Yamaha YDS-10 Universal iPod Dock for Select Yamaha Home Theater Receivers Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got this iPod dock for my RX-V659. Popped it open. Plugged it in. And spent the next hour trying to figure out how to make it work! The instructions that come with it are really terse. All they say is to plug it in and put your iPod in it. Perhaps I'm the only on who struggled with this set up. . but in the event that there are others, I thought I'd give some additional instructons. Here are a few things you should know (that could save you an hour!).
1. You have to program your Yamaha receiver's remote with a code in order to control the iPod. Instructions for this operation are in the way-back of your receiver's owner's manual. Which has 3 separate sections on how to use an iPod. The first section for me was on p.24. The second somewhere around p. 100 and the third p. on 108. You need all three section to make it work!
2. After you program the code. . .here's the tricky part. .and I didn't see this in either the YDS-10 manual or the RX-V659 manual. . .here goes: The receiver's remote has a little switch on the right side that switches between "Amp", "Source" and "TV". If you just got your receiver, you may not even notice this switch. But here's the tricky part. The receiver won't control the iPod at all if this switch is in it's default position ("Amp"). You have to switch it to "Source". . and then low and behold. . .the amp says "Loading". . the iPod screen changes to a Yamaha logo. . .and you can see your song list on the TV screen!
The sound quality is top notch! Hope this helps someone else!


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There are several iPod docking stations on the market, but few are as convenient as the YDS-10, which is custom designed to work with Yamaha's HTR-5960, HTR-5950, RX-V659, and RX-V559 home theater receivers. Connection is easy--simply plug the dock into the Yamaha receiver's rear-panel port. Once connected, the dock not only charges your iPod and plays your favorite playlists through the receiver's stereo or surround speakers, but it also shows iPod images and movies through an attached monitor. It's the perfect setup for people who regularly download TV shows from iTunes but want to watch them on a big TV. The rest of the time, you can rock out to all your favorite songs with style.
Just as impressively, the YDS-10 lets you operate your iPod from across the room using the receiver's remote control and onscreen display, so you don't need to rise off the sofa each time you want to change selections. Connecting your iPod to a home theater system has never been easier or sounded so good. The YDS-10 is compatible with 4th and 5th generation iPods (with click wheels), the iPod mini, and the iPod nano.
What's in the Box Dock, connection cable, iPod adapters, user's manual.

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DLO 009-9765 HomeDock Deluxe for iPod Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this dock for the "onscreen display" capability as you navigate the iPod menus, to use it with my Ipod Video. Well, it took reading the fine print "note" in the manual to realize that onscreen navigation is only good for the "music" menus, NOT for photos or videos. When I read the box again I noticed the subtle wording difference: you can "navigate" and "select" the songs, but can only "display" and "control" the photos and the videos. In summary, when it comes to photos or videos, what you are getting is nothing more than you get with a $ 39.00 Apple iPod Universal Dock. Hmmm... I think this should have been clearly announced on the box, so that you can make an informed decision, whether you want to pay $ 110.00 extra just to see the song names on your TV screen. I returned mine.

