Samsung BlackJack II (i617) Review and User Manual (PDF)

I am switching from T-Mobile to AT&T Wireless. As a result my T-Mobile MDA will no longer work. Of course, I am fully aware that it is possible to "upgrade" the firmware, essentially unlocking this phone. Still, with so many options available from ATT&T, why not get a cheap and comparable phone from them and then decide if it is worth trying to unlock the old one?

After much speculation, I have decided to try Samsung BlackJack II. Three main features sold me on this one.

• The screen is pretty large and quite suitable for what I end up using my T-Mobile MDA most of the time - reading ebooks. It is technically smaller than the MDA screen, but the resolution is the same.
• There are many buttons I can assign for the purpose of turning pages. I will probably end up using the middle one.
• The letter keys are conveniently located. You can enter text without having to using a slider. I loath texting, but this may be a very nice way to make some quick notes.

One big con for me was the lack of Wi-Fi. If I end up choosing a different device at the last moment, that's why. Hear this, Samsung? Also, as much as I like the black model, the so called wine colored BlackJack II has a different leathary back, making it much easier to hold the device. I have heard that the black ones can slip out of your hands pretty easily.

Samsung BlackJack II (i617) User Manual (PDF)

Loading mp3's onto sansa fuze

I gotta admit, as much as I dislike iTunes for its sluggishness and lack of control, it is the most reliable way of loading mp3 onto a player I have seen so far. It is only too bad that iTunes cannot be used with other devices. I have been thus far unable to find a good way of putting mp3 files onto Sansa players. Rhapsody used to crash all the time, the Yahoo player crashed as well plus had some quirky behaviors when using it with Sansa e280. At some point I discovered that unlike the iPods, Sansa players allow one to copy mp3 files straight into its folders. The problem is that as a result the device sometimes would freeze. When I was loading music onto a couple of new Fuzes that I got as gifts I decided against installing the new software that came with the devices and loaded the files manually, so to speak, by copying them through Windows Explorer. The results so far were just fine. Maybe things have improved? I much prefer bypassing silly software solutions if files can be copied directly.

Sylvania NB500SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Player with HDMI Cable: Review and Manual

Just got a Sylvania NB500SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Player. It came with a high quality HDMI Cable, which is still not to be taken for granted. The price was right - $150 at Costco. At this point in time this is an excellent price and this purchase allowed me to cross over into the world of HD movies. Now I don't have to think twice about buying a movie. I just get the Blu-ray version!

Even on a 1080i Sharp SH12U the picture quality is truly impressive and better than I used to get from simple upconverting of regular DVDs. One particular feature I like a lot is noise reduction which can improve the quality of old grainy footage. But don't over do it! Shrek's skin can easily become smooth as a baby's bottom with very low level noise reduction.

It takes a little bit of time to load the BD videos. My guess is that this is caused by the heavy bandwidth requirements of Blu-ray DVDs and I expect that probably even better models have some issues in this area. I was able to connect the coaxial digital audio to my Philips HTS3544 home theater with great results.

One thing that this player was unable to do is play PAL DVDs (regardless of the zone). Not a very big problem for me, because I have other options and don't realy have a lot of PAL movies.

Sylvania NB500SL9 1080p Blu-Ray Player

Sansa Fuze vs. Sansa e280

Just because you already have a Sansa mp3 player with 8 gb of memory it does not mean that you cannot have a better one with just as much memory! There have really been some improvements introduced in Sansa Fuze. Just a few quick notes:

• Sansa Fuze has a better feel to it. It's thinner and has a nice back on it.
• The on is also a switch instead of a button. I like that.
• There's a "home" button. Awesome. I have to hit my Sansa e280 on button once but if you hold it too long it turns off.
• The USB cable for Sansa Fuze is the same as for e280. Makes the transition to the new player a little bit easier, as well as loading music onto the player you are giving to someone as a gift.
  

Sony DAV-HDX277WC, DAV-HDX279W, DAV-HDX576WF surround home theaters: PDF Manual

In terms of pure design, I must admit that the high-rising front and rear speakers on a lot of current home theater systems do not make me very happy. I checked the instructions manual in order to see if it is possible to make the appearance of these towers less obnoxious. It looks like all you can do is to adjust the mounting rod to make it shorter. But the good news is that these speakers are also wall-mountable, according to the manual.

Actually, it looks as if the presence of these stands in the retail box is among the features that separates DAV-HDX576WF from the other models. If you see no additional features that matter to you, keep this in mind when choosing a Sony home theater system.




PDF Manual for Sony DAV-HDX277WC, DAV-HDX279W, DAV-HDX576WF

See also:
Media Room Design Ideas

Sansa Fuze manual

The absolute best retail price I was able to find for Sansa Fuze was $60 (Costco). The sale lasted a few days, but it give a good indication of what kind of prices you should expect after Christmas. Anyway, I have snatched two Fuzes! The burden of giving mp3 players as gifts to people who are not technologically sophisticated is that you have to load them up with music. It's not easy, but I will try!

By the way, for people who never used an mp3 player before navigating the Sansa wheel can be a challenge, believe it or not. So, don't throw away the manual. And if you did, here it is:

Sansa Fuze manual

Vizio power light

Vizio TVs have a very obnoxious feature. On the front panel there is an LED light in form of the brand's logo: Vizio. When the TV is off this light is orange, and it turns green when the set is on. It is astonishing that some people actually like this feature, according to some reviews. What is the point of this? So we accidently don't forget the brand of the TV we are watching? I have searched all over the place, but I was unable to find any clever hack that would turn of this "feature." The only thing I could find is this tread about accessing the service menu:

http://www.hdtvoice.com/voice/showthread.php?t=30952

I don't have a Vizio TV just yet (and frankly I am looking at other models just because of this problem), so I cannot find out whether there is some way to turn of this light using the service menu...

