TV Reviews

I have owned the Syntax Olevia LT27HVX now for about 2 months. Except for the terrible hum (buzz) at low volume levels, the TV is fairly decent. As an Electronics Design Engineer with over 25 years of experience, this problem is a MAJOR design flaw! Based on many comments and reviews, it seems that this is a common problem to this model and possibly to other Syntax TVs.

Syntax's solution to this problem (which by the way works) is to change the default Back Light setting from "Middle" to "Bright". It looks like the Middle and even the Dark setting is sufficient in most ambient lighting. Being an Engineer I wanted to understand the consequences of such a setting. I was afraid that such a change would have an adverse effect on the Back Light. A simple power consumption measurement revealed that my suspicion was justified. Changing the setting to Bright increased the TV power consumption by almost 20%. The problem is that this power increase represents about 40% increase of the Back Light power and a proportional life expectancy DECREASE of the Back Light. This may be a quick "fix" to the problem, but customers should not pay with substantial Back Light life decrease because of Syntax's poor design. In plain words, changing the Back Light setting to "Bright" will give you a TV with a life expectancy of 36,000 hours instead of 60,000 hours. As long as Syntax doesn't fix this problem, I would NOT recommend this TV to any new customer. As far as existing customers, I am still looking for better solutions from Syntax or anyone else.

Why settle for less, when you can get a brand new original Panasonic or Samsung 42 inch plasma TV for Free! I got mine from this web site: nocost2u.biz/plasma-tv

I am happy with the TV. Easy to set up and, with some tweaking, picture looks great with cable and my DVD player. Sound is decent, after changing back light to bright to eliminate low buzz at low volumes. Only two complaints: Half of the text crawls at the bottom of the screen on stations like CNN are cut off. Can't figure out how to fix it. Also, Syntax tech support essentially doesn't exist. When I call, I get a message saying to call back. So far, my email to them about this problem also has not been answered. But even if I can't resolve this problem, the TV is a great value.

I bought this item for Chrismas and by march it stopped working, after a change of batteries. Because it was more than 30 days after purchase, the item is not returnable, so now I have a $100 electronic paper weight.

I bought the Magellan eXplorist 100 for navigation on my atv, I live in a heavily wood area so I was sceptical of reception, but I very rarely have a problem. It proforms great, can't ask for much better than this!

This GPS was a great buy for several reasons:

*Quick and strong satallite readings

*Good basic features (lets you set the format for lat/long. that you prefer)

*Price was a great buy - free shipping here at Amazon.

*GPS is accurate - especially when it begins recieving a WAAS signal :)

If you have no need for street maps or computer link-up ability, I strongly recommend this product.

You can't go wrong if you get this TV, I did shop around, the picture of Toshiba, Pana, Pioneer all the same.Why you don't buy Toshiba with less money

we looked long and hard to find the best "value" and not price, meaning we were not interested in the lowest cost solution. In fact our focus was on the top 42" &43" Panasonics and Pioneers (based on Consumer Reports and Plasma TV Buyers.com) until comparing the Toshiba 50HP66 side by side with Panasonic at Video Only in Bellevue. (Toshiba was superior in every category!) The sales rep included "free delivery" so we are now into a 50" Plasma HD which has tranformed our tv experience where we can watch an excellent picture, sound and are more engaged. You should include Toshiba in your search also they are the first on the market with HD DVD recorder.

This TV has brilliant depth to its colors, and watching sports in HD is amazing. The detail that the TV gives is truly great. The TV has 2 HMDI plugs for your cable box and DVD player, which even if you don't want to spend 1,000 on a HD player, you can get an upconverter DVD player with HDMI out for only 100 bucks. Its like watching movies in a theater.

Great TV. Much more affordable that HDTV and it looks pretty much the same. So much so, I bought this TV twice and may buy two more. Make sure you decide if you're going to mount it on the wall or put it on a stand and buy these accessories at the same time that you are buying this tv. You may also need some adapters BNC to RCA etc. All in All...I great buy.

