Video Reviews

I've had my Hitachi for over 4 years now. I have used it with DVD, VCR, satellite, and broadcast TV (never had cable during this time). Every picture (except bad reception broadcast) has been near perfect. The color is wonderful and the remote's controls are easy to understand. I will say i have a few minor problems with this set:

1) There are only 3 inputs on the back, which meant my VCR had to be connected to the front inputs when i had satellite (running a wire in front of my system looks unprofessional).

2) The writing on the front of the TV (for the front controls) is very hard to read unless you bend down and look closely. Basically, i say stick to the remote.

3) The audio programming for the remote control is too limited to control any but the most basic receiver functions. I still have to use my Onkyo remote for my receiver.

4) The menu is a bit cumbersome (but at least you can watch TV while adjusting it, unlike my Sony VCR).

However, the great features far outweight any of these little issues:

1) This thing can really pump out loud and clear audio! I play DVDs like Terminator II, Predator, Speed, Buffy, Xena, and Star Trek on a regular basis. The sound is CD quality and i've never heard distortion. Using it with a receiver, it can even take the place of a center speaker.

2) When i play CDs, i can use the TV sound in addition to my room speakers. Gives the sound more body.

3) The dual PiP is supreme! I love how you can switch between the big and little pictures and even make the pictures the same size.

4) You can control your VCR, cable/satellite, and CD players with the remote (almost universal).

The only reason i would ever sell this TV is to move up to a digital/HDTV set. It handles all of my other TV needs as is.

I have had this TV for over 2 years now and I couldn't be happier. All you need to do is find a store that has one on display so you can compare the difference in picture quality to other models.

Most people that come to my home assume it's a digital TV but of course it's analog.

I bought this TV few weeks ago and it is amazing. Keep in mind that it offers 1000 (! ) lines of resolution and nothing on the analog market can beat this, not at this price. Because this TV offers DIGITAL filter which you can only find in SONYs for 4000+$, this is by far the best TV for its price. I have my Sega Dreamcast hooked up via S-video and when my friends visit their jaws simply drop. Im not sure how many lines of resolution Sega is putting out, but this TV can handle anything. Any movies on my Sony DVD player look simply amazing, the closest to Digital TV I have ever seen. This TV has Dolby Surround and you can hook up your stereo, wireless speakers and even a subwoofer directly to it. 5 stars no question about it.

I own this player, Koss Headphones, and a set of Koss loudspeakers and love them all. Top quality and sound. The only gripe I have is one I have with ALL boomboxes. Loading doors on top. When are the designers going to figure out that the top, where they almost always place the loading doors, is where all the dust and dirt gather. Flat smooth top for cleaning and front load for keeping the inside clean. Please!!

Love it, love it, love it. For your money, this CD boombox is at the top of the list. Over the years I have owned many Koss products, and several other brands that were a lot more expensive. Would I switch to another manufacturer - no way! Nothing beats a Koss for quality, sound and durability. No wonder it is difficult for retailers to keep this product in stock!

I bought two of these for my 12 and 17 year old daughters, and they love them. The digital tuner with 10 AM and 10 FM presets lets them program in their favorite stations, and the remote then lets them channel surf from station to station avoiding commercials and looking for their favorite songs without having to sit next to the box and push buttons on it. Same is true for flipping around tracks on a CD with the remote. Nice sound for a unit in this price range.

I had recently purchased a Samsung LTN 325W flat panel television. As you may/may not know, LCD televisions tend to receive analog signals poorly. That was no exception when I used the standard composite cable provided with the Gamecube and hooked it up directly to the Samsung. I decided to give Monster's S-Video cable a try, and I was fortunately not disappointed. Using an S-Video cable separates the color and brightness of the video signal, allowing it to be processed cleanly and more accurately. In addition, it allows you to utilize the Gamecube's progressive scan output. The result, a sharper, more vibrant picture. Give it a shot with Mario Golf and Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. There were definitely improvements.

Why suffer with RCA video cables anymore? There is a better way to hook your game system up and it's with S-Video. I don't know all the techno babble and why S-Video is better. All I can tell you though is it is. The picture looks a lot better throught S-video than it does through a coax link or RCA cables. There are a couple of different brands of the cables you can get out there, but I'm impressed with these. The long 10 feet cables are great and sturdy. It has gold connectors which are suppose to help give a better picture.

This is the best way to view your video game system. It's clear and crisper and provides a slightly better gaming experience. This brand of cables is kind of pricey, but is suppose to be one of the best. Just hook up on S-Video and enjoy.

I am mostly writing this to correct a comment made in the previous review. S-Video does not enable progressive scan output, only component video allows that. The Gamecube component video cable is only available through nintendo's website. Aside from that, this is the best way to hook up your gamecube!

I am very happy with these cables and the sound and video they deliver. I only have one complaint which is the cables are very tight when pushed onto the rca jacks for the audio. When you try to pull them off they are difficult to pull off because they grip the rca posts so tightly. This condition may get better as they are used more.

