Get Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor [Online Game Code]

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I could rant and rave about this game for hours. It seems like WB Games and Monolith came together in sweet harmony and created a game that seamlessly integrates everything you'll love about an open world with a great story and meaningful RPG progression. You are well rewarded for going after tougher enemies. The nemesis system works better than I thought possible. So far, the LOTR lore is spot on and Uruk society is just as you would expect.

The introduction/prologue ties in perfectly with the campaign and teaches you how to play without feeling like a meaningless tutorial. I felt connected with the characters almost immediately which makes their murders gut wrenching even though you know it's going to happen.

Combat difficulty is adjustable so if you feel like the game is giving you too much of an advantage (by telling you when you can block an incoming strike) you can turn off combat prompts.

Over all, I'd give this game a 98/100. There were a couple of graphical glitches that were more funny than anything; they did not affect gameplay at all. This is my Game of the Year for sure.

Get The Banner Saga [Online Game Code]

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I recommend this game to anyone who loves a great story.

It's been a long time since I've felt this drawn-in and invested into a game. The characters are actual people.

Visuals are stunning. Music.. well... the music is great but can get repetitive if you play this game as much as I have (but that's my own damn fault).

My only complaint was that the game has an ending. Can't wait for the next installment!

Please play this. You won't be sorry.

The New Funai ZV427FX4 Combination VCR and DVD Recorder

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I had an old Panasonic DVD/VCR recorder and it finally died. I thought about taking the 100 VHS tapes I have to a professional place to get it done, but at $25 a pop ($2500!!), this machine looked like a better deal. It is very, very easy to 'install.' Unlike my last one, I didn't have to deal with red/yellow/green/blue/white jacks, trying to figure out what goes where. They do have that option, but one HDMI cable did the trick instead.



Directions are simple and clearly printed. I only had to look at a few pages because I'm only interested in the dubbing part of it. I don't care about any other features. However, we do watch DVDs on it as well, and we were amazed at the quality. Our old Panasonic had really gotten bad and we didn't even realize it. This new one has a great picture.



You can't watch and tape TV through it (no tuner), but we have a DVR with our satellite dish, so we didn't need that.



It does the job easily. I thought about getting a Toshiba, but several reviews seem to indicate that it was a bit more difficult to dub. This machine is simple, IF you follow the simple, illustrated directions.



I had never heard of Funai, but for the price I was willing to give it a try. Since I have no clue how long it will last I bought the extended warranty (cheap). If it gets all my videos done, it will be more than worth the price.



IMPORTANT!!! You need to have DVD- (MINUS) not PLUS. This unit will not work with PLUS (DVD+). DVD- are easy to find. After looking at reviews, it seems that not all recordable DVDs are created equal. I ended up ordering "100 Taiyo Yuden/JVC 8X DVD-R 4.7GB Silver Thermal Lacquer DVD-R." These appear to be the best quality and last the longest. Amazon has the best price for them.



EDIT on April 18, 2014: It's still going strong. The dubbing is even easier than I thought. I put the VHS in one side, the DVD in the other and just press the "dub" button on the remote. I don't have to set anything up or do anything else to start. After it's finished, you do have to "finalize" it, but that's not hard at all. Simple directions are included.

The New Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder, Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I bought this DVD recorder to copy many old family home movies on videocassettes to DVDs. Our home movies date back to 1988. After some advice from customer service at Toshiba, I have been able to use the recorder to dub my old home movies successfully to DVDs.



Like several other users, I found that when I followed the instructions for dubbing to DVDs, the recorder showed a "Barred" icon, a slashed red circle. After several attempts with different brands of DVD disks, I called Toshiba. I got some very helpful advice from the first customer service agent at Toshiba, but I was still unable to resolve the problem. I called back and talked to another agent, who was able to help me resolve the recording issues. Both customer service agents at Toshiba were very knowledgeable and did an excellent job of explaining their advice. I was very satisfied with Toshiba customer service. I will summarize the advice below so that other people who have difficulties with the recorder can try these steps to resolve their problems.



1. Because old videotapes may not track well when they have been unused for several years, fast forward to the end of the tape and rewind the tape before attempting to copy it. The recorder may refuse to copy a tape if it does not track well.



2. Eject the videotape. Apparently Toshiba DVRs (both the 610 and 620) can balk if the videotape is inserted before the DVD.



