Panasonic SDR-H200 30GB 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I took the plunge and bought two of them (One for my brother). My reason for this is:

1. the predominance of editing software available for MPEG2, MPEG4, AVI, etc. as well as the ability to play on practically any regular DVD player. My Aunts, Uncles, relatives and friends do not care for, nor ever will buy a BluRay Player and a 42"+ Panny, although I do (more about that in a sec). Thus sharing compatibility is more important to me than obtaining the latest AVCHD, although I may for other reasons in the future. I know I can down convert but the extra steps, increased price, limited industry supported software (for unconverted .mt2s files), the new h.264 compression standard and the increased horsepower required for PC use are all compelling reasons to stick with SD in the home and for sharing - not only the finished product but also raw footage with others and having zero complications.

I have a 2GB RAM, P4, 3.0 Ghz, etc. laptop but 8 out of every 10 others I know use centrino technology, 1.8 Ghz, 256-512 RAM, etc. which just isn't gonna drive h.264 footage nicely is it. Same goes for desktop setups. Try downloading and watching 720p video from the Windows Media HD Video website if your computer leans more towards the latter to see what I mean. SD footage won't encounter these snags. Once again, I am speaking from the point of view of sharing with the people I know who for the most part will never upgrade to the latest PC / Home theatre (or at least not in the next 5-10 years).

2. USB 2.0 Hi Speed Transferring, i.e. 100 MB files transferred from card/ HDD in about 15 seconds. Editing, Rendering, Authoring is a breeze.

3. I wanted a MEMORY MAKER, not a home movie studio. This unit fits in the palm of your hand (almost bordering on too small) and easily slips into a LowePro camera bag.

4. I have a 32-bit PCMCIA SD/SDHC card reader (not 16) that I bought to replace my laptop 4-in-1 media reader. Standard readers that most people have today on their desk or built in to their laptop will not read the new SDHC cards available at 4GB+ capacities. More mention of this should be made in my opinion. Also, these new cards will not work in older devices that do not support SDHC. The SDR-H200 does support SDHC.

I experimented recording to the card and then transferring footage to my laptop. The 32bit cardBus adapter is 10-16X faster than USB 2.0. It is just awesome. The reason I mention this is because of the 1 major gripe I encountered, Namely...

...Transferring HDD footage requires disconnecting the battery from the unit and connecting a DC cable to it from the AC power adapter. Then USB 2.0 cable out to computer. Sooooooo, this means always needing to be around power instead of just turning on the camera and transferring the HDD footage randomly anywhere. It's not that big of a deal but I like having Zero restrictions ;) So using SDHC cards frees me from that restriction, hence the mention of the 32bit cardBus reader (YES they exist - interfirm - http://www.synchrotech.com/products/media-adapters_01.html)! ***If you follow suit and get this adapter make sure you download and install the correct driver from the website because there's no Windows XP/ Vista substitute that will do it for you like we're used to!!

Another Note - if you transfer files directly from the card they show up as .mod files. Windows media player 11 recognizes them and plays. Other players don't, so you simply change them to .mpg. Sektionschef created a great program that automatically converts multiple .mod files (i.e. all of your stored clips) to the .mpg extension all at once! Very cool. It's called

5. 3CCD over single chip, this unit uses 3CCD RGB, nice. A handy F1.8 for dimly lit environments works pretty good. The 10x optical zoom is very smooth, speed contollable by the amount of pressure used on the toggle switch and there was no focus hunting in Auto mode. The O.I.S. doesn't help much when zoomed in on a subject and you're moving around so staying wider helps unless you're into using tripods. But zooming in fully on a WestJet airplane taking off produced good results.

Another nice feature is the auto fade in and fade out when you start and stop recording. It effectively smooths over those slight but noticeable camera movements that sometimes occur when the record button is pressed non-gently, awkwardly, haphazardly or whatever. This setting can be switched on or off. I like it, but you may not want to use it if you're into utilizing post-editing software because you can't remove an already recorded fade.

Here is a few clips I uploaded you can check out. I recommend downloading and playing the clips on your computer video player over using the website streaming player because the web player compresses the video resolution...

Indoor, Available Light, Auto, Setting = XP (higest SD quality) - Outdoor light is completely overcast.
http://files.filefront.com/MOV007mp...;/fileinfo.html

Outdoor - Auto, Zoom in on airplane, XP, Completely overcast sky
http://files.filefront.com/MOV009mp...;/fileinfo.html

Low Light, Indoor, Coffee Shop, XP Mode, Auto
http://files.filefront.com/MOV002mp...;/fileinfo.html

Finally, does the footage measure up? YES. There is no comparison to watching footage on the laptop as compared to a monitor, TV or Plasma. When I watched it on my laptop I was like hmmmm, oh yeah, that's pretty good. But when I ran my footage from the camera through a Yamaha RX-V2700 Receiver with 1080i/1080p upsacling to a 42" Panasonic Plasma via HDMI I was blown away! You will be extremely PLEASED if you run your footage through a home theatre HDMI setup. The same goes for a DVD disc.

I also tried S-Video out directly to TV with included AV cables (no HDMI/ no receiver) and I would still rate the footage as GREAT. Fortunately, you can do this running on straight battery power and a remote control is included! I also ran it through my 23" Samsung LCD HDTV computer monitor and... you guessed it, great. In all cases the picture turns out to be very crisp, clean and vibrant.

So although I love the new HiDef footage, etc. I took my chances in sticking with SD for home video purposes and am more than pleased. No regrets. The unit shoots in 16:9 or 4:3 and has no problem saturating my entire 42" screen. Even my mother who is expecting plenty of baby footage from my brother was more than impressed and could tell that it was a quality pic.

So, if you are looking for a memory maker and anticipate bringing it along on trips or to the ball game or whatever you'll be happy to own this unit.

The menu is simple and clean, and you can easily switch from recording to HDD/ SD/ SDHC card at the push of a button. There is plenty of manual settings you can tinker with but auto mode does the trick nicely.

It is simple, handy and fun which is exactly what I wanted. This unit delivered that. 4 out of 5 stars for not being able to transfer HDD footage to computer without power adapter (but to its credit, the adapter is conveniently small). Since it also holds 7 hours of highest quality footage this shouldn't be too much of a bother unless you're a frequent downloader. I peronally will buy an 8GB SDHC card (110 minutes) off of eBay and leave it in the unit so that I'll have options baby :)

The unit comes with ImageMixer editing software and is very easy to use and import your video with directly from the camera - it's a good added value piece of software.

This is my first review here and always appreciate when others have taken the time to share their experience with new products that I'm interested in buying too. I hope my taking the plunge this time helps. Enjoy!

One more thing... READ the manual you lazies, there are things you should and need to know.

P.S. It takes decent one push 2MP still photographs too in a pinch (not outstanding but not too bad - it's nice knowing that it's there if necessary)!You can find a still I posted here...
http://www.pana3ccduser.com/showthread.php?t=14208&page=4&pp=10

Bruce

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Product Description:
The Panasonic SDR-H200 3CCD Hard Disk Drive/SD Palmcorder Camcorder is perfect for recording long events. It features extended recording for extended shooting fun. The internal 30 GB hard disk drive holds as much video data as about 22 8-cm DVD discs. That means you can record for around 27 hours non-stop. This SD Card/Hard Disk camcorder is perfect for people who want to shoot for hour after hour without worrying about memory space. 3CCD Camera System/ Optical Image Stabilizer /Minimum Illumination1 Lux (Magic Pix)High Speed Shutter - 1/60 - 1/8,000 sec. (Moving Picture) / 1/30 - 1/2,000 sec. (Still Picture) / IrisAF/Manual / Backlight Compensation LCD Monitor -2.7 wide (123K pixels) /Manual Focus Ring /Microphone -Stereo Zoom Mic /Wind Noise Reduction / Date Recording Wide Mode (16 - 9) / Digital Zoom -10x - 700x /Recording Modes -XP/SP/LP Still Picture -JPEG / Built-in SD Slot (SD/SDHC) / DPOFMax. 999 stills PictBridge Compatible / S-Video Out / Video Output -AV out / USB 2.0 High Speed (mini B)Dimensions (H x W x D) - 3.27 x 2.98 x 4.76 inches Weight -1.01 lbs

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Creative Inspire T3030 2.1 Speaker System ( 51MF0315AA002 ) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Creative is such a good computer speaker company, they deserve a lot of credit.

These are not my favorite speakers, though. The tweeter is good...Accoustic guitar or mandolin sounds as if someone is sitting right on my desk playing. The bass is pretty good, although sometimes a bit muffled on higher volume.

But the midrange seems off.Often the high range sounds good, the bass is fine, but the vocals in the mid-range get lost in it all.

The bass unit is medium sized, but it still takes up extra space. So I put it under my desk. BUT, the only volume control is attached by a cord to the bass unit. So I have to reach under the desk to turn it up or down. This is very inconvenient (in a "What were they thinking?" sort of way).

