The HDTV-Support Multimedia Player from Gadget4All doesn’t connect to any online media services, but it will let you play your own media from CF, SD, MS, and XD data cards, hard drives, or flash drives with no computer and no internet connection required.  It supports a variety of formats for video (in HD / PAL / NTSC)  and music playback and a variety of image file types for photo slideshows on your HDTV.  It supports NTFS and FAT32 files and Windows 2000/XP/VISTA and Mac OS 10.2 or higher.  It comes with a remote control, power adapter, and cables (apparently outputs component video).  It’s currently available at Gadget4All for $69.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: HD TV, multimedia

HDTV-Support Multimedia Player from Gadget4All originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 4, 2012 at 1:00 pm.

Roku recently updated their line of streaming media players, and they sent Julie their high-end Roku 2 XS with gaming remote to review.  I had been in the market for a Roku for my living room TV so I could watch Hulu Plus on my big screen TV, so I bought myself a Roku 2.  I only wanted the ability to stream in full 1080p HD, so I opted for the Roku 2 XD model.  When I mentioned my new Roku 2 to Julie, she suggested we do another tag-team review so you can compare and contrast the two models to make your shopping easier.  My comments will be in black; Julie’s will be in blue italics.

Note: Click the images in this review to see a larger view.

Janet wanted the Roku to watch Hulu Plus on her TV. I wanted the Roku XS to play Angry Birds on my big screen TV and to see if it was a viable alternative to the Boxee Box, which I mainly use to stream video that I’ve obtained and saved to a flash drive.

Technical specification of both devices

Networking

• 802.11n Wi-Fi (b/g/n compatible) with WEP, WPA and WPA2 support
• 10/100 Base-T Ethernet (XS model only)
• Bluetooth version 3.0 (currently enabled for use with Roku game remote only)

Video Outputs

• 480i (over composite video)
• 480p (over HDMI)
• 720p (over HDMI)
• 1080p (over HDMI)

Video Modes

• 1080p High Definition (HD)
• 720p High Definition (HD)
• 16:9 anamorphic / 4:3 standard

Audio Output

• Analog stereo (mini-jack to left/right/composite video RCA)
• Digital over HDMI (5.1 surround sound pass-through)

Storage Expansion

• microSD card slot for additional game and channel storage
• USB slot (XS model only)

Remote Control

• Roku Bluetooth game remote (with motion sensing for playing games) with XS model only.  Standard Roku infrared remote with XD model.
• Streaming player includes IR. Compatible with various universal remotes

Power

• 5.2V – 1.5A power adapter for XS; 5.2V – 1.0A power adapter for XD model.
• Consumes less than 2W (typical) when streaming HD video

USB Media Formats (for Roku 2 XS only)

• Video: MP4 (H.264)
• Audio: AAC, MP3
• Image: JPG, PNG

Size

• 3.3 x 3.3 x 0.9 inches; weighs 3 oz

Contents of the XD box

The XD comes with an AC power supply, the standard IR Roku 2 remote (non-gaming), a proprietary A/V composite cable, and a booklet.

The XS comes with the power supply, Roku 2 gaming remote, batteries, A/V composite cable, and a quick start guide.

The Roku 2 boxes are much smaller than previous models.  In fact, they are smaller than the 2nd gen Apple TV.  The boxes are shiny black, with a matte model ID embossed on the top.  Again, Roku has used the grosgrain ribbon labels on these models.  I don’t mind these labels on the boxes themselves, but I don’t like having them on the remote because they are scratchy.

Janet, does your XD have shiny letters on top or is that just the way it photographed? The XS embossed on the top of mine is barely noticeable.

The XS is the same size as the XD, which is perfect because it doesn’t need much room at all in your entertainment setup. The XS is almost identical to the XD except for two extra ports.

The box is shiny, but the XD letters aren’t shiny; it just caught the light from the fixture over my kitchen table in a funny way.  I decided to use that photo because you could see the branding so well, but my XD actually looks more like your XS.

The front has the Roku 2 designation and an LED indicator light.  There’s no power switch for the Roku 2; it’s always on and connected to the internet so that you can start streaming videos instantly.  The LED goes off when the Roku 2 is in standby mode.  The bottom has a big rubber pad to prevent scratches on your furniture.  You’ll notice it’s also a handy dust magnet.