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The DLO 009-9765 HomeDock Deluxe for iPod is the world's first iPod dock that lets you view and select your iPod's music on your TV screen, allowing you to navigate, select and play your songs using the included 18-button remote control. The HomeDock Deluxe will change the way you experience your iPod, your music, and now your iTunes Movies, letting you browse through Playlists, Artists, Albums, Songs, Genres and more, even watching movies on your big screen at DVD resolutions, all from the comfort of your sofa.
DLO's 009-9765 displays your iPod's music content on a beautifully designed HomeDock TV interface that's as clear and cool as the iPod itself. You can even customize colors, choosing from four different color themes including Aqua, Forest, Teal or Metal to match the decor of any room in your house. You can also choose from several screen savers, such as a Status Bar screen saver that shows your iPod's current status, song and album information on a moving graphic billboard. The HomeDock Deluxe's intuitive remote control lets you navigate with ease through your songs and playlists to select just the right tunes for any occasion, letting you control 14 various iPod functions. The HomeDock displays the currently playing song info and progress at the top of your screen while letting you select another song from the listings below, with names and titles that are large and easy to read from anywhere in the room.
In taking the entertainment out of your pocket and putting it on the big screen, the HomeDock Deluxe offers two distinct modes: On-Screen Navigation Mode for music interface on your TV, and iPod Mode to play videos or photo slideshows on your TV directly from the iPod. You can quickly switch modes with the push of a button to watch and control videos and photo slideshows from your iPod, or browse and play music with on-screen navigation. This unit connects to your home entertainment system or stereo via standard RCA plugs, so you don't have to worry about any adapters or Y-cables. Your iPod's music is sent to your stereo through the superior audio line-out from the bottom of the iPod, which provides for a much higher-quality audio signal than if you simply plugged your iPod into your stereo with a Y-cable from the headphone jack. With no adapters, and no loose cables, all you have to deal with is great sounding iPod music coming through your existing home stereo.
The DLO 009-9765 HomeDock Deluxe works with all dockable, click wheel iPods including the: iPod Nano (1st and 2nd generation), iPod Video, iPod Color, 4G iPod and iPod mini models. Your iPod can connect to your large-screen TV via a standard A/V connection, or through S-Video, allowing you to not just watch movies, but view picture slideshows with music. The HomeDock Deluxe fully powers and charges your iPod while in use, and comes with all the necessary cables to get going right out of the box, including an AC power adapter and an A/V cable. The low-profile HomeDock Deluxe comes in black to match both your iPod and home decor, measures 5.75 x 1 x 3.75 inches (W x H x D), and it's backed by a manufacturer's 90-day warranty.
What's in the Box The DLO 009-9765 HomeDock Deluxe base module, the HomeDock 18-button remote control with battery, an adjustable iPod support, 1 x 6-foot A/V cable (left-right stereo audio, composite video), 1 x 6-inch RCA-to-minijack adapter, 1 x 12-volt AC power adapter, and a user's manual.

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Altec Lansing VS3251 5.1 Gaming & Music Surround Speaker System Review

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(More customer reviews)Edit/just wanted to add: This item is somehow not eligible for Amazon Prime, even though it's direct from Amazon! Since the option for 1-Day via 1-click was available, I clicked it... Shipping cost way more than the speakers did! Not sure why it's excluded, since I've bought an over-the-range Microwave and a Lawn mower from Amazon, and have gotten them overnighted for just $3.99 each...These speakers are great! I had an Altec Lansing m604 dock/speaker thing for my Zune and, while it sounds ok, I was looking for "fuller" sound. I tried, for a few days, the Bose Sounddock - the $399 version, since that's the only one with an aux input - and it truly disappointed.
Then I saw this set... I bought this along with a Zune Dock, and it sounds great, is super easy to use, and the remote, in my opinion, is both easy to use and full featured. I especially like that I can adjust the bass, center, surround, and everything else with the remote, that way, I can hide the main unit and forget about it! The batteries the remote came with were junk, which could be why the other reviewer had no range with his remote. I especially like that the "eye" for the remote is detached from the subwoofer/main unit...so that way I can put each component in an optimum location.
Obviously, the sound quality isn't going to rival a $1,000+ setup, but for passive type listening (i.e. when you're not sitting there waiting to hear every breath the artist takes and every time his/her shoelace drags across the floor), gaming, and movies, it's not bad! Do take note that for surround sound with movies/games, your computer will have to have discrete outputs for the rear, front, center, and subwoofer. With an MP3 player plugged into the aux jack, I'm really happy with how well it "assigns" sound to the front and rear speakers.
What I ended up doing was putting one speaker on each wall of my bedroom, and the center speaker directly above the middle of my bed. It's amazing how much easier it is to relax and fall asleep with music all around you! So...in conclusion, GET THIS! Cheapest price out of anywhere I've seen...by far. Also, it blows the socks off of the Bose Sounddock, for 1/8th of the price! I could literally buy a plane ticket out to the Altec Lansing HQ, pick up my VS3251, and fly back, for less than the cost of a Bose Sounddock!

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6 piece music and gaming speaker system - Surround Sound with wireless remote

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Creative Xdock Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this item in Amazon for my iPhone 3GS. It works pretty well with iPhone 3GS even though the item description says it is for iPod.
Cons:
- The video out on Xdock will not work with iPod Touch, iPod Classic, iPod Nano (3rd generation), iPhone.
- Remote and the devise is bulky when compared with Apple Universal Dock
- The audio out (3.5 mm AUX) is present just beside the infrared remote port in the front of the dock. If you are using this audio out, speaker's cable some times block the remote signals and you have to come straight to the infrared port to use remote.
Pros:
- It really enhances the sound quality. I tested my speakers with and without using this dock and i can clearly notice the sound difference.
- Remote works perfectly. It has good range and has all the features you need to control iPod.
- It comes with different docking adapters so you can place your iPod and iPhone on the dock perfectly.
- It has video out, s-video out, audio line in and out, audio optical line out, USB connectors.
- The dock comes with universal charger and adapters, video cable and audio optical cable.
Overall it is a great replacement to Apple Universal Dock which is expensive than this. If you are looking for smaller device to save some space and want video out from iPhone, i recommend you to go for Apple Universal Dock. Take a look at both items if you are planing to buy one.

