Features:
- 13-inch TV and DVD combo set plays music CDs as well as DVDs
- MTS decoding and analog stereo outputs
- Cable TV input and audio-video inputs for camcorder or VCR
- Unified, full-function remote control for TV and DVD player
- V-chip parental control
Description:
Konka's DT138U TV is a rare breed. To begin with, it has a built-in DVD player, making it one of the first TV/DVD combos on the market. What makes the DT138U a bit of a novelty, however, is that Konka is a Chinese company.If you haven't yet heard of Konka, you should be aware that the company has been making TVs for two decades. In fact, an article in the New York Times points out that the company "started assembling small, portable television sets for Thomson (RCA and GE) and others in 1979." Konka, which has U.S. offices in San Jose, California, began selling TVs under its own name in 1993, according to the New York Times, "and now has 25 percent of China's television market-- more than Panasonic or Sony." In addition to TVs, Konka sells DVD players and other mainstream consumer electronics products. It seems natural, therefore, that Konka's DT138U TV incorporates a DVD player. The first thing that impressed us about the DT138U is its modern design. There are no controls on the front of the TV. The DVD drawer sits under the Konka label, flanked by a pair of oval-shaped stereo speakers. The all-black set, which Konka has nicknamed "Art TV," is stylishly trimmed with a pair of blue caps that resemble feet on the lower front corners. On top of the set you'll find basic operating buttons for the TV and the DVD player, including a menu button for the TV, which is great if you happen to misplace your remote. The remote control is both attractive and feature-laden, if a bit excessive. In combining the TV and DVD controls, Konka has covered all of its bases by offering every button imaginable for both devices, making for a rather cluttered handheld controller. The channel up and down keys double as menu navigation tools and are easy to locate. Unfortunately, the user interface for the TV menus is complicated. For example, to adjust the picture settings, you need to hit TV Menu. To access a given setting, you must scroll down using the Channel Down arrow. Instead of hitting the enter button, which seems most natural, you have to hit TV Menu again. You're then given a side menu with more choices. You must then hit the Channel Down arrow to reach the next subset of selections. In order to change the color, contrast, brightness, or tint, you have to follow these procedures, then use the volume up/down bar to increase or decrease the settings. This is one of the least intuitive and most bizarre user interface systems we've encountered. To make matters worse, the menus and submenus disappear if you don't make a selection within five seconds. So if you get halfway through a procedure and you need to look up the next step in the manual, you have to repeat each step until you get the system down pat. Accessing the DVD menu is a little less complicated, but not much. In order to change aspect ratios, for example, you have to stop the DVD and press the setup button on the remote, which brings up a function bar with choices for aspect ratios and audio formats. You must then use the arrows and enter button to make your selections. In order to get out of the menu and back to the DVD, you have to hit the setup button again, and hit play or enter. Since the TV has no built-in Dolby Digital processor, and since there are no digital outputs, you can't hook the set up to an external amplifier for 5.1-channel surround sound. Of course, that's not really the point. The DT138U was designed as a standalone TV/DVD player for bedrooms, kitchens, and recreational vehicles. For the same amount of money you could buy a cheap DVD player and an inexpensive portable TV, but then you'd have to connect the two components and make room for them. The picture tube's video quality is not on par with most big-screen TVs that incorporate digital comb filters, but the image is quite acceptable. Likewise, the DVD player lacks those state-of-the-art internal components found on most of today's standalone players--including 24- bit digital-to-analog audio decoders. However, we were able to play concert DVDs in PCM stereo, as well as The Matrix, without any problems (such as chapter skipping or picture freeze-ups). On broadcast television, with a VHF antenna hooked up to the RF input, we were able to pull in a fair number of stations, but we recommend hooking the set up to a cable source if you can. All things considered, the Konka DT138U is well made and attractive. The DVD player worked without a hitch, and the picture is acceptable, though far from gorgeous. Sound quality through the stereo speakers is mediocre, and we do fault Konka for not offering a headphone jack (think bedrooms and dormitories). We anticipate that Konka's next-generation TV/DVD combo will retain the positive characteristics of the DT138U, while improving on its flaws. --Eric Gill Pros: - Stlyish, compact design
- Covenient built-in DVD player with impressive playback
- Side-mounted audio-video inputs for VCR or camcorder
Cons: - Confusing operating menu makes navigating difficult
- Poor sound quality from built-in speakers
- No headphone jack
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