This is an excellent plasma TV. However, as others indicated it doesnt come with an HDMI outlet although it can be purchased for extra, about 150 dollars. Also it doesnt include speakers, so expect to pay an extra 500 for a decent sorround sound system, it also doesnt include a stand, so expect to pay another 200 for a stand although whats the point of purchasing a plasma if your not going to mount it? It defeats the purpose! Also it DOES make a huge difference, having an elegant TV like this mounted makes your whole place look better. A mount costs around 250-350 dollars plus installation runs around 500-1000 dollars depending on the size and whether you want to mount speakers, hide wires, etc. So paying 1500 is only the beginning, expect to add at least another 1300 to this price. running your total roughly to around 3,000 for a 42'' non-hdtv plasma. One reviewer mentioned he was thankful for panasonic producing EDTV's for poorer people who can't afford HDTV. Let me just say that HDTV is available for under 1,000 with CRT widescreen's and under 1700 for DLP 50'' TV's. If you have this TV then you are most definately able to afford HDTV. IF you "MUST" have an HDTV (plasma) do some research and you will be able to pay an extra 400 for that privelage, don't be cheap! you deserve it, especially when HD DVD's are coming out and all programming will be in HD come the next 2-3 years, don't sell yourslves short!

This is a beautiful TV. I've had it for 6 months and I am very happy with it. For one, the minimalism of it. I just wanted a monitor. I didn't need a tuner since I have a HD cable box and I didn't need speakers since I have a great surround sound system. Also, I find it distracting that comsumer versions of flat screens have all that stuff attached, as one reason people like flat screens are the aesthetics. I think the EDTV picture is excellent, and I feel comfortable I made the right decision to not jump on the HDTV bandwagon right now. I am constantly comparing my EDTV to friend's HDTVs and I think their picture is totally inferior, whether it's DVD or regular television or even an HD broadcast. It's a great buy and a great upgrade from a CRT. Very happy.

It didn't work at all. I returned it back the day after the day I got it.

I've been mulling over the best tuner card for weeks now and for the longest time I had settled on the Winfast TV USB II card. The only thing that kept me from buying was that I was having trouble finding 3rd party menuing software that was compatible. Slowly, it dawned on me, no such 3rd party software exists. Despite the superior quality of the winfast device, I'm probably going to have to settle for the more expensive, buggier, less functional WinTV.

Bleh.

I've used this TV tuner on an HP zd8000 for close to three months now and love it. Compared to two other devices I have tried, its picture quality -- particularly its colors -- are far superior. While not the sharpest on its own, it nonetheless provides a very good picture that reminds me of the quality of a good film. I now use it in conjunction with Beyond TV software, which sharpens the picture significantly. While the two together are a bit pricey, I am really enjoying the luxury of recording and watching what I want when I want. (I have split our analog cable and have total control over what I can record and watch vs. what the kids want.) No more negotiations necessary. I also can patch the computer into an LCD television that has a computer input and watch on a bigger screen with family. While I rarely do so, DVDs from WinTV recorded shows look great.

My only real criticism is that the quality image files are quite large (about 3 gbs an hour); if the tuner allowed me to record in DivX it would be SENSATIONAL.

I'm going to rate this product very poorly, and while I realize that it is indeed a decent monitor for a beginner, I also know that it only might seem that way if you've never had one. I've had a CRT (the big tube kind) all my life. Recently I bought a laptop to supplement my work and I've been extremely happy with its TFT-LCD screen. When, of recent times, my desktop's CRT started to crash I naturally thought an LCD would be a good Idea but I should have done more research.
Boy was I in for a surprise- I don't know if that much light leak is natural for these displays or not but I could barely stand it. Light arcs from the top and the sides, as well as severe purpling and reversing in dark/black areas during movies and games! It was simply unbearable. There was no angle from which it didn't produce such artifacts and so, back to the store it goes. I won't be buying another. Size certainly matters, as well as price, but I won't be sacraficing that much visual information for a cubic foot.
My advice is to make sure you're buying TFT, which I'm pretty sure this monitor's not. Either that or go back to CRT until they get better contrast ratios. If you're a techie feel free to correct me on any of my jargon or misconceptions about these displays but, to everyone else, I would still suggest another route if you really care about a quality picture. On the other hand, if you're only going to be surfing the internet, go for it.

