In essence, an all-in-one is a hybrid of a video playback or recording device and a TV. As for the use of television technologies in its construction, it can be said that a variety of innovations are employed: from CRT tubes to DLP projectors.
A huge plus of any model is its compactness. However, when creating a sort of television 'combo', manufacturers sometimes have to sacrifice some functions. As a result, the cost of devices is reduced. Traditionally, their price ranges from 200 to several thousand dollars.
Playback in this type of device is carried out via a video module. Such a device easily handles reading any disc formats – DVD and CD. New modifications also allow recording. For example, the Philips model with DVR-HDD has a hard drive for recording video content.
The impossibility of so-called upgrade is a drawback of almost all models. That is, while the TV is considered a fairly universal device, the player becomes obsolete quite quickly, and the user may not like the inability of components to play new types of discs. All-in-ones, however, are equipped with connectors for external devices, and a new player model can be easily connected to the TV.
The screen of this type of device comes in various sizes: from 13 to 21 inches. A light and compact device is suitable for placement in the kitchen or office. Samsung all-in-one TVs, being an order of magnitude heavier, may be based on LCD projection technologies. They are suitable for the living room.
Miniature models have outputs for multi-channel sound, but music is not their direct purpose. However, widescreen solutions are suitable for 'collaboration' with home theaters. For individual viewing, one can always use headphones. They can decorate the interior of any room.
Based on the above, the advantages of all-in-one systems include compactness and lightness, no video cables, reading discs and memory cards, a single remote for TV and video, and affordable prices. Their disadvantages are considered to be small screen size and low digital image resolution. They are 'nutritious food' for gourmets of quality content who keep up with technological progress.
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