 FANTASTIC 7 inch portable LCD TV ! |
| Review Date: September 15, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Tante Maren, Ohio, United States |
I am really thrilled with my purchase of this Haier HLT71 7-inch, ATSC 2009-ready portable LCD TV! I have never heard of this name brand Haier, and I had heard many nightmare stories about some of the other name brands having poor pictures on these little screens, so I thought I'd give this Haier a try.
I ordered this tv directly from Amazon and it came to me from a seller on Amazon who goes by the name ANTOnline. The seller sent this perfect and fast to start with, which is always a big plus with me. When I opened the box, the set looked very sleek and light weight, just perfect! The tv I received is exactly like the picture shows in this description, black (it is the picture that has the remote control next to the tv), with really simple control buttons on the front. I then looked at the directions, but realized, I didn't need to read them at all! Everything is really obvious! The set has a little slide switch on the side to turn on the power. The antenna screws in really easy. It comes with a plug for the inside electrical outlet, and a plug for the car lighter, and a lightweight rechargeable battery! It has a little remote control which they made very easy to read! After screwing on the antenna (or you can attach your cable cord if you are using it in the house), I basically plugged it in, slid the power switch on, pressed the button to scan for setting the channels, and it does it quickly! In about 1 minute, it was set! I then tried the small battery, and it played perfectly without the electric power!
The picture is absolutely gorgeous, as it has the new atsc digital signal receiver built in! To see the local programs in digital on this little screen was fantastic! Colors are crisp, sharp and vivid, just like a big hdtv!
I have noticed that some reviews are giving this tv a low rating because it did not pick up any channels with the single rabbit ear that comes with the set. This tv picks up EVERY signal that is being broadcast in your area. Before you buy this tv, you should first go to a website called Antenna Web. On this site, you type in your address and it will show you exactly how many channels you can receive in your area and what type of antenna you will need to pick up the signals. Antenna Web said that in my area I could receive 8 signals, and the single rabbit ear that comes with this tv picked up all 8 channels. When I used a stronger antenna, I picked up 3 more channels. When I used my cable cord, I received over 60 channels, and when I used my cable cord with my box, I picked up 250 channels. Whatever I hooked up to the coaxial input on this tv, this tv picked up! If you live in an area that receives no broadcast signals or you need a high powered antenna to pick up anything, it is not the tv's fault, but your broadcasters. So, if you want to be certain your tv is picking up the signals correctly, go to Antenna Web and check to see what channels you can get in your area and what type of antenna you need to pick up the signals. My single rabbit ear, picked up everything including the hi-def channels, and the reception was crystal clear. (Also, don't forget to go to the tv's menu, and hit the little satellite dish picture, then hit the appropriate air or cable before you scan for your channels. This way you'll be certain your tv will receive the correct signals.)
The real plus for me on this tv, is the battery, because of so many electrical outages and bad storms, this is a must have item! The battery has a life of about 2-2 1/2 hours, perfect for a few shows while waiting out bad weather, or even for entertainment when traveling. The fantastic picture really blew me away. I just love the light weight of the tv, even with the battery, it's like a feather! There is even a built in stand to put it on a table! The sound is incredible as well- two speakers and really loud! This is unheard of on these small sets! They even thought of including a plug in for headphones, if you have them (headphones are not included), for quiet listening or for travel! Whoever designed this perfect set, knew what they were doing!
I am giving this perfect little tv 5 stars for being able to see a sharp, vivid, gorgeously colored hi-def picture, and set up without reading a direction, but especially because I can play it in my house, in my car, or carry it anywhere with the rechargeable battery, all at a great price too!
UPDATE: Haier vs. Axion 7 inch portable tv's
I am posting an update for anyone who is wondering what the differences are between these two portable tv's. A friend of mine purchased the Axion, and she immediately brought it over to compare it to my Haier. Here is what I found:
RECEPTION: Antenna Web said I could receive 8 channels in my area. With the single rabbit ear antenna, Haier picked up all 8 channels. Axion picked up 7 channels, but one channel was very fuzzy. When attaching a cable cord, both sets picked up everything.
SOUND: For these small sets, the sounds were very similar, but when turning the volume louder, the Haier was louder and not as tinny sounding as the Axion.
PICTURE: Both have very nice pictures, with great color, but the Haier definitely has a more hi-def, sharper looking picture.
REMOTE CONTROL: Haier's is easier to read, larger and has volume control, where Axion's is smaller and has no volume control.
BATTERY: Haier's battery is a plug in and lasts about 2 hours before needing charging. Axion's battery is built in, cannot be removed and lasted a little less than 1 hour before needing to be charged.
Overall, the sets are very similar, my personal choice being the Haier, as I think the picture is sharper, the price is better and the battery lasts longer for my needs in bad weather. Haier also has way more picture settings and adjustments in the tv's menu, but the pictures on both these sets are so great, I've never found a need to use them. The bottom line for me is the better picture and price give the edge to Haier, since the reception on these two sets is almost identical.
