LCD TV or Laptop with TV gizmo?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
A

AnnM1

May 25, 2005
1,487
1
0
Visit site
I am not quite sure which is the best way to go on this one. However, I am sure someone out there will give me some good advice!

We have decided to upgrade our caravan TV and are thinking of buying one of the flat screen 15" LCD tellies. I was quite happy with this until the other half threw another spanner into the works. He suggested we buy a new laptop which can receive TV signals on site. I realise that we will have to invest in a special box receiver to enable use of TV.

The question is:

Would you go for a straight LCD TV?

or

A new laptop?

I believe you can only receive analogue at the moment though (£50-ish from a local store) and we would have to invest in either Freeview or Sky.

Any help appreciated.

Ann
 
A

Allyson

Mar 15, 2006
713
0
0
Visit site
My daughter bought the adapter for her laptop.

We borrowed it whilst we were away on a Euro pitch in Brean with the t.v. aerial points.

We found it was fab, not more carrying of the portable, which in somecases are heavy.

Don't forget to check out your caravan insurance though, because when I rang mine the other day for a quote on a new van, I was asked about equipment. I mentioned the laptop and they do not cover it.

Worth checking your house contents.

Regards

Allyson
 
R

RogerL

Nov 6, 2005
7,875
2,467
30,935
Visit site
Whoa!

When the analogue signals are be switched off, 2008-2011, it's been estimated that 60% of campsites WON'T recieve an adequate signal. The official postcode guide to digital signals is misleading for caravanners as it assumes a 10m high domestic aerial, rather than the 3m high mushroom fitted to caravans.

Unless you restrict yourself to campsites close to large urban areas, digital terrestrial isn't going to be good enough for caravanners - we'll need to invest in satellite equipment.

I'd strongly urge that you take a long term view before investing in new equipment.

Now to help answer the question.

Laptop/PC TV cards are available for both digital and analogue. Avoid entry-level laptop/PC as they don't have enough processing power to handle TV without a lot of freeze-framing.

Get an analogue LCD TV. It's the cost-effective option. It's cheaper to get a digi-box,
 
Lutz

Lutz

Mar 14, 2005
9,906
774
30,935
lutzschelisch.wix.com
I'm a bit surprised by your statement about the size aerials required for use with digital terrestrial TV, Roger. Analogue has already been switched off where we live but we can get perfect reception with a short (about 12") table top aerial. The transmitter is about 20 miles away.
 
R

RogerL

Nov 6, 2005
7,875
2,467
30,935
Visit site
If you live within 20-30 miles of a main digital transmitter, the signal is quite good. This is fine for domestic properties as the transmitters serve large urban areas. It does, however, mean that rural countryside is generally much further away from a transmitter.

The main problem with digital signals is aerial height. Digital is more affected by obstructions, eg hills, buildings, trees etc, than analogue so less variation from line of sight can be tolerated. As caravan aerials are so low, compared to houses, the effect on signal quality on rural campsites is very significant.
 
D

Denise4

Oct 27, 2005
350
0
0
Visit site
Hi. I'm confused about this going didital. The leaflet I received made is misleading. It makes you think that any analogue tv won't work after switch over. I've been told that you just need to buy a digibox to go with your old tv - is this true. We can't get freeview where we live at the moment , we don't have sky because I think it is a waste of money so when the change happens I don't need to buy a new TV, just a box - is this right. Denise
 
A

AnnM1

May 25, 2005
1,487
1
0
Visit site
Hi Denise

I think when digital is finally turned off then you will have no option than to buy Freeview or Sky to get TV reception. At the moment Sky have some good offers on. For a one off
 
R

rob_jax

Jul 15, 2005
2,175
1
0
Visit site
Denise,

Your current analog TV has a tuner inside it which selects the right frequency to display, say, BBC1, and a different frequency for, say Channel 5.

Your analog TV will also have sockets on the back (that do not need to go through the tuner) so you can connect a DVD player directly to the TV.

Digital TV works by compressing a set of TV stations into a single frequency. Instead of 5 TV channels, Freeview offers 30 or more TV stations and 10 or more DAB radio stations.

So to receive Digital TV (and listen to DAB radio) the bit that you are missing in your analog TV is the circuitry that decompresses the mixed signal into the individual stations.

If you connect a Freeview box to your analog TV, the Freeview box decompresses the stations and connects to your TV in the same way as a DVD player - bypassing the analog tuner.

Alternatively, you can get a Free-to-view satellite system - ultimately the same content - but received via a satellite dish rather than a normal aerial

Robert
 
J

Jo-AnneFairway5402010

Feb 15, 2006
2,919
0
0
Visit site
Denise,

Your current analog TV has a tuner inside it which selects the right frequency to display, say, BBC1, and a different frequency for, say Channel 5.

Your analog TV will also have sockets on the back (that do not need to go through the tuner) so you can connect a DVD player directly to the TV.

Digital TV works by compressing a set of TV stations into a single frequency. Instead of 5 TV channels, Freeview offers 30 or more TV stations and 10 or more DAB radio stations.

So to receive Digital TV (and listen to DAB radio) the bit that you are missing in your analog TV is the circuitry that decompresses the mixed signal into the individual stations.

If you connect a Freeview box to your analog TV, the Freeview box decompresses the stations and connects to your TV in the same way as a DVD player - bypassing the analog tuner.

Alternatively, you can get a Free-to-view satellite system - ultimately the same content - but received via a satellite dish rather than a normal aerial

Robert
Click to expand...
i would get a free view box afor 24.00 from tescos or asda and a lcd from tescos for 169.00 much cheaper than a laptop.but you could still take your laptop just to play your usual games on it.
 
R

Rioja

Feb 3, 2006
696
0
0
Visit site
If you need a new laptop I would go that route.You then have a TV,DVD player, photo studio,etc etc etc.All very portable and brilliant reproduction. The freeview box will work with the TV adapter but I believe you can by a digital TV adapter now.I have a Dell Latitude 15" screen. Cost about
 
F

Fouldsy

Jul 17, 2005
145
0
0
Visit site
A

We used to use a laptop with a USB TV adaptor, yes the picture was okay in a good signal area but I have to say the speakers in a laptop are not as good as those in a TV so you will want extra speakers.

It is a messy combo sat on the side, in the van......mains leads, speaker leads.....we up graded to a LDC TV and the picture was far better, add a digi box and if you are on a site with good free view signal, you will get top picture quality.

F
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom