Closer Look: Olevia 42" HDTV

The first thing I noticed upon receiving the Olevia, was the size of the box; it was huge! If you think you're going to cart this thing home in that hot little coupe of yours, you'll be sorely disappointed. Even a moderately sized sedan might give you trouble. After inspecting the packaging, however, the reason for such a large container was clear. I discovered a baseball-sized hole in the side of the box. Lucky for me, the extra 5-inches of dead space between the box and the TV kept it safe from whatever shipping hazard it had encountered.

With the Olevia safely unboxed, I was immediately impressed by its modesty. No pretentious high-gloss finish here, just a beautiful screen housed in a flat black bezel. After all, there's no need for a flashy frame competing for your attention.

Here you can see the standard logo set. If you've been keeping up with HDTVs, you might notice one common logo is missing: HDCP. This TV is in fact HDCP capable, but it has become so common Olevia probably didn't see a need for it. A careful eye might also catch the small strip of glossy trim just under the logos. This spans the length of the unit and adds a nice aesthetic touch without being too distracting.

In this shot, you can see the button set. All of the usual suspects are there and should provide enough functionality should you misplace the remote. Just left of the power button is the power LED, which illuminates blue when the set is turned off. This can be changed within the menu system, a feature not often found on sub-$1000 TVs.

On the back side, are the standard VESA mounts and two hand-holds for easy lifting. The L-shaped cut-out is where the digital and analog outputs are located. This is a great feature for those who plan to mount the TV, as it will make routing the cables through the mounting hardware much easier. And, if you guessed that that's speaker wire running across the back, your are correct. This TV features detachable speakers, which I'll cover below.

At 15W each, the speakers on this TV are actually quite good. A volume level of about 50% will fill an average size living room. With a screw driver and a few minute of your time, the speakers on this TV are also detachable. This is particularly useful if you plan on mounting the TV, as you can detach the speakers to cut down on some of the bulk. You may also consider removing them if you plan to run a separate audio receiver. Most people, however, will get by quite nicely with just the way they are.

<< Previous Page - Next Page >>