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- First reviewJanuary 28, 2017
- Last reviewJune 23, 2024
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- First answerJune 2, 2017
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Enjoy an immersive entertainment experience with this Epson Home Cinema 4K projector. The three-chip design with 3LCD technology delivers high-quality visuals, while the built-in dual 10W speakers produce crisp sound. This Epson Home Cinema 4K projector has HDMI and USB ports for connecting a wide variety of devices, and Bluetooth connectivity lets you play media files from your mobile device.
Customer Rating
5
Great Performance for the Money
on October 10, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
HIGHLIGHTS
4K HDR Compatibility
(2) HDMI 2.0 Inputs
3000 ANSI Lumens
Supports HDR10 and HLG content
3D Compatible
(2) 10W Built-In Speakers with Bluetooth and AptX Support
4K HDR Compatibility
(2) HDMI 2.0 Inputs
3000 ANSI Lumens
Supports HDR10 and HLG content
3D Compatible
(2) 10W Built-In Speakers with Bluetooth and AptX Support
INSTALLATION & SET-UP
Installation and set-up was straight forward. I was fortunate in that the 3800 is updating/replacing my existing Epson 5040UBe projector, so I had most of the elements needed for use already installed. An extremely nice feature is that Epson has chosen to use the exact same screws and spacing for attaching this projector to a ceiling mount as it did with the previous generations of their products. Even with my 5040 being nearly twice the size and weight of this 3800, the ceiling mount brackets and screws lined up perfectly from one to the next. Thank you Epson!! That was extremely helpful when doing a one person install, trying to juggle the projector while attaching it to the ceiling mount.
Installation and set-up was straight forward. I was fortunate in that the 3800 is updating/replacing my existing Epson 5040UBe projector, so I had most of the elements needed for use already installed. An extremely nice feature is that Epson has chosen to use the exact same screws and spacing for attaching this projector to a ceiling mount as it did with the previous generations of their products. Even with my 5040 being nearly twice the size and weight of this 3800, the ceiling mount brackets and screws lined up perfectly from one to the next. Thank you Epson!! That was extremely helpful when doing a one person install, trying to juggle the projector while attaching it to the ceiling mount.
Anyone replacing an existing Epson product will instantly recognize the user interface and adjustments. They have carried over nearly unchanged from their previous models and are simple and easy to learn and configure. Even the remotes are the same (and both are backlit). The only real difference I could spot between the set-up of my 5040 and this 3800 was the lens shift. My 5040 had a motorized lens shift, focus, and zoom, while the 3800 makes do with manual shift, focus, and zoom. Honestly, it really isn’t much of an issue. Once you get the aim of the projector roughed in, you can make the fine adjustments with the rotary dials and if all goes well, they should never have to be fiddled with again.
PERFORMANCE
Contrast. This is where I had my biggest concern as far as installing this projector. I have been pleased with the performance of my 5040 since installation. It throws a great picture, is easy to calibrate, and has offered many hours of great performance with games, TV, and movies. My family always enjoys a good movie night, preferring to watch a movie at home versus the theater (if only we could figure out how to make authentic movie theater popcorn). Epson claims the contrast ratio of the 5040 is 1,000,000 : 1, while this 3800 is only rated at 100,000 : 1. I watched several shows immediately before taking down my 5040, most of which were dark shows with bright highlights, so I could get a good look at the contrast. I took down the 5040 and installed the 3800, then immediately queued up those same shows on the new projector. Honestly, I didn’t really notice much of a difference! I had the dynamic iris set to fast on both projectors and the difference in rated contrast doesn’t appear to be near as significant as the 10x difference would lead you to believe.
HDR Material. This was my biggest complaint of the 5040. The 5040 could not process a full 10-bit HDR image at 18Gb/s. The 5040 only had a 10.2GB/s HDMI chip installed. With that, neither my XBOX, my 4k Blu-Ray player, or my DirecTV was capable of 4k HDR playback. Games like Forza would looked good in 4k on the 5040, but would only play in SDR (Standard Dynamic Range). Rest assured, the 3800 addresses and corrects this issue. My XBOX now plays HDR enabled games without reservation. The 3800 reports an incoming signal at: 3840 x 2160 with BT.2020 color space and HDR enabled. Streaming Netflix used to report programs at 4k resolution and SDR. Previewing Netflix shows now, properly lists the shows at 4k and HDR. Tests with my Blu-Ray player and DirecTV box also properly indicate that they can transmit full 4k HDR content.
ISSUES
ISSUES
Fan noise. I have been spoiled over the years by the Home Cinema line of projectors. From my earlier model Panasonic projectors, to my current Epson 5040UBe, fan noise has rarely been an issue. I can control the amount of ambient light entering my theater, so I have been able to use my projectors on their ECO settings, thus increasing bulb life and decreasing fan noise. This projector is no exception. I can use the projector on its ECO setting, but even then, the fan is noticeably louder than my previous 2 projectors. While not necessarily an issue with most action movies, as the soundtrack easily drowns out the fan noise, it is very noticeable in quiet passages and movies. I’m sure I will adapt to the noise level and it will eventually be a non-issue, but for now, I do find it somewhat distracting.
Speakers. The built-in speakers are really only sufficient for an office environment, used for presentations and slideshows. The speakers can receive sound from an HDMI input, or from Bluetooth. However, they are nowhere near enough for a decent home theater experience. While this is not really a negative, I have it listed in the issues section so that folks can temper their expectations on the performance. Again, this is very convenient for an office environment, but not a good solution for a home theater perspective.
4k. Buyers should be aware that these projectors are not true 4k displays. To coin a phrase from the internet, they are faux k. The projector will except a 4k, 12-bit HDR image, but it then has to convert it to an image that its LCD panels can reproduce. The projector has three 1080 LCD panels that employ “pixel shifting”. This pixel shifting increases the resolution and clarity over native 1080 panels. I did find that the native 4k images displayed utilizing the Epson’s pixel shifting technology looked noticeably sharper and crisper than a native 1080p image did with no enhancement. Like I stated earlier pixel shifting is not necessarily a negative, it just needs to be addressed for those unfamiliar with the tech. It is a technology not only used by Epson, but by other projector manufacturers too. True 4k projectors are available for purchase, but not at anywhere near this price point.
Final Thoughts. When I initially installed the projector, I was unsure if it would prove to be a sufficient replacement for my Epson 5040. Those concerns were quickly eliminated at the first showing of HDR content. Video games, movies, Netflix, etc can now fully utilize the 18GB/s bandwidth offered by the 4k HDR format. Images are noticeably brighter and colors more vibrant throughout the gamut. Video games, especially, have taken on a new look and feel from the increased dynamic range. I am quite shocked at how much difference there is in the images between the two projectors. The 3800’s light output of 3000 lumens is really bright, especially in a darkened theater room. It’s even sufficiently bright enough to enjoy a program or game, with light spilling in and washing over the screen.
Considering the price point at which Epson has listed this projector at, I feel it is a very good value for the money. I think it performs as well, if not better, than projectors at similar and higher price points. I would absolutely recommend this projector for anyone looking for a great performing projector at a reasonable price.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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The MR9000 Max Stream™ AC3000 is a mega-performance Tri-Band router that's perfect for homes who want to maximize their entertainment experience. With up to 3 Gbps of superior speed and coverage up to 3000 sq. ft., you'll always have ultrafast Wi-Fi 5 throughout your home, and it supports up to 25 devices. Tri-Band and MU-MIMO technology also make it ideal for simultaneous streaming of HD movies, online gaming and more along with less dead zones, pixelated videos, and lag. The MR9000 is also mesh enabled, making it easy to expand your Wi-Fi. So, instead of investing in a new router, you can add coverage by simply adding Linksys Velop™ Mesh Wi-Fi 5 nodes for seamless Wi-Fi everywhere. Plus, with future proofing Intelligent Mesh™ technology that adapts to your Wi-Fi needs, you'll always be on the fastest path to the Internet. This router is also easy to set up with the Linksys app and keeps your family safe with features such as Parental Controls, making it easy to manage content and screen time.
Customer Rating
3
Lackluster Performance without Additonal Hardware
on October 10, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
HIGHLIGHTS
AC 3000 Router with MU-MIMO support
Velop Mesh Network Compatible
Linksys Automatic Firmware Updating
Beam Forming
Quad Core Processor
4 External Antennas
4 Gb Ethernet Ports and 1 USB 3.0 Port
Automatic Channel Scanning & Selection
AC 3000 Router with MU-MIMO support
Velop Mesh Network Compatible
Linksys Automatic Firmware Updating
Beam Forming
Quad Core Processor
4 External Antennas
4 Gb Ethernet Ports and 1 USB 3.0 Port
Automatic Channel Scanning & Selection
INSTALLATION & SET-UP
As you can see above, this router is packing a bunch of bells and whistles. This is one of the newest and most versatile Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) devices. As an added feature, this router includes the ability to serve as the primary node on a whole home, self-healing mesh network. What a great feature! Placing multiple nodes throughout your home to form a mesh network would eliminate slow downs and any hiccups you should encounter from poor signal coverage. Linksys’ Tri-Band nodes feature the ability to use the spare 5GHz band as a backhaul to their primary node or use a hardwired ethernet backhaul. Outstanding, and well thought out.
As you can see above, this router is packing a bunch of bells and whistles. This is one of the newest and most versatile Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) devices. As an added feature, this router includes the ability to serve as the primary node on a whole home, self-healing mesh network. What a great feature! Placing multiple nodes throughout your home to form a mesh network would eliminate slow downs and any hiccups you should encounter from poor signal coverage. Linksys’ Tri-Band nodes feature the ability to use the spare 5GHz band as a backhaul to their primary node or use a hardwired ethernet backhaul. Outstanding, and well thought out.
Linksys has done a fantastic job streamlining the installation and configuration of their routers. Gone are the days of needing a networking degree. You no longer need to unhook your computer from your existing network and change its IP Address and subnet, just to add a new router on your existing network. There is no more guesswork or a ton of Googling at what each function of the router does, DHCP Client, DHCP Server, Wireless Bridge, etc.
Linksys changed the game with their new Linksys app. Available for both Android and iOS, the app makes setting up a Linksys product super simple and stress free. The app walks you through every step involved with router configuration, from plugging in the power adapter, to plugging in the ethernet cable, to how you want the router to be used in your network. Still not sure how you want the router to function on your network? Simple. The app gives you a brief description of what each mode does and how it would typically be installed in your network. AWESOME!! Great Job Linksys. I used the iOS app to configure the router and the installation went without any issues.
PERFORMANCE
As excited as I was with the Linksys app, my excitement quickly got tempered when I put the router into service. I installed this Linksys router directly underneath my existing 2015 era Asus router (RT-AC87U) and unplugged the Asus to prevent interference. I used the recommended Linksys settings during installation to get an accurate assessment of the new router’s abilities. Included with that, is utilizing Linksys’ recommended setting of band steering. This function automatically selects the 5GHz or 2.4GHz band based on client and signal strength, dynamically changing between the bands, if necessary. I used multiple computers (along with a 2017 model iPad) to test throughput and help eliminate any advantage one machine may have over another. Each computer was running Windows 10 with all the latest updates and had a 2x2 wi-fi card installed (All were Intel based Wi-Fi cards from various generations). My tests were conducted in my home office, approximately 60ft from the router (the furthest interior spot from the router installation) with 4 walls separating the computers from the router. Here are some real-world performance results between the 2 routers (These are download speeds obtained using Speedtest and Firefox:
As excited as I was with the Linksys app, my excitement quickly got tempered when I put the router into service. I installed this Linksys router directly underneath my existing 2015 era Asus router (RT-AC87U) and unplugged the Asus to prevent interference. I used the recommended Linksys settings during installation to get an accurate assessment of the new router’s abilities. Included with that, is utilizing Linksys’ recommended setting of band steering. This function automatically selects the 5GHz or 2.4GHz band based on client and signal strength, dynamically changing between the bands, if necessary. I used multiple computers (along with a 2017 model iPad) to test throughput and help eliminate any advantage one machine may have over another. Each computer was running Windows 10 with all the latest updates and had a 2x2 wi-fi card installed (All were Intel based Wi-Fi cards from various generations). My tests were conducted in my home office, approximately 60ft from the router (the furthest interior spot from the router installation) with 4 walls separating the computers from the router. Here are some real-world performance results between the 2 routers (These are download speeds obtained using Speedtest and Firefox:
ASUS 2.4GHz
Computer 1 - 44Mbs
Computer 2 - 34Mbs
Computer 3 - 48Mbs
Computer 4 - 81Mbs
iPad 102Mbs
Computer 1 - 44Mbs
Computer 2 - 34Mbs
Computer 3 - 48Mbs
Computer 4 - 81Mbs
iPad 102Mbs
ASUS 5GHz
Computer 1 - 142Mbs
Computer 2 - 180Mbs
Computer 3 - 108Mbs
Computer 4 - 273Mbs
iPad 268Mbs
Computer 1 - 142Mbs
Computer 2 - 180Mbs
Computer 3 - 108Mbs
Computer 4 - 273Mbs
iPad 268Mbs
Linksys
Computer 1 - 20Mbs
Computer 2 - 92Mbs
Computer 3 - 31Mbs
Computer 4 - 214Mbs
iPad 116Mbs
Computer 1 - 20Mbs
Computer 2 - 92Mbs
Computer 3 - 31Mbs
Computer 4 - 214Mbs
iPad 116Mbs
At the time of testing my network had a total of: 39 Devices connected via Ethernet, 20 Devices connected via Wi-Fi and a wired download speed measured at 886Mbs.
As you can see, I have a fairly busy and congested network. Sadly, the overall throughput of the Linksys router was only about 50% of my Asus router in identical conditions. Undoubtedly, the addition of a Velop node and thus the creation of a mesh network, would significantly improve my network speeds. But, I do not have a secondary node to place into the system to test the improvements. This review is focused solely on the performance of the router itself. I did not limit my testing strictly to one location in my house. I conducted additional tests throughout, including tests on the 2nd story and closer to the router. I only included the test scores from the office, as they indicated the worst case scenario for both routers. In the end, my Asus RT-AC87U consistently outperformed the Linksys router in my environment, regardless of my location in the house.
CONCLUSION
Linksys should be commended for the their well-designed and simple set-up process. It made getting the new network configured and running, a quick and pain free process. It was honestly the easiest set-up I have ever experienced. The app worked flawlessly. If you find networking intimidating, this could very well be your best bet for a whole home networking solution. It is simple to set-up and maintain and even gives the buyer the ability to manage the network remotely via the app. Furthermore, if your environment or home layout makes it challenging to get a decent Wi-Fi signal and you could benefit from a mesh network, that is quick and easy to set-up and deploy, this is a viable option.
Linksys should be commended for the their well-designed and simple set-up process. It made getting the new network configured and running, a quick and pain free process. It was honestly the easiest set-up I have ever experienced. The app worked flawlessly. If you find networking intimidating, this could very well be your best bet for a whole home networking solution. It is simple to set-up and maintain and even gives the buyer the ability to manage the network remotely via the app. Furthermore, if your environment or home layout makes it challenging to get a decent Wi-Fi signal and you could benefit from a mesh network, that is quick and easy to set-up and deploy, this is a viable option.
However, should you be even a little network savvy, I could not recommend this product to you. The overall performance of the router, with all the latest and greatest tech still falls short of my current 4 -5 year old Asus. I have used my Asus router in my home without issue for years and feel no need to add to it. It is a different story with the Linksys. The overall throughput is low and noticeable enough that I need to add at least one extra node to maintain the current levels of performance offered by the Asus alone.
As easy as the Linksys was to set up with its well-designed app, it is also a negative. The app does not give you the ability to make any significant changes to the system once it is up and running. The web portal gives you a little more control, but for those of us that like to get into the nitty gritty of configuration, this is not the device for you. Your ability to make changes is significantly limited.
