Lately when doing my semi-regular searches for HDTV models I've noticed a new "store" consistently popping up with the lowest prices on televisions, cameras, and other products. XBStore.com. Their prices are significantly and suspiciously lower than everyone else. For a while, I couldn't find a single word about them online. Well, it turns out there's a good reason why. A WHOIS lookup of xbstore.com reveals the domain was just registered just a couple of weeks ago to someone overseas (Spain?). And finally tonight I found this thread. The site only takes wire transfers. How. Very. Suspicious. Now I have no proof, no firsthand experience with this site, and it is within the realm of possibility that they are legit. However, my personal opinion is that all signs point to XBStore and XBStore.com being a slapdash scam site. So buyer beware. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Registrant:
XBStore Company
Calle Mayor, 40
Zaragoza, NA 50001
ES
Domain name: XBSTORE.COM
Administrative Contact:
Melendez, Rodrigo contact@xbstore.com
Calle Mayor, 40
Zaragoza, NA 50001
ES
+34.942940116 Fax: +34.942940116
Technical Contact:
Melendez, Rodrigo contact@xbstore.com
Calle Mayor, 40
Zaragoza, NA 50001
ES
+34.942940116 Fax: +34.942940116
Registrar of Record: TUCOWS, INC.
Record last updated on 20-Jan-2007.
Record expires on 18-Jan-2008.
Record created on 18-Jan-2007.
Domain servers in listed order:
NS7.IXWEBHOSTING.COM 71.18.255.99
NS8.IXWEBHOSTING.COM 71.18.216.3
Domain status: clientTransferProhibited
clientUpdateProhibited
Showing posts with label consumer electronics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumer electronics. Show all posts
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
iPhone is all things to all people...except me
I was jazzed that Apple finally announced its iPhone, an iPod/PDA/mobile phone combo that industry wags have drooled over for years. It's more than I had hoped for. It's form factor is miniscule. It's impossibly thin. It runs OS X, has a touch screen interface (you use your finger, so no worries about losing a stylus), has a 2 MP camera, plays movies, and songs, and on and on and on. But here is why I will not be purchasing the iPhone when it comes out. For starters, it's only available from Cingular. If it were everything I wanted in an all-in-one portable device, I would consider switching carriers, but it is not. And at $600 with a 2 year Cingular contract, that is a huge ouch in the checking account. But moreover, at 8 GB of storage, it's not there yet. I've long said that I will not purchase an iPod or iPod hybrid device unless it has at least 20 GB of solid state memory. That's solid state, as in flash. Now that the iPhone is more than a pipe dream, I will add that I will not purchase an iPod until that 20 GB version is available in the iPhone. I have enough crap to carry around and keep track of day to day. This is why I don't own an iPod or other MP3 player right now. If it doesn't fit on my wrist or in my pants pocket, I'm not taking it with me. Notably, this is probably yet another reason why I don't have children. *grin*
Thursday, December 14, 2006
The HDTV hunt continues
I stopped by Ultimate Electronics in Burnsville on the way home from work tonight to get a gander at a few more HDTV models. I was pleased to see they had one of the new Samsung HL-S5679W units on display. It's a 56 inch LED-based DLP rear projection. LED in DLPs is quite new. I was excited after reading about it because the LEDs are supposed to last for 20,000 hours. That's 6+ years if you watch 8 hours of tv every single day. The CNET review I read of this one raved about the color reproduction, but knocked off points for poor black levels and a "hot spot" or a spot on the screen noticeably brighter than the rest. Well now I've seen one in action, and sitting next to a Toshiba and a JVC bulb-based DLP, the Samsung's picture was underwhelming to say the least. The brightness was extremely uneven. I stooped down, looked from different angles, and tried every which way, but could not get a good viewing angle on the thing. Not impressed. So draw a line through that option.
NuVision, evidently a relative newcomer in the states in the tv market, also has an LED-based 52 inch DLP, but I have yet to see one in action for myself. I've heard good reviews on this model, but I'm hesitant to drop 4 digits on a first generation product from a company whose history of quality I'm not familiar with.
