VIZIO XWR100 Dual-Band HD Wireless Internet Router Review

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(More customer reviews)As Vizio products had the reputation for being the 'WalMart' of electronics, I was skeptical to try this router. I did some homework and found that others who had tried it were Very satisfied with it's performance. What better endorsement than that of a fellow user? So, since the price was Half that of the Cisco comparable - why not give it a shot. I had been using a Netgear wireless G and was having no problems. When I added a Sony HD TV and BluRay player, set up for wireless -- I began to have some stalls and 'waiting to catch up' times - especially on Netflix HD feeds. This Vizio dedicated the to 5.4 band Just for the HD video feed and has performed better than I Ever hoped.
Set-up was Out of the Box to Working in less than 10 mins. The interface is Easy to use. All my devices (3 PCs - 2 iTouch - and a Sony Dock - in addition to the TV) recognized and accepted the device immediately.
I would buy one again, and definitly recommend this to anyone wanting to watch HD streaming TV.

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Wirelessly stream HD movies, TV shows, music and more right to your Internet HDTV with the VIZIO XWR100 Dual-Band HD Wireless Internet Router. Optimized for VIZIO Internet Apps and ideal for online HD video and audio, the XWR100 features simultaneous dual-band 802.11n wireless for the best performance and compatibility.

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Pioneer PDP-6010FD 60-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I had been waiting for the Kuro line of plasma panels to arrive, and about a month ago, the 50" 720p unit went on display at the local stores. It clearly had deeper blacks than anything else on the wall, and the screen was among the best in rejecting room reflections.
On this first impression, I pre-ordered a PDP-6010 (60" 1080p), and it arrived two days ago. What can I say? It is better than I had hoped for. The last unit I had the pleasure of viewing was a new Samsung plasma, and it's great, but this is the next level. Reflections are muted and unobtrusive, even in a brightly lit skylight illuminated room. False contouring has been reduced, especially in HD. But what makes this TV stand out is the shadow detail. This technology has brought shadow details and reflective images into a new era.
A few unexpected and pleasant surprises: 1) The unit has a beautiful acrylic surround/bezel. Really sharp and you don't see it in the photos.
2) Made in the USA!
3) Subwoofer output. I threw out the surround sound mess; no more extra wires, speakers and confusing remote. Just kept the powered subwoofer (not Pioneer brand), attached it to the new set and have GREAT sound that's simple and simple. No, it isn't full surround sound, but it is very clean and more than loud enough. Our family members can all operate it without incident, which is an improvement.
The only down side: You must assemble the stand and speaker bar to the unit. This is not complicated, but definitely requires two strong people and a LARGE table with a clean, protective sheet or blanket. Even if you hire someone to do this, you'll need the table for them to do it. Can't be done on the floor. Wouldn't risk using the couch. A bed could be suitable.

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The Pioneer KURO PDP-6010FD is a 1080p plasma television featuring an exceptionally bright and clear 60-inch screen, one of the larger sizes available among consumer models. With a 16:9 aspect ratio widescreen, this television would be an ideal centerpiece for a home theater system in a large room.
Outstanding Video Performance With a screen as large as this, high resolution becomes more important because it is more possible to view each pixel from a distance. The PDP-6010FD is a native 1080p display, meaning it has a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, the highest standard available. The black levels on plasma screens are generally superb and this unit is no exception, with blacks that are an intense, deep black and a picture that has very high contrast as a result.
The display features Pioneer's new ASIC video processing and scaling, which upconverts standard definition and other video resolutions for viewing at 1080p. A variety of noise reduction circuitry ensures a distortion-free picture at all times. Users can manually adjust the color temperature, gamma, and the levels of noise reduction circuitry and filters to fine tune the picture to their exact specifications.
An optical light sensor automatically adjusts the picture for optimal viewing depending on the ambient light in the room, compensating for night and day and for the content of the video, such as sports, movies, or news. The PDP-6010FD also has a film mode that eliminates motion judder and provides smoother playback of film content.
The PDP-6010FD is capable of remembering six picture settings for various A/V selections, with Movie, Game, Standard, Dynamic, and Optimum modes, as well as a user-defined preset. You can also set one of five aspect ratio presets in case you're watching standard-aspect 4:3 television. The television can also be set to auto-size when zooming is necessary.
Connections for all your Components The PDP-6010FD has a large complement of inputs, including four independent HDMI 1.3 inputs (two with analog audio). Additionally, it has two component inputs, three composite inputs, and one S-Video input. There is a USB connection that can connect a storage drive for viewing of photos. A built-in CableCard slot enables the PDP-6010FD to work with cable services without an extra decoding box. An ATSC and two NTSC tuners are built in and fully integrated for use with picture-in-picture and picture-side-picture modes. The television has outputs for Dolby Digital/PCM, audio, subwoofer, SR+, and headphone. The TV Guide On-Screen programming guide is included as well.
Breathtaking Audio The PDP-6010FD features a detachable bottom speaker with an integrated digital amplifier that improves the clarity and accuracy of the sound. The amplifier provides 17 watts of power for the two-way speakers and supports SRS WOW/FOCUS/TruBass surround sound.
The PDP-6010FD is backed by a 1-year limited warranty.

