Speakercraft ASM/ELT01300 SmartPath� Complete Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm using the Smartpath kit for home entertainment components in a closed cabinet in the next room. It works outstanding; don't know why I went so long without it. My only complaint is that the blue LED indicators flash sporatically when I'm not even using the remotes, which can be a bit distracting. I've experienced absolutely no functional issues with this product.

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Onkyo TX-SR607 7.2-Channel A/V Surround Home Theater Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)My previous receiver was a 9 year old Sherwood. It was a little above a low end unit. It started buzzing and I decided it was time for a replacement. I have 2 nice Wharfdale floor speakers, a nice center, decent rear surrounds and 2 really decent sub woofers.
I read extensive reviews on several brands and decided that I would purchas Onkyo. I went to Fry's looking for the 606 model. They were sold out and just received the 607. I purchased the 607.
I wanted something HDMI based that allowed audio through the HDMI cables. The thing was a snap to set up. Make sure to run an HDMI cable to your TV from the receiver so that you can do on screen programming.
As I said, I have 2 sub woofers and the 607 has two output RCA jacks to enable 2 subs. No more RCA splitters. I fired the thing up and was shocked at the sound quality. The thing sparkles and the lows are clean and deep. I adjusted the individual speaker levels with a Radio Shack db meter on an easy to use Onkyo menu. I did not use the calibration system built into the receiver. A few trips through the menus and you have them mastered. The menu system is REALLY SIMPLE.
Unless you have some REALLY expensive speakers, this is the unit for you. Great sound quality, simple setup and easy menus make this a good choice for the novice or mid range home theater enthusiast.
I highly recommend the unit.

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The TX-SR607 raises the bar once again in the competitive world of mid-range home theater. With HDMI 1.3a inputs for up to six components, it's ready to handle all your high-definition video and audio needs. Whether it's a Blu-ray Disc player, a cable or satellite box, or a gaming console, your video signals will be traveling first class. Lower-resolution analog video signals, meanwhile, can be upscaled to 1080i and fine-tuned by Faroudja DCDi Edge™. HDMI version 1.3a also transports the master-quality HD audio formats, DTS-HD Master Audio™ and Dolby TrueHD. The very latest Dolby technology, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, enhances the spatial sensation

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XANTECH 29110DB Designer Hidden Link Infrared Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I have lots of Xantech products and I like them a lot. Not this one. Every second or third day, this one would get in a weird state where the light would stay lit (it's only supposed to go on when a remote is pressed) and it would stop working. I checked to see if it was related to some other source of IR making it go crazy, but it was just a bad unit. I even swapped another IR receiver from another room (model Smartdisk 291-10) to make sure that there were no exogenous factors, and sure enough, that worked fine. I sent it back and of course had no hassles from Amazon. I was unwilling to try again since I knew that model Smartdisk 291-10 worked for me.
I want to be clear that this may have been just a bad unit in an otherwise good product, but I never had any problems with other Xantech products so I didn't want to re-order this one. I know that the other model will work for me.

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Kenwood Kna-RCDv331 Multimedia IR Remote with Navigation Functions Review

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(More customer reviews)Had someone do some custome work on my Kia Spectra 5 & got myself a double din touch screen system in there now. Works great, but when driving in germany, you dont want to be looking DOWN at a screen when you are doing 135mph on the Autobahn. So I took a chance that this controller would work...and low and behold...worked like a charm as soon as I put the batteries in.

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Klipsch Reference Series RW-12d - Subwoofer - 340 Watt - black ash Review