3. Push the DVD button and insert the blank DVD.



4. Press Record Mode (not Record) button and set the speed (I use SP).



5. Press the Setup button and select Recording. Select Dubbing Mode. Select VCR > DVD.



6. Press the VCR button and insert the videotape. Press Play and then Pause (not Stop) at the point slightly before you wish to start copying.



7. Press the Dubbing button. Push Stop when you want to stop dubbing. You can then insert another videotape to dub onto the same DVD, until it is full.



8. You can add titles on the DVD disk with the Top Menu button by selecting the part you wish to title and clicking on Edit and Edit Title.



9. After adding titles, you should finalize the DVD by pressing the Setup button, selecting DVD Menu and then Finalize (this may take a few minutes). Then you should be able to play the disk on another machine. I have been able to play finalized disks on my Sony DVD player.



I hope this is helpful for others having some trouble with these machines. I am very happy to be able to make digital copies of my old home movies.

The New Toshiba SD-V296 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo Player

CUSTOMER REVIEW



My review is a lot different from most of the people here.



I saw the reviews others wrote, which were very negative, and one or two that felt it was a good solid basic machine.



I have used toshiba in my profession and it is generally a solid, quality brand. Not schnazzy and spiffy, but solid. A few quirks, but it gets the job done.



What I have done/intend to do with this machine:



1--Replace my old vcr which my son destroyed

2--Play old VHS tapes that have been given to us by friends/family, mainly children's videos

3--Play DVD's (for the children and for us--playing them on my laptop it's too quiet).



On these three points, honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better deal. the price was under $50 when I purchased it last week, and it's brand spanking new, not a refurb, and everything works good. The sound quality for the VHS side is not extra quiet for my tv. In fact, I had to turn it down some. DVD worked great too.



What I have NOT tried to do/don't intend to do:



1--record old vhs's to DVD

2--Hook this puppy into a state of the art audio/visual home theater

3--set the timer for recording programs automatically.



In these more advanced digital age things, probably this is not the best tool. All I wanted was something that could play both vhs and dvd's mainly to entertain our kids and sometimes for me and my wife. Our TV is not enthroned in honor in our house, it is just a tool. Our life doesn't focus around TV programming, so all we really needed was something to play VHS and DVD when we need or want.



Now it's possible if you have a nice nice system, you've already spent hundreds of $$$ on HD stuff, then maybe you need something that is more compatible. Check carefully on brands and make sure they have the exact connections you need, or you can end up spending a lot of money.



Also, if you have a TV that only goes through Co-ax, you'll need a special box to convert the RCA to Co-ax, and the manual says you might find reduced quality if you do.



So if you just need a basic solid piece of equipment to play your vids, I think you can't beat this one. The price has raised since I bought it, but it's still the most affordable one as of today, and I'm glad I got one for well under $100.

The New Funai Corp. DV220FX4 Combination Video and DVD Player

CUSTOMER REVIEW



For us old-timers who still have a large library of VHS tapes, a reliable VHS player is essential. This unit fits the bill. It doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles but it will play your old VHS tapes with excellent sound and visual quality. My old VHS player died and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to find a good replacement. This unit is a great replacement. I couldn't believe how good my old tapes looked and sounded. I had thought they were degrading; but it must have been my old player that was going south. This unit also plays DVDs with excellent sound and visual quality. If you still have a desire to record VHS tapes, it will accommodate that as well.

Get Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller for Windows

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I bought this controller because I needed something that was truely plug and play. It works flawlessly on my Windows 7 Professional 64 bit laptop. I chose the "For Windows" version of the XBOX 360 controller simply because I didn't want to take a chance with other controllers not being recognized or working incorrectly. I don't have an XBOX 360 and wanted this specifically for my Windows computer. It is a perfect match! This controller is recognized immediately by Windows which installs the drivers automatically. If you want you can also go to the Microsoft website and download the latest software/drivers too.



The controller itself works as described with no problems whatsoever. I am using this controller along with another XBOX 360 controller to play multiplayer games on a Nintendo 64 emulator (Project 64) on my PC. Assigning the buttons is easy, but the rumble does not work without installing a plugin (not the controllers fault, just letting you know). I don't mind not having rumble at the moment as it does not affect game play and will install the necessary rumble plugin some day. This controller also works with many other PC games.