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Verbatim 95358 25 GB 2x Blu-ray Single Layer Branded ReWritable Disc BD-RE, 1-Disc Jewel Case Review

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(More customer reviews)The disk performs very well. A fist and second copy of a DVD were perfect. I had problems on a third copy. That turned out to be a problem with cleanliness of the disk. BD-RE is very sensitive to being dirty. Re-use or adding more data are very dependent on having a clean disk. So also invest in some micro-fiber cloths and maybe some coated lens cleaning solution.

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Blu-ray Disc (BD) is the name of the next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Acssociation (BDA), a group leading consumer electronics and PC companies (including Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thompson. The format was developed to enable rewriting and playback of high-definition video (HD), as well as storing large amounts of data. A single-layer Blu-ray Disc can hold 25GB, which can be used to record over 2 hours of HDTV or 5 times more recording capacity of DVD/TV video quality than a standard DVD disc.

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Sony Bravia M-Series KDL-32M3000 32-Inch 720p LCD HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)I am very happy with this purchase. The TV has very good looks, sleek and discreet. The equivalent Samsung and Sharp had frames too shiny and looked cheap. The picture is great. SD cable looks very good. Audio is very good. Best of all is Sony reliability. My previous experience was the Samsung 30" SlimFit. That had bending issues at first and was replaced. Then it refused to turn on, and customer service was rude and unhelpful. The Slimfit has major reliability problems. I am very happy with this Sony that replaced it.
Adding to this review after 2 weeks of extensive use. I compared this TV to Sony's 37" KDF-37H1000 LCD projection TV. This 32" LCD TV won out because:
1. Sharper picture on HD signal - the KDF-37H1000 is a little more blurry. (Note the KDF-37H1000 picture is better than no-name brand LCDs). The Sony LCDs had better focus.
1a. LCD TVs have a brighter picture. The Sony TVs have 3 picture settings: i) Vivid (very bright, what you see in Best Buy, ii) Standard (less bright, what looks better at home), and iii) Cinema (softer, more reds and earth shades). On the KDF-37H1000, you have to set it to vivid to watch even at home. On LCDs, you have to reduce brightness becuase they're brighter pictures.
2. SD cable on LCD TV is much much better than on KDF-37H1000.
2a. Motion was much cleaner on the LCD TVs. Sports blurred on the KDF-37H1000. I watched a bit of "8 below" Disney's Alaskan adventure with lots of white dogs and snow, and it looked bad, blurry and soft on the KDF-37H1000.
3. LCD TV has much less depth. Looks sleeker. I also tapped my fingers and felt around the frames on the 2 TVs. The LCDs were firmer and fit better. The KDF-37H1000 frame was looser and cheaper materials like a toy.
4. Maintainence costs - the KDF-37H1000 will require $200-400 bulb replacement in 1.5 years. The sales people said this could even happen in less than a year due to bulb malfunctions, just like in a floor lamp or any lamp. Note, Sony is phasing out LCD projection TVs in favor of SXRD, Hence, parts for the KDF-37H1000 will become harder to find. The KDF-37H1000 lamps are already $400 (Sony parts are always costlier - look at their digital camera memories, compared to Canon's).
4a. The complex combination of chips, mirrors, projectors, lamps on a projection TV is more prone to break than the simpler LCD technology. I am an electrical engineer and design integrated circuits for a living.
5. The KDF-37H1000 generates more heat than LCD, but much less than plasma.
6. The KDF-37H1000 has moving parts, such as the cooling fan, etc., All of these are more prone to malfunction.
7. Consumer reports rates the LCD TV reliability higher than projection TVs after looking at consumer repair data. Projection TVs had higher rates of return and repair.
7a. The folks at Best Buy told me they saw higher rates of returns due to reliability on the KDF-37H1000 than on Sony's LCDs.
8. The LCD TV has higher pixel count 1368 X 768, compared to the KDF-37H1000's 1200 X 720. This leads to sharper picture and better focus.
9. Screen door effect on KDF-37H1000. When objects on screen moved, their individual pixels did not move as a group. The picture was constantly dissolving and reforming. Faces had spots that appeared and dissappeared.
10. 2-3 years from now, I can put the LCD TV on a dresser in my bedroom as a 2nd TV, or put it in my study as a computer monitor. Cannot do this with the KDF-37H1000.
11. Moving - when we move houses, the LCD TV will ride easily in the seat in my Honda Civic. Cannot do this with the KDF-37H1000, which will have to go in the back of the truck with my wife.
The KDF-37H1000 was better than the Sony LCD TV in terms of:
1. Sound was much better becuase larger speakers and probably more pwerful amp.
2. A few more features and options that I will not use.
3. Larger screen. However, you must sit further back to avoid seeing spots and motion blurs.
Note the KDF-37H1000 is an excellent TV and very reliable compared to no-name brands. Definitely more reliable than the Samsung Slimfit TVs. We just came out of a bruising warranty battle with Samsung, and their reliability and customer service is pretty bad. The KDF-37H1000 does look very good compared to Samsung or Westinghouse LCD TVs, which had cheap and shiny frames. However, the KDF-37H1000 is just not as good as Sony's 32" LCD TVs. If you want a bigger screen than Sony's LCDs, go 46" or 55" projection. The SXRD projection TVs had better motion. If you're thinking of 37", get an LCD.
One thing the KDF-37H1000 has going for it is Sony reliability. I work for IBM and we design integrated circuits for Sony's products. They require a 100 defective parts per million quality level from us. This is very good in the industry.

