Features

• Five two-way speakers for crisp surround sound; 100-watt-per-channel receiver
• 150-watt subwoofer provides deep, rich sound
• S-video and high-quality component-video output terminals (for use with compatible TVs)
• Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro-Logic II decoding
• Front A/V inputs for easy game system or camcorder connection

Reviews (11)

Buy this while you ponder your perfect system
I've had this system since Christmas and I am very pleased with what I've got. Realistically, for the money you can't expect too much more. It doesn't have sci-fi styling or miniature speakers but it does have decent sound, a rich feature set, and good build quality.

Some people view the lack of a DVD player as a drawback, but frankly, with good players available for a C note, I really did not want one thrown into the package. I'd rather Onkyo use that money to give a little more, and I think that's what they've done.

Sound quality is good all round and, unlike some satellite speakers, not missing midrange. I also like the fact that I can convert a stereo signal into surround sound. My only gripe here is that the bass is a little boomy at times even though my subwoofer dial is set below the halfway point. Not good for certain music but no complaints when watching action movies.

While the kit comes complete with wires for every speaker, they are the bare minimum in quality. Budget yourself another couple hundred (depending on how many sources you plan to plug in) for decent speaker cables and especially inter-connects like S-video and digital audio. The improvement is significant and well worth it.

Functionally, I've only found 3 things that annoy me:
1. Insufficiently shielded main L/R speakers distort colors on my TV.
2. The back panel is cramped (what do you expect?) it's hard to feed the speaker wires into the connectors for the right sets, especially if you switch to cables thicker than what's provided.
3. The identifiers chosen (i.e. DVD, CD, TAPE, VIDEO1,2,3) need updating. I play MP3's from computer and there isn't even an AUX slot for the connection. Instead I have a choice of TAPE or VIDEO1,2 or 3. To this day I still have to think about which button on the remote to press for MP3 music.

My favorite features are:
1. VIDEO3 inputs on the front panel, making it easy to connect/disconnect a video camcorder or the occasional video game
2. Powers a second set of speakers (stereo only). Unfortunately, when both A and B speakers are selected, you get downgraded to stereo for the main speakers too.
3. Sleep shut-off timer

If you need a reasonably priced, no hassle, solid performer for the long term, or just something that will do the job while your ultimate home theater wish list is being fulfilled, this Onyko's for you.

For the price and features, there is no better buy!!!!
This system sounds amazing!!Better than many others I have heard.I really like that this receiver will switch the sound and the image on the TV with the same button press, as opposed to have to change the sound on the receiver, and then the video setting on the TV.The remote also controls the TV, VCR and DVD player (other brands too), so it has also helped reduce the remote clutter with more functionality.I still need a remote for CATV and I still overlap with the VCR remote for programming the VCR.The DVD remote capabilities are great, menus and everything.The TV, DVD and old stereo remotes are now in a box.I have my old all-in-one stereo plugged in to the new receiver to use the CD changer (optical input) and tape player.The receiver has a connection for the Onkyo cassette player, so eventually I will get that to reduce remote usage.Other brands of DVD/CD changers probably will work fine, but since Onkyo is so good, I'll probably stick with the brand.I also have the transmitter for my cordless Advent headphones plugged into the secondary speakers, so by pressing a button I can turn the sound on to them (and off to the main speakers if I so desire).Also, I am planning on getting cordless speakers that work with the same transmitter so that I can have the sound in my bedroom or on the deck.

This package is the best.If you buy the receiver and the speakers separately, ...so it is already a savings to buy together.

One disadvantage is that the receiver doesn't have component video (only S-Video and regular composite) as does the next Onkyo model TX-SR600, but that receiver alone is the same price as this package with excellent speakers....My current TV doesn't have component video, but when I get one, I will have to either upgrade the receiver or connect the component video from the DVD directly to the TV and change the TV setting.For the price you can't go wrong.

The usage is very simple once it is all hooked up.Hookup on the other hand is a little bit tricky, I invested in an extra composite video to S-Video converter to connect the VCR to the S-Video input so that the TV could remain set up as S-Video and not have to change TV settings.I strongly recommend hooking up all the components in almost every way possible (although redundant) for more flexibility.There are two outputs for S-Video and for composite video, which are kind of confusing, just try it out, I couldn't get everything to work the way I wanted it on one of the outputs, but using the other one worked fine.The volume from digital cable is higher than from my DVD, I yet have to figure out if I can change that.When using the digital audio inputs, there are pre-defined configuration selections.These selections can be modified by programming the receiver to use different audio inputs for the various components, and it is quite simple, once you read the manual (yeah, needed to read it!).

