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I ought to, at the start, tell you that I myself own an assortment of cameras. These comprise of cameras made by distinct manufacturers. I have two Nikons, a Pentax, and one Konika. I must confess that I am a little partial with respect to a specific brand, but I will try that this doesn’t blur any editorial comments I might subsequently put forth.

regard a tremendous Kodak C190 Digital Camera

If digital camera deals are any signal of which the topmost brand was, then in accordabce Amazon.com Canon is the clear winner. At this moment, this brand boasts of the distinction of creating the most number of cameras in the list of topmost cameras. This includes 3 amidst the top 5. The next best are cameras created by Panasonic. Kodak has 4 cameras within the topmost 25. Minolta sneaks in with some of their cameras. To finish, Sharp enters the picture owing to its own offerings. gpoz324

A perusal of a topmost-camera-evaluation site under their 5 star grouping show 41 Canon cameras, 17 Panasonic cameras, 11 Agfa cameras, 10 Minolta cameras, 7 BenQ cameras, 5 Aigo cameras, 2 Gami cameras, and a Lumix camera. A subsequent site placed the cameras in the given manner. The best was Canon, at the seocnd spot was Sony, followed by Konika, and these are trailed by Panasonic, Minolta, BenQ, HoneyWell, Gami, Vivitar, and Argus.

By basically totaling these different findings, Canon scored above the rest, Sony followed as 2nd best, and in 3rd position are cameras made by Konika. Everybody else accounted for fewer than ten top ranked offerings.

IMO, these sd work ‘like a VCR’ as far as recording and playback. There are models w/ harddrives, VHS players, etc. built in, but to me that’s overboard.

Bells and Whistles

The VHS option is not bad, but you most likely already have one you can plug into the inputs of the DVD recorder.

I have a DVD recorder for archiving TiVo shows as opposed to accessing my TiVo from my PC. This is nice because it means I can also archive VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, etc. w/no extra work.

I do have a TV card in my PC so I can do this, but using the DVD recorder is easier.

My motto is: buy what you WILL use and not what you CAN use.

I’ve bought lots of things that CAN do a lot, but in reality I don’t use all the extra features. Not in all cases, but in this case, I say pass on the bells and whistles.

Again, there are models w/ all types of features, but if you buy one that is a DVR, DVD recorder, VCR, TV tuner all in one and one part breaks, it’s all broke.

Realize Something About Technology

Remember – this is new technology and will only get better and cheaper. If you buy the top of the line today, it’s going to be out of date and/or cheap tomorrow. Test the waters w/ a ‘good’ model and upgrade when the time is right.

Editing Your Recordings

Chances are – you won’t. It’s a pain for the most part and usually requires DVD-RAM or DVD-RW discs to do it and they’re more expensive. If you have a lot of free time for this, you’re a rare person.

I was looking for this type of solution in getting ready for having a baby and I knew I wasn’t going to be sifting through and editing hours of video.

If you’re really interested in editing, look in to PC options. Pinnacle, ArcSoft, Adobe, etc. – they have good solutions for that.

DVD R, DVD-R, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW

DVD R and DVD-R are like VHS and Beta: they’re both ok right now, but eventually we’ll probably land on one or the other. It seems to be leaning towards DVD-R which tend to be less expensive also.

Many recorders and players do both, but cost more. I say save some money, pick one (probably DVD-R) and move on. If you pick the wrong one, chances are in a couple years you’ll be buying a new one anyway. Moreover, you’ll probably be able to get a cheap one w/ a built in converter or two trays to duplicate one to the other.

DVD-RAM and DVD-RW are the rewritable types. They’re more expensive and for my purposes aren’t worth worrying about.

My Recommendation

I got the Panasonic DMR-E55K:

It records to DVD-R like a VCR. I don’t use it to record live TV so I don’t use VCR , but it has it. Also, it has TimeSlip which lets you watch something while it’s recording (start recording “24″ at 8pm and start watching it from the begining at 8:20 to speed thru commercials like a TiVo). Again, I don’t use this, but it has it.

Plain and simple, it records my TiVo, camcorder, digital camera (RCA cable output), VCR, etc. to DVD – that’s what I want it to do and that’s what it does. It’s easy, creates a good menu w/ thumbnails and my chosen titles, it’s a name brand w/ good reviews and was fairly cheap (there was a rebate at the time).

Also, it plays CDs and mp3 CDs w/ a good interface so not only does it replace a CD player, but since you can put so many songs on one CD, it replaces a CD changer.

An interesting trick: If you have a digital camera w/ RCA cable output, you can hook it directly into the dvd recorder and create a quick slide-show dvd. Many cameras even have a slide show function built in! You can use the sound from a music channel, CD, etc.

Summary

If you’re going gung-ho into all the nitty gritty about DVD recorders, you’re either just starting here or haven’t bothered to read this far. If you’re looking for a good, relatively cheap solution to digitize your tapes, archive TiVo, etc., I recommend the Panasonic DMR-E55K.

Bear Cahill is a software engineer in the Dallas, TX area and runs a few websites: The Armchair Geek (thearmchairgeek.com), Webpage Hosting Info (webpagehostinginfo.com), Go To College Online (gotocollegeonline.com) and The Video Exchange Community (videoexchange.org)

Publish freely if this resource box is included and links maintained as links.

Avenue Q has taken the musical theatre landscape by storm, by showing that hand-puppets can be viewed as human. The theatre show has just lately been offered an extended performance calendar in the City, and tourists are very excited in taking advantage of the remarkable performances in the midst of this exhilarating city. However, it can be difficult when it comes to acquiring both the best tickets for Avenue Q, and an appropriate, and sensibly priced hotel. That is why it is a fabulous idea to purchase one of the several available Avenue Q hotel and theatre packages currently around in order to cut-down both your expenses and your irritation level.

London theatre packages offer a lot better value than if you got theatre tickets and accommodation independently. Organisations that provide theatre packages are able to secure a substantial number of London theatre tickets for every single theatre show at a huge reduction, and so can supply astounding offers that can not be bought by Joe public. Theatre packages are aimed around the hope that most holiday makers will sleep at the exact same hotel accommodation for the full length of their vacation in the city, and therefore, the accommodation will very easily be able to make-up for any loss as a result of the costs of offering cheaper rooms as part of the London theatre packages.

When examining the availability of Avenue Q hotel accommodation and show packages, it’s incredibly important to plan your break to London as soon as possible. Whilst various last minute theatre show packages are around, the best choice of shows and collection of hotel rooms can be bought one or two months beforehand. Prior preparation is extremely important if the preferred performance time is late on Friday or Saturday night, as these performance times are definitely the most likely to run out. Also, weekend rooms are by far the most popular for tourist hotel stays. Going to an Avenue Q show during the middle of the week or during a matinee performance can result in substantially lower show ticket prices and also present more room availability. Get the best London breaks online.

Make sure to consider how you will be travelling to your destination upon arrival in the Capital, as a number of Avenue Q theatre show deals can also come with huge reductions for transportation, especially for travelling by rail. Also, always check with the companies offering the package to see if there is any price assurance that comes with it, in the event that another comparable package becomes available at a substantially cheaper value.

Avenue Q the musical is transforming the image of puppets forever, and obtaining the best Avenue Q theatre package can help make the musical show a truly amazing present.

A Jeep mountain bike conjures up pictures of the rugged comfort, and performance with visual appeal, of the well-known vehicle. This is exactly what this bike range offers.

The company has created options in all different aspects of mountain biking, from children to adults, full suspension to hardtail, freeride and other models.

Jeep mountain bike frames are tough and good-looking, and have a limited lifetime warranty. Jeep only uses components from the most respected names in mountain biking. They have developed a range that will satisfy anyone who appreciates the Jeep tradition, but wants to use pedal power as a green option to energy consumption!

Young riders are catered for with the Jeep Mountain Bike Commando range. In the Commando TJ20, the exclusive T-Youth frame, hand brake, and coaster brake spells safety and control. A kickstand, fender, and padded frame are standard features. The Commando TSI model sports full suspension, with a twist shift 7-speed drive-train.

The adult range Jeep mountain bikes include Full, and Dual Suspension models.

The flagship is the New Jeep Rubicon All Wheel Drive line, designed to tackle the toughest terrain with tenacity. The Jeep Mountain Bike Rubicon Classic and Rubicon Sport harness the advanced innovative All Wheel Drive system, featuring an engagement clutch for a ’shift-on-the-fly’ option.

The bottom-line is vastly improved front wheel traction on any terrain, come sand, snow, mud, or rain. The system can also be engaged when losing traction in the back wheel, and adds power to the front. Smooth power transmission are offered by spiral cut gears. This Jeep mountain bike offers all-round improvement in control. Whether climbing, or descending, you will feel the grip on the ground. Slippery slopes are no threat to these bikes.

Another toughie is the Wrangler SE Jeep Mountain Bike . This is built on Jeep’s teardrop aluminum chassis, and has a solid Jeep shock fork. It is not a dual suspension bike, but a hardtail Jeep mountain bike, with the ability to climb effortlessly, and to cope equally well with light trails or city biking. Gear shifting is easy, and the brakes have strong and dependable stopping ability.

The Jeep Mountain Bike Cherokee Sahara Dual Suspension gives performance and comfort in a high-tech bike. It has a 21-speed drive-train, easy-twist gear shifter, and an all-aluminum linkage dual suspension, as well as extra frame gussets for strength. It has metal pedals, disc brakes, and Kenda knobbly tires for grip.

If you are battling to fit this Cherokee Jeep mountain bike into your suitcase, you should perhaps consider the Jeep Cherokee Folding Bike as an alternative…

The 20″ folding mountain bike takes up only 8 cubic feet of space. It takes only a few seconds to have your ride ready for the trail. The full suspension frame makes for a smooth ride, and the 6-speed indexed gear shifting loves to take to the hills. It includes mudguards, and a kickstand.

In the past, the Jeep mountain bike range has been seen as a good, reasonably priced option for beginners.

Many improvements later, with the Rubicon at the ready, even the big boys may just start to glance furtively in the direction of these Jeep mountain bikes…

For more information visit Best-Mountain-Biking.com

Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com researches, writes, and publishes full-time on the Web.

Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.