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Andrew
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Friday, May 24, 2013
Zoom H4n - Review For Use in Video Production and Field Recording Audio
Not too long ago, I picked up a field recorder to improve audio captured for various random shoots. I felt inclined to thoroughly express my opinion through a review on the overall value of the Zoom H4n Recorder...
Pros: Sound Quality, XLR input versatility, and some home recording functionality, not normally found on digital hand-helds like this one.
Cons: Small buttons, tricky double-punch-to-record function, poor battery life when utilizing 4 channel recording. VU meter reading is only activated by "single" pressing record button.
The Bottom Line: The H4n Digital Recorder is worth every penny I spent on it. Great audio quality in a small mobile unit along with XLR, 1/4", and 1/8" input versatility.
I own a video production company in Las Vegas and more and more we were looking for a reliable field recorder to allow us to capture professional qualitiy audio outside of the cameras we use. I also wanted a unit that could be used for a quick studio recorder with a USB interface for an editing bay. I shopped around and, on paper, the best buy for my buck looked to be the Zoom H4n. I had never purchased a Zoom product before so I was a little tentative, but once I got the H4n, I immediately began to feel comfortable with my purchase.
Whats In The Box
When the recorder came in, I liked the combination of sturdiness and mobility. I also liked the accessories that Zoom included with the purchase. The package came with the H4n unit itself, an AC adapter, a 1GB SD Card, a mic wind screen, a mic clip adapter, a USB cable, Cubase LE recording software, and a plastic case for the H4n unit. I have seen retailers online try to pass these accessories off as their own "add ons" but don't be fooled, Zoom includes them in every box.
That being said, I bought mine at an online company that included a microphone stand with boom and a 16gb SD card for the same price as what everyone else was selling just the H4n by itself. Amazon currently has the best deals on these recorders either as standalone or in kits, as you can see here:
My point is, take a look, there are some good packages out there where you can pick up some additional accessories at no extra cost.
I will run through an overall look of the Hardware itself and will incorporate pros and cons along the way:
The Hardware
As I mentioned before, this unit was a bit surprising, I've used voice digital recorders before and they were light as a feather and were built that way. I half expected the H4n to be the same but it had some girth and substance to it (for a hand held mobile recorder) yet was still about as light as some of the old school ipods.
Microphones and Mic Inputs:
Here is the big selling point for me: 4 channel recording with XLR inputs. I could not find this in a sub $500 recorder, until the H4n, end of story.
I use professional mics that utilize XLR outputs so I needed a field recorder that would have XLR inputs, this unit has 2 XLR inputs on the bottom. If you are a home recording musician and your instrument utilizes 1/4"...no problem, the XLR inputs double as 1/4" inputs as well.
There are 2 high quality built in XY mics at the top
of the unit that aim either 90 or 120 degrees depending on how you want them. On the back of the unit is a 1/8" mini stereo mic input in case you would rather use a mini input for an additional mic instead of the XY mics. The versatility is staggering I could set the unit up for 4 channel recording and have 1 XLR in one channel, a 1/4" in another channel, and either the XY built in mics OR a 1/8" mic to record audio. This is really amazing, and after using it several times, works beautifully with a simple 1 button configuration!
At the top of the H4n Digital Recorder are two very good XY microphones. They are VERY sensitive which means that if ANY contact is made to the chassis of the H4n, these mics will pick it up. They come set up as a 90 degree setting which will allow for a standard, directional room ambient setup. However, they are adjustable to 120 degrees to allow a wider coverage area like a full audience response in a conference room, which is what we need for convention speaker videography here in Vegas.
The Display and Controls
The front of the H4n Digital Recorder has a 1.9" LCD display which give you channel VU meters, record remaining time, and even a battery remaining meter.
*Please note* when checking the LCD to see if the H4n is receiving a signal, you need to press the record button once. This does not start the recording but rather appears to just ready the unit for recording. Only after pressing the record button are you able to see the VUs registering a signal. Its an annoying 'feature', I know, perhaps Zoom will allow for the VUs to register without having to press a button at all in the future.
Moving along, above the LCD screen is an LED mode display to give you a quick glance at whether you are in 4channel, Stereo, or MTR mode.
The Controls
Beneath the LCD screen are 4 short cut and track select keys, which, like nearly all of the control buttons, are teenie tiny itsy bitsy. Which, is one of the true Lame-ities of this product, I have big fingers which makes selection a bit challenging, and when my videographers need to use it, they are trying to select things on the fly which doesn't bode well for small buttonry, but aside from this, its liveable.
Underneath the short cut/track select keys are the playback and record buttons called the "transport" keys by Zoom. The record button has a "gotcha" built in that can be costly when professionally recording a "one-time-only" event. I've alluded to this above, when you press the record button, it is more of a "standby" on the first press that readies the unit for recording. Pressing it a second time, actually starts the record timer on the LCD which tells you that you are recording. It can be a gotcha for newbies who think that they are recording only to find out after the session that they didn't press it the second time. Ouch!
The Menus and SD Card slot
The right side of the H4n is where you'll find the menu and jog dial selector. This information will be displayed on the LCD screen to configure the unit the way you like. I really like the set up the menu controls, it seemed intuitive enough for me, but I've read that others aren't too happy with them. The controls felt very "ipod-ish" to me, with jog dialing to sub menus and more sub menus, but the main selections are all on the main menu selector so that didn't bug me much.
Also on this side is the SD Card slot. I LOVE that this unit is expandable with SD cards, as long as SD cards (or SDHC) keep getting cheaper and the space on them even larger, my H4n recorder capacity will grow accordingly, BEAUTIFUL. OK, I'll calm down now. There is a "gotcha" involved with the SD card slot that seems to be consistent with ALL recording devices (video as well) that record to flash memory. Remove the card while the unit is running or processing in any way and you stand the chance of losing ALL data from that session...OUCH again. But no one reading this is going to try that are you? Are you!? Its just good to be aware of this pitfall ahead of time in case you fill a card and try to change it out too quickly. Dont do it!
The left side of the unit has the ever-popular "power" switch (its a good thing to know where this button is located), the headphone output - 1/8" mini which can double as a line-level out if you are working with a larger soundboard and/or mixer, volume controls, and, another gem feature of the H4n: The mini USB port.
The USB Port
This glorious USB port will allow you to power the H4n
by your computer's USB bus, or it lets you use the H4n to offload your files to your computer directly from the device OR, another great feature, use the H4n as an interface between your microphone(s) and or instruments to directly record to your computer. Ah, therein lies the 'home recorder in your pocket' phrase. The H4n is equipped with a preamp which will allow you to connect unpowered mics and instruments directly to the H4n and then directly to your computer.
Don't worry about picking up a USB to mini USB cable to accomplish this, as I've mentioned before, its in the box.
The final stop on our hardware tour is the back of the H4n digital recorder. At the top there is a small 1/8" mini input should you decide to use an external mic instead of the XY built-in mics. Obvious as this may be, if you choose to use this mic input, you DISABLE the built in speakers AND I've not been able to get it to work properly in "Stereo Mode" so using this output may be a choice only for the 4 channel mode.
