DXG DXG-581V - Camcorder - High Definition - widescreen - 5.0 Mpix - supported memory: SD, SDHC - flash card Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am glad I purchased this instead of the other HD camcorders in this price range.
I was about to return this and get an aiptek a-hd+ but its a good thing i found some raw MOV files of the aiptek a-HD+ on forums.
After seeing the quality of the aiptek a-hd+ raw MOV files I decided to keep the DXG 581v.
After comparing the raw MOV files of both camcorders, DXG 581v looked so much better, and sharper. The aiptek a-hd+ looked like it was only upscaled and was actually only 480p...the aiptek lacked sharpness and detail
The DXG's 480p at 60 fps is smooth as butter and still sharp and detailed. UPDATE: The 720p mode and the 1080 mode is also smooth - change sure your frequency setting is set to "50 hz" and change "TV format" to PAL. This will smoothen out the panning...i guess the electronics inside are PAL but the software is set to NTSC because the unit is sold in the states.
The problem with the raw MOV files I saw with the aiptek was that it would sometimes skip frames. It appeared aiptek found a way to double the frames of its 720p at 30fps mode...it is a faux 60fps and doesn't look good.
If you want an HD camcorder that can catch a clear view of a car's license plate as it unintentionally passes by your camcorder's line of sight then get the DXG 581v.
Pros:
- large lcd screen.
- Sharp even at 480p
- smooth 480p at 60 fps compared to the other HD camcorders at $130+
-UPDATE: also smooth 720p and 1080 after changing TZV format to PAL and frequency to 50
- comes with cables:
> composite inputs and USB input.
> mini HDMI to HDMI
- audio passes through the HDMI connection
- good audio quality...very detailed and can pick up deep bass sounds.
- can change resolutions on the fly - pressing right on joystick
- can change exposure on the fly - pressing up/down on joystick
- can turn on the LED flash during video recording - press left on the joystick
- very light
- very small- you can actually hide it in your fist.
- comes with pouch you can attach to your belt.
- 720p and 1080i are very good quality. can catch alot of detail.
- macro switch is firm and in perfect spot if you want to quickly change to macro and back to normal mode
- autofocus does a good job of getting every detail.
- works with my 16gb class 6 sd card
- battery is rechargeable and only costs $3. It uses FUJI NP60 battery.
- battery life long - i will update this and do a battery test. battery gave me 2 bars out of the box. UPDATE: did a continuous recording at 1080i which lasted 1 hr 30 min. using my replacement battery gave me 2 hour recording continuous.
-voice recording is great. I was able to record a lecture 30 feet away from the professor and could hear his voice clearly during playback.
- when camcorder is plugged into HDMI slot of HDTV it enters playback mode. Files will play continuously and will loop.
- can upload the raw MOV files directly to popular video sharing sites
- battery is secure...no wobble.
- camera is more steady then other camcorders. (less shaking)
- was able to attach camcorder to tripod.
- able to keep camera stable without tripod.
Cons:
- 720p and 1080i run at 30 fps.
- 1080i only. it is not 1080p (1920x1080)...it is actually 1440x1080.
- no lens cap
- does not include an SD card.
- movie mode and voice recording mode must be selected in the menu. After shutoff movie mode is set as default. you must go back into the menu to enable voice recording.
- raw MOV files do not play on the xbox 360
- only 32 mb internal memory. about 5 seconds video, or 20 photos, or 1 minute of voice recording.
Since I can change resolutions at a click of a button on the joystick, I use 480p when I am recording a fast motion video, where I know there will be alot of panning.
Then I will use 720p or 1080i, when the video calls for slower or litte to no panning, and details need to be captured. UPDATE: after changing TV format to PAL and Frequency to 50 hz panning is now smooth. so I use 720 and 1080 most of the time now.
In staples I was hunting for a laser copier. I could have used my phone to take photos of each copier and price tag but using the DXG 581v made it so much quicker and easier to review when i got home.
I used the 1080i resolution. took a full body shot of one copier then focused on the price tag while switching to macro mode and taking a shot of hte price tag. Did this for the whole aisle of laser copiers. It was quick and I ended up with everything I needed on one file when i got home.
UPDATE: Attended a trade show in Las Vegas and I have to say the DXG did an amazing job.
I recorded each workshop and seminar at 1080i and during playback the video quality was so clear. The power point presentation on the projector screen which I recorded was very sharp on playback.
Using the replacement battery I purchased for $4 here on amazon, lasted 30 minutes longer than the original battery that came with the DXG 581v.
UPDATE:
To hook up the camcorder to an old HDTV with the HDMI port that doesnt support audio.
1.) plug the usb cable with composite out and left channel out to the dxg 581v
2.) plug the left channel audio out to the audio input of the HDTV
3.) plug the HDMI cable to the HDTV
4.) plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the DXG 581v camcorder
You will now have audio while using the HDMI portof the HDTV.


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Philips 42PF7320A 42-Inch Widescreen Plasma HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Bought this tv for $2400 compared to a panasonic hd for $3600 at the time. looked at circuit city to see how they compared but signal was not good in store. other philips models at best buy looked pretty good so i decided to give it a try. Was going to get the pany ED model for $2000 but when i saw the philips for 400 more could not pass it up.
got it home and wow!!! discovery HD had a coral reef show that will knock your socks off . Wife even said this was best thing we ever bought. great color plenty bright plenty of inputs even USB slide shows of jpgs' and plays mp3's off of thumb drive.
speakers even sound good enough for every day use but no fancy surround modes. TV even looks good on regular cable and stretches pics to fill screen automatically if you want. was kind of scared to get the phillips as most reviews on net go for pioneer or panasonic but for the price you will be happy.
some sites show this tv as black frame with silver speakers but mine came in all silver.


