Sonic Impact V-55 Portable Speaker System with LCD Screen and Remote for iPod (Black) by Sonic Impact Technologies
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Digital camera reviews of Sonic Impact V-55 Portable Speaker System with LCD Screen and Remote for iPod (Black)
Digital camera Review: Sonic Impact Video 55
Summary: 5 Stars
Hello:
My name is Frank Harris, I have purchased 3 Sonic Impact Video 55's. I purchased 1 for myself and 2 for a friend, who gave one to his friend. We're all more than satisfied. It's a very good product.
Digital camera Review: Sonic Impact for Video IPOD
Summary: 5 Stars
I highly recommend this video player. It's essential if you have a video IPOD that you have movies of videos stored on it. I use mine mostly when I'm traveling. When sitting in the terminal waiting for my flight to take off, I just take out my Sonic Impact and turn on a movie. It make the wait seem a little more enjoyable. I also use it when I visit the doctor's office and know I may there for a while.Digital camera Review: The REAL DEAL on the v55
Summary: 5 Stars
What you should know if you are considering this device:
1) The screen is REALLY REALLY GOOD but not quite AMAZING. The case, however, is exceedingly rugged and well designed. It "feels" well built, if you know what that means.
2) Tactile button response can be a little frustrating at times. Sometimes you have to hit a button twice to get it to work. But this isn't a video game. You get it right once and then you don't touch any buttons at all for at least half an hour. Definitely not a deal breaker.
3) This device INCLUDES a stereo 8mm to three-way FEMALE RCA adapter. Very handy if you want to watch stuff on the "real" TV. In this setup, the much belittled hide-away remote is actually very useful.
4) The battery life is really good. Often better than your iPod video. That can get frustrating when your iPod Video dies but your V55 is still good to go.
5) HOWEVER, it does charge your iPod when it is plugged in so if you are in the car using the INCLUDED cigarette lighter adapter or are near a power outlet using the INCLUDED AC adpater, the above complaint does not apply.
6) Several reviewers have faulted this device for failing to properly select between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect rations. Unsuprisingly, the fault is ACTUALLY with the operator and not the device.
As it is described in the (admittedly somewhat lengthy but intelligently written) instructions, the 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio selection is actually on the iPod and not in the V55.
I could cite several technical reasons why it HAS to be this way given the way the iPod handles video output, but suffice it to say that this one "tiny hink" is clearly explained in the little book that comes with your purchase if you choose to read it.
7) Next, the guy who said this product is for 2.35 aspect ratio videos doesn't know how aspect ratios work. Movies come in 1.33 (like your TV); 1.85 widescreen, and 2.35 (Panavision, etc) widescreen aspect rations. This product -- like widescreen HDTVs -- is designed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Why? To make professional cinematographers (who rallied for a 2:1 aspect ratio) angry. No, really. I'm not actually kidding.
Anyhow, when you watch a 4:3 (old-style TV) video on this product, it pillarboxes the image. This means there are black vertical bars on either side of the correctly proportioned image.
Unlike some TVs, this product does not allow you to digitally zoom in to remove those side bars or allow you to perform a "cinema-wide" expansion. I believe this is because iPod video does not contain enough information to digitally (straight bicubic expansion) zoom in a pretty way and the chip that widescreens a 4:3 image (the aforementioned cinema-wide conversion) or performs an intelligent scalar algorythm would make this device ridiculously unaffordable.
8) All that said, in my opinion, this product plus iPod + iTunes plus free downloadable Handbrake software is really, bar none, the ultimate portable video set up. While the "menu-challenged" may experience a minor learning curve figuring out how to use the aspect ratio setting, the end result of these three products combined is nothing short of miraculous.
Digital camera Review: The best companion for the best ipod generation 5.5G and PS2
Summary: 5 Stars
When I bought this gem, I was looking for an ipod player dock that had a TV-in and a TV-out because I wanted to have a companion to my slim PS2. Most people review this by its iPod greatness, but its true worth is pairing it with the slim ps2. I go with the US Army to training for a month and everyone loves the Video 55. I carry my PS2 and the V55 in my backpack and rip it in the barracks. It's very portable and my 80GB ipod is the best. I truly believe that the 5.5G ipod is still the best one to come because at the end it's just music that they got. It's not like that Ipod classic or Ipod touch can even dream to compare to the sound quality of the Sony Walkmans. Had Apple changed the chip for sound in the Ipod classic then it would be worth the upgrade, but they missed by changing the video chip in the classic, thus making many ipod docks obsolete. Get a 5.5G ipod and this gem and all your movies will be the envy of everyone. :)Digital camera Review: Very Cool, but doesn't work well with iPod Classic yet
Summary: 5 Stars
This is totally cool for use with iPods up to Generation 5.5. It has a great 7" LCD, and the speakers sound great. You can even synch your iPod with the PC/iTunes without removing it from the dock.
Unfortunately, Apple has done something to the new iPod Classic that makes it incompatible with many Video devices - and this is one of them. It kinda works with my 160GB iPod Classic, but it's seriously impaired. This appears to be an Apple grab for revenues as opposed to a consumer feature.
I wouldn't buy this for your classic, but it's awesome for a Generation 5 or 5.5.