Nice G rating alternative
357444
We chose this for family movie night as an alternative to the current kids movies that are almost all rated PG.  I find many of today's animated kids movies to be inappropriate for young kids.  I found this while looking for a free G movie.  Im not sure I ever watched this as a child, but my kids really enjoyed the movie.  They were bored during the first 20 minutes or so, but really got engaged when Mr. Limpet turns into a fish.  They both thanked me for finding this movie.
3328528
After I found that the unit would not fit in the window I'd hoped to mount it in (no fault of the manufacturer) I realized I should have opted for the wall mount style instead.  This won't be a real problem, since I'll just do a wall mount and fabricate whatever custom mounting brackets needed.  I've done a temporary mount at a low window facing on our back porch, setting the unit on a small table, and using cardboard and duct tape to create a tight cowling to prevent exchange of outside air. The instruction brochure gives good, detailed installation instructions, and doesn't have lots of interesting translations such as "Please not to insert hand to motion part for caution of big hurt damage to finger."  For the approximately two weeks it's been in service it has worked just fine.  I keep it on the low fan speed, which is nice and quiet, but the medium and high speeds aren't an intrusive presence, at least to my old ears.  If I had to do it over again I'd get the same basic model, but order the wall mount style.  Time will tell in regard to reliability, but I'm guessing it won't fail prematurely.  As it turns out, the appearance of this LG unit is VERY similar to a Sears Kenmore window unit I've had for two years with no problems, so I'm guessing that one was made by LG also.
4528367
*WARNING* Watch out for FAKE 5 star reviews! There is a slip of paper that comes with the product that pretty much says "Give us a 5 star review, and we will give you $2 back". Now I am not saying that none of the 5 star reviews are legit, and well thought out. But the fact that the company is offering money back for good reviews definitely influences the review pool.

Now to the review SO FAR:

I have had this wireless repeater for a couple of days now, and it is really simple to set up IF you read the instruction manual. It took me twice to set it up correctly and I have hardwired into it from my xbox via ethernet.

My upload and download speeds have increased from around 30 Mbps to 35Mbps, and upload was 5 Mbps and stayed around 5.5Mbps. With a latency of 49ms. games now download incredibly fast.

The only issue with this, is that it is spotty. Those were the numbers from last night, but right now when I checked it is at 25.55Mbps Download with Upload being 5.32Mbps. Still really good for download. It actually has only been 10 minutes and The Witcher 3 GOTY edition is over half completely download.

As of now, it is a really good bang for your buck. I haven't noticed any issues so far.
4173189
I intended to buy another WUSB54G, but when I couldn't find one available for a decent price I bought this jewel as a substitute. It works like a charm. Installation is standard Linksys (load the drivers *before* you plug it in). The RangeBooster may not be all it's advertised to be, but it does pick up a signal better than the WUSB54G I have on another computer. I must admit the odd color scheme and "RangeBooster" hype had me worried that it might not work with my plain vanilla Linksys Wireless-G setup, but it has performed without complaint for a month now, and I'm very happy with it. For me, it's just a somewhat improved WUSB54G - and that's a very good thing.
1411118
I purchased this unit to replace a previous Audiovox unit that failed after 2 years. While I preferred not to get another Audiovox due to that experience, there are not a lot of alternatives for an undercounter unit.  I considered the Sony much too bulky, and the Philips unit only comes with the iPod slot which I don't want and consider annoying, so it's Audiovox again.  After 3 weeks, I am satisfied with the unit. It is much sturdier in construction than the previous unit, and the design is sleek and handsome. The controls are well laid out and intuitive.  Picture quality is only fair (using an analog cable input), but acceptable. When viewing a DVD, picture is actually very good, but who watches a DVD in the kitchen?  Sound quality is also fair, about what I expected at this price (this is NOT a premium sound system).

