Wednesday, 8 June 2011

More Than Paper Version - low carb, health


I love Michael Pollan, and his `food rules' are good. Gary Taubes has done some great reporting and synthesizing. The American public is slowing growing an understanding that what Big Farma wants you to want is not good for you. (Big Pharma, however, is happy to make you think that only they can fix the resulting damage.)



In her first book, Deep Nutrition, Dr Cate (Catherine Shanahan, MD) explains how important nutrition is to not only maintaining health, but also in restoring it! She explains things more completely and with a much greater understanding of the complexity of the human body than pretty much anyone trying to do so (the only exception I have found is Nora Gedgaudas, who is equally competent and whose book complements the Shanahan's book perfectly).



I think of Dr. Cate's Food Rules as the icing on the cake! (Cake is now made with nut flours and lots of eggs from my own chickens, topped with un-sugared whipped cream). Cate again packs an amazing amount of information into a slim volume. If you want some valuable tips, insight, or coaching on what food to buy, how to cook it, and how to eat intentionally, this book is for you. You do not need to read Deep Nutrition to greatly benefit from the food rules based on it. If you have been eating junk for years, are ill, seek longevity, or want optimum health this little guide book is far, far, far superior to every similar guide on the market. There is a 30 page section called Doctor's Orders that has "must read" material (just go read this section in your local bookstore if you are already a foodie eating nutrient rich foods).



If every American household had a copy of Food Rules and used it, healthcare costs would, I'm serious, drop to a mere 10% of what they are today. I know, because my 25-year-old daughter who was officially diagnosed with Chronic Pain Syndrome (after Kaiser exhausted their options) is now approaching a normal life after following these rules for six months. These rules work better than you can imagine.



This book is the perfect gift at baby showers, wedding showers, and anyone's birthday!! Five stars are not enough, but they won't let me add any. Food Rules: A Doctor's Guide to Healthy Eating

This book is a gem!



I am a supplement junkie who is only now learning that real nutrition is in delicious food. Let Catherine and Luke wean you from your supplements; you will want to spend the same money supporting local food producers of sustainable products. eing a "foodie" is actually being a "health food nut." I am so glad I have both Deep Nutrition and this handy guide to remind and guide me; eating well can be a bit tricky. I don't know how the authors put all this information together so well; it's humorous and it is even fun to read. I thought I knew a thing or two about nutrition... my knowledge has been greatly up-graded by the analysis done by this remarkable team.



Great book, people who don't rate it 5 don't know up from down.

My daughter has been the pioneer of a 'Deeper Nutritional' outlook in our family. She continues to teach me and I'm making some progress to upgrade my life (Ok, I'm stubburn...). What I love about Food Rules is the clear and simple way it gives me the motivation I need to see sugar for what it really is, embrace many others foods I can get locally and a way of eating that isn't dogmatic but still much better for me, one step at a time! Thanks Dr. Shanahan!

When I discovered Deep Nutrition, it became my dietary mantra and has made a huge difference in my health and quality of life. Naturally I was excited to read Food Rules and pleased to discover that it is a remarkable companion book to Deep Nutrition. It consistently streamlines the information into a user friendly guide. I Love this book!

I have already purchased 7 of these books to share with my health conscious loved ones. Dr. Shanahan describes how eating poorly causes inflammation, and that all diseases start with inflammation. As we get older, our body's efficiency declines, and her "food rules" are right on target to getting our bodies back in shape. I devoured this book in one night, and was so inspired, that I started on a diet with her recommendations of no starches or sugar, eating mostly meat, vegetables, and kefir, and butter and coconut butter for good fats. Fresh squeezed lemon juice in water, and kombucha to drink. A very simple diet, no exercising, I feel great, and have lost 12 pounds in 3 weeks! Dr. Shanahan is light years ahead of standard medical advice.

My husband and I are planning to have a baby in the not too distant future. I am grateful that I have read Deep Nutrition so that my husband and I can do everything we can to produce a healthy baby. Food Rules will make a tough job easier. It's a wonderful encapsulation of how to accomplish healthy eating. It is increasingly clear that tragic and needless illness is all too often the result of bad food choices; we enjoy having Food Rules handy to help remind ourselves of better alternatives to conventional foods and to help us explain the way we eat to our friends and family.

