After watching I decided to buy 12v/240v. After long search I purchased 24” Chiq tv DVD combo ( Chinese, used to be Changdong), very happy, paid $239Aus with 3 yr warranty very happy with it. Very light, good colour, easy to set up. Just needs time to prove a good buy but very good start. Thanks for help.
I bought a cheap 12 v portable from Aldi, don't need a sound bar, just plug it into the aux on the radio and listen to it through the caravan speakers, everything is awesome
Mains TV for us all the time had ours for the last 4years it's been shaken dropped once or twice its been in the caravan all year round no problem . We do not go anywhere off the grid always on hookup so yeh mains tv all the time.
Hi Dan, we brought a mains/12volt TV fros Aldi 4 years ago for £120.00 a fantastic little TV, the only down side is you have to get the viewing angle just right, but it has never given us any problems and stays in the caravan all year round, Keep up the videos Dan.
We have a 12/24 Avtex TV because we like to camp off-grid where possible. However it was no use in the Outer Hebrides, and it wasn't just the beautiful scenery that prevented us wanting to use the TV, but we couldn't find a signal either. Or a mobile signal for that matter. Instead we re-learnt the art of "talking" to each other!
Well over the last 2 years I have become a survivalist from the lockdowns in the Uk and I have been buying things like power stations solar pannels low power cooker and so on for just in case, there might be power outages in the last few months our government did say there might be such things happening and the way the next outbreak comes I want to be ready so this video helped me out a lot thank you :)
Not too waffly at all! Great video and fantastic to hear your point of view. Cost is the big barrier for us, a 19 inch Avtex is nearly £400, whereas an Alba Combi TV/Dvd of the same size is £140. For us, at least, the undeniable benefits are not worth a 3x premium.
Like you, we opted for the Avtex tv. Along with that we also purchased the Avtex Snipe 2 satellite receiver. We find the compact, and the many functions of the Avtex tv, simply caters for all our needs, when we are away in the caravan. Together, they give a simply stunning picture viewing experience, both with tv and dvd. Have to be honest, we do not have a sound bar. Perhaps you could go into the reasons as to why you prefer one. Did we look at a “normal” 240 mains type tv, no we did not. We travel all over the UK, and down through France, Spain and Portugal, so we spend quite a bit of time in assorted spots with no mains hookup. Using inverters, generators just add to out towing weight, with the caravan coming in close to two tons, extra weight we do not require. Are there other 12 volt tv’s out, I assume there may well be, but we did not look for them. I’m really looking forward to the next video blog.
Hi Dan nice to see your back you and your videos inspired me when we purchased our first caravan in 2017 Lunar Quaser when i was unsure about anything i would look for your videos as for TV well we had a household tv 24" which was new but never used at home after the first few trips away it developed faults like you said not made for shaking about on the road We then looked at the option to purchase a replacement and its was a slight minefield on the differences on prices from brand leaders after a few weeks i opted for the Cello 22” Full HD Traveller 12v TV with DVD & Satellite Tuner What a good move it turned out to be for £135 at the time on offer direct from Cello and i had a sound bar which i have fitted hidden at the front of the caravan and fitted the TV on a triple arm bracket that opens into the centre of the caravan using the fittings in the caravan for power and Ariel at the bottom of the beds (two singles lunar 554 model) look forward for the series of videos thanks Dave
great discussion Dan, currently we have 2 tv,s ( I know) in our MH, the one at the front over the dinette is the 12v avtex that came with the MH as part of the media’s pack. As we could not watch tv from the rear longe our dealer fitted a tv bracket to the wardrobe so we could watch tv in the lounge. this tv is an ordinary 20 inch mains with built in free view and dvd bought from a supermarket This tv is permanently fitted to the bracket and far it has done nearly 7000 miles of shaking, rattling and rolling and not missed a beat. Although I completely agree with your comments, the build quality of the mains tv has stood up well so far. I would say though that the picture quality on the avtex is a bit better but not by much. Looking forward to the rest of this series. Big 👍
Helpful vid Dan, we have normal TV in our van but have been considering changing to a 12v TV. I need to do more research first so looking forward to the rest of your TV series. Cheers Martin 👍
Good video Dan…👍 … Iv just purchased the new Avtex 21’ connected… Picture quality is brilliant & no need to record because you can go back in time with freeview… I haven’t connected the satellite part yet because it seems I always have a good picture where ever I am.… And provided you have a good phone signal (or wi-fi) then you don’t have to connect the aerial, just watch through freeview or UA-cam. Iv also believe with a later update we will also have Netflix…👍
We have that exact tv combo. I love ours as simple to set up and it's built in DVD is a god send for our 4 year old. I was lucky to get ours with 25% off full price so made the purchase a little softer on my wallet. Overall very pleased with it. Beats the old set up hands down. Great video as always
Hi Dan we just use a very old normal TV it's small but does the best and was free as it used to be my sister in laws old bedroom TV she gave to us. We bought a satilitte system for £20 second hand but it takes a while to find satellite so hubbies goes out side and moves the dish while I'm inside watching to see when it gets a signal. It doesn't work at every site because of obstacles like trees blocking signal but it works at our two favourite sites. We never go off grid so we are happy with our set up just would like a better satellite set up. Thanks for the great informative video.
Yes I have the 18 inch Avtex . We use the 12volt as we rally a lot without electric doesn't use much power out of battery ,but saying that we do have a portable solar panel which keeps everything topped up .but yes do get a12v . Keep the videos up Dan ,very informative
I bought a Cello ages ago from groupon for chump money, totally oblivious to the fact it happened to be a 12v, i just wanted a cheap lightweight 32" freeview TV with built in DVD player. Works a treat offgrid, or even via 12v socket when hooked up if you have kids using every available 220v socket in the caravan!
Brownhills gave me 30% off a Avtex 21'' smart tv. Came in well under £300 and I'm really impressed with the picture quality and more importantly the wide viewing of angle.
Hi Dan, enjoyed this vlog and looking forward to the follow up ones , when we started last year we nearly got the avtex, but thought we would save some money and bought a 24” 12v tv/dvd from Aldi for £134 , really pleased with it as it has free view too. Only downside is the sound, bit tinny, got over that by using a separate speaker, all sorted. But if it don’t last long will probably go to the Avtex. 👍🏼👍🏼
Good video. We currently have a small normal TV. We have never been off grid caravanning yet. So for the same money am a 12v TV I could get a power inverter, projector and screen. Have a 100" screen in my awning. Which is rather tempting.
Don't want to poach Dan's thread, but you can use a chrome cast or a Firestick both slot into the HDMI on the Avtex, tethered through wifi to your mimo box, then you can stream netflix through the sim card in the mimo , sim card unlimited data about £20 a month. giff gaff for the sim. or just plug in a satelite dish and tripod and connect directly bit of a faf getting positioning on arrival but no data cost.
I have two new portable 24” TV’s in our MH. One is an LG LED Smart TV and the other is a Samsung curved smart TV, both bought from Curry’s. I run both from their own 12v laptop chargers (£25 each from Amazon) and they work brilliantly! I’ve had older flat screen TV’s in previous caravans for years and never had any problems.
Most people do not know that a standard TV often uses a drop down to 12V in the first place. So looking at it the other way you actually have a 12V tv with an adapter that you can plug in to the mains.
Hi just wondered what's the model numbers of the TVs you have and I'm presuming they are 12 volt with an external power supply that is 240 V just what I'm looking for.
As you said two minds think a like. The 12 volt cello I reviewed is a great Tv if you are on a budget. Thanks for sharing look forward to the rest of the series. Phil:)
we have a 21.5" Aldi 12v HD Telly with built in DVD which cost £119 with a 3 year warranty, one of the most important features of a flat screen TV in a caravan is the ability to see the screen at different angles. The last telly we had the screen went into black shadows if you wasn't directly sat in front of it...
Another great video Dan! As an ex TV engineer your comments certainly make sense. However we have a mains TV - albeit a 12v one with mains adaptor but I use a Humax HD box for programmes Recently bought an amazon fire stick and I would welcome your comments regarding the use of these I intend to tether to my phone where a site has no WiFi or it is crappy speed I have 30gb month data so should be ok I find the app you recommended in a previous video for signal finding to be excellent I have one of these signal finders you plug in but it’s a waste of time Cheers again
Great video! We used to have a Samsung 21" 240V TV, but after deciding to go off gris we opted for a 12V. We went for a Bauhn 21" 12V Caravan TV/DVD form Aldi and it was a lot cheaper than the gold plated AVTEX model. Although I do like that red button tune button you have shown. We now find that it frees up a plug socket (as we use the 12v plug) which is a bonus, plus if we trip out the EHU or it goes off then the TV stays on until its sorted. I wouldn't go back to 240V now - Plus this TV is Freeview HD as well! Bargain from Aldi.