Below the speaker to give you an audio reference apart from the headphone jack. VERY handy when trying to quickly get an audio read...remember, VU meters can tell you if you are getting a signal but they can't tell you if that signal is clipped (distorted) or wacked out in some other way. This is where the headphone jack is a must! And, when in a hurry and needing a quick reference, the speaker is a small blessing.
Tripod Mount
Beneath the reference speaker, is the threaded tripod mount. It is the standard size which I think is 3/8" or 1/4" basically the same as what you find on the bottom of consumer and prosumer video cameras. The great thing here is that Zoom includes a wooden Mic-handle shaped adapter that screws into this slot and the mic handle attaches to any standard mic clip for use on a mic stand. This is how hiproductions uses it exclusively.
I set it up as an "ambient" mic on a stand with the windscreen on the XY mics, put it in 4 channel mode, run my mics to it and Bob's my uncle.
The mic-handle adapter is included in the standard box, but the microphone clip and stand are not. As I mentioned, I found a nice kit that included these so I was set to go when it all came in.
Power, Batteries, and Stamina
Underneath the tripod mount on the H4n is the battery compartment . It takes 2 AA batteries and inside the battery compartment, (hidden by the battery cover, is something Zoom calls the "Stamina Switch" this is a switch that supposedly doubles the life of your batteries. Herein lies another slight flaw with the H4n. First of all, Zoom advertises nearly 6 hours of life on a set of 2 batteries...eeerrrmm, not so much. This unit might give you 6 hours if you attach it to your wall and use it as a night light, but try to do serious recording, especially 4 Channel recording and the battery life drops off significantly. When the batteries go, so does the recording, OUCH yet again.
I lost part of a recording during a shoot because I refused to believe that the batteries were dying after only about an hour of usage. They did. But I have seen 2+ hours on 4 channel recording with this which does the trick but its NO 6 hrs as advertised.
Zoom's answer to this is the hidden stamina switch. Supposedly this doubles the life of the batteries but does so at a cost to the responsiveness and performance of the H4n. I personally prefer to sacrifice battery life for performance everytime so I am not complaining, however, I did experiment with the stamina switch and it did improve my battery time, but I did not try it while 4 channel audio.
Herein lies yet another "GOTCHA". You will set up your rig to record 4 channel and the unit will record in 2 channel stereo. You will scramble to find the setting in the menus and submenus, you will try to press the 4channel mode button all to no avail. It is only going to record in 2 channel UNTIL, you find that sneaky nagging little hidden Stamina switch inside the battery compartment and turn it OFF. Then, magically, 4 channel mode is enabled again. So, stamina mode only works with Stereo 2 channel and will disable the ability to record in 4 channel.
Of course all of this can be avoided by using the adapter that is included in the kit and running this to the DC5V jack on the bottom of the H4n - but who wants to do it the easy way!? We find ourselves in a situation that requires a field recorder without access to power on outdoor shoots, but maybe this isn't your application. If its home studio stuff - then the power adapter is the way to go.
Software and Features
Included in your H4n package is a disc for Cubase LE software that allows you to record directly to your computer. This software is not bad at all, its on a level with Garageband for Mac (which is somewhat superior) but better than the freebie audio software out there for PC and Mac. Its not Pro Tools or advanced audio editing software but it is a great start for someone just getting started.
In addition to the H4n being a field recorder and a home studiio audio interface, it is also a phase trainer for musicians trying to learn a song by slowing down the playback without changing the pitch. The playback can be slowed to 50% or sped up to 150% as needed. This is also good for video work where we would need to add subtitles to an audio track to go along with picture. We can roll the session playback from the recorder and madly type in the appropriate subtitles in FCP's absolutely useless text 'mode' (I'll save that for the FCP review).
The H4n can also be used in MTR mode to record continual 2 track audio and dub down to 4 track for mixing vocals and music on the fly. Pretty cool. It also triples as a digital tuner for guitarists and a metronome for rhythm as well. Guitarists can also plug in and utilize some preset "amp" models should they decide to go on the cheap for this.
For Guitar FD Clean, VX Clean, HW Clean, US Blues, BG Crunch, MS #1959, PV Drive, Rect Vnt, DZ Drive, TS+FD_Combo, SD+MS_Stack, FZ+MS_Stack For Bass SVT, Bassman, Hartke, SuperBass, Sansamp, Tube Pre
I haven't used it for this purpose but I've read that they are probably not the recommended method for amp modeling. You can be the judge there.
Quality
The H4n can record to Mp3 or to WAV (less compressed) files up to 24bit quality, which is superior to CD quality and to most prosumer camera audio record quality (16bit). Recording to 24bit, and in WAV for that matter drastically reduces the amount of record time on your SD card but I tend to record in this quality exclusively and have been VERY pleased with the crisp, clear, rich sound that I've received from this unit. Granted, this is a $300 recorder so I'm not expecting the world, but for the money, the quality is more than acceptable.
Conclusion
Since I bought the H4n several months ago, the price has dropped by about $50. If I had to do it all over again, I would be willing to buy it at the $350 price point. It has been worth every penny to me. Yes a few gotchas and minor construction issues i.e. button size, but the quality, versatility, and functionality of this little H4n make me forget about those altogether.
Recommended:
Yes - by all means if you are in the market for a decent little 4 channel hand held recorder.
Pros: Sound Quality, XLR input versatility, and some home recording functionality, not normally found on digital hand-helds like this one.
Cons: Small buttons, tricky double-punch-to-record function, poor battery life when utilizing 4 channel recording. VU meter reading is only activated by "single" pressing record button.
The Bottom Line: The H4n Digital Recorder is worth every penny I spent on it. Great audio quality in a small mobile unit along with XLR, 1/4", and 1/8" input versatility.
I own a video production company in Las Vegas and more and more we were looking for a reliable field recorder to allow us to capture professional qualitiy audio outside of the cameras we use. I also wanted a unit that could be used for a quick studio recorder with a USB interface for an editing bay. I shopped around and, on paper, the best buy for my buck looked to be the Zoom H4n. I had never purchased a Zoom product before so I was a little tentative, but once I got the H4n, I immediately began to feel comfortable with my purchase.
Whats In The Box
When the recorder came in, I liked the combination of sturdiness and mobility. I also liked the accessories that Zoom included with the purchase. The package came with the H4n unit itself, an AC adapter, a 1GB SD Card, a mic wind screen, a mic clip adapter, a USB cable, Cubase LE recording software, and a plastic case for the H4n unit. I have seen retailers online try to pass these accessories off as their own "add ons" but don't be fooled, Zoom includes them in every box.
That being said, I bought mine at an online company that included a microphone stand with boom and a 16gb SD card for the same price as what everyone else was selling just the H4n by itself. Amazon currently has the best deals on these recorders either as standalone or in kits, as you can see here:
My point is, take a look, there are some good packages out there where you can pick up some additional accessories at no extra cost.
I will run through an overall look of the Hardware itself and will incorporate pros and cons along the way:
The Hardware
As I mentioned before, this unit was a bit surprising, I've used voice digital recorders before and they were light as a feather and were built that way. I half expected the H4n to be the same but it had some girth and substance to it (for a hand held mobile recorder) yet was still about as light as some of the old school ipods.
Microphones and Mic Inputs:
Here is the big selling point for me: 4 channel recording with XLR inputs. I could not find this in a sub $500 recorder, until the H4n, end of story.
