Macbook Pro Cover - macbook pro, clear

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I got this case because it was cheap. It's a nice case. Snaps into place, just like it should. BUT, it was obviously designed for the old Macbook powercords. The new macbook pro that I got (May 2010) has a different style of power cord where instead of the cord coming straight out of the plug, it is perpendicular. The plastic case was obviously designed for the old laptop cord, because now, it is really sensitive when you use plug the cord in one of two ways. It's kind of hard to describe. It's a slight annoyance, but still an annoyance. iPearl mCover Hard Shell Case for 13" A1278 MacBook Pro (Crystal Clear)

after seeing that this shell had "feet" (something that the speck cases that these are copies of, lack) i was sold. Sadly, i learned the hard way... you get what you pay for.



a few of the downfalls of this case:

- one of the feet on the bottom has already broken after only a week of use.

- the top of the shell has lines where the plastic was molded together, making it look extremely cheap.

- the thickness added to the laptop is just too much. (but thats personal opinion)

- the front edge is sharp... my wrists are raw from resting on the laptop while typing.

- it "clamps" onto the lid and bottom of the laptop... these little plastic holders have started to scratch my beautiful macbook pro.

- the magsafe connecter hole had little shreds of plastic that i had to cut off with an exacto knife just to get the connector to fit.



all in all, its not worth it. the ONLY thing this cover has going for it is the price. if you care at all about your mbp, get a real case. leave this cheap import stuff alone.

I bought this case rather than the Speck, which looks much nicer and appears to be better made, because it's noticeably lighter weight. The MacBook is already heavier than the PC it replaced, and this is a factor for me when lifting a full travel case into the overhead bin. So this mCover case is an acceptable alternative. It's a little tacky but protects the exterior adequately and was less expensive. As others mentioned, the shell has to be cut away (with a razor blade or exacto knife) in order for the power cord to seat firmly. I like the feet on the bottom that raise the angle of the keyboard, but be very gentle with them, as they can stick, and I can see that they could break pretty easily if forced.

The case is very sturdy and made of a thick plastic, perfect for protecting my macbook from scratches. It took about 20 second to snap onto the macbook, and fits like a glove. the case has openings for all of the usb and plug ports, and the dvd slot. Also, the bottom of the case is vented so it helps prevent too much heat build up. I dont think many cases have this feature. this is a must have for any macbook user, esp if you are constantly moving your laptop around to different places.

This cover is great except that with the new ac adapter, it only fits one way. (toward the computer rather than away from it, therefore partially blocking the ethernet port. Other than that, it is a very nice case. It's great that the top cover is all one piece without a cut-out for the apple logo. I feel that it is durable and will protect my computer from scratches. A keyboard cover is included.

I loved the case! It was the perfect size and the perfect clarity! It fit great and is a wonderful protector. I also love the fact that there are little "lifters" to elevate my mac at an angle which is sweeet!!! Also the company was wonderfully And shipped my products super fast! If I ever need another accessory I will check these guys out first!!! Loved loved loved it highly reccomend

I really like the shell that I received for my laptop. It was very easy to put together and snapped right into place. It did not add any weight to my laptop and the shell stays in place. My mind is at ease now that I know my laptop is protected. I would definitely buy another shell in a different color.

The case fits my Macbook Pro 13 perfectly with accessibility to all peripherals connections. Easy to snap on and taking it off takes some care and knowing where the notches are located. THIS CASE DOES NOT OPEN TO FULL RANGE of the MB Pro design. The bottom edge of the the screen hits the back corners of the laptop making it impossible to open fully. Still gives a normal viewable angle, but if you put it on your lap you will not get a good optimum viewing angle.



The flip out feet is a good idea but it tend to slip on a smooth desk. The bottom front feet/risers are stuck on with foam padding, it's only good on some surfaces and not durable.



I have to put more money on a different case, cause this one is unsatisfactory.

Wish I would have bought this product a long time ago to protect my computer. I tend to terrorize my tech product and this case protects while aesthetically preserving my lap top. The product does tend to get even hotter than without the case so make sure you power it down not leave it in sleep mode when carrying with you. Dust/Dirt does get trapped under the case but doesn't scratch the computer which is a major plus compared to other cases. Overall very pleased especially considering the price. - Macbook Case - Macbook Cover - Clear - Macbook Pro'

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Dual Action - logitech, usb controller

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I was looking to grab a second controller for my computer, as I had just ordered my dream laptop. I'm a pretty big fan of Logitech's gamepads, so I looked into that before anything else.



