Transcend PF 730 - Digital photo frame - flash 2 GB - 7" - 800 x 480 - ivory Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just received mine yesterday (I got black and ordered directly from Transcend). I purchased it as a gift for my sister, so I've spent today getting it loaded with photos and videos.

1) Screen looks amazing. The natural color enhancer is spot on. I haven't adjusted the settings at all. Frame looks sharp and despite being plastic, doesn't look "cheap".

2) Display. I turned off the "fullscreen" option. Otherwise, it crops vertical images to fit in the horizontal view. I also sized all my images to 800x600 based on other reviews of a similar model (720) that higher res images sometimes got a jagged edge through the center. I definitely saw that happen when I tried a 3008x2048 image.

3) Speaker isn't fantastic but it gets the job done. I have the volume on max. I can't imagine actually utilizing the audio player on this with the lack of a headphone jack, so I haven't even tried that. I just needed some kind of audio output for the videos I wanted to include.

4) Videos. The ones recorded on my Canon Powershot played back perfectly on this frame. No others did. After some searching, I found the [...] on my camera's install disc. I added it to Library/Quicktime on my mac, and used Quicktime Pro to convert my other videos to a Motion JPEG AVI. That is the only video type which will playback, which is unfortunate since it's kind of a low-quality codec. Regardless, the videos playback perfectly with no stalling so I can't complain.

5) Calendar/alarm - This wasn't an important feature for me, so I haven't tested much with it.

6) Connectivity. I've used the USB port which is my favorite part of this product. It truly is plug & play and starts a slideshow as soon as the USB key is inserted. I've also tried the mini USB cable provided to connect directly to my computer (Mac OS X 10.5) and it detected the frame beautifully, making it easy to take advantage of that 2 gb of memory. I read some reviewers having issues with getting rid of the default images. Well, on a mac at least, you need to delete the images from the frame and also empty your trash before disconnecting the frame. That got rid of them. Speaking of which, one annoyance is that hidden unix files show up in the frames file browser (ones that begin with a "dot" EX: ._filename.jpg). Wish they would have filtered those from displaying.

7) Haven't tried the remote yet. The controls on the back definitely take some getting used to. More effort could have been put in to making them more intuitively placed, since you're basically trying to look at the menu on the screen while your hand tries to hit the correct buttons on the back. I'm sure the remote would eliminate that hassle. Again, not a dealbreaker for me either way, as I can't imagine needing to use the controls all that often anyway.

8) Size. It's a little larger than a 4x6 photo frame. It's about the right size for a desk. If you plan to have it in a more prominent/public area, I'd definitely suggest a larger size.

I paid $88 with tax & s&h. Hopefully these get cheaper in the future, because now I want one for myself.

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Product Description:
7" Digital Photo Frame, white 2G

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iriver P7 16 GB Multimedia Player (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This player has style. Not everybody may fall in love with it, but it has more style than any small gadget I've used in a long time.

Playing music and videos is simple and straightforward, the main thing I was looking for in a player. Boot-up time is very short, thumbs up. Subtitle support? Check! Battery life? Excellent.

Why 4 stars, not 5? I have three complaints. First, the player is too picky about video format encoding. Second, a proprietary USB port... not again! There is no reason to use yet another unique cable to connect to a USB port. A mini-USB would work perfectly well for this device. Finally, touch sensitivity of the screen is terrible. You have to touch, then press, then press again, then jam your finger into the screen really hard and hope it works. It's a good thing this is not a PDA, you don't have to click too many buttons to enjoy the playback.

Click Here to see more reviews about: iriver P7 16 GB Multimedia Player (Silver)

Product Description:
PRODUCT FEATURES: Sleek and modern PMP, Light and rigid Aluminum Metal body. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION: Display: 4.3" TFT + Touch WQVGA, Display Resolution: 480X272, Storage Type: Flash Memory, Built-In Storage Capacity: 8/16GB, Expansion Memory Slot: Micro SD Digital Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, ASF, FLAC, APE, WAV, AC-3 and AAC, Digital Video Formats: MPEG, DivX,RM, RMVB and H.264, Digital FM Radio Tuner: 76.0MHz ~ 108.0MHz, Equalizer Presets: 7 Preset EQ, User 5EQ, SRS WOW, Battery Type: Internal 2500mAh battery (Li-Polymer), Battery Life: 50 Hrs Audio Playback/ 7 Hrs Video of Playback,Weight: 6.1 oz (173g), Dimension: 2.88" x 4.4" x 0.5", Connection Type: USB 2.0, Ultra Fast Data Transfer. Required O/S:Windows 2000 / Windows XP/ Vista,*Windows 98 / ME not support. FM radio and FM recording, Voice Recording, Firmware Upgradeable. PACKAGE INCLUDES: P7 Device,Stereo Earphone,Stylus Pen,USB 2.0 Cable, Installation CD,Quick Start Guide, Warranty Card.

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Archos AV 700 100 GB Mobile Digital Video Recorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had the chance to play with the AV 700 100GB unit for about three weeks now. Here is my overview.

The good:

- The biggest display on a PMP of its kind out there. It's almost as large as the unit!
- Can record in real time from DVD, VCR, Camcorder, Cable/Sat and other video devices with RCA (composite) or S-Video outputs. Much faster than DVD rippers I've tried.
- Allows for limited editing (cropping) of recorded movies. Lets say you want to cut out commercials or the end credits of the DVD you just recorded- you can do this very easily.
- Allows for selection of both video resolution (from 500 - 2500 kbits/s), format (4:3, 5:3, 16:9, 2.35:1) and audio frequency (32 or 44KHz) for recording.
- Can time record (through a very nice scheduler) - you can use it almost like a TiVo!
- Can organize movies by name and under various directories (or categories.)
- Has an audio recorder to allow music (or whatever audio) from an external device with selectable frequency (24 -48 KHz). This is higher than your standard CD quality.
- Has a photo viewer.
- Can be setup as a USB disk drive or a Windows Mobile Media device (it claims to work only under WinXP with service pack 1 or higher - I've been unable to get this to work as of yet.)
- USB 2.0 protocol. It's so fast I can actually play recorded movies from the device on my laptop in real time!
- 100 GB Drive! Can't get much better than this.
- Comes with a remote control, docking station (well, kind of) and all the cables for connection to your PC, camera, TV, DVD, VCR, etc. The remote is universal and allows you to select your device (i.e. cable box, TV, etc.)
- Very easy to upgrade the firmware. I recommend doing this if you have an older version.
- Removable battery.
- And many other nice features.

The not so good:

- Display resolution and quality could have been a lot better.
- Battery doesn't last nearly as long as it is claimed on the spec. sheet.
- The recorded movies are not "near" DVD quality when played on a TV. This is a bit misleading.
- The unit runs hot - extremely hot when plugged into the power supply.
- The stand is a nice thought but not very stable or functional.
- The most un-intuitive user interface I've ever used! The firmware upgrade made this a bit more tolerable.
- Built-in speakers are very poor in quality. But it sounds good with high quality headphones.
- Can't play protected movies (Macrovision) on TV. Only on the device. I guess I can understand adhering to the copyright laws.
- Will only play AVI formatted videos encoded in XviD or DivX MPEG-4 codec. But it comes with a PC based MPEG-1 translator which uses VitualDub as its conversion engine. I've tried this and it worked well.
- Won't work with the AAC (Apple) audio format. My iPod is not getting retired any time soon but, if you use Windows Media format (wma), WAV or MP3 for your music, then you're good to go.
- Archos' VERY unfriendly customer service.

