Editorial Review

The Sony KP-53XBR300 53-inch projection television incorporates extendeddefinition MICROFOCUS picture tubes, which generate a brighter, sharper image,and more accurate corner focusing. Equipped with Digital Reality Creation (DRC)multifunction circuitry, the Sony KP-53XBR300 can enhance NTSC broadcasts bydisplaying images as 960i or 480p. By maximizing the home theater experiencewith popular video sources, DRC multifunction technology lets you enjoy up tofour times the picture quality of cable boxes, VCRs, and DVD players. This TVincorporates a 1080i chassis, which accepts and displays high-definition signalsas 1080i when paired with a digital set-top box via HD component connection.Additionally, 480p content, like progressive-scan DVD, will be displayed as480p. With a Multi Image Driver (MID-X) chip, you can simultaneously watchtelevision broadcasts (NTSC) and high-definition programming side by side withflexible Twin-View two-tuner picture-and-picture.

The 3-D digital comb filtergreatly reduces dot crawl and unwanted video noise. The dual-component design ofits 53-inch screen integrates a lenticular filter, which increases thehorizontal viewing angle. Sony's First Surface Mirror, which allows electronbeams to pass through the mirror's surface only once, is another addition thatenhances resolution, brightness, and contrast. Color temperature is controlledby a picture stabilizer, which also helps eliminate distortion when the screenrapidly alternates between light and dark scenes.

Audio capabilities include aDolby Pro Logic decoder with 80 watts total output. The Sony KP-53XBR300provides front and rear S-Video inputs, two RF inputs, two composite audio-videoinputs, as well as outputs for a monitor system and fixed or variableaudio.

Convenient features include a high-contrast protective screen, favoritechannel programming, Snap Shot screen freeze, advanced scanning capabilities,and a closed caption decoder. The built-in V-chip gives parents the ability tolock out channels they deem inappropriate. A luminous joystick remote controlis supplied.

Editorial Review

Good things really do come in small boxes, like the tidy and modestly priced DVD-RV30U DVD player from Panasonic.

While measuring a standard 17 inches wide, the DVD-RV30U stands just 3.25 inches high, making this model an easier fit than most for crowded equipment racks or TV stands.

Despite its diminutive proportions, this DVD player boasts exemplary image and sound reproduction, along with a host of extras. Pictures are delivered via component video as well as S-video and composite jacks. First-rate performance of Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Pro Logic, and PCM/stereo sound tracks is achieved via an optical digital output and single pair of conventional RCA jacks, plus a surprising subwoofer jack.

The long list of desirable extra features on this unit includes several innovations that we've never come upon before. We appreciated how quickly play began when we loaded a DVD into this machine's motorized tray--bringing up picture and sound in as little as 5 to 7 seconds. In other players, the norm for disc initializing and start-up is closer to 10 seconds. (CD play starts more slowly in this machine, with an average 11-second kickoff for the first song.)

Impatient types will also appreciate the maximum 100x normal speed scanning, which renders surprisingly clear pictures onscreen. If you're not in quite such a hurry, double speed--the slowest of the five fast-scan modes--is accompanied by an intelligible soundtrack. (This trick play only works in the fast-forward direction and can be disabled.)

For late-night home theater viewing, when you don't want to disturb sleepers, the DVD-RV30U offers a dialogue enhancement feature. Designed so that intelligibility is not lost when the system is playing at a very low overall volume, this circuit jacks up the relative volume level of just the center channel.

Been hankering for a bit more rumble in the cinematic jungle than your stereo TV's mostly midrange speakers can provide? The DVD-RV30U offers another cool sound feature--a separate output jack for delivering otherwise lost low-frequency soundtrack information to a self-powered subwoofer. Because bass signals are nondirectional, low-level information extracted from both left and right channels is mixed by the player into one output channel, and only one subwoofer needs to be used.

Other neat Panasonic touches address the mating of this player to a stereo TV. The Advanced Virtual Surround Sound (VSS) circuit works remarkably well in expanding the imaging from a two-speaker setup. By tricking the ear with precise time delay and phase-shifting cues, it creates the impression of sound coming from the listener's sides. For best results with VSS, sit precisely centered between the two speakers, at a distance equal to four times the width from speaker to speaker.

The player's ergonomics are also thoughtfully executed. The front panel is clean and attractive, befitting its slim-line dimensions. Likewise, the remote is small and easily gripped, with buttons that are logically arranged and offer a good feel. Unfortunately, the buttons aren't backlit, and, in limiting button clutter, many of the DVD-RV30U's program play functions and customizable features are only accessible and adjustable onscreen. Fortunately, that's made easier with an onscreen, Windows-like toolbar display (with drop-downs) that runs across the top of the screen. We especially liked the neat slide-rule graphic that pinpoints the percentage of a program already viewed, as well as the proportion yet to be viewed.