Great vid Dan. I have an AVTEX 21" and yes use it on 12V all the time, this precludes having the large "brick" voltage adaptor sitting on the shelf etc getting in the way. Maybe worth a mention in future vids. I have also fitted a Sat Dome on my van which self tunes to 9 reprogrammed satellites, (the most popular ones) and yes as you mentioned, the AVTEX TV's have a built in tuner so no need for yet another box !!!. Don't know if these types are worth a mention in future vids but there is lots of fitting info etc on UA-cam currently which I used to research and fit mine. Nick
We have changed from a 240v house type tv and changed to a 12v Celo complete with dvd and satellite socket so no box required its great @ around 22 inch £140 against the cost of Avtex. liked the advice on the apps as just purchased a satellite dish set up from Germany for £46 went for quality set up will be good for Europe in the summer Mrs still see her soaps.
Interesting stuff Dan, we’ve always used a normal mains tv our current is a Samsung. We never go off grid, Karen likes her home comforts too much and we never leave the tv in the caravan we always bring it home. Cheers Jon
Hi there. Great reasons to buy a 12v tv👍maybe you could let people know about the tv that is also available that I have. It’s a cello 12v with a battery pack of its own on the back. It can be charged by 12v whilst driving or at home by 240. It can be watched for 6/8 hours on a single charge. It can stay plugged into your cigarette lighter socket or if on hook up at a site. And if you think to yourself. Well I haven’t Finished my holidays i think I might go wild camping for a day or two the tv is all set with power in it’s own little battery pack😁happy days 😎🤩😁👍fantastic bit of kit👍
Great video. I use a Cello Traveller 12 volt TV, has many of the feature of the Avtex but a lot less money. Cello are now releasing a 12 volt Smart TV for just £199 which is a great price. Mine works well with an Amazon fire stick for Netflix etc.
Hi Dan interesting subject, we use mains tv it doubles up as our bedroom tv at home. The tv travels on the seat in the caravan it’s base unit slides between two of the base cushions and is secure on tow. Has built in DVD, our tv package at home is basically glorified Freeview we don’t subscribe to likes of Sky etc so don’t miss it in the van. We are always on hook up mainly Caravan Club sites so being 230 v tv isn’t a problem. Avtex tv great quality and look nice but don’t need the features you described. Caravanning is a personal thing and one size doesn’t fit all. Enjoyed the subject and look forward to the other vlogs, always willing to learn. Best wishes
We are cool with a 220V TV. Never had any problems over several years of caravanning. But then even off grid we still can run it via the inverter & duel battery system etc.
Hi Dan we don't have a 12v socket in the Caravelair so have a small panasonic which we used on the seasonal pitch luckly the pitch had its own ariel as the one on the caravan did'nt give any reception so using the site one it was fine. Now one friend has given me a 12v like yours but 15" so i will see it works with the caravan ariel using a 12v mains adaptor when we are back in March. Thanks for the info look forward to the follow up
Hi, long time viewer 1st time caller :) I've been looking at changing my tv for 12v. Currently 65w TV. I have a 100W solar panel on my roof with a MPPT 20a charge controller...Reading how long you can run a 12v tv for through your battery does not seem that long. I have a 105amp leisure battery at the moment and wondered how your getting on with your 12v tv? I'm looking to use more sites without mains hook up as the cost is now approaching £50 per night for hook up,etc.. where as a site with just water and waste is roughly £10 to £12 per night....What with fuel costs being what they are as well it makes it a very expensive break when on all inclusive hook up....Thank you for all your great work over the years! P.S ...I'm also on the market for a "portable power station" and possibly an inverter pure sine wave for my existing tv
While we've only used our tv twice due to rain and cold this winter normally outside watching natures tv in the new forest. When at home on my desktop pc, i use an AUX cable to run my phone to the bose speakers so used that idea for the van as the tv speakers were rubbish and had a headphone port on the TV and an AUX socket in the caravans built in radio, so run a 2m AUX cable from one to the other and boom great crystal clear basey sound for the cost of a 2m AUX cable £3. We use a 12v Avtex that came with the van but i think it draws more amps than a normal tv so i guess it could be limiting in that way if you are already running close to the EHU [point limit but that also includes the running of a dvd player. What i did use my tv for this week just gone was for a fire place DVD running on loop as i say we are normally outside when away but was quite cosy in the van playing $GREED dice game(Oh OH OH idea you got to do reviews on caravan games that'll go down a storm!) $GREED, Yahtzee, UNO, rummy, shit head. When we need to escape from life (Happens often) we go to the storage yard get the kettle and heating on close the blinds then we could be anywhere and play some games. Anyway thanks for another great video!
Like your 12v telly, ours also has an inbuilt dvd player, and being 12v, the kids can watch their movies when we don't have access to a mains power supply. We also have a 12v kettle, which heats up very quickly for a quick cuppa.
Good video Dan. We have a 19” dvd tv which is a standard home setup. This is purely due to the caravan being on a seasonal pitch. I suppose that if we were to go touring then this would certainly be the way to go. Cheers and keep them coming.
Hi Dan. Good vid as always. It’s true that the Avtex TVs are more expensive that a cheap basic tv from the likes of Currys but they are good quality. On a cheap set it is not unusual for the picture to be really unwatchable unless you are sitting directly in front of it. The Avtex sets can be viewed at an angle without losing picture quality. Useful in a caravan. I look forward to your future videos. Steve
Very useful video. Thank you. My one tip would be too check the current (amps) the TV is drawing. These days, as most lights are LED, the TV will be the second highest consumption device after the refrigerator
Great vid very clear. Yes it would be great for you to do videos on using Netflix and Amazon Prime in the van., particularly saving programs to play back later, saving other programs to media to play back on the TV. It would be interesting to see/hear a review of the soundbar, as its possible to just use any extra speaker - but whats the connection advantages and importantly -whats the sound like to warrant the price to make it worthwhile overall if it does. Thanks again Dan for the time and EFFORT you put in to making these videos.
Hi Dan, I'd live to see a video on setting up a Mifi network in the caravan and the best deal for data. More and more of our viewing seems to be online these days.
The problem with a video on the best deal for data is that it would be out of date a week or so after it was filmed. There are plenty of websites which will do a comparison for you with the very latest data and you're really going to be better off using one of these.
Just picked up a 3 HomeFi. Unlimited data £22 a month. Comes with a mains plug.can even connect TV via ethernet to reduce number of wireless devices. The device is 12v and I have made a lead so can still use when off grid. This will be our 3rd year with this setup and have always found it great. Can use it to stream. Comes with go binge so for Netflix doesn't even use any data.
@@nabarnes I know what you mean about the deals. I was thinking more of the equipment needed and if it was better to buy an unlocked device or one where you are tied to a particular network. Thinking about it more, you are right. Dan's channel might not necessarily be the right place for that.
I have not considered a 12v TV simply because we have two TV's in our caravan. One for us too watch TV and one for Mike to play xbox. I bought them second hand off a Facebook selling group and together they cost £45 for the pair. One is a Samsung 21" and one is an LG 22" and after 18 months caravanning they are still going strong. If they die I'll just pick another bargain. Some may call me tight but I prefer frugal.
I bought a 217DRS series 5 years ago off a well known auction site. Had a problem with after a few months. Phoned up Avtex and they arranged collection & repair free of charge, back within a week. Brilliant customer service. Still working well and use in kitchen at home. Worth buying the case to keep all leads
You should have a look at the little SOYAR 9" portable TV, It has a built in battery that lasts for 3 hours and it will run off of the Cigar Lighter Socket and it comes with a mains adapter and an Antenna and some other leads, Mine will pick up 174 Freeview Channels from the little Antenna and the picture Is extremely high quality, I bought it from Amazon for around £62 or £64.00 But the best part about it is IT's power consumption, It uses between 6.4 to 8.4 Watts and it is idea for off grid use where you don't have 240 hook up, A single 100Ah battery will power it for over 10 - 12 days running it for 16 hours a day and it will still keep going for even longer if you let it. I find this little TV a joy to use that I stopped using my 48" flat screen, It is the second best thing I have bought next to my 4x4 Fridge Freezers.
Just bought a 12volt TV 24" full HD British made for £119. Not 3x a house TV. Have a normal household 240volt 24" LG TV in my truck getting bounced around building sites off road everyday for 3 years it's still working fine on a cheap £15 aerial ment for flats-balcony's railing on the back of my truck cab and a aerial booster in line. It never fails and at some points my cab will be blocking the signal direction of origin . Still no problem.
