Toshiba SD-V593 Progressive Scan DVD/VCR Combo with HDMI

• Progressive scan DVD/VCR combo; measures 17" x 3.5" x 9.8 inches (WxHxD)
• DVD player compatible with DVD movie, CD audio, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, VCD, and SVCD discs; MP3, WMA, JPEG
• 9-in-2 memory card reader; VCR with 8-event/1-year programming
• 1 HDMI, 2 composite in, 1 composite out, 1 S-Video out, 1 component out, 1 digital optical audio out, 1 RF in, 1 RF out
• Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound modes

Note: Past Toshiba DVD players have had documented problems reading disc (see all product reviews prior to 59.. series). This is not the better, newer 59.. DVD model. They are using the older (bad) drive in the combo VCR/DVD to save money.

I purchased this model expecting the newer 59.. model DVD drive. This drive has eliminated many of the previous problems associated with Toshiba DVD system. Unfortunately, I gave Toshiba too much credit.

The system showed all the signs of being the older drive. Skipping, random pixilated image, loss of sound, and problems initializing the disc. Come to find out they are using the older drives to save money on these combo units. Toshiba has deceptively named this model after their newer, redesigned system in an attempt to sell their remaining stock of older drives.

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Well, I didn't need to read far into the first customer review to discover that my issue wasn't singular. The issue? The DVD player, after working just fine, just stopped reading disks. Boom, just like that, over, out and that's all she wrote! One night it was working great, the next night a "NO DISK" message. Naturally, I tried a number of disks, even the optical lens cleaner one, but no go, it's dead.

The player was got in late August of '05. I'm the only user and I'm a Type-A careful guy, so I didn't do whatever killed it.

For image and sound, high marks while it worked. For longevity, minus marks; why should it only function for 13 months? I've got another DVD player, Toshiba, or there would be no need to mention it, that's been working wonderfully for over 6 years. Why this glaring discrepancy in the products sold under the same name?

If you are comfortable spending a fair amount of money for short-time usage, it gives high quality pictures and sound while it's alive. Otherwise, research DVD players and buy something reliable, which this particular one isn't, alas.

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After reading some of the reviews a few months I reluctantly purchased this machine because it had the features I wanted. I was reluctant to buy because of the difficulty many reviewers on here expressed about set-up and getting a picture.

I had no problem setting it up and it used to work fine. However we've had it a few months now and the machine does not recognize DVD disks. I've read other online reviews today of Toshiba's other DVD products and it seems that their products give up after a few months.

I've always been a Sony guy and have bought MANY things over the years from them without any problems (as with any company I'm sure Sony does have some occaisonal defective products, but I personally have never come across any). At any rate I can not recommend buying any Toshiba DVD products based on my limited experience and what I've read.

I went to Toshiba's web site to see if they offered trouble shooting. It seems logical to devote some space on the web site that lists the various error messages with suggested actions. The web site does not have this. I did look at the owner's manual, which does offer some trouble shooting, but it does not cover this particular error message. Toshiba's customer support is open M-F, 10 am to 7 pm Eastern. I'll call them when they're open. Obviously customer support is another weak point of Toshiba. I'm in California so I'd have to call between 7 am to 4 pm California time, and I'm either on my way to the office or already there. So their hours of operation for most people in the Western US is inconvenient.

To be fair I do not know Sony's customer support hours (or if they are better) but that's only because I've never had a problem with Sony or had a reason to call them.

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I've had this combo VCR/DVD for two weeks now and so far I am very pleased. I didn't have any issues with connectivity to my Pioneer Elite Plasma. I have the DVD portion of the player connected via the supplied HDMI cable to Input 3 of the plasma and the VCR portion connected via the supplied composite cables to Input 2 of the plasma.

The picture quality of the upconverting (I'm using 720p at the moment) DVD is very good especially at this price point. I considered other DVD players from Denon and Panasonic but decided on this Toshiba. I decided I would save a little money for similar PQ and a VCR as well for the tapes I haven't replaced yet. Since HD-DVD or Blu-Ray is right around the corner I didn't want to spend too much on the upconverting feature, which is merely a stopgap technology anyway.

