Nintendo DS Lite coupons - one sweet deal

You can't have too many Nintendo DS's in the house, really. Someone is using one, the other just got accidentally washed in the laundry... Microcenter is still running what I consider a fantastic deal on DS. Get the console for a regular price ($130) and get 2 coupons for free games worth $30 each. The first coupon is good in December, the other one - in January. I already used the first coupon - Yoshi's Island. This will be someone's Christmas present.

Sony Bravia DAVHDZ235 home theater and Sharp SH12U

Here is one thing to consider when choosing the size of your new TV. A bigger TV, especially if we're talking smaller sets, will be very likely to have more connections. I learned this the hard way. My Sharp SH12U, even though the screen size is quite sufficient for me, does not have an analog audio out jack. It only has digital audio out with Dolby or PCM. Because digital channels that I get over QAM do not have a loud enough audio signal I started looking around for a way to boost the sound. If only I had analog audio out on the TV! Like a headphone jack or something... I would have gotten a Logitech X-530 or Logitech X-540. This last one even has a 'matrix' feature that creates surround sound when there is not 5.1 source. Unfortunately, I now have to look for a more expensive (which is fine) and space-consuming (not fine!) option. Costco has a Sony Bravia DAVHDZ235 home theater for $170, but it is obviously bigger than a Logitech speaker system. All the speaker components are significantly larger and then there is the set-top box. I understand that this give you more power, but I just don't need that much power! Frustrating.

KLH SBHT 6W 6-Piece 550-Watt Micro Home Theater

KLH SBHT 6W 6-Piece 550-Watt Micro Home Theater


1 subwoofer, 2 front-channel speakers, 2 rear-channel speakers, 1 center-channel speaker, and speaker wire. This product should be available under $200!

Really cool design. It would be great to be able to turn the speakers in any direction.
I actually have a KLH TV/DVD combo and it has served me well.

Sansa e280 microSD issue

So, Sansa e280, an 8gb mp3 player with FM and video really really was only $80 at Costco for a few days! There is only one major inconvenience, as in the previous versions. When you start the device with the microSD card inserted, it has to "refresh the database" which takes up to a minute. Apparently, this problem is difficult to solve. Also, a few mp3s failed to transfer to the new Sansa, although they worked fine on the old one and still work fine on the new one from the memory card.

Sansa e280 and High Capacity SD cards

My MDA smartphone refuses to see 4gb memory cards. Apparently, I am lucky to be able to se 2gb cards... Is Sansa e280capable of using 2gb, 4gb and 8 gb micro SD cards in its expansion slots? I hope to find out soon enough!

Sansa e280, Sansa and Rhapsody, Sansa and SD

Apparently, Costco has a pretty sweet deal on Sansa e280... I really like this line even though I had a few problems with e200. Rhapsody, shipped with Sansa devices, is not the most reliable piece of software out there. I eventually switched to MusicMatch, recently rebranded by Yahoo. Even this one refused to deal with legitimately purchased songs. I still prefer having CDs and ripping them. Another annoyance is in the way Sansa works with SD cards. I don't know yet if this got fixed in e280, but the one I have takes forever to start each time under the pretext of refreshing the database - it has to read all the data on the SD card before proceeding. It is somewhat understandable, but annoying nonetheless. With 8 gb or memory using an SD card will not be such a necessity, I hope... Regardless, these Sansa devices leave the competition (read: Nano) in the dust.

Largest LCD TV in existence (from Sharp)?

I found some news articles from 2004 about Sharp developing a 65-inch Aquos - the largest LCD to date. Sure enough, three years later the model is available for purchase - LC-65D64U. Apparently, that's how long it takes. The price tag on this LCD monster is about $8,000. The largest model that Sharp has built seems to be a 108-incher. I have not idea how much it might cost.

	Features

	Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Resolution
for the sharpest picture possible.

	10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio and 4ms1 Response Time
produces spectacular picture quality.

	Three HDMI™ (version 1.3) and Dual Component Inputs
for the ultimate in terminal flexibility. All HD inputs are compatible with 1080p sources and compatible with X.V. color for extended color gamut.

	Wide Viewing Angles (176º H x 176º V)
Sharp's AQUOS LCD TV viewing angles are so wide, you can view the TV clearly from practically anywhere in the room.

	Enhanced Black Level
provides the deepest, most accurate blacks of any flat panel TV.

	High Brightness (450 cd/m2)
AQUOS LCD Televisions are very bright. You can put them virtually anywhere – even near windows, doors or other light sources – and the picture is still vivid.

	Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners
provide access to DTV and analog TV channels.

	AQUOS engine with ASV Technology
provides high-performance video processing for the brightest, most vivid colors and images.