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March 1, 2006
Pictureal Review (Continuing)
Received an E-mail today from Pictureal support.They informed me that my video tapes arrived at their lab.
Their message:
“We have received your tapes, and we are processing your video.
Tapes received: Mini-DV : 4
Your tapes will be returned to you in 5 to 7 business days.
We will inform you via e-mail as soon as your video is processed and we are shipping your tapes back to you”.
Great hand holding on their part! I await the return of the tapes and the posting of the video on their customer site for me to edit. More on this soon.
March 1, 2006
Panda Platinum 2006 Internet Security V 10.01
 I have often used the Panda website to do a free check for viruses and other problems. The online service takes longer than if you download the free version. It has saved my bacon several times.
I was happy to receive a copy of Panda Platinum from them to try out. It came at a great time as McAfee had just done an automatic update for both their anti virus and firewall protection. I called McAfee and they refunded the money charged to my credit card with no questions.
Panda recommends removing any old protection software so I did that first. It is a good idea to unplug any connections to the internet while doing this install since you are without a firewall or anti virus during the process.
See the entire Panda Platinum Security article
March 8th, 2006
AverMedia AVerTV Cardbus
Notebook TV Tuner
 At first I thought who needs this? I travel with a notebook but usually have access to a TV where I am staying. So who would find this product interesting and useful?
People who use a notebook as their primary computer, those who are so addicted to a program that they would record in on the road and view it after dinner rather than miss a minute, and those who just love gadgets.
It was so simple that I felt I was missing something. The AverTV PRP Software installed easily and allowed me to watch, record, pause, rewind, and playback live TV using my laptop. I could change channels. A remote control unit would be nice but one is not available with this unit. Even on my three year old laptop the cable signal was great. The reception was sharp with vivid colors in full screen mode. I was also able to capture still photos of a televised Poker game and they were as good as you could expect for low resolution snapshots. I did not test the 16 channel preview. The time shift function worked as promised. I was able to schedule a future recording event and that feature worked well. Overall, this is a great product for those who need it.
Package Includes
AVerMedia AVerTV CardBus Tuner Card
Quick Installation Guide
Driver CD with AVerTV PVR Software
Dongle Input Connectors (S-Video, Composite Video, Left & Right RCA audio)
Earphone to F-Type/ IEC Cable
Go to AverMedia site for More Technical details
March 9, 2006
Pictureal Review (continuing)
Pictureal Emailed me that my Mini DV tapes were in the mail
March 10, 2006
Pictureal Review (continuing)
Received the original MiniDV tapes and an E-mail to inform me that my edited Italy and Egypt videos will soon be on the web for me to view and share. By the way, all shipping is done by FedEx and is included in the price.
More later
March 11, 2006
SWISSMEMORY s.beat MP3 1GB Including USB Charger with World Travel Adaptor DAP-101T
 This product grabbed my interest as soon as I read the E-mail from the company. Sure I wanted to try it out. I use a Creative Movo for audio book listening. Unfortunately that product does not have quality music capability. The S.Beat player does! It also has sex appeal. I have carried a small Swiss Army Knife on my key chain for some years and, even though I treated it badly, it has held up well.
I was given one of these while attending Showstoppers during CES. I have used the product and accessories several times to check it out.
The product is very well built. The sound is great. Some hissing if you have the volume too high. They warn you against that due to the possibility of hearing loss. At normal to above normal volume the stereo sound is tops. The remote control works well so you do not have to pull the unit out of your pocket or off your belt to change volume or move to the next song. A romantic feature that may or may not work for some couples is the ability to plug in a second set of ear phones (not provided) so you can share.
See the entire S.beat article
March 15 2006
Camcorder Problems Old Sony
Versus New Panasonic
On a personal note (what isn’t on this site) I have ben having problems with a Sony DCRTVR11 Camcorder. I bought it in September of 2000 and paid over $1300.00 for it. After all these years of service The bottom loading cartridge holder started hanging up and frequently would not close or open. The motor that operates the holder would speed up like an old dentist drill. Repair at Sony support was going to be $311.00.
Since I had seen new camcorders in the $350 to $450 range I thought maybe prices had come down and these would come close to equaling my treasured TVR11. After much checking in the Internet I ordered a Panasonic PV-GS31. It arrived yesterday. I tested it for an hour or so and played the results back on a TV. I could not believe what I was seeing so, after my wife, Pat, returned home I asked her to watch it with me without giving my opinion.
I will not use her exact words but she agreed with me. This product was so far below the quality of the Sony camcorder that it had to be returned. Very poor to non existent low light capabilities, Grainy picture except in extremely sunny outdoor locations, and loss of focus when using the zoom. Even less than 10x of the 26x optical zoom in good outdoor lighting situations made the subject blurry. I did improve the low light problem slightly by using the light on the unit and the manual settings.
So, back to the drawing board. I contacted Circuit City and received a return authorization. It will cost 15 percent of the $343.00 I spent. I then contacted Sony and setup the Sony support repair. $311.00 for that work. Plus about $30.00 shipping for the two items. My hope is I will get another year or two out of the Sony TVR11 before I have to replace it. I dread that search.
Moral to the story: Prices have not gone done so much that you can get quality at bargain prices. Don’t we all wish we could!
I will report how well the TVR11 works when it returns.
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