Showing posts with label usb video monitor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label usb video monitor. Show all posts

Friday, August 1, 2014

Uniden UDWC25 Wireless Video Surveillance Accessory Outdoor Camera, black, one camera

Uniden UDWC25 Wireless Video Surveillance Accessory Outdoor Camera, black, one cameraThis is first time with this camera. It is very cold and very windy ( here in Jacksonville Florida) at the time of this recording. The TV receiver is connected to a VCR Recording what you see and hear. The camera comes with a good recording software for the PC, BUT!!! the computer does NOT record the sound, that comes from the camera. Connect the receiver to a DVD recorder, will try that next, it will work. Picture quality is good, BUT! ( I know you wount like my but) The video is step motion, which is ok considering the total cost of this system. I will carry the TV receiver and Camera in my pocket,They both have their own rechargeable batteries, Hide camera, show receiver to friends, they will flip out when they see them selves.

Mrpete

I purchased this in the beginning of January, 2010, as the second camera in my outside video surveillance system so I could see who was at the door before opening it. Uniden characterizes the camera as "Wireless/Weatherproof", yet in the second page of their User Manual, they state: "This equipment is NOT waterproof. DO NOT expose it to rain or moisture."

Since Florida has its share of wet weather, I inquired from Uniden if I could use their camera outside under my soffet, and their answering E-Mail stated that it would be fine. After installing it and experiencing several storms in the three months it has been in action, I can report that the camera continues to function perfectly.

I am also satisfied with the camera's performance, but I never expected to get anywhere near the claimed range of 500 feet. My monitor is set up only about 25 feet from the front door camera and about 15 feet from the driveway camera. The pictures are very clear, and I can even move the monitor down another 30 feet or so to my bedroom to keep within range of the front door camera, although the driveway camera gives out at about 35 feet.

I highly recommend the system, and bought two of them for my daughters to use as nanny cams to watch over their infants. When visiting, each brings her own indoor camera, and I link it to the highly portable monitor (it can take up to 4 cameras), so she can keep watch on her baby in another room. Without having to go through exterior walls, the range in the house is easily 100 feet, through 3 plasterboard internal walls. Since the camera picks up sound, it easily alerts a parent to take a look at the monitor to see if their physical presence is necessary.

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This is my fourth purchase of these cameras. I started with another Uniden smaller set that has full portability (a major plus once you have that ability, take it to the bath, or basement, etc, and you can see the delivery person arrive.

Anyway, bought a second set with two more cameras, still no issues, and now this is my fourth as I continue to grow with my system.

Cameras are good. The receiver choices have small issues, but they do work fine. The bundle with the two outside cameras and a remote control does not have much range, maybe 40 feet from outside, through walls to the bedroom, not a good thing. However the smaller set, that has the flat indoor (baby cam style) has very good range, just small picture area. Trade offs.

Read Best Reviews of Uniden UDWC25 Wireless Video Surveillance Accessory Outdoor Camera, black, one camera Here

This camera is a fairly good product, excellent in daylight, fair in infared. The only complaint I have is the range. It said it's signal could be picked up 500 feet away but at 250 feet it's sometimes off, sometimes on. This is from a direct line of sight position. The sound is awesome. It picks up the slightest noise. I wish it had a wireless microphone to speaker in the camera, but overall I'm pleased with the product.

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Software for recording crashes daily. Cannot be used as a security system since it is not stable

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Saturday, July 19, 2014

JVC SR-VS30U Dual Format S-VHS & Pro-DV Recorder

JVC SR-VS30U Dual Format S-VHS & Pro-DV RecorderThis deck was a great idea; an affordable mini-DV and VHS combo with firewire port. It allowed you to caputre old VHS tapes as well as miniDV tapes into your computer. Connecting a DVD player and recording into a computer was also very easy. However the firewire port is extremely fragile and usually only last about three years. I worked in a television station that had 15 of these decks; after five years we had one left that worked. Even if the firewire port is working it is rather difficult to force Windows into connecting a driver to the deck. JVC doesn't provide drivers and it often takes manually playing around with different drivers before finding the right one to force a connection. Macs had no problem identifiying the decks but the new editing software has trouble capturing both video and audio at high quality.

PLUS: Original cost was $899.00, I'm assuming the price is doubled by this vendor because they have been discontinued. But trust me there is a reason JVC discontinued them. You are better off buying a cheap camera to capture and an AVDC Grass Valley Analog Converter to capture old VHS tapes or DVDs; total cost for both is $600.00

I was lucky enough to stumble upon a JVC SR-VS30 deck at the local Goodwill and snagged it for an astonishing $24.99. It has worked perfectly with FCP5 on my iMac, and I was familiar with it after using the same model in the edit bays at my college; I've been able to capture miniDV and VHS tapes for myself and clients without any problems. And although SD is well on its way out, I'm definitely keeping the deck for future digitizing purposes. There's always someone who wants an old family vacation transferred to DVD.

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Saturday, June 21, 2014

Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Silver)

Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital CamcorderI've been reasonably impressed with Sanyo's offerings in terms of digital cameras in the past and have used the predecessors to the CG6, including the HD1 and VPC-C6. Both cameras are reasonable, but were absolutely hopeless in low light conditions (ISO400), the CG6 has an ISO of 1600 (finally) giving one of Sanyo's offering standard low light capabilities on par with the other high quality cameras, meaning I could video most of my more embarrassing pub crawls, but not my night club adventures.

The mic (built into the screen) is surprisingly sensitive, especially to sounds emanating close by, but very resistant to wind and background noise including tapping or brushing of the mic.

The video quality is 640x480 and is in MP4 format (quicktime) which is comparable in quality to the latest iTunes movie downloads of the same resolution, though you can adjust it to be of lower quality. The photos are 6 megapixels which speaks for itself.

PC or Mac Connection is done by a standard USB cable which also doubles as a charger. Battery life also seems reasonable as does the charge time, but having never filmed for more than an hour without a recharge I would be cautious on long trips.

Despite a few minor drawbacks I would highly recommend this camera, it's reasonably durable and fits easily in ones pocket or a generic soft compact camera case. Personally I take it everywhere, I like to start filming and then pass the camera among friends for a few minutes, after a short while people forget it's there, after which you're left with a multiple perspective view of the previous night, very much worth the high price.

My only complaints would be that:

1.) It does not take rapid photographs like the Canon range can, nor can it take photographs one after another in rapid succession.

2.) No built-in lens cap, (there is a removable one that comes in the box).

