It took literally two minutes to set up the Roku and begin going through the instructions. You just hook the basic red, yellow, and white outputs to the television and turn it on the correct channel or output, if it’s necessary based on your television. Once you do that you will see the Roku screen and the set up will begin. It’s pretty simple. All you do is put in your Netflix email and password to allow the Roku to retrieve your movie queue. From there, it’s a matter of choosing a few settings and then the movies are ready to play.

You have a small remote control that works with the Roku. It’s extremely basic. It offers an up, down, and side to side option. There is also a home button which lets you pick from a variety of services including Netflix. I cannot comment on the other services and how they work with the Roku, merely because I have never tried them myself.

If you’ve ever used the Xbox for Netflix, it’s pretty similar. You move through your queue until you find what you are looking for. You can read info about the movie before you play it, rate it after it’s done, and resume the movie if you haven’t finished watching one. Once you have it hooked up there should be no reason that you would have any problem using this. The Roku is virtually fool proof.

The only complaint that I can muster in comparison to the XBox 360 is that you cannot see and add new movies to your queue. On Xbox you are able to see new movies and television shows, view recently watched and/or deleted movies, and see movies from different genres that you might want to add to your queue. You can even watch movies that are available in the other categories without adding them to your queue.

With Roku you can only watch the things that are already on your queue and you cannot add anything straight from the Roku. You would need to add it and then play it. However, I will say that the additions made via a laptop show up within seconds, so if you have your computer handy it’s not too much of a complaint.

If you’re using the Roku for Netflix, you can get the $8.99 Netflix deal that gives you one mailed DVD at a time and unlimited instant DVDs. I could care less about the mailed DVD, as we mainly stick to the instant options. That being said $9 for as many movies as we go through is not a bad deal at all.

When I hooked up my Roku to my Vizio television I was sad to note an annoying feedback sound that drove me nuts. It didn’t always play during the movies, but it was so bad when choosing a movie that I had to mute the television. I had a feeling that the Roku wasn’t to blame and I learned as much when I hooked it up to another television that was not a Vizio and did not produce the same annoying noise. This was just one of many problems I have had with my Vizio, leading me to begin looking for another television despite the fact that the one I have is only about a year old.

The Roku is one of the best things that we reviewed for the holidays this year. I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone that uses Netflix. For under one hundred dollars you aren’t going to find a better, more useful gift like this. Movie lovers will definitely want one of these boxes and they will certainly get good use out of it, especially as Netflix adds a more diverse movie lineup.

You can learn more about the Roku by visiting the Roku website. The Roku also made our Electronics Gift Guide!

Technorati Tags: Roku, Electronics Review, Netflix, Vizio, Television, Movies, Instant Queue, Gift Guide, Holiday Reviews

The Baby G was a real treat to receive for a number of reasons. First, every reviewer loves receiving high quality, attractive items to review. Second, we have been planning to add more fashion and electronics reviews, so this made a nice set of opening reviews. You can see a review for one of the new Casio Pathfinders which Dominick reviewed and the Exilim digital camera, also by Casio. I haven’t owned a Casio watch for quite some time, but it’s nice to have a watch that I am compelled to continue wearing without even considering purchasing a new one while doing so.

Look/Appearance:
I had no clue what the Baby G was going to look like until it arrived. I visited the Casio website, but there are a number of models and the particular one I received (you can see the photo to the right) was not on the website when I went to check it out. My waiting paid off when I received a sleek, stylish watch with a pink face that offers spots for date, day, and seconds. The white ring encircling the face includes the Baby-G name and six silver studs to add to the fashion quality.

While I adore the color of the face, it is the unique look of the band that really caught my eye. The white resin composite band shares space with metal, which shows up alternatively for a look that is both different and trendy. This look works well for most any occasion, be it something sporty or something more casual in nature. The thing I like is the actual size and shape of the band. This tends to mimic the larger, male watches, rather than the more traditional female watches that are smaller and thinner. It is still comfortable enough for a female, but offers the look of a sportier watch in comparison to most other female watches.

