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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Saturday, 01 May 2010 16:26 |
 Samsung BD-C5500 Blu-ray Player Review Samsung is one of the fastest growing consumer electronics companies on the planet. The BD-C5500 Blu-ray player illustrates why. It’s packed with features, easy to use and priced right.
For a while there if you were in the market for a Blu-ray player your best bet was to simply bite the bullet and pay for a Playstation 3. But prices have gone down while features and performance have gone up and now you can get a player like the Samsung BD-C5500 for about $150.
The cloud is changing everything. When Netflix launched several years ago the name seemed silly. Why were they calling the company Netflix when they ship DVDs back and forth in the mail? Well clearly the vision was to eventually deliver any movie at any time via the net. We’re not they’re yet. However, once you have an IP enabled box like the BD-C5500 it changes everything.
The BD-C5500 starts up fast to access Blu-ray discs and the picture and sound look great. We inserted The Matrix and quickly lost track of time. The soft touch controls on the unit and the remote control are very nice for a player in this price range.
The best way to connect the BD-C5500 to the Internet is with an Ethernet cable. Wireless requires a special Samsung part which we understand as it would be more difficult to support other wireless adapters at this price point. However, if you have an Ethernet port nearby you can jack into you’ll be very happy with the BD-C5500.
Pandora is one of the best music experiences around and now you can stream it live with BD-C5500. An authorization code comes with the Samsung BD-C5500 that you use to synchronize the device with your Pandora account. The best way to get started is to set up all your channels on the PC first and then fire up the BD-C500. Samsung did a really nice job with the GUI of Pandora on the player and integration with the remote. This feature alone makes the BD-C500 worth considering for music lovers. It competes nicely with the Music Choice channels provided by Comcast but would benefit from additional streaming elements ala Tune Wiki or simple photos and trivia. How about direct links to music videos?
The BD-C500 also includes Blockbuster, Vudu, YouTube and a variety of other apps and connectivity programs. Plus with a USB on the front of the unit and the ability to play all the most popular audio and video formats you truly have a complete entertainment system in one box.
The menu for accessing content on a USB drive is well laid out and easy to navigate. We loaded up music and videos on 16GB microSD cards and connected it with a little SanDisk microSD adapter. Works perfectly and barely protrudes from the front of the unit. We loaded some MP3 files with embedded album art but the BD-C5500 failed to recognize it instead displaying some arbitrary art based on the genre of the track. So it’s grabbing some of the meta data but not all of it which is totally lame. In fact, that’s a biggest complaint about the BD-C5500. How can you have an internet enabled device like this and not grab meta data or display the content that’s part of the file?
Other than that we love the Samsung BD-C5500. If you’re finally ready to phase out the old DVD player and want something more than a basic Blu-ray player the Samsung BD-C5500 is an excellent choice.
Visit Samsung for more information. |
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Friday, 26 February 2010 20:22 |
 The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000A HD video camera is an incredible camera that’s small enough to take anywhere. The VPC-HD2000A shoots full 1080p up to 60 frames per second. It also can take 8-Megapixel stills with high speed sequential shooting at 12 frames per second. Everything is stored to SDHC cards. A good quality, fast card will run about $200 so keep that in mind. Using a 32GB SanDisk card we were very happy with the speed of operation and 120 minutes of full 1080p HD recording time.
The VPC-HD2000A resembles a small radar gun with its pistol grip and folding LCD screen. We really like this form factor for family video. The camera instantly turns on when the LCD is flipped open and is ready to shoot in just a second or so. The pistol grip makes it very easy to point and shoot and get interesting angles without straining to position the camera or see the display. It could use a rubber grip or less slick plastic composite but other than that we love this design.
The controls and buttons are arranged in such a way that only one hand is required for operation. It’s also very easy to figure out the controls without referring to the manual, always a good test of design. The included dock and connectors are also well designed and easy to setup. We were very impressed with the out of box experience, OOBE, of the VPC-HDC2000A.
The camera offers quite a bit of control over the image so more advanced users can experiment. Full auto mode is perfect for anyone that wants better quality than a Flip camera without the expense of a full size camera and lens.