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Creative Xdock lets you connect to your home theater receiver for DTS surround sound. Xdock features both composite and S-Video outputs so that you can connect to your TV to share your pictures, videos, and shows that are on your iPod. Play, pause and skip through all your music and movies with the wireless remote control. It also lets your restore detail to compressed music like MP3s and iTunes. Xdock is a complete dock, it also charges your iPod while it's docked and even includes a USB port to connect and sync your iPod with iTunes.

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Sony TDM-IP1 Digital Media Port iPod Dock Review

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(More customer reviews)I work from home and listen to an iPod quite a lot. Recently, I purchased a Sony Home Theater System (model DAV-HDX 500). Initially, I connected my iPod to the Sony via the ubiquitous Apple iPod cradle; however, controlling the iPod manually got old in a hurry.
The unit came equipped with an attached digital media port cable, which connected directly to the Sony receiver's DMPort. A separate video cable was supplied, which I connected directly to the TV's video-in RCA connector. The unit can also be used with a separately purchased video cable connected between the receiver and TV.
Setup was very simple and after I configured my Sony receiver to "DMPort1" and the TV to "AV1", a facsimile of the iPod's screen appeared on the TV and I was able to control the iPod by way of the Sony remote.
Visually, the menu is a little on the chunky side, but highly legible. Screen color may be set to Red, Green, Blue, and a couple variants of Gray. There are also modest on-screen controls for a screensaver, song shuffle, and song repeat.
The only moving part on the TDM-iP1 is a button, which allows users to switch between the iPod's own controls and control by way of a remote control.
The TDM-iP1 does charge the cradled iPod. This, however, may be the unit's major weekness, since the AV system must be powered for charging to occur. A separate power input would have been a nice touch.
At present, the Sony TDM-iP1 is selling for just under $100. In time, I would think the cost might drop to about $50, which is what I believe it's worth, despite its functionality and appearance. The unit's high price is why I've given it four stars; otherwise, the Sony TDM-iP1 functions as advertised.
As an aside, the Logitech Harmony 520 remote control can be configured quite nicely to control a TDM-iP1 by way of the Sony DAV-HDX 500. Nothing like one remote for all your audio and video components.


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Display your iPod® on the smooth and modern Sony TDM-IP1 Digital Media Port iPod Dock and unleash the power of your music. Take full advantage of your DMP compatible BRAVIA® home theater system or audio receiver's sound when you connect an iPod® to the DMP. It lets you search through your music or view video from your iPod right on your television. For added convenience, the dock also charges your iPod's battery.

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Nyrius NIC708 Media Fusion TV Video Dock for iPod with On-screen Navigation, Remote Control, USB/SD & MPEG4/AVI/MP3/JPEG Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It may just be me, but it seems like each passing day brings us a new media docks nad servers. They offer a variety of things - steaming from your computer to your television, streaming internet radio, photo slideshows, ability to access you music content... and many, many more concepts. The cost can range from several hundred of dollars... to the price of the Nyrius dock.
Why do I like the Nyrius dock? It offers a simple way to watch/listen your iTunes/iPod media through your televison. The process is easy - you connect the three RCA cables from the back of the Nyrius into your TV and the set-up is complete. There is no network to configure or software to update. Another nice feature is that it is portable (roughly the size of two decks of cards) so it is easy to stick in your backpack or overnight bag making it (nearly) ideal for travel.
The screen interface is pretty straight-forward. While it may not wow you with advanced settings it is easy to learn and navigate.
A few of the features
- Will accept an iPod, USB flash, or SD Media card.
- Will accept an aux input
- Reads all standard files
- Basic but handy remote is included
- If you watch the video I demonstrate how you are able to stream Pandora, YouTube, and the audio version of MLB.AtBat.
- Will charge your iPod
- Installation that is so easy that your old crazy uncle could do it.Things that are not included/featured
- You can not stream live video - such as your iPod's Slingplayer app.
- Only uses RCA cables - Not much of an issue since the video from an iPod is rather resolution limited. However, an optical output would have come in handy for my stereo system.
- Pictures from your iPod will look grainy on your 55" HD television. This is not the fault of the dock, but it does highlights the limited resolution of the file that is stored on your iPod.
- It may have been a quirk within my unit, but the picture response on the slideshow (using a SD media card) was a little slow.Final Verdict - I think that if you are looking for a solid iPod dock you will be very pleased with the Nyrius. It will allow you to use your existing television or stereo (contrast this to all of the money people are spending on iPod stereo docks!) in lieu of more expensive options. The key to happiness is to recognize that this is a media dock and not a media server.
5 Stars
--Please Note - I received a early-release Nyrius Fusion Dock for reviewing purposes-------------

