One of the great things about audio books is that there are the different media players that can be used to listen to them. This is wonderful news for those among us who like to have a choice rather than be limited to just one way to listen to audio books.
"Books on tape," cassette tape audio books or CD audio books are a good option for people who enjoy listening to their audio books while lounging on the sofa or in bed. The PC or laptop is also a good option for this kind of listening. Most likely your PC or laptop already has a media player built into the operating system. If, for some reason, your PC does not already have a media player, there are plenty of free downloads available on the Internet. Two of the highest quality and most popular free players available are Windows Media Player (which usually comes standard with the Windows operating systems) and Real One Player (www.real.com).
If sitting around listening to books doesn't interest you, there is also a great selection of portable media players available these days. A portable media player, such as an mp3 player or iPod, allows you to enjoy your audio books while you're on the go. Whether you'd like to listen to audio books while doing chores, exercising or walking your dog, portable players give you the freedom to do just that.
Previously, the most common portable players were CD and cassette players, also known as "walkmen," but as technology and industry expand, portable devices that play mp3 files are quickly becoming the new standard.
Products such as audio-ready PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) like the Casio CASSIOPEIA and Compaq iPAQ, for example, are gaining popularity among business professionals since these tools are primarily personal organizers, but they also have mp3 capabilities. These products are usually on the more costly end of the portable technology spectrum, selling between $400 and $600.
Compatible portable audio players are the more cost effective devices. These include your basic mp3 players, which can purchased for about $50 as well as devices like Creative's NOMAD Jukebox 3 and the SONICblue's Rio 900. These devices are more sophisticated than your average, run of the mill mp3 players, and while being more expensive than standard mp3 players, they are cheaper than PDAs and have more capabilities than mp3 players. Some can even play and store video and picture files. Devices like these are in the $150 to $300 price range.
No matter where your preferences lie, if you're a walker, a jogger, commuter or a couch potato, there is a variety of audio players from which you can choose. From your basic, old fashioned radio/cassette tape player to PCs and laptops to the new ultra high tech personal digital assistants, there is no doubt you can find a media player you can use to listen to your audio books that suits both your style and your budget.
About the Author
Margret Lilin is the webmaster at AudioBookFanClub.com, an online mega store that provides a wide selection of discounted audio books in various categories. The site constantly gives away surprise gifts and bonuses to subscribers and customers. To search for bargain MP3 players please visit our sister site IncomePlaza.com
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Diamond Vision DVD Player Region-Free Hack and Review
This review and regionless hack applies to the following DVD / MP3 / CD player: Diamond Vision DVDV807-03. The DVD player's manual also includes instructions for the DVDV807-04 model, so most of this information should apply to it as well.
Whether you intend to watch foreign language videos in order to learn a new language, or because some titles are not available where you live, DVDs from another region will probably be unplayable on your current DVD player. However, a DVD machine can often be converted (hacked) to a different region via a remote control sequence or firmware upgrade. Sometimes you can even buy customized chips to modify the hardware.
The simplest and least expensive way to hack a DVD player is to find a cheap unit that can be fine-tuned via a remote control sequence. That is what this article is all about.
The Diamond Vision DVDV 807-3 player is front-loading. It proved itself to be reliable during my testing. There are a couple of annoyances, however:
1.) The DVD-spinning mechanism tends to be a little loud (minor inconvenience).
2.) If you try to operate STOP, OPEN, and PLAY buttons too quickly, the player sometimes locks up. Powering down and restarting always resets the player successfully.
*The region-free hack works as follows:
1.) Turn on the power and wait until the 'NO DISC' message appears, then press OPEN/CLOSE on the unit itself to open the door of the DVD player
2.) On the remote control, press SETUP. A menu will appear onscreen.
3.) Enter the following number sequence via remote: 1 3 8 9
4.) A different menu will appear. Your cursor should now be sitting in a box with the current region displayed. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys on the remote control to display a specific region's numerical code, or select '0' (regionless).
