It's no longer just enough to enjoy TV programming or access your PC with a crisp, clear, flat-panel LCD screen. Taiwanese television manufacturer Hannspree believes that the time has come to integrate this display technology not only into your home, but your lifestyle as well. To that end, they've come up with a wide variety of creative, playful design concepts--from a cello-like body to a Los Angeles Lakers-colored "jersey"--that buck the standard LCD TV/display motif of a screen surrounded by a gray or silver plastic housing. Style is well and good, but that shouldn't be the sole reason to purchase an LCD display. Happily, the Hannspree NBA Cavaliers XXL 15" LCD TV's bright display and incorporated features make it worth considering the extra price. (Reviewer's Note: We tested the 15-inch Vaas model, the aforementioned cello-shaped model with a faux wood-grained plastic cabinet and speakers integrated into the concave side, which we found to be quite easy on the eyes. That said, its video and audio functionality is essentially the same as this 15-inch Hannspree model.)
The Hannspree provides a composite A/V input for RCA plugs as well as a standard RF input for connecting cable or an antenna for access to TV programming. It also has a secondary A/V input that works with the unique 4-in-1 cable, which collects the three RCA A/V plugs plus an S-Video jack on one end and connects it to the Hannspree with a single jack on the other. (A note of caution: Take care to not force the 4-in-1 jack into the TV, as the pins tended to bend easily if they didn't make direct contact with their connection. This was easily fixed with some tweezers, but you should still use some finesse.) It comes with three female/female RCA adapters, enabling you to connect another RCA cable's male ends directly into the Hannspree's 4-in-1 cable.
The screen is quite bright--500 candela per square meter (cd/m2)--and it's coupled with a similar 500:1 contrast ratio, enabling color to pop quite nicely. It also offers a 16 millisecond (ms) screen response time, which makes this display able to keep up with quick-moving objects from TV programming and DVD movies without getting all jaggy. At 15 inches, the Hannspree offers a good picture size for standard, 4:3 aspect ratio TV programming and it's a fine size for use in a smaller room. However, for watching DVD movies in widescreen mode, it's best to have the screen closer to you, as we did with the Hannspree set up on our bedside table--perfect for late-night viewing of Firefly.
But where the Hannspree really shone was as a multi-functional home office audio/video center, enabling us to switch from PC (using the VGA port) to cable TV viewing without missing a beat. It also helped to eliminate some of the clutter from our desk, as the unit's built-in speakers allowed us to eliminate our PC's external speakers. Sound via the Hannspree's speakers was quite good, especially with the SRS WOW virtual surround sound selected. The Hannspree also includes a line-out audio connection, enabling you to connect to a 2.1- or 5.1-channel powered surround sound speaker system.
We were initially stymied on how to utilize the Hannspree's speaker system in conjunction with it's PC monitor capabilities. Connecting to the RCA audio-in jacks via a 1/8-inch mini stereo jack from your PC won't work as the AV1 source has to be selected; the same goes for using the 4-in-1 A/V cable, which uses the AV2 source. (The 1/8-inch jack size is what you'll find on a headphone jack, and this is also the size used for audio-out connections on desktops and laptops.) However, the answer was staring us right in the face--the Hannspree has a line-in audio connection, which is easily handled with an optional mini-to-mini cable. However, if you don't have one of these, you can use two mini-to-RCA cables, connecting them with the included RCA adapters.
The remote control that came with our Vaas review model was Hannspree's generic model, which offers mastery over only the Hannspree TV and no options for other A/V components. Other models come with different designs, some specific to the TV's design, but all offer the same basic controls, including a button to directly access V-chip parental controls. It also offers a button marked Auto, which will automatically adjust the screen parameters to the Hannspree's internal settings from non-standard settings activated from your PC.
Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with the Hannspree's video and audio capabilities. At 15 inches, it certainly won't replace your main television, but it's a good addition to an office or bedroom. Plus, its singular design added a personalized touch that is rarely apparent in typical LCD TV/displays. --Agen G.N. Schmitz Pros:
- Nicely bright screen with good contrast and response time
- Works just as good as a standard TV as it does a PC monitor
- Clever single-jack connector for A/V and S-Video plugs
- Integrated speakers provide good sound with SRS virtual surround capability
Cons: - 15-inch screen size won't do large rooms or widescreen DVD movies justice
- No component video connectivity
Amazon.com Product Description
Live large when rooting for your beloved Cleveland Cavaliers with this uniquely designed 15-inch LCD TV, which is enclosed within an XXL-sized, basketball jersey-shaped cabinet. The rubberized paint in Cavs red and hole pattern gives the feel of a real jersey, and it features official Lakers and NBA logos in the top shoulder strap corners. It offers a standard NTSC television tuner and such features as V-chip parental controls and closed captioning, and it can double as a PC monitor. This state-of-the-art LCD TV offers consistent color tone, clear contrast values, and natural, life-like details. The 15-inch screen has an 1024 by 768-pixel resolution, 4:3 aspect ratio (fine for standard TV transmissions and pan-and-scan video), and a 150-degree horizontal viewing angle. The screen has a very fast 16 millisecond (ms) response time (important for fast-moving sports programming), brightness rating of 500 cd/m2 (candela per square meter), and a 500:1 contrast ratio. (The higher the contrast ratio, the greater a TV's ability to display subtle color details and not get washed out by ambient room light.)
The 3D Y/C digital comb filter analyzes consecutive scanning lines within a field as well as the preceding and following fields. This results in improved detail and color purity, a more stable video image, and nearly eliminating dot crawl and color bleeding. Other features include DCDi (Directional Correlation Deinterlacing) digital enhancement for improvement of low-resolution images, highly accurate 10-bit video processing, and ADC and gamma correction technologies. The screen has an estimated lamp life of 50,000 hours, which translates to over 20 years with six hours of usage per day.
This TV has a pair of built-in stereo speakers that produce 2 watts per channel (4 watts total) and is compatible with SRS WOW virtual surround sound. It includes a 4-in-one video input--which accepts S-Video and RCA A/V connections--as well as a regular A/V input and RF input, enabling you to easily hook up a DVD player or VCR. Additionally, this set includes a D-Sub 15-pin input for connecting to a PC, enabling you to use this set as a computer display. It also provides a headphone jack for private viewing. It comes with an easily gripped, contoured remote control.
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TV, remote control, power cord, printed instructions
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