Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 52V5100 52 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Black

Sony BRAVIA V Series KDL 52V5100 52 Inch 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV Black

Keep pace with fast-action movies, sports and game play. Equipped with Full HD 1080p and Motionflow 120Hz refresh rate technology, the KDL-52V5100 52-inch BRAVIA V series LCD flat panel HDTV provides a more fluid, natural and realistic viewing experience while enjoying fast-paced entertainment. Additionally, every scene will be sharp, vibrant and life-like thanks to BRAVIA Engine 2 fully digital video processor. Plus, a 50,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio yields deep blacks in darker scenes. The V series also includes 7 HD inputs to ensure you get impressive image quality from all your HD components such as PlayStation 3, Blu-ray Disc player and your PC.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Amazing HD Picture, but first TV delivered was defective
WHO TO BUY FROM: Amazon did not have this item in stock, so I waited for Amazon to have it in stock before buying – turned out to be the right decision. I bought another LCD tv last year from “ButterflyPhoto”, a seller on Amazon’s website, and it was a horrible experience. So I vowed never to buy a big ticket item from any other seller than Amazon on its site. Those sellers have such great reviews b/c if you get screwed like I did and the sale never goes through, you can never rate them. So only happy customers get to rate those sellers, hence the above-avg reviews.

DELIVERY AND DEFECTIVE TV: I ordered the TV on a Thurs and it was delivered to my house on Tues. Pilot (carrier) called to schedule and appt, brought it into my house, took it out of the box and placed it on my tv stand, then made sure it worked before asking me to sign. But by Friday, a 1/2 cm black line appeared in the screen (yikes!). On Sat. I called Amazon and they were great in shipping out a replacement TV immediately at no extra cost to me (they even gave me the option to replace with another make/model). The new TV arrived the next Fri and Pilot packaged and removed the defective TV. The new TV works fine (so far, fingers crossed). After mentioning my ordeal to several friends, a few mentioned they had defective LCD TVs also – so I guess its not so uncommon.

Dealing with Amazon is great. If I bought from those other sellers, I would have been left to deal with Sony via the warranty – No Thanks! Its worth the extra hundred dollars or so to go with Amazon.

PICTURE QUALITY: The HD picture is amazing. I had a 2004 42′ Sony WEGA that produced 1080i, but the Bravia is a much, much better HD picture (however, it seems Comcast broadcasts in 1080i, not 1080p). When watching sports on my WEGA, the picture could not handle fast action so well. The Bravia corrects this pretty well (via the 120hz) and there is definitely a noticable difference/improvement versus my old WEGA. The 120hz is well worth the money.

BOTTOM LINE, at $1,823, I am happy with the TV even after the first one was defective. I found the Samsung to be too glossy a picture and didn’t like the touch of red, so the 52v5100 was the perfect TV for me at that price. Buy from Amazon, not those other tricksters.

5 Stars A Great “Idiot Box”
I bought this with a PS3 (because it’s a blu-ray player) and haven’t looked back. It was super easy to set up with HDMI and optical audio cables and I am constantly blown away by the picture. The blacks are especially dark and I had heard that this might be a problem with LCD TV’s. The in TV speakers are fine, not tinny, although I elected to disable them and run the sound through my receiver for surround sound. I really can’t fault the TV in any way. Just try and get the best price you can!

5 Stars Latest V-Series Version a Winner
Set delivered as promised, but not turned on and checked electronically (blue screen). Pilot Air guys said set needed to acclimate to new temperature and humidity for 4 hours. Component video hookup to Comcast did not work. Component video hookup to Blueray was also problematic. All problems went away with HDMI hookups. The set may have been preconfigured for HDMI and could not sense the Component – not convinced there is a problem. The set is great. The Color was dead-on right out of the box – better than store displays. The on-screen menus were straight forward. The set would do annoying clicking noises, when resizing, going between HD channels and regular channels. Fixed this by reprogramming the HD box from Comcast. I think I’m spoiled now.

