12 volt LCD TVs

[alan_fincher]

I'm going to need to capitulate to pressure from kids, and provide a boat TV, I think.

 

I would like to buy an LCD one, say 15" or maximum of 17" possibly.

 

I find it odd that analogue transmitters are due to be turned off in some areas within the next few years, but very little of what is on sale seems to come enabled to receive digital.

 

Rather than having to add a digital freeview box, (and extra power drain), it would be nice to get something already future-proofed.

 

Does anyone know of such a beast, and (even better) has anyone got one, and like to give a review of performance, please ?

 

Alan

[stuart]

You seem to be correct, theres a good choice here...

 

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/in...rice&show=stock

 

but not one with Freeview - only when you get larger screens do the Freeview options appear.

 

However, this Humax one seems to be a good one...

 

http://www.beststuff.co.uk/humax_lgb17dtt_lcd_tv.htm

 

 

But expensive at £449.99

 

Have a look at pricerunner

 

http://www.pricerunner.co.uk/sound-and-vis...v/349610/prices

 

Cheapest supplier for this TV is £349

Edited March 21, 2006 by stuart

[Keeping Up]

If you have to have all those extra channels I'd still go for the analogue solution with separate box, for 3 reasons:

 

1. At the moment you can get analogue TV signals over almost all the canal system, but digital coverage is rather patchy.

 

2. If the internal freeview decoder should go wrong, you'd have to replace the whole TV rather than a (relatively) cheap little box

 

3. You don't necessarily get future-proofing just by buying a digital system now. I read on uk.tech.digital-tv that there is a proposal on the table to change the coding standard on Freeview, which would render most of the existing decoders obsolete. If that were to happen, reason 2 comes into play again.

 

When comparing LCD TVs it pays to look VERY carefully at their detailed specs. Important features are the number of pixels on the screen, the brightness, and the contrast ratio.

 

Allan

[mr toad]

Take a look at the argos site from memory they are selling a bush? digital adaptor that plugs into the scart socket. just a small black adaptor that sits behind the tv. which makes it cheaper to buy a lcd tv & this digi adaptor rather than tv with built in digital. From what I see there is no power supply to these magic boxes, they must draw their power from the scart socket on tv.

[John Orentas]

I'm going to need to capitulate to pressure from kids, and provide a boat TV, I think.

 

 

Alan

 

 

Alan.

 

I think your kids should take an interest in healthy pursuits, how about bird watching, flower pressing or basket making. Making fenders, you could perhaps make a few bob.

 

If they are quite small an advert on your boat for chimney sweeping.

[Keeping Up]

Take a look at the argos site from memory they are selling a bush? digital adaptor that plugs into the scart socket. just a small black adaptor that sits behind the tv. which makes it cheaper to buy a lcd tv & this digi adaptor rather than tv with built in digital. From what I see there is no power supply to these magic boxes, they must draw their power from the scart socket on tv.

I can't see anything by Bush on the Argos site.

 

I'd be surprised if any digibox could find enough power from a SCART socket. Unlike computer USB connections, there is no designated power supply connection. And even if there were, the power would still have to come from somewhere.

 

Allan

[mr toad]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bush-FREEVIEW-scart-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

try the above link. obviously argos must not do it anymore. although looking at this picture on the back there is 2 connections - one for remote eye perhaps other is a small plug in power adaptor. I enquired about this product with bush and they did not have any information about power consumption or that it had a power adaptor!

Edited March 21, 2006 by mr toad

[Keeping Up]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bush-FREEVIEW-scart-...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

try the above link. obviously argos must not do it anymore. although looking at this picture on the back there is 2 connections - one for remote eye perhaps other is a small plug in power adaptor. I enquired about this product with bush and they did not have any information about power consumption or that it had a power adaptor!

An interesting little box. It seems to have got some bad reviews - and some of them talk about "unplugging it from the mains" which suggests it has a separate power adaptor.

 

Anyway I'm going to stay analogue for as long as I can (I'm Nought One to go digital )

 

Allan

[bottle]

Alan

 

This is not the cheap option but look at getting a monitor (no tuner) then if you wish to go down the 'freeview' way look at a 'set top' tuner (they do not actually have to sit on top).

 

There are many different makes (all made in the same factory) and many different specifications.

 

For instance (I know you will not want this) there is 'one' now that has two tuners with a built in hard drive recorder so you can watch one channel and record another.

 

You could always go down the satellite route ( freesat no subscription to sky) this will work better on the canal all you need is a clear view of the southern sky, with 'freeview' you need to be in range of a main transmitter as local ones are not capable.

[alan_fincher]

An interesting little box. It seems to have got some bad reviews - and some of them talk about "unplugging it from the mains" which suggests it has a separate power adaptor.

