Samsung UN46C8000 46-Inch 1080p 3D 240 Hz LED HDTV

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on April 17th, 2010 in TV.
Tags:

No Comments

Samsung UN46C8000

This TV is absolutely stunning. I was actually waiting for the C9000 to come out, but that TV’s price is way over the limit. I found out that this TV which is the next step down and actually has the exact same technology as the C9000 minus the touchscreen remote (which can be bought seperately) and the slim profile, not a big deal considering the TV already looks beautiful and is half the price or less then a C9000!

In all honesty, I think this TV has one of the nicest pictures I’ve ever seen. One example is the pin-point dimming, which has garnered a lot of criticsm and skeptisism. I have seen the production TV model live and I must tell you, I think it’s better then local-dimming and I’ll tell you why… Unless there is a new panel that is made to fix the local-dimming “halo affect”, this is currently the only way to get outradgeous contrast levels without that problem. The pin-point dimming on this TV dramatically lowers the dark spots on the screen in certain area’s without a halo affect and actually goes completely pitch black when watching movies with dark screens just like a local-dimming TV. I think this TV actually excels at the dimming part over a local-dimming TV because it creates supurb black levels without any halo affects. That’s a huge deal for me. Next is the color accuracy of this panel, I think the whites and colors on this TV are probably better then I’ve ever seen. Sure Plasma’s can sometimes have better color temperatures, but they will not pop out of the screen with ambience like this TV shows. This TV is sharp looking and beautiful and it displays wonderful 3D and High-definition like never before.

Last, but not least… this tv is LOADED with features, easily making it one of the most feature rich TV’s there is on the market. It’s completely wireless, has 4-hdmi conenctions, has internet applications and streaming capabilities and best yet, it does it well! I have done a lot of research and have compared this TV with it’s newest competitors and this one is it. Don’t just take my word for it, go see it for yourselves and you’ll just see what I am talking about.

Reviewed by : Corey Fisher,   Mar 30, 2010

LG BD590 250GB HD Network Blu-Ray Disc Player

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on April 1st, 2010 in DVD Player.
Tags:

No Comments

LG BD590

Little background on me: I owned or have owned a BH100, BH200, BD300, BD370 and BD390. So pretty much every LG Blu-ray player except the 270.

Pros:
Fast – I noticed DVD and Blu-ray loaded just a wee bit faster than my LG BD390. The difference wasn’t amazing, but maybe a few seconds.

VuDu, Netflix, Pandora etc – They work just as they should. VuDu is identical to that on the BD390, but Netflix is the new version that allows you to view new movies/TV to Instant, has Genres, collections etc. No, it’s not EVERYTHING that [...] offers, but you probably have a rotating selection of 300 different programs to check out if you don’t feel like breaking out the laptop.

GracieNotes – Wow. Freakin’ awesome. I managed to pull song information from a DVD, BD and a ‘movie’ file. As an added bonus; Hit the Display button while watching something (I assume DVD/BD only) and at the very bottom is ‘Movie Information’. Click it and it will tell you what you are watching (small picture), synopsis, actor names etc. Woah!

250GB HD – Big selling point and works well. You are able to copy directly from an external HD/USB to the intern HD or via WiFi. Your choice. Obviously a wired copy will be faster than WiFi, so I set mine to copy 100GB from my external HD and went to bed. Woke up, and watched some stuff. Works very well and was fast. Maybe it can be upgraded? Out of the box it had 246GB out of 250GB available. So everything else is stored on internal memory. I bet this can be upped…

WiFi – Faster. Before, VuDu was a bit choppy, but now it was perfect.

DNLA – Works fine on my MacBook (some had issues?)

Cons:
Pandora – Ok, it’s great to finally get this, but why can’t I assume the colored buttons to be an easy Thumb Up, zzzz, Thumbs Down, Bookmark? Seems like it would be much easier, but the colored buttons do other things in Pandora. Feels like a wasted opportunity.

