Guy Low Price Electronic

Thursday, 9 September 2010

Name Badges

I was leery of purchasing another inexpensive name badge holder because I've received unusable product before. But these worked out great. Most importantly, they arrived FLAT, and 100% were usable. And they do come with the paper inserts. I couldn't tell that clearly from the description, so I ordered inserts separately. The extras came in handy, but these do include inserts in the package. I'll be buying these again for my next conference. Hanging Name Badge Kit

I got drafted to make the name tags for a small conference I was attending in LA. I stopped into Office Depot to buy them and nearly fell over when the price was about $65 for a box of 50! I went to Amazon.com, bought these for about $8, and got them in two days! LIfe is good! They were so cheap, I bought the elastic hanging style and the clip on style so the participants could choose which style they wanted! I was the name tag hero at the conference!!!

I was very disappointed with this product. A box of fifty badges came with 22 of the cords without steel tips on either one or both ends of the cord. The tips were broken and in the same cellophane package as the cords.

Amazon Verified Purchase

I read the reviews before I bought these and was a little hesitant because of the complaints about making the paper work in the printer. To solve that problem, I just made a table in Microsoft Word and printed it out to check the size. I had the size right within a couple of tries. I didn't think they were hard to use at all. I just printed it on regular card stock, instead of using the paper sheets that came with the product, and got 6 name tags per sheet. I would order these again, especially since you get a lot for your money.

Do not buy! If you don't care whether or not your names or graphics line up correctly with these tags then feel free to buy them. We are a print shop (25 years in business) which had a request from a customer to source these hanging name tags. The Avery product is very expensive, but at least you know what you're getting. Products of this sort are usually provided in 8.5" x 11" format for printing in either laser or inkjet. The fact that these came 4.25 x 11" was a bit surprising since there was no prior reference to it being other than standard. But we make our living solving problems others can't or don't want to. The problem with this product was that they appear to have been split away from the "other side" of their obvious perf'd mates. And they were not only broken from their other halves, but it looked like it had been done with a butter knife (very poorly, in other words.) As well, the perforations from sheet to sheet did not line up across bundles. This horrible alignment was off by almost 3/16". If you don't like rulers, that's a lot. This product is an embarrassment to paper producers, and retailers alike. I only needed 150 good tags, and bought 200, but even with a 33% surplus I'll be lucky if I can salvage the job. They're due tomorrow, so now I don't know what alternative I have. Sparco should be ashamed of selling this utterly useless product.

I had searched all over for some reasonable badges but all were expensive. I went to Amazon and found what I needed for way below half the price. This was so awesome to me. If, I ever need anything else, I will shop Amazon.

We needed something to identify Volunteers at a recent fundraiser.

The ideas that I heard were less than stellar, so I came to Amazon

to see how they could help. I always come to Amazon when I need something

good and they don't ever let me down. I found these at a great price, Prime

brought them to me in two days time, and they worked perfectly! lightweight

enough not to be annoying, well made enough to last the night, and be re-used.

RECOMMENDED

This was really a speedy delivery! Thanks! I want to make special name badges for a family reunion, and did my research on Amazon, after seeing the price of the kits in an office supply store. This set had some good and some poor reviews, but the price was right. The kit contains pre-perforated card stock for inserts, in strips of three 3 x 4" badges; elastic cords with metal tips on both ends; and the clear plastic holders. Most of the holders are sort of warped, but usable. So I am happy enough with my purchase. This kit is fine for one time use, but for name badges to be reused over a period of time, I recommend a sturdier holder..'

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Kindle Devices - ebook, e-reader

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Although this book provided an acceptably organized compilation of movie classics, I was bugged by the fact that reviews/thoughts included spoilers, or revelations of the movies' endings.

I purchased this book in order to discover movies I knew not of previously or had heard of and was interested in seeing. The occasional spoilers are given without warning and made me read with caution to those movies that I did not yet know the outcome of, which was quite tedious.

Overall, the reviews were convincing and thoughtful when not completely blatant, but do proceed with caution. 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die could be a great film guide. It is loaded with both well-known and obscure films, many of which I have sought out and enjoyed after reading about them in the book. I've really started to enjoy noir films because of this book's recommendations.

The fatal flaw in 1001 Movies is that they frequently give away the endings! For example, they often tell you when an important character dies at the end of the movie -- what is the point of that? Look for a different guide that doesn't spoil the endings.