 

Anyway I'm going to stay analogue for as long as I can (I'm Nought One to go digital )

 

Allan

Interesting !........

 

Whilst I'm sure there will be a lot of people using normal Freeview boxes who say they have no issues at all, I have to say that the one we use at home, (Grundig), does suffer the occasional problem, and at least need a "cold reboot" to get it going again.

 

Mind you that's an early one, so I might have hoped they would be a bit less bug ridden by now.

 

I was also looking at the USB devices that someone posted detials of, that potentially turn your PC into a Freeview receiver.

 

Again, whilst some got fantastic reviews, (for something only costing around 35 quid), there were also far too many user reviews of lockouts and, (more worrying ?), packing up after a few weeks use.

 

I'm also very suspicious about being able to get enough digital siganal at many canal locations.

 

I was perhaps overly concerned about turn-off dates for analogue transmitters. Although some go as early as 2008, any area I'm likely to get to with a canal boat in the forseable future seems OK through to perhaps the end of 2010.

 

Perhaps I'll look at analog, and worry about what happens in 4 or 5 years time at a more appropriate date.

 

Thanks to all those that have given input so far....

 

Alan

 

Alan.

 

I think your kids should take an interest in healthy pursuits, how about bird watching, flower pressing or basket making. Making fenders, you could perhaps make a few bob.

 

If they are quite small an advert on your boat for chimney sweeping.

John,

 

If I hadn't worked it out already, I think I begin to understand better why your boat is called what it is

 

Me ? I love kids.... I just couldn't finish a whole one ........

[DHutch]

The bush scart thingy clearly has a external transformer, and proberbly doesnt use any less power than a larger digibox.

- Also, i wouldnt have thought the "power drain" of a digibox was that huge, couple of watts max.

 

 

Daniel

[alan_fincher]

Also, i wouldnt have thought the "power drain" of a digibox was that huge, couple of watts max.

Daniel

Our domestic digibox is rated at 10 watts.

 

Not huge, but presumably if I used an inverter to power one like this on board I could be using nearly 1 amp extra all the time its on. (I know someone will laugh that I'm even bothering to calculate, but with only 2 domestic batteries and a low power alternator, I do keep an eye on such things - sad, but true ).

 

 

Staying on topic, but changing the question slightly.....

 

I'm finding it VERY hard to work out which LCD TVs, (and I'm not bothering about the Digital, now), will actually run directly off of 12 volts - either officially, or unofficially, because they have a separate power supply feeding them at around 12 volts.

 

There's a huge mark up on those actually sold as specifically having this capabilty, whereas the Amperor box that regulates (or even boosts) your on-board supply to 12 volts is only about £40, so I think anything having a 12 volt input should be fine with one of these.

 

Who is running on 12 volts ? What make and model do you have ? Would you recommend it, please ?

 

Alan

 

(weary and confused by too much web browsing....)

[John Orentas]

Alan.

 

Ref. 12 volt TV sets there was a thread running on this a few months ago, seemed to go on for about a year. Some of the sets come with a fag lighter plug so obviously these can be used directly. I personally would look at the spec. or plate on the back, if the max volts was 13 volts or above I would be confident to use it, might even run it through a resistor to take 1/2 a volt off. Or tell myself never to run the engine with the TV on.

 

Some people spent weeks going on about warranties, converters and all sorts of things.

[Canal Shop Man]

 

Who is running on 12 volts ? What make and model do you have ? Would you recommend it, please ?

 

Alan

 

(weary and confused by too much web browsing....)

 

After the last thread, I checked the TV's we sell and it appears that, as a very general rule, the bigger the screen, the more critical the voltage. We have a 10.4" screen which works all the way down to 10 volts, whereas the 15" loses sound at about 11 volts. The 20" wants 12 volts to work correctly. This is only on the TV's we sell, so I can't guarantee that it applies to other makes.

 

The Amperor unit is excellent and I would recommend it if you are using a TV which wasn't purchased from a retailer offering it for 12 volt use.

[John Orentas]

After the last thread, I checked the TV's we sell and it appears that, as a very general rule, the bigger the screen, the more critical the voltage. We have a 10.4" screen which works all the way down to 10 volts, whereas the 15" loses sound at about 11 volts. The 20" wants 12 volts to work correctly. This is only on the TV's we sell, so I can't guarantee that it applies to other makes.

 

 

It is not low voltage that is a potential problem, it is what happens on the odd occasion when batteries are a bit flat and the alternator is putting out 14 volts or so. Personally I would either under-wire it or add a series resistor, but then what happens when the batteries are low.

[elessina]

 

I would like to buy an LCD one, say 15" or maximum of 17" possibly.

 

 

Alan,

Macro are doing a 15" Goodmans LCD with built in Freeview (digital) for £159.99 (maybe + VAT, not sure).www.Macro.co.uk Not sure if the direct link will work as you have to log in.

 

We have a 15" Relisys LCD TV which we plug directly into the 12v circuit. No problems so far even when charging, but we are 24v and have a 20amp x 12v step down system, which probably give a more stable voltage. It is a non digital TV though. We use a seperate digital box.

 

Ian

DB Elessina

[John Orentas]

After the hundreds of contributions we have had on this topic, I don't believe a single person has ever stated that their TV has been damaged as a result of an over-voltage supply. One of those theoretical problems we beat ourselves up with on a daily basis.

[alan_fincher]

After the hundreds of contributions we have had on this topic, I don't believe a single person has ever stated that their TV has been damaged as a result of an over-voltage supply. One of those theoretical problems we beat ourselves up with on a daily basis.

You could well be right, John.

 

But I'm not that convinced that that many people are actually running small LCD TVs directly off the "12"volts.

 

It seems to me far more common to run at 240V through an inverter, (even if what you are then plugging in to it is power supply delivering a nominal 12 volts DC into the telly). I noted several people who said "looks like should run directly of 12 volts, but haven't tried it.

 

As has been said several times before, the advantage of the Amperor stabiliser seems to be that it can deal with both over and under voltage, (so is clearly a lt more than just a step down voltage regulator based around simple Zener diode principles.).

 

Whether it's worth adding £40 extra to the cost of your telly, is I guess down to individual circumstances, but even if over-voltage is not a real risk, they do seem to have helped people who are getting volts drop through long cable runs, I recall.

 

 

Alan,

Macro are doing a 15" Goodmans LCD with built in Freeview (digital) for £159.99 (maybe + VAT, not sure).www.Macro.co.uk Not sure if the direct link will work as you have to log in.

 

We have a 15" Relisys LCD TV which we plug directly into the 12v circuit. No problems so far even when charging, but we are 24v and have a 20amp x 12v step down system, which probably give a more stable voltage. It is a non digital TV though. We use a seperate digital box.

 

Ian

DB Elessina

Thanks,

 

I'll try this link....

 

Alan

[John Orentas]

Alan.

 

It is not everyone that can afford to throw £40 at a problem that can be cured with a thicker bit of cable.

 

"Amperor" That rings a bell, there is not a bit of a double act going on here is there.

[DHutch]

It is not everyone that can afford to throw £40 at a problem that can be cured with a thicker bit of cable.

How does thicker cable regulate the voltage then john?

 

Personaly, i dont care what anyone else is doing, i would be quite happy to pay £40 for a regualtor to protect a £200+ TV set from the possabliy over overvolting.

- Yes, is proberbly unnessary, and the TV can proberbly cope with upto 13/14volts and down to 10/11v fine, its better to be safe than sorry i feel.

 

I spent £15 on a kensignton-style lock to attach my TFT to my desk, not becuase i aim to leave my window or do open/unlocked while im not there, but becuase i feel £15 to reduce the chance of £250 going walk abouts is worth it!

(if laptop are the most desirable objects, expesive slim-line flat pannels have got to be close after..)

 

 

Daniel

[plainsman]

I have just bought a regulator from Amperor as a better same than sorry approach. My telly is a 15" LCD Cello sold by Sainsburys last year at £189. It has worked very well on direct 12v with good pic quality, but as I said better safe than sorry.

 

Incidentally I was a bit sceptical at first but an e/mail to Amperor provided with the technical response to reassure me. The kit was with me within three days of ordering - pretty good sevice I'd say.

 

Alex

[speejo]

I am sure this one has been mentioned before but we bought this a couple of months ago and so far so good.

 

Combined 17" LCD and DVD player. With the DVD slot on the top not on the side. A little pricey but 12v and only 4 amps. Great not to need the inverter just for CBeebies.

 

 

17" LCD / DVD

 

John

[John Orentas]

I have a 12 inch black and white job, cost me £40 about 25 years ago and still going strong. Not that it gets used much, takes less than 2 amps.

[Richard Bustens]

dixon do a 15'' lcd 12v 3A

[alan_fincher]

I am sure this one has been mentioned before but we bought this a couple of months ago and so far so good.

 

Combined 17" LCD and DVD player. With the DVD slot on the top not on the side. A little pricey but 12v and only 4 amps. Great not to need the inverter just for CBeebies.

17" LCD / DVD

 

John

 

dixon do a 15'' lcd 12v 3A

 

I think you'll find there is probably a reasonable correlation between screen size and current drawn, (stands to reason really, doesn't it.....)

 

Running on 12 volts, 3 amps seems about what's usually quoted for a 15", and it does seem to rise to about 4 amps for a 17".

 

I'm kind-of surprised that an CRT one is less, even if with a small screen size and limited to black and white, but there you go, it seems.....