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Save space and enjoy a wonderfully vivid picture with the stylish, 42-inch Philips 42PF7320A widescreen plasma TV, a great choice for your full-featured entertainment center. It has a built-in 181-channel NTSC tuner for standard television broadcasts, and you can receive high-definition TV right out of the box with the optional, removable CableCARD, which picks up HD (ATSC) broadcasts from your digital cable provider (digital cable subscription required). This set includes a tabletop stand, but it's also wall-mountable with optional kit (VESA compatible). This plasma TV includes an anti-ageing circuit to help prevent screen burn-in and an anti-reflective coating on the screen.
This set uses Philips' exclusive Pixel Plus video processor to increase the number of lines and the number of pixels. The result is razor sharp pictures with incredible detail and dept, every time from any source.
The 42PF7320A has a 1024 x 768-pixel resolution, 160-degree viewing angle, a 1500 cd/m2 (candela per square meter) brightness rating, and a 10000:1 contrast ratio. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.) Other features include picture-in-picture display (via component and HDMI connections), auto volume leveler, adjustable color temperature and sharpness, sleep timer, and V-Chip parental controls.
The 3D comb filter separates brightness and color signals better in 3D domain to eliminate cross-color, cross-luminance and dot-crawl distortion. It performs field-by-field comparisons of the television image to accurately separate the color from the black-and-white information and remove both horizontally and vertically hanging dots, as well as dot crawl, resulting in a razor sharp image. This set also performs 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, too--a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. To adapt 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video, frames in the original movie must be duplicated; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this duplication by removing the redundant information to display a frame-accurate picture.
The Active Control function uniquely and intelligently optimizes picture quality by measuring and analyzing the incoming signal to automatically adjust picture quality settings. Active Control with Light Sensor uses a sensor to adjust the picture brightness depending on the room light conditions.
This TV has two built-in stereo speakers that produce 15 watts per channel (for 30 watts of total power), and can produce Dolby Digital virtual surround sound, emulating a 5.1-channel sound field from just two speakers. It also offers the following connections:
Composite AV (RCA) In: 3 (1 side)
S-Video In: 3 (1 side)
Component Video In (Y PB PR): 2
HDMI In: 2
RF In: 1
PC Audio In: 1
PC Audio Out: 1
Monitor Out: 1
USB: 1
Headphone: 1
The USB connector allows access to multimedia JPEG, MP3, MP3-PRO, and ALB (photo slideshow) files of most USB memory drives and most digital cameras (USB 1.1 memory-class device). Plug the USB connector into the slot at the side of the TV and access your photos or music files.
Tech Talk CableCARD -- The CableCARD system enables the "Plug-and-Play DTV" functionality as agreed between cable operators and consumer electronics manufacturers. It allows the decoding of encrypted or scrambled content delivered from the cable system. CableCARD functionality includes conditional access and copy protection. A CableCARD-enabled television without a CableCARD inserted receives high-definition standard TV broadcasts. When a CableCARD is inserted, the television receives high-value high-definition, cable programming.
HDMI -- HDMI makes an uncompressed digital RGB connection from the source to the screen. By eliminating conversion to an analog signal, it delivers an unblemished image. The non-degraded signal reduces flicker and leads to a clearer picture. HDMI intelligently communicates the highest output resolution with the source device. The HDMI input is fully backward compatible with DVI sources but includes digital audio. HDMI uses HDCP copy protection.
What's in the Box Plasma TV, remote control (with batteries), tabletop stand, power cord, printed operating instructions

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Sony HDR-HC5 4MP MiniDV High Definition Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am writing this as someone who is not a true videophile, but who nonetheless pays some critical attention to picture quality and ease of use. I have no interest in making any videos other than reasonable quality family videos. I have owned a SD miniDV camera for 7 years before buying this one. The picture quality was observed on a Sony SXRD 60" HDTV using component cables. I didn't have the HDMI cable with the mini connector to try out a digital connection.
I bought this camera last week and tried it out during a Memorial Day trip with the family. The picture quality is extremely good. It's not quite as good as a top-notch HD feed (such as Discovery HD), but appears to me to be equal to most HD channels we receive over Comcast cable. Another poster said the quality is not much better than DVD, but for me this is clearly not the case--it's *much* better than DVD. Although in some detailed reviews online there are still images showing interlace artifacts, in viewing running video I have been unable to notice any effects of interlacing at all, even in fast-moving objects. Pans work well, with no objectionable artifacts or lagging. For outdoor scenes the picture is really stunning. Indoors at night, with ordinary light levels, the picture is not as good, with a graininess that is especially apparent on objects with a smooth texture, such as painted walls. Still, the picture is acceptable to me.
The camera has lots of features, mostly accessable from its touchscreen display. However, you can set the camera in "easy" mode, which selects a reasonable set of default settings. I confess that's the only mode I used, and the results were impressive. As I learn more about the camera I may fiddle with more advanced settings.
The camera can also take decent still photos, not up to par with a good digital camera but perfectly acceptable for when you don't want to lug around a separate camera. One cute feature is that it's possible to take still pictures in 16:9 mode while filming. This doesn't interrupt the filming, and the pictures are stored on the Memory Stick. Up to three such pictures can be taken in any filming sequence (from start to stop).
[Added 6/4/07] I have used the still camera some more. I compared the 16:9 pictures taken in video camera mode to those taken in the standard 4:3 camera mode, and I couldn't see any significant differences in quality (other than the 16:9 being wider). This in spite of the fact that Sony states the 16:9 mode pictures have an "effective resolution" of 2.3 Mpixels while those in 4:3 have a resolution of 4.0 Mpixels. (Note that, as far as I can tell, the camera doesn't actually have a 4 MP sensor, but uses some sort of interpolation to get 4 MP.) I also compared these pictures to ones taken with my 2001-vintage Canon Powershot digital camera; those from the Sony HDR-HC5 were clearly better. HOWEVER, the low-light capabilities of the Sony still camera modes is very poor, much worse than its low-light video capabilities. In ordinary indoor lighting the pictures are very grainy. Even in outdoor shots, faces that are in shade have a certain graininess. So in good light the stills are fine, but in low light they're not very good. [End]
The battery life was OK. I estimate I got an hour or so from the included battery. This was enough for shooting perhaps 30 minutes of video under real world conditions.
I was able to read in and edit the video using iMovie HD on my Mac. I couldn't send it back to tape because of a FireWire problem with my computer, but I assume it would look just as good as the original.
Overall, I can heartily recommend this camera to anyone who cares about picture quality, but is not an advanced videographer needing special features. For instance, there have been some complaints about the lack of a manual focussing ring, but in my daily use (and my 7 years with my SD camera) I have never felt the need for this. Now I'm waiting for inexpensive HD-DVD or Blu-Ray burners!

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Imaging Device: 1/3" 2100K Gross Pixels ClearVid CMOS Sensor
Pixel Gross: 2100K
Recording Media: MiniDV Cassette, Memory Stick Duo Media, Memory Stick PRO Duo Media Recording and Playback Times: High Definition: 60
minutes; Standard Definition: SP=60 min., LP=90 min.
Video Actual: 1430K Pixels (16:9), 1080K Pixels (4:3)
Still Actual: 1490K Pixels (16:9), 1990K Pixels (4:3)
SteadyShot Image Stabilization(Super; Electronic)
Accessory Shoe , Active Interface Shoe
White Balance: Auto/Outdoor/Indoor/One Push Memory Stick PRO Media Compatibility: Tested to support up to 4GB media capacity; does not support high speed transfer function; does not support Access Control security function.
Still Image Mode(s): JPEG
Minimum Illumination: 2 Lux (0 Lux with Super
NightShot Infrared System
Low Light Capability: Super NightShot system
Easy Operation
Fader Effects: Black, Mono