Sharp LC-32SB21U, Vizio VO32LF and VO37LF

The old TV set in the living room is on its last legs! The picture keeps collapsing into a bright, colorful yet very thin line. Some gentle banging on the side of the television temporarily fixes the problem, but is this exercise of strength even safe? Time to look for a new LCD TV!

I said this many times and I will say it again. There is no better place for getting a TV than Costco. They hand pick the models they sell from select manufacturers (Sony, Sharp, Philips, Vizio etc.) and offer very competitive prices. But the best thing ever is Costo's extended warranty. 2 years!

My initial pick was a 32 inch Sharp LC-32SB21U. It is now sold out at the local Costco store. I did have a few reservations about it, however. It is not a 1080p TV. But this may not be a big deal in an 32 inch model. Face it, the screen is simply not enough to reflect the nuances that Blu-Ray (and Blu-Ray only, mind you) are capable of producing. Is it really a big issue? On the hole, I think that Sharp has a much better picture than Vizio and I simply trust the brand a lot more. My 26 inch Sharp has been great. Anyway, unless LC-32SB21U reappears at the store I will probably go with one of the Vizio TVs: VO32LF or VO37LF. It is a common practice in less established brands to pack in a lot of feature at a low price. And that's ok. As long as they work. And remember, with Costco's 2-year warranty, if the TV breaks I can bring it back for full refund. And if it breaks afterwards, goodness only knows what kind of TV you will be able to pick up for $300 in a couple of years.


Vizio VO32LF manual
Vizio VO37LF manual

Sony Reader PRS-700 product manual (user's guide)

For some reason, it was very difficult to find this manual:

Sony Reader PRS-700 product manual (user's guide)

The device looks OK, but I have not found any major improvements yet. Well, touchscreen is nice, but this is not so crucial for me.

Sony BDP-S350 and Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray players: Manuals

After using a few similar pieces of equipment most people don't really need a manual to figure out how to approach a new TV, DVD or a digital camera. But whenever something new, like blue-ray systems is rolled out it is a wise move to have a look at the manuals. After all, consider the fact that a manual is something you can have for free before you even buy the product (which is when you get the manual in the box).

Sure, Blue-ray is not much different from DVD players in most respects. There are a few things you should pay attention to:

• Video connections. Unless you use high quality connections you will not get the HD signal that you are craving for.
• Network connections. I bet your old DVD player did not have any?
• Settings displays. There will be a few items you have never heard of

Sony BDP-S350 blu-ray player manual
Sony BDP-S550 blu-ray player manual

Ebook reader: Devices you should not overlook

Ebook readers are becoming more and more popular, with Amazon's Kindle being a major driving force. Really, can there be any better advertisement for the concept of a small device specifically meant to replace traditional paper books than a prominent permanent ad on the main page of the biggest retailer on the planet? I had my own share of encounters with ebook readers, but overtime I realized that they may not be such a good idea after all. Primarily because almost everybody already has one or more electronic devices that can perform most functions of a book reader with ease. I still believe that he ePaper technology, used in ebook readers will continue to thrive, but at present you just may be better off with any one of the following devices:

• PDA. Pocket-sized computers had the peak of popularity in the early 2000s. It is almost difficult to find them today, because smart phones took on most of their functions. Modern PDAs, such as ASUS 626 have large screens, very well suited for reading long texts. A wide selection of software is available, often at no cost, that allows one to read eBooks. My personal favorites are Haali Book reader and MobiBook.
  
• Smart phone. Often these devices are the size of a PDA, but usually they have smaller screens.
  
• Regular cellphone. Cell phones differ greatly in their configuration, but a lot of them have support for Java, which allows them to run ebook applications. It is extremely easy to load use such services as BooksInMyPhone.com
  

Sony Digital e-Book Reader: PRS 505. Revew, specs and a solution for the lack of Unicode support

Just got a Sony Reader (PRS 505) from Amazon!




Review


First of all, I did not realize that the reader already came with a jacket. It was not very clearly stated. So, I actually ordered an executive brown leather jacket for extra $25.

It took about 40 minutes for the initial charging during which PRS 505 is completely unresponsive. Then I powered it up. Very impressive! The text has very good resolution and the black color looks indeed quite black. It's like looking at a paper printout that has been placed under a thin layer of glass. Just as with an ordinary book, it is a good idea to have plenty of light. There is no back light or anything like that.


The Specs

• displays eBooks purchased from the CONNECT eBook online store
• displays Adobe® PDFs, plus TXT, RTF, BMP, JPEG, GIF, PNG and Microsoft® Word files
• plays MP3 and AAC files (protected files not supported)
• internal 192MB memory
• memory slot holds an SD Memory Card (up to 2GB capacity) and Memory Stick® Duo media (up to 8GB capacity)
• 800x600 resolution
  

Pros

• Very light weight
• High image quality
• Good battery life
• Plenty of memory + SD card slot. Sony has released a firmware update that allows the use of high capacity SD cards (4 gb and more!)
  

Cons

• Black and white screen
• No back light
• No Unicode support
• Somewhat difficult to navigate. This Sony Reader is also a little sluggish.
• It is not always possible to zoom in as much as you'd want to. The level of zoom depends on individual books.
  
• Difficult to navigate PDF files.
• Haven't found a way to rotate the screen without going to the settings
  

One particular problem that I had to address right away was the lack of Unicode support. I often read texts with non-Latin characters. You can find firmware versions that can localize Sony Reader, but there is always a chance that you will end up with a brick. Why risk it? There is a free program that can take a text and save it as graphics (you can choose from a list of different formats). You can then make a PDF out of those file. Problem solved. This program was originally designed to create eBooks readable on mp3 players such as Sansa, iPod, Zune etc. But it works just as well for Sony Reader.

If you need this program, it can be downloaded from many shareware sites, but some of them require registration these days. Not this one:

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/eBook_to_Images/1168713945/1

The name of the program is eBook to Images 0.9.11.