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Simply place your iPod in the dock and easily watch all your downloaded movies, listen to your music library, and view pictures from your iPod on your TV and home theater system.

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Xdock for iPod Review

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(More customer reviews)This dock is great for surround sound of your songs, but does not support video on ipod touch. Great if you just want it for sound.

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Put your iPod at the heart of your home entertainment system with Xdock. Xdock features Creative's X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity audio technology, which restores detail and vibrancy to compressed music like MP3s and iTunes during playback, so your music sounds richer and fuller. X-Fi also expands plain stereo music and videos into a full surround sound experience. Plus, Xdock sends the music from your iPod to X-Fi Wireless Receivers that you can place in other rooms of your home (X-Fi Wireless Receivers sold separately).

More Than Just an iPod Dock Xdock puts your iPod at the heart of your home entertainment system. The iPod dock is compatible with all docking versions of the iPod, and automatically charges your iPod when connected. With the USB port, you can connect to a computer for synchronizing your docked iPod. The built-in X-Fi technology intelligently restores detail to your music and turns stereo songs or movies into stellar surround sound.
Wireless Freedom Xdock lets you play music in any room of your home with the same great Xtreme Fidelity sound quality. Just add the X-Fi Wireless Receivers and some powered speakers (sold separately) wherever you want your music. Add as many as you want within the 100-foot range. You can also play, pause, skip through your music from any receiver. Xdock prepares the wireless connection upon connection to a power outlet, so that the best connection is ready to go without any interference.
Connections Connect to your TV and surround sound system, hi-fi or stereo speakers easily with Xdock. The audio/optical line out can be used with either mini 3.5mm cables (for powered speakers) or the included optical cable. When connected digitally through the optical cable, you can enjoy DTS surround sound. Just connect to any receiver with DTS decoding and start enjoying surround sound. If you have a video-enabled iPod, you can also use the video out to connect to a television for photo and video viewing.
X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity X-Fi technology breathes life into your songs. It restores the detail and expands your music and movies to surround sound, making your music way better.
X-Fi Crystalizer X-Fi Crystalizer technology restores the detail and vibrancy to your compressed music and movies. All the highs and lows are intelligently enhanced, ensuring you'll hear everything in crystal clear clarity.
X-Fi CMSS-3D X-Fi CMSS-3D technology expands your stereo MP3s and digital movies into surround sound over multi-channel speakers, stereo speakers or even headphones. Voices are centered in front of you and ambient sounds are moved all around you.
Remote Control Navigate your iPod and control the Xdock with the included remote control. The remote control has an operating distance of about 10 feet.
What's in the Box? Creative Xdock, Dock adapters for iPod, Power adapter, Remote control, Quick Start leaflet, Video cable, Optical cable.

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Sony Digital Media Port Cradle for iPod and MP3 Players (Black, TDM-iP50) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this little gadget! I was buying the Sony Sound Bar for my Sonia Bravia TV and happened to see this accessory so I ordered it. I have an I-pod Touch (1st Gen) and got this particular one because it said you could watch your videos on the tv. Well this arrived yesterday (my sound bar is supposed to arrive today) and I hooked it directly to my tv and it worked perfectly! It took about 2 seconds and all I had to do was change the input on my tv to the Digital Media Port and it was good to go. I have a few videos that I purchased from I-Tunes that I had never seen any bigger than the screen of my I-pod but they were perfect on the 46" screen. I can't wait to hook up the sound bar tonight and see how my videos look and sound then!

