Garmin nuvi 500 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Description:
Drive, hike, bike or boat. With the rugged, waterproof, multi-mode n?vi 500, you can do it all. Packed with detailed street and topographic maps, n?vi 500 is ready for adventure both on and off the beaten path. Like the 550, n?vi 500 switches modes to navigate your active lifestyle and provides spoken turn-by-turn directions to your destination.n?vi 500 features driving, walking, bicycling and boating modes which customize your n?vi specifically for your method of travel. This portable hybrid combines the advanced navigation features and large, color display found in automotive units with the durability of an outdoor handheld. Sleek and slim, you can slip n?vi 500 into your pocket or backpack. The user-replaceable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery lets n?vi navigate you on roads or off.n?vi 500′s intuitive interface greets you with two simple questions: « Where To? » and « View Maps. » touch the color screen to easily look up addresses and services and get voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions to your destination. It comes preloaded with city navigator NT map data for the lower 48 states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico or one European region or country (click versions tab to view all). It’s packed with millions of Points Of Interest (POIs) and features digital elevation maps that show you shaded terrain contours at higher zoom levels. With n?vi 500, you can upload custom Points Of Interest (POIs) and navigate to geo-tagged photos. If you’re lost, use the Where Am I? emergency locator to view your exact latitude and longitude coordinates the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations and fuel stations.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1513 in Consumer Electronics
- Brand: Garmin
- Model: NUVI 500
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 4.21″ h x 3.30″ w x .90″ l, .50 pounds
- Native resolution: 320 x 240
- Display size: 3.5
Features
- High-Sensitivity GPS Receiver For Improved Performance And Reception
- Built-In 3D Basemap
- Includes Built-In Lower 48 Us States Topographic Maps
- 3.5-Inch Display, 320 X 240 Pixels
- Easy Touch-Screen Interface
Customer Reviews:
An Excellent Multi-Functional GPS
Let me start by saying that I currently own and use several different GPS units: Garmins Nuvi 750, Colorado 400t, Rino 130 (a pair), Magellan 1470 and a Dash Express (I’ve also owned Garmins 2720, 2820, Nuvi 350, and a 60CSx in the recent past). I have so many of them because I use them for different purposes:
* Automobile navigation: I travel all over the country and always take a GPS with me for use in my rental cars.
* Walking in urban areas: I love to stroll around great cities and a good GPS not only keeps me from getting lost, it helps me to find areas of interest.
* Hiking in rural areas: As a birdwatcher I find a hand-held GPS receiver essential. Getting lost in the desert or the woods is no fun at all.
* Bicycling: I love to just bike and then try to figure out how to get home later. A GPS makes it easy to find my way back.
* Geocaching: A wonderful hobby that involves finding things that others have hidden using coordinates posted on the web. A GPS is an absolute necessity if you want to do this.
So, why did I buy yet another Garmin, the Nuvi 500? It is a part of my eternal search for one GPS receiver that is appropriate for all of these endeavors. It is important to understand that no GPS is perfect, nor is any one model ideal for everything. However, some accomplish some tasks well but are useless for others. The Nuvi 500 (and it’s brother the 550) are useful for all of my needs.
Instead of comparing it to other models that are more specialized, let me grade the Nuvi 500 in how well in works ,right out-of-the-box, for each task that I wanted it for:
* Automobile navigation: B-
There are much better units for this purpose if that is all you are going to use it for. Still, it gets you there. One major feature that I missed at first in the Nuvi 500 was Text-To-Speech (or TTS). This is where the unit pronounces the names of streets and roads. With it a GPS will say « Turn right on Broadway Street ». Without TTS is will say « Turn right at the next street ». However, in March of ’09 Garmin released a firmware update that gives the nuvi 500 this feature! I have downloaded it to mine and it works just like my nuvi 750 (make sure that you download some TTS voices as well). I assume that new units will have this already installed. Still, the display is somewhat small for an automotive GPS, especially if the dash is deep and far from the driver. Although you can buy an optional FM traffic receiver, some units, like the Dash Express, have this feature built-in, plus it can connect via the internet and get real-time traffic info. My Garmin 2820 has built in satellite radio, however it is pretty big and needs to be plugged in.
