Not a good option, but haven't seen better
596888
Light weight plastic.  I don't know how durable yet.  Not long enough to cover the whole length of where the paint gets worn through.  They look overpriced to me.  The only reason I'm giving it as much as three stars is that I haven't seen any better options.
1502806
As far as electronics are concerned, it seems to me that it's almost impossible to find one item that does it all.  Years ago, we plugged our tv in and watched.  Then came VCR's, some wires, but no big deal.  Then cable boxes so you could get higher stations and access to specialty stations, more wires.  Then came dvd players, but we kept the VCR, so more hook ups, more wires.  Then video games...the list goes on and on, obviously, and it's so confusing.  We have a universal remote, but it does little to alleviate the stress of trying to remember what to do first and so on.  I'm no techie, so this can be a real hassle.

Don't get me wrong, the surround sound on this is a good quality for the price, it's just that it does little to alleviate the countless hookups and wires, and maybe that was silly of me to think that it might do that.  I like that the wires are color coded, but beyond that, still too many wires for my taste...nothing is simplified, and again, perhaps it was my naivet&eacute; at work...not realizing that this system wouldn't do that for me.

If you are looking for a surround sound system, this is as good as any other I've heard.  If you are expecting more from it, then maybe this isn't the home stereo system for you.  Maybe I just expected too much.
4430958
The viewsonic is an ok LED tv. The contrast ratio is extremely low so don't freak out when you see the picture and you are only hooked to cable tv directly. The best and mabe only option for optimal viewing is with an HD converter box. I almost sent it back as I was very disappointed after thinking that the other reviews were accurate and honest, they were overhyped! Upon trying it with an HD box, I was a bit happier with the picture. The sound is terrible as you might expect on a tv this size. I will say that the menu is very easy to navigate and the ability to change aspect ratios is also very clean. Again, for the money not a bad set considering we are only using it in the master bedroom and not as a main tv anywhere. I might take it to the boat and use it this summer down there and get a nicer set for the bedroom....Gotta get that one past the wife though...LOL
3894890
I have moved into a new city so I was unsure of the strength of the signal available. The antenna is not omnidirectional so I do need to change its direction if I change to certain channels which is frustrating. But it is cheaper than many other options on the market.

Having used other similar aerials in the past, I was hoping for a better result.
3903017
I'd been eyeing an Expodisc but couldn't swallow the price tag, so I figured I'd give this thing a shot.  It's still not much better than just using a grey card.  The problem I found with a grey card is it depends greatly on the angle at which you hold it.  I've found the same principle applies with this thing.  The "field of view" of the little bubbles seems to be roughly 90 degrees or less, which is still a bit too selective.  I've been using it outside and on partly cloudy days with the sun behind a cloud it makes a huge difference if you aim it at a cloudy area or a clear blue area.  It's still too directional to be much of a better solution than a grey card.  I also tried it in more ideal situations such as indoors with light from a single window.  It does pretty well in this circumstance (though so would a grey card) and is definitely better than the camera's auto white balance in this case, though it tends to be a bit warm.  I like my images warm so that doesn't bother me too much.  Overall is it worth using this method over a grey card?  Meh.  Six of one, half dozen of the other.  Pick your poison, neither is the ideal solution and you're still going to end up tweaking your WB in your post processing.
I wish I could try it side by side with an Expodisc.  I can only wonder if the "bubbles" in the Expodisc have a wider field of view than in this thing.
3935344
There are better ones, but there are far worse ones. For the price these are the best options.
2434390
I had the same experience as many. The software installed OK, but it isn't particularly easy to use nor were the results great. I had hoped to convert my family videos to at least the same quality as the original so I could get rid of the VHS tapes, but the results were worse than the original, defeating the intent. It is still passable in that the videos are fun to watch, just not good enough that I can get rid of the original.

The software is crude and not terribly easy to use. You'll need to have some patience and be somewhat computer literate. This isn't for "Mom".

I realized my camcorder (a Canon Elura 100) has the ability to convert any analog signal to digitial and record that to tape or directly to a PC. The same composit cable used for camcorder output can be an input from a VCR (composit and sound left right to a headphone jack with four connectors) and the output (a 4-connector firewire port) can feed the digital conversion to the computer. Again, the cable is not needed if you were satisfied just recording it to tape.

The Elura isn't particularly fancy, so I suspect this capability is pretty common. Check your manual for A/D conversion or the like. Maybe you won't need to buy anything else.
4622272
it is cumbersome and rarely used.  Yet i haven't found one that works much better.
2245988
After using this for a few weeks, I'm underwhelmed.  This is not Makita's best effort.  I recently invested in some Makita LXT tools (which are great) and I wanted to maximize my investment by replacing my cheap Black & Decker BDH2000SLB vac with the Makita so I only have one set of batteries and chargers.  It hasn't worked out as I hoped, and here are the reasons why...