Inputs for XD model

The back panels for the XS and the XD models are different.  My XD has the power connector and a reset button.  There are HDMI and a single-plug A/V outputs; the proprietary A/V cable is included, but you’ll have to supply your own HDMI cable.  There’s also a microSD card slot to expand storage for games and channels.  If you have installed a lot of channels and games, older ones will be deleted from internal memory to make room for new ones.  Adding a microSD card (not included) will prevent channels being deleted from memory, so all your channels and games will launch without needing to be re-downloaded.

You’ll notice there is no Ethernet connector on the XD model.  You must connect wirelessly to your network with the XD.

Here we see the back of the XS, with the included Ethernet jack. It seems interesting that an Ethernet jack is included on the high end model but not the low end. You would think that the wireless connectivity option would be the premium feature, not the wired option.

Can I take a sec to complain about the lack of an included HDMI cable? What’s up with that? I don’t understand why almost every HDMI enabled video device on the market pretty much never comes with one. I’d much rather have the included cable instead of included batteries for the remote.

I agree about the lack of an HDMI cable. I could understand supplying only the composite cable with the lowest level Roku boxes.  But if you buy a higher level box because it has 1080p capabilities, you should get the HDMI cable necessary to best get that signal to your TV.

The XS model also has a USB slot so that you can stream video from a USB flash drive or hard drive. The only caveat is that the supported video formats are limited to MP4 (H.264), JPG, PNG, MP3, AAC. It does not recognize .AVI or .MOV files (from the iPhone).

Standard IR remote with XD model

The standard IR remote comes with the XD.  It has the standard media playback buttons, the 5-way navigation buttons to maneuver around menus and on-screen keyboards, a home button, a back button, and a special options button marked with an asterisk.  (Special options let you leave ratings and see channel descriptions.)  You cannot play games on the Roku 2 XD with this standard remote.  However, the Roku 2 XD and even the Roku 2 HD are equipped with Bluetooth, so they can be paired with the RF gaming remote.  I could purchase the gaming remote with a 2GB microSD card for $30 from Roku and pair it with my XD box if I decide I want to play games in the future.

This is the special gaming remote that comes with the XS model. It’s made of the same shiny Black plastic as the main device and has several extra buttons and a lanyard strap so that you won’t throw the remote across the room when you’re trying to kill pigs while playing Angry Birds. The main gee whiz feature of the remote is that it’s similar to a Wii remote because you can wave it around to move a cursor and interact with characters in games. Since it’s Bluetooth, you don’t have to worry about line of sight like regular IR remotes.

That’s a long wrist strap!  It looks too long to keep it on your wrist while you’re flinging your hands around.  Can you cinch it tight on your wrist?

Yes, if you notice in the picture above, there is a hard plastic piece at the end of the thin thread that holds the lanyard to the remote. There are actually two pieces there. The larger one has a little lift up latch that allows it slide down the strap and then lock in place.

XD sitting on top of a 2nd generation Apple TV

To get started with setup, you must create a Roku account if you don’t already have one.  The account itself is free, but you’ll have to enter credit card or Paypal information so that you can be charged for any optional channels you may purchase.  The account also stores information about your device(s) and how they are set up.  I already had an older Roku with my 2nd TV, so I already had a Roku account.

This was my first Roku device, so I had to create an account. It was painless though and only took a minute.

I connected my Roku 2 to my living room TV using an HDMI cable I already had.  You can see how small the Roku 2 is compared to the 2nd gen Apple TV it’s sitting on.

I also used an HDMI cable to connect to my Samsung LED TV. Instead of connecting via Ethernet, I opted for Wifi.

As soon as the Roku 2 was powered up, it found several networks.  (My setup screen photos were taken at an angle, but they are readable.)  I selected mine, entered my password, and I was connected in seconds.  You can see that you have to use one of those on-screen alphanumeric matrices that you navigate with the remote.  It took a while to get my long password entered, but I could unhide the password to be sure that I had typed it correctly before I entered it.

As soon as I was connected, the Roku 2 found and installed a firmware update.  I was then ready to setup the box and connect to my Roku account.

I chose the proper display resolution for my HD TV, then I linked my Roku account to the Roku 2 box.  You’ll notice that the Roku box can stream full 1080p signals.  Not all media boxes can stream full HD; the 2nd gen Apple TV box does only 720p.  Because the Roku 2 is capable of streaming 1080p from Netflix (when available), I’m using the XD box for my Netflix downloads and using the Apple TV only for the iTunes store.