I have a Dual Action from them at the moment, and I really enjoy it, the only problem being that the analogs are surrounded by a square instead of a circular shape, making going completely straight take a bit more effort. I saw the F310, and noticed it was essentially the same, with circular surroundings for the analogs. So, I decided to take it for a spin.



I received the product, and ripped open the box, and after noticing the switch on the back (I'd forgotten about 'game' modes while waiting on the product to ship), I read through the directions. I apparently, it seems to be that 'Xinput' mode is useless on XP. In fact, the controller is essentially not recognized in Xinput mode at all. Took me about an hour to actually realize that was the problem, and thought it was just a faulty driver issue.



After that however, I tried out a few games I've got on my computer, seeing as I'm waiting on the laptop, and: It works great.



It's extremely responsive aside from 2 buttons. I've had no issues doing combos or whatnot in any of the fighting games I regularly play. My only gripe is that the L2/R2 Buttons are actually triggers. Well, not that they are triggers, but rather, triggers that require a bit more effort to push. Other than that, it's a great product, with a good, simple design, a nice, responsive d-pad and face buttons, but a little bit more info should be put into that instruction manual about Xinput/Direct Input Modes.



Overall, a great buy, and I really suggest reading this before purchasing just so you aren't wasting time trying to get it to work. Logitech Gamepad F310 with Customizable Buttons

Since I had two Best Buy gift cards that I needed to use, I naturally decided to buy my controller at Best Buy. I actually wanted a Logitech F510. But here's a fun fact: the only two PC gamepads Best Buy has available are this one and the XBox 360 controller, both at the store and on their website (which, by the way, has a terrible search engine)! So, I decided to just deal with the lack of rumble a rumble feature and buy this one. After all, I had to get rid of those damn gift cards!



The controller is essentially a Logitech Dual Action controller (the one shown on Logitech's website, not this piece of crap), but with the main difference being the possibility of switching to XInput, i.e. be used as an XBox 360 controller, in addition to DirectInput. This also means that the second set of shoulder buttons have been changed to analog triggers and an extra "Logitech" button is added to the center, which acts as the button in the center of the XBox controller.



Let's start from the ground up. First of all, the "floating" D-pad is fantastic, and that alone makes the controller great. It might take some time to get used to, and it's harder to quickly press the exact opposite direction than on a "normal" D-pad, but it is great because it tends to "click" slightly, making it almost impossible to accidentally press a diagonal, something which I always found to be annoying. If you were to take the controller apart (I have done so with my broken Dual Action, which has the same D-pad), you would see that it is essentially just a traditional D-pad which is raised and separated from the switches with plastic tubes, which I gotta say is an ingenious design.



The buttons are also perfect, making an obvious, but not distracting "click" when pressed. I am not kidding when I say they put old Nintendo controllers breaking down from years of use to shame.



The one gripe I have with the buttons is the shoulder triggers, which are quite stiff, enough so that they are distracting and uncomfortable. This may seem like a minor thing, but it's not; it's impractical to hold the button for more than 20 seconds, which is a huge problem for racing games where you need to hold the button constantly. If analog triggers are important to you, do not get this controller. Get an XBox 360 controller instead.



And lastly there's the control sticks. Unlike the Dual Action, this controller has circular moldings surrounding the sticks, thank god, because that square shape was horrendous. The sticks themselves work perfectly, easily putting the DualShok 3's stick to shame. There is very little natural deadzone present, and even after extensive use they only require a small deadzone (about 2-3%, which is small enough that it is often ignored anyway). The buttons beneath the sticks work perfectly as well.



Logitech's "gaming software" is completely useless. It basically allows you to make a button press emulate either another button press or a key press. At least, that's the theory. In reality, it is difficult to use and I have found that it never works. Besides this, it seems to have absolutely no support for emulating mouse movement or buttons. I suggest skipping out on Logitech's software and going with JoyToKey (or Joy2Key if you're on Linux), which is easy to use and actually works, and very well at that.



Here's a breakdown:



Pros:

+ Excellent quality buttons, d-pad, and analog sticks.

