Week of January 9, 2005
Q: My question regards DVD player sound. I have a DVD player connected directly to my TV, no surround sound system. The voices are much softer than the music and special effects so it is hard to hear what the people are saying. Is there anything I can do to fix […]
Week of January 9, 2005
Q: I currently use Comcast digital cable and want a DVR hard disc recorder. I’m only interested in the hard disc recording function, so I do not want a DVR-DVD burner combo unit. What are the differences between TiVo and other DVR models? If I buy a DVR, is it mandatory […]
Week of January 1, 2006
Q: I am looking for a new camera. Recently I have seen an ad in magazines for a Bell + Howell camera for $249, using interpolation to achieve 10.0 mega pixels. Not available in stores. Gives no model number. Any suggestions? I am assuming some company has purchased from Bell + […]
Mio C310x Portable GPS Navigation System
By Don Lindich, McClatchy-Tribune News Service
February 5, 2007
Once most drivers have used a GPS navigation system, they don’t want to go back. Besides offering efficient point-to-point navigation and route planning, a GPS will point out restaurants, gas stations, parking areas, entertainment, and other points of interest.
One of the biggest factors […]
It’s a great time to buy electronics and home entertainment gifts- quality has never been better and prices keep coming down. Newer doesn’t always mean better, however. Rather than hype the latest products, this feature aims to simply recommend what’s best. Some products mentioned here are new, some are old standbys that still […]
Digital cameras are projected to be among the hottest holiday gifts this year. If you are looking for a digital camera for that special someone, these shopping tips will help you find one that is just right.
The Three Key Features
The three features most relevant to consumers are megapixels, optical zoom, and the LCD screen. They […]
Week of January 2, 2005
Q: I notice that some electronics places are selling “high speed” memory cards. They are about twice the price of regular speed memory of the same size. How do they function, and is the additional cost worth it?
-Daniel Shirley, Butler, PA
A: As the name suggests, high-speed memory operates at faster speeds […]
Week of December 26, 2004
Q: Any advice on adding a DVD recorder to my entertainment system?
-Bill Anderson, Maple Grove, MN
A: First, you have a choice of formats: DVD-R or DVD+R. One of the first things asked when I receive correspondence from readers is “What format should I buy? There are many available such as DVD-R, […]
Week of December 19, 2004
Q: I want to improve my table radio’s FM reception. Can I use a connection to my DirecTV dish for this? I don’t know if the dish receives all signals or only DirecTV signals. If I can hook the external antenna port on the CD 740 to the dish line, then […]
Week of December 5, 2004
Q: I am thinking about buying a new television with HDTV capability and I can’t afford plasma or LCD flat-panel models. I’m looking for your opinion on the various pros and cons of projection models with LCD, DLP or LCoS technology. I really don’t know anything about the differences among them. […]
Week of November 28, 2004
Q: I read your recent digital camera column and am interested in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 you mentioned. Previously I was considering the Canon Digital Rebel. With all the capabilities of the Panasonic, why would anyone spend $400 more on the Digital Rebel?
- Dave Hitchner, Bridgeton, NJ
A: The Panasonic DMC-FZ20 is […]
Week of November 21, 2004
Q: I’ve been looking at a high-quality surround receiver rated at 100 watts per channel at 8 ohms between 20-20khz, with distortion below .1%. The speakers I’d like to get are Infinity Beta 50 speakers. The speakers are 8 ohms and can handle 250 watts. Will the receiver have enough power […]
Week of November 14, 2004
Q: I’m writing to get digital camera recommendations. Neither my wife nor I are techies, but we’d like to get something we won’t be disappointed with. The primary consideration is picture quality and we would like to stay under $500.
-Tom Genevro, Pittsburgh, PA
A: I receive this question often and usually reply […]
Week of November 7, 2004
Q: My house is in the construction phase and I am having it wired for a home theater surround system. After researching alignment in many online discussion forums, I feel that I may not have a huge alignment error. Not being very educated with home theater, I ordered the wiring for […]
Week of October 31, 2004
Q: I have a 5-year old Olympus Camedia digital camera and a new Dell Windows XP PC. When I install the Olympus software and attempt to download pictures, it does not work and suggests one of the following: change the port setting, lower connection speed, or set camera to outer connection […]
Week of October 17, 2004
Q: I want to buy a digital video recorder to replace my VCR. I want the
functions of my old VCR without the hassles of tapes. I am only interested in the channels I can pick up with my antenna and do not want to subscribe to any service. Does such a […]
Week of October 10, 2004
Q: What do you think of the Bose table radio? I am thinking of buying one for a room where we frequently entertain guests. I will connect the Bose radio to my TV and a DVD player to play music.
-Mike Hullett, Hampstead, MD
A: I receive a variation of this question somewhat […]
Week of October 3, 2004
Q: I want to organize my digital pictures and I don’t know which program is the “best” for storage and organizing the “albums/files” with Microsoft Windows. What program do you recommend?
-Jo Griffith, Savage, MN
A: If you are looking to store and organize your pictures, you don’t need a special software program […]
Week of September 26, 2004
Q: In shopping for a receiver, I have noticed there are some refurbished products out there at very attractive prices. Is there any reason to avoid these refurbished products?
-Adrian Mariano, Bedford, MA
A: If a reputable dealer is offering the refurbished products, there is no reason to avoid them. In […]
Week of September 19, 2004
Q: Is there a “best” brand of audio receiver, like a Ferrari, Rolls Royce or Mercedes may be considered the best cars? How do the brands stack up?
-Jason Stein, Dravosburg, PA
A: There is an “exotic” class of high-end audio components, with prices to match. When discussing the best, though, you would […]
