Kodak EasyShare HDTV Dock

As more and more customers are upgrading their current TV sets to new widescreen HDTV capable models, displaying your digital-camera images on TV will take on a new experience. The innovators at Kodak realize that and have developed an unusually simple and easy way to present photos on your new screen. KODAK EASYSHARE HDTV Dock connects to your HDTV to process pictures from KODAK HD-enabled digital cameras, SD memory cards or USB drives to deliver an outstanding visual experience to share with family and friends. Over forty-percent of HDTV owners say they want to view their own photos in HD2 and now Kodak, with the launch of the HDTV Dock, is not only making it possible, but also making it easy.
Using the remote control feature on the HDTV Dock enables consumers to manage their digital pictures while relaxing on the living room sofa. The HDTV Dock makes it effortless to enjoy a full HD-quality slideshow, edit individual images, transfer images to a USB drive, or even print images to a connected printer. Along with being backward compatible with many KODAK EASYSHARE digital cameras, the HDTV Dock automatically charges the rechargeable battery so the camera is ready whenever needed. Unit Measures 6L x 3-3/4W x 1H
Customer Review: Nice try, but not well executed
This is a classic example of a product that should have been turned over to Apple to make it integrate well. The manual is poor. For example, there is no explanation of how to actually navigate to the pictures on your camera. With an SD card in the camera, the HDTV dock initially displays Zero Pictures and Zero Videos. We thought the dock or the camera must be defective, because the Kodak printer dock can access the photos immediately. A call to tech support revealed that you have to go down about 3 or 4 folder levels to get to the actual pictures. Picture display on my 720P LCD was generally good. Videos had an annoying green line at one edge. The remote operates the device so slowly that the wait for a new picture to show on the screen is agonizing. Slide show mode was ok. The buttons on the remote are confusing. Sometimes we had to shut off the HDTV dock just to make it go back to the main menu. The remote also caused our Olevia LCD to turn off, so I had to put black electrical tape over the Olevia "remote pickup" plastic to keep the Kodak remote from turning it off. The remote had to be carefully aimed at the dock or it wouldn't work at all. The dock, like all Kodak docks, needs the "insert adapter" that comes with the camera. But it you have two docks, such as a printer dock and the HDTV dock, you're out of luck, because Kodak supplies only one insert, with the camera. Four calls to Kodak didn't fix the problem, until finally the parts department proposed to charge me for an extra dock insert. And this despite the fact that presales at Kodak said they'd simply send an additional insert for free when I supplied the serial number of the camera. Hint to the wise: just claim the insert is missing, and after two calls, one to parts to get the part number, and one to sales, you'll have your insert. So much for the "one call, and we fix your issue" customer service ethic. The HDTV dock is compatible with some Kodak printer docks, so you can print what you see on the TV screen. But in the standard Kodak design way of not thinking everything out, the printers have only one USB port, so you have to do a cable swap if your dock is already connected to a PC. The HDTV dock is a brand new product, but is missing, you guessed it, an HDMI port. Oops. Ultimately we decided the hassle of the HDTV dock wasn't worth the result. Come on, Kodak, you can do much better than this! If "Easy" is the marketing tag, this product doesn't fit.
Customer Review: Warning!
This dock requires HDTV, at minimum 720P resolution. It does not work on regular TV. Like all other Kodak docks, it requires the custom camera insert included with your camera. If you have more than one dock, contact Kodak about getting extras. Using the dock without the adapter plate can cause damage to your camera, the dock, or both. It does not connect to a PC. You need a different dock, printer dock, or a memory card reader for that. Check camera compatibility before use. It is not compatible with CX, DX, or and most LS, model cameras at all. Some supported cameras DO NOT output in HD quality for picture or video. It will not play video at all from many models of camera, even when you use the memory card directly in the dock. The product strikes me as something Kodak stopped in the middle of development. It will not save many users from needing multiple memory cards or a laptop while traveling. The fact it only works with an HDTV makes it fairly useless for travel anyway unless you manage to find a hotel that has the required TV and allows you to mess with it.