I had a similar experience setting up the XS version of this player. I didn’t capture any screenshots as I was doing the setup, so I don’t know if the screens are exactly the same on both devices, but I found the process to be fast and easy.

As I remember, these screens seem to be the same ones I used when I set up my old Roku, too. Did you have a step to pair your gaming remote to your box, or did it automatically do it?

It automatically found it when I put the batteries in and started working right away.

Once linked to my account, I selected channels.  Some channels are third-party subscription services, like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video.  I subscribe to all of those, so I added those channels by logging into my accounts through the Roku 2 box.  There are some free Roku channels, like the Crackle movie channel.  I also added that.  There are a variety of pay channels through Roku, but I didn’t purchase any of those.  You can also purchase games here.  There are several games available now.  I couldn’t add games because I didn’t have a gaming remote.  It took only a couple of minutes to get everything set up and ready to watch.

Some of the channels do require you to go to a special site on the web, to type in a code so that you link the channel to your specific account / Roku box.

I do wish that you could customize the channel view. I’m not a fan of the horizontal scroll method. I’d rather have a grid or list so I could see all my channels at once.

A grid arrangement would be really nice. I only have a few channels, but it takes a while to scroll to the one I want. Imagine how long it would take to scroll through them all if you had dozens of channels…

I mentioned earlier that I could pair a gaming remote to my XD box.  This is accomplished in the setup options.

I have watched several movies and TV shows using my Roku 2 XD box.  Playback always starts quickly, and I haven’t had any glitches during playback.  It works equally well with all my subscription channels.  The remote works well to control the box.

The XS works well too. I have watched a bunch of segments on the Tested gadget review channel, shows through Hulu Plus (BTW, I think it sucks to have commercials for a premium service… but that’s not Roku’s fault) and movies through the Epix channel. The only issue I can complain about is that I have to crank up the volume on some channels and not on others. I’m guessing that this isn’t the fault of Roku though. I didn’t have any problems with video. Playback was smooth, with no hiccups once it was buffered.

The XD box that I have doesn’t allow me play my own files.  The XD doesn’t have a USB port, so I can’t connect a flash drive or an external drive.  It doesn’t support networked drives, either.  That’s not a problem for me, because I just don’t have many files that I want to stream to my TV.  I can use the Apple TV to serve personal files to my TV should I ever want to do that.

These are important features to me and the Roku does not shine in this area because it only supports MP4 format video files and does not allow streaming from networked drives. It works fine for watching content supplied by the channels, but if you want to watch your existing content, you’re out of luck unless you don’t mind converting your files to MP4s.

It’s not something that interests me, but you can create private channels with the Roku service.  Some third parties have created channels that they make available to others, but I think their quality varies.  Other private channels could be used by businesses for training or sales videos, for example.

I really like the Roku 2 XD.  It does everything my old Roku did, but it adds full 1080p HD, which is very nice on my 65″ HDTV.  It’s convenient to have a single box for Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and Hulu Plus.  I like that I can add other channels directly from Roku, especially the free ones.  I also think it’s nice you can add simple gaming features for little cost; this won’t satisfy hard-core gamers, but it might be nice for grandparents to have a couple of games for when the grandkids come to visit.  I find that I get a lot of entertainment for my $80 investment.  If Hulu Plus could only add CBS programming, I could use the Roku 2 and my Apple TV instead of cable programming.

Unfortunately, the Roku XS won’t replace my Boxee Box since it can’t play all my own video content…  But playing Angry birds is a blast on my 55 inch TV and $99.99 is a fair price for the XS model considering all the free content that is available via the wide variety of channels. Roku even offers a 30 day money back guarantee, so it’s definitely worth checking out for yourself or gifting.

It would make a great gift, even for people who don’t have subscriptions to Netflix or Hulu Plus, because there are several free channels through Roku, including free movie channels and HBO Go.  They have a lot of channels available to choose from, and you can see a list here.