+ Familiar Playstation-like button layout.

+ Can behave like an XBox 360 controller.

+ X-Input/DirectInput switch allows better compatibility with games and joystick drivers.

+ The MODE button, which flip-flops the d-pad and left analog stick, can help with games that have no d-pad support.



Cons:

- Slightly odd shape which almost makes your fingers feel caged.

- Analog triggers are incredibly stiff, rendering them nearly useless.

- It's corded, so if you don't like cords, this is not for you. :)



Overall, while the Dualshock 3 is better than this, and the XBox 360 controller may be the best for 3D games that don't need a d-pad, this controller is perfect for retro-gaming (16-bit era and prior) due to its excellent D-pad and quality buttons. Its nearly-perfect analog sticks also make this controller great for many 3D games; in particular, any N64 game you can name, and probably a good chunk of Gamecube games as well (Shadow the Hedgehog comes to mind). I recommend this controller if you're a classic gamer and don't have a Dualshock 3 or Wii Classic Controller (or don't want to take the time to connect them to your PC), as it is fairly inexpensive. As for its sister controllers, the F510 and F710, no. You're much better off with an XBox 360 controller, since any game that would benefit from the rumble feature probably doesn't extensively use the d-pad anyway. - Usb Controller - Controller - Logitech - Pc Gamepad'

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Ipod Accessories - ipod clock radio, volume

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Whats to say, it's average, which I'm surprised it's not better being made by Sony, however, it does what it's designed to do. It's decent sound for an alarm clock. That's basically what it is, an alarm AM/FM Tuner that happens to have an Ipod dock. without the Ipod dock it's worth I'd say about 10.00 bucks. Compared to others though it was definatley reasonably priced. Sony ICF-C05iP Clock Radio for iPod (Black)

When I went to the different stores I was looking for a small, minimal space occupying alarm clock that I can put by my bedside that would charge my iPhone, an adjustable buzzer volume that would wake me up with the buzzer, and not illuminate my whole room. If you're looking for that, then this is the product you need. In my shopping in stores I found them all to be too large, or the clock too bright, or the buzzer wasn't loud enough and didn't give you the option to adjust the volume to a level suitable for yourself. If you're looking for a high quality sound system, I doubt this is product for you because even though I didn't test the sound, I can't see it being used to provide music for a house party because it is so compact. I also really like that the ability to adjust the brightess of the alarm clock is real easy to find because it doubles as the snooze button when the alarm isn't going off. So, if it happens to be too bright you can adjust it easily. It has 3 levels of brightness and the option to completely turn the backlight off. I also am going to like the one touch button on back that will adjust up and back for daylight savings time. So basically my need for an alarm clock-iPhone charger was finally met in this product. Set up quickly and so far very happy with it.

Love it, and it is even better than the description makes it sound. I love that I can set the volume for the alarm itself so that I can listen to music while I fall asleep and not have to worry about it being to low in the morning to wake me up. I also love that I can turn the backlight off at night. The only issue I have with it is that it is really easy to accidently snooze for longer than you would like. If you push the snooze button more than once it increases the snooze time, so be careful with that.

This clock radio from Sony does the job. It is easy to understand and use. You can listen to your iPhone/iPod or to the radio - your choice. I put my iPhone in it each night and use the alarm on my iPhone to wake me up. Each morning my iPhone is fully charged and ready to face another day. There are no extras here so don't expect them. It simply does what it is meant to do very, very well.

Bought this for my IPod Touch (4th gen) to use at the office and it works great. Sound is good for a clock radio. It's not something you'd use for your main sound system, but for music in the office, it's great!

We were looking for a smaller option to go on the nightstand that would accommodate the iPhone or iPod and also be just a radio alarm clock if needed. So far we are happy with the quality of the sound and how it works. The option to turn the light off is nice and the radio reception appears to be better than the regular radio alarm clock we already had. It is easy to set up and use.

After trying a really crappy iHome iA5 and a confusing Jensen JiPS-250i, I went for simple-but-elegant with this Sony. Worked beautifully right out of the box. Don't want apps, don't want bells and whistles, don't need concert hall-quality sound. Just want an iPhone clock radio that will reliable charge my device and let me listen to my podcasts in bed at night without generating a bunch of error messages about how "this accessory is not optimized" for use with my iPhone. This one does the job. Small footprint on bedside table is a nice bonus.