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(More customer reviews)First off, I appreciate the lengths that the first reviewer went to in creating thee most thorough and informative review I've ever read. While I'm sure the author was being serious during all of that, in the end I couldn't help but giggle thinking of a scene from "Good Morning Vietnam"
"Excuse me sir. Seeing as how the VP is such a VIP, shouldn't we keep the PC on
the QT, because if it leaks to the VC, you could end up an MIA, and then we'd
all be put on KP." -Robin Willams as Adrian Cronauer
Average Joe Citizen, you are not alone my friend. My review will contain nothing more than my humble opinion written in plain english. Reading it will not require an instruction manual to understand what I am saying.
So here's my review of the Klipsch RW-12d:
I spent at least six months shopping around, reading reviews, pondering, listening to different products, and this is the one that spoke to me. Yeah, the price was more than I wanted to spend, but it was well worth it. I wanted something that was smooth and clean, but powerful enough to punch me right in the chest, and that's exactly what I got!
I'm going skip all the little intimate details as far as quoting specs, Hz, etc., and get straight to what you really wanna know:
Music: I kid you not when I say I am discovering a whole new dimension to the music I've been listening to all my life. I listen to everything from Mozart to Marilyn Manson, and it all sounded (and felt) awesome... even pipe organs sounded perfect. It doesn't overload the room with big boomy bass all the time. The sound is subtle and smooth... and when its time to hit hard, its solid, powerful, and clean.
Movies/Games: The smooth, subtle, yet powerful cleanliness I mentioned above is also the case with movies and games. I played a little Call of Duty on my Playstation. Forget the vibrating controller! Who needs it! I found myself running for cover as if grenades were actually exploding in my living room. Just to test the thing out, I put in Transformers 2 and cranked it up. Explosions are AWESOME. My entire house shakes. I'm not talking just a rumble in my seat. I mean the floor moves up and down, and things like pictures and knick-knacks fall. I turned it all the way up and went outside just to make sure I was pissing off the neighbors, and my mailbox out at the road was vibrating. THAT was EXACTLY what I was looking for in a subwoofer!
Controls: The controls on the unit are simple to use and almost completely self explanatory. I'm not going to tell you what levels of what sounds best. It's all about what YOU, the listener prefers. Play around with it until it sounds good! I am no rocket scientist, and it only took me about 2 minutes to figure it all out.
Clarity overall was what I wanted the most, and the RW-12d has it. I am a very picky guy who will waste as much time as it takes searching for exactly what I want, and I absolutely do not stop until I get it. Forget all the crap you find at all the big box stores. This is the one. This sub may be a bit on the pricey side for the average Joe, but trust me... as soon as you feed your head with the ear candy this baby produces, you'll forget all about what you paid for it.
On a side note about subwoofer cables... I refused to pay upwards of $100 for the 35 feet of cable I needed. Do yourself a favor, look into regular shielded coax. After examining all options, I decided to go with Monoprice.com and buy the 35 ft. shielded coax for 9 bucks. Yes, I said NINE DOLLARS! I figured, what the hell.. it's worth trying for $9, right? Totally worth it. But coax? I know, I didn't believe it at first either. Despite not being "THX Certified" or some other gold-plated gimmick, magnetically shielded in pure bullcrap, my 9 dollar cable worked just fine. I ran the cable up through the attic amongst a mess of other various wires. There is no humming noise or signal loss. I do have a shorter top-of-the-line cable that I tried, and the sound was identical. I guess if coax is good enough for an HDTV signal to make the 18 mile trip from the cable company, I'm sure its more than capable of carrying a subwoofer signal across my living room.
Anyway, Great subwoofer! I am definitely impressed and I'm sure you will be too. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.
-Ryan

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Sony RM-VL600 8-Device Universal Learning Remote Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought three of these for my home last week to replace a pile of remotes in my living room, den and bedroom. For each room, I needed at least some of the buttons on each of the remotes to do this or that. No more, thanks to the "learning" function. You start out, of course, by putting in the code for each device as found in the table in the back of the manual. Under Satellite, DirecTV codes were listed but not my DishTV device. No problem. The "search for correct code" function found it after just a few keystrokes.Now, after that, some of the functions were missing. For instance, after coding in my DVD device, the Sony600 remote did not seem to have a button that would open/close the DVD tray door ... even though the original DVD remote did. No problem. This Sony600 easily "learns" what your original remote buttons do. The Sony600's DVD "exit" button didn't do anything, so I taught it to do what my original remote's "open/close" button did. How? Basically you just point the two remotes head-to-head, push the Sony600's "learn" button, push the button on the Sony600 that you want "to learn," then push the button on the original remote that you want "to be learned." Ta-da! Save the "learning" and you are done. I was able to transfer EVERY function from ALL my other remotes onto my Sony600 ... I now have one remote (in each room) that will do EVERYTHING ALL the other remotes did.AND the range is much better than the old remotes as well.Plus you can train the Sony600 to record and replay a sequence of keystrokes you make on the Sony600 ... it will replay the sequence with a one button touch (the A-B-C-D buttons at bottom are for that). I trained it to do several of these "macros" as well. For instance, I have some wireless headphones attached to the TV ... to make them work, I have to go into the TV's menu and work my way over to the place where I redirect the audio output and such. Turned on the Sony600 "learn" mode, then just performed all the required kestrokes .... TV, menu, down, left, left, enter and so on ... then saved it to the button at the bottom. It's just that simple.All that for under $25. This is an excellent investment, run out and get one today !!
[Update: August, 2010] I just bought another one of these (to replace one that I broke) from Amazon. I was shipped a black one. It used to ship in silver. There are some silver ones hanging on the shelves at BustBuy, etc. Personally, I like the black look better except the blue buttons would have looked better in black as well. Anyway, other than the color scheme, it's the exact same device, whether you see it in black or in silver.


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Gyration Wireless Air Mouse GO Plus and Wireless Compact Keyboard Bundle GYM1100CKNA - Energy Star Qualified Review

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(More customer reviews)
*******HOW LONG HAVE I OWNED THE GYRATION GO AIR MOUSE & COMPACT KEYBOARD?*******
I have owned this Compact Keyboard and Go Air Mouse Combo for well over a year. I bought it to replace my IR (infra red) Silitek SK-7551 compact keyboard + pointing device for my Home Theater PC (HTPC).
*******WHY DID I NEED IT?*******
Since I have an HTPC it's connected to my HT receiver in my living room and its used to play back DVD, music, stream online video (YouTube). And usually in an HTPC setup the the actual computer case is next to the TV and HT Receiver while you sit a couple of feet away (11ft in my case) from the set up. So you need a wireless keyboard/mouse and remote to work everything.
I have had some sort of an HTPC for about 6 years and in these years the MOST used device (besides the universal remote) is the MOUSE. The SK-7551 retailed for $25 but is no longer made. The OLD mouse was a pointing device in my Silitek Keyboard which meant I had to cradle the weight of the entire keyboard just to use the mouse. So I realized that I need a separate mouse and keyboard but did not want to spend on high end stuff like Logitech DiNovo. Plus the Silitek Keyboard was IR which means I needed to ALWAYS point to the receiving station (placed under the TV) for me to make it work. *******SO HOW WELL DOES IT WORK?*******
Note the OLD keyboard on my HTPC was an IR or infra red keyboard which means the two sensors MUST be in the line of sight to work. That was the bad news, the good news was that it was immune from interference. Any RF product that run at 2.4 Ghz (like the Gyration Keyboard&Mouse) will have some interference. Even a microwave can cause some interference.
Here are some observations:
1) The Gyration KEYBOARD is a compact 88 keys RF keyboard and it's very light. But I do have some delay between initial keystrokes and them appearing on screen. But once the letters start appearing on screen the delay is minimal. But it can get irritating but you get used to it.
2) If you plan to use this as the ONLY keyboard & mouse connected to your PC you need to enable USB mouse and keyboard in your BIOS. The RF receiver that comes with the product plug into your USB device. Otherwise you cannot use the mouse or keyboard when you are in the BIOS.
3) The RF USB receiver seems to work better when plug it in the front USB ports. This could be because my HTPC has 802.11G PCI card with antenna in the back and plugging it in the back with both devices on 2.4Ghz may not be a good idea. But if you have a toddler in the house like I do, that's not very feasible to put it in the front USB port. So I bought 3 ft USB extension cord and plugged one end in the rear ports but the actual RF receiver is safely hidden in the TV cabinet. Since its RF it works through walls.
4) The STAR of the system in the Gyration GO Air Mouse. It can be used as an optical mouse and if you pick it up it becomes an gyro controlled air mouse. It works "pretty well" most of time. The Go Air tools software controls hand gestures and they work well too. But I cannot get the back and forward swipe motions for Firefox to work. Every time I gesture to go back in the FireFox browser it will do it but it will also open ANOTHER Firefox window. The solution is to open an IE window, minimize it and then use Firefox. When you do this the back and forward motion in Firefox works fine. This is a Firefox specific problem...its irritating but I have learned to live with it.
The above problem only happens with back and forward gestures in the Firefox browser, if you use IE you wont have to deal with it. The short cut to programs are really cool and they work well.
The other problem is with the battery. It does not hold charge that long (and I mean like a standard on your table bluetooth or wireless mouse), the solution is pretty simple keep the mouse + charger as close to your couch as possible this way you use it and when you are done put it back on the charge and its always on the charge till you need it. It will hold a charge for about 2-3 hours enough for you to get through a DVD movie.
*******OK OK...DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT WE BUY IT?*******
I did NOT buy this from Amazon, there was a very very slickdeal for this combo and it cost me about 1/4th of it's current Amazon Retail (at the time of writing).
Do I think its a great product for $100 + ? No, go for a Logitech DiNovo Mini for a little more.
Do I think its a great product for $50-100? Meeh, it depends.
Ok so is it a great product for under $50 ? ABSOFRIGGINGLUTELY :-)