2nd 730b for dual display, set up digital this time. Analog and digital hard to distinguish every day use, digital terrific with high power graphics card like ATI 1900 Radeon. Make sure you get the right digtital DVI cable (single link) since its not included. Best Buy $20,Dynex DX-DVI2M 6.6 feet, Amazon/Startech.com 6-10-15+ feet. Controls under panel,731 moves to front. East set up analog or digital, disc.

This monitor is yet another example of Samsung quality.

The bang for your buck factor is high, especialy now that the price has gone down (this product is being discontinued). The montior supports XVGA and DVI, making it very versitile. It has plenty of brightness, good pixel pitch and a quick 8ms response time. The "auto configure" mode for color and brightness work very well.

This monitor has an excellent viewing angle, and little distortion. Some other reviewers complained of gradiation of pixel color - this is a factory defect and they should have their monitor replaced! Since the monitor comes with a 3 year warranty from Samsung, this is no problem at all.

It is pleasing to look at; a thin bezel and hidden buttons add to the pannel's thinness. The monitor is non-glare, which makes life much easier for your eyes. It is a bit on the expensive side compared to "budget" LCD monitors, but you get what you pay for.

I like the recorder and particularly the voice recognition software packaged with this model. But, I was surprised by its small size and the fact that it doesn't have an on/off switch (not mentioned anywhere I checked before buying the recorder). So, you have to remove the batteries if you don't want to wear them down between uses.

The Sony ICD-MX20VTP Digital Voice Recorder has been great. It's easy to set up the computer, and transfer my work notes to print. Great investment!!

This device is awesome! It's easy to use, you can take it anywhere and the sound quality produced is outstanding. The recordings I've made are clear and editing has been relatively easy, although it does take time.

I had the 42" model for a year. After 8 service calls, Circuit City gave me a new one. This size was discontinued so I tried the 50" It started with the same problems on the first day: turns off and on at will, half the picture goes blank, I could go on. Progressive problems througout the year. Picture is good, ambilight is beautiful (that had a recal) but it the model is a lemon. Before you write a review here, live with the TV for a while.

I purchased this set from BJ's and it was dead out of the box. The service dept is totaly worthless. No way to expedite a repair even for a brand new product! could take 5-7 days for parts. Can't bring it back because the box gets destroyed by there directions to get the set out.

I will NEVER buy another Philips ANYTHING ever again.

Dont pay any attention to the negative reviews. This TV is wonderful. I have had it for 6 months now and the only thing I regret is I didnt wait for the price to drop. It is selling for $1,000 less now! Great Picture, convenient connections, beautiful and impressively construction. Ambelight is a real plus. Makes the picture standout and makes the set look so smart. Tech support is fine. I called them several times after I bought it while I was tweaking the picture. BUY THIS TV...if you ever want to have a HDTV! You will love it! Selling now for under $2000. Best value around!

Well, this was a pretty nice tripod. It fit all of my needs. But, I have several cameras & lenses, therefore I would be needing a couple extra quick release shoes. While an extra shoe costs about $7-$12 for most tripods. The only place I could find and extra shoe was Sony and they wanted $55.
This one is going back to the store. VERY DISAPPOINTED!

While I haven't used any other tripods, I am fully satisfied with this one! I bought this tripod specifically to use with my new DSC-R1 camera. It was listed as the preferred tripod in the camera's accessories book, and seemed to have a lot of nice features, so I figured I would give it a shot.

The tripod is extremely light weight, and is ideal for taking on hikes or walks. It comes with a little bag to carry it in, which conveniently fits over your shoulder and hangs behind your back.

It has a quick-mount for the camera (i.e. a little piece that you screw onto the bottom of your camera that can easily be put on and taken off of the tripod, so you only have to spend about 2 seconds mounting the camera onto the tripod at any given time.

To assemble the tripod out of its container from fully compact size to fully assembled size takes all of 10 seconds. You unhook each of the leg pieces and let them slide to full length. You then tighten those leg pieces and pull the legs out until they click into place.

Despite its light weight, it is quite sturdy.

It's also very customizable as to height or camera orientation (you can just about get any shot or angle that you want). It tilts on all axis and can get as low as 7 inches off of the ground.

All in all, this is a great tripod. Again, I haven't tried any others, but this tripod has yet to disappoint.