PKG-RSE2 - Alpine 10.2" Overhead Video Monitor with Built-In DVD Player

You looking to find the "PKG-RSE2 - Alpine 10.2" Overhead Video Monitor with Built-In DVD Player" Good news! You can purchase PKG-RSE2 - Alpine 10.2" Overhead Video Monitor with Built-In DVD Player with secure price and compare to view update price on this product. And deals on this product is available only for limited time.

Price: $799.99   

Product Feature

• backseat passengers can enjoy their favorite DVD or take on their favorite video game on any road trip

PKG-RSE2 - Alpine 10.2" Overhead Video Monitor with Built-In DVD Player Review

We bought the Alpine PKG-RSE2 DVD player for our 1997 Chevy Astro AWD, specifically for a family road trip from Wisconsin to Florida in February 2009.

Before buying the player we did a lot of research online and in stores. At one point we actually purchased a different model (not from Alpine) at a local store. I'd commented to the salesperson while we were purchasing it that I was concerned the screen was too small and the picture wasn't incredibly good (but the price was about $100 less than the Alpine). His actual response: "Well, what do you expect? It's not an Alpine." Ugh.

That night, after purchasing the lesser model I kept thinking over what the salesguy said. In the morning I decided it was ridiculous to get such a low-end model just to save a relatively small amount of money. We returned the DVD player that day, and bought a new Alpine online from one of the sellers through Amazon. The seller we bought it from was selling it new for $499 (January 09). I see the price from current sellers has shot up again (June 09) but I suspect if you shop around/wait a bit you can find a similar price.

INSTALLATION
The instructions that come with the player aren't very clear which made installation fairly frustrating. My husband is extremely handy with cars and electronics, and it still took him about 6 hours to install the player, so keep that in mind if you're installing it yourself. It's likely you can find a local electronic store or car shop to install it for you if you don't want to tackle it on your own.

PICTURE & SOUND
Once my husband installed it he and I hopped in the back seats and put in a movie. The picture is excellent and the screen is huge. The sound - through the car speakers and/or through the wireless headphones is terrific.

It came with one set of wireless headphones. We purchased 3 extra sets of headphones, so all 4 of our kids had a set. They range in age from 6-11, and none had problems handling the headphones, keeping them on their heads or manipulating the volume control. The only time the headphones didn't work well was when I tried one from the front seat. Apparently you need to be facing the front of the player (meaning, sitting in any of the back seats) for them to work well. I bought the 3 extra sets of headphones on another website as I couldn't find them currently for sale on Amazon. If you buy headphones make sure they work with the player. As far as I can tell, the only ones that work with the PKG-RSE2 are the headphones called Alpine SHS-N103.

You can easily view the picture from the middle bucket seats and the back bench seat. We were concerned the kids wouldn't be able to see the picture from the far back because well, they're kids and kind of short, but it turned out they could view movies with no problems.

We set up the DVD player so the sound comes through on FM station 88.1, and set that station as one of the defaults in the van. We've heard no static at all when using the radio as speakers for a movie. You can have sound coming through the speakers or through the headphones, or through both the speakers and headphones at the same time. You can also have the headphones on and have the radio playing other stations.

SCREEN
A button on the player pop-unlocks the screen. Once it's unlocked you can pull it down for viewing. I'd advise anyone with this player to make sure the screen is closed before anyone in the back gets out...we've had a couple kids conk their heads on the screen when exiting the van. The screen appears to be well-made and strong, and the few head-conks it's gotten haven't affected it. (Sorry about your heads, kids!)

The screen can be pulled down to about a 95- or 100-degree angle for viewing. It can't be pivoted to the left or right, but this has caused no issues. We've had no complaints of kids not being able to see the screen, even in bright sunlight.

CONTROLS
DVDs load in a slot that faces the back of the van. There is a fairly large On/Off button and Eject button on either side of the slot, a dome light switch, and an Open button that when pressed, unlocks the screen so you can pull it down. Once you figure out where each of these buttons is you can press them from the front with little problem, so you can handle most of the major controls without needing the kids' help. There's also a Menu/Select button underneath the DVD slot. This one works fine but you can really only use it if you're sitting in a seat facing the player.

There are dome lights on either side of the player. They are fairly bright. We don't use them, however, as the van has a lot of other overhead lights. If you 'lose' some lights when installing the player the ones on the player should suit you well.

