Viore PLCD10V59
1. Video: For a portable device, to me, it is excellent. The resolution isn’t specified on the box but Walmart says it’s 800×480 (based on older PLCD10V49 model). OTA HD signals (i.e. ABC, NBC) came in clear and detailed, not fuzzy and washed-out like some other brands, so I think it can do at least 480P. Brightness on default looks fine to me, although I maxed out sharpness (to 8). Channel changing is pretty quick and spiffy compared to a digital converter box (like the Zenith).
2. Audio: Won’t blow you away, it isn’t Dolby Digital nor even surround, but it’s fine for it’s purpose as a portable TV/DVD. I believe speaker output is 6W total, which is standard for small TVs, I don’t believe Walmart’s listing of 2W. I suppose if you’re at the beach you MIGHT need to crank up the volume or use headphones, but for relatively quiet areas, 50% is quite audible.
3. DVD: Reads DVD quicker than my 15″ Toshiba tube TV/DVD, so that’s a plus. DVD door has been an issue for many people. First, go to DVD mode before ejecting/loading discs. Second, the tray mechanism is a hit or miss since, afterall, it’s assembled in China. Mine is fortunate to be pretty smooth… so far. Slide in gently and wiggle when stuck. It supports DivX but I have not experimented to see which encoder works.
4. REMOTE CONTROL: Works fine, quick response, but the cheapy clock battery it runs on is crap, probably won’t last a month with regular use, and they’re expensive. Here’s my suggestion-go to Walmart or Best Buy and get a $15-20 universal remote with learning capability, then you can program all the buttons from the Viore remote. Don’t bother asking for the remote code, tech support won’t know and you don’t need it with a universal remote. People have said that Akai is the parent company of Viore, but the codes for Akai didn’t work for me. Interestingly, after teaching the buttons to my Philips remote I got from Walmart, it controlled my 32″ Samsung LCD TV as well as the Viore. So try the Samsung codes if you really want to know what the remote code is, otherwise just do auto search or learn (no search necessary if you learn the signal directly from the Viore remote). Same thing for the DVD mode, I left the universal remote on TV mode and just learned the DVD buttons without having to switch to DVD. After you do this, just stow the Viore remote and battery away (take battery out) for emergencies.
5. Power: Takes 12V DC power, included is a car adapter and AC/DC adapter. The internal battery will last over 2 hours, unless you got a lemon.
6. Other Aspects: The USB and SD card inputs are used to view photos and play mp3s. You have to be in DVD mode first, then go to DVD menu and choose USB/SD. I found the interface slow and unintuitive, and the photos won’t show up as nice as if you bought a digital photo frame. Part of the reason probably is the limited resolution of 800×480. However, it is an option that you can use it to play back photos and music.
7. Accessories: The base stand is nice yet not necessary since you have that pull-out stand in the back, but the stand is more aesthetically pleasing. I don’t have a big problem with the included mini antenna, it receives most of the stations in Houston fine. Other factors that affect reception are your location, the strength and quality of the broadcast signals, if there are people/buildings/things between the antenna and the sky, and of course mother nature. I do have a problem with it’s ability to stand up since it’s light, wish there was a suction cup under the base (great idea! yay me). The earphone is crap, don’t even bother taking it out. There is a 3.5mm to composite AV adapter that I don’t think I’ll ever use, but who knows.
8. Last comments: Overall I think the unit itself is nicely built, aside from the DVD tray. There are no dead pixels and there’s a screen protector conveniently on the LCD. You can get rid of that “E” by wiping with some rubbing alcohol (DON’T use acetone on plastic). The glossy front looks pleasing with the base attached, like a mini LCD TV (which it is!). However, I would have preferred a thinner profile and a slot-loading DVD tray instead of the crappy pull-out one. I tried the Coby TFDVD1092, which is also a 10.2″ LCD/DVD combo but it’s twice as thick, squarish, heavy, ugly, dead pixels, no internal battery, no car adapter, and the picture is horrible. I can’t speak for longevity, but you do have 30 days free shipping return with Amazon, and perhaps 60 days with your credit card, or you can buy an extended warranty (from Squaretrade I presume). Price from Amazon since Christmas makes this portable tv/dvd combo very competitive. Walmart has also recently lowered the price to match. I think it’s a no-brainer since other brands only have 7″ or 9″, and the 9″ are lesser-known noname brands that got very poor reviews.
Reviewed by : L. Tran, Jan 9, 2010