Precision engineering allows your portable audio player or cell phone
to deliver surprisingly stunning sound
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septembre 22nd, 2010 by emmalee7802454
Ear Force X31 Digital RF Wireless Game Audio + Xbox Live Chat Description:
The Ear Force X31 is our third generation of wireless headsets for the XBOX 360. Like the X3, the X31 combines XBOX live chat with wireless game sound so you can hear the game sound and the voices of other players in the headset. In other words, it replaces your XBOX communicator headset and external speakers. By hearing the XBOX Live chat in the center of your head rather than in one ear, you can communicate better online. By eliminating speakers you can turn up the game without disturbing others. And, by having the game sound right on top of your ears, you can hear even the softest sound cues that are impossible to hear with speakers. For example, you can hear when someone is quietly sneaking up on you and react faster. That means you’ll have a totally immersive gaming experience while becoming a better player. Just like the X3, the X31 includes a headset and small transmitter. As you can see, the colors have been changed so it’s easy to see it’s a new model. What is different, however, is that we made the headset more comfortable by increasing the size of the ear cups so they sit around your ears rather than on top of them. We also replaced the vinyl ear cushions with these soft, fabric mesh cushions that let your ears breathe. The most significant improvement is that the X31 uses digital 2.4 Giga Hertz Radio Frequency wireless technology. This new digital RF technology is a huge improvement over analog IR because it delivers CD-quality sound with no background hiss, no interference from plasma TV screens and no line of sight restrictions between the transmitter and headset. Sound quality is improved with new 40mm speakers that use the same design as our high-quality X41 50mm speakers for better frequency response and improved clarity in the game sound. Inside the headset is a digital signal processor for bass boost and stereo expander effects, which can be turned on by pressing this button. This makes the expander more dramatic than the X3.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #137 in Video Games
- Brand: Turtle Beach
- Model: TBS-2165
- Released on: 2009-08-25
- Platform: Xbox 360
- Subtitled in: German
- Dimensions: 4.25″ h x 9.25″ w x 10.75″ l, 1.23 pounds
Features
- Digital RF Wireless USB Powered Analog Stereo Inputs Adjustable Mic Boom
- Independent Game Volume Independent XBOX Live Chat Volume Amplifier
- Mic Mute Switch Bass Boost Microphone Monitor Oversized Ear Cups Stereo Expander
- Chat boost
- Headphone Speaker Size 50mm Battery Auto Shut-Off Battery Life > 20hrs; Range up to 30¿
Customer Reviews:
Great headset, needs few improvements…
I waited to write my review until a week after receiving my headset. I have owned two sets of Turtle Beach headsets, I have an audio background, and I wanted to write a definitive review from somebody who has used multiple sets of their products and had knowledge in the audio field. The Turtle Beach X31’s are a repackaging/redesign of the popular Turtle Beach X3 headset. I’ve owned the Turtle Beach X1’s and now the X31’s.
I’ll start with the good. The X31’s have some great features! Here is a list of basic features and improvements:
-Almost everything is updated! The X31’s improve on everything that was decent in previous Turtle Beach headsets and you can tell Turtle Beach is definitely ironing out some of the complaints from previous model headsets and starting to get it “right.”
-Newly redesigned 40mm drivers/speakers. You can hear a difference in the quality! Upper mids and highs/treble frequencies are a lot better represented, providing more clarity to the game sound.
-Chat boost. When the game audio gets louder, it slightly increases chat volume to match it so the game audio doesn’t drown out chat voices.
-Effects. Bass boost button. Stereo widening button. Stereo widening + bass boost button. (each are all on the same button, you click it a number of times and hear an audible beep in your headset each step of the way)
-Power. Runs on two AAA’s. I recommend Duracell rechargeable NiMh batteries. Battery life is what the package claims from my personal testing. It has a circuit in the headphones that helps use up every bit of power from the batteries. Typical battery life is around 20 hours in regular use with Bass Boost engaged. Also, the headset will shut off automatically if no signal is detected for five minutes, which is nice.
-Comfort. They redesigned the headphone cups to go around your ears better. The material on the cups is also softer and less plastic like. It’s fabric mesh that is more breathable.
-Wireless. Truly wireless. Wires all plug in near your TV then you only have one wire to your controller to pick up the chat. The wire is redesigned as well, there is no “puck,” it’s a straight shot into your controller so that you can use the chatpad if you have it as well. =)
-Technology. 2.4ghz RF that is no longer “line-of-sight.” In testing, the unit worked anywhere around my TV from within about 15 feet of the sender unit.
-Basic functions. Boom mic that bends out of your way easily. Being able to mix the chat/audio on separate controls. You can actually hear in older emulated games like Halo 2! (emulation makes the voice really soft in a game like Halo 2 if you’re running it on a 360)
-Audio quality. This is a very nice headset compared to Turtle Beach’s older models. I really enjoyed my X1’s, but they were overly bassy, especially in the chat. This time around, it seems like the chat and audio go through separate processing. There’s more mids and highs, not “bass all the time only with a bit of highs sprinkled in.” The dynamic range is a lot clearer, there’s more frequencies represented and better separation at loud volumes.
-Online advantage. I play mostly first person shooters online. I would say this headset has saved me at least 2-3 times PER MATCH that I’ve tried it out in. The better audio quality makes footsteps stand out better than with previous Turtle Beach models. The games I tested were: Doom, Halo 2, Halo 3, Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield: 1943, Call of Duty 4, Ghost Recon, and some other non-FPS games. In each game, I could clearly hear when there were footsteps around me. Also, even though the headset is only stereo (no 5.1 Dolby Digital), you can hear a distinct direction each sound is coming from with this headset. I could even hear when there were snipers around me, I could hear the bolt cycling on their sniper rifle! (even if they were upstairs…play Bad Company with this headset, it’s a real treat!)
-Mic monitoring. Mixes in a bit of your own voice so you don’t talk too loudly with the headset on.
Now here’s a list of the negatives/improvements I think Turtle Beach could make:
-Price. Still a bit rough at $99.95. They are worth it, but a $79.99 tag seems a bit more realistic to me for Turtle Beach going forward.
-Mic monitoring. It mixes in your voice and you can hear yourself in pre-game lobbies, but let’s get realistic here, as soon as all the game audio comes in, you can’t hear yourself AT ALL. You still end up talking too loudly with the headset on.
-Material on earcups. The headphones are way more comfortable, but I noticed all around my ears you’ll get some kind of black ink wear-off. The material they used rubs off on your skin and leaves black marks all around your ears? I can’t believe somebody didn’t notice this when playtesting the headphones before the company gave the green light to ship them?
-Chat. I know it’s hard to take a low-level, noisy chat signal that is using really small bandwidth from Xbox Live and increase it real loud and make it sound good. The chat is a HUGE improvement, don’t get me wrong. I still think they could make it better. They mention that there is no “hiss” from game audio. There isn’t. The game audio itself sounds uncompressed and great. The problem is, you get a noisy chat signal, plus if you’re using a wireless controller with batteries, you get an annoying hiss from that with the chat signal. I do not know for the life of me why Turtle Beach (an audio company, mind you) could not implement a “noise gate” into the chat processing so low level hiss could be eliminated and the gate would open up when speaking or voice comes through. That could be a simple button you could use to turn the noise gate on or off.
Also, with the chat, they took ALL the bass out of chat. It would be nice to have a little bass in there. Games like Halo 3 have the chat so loud that it starts to break up and distort, it’s almost too much treble all the time in your ears! (and yes, I have the chat set up correctly, it’s not boosted too much and my sender unit is set correctly as well along with dashboard/guide chat volume)
-Audio levels. A big one for me. It seems like you don’t get audio out of the headset until it’s up 1/3 of the way, then it starts increasing. You wish there was just a bit more audio that you could push the volume level to. You wish there was just a bit more bass that was added in as well. You still get a full bass sound, but it’s not close to the X1’s. I know it’s wireless and they made them a bit quieter and with a little less bass to conserve battery life since low frequencies take more energy to reproduce notes, but you still wish there was a bit more, especially after using the X1’s that get LOOOOUD and have a ton of bass! I was expecting the bass boost button to do a tad bit more…
-Battery life. Great at around 20 hours. I wanted to point out once again to buy rechargeables, because you will definitely go through batteries!
-Effects. I found the “stereo widening” function absolutely useless. It’s not something they needed to add in and they could have made some other better effect or maybe another click to the bass boost instead.
Over all, I gave this headset a 4 our of 5. It’s a great headset and a nice step up in features from the X1’s and X3’s. I think if Turtle Beach does one more headset, they will get everything right and put out an even better product. Worth the money, I would buy this headset again and recommend it to friends.
Thanks for reading my review!
A great gaming enhancing experience!
Ok first of all, to all those who are trying to scare off potential buyers with the “popping/ crackling” noise, you don’t know how to read instructions. The popping noise isn’t a problem if you know where to correctly place your headphone equipment. These headphones offer quality you can’t get with most t.vs. I can hear footsteps of the enemy as they try to sneak up on me, gunshots off in the distance, the action sounds like its right there.
The headphones are a comfortable fit with a decent mic. I can whisper into the mic and my friends can hear me no problem. This is an excellent alternative for gaming at night. I highly recommend this to anybody who wants to hear everything, including the chat of your friends or foe. With chat boost, chat is not drowned out with explosions.
I am purposely keeping this review short because I saw so many good reviews. I was worried about buying this because of the “noise popping” comments, and I am writing this to clear any concerns potential buyers may have. I have a wireless internet router in the same room as my gaming system and headphones. As long as you READ THE INSTRUCTIONS about placement, you can game effortlessly without any distractions. Haven’t had any problem at all with these headphones. Best accessory purchase I’ve made.
The product that I needed!
I bought this product after mulling over the other Turtle Beach headsets for my Xbox 360 gaming. I am very impressed with these headphones. I had no idea that there were that many sounds going on in the game until I put these on. It’s amazing what I was missing just listening through my TV set. The reason I bought these is for late night gaming session where I need it quiet for the rest of the sleeping house. And, it does this perfect. The chat is also very clear. The setup is very simple. All in all a great product for my needs and wants.
From the Manufacturer
The Ear Force X31 elevates your XBOX gaming experience to a new level with superior stereo sound and a crystal-clear, digital RF wireless connection.
Overview:
With its comfortable ergonomic design, exceptional sound quality and XBOX LIVE online chat, the X31 immerses you in the game as you communicate with online players, and blocks out distractions so you can focus on the action.
