Need to buy a TV for my motorhome

[BigT]

I need to buy a 19" LED TV for my Thor Majestic. Do I really need to get an AC-DC model or is AC only OK. Also I noticed that many 19" TVs have built in DVD players. Has anyone got any thoughts on how well these DVD players work. It seems pretty convieneant not having a second piece of equipment to deal with but I am worried about how good they might be.

[Hudsoner]

I don't know about the build in video player, but I have two AC TV's and see no reason why you would want a very expensive Ac-DC unit. You can always play the AC TV with an converter if no shore power is available.

[DocMike]

BigT,

The main advantange to a AC-DC would be the ability to watch TV or DVD while driving down the road without cranking up the genny. The DVD combo does make it easier and a real crowd pleaser if there are children in the RV.
If you can get a Smart TV (allows streaming via WiFi) with the QAM tuner component that would head off the problem some are having with the Sieke TV's not being able to work at certain RV sites due to the newer cable signals (lots of posts this site on this headache).

Doc

[vkb]

Agree with all other comments...if you are looking for a reasonably priced tv..the Vizio has served us well when we have added or replaced tv's in our RV's.
DO make sure your tv is QAM ready so you will be able to hookup to the new cable setups in many of the RV Campgrounds.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by BigT

I need to buy a 19" LED TV for my Thor Majestic. Do I really need to get an AC-DC model or is AC only OK. Also I noticed that many 19" TVs have built in DVD players. Has anyone got any thoughts on how well these DVD players work. It seems pretty convieneant not having a second piece of equipment to deal with but I am worried about how good they might be.

A couple of related thoughts which may or may not apply to your needs:

We've had a 19" TV for years and after watching much larger TVs at home, it seems very small now. It's in our van, which means we sit fairly close, but even then I now wish it was larger. If you can create the necessary space, I recommend you consider going larger if possible/practical. On a recent trip in a rental motorhome (didn't come with TV), I took it out of van and brought it along. I temporarily sat it at edge of overhead bunk at night, and while it worked, it was a little too far for me to enjoy from dinette or couch. The MH was a Thor Majestic 28A.

Ours is 115-Volt only and hasn't been a problem. Power consumption of newer TVs can be so low they can be easily powered from portable inverter -- provided the TV power plug is left where easily accessible.

I would personally keep the TV and DVD separate, if for no other reason than to get a Blu-Ray player instead of DVD. The only reason I would want them as one unit would be if I was going to set it outside and watch a movie, and we honestly haven't done that in 20+ years of camping. We've moved TVs outside but never to watch recorded programming.

Just my 2 cents ... and good luck with project. I'm envious -- which I could also hit the road for a trip before winter.

[tenbear]

I am not sure what you mean by an AC DC TV. Many TVs of that size use an external power supply that converts the AC to some lower voltage DC. These are not advertised as AC DC but work well without the external power supply.

If you make sure the external power supply has an output of 12 VDC, usually marked on the supply, then the TV will work on 12 V without the external supply.

I have used a 22" TV that came with an external supply. I took the external supply off and connected the TV to the 12v power. Be aware that there may be a risk of doing damage to the TV if your 12v supply gets too high.

[BigT]

Thanks for all the feedback. Based on your replies I am going to go with AC only. Most likely I will only be watching TV or movies unless I am parked in a site with electric and TV. I am going to get the built in DVD. I hope it works because it would definately be convenient.