Apex AD-600A DVD Player

Apex AD-600A DVD Player
Manufacturer: APEX
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
The AD-600A sports a stylish and modern look and delivers a wide range of outstanding features. The most important buttons (open/close, stop, power, etc.) are on the face of the APEX; all other features are accessible via the remote. The DVD picture is crisp and clear, and the sound is exceptional. The greatest "extra" feature on the AD-600A is its ability to play CDRs filled with MP3 files. This allows anyone with a CD writer to playback audio CDs of 12 hours in length or greater on their APEX. Other than the oft-mentioned MP3 abilities, the APEX AD-600A has unique VCD and Karaoke features.
Amazon.com Review
Thanks in part to Apex, DVD is now extremely affordable. Aside from being a great value, what separates the Apex AD-600A from most DVD players is its ability to play CD-R and CD-RW compact discs, including those recorded from downloaded MP3 files.

The simple lines of this black box allow it to disappear into your home theater system. Its front panel is dominated by the blue LED readout above the disc drawer, with a power button, two microphone jacks, and twin-level controls to the left and six slanted oval function buttons to the right for open/close, play, stop, pause, skip reverse, and skip forward.

Connect with either composite-, high-performance S-Video, or state- of-the-art component-video cables for the ultimate picture. For the sound, simply run the left/right stereo cable to your receiver, amplifier, or stereo television's inputs, or connect a coaxial digital audio cable to your Dolby Digital/DTS decoder or audio-video receiver.

Once wired and powered up, the Apex AD-600A provides clear, basic graphics and icons to guide you through setup and operation. The owner's manual is comprehensive and easy to understand. Disc playback commences quickly and efficiently.

Image quality is excellent in all formats, and outstanding through component video, with a broad palette of vibrant colors. At times, the look is more like film than video. Textures and flesh tones are rendered in all their subtlety, and edges are clean and sharp. The only playback difficulty we encountered was on the seamless branching portions of discs with multiple versions of the same film on a single side, like The Abyss, where the movie would either stop or repeat a scene before proceeding.

The audio performance is equally impressive. Stereo music is crisp and powerful, and 5.1-channel movie soundtracks are amazing, with effortless reproduction even at high volume. This inexpensive player also offers the option of Digital Theater Systems (DTS) playback from appropriate discs, and the increase in detail, dynamic range, and overall punch make the investment in the necessary hardware and software worth your consideration.

This DVD player fully supports the CD-R (recordable) and CD-RW (rewritable) formats, as well as CDs containing compressed MP3 files, which allow 10 hours of tunes on a single disc.

The AD-600A is also a karaoke machine, so if you've never tried the popular sing-along, here's your chance. You'll need a microphone (two for duets, each with its own sound-level control knob) and a karaoke disc. Trust us; unleashing your inner lounge lizard is a blast, and a real icebreaker at parties.

In addition to the mike level controls on the front panel, there are also keys on the remote control to introduce vocal effects such as echo. The remote is the Apex owner's best friend, as its many well-organized keys put all of the AD-600A's advanced features at your fingertips with intuitive navigation.

The AD-600A provides picture and sound far better than any VHS VCR, and does so at a comparable price. It also provides access to all of the current wonders and extras of the DVD format, throwing in high-end features like 5.1-channel digital audio and component video, tech-friendly capabilities like MP3 decoding, and fun stuff like karaoke, too. All told, this DVD player doesn't seem like much of a risk.

Pros:

Wide assortment of features at a bargain price
Exceptionally user-friendly remote control
Component-video output provides state-of-the-art video performance
Includes everything you need to get started--even batteries

Cons:

Onscreen user interfaces not as fancy as some other players
Demonstrated difficulty reading sophisticated discs with features like seamless branching

Amazon.com Product Description
The Apex AD-600A DVD player plays DVDs, audio CDs, and CDs recorded from MP3 music files. The player is PAL/NTSC-compatible and will play back DVD, CD, CD-R, and CD-RW sources.

Audio capabilities include two-channel simulated surround sound and an MTS decoder, which filters out unwanted noises and enables the player to perform in stereo sound. Outputs for Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS decoders are included. When connected to a capable stereo receiver, the Apex AD-600A will play any source in Dolby Digital 5-channel and DTS digital surround sound.

As a DVD/CD player, the Apex AD-600A features zoom control and up to 8x rewind/fast-forward. V-chip technology lets concerned parents monitor what their children watch. When it comes to MP3s, however, the Apex AD-600A lacks fast-forward or rewind options, and only supports eight-character file names. Shuffle play is supported in any mode.

Component output jacks maximize digital video source signals for full-color, high-resolution images. Standard audio-video and composite jacks are included. The Karaoke feature and two external microphone inputs let you belt out your favorite songs in front of an audience or in the privacy of your home. The remote control operates all of the Apex AD-600A's major functions. A one-year warranty covers parts and labor.