Playing your favorite XBOX game with the Ear Force X31 gives you a significant advantage because you can hear sound cues that you can’t hear with speakers - the soft footsteps of an enemy sneaking up on you, or a loading weapon in the distance. By hearing sounds others can’t, you’ll react faster and take them out before they take you out.
If you’re serious about your XBOX 360 gaming, get serious about the sound. Move up to the Ear Force X31 and become a better player while experiencing XBOX 360 games as they were meant to be heard.
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2.4GHz Wireless Digital RF Technology for CD quality sound! Click here to enlarge
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Convenient settings on the X31 allow quick adjustments without interrupting gameplay! Click here to enlarge
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Enjoy late night gaming without Xbox 360 gaming without disturbing others! Click here to enlarge
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2.4GHz Wireless Digital RF Technology
The Ear Force X31 transmits game audio to the headset with an uncompressed wireless digital radio frequency (RF) signal to deliver CD-quality sound that rivals professional-grade wired headphones. Best of all, the wireless RF signal does not require “line of sight” to operate. That means you can stand anywhere near your XBOX 360 and hear a clear, noise-free signal.
Chat Boost - Dynamic Talkback Expander
If you’ve ever had trouble hearing teammates on XBOX LIVE when the game sound heats up, then you know how frustrating it can be when you have to keep adjusting the chat volume. Chat Boost fixes this problem by automatically adjusting the XBOX LIVE chat level when the game gets louder, so chat from teammates isn’t lost in the exciting parts of your game. As the game sound gets louder, Chat Boost turns up the chat volume automatically so you can still hear what everyone is saying.
It’s a simple solution to an annoying problem, and it all happens automatically - so you don’t have to adjust anything!
Stereo Expander
The X31 headset incorporates a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) that spreads the stereo game signal to provide a “wider” sound field. This results in a richer, fuller sound than conventional stereo sound - almost as if it originates from outside of the headphones.
Bass Boost
The X31 headset DSP also lets you turn on a Bass Boost feature that produces deep, rich bass tones by increasing the volume of low frequency sounds - just like turning up the volume on the sub-woofer on your home theater system. Bass Boost improves your gaming experience by kicking-up the sound level of explosions, gun shots and other deep-bass sound effects, making them even more dramatic.
Microphone Monitoring
It’s hard to hear yourself speak when a headset is covering your ears. The X31 corrects this annoyance with its microphone monitoring feature. The X31 adds a portion of the microphone signal into the headset signal, so you can hear some of your voice along with incoming chat and game audio. Microphone monitoring not only keeps you from talking too loud, it also eliminates that annoying “clogged ears” feeling when talking while the headset is covering your ears.
Independent Chat/Game Volumes
Separate volume controls let you adjust the game and chat levels, so you can easily balance them and never have to worry about missing a cue from your teammates.
Advanced Battery Booster Circuitry
The X31 has a “battery booster” circuit that squeezes every last bit of power from the batteries and assures high quality sound until they’re completely dead. This allows a pair of AAA Alkaline batteries to last for as long as 25 straight hours of game play. You can also buy standard rechargeable batteries in place of Alkaline batteries.
Powered By USB
The transmitter is powered by a single USB port on your XBOX, or from a nearby PC or laptop. So there is no need to fuss with a separate AC power adapter.
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septembre 18th, 2010 by emmalee7802454
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Sony BDP-S470 Blu-ray Disc Player
Product: Sony BDP-S470 Blu-ray Disc Player-Retail $199.99! Sale Only $199.00!
List Price: $199.99
Amazon Price: $199.00
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Enjoy Blu-ray 3D movies in Full HD1080p and improve the quality of DVDs to near HD with the Sony BDP-S470 Blu-ray Disc Player. Play your favorite movies faster than ever or connect to the internet and instantly access a wide variety of movies, TV shows, music and more. Plus turn your iPhone or iPod touch into a remote control by downloading a free app.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1109 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: Black
- Brand: Sony
- Model: BDP-S470
- Dimensions: 1.41″ h x 16.92″ w x 8.11″ l, 2.00 pounds
Features
- Blu-ray 3D playback capability
- BRAVIA Internet Video: Access movies, music, videos & more
- iPhone/iPod touch BD Remote
- Quick Start/Load to watch movies faster than ever
- BRAVIA Monolithic matching design for clean esthetics
A great player, with some issues
I was excited to get this player. I had been waiting a long time for one that had a good set of features and a reasonable price. Overall, in the 2 weeks I’ve had it, I’ve really loved it. I’ll go over the good and the bad of this Blu-ray player.
First the bad:
The remote, like all Sony remotes, are very basic. It handles the Blu-ray player functions fine. It also has built in TV remote functions as well. I have a Sony Bravia TV that is about 2 years old. However the remote doesn’t work for about half of the functions, making this remote useless for controlling the TV. The remote can be set to a handful of TV brands. You would think that it could at least handle a Sony TV properly.
NOTE: When registering the device on the Sony site, this model is not listed (as of this review). I selected the model S570 instead and that worked for me.
When playing a Netflix movie, one time the movie locked up the player. It didn’t respond to the remote, then completely restarted itself. Of course it didn’t remember where it had stopped in the movie and I had to search to find where I was to finish the movie. Hopefully this doesn’t happen often.