Lastly, the lack of any real form of malware protection is quite sad. Even my old Asus has malware protection built-in. I find the lack of this feature in today’s world inexcusable. This router has a bunch of RAM and a quad core processor. There is no reason that it wouldn’t be able to handle the additional duties of real-time malware protection. The other manufacturers have this option built-in and with Linksys wanting to be the center of your whole home network, it’s an oversight. Hopefully, they will be able to enable something by a firmware update.
Based on the mediocre Wi-Fi performance and the lack of built-in malware protection, I cannot recommend the product at this time.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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Get smart about lighting with this two-pack of Wemo smart light switches. The Wemo app offers remote operation via smartphones and makes it easy to set lighting on schedules or timers. Compatible with popular virtual assistants, these Wemo smart light switches offer convenient hands-free operation without a smart hub.
Customer Rating
5
A great addtion to the WeMo line.
on September 16, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
I have been using WeMo products since their first generation of devices. With the release of each generation, the products have gotten smaller, better looking, and offer more reliable performance. This device is no different. The 3-way light switch has been sorely missing from their line-up.
INSTALLATION
This is the only remotely complicated part of the entire process. I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable DIY’er. I usually take on 99% of my own home and automobile updates and repairs. I lead with this as a qualifier as I have installed numerous 3-way switches over the years and I had absolutely no issues installing these switches. If you have ever tried installing a 3-way switch from “Big Orange” using the directions printed on the leaflet where you need the Hubble telescope to read them, you will be in for a pleasant surprise with the WeMo instructions. They are super simple and in full color. The print is actually legible and WeMo walks you through nearly any scenario you may encounter when you do the install. The only difficult part you may encounter is trying to determine which wires are the line, load, and travelers in your box, if they don’t follow the common color scheme. Should you still find yourself apprehensive or a bit intimidated, installation it is nothing a licensed electrician can’t easily handle. But, if you feel you can safely perform the install, the WeMo instructions are simple and walk you through the entire process, step-by-step. EXCELLENT!! Major kudos to WeMo for their detailed directions!
This is the only remotely complicated part of the entire process. I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable DIY’er. I usually take on 99% of my own home and automobile updates and repairs. I lead with this as a qualifier as I have installed numerous 3-way switches over the years and I had absolutely no issues installing these switches. If you have ever tried installing a 3-way switch from “Big Orange” using the directions printed on the leaflet where you need the Hubble telescope to read them, you will be in for a pleasant surprise with the WeMo instructions. They are super simple and in full color. The print is actually legible and WeMo walks you through nearly any scenario you may encounter when you do the install. The only difficult part you may encounter is trying to determine which wires are the line, load, and travelers in your box, if they don’t follow the common color scheme. Should you still find yourself apprehensive or a bit intimidated, installation it is nothing a licensed electrician can’t easily handle. But, if you feel you can safely perform the install, the WeMo instructions are simple and walk you through the entire process, step-by-step. EXCELLENT!! Major kudos to WeMo for their detailed directions!
CONFIGURATION
Initial configuration is as easy as any WeMo product. Almost identical to the WeMo products I’ve used for years. Using the WeMo app, your Android or iOS device connects to the WeMo, enter your Wi-Fi credentials and the process should go without further hiccups. Once successfully connected to your Wi-Fi network, the devices will check for firmware updates, notify you of the availability, download the update, apply the update, and restart. Smooth and simple.
Initial configuration is as easy as any WeMo product. Almost identical to the WeMo products I’ve used for years. Using the WeMo app, your Android or iOS device connects to the WeMo, enter your Wi-Fi credentials and the process should go without further hiccups. Once successfully connected to your Wi-Fi network, the devices will check for firmware updates, notify you of the availability, download the update, apply the update, and restart. Smooth and simple.
SOFTWARE
I’ve always found the WeMo software simple and easy to use. The app has evolved a great deal over the years and has remained nearly 100% bug free for me regardless of whether I’m using the Android or iOS app. WeMo consistently updates their app, squashing bugs, most of which I never experience.
I’ve always found the WeMo software simple and easy to use. The app has evolved a great deal over the years and has remained nearly 100% bug free for me regardless of whether I’m using the Android or iOS app. WeMo consistently updates their app, squashing bugs, most of which I never experience.
As an added bonus, WeMo is one of the most compatible platforms in the business today. Their products work with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Home Kit, IFTTT, and Nest. After the initial set-up and configuration of the devices, I rarely use the WeMo app. I have it linked to my Amazon Alexa account and use it 99% of the time. Alexa rarely has an issue with the WeMo devices, even my 1st generation devices still work flawlessly.
NEGATIVES
The switches are substantially larger than most existing, dumb 3-way switches. You may have trouble putting a switch into your existing electrical box if space is already tight to begin with. You cannot force the switch into the box to make it work either. One it is unsafe, two, the mounting tabs are plastic, so they will bow and potentially break if not installed correctly.
The switches are substantially larger than most existing, dumb 3-way switches. You may have trouble putting a switch into your existing electrical box if space is already tight to begin with. You cannot force the switch into the box to make it work either. One it is unsafe, two, the mounting tabs are plastic, so they will bow and potentially break if not installed correctly.
Second, WeMo switches rely upon your existing 2.4GHz WiFi to communicate and function. So, if your internet or router goes out, you will lose remote functionality of the switches (they will still work manually). While this is true with most smart devices, others like Z-Wave and Zigbee can still function without WiFi as they use a separate protocol for communication.
Lastly, this is not a necessarily a negative, but should be mentioned. These switches do require a neutral wire to function properly.
CONCLUSION
The 3-way switch is a much-needed addition to the WeMo line. Not only is it a great option for a 3-way switch, it can be converted to a single pole switch by merely capping one of the wires. Awesome!! WeMo has almost everything you need to fully automate your home: single pole switches, outlets, dimmers, and now a 3-way switch. While there are other competing technologies available, Z-wave, Zigbee, etc. (I own several of each), I always seem to come back to the WeMo line. Their products work natively off your existing Wi-Fi network, without the need for an additional hub or controller. They offer a ton of compatibility with 3rd party applications like Home Kit, Google, and Amazon. Most importantly, I find the WeMo products and app the easiest to learn and most user friendly of the smart home switches and outlets. This is especially helpful for those that may be more technically challenged. I have no problem giving this product a full 5 stars. Excellent!!
The 3-way switch is a much-needed addition to the WeMo line. Not only is it a great option for a 3-way switch, it can be converted to a single pole switch by merely capping one of the wires. Awesome!! WeMo has almost everything you need to fully automate your home: single pole switches, outlets, dimmers, and now a 3-way switch. While there are other competing technologies available, Z-wave, Zigbee, etc. (I own several of each), I always seem to come back to the WeMo line. Their products work natively off your existing Wi-Fi network, without the need for an additional hub or controller. They offer a ton of compatibility with 3rd party applications like Home Kit, Google, and Amazon. Most importantly, I find the WeMo products and app the easiest to learn and most user friendly of the smart home switches and outlets. This is especially helpful for those that may be more technically challenged. I have no problem giving this product a full 5 stars. Excellent!!
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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Shark - ION Robot RV761, Wi-Fi Connected, Robot Vacuum with Multi-Surface Cleaning - Black/Navy Blue
The Shark ION Robot is designed with a Tri-Brush System, combining side brushes, channel brushes, and a multi-surface brushroll to handle debris on all surfaces, corners, and edges. Use the SharkClean app or voice control with Alexa or Google Assistant to start cleaning from anywhere.
Customer Rating
3
Software is buggy. Vacuum is best on hard floors.
on September 16, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
SET-UP
Initial configuration was straightforward and relatively pain-free. Using Shark’s instructions, I chose an iOS device to initially configure my vacuum. A word of note: use SharkClean to search for the necessary app in either the Google Play store or the Apple App Store and not Shark Robot. I was surprised to find how many apps (mostly games) must be weeded through to find the correct Shark app.
Initial configuration was straightforward and relatively pain-free. Using Shark’s instructions, I chose an iOS device to initially configure my vacuum. A word of note: use SharkClean to search for the necessary app in either the Google Play store or the Apple App Store and not Shark Robot. I was surprised to find how many apps (mostly games) must be weeded through to find the correct Shark app.
The Ion Vacuum can only use Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz band. Prior to configuring the device, you must make sure your Android or iOS device is not connected to your 5GHz Wi-Fi, if so equipped. Like I stated earlier, initial configuration wasn’t error free, but went without much fuss. The errors that I encountered were easily fixed by restarting the SharkClean app. Just when it appeared the Ion failed to configure correctly, restarting the app magically fixed all issues and reported that the vacuum was properly set-up and ready to use.
USE
I find the actual performance of the vacuum a mixed bag. The Ion does a good job at cleaning up loose debris off my hardwood floors. The long, spinning side brushes help bring anything on the floor or along a wall under the vacuum where the bottom roller can sweep it up into the .1 gallon dust cup. The Ion never failed to remove any debris from the hardwood floors that it encountered.
I find the actual performance of the vacuum a mixed bag. The Ion does a good job at cleaning up loose debris off my hardwood floors. The long, spinning side brushes help bring anything on the floor or along a wall under the vacuum where the bottom roller can sweep it up into the .1 gallon dust cup. The Ion never failed to remove any debris from the hardwood floors that it encountered.
However, its performance on carpets and rugs is quite different. I am not nearly impressed. I have a mix of surfaces in my house. Hardwood floors, tile, short nap carpet, short nap rugs, and a long nap, dare I say “shag” style rug. Once the little vacuum encounters some form of soft flooring, it really seems to be drug down. The vacuum seems to labor quite a bit when sweeping anything other than hard floors. My carpets and short nap rugs never really give any issues to my other vacuums (even cordless ones), but the Shark sounds like it’s a lot of work it to clean those surfaces. Those long, rotating brushes that work so well to sweep along the walls and in the middle of the hardwoods are next to useless on any form of soft material. The brushes are so long, that any little bit of resistance just folds them up as they spin around, making them useless on carpets and rugs. However, to be fair to Shark, the vacuum has never given an error of failed to truck right along while sweeping my carpets and rugs. It has never given up and has even managed to sweep my shag style rug. Something that my big upright can’t do.
Lastly, I am in no way a fan of the Shark mapping algorithms. I have never owned a robot vacuum before, but anticipated some form of cleaning protocol for the little Ion. If there is one, I haven’t witnessed it. The vacuum seems to just randomly truck along until it bumps into something and then spins to another direction, wash, rinse, repeat. I was expecting some form of logic or method to its cleaning regimen, but I have yet to see it. There are still areas of my 1st floor that the vacuum has not touched and other areas its been over several times.
The vacuum does come with “BotBoundry” tape to keep it confined to a smaller area. This would, without doubt, increase its cleaning effectiveness. But who really wants a bunch of black, magnetic tape stuck all around their house? While it is a solution to help contain the vacuum to a desired cleaning area, it is just not a practical or elegant solution.
SOFTWARE
This is a huge let down for me. I have found little else useful about the SharkClean app other than telling the Ion to start cleaning and return to the dock. All other functions seem useless. I have tried the different modes for the Ion (Eco, Normal, Max). There appears to be no discernible difference in performance. The vacuum doesn’t decrease or increase its suction and the vacuum runs the same amount of time, no matter what setting it is on.
SOFTWARE
This is a huge let down for me. I have found little else useful about the SharkClean app other than telling the Ion to start cleaning and return to the dock. All other functions seem useless. I have tried the different modes for the Ion (Eco, Normal, Max). There appears to be no discernible difference in performance. The vacuum doesn’t decrease or increase its suction and the vacuum runs the same amount of time, no matter what setting it is on.
Registering the product via the SharkClean app has proven impossible. Thinking it was just a glitch with the iOS app, I tried to register the product with my Android phone. Both the iOS and Android app appear to work until the very last step and both fail. I get an invalid model number error and an invalid serial number error every time. Thinking it was my inability to type, I even tried to register using the QR code on the bottom of the vacuum. It didn’t work. Furthermore, make sure you remember your password when you create your Shark account. It is an exercise in frustration to reset your credentials.
Shark claims the vacuum is compatible with voice assistants. For some reason, mine is not. I have enabled the SharkClean app in my Amazon Alexa app and linked the accounts. However, I have been unsuccessful at getting Alexa to communicate with my Ion. Alexa keeps giving me a communications error and refers me to SharkClean.com to troubleshoot. I tried that, but the results have been the same. No luck. I don’t really find this a deal breaker, as it is just icing on the cake. I can always use the SharkClean app to start and stop the Ion.
CONCLUSION
The little vacuum has picked up quite a bit of stuff off my floors. I am pleased with its performance on my hardwoods and tile. Once going, it goes about its business and doesn’t give much fuss. Even without moving chairs and barstools, the Ion has never gotten stuck or in a situation it couldn’t find its way out of. My wife thinks it is loud when I use it in the evening, but nothing a couple of clicks on the TV remote can’t solve (I don’t think it’s too loud). My cleaning cycles have ranged from 60 – 90 minutes and then the vacuum returns to the dock for recharging (Recharging from 0% takes about 3 hours).
The little vacuum has picked up quite a bit of stuff off my floors. I am pleased with its performance on my hardwoods and tile. Once going, it goes about its business and doesn’t give much fuss. Even without moving chairs and barstools, the Ion has never gotten stuck or in a situation it couldn’t find its way out of. My wife thinks it is loud when I use it in the evening, but nothing a couple of clicks on the TV remote can’t solve (I don’t think it’s too loud). My cleaning cycles have ranged from 60 – 90 minutes and then the vacuum returns to the dock for recharging (Recharging from 0% takes about 3 hours).
While I like the performance on hard surfaces, I’m not as impressed on carpets and rugs. However, as I mentioned earlier, the Ion may sound like it is laboring, but it still goes about its business without intervention. However, the cleaning area is greatly reduced on carpets and rugs. Those long brushes work great on hard surfaces, but are useless on even the shortest of carpet.
In the end, I want to really like and recommend this product. I had high hopes for it, as my other Shark vacuums have been outstanding. Both the Android and iOS apps are very buggy. The vacuum doesn’t seem to have any form of self-learning mapping logic built in. It just appears to go until it bumps into something and then spins around going in that direction until the next obstacle. As of now, this vacuum and its software seem like beta units. I am only going to give it 3 stars. However, I would give it 4 stars if Shark can get the bugs worked out of the software and the user experience.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+3points
3of 3voted this as helpful.
Create nutrient-rich meals with this NutriBullet blender combo. The 64 oz. blending pitcher shreds tough skins, pulverizes stems and crushes seeds to deliver creamy snacks, smoothies and soups. This NutriBullet blender combo features a powerful 1200W motor that operates quietly, so you can engage in conversations while blending fruits and vegetables.
Customer Rating
5
This may be the best smoothie maker ever.
on September 3, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
This is a substantial step up from the original, smaller Nutribullet. I’ve owned the smaller one for years and it has never failed to let me down. From making smoothies to pureeing fruits and vegetables for baby food, the original Nutribullet was a versatile workhorse. Hoping this would prove to be as good, or better, than the original, I had to give it a shot. It did not disappoint. The blender features a 1200W motor base that has had absolutely no issues with any food I put in it. I’ve used anything from nuts to frozen bananas and the blender chews through them with little to no effort. While I really like the original Nutribullet, you did have to be cognizant of what and how much you put into it. This one is on a whole other level. It never seems to mind what kind of job you ask of it.
The extract function was the most often used button on the machine. It is custom tailored for smoothies. It is pre-programmed to automatically start and stop throughout its cycle to make perfectly consistent smoothies. While I am in no way a chef (I struggle with frozen pizza) this machine is tailored for folks like me, taking all the guesswork out of the equation. I never experienced any large chunks of skins or inadequately blended ingredients in any of the recipes I tried with it.