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Panasonic TH-50PX60U 50-Inch Plasma HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had this TV for approximately 2 weeks now - It's my first Plasma TV - replaced a 10 year old 46" LCD television. After visiting every local store and kicking tires - I was sold that Plasma was the way to go. The clarity of the picture - 160 degree viewing angle with no decline in picture quality and sharp picture during fast moving picture ( i.e. sports ) + the vivid sharpness of blacks / reds / oranges / greens / blues made it pretty easy decision.
I went with the PANASONIC b/c of Consumer reports review of last years models. It was rated as best picture for non HD programming over any of it's competitors. Going shopping for these things locally is similar to buying a used car - b/c most stores won't show you anything but a HD signal - but I was able to get one store to show me a digital signal to a couple models and was able to view a DVD of TOP GUN on this and a few other models. Alot of brands will have a significant dropoff in quality from HD to digital signal - NOT this panasonic.
The picture in HD is simply amazing. Clarity / sharpness / at all angles of viewing both near and far away from the screen. The speakers are very good too - I will play a movie through the Home Theatrre - but day to day viewing the speakers will be more than adequate for most viewers.
The picture in non - HD programming - Comcast digital cable signal. About 85 % of the programming is pretty close to the same quality as High Def. Alot of the cable programming seems to be formatted in anticipation of High Def viewing and look very sharp and clear. Occasionally ( maybe 10 - 15 % of cable programming ) you'll get a feed that's not quite as sharp and ther'es a noticeable decline in picture quality from the HD or normal Digital programming. However - I've checked that same programming on my older CRT television - I found that the ( Non-HD programming with poor signal ) picture on the 50" plasma is the same quality as what I'm getting on my 20" non digital television. The only difference is that most of the programming is so much better in quality on this plasma TV that it seems like the picture isn't good for those few broadcasts. BUT - it's not poor picture from plasma Tube - it's just a bad signal that looks worse in comparison to the other channels and/or programming.
*** Don't let a salesperson talk you out of this TV if you have a large pictue window. I almost decided against the Plasma tube b/c a circuit city salesperson said the reflection would annoy me with a large window in the room. We have a west facing picture window in the rear with a tree outside the window. There is reflection on this tube - but it's no different than the reflection you'd get with a standard CRT tube television. We just pull down the shades a bit - and we haven't noticed anything that would be bothersome when viewing a program. We bought it with the assurance that if the reflection was an issue we could swap it out for a LCD or other television. We're keeping the Panasonic Plasma!!!!
I'm totally happy we bought this TV - and have no regrets for choosing the Panasonic. I'd buy this TV again in a heartbeat. The only thing I don't know about is the longevity of this type of tube - but I'll learn that over time. We spent 400 bucks on an in home 4 year service plan to accompany the TV. The marketing says it will last 27 years if viewed 6 hours per day - but I think that's a little optimistic. I did however learn in my research that this technology has been around for 30 or 40 years so I'm hoping that means there won't be any technical quirks to still work out.
Jake

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Featuring Panasonic's 9th generation gas-plasma screen, the 50-inch TH-50PX60U features a width-to-height 16:9 aspect ratio similar to movie theater screens, providing a theater-like experience at home. Its maximum of 29 billion colors and over 3,000 shades of gradation provide exceptionally fine detail for outstanding HDTV reproduction. The set's built-in ATSC (DTV) tuner pulls HD signals (480p/720p/1080i) right from the airwaves, and its QAM tuner is fully compatible with unscrambled HDTV cable reception. A standard analog NTSC tuner receives standard-definition (SD) programming. It also includes a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot, enabling you to take an SD card directly from a digital still camera or camcorder and insert it directly into the TV for quick and colorful photo slideshows. A plasma screen renders vivid colors like you've never seen before (as in, up to 29 billion in this case), extremely wide viewing angles (wider, even, than those of most LCD screens), and easy placement due to a plasma monitor's slim profile--the TH-42PX60U is a mere 3.7 inches deep, one of the slimmest plasmas around--perfect for desk or wall mounting. Brightness tends to be extremely uniform across plasma screens, which are also impervious to the picture distortion and negative color balances that afflict CRT monitors when placed near lighting or sound systems. The TH-50PX60U features a 1366 x 768-pixel resolution and an amazing contrast ratio of 10000:1. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.) The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time, to reduce dramatically edge image artifacts while improving transition detail. Other features include V-Chip parental controls, on/off sleep timers, closed-caption decoding, aspect ratio control, and video input labeling. The TV's internal stereo speakers are powered by 10 watts per channel (for 20 watts of total power). It features the following connection options: Component (Y/Pb/Pr): 2 inputs (with 2 audio inputs) HDMI: 2 inputs Composite (RCA audio/video): 3 inputs (1 on the front), 1 output S-Video: 3 inputs (1 on the front) HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any AV source with an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV). HDMI supports standard-definition (SD), enhanced definition (ED), or high-definition (HD) video, plus multi-channel digital audio--all using a single cable. If a component doesn't have an HDMI connection, you'll also get great picture reproduction using the three-jack component video (Y/Pb/Pr) input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. Component video output is available only for DVD playback. What's in the Box Plasma TV, remote control (with batteries), pedestal base, power cord, printed operating instructions

