Black Friday: what did you get?

by **Spazmogen** on Sat Nov 29, 2003 10:15 am

Being that Canada doesn't have a Black Friday (we get Boxing Day 26 Dec.) we're watching you with mild amusement...but Boxing Day is pretty much the same frenzy as Black Friday.

So, what did you get?

How long were you in line to get it?

by **aviationwiz** on Sat Nov 29, 2003 1:57 pm

100 Spindle 4x Fuji DVD+R (RICOHJPNR01)
Sandisk 256MB SD Card
PT-1750 Brother P-Touch Labaler
ATI TV Wonder Pro TV Tuner

At Best Buy, the line wasn't too bad, I got there at around 5:20, the opened at 6:00, so a small wait in line, then I just grabbed the stuff I wanted, and quickly made my way to the check-out counters so that there would not be a line to pay for the stuff.

by **BurninMan921** on Sat Nov 29, 2003 2:29 pm

I got:
An MSI 865PE Neo2 mobo + 2.4GHz Pentium 4C + Lite On 52x32x52x CD-RW.

Love the mobo+CPU combo (which will rock even more once I get the 500MHz DDR memory and can OC), hate the burner. I think I'll be taking it back today...burn quality sucks. Time for a Plextor Premium, me thinks...and yeah, I could just use my DVD+RW drive...but 16x burns suck

Best of all: NO LINE! The (rather small) computer store I got it from opened at 9, and I was the first one there. I would've got it Wednesday, but my stupid payroll check was dated for Friday (got it early due to the holiday)...

Almost got Season 1 of the Simpsons at Best Buy (for $12!!), but there was no way in heck I was gonna wait in line 1+hr to save a few bucks. People are freaking crazy...

by **aviationwiz** on Sat Nov 29, 2003 3:46 pm

BurninMan921 wrote:hate the burner. I think I'll be taking it back today...burn quality sucks. Time for a Plextor Premium, me thinks...and yeah, I could just use my DVD+RW drive...but 16x burns suck

You'll like the Premium :wink:

by **CDRecorder** on Sat Nov 29, 2003 6:26 pm

BurninMan921 wrote:hate the burner. I think I'll be taking it back today...burn quality sucks. Time for a Plextor Premium, me thinks...and yeah, I could just use my DVD+RW drive...but 16x burns suck

BurninMan: Did you upgrade the firmware to QS0B? Based on my testing, I think that it is the best firmware version for this drive.

I didn't get anything on Black Friday this year; I've already been spending too much money on computer parts.

by **BurninMan921** on Sat Nov 29, 2003 7:33 pm

Yup, got QS0B on it now. It's much better, for sure! Still not 100% good in CD Speed. I need better media, I guess (Memorex 48x (junk!), Verbatium 48x). Hopefully I can find Fuji 24x/40x media...or at least 48x TY's.

by **hoxlund** on Sun Nov 30, 2003 1:37 am

Bought:

256MB Sandisk Mini-Cruzer
Hi-Val 52x24x52x - Returned same day

thats it, what more you want from me, i worked at staples the whole day from 5 am - 9pm

by **BoGMan1a** on Sun Nov 30, 2003 2:35 am

Got a 9" ac/dc tv/dvd combo from Target (plays both +/- R discs so I can take my back-ups). I am driving back home to Texas in mid December and I am gonna have 3 kids in the backseat

(none my own) that I would like to keep as entertained as possible.

Bought a PS2 bundle from CompUSA. My excuse was the kids, but more for myself as I intend to get it modded after the Holiday season.

Bought some games from EB games (buy 2 get 1 free deal) -
Vice City double pack, SOCOM II, and NCAA 2004 Football

and I didn't get up until 9:30 am!

P.S. Any suggestions on a good mod chip and installation service for a v.7 PS2? (Hoxlund?? wink wink)

by **hoxlund** on Sun Nov 30, 2003 3:01 am

well you've come to the right place for advice, i would try here:

www.modchipman.com

go with the dms3 mod, seems to be best overall

by **BurninMan921** on Sun Nov 30, 2003 8:34 am

BoGMan1a wrote:in mid December and I am gonna have 3 kids in the backseat (none my own) that I would like to keep as entertained as possible.

Try duck tape :wink:

by **BillyG** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 9:26 am

Went to Best Buy at 4:30 - by 6am they had a huge mob I had to fight through but I lucked out when I got into the camera-sales only line to get my Camcorder and decided to stay in it because it was shorter. Got out in about 90 minutes.

