Update to Toy Review: V.smile Baby - TV Games Console for Toddlers from vtech

13 January 2007

This is an update to the review of the V.Smile Baby Infant Development System (TV Computer Games Console). All the comments that I made in the earlier review still stand, but we've changed TV recently due to problems with our existing TV and come across a small issue. We now have a LCD flat TV in our front room, which like our previous TV has sockets on the side of the TV to save you having to go around the back when you want to plug things in on a temporary basis. This is ideal for connecting consoles, or camcorders, or in this case the V.Smile Baby console. On our new television the sockets for connecting to the side are smaller without additional space around them.

The problem with the connectors from the V.Smile baby is that they are fully sheathed to the end of the inner connector. I'm not sure if this has been done so that there is no connector on show when plugged in, perhaps because it's designed for young children, but it prevents it being connected directly into our TV. It is still possible to connect it into the back of the TV using the supplied SCART adapter, but it is very inconvenient to go around the back of the TV.

As an alternative we have been able to get it working using a phono lead and two adapters, or it may be possible to use a phono extension lead instead. I bought the adapters from a local computer fair and used an existing phono lead that I have been using to connect my laptop to my TV (not needed now as my TV has a VGA input).

You can buy extension leads from Maplin or other electrical stores. The following will most likely work (but I haven't actually tried): Twin Phono Extension lead from Maplin.

Other than that the rest of my comments in my earlier review still stand:
Toy Review: V.smile Baby - Computer Console for Babies and Young Children from vtech