5 Stars Great Value for the Money. Great Picture.
(NOTE: GET THE FIRMWARE UPDATE FROM SONY’S WEBSITE TO UPDATE TO ER3.84-D828 SOFTWARE VERSION. IT IS A MUST TO FIX A PROBLEM WITH THE ADVANCED CONTRAST ENHANCER FEATURE!!) I picked up this TV a couple weeks ago and wanted to really wait and see how it looked before I reviewed it. I replaced an older Sony Hi-Def LCD rear projection 1080i model. The older TV had a good picture, but OMG, the difference is like day and night. I have used it for an XBOX360, a PS3 and with Dish Network Hi-Def receiver/DVR. The standard def is better than most of the other LCD’s I looked at but as with all you can see the flaws of the SD picture. This one looks better than most for SD though. First off I’m not sure about the HDMI color space issue another reviewer was talking about, as I did not experience that with my XBOX360 (EDIT: THIS ISSUE DOES EXIST WHEN SETTING THE XBOX360 TO SOURCE OR AUTO. SPECIFY THE COLOR SETTINGS EITHER RGB OR YCBCR AND IT’S FINE) . I have it set to ycbcr and it looks AMAZING! Just make sure and set to ycbcr709 for HD for movies and RGB for games. The PS3 also looks INCREDIBLE! This TV had all the features I wanted and has delivered higher performance and picture than expected. The one thing I was worried about was the fact that it has an 8-bit LCD panel, rather than a 10-bit panel. I was really worried it would have banding or “paint by number” effects. I picked up a copy of Digital Video Essentials (DVE) HD Basics on Blu-Ray to calibrate the TV and to my surprise it included a test for checking for slow processing and for color banding “paint by number” effects. This TV was able to reproduce a perfect gradation in both color and gray scale with ABSOLUTELY no banding or “paint by number” effects whatsoever! I was really impressed. According to DVE an 8-bit panel should be able to do this as long as the processing board is fast enough and good enough quality. These problems are more due to the processing than an 8-bit panel according to DVE. The 10-bit is not necessary if you have adequate processing. After more research I have found that, that is why most higher end manufacturers, like Sony have started using 8-bit panels again in most but their very high end models. After calibrating this TV with DVE the picture is far better than I had ever hoped for, with great black levels and extremely vibrant, true to life color. The off angle viewing is exceptional. The picture morphs a little from extreme side view due to the flat screen, but the contrast and brightness even from almost sideways is awesome! On the last note, the Dish Network receiver/DVR looks great as well. Any problems with the picture was due to the signal from the receiver and not the TV itself. All the HD channels have some compression and it shows, but wouldn’t matter how good the TV is for that. DVD, Blu-Ray, XBOX350 and PS3 have absolutely the best picture I have seen on any other LCD. They only thing that could be as good or better is Plasma, but I really wanted a Sony and they only make LCD’s now. I am very pleased with my purchase and would highly recommend this TV for anyone. The matte finish is great as I have a lot of ambient lights and side windows in my living room. The only other TV I was considering was the Samsung and the highly reflective, glossy screen just would not work for me. Other than that, the Samsung had an INCREDIBLE picture as well.

4 Stars Pretty Good
The hd quality is the best i have seen on any tv the standard def takes a good hit.It has issues with hdmi color space auto adjustments from xbox360.Be sure that if you hook a 360 up to it that its set to rgb in the hdmi color space on the 360 settings if you plan on displaying in 1080p.For movies ycbr is best and for games rgb is best.So you can manually switch between the two if you using the 360 for both movies and games.

Theres no real glare at all the picture quality is top notch after the right adjustments and the only bad thing is the hdmi color space issue that can be fixed most likely with a firmware update.

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Indie Producers Handbook Creative Producing from A to Z

Indie Producers Handbook Creative Producing from A to Z

Myrl Schreibman has written a straighfoward, insightful, and articulate account of what it takes to make a successful feature film.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars A STAPLE FOR ANY FILMMAKER
This book is the producer’s version of Gray’s “Anatomy of the Human Body.” Without a doubt, Schreibman’s text is the blueprint for any successful indie film and should be read and thoroughly consulted by every creative producer – experienced or otherwise. Furthermore, this book that can be extremely useful to directors and screenwriters because it provides a real understanding of what the producer does and how the other creative entities can best collaborate with the producer for creative and practical synergy. In short, this book is a must for anyone who wants to make movies.

