Mitsubishi WD-57731 57-Inch 1080p DLP HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I dumped my old Mitsubishi CRT-based rear projection HDTV when we moved to another house. That TV was a back-breaker to move. To replace it, I found this one after much research on the Net and with visits to Fry's, Circuit City, and Best Buy. I found no independent reviews of this model on the Net. However, the specs for this TV impressed me. What I most wanted was the ability to receive 1080P sources natively and connect to a PC with a DVI connector. This TV seems protected from early obsolescence with the plethora of connectors: HDMI, ieee1394, and component video. I did confuse the specs with those of the other TVs I researched. I thought that, like other similar Mitsubishi models, this one has memory card (SD, MMC, etc.) slots and USB connection. I was disappointed to find out when it arrived (in late July 2006) that it did not. However, this was not much of a loss for me. I was impressed by the quality of the picture. I was worried about the quality of rendering standard 480p DVDs and standard def TV. However, watching DVDs was a joy. The color was well saturated and accurate. The picture was bright. It was definitely an improvement over my old HDTV. Watching standard def TV was tolerable, though one could definitely see its lack of detail. My small children seemed to enjoy watching their cartoon shows on the standard def channels, though. With cartoon drawings, the graininess of SDTV is much less noticeable. Watching 1080i HDTV was very satisfying. But I'm too cheap to get HD cable, and I don't watch TV that much, anyway. I'm waiting for the HD-DVD or BluRay players to become more available and affordable.

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Mitsubishi amps up your home theater viewing experience with the 57-inch WD-57731 1080p digital light projection (DLP) television, which combines the TurboLight150 lamp system and the latest 1080p DLP chip to produce a big, bright and bold picture with unsurpassed detail. Because 1080p provides twice the resolution of the high definition 720p or 1080i displays found in most HDTVs today, you'll get more vivid pictures--no matter the scene or content. It delivers stunningly detailed images thanks to the high-speed Plush1080p video processor (with a 6-segment, 10,800 RPM color wheel), which up-converts 1080i signals to 1080p producing four times the resolution of traditional line doublers. The WD-57731 also features a cabinet with a simple, clean design with a compact footprint that will fit virtually any home theater furnishings without taking up a lot of space.
It includes dual HD tuners, a QAM tuner that's fully compatible with unscrambled HDTV cable reception, and a wide variety of digital inputs (including two HDMI, three component, and a Firewire port). And the set's CableCARD port means the set will also receive digital cable television systems services directly from a compatible cable operator without requiring a bulky, external cable box.
The WD-57731 has a 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, and compatibility with 480i/480p/720p/1080i video sources. It includes six 4:3 aspect ratio modes and two aspect ratio modes from 16:9 sources. Other convenience features include color temperature controls, full-screen image freeze, two tuner picture-in-picture (PIP), split screen, V-Chip parental controls, and a sleep timer.
It pumps out audio via its integrated 20-watt speaker system (10 watts per two channels) and also offers Mitsubishi's Level Sound Dynamics Limiter features, which evens out the sound of programs--even during loud commercial breaks. The IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire or i.Link) multimedia connection provides simple, high-bandwidth, real-time audio, video and data networking between this Mitsubishi TV and digital video camcorders and compatible PC systems, enabling you to record SD or HD digital video with plug-and-play ease. This set features the following video and audio connections:
Composite AV (RCA): 3 in (1 front), 1 out
S-Video: 3 in (1 front)
Component Video: 2 in
HDMI: 2 in (with 2 audio inputs)
RF: 2 in
PC DVI: 1 in
Analog audio output: 1
Digital audio output: 1 (Coaxial)
Firewire: 2
CableCARD: 1

Proprietary Mitsubishi Features This television includes several exclusive Mitsubishi technologies that enhance its picture as well as ease of use.
Most important is Mitsubishi's Plush 1080p collection of imaging technologies, which up-convert lower quality images from every video source--analog and digital broadcasts, DVD players, digital cable and satellite, game consoles--to HD quality. And for a 1080p HDTV like this model, even the high quality 720p and 1080i HDTV signals being broadcast need to be reformatted. The Plush 1080p feature set scales the picture precisely, with minimal side effects. And 1080i, currently the most common form of HDTV signal, is spectacular at 1080p.
Rather than provide standard color and tint controls, Mitsubishi's PerfectColor technology enables you to adjust the screen's color palette with six independent color controls (magenta, red, yellow, green, cyan, and blue).
The patented 150-watt TurboLight lamp system focuses light more efficiently onto the DLP chip to improve image brightness 10 percent over conventional lamp systems.
Mitsubishi's 4D Video Noise Reduction system provides a cleaner, clearer picture from nearly any source by analyzing multiple frames to identify and remove video noise or snow caused by distortions in the video signal. This effectively keeps detail in the foreground and eliminates background noise, even in fast moving scenes.
Finally, the ClearThought set of features includes all-digital audio output (which converts analog audio signals to digital audio) and the NetCommand single-remote control home theater operation system (which allows you to set up and control components using simple on-screen icons). It also provides the TV Guide On Screen 8-day program guide system, which makes it easy to sort through all the television listings to find your favorite channels.