Good video Dan. We have a Avtex because we needed 12 volt for motorhome use. Now we have caravan I would probably by mains only because very unlikely to be off grid in van. If price closer would def by 12volt tho.👍..Cheers Rob
Hi Mr.T thanks for another great info-vid. I am looking at narrow-boating, thus your points about vibration and moisture resistance are especially apt. Also, there is a large efficiency-loss with converting a 12v feed, via an inverter, to a 240v feed, only to have the tv or its lead re-convert to 12v for the tv to use (as was said by CD, below, tvs do not actually operate on mains voltage - the electronics would fry). My only "but" is that I do not like DVDs incorporated within the tv. Adding moving parts to what is, otherwise, a solid-state apparatus introduces a weakness. Yes, one could then probably buy an external DVD player but I prefer the two to be in different units. Mind you, at this rate, external DVDs will only be available from antique shops soon :(. Thanks Mr.T; I await your future vids with great interest. PS you asked for other suggestions... can you please discuss radio stations via FreeSat and FreeView, and a tv such as the one you are showing. All the best.
Hi Dan. I would be very interested in your views on the Avtex sound bar. I nearly got one on Black Friday when they were going for £90 odd. I use a Bose mini speaker off my computer set up not necessarily to improve the sound of the Avtex but merely to get the sound coming from the front of the TV rather than the back. Recently I have changed to plugging a 3.5mm lead into the headphone socket of the Avtex with the other end going to the Aux socket on the caravan radio and this works quite well.
Also check out Ferguson tvs which have been relaunched by UK manufacturer Cello. There is a good choice of 12v models in the range. We bought a 22 inch, full hd with 12v, dvd, satellite and digital tuners for £150. It works well, looks good and it was delivered next day free of charge.
I've got a 50" Samsung ultra HD at home and that doesn't get hot. LED tv's don't get hot. don't forget that 99% of tv's have a transformer/resistors built in to take voltage down to 12v even if you can only plug into 240v.
We tinkered on the idea of 12v but price won us over in the end as we don’t tend to watch much tv - only for background noise, or if there happens to be a major sporting event on. We tend to use a MacBook or iPad. We do have a £99 currys special and use a gadget for watching movies. Picture is perfect on tv and from any connected device 👍🏼
We bought a 22” mains TV. Has built in DVD, Records and play back from USB so pause live TV. Netflix and Amazon Prime are on it. Dead easy to retune. Costs about £125. If I ever felt the need I’d go for an inverter but we are very rarely off grid. I just can’t see the point in a caravan specialist tv and costs £400 or so.
Hi Dan, as usual, great stuff. Can you cover Satellite systems, European coverage, Auto vs Manual set ups, weights on the roof, What's the reality of having a Sat dish? Myths, what do you really get and don't you get??? Cheers
Why not buy a 230v telly and an inverter for £30 or so? The trouble with dedicated caravan TVs is that demand is too little for them to be made either cheaply or with the sort of quality most people expect these days. It's a moot point for me though since I'm happier with the radio and a book.
Thanks for the video. My question is about battery management. My previous Lance camper had a 12v Jensen TV. My new Rockwood has a Furrion 110v TV. The Rockwood has an inverter and TV works fine using the inverter. I would like to know which type of TV will use less of my battery, a 12V TV or a 110V TV with inverter? The RV Dealer suggests Rockwood put in 110v TV just because it is cheaper. Does it make sense to swap out the 110v TV for a 12V TV?
We bought a cello 22” 12v tv for around £140 which I have to say is pretty dam good my only issue is the sound isn’t great but to be honest it’s good enough for us 👌🏻
Hi Dan, we’re considering adding a portable satellite dish to our van. We currently only have the option to watch DVD’s, as there is no mobile phone or TV signal available at our remote seasonal pitch in the Northumberland National Park. Have you any experience or heard of any bad or good experiences. There seems to be two main manufacturers. Cheers keep up the good work.
Love my avtex t.v. main reason why I got it was for off grid use (max draw is 1.8 amps I believe and that's due to DVD function normal t.v. use is less) but also to get things on mains/hook up as not all sites cab supply 16 amps we even use a whistle kettle
Most 240v TVs that have a power block in between the TV and the plug can simply have a 12v adapter used instead of the mains. There are lots of places you can buy a 12v power supply for a 240v TV online. This might be useful if you already have a 240v TV and don't want to have to pay out for a separate 12v TV. The 240v TVs are considerably better quality than the 12v TVs and I have had no issues towing with my 26 inch Samsung TV attached to the wall to an arm on the wall, TV is sturdy enough. I also found a 12v adapter for my manhattan satellite receiver and for my Lenovo mini PC.
Good video very helpful for me.. I'm not into caravans but I'm going to try and use a 12v TV as my corse and chart plotter for my boat using a pc (as big as a tobacco tin... Madness I know) loaded with Windows 10 and a bus port for GPS and other such things needed on a boat. If works you my friend may have saved me a shed ton of cash 😉
We have just bought a Autotrail tribute with the pro/L249DRS -PRO , and I’m a green horn when it comes to setting up TV etc have you got a start to finish on this model for us cheers from NZ
Hi, great video. I use a 240v TV (Samsung T24D391EW). I choose it as it has an external step down transformer so the TV is actually expecting 14v input. When tested it worked with an input voltage from 11.5 to 14.8 volts without any difference so I then went on Ebay and purchased an 12v car adapter for the TV which i routinely use instead on the mains power brick as it is tidier behind the telly. The TV cost £120 and has a great picture runs off the battery with hardly any drain and has a great picture, shame there is just nothing worth watching.
Update, Just looking for a second TV for our new caravan and if you look at the pictures on new 24 inch samsung TV's they nearly all use the same 14v input and an adapter brick which you can throw out and replace with a 12v adapter cable from Ebay ;-)
Thanks Dan, We've bought our first caravan (Baileys) and would like to install a t.v so thanks for pointing this out. We have no clue and probably just bought any ol' one but of course would have checked youtube first though. Appreciate the heads up.! Also how has the air conditioning unit panned out? Keen to know all about that as well.
I live in the USA and I love watching your videos to see the differences between American RVing and British caravanning. One thing I've always wondered about is when you are off grid you never mention using a generator. In America that is most RVers default option when off grid or "boondocking" as we call it. Couldn't you in the UK use a generator as well ? Or is the higher price of gasoline/petrol make using a generator cost prohibitive in the UK ?
Brian Carroll , hi , it more the noise factor in the uk 🇬🇧, we don’t have as much space, there is usually someone not that far away but I do carry a Honda generator and use it when we can.. mainly for the wife’s hairdryer in the morning !!😬
We have an Avtex fitted to our Autotrail. Within the first year the picture failed and it had to go back for repair and now 3 years later the DVD player won't even accept a disc. For the price, I haven't found them to be very robust and certainly wouldn't buy another. It will be mains TV from now on.
If you consider what you use a television for, the two main points you should use to judge are picture quality first and sound quality second. From that point of view alone whether it's 12 V or 24 vaults comes further down the line. The reason I bought an Avtex 21inch television/DVD for the caravan was purely and simply the picture quality that it gave. Of all the flatscreen televisionsI have, I still find it hard to find a unit that gives decent sound quality. You can buy a Chinese manufactured sound bar on Amazon for around £34 which gives you excellent sound quality when connected to the Avtex and they are compact and the same width as the TV screen. The other thing that people neglect when buying a television is the correct size for the space available. For a normal size caravan a 20 to 22 inch unit is perfectly suited to the usual lounge layout. Some people make the big mistake that the bigger the screen, the better the picture. This is not the case. Flat screen televisions are designed to be used at specific viewing distances to suit the size of the screen. If you get this correct you will enjoy a much sharper picture and a much more pleasant viewing experience.
Very interesting and informative Dan. Your set up looks good - we're not fans of a wall mounted TV in the van and putting in in the bedroom area is something we wouldn't even entertain at home. I've fiddled with DVD & satellite separate boxes previously and the attraction of having it all in one unit is high. We watch a lot of Netflix these days - we can download shows to the ipad / iPhone and watch them offline at our leisure (nearing the end of Breaking Bad as we speak!). With the Avtex, is there an option to "mirror" your Apple or Android device onto the tv and watch previously saved content? It works in various hotel rooms I;ve used over the years, but wonder if this feature could be used in a van TV? Thanks for persevering with my question, look forward to your comments Dan
Great video Dan! We use our tv on 12volt always because if the electric goes of the TV doesn’t and we go of Grid lots! Not being funny but how much did you pay for you TV? We fancy one for our new Unicorn. Thanks Oliver
Only wanted to know if it was cheaper to run with 12v transformer, or stick with mains tv for home ?????? BASICALLY which is most cost saving on electricity ?????( as I've already seen these advertised for " in home " too ! . NOT really any help !🤔😒
I see this vid is a year old. Do you still use your tv? Or have you moved onto an iPad Pro? Sure, it might not be the size you want, but how often do you sit in your van watching tv? Genuine question? For my wife and I, the iPad Pro works perfectly for a movie in bed, and keeping the kids entertained. That’s camping with tents and a caravan....👍🏻
Excellent video, but would really like to hear your thoughts on the sound bar, is it worth the price? Does it improve the sound enough to warrant the cost? Thanks again for the video, as a result I bought the Avtex pro 9.
