backdraft123's space: Product Reviews

Product Review: Pelican HD System Selector

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:36:34 GMT

Many people around the nation upgrade their entertainment centers to HDTV's and 5.1 Surround Sound. They might also have an Xbox 360, PS3, HD-DVD, or Blue-Ray player. Maybe an HD Cable Box or Satellite. With High Definition taking over the world one home at a time, you might find yourself to be in a bit of a cable mess trying to figure out how to get the best quality picture out of every component.

Newer HDTV's today have 2 sets of component inputs. I believe the theory is, the smaller the TV the less inputs for you to have. Some might come with more, some just might come with 1 set and an HDMI port. I have 2 things that I want to run in HD and figuring this out was a bit tricky until I finally remembered what I used when I had two consoles and a DVD player hooked up to my holder TV. A system selector. Not familiar with these? Well, besides it being butt ugly it is probably the most useful thing you could have around. It normally doubles your inputs for video and audio by adding on 4 extra sets of inputs. Which can be good if you ever to decide to purchase another HD component.

After brain storming for awhile to figure out my wire mess and how to get HD for both my Xbox 360 and Comcast HD Cable Box, I finally realized this is what I needed. I got to my nearest Best Buy after doing some research on the Internet to see what they had. I found one that wasn't specifically for gaming, which was around $60. After searching around the store and getting no luck finding one, one the associates showed me one for gaming that would work for basically anything, and it was only $19.99. SCORE!

This is how it works. The Pelican HD System Selector comes with the Selector, 1 set of component cables, and some more labels so you can properly label what component is in what port. I basically only needed it to hook up my Xbox 360, and in the future maybe something else like a stand alone HD-DVD player. After getting it all hooked up and ready to go, I couldn't be more happy with this device. I haven't lost any quality out of my picture, and it's easy to use. Just select what system you want (in my case, Cable or Xbox 360) and you ready to go.

Though it's not the flashiest looking thing you'll have, it does it's job and works well. I'd recommend the Pelican HD System Selector for anyone who has ran into the problem of having too many cables and not enough ports.

Accessory Review: Xbox 360 Wireless Headset

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 06:03:39 GMT

If your looking for a good quality mic that fits well, looks good, and sounds good at the same time, don't hesitate to pick up the Xbox 360 wireless headset. The overall price of this mic is the same cost as a game at $59.99. You'll notice that the mic looks very similar to the blue-tooth headsets that cell phone users have. Very comfy and the sound quality is pretty good.

This has been out for awhile, but it took me awhile to finally lay down the money for this. I wanted a headset where i didn't have to be near my controller or have the cord in my way, while i was trying to do other things. I like to hop into a voice chat sometimes and sit at my computer while also talking to my friend over Xbox Live. So, when i noticed that this was the last one left at Best Buy this past weekend, i decided to go ahead and get it. I wanted to get myself one more treat before Christmas.

After getting the package open, I read the instructions. Yes, im not your typical guy who passes these up. I tend to screw up more items that i purchase than getting them to work by not following instructions. So, i compromised and skimmed them. I only heard that it had to be charged before use, which was fine. I wanted to test it out first though. I went ahead and synched it up with my console and gave it a whirl. I didn't send any messages, just chose someone on my list gave the ol "check 1,2 check 1,2" and played it back. Sounded pretty good.

I then ran a couple of tests. My first test was the distance test. I know that these types of tests can be a bit sketchy pending on what is between you and your console, so please take that into account. I was able to go into my bathroom, which is less than 12 feet away from my console and still hear clearly. I made my way into my kitchen and thats when it got disconnected, roughly at 15-20 feet. The same distance my controller goes before being disconnected.

The next test was the noise canceling test. I used the wireless headset first and set some music on in the background. Not on full blast, but loud enough that it could still be heard. I setup another test message and was kinda disappointed that i could still hear the music playing in the background, and pretty clearly at that. So, I hooked up the old wired headset and found that the music was a bit harder to hear with that.
After playing some games with it, i could hear everyone clearly and everyone could hear me clearly. I like the mute button and the ability to set the sound level to near perfection. It works great so far!

Pros
+++Comfortable
++Stylish
+sound quality

Cons
---Noise canceling not that great
--8 hour battery life

Overall rating
8.2/10
--backdraft123

#130

Product Review: S-Video Pack

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 04:05:33 GMT

If your a poor ol' 16 year old bum like me, the S-Video Pack is a life saver. It visually enhances your picture and you can also hook up digital audio. I had an S-Video pack for my Xbox, but when i got home i found out that my TV didnt have S-Video. But luckily just a few short weeks later i got a capture card and the S-Video was put to use.

Back on subject now. As you can see by the picture the S-Video pack is pretty much your standard Audio, Video cable. With the exception of course, of the S-Video plug. Some old TV's may not have an S-Video outlet. The newer tube TVs will most likely have one.

You can pick up the S-Video pack from just about any electronic store for $29.99 (US).

Pros

+ Reasonable Price

+ Great for people who dont have an HDTV

+ Easy to set-up

Cons

- It shows your a poor man and are too cheap to upgrade to HD

Ok ok, i'll be nice. There are really no cons for the S-Video pack. It works perfect for me and my situation. I know that i need to upgrade, no need to leave a comment on that. But, since money doesnt grow on trees, and im not made of money, the S-Video is just perfect for me. Im all about gameplay anyway. ;)

--backdraft123