5 Stars No-nonsense bullet-proof advice
I recently finished producing my own independent film and found this book right at the beginning of my post-production period.

I wish I had found it earlier. It is full of no-nonsense advice and information that is practically bullet-proof, and I ended up agreeing with about all of it. Schreibman, who apparently has a long history of producing films for t.v. and theatrical market, has paid his dues, done his homework, and knows another “feel-good” you-can-do-it book isn’t necessary.

He tells you like it is, doesn’t pull any punches, and helps you avoid the most common mistakes, both legally and aesthetically. Writing and directing are generally the more “arty” positions in film production – the Producer is supposed to keep the ship moving forward and avoiding any fatal mistakes. This book directs you in the right direction.

My film was a “micro-budget” film, and this book may ultimately be more useful for “larger” independent features, including ones with SAG deals, distribution in place, and budgets closer to 7 figures. While all the advice here applies to everyone making a movie, it’s the attitude Myrl conveys that I really appreciated and believed in, more than some of his nuts-and-bolts info. The contract samples at the end were also very helpful when I went out and began looking for more help finding money to finish my film (which I eventually did).

Now I’m dreaming of using the rest of the info here for my next film!

5 Stars Excellent content and an easy read
I have a book shelf, full of film production books that I have collected over the past twenty years or so. This book reads very easily and teaches some pretty complex concepts from the world of producing. (ie. Day of Days)

I would recommend this to new producers, students and people that would like a primer on the creative and business side of a Hollywood Producer.

5 Stars MUST READ FOR ALL PRODUCERS
I just completed a feature length screenplay that will soon become a feature length film. To prepare for production I decided to purchase two books: Creative Producing A to Z, and, A Film Director Prepares, both by Myrl Schreibman. Having just finished reading them, I now know I could not have made two better choices. Buy them both, read them both, then read them both again! I promise, your film career will be well served.

4 Stars I recommend it
I bought this book for my cousin who wants to start out in the film business. This book helped me break down the who’s who in the industry and the breakdown and samples are easy to understand.

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DIGI PMA5031

DIGI PMA5031

This Super Thin, Tilt Adjustable Plasma Wall Mount for 40-70″ Displays has a 20 degree forward & 6 degree backward tilting angle. It comes with an adjustable screw position for different screen sizes that is built for easy installation

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars It is not the one that I thought to be
The Mount that I received was not the one that is shown here. If this one is not in the stock then need to be removed from the list.

The one that got is somewhat similar. It was difficult for me to attach to the wall and the tilt adjust knob was broken before I actually hang the TV. Not recommend for big screen TV.

4 Stars Truely a 200$ Mount
This mount would definatly be sold for 200$ at any big box store. It is sturdy and solid with plenty of bolts, washers, spacers, etc. Easy to instal, total confidence in placing big 50″ plasma. One of the main reasons that I chose this one was all the mounting holes on the base plate. This ensured that I could mount the tv in the middle of the wall even if the studs were not on center.

5 Stars Best Bracket For The Money
It Holds A 200 Plus Lb Tv NO Problem. You Just Need 3 men To Hang The TV. Make Sure It Is Mounted Into Solid Wood Or The Tv WILL Fall Of The wall. I had Bought The Bracket Months before i Got The Tv. I Only Spent 50.00 On The Bracket When it was On Sale. I have Not Seen That price Since i Bought This One. Excellent Bracket. I have A 63 Inch Samsung Hanging On The wall At A 20 Degree Angle. Bracket works Perfect. Remember To mount it Properly. A 200 Lb Tv Falls Very hard On A Tile Floor. I Dont Think The Warranty will Cover That Problem. Be Carefull Not To Get A Hernia Mounting A Set That Heavy!!!!!

5 Stars Great deal
Great product. They quality of the mount really impressed me. Very sturdy. With a stud finder this mount is easy to install. Don’t pay 2 or 3 times the price for a wall mount at the store!