I did get Monster cables and although the system will receive analog audio and work wonders with it, using the digital audio inputs is much more amazing!!I can feel the Star Wars Episode I space ships fly by and hear the sound of the bullet in Spiderman bouncing off things in the same direction that the robber on the movie fired the shot.

Editorial Review

The DVD793CH offers high-resolution progressive-scan picture quality (for use with high-definition and HD-ready TVs) with the convenience of multi-disc play. The player is compatible with DVD-Video, VCD/SVCD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3-encoded discs. Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DVD793CH stands ready to deliver the full potential of DVDs. Progressive scanning, referred to as 480p for the number of horizontal lines that compose the video image, creates a picture using twice the scan lines of a conventional DVD picture, providing higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts.

Top-of-the-line component-video outputs help minimize line scan and digital artifacts on compatible advanced televisions, while composite- and S-video outputs bring compatibility with nearly any television. The back panel offers one output each for composite-video, S-video, and component-video. Play exchange lets you swap four discs while a fifth is playing, and five-disc resume enables you to pick-up where you left off in your five most recently viewed DVDs.

Editorial Review

Experience gaming the way it was intended with this 27-inch-diagonal RCA television. From RCA's exclusive VPORT to the set's digital three-line comb filter, your favorite gaming will make the room rumble. The VPORT greatly simplifies a connection with Microsoft's Xbox video game system--which means you'll have the game control in hand in no time. This connection also enhances gaming by delivering dramatically improved picture detail for Xbox functions. The port also serves as a second component video input.

The F27650's three-line comb filter further enhances picture quality by removing blurred edges between colors and reducing dot crawl (tiny, moving dots of color along a sharp color separation in a vertical line, as in depiction of a striped T-shirt). Also, the set's G-LINK Connector allows the GUIDE Plus+ GOLD System to work with a VCR (enabling one-touch record) and cable box (providing the ability to tune directly to a station while the program guide is on a TV screen).

Editorial Review

Developed for uncompromising individuals who won't settle for anything but the best, the Sony Vaio PCV-RZ26G desktop is an awesome mixture of power and versatility. Whether used for business, home, or leisure pursuits, Sony's most luxurious "Digital Studio" to date is ready for many years of upgrade-free computing.

If speed is what you crave, the Vaio PCV-RZ26G delivers. Outfitted with a lightning-fast 3.06 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor, a stunning 1 GB of premium PC-2700 333 MHz DDR memory, and a 533 MHz bus, the system is perfect for those who drive their computers beyond reasonable expectations. The only potentially suspect component is the graphics card, a 64 MB nVidia GeForce4 MX440. Although fully capable of handling the vast majority of applications, and equipped with a convenient TV tuner, it may have some problems smoothly rendering ultrahigh-end 3-D games and drawing or animation packages.

When it comes to the storage and movement of data, Sony has left nothing to chance. The Vaio PCV-RZ26G is fitted with an enormous 160 GB 7,200 rpm Ultra ATA/100 hard disk for your frequently accessed programs and files, a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive for older or smaller applications, and a combination DVD-RW/CD-RW drive through which you can burn and play audio CDs, archive information, watch the latest cinematic releases, and create your own DVDs. For fast interaction with peripherals such as digital camcorders, scanners, and external drives, the system also features a half-dozen high-speed USB 2.0 ports and two IEEE 1394 FireWire connectors (mounted front and back).

Features

• 3-year warranty
• 1,280 x 1,024 resolution, 0.294mm dot pitch
• 170-degree wide angle viewing
• Rich 500:1 contrast ratio
• Analog D-Sub and digital DVI-D inputs

Reviews (10)

Excellent image and elegant design.
I had this monitor for over a year it is extremly bright, the character are so clear I use it withDual Monitor ATI CARD.You won't be disappointed.It is worth the price.

Good Friend
This monitor is very solid.Ive had it for over 6 months. Movies look great on this monitor.Its even good for gaming.You may not want to pay the price but It is so well built that you cant complain.