The only place we think Panasonic has cut corners is in the jack pack--building in only one set of audio outs, with no coaxial digital out, and no headphone jack. If you can suffer these minor shortcomings, however, you'll find satisfaction galore in the DVD-RV30U.

Pros:

• Slim-line dimensions let it slip into tiny spaces
• First-rate picture and sound reproduction
• Outstanding array of video and audio trick play features
• Sensible remote control

Cons:

• No headphone jack and no coaxial output
• Remote isn't backlit
• Cinema enhancement mode produces minimal improvements

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

The Sennheiser HD433 headphones offer excellent sound and sport a lightweight design that you can use either on a home or portable stereo. The HD433 earpieces sit flush against your ears rather than enclosing them or resting inside them.

A 10-foot OFC (oxygen-free copper) cord frees you to move about or merely sit across the room from your stereo during private listening. The HD433's sturdy, one-piece headband grips firmly but not too tightly for a snug fit that blocks external noise while keeping the 'phones in place for walking or even more strenuous exercise (though jogging may require unusual measures to keep the lengthy cord out of the way).

The minijack plug comes with a 0.25-inch adapter, so the 'phones are ready for any headphone jack. While credited with a full-range frequency response of 18 to 20,000 Hz, the HD433s prove a little light in the deep bass, though not so much as to sound thin or tinny. Rather, they sound mellow and natural, letting the music speak for itself with no undue peaks in either the bass or treble.

The headphones sound particularly good with components (such as CD players or integrated amplifiers) offering high-grade headphone jacks. They tend to sound just a little flatter and less dynamic with portable devices, but a bass boost can help here. Sennheiser's HD433 is a good headphone that won't insult your musical sensibility or cost you a small fortune. --Michael Mikesell

Pros:

• Full, fast sound
• Good tonal balance
• Works well with home or portable stereos
• Long cord
• Lightweight construction

Cons:

• Slightly limited at extremely high and low frequencies

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

With an impressive two-mile range, the TalkAbout 280 SLK packs way more power than your childhood walkie-talkies. This two-way radio sports 14 channels with 38 privacy codes to help block out unwanted messages. The striking design makes the radio's exterior as cool as its features.

In our tests, we didn't encounter any problems with interference or with finding a free channel to talk on. The reception was clear, without too much static. We especially liked the scan lock, which scans through the channels until it finds an active channel. Scan lock automatically locks the channel in, letting you either listen discreetly or talk with other parties.

Most of the buttons are intuitive enough to figure out, although we do suggest a quick read of the manual in order to fully appreciate the power of the TalkAbout. The placement of the talk button, which is inconveniently located in the dead center of the radio, makes it difficult to speak while holding down the button. You can solve this problem by attaching a microphone to the radio and using the VOX (voice activation) feature, which allows hands-free talking.

The TalkAbout 280 SLK is a great choice for anyone needing a powerful two-way radio for activities such as hiking, skiing, taking road trips, or shopping.

Pros:

• Impressive two-mile range
• Clear reception without static
• Small enough for a pocket
• Appealing design

Cons:

• Inconveniently located talk button

Editorial Review

Features

• MP3 audio player for your car
• Comes with cassette player adapter, cigarette-lighter power adapter, and a car windshield bracket
• 340 MB storage capacity--5 times the storage capacity of 64 MB players
• Expandable with CompactFlash memory cards
• Built-in speaker and microphone; listen and respond to e-mail

Asin: B00004YNKW
Sales Rank: 77895
Subjects:  1. Portable Audio    2. MP3 MP 3 Player    3. Jukebox    4. MP3 Player (MP 3)   

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

A first-person shooter that mixes spy and sci-fi, PerfectDark is both a thoroughly engrossing one-player experience and ariotously fun multiplayer romp. Easily one of the best games of itsgenre on any video game console, this long-awaited follow-up toGoldenEye 007 is a must-have for Nintendo 64 owners--and a damngood reason to be one if you're not.

The futuristic Perfect Dark casts players as Joanna Dark, asecret agent who becomes embroiled in a sinister conspiracy involvingaliens and an evil corporation. Gameplay is broken down into missions,each with objectives that must be unerringly completed beforeprogressing to the next mission. This is not your typical kill-anything-that-movesgame: putting a bullet in the wrong person, not keeping theright one alive, or perforating a seemingly unimportant inanimate objectcan often result in mission failure.

While Perfect Dark's solo missions play out much like those inGoldenEye 007, the game's fantastic multiplayer options areanother matter entirely. Cooperative and counteroperative simultaneous-playmodes allow for another player to join in on a mission as,respectively, a teammate or the enemy. However, the real fun here is inthe highly customizable Combat Simulator, a one-to-four-playersimultaneous-play mode that features both free-for-alls and team-basedchallenges and can include up to eight Simulants, computer-controlledcombatants of varying behavior.