Update 12/03/11
On the advice of one of our readers (see comments below), I installed the PLEX media server on my iMac (which is located in the room behind the TV you see in the image above)  and then installed the PLEX channel on the Roku XS. I’ve only played with this setup briefly, but I have been able to stream video (in .AVI, .MOV and .MKV formats) via WiFi from the iMac to the Roku pretty easily. The default video quality setting for the PLEX channel is 720 kbps 320p (ick) and when I set it to the highest setting of 8 Mbps 1080p, I had problems with the video continually buffering. Setting it back to the next to best quality setting of >4Mbps 720p worked much better for me with no buffering issues once the initial buffering completed. I’m not a big fan of the PLEX channel interface on the Roku as it feels kind of slow and clunky. But it does work.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: HD TV, Streaming, Video game accessory

Roku 2 XS and XD Streaming Media Players Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 28, 2011 at 11:00 am.

First seen at CES 2011, Sony Websites around the world are now showing the HMZT1 Personal 3D View Head Mounted Display for preorder.  Using dual OLED HD screens , virtual 5.1 Surround Sound and TruBlack displays, the headset’s designed to immerse you into movies and games in the intimacy of your own personal cinema. “Get the equivalent of your very own  150″ movie screen just 12 feet away, in either 2D or 3D.”

The unit is compatible with Sony’s Blu-ray disc players and Playstation 3.  Expected shipping is on or around 10/26/2011, and you can preorder online from Sony US for $799.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Geek Toys, News

Tagged: 3D, HD TV

A Virtual 150″ Movie Screen – Sony Personal 3D Viewer Head Mounted Display HMZT1 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 25, 2011 at 10:00 am.

If you’re looking for a way to get rid of expensive cable bills, you may have considered going to HD over-the-air programming.  Nothing’s better than free TV, but do you really want to have to use an ugly rabbit ears antenna?  The Leaf Antenna™ was designed by experienced antenna engineers who have been designing antennas for the US military for years.  Mohu was inspired to create their Leaf Indoor HDTV Antenna when one of their employees decided to get rid of cable and switch to over-the-air programming.  The Leaf is 9″ X 11.5″, is paper thin and mounts to your wall, hides under a picture, or sits in a window.  It has a black side and a white side to help it blend in with your color scheme.  (Click the above picture for a better view of the Mohu Leaf (insets) and see if you can find it in the kitchen.) It connects to your TV with a 75 ohm F connector, and it comes with a 6-ft cable.  The Mohu Leaf Antenna is $44.99; longer cables are available as an optional purchase.  And best of all, Mohu is located in my home state and their antennas are designed and manufactured in the US.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Antenna, HD TV

Cut the Cable with the Mohu Leaf originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 13, 2011 at 9:00 am.

This past holiday season, my wife and I remodeled our basement putting in a relatively nice media room with fancy in-the-wall speakers, A/V receiver, big LCD TV, Blu-ray player, AppleTV, and Nintendo Wii. All of those components having their own remote which adds up to a fair amount of juggling just to do something as simple as watch TV. Admittedly, some of those remotes have the ability to control other devices but sadly none can control them all. To alleviate this type of hassle, Logitech has been making universal remotes for a very long time. Logitech has recently released a new high-end device to their line, the Harmony 900 universal remote that allows you to seamlessly control up to 15 devices in one.

Having helped many friends and family members setup their TV/DVR/DVD systems I know there are a lot of folks out there that could bring a bit more Zen to their Tech-World with one of these.

The whole purpose of the Harmony 900 and other universal remotes like it, is to replace our ever growing mountain of remote controls with a single all-controlling device.

I purchased a Harmony 880, Logitech’s former flagship of a few years ago, early last year, however I never really embraced it. I played with it for a couple of weeks, but after several failed attempts at making it work I boxed it up and went back to the quasi-universal remote that came with my Comcast HD DVR. When I found out that I was going to be reviewing the Harmony 900, I decided to dust off my old 880 to see if I could get it fully operational in the interim. I do not remember the details of why I did not continue using the Harmony 880, but after setting it up I could not believe I had not been using it all along.

As you can see from the above picture, the Harmony 900 is a sleek modern version of Harmony’s older remotes….very evolutionary.  Along with the new look, better button layout, more controls, and more ergonomic feel; the 900 has a high resolution touch screen, backlit buttons, and RF (radio frequency) transmit capability.