Sony Bravia DAV HDX-274 home theater system

I may never be able to figure out the schemes and patterns that various manufacturers use in order to keep customers of such stores as Costco and BJ's uninformed about the actual models of TVs and home theaters they are selling through these distributors and how they compare to the rest of the crowd. It seems to me though that Sony Bravia DAV HDX-274 is very similar to Sony Bravia DAV HDX-275, which is offered at the same proce at SonyStyle.com. Here is what Sony has to say about this product:

The Sony® DAV-HDX275 BRAVIA® Theatre System includes an integrated 5 DVD/CD changer, 1000 watts of home theater power, and an included iPod® Dock. With the optional S-AIR® receiver/speakers system, you can now easily send your music wirelessly to another room in your home. Using exclusive Sony® Technology, S-AIR® brings the promise of multi room audio distribution that most anyone can set-up, it's that easy. DAV-HDX275 comes equipped with DIGITAL MEDIA PORT that works with various accessories (sold separately). The DAVHDX275 can control a select number of BRAVIA® televisions with BRAVIA® Sync via the HDMI™ interface. With "One Touch Play," operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Also, HDMI™ interface upscales DVD media up to 1080p This BRAVIA® System optimizes speaker placement in just 30 seconds with Digital Cinema Auto Calibration.



The manual for HDX-275: http://akamaipix.crutchfield.com/Manuals/158/158HDX275.PDF

In my humble opinion, a very decent home theater system. Most importantly in my opinion is a digital-in port. Of course, this system is designed to perform at its best with a Sony Bravia TV.

See also:
Media room design: ideas and solutions

Digital tv converter coupons -- good reasons to get one

I requested two $40 digital converter coupons! Why not? Well, receiving the coupons cost me nothing. I have cable, but it would be nice to have at least one DTV converter box. There are some channels that you can only get over the air, but one very specific reason why I decided to go for these coupons is this: I have a portable DVD player with AV-in. Sometimes I go on vacation to a place where there is not TV. It is nice to check the weather and the new every once in a while Sometimes I bring a All-in-Wonder box and connect it to my computer. But they I can't use the laptop. It looks like for not too much I can get myself a nice little digital converter that would just do the job!

What is Blue-Ray Disc Matching? Sony HT-SS2000.

I you happen to leisurely search the web for an inexpensive Blue-ray disc player chances are you will come across an attractively priced ($400) unit called Sony HT-SS2000 - Blu-ray Disc Matching Component Home Theater System. Unless you do your homework you may end up with a decent home theater system, but without a Blue-ray player. How is that possible you may ask? Well, quite simply, just because this unit has the words Blue-ray Disc in its name does not make it a Blue-ray player. It is primarily an audio system, but because it is capable of processing high-resolution audio signal outputted by true Blue-ray players. In essence, that's all, folks. To make things even more confusing, Sony uses the same bluish color scheme for this unit as Sony's true Blue-ray Disc systems

Sony HT-SS2000 Manual



See also:
Panasonic Blue-ray home theater

Pillow Remote Control

Pillow Remote Control

I guess, I just don't understand something. Well, apart from the $100+ price tag. I thought it should be possible in this day and age to have a pillow that is somehow capable of reading one's thoughts and change the channels accordingly. Ok, maybe not. But what's wrong with good old voice recognition? Is sowing remotes into furniture really the best we can do? I got ideas better than that. Just use Velcro to keep them in place. Or, better yet, install remotes under the cushions, where they end up half the time anyway.

Philips HTS3544 home theater and the iPod dock

Here is one feature that may seem insignificant to someone, but for me, as an avid iPod user, it is quite important. Whenever I plug in my iPod to the computer with a USB cord (to charge, to update or to simply play the content) the iPod "forgets" the exact place where it was before the connection had been established. This is quite a nuisance, because I often listen to audio books and long podcasts, so it is difficult to find the exact location in the mp3 file. Now, when I put my iPod on the cradle of my Philips HTS3544 home theater not only it resumes playback from the exact place where I paused it, it retains the location after it's disconnected. It seems that the implementation of hardware connections is different in my home theater system. This might be something to consider when you are buying a home theater.

See also:
Home media room design

Home electirc generator for a home theater?

Let's imagine the unimaginable. You are at your home, quietly enjoying the newest installment of Hollywood magic on your big screen TV. Why, of course, you also have a home theater system and the sound is just out of this world. Well, I guess it has all been rather imaginable up to this point. Now, let's throw in the unexpected. Nothing catastrophic, but simply something unpleasant. A hurricane, a small tornado or perhaps a human error has caused the lights to go out. Yep, no power for your power-packed home theater! But nobody is hurt and there is absolutely no need for you go run about the neighborhood saving puppies out of burning houses and perform other heroic deeds that you are undoubtedly totally capable of. Now, why not finish watching the movie? Or do you have to spent several boring hours listening to the radio or the iPod until the battery dies? Well, all you need is an electric generator. Let's look at some numbers.

A typical house needs a 5-kilowatt portable generator. This should be enough to power a heating system and a few other essential pieces of equipment. The cost of such a generator is no less than $700. It will consume close to a gallon of gas per hour when running at full capacity. If you consider today's gas prices you are probably better off using the electric company for your daily needs. But a few gallons of gas to feel human in the most inhuman conditions of an electrical outage? To some folks this could be worth it! But then again, you could just use a portable DVD player...

Portable ebook reader

OK, I am officially looking for a portable ebook reader! I definitely want an e ink based device, because I already have a very good smartphone that works fine for me. So, the biggest selling points for me would be:

• a larger screen than a PDA type reader
  
• ability to read image-based PDF files
• wide range of supported ebook formats, both commercial and free. Plain TXT is a must!
• the device must support Unicode
  
• convenient design and nice look. You know, I don't want to be embarrassed when people see me read this thing!
• some text entry mode would be nice, but this is not crucial
• decent screen quality. I am realistic and I understand that ebook readers with better screens are still a few years away, but I hope to choose the best that's out there right now.
• a lot of memory or support for high capacity SD cards. Chances are, If my smartphone supported HCSD I would not even need a portable ebook reader.
• easy syncing. WiFi would be nice.
  

The models that I plan to look at first (and see how these readers measure up to the demands listed above) are:

• GeR2 from Ganaxa. A Vizplex e-paper portable ebook reader. Not for sale yet :(
• Sony PRS-505 portable ebook reader.
• Amazon Kindle portable ebook reader.
  

I do have to say that Sony PRS-505 and Amazon Kindle are by far the strongest contenders.

Best Digital Cameras

This is a very colorful representation of brand popularity at http://digital-photography-school.com.

Clearly, Nikon and Canon are the most popular. One must keep in mind that (for better or worse) this graph represents the likes and dislikes of professional photographers, and probably indicates their preferences as far as high-end digital cameras.

Sony Mini Laptop/Palmtop/Whatever you call it -- VAIO® UX Micro PC

Sony used to have a very attractive line of PDA-devices, which they discontinued along with many other manufacturers. Smartphones have largely replaced the need for these little computer wannabes. VAIO® UX Micro PC has some remnants of the old Sony design. The big difference: this little laptop/palmtop device actually runs Windows Vista! Here are the specs:

lightning-fast, full-functioning PC that fits in your pocket, this astoundingly compact device puts world-class computing in the palm of your hand. Featuring a cutting-edge, 48GB Solid State Drive and three to seven hours of battery life with a large capacity battery, the VAIO® UX Premium Micro PC is small enough to fit in your pocket and powerful enough to tackle the most complicated tasks. An Intel® Core™ 2 Solo ULV processor and a Windows Vista® Business operating system make the VAIO® UX a perfect fit in today's mobile computing landscape where power and portability are essential. And with advanced wireless technologies to keep you connected and a bundled Bluetooth® GPS receiver to keep you on course when traveling, you?ll be able go farther and do more than you could imagine.

Full-sized PC performance

Intel® Core™ 2 Solo Processor¹⁴ U2200 Ultra Low Voltage (1.2GHz¹) Genuine Windows Vista® Business¹⁶ operating system The VAIO® UX Premium takes Micro PC modernization to a new level by utilizing a 48GB² Solid State Drive (SSD) in place of the typical spinning hard disk drive found in most PCs. AT&T national wireless EDGE network¹³ to extend your wireless coverage beyond LAN access networks and hotspots³

Now, the question is: Why couldn't this mini laptop also be a phone?

Playstation 3 Manual

As I looked for a Playstation 3 on eBay, I was greatly surprised that one would ever sell ANYTHING there without a manual. Some people get nervous when they consider the prospects of dealing with electronic equipment without proper instructions. And sometimes they are right...

Playstation 3 manual (20 gb model)

A little Sharp SH12U tip

When I pop in a DVD I usually immediately have to look for the TV remote, so I can change the input to HDMI. Well, Sharp SH12U has buttons on the top right side (hidden by the front panel). The right most button is power, and the button next to it is INPUT. This button is round to the touch, so you can be easily assured that you are not pressing the POWER button. A little time saver, because the TV remote is not always where you think it should be...

You have to know your TV, people!

Choosing a Home Theater System

Watching movies is a neat escape from the stressful lifestyle we live in. Watching movies in a wide screen and surround sound take you far away and into the movie scene you are watching. You watch it as if you were there in the movie scene. Of late, we can only experience this escape in a cinema. However, modern technology may be able to provide this same sight and sound experience right in your own living room. We will discuss the basic components of a home theater system in this article. Read on to understand how these basic components can deliver the best cinematic experience to a home theater system.

Home theater experts state that the most important consideration in setting up a home theater system is the size of the room where you will set up the home theater system. The most important component of the home theater system, which is the television, is dependent on the size of the room. Although, the recommendation is 27 inches television set at a minimum is necessary for your home theater set up. It is also a recommendation that a flat television is good for a home theater system because it exhibits fewer glares and produces a crisper image. Another major component of a home theater system that depends on the size of the room is the speaker. The number of speakers for your home theater system is dependent on the size of the room. You may add up to six speakers from the basic three speakers if you want a more lifelike sound. Adding a subwoofer may also be good to achieve a complete surround sound like in the movie theaters. Three speakers should be the minimum; you may go up to six if the room is big.

Another major for your home theater system is the DVD player. It is a recommendation that DVD players with progressive scan will be the best choice. This is because progressive scan produces sharp and flicker-free pictures. This however points back to the choice of television unit; you may need to check if the flat television set supports progressive scan signals. You may also acquire a five-disk carrousel DVD player. This will avoid having to stand up from your seat to change discs every so often. A minor consideration is the power rating that will determine how loud your speaker can be. Of course, almost all these depend on the size of the room to where the home theater system is going to be set up. Small room requires from few types of equipment, bigger rooms may require more and adding home theater furniture to your home theater system may be best. A bigger room thus requires more investments. A smaller room might require fewer but of good quality equipments to avoid the too basic feel of the home theater system.

Finally, you may acquire a beautifully designed home theater system if you consider hiring a home theater expert. If you can afford this, it will be best for you because the home theater expert will be able to effectively design and set up your home theater system. Your home theater designer may also add some features like home theater seating and other home theater furniture to be able to give the complete home theater package that closely resembles a real movie theater. Having the finest and high-quality home theater system will give you the most sought after set up that you could flaunt and enjoy to the max.

---

About the Author: Rob Thomas is a writer for The Tech FAQ and has contributed articles including Home Theater, Build a Home Theater, and Home Theater Speaker Systems.

More on the Bose Noise Canceling

Noise Canceling Headset Works by Reducing Low Frequencies

A very tiring aspect to using a headset is the continual background noises that interrupt the listening experience and very often the background noises are louder than one would expect. Most people may have tried ear plugs which may help in feeling less irritation but a high tech solution seems more appropriate; and that is the noise canceling headset.