Overall, the system has trouble bringing the high end, bass and mid-range together in a coherent way.

Creative has what I feel is a much better product in the Gigaworks T20.The sound is spectacular, and the bass is built into the same unit as the tweeter and midrange.In particular, the bass shaft extends vertically up along the speaker and opens at the top. So there's no need for a separate third unit for bass. Sounds great in all ranges, has bass and volume controls on the speaker, looks good.

Given the choice betwen the T20 or this T3030 system, definitely go for the T20.

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Product Description:
MODEL- INST3030EF VENDOR- CREATIVE LABSFEATURES- Inspire T3030 Precision audio reproduction and captivating design in an affordable compact 2.1 PC speaker system. The Inspire T3030 combines audio performance and design into a compact affordable 2.1 speaker system. It's ideal for PC users who want to improve the sound of their games music and videos. Includes Two wall-mountable speakers with attached 6 foot cablesPorted wooden subwoofer with 5.25" driver Wired desktop controllerDual RCA-to-stereo adapter (video/game adapter) Stereo-to-stereo audio cable Power supply adapter Quick Start leaflet Warranty and technical support leaflet.* Two-way satellites Robust midrange performance and sparkling reproduction of high frequencyaudio.* Powerful subwoofer with flared port design Solid clean bass response!* Sculpted finish with stylish metal grill Looks great with the latest PC gear!* Wired desktop controller Puts volume bass control and and a headphone connector at yourfingertips.* Video game adapter Easy connection to video game systems like the PlayStation Xbox andGameCube. -- SPECIFICATIONs ------------------------------------POWER RATING - Total RMS : 29 Watts Total System: 60 watts Satellites: 6 watts RMS per speaker (measured @ 4ohms @ 10% THD @ 150Hz - 20kHz twochannels driven). Subwoofer : 17 watts RMS (measured @ 4 ohms @ 10%THD @ 45Hz - 150Hz one channeldriven).FREQUENCY RESPONSE - 40Hz to 20kHzREQUIREMENTS - PC/Notebook with a stereo audio sourceMP3 player or other audio playerVideo game system with stereo audio output

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Brother HL-4040cn Color Laser Printer with Built-in Network Interface Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was a bit concerned by other's reviews regarding the edges curling but tried an in-store demo prior to purchasing it at the best price I could find- here at Amazon, and didn't find it to be a huge deal.I do find there is a slight curl but for me it seems go away as the pages sit on my desk and the color is far more superior to other demos I tested in the same price range so I'd definitely recommend this printer.

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Product Description:
The Brother HL-4040CN color laser printer produces brilliant color output for your desktop or small office. With print speeds up to 21 pages per minute (ppm) in color or monochrome and print resolutions up to 2400 x 600 dpi, you can quickly create high-quality documents right from your desk. The feature-rich HL-4040CN also provides flexible connectivity with built-in Ethernet network and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interfaces. Finally, to keep youroperating costs low and reduce user intervention, this printer offers high-yield replacement toner cartridges¹.


Flip-up 3-color LCD display, which instantly indicates the printer's status, as well as easy-to-follow menu selections for setting up your printer. View larger.

Print PDF and JPEG files directly from a USB flash memory drive without a PC.

Front-loading toner cartridges make replacing Brother consumables a breeze.

PictBridge support to connect directly to any compatible digital camera.
Fast color output
With print speeds up to 21ppm in both color and monochrome, you can quickly and cost effectively produce presentations, reports, brochures or documents.
Flexible paper handling
The HL-4040CN can handle all your printing needs whether it's letter/legal size paper or envelopes via a 300-sheet paper input capacity. These printers arrive with a universal paper tray, which can hold up to 250 sheets and a multi-purpose tray, which can hold up to 50 sheets.
USB Direct Interface
The HL-4040CN offers an easy access built-in USB Direct Interface for convenient "PC free" printing. With this feature, users can print .pdf and .jpg files directly from a USB flash memory drive². The USB Direct Interface also provides PictBridge support. Simply connect your PictBridge-compliant camera to print pictures directly from the camera, without first downloading to a PC².
User-friendly control panel
The HL-4040CN's innovative control panel features intuitive one-touch buttons for easy operation. It also includes a flip-up 3-color LCD display,which instantly indicates the printer's status, as well as easy-to-follow menu selections for setting up your printer. This easy-to-view display also clearly indicates the toner and paper status. For document security, the control panel features a password protect feature to help ensure that only the password holder will see confidential documents.
Easy-to-use and maintain
Set-up and maintenance has never been 0easier with our user-friendly driver installation process and an interactive help system. In addition, front-loading toner cartridges make replacing consumables a breeze.