The DVD player also comes with a remote which works pretty well from the front seats -- you just have to point it towards the player. We rarely use this but when we have it works fine.

The awesome button is the 'Mommy Button' (I've also read this called the 'Mum Button') on the other side of the DVD player -- the side facing the front of the vehicle. The Mommy Button is a Play/Pause button there which is great when you want to stop the movie and get the kids' attention. There's also an FM button facing the front seats that allows you to toggle whether the movie sound comes through the speakers or not. If you're ever driving and FM radio stations are suddenly coming through staticky, chances are you need to press the FM button. If you're trying to hear a movie through your speakers, you're sure you have the right radio station on (and you're sure the player is hooked up correctly) chances are you need to press the FM button.

When we turn off the van, whatever video is playing stops. As soon as the ignition is turned back on the movie starts up again exactly where it left off. My husband said there is way to wire the DVD player so movies can keep playing off the car battery when the car isn't on, but he didn't hook it up that way -- personally I'm glad about that because I could see us accidentally draining the battery if we were able to watch movies when the van wasn't running.

OBSTRUCTION IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR
The screen is 10.2"...amazingly big for a vehicle. Because of this we were expecting to be mostly using our side mirrors when DVDs were playing. The DVD player is mounted high, and it turned out that the driver can easily see out of the rear view mirror with little problem. There is some obstruction -- when the screen is down it blocks 1/3-1/2 of the center of the rear view mirror, but it hasn't caused any real difficulties seeing.

One of the pieces of mounting hardware -- the only piece we didn't use -- would have made the DVD player sit lower. Not using this extra piece may not be optional when you install the DVD player, so more of your rear view may be blocked. If you're not already, become friends with your side mirrors.

SKIPPING
The kids watched numerous videos down and back from Florida, and have watched many since. Of all the movies, of all the literal bumps in the roads we've driven on, we've had maybe 4 or 5 times where a movie has 'skipped' for a second. I say 'skip', although the movie doesn't actually skip. What happens is the screen goes blue for a moment, then the picture and sound come back on in the same spot it left off. I don't think one 'skip' has occurred from driving conditions...I'm not sure if it's because there was a scratch on the DVD, if the player loses the signal for a second occasionally or what. Frankly, we're not worried about it. Occurrences haven't increased over time, and it probably happens once out of every 6 or so hours of viewing. It hasn't bothered the kids because they know the show will be back on in a few seconds.

WORTH THE MONEY?
The DVD player was an absolute godsend for our road trip, which included at least 50 hours of driving in an one-and-a-half week time frame. I don't think we heard one "Are we there yet?" during the trip. The great kid movies kept the kids in really good moods, and also helped by giving them 'breaks' from one another during the drive. Sometimes we'd tell them all to use the headphones so we could listen to the radio, and all we'd hear out of them for an hour and a half is occasional laughs during a movie. Amazing! The kids remarked at 'how fast' we got down to (and back from) Florida.

If you're going to go through the expense and trouble of having a third-party DVD player installed, it seems to make sense to get one that's going to work well and make everyone happy. If it's in your budget, the Alpine PKG-RSE2 is a great player to get.

*****************
UPDATE AUGUST 2012
Over three years have gone by since we got the Alpine. It's STILL a fantastic DVD player. Plays great, no issues with DVDs, and the 4 pairs of headphones still work fine, too. We've talked about selling our van at some point in the next year, and the first thing we both said was if we do sell it, the Alpine DVD player stays with us!
*****************
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2013
Earlier this year we sold our 1997 Chevy Astro and bought a 2012 Nissan Quest. As planned, before selling it, my husband took the Alpine DVD player out. There were several small holes in the ceiling's fabric where it had been, but on the whole its absence was surprisingly unnoticeable. Even though my husband did a great job installing it the first time around, as our new van was pretty darn-shiny-nice-new, we decided to have the DVD player re-installed by professionals. Just to be safe. I'm happy to say the DVD player and all four headphones still work fantastically, 4.5 years after the purchase.

Most of the consumer Reviews tell that the "PKG-RSE2 - Alpine 10.2" Overhead Video Monitor with Built-In DVD Player" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from PKG-RSE2 - Alpine 10.2" Overhead Video Monitor with Built-In DVD Player ...

