OTHER TECH

The Short Form

$150 / 4.6 x 3.4 x 0.8 IN / 4.9 OZ / www.neurosaudio.com / 866-563-8767

Plus

•Simple to set up •Easy to use •Compact and easy to transport

Minus

•Records in real time •Memory cards must be purchased separately •No USB port for direct transfer to PC or Mac

Key Features

•Records from any video source (TV cable box, satellite receiver, DVR such as TiVo, DVD player, VCR, camcorder) •MPEG-4 video format allows you to view content on your PSP, video iPod, or other MPEG-4-compatible device •Pocket-size device is small enough to use as a portable VCR •Uses AAC format for high-quality stereo sound •Upgradeable firmware from neurostechnology.com for future expanded functionality

PERFORMANCE Once the hardware is in place, operating the recorder is a no-brainer: Power it up, pop in a CF card or Memory Stick, cue up the video source, and hit Record. Easy as pie. While the R2's onscreen menus may look a bit primitive (think South Park-level graphics rather than Pixar), they're so intuitive that even a tech neophyte will be able to master the device in minutes. In addition, the membrane-style remote control is responsive, its layout is easy-to-follow, and the buttons are large enough even for stubby fingers like mine.

The Neuros can record in three different resolutions: VGA (640 x 480) for near-DVD quality playback on TV, QVGA (320 x 240) for high-compression playback on most handhelds such as the video iPod and Sony PSP, and WQVGA (368 x 208) optimized for playback of widescreen movies on the PSP. It also has four "recording quality" modes (Superfine, Fine, Normal, and Economy).

I started by cueing up an episode of Law & Order ("The Blue Wall") in my DVR and popping a Compact Flash into the R2. I set the recorder to QVGA and the "Economy" quality mode (this setting will give you the most recording time on a 1-gig card, about two and a half hours). Since the R2 records in real time, I had about an hour on my hands to nap and dream about crisp, clean video. Unfortunately, my dreams were dashed when I played the recording back through my 40-inch Toshiba Cinema Series TV. Digital artifacts danced across the screen like a swarm of termites driven from its nest. I quickly ran to my Apple PowerBook to download the video to an awaiting video iPod via an external memory card reader (again, not included; approximately $20). The resolution didn't get much better.

Willing to give the R2 a second chance, I stepped up to "Normal" mode and was duly impressed. Sure, there were a few artifacts, especially on the big screen, but on the mini-display the image quality was very good. "Fine" and "Superfine" were also impressive. However, they significantly reduce the amount of recording time on a single card (to about an hour per gigabyte). I think Economy mode provides the best balance of image quality and storage capacity. I repeated the process with the Memory Stick for playback through a PSP and came to the same conclusions. Even the stereo audio was passable. I expected some serious distortion or buzz. When it didn't appear, I was stoked. For what it is and what it's intended for, this little recorder is a solid performer.

BOTTOM LINE The Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2 is well worth its relatively meager asking price and is a must-have for movie and TV buffs who spend a lot of time on the go. Video quality is good on the small screen (not so much on the big screen), audio is solid, and you don't need a computer science degree to operate it. What more do you want - popcorn?

Back to Homepage What's New on S&V