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Connects with compatible Sony home theater systems and receivers with DIGITAL MEDIA PORT Input : Allows you to play your music and videos through your home Audio system and even control some features from your home theater remote

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Philips HTS3544 Home Theater System with iPod Connectivity (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Philips HTS3555 is a great system. I have the HTS3544 which is basically the same system. It gets great sound and I've had this for a few months and I just discovered the best feature about it : It can be an all region dvd player. Here is what to do : 1. Turn on system and go to DVD mode 2. Open dvd tray 3. using remote, press Stop, 7, 3, 4, 4, 6, and 6. At bottom left of screen, you'll see "region : 1" press 0. Now you've got an all region dvd player. My Model Number is HTS3544, and this one is HTS3555 and even though they are the same system, they still contain different model numbers. So, I went to my Local store, who has HTS3555 (this one I am writing a review on) on display with a remote. I tried this code out and it works on HTS3555 as well. HTS3555 and HTS3544 are basically the exact same system just with 2 different model numbers. Anyways, this is a great home theater system.

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The ultimate in both style and performance, the Philips HTS3544 Home Theater System pumps out 1000 total watts of Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro-Logic II, and DTS surround-sound to deliver a truly theater-like audio/video experience.The progressive-scan DVD player upconverts to 1080i HD resolution and also plays DivX encoded media files on a variety of media formats.It also features a docking cradle that both plays and charges iPod and GoGear media players, as well as USB Direct connectivity that displays photos and plays music directly from USB flash drives.

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Yamaha YDS-12BL iPod Dock (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this for my Yamaha RX-V567. I did not fully understand from the other reviews the features and limitations of this dock, so I will try to explain it clearly here. You can find the "User Guide" on-line, but it is utterly useless - in 11 different languages.
The YDS-12 connects to your Yamaha receiver through a proprietary connector. This connector has upwards of 60 pins, yet the device has very few features. These receivers are capable of firmware updates, so it is entirely possible that future enhancements may one day be available. Other Yamaha receivers have gotten enhancements for their docks in the past.
Once connected, you can plug your Apple device into the dock - and here is the first big negative about the YDS-12. Like most Apple docks, your iPod/iPhone stands nearly vertical on its own (it actually leans back about 20 degrees). It is expected to stay in that position while it is docked, putting a good deal of pressure on the Apple connector. It is far to easy for someone to accidentally hit the iPhone/iPod and snap the connector off (or worse, break the mating connector in your expensive phone). I really wish Yamaha would have provided the option of a corded cnnector and a cradle to rest your phone in. This product is an accident waiting to happen - but even the Apple Universal Dock has this issue. Repairs to Apple connectors cost $50-$100.
Once you insert your Apple device into the Dock and put the Yamaha in Dock mode, the Receiver Display will say "Ipod Connected" (even if you are connecting an iPhone). Pressing the "Display" button on your Yamaha remote brings up the control menu. There are two control menus available for commanding the iPhone/iPod: one is on the Yamaha Receiver display and the other is an On-Screen-Display (OSD) if you have the Yamaha hooked up to your TV. Some Yamahas have a dot-matrix display and the higher ends have an LCD display - both show you the same general menus. The nice thing about the menus is that they allow you to control play of your Apple device using the Yamaha remote.
Your menu choices are:
1) Play Video
2) Play Music
This brings me to another BIG limitation of this device: "Play Video" only refers to video from iTunes (i.e. movies that you have purchased or uploaded). It does NOT include video you recorded through your camera, nor does it include photos you took with your camera. Basically, it does not give you access to your Camera Roll.
