Casio EV-680 3 in. Handheld TV
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- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Display Type: Color
- Radio Tuner Built-in: Without Radio Tuner
- TV Type: Handheld
- Weight: 0.46 lb.
- Screen Size: 3 inch
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Casio Handheld Television - EV-680 3 inch - Watchable!
Pros
Small, light, sturdy, 3 inch screen with anti glare
Cons
sound issues, batteries have short life span, reception low in remote areas
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Fair price for slightly larger type screen for handheld. Poor sound quality but light and durable.
Casio EV680 3 in. Handheld Television
Why Did We Get the Casio EV-680?:
I bought the Casio EV-680 for my sister-in-law originally for her to take to work and have a little entertainment when she was bored and so she would be able to keep up with her beloved soap operas that she constantly was complaining about missing. She was able to use it for a couple months before they put their foot down and forbid it. Employers are strange that way, you know.
Since I am such a bad weather freak and knowing that I panic when I cloud is in the air, she asked if I'd like it back so that I could watch the radar maps during storms and while I was sitting in the cellar. I said, yes, of course! A brilliant idea to say the least and a thoughtful one at that. I promised to get her something else on down the road and something that wouldn't get her in trouble. And I did.
About the Casio EV-680:
There are many brands and models on the market and many that are considerably more high tech than this one but I really do not see the point in investing a lot of money in something you do not look at daily and could easily be dropped and broken. The price was hefty enough for a handheld and at $90.00 off eBay, I really felt I'd went my limit. Still, a pretty nice deal when they are listed for $169.00 on the Casio site. It was brand new, not reconditioned and had some accessories with it. You can get this for $140 at Cell Point, an online store. Note: The accessories I got are not the norm if you purchase it from a store or the Casio website. This was an eBay member's personal perk for purchasing it.
Casio is not what I'd call top of the line (in my opinion) but I must comment that I've owned a couple of Casio brand items and have never had a problem large enough to turn me off from them.
Design and Basic Features:
The Casio EV-680 is attractive with it's silver colored casing. The casing is plastic and durable but light weight. There is or rather was a plastic film covering over the screen to help prevent scratching.
The dials are located on the right side are the volume control, the brightness dial, and the headphone jack. The ac adapter jack is on the left side as is the antenna and the tuning is located with display on the face of the TV. The speaker is located on the front at the bottom.
There is a little TV stand on back. I would not recommend using it. It sort of wobbles. A puff of wind will knock the TV over.
All in all the Casio EV-680 is very nice looking and all the functions are in appropriate and handy locations.
Picture Quality:
I was really surprised at the clarity of the 3 inch picture. It's not like viewing a 13" or larger but it's much better than most handheld TV's that I've watched. It sort of reminds me of playing our old Gameboy Color. If you can bring your channel in well, the picture is very clear and without much of the fuzziness you get from most handhelds. Since the screen has the TFT (Anit-glare thin-film transistor active matrix) it allows you to see more than usual and even enables you to actually read sub-titles. On my brother's old handheld, you can't read any sub-titles that you may get from commercials or foreign films. You can see the picture pretty well from a slant because of this technology as well. Adjusting the brightness level up or down will also help viewing quality. You will not have any problem, with a clear reception, of seeing faces or recognizing objects. The TV displays in 122,320 pixels.
Sound:
I have to grip about the sound even though I feel it's probably something that all handhelds have a problem with. It's poor and if you are not sitting right in front of it or holding it near you, it is difficult to make out what is being said. So far, the speaker (located at the bottom in front) is still clear and does not crackle any. You are not able to turn the volume up too loud as it really tends to distort words and sounds even more. You will be better off to use earphones or headphones if you want a clear, understandable output. It's what I use and with them, I have nothing to complain about with the volume. It has one speaker and it is not in stereo. Using the headphones will allow you to keep the volume to a minimum thus improving on sound quality.
Channels and Reception:
You have VHF and UHF to pick from. Sadly, I live out in the middle of nowhere and I can only get two channels. Fortunately for me, it's the two I need to have. I assume I am limited to two because I'm not near a station transmitter (if that is what it is called). The antenna provided is over a foot long and does the best it can for where I'm at. I have noticed I get better reception and can pick up an extra channel on rainy days. The extra channel is not as clear as the other two but is watchable. The anit-glare helps out a lot too. There is an external antenna jack and audio/video jack. I have not used these.
For those who do not know, VHF is channels 2-13 and UHF is channels 14-69.
Batteries vs Electricity:
At home, I keep it plugged in when using it. But being able to use batteries is a real blessing when the electricity goes off or I have to take it with me some place. Don't get excited because the battery life really is depressing. 2 hours max is what you can expect. I really can not tell you if battery brand makes any noticeable difference but I do know that it will not last much longer than 2 hours. After that you will notice the crackles in the picture sound and begin to lose your picture. Sort of a dimming effect. Save your batteries when you can and go with the ac. You can use rechargeable batteries. I've yet to do that though. Change the batteries from the bottom on the back side and it uses 4 AA batteries.
My Final Thoughts:
I enjoy knowing I can carry it any where. It is small enough to fit in my purse and weighs only 7.4 ounces. Very light but sturdy. Picture quality if fine when I take my location into consideration. Battery life could be longer but I enjoy the ac alternative. I would recommend the Casio EV-680 to any one who needs to have news or weather updates or just want to have a bit of entertainment or fun on the go.
Warranty includes 1 years parts and 90 labor from the manufacturer.