Another well made informative video but, have to differ on a couple of points, please don't take this as being a hater etc.. I can't accept paying a 3x premium for a TV just for the caravan, even though it does have a sat tuner built in. Quick retune button is good, but not rocket science to click into a menu & do this. I don't agree with your comments about domestic tellies not being up to the rigours of caravanning. It's not as if they still contain valves & CRT tubes. They're just a panel, PCB board & possibly a PSU board (if it doesn't have an external brick). These will happily take the trauma of a trip to site. If you get a domestic model that comes with an external mains brick, which many do, you can substitute this for a 12 volt cable for under a tenner & still run off the battery. For satellite on a budget, car boot sales are a great source of used SKY TV boxes, that will receive all the free channels. Keep up the good work...
Hi Dan. Love all the videos. They are so helpful and are a great source of information. I'm in the market for a 12v tv so it would be great if you could do a review of the tv that you have. How is the caravan going for you and your family? I'm torn between Bailey and adria caravans. Thanks again.
The thing is that all t.v.'s work on 12 volt by default. By using the mains option you are using a portion of your amperage from the power input to run it, leaving less for the other more critical uses, using 12 volt doesn't! If running on battery through an inverter, the 12 volt is boosted to 220 volts mains voltage, then the transformer, either external or built in to the t.v., reducers the 220 volt down to 12 volt to run the t.v. Bearing in mind that every time the voltage changes up or down there is a loss of efficiency, through the heat generated. Go 12 volt, it will use less watts an hour and you will do your bit for the planet, it may cost you a few quid more but the Avtec t.v.'s are a suburb, quality product, I will recommend!
I am sat watching my Avtec t.v. / DVD combo. Had two, both free with new motorhomes, both superb. They have 2 HDMI, USB, the lot. Economic to run, full front pic, with only around a 15mm border all around. Great control, just like a full size t.v., tunes fast, vivid colours, comes with 12 v lead and a mains adapter. Very slim, to say there is a DVD player built in the side. The player plays copies ok, only had a couple of fails in what must be 30 dvds. They come with a stand, or they can be mounted on a standard rear mount. Personally I wouldn't have any other make now, can't fault them, worth the money! Cheers
Still deciding on which 12v TV, Avtek are top of the range and about 2.5 times other 12v TV's so I am not yet persuaded to go that route when Cello and other brands are much cheaper. I was attracted by the one button press retune which may not come with cheaper (Cello) brands and Freesat plus Freeview is probably worth thinking about. I don't really see the need for a DVD as I've converted all of mine to MP4 on a memory stick.
Sorry - a second question. I have always wanted to mount the TV on a bracket. Does the construction of the Avtez lend itself to that more so than a domestic appliance? Thanks by the way for great, helpful and interesting videos.
We looked at Avtex but decided that for what they were they were too expensive. Our 5+ year old standard Samsung tv travels all over the UK in the same box it shipped from where it was made, half way around the world Samsung has an enviable quality reputation and ships to many places with high humidity. It's internals are therefore highly protected against humidity damage. It has a USB input and two HDMI inputs, as well as an antenna input It runs once set up connected to both the external antenna and shares its 12v supply with a 4GEE mobile router (with its own mimo external antenna) and an i7 8th Gen 12v DC PC ...... so everything runs on 12v without requiring external 220v EHU hook up
No need to buy an expensive Avtex TV. We have a small LG TV which is powered by an external mains power "brick"that provides a nominal 14V for the TV. In the caravan I don't use the brick but plug the TV direct into a 12V socket (which is 13.6V approximately). This has worked fine for a couple of years even when "off grid".
I have two 12v tv's in our caravan, one in the bedroom area and the other in the lounge. The one question I do have is in respect to whether it matters weather you plug in using the 12v socket or the mains plug when you're on electric hook-up (obviously you have no choice when you're off grid.) Just curious as to what's recommended, as I never know which outlet is best to use.
Hi David, just read your comment.........we are the same as you with two telly's...I only have them plugged into the 12V when we are off grid. I make a point of unplugging them from the 12V and tucking the plug up behind the tally's when we're on mains power. The reason I do this is because leaving any 12V socket plugged in will pull your Leisure battery down quite sharpish.......probably you'll have to buy a new battery in a short time. Tellys pull power all the time even when they are switched off.
Thanks for your Martin. You make a valid point, but if you're on a site and the caravan's hooked-up to the mains, isn't the battery being constantly charged up anyway? That's why I wondered whether or not it mattered whether you used 12v or the mains. 🤔
David, in my case I choose to go with the 240V at all times when I'm hooked up, (which is the majority of my camping). When we did off grid hols, I did start to forget to pull the telly 12V plugs out each night, this was just a matter of becoming sick and tired of the constant mess on! The battery really started to stress because there were two tellys on standby, not one. I looked at my amp-meter and thing wasn't doing what I expected all of a sudden. Things had really started to deteriorate. OK, yes the battery will flatten gradually no matter what when we go off grid............moving on, what I was lucky to remember was to pull all the 12V plugs out at the end of that holiday. For sure and no doubt about it, the battery would have died if I'd left the van in storage and gone home forgetting to pull the plugs out. All this represents risk mixed with human frailty. So there's the good and the bad when we dip our toes into the 12V game..........
How do you find the picture quality on the Avtex, especially the viewing angle and contrast? We have a three year old 24” Avtex and if it hadn’t cost so much I’d have replaced it by now. First the viewing angle. Despite many TVs being installed high up in vans this one is biased to be clearer looking DOWN at it. This is compounded by a very poor rendering of dark scenes. We set off with a box set of Game of Thrones and found it very hard to see what was going on! I certainly expected much better for the money. Is the new range any better?
We have a 14" 12v tv with inbuilt cd player got it from pc world about 7 years ago it come with a 240v transformer and we have a lidi's freesat and dish kit and I made a 12v cable for both.bit of a bugger to set the sat up though
MOST if not all 24" TVs are 12v as they are tested on a 12v rig before leaving the factory.....you just need to open up the tv back find the 12v socket and extend that to the side of the tv with an added Din socket....job done
So I'm a little confused. I'm under the impression that the wall plugs in a travel trailer don't have any power unless hooked up to shore power, generator, inverter. So how is the TV getting power?
Hi there, so In the UK our caravans are equipped with a leisure battery, most systems require a 12v supply to work. we also plug the caravan into a hook up once we arrive on site to run additional items and to charge the battery. if you have solar you can go "off grid" and use all the systems that run off 12volts, such as this TV. Hope that helps
Hi Dan. The wife and I love nothing better than a good movie and a bag of popcorn. We were considering a mini/portable projector and screen for that big image cinematic experience. (With battery projectors plentiful e.g. Apeman), any thoughts?! Perhaps a future video?
The Mobile Features and ruggedness make it worthwhile. Good to the point presentation!!
Because I'm in deep stealth and off grid mode quite a lot a 12v TV is a must .. thanks Dan 👍
After watching I decided to buy 12v/240v. After long search I purchased 24” Chiq tv DVD combo ( Chinese, used to be Changdong), very happy, paid $239Aus with 3 yr warranty very happy with it. Very light, good colour, easy to set up. Just needs time to prove a good buy but very good start. Thanks for help.
I bought a cheap 12 v portable from Aldi, don't need a sound bar, just plug it into the aux on the radio and listen to it through the caravan speakers, everything is awesome
Mains TV for us all the time had ours for the last 4years it's been shaken dropped once or twice its been in the caravan all year round no problem . We do not go anywhere off the grid always on hookup so yeh mains tv all the time.
Hi Dan, we brought a mains/12volt TV fros Aldi 4 years ago for £120.00 a fantastic little TV, the only down side is you have to get the viewing angle just right, but it has never given us any problems and stays in the caravan all year round, Keep up the videos Dan.
We have a 12/24 Avtex TV because we like to camp off-grid where possible. However it was no use in the Outer Hebrides, and it wasn't just the beautiful scenery that prevented us wanting to use the TV, but we couldn't find a signal either. Or a mobile signal for that matter. Instead we re-learnt the art of "talking" to each other!
