
Show Organizer™ to organize your programs based on genre, personal name, etc.
MyReplayTV.com to program recordings on your ReplayTV unit from the web
Digital photo slideshows on your TV.
Built-in screen saver to protect your projection TVs from screen burn-in.
Lets you pick the shows and themes you like. We don't fill your hard disk with shows we think you'll like.
Faster setup to allow you to enjoy your ReplayTV quickly after bringing it home
Familiar grid-based channel guide for easier navigation
Front panel buttons so you can still operate your DVR even if you lose your remote control

I shopped thoroughly looking at TV's and trying them in stores and I chose this one over all the other 9 and 13 inch models. Other reviews cover the basic advantages of this unit, but I have one important item to add:

This is the only 13" tv/vcr on the market that I could find that lets you access the menu function without the remote. I use the TV to test cable TV systems and I don't always find it convenient to use the remote. All the other TV's on the market require the remote to access the menus (to adjust channel programming, tint, color, timers, etc). This TV has a button combination on the actual unit you can push to access the menu and then you use the channel and volume buttons to navigate. The menu access is labelled "Action" on the unit which is a bit confusing (why not call it "Menu" like everyone else?) The remote also allows access to menus but you don't have to have it. It is a small remote, by the way, but I rather like it. I am not a big fan of the giant space-ship-shaped remotes everything else comes with.

I like plain, simple, easy to operate, and completely functional with or without the remote. This is the only model that fits. (I actually wanted a 9" but nobody makes one that meets these criteria so I was forced to get a 13.) It's a good choice and has a nice picture.

One more addition, if you order the white version of this TV it comes with two remotes, one normal one like the black model, and another miniature credit-card sized magnetic remote that you can keep on your refrigerator. I think the white model is aimed at kitchen users.

Happy shopping!

I'm happy to have a little self-contained unit I can take from kitchen to workroom to bedroom, without crawling around plugging in a zillion wires each time. It's well designed with a good picture, good (mono) sound, and quite reasonable controls. The remote is small but logically laid out; it's nice to have one small enough to use with one hand. (Too bad it isn't lighted but whaddya expect for $200?). Contrary to some earlier reviews, the unit DOES remember settings when unplugged, having 24-hour battery backup, and you CAN change the picture tint, contrast, etc. using onscreen menu, but I didn't feel the need to do so. Wish it had S-Video input but again, what can I expect if I'm cheap?!

Very happy with this TV. Wanted something small to watch videos on in my bedroom and this is perfect. The picture quality from videos is actually better than on the 19" we've got in our living room. You have to set the clock or the light blinks incessantly, but overall it's feature packed. The remote is light and easy to use, automatically turns on captioning if you mute and has 30-sec fast forward to jump past recorded commercials. The onscreen navigation is very easy to use. Recommended if you're looking for a light, compact and fully functional TV/VCR combination.

I have this tripod for just 3 months. I have used about 3 times. The head has come apart from the center post. It appears the head screwed into the center post and the grooves have stripped. It is going to cost me shipping plus an additional $3.50 to send it back for repair or replacement.

Additionally, the tripod is steady if you use the hook at the bottom to hang your camera or gadget bag but make sure you tighten down the screw that holds the center post or it will wobble on you.

I realize it's an inexpensive (cheap) tripod but just because it doesn't cost much doesn't mean it has to be made poorly. Buy it at your own risk.

Not super fancy, but has all the basics, no tax and free shipping make it a real value

As one person noted, there is not much you can say about a tripod. This Vivitar is light, easy to handle and carry. Great for the hobbyist. It has a nice tight fluid motion, feels stable, and the quick release allows for switching from camcorder to digital or 35mm camera on demand. Vivitar managed to get a lot out of a light weight tripod on this one. It should work for any amature and some serious filming. No, it is not the professional model, but it certainly will work great for anything short of professional requirements.