300-sheet paper capacity: 250-sheet letter/legal paper tray and 50-sheet multi-purpose tray.
Low total cost of ownership
The HL-4040CN features not only an affordable price, but also offer low operating costs. Arriving with a set of standard yield toner cartridges, these printers deliver an economical cost per page. For lower running costs, high-yield replacement toner cartridges are also available¹.
Service and support are part of the package
Your technology investment is backed by Brother's comprehensive service and support. Brother provides a toll-free technical support, animated interactive help files, and our Brother Solutions Center, which is an on-line repository of information, driver downloads, and FAQs to help you get the most out of your printer.³ In addition, the HL-4040CN comes with a 1-year express exchange limited warranty.
<sup>1. Additional purchase required.
2. USB flash memory drive and camera not included.
3. Visit brother.com for more information.</sup>

Get 40% OFF

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Logitech diNovo Cordless Desktop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have had this cordless set for several days now. Here are my thoughts:

First the bad news. There could be better quality control on this. The first unit I purchased had a right-arrow key that would not work properly (all other keys worked fine). Another reviewer of this model here said that the space bar did not work properly on their unit. I liked everything else so much, I returned mine and got another unit, which is now working properly. The only other negatives I can mention are: (a) the temperature on the numeric keypad ALWAYS reads 77 degrees; (b) the Media key on the numeric keypad always seems to launch the default media player, no matter what I set it to (the media key on the full keyboard works fine).

Now the good news. I love the sleek look and modular design of this set, and it happens to match my HP Pavillion Notebook perfectly. I love the small USB receiver. I love the profile and tactile feel of the flat keyboard. I love the features that let you use this both on a desktop (in my case a docking station) or on the road with your laptop. The mouse is the least sexy of the three main parts, but nevertheless works well and the off switch is a nice feature; its main appeal is that it can be used on the desktop and as a portable laptop mouse. The wireless USB reciever, while small (a good thing), still has a very sufficient range.

All in all, this set has solved a number of problems for me and I strongly recommend it. Just be sure to check ALL the keys, etc. immediately when you get it and exchange it for another unit if any of the keys do not respond.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Logitech diNovo Cordless Desktop

Product Description:
The ideal keyboard and mouse for either a full size PC or a notebook PC being used as a main desktop computer The Logitech diNovo Cordless Desktop delivers a maximum blend of comfort, convenience, and flexibility whether you are at your desk or on the go. It sets a new standard in design

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Intel DX48BT2 Extreme Series X48 Desktop Board, ATX, DDR3 1600, 3xPCIe x16, 1600MHz FSB, LGA775, Retail Motherboard Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Well I suppose this is a good board and Amazon was very quick in replacing it, but out of the box I was unable to enter bios. I was able to update to the latest version no problem and boot into windows vista fine but when pressing F2 all I would get was a blank black screen andI would have to reset. Strange problem, I know. There is one more problem and it's that my computer restarts at random, All parts are brand new and for my sanity sake I hope that is related to the motherboard as well.
Update: Setting OCZ memory voltage to 1.9 fixed the restarting problem, Thanks. It will be a few months before I get a chance to work on the bios problem. In the mean time if anyone else has same problem and comes up with a fix please write review.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Intel DX48BT2 Extreme Series X48 Desktop Board, ATX, DDR3 1600, 3xPCIe x16, 1600MHz FSB, LGA775, Retail Motherboard

Product Description:
Manufacturer Product Description With resource intensive games and multimedia tools constantly evolving to the next technological level, you need equally advanced hardware to ensure the best possible computing experience. Hardcore gamers and multimedia enthusiasts can take solace in the fact that next-generation Intel® Extreme Series Desktop Boards combine with the latest Intel processors to run the most demanding software applications with ease.Intel® Extreme Series Motherboards Product Highlight
Built to deliver extreme performance for workstation needs, hardcore gaming, media editing, and still offer significant headroom for future upgrades, Intel Extreme Series Desktop Boards are the motherboard of choice for truly hardcore users who refuse to compromise. CrossFire Ready
Whether it's a single graphics card or ATI CrossFire, a system outfitted with the latest graphics cards can deliver unparalleled visual realism when playing 3D games. With compatible applications, multiple cards can share the graphics processing burden and allow for streamlined data processing that ensures high frames per second.