Samsung Hi-8 Camcorder and 2 pack of Sony tape (gift for my father)
KLH Digital DVD Player (gift for mom)
Simpsons First Season DVD (gift for my brother)
Anger Management DVD (gift for my brother)

(gifts for ME ME ME)
Lite On DVD-RW Burner
D-Link Wireless Router
Norton Systemworks/AntiSpam/Firewall
DVDXCopy Gold (is this a good program for making DVD backups?)
100 Spindle of Basix 48X CD-R's (made by CMC - may wind up as a gift)

Couldnt find the FujiFilm DVD+R disks, the staff routed the main line through the computer dept and there was too many people in that section. The KLH 27' TV looked cheap, same with the Sylvania 32 inch (didnt have a S-Video input). Would have checked out Circuit City but they are right next door to Toys R Us and their lot fills up with thier customers!

Whew! I survived shoppers Hell day.

by **hoxlund** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 12:14 pm

BillyG wrote:DVDXCopy Gold (is this a good program for making DVD backups?)

In my personal opinion, any dvdxcopy program is utter crap:

www.dvdshrink.info

best ripper/compresser, and then use nero to burn movie to dvd

by **Dartman** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 3:38 pm

I have used dvdXcopy. It does exactly what it claims to do. Make a working backup to 1 or 2 disks depending on size that looks just like the original. It also puts a annoying this is a backup warning at the beginning of the movie and puts a protection scheme down with a ID system so you can't make another copy from it and you can be found if you make hundreds of copies and sell them or whatever.
I mostly use Nero now or Clone DVD with anyDVD.

by **hoxlund** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 4:16 pm

haha thus dvdxcopy sucks, dvdshrink is way better, make copies of copys, no warning message in beginning, no id shit

by **Dartman** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 4:33 pm

Well if you just want to make a copy, not have to play with ripping out things and waiting for it to recode, and the ID thing and messages and stuff don't bother you it's a very simple quick way to go.
If you want full controll and don't mind setting things yourself and maybe losing a bit of time and video quality the other are better.
I really don't think most of us could care about the copy of copy thing, and the ID thing isn't really a big deal if they're just for you and your family.
I just have moved on myself and I don't mind the extra time too much, the quality is pretty close most of the time, and being a typical computer geek I hate anybody trying to ID my stuff or tell me how I can use it.

by **hoxlund** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 4:38 pm

dvdxcopy compresses video just the same as dvdshrink, but with dvdshrink you can pick weather you want to cut menus, credits, split, chapters

with dvdxcopy you can't pick the compression level, and the video quality is exactly the same as original if no compression is used

by **BillyG** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 5:21 pm

hoxlund wrote:
In my personal opinion, any dvdxcopy program is utter crap:

www.dvdshrink.info

best ripper/compresser, and then use nero to burn movie to dvd

Thanks for the info - just downloaded and installed DVDshrink. It looks like a excellent program but Im confused about setting up some things. Is there a good help guide online? Im just starting out. Do I need to buy Nero 6 or is the latest V5 good enough?

DVDXCOPY was free after rebate, so I didnt lose anything. There was a good review of it in Maximum PC magazine so I decided to pick it up.

by **hoxlund** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 5:45 pm

yeah go to www.dvdshrink.info click on guides

by **thetiger** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 10:16 pm

I bought a lexmark x75 all in one for $35 after the $10 mail in rebate. and a iconcepts/sakar optical mouse , Free after MIR. at officmax.

by **CDRecorder** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 10:35 pm

I remembered that I did buy one thing on sale last week (but it was at NewEgg's Thanksgiving sale, so I bought it on Wednesday, not Friday). I got a two-computer KVM system to allow me to use two of my old computers at the same time without buying another monitor.

by **aviationwiz** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 10:47 pm

hoxlund wrote:dvdxcopy compresses video just the same as dvdshrink...

I don't know what version of DVDXCopy you were using, but all the copies I have used spread the movie and all features through-out two disks, no compressing whatsoever.

by **Dartman** on Mon Dec 01, 2003 11:03 pm

Xcopy Xpress is the one that compresses the movie to one disk and I believe it just does the movie, no extras. The other is the version that does it all no compression and spans disks if needed.

by **VEFF** on Sat Dec 06, 2003 1:15 pm

I remember reading somewhere that the newer versions of Xpress allow the user to back up the FULL disc as well.

Apparently the video is compressed enough that both the movie and the extras fit on one disc.

by **Dartman** on Sat Dec 06, 2003 2:12 pm

Your probably right VEFF I haven't really updated or used it since I have Nero and Clone. It was a very simple little program that did just what you wanted without confusing a new to burning person.
Might have to find the latest update and see how it is now.

Black Friday: what did you get?

Black Friday: what did you get?

Who is online