Music on HD – Well, it won’t play iTunes DMR files or ones in m4a format (iTunes automatically converts them this way when you rip from CD unless you tell it not to). I spent 2 hours converting everything in my library to .mp3 so I could import them. Funny thing is, it actually imports the folder name, but none of the tracks. Took me a while to figure out why it skipped several CDs (I did 10 right away).

Size – Why is this bigger? I get it has a 250GB HD inside, but those are the size of an iPhone and the back of the units reeks of being a Gen2 unit and not a Gen5 version.

Menu – Sigh. All of the online stuff is in the Netcast icon, which means you have to click it, wait for it to load, and then you get presented with Netflix, VuDu etc. An extra step, but c’mon, there is a ton of room on that menu screen. Which is now redesigned to look like animated Ice Cubes in a pool. Odd choice…

Picture Settings – Remember how the BD390 could allow you to add/remove Edge Enhancement, DNR etc. That’s gone. I even tried using my BD390 remote and the player didn’t do anything. WTF? This is the top of the line player (out of 3 now!) and this was removed? Update: FIXED! The Picture Setting Menu is now found when you hit ‘Display’ during a movie. There are as many options as the BD390, but its better than none.

USB – Really, under a trap door? I get that some people may not want to pull their gear out to plug in a USB dogle, but get a $2 extension. Thankfully, with the Internal HD, I’ll never use it.

Meh:
Remote – I don’t hate it…but I like the BD590. I’ll never use the numbers, so I would prefer them to be hidden in a trap door so I would have less to look at. The Center and arrow keys do feel better, and the Power button is HUGE compared to the identical sized Power/Eject of the previous. The Play/Pause/Skip are clear white…not sure why. They don’t glow. So confused.

DVD Upconversion – Looks about the same.

Reviewed by : B. Lowenberg,   Feb 28, 2010

Red Steel 2

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on March 28th, 2010 in Video Games.
Tags:

No Comments

Red Steel 2

I wasn’t really a fan of westerns as a kid. Well, that is until my brother made me watch A Few Dollars More. After that I loved them, the serious ones, and the sillier, campy funny ones. They’re all so delicious. Unfortunately, I’ve never been a big fan of shooters both first and third as far as video game genres go, and nothing I’ve tried has really changed that, so sadly I haven’t really been able to enjoy westerns in my games as all of them are shooters. I really like seeing the character I’m playing, the way they move, attack, run, and I don’t really get that with first person games. That and shooting in general just doesn’t particularly do it for me. Even in most movies I prefer hand to hand or sword combat, it just feels more dynamic and interesting to me, and it’s no different for me in my video games. Well, that is until I saw some game play footage of Red Steel 2.

I hadn’t heard of the original before this, as I didn’t own a Wii at launch. But when I saw footage of a character that looks like Clint Eastwood meets Vash the Stampede meets Samurai Jack going through mobs using a combination of both swordplay and gun slinging, I was intrigued. Then I actually played it, and I was blown away. I just beat the game this morning, and I absolutely love it. I started on easy, go the hang of it then switched up to medium a little bit into the game. I plan to go back and beat it on Ninja.

As far as presentation goes, this is easily one of the most stylish games on the Wii, and one of if not the most graphically impressive. I’m biased about this however, as I love the Wild West, I love samurais, I love schizo tech, and I really love Cel Shading. The game has an absolutely killer sound track as well, with a love of really fast paced western themes. The story seems okay I guess, you play a nameless protagonist, returning to your hometown after being banished years before. You come to find it taken over by a gang called The Jackals, and their leader knocks you out and ties you to the back of his bike. While originally thought to be a random gang raid, it beginning to look as though this is more of a war against your clan. The voice acting is okay I guess. It’s nothing to impressive or memorable, but nothing painful either. Kind of unrelated, but I bought the game bundled with the Wii+ as I didn’t own one at the time of purchased, and I love the box it came with. I love boxes. There should be more of them.