If you need to edit video tape or just copy it to a medium such as VHS tape, get this. It is not only easy to use, the quality of your finished product is fabulous. I love it.

the picture is crystal clear on a 36" screen. clarity and definition can't be beat.

if you have a
PS2 and you like to feel like yourr in the game this is something you have to have. It truely is the best thing you could ever have for the PS2!!!!

I got this thing about a year ago. At first, it ruled. After a few months, one of the speakers started to make a popping noise every once in a while. I emailed monstercable, and they sent me a new one, just like that. A few weeks ago, one of the ports on the subwoofer went. I emailed them back and they sent me a brand new one. Now my system rules again

words cannot dscrbe how goodthis is, its the bomb, dont wait to get it and get it!

Richard J Greene's comments (below) are a little misleading. Let's be clear, Monster's passive composite to S-Video converter does not improve the quality of one's VHS source material. Richard's DVD analogy is erroneous since DVD video is stored with separate chroma and luminance signals to begin with and benefits greatly from an S-Video link so that the two remain independent. Conversely, the composite output of a DVD player is a compromised combination of the two.

But what the CSVA-1 does do is allow receiver based systems (where sources are switched by the receiver) to use just one S-Video link from receiver to TV. As receivers don't usually have the ability to convert composite signals to S-Video, if a system includes composite components such as a VHS VCR, when they're selected video is not routed to the TV unless a second, composite, receiver to TV connection is in place.

For this reason alone the Monster converter is indispensable, it allows S-Video to be used throughout a system and greatly simplifies A/V switching and wiring schemes.

With the use of the S-Video Adapter I am now able to enjoy other video sources, like TV and VHS in great picture quality. I couldn't imagine watching VHS without it. Especially since I own a DVD player and saw the difference with it's S-Video connection. This is worth the buy.

Monster cable does provide superior sound quality, My stereo system would be a heap of junk without the cables, You can Trust Monster Cable.

this is a nice way 2 add more dvds 2 ur holder. it's ez & a lot better than buying a whole new holder. with these u don't hafta worry about if u'll b able 2 fit more dvds. it's a bit expensive 4 a piece of plastic but it's worth it.

This is a perfect purchase and you can't beat the price. Goes great with the other case logic pieces as well.

This product is great becuase of its space saving abilities. Compared to other music stores and websites it is much less expensive.

I highly recommend these refill pages to expand your collection. They are a good price and are much cheaper than additional storage devices. Good fit, nice look. I hope this helps.

These things are a great way to organize your DVD's and save storage space. I can't figure out why the refills are so expensive however...

We are planning to live aboard a sailboat (53') in the Caribbean and needed a way to store the DVDs in a salt water environment.. the Pro Logic 20 and additional storage pages did the trick! we can store them so the heat and salt water won't destroy them so we can enjoy them for years to come!

I loved this camera on my computer that was running Windows 98. But when I tried to install it on my ne Sony Vaio computer and it won't load the software at all...

hello, i have a cybertainment system but my driver needs replacing. the CD-Key is ML7142926D687628 the SN: 10051305 can you download a driver to me or can i buy a replacement?
i really like this system and i rely heavily upon it for my personal emailing. my address is 4011 Lafayette ave, Omaha,NE 68131.

I bought the Cybertainment Video Email system at a
Frys Electronics store in Burbank, the fact that it had
it's own video capture card with not 1 but 3 inputs
on it (2 RCA 1 S Video)was a definite plus, after I got
home 12 minutes after arriving home I was using the
CyberMail A/V features like an old pro.
I would recommend it to any one who is new to the
Computer scene or as a gift for a friend or family member.

Had this product for over a year and it worked great until I installed a Logitech Webcam, and the two devices don't like living together. The Logitech deleted the drivers and software for the Win TV card. I reinstalled the TV card using the newest drivers downloaded from Happauge and it kicked out the webcam. I made the decision that I'd rather have the webcam but Happauge should definetely make a patch so that their products get along with everything else.

I was reluctant to purchase an internal card, but the Hauppage WinTV DBX was my first choice if ever. I initially got a Pinnacle Studio PCTV USB...and it wasn't any good! The resolution was poor, and the sound had a 'distinctive hum' when increased. Returned it to the seller, and told them I'll exchange it for the WinTV card - and twas a good thing I did have it replaced!! This card has great resolution, and has all i need (video and still capture, input for ext. a/v devices).

The DBX sound is great too, and no more 'hums' - plus i got mine with a promotional free IR remote! So now i can chat, surf, and not have to get off my seat to watch (or record) tv! Highly recommended (specially the unit w/ the free remote included). Running the unit on an AMD Athon 1.33GHZ w/ 640MB DDR RAM, and a 64MB nVidia GeForce 2 video card.

I've had this card for about a year now, I use it everyday, I never watch TV on a television anymore. This TV tuner has many features and great software. One feature I like a lot is that you can take snapshots, this is great if there is a number or address that is displayed too quick to write it down. The snapshot feature is real nice because it doesn't take bad quality interlaced pictures, it enhances them so you have a high quality image without any lines. Also, I like how you can resize the TV screen and have it at the bottom of your screen while you do other stuff. I really recommend getting this card!