Package Contents:

• Logitech Harmony 900 remote control
• RF receiver
• Charging station
• USB cable
• 4 IR transmitters
• 2 AC adapters
• Lithium-ion battery
• Installation CD
• Installation guide
• Cleaning cloth

Features:

• Includes RF System
• Color Touch Screen
• Ergonomic design
• Sculpted, backlit buttons
• One-touch activity controls
• Replaces up to 15 remotes
• Guided online setup
• Works with 225,000+ devices
• Rechargeable
• 1-year limited hardware warranty

A majority of the Harmony 900 has a high gloss finish with the top black and half the back in light gray. The upper half of the back is a matte black, rubbery material for better grip.

The Harmony 900 has a great ergonomic form-factor, very comfortable to hold and easy to click/reach all of the buttons with your thumb.

The Harmony 900 has an internal rechargeable battery that charges while in its cradle (charging station). The battery can be removed/replaced if necessary.

The Harmony 900 has a very bright, high resolution screen. It is vibrant, responsive, and relatively large given the limited amount of space available to the Logitech designers. The picture above illustrates just how much better the screen is compared to its predecessor. The two screens on the left are clear and crisp (Harmony 900) where the two on the right are pixelated and bland (Harmony 880).

Setting up the remote is a relatively easy process. It communicates with your computer and Logitech application via usb cable.

The web-based application Logitech includes with their remotes leads you through programming of the device, tailoring the controls to each individual A/V setup. To begin the setup process, you have to create an account which then takes you through the process, remembers your devices/activities and enables you to tweak your remote’s programming at anytime without having to re-input all of your info.

You will need the make and model numbers of all your media devices. The setup application makes it nearly impossible to mess up inputting your profile.

Once you have all of your components inputted, you can set up Activity profiles on how you plan to use these devices together, such as  ‘Watch TV’, ‘Watch DVD’ or ‘Play a Game’.  The ‘Watch TV’ activity for example would be configured to watch TV through your LCD TV, with the signal (channel changing/recordings) coming from your Comcast DVR, and sound being controlled by your A/V receiver. That means when you change the channel the remote talks to your DVR, when you raise/lower the sound, it talks to your receiver, and when you turn on/off that ‘Activity’ it turns on/off all of those devices in one fell swoop.

The Harmony 900 is almost identical to its less costly sibling, the Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote. The 900 has one major feature that the One does not, the ability to transmit in RF and the included IR Extender System. Unlike the usual infrared (IR) only remotes, where you must have to have line of sight between the remote and components, RF technology lets you control devices through cabinet doors, walls, etc. The Harmony 900 includes Logitech’s IR Extender System, which receives your command via RF and retransmits it to your components in IR. A very nice ability if your media setup calls for it (although it does add to your wire clutter).

The entertainment cabinet we chose has glass doors and I do not need to change things from another room, so I do not need this feature. But for the purposes of this review I set it up and it worked perfectly from a nearby room. The top highlight box is the main blaster and the lower-left shows the mini-blaster.

I really like the remote but it did/does have a few issues I should mention. First off, Julie was not able to make it work with many of her older devices (Personally, I thought she should have used it as an excuse to upgrade everything). Second, I had issues getting it to communicate to my MacBook, which was the computer I was using to program my Harmony 880. I had to use my wife’s iMac to program the Harmony 900. I have yet to get it communicating with my laptop but I have contacted Logitech and hopefully they can help me fix this problem soon.

That said, the remote definitely works as advertised. It works perfectly with my TV, receiver, cable box, and AppleTV. At $400, it is expensive. If you do not need the RF capability, I would suggest Logitech’s Harmony One as a comparable universal remote that can be found on the Net for under $200. But if you have a solid faced cabinet and do not like to have the cabinet doors open when using your system, the Harmony 900 is a great answer to eliminate remote clutter and bring greater Tech-Zen into your World.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: HD TV, Remote Control

Logitech Harmony 900 Universal Remote Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 25, 2010 at 8:50 am.

When it comes to portable DVD/TV players the Envizen 7” Portable Digital TV and DVD player (Duo Box Pro) is nothing revolutionary, however, it is unique because it packs in several functions in one portable device.  Its no-frills design allows you to watch TV, play DVDs and video games, slideshow digital photos, and listen to music.  The Duo Box Pro is one of only several devices that combine digital television and a DVD player in a portable device.