As soon as I saw this book on the shelf I knew it was for my ever-expanding collection of cinema sources & the selection contained herein did not disappoint. Except maybe for the alarming number of errors I found. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN did not win best picture in 1976; as the next page testifies, ROCKY did. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW was not narrated by Dr. Everett Scott; it was narrated by The Narrator(Charles Gray). DANGEROUS LIAISONS did not win Best Picture in 1988; a few pages later it states,correctly,that RAINMAN did. In the piece on Charles Chaplin's brilliant MONSIEUR VERDOUX, the end result of his work & the sentiments expressed in his film made him the target of the political right which led to his permanent departure from the United States in 1952. He returned in 1971 & was presented with a lifetime achievement award at The Academy Awards.

The issue with this book isn't that there are factual errors or that its list of movies isn't what you would pick. The big problem with this book is that the writers frequently spoil the movie for the reader. The most blatant example I've found is the review of "Don't Look Now", where the third paragraph recounts what is probably the entire last five minutes of the film. The writer then has the audacity to add, "It is no exaggeration to say that few scenes in the history of cinema have proven as effective at sending chills up the spines of viewers as this one." Also, I recently watched "Oldboy" and followed it up by reading the review in this book. The second sentence of the first paragraph, if fresh in a person's mind, would definitely have given away an important plot development. I'm glad I didn't read it before watching the movie.

Please, do yourself a favor and don't buy this book. Or if you feel you still want to, watch the movie before reading the review.

With the amount of junk that Hollywood feeds us these days, you need a source to help you find the good stuff. This book helps in the search for quality. It simply and briefly lets you know why these films are worth seeing. I have found many films from years past that I would've never seen if I hadn't read about them here first. Just about every great film from the silent era to the present is in here. Hopefully, more people will start paying attention to the good films of the past. Once you start watching these films you'll notice just how bad most of the the current blockbuster studio releases are. If we keep paying to see bad movies, the studios will keep making them.

For the casual film fan this book provides an excellent overview of the cinema for the past century. In order to fit in the large number of mini reviews and commentaries for the selected entries the editors had to omit a good number of films that many would have deemed worthy of inclusion. The most egregious omissions were of silent films, of which only a relatively small number were included from the many years before the beginning of sound films. Film buffs may argue with some of the selections, but the inclusion of "small" and cult films alongside the well-known Academy Award winners is to be applauded. The editors, though, were often sloppy with the sidebar award section, giving a film credit for an Oscar win when only a nomination was received. There are several instances when at least two films from the same year were cited as winning the same Oscar. For those like myself who can recite year-by-year the Oscar award winners and nominees, the sidebar errors detracted from the scholarship of the work.

I think this is a great book and I really enjoy reading through it's pages, but that is not the main point of my review. I want to clear up what I see as a misconception of the book that I see in a lot of reviews. This is not the "1001 Greatest Movies Ever Made" or "1001 Most Important Movies Ever Made"; it's 1001 movies you should (must) see to get a very well rounded sense of movies and their history. Some movies in the book are included just because they are great, others because of their historical niche in movie makeing, some because they illustrate a certain style, and some for pure entertainment they give. Movies with different types of animation are included and well as a broad spectrum of foreign movies. Think of this book as a watch list for a very in depth cinema appreciation class. Some of these films may not be great, some may not even be entertaining, but all are important, or illustrate an important part of cinema history.

I've had this book for about a year now, and it has truly become my own personal bible. As other reviewers have pointed out, the book spans the past century's film history and includes movies from well-known Oscar-winners to more obscure, independent gems. One thing I love about this book is that it does a fine job at keeping the list neutral -- there aren't more American-made films than foreign ones; there aren't more recent films than older ones or vice versa; there aren't more popular films than relatively unknown ones; there aren't more comedies than horror films, dramas than sci-fis, etc.

The included short essays/reviews on each film are concise and informative for the most part, though I must say it bugs me that some of them give the ending or crucial plot details away. The photos are all gorgeous and make this book a nice one to keep on display on your coffee table.

At the beginning, the book states that one of its goals is to make passionate film lovers out of casual filmgoers, and for me, it accomplished that goal with flying colors. Over the past year, I have become an ardent movie buff and lover mostly from watching at least seventy-five of the excellent films included in the book -- I've yet to encounter one I haven't at least liked. As I said, this book has become my bible and it's never far from my reach -- practically every weekend I find a new movie to rent/buy and immensely enjoy. It'll definitely make a believer out of ya!

The editor also notes that although 1001 movies might seem like an exhaustive list, it quickly becomes apparent that it's really not big enough. There are so many great movies out there (way more than 1001, trust me), but this book serves as an excellent introduction (and then some) to the world of film. Highly recommended to those interested in seeing great movies. - Ebook - Kindle Devices - E-reader - Art'

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High Definition - high definition, 240hz

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Like everyone else interested in making the big screen purchase, I spent hours every night reading reviews, shopping around, comparing specs and prices, and trying to decide whether I should go lcd or plasma. Ultimately, I ended up just going to the local BB and seeing which one looked and felt right to me. I purchased this beautiful 55in plasma and I couldn't be happier about it. I've had it for over two weeks now and I don't have a single complaint. The picture is great and the sound is just fine for my living space(apartment). The 2D-3D conversion is alright but you should not expect much from any television's conversion. The 3D Blu-Ray is a different story - The Ultimate Wave Tahiti is AMAZING (I had to watch it twice because I didn't follow a word because I was so blown away by the picture) and Resident Evil Afterlife was fun to watch (the 3D at least).

I realized that all the hours I spent reading super detailed reviews was somewhat a waste of time because when it comes down to it, I don't really care about or even notice the subtle differences that so many people compare. I just wanted a solid tv with great picture at an affordable price and this was it.

The setup was beyond easy. The remote and on-screen menus are very user-friendly.

The widgets all work just fine. Watching youtube videos on a 55in can be entertaining.

My roommate and I are traveling surfers and licensed skydivers so we have plenty of GoPro HD videos that we watch on this tv using the SD card slot(we also watch them through the youtube widget)and they look phenomenal.

BOTTOM LINE: If you want a solid big screen with great picture at the right price then this is it. Highly recommend. If you have any questions then just leave a comment. Panasonic VIERA TC-P55ST30 55-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV

Let me start off by saying I am a pretty critical viewer. In the last month I have demoed, previewed and tested the following models almost to the point where my wife was thinking I was a little crazy.

1. pn50c7000 - Black levels were not anywhere close to what I would expect for a current Plasma but very clean image with accurate colors. This TV buzzed quite a bit as well

2. p50gt25 - This TV buzzed, had great black levels which apparently rise over the life of the panel. Good colors but had a ton of noise in any HD format that was compressed such as cable or satellite. The noise filter on this set to me, appeared to be inferior to the Samsung.

I had ordered the pn51d7000 (2011 model) thinking it would have great black levels and the clear picture only to find that it's black levels are being measured higher than last years pn50c7000.

So, needless to say, I was getting very frustrated. I could not find a set that met my needs. I recently acquired the p55st30 and the minute I turned it on I was amazed. The image noise was completely gone, the black levels were deep and revealing, it did not buzz and had great color saturation and had the POP you would normally associate with an HD signal.

My wife who is just a normal TV watcher commented about the clarity of this panel. "It is almost like looking through a window," "It is like the actor is here in the room with us"

I also game a lot and I have not noticed ANY image retention whatsoever, smooth motion, 0 lag. The other two models I tested above had obvious bouts with image retention which is to be expected on a new plasma. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the st30 handled that.

The internet features work great (not something I would be using a lot) So far I have not found one thing to not like about this TV. The image quality is vastly superior to the other two TVs I returned. I don't see how anyone could go wrong with the st30. I am extremely picky about image quality and this TV has surpassed my expectations. GO GET THIS TV. The fact I have taken the time to write this review goes a long way to show how impressed I am with the st30.

I also wanted to thank Amazon for being so understanding though my ordering and return process. They are THE BEST ONLINE retailer I have ever worked with. After selling and ordering thousands of dollars of items via Amazon, and not having a single complaint, it goes without saying how great Amazon is a a company.

As with most guys buying a new expensive electronic toy I did weeks worth of research on TV's. My previous TV was a 2007 Samsung plasma (720p) and I really loved it for the time that I had it but I was intrigued by the new LED line of TV's. Before doing research I thought that this was the future and that plasmas were going to be phased out but I soon found out this is not the case. In fact LED TV's are no more than LCD TV's with LED backlighting while true LED's (OLED) being thousands of dollars for 42" models and scarce availability.

