Memorex Travelview 43055 Mobile VCR with 9" TV
Long family road trips just got a lot more fun, thanks to Memorex's TravelView 43055, a one-piece mobile TV/VCR console that's designed to fit between the seats of most SUVs or minivans. Contained in a sleek black-and-gray housing, the TravelView includes a 9-inch color TV that angles up toward backseat passengers, a built in 3-inch speaker, two headphone jacks (handy when you want only the viewers to hear the sound), and front-panel audio-video inputs for connecting a video game (input audio is monaural only). The video cassette player lies tucked away beneath an armrest to save space (and to protect from spilled drinks), and Memorex even provides a full-function remote control. Memorex's installation instructions are pretty straightforward. Still, we recommend having a qualified installer to do the job for you. Also note that in addition to the TravelView, you'll need to have a mobile TV antenna installed in order to receive television signals. Although the videocassette player folds neatly away beneath a padded armrest, for extended use you'll want to leave the armrest open, as the player is prone to shut off when overheated. Another trick is that while the remote control works easily with the TV, which faces viewers in the backseat, it's difficult to use with the video player, which, even with the armrest open, does not face back but straight up. This is our major complaint with this design--the remote is essentially useless with the VCR. That said, there's a lot to like in the TravelView. Its 9-inch color screen is large enough and bright enough for most viewers in the back of a van or SUV to see without straining, and it offers an onscreen display in your choice of English, Spanish, or French. In addition, video games can be easily hooked up, the built-in speaker can be turned on or off, and the sound can be routed to your auto sound system or the two headphone jacks. Imperfections aside, having this kind of mobile entertainment system on the next family outing will probably make the kids'--and parents'--journey that much more enjoyable. --Wayne Garcia Pros:
- 9-inch color screen
- Easy to install and use
- Good features and functions
Cons:
- VCR placement makes remote use difficult
- VCR can overheat and shut down
- Mono sound only
Memorex Travelview 43055 Mobile VCR with 9" TV Accessories
Memorex Travelview 43055 Mobile VCR with 9" TV Reviews
LOVE LISTENING TO AND WATCHING TV/MOVIES - I FOUND THAT THE TRAVELVIEW SATISFIED BY ADDICTION TO TV - FIT PERFECT IN MY VAN BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT SEATS, I HAVE TWIN GRANDSONS (2 YRS OLD) AND A GRANDDAUGHER (12 YRS OLD) THEY ARE GREATLY ENTERTAINED BY THE TRAVELVIEW. MY KIDS REALLY ENJOY BEING ABLE TO PLAY THEIR GAMES AND ALSO WATCH MOVIES - THE ONLY FLAW WAS THE MANUAL WAS IN SPANISH AND I HAD A DIFFUCULT TIME TRYING TO FIND AN ADEQUATE ANTENNA ALSO, THE PRICE WAS GREAT - I WOULD RECOMMEND THE TRAVELVIEW TO ANYONE THAT NEEDS ENTERTAINMENT WHILE TRAVELING WITH KIDS/FAMILY OR WHOMEVER I PURCHASED AN AC ADAPTER SO WHEN I NEED TO SEE ADDITIONAL TV (AT HOTEL OR VISITING RELATIVES) I TAKE THE TRAVELVIEW OUT OF THE VAN (EASILY REMOVED).
I received the product with the Spanish version of the manual. It took me a while to figure out the installation/operation due to my limited Spanish. I went to the Memorex website to try and download the English version of the manual, but I couldn't find the product in their product listing despite many searches. I still don't have the English version of the manual, but I've figured out the basic operation of the VCR.
I purchased the Travelview for the long car ride to Disney World with a 2 year old and a 6 month old. After only using it for 2 months, the vcp began eating the tapes, rendering the unit useless. I LOVED the Travelview for the 2 short months that it worked. The Travelview is an excellent product, as long as it is working, which apparantly it doesn't for very long.
We used the unit from early morning until after dark for 2 days in a row at a time during our adventure and I would never travel again without it. The TV/VCR not only provided excellent viewing and sound quality it also worked great with the PlaystationII. The only issue was that we could not rewind a video and start a game without blowing the fuse for the power supply in the van. Rewind first and there are no problems. I just made a 3,000 mile round trip with 4 and 6 year old kids.
I just opened the box and I am very disappointed with the item for the following reasons:First noticed cracks in the case holding the TV.Second the TV and VCR would not play. I took the unit apart and found that the audio and video cable were backwards.Third - the remote is missing
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