Haier 7" Portable Digital LCD-TV

How about a technology review today? (I spent a lot of time doing these for a national radio audience with my show "Technology Today", so just to keep from getting rusty, I'll do one of these once in awhile.

Before the switch-over to all digital television in Colorado, I kept a little 3" color portable analog tv in my briefcase, and it was handy to be able to fire it up, check any developing situations, get the latest on any game that interested me, etc.

That all ended with the digital switch-over. No analog signals available anymore (and carrying a digital converter box that's 3 times the size of the tv doesn't work for me).

Being an inveterate shopper, I've been demo-ing various units, waiting for the right price, and it finally happened.

The well-reviewed Haier 7" portable digital LCD-TV (HLT-71) went down to $99.99 at my local Target, and snagged the last one in the case.

Set up was "interesting". With any digital TV, you need to let it do a "channel scan" to establish what signals there are in your location. Plugged it in, screwed on the REALLY long antenna (a good thing), and ran the scan. Only got the local PBS channel.

OK, I was indoors (where I watch most of my tv shows) and in my basement in an area where a bluff blocks many of the tv signals anyway.

Undaunted, I took everything upstairs to the bedroom on the highest level and with the least house between me and Cheyenne Mountain. BINGO! everything was there. The picture is outstanding, the audio clear, and there are LOTS of channels available.

Remember that one of the rules of digital tv is that either you get a signal, or you get nothing, so those snowy, "I can almost see what's going on" days of marginal analog signals are gone (Darn!).

Since I'm in a poor reception area, I was impressed that there's a room in my house where I can get as many signals as I do, and I get the one I was most interested in (NewsFirst Now, Newsfirst 5's weather channel).

So here are the specifications..
The 7" portable comes with the antenna, an AC adapter, remote control, and has a built-in HD tuner. It will show off your favorite programs in 16:9 widescreen format, has 2 built-in speakers that crank out sufficient audio (and it's not bad), and a little piece that extends from the back to serve as a stand.

Inputs/Outputs include most of the standard ones you'd expect..coaxial audio, headphone jack and A/V out to connect to your home audio system.

It's about the size of a book (one by almost everybody but Steven King), comes with a 1 year warranty (which I hopefully won't need), and has rechargeable batteries.

Oh, one thing you need to know is that it only pulls in signals if it's stationary, so this isn't the choice for you for your boat or RV, but for a "bedroom digital", a "see my Ipod movies on a bigger screen", or an "I want to keep an eye on the game while my significant other shops" TV, I think we have a winner.