Well over the last 2 years I have become a survivalist from the lockdowns in the Uk and I have been buying things like power stations solar pannels low power cooker and so on for just in case, there might be power outages in the last few months our government did say there might be such things happening and the way the next outbreak comes I want to be ready so this video helped me out a lot thank you :)
just brought one and it is amazing !! yes it cost £400 but it is definitely a higher quality build .
Not too waffly at all! Great video and fantastic to hear your point of view. Cost is the big barrier for us, a 19 inch Avtex is nearly £400, whereas an Alba Combi TV/Dvd of the same size is £140. For us, at least, the undeniable benefits are not worth a 3x premium.
And if you do break the Alba, you can buy another and still have spent less than on one Avtex.
Nicholas Barnes And then another, and then another , and then another..........oh wait??
@@nabarnes totally get this,we've had two mains electric 23 inch tvs in our caravan for coming up five years, and both still work absolutely fine. 🤔
Like you, we opted for the Avtex tv. Along with that we also purchased the Avtex Snipe 2 satellite receiver. We find the compact, and the many functions of the Avtex tv, simply caters for all our needs, when we are away in the caravan. Together, they give a simply stunning picture viewing experience, both with tv and dvd. Have to be honest, we do not have a sound bar. Perhaps you could go into the reasons as to why you prefer one. Did we look at a “normal” 240 mains type tv, no we did not. We travel all over the UK, and down through France, Spain and Portugal, so we spend quite a bit of time in assorted spots with no mains hookup. Using inverters, generators just add to out towing weight, with the caravan coming in close to two tons, extra weight we do not require. Are there other 12 volt tv’s out, I assume there may well be, but we did not look for them. I’m really looking forward to the next video blog.
Hi Dan nice to see your back you and your videos inspired me when we purchased our first caravan in 2017 Lunar Quaser when i was unsure about anything i would look for your videos as for TV well we had a household tv 24" which was new but never used at home after the first few trips away it developed faults like you said not made for shaking about on the road We then looked at the option to purchase a replacement and its was a slight minefield on the differences on prices from brand leaders after a few weeks i opted for the Cello 22” Full HD Traveller 12v TV with DVD & Satellite Tuner
What a good move it turned out to be for £135 at the time on offer direct from Cello and i had a sound bar which i have fitted hidden at the front of the caravan and fitted the TV on a triple arm bracket that opens into the centre of the caravan using the fittings in the caravan for power and Ariel at the bottom of the beds (two singles lunar 554 model) look forward for the series of videos
thanks Dave
great discussion Dan, currently we have 2 tv,s ( I know) in our MH, the one at the front over the dinette is the 12v avtex that came with the MH as part of the media’s pack. As we could not watch tv from the rear longe our dealer fitted a tv bracket to the wardrobe so we could watch tv in the lounge. this tv is an ordinary 20 inch mains with built in free view and dvd bought from a supermarket This tv is permanently fitted to the bracket and far it has done nearly 7000 miles of shaking, rattling and rolling and not missed a beat. Although I completely agree with your comments, the build quality of the mains tv has stood up well so far.
I would say though that the picture quality on the avtex is a bit better but not by much. Looking forward to the rest of this series. Big 👍
Helpful vid Dan, we have normal TV in our van but have been considering changing to a 12v TV. I need to do more research first so looking forward to the rest of your TV series. Cheers Martin 👍
Good video Dan…👍 … Iv just purchased the new Avtex 21’ connected… Picture quality is brilliant & no need to record because you can go back in time with freeview… I haven’t connected the satellite part yet because it seems I always have a good picture where ever I am.… And provided you have a good phone signal (or wi-fi) then you don’t have to connect the aerial, just watch through freeview or UA-cam. Iv also believe with a later update we will also have Netflix…👍
We have that exact tv combo. I love ours as simple to set up and it's built in DVD is a god send for our 4 year old. I was lucky to get ours with 25% off full price so made the purchase a little softer on my wallet. Overall very pleased with it. Beats the old set up hands down. Great video as always
Hi Dan we just use a very old normal TV it's small but does the best and was free as it used to be my sister in laws old bedroom TV she gave to us. We bought a satilitte system for £20 second hand but it takes a while to find satellite so hubbies goes out side and moves the dish while I'm inside watching to see when it gets a signal. It doesn't work at every site because of obstacles like trees blocking signal but it works at our two favourite sites. We never go off grid so we are happy with our set up just would like a better satellite set up. Thanks for the great informative video.
Yes I have the 18 inch Avtex . We use the 12volt as we rally a lot without electric doesn't use much power out of battery ,but saying that we do have a portable solar panel which keeps everything topped up .but yes do get a12v . Keep the videos up Dan ,very informative
I bought a Cello ages ago from groupon for chump money, totally oblivious to the fact it happened to be a 12v, i just wanted a cheap lightweight 32" freeview TV with built in DVD player. Works a treat offgrid, or even via 12v socket when hooked up if you have kids using every available 220v socket in the caravan!
Got A Smart Avtex , Always Use It Through 12 volt , When The Hook Up Trips , Like it Did Again Yesterday! We Still Have TV..👍
Brownhills gave me 30% off a Avtex 21'' smart tv. Came in well under £300 and I'm really impressed with the picture quality and more importantly the wide viewing of angle.
Hi Dan, enjoyed this vlog and looking forward to the follow up ones , when we started last year we nearly got the avtex, but thought we would save some money and bought a 24” 12v tv/dvd from Aldi for £134 , really pleased with it as it has free view too. Only downside is the sound, bit tinny, got over that by using a separate speaker, all sorted. But if it don’t last long will probably go to the Avtex. 👍🏼👍🏼
Good video. We currently have a small normal TV. We have never been off grid caravanning yet. So for the same money am a 12v TV I could get a power inverter, projector and screen. Have a 100" screen in my awning. Which is rather tempting.
Don't want to poach Dan's thread, but you can use a chrome cast or a Firestick both slot into the HDMI on the Avtex, tethered through wifi to your mimo box, then you can stream netflix through the sim card in the mimo , sim card unlimited data about £20 a month. giff gaff for the sim. or just plug in a satelite dish and tripod and connect directly bit of a faf getting positioning on arrival but no data cost.
I have two new portable 24” TV’s in our MH. One is an LG LED Smart TV and the other is a Samsung curved smart TV, both bought from Curry’s. I run both from their own 12v laptop chargers (£25 each from Amazon) and they work brilliantly! I’ve had older flat screen TV’s in previous caravans for years and never had any problems.
Most people do not know that a standard TV often uses a drop down to 12V in the first place. So looking at it the other way you actually have a 12V tv with an adapter that you can plug in to the mains.
Hi just wondered what's the model numbers of the TVs you have and I'm presuming they are 12 volt with an external power supply that is 240 V just what I'm looking for.
As you said two minds think a like. The 12 volt cello I reviewed is a great Tv if you are on a budget. Thanks for sharing look forward to the rest of the series. Phil:)
we have a 21.5" Aldi 12v HD Telly with built in DVD which cost £119 with a 3 year warranty, one of the most important features of a flat screen TV in a caravan is the ability to see the screen at different angles. The last telly we had the screen went into black shadows if you wasn't directly sat in front of it...
Another great video Dan!
As an ex TV engineer your comments certainly make sense.
However we have a mains TV - albeit a 12v one with mains adaptor but I use a Humax HD box for programmes
Recently bought an amazon fire stick and I would welcome your comments regarding the use of these
I intend to tether to my phone where a site has no WiFi or it is crappy speed
I have 30gb month data so should be ok
I find the app you recommended in a previous video for signal finding to be excellent
I have one of these signal finders you plug in but it’s a waste of time
Cheers again
Great video! We used to have a Samsung 21" 240V TV, but after deciding to go off gris we opted for a 12V. We went for a Bauhn 21" 12V Caravan TV/DVD form Aldi and it was a lot cheaper than the gold plated AVTEX model. Although I do like that red button tune button you have shown. We now find that it frees up a plug socket (as we use the 12v plug) which is a bonus, plus if we trip out the EHU or it goes off then the TV stays on until its sorted. I wouldn't go back to 240V now - Plus this TV is Freeview HD as well! Bargain from Aldi.