I highly recommend a Microsoft controller over a third-party controller! The quality is worth the money. I also recommend going with this USB wired controller over a wireless version so you don't have to bother with batteries or charging. Its simply plug and play and I can't really ask for more than that. Great controller for Windows computers, buy this one!

Get Stereo Gaming Headphone Headset with Microphone (Blue)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Had problems with my old headset which was really cheap (10$?) so I decided to try this one out as I liked the look of it. First let me say this particular one is shipped from china and takes several weeks before it will arrive, it came on oct. 23rd and est. shipping was oct 31st-Nov 11th. So far so good, its comfortable has great sound and the mic works very well. At first I was concerned because the actual mic is pretty far away from your mouth and is only adjustable up and down, so there is no way to get it closer to your mouth. However people have said that it sounds great although I still feel the need to speak loudly just in case. The other thing that I liked about it was that the mic folds up into the earcup so when not in use it isnt sticking out and I dont have to worry about my 2 year old stepping on it or messing with it. Being only 20$ so far I am impressed but only time will tell if this product will keep the 5 star rating I gave it. Hope this helps.

The New Toshiba SD-V296 Tunerless DVD VCR Combo Player

CUSTOMER REVIEW



My review is a lot different from most of the people here.



I saw the reviews others wrote, which were very negative, and one or two that felt it was a good solid basic machine.



I have used toshiba in my profession and it is generally a solid, quality brand. Not schnazzy and spiffy, but solid. A few quirks, but it gets the job done.



What I have done/intend to do with this machine:



1--Replace my old vcr which my son destroyed

2--Play old VHS tapes that have been given to us by friends/family, mainly children's videos

3--Play DVD's (for the children and for us--playing them on my laptop it's too quiet).



On these three points, honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better deal. the price was under $50 when I purchased it last week, and it's brand spanking new, not a refurb, and everything works good. The sound quality for the VHS side is not extra quiet for my tv. In fact, I had to turn it down some. DVD worked great too.



What I have NOT tried to do/don't intend to do:



1--record old vhs's to DVD

2--Hook this puppy into a state of the art audio/visual home theater

3--set the timer for recording programs automatically.



In these more advanced digital age things, probably this is not the best tool. All I wanted was something that could play both vhs and dvd's mainly to entertain our kids and sometimes for me and my wife. Our TV is not enthroned in honor in our house, it is just a tool. Our life doesn't focus around TV programming, so all we really needed was something to play VHS and DVD when we need or want.



Now it's possible if you have a nice nice system, you've already spent hundreds of $$$ on HD stuff, then maybe you need something that is more compatible. Check carefully on brands and make sure they have the exact connections you need, or you can end up spending a lot of money.



Also, if you have a TV that only goes through Co-ax, you'll need a special box to convert the RCA to Co-ax, and the manual says you might find reduced quality if you do.



So if you just need a basic solid piece of equipment to play your vids, I think you can't beat this one. The price has raised since I bought it, but it's still the most affordable one as of today, and I'm glad I got one for well under $100.

The New Toshiba DVR620 DVD/VHS Recorder, Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I bought this DVD recorder to copy many old family home movies on videocassettes to DVDs. Our home movies date back to 1988. After some advice from customer service at Toshiba, I have been able to use the recorder to dub my old home movies successfully to DVDs.



Like several other users, I found that when I followed the instructions for dubbing to DVDs, the recorder showed a "Barred" icon, a slashed red circle. After several attempts with different brands of DVD disks, I called Toshiba. I got some very helpful advice from the first customer service agent at Toshiba, but I was still unable to resolve the problem. I called back and talked to another agent, who was able to help me resolve the recording issues. Both customer service agents at Toshiba were very knowledgeable and did an excellent job of explaining their advice. I was very satisfied with Toshiba customer service. I will summarize the advice below so that other people who have difficulties with the recorder can try these steps to resolve their problems.



1. Because old videotapes may not track well when they have been unused for several years, fast forward to the end of the tape and rewind the tape before attempting to copy it. The recorder may refuse to copy a tape if it does not track well.



2. Eject the videotape. Apparently Toshiba DVRs (both the 610 and 620) can balk if the videotape is inserted before the DVD.