You DO have the ability to play slideshows or recorded video, but NOT using the remote control. While your device is docked, you need to open your Camera Roll and start a slideshow manually. You then need to hit the "Display" button on your remote again to turn off your OSD on your TV. Only then will the pictures and recorded video appear on your TV. You can ONLY see pictures/video when it is playing as a slideshow. Because you need to do this while the device is docked, it means you are pressing on the screen, putting even more pressure on the poor little dock connector. I'm telling you, this is a bad mechanical design.
Yamaha REALLY needs to update the firmware to allow Camera Roll access through the menu. This limitation is truly a deal-breaker for a device that costs over $50. Read on for a cheaper solution.
Video playback quality is awful - as expected considering it is optimized for a tiny display. Even video recorded on a 4th gen iPod Touch (which is supposed to have the latest HD-quality video recording) looks blocky when played on a big TV. Video quality on a big screen TV is about the equivalent of watching SD video on the SlingPlayer App over 3G. Mediocre at best.
Movie playback of iTunes movies was quite a bit better, but still don't expect this to replace Netflix. Speaking of Netflix, be aware that almost no apps support playback of video through cables, so don't expect to be able to play Angry Birds on a 55" plasma. It's not going to happen. Given the two big cons I found with this device, I offer a less expensive alternative to it: Buy an Apple A/V Component (or Composite) Cable for about $40 (from the Apple store). You can get non-Apple ones even cheaper - but the Apple version is guaranteed to be compatible with just about all Apple devices. These cables have an Apple connector at one end and several RCA connectors at the other. You can connect the RCA cables to the back of the Yamaha Receiver and have the same quality picture and audio as you will with the YDS-12. Your device will be connected through a cable rather than perching on a tiny connector at a dangerous angle. About the only negative is that you won't be able to play back anything using the remote control - there will be no menus at all. You will need to directly handle the Apple device, but you need to do that anyway on the YDS-12 in order to watch recorded videos or see pictures. You still won't be able to play games on the big screen, though. And, the Apple cable includes an extra line to allow charging of your device while watching on your TV.Regarding a couple of confusing reviews:
* Several people mentioned that once a device is fully charged, the YDS-12 stops charging, so you wake up the next morning to a dead device. This did not happen to me with my 3GS, but since it's happened to others there may be defective units. Mine shows it is at 100% and still charging.
* Someone suggested that the YDS-12 is "easily portable". Yeah, it is....but so what? If you take it to a party, there had better be a new model Yamaha there to plug it into. This is not compatible with any other brand (nor is it compatible with most other Yamaha receivers). Another reason to choose the Apple cable over this - the Apple cable IS truly portable. You can take it to a party and plug it onto any component-ready device.
So, I'm not trying to knock this product unfairly. It's worth about $25 at most because of the very limited menu system. Unless Yamaha updates it in a big way, I would opt for the Apple A/V cable, knowing there will be no remote control. By the way, Apple DOES have a fancy dock that includes a remote, but it has even more limitations than the YDS-12, so stay away from the very expensive Apple Universal Dock.
In summary, YDS-12 vs Apple A/V cable:
* Both charge your device
* Both play back iTunes videos on your TV (but YDS-12 allows remote control)
* Both play back music through your TV or Yamaha (but YDS-12 allows remote control)
* Both play photo slide shows - NO REMOTE CONTROL
* Both play recorded video - NO REMOTE CONTROL
* Neither allows games or apps to be played on TV
* YDS-12 is menu-driven (Apple A/V is manually driven by you)
* YDS-12 is potentially dangerous to your connector (Apple A/V uses safer cable connection)
* YDS-12 won't work with iPad; Apple A/V Cable will
* YDS-12 is more expensive and only usable on specific Yamaha Receivers
* Apple A/V cable is cheaper and connects to most new TVs and almost all receivers
Unless you REALLY need to use the remote (with all its limitations), go with the Apple A/V cable.

