Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Audiovox FPE-1505DV 15 in. LCD TV The future is here
Audiovox FPE-1505DV 15 in. LCD TV Product MPNMPN:FPE1505DV Key FeaturesFlat Panel Type:LCD TelevisionScreen Size:15 inchContrast Ratio:500:1Displa...
Audiovox Jtft-700 7 in. LCD TV Product MPNMPN:MGGJTFT700 Key FeaturesFlat Panel Type:LCD TelevisionScreen Size:7 inch MiscellaneousUPC:...
Introduction
In the year 2006, two things have become quite apparent: The cost of energy continues to rise, and space is at an all-time premium. Houses, condominiums and apartments continue to get smaller as the worlds population grows, with compact flourescents replacing the old energy wasters of yesteryear. The Audiovox FPE-1505DV 15″ LCD TV/DVD combo would seem to be the television of the future designed with these two things in mind, by combining a DVD player and a 15″ TV in a package that can be hung on the wall, and consuming a mere 3.8 amps and 48 watts of 12VDC power. In contrast, a 12″ CRT TV (smaller screen) without a DVD player consumes 55 watts of power; add my old DVD player which consumes 15 watts for a total of 70 watts. A bigger screen, consumes less power, and it takes up a whole lot less space. More importantly, it’s affordable. The future of television has arrived.
The package
The box comes with a handle, making this an easy purchase to tote home. It will fit in the smallest of trunks of the smallest car, or on the back of a scooter, or you can take it home on the subway or bus. The package does weigh in at a reasonable 15 lbs. It is quite well packed, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about minor bumps and jars (though I wouldn’t recommend dropping it). Opening the box reveals a lot of styrofoam packing. I found it easier to set the box upside down on the floor once opened, then I slowly lifted the box to allow its contents to slide out.
Inside the box is the TV already mounted to its stand, a remote control, a battery for the remote control, a power adapter, a power cord, an SVGA monitor cord, a PC audio cable, an A/V cable, an instruction manual, and a warranty card. What was lacking was a coaxial cable, an S-video cable, and a wall mount bracket. Removing the stand, the unit weighs in at a mere 11.2 lbs for easy wall mounting.
The TV design
The TV itself is rather smart looking, with clean lines and a futuristic stand. There are 10 buttons neatly placed across the top to access functions like SOURCE, MENU, CH ^/V, VOL -/+, PLAY, STOP, EJECT, and POWER. There’s a DVD slot in the upper part of the right hand side. Input and the headphone connections are along the back in a vertical formation, allowing this unit to be mounted flush against a wall. At only 3.3″ thick, it is remarkably thin when considering there’s a DVD player packed in there. The attached (and removable) stand is bottom-heavy for stability (a good 3 lbs.), with a handle molded in the top to facilitate carrying this TV from place to place. It is, however, made out of plastic, so I wouldn’t recommend twisting and turning the display a whole lot.
The remote control
The remote control is a loathesome thing, which seems to be par for the course these days for electronics. Soft, round rubber buttons, all of identical size, are arranged in a 4×12 grid pattern. Two are red (Power and OK), two are green (volume up/down), 16 are blue (number pad, directional buttons), and the rest are a rather dull gray. Of course, it takes the little CR2025 battery, which will cost way more than a standard AA or AAA would and probably won’t last as long. When channel surfing, one must hit a button marked “-/–” to enter 2 digit channels; if you just hit 4 then 5, you’ll get channel 4 then channel 5. Definitely not ergonomic or intuitive! Be sure to read the manual to learn what “P.STD” and “BBE” mean.
Input jacks
There are a lot of inputs available. There is the standard S-video and component inputs, as well as a coax input from cable or antenna, and a SVGA PC connector, along with a PC audio connector. What keeps this from being a serious monitor for a PC is the lack of a DVI port. Seeing as this TV is more of a compact all-in-one design, I would’ve preferred if they had substituted the myraid of cables for a wall mount bracket.
The display
Now, for the most important part: the screen. Resolution is an impressive 1024×768. The image is very crisp and clear, and colours are bright and vibrant. The viewing angle is sufficiently wide at 140 degrees horizontal and 125 degrees vertical, and I found the screen to be easy to watch from a variety of angles. Response time is very good at 25 milliseconds, which means there’s no ghosting or trailing effects. Lighting of the screen is uniform except at extreme angles, where it appears to drop off at the corners. All in all, the screen is the main strong point of this television.
