Crave

The EZ300HD has an HD shooting mode--but don't expect true HD quality.

(Credit: RCA)

Got a look at RCA's new EZ300HD Thursday and at first touch it appears to be a significant step up from the other budget camcorders in the company's Small Wonder line.

The highlights here are a 720p (1280x720) HD shooting mode, a 2.4-inch LCD with "improved viewing in bright sunlight," and a swiveling lens that gives you more flexibility when shooting. The 2GB of built-in memory gives you one hour of recording time in HD mode or six hours of recording time in the lower-resolution YouTube capture mode. The EZ300HD is powered by a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack and its memory can be expanded by purchasing a higher-capacity SD card.

On paper at least, the EZ300HD matches up well with Kodak's Zi6, which also bills itself as an HD camcorder. We had this to say about that model: "The Kodak Zi6 is technically an HD camcorder the way a tomato is technically a fruit: it meets the definition, but doesn't deliver the experience. True, the Zi6 records video in 1,280x720-pixel resolution at both 30 frames per second and 60fps--720p resolution--which technically qualifies it as an HD camcorder, but a lot of factors go into creating an image, not just a CMOS sensor capable of capturing an image at a certain resolution and frame rate."

We assume the same will be true of the Small Wonder EZ300HD, but as usual, we'll reserve final judgment until we get a review sample. At least the EZ300HD is less expensive than the Kodak Zi6, which currently costs about $175. The EZ300HD carries a list price of $159.99, but according to the PR rep, it will be sold at Circuit City for $130.

Comments?

(Credit: Acoustic Research)

We recently christened the Logitech Squeezebox Boom as our favorite Wi-Fi radio, but that's not to say there's no room for more products in that burgeoning category.

Take the new RCA Infinite Radio RIR200 from Acoustic Research. In addition to its ability to pull in thousands of Internet radio stations from across the globe, this squat little networked clock radio can also access the Slacker music service (free with ads, or paid without) as well as good old-fashioned over-the-air AM and FM radio. It's also got weather forecasts (courtesy of WeatherBug) and will even interrupt what you're listening to in the event of an emergency weather bulletin.

While the Infinite Radio doesn't seem to be able to pull audio files from a networked PC, it can play MP3, WMA, and RealAudio music files from a USB flash drive. It's also got the unique ability to record over-the-air or Internet radio to the unit's built-in 512MB memory for later listening (the recordings can't be exported, however).

But here's the kicker: the Infinite Radio will soon be available for as little as $99. (A more expensive version, the RIR205, includes a Wi-Fi access point as well.) At that price, it certainly looks to be a feasible alternative to products like the Aluratek. We'll have a full review as soon as we get our hands on one.

Related coverage: Wi-Fi radio roundup

The EZ210

(Credit: RCA)

The latest iteration of RCA's Small Wonder video cameras is now available. Along with Creative's just-released $99 Vado, the new trio of Small Wonders is competing with Flip Video's popular budget cams, which--by some estimates--have snagged up to one-eighth of the overall camcorder market.

We liked how previous Small Wonder models had a flip-out LCD, and we're happy to report that two of the new models sport this feature. It's also worth noting that all the models have some form of removable memory, which means you can always carry around an extra card with you to store more videos. Alas, RCA hasn't gone with a rechargeable battery--but the new models are pretty affordable. Two come in at less than $100, while the splash-resistant Traveler model comes in at $149.99.

There was some talk at CES about the EZ300HD, a Small Wonder that would allegedly shoot at "HD" resolution (1,280 x 720). However, that model hasn't materialized yet.

Here's the lineup:

I posted the general outline of my problems with a DirecTV upgrade a few days ago. Now for some of the details.

DirecTV logo

(Credit: DIRECTV, Inc.)

When DirecTV called me in February to talk me into upgrading my hardware, I had three pieces of equipment in operation: a dish antenna configured to receive signals from DirecTV's three older satellites, an RCA DTC100 HD receiver in my bedroom, and a Hughes HR10-250 HD TiVo DVR (digital video recorder) in my living room.

DirecTV made a simple offer: if I simply said "yes," they'd send out a professional installer with a new dish, a new HD receiver (the H20 or H21 models capable of receiving the new MPEG-4 channels), and a new HD DVR (the HR20 or HR21 models).

I really didn't want to lose all the great features of my TiVo box, but I knew there'd be no choice; eventually I'd have to switch. So I said yes. I got an appointment for the next week-- February 28, as it happened. When I asked about the differences between the different models of receiver and DVR, the DirecTV representative said I could get the information on the Internet. He gave me the phone number of DirecTV's service department and encouraged me to call to verify the appointment and find out what equipment would be installed.

Over the next few days I looked into these model numbers for the receiver and DVR to see if there was any basis for choosing between them. It turns out the "21" models are newer but lack the internal tuners for local digital broadcasts. That was a problem for me, since I regularly watched these broadcasts on my HR10-250. So on Feb. 25, I called the number I was given and spoke with a Molisha. She verified the appointment schedule, and I asked if she could specify that I wanted to get the HR20 DVR instead of the HR21. She responded evasively, but eventually I got her to admit that she could do that.

On Feb. 28, the installer showed up... with a new antenna and an HR21-700 DVR. His work order didn't say anything about the HR20 (though I learned later that DirecTV's version of the service request did mention it), and it didn't mention the new receiver for the bedroom at all (though again DirecTV's records show this was part of the order).

The installer placed a call to his dispatcher to see if he could get an HR20 and went up to the roof to install the new dish. I asked him to leave the old dish in place, just in case, and he agreed. He eventually heard from his dispatcher that no new HR20 models were available, only customer returns, and he recommended I take the HR21 and work it out with DirecTV. That seemed reasonable, since DirecTV was going to have to send me the missing receiver anyway.

So the installer and I hooked up the HR21, he made the call to get it activated, and that was that.

But when I went up to the roof to check out the new antenna, I discovered that not only had the installer not left the old dish in place, he'd left it disassembled in multiple pieces. The big pieces were lying on the roof surrounded by some of the mounting hardware (bolts, nuts, washers, etc.). The other hardware had rolled down into my gutter. I think that's pretty awful.

I emailed DirecTV through its website once while the installer was at the house, and again afterward, but they haven't gotten back to me yet. But in reviewing my account information while researching this post, I discovered that DirecTV marked the Feb. 28 appointment as both "installed" and "cancelled" and entered a new order on March 10 that refers to installing a dish and relocating (not replacing) my existing receivers. Perhaps this means someone got my emails but completely misunderstood them.

I'll give them a call, and post here again when I find out what the company is able to do to rectify these problems. And I'll also be posting a review of the new HR21-700 DVR. The more I use it, the more I discover flaws and shortcomings relative to my trusty old TiVo. It isn't all bad; there are a few features of this unit that work pretty well. I'll cover them all, soon.

DirecTV is in the middle of a long-planned upgrade to new satellite broadcast technology. The company has launched new satellites that use MPEG-4 video compression to carry an ever-increasing number of HDTV stations, both local and national.

I've been a DirecTV subscriber for many years. In fact, I signed up in 2000 because I wanted to take a look at the then-new RCA DTC100 HD receiver. I didn't even have an HDTV, but I did have a high-quality 21" CRT computer monitor that the DTC100 could drive. It wasn't good for large audiences, but for one or two people at a time, it was a real eye-opener. Eventually I got a real HDTV and the Hughes HR10-250 TiVo DVR (digital video recorder) for DirecTV. That was a great combination, one of the best high-tech purchases I've ever made.

Late last year, DirecTV started calling me, inviting me to upgrade my equipment so that I could start receiving the new MPEG-4 channels. The representatives explained that the MPEG-2 HD channels I was watching on the DTC100 and HR10-250 would be phased out, and I would need to get new receivers eventually anyway.

But I really didn't want to upgrade. See, DirecTV and TiVo don't get along any more. DirecTV sells its own DVRs, and all the reports I read online said these non-TiVo models were pretty bad. I wanted to hang onto my HR10-250 as long as possible, hoping there'd be a new TiVo-branded DirecTV DVR before the old MPEG-2 channels were cut off.

But eventually I forced myself to accept that wasn't going to happen, so when DirecTV called again last month and offered to give me a new receiver to replace the DTC100, a new DVR to replace the HR10-250, and free installation of a new dish antenna, I gave in and scheduled the appointment.

I should have held out longer. I had problems getting the appointment set up, big problems with the work done by the installer, more problems with DirecTV customer service, and now I'm stuck with a mediocre DVR, DirecTV's HR21-700, that doesn't do all the things my HR10-250 did.

I'll explain what happened and provide a detailed review of the HR21-700 over the next few days.

Peace in our time

They're all born with the best of intentions, but only the strong survive.

Formats come and go. Some are barely noticed, and some die a slow, painful death. So now we can all breathe a sigh of relief that the format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD was comparatively brief--unless you're on the losing side, stuck with a slowpoke player and a collection of HD DVD discs. I've already heard from some angry HD DVD supporters. War is tough.

If you're over 35, you probably remember the Betamax vs. VHS wars, which raged from 1975 to the late 1980s, when Sony finally surrendered and started marketing VHS machines.

Like the HD DVD-Blu-ray debacle, manufacturers divided into two camps: Beta had Sony, Toshiba, Sanyo, NEC, Aiwa, and Pioneer. An impressive lineup, but JVC, Matsushita (Panasonic), Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Sharp, and Akai sided with VHS. Even when everyone said Beta was dead as a doornail in the early 1990s (long before the introduction of DVD), the format soldiered on in Japan until 2002.

Pioneer still makes Laserdisc players like this DVL-919

(Credit: Pioneer Electronics)

Some formats wither and die on their own--the Laserdisc wasn't competing against anything but a lack of interest. The LD was a 12-inch optical analog disc alternative to Beta and VHS. It looked like an LP-size CD. Yes, it was a better, higher-quality format than tape, and it still garnered only a small yet fanatical market base among videophiles.

The LD fared better than RCA's crippled-from-the-start CED (Capacitance Electronic Disc) that came out in 1981. Marketed as "SelectaVision," the grooved, LP-like discs were fragile, and they never stood a chance against VHS tape. Still, RCA stuck to its guns for five long years before snuffing the CED in 1986. Ten years later, the Laserdisc was on its last legs when the DVD finally killed it off--the software, that is. Pioneer still sells new DVD-LD players. How's that for customer support?

DVD was unchallenged but for a brief skirmish with Divx (Digital Video Express, not to be confused with DivX). Divx was a DVD rental variant, but cheaper (a disc sold for about $5) and could be viewed only for 48 hours after its first use. Divx players could play DVDs, but standard DVD players couldn't play Divx discs. Disney, Twentieth Century Fox Film, and Paramount Pictures released their movies in the Divx format.

The Audiophiliac poses with an 8-track cartridge.

(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)

Audio has had its own share of format wars, but it also had some remarkably stable formats. The LP has been around for 50-plus years, and you can still play the oldest LPs on a brand-new turntable.

It's starting to look like the LP will outlast the CD. But CDs are a long-running success and likewise universally playable, and most surviving cassettes are serviceable.

Analog tape formats like reel-to-reel, 8-track, and 4-track cartridges still have tiny outposts of devout followers, but the Elcaset came and went so fast, I never even heard it. Digital-tape formats like DAT and the Digital Compact Cassette (DCC) barely made a dent in the public's awareness.

So how will the HD DVD fare in the format history time line? What do you think: a mere blip or an interesting diversion?

Is RCA ahead of the curve for retro '80s design?

(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)

We've had an influx of inexpensive RCA MP3 players lately. Jasmine posted her reviews of the RCA Jet and the RCA Pearl last week. Now we've got the RCA Opal, which is probably the most unique player RCA has released. It has a great list of features, including support for DRM WMA and Audible formats. I thought the user interface was a little confusing--not helped by the fact that the control pad is a little slanted.

The claim to fame here is that the Opal supports photo and video playback for under $70. If you're interested, click though to our review or take a look at the slide show.

RCA Small Wonder EZ201

You might remember hearing about the RCA Small Wonder EZ201 just a few months ago at CES 2007. It's the follow-up to RCA's inexpensive, extremely simple digital camcorder, the Small Wonder EZ101. It's finally shipped--just in time for Mother's Day.

The $130 camcorder's predecessor fared poorly in our tests, scoring a disappointing 5.6. Thankfully, this new version makes several improvements over that version, including twice as much on-board memory (capable of recording 60 minutes of video compared to the EZ101's 30 minutes), an SD card memory slot, and a flip-out 1.5-inch LCD screen. It also quashes the irritating clicking noise the EZ101's buttons made, so it might indeed shape up to be a far better Mother's Day gift candidate than the previous model. If your mother is a technophobe who wants to shoot simple videos without much hassle or complication, this inexpensive little camcorder might be worth a shot. Keep an eye out for our review of the RCA Small Wonder EZ201 in the future.

Acoustic Research AR4131 blackVault

(Credit: RCA)

There are a ton of iPod accessories on the market, but RCA didn't let that stop it from rolling out two new iPod speaker systems at CES. RCA announced, under the Acoustic Research brand, the blackVault 2.1 speaker system, which brings some analog warmth to your digital music by way of a vacuum tube amplifier. The all-black design--along with the exposed tube--is eye-catching, although it definitely will look best with a black iPod. Atop the subwoofer is the dock for the iPod, which--like most of the units we've seen--is capable of charging your iPod. There's also an auxiliary input in case you want to listen to something other than your iPod. We haven't had much luck with other iPod speaker systems' claims that they can make compressed music sound better, so we're a little skeptical that the tube will provide enhanced performance. The blackVault 2.1 SpeakerSystem comes out in February with a $200 list price.

RCA RP5500i

(Credit: RCA)

RCA also had a less glamorous iPod speaker system to show off--the RCA RP5500i Dual Wake Clock Radio. Of course, it has an iPod dock, and there's a USB port to connect other digital music players. The big draw of the RP5500i is that you can set the alarm to play any song on your iPod, along with a feature that gradually increases the volume until you hit the snooze. There's dual-alarm functionality--so you can set two separate alarms--and activating the SmartSnooze function will make every button on the RP5500i act like a snooze button. You can also pop in a couple of batteries so the alarm will still sound if the power goes out. The whole thing doesn't sound too bad until you get to the price: $80 seems a little high, but we know nothing will stop people from buying iPod accessories. The RCA RP5500i Dual Wake Clock Radio will hit stores in May.