# 12 volt TV



## TM59

In the market for a new 12v Television. Would prefer TV alone as opposed to TV/DVD combi. 

I am told to go with Avtex. 

Any suggestions


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## philjohn

Hi,
Just bought an Avtex the one with the DVD though, excellent buy if a bit pricey.

Phil J


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## PaulW2

Have also bought the Avtex with DVD (the 18.5"). Excellent product but not cheap. The same thing minus the DVD is about £ 80 cheaper I think.


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## JohnWebb

I went for cheapness, bought a Comet special with DVD as it had a 12V connector at the side, that being important. I feed it with a 12v stabilser from Amperor to ensure it is not subject to overvoltage.


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## fitzgill

*12v tv*

I got mine in tescos cost about £80 I noticed it was 12v before the lead went into AC adaptor, before 240v output. I just lopped of the end and replaced it with a 12v cigar plug. I have been using it for two years now with no problems. Others might find fault with this answer, but it works for me, and I always wild camp, with no problems.


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## rowley

Don't forget the Richer Sounds tv. Viewing angle is not the best, but it does everything, inc record to ext HD or usb stick.


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## GerryD

Go with the Comet, or any of the high street stores. Do not pay the rip off prices of the "Leisure Products".
Gerry


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## bognormike

standard 15" flat scrfeen TV ours is a UMC from Curry's (about £100?)- works with 12v connection, no problems.


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## wakk44

I have an Alden which I won in mhf's competition over a year ago.Not cheap but an excellent tv which is still going strong after a lot of use.

The outstanding feature for me is the remarkably low current draw at 12v,we do quite a lot of camping off hook up so it is a big plus point.I have also bought an Alden extension speaker(12v)which improves the sound a lot,but most 15/16'' tv's have only a moderate sound I find.

I did a review which is here;-



wakk44 said:


> After fortuitously winning the recent MHF competition for the Alden TV,I thought I had better do a review on my initial findings,bear in mind I have only had the TV for a week,so only a short term one.
> 
> The mobile/leisure TV market seems to be increasing with more 12 volt TV's coming on the market.Previously m/homers had several options when buying a new tele,get a 240 v set and use an inverter,or if it has a transformer in line use it with a voltage stabiliser(amperor)or buy a 12v specific set.
> 
> The 240v teles are generally cheaper,a decent TV/DVD combo typically being between £150-£200.The Alden weighs in at 1p short of £400,a hefty price in comparison,so is it worth it ?
> 
> First impressions straight out of the box is how lightweight and slimline it is,yet it has a 16'' screen,significantly smaller than my previous sets,a 240v Toshiba 15'' LCD and an Avtex 153D,also 15''LCD.The Alden weighs only 2.4kg is 6.5cm thick and L:400mm W: 280mm.
> 
> As can be seen in the photos,I have used the vesa fixings and a drop down bracket with a quick release,I always store the tv in a padded bag for travelling.
> 
> The Alden is jam packed with features-DVD player,digital and analogue auto tuner,HD ready,usb slot to record or pause live digital programmes(not skytv)with a memory stick,connectivity for a pc and video camera,scart and hdmi sockets,CI slot-the list is endless.
> 
> The most important thing for us who wild camp and don't rely on ehu is that it consumes a remarkable low 18w,that's 1.5A @ 12v.I think that must be the lowest ever,and a boon for those that are constantly watching the leisure battery SOC.
> 
> The picture is excellent with stunning clarity and definition,the best I have seen in all of my m/home tv's.Viewing angles are also good,I had to lay on the floor and look up at the screen to get the dreaded dark spots,so it will be perfectly clear almost anywhere in the van-just don't lay on the floor :lol:
> 
> DVD player is very good with all the usual features,I have tried the analogue auto tuner which works very well,I have no reason to doubt the digital tuner will be just as good.It is possible to group favourite sets of programmes and also put them in your preferred order,and it also has an EPG.
> 
> The Alden is supplied with a fixed stand,so no adjustment is possible for the screen angle,I like the drop down bracket though,you can alter the horizontal and vertical angles and also bring it closer if required.
> 
> The speakers are ok,but I find that all 15 LCD's have a tinny sound,the Alden is no better or worse than other makes.One thing I wished it did have was an audio out,so I could go directly to my hard wired FM modulator with phono cables and listen to the sound through the radio speakers,which are better quality.I have got round this by getting a scart audio break out cable from Maplins which does the job.
> 
> As with all new tv's the instructions leave a lot to be desired,I think something is lost in translation,for a set with all these features the manual barely scratches the surface.
> 
> So is it worth the extra money?If the TV is important to you when you are away and you are not short of a bob or two then a definite yes,if TV is low down on your list of priorities then perhaps not,there are some lovely 240v sets available.
> 
> If I hadn't been such a lucky b****r and won the Alden,then I would have definitely bought one anyway
> 
> This is an independent review,I am not a trader and have no connections whatsoever with Alden or their UK distributors.


