Cedar Electronics' CDV-528: half camcorder, half PMP, totally chintzy

Regrettably, we can safely say that we've seen a similar mishmash before, and while we've no idea who actually finds these things worthwhile, Cedar Electronics is apparently giving it a go with the CDV-528. This handheld camcorder / PMP conglomerate boasts a 2.4-inch 480 x 234 resolution LCD, a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor capable of snagging stills and VGA-quality video, between 32MB and 128MB of internal storage space and an SD / MMC expansion slot to boot. You'll also find PictBridge support, USB 2.0 connectivity, an AV output, some form of red-eye reduction and a rechargeable Li-ion cell. Interestingly, we're not told what types of files this thing will actually support, but let's just say that's reason enough for you to avoid this like the plague, cool?

[Via PMPToday]

[js @ Dec 9th 2007 11:26AM]

Keepin it real fake: Panasonic D-snap edition.

[Urza9814 @ Dec 9th 2007 11:49AM]

I had the Kodak mc3 a while ago...did pictures, video, and MP3s. The pictures weren't great quality, but what do you expect for under $100 about 6 years ago. Overall it worked pretty well considering the price. And I've actually always wondered why they don't do this kind of thing on more digital cameras...I mean they already have most of the required hardware.

[Pretol @ Dec 9th 2007 11:58AM]

I don't understand these Chinese fake PMP posts. Just get your hands on it and review the sucker. This is a sort of sexists bashing of the Chinese industry. Maybe it's good (maybe it's not), where's the WHY? We only get "oh it's chinese PMP. We couldn't get a sample... ha ha... avoid it like plague"

[Electromodo @ Dec 9th 2007 12:16PM]

Engadget the article doesn't say anywhere that this player is Chineese, so avoid it. It states that since the manufacturer doesn't say what file format their device supports, it must be garbage. And I agree. My experience says the same. If the feature is not listed, it is garbage.

[Pretol @ Dec 9th 2007 12:52PM]

here's your logic:
"if condition='no information' then result='garbage' "

[eugene @ Dec 9th 2007 1:31PM]

if the chinese want to concern themselves with not having a reputation for IP theft and cheap knock offs... then maybe they should stop stealing other people's designs and stuffing them with cheap internals.

And try to make it out of a material that doesn't poison the user... that would be nice too.

[Pretol @ Dec 9th 2007 1:48PM]

Ok. Go on with your racist commentary. My question is: has this particular product been reviewed? Has this particular product been tested for hazardous materials? Does it have "cheap" internals?

You don't know any of those things about THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCT... Yet you're jumping on the bandwagon of how crappy Chinese products are.

The generalizations has been made, and it IS TRUE, but it is tiring, because now it's just these engadget posts that one after another says: "Chinese PMP is total shit. We have no basis for this except for 100 other posts we made, thus making this post as true as the other 100 we made before. Therefore it must be shit"... it's just getting old.

[aron @ Dec 9th 2007 3:53PM]

Not every Chinese product is made with stolen IP. It's just that every Chinese product posted on Engadget is done with stolen IP or crap in general. And if they're halfway decent, there's no mention of it being Chinese.

I agree, most of it IS crap, but like Pretol is saying, the generalizations and "KIRF" posts and 'here's another chinese pos' posts are getting quite tiring.

Of course, now someone is going to say "why read this blog if you don't like it?" and to reply that inevitable question, I guess it's because I'm a fool with too much time on my hands. (Although I suppose I could say the same to people who bash products without reviewing/using/experiencing them)

[eugene @ Dec 9th 2007 10:04PM]

how is saying chinese electronics tend to be crap, racist? No one here is claiming there's some sort of ethnic or cultural reason behind their crap products. I'm sure that in a decade or less, chinese products will be industry leaders... just like it took Japan years to catch and surpass american gear and just like it took south korea years to catch up to Japan.

It's not "racist" to say that when south korean car companies first started selling cars, that their products were crap. they were cheapily made, with cheap materials and performed poorly.

throwing out the race card is just a diversion from the real issue.

[Wwhat @ Dec 10th 2007 8:38AM]

It is racist because they make statements about the products without testing merely because they are chinese.
You say the japanese turned from shoddy to good but if everybody would have not tested their products and just would have said "it's jap therefore crap" then how would you ever find out when there is a turnaround?
After all many american/japanese/etcetera products are being made in china, so all they need is a manager with the right attitude and the same people can make a quality product, and do that EVEN while stealing a design.
I think it's hard for the asians to design stuff for the west anyway because we don't quite get eachother's tastes and it's hard to force that.

[Rocketboy @ Dec 10th 2007 10:18AM]

So, if I say that American Cars are not up to snuff, I now hate all US Americans? Idiot.

[Pretol @ Dec 10th 2007 12:35PM]

When you say "american cars" you're talking about cars that are built in america... who builds them is unknown...

But when you say "americans can't build cars worth shit", you're talking about us. That's "racist" (even though we're not a "race")...

The problem though is not the racist commentary, or how the chinese industry builds those, or the fact that chinese manufacturers steal the designs.

The problem is that engadget makes these posts, and they're all the same: 1. Picture of some unknown gadget 2. "ha ha we don't know anything about this gadget, 'cause noone has seen it evuh" 3. "don't buy it, it's made by a no-name chinese brand; it's a POS"... There's absolutely NO NEW information in these posts...

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Dec 9th 2007 12:15PM]

Something's missing...

They forgot to add a mobile phone!!!

[JohnTitor @ Dec 9th 2007 3:02PM]

if you ask me the only read PMP/camcorder hybrid are the ones from Archos and that one that iPod nano copied off of

[JohnTitor @ Dec 9th 2007 3:03PM]

real*

[memobug @ Dec 10th 2007 3:26AM]

>Interestingly, we're not told what types of files this thing will actually support, but let's just say that's reason enough for you to avoid this like the plague, cool?

Let's see: You're ignorant of the technical details, and you don't understand who might want an MP3/Camcorder/so, ergo, the product must be bad. This is poor journalism, Engadget. Please do some informed reviews in the future.

[Wwhat @ Dec 10th 2007 8:42AM]

It's still better when a company doesn't specify than the many, sometimes quite famous and big companies, who say 'it supports divx' for instance and then you have to download the manual and read the fineprint to discover that you have to use software to convert the divx to some quaint format first and it doesn't really support such at all.

[dave5264 @ Dec 9th 2007 10:12PM]

so, which other countries manufacture lots cheap knockoff electronics?

because you cant give every device the benefit of the doubt

isnt john titor the time traveler?