Customer Reviews

Sony LF-X1 LocationFree 12.1-Inch LCD TV

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well count me surprised - I really didn't expect this product to work as well as it does.

Here's my situation: I wanted a TV in the kitchen, but I didn't want to drill a hole through concrete flooring or snake an existing cable all the way around one room and then into the kitchen. Being in a "minimalist" high-tech loft, it would have looked really bad.

So, I went on a limb and bought this TV ...

I had read that someone said to change the wireless settings to "Automatic 5GHz" and that's what I did (to avoid using the overloaded 2.4GHz band - also used by cordless phones, microwaves etc.)

Result: I have the base station in the living room, and I get perfect reception in my kitchen about 20 feet away. I only lost the connection once, when I put the display behind the refridgerator (duh!) I also walked all over the 3 floor loft (1500 sf) with it and it works everywhere!

I realize some people are looking for even longer ranges (including outdoors), but I only need it to go a maximum of about 30 to 40 feet and it works fine for me.

Once you've had a wireless TV, you begin to think of new uses for it ... If guests stay in my spare room, I can just hand them the display for them to watch TV in bed. If I don't want to annoy my partner who is sleeping, I can go to the living room and take the display with me for a little late night viewing. If I feel like a little TV while having a snack, I can put it on my dining table and watch while I munch!

The system is so cool. Yes, it is not perfect, but it is still the best thing out there I have found so far.

It also has a built-in web browser and can talk out through your internet connection, surf the web, check email. It's touchscreen and comes with a little stylus.

Granted, the user interface is a bit computer-like, but I had no problems with it.

You can use a Sony remote (I have one) with the display to change the channels, volume etc. It will also relay IR signals back to the base station, which will use an IR blaster to relay back to your set-top box (very cool, but haven't used this yet).

It can even connect up to the internet and "phone home" to the base station (as long as it is also connected to the internet) and if you have a fast enough uplink (380 kbps) it can send the TV signal anywhere in the world. Pretty amazing (no, I haven't tried this).

Yes, it is only 800 x 600 (which is still better than standard def TV) and doesn't do HDTV, but it is only 12".

There are no component inputs, which might be considered a downside for some ... but then, it is more about convenience than producing some incredible high-def picture. It has cable, composite and s-video inputs (plus RCA audio inputs).

If you search the web you can find the Operating Manual as a .PDF. I did this - there's lots of information in it and you can get an idea whether it is right for you.

It really is a preview of things to come. In 5 years or so, everything in your house will be wireless. This just does it today.

Very, very cool and it works fabulously for me. I'm a very happy customer with this product.

I brought this hope we can use it like our other TV, except without wires. Without wire, it allows me to watch TV in about half of our house, upstairs and downstairs, range from base station about 60ft (to be fair, there are always walls in between).

The picture quality is okay to good.

The biggest problem I have is the IR-Blaster fucntion that I had hoped work, but not. To use this device watch program through its AUX1 and AUX2 inputs, you will need to be able to operate the device remotely. Before I purchased it, I read someone praise its IR-blaster function that can relay the IR signals. But the sad truth is: it only relay the IR signals, if that device is on its list. Our devices are not on its list, so we have no way to change channels, or turn on/off devices connected to this. I contacted Sony support for this. They told me "sorry, if your device is not on the list, we can not help you". That is a strange logic: if the device already on the list, who needs their help?!?!

I recommend them to implement the function similar to Terk Universal Remote Extender that can simply capture the IR signal from the remote side and play back to the devices near the base station. Their support person has no interest to hear it or tell anyone in Sony.

Bottom line: if you simply want to use the base TV tuner to watch TV, it is okay. If you have a lot of AV devices want to connect to this, please make sure it works (Sony did not publish the list before you buy :-< so you may have to contact support for that list). If you want to take this TV go 100ft away from base station, you have to make sure there is no walls in between.
But it is good for a room in your house where has no TV cable. If you have any issue to resolve or want to have a feature to add (they could update the firmware in it, but they don't), good luck! and let me know where to download new firmware.

This is the perfect size with beautiful clarity. I bought this for my bathrooms and I am more than pleased. I bought and returned the Sharp wireless because it was huge and heavy, which defeats the purpose of wireless. I have two wired Sharp TV's that are the same size and just as heavy.
I do wish this came with a separate remote control since I am often not right in front of the TV.

First thought: "This is a toy."
Second thought: "This thing has capabilities far beyond moving around the house with a television."
Third thought: "Oh my, what have we here?"

So what is "Location Free" television anyway? Well the real system is not the video display, it is the wireless access point that is configured to accept video from your antenna, your cable box, your DVD player, your TiVO, your satellite. But it also creates a WiFi hotspot and as such this means that you can use any broadband connection to access your system.

The display is not the only means of accessing the content. A PSP will and so will your laptop. And how about your office desktop? Sure.

If you are hooked up to a TiVO or other DVR like Replaytv this means you can watch your favorite shows on your laptop while you are traveling in North Dakota or even in China on business.

And there are other possibilities, such as a wireless security camera in the nursery. That mean that you can see how your baby is doing even if you are at work or traveling.

It is more than a toy it turns out. This machine may well change your world.

I first purchased one of these devices for my mother to use on her portch. It worked so well, I purchased one for myself. I live in a building with multiple wireless network access points, so I was forced to use the higher frequencies, which limits where I can use the system. Despite, that I have used it in my office and the bathroom in the moring when I prepare for work. It's wonderful to have such mobility!

Nice screen, nice size, user friendly. In-home functions are fairly plug and play and I found set up to be pretty straight-forward. Capture button should be someplace else...too easy to confuse with the index button and the pointer is easy to dislodge but overall very well designed.

If you want to use the NetAV function, here are four key tips that will save you hours of set-up hassle. I'm not sure these apply universally (I have Comcast and Linksys WCG200 gateway/router) but they applied for me:
1. You CAN NOT connect NetAV to your external IP address from inside your own network. It does not work. So try it from external network.
2. You CAN try (and test) NetAV inside your home network by putting the internal IP address of the monitor in as the IP address (192.168...).
3. The Location Free base station has a Dynamic DNS updater included which can be set up to keep your IP address updated.
4. If you set up port forwarding, you don't need DMZ.