At the time of this review DLNA has not been included with the player and will be available later, so I could not test this out. Being that it isn’t relly a new thing, you would think that they’d have this already included.
AVI file playback is only avalable to Canada players.
The buttons on this box are tiny and the labelling is just as small and hard to read. Pale white print on black is always hard to read. In a dark area it is nearly impossible, even with the little light that it shines on the lower button panel, so using the remote is the way to go. Don’t forget it when you go to load a disc. You’ll probably end up memorizing button locations if you like to use the buttons on the player itself.
If you are playing a disc and decide to stop play for any reason, it exits disc mode entirely, connects you to Gracenote, and returns to the Xross menu. Forget about returning to where you stopped. You have to go back to the very beginning of the disc loading process.
You have to point the remote directly at the player to get it to do anything. It’s very picky about this.
The good:
This is a very nice machine. It oozes high-tech. It is small and lightweight and no bigger than the slim Sony upconverting DVD player it had replaced. They could have used the exact same case for it.
Load times are excellent. There is a setting that can have it load even faster if you don’t mind keeping it powered in standby mode.
The Sony Xross menu system makes sense and is easy to navigate. The menu is in 1080p, so it looks smooth and not cheap like other older players have done.
Setup was a breeze. Plug in your connections and power it on. You’re ready to go. You just have to register the device with Sony and Netflix and Amazon if you use those services. Simple and quick. Sony already had a software update for the player, so I had it do the update and it was done after a few minutes.
There are a number of on-line sites you can visit for music, music videos, a handful of movies and other misc. on-line video content. Assuming that the original on-line content is in good quality, the video picture quality is very nice.
You can use your DVDs to play your own content. You aren’t restricted to using the USB connection. If you have a supported video or audio format stored on a disc, you can play it on this player. Really awesome.
I look forward to the DLNA support coming later. I’ll be able to connect to my PC where I have my own video and photos stored there.
Standard DVD playback is excellent. This is not just upconverted playback. It also puts it in 24p and it also appears to have cleaned up the DVD picture quality, so it’s seriously close to Blu-ray quality. For your regular movie you’ll start to ask yourself if you really need those Blu-ray discs after all.
Blu-ray disc playback is, of course, excellent. If you haven’t had one before, you’ll see colors and depth that you’ve not seen before on a TV screen. Details are sharp and it’s performed without the slightest hesitation in this area.
3D support is coming later for this player. I probably won’t use this, but it’s good to know that it’s going to be there if I do decide to go that route.
Overall, this is something that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and I expect I’ll be using for years to come. Some of the issues can be overlooked and some can be fixed with software updates if Sony decides to do so. A universal remote is in my near future. I’m very happy with this purchase.
Update: April 12, 2010
Sony has sent out a firmware update for this player. It mainly gives you some enhancements to Gracenote and for the photo slideshow feature. Still no DLNA.
I have a SanDisk Cruzer 8GB USB device where I have some video. I tried using this in the front USB input in order to play my video. However I got a message that the USB device is not compatible. Apparently you can’t use just any USB storage with this player. The manual says nothing about limitations in this area. My old 2GB drive works fine.
A fine Blu Ray player loaded with extras!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1GFIK0NPLFN5U Hello, all. This is a 9 min video review for the Sony BDP-S470. I made it because I thought most people looking for speed and performance in there players would be impressed by this one. Because amazon limits the size and length of the videos, the quality in this one isn’t all that great. Also if you want to see the Netflix connectivity in use I posted that video on Youtube. Needless to say, I’m very impressed with the build quality and performance of this product, and I think you will be too. Hope this review is helpful.
Great player great deal
The player loads fast and looks amazing. Very happy with this purchase. Not 100% sold on the Xross menu layout, can be a bit counter intuitive at first, but you can pick it up quick enough.
The picture quality is ridiculous. This player really cranks through some heavy scenes. I have a 1080i and a 1080P TV in my home and it looks damn near perfect on the 1080i and better than real life on the 1080P.
The Dobly/dts audio tracks are earth shattering. I have yet to upgrade to a True HD compatible receiver but it handles the lossy 5.1 tracks beautifully.
The streaming capabilities all look and sound great (wired directly too the ethernet port). I noticed none of the Netflix streaming issues I have heard about on past Sony BDPs (HD streaming Netflix looks as good if not better than most upscaled DVDs on this system, and that is not a crack on upscaled DVDs). I really hope that we get Pandora soon on the Sony players.
“BD Remote” for iPhone works flawlessly (so far) and is a great secondary remote for when Im too lazy to reach for the remote on the coffee table.
You will need a USB flash drive if you want to access any BD Live content (no onboard memory). I have yet to dl any BD Live stuff but speaking of USB drives, streaming music/videos off of them looks/sounds great. Note about USB drives, dont buy a “U3″ enabled flash drive. I had no idea what the hell U3 was and didnt even know I purchased such an option until the player refused to recognize it. After much frustration and good ol’ “google research” I figured out my mistake.
This player is also 3D ready, which seems silly and all but its nice to feel like I have a little bit of security if I happen to find it in the budget to upgrade any time soon.
Overall this player packs a ton of features for the price tag. If you’re debating the PS3 purchase but aren’t huge on the gaming then save your money and get this player. When all is said and done with the PS3 (Remote + extra controller + 2 yr warranty) you will end up spending well over $400. I got this player (with a 4 year warranty) for $220. Worth every penny.
