Jazz Radio Stations

1/26/2012

Zinwell ZIN-5005HD "ZinTV" 3-in-1 Networking-Ready 1080p Full HD Multimedia Player/Streamer/Torrent Downloader, Free Internet TV/Radio, Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have the Zinwell and a pair of Western Digital TV Live so I'll compare and contrast.
Setup is super easy with both. Connect to your TV or receiver via HDMI cable, attach an external hard drive (not included) and go into the menus to configure your audio and video option. You can also connect these to a wired network and Western Digial has certified a number of USB wireless adapters that require a bit more knowledge to setup. The documentation from both companies could be a lot better so I'll call this one a tie.
The WDTV Live is a bit slower to start up but directory changes are much-much faster than the Zinwell. I suspect because the WD indexes and caches directories of any external drives while the Zinwell has to reread it each time. The difference in speed is absolutely huge. Basically performance wise the Zinwell feels really-really doggy to me. Advantage WDTV Live.
The WD has a much cleaner and better looking interface compared to the Zinwell's ugly menus over a /Linux/like/file/system/. I can live with ugly as long as it works but in 2011 I shouldn't have to. Advantage WDTV Live.
The WDTV Live outputs 5.1 audio in DTS format over HDMI, toslink or coax; the Zinwell outputs raw bits or stereo over HDMI. If your Receiver supports DTS then advantage WDTV.
The Zinwell's remote is a tad better but much larger. Both media players work seamlessly with Harmony remotes. Advantage Zinwell.
Both play nearly every popular audio and video format either from your own external hard drive or across a wired network. However both struggle trying to play hi-def video across a network connection. I find that hi-def vidio from an external hard drive works pretty well with the WDTV Live but never could get the Zinwell to output anything but stereo without the sound breaking up. Advantage WDTV Live.
The Zinwell promises access to the full DVD/BD menus but I never could get menus to work and found the separate audio selection button to be stubborn. With the Western Digital you do have to get used to using the "options" button to access audio and subtitle choices but they work. Slight advantage WDTV Live.
Bottom line the network media player market is still immature with many newer products coming down the pike but for now I consider the Zinwell a no-go for my needs.

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ZinTV (ZIN-5005HD) is an advanced "Networking" multimedia player that brings full high-definition movies with fidelity audio to 1080p Full HD display. It can play media files stored on any USB storage devices (NTFS/FAT-16/32/EXT-3/HFS+ format) and can enjoy Free & best Internet TV/Radio stations from 210 countries

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1/25/2012

SIRIUS Stratus 4 Plug-and-Play Satellite Radio Receiver with Vehicle Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Display is easy to read. Setup was very easy. Sound quality is good (not as good as my iPod). Wish it had a "scan" option to autoplay a few seconds from each channel. Well worth the $40 I paid for it on Amazon. Overall I am very happy.
After contacting customer service I learned that the Sirius Customer Service Database has all account passwords available in plain text for CS reps to read and have access to. It is unacceptable that a modern technology company would not safeguard customer passwords from the eyes of employees, making my password vulnerable to theft by an unhappy employee, contractor, hacker or anyone else who could gain access to Sirius CS database records. Too many companies have been forced to disclose the theft of customer data due to human error and Sirius is leaving the door wide open to a future security breach. My warning: If you use Sirius, use a unique username and password during account step to safeguard your identity and confidential account info.