* Walking in urban areas: A
Here is where the Nuvi 500 shines. First, it is small enough to fit in a pocket (although I do wish that it was thinner) yet it’s big enough to see the display without squinting. However, my favorite feature is the user-switchable batteries. Most GPS receivers use built-in rechargeable batteries; nice but when they run down you either have to find a place to plug it in and recharge it or you are stuck without a usable GPS. The Garmin Nuvi 500′s back opens up and the expended battery can be swapped out with a fresh one. This is a HUGE benefit for anyone using a GPS in any place other than a car. Another nice feature for the urban tourist is that you can download photos from a special web-site and not only see them on the Nuvi it will give directions to where the photo was taken. Cool.
* Hiking in rural areas: B
The Nuvi is not as ergonomic as those units designed to be hand held. It is a flat, rectangular device without a textured surface, still it is very usable outdoors. What I like about the 500 is that it comes loaded with both City Navigator and Garmin’s Topo Map (the 550 does has more North American coverage but does not have topographical coverage). Both units feature « digital elevation model » (DEM) mapping which shows you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, however, the Topo maps will show much, much more. Details like elevations, streams, small bodies of water, trails, landmarks and many other features that can really be useful when you are out in the boonies.
* Bicycling: A
I had my Garmin Colorado mounted on my Trek 7300 bike and although it looked funny (I have photos of it on Amazon’s Colorado 400t page) it worked O-K. Still, it did not come with the same type of street maps that the Nuvi does (I could have purchased it for about $100 and downloaded it onto the Colorado if I wanted to) and it was not as intuitive to use as the Nuvis are. Also, the Nuvi 500 really looks nice on my handlebars. Since it is waterproof (as is the Colorado) you don’t have to worry about a rainstorm.
* Geocaching: B+
If you haven’t geocached and don’t ever plan on doing it then you might want to skip this part of my review. However, if you are on of the many thousands that enjoy this growing hobby (over 800,000 geocaches have been placed worldwide) this is a GPS that can take you from your driveway to the cache and back effortlessly. Like the Colorado (and similar models such as the Oregon) you can download cache information directly to the GPS. Other Garmins can download the coordinates but the Nuvi 500 (and the 550) will display the cache information, hints, logs and just about everything that you need to successfully find what you are looking for. You can also record the results of your search (found, did not find, needs repair, etc.) for later transfer to the geocaching website. I’ve used the Nuvi 500 to find caches and it took me right to it. I’ll still use my Colorado but if I only want to take one GPS with me, it’ll be the 500.
Additional things that I like:
The Nuvi 500 lets you change your mode of travel (car, bike or on-foot) from the main page. It will then customize you directions based on your mode of transport icon (for instance, you can navigate one-way streets much differently on bike or on foot vs. by car). Another nice touch is when you choose a destination a little tab slides out from the « Go! » icon on the screen which shows your Usage Mode (car, bike, etc.) the Distance and the Time based on your chosen mode of travel. My 750 does not have this feature. Another thing that I like is that you can easily program the Nuvi 500 for on-road or off-road use. If you are traveling on foot you are not restricted to directions that require you to stick to the streets.
Somethings that I am not crazy about:
The specs list the battery life as « up to » 8 hours. I set the backlight to 50% and got 5 hours of use. Still very usable and with a second battery (which I bought with the unit and highly recommend) you can get 10 hours of continuous use without needing to recharge it or turn off the backlight completely. I also wish that the housing had a textured finish on the outside edge, giving you something to help you to keep your grip.
One final gripe: I can understand why Garmin does not include the AC charger with other Nuvi models but this one should really come with one. After all, it’s billed as a multifunctional GPS, not an automotive GPS.
I am very happy with my new Garmin. I will be recommending this unit to all of my geocaching, birdwatching and bicycling friends. If you’re are looking for a GPS that does it all, so far this one is the best.
UPDATE 12/03/08: The price has dropped quite a bit since I purchased it only a month ago. Now the value is even better! Grab it while you can. TR
Not bad, but not all good either.
This unit is fairly nice, but its more of an on-the-road GPS. It has a terrific 3D view and works well at guiding you down the road. It does lack any way of holding it when in the back country though, and has no screen lock for when you throw it in your backpack, so the touch screen goes nuts while in the pack. It also only comes with the 1:100K TOPO’s which are about as useless as they get in the woods, and at the moment Garmin has no TOPO 1:24K maps for the NorthEast, and you have to purchase those separately. There is support for Raster images, but no way to create Raster Maps, which would be a major plus if we could load on USGS 24K maps, which are superior to the ones Garmin uses. I also found the Address lookup ability, which a GPS unit should excel at, was quite useless. There just isnt enough addresses in the unit, it has serious troubles when looking up small towns addresses. I have a legal address and zip code and it refuses to accept it. It will suggest the next town over, or a location several miles from my home, and this is normal for all Garmin’s. I find this annoying, because like I said, this should be its strong suit, it is a GPS unit afterall.
I did find some custom made 1:24K maps online, and they are pretty good, but no where near as good as the USGS. Its a good unit, but they didnt think it thru very well, maybe the next generation of this unit will fair better.
Things that need to be changed or added:
1) Should come with 1:24K Maps
2) They need to get the Raster ability working so we can load USGS 1:24K
3) Address lookups need to be updated/expanded and more accurate(This is a real let down right now)
4) Needs a place to hookup up a strap so you have a way to secure it while carrying it around.
5) Desperately needs a Screen Lock, even Garmin’s vehicle units have this, but a Cross-Over unit that spends its time in the woods/backpacks doesnt?
6) Should be smaller, its just a little to large to carry around or hold.(Maybe adding the ability to turn the unit and have the screen view turn with you, its easier to hold the unit the long way)
Great choice in an all-around GPS receiver
I bought the Nuvi 500 to replace my tried-and-true Garmin StreetPilot i3.
One of my primary considerations is WATERPROOFness… my i3 has worked great on my MOTORCYCLE touring adventures, but when the rains came, it was either in the tank bag, or in a clear sandwich bag, held in place with a rubber band – not ideal.
There are motorcycle-specific GPS receivers, but they are all significantly more expensive. Frankly, I was attracted to the multi-purpose nature of this model. I’ve used it for motorcycle rides (just trial runs so far), bicycling, hiking/walking, and driving. I’m confident there are better solutions for each individual use – if you can afford a CAR GPS, and a HIKING GPS, and a MOTORCYCLING GPS, and a BOATING GPS, knock yourself out. The Nuvi 500 seems to do a very adequate job at all of that stuff.
Another feature I was looking for – and the Nuvi 500 has it – is the ability to enter a very specific ROUTE into it, and expect accurate directions. (When I’m motorcycle touring, it’s all about the JOURNEY, not the DESTINATION. I want to plan the journey, rather than leaving it to GPS-receiver silicon. I could plan my routes using the i3, but it was a matter of entering up to 50 waypoints, and then selecting each one in sequence. Now I can just tell it to « follow route Day 2, » and off we go.)
It has « modes » for automobile, bicycle, boating, and walking. (With a myriad of avatar options… when you’re hiking, you can use some little blue trudging feet to indicate your current location. Cute!) Also, with a firmware upgrade (readily available at the Garmin website) you can add « Scooter » mode. (I’m guessing they don’t have a « Motorcycle » mode for it, because they hope motorcycle riders will opt instead for the significantly-more-pricey Zumo models. But how different could « motorcycle » and « scooter » be, other than the gay factor? That’s just a joke… scooters are great!)
This model doesn’t have some of the other features found on a lot of high-end models. If you want a unit that speaks street names, or plays your MP3 tunes, or doubles as a cell phone or bluetooth… this may not be the one for you.
My only suggestion for Garmin would be – add a place to attach a lanyard/safety-tether! It would be nice, particularly when hiking, to be able to hang this around the neck, or attach it to a backpack with a carabiner. (Or to safety-strap it to the bicycle or motorcycle!)
Based on my experience, Garmin is VERY oriented toward customer service and satisfaction. They have bent over backwards to keep THIS customer happy. (That’s a nice bonus to the fact that they make an excellent product.)
Amazon.com Product Description
Perfect for crossing over the threshold from city to backcountry, the Garmin nuvi 500 provides a high-sensitivity GPS receiver with turn-by-turn navigation in a ruggedized, waterproof exterior that you can use while hiking, biking, or boating. With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix satellite prediction, nuvi 500 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons–whether in the city or out in the wilds. And it easily switches modes (driving, walking, biking and boating) to navigate through your active lifestyle depending on your activity. Other features include a 3.5-inch touchscreen, microSD memory expansion, geocaching GPX file capabilities for complete cache descriptions and hints, and Garmin Connect Photos–enabling you to associate your favorite images with saved locations.