Highly recommended.

Loved the size of this for next to my bed. It was ideal and I was so happy when I got it. 3 weeks later I woke up and no time was displayed and my iPhone wasn't charged. It just no longer worked. You need to save the box for the return period. Aggravating and so disappointed by the waste of money.

This little machine is great! It's compact, the speakers are pretty good and the dimmer light is good for me....I like a very dark room when I sleep. It's very easy to set the clock, set the sleep timer etc. I have had some clocks in my life that took a college degree to figure it out. And the best part is that my iPhone is always handy and charged. Great product. - Ipod Accessories - Ipod Clock Radio - Clock Radio - Volume'

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Kohler Diverter Spout - tub diverter spout, kohler spout

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This spout has a misleading Technical Description. K-15136-S-CP is a slip-fit (o-ring and set screw). K-15136-CP is a NPT connection (threads onto plumbing fitting). The technical details state that it is NPT or Slip-Fit but when you receive the item, you will realize that you can only use K-15136-S-CP for a slip-fit and K-15136-CP for a NPT fitting.



This product is nicer than any of the individual diverters that Home Depot and Lowes sell (I visited both this past weekend). It is all-metal construction and has a very nice finish. Just make sure you order the correct one for your plumbing. KOHLER K-15136-CP Coralais Diverter Bath Spout, Polished Chrome

I'm no expert, but this is a very nice tub spout. I replaced our ten-year old one due to calcium corrosion, with this one from Kohler. A neighbor told me that his H*me Dep*t one didn't last a year, when I mentioned I was looking at Kohler. I wouldn't have found this product at any local home store, so thank you Amazon.



Easy to install once the old one was removed. I recommend doing this while the hardware stores are open, just in case you need to fix the pipe that comes out of the wall.



Made in Taiwan.

One issue is the limitation of brass fixtures in the building warehouses. I tried 2 replacement brass shower diverters and they didn't work reliably. I saw the Kohler and purchased it online. It arrived on schedule and works perfectly. - Tub Diverter Spout - Diverter Spout - Kohler Diverter Spout - Kohler Spout'

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Accessory Combo Packs - blackberry, accessories

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The wall charger was somehow destroying both of our phones, it took a while to figure this out, but the second we stopped using it our phones were fine, then we used it again and the both froze up. Since we stopped using it no problems. Didn't receive the antenna booster, and the case is fine, and the car charger works fine. IF everything worled and I received everything, I would've given four stars just on how inexpensive it all was. Cell Phone Accessories Bundle for Verizon RIM Blackberry Storm 9500, 9530 Thurder (Includes; Premium Leather Side Carry Case, Custom Screen Protector, Rapid Car Charger, Home Wall Charger, Generation X Antenna Booster)

i am very impressed with the screen protector. makes the storm screen sharper and does not inhibit the functionality of the touch screen in any way. i also like the carry case and the car charger, very handy. the storm comes with a number of home wall chargers so you might find yourself not using the bundled wall charger

This is a great bundle, but just one little thing. I expected the "holster case" to lock my phone once the phone is inserted, but I have to lock it myself... unlike the OEM holster versions. I didn't check to see it was an authentic BLACKBERRY holster.

WITH THE BALCKBERRY SO FAR I HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEMS BUT IS A MACHINE NOT ORIGINAL AND REPAIRED OF MANUFACTURES. With respect to A memory of 8 gb MICRO sdhd never ME was sent in the PACK nothing had memory

None of the items in the bundle is really for blackberry storm. The pouch is outrageously large, the antenna can be used in any phone, the car charger is in a mess, you have to hold it while charging and the so called super charge is not so super again.

All products work well except the plug-in charger and the antenna. The charger does not work. The company is sending me another charger. I cannot tell a difference in my cell phone coverage since installing the antenna. The leather case is great. I really like it. I think I got good value for the price.

I keep the wall charger at work for the times I don't charge the phone at home. I was disappointed the other day when I plugged it in and it didn't work.



All the other items are working well. I guess you have to be careful when buying a bundle pack. - Blackberry Storm - Accessories - Blackberry - Accessory Combo Packs'

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Tiny Video Camera - panasonic, pocket camera

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Arrived at Amazon August 17, arrived at my house August 19. Today is August 21, 2010.