The design here is gorgeous. I can’t say anything about the other Baby-G models, but I am quite content wearing the MSG300C-7B2. Unlike many of the other watches I tend to buy and wear on a whim, I think I will be keeping this one around for a long time to come.

Look/Appearance: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Affordability:
According to the Casio website, the MSG-300C-7B2 costs $160. Whether or not you consider this to be affordable will largely depend on your pocketbook. What you receive for this price is a fashionable watch with plenty of various special features that remove it from being a regular timepiece. When you consider the fact that you are not just paying for a basic device that offers you a digital screen of the time, the price isn’t so bad. The look alone makes it pretty close to reasonable. I don’t think this is something that every person could afford given the economy, but as far as watches go, this seems like a fair deal, give or take $20.

Price: 4 out of 5 stars

Specs/Features:
When it comes to the specs you really couldn’t ask for a finer, mid-grade watch. By mid-grade I mean that it may not have a load of advanced features, but it certainly does more than just tell the time. Considering I like to sleep in and have problems getting places on time, one of my favorite features is the alarm feature. You can set up to five alarms at one time in one day. Not only that, but there are three different alarm patterns to choose from, as well.

My watch sits on my dresser near my alarm clock and when (or if) that doesn’t get the job done my watch handles it when that alarm goes off. Even if I don’t need that first morning alarm, the others I have set to go off certainly help to keep me on schedule, which is important because when you work from home, you (or at least I) can have a tendency to drift to other things.

Another favorite feature to this watch is probably one of the simplest things. The watch is water resistant. I know that for some watches that sounds pretty basic, but I have lost countless watches to doing the dishes and forgetting that my submerged wrist has a watch around it. That would be all it took and I would be out another watch. That’s not a problem I deal with anymore, thankfully. Of course, this means you can wear the watch comfortably by poolside or at the beach, should you desire to do so.

Some other popular features for this Baby G watch include:

-Shock Resistant
-LED Light with Afterglow
-World Time
-29 time zones (48 cities)
-Daylight saving on/off
- Countdown Timer
-Countdown range: 1 minute to 24 hours
-1/100 second stopwatch
-Hourly Time Signal
-Auto Calendar (pre-programmed until the year 2099)
-12/24 Hour Formats
-Accuracy: +/-30 seconds per month
-Approx. battery life: 2 years

Specs: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Functionality:
Given the price it is easy to ask what the purpose of this watch is other than to tell time. I suppose the real answer to that depends on your needs. The thing that many will appreciate is the simplicity factor. This is a watch with multiple functions, but many of them are not in your face. They are there if you need them and if you don’t they are just tucked away waiting, in case you change your mind. For instance, if you decide to go on vacation and end up switching time zones, you will have the ability to set your watch based on the time zone and will not have to fiddle with the time, guessing how earlier or later it is. You have alarms at the ready, for whatever you could need them for, and the battery life is set to withstand the amount of time that most people own a watch.

The only way I could see the Baby-G MSG-300C-7B2 failing someone is if it didn’t have enough features or they were looking for something incredibly specific. This watch has more features that most will need, but they are incredibly handy making them worthwhile overall.

Functionality: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ease of Use:
If you have any question on how to work this model of the Baby G, your manual will tell you everything you need to know and more (in more than one language). Not only that, but the manual includes plenty of pictures just in case you are not getting the instructions or you are a visual learner. Things are written out easily and the pictures reaffirm the text for those that have questions.

The watch includes four silver buttons (two on each side). These are going to be your base for working your watch. The buttons are labeled A, B, C, and D. You press and hold A to get things moving and then use B to switch from the date to the time zone and other options. All it took was a short look at the manual and my watch was set in minutes. From there I was able to move on and learn the other features.