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septembre 18th, 2010 by emmalee7802454
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TomTom ONE 130 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Product: TomTom ONE 130 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Sale-$79.99!
List Price: $199.95
Amazon Price: $79.99
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- Amazon Sales Rank: #965 in Consumer Electronics
- Brand: TomTom
- Model: ONE 130
- Format: CD
- Dimensions: .80″ h x 3.60″ w x 3.30″ l, 2.76 pounds
- Native resolution: 320×240
- Display size: 3.5
Features
- 3.5-inch touchscreen with award-winning Fold & Go EasyPort mount that folds flat against the device, making it easy to take with you from car to car
- Effortless navigation from A to B–enter the address on the touchscreen or use voice address entry and start driving
- Preloaded with millions of points of interest to enhance your traveling experience–easily find your favorite gas stations, hotels
- With TomTom Map Share technology, you can instantly modify street names, street direction, POIs, road speeds
- Help Me! menu provides added safety features so you can easily access local emergency providers, such as police, fire stations
SAME GREAT TOMTOM NAME BUT NO REASON TO UPGRADE
Here is the latest in TomTom technology. The TomTom 130. This latest development from TomTom will be perfect for first time GPS buyers who are looking for something simple, compact, and accurate. For previous owners of the TomTom One however, this is no reason to upgrade.
The product itself is as close to perfection as I’ve seen in a basic GPS device, hence the five star rating, but then again so is the TomTom One 3rd edition that was released late last year. The TomTom 130 model is basically the TomTom One with a few minor upgrades. The most notable would be the new flip and fold mounting capability. Instead of the standard suction cup mount that TomTom owners are used to owning as a separate component (one that slides in and out of the back custom grooves of the TomTom itself) there is now an attached mount that folds into the unit for easy storage. This is convenient but in my opinion and like the other minor upgrades, no reason to toss out your old TomTom One in exchange.
iPod has set the standard for a lot of electronic thresholds, none being more noticeable than the size and depth of its products. To some it up…slim is in and the TomTom 130 is even slimmer than its big brother the TomTom One weighing in at a 6.1 ounces and only 1 inch in depth. Here are the some minor specs:
Unit Size: 3.8″H x 3.2″W x 1″D
Display Size: 3.5″ (Diagonal)
Weight: 6.1 oz
Also worth noting is the TomTom 130 now boasts a 3 hour battery charge instead of the paltry 2 hour that left TomTom One owners completely dependent on the cigarette chargers in their cars. 3 hours isn’t exactly a wealth of time but it is an improvement and a little more realistic.
Also included with the product is TomTom’s exclusive Map Share feature that allows users to make their own map corrections and share them with other TomTom customers through their online connection using the TomTom Home software on their PC. This service is free of charge.
This has been the subject of some confusion among TomTom users and should be pointed out. Some customers mistakenly think the Map Share updates they receive are entire map upgrades. This is not so. Although TomTom does provide its customers with Map Share updates free of charge these only include minor map modifications, such as dead end streets that weren’t marked properly or points-of-interest that were marked out of place. These Map Share updates do not include the miles of new roads being built every year across America & Canada. In order to receive these major map updates customers will have to pay for them.
Of course the TomTom 130 will already come included with the latest Tele Atlas which is now version 720.1802, and although TomTom has major map upgrades throughout the year most customers (including myself) will be content with just paying for an upgrade once a year. This guarantees that you will always have the latest maps with the newest roads.
Like the TomTom One 3rd Edition the TomTom 130 comes with a “Help Me” button which when pressed opens features such as “Phone For Help” which displays emergency numbers for the current location (such as and typically 911) “Drive To Help” which show you the quickest way to the nearest police station or hospital and a “First Aid Guide” which is provided by the British Red Cross.
Also included in the safety features is an option to sound a custom alarm if any of the following occur:
1. When approaching a school or church
2. When driving faster than a set speed
3. When driving faster than allowed
The 130 still uses the same TomTom touch screen user-interface so prior TomTom users will already be familiar with the controls but with such a user friendly design even new customers will have the hang of it in no time. The screen is a bright 3.5 inch full TFT color LCD with 320 x 240 pixels that supports 64K colors.
For first time GPS buyers this unit is perfect because of its price, portability, latest maps, outstanding user-interface, and simplicity. For someone looking to upgrade to something a little more advanced try the TomTom 130S with text-to-speech capability (verbal pronunciation of street names).
Good GPS, poor speaker quality
I really liked this GPS at first, esp. the ability to download updates, pictures and even voices all for free. However the speaker quality was very poor, tinny, and hard to hear, even after I made adjustments in the menu.
I called Tom Tom, hoping that I had a bad unit and it could be swapped for one with better speaker quality, they said, unfortunately, due to the compact design, all the speakers in that line are the same quality. Reluctantly I returned it.
Amazon has a great return policy.
I then bought a Garmin Nuvi 350, and wow, the speaker quality is much better.