3.) Slight noise with still pictures (vastly improved over previous models, but slightly more noticeable than with other brands).

4.) Awkward to stand upright on a surface, but possible.

5.) Little warning before the battery runs out.

I've been extremely happy with the new Sanyo VPC-CG65 since I bought it. I first saw the VPC-CG6 (younger brother) at Walmart and instantly loved the small form factor. After doing a bit of research I found the CG65 with is identical except for the H.264 mpeg codec being built-in. I'm an Apple fan and so I knew I wanted that feature! :)

The camera is great, small, fast, handles the large sd cards perfectly. I plan on putting it to great use in a few weeks during summer vacation. So far, the videos I've shot with this camera are terrific. Close-up's and details are crisp and clear. The auto-focus is dead-on for the most part. I have no complaints as far as that goes. I carry the thing around daily in my pocket..something I couldn't do with a camcorder.

I know most photo camera's can record video..but this is more of a video camcorder that can take pictures. I like the feature that allows you to snap a picture while in the middle of recording a video, but I wasn't crazy about how it paused momentarily. Could have been related to my card speed (it's not a fast sd card) but the feature still worked.

I'd recommend getting additional batteries if using this for extended periods of time. But I'd recommend that for any camera. You can never have too much power.

As far as cons go, the one time I used the camera for about an hour to record my brother-in-laws wedding, I noticed the camera got kinda warm. I hadn't noticed that to be the norm, but I was doing a lot of recording that day. And it could have been related to the battery too since I ran it down to empty. That was of course before buying the extra batteries. See above.

I haven't played with many of the built-in features yet other than white balance and video quality. I prefer recording everything on the SHQ (Super High Quality) setting but it does record at a pretty high bitrate. I also own an Apple TV and when I try playing the videos in their SHQ format on Atv it has trouble with that. No fault of the camera..I just think the Atv is a bit underpowered for the high bitrate. Regular HQ recording play well on Atv though. I still record at the higher setting so that I have more details when I go to do editing on the iBook. I can always lower the bandwidth during export so it's not an issue to be concerned with. I don't think anyone can shoot a video professionally in one take and so the chances of needing to put un-edited SHQ footage on the Atv is unlikely.

As I stated in the headline, I'd recommend spending the extra few bucks to get the H.264 codec built in. It's a matter of personal preference but it does save space and it's quickly becoming an industry standard.

After vacation I'll repost with any changes to my opinion, but as it stands now, I'm happy with my purchase.

Buy Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Silver) Now

I'm quite impressed, especially with the quality of stills. And there are many photo and video settings that can be changed.

After using the camera for a few hours, I need to work out how to hold it. I have average sized hands and firmly holding the camera is tricky, especially when it's time to push the still or video button. I handled the HD2 and it fits better in my hand, but doesn't fit my wallet.

The flash is weak and is only effective within 6 feet, but that's what I expect from such a small flash.

The menu system is very intuitive and easy to navigate. I especially like the ability to assign menu functions to the joystick, that's a great idea. I assigned AF lock, ISO, Flash and Focus to the joystick for quick access.

I'm a stickler for image quality (acknowledging the obvious limitations of this camera), so everything is set to the highest quality. The video is better than Hi8, but definately not DVD quality.

I purchased two 2GB Kingston 50x Elite Pro cards, one card came with a free reader. Why didn't I purchase a 4 or 8 SDHC card? I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket if that basket might be lost or corrupted during a one-time event. Also, a spare battery is a must-have.

I've been reading the forums on this camera, and I looked at lots of sample clips, so I know the limitations of the Xacti, but in the end, the portability trumps video quality. I would feel self-conscious every time I whipped out my old camcorder, but with the CG65 it's small enough to be inconspicuous and I can shoot more candid videos.

After all, what's the point of having a camcorder if you dread lugging it around? The CG65 can't match the video quality of a dedicated digital camcorder, but you'll shoot a lot more video...and the stills are excellent.

Read Best Reviews of Sanyo VPC-CG65 6MP MPEG-4 Flash Memory Digital Camcorder (Silver) Here

I should preface what follows with the statement that I bought this to replace an "ancient" miniDV camcorder the original Canon ZR, which has less than stellar autofocus and low-light performance. Even so, I enjoyed using it thoroughly, but was getting tired of the weight and, more importantly, the hassle of downloading from tapes to my computer. Even with Firewire, a thankless and time consuming task.

So tapes were out, and I don't trust hard drives, so HDD was out too. That left the Sanyo and assorted DVR camcorders. No doubt there are many wonderful DVR camcorders, and it is quite likely that the better ones take better movies, but I wasn't going to get something that needed me to buy expensive additinal media with a 20 minute recording time.

I absolutely am stunned with the quality of this hybrid camera. It takes movies that look better than my old miniDV camcorder, blows away digital still camera movie modes, and the picture quality compares favorably to other mid-entry level digital compacts.

The absolute truth behind any great video or photo is this: you better have your camera with you. And this camera makes you want to bring it everywhere. Since I bought it, it hasn't left my side, and I've captured more video of my child in the last week than I have in the last several years, just because the camera is always there.

Sure it could be improved, but Sanyo did a pretty good job. The flash positioning is a bit odd off to the side, but I haven't noticed any vignetting, and the flash isn't as weak as the size would indicate. I suspect that was done to avoid errant fingers covering it during operation, as it IS pretty easy to get so engrossed that you don't notice until a couple seconds in that your finger has strayed to the top of the lens.

The menu system is clear and intuitive, and unlike some reviewers in other forums, I found it easy and logical to use. The screen is good and the overall feeling of the unit is solid, considering the price point. The battery life is not stellar, but not bad either pretty much what one would expect from the size and capacity. I was able to squeeze about an hour from it, much of it reviewing and taking flash pictures as well as making movies.

The shake reduction feature I can't say much about it. I have rock steady hands, and haven't noticed more than normal amounts of camera movement.

The niggles: in low light, focusing becomes frustrating, if it works at all. Yes, there's a work around by simply setting up manual focusing using a distance based scale ( it works! ), but an AFassist light would have been tremendously welcomed.

The case, while undeniably "sexy" and svelte, could have done with some rubberization. Put the strap on RIGHT AWAY when this arrives, and don't handle the camera without it, lest it slip.

To sum up: if this keeps working as it is now, I'll be blissfully happy for a long time. I highly recommend this for the family snapshooter to whom portability, value, and simple the fun factor are important.

