I did my homework on these units. There are not many of these under counter all in one tvs left. So my score is in comparison to what is out there.
Pros
* Big screen - this is a nice feature as most units have much smaller screens
* Plays DVDs - I have no problems with this feature
* Has good reception - All my channels come in fairly good (Cable TV/FM/AM)
* Cheapest of all units with this screen size.
* Magnetic remote for the fridge. I have heard people complain about this feature because it is not strong enough to hold the remote up. I am guessing that is because they have a stainless steel fridge which has less magnetic for the most part in comparison to a standard metal finish.
Cons
* Picture quality is not so great. I think this is because of the slow response time of the screen. I also noticed that the picture was much better when a HD signal was present.
* Selecting presets is difficult. This is by far the biggest issue for me. It is not easy to select your favorite channels. I have also noticed that selecting presets is done differently between the tv and the radio.
* When the timer is on I have not figured out a way to see it count down. So until it goes off you have no idea how much time is left.
* Remote does not make it across the room. I tested it and it goes about 10 feet. In reality how much farther will you view a 15 inch screen from?
* You really need the remote to use this unit. I am sure there is a way to use the buttons on the unit but the remote is much easier. I Wish they would have done preselects on the unit.
Summary
Not a bad unit, but if picture is important to you then this is not the unit for you. I am not sure the other units are any better in fact most of these units look to come from the same design. I assume they have updated the screen for vendors like RCA but not sure. IF you are looking for a simple inexpensive unit that has a big screen then it is not a bad option. I have had the unit for 2 months and no problems yet. We watch the news every day while making dinner. Venturer KLV3915 15.4-Inch Undercabinet Kitchen LCD TV/DVD Combo
Nice big screen. No problems so far and have been using it about 6 weeks. I shopped and this was the best choice I could find for a TV/DVD/CD combo. Sound is loud enough although it could be a little higher fidelity when using as a CD player. It's a trade off worth making to be able to save the space and have a screen you can actually see from more than a foot away. I recommend it.
this replaced a slightly larger screen my sons insisted on twisting everytime the went to the kitchen table... every 2 or 3 days I'd have to push it back to protect it from falling onto the floor.
The Venturer screen is the largest I've seen. The 270 degree swivel means it can go to either side... even though it turned opposite the way we usually watch it, getting it face on to the table left of the screen as we look at it from the front is no problem.
Picture quality and sound are great. DVD is built in, & works without problem.
I have only 2 even minor issues:
1st... CAUTION when installing... our cabinet was shallow enough there was nearly not enough room to fix it in place... I had to drill a 2nd set of holes 1/2" forward of where the paper template said holes should be drilled, so PUT THE UNIT UP BEFORE YOU DRILL TO MAKE SURE IT FITS!!!
2nd... the remote IR sensor is at the front of the unit... including when the screen is turned left or right. We have at times found it impossible to change the station or volume from where we were sitting... a mirror on the fridge has helped in our case.
All in all, it was a great investment... saves us counter space, is better protected than the set it replaced, & went up without a real hitch of significance.
I researched under-counter TVs for way too long before deciding to go with this TV. For those of you in the same boat, here are my thoughts.
I've had it for 3 or 4 months now. I use it mainly to watch the news while I eat breakfast, and occasionally to show a DVD for the kids while they eat.
Pros
* Large screen. I absolutely 100% recommend getting a screen this size. I was worried it would come too close to the counter top, but this is not the case. It's easily viewed from the side and it rotates in all directions (but gets dark if viewed from a low angle). The HD picture looks great and you can see it without being right up next to it.
* Sound. It gets plenty loud to watch TV while washing dishes. I don't play a lot of music on it, but I have and it sounds fine to me. Obviously not a sound system, but it's better than a drive-thru speaker.
* Size. It has a very slim profile. I had a little trouble with it being slightly bigger than my cupboard is deep, but I was able to put it right up against the wall and it sticks out maybe a half inch.
Meh
* Quality. The screen feels kind of like wimpy plastic, but we don't put it under any stress and it's survived lots of openings and closings so far. My screen had one dead pixel out of the box.
* Installation. The paper screw guide works pretty well, but I'd still get out a tape measure to double check, especially if jamming it in like I did. The plug for the coax cable is indented, so you have room to bend the cord and get it out while flush against the wall, but the power cord is not (bad design), so I had to smash that in to get it as flush against the wall as I could. I get over-the-air HD signal from an attic antenna that I route through my cable-wired house, so I just had to plug into the wall. If you're plugging into a wall coax socket, invest in a right angle adapter (Radio Shack, etc) so your cord doesn't stick way out. I have a small lip on my cupboard, so I used the extenders, and the extra space it gives works out well as a place to put extra lengths of cord and the AM and FM antennas so they aren't in sight.
* Style. This was not my favorite under-counter TV as far as style goes, but it doesn't look bad installed.
Cons
* Remote. The remote is magnetic and sticks very well to my fridge. Unfortunately, the remote is kind of essential (see below) and the TV is not close to the fridge, so that's not so great of a feature. You also have to point right at the front (of the console, not the screen) to get it to work. Not the greatest quality.
* Speed. It takes an annoyingly long time to change channels, like a couple seconds, which means you can't just channel up and down with the console, you have to type in the channel with the remote. (One "pro" in this "con" is that for HD channels you can just type 11 and it will default to 11.1) Switching between functions (TV/DVD/Radio) is also pretty slow, and although the button looks like three buttons, it's only one and you have to cycle through.
For me, this TV has worked out very well and I have no regrets. I agree with the lamentations of others that this market needs to better players, but from what's out there, I would guess this is one of the better ones. - Kitchen - Undercabinet Tv - Drop Down Tv - Kitchen Tv'
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