Average customer rating: 5.0

Small, brilliant, and worth every penny

FUJITSU LifeBook P7120 Notebook FPCM20752

Manufacturer: Fujitsu
Product Group: Personal Computer
Binding: Personal Computers
ASIN: B000CDGN74

Related Categories:

Notebooks

Product Description

In an all-new sleek design, the LifeBook P7120 notebook offers exceptional performance with its Crystal View display capable of outdoor viewing, extended battery life (up to 7.75 hours with main battery) and the latest Intel Centrino Mobile Technology. High resolution, widescreen viewing brings the home theater experience to you through the adoption of a 15:9 aspect ratio. Brighter than the standard TFT screen, this Crystal View's display's super dark background provides crisp, vibrant colors for the ultimate viewing experience.The latest Intel Centrino Pentium Processor delivers the perfect balance of high performance and long battery life. The new processor has innovative power-management features and 2 MB of L2 cache, resulting in extended battery life and desktop-like performance. Weighing about 3 pounds with an optical drive and a main battery, the LifeBook P7120 notebook is the ultimate travel companion. Embedded TPM and Fingerprint Sensor / High-capacity main battery - Lithium ion (6-cell - 7.2V, 7800 mAh, 56 WHr) Maximum internal display - 1280 x 768, 16M colors /External monitor display - (max) - 1600x1200, 16M colors Modular Bay allows optional 2nd battery swap with DVD drive Headphone line-in jack/Microphone line-out jack AC Adapter - Auto-sensing dual voltage support, 100-240V AC supplying 16V DC, 3.75A Dimensions (WxHxD) - 10.28? x 7.83? x 1.26?-1.43?; Approximately 3.2 lbs. with 6-cell battery

Customer Reviews:

Small, brilliant, and worth every penny.......2005-12-15

I'm usually wary about giving anything five stars, since it seems too generous a rating, especially when it comes to electronics that can fizz out so very easily at the pop of a button. With the Fujitsu P7120, I wouldn't dare give it any less.

The Fujitsu series was one that I fell in love with very early on in my search for a new laptop. Based in Japan, they are a very close (but less known) competitor with Sony laptops with their mobile machines. I found very quickly that any Futjisu owner was a prideful one, with good reason. They are known for their dependability, comfort, and convenience, and ease of use. The P7120 was an upgrade of the P7000 series that also came out quite recently. I was very close to opting for a Sony T350, which is very similar in specs and size to the P7120, but after reading about Sony's frighteningly apathetic customer service and hard-to-set wireless service, I quickly decided on the Fujitsu.

When I first got my new machine in the mail, I was happily surprised by the practically diminutive size. I'd seen pictures of the 10.6 inch screen online, but I didn't expect it to be so tiny. Don't be fooled by the size, though. Upon turning on the screen, I was blown away by the brilliance of colors and while the resolution is a tad small, the widescreen helps to make the scren seem a lot bigger than it really is. Underneath the chassis is a pretty impressive range of specs. I bought mine with the upgraded 512 MB, Bluetooth capabilities, and the fingerprint sensor (which used to be an option you paid for, but I think comes standard now). Other standard features include the 1.2 GHz processor, which is a tad short in comparison to the laptops out there now, but believe me, I've been using it for three weeks and have no complaints. The Bluetooth is something I haven't used too much of since I got the laptop, but the fingerprint reader (located between the two mouse buttons at the bottom) is a pretty nifty feature that usually catches an eye or two. To log into your computer, you just run your finger over the sensor and it confirms your fingerprints. Of course, there is still the password login, if the fingerprint sensor ever locks you out.

For something this small, there are a few obvious drawbacks. The keyboard is a little smaller than full-sized keyboards, and you'll find yourself cramping your fingers together a lot more than you would with your desktop but again, nothing too terrible. I have average-sized hands and I was able to type comfortably within five minutes of getting used to it. Users with larger hands might want to try it out before taking the plunge, though. Still, I was able to try out the old P7000 machines before buying this one, and they've made some nice upgrades. One huge complaint about the old series was that the comma, period, and backslash button were only half-sized, making for some horrible typings. For the P7120, they've made these buttons bigger and all of the keys are relatively well-placed. Other nice features: the clean and subtle black cover (Fujitsu isn't known for making flamboyant labels on their lids, which is a definite plus in my opinion), an ECO button (power saver, which dims the screen, disables the CD-DVD drive, and some other adjustments to help conserve battery life), easy to setup wireless internet, and a reliable trackpad underneath the keyboard. There are a good variety of ports, including THREE USB ports, which is uncommon but a nice surprise for a laptop. The CDRW/DVD drive works seamlessly, and I've had no problems with playing the many CDs and DVDs I've thrown into it.

Some other notables: to save space, Fujitsu decided to put the speakers behind the screen, which is a somewhat odd place to put it because it blocks the sound a little. For the most part though, you can still hear what you need to hear. And let's be realistic here. Because of its small size and portability, it's not exactly a gaming and multimedia monster. But for regular usage, battery life is fantastic; the site boasts a full five hours or so but that's always an idyllic estimation. With Wifi always on and the screen at its brightest, I've been able to reap about four and a half hours or so from it, which is still pretty impressive. Another slight gripe: for some reason, starting up Windows has been a little slower for me on this machine than I'm usually used to. It might be that I didn't buy enough memory, but it's nothing that bothers me too much.

Perhaps the biggest downside of this beauty is the price. Because it's still pretty new, I paid close to two grand for it, but for everything you get for it, I believe it was well worth the money. If you think you're ready to take the plunge into your wallet, here's one more word of warning: Fujitsu ships the units directly from Japan. It doesn't mean you get a unit that's any less American, but it does slow down the shipping time quite a bit. With everyone I've talked to who's bought one, they've all whined a bit about the 2 weeks or more they've waited for their new laptops to get into their laps. Still, like I've said, it's completely worth the wait and the money.

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