Very often, such noise canceling headsets helps eliminate those irritating background noises and by reducing low frequencies by up to 15dB they leave high frequencies almost untouched and it is indeed enough to make a significant difference in noisy environments, especially. Using the noise canceling headset makes a movie or audio that much more enjoyable and leaves the user feeling much more refreshed than before.

The Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise Canceling Headset

One could try out various different noise canceling headsets but would be quite astounded by the price of the Bose QuietComfort 2 Acoustic Noise canceling headset that nevertheless does provide the user with excellent performance albeit at ridiculous prices. There is no doubt that this noise canceling headset is a top performer though there is some scope for improvement in design but that does not in any way detract from its performance positives. To underscore the point, according to Google keyword search data this item came out tops and there are hundreds of visitors that access information pertaining to this item.

Nevertheless, for a cost of around $300, you would get a sturdy box that contains the AA batteries needed for operations as well as headphones and a connector cord to connect the headphones to any music source. There may also be an extension cord plus two adapter plugs that can be used on airlines or for the home stereo system and the plugs being gold plated do add a touch of class. The whole thing comes with a semi-hardsided as well as reasonably sized carry case that has loops for straps that are also included.

The headphones have ear cups that rotate a full 90 degrees that makes it possible for them to lie flat and not take much space and weigh only seven ounces. They do not have over-the-ear design and have best noise reducing capabilities because over-the-ear design causes a physical barrier. This results in passively reduced external sounds and is better than the on-the-ear design. This is because the over-the-ear design is preferred by most users, specifically because it is more comfortable over longer periods of use.

Author:
John Ugoshowa. You are welcome to use this article on your website or
in your ezines
as long as you have a link back to http://www.quickregister.net/partners/
For more information on headsets see the headsets section of Quickregister.net Free Search Engine Submission Service
at: http://www.quickregister.net/partners/

Terms: Articles may be reprinted provided content is not edited and links are kept live

Source: www.articledepot.co.uk

Onkyo Introduced New Budget Home Theater

This just in!
http://news.digitaltrends.com/news/story/16431/onkyo_intros_new_budget_home_theater_sets

HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 will cost $479 and $379 respectively.

In case someone does not know, Onkyo is a very good brand when it comes to home theaters. Apparently, they finally decided to capitalize on their growing reputation.

Leading the group of new systems is the HT-S5100, offering 7.1 channel surround count, three HDMI inputs (with 1080p pasthru), and an iPod dock that lets users plug in (and, of course, charge) their personal media players. The S5100 also includes Audessey 2EQ room correction technology that can automatically adjust sound characteristics and delays for each speaker relative to active listening locations and accommodate low-level listening. The S5100 also sports Dolby and DTS surround sound, a 130 Watt per-channel amp (with a 290-watt subwoofer), and seven satellite speakers. The system is also ready for Sirius satellite radio, and integrates optimizer technology to make MP3s and AAC files compressed for headphone use sound better over a legitimate audio system.

Next up, the HT-S4100 and HT-S3100 dial back to 5.1 surround sound, but still offer DTS and Dolby Digital surround sound processing. The S4100 offers a 200-watt subwoofer and an iPod dock; the S3100 powers its subwoofer off the main amp and lacks an iPod dock.

The manuals are not available yet, but here is where they will be:

http://www.onkyousa.com/download/own_manuals.cfm?cat=Systems

Panasonic SC-BT100 Blue-ray Home Theater System

Panasonic SC-BT100 Blue-ray Home Theater System

As it often happens, one starts with a simple question: "Does this sort of thing actually exist?"
In this case, the likelihood that someone already started making Blue-ray home theaters at an affordable price was fairly high. Indeed, here it is:







The price tag of this SC-BT100 is going to be just under $1000:

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9906766-7.html

It's certainly no the best that is out there, but it will do for some folks. I am still looking for a manual.

Bionic marvel: what do Bose Wave systems and whooper swans have in common?

If you ever saw Bose infomercials about their Wave music systems you probably remember the well-illustrated explanations of how the Waveguide system actually works. To summarize these principles, I will use a few quotes from the company’s site:

“They realized that by mounting a loudspeaker in a tube, the motion of the loudspeaker would act as a waveguide, effectively transforming a small amount of input (air) into a large amount of output (sound). Drs. Bose and Short discovered that a waveguide could match the mechanical properties of a loudspeaker for efficient operation over a wide range of notes.”

“Additional analysis and measurements revealed that the tube could be folded into intricate patterns with no ill effect on sound quality. This discovery eliminated any concerns about the length of the waveguide and proved to be an extraordinary breakthrough.”




Now, here is the amazing connection. For centuries there was a belief that swans are capable of producing most melodious songs only when they are about to die. All this despite the fact that ordinarily swans are not known to be particularly inclined to sing well or to sing at all! This legendary trait, however, has been surprisingly confirmed in the nineteenth century for whooper swans (C. cygnus), one of the two species that were observed, but not distinguished between, in antiquity. Because of the “remarkably shaped trachea, convoluted inside its breastbone” the whooper’s expiring breath produces soft tones, similar to a flute (see Arnott, W. G. 1977. “Swan Songs.” Greece & Rome 24:149–153). It is possible that the legend about swan songs goes back to one very observant hunter a few thousand years ago who, after shooting a swan, heard these soft tones (which also may have happened to be even more sonorous than usual). It seems, without too much simplification, that the Bose Waveguide system uses the very same acoustic principle!

Panasonic DMC-FX33 - more impressions

My Panasonic DMC-FX33 had its first field test and it is quite remarkable. Most of all, I am happy with the quality of video recording. I have had cameras that claimed to record mpg videos for at least six years, but not actually produced good enough quality. This Lumix creates excellent QuickTime movies. The motion is captured extremely well. I truly have no reason to have a camcorder, other than for some special effects. Playback through the TV was also great and simple. The jpgs and QuickTime files are all shown in the same lineup. Very convenient.