UPDATE: I can't figure out how to lower the starred rating, or I would. I've now owned two of these and ended up returning them both. I took the first one on vacation with me, and while it performed brilliantly function-wise and was a kick to use, almost every video I took had a rectangular ghost image floating in the lower left quadrant of the screen. It was particularly noticeable when zooming in.

I searched user forums and found very little information, so I hoped I had simply gotten a bad unit.

Enter the replacement unit same model same problem, but in an even worse location top of center. To be fair, it only shows up when shooting with bright light outdoors ( not even into sun, it shows up when you are facing away from the sun or it is overcast ) , but isn't that exactly what you'd buy a camcorder for??? So, back #2 went, too. I noticed that both cameras also have a really bad flare problem which is exacerbated by the absence of a lens hood and the relative proximity of the lens to the front of the camera body.

I really wished I could have lived with it, but I really don't want to have my videos ruined by ghostlike gray rectangles in nearly every clip. Sanyo, get with the program already and fix that.

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I must admit that I was skeptical of this camera. It comes in such a small package I was worried that the quality of the photos/video would be low. I have been pleasantly surprized by the quality of both the video and photos. It is really a neat camera and always draws comments. It easily fits in your pocket and is up and running in seconds. My only problem is that with the blessing of its small size is also the problem of having large hands and fingers. Its difficult to figure out a good way to hold the camera. The slick plastic exterior doesn't help (rubberized padding or grips would help). I find it difficult to use with one hand, which seems silly that you would have to use two hands on such a small, simple camera. All said, I really like the camera, it works as claimed. Quality good. Importing into my Mac, super easy and quick. I just wish it was easier to hold. People with large hands and big fingers may want to keep looking.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Looxcie Wearable Bluetooth Camcorder System, Android Compatible (Black)

Looxcie Wearable Bluetooth Camcorder System, Android CompatibleAs a gadget nut, I ordered this the day it became available on Amazon and had it shipped next day (ok, so an impatient gadget nut). The concept is awesome capture and share those expected or unexpected moments in life as I see them, how I see them. The videos you see on youtube were promising and I was in need of a new bluetooth headset, so I bought it.

First thing that I noticed was how nicely everything was packaged. I took the Looxcie out of the box and set it to charge via the wall outlet adapter Don't want to run out of batteries on my day out! I love the design of this thing, looks so slick! After it was fully charged, pairing to my Android phone is a breeze. With the Looxcie software downloaded, it was time to put this thing on my ear and see what it can do!

...And that's where things started going downhill! First of all, the Looxcie does NOT fit on my ear correctly. I tried all 3 sizes of ear buds and on both ears (in case I had a deformity in one ear of which I wasn't aware) and with my glasses on and off. I read the instructions and my Looxcie did look bent as shown in their images anfter several attempts. Perhaps its the weight of the camera boom, but the Looxcie just droops down such that the camera is not eye level (aiming more at my jaw line). I would have to walk around with my head tilted up in order for the camera boom to be level with the ground. I had my wife try it as well, maybe its the size and shape of my head and she experienced the same issues, no matter how we shaped the flexible ear-piece.

After much fiddling to the point where my outer-ear was a bit sore, I managed to get the Looxcie on at an acceptable viewing angle. Any quick head jolts and I risk having the camera boom shift slightly downward again. Now comes the other fitment issue Being that the Looxcie was on my right ear, anything that was happening to my left would not be picked up. If I held my hand out in front of me, the camera eye would not see it until my hand was about to cross my nose. They really should have included some sort of curvature to the camera boom to contour to the face because as of now when it is at eye level, it points to the right (on my right ear).

I love the fact that I can use my phone's screen as a viewfinder! Going into it, I knew the Looxcie's recording specs and frame rate so my expectations were low but the resulting videos I took were even worse than expected. I tried several activities from driving, to walking to just standing and panning my head back and forth. The video I get from the Looxcie is very choppy, I would say even worse than the 15fps they claim. I was walking through the mall in one video clip. I turned to look at a dog that was there and turned my head back (more than a 1 second look) and in the captured video, I don't even see the dog because of the choppiness of the video (although I can clearly hear myself talking about it).

The other thing is battery life the Looxcie is rated for 4 hours but after a full charge and playing with the unit, I would say its more like 2-3 hours of video use tops. This should definitely be improved.

I do have to say that I like the ability of reviewing and editing video clips on my phone, then e-mailing or posting to Youtube, Facebook, etc without having to be at a PC. That is a key feature of this device!

I would have to say my expectations have not been met with the Looxcie. The concept and idea is there, but due to the lacking design, ergonomics and quality of video I am fairly disappointed. The price-point is good if they can deliver a quality product that will actually fit, stay on my ear(aimed properly) and take video where I don't miss any of the action (true 30 fps PLEASE!). I honestly wouldn't mind the low-resolution of the video if the frame rate was there and I could record for an actual 4-5 hours as claimed.

Once these issues are resolved, perhaps they can look into adding features such as retaining the last 10-30 seconds of video before the record or instant-clip button was pressed. :D

Likes:

-Concept of sharing the every-day

-Visually pleasing design

-Mobile editing/emailing of video thru an Android phone

Dislikes

-Device Fitment/Aiming of camera boom

-Recorded video quality lower than expected

-Battery life

UPDATE: As of today Looxcie updated the firmware on the device and added a new phone app and new desktop app. This is a major improvement to the device as it now adds the ability to record in 480p @30fps which I've tested and is a HUGE improvement. You can also save clips directly to the phone's SD card now instead of just on the Looxcie device. They also allow livestreaming now which is awesome.

Ok, so I was extremely excited to get this product and ordered it as soon as it became available. Since I've had it I've probably recorded about 2 hours of video with it at various places with varying noise levels. So here's my impression.

For the price it is a really nice piece of hardware, I've had no trouble with the build quality, it's comfortable and very light when wearing and adjusts to fit virtually any way you want it. The video quality is exactly what I expected it to be. Nothing great but not horrible considering the size of the device. I love the Android app that this device utilizes, you can use your phone as a "viewfinder" and Looxcie is very easy to pair with your phone (Nexus 2.2 in my case). You can save notable clips on the device by pushing the clip button making 30-second clips or make custom length clips through the app. Once you make the clips you can hook Looxcie to the computer and do what you want with them there, or upload them to the place of your choosing through the Looxcie App. Playback in the app is a little choppy but much more smooth on the computer. Using the device as a bluetooth headset has been great for me. I usually run into problems where the volume is never high enough but my Looxcie is so loud it hurts (luckily you can turn it down). Call quality is good and I have no problems hearing anyone or with them hearing me when talking through it. It's very useful to be able to use this as a "dual-purpose" device.

