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Written by [t0rc]
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Today we've reviewed the K-World V-Stream Xpert TV to LCD Box and found
quite an interesting product. With all the TV Tuners out there and a
price tag that implies quality you'd assume it'd be at least a decent
product. Unfortunately, we've found the opposite to be true.
Arriving in a brown box, the K-World V-Stream Xpert TV to LCD Box was
unharmed. The purpose of this product is best described by it's
creators, KWorld:
"With V-Stream Xpert TV - LCD TV BOX, your TV entertainment place won't be limited in
the living room any more! Only you need is to connect LCD or CRT PC monitor to LCD TV
BOX, and then the high-definition TV shows will appear in any place at your home. No
system required! No software compatible problem!“Fast and“Easy ! "
"The full screen display resolution is up to 1280x1024 with refresh rate from 60-75 Hz and
it is most suitable to be used 19" or bigger PC monitor to watch TV program, like football
game, movie and any other shows you want! The User-friendly OSD (on screen display)
can let you easily use brightness, contrast and hue adjustment for better video quality!
The full function remote controller can help you to make the channel selection, input
source switching, volume adjustment, and etc."
As stated above, the TV to LCD Box does just that; allowing you to
watch TV, play console games, or watch a DVD on your computer monitor.
Essentially removing the need to buy another TV, assuming that the
quality and options are either on par or exceed those of a television.
While the amount of options with this tuner are more than adequate, I
was disappointed in the quality of the picture both during console
games and TV, while DVD quality was better after some adjusting.
The K-World V-Stream Xpert TV to LCD Box comes with the following:
- V-Stream Xpert TV - LCD TV BOX
- User Manual
- Audio Cable
- Remote Control
- RCA to S-Video converter
- Power adapter
- 9pin MiniDIN - 15pin VGA cable
Whether it was forgotten in my sample or they don't come with them, I
didn't receive the audio cable listed above that was supposed to be
included. Other than that, the rest of the accessories were packed
inside the box.
On the outside, the LCD Box doesn't display nor really require any
sleek, modified appeal as it's purpose is functionality and not
appearance. All the ports are in logical places, but there is one issue
that may arise depending on the type of plugs that are used. If you
take a look at the picture on the left below, you can see that the
Audio Right, Audio Left, and the AV In ports are recessed, but to the
left of their respective hole. When you try to use plugs that have
thicker insulation/material around the end, you're barely able to get
the plug situated properly in the jack; which can cause the image/sound
quality to suffer, along with the possibility that you may have to buy
another set of cables just to get them to fit.
 
Image quality is a sore spot as every console that I tested on the LCD
Box appeared blurry, as did TV. DVD quality wasn't quite as bad, but
thats partially because you usually sit further away from the monitor
when watching a movie than when playing a game. Even after using the
plethora of tools to adjust the image brightness, sharpness, contrast,
saturation, etc., everything was blurry. An excellent menu system adds
some light to the product. By utilizing an on-screen display you don't
need to have any software installed to use the product or even have the
computer on. The menu's are very self-explanatory and the PIP
(Picture-in-Picture) function is rather useful, as it not only
increases the quality of TV because the resolution is smaller, it
allows you to watch TV while you work on your PC or play a game.
Overall, I wasn't extremely impressed with the K-World V-Stream Xpert
TV to LCD Box. It has easy to use on-screen menu's, doesn't need any
software installed and has a good PIP function but the low resolution
in comparison to other tuners (1600x1200) generates suffering image
quality, it has a high pricetag for what you get, and the port issue
could cause you to spend more money on cables. The K-World V-Stream
Xpert TV to LCD Box receives the Bronze Award and a 70% rating, as it's
a good idea but has flaws that degrade it's value and performance
significantly; it's in dire need of some improvements.
| Pros: | Cons: | - Easy to connect/use
- Good Menu System
- No Drivers Needed
| - Mis-aligned jacks
- Pricetag
- Missing Cable
- Low Resolution/Blurry Images
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Thanks to KWorld for making this review possible.
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