Guy Low Price Electronic: 10 Jul 2010

Saturday, 10 July 2010

240hz Refresh Rate - led backlight, vizio

We have had this TV for three weeks. It replaces a Vizio 50" Plasma purchased 4 years ago that died.

- Picture quality is outstanding. Very dark black with no visible back-lighting. NFL games and fast-action video work great. Side-angle viewing is good with this TV.

- Tons of inputs.

- Vizio Support answers the phone promptly. They're helpful and courteous.

- Excellent matte screen surface with little to no glare from lamps, windows, and doors. Because of the matte finish, we opted to move our TV location perpendicular to a an 8ft sliding glass door out to the pool. We have had no problems with light or glare degrading picture quality. In contrast, this door would have caused extreme glare on the slick surface of the plasma, while also washing out the picture.

- Internet Aps are handy. Neflix is the one we use primarily. Because the TV is now the sound source, an Optical Cable is needed for connection to the Receiver. Once setup, sound and picture quality are outstanding. Getting to a list of movies with the VIA button on the remote takes only a couple of clicks. The NetFlix ap works so well, we barely use our media computer hooked up to the system.

- Remote Control and TV Setup menus on the unit are intuitive, easy to use, and graphically well done. The TV picture quality was great for us out of the box, requiring no adjustments. Remote control setup via the on-screen configuration automatically tries codes and only requires the user to click "worked" / "didn't work" in order to cycle through and find the right code. Best remote setup I've ever seen.

- Remote Control itself is nearly perfect. Well-spaced buttons that are easy to read and arranged logically and in similar locations to other DVR's. Physical size is ideal, Not too long like many remotes. Keyboard flip out is a fantastic addition.

- TV mounts to a wall without any problems. (We used the Vizio XMA 1200--worst user manual I've ever encountered) The unit is surprisingly light, given the TV's size. Still best to have two people when hanging the unit on the wall.

- Because our previous Vizio died after only 4 years, we bought a 4-year Square Trade warranty from Amazon (STAY AWAY FROM ALL WARRANTIES BY THE COMPANY "NEW"). Our Sams Club warranty was through NEW. A month of being hassled resulted in our TV being picked up and taken to a local shop. After another 10 days NEW gave us an undetermined ETA on Parts for the repair. We called SAMS CLUB and explained our warranty nightmare. Sams Club Manager told me to bring in the TV. NEW Refused to give the TV back. I found a phone number to the shop they contracted out and was able to get a address, then go pickup the TV myself. Sams Club gave us a full-refund! Avoid NEW (read reviews here on Amazon of New Warranties). Vizio also offers a similarly priced warranty extension. There is paperwork in the box for purchasing this product from Vizio.

- We're very happy with the TV.

Update 3/16/2011

We've had this TV now for approximately 6 months and are still happy with it. However, one complaint: I notice on very black screens where there is a an object that is brightly colored, you will see haloing. For example, credits on a movie where the screen is black and the text is white will show haloing around the text. Another example, the moon against a black background will have haloing. Seems to be a panel lighting issue. This issue can detract from your viewing experience in these high contrast scenarios. VIZIO XVT553SV 55-Inch Class Full Array TruLED with Smart Dimming LCD HDTV 240 Hz SPS with VIZIO Internet Apps

This TV is amazing. The only thing more incredible is the bargain. I have been shopping flat screens for about a year now. I almost pulled the trigger on a Samsung C8000 until I came across this TV. You get everything Samsung has to offer minus the 3D which, for me, is still too new to invest in. This model boasts a 10,000,000 to 1 Dynamic Contrast ratio compared to Samsung's 8,000,0000. Blu-Ray (Sony BDP-570) looks and sounds spectacular. DirecTV HD shines as well. The set-up was a breeze. The only problem I encountered was the actual wait-time to get this thing. It took about three weeks since it was on pre-sell. However, once it was released, the shipper contacted me and I had this thing in my house three days later. If you want a TV packed full of features that you can actually enjoy but don't want to drop $3,000....this is your set. Pair this thing up with a decent home theater (I have the Sony HTSS370-It blows us out of the living room.) and you will truly be able to enjoy movie night at the house! I can't wait for College/NFL football to crank up! Vizio has stepped it up big time with the new XVT series!!!

First of all my review is solely for the TV itself, and not Amazon, since we purchased this TV at Wal Mart.

- Start up and Set up -

With so many features offered I thought this TV might be overwhelming to set up out of the box - it ISN'T. It walks you through step-by-step on things such as synching up the remote with your cable/satellite box, receiver, setting up the network to use the "WIDGETS" (or apps), etc. I was up and running literally within 10 minutes.

- Picture Quality -

The picture qualioty is AMAZING. I Googled "XVT553SV picture settings" and used the settings found on a CNET discussion board [...], but added my own tweaks such as I turn the back light up some, and for my XBOX 360 input I turn color enhancement on "normal." The colors are very rich, the black levels are AMAZING so long as you've got the Smart Dimming turned on, and there is little, if any, "blocking" or pixelation when there is fast moving scenes like waterfalls, or explosions on movies.