Quad-Core Compatible
Maximize the performance of your Intel Extreme Series Desktop Board by capitalizing on its support for Intel's latest quad-core processors. Support for up to two physical quad-core processors enables Intel Extreme Series Desktop Boards to support up to eight processing cores. With more computing "brains", new multi-core processing systems can run more resource intensive games and multimedia applications simultaneously with ease.

Overclocker Friendly¹
Built to be tweaked and pushed to the limits, Intel Extreme Series Desktop Boards include features and software that make it easier than ever to overclock while keeping an eye firmly fixed on system specs. And because these boards are built to Intel's exacting standards of quality, reliability and performance, you can push them to the limits with confidence. For performance enthusiasts looking to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of their hardware, Intel Extreme Series Desktop Boards provide a stable foundation for a benchmark-shattering system.

¹ Warning: altering clock frequency and/or voltage may (i) reduce system stability and useful life of the system and processor; (ii) cause the processor and other system components to fail; (iii) cause reductions in system performance; (iv) cause additional damage; and (v) affect system data integrity. Intel has not tested, and does not warranty, the operation of the processor beyond its specifications

Onboard Audio
Utilizing the Intel® High Definition audio chipset, the Intel® Extreme series can deliver 360

Belkin Bluetooth PDA and PC Adapter Combo Card (F8T006-PC) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I didn't do enough research on the product before I ordered it.It doesn't support the native Windows XP Blue Tooth drivers provided by Microsoft and the drivers provided by Belkin are not 100% compatible with some of the newer Bluetooth devices available.The only way to get it to work at all is to run the full install from the Belkin CD and it disables the Windows Bluetooth services and replaces them with Belkin services rather than just providing a driver that works with the native windows Bluetooth services.This is most likely because this device has been around since before Microsoft released support for Bluetooth technology.It would be nice if Belkin released an updated driver but they haven't..

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Product Description:
Item #: BLKF8T006PC. PDA Adapter Card
Synchronize your PDA on the fly without use of a sync cable. Card allows Pocket PC to access devices enabled with Bluetooth® v1.1, such as desktop PCs, printers and mobile phones. Insert card in your CompactFlash Type 1 slot to e-mail, print, transfer files and exchange business cards from your Pocket PC. Works up to 10 meters. Manufacturer's two-year warranty.

Customers also search for: Computer Hardware, Supplies & Data Storage;Computer;Cables/Switches;;;BELKIN

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Apple Mac mini (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive DVD

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This little Mac CPU is perfect for people who want a powerful but inexpensive CPU without the frills. Just 2.5" high and 6.5" square, it fits almost anywhere: on a desk, in a drawer, on a narrow shelf. The unit comes with a Mac SuperDrive for burning and playing DVD/CDs, a remote control, BlueTooth technology, the iLife Suite (iPhoto, iTunes, Garage Band, Photo Booth, iMovie, etc.), and the newest OS X. That's it. You have to buy your own keyboard, mouse, monitor, and anything else you'd like to add.

This little unit is also great for hooking up to a TV as a stand-alone HD video replay.Especially if you rent or buy iTunes movies and have different digital content you want to play, the Mac Mini works well.Apple TV, a special purpose machine, doesn't have the versatility that the Mini does.

Pros:

-- This little guy is fast and reliable. If you are not confident about installing extra memory yourself, this 2 GB version is for you.

-- Size. No more towers!

-- Leopard is utterly fantastic. Make sure you take the "tour" to fully appreciate its capabilities and features since many aren't immediately obvious. It allows easy sharing of files within a network, wireless or otherwise, automatics back-ups to an external hard drive (purchase separately) that can be accessed according to a specific date and time, and in-network video conferencing (again, you have to supply the web cam.) My favorite feature is setting my computer to turn on at the same time every day so it's ready to go when I walk into my home office.

-- The no-frills package allows users to buy their preferred size of monitor. Since monitors bought separately usually cost far less than what Apple charges, this ends up being a cost saver as well. The Apple keyboard works best with the Mac mini since there's a special key for ejecting CD/DVDs, but any keyboard will do.

Cons

-- The power button is on the back of the machine, while the Super Drive slot is in the front. This means that the unit must be accessible, both front and back, unless you set the system to turn on automatically. This is the main reason I cannot give this unit five stars.

-- The Super Drive is noisy when it starts up.

For people who want to keep their current monitor and other peripherals, the Mac Mini is an excellent and economical choice. If you need to buy all the accessories, the price can start to add up, and you might want to look at a different computer. Even so, the small size can be a huge bonus for those who are short on space.

I love my Mac Mini, and I've never regretted purchasing it.

-- Debbie Lee Wesselmann

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iLap Laptop Stand 15

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