5 Stars Great buy!
After researching the cost of a tilt mount at local big box stores, most were in the $175-$250 level for my 52″ LCD TV. I found this mount on line for under $50. It was delivered in 3 days, and is easy to mount with up to a 15 degree tilt. Perfect for my needs. It can handle from 40″ up to a 70″ set, and can handle curved or flat backs. It has a variety of screws, bolts, anchors and even an allen wrench for mounting. The only things not included are a stud finder and wrench for the mounting bolts!! Great value!

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Vintage Games An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto Super Mario and the Most Influential Games of All Time

Vintage Games An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto Super Mario and the Most Influential Games of All Time

“They say you can’t go back again, but reading Vintage Games comes close. Open the book, and I’m back in the video arcades of my youth. Turn the page, and I’m in college again, discovering the secret joys of the early PC games. Turn the page again, and I’m back in my living room, playing Mario with my young kids. But Vintage Games is more than just a trip down memory lane, because the authors analyze each game in ways that bring fresh insights to those nostalgic memories.”–Steve Meretzky, Veteran Game Designer

“An interesting and insightful trip down a gamer’s memory lane, focusing on titles that have become benchmarks in videogame history.”–Didi Cardoso, Managing Editor, Grrlgamer.com

“The video game industry has a poor track record when it comes to preserving its history. Fortunately, scholars and enthusiasts have stepped in to fill the void, and Vintage Games is an essential contribution to this effort. Loguidice and Barton are to be commended for documenting the history of gaming’s greatest landmarks.”–Michael Abbott, The Brainy Gamer Blog and Podcast, Professor of Theater and Film Studies, Wabash College

“Essential reading for video game fans and game studies scholars alike!”–Laurie N. Taylor, Digital Library Center, University of Florida

“A must-read for anyone even remotely interested in video gaming history – from the hardcore to the casual. A book that anyone that has ever held a joystick would enjoy.”–Shane R. Monroe, Host of RetroGamer Radio/Monroeworld.com

“The book is smart and fun – much like the games it addresses.”–Dr. Matthew S. S. Johnson, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Scholarly, Nostalgic and Fun! An Instant Classic!
“Vintage Games” is a surprisingly comprehensive, scholarly, fun, and informative work on subject of video games, which is a subject not taken too seriously by the general public. And when I say “scholarly,” I don’t mean it in a boring sense, because the book is anything but; it is a refreshingly adult and entertaining treatise on the games in question, and of their impact on “our” generation.

The first thing that struck me about the book is the quality of the book’s layout. The book is very slickly produced, printed on glossy pages with plenty of crisp, colorful images throughout the book. The images range from video gameplay screen captures, game box covers, classic game advertisements, and an occasional hardware photograph. There are images on nearly every page, and often more than one image on a page! Even the humble “Space Invader” book cover, which looks rather plain in the Amazon cover image sample, pops with color and class when seen in real life. I must say, I wasn’t expecting much, presentation-wise, from the book, so I was more than pleasantly surprised at the slick layout and color of the book!

The next thing I found intriguing was the scholarly, in-depth focus of the writing. The authors take the subject seriously, explaining the historical and cultural significance of the games covered in each chapter. The writing is crisp, informative, adult, and scholarly, but not without an occasional dry witticism that will have “in-the-know” readers chuckling. I would quote some humorous examples, but that would spoil some of the fun. The book is not funny overall, so the occasional humor was appreciated.

Although the book officially covers only 26 “influential” games, many, MANY more games are mentioned in the book, either as precursors to the “influential” game, or as “offspring” of the influential game in question. For example, the “Street Fighter II” chapter mentions classic games such as “The Bilestoad,” “Karate Champ,” “Double Dragon,” “Yie Ar Kung Fu,” “Virtua Fighter, “Super Smash Bros.” and “Karateka,” among others, that were influential towards, or influenced by, “Street Fighter II.” And the “John Madden Football” chapter covers a serious history of nearly ALL sports videogames, be it Football, Soccer, Baseball,Basketball, or Boxing, again, with plenty of photos of the games in question.