- "Smart Dimming" local dimming -

While the picture is certainly great, it has some flaws. There is some "blooming" or whitish halos around white objects that are against black backgrounds. I only see this on slow, or fixed screens such as when changing inputs and there is an all black screen with a "No Input Selected" white message in the middle of the screen. It is also more evident as the viewing angles get wider. Evidently this is a by product of local dimming (Smart Dimming) but in all honesty I NEVER notice this when watching TV, playing video games, or watching movies. You quickly notice how BLACK the screen can be. I have an LCD 1080p TV and a DLP 720p TV and neither come close to the black levels on this Vizio with its Smart Dimming turned on. When the screen goes black it looks like the TV is OFF! Not so with the Smart Dimming turned off.

- Smooth Motion Feature -

With ANY 120hz TVs (this is truly a 120hz TV with a scanning back light creating a "240hz" like affect) the "smooth motion" feature can make cinematic shows/movies look strange. It has been described widely as "The Soap Opera" effect, and it makes even wonderfully filmed/edited shows/movies look as if filmed with a camcorder. Camera panning looks wobbly, peoples' movements are super smooth, but it really looks like you are there while filming, which is NOT good. Simply turn off the Smooth Motion feature if watching anything such as movies, or movie-like TV shows that are not reality TV, etc. Sports look AMAZING with Smooth Motion turned on high. Animation and CGI animated shows/movies look AMAZING with Smooth Motion turned on.

- Gaming on the Vizio -

I play an XBOX 360 console, and with some types of TVs delay can be evident when playing. Not with this Vizio. I play lots of first person shooter games, music type games requiring perfect timing for inputs from musical instrument type controllers, and motion-based Kinect games which also require perfect timing. Everything runs smoothly on this TV. The picture quality is the best I have EVER seen when playing XBOX 360 of any TV I've seen/owned.

- Sound -

Surprisingly such a thin set of speakers sound pretty darned good. I personally turned my speakers off, and I use the Vizio remote (I'll get to the remote itself) to adjust the volume on my receiver and use the larger speakers. This not only gives me better quality, but it saves me from blowing out the small Vizio speakers down the road like one of my other flat panel TVs has in the past.

- Inputs -

Inputs are abundant with this Vizio, with HDMIs dominating. I know component cables are on their way out, but only having ONE component in (the 5 wire input with red/green/blue video and white/red audio) might require one to buy a switching device that takes one component in and turns it into three such as the one in this link [...]which can be $45.00 or more depending on quality.

The ability to custom name inputs (rather than having generic "game" or "cable") is a nice touch. You can have "Cable Box" or "Direct TV" or "XBOX360" or "PS3" etc. etc. For those that have literally 5 HDMI devices plugged in it keeps things much more organized in the menus.

- Remote Control -

This might be a polarizing topic for this TV. I LOVE the remote. It does feel slightly "cheap" due to the slide-out portion not really staying 100% solid when not in use, but it doesn't bother me. The remote being bluetooh enables one to control the TV without pointing anywhnere near the TV, in fact, I can control the TV in another room altogether if desired. The remote also linked to my cable box and stereo receiver in a very simple menu that asks "what model" you have, then it auto scans and asks you to perform a funtion for the device, then click "yes it worked" or "try next code" and mine both worked on the first try.

The slide out QWERTY keyboard is not PERFECT, but it's great. The top row of buttons can be obstructed by the fixed portion of the remote, but it's better than not having a QWERTY keyboard at all. It seems like a NECESSITY when using WIDGETS/apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Netflix (makes searching easier) etc.

- Widgets/Internet Apps -

What can I say? I don't know how we did without these before. Right out of the box we have Yahoo! news, weather, sports, fantasy football (updates stats real-time while watching TV), Pandora internet radio, Blockbuster on Demand, Hulu Plus, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon movies on demand, and TONS more. I can check my local weather, or any number of custom-set cities around the world. It's funny to ask XBOX friends in England how they're enjoying their current conditions when we chat.

After another firmware update (second one since Christmas) we not only have MORE Widgets, but the interface for existing ones (Netflix for one) has been improved upon. It's nice to know that they aren't resting on their laurels when it comes to the apps.

The wireless connection is STRONG. It auto detected our wireless network, and it works so well I've not yet climbed in the attic to run a dedicated ethernet cable to the TV as I'd planned to. I can stream Netflix as smoothly (maybe better?) then I can with my ethernet-wired XBOX 360!!! I have not had it slow/pause a movie/playback due to internet/connection speed yet! This is also on a wireless G router too, and not the fancier N router.

***WARNING ABOUT THIRD PARTY/INDEPENDENT APPS!!!***

I have discovered that at least one third party, independent app was causing my TV to shut itself off and cause it to go in a "standby" mode. The entire issue is explained in the next section. I would steer clear of any apps not made by big companies. The exact app name is "1337 Pwn" and it's published by a company called BrickSimple.