Sharp and Clear Text, Beautiful Digital Picture
The analog connection is ok but text is fuzzy. The digital connection is FAR superior. Please use the digital connection only if you buy this LCD. Even though it is .29mm dot pitch, it looks amazingly sharp in digital. The text on the screen is amazingly clear and readable. You will have no problems with viewing angles. This LCD is brighter than my old 21" monitor. In fact it is almost too bright for nighttime lights off usage.

DVD movies look superb. Computer games show very slight ghosting but not enough to affect your gameplay.

No sound built in, but that's why I have my existing subwoofer and speakers for.

The casing has a lazy susan at the bottom so you can spin it around, and you can tilt it to suit your height.

Editorial Review

As the most advanced member of Acer's new TravelMate 800 line, the TravelMate TM803LCi Notebook delivers power and performance in an impressively full-featured and comfortably lightweight package designed to meet both your current and future needs, even if those needs dictate wireless communication.

Measuring a mere 13 by 10.7 by 1.1 inches and tipping the scales at just 5.7 pounds with CD-RW/DVD drive installed, the TravelMate TM803LCi is decidedly less cumbersome than most typical notebooks. Featuring Intel's innovative new Centrino technology--which in this case includes a powerful 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium M Centrino-based processor, embedded wireless connectivity support and a massive 1 MB of Level 2 cache--and a generous allotment of 512 MB RAM, the system is ideal for all but the most demanding high-end applications. Acer has even included a robust 64 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 graphics chipset to assist with video rendering. As such, the unit will not only suffice for standard tasks, but gaming and graphic design too.

The TravelMate TM803LCi features a huge 60 GB hard disk on which to store your programs and files and a convenient DVD/CD-RW combo drive through which you can burn and listen to audio CDs and enjoy your favorite movies. Considering its compact size, the system's ample 15-inch SXGA+ display screen (1400 by 1050 resolution) comes as a pleasant surprise. So too does its broad array of control options, including an 84-key Acer FineTouch keyboard, programmable touchpad with mouse buttons and selection of one-touch keys.

Features

• What's in the box: Toshiba Pocket PC e750, USB Cradle, 10W AC Adapter, 1-Stylus, Soft Slip Case, Quick Start Card, Warranty Card
• Crisp 3.8'' color display
• 96MB of storage capacity
• Intel PXA255 processor
• Integrated Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b) wireless LAN allows secure access to the Internet

Reviews (10)

Save yourself a lot of trouble.
I ended up sending this pocket pc back five times and I had to replace it twice! The service is poor compared to other companies. The device is extremely fragile and takes up time on easy tasks with the hardware. I would stay away from this company and recommend "hp." If you want to buy a good priced Pocket PC that has Wi-Fi and has a high quantity of memory, purchase the hp 1945 Pocket PC. Other then the support from Toshiba, the operating system software (Windows 2003 Pocket PC Edition) is easy to use and gets my jobs done without working at my desk all day long.

don't hope too much on pda
it's just like an organizer with a fancy screen

New e750 users
Purchasing the e750 is my first venture into the PDA world.Dropping my PAA (personal analog assistant, AKA my little black date book) was long overdue.I bought the unit 3 weeks ago...and the price has droppedsince then.The newer units come with the new 2003 operating system so I'd reccomend buying directly from Toshiba or make sure you're getting the newest product.Our local retailers still have the older e750s on their shelves.

Did a lot of research prior to my purchase.This unit runs faster and more efficiently than the equivalent IPAQ...plus has built in CF and SD slots without having to add a "sleeve".Built in wi-fi was a must for me.Initially I couldn't get it to work with my home Linksys network, and utilized Toshiba's on-line (email) support staff.They answered my messages amazingly fast i.e. within one day and sometimes within an hour our two, even late at night (Pacific Std. Time).It turned out the e750 was fine...I had to upgrade my Linksys Firmware, a very simple process.Once that was accomplished, the unit accessed the network without any further effort.

There is a side button which accesses the voice recorder.Initially this is set to wake the system up...which is a real pain due to accidental activation.Luckily this function is easily disabled.Toshiba has a custom menuing system for organizing your programs.It's intuitive and I find it very useful.

The internal 32 Mbytes of NAND (nonvolatile memory) is very handy and makes for a simple way to backup the system.I do this every couple of days, and once per week copy the back up file to my PC just in case...