I use professional mics that utilize XLR outputs so I needed a field recorder that would have XLR inputs, this unit has 2 XLR inputs on the bottom. If you are a home recording musician and your instrument utilizes 1/4"...no problem, the XLR inputs double as 1/4" inputs as well.There are 2 high quality built in XY mics at the top
of the unit that aim either 90 or 120 degrees depending on how you want them. On the back of the unit is a 1/8" mini stereo mic input in case you would rather use a mini input for an additional mic instead of the XY mics. The versatility is staggering I could set the unit up for 4 channel recording and have 1 XLR in one channel, a 1/4" in another channel, and either the XY built in mics OR a 1/8" mic to record audio. This is really amazing, and after using it several times, works beautifully with a simple 1 button configuration!
At the top of the H4n Digital Recorder are two very good XY microphones. They are VERY sensitive which means that if ANY contact is made to the chassis of the H4n, these mics will pick it up. They come set up as a 90 degree setting which will allow for a standard, directional room ambient setup. However, they are adjustable to 120 degrees to allow a wider coverage area like a full audience response in a conference room, which is what we need for convention speaker videography here in Vegas.
The Display and Controls
The front of the H4n Digital Recorder has a 1.9" LCD display which give you channel VU meters, record remaining time, and even a battery remaining meter.
*Please note* when checking the LCD to see if the H4n is receiving a signal, you need to press the record button once. This does not start the recording but rather appears to just ready the unit for recording. Only after pressing the record button are you able to see the VUs registering a signal. Its an annoying 'feature', I know, perhaps Zoom will allow for the VUs to register without having to press a button at all in the future.Moving along, above the LCD screen is an LED mode display to give you a quick glance at whether you are in 4channel, Stereo, or MTR mode.
The Controls
Beneath the LCD screen are 4 short cut and track select keys, which, like nearly all of the control buttons, are teenie tiny itsy bitsy. Which, is one of the true Lame-ities of this product, I have big fingers which makes selection a bit challenging, and when my videographers need to use it, they are trying to select things on the fly which doesn't bode well for small buttonry, but aside from this, its liveable.
Underneath the short cut/track select keys are the playback and record buttons called the "transport" keys by Zoom. The record button has a "gotcha" built in that can be costly when professionally recording a "one-time-only" event. I've alluded to this above, when you press the record button, it is more of a "standby" on the first press that readies the unit for recording. Pressing it a second time, actually starts the record timer on the LCD which tells you that you are recording. It can be a gotcha for newbies who think that they are recording only to find out after the session that they didn't press it the second time. Ouch!
The Menus and SD Card slot
The right side of the H4n is where you'll find the menu and jog dial selector. This information will be displayed on the LCD screen to configure the unit the way you like. I really like the set up the menu controls, it seemed intuitive enough for me, but I've read that others aren't too happy with them. The controls felt very "ipod-ish" to me, with jog dialing to sub menus and more sub menus, but the main selections are all on the main menu selector so that didn't bug me much.
Also on this side is the SD Card slot. I LOVE that this unit is expandable with SD cards, as long as SD cards (or SDHC) keep getting cheaper and the space on them even larger, my H4n recorder capacity will grow accordingly, BEAUTIFUL. OK, I'll calm down now. There is a "gotcha" involved with the SD card slot that seems to be consistent with ALL recording devices (video as well) that record to flash memory. Remove the card while the unit is running or processing in any way and you stand the chance of losing ALL data from that session...OUCH again. But no one reading this is going to try that are you? Are you!? Its just good to be aware of this pitfall ahead of time in case you fill a card and try to change it out too quickly. Dont do it!The left side of the unit has the ever-popular "power" switch (its a good thing to know where this button is located), the headphone output - 1/8" mini which can double as a line-level out if you are working with a larger soundboard and/or mixer, volume controls, and, another gem feature of the H4n: The mini USB port.
The USB Port
This glorious USB port will allow you to power the H4n
by your computer's USB bus, or it lets you use the H4n to offload your files to your computer directly from the device OR, another great feature, use the H4n as an interface between your microphone(s) and or instruments to directly record to your computer. Ah, therein lies the 'home recorder in your pocket' phrase. The H4n is equipped with a preamp which will allow you to connect unpowered mics and instruments directly to the H4n and then directly to your computer.
Don't worry about picking up a USB to mini USB cable to accomplish this, as I've mentioned before, its in the box.
The final stop on our hardware tour is the back of the H4n digital recorder. At the top there is a small 1/8" mini input should you decide to use an external mic instead of the XY built-in mics. Obvious as this may be, if you choose to use this mic input, you DISABLE the built in speakers AND I've not been able to get it to work properly in "Stereo Mode" so using this output may be a choice only for the 4 channel mode.Below the speaker to give you an audio reference apart from the headphone jack. VERY handy when trying to quickly get an audio read...remember, VU meters can tell you if you are getting a signal but they can't tell you if that signal is clipped (distorted) or wacked out in some other way. This is where the headphone jack is a must! And, when in a hurry and needing a quick reference, the speaker is a small blessing.
Tripod Mount
Beneath the reference speaker, is the threaded tripod mount. It is the standard size which I think is 3/8" or 1/4" basically the same as what you find on the bottom of consumer and prosumer video cameras. The great thing here is that Zoom includes a wooden Mic-handle shaped adapter that screws into this slot and the mic handle attaches to any standard mic clip for use on a mic stand. This is how hiproductions uses it exclusively.I set it up as an "ambient" mic on a stand with the windscreen on the XY mics, put it in 4 channel mode, run my mics to it and Bob's my uncle.
The mic-handle adapter is included in the standard box, but the microphone clip and stand are not. As I mentioned, I found a nice kit that included these so I was set to go when it all came in.
Power, Batteries, and Stamina
Underneath the tripod mount on the H4n is the battery compartment . It takes 2 AA batteries and inside the battery compartment, (hidden by the battery cover, is something Zoom calls the "Stamina Switch" this is a switch that supposedly doubles the life of your batteries. Herein lies another slight flaw with the H4n. First of all, Zoom advertises nearly 6 hours of life on a set of 2 batteries...eeerrrmm, not so much. This unit might give you 6 hours if you attach it to your wall and use it as a night light, but try to do serious recording, especially 4 Channel recording and the battery life drops off significantly. When the batteries go, so does the recording, OUCH yet again.
I lost part of a recording during a shoot because I refused to believe that the batteries were dying after only about an hour of usage. They did. But I have seen 2+ hours on 4 channel recording with this which does the trick but its NO 6 hrs as advertised.
Zoom's answer to this is the hidden stamina switch. Supposedly this doubles the life of the batteries but does so at a cost to the responsiveness and performance of the H4n. I personally prefer to sacrifice battery life for performance everytime so I am not complaining, however, I did experiment with the stamina switch and it did improve my battery time, but I did not try it while 4 channel audio.
Herein lies yet another "GOTCHA". You will set up your rig to record 4 channel and the unit will record in 2 channel stereo. You will scramble to find the setting in the menus and submenus, you will try to press the 4channel mode button all to no avail. It is only going to record in 2 channel UNTIL, you find that sneaky nagging little hidden Stamina switch inside the battery compartment and turn it OFF. Then, magically, 4 channel mode is enabled again. So, stamina mode only works with Stereo 2 channel and will disable the ability to record in 4 channel.Of course all of this can be avoided by using the adapter that is included in the kit and running this to the DC5V jack on the bottom of the H4n - but who wants to do it the easy way!? We find ourselves in a situation that requires a field recorder without access to power on outdoor shoots, but maybe this isn't your application. If its home studio stuff - then the power adapter is the way to go.
Software and Features
Included in your H4n package is a disc for Cubase LE software that allows you to record directly to your computer. This software is not bad at all, its on a level with Garageband for Mac (which is somewhat superior) but better than the freebie audio software out there for PC and Mac. Its not Pro Tools or advanced audio editing software but it is a great start for someone just getting started.
In addition to the H4n being a field recorder and a home studiio audio interface, it is also a phase trainer for musicians trying to learn a song by slowing down the playback without changing the pitch. The playback can be slowed to 50% or sped up to 150% as needed. This is also good for video work where we would need to add subtitles to an audio track to go along with picture. We can roll the session playback from the recorder and madly type in the appropriate subtitles in FCP's absolutely useless text 'mode' (I'll save that for the FCP review).
The H4n can also be used in MTR mode to record continual 2 track audio and dub down to 4 track for mixing vocals and music on the fly. Pretty cool. It also triples as a digital tuner for guitarists and a metronome for rhythm as well. Guitarists can also plug in and utilize some preset "amp" models should they decide to go on the cheap for this.For Guitar FD Clean, VX Clean, HW Clean, US Blues, BG Crunch, MS #1959, PV Drive, Rect Vnt, DZ Drive, TS+FD_Combo, SD+MS_Stack, FZ+MS_Stack For Bass SVT, Bassman, Hartke, SuperBass, Sansamp, Tube Pre
I haven't used it for this purpose but I've read that they are probably not the recommended method for amp modeling. You can be the judge there.
Quality
The H4n can record to Mp3 or to WAV (less compressed) files up to 24bit quality, which is superior to CD quality and to most prosumer camera audio record quality (16bit). Recording to 24bit, and in WAV for that matter drastically reduces the amount of record time on your SD card but I tend to record in this quality exclusively and have been VERY pleased with the crisp, clear, rich sound that I've received from this unit. Granted, this is a $300 recorder so I'm not expecting the world, but for the money, the quality is more than acceptable.
Conclusion
Since I bought the H4n several months ago, the price has dropped by about $50. If I had to do it all over again, I would be willing to buy it at the $350 price point. It has been worth every penny to me. Yes a few gotchas and minor construction issues i.e. button size, but the quality, versatility, and functionality of this little H4n make me forget about those altogether.
Recommended:
Yes - by all means if you are in the market for a decent little 4 channel hand held recorder.
Superbowl Results 1978 to Present - Including My Personal Picks
Just for kicks and boredom from lack of NFL games. I compiled my lifetime Superbowl record since the first Superbowl I watched on TV - Superbowl XII. I remember rooting for the Dallas Cowboys because everyone else in the room was rooting for them. They became my first "favorite" football team. It would last 2 years and then Pittsburgh was my second "favorite" team. That would last 1 year and then in 1980, I would be introduced to, what I believe, is the greatest NFL football team of all time(s): The Philadelphia Eagles. This third "favorite" team would stick even to this day.
Just about every Superbowl I root for has to do with that teams relative importance or unimportance to the Eagles - except in the case of the Cowboys and Patriots - I would root against those teams if they played against Hitler and Ditka combined.
The win/loss results in the far left column of the chart below represent whether or not the team I rooted for won or lost. The far right column represents the MVP of each Superbowl.
SUPERBOWL
RESULTS FROM MY FIRST SUPERBOWL XII to SUPERBOWL XLVII 2013
W XLVII 2/03/13 Baltimore Ravens San
Francisco 49ers 34-31 New Orleans
Joe Flacco
W XLVI 2/05/12 New York Giants New England
Patriots 21-17 Indianapolis
Eli Manning
W XLV 2/06/11 Green Bay Packers Pittsburgh
Steelers 31-25 Dallas
Aaron Rodgers
L XLIV 2/07/10 New Orleans Saints Indianapolis
Colts 31-17 Miami
Drew Brees
L XLIII 2/01/09 Pittsburgh
Steelers Arizona
Cardinals 27-23 Tampa
Santonio Holmes
W XLII 2/03/08 New York Giants New England
Patriots 17-14 Phoenix Eli Manning
W XLI 2/04/07 Indianapolis Colts Chicago
Bears 29-17 Miami
Peyton Manning
L XL 2/05/06 Pittsburgh
Steelers Seattle
Seahawks 21-10 Detroit
Hines Ward
L XXXIX 2/06/05 New England
Patriots Philadelphia
Eagles 24-21 Jacksonville Deion Branch
L XXXVIII
2/01/04 New England Patriots Carolina Panthers 32-29
Houston Tom Brady
L XXXVII 1/26/03 Tampa Bay
Buccaneers Oakland Raiders 48-21
San Diego Dexter Jackson
W XXXVI 2/03/02 New England
Patriots St. Louis
Rams 20-17 New Orleans
Tom Brady
W XXXV 1/28/01 Baltimore Ravens New York
Giants 34-7 Tampa
Ray Lewis
W XXXIV 1/30/00 St. Louis Rams Tennessee
Titans 23-16 Atlanta
Kurt Warner
L XXXIII 1/31/99 Denver Broncos Atlanta Falcons 34-19
Miami John Elway
W XXXII 1/25/98 Denver Broncos Green Bay
Packers 31-24 San Diego
Terrell Davis
W XXXI 1/26/97 Green Bay Packers New England
Patriots 35-21 New
Orleans Desmond Howard
L XXX 1/28/96 Dallas Cowboys Pittsburgh
Steelers 27-17 Phoenix
Larry Brown
L XXIX 1/29/95 San Francisco
49ers San Diego
Chargers 49-26 Miami
Steve Young
L XXVIII 1/30/94 Dallas Cowboys Buffalo Bills 30-13
Atlanta Emmitt Smith
L XXVII 1/31/93 Dallas Cowboys Buffalo
Bills 52-17 Pasadena
Troy Aikman
L XXVI 1/26/92 Washington
Redskins Buffalo
Bills 37-24 Minneapolis
Mark Rypien
L XXV 1/27/91 New York Giants Buffalo
Bills 20-19 Tampa
Ottis Anderson
W XXIV 1/28/90 San Francisco
49ers Denver
Broncos 55-10 New Orleans
Joe Montana
L XXIII 1/22/89 San Francisco
49ers Cincinnati
Bengals 20-16 Miami
Jerry Rice
W XXII 1/31/88 Washington
Redskins Denver
Broncos 42-10 San Diego
Doug Williams
W XXI 1/25/87 New York Giants Denver
Broncos 39-20 Pasadena
Phil Simms
W XX 1/26/86 Chicago Bears New England
Patriots 46-10 New
Orleans Richard Dent
W XIX 1/20/85 San Francisco
49ers Miami
Dolphins 38-16 Palo Alto
Joe Montana
W XVIII 1/22/84 Los Angeles
Raiders Washington
Redskins 38-9 Tampa
Marcus Allen
W XVII 1/30/83 Washington
Redskins Miami
Dolphins 27-17 Pasadena
John Riggins
L XVI 1/24/82 San Francisco
49ers Cincinnati
Bengals 26-21 Pontiac, MI
Joe Montana
L XV 1/25/81 Oakland Raiders Philadelphia
Eagles 27-10 New Orleans
Jim Plunkett
W XIV 1/20/80 Pittsburgh
Steelers Los
Angeles Rams 31-19 Pasadena
Terry Bradshaw
L XIII 1/21/79 Pittsburgh
Steelers Dallas
Cowboys 35-31 Miami
Terry Bradshaw
W XII 1/15/78 Dallas Cowboys Denver
Broncos 27-10 New Orleans
H.Martin/R.White
19-17 DAL
1-4 DEN 5-1 PIT 2-4
OAK 2-2 SNF 3-3 MIA 2-0 BUF 0-4 GRB 3-0
NYG 4-1 NWE 5-2 WAS 3-1
PHA 0-2
CIN 0-2
Anyone care to post their Superbowl win/loss record? I don't know - 19W 17L is pretty formidable!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Easy, Fast, and Cheap Solution That Converted ALL My VHS Tapes.