Love my TomTom
I recently bought the Magellan Maestro 3225 and, after 5 days, returned it because it was really user unfriendly. I then got the TomTom for the same price and I love it! So many more features than the other one. One thing I love is that it gives you a choice of route and background colors so that you can decide what color scheme works best for you. Also, gives you several choices of voices to choose from, which is nice. The British one is so polite! HA HA! I would highly recommend this device, and at $150, it’s a good deal. One thing — I highly recommend downloading the Mr. T voice … There’s nothing better than to be told to make a left up here, fool! I pity you!
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septembre 17th, 2010 by emmalee7802454
Brother DR110CL Replacement Drum Unit Compatible with Brother HL4040CN,HL4070CDW Series Description:
Replacement Drum Unit for HL-4040cn, HL-4070cdw, MFC-9440cn, MFC-9840cdw
- Color: BLACK
- Brand: Brother
- Model: DR-110CL
- Format: CD
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.40″ h x 17.30″ w x 19.30″ l, 6.57 pounds
- CPU: AMD Athlon 1 GHz
- Memory: 128000MB DRAM
- Hard Disk: 1GB
- Processors: 1
- Native resolution: 640×480
- Display size: 669.2913385827
Features
Customer Reviews:
When you need it what are going to do?
Some printers replace their drum each time you replace the toner. This drives up the price of the ink. Brother has opted to keep the drum (actually this is all the drums–one for each color) separate. It’s a must have product. Amazon had the best price that I could find on the web. When you need it and your printer stops functioning what are you going to do?–buy one.
Replacement drum works as indicated.
Works just like it is supposed to work. I always have luck with mfgr parts and often have problems with after market or discount parts. Buy the name brand if you want your equipment to last.
Product is a good quality item.
Product is just as described. We use this for a small business (less than 30 people) and have good luck with the quality and availability.
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septembre 17th, 2010 by emmalee7802454
Panasonic DMP-BD70V Blu-ray Disc/VHS Multimedia Player Description:
Does it feel like technology is moving too fast, and your barely keeping up? Blu-ray Disc/VHS Combination Player gives you both the technology of yesterday and today, wherein you don’t have to send your precious VHS cassettes to storage just yet in that the unique feature about this player compared to a regular VHS player is the fact that it provides up-conversion so it will enhance your viewing experience, like watching a remastered copy, but instead of doing the tedious task of improving video and audio quality yourself, the player does it for you. It even features an SD memory card slot and USB terminal so you don’t have to unload your digital media for it to be viewed, wherein simply insert an SD memory card filled with joyous memories into your player, and let the good times begin, there is even the possibility for JPEG slideshow with music and transition effect, so not only will you dazzle your audience with you family photos, but also the innovative features of your Blu-ray Disc/VHS Combination Player. VHS Playback and 1080p HDMI Out Deep Color and x.v.Color 148.5MHz/12bit Video D/A Converter Digital Noise Reduction (3D-NR/ Integrated NR) Picture Mode (Normal, Soft, Fine, Cinema, User) Picture Adjustment (Contrast, Brightness, Sharpness, Color, Gamma Correction) Audio Features - Built-in Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Digital Plus and DTSTM-HD Decoder 192kHz/24bit Audio D/A Converter 96kHz Surround Re-master for All Formats (BD, DVD, CD and MP3) Output - HDMI AV Output Component Video Output Video Output 2ch Audio Output Digital Audio Output (1 Optical) Ethernet for BD-Live, VIERA CAST and Firmware Update Convenience Features - Compatible with VIERA CAST (YouTube, Picasa, etc) Compatible with BD-Live and BONUSVIEW VIERA Link or Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Product Line-up Movie (AVCHD, MPEG2) & JPEG View with SD Memory Card Slot Music (MP3) & Photos (JPEG) Playback on US
- Amazon Sales Rank: #73 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: Black
- Brand: Panasonic
- Model: DMP-BD70V
- Dimensions: 3.75″ h x 17.00″ w x 13.00″ l, 5.70 pounds
Features
- Blu-ray Disc/VHS combination player with SD memory card slot and USB
- Multi-media capability allows for convenient playback and up-conversion of content from any media storage format–VHS, DVD, CD and more
- 7.1-channel lossless audio decode and bit-stream output for exceptional sound
- VIERA Cast internet functionality for enjoying online entertainment from YouTube, Amazon VOD, and more
- Intelligent auto standby for more efficient power usage
Customer Reviews:
Yes, I still have VHS movies to watch
Why would someone want to buy a video player that accepts both the latest Blu-Ray format and the perhaps obsolete VHS formats? Well, as someone who has their foot in both the past and the future, let me tell you why I love this player.
Yes, I can definitely appreciate the crispness and clarity of the high definition Blu-Ray format, and I wish to experience that format. But Blu-Ray discs are pricey, so I will likely choose to purchase only a few new select and favorite films in that format. I feel no need, and don’t have the wallet, to replace my entire film library in a Blu-Ray format.
I also have a collection of nearly 500 VHS tapes, most of them unwatched, which I mostly purchased in thrift stores. (current standard price for VHS tape in a thrift - $1) I also have a fair number of films that have not yet been released on DVD yet.
It is nice to have a player that will accept both VHS and Blu-Ray, along with standard DVD formats. No switching back and forth of cables, etc.
The DMP-BD70V upconversion of the VHS to 1080p is really quite amazing. My current television is a 42″ HDTV (one year ago it was a 19 inch color set) When I connected my previous standard VHS player to the HDTV, the picture quality, as expected, was quite poor, with much of the image being rather pixelated - it was quite painful and distracting to watch.
