OK but not great
Written: Feb 16 '06 (Updated Feb 16 '06)
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Pros: Nice remote control...
Cons: Only fair reception, Clumsy tuning, Low quality accessories.
The Bottom Line: Would not be happy with unit at advertised prices.
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| billgatescamps's Full Review: Naxa Electronics NX-572 7 in. Portable TV |
I bought the NX-572 as an "open-box" item from an electronics dealer on eBay for under $80US including shipping. I believe it to be a demo unit and not a returned item but could be wrong. TV was in original box and all accessories were still sealed in plastic except the AC adapter. Protective film was still on screen.
IN THE BOX - The NX-572 comes with: Nice little ultra-thin remote control, AC power adapter, DC cord (cig. lighter), external battery holder (holds 10 AA size batts. - not included or tested by me), A/V input cord (RCA to 1/8" jack), external antenna adapter (75ohm ribbon to 1/8" jack), swivel mount base, soft protective case. While the AC transformer and remote seem well built, the battery box, swivel base & soft case are pretty low quality. Owner's manual is a joke (like most Chinese electronics).
PERFORMANCE:
Construction - TV itself seems sturdier than accessories listed above. Telescope antenna is long & feels pretty heavy.
Reception - Poor to fair with telescopic antenna. External antenna will probably be a must in remote locations. This is compared to my 25-year-old Sony Watchman.
Tuning - No 'hard-programmed' channels and manual tuning is not very user friendly. Channels must be tuned and loaded into presets. Only broadcast tuning mode is available (of course, who's using this thing on cable?). There is an 'auto-search' mode but unless a station is very strong, it won't be loaded and must be searched for manually - rather clumsy & time consuming. Unit also defaults to PAL (European) tuning mode - unless you're in Europe, be sure to switch to NTSC (North American) mode BEFORE searching for stations - must be repeated for each preset.
Display - Selectable, 16:9 (wide) or 4:3 ('normal'). In 'normal' mode (broadcast TV) there is often a narrow vertical 'noise stripe' down the left side unless it's a very strong station. I'll guess the signal is processed for 16:9 then converted (rather poorly) to 4:3. Was probably optimized for DVD or satelite TV 'wide screen' mode which I haven't tested. Adjustments (color, hue, brightness, sharpness) are pretty narrow in range. Overall, if tuned to a strong station, display is quite good. Not great if viewed at much of an angle however.
Sound - Don't be fooled by twin speaker grid holes - left one is a dummy. Quality is OK, not great.
Remote - Best feature! Credit card size, maybe twice as thick. Accesses all functions. Runs on an included disk battery.
Summary - I'd be much more disappointed if I had paid list price. I purchased the NX-572 to use in a small camper but so far have only tested it at my home within 20 miles of 5 local TV stations. Won't know how it performs out in the boonies until spring... I suspect this unit may be sold under other names. I saw something quite similar in a BestBuy under the "Trinity" name for $170.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 78
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Epinions.com ID:
billgatescamps
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