I had box after box of unused VHS tapes that are now converted to an acceptable mpeg 2 format for use on my media player. Its basic, you aren't going to light the world on fire with this $55 software but you can easily, quickly, and cheaply convert all of your old VHS to DVDs in a snap. And isn't that what life is all about?
Pros: Easy to Install/connect, Cheap: under $60, Fast - as much as real time can be I suppose
Cons: Cheap construction flimsy plastic, Little/No customization of preferences, bad conversion to Quicktime
Roxio Easy VHS to DVD for Mac
Overview:
I had boxes and boxes of VHS tapes, ones that I bought, ones that I shot on camera and many of the purchased VHS I had not intention of replacing with DVD. So I had to find an easy, fast, and cheap solution to convert ALL the VHS tapes I owned. I found Easy VHS to DVD for Mac on Buy.com for about $55 and decided I would give it a try.
Box Opening Extravaganza:
Not much to it actually. You receive a usb dongle with RCA (composite) and S-Video squid cable inputs, a CD for the software,
and a slip of paper that is supposed to pass as a manual of some sort.
The dongle was cheap, light plastic but for $55 I wasn't exactly expecting pig iron with gold-tipped connectors. It is what it is.
Installation:
As with all Mac peripherals and software, its one or two steps and or clicks and away you go. I plopped the CD into my Mac and double clicked the install, pretended to read the licensing blah blah blah, and then selected the destination drive. It took about 30 seconds to install.
I then simply plugged the USB into my mac, plugged the audio composite cables (red and white RCA) from the output of my VCR into the connectors hanging from the dongle, did the same thing for the video/picture output of my VCR to the dongle and then, for kicks, tried to run the VHS conversion software right away to see if it is "smart" enough to find the dongle without a restart. It is not. I needed a restart. Once I did that. It was ready to go. Very easy to install.
The Software:
Yes, Roxio, vanilla called and it wants its flavor back from your software. The provided software is BORING and featureless with a very spartan interface, but for $55 I wasn't exactly expecting Adobe Creative Suite 5 or anything. Its very basic as I mentioned, You get an introduction screen to name your video and to set the approximate length of the video and the quality to set it to.
Easy VHS to DVD for Mac software sets up its own folder deep in your "movies" folder without telling that it has done that. You have to go into the sparse preferences menu to set a different folder for it to capture to.
The estimated lengths of video are on a pull down menu of 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 minutes which is ok unless you have a 45, 75, 105 (most Hollywood movies), or 145 minute movie, in which case, you will either have to babysit your VHS conversion to manually press "STOP" or be content with a HUGE waste of time and space at the end of your movie. More selections of time allotments please Roxio. The quality selection is High, Medium, or Low which is strange because, you wouldn't want any less quality than the "high" setting: medium is horrible, low quality resembles something shot on a late 90's treo phone.
After you've selected this criteria, you move to the hardware connection screen where it detects where your picture is connected, and it is here that a preview screen is up. I would recommend running the VCR just to make sure you are getting a picture. If you are, click continue.
This brings up the next screen which is the audio hardware connection screen. This can be tricky on a Mac because you have to go into your system preference pane with audio and select the proper input for the entire computer system so that it knows to gather and process the signal from the right place. Macs are not too good in this area even with all the other Mac advantages, audio is NOT one of them, sadly.
If you see the green audio bars resonating across the blue/grey bars at the bottom of this screen, audio is working, click continue and away you go.
This brings up the final screen which is the big fat red recording button and the little button at the bottom which says "Automatically stop recording after ___ minutes" I would use this button religiously unless I came across a video at a length in between the presets and I didn't want a bunch of blank video and dead file space at the end of my movie file. So I toggle that button "on" with a check when I don't want to babysit the conversion process. click the big fat record button and the software and dongle hardware are now converting the VHS tape to an mpeg2 computer file.
When completed, another window pops up allowing you have the option of:
• Sending to Quicktime (converting to an Mp4 - which I DONT recommend)
• Sending to Imovie, which is OK if you want to try to edit your movie • Sending to to Toast (convert straight to DVD through the provided toast basic software.)
I have no interest in DVDs anymore so I just simply took the mpeg2 file that is automatically created by the software and used it on my Seagate Freeagent Home Theater + player (see my review here on Epinions) and that is the highest that the quality gets with this software, otherwise for the MP4 it takes the mpeg2 and FURTHER compresses it to garbage ville and I was dealing with artifacts, digital hits, dropouts, and HATED the final product when exporting to Quicktime on MP4.
If I wanted mp4 I would just bring the mpeg2 into a piece of freeware software called Mpeg Streamclip and convert it there. The Mp4 conversion using Easy VHS to DVD is garbagio.
Its not quite as bad for the DVD conversion, it converts the mpeg 2 to an M2V by transcoding and that is much easier for this software to handle, actually, it is a scaled down version of Toast that burns the DVD, it is very easy to convert and burn a disc, its only a matter of a few clicks and you've now converted 80's technology into 90's technology! Congratulations!
Hardware:
The device itself is cheap plastic that when the weight of VCR cables running into the stubby composite inputs on the dongle cause the plastic device to 'droop' the device doesn't hold up well. Handle it delicately. That being said it set up in a cinch and does EXACTLY what it says it does, it provides an analog ito digital input into your system. I can't argue with that.
Overall Picture/Video Quality:
It has its imperfections. I get acceptable picture with sync'd audio and it seems a fair replication of the poor VHS quality that I started with, so I don't have an issue with it. I am 99% certain that the hardware device is nothing more than a very cheap analog to digital 'capture' card with no compression capabilities whatsoever, but I could be wrong. It appears to me that all conversion to mpeg2 takes place in the few minutes of processing that follows a successful import.
Wrapping It Up:
With everything being said, I don't advocate copyright infringement but in my little post-napster world, I feel that if I purchased videos and/or 'cassettes' and the technology is no longer viable, I can convert it to a current viable technology without violation of conscience so long as I get rid of the old format, which in the case of VHS and Cassette tapes, I do. I just throw them out basically because who would want them?