As a right brain creative, Food Rules made is simple and concrete enough to pick up the essentials and pass it on to my coaching clients. Both Dr. Shanahan and I agree that nutrition cannot be overlooked, EVER! While getting the sugar out, embracing local foods and eating mindfully sounds simple, but as someone who has gone through a decade of healing eating disorders, I personally know how 'simple' doesn't mean 'easy' when it comes to food addictions. Being reminded again and again of these timeless food truths is key. Food Rules is an essential guide for everyone who's looking to address what's really important when it comes to food and body! And if your mind likes the details, you'll enjoy diving into this one: (...)

Catherine Garceau

Olympic Medalist, Wellness Educator,

(...) - Food - Low Carb - Health - Nutrition'


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Combination Co2 Smoke - carbon monoxide, first alert


Our house was wired for smoke detectors -- specifically the rather cheesy BRK 4120SB, which delights in false "low power" chirping. My goal was to replace the ones in the bedrooms with combination alarms that would alert us not only to smoke but to the presence of carbon monoxide. (Not to scare you but harm and even death from carbon monoxide poisoning are definite risks, especially in a home with deep-sleeping teenagers.)



I needed units that would be compatible with the wiring of our current system, and ideally ones that would accept the power leads, as wired. After some research here and elsewhere, I called the BRK help line and got definite information about the unit that would be compatible, as well as locations within the home where I both should and should not install units.



I ordered two units to start with, still being a bit leery of my previous experience, and can say that installation took less than 5 minutes per device.



1. Follow the instructions for removing the plastic tab in the battery door of your new unit and pushing the button to test your new unit. If all's well, proceed. Disregard the "locking pin" stuff unless you are in a shared dwelling and are concerned with someone walking off with your 9-volt battery. (This was the weirdest part of the instructions, frankly, and this is my guess on why it's there.) **Important: you are listening for 3 tones, pause, 3 tones, pause, 4 tones, pause, 4 tones. There is a typo at the bottom of page 3 of the instructions, so I've just verified with BRK that the tone pattern I'm mentioning is the correct one.



2. Twist off and unplug your current unit.



3. Back the two screws holding your collar to the ceiling so you have enough clearance to remove the collar.



4. Install the new collar.



5. Install your new unit. (A wired plug is included in case you need to swap your existing plug for the new plug.)



Fellow owners of the 4120SB will find that the upgraded unit sets and locks into place in the ceiling *much* easier and more reliably. Ditto with the battery door. Note that on the SC9120B, if you're having problems with the battery door not shutting (a) there is a little trigger tab that you should be able to push down with a fingernail and/or (b) hold the unit upside-down.



***A word, please, about longevity, since the primary purpose of an alarm is your safety.



1. Replace your batteries at least once a year.



2. Combo smoke/carbon monoxide units have a 5-year life span, per BRK staff. Regular smoke alarms have a 10-year lifespan. Not replacing them within these timespans is, in my opinion, the most dangerous kind of false economizing. (Note also that if you need help, the BRK customer service apparently has improved greatly since the experience of earlier reviewers of the product line. The call I made in June could not have been more thorough and professional, even to dealing with the phantom beeps of my 5-year-old alarms.)



3. Whether or not you buy this or any smoke alarm product, please do yourself and your family two favors. First, label the plug (hidden) side of your units with the install and replace dates. Second, change your batteries at least once a year.





BTW, I gave the unit a 4 rather than a 5 because while the battery door and twist-on/twist-off issues are less irritating than on the earlier generation, they still do exist. First Alert SC9120B Hardwire Combination Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Battery Backup

Received three BRK SC9120B replacements after original units (4 years old) started a low battery chirp with new Duracell batteries. Spoke with BRK rep. about problem and they sent three new units with Duracell batteries. The units worked fine for about two weeks before all three started to chirp a low battery signal. In that time our other three BRK smoke only detectors that were installed 4 years ago started the same chirping sound. Again called BRK and they were going to send us three replacements for them. After the nightmare of having six four year old BRK products fail in a matter of three weeks and three brand new replacement units fail in two weeks. I would stay away from BRK! I have read elsewhere about an issue with BRK and Duracell so I was a bit surprised when the new units arrived with Duracell batteries in them.