We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Xacti camera. In all kinds of light we were able to get very good quality footage. As with any camera this small image stabilization is very important as is a controlled shooting style. It’s nowhere near as bad as toy cameras like the Flip but you have to be conscious of keeping things steady. The pistol grip helps in this regard.
The Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000A uses the new iFrame format which is the same format used for editing. It’s a cross platform format for your Mac or PC and is based on H.264, AAC, MP4 and QuickTime. We used Sony Vegas for our test and simply dropped the footage on the timeline, no conversion required. The finished results were excellent. This camera will not replace our HVX200 but for fun family video that’s a step above cheaper toy cameras like the Flip it’s excellent. If you want a camera that’s easy to use, portable and takes very good footage in an easy to operate package the VPC-HD200A should be at the top of your list.
To see video shot using the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2000A watch this video shot by a friend of funkyfresh for a Sanyo video contest. Granted this was shot by a pro and edited but it still gives you sense of the quality you can get wtih the small but mighty VPC-HD2000A. All three videos where shot using the VPC-HD2000A.
Visit Sanyo for more information. |
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Sunday, 05 July 2009 23:56 |
 The Kodak Zx1 is the latest pocket video camera from Kodak and sports HD 720 H.264 video capture as well as still JPEGs. It’s drop dead easy to use, very much like the Flip camera but perhaps slightly less intuitive. It takes a few minutes to figure out how to get in and out of different modes and one of our testers accidentally deleted a day’s worth of footage when they were trying to scroll through to find content to display on the TV.
We like the build quality of the Zx1. It feels more expensive than it is. It has nice rubberized covers for the various slots and connectors and is very beach friendly. Outdoor footage shot at 30fps looked fine for basic home video. We had a very windy day at the beach and were pleasantly surprised by the audio quality. We were expecting more noise. Color and saturation are okay and the results almost have a cheap film camera look.
The package the Zx1 comes in borders on misleading. The picture of the SD card on the package could easily fool some consumers into thinking it’s included in the package. It’s not and the onboard memory is useless. Luckily, our friends at SanDisk have sent us a variety of SD cards to test. We recommend at least an 8GB card so you can shoot several hours worry free. Since the Kodak Zx1 uses standard AA batteries it’s easy to reload for extra long days or when you’re on vacation. Kodak does include batteries and a recharger in the box. The recharger is big and cumbersome and not our favorite. We much prefer a flat style recharger that sits flush on the wall. This one is top heavy and literally fell out of a couple of sockets we used.
The Zx1 is priced at $149, right smack dab in the middle of the portable flash cam market. It’s sleeker and feels better made than the Flip camera but the video isn’t any better. Also, keep in mind, all of these tiny little cameras use tiny little lenses. Just because they capture “HD Quality” footage doesn’t mean it even approaches what you’ll find with professional gear. However, the convenience and the instant on experience make it all worthwhile. Because the truth is you’d never drag that big camera to the beach anyway.
So go with what you like. All these cameras in the $100-$200 range are pretty darn good considering the price. The Kodak Zx1 just happens to be one of the better looking and better feeling pocket cams. If a splash friendly design is important to you this unit definitely deserves a closer look.
Visit Kodak for more information. |
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Thursday, 28 May 2009 15:18 |
 One of the questions we get a lot is, “What’s the easiest way to play videos from my computer on my TV?” There are myriad options depending on your level of expertise, quality requirements, budget, and spare time. However, one of the best values and easiest solutions is to simply buy a DVD player with a USB port on the front and a plethora of popular codecs inside.
The Philips DVP-5990 is a slim single disc player that plays Divx, MP3s, WMAs, JPEGs, and a variety of undocumented formats. You’re mileage may vary but we found it very good at playing all the popular formats we regularly use on our PC.