One thing I got out of my window shopping tonight was that some of the other tv models that haven't rated all that great in CNET's reviews looked just fine to me (I'm reading other sites, Consumer Reports, but I just trust CNET more on consumer electronics reviews--they are picky, but not ridiculously so like some hardcore videophile reviews). I also loved the picture on the Samsung 1080p LCD flat panels and was blown away by the picture on the Sony flat panels. But those sell at a premium.
Time will tell. Soon, my pretties. Soon.
NuVision, evidently a relative newcomer in the states in the tv market, also has an LED-based 52 inch DLP, but I have yet to see one in action for myself. I've heard good reviews on this model, but I'm hesitant to drop 4 digits on a first generation product from a company whose history of quality I'm not familiar with.
One thing I got out of my window shopping tonight was that some of the other tv models that haven't rated all that great in CNET's reviews looked just fine to me (I'm reading other sites, Consumer Reports, but I just trust CNET more on consumer electronics reviews--they are picky, but not ridiculously so like some hardcore videophile reviews). I also loved the picture on the Samsung 1080p LCD flat panels and was blown away by the picture on the Sony flat panels. But those sell at a premium.
Time will tell. Soon, my pretties. Soon.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
In the market for an HDTV
I've decided the time is nearing to upgrade my 27-inch old school CRT television to something more 21st century. Granted, I briefly owned a 50 inch rear projection DLP HDTV about 4 years ago, but severe buyer's remorse guilted me into returning it. DLP HDTV's were relatively new at the time, giving the unit a price tag north of $4,000. The moment I got home with it, I realized that spending that much money was not a prudent decision at the time, nor was it smart to buy an HDTV without fully understanding all of the available options and technologies.
This time, however, I'm prepared. I'm up to snuff on the technology (or so I think). I'm reading reviews and comparing prices online. I've stopped by stores to see display models in action. I also have a pretty firm budget. Here are my criteria and nice-to-haves:
-50 inches or larger.
-Must be 1080p and have at least 2 HDMI inputs that accept 1080p/60fps (I'm aware that 1080i vs 1080p makes little difference for movies and tv at 24fps, but I foresee using the tv for gaming from my PC)
-Built-in QAM/ATSC highly preferable, but not required.
-CableCARD nice, but not required.
-$3,000 or less.
I had originally decided on buying either the Sony KDS-60A2000 ($2200+) or the KDS-R60XBR2 ($3000+). Both are 60 inch rear projection LCOS models. The former has 2 1080p HDMI inputs, while the latter has 3. The latter also has an updated LCOS engine, a slightly brighter picture, and comes with a replacement bulb.
Every review I read said the picture on both models was essentially the same as the other, save a glitch or two in earlier production models of the KDS-60A2000. While the KDS-R60XBR2 had a brighter picture, it was not significantly brighter. There was also the somewhat shady issue where Sony took the unusual step of not providing a life expectancy on the projection bulb for the newer model. Is that why they provided the extra bulb? Is it going to fade out in a year, sticking me with an annual $300 bulb replacement bill? Nuts to that! So I decided on the KDS-60A2000. It's been around a while, and is proven technology.
Then I read in several forums about color uniformity and other issues that have popped up with the KDS-60A2000 after a few months of use. Some people had it, others didn't. But it was enough to give me pause. Then I thought if that was the case, perhaps the newer model was a better choice. But will people be complaining of the same thing for that one a few months down the road? Then I began thinking about the issue of bulb replacement. The thought of having to dole out a hefty $250-$300 on a bulb every 2 or 3 years dimmed the appeal of a rear projection model, despite getting massive size for the buck.
It also occurred to me that in the next 2 or 3 years, I'll probably want to buy at least one more HDTV to replace the one I watch while running on my treadmill. Perhaps going smaller and getting a plasma or LCD model is the way to go. 40 to 50 inches now, and 3 years from now, I'll probably be able to get a 70 inch or larger LCD or even OLED for the same price, if not cheaper. Ok, back to square one.
After several evenings of additional reading and research, I now think I've settled on the Samsung LNS5296D. It's 52 inches, has a 6000:1 contrast ratio, an 8ms response time, 1080p over the VGA input and HDMI inputs, and all of the other goodies I need. Some over at avsforum.com have complained of its overscan, but I can't say I'm personally all that concerned about it, though I will definitely try to see one in action in a store before purchasing one.
The downside? Currently the cheapest price I could find from a reputable online retailer was over $3500. But I'm not in a hurry. I'm optimistic that prices will come down in January. After Christmas and before the Superbowl is a prime time for tv purchases, and retailers will be trying to lure men into getting something to watch the big game on. For me, I'm not terribly concerned about the timing. If the prices and features aren't in line with my requirements, then I'm willing to wait a little longer.
This time, however, I'm prepared. I'm up to snuff on the technology (or so I think). I'm reading reviews and comparing prices online. I've stopped by stores to see display models in action. I also have a pretty firm budget. Here are my criteria and nice-to-haves:
-50 inches or larger.
-Must be 1080p and have at least 2 HDMI inputs that accept 1080p/60fps (I'm aware that 1080i vs 1080p makes little difference for movies and tv at 24fps, but I foresee using the tv for gaming from my PC)
-Built-in QAM/ATSC highly preferable, but not required.
-CableCARD nice, but not required.
-$3,000 or less.
I had originally decided on buying either the Sony KDS-60A2000 ($2200+) or the KDS-R60XBR2 ($3000+). Both are 60 inch rear projection LCOS models. The former has 2 1080p HDMI inputs, while the latter has 3. The latter also has an updated LCOS engine, a slightly brighter picture, and comes with a replacement bulb.
Every review I read said the picture on both models was essentially the same as the other, save a glitch or two in earlier production models of the KDS-60A2000. While the KDS-R60XBR2 had a brighter picture, it was not significantly brighter. There was also the somewhat shady issue where Sony took the unusual step of not providing a life expectancy on the projection bulb for the newer model. Is that why they provided the extra bulb? Is it going to fade out in a year, sticking me with an annual $300 bulb replacement bill? Nuts to that! So I decided on the KDS-60A2000. It's been around a while, and is proven technology.
Then I read in several forums about color uniformity and other issues that have popped up with the KDS-60A2000 after a few months of use. Some people had it, others didn't. But it was enough to give me pause. Then I thought if that was the case, perhaps the newer model was a better choice. But will people be complaining of the same thing for that one a few months down the road? Then I began thinking about the issue of bulb replacement. The thought of having to dole out a hefty $250-$300 on a bulb every 2 or 3 years dimmed the appeal of a rear projection model, despite getting massive size for the buck.
It also occurred to me that in the next 2 or 3 years, I'll probably want to buy at least one more HDTV to replace the one I watch while running on my treadmill. Perhaps going smaller and getting a plasma or LCD model is the way to go. 40 to 50 inches now, and 3 years from now, I'll probably be able to get a 70 inch or larger LCD or even OLED for the same price, if not cheaper. Ok, back to square one.
After several evenings of additional reading and research, I now think I've settled on the Samsung LNS5296D. It's 52 inches, has a 6000:1 contrast ratio, an 8ms response time, 1080p over the VGA input and HDMI inputs, and all of the other goodies I need. Some over at avsforum.com have complained of its overscan, but I can't say I'm personally all that concerned about it, though I will definitely try to see one in action in a store before purchasing one.
The downside? Currently the cheapest price I could find from a reputable online retailer was over $3500. But I'm not in a hurry. I'm optimistic that prices will come down in January. After Christmas and before the Superbowl is a prime time for tv purchases, and retailers will be trying to lure men into getting something to watch the big game on. For me, I'm not terribly concerned about the timing. If the prices and features aren't in line with my requirements, then I'm willing to wait a little longer.
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