I have a rental property and this year, the city's new regulation required installation of these detectors. One of the detectors malfunctioned and the terrified tenant called 911, who proceeded to do over 1000 dollars in property damage.



I subsequently found out that even the EPA has admitted that many of the CO detectors they tested were unreliable, and either went off at too low of a level or did not sound at dangerously high levels.



According to their website, the best way to keep the building's inhabitants safe is to have fuel-burning appliances properly installed and maintained by licensed professionals to make sure that the gases (including CO) are vented properly.







I ended up doing a lot of research related to CO as a result. I have the documentation from the Fire Department indicating the levels that they measured (WAY BELOW the low threshold on the detector) even near the detector.



I knew that a problem was unlikely since the heat wasn't even ON at the time.



Nevertheless, they broke into two apartments, destroying irreplaceable historic doors and frames. Even the fire chief told me that if I have a hard-wired smoke detector/CO detector combo, I should get it replaced as they have had false alarms with that type of detector. But as mentioned on the EPA website, and evidenced by many other reviews on Amazon etc, CO detection is apparently in it's infancy and I'm surprised that these detectors are even being sold, much less required by law.



Unfortunately, according to my lawyer, it's more trouble than it's worth to sue the city, so I had to suck up the CONSIDERABLE expenses myself. Not to mention my poor tenant, who was (unharmed of course) but anxious.



I am so ANGRY, but the only thing I can do apparently is to WARN other people about these alarms. If you have one in your house and there's a false alarm, that's one thing. But if a tenant has a false alarm, you are vulnerable in many different ways.



The WORST thing about this type of alarm is that if the CO part malfunctions, you've lost your smoke alarm as well. In addition, since it's installed high on the ceiling, if it false alarms, you have to get on a ladder to turn the thing off.





I would not recommend the first alert smoke/CO alarm to ANYONE. - First Alert - Brk Brands - Carbon Monoxide - Smoke Alarm'


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Combination Co2 Smoke - carbon monoxide, first alert carbon monoxide Combination Co2 Smoke - carbon monoxide, first alert

Glow In The Dark - glow stick, glow in the dark


The price is certainly reasonable for these. I've found them to be bright enough in darkness, but barely visible in indoor lighting. The colors are bright and pure. The light output is adequately bright for a couple of hours, and progressively dimmer but still obvious for several hours more.



I found them to be easy to snap, but they seem to be constructed with many internal "segments", each of which must be snapped for the entire length to glow. I've found that the best way to do it is to hold one end between thumb and forefinger, and with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, starting at the same end, bend/snap gradually along the length to the other end. Think of squeezing toothpaste from a nearly empty tube, which curls as you squeeze.



BUT! As some of the other reviews have said, be careful to neither bend the tube too sharply while doing this, nor to squeeze too hard. The tube is prone to cracking at the end and leaking if you do.



Hence, I would be cautious giving one of these to a small child to do for themselves, and I'd probably supervise rambunctious older children too.



At this price, it's a fair gimmick for a party or doling out an occasional nighttime treat for a child. Just have realistic expectations about what 12 cents apiece buys you. :-) And supervise smaller children carefully with them. 100 8" Premium Lumistick Glow Stick Bracelets Assorted

We use these with our 3-year old as reward fun at bedtime for helping with bath, PJs, etc. He loves them. So far, we have only had one "dud" out of the package of 100, and we have used almost all of them in the package. I was afraid the failure rate would be higher, but I have been pleasantly surprised.

Great for illumination at Burningman. They last all night. I used them to light myself and my bikes. If you play with them too much they break and squish all over. The drawback is that in the morning they are MOOP. However they don't require expensive batteries.

