TV and DVD or PC?

[PhilipH]

I'm thinking of installing a TV and DVD on the boat but contemplating whether it would be better just to use a PC. Clearly I would only use it to brush up on inverters, radar, pilotage etc, but the odd visitor mught be charmed by the prospect of watching a wedding or a funeral (Hm, this is the two funerals and a wedding weekend), or an uplifting film.

 

[Sybarite]

Surely boating is about getting away from this sort of thing...?

John

 

[manimbored]

What size/type/make is your boat?
By "PC" I presume you mean a laptop.

 

[BobOwen]

We went for a laptop. A computer on board is essential for us.

Compare prices between a DVD + flatscreen TV and a laptop and there's little between them.

The DVD / TV set up can only play DVD's and let you watch TV. (TV reception is not easy on a boat)

The computer can do that just as well, plus all the other things a computer can do! Think of chart software, tide tables, email, music playing, games if you like that sort of thing, etc etc.

About the only disadvantage I can think of is the computer takes a minute or so to fire up versus the tele rig thats almost instantaneous.

IMHO there is no contest! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[TrueBlue]

Technology is not quite there yet, but having dismissed Mr. Gates' Media PC, I'm beginning to wonder whether he has something...

(It took MS 6 years to get Plug and Play really working - probably a similar (scaled) time to get Media working).

Example: TV cards in PC are a bit "poor", DVD is OK but screens are small - etc, etc.

Come back next year and ask again when 21" flat panel displays are £150...

 

[kingfisher]

Also, laptop screens have different qualities then a TV: higher resolution, but smaller angles of field of view. So anyone not looking straight at the screen will not get the full quality.

But yes, laptops are more versatile, but also more power hungry when playing DVD (lot's of stuff going in on in the background that Mr Gates found usefull)

If you do go for a laptop, by a Sony Vaio, they have the best screens IMHO.

 

[PhilipH]

All very helpful - need to be clearer - (1) yes I meant a laptop (2) boat is an Ovni 395 currently on order with Alubat (3) yes, sailing is about getting away from the horrors of life displayed on TV news and the rest of the general rubbish that purports to entertain and inform BUT just as part of sailing is settling down with a good book, so many of those books are in the visual form of film and nice to watch and share with others. I think the answer is to wait for the massive price reductions still to come in flat screens - look what happened to the price of DVD players. In the meantime maybe the laptop. Having said that, and being a paper chart and parallel rules kind of person - I am still at a loss as to what to do with the laptop apart from communicate with the outside world.

 

[fireball]

Well - if you want a different option ... you could always get a small PC - there are 12v "marinised" versions - a little more expensive, but I think a shuttle has been mentioned b4 - and would suit most situations too ... then if you get a TV with VGA input (they do have them!!) then you can watch TV independantly of using the computer or watch DVDs through the computer...
The advantage of a seperate screen is that you could mount it in the cockpit where you can see it for navigation - together with remote keyboard/mouse ... depends on the conditions and how wet it would get .... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[michael_99]

If there ever was a good reason to go sailing when you were young, when all you wanted was a boat and a woman, this is it. A TV? Try a caravan. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[fireball]

We've got a TV on board - 7" black and white jobby ... runs off 12v ... and used - never! ... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif well ... possibly if we're storm bound for a week or so!

 

[marineaudio]

If you get in touch with MarineAV Ltd they can supply:

- 12v TV with Built in DVD but most of all it has 2 other AV inputs (other camcorders/Palystaion) and a "VGA" input that can come straight off any laptop/PC. So you have the best off "all" worlds!

try: enquires@marine-audio.com