- Problems and Vizio's customer service -

With all of the great things I've said about this TV, it did have a few bugs to work out. First of all the TV would shut itself off after 10:00pm (hey that's what it did!) and then the Vizio logo would flash orange/white just as it does when it receives a firmware update. After a few days of this I was about to exchange the TV for another just like it, but decided to contact Vizio customer support first. Through a series of messages with a REAL PERSON in a real time chat on Vizio's website, we set up a phone call with a "Level 3" tech to see if we could fix the issue. We did a "memory clear" procedure and the problem was FIXED. A real human being in AMERICA that spoke perfect English helped me not only fix the issue, but also walked me through resetting all my settings AND told me about some features I didn't know about.

***UPDATE***

I believe I have found the true source of my shutting down problems - BAD THIRD PARTY APP!!!

It was only AFTER I added a third party app for monitoring XBox Live friends (The exact app name is "1337 Pwn" and it's published by a company called BrickSimple) did the TV have the shutting off issues. I was able to figure this out when I finally re-added this exact app to the TV (I never added it after "fixing" the TV with Vizio Tech on the phone) this week, and what do you know? Random shutting off with the flashing Vizio logo! I deleted the app, and once again TV works perfectly as it should. When Vizio Tech walked me through the rest it deleted any apps not already on the TV, the XBox one included. THAT is why it "fixed" the TV!

- OVERALL -

I could not be happier with this purchase. I know nobody likes to spend lots of money only to say how crappy the product was, but if I were not 100% satisfied with this Vizio XVT553SV I would have easily exchanged it for something else. The fact is I cannot think of any other TV that offers the same features, picture quality, etc. for the price. Some top level plasmas might do the trick, but they put off more heat, and suck much more power. If this Vizio lasts for YEARS without issues I could call it the PERFECT TV, and would absolutely buy more Vizio TVs in the future. - Led Backlight - Vizio - 55 Inch Tv - 1080p'

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Grout Cleaner - multimaster accessories, razor blade

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Yes, you have to have a Fein oscillating sander to use the blade. The sander has a lifetime warrantee and can be used for hours at a time without problem. The blade turns out to be way cheaper than the multiple Dremmel 1/16" diamond grout-removal blades you can eat up on a large project (though I stll used one for small places). If you can swing it, the Fein sander is usually available for $290 somewhere-- plunge cuts, sands, rasps-- and is far safer than a rotary tool because of it's oscillatory motion (like a bone saw for cast-removal). It's not cheap, but is is the best tool I've found for this. Fein 63502118016 2-1/2-Inch Segmented Carbide Grout Removal Blade

This item, though not recommended for cutting ceramic tile, cut ceramic tile for new flooring. It made the job easier, faster and more professional looking. I have also used it to remove single tiles from the bathroom wall for replacement. When used as directed by Fein, it is an efficient and easy way to make repairs to ceramic tile walls and floors.

This blade is a must if grout is to be removed where a bad ceramic tile is to be replaced. First, use this blade to cut away the grout around the tile piece. Second, use a hammer drill or hammer and chisel to break the tile, working at the center and moving to the edges. Third, cleanup the mastic/thinset using any or all of these tools.

Blade never finished removing grout from the first tile. The blade was useless. The original blade that came with my kit worked 100% better, and it was almost completely worn off. I agree with most reviewers the cost of the blades are to high, I check e bay daily for deals and buy when available. Othrerwise the Fein Multimaster is a great tool for the home handyman

I borrowed the multimaster tool from a friend to remove the grout around floor tiles in my bathroom. The bathroom is 9x8 with 12 inch tiles, and it took 2 of these blades to complete the job, and I also had to use a manual grout removal tool to actual get all of the grout out. I can't say that the multimaster didn't help at all, but it is definitely no miracle grout removal tool. I used the multimaster to cut into the grout; then used the manual tool to scrape out the remainder of the grout. It took 6 hours to finish removing the grout, and I didn't waste any time.

Both of the blades ended up going from round to almost rectangular once I was done, and more importantly, the star shape where the blade attaches to the tool wobbled out to the point where the blade would not stay tight to the tool rendering it completely useless. I had to take the blade off and rotate it so that it attached via the remaining good points.

If you plan to use it for one tile at a time, then you might get 36 tiles or so use out of it. I my case ($.78 per tile or 2 blades @ $40+) it may have been a bit cheaper for me to just replace all of the tiles!

As a side note, my friend had already returned 2 DOA tools to Fein, and this one started making some not so encouraging sounds after only 4 hours of use. You would expect a tool that costs as much as this does to be a little more reliable.

Just be forewarned that you WILL be replacing the blades often if you plan to do a bunch of grout work. However, it will take some of the work out of removing the grout if you're willing to pay the price.

This is a great tool that does lots of jobs. Unfortunately the blades are not up to the task. I use this tool for my remodel and repair business. I have had several different blades that get hot, get dull and don't work for long. I used this blade brand new to remove grout from a 32x32 tile shower pan. Before the job was finish I noticed that ALL of the carbide was gone from the blade. I was not forcing the tool. I don't mind paying more for the blades but I do expect that they will last for several jobs, not several blades per job! Fein has a serious quality problem that needs to be addressed. - Razor Blade - Multimaster Accessories - Grout Cleaner - Fein Multimaster Blades'

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Dewalt Replacement Batteries - dewalt, rechargeable batteries

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I own/run a low voltage company in St. Louis. We pre-wire houses for phone/TV/networking, install intercoms, security, and central vacuum systems, and home theatres as well. We currently have 20+ DeWalt 18volt cordless tools and at least that many batteries. We are constantly asked by carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and competitiors how the tools hold up.

We can drill 100+ 3/4 holes on one battery every day with no problem. We can drill 10+ 2 1/4" holes with a DeWalt self feed bit on one battery. The recip saw, the circular saw, the angle grinder, and the flashlights all work flawlessly. We even have the vacuums so we can clean up after ourselves.

Now the old batteries (all black) last about 1 year for regular use. We have a few new batteries (yellow top) that are a little over a year old that show no sign of slowing down.

We have found that when it is cold they do not last as long. Also the charge needs to be in a semi warm area (not in a garage). Also, the battery needs to be drained most of the way before charging. Repeated recharging of a half dead battery dramatically reduces the life. But any battery manufacturer will tell you that. DEWALT DC9096-2 18-Volt XRP 2.4 Amp Hour NiCad Pod-Style Battery, 2 Pack

I'm hearing a lot of complaints about the batteries. Face it, the batteries are based on NiCad technology. NiCad are not known for infinite shelf-life, has a memory, and absolutely hates to be placed on a charger for extended periods of time.

Now knowing all the good and bad things about NiCads, these batteries are absolutely no different than you will find in any other system using NiCads. If you don't understand the why your batteries are dying off so quickly, it most likely can be explained by researching the things to do and not do to NiCads.

I've beat the hell out of the tools and the batteries and still manage to get an excess of 2yrs of service out of these batteries. If you open one of these up, all you find is a series of sub-C NiCad batteries in them. Count them up and just go price sub-C NiCad batteries with the same Amp-Hr rating. You will soon fine that even if you tried to replace the batteries into the existing battery case, it is still cheaper and easier to buy replacements.

Rechargable batteries of any technology do NOT have infinite life. With absolutely following standard practice care of the battery type, you can extend this life to the theoritical max. That is hard to do on the job site when you need to get the job done quick. I use the 15min. charger, which is great but at a significant cost in service life of the batteries. You are never supposed to charge the batteries while they are hot. This means if you run it down at the job site, you shouldn't be placing them into a rapid charger. You should have enough spare batteries to get you busy while letting a natural battery rotation occur that insures they are cool when you charge. Slow charging extends the life of the batteries as well by getting internal temperatures lower. You should never leave a NiCad on a charger. You should run down the NiCad battery before charging to help avoid memory.

You can mention any battery technology and there are do's and don'ts. I've had Lithium Ion batteries in a cell phone last less than 1yr.

It all depends on your battery usage habits. Once you understand what you are supposed to do to extend the batteries life, you can usually figure out pretty quickly why you are not getting the life you expected.

Good solid product. I'd buy them again without hesitation. And I have yet to see any group of cordless tool manufacture's use a standard battery interface so that you can use the same battery in different brands of cordless tools. So being locked-in to a particular cordless tool manufacturer is a given.

This is all the price you pay for being cordless. The only way around all this is to pull out the ole 50' extension cord.

IMHO

If you expect to buy these new in the package, you will be disappointed. ToolKing offers cheap prices by reselling you returned merchandise (I suspect)from their retail stores. I received my batteries used, you can tell by the brass connection points being ruffed up, and not in their original packages. One of the batteries takes forever to charge and this may be why it was returned. I also ordered a charger (not in the orig Package) where they were nice enough to place a crappy ToolKing inventory sticker over the vent holes. You know, the kind that peels off flake by flake. They dont return emails or phone calls. I was ripped off, so beware!

I wasn't going to bother to write a review for a couple of replacement power cells, until I saw some of the other opinions, here. I am very pleased with all the DeWalt equipment I use. The batteries do a fine job of powering everything except the circular saw - that one lacks guts.

I used my original power cells for a couple of years before they died of old-age and recharging. I am confident that they lasted for the number of rechargings that DeWalt promises. I followed the guidelines, and only occasionally hit the reconditioner button on the charging cycle. The people who get such short lives out of these power cells may not be bothering to use that feature of their DeWalt charger.

Yes, I am pleased with these replacements. They work well, and are the genuine DeWalt parts. Yes, I've had a really good experience with these power cells. Yes, I'd recommend them.

I have used Dewalt 18 volt tools for several years and a 24 volt saw for the last 3 years. Out of 5 18 volt batteries only one died after 2 years of use and it was used when I got it. The 24 volt saw has only one battery and it works as good as the day I bought it. These tools are used almost daily and I dont do a good job of taking care of them. - Dewalt Replacement Batteries - Dewalt - Rechargeable Batteries - Battery'

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12 Volt Battery - 12v, battery packs

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My Ni-Cad batteries for my Dewalt drill had given up the ghost. I needed some long lasting reliability and found this Ni-MH replacement. It was shipped promptly and packaged well. It is an exact fit in the drill although slightly taller and distinctly heavier. It does last an extremely long time and it charges in the charger that came with my drill. I'm very satisfied with this upgrade. My only complaint is that the battery packs came with no use and care instructions. I had to search on-line to find some guidance from the hobbyist sites for model airplanes and RC cars. Pwr+ 12v 3000mah Ni-mh Replacement for Dewalt 2832k (Cordless Saws) Dewalt 2800 Dc Dw Series Power Tools Battery ; P/n 152250-27 397745-01 Dc9071 De9037 De9071 De9074 De9075 Dw9071 Dw9072

This is my third set of batteries for my Dewalt drill. The drill motor is fine and the best size for my home workshop use, but NiCad have a limited life, eventually failing to drive the drill. These fit perfectly, and stretch the useful working time per charge. The 3000 mAH size are heavier, but don't throw the balance of the tool off.

Seems to be an exact replacement but slightly heavier than the factory NiCad. I immediately charged it using my factory Dewalt charger. Within an hour, the charger's flashing light glowed steadily indicating the battery was fully charged.

I noticed that this NiMh battery was quite warm---much warmer than the factory DeWalt NiCad is after charging. And it remained seriously warm to the touch for several minutes afterward.

My bad! You MUST use the DeWalt DC9310 charger that charges NiCad, NiMh and Lithiums. I initially used the DeWalt 9116 NiCad charger, and it produced the hot battery condition I described above. These batteries seem to be a great alternative replacement to buying the $60+ DeWalt NiCad batteries.

I am a purchasing agent for my company. When I saw the price of batteries at mcmaster I k.ew there had to be a better price. I stumbled upon these and couldn't pass up the price. We purchased 6 of these for drills that are used daily. These batteries last 20%+ longer than the dewalts and are $20 less. Again, this is an excellent product, shipping was fast. The next time I need to replace batteries I will be back.

I got this battery mainly due to the no memory effect as opposed to the NiCad cells. It is beefier and just used it to do some intense drilling and cutting using an angled dewalt drill. Works great and hope it will serve me a few years. No noticeable difference between the NiMH vs NiCad in power delivery.

I looked in all the Big Box stores and franchise stores in my area and could not find a 12V battery pack for my old DeWalt drill. Nearly gave up and bought a new drill! Found this one on Amazon. Though it's for their cordless saw it fits my drill, operates it correctly, charges correctly with my drill charger and, WONDER OF WONDERS, the drill fits the case with the battery pack installed! Now I have twice the battery charge life of the originals with only a slight weight penalty. WELL WORTH IT FOR ME.

Battery fits perfectly, adds very little to overall weight, and has a very long charge cycle. I have not had occasion to do tests, but it probably provides double the battery life I have been used to. I was very pleased with prompt delivery and would recommend both the vendor and the product. - Battery - 12v - Battery Packs - Cordless Drill'

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Ipad Speaker - dock, easy to use

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I consider this an absolute necessary addition to your ipad if you mean to HEAR as well - without having to use the headphones. Ipad's volume as such is much too low. This speaker does the job quite well. iDesign Portable iPad Speaker with Dock for iPad Tablet

Sound okay but I have more volumn from the speaker I bought for my ipod then I get from this unit. The volume button is in a bad spot in the back of the unit and does not respond well when turning sound up or down. Too bad they didn't make it with a remote control so we didn't have to play these difficult volume controls. I would truly recommend trying another unit. Very unhappy

This slips on & off the connector to the speaker so easy! There is a cross bar in the back a tab comes up and snaps into a slot and that makes the speaker with cross bar sturdy. Then just slide the iPad down on to the pin , dock conector (it's the power you plug your iPad into only it's sticking out of the speaker. When you want to take it off just grap the ipad from the top and go. Easy on easy off. To look at it in landscape mode just turn on the side. The speaker turns up very loud! 3 times as loud as the iPad it self

This unit is basically as advertised but I think it could use more volume. The sound is pretty decent but doesnt get quite loud enough. Also, when using it with batteries, be careful you don't leave it on or you'll burn out your batteries like I did. It would be nice if if had an auto shut-off feature. All in all, it's a good value.