Regardless I went out and bought what I felt was a bargain, a 60" Sharp Aquos Quattron 60LE832U from BJ's for $1,799. It was thin, had wireless connectivity built in, 60", and cheap for what you got. The picture was good but I soon noticed a lot of artifacts in the picture. The color from the factory was overly bright and oversaturated. I am usually one who likes a slightly less realistic picture in favor of slightly more saturated and vivid images too but this was over the top. No matter what I could not get the picture quality right and there were definitely motion issues even with the claimed 240Hz aquamotion. Turns out it isn't truly 240Hz and it suffers from the same motion issues that all LCD's are plagued with. Frustrated I looked over to the plasma side but was apprehensive because in the store plasmas always look horrible. Their pictures are dull and over-brightened to where the blacks look gray and they are always next to shiny LED/LCD's that look so good. I had enough in my account to grab a second TV thankfully to see what it looked like next to the Sharp and figured I would take back the one that looked worse. In this case I was losing 5" in picture and was worried that the ambient light in my living room would drown out the plasma picture because this had always been a problem with plasma.

The second I hooked up this TV I was blown away! The color even out of the box was breathtaking and the blacks were spot on. There was a golf tournament on and I felt like I was there looking through a window. The Sharp had good resolution but it felt fake since the picture was so bright (even when turned down) and the motion unrealistic. I immediately packed up the Sharp and took it back. I am telling you if you are thinking of LED/LCD don't do it, plasma is where it's at and you cannot beat the picture on this TV for the price, it is unbelievable!!! LED/LCD just hasn't been perfected enough which is why there are so many different types such as edge-lit, full array, etc.

I do want to mention for those of you looking to get this TV that I highly recommend you break the TV in for the first 100 hours by not displaying any static images such as logos or game HUD's. I also recommend running the slides that can be found here:[...] for the first 100 hours of the TV to age the phosphors in the TV evenly. The best way to do this is to put these slides on an SD card and run them through media player making sure to run the slideshow on loop mode and continuously. This allows each pixel to age at the exact same rate so that after the 100 hours each pixel has the same color saturation. Early on phosphors are soft and get hotter than normal, making them more susceptible to burn in and image retention but as they age they harden and their colors become more normalized. After this time burn in is less of an issue and your TV will calibrate much better as each pixel has a normalized color to the one next to it. The best settings for the TV can be found here: [...]Issues-Thread but must not be used until AFTER the 100 hour break in time! Remember not to use vivid mode for the first 100 hours either as this can increase chance of image retention although on newer TV's it isn't as much of an issue anymore.

Now on to the actual review:

Pros:

1) Picture quality - Absolutely stunning, the picture is as realistic as it comes with good saturation and the brightness is perfect. I have put this TV next to everything out there include the GT30 and VT30 and there is absolutely no different from what my eyes can see. All you get is THX mode and 1 HDMI and USB port on the other models and anyone who tells you the PQ is better on those is just being overly critical and properly a complete calibration nut because I just can't see it nor can most people.

2) Black levels - Any deeper of a black and it would look fake, even when the brightness is turned up they stay completely black, it isn't not a stupid balancing act like it is with LED/LCD where you have to tradeoff black levels for other things like brightness.

3) Internet apps/connectivity/networking - Comes with a wireless dongle to allow connection to your network and it is much more useful than I thought. DLNA works 1000x better than the Sharp which was clunky, slow, and didn't play all media types. The ST30 even previews your video files on your network as you are scrolling through them, it is a very cool feature and is very responsive. The apps are great too with pretty much everything you would be looking for such as Pandora and Youtube.

4) Price - As I mentioned before you cannot beat this PQ for the price. $1499 at most places and it can even be found a tad cheaper. The Vizio 4SV 55" model is almost $2000 and is large, ugly, and has a myriad of problems such as randomly turning off. This is a documented problem that you can search for and Vizio is apprehensive to fix it for anyone.

5) 3D - I'll admit I wasn't really big on this and the Sharp I bought didn't even have it because I could care less about it but this one did (and was cheaper, go figure). I am really glad now that it does have it as the 3D is simply breathtaking and there is little to no crosstalk at all! All the other makers (except maybe Sony) had a lot of crosstalk, especially Samsung. The Sony I viewed had great 3D but it was also running on a demo in the store hooked to a bluray which is a bit deceiving compared to watching it on DirecTV or something. Also be aware that Vizio TV's are not listed (right now) as a supported 3DTV with DirecTV!

Cons:

1) Only con I can think of is that the 60" model is almost $600 more, which is a bit ridiculous. I was hoping it was more like $300 more as I probably would have jumped on it if so.

2) Nothing else, this TV absolutely rocks!