A lot of people are going to complain about the fact that this game doesn’t exactly have 1:1, but it just wouldn’t work if it did. Most players aren’t exactly expert swordsmen, so trying to make it an over realistic sword fighting simulator would be a waste of time. Making it 1:1 would completely ruin it as an action game. I absolutely love the combat system. I mean it. I love how involved and intuitive it is. Its fast paced, exhilarating, and fun. Its undoubtedly my favorite combat system to come out this generation and possibly ever. I really believe this is the next evolution in motion control, and a new gold standard for Wii action games.

That said, the game isn’t perfect however. There are a few complaints but they are overshadowed by just how fun and unique the game is. My first complaint is how standard the missions themselves are, there needs to be more variety and uniqueness to go along with a game like this. This one annoys me, but its an out of combat thing. The game works because of the automatic mob targeting in combat, so you can swing your sword without your camera flying around all the place. This is not true when out of combat, so when you want to bash in crates that contain money, your camera swings around like an elastic flail and not all of the breakable objects have the option to Z target them. I’ve resorted to just using the spin attack to deal with crates, a button to fix the camera still outside of combat would have been nice, the “C” would have worked well, and then the “Check Objectives” menu could have just been included into the pause menu.

In addition, this game is absolutely 100% about the combat and showing what the Wiimotion+ can do. If you’re expecting something particularly deep, you aren’t really going to get it here either. That and while the environments look amazing, and the game also has a Metroid Prime feel to it, but the game world itself is very shallow. Most areas are corridors and moderately sized rooms with little variation in it. This game isn’t particularly deep, but the combat in this game is unlike anything I’ve ever really seen. How involved you get with the sword fighting is really unique, and the way the special attacks are built are very intuitive and dare I say, revolutionary. So if you’re getting this game, expect combat like you’ve never seen before in a video game. Its exhausting actually! I actually enjoy that aspect, it just feel so involved.

I would give this game a 8/10 ish or a 9/10, with 1 being bad and 5 being average. I already adore this game. It ripped the title of “My favorite 3rd party Wii title” right out of No More Heroes 2′s hands, and this is coming from someone who isn’t a fan of FPSs at all really.

TL:DR
Pros:
Absolutely amazing combat system.
Great visuals, music, and world.
Good challenge.

Cons:
World layout could be improved.
More mission variety.

Closing comments:
I adore Red Steel 2. Its an absolutely amazing game and could go down as the most improved sequel in video game history.

Reviewed by : R. Fietzek-DeVries,   Mar 25, 2010

Bop It Extreme 2

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on March 27th, 2010 in Toys.
Tags:

No Comments

Bop It Extreme 2

This is a toy with a real double life. If you have a competitive streak, and kids, don’t buy it unless you want some late nights!!!! It is mega-addictive, even if you get the high score, you will want to play again to try and beat it your-self.
On a fairly serious note, it is very entertaining, a great ice-breaker at parties, and as far as the kids go, it teaches co-ordination and the try try again mentality.
Not sure about durability, the vocal for “Flick It” sounds like “Swig It”, and the maximum high score of 250 is too low. But,well, it’s only a toy, and a very good one at that. Over-all it’s a five out of five from us!!

Reviewed by : Villa Boy “trickydicky42″,   Jan 13, 2006

Bop It

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on March 27th, 2010 in Toys.
Tags:

No Comments

Bop It

We’ve had an old bop it lying around for years. It’s always good fun and gets used in fits and spurts…but it’s always been too hard for our two little boys with it’s five different actions.