Installation was easy, but I installed under a cornet cabinet, or it would have been a challenge.  Who knows if this unit will last longer than the previous unit's 2 years, but at half the cost of the Sony, it seems worth the risk.
397118
My model-  24inch, 1080p tn 144hz 1ms gsync.  The monitor is tough, I dropped it twice unboxing it, and luckily, no harm came to the monitor. Gysnc works great, I have seen no screen tears whatsoever in my games, and 144hz+ 1 ms response time is a very smooth experience. But you have to manually enable g-sync and change the refresh rate from 60 to 144 in the nivida control panel otherwise the monitor runs without g-sync and 60 Hz. Two stars were removed because the picture quality is just not great, the color accuracy is just a bit bad- nothing terrible, but If you own a nice tv or have used an ips monitor then you will notice. Watching shows on Amazon prime video is actually a really bad experience because of this. The blue on Facebook is not quite the right blue it is on my phone and on my laptop's ips screen. Most games look good, but there are a few that just look straight bad. For example, Rise of the Tomb Raider has sort of a grainy appearance on this monitor while it is much less blurry on my tv, and in youtube videos. Same with Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice and Batman Arkham knight. Thankfully, this isn't true for most games, most games look good on this monitor.  TLDR: Gysnc+144hz+1ms response time make this great for gaming, There is no screen tearing at all, but the picture quality is not great.
3356652
Pros
====
* Energy Efficient - When its dark outside, we can run at medium-max energy savings which translates to 40-65W.  However, 3D viewing requires more brightness, so for those events we generally turn it off, and it pulls about 120W
* Low-cost 3D glasses - yes it comes with 4 glasses, but we wanted a few more for friends, and at about $5 each, its a bargain
* Viewing angle is great for LCD.  My living room is wide and shallow, and when I have guests, they can see the TV just fine from 60 degrees off center.
* Good streaming support - Comes with Netflix, Hulu+, Amazon VOD, and Vudu (which we don't use).
--- Netflix has been reliable and is easy to navigate - it presents recommendations and new releases well, but the PC is a better interface for searching.  HD looks sharp and only rarely does a frame skip or rebuffering take place (we're using FIOS for internet).  It sometimes forgets that you have completed an episode and says that the already played episode is the "next" one.  This is easy to workaround by asking it to show all episodes and picking the latest one that hasn't been watched/completed.  After that it works well for a few episodes.
 --- Hulu+ we use occasionally.  It take a while to load the App, but it is good after that - has a good browsing interface.  Streaming has been pretty reliable, but "HD" isn't impressive - we have FIOS which has _plenty_ of bandwidth.  If you stop a show and return later, it sometimes forgets where you were, placing you a few commercials back or forcing you to start from the beginning.  Fast forwarding works, but we often miss our mark and have to rewind again.  Using the "mouse" helps, if you can get the pointer to show up on the screen.
--- Amazon VOD - we don't use it much, but I was very impressed with the HD quality!

Cons
====
* Smart TV
--- Are there any good apps, really?  Searching for apps is a pain, then I didn't t find anything worth installing.  I don't think this mouse is good enough for games, I get annoyed using it.
--- The "Home" screen confuses my wife with apps she doesn't use and having to navigate the complex menu - I recommend the "Premium" screen, simple and direct
* Streaming lacks some popular content such as Crackle and Pandora
* Mouse usability - the pointer will sometimes disappear and I can't get it back when I want it
* Auto mode of Energy Efficiency - generally too dark, sometimes too bright, never just right
* Changing Energy Efficiency is annoying.  Yes, they have a dedicated button for this, but rather than toggling it directly, it opens a menu that you have to navigate with the arrow keys, press Enter, then press Exit, and finally it puts a big Energy Efficiency Meter on the screen for 5 seconds - too cumbersome and slow
3895313
We purchased two sets of the Midland GXT-400 handheld transceivers, and have been quite happy with them.  The receive and transmit audio quality is pleasant and clear.

Their range performance is comparable to the Cobra PR-4000 series radios.  Receive sensitivity and transmit power appear to be about the same.

The Midland GXT-400 has a smaller profile than the Cobra PR-4000; this makes it easier to carry and use, but may adversely affect effective radiated power output.  However, it does not have all of the "bells and whistles" of the slightly larger Cobra.  It has a NOAA weather radio included that is not exceptionally sensitive, however it is servicable.  Unlike the Cobra PR-4000, it does not include a NOAA Weather Alert function, receive signal strength meter, stopwatch, clock, alarm, directional compass, etc.  Of course, the Midland also is less expensive than the Cobra.  I personally like the "bells and whistles" of the PR-4000; but for those who like a radio with the important features that is simpler to operate, the GXT-400 is a joy to operate.

Please be aware, neither the Cobra nor the Midland will attain anywhere near the ranges claimed by their manufacturers on their packages. Using a pair of GMRS handhelds in our residential neighborhood setting, we usually get a reliable one mile range,  spotty coverage out to about two miles, and periodically around three to four miles from high points in the terrain.  (Coverage area can be significantly improved when communicating with a base station using a commercial quality transceiver with high quality feedline and a good antenna placed above surrounding obstructions.)

