It was only a couple of days ago when I finished writing a news post about someone who handmakes highend LCD TVs that look like miniature CRTs, though they were around the $1,000 mark on only sold in batches, so this piece of news is music to my ears, as its coming to Kickstarter soon and will likely be mass produced, meaning it will be cheaper than the handmade ones that we previously wrote about.
These upcoming "retro-inspired" LCD TVs are called the ULQ10 Traveller and are being made by a company called Unico USA, a business that has previously made other retro-focused products, including modernised arcade cabinets. " The ULW10 isnāt trying to be the best conventional monitor. Itās trying to give you an experience conventional monitors donāt.", states Unico USA. It's quite simply a compact, miniature LCD TV with ports for retro & modern consoles, inside of a CRT-inspired shell with phyiscal buttons and storage in the back for small consoles.
- Retro-Inspired 4:3 Design
A familiar format and silhouette designed to bring back the atmosphere of classic displays without black borders. - Modern Display, Built for Today
A vibrant LCD panel that combines the character of a classic format with the reliability of modern technology. - Legacy + Modern Connectivity
Designed to work with both classic hardware and modern devices. Connect to classic hardware through RGB (RGBs) and VGA, or plug in modern devices through HDMI. - A Place for Your Console
The rear compartment provides a clever way to keep compatible hardware tucked neatly behind the display.
At launch, the ULW10 will come in a choice of three different colours, such as Cream White, Studio Grey and Red & White. The display is 10" wide, and features grips on the side of the TV to allow easy transportation, which will help for those that don't have big gaming rooms and need to store this somewhere out of the way. Unico USA actually have a listing up already on their website that allows you to secure a "Founder's Edition" ULW10 for $5, this will get you $30 off Kickstarter, an exclusive numbered ULW10 "Founder Gift" alongside priority access to launch and early bird updates.
You may be asking why there are no composite or AV inputs, and that's apparently because of its size and to save space. "Fitting everything, including the signal board inside the back of a compact 10-inch monitor meant we had to make some difficult design decisions. There simply wasn't enough room to include every video input we wanted. When we looked at how people would actually use the ULW10 day to day, the choice became much clearer. We knew HDMI and VGA had to stay because they provide the easiest access for modern devices, PCs, and video converters."
There is no information regarding the Kickstarter date or the approximate cost of the ULW10 once it launches; the best thing to do to stay informed is to subscribe to their Kickstarter campaign to be notified of its launch. Though I will say it's a shame to see this fun product riddled with AI marketing material, images and video, it builds distrust, especially in a niche that AI is damaging. Do better, Unico USA.