The nice to haves:

- Even with a 100GB drive, it could still use a SD or CompactFlash socket (for PC-less transfer of data, if nothing else.) But I was able to connect a USB thumb drive with the aid of an included adapter and transferred files back and forth.
- A "display only mode" for connecting a PS2 or XBOX on the road with full screen view. Maybe on a future release of the firmware?
- You can play games on the AV700? What games?

I had to replace the unit I originally bought. It suffered from very annoying vertical scrolling lines that I could not get rid of with the built-in "LCD Stability" function or otherwise. This is when I had the displeasure of dealing with the Archos' unfriendly (and I must say rude) technical service rep. Without asking me any questions specific to my problem, she proceeded to tell me that the unit must have been dropped. To add insult to injury, she told me it would cost me $150 for an out-of-warranty repair and that was the end of it! But she suggested I go back to the store that I purchased the unit and see if they would replace it. I'm happy to say the store did replace my unit graciously and my second unit does not have the same problem. Also, I think there maybe an electrical ground problem with the unit but, I have to investigate this a bit further.

Overall, the AV700 is a nice concept and a great device but, it is in its infancy. I've been able to record DVDs with relative ease where it was a major task before. Now I can stop spending hours ripping DVDs to play on my iPaq! Next, I'm converting all my old home videos from VHS and then transferring them on to DVDs. In my opinion, the AV 700 is much more than just a replacement for a personal DVD or music player. I think Archos should continue to improve on the features and the overall quality of this product which promises to be one of the great personal media devices out there.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Archos AV 700 100 GB Mobile Digital Video Recorder

Product Description:
Its a portable theatre!The AV 700 series Mobile DVR combines the mobility and wide screen of a portable DVD player, with the video recording and scheduling features of a digital video recorder.Directly record from your TV, DVD player or cable box and experience it on the amazing 7" wide-screen color LCD.Enjoy continuous video, music, photos and games on a flight from LAX to Tokyo, going on a camping trip, relaxing in a hotel room or virtually anywhere else. Built-in support for Microsofts PlaysForSure lets you download the latest movies and hottest music in a snap from your favorite online digital video and music stores - RECORD and watch up to 400 hours of VIDEO directly from a TV, DVD , cable/satellite receiver- Store and watch up to 250 full-length movies on the large 7" 16:9 wide-screen LCD or output to TV- Easily schedule and record your favorite TV shows with the ARCHOS TV Scheduler!- Supports MPEG-2, MPEG-4 ASP, WMV9, DivX, XviD formats- Record, download and listen up to 55,000 SONGS- Supports MP3, WMA (including protected files) and WAV audio formats- Record audio from any standard audio source or via built-in microphone- Transfer, store and view up to 1,000,000 PHOTOS- Transfer photos directly from your digital camera or PC using the USB host port- Make slideshows and share photos on the large 7" LCD screen or display out to a TV- Large 40GB hard-drive capacity- Transfer and store MEDIA and DATA files via high-speed USB 2.0 interface- PC and

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Cowon D2 4GB Portable Media Player (White) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This player is a very solidly constructed mp3 player (the weighty feel confirms this even though the unit is not that heavy) that has great sound, good interface, and a good mix of features and EQ settings for the price.

The battery life is stated at 52 hours music and 10 hours video, and this was confirmed by my research at CNet's review, who clocked in at 51 hours and a few minutes and roughly 9.5 hours of video time.I can say from practical use of this product that I do not worry about battery life like I did with my Samsung mp3 player, although that was hard drive-based.

The touch screen interface is a little gimmicky in my opinion, more of a "wow" factor.However, when looking at the overall design, the touch screen does help in enlarging the screen size, with all the other buttons on the top of the unit.The interface is fast and responsive, very important for mp3 players and for me since I'm always on the go.Its possible to operate this unit single handedly like iPods.

The quality of the screen is very nice, very clear text, although they are quite small sometimes.I've had to squint a few times to see what I was pressing while on the run.Don't let this be a turnoff though, since the video quality was nice when being played back (so far I have only viewed the promo video that came with the unit, none of my own clips).