Therefore, I was really excited when I saw this new version with only three different hand actions of bop it, (of course!), pull it and twist it, because I thought the boys should be able to manage those. AND, of course, they’ve gone and added a SHOUT IT – what more could a little person want than to get to legitimately make some noise?! This has been such a hit in my house. Our five year old was managing to regularly get scores over 10 after just a few goes which he’s soooo chuffed about, and although it’s still a little hard for our little one on his own, the two of them are playing games together where they have two of the actions each and it works a treat! I’d highly recommend it for kids age 5 or 6 upwards…although of course with the shout it, you won’t be getting much peace even if they are playing nicely! For adults, or people used to the bop it with more actions, this may be a little easy…but hey, still good fun!

Reviewed by : A. Milne “themilnes”,   Oct 23, 2009

Littlest Pet Shop Lpso Virtual Pets – Kitty 1

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on March 14th, 2010 in Toys.
Tags:

No Comments

Littlest Pet Shop Lpso Virtual Pets – Kitty 1

We have enjoyed a few Littlest Pet Shop VIP stuffed animals. The on-line world has provided hours of enjoyment for my children. They started using it at age 5 and 7 with no problems. They were able to navigate around on their own and would laugh with delight at the different games. NOT THIS TIME. The new on-line world with LPSO is very unfriendly. The map feature doesn’t seem to go anywhere. We were unable to move the pet around and find the places on the map. We stumbled on a couple of games and then couldn’t get out of them. We gave up. The old version was so much easier to use. It is a shame they “improved” it. Be aware: there is no cross over between the previous on-line world and this one; previous VIP pets cannot be transferred over and played with in LPSO. Another huge irritation is that they “give” you “premium” access for your first thirty days. After which you have to pay $7 per month to retain premium membership or the site becomes a stripped-down version. As a parent you can’t even decide not to try the premium membership. Very rude, strong-armed marketing. No thank you.

Reviewed by : Mama Lorie,   Oct 23, 2009

Powerball Neon White Pro Signature

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on March 10th, 2010 in Sports & Leisure.
Tags:

1 Comment

Powerball Neon White Pro Signature

This Signature Gyro Ball is limited edition which already is something to look for. The product comes in a lovely box – containing a manual; 2 starter’s string; a safety band and a CD which doesn’t help much but its there for you.

I found this signature series gyro ball harder to grip and to exercise with, due to the extended monitor on top which feels completely differnt from the classic series. (Which i recommend you to buy before you purchase any other gyro balls)

I’m experienced with the Gyro ball, and thus i do the two finger trick to start the gyro ball up, it really takes alot of practice with the classic series before you can actually do this. The strings are for beginners and if you can’t do it? Get the classic version, which is alot easier to start up.

I can currently go up to 10,000 r.p.m. (rotations per min.) and it really trains your endurance for any sports and later on you can really feel that push it gives you after days on the ball.

Personally i really like this product with various funcctions you can do by yourself or simply have a competition with you mates, and do play with this ball in the dark, the white neon light is simply awesome.

For those who doubts if the ball works – try the classic version and see for yourself and relatively cheaper.

Price-wise: Its a little bit over budget but i guess it worths it for a year or two, get the FREE shipping if you’re really gonna buy it or you’ll get stuck with an extra 10 pound fee for shipping, packaging and VAT in addition to the purchase price.

Reviewed by : C. M. Ho “CMH”,   Jan 25, 2010

Canon EOS Rebel T2i 18 MP CMOS APS-C Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD and EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on March 5th, 2010 in Digital Camera.
Tags:

No Comments

Canon EOS Rebel T2i

I’m a frequent upgrader and loyal Canon fan. I traded up from an XSi last year to the T1i, and now this year to the T2i. I was within days of ordering the 7D until they announced the T2i, with all the features I wanted from the 7D at half the cost. I immediately pre-ordered the T2i and have been having some fun with it over the last 24 hours. The verdict so far? I am in love with this SLR.