Bottom line:

If you are on the fence with which TV to get or you are debating plasma vs. LED/LCD please take this review seriously and try the plasma, I am almost going to guarantee that for this price that you are going to like it more. The new Samsung 55" LED/LCD is $2650, while this amazing 2011 plasma is $1499, no need to spend $1200 more! - 240hz - High Definition - 3d - Deal'

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Mp3 Player - cd, mp3

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With the ability to play mp3-cd, usb flash drives, and SD cards, you can't expect to pay any less for this unit being at only about $40. Anything cheaper and your looking at tiny radios that can't put out any volume and have very limited features.

Pros:

-several inputs provide plenty of options

-radio reception is phenomenal, tons of stations and alot of them come in crystal clear

-button layout is simple and easy to use

-very portable, only about 14" long x 6" high x 8" deep and maybe 4-5 lbs without batteries

-lcd screen lights up with a nice blue display

-has an AUX-in for whatever that can be used for

Cons:

-battery compartment is a bit tight so its a bit of a pain in the butt getting batteries in and out if you do this frequently

-metal screen that covers speakers sticks out a bit to much and makes it too easy to dent the screen if the unit is hit

-the 2 slider buttons that switch the unit between cd/radio/usb etc and Am/FM/stereo are kinda cheap and its best to try and minimize the number of times you handle these buttons. The buttons work ok but they definately have a cheap feel to them.

-bass is a joke

-only moderately loud and only the "jazz" and maybe the "normal" presets provide decent sound and minimal distortion on maximum volume

-radio tuning is analog (which many people prefer digital)

-the +10

I wrote more more cons then pros but I think alot of the cons are just being picky and also alot of them are easy to live with. If less then maybe $60 and considering the features it has I would probably purchase this unit again. NAXA NX-250 Portable AM FM Radio USB Port MP3 CD Player Boombox Stereo

I was looking for a radio/cd player with a USB port for use in an office setting. I originally purchased a COBY MP-CD471, but had to return the unit due to a loud humming noise the unit makes when earphones are used. The NAXA unit was my second choice, and I really wish I had purchased it before the COBY item. Thus far, it has met my expectations in every way. It has USB capabilities, the radio unit works even in an office building where reception is normally poor, and the CD unit is adequate. The speakers are average, but for my purposes, they are acceptable as I am typically using earphones. If there were one improvement I would make, it would be a digital tuner for the radio rather than the old-fashioned `wheel.' Other than that, I am generally happy with the NAXA unit (for my limited purposes).

First Impressions:

What I like:

* Solid Feel

* Lots of features - Aux in, USB Memory Key/SD/MMC slots, CD - MP3 player, Headphone out Jack, can use battery power.

What I wish it had, could have etc:

* More than a 90 day warranty

* A remote would be super (but, let's be reasonable, it's a low cost box)

* Better controls to allow a bit more bass, the EQ doesn't really allow much of a change in sound.

* A better Manual (With descriptions on how it sorts/prioritizes MP3 Playlist).

* More power (they seem to have trimmed the Volume a bit, probably a good idea in order to not blow out the speakers)

What I don't like:

* Not enough BASS

* The $15+ shipping charge

I originally bought a low end Sony (CFD-S01CD), while it did have the cassette player and had better sound, it didn't have near the capabilities of the NAXA NX-250. Of course, the NAXA is a new name and therefore its quality (to me) is unknown as I have no personal experience with the brand. If it lasts and can hold up under the rigors of camping and light use at home, I'll be satisfied.

I compared this with 2 other boomboxes in my store. All are near the $50 (w/shipping) price range. Out of the Sony ZSE5 series (the white and colored boomboxes) The NAXA NX-250 (used to cost forty sixdollars after shipping) and the Cornet BH-426 I found the following.

The NAXA NX-250 sounds the best, somewhat decent bass, though don't expect great bass for less than a hundred bucks

Second in order of performance was the Cornet, with a tinnier sound and less bass than the NAXA. It does look the nicest by far out of the three.

The Sony had by FAR the worst sound. Way worse than the Cornet. No bass, just totally flat mid range.

The radio was hardest to pick up FM on the sony as well. If you can afford it, and Amazon drops the price back to ninety two dollars, the sony CFDG505 CFDG505BLACK DOES sound about 10 times better than even the NAXA NX-250, proving that if sony's low end boombox is j-u-n-k at lest their mid range box is spectacular.

addendum: this from an email I received from NAXA "...the NX-250 and the NPB-250 are the same unit. The NPB-250 is this year's model and the NX-250 is the facsimile predecessor."