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Affordable Excellence BRAVIA HDTVs represent outstanding performance from the top of the line right down to where it all starts - M-Series. M-Series HDTVs have just the right amount of features, style and performance to make them a great entry level choice. It starts with the 16:9 high definition LCD display panel including a fast panel response time and excellent 178° wide viewing angles. The 3D comb filter reduces dot crawl and color imperfections for fine picture detail, The right connections to enable connection of the latest video sources. And then there's that famous BRAVIA style. A rich-looking space saving black cabinet wraps around the bottom mounted speakers and is accented by silver trim and mounted to the included silver pedestal. Now just about anyone can afford a BRAVIA HDTV!

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Samsung Factory Refurbished LN46A540P2FXZA 46" 1080p LCD HD TV Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this TV after a lot of research and deliberation. I saw the LN46A540 at Costco and I liked it. But at the same time I realized that this TV didn't have the 120Hz feature. Prior to that I had talked to the sales guys at Circuit City and Best Buy and they had told me that Auto motion plus was really worth spending my money on. So when a friend of mine bought the LN46A650, I borrowed it from him for a few days. I then
went to Costco, bought this TV and put both next to each other in my house and played the same blu-ray movie on both.
Honestly there was no perceptible difference in the picture quality. The blacks on both were almost equally dark and the colors equally rich. In some very fast moving scenes, the judder elimination was slightly noticeable on the 650 but that was only when I viewed the movie from a distance of 4 feet or less.
From a distance of 15 feet (where I normally view it) I didn't notice any difference at all. I concluded that it was not worth spending an additional $800 (Best Buy's price) on the 650.
There are also some things I hate about the 650.
The remote control - The rotating dial sucks. Try navigating through TV menu using it and you'll be as frustrated and furious as I was.
Firmware issue - The 540 did not have the firmware issue that plagues the 650 series. With the 650 it was so frustrating to find that a TV, brand new out of the box was turning itself off at regular intervals. I can't understand why Samsung can't apply the patch even before shipping the TV. The firmware problem has been around for a while now.
I spent $1499 (after the $200 discount) on the 540 from Costco and I'm very happy with it.
The only reason why I gave a 4 star rating is because the sound quality is lousy. But the 650 was no better either. I was getting better sound quality on my $600 32 inch Sharp. Samsung should really do something to improve the sound quality on their 500 and 600 series since they are charging so much for them.