Ease of Use: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Overall Quality:
The Casio Baby-G MSG-300C-7B2 is a fashionable, functional watch that will last long enough to ensure that the price you pay is well worth it. As a jewelry fanatic I find the Baby-G to be trendy, comfortable, and suitable to all of my watch-wearing needs. I couldn’t be happier with this watch. The white and metal band goes well with just about anything I choose to wear and the pink face gives it the splash of color it needs to stand out in all the right ways. From now on I will be paying special attention to the new watches that Casio has coming out because if they are all as good as this one, it’s worth keeping an eye on them.

Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Casio, Baby G, Watch, Electronics, Jewelry, MSG-300C-7B2 , Pink, White, Resin Composite, Metal, Band, Alarm, Review, LI Reviews, Time Zone, Functional, Easy to Use

It’s actually quite convenient because all of this information is displayed on the initial watch screen. There is no need to press buttons to get the date. It’s all right there on the watch face, which is quite good looking if I do say so, myself. What the buttons are for is actually quite innovative. I like to say that you could take this watch on a scuba trip or yachting. Travel adventures are recommended when you own the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch. Too bad I don’t own a yacht!

Look/Appearance:
As I mentioned before this is one good looking watch. The spiffy design ensures I’m more than willing to wear this on my arm. The black color for the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch goes with nearly everything I own, making it the perfect accessory no matter the occasion. The professional yet casual look to the watch means I can wear it no matter what I’m doing each day. This could go nicely with a casual suit or when I’m out in track pants and a t-shirt. It really is a versatile watch. With a sporty look and a plethora of options you won’t want to go anywhere without the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch.

My watch came in an attractive black color with a gray watch face. The face has the ability to be lighted with a fluorescent (aqua) blue glow so the watch face can be seen in the dark. The watch has multiple buttons on the sides and the bottom. The right side buttons are textured and silver while the bottom buttons are black, blending in with the rest of the watch. The Pathfinder PAW1500-1V has a silver band with multiple, adjustable slots, allowing the watch to fit a wide variety of wrist sizes.

Look/Appearance: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Affordability:
For a watch, the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V seems quite expensive. With all of the things that this watch does it’s no wonder it costs a bit more than your average watch. Retailing at $350.00 this isn’t something everyone is going to be able to buy or at least not without a few months of saving up the extra cash to purchase this watch. If you need a watch like this the Casio Pathfinder PAW1500-1V is a high quality watch. For those who have the extra money, choose quality over quantity. This watch is going to be something you can use and wear for several years to come.

Price: 5 out of 5 stars

Specs/Features:
The Pathfinder PAW1500-1V is the ultimate Pathfinder watch Casio offers. There are so many different features it is hard to believe this is a watch. Casio combined the functionality of the Pathfinder and Sea Pathfinder watches they produce to create a Multi-Band 5 Atomic Solar Pathfinder watch. You can use this watch to not only tell time, but also view moon and tide graphs, check the temperature, use the digital compass, check the altimeter and use the barometer feature.

When I received my watch I didn’t have to set it. It was already set for me. This is because the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V receives time calibration radio signals. These signals keep the time accurate, even as the solar powered watch shuts down when it’s not being worn (since it also has energy saving capabilities). The auto receive feature receives this signal up to six times per day.

The solar power capabilities of this watch allow it to save battery power and energy with less need for the purchase of watch batteries. Just in case your watch does need new batteries, the battery power indicator is a valuable asset that will let you know exactly when you need to put in new batteries. As it is, the watch battery has a life of at least five months minimum and that’s without the watch being exposed to light.

