GoVideo DV1030 DVD/VCR Combo

GoVideo DV1030 DVD/VCR Combo
Manufacturer: GoVideo
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
Enjoy all of your favorite DVD and VHS movies on this versatile, top-of-the-line, progressive scan DVD+VCR.
Amazon.com Product Description
Easy to set up and even easier to operate, the compact and affordable GoVideo DV1030 gives you a full-featured DVD player/CD player to handle your movies and music--including MP3 files stored on CD-R or CD-RW--and a built-in four-head, hi-fi, stereo VCR to play your existing library of videotapes and record new programs. Front-panel audio/video inputs accommodate camcorder and gaming hookups, JPEG picture CD playback lets you watch slideshows of your digital photos, and the unit's compatibility with recordable DVDs (DVD-R, DVD-RW) makes copying your homemade tapes to discs, and vice versa, a breeze. The combo unit even lets you watch a DVD or listen to a CD while recording a TV show.

Whether your living room is currently home to an HDTV or you're merely thinking of "someday," the DV1030's DVD section stands ready to deliver the full potential of your commercial 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, giving you higher resolution and sharper images while eliminating nearly all motion artifacts. Even without an HD-ready set, the component-video outputs can be set to output interlaced video, in which they help minimize line-scan and digital artifacts on compatible televisions. Composite- and S-video outputs bring DVD compatibility with nearly any television.

In the audio realm, two sets of left/right RCA analog-audio outputs (one each for the DVD player and the VCR) channel audio to Dolby Pro Logic receivers and stereo televisions. For immersive home-theater audio from DVDs, both Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1-channel surround-sound signals can be routed through the player's optical digital-audio output for direct connection to a full-featured audio/video receiver. If you don't have a surround receiver or six-channel speaker setup, you can still make every movie night the ultimate experience: 3D Surround simulates surround sound through two speakers (even the stereo speakers on your TV).

This model's four-head VCR design ensures smooth slow-motion play (forward and reverse) and clear still-frame images, while hi-fi sound records and plays back stereo audio tracks. If you route the stereo output to an AV receiver, you can even enjoy four-channel (left, center, right, and monaural surround) Dolby Pro Logic mixes from TV and Dolby-encoded videotapes. Convenient features include eight-event, one-year programming, 19-micron heads (which deliver the clearest possible picture when recording or viewing in extended-play mode), and auto clock and channel sets.

What's in the Box
DVD/VCR combo player/recorder, remote control, remote batteries (2 AAA), user's manual, and stereo analog audio interconnect/composite-video cable.

Average customer rating: 4.0

4 years old - still the best PDA on the market !
Psion Revo Plus- my companion
Reliability nightmare
Same as Diamond Mako
Whole lot of bang for your buck!

Listmania:

PDAs & Handhelds with Keyboards Part 2
My Gadget

Psion Revo Palmtop Computer

Manufacturer: Psion
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B00004RKHE

Related Categories:

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| Handhelds & PDAs | Computers & Add-Ons | Categories | Electronics

Psion

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Product Description

If you're juggling social connections, business commitments and the totally unexpected, pick up a Psion Revo. Psion Revo is designed to fit right into your pocket - and right into your life.Revo offers agenda, contacts manager, e-mail on the move, jotter, PC sync and lots more to stay ahead of a busy life. It provides powerful features to help you organize your information, your day and your life. Revo is designed to connect to your information, wherever it is. So there's no missing link even when you're on the move. Revo offers a whole suite of useful packages to help you work at home, in the office or on the move. And it's from Psion, the world leader in palmtop computing. Get organized. Get connected. Get Revo.

Amazon.com Review

Winner of the prestigious Byte Award for best hardware, the Psion Revo is a remarkably powerful, feature-rich, and lightweight PDA. An interesting alternative to Palm or Windows CE organizers, the Psion is stylish and slim and has a high-speed processor and built-in long-life batteries.

To set up up the Revo, we followed the instructions in the Quick Start guide: We connected the AC adapter to the serial cable (the power cord does not plug into the docking station), hooked up the serial cable to our PC, opened the Revo's case, and slid the Revo into the docking station. (The Revo cannot fit into the docking station unless the case is open.) A green LED confirms that the Revo is properly docked and a red LED indicates that the battery is fast-charging. The battery charges to 85 percent capacity in just 1.5 hours and fully charges in 4 hours. The charged battery lasts about 12 hours.

The Revo is based on the popular Psion 5, but with considerable cosmetic and technical improvements. You operate this organizer with the 14 touch-sensitive buttons that border its screen or by using the stylus to tap onscreen buttons and menus. Psion has made every effort to keep the operational controls above the keyboard, thus maximizing the space available for keys. Still, typing on this small keyboard requires much getting used to, and the keys' tactile feedback is not very satisfying.