Let’s not forget it’s a DVD player first. The DVP-5990 loads DVDs quickly, upscales to HD and provides an excellent picture. The player also includes an HDMI connection for easy setup with your HD TV. The USB 2.0 port is easily accessible on the front and is compatible with high capacity flash drives. We used it with a 16GB microSD card inside a small adapter. The great thing about this approach is it doesn’t stick out far from the player. We can keep the USB microSD adapter plugged in and keep the player neatly tucked away.
The menu for navigating the USB content is a basic folder tree but it works fine. If you keep things nice and organized on your flash drive you’ll have no trouble finding what you want to watch. On the DVD side the DVP5990 gets to the root directory of the DVD quickly and allows for skipping of previews and piracy notices.
The Philips DVP5990 sells for about $60 and is a real bargain considering everything it does. Experiencing the random access of video via the USB port reminds one of the early days of MP3s when CDs started to look really dated. Optical media is dying a slow death that will accelerate as more consumers experience “on demand” media with simple players like this one.
Visit Philips for more information. |
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Tuesday, 05 May 2009 14:41 |
 The Samsung 58A650 is a very well done plasma TV that isn’t as cheesy as the “touch of color” catalog pictures might suggest. The 58A650 has some of the best specs you’ll find in a plasma TV. It’s attractive and also includes a pretty good build-in sound system
DLP, laser, LCD and plasma TVs all have their strengths. With plasma it’s all about very rich color, contrast, viewing angle and brightness. The Samsung 58A650 delivers on all fronts and is ready to roll with very little calibration right out of the box.
Samsung has continually improved the GUI and software on its TVs. Some of the early Samsung DLP TVs were a joke when it came to tweaking settings and navigating the menu structure. Samsung’s current generation of TVs is leaps and bounds ahead of the early sets and much more user friendly.
The most difficult part of setting up a big screen TV these days is moving it around and deciding where to put it. Since this is a review unit we simply left it on a stand. The swivel makes it easy to connect to the entire home theater system. We love HDMI. The 58A650 has plenty of connections including one for your PC. A 58 inch plasma makes a pretty awesome PC monitor.
So this “Touch of Color” thing, yeah, what’s that all about? Well it’s basically a subtle band of red light on the bezel of the TV. It can be toggled on and off. It essentially gives a Virgin American cabin vibe to your plasma. I think the biggest problem with this feature is the marketing materials. The red glow isn’t nearly as bright as the pictures suggest. In fact, it’s barely noticeable and can be toggled on and off.
Samsung is hitting its stride with it’s entire lineup of TVs. We’ve seen this model on closeout for under 2K which is a pretty screaming deal. If you’re in the market for a plasma this is worth a look
Visit Samsung for more information about its Plasma technology and its entire lineup of audio video products. |
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Friday, 02 January 2009 08:55 |
 The Panasonic Lumix TZ5S is a great little point and shoot camera. We were able to take 400 shots on a single battery charge and were pleased with the speed of operation, ease of use and quality of the 9 megapixel photos.
The Lumix TZ5S features a Leica Lens, 10x optical zoom, image stabilization and the ability to take both still photos and VGA resolution video. The camera is made in Japan and feels good in the hand but not as solid as a Canon digital ELPH. It doesn’t feel cheap just a bit light for its size. However, it travels well and can be crammed into pants pockets if necessary so it makes a great everyday point and shoot camera.
This camera performs best under ideal lighting conditions. Late afternoon sun in Orange County yielded beautiful results. Indoor pictures require a bit more finesse with the settings. Overall we were very pleased with the quality of the pictures.
One of the biggest complaints with cameras in the $200 or less range is the slow speed and recovery times. I’ve seen moms become irate trying to capture their kids with a cheap camera when they really need a digital SLR. Of course, it’s not convenient to carry around a high-end piece of gear to the park or Chuck E. Cheese, so a point and shoot camera with reasonable performance is a good option.
The Panasonic Lumix TZ5S performs reasonably well with prefocus and optimized ISO speeds. Sure, you’ll miss some great shots but you’ll capture some too. With or without a digital SLR in your arsenal the Lumix TZ5S is easy and fun to use and you won’t hesitate to bring it with you when bigger gear would be a burden.