Panasonic USA website still has this new camera on "Backorder" so Amazon seems to perhaps be the first place to have this! I placed a pre-order and have been waiting weeks for this . . .



What's in the box:

*Camera

*USB "Extension Cord" About 40-inches long

*"AV" Cable about 4-feet long (composite Video-yellow connector, mono sound--white connector)

*Attachable hand strap

*Manual, misc. addenda, warranty/return survey



Stuff I wanted to know and could not find on web:

*(Real) Compatibility with IPAD--no direct support (the highly touted Apple iFrame capability means nothing as far as I can tell as to easily shooting video and directly bringing it into the IPAD). Of course moving any video into the IPAD is a big challenge. I own the Apple CCK Camera Connection Kit and was hoping this would allow me to plug the USB plug of the camera into this CCK adapter or the SD-card itself and import the video into the Apple photo app. I did easily get the still photos into the IPAD and it seems maybe the video too--but the video won't play (so how good is that). I believe this is because the high def 1920x1080P I was using at 12 Mbps (VBR) over exceeds the Apple allowable spec. (And it did not work with the iFrame content I shot at 960x540/30fps (approx 24 Mbps) (VBR). Perhaps if I had used the 640x480/30fps (approx 3 Mbps) (VBR) it would have worked--but who wants to save their precious moments in low def? (I believe the IPAD max bit rate is limited to 5 Mbps in the published spec). But don't dismay, here is the workaround: you can watch your videos on the IPAD (at the highest quality setting) by bringing them in through iTunes, directly into the GoodReader app (you can buy on iTunes). It's a fairly hidden capability of GoodReader (probably not to upset Apple too much)--but GoodReader allows you to play videos AND at higher resolutions and bit speeds than the Apple specs . . . but shhhhh, don't tell anyone, don't think we are supposed to know this. I was also able to import the video into iMovie and FCP 7.



[Addition Aug 28, 2010: Been using the above GoodReader technique on my vacation. It works, but is not perfect. There is an occasional stutter. If you demand perfect, stutter-free video on the IPAD, you will need to transcode the 1080P content to an IPAD compatible resolution/bit rate, then bring it into the Video area of the IPAD.]





*How long can your really shoot--apparently the references to 29min 59 sec (startlingly low) are the "single clip" time. Once you click stop, you seem to be able to continue to shoot (perhaps a total of 45 minutes as described in the manual)



[Addition Aug 28, 2010: The battery MUST be charged in the camera hooked up to a PC. Purchased a USB car cigarette charger for my road trip and it does not work. Also purchased an iGo portable USB charger and it did not work. Confirmed with Panasonic Tech Support you MUST charge the battery connected to a computer. If you choose to experiment with other in-camera charging techniques and the battery starts showing weird amounts of power in the on-screen meter, you will need to pull the battery out of the camera and wait 1 minute for it to sorta reset--before trying again.]

[Addition Oct 21, 2010: See important new info below on a $13.38 knock-off battery available through Amazon . . .]



*The AV out (I believe is called mini-USB connector) is only composite--no higher def cables or instructions on using it for higher def.



*There is no external microphone jack



*There is no external earphone jack



*Lens has no screw threads for attaching other lenses (see Flip Ultra HD lens wide/macro hacks on net)



[Addition October 21, 2010: Purchased magnetic Wide Angle Conversion lens from Amazon seller New World Video Direct = Panasonic TA-1 (HM-TA1) 0.45x Wide Angle Lens (HD) Black Finish W/ Macro (Modification Style) Magnetic Type. $59.00 Worked great. See my review on its product page on Amazon. Includes magnetic rings which have peel-and-stick super glue of some kind.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0041IWMPI/ref=oss_product



*Manual does not reference any other accessories other than a spare battery and SD-type memory cards (what I still found today on the Panasonic website).



*UW Housing - I am still dying to know if Panasonic will offer a low cost underwater housing for scuba diving (100 ft.)--and as of today, there is no sign that this may be a future offering.



[Addition October 21, 2010: Discovered a cool looking Underwater Housing from Ikelite on Amazon $246.95. Have not purchased at this point. On the manufacturer's site they show you some cool looking tiny video lights which go with it.]

Ikelite Compact Video Underwater Housing for Panasonic HM-TA1 Camcorder





Pros:

*Video quality is awesome--what I'd expect from Panasonic (I own a Panasonic AG-HMC150--the AVCHD camera the Indie film makers love) and I am sorta a novice wanna-be indie video maker (it sometimes seems almost comparable in quality to images from this $4K-ish camera). Although this mostly automatic camera has few adjustment options, if you optimize lighting and other conditions it looks great. Certainly acceptable for point-and-shoot video kinda stuff. I am hoping I can use it for risky camera shots in future productions, where the camera might get damaged--then use the clips in "higher grade" productions.



*Still pics--seem good. Have not done extensive still pic study/comparison, but some quick looks confirmed they seem very adequate.



*Sound quality--seems good. Again note the sound is mono.



*Simplicity--more buttons that a FLIP, but they are logical/straight forward.



Cons:

*Design/build quality--disappointing for a Panasonic Camcorder. It has two user access doors: Battery/SD-card and USB connector ejector. Both are very "flimsy." They have what appears to be a thin rubber "string-like-thing" holding the door on. Now as I told my buddy, in the past on many devices these would break in a few days. But I've been noticing on more modern electronics, these are more frequently being used--but now seem to be made of higher-tech materials so they seem to not break. Time will tell. This is my biggest concern over the longevity of this device.



*EXPENSIVE BATTERY--This camera (of course) seems to have a proprietary and very expensive battery--almost half the price of the camera ($74.95 list on the Panasonic website VW-VBJ10)--this is plainly price gouging. Shame on you Panasonic. And the manual scares the heck out of you, if you are even thinking about a clone/equivalent battery (threats of potential explosions, etc.). I searched and searched for the closest equivalent, but when it arrive the specs seemed like a 98% match, but I am not an electrical engineer and afraid if I use this $14 battery I'll damage the camera.



[Addition August 28, 2010: According to Panasonic Tech Support you can purchase other equivalent batteries but they MUST be 3.6 V/940mAh. The charging time when connected to a PC is 4 h 10 min for "45 min actual recording time." If you plan to use it on a vacation where you shoot more than 45 minutes of video per day, you will probably need a second battery . . .]



[Addition October 21, 2010: Purchased from Amazon $13.38 Battery from by "Panasonic Digital Camera Battery" = "Battery King" and it worked great. 3.60V, 1000mAh, Li-ion.] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N6O02W/ref=oss_product



[Addition October 21, 2010: Purchased from Amazon $28.00 Charger for above battery "Synergy", ships from and sold by Super Deal = Yan Kwong Leung and it worked great.]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001YHGPE8/ref=oss_product



*"Exposed" lens--The lens does not have any fancy barn doors to protect it, like many of the modern digital still cameras (wish it did). There may be some kind of protective glass over it--but this old fashion, perfectionist is nervous over this. I'd feel better if they would have at least had a protective lens cap.



*No lens hood capability(?)--I'd love to put some kind of lens hood over the lens to protect the lens from reflections/glare, but again, there does not seem to be provision to attach one. And yes I know this is a "low cost" camera.



*Software--Is preloaded into the Camera and is nothing impressive as far as facilitating the use of the video on mobile devices, etc. (transcoding/conversion, etc.)



Discussion:

The build quality of the Flip Ultra HD--far exceeds the quality of this device. The USB connector ejector slider should win the prize for "Best throwback to Plasticky Trash to come out of Japan since 1960." I am embarrassed for Panasonic. This is definitely the Panasonics equivalent to the Toyota debacle of 2010. Sliding this "slider" to pop-out the USB connector, inspires me to prayer every time I go to use it--I am terrified the slider itself will break off at the almost microscopic stem/mount.



The anti-shake feature was another concern--since the few of these style camcorders which seem to have it, have not implemented it very well. This seems to work ok, but I need to shoot more video with it. I also just bought a camera stabilizer for this camera--since I want rock steady shots and want to achieve some Hollywood crane/action style movement . . . check this out . . . had to buy it from the UK and it ended up costing more than the camera, but WOW this is soooo fun "Mini Motion-Cam" [...]

(You also need a special adapter piece for ultra light cameras . . .) I would expect that future reviewers will complain about the shakiness of their video from a small camcorder like this--ATTENTION, all video cameras need tripods if you want to shoot rock steady video. No small hand-held camcorder to my knowledge shoots rock steady shots, becasue our arms/hands move! So calibrate your expectations accordingly. (If you surf the web, you may find video shot on a Flip Ultra HD camera using a tripod--that had the production value/quality of a Hollywood/Indie production . . . the FLIP I believe produces 720P video--this does 1080P and the image is even better.)



My dream camera for this genre would feature two user selectable resolutions/ qualities. High to allow you to watch on a big screen TV and low for today's super small screen/mobile devices. They would both be shot in parallel, so the user would not have to convert/transcode for instant gratification on a mobile device. After all, isn't this camera a mobile device? It is sorta implied that these quick, point, shoot and watch cameras are all about this. "Fast watching."



Conclusion:

Would recommend this camera to friends and family without reservations. It does provide very high value and fun. Gave this 4 out of 5 stars due to the flimsy feeling doors/design/build quality and the outrageously expensive proprietary battery.



[Addition Oct 21, 2010: I am loving this camera more and more. None of the cheesy looking doors have given me any problems. The sound is pretty good. I took it to work and recorded a telephone conference call with it, then later transcribed the audio track. It was great--worked like a mini digital audio recorder. Also used it in this mode to record a narration for another movie I made. Pretty good quality sound--not as good as using pro microphones on a PC, but good enough for home movies. I've also learned about how to work with the MP4 files in FCP 7 Apple Final Cut Pro for editing. The MP4 files must be transcoded from the MP4 "capture codec" to Apple ProRes 422 (LT) "editing codec." Then, once you finish editing, you need to transcode again, back to an "output codec" (e.g. something which you can burn to a DVD or Blu-Ray disk, etc. I created a "Droplet" using Apple Compressor and now just drop my raw MP4 files onto it and it converts it to ProRes 422 (LT). Using the correct file format will save you from stuttering and hair pulling. And please use all video cameras on a tripod, hand-holding even with anti-shake still makes most people dizzy.] Panasonic TA-1 Ultrathin HD Pocket Camcorder Enabled with Skype and iFrame (Dark Grey) - Panasonic - High Definition - Pocket Camcorder - Pocket Camera'

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Hdmi - hdmi, high definition

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Disclaimer: First I'd like to say that I do not have the equipment to view this set's 3-D picture yet. I bought it as a hedge against 3-D. I'm not sure if 3-D is going to take off, but if it does I know I'm ready for it. I thought I would get that out of the way so while you will know I cannot review that feature of the TV, I still have a lot to tell. Now on with the show...



The Panasonic comes shipped in a conveniently designed box where you simply punch out four inserts and lift the box top off of the base. Sort of like when you get a cake from the bakery in a plastic container. Inside's the TV, the stand, the remote (and batteries), the power cord, and the owner's manual. Attaching the swiveling base is very simple and involves screwing a metal fork onto the base then slipping the TV onto the fork and screwing it down. The whole process takes 5 minutes and I was able to do it without any assistance. Also, I'd like to mention that Amazon shipped the TV through a company called HomeDirectUSA. They were very professional and opened the box for me to make sure the TV was undamaged.



Looks wise the Panasonic isn't much. It's framed in a piano black trim and is about 3 inches deep. The base is also done in piano black with a chrome band around the edge. At the bottom of the TV's frame is a bronze colored streak. Overall it's a classy look, but also nothing special. On the lower edge of the TV are the 3-D glasses' transmitters and the remote sensor. On the left side of the TV are various buttons (channel, volume, menu, input, and power) along with a few inputs (HDMI, composite video, and an SD card slot) and two USB ports (for hooking up the wireless dongle amongst other things). On the back of the set (on the set's left side viewed from the front) are two HDMI, two components, one composite, one RF/coaxial, and a PC input. There is also an optical audio out. The TV's build quality is very good, the materials are nice, and it feels sturdy overall. Lastly, the included remote is long and narrow, but well laid out with large buttons that light up.



