Well, you guys are missing some of the value here, which is that you can use this cam iery bad weather without fear of breaking the cam. So, rain, sleet, snow, etc. For example, how about taking this thing skiing? Now you can drop it in the snow, be out there in a total snow storm, etc., without issue. Anyway, I wouldn't completely discount the value of this b/c of the 5' thing.

* * * THIS ARTICLE MISSES A VERY IMPORTANT STEP IN DIALING IN A SS SYSTEM * * *

As a pretty die-hard audio guy (check my website), there's one thing that seems to always get missed when calibrating a surround sound system. Everyone always talks about the SPL side, but just as important is the time-delay side of things. Most good receivers permit you to change the relative levels of sound from each speaker, AND THEY ALSO permit you to dial in the time delay from each speaker to the "typical" listening position. If you're rear speakers are farther back than you're front speakers, without adjusting the timing, the sound will arrive at your ears at different points in time. The result is a subtle, but noticeable delay/echo if it is bad enough. So, don't forget about that -- most people just crank the rear speakers more under those conditions, but you might want to check the timing too if you are a true audiofile type.