My daughters love these bracelets. I got them to use as birthday party favors - and I have lots left over. The kids like to play with them indoors and outdoors. I may even consider purchasing them for Halloween give-aways. 100 for under $13 is a pretty good price and could help with safety and visibility. They're pretty bright and lasted well over an hour. (the kids went to bed and I threw them away so I don't know exactly how long they lasted)

Only drawback - my daughter did a little excessive bending and the bracelet leaked. I don't know how toxic the chemicals are, so I would NOT recommend this item for younger children especially those who may be putting it in their mouths.

tube of 100 lasted through 4 car camping outings this summer which included about 15 kids across all trips. Bracelet size is nice because you get a ton more and everyone can have lots of colors. With the (supplied) connectors they easily can become necklace size, they make great night lights for the tent, and they are much safer/longer lasting than sparklers. One little guy linked together 20 of them and swung them in a circle, I don't care how old you are - that's cool.

Well, I ordered the bracelets for a school dance we were organizing. They were fun, great colors, easy to use. I would be very happy if they didn't start leaking. About an hour after use, they started popping and all that glowy stuff was all over. Eeeew is right.





So, its an okay product, but we weary of leaks.

I ordered these glowsticks for our Disney World trip and they worked great and became useful. Since disney glow in the dark items are pricey, I just thought of giving these to the kids so they wont ask for the oter stuff and they really liked them. The glow sticks lasted a good amount and some were still glowing the next night! They were all very good and I will definetly recommend them to anybody.

We used these bracelets for a party. You can actually add bracelets to make necklaces. The kids have so much fun with these glowsticks. If you plan a backyard party, you can keep better eye on the kids to see where they are. Once you break the sticks, they glow only for a certain amount of hours. If you don't use up all the hours at once, put them in the freezer to reuse them later.

I must have gotten a crappy batch. I'd say only about 1 in 5 were "decent" which means they lit up for most of the stick and were a good brightness. Many (most) only lit up a tiny fraction of the stick and some didn't even light at all... so because of the better reviews, I can only assume the ones I got were lower quality or from a bad batch. They also did not come in a container that looks like the one in the photos that someone supplied... and yes, I cracked them the length of the stick and shook them vigorously, but shaking didn't help much. - Kids Toys - Glow Stick - Glow In The Dark - Glowsticks'


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Camping Lantern - lid, led lantern


This battery recently powered my Coleman 4D XPS LED Duo Lantern for two long winter camping nights in sub-freezing temperature. The light dimmed in the near zero temperature, but it was still bright enough to see by, and it never went out. I ran the light approximately 8 hours each night and it still had juice when I got home. It recharged completely in less than an hour.



My one complaint is that the power plug connects at the bottom of the battery, so it can't sit flat while charging. This connection should be on the side or recessed like you see on a cordless phone base. This is minor and does not really affect performance.



One missing feature is a power meter that let's you know if your battery is fully charged or nearly dead.



This battery will save many disposables from going into the trash and it keeps me from running out at the last second for new batteries. Coleman CPX6 Battery Rechargeable Battery Pack

This battery pack is only useful for short periods of power outages. If household power is out for an extended period, there's no way to recharge it. I bought it in case I run out of D batteries for the Coleman Portable Charger, but it's yet another piece of equipment with a bulky transformer that needs an open electrical outlet handy to keep it charged. Glad I have it, just in case I need it, but doubt I use it very often.

If you have a Coleman lantern that this fits, just buy it. Have you priced good batteries lately? It will more than pay for itself in no time. This rechargeable pack is ingenious and lasts a long, long time. I have never run it down, so I can't attest to how long it lasts, but it got me all the way through Pride And Prejudice again.

What a fantastic option. I recently purchased a coleman lantern to use this pack with and love not having to worry about constantly buying D batteries, and carrying extra batteries just in case. This pack charges from a standard outlet or from in your car.

This pack makes the several "XPS" model Coleman lanterns even more practical. Now I have a battery that I can recharge which allows me to use the lantern daily and not waste disposable "D" cells. The battery is cheaper at Wal-Mart but I decided to get it and the lantern at the same time so accepted the higher fee. The lantern was a better deal through Amazon so I think it balanced out. Coleman products are quality and well thought out.