Downloaded programs are running as advertised: quickly and without any hangups.Have not had to either soft or hard reset the unit a single time due to system problems.

Be aware: if the the battery is allowed to completely discharge, you'll lose all information you haven't backed up.In addition, the unit comes with IA Presenter software for doing Powerpoint presentations directly from the e750.Unfortunately, the "expansion" kit which is required to connect to a digital projector isn't currently available (there is a discounted combination package of the expansion kit and a long life battery)...on "back order".

Features

• MP3 Audio
• System requirements: PC with built-in FireWire or Windows-certified FireWire card; Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Home or Professional
• Includes wired remote control, remodeled headphones, Musicmatch Jukebox Plus software and carrying case with belt clip
• Discontinued by manufacturer, replaced by model #M8948LL/A
• FireWire interface for fastest digital transfer available; covered FireWire port
• Keep up to date with new calendar/scheduler and built-in clock

Reviews (98)

Ipod is rad
I really love my Ipod. It has the coolest UI ever. I figured it out in no time flat.

The MP3 Player that only Apple could make!
As a long time PC/Windows user, I've always been impressed with Apple's equipment, but also always at a distance. After purchasing my new iPod, I'm wondering why I don't have more equipment from them. This product is one of the first I've purchased in some time that delivers exactly on its promises, worked immediately out of the box as expected, and was just too fun and easy to use. In fact, it took longer to install the FireWire card on my PC, then it did to install, configure and start loading songs onto my iPod.

I'm sure you can read the features this iPod offers elsewhere, but let me tell you that all of those features are indeed included and this device performs extremely well and plays songs as well or better than any other device I've owned. In fact, if you're anything like me, once you start using an iPod, you'll wonder what you did before. Playing music from CDs, even my personal mixes, now seems so antiquated.

Assuming you decide to purchase this, here are a few tips: 1) consider the 40GB model. Now that I have this, I wonder if more might be even better (I'm nowhere near my 20GB limit, but more is always better, right?!), 2) consider adding an auto power kit for recharging from the lighter for long trips, and 3) very seriously consider getting the FM transmitter to play iPod tunes over any FM radio (Belkin makes a great model for about $30).

After that, the hardest decision is which songs to load up and play first. Enjoy!

Editorial Review

Although it may look like a compact digital camera, the Canon PowerShot S50 delivers is actually a 5 Megapixel camera with features and options normally only reserved for high-end digital cameras.

Housed in a mostly metal casing, the Canon PowerShot S50 is turned on via a sliding lens protector that in turn allows the 3x optical zoom to pop out and the large and clear 1.5 LCD monitor to fire into action. There are over 10 buttons on the back of the camera alone, allowing you to easily change everything from white balance to reviewing images.

The jog wheel on top gives access to the many options including Night Scene, Fast Shutter, Slow Sync and Program and shows how serious this camera is when it comes to taking pictures. Better still is the quick access function button on the rear of the camera that allows you to access White Balance, Drive Mode, ISO, Effect, Flash and image size settings all at the press of a button.

Power is delivered via a Li-ion Canon rechargeable battery pack and the camera is shipped with a 32Mb CompactFlash Card enabling you to store images. A 3x optical zoom offers 38 - 105mm equivalent for a 35mm camera and this added to the 4x digital zoom gives you plenty of scope. F range is F2.8 - F4.9, and focusing is managed via a whole host of options: 9-point AiAF, 1-point AF (any position), AF lock, Focus bracketing, AF assist beam (on/off) and Manual Focus.

Picture quality, as with all Canon cameras, is very strong, detailed and well balanced. You would expect this from a 5 Megapixel model, but everything here seems to gel. Colors are crisp, white's well defined and skin tones very clear. The host of focusing options only help in creating better pictures. While the pre-programmed settings get you out of trouble if you're not sure what to manually set up.

Overall this is a very good camera that is only let down by the positioning of the review button. The picture quality is very good and the functions that the camera offers are extensive. For this too really be treated as a high end camera it should have a hot shoe function, but then that's what the G3 and new G5 are there for. If you are looking for a good field camera and are at that stage where you want all the functionality of a high camera without the size, then this certainly does the job. --Jason Denwood, Amazon.co.uk