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Samsung LNT3253H 32-Inch LCD HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm not an expert reviewer but a reasonably knowledgeable electronics consumer. Here are my observations from a week's use of the LNT3253H. I won't repeat the specifications and the like that you can find most anywhere. I suspect that some of what I say is applicable to other panel sizes in the 2007 53 series.
A successor to last year's popular 51 series, the 53 is really more of an updated version of 2006's highly rated LNS3296 with a little more contrast and one more HDMI port and a USB port. (I was told by Samsung customer service, 1-800-726-7864, that the successors to the latter line will be 1080p.)
PROS
Sharp picture with vibrant color in HD. Subjectively: when viewing HD feeds in the showroom, the 2006 version of the Sony Bravia XBR has better picture processing than this model, and the 2007 Toshiba Regza is comparable to the LNT3253.
Very high quality panel with no dead pixels. It is said that Sony and Samsung LCD panels come from the same Samsung plant. My set was manufactured (probably assembled) in Mexico.
Uses the desirable Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (CCFL) according to Samsung customer service.
Nice contrast; I was told by many people, though, that dynamic contrast has a bit of marketing hype to it so just don't buy an LCD model because the dynamic contrast is slightly better than a competitor's. Sony avoids talking about it and their Bravia sets produce excellent pictures.
2 RF inputs, one for antenna and the other for cable/satellite. Competitors I've seen don't have that feature in their 2007 32" sets.
Digital tuner is high quality; very sensitive. Let me clarify that the digital ATSC tuner will receive analog NTSC signals. That's not entirely clear from the product specs, and competitors usually indicate their tuners are ATSC/NTSC/QAM. This HDTV does all of that.
Remote is logical and easy to use; better than the 2007 Regza's (I didn't compare it to the Sony's). Nice that the Samsung recognizes input sources and allows one button scrolling through connected ones rather than having to go to a menu. Don't know if source labeling or picture settings by source are available.
Audio: pretty typical, meaning not superb but adequate.
For the most part, a well-engineered and elegant set with nice touches, like unobtrusive function buttons in the front (some other manufacturers like Sharp and Toshiba just don't get it that some sets will go into tight spaces like cabinets; they put the on-board function buttons on the top or side of the unit--how inconvenient).
CONS
The single pedestal stand is a nice piece of engineering but could not be securely fastened to the set I purchased, so it was wobbly and, worse, made the set noticeably sag to one side. I checked two other display units in electronics stores and discovered that they did wobble. Other 32" sets from Sony, Sharp, and Toshiba, while not capable of turning on their pedestals, are solidly anchored. I don't know whether it's a design or manufacturing flaw -- or both.
720p resolution, 8 ms response time, and 10-bit processing. Most experts seem to think there's really no discernable difference in 32" sets between 720p and 1080p at typical viewing distances of 8 to 10 feet. I disagree; there is a difference to my eyes. Eight ms response is good, but 6 ms is better for action scenes. Samsung touts 10-bit processing on last year's 96 series models, but not on this one (which Samsung customer service confirmed to me it has). Perhaps that's because competitors are upping the ante with 14-bit and better processing.
Blacks are not as black as they should be on this set, and most annoying, there is some residual image on occasion. The test: MGM's lion logo goes immediately to black for about a second before a program begins. On my 19" Samsung Synchmaster LCD, the black stays black after the logo disappears. Same thing on my 12 year-old Panasonic direct-view (CRT) 32" set. Not so on this set; a residual reverse image of the MGM logo lingers on the black screen.
Legacy analog from over-the-air analog broadcasting and VCR is substantially lower quality than on my analog set. I know that Samsung claims its engine helps make analog pictures look sharper, and they do when DNIe is turned on, but they're still disappointing when compared to a quality analog set. (Digital broadcasts and DVDs are fine; I use the excellent Sony DVP-NS75H upscaling DVD player.)
An audio nit: My old Panasonic TV allowed control of the sound level output and muting of the home theater receiver from its remote. This set's remote does not do that, requiring the use of the receiver's remote for volume control and muting. The Samsung's is supposed to be universal, though, and might be programmed to do so. Another nit: Muting is not 100% complete. There was slight sound leakage in all muting situations (both from the remote and "internal muting") on my set. It seemed like Lilliputians had taken up residence inside the set.
NOTES
You can turn off the obtrusive (to me) bottom blue light if desired from the menu.
Samsung has some info on their website about the unit, including the product manual (very nice--why can't competitors do something this simple and helpful?).
The power cord is detachable from the set (yes!). It's three-pronged, with a grounding prong (reflects Samsung's monitor heritage?).
A brief note about size for those of you changing from old-style analog direct-view sets to an LCD like this. A 32" analog set is a 4:3 ratio set; while a 32" HDTV LCD set is "widescreen" at the theater-like 16:9 ratio. What this means in practice is: on your old analog set some DVDs and broadcast HDTV programs are centered on the set with black bars at the top and bottom (some DVD players will allow you to "zoom" and crop the picture to fill up the set, but you lose program's side action). They should fit just fine in your new LCD, though. Analog content that fills up the screen of your old analog 32" set is centered with black bars at the sides on your new LCD set. In effect, with older content, it's like watching a program on a 26" set, not a 32" set, according to the experts. I hope this isn't too confusing. The bottom line for me: when replacing a 32" analog set, think about going to a larger 37" or 40" LCD set if your budget and shelving can manage it.
I discovered that my AmEx and Master Charge extend the in-home parts and labor service warranty for an additional year; my Visa does not, so it might be a good idea to check with your credit card company prior to purchase.
There were a few issues with the LNT3253H that surfaced during the week that I owned it. I strongly recommend thoroughly previewing (kicking the tires, as it were and checking your preferences) this or any other large screen TV before buying it from any online retailer (BTW, it seems that most of them will not accept returns). You may wish to check with Amazon customer service to find out exactly what the return and refusal policies are, since, as many of you know, once you hit the "buy" button you may get the dreaded "your order is being processed, you can't make any changes" message if you change your mind.
The set and box are not heavy and can be handled reasonably well by one person.


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Offering an unparalleled sleek design and one of the best 720p LCD panels available, Samsung's 2007 model LNT3253H 32-inch flat-panel LCD HDTV is an updated successor the super popular 2006 model LNS3251D. Compared to the previous year's model this one offers an updated cosmetic design, a better contrast ratio at 8000:1, hidden speakers, side A/V inputs, and 2 HDMI connections.
The Samsung Digital Natural Image engine (DNIe) Video Enhancer refines all analog NTSC and wideband video inputs for an overall improvement in picture quality. DNIe improves contrast, white level, picture detail and incorporates digital noise reduction to improve lower quality video inputs. The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time to dramatically reduce edge image artifacts while improving transition detail.
High-quality virtual surround sound can be experienced with just the speakers built into the TV. SRS TruSurround XT technology delivers an amazing, simulated 3D effect with clear dialog and powerful bass through hidden side speakers. TruSurround XT audio adds three audio enhancement technologies to produce an amazingly immersive sound experience.
Dialog Clarity brings movie dialog into Focus during the playback of any surround-encoded material to make speech much clearer and crisper.
TruBass creates incredible deep rich bass allowing a person to perceive significantly deeper, richer low bass tones that are far beyond the physical low frequency capabilities of the speaker itself.
The SRS WOW feature widens the soundstage by processing standard two-channel stereo material as well as multi-channel encoded material for a dramatic improvement in the playback of any stereo audio over a two-speaker system.

Connections:
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) 3
R/F in 1
Component (Y/Pb/Pr) in 2
S-Video input 2(1 side/1 rear)
A/V input 2(1 side/1 rear)
PC input 1
USB 2.0 1
Headphone jack 1

What's in the box: Samsung LNT3253H LCD TV, remote control, 2 AAA batteries, Power Cord, cleaning cloth, owners manual, warranty card.