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One of Sirius' easiest to use and most affordable receivers, the Sirius Stratus 4 is a must for satellite radio fans who want a less-expensive entry into the satellite radio market. Just like other Sirius-compatible receivers, the Stratus 4 offers a large, easy-to-read display and an intuitive front control panel--a 2.5-inch, 3-line display, to be exact. But for people who spend a lot of time in the car, the Stratus 4 is designed to seamlessly complement your driving routine thanks to the bundled car kit.
As an added convenience, the Stratus 4 supports Sirius' universal docking architecture for easy compatibility with other Sirius accessories and docks in other vehicles and in the house. An intuitive three-line display tells you the channel name and number, artist name, and song title. The receiver also lets you program up to 10 presets of your favorite streams, as well as search by channel name and music category. And with a quick press of the one-touch jump button, you can instantly switch between the traffic and weather reports for your city or any of the other music, news, or entertainment channels. Other programming details include direct station tuning via the numeric buttons and a channel lock option.
The Stratus 4 also includes a built-in FM transmitter that sends Sirius radio programming to your vehicle's FM tuner, so you don't have to make a direct connection to enjoy the full array of channels. Simply set an empty FM frequency on your radio and tune the Stratus 4 to the same frequency. The transmitter also works with other FM tuners, such as the one on your home stereo, but is easily paired with the car thanks to the vehicle kit, which includes everything you need for listening to Sirius while driving. Other features include a real-time clock, a parental lock function that restricts listening to locked channels, and large easy to use buttons. The Stratus 4 measures just 9.5 x 7.5 x 3 inches.
About Sirius Sirius Satellite Radio delivers more than 130 channels of music and programming via crystal clear direct satellite feed. In addition to 69 channels of commercial free music listening, Sirius also delivers 65 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, and weather forecasts. Sirius--the official satellite radio partner of the NFL, NASCAR, and NBA--broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL and NBA, as well as live NASCAR races. All Sirius programming is available for a monthly subscription fee.
What's in the Box Stratus 4 (SV4) satellite radio receiver, vehicle docking cradle, vehicle power adapter, vehicle antenna, dash and vent mounts, FM extender antenna, getting started guide, installation/user's guide, accessory brochure, and programming guide.

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Homedics HMDX-C30 Speaker Dock for iPod with AM/FM Clock Radio with Nature Sounds, Silver/Grey Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this earlier this week.
Pros: Good sounds quality. LOVE the remote! Nap feature is handy. Nature sounds help drown out my neighbor playing his TV too loud :-) Projection is clear enough to see in the morning w/o my contacts.
Cons: There is a weird high pitch sound when the nature souund is playing and the projection is off. When I turned the projection on it stopped. It is not there when the radio or iPod is playing.
Overall I would but again.

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Ilive Clock Radio for Iphone/ Ipod Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The product worked great. It was super easy to set up and use. The sound was good for a clock radio. Unfortunately, when I turned off my lights at night, it looked like I had a street lamp in my room. There was no way to dim it, and I ended up covering it with a towel to sleep. It will be going back. Can't sleep when I'm blinded!

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1/24/2012

iCandy FM Transmitter for iPhone and iPod with Car Charger Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just find an empty FM frequency on your car or home stereo, plug in the transmitter to your iPhone, tune the transmitter to a matching frequency and you can now listed to MP3s or YouTube from your iPhone.
The Transmitter has around 8 ft of transmitting range on direct site to the target stereo. The sound quality is pretty good up to max transmitting range at which point it drops rapidly.
The Transmitter goes to sleep around 1 minute after idle. The Transmitter works as a car charger even on sleep mode. However it works out of your iPhone's battery, so it does not need to be connected to the charger in order to work. The provide mini USB to USB cable can be detach from the car charger and plug into any USB Home Charger that you own.
On long travels it is a bit frustrating finding empty FM Frequencies to Tune into. It may be irrelevant to most of us but it may be something to consider for truck drivers and those people with long commutes.
Over all, I am pretty happy with my purchase.

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TRAM 1600-HC 38- Inch VHF Marine Antenna Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this antenna for a base station but was concerned that I would need a ground plane as in most other transmitter antennas. I installed this atop my television antenna pole(yup, still use it) and had to run 54-feet of RG-58A/U coax to the radio. After installation I tested the antenna with a VHF VSWR meter and found a 1.5:1 ratio, which is awesome considering the length of coax and where the antenna is mounted. I didn't have to adjust anything on the antenna, just put the whip in with the provided allen wrench and mounted the pole... pretty simple and no hassle.
For the money, I don't think you can go wrong with this little guy and the 6dB gain equates to 100Watts effective transmitter power from a 25Watt radio.

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