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reviewed posts

Onkyo's iPod-lovin' ND-S1 digital media transport gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 3:51AM

Back in late July, we weren't aware of when Onkyo's fancy ND-S1 iPod dock would ship. Now, we're not only certain that the £144 ($235) digital media transport is shipping across the pond, but we've stumbled upon a critique for those wondering if such an outlay is justified. After slamming their iPod touch into the device and connecting it to their reference speaker system, they came away duly impressed; in practically every scenario, using the external DAC in this box led to clearer, more precise audio compared to signals coming straight out of the iPod. In fact, reviewers went so far as to call this unit "peerless," though they did mention that it's really only good for those already satisfied with their existing speaker setuip. Of course, you could just opt for an audiophile-approved media player, but then you wouldn't be able to experience the joy and elation that comes with relying on iTunes. Right?

Netgear's EVA2000 Digital Entertainer Live gets reviewed: decent, but lacking

by Laura June posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 10:17AM

Netgear's EVA2000 Digital Entertainer Live came packin' a lot of promise for just $150, but according to a critique over at TrustedReviews, those into a thing dubbed "high-definition" may want to keep on saving and pass over this one. You see, the only 720p content it's capable of playing back is MPEG-2; other than that, you're stuck watching SD material or upscaled-to-720p SD material. To the box's credit, it did manage to play back content satisfactorily, and the built-in PlayOn software was indeed a boon to the device's overall utility. In the world of media streamers, though, you've got oodles of options, and it seems as if one from WD or ASUS just might be a better overall value. Tap the read link to decide for yourself.

Panasonic's 1-inch thick Z1 plasma reviewed: playing with perfection

by Laura June posted Oct 22nd 2009 at 9:56AM

The plasma may be a dying breed, but the ones that are left are undoubtedly some of the best the world has ever seen. Take Panasonic's 54-inch TC-P54Z1 for example, which wowed audiences (us included) when it was first unveiled way back at CES. The HD Guru recently had an opportunity to take this very screen into his abode for review, and after a labor-intensive (around "one hour") setup process, the gazing was officially on. Panny's engineers were able to slim the set down to an inch by requiring that a dedicated (wireless) set-top-box be used for tuning OTA channels and managing connections, and the result was nothing less than elegant. If you're wondering what north of five large really buys in an HDTV these days, wonder no more -- the set was deemed darn near perfect, with "outstanding" color, contrast and deep black levels. Potentially best of all, there were no motion artifacts to speak of, and anyone with a 120Hz / 240Hz set can testify to just how annoying those things are. Hit the read link for a detailed unboxing, setup and review, but don't even bother if you're looking for someone to talk you out of what you're about to do.

HP's MediaSmart Server LX195 reviewed: impressive, but flawed

by Darren Murph posted May 26th 2009 at 9:51AM


After being introduced to the world late last month, we've heard little else about HP's lower-end MediaSmart Server LX195... until now, obviously. This little media streamer made its way into the HotHardware labs for a little Q&A, and it managed to escape with lots of praise, a mild amount of criticism and a price tag that'll likely be too steep for most to swallow. As for performance and features, the LX195 was found to shine; the Media Collector, iTunes server and Time Machine backup functionality all worked great. Unfortunately, the "endless loop of updates" seen during the initial setup and the lack of an April update -- which was sent out to the EX series last month -- left somewhat of a bitter taste in reviewers mouths. Overall, the system delivered and worked as advertised, but the $360 to $400 street price is apt to turn all but the hardest of hardcore HP fans away, not to mention that the aforesaid EX update (which will hit the LX195 this fall) will require users to completely wipe their HDD and start over from scratch. Check the read link for the full writeup.

Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system impressions

by Darren Murph posted Mar 29th 2009 at 10:49AM Featured Story


Klipsch won our hearts over years ago with its ProMedia 4.1 setup, and we're happy to say that the winning formula hasn't been significantly altered in the HD Theater 500. Honestly, the satellites presented here look an awful lot like those bundled in with the ProMedia kit, but these do check in with a bit less bulk and a bit more gloss. Upon unboxing the 5.1 system, we were actually pretty astounded by how light each of the speakers were, with even the subwoofer not being painfully heavy. All the small talk aside, we know you're here to see if these suckers are worth your hard-earned dollars -- follow us on past the break for a breakdown of the pros and cons.

Continue reading Klipsch HD Theater 500 5.1-channel sound system impressions

ZeeVee Zinc TV viewer hands-on and impressions

by Darren Murph posted Mar 24th 2009 at 9:01AM Featured Story


ZeeVee just let loose its Zinc internet TV viewer, and we couldn't help but give it an install on our Windows XP-based machine. While it can be said that this is a competitor to Hulu, it actually provides access to Hulu material. In that sense, maybe it's infringing more on boxee's territory. Underneath, it really relies on access to public video RSS feeds, so obviously the options are pretty limitless. If you're interested in seeing just how quickly you should download / avoid this new piece of software, follow us past the break for a few impressions.

Continue reading ZeeVee Zinc TV viewer hands-on and impressions

OPPO BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player first impressions

by Darren Murph posted Mar 23rd 2009 at 10:25AM Featured Story


We were fortunate enough to get one of OPPO's new universal Blu-ray players (the BDP-83) in for the weekend, and while we were cordially asked to withhold a "full review" due to the beta firmware loaded on, we were allowed to pass along less formal informational pieces. Right from the start, we adored the solid build quality and the simplistic styling. After firing it up and going through the basic setup process (which was very well laid out, might we add), we were presented with an OPPO Blu-ray screen that was just begging for us to insert a movie. And so we did. Follow us past the break for a rundown of our initial impressions.

Continue reading OPPO BDP-83 universal Blu-ray player first impressions

Popcorn Hour A-110 review

by Ben Drawbaugh posted Mar 18th 2009 at 8:07AM Featured Story



With HD media streamers being a dime a dozen these days, when one particular one seems gain popularity we take notice. So we figured there was no better way to learn what all the fuss is about then to spend a little time with it. The main point of our curiosity was to go beyond the specs and to try and determine how usable it was. To learn what sets the Popcorn Hour apart from the rest, click on through.

Continue reading Popcorn Hour A-110 review

Panasonic's VIERA TC-P42S1 plasma reviewed: nice, for the price

by Darren Murph posted Mar 14th 2009 at 8:01AM


So, is Panasonic's low-end TC-P42S1 worth the relatively small asking price (around $1,000)? CNET reviewers sat down to find out exactly that, and they concluded that while it wasn't perfect, it's apt to be plenty awesome for the average HDTV viewer. For starters, it consumes a good bit less energy than previous PDPs, and it also sported black levels that "nearly rival" Pioneer's heralded KURO. Other praises include excellent shadow detail, solid color saturation and a decent array of ports. The only real knocks were the less-than-accurate primary colors / color temperature and the skimpy picture controls, but as we mentioned, these aren't likely to matter to the non-enthusiast. Overall, critics found that this here set struck a great balance between price and performance, but we'd still recommend putting your eyes on one before pulling the trigger.

Insignia's NS-2BRDVD Blu-ray player gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Feb 22nd 2009 at 3:56PM


Ever heard that phrase "you get what you pay for?" Yeah, it applies here. Insignia's low-cost NS-2BRDVD has been effectively panned by reviewers over at CNET, with the only bright spots coming in the form of a relatively low price, a USB port for accessing digital media and "solid Blu-ray image quality with most movies." The bad? That Profile 2.0 compatibility we reckoned it had actually isn't there (currently, at least), and it lacks full onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. In truth, that's not totally awful, but what affluent individual with a decoding AV receiver (psst... those aren't cheap) would go out and grab this? At any rate, the deck is also slow to load some flicks, and it doesn't support firmware updates via Ethernet or USB. If you really needed a bottom line, here goes: "The NS-2BRDVD is an under-featured and slow-loading Blu-ray player, but it provides basic BD playback at a bargain."