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Rocketfish 1080p 4-Port HDMI Switch-Switcher w/Remote Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this at Bestbuy with some gift cards. I have an entertainment PC in my setup so I was a little concerened about the auto switching feature. Since I never shut the PC off...I was concerend that the auto switch would continuously switch between inputs. No problems. I've been switching back and forth between DirecTV and the PC and all is good.
I only wish there wasn't such a long delay between source switching. 5 seconds isn't a long time to wait, but I wasn't expecting any kind of delay. This is the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars.

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SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all if you want a general purpose, reliable, long distance remote trigger, you really should look into Radio Popper, Cactus, PovertyWizard, and such. Don't get me wrong, there's a place and time to use RP, Cactus, PW, and the SU-800. They all have their niches. For example when I go shoot outdoors where I place the flash units far away from the camera, I'll use the PW-- you get superior range over the SU-800, and good reliability. However it is very expensive, and the older PW units don't have TTL so if you don't set your power setting correctly the first time you end up having to walk to/from different flash units to change their power setting. I've not used Radio Popper myself but I've heard good things about it since it preserves TTL functionality. As for Cactus, it's very cheap, but also has limited range and is not as reliable as the other alternatives. In all cases, these are 3rd party vendor solutions with yet one more piece of equipment (battery, configuration, etc) to worry about, and one more point of failure in your day-to-day shoot.
On the other hand... if you're shooting indoors, or doing on-site portrait work, this is THE remote unit to use. In the literature, the range of this commander unit is 66 feet. However, in practice, I've seen it vary between 30-50 feet, and almost always line of sight. If I'm indoors, I prefer this unit because it is very light and you will not feel any extra weight on your camera. So despite the lack of range, I still love the SU800. It offers a fully integrated Nikon CLS solution, and is simply easy to use when you do portrait work. i-TTL is built in with 3 channels so you can adjust power (or not have to think about power at all when you do portrait work). Sure, the built in commander flash in D80/90/200/300/D700 is nice, but they only have 2 channels, and frequently the pre-flash from those cameras makes people blink excessively. On the SU-800 there is no preflash so you can take pictures of people and pets without bothering them with the preflash, and you end up having more usable shots. In addition, this is a must have accessory if you're doing very low light, no flash, walk-around shooting using SU-800's discrete red light focus beam. Yes you can achieve the same on the SB-800/900 by turning off flash and only enabling the red AF-assist, but they weigh a lot more, and make the camera very bulky. Lastly, this is a nice item to have with the R1C1 kit, though not absolutely necessary since you can use the on-camera flash, and macros aren't usually affected by the on-camera flash.
The SB-800 and SB-900 have commander units too, and when you point them towards other flashes in the commander mode, the range is about 50% greater than that of SU-800: I've gotten about 50 feet of range with the SU-800, and about 75-80 feet of range with the SB-800 and SB-900. Clear line of sight (from the commander to the optical receiver) is the key. The down-side to using SB-800/900 as commanders is that they weigh a lot more, and they emit pre-flash making people blink more than necessary.
I'm giving it 4 stars because it does extremely well for what it was designed and built for-- indoor portrait commander device. If Nikon came out with a longer range radio unit, I'd give it 5 stars, but that was not what the SU-800 was originally designed for. For outdoor strobists, I still recommend radio signal commander/receiver alternatives, at a price of course.

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WR-B100 Wireless Remote Control for Nikon D700, D300, D300S, D200, D3, D2H, D2Hs, D2x, D1, D1H, D1x, F100, F6, F5, F90X and F90 fully compatible with Nikon MC-30 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'll be doing family portraits in a couple of days, and my family wants me to be in them. (Imagine that.) So I thought I'd try this wireless remote. I've used the self timer for shots like this before, and that method is a pain in the neck.
Upon receiving this product, I ripped open the packaging, read the single page of instructions, and set about charging the receiver. It charged in less than a few hours. (I don't know how long exactly, as I left it alone while I did other things with my life.)
Everything works as it should. And better. Setting up in my spare bedroom, I was able to trip the shutter from my master bedroom-- through three walls. I've tested the range out to about 50' outdoors, but I'm not sure how much farther the signal will travel. The company claims 100 meters-- so figure a football field distance. Even 50 feet is more than I need, but it's nice to know I have that extra range if I ever change my mind. =)
The remote has two buttons-- one for focus and one to shoot. The shutter release button will also trigger auto-focus and may cause a delay in shooting. If, like me, you prefer to focus manually with this setup then there is no detectable lag.
It can also be used in bulb mode-- set your camera to [B]ulb, then set the receiver to 'L' to lock the shutter open. (Funny things happen when your camera is set to Continuous shooting, Program mode and turn the switch to 'L.')
I'd be happier with the product if it were built a little tougher with some weather sealing. It could also be a little smaller. So it isn't perfect-- big deal. I can wrap the transmitter and receiver in plastic bags for use in foul weather, and it does do everything the maker promises.
Great price for a 100 meter long shutter release! (Try finding a cable release that long!)
Cheers!
Postscript Added 2/11/08: I've been using this product for almost three months now. This works so much better than Nikon's equivalent. (Nikon's remote is infrared and limited to 5-10 feet.) The recharge times are minimal and the reliability has been 100% so far. There is no better wireless remote for Nikon cameras on the market. It is not perfect, but it is closer than anything else. And the Christmas portraits are pretty good, considering the photographer.
Cheers again!

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Logitech Harmony 520 Advanced Universal Remote - universal remote control ( 966191-0403 ) Review

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(More customer reviews)I picked up this remote today at Wal-Mart, which is currently the only retailer carrying it.
Since a number of my friends have 600-series Harmony remotes, I decided to give it a go. I don't need program listings on my remote, nor a color screen. This remote does one thing, and does it well: Simplifies your life. I was previously juggling 5 remotes- not cool.
The unit comes with a USB to Mini-USB cable and a driver/application CD for Windows and (Mac) OS X. I can't comment on the Windows software, but the OS X software worked quite well. Uses some of the opensource Mozilla web technologies, too. That gets them a Gold Star, in my book.
The USB cable is used for programming the remote, based on programming data delivered from the website. The remote itself has a mini USB port on top, and an IR receiver on the bottom, for the off chance that you've found an unsupported device. With my setup, I had no need for it at all.
I can't comment on the Windows software, but the OS X software worked quite well.
Once I'd registered, and followed the extraordinarily simple "wizards" on their site, I was controlling my DirecTV TiVo PVR, Sony AV receiver, Phillips DVD player, and my XM Satellite Radio receiver. All in all, its now set up for 7 devices, all of which it controls flawlessly. No learning IR codes or punching in long digits.
My only (minor) gripe is that the DVR layout isn't the same as the TiVo remote- it has VCR-style Pause/Play/FF/RW controls. No biggie, actually.
The real test for me was giving it to my wife. She is in no way a technophobe, but she has a "thing" for things that "just work." If she has to fiddle with something, she won't use it. She picked up this remote, and a few clicks later, she "got it." I asked her to try to switch it to the DVD player, and she had no problem at all.
Outstanding remote. Very stylish, too.