Then I hooked up the DMP-BD70V, and lone behold, the picture quality was much, much better - and very watchable. At first I almost thought that the VHS tape had been replaced by a DVD - the improvement was that great. There was no pixelation at all, and the colors were quite bright. The overall quality of the picture was much better than the picture obtained with my old 19″ color TV and VHS player. The upscaling features of the DMP-BD70V is almost as if a magician had waved his wand over your entire library of VHS tapes, and suddenly replaced them, Cinderella-like, with a much higher quality product.
There are some things you cannot do with a VHS tape. The picture size remains at the older 4:3 format - meaning there is considerable empty space at the left and right sides of the HDTV screen. You also won’t get the added commentary tracks that appear on DVD and Blu-Ray discs, but sometimes all one really wants to do is simply watch a movie, with no other frills involved.
For a few years, I will have several options for my home movie viewing. On one end, the $1 VHS tapes (upgraded to 1080p), in the middle the standard DVD format, and on the high side, the Blu-Ray format. This DMP-BD70V allows me to watch all three formats, and allows me to choose whether I want to pay $1, $15, or $30 for each movie format. That is what I call flexibility.
I did a comparison price check for the DMP-BD70V model, versus a similar model without the VHS tape compatibility - the difference was about $50 more. For me, it was well worth it.
Obviously those without VHS tapes do not need this DMP-BD70V model. But those who do have some older VHS tapes, and wish to still view them, will love this model.
Okay for a Second or Back-up Player
If you want a combination blu ray/vhs player, then this is the only game in town so you are kind of stuck right now. However, I must point out a number of limitations:
1.) As many pointed out (some of which are poor souls who didn’t read carefully and bought without knowing this), there is no ability to record material on this. So if you record a weekly/daily program, you will still have to have a vhs or dvd recorder to do that.
2.) The component connection from this player to an HDTV did not work well with VHS tapes as the picture appeared all smudged. The tapes looked fine with an HDMI connection.
3.) I have trouble getting my remote sometimes to recognize I have a VHS tape in the player and often have to manually start the play. I have not had this problem when I want to play a disc, only VHS.
4.) This is not wireless, so to take advantage of the VIERA Cast if you are not close to your router, you must use an Ethernet adapter/access point (somewhere between $35 and $60 or more). I used an Asus WL-330gE purchased on sale at another site and chose the Ethernet adapater setting when configuring. I found this product worked perfectly with this blu ray player as it came with both the Ethernet cable as well either a plug-in power cord or a USB power cord. I used the USB power cord to plug into the USB slot on this blu ray player. Not only does using the USB power cord eliminate you having to plug another item into a power strip, but when you turn the player off, the USB power cord turns off as well, so you are not wasting electricity.
5.) Now, this is my biggest problem with this player. VIERA Cast. I specifically bought this player as a secondary blu ray for my bedroom (my primary player is in my family room), for two reasons– the vhs component (I record off my primary player, so didn`t need to record on this one) and the announcement last year that VIERA Cast would have Netflix. I currently stream Netflix through my other player and was looking forward to streaming in my bedroom with this one as Netflix lets you stream on a number of devices with the same account. I now read (which was NOT in the announcement I read last year), that Netflix will be on Panasonic Blu Rays ONLY built in 2010 or later. Why? Because they completely re-built the technical infrastructure within the blu rays and only those with the new infrastructure will host Netflix. I guess they used up their “old parts” making this player figuring the VHS crowd wouldn’t be interested in the newest technology.
I don’t quite get the “usefulness” of VIERA Cast. The weather and stock parts are next to useless–if I really wanted to know the weather, I’d simply click to one of numerous weather stations that I get over the air. With regards to the stock market updates–I’d go to something on the internet as I would want to track my specific holding not just look at a generic stock market update. With NetCast (on the LG BD 90 blu ray player I have) I get YouTube, Netflix streaming (obviously have to have a Netflix account to take advantage of), as well as Vudu and CinemaNow that have pay per view rentals (most with option to buy). You do not get Amazon Video on Demand on the LG player as you do this player, but I would wonder how many movies Amazon might have that the other movie rental view options would not.
So, my best take on this player is if you need to record programs, or want to stream Netflix, do NOT buy this player. If you need to connect wirelessly, you must factor into the cost of this player an Ethernet adapter.
Am I keeping mine? Yes, because I bought at super sale price (around 165 dollars), so the cost of adding an Ethernet adapter was not prohibitive. It does eliminate the need for a vhs in my bedroom, and since I record through a dvd/vhs recorder in my family room, the lack of recording in this player does not affect me. However, I must now either choose not to stream Netflix to my bedroom, or buy a Roku.
If I do read that Panasonic has decided to add Netflix to the players with the “old” infrastructure (they are receiving some complaints obviously), I will update my review. If someone else reads such an announcement, please post a comment to my review with the source of the announcement.
