Mutant MT7007DVD

An inexpensive DVD player that can play MP3 files and Video CD. It is also rated to play the chrominance-and-luminance-separated SuperVCD format made for Video CD in emulation of S-Video. (Which was made for VHS and called S-VHS when appended to that format. The S-Video connector remains on some home A/V equipment to this day.) The SVCD format was never internationally ratified and is so technically a ‘Pirate’ format! It won’t matter to you, unless you have ‘exotic’ eastern SVCD discs. For analysis of those exotic DVDs you might want to examine every move of the action upon, the system has a very clear slow motion system that can be called to play at half speed, quarter speed, one sixth speed and finally a very see-every-blink one seventh of full rate. The system can also zoom an image closer in, so it is cropped but is easier to see the action on a small 2.8 inch screen. Although small and not quoted as to its pixel count, it’s very crisp and has a proper high contrast ratio, with excellent deep black levels and very high brightness to any overlaid graphics, with very little halo effect between the black and the bright. The system has on-screen displays and shows the brand’s name included within the graphics seen on the screen. There are dedicated video input sockets for a reversing camera and an auxiliary video source. Line outputs and one audio line input RCA pair are inset within the metal chassis of the unit while all video and audio RCA corded plugs finish in a fitting with an integral end cap, which is rare but keeps unused connections clean against future use. A pair of wires can be left connected to allow video on the move but a warning regarding the law and the driver is printed in the manual.
– 4 x 35w
– 2.8 inch LCD display panel – pixel count not quoted
– Blue button illumination to four-position tilt-adjustable motorised front panel
– 40-Button Infra Red remote control supplied
– 2 RCA Composite video out
– 1 RCA Composite video auxiliary input
– 1 RCA Composite video input for Rear View Camera (reverse sensing)
– Front/Rear chassis mounted RCA out @ 5V
– 1 chassis mounted RCA Line In, which can be volume controlled for throughput from remote control
– 1 set RCA audio output for DVD A/V, output controlled by Dual Volume system
– DVD Video, ±R/RW, DVD ±DL, MPEG4, VCD, SVCD,CD- DA, R/RW, MP3 compatible
– Four-level slo-mo & A-B segment repeat play (you’ll go blind)
– Signal to Noise Ratio >60dB
– Removable panel security with supplied hard case
Review by Adam Rayner
This good looking entry level unit really does represent where DVD has matured to. At the dawn of incar DVD what this has on it would have cost a heap. But now with affordable mechanisms available to manufacturers who want their own branded product, what can be included at the easy to pay for end has gone quite mad. These days a posh machine will be measured in whether it has licensed every possible file playing technology, whether it be from Microsoft or anyone else and whether it has USB and SD holes. This device has all the right logos on the front though and one long thin hole for DVDs. It won’t play AAC and it won’t play WMA, likewise it won’t play DivX files on DVD but it will play discs you have recorded yourself and you can hook a lot up to it.
The Line outs are mounted in the actual chassis which is just as well as they cannot afford any extra noise injecting in there as they have to play a mechanism that is rated at ‘Better than 60dB’. Compare this to the 92dB of the Pioneer DEH-P65/85BT machines or the 96dB of the Panasonic CQ-RX200/300/400N machines, let alone the likes of the top end 112dB decks from Clarion and Alpine.
But that is to miss the point, this is about access to technology and the simple thing is, this is ‘DVD in your car’ with no fancy screen installation and no real worries apart from paying attention to your driving. It arrives in the box with two wires connected together out the back so that even the hard of thinking cannot phone up and whinge about the picture not playing once simply inserted into the dash. A punctilious soul will find this easy to disconnect and use the proper terminated wire to hook up to the handbrake like a good boy. For the parked and the passenger, the screen is incredibly cool for the tiny size and actually reminded me of looking at an iPod video thingy. It can be tilted to practically flat in four steps to aid your seated viewing angle.
The remote has far more buttons (40) than the fascia and is moronically easy to use, even for stuff like the I-wanna-see-that-AGAIN! moments when you set the thing to play a bit over and over. (drool!) One press marks where you start, the next press marks position ‘B’ and sets it repeating. You could watch that rude bit in Basic Instinct over and over and decide for yourself. Only you really will need to hook an extra screen up to do that. You can hook two more up as well as stuffing the camcorder input into it and still having a reversing camera attached all at once. This reverse-cam can be set to be mirror image for reversing help when set up in the ‘expert’ part of the menu system.
The picture does suffer from not being a Panasonic Viera 42 inch plasma screen, like the one I just got to borrow (Lucky git!) but for being the latest in a slew of sincerely complimentary units to the JVC legend that started it all, it is a cool thing.
The onboard power is modest at 4×35 watts yet the design and look of the deck is way more than merely clever. For what is essentially a budget unit that you can feel has not had hundreds spent on posh switches and smooth glidey-knobs, to the uninitiated it looks like it cost at least half a grand.
Very pretty, with good connectability, just a pity the audio section isn�t a bit sexier, but hey, if it keeps it under a certain price, my sadness is regarding a pet that never died and is thus misplaced.
A great little unit then , with some clever features and a cracker of a tiny wee screen.
Sound Quality 6.0
Appearance/Display 7.0
Ease Of Use/HMI 10.0
Features 8.0
Value For Money 9.0
Overall rating 8.0