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Sony DCRTRV950 MiniDV Digital Camcorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)great camcorder. the 3CCDs really make a difference in video quality in my opinion. unfortunately, you pay for this quality!
pros:
- as expected from a 3CCD camcorder, the trv-950 delivers excellent video quality - colors are reproduced accurately.
- 1 megapixel still capability.
- miniDV media is widely supported.
- 12X optical zoom!
- steady shot optical stabilization system works well.
- ability to record mpeg videos directly to memory stick.
- progressive shutter system.
- offers color bars and zebra striping.
- the 3.5" LCD screen is great.
- built-in flash for stills.
- built-in mic does a good job picking up sound from the target, not the operator.
- great connectivity options: firewire, USB, S-video, headphone, mic input, etc.
- buttons along the left side and back of the camera body control essential camera functions (manual settings for focus, white balance, audio level, shutter speed, and special lighting situations) so you won't need to dive into menus for these commonly used capabilities.
- side-mounted cassette means you can change tapes while the camcorder is mounted on a tripod.
- low motor noise.
- intelligent accessory shoe - very useful if you use the appropriate accessories.
- allows a great deal of manual control.
cons:
- no built in video light but you can get a video light for less about fifty bucks.
- you could do better on the still photo department. for example, sony's trv80 and trv70 have 2 megapixel capability while panasonic's pv-dv953 delivers 3 megapixel stills.
- as with most sony products, you pay a premium, pushing up the price.
- don't expect miracles from 1 megapixel stills.
- not as compact as i would like. dimensions are 4"H x 3-3/4"W x 8"D, weighing 2.4 lbs.
- the included 8MB memory stick is unacceptable. be prepared to shell out more money for at least a 32MB or bigger memory stick.
- does not have a NightShot mode (although i'm not a big fan of this feature).
- MPEG movies saved to Memory Stick are much darker than the same scene recorded to a miniDV tape.
- noticeable shutter lag for still captures.
- bluetooth communication requires optional purchases = more $$.
- touchscreen menu system is not intuitive.
this is great camcorder if you are looking for a 3CCD system. it sits atop sony's prosumer line. the competition is catching up though so make sure you also consider the panasonic pv-dv953. peace.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DCRTRV950 MiniDV Digital Camcorder

Near the top of Sony's line of MiniDV camcorders stands the DCR-TRV950, the successor to the wildly popular TRV900. Packed with features such as the CCDs, 12x optical zoom, pop-up flash, manual and automatic controls, and a large 3.5-inch LCD screen, aspiring moviemakers find a true performance camcorder at an agreeable price.
Lens The lens boasts three separate CCD sensors, with each one dedicated to capturing a certain hue of the image. That means sharper imaging, 530 lines of resolution, with colors that are true to life. The SteadyShot function stabilizes the picture and reduces camera shake. The TRV950's optical zoom magnifies up to 12 times, which is enough for most purposes. Turn on the digital zoom, which electronically magnifies the optical image, and reach up to 150x.
Digital Stills Digital stills can be stored on a Memory Stick that works independently from the DV tape system. The camera performs with 1-megapixel resolution, making it capable of sharp images that are up to 1,152 x 864 pixels in size. When you need more light for your photos there is a built-in flash unit that can pop up. The camera can also shoot in MPEG movie mode, storing 320 x 240 videos onto the memory stick.
Inputs and Outputs The TRV950 is equipped with the standard DV IEEE 1394 port (also known as FireWire) for a super-fast, lossless connection to a PC or other DV machines. The USB connection is used to transfer digital photos and MPEG movies, while the innovative wireless Bluetooth capability adds network connectivity. The traditional S-video and RCA connections are also provided for direct viewing on a television or VHS dubbing.
The DCR-TRV950 comes with one 8 MB Memory Stick. Memory Sticks are reusable, but if you tend to take a lot of digital images, then you'll want a bigger card.
MiniDV Format MiniDV digital technology delivers clear, sharp video with over 500 lines of horizontal resolution--far superior to the 240 lines of resolution offered by 8mm camcorders. You'll also get minimal color noise interference for a more stable picture.
You'll also get excellent sound quality, recorded in either 12-bit or 16-bit audio recording modes.

16-bit audio includes on set of stereo audio tracks to produce CD-quality sound.
12-bit audio utilizes two sets of audio tracks so you can easily add background music or commentary into your videos while maintaining the existing soundtrack.

This is all delivered on a cassette that's 1/12th the size of a standard VHS tape. A MiniDV tape offers digital recording time of two full hours--20 times the capacity of a CD.

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Sony HDR-UX10 4MP DVD High Definition Handycam Camcorder with 15x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Excellent HD cam at a low price,
- it's a SONY,
- the video quality is very very good, 1080i! FULL HD, crystal clear.
- the 5.1 channels mic records amazing sound.
- the menus are easy to use, if you dont get it: use the "easy" button, it sets up the cam and you're good to go.
- the photos are very good taken thanks to the "Steadyshot" feature and the integrated flash. You can take photos at any time during video recording.
- the "night shot" func. really works.
- it fits in your hand perfectly and it has a good weight, not too light nor heavy.
- transfers to PC are easy and fast. just connect the usb, it's software detects it and download the videos, once it's done you can watch the videos on Windows media player, if you have any issue doing so, just google: "ffdshow" and download this codecs pack, so your pc can play almost any kind video out there.
- If you have a PS3, just plug the memory stick and play the vids.
- The photos can be transferred without using the sony software just copy/paste.
Opportunity:
-The Slow motion feature could be better, you won't get good video quality using this function, it's helpful if you just need to observe something in slowmo but not if you want to make an artistic video or something like that. What i do is take the regular video on HD and slow it down with Windows Movie Maker ;P (You can speed it up too)
This a very good HD camcorder for the price; you can't go wrong with SONY.
Edit: here is the link to the actual codecs you may need to play the videos with Windows Media Player,

[...]
Just install them and you're good to go.


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Experience the world of high definition video with the HDR-UX10. Hybrid recording technology lets you choose your recording format -- DVD or removable Memory Stick PRO Duo media. The ClearVid CMOS sensor (with Exmor technology) and BIONZ image processor captures detailed Full HD 1920 x 1080 video, as well as 4 megapixel still photos. Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization helps ensure clear images; while Face Detection technology helps everyone put their best face forward. You can use the Dual Record Mode to capture still images and video at the same time, and even capture a lifelike audio experience with built-in zoom microphone with Dolby Digital 5.1 channel surround sound.