I believe the last few iterations in the Rebel series have been comparable in quality. The T2i shares much of the same pros and cons with its predecessors, and ultimately, not too much has really changed. That said, the very minor things that did change were huge to me. I’m big into video, which is what got me looking into the 7D. Both the 7D and the T2i have the stereo audio input jack. My T1i just had the built-in mono mic which was unacceptable for someone who is doing more than home videos with this camera. So that feature, along with full manual control of video recording (not available in T1i), and 1080/24p (and 30p if that’s your preference) makes this a common sense upgrade if you’re serious about video. 720p/60 is also really cool for the silky smooth framerate, although I personally find the movie-like feel of 24p video best.

As for what the camera is really made for, still photography, it is still the king at (in the mid-entry-level DSLR class). 18 megapixels really, truly is more than any person really needs. My XSi from a couple years back met all my needs with 12mp, however, 18 creates for even better bragging rights to the general public. “How many megapixies is that thingy? Eighteen? OMG! You are such a pro!” Anyway, back on track now. The noise levels in most photos I’ve taken are pretty decent for 18 megapixels. It’s comparable to the noise on the 15MP T1i from what I’ve experienced so far. 6400 ISO is now a default option instead of an expanded setting (12800 ISO still is), which is nice to have, though you’ll hopefully never have to use it.

The kit lens is of course the same old 18-55 I’ve bought practically 5 times over now. A great budget lens and excellent value, but I absolutely can’t go back to using it after buying some of the better lenses Canon has to offer. If the money’s there, you will not regret investing another few hundred dollars some better glass. Otherwise, the 18-55 is a great lens to start out with.

Only major complaint I have is the white balance in incandescent lighting still isn’t as accurate as I’d like. I also wish they kept the same LP-E5 battery so the two I already have would be compatible with both of my cameras. And a nitpick, the “Rebel” name is stupid, to be completely honest. It should be named “550D” as it is in the Europe market. SDXC support is cool, but I can’t really comment on it as I’ll be using SDHC cards for the foreseeable future. Oh, and the slightly redesigned buttons are a welcome change. A little more ergonomic than before.

In conclusion, if you’re thinking about upgrading from a T1i, there isn’t really a compelling reason to unless you are okay spending hundreds just for the sake of having the latest in gadgetry (what I do), UNLESS you are in it for the video support, which is AMAZING at this price point. You used to have to spend at least a couple thousand on a professional camcorder to get the kind of video support that you can now get in a consumer DSLR at a very reasonable price. Thanks, Canon! Oh, and amazon got it to me super fast too!

Reviewed by : S. Van Wagenen,   Mar 2, 2010

Philips 818566 LivingColors Translucent Changing LED Lamp with Remote

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on February 18th, 2010 in Home & Garden.
Tags:

1 Comment

Philips 818566

I’ve been waiting for this lamp to come out in North America for over a year now. I first saw this while visiting friends in Hong Kong. I was smitten at first sight and purchased one for myself. On a subsequent trip, I bought a second one and I use them on each of nightstand alongside my bed. These lamps are just plain sexy. My best friend, who is a designer, loved it at first sight and she’s a picky one. Two of them are almost bright enough to read by but not quite. However, just one lamp can drastically change the mood of a dimmed room. These are not bright enough to have any impact during normal daylight hours. It’s more of a subtle device.

For a sense of scale, these lamps are about the size of a volleyball.

I recently purchased my THIRD lamp (that’s how much I love this product) on Amazon.com but it was defective and had to be swapped out. However, I can tell you that there are subtle differences in the Asian and North American lamps.

1) the faceplate with the bulbs is a bit sturdier and has a few plastic dimples
2) the function which continuously cycles the colors is very gradual v. the rapid-fire changes in the Asian-market lamps
3) These lamps ARE NOT the new Generation 2 lamps that are currently out in Europe. Amazon.uk has these lamps but will not ship to the USA for some incredibly stupid reason even though the AC transformer can handle US voltage with a simple three prong adaptor. Gen2 lamps have SEVEN bulbs and are 50% brighter. These are the Gen1 lamps with 4 bulbs but they are still plenty bright.
4) There are some theorized mounting accessories in the works for these lamps but I have not seen any yet

Now, all this being said, I also recommend this over the mini-lamp due to the RF remote which can operate up to six lamps simultaneously. The remote, by the way, uses a touch-wheel similar to an iPod and it also allows a dimming function and an intensity function which means you can change the illumination to a white light, if so desired.