We bought the Coleman 6V XPS Rechargeable Battery Pack hoping to never have to buy D size batteries for the new Coleman 4D XPS LED Duo Lantern. What a great addition and to have it be car rechargeable is a perfect addition while camping. Great quality!

I love the convenience of rechargeable batteries. We got it and charged it for the recommended hours. Then I inserted into the CPX 6 tent Fan/light combo. I placed it on high and started the timer. It barely made 4 hours.

ordered two battery packs to go with my Coleman CPX6 compatible Tent Fan w/Light (model #2000006895) and a Coleman 4D CPX LED Duo Lantern (model #2000002653) i grabbed at REI. received them promptly. because they're new batteries, i immediately discharged them fully in the tent fan because its the hardest-drawing between the two. both batteries were discharged fully (fan had stopped working) within an hour each. immediately charged both batteries in the provided wall charger for 48 hours each (as recommended in the instructions for full discharge) to ensure full charge. tested one battery in the fan on low setting to test estimated life of battery so i could determine whether to bring one battery or both to power my fan on my upcoming camping trip. first battery lasted no longer than 4 hours. perplexed, i tested the second battery the same and got approximately 5 hours of life. both were far short of the Coleman-advertised 30+ hours. recharged both batteries again for 48 hours and retested again. similar results for each...approx 5 hours. to test as a control, i went out and bought 4 Duracell D-cell batteries and ran fan on same low setting as prior. D-cells gave me more than 40 hours of continuous power before I had to shut it down to leave for my trip. needless to say, the Coleman CPX6 rechargeables stayed home and are in the process of being returned for a refund. kinda sucks because I've had a ton of Coleman products over the years and this is the only product i haven't been thrilled with. meh, oh well. thanks to amazon for being cool with refunds.

We bought this item for camping but also to use at home in the lantern as emergency lighting during power outages. It was purchased in Nov., used on one camping trip the first weekend in Dec. but then not again until mid-Feb when we went camping again. The morning we packed I turned it on to find the battery almost completely drained which surprised me since it had some good reviews. I called Coleman only to be told that this type of battery will not hold a charge when not being used, even for a month between camping trips and then it has to be charged for 18 hours. This renders it completely useless for an impromptu trip as we can't just pull it out and have it ready to go. So according to Coleman it is working just like it is supposed to, only that is not good for us. I feel this should be made known in the product discription or at least in the instructions. We will be returning our cartridge. - Lantern - Led Lantern - Camping Lantern - Lid'


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Home Monitors - smoke alarms, ionization


The purpose of a smoke alarm is to alert you to a fire in your home. Thankfully I have never been able to test this unit, and I hope I never have the chance. So I'll just review the other reasons I bought this product.



I bought two of these units to replace older Kiddie model 1275 units that were malfunctioning and going off regularly for false alarms. My main concern was compatibility since I have 10 units in my house and did not want to replace them all. These new units used the same wiring, connectors, and mounting frames as the old units which was perfect -- installation took less than a minute per unit. The new units work with the old units perfectly -- pushing the test button on the new ones set off all the alarms in the house, just as they should.



I did have some hesitation about buying new Kiddie units since the old Kiddie units were malfunctioning. (To be fair, only one was malfunctioning, but I was tired of messing with troubleshooting and decided to replace the last two options.) However, only 1 in 10 of my existing units was malfunctioning, and they are 6 years old (out of a reported 10 year lifetime). The smoke alarms were installed when I bought the house, so I can't be sure the failing unit was not dropped or otherwise abused before installation. So far the new units have not produced any false alarms and are working well. Kidde i12040 120V AC Wire-In Smoke Alarm with Battery Backup and Smart Hush

I had a house full of Kidde 1275 smoke alarms, and after several malfunctions (including one electrical problem causing it to literally "go up in smoke"), I replaced them with the i12040 ... only because I wanted something that would "drop in" with the current mounting system and wiring. That they did, and I've had no false alarms in the month they've been installed.