Sharp LC-70LE734U 70-inch Internet Ready LED TV

You looking to find the "Sharp LC-70LE734U 70-inch Internet Ready LED TV" Good news! You can purchase Sharp LC-70LE734U 70-inch Internet Ready LED TV with secure price and compare to view update price on this product. And deals on this product is available only for limited time.

Price: $2,299.99    

Product Feature

• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Full HD 1080p X-Gen LCD Panel
• USB Viewer with Music Player
• 240Hz Fine Motion Enhanced, Backlight System: Full Array LED
• Dimensions With Stand - 38.78" x 25.96" x 11.61" (W x H x D), Dimensions Without Stand - 38.78" x 23.80" x 3.46" (W x H x D)

Product Description

Sharp AQUOS LC-70LE734U 70" LED-LCD TV LC70LE734U LCD Flat Panel TVs

Sharp LC-70LE734U 70-inch Internet Ready LED TV Review

This amateur review will be in two parts, the TV first then buying it through Amazon.

I read a few online reviews of this TV and all the criticisms were wrong. Some said the sound is poor. It is not surround sound, but from a thin TV it is very robust. I find it more than adequate for everyday viewing. I turn on the surround sound for parties and Blue Ray viewing. Some complain about lag. I say to those people, you prob need to check what is imputing into the TV, because I see no sign of lag. Some complain about the color. This set has spectacular color right out of the box. I see no need to tweak the factory settings. I am particularly amazed by the depth the set produces. Some even complained that the TV has no light sensor. I don't get that as not only does it have one, the default setting actually actively tells you each time it adjusts based on the room light. You can turn it off.

This TV has great color and brightness for someone looking to light up a bright room and it's flexible enough to dim it down automatically when it gets dark. My personal opinion is that the color blows away the 65" Plasmas that are competing with it.

The second part of this review is about buying it from Amazon venders. You need to understand that they keep rotating on who is selling this set through Amazon. You need to understand that some of these people are one-man operations. They are going to send this to you via freight (only way you can do it) which in my case took ONE MONTH.

My strongest points are that this is a great TV, but I advise you to consider buying it from a local store. If it's just a difference of $100, I would take it through local delivery. Time is money.

Most of the consumer Reviews tell that the "Sharp LC-70LE734U 70-inch Internet Ready LED TV" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from Sharp LC-70LE734U 70-inch Internet Ready LED TV ...

LG 47LX6500 47-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV, Espresso

You looking to find the "LG 47LX6500 47-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV, Espresso" Good news! You can purchase LG 47LX6500 47-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV, Espresso with secure price and compare to view update price on this product. And deals on this product is available only for limited time.

   

Product Feature

• Energy Star 4.0 certification
• TruMotion 240Hz technology for more fluid and natural motion
• NetCast Entertainment Access (Wi-Fi Ready)
• 47-inch display with 1920� 1080 HD resolution
• 8,000,000 : 1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• 3D TV. LED Plus
• Espresso trim
• TruMotion 240Hz
• Wireless 1080p Ready

Product Description

The LX6500 delivers 3D technology and a whole lot more. It lets you tap into the future of entertainment with broadband TV, cut free of your cable box and messy wires with Wireless HD and enjoy a host of other features that will bring your experience to the next level.

LG 47LX6500 47-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV, Espresso Review

Length:: 0:31 Mins

==Updated Jan 20th==

My first impression was positive, the hardware is beautiful and appears well made, the interface too initially seems pretty good. The 2D picture is great and the price is very appealing.

That said... Be warned the 3D crosstalk on this television is TERRIBLE! We bought it with hopes primarily of enjoying a bunch of 3D games on our PS3 (Call of Duty: Black Ops and Gran Turismo 5) only to be confronted with staggering crosstalk and ghosting. It was bad enough that my wife asked "Is the TV broken?" I find that the 3D crosstalk makes playing some games dizzying, annoying and fatiguing. In particular scenes with black on a bright (usually white) background will have your eyes crossing and head aching. For the record, we've tried with both 1.3x and 1.4 HDMI cables to no avail.

(Note: As of Dec 8th the following seems to no longer be an issue) Furthermore after viewing 3D content on the PS3 and then returning to the XMB we'd be in a very messed up state where the LG UI was corrupted and remained so until another 3D movie was played. Really screwy stuff. Hopefully we'll get a firmware update on the PS3 or LG end soon?

Update (Nov 29th): Please see the user images above for examples of the crosstalk in 3D video.