5.) Press ENTER and then SETUP to exit.
6.) Your DVD player will now play DVDs from other regions. The code only has to be entered once. Powering down will not cause the Diamond Vision to lose its region-free setting. An added plus: it automatically senses PAL/NTSC signals.
According to videohelp.com, this region hack will also work with many other Diamond Vision DVD players.
This unit is a pretty standard economy DVD player. You can usually find it for well under $50 in most Wal-Marts. It is approximately 9 inches wide by 10 inches deep, and the remote control is a little nicer and bigger than what comes with a lot of discount DVD units.
This machine provides several types of video and audio output:
1.)Y/Pb, Cb/Pr, Cr
2.) RCA
3.) S-Video
For a budget player, it certainly is a bargain, considering the capabilities.
*Note: You can determine the region code for any DVD by looking at the packaging. You might see something that looks like a button with a globe in the background and a large number. The DVD may specifically state something like 'Region 1'. If no code is shown, it may be regionless right out of the box. Some older titles, budget productions, or remakes of older films often do not have any region protection added.
Current region codes on commercial titles range from 1 to 6.
It's a good move if you decide to purchase this unit. You should definitely get your money's worth.
About the Author
Kathy works behind the scenes at many websites, including A-Language-Guide and 111 Travel Directory - among others.
Whether you intend to watch foreign language videos in order to learn a new language, or because some titles are not available where you live, DVDs from another region will probably be unplayable on your current DVD player. However, a DVD machine can often be converted (hacked) to a different region via a remote control sequence or firmware upgrade. Sometimes you can even buy customized chips to modify the hardware.
The simplest and least expensive way to hack a DVD player is to find a cheap unit that can be fine-tuned via a remote control sequence. That is what this article is all about.
The Diamond Vision DVDV 807-3 player is front-loading. It proved itself to be reliable during my testing. There are a couple of annoyances, however:
1.) The DVD-spinning mechanism tends to be a little loud (minor inconvenience).
2.) If you try to operate STOP, OPEN, and PLAY buttons too quickly, the player sometimes locks up. Powering down and restarting always resets the player successfully.
*The region-free hack works as follows:
1.) Turn on the power and wait until the 'NO DISC' message appears, then press OPEN/CLOSE on the unit itself to open the door of the DVD player
2.) On the remote control, press SETUP. A menu will appear onscreen.
3.) Enter the following number sequence via remote: 1 3 8 9
4.) A different menu will appear. Your cursor should now be sitting in a box with the current region displayed. Use the UP and DOWN arrow keys on the remote control to display a specific region's numerical code, or select '0' (regionless).
5.) Press ENTER and then SETUP to exit.
6.) Your DVD player will now play DVDs from other regions. The code only has to be entered once. Powering down will not cause the Diamond Vision to lose its region-free setting. An added plus: it automatically senses PAL/NTSC signals.
According to videohelp.com, this region hack will also work with many other Diamond Vision DVD players.
This unit is a pretty standard economy DVD player. You can usually find it for well under $50 in most Wal-Marts. It is approximately 9 inches wide by 10 inches deep, and the remote control is a little nicer and bigger than what comes with a lot of discount DVD units.
This machine provides several types of video and audio output:
1.)Y/Pb, Cb/Pr, Cr
2.) RCA
3.) S-Video
For a budget player, it certainly is a bargain, considering the capabilities.
*Note: You can determine the region code for any DVD by looking at the packaging. You might see something that looks like a button with a globe in the background and a large number. The DVD may specifically state something like 'Region 1'. If no code is shown, it may be regionless right out of the box. Some older titles, budget productions, or remakes of older films often do not have any region protection added.
Current region codes on commercial titles range from 1 to 6.
It's a good move if you decide to purchase this unit. You should definitely get your money's worth.
About the Author
Kathy works behind the scenes at many websites, including A-Language-Guide and 111 Travel Directory - among others.
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