3. Push the DVD button and insert the blank DVD.



4. Press Record Mode (not Record) button and set the speed (I use SP).



5. Press the Setup button and select Recording. Select Dubbing Mode. Select VCR > DVD.



6. Press the VCR button and insert the videotape. Press Play and then Pause (not Stop) at the point slightly before you wish to start copying.



7. Press the Dubbing button. Push Stop when you want to stop dubbing. You can then insert another videotape to dub onto the same DVD, until it is full.



8. You can add titles on the DVD disk with the Top Menu button by selecting the part you wish to title and clicking on Edit and Edit Title.



9. After adding titles, you should finalize the DVD by pressing the Setup button, selecting DVD Menu and then Finalize (this may take a few minutes). Then you should be able to play the disk on another machine. I have been able to play finalized disks on my Sony DVD player.



I hope this is helpful for others having some trouble with these machines. I am very happy to be able to make digital copies of my old home movies.

Get Corsair Raptor M45-5000 DPI Optical Sensor Gaming Mouse (Raptor M45)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I've owned 3 different gaming mice over the past two years and this one is easily my favorite. I've owned the Mamba 2012 edition from razer, the Sensei mlg edition from steel series, and recently the Zeus from gamdias and this mouse feels higher quality than all of those despite being only half the price. I was looking for a new mouse to pair with my Corsair k70 because the sensei was a bit small for me. I bought the Zeus from gamdias and the strange shape on the right side of the mouse made it uncomfortable for me so I returned it. I picked up the m40 after seeing it at fry's because it fit perfectly in my palm and I wanted red lighting to match my k70.



Pros:

The sandpaper-like grip on the sides took me two days to get used to, they don't really feel that rough now and as someone who's hands sweat alot while playing games this definitely helps with accuracy.

The high mass scroll wheel feels much better to scroll on than my other mice.

The soft rubbery texture feels much better than the plastic Sensei and Zeus.

Adjustable weights like the zeus, although it feels perfect for me with all of them in.

The placement of the pads on the bottom makes for a much smoother glide than the other mice I have used. Within the first few minutes of using it I knew I found the mouse i've been looking for since I bought the razer back in early 2012.



Cons:

4000 dpi sensor, as someone who has never needed to go above 3300 dpi I don't see this being that big of an issue.

The two buttons on the sides although customize-able are harder to use for gaming situations than all of the other mice that I have used. You can reach the back button with ease, but trying to reach the front button is a bit difficult, and I have large-ish hands.

The dpi's are set at 800,1600,3200,4000. I've been using 2700/3300 so this was a bit disappointing for me.



Overall:

This mouse gives off a high quality look/feel for an affordable price. The picture on amazon and even the box itself does not do the mouse justice it looks beautiful next to my k70. I'd recommend this mouse to anyone looking for a high quality gaming mouse.

Buy HDMI Cable Category 2, Full 1080P Capable (6 Feet)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



When I bought my LCD TV, I paid a fortune for an HDMI cable at the retail store. Stupid me, I should have known better about the outrageous markups many retail stores put on video accessories. Recently, I bought several of these cables at a fraction of the price I paid for that first one, and I used them to connect a Blu-ray player, an Xbox360, and an audio/video receiver. Even with the high shipping cost, these cables are much cheaper than I found elsewhere. And they work just fine.



Remember, HDMI cables transfer digital info -- they pass bits, not an analog signal -- so, basically, they either work or they don't work. You'll either see the complete picture and hear the audio, or you won't (if the cable is defective). These are not like analog cables where cheaper, poor-quality cables can result in a poorer picture or sound. So if you get any HDMI cable that works, you won't get any better quality by paying for more expensive HDMI cables. Reviewers that say they see a poorer picture with cheaper HDMI cables are fooling themselves and don't understand digital vs. analog.

Get Turtle Beach Ear Force PX22 Amplified Universal Gaming Headset - FFP

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?) I have been a gaming headset user for quite some time now. From the moment I got my first headset I knew I'd never go back to a normal headset or ear buds. Just no where near the same quality. I have always opted for the more expensive models such as Turtle Beach Ear Force XP510 Premium Wireless Dolby Digital Gaming Headset, but I understand that type of budget is not for everyone.



Enter the Turtle Beach PX22. It offers an affordable price, but doesn't lose any of the solid Stereo sound quality. This is not a Dolby Surround sound model, but it doesn't have to be. It offers solid volume control, bass and tremble sound is clear and crisp, Chat quality is also really good with controls on the control box.