As for the VCR picture quality, it is fine. It's more a function of displaying on a 43" Plasma than the player anyway. I don't know of any player that will display a great VHS picture on a large screen panel.

Overall, I'm very happy with this unit. The price/performance can't be beat as far as I'm concerned. I obviously haven't had the player long enough to comment on its durability, build quality etc, but I'll be keeping an eye on it and add to my review in a few months.

This machine only lasted a few months and know the DVD player constantly freezes. I tried cleaning it, but it still constantly freezes to the point that watching the movie is impossible.

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Wave® Music System III with Multi-CD Changer - Graphite Gray

• Lifelike sound from Bose® waveguide speaker technology
• Enjoy uninterrupted listening from up to 4 CDs in succession
• Includes single CD player, additional multi-CD player, improvedadvanced FM/AM tuner, headphone jack, 3.5 mm auxiliary input, remote, clock
• Now with: Touch-top on/off/snooze controls; dual independent alarms; displayed song/artist radio info

the radio and CHANGER FUNCTION BEAUTIFULLY AND PRODUCE CONCERT HALL TONE...GREAT PIECE OF WORKMANSHIP...IT IS WORTH THE PRICE AND THEN SOME

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very smooth set up. Very smooth sound from both components. Love the ease of use. Sounds from cds is incredible for such a small set up.

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The Bose Wave Music System III is an outstanding piece of audio equipment and the sound it creates is unbelievable. We have the system in our kitchen and enjoy it every day. I highly recommend this to anyone seeking a high quality audio system in a compact size. Though somewhat pricey, you get what you pay for and the crispness of the sound emmitting from the small speakers will amaze even the most skeptical of listeners.

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I have heard about the Bose for years and finally spent a fair sum of money for one. It is good but far below the expectation that the advertising had prepared me for.

Great sound, great compact size. However, I must reset by unplugging it often to deliver the 3rd CD from the slot.

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Partner EA900 Deluxe English & Arabic Bidirectional Talking Electronic Dictionary and Audio PhraseBo

• Delivering flawless voiced output of all the words in its enormous database with True Voice human pronunciation, the EA900 Deluxe offers a unique chance to improve your pronunciation by hearing how a native speaker says a word or phrase. The world's most advanced English and Arabic Speech Recognition modules let you speak into the device in your own language and get an instant, hands-free translation that can be spoken out loud in the target language.
• A fully functional talking, translating Audio PhraseBook provides you with all the words and phrases you need to communicate in almost any situation. Divided into 15 easy to navigate topic areas, it includes 14,000 phrases so that there's nothing you won't be able to say. Simply select a category, press the 'Say' button and the translator speaks the phrase fluently in the language of your choice.
• Easy to navigate and astonishingly responsive, the customizable and intuitive Windows CE powered interface offers instant access to the information you need quickly, easily and dependably. A Smart Virtual Keyboard with Audio interface and layout for both languages complete the built-in support that makes the EA900 Deluxe different from all the rest.
• With the patented Language Teacher system that comes pre-loaded on the EA900 Deluxe you are well on your way to complete control of a new language within minutes. One of the most effective methods ever designed for language study, it employs the advanced True Voice and Speech Recognition modules and step-by-step lessons to guide you comfortably from beginner to advanced speaker. With a full set of enjoyable games and exams, you improve your language skills naturally and intuitively. The inclusion of the unique U-LearnTM Car Tutor lets you study hands-free and eyes-free to make use of every spare moment to improve your language skills.
• The EA900 Deluxe offers the most sought-after extras to make every trip you take more enjoyable. The included jetBook Reader lets you read and translate your favorite e-Books. A built-in voice recorder lets you record conversations and audio notes and a robust audio player with mp3 support lets you listen to your favorite media files, AudioBooks and pre-loaded cultural notes to learn Modern Arabic Traditions. An FM radio helps you keep up on the latest news while a Calendar, a World Time clock, Metric Conversion, and a Calculator keep you organized while saving you time and money.