CON:
* Suction is poor, compared to the $38 Black & Decker.  The B&D has almost twice the suction that traps your hand against the nozzle almost like a fullsize vac.  The Makita is weak and wimpy by comparison.  Those who praise this model's suction must not have compared to other decent hand vacs.
* Expensive - costs more than twice as much as the B&D and is half as strong - I expect to get better for the Makita premium price, not worse.
* Dumb spring-loaded trigger switch must be continually held.  B&D has a slide switch that makes much more sense.  If you vacuum for an extended period with the Makita, you have to switch fingers as they get fatigued.
* Poorly designed filter with little surface area that easily gets clogged, and hard to clean.  I find a paint brush works ok to clean, but the B&D has an automotive-style pleated filter that you can just whack against the inside of the garbage pail, much more dirt capacity, resists clogging, and easier to clean.
* Poorly designed dirt compartment attachment.  Perfectly round with no keys, so it's possible to place it in the wrong position where it won't latch.  Dumb.

PRO
* If you already have Makita LXT tools/batteries/chargers then this vacuum can use the same batteries
* Comfortable rubberized handle
* Nice that it comes with an extension and floor attachment.  If it had more suction power, the floor attachment would work much better tho.
* Fairly quiet for a vac of this type.

Now before you rush out to buy the Black and Decker, that also has some annoying design flaws: the air exhaust is directed straight down at the back, where it scatters whatever you're trying to vacuum up, doh!  And it makes a really high-pitched and loud noise like a screaming banshee.  So, it's not perfect either, but once you learn to always move forward over the mess instead of backward, and if you wear earplugs, then at least you get really strong suction for your money with the B&D.  Ah well, must keep searching for the perfect hand vac...
1005281
The instructions are very poor, although It seems to work fine, it's not that user-friendly as i thought It would be. If you have another good option for that price, maybe it's better If you choose anothe one, this one is not bad (Also because is very cheap vs. Professional ones) but maybe is not the best option.
1080605
There are times when you can go with the cheap option and it works out great and there are times when it isn't a good product. For me this bottle is not a good product. I have had multiple instances where the top pops off even if it is closed, you can never fully close it. So I am going to pay a little more and a get a proper bottle.
730763
This is a decent upscaling DVD player, but there are enough negatives and enough alternatives that it seems like it's mostly worth looking at if have a Samsung TV and want to just use one remote.  (Which, in real life, is no small thing and may be worth putting up with the quirks.)

Our kids watch regular DVDs, so having something that looks good and is easy to use was most important.  We could have bought a Blu Ray for not much more, but the upscaling is often not so good, and they are S-L-O-W.

The upscaling on the Samsung DVD-1080P9 is pretty good, but not exceptional.  There are lots of other players that can do as well, and some better.  I wonder if some of the positive reviews are from people who've never had a recent upscaling DVD player. If an older, non upscaling player is what it's compared to, then sure it looks pretty good.  But it's not really better than the 2 year old Philips it replaced, which cost less than this one.

It has some pros:
- Looks good and it's small
- Reasonably quick to operate, but not astounding (except compared to Philips)
- Plays PAL
- Plays Divx, though haven't tested it a lot
- Plays from USB

But it has some cons too:
- What is with the subtitles showing up when you resume a disc?  How does Samsung just leave that broken?
- Noisy
- Menus are somewhat primitive
- Front display brightness should be adjustable so it could be brighter if needed
- Apparently the US version is region-locked and can't be unlocked

Don't buy this thinking there will be firmware updates from Samsung, if our experience with our TV is any indicator.  If it's not installed when you buy it, don't bet on it.

It does a decent job, but for goodness sakes they've had plenty of time to figure out how to make a DVD player.  So they don't really get lots of points for being adequate.
993195
The main reason this system didn't work for me was the motion sensor. Even on low sensitivity a slight breeze that would move tree limbs would activate the recording to disk. Even a snow flurry with tiny flakes would set it off. Not very practical. The picture quality is not that great in the day or night. Motion in the video is not nature. It seems it is like slow motion at times.  I have ordered a trail camera and hope it will work better.
535574
This small unit just doesn't have enough power.  It struggles to keep up with a 10' x 11' bedroom.  The other problem is that the HEPA filter isn't turning out to be a lifetime filter at all.  I vacuum it once per week, but the "clean filter" light refuses to go out.  I then rinsed it thoroughly with water per the instructions, and still the "clean filter" light stays on.  There are better options out there.  Cannot recommend.
1427898
It's just terrible that these things are so damned expensive. But you're better off going with one of these that will actually work, vs. cheaping out on something that breaks a month in. Just do it, bro. YOLO.
1423564
These are not bright and do not stand out. They fit, they work, but there has to be better options.
9238
I'm not very happy with the performance on this model.  The picture is kind of blury (hard to make out faces at 10ft or beyond), and it seems to skip frames really badly, even after adjusting the DVR framerates.  Even on the master stream, it's choppy - which is very annoying.  Someone can walk by at a brisk walk and you might only see their back for a couple of frames.  Upon taking it apart, it was missing screws that attach the camera board to the body of the MD, and the other screws were loose.  Poor workmanship.  The IR feature does do pretty decent at night, though the blury picture immediately cancels that out.

We have 7 other hidden cameras inside of faux motion detectors and we get much better results with those, which sell under model number HIPIR60 here on Amazon.  The HIPIR60 model does NOT have Infrared Lighting!  It does, however have a nice sized fogged window that you can mount any aftermarket IR unit in, or you can mount an external IR unit next to it.  The picture on this model is super!  It's a 620TVL Sony Super HAD CCD II which is a much newer cam than the GW brand.  I realize it's a bit of work to mount the IR unit inside of these, but being an IT guy at the office - that is the kind of stuff I enjoy doing.