My gripes:

-As of now the clips you "save" are saved to Looxcie and not your phone's SD card. So viewing clips while away from your Looxcie are impossible unless you've uploaded them somewhere through the app. Now this can be fixed through an App update but just something to be aware of.

-Audio: While playing back my clips on the computer what I've noticed is that (since both microphones are on the bottom of Looxcie) I can hear myself talking fine, but whenever someone else in front of me is talking I find it difficult to make out what they're saying. I CAN hear them but if you're anywhere but in a quiet room with a couple people it can get difficult to hear anyone other than yourself. This is the only real problem I have with Looxcie.

My likes:

-Easy to use App interface, easy to pair

-Portable, wearable camcorder, letting me have my hands back. Great for when I go fishing/snowboarding or anything else.

-Look/Build quality of the device is wonderful!

-Battery life is very good considering the size of it.

-So many adjustment options makes it very comfortable and adjustable for any size/shaped head.

-Recording length (5HRs)

-First of its kind/cheap for what you get.

Overall the Looxcie is definitely worth the price and I would recommend it to anyone who is tired of always "holding the camcorder" and missing out on the action. Very useful, easy to use, and fun device even though placing one of the microphones in front would've been a wise decision. (And no I don't work for Looxcie in case you're wondering)

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Yep jumped right in the day it was available. Not a bad price for bleeding edge though I'm sure it'll drop soon enough. Conceptually great! I love the potential! Paired immediately and Android app installed and works though the images have a pixelated quality along edges. Very cool app though! Only had for about 2 hours now. First thing was to rotate for left ear. Manual doesn't make clear what exactly rotates. Figured out it was just the earbud itself (makes sense) however when rotating it gently and smoothly the top half of the earbud clam-shell fell off. It was glued so technically its broken but a few drops of plastic adhesive fixed it. I'm not ready to return it without playing. Maybe later if anything else happens. Going to play with the actual video functionality now and write more later.

Day two. Played more with the video. Other than the previously mentioned edgyness everything seems as described. This product DOES NOT stream to or thru the handset. The real issue today is the audio quality. In a word it's atrocious! I have many many Bluetooth headsets including some real bargains and this is by far the absolute worst incoming quality I've ever experienced (that's why the stars dropped). I think there must be a defect with my unit but I'm not ready to return it yet. Again audio quality is lower than anything I've ever used. I am still so enamored with the potential of the device I will keep playing until I must decide about returning/exchanging it.

Third and forth day. Looxcie has GREAT customer service! One of the engineers was reading the reviews here and jumped right on it and contacted their customer service (on Sunday) and made arrangements for a replacement.

Before the replacement arrived today. I was able to spend a lot more time with the video functionality. Again the Android app is great! I clipped the 'my girlfriend almost hit 2 baby dear' clip that of course no one ever gets. Looxcie is gonna be great for accidents, and once in a lifetime stuff! I agree with Nathan's comments on the microphone placement and clips being pushed to the app as soon as possible but of course that could use more power when you're not necessarily close to power like you probably would be when intentionally sitting down to review clips (maybe a check box option). It's certainly ok the way it is now. And also that the video quality is more than I expected from a device this small and cool. Really haven't seen anything better at this resolution.

Replacement unit: audio is far more normal on this unit and though it still sounds a little hot it is absolutely fine. Nathan is also correct that the volume can go way up. Even to the point of distortion which was at least some of the problem with the audio experience of the original unit.

Something I didn't quite get at first but makes sense now. Looxcie is called an always on camcorder with the ability to clip the last thirty seconds. What that means though is its always on once you turn it on with the app or the capture button. Not a problem once you realize it. So battery life has multiple modes. Standby (un-connected to phone), headset mode (connected not in use w/wo capture on) and active (in a call w/wo capture). No un-met battery expectations so far.

A useful thing on the site would be audio clips for each signal tone. I hear some but not sure what it's telling me because there are some I haven't heard to know the difference (for instance there are 5 different 2 tone signals). Not too hard to force them so I've learned the difference now.

Stars go to 5+ and I love my Looxcie! Can't wait for all those clips I wished I had an always on camcorder for and of course upgrades to the device and app for even more features! I'm geeked!

And thank you to Rob and Michael.

Read Best Reviews of Looxcie Wearable Bluetooth Camcorder System, Android Compatible (Black) Here

The Android app for Looxcie (without which you can't really use the device) is infuriatingly unpolished:

(1) it does not use Android Intents for sending email or uploading videos to Youtube (ie rather than using the Android-provided facilities for this they implemented their own; for example they require your Gmail password; the only way around that is to create a separate Gmail account just for the Looxcie app)

(2) the UI for browsing the circular video buffer has many issues: it is sluggish, the position slider is too inaccurate to easily select a scene within the 4 hours of recorded video, when you click "create new clip" the position jumps so if you had carefully navigated to the beginning of an interesting scene you have to start over again)

(3) when uploading the video fails, retrying means that the app downloads the clip yet again over Bluetooth

(4) when you create a new clip and give it a title, the title is not reflected in the file name on the flash disk presented to a connected computer

This would all be tolerable if the app were open source or at least the Bluetooth protocol documented -as it stands, Looxcie officially says that they have no intention of opening up the product but instead intend to keep it a completely closed system.

Regarding the hardware: there is no motion stabilization and no wind protection for the microphone. This means when you take a movie while bicycling, you can all but forget about the sound and watching the video clip is bound to make you seasick. It also appears that the Looxcie has a hard time keeping up with rapid changes of the pictures -you'll see the image shearing.

