RCA T09082 TV/VCR Combo Stops Boredom for 500 miles
Written: Jan 08 '01 (Updated Apr 16 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: can watch in the car
Cons: no way to lock it in place in a car
The Bottom Line: Works fine for us but please read some other reviews on this. Others have not had such good luck.
|
|
|
| colleenmf's Full Review: RCA 9" AC/DC TV/VCR Combination T09081BC |
Every year at the holidays we travel from our home in Lubbock, TX to Ellis, KS to visit family. We’ve probably done this a dozen times since moving out here and it is absolutely the most boring drive I’ve ever done. There are few towns, no scenery, and only country music radio. (I like country but not for 9 hours straight.) This year we bought out Honda Odyssey and were actually looking forward to a comfortable, roomy ride.
My husband does most of the driving because I can read in the car and he can’t but after dark I can’t even do that. So we decided to get a little TV/VCR combo for the long drive. I always have plenty of videos to catch up with. My main requirement was something inexpensive as this TV would not be used much. I found a refurbished RCA T09082 at Overstock.com for $179.90. (It looks just like the picture in Epinions for the T09081BC and has all the mentioned features.) Using a $20 coupon and $60 of Internet cash I had earned at echo.com we paid less than $100 for this TV. Just what I was looking for, a real bargain.
When the TV arrived we immediately tried it out in the van and in the house. It came with 2 detachable power cords – one for 120 V household outlet and one for 12V cigarette lighter outlet. These were very easy to switch, just plug and unplug in the back of the set. The set also comes with a set of rabbit ears that plug right into the cable input and drop into a tube on the back so the rabbit ears stay upright.
I picture was quite clear and the reception was as good as can be expected without cable. Playing a prerecorded tape was intuitive. Anyone who has ever used a VCR to play tapes wouldn’t need the instruction book to work the remote. The buttons are well marked and logically laid out.
Next we wanted to set the date and time and try to record a tape. No, I had no plans to do this in the van but just in case we ever needed an extra VCR we wanted to be sure we could record using this TV. This TV uses on screen programming and is available in English, Spanish, and French. Point the remote at the set, hit menu and follow the directions using the up/down channel key and the left/right volume key. You can change from antennae to cable, set the time and date, program to record, and even set for closed captioning. As with most TV/VCR combos, be sure to shut the set off so that the VCR can record as programmed. Everything worked fine.
The day before our trip to Kansas we loaded the TV into the van and spent about half and hour jerry rigging a system to keep the set in place during a crash. By criss crossing bungee cords over the set from front seat to second row we got it very stable. We also needed to elevate the front of the set to aim it toward a seated person’s eyes. That would be me, in the third seat.
Once it got dark I had my own entertainment system in the back of the van. I watched some of my videos and did not go bonkers getting bored as the non-scenery went by. We’re very happy with this little TV/VCR set.
Is it perfect? Heck, no. The set is advertised to work in a vehicle and comes with the 12 V power cord. Shouldn’t there be some way to secure it so that during a crash it does not become a projectile? Maybe there could be straps that look like seatbelts and retract into the side of the case. Also, there should be adjustable feet in the front of the set to angle it upward when it sits on the floor. (We used a 3-inch phone book.)
Generally, I give this 4 stars as a back up TV/VCR. The screen is too small for family viewing but right now I’m watching it in the office as I type this. It’s very easy to move from room to room (but you will have to reset the time when you unplug the set). It has done everything we wanted it to do.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
colleenmf
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Colleen Farley
Location: Lubbock, TX
Reviews written: 146
Trusted by: 147 members
About Me:
Happily married, mostly retired, and addicted to the internet.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.