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With this Samsung 46" HDTV images are brilliant, detailed, simply amazing.Movies and TV shows have never been this realistic.1080p resolution delivers stunning clarity and a 35,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio gives you contrast and brightness levels that take your home entertainment to the next level.Plus, Samsung's wide color enhancer brings out the most beautiful, bold colors you've ever seen. *Fast 5ms response time *Single user interface *Picture-in-Picture *Watts per channel: 10W x 2 *SRS TruSurround XT *Bottom speakers *3 HDMIHigh Definition Multimedia Interface version 1.3 (2 rear/1 side) *2 Component video inputs (rear) *S-video input (1 side) *Side and Rear composite inputs *PC input (rear) *Wiselink (USB 2.0) *RF antenna inputs *HDMI-CEC *Headphone (side) *Swivel stand* Net Dimensions (w/o stand): 44.4" x 28.1" x 3.9" *Net Weights (w/o stand): 52.8 lbs. *Net Dimensions (w/ stand): 44.4" x 30.2" x 10.2" *Net Weights (w/ stand): 60.8 lbs. *Design and specifications are subject to change without notice. Non-metric weights and measurements are approximate.

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Sony BDP-S301 1080p Blu-ray Disc Player BD/DVD/CD Playback Review

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(More customer reviews)I gotta admit it: when it comes to electronics, I'm about as brand-loyal to Toshiba as they come. Nevertheless, for me, the whole history of the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD wars has unfolded on the software battlefield. Sony has simply come up with a better DVD. By the time HD-DVD catches up, we'll all either own two fine DVD players, or one that can play both formats. After haunting a few electronics showrooms, and seeing and hearing the decks in my price range, this latest Sony player just became a no-brainer.

If you're wondering what's the difference between this and the BDP-S300, so am I. The operating manual that came with my S301 listed both model numbers on the cover. I got mine at a price $50 cheaper than I could have got the earlier model, and I didn't pay shipping. That's the only reason I have one and not the other.

Blu-ray Discs are awesome in every way. I use an optical 5.1 connection, and even though there are better connections in newer systems, the sound quality is still noticeably deeper and more dimensional than standard DVD's, due to the greater bandwidth available on the discs. Colors are far more stable, especially with Blu-ray Discs, but also with standard DVD's. My taste in films doesn't run perfectly parallel to the titles currently available on Blu-ray, so the rest of my comments really pertain to the quality of this deck as a player of standard DVD's.

I have found the transition blip between layers on DL-9 discs to be almost imperceptible. The bit encoding rate of "up to 40 Mbps" is probably the single most important spec this player has to offer. That is slightly higher than the Toshiba decks in this price range, though I doubt few people have eyes good enough to appreciate the difference. The point is, you are going to see a picture that contains every bit of information encoded on whatever disc you're watching, with gradations of color and depth of detail that make the disc the weakest link--and that's a good thing.

The fan motor on the S301 is whisper-soft, another factor that gives this deck superiority over its Toshiba counterpart.

All of that said, it should be noted that Sony is going for complete vertical integration, with all the studios (save Universal) behind Blu-ray, and with this and the S300 designed to work optimally with a Bravia monitor and audio system. They want world domination, and I guess we'll just have to trust the marketplace to sort things out. But for now, this is about as good a player as you'll find in this price range, and it works adequately with systems not designed by Sony.

"Adequately" is about as high a complement as I can pay it, though. Each disc has a certain amount of futzing around that is necessary to get the aspect ratio and video specs right. In other words, this doesn't just magically read the disc you put in and know where the settings should be. It does have a very handy video control center that allows for six picture settings, three preset to "standard," "theatre," and "light room," and three that allow you to make custom presets. By the time you've gone through a few discs and tweaked the color, white and black balance, etc., you'll find yourself flipping through the six available settings and finding one that suits each disc you're watching.

All of this extra "trouble," I should add, in reality arises from the far greater picture fidelity you will be seeing.