Some of the most interesting chapters are actually about games I haven’t really played or didn’t like! For example, the chapters on “MYST” and “Castle Wolfenstein” gave me new insights and a new appreciation for these games, so much so that I am tempted to play them again just to see if my impressions have changed.

Most of the all-time favorite games are covered: Tetris, Pac Man, Super Mario, Street Fighter II, Ultima, Sim City, Final Fantasy, etc. are all covered with full chapters. And many old-time favorites (computer, arcade, and concole favorites) are at least mentioned in passing, adding to the fun and nostalgia factor. “Hey, I played that game!” I found myself thinking as I read about the games mentioned (often with accompanying photographs of the games)!

I do have some minor complaints about the book, but these complaints were not enough to bring down my five-star rating, considering how deeply the book covers its subject matter.

First of all, the book is softcover; I prefer hardcover books. The book is not poorly bound, it’s just…. softcover. I admit it’s a nitpicky concern, but I am well-known for falling asleep while reading, and I’d hate to think that my face rolling around on the book could damage it.

Secondly, the book is occasionally biased against those who might find some aspects of videogaming disturbing or dangerous. In the “Grand Theft Auto” chapter, for example, the authors casually dismiss the opponents of these notoriously violent and amoral games as “concerned but uninformed citizens.” While not surprising, I would have liked to see a bit more of the “other side” of the argument, even though I’ve played and enjoyed several of the GTA games. I admit that such a subject could take up an entire book in and of itself, so I’ll forgive the book on this one. It’s beyond the scope of a book such as this to cover such territory.

Finally, the book has many references to “bonus chapters” that are only available (for free) online at armchairarcade.com/vintagegames. They are not included in the book itself. I think the idea of “bonus chapters” is a cool one, but occasionally the book makes references to online bonus chapters that don’t currently (as of this writing) exist yet. I want to read those chapters!

I consider these “criticisms” to be extremely minor in comparison to the overall quality and enjoyment the book provides. I doubt that any of these “minor” criticisms will hamper the reader’s overall enjoyment of this otherwise spectacular book.

“Vintage Games” might very well be a “classic” book on the subject of videogames. It’s intelligent, thought-provoking, nostalgia-inducing, interesting, and fun, with great accompanying photographs of many games. I can recommend this book to anyone with an interest in videogames, from intelligent teenage gamers to nostalgic adults, from hardcore gamers to gaming-industry professionals.

In short, it’s a classic book for anyone with a serious interest in videogames, and I recommend it highly! Personally, I got my money’s worth and then some! “Vintage Games” was a pleasant surprise.

4 Stars pure nostalgia
For readers who grew up after 1975 and who spent too much time and almost surely too much money at video arcades, the book is a sweet stroll thru your memories. May I suggest that when reading it, you play a sound track of top music hits from the 80s or 90s? This combined sensory input might help reinforce the book’s contents.

All the major video games are here. Remember how quickly the state of the art evolved from 1979 to 82? Space Invaders in 79 was a massive hit coming out of Japan. Yet in those few years, it was quickly obsoleted by better graphics and more intricate abilities in the games. I hesitate to call these story lines, but you might.

An attraction of the book is that it’s not focused so much on describing in heavy detail the games. Rather, as the title says, it offers the view of an insider in the infant gaming industry. We can see when game teams were quite small and ditto for the budgets. When, at least in principle, you and just a few talented friends could write a best seller in a few months. Although in practice, even then, a few companies grew large and dominated the scene.

As to the book’s choice of the most influential games, it seems pretty uncontroversial. These were all huge hits in their time.

5 Stars A great book for anyone who loves Video Games!
A great book for anyone who ever loved or is in love with video games. Most of the games explored in this book I grew up on and I have many memories sitting in front of our small 13 inch tv playing thenm. The Final Fantasy VII chapter is great and just made me relive some moments as a young girl who couldn’t put this game down. This makes a great gift and I highly recommend anyone who loves to play video games.

5 Stars Excellent book for anyone interested in video games
I read the book cover to cover over a span of 3 days (it’s hard to put down). Each chapter stands on its own, so it’s easy to read in small segments as well.

Because game developers draw from other titles for inspiration, the book will reference itself as applicable to show how these influences propagated across games over time. There are numerous examples of what did/didn’t work, as well as discussion to support these claims. Additionally, several of the supplemental/external references are available over the web, so pursuing areas of interest is easy.

As the title says, the book is about influential games, which aren’t always the best-selling games (though they usually inspire a best-selling game if the original work wasn’t a hit in its own right). It’s a collection of ‘firsts’, as well as cataloging those that followed (with varying degrees of success).

Ultimately it was a very enjoyable read that flowed very well from chapter to chapter. Certainly it was nostalgic thinking back to when those earlier games were released, but the combination of the discussion and additional insight made it like living those experiences for the first time.

4 Stars Interesting
Wow, this is a great book, something I guess people call a real page turner. Glossy pages with full color photos. I love the progression from the begining of a type of game (think say, Karate Champ) to its logical progression. There is an abundance of screenshots (I wont say overabundance, you can never have enough!), and its so cool to see some classic arcade games show.

The chapter 14 / pole position was one of my fav chapters in the book.

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Sony Bravia M Series KDL 19M4000 P 19 Inch 720p LCD HDTV White with Pink Accent

Sony Bravia M Series KDL 19M4000 P 19 Inch 720p LCD HDTV White with Pink Accent

Want a small LCD TV that still brings a lot to the (kitchen) table? The KDL-19M4000 is Sony’s answer. With three HD connections (including HDMI, component, and PC input), a sleek design, and the picture quality you’ve come to expect from Sony, the KDL-19M4000 is designed to give you the performance you want in a more casual package. Perfect for the kitchen or bedroom.

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Just OK
This Bravia replaced a Sharp Aquos counter top model which developed a shadow on the screen after about two years of use. It is larger (about 4″) picture wise than the Sharp and was the largest set I could find that would stand on the counter and fit under an overhead cabinet. It runs off a Direct TV, non-HDTV signal.

Factory preset picture settings were just awful with a very dark picture and odd glossy flesh tones. I tried to adjust the picture a number of times but finally realized I was trying to get the colors and resolution I was used to on the Sharp, which the Bravia apparently won’t do. If my set had true factory picture presets I can guarantee anyone else buying this set will be spending a lot of time trying to adjust the picture.

In addition, unless you are viewing the set from directly in front and at set level the picture washes out excessively which is annoying since a kitchen set is usually viewed from a number of angles.

I would definitely recommend viewing and comparing this set in a store before purchasing. I will probably be looking for a replacement set and relegate this one to a guest bedroom.

5 Stars Typical Sony Quality & Great Reception
This is the second 19-inch LCD HDTV that I have bought, and the first Sony for this size.

I bought this white Sony to place in my kitchen where I have had a black Sharp 19-inch LCD HDTV (which I moved to a bedroom). Well first I found that the color is bright and the blacks are solid giving it an excellent picture. This white Sony is also a very attractive unit and perfect to have in a nice kitchen. It is also solid and easy to adjust how straight it stands up.

Plus, using the exact same rabbit ears from the Sharp HDTV it’s replacing in my kitchen, for over the air digital channels, the Sony has much better reception. I’m able to pickup more digital channels then I could with the Sharp.

I would certainly buy this Sony HDTV again.

4 Stars Great Buy !
Just purchased one of these at Costco for $249.00. Will set up and advise on the quality. This is to be used in a kitchen.

5 Stars Sony Bravia
We purchased this 19″ Sony Bravia Television to replace an old analog television in the bedroom of our 5th Wheel RV (mounts in a swing out cabinet). The picture and sound are great and passed our expectations but the best part is that the installation was a perfect fit with no pedestals to deal with. All we have to do is un-snap 2 clips and it becomes portable again and we can take it anywhere. We highly recommend it.

3 Stars Some real answers
I have yet to make my purchase of this product but I intend to make an informed decision. I would be using this TV at university to play my PS3 and X Box 360 pro using HDMI outputs. Also I would probably be bringing it to and from different places for system link games. Which is why the handle seems a good thing for me. All of the reviews for this product do not tackle the HD capabilities of this device… How does a Blu Ray, not upscaled DVD look, or how about gaming, can anyone help?

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