I bought it for my mom and it helped her alottt, its the best dictionary. Its easy to us. And fun. Has many programs inside. For SATs, mb3, games, videos, and many more:)

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Pyle Home PHSI50B 300 Watts High Performance 2.1-Channel iPod/iPhone Home Music System with Built-In

• Compatibility: iPod Mini 1G/iPod Nano 1G/2G/3G /4G/5G/iPod 3G/4G/5G/5.5G/6G/ iPod Touch (Generation 1 & Generation 2 ) ;iPhone - Aux Input Jack Allows Connection of Other Audio Devices
• Includes AM/FM Radio, Clock, Alarm, And RF Remote With Full iPod Navigation - One Key Control System - Radio Memory Station AM:10 Stations/FM 10 Stations
• Dual Alarm Allows Two To Wake Up To An iPhone, iPod, AM/FM Radio, Or Buzzer - Fully Function Remote Control - LCD Display
• Equalizer Function Control - Automatic Gain Control
• Dimensions: 11.26'' x 11.26'' x 11.26'' - Weight: 16 LBS - Power Supply: 18V , 2.5A; 110V

Made this vid of my girl showing off her new iphone docking sound systemthe thing is killas! it is basically a 300 watt amp with sub-woofer in the rear and speakers on both sides, then you can hook up any mp3 player too-takes ipods and iphones ontop and then has a lcd readout for alarm,clock,radio etc. loud as hell and looks tight. She is stoked on it...Nice one Pyle!

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The docking station works great. It sounds awesome and my Iphone 4s docks with it. The docking station lets you connect your computer to it through the aux input. It works great in my office.

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If your looking for sound buy this. The box is large and in charge! This seriousley pounds bass, crazy loud at the highest volume setting.

I have no static with mine with my iphone or any trouble docking. I think it is awesome.

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This item was a Christmas gift for my son who was really looking forward to using his new IPod with this product. The power supply cord that was delivered with the item was damaged and did not work. I tried several times to call the manufactures customer service number listed with the item however, I could never get someone on the line. Since it was delivered five days before Christmas and returning items are always a hassle, I ended up spending an additional $50 on a replacement power supply cord.

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I Was going to send this item back because it wasn't sounding clear but I had decided to keep it.. Further inspecting this item, I noticed that it has many scratches and all wiring is like it was just taking off the display. No wires and cords were in sealed plastic. Another word I received used product. Even battery in remote is dead.

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6" Polaroid XSA-00660S Widescreen Digital Photo Frame w/Alarm Clock Radio (Ebony)

• 6-inch Polaroid XSA-00660S Widescreen Digital Photo Frame General Features: Ebony Frame
• 6-inch color LCD screen Aspect Ratio: 16:9 / 4:3 Resolution: 520 x 288 pixels
• Brightness: 250 cd/m2 Contrast Ratio: 300:1 Alarm Clock Built-in AM/FM Radio Listen to MP3 files
• Audio input lets you play music from devices through digital photo frame Slide Show Mode
• Multiple Transitional Styles for Slide Show

It has issues. The picture and sound are both pretty good, but it is an awful alarm clock. It won't turn on when I have the SD card in. You take it out and put it back in and it works fine after you had turned it on. It doesn't have a backup battery so if the power goes out you're SOL. It seems to keep the same point you were from the morning before...like it won't go off until 7:30am even if it's set for 7:10am if I snoozed twice the day before. It stops going off again after 3 snoozes. Ohh, it also doesn't keep up. I have to adjust the time every week or so.

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bought from buy dot com and must say this piece of tech has been a headache all along. Too many cons to list, but here's a few: poor sound quality, hard to navigate menus, locking at time to time. Pro: alarm works and you can set it to an mp3 on the sd card.

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This radio is ver stilish and useful. I only wish it could play divx or avi files.

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Philips MC235B Micro Hi-Fi Shelf System (Black)

• Compact, sleekly stylish stereo system for the home or office; provides 10 watts of total power
• Elegant design with motorized sliding front door
• Digital Sound Control for optimized music style settings; Dynamic Bass Boost for deep and dramatic sound
• Plays CD, CD-R and CD-RW discs; input jack for MP3 player
• Digital radio tuning with 40 preset stations