I was doing an extensive search to find a resonably priced CD/MP3 player with a USB port and most importantly headphones. This one has them all, plus radio and memory card slot. I'm extremely happy with the purchase--it is very easy for my kids to handle the unit without any help. The unit offers enough volume to listen to book on CDs and decent effect for music(do not expect the effects of high-end boom box player). NAXA NX-250 packs more than enough goodies at this price-point for my purposes. Highly recommended.

Like other reviewers--I don't like the steep shipping and handling cost.

I bought this about a year and a half ago after almost 8hr daily use at work and it is still going strong. Works with 8GB USB flash drives and regular SD cards. I record my favorite radio shows at home using streamripper and play them back at work using the USB drive.

I bought it to listen to recorded books as mp3 files on a CD. Many books have 200 or more tracks/files. I learned that every power-off situation requires restart at the beginning, and that hold/pause is unusable for this purpose because (1) it often fails and does power-off, and if not (2) it rapidly depletes the batteries. There just is no track memory and reposition. I would select a track number to start at, but there's no such feature. The "skip 10" works but is clumsy for this. Maybe I should have anticipated this, but little technical info was provided before purchase, and my planned use is probably not common.

The extra high price of shipping and handling deters any return.

I've not used the radio feature. - Portable - Mp3 - Cd - Cd Player'

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Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma - panasonic 50 inch plasma

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With SONY and JVC no longer manufacturing their phenomenal high-end CRT HDTVs, and Pioneer out of the Plasma business, the pursuit of picture quality is not as simple as it once was. Rest assured, however, that there are still a handful of manufacturers (i.e. Panasonic, Samsung, LG, ...) still investing in Plasma technology, because LCD is a giant leap backwards in terms of picture quality. When Pioneer - the previous undisputed leader in picture quality - left the industry, they sold their Plasma technology to Panasonic. While the amount of Pioneer technology (if any) present in Panasonic's current line-up is a matter of debate, most critics will agree that Panasonic currently holds the crown for picture quality.

Viera Size Segmentation (VT30 vs. GT30 vs. ST30)

------------------------------------------------

I was in the market for a VT30 this year... however, in the United States, Panasonic's size options are quite restrictive. In Europe, all lines of plasma from the X up to VT are available in 42", which is the perfect size for me.

In the United States, each of the 3D model lines has a different starting size:

VT30: 55" - 65" (Industry leading black level, less buzzing, better speakers, 96 Hz mode for 24p, ISF calibration, ...)

GT30: 50" - 65" (Better black level, +1 HDMI port and VGA input, THX certified)

ST30: 42" - 65" (Entry-level 3D TV)

S30: 42" - 60" (1080p 2D plasma, worse motion clarity than ST30 and no 3D support)

X3: 42" - 50" (720p 2D plasma)

Unfortunately, I can barely fit a 50" TV where I have my GT30. I made the conscious choice of buying a TV slightly larger than I would have liked, because the GT30 buys you THX mode (which does a _really_ good job with skintones), an extra HDMI port, and a slightly lower black level than the ST30.

Picture Quality

---------------

Getting back to picture quality, I have a SONY Super Fine Pitch FD Trinitron (CRT) set in my bedroom that I use as a benchmark for image quality.

The GT30 does not have the pure black level or white performance of the CRT (or even many local dimming LCDs). However, color accuracy and black gradiation (i.e. being able to see fine details in shadowed scenes) are actually better than my calibrated CRT.

Unenhanced motion clarity is indistinguishable between the two sets, and the GT30 earns a lot in this respect when it comes to displaying 24 fps material (48 Hz mode causes flickering, but even with simple 3:2 pull-down, the TV displays 24p video well).

Panasonic has added a more advanced Motion Smoother this year, with two levels - it creates artificial motion enhancement similar to LCD 120/240 Hz, and therefore has limited appeal.

Physical Appearance

-------------------

Typically I do not care about the physical appearance of a television (which is why I still prefer high-end CRTs to flat panels), but the design of this TV is definitely worth mentioning... compared to last year's GT25 model, this TV is lightyears ahead.

The bezel has been shrunken on all sides of the panel, and the depth is equally impressive. Were it not for the speakers, and clunky stand, this TV would be about an inch deep. As a result, the television requires "break out" cables to attach analog audio/video devices, and the total number of analog inputs has been reduced to 3 (Component, Composite and VGA D-Sub). This does not bother me at all, since the only analog device I have connected to any of my TVs is a Nintendo Wii. The extra HDMI port more than makes up for it.