I initially reported problems with the unit stopping play while on battery power on my sailboat. It worked great on the AC adapter, allowing me to watch Netflix movies with decent sound, for a change, while docked. But on the water...Ugh. Just to be sure, I changed out the batteries (which I thought were new) and BINGO! No more problems while on battery power. I now give this unit 4 stars, held back only by some weird positioning on the volume/power buttons that make it nearly certain you'll end up repeatedly turning the unit on and off while trying to adjust the volume. But all in all, well worth the price to get a bit more sound from your iPad.

This stand and charger is good for a dorm room ,bedroom or small living room you can listen to music while it charges your Ipad with an aux input for your Ipod or cd player. Give sound to music or videos!It is portable with rechargeable batteries and is portable to your office at work.

I purchased this for my 86 year old Dad as a Father's Day present. I had already given him an iPad, first generation, but the sound on it is not loud enough for him. I tried the speaker out on my iPad2 so I would be able to demonstrate how to use it for him. It does not work with the iPad2. The iPad2 easily slips out of the brackets and the device never takes control of the sound. I will still demonstrate it for my Dad and hope it works on his iPad, first generation, but I am very disappointed in my choice of a Father's Day gift. I may need to return it.

It works, and it charges. But it doesn't charge off battery power, only when plugged in. Also, you cannot adjust volume on the iPad from within apps, iTunes, or Netflix; only on the back of the speaker which is cumbersome to turn around while cooking, etc... Speaker quality is just fair. - Easy To Use - Portable Speakers - Dock'

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Lithium-ion - lithium-ion, battery packs

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All 6 - yes 6! - of my original M12 batteries failed within several months to over a year after purchase and would not charge. I finally took them to the Milwaukee repair center as I knew they were warranted for 2 years. I took my receipts but they didn't even look at them. Popped them in a charger-and sure enough-bad. They replaced them all on the spot with no questions asked! I would recommend Milwaukee to anyone. I am hopeful that the new ones last like my other tools (including Bosch, Makita and DeWalt) and I will post an update if I have more problems-so far, so good-hopefully they have fixed whatever was causing failure. Go get yours replaced if they have failed. If you don't have a receipt, they can use the serial number for warranty. Hope this helps. Milwaukee 48-11-2401 12-Volt Lithium-ion Cordless Tool Battery

Milwaukee fails at quality control on this product, and doesn't seem to care either way.

I've had 2 in 5 batteries fail within a year, and even a third delivered defective. With a 60% probable failure rate, they may want to consider the value of China as a country with very cheap unskilled labor.

Thank you.

Update: Checked on warranty replacement. The closest Service Center is over 30 miles each way, and stated no guarantee of replacement

:( >>Disappointing for the Milwaukee name brand.

I bought a 12v drill with 2 batteries less than a year ago. I used the drill maybe a total of 30 times in the last year and the batteries will not charge any more. I get the red and green flashes on the charger. I have a Ryobi kit that I use multiple times a week that is 2 years old and it still works fine. I also have a Bosch drill that I have had for 6 yrs and the batteries are still fine. I liked the drill but I am really dissapointed in the batteries.

I bought several of these tools last year and all but 1 battery would not charge after modest use. What worked for me was to discharge the batteries completely (I used the flashlight) until it is just a dim glow, and then recharge. Several of the batteries that gave me the flashing red/green indication returned to proper operation, charging to green and giving me 4 LED's on the tool. Maybe this is a cell balancing issue. If the battery is right, with a good charge, I can use the screwdriver all day on a battery.

I too regret buying this drill because of the atrociously short battery life. I've owned the drill for about a year and only use it sporadically. Already the two original batteries have died. I've, however had a different experience with the life of the CHARGE. My batteries kept their charge even over extended periods of use and non-use. The power and ergonomics of this tool are exemplary but at around $30 a pop for new batteries every few months this purchase has been a disaster.

Have been an electrician for 20+ years. The old 80's makita 9.6 lasted, My DeWalt 18xrp has never let me down. The Milwaukee is junk after no use and 3 battery's are defective. Too bad i bought all the M-12 tools. Big mistake

This tool is a dissapointment milwaukee should be ashamed to put thier name on it. I have the drill/saw combo. The drill has no power and the battery dies quick. The saw can not cut through anything and the battery dies even faster. Now that I have given it to my wife the batteries are dead. six thumbs down

SCREW MILWAUKEE CORDLESS TOOLS!

12v batteries dead almost immediatly, should be a recall on these

(48-11-2401, li-ion, 3IMR18/65)went from USA made to German to Austrian now CHINA, screw CHINA too!

if you want great cordless tools buy Panasonic!

Great little tool and very convenient to use with good power. BUT, these are Lithiun-ion batteries and should last more than 1 year. Both batteries died within 1 month of each other 1 yr after gifted to me. They weren't very heavily used and were charged before completely discharged. At a cost of $35 to $40 each, or ~$70 per year to maintane it in operation, I don't recommend it's purchase. - Battery Packs - Cordless Drill - Lithium-ion - M12'

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Very Comfortable

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This is a perfect wedding suit, why would you pay over $100 to rent when you can buy for under $40. And it is well made.