What in the box:

• Portable DVD
• Antenna
• Car Adapter
• AC Adapter
• AV Cables
• Carry Bag
• Remote Control
• Antenna Adapter

Picture quality is good.  Although the player can receive HD signals (1080p) the 7” screen displays at a resolution of 480 x 234, and for a small screen it doesn’t look bad. What’s more, with the adoption of  digital TV there is no graininess or static to worry about.  But with a digital signal you either get a signal or you don’t. You are at the mercy of the signal gods when watching television on this device. TV signals may be less consistent in a moving car or in an airplane.  Don’t expect to get any channels without the antenna attached.  In stationary usage the antenna pulled in a decent number of channels for me, 45 in all.  Using the supplied antenna adapter I plugged in a higher quality antenna I had lying around and saw a jump in the channels to 54.

The DVD player works as well as can be expected. I liked the  “last memory” feature. It starts playing where you left off even if you take the DVD out of the player.

An AV connector can provide connection to an external VCR or gaming console. With the AV connection you could also use the Duo Box as a converter box for older television sets that did not survive the switch to digital.  Memory card reader accepts SD/ MMC/ MS cards.

The device also has a mini USB connector, although I would have preferred a full size USB.  In order to hook up your camera or flash drive, which is what it could be used for, it requires a mini USB extender  or convertor (not included), but mini USB to USB are far more available.

As shown, navigating music and picture files from CD, memory card or attached USB device is rudimentary.  Images pull up on the screen a little slow. Slideshow feature could be better.

The rechargeable internal battery has a life or approximately 2.5 hours.  Unfortunately, the battery can’t be taken out of the unit and replaced with another one like in a laptop.  It does, however, come with a car charger as well as an AC adapter.  An external rechargeable battery is available for purchase. The external battery is a large unit that can be plugged into the AC adapter. Not the most ideal solution. I would have preferred a replaceable battery.

Formats supported:

• Divx 3-4-5-6xx
• XviD
• CD
• HDCD
• PictureCD
• MPEG4
• VIDEO DVD
• DVR+R, DVD+R/RW
• DVD-R, DVD-R/RW
• VCD
• SVCD
• JPEG photo type
• USB 2.0
• SD/ MMC/ MS

I tried AVI files but they did not work. AVI and MOV is not mentioned as a supported file type in the manual.

Extra TV features allow you to create a favorite channels list, rename, sort, and re-arrange channels as well as set a wakeup timer.  A handy electronic programming guide (accessible via the guide button on the remote) extends several hours ahead to allow you to see what is on.  When flipping channels a display box shows you what’s on now and what’s on next as well as a display for signal strength and signal quality for each channel.

The 44-button remote control includes several options not available on the device itself. These options include: Guide, info, recall, C.C, Fav, DVD search, menu and title, pause, 0-9 numbers.  So, don’t loose this remote, or you’ll lose these options!

A plus of this device is that it comes with a useful carrying case.  The carrying case is compact and convenient, and can be mounted to the back of a car headrest.

In sum this device does a decent job of providing several functionalities in one portable device.   The price is reasonable for what you get. I mostly see the Duo box used for the DVD and TV functions, and not so much for all the other add-ons.  An internal antenna with an option of an external antenna could have worked for me.  The design of the box leaves a bit to be desired. All things considered, its works well and provides DVD and TV in one box.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Car Gear, Reviews

Tagged: dvd player, HD TV

Envizen Duo Box Pro Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 28, 2009 at 10:30 am.

A week or two ago, I was asked if I wanted to do a call-in video interview with a Best Buy BlueShirt and a Geek Squad Expert. I wasn’t able to make time to do that, but they did allow me to send in a couple of questions that they would video tape the answers for. Here are the questions that I sent in and the video that the recorded…

1. What should a buyer be looking for right now in an HD TV? What’s the big deal about 120MHz? Does it really make a difference? Which brands give you the biggest bang for your buck?

2. What are some really cool green gifts that people might not know about?

Video Details:
Format: QuickTime .mov
Length: 5:24
File Size: 31MB
Video Size: 480×360
Best Buy BlueShirt: Jevon Kinloch
Geek Squad Agent: Eddie Johnson

As you can see/hear, they did answer my first question (partially), but they didn’t answer my second question – unless you count the info about recalibrating a plasma TV. Anyway, watch the video and hopefully some of the information will be helpful to you.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Gear Diary, HD TV

Best Buy BlueShirt and Geek Squad Expert answer my questions originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 18, 2008 at 2:03 pm.