Digital Cable Ready You can connect your cable television directly from the wall to this DLP TV without going through a cable box to receive all of your cable channels, including premium channels, and get an even better picture by doing so. This set has a slot on the back for a CableCARD, a device that descrambles subscribed channels. With the CableCARD (available from your local cable TV company), the TVÕs internal tuner will tune directly to the subscribed cable channels, eliminating the need for a separate cable box.
When a digital cable TV channel is received via the CableCARD, it is decoded and remains a digital video signal all the way to the screen. Standard-definition digital channel signals are up-converted by the advanced processing capability in the set (see more about the Plush imaging feature below), giving it an HD-quality picture. The resulting image has the best possible quality, with maximum bandwidth, and minimal noise and distortion.
What's in the Box DLP TV, multibrand NetCommand remote control (with 2 AA batteries), IR emitter cable
Warranty One year on parts. One year on labor. Carry in service.

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Sony MZ-RH910 Hi-MD Walkman Digital Music Player Review

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(More customer reviews)This device can be used to:
- Listen to music i.e. instead of an ipod.
- Record audio (with a microphone, not included)
- Function as external disk, when connnected via USB to a PC.
It uses 1GB removable disks which sell for about $7 each (plus shipping). As a audio recording device, it is unique for its capabilities in this price range, and essentially substitutes for a DAT (digital audio tape). The device has a line-in and microphone analog inputs. You can record in one of the three formats: high compression (Hi-LP), low compression (Hi-SP), and uncompressed (Linear PCM). The recording times per disk are 34 hours (Hi-LP), 7 hrs 55 min (Hi-SP) and 1 hr 34 min (Linear PCM). The compressed formats are stored in a proprietary Atrac format developed by Sony, which are basically are only of use on this device. Thus most crucial and invaluable feature, however, is that for audio recordings made from an analog microphone, you can convert the recording to the open .wav format when you upload the recording to your computer. The upload requires the SonicStage software which comes bundled with the device. There is pointless restriction that you can only upload the audio file once to your PC, but then you can convert it to the open wav format (the uncompressed CD quality Windows format), and then you are home free--you can do whatever you want with the audio file i.e. make an unrestricted number of copies, copies of the copies, edit the file using sound software, burn CDs, whatever. The sound is exceptionally clear; I use the ECM-719 Sony microphone (this is great mic, the cable is almost 6 feet long however which is a little too long for my preference). I generally record at the Hi-SP level, and it sounds great. For no loss of fidelity due to compression, you can record uncompressed and still get 1.5 hours on a disc. The manual warns that the device should be plugged in when recording, due to high battery consumption while recording, but I have used it off the battery for short periods with no problem.
This device does incorporate SCMS (serial copy management system), which puts all kinds of restrictions on copying digital files. As mentioned previously, you can only upload your analog-source recordings once to a PC, which is not really a problem as long as nothing goes wrong during the upload, and there is no particular reason why it should. As far as MP3s or other digital music, you can load them onto the device, but you can't copy them again after that i.e. back to the computer. The MP3s are not converted to another format, this device can read them directly so there is no loss of quality. You can also copy uncompressed audio to this device, or you can compress it into the ATRAC format to save space. The highest quality compressed format is ATRAC3Plus, which reduces files size to about 20% of uncompressed, and sounds very, very good. It is supposedly better than the highest quality MP3. ATRAC3Plus is the format used by the Hi-SP recording mode also.
This device also has an extra battery holder which holds on AA battery an can power the unit in the event your rechargable battery fails. This is an exceptional feature; it means that as long as you bring some AA batteries with you, you will be able to power the unit.
The reliablity of the interchangable Hi-MD disks appears to be exceptionally good. They are basically infinitely re-recordable; Sony claims you can re-record 1 million times. They are encased in a well made enclosure, well protected unlike CD-RWs or DVD+RWs. I would guess they are much, much more reliable than CD-RWs and DVD+RWs. They are also quite compact, and make a good replacement for thumb drives, or can be used to back up files.For example, you can use it to back up the wav files from your recordings. Howevery audio files, copied directly to the Hi-MD disks cannot be listened to on the device, you have to download them using the SonicStage software. The songs you download are then placed into the some special files on the disks which contain the song catalog, and all the music--i.e. you cannot manage the songs/audio on the Hi-MD through the Windows file system. This was probably done because of the SCMS restrictions, to prevent from copying audio at will. This is an annoying restriction which means that if you want back ups of your audio on the Hi-MD disks, you must do extra work and consume extra disk space--i.e. backup your MP3 or wav files to the Hi-MD disks as Windows files (which cannot be listened to directly).
When the device is connected to your PC it gets power from the USB cable, and actually appears to even recharge the battery while connected. The LCD screen is adequate but has no backlight, Sony makes a lit version for the next model up from this one, for another $100. You need to basically angle the player reflect off the main light source to see the screen. This is not really a problem for me, but the lighted display is probably more convenient. The fit and finish, as with all Sony devices, is excellent. The battery life when used as a player is quite long, they claim up to 34 hours; reports on the internet report that 20+ hours is common.
In summary, the only downside to this device is the SCMS restrictions, but generally you can still do everything you want to do. In particular, you can record audio from a mic (or from any analog input using the line-in; i.e. old cassettes) and make unrestricted digital wav files out of them.

