Doug Varner Sound Company: Products We Like

PRODUCTS WE LIKE

Portable FM Transmitter

We actually found this product for ourselves, not for a customer. We were looking a way to be able to take music that was playing on a laptop and be able to hear it elsewhere in the building & on our property. This was the solution that we found and to date, it has been wonderful.

At less than 4" wide by 4" high by 1 1/2" deep, this little box is able to run on either AC power (via the included wall plug) or on 2 AA batteries (which last a surprisingly long time in this unit). The box has an 1/8" mini plug attached to it for an audio input, meaning it will plug right into a headphone jack on your computer, MP3 player, etc. Also included is an adapter that will allow you to plug into units that use RCA cables as outputs (like DVD players, VCRs, CD players, and the like). And unlike other units, the built in digital tuner allows you to tune to any FM frequency on the dial that's not in use in your area.

Versatile & highly mobile, this little unit has already solved some problems for us and has opened up a world of other possibilities in getting sound to where we need it to be. What can it do for you?

-- $ 99.99 plus shipping

Lip Sync Correction Device

While HDTV has become all the rage over the last few years, there are still issues that exist with it that the industry doesn't often talk about. One of these issues is lip sync. What happens is this - your TV (cable box, satellite receiver, etc.) needs to process that High Definition signal in order to reproduce it for you. And the processing of the video image takes longer than the processing of the audio. As a result, unless the broadcasters have taken the time to specifically address the issue, you end up hearing the audio before seeing the video that's supposed to go with it. The easiest way to spot this is when someone is speaking. The words will not match up with their lip movement. And once you see this problem on your TV, it becomes more and more bothersome. That's where this little box comes in handy.

Small in size, but big in terms of ability, this box has 4 digital audio inputs (2 Coaxial, 2 Optical) and 2 digital audio outputs (1 Coaxial, 1 Optical), meaning you can run more than one digital source into this unit and switch between them. Once the audio is connected, you essentially tell the unit how long to delay the sound until it matches up with the picture. All adjustments are made in milliseconds (1/1000th of a second) allowing you to tweak the sound to the exact point you want it. Adjustments can be made on the front of the unit or by remote control (yep, it's included). And adjusting the sound is as easy as hitting a + or - button. Pretty simple, huh?

In a perfect world, you won't need this box. The broadcasters will figure all this out & it won't be an issue. But until then, it's a great item to have.

-- $ 299.00 plus shipping

Motion Activated 5MP Day / Night Camera

This unit was designed as a "Trail Camera", a unit that you can strap to a tree in the woods that would take pictures of the wildlife that passed by it. And by all reports it's a champ in all aspects, ESPECIALLY when price is factored into the equation. But we are including this unit with a slightly different use in mind.

If you're looking for a portable and reliable, yet inexpensive method of allowing you to see what's going on at your business or home while you aren't there to watch over it, this little camera may just do the trick. For example, let's say you have ongoing issues with trespassers at your location. Simply mount this camera in an area where it can see them come through & let the camera do the rest. It has a built in motion sensor that will trigger the camera to either take digital photographs or a video clip of the action. During the daytime, when lighting is adequate, the pictures will be in full color. At night, the camera uses a set of IR illuminators to light up the area in front of it, allowing it to "see in the dark" without alerting those who are being filmed. Those "night vision" pictures will be in Black & White. The pictures & video clips are then stored on a removable memory card that can be inserted into your computer for easy image review & downloading.

Maybe the most surprising thing about this unit is its size. It's only 5 1/2" high x 3 1/4" wide x 2" deep. And yet it outperforms other cameras three times its size (and twice its price)! The unit runs an amazing length of time on 8 AA batteries, giving you freedom from extension cords and the ability to put the camera in the perfect spot to catch the action. If you need another set of eyes on your property but don't need a full security system, this could be the answer for you.

-- $ 299.99 plus shipping

These are just a few of the products that we've used and / or found that we like. If you have an issue or desire that these products don't meet, let us know & we'll see if we can find something that does the job.