Philips HTS3544 power problem

Problem
I have heard before that Philips HTS3544 can experience some sort of power problem, but I was yet to encounter it. So, it happened! Came home from a brief trip and the unit would not turn on. The red indicator was red, but the receiver was not responsive to either the power button or the remote. Two factors may have contributed to this:

• There was a power outage the day before I left. I did not turn on the HTS3544 since.
• I turned off the entire array of electronics with a master switch, so the unit did not have power for three days.

Solution
I unplugged the home theater for about 5 seconds, waited for the red light to go off, and then plugged it back in. It worked just fine. I assume that a bunch of settings were lost, but at least I can watch DVD again!

What puts 'home theater' into 'home theater system'?

A little bit of semantics, the way I see it. After I installed Philips HTS3544 one thing became quite clear to me. Yes, I do love the sound, the woofers and all. But I understood that the HTS3544 (or what have you) is only the 'system' and the home theater is the actual space where you install it. In other words, the room where you install the unit has to mimic a real theater. This includes, the space, the furniture, the light. This is what I mean when I say that the system only properly refers to what you get out of the box. No more, no less. Without it you will definitely not have a theater experience. With it, but without the actual theater part taken care of - it just will not be the same. The biggest problem in my case now is that I just don't have enough room to put the rear speakers where they belong - in the back of the room, so that they are located behind me. So, for me this true home theater thing is something clearly in the future, which makes it all the more fun to be planning for it. So, I will be collecting pictures of setups that other people have, in hopes that this will eventually inspire me.

See also:
Home media room design

Panasonic DMC-FX33 digital camera manual and specs

Panasonic DMC-FX33

Just bought this one at Costco at $199 - a very nice deal. I will have to write a lot more about it. More precisely, it's a DMC-FX33K, the K must stand for black, just as DMC-FX33A is blue (aquamarine?) and DMC-FX33S is silver.

First impressions: very conveniently sized, nice rubbery surfaces. A quality video mode and anti-blur mode are very promising. You have to take out the battery in order to charge it, but that's pretty much standard these days, unfortunately.

Instructions in English

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMCFX33.pdf

Official specs:

Camera Type	Stylish Compact
KEY FEATURES	.
Camera Effective Pixels	8.1 Megapixels
Optical Image Stabilizer	MEGA O.I.S. (Mode 1 / Mode 2 )
Optical Zoom	3.6x
Image Sensor	1/2.5", 8.32 Total Megapixels CCD, Primary Color Filter
Extra Optical Zoom	4:3 Aspect Ratio: 4.6x for 5 Mega, 5.7x for 3 Mega, 2 Mega, 0.3 Mega 3:2 Aspect Ratio: 4.6x for 4.5 Mega, 5.7x for 2.5 Mega 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 4.6x for 4.5 Mega, 5.7x for 2 Mega
Digital Zoom 1	4x (Max. 14.3x combined with Optical Zoom without Extra Optical Zoom) (Max. 22.7x combined with Extra Optical Zoom)
Focal Length	f=4.6-16.4mm (35mm equiv: 28-100mm)
Lens	Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens
Lens Construction	7 Elements in 6 Groups (5 Aspherical Lenses/6 Aspherical Surfaces)
Aperture Range	Wide: F2.8/F8.0 (2 steps) Tele: F5.6/F16.0 (2 steps)
PERFORMANCE FEATURES	.
Conversion Lens Compatibility	No
Focusing Area	Normal: 50cm - infinity Macro/Intelligent AUTO/Motion Picture/Clipboard: Wide 5cm/Tele 30cm - infinity
AF Metering	Face/1-point/1-point high speed/3-point high speed/5-point/Spot
Focus	Auto Focus System, Normal/Macro (Dial)
AF/AE Lock	No
AF Assist Lamp	Yes
ISO Sensitivity	Auto / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1250 / 1600 (High Sensitivity Mode: Auto(1600-6400)
White Balance	Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / White Set / White Balance Adjustment (+10steps, except for auto set) (Selectable at Portrait, Soft Skin, Self-Portrait, Sports, Baby, Pet, High Sensitivity, and Highspeed Burst mode)
Exposure	Program AE
Exposure Compensation	1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV
Backlight Compensation	Yes (at Intelligent AUTO mode)
Auto Bracketing (AE)	+/- 1/3 EV ~ 1EV step, 3 frames
Light Metering	Intelligent Multiple
Shooting Mode (Mode Dial)	Dial: Normal Picture, Macro, Motion Picture, Playback, Print, Intelligent AUTO, Clipboard
Scene Modes	SCN (Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-Portrait, Food, Party, Candle Light, Fireworks, Starry Sky, Beach, Aerial Photo, Snow, High Sensitivity, Baby 1&2, Underwater, Sunset, Pet, Hi-Speed Burst)
Advanced Scene Mode	No
Shutter Speed/Shutter System	8 - 1/2,000 sec. Starry Sky Mode: 15, 30, 60 sec.
Self Timer	10 seconds / 2 seconds
Auto Review	1 sec/3 sec/zoom
Review	1x/4x/8x
Picture Adjustment	No
Color Effect Mode	No
Color Mode	Standard/Vivid/Cool/Warm/Natural/Black & White/Sepia
Recording Format	Still Image: JPEG (design rule for camera file system, based on Exif 2.21 standard), DPOF Corresponding Image with audio: JPEG (design rule for camera file system, based on Exif 2.21 standard)+ QuickTime Motion Picture: QuickTime Motion JPEG
Image Quality	Fine/Standard
Motion Image (Quick Time Motion JPEG)	4:3 Aspect Ratio: 640 x 480 pixels, 320 x 240 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps, 10 fps
RECORDING IMAGE SIZE (Pixels)	.
4:3 Aspect Ratio (Still Image)	3264 x 2448 2560 x 1920 2048 x 1536 1600 x 1200 640 x 480
3:2 Aspect Ratio (Still Image)	3264 x 2176 2560 x 1712 2048 x 1360
16:9 Aspect Ratio (Still Image)	3264 x 1840 2560 x 1440 1920 x 1080
Motion Image (4:3 Aspect Ratio)	640 x 480, 320 x 240 30 fps, 10fps
Motion Image (16:9 Aspect Ratio)	848 x 480 pixels - 30 fps, 10 fps
CONVENIENCE FEATURES	.
Burst Shooting Mode	Full-Resolution Image, 3 frames/sec Max. 7 images (Standard Mode), Max 4 images (Fine Mode) High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 7 frames/sec (recorded in 2M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9)
Unlimited Consecutive Shooting 2	Yes
Easy Zoom/Zoom Resume/Motion Zoom	No
Still Image Recording with Audio	5 seconds
Audio Dubbing	Maximum of 10 Seconds
Real-time Histograms	Yes
Composition Guide Lines	Yes (2 patterns)
Built-in Memory	approx. 27MB
Scene Mode Help Screen	Yes
Auto Angle Detection	Yes
Flip Animation	No
Travel Date/World Time	Yes/Yes
Title Edit	Yes
Text Stamp/Date Stamp	Yes/Yes
STANDARD FEATURES	.
Built-in Flash Type/Mode	Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off 0.6-6.3m (Wide/ISO Auto), 0.3-3.1m (Tele/ISO Auto)
External Flash	No
Viewfinder	No
LCD Monitor	2.5" Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display (207k pixels) Field of view: approx. 100% Auto Power LCD mode, Power LCD Mode, High Angle Mode
Playback Mode	9, 25-thumbnail display, Calendar display, Zoomed playback (16x max), Image rotation, Category Playback, Slide Show, Favorite Pictures, Create Still Pictures, Resizing, Trimming, Protection, Aspect Conversion, DPOF Print Setting
OSD Language	English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese
Recording Media	Built-in Memory SD Memory Card SDHC Memory Card MultiMediaCard
Microphone	Yes
Speaker	Yes
Interface	DC Input, A/V Output (NTSC/PAL), USB
Direct Print	PictBridge
Color	Black
Power Supply	Lithium-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 1000 mAh)(Included) AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC)(Optional)
Battery Life 3	Up to 280 pictures(CIPA Standard)
ACCESSORIES	.
Included Software	ArcSoft® MediaImpression™, ArcSoft® Panorama Maker™, USB Driver, Lumix® Simple Viewer, Photo Fun Studio
Standard Accessories	Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Battery Carrying Case, AC, AV & USB Cables, Strap, CD-ROM
Dimensions (H x W x D)	2.04'' x 3.74'' x .87''
Weight	.29 lbs