Visit Panasonic for more information. |
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Sunday, 09 November 2008 07:15 |
 If you haven’t done so already it’s time to sign up for the TV converter box coupon program and grab a box before the last of the 30 million or so coupons are issued. LG makes a good box that is sold under the Zenith brand as the DTT900 and under the Best Buy Insignia brand as the NS-DXA1-APT.
The Insignia NS-DXA1-APT adds analog pass through to a well made and very functional converter box. We hooked the box up to a vintage Mitsubishi 26 inch TV using a passive RCA antenna. The results were awesome. We pulled in two dozen stations with crystal clear picture quality.
The converter box installs as fast as you can connect cables and provide power. The initial setup is intuitive and takes very little effort. The menu is nothing special visually but it works. Once it’s setup it’s basically a tuner with a remote used to change channels. That’s it. With the forty dollar coupon the NS-DXA1-APT will cost you $20. It’s well worth it and one of the best boxes available under the government coupon program
We prefer the Insignia brand over some others because it’s sold by Best Buy, one of the last standing electronics retailers. We would not recommend buying anything from Circuit City these days. If you have a problem with the product it’s good to know there will actually be a store where you can take it back.
Visit The Digital TV Converter Coupon Website for more information. |
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Friday, 31 October 2008 06:53 |
 The Monster Power Pro 3500 is a professional reference power center designed for music professionals. It features stage 3 isolated audio and video filters, 14 total outlets with 2 front mounted unswitched outlets and front and rear for adjustable 12v LED light. The unit boasts 2775 joules of surge protection. Just about anyone, pro or hobbyist can benefit from clean power in the home or a full blown studio.
The Pro 3500 is a substantial well made unit that says quality right out of the box. However, the 12v LED light never worked. While not visibly broken we never got it to work. It’s a shame because it would sure come in handy while plugging things in on the back of the unit or simply for added light in the studio.
The Power Pro 3500 has a series of lights on the front panel that indicate power status, ground, wiring fault, clean power, abnormal voltage and protection is operating properly. The unit correctly identified a wiring fault in the building which was later corrected.
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Saturday, 21 June 2008 04:47 |
 Buying a big screen TV is getting more complicated and confusing. DLP, Plasma and LCD technology are all worthy of consideration. What it boils down to is usage and location. We'll keep this short and sweet and give you our recommendations for the most popular big screen technologies.
First up is DLP. DLP is the modern-day projection TV. The sets are a little bulkier than LCD and Plasma and aren't appropriate for mounting on a wall. We're big fans of DLP sets. They offer the most bang for buck and are a good choice for rooms that can accommodate a bulkier set. The caveat with DLPs is viewing angle.
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Wednesday, 13 June 2007 00:00 |
 The TiVo Series3 Dual Tuner HD Digital Video Recorder is just what the HD community has been waiting for. It isn't cheap at $800 and a 3 year commitment is required to get the monthly fees down do $12 a month. However, dual cable card tuners and a new backlit remote along with 32 hours of HD capacity makes this a very attractive DVR to high-def addicts with the coin to pay for it.
We tested this new box on a Scientific Atlanta cable system using dual cable cards. We've written about our frustration with Cable Card installation and nothing much has changed. If you're an AV enthusiast you're likely to know a lot more about your equipment and installation than the technicians the cable companies send out for the installation. Unfortunately, they won't just send the cards and let you plug it in and activate.
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Electronics and Home Entertainment
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Tuesday, 09 January 2007 00:00 |
One touch control for up to 15 components NULL  Logitech's Harmony 880 Universal Remote is an improvement compared to the previous 760 model. The most important changes include the addition of more dedicated buttons for functions like pause and fast forward and a dock for recharging. Since a universal remote is designed to truly take over the duties of all the other remotes in the house it gets more of a workout and subsequently eats up the batteries. Making it rechargeable was a good move by Logitech.
Having more buttons is nice but ironically they tend to blend into the housing of the remote. The sleek design is attractive enough but we'd prefer a fat brick with bigger buttons. The small buttons take some getting used to. The LCD screen is okay but nothing special. It works.
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