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Samsung H200 Full HD Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my video review of the Samsung H200 Full HD Camcorder.
All video was shot with either my MinoHD or the Samsung H200. The video review notes when the changeover happens.
I was pleasantly surprised at the overall quality of this camcorder. First off I used to work around large guns while in the Navy. I have some hearing loss. I did not hear a single whine as mentioned in other reviews. I asked my wife who has no hearing loss and she heard no whine while it was operating. I can only assume they fixed that issue as mentioned in the other reviews.
Video Quality:
It is significantly better than the Flip MinoHD Camcorder 2nd Generation, 2 Hours (Brushed Metal), although its more like oranges and nectarines with that comparison. But, its the only other real HD camcorder I have to compare it to. That being said it is 1080i and not 1080p. I know there are purists out there that insist that an HD camcorder should be 1080p, and yes that is partially true. I do throw this in for consideration that a camcorder with a higher pricetag should be that level and not one geared towards every day use such as this camcorder.
Ease of use +
This camera has very few buttons. I think they took a page from Apple's book with regard to having a simplistic interface. There is complexity to the interface but it is within the touch screen. The touch screen is more like an ATM type of touch screen and not like an iPod Touch screen. Its very easy to use and with generous button pushes the camera responds well. I love being able to pop out the SD card, plug it in my adapter and copy the already encoded H.264 video over to my iMac. It saves me literally hours of compression/re-compression hooha that I really never enjoyed.
Audio: +
It captures the smallest noises from birds chirping far away to leaves rustling. Each sound channel is distinct and well rendered on the final product. I did voice over on the video during the H200 recordings because my kids and dog decided to have a screamfest at the point I was outside recording.
Component Connection AV +
I connected it to my VIZIO HD 1080p LCD HDTV via the AV interface. It was crisp and looked fantastic. Sure it was not 1080p but honestly I couldn't tell. I come from a generation that used to have shoulder mounted VHS camcorders to lug around. This is so good I would almost think its broadcast quality, at least on a 720 channel.
Features not tested:
I did not test the time lapse video yet. I plan on making a video with this to record an outside scene. Once I do that I will post where to watch it here, as I cannot have 2 video reviews up. I did not use HDMI because the output is a smaller HDMI and I did not have one handy.
Recommendations:
Get a class 10 SD Card. Dont mess around with lower quality cards when the video needs speed not only to record but also to transfer. The costs of class 10 are not that bad these days. Here is one to have a peek at:SanDisk 8GB Extreme SDHC Class 10 High Performance Memory Card
Video corrections:
The mailbox is about 200 yards up the road not 500. Also, the ports on the bottom are outputs and or inputs. This camera does not have HDMI input.
Thanks for watching and reading my review. Please post any comments or suggestions. I will do my best to answer them.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Samsung H200 Full HD Camcorder with 20x Optical Zoom (Black)

The best way to relive special moments is by watching them in amazing high definition on your HDTV from your Samsung H200 HMX-H200BN/XAA HD Camcorder. Record in full HD (1920x1080 resolution) and get breathtaking images in brilliant color with your Samsung H200 HD Camcorder. Plus, The Samsung H200 HMX-H200BN/XAA HD Camcorder also includes 20x optical zoom so you can get close to the action and optical image stabilizer for blur-free video.

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Philips BDP9000 Blu-Ray Disc Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)URGENT UPDATE: INSTALL SAMSUNG 1.9 Driver to the Philips Player To Fix Problems!!!
It's Feb 2009 and this Blu Ray player was having trouble with certain new Blu Ray releases . . . they wouldn't play, etc. I was told this unit would be useless soon and Philips was not updating firmware. I searched and found this thread [...] and it suggested installing the Samsung Driver . . . I was skeptical at first, but was about to scrap this thing . . . so I installed the SAMSUNG 1.9 Driver update . . . IT WORKED!!!!!!!Previous Review Below
Like the reviewer below, I also have the Toshiba HD2 Model for HD DVD. I am using both of these units on a Mitsubishi 55" 1080i HDTV. Using the Impact Component Video Switcher with Optical Audio connections I have been extremely pleased with this product so far. Why would anyone spend more for a Blu Ray Player? At some point I think the details of the output specs don't live up to the cost paid. This unit however, exceeds expectations given the current price point of other Blu Ray Players. Bottomline . . . I feel I made an excellent choice buying both this unit and the Toshiba HD2 HD DVD players rather than spending MORE money for just a Panasonic or Sony Blu Ray player.

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The Philips BDP9000 DVD player is the first model from Philips that plays high-definition Blu-ray Discs, which takes advantage of today's flat-screen HDTVs by playing content at native 720p or 1080i video resolutions. The clarity and full-color spectrum of the vibrant video produced from Blu-ray movie discs, which provide five times the resolution of standard DVD movie discs is absolutely amazing. The Philips BDP9000 also offers backward compatibility for DVD movie and CD audio discs, and has an upconverting function that brings your favorite DVDs to near HD quality through the HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) output. The player includes one (HDMI) output, which provides uncompressed multi-channel digital audio, digital High Definition video delivered via a single cable (720p/1080p). High-definition signals up to 1080i are also available through the component video output for Bluray discs (standard DVD's are output 480p through component video). Note that viewing high-definition Blu-ray Disc content requires an HDTV or HD-ready TV. The user-friendly graphic interface includes a full-color, hi-def animated menu, with features such as advanced subtitle functions, video scene search and pop-ups--which provide informative tidbits and are embedded in Blu-ray Disc contents. The unique 10-in-2 multi-format memory card slot displays 3-megapixel and larger images. It's compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), CompactFlash, MicroDrive, XD Picture Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Duo Pro, Memory Stick Pro, RS MMC, and Mini SD. Other technical features include: Up to 1080p (1920 x 1080p) output through HDMI digital outputSelectable 1080p/1080i/720p video upconversion of DVD's through HDMIBD-RE, BD-ROM, DVD ROM, DVD RAM, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW playback compatibleMPEG2, VC-1, H.264, HD JPEG decoding12-bit/192MhZ video D/A converter; 24-bit/192KHz audio D/A converter The BDP9000 provides a full range of audio decoding, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby DTS, and MP3. It has stereo outputs as well as coaxial and optical digital audio outputs for 5.1-channel home theater surround sound. It offers the following video output connection options: HDMI: 1Component Video: 1S-Video: 1Composite AV (RCA): 1 Blu-ray Disc Format The next-generation Blu-ray optical disc format was created by a group of the world's top consumer electronics companies, including Philips and Sony. This format was intended to meet the demand for playing and recording high-definition content, which far surpasses the video quality DVD can handle. With remarkable high quality video and crisp audio clarity, Blu-ray also offers increased storage capacity--up to 25 GB of content on a single-sided disc and enough space for two hours of high-definition movies or recorded content. (This is over five times the 4.7 GB of data a standard single-sided DVD disc can store.) The name Blu-ray is derived from the blue-violet laser the player uses to read and write to the disc. Tech Talk HDMI: is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV). Component video: (also called Y/Pb/Pr) features a three-jack video input, which provides separate connections for luminance or "black and white" (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. You will need a separate RCA left/right audio cable for sound or you can use a digital connection like "digital coaxial" or "optical". High Definition Formats: The most common high-def (HD) video format is 1080i, which displays video at 1080 vertical by 1920 horizontal pixels. The "i" means that it is interlaced (interlaced means the screen scans the odd-numbered video lines first, then the even-numbered lines).The 1080p format has the same pixel resolution as 1080i, but it is a progressive scan format and thus has a constant vertical resolution of 1080 lines. The "p" denotes that it is progressive scan, meaning that all video lines are filled at the same time.Another high-def (HD) video format is 720p, which displays video at 720 vertical by 1280 horizontal pixels.It displays the same way as as 1080p except at a lower resolution. What's in the Box Blu-ray DVD player, remote control (multibrand for TVs; comes with batteries), printed operating instructions.