I just picked this up and it's a very nice shelf system. It's not going to shake the walls at high volume, but if you were looking for that much power, you wouldn't be looking at a shelf system to begin with. The true test of quality sound comes at the lower end of the volume knob. Here is where this unit excels. No hissing or crackling noise and the bass is rich and pure and sounds dynamite. I played a burn job from mp3 files and I was stunned at just how good this unit really does sound! Mind you, this system does have a wee bit more power than comparable units, so you can crank the volume up loud enough for most people's tastes and there is no sound distortion at the high end, either. It's also pretty easy to mount on the wall, if so desired. It does come with a stand, which suffices well enough, if you don't feel like drilling into your walls. I only have one complaint and it's a minor one. While the speakers attach to the unit as seen in the pic, Philips should have also enabled you to be able to mount the speakers onto a wall, apart from the unit, to achieve a much better stereo sound. I have a speaker on the nightstand on each side of the bed and when I lie down to relax with some good tunes, it sounds simply fantastic. So, sound like a good deal? It is, and for a great price, too! Just make sure you have some extra speaker wire handy, as there's not that much attached to each speaker to begin with. Trust me on this. For the price being asked, in my opinion, sound byte for sound byte, this is one of the best shelf units out there. I listened to a lot of small systems in the up to and a little above the one hundred and fifty level and this system won hands down every time. A nice added bonus feature is that it was also the most eye appealing, too!

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I bought this after reading 2 reviews on Amazon which were favorable. It skipped CDs after 4 months in my office. Sounds great, looks great... but rate it zero for durability. The repair or shipping for repairs will probably cost at least half the buying price. Disappointed.

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You read these reviews about the cd not functioning after a few months of use; try FROM DAY ONE. There is a workaround with the aux inputs and another player, and I like the sound I'm hearing, but its not a keeper. I tried the radio, and I'm not tuning into my favourite am stations either. If Phillips would figure out and solve these bugs this would be a great little system, but alas it's not. I have much better luck with sony products; phillips/magnavox always have ghosts in their machines. Be warned!

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I received my stereo only 2 days after I purchased it, and it works great. Sound is awsome and the electronic door is amazing. Wont blow you away with the top volume, but it is very clear and no sounds other than the music. absolutly worth the money. Recomend for anyone who wants to put stereo in bedroom or office.

I recently purchased this system for my bedroom. I wanted a CD player and FM radio. This unit does an excellent job in both areas. FM reception is excellent. I can receive all the stations on this system that are available to be received in this area on any other radio. CD playback is excellent with no playback problems of any kind.

The sound quality is excellent for a system in this price range and size better than most others I tried. Sound is clean and clear with no distortion. There are sufficient equalization and tone controls to adjust the sound as desired. Volume is excellent, with plenty of sound for reasonable small room listening at normal levels.

The remote control is well made and well designed, and easy to use.

So far, I am very pleased with this product. It serves my purposes perfectly.

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Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Unlocked Phone with 2 MP Camera, MP3/Video Player, MicroSD Slot--U.S. Version

The best thing I like about this cellphone is its loudness: built-in speaker is loud and speakerphone is loud. This helps a lot if you're in a noisy restraunt (reason I dumped my old cellphone).

Pluses:

1. Well designed music player UI and dedicated buttons.

2. Loud speaker for playing music.

3. Standard 1/8" mini jack for headphones.

4. Solid buttons, crisp display

5. Very small, stylish

Minuses:

1. Short battery life -must charge almost every night.

2. Camera is fair in quality.

3. No 3G

Pros:

Phone is compact

For a small phone has decent MP3 quality

Clean lines

Sturdy casing

Separate ports for charging, USB and earphones

Call quality seems to be good

Simple Bluetooth connectivity

Easy menu interface

Convenient music player controls

All necessary accessories (except for a travel charger) are included in the package (along with 2GB Micro SD)

Seems to retain its charge well (stand-by and talk time)

Nokia technical support, phone features, and website access to options without nickle-and-diming you really stands out.

Cons:

Speakerphone could be louder (however new FCC rulings place limitations on US Version phones with this capability so Nokia is simply abiding by the FCC).

Voice dialing gets it right about 80% of the time.

Using Nokia PC Sync software may still not allow you to Sync with the phone. Was unable to get this problem resolved.

