12volt TV help

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captaindan

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I was thinking of upgrading my TV on my boat. I was looking for a nice ultra slimline TV around 22to 24 inch. However all the nice looking TVs don't come as 12volt. Well not the ones I've been looking at anyway. I was wondering if there is some kind of adapter that can be used and was wondering if the boat might be fitted with one already with the existing TV. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated
 
Most tvs in that size also work on 14v. I bought a Samsung unit from Curry that wasn't touted as 12 v but had a 14v input. Works absolutely fine with a good picture quality. Same goes for the small blue-ray players. Once the sound is piped through the cabin stereo it was a good result for under £200 quid which is significantly less than the touted names for 12v camper / caravan tvs. A good omni directional motorhome antenna from Halfords completed the installation going ontop the radar arch. The latter was comparatively expensive though, but much cheaper than a babysitter....
 
Ive got a Samsung 22" that runs off a 12V to 15V adaptor, and an LG 24" TV that runs off a 19V adapter. Both were sold as 240V TVs, but their power supplies converted from 240V to 14V DC and 19V DC respectively.

If you look at the back of TVs in Currys, you can see which ones convert to a DC input... they tend to have one prong, rather than two, (if that makes sense). I've seen some 40" TVs, (Sony I think), that run off 19V and 19.5V DC.
 
I had similar issue when trying to replace my TV on the boat.

As said above... go into your local TV shop. Look at the back and check if there's a transformer externally then easy-peasy. If internal transformer (none of the modern TV's work on 220v, to my knowledge) it's more complicated.

So yeah, have a look in your local store and either pay the little premium for convenience, or do your research online and hope for the best.

Personally, I just bought from my local Argos and asked if after collecting, could I return it if it didn't have external transformer (no problem); luckily it worked out!

I'm in Ireland and mainly use the TV for watching movies via USB, but we have excellent coverage via our version of Freeview... just stick in an omni-directional along with a decent amp... plenty of TV for the wet days.
 
captaindan said:
I was thinking of upgrading my TV on my boat. I was looking for a nice ultra slimline TV around 22to 24 inch. However all the nice looking TVs don't come as 12volt. Well not the ones I've been looking at anyway. I was wondering if there is some kind of adapter that can be used and was wondering if the boat might be fitted with one already with the existing TV. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...

Get an Avtex, they are not the cheapest but are good and well made, also come with a 12v lead.

www.avtex.co.uk
 
Yes thanks for all the replies. I had a look at Amazon and a vtext but they all look slightly dated. Was hoping for a ultra slim modern looking outfit. I had a look in curry sauce at the weekend and was looking at Samsung and lg. but was unsure and so was the staff on suitability. So if I bought the TV of my choice. Is there a difference between 14volt and 12volt and we're would I buy a converter if needed.
 
As I said, mine is rated 14v. Works fine. I checked for voltage drop to the TV and there was none, so I'm getting a steady 12.8 volts and can see no issue. I have good house batteries (3x 135 Ah). Picture quality etc is very good. What I can't say is if longevity may be an issue. But the tv has been running flawlessly for a year now and the kids are hard on it every weekend we are on the boat. Only issue to remember is never leave the tv on standby. It is surprising how much current they can draw over an extended period (as in over a week) if accidently left in standby. I use a seperate isolator switch for the tv.
 
Yes. Like a laptop the transformer / power unit is external. i.e. there isn't a 220v input socket and a 12v socket. Just the one. Get, or make up another power jack and connect to a 12v source
 
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