Panasonic SC-PT753 Home Theater System Review + Manual

Panasonic SC-PT753 Home Theater System, 900 Watt, with 5-DVD Changer


Pros:

• Does 1080p conversion
• Wireless rear speakers
• XM radio ready
• iPod dock that can charge iPods.
• Multiroom wireless capability with an optional SH-FX85 unit
• Dialog enhancer mode makes it easier to follow movie dialogs.
  

Cons:

• Does not play DiVx movies
• The wireless rear speakers setup is somewhat cumbersome
• No digital input (you will not be able to enjoy surround sound from other sources)
  

Manual (same manual for SC-PT750):

http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/SCPT750.pdf

Official specs:

Wireless Freedom
With a wireless rear speaker, you can place the speaker wherever you like without the clutter of cables. You can also expand your music listening into three additional rooms with the SH-FX85 wireless multi-room speaker kit (sold separately).

Amazingly Vivid Picture
To give you the astonishingly high image quality of today's HD technology, the 1080p up-conversion function converts standard definition (720 x 480 pixels) images from DVDs to high definition (1920 x 1080 pixels). That means you'll get the most out of your HDMI-compatible HDTV, with sharp and exceptionally detailed high-resolution images. And unlike ordinary video up-converters that produce images with thicker edges and decreased sharpness, the HD Enhancer keeps edges crisp and clear, for outstanding detail.

Intensely Rich Sound
Enhance your home theater system with an incredible combination of Panasonic sound technology and 900 watts of power. Super Surround puts you in the action with lifelike sound from every angle, and a Four-Step Subwoofer Level Control puts you in command, with rich sound effects you can hear and feel.

Enjoy Your Favorite Movies and Music
Panasonic home theater systems are great for watching movies, but that's only where the fun begins. They also come equipped to deliver exceptional sound quality from portable audio players and other new music sources. So go ahead and listen to your favorite music on your iPod^® by adding the Universal Dock for iPod^® (sold separately) or tune into your favorite XM stations¹.

Smart Theater with Simple Operation
It's never been easier to use both Dolby Pro Logic II and Super Surround — functions that create a multi-channel sound effect from disc media and other sources. One button is all it takes: simply press the DPLII/S.SRD button on the remote control and the system recognizes whether the source is a disc or not.

Sony KDL32SL130 TV

Sony KDL32SL130 32" LCD TV



Here is a good tip. I believe that the unit that Costco sell as Sony KDL32SL130 is actually a Sony model found at other stores under the name of 32S3000. This is a familiar Costco tactic. They assume that customers might as well rely upon Costco to do product research. And it most cases it works out well. I did own a TV purchased at Costco. It broke before the extended Costco warranty expired, so I got all my money back. I did not have a problem getting another TV from them - they had discontinued the brand that I had, so apparently they can learn from their mistakes. Bu in the case of KDL32SL130 there is would have been no shame in keeping the product name untouched! Consumer Reports rated 32S3000 as the best 32" LCD HDTV in a recent electronics issue. So, I am forgoing the usual pros and cons run down.


User manual for Sony KDL32SL130 TV:

Sony Bravia DAV-HDX501W home theater review + manual

Sony DAV-HDX501W Bravia 5-Disc Home Theater

This is a Sony Home theater I would recommend if you need a digital input (I do), and can swing over $500 (I don't).