Logitech's Harmony 1100 remote reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Feb 20th 2009 at 2:24PM


If you've been pondering the purchase of a touchscreen-heavy $500 remote, you've probably been pondering the purchase of a Logitech Harmony 1100. If so, you should probably surf on over to Engadget Classic's review, which takes a critical look at its pros, cons and everything in between. Go on, get!

Sanyo's Xacti VPC-HD2000 pocket camcorder gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Feb 12th 2009 at 1:38PM


Sanyo's Xacti line of pocket-friendly HD camcorders have been almost universally praised... when shooting outdoors. When trying to log clips in dim light, however, the story has been quite different. The outfit's VPC-HD2000, which was unveiled at CES this year, came out looking decently strong from PhotographyBLOG's review. The handheld packed in "more features than you'd expect," but the lofty price tag kept it from being a real contender. Sadly, the poor low light performance was grandfathered in, though the broad range of selectable ISO options were appreciated nonetheless. All in all, reviewers seemed to hold back on giving their wholehearted recommendation due to its price and the so-so image quality; in other words, you should probably avoid this one until its successor comes out, after which the MSRP may better reflect the benefits.

Panasonic's HDC-HS300 HD camcorder reviewed, thoroughly enjoyed

by Darren Murph posted Feb 7th 2009 at 12:53PM


Panasonic's HDC-HS300 was unleashed amidst a flurry of other camcorders at CES this year, but according to Trusted Reviews, it won't be hiding under the shadows of everyone else for long. Rather than bogging you down with details, we'll just get right to the punch -- critics didn't hesitate to suggest that this "could well be the best [consumer] camcorder released all year." The most important aspect (yes, we're talking about image quality) was said to be "nothing short of stunning in virtually all conditions," and low light performance was deemed "particularly amazing." There were plenty of outputs, a swank touchscreen LCD and a very impressive cross-shaped array of microphones that could record 5.1 audio. Add all that up, and you've got a real winner; in fact, these guys suggested that even Canon's stellar line of VIXIA camcorders should watch closely, 'cause the HS300 is stepping all up in that rarefied air.

Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema System gets reviewed

by Darren Murph posted Jan 29th 2009 at 10:16AM


Let's get one thing straight up front: Epson's Ensemble HD Home Cinema System isn't right for everyone. In fact, we'd say it's right for only a small sect of individuals. You see, this all-in-one solution is really all-in-one, meaning that you'll not only have to be completely okay with each and every component, but you'll need a local installer to come and set everything up. For those looking to exert zero effort into their home theater system, this is the one to beat. E-Gear critics were able to have a sit with the 1080p version of the bundle, and while nothing was absolutely groundbreaking, everything seemed to function well enough. Video and audio were both satisfactory, and the fit and finish of everything was superb. If you've found yourself in that tiny niche of prospective buyers, you owe it to yourself to give the read link a look before throwing down thousands.

Sony's BDV-IS1000 Blu-ray HTIB reviewed: probably a skip

by Darren Murph posted Jan 28th 2009 at 2:29PM


Sony's BDV-IS1000 has two big things going for it. For starters, it comes with a Blu-ray player. Secondly, it's drop-dead gorgeous. Critics over at DigitalTrends were able to secure one of the 5.1-channel HTIBs for review, and while they were big, big fans of the compact design, powerful subwoofer and inclusion of Profile 2.0 on the BD deck, they simply couldn't recommend it as it stood. Why? The wireless rear speakers didn't work on either of its test units. Instead, they were troubled with dropouts and interference from other radio emitting devices. It seems that critics went out of their way to ensure this wasn't just some setup issue, and they even caution to prospective buyers that they too are apt to encounter the problem. 'Tis a shame -- these looked so promising.




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