Sound quality is top notch, and EQ settings can be individually changed, however, beware the radio.I have heard some problems with people receiving poor feedback through the radio feature (Cowon America's product forums), and personally have heard some occasional static when walking around the city.

The transferring of music went by quickly, and can be done with USB going through Windows Explorer.No need for specialized software that needs to integrate with the player.The ability to sync with specialized software is available, although I have never tried it.

Overall very impressed with the player. Forget the stylus, it doesn't really help keep my unit standing, not that I'd need to anyways.

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Click Here to see more reviews about: Cowon D2 4GB Portable Media Player (White)

Product Description:
Cowon D2 4GB Portable Media Player (White)

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iriver Clix Rhapsody 4 GB Digital Music and Video Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Player that has it all.This player does more that most any other.MP3, WMA music files I can drag and drop AND use Windows Media player AND use Rhapsody for subscription music (Napster subscription service works too, but doesn't have Rhapsody's awesome channels, which are like having a personal DJ)Just about any other music service out there will work, and you can still rip and copy your own files.

But wait, I'm just getting started.This thing plays videos on it's beautiful QVGA screen.If you think you can't stand a tiny screen, you haven't seen the Clix's OLED display.It's crisp, bright and easy on the eyes.Some of these small screens show pixels and ghost images, not so with the Clix2.I can watch for hours and not mind at all.

Okay, I'm not even close to done yet.We also have Audible capabilities.Audible is a great audiobook service that gets all the latest audiobooks and makes them available for download, these transfer over to the Clix2 in a snap and provide hours and hours of enjoyment for everyone who likes books but has trouble finding the time to read.

Want more?Sure!The built in FM radio is easy to use and picks up more stations than any of my portable players, it has something like 20 presets and will set them all in no time.

What's the catch? you must be thinking.Don't ask me, I'm still looking for one.Good volume output with buds or full size headphones, great equalizer presets, a manual EQ and SRS WOW magic stuff that makes headphones and speakers sound like they cost a bundle of cash.

Oh, wait!You want more?Really?OK, Clix delivers.You can look at pictures, browse through or see an automatic slide show (while listening to your tunes, of course)and if you got some time to kill, it comes with 4 great flash games you can play.If you look around you can find more on the web.

So, I must say that I'm really pleased with the HUGE array of features, the sound quality and overall operation of this player.It has NO equals in it's category.

Click Here to see more reviews about: iriver Clix Rhapsody 4 GB Digital Music and Video Player (Black)

Product Description:
Freshly updated with a sleek design, a vibrant 2.2-inch full-color AMOLED screen, and 4 GB of internal memory, the redesigned second-generation iriver Clix Rhapsody plays music, video, photos, and more. In addition to supporting MPEG1/2/2.5, WMA, ASF, WMV9 SP, MPEG4, Macromedia Flash Lite 2.1, TXT, and non-progressive JPEG multimedia files, the Clix Rhapsody has been specially tuned to work with the Rhapsody To Go subscription service so that millions of songs are available to you at the touch of a button (subscription fees apply). To allow users to try the Rhapsody music service before paying any additional fees, the device comes with a 30-day trial membership to Rhapsody To Go.
Up to 24 hours of battery life.
In addition to robust audio, video, and still picture playback capabilities, the Clix sports a voice-recording mode--a great feature for students and business users. It even offers seven preset EQ settings so that users can listen to their music exactly the way they want. Other great features include a digital clock, an alarm, a digital FM tuner, and a timer. The Clix is compatible with Windows 98SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista operating systems (and the player is compatible with both MTP and UMS modes).
With an internal Li-Poly rechargeable battery, the Clix offers users up to 24 hours of playback battery life. Sporting speedy USB 2.0 connectivity, the Clix measures 3.16 x 1.82 x .5 inches and weighs a scant 1.94 ounces. The player comes backed by a 1-year limited manufacturer's warranty.
Rhapsody
Feature requires Rhapsody To Go membership. A free 30-day trial for new members is included, then $14.99 per month.
Rhapsody To Go membership allows access to even more music.
What's in the Box
iriver Clix Rhapsody 4 GB multimedia player, earphones, installation CD, 30-day trial membership to Rhapsody To Go, printed quick start guide, and a USB 2.0 cable.