Great vid Dan. I have an AVTEX 21" and yes use it on 12V all the time, this precludes having the large "brick" voltage adaptor sitting on the shelf etc getting in the way. Maybe worth a mention in future vids. I have also fitted a Sat Dome on my van which self tunes to 9 reprogrammed satellites, (the most popular ones) and yes as you mentioned, the AVTEX TV's have a built in tuner so no need for yet another box !!!. Don't know if these types are worth a mention in future vids but there is lots of fitting info etc on UA-cam currently which I used to research and fit mine. Nick
Thank you so much! Makes sense. Have subscribed as I have enjoyed the tips your videos provide even if we are opposite ends of the globe 🙂
We have changed from a 240v house type tv and changed to a 12v Celo complete with dvd and satellite socket so no box required its great @ around 22 inch £140 against the cost of Avtex. liked the advice on the apps as just purchased a satellite dish set up from Germany for £46 went for quality set up will be good for Europe in the summer Mrs still see her soaps.
Interesting stuff Dan, we’ve always used a normal mains tv our current is a Samsung. We never go off grid, Karen likes her home comforts too much and we never leave the tv in the caravan we always bring it home.
Cheers
Jon
Hi there. Great reasons to buy a 12v tv👍maybe you could let people know about the tv that is also available that I have. It’s a cello 12v with a battery pack of its own on the back. It can be charged by 12v whilst driving or at home by 240. It can be watched for 6/8 hours on a single charge. It can stay plugged into your cigarette lighter socket or if on hook up at a site. And if you think to yourself. Well I haven’t Finished my holidays i think I might go wild camping for a day or two the tv is all set with power in it’s own little battery pack😁happy days 😎🤩😁👍fantastic bit of kit👍
Great video. I use a Cello Traveller 12 volt TV, has many of the feature of the Avtex but a lot less money. Cello are now releasing a 12 volt Smart TV for just £199 which is a great price. Mine works well with an Amazon fire stick for Netflix etc.
Hi Dan interesting subject, we use mains tv it doubles up as our bedroom tv at home. The tv travels on the seat in the caravan it’s base unit slides between two of the base cushions and is secure on tow. Has built in DVD, our tv package at home is basically glorified Freeview we don’t subscribe to likes of Sky etc so don’t miss it in the van. We are always on hook up mainly Caravan Club sites so being 230 v tv isn’t a problem. Avtex tv great quality and look nice but don’t need the features you described. Caravanning is a personal thing and one size doesn’t fit all. Enjoyed the subject and look forward to the other vlogs, always willing to learn. Best wishes
We are cool with a 220V TV. Never had any problems over several years of caravanning. But then even off grid we still can run it via the inverter & duel battery system etc.
Hi Dan we don't have a 12v socket in the Caravelair so have a small panasonic which we used on the seasonal pitch luckly the pitch had its own ariel as the one on the caravan did'nt give any reception so using the site one it was fine. Now one friend has given me a 12v like yours but 15" so i will see it works with the caravan ariel using a 12v mains adaptor when we are back in March. Thanks for the info look forward to the follow up
Hi, long time viewer 1st time caller :) I've been looking at changing my tv for 12v. Currently 65w TV. I have a 100W solar panel on my roof with a MPPT 20a charge controller...Reading how long you can run a 12v tv for through your battery does not seem that long. I have a 105amp leisure battery at the moment and wondered how your getting on with your 12v tv? I'm looking to use more sites without mains hook up as the cost is now approaching £50 per night for hook up,etc.. where as a site with just water and waste is roughly £10 to £12 per night....What with fuel costs being what they are as well it makes it a very expensive break when on all inclusive hook up....Thank you for all your great work over the years!
P.S ...I'm also on the market for a "portable power station" and possibly an inverter pure sine wave for my existing tv
While we've only used our tv twice due to rain and cold this winter normally outside watching natures tv in the new forest. When at home on my desktop pc, i use an AUX cable to run my phone to the bose speakers so used that idea for the van as the tv speakers were rubbish and had a headphone port on the TV and an AUX socket in the caravans built in radio, so run a 2m AUX cable from one to the other and boom great crystal clear basey sound for the cost of a 2m AUX cable £3. We use a 12v Avtex that came with the van but i think it draws more amps than a normal tv so i guess it could be limiting in that way if you are already running close to the EHU [point limit but that also includes the running of a dvd player. What i did use my tv for this week just gone was for a fire place DVD running on loop as i say we are normally outside when away but was quite cosy in the van playing $GREED dice game(Oh OH OH idea you got to do reviews on caravan games that'll go down a storm!) $GREED, Yahtzee, UNO, rummy, shit head. When we need to escape from life (Happens often) we go to the storage yard get the kettle and heating on close the blinds then we could be anywhere and play some games.
Anyway thanks for another great video!
Like your 12v telly, ours also has an inbuilt dvd player, and being 12v, the kids can watch their movies when we don't have access to a mains power supply. We also have a 12v kettle, which heats up very quickly for a quick cuppa.
Good video Dan. We have a 19” dvd tv which is a standard home setup. This is purely due to the caravan being on a seasonal pitch. I suppose that if we were to go touring then this would certainly be the way to go.
Cheers and keep them coming.
Hi Dan. Good vid as always. It’s true that the Avtex TVs are more expensive that a cheap basic tv from the likes of Currys but they are good quality. On a cheap set it is not unusual for the picture to be really unwatchable unless you are sitting directly in front of it. The Avtex sets can be viewed at an angle without losing picture quality. Useful in a caravan. I look forward to your future videos. Steve
Very useful video. Thank you. My one tip would be too check the current (amps) the TV is drawing. These days, as most lights are LED, the TV will be the second highest consumption device after the refrigerator
my 50" Samsung HD only draws 90w.
MrSnookerballs but that is a mains TV (240 volts)
Great vid very clear. Yes it would be great for you to do videos on using Netflix and Amazon Prime in the van., particularly saving programs to play back later, saving other programs to media to play back on the TV. It would be interesting to see/hear a review of the soundbar, as its possible to just use any extra speaker - but whats the connection advantages and importantly -whats the sound like to warrant the price to make it worthwhile overall if it does. Thanks again Dan for the time and EFFORT you put in to making these videos.
Hi Dan, I'd live to see a video on setting up a Mifi network in the caravan and the best deal for data. More and more of our viewing seems to be online these days.
The problem with a video on the best deal for data is that it would be out of date a week or so after it was filmed.
There are plenty of websites which will do a comparison for you with the very latest data and you're really going to be better off using one of these.
Just picked up a 3 HomeFi. Unlimited data £22 a month. Comes with a mains plug.can even connect TV via ethernet to reduce number of wireless devices. The device is 12v and I have made a lead so can still use when off grid. This will be our 3rd year with this setup and have always found it great. Can use it to stream. Comes with go binge so for Netflix doesn't even use any data.
@@nabarnes I know what you mean about the deals. I was thinking more of the equipment needed and if it was better to buy an unlocked device or one where you are tied to a particular network. Thinking about it more, you are right. Dan's channel might not necessarily be the right place for that.
@@thejnremeryfamily1978 do you use that at home too? I begrudge paying for two modems 😖
I have not considered a 12v TV simply because we have two TV's in our caravan. One for us too watch TV and one for Mike to play xbox. I bought them second hand off a Facebook selling group and together they cost £45 for the pair. One is a Samsung 21" and one is an LG 22" and after 18 months caravanning they are still going strong. If they die I'll just pick another bargain. Some may call me tight but I prefer frugal.
I bought a 217DRS series 5 years ago off a well known auction site. Had a problem with after a few months. Phoned up Avtex and they arranged collection & repair free of charge, back within a week. Brilliant customer service. Still working well and use in kitchen at home. Worth buying the case to keep all leads
You should have a look at the little SOYAR 9" portable TV, It has a built in battery that lasts for 3 hours and it will run off of the Cigar Lighter Socket and it comes with a mains adapter and an Antenna and some other leads, Mine will pick up 174 Freeview Channels from the little Antenna and the picture Is extremely high quality, I bought it from Amazon for around £62 or £64.00 But the best part about it is IT's power consumption, It uses between 6.4 to 8.4 Watts and it is idea for off grid use where you don't have 240 hook up, A single 100Ah battery will power it for over 10 - 12 days running it for 16 hours a day and it will still keep going for even longer if you let it. I find this little TV a joy to use that I stopped using my 48" flat screen, It is the second best thing I have bought next to my 4x4 Fridge Freezers.
I use a ESTAR TV 12v and works well on my solar panel 200 watts with firestick. Will have to make a channel about my motorhome.
Thanks for this have been debating on which tv to buy
Just bought a 12volt TV 24" full HD British made for £119. Not 3x a house TV. Have a normal household 240volt 24" LG TV in my truck getting bounced around building sites off road everyday for 3 years it's still working fine on a cheap £15 aerial ment for flats-balcony's railing on the back of my truck cab and a aerial booster in line. It never fails and at some points my cab will be blocking the signal direction of origin . Still no problem.