Some minor annoyances: 1) although this plays music CD-R's, it won't recognize data CD-R's. So, for example, if you have your jpegs stored on CD-R's, prepare to move them to DVD-R's, if you want to use this player as a slide viewer; 2) note the dimensions of the unit, especially the depth, which becomes about 16.5 inches once you've connected everything up--my player is hanging out about 2" from my other components; 3) there is no true "fast-forward," only a multi-speed "scan" feature that, even on the slowest speed skips over frames of significant action you may be trying to spot; 4) there is no "off" button on the unit itself, which, if you don't want to hunt down the remote, will shut itself off after about 25 minutes; 5) the "on" button on the unit doubles as "open" and "close," which is fine, I guess, but it takes exactly 32 seconds between the time you turn the power on and when the "Blu-ray" insignia appears on your screen. Once it is powered up, though, I found the loading times to be reasonable.

Finally, I would want to mention the aspect ratio issue, namely that it sometimes has to be changed manually, by changing the resolution. Some of this may be due to the fact that I am connecting to my monitor using an HDMI-to-DVI cable, but I rather doubt it. I suspect Sony simply did its best to make a good player, but loading it with electronics that would enable it to decode a wide variety of commercial discs would have made it prohibitively expensive.

Funny thing, though. It reads Universal Studios discs perfectly and without any tweaking necessary. Kind of makes you wonder if they weren't putting in a little more effort to win over the one Blu-ray hold-out.

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When it comes to appreciating the resolution gains of HDTV screens, standard DVD just doesn't make it. What you need is Blu-Ray high-definition discs. With the Sony BDP-S301, your high-definition home-theater system can output video in ultra-high-def 1080p resolution for extraordinary depth and detail with compatible TVs. Display images at 24 frames per second for your favorite movies. The S301 also has a built-in decoding for Dolby Digital Plus for richer, more dynamic sound. Use Bravia Theatre Sync HDMI-CEC to control your compatible Bravia TV and AV systems with just one remote. See and hear a whole new world of high definition with the incredible BDP-S301 Blu-ray Disc Player. It is also backward compatible and can play DVD and CD discs at their original, respective resolutions. Full HD 1080/60p and 24p True Cinema Video Output Standard DVD Upscaling to 1080p via HDMI connectivity Bravia Theatre Sync HDMI-CEC Cinema Tuned Picture Presets Uncompressed Multi Channel Linear PCM Audio Output Dolby Digital Plus decoding capability to experience surround sound through your home-theater audio system Dolby Digital and dts 5.1 channel Output Multi Channel 192KHz/24bit Audio D/A Converters Analog-to-Digital Converter - 192KHz/24bit Popup Menus for simple control and use Quick Set Up FL Display has selectable Off and Dimmer modes MP3 and JPEG Playback from DVD+R/+RW, DVD-R/-RW MP3 Player - Content must be in DVD+R/+RW/-R/-RW format / CDR and CDRW Outputs - HDMI Connection, Component Video (Y/Pb/Pr), S-Video, Composite Video, Optical Audio, Coaxial Audio Digital & 2-Channel Analog Audio Dimensions - 17 x 3 1/8 x 14 7/8-inches (430 x 79 x 375mm)

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Panasonic Viera TH-42PX80U 42-Inch 720p Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)Price was a significant contributor to my decision to buy this TV. Conversations with tv-guys made me think that I needed to pony up for a 1080, but I just could not justify the premium over the 720p. Now that I have it, I am glad I saved my money. The picture quality is great, both in high def and for normal (low def?) viewing. Whenever I have guests and the TV is on, they are blown away by the quality and ask my questions about it.
I also like the anti-glare screen. At first I was a little concerned that the anti-glare picture would look "dull" compared to your average plasma, but that is no longer a concern - it looks great.
Another big plus for me was the appearance of the TV. Like other Panasonic models, this TV is sleek. Vizio and other manufacturers seem to incorporate larger speakers that look clunky in comparison. The size of the tv relative to the picture size is great - looks nice on the wall, and doesn't take up any more room than it needs to.
In fact, the reason why I am writing this review is because I am going to buy another one for a different room in the house. Panasonic has definitely won my repeat business with this one - I think that says it all.

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Panasonic VIERA TH42PX80U 42" 720p Plasma HDTV

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