As if this weren’t enough, there are multiple other features that make this watch special. Here is a list of all of the things the Casio Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch is capable of:

-Digital Compass – Range of Measurement is 0 to 359 degrees, the measuring unit is 1 degree and there are 16 points of measurement on the compass
-Altimeter with a measuring range of 700 to 10,000m (-2,300 to 32,800ft) – each unit is measured as 5m (20ft) and there are auto memory measurement capabilities – the memory capacity is 20 records
-Altimeter memory displays altitude, month, date and time
-Tide and Moon Phase Graphs
-Resistant against Low Temperatures (-10C/14 F)
-Bearing Memory with a capacity of 1 record (stored direction angle and indicator)
-200M Water Resistance
-Auto EL Backlight featuring Afterglow
-Barometer with a display range of 260 to 1,100 hPa (7.65 to 32.45 inHg) – the barometer is measured in 1 hPa (0.05 inHg) units
-Hourly Time Signal
-Yacht Timer with countdown capabilities (measured by 1 second) – the countdown can last from 1 minute to 1 hour – features an alarm with a progress beeper
-World Time feature with 29 time zones in 33 cities
-Ability to set daylight savings on and off
-Atmospheric and Altitude graphs
-Preprogrammed Auto Calendar – This is programmed through 2099
-Thermometer with a display range of -10 to 60 C (14 to 140 F)
-Moon Data including the Moon Age
-1/100 second stopwatch –measures time that’s passed, first and second place time and even has split time capabilities
-Formats in 12 and 24 hours
-Ability to turn on/off the tone of button operation on the watch
-Five alarms that can be set on a daily basis
- 60kHz Frequency

The features I tend to use the most include the 1/100 second stop watch, the date, time, and day displays, the temperature feature (it’s quite hot here currently), the preprogrammed auto calendar, the five alarms and the auto backlight. While I’ve been enjoying playing around with the barometer, altitude and atmospheric features, the digital compass and the moon graphs/moon data, they don’t really serve a purpose to me. I believe this watch would be excellent to take along on nature trips vacation, yachting, hiking and biking, sports oriented trips and other outdoor activities. This would make many of these tools that much more useful.

Specs: 4 out of 5 stars

Functionality:
There is a lot of functionality going on with this watch. Depending on what you want the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch to do it is going to be working hard to offer you all of the display information you seek. The solar power alone seems incredibly high tech. This is a smart watch. It sets itself. It receives radio signals to keep the time accurate. This watch is a thermometer, a compass, a watch, and various other things all rolled into one. The development of this watch had to be intensive merely because there are so many functions that make the watch what it is.

While the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V may not be practical for everyone I really like it. If you want a nice looking watch that actually has a purpose you should look into getting this watch. Those who have a need for the functions (barometer, thermometer, the compass, altitude and atmospheric functions, moon graphs, tide graphs, etc.) and features that make this watch so special will be more likely to purchase it than those who won’t have a need for all of these functions. Still, I’d rather have this watch than not, just in case I happen to need to use a compass at various points in my life!

Functionality: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ease of Use:
There are so many features on the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V that it can get a little confusing to figure out what to press and how to figure out how each feature works. I received my Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch in a box that also contained a manual for the watch. I highly recommend that anyone who owns this watch use the instructions within the manual in order to learn how to properly use the functions and features on the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch.

If I had not had an instruction manual it wouldn’t have been easy to use the functions on my watch. Sure, I’m not going to use the barometer every day, but if I need to use any of the features (including the barometer) for whatever reason, it’s imperative that I know how to use these features. With the instruction manual, you’ll be able to follow step by step written instructions. The manual also includes drawings and animations of the watch and the various buttons you’ll press to set functions. The watch manual for the Pathfinder PAW1500-1V is in multiple languages for easy use by those who don’t speak English.

Ease of Use: 4 out of 5 stars

Overall Quality:
I really like my Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch by Casio. I haven’t taken it off yet, except to sleep. The watch is very cool with all its features and it looks like the type of watch you could wear around the house, on a casual trip, to work and pretty much anywhere else excluding an overly formal event. Despite being more expensive than most watches on the market, the high quality of this product and the long lasting capabilities of the multiple features that make this watch so unique ensure any purchase of the Casio Pathfinder PAW1500-1V watch is worthwhile.

Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Pathfinder, PAW1500-1V, watch, Casio, Solar Power, Barometer, Temperature, tell time, Moon Graph