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Ugh If you have 5 hours to waste and disappointment galore this is the product for you This is the iPhone version

1st A firmware upgrade

2nd press button 1,2,3 no no press 3,2,1 no no no press 2,1,3

3rd Plug it into a wall socket, no plug it into the laptop

No first press 3 buttons then it will reset then plug it into

the wall socket

After five hours four calls to the support hot line and three emails

I returned it disappointed upset and aggravated

The product is not yet mature

In my case the device could not hold a charge

I tried literally everything and even their support people could not get it to work

Was it just a bad unit My sense is "No"

Why

On the phone they relayed to me that I had to do a firmware upgrade

then I had to do a complete system reset back to the default mfg settings

My sense is that they have not worked out all the kinks for the iphone yet

Oh and by the way (a little untold fact) the transfer rate between the

device memory storage and your iphone is 300kbs that means if you recorded

20 minutes of video (which equated to a 500 mg file) It will take you

4 hours (yes 4 hours) to transfer that file using blue tooth Now that's what I call real time

Friday, December 13, 2013

StarTech.com HDMMU6 6-Feet 90 Degree Upward Angled High Speed HDMI Cable - HDMI - M/M

StarTech.com HDMMU6 6-Feet 90 Degree Upward Angled High Speed HDMI Cable - HDMI - M/MI was looking for an HDMI cable for a small DVD player in my kitchen were space is very tight: it needs to be 90° upward (most cables go the other way) and allow the player to press against the counter backsplash. This design protects against cable damage in this situation, but sticks out a good 3/4" so my player doesn't sit square and requires I pull the TV out more than I'd like (you'd have to see it, but as I said, it's in a really tight spot). It's not the manufacturer's "fault" but it seems to me that part of the point of a 90° plug is minimal clearance; I've seen others that offer shorter clearance, but they've all been 90° "down" so far, which also won't work. Just have to keep looking, I guess...

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Panasonic SDR-S26 SD Camcorder (Red)

Panasonic SDR-S26 SD CamcorderI have read all the reviews I could find here and elsewhere about this camcorder, and I came away with the impression that the more critical opinions stemmed from unrealistic expectations or poor reading comprehension from the reviewers themselves.

As it turns out, I was right.

This is an inexpensive and very compact and lightweight standard definition camcorder designed for the casual user who does not want to sink a whole month's pay into just to record some personal events.

First, the good and bad:

Pros:

1) Unusually small and lightweight, this is easily carried in a jacket pocket.

2) The startup time, even when not set in Quickstart mode, is five seconds. Nice way to capture surprises on the go.

3) The iA mode, which automatically sets the iris, shutter, white balance, and other major aspects of recording, works pretty well, even though resorting to the manual settings is still required for some unusual applications.

4) The incredible 70x optical zoom is unparalleled in a camera at this price point.

5) The Optical Image Stabilization is considerably more effective than the more common digital stabilization found in all other cameras in this price range. Just don't expect to get away with using the full 70x zoom while hand holding it, though!

6) The MPEG2 format used for recording is easily handled under my admittedly eccentric choice of operating system, Linux.

7) The SDHC storage medium allows random access to recordings, easy deletion, no moving parts, and a storage medium that is handled under even Linux with a cardreader. Also, the camcorder itself is recognized under Linux, so the files can be manipulated through the integral USB port if desired.

8) The manual settings allow the user to adjust for unusual conditions, such as low light, just as long as you READ THE MANUAL FIRST, then experiment a bit on your own.

9) The camcorder is almost noiseless in operation, so there is no clicking from a DVD, whirring of a hard drive, humming of a DVC drive motor, or motor from the lens being zoomed in and out.

10) The integral lens cover, which is built into the front of the camera surrounding the lens, cannot be lost.

11) The barrel surrounding the lens area is threaded, allowing accessories, such as wide angle and zoom lenses and filters, to be screwed in for special applications. Those accessories are easily found right here on Amazon.

12) Hey! It even comes with a proper printed manual, a rarity in this day of PDF manuals available only on CD-ROM or via websites.

Cons:

1) It would have been nice if Panasonic had added a microphone jack to allow a separate microphone to be used. However, the integral microphone works rather well on its own.

2) In certain applications, especially indoors, the image can take on a reddish cast when using the default iA setting. This is easily overcome by adjusting the white balance for incandescent lighting, though, so no real problem.

3) The battery life of ~1 hour is rather short, and requires opening a cover on the bottom to replace when discharged. I already ordered two spares and a standalone charger.

4) This may be looked at as good or bad, depending on your opinion, but the battery does not charge with the cable plugged in while the camera is in use. I actually look at this as a good thing, since it does not wear out the battery by discharging it while it is charging, which can cause premature failure of lithium-ion batteries. It simply runs directly from the power cord when plugged in, which is no real problem, as far as I am concerned.

5) Even at the MagicPix setting, designed for extreme low light, this camcorder will not work in a completely dark room. I don't really even worry about that. If I really wanted to record in such extreme conditions, I would spring for a considerably more expensive night shot camcorder. It still does pretty well, in low light, as long as there is at least 2 lumens of light present.

My opinions on this are that this is unusually good for a camcorder in its price range, especially for its two main selling points of its fantastic 70x optical zoom and optical image stabilization.

It is so simple to operate that even a young child could understand it, using the nicely automated settings.

Yes, there are some circumstances that call for manual intervention, but the people griping about this, especially those attempting (apparently) to take footage inside a cave, would be well advised to READ THE MANUAL and not expect the impossible from such an inexpensive camcorder.

I was able to take some nighttime footage with this, with only sodium and mercury vapor light illumination, and it did pretty well.

And while it is true that my naked eyes are good in light far lower than this can handle, I have a more realistic expectation of it than some of the more critical people out there.

I intend to have a family member use this next year for my wedding, and I am confident that it will work just fine for that, too.

Nice work, Panasonic!

This Panasonic SDR-S26 camcorder is by far the best you can buy for the price, and is rated best camcorder of 2009 CES!

I have owned a few others and none of them had true O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) and I assure you that this one does. My others had E.I.S. (Electronic Image Stabilization) and believe me there is a big difference. I have noticed a few other reviews on this camcorder, and some say the image stabilization works great out to 20x and good to 40x 70x is still tripod territory. That's good advise as a tripod will assist in producing great videos with virtually no camcorder movement. Please don't be confused between the O.I.S and plain old camcorder movement, with camcorder movement at 70x optical zoom the object that you are looking at may move somewhat due to arm and body movement, BUT notice with O.I.S. the image remains clear and crisp, with great detail, even with some hand shakiness. With E.I.S camcorders, which usually have less zoom capabilities, approx. 40x optical zoom, you'd notice while zoomed out, not only is there camcorder movement BUT the image is also a bit blurry and has limited detail, due in part to hand shakiness. So don't be confused or fooled by plain camcorder movement or the difference between O.I.S vs. E.I.S, as Panasonic's SDR-S26 with O.I.S and 70x optical zoom will absolutely exceed your expectations, as did mine, and amaze you with a spectacular camcorder experience. I am an extremely satisfied owner of the Panasonic SDR-S26 Camcorder, and I know you will be also.