The waterproof nuvi 500 guides you while you drive, hike, bike or boat. |
The nuvi 500 comes preloaded with the highly detailed City Navigator North America NT maps for the lower 48 states, which also includes topographic maps for a better perspective of your elevation. The map data, provided by NAVTEQ, features over six million points of interest, including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and attractions.
The DEM basemap (above) provides shaded contours, and the nuvi also includes a digital compass. |
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Weighing 7.6 ounces and measuring less than an inch thin, the nuvi 500 fits easily in a purse, backpack, or jacket pocket. The 3.5-inch color touchscreen display (with 320 x 240-pixel resolution) is easy to read even in direct sunlight, and the nuvi’s easy-to-use interface means you’ll spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time searching for information. Simple controls and sub-screens make it easy to enter or search for destinations and get data about your trip. Simply touch the color screen to enter a destination, and nuvi takes you there with turn-by-turn voice directions, 2-D or 3-D maps and smooth map updates as you navigate. Its digital elevation model (DEM) mapping shows you shaded contours at higher zoom levels, giving you a big picture of the surrounding terrain. In addition, the nuvi accepts custom points of interest (POIs), such as school zones and safety cameras and lets you set proximity alerts to warn you of upcoming POIs.
Garmin’s HotFix capability automatically calculates and stores satellite locations, greatly reducing satellite acquisition time so that you can turn the unit on and get going. With HotFix, your nuvi 500 remembers the position of all satellites it is tracking when you turn it off, and calculates their movements in order to predict where they should be the next time you turn it on. HotFix can predict satellite positions for up to 3 days after the device was last turned off.
Conveniently plug in optional preloaded microSD memory cards for all your outdoor activities on land or water. Just insert an optional Garmin MapSource card with detailed street maps (such as for locales outside the United States), and the nuvi 500 provides turn-by-turn directions to your destination. And with optional BlueChart g2 Vision maps, you’ll get everything you need for a great day on the water including depth contours, navaids and harbors. Plus, a user-replaceable lithium-ion battery will give you up to eight hours of battery life (depending on use).
Specifications
- User modes: Driving, Boating, Bicycling and Walking
- Expansion: microSD card slot for optional mapping and data storage
- Wherigo player
- Geocahing: Supports Geocahing.com GPX files for complete cache descriptions and hints
- Dimensions: 4.21 x 3.35 x 0.9 inches (WxHxD)
- Display size: 3.5-inch QVGA color antiglare TFT screen (320 x 240-pixel resolution) with white backlight touchscreen
- Weight: 7.6 ounces
- Battery type: user replaceable lithium-ion
- Battery life: up to 8 hours depending on use
- Waterproof standard: IEC 60529 IPX7
Navigate by Photo with Garmin Connect Photos
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Using Garmin’s Connect Photos Web site, you can choose from millions of geo-located photos provided by Google’s Panoramio photo sharing community and download them to the nuvi for a richer navigation experience using pictures as a guide.
- Choose from Panoramio’s collection of photos from around the world.
- Easy to use interface displays photos on Google Maps.
- Search for photos by location name or map area boundary.
- Transfer photos directly from Garmin Connect to device with the Garmin Communicator.
- View photos in Google Earth.
- Supports Internet Explorer 6+, Firefox 2+, Safari 3+ on Windows and Mac.
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Play Wherigo Wherever You Go
This nuvi GPS device is compatible with Wherigo, the latest GPS-based activity from geocaching pioneers Groundspeak. Wherigo (pronounced « where I go ») is a toolset for creating and playing location-based multimedia experiences in the real world. Using the Wherigo platform, Wherigo authors can build exciting adventure games, historical tours or other innovative activities.
3D Terrain Maps
Shaded relief terrain maps show you when to expect hills, mountains, forests and other natural features. Topographic terrain maps are viewable when using the 2D « birds-eye » view.
What’s in the Box
Garmin nuvi 500, preloaded City Navigator North America NT Lower 48 U.S. states, Hawaii and Puerto Rico plus topographic maps, lithium-ion battery, vehicle suction cup mount, vehicle power cable, dashboard disc, quick start manual
Which nuvi is Best for You?
Note: All nuvis come with detailed NAVTEQ maps containing more than 6 million pre-loaded point of interest locations.
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Mots-clefs : B001CSZSDI, Electronics, Garmin nuvi 500 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator, Garmin nuvi 500 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Sale-$236.99!