Good video Dan. We have a Avtex because we needed 12 volt for motorhome use. Now we have caravan I would probably by mains only because very unlikely to be off grid in van. If price closer would def by 12volt tho.👍..Cheers Rob
Hi Mr.T thanks for another great info-vid. I am looking at narrow-boating, thus your points about vibration and moisture resistance are especially apt. Also, there is a large efficiency-loss with converting a 12v feed, via an inverter, to a 240v feed, only to have the tv or its lead re-convert to 12v for the tv to use (as was said by CD, below, tvs do not actually operate on mains voltage - the electronics would fry). My only "but" is that I do not like DVDs incorporated within the tv. Adding moving parts to what is, otherwise, a solid-state apparatus introduces a weakness. Yes, one could then probably buy an external DVD player but I prefer the two to be in different units. Mind you, at this rate, external DVDs will only be available from antique shops soon :(. Thanks Mr.T; I await your future vids with great interest. PS you asked for other suggestions... can you please discuss radio stations via FreeSat and FreeView, and a tv such as the one you are showing. All the best.
Hi Dan. I would be very interested in your views on the Avtex sound bar. I nearly got one on Black Friday when they were going for £90 odd. I use a Bose mini speaker off my computer set up not necessarily to improve the sound of the Avtex but merely to get the sound coming from the front of the TV rather than the back. Recently I have changed to plugging a 3.5mm lead into the headphone socket of the Avtex with the other end going to the Aux socket on the caravan radio and this works quite well.
Also check out Ferguson tvs which have been relaunched by UK manufacturer Cello. There is a good choice of 12v models in the range. We bought a 22 inch, full hd with 12v, dvd, satellite and digital tuners for £150. It works well, looks good and it was delivered next day free of charge.
Well done Dan another great video. But also remember 12v tv don’t get as hot as a mains and the chance of electric shocks is reduced. Colin Mew
I've got a 50" Samsung ultra HD at home and that doesn't get hot. LED tv's don't get hot. don't forget that 99% of tv's have a transformer/resistors built in to take voltage down to 12v even if you can only plug into 240v.
We tinkered on the idea of 12v but price won us over in the end as we don’t tend to watch much tv - only for background noise, or if there happens to be a major sporting event on. We tend to use a MacBook or iPad. We do have a £99 currys special and use a gadget for watching movies. Picture is perfect on tv and from any connected device 👍🏼
We bought a 22” mains TV. Has built in DVD, Records and play back from USB so pause live TV. Netflix and Amazon Prime are on it. Dead easy to retune. Costs about £125. If I ever felt the need I’d go for an inverter but we are very rarely off grid. I just can’t see the point in a caravan specialist tv and costs £400 or so.
Hi Dan, as usual, great stuff. Can you cover Satellite systems, European coverage, Auto vs Manual set ups, weights on the roof, What's the reality of having a Sat dish? Myths, what do you really get and don't you get??? Cheers
Why not buy a 230v telly and an inverter for £30 or so?
The trouble with dedicated caravan TVs is that demand is too little for them to be made either cheaply or with the sort of quality most people expect these days.
It's a moot point for me though since I'm happier with the radio and a book.
Thanks for the video. My question is about battery management. My previous Lance camper had a 12v Jensen TV. My new Rockwood has a Furrion 110v TV. The Rockwood has an inverter and TV works fine using the inverter. I would like to know which type of TV will use less of my battery, a 12V TV or a 110V TV with inverter? The RV Dealer suggests Rockwood put in 110v TV just because it is cheaper. Does it make sense to swap out the 110v TV for a 12V TV?
We bought a cello 22” 12v tv for around £140 which I have to say is pretty dam good my only issue is the sound isn’t great but to be honest it’s good enough for us 👌🏻
Looking forward to the video on setting the TV for satellite.
Hi Dan, we’re considering adding a portable satellite dish to our van. We currently only have the option to watch DVD’s, as there is no mobile phone or TV signal available at our remote seasonal pitch in the Northumberland National Park. Have you any experience or heard of any bad or good experiences. There seems to be two main manufacturers. Cheers keep up the good work.
Love my avtex t.v. main reason why I got it was for off grid use (max draw is 1.8 amps I believe and that's due to DVD function normal t.v. use is less) but also to get things on mains/hook up as not all sites cab supply 16 amps we even use a whistle kettle
Hi there, great video. I was just wondering what the viewing angle is like?
Thank you for this video and a very knowledgeable explanation
Most 240v TVs that have a power block in between the TV and the plug can simply have a 12v adapter used instead of the mains. There are lots of places you can buy a 12v power supply for a 240v TV online. This might be useful if you already have a 240v TV and don't want to have to pay out for a separate 12v TV. The 240v TVs are considerably better quality than the 12v TVs and I have had no issues towing with my 26 inch Samsung TV attached to the wall to an arm on the wall, TV is sturdy enough. I also found a 12v adapter for my manhattan satellite receiver and for my Lenovo mini PC.
Good video very helpful for me.. I'm not into caravans but I'm going to try and use a 12v TV as my corse and chart plotter for my boat using a pc (as big as a tobacco tin... Madness I know) loaded with Windows 10 and a bus port for GPS and other such things needed on a boat. If works you my friend may have saved me a shed ton of cash 😉
We have just bought a Autotrail tribute with the pro/L249DRS -PRO , and I’m a green horn when it comes to setting up TV etc have you got a start to finish on this model for us cheers from NZ
Hi look foreword to watch all your videos as I have just brought my first caravan.
Hi, great video. I use a 240v TV (Samsung T24D391EW). I choose it as it has an external step down transformer so the TV is actually expecting 14v input. When tested it worked with an input voltage from 11.5 to 14.8 volts without any difference so I then went on Ebay and purchased an 12v car adapter for the TV which i routinely use instead on the mains power brick as it is tidier behind the telly. The TV cost £120 and has a great picture runs off the battery with hardly any drain and has a great picture, shame there is just nothing worth watching.
Update, Just looking for a second TV for our new caravan and if you look at the pictures on new 24 inch samsung TV's they nearly all use the same 14v input and an adapter brick which you can throw out and replace with a 12v adapter cable from Ebay ;-)
Hi, great video. My 12v cello tv does not have a satellite connector, how would I connect a satellite dish to my TV?
Thanks Dan, We've bought our first caravan (Baileys) and would like to install a t.v so thanks for pointing this out. We have no clue and probably just bought any ol' one but of course would have checked youtube first though. Appreciate the heads up.! Also how has the air conditioning unit panned out? Keen to know all about that as well.
I live in the USA and I love watching your videos to see the differences between American RVing and British caravanning. One thing I've always wondered about is when you are off grid you never mention using a generator. In America that is most RVers default option when off grid or "boondocking" as we call it. Couldn't you in the UK use a generator as well ? Or is the higher price of gasoline/petrol make using a generator cost prohibitive in the UK ?
Brian Carroll , hi , it more the noise factor in the uk 🇬🇧, we don’t have as much space, there is usually someone not that far away but I do carry a Honda generator and use it when we can.. mainly for the wife’s hairdryer in the morning !!😬
We have an Avtex fitted to our Autotrail. Within the first year the picture failed and it had to go back for repair and now 3 years later the DVD player won't even accept a disc. For the price, I haven't found them to be very robust and certainly wouldn't buy another. It will be mains TV from now on.
If you consider what you use a television for, the two main points you should use to judge are picture quality first and sound quality second. From that point of view alone whether it's 12 V or 24 vaults comes further down the line. The reason I bought an Avtex 21inch television/DVD for the caravan was purely and simply the picture quality that it gave. Of all the flatscreen televisionsI have, I still find it hard to find a unit that gives decent sound quality. You can buy a Chinese manufactured sound bar on Amazon for around £34 which gives you excellent sound quality when connected to the Avtex and they are compact and the same width as the TV screen. The other thing that people neglect when buying a television is the correct size for the space available. For a normal size caravan a 20 to 22 inch unit is perfectly suited to the usual lounge layout. Some people make the big mistake that the bigger the screen, the better the picture. This is not the case. Flat screen televisions are designed to be used at specific viewing distances to suit the size of the screen. If you get this correct you will enjoy a much sharper picture and a much more pleasant viewing experience.
Another informative video Dan, how about explaining exterior booster hookup..and whether an external aerial socket can hookup to it..
Very interesting and informative Dan. Your set up looks good - we're not fans of a wall mounted TV in the van and putting in in the bedroom area is something we wouldn't even entertain at home. I've fiddled with DVD & satellite separate boxes previously and the attraction of having it all in one unit is high. We watch a lot of Netflix these days - we can download shows to the ipad / iPhone and watch them offline at our leisure (nearing the end of Breaking Bad as we speak!). With the Avtex, is there an option to "mirror" your Apple or Android device onto the tv and watch previously saved content? It works in various hotel rooms I;ve used over the years, but wonder if this feature could be used in a van TV?