So disclaimer aside, I had box after box of unused VHS tapes that are now converted to an acceptable mpeg 2 format for use on my media player. The only tapes I had an issue with were VHS-C home videos that I shot in EP...I just had to give up on those. But even store bought EP VHS (cheapie documentary) tapes gave the device some problems.
If I were still caught up in the DVD world, I would have been fine with the DVDs it made, the software allows for colorful menu themes and neat little tricks that only 2001 could offer. Its basic, you aren't going to light the world on fire with this $55 software but you can easily, quickly, and cheaply convert all of your old VHS to DVDs in a snap. And isn't that what life is all about?
3-1/2 stars out of 5. Its a cheap, fast, and decent conversion app and hardware. Its got its flaws in makemanship, conversion quality, and features. But it does the job.
Recommended:
Yes
Pros: Easy to Install/connect, Cheap: under $60, Fast - as much as real time can be I supposeCons: Cheap construction flimsy plastic, Little/No customization of preferences, bad conversion to Quicktime
Overview:
I had boxes and boxes of VHS tapes, ones that I bought, ones that I shot on camera and many of the purchased VHS I had not intention of replacing with DVD. So I had to find an easy, fast, and cheap solution to convert ALL the VHS tapes I owned. I found Easy VHS to DVD for Mac on Buy.com for about $55 and decided I would give it a try.
Box Opening Extravaganza:
Not much to it actually. You receive a usb dongle with RCA (composite) and S-Video squid cable inputs, a CD for the software,
and a slip of paper that is supposed to pass as a manual of some sort.
The dongle was cheap, light plastic but for $55 I wasn't exactly expecting pig iron with gold-tipped connectors. It is what it is.
Installation:
As with all Mac peripherals and software, its one or two steps and or clicks and away you go. I plopped the CD into my Mac and double clicked the install, pretended to read the licensing blah blah blah, and then selected the destination drive. It took about 30 seconds to install.
I then simply plugged the USB into my mac, plugged the audio composite cables (red and white RCA) from the output of my VCR into the connectors hanging from the dongle, did the same thing for the video/picture output of my VCR to the dongle and then, for kicks, tried to run the VHS conversion software right away to see if it is "smart" enough to find the dongle without a restart. It is not. I needed a restart. Once I did that. It was ready to go. Very easy to install.
The Software:
Yes, Roxio, vanilla called and it wants its flavor back from your software. The provided software is BORING and featureless with a very spartan interface, but for $55 I wasn't exactly expecting Adobe Creative Suite 5 or anything. Its very basic as I mentioned, You get an introduction screen to name your video and to set the approximate length of the video and the quality to set it to.
Easy VHS to DVD for Mac software sets up its own folder deep in your "movies" folder without telling that it has done that. You have to go into the sparse preferences menu to set a different folder for it to capture to.
The estimated lengths of video are on a pull down menu of 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 minutes which is ok unless you have a 45, 75, 105 (most Hollywood movies), or 145 minute movie, in which case, you will either have to babysit your VHS conversion to manually press "STOP" or be content with a HUGE waste of time and space at the end of your movie. More selections of time allotments please Roxio. The quality selection is High, Medium, or Low which is strange because, you wouldn't want any less quality than the "high" setting: medium is horrible, low quality resembles something shot on a late 90's treo phone.
After you've selected this criteria, you move to the hardware connection screen where it detects where your picture is connected, and it is here that a preview screen is up. I would recommend running the VCR just to make sure you are getting a picture. If you are, click continue.
This brings up the next screen which is the audio hardware connection screen. This can be tricky on a Mac because you have to go into your system preference pane with audio and select the proper input for the entire computer system so that it knows to gather and process the signal from the right place. Macs are not too good in this area even with all the other Mac advantages, audio is NOT one of them, sadly.
If you see the green audio bars resonating across the blue/grey bars at the bottom of this screen, audio is working, click continue and away you go.
This brings up the final screen which is the big fat red recording button and the little button at the bottom which says "Automatically stop recording after ___ minutes" I would use this button religiously unless I came across a video at a length in between the presets and I didn't want a bunch of blank video and dead file space at the end of my movie file. So I toggle that button "on" with a check when I don't want to babysit the conversion process. click the big fat record button and the software and dongle hardware are now converting the VHS tape to an mpeg2 computer file.
When completed, another window pops up allowing you have the option of:
• Sending to Quicktime (converting to an Mp4 - which I DONT recommend)
• Sending to Imovie, which is OK if you want to try to edit your movie • Sending to to Toast (convert straight to DVD through the provided toast basic software.)
I have no interest in DVDs anymore so I just simply took the mpeg2 file that is automatically created by the software and used it on my Seagate Freeagent Home Theater + player (see my review here on Epinions) and that is the highest that the quality gets with this software, otherwise for the MP4 it takes the mpeg2 and FURTHER compresses it to garbage ville and I was dealing with artifacts, digital hits, dropouts, and HATED the final product when exporting to Quicktime on MP4.
If I wanted mp4 I would just bring the mpeg2 into a piece of freeware software called Mpeg Streamclip and convert it there. The Mp4 conversion using Easy VHS to DVD is garbagio.
Its not quite as bad for the DVD conversion, it converts the mpeg 2 to an M2V by transcoding and that is much easier for this software to handle, actually, it is a scaled down version of Toast that burns the DVD, it is very easy to convert and burn a disc, its only a matter of a few clicks and you've now converted 80's technology into 90's technology! Congratulations!
Hardware:
Overall Picture/Video Quality:
It has its imperfections. I get acceptable picture with sync'd audio and it seems a fair replication of the poor VHS quality that I started with, so I don't have an issue with it. I am 99% certain that the hardware device is nothing more than a very cheap analog to digital 'capture' card with no compression capabilities whatsoever, but I could be wrong. It appears to me that all conversion to mpeg2 takes place in the few minutes of processing that follows a successful import.
Wrapping It Up:
With everything being said, I don't advocate copyright infringement but in my little post-napster world, I feel that if I purchased videos and/or 'cassettes' and the technology is no longer viable, I can convert it to a current viable technology without violation of conscience so long as I get rid of the old format, which in the case of VHS and Cassette tapes, I do. I just throw them out basically because who would want them?
So disclaimer aside, I had box after box of unused VHS tapes that are now converted to an acceptable mpeg 2 format for use on my media player. The only tapes I had an issue with were VHS-C home videos that I shot in EP...I just had to give up on those. But even store bought EP VHS (cheapie documentary) tapes gave the device some problems.
If I were still caught up in the DVD world, I would have been fine with the DVDs it made, the software allows for colorful menu themes and neat little tricks that only 2001 could offer. Its basic, you aren't going to light the world on fire with this $55 software but you can easily, quickly, and cheaply convert all of your old VHS to DVDs in a snap. And isn't that what life is all about?
3-1/2 stars out of 5. Its a cheap, fast, and decent conversion app and hardware. Its got its flaws in makemanship, conversion quality, and features. But it does the job.
| The Bottom Line: 3-1/2 stars out of 5. Its a cheap, fast, and decent conversion app and hardware. Its got its flaws in makesmanship, conversion quality, and features. But it does the job. |
Recommended:
Yes
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Best Place to Buy and Smoke a Cigar in Las Vegas a la 2011.