Publié dans Electronics |
18 juin 2011
Casio Exilim EX-Z30 3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Description:
This EXILIM ZOOM model incorporates the ‘EXILIM Engine’, a newly developed compact image-processing module with a 3 layer Stack MCM, which achieves high picture quality and quick response using a 1.8V low-power system. This makes the camera’s compact dimensions possible and at the same time have a battery life 2.5 times that of previous models, it also enables users a to capture stunning 360 photos a single battery charge. Thanks to the EX-Z30′s unrivalled processing speed, streamed movie clips with sound can also be captured, compared with previous models limit of 30 or 60 second clips. Budding moviemakers can now capture memorable events and the only limitation is the capacity of their memory card.When photos need to be taken in a hurry, the EXILIM ZOOM model uses Auto Pan Focus mode with one rapid push of the shutter button, removing the need to wait for auto focus, and capturing pin sharp fast moving targets. In combination with the approximate 1.6-second high-speed start up time and approximate 0.01-second release time lag, the features of these cameras allow for even faster, more satisfying photography. The camera has 21 built-in BESTSHOT scenes. Selecting a BESTSHOT scene automatically changes the setup of the camera to the setting required to record an image similar to the sample scene.Other impressive features include the large 2.0-inch TFT LCD screen and the Direct On function for one-touch record and play modes. In addition to being USB DIRECT-PRINT compliant for direct connection to printers, the EX-Z30 is compatible with the PictBridge and PIM II standards. A combination of outstanding design, portability and high performance has put the EXILIM ZOOM range at the forefront of the market trend for compact, stylish and thinner digital cameras and now CASIO have responded to the demand for a longer battery life.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #92182 in Camera & Photo
- Brand: Casio
- Model: EXZ30
- Dimensions: .80 pounds
- Display size: 2
Features
- 3.34 million total pixels; 3.2 million effective pixels
- Shoots still and video motion images
- Built-in flash memory 9.7MB and slot for adding SD memory card/Multi Media card for additional memory
- EX-Z30′s Recorded Image Sizes – Snapshots – 2048 X 1536 (3 – 2) / 1600 X 1200 / 1280 X 960 / 640 X 480 pixel ; Movies – 320 X 240 pixels
- Zoom – 3X optical zoom; 4X digital zoom (12X total when optical and digital zooms are used in combination)
Customer Reviews:
Pretty good for a start
After borrowing my brother’s digital camera for a trip this summer, I finally caved and decided to invest in my own. After a bunch of online research I settled on this, and I’m pretty happy with it. The only reason I can’t enthuse unrestrainedly is because I haven’t had the chance to figure out how everything on it works yet – and it has a LOT of features!
One of the best selling points for me was the size. This thing is TINY! Everyone remarks on it, and I love the fact that I can stick it in a small purse with room to spare when I’m at parties. And despite the overall size, it has a screen that’s large enough to appreciate the composition of the photos you take, both before and after.
Another selling point was that it has a Pentax lens, and while I don’t know much about cameras, that was a highly-recommended feature on some of the professional photography sites I consulted. Also, the body is mostly metal rather than plastic, making it hardier than some of the cheaper models on the market.
It has enough manual features on it that I can play around for different light effects, etc. But when I want a simple snapshot, it has not only a basic snapshot setting, but a couple dozen « best shot » features that automatically set the various light sensitivities and shutter speeds, etc.
I haven’t really had the chance to test it in good outdoors light, since it’s winter now and everything’s kind of grey, but overall I’ve been pleased with the photos both in digital form and the few that I’ve had printed. Some of them have been a bit fuzzy, but I’m convinced that’s from my own experimentation with manual settings.
Two other important features made this a smart investment for me: long battery life and speed. I have yet to find myself in a situation where I have run out of batteries in the middle of the day (as I did with my brother’s camera a couple of times this summer). The startup speed is impressive – you can start to shoot almost immediately after you press the power button – and the recovery speed between shots is negligible. This is a feature that makes it an invaluable snapshot camera.
The only drawback I can think of at the moment is that 3MP is probably a bit low for the price I paid for the camera. But since I’m not likely to be making many prints that are any larger than the standard 3 x 5, I’m not too worried about that. The money, as far as I’m concerned, went into the construction and features I was looking for.