For the most part am very pleased with the phone. My only serious disappointment is my inability to Sync, however that may be unique to myself. Am very pleased with the extent of service by Nokia technical support in providing guidance and support, and appreciate the Nokia website which offers various extras (software and other downloads) free of charge when other manufacturers expect you to purchase some of the same options to fully utilize the features of their phones.

I also commend Amazon.com customer and wireless services personnel for their attentiveness and dedication to true customer service!

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The Nokia 5310, aka "The Music Xpress", is one nifty little phone! Sure, it's no iPhone, but if you want something that got just about as many bells and whistles for a little less money, you want this phone.

The 5130 is available in purple, orange, red and blue (I own the purple). It's very thin and small, but fits easily in the palm of your hand and doesn't give the impression it's going to fall apart if you look at it cross-eyed.

The buttons are raised up just a bit. The display is bright and vibrant. If you have T-Mobile service with this phone, you'll find it can handle the My Favorites plan just fine, with nice little icons and customizable options fo each person.

The phone has several nifty features, including a 2 megapixel camera that takes good-to-very-good quality pictures. It can also function as a video camera, doing both sound and image. There's no flash or self-portrait mirror, but you can make do. The screen acts as a view finder, of course. There's also four different levels of zoom and several different video effects (like black and white, negative, false color, etc). There's a nifty little mini-USB port you can use to move your files to a computer (assuming you have a cable. Thankfully the phone comes with one).

There's also the usual selection of programs, like a calculator, alarm clock, organizer, etc. The system also comes with a few game demos, none of which are particularly memorable.

Ah, but you want to know about the biggie, right? You want to know all about the music capability!

Well, this phone doesn't disapoint. There's external music controls and an external volume control. You can turn it up loud enough to annoy the people next door if you really try. There's also a headphone jack that, thankfully, allows for normal headphones to be used. I have a neat little set I got on a Delta flight, and they work just fine.

When I bought the phone it came with the USB cable I mentioned earlier, as well as a stereo hands-free headset with a detachable mic, and, joy of joys, a 1 gigabyte memory card! That's a really nice thing to have! I've got quite a bit of music on mine and it isn't even close to being filled. Tiny card, too. About the size of a fingernail.

Overall there's no real reason not to recommend this phone. It's sleek and stylish, has a great price point, comes with plenty of goodies and plays music very, very well. It's worth every penny I paid for it, and that's not something I can often say!

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Love the compact size... automatically locks when not in use... 4GB of music and videos... great screen and input keys. I'd change the location of the volume controls, currently you have to reposition your hold to change the volume. The PC Sync took some work to get it working with Outlook but now it works like a charm. (Quick tip: try syncing without the SIM and SD card the first time, it'll force the software to reset)

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This is a great Phone I love mine, but I get so frustrated that Nokia didn't finish their work.

Since the iPhone I have started to expect more from a phone then basic functionality. I don't want a phone, I want an extension to my computer. If life happens and I will miss a meeting I want the numbers and contact information so that I can reschedule my life on the fly. Apple get this. Nokia sells tons and tons of phones, yet they seem to be too busy to do one phone to completion. I have contemplated moving to the iPhone like my wife but the size and capabilities of this phone keep me from making the leap.

What I like about this phone:

1) Size: Nothing beats the size. You don't even know you have a phone on you.

2) Bluetooth: This phone support file transfer and stereo headsets. Two things the iPhone can't do.

3) Cut and Paste: Basic functionality that I have come to expect that is missing on the iPhone. This phone support cut and paste

4) Sound: This things sounds great with apple ear buds! And it has decent sound without a headset (remember it is like 7mm thin)

5) battery: At the end of the day my battery is still full. Last month I talked on the phone all day. Took and over night train to shanghai. I listened to music on the train and then talked the next day on the phone. Amazing!

6) AAC support: This phone can play unencrypted AAC files from iTunes.

What I don't like...

1) Wont sync with Mac. Worse yet People on the net say creating a sync profile is easy! So why doesn't Nokia do it!!!

1.a) won't sync with iCal (very important)

1.b) Won't sync with Address Book (very important)

1.c) Won't sync with iTunes (less important)

Nokia, Apple is eating your lunch. Finish the job. You have a very good product finish it out. Continue to release software for the product. The rules are changing.

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