I would also like to give kudos to Panasonic for putting the power button on the FRONT of the TV this year (it was on the side last year).

Long-term Value (Viera Connect)

-------------------------------

Viera Connect is a promising new feature for 2011, that is essentially an evolution of Viera Cast.

Consumers can look forward to a growing software base in the future (as Software Engineers like myself develop software for the new open platform). The beauty of this new platform is that it operates independantly of official firmware release schedules. This is important, because firmware updates for aging products are few and far between - 2010 and older Viera models will likely NEVER receive support for Hulu, etc...

With this TV, two or three years from now, consumers can still download new or updated Viera Connect applications from the Viera Connect marketplace. Another thing I found nice about Viera Connect's marketplace, is that you can buy TV accessories (such as 3D glasses, SD cards, etc...) directly from software built-in to the TV, and rest assured that the product is compatible with your particular model.

Sound

-----

Sound quality leaves room for improvement. This being the second-to-highest model from Panasonic, lacks the sub-woofer and higher quality speakers found on the VT line.

Adding insult to injury, US Viera televisions do not have analog audio out, so to improve the audio quality you must connect them to an A/V receiver (which also draws a lot of power) that supports optical S/PDIF.

In future years, I hope that Panasonic will consider improving the sound quality on the GT line.

Power Consumption

-----------------

Power consumption is good, but definitely not great. This is the only performance measurement that local dimming LED backlight LCDs come out on top in. That said, Panasonic has redesigned the construction of their panels this year, to improve phosphor response time (reduces 3D cross-talk), and improve luminous efficiency. Remember that this TV uses tinted 3D glasses, which darkens the picture... so brightness is important in 3D.

As a result, brightness is up, and power consumption is down vs. last year's model. Unfortunately, one consequence of the new design is "fluctuating brightness," which occurs when the TV transitions from a bright scene to a dark scene - in extreme cases, it can take the TV multiple frames to recognize the change in brightness and adjust its image processing. This was irritating at first, but I hardly notice it anymore.

Plasma Buzz

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On a final note, I have noticed a lot of people complaining about plasma buzz. I feel obligated to point out that the buzz is especially bad within the first 100-200 hours of operation, and decreases somewhat over time.

There are a number of factors that play into the buzzing, including altitude, viewing distance and picture settings. Granted operating altitude is not easy to change, but the buzzing can be reduced by sitting farther from the TV set, and dialing down the contrast setting (buzzing is directly related to how bright an image is).

A lot of people have TVs too large for their viewing distance and have contrast set way too high, and only ever realize it when plasma buzzing or dithering becomes a nusiance.

Pros and Cons

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-----

Pros:

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Plasma image quality

* Pure black level is not as good as CRT or local dimming LCD, but...

images with light and dark areas really shine

--> No blooming between nearby light and dark areas (LCD)

--> No image geometry warping related to brightness (CRT)

* Excellent motion clarity without artificial techniques like 120/240 Hz

THX mode

* Accurate skintones

* Almost no picture setting tweaks required to get exceptionally good image quality

Consistent black level

* Panasonic claims that the black level will not rise after 1000+ hours of operation with 2011 models, due to manufacturing changes.

Power consumption vs. Screen brightness SIGNIFICANTLY improved over 2010 models

* In fact, it is so good that the 50" GT30 actually qualifies for Energy Star 4.0

Viera Connect

* New in 2011, free/paid applications can be downloaded through the TV and the selection of applications will grow over time.

-----

Cons:

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Viera model lines segmented by size in the US

* Could mean buying a TV that is too large

Average speaker quality on ST30/GT30

* US Viera models do not have analog audio out

--> Requires a dedicated power-hungry A/V receiver to improve on TV's speakers...

Power consumption

* Improved in 2011, but still nowhere near local dimming LCD performance

Fluctuating brightness

* Movie enthusiasts may find the delay in bright image processing frustrating...

--> I have found the issue has almost no negative impact on gaming performance, or general TV viewing.

Netflix Performance

* Given the state of the Netflix app on Viera Connect as of June 2011, audio noticably stutters...

--> Mitigated by the fact that Viera Connect will allow users to download an updated version of the

Netflix app whenever the bug is fixed.

Calibration

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For those who are interested, I have had my GT30 professionally calibrated in THX mode.