I think this is a great starter camera for someone who wants something light, portable, durable, generally easy to use but with lots of additional features to play around with to make things interesting. If I were more into photography, I’d obviously want something with more resolution, or an SLR. But as it is, I’m very pleased with my new toy!
CASIO EXILIM EX-Z30 — Poor Customer Service
After using the camera for 4 months the battery quit charging. Working with the camera store where it was purchased we determined that the problem was with the camera rather than with either the battery or charger. I returned the camera to Casio for repair. In response I got a repair estimate for $215. (Cassio’s flat repair charge is $190 + shipping & handling + sales tax — for a camera that cost $230.)
The customer service rep told me that the 12 month warranty was not valid because the camera had suffered an « impact. » After a couple of weeks I finally was able to speak with a manager who told me the case had a « bad dent » in it — although the camera wasn’t dented when I sent it to Casio for repair. The manager finally agreed to have the camera repaired as a « courtesy. » When the « repaired » camera was returned to me the battery still wouldn’t charge.
Although I liked the camera while it worked, I definitely would not buy another Casio product.
Defective Design; Poor Casio Customer Service
LCD cracked after 3 pictures. Camera store said 3 others recently sold also cracked. CASIO knows the design is faulty but will not repair for free. CASIO said the LCD is an ACCESSORY. I asked how can I see the menu to change settings without the screen. DUH?? Don’t buy CASIO products because they do not stand behind them.
Mots-clefs : B0002NXCL4, Camera And Photo, Casio Exilim EX-Z30 3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom, Casio Exilim EX-Z30 3MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom-Retail $299.99! Sale Only $174.99!
Publié dans Camera And Photo |
17 juin 2011
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LG LHB975 1100 W Blu-ray HTIB System Gloss Black
Product: LG LHB975 1100 W Blu-ray HTIB System Gloss Black-Retail $849.95! Sale Only $799.95!
List Price: $849.95
Amazon Price: $799.95
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Compare Prices on LG LHB975 1100 W Blu-ray HTIB System Gloss Black
LG’s NetCast Interface lets you easily access a vast array of internet content. This model comes with two tower speakers.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #5764 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: Gloss Black
- Brand: LG
- Model: LHB975
- Dimensions: 18.10″ h x 46.80″ w x 17.30″ l, 68.60 pounds
Features
- NetCast Entertainment Access Delivers access to Netflix Instant Streaming and Pandora Internet Radio, BD-Live to access real-time extras and BonusView for a Picture-in-Picture experience.
- Blu-ray Disc Playback Pure HD audio and video performance with Full HD 1080p and uncompressed audio technologies and BD-Live access to real-time extras
- Pure HD Audio Performance Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby True HD and dts-HD Advanced Digital Audio Out technologies provide an uncompressed next-generation audio experience for your home theater
- Tower Full Size Speakers deliver broader spectrum of audio sound
- Two HDMI Inputs Deliver convenience and all-digital quality for connecting to your high-def sources such as cable boxes and game systems
Great system…the wait was worth all the way
We been waiting for this system to come out for the last 5 months and it has not let us down. Installation was a breeze, had the system running in less than 5 minutes (after unpacking). Sound quality is great, and love the speaker setup dialog, although it will be better if you could input distances rather than selecting it. Love Pandora, youtube, although we have not tested streaming if it works as flawlessly as youtube interface does it will be a hit at home. Tested the Blue-ray with « The Forth Kind and it had us tied to the chair and even scare the hell out of me cause of realistic sound effects.
In overall its a great system and will recommend it for anyone who likes things to be minimalistic and clean cut.
Other review says rear speakers are not wireless…well no speakers will ever be totally wireless unless batteries are use to power the receiver  what the system does is give you the flexibility to move your speakers around quite easy and takes a few cables out of the back of your box.
Great system, but not with completely wireless speakers
We got this system yesterday after waiting about six weeks. We had found it when searching the LG site, and while it was « released », the LG rep I emailed said that it was just taking time for the distributors to get it to retailers. LG service was prompt and VERY helpful!
When it was finally available on Amazon, my wife and I jumped on it and had it over nighted. (BTW: Amazon Prime rocks!).
This system was everything we wanted. It was easy to put together, and the NetFlix, You Tube, and the Pandora radio were simple to get going.
The picture and sound quality were excellent and we were thrilled with every feature except one.
The rear speakers are NOT exactly wireless.