JUNE 12th,2009 NEWS UPDATE ON THE DIGITAL CHANGE:
I just read an article on the new digital change taking place titled CHANGE TO DIGITAL TV BROADCASTS ALREADY GETTING POOR RECEPTION. And they mean POOR RECEPTION literally. The article says the following: Many broadcasters across the country are transmitting the new digital signals with temporary transmission towers, just to meet the June 12th deadline. Permanent new towers are needed in order to move to a new higher frequency broadcast that should be easier for people's antennas to pick up. Once the new towers are built, probably later in 2009, the stations will change to another channel, and everyone will have to re-scan their t.v.'s to receive all the new digital channels. Unlike the old analog signals, you will never have any snow or static on your set, you will either have a perfect picture or one that is totally unwatchable. At this time, with so many broadcasters transmitting with temporary towers, you need a powerful antenna to receive anything on your set. I thought this article very important to let everyone know that right now, a powerful antenna is needed for reception, but by the end of the year, the permanent towers should be built and running full power, and that means any antenna should pick up everything. More importantly, remember to scan again to re-program your tv channels after June 12th, and again later in the year, when all the permanent towers are up. This will get you all the stations that will be changing to a new channel with the new frequencies. I hope this helps everyone, so they'll get the most channels out of their tv's!
UPDATE: MISSING OR NO CHANNELS AFTER DIGITAL CHANGE
This is an update for anyone who has lost channels or who has no channels after the digital change took place June 12, 2009, whether you re-scanned or not. I received this information to share with all of you from contacting the FCC, CBS, Antenna Web and Elgato Systems Technical Support. They were all very helpful in explaining to me what exactly is going on right now, which is this: Half of the nations tv stations (which at half is 1,760 stations) are running at full power, the other half of 1,760 stations are not. Some stations are completely off the air temporarily, and are available only through cable and satellite. In most major markets some channels are still in lower frequencies which many smaller antennas will NEVER pick up except MAYBE with the highest powered amplified antenna. Digital tv was originally planned to be broadcast in UHF (digital loop antenna needed), which are the higher channels. VHF (rabbit ears), which are the lower analog channels (2-13) was supposed to be gone, but it is not. The new digital tv is being broadcast in 2 different ranges both UHF and VHF. In other words, channels are missing, many channels are in frequencies we cannot pick up and only half of our stations are running at full power! What a mess! Antenna Web is now showing the new RF (Radio Frequency) channels in your area. Each station has 1 RF channel. If you see in your area, any low RF channels from 1-13 range, you will need a really high powered antenna to MAYBE receive your channels.
First, go to your tv to re-scan. Remove any batteries. Plug it in to the wall outlet. Find the satellite dish in your menu and set it to air (if using antenna) or cable (if cable is hooked up)and scan. You may have to do this several times and even more re-scans are needed over the next year or two!
The FCC recommends, if you are getting nothing, or very few channels, to do the following, before re-scanning:
1.) Re-orient the antenna
2.) Amplify the antenna (Not recommended by me, as these antenna's need electricity, which means it will be useless when used with the battery)
3.) Purchase a new HD antenna that will receive both VHF and UHF
When you buy an hd antenna for your set, try re-scanning it when you get home a few times to see what you get, if nothing works, return it and try another. (After re-scanning, make sure you try the tv with your battery to see what you can pick up for power outages.) Eventually one will work for your area and you'll be set for the next power outage. With only 1/2 the stations at full power, many channels temporarily missing that went to cable and dish tv, and many running on low analog frequencies, it's amazing our antenna sets are picking up anything right now! Shop till you get a good antenna for your area, and be patient as it will be years before everything is being broadcast in higher frequency digital tv! I hope this helps everyone, as the right antenna is everything right now!
UPDATE: MORE HAIER BATTERIES ARE FINALLY HERE! (September 26, 2009)
I am so happy that Haier has finally made more batteries available to purchase here on Amazon! Just type in Haier Battery and you'll see many sellers have them advertised and the prices are very competitive, starting at $24.00 plus shipping. I received mine quickly, tested it and we got a little over 4 hours of television with 2 batteries, which will be wonderful when we need a portable for the next power outage!(Without power, I recharged them in my car.)I've had my tv for over a year now, and it's still like new, so paying for an extra battery is definitely worth it!
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Best portable Digital tuner TV
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| Review Date: September 30, 2008 |
| Reviewer: M. Garcia, Macon, Georgia USA |
Great little TV. The item I received differed from the one pictured, it was rubberized black and had better controls. I comes with a removable battery pack, 12v and AC adapters and a stick antenna.
We use it for keeping up with college football games while watching our daughters travel softball team.
The TV decodes everything. ATSC (over the air digital TV), NTSC (analog TV), regular cable TV AND even non-encrypted QAM cable TV (that was a huge plus for me).
I tried a Radio Shack 7" that looks a lot like the Amazon picture of the Haier above; but this TV is MUCH MUCH better. The antennas with these TV's are crap, get the silver sensor sold on Amazon and you will be amazed the channels you can pull in with this TV.
Good Luck.
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Excellent!
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| Review Date: October 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: WILLIAM MCLEAN, Medford, OR USA |
My HLT71 also came with the black mar-resistant case.
