12 volt TVs

[stephen99]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

If picture quality is important to you I don't recommend most of the 12 volt TVs. The fact that its 12 volt should have nothing to do with the picture quality but the manufacuturers must not focus on that because it does. Even the high end 12 volt TVs can't compete with the picture quality of the 22" Samsung we use.

If you want it to run on 12 volts, as long as the brick power supply is designed to provide between around 12 volts to 14 volts, a generic 12 volt power cord with a 2.1mm "universal" adapter should work fine. Ours does.

Other bonusus: bigger screen, thinner bezel, and usually significantly cheaper.

Hmmmm, I have noticed in many reviews of 12v TVs that people complain about viewing angle and sound quality. I may have to look into this option. Thanks.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by stephen99

Hmmmm, I have noticed in many reviews of 12v TVs that people complain about viewing angle and sound quality. I may have to look into this option. Thanks.

I don't think that has anything to do with voltage.
A cheap TV will be cheaply made, with old technology.
My Insignia cost $119 CAD. Got what I paid for.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I don't think that has anything to do with voltage.
A cheap TV will be cheaply made, with old technology.
My Insignia cost $119 CAD. Got what I paid for.

That's true, but I fail to understand why the manufacturers of 12 volt TVs don't seem to offer them with comparable picture quality to the 110v models. It's just an LCD panel and a digital tuner. The 12 volt models are also usually more expensive compared to the same screen size in a household unit. They say it's more expensive because the components are built to withstand the bumps and jarring that occur while traveling. Having seen the interior components and boards for both types, I see no evidence of that.

[gbaglo]

The Sekei and Insignia TVs I bought weren't advertised for use in RVs. They were just small, cheap TVs.

[Mob2014]

We bought an Insignia 19" TV at Best Buy last week. The display model was 12v and the power cord that was attached to the TV was removable. When I opened the box at home, it did not have a removable power cord and was 120v. I went back to the store and all the Insignia 19" TVs were 120v except the display model. They offered to sell me the display model for a small discount but I decided to keep the 120v one.
We used the TV while camping this week and it worked great. I was impressed with the viewing angle and the picture quality. We replaced a small Craig 12v capable TV that had a horrible viewing angle.

[skiman]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

If picture quality is important to you I don't recommend most of the 12 volt TVs. The fact that its 12 volt should have nothing to do with the picture quality but the manufacuturers must not focus on that because it does. Even the high end 12 volt TVs can't compete with the picture quality of the 22" Samsung we use.

If you want it to run on 12 volts, as long as the brick power supply is designed to provide between around 12 volts to 14 volts, a generic 12 volt power cord with a 2.1mm "universal" plug on the end should work fine. Ours does.

Other bonuses : bigger screen, thinner bezel, and usually significantly cheaper.

I had to add a lot of filters on a Samsung to get it to work without hum and interference on the picture. Apparently the brick has a lot of built-in filters.

[rotateclockwise]

If you plan on boondocking, review the units power consumption. The draw is all over the map with different units. Also, some come with DVD units and some don't. It all comes down to your needs.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by skiman

I had to add a lot of filters on a Samsung to get it to work without hum and interference on the picture. Apparently the brick has a lot of built-in filters.

That's interesting Carl. Ours was perfect with no filters. I suspect it had something to do with wiring differences in the trailers.