I originally wrote this article a couple years ago but found that much of the information I shared, desperately needed updating as many of my favorite cigar haunts have closed and shops have changed. Usually PT's or Timbers are fairly cool about smoking stogies while you have a nice frosty brew but I usually retreat to a secluded corner (if one is available) to enjoy mine. That being said, here is a bit more about cigar culture and Las Vegas:
In case you're feeling nostalgic for the "old days" of 2009, here is the original post with the old information.
As a Las Vegas local, I saw the days where smoking a cigar was really just a matter of "Where do you want to go?" Today, it is a little more touchy with regards to lighting up a big phatty in a public place. I have decided to blog some of my favorite locales for smoking (or buying) a cigar in Las Vegas and have listed a few places to avoid that are NOT cigar friendly.
If you enjoy watching a game, having a microbrew, and smoking a nice cigar all at the same time, you have two choices: Grab the rabbit-eared TV from the closet, buy some cheap Oregon beer at Albertsons, and light up a cigar in your gas fumed garage. OR, you can just make a quick trip to The Chicago Brewing Company on Fort Apache and West Sahara in Summerlin. The upstairs room opens at 5pm so you'll have to make it a night game, but you will have access to a little tobacco hideaway with leather chairs, big ashtrays, and a plethora of micro-brews to choose from. My personal micro brew favorite here is the sampler. It is about 10 small sized beers on a round rack that gives you a nice overview of everything they have to offer. A nice Maduro wrapped Punch Belicoso with a Chicago stout microbrew and you'll feel like you were watching the game from a luxury box!
Another enjoyable haunt for locals is FAR FAR away from the strip (just like I like it!) in the northwest of the Las Vegas valley, and about 4 miles north of The Chicago Brewing Company. It is yet another micro brew house called Tenaya Creek Brewery on Cheyenne and Tenaya. Whereas this is a nice place to grab a number of delectable micro brews from the lightest to the darkest, it is not a place to get your grub on. They don't serve food here and haven't for some time. However, they are quite friendly toward cigar smokers and have a nice set of leather couches toward the back which allow for a little quieter cigar atmosphere (if that is your thing).
Ultimately, its all about finding what works best for you, your budget, your tastes, and your temperament that will determine your cigar experience here. Hopefully the above list will give a couple good places to start, that are off the tourist's beaten path.
In case you're feeling nostalgic for the "old days" of 2009, here is the original post with the old information.
As a Las Vegas local, I saw the days where smoking a cigar was really just a matter of "Where do you want to go?" Today, it is a little more touchy with regards to lighting up a big phatty in a public place. I have decided to blog some of my favorite locales for smoking (or buying) a cigar in Las Vegas and have listed a few places to avoid that are NOT cigar friendly.
If you enjoy watching a game, having a microbrew, and smoking a nice cigar all at the same time, you have two choices: Grab the rabbit-eared TV from the closet, buy some cheap Oregon beer at Albertsons, and light up a cigar in your gas fumed garage. OR, you can just make a quick trip to The Chicago Brewing Company on Fort Apache and West Sahara in Summerlin. The upstairs room opens at 5pm so you'll have to make it a night game, but you will have access to a little tobacco hideaway with leather chairs, big ashtrays, and a plethora of micro-brews to choose from. My personal micro brew favorite here is the sampler. It is about 10 small sized beers on a round rack that gives you a nice overview of everything they have to offer. A nice Maduro wrapped Punch Belicoso with a Chicago stout microbrew and you'll feel like you were watching the game from a luxury box!
Another enjoyable haunt for locals is FAR FAR away from the strip (just like I like it!) in the northwest of the Las Vegas valley, and about 4 miles north of The Chicago Brewing Company. It is yet another micro brew house called Tenaya Creek Brewery on Cheyenne and Tenaya. Whereas this is a nice place to grab a number of delectable micro brews from the lightest to the darkest, it is not a place to get your grub on. They don't serve food here and haven't for some time. However, they are quite friendly toward cigar smokers and have a nice set of leather couches toward the back which allow for a little quieter cigar atmosphere (if that is your thing).
OK, I've covered some places far from the strip for those Vegas natives among us who avoid the strip like a pile of fresh vomit in a meat packing facility. But perhaps you are a visitor to our grand city and are staying on or near our "Fabulous Strip" and would like to find a great place to enjoy a cigar that is not far from your hotel (or motel if you're in my income bracket). Read on my welcomed visitor. Read on:
My favorite place on the strip to enjoy a nice cigar would have to be Napoleon's Lounge at the Paris Hotel. The Paris is a centrally located resort next to Bally's and across from Caesars Palace and the Treasure Island or "T.I." as we smug pretentious locals call it. When the Paris first opened Napoleon's, it had a sultry piano and a big, dark, and seedy interior. They have now added an additional piano and brightened up the place just a bit but it is still a nice locale to acquire an enticing glass of cognac or brandy whilst puffing away thoughtfully at the cigar of your choice. There used to be a small humidor here which sold your standard famous names at a wonderful "Strip markup" price - i.e Punch, Macanudo, Monte Cristo, Davidoff etc. but humidors come and go depending on the profitability so no promises there. I will say that the entertainment has been bumped up a bit with the second piano as you may now find "dueling" pianos on a Saturday night, which to be honest, does NOTHING for my cigar experience. Mostly because I not only like to hear myself think, but I like to hear myself talk...endlessly...about nothing...and everything...philosophical...political...religiosical, etc.
whether I am with someone or not! (weird as I may look) So for this reason, I tend to stick to quieter environs para mi fumo.
Another decent place on the Strip to smoke a stick would be Andre's Cigar and Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo. The Monte Carlo is probably one of the best kept secrets on the Strip, in my never so humble opinion. If I didn't look to avoid the Strip, wasn't married, didn't have kids, didn't have a morning job, and didn't have a limited bank account, I would probably hang out here on a semi-regular basis. The Keg Room has a wall of lighted kegs of some of the best beers in the world, and a 'meat and potatoes' food menu which is a great place to start. The Keg Room is not, however, a place to consider for smoking stogies as it is like most "restaurant/pub" establishments and has become "smoke free". But, cigar fans do not fear, Andre's Cigar and Cognac Lounge is but a few scant strides away here at the Monte Carlo and, like Napoleon's in Paris, is a great place to grab a nice Port, Brandy, or as the name suggests, a Cognac to sip in very upscale cigar lounge surroundings.
My favorite place on the strip to enjoy a nice cigar would have to be Napoleon's Lounge at the Paris Hotel. The Paris is a centrally located resort next to Bally's and across from Caesars Palace and the Treasure Island or "T.I." as we smug pretentious locals call it. When the Paris first opened Napoleon's, it had a sultry piano and a big, dark, and seedy interior. They have now added an additional piano and brightened up the place just a bit but it is still a nice locale to acquire an enticing glass of cognac or brandy whilst puffing away thoughtfully at the cigar of your choice. There used to be a small humidor here which sold your standard famous names at a wonderful "Strip markup" price - i.e Punch, Macanudo, Monte Cristo, Davidoff etc. but humidors come and go depending on the profitability so no promises there. I will say that the entertainment has been bumped up a bit with the second piano as you may now find "dueling" pianos on a Saturday night, which to be honest, does NOTHING for my cigar experience. Mostly because I not only like to hear myself think, but I like to hear myself talk...endlessly...about nothing...and everything...philosophical...political...religiosical, etc.whether I am with someone or not! (weird as I may look) So for this reason, I tend to stick to quieter environs para mi fumo.