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Yamaha YMC-500BL NeoHD Media Controller/AV Receiver (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I got this system on sale somewhere else. I couldnt find a bunch of reviews about it so I decided to share with everyone my experience. The price I got it for was too good to be true so I decided to take a chance. Its a nice little system. When I say little, the receiver is very small in comparison to other receivers, almost half the size of the receiver I previously had. My primary concern was size as I needed it to fit in a certain space in my cabinet so this worked out nicely.
I have it hooked up in 5.1 mode and sounds really good. I think it is neat how you turn it on and it turns all of your other equipment on and you tell it what you want to do (watch tv, watch a movie, play music). I think for the price I paid and the features it offers it was a great buy. Now if I had to pay the regular price, I would have had to think twice about that.


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Yamaha YMC-500BL NeoHD Controller

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Clarion CMD6 Marine CD/MP3/WMA Receiver with USB Port Review

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(More customer reviews)Waited a long time to get a receiver with all the new features (USB, iPOD, multi file support, etc.) available to the car stereo market but the wait was worth it. The receiver has worked flawlessly for the past month that I've owned it. Feature packed and well constructed, I would recommend to anyone looking for an advanced receiver.
The only issue has been in the availability of the remote (MW1), which is still at the time of this review not available. This has proven to be a real hassle and a source of frustration. It would have been nice if Clarion would have made everything available at the time of release and BEFORE the start of boating season.


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LOREX LW2301 4-Channel Wireless Quad Surveillance System with Digital Video Recorder & 1 Indoor/Outdoor Motion Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)* Initial Inspection and Setup
** Items needed and Optional Recommendations
*** Testing & Results
**** Conclusion
Lorex' Wireless System (#LW2301) is a relatively compact surveillance system. It has very few pieces including an indoor/outdoor-"Nightvision" camera, a digital receiver with an RCA stereo output, 2 GB harddrive and an assortment of mounting accessories.
* I found the installation pretty straightforward and not really needing to consult the manual. However, there is a need for the manual if you elect to attach several (optional) cameras to the system.
Other than a hammer or a screwdriver to nail the camera's wall mount, there's no other mandatory tool you'll need to get the basic system up and running in a matter of 10 minutes max.
** If, as I stated in the video, that you have one of those older model TVs' that you're going to use as the monitor, then you'll need a mono-stereo input converter, which is about $20, to be able to receive the signal from the camera to the receiver.
I'd also recommend, a UPS (a portable battery backup unit)--prices range from $35- $200 with the median around $60.
*** When deciding how to use the system, I found it important, especially if you're considering it for home use to think about where you want to have strict surveillance. If you want to be alerted when someone is just outside your home, the camera must be placed outside. I made an interesting discovery during the first day of testing. I mounted the camera in the foyer with the backdoor several feet away. The foyer is separated by several full-length glass that opens up to the outside. With the camera aimed directly outside past the foyer (with a clear shot of roughly 50'), the camera would stream people going by but wouldn't recognize them even someone who was directly on the opposite side of the open glass door to the foyer. It was not until the person walked in that the system recognized them. This is not a negative criticism but an observation as to the limits of the system.
I also wasn't terribly impressed with the resolution of the image saved on the receiver's harddrive. As you can see in the video, the image of the person walking by and setting off the alarm (me!) wasn't sharp despite my being no more than a foot away from the camera.
**** For what it promises and for the price, I would consider this a good (not a great) buy for a home/ apartment use and maybe for a section of an office in a small business.
Four stars.