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Sony has created a great, compact digital music player with the MZ-RH910 Hi-MD Walkman Digital Music Player. Music is stored on Hi-MD discs -- one GB of storage equals over 600 songs (depending on file format). You can easily expand your music storage with additional discs. They are available for only a few dollars, so increasing your storage capacity is affordable. The MZ-RH910 is also backward compatible with the standard MiniDisc media discs.
The five-line LCD screen lets you know what's playing -- the display provides album, artist, and song title. Music on the go has never been better with Sony's Skip-Free G-Protection technology which provides virtually uninterrupted playback of your music.
Sony had the digital music lover in mind when they built this digital player. It is highly compatible with your PC. With the included software you can transfer files from your PC to the MZ-RH910, and vice versa, at a break-neck, 100x transfer speed. And while you're doing this you won't have to worry about your digital music player's battery life -- the USB cable will power the unit when transferring music. Speaking of battery life, you can expect up to 34 hours of continuous playback with the included nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery plus one AA battery.
If you already have extensive music libraries, use the included software to store and play back your collection of MP3s. On the other hand, if you're just getting into digital music and downloading, Sony's ATRAC format provides higher sound quality with smaller sizes than many competing formats. This enables you to store more music and have longer listening times. The system also allows you to play back the most popular Internet audio formats, including WMA and WAV files, with quick, easy conversion to ATRAC.
Sony just keeps on bringing you the hits with this device. Another great feature is the self-recording upload function. Use the line-in jack on the Hi-MD player to transfer and archive your favorite, old tapes to low cost Hi-MD discs. The mic input is a perfect solution for self-recordings, school concerts, or meetings. With your music or recordings stored on Hi-MD discs, you can transfer the files to your computer and covert them to WAV format. A file saved in WAV format provides you with the flexibility to import the file into a music burning software program where you can burn the file to a CD-R/RW. The MZ-RH910 from Sony is not only a digital music player, but also a mini-recording studio in the palm of your hand. You can capture and digitize almost any sound or old-school recorded format with the mic input and line-in jack!
What's in the Box MZ-RH910 Hi-MD Walkman, nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery, charging stand, dry battery case, AC power adaptor, digital cable, Walkman earbuds, SonicStage software, one GB Hi-MD disc, and USB cable.

