Daewoo DTQ-14U5SC 14 inch TV
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- Screen Size: 14 inch
- Screen Type: Flat Screen
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
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Cheap and effective
Pros
Super clear picture, excellent sound, sensitive receiver
Cons
slightly awkward menus, conspicuous design
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Quirky cabinet, wonderful reception, just the right size, what more do you really want? Perhaps stereo, SAP, CC3 or S-Video in? However, the price is right.
My old Sanyo 19-incher having bit the dust, and its 12-inch black-and-white replacement having lost its sound somewhere in the top of the closet; I was in the market for a 14-inch, flat-screen, stereo set with sufficient inputs for my VCR and DVD units. In a blitzkrieg afternoon I went to a variety of stores and handled units from Sony, JVC, Toshiba, and Philips convinced at the end of the day I would have happily spent $200 and received exactly what I really wanted. I was pulling for the JVC (AV-14F703). Sharp picture, extraordinary sound, stereo and lots of goodies ... I do love goodies.
But when I saw this Daewoo 14U5SC displayed next to two of my options, and realized with a modicum of sacrifice, I could get a set with a display that compares favorably with the JVC and Toshiba, and "smokes" the profoundly overrated Sony WEGA for half the money, I was sold. Now, there's no stereo, no S-Video in, only CC1 and CC2, no SAP and people will notice it when they walk into your home, but if you can live with all that you can get an amazing little set.
The image is clear, bright, and super sharp. I realize the smaller screen enhances this effect, and screen quality is subjective, but I am loving it. I think I am watching even more television these days.
One of the features for which I was looking was extraordinary audio. I assumed this would only be available on a stereo set. Silly me. A few of the units I handled (the Toshiba and Sony in particular) had the same lousy audio as the common $70 13-inch set; split into two channels. This Daewoo redefines "magnificent mono" for the twenty-first century. I don't know a thing about the technical details, but the big, obnoxious speaker grille on the front pours forth with solid bass, clear treble and very complex and clear mid range ... certainly inspired by the work done for the high-quality mono radios which are beginning to appear. (Radio sets are kind of a thing with me.)
A friend commented, "If Andy Warhol was asked, in 1980, to design the television set of the 90's, this would be it." By modern standards, that is the inconspicuous black box which is mostly screen, this set is very noticeable. For some folks this may be an issue so I mention it. In the week it has been in my home, everyone, including the guy who replaced mt malfunctioning garbage disposal, noticed and mentioned it. Some people like its almost neo-retro design; others were too polite to say.
These final points I mention realizing most readers will not find them useful, but you never know. This is the only television in my small efficiency apartment. For me and this home, it is a perfect size. The old 19-inch was just too big. Even at this sale price, I could have bought a larger set of lower quality. I am very glad I did not. My only reservation is that I know my first HDTV converter box, which I will buy as soon as they hit $150 ... if they become available at all ... will be fitted onto this unit. It may be a little small for that purpose. Although DVDs in letterbox mode are not really too small for me, others will surely disagree.
In the age of cable television, the quality of the receiver is often not a consideration. I, however, have made the choice not to subscribe. I live in a market where 2, 7, 9, 13, 18, 20, 24, 26, 31, 36, 42, 51, 54, 62, 65, and 67 are all available over the air. It's not much of a compromise. Since this set has come into my life, channels 2, 9, 20, 51, and 62 are suddenly available to me. Officially 2 and 62 are not available to me. All this is with a nice antenna and not the included rabbit ears, but not a high-end roof-mounted unit or anything spectacular. I can only imagine what the set would do if hooked up to a real, perhaps amplified, antenna. This is a wonderful little receiver, if you are into that kind of thing.
On the whole I think it's a great set. Just be wary if you want to plug your VCR or DVD directly into the back, or if you want to have a discreet little unit. It's probably too good for the bedroom, where I fear most of these are destined.
But when I saw this Daewoo 14U5SC displayed next to two of my options, and realized with a modicum of sacrifice, I could get a set with a display that compares favorably with the JVC and Toshiba, and "smokes" the profoundly overrated Sony WEGA for half the money, I was sold. Now, there's no stereo, no S-Video in, only CC1 and CC2, no SAP and people will notice it when they walk into your home, but if you can live with all that you can get an amazing little set.
The image is clear, bright, and super sharp. I realize the smaller screen enhances this effect, and screen quality is subjective, but I am loving it. I think I am watching even more television these days.
One of the features for which I was looking was extraordinary audio. I assumed this would only be available on a stereo set. Silly me. A few of the units I handled (the Toshiba and Sony in particular) had the same lousy audio as the common $70 13-inch set; split into two channels. This Daewoo redefines "magnificent mono" for the twenty-first century. I don't know a thing about the technical details, but the big, obnoxious speaker grille on the front pours forth with solid bass, clear treble and very complex and clear mid range ... certainly inspired by the work done for the high-quality mono radios which are beginning to appear. (Radio sets are kind of a thing with me.)
A friend commented, "If Andy Warhol was asked, in 1980, to design the television set of the 90's, this would be it." By modern standards, that is the inconspicuous black box which is mostly screen, this set is very noticeable. For some folks this may be an issue so I mention it. In the week it has been in my home, everyone, including the guy who replaced mt malfunctioning garbage disposal, noticed and mentioned it. Some people like its almost neo-retro design; others were too polite to say.
These final points I mention realizing most readers will not find them useful, but you never know. This is the only television in my small efficiency apartment. For me and this home, it is a perfect size. The old 19-inch was just too big. Even at this sale price, I could have bought a larger set of lower quality. I am very glad I did not. My only reservation is that I know my first HDTV converter box, which I will buy as soon as they hit $150 ... if they become available at all ... will be fitted onto this unit. It may be a little small for that purpose. Although DVDs in letterbox mode are not really too small for me, others will surely disagree.
In the age of cable television, the quality of the receiver is often not a consideration. I, however, have made the choice not to subscribe. I live in a market where 2, 7, 9, 13, 18, 20, 24, 26, 31, 36, 42, 51, 54, 62, 65, and 67 are all available over the air. It's not much of a compromise. Since this set has come into my life, channels 2, 9, 20, 51, and 62 are suddenly available to me. Officially 2 and 62 are not available to me. All this is with a nice antenna and not the included rabbit ears, but not a high-end roof-mounted unit or anything spectacular. I can only imagine what the set would do if hooked up to a real, perhaps amplified, antenna. This is a wonderful little receiver, if you are into that kind of thing.
On the whole I think it's a great set. Just be wary if you want to plug your VCR or DVD directly into the back, or if you want to have a discreet little unit. It's probably too good for the bedroom, where I fear most of these are destined.