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## Ken38

I was looking at TVs in the shops and noticed the a new 19" LED back lit TV was only 23W.

The current LCD TVs tend to be quite a bit more power.

It didn't seem expensive but as it had only a stand, no rear mount, I didn't really note the details but am now looking for more LED TVs.


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## jedi

Having had several cheap TV's over the year's I have just bought a second hand Avtex on ebay. Worth every penny of the extra cost for the difference in quality (in my humble opinion!). 

Most TV's work off 12v ( I believe) with an adaptor. So as long as there is a 12v socket you can use it. A good idea to purchase a 12v stabilizer, though, as leisure batteries do not put out a constant 12v and problems may ensue.

Cheaper TV's tend to have issue regarding viewing angle, power consumption etc... no problem if you want to view straight on. My Avtex is packed with useful features for me and sturdily built.

If you're not worried about DVD, built in freeview, usb port, memory card slot, fm transmitter etc.. then I'm sure you'll be fine with a cheapie from Tesco's or elsewhere. 

I would agree, though, don't buy from a leisure outlet unless you want to pay premium prices.

Jed


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## 113016

We have the Meos (Combi) and very satisfied with it.
Whichever brand that you buy, I would seriously recommend that you get a proper 12 volt type which is made for the leisure industry.
I know that most of the 240 volt brands that you can get from most large retailers run on 12 volt, but you would then most probably need to buy a voltage stabilizer which is already built in or supplied with the leisure type.
Unless of course you are always going to be on electric hook up!


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## Addie

We had a Mico or unheard of LCD TV from Netto that we 'lopped the connector off' and wired into 12v - used to drain the battery in 2 hours straight!

The on advantage of 'leisure' TV's is that they do not draw as much power as household TV's that just so happen to have their power transformer located outside the case.

I very much rate the Avtex 103 and 18.5" LED TV's - as already mentioned you can get some great deals on eBay.

K


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## GerryD

Can we please get away from this requirement of a "Voltage Stabiliser". All flat panel TVs have a voltage stabiliser, which is the first component to receive power inside the cabinet. A battery is the most effective smoothing device that you can fit and there are very few that can exceed 13V in use. As most motorhomes will shut down at 10.8V, it is impossible to damage a modern TV if it is connected to a battery supply. Fitting an external power supply will also increase power consumption.
Even if the battery were connected to a powered charger and was showing a charging voltage of 14.3V, the TV would cope with it for exactly the reasons shown above.
If you want the facts talk to the people who make them and not the ones with an interest in selling either the TV or the accessories. Not only have I spoken to the manufacturers, I work with them every day.
Gerry


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## jedi

GerryD said:


> Can we please get away from this requirement of a "Voltage Stabiliser".
> Gerry


Could an expert come on and clear this up as it would seem companies like avtex who incorporeate voltage stabiliser and those that make them are not expets.

Seriously I have never heard that it isn't needed before.
Jed

Ps I'm really just trying to see if I can master this quote button!


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## Ken38

GerryD said:


> Can we please get away from this requirement of a "Voltage Stabiliser". All flat panel TVs have a voltage stabiliser, which is the first component to receive power inside the cabinet.


Looking at the evidence on this site, most drives me to believe Gerry is right. There seem to lot's of TVs run directly off the battery out there.

Modern cars are full of electronics and any nasty spikes would probably wreck everything so the TV is probably safe.

But the battery voltage will swing more than Gerry suggests. For example when initially connected to an EHU the smart charger will boost the voltage to about 14.4V until the battery gets to about 80% charge and then it will back off to about 13.5V but I still think most 12V TVs will be fine.

Joe Public will see 12volt and plug it into his caravan for sure. So if they were blowing up all over the place Watchdog would be on the trail.

So I will be going commando, no stabilser!


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## jonandjules

We have an Avtex dvd combi in the bedroom and it is OK, although the dvd player sometimes won't play certain discs. BUT - the price for them is much too much. I know that it is convenient to have the tv and dvd in the same box but they then share teh same power supply and we definately find these players slow to react.

So, for the lounge we have gone down the LED route and bought a 22" Samsung for about 200. No, it is not 12V but it only uses about 30 watts so a small inverter is all that is needed. We are currently running the TV, the DVD and the Sky box through a Waeco 300w inverter.

Also, these slim LED TVs are very light.

We bought one of the matching Samsung DVD players that hides away in a cabinet - when the dvd and tv are connected via HDMI the TV remote controls the dvd player through the TV.

We rate these Samsung TVs so much we have bought a 19" for our bedroom at home and a 32" for our lounge at home. The picture quality is amazing and unlike the Avtex you can see the image from almost any angle.

Here are the links :

TV http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003DNSJ2W/ref=oss_product

DVD http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001UEJL3C/ref=oss_product

I know that you were asking about 12V TVs but these really are an 'interesting' alternative, much better quality and cheaper!


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