I really like how the pants have elastic in them, and the vest is a nice touch, the only thing I wish is that the tie was not a zipper tie, but you can't tell when it is on- Gino Giovanni Formal Boy Black Suit with Green Tie From Baby to Teen (10)

This boy's suit is good quality and great for the price. It is thinner than a tux, but for my son it worked out great as we used it for an outdoor wedding on a warm day. I think it measured slightly smaller than the sizes suggest but it fit my son perfectly. If you want something your child can wear several time you may want to bump up to a size 8. What I like most is that it comes with a full vest. When you order a tux for an 8 yr old the back is usually open and the vest just straps around the neck and waist. The white shirt that comes with tis tux is extremely thin which is why I gave a 4 rating. Then again for $40+, the price can not be beat and my son looked sharp.

Great suit for the price. Very happy with my purchase. It will need to be ironed or dry cleaned because it arrives folded in half. The tie is not as lime green as it appears in the picture but still looks great!

I purchased this suit for my son's first communion. This suit is made with lighter fabric which was perfect for the weather. He was comfortable and looked great! The suit runs slightly bigger for the age but it fit him well with minimal alteration. Best of all, great customer service! They shipped the purchase right away with request. Great value for the money!

Our little guy looks so great in this tux and he even likes the way he looks. Our wedding has been postponed until next Spring thats why we bought the larger size. It will be wonderful and he will look fantastic next to the flower girl. I will order again from this retailer when the need arises. Thank you so much.'

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Athletic Socks

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I've bought a variety of socks, below are my brief reviews:

Nike: (the ones here I bought here): Comfortable, good quality and fit right. Had them for a few months, still ok. These are my favorites right now because of the ankle size. The "no shows" are too low for me, the "ankle" ones are too high. These are perfect (for me).

Hanes: Fit right and were comfortable. I might like them as much as Nike, but I bought "ankle" socks. They are too high. The "no shows" are too low for me...I want something in between. My fault in being ignorant about what you need to buy.

Gold Toe: Have not bought in a while...could not find low cuts at a decent price. But when I was wearing crew socks I bought Gold Toe and loved them. They do get a little "rough" feeling with age (after many years) but hold up well.

Champion: Good at first, but got "rough" with age. Rougher than Gold Toe. Did not rip, but got uncomfortable. To be fair, they did last 2.5 years before they became uncomfortable.

Russell: Don't fit worth a darn. I bought extended size for my son, who has a size 13 shoe. They were too tight. I have a size 10.5 shoe, and they are too tight for me too. And they are extended size!!! They are big when you look at them, but they don't have any "stretch" material in them like normal socks. AVOID.

Does anyone know what the industry standard regarding sock length is??? Is it: No show --> Low cut --> Ankle --> Crew --> Over the calf?

Also, if anyone knows of a quality brand of extended (extra large) size socks (bigger than size 12 shoe) at a good price, let me know. I find quality stuff on sale for normal size shoes, but never the big and tall, at least so far. I want just plain old white athletic socks in low cut size. Don't want "variety packs" of different colors...makes laundry too much work. Nike Men's Performance Low Cut Socks 6 Pair - Shoe Size: 8-12 White'

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Composite Video - avermedia, pc vga to tv converter

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This is simply the best priced adapter of it's kind. I purchased the AVerMedia QuickPlay origionally for my notebook computer so I could play movies from my computer onto my television. It's uses are limitless as anything on your computer screen can appear on your television, such as movies, computer games, photos, presentations, and you can even use your TV as an extended monitor to do play these things on while having full use of your regular desktop at the same time!The adapter comes with component (Pr,Pb,Y) and S-Video hookups for your television (the Y of the component can be used for standard RCA Video-In on composit TV's.) There is a VGA passthrough cable to hook up your computer monitor as well. The whole adapter is powered through a usb cable (used for power only, you do not need to install any software,) which is perfect for mobile computing users. There's 3 levels of anti-flicker protection and three levels of adjustable contrast, as well as a button for shrinking or filling the frame of your TV and ones for positioning it. AVerMedia QuickPlay PC-to-TV Scan Converter

If your goal is to watch movies, it's OK toy. I've got it to watch Netflix instant movies. Can watch them on a laptop, but it's much more relaxing to watch movies on TV screen.What you need to know about this device - you would need to spend money on additional cables.

I connect the QuickPlay convertor to my laptop VGA port, the USB port connection will provide power supply.

My TV has both - component video and S-video. The guys at computer store told me, that component video works better.

So I decided to go with component video. So if you decide to do that, the cables you would need:

Component video cables (3 in one or three separate) - green, blue and red. They would need to have mail connectors on both sides of the cable, they will connect to Pr, Pb anf Y ports on your TV and on QuickPlay.

This is for video. Then you would need an audio cable to connect your laptop audio port(one connector) to two audio ports on your TV (White and Red - to connectors). Radio Shack has these cables, they can be 6ft or 12 ft. I've got 12 ft - can have your laptop on a distance from TV.

Now, when you connect all cables, you would need to adjust your laptop resolution to 1024 by 768. My 32" TV has almost same resolution. The screen of TV has a little different proportion, the horisontal dimension is a little larger. You will see little empty areas on the TV screen on both sides of the screen when picture transferred from laptop screen to TV screen, because TV screen is longer.

One more thing to know after all cables are connected and laptop and TV are on - first, switch your TV to "Component Video" mode (it's usually on your remote TV/Video button), second - switch your laptop to "presentation" or "external display" mode (in most of the laptops it's fn/F7 combination of keys).

Ok - now you will see the picture on TV. It took me a while to figure it out. I hope, this review will help you to do it faster.

The picture is fine, it's max 32" TV resolution anyway. The only thing - when it's a dark picture, it's kind of dark green color instead of dark grey. May be it's just my TV.

Enjoy. I was watching Netflix after that with no problem.

AVerMedia QuickPlay PC-to-TV Scan Converter

After messing around with two video cards from another Mfg (that I could not get to work, my Quick play arrived today and it is a Great little product. It's quality is better than expected and in combination with Avermedia's PCI 350 TV tuner, I have my own PVR at a fraction of PVR/TiVo prices.One word of caution, make sure your Display settings do not exceed the max. I made this mistake and took me a while to figure out why it was not working-Pilot error.

This device is super tiny, and I made it even tinier by surgically removing the "monitor thru" cable (which would never get used by myself), along with the non composite outputs, which lessened the bulk and of course voided my warranty. Well the unit I got was used, and it had a "crushed" brightness switch - a testament to its fragile nature, but I had one just like it on another scrapped device and replaced it easily (surface mount pushbutton). It is easy to use, requires no drivers and does not slow down the PC whatsoever. I just wish they would make it with a miniature TV transmitter in it! -(I may add that ability...)

Anyway the unit has good scan conversion for playing DIVX (how I tested it!) and since my laptop (toughbook) only supports 1024x768 it is ideal, but if your machine is "larger" then you need to be aware it will not support higher resolutions!

The unit gets a little warm when operating, I expect that is normal since there are "vent" holes/slits in the casing. And the casing itself is incredibly cheap made, it has no screws at all- simply presses together! I think if there was any other device like it I would have chosen a tougher unit, but there is not one presently. And if there was it would certainly cost more. I have yet to reinforce this casing by setting a bead of "goop outdoor adhesive" at the seams (from the inside) which will set to form a "frame" and hold the case together at the same time. (goop is non conductive and works great even on top of chips & it is somewhat thermal conductive, so if you do this on the chip, you may implant a strip of metal for a heat-pipe.) I will only do this in case the housing gives me problems, as I expect it should not harm the PCB when it does break off, then anything else is easy to fix...

The cables are long enough to put your PC on top of a TV and the USB and MONITOR "in" cable are the same length, the quickplay unit will dangle behind the set, but it works perfectly even if it is cheaply housed.

I rate it high because my $5000 laptop did not come with TV out. (thanks Panasonic! At least it is rainproof...) And there is no other scan converter that does not require a power supply. This one is simple as can be to use and hook up.

I recommend it, but I suggest being careful with it physically...

--- something that is hard for a Toughbook owner to do... - Pc Vga To Tv Converter - Avermedia - Composite Video - Pc To Tv Converter'

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Multivitamins - health, mens vitamins

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Even if you are not a senior, this is a great one tablet a day vitamin. If you review the list of ingredients, you will see it is amazing they put all that in one tablet. It has the highest amounts of each thing that I have found in a multivitamin. Most multivitamins give you a very low amount of each and then make you take more than one tablet just to get that minimum.

While I still supplement this tablet with other pills to strengthen my immune system, I highly recommend this one for anyone who only want to take one a day vitamins only. Don't take my word for it. Review the list of vitamins and minerals in this brand to other ones and you will see why I rate this one the BEST! Rainbow Light Just Once Active Senior SafeGuard Multivitamin Tablets 90 tablets

This is the best multivitamin I have found. It keeps me from having to take so many separate pills each day. For example, in addition to all the usual vitamins, it has biotin, choline, inositol, lutein... with vegetable juice extracts plus digestive enzymes and lactobacillus. Besides, I took it to my ortho-molecular medicine doctor and he let me keep it while he threw away most of my other supplements.

I order this for my mother in-law and for myself. To me, it is the best out in the market. I love this brand and the SafeGuard food based Multi for Active seniors.We feel well and active because of this.

My doctor recommended RainbowLight and after some research found that this product is more potent than most and you only have to take one per day. Many others require two or three or even more each day. Found the best price here on AMAZON. - Rainbow Light - Fitness - Mens Vitamins - Health'

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