We had envisioned that three front three (right, left, and center) would plug into the blu ray receiver, and the subwoofer and rear speakers would be completely wireless.
What we found was that the system comes with a box (about the size and weight of a Wii) called the « Wireless Speaker Router ». This box can be placed anywhere in a room, as long as it has access to an electrical outlet. The box DOES wirelessly connect to the receiver AND wirelessly connect to the subwoofer.
HOWEVER, the two rear speakers have to be connected via speaker wire to this device.
We have put the wireless router in the back of our living room, thus significantly reducing the amount of wire needed for each rear speaker. If we has had to wire these rear speakers directly to the blu ray receiver, it would have taken a lot more wire. But make no mistake, the rear speakers are wired. You will have figure out how to hide the wires along open walls and across doorways. We had hoped for complete wireless.
The wireless router has pretty good range from what we’ve seen. It doesn’t have to have an unobstructed line of site to the receiver/subwoofer or anything. So I suppose you could take it and the two speakers to another room and enjoy the internet radio or the ipod dock or the built in AM/FM radio or any other audio signal. The router and speakers are small enough to be quite portable.
So all in all, this is a five star system. Just not with completely wireless speakers.
Not quite perfect, but Really, really good!
I really wish I could have given this system 5 stars. It seems like I waited forever for the LG LHB975! I am a first time Surround Sound owner. I started on my quest for an LG LHB975 when I was at Best Buy listening to the LB LHB335. The LHB335 was nice, but I wanted a bigger sound. I also wanted the rear speakers to be wireless. A little bit of research and I found that many of the earlier LG « Home Theaters In a Box » had really positive reviews. I also found out about the LG LHB975 and all of it’s wonderful features… I just had to wait a little while for it to be released. And then the first box I received was a bit of a mess (very unusual in my experience with Amazon) so the product didn’t work. Fortunately, Amazon has a great return policy, so I had my next, fully functional LHB975 before I even had a chance to pack up and return the original. I have had A LOT of fun with this system already… watching movies, watching TV with 5.1 sound, watching Netflix, listening to music. And with all of the features this thing has, I am just getting started! Really, I could go on and on and on about all of the things I love about it!! And I haven’t even used all of it’s functions yet!! Not sure if I’ll ever be able to fully explore all that this thing does!
So, let’s list what’s keeping it from being 5 stars:
- A little bit of static in the rear speakers – more noticeable when the TV programs have less than ideal audio (not 5.1), and at really low volumes (6 or less… and the volume on this thing goes all of the way up to 40!)
- Noise out of the rear wireless receiver (for the wireless rear speakers). There is sometimes an annoying hum that comes out of the wireless rear receiver. It is not often enough or loud enough to be really annoying (once again, more noticeable at lower volumes) but it is there. However, there is really good range on the receiver and it does NOT require unobstructed line of sight, so you can move it away from you (or other listeners) a little bit and it is a lot less noticeable.
I list the above just as a slight warning. I know I only listed mostly the negative, but let me be clear: I already absolutely love this system… and the sound. It is not perfect, but it is definitely great!!
Mots-clefs : B003553EEQ, Electronics, LG LHB975 1100 W Blu-ray HTIB System Gloss Black, LG LHB975 1100 W Blu-ray HTIB System Gloss Black-Retail $849.95! Sale Only $799.95!
Publié dans Electronics |
16 juin 2011
Definitive Technology NCUB ProMonitor 100 Mk II Speaker Pair, Silver Description:
The ProMonitors are a masterpiece of engineering and design virtuosity. They are beautifully sculptured, ultra-compact, magnetically shielded main or rear channel full-range systems. The cabinets are molded of a Definitive-developed high-density, mineral-filled, non-resonant polymer material called PolyStoneTM. Housed in the totally inert enclosures are a cast-basket 51/4″ bass/midrange driver and a 1″ pure aluminum dome tweeter (the same basic high-end drivers used in our top-of-the-line bipolar SuperTowers), perfectly blended together with a complex Linkwitz-Riley crossover network. The rear and sides of the enclosures are actually one continuous compound curve which has very specific performance benefits in addition to its obvious styling attributes. This NROCTM (Non Resonance Optimization CurveTM) is precisely configured, in combination with a non-parallel to and bottom, to minimize both internal reflections and cabinet-wall resonances to achieve purer sound and greater clarity.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #5548 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: Silver
- Brand: Definitive Technology
- Model: NCUB
- Number of items: 2
- Dimensions: 8.38″ h x 4.75″ w x 5.00″ l,
Features
- Absolute state-of-the-art sonic performance for music and home theater perfection with rich warm sound plus superior detail, clarity and presence
- Great as stand-alone bookshelf speakers or as part of a Definitive Technology surround system
- Cast-basket high-definition bass/midrange drivers and Annealed pure aluminum dome tweeters
- Non-resonant high density PolyStone cabinets
- Engineered to allow optional in-cabinet installation with excellent results
Customer Reviews:
Great product for the price!