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Lorex Technology LW2301 Video Surveillance System LW2301 Video Surveillance Systems

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Opteka RFT-40 Remote Shutter Release & Wireless Flash/Light Trigger Combo for Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, XTi, XS, XSi, T1i, T2i, T3, T3i & 60D Digital SLR Cameras (Range up to 650') Review

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(More customer reviews)The first shipment came with defective part. Battery compartment assembled by the manufacturer missed metal clips at each end where the batteries supposed to come in contact with. Even without any defects, the receiver piece that supposed to latch on to the camera's flash dock has no lock to keep the receiver in place while it's mounted to the camera. Tilting the camera with the lens facing up can cause the receiver to fall off easily. The wireless remote to control the shutter is great and together works fine with the camera. However, bad design, bad quality. Who would've guessed since it is made in China.

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Sony ALTUS ALT-A33PC - Wireless audio delivery system Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great gadget. I am running windows vista on my desktop and have a sony receiver and this thing works great. Last year I was in my attic running speaker wire from my receiver (indoors) to my outdoor speakers. I was dreading getting back in the attic to run an RCA cable from my computer to my receiver. So my search started. I found this item and boy did it save me a lot of time. I received it yesterday and it took me about 10 min to get this thing up and running. I set mine up by the quick start directions that sony provides. You do not have to load the software sony gives you. I use iTunes with it and it workds great. I can sit on my patio and control my iTunes via my iPhone and relax. O yeah you can also control your volume via your iPhone. I will say that all these products are in close proximity so its hard for me to speak for someone that is trying to run this through out a 2 story house. But for what I need it to do it works flawlessly! The sound quality is very good too in my oppinion.

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Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link Review

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(More customer reviews)The Philips SWW1800/27 Wireless HDTV Link actually works as advertised, transmitting the output of up to four high definition devices across a room without wires. It is simple to install and requires absolutely zero configuration. Plug it in and it works.
Philips gets bonus points for including an HDMI cable. This the first high definition device I've used that actually comes with one. I hope other manufacturers follow their lead.
I tested the device in my home, transmitting the output of a high definition camcorder and a few other devices approximately thirty feet across my living room to a plasma television.
Below are my observations. I am happy to answer additional questions left in the comment section.
DISTANCE:
This is strictly designed to be a "short haul" device. It does not have the range of a cordless phone or wireless internet router, but it does accomplish the goal of allowing video components to be located dozens of feet away from a television. It worked fine in the largest room in my home, but it did not work when I located the transmitter in an adjacent room.
CONNECTORS:
There are four inputs on the transmitter, two HDMI and two component. Note that the two component video inputs do not have digital audio connectors, so only stereo analog audio can be transmitted back to the television on those ports. Digital audio transmits perfectly through the two HDMI connectors.
IMAGE QUALITY
I tested the device with a number of components, including an HDV camcorder connected over component video cable, an upconverting DVD player connected via HDMI, and a Flip Camera connected via HDMI. Everything looked great at a thirty foot transmit distance with no noticeable degradation.
VIDEO GAME COMPATIBILITY
The Philips Wireless HDTV link does not recompress video so there are no noticeable delays between a button press and a reaction on screen.
The device will only support consoles that transmit over component video or HDMI. Newer Xbox 360s and Playstation 3 consoles have HDMI ports. The Wii does not support HDMI, but its optional component cable will work. The original Xbox, Gamecube, and some Playstation 2 consoles can work via optional component cables but older consoles will not work and will need to be directly connected to the television.
TELEVISION COMPATIBILITY
This device requires the television have an available HDMI port. Many older HDTVs are lacking HDMI connectors so you'll want to ensure your television supports HDMI before purchasing.
NO AV DEVICE CONTROL
This is strictly a video transmitter, it will not pass commands to your components. It also adds another remote control to your collection.
CONFIGURATION
There isn't any. Select the device and it shows up on the screen if the transmitter is in range. It simply transmits whatever the device wants to send to the television.
CONCLUSION
This is an expensive device but it works as advertised. In some cases it may be cheaper to hire a professional to install your home theater system and hide its associated cables. But if that's not an option this device will accomplish the task. It works beautifully and is surprisingly simple to set up.

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The universal solution that delivers wireless High Definition TV quality, while respecting your home decor. The SWW1800 delivers 1080 p/24 picture and digital audio quality. With HDMI-CEC compliance, you can easily control most devices.

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