Lecture on a Portable DVD Player named Boy Fun

Introduction and Discovery

• Found a peculiar remote control labeled "Boy Fun."
• Discovered the associated device, a large portable DVD player.

Sixlet Trend in Electronics

• Sixlet: Sludge devices with meaningless 6-8 letter names (e.g., Amazon, AliExpress, Teemu).
• Names have no meaning, registered for trademarks due to Amazon's brand registry program.

Device Description

• Portable DVD Player with 15-inch display, larger than typical models.
• Early portable DVD players were much smaller (3-4 inches).

Features and Build

• Surprisingly cheap at $75 on Amazon.
• Very low weight, cheap materials.
• Glossy screen unsuitable for outdoor use due to reflection and poor off-axis viewing.
• Physically sliding power switch.
• Has built-in battery for portability.

Screen Performance

• Glossy screen with poor off-axis viewing.
• Images and colors look fine when viewed dead center.
• Difficulty in adjusting aspect ratios, no quick button for fixes.
• Menu options to set up display, though cumbersome.

Sound Quality

• Tiny and not very loud but serviceable.
• Odd placement of menu control buttons mixed with volume controls.
• Slow button response.

Usability and Handling

• Swiveling and folding screen for flexible viewing angles.
• Possible hand-held viewing configuration for unique, on-the-go use.
• Lacks thoughtful user-centered design, but practicality for simple needs.

Additional Capabilities

• AV in and AV out jacks, useful for field monitoring with old camcorders.
• USB and SD card support for media playback.
• Struggles with modern codecs like H.264; better with older MPEG-4.

AV Out Performance

• Can serve as a source of continuous analog video for video gear testing.
• Prefers old MPEG-4 formats over modern codecs.

Other Media Formats

• Plays mp3s adequately, has animated spectrum for display.
• Poor performance with displaying text files and high-resolution images.

Gaming Feature

• Includes an NES emulator, but runs games very slowly and unplayably.
• Emulator might use proprietary controller ports, not standard USB ones.
• NES functionality possibly included in Mediatek firmware.

Technical Exploration

• Device powered by Mediatek MT 1389 VDU chip, potentially many years old.
• Shares design with many other super cheap DVD players, likely using outdated components.
• Cost-cutting measures visible in internal build quality and design.

Interesting Observations

• AV out good for composite video tests.
• Similarities in TrueType font icon usage, suggesting copied or shared firmware origins.

Conclusion

• Despite being cheap and limited, it offers several unique characteristics that might be useful in specific scenarios.
• Hard to recommend for mainstream use but appeals to niche needs like field monitoring or continuous composite video output.

Final Remarks

• Presentation of findings began as a light-hearted exploration but unveiled interesting connections in device manufacture and firmware piracy.
• Appreciates support from viewers and patrons allowing for such explorative projects.