Pros:

• Digital input port
• Wireless speaker connectivity
• Upconverts to 1080p
• Microphone calibration

Cons:

• No Blueray capability
• Maybe, instead of 1080 conversion you should wait for Blueray-based home theaters to be perfected?

Here is the manual for this Sony Bravia hdx501w

Sony BRAVIA DAVHDX265 home theater review + manual

Sony BRAVIA DAV-HDX265 home theater

Pros:

• Affordable
• The sound receives good to great reviews.
• Convenient automatic calibration through a microphone
• You can change the brightness of the front panel (through the System menu) - a very nice feature if you keep this unit in the bedroom, let's say.
• Parental control can be set for up to 40 discs.
• Digital media port for connecting a portable audio device or computer
• Plays DivX videos
• Upconverts DVDs to 1080i
• Theater Sync function - only with Sony TVs.
• DAV-HDX267W is supplied with a WAHT-SD1 wireless kit

Cons:

• Lacks digital input. Not a very important feature for some people, but if you have been assuming that a Sony home theater would have this by default, beware. To put it plaintly, you won't be able to get digital surround sound from any other source, other than the unit itself. You can use stereo input through the Digital media port, but that's just not the same, don't be confused by that.
• Speaker connectors are not standard.
• On-screen menus can be difficult to navigate.
• The disc changer is somewhat slow to respond.

Conclusion? My personal favorite remains Philips HTS3555! This one probably only makes more sense if you have a Sony TV.


Here is the manual that also covers: Sony DAV-HDX266 and Sony DAV-HDX267W:


http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/pdf/DAVHDX265.pdf



"Official info":

HDMI™ Output with 1080i upscaling of DVD Media

Reads the data on a standard DVD at 480p and upscales the video resolution up to 1080i resolution for your compatible HDTV. This allows for you to enjoy superb video performance while delivering digital video and audio over one simple cable.

BRAVIA®Theatre Sync™

As a leader in products with HDMI connectivity, Sony has created BRAVIA® Theatre Sync™ technology to go beyond simple audio and video transmission. When combined with a select number of BRAVIA® LCD televisions and other Sony audio and video products, control functions will also be transmitted via the HDMI cable. With “One Touch Play” operations that took several steps have been reduced to one. Press the PLAY button on the remote, watch the audio and/or the video component(s) turn on then the BRAVIA® television will turn on and switch to the correct video input...Simple...Easy...BRAVIA® Theatre Sync™

DIGITAL MEDIA PORT

As the demand for digital content continues to be strong, here's the challenge: how do you integrate music in various forms into a home theater system? The answer: Sony’s DIGITAL MEDIA PORT (DMP). Together with one of the DMP accessories (sold separately), this proprietary interface adds networking and connectivity to the options of home theater systems and components, connects with various devices which provide the ability to control and power devices while making set up easy and operation simple. The DMP accessories will include a PC Client device, Bluetooth® receiver and Audio Docking Stations compatible with Network Walkman™ and iPod® products. So regardless of how you store your music, Sony’s DIGITAL MEDIA PORT offers an access point to integrate your portable music into a traditional home theater system.

Digital Cinema Auto Calibration-2

Now the optimal speaker settings for your living room are only a press of button away. Simply place the included microphone in your listening position and allow the strength of Sony’s Digital Signal Processing to take over. Speaker placement, distance, and delays are all calibrated automatically to ensure a worry free listening experience.

Portable Audio Enhancer

Simplified front audio and video connections are part of what makes the DAV-DX265 ideal for today’s portables. Beyond the simplified connection a powerful Digital Signal Processor is used to expand the quality from any device that is connected.

Multi Speaker Formation

Select from the on screen display to configure the system for different speaker layout.

Music/Movie Mode

System automatically adjusts sound characteristics to match the source (movie vs. music).

Olympus Stylus 820 Digital Camera - Manual and specs

A superb camera, except for one thing: image quality. I have read reviews about the bad quality of pictures taken by this camera and my personal experience from playing with it is just the same. Weather resistance is a big feature on many Olympus Styluses. Image Stabilization is a perfect feature to go with a slightly above average 5x optical zoom. I can only hope that Olympus will manage to improve the image quality. Their website now lists Stylus 840, but I haven't seen in in person just yet.

Olympus Stylus 820 manual

Olympus Stylus 820 specs:

• 5x Optical Zoom
• 2.7-inch HyperCrystal™ LCD
• Digital Image Stabilization
• All-Weather
• Face Detection

Sony Cybershot DSCW80 - one sweet deal at Staples

$130 after savings. Would have gotten it, but they were out of stock, even at "the other store". No rain check either. Really disappointing.


The camera is around $170 at Target, on sale. Unfortunately, I could not find a working model at stores. I did own at least two Cybershots and they held up pretty well. Only had a problem with the zoom mechanism. This model is only slightly heavier that other cameras in this class. The menu seem to be fairly intuitive. Sony cameras use MemorySticks, but memory in general is so cheap that this is only a minor inconvenience.



Here is the manual:

http://129.33.22.12/release/DSCW80.pdf

• 7.2 megapixels, ideal for prints up to 13" x 19"
• 3x optical/2x digital zoom
• Face Detection - reveals faces in shadow, makes skin tones look more natural and eliminates harsh facial glare
• Accepts Memory Stick PRO Duo™ memory cards (31MB internal memory included)
• 2.5" color LCD screen
• Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization and high sensitivity (ISO 3200) compensate for shaky hands, minimizes blur and brightens images
• Present your pictures with direct HD (high definition) output to compatible HDTV screens
• The HD Slide Show option can be accompanied by your choice of visual effects and any of four preset musical selections stored in memory
• 9-Point Auto Focus gives you greater creative freedom to compose your image
• In-Camera Red-Eye Reduction Reduce irritating "glowing eyes" that can ruin even the most creative photos at the touch of a button
• Color: Silver