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Part 4: High-End (Active-Matrix Color LCD)

 

Epson ET-10SONY FDL-390BEPhilips 4PL040Sharp C-315

(from the left to the right, click to enlarge)

EPSON ET-10 (alias SEIKO T102): A must for TV collectors, it's simply the first color Handheld-TV (according to this webpage). Metal front, foldable backlight-unit, A/V-input jack, 48 mm screen size, 460 g with 5 AA-size batteries. Made in Japan 1984.

SONY FDL-390BE: I don't know why, but there are only two pocket LCD-TVs from SONY available on the European market. The "cone" FDL-22 and this pretty rare FDL-390BE. The letters BE say, that this model works in Great Britain and Western Europe - excluding France (they use the exotic SECAM L standard). 76 mm screen size, A/V-input jack, 1100 g with 6 B-size batteries. Bought in Austria, made in Japan.

Philips 4PL040: Luxury, but extremely rare and expensive. AM/FM radio, 69 presets (channel memory), 16:9 and 21:9 widescreen mode, multi-standard a/v input. This one works in Great Britain and Western Europe (excluding France). Impressive 100 mm LC-Display made by Sharp, 510 g with 6 AA-size batteries in the detachable battery box. Also known as Marantz LCD-410 (offered for 799$). Made in Japan.

Sharp C-315: You can pull up the LCD screen panel, so you can watch TV even in bright sunlight! By using external light, battery operation becomes more economical. The technical details: comprehensive on-screen display (e.g. when the fluorescent light tube is about to burn out, the screen will display the message "LAMP" approximately 30 seconds before the light stops working), 20 presets, 76 mm screen size, A/V-input jack, 460 g with 6 AA-size batteries. Made in Japan.

 

Panasonic TC-3PE1DShenzhen Anlijia ALJ-500Philips 3LC2050SABA TV-Journey 4

Panasonic TC-3PE1D: Dimmable backlight unit (saves battery power), 69 presets, graphical-animated menus in color, powerful speaker, 75 mm screen size, A/V-input jack, 530 g with 6 AA-size batteries. Made in Japan.

Shenzhen Anlijia ALJ-500: In 1978 the Chinese communists party decided to establish so called Special Economy Zones (SEZ) as an incentive for foreign investment and economic development. This nice TV was made in the Shenzhen SEZ, which is located in the southeast of china, right next to the former British colony Hong Kong. It has been designed for the Chinese TV standard PAL D/K, but can be used as a video-monitor in most European countries. Enjoy the funny photomontages about the different possibilities to use the ALJ-500. The technical details: 127 mm liquid crystal display, A/V-input jack, 850 g with 9 AA-size batteries in the detachable battery box. Made in China.

Philips 3LC2050: Valuable design, AM/FM-stereo radio, 69 presets, 76 mm display (101,376 pixels), A/V-input jack, 520 g with 6 AA-size batteries. Made in Japan 1990.

SABA TV-Journey 4: Brilliant 83 mm display (121,108 pixels), A/V-input jack, 510 grams with 6 AA-size batteries. Works in Great Britain and Western Europe (excluding France) and was made in Japan presumably in 1992. Also known as EPSON ET-P320 (same components, different design).

 

RCA L1800BC / L2500BCCASIO CV-1SONY FDL-250TSONY FDL-330S

RCA L1800BC & L2500BC: Just like the traditional German manufacturers Nordmende (Bremen) and SABA (Black Forest), RCA is now part of the French Thomson-Group. The technical details of these sets: screen size 1.8 inch (46 mm) or 2.5 inch (63 mm), respectively. A/V-input jack, 360 (380) g with 4 AA-size batteries. Made in Japan 1998.

CASIO CV-1: Shakai no Mado (Window to the public). When the CV-1 was announced in July 1992, it was the smallest TV in the world - and I think it still is. And its 1.4 inch (35 mm) color-TFT is certainly the smallest active-matrix display ever used in a Handheld-TV. Only 60 * 70 * 24 mm / 90 g without the detachable battery-case, 160 g with the box and 5 AAA-size batteries. Made in Japan.

SONY FDL-250T: Smart folding design with an integrated sun visor, 63 mm display (112,320 pixels), Straptenna™ (cord handle serves as an antenna), A/V-input jack, 400 g with 3 AA-size batteries. Made in Japan 2000.

SONY FDL-330S: A unique and very rare TV system. Set includes a color TV in 4 sections: a 2.7 inch monitor (68 mm, 86,400 pixels), a tuner, a battery-case and the optional (active) speaker. Today's price-tags vary from $100 for non-working (but complete) sets up to $250+ for the entire system in perfect condition with accessories, instruction manuals and the original hard molded plastic carrying case that has a compartment for each module. The cube measures 80 * 80 * 101 mm. 580 g including 4 AA-size batteries and a CR-2025 button-cell for the preset-memory. Click on the picture above to see the separate components. Made in Japan 1991.



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