Soundtrack Digital

Here are some more information for Soundtrack Digital:

I'm a music lover and I make sure that my interests are all provided by my home. And adding the iLive IH319B CD and Radio Home Music System in my home entertainment system is not only awesome, it's also very satisfying. Here are some of the features that might interest you as well.

Design

This is a pretty simple device if you look at it. Without an iPod docked inside, you'd think the motorized door was just a fluff or something. The buttons are few and simple, but it has a remote control so you don't have to worry about navigating through the device. It's wide so you have to make space for it, but it's thin so you can just free some front space and lean it to fit. The motorized door needs space, though, and it's better to keep the front area open so you can operate it easily.

The black finish is excellent as it is easy to blend in any home décor. The motorized door is an exciting feature that makes the device an innovative item, and the built-in speakers completely provide total functionality that you need in any home music system.

Video

The LCD has a white backlight and displays various information like the song title and artist of the soundtrack being played on the iPod, the CD track number and length of song being played, the frequency of the radio station that you're tuned in to, and even the time and a countdown timer for extra functionality.

Audio

The sound quality is excellent enough for the size and the price, and I can say I'm completely happy with it. Radio tuning is easy on this device because it uses digital tuning, and it allows you to save preset stations so you can just choose the channel that you want and sit cozily while listening to your favorite station. The digital volume control can be easily adjusted at a distance using the remote control. The stereo speakers with cloth grills are safe from dust invasion, prolonging the life of your stereo system. They also produce excellent quality sound for better listening and entertainment. You can also adjust the equalizer to presets according to your preference.

The CD player can play CD-R/RW formatted discs, and you can also program the CD tracks to repeat and random. You also have the choice to play music from external music sources using the AUX jack which can be connected to MP3 players and other music devices.

Other Features

The remote control makes navigation and operation easy for this device. You can also use a headphone for private listening by connecting it to the audio out jack. The digital clock doesn't just show time, it also provides a countdown timer so if you need to finish an activity within a specific span of time, you can use this to guide you and prevent you from getting late.

The iPod dock plays your iPod tracks while charging the device so you won't have to worry about emptying your iPod's batteries. You can also view photos while playing music because you can still operate the iPod while on the dock. The device operates on AC/DC, and perhaps the only thing lacking on this is a battery back-up.

Conclusion

I have to say I highly recommend the iLive IH319B CD and Radio Home Music System to anyone who wants to add a functional, stylish, and excellent music player in his home. This is a very remarkable device and despite its flaws, its affordable price makes it a good bargain that you won't regret getting. So if your wife loves music or your daughter wants her own stereo system in her room, this could be one of the best gifts you can get them this Christmas.

I have even more reviews and information about Mini Cd Player at my website. I will also let you in on a little secret: Where to get them cheaper than anyplace else on the web;) Many thanks for reading, and good luck!

Consumer Reports - DVD Recorders

At the highest-quality setting, the quality of most DVD video recordings is better than that of a VCR. DVD recorders also offer more ways to navigate recordings, with no need to rewind or fast-forward. With certain disc types, DVD recorders can perform functions that no VCR can match, such as letting you watch a program from the beginning while recording is already under way. They also offer a way to convert camcorder tapes or homemade VCR recordings to a digital format. The DVD recorder market is still in its early stages, so it's likely there will be further changes involving disc types, and prices for machines and for blank storage media may drop further.

As of August 2005, there were no DVD recorders capable of recording high-definition (HD) content. HD DVD recorders are in development and could be on the market in 2006. (There are some digital video recorders capable of recording HDTV programs. They are mainly available from satellite and cable companies. However, these use hard discs, not removable DVDs.)

WHAT'S AVAILABLE

DVD recorders are available from many of the same manufacturers that make DVD players. Apex Digital, Panasonic, Philips, Sony, and Toshiba are among the biggest brands. Some DVD recorders store content only on DVDs. Others can also use VHS tapes, hard drives, or both. Price range: DVD-only recording, about $150 and up.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

As with any other video recorder--including digital cameras--a recorder's storage capacity varies in actual usage. DVD recorders store content at different compression settings and thus at different quality levels. For the best image quality, you have to record programming at the device's lowest level of compression, yielding as little as one hour of recording time. To get the maximum capacity advertised--typically six or eight hours--you have to use the highest level of compression, which gives the lowest quality.

All rewriteable DVD formats let you edit, to varying extents, what you've recorded. DVD-RW (in VR mode) and DVD-RAM recorders let you edit more extensively than does DVD+RW. Besides letting you watch one program while recording another, recorders with DVD-RAM capability and some with DVD-RW in VR mode let you watch an earlier section of a program while you're still recording it.

As with VCRs, DVD recorders may use VCR Plus to ease the setup of time-shift recordings. Some also come with Gemstar or TV Guide On-Screen, free interactive program guides that get three days of listings at a time from your TV signal. They offer point-and-click setup of recording events.

In addition to commercial DVD titles, DVD recorders often support playback or display of numerous other disc formats. They include CD-R/RW discs containing standard CD-audio information; the recordable DVD formats DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, and DVD-RAM; Video CD (VCD); and DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD (SACD). They can also play CD-R/RW discs containing MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) files and JPEG picture files. Make sure a model you're considering plays the discs and formats you use now, or may want to use in the future.

DVD-based movies often come in various formats. Aspect-ratio control lets you choose between the 4:3 viewing format of conventional TVs (4 inches wide for every 3 inches high) and the 16:9 ratio of newer, wide-screen sets.