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Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device (9.7" Display, U.S. Wireless) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned both Kindle 1 and Kindle 2, so I'm already committed to the basic idea: e-ink reading in a slim form factor with excellent connectivity to a large selection of books and subscriptions. I have come to rely on my Kindle experience, and it has seriously enhanced my reading.
The DX was not an obvious upgrade for me, but two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader. I now have the DX in my hands, and can report PROS, CONS, and NEUTRALS:
PROS:
-- the larger screen is a definite plus. I use the larger type size on my Kindle 2 (older eyes), and at this type size I get far more text per page on the DX. This makes the whole reading experience more book-like (and should be a boon to people who buy large-print books.)
-- the screen is also sharper and crisper than my Kindle 2 in a side-by-side comparison: the text is darker, and the contrast is much better, making for better visibility overall.
-- on a side note, the larger screen also makes it possible to read poetry on the kindle, even at large type sizes. On earlier Kindles, the smaller screen cut off lines, so that you would lose the sense of when the poet ended the line. On the DX, you can see the whole line exactly as the poet meant it, with the cut-off in the right spot.
-- the PDF reader works as advertised, and is extremely convenient. PDF documents appear on the DX exactly as they do on a computer screen. Moreover, you can drag and drop your documents directly to the device using the USB cable (or use the for-a-fee email if you absolutely must.) The only downside: at least for the documents that I've used so far, I cannot adjust the type size as I can with native Kindle documents.
-- screen rotation also works as advertised: it operates as a mild zoom on both graphics and text and offsets slightly the downside of not being able to adjust the typesize on PDF documents. One nice design touch: the four-way navigation stick introduced on the Kindle 2 is rotation-sensitive, and will move as expected relative to the screen rotation.
-- more of the device space is devoted to the screen, while the white plastic border around the screen seems to have shrunk, both in general and compared to the proportion of screen to plastic on the Kindle 2. I like this (but see below about the keyboard).
-- storage: I like the increase in storage space, and don't mind the lack of an external storage card. I can see some people having trouble with this, but only those folks who either a) must regularly carry around PDF documents totalling more than 3.5 GB of space or b) must have nearly 3500 books regularly at their fingertips. I fall in neither category.
CONS:
-- price: it's expensive, as you can tell pretty quickly. If you value the larger size, and the native PDF reader, these features may justify the roughly 30% premium you pay for the DX over the Kindle 2. In truth, the DX SHOULD cost more than the Kindle 2, and a 30% premium isn't unreasonable. But, for my money, Amazon should drop the price on the Kindle 2 to $300 or so, and charge $400 or a little less for the DX. Still, I bought it, and will keep it at this price.
-- one-sided navigation buttons: all of the buttons are now on the right side, and none are on the left. I'm a righty, so I shouldn't complain, but I found myself using both sides on the Kindle 2. Lefties have reason to complain, I think.
-- One-handed handling: I often read while I walk, with my Kindle in one hand, and something else in my other. Because of the button layout, this will be more difficult on the DX.
-- metal backing: I miss the tacky rubberized backing on my Kindle 1. When I placed my Kindle 1 on an inclined surface, it stayed in place. Not so my Kindle 2 and now my DX. This is not a complaint specific to the DX, but it's still there.
NEUTRALS (i.e. things worth noting):
-- weight: the DX is heavier, noticeably so. This is only an issue if, like me, you regularly use the kindle with one hand . . . and even so, it's still doable.
-- keyboard: the keyboard has 4 rows, and not 5: the top row of numbers from the Kindle 1 and 2 has been merged into the top qwerty row, so that numbers are now only accessible with an alt-key combination. The keys are vertically thinner too, so that the whole keyboard is no more than 1" tall (compared to over an 1.5" on the Kindle 2). At the same time, the keys themselves are a bit easier to press, a bit more protruding than on the Kindle 2. For someone with big fingers (like me), this will be a slightly harder keyboard to use, but only slightly.
That's all I can see. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses for me, and I'm satisfied with my purchase. I can now think of using my DX for work documents on a regular basis, because of the PDF reader. The screen size and screen rotation make the overall reading experience more immersive.
Overall, the DX feels more like text and less like device and comes closer to the stated goal of the Kindle: for the device to disappear, leaving only the joy of reading.

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Apple iPod 20 GB Photo U2 Special Edition Black MA127LL/A (4th Generation) OLD MODEL Review