Update (Nov 30th): We've called LG twice about the crosstalk, the first call consisted of a 45 minute wait before they insisted we end the call and try against another kind of 3D content (we did, the problem persisted). The second call resulted in a 60 minute wait, speaking to a person for 2 minutes to confirm my name and phone number, then a 10 minute wait before being accidentally hung up on... LG is _really_ not impressing me here.

Update (Dec 2nd): We just had the LG Tech over about the 3D crosstalk issues. He confirmed that the 3D glasses and IR Transmitter were all functioning properly. After insisting there was no problem by examining some low cross-talk videos (like under water scenes) we showed the tech the scene I attached screenshots of (to user images above) and he was finally convinced that the crosstalk was really bad. He then left to his van for a bit (I assume to talk to his boss) and returned insisting that '3D is in it's infancy and you can't expect the 3D to work very well'... What?! If you know it doesn't work, why are you selling it?! We suggested to him that maybe the white/black (or light/dark) refresh rate of LG LED TVs might not be adequate for 3D but he insisted that the refresh rate is perfectly fine for 3D (I beg to differ!). The tech finally offered to replace the IR unit in the TV but claimed he 'didn't think it would help at all.'

So we confirmed that the TV is fine, the glasses are fine, the 3D content is fine (and the LG tech insisted that the light/dark refresh is fine) but somehow because 3D is in it's "infancy" there is horrible crosstalk?! That doesn't make any sense.

Update (Dec 8th): So the LG technician came by again yesterday to replace the part (the one that he said had no chance of resolving the 3D crosstalk problem). He (and I) were right, replacing this IR board did nothing at all to effect the 3D crosstalk/ghosting issues. I've confirmed the same amount of crosstalk in the PS3 Sizzler video and in MotorStorm 3D Rift. The technician explained that replacing the part is all he can do and from here on out it's between us and LG support... I love it when an employee of a company absolves themselves of helping you... /sigh.

Update (Dec 13th): Minus one star because LG is making this whole crosstalk problem so painful for us. We just ended our 8th call with them and they're insisting on sending another tech to look at our TV rather than giving us a replacement.

Update (Dec 15th): I've done an analysis of the crosstalk on this TV with a high speed video camera, you can see it here: [...] I think this is very convincing evidence that this TV suffers from strong crosstalk.

Update (Jan 20th): So we've now made two dozen calls to LG and had six technicians check out our TV. Although every technician agrees with us that crosstalk is a major problem on this set LG is stonewalling us and refusing to exchange or replace the TV. In the executive service reps words "we don't deal with customer service issues" and "in eight years here I've never seen a replacement offered to an unsatisfied customer". I wish those were LG's official mottos because if they were I could have saved myself a lemon of a purchase.

The Good:
* The 2D image is really great in most situations (No complaints watching Avatar, playing GT5, COD:BO, etc. in 2D).
* Good value for the size and features.
* The firmware for this TV is being actively supported by LG.
* This is the only TV I've ever owned that doesn't letterbox when connected to my wife's Mac mini.

The Bad:
* 3D crosstalk/ghosting ruins 3D functionality for almost all movies and games.
* Terrible telephone support from LG.
* Horrendous flash-lighting on blank black screen (especially with auto-dimming off)
* Overall the brightness seems very uneven in dark scenes, with or without local dimming enabled.
* Local dimming is a joke, there appear to be only about 24 dimming fields. This is not enough resolution to be practically useful.
* The UI is mediocre, you will be shown an annoying pop-up every time you enable 3D or DLNA. I hate pop-ups.
* If you have any problems LG will be completely loath to help you, we're 8 calls, 2 tech visits and countless hours into dealing with them and have no resolution in sight.
* LG, admitting problems with the 3D technology in their LED TVs is moving to another, passive, tech for their next generation of 3D sets.

Note: DON'T BUY FROM ADORAMA unless you are VERY sure you are going to love your TV. Their return policy is "No Hassle" only in as far as it's no hassle for them since they will not accept returns.

Most of the consumer Reviews tell that the "LG 47LX6500 47-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV, Espresso" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from LG 47LX6500 47-Inch 3D 1080p 240 Hz LED Plus LCD HDTV, Espresso ...

Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder

You looking to find the "Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder" Good news! You can purchase Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder with secure price and compare to view update price on this product. And deals on this product is available only for limited time.