Accessories that are available to purchase are:
Portable television AC adapter -- Audio Video adapter for Casio TV's -- Portable TV headphones -- Ear Buds -- DC Car adapter for portable TV's -- RF external antenna adapter
Manufacturer Specs:
Screen 3"
Technology Anit-glare thin-film transistor active matrix (TFT)
Pixel Count 122,320
Reception VHF: Ch2-13
UHF: Ch14-69
Jacks AC Jack, Earphone Jack, Audio/Video Jack, External Antenna Jack
Power AC Operation or 4AA Batteries
Why Did We Get the Casio EV-680?:
I bought the Casio EV-680 for my sister-in-law originally for her to take to work and have a little entertainment when she was bored and so she would be able to keep up with her beloved soap operas that she constantly was complaining about missing. She was able to use it for a couple months before they put their foot down and forbid it. Employers are strange that way, you know.
Since I am such a bad weather freak and knowing that I panic when I cloud is in the air, she asked if I'd like it back so that I could watch the radar maps during storms and while I was sitting in the cellar. I said, yes, of course! A brilliant idea to say the least and a thoughtful one at that. I promised to get her something else on down the road and something that wouldn't get her in trouble. And I did.
About the Casio EV-680:
There are many brands and models on the market and many that are considerably more high tech than this one but I really do not see the point in investing a lot of money in something you do not look at daily and could easily be dropped and broken. The price was hefty enough for a handheld and at $90.00 off eBay, I really felt I'd went my limit. Still, a pretty nice deal when they are listed for $169.00 on the Casio site. It was brand new, not reconditioned and had some accessories with it. You can get this for $140 at Cell Point, an online store. Note: The accessories I got are not the norm if you purchase it from a store or the Casio website. This was an eBay member's personal perk for purchasing it.
Casio is not what I'd call top of the line (in my opinion) but I must comment that I've owned a couple of Casio brand items and have never had a problem large enough to turn me off from them.
Design and Basic Features:
The Casio EV-680 is attractive with it's silver colored casing. The casing is plastic and durable but light weight. There is or rather was a plastic film covering over the screen to help prevent scratching.
The dials are located on the right side are the volume control, the brightness dial, and the headphone jack. The ac adapter jack is on the left side as is the antenna and the tuning is located with display on the face of the TV. The speaker is located on the front at the bottom.
There is a little TV stand on back. I would not recommend using it. It sort of wobbles. A puff of wind will knock the TV over.
All in all the Casio EV-680 is very nice looking and all the functions are in appropriate and handy locations.
Picture Quality:
I was really surprised at the clarity of the 3 inch picture. It's not like viewing a 13" or larger but it's much better than most handheld TV's that I've watched. It sort of reminds me of playing our old Gameboy Color. If you can bring your channel in well, the picture is very clear and without much of the fuzziness you get from most handhelds. Since the screen has the TFT (Anit-glare thin-film transistor active matrix) it allows you to see more than usual and even enables you to actually read sub-titles. On my brother's old handheld, you can't read any sub-titles that you may get from commercials or foreign films. You can see the picture pretty well from a slant because of this technology as well. Adjusting the brightness level up or down will also help viewing quality. You will not have any problem, with a clear reception, of seeing faces or recognizing objects. The TV displays in 122,320 pixels.
Sound:
I have to grip about the sound even though I feel it's probably something that all handhelds have a problem with. It's poor and if you are not sitting right in front of it or holding it near you, it is difficult to make out what is being said. So far, the speaker (located at the bottom in front) is still clear and does not crackle any. You are not able to turn the volume up too loud as it really tends to distort words and sounds even more. You will be better off to use earphones or headphones if you want a clear, understandable output. It's what I use and with them, I have nothing to complain about with the volume. It has one speaker and it is not in stereo. Using the headphones will allow you to keep the volume to a minimum thus improving on sound quality.
Channels and Reception:
You have VHF and UHF to pick from. Sadly, I live out in the middle of nowhere and I can only get two channels. Fortunately for me, it's the two I need to have. I assume I am limited to two because I'm not near a station transmitter (if that is what it is called). The antenna provided is over a foot long and does the best it can for where I'm at. I have noticed I get better reception and can pick up an extra channel on rainy days. The extra channel is not as clear as the other two but is watchable. The anit-glare helps out a lot too. There is an external antenna jack and audio/video jack. I have not used these.
For those who do not know, VHF is channels 2-13 and UHF is channels 14-69.
Batteries vs Electricity:
At home, I keep it plugged in when using it. But being able to use batteries is a real blessing when the electricity goes off or I have to take it with me some place. Don't get excited because the battery life really is depressing. 2 hours max is what you can expect. I really can not tell you if battery brand makes any noticeable difference but I do know that it will not last much longer than 2 hours. After that you will notice the crackles in the picture sound and begin to lose your picture. Sort of a dimming effect. Save your batteries when you can and go with the ac. You can use rechargeable batteries. I've yet to do that though. Change the batteries from the bottom on the back side and it uses 4 AA batteries.
My Final Thoughts:
I enjoy knowing I can carry it any where. It is small enough to fit in my purse and weighs only 7.4 ounces. Very light but sturdy. Picture quality if fine when I take my location into consideration. Battery life could be longer but I enjoy the ac alternative. I would recommend the Casio EV-680 to any one who needs to have news or weather updates or just want to have a bit of entertainment or fun on the go.
Warranty includes 1 years parts and 90 labor from the manufacturer.
Accessories that are available to purchase are:
Portable television AC adapter -- Audio Video adapter for Casio TV's -- Portable TV headphones -- Ear Buds -- DC Car adapter for portable TV's -- RF external antenna adapter
Manufacturer Specs:
Screen 3"
Technology Anit-glare thin-film transistor active matrix (TFT)
Pixel Count 122,320
Reception VHF: Ch2-13
UHF: Ch14-69
Jacks AC Jack, Earphone Jack, Audio/Video Jack, External Antenna Jack
Power AC Operation or 4AA Batteries