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(More customer reviews)Passionate iPod users know at least one thing about the iPod line-up, and that is they are always changing. The new full-size iPods have moved to an all-color line-up, and that is a good thing. The new 20 GB iPod with U2 branding includes a color display and is 0.06 inches thicker than its 20 GB monochrome-display predecessor. However, after a little use, the small increase in size does not seem significant. Plus, the bonuses are rich.
Apple first introduced the U2 iPod in the fall of 2004. At that time it was a 20GB monochrome-display version, and this has become the first update to the U2 iPod.
This 20 GB U2 iPod with color display has a battery that lasts three hours longer than the previous 20 GB with monochrome display. That brings the total to approximately 15-hours, which is great as it allows you to use your iPod longer in every day circumstances before charging, while also giving you the power needed to fly almost anywhere in the world, on a single charge. Compare this to some of the earlier iPods that had only eight hours of battery life.
What does the color screen add, for you might ask, "I'm listening to music, why a color screen?" Well, album art is one benefit. The iPod displays the album art, when playing songs, which helps create the feeling for the album. Furthermore, iTunes works with iPhoto on Mac and Adobe products on PC, in order to transfer your photo libraries to your iPod. You can then view your cherished photo libraries on the go, which might come in handy when you're telling the story of that huge fish no one seems to believe. However, the best part of iPod with color is that you can buy the optional photo adapter, plug it into the dock connector on your iPod, and transfer songs direct from your digital camera via USB. This allows you to move potentially gigabytes of photographs to your iPod, while on vacation, freeing up the memory card in your camera. This is truly a time and money saver! You can return from vacation with thousands of images that would have never fit on your camera's memory card alone. Finally, you can view slideshows of photographs, and even display them on television, with optional A/V cables sold separately.
Why has the storage not increased, when switching from monochrome display to color? Apple is obviously choosing to give you the features of a color display plus lower the price of the U2 iPod by $20, rather than increase the size of storage on the base iPod at this time, and it is a good decision! 20 gigabytes is an ample-size iPod, for almost everyone. Of course, if you need more than 20 gigabytes, you will need to choose a non-U2 branded model.
Mac or PC? This iPod works beautifully with either a Mac or PC. However, on a Mac, you'll immediately enjoy the synchronization of iTunes, your contacts, iCal calendars, Backup software, and of course iPhoto. On PC, you will have iTunes, but you'll need a third-party application from Adobe to sync photos the right way, while, you can find some shareware on the Internet that will allow you to sync other information, addresses, etc. that you might be interested in trying out.
Finally, Podcasting! The newest version of iTunes is 4.9, and it features Podcasting support. Podcasts are internet radio broadcasts, and there are thousands covering nearly every subject imaginable, and more are coming out every day. Podcasts are quickly becoming popular content on iPods around the world. Check them out, and this iPod supports Podcasts out of the box.
Appearance - The iPod is beautiful, but the back's chrome finish is prone to scratches, and the screen can become scratched as well. It is a very good idea to protect the back of the iPod and the screen in some way. The back of the U2 ipod includes the engraved autographs of U2 members, so you'll especially want to keep it, from getting scratched. There are many cases and protectors out there, and you will surely find something you like. It is possible the U2 iPod will always hold a slightly higher resale value than the traditional iPod, but the large quantities of U2 iPods made means it will not likely be the hard to find item that previous Apple/Artists partnerships were. The U2 iPod also includes a $50 coupon off a $200 U2 music set sold on iTunes, which will interest U2 fans. However, the U2 iPod is not for only passionate U2 fans. Some choose the U2 ipod, in order to simply have something "a little different," than others.
Overall, this is another excellent product from Apple Computer. The design is elegant, simple, and intuitive. It will provide hours of entertainment and convenience. Enjoy your iPod experience.

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Accessories: Earbud earphones, Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, USB 2.0 cable, iTunes software for Macintosh or Windows, Electronic Documentation and Getting Started guide The distinctive look & sound of U2, one of the world's biggest rock bands, has been turned into special edition iPod. Jet black, with a red Apple Click Wheel and Autographs of each band member on the chrome back. It also includes a special poster and a coupon for purchasing "The Complete U2" -- an amazing 400 tracks U2 tracks. Turn it up loud, captain.Jog without fear - 25 minutes of skip protectionSave multiple On-The-Go playlistsPlay color games on the moveKeep your appointments using the Alarm Clock/Sleep TimerJoin the podcasting revolution with the new iTunes 4.9, featuring built-in support for podcasts. Now you can find, subscribe, manage and listen to thousands of Internet audio shows from amateur to professional and everyone in between Import images from any hard drive folder, directly into your iPod -- you can even import whole albums or collectionsUp to 15 hours battery life when playing music -- or up to 5 hours when playing slideshows with music (about 5 hours to fully recharge battery) Hold switchSystem Requirements(Mac) -OS X 10.2.8 or later, iTunes 4.7 or later(included on disc), built-in USB 2.0 or FireWire - iPhoto 4.0.3 recommendedSystem Requirements(PC) -Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, iTunes 4.7 or later(included on disc), built-in USB 2.0 or FireWire - Photoshop Album 2.0 or Elements 3.0Dimensions -2.4 x 4.1 x 0.63 Weight -5.9 oz.

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