In our tests, we typed memos, made appointments, added addresses, and created a sample spreadsheet using the Psion's built-in applications. Agenda and contact information automatically synchronizes with your PC. For other files, such as those made using the Psion's surprisingly advanced word processor and spreadsheet applications, the PsiWin software transfers and converts the files to a PC-compatible format, such as Microsoft Word or Excel. The Revo's PsiWin software is also compatible with Lotus SmartSuite, WordPerfect, dBASE, and more.

Psion licenses its Epoc operating system from Symbian, which explains why the Revo's interface looks only moderately similar to Windows CE. Subsequently, the steps to perform our tasks seemed intuitive--we rarely had to consult the manual, but we often didn't guess right the first time either. We recommend that you browse the extensive Revo Handbook (222 pages with index) for a proper introduction to the comprehensive suite of PIM applications and check out the CD-ROM for additional utilities and tools.

The Revo's built-in applications are Calc, Time, Word, Data, Sheet, and Cascade. Additional applications include Today View, Agenda, Contacts, Phone, and Jotter. The Revo also supports e-mail, SMS messaging, Web browsing, PC synchronization, and connections to compatible mobile phones through its infrared port and an optional travel modem.

If you're looking for an alternative to both Windows CE and Palm OS organizers, consider the Psion Revo. --Mike Brown

Pros:
<UL> <LI>Great suite of PIM applications <LI>QWERTY-layout keyboard <LI>Slim and stylish </UL> Cons:
<UL> <LI>No backlight <LI>Slips out of docking cradle easily </UL>

Customer Reviews:

4 years old - still the best PDA on the market !.......2004-01-25

The only PDA that combines a good keyboard with the right "pocket" size. The revo is now 4 years old, but still the best PDA on the market. I especially enjoy quick and easy look-up in databases, help files, calender. In fact, eventhough I have a Win 2000 PC by my side, I choose the revo to look-up contacts, meetings etc - it's faster ! In addtion, the installed applications work fine: contacts, calender, database, word, sheet, jotter etc.

It's a pity the revo isn't developed any longer. It would have been great to see a new Revo-2004 including memory slots, MP3 player, color screen - but in the same casing.

Psion Revo Plus- my companion.......2003-04-23

This would be my third Psion machine and my second Revo Plus. My first machine, a Series 5, had problems with the LCD screen. One day there's just this thin blue line across... then I bought a Revo Plus... until it got stolen... then I got myself another Revo Plus... since I backed my Revo regularly.. I had the new one just like the 'old' one if you knew what I mean.. :)

Why a Psion? I see the Psion as an extension to my Notebook. I am an engineer and quality inspector by profession and I found it indespensible. I can jot down and write my reports, pages of them on the go... runs on batteries.. one charge lasts quite a while... i can do spreadsheets... and they are all Office compatible! Back at the office I'll just print(beam) to the laser printer(with IR port) without even uploading it up to my notebook/PC. Talk about convenience and productivity! Sure, softwares are hard to find but how much softwares do you actually need? I also use a software to sync with my Nokia handphone via the IR. Backed up my entire address book and messages.Composing messages is faster on Psion than on the Nokia keypads... :) My Psion and Nokia goes hand in hand...
One of my key selection factor was the keyboard. I needed a 'proper' keyboard for my reports. I had use a Palm, Casio Pocket Viewer and other 'small' PDAs.. I had try using latest PocketPC hardwares and not to mention other PALMOS machines.. in the end of the day, its the PSION that is useable as far as I am concern.

If u need color, sound (mp3), backlight.. stay away but if you wanna replace the good old Organizer and much more and get things done, this is it! They don't design and make things like they used to...
BTW, all my Psion are seconds/used..

Reliability nightmare.......2003-03-24

Great product with lousy reliability. I've had the motherboard and the battery-pack replaced in the last 6 months. I understand that the reliability problems led to Psion dropping the product line. Do thus not buy!

Same as Diamond Mako.......2003-01-10

A great non-Palm PDA, but under-marketed in the US as the Diamond Mako.

I've bought 4 of them on auction sites like eBay -- everyone in my family wanted one. Prices there are competitive. Many people got these as a throw-in with Compaq desktops a year ago, and never used them.

Thumb-typing on the keyboard is easy. Uses easy stylus/touchscreen commands, plus has well-thought-out keyboard commands. Comes with great built-in programs, but add-on software is hard to find.

Synch cradle attaches by a serial port, not USB. I synch and recharge every day or two, so I don't lose much if I drop it in a pond. When that happened, I headed back to the auction site for a replacement.

Whole lot of bang for your buck!.......2002-05-14

I bought this unit 1 month ago with a little hesitation. I work with Excel and Word documents frequently. This purchase was to allow me to work on these documents on the go. It is excellent at this task.
Expandability is not and issue with this machine. There isn't any!
However in my opinion this unit is twice any other unit in its price range.

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