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Panasonic TH-58PX60U 58-Inch Plasma HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is phenomenal tv. I searched for quite some time, looking also at the Pioneer and Samusung models which are in the 60 to 63 inch range. I found this one to be the clearest, crispest, sharpest, and brightest picture. I went to Circuit City to see it in person, as I hate buying a product site unseen.
I am using a Comcast HDTV cable box with the DVR functionality. The HDTV channels look absolutely amazing, even when standing 1 foot from the set. UNBELIEVABLE. The normal (non-HD channels) also look very good. I noticed that normal channels also appear clearer and crisper than they did on other tv's. Not sure why that is exactly.
I mounted the tv to the wall, using the Omnimount tiltable wall mount system. As long as you hit studs for all 4 lag bolts, it will hold just fine. I was a bit nervous about mounting 115 pounds on the wall but its held just fine.
I am not a believer in over priced Monster cables. HDMI outputs are a digital signal--either it gets through or doesn't. It's not a sliding scale or progressive like an analog signal. I used the Philips HDMI cables from Walmart for $20. The picture is absolutely crisp from the cable box and from the dvd. It looks as good as the display model did in Circuit City, so I can't see the point of paying $140 for monster cables.
Whatever cable you choose, however, it will look good on this tv! You can't go wrong with this model!!
Josh
josh@mrbond.com

Click Here to see more reviews about: Panasonic TH-58PX60U 58-Inch Plasma HDTV

Featuring Panasonic's 9th generation gas-plasma screen, the 58-inch TH-58PX60U features a width-to-height 16:9 aspect ratio similar to movie theater screens, providing a theater-like experience at home. Its maximum of 29 billion colors and over 3,000 shades of gradation provide exceptionally fine detail for outstanding HDTV reproduction. The set's built-in ATSC (DTV) tuner pulls HD signals (480p/720p/1080i) right from the airwaves, and its QAM tuner is fully compatible with unscrambled HDTV cable reception. A standard analog NTSC tuner receives standard-definition (SD) programming. It also includes a Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot, enabling you to take an SD card directly from a digital still camera or camcorder and insert it directly into the TV for quick and colorful photo slideshows. A plasma screen renders vivid colors like you've never seen before (as in, up to 29 billion in this case), extremely wide viewing angles (wider, even, than those of most LCD screens), and easy placement due to a plasma monitor's slim profile--the TH-42PX60U is a mere 3.7 inches deep, one of the slimmest plasmas around--perfect for desk or wall mounting. Brightness tends to be extremely uniform across plasma screens, which are also impervious to the picture distortion and negative color balances that afflict CRT monitors when placed near lighting or sound systems. The TH-58PX60U features a 1024 x 768-pixel resolution and an amazing contrast ratio of 10000:1. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.) The 3D Y/C digital comb filter constantly analyzes the three dimensions of picture height, picture width, and picture changes-over-time, to reduce dramatically edge image artifacts while improving transition detail. Other features include V-Chip parental controls, on/off sleep timers, closed-caption decoding, aspect ratio control, and video input labeling. The TV's internal stereo speakers are powered by 10 watts per channel (for 20 watts of total power). It features the following connection options: Component (Y/Pb/Pr): 2 inputs (with 2 audio inputs) HDMI: 2 inputs Composite (RCA audio/video): 3 inputs (1 on the front), 1 output S-Video: 3 inputs (1 on the front) HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any AV source with an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV). HDMI supports standard-definition (SD), enhanced definition (ED), or high-definition (HD) video, plus multi-channel digital audio--all using a single cable. If a component doesn't have an HDMI connection, you'll also get great picture reproduction using the three-jack component video (Y/Pb/Pr) input, which provides separate connections for luminance (Y), blue color difference (PB) and red color difference (PR). This results in increased bandwidth for color information, resulting in a more accurate picture with clearer color reproduction and less bleeding than you would get with S-Video or composite (RCA yellow video plug) connections. Component video output is available only for DVD playback. What's in the Box Plasma TV, remote control (with batteries), pedestal base, power cord, printed operating instructions

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Hitachi Ultravision 42HDS69 42-Inch Plasma HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After months of reviewing plasma/LCD TV's I was set on buying the Panasonic 60U. Last month Hitachi came out with this native 1080i resolution TV. The picture beats Panasonic in every aspect. Rich blacks and true color will keep any viewer extremely happy. With 3 HDMI inputs, this TV is built for the future. I've only had the TV for a week, but I am very pleased.
I gave it 4 stars because there are better Plasma TV's on the market, but none for the price/value comparison.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Click Here to see more reviews about: Hitachi Ultravision 42HDS69 42-Inch Plasma HDTV

Get the most out of your high-definition plasma television purchase with the 42-inch Hitachi 42HDS69, which offers a wealth of advanced technological features that will ensure superior picture and audio performance for years to come. Its blend of refined aesthetics is ideal for any home while its fully high-definition display--with 1080 vertical lines of interlaced resolution--provides stunningly vivid and colorful entertainment. The set's built-in ATSC (DTV) tuner pulls HD signals (480p/720p/1080i) right from the airwaves, and its QAM tuner is fully compatible with unscrambled HDTV cable reception. The set's CableCARD port means the set will also receive digital cable television systems services directly from a compatible cable operator without requiring a bulky, external cable box. A standard analog NTSC tuner receives standard-definition (SD) programming. It comes with a manual swivel tabletop stand.
Plasma display technology offers the widest viewing angle of any type of television. The wide viewing angle makes plasma the ultimate choice for wall mounted television. Plasma television performance is also exceptional for producing high quality images of fast motion content, like sports programming.
Hitachi's original ALiS (Alternate Lighting of Surfaces) technology minimizes the barriers between picture elements or pixels to deliver a smoother, more film-like picture. Using more than one million pixels, ALiS can reproduce more detail than any plasma in its class. ALiS is also unique in that it is designed to match closely to the 1080i HDTV system for a sharp, smooth and seamless image.
This set's video is powered by the PictureMaster HD III processing technology, which features third-generation 1080p processing and new histogram processing for enhanced contrast, sharpness, and color for a clearer, sharper picture. It also offers extended color capabilities to reproduce the purest reds, greens and blues, a maximum 16-bit/281 trillion color capability, and a 16 percent brighter panel.
The 4 MB, 10-bit digital 3D Y/C comb filter separates brightness and color signals better in 3D domain to eliminate cross-color, cross-luminance and dot-crawl distortion. It performs field-by-field comparisons of the television image to accurately separate the color from the black-and-white information and remove both horizontally and vertically hanging dots, as well as dot crawl, resulting in a razor sharp image. This set also performs automatic 3:2 pulldown detection and reversal, too--a handy feature for watching progressive-scan movie programs in their native 24-frame format. To adapt 24 frames-per-second movies to 30 fps video, frames in the original movie must be duplicated; 3:2 pulldown digitally corrects this duplication by removing the redundant information to display a frame-accurate picture.
The 42HDS69 has a 1024 x 1080-pixel resolution, three color temperature settings, four-step black enhancement, multiple aspect ratio formats (four HD, six SD), and split-screen/picture-in-picture functionality. The anti-reflective, high-contrast screen effectively absorbs ambient room light, reducing reflections and producing richer blacks, vibrant color and increased detail in shadows and highlights. Other convenience features include on/sleep timers, closed caption decoder, V-Chip parental controls, several screensavers, and three-language on-screen display (English, French, Spanish).
It has a three-way, 36-watt speaker system that can produce simulated surround sound and a bass boost. The set can also be used as a center-channel speaker in a full surround sound system. It includes the following video and audio connections:
Composite A/V: 4 rear, 1 side
S-Video: 2 rear
Component Video: 2 rear, 1 side
HDMI: 2 rear, 1 side
RF: 1
Digital audio output: 1 optical