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iAudio X5L 20 GB Multimedia Player Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had my iAudio X5L for several weeks now -- it's been with me through two road trips (on just ONE battery charge!) and many commutes to work.I am even *happier* with this purchase then I expected to be!Highly recommended as an incredible gift to yourself or someone you know.This is THE digital music player and then some.I'm thrilled with mine.

First off, I must confess that I was also debating between an iPod or other media players.After reading the reviews at Cnet.com, PCmagazine, and here at Amazon, I went with a 30gb X5L from iAudio.Here's what you get with iAudio that you won't get on the iPod:

- listen to radio AND record from radio
- 24 radio station presets (FM only)
- a built-in mic to record lectures, poetry readings, dinner conversations (you have to be close to the speaker, though, I'm going to expirment with the line-in and see if an external mike can be plugged into that)
- a line-in jack so you can record from old cassettes, records, minidiscs, you name it ... from anything with a headphone jack
- looong battery life, it really does give 35 hours
- much stronger case, a beautiful black finish with a texture that won't scratch and show fingerprints like the iPods; I don't even have a cover over mine, I just keep it in my pocket and it does fine
- oh yeah... and you can watch videos, but I use my X5L while walking or driving so this feature doesn't even matter to me

There are some good tips to know about your iAudio:

-almost all questions can be answered at www.iaudiophile.com/forums... a fantastic resource for all iAudio users
- sure, it doesn't have the sort-by-tag software of the iPods, but I haven't even found that I miss that. I keep my files organized in folders by Artist\Album\songs and I'm a playlist junkie ... iTunes never does auto-create a playlist that I like anyway.You don't even need to install the software that comes with the iAudio.I use MediaMonkey to organize my music, but I just use Windowns Explorer to drag 'n' drop files into my iAudio's music folder. The Shuffle mode keeps me very happy, and having my favorite radio stations just a couple clicks away is WONDERFUL.
- When you first receive your X5L, you'll have to charge it for 6 hours. Hey, long battery life requires some serious power to start with.But once it's charged, you'll find that you already have a sample song and some sample videos so you can show off your toy right away.(They're basically iAudio commercials, but they are good for showing how good this treasure sounds and looks.)
- using the little button control is pretty simple when you get the hang of it ... press it down briefly in order to see a list for your current mode (ie. list of presets for Radio, list of songs for Music, list of movies for Video...) or hold down the button for a couple seconds in order to get to the main menu.Some people didn't get that, but it really is easy.
- the power, line-in, and USB ports for the X5L are on a little supback that you plug into the bottom of the X5L; it also comes with a line-in cable that you can plug into the headphone (or line-out) jack of any other equipment.Some people complain about having these little "things" to keep with the X5L.I got the Universal MP3 Player Travel Kit from CaseLogic and it has perfect little compartments for the iAudio accessories plus a pocket for the player itself.Or you might try a digital camera case with a couple external pockets - the iAudio X5L would fit in that very nicely, too.That's what I used before my CaseLogic order arrived.
- the only problem I had was actually with my music files, not with the X5L; my songs had been ripped with a mix of id3v1 and id3v2 tags, which meant that some albums would only show on the X5L with the filename instead of the tag info while playing.I used MediaMonkey to clean off the id3v1 tags and that worked very well.Voila - tag information would show on my X5L.