You can also search the WEB for the Panasonic sdr-s26 and view some of the you-tube video zoom tests that were performed by camcorder owners and see the quality of the O.I.S. and the 70x optical zoom for yourself.

P.S. Don't forget to pick up a SD/SDHC flash memory card (preferably a 16GB, priced around $40.00)and possibly an extra battery (part # B-9681, priced around $14.00) both at AMAZON.COM.

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factory sealed box flawless condition worked perfectly . My new Panasonic SDR-S26 SD Camcorder is fantastic. over 3.5 hours record at highest resolution with 16GB chip on amazon battery life was hard to find info on but is about one hour of record time. so I would get a spare battery. I got mine @ duracelldirect.com for $15.38 (#B-9681) Says its a 3.7v on web site is listed for SDR-S25 but it is the right battery and works fantastic.

LOW LIGHT

I think you should learn to use manual focusIris and shutter for low light conditions but most cameras I,ve borrowed from friends wont even film in the same low light. Zoom is so good even the Stills of birds in the backyard are clearer than the lowly 3x optical of my 4 mega pixel. Stability is great out to 20x and good to 40x 70x is still tripod territory. For every day I can't find a better value Love this camera and Sellers excellent service highly recomend to friends relatives heck everyone!

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The Panasonic SDR-S26 SD Camcorder is a gem. I bought the thing for many reasons, but one draw for me was the effective anti-shake feature it has. That element smoothes out the video considerably. The camcorder also has an optical zoom that is rated at 70x. I find that to be a bit of overkill, but what the heck, it is about the most `zoomy' of any camcorder on the market today and it gives me bragging rights. The SDR-S26 has a host of manual settings for various light, subject and composition conditions, but the intelligent auto mode feature does a great job at figuring out how to set things no-hands needed.

The camcorder is all digital (no tape) and is capable of storing over 25 hours of video with a 32 GB SD memory card installed. I have been using an 8 GB card and that has provided enough capacity for me so far.

Although there is editing software (VideoCam Suite 2.0) included on a disk provided in the box, I have been transferring my pictures to my computer via an SD card reader in order to utilize my Adobe Premier Elements editing program.

There is no hurky and heavy battery hanging on the back of the Panasonic SDR-S26. The battery is small (like a cell phone battery) and located in an internal compartment. The battery life is purported to provide over an hour of continuous recording time. I doubt that is possible in ordinary and real situations, but the battery life is pretty good none-the-less. I would suggest carrying a spare battery when using the camcorder for documenting a major and lengthy event or when traveling away from an electrical outlet.

The unit has both video and still photo capacity. That is standard on most camcorders. However, the still pictures that it produces are not very good. The default picture size provides only 640x360 pixels and that resolution is wimpy. I didn't buy the camcorder to shoot still pictures, but it is nice to have that option occasionally.

I must admit that I am not a big fan of home video. I have had a couple of camcorders over the years and now have stacks of family oriented and travel video tape that I can't get anyone to watch even if a VCR is still around in working condition.

Be that as it may, I originally decided to buy one of those little `Flip' type video cameras just in case I found myself in a situation where recording the action was called for. After extensive research I discovered those popular miniature camcorders have some serious limitations that the Panasonic SDR-S26 did not have and it really wasn't that much larger in size. I wanted a small camera that I could easily carry around just in case I found an appropriate action scene that should be recorded. I found that both were small enough to fit in a pocket--shirt for one, pants or jacket for the other.

The SDR-S26 cost nearly twice as much as one of those pocket sized units, but I thought it was worth the extra money even if I probably won't use it every day.

When all was said and done, I decided to buy the Panasonic SDR-S26 instead of a Flip or the new Kodak ZX-1 because it did more than either, had that anti-shake feature, an extraordinary zoom and it was not all that much larger. It was a choice between buying a trendy toy or buying a `full function' camcorder. I went with the grownup version by Panasonic and do not regret it.

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I love the camcorder. Slight disappointment that it did not come with a 'starter' SD card but otherwise it runs well, great light adjustment, thoughtful design, EASY to use. Image stabilization works good but don't expect stable images at 70x zoom unless you have a very steady hand. I recommend it to others and already have friends who purchased their own after seeing mine. Just pick up a 16gig card from Amazon and you'll be set.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom

Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical ZoomThis camcorder is only good for outdoor recording. In indoor recording or recording in little bit low light, picture quality is very bad. I tried to record in my living room where I have two 100 watt bulbs but recorded picture was very blurred. In outdoor recording in a sunny day, picture quality is quite good with sharp colors. Zoom works well.

I purchased this camcorder with the express intention of capturing every single football game that my sons' have played. This fulfilled that, what sold me on this particular model was the 30x optical zoom and the fact that it recorded directly to dvd and could be played back on a regular dvd player.

The only drawback to this system was the editing. The software is very limited, and if you use anything but a dvdram disc you cannot use this editing software, nor can you use any outside software to edit the movies to a greater degree as most software does not support the VRO format most dvd camcorders record in.

So in short if you are merely looking for a camcorder to record moments directly to dvd and have no aspirations of doing alot of editing, clipping and splicing different scenes together than this is a suitable camcorder, by far one of the best deals for a dvd camcorder as far as ability picture and price. But if you are looking for a device that lets you have more options for editing afterwards I suggest looking at the true digital camcorders available that have their own hard drives as those record in formats that are compatible with the editing software that is on the market right now.

Currently I am still doing my homework trying to decide which digital camera would be the best for me to use, but this was a viable camera to use for their games and came in handy on other occasions as well.

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So far I am quite satisfied with the camera's performance. I have taken many still shots with satisfactory results. Video footage of sporting events with very good results. Also I found it pretty easy to transfer videos to my PC.

Read Best Reviews of Panasonic VDR-D200 DVD Camcorder with 30x Optical Zoom Here

We have used this for a few years. It is a good quality camera and does well filming my daughter and other family. The editing software that comes with it is low end. The porcess needed to get it on the PC is time consuming and a pain. The video quality is lowered when put on the PC for editing. I ended up using an Adobe editor that is great but as stated above editing on a PC lowers the quailty in the transfer. Happy with the camera not happy with output options.

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The product was in very good condition, it work properly, take still picture, came with 2 spare bateries, and so on. Also it came with a black case.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Defender SN502-4CH-001 4-Channel H.264 DVR with 4 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras - Black

Defender SN502-4CH-001 4-Channel H.264 DVR with 4 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras - BlackFirst of all... I actually really liked a lot of the features about this product but still ended up returning it. I am really torn between giving it 2 and 3 stars... I would give it a 5 on a scale of 5 to 10, but unfortunately cannot give it a 2.5 here.