Using TV is straightforward and easy. It guides you through the set-up, scans for channels, sets up the network, and sets the clock. The menu system is logically laid out and easy to use. The picture controls are many and allow you to fine tune precisely, although the pro-setting are only available in Custom picture mode. Besides Custom mode there is Vivid, Standard, THX, and Game modes. Each mode can be tweaked individually and set up differently for each input. Some of the features included with the Panasonic are 5 individual timers to turn the TV on and off and a sleep timer. There is also VieraLink that, if the TV is connected to the Internet, allows you to view YouTube or Netflix among other services (I have not used this feature since I stream that content through my Blu-ray player). You can insert an SD card or a USB jump drive into the set and view photos, videos, or listen to MP3 files as well. This feature worked well when I inserted an SD card from my Canon camera and the photos looked very nice on the screen. Another nice feature is being able to set channels as your favorites so you can jump to them more quickly, or have the channel only scan favorites when you go up and down channels. Features to reduce burn-in include a pixel orbiter (which very slightly shifts the picture to prevent burn-in) and a scrolling bar pattern that wipes a white bar over a black screen for 15 minutes. While burn-in is much less of an issues with plasma sets then it used to be, if you like to watch non-high definition TV with the bars on the side, or play video games and pause them for a long time, plasma may not be the best bet for you. Finally, there are light sensors on the front of the TV to allow the set to adjust its brightness based on ambient light conditions.



Picture quality on the Panasonic is where this TV shows it mettle. I have the set hooked up in the following manner. My LG Blu-ray player and Nintendo Wii are hooked up to my Onkyo receiver, which is in turn hooked into the Panasonic via HDMI. The Blu-ray is hooked into the receiver using HDMI and the Wii using composite video. For cable, I use the RF/coaxial input. I am not a videophile and tweaked the picture menu myself where I settled on the Vivid setting with some adjustments to make it considerably less vivid (usually I hate vivid mode but I like it on this set). I find the picture looks best when I leave the automatic adjustment for ambient light on. I also have the TV set-up to show 95% of the image where the edges are cropped off so I don't view any image breakdown at the picture's edge. Watching any high definition content, be it Blu-ray, cable TV, or streaming Netflix, the picture looks its best with great detail and clarity (this is especially true when watching Blu-ray discs). Watching standard definition content doesn't look bad either, obviously it doesn't look great stretched out to 50", but the details hold up well and it's more than acceptable. Regardless of the source, the colors are accurate, the dynamic range is great with deep and detailed shadows, and there is no motion blur even when playing video games or watching animated content. My previous television was a 32" 720p LCD and compared to the LCD the plasma Panasonic looks more "fluid" and "film-like". The details don't jump out at you like they do on a high end LCD set (sometimes obnoxiously), but the picture is clear and sharp none the less. The screen has an anti-reflective coating that seems to work well. I have the set in a room with two big windows on the west side and I adjust the blinds when necessary to keep the sun's reflections off the screen. In the end, a plasma is no worse in this regard than a traditional tube television. Overall, I am very pleased with the picture and am a plasma convert.



The TV's built-in speakers are fine for casual viewing, but if you want a true big-screen experience you're going to want to hook this set up to at least a 2.1 system, if not a full blown 7.2 system. Mine is hooked up to a 5.1 system.



Speaking of sounds, I don't notice any humming from the set. Occasionally, if I have muted the sound and a bright white scene comes on I hear a slight hum, but it's barely noticeable and goes away as soon as the scene changes. Also, the set does not give off much heat as far as I can tell.



There are only a few negatives I have about the set and they are as follows: 1) The piano black trim on the set shows reflections much worse than the screen itself. 2) The set only has 3 HDMI inputs, most have 4. 3) The remote sensor is very low on the set and I have my center speaker in front of the TV so I have to angle the remote upward in order for the signal to reach the TV.



All in all... a great plasma set, with tons of inputs, features, and adjustability, but an especially great picture quality.



P.S.: Sorry for the long review. There is a lot to cover. If you'd like to know anything else leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer.



11/24/2010 Update: Hitting the sub-menu button on the remote allows you to quickly change the behavior of the channel up/down button. For instance you can have it scan only your favorites, or just the digital channels. This is a nice touch, and a nice shortcut.



02/26/2011 Update: The television is still going strong and has maintained its excellent picture quality. I left a menu from my DVD player paused on the screen for about a half hour by accident, and after about a minute the retained image was gone. No issues with burn-in, humming, or anything. Great set. Panasonic VIERA TC-P50GT25 50-inch 1080p 3D Plasma HDTV, Black - Panasonic - Hdmi - Panasonic 50 Inch Plasma - High Definition'

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