Wow, what a great little TV! Not using the included antenna, but using another single retractable rod antenna - with a long cable attached, I was able, by moving the antenna away from the TV, to tune-in everything that my 27" Digital Sony can. Actually, even more analogue stations than the Sony.
Nothing in the advertising says this TV produces High Definition viewing. While it does pick-up HDTV stations, image quality is restricted by the LED television screen. But that image is really nice and sharp - almost HD.
Also, I can hardly believe that the included little lightweight lithium ion battery can be so powerful. It way out performs NmHd batteries. And the light weight AC adapter, and even the included lighter weight automobile adapter, they are of finest quality - like the TV itself.
It seems very odd that since this is the best 7" digital TV that I have ever seen that it is also the lowest in price. I got mine for $117.99 including free S&H. |
Here's a different use and perspective...
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| Review Date: January 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Kernman, Charlotte, NC USA |
Hopefully this review will provide a different perspective from others...
First of all, for those who had negative reviews based on a weak signal and problems with the settings and controls; if you took as much time to tinker a bit or read the manual as you did with writing the review you probably would have figured it out.
Having said that, here's my unique take. This TV is perfect for use with a treadmill. If you price treadmills or elliptical machines with built in LCD TVs you are looking at $1200-$1500 at the low end of the spectrum. But if you look for a quality treadmill with all the same bells and whistles minus the TV that price is cut in half. Think about that. You are essentially paying $400-$800 for a built-in 5 inch LCD TV with crappy speakers.
Instead, I bought this Haier to use for the same purpose. We have a nice treadmill situated in our little workout room and we simply mounted the Haier TV to a camera tripod. I picked one up from Wal-Mart for $19. The tripod is tall enough to sit right in front of the treadmill at eye level - just like a gym quality unit. Turn it on and start walking. The TV remote is handy for changing channels or adjusting the volume as you exercise.
I happen to have mine near the wall with the cable outlet and so I just hooked it up to a standard coaxial cable, changed the menu to CATV input and had it scan for channels. It picked up 99 channels in my area - including local networks, ESPN, HGTV, etc. On a recent rare occasion we had a cable outage, I moved the TV closer to the window, attached the antenna it came with, changed the menu to Antenna, scanned, and voila! 10 local channels including high definition local broadcasts.
If you like the idea of using this little wonder for exercising, don't hesitate. Buy it.
For those who complained of a weak signal right out of the box, consider your location. Unless you live in Florida, I'll bet you live in an area with foothills or changing elevations. When using an antenna or rabbit ears, television signals are delivered line-of-sight, not bounced around by a satellite. So if there is a hill, building, forest or other obstructions between you and the nearest broadcast station, well, I think you get the point. So before bashing this excellent little TV, do some research.
For those who complained about losing memory and the battery...did the instruction booklet tell you to remove the green plastic around the batteries? No. That is antistatic, anticorrosive paper needed to marry the two halves of the lithium packs. Also, check the little white plug again. If it's not properly seated, then the battery is not fully charging when it's plugged into DC and you will have to reprogram channels every time you turn it on. Again, just use a little common sense before giving this TV a 1-star review.
Last but not least, this TV has most of the same menu and setup features as a large modern LCD or Plasma TV. But at the end of the day it is still a standard definition set. Even if you receive an HD channel you will still only be able to view it at standard definition. And for that this TV does a wonderful job. Color saturation is great and blacks are blacks. If you wanted HD quality did you really think you would get it for $100?
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Some things other reviewers missed
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| Review Date: January 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Franklin Hu, Seattle, WA |
I read all the reviews, so I won't cover any of that.
The one strange thing is that you cannot turn the TV off by using the front buttons. You turn the TV on using a small switch on the side and once it is on, you can't turn it off using any of the front buttons. If you want to turn the screen off and put the TV into standby, you must use the remote. So if you want to keep the TV in your bathroom, you must have the remote handy to turn it off/on. You can still turn it off using the switch on the side, but that is kinda awkward.
The antenna can be stored in a clip on the top of the TV, but it would have been better to have just built it into the TV like the Axion does.
The battery looks like a plastic wrapped lithium polymer battery. There is a cover for the battery and it can be removed unlike the Axion.
One very cool feature is that it also appears to be able to tune in digital QAM channels on my limited basic Comcast cable. All of the sudden I can see many more HD channels than I could see before. Too bad this doesn't have a TV output so I could it like a converter box.
If you're thinking of mounting this TV on a wall, it doesn't have any mounting holes in the back so you can mount it like a picture. The stand makes it tilt quite a ways back making it difficult to view from far away. There is a tripod mount on the bottom.
If you are viewing text graphics - like on a weather channel, the text looks a bit fuzzy, but otherwise the picture is pretty good.
An annoyance is that the TV has either a wide or normal mode. If you put it into normal mode, it makes all channels (include HD ones) in a 4:3 format. This really squashes HD channels. If you put into wide format, it makes all channels 16:9, which makes non HD channels stretched. It would have been better to make it intelligent enough to display HD in wide and non-HD in 4:3, but no such luck. Most everything looks fine in wide mode though.
It's a terrific little TV and an amazing price - highly recommended. |
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