Thanks for persevering with my question, look forward to your comments Dan
Great video Dan! We use our tv on 12volt always because if the electric goes of the TV doesn’t and we go of Grid lots! Not being funny but how much did you pay for you TV? We fancy one for our new Unicorn. Thanks Oliver
Nice informative video sir!!
Good vid, we have an Aldi 12v/mains tv, no problems at all, but a big red button on the Avtex is a good idea.
Only wanted to know if it was cheaper to run with 12v transformer, or stick with mains tv for home ?????? BASICALLY which is most cost saving on electricity ?????( as I've already seen these advertised for " in home " too ! . NOT really any help !🤔😒
I see this vid is a year old. Do you still use your tv? Or have you moved onto an iPad Pro? Sure, it might not be the size you want, but how often do you sit in your van watching tv? Genuine question? For my wife and I, the iPad Pro works perfectly for a movie in bed, and keeping the kids entertained. That’s camping with tents and a caravan....👍🏻
Yep, still use the same TV, the same Roku stick - in fact nothing has changed on this front at all..
Excellent video, but would really like to hear your thoughts on the sound bar, is it worth the price? Does it improve the sound enough to warrant the cost?
Thanks again for the video, as a result I bought the Avtex pro 9.
Hi, the sound bar is brilliant. I know its expensive, but it works so well with the TV. i will run a review of it in the coming weeks.
Dan
Thanks Dan. Look forward to it.
Another well made informative video but, have to differ on a couple of points, please don't take this as being a hater etc..
I can't accept paying a 3x premium for a TV just for the caravan, even though it does have a sat tuner built in. Quick retune button is good, but not rocket science to click into a menu & do this.
I don't agree with your comments about domestic tellies not being up to the rigours of caravanning. It's not as if they still contain valves & CRT tubes. They're just a panel, PCB board & possibly a PSU board (if it doesn't have an external brick). These will happily take the trauma of a trip to site. If you get a domestic model that comes with an external mains brick, which many do, you can substitute this for a 12 volt cable for under a tenner & still run off the battery.
For satellite on a budget, car boot sales are a great source of used SKY TV boxes, that will receive all the free channels.
Keep up the good work...
Hi Dan. Love all the videos. They are so helpful and are a great source of information. I'm in the market for a 12v tv so it would be great if you could do a review of the tv that you have. How is the caravan going for you and your family? I'm torn between Bailey and adria caravans. Thanks again.
The thing is that all t.v.'s work on 12 volt by default. By using the mains option you are using a portion of your amperage from the power input to run it, leaving less for the other more critical uses, using 12 volt doesn't!
If running on battery through an inverter, the 12 volt is boosted to 220 volts mains voltage, then the transformer, either external or built in to the t.v., reducers the 220 volt down to 12 volt to run the t.v. Bearing in mind that every time the voltage changes up or down there is a loss of efficiency, through the heat generated. Go 12 volt, it will use less watts an hour and you will do your bit for the planet, it may cost you a few quid more but the Avtec t.v.'s are a suburb, quality product, I will recommend!
@@PatJackson178 Thanks for the advice 👍
I am sat watching my Avtec t.v. / DVD combo. Had two, both free with new motorhomes, both superb. They have 2 HDMI, USB, the lot. Economic to run, full front pic, with only around a 15mm border all around. Great control, just like a full size t.v., tunes fast, vivid colours, comes with 12 v lead and a mains adapter. Very slim, to say there is a DVD player built in the side. The player plays copies ok, only had a couple of fails in what must be 30 dvds.
They come with a stand, or they can be mounted on a standard rear mount.
Personally I wouldn't have any other make now, can't fault them, worth the money!
Cheers
Still deciding on which 12v TV, Avtek are top of the range and about 2.5 times other 12v TV's so I am not yet persuaded to go that route when Cello and other brands are much cheaper. I was attracted by the one button press retune which may not come with cheaper (Cello) brands and Freesat plus Freeview is probably worth thinking about. I don't really see the need for a DVD as I've converted all of mine to MP4 on a memory stick.
I like your video very much. It's really great. I'll keep an eye on your channel. I am your fan and I will support you.
Great video very informative thanks
Thanks well demonstrated and practical, cheers and have a great day
Sorry - a second question. I have always wanted to mount the TV on a bracket. Does the construction of the Avtez lend itself to that more so than a domestic appliance? Thanks by the way for great, helpful and interesting videos.
We looked at Avtex but decided that for what they were they were too expensive. Our 5+ year old standard Samsung tv travels all over the UK in the same box it shipped from where it was made, half way around the world
Samsung has an enviable quality reputation and ships to many places with high humidity. It's internals are therefore highly protected against humidity damage. It has a USB input and two HDMI inputs, as well as an antenna input
It runs once set up connected to both the external antenna and shares its 12v supply with a 4GEE mobile router (with its own mimo external antenna) and an i7 8th Gen 12v DC PC ...... so everything runs on 12v without requiring external 220v EHU hook up
No need to buy an expensive Avtex TV. We have a small LG TV which is powered by an external mains power "brick"that provides a nominal 14V for the TV. In the caravan I don't use the brick but plug the TV direct into a 12V socket (which is 13.6V approximately). This has worked fine for a couple of years even when "off grid".
I have two 12v tv's in our caravan, one in the bedroom area and the other in the lounge. The one question I do have is in respect to whether it matters weather you plug in using the 12v socket or the mains plug when you're on electric hook-up (obviously you have no choice when you're off grid.)
Just curious as to what's recommended, as I never know which outlet is best to use.
Hi David, just read your comment.........we are the same as you with two telly's...I only have them plugged into the 12V when we are off grid. I make a point of unplugging them from the 12V and tucking the plug up behind the tally's when we're on mains power. The reason I do this is because leaving any 12V socket plugged in will pull your Leisure battery down quite sharpish.......probably you'll have to buy a new battery in a short time. Tellys pull power all the time even when they are switched off.
Thanks for your Martin. You make a valid point, but if you're on a site and the caravan's hooked-up to the mains, isn't the battery being constantly charged up anyway? That's why I wondered whether or not it mattered whether you used 12v or the mains. 🤔
David, in my case I choose to go with the 240V at all times when I'm hooked up, (which is the majority of my camping). When we did off grid hols, I did start to forget to pull the telly 12V plugs out each night, this was just a matter of becoming sick and tired of the constant mess on! The battery really started to stress because there were two tellys on standby, not one. I looked at my amp-meter and thing wasn't doing what I expected all of a sudden. Things had really started to deteriorate. OK, yes the battery will flatten gradually no matter what when we go off grid............moving on, what I was lucky to remember was to pull all the 12V plugs out at the end of that holiday. For sure and no doubt about it, the battery would have died if I'd left the van in storage and gone home forgetting to pull the plugs out. All this represents risk mixed with human frailty. So there's the good and the bad when we dip our toes into the 12V game..........
How do you find the picture quality on the Avtex, especially the viewing angle and contrast? We have a three year old 24” Avtex and if it hadn’t cost so much I’d have replaced it by now.
First the viewing angle. Despite many TVs being installed high up in vans this one is biased to be clearer looking DOWN at it.
This is compounded by a very poor rendering of dark scenes. We set off with a box set of Game of Thrones and found it very hard to see what was going on!
I certainly expected much better for the money. Is the new range any better?
We have a 14" 12v tv with inbuilt cd player got it from pc world about 7 years ago it come with a 240v transformer and we have a lidi's freesat and dish kit and I made a 12v cable for both.bit of a bugger to set the sat up though
MOST if not all 24" TVs are 12v as they are tested on a 12v rig before leaving the factory.....you just need to open up the tv back find the 12v socket and extend that to the side of the tv with an added Din socket....job done
So I'm a little confused. I'm under the impression that the wall plugs in a travel trailer don't have any power unless hooked up to shore power, generator, inverter. So how is the TV getting power?
Hi there, so In the UK our caravans are equipped with a leisure battery, most systems require a 12v supply to work. we also plug the caravan into a hook up once we arrive on site to run additional items and to charge the battery. if you have solar you can go "off grid" and use all the systems that run off 12volts, such as this TV.
Hope that helps
Hi Dan. The wife and I love nothing better than a good movie and a bag of popcorn. We were considering a mini/portable projector and screen for that big image cinematic experience. (With battery projectors plentiful e.g. Apeman), any thoughts?! Perhaps a future video?