Easy to hook up and painless to understand. Sometimes, well most times really, simple is good and that's exactly what the folks at Turtle Beach have done here.



This headset is the obvious successor to the PX21 and is better in every way. The PX22 feels much more sturdy than the PX21. A larger headband, more comfortable ear pieces, more crisp sound, and better chat quality. All wrapped up in a reasonably priced package.



A feature that may be missed by some, unplug it from the little mix amp toggle thing and it's a standard headphone jack usable by MP3 players, phones, Playstation Vita etc. Sound quality doesn't suffer at all.



Bonus for reading this review. If you are new to Turtle Beach headsets or just unsure about how they name their products. Anytime you see PX or a combination of that the P stands for usable on Playstation, X for Xbox so PX means it will work for both systems. I only bring that up because I didn't know that until a couple months ago. :-)



Regardless, the PX22 is a fantastic headset and one that should certainly appeal to gamers on a budget that don't want to sacrifice quality.

Buy Xbox Live 3 Month Gold Membership [Online Game Code]

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I decided to purchase one of these when my current subscription expired. It took a matter of minutes, and I was logged back on to my Live account. It was also about $10-12 cheaper than it would've been if I went to my local big box store (not to mention gas and time). Here are the steps that I took:



1. Purchased it on Amazon.com

2. Checked my e-mail to retrieve my Xbox Live Code immediately after purchase.

3. Logged onto my account on xbox.com, and put the Xbox Live Code in. (Or enter the code on the Xbox 360 dashboard.)

4. Turned on my 360 and viola! Instantaneous access.



I plan on purchasing this again when my current subscription is up. It's a total no brainer.

The New Funai ZV427FX4 Combination VCR and DVD Recorder

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I had an old Panasonic DVD/VCR recorder and it finally died. I thought about taking the 100 VHS tapes I have to a professional place to get it done, but at $25 a pop ($2500!!), this machine looked like a better deal. It is very, very easy to 'install.' Unlike my last one, I didn't have to deal with red/yellow/green/blue/white jacks, trying to figure out what goes where. They do have that option, but one HDMI cable did the trick instead.



Directions are simple and clearly printed. I only had to look at a few pages because I'm only interested in the dubbing part of it. I don't care about any other features. However, we do watch DVDs on it as well, and we were amazed at the quality. Our old Panasonic had really gotten bad and we didn't even realize it. This new one has a great picture.



You can't watch and tape TV through it (no tuner), but we have a DVR with our satellite dish, so we didn't need that.



It does the job easily. I thought about getting a Toshiba, but several reviews seem to indicate that it was a bit more difficult to dub. This machine is simple, IF you follow the simple, illustrated directions.



I had never heard of Funai, but for the price I was willing to give it a try. Since I have no clue how long it will last I bought the extended warranty (cheap). If it gets all my videos done, it will be more than worth the price.



IMPORTANT!!! You need to have DVD- (MINUS) not PLUS. This unit will not work with PLUS (DVD+). DVD- are easy to find. After looking at reviews, it seems that not all recordable DVDs are created equal. I ended up ordering "100 Taiyo Yuden/JVC 8X DVD-R 4.7GB Silver Thermal Lacquer DVD-R." These appear to be the best quality and last the longest. Amazon has the best price for them.



EDIT on April 18, 2014: It's still going strong. The dubbing is even easier than I thought. I put the VHS in one side, the DVD in the other and just press the "dub" button on the remote. I don't have to set anything up or do anything else to start. After it's finished, you do have to "finalize" it, but that's not hard at all. Simple directions are included.

Best $10 PlayStation Store Gift Card - PS3/ PS4/ PS Vita [Digital Code]

CUSTOMER REVIEW



$49.99 for $50 of credit? It's like getting a free penny. But do you want to get five free pennies? I thought so. Buy the 5 of the $10 cards for $9.99 each and watch the savings rack up.

Best $20 PlayStation Store Gift Card - PS3/ PS4/ PS Vita [Digital Code]

CUSTOMER REVIEW



$49.99 for $50 of credit? It's like getting a free penny. But do you want to get five free pennies? I thought so. Buy the 5 of the $10 cards for $9.99 each and watch the savings rack up.