Why the 2 stars? Previous to purchasing, I contacted Kidde (via their customer service web page) to ensure the i12040 units had the same mounting system as the old 1275's and to ensure the wiring would be compatible with all the Kidde alarms on the system. Kidde never responded. I found out from a do-it-yourself web forum that these would work fine.



Kidde's customer support is notoriously poor. The old 1275 units were deficient in design and/or manufacture - and Kidde refused to acknowledge this. I won't give high marks to a company that won't respond to customer service issues.

I needed to find a replacement for the older hard wired "Lifesaver"smoke detectors that were installed in my two 20 unit apartment buildings. It took me only 1 minute to punch out screw hole placement to existing set up. Rewired using the same set up and done. It works great and my tenants love the "Smart Hush" control to temporarily silence nuisance alarms. These will be my choice for all future replacements throughout each unit as needed.

I bought 7 of these as replacements for an older model that Kiddie no longer makes. Within 3 months of installation, I have had 3 false alarms (twice in the middle of the night). The false alarms came from 3 different rooms, so I have 3 defective units out of the 7 I installed.



Our home is very clean, we do not smoke, and the units that failed were in bedrooms (not the garage or kitchen). So, I can not see any reason for the false alarms.



I would not recommend this model, they are not reliable.

My house is about 10y and had the Kidde 1275's. Never had any issue with them, but it was that time to replace them as they are coming of age.



These used the same connectors, so all I did is change the mounting ring, since the others were discolored with age and plugged them in. No more than 5 min each. Had to change 8 of them out.



Kidde makes good products that are reliable!

I too had 8ea of the 1275's (approx. 8 years old), one of which nearly caught on fire! The inside circuit board is burned BLACK from overheating and popping a resistor. It actually got so hot it melted the white buzzer wire to the circuit board and discolored the top of the white housing! I emailed Kidde and got a stonewall of "that is supposed to happen (the crispy burned circuit board)", "its out of warranty", "it was a power spike", "its near the end of it useful life", etc. When I confronted them with the fact that if the unit had encountered a power spike, why are the rest of them okay and it didnt affect anything else in the house....at that point they simply stopped returning my emails. I am shopping for a different system to replace the Kidde CRAP, even if it means rewiring the house for a competitors system! I am turning the detector over to the Consumer Product Safety Commission for further evaluation. Buyer Beware!

I am writing this to say 1 thing about these....DON'T BUY THESE, DON'T LET YOUR CONTRACTOR INSTALL THESE, AND BE READY TO WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IF YOU GET THESE!!



I have had these in my house since 2007 when I was required by law due to an addition I was building to have hardwired smokes put in the house. The contractor followed the law and installed this unit!! They have been replace once already and same issue... if there is any and I mean any dust, a spider or a small power surge or the wind blows the wrong way these units go off. It is 2:17 am and once again they have gone off and waken up my whole family and scared my dog into her crate that she never goes in.



They have had batteries replaced every 6 months, they have been dusted, cleaned in ever way I know how and still they go off, and one when goes they all go. These as of now have been all pulled down batteries yanked and I will be replacing them in the morning myself with some other unit... which I have no idea.



Just because someone says hey look they are easy to install doesn't mean anything just wait these are a nightmare. - Smoke Detector - Ionization - Smoke Alarms - Kidde'


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Digital Audio - playstation 3, audio


While this cable will indeed provide a path for photons to move as with any other optical cable, the connectors are very poorly made. I'm guessing that they don't meet the mechanical specs for toslink, as they don't hold themselves in the jacks as they are supposed to. I literally had to use tape on one of the connectors to keep it from falling out of the port under no more pressure than its own weight. Correctly designed toslink cables stay in the same jack just fine.



