Product Description

ILIVE IHMD8816DTW IPOD(R) HOME DOCKING SYSTEM WORKS WITH IPOD(R) NANO, IPOD(R) MINI & IPOD(R) SHUFFLE; 2.1-CHANNEL IPOD(R) DOCKING SYSTEM WITH DUAL SUBWOOFER; DIGITAL PLL RADIO WITH CLOCK; DRAWER LOAD DVD PLAYER; FULL FUNCTION REMOTE WHICH ALSO CONTROLS IPOD(R); BLUE BACKLIT DISPLAY; 4 SPEAKER SYSTEM; DOCKING INPUT FOR DIGITAL PLAYERS; APPLE CERTIFIED IPOD(R) DOCKING STATION; BUILT-IN CHARGING CIRCUIT ;* WHITE IPOD(R) HOME DOCKING SYSTEM

Product Details

• Brand: iLive
• Model: IHMD8816DT
• Dimensions: 12.00" h x 12.00" w x 20.00" l, 18.30 pounds

Features

• Bookshelf mini stereo system with iPod dock capability--two stereo speakers with side firing subwoofers
• Drawer-loading DVD/CD player compatible with CD-R/RW, MP3 and JPEG
• Connect to any MP3 player, cell phone or personal game system through the line input
• Composite audio/video output, digital AM/FM stereo radio (10 AM/10 FM presets)
• Compatibility: iPod nano (1G only), iPod mini, 4G iPod with click wheel, iPod Color, iPod Video

Amazon.com Product Description
The iLive IHMD8816 is the perfect solution for home audio. This system connects to all iPods through the certified connection or USB. You can also connect to any MP3 player, cell phone or personal game system through the line input. This versatile, all-in-one system plays music from your iPod, CDs or AM/FM radio, and plays videos from your iPod or DVDs. ThatÕs right, connect to a TV and watch your favorite DVD and iPod movies! But how does it sound?--Great! This system features stereo speakers, driven by 75 watts of total power, to give your music and movies plenty of power. This great-sounding system gives your iPod additional functionality--control your music from across the room with the remote, and watch videos and slideshows on your TV with the video output feature. The complete unit measures 17.1 x 10.5 x 10.9 inches, but the stereo speakers can be broken off from the main unit and they each measure 5.6 by 19.5 by 10.9 inches.

Features:

• Drawer-loading DVD/CD player compatible with CD-R/RW, MP3 and JPEG
• Digital AM/FM stereo radio (10 AM/10 FM presets)
• Slim, full-function remote control
• Blue backlit LCD display with digital clock
• Stereo speakers
• 2 side-firing subwoofers
• 4 preset EQ settings
• Composite audio/video output
• Stereo headphone output
• Auxiliary input

What's in the Box
Stereo unit, two speakers, speaker cable, remote control, dock inserts for iPod nano and mini, auxiliary line-in cable, printed operating instructions

iPod Compatibility
iPod nano 1G, iPod mini, iPod 4G (Clickwheel), iPod Color, iPod 5G/5.5G Video,

Also provides charging and amplification of iPod shuffle via USB input.

Customer Reviews

Function Poor - Form Great
I had been looking for a long time for a nice shelf system for my office that would integrate the iPod and also play CD's and radio. When I saw this product released on several iPod sites, I decided to give it a go despite not seeing any reviews.

- Upon opening the box, the actual product looks very nice. A main unit with blue tint LCD, simple buttons on the front and nice looking speakers. Has a nice dock right on top of the unit for the iPod and it clicks right in as it should.

It was pretty much downhill from there.
- Instructions coming with the product are overly simplistic considering the wide range of functions of the product. They note where items such as the iPod can be used by the remote, but do not provide any details as to exactly what aspects of the remote controls what functions and so forth.
- When the unit is turned on it defaults to a VERY high volume level for my office purposes. Upon contacting customer service I was told that this is the way the product was built, and that the retailers of the product demanded a higher volume level then initially defaulted. I need to remember to have my finger on the lower volume control the minute I turn it on so I don't upset my coworkers
- The problems get more significant in relationship with the iPod. as noted in another review, there are pretty significant speaker squeaks and interference in a wide variety of areas. 1) loud "hiss" when the backlight of my iPod turns off. 2) annoying beep in the Speakers when the words on the ipod scroll (such as a long album or song title). Strong speaker interference whenever the hard drive revs up.

I have figured out a workound to this last issue. I set my backlight to "always on", and once selecting music, I set the iPod to show the static album cover, therefore I get no problems with words scrolling on the screen. Of course, that means my iPod is now bright all day at work, worrying me about the long term prospects of protecting the screen, and I can not view song titles and see where I am within the album, as it only shows the album cover. I can deal with these things in the short term and will try it out for a couple weeks but may ultimately return the product.

Overall, the form is exactly what I was looking for, and I have not found another product that seemlessly integrates the iPod at this price point. However, the technical aspects seem shoddy at best and it appears this company has a long way to go in terms of quality control. I recommend this product as long as you know what you are getting and what the problems are. However, it might be worth waiting a bit until a proven home audio company puts out a similiar product.

Hissing and Beeping Noises!
I recently bought this item because it provided exactly what I was looking for: a small system that allowed me to listen to my iPod, the radio, and CDs. The unit is cute but the interface isn't exactly user friendly. With time, I could get over that. However, there is a constant hissing noise that also has a constant quiet beeping that goes along with when the song title scrolls across the screen of my iPod. No matter what I do, I can't get the hissing or beeping to go away...and so the unit is going back.

Sub Par
With minimalist design, and compact package, this unit will be a sexy accent to any office/bedroom/interior space.

But that's where the positives come to a screechingly painful halt:

This unit is far from being sexcellent....

First off, if you are not a coinsure of sound quality, this is the unit for you. The sound quality on this system is less than pathetic. I found by investing in a good quality FM adaptor I could get much better sound at a far more reasonable price.

-The sound texture is grainy. Like sandpaper across my knuckles
-The speakers buzz frequently.
-The bass...is well non existent

Secondly, if you have this unit in a room that at times of the day you like to have darkened...say a bedroom. You'll find that the blinding aura emitted by the LCD screen, will aid in your insomnia. Unless you enjoy being bathed in a brilliant blue light while attempting to reach an unconscious state, I would not suggest buying this system. To make matters worse, there is no way to dim the screen, so unless you have duct tape prepare to be caught in the irritating azul tractor beam of this system.

Save your money and invest in a FM transmitter, or a better quality system...it'll be worth the wait...and sleep.