Week of July 18, 2004 Q: Do you have any advice on portable CD players, MP3 players, hard disk players (e.g., iPod), etc? -Paul LaFontaine, A: The best advice I can give to anyone using a portable music player is to use great headphones. A common theme seen by regular readers of this […]
Week of July 4, 2004 Q: I have seen the Kodak printer docks that make it very easy to make prints because the digital camera plugs into the dock and you can print directly from the camera. I would like to use a printer dock to make small prints but I do not have a […]
Week of June 27, 2004 Q: I don’t have a center channel speaker for my surround sound system and I understand it is essential. Any recommendations on a good quality center channel speaker for a reasonable price would be extremely helpful. Robbie Carlson, Savage, MN A: A center channel is perhaps the most important […]
Week of May 30, 2004 Q: I want to purchase small speakers like the Bose Acoustimass 10. These speakers can be mounted on the wall so I like them better than the one on the stands. The sound from the Bose speakers is good to me, but they cost about $1,000. Are there other companies […]
Week of May 23, 2004 Q: What are the differences between SACD and DVD-Audio, and what is availability of players and software? Is a universal DVD player that supports SACD and DVD-Audio a worthwhile investment, or is this another VHS-BETA duel? Brian Deviley, Minneapolis, MN A: SACD, or Super Audio CD, is […]
Week of May 16, 2004 Q: Did you recently write a review about a Kodak digital camera saying it was very good for the money? Dick Smollen, Minneapolis, MN A: No, that was not me. My own tests and reviews I have read tell me that Kodak’s EasyShare cameras are good, but just a bit […]
Week of December 14, 2003 Q: I just purchased a progressive CD/DVD player and have it hooked to a 20 year-old stereo receiver. When using the DVD, it is hard to hear voices over the background noise. Should we get a newer stereo receiver and new speakers? If so, can you recommend a model and […]
Week of December 14, 2003 Q: My sister has a Minolta Maxxum 4. I think it takes awesome pics. I was thinking of getting one for my wife for Christmas as an alternative to our digital camera. What do you think of this camera, and what are some other options in the all-automatic […]
Week of December 7, 2003 Q: I am shopping for a rear projection High Definition-ready television set. The stores are really pushing LCDs and DLPs. They are thinner and lighter weight, and of course higher priced. If the quality of picture, in your opinion, is not worth the extra money I would like to […]
Week of November 23, 2003 Q: What do you know about Comcast’s High Definition cable? Is it true HD, or would I be better off with a satellite dish? Can you run down the pros and cons of cable vs. satellite? -Dan Murray, Moon, PA A: I have seen Comcast’s HDTV on several televisions and […]
Week of November 16, 2003 Q: I have a three year-old HP printer/scanner/copier. I was recently given a Fuji digital camera and I take lots of photos with it. The two don’t like each other. The driver from the camera displaces the scanner driver. Four times I have had to go through a dreadful […]
Week of November 9, 2003 Q: The concept of amplifier and receiver power baffles me. How do you decide between 35 and 65 watts per channel? -Tom Maloney, Minneapolis, MN A: The amount of power you need is based on a combination of three factors: the sensitivity of your speakers, the size of your room, […]
Week of November 2, 2003 Q: I was recently given a digital camcorder that uses MiniDV tapes. I use it to videotape my grandchildren and the picture looks beautiful on my big screen TV. I recently used my last MiniDV tape and went to Wal-Mart to buy more. The salesclerk suggested I […]
Week of October 26, 2003 Q: I have been printing with a HP 840C printer, using Kodak and HP inkjet photo paper. I have had problems with framed photographs fading within a few months. I am considering putting some photographs up for consignment sale and am not so much concerned about selling them as them […]
Week of October 19, 2003 Q: I have been looking at HDTV sets at my local big box electronics store. I was just about sold on a particular model when the salesman recommended a four year service plan for $300.00. He claimed that the HDTV sets are very high maintenance and require a technician to […]
Week of October 12, 2003 Q: I just bought a 4 megapixel digital camera. Pictures take up 2 MB each and it came with a 32 MB memory card, so I can only take 16 pictures at a time. Next month I am going to Australia for three weeks and want to […]
Week of October 5, 2003 Q: I am looking for a mini or micro stereo system that could fit into a small cabinet, including the speakers. Are there any high quality or high-end systems that are small/tiny? I read a review of the Denon DRR-M31 in Hi-Fi News magazine that spoke highly of this […]
Week of September 21, 2003 Q: I just bought a Sony DVD player and an Onkyo receiver. I connected them with a single digital connection, as the instructions for both the DVD player and the receiver show. But my Dolby Digital surround sound does not work. What am I doing wrong? […]
Week of September 14, 2003 Q: I am shopping for bookshelf-sized speakers in the $300 per pair range. Any recommendations? -Steve Gratz, Washington, DC A: There are several recommendations I give to anyone shopping for speakers. These recommendations are not just for specific speaker brands or models, but also how and […]
Week of August 31, 2003 Q: I have read the archived columns on your website and it has already answered some of my questions! For example, I have been using Kodak paper on my Canon printer and wondered why the prints don’t look so good. I now know to try the […]