Conclusion: Don't spend $100 on an optical cable (since they all perform exactly the same as far as data is concerned,) but do get one with good connectors (which can be had at reasonable prices, but apparently not this low.) Of course, for any form of digital data, whether electronic (HDMI, DVI, etc.) or optical (toslink, fibrechannel, etc.,) there is no difference in signal quality as long as the data actually gets to the other end, so a medium-cheap cable will perform *exactly* the same as an expensive "high-end" cable, unless you are in an environment with an incredibly high amount of electromagnetic noise (at which point you shouldn't have your TV or receiver [or yourself] there anyway.) 12 FT Digital Audio Optical TOSLink Cable Optic 12ft

12 FT Digital Audio Optical TOSLink Cable Optic 12ft



I recently purchased these cables and I am glad to say they are fantastic. I was hesitant initially due to some reviews saying that the cable didn't fit properly. When I received the cables I realized that those who are inserting the cables, claiming they don't fit, are putting the cables in upside down. So if you have difficulty initially, just turn it so that the rounded portion of the male plug faces down, (which the receptacles have all the rounded portions on the bottom of all of my equipment) and then it should just snap right in! So with that, I highly recommend this cable and you can't beat the price!

Can't beat the price on this puppy! I needed something longer than the standard 6' optic cables for my audio receiver and this cable works great in terms of the extra length. I know that some folks have stated that it's too loose, which I did notice as well regardless of whether I inserted it every way possible. A quick remedy is to simply use some plumber's tape and wrap it around the end before connecting to my receiver.

12 FT Digital Audio Optical TOSLink Cable Optic 12ft

I bought this cable based on the reviews and Amazon's reputation. I received the cables in record time, however, neither of the two cables I purchased fit properly. The fiber tip is approximately 1/16" too long to fit properly in any of my audio equipment. I nearly damaged my audio unit's digital jack trying to get it to "snap" in like all my others do. It may work fine, but without being able to click the connector in it certainly will not stay put.

You can easily spend 6-8 times as much for a 12' TOSLINK cable, but there is no good reason to do so. This cable works well and the signal is digital, so there is no improved performance to be had from the name brand cables.

ONE THING: DURABILITY!

This cable delivers the PERFECT 5.1 through my logitech Z5500, perfect. It is a perfect cable that does what it is suppose to do, and it is inexpensive. Please get it, it is perfect, hands down. The infared in it is better than wires, get it, stop contemplating.

The fiber gets the digital signal to my Onkyo just fine, but the sheathing and the connectors are quite cheap (considering the price for a 12' foot optical cable I wonder why...). As long as it stands the test of time I'll be happy. I just wouldn't recommend this cable to anyone who needs to disconnect, move/bend and reconnect it often. But since all of the bits end up at the receiver (will always transfer sound the same as any other optical or digital coaxial cable) its a good bargain.



UPDATE: The cable pictured and described, with the molded relief connectors and the heavy sheathing is not the cable I received, thus the ramblings about lack of construction quality. - Audio - Low Cost - Digital Audio - Playstation 3'


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Home Theater Receivers


After much research, this is one of the only economically priced surround-sound amps that decodes the surround-sound information in the amp itself before passing video on up to the TV. Many of the HDMI switching amps out there only switch the video, and do NOT decode surround (due to the DRM encryption on some HDMI signals) only 2ch PCM.



Look over Sony's site, they have alot of good info for this unit. For the price it would be really hard to beat.



Nice Stuff:

-Surround decode from the HDMI sources

-The remote also controls my Sony Blu-ray player

-The Main L-R speaker outs are selectable to use either full range speakers, or small surround speakers

-You can Name all the inputs whatever you want

-For a small home theater, sound quality is good

-auto shut off after 30mins of inactivity



Not so nice stuff

-Only three (3) HDMI inputs, i could have used more for later, but for now all I needed was my DishNetwork box, Xbox and blu-ray

-Only one of the three digital audio inputs (2 optical, 1 coax) is programmable to any input. This would have been nice to be able to assign any of them to the remaining analog video inputs

-Analog video inputs (Wii in my case) do not go out the HDMI output. While I didn't expect this, it would have been a nice touch. As it is I have to change my TV's input to play Wii. This is no biggie, but it would have been nice!



In summary, this is a great replacement amp if you already had an older surround unit, or if you want to pick and chose your speakers. Like I said, it's nice that it has a built in selectable crossover for the main L-R speakers.



My last Sony amplifier has lasted nearly 8 years. The only reason for me to replace it was to make switching video sources easier.