I will go with the good things first:

* Easy to set up the cameras and run a single cable (that carries both power and video)from the DVR to the camera. You can have this recording within minutes of receiving it.

* The DVR was fairly intuitive and it pretty much has to be as the manual is awful and the included CD-ROM would not run on my computer.

* I ran this DVR using all 4 cameras on the highest video quality setting for over 4 weeks and didn't fill the hard disk space... still had 17GB remaining after almost a month of continous use. (Had several instances of video loss for several days that might have kept memory usage down.)

* This packaged system contains everything you need, and the 60' cables are plenty long so there is rarely a need to buy extension cables for an average 3 bedroom home.

* Setting up the internet access was fairly easy if you can follow simple directions that are thoroughly explained. Accessing the cameras over the internet from work, or viewing the cameras from my phone (with no monthly cost or subscription) was nice.

* DVR was attractive and a mouse was included for ease of use.

* DVR gave off average heat and was silent (no internal fan).

Now the not so good:

* Camera color was way off and could not be corrected using the color adjustment features in the menu. Green trees and grass appeared pinkish, and some blacks appear purple while some blacks are almost black. If something were to happen or a crime were to occur, it would be impossible to say with certainty what color a car was or what color clothing a criminal was wearing. This was true whether the camera was placed indoors or out.

* Two of the cameras would experience random video loss resulting in a black screen and no recording. To restore video, I had to unplug the power cable and plug it back in. It may be a concidence, but both of these cameras were installed outdoors (not exposed to rain, placed in a sheltered location high out of reach). There is absolutely nothing you can do to restore video if you are away from home. This video loss happened weekly, and always while I was away... and no one tampered with the camera, they just turned themselves off.

* Night vision in larger areas is almost useless. You may be able to see a faint outline or pixelated form, but no way could you identify anything from more than a few feet away.

* Video quality in general is fairly low. I had trouble identifying my neighbors from 20' or so. I would never be able to identify a stranger from the video. It seems impossible to read a license plate or a logo on a shirt or sticker even if it is close to the camera. I doubt the FBI has any software that could help either... lol

* The camera mount (swivel base thing) is unstable. Needs a better design.

Motion detection detects EVERYTHING even at its lowest sensitivity setting and with the detection field set to a minimum. It detects lights, shadows, lint/dust/insects at night (they glow in the night vision)... It would set a motion event every 30 seconds when the sun cast a shadow through a tree that waved. The gentle motion of a shadow on the sidewalk set it off all day long.... or a beam of sunlight from the skylights passing through the blades of a ceiling fan set on a low speed. It would set hundreds of alarm events and they were just too much to go through. Forget about setting it up to send you an email of each event!!

* Field of view for the cameras is extremely narrow. For the useable distance in which you can actually identify someone or something, you capture very little area. My driveway (one boat, one truck) cannot be adequately monitored with only one camera. You might consider an 8 camera system if you need wide views.

* The software options are fairly full featured, but the software seems rough around the edges. This is probably because it is not a huge brand name company.

* Cannot rewind or play recorded video or events remotely.

Summary:

For a cheap system, it actually works ok. I know my review seems negative and for me, the negative outweighed the rest... but it really is a nice little package system that sets right up and records all it sees. Was really neat to see what goes on when I am not home. Never realized how many birds and squirrels I have around either. I would have tried to deal with the company on my camera issues and possibly keep the system, but I read in a few other reviews that Defender is not easy to deal with and would likely tell me "there is nothing wrong with the cameras" as they seemed to tell everyone else who included similar problems in their review. I read reviews from more than one person who had defective items returned to them without repair or replacement. I felt it would be better to return this system before my return period with Amazon expired. I am hoping to pay an extra $200 or so for a system with better quality cameras.

Update: Bought a Samsung SDE-3000N 4 camera system. Shares many of the same features as the Defender system right down to the crappy camera mounts... software and everything are similar but of a higher quality. Cameras and images are a much higher quality, and the sensitivity of the motion sensors actually can be adjusted to a usuable level. Samsung software is also far superior and you can rewind/play recorded video and events online. Colors are accurate in the day, and the night vision works too.

This is the second Defender home surveillance system that I've bought. I just received this SN502-4CH-001 this week and I have it up and running. I hooked it all up in my living room to make sure everything was working OK before I ran the wires in the attic. It comes with 4 60 ft cables, and if you need some of the cables longer than 60 ft, you will need to buy the 60 ft extensions. It is very user friendly to hook up, as you just plug the cables into the camera and the DVR. This model has a VGA connection to use a computer monitor, and it also has 2 RCA video out connections that you can hook it up to a TV. I am using a computer monitor, and the pictures are nice and clear. I like the fact that you can playback the recorded video in 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x. You can control the DVR with a usb connected mouse, or also a remote control. Both of them are included with the system. It also included a RCA video Cord, and a VGA cord. Everything is included that you need except the monitor. I would definitely recommend this system if 4 channels are enough for your setup. If you need more cameras, then you'll need the 8 channel or the 16 channel system.

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Got this unit for my small business, here are the pros and cons:

PROS: it's extremely to install, the cameras have good resolution and perform well in the dark, motion detection works as advertised, the 60ft cable are enough for most spaces, you can plug a lcd monitor or to a normal tv, and it has quite robust remote monitoring tools (haven't use the email alerts yet).

CONS: Android support is tricky (iPhone works well), I'm using ASee by QSee

Read Best Reviews of Defender SN502-4CH-001 4-Channel H.264 DVR with 4 Indoor/Outdoor Night Vision Cameras - Black Here

Bought this product mainly to monitor my business remotely as I travel a lot. Cameras are easy to hook up and 65' of cable for each camera was more than enough for my application. The picture quality after adjusting is very good in daylight and decent with night vision.

Having said all this, I can't recommend this product for remote viewing. I attempted to contact customer service by phone on 3 different occasions. They have their hold system set to 30 minutes and then they just kick you to voice-mail. Voice mail would be pointless since I'm rarely sitting by the system. They also offer an online chat service that will be answered promptly by someone that seems to think everyone is an idiot.

It's obvious that they are chatting with many people at the same time as responses are minutes apart.

Me: I'm having trouble viewing my DVR from a computer plugged into the same router.

Matt: You need to plug the DVR into the router. (Really Matt?)

Me: It's already plugged in.