Although Simulants make for decent adversaries or teammates, you'll wantto grab a friend--and an Expansion Pak, as only 35 percent of the gameis available without one--to fully enjoy Perfect Dark. --JoeHon

Pros:

• One of the best first-person shooters on any video game console
• Outstanding multiplayer game with huge replay value
• Bevy of game options, cheats, and secret features
• Excellent training mode with challenges all of its own

• Graphics get ugly when playing with more than two players

Reviews (451)

Stange is good
Majora's Mask is a strange game: while it is a direct sequel to Ocarina of Time, it is clearly a Zelda game of a very different shade.

It begins with Link slowly trudging deep in the Lost Woods, with his trusty horse, Epona, when he is attacked by a masked and mischevious Skull Kid - who steals his precious Ocarina and Epona. Worse still, the Skull Kid turns Link into a Deku form of himself, and Link finds himself in a strange Mirror - like Hyrule. Things turn even worse when Link finds the moon slowly getting bigger over the course of 3 days...

Majora's Mask features the very same Gameplay as Ocarina of Time, with a few exceptions. The entire course of the game is set within 3 days or 72 hours - and hours seem to pass like minutes, giving a player a total of just over an hour. While this may seem off-putting, it is implemented very well - people have set schedules over the course of the game, meaning you will be pottering around the Clock Town while not in dungeons, with the promise of an upgrade - or even a new mask.

Masks, as the title suggests, play an important role - some make you run faster, talk to enemies, summen foes or sooth arguements and more. There are a total of 24 masks to collect, the reward being a mask containing "The Merits of all masks". The best of the masks are the ones that allow transformation. (Let's face it, who HASN'T dreamed of swimming as a Zora or rolling as a Goron) The Zora Mask, the Goron Mask and the Deku mask. they allow you to transforminto all your favourites from Ocarina, each with the gifts of the species - Super fast swimming, Incredible strength, and, er, spitting nuts.

Majora's Mask is harder, darker and more original than Ocarina of Time - the unique aspects of the game are implemented very well but the way the game is played may be off-putting for some. Brilliant and totally original.

P.S. the start bits kinda boring.

The darkest in the Zelda catalogue
If only that damn site IGN didn't take my idea first. They described this game as the Empire Strikes Back in Zelda and it's true. It's more darker, more gloomy and at times it can even be depressing. Unlike Ocarina of Time which oozed coolness and wonderment or Wind Waker which was cheery and uplifting due to its look, Majora's Mask is quite different than other installments but in no way is it bad, it's just different.

Story: I always considered this game more like an epilogue to Ocarina of Time rather than a full sequel. At the start of the game directly taking place after Ocarina, Link is in a forest and gets ambushed by Skull Kid and is turned into a Deku(they look like tiny trees with a long mouth) and enters a portal. From here Link finds himself in Termina, a land that is gonna be destroyed by a falling moon in 3 days. So it's up to Link once again to save the day using the powers of time and this weird masks.

Graphics: Reviewing this game in 2005 with such games as Metroid Prime, Halo and Metal Gear Solid 3 of course puts Majora to shame but remembering the graphics at that time, it's more of an extension of Ocarina only darker and not as vibrant. Due to maybe the Expansion Pak or just the game itself, the game does have framerate issues and some rough textures. Beware that the Gamecube re-release on the Collector's Edition sometimes freezes the game.

Gameplay: All Zelda games pretty much to this day revolved around some kind of "gimmick": in Ocarina it was time travelling, Wind Waker was controlling the wind, Minish Cap was the ability to shrink to thumbnail size and the Oracle series revolved around time travelling and season changing. Majora's Mask revolves around, yep you guessed it, masks. Link with the benefit of 24 masks(25 if you get all 24), Link can turn into different characters such as the Deku race, Goron race(big tough creatures with a taste for rocks) and the Zora race(fish people roughly). Or there's different masks like Postman, Ghost, or Bunny mask which makes him run faster.

The other aspect for the 3rd time in Zelda's history revolves around time travelling, once in Ocarina and the other in Oracle of Ages. Only this time it's different. You see the game's clock makes 3 days take about roughly 50 minutes before the moon crashes so with the Ocarina you can go back to Day 1 and start over, even make the time go slower so you have more time. This is quite annoying to say the least since your funds, arrows and bombs revert to zero if you go back to Day 1, your items are intact, your extra stuff isn't. And also you could be in the middle of a dungeon to be really close only to be on the final day and have to reset to Day 1, which incidentally cancels any progress you made in the dungeon.

Not to say the game is bad(it's just slightly hard) but it's quite enjoyable to go through, if you don't mind it's tone anyway.