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Yamaha YDS-12BL iPod Dock; Only compatiable with Yamaha RX-Vx67 series AV receivers.

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Panasonic SC-BT330 5.1 Channel Cinema Surround Home Entertainment System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have been in the market to get streaming content on my TV for a while now. I compared this unit against the LG-LHB535. The LG has some added features.
1. Built in Wifi
2. Streaming software... which means you can stream from your computer.
3. HDMI inputs.
Otherwise the Panasonic works awesome. It's fast and responsive, easy to setup, small and sleek, and it's cheaper than the comparable LG unit.
It includes the following features.
1. Amazon video rentals... Awesome.. However it's $3 for most regular rentals and then more for HD. I'm still a bigger fan of RedBox $1 for anything... Amazon I might be holding out on your steep prices.
2. Netflix the same as everything else... other than the interface is really simple and ugly like the PS3 interface. It's not as easy to navigate and search like the X Box 360 or on your computer.
3. Youtube which is cool.
4. Picas pictures which is neat but almost useless in some cases.
5. iPhone/iPod doc that allows audio and video playback. Very cool, it charges and doesn't display the "this accessory is not made to work with your device" message.
6. Blue ray, DVD, burned DVD's etc.
7. Two fiber optic inputs that allow you to plug in your infamous HD DVD player or some other audio sources. Would have liked to see HDMI here... LG has it.
8. Viera Link which is cool if you have a Panasonic TV like I do. It turns the stuff on off etc by communicating over the HDMI cable.
9. The sound is AMAZING for as cheap as this unit is. The speakers are crisp and clear. Very nice surround sound. I had a Sony STR-K750P, and this Panasonic system is way better.Overall the packaging was slick with everything well packaged for shipment. I couldn't find the electronic version of the manual online anywhere. The specs say it's wireless ready, which means it has a USB port on the back that you have to pay $100 to get the $5 Panasonic WIFI dongle. Total rip off. I just hard wired.
The menus are not quite as elegant as the Apple TV, it also has this hard switch thing.. Basically if you need to adjust any settings, it unloads the web content dashboard thing, then takes you back to the DVD menu. So there is a bit of a lag making adjustments. I don't understand why they just didn't layer the menus and then reload if your settings require it. It also has some sort of quick on feature. Basically if you start it up from scratch, AKA no power supplied, it takes about 30 seconds to boot.. So they added this quick boot thing which makes the unit run in some kind of a standby. It tells you it will consume slightly more power while in this mode. I did have a couple times where the web interface streaming thing had garbled text, I tried powering on off, but it doesn't fully reboot if you use the quick boot. In order to get it to fully reboot, you have to turn it off, then unplug the power and re-connect.
The manual isn't very descriptive and there is a lot of technical jargon as you wade deeper into the settings. Lots of color control, bit level, sound stuff, display stuff etc.
It does have the capability to adjust the surround and EQ levels while playing. It's not entirely intuitive, and the manual is wrong, but it works. When you use the buttons on the bottom of the remote to adjust the surround, it displays on little screen on the unit, the levels. In the manual it tells you to use up and down to adjust these. I must have wasted 20 minutes on this part before I tried left and right and then it worked. Looks like Panasonic needs an updated manual. The firmware on the unit is 1.0 which hopefully means there will be some software updates sooner than later. It would be nice to see layered settings menus, and they have some room on the dash board for new content.
The unit is so new that if you use a Logitec Harmony remote, it won't detect your unit yet. I had to use the older model Bt-300 or something to get my Logitec remote to work.
anyhow.. thats my review... Enjoy!

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Get your home theater going right out of the box with the Panasonic SC-BT330 home entertainment system, which includes a Blu-ray Disc player/amplifier plus a complete 5.1-channel surround sound speaker system. The Kelton subwoofer adds impact to your movies and music with dramatic deep bass, while the two tallboy front speakers add dramatic visual impact to your home theater.

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Samsung HT-C6500 Blu-ray Home Theater System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Some HTiB (home theater in a box) systems are inflexible, hard to use and offer questionable performance with cheap, flimsy construction. One might even call them "cheesy." The Samsung HT-C6500 Blu-ray/DVD Home Theater System is not one of these systems. It offers solid audio and video performance, a wealth of online streaming features, including Netflix, Pandora and VUDU, built in Blu-ray, CD and DVD playback with pretty nice upconversion, WiFi networking and ample power to drive the 5.1 channel speaker system in a decent-sized room, and all for a reasonable price. Also, unlike many HTiB systems, the unit features two HDMI inputs, so you can add on a cable or satellite set-top box and/or a gaming system with single wire audio/video simplicity.
The system includes on-board decoding of the latest surround sound codecs, including DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD so it can take full advantage of the sonic capabilities of Blu-ray Disc. It also features snappy load times, loading a DVD in about 9 seconds, a simple Blu-ray disc in 11 seconds and a BD-Java Blu-ray Disc (the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" film) in about 25 seconds. These times compete with the fastest standalone players currently on the market. The initial boot up is a little slow at 22 seconds, but the player is doing a lot of stuff at start-up, including searching DLNA devices for compatible networked media files, as well as loading the code for streaming providers such as Netflix, VUDU and Samsung's own Internet@TV service.
During the review we did notice one disc compatibility issue (the unit can't get past the trailers on "The Incredible Hulk" Blu-ray Disc), but this can be worked around by disabling the BD-Live feature on the player (not ideal, but hopefully Samsung will fix this in a future firmware upgrade). Also, while the audio portion of the iPod dock worked flawlessly for us, if you want to also play video or photos on your iPod or iPhone through the system, you will need to connect an additional composite video cable between the HT-C6500 and your TV or projector (a basic video cable comes in the box). And don't look for anything fancy like album art in the iPod interface, because it just isn't there. However, controlling iPod song access from the unit's remote was very handy.
Speaking of the remote, this is probably the weakest link here. The navigational buttons are a little too low and transport buttons are a little too high to comfortably navigate through set-up and disc menus or to easily control playback. We were happy to see an auto-calibration system on-board (with included microphone) which can get the basics of speaker level and distance calibration accomplished without having to revert to test discs and SPL meters.
Performance tip for owners: if you feel that the bass lacks some definition or sounds a little "thumpy," try inserting a piece of foam or cloth (or some old socks) into the subwoofer port. This will actually tame the boom without losing a significant amount of sonic heft from the mix.
Overall, we were impressed with the HT-C6500 and would recommend it to anyone in the market for a mid-range HTiB system. It's long on features and performance but relatively short on price: a good combination.
You can read our complete review at Big Picture Big Sound (dot com).