Price: $798.18 $780.99   

Product Feature

• 12.3-megapixel interchangeable lens digital camera; Micro Four Thirds format
• Includes 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko digital zoom lens and Electronic View Finder
• 3-inch HyperCrystal LCD with Live View function; Continuous Autofocus (C-AF) tracking system
• Record HD video with high-quality audio; Full Manual Control of shutter/aperture in Movie Mode
• iEnhance to automatically adjust color and contrast for a more dramatic effect
• Capture images and video to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Product Description

OLYMPUS 262830 12.3 Megapixel E-P2 Pen Camera Kit (Includes M. Zuiko 14–42mm zoom)

Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder Review

I got mine on Saturday from a camera store here in Austin. The camera is nice and small but feels very solid. I was interested in the EP1 but could never get my mind around the practice of viewing and focusing on the back LCD screen. I was interested in this product segment because I have a collection of the Pen F half frame film cameras that this one is based on. I was very happy to learn that several people are making adapters that will allow me to use those old Pen F lenses on the EP2. I am looking forward to using two of my old favorites, the 60mm f1.5 and the 70mm f2.

I took the EP2 and the kit zoom lens out for a three hour spin yesterday morning. It was 30 degrees outside and the first thing I discovered is that this is not a camera with an interface you can use with gloves on. The buttons are too small and require too much pressure with gloves.

In daylight I didn't notice any real problem with focusing. It was not as slow as I was led to believe. BUT, it does do this little "focus on either side of sharp" and then lock and shoot that takes a few tenths of a second each time you autofocus. The cure is to switch the focus on control to the fn button or the ael button and then you can focus once and shoot until the subject/camera distance changes. It's definitely not bad. I also tried a bunch of low light focusing later in the evening and, with 60 watt household lights in various fixtures the focus locked pretty well.

You would be unwise to buy this camera without the EVF (electronic viewfinder). In my opinion this is what makes this camera and cameras like the Panasonic GF1 special. It's a great finder. Almost as clear and clean as a great optical finder. Better than the optical finders on the Olympus e300 and e520 cameras that I also own.

Here's why I really love the camera. I spent years and years shooting with a Hasselblad and I love composing images as squares. Several DSLR's with "LIve View" are available that can be configured to shoot different aspect ratios in Jpeg. Including the square. But when shooting portraits those cameras go through too much time consuming labor to use it effectively and the effect can only be seen on the rear LCD screen. On the EP2 this is not the case. The exposure is relatively instantaneous. And the camera can be used in a square format which you can view through the EVF.. You basically wind up with a 6x6 camera that shoots 9 megapixel files (the crop of the 12 megapixel sensor to square) at three frames per second.

The color and sharpness, even with the kit lens, is superb. Out of camera jpegs are something Olympus is famous for and this camera is even better than it's predecessors. I've also processed a few raw files with Capture One 5.01 and they are great but not that much better than a well exposed Jpeg.

I wrote a little review of the shooting experience on my blog. [...]

At the end of the first paragraph is a link to a gallery of images. The image at the top of the blog is full size. Click on it to see just how sharp the files are.

The only unhappy note I have about the camera is that the BLS battery was "only" good for around 300 images. I always buy a spare battery when I buy a new camera so I had one in my pocket when the first battery became depleted. Keep in mind that it never got about 35degrees (f) while I was shooting and cold really messes with batteries. I presume you might be able to hit the 500 shot mark with warmer weather.

Finally, I am excited to shoot HD video with this camera. With adapters I'll be able to use some of the great lenses I've bought for my regular Olympus cameras.

Here is my con list:

1. The batteries could last longer....

2. The EVF plugs into a port under the hot shoe. It also takes over the hotshoe. This means that you can't use the hot shoe or even trigger a flash if the EVF is plugged in. This is a big deal. I wish the camera had a little pc terminal somewhere. Then I could use the EVF and still be able to trigger studio flashes.

3. Same thing for microphones. If you want to use an outboard mic for recording sound you'll need to use the same connection port. So you get to choose between EVF and microphone.

4. I wish there were more dedicated Olympus lenses for this format. I'd love a 20 or 25mm prime lens with a fast aperture. I think that would be sooooo cool. Maybe that's down the road.

All in all this is the camera I've wanted for a while. I am happy with it. It gets only four stars because of the multi-function port. On image quality it's five star. If they drop in price after the launch I will try to buy a second body. Have fun deciding between this and the Panasonic GF-1.

Most of the consumer Reviews tell that the "Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder ...