Unico Traveller ULW10 Prototype Review, Kickstarter Launch

Unico just launched a Kickstarter for a 4:3, 10″ LCD monitor modeled after a Sony PVM CRT. The price is about $300 and – If the version sent to customers actually works properly and doesn’t average 100ms lag – It’ll be a fun way to connect something like a MiSTer FPGA or Raspberry Pi via HDMI, similar to LaserBear’s “LCD CRT” kit; Absolutely not a “CRT replacement”, but a great way to build a retro-themed gaming station. Unfortunately, the prototype fails in absolutely every way. Unico said they’ll guarantee the units sent to customers will have these issues addressed, however they specifically sent me this one to review and this is what exists right now. You’ll have to decide if you’re willing to trust Unico to fix this after taking your money (and expect delays), as Kickstarter’s aren’t refundable after the campaign is over. I genuinely want this to be a cool product, but you’ll definitely want to at least skim the livestream above and check more details below the links:

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/unicousa/travellerulw10-a-modern-take-on-the-retro-4-3-pvm-monitor
Main Page: https://www.unicousa.com/pages/traveller-ulw10

This is an awkward situation and I feel the only proper thing to do is have complete transparency with you all. Here’s the full story:

Back in early July, I was asked if I’d like to review this display. I was only told “For configuration there is no need to install any software like others you just use your browser“, with no restrictions other than to hold off posting the review until the Kickstarter launched. That led me to believe this was a finished product, ready for review.

I received it on July 24th and ran my basic tests the next day. That’s when I discovered it won’t accept 240p or 480i over any input, even though their website/kickstarter claims “Legacy signal support”. And it had about 10 frames of lag. About TEN FRAMES, averaging around 120ms.

I immediately emailed the rep with proof of my results, asking if I had a defective unit. They said they’d have a firmware update out to me in a few days and asked for recommended lag testing devices to verify. I followed up three more times and never got a firmware update. After the expected August Kickstarter date had passed, I assumed they were re-designing the unit and delaying the project.

Then I saw the Kickstarter went live yesterday, with over ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS of people’s money invested.

I emailed again asking if the display was fixed and was told “It will be fixed before Kickstarter is over“. Obviously, this puts me in a terrible position, as if I say nothing publicly and they don’t fix the issues, I’d have stood by while you all get ripped off. But if I did a review as-is and they fix everything, I look like a liar and a clickbait-drama-channel. I told them exactly that and their response was: “You will be sent a unit to confirm everything is fixed before we ship the units to customers we have software engineers work on firmware and hardware team as well and considering a different IPS panel to ensure it is all fixed.”

As someone who’s been involved in product design and manufacturing for over twenty years, I can tell you with confidence it’s extremely unlikely any company can do a complete product redesign and meet their target ship date of December 2026.

So I decided to just do a livestream showing exactly where it’s at now, what needs to be fixed and my opinions on what else could be improved. And to be clear, I do not think this is an intentional “scam” and I also think it’s a good price for a fun little display. I think most people will prefer a multi-use display, like that awesome Titan Army IPS that’s both retro-compatible and my daily PC monitor. But I also know many people who loved the idea of something that resembles a CRT, with none of the maintenance old displays require and at a fraction of the weight. Of course, people always ask for an OLED instead of an LCD for stuff like this, but 4:3 OLED’s are extremely expensive, making the choice to use an LCD the right one, as the price would allow more people to buy it.

Honestly though, as long as they at least fix the lag, I genuinely think the ULW10 would be a good fit for “retro-inspired” setups with HDMI sources.

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