All in all, I am pleased with these radios and would recommend them.
547506
Bought this product from the manufacturer direct since it was unavailable from Amazon.com. Here are my impressions:
-easy to install within 20 minutes with a pencil, level, drill, screw driver, superglue (for screw covers)
-not rated for bathroom or similar environment which was my plan for a second unit.
-works good as a secondary heat source for a cold area in a 12'x15' sized room with insulated walls, one 5x6 feet window and 8' ceiling.
-at the recommended 100 sq feet of coverage by Econo Heat as the primary heat source, it is too optimistic.
-might work adequately in a 50 sq feet area as a primary heat source as long as the room is well insulated with minimal heat loss from windows/doors etc.
-moderately hot to touch without burning.
-my dogs learned not get too close to it for warmth.
Overall, an adequate addition as a secondary heat source to warm up a cold spot in the room.
4799100
I bought this converter for an old pc with vga out to a new hdtv. Works good, many finite adjustments, although none are perfect. YOU WILL NOT GET NEAR HDTV QUALITY WITH THIS UNIT. It uses composite outputs.  Beats s-video. I am using on a new sony 50" lcd projection. I've dialed the text settings, but can't quite get it to where its actually easily legible from 6-8 ft. away on alot of web pages. Strangely enough, videos look decent. Unit carries no audio. Comes with small remote control which works well for vsize, hsize, vcent, hcent, power, others.  When computer is restarted, you have to (usually) restart and re-calibrate the unit, which only takes a few seconds once youve got it down. If you do alot of reading, you might want to pass. Better for occasional use.  I still use a standard desktop monitor for intensive reading. Easy hook up. Gives basic computer functionality to tv. period.
4887348
Fantastic device. I love the feel of a good keyboard, and the G series consistently fits that bill.

What I wish it had : slightly shorter throw keys. I find myself pushing a key occasionally that doesn't register because it doesn't go down quite far enough to pick it up. Does it remove a star? Nah, not really, but I really wish it was a little more sensitive.
3316244
A good gaming keyboard. It misses 5 stars only because they keys feel a bit "mushy" to me after using mechanical switches for a long time. That is somewhat expected, but it has caused me to miss a few keys.

That said, the ability to change backlight colors per profile and the profile editor (the same for all G-series keyboard and mice) is very nice. You also can't really ask for more mappable keys.

The information on the "game panel" is sufficient (4-star) if not stellar. I mostly use it (with the backlight color) to determine which profile is selected and to change profiles. There are other display options, but none that I have found much use for other than the time.
1253645
This review is for the NETGEAR GS308 Switch. I mention this because there are reviews for several different NETGEAR models on this page at this writing and some of the lower end models are not as well received, apparently. This model is an excellent product and if you take note of which model is being reviewed, you will see that the GS308 is getting consistently high star ratings from reviewers.

This switch has a metal case (good because these things tend to get knocked off your desk on a regular basis and it dissipates heat better), 8 ports with status lights above each one, and holes on the bottom for mounting on a wall. This particular switch is fanless so it is completely quiet.

It is unmanaged and that means that you can just plug everything in and basically forget it. The switch will automatically default to the maximum speed available on the device you have plugged in on any given port.

While there are 8 ports, one of them will be used to connect to your modem or wireless router, depending upon your network set-up. The other 7 ports are available for you to connect your devices to the internet via ethernet cables (not included).

So if you already have a wireless router, why would you need a switch? Well, the first thing to remember is that a wired internet connection is always faster. For that reason alone you might want to have some devices hard wired to the internet. Another reason is that sometimes because of distance or obstacles in between, wireless connections may not be strong or reliable in certain areas of a house. Or the wireless connection might be fine for checking email, etc., but not strong enough for streaming video or playing online games.

You can buy ethernet cables in all lengths that you can run pretty much anywhere in your home. Look for Cat6 cables to take advantage of the gigabit speeds this switch is capable of.

To set up, connect the cables in this order: Internet runs into modem. 1) Connect modem to wireless router via ethernet cable. (You may have a modem/router combo and if so, skip step 1) 2) Connect wireless router (or modem wireless router combo to NETGEAR GS308 via ethernet cable. 3) Connect your computer, gaming console, smart TV, etc to the NETGEAR GS308 via ethernet cables. 4) Connect the power supply to the NETGEAR switch and plug it in. 4) Check the status lights above all used ports to verify the connection. That's it!

If you have any issues on your home network that could be resolved by a better/stronger internet connection, this is a very easy switch to install and use.
1139446
I received this player one day ahead of the scheduled delivery time and arrived in brand new condition.

It works out of the box smoothly. I have tried playing MKV, RMVB, WAV, .VOB, MP3 files. All played well without any hiccups. The unit has a built-in Wireless N and a Gigabit wired connection. I had no trouble connecting to the wireless but the speed is, of course, not as good as from Gigabit. Even I was connecting via Gigabit to an Apple Airport Express (model of 2013), the connection speed is not as good as my other wireless devices (ipad, iphone, laptop etc.,). Having said that I was able to play video files without any issues, all played fluidly. Not sure if they will release a firmware upgrade in the future since it could have been caused by the hardware rather than software, but this slight sluggishness on the connection speed does not affect my capability of playing videos at all.

The built-in "premium apps" work. Yet, the Youtube videos plays slowly probably due to the relatively slower connection speed. I would not think of those "add-on" apps as the main features but "good-to-have". I guess the whole point is, this media player is built for the purpose of playing video/audio files well, and it serves its purpose well.

One thing that I want to point out, is when playing ripped DVD files, I have to selectively choose the VOB files instead of playing the whole folder. This should be improved when they release the firmware upgrade since it's software related. Yet, the media player has absolutely NO issues of playing ripped DVD files as long as it's on "ISO" format.

In a summary, it is not a perfect media player, but it's capable of performing its claimed features. Granted it has a few shortcomings that I have mentioned earlier, but I think those are fixable from the future firmware upgrade. Why I give it a 5 star instead of 4? That extra star is for the supreme customer service and responsiveness of their tech support. I emailed them back and forth for questions and they were very, very fast in responding with relevant resolutions/suggestions. That extra star goes to Eric, the tech person I contacted a few times. You can't really get this type of personal touch in the high tech industry everywhere these days. I noticed another user gave it a 2 star, which usually is NOT a problem since everyone has different point of view and different standard. However, I don't think it's fair to give them such a low score just because he/she was unable to find this brand new product in their website. Granted the company could have done a better job to update their site but this certainly does not deserve to be given a low rating. Oh yeah.. did I mention that the low-score reviewer has not even purchased the item yet (which he did disclose)? I just feel it's fair to review a product that you have personally purchased and tried first.

Hopefully this review helps in some way. Your feedback and rating will encourage me to write more (or less). Please take a moment to do so if you don't mind. :-)

Updates on July 28, 2013:

- Not sure if you use Mac like I do, if you do, consider purchasing an App called Mac Ripper Pro. I think I paid about $20 but it is a super useful and intuitive tool to rip DVDs.
- I tested the streaming capability with two different brands of hard drive (2 TB on each). They both work flawlessly. If you have a lot of DVDs that have already been ripped, consider playing those files directly from the internal hard drive.
- I use the Logitech Harmony remote control. Logitech does NOT have the remote profile for HD720 but pick HD700. They work almost identically.
4604048
My steam collection overwhelmed my C drive LONG ago but i wanted more loading speed on some of the more demanding titles i had installed. This was a nice addition to my Samsung 840 series i use for C:/. Without looking at any benchmarks it's near as fast as makes not difference.
3188493
Easy to set up behind a DSL modem. Works in both mixed and G-only mode. Has decent security features (You may want to SERIOUSLY consider securing your wireless network at least to some extend, e.g. do not broadcast your SSID, and use the inclusion list to list specifically which computers to allow access. It is simple and easy to do. Read the manual). I am giving it 4 starts because I could not figure out how to set up this router behind another router. The Manual is not very good explaining the process and it plain just didn't work with all kinds of different configurations. The radio is quite decent - I have the router in the basement and I can get signal throughout the house, 3 levels up. And finally one more thing. If you have a Linksys WPC54G network adapter, do not set the router in G-only mode. In my experience the WPC54G simply will not work.
2304242
We used the 8gb version of this device (there are a lot of 4gb versions under various versions and brands). The 8GB version handled XBMC better than any 4GB version I have previously tried. Keep in mind this device is about half the price of the G-box everyone raves about I am not going to compare in this review.

The box arrived packaged well. Instructions were minimal and not frustrating. The device is sleek, like an Apple TV, and constructed well. The device connects easily to your network, both wired and wireless (802.11 b/g/n) even in a complicated mixed environment with a bridge, multiple frequencies, etc... It took me about three minutes using 802.11 N wireless.  The device runs Android 4.4.2 and is not too difficult to navigate, though, in my opinion, not as intuitive as Apple TV (I have operated in the Apple ecosystem for quite a while however). This is not an issue limited to this device by the way. The interface is definitely usable, in fact very efficient otherwise. There are a ton of apps including Netflix and crackle However, I could not find a solution for Amazon instant video (continuing saga- same as Apple). In short, the media player  will stream video from Netflix, Youtube, and other videos in the Google store. It also plays videos and displays images directly from a micro SD card or external hard disk (to 32gb). The optical fiber output worked great and interfaced with my 5.1 sound system with no difficulty. Skype worked great by the way.

In actual non -XBMC use, I did not experience any choppy play back. I was able to obtain full 1080p. The device boot-up time is a little slower than my Apple TV, but nothing to be alarmed about as this seems common in my testing of these boxes.

Overall, I recommend this device(s).  NOTE:  This device does not support bluetooth.  However, you can obtain mouse and keyboard support either by USB or 2.4 ghz.  I used the SOLEMEMO TP801 Touch Wireless Mini QWERTY Handheld Keyboard + Touchpad Air Mouse and was able to get up and running inside a minute.  This unit was provided to me for testing and a no-obligation review.