Sound capabilities
There are two little speakers up front and on top, left and right. They are quite unremarkable as sound quality goes, with a total of 3 watts of power. They’re about what you’d expect from a low-cost TV in this class. It does sport a Dolby Digital decoder and a proprietary sound processor, so there is potential there for good sound. However, the only output for sound is via a headphone jack. Thus, for watching movies, I recommend investing in a good pair of headphones for a good personal home theater experience. For a home theater system for more than one person to enjoy at a time, this is not the best TV to buy.
DVD player
The DVD player, like the speakers, is also unremarkable. Though capable of reading + and - R and RW DVD’s, Kodak picture CD’s, and audio CD’s, it is unable to play MP3 and WMA CD’s. It should be noted that it is able to achieve horizontal resolution greater than 500 lines. In testing, I found that it could read DVD + and - R copies that I had made on my PC; however, recordings I made on my DVD recorder could not be played. In fact, one extended play DVD that I made locked up the DVD player; I couldn’t even eject the DVD unless I unplugged the whole thing, then plugged it back in and pressed the eject button before it had a chance to read it.
Computer monitor mode
If you’re looking into buying this unit as a computer monitor, I suggest checking out other units dedicated to the task, since a computer’s DVD-ROM would be more capable than the built-in one. Also, it lacks the DVI connection. Where the SVGA PC connector will come in useful is when this TV will no longer be used as a TV (perhaps you may upgrade to a bigger unit in the future); you can extend its life by connecting it to nearly every PC made in the past 15 years. On the other hand, if space really is at a premium and you don’t want a TV tuner card and/or a DVD-ROM drive for your computer, this will do the trick.
What it’s good for
This television is good for bedrooms, dens, dorms, small apartments and condominiums. Some may find it rather large for kitchen use, but if you have a sufficiently large enough kitchen, it will do the trick. It’s also suitable for businesses needing something to make a presentation at, say, a trade show. Just be sure to test your presentation DVD in this unit before purchasing it to ensure compatibility. Since it’s a 12VDC device that has very modest power requirements, it would also be suitable for RV and boat owners. It’s a little too big for car or minivan use, unless you were to do a custom mounting job. I would recommend this television for a kids play room over a CRT style TV, simply because CRT TV’s tend to be front-heavy and pose a hazard to kids who may pull such a TV onto themselves. Mount it securely up high on a wall, out of reach of little fingers, and be sure to insert and remove the DVD’s for the little tykes yourself - they could easily damage the DVD player by ramming discs in there.
Conclusion
Clearly, this TV is not something suitable for everyone, nor is it without its flaws. Some people will find it perfect for their needs, while others will be disappointed. Fortunately, the smart consumer reads epinions before making their purchase, and after reading my review you think this TV will meet your specific needs, then I can recommend it.
Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Westinghouse LVM-37w1 37 in. HDTV-Ready LCD TV two thumbs up. it's one of the few lcd's with two dvi input jacks. one for a pc, and one for a dvd player. this review is going to be deficient because i...
Audiovox JE17FDTV 17 in. LCD TV Product MPNMPN:JE17FDTV Key FeaturesFlat Panel Type:LCD TelevisionScreen Size:17 inchContrast Ratio:800:1Display...
Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Toshiba CW34X92 34″ TV A Revelation in 16:9 This HDTV-upgradable set is everything I hoped it would be...and that's quite a statement from a male gearhead in his 40s who's not happy un...
Audiovox JE3269 32 in. LCD TV Product MPNMPN:JE3269 Key FeaturesFlat Panel Type:LCD TelevisionScreen Size:32 inchContrast Ratio:500:1Display R...
Audiovox JE1508 15 in. LCD TV Product MPNMPN:JE1508 Key FeaturesFlat Panel Type:LCD TVScreen Size:15 inchContrast Ratio:500:1Display Resolu...
Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Syntax Olevia LT32HV 32 in. LCD TV Excellent Value for your money I was somewhat skeptical about buying this set based on some reviews that I had read regarding dead pixels and poor picture quality, but I d...
Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Westinghouse SK-32H240S TV What a deal!!!
Tags: best, compare, review