Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Update, May 14, 2010:
I finally used the other antenna since this unit was not being moved around but just left on my desk all the time. This antenna has a magnetic base and I have it "stuck" onto a small flat metal box which I filled with coins so it serves as a heavy base for the antenna. The magnet is very strong so the antenna stays firmly in place. I am so glad I finally switched to this antenna - it provides much better reception and I get so many more channels (including the digital sub-channels). Additionally, there's no need to adjust or move the antenna at all. It remains in one place throughout the whole channel spectrum, from low to high! I actually counted the channels I received-72 in all, and that is not counting the weak channels! By the way, I do not have cable.I have had this product for only about a week and I am very pleased with it. If it lasts me at least a year, I will be happy. I owned a Coby portable 7-inch DVD player and it lasted me through only about three DVDs. It just died on me after using it only a few times. I have used this Supersonic player daily so far and it has held up. The manual is not very well-written but this is a simple machine so common-sense and trial and error will serve you in good stead instead of being frustrated at the manual.
This Supersonic is truly a gem. I did plenty of research before buying. I researched the name brands like Sony, Panasonic, Philips, etc. but I think that this Supersonic beats all the brand names for value. I like that it is a TV and a DVD player. It looks very good and durable, not flimsy. It operates very steadily too, not flimsily. I was very surprised at its appearance when I opened the box. It looks like a high quality product. In fact, I think it is a high quality product, except that it is not a major brand name. The removable stand to which the unit attaches is very steady. It comes with two telescopic antenna. I have so far only used the one that attaches to the unit itself. The other appears to be a more cumbersome one that you can put on a table beside the unit and attach by wire to the unit. I don't know if this may be a stronger antenna in terms of reception, but the one that I use is good enough. I get all the major channels in my area except for one. I also get a multitude of smaller stations so I am "plenty pleased". You may need to adjust the antenna as you move across the channel spectrum. For example, I find that I can get channels 2 through 9 and sometimes through channel 11 without moving the antenna, but as I go higher up the channel spectrum I have to adjust the antenna.
The picture quality is very good, even though it is not HD. For a 7-inch set, it does not matter if it is not HD. So far, I use it to watch TV at home when I do not want to use my big-screen, to save electricity. It is to watch programs when I am not really watching, if you know what I mean. It is for those times when I want the TV on when I am doing other things like working on the computer, surfing the net, etc. By the way, the TV has to be stationary to operate. So if you want to watch TV on a car trip, it will not work. But you can watch TV when you stop for a break. When the car is moving, use the DVD player.
The battery takes about three hours to charge and a fully charged battery lasts about two hours. This is comparable to most portable units in the market, though I would prefer a longer-lasting battery. But for my purposes, two hours is okay.
It comes with a car plug too, though I don't know if it will charge or if it is for you to operate the unit using the car's battery. I have not used it. I have read that some car plugs do not charge the battery but only allow you to operate the unit. A word of warning - there is hardly any indication or warning that the battery is about to run out, i.e. the screen does not gradually get darker as the battery weakens, and no warning icon pops up. The unit just goes dark suddenly when the battery is exhausted. This does not bother me because I know the battery will last about 2 hours whether I am watching TV or a DVD so I just anticipate it happening. Furthermore, I am using it at home so I can just plug in the power if I am going to use it for longer than two hours.
And I like it that the DVD player is region-free. I have many foreign DVDs that won't play on my Sony blu-ray player or Panasonic DVD player but this Supersonic will play them. It plays VCDs too. And it has a timer. You can set it and it will turn off if you fall asleep watching TV. And if you are still awake, the screen will warn you and you can reset the timer or turn the timer off.
The remote allows you to control many functions including volume, closed- captioning, sleep timer and TV channel. Closed-captioning is good because I suspect that if one were to use this unit outside or in an area with a lot of ambient noise like an airport (without earphones plugged in), the volume may be insufficient for one to hear clearly. Incidentally, it has only one ear-phone plug and the ear phone does not come with the unit.
The TV also has a program guide that can tell you what is showing on each channel up to about 9 hours ahead. Besides the title of the TV program showing and its duration, the program guide also includes a synopsis of the current program showing or that which will be showing later. Just press the right arrow to advance the program guide. I have not had to use any of the control buttons located on the unit itself, whether watching TV or playing a DVD, except for the power switch. Even then, one does not necessarily have to power it off using this switch, as the remote has a standby button to turn the unit off and put it in standby mode. I have only had the time to watch one DVD on this unit and experienced no problems doing so. However I use it everyday when I just want the TV on even if I am not really watching. After watching a DVD and the unit is turned off, it reverts to TV mode the next time you turn it on.
Some may not like the front-loading DVD, but this design suits me better than the clamshell design of most portable DVD players in the market. This front-loading design may not be suitable for young children to operate (and there is no protection for the screen when moving it around or traveling), but I think if supervised by adults initially and once they get used to it, it should not be a problem. I place one hand behind the unit on the lower portion when I press the unit in the front to open or close the DVD loading door. It is quite tight so you will need to push quite hard and support the back when you push. For me, this non-clamshell design is great because it saves space. I place it on my desk when I work on the computer or surf the net and I can imagine many might find this design perfect for use in the kitchen.
I have Sony products that don't measure up to cheaper no-name brands. And I think this no-name Supersonic can stand proud beside the major brand names.
If you are a brand name snob, don't buy this unit. But if you truly know electronics and appreciate electronics, then you should give this product a try. You should be able to get it for about $125.00 total (i.e. including shipping charges). If you find it cheaper, good for you!
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