I bought this during the Amazon Christmas big sale just to try it after I bought Kef 3005. The store made a mistake and did not send me the kef 3005 home theatre. I am using the definitive Technology Promonitor 100 MKII as a 3.0 system until I buy another 5.1. I was amazed by the sound of these speakers. I am not an audiophile person but a friend of mine installs prossional home theatre in new homes came buy and was amazed by the sound. He said these are very good speakers for the price. Now, I am thinking of adding the Definitive technology procenter 100 MKII, the prosub, and a couple more of the same speakers to make the 5.1 system and save money. Those speakers come with stands or you can wall install.
Good sounding speakers
I have a small living room and these speakers work very well for me. They have a good clear sound. I’m not sure why the previous poster was unable to remove the stands. They can be removed and can even be attached to the back for wall mounting, which is what I have done.
satifying
These little speakers produce a sound several time their size. Do not expect a lot of bass. What your are going to hear is a balanced sound more apt for easy listening music. Human voices sound warm and pleasent.
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Mots-clefs : B001N0LFC8, Definitive Technology NCUB ProMonitor 100 Mk II Speaker Pair, Electronics, Silver, Silver Review.
Publié dans Electronics |
15 juin 2011
Spracht Aura SOHO Full-Duplex Analog Conference Phone with Expandable Capability Description:
Spracht’s modern, sleek AURA SOHO speakerphone is full duplex, allowing simultaneous two-way communication. Echo and noise cancellation, provided by the patented SoundClear Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip gives you unprecedented clarity of sound. The SOHO comes standard for analog connectivity, but has expandable modules which allows you to conform to digital, PBX systems, add Bluetooth compatability, and add 2 expandandle microphones if you wish for larger conference rooms. Finally, you also get a $100 FREE conferencing voucher from our partner Sonexis included in the box.
- Brand: Spracht
- Model: MCP-2016
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 1.50″ h x 8.00″ w x 8.00″ l, 3.70 pounds
Features
- The SOHO Conference phone comes with everything you need to start conferencing immediately
- SOHO Speakerphone has « echo cancellation » and active noise reduction utilizing SoundClear DSP (Digital Signal Processing)
- 3 built-in microphones provide 360 coverage for a 20′ x 20′ room.
- Fully Expandable: Add Bluetooth or PBX, Digital compatability by adding optional modules via the Accessory bay.
- Speakerphone has ‘Redial’ and ‘Flash’ buttons. Volume up and down toggle switch.
Customer Reviews:
Make sure you have the later firmware for VOIP
I bought this product from a 3rd party re-seller at Amazon and the unit I received was apparently out of date. I have Comcast VOIP and due to differences in the behavior of VOIP, the quality was poor.
Fortunately, some folks from Spracht contacted me after reading about my experience and they immediately provided me with an update. The updated unit is far better than the initial one. The call quality is very clear on both ends. The updated unit also has an update to the user manual that provides instructions on how to configure the unit for use with a VOIP system. This makes all the difference, in the default mode the quality with a VOIP line is similar to the older box.
I’m generally satisfied with the new unit, the quality is clear, the only minor complaint is that people on the remote end say I sound a little far away and ask if I can turn up my volume. I have the external microphones and the base unit. Hopefully this is just some trial and error to get the right positioning.
I would recommend that before you buy this speakerphone you verify if it has the latest firmware, especially if you intend to use it with a VOIP line.
Thanks again to the guys at Spracht for great support.
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Mots-clefs : B001EJNTRW, Electronics, Spracht Aura SOHO Full-Duplex Analog Conference Phone with Expandable Capability, Spracht Aura SOHO Full-Duplex Analog Conference Phone with Expandable Capability-Retail $279.00! Sale Only $73.95!
Publié dans Electronics |
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