There, this is my 2¢ on the matter Sony STR-DH510 5.1-Channel Home Theater Receiver

Overall this is a great deal for someone looking for a straight-to-the-point, entry level 5.1 system. It doesn't have an onscreen menu, or tons of HDMI ports, but for less than $200, it provides plenty of power and enough options to create an economical yet strong performance package. If you want to make your first jump to intro home theater but don't want to sweat the details, this does the job well. I would consider my setup to be a simple, economical, and practical system for someone looking for a good overall sound without getting too technical or overinvested.



I paired this receiver with an Energy RC Micro 5.1 speaker system and a 40" Sony Bravia LCD in a 14x20 room. (You could always go with cheaper speakers, but if you're going to spend extra anywhere, spend it on the speakers.) I hooked up a BluRay player, HD cable box, Wii, and an iPod dock. The receiver doesn't have lots of inputs - 1 HDMI out and 3 in (most people always want one more than what they have anyway). Extra HDMI's always help with avoiding early obsolescence, but I'm not planning on adding any other devices. If you have multiple game systems and other audio devices you're planning on adding down the road, I would move on to something more advanced. Even if you have an older DVD player, you can hook it up just fine, however HDMI will make your life much easier with this unit. (I originally started with an old compnonent DVD player and then ended up getting a BluRay player - The receiver WILL NOT send the audio through the HDMI OUT to the tv unless you hook up through the HDMI IN. You will have to send an additional audio signal such as optical if you use analog inputs).



Installation was tedious but not terribly difficult. It does not come with a microphone to help calibrate the surround sound balance, but it provides a test tone that you can activate to help you adjust them manually as you listen from your "sweet spot". Again, if you want the bells and whistles, you gotta pay more than $200. The menu on the receiver takes a bit of getting used to, but after playing around, you'll get the hang of it. There are some pretty advanced features as well, such as setting speaker distance and indicating speaker size. I would have liked an EQ with more than just treble and bass. Night mode is a nice feature as well - kind of like a "loudness" button that helps when using at lower volumes, boosting the treble and bass appropriately.



The preset 5.1 surround setting are okay, but who really uses "arena"? Just go out and buy the "live" version and stop annoying your guests. For music, I prefer to listen with a flat EQ anyway and I've kept mine on the recommended setting for daily TV watching and rarely have to touch the thing. However, spend the time to tweak your settings with DVDs and BluRay - You DO get better performance - worth fiddling with the menu before getting the popcorn.



The radio is well, just that - it works just fine, although again, who really puts in 40 presets? I don't know if it saves the settings if the power goes out - I think it does but I'm not really willing to chance it at this point. Reception strength is pretty good.



The iPod dock I hooked up (not included) was a pretty simple connection and integrates nicely. I also hooked up a wireless speaker device (also not included) to a pair of audio outs on the back and now I can fill my first and second floors plus my backyard with whatever my neighbors find most annoying.The remote is very good overall. I also have a Sony TV so the Sync function works very well. This way I rarely have to touch the receiver - the volume adjusts with my cable remote and if I change inputs, it changes the settings accordingly based on what I'm doing. When I don't want all the speakers on, I simply shut off the receiver and the tv automatically reverts to its normal speakers and vice versa. When I turn off the tv, the receiver goes off as well - seamlessly (HUGE PLUS FOR ME HERE). Some of these features might work with non-Sony TVs, but I'm not sure - you'll have to do some research there.



Are their better equipped receivers for more money? Yes. But for someone like me who doesn't need everything they have to offer, I can take that extra money and spend it elsewhere. This model is budget friendly, has solid sound and power, and is fairly straightforward once you learn the menu. I wanted something that would enhance my daily tv viewing, movie watching, and had the versatility for entertaining as well. Plus I wanted something that was simple to use and can become a relatively seamless addtion to my daily routine. I'd actually give it 4 1/2 stars if I could.



PS - Please be aware that hooking up a Wii via HDMI does nothing to enhance the quality of the image or sound, but it did make things much easier to hook up and use on a daily basis.'


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