Matt: Watch this video.

Me: I can't ping the DVR from my computer.

Matt: Your router is broken. (Hey Matt! I'm chatting with you from the same router!)

Me: Is there another number I can call for support besides the one that is never answered?

Matt: No that's the only number.

Looks like I'll be up in the ceiling next week tearing this thing back out.

To sum up:

If you just want a system to record I highly recommend.

If you need to set up remote viewing you're on your own.

UPDATE:

I finally was able to reach customer support over the phone. The trick is to call in the morning I guess. Anyway, customer service rep was able to quickly take over my computer and set everything up. I can now give four stars. The online viewing quality is low but it is usable which is all I need. I am now hooked up on home computer and smartphone.

If you try to view the cameras on IE and you just get the Defender Logo on the top without a picture, you need to click the compatibility icon on the right side of the address bar. It looks like a torn piece of paper.

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Impressed that I hooked-up the cables and turned it on and got the images without reading an hour of instructions....unusual for any computer-based system. Be sure you have the places chosen that you can drill a 3/4 hole for the cable end, and have some caulk ready to fill it back... ( Older stucco house has 1 inch thick stucco ).

Try to put the camera under an overhung eve to protect the lense and theres no problems. The telescoping mounts are tricky, but, a small gob of construction glue steadies them easily.

Next we will ask a friend to get the internet stuff hooked up.

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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Samsung S16 WiFi HD Camcorder with 64GB Built-in SSD Memory & 15x Optical Zoom

Samsung S16 WiFi HD Camcorder with 64GB Built-in SSD Memory & 15x Optical ZoomI was searching all data on HD camcorders and basically, as most consumers, looking for the range in which I can afford. When I first searched for the camcorders based on performance, features, storage capacity, the ranges came up and above $900+. This was out of my range.

Then I went to brands, quality and actual customer reviews and sample videos from consumers.

I went to youtube to search for actualy consumer video tests and samples.

I searched Canon, Panasonic, Sony, etc.

As Canon and Sony came up on top rated, i also read a lot of negative comments, noisy this and noisy that, or this complaint and that complaint. When I went to samsungs big gun the S16, i read almost no complaints aside from "this feature was not here", but in terms of quality no negatives.

The thing that got me to buy it was Amazons incredible price compared to others.

I got a great deal that disappeared in a day so i was lucky.

Cons:

1. When I turn on the camera it defaults zoomed in a little. I always need to zoom out or advise anyone to zoom out prior to recording

2. I wish it had "night vision" like Sony. This is not needed, but a nice feature to have.

3. No built in light for filming outside. Like camping or walking around. I believe you need to buy a light attachement for that.

4. Wifi is awesome, but mainly and prefered to be used with Samsung TV, products, etc.

I prefer cable, but the Wifi is a great feature to use.

If you pay full price, please look at other camcorders, but the deal I got, it was great!

There are a lot of options in this camcorder that I might not use, but they are good features to have.

SLow motion is awesome, as well as the time lapse. I bought this for my first child and believe I can use this for a long time. oh yea, 64GB internal SSD, i will never need those expensive high capacity memory cards.

High lights

good quality pictures/video. HD video

DNLA work as it supposed to work

Tricky to take pictures. you need a VERY STEADY hand or the photo will be blury

easy to operate

Battery life, is acceptable, but not great

WIFI works, easy to configure

Menus are easy to navigate

LIVE BROADCAST. doesn't work, there is option in the North American version. Only the KOREAN version can do it.

( maybe needs a firmware update or not enabled in the NA version due to some kind of regulations)

For the Price, is not worth it. unless can do the LIVE Broadcast.

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After ~ 2 months of use I have mixes feelings about results, and life expectancy of tis camcorder.

Here are some of the positives:

1 Ease of use

2 Good choice of connections from HDMI to Wi-Fi

3 Excellent storage; 64 GB; more than what the average user need without the need for frequent transfers to offline storage.

4 Good wide angle focusing

5 Wind cut is a good option for outdoor recording

6 LED light is a good addition for close up picture taking.

Now here are some of the negatives:

1 Poor battery life...don't expect more than 60-70 min life in HD recording.

2 Digital zoom is useless. However, the optical zoom range is as good as advertised.

3 Still picture is no better than a cheap 5 MP camera. I certainly expected more from a unit of this price.

4 Samsung Inteli Sync software crashes on Win 7 64bit system.

5 USB data throughput extremely slow even on my Win 2007 server with 16 GB RAM, and 2 TB free space. It takes close to 45 minutes to transfer 16 GB data from the camcorder to my computer. This is about twice the time it took my Sony camcorder to transfer the same amount of data.

6 Unit often loose focus when zooming in-out, and on fast action subjects like soccer games.

7 Clicking sound from rocket T-W switch can be heard on the recording.

Regarding life expectancy of this unit i am not convinced that it will last very long based on some of the inconsistiencies observed to date. Things like not powering on when you open the LCD screen, having to do a factory reset twice in 2 months; ETC.

Overall, I think Samsung should have done a much better job with this unit.

Read Best Reviews of Samsung S16 WiFi HD Camcorder with 64GB Built-in SSD Memory & 15x Optical Zoom Here

I like this camera for the fact that is uses an SD card. I've had Hi-8 tapes, Mini-DVDs, and now this. This is the simplest form of recording yet. I love it! It's easy very easy to use and the pictures are sharp (HD). Transferring files is such a snap now!! I would very much recommend this camera.

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Samsung is the only camcorder manufacturer that I've purchased from that doesn't have a one-year labor and parts warranty. The LCD screen one day started to have all these black lines and spots in the center and sides on the display after 5months and I called Samsung to request a repair and was told I needed to pay half the repair cost plus shipping even though it is a manufacturer defect. For such an expensive camcorder I am really disappointed with such a lousy warranty and reliability issues. This will be my first and last Samsung product I will purchase.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Nikon D5100 16.2 MP Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 55-300mm VR Lens +

Nikon D5100 16.2 MP Digital SLR Camera & 18-55mm G VR DX AF-S Zoom Lens with 55-300mm VR Lens + 16GB Card + Case + Filters + Cleaning & Accessory KitI had read in many reviews that you could get rid of your camcorder by having both camera and camcorder in one device. That is not the case with this camera.

If the subject isn't moving and the camera is still this will take really good video, but if the subject is moving the camera cannot keep up with the focusing and the image is blurry. That is a major downside to using this for video since movement is the whole point.

That said, the camera itself is great if you don't count on it to record video.