So all in all - the iAudio X5L has performed beautifully. I only wish I had waited and gotten the 60gb.Being able to record from radio and old media has filled up my memory more than I anticipated.
If you're still not sure about getting any digital music player in the first place, let me give this example ... I have 500 CDs, but I was only listening to maybe 30 of them regularly because so many just weren't the kind of albums that would be listened to in one sitting.Now I've culled the best tracks from those CDs and they come up on my X5L's shuffle as a nice surprise from the past.I'm remembering just how much I like this music or that artist.It's a wonderful rediscovery of my own collection!And when I don't recognize what I'm listening to, I just look down and all the info is right there for me.I'm finally starting to tell the difference between my Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus albums (jazz fans, forgive me) but I'm also hearing nuances that I never noticed before from my Erasure and Hotel Costes albums.In some ways, this is like hearing your music for the first time all over again.

Click Here to see more reviews about: iAudio X5L 20 GB Multimedia Player Black

Product Description:
The iAudio X5L 20 GB Multimedia Player Black combines an MP3 player, video player, FM radio, voice recorder, and digital photo album in one tidy package with a smooth aluminum finish. With its capacity for up to 5,000 songs, 2,000 folders, or 10,000 files, and a lithium-ion battery that provided up to 35 continuous hours of play, the iAudio X5 is the ideal way to take your digital music, music videos, and digital pictures on the road with you.
The iAudio X5 supports blazing fast USB 2.0 download speeds of up to 480 Mbps, obliterating the need to wait for your files to transfer from your computer. The 260,000 color TFT-LCD screen displays both text and image files, with text files viewable even as you're listening to your music. A built-in, high-fidelity microphone lets you record voice at the same quality level as dedicated voice recorders. Listen to FM radio and record it onto the iAudio X5 just by pressing a button, and use the preset feature to save your preferred radio stations. The iAudio X5's direct encoding technology lets you digitally record input from audio devices such as a Walkmans, mini disk, record, or TV.
The iAudio G3's JetShell software enables the creation and editing of playlists directly on the player, as well as CD ripping and file transfers. You can save non-music files to the iAudio X5 and say goodbye to clumsy floppy disks and data CDs, and the JetAudio software enables simple video conversion onto the iAudio X5. If you're on the road and need a wake-up call, just use the built-in clock's alarm function.
The iAudio G3 is compatible with Windows and both Linux and the Mac OS, and comes with superb Cresyn headphones, giving you superior sound reproduction with a balanced tone. It supports MP3, OGG, WMA, WAV files, as well as the FLAC format, which compresses files without quality loss. Up to 12 minutes of anti-shock protection ensures that you'll enjoy your music no matter how bumpy the road, and the custom-made protective leather case fits perfectly to your iAudio X5.
What's in the Box
X5L-20BL digital music player, AC adapter, USB 2.0 cable, audio cable, USB host cable, earphones, subpack, installation CD-ROM, and user's guide.

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RCA M5002 Flash Player with 1.8" Screen and FM Tuner - 2 GB Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This MP3 player is quite neat and useful...but that only lasted for a month or 2 because it scratches way too easy.The interface is great and the sound is awesome.It does get slugish if too many songs are in its memory.All in all, mine worked for about 9 months before it decided to stop working.I sent it in to RCA 2 months ago and still am waiting for some type of response from them.So if you are looking for an MP3 player that will stay looking nice and have a long lifespan....then this one is not it (especially at over $100).

Click Here to see more reviews about: RCA M5002 Flash Player with 1.8 Screen and FM Tuner - 2 GB

Product Description:
Features:2 GB.1.8" TFT high-color LCD display.14 hours of play time with rechargeable battery.World clock, text viewer and lyric synchronization.Compatible with MP3, WMA, WMA DRM and Janus.100 free MP3 downloads from RCA and www.emusic.com.FM radio/record, voice record, line-in record to MP3 or WAV.Includes USB cable, line-in cable carrying case and earbud headphones.Capable of connection to other USB devices without a computer with USB 2.0 host.

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