Thank you, Panasonic
As far as I know this is the only combo of this kind on the market, and I couldn’t be happier. Despite the outdated format and my dwindling videotape collection, I wanted to replace my old Magnavox VCR instead of abandoning VHS altogether. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I not only could still do that, I could additionally upgrade to Blu without having to find more shelf space or another power outlet. Since it isn’t really all that versatile otherwise, this player is a snap to hook up. There are no inputs (except LAN) and the outputs consist of HDMI, component and composite video, with analog and digital audio (fiber optic only). It only comes with a set of RCA analog audio/video cables, so plan ahead. I am only using the HDMI video and optical audio and it plays discs flawlessly. Pop in a videotape and it automatically switches to VHS mode and reformats itself to 4:3, while still outputting only through the digital ports. Yes, this is only a player–I prefer DVD-RAM for recording these days, anyway–but if you want the ultimate in all-in-one playback, including USB devices and SD cards, this device is for you.
Amazon.com Product Description
Panasonic’s DMP-BD70V combines a high quality image with enhanced networking functions, including Panasonic’s VIERA Cast internet functionality for enjoying online entertainment from YouTube, Amazon VOD, and more. Play back your favorite Blu-ray discs, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs and more, and enjoy up-conversion to 1080p with formats of lower resolutions. The DMP-BD70V also lets you take advantage of 7.1 channel Blu-ray surround sound, and enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources.
A high quality image with enhanced networking functions
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PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus
Developed in collaboration with Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, this high image processing technology reproduces clear, vivid colors that are faithful to the original film.
High-Def Audio
Recognizing that audio is important to the overall entertainment experience, Panasonic’s three 2009 Blu-ray Disc players feature a high definition audio decoder (Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio Essential) to take advantage of the exceptionally high quality 7.1 channel surround sound now integrated in Blu-ray Discs.
96kHz Surround Re-Master
This function enhances the sound quality of CDs and other sources, and even improves the quality of the multi-channel audio data on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs.
View rear connections
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Full-function remote included
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Format-Friendly
The DMP-BD70V distinguishes itself as the world’s first dual deck VHS-Blu-ray player, providing the consumer with a video product that features multi-format playback allowing the user to play VHS, CD, DVD and 1080p high definition Blu-ray Discs. The BD70V allows for premium 1080p up-conversion for all video formats.
VIERA CAST
VIERA CAST technology is now available in Panasonic’s 2009 Blu-ray players. The internet enabled technology lets the consumer access the internet without the need of either an external box or a PC and enjoy entertainment from sites like Amazon VOD, YouTube, Google’s Picasa Web Album, Bloomberg and more. The DMP-BD70V also includes an SD Memory card slot and USB slot, so you can view and share both digital still images and HD video recorded with an HD camcorder in the AVCHD format.
4:4:4 Technology
In order to produce the ultimate picture quality, Panasonic’s Blu-ray players employ high precision 4:4:4 signal technology, which working in tandem with PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus processes each pixel of the Blu-ray Disc video signal in the horizontal direction, to compliment vertical direction processing. P4HD (Pixel Precision Progressive Processing for HD) is another technology that contributes to the superior picture quality of the Blu-ray players. P4HD processes more than 15 billion pixels per second and applies the optimal processing to every pixel. Panasonic’s Blu-ray players further utilize 16-level motion detection to categorize the image motion of each pixel into one of 16 levels; diagonal processing to detect diagonals and correct the pixels accordingly; 1080p up-conversion to up-convert content recorded in the 480i/p or 720p format to 1080p. The Blu-ray players also provide 1080/24p output, thereby reproducing cinema images from a Blu-ray Disc and DVD in their original 24p form with no need for conversion. This allows the user to enjoy cinema images in the same format used in cinema with a 1080/24p compatible TV.
Lower Power Consumption
Panasonic’s 2009 Blu-ray players use Auto Power Stand-By, a function that automatically turns off the player when you return to TV operation using the VIERA Link menu. In addition, the Stand-by Power Save automatically turns off the player’s Quick Start function. When VIERA is turned on, Quick Start also turns on. In addition, the development of the UniPhier single chip LSI makes it possible to pack an entire video signal processing circuit onto a single chip. This helps lower power consumption, reduces the number of parts needed and allows for a more compact design.
What’s in the Box
Panasonic DMP-BD70V, Remote control (batteries included), A/V cable, Power supply cord
Rent or Buy more than 50,000 Titles from Amazon Video On Demand
Rent or Buy more than 50,000 Titles from Amazon Video On Demand With Amazon Video On Demand (available only in the U.S.) , Panasonic customers can now instantly watch more than 50,000 commercial-free movies and television shows, including hit new releases and the latest episodes available in HD.
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Using an intuitive interface, order movies right from their couch and enjoy instant playback without waiting for lengthy downloads or annoying commercials. Prices start as low as $.99 and no subscription fee is required |
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Find
Choose from thousands of movies and TV shows by browsing the Amazon Video On Demand store (U.S. only) on your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player or TV. Access and add to your virtual collection of purchases via Amazon Video On Demand’s Your Video Library and re-watch anytime on your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, TV, your PC or Mac and other compatible devices. |
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Rent or Buy
Renting and purchasing titles is a snap with the power of Amazon’s 1-click purchasing. Order new release movies and the latest TV shows right from your couch and you’re watching within seconds. Prices start as low as $.99. |
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Watch
Enjoy Amazon Video On Demand’s high quality video right from your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player or TV. Videos playback instantly, without waiting for a download. Purchases and rentals are added to Your Video Library and stored online by Amazon so you can conveniently watch them again on your Panasonic Blu-ray Disc player, TV, PC or Mac, and other compatible devices. |
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