The only drawback I have with this lamp is that it’s pretty easy to roll off of its infinity-shaped base-plate (which actually, now that I think about it may not be part of the US-release), or the flattened area at its base where the cord inserts. This is not a lamp that you want to have near a high-traffic area or in a home with kids, pets, or clumsy folks.

Bottom line? This is a spendy, but endlessly pleasing product with killer looks, and a “wow” factor that will amuse even the most demanding consumer. You won’t need to paint your walls anything but white and with a couple of these installed you’ll be able to change the entire look of the room with just swipe of the remote. Now some people will argue for LED bulbs with a remote, and it’s true that they are much cheaper, but the aesthetic of this product can’t be beat.

Buy one. Buy two, actually.

Reviewed by : P. Park,   Jan 30, 2010

Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic

Written by Best Buy PRODUCTs on February 11th, 2010 in GPS & Navigation.
Tags:

No Comments

Garmin nüvi 285W/285WT

Earlier this year, my numerous trips around the Twin Cities and into Greater Minnesota convinced me that I needed additional help navigating the North Star State. So after doing some research, I obtained a base level Garmin and started using it immediately on expeditions all over the Cities and beyond. It became my indispensable companion.

This 285W reviewed here is my second Garmin unit.

The 285W is, really a base level Garmin unit similar to my first. Single point routing, text to speech turn by turn directions, accurate and detailed maps of the US and Canada, and classic Garmin reliability in getting you where you need to go. A nice widescreen (which is really the way to go with these devices, IMO). In those respects, the unit is exactly the same as my first unit, and provides a base level experience for any user. On those features alone, I would recommend this unit to anyone wanting to take the plunge into the world of having a navigation device.

The 285W does have two additional features that put it at the high end of the base level Garmin units:

Bluetooth:
The 285w is bluetooth enabled and allows for pairing with and taking on the features of a bluetooth compatible phone. While I don’t like answering and using cell phones in a moving vehicle as a general rule, the bluetooth pairing worked perfectly for me. And I do admit that using the garmin to make and receive calls is a lot safer than fumbling with a handheld phone.

MSN Direct Traffic:

The traffic feature is somewhat more problematic, although this is not really Garmin’s fault per se. The traffic feature on this model uses MSN Direct, and comes with a 3 month trial subscription. The subscription is fine, and I suspect that would be even more useful for those who live in more densely packed areas with larger coverage than the Twin Cities, Minnesota.

The problem is not that after 3 months you have to pay for the service (its MSN’s service, not Garmin’s). The problem is that MSN’s service is going away at the end of 2011. Purchasing this unit and purchasing a subscription you can certainly do, but the MSN service will only last until then, and then the device will essentially be without the traffic feature, unless you purchase an additional device from Garmin that gives you access to the NAVTEQ traffic system (this is a one time purchase that replaces your charger with a receiver/charger and as of December 2009 has a list price of $120). Again, the fact that MSN’s service is going away is not Garmin’s fault, but its something to consider before obtaining this device. If you just want to use it for the base Garmin features and the Bluetooth, you’re golden. Buy this and be happy. If you are looking for a solution that includes traffic updates reliably, I would recommend one of the Garmin units that comes with traffic such as the 760 and 770 models.

Aside from the traffic issue, I have absolutely no complaints about the product. Garmin devices such as this one simply make my driving and travel better, which is something valuable in this day and age. Period and end of the story.

This is my second Garmin, and I daresay it will not be my last.

Reviewed by : Jvstin “Paul Weimer”,   Dec 13, 2009

« Older Entries

Site Navigation

Pages

Recently

Archives