Tech Talk HDMI is a lossless, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface to link any audio/video source (such as a set-top box, DVD player, or AV receiver) with your TV--all over a single cable. HDMI supports standard, enhanced or high definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It supports all ATSC formats--standard (SDTV), enhanced (EDTV), and high (HDTV).
What's in the Box Plasma TV, remote control (with batteries), manual swivel tabletop stand, printed operating instructions

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Aiptek A-HD+ 1080P High Definition Camcorder (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this not expecting much and not having seen any reviews on the Web or in print. The product is a couple of months old to market. There's some misinformation floating around out there -- here are a few clarifications and highlights of the product from my week's worth of testing. First, it does indeed shoot at a 16:9 aspect ratio even as the video resolution is 1440x1080p -- you just need to be sure and apply an "anamorphic" pixel ratio (i.e., not square/1:1). Also, it is a fixed focus camera: The benefit is that there's no noisy/slow auto-focusing mechanism, but the con (as with all fixed focus camcorders) is that low light performance suffers somewhat, while close-in subjects go out of focus (though there is a manual macro switch on this product). Big pluses include the fact that it's charged via a super-standard mini-USB connector, and accepts up to a 32gb SDHC card. There is a tripod mounting hole but no electronic or mechanical image stabilization, no optical zoom, and no external microphone/audio in port.
In short, this makes for a great "second-unit" camcorder in cases where you don't want to rough around with your primary HD camcorder, or where you want to strap this onto a skateboard and the like without worrying about lost investment. It's wise to take the native H.264 files that are wrapped in .mov format and convert them to .avi or MPEG-2 .mpg files for further processing/editing/burning, as most systems will stutter trying to decode the native video files at 1080p/30 fps on-the-fly (i.e., even high-end video cards do not necessarily include hardware acceleration for files in this specific format). Although users appear to be especially enamored of the product's 1440x720p/60 fps non-interlaced mode, I'm not convinced that their bias is based on the benefit of double the frames-per-second, instead of the mere shortcomings of their system's hardware playback at 1080p/30 fps.
UPDATE: The following wide-angle lens attachment works perfectly with this camcorder, and I'm tempted to use it full-time as it not only widens your field of view, but in the process mildly reduces the inherent shake of your footage by "pulling back" a little farther.
Sunpak CAM-2110 MagMount 0.5x Wide-Angle Conversion Lens (Large)

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With the new A-HD+ from Aiptek you get all the great features of the A-HD but now you also get 1080P recording! One-touch recording allows you to capture stunning 1080 P HD video at 30 frames per second with H.264 technology. You can also record 780P HD video at 60 frames per second. Connect to your TV/VCR/DVD player to record video clips, pictures, and audio recordings, and playback directly on the built-in 2.4" color LCD. Take still pictures up to 8MP. 4X Digital Zoom with Fixed Focus and Night Shot. LCD swivels 270 for unlimited video and photo taking. Conveniently charge your new A-HD+ via the USB cable when connected to your PC or use the AC Charger cable included with no need to remove the battery from camera. Connect to your HDTV Component inputs to display your high definition video clips and pictures. Use up to 32GB of SDHC card storage to record longer video before having to upload to your PC. Ships with: Camcorder, Lithium Ion Battery, AC Charger, USB Cable, Component and AV Cable, Lens Cap, Wrist Strap, and User's Guide.

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Panasonic Viera TH-50PX80U 50-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is my first HD TV purchase ever, so I made sure to do my homework. I spent days researching brands, plasmas v. LCDs, 720p v. 1080p resolutions, and 42" v. 50" screens. Friends and family kept telling me, "Get a LCD. Get a 1080p."
The fact is after combing through review after review from consumers and professional critics alike, it became evident that Panasonic is leading the way with plasma technology, and the years-old issues with these TVs (burn-in, heat, glare) are all but resolved. In fact, plasmas offer smoother motion, deeper blacks and wider viewing angles than their LCD rivals.
Screen size and resolution, I found, go hand-in-hand. The rule of thumb: 50" or less in screen size is not worth the extra $$ for 1080p. The increase in resolution only really becomes appreciable with screen sizes over 50". Too, one can only truly take advantage of 1080p with a Blu-ray DVD player. HD channels are sent at lower resolutions, though obviously much better than standard 480i.
Armed with this knowledge, I set out to find the best 50" plasma 720p I could find that fit within my budget. Sony and Pioneer were out. The next tier included Samsung, Toshiba, and Panasonic. The latter won hands down.
Whether I am watching DirectTV HD or my standard DVD player, the picture quality is nothing short of amazing. I love the anti-reflective coating on the screen; works beautifully in our well-lit room and does not mute the colors. It took a minute for my two year-old to get over Scooby-Doo outsizing him, but he's hooked now.
The one minor complaint I see in other reviews is bass distortion with the speakers. I do not use the "bass boost" function and have not noticed anything but clean sound. In fact, speech, music, and effects sound quite good and balanced. Most will use surround sound for movies anyway, I suspect. The only thing that peeves me is the digital audio out. It only supports 2 channel stereo to a receiver.
In closing, I believe this is the best value you will find for a top quality product in this category. Get one, and you won't just watch TV, you'll experience it.


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Panasonic VIERA 50" 720p Plasma HDTV

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