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Samsung HT-Z320 Home Theater System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Overall the system is good, very easy to set-up. Just un-pack and color match the speaker cables, plug-it in and your done.
It could have been 5 stars but it doesn't have an AM tunner, most sporting events are broadcast on AM so its a big deal for me.
The USB port is great, just plug-in your drive and set the input to AUX and hit play. In a hurry, you don't even need to hook up the system to a tv if you just need it for music.
Image quality is good, PS3 takes care of that. Using the system just for the audio.
Pros:
Great Sound
Easy Set-up
Good image quality
Cons:
No AM Tunner
Speaker wires could have been of a thiker gauge
Subwoofer could have had a screen to protect it

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Samsung DVD Home Theater

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Samsung HT-C6600 Blu-Ray Home Theater System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was originally planning on getting the 6500, but couldn't find one locally. During that search, I ran into a store that had one 6600 left and it was on sale, so I went ahead and got it. The only apparent difference that I've found is the 6600 has Bluray 3D capability, but other than that they seem pretty identical.
Setup was relatively easy. Everything is color-coded and Samsung has their own little speaker wire plug, so it's hard to screw up. That makes it easy, but more difficult to do any kind of customization of your own with other speakers. The speaker calibration seemed to work pretty well, although now and the audio track randomly gets out of sync on occasion, requiring a re-boot to reset things. So far this has only happened when I've been watching the DVR, so I'm not sure if it's specific to that device or input or not.
I have my Xbox 360 and HD Cable plugged into the HDMI inputs, and it plays everything well. It's great playing games in surround sound, too. That adds a whole new dimension to the gaming experience. All of it is running to a 50" Panasonic plasma TV, which has one of the best pictures in the TV business to begin with, so the video quality is awesome.
I expected the sound to be marginal at best, coming from a bit of a home-theater customization background. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it actually sounds, though, particularly when playing DVD or Blurays. Don't get me wrong here, though. This provides the most basic of surround sound, which still greatly enhances watching movies, but it does not provide the same depth of sound as much more expensive and more powerful systems. That said, the subwoofer does get low enough to simulate most sounds, and the rest of it sounds pretty good. Dialogue is the best part, as this is actually sometimes the hardest part of a soundtrack to find a happy medium for comfortable listening without having to keep the remote handy for turning it up and down as the scenes change. The Samsung finds a balance between action and dialogue where you don't have to constantly adjust things, which is proof that they have the auto-calibration down pretty well.
I have mine wired directly to my home network. I didn't even bother with the wireless dongle, as I've yet to use one that works to my expectations. Even with a wired connection to a 10gb connection, I experienced Netflix issues. The entire internet-based menu and apps system is sluggish at best, so I will probably only use the internet for firmware updates. I believe this is a Samsung issue, not my internet, for the simple reason that I can watch full HD Netflix movies through my Xbox wirelessly with no issues at all. And that's fine with me...I still play them through the Samsung surround sound, so it's not a loss, although it would be nice to see Samsung come up with a fix to smooth things out.
There are various apps and whatnot you can play with online, but the remote is clumsy and poorly designed in my opinion. It lacks any intuitive way to type, for one thing, which limits what you can do efficiently on the web. You have to create an account at the Samsung app store, and another at their internet@tv or whatever it's called site, and I just haven't had the patience to sit through it all. I have enough computers and apps already, so I guess I'm happy with just being able to play Blurays in surround sound for now. :)
For the price, I don't think you can beat what you get with this system. $450 and it does almost everything. I do wish it would tell you what resolution it was outputting to the TV and what kind of sound it was playing in (i.e. DTS, Dolby 5.1, etc). As far as I've been able to discover, there is no way to tell if it is truly playing the encoded surround signal.
Pros: Price, good sound, easy setup, better than normal auto-calibration system for speakers
Cons: Confusing remote, unexplained slow-down in internet signal run through system that makes using Netflix almost impossible.

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