Product Review: Xbox 360 HD DVD Player

 

Back around 2005 or so when the next version of the DVD was being developed there was a "war" between Blu-ray and HD-DVD for the high-definition DVD market. For those of us who dipped our toes into the HD DVD pool, this was a good, inexpensive, way to get an HD-DVD player (much less expensive than other stand-alone players), assuming of course you had an X-Box 360 to hook it up to. The player itself worked well and had a pretty decent remote control. It was very loud, however, which was the one drawback for me. Of course, Blu-Ray won out, and HD-DVDs stopped being made. I only had a few HD-DVDs that I got rid of and replaced with Blu-Rays, however, for those who had a substantial collection of HD-DVDs, this is a good way to play them if you can pick one up at a good price.

Product Review: Echo Show 5 (1st Generation)

 

This can perform all the functions of the other echo devices such as playing music, telling you the news headlines or the weather forecast, etc. It can do things like acting as a smart picture frame, by doing a camera roll from any pictures you have in Prime Photos. It can also do things like video calling, displaying video from a smart camera, streaming video from Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and the like. It is like the other devices always listening, but also has the same privacy options (such as deleting the audio recordings) that the other devices have and you can mute the microphone so it only listens when you want it to. So, it all really depends on what your comfort level is with using smart devices that can essentially monitor everything you do.

The screen generally displays the date and time and what the background is depends on how you have it set up. It defaults to scrolling between news headlines, the local weather, tips for using it, or skills that can be enabled, and just a generic screensaver background. As I said above, it can also be customized to display photos almost like a digital picture frame and if you use Amazon Music, it will display what song is currently playing, and if lyrics are available will display the lyrics for the song.

Overall, it is easy to set up (assuming you are comfortable setting up smart devices) and easy to use. The video functionality may be great for some people, a nice bonus for others, and completely useless to others. It really just depends on how you want to use it. I definitely recommend it.

Supplement Review: Legion Recharge Post Workout Supplement

 

I use this after any high-impact cardio workout or after lifting/circuit training. It definitely helps with post-workout soreness. It mixes well (I use a Blendjet 2 to mix it, and there are no lumps left after the 20-second cycle). I have not tried just putting it in a water bottle or shaker cup and shaking it though, but with something like a small blender, it mixes fine. 

The fruit punch flavor tastes pretty good although it is not as good as the original P90X post-workout drink (which I do not think is being made anymore) that they sold when the program first came out, which tasted like a creamsicle. But, this is a bit less expensive than that was, and gets you more servings than that did. And, it is not loaded with sugar like some post-workout powders are. I definitely recommend it.

Supplement Review: Vitafusion Fiber Well Sugar Free Fiber Supplement

 

While this is not a substitute for getting fiber through foods, it is a good way to boost your fiber consumption (you get five grams of fiber from two gummies) in order to help you hit a fiber target (or just get a bit more fiber than you normally would). They are sweetened with sugar alcohol and have ten calories per serving. Basically, they taste like gummy bears without having the sugar and calorie content, and way more fiber than gummy bears will ever get you. And, they are way better than most of those fiber powders that you can mix with water or juice.

Streaming App Review: Max

 

Max (formerly HBO GO) allows you to subscribe to HBO without subscribing through whatever cable or streaming service you use for live channels. It has most of the archived HBO shows like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Game of Thrones, etc., as well as the vast majority of the DC Comics content (aside from, as of this writing, the CW shows that stream on Netflix and Smallville which streams on Hulu), and shows like Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon that get licensed to stream on the service. Plus, due to COVID-19's impact on people going to theaters, for a time, the newly released Warner Brother movies were available for 30 days on the day that they were released. I believe that is no longer happening, however. And, the new episodes of shows like House of the Dragon are made immediately available at the same time they would air if you were watching HBO through a cable subscription.

The interface is very good and easy to navigate. You can search or browse, and add content to a watch list. And, if you stop a movie or show before it ends, there is a continue watching section that allows you to pick up where you left off. The interface is very similar to that of Disney + and Peacock, so if you have, or have used, one of those, you can easily navigate around in this. And, I do not notice a ton of buffering issues even though my Wi-Fi connection can be spotty at times. The connection to the app seems more consistent than I get with some of my other streaming apps. The only drawback is that it does not have archived versions of all the weekly shows, like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. It only has the shows of the most recent season, and as soon as the new season starts the prior season's shows are removed. That kind of sucks if you have not seen the early episodes and would like to go back and watch them without having to try and track them down online. Aside from that, I am definitely happy with it even though it is yet another paid streaming platform.