A DVD recorder gives you all sorts of control over the picture--control you may never have known you needed. Picture zoom lets you zoom in on a specific frame. Black-level adjustment brings out the detail in dark parts of the screen image. If you've ever wanted to see certain action scenes from different angles, multi-angle capability gives you that opportunity. Note that this feature and some others work only with certain discs.

A DVD recorder enables you to navigate the disc in a number of ways. Unlike a VHS tape, most DVDs are sectioned. Chapter preview lets you scan the opening seconds of each section or chapter until you find what you want; a related feature, chapter gallery, shows thumbnails of section or chapter opening scenes. Go-to by time lets you enter how many hours and minutes into the disc you'd like to skip to. Marker functions allow easy indexing of specific sections.

To get the best picture quality when playing DVDs, you need to hook up the recorder/player to the TV with the best available connection. A composite-video connection to the TV can produce a very good picture, but there will be some loss of detail and some color artifacts such as adjacent colors bleeding into each other. Using the S-video output can improve picture quality. It keeps the black-and-white and the color portions of the signal separated, producing more picture detail and fewer color defects than standard composite video.

Component-video, sometimes not provided on the lowest-end models, improves on S-video by splitting the color signal, resulting in a wider range of color. If you connect a DVD recorder via an S-video or component connection, don't be surprised if you have to adjust the television-picture setup when you switch to a picture coming from a VCR or a cable box that uses a radio-frequency (RF, also called antenna/cable) connection or a composite connection.

Two newer outputs found on some models, Digital Video Interface (DVI) and High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), are intended for use with digital TVs with DVI or HDMI inputs. They may be used to pass digital 480p and up-converted higher-resolution video signals. Those outputs potentially allow content providers to control your ability to record the content.

Another benefit of DVD recorders is the ability to enjoy movies with multichannel surround sound. To reap the full sound experience of the audio encoded into DVD titles, you'll need a Dolby Digital receiver and six speakers, including a subwoofer. (For 6.1 and 7.1 soundtracks, you'll need seven or eight speakers.) Dolby Digital decoding built-in refers to a DVD player that decodes the multichannel audio before the audio receiver; without the built-in circuitry, you'd need to have the decoder built into the receiver or, in rare instances, use a separate decoder box to take advantage of the audio. (A Dolby Digital receiver will decode an older format, Dolby Pro Logic, as well.) Most recorders also support Digital Theater System (DTS) decoding for titles using the six- or seven-channel encoding format. When you're watching DVD-based movies, dynamic audio-range control helps keep explosions and other noisy sound effects from seeming too loud.

DVD recorders also provide features such as multilingual support, which lets you choose dialog or subtitles in different languages for a given movie. Parental control lets parents "lock out" commercial films by their rating code.

HOW TO CHOOSE

Decide whether you want to record on removable media. DVD recording is the best option for those who want to share video recordings with other users or to have unlimited storage, allowing recordings to be saved indefinitely. They're also space-efficient, since they can play pre-recorded movies, replacing a separate DVD player. But if none of these attributes is important to you, consider a hard-drive-based DVR instead. If you've decided on DVD recording, here's what to consider in selecting a unit:

Choose between a DVD-only recorder or a combo unit. DVD-only models can cost about half the price of units with a second recording platform such as a hard drive or VCR. The combos are pricier and bulkier but more versatile.

Look for "time slip" capability. It allows you to pause your viewing of a TV program you're recording, while the unit continues to record. You can resume viewing where you left off. Time-slip models also let you view a previously recorded program while recording another. An inherent feature of all hard-drive-equipped recorders, time slip is also available on stand-alone DVD recorders that record to DVD-RAM discs, one of five disc types recorders use. (All models use at least one write-once and one rewriteable disc type; DVD-RAM discs are rewriteable.) But there's a downside to DVD-RAM discs: They can be played on fewer other recorders or players than discs using formats that are more widely compatible. Some models that record to DVD-RW discs in VR mode also have time-slip capability.

Decide what kind of TV-programming capabilities you want. When it comes to programmed recording, a typical DVD recorder can do everything a VCR can. And as with VCRs, some DVD recorders can control a cable or satellite box, allowing you to program the unit to record from various channels without setting the box to the correct channel before each recording. DVD/hard-drive recorders designed to work with TiVo, the subscription programming service, also offer automatic recording of your favorite shows (or performers) whenever or wherever they're on. But that added functionality has a cost: a monthly fee of about $13 or a one-time fee of about $300 (at time of publication). TV Guide On-Screen is a free interactive program guide that is available on some models. While not as versatile as the TiVo programming guide, it does offer point-and-click recording ability.

Decide the importance of video editing. A DVD-only model that records to DVD-RAM discs or to DVD-RW discs in VR mode allows scenes to be subdivided and rearranged onscreen. But the discs aren't compatible with all players, and even if they do play, edits you make on those discs might not show up. DVD/hard-drive models, except for tested models allied with the TiVo service, give you the ability to edit video on the hard drive. You can then burn images to a range of disc types for maximum compatibility with other players.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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is there any free digital video editing program for windows that is decent for the following needs?

I shot about 10 one minute long videos clips with my pocket canon digital camera in video mode. 640 x 480. what I want to is join all of the videos together into 1 long one but also edit some parts out, etc. then I want to lay 1 soundtrack over the whole thing. I mean, I have virtualdub which is ok but it there anthing else? nothing too advanced is needed, I mean adding some titles and text/overlays would be nice and all bu it doesnt need too many fancy efects. Iv never even attempted to use windows movie maker. is that a suggestion? any info would be great. im looking for something free that will get this done ( no free trials that leave a watermark of the company on it until you purchase it. I mean totally free)

VirtualDub is fine but if you don't like it, then try Windows Movie Maker. In Windows 7 it got a nice revamp.

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