The 1200W motor is as loud as it is powerful. I wouldn’t necessarily say it is obnoxiously loud, but you are not going to watch any TV or listen to the radio when using it. The motor is so powerful that it will get away from you if you don’t give it your full attention. While blending a smoothie with frozen bananas, it grabbed one of the bananas and tried to spin itself off the counter. It chewed the banana with enough force that it pushed liquid past the seals of the single serve smoothie cup. Luckily, I was keeping an eye on it and not letting it go on “cruise control”.
Would I consider this product a good buy? Absolutely. It is the most powerful blender I’ve used and chews through food without breaking a sweat. If you liked the original Nutribullet and/or want an upgrade, I think you would hard pressed to find a better machine. Add to that the assortment of pitchers and single serve containers, makes it just that much more versatile and appealing.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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0points
0of 0voted this as helpful.
The Ninja Foodi Digital Air Fry Oven is an air fryer, convection oven, and toaster oven that packs a lot of features and cooking capacity in a small countertop footprint. Air Fry, Air Roast, Air Broil, Bake, Bagel, Toast, Dehydrate, and Keep Warm—all in one powerful, stainless-steel 1800-watt appliance—and create full family-sized meals in as little as 20 minutes. When you're done cooking, reclaim your counter space by simply flipping the oven up and away to clean and store.
Customer Rating
5
A Very Convenient Alternative to Many Appliances
on September 3, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
I will fully admit that I am culinarily challenged and find most things other than a frozen pizza or homemade spaghetti, a difficult endeavor. After working a 10 hour day in the 100+ degree heat, it is a great feeling to come home to air conditioning. But, after a long day, who really feels like cooking, let alone having to heat up the oven, wait, bake, and then eat? Not to mention, the oven is a huge energy hog and heats up the house that much more. We had tossed around the idea of getting an air fryer for some time, but didn’t know if it would be of any real benefit, let alone be a wise purchase for someone that isn’t very good at cooking to begin with. After using the Ninja Air Fryer a few times, I wish we had gotten one sooner.
This Air Fryer is quite large, much like a convection oven, so it does occupy a considerable amount of counter space. It will hold a full-size 13” frozen pizza. To help with the space concerns, Ninja provides the ability to rotate the fryer on its back for storage when not in use, preserving precious counter space. Super convenient. The controls are simple, with minimal options and selections (that is a good thing, not a negative). A couple of button pushes and the turning of a knob to set the cooking method, time, and temp is all it takes. Did I mention earlier about how I hate to turn on the oven and wait for it to preheat after a long day? That isn’t an issue with the Ninja. This thing heats up nearly instantly. Wanting some cookies, I set the temperature to 350 degrees and the desired cook time to the recommendations printed on the box. By the time I was able to remove 12 pre-made, frozen cookies from the package to baking sheet, the Ninja had beeped it was up to temperature and had begun the timer countdown. It heats up so fast, it catches you off guard. As soon as it reaches your preset temperature, it begins the countdown, you need to be ready when it is.
Included with the unit are some basic, simple to follow recipes. After experimenting with a few recipes supplied by Ninja and some gathered from the internet, I can conclude that even for unskilled people like myself, the Ninja is easy to use and has turned out consistent and quality meals. Food prepared per the instructions is cooked just right and very quickly. The ability to bake, air fry, air crisp, dehydrate, keep warm, toast, etc in one appliance is great. I am very impressed with the unit.
As always, things are never 100 percent perfect. This unit is quite large and takes up a good deal of counter space, even when folded up. In addition, it gets quite hot. You can’t touch the unit while it is in use. I was quite shocked at how hot the outside of it gets. Lastly, are the digital controls. When the timer completes, the display shows hot and turns off the cooking. The unit will continue to show hot while it turns on a fan to cool itself down. However, instead of cooling itself down and powering off, it shows flip on the display, as in time to flip the food over. You must manually turn the unit off when done cooking. I would like to see some additional logic that turns the unit off completely after completed cooking and its cool down cycle.
I think this appliance is a great alternative to many common kitchen appliances. It is healthier than frying food in grease or oil and who doesn’t want a healthier option? The controls are simple and straight forward. Honestly, the most difficult part of using the Ninja is figuring out what sheet or rack to put the food on for how you want it prepared. Everything we have cooked in it so far, has turned out excellent. I can see why air fryers have become so popular. In my opinion, this is appliance offers a lot of versatility and is a very good investment.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+19points
53of 87voted this as helpful.
Boost your home theater's audio capabilities with this Definitive Technology Studio Advance sound bar system. The 5.1 channel system offers virtual surround sound and supports 4K and HDR content for your enjoyment. This Definitive Technology Studio Advance sound bar system has Chromecast built in to let you stream music wirelessly and control the speakers with Google Assistant voice commands.
Customer Rating
5
Another high-quality product from Definitive
on August 13, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
SET-UP
Set-up proved to be a bit of a challenge. Unlike prior Definitive products, this example is configured via the Google Home app. At first, I was glad to see that they have moved away from the old-style Definitive Studio app, that didn’t work all that great. But, in actual practice, Google Home didn’t work any better for set-up. I was unable to get the speaker configured properly using the Google Home app and an iPad. I got continuous communication errors. The soundbar would not configure itself properly and communicate with my wi-fi. Luckily, I have an Android phone and the process worked without issue. The Google Home app found, connected, and properly configured my soundbar and it’s wi-fi settings. The wireless sub paired with absolutely no intervention. Once the soundbar was properly configured with my Android phone, I plugged the subwoofer in and it was instantly paired to the soundbar. Very slick. Unfortunately, there was no firmware update available, nor was there an app update available for the iPad, so your luck getting it set-up may be hit or miss.
Set-up proved to be a bit of a challenge. Unlike prior Definitive products, this example is configured via the Google Home app. At first, I was glad to see that they have moved away from the old-style Definitive Studio app, that didn’t work all that great. But, in actual practice, Google Home didn’t work any better for set-up. I was unable to get the speaker configured properly using the Google Home app and an iPad. I got continuous communication errors. The soundbar would not configure itself properly and communicate with my wi-fi. Luckily, I have an Android phone and the process worked without issue. The Google Home app found, connected, and properly configured my soundbar and it’s wi-fi settings. The wireless sub paired with absolutely no intervention. Once the soundbar was properly configured with my Android phone, I plugged the subwoofer in and it was instantly paired to the soundbar. Very slick. Unfortunately, there was no firmware update available, nor was there an app update available for the iPad, so your luck getting it set-up may be hit or miss.
I connected the soundbar to my TV via the TV ARC HDMI port. My DirecTV was plugged into HDMI 1 on the soundbar. Once configured, my Vizio TV identified that it was connected to a soundbar and established an ARC connection. For those not familiar, the ARC is an Audio Return Channel that allows a TV’s audio to be passed through to the soundbar without the need for additional cables or connections. I have never had much luck getting the ARC connection to work with any form of TV or soundbar combination, but in this implementation, it is working flawlessly. AWESOME!! No more need for an extra SPIDF cable for audio. Not only is my DirecTV audio piped to the soundbar, so is the audio from any of the Vizio’s apps, including: Netflix, Prime, YouTube, etc. No need to switch inputs, no need to make any changes, audio is transferred smoothly and effortlessly.
USE
The soundbar contains 9 separate drivers consisting of 6 mid bass drivers and 3 tweeters with dedicated amps to reproduce 5.1 surround sound. The subwoofer is an 8 inch, self-powered unit that is rated at 50W RMS and 100W Peak. True to the Definitive heritage, the soundbar/subwoofer combines to make any movie or TV program more enjoyable. There is no more straining to understand what is being said on the screen because your TV’s speakers barely emit any sound. Dialog is exceptionally clear and bass is fairly tight and controlled being this is a lower powered, ported style subwoofer. The soundbar and subwoofer will definitely increase your enjoyment of any program material you choose to watch through it. The 3 aluminum dome tweeters produce clear, crisp high frequency details, while the 6 mid bass drivers deliver equally impressive dialog and lower frequency sounds.
The soundbar contains 9 separate drivers consisting of 6 mid bass drivers and 3 tweeters with dedicated amps to reproduce 5.1 surround sound. The subwoofer is an 8 inch, self-powered unit that is rated at 50W RMS and 100W Peak. True to the Definitive heritage, the soundbar/subwoofer combines to make any movie or TV program more enjoyable. There is no more straining to understand what is being said on the screen because your TV’s speakers barely emit any sound. Dialog is exceptionally clear and bass is fairly tight and controlled being this is a lower powered, ported style subwoofer. The soundbar and subwoofer will definitely increase your enjoyment of any program material you choose to watch through it. The 3 aluminum dome tweeters produce clear, crisp high frequency details, while the 6 mid bass drivers deliver equally impressive dialog and lower frequency sounds.
CONS
While this isn’t necessarily a con, I feel it must be mentioned. I don’t think this is the set-up for a full, dedicated home theater. This soundbar does not offer the same level of performance as Definitive’s own SuperCube Subs or the SuperTower speakers. But, to be fair, it isn’t really meant to. It is meant to give you the most of TV shows and movies. The soundbar won’t overpower your room and the sub won’t rattle your walls and shake the plates in kitchen. If you are wanting that level of performance, you need to look at other options. This product is something that is meant to be nearly invisible, with its sub tucked away and just make the best of the source material.
While this isn’t necessarily a con, I feel it must be mentioned. I don’t think this is the set-up for a full, dedicated home theater. This soundbar does not offer the same level of performance as Definitive’s own SuperCube Subs or the SuperTower speakers. But, to be fair, it isn’t really meant to. It is meant to give you the most of TV shows and movies. The soundbar won’t overpower your room and the sub won’t rattle your walls and shake the plates in kitchen. If you are wanting that level of performance, you need to look at other options. This product is something that is meant to be nearly invisible, with its sub tucked away and just make the best of the source material.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This product serves as a great addition to my family room TV. It has made movies and TV shows much more enjoyable compared to just TV speakers. Would it be my primary product if I had a dedicated home theater? Probably not. You just can’t beat the sound and power having separate speakers and a receiver. On the downside, separates would cost substantially more money and be much more complex to configure and install. If you don’t have the space or need for a dedicated theater, this would provide a great option. The mids and highs are smooth and detailed and the sub adds just enough punch without being overpowering. The ability to stream to the soundbar with Chromecast and Bluetooth, along with the ability to control it via the Google Assistant is just that much better. If I had the original Definitive W Studio, I wouldn’t upgrade. The products are too similar to each other to justify the upgrade. So similar, the soundbar is the same size and has the exact same mounting holes as the original W Studio. The extra processing of the 5.1 of the Studio Advance is nearly unnoticeable to me (I own the predecessor to this product, the original W Studio).
This product serves as a great addition to my family room TV. It has made movies and TV shows much more enjoyable compared to just TV speakers. Would it be my primary product if I had a dedicated home theater? Probably not. You just can’t beat the sound and power having separate speakers and a receiver. On the downside, separates would cost substantially more money and be much more complex to configure and install. If you don’t have the space or need for a dedicated theater, this would provide a great option. The mids and highs are smooth and detailed and the sub adds just enough punch without being overpowering. The ability to stream to the soundbar with Chromecast and Bluetooth, along with the ability to control it via the Google Assistant is just that much better. If I had the original Definitive W Studio, I wouldn’t upgrade. The products are too similar to each other to justify the upgrade. So similar, the soundbar is the same size and has the exact same mounting holes as the original W Studio. The extra processing of the 5.1 of the Studio Advance is nearly unnoticeable to me (I own the predecessor to this product, the original W Studio).
If you want to improve your overall TV viewing experience and want a high quality, great sounding product, this one should definitely be on your short list of options. I have listened to dozens of soundbars and subwoofer combinations and the Definitive products continue to be my go-to. I feel they sound better than any of their competitors for the price.
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+2points
4of 6voted this as helpful.
Stay active while listening to the crisp sound of these JLab EpicAir wireless sports earbuds. The rechargeable LiIon battery provides hours of listening time, while the ear hook design offers a secure fit. These JLab EpicAir wireless sports earbuds are sweat-resistant and water-resistant and have different-sized eartips, which can be swapped out for comfort.
Customer Rating
2
Mediocre performance, at best.
on August 4, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
POSITIVES - The product is easy to pair to both Android and iOS devices. The controls for the ear buds are built into the bud itself. They respond to touches on the logo for various functions. Phone calls are clear and callers stated they have had no issues hearing or understanding me. In a typical office environment, even my soft talking was picked up and understood. A definite plus. Unfortunately, it has been extremely hot and dry, with calm days. I have not been able to test them in windy conditions.
I really like the case and charging. The case contains a battery and is used to recharge the ear buds. The case is charged via a normal USB connection (Type A). There are 4 white LED’s on the front of the case indicating the current state of charge for the internal battery. The headphones rest in the case and are held in magnetically. Once the ear buds are inserted and the lid is closed, they are automatically turned off and charged. Once charged and removed from the case, the ear buds turn on and connect to the last device they were paired with. Very slick! JLabs claims roughly 10 hours of battery life before needing recharged, and that seems close to spot on.
NEGATIVES – These ear buds produce little to no bass. While normal vocals are fairly clear, these buds do not excel at music reproduction. You will not get any additional bass from the built-in EQ curves either. If this is your thing, I would recommend looking elsewhere.
However, my number one, biggest complaint with these is the Bluetooth lag. I have a set of JLab JBuds Bands headphones that cost significantly less, and I don’t experience anywhere near the amount of audio delay I do with these. I have tried all forms of different apps and source materials to see if the audio lag is related only to one device and/or app. I must report that it is not. Regardless of app or streaming service, the lag is present and undeniable. It is bad enough, that I do not use these for and type of video playback. Of course, should you stick solely to audio, this would be a non-issue. But, in my mixed use that includes video, I find the delay a distraction.
FINAL THOUGHTS – In my opinion, these are mediocre headphones. They are adequate for listening to the news, podcasts, and conducting phone calls. They fit reasonably well, are sweat resistant, and JLab includes a number of different tips to help achieve a comfortable, secure fit to your ear. I thought the charging case was very well executed, as is the software for the buds. The auto shut-off and auto reconnect feature never failed on my Android or iOS devices. However, I expected more for headphones that cost this much. Honestly, my JLab JBuds Bands headphones, while not fully wireless, give nearly identical performance for far less. Add to that an irritating amount of audio delay and I cannot recommend this product.
FINAL THOUGHTS – In my opinion, these are mediocre headphones. They are adequate for listening to the news, podcasts, and conducting phone calls. They fit reasonably well, are sweat resistant, and JLab includes a number of different tips to help achieve a comfortable, secure fit to your ear. I thought the charging case was very well executed, as is the software for the buds. The auto shut-off and auto reconnect feature never failed on my Android or iOS devices. However, I expected more for headphones that cost this much. Honestly, my JLab JBuds Bands headphones, while not fully wireless, give nearly identical performance for far less. Add to that an irritating amount of audio delay and I cannot recommend this product.
Mobile Submission: False
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
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+1point
1of 1voted this as helpful.
Watch movies or the big game with this VIZIO HDR smart TV. The screen measures 74.5 inches diagonally so everyone in the room can view content clearly. With Apple AirPlay and HomeKit compatibility, you can use Siri to send photos and videos from your devices. This VIZIO HDR smart TV features 4K resolution for vivid images and sharp details, while the 240ms refresh rate allows for high frame rates.
Customer Rating
4
A good TV with only one sweet spot
on August 2, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
KEY FEATURES
Quantum Dot 4k LED Display
Compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR, and HLG Content
Up to 2700 nits brightness
Full backlit display with 480 local dimming zones
Airplay 2 and Chromecast compatible
Google and Alexa voice control compatible
This isn’t an all-encompassing list, just some of the highlights.
Quantum Dot 4k LED Display
Compatible with Dolby Vision, HDR, and HLG Content
Up to 2700 nits brightness
Full backlit display with 480 local dimming zones
Airplay 2 and Chromecast compatible
Google and Alexa voice control compatible
This isn’t an all-encompassing list, just some of the highlights.
