Tv's

[WinnieSophie]

Hi, Was thinking of getting a TV and Mel said Aldi tv's were OK. So am I right in thinking they don't have to be 12 volt, or have I got it all wrong? Do they have to be caravan specific at all?
Thanks, Cath

 

[Anseo]

The Aldi TV is both 12v and 240v.

A lot of domestic TV's are actually 12v with a transformer buit inside, they can be modified but need a little know how.

Finlux TV's, (probably the same as the Aldi one) are very good except for the sound quality, if you connect a 3.5mm to 3.5mm jack from the TV to your onboard stereo radio then the transformation is very pleasant to listen to.

If you want a larger TV than the AldiFinlux 21" models then you could look in the John Lewis website, they had a 32" TV (one of the big names) for a very good price, I was tempted but 21" is good for us, at least for the time being.

Another nice touch with the AldiFinluxJohn Lewis set is that hey have in built DVD player, Freeview and a USB connector.

I am very happy with my Finlux, I am sure the others are at least equally as good.

Happy shopping :cheer:

 

[Parksy]

If you're planning to spend time off grid on sites or rally fields with no ehu (electric hook up) then a 12 volt TV would be useful.
If the majority of your trips away will be on sites with ehu any normal household TV will be fine.
Argos, Aldi and major supermarkets sell relatively inexpensive tvs, check to make sure that the picture can be seen from an angle and you'll be fine.
A TV is only as good as the aerial, so if you haven't got a modern caravan aerial a normal household aerial mounted on a piece of old awning pole should do the trick.

 

[otherclive]

We use a BEKO. domestic 240v tv with built in dvd and USB for record or playback via SD cards. It is a few years old and has been totally reliable. It is transported in its own bag which sits on soft duvets.

 

[Craigyoung]

We just take our kitchen Samsung TV with us for going away then bring it back when we come back !

 

[Raywood]

As long as you are on a mains hook up any domestic television that has Freeview should work. Ours is a Toshiba now a good few years old. I feel they do need some protection though when traveling and have kept the original packaging and it always travels in this in the car boot. If you do not have this i would make sure it is with soft things so it has an easier ride as they can be quite delicate.

 

[Woodentop]

To the OP, make sure if you buy a TV that it has Freeview HD to future-proof it somewhat. The screen does not need to be HD but it is beneficial in terms of clarity if it is (i.e. HD ready is OK) but the tuner does need to be HD. It is also helpful if it has manual tuning in case of multiple signals on site - although you probably won't be able to find this out at the time of buying. Samsung and most LGs do have manual tuning.

We have a Samsung 24" and it does the job perfectly (with manual tuning!)

 

[Hutch]

We have a 21 inch technika that about 10 years old, freeview, SD card and Usb, with a built in DVD player. Bought from Tesco's, Great, when it breaks down probably go for a 24" or slightly bigger.

 

[waffler]

If you are going to do a lot off grid then I suggest you buy a specific tv designed for caravans. As you move round you have to retune so this needs to be easy and as the load on your battery varies the tv needs to cope. You are watching tv and the other half washes their hands, the voltage can drop well below 12. The tv needs to cope. Also specific TVs draw less current so save battery. Our current one draws less than 2 amps.