Photos: Top-rated reviews of the week
Here are CNET Reviews' favorite items from the past week, including the Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-ray player, AKG K 702 Dynamic Reference Headphones, and Sony Handycam HDR-CX100.
Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-ray player
Samsung BD-P3600 Blu-ray player
Editors' rating: 4
The good: Excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies; Wi-Fi USB dongle included; Netflix and Pandora streaming; superfast operational speed and disc loading; Profile 2.0 compatible; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; 7.1 analog outputs; 1GB onboard memory; streams media off a connected PC.
The bad: Costs as much as a PS3; front panel controls are located on top of player; PC streaming setup is difficult.
The bottom line: The Samsung BD-P3600 is a huge leap ahead for standalone Blu-ray players, with blazing fast operational speed, tons of features, and excellent image quality.
AKG K 702 Open Back Dynamic Reference Headphones
AKG K 702 Open Back Dynamic Reference Headphones
Editors' rating: 4
The good: The AKG K 702 headphones offer a super comfy, over-the-ear design; they sound great at home and with iPods, and come with a detachable headphone cable.
The bad: The AKG K 702 headphones don't come with a travel bag or storage case.
The bottom line: The AKG K 702 Open Back Dynamic Reference Headphones offer an ultracomfortable way to enjoy sound that is remarkably more open than most sets; they're like personal speakers for your head.
Nokia E63 - red (unlocked)
Nokia E63 - red (unlocked)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The sleek Nokia E63 offers a full QWERTY keyboard and full e-mail capabilities. The Symbian smartphone has integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G support. It's also one of the more affordably priced unlocked phones.
The bad: The smartphone lacks integrated GPS, and call quality could be better. The camera doesn't produce the best pictures, and there's no side-mounted volume rocker.
The bottom line: The Nokia E63 offers a more wallet-friendly price tag compared to other unlocked smartphones and does so without sacrificing too many features; we just wish the call quality and camera were better.
Sony Handycam HDR-CX100 (black)
Sony Handycam HDR-CX100 (black)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Compact and attractive; above-average low-light video.
The bad: Not terribly great lens; occasionally awkward design.
The bottom line: You can tell where Sony cut corners on this compact, flash-based HD camcorder. While it's decent, there are better options for the money than the Sony Handycam HDR-CX100.
Samsung SyncMaster 2233RZ
Samsung SyncMaster 2233RZ
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: The Samsung SyncMaster 2233RZ offers great movies and games performance, and has a useful onscreen display. The monitor is aesthetically pleasing and is compatible with Nvidia's 3D Vision Kit. We saw cleaner textures in fast-moving games in the 120Hz mode.
The bad: The Samsung SyncMaster 2233RZ is expensive for what it offers. Only supports DVI. There's no screen height adjustment, rotation, or pivoting.
The bottom line: The Samsung SyncMaster 2233RZ is the best choice for 120Hz 3D stereoscopic gaming on the PC, with great movie playback to boot. For all other needs, there are cheaper alternatives.
Read CNET's full review
Price range: $399.99
Samsung BD-P1600
Samsung BD-P1600
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Excellent image quality on Blu-ray movies; Netflix and Pandora streaming; speedy load times and operational speed; Profile 2.0 compliant; onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio; Wi-Fi compatible, with purchase of USB dongle.
The bad: Design marred by an annoying flip-down panel; Wi-Fi dongle is very expensive.
The bottom line: The Samsung BD-P1600 has a great mix of features and performance for a standalone Blu-ray player, with only its annoying design holding it back.
Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WRT320N
Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WRT320N
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Good performance; compact and sleek design; Gigabit Ethernet; helpful Web-interface and software application; easy to switch between bands; comprehensive set of networking features.
The bad: Only works in either the 2.4GHz band or the 5GHz band at once; no USB support.
The bottom line: The Linksys Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WRT320N forces you to pick either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz band for your wireless network. Given that, it's not an ideal choice for an environment with both types of wireless clients. The router offers good wireless performance and features a high-speed wired network that caps at 1,000Mbps.
Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera (yellow)
Kodak Zx1 HD Pocket Video Camera (yellow)
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Relatively rugged, attractive design; captures video at 720p HD resolution; decent video; memory-card expansion slot; runs off AA batteries; bundled HDMI cable; zippier performance.
The bad: No memory card; batteries don't recharge via USB connector; software isn't Mac compatible; poor connectivity.
The bottom line: While its video quality doesn't quite match up to that of the Flip Video MinoHD, the Kodak Zx1 does win points for its stylish, rugged design.
Samsung NC20
Samsung NC20
Editors' rating: 3.5
The good: Bigger screen than standard Netbooks; new Via Nano CPU.
The bad: Larger size sacrifices some portability; very basic port selection.
The bottom line: The 12-inch Samsung NC20 holds its own in the first Netbook showdown between Via's new Nano CPU and Intel's popular Atom.
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