If you do not want to shell out $300+ to schedule a calibration on your set, but still want the best picture quality possible, the most important thing you can do is dial the color setting down to around 45. The default THX settings over saturate colors, and if you become used to the over saturated colors, you will never appreciate the advantages of a properly calibrated THX mode. Also, do not use C.A.T.S.! If you have a viewing environment that has varying levels of external light, you would be much better off maintaining two sets of picture settings. In my case, between night and day, all I need to do is adjust my contrast from 60 to 45. C.A.T.S. can detect differences in brightness, but it messes with more than just the white level.

You may be tempted to set the Black Level setting in "Advanced picture" properties to dark because it looks more natural, but this causes black crushing (loss of detail in dark video). Try to learn to live with lighter blacks (this can be especially difficult if you are used to high-end CRTs) and you will begin to appreciate the amazing black performance of Plasma technology. Panasonic VIERA TC-P50GT30 50-Inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV - Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma'

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Childrens Costumes - astronaut, space toy

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Although these gloves look cool they are way too big for my 4 year old. These are adult sized & not very functional fir a child. Of course my kid still wears them, but his hands can't function while wearing. If I had known how big they were we wouldn't have purchased. Aeromax Astronaut Gloves-size Medium

My almost 4-year-old loves not only the astronaut gloves, but the whole get-up. He even took them for show and share at his Montessori school. He has declared his future carreer path of "astronaut-doctor," so we are just promoting the dream. Reaching for the stars! - Astronaut - Astronaut Helmet - Halloween Costumes - Space Toy'

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Candle Lighter - blazer, torch

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These are tough and finger-safe! I had one last 2 years with heavy heavy usage! It's appreciated that fingers are nowhere near flames on this, unlike many other inferior products I've tried which get too hot to hold after a while or they just break.

The built-in stand is a must-have to keep furniture and house-hold safe while it's locked-on in use.

The easy bottom click is quiet and nearly effortless.

HINT: Just bounce the entire torch's bottom off the table-top and instantly it's lit up. That way you don't have to move your hand off the flame adjustment controls and on/off switch.

The flame control is stable and if gas refills are good quality gas (no $.99 cheapies!) and the device is properly bled beforehand (let it run all the way out first!!!) you will not have "bouncing flame" problems!

I'm buying my second one now and can't wait to receive it! Blazer PT-4000 Pencil Butane Torch

The PT4000 is an excellent tool that can be used for many uses beyond its soldering iron intentions. Although the flame is not optimal when upside down, this little gadget is worth it's weight in gold. There needs to be a standard lighter option on this in case one doesn't need the intensity of the torch flame. Other than that... haven't found much better around.

This is an excellant lighter or focused mini-blowtorch for light soldering or welding, lighting candles, fireplace fires, charcoal fires etc, paricularly if windy. The focused mini-blowtorch ignights by pressing an ignighting button and stays on until turned off so it should be kept out of reach of children who might turn it on and drop it and start a fire or they could burn themselves. I love it.

First of all, I can't believe they still make this. Second of all, I'm glad they still make this. I bought mine in college, 16 years ago. It's been used in camping trips to start fires it's been dropped off the dock into a lake and it still keeps working. Lately it's had a slow butane leak, but I can't think of much else that has taken that much abuse for that long and kept working. I'm here to buy another.

Lights easy and burns great. The only complaint is that the flame blows out VERY easy, an A/C unit or very light breeze etc.will blow the flame out. If the shroud were even 1/16-1/8" deeper it would be perfect. I use outdoors as a pyrotechnic shooter and this is a very important feature. I have added a metal sleeve to increase the shroud depth and it now works just fine.

Please see the BUT below!

Original review: {This is a sweet little pencil torch. It gets hotter and lasts longer than any other teeny torch (I've tried) that will fit in my pocket. :) I mean, it is not the torch of choice if you mean business but it is great for a PENCIL torch! I am going to make a new course up just for this torch. Silversmithing on the run!

I like it.}

BUT - after using it for a little while it clogged and would not accept butane. It seems it is supposed to use ONLY Blazer brand butane because the other brands (like Ronson and Zippo) are dirty and cause this clogging. It is apparently a very common problem and not fixable. - - - There is no mention of this in the description for the torch. Who knew???

This blazer is an excellent tool for soldering or small brazing projects. Where I find it really shines is as a Cigar Lighter! It's easy to use, flame is controllable, has a large tank, fits in your "finger case" or other easily and can't be beat for "toasting" the foot prior to lighting. It's become my favorite amoungst a number of 2 and 3 torch units. - Mini Torch - Torch - Blazer - Lighter'

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