Now, speaking of buying cigars in Las Vegas, I have two rules:
1. Don't do it unless you absolutely HAVE to.
2. Don't buy down on the strip EVEN IF you have to! You will get reamed my friend, reamed.
So here is what you do, if you're down on the strip, hop in a cab and say, "Driver, take me to Pheasant Tobacco!" "Where is that?" he might ask, you answer, "West Sahara directly across from the Palace Station Casino" and then lean back with a smug I've-been-in-town-45-minutes-and-I-know-it-ALL look. Be sure to tip him though. Pheasant is not far from the strip at all but its WAY on the North side where the old school hotels are: Circus Circus, Riviera, Sahara, etc. It is a very reasonably priced tobacco shop with a fantastic selection. There is a cigar there for everyone no matter what your income bracket. They have a nice smoking room and , in my humble opinion, the most knowledgeable staff in Vegas. The only catch is, operating hours. For some reason, these guys seem to think that they have set up shop in Minnesota or something. They close early and don't give a rat's behind that this is a 24 hour town (is my personal frustration showing through?).
If you are happy to travel up to the west or northwest side of town, there are a couple good places to purchase a cigar.
Tobacco Leaf on West Lake Mead and Rock Springs. Again, a decent selection, but the prices are bit more jacked up. They are still probably 40-50% cheaper than what you would buy on the strip or in a cigar lounge that I've suggested. The store has been around a couple years and contains a decent walk in humidor with a somewhat helpful staff. I would consider it a bit small and cramped but they offer a frequent flyer punch card where if you purchase 8 or 9 cigars, you get one at the same level for free, so its about a 10% discount for volume or repeat business
Another Cigar store that is a little more roomy, has a wall-lined humidor (no walk in), a decent selection with cigars in nearly every range is Hemingway's on Cheyenne Rd and The I-95 way up in the northwest of Vegas...right where I like it! This guy is very knowledgeable of all that he sells, he's very friendly every time I've been in. My typical weekend wear is flipflops and a UNLV cap...this look tends to draw a worried dithering of humidor attendants who seem worried that I might try to slip a pack of Phillies Blunts in my camo cargo shorts pocket, but this guy is hassle-free and will let you browse to your hearts delight, and will come over only if you appear to need some help (or have slipped a pack of Phillies Blunts in your camo cargo shorts pocket). I will say that he does appear to be a bit "proud" of his high end cigars and overprices accordingly there, but I usually buy in the $4-5 range and this cigar shop has more to offer along that budget line than does the aforementioned Tobacco Leaf.
The last and most recent find for a place to buy cigars in Las Vegas is WAY WAY out in the Northwest, just outside of town at the Snow Mountain Smoke Shop on the Paiute Indian Reservation. I found this sort of 7-11 looking "smoke shop" out there that I thought I might pop into as its on my way...to...well...nothing. Its not on the way to anything except wilderness. But I somehow found an excuse to stop in to this little building only to find rows and rows of cigarettes everywhere. I was afraid that I would be left with Swisher Sweets or a nice choice of Backwood Smokes (which I like by the way) but there in the corner, a beam of Sunlight from heaven and angelic voices began to sing...angelically...as I discovered a glorious corner walk-in humidor with one of the best-priced (and tax free!) selections of cigars from everywhere! (Except Cuba - but that is a different blog post) Romeo y Julieta, Te Amos (which I hate and which hardly anyone in Vegas sells anymore), El Rey Del Mundo, La Gloria Cubanas, Punch, and a slew of great mid-range cigars that fit my budget.
I realize that Snow Mountain Smoke Shop is way out in the sticks to go and buy...well...a stick, however, it turns out that I discovered only the tip of the iceberg as the MAIN Paiute Reservation Smoke Shop is called "Main Street Smoke Shop" or "Cigar Shoppe" in downtown Las Vegas! It has been rated by our local newspaper as the "Best in Las Vegas" for cigar and smoke shops and boasts the largest selection of cigars under one roof in the city of Las Vegas.
Tobacco Leaf on West Lake Mead and Rock Springs. Again, a decent selection, but the prices are bit more jacked up. They are still probably 40-50% cheaper than what you would buy on the strip or in a cigar lounge that I've suggested. The store has been around a couple years and contains a decent walk in humidor with a somewhat helpful staff. I would consider it a bit small and cramped but they offer a frequent flyer punch card where if you purchase 8 or 9 cigars, you get one at the same level for free, so its about a 10% discount for volume or repeat business
Another Cigar store that is a little more roomy, has a wall-lined humidor (no walk in), a decent selection with cigars in nearly every range is Hemingway's on Cheyenne Rd and The I-95 way up in the northwest of Vegas...right where I like it! This guy is very knowledgeable of all that he sells, he's very friendly every time I've been in. My typical weekend wear is flipflops and a UNLV cap...this look tends to draw a worried dithering of humidor attendants who seem worried that I might try to slip a pack of Phillies Blunts in my camo cargo shorts pocket, but this guy is hassle-free and will let you browse to your hearts delight, and will come over only if you appear to need some help (or have slipped a pack of Phillies Blunts in your camo cargo shorts pocket). I will say that he does appear to be a bit "proud" of his high end cigars and overprices accordingly there, but I usually buy in the $4-5 range and this cigar shop has more to offer along that budget line than does the aforementioned Tobacco Leaf.
The last and most recent find for a place to buy cigars in Las Vegas is WAY WAY out in the Northwest, just outside of town at the Snow Mountain Smoke Shop on the Paiute Indian Reservation. I found this sort of 7-11 looking "smoke shop" out there that I thought I might pop into as its on my way...to...well...nothing. Its not on the way to anything except wilderness. But I somehow found an excuse to stop in to this little building only to find rows and rows of cigarettes everywhere. I was afraid that I would be left with Swisher Sweets or a nice choice of Backwood Smokes (which I like by the way) but there in the corner, a beam of Sunlight from heaven and angelic voices began to sing...angelically...as I discovered a glorious corner walk-in humidor with one of the best-priced (and tax free!) selections of cigars from everywhere! (Except Cuba - but that is a different blog post) Romeo y Julieta, Te Amos (which I hate and which hardly anyone in Vegas sells anymore), El Rey Del Mundo, La Gloria Cubanas, Punch, and a slew of great mid-range cigars that fit my budget.
I realize that Snow Mountain Smoke Shop is way out in the sticks to go and buy...well...a stick, however, it turns out that I discovered only the tip of the iceberg as the MAIN Paiute Reservation Smoke Shop is called "Main Street Smoke Shop" or "Cigar Shoppe" in downtown Las Vegas! It has been rated by our local newspaper as the "Best in Las Vegas" for cigar and smoke shops and boasts the largest selection of cigars under one roof in the city of Las Vegas.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
A Tribute To My Dad For Father's Day
Happy Father's Day Dad. Late as usual I suppose. Thank you for giving your life and dreams to provide for us kids when we needed it most.
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