SET-UP
This is one of those products whose packaging is impressive and very well thought out. There was no wrestling to get it out of the box. Inside the box, the TV comes in a large plastic bag with 2 grab handles built in. I will admit that I was very hesitant lifting a TV that heavy by the grab handles in a plastic bag, but it worked without any drama. While the plastic seemed to stretch an uncomfortable amount, it didn’t fail. A huge plus is that the screen comes with a padded cardboard cover affixed to it and really protected it from damage. I was able to lay the TV down without worry of damage to the screen.
This is one of those products whose packaging is impressive and very well thought out. There was no wrestling to get it out of the box. Inside the box, the TV comes in a large plastic bag with 2 grab handles built in. I will admit that I was very hesitant lifting a TV that heavy by the grab handles in a plastic bag, but it worked without any drama. While the plastic seemed to stretch an uncomfortable amount, it didn’t fail. A huge plus is that the screen comes with a padded cardboard cover affixed to it and really protected it from damage. I was able to lay the TV down without worry of damage to the screen.
Initial set-up was very quick and completely pain free. Upon power up, the TV walks you through all the steps necessary for setting it up and getting it working. It took me approximately 5 minutes after plugging it in to watching content. That included downloading and installing a firmware update.
PERFORMANCE
This TV is a very strong performer and gives the big names a run for their money. Out of the box color and picture were not all that great. But, lowering the sharpness below 10 and using the Calibrated picture mode really cleaned things up. In my opinion, close enough to reference that most people could use these settings and be perfectly happy. However, if you are a perfectionist, Vizio includes a wide range of adjustments that allow you to get the color fine tuned to near reference levels. Vizio’s panel and color tracking were very accurate. I am in no way a professional, but I do appreciate a well calibrated, accurate display and own a colorimeter to calibrate my TV’s. As you can see from the photos, I was able to get the error rates of all grayscale measurements down to imperceptible levels. Outstanding! This is the only TV, other than my LG OLED, that I have been able to achieve a picture this accurate.
This TV is a very strong performer and gives the big names a run for their money. Out of the box color and picture were not all that great. But, lowering the sharpness below 10 and using the Calibrated picture mode really cleaned things up. In my opinion, close enough to reference that most people could use these settings and be perfectly happy. However, if you are a perfectionist, Vizio includes a wide range of adjustments that allow you to get the color fine tuned to near reference levels. Vizio’s panel and color tracking were very accurate. I am in no way a professional, but I do appreciate a well calibrated, accurate display and own a colorimeter to calibrate my TV’s. As you can see from the photos, I was able to get the error rates of all grayscale measurements down to imperceptible levels. Outstanding! This is the only TV, other than my LG OLED, that I have been able to achieve a picture this accurate.
Audio performance was also a welcome change. I use this TV with the included chrome, metal stands. You can actually hear and understand this TV without a soundbar. While I really disliked the Surround processing (it seemed to make the scenes way too loud), turning the surround off cleared up the dialog.
NEGATIVES
The major drawback I have with this TV is the poor viewing angle. If you really want to enjoy that perfectly calibrated picture in all its glory, the only way to experience it is right in front of the set. If you sit just slightly off axis, the picture quality rapidly deteriorates. I have included a picture with a dark screen to show the effect. If this set is for one person or a couple that sits right next to each other, great. If not, you most likely will not enjoy the experience in any other seating position other than straight ahead.
The major drawback I have with this TV is the poor viewing angle. If you really want to enjoy that perfectly calibrated picture in all its glory, the only way to experience it is right in front of the set. If you sit just slightly off axis, the picture quality rapidly deteriorates. I have included a picture with a dark screen to show the effect. If this set is for one person or a couple that sits right next to each other, great. If not, you most likely will not enjoy the experience in any other seating position other than straight ahead.
The second drawback is the lack of Dolby Atmos support. While this isn’t a total loss, at this price point, I feel the TV should be able decode Dolby Atmos encoded soundtracks. Other manufacturer’s TVs will decode Atmos soundtracks, but Vizio seems to reserve this exclusively for their soundbars.
My third issue is the performance of the Wi-Fi. 5GHz performance on this TV is very poor. This TV is only about 30ft away from my router and I am only able to get about 4Mb/s down, at best. Switching to 2.4GHz improves things substantially, raising throughput to 35Mb/s. This is not a function of 2.4 having better coverage than 5. I placed my laptop next to the TV and downloaded a file on the 5GHz band. My laptop was averaging 30MB/s. That is not a typo. I then used the Netflix tool to test speeds. Netflix speed tests also confirmed the speed discrepancy, averaging 80+Mb/s for the laptop and about 3Mb/s for the TV. That is a substantial difference in 5GHz performance. Using the ethernet connection is highly recommended and would eliminate these potential issues.
CONCLUSION
Do I like this TV? Yes, if I am sitting directly in front of it. The picture can be outstanding. The quantum dot technology makes the picture very bright and vivid. Colors really pop and whites can be so bright, they are almost uncomfortable. Out of the box calibrated modes are close to spot on and any discrepancies in the color accuracy can be easily fine tuned with the well designed Vizio software and a good colorimeter. The audio is equally impressive. This is one of the few flat panels I’ve had that can be heard and understood. The Vizio software is decent and easy to learn. The Smart TV functions are easily accessed with little to no lag. However, that viewing angle is VERY poor. You really need to sit directly in front of the TV to get the best experience. If you sit anywhere slightly off center, the image deteriorates rapidly.
Do I like this TV? Yes, if I am sitting directly in front of it. The picture can be outstanding. The quantum dot technology makes the picture very bright and vivid. Colors really pop and whites can be so bright, they are almost uncomfortable. Out of the box calibrated modes are close to spot on and any discrepancies in the color accuracy can be easily fine tuned with the well designed Vizio software and a good colorimeter. The audio is equally impressive. This is one of the few flat panels I’ve had that can be heard and understood. The Vizio software is decent and easy to learn. The Smart TV functions are easily accessed with little to no lag. However, that viewing angle is VERY poor. You really need to sit directly in front of the TV to get the best experience. If you sit anywhere slightly off center, the image deteriorates rapidly.
So, it all boils down to one question: Would I purchase this TV or a slightly smaller, similarly priced OLED TV? Unfortunately, I would say: OLED. If you are interested in a super bright, vivid image, shear viewing size and sit directly in front of this TV, you will be extremely happy with this television. It is very nice and has a ton to offer. But, if you truly want the ultimate in black level performance, the best viewing angles, and the most accurate image reproduction, OLED is superior. However, should Vizio be able to improve the off-center viewing performance of this TV, then that could be another story entirely …
Mobile Submission: False
I would recommend this to a friend!
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+22points
26of 30voted this as helpful.
Logitech G703 LIGHTSPEED Gaming Mouse meets the next-gen HERO 25K sensor. Go pro with precise gameplay at 25,600 max DPI and zero smoothing, plus enhanced wireless performance. 10X the battery efficiency of previous generation sensors means up to 35 hours of gameplay with LIGHTSYNC RGB enabled. A comfortable design meets advanced button technology for supreme comfort and crisp, clean clicks. G703 LIGHTSPEED lets you play like the pros — and play to win.
Customer Rating
5
This is a high quality, very accurate mouse.
on July 27, 2019
Posted by: NAMO
SET-UP
Set-up was very simple. After plugging in the small USB receiver, Windows takes control and installs drivers for basic functionality. Initially, I was very disappointed with the performance of the mouse. The default Windows drivers and mouse options offered very inferior performance compared to my go-to Logitech MX1100. Finding a quick and simple place to download the Logitech software from the website proved very frustrating. However, once I went back to the directions (who would have thought to read those??), I found the proper URL for the necessary GHUB software. After installation, things were immediately different and the mouse had a whole new personality. The GHUB software is mandatory to get the most and best experiences from the mouse. It allows you to fully customize the interactions from lighting to resolution, assigned buttons, macros, report rates etc.
Set-up was very simple. After plugging in the small USB receiver, Windows takes control and installs drivers for basic functionality. Initially, I was very disappointed with the performance of the mouse. The default Windows drivers and mouse options offered very inferior performance compared to my go-to Logitech MX1100. Finding a quick and simple place to download the Logitech software from the website proved very frustrating. However, once I went back to the directions (who would have thought to read those??), I found the proper URL for the necessary GHUB software. After installation, things were immediately different and the mouse had a whole new personality. The GHUB software is mandatory to get the most and best experiences from the mouse. It allows you to fully customize the interactions from lighting to resolution, assigned buttons, macros, report rates etc.
USE
Once the GHUB software was configured to my tastes, this mouse has been very enjoyable to use. The mouse has a premium feel. The optional 10g weight was much needed and a welcome addition. Button clicks are smooth with just the right feel and resistance. The scroll wheel has the perfect amount of resistance and is smooth and consistent. It is obvious that Logitech spent a great deal of time and effort in the design, ergonomics, and functionality.
Once the GHUB software was configured to my tastes, this mouse has been very enjoyable to use. The mouse has a premium feel. The optional 10g weight was much needed and a welcome addition. Button clicks are smooth with just the right feel and resistance. The scroll wheel has the perfect amount of resistance and is smooth and consistent. It is obvious that Logitech spent a great deal of time and effort in the design, ergonomics, and functionality.
The mouse is nearly infinitely customizable. The buttons, scroll wheel, lighting effects, resolution, report rate can all be changed and tailored to support your needs and wants. The GHUB software makes programming the different options simple and straightforward. While I don’t find the software instantly intuitive, it is easy to learn and offers many options for the user. I really appreciate how changes the user makes to the mouse instantly reflects in the GHUB software. For example, I had the report rate set at the default of 1000x/second. After and extended gaming session, the mouse was draining the battery fairly rapidly. I switched to 125x/second and the software immediately re-estimated my remaining battery life and current draw. Very slick.
CONS
While I am still getting used to the new size of the mouse, I do really miss the size and heft of my MX1100. I have been using that mouse for years and am really accustomed to the weight and feel and am sure it will be the same with the mouse as I continue to use it.
The GHUB software is good, but it is a weird experience too. The software has to load in order to get the mouse configured correctly. Until it fully loads into memory, the mouse uses the basic Windows drivers and is not very responsive or user friendly. Granted this is only for the first few seconds after Windows boots, but the switch from the basic Windows drivers to the GHUB software is abrupt and I constantly lose the mouse pointer. If I had more patience, this wouldn’t be an issue, but I don’t have a great deal of patience. The same scenario occurs when the mouse goes to sleep too. It conveniently dims the lights after 1 minute of inactivity and goes to sleep after 5 minutes. Upon wake up, there is an awkward transition from Windows drivers to GHUB. To be fair, this can be reduced or eliminated by changing the sleep times in the GHUB software. But, this would also affect battery life.
While I am still getting used to the new size of the mouse, I do really miss the size and heft of my MX1100. I have been using that mouse for years and am really accustomed to the weight and feel and am sure it will be the same with the mouse as I continue to use it.
The GHUB software is good, but it is a weird experience too. The software has to load in order to get the mouse configured correctly. Until it fully loads into memory, the mouse uses the basic Windows drivers and is not very responsive or user friendly. Granted this is only for the first few seconds after Windows boots, but the switch from the basic Windows drivers to the GHUB software is abrupt and I constantly lose the mouse pointer. If I had more patience, this wouldn’t be an issue, but I don’t have a great deal of patience. The same scenario occurs when the mouse goes to sleep too. It conveniently dims the lights after 1 minute of inactivity and goes to sleep after 5 minutes. Upon wake up, there is an awkward transition from Windows drivers to GHUB. To be fair, this can be reduced or eliminated by changing the sleep times in the GHUB software. But, this would also affect battery life.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I really like this product. Even with my impatience regarding the software, it doesn’t diminish my opinion of the product. The mouse has an excellent, premium feel. In addition to the wireless features, it includes a charging/direct wire cable, should it be needed. Dimming the lighting to 80% and slowing the report rate to 125x/second gives me about 50 hours of battery life per charge. Having the option of using the included hardwired cable or the optional wireless charging pad are great features. I have found this mouse not only works great for gaming, but is also super precise and a great fit for photo editing. It is far more accurate than my MX1100. Highly recommended.
I really like this product. Even with my impatience regarding the software, it doesn’t diminish my opinion of the product. The mouse has an excellent, premium feel. In addition to the wireless features, it includes a charging/direct wire cable, should it be needed. Dimming the lighting to 80% and slowing the report rate to 125x/second gives me about 50 hours of battery life per charge. Having the option of using the included hardwired cable or the optional wireless charging pad are great features. I have found this mouse not only works great for gaming, but is also super precise and a great fit for photo editing. It is far more accurate than my MX1100. Highly recommended.
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I would recommend this to a friend!
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HP OMEN Obelisk by HP Desktop: Play graphically intense games with this HP OMEN Obelisk desktop computer. You can easily store large amounts of media and other data on the 1TB hard drive and install games and programs on the 256GB SSD for fast access. This HP OMEN Obelisk desktop computer has 16GB of memory for multitasking effectively, and the Intel Core i7-9700 processor handles resource-intense programs efficiently.
How many cores are there in this pc
8 Cores / 8 Threads. Intel has disabled hyper-threading on its i7 processors.
5 years ago
by
NAMO
HP OMEN Obelisk by HP Desktop: Play graphically intense games with this HP OMEN Obelisk desktop computer. You can easily store large amounts of media and other data on the 1TB hard drive and install games and programs on the 256GB SSD for fast access. This HP OMEN Obelisk desktop computer has 16GB of memory for multitasking effectively, and the Intel Core i7-9700 processor handles resource-intense programs efficiently.
The advertisement and stated processor says its a 9th gen i7-9700 however if you click on the pdf information for this computer it states that it is an 8th Gen i7-8700? Also indicates that graphics are onboard and not the GPU?
It is the 9th Generation 9700 processor with an nVidia GTX 1660Ti graphics card. I believe all the Intel processors include onboard graphics.
5 years ago
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NAMO
This Pioneer BDR-XD05S external drive allows you to archive up to 128GB of data on BD-R QL media and up to 100GB of data on BD-R TL media, plus supports DVD and CD formats, so you can burn your favorite movies and music to discs.
can a windows 7 computer boot from this drive ?
You should have no issues as long as your bios supports this feature.
6 years, 10 months ago
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NAMO
This Pioneer BDR-XD05S external drive allows you to archive up to 128GB of data on BD-R QL media and up to 100GB of data on BD-R TL media, plus supports DVD and CD formats, so you can burn your favorite movies and music to discs.
Is this compatible with a Surface Book?
Mine did not work correctly with a Surface Pro, even with a powered hub. It has worked perfectly with every other computer and/or laptop I've tried it with, though.
6 years, 10 months ago
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NAMO
Relax and enjoy your favorite films, sporting events or shows on the expansive 65-inch screen of this LG 4K HD TV. Active HDR with Dolby Vision creates an immersive experience with clear images. This LG 4K HD TV features a thin OLED design, giving the television a slender silhouette that doesn't take up much space.
Difference between the 2016 vs 2017 models? Any one what the pros/cons?
From my research, it appears the big differences are that the 2017 models come with LG's latest OS installed (WebOS 3.5 vs WebOS 3.0). LG has also worked some magic on the video processing too. They are now able to get more detail in the very darkest portions of an image, where the 2016 models would sign off on the darkest details earlier & just represent them as total black. Lastly, they able to tweak the light output on the panels to improve overall brightness, which was a common complaint of the 2016 models that were installed in fairly bright rooms from what I have heard.
Thanks. Hope this helps.
Thanks. Hope this helps.
7 years ago
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NAMO
Relax and enjoy your favorite films, sporting events or shows on the expansive 65-inch screen of this LG 4K HD TV. Active HDR with Dolby Vision creates an immersive experience with clear images. This LG 4K HD TV features a thin OLED design, giving the television a slender silhouette that doesn't take up much space.
When is bestbuy going to sell the LG B7 65 inch model?
I don't think they will. It is my understanding that the B7 is identical to the C7, but intended for Costco and/or Sam's only.
7 years ago
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NAMO