New RVers have television questions

Mo_Mike · 08-05-2016, 02:23 AM

Ok, I know that this is the most important thing about RVing. What does everyone do for TV....

I get the off-air TV, however, does off air get you enough viewing, or do a lot of you use other sources. We are looking at satellite, streaming (Netflix), etc.

Since we are new to this, and haven't really hit the road yet, just trying to use some of your experiences

vkb · 08-05-2016, 02:46 AM

Well....are you planning on dry camping/boondocking or will you stay at
RV Campgrounds ? If you are staying at campgrounds, you can access their cable hookups with a cable attached to the 'post' and attached to your RV.
If you are in an area where you do not have cable..then you may want to check into a dish/etc. setup.

Ag&Au · 08-05-2016, 03:22 AM

As one of KC's human servants just said:

In our over-teched society, the sky's the limit. You can take it all with you as long as your budget can bear it. The ultimate TV fan's choice would probably be a roof mounted satellite antenna that will auto position itself while the RV is in motion. Everyone but the driver(I hope) can keep up to date on all the soaps.

However, I believe you asked what we do. We watch TV in the evening to see a few shows just as we would at home. If the campground has cable, we'd use that. Otherwise we get it off the air if available. We do have a Blue-Ray player and sometimes watch movies on it.

My advice is use the TV as little as possible. Enjoy instead the areas you are travelling through and visiting.

Ken

P.S. KC is a cat who has a very nice motorhome equipped with humans to take him where he wants to go. (I think KC is a he)

Ag&Au · 08-05-2016, 03:34 AM

One other comment:

Streaming is often problematic. Campground WIFI is often low quality and frequently bans streaming and other high bandwidth activities to allow sharing of the available bandwidth. Campgrounds are also often in rural areas where cell data is slow and weak.

Ken

penguin · 08-05-2016, 03:59 AM

I would have to agree with Ken. I ordered my Axis without the outside TV. I might watch the local news at night while sipping a glass of Chianti but I much more enjoy the tranquility of a nice campground rather than 16 minutes of a 30 minute program, the rest being bombarded with commercials.

JamieGeek · 08-05-2016, 11:21 AM

We rarely watch TV when camping. When the TV is on it is showing my son's Playstation.

Occasionally we'll turn the TV on in the evening to wind down (or if its raining). In that case I almost always just use what the antenna can pick up or if I'm not too lazy I'll walk outside and hook up the campground's cable.

Cosmo · 08-05-2016, 11:43 AM

I have a 1TB drive with movies hooked up to this digital player:

https://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD.../dp/B008NO9RRM

Easy to use and works without a needing a computer. Be aware of the 2 TB limit for the Micca.

vkb · 08-05-2016, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ag&Au

My advice is use the TV as little as possible. Enjoy instead the areas you are travelling through and visiting.

Ken

P.S. KC is a cat who has a very nice motorhome equipped with humans to take him where he wants to go. (I think KC is a he)

Ha ! Good Morning ! Ken ... Yes...KC is a our 2 yr old 'little man'
and...the 3 of us do enjoy catching the news, if available, in the morning and late night.
Like others do, we have a dvd player and a box of movies, should we run into poor weather.
TV is not a priority and regarding that outside tv...uh, we have not even turned it on ! Have no idea if it works !!

Happy Day to you ALL !!

KC n Kay

JamieGeek · 08-05-2016, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vkb

regarding that outside tv...uh, we have not even turned it on ! Have no idea if it works !!

They didn't turn it on during the walkthrough/PDI? For shame! LOL

We happened to find one on the lot that matched exactly what we wanted; which happened to be no outside TV.

Jedsmom · 08-05-2016, 02:26 PM

We have 2 TVs in our rig -- one in the living room & one in the bedroom. While there may have been an option for an outside TV, I'm glad ours didn't come with one.

We enjoy TV in the evening. With bans on campfires in many places in CA, we do enjoy watching TV once it's dark and we want to be inside.

Because we have DirecTV at home, we bring 2 receivers and hook them up to a Winegard Carryout. I'm glad we don't have a roof-mounted one, as it provides us with more flexibility in placing it to pick up a signal. When we have the option of using the park's cable, we often do that. But it's not hard to set up the Carryout.

Having the only working TV sometimes makes for a great gathering spot.

We were on the road during the Democratic Convention and were able to easily seat 8 people in our rig to watch the first night. It was lots of fun! And it proved just how comfortable our rig was for that many folks -- even with a kennel for our beagle (had disc surgery & had to be confined).

So, we like the option. And we're glad we have it.

Mo_Mike · 08-05-2016, 02:44 PM

As always, we appreciate all the replies and input from you more experienced travelers.

We actually got our coach for our three "four-legged furry kids" (pups) so they could travel with us. And, except for the times dogs are on the screen, they really couldn't care less what is on TV..

Since we really haven't "hit the road" yet, I really like to rely on everyone else's experiences so I can compare what I have in my head to actual real-life experiences...

sky_blue · 08-05-2016, 02:51 PM

I carry my MacBook Pro with a CD/DVD drive. I also have a DVD Player in the bedroom and a box of DVDs with an eclectic collection of 1950s TV shows.

BUT, since RV Park Wifi mostly doesn't work, I have a Weboost 4G RV cellphone amplifier and use my cellphone as a hotspot. I can then use my Apple TV to stream movies, etc.

Lots of options.

penguin · 08-05-2016, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

They didn't turn it on during the walkthrough/PDI? For shame! LOL

We happened to find one on the lot that matched exactly what we wanted; which happened to be no outside TV.

Holy cow Jamie, I thought I would have been the only one without a outside TV. Great minds think alike.

I guess jedsmom has the same idea.

JamieGeek · 08-05-2016, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguin

I thought I would have been the only one without a outside TV.

Tip: Pull out your kitchen drawers and look behind the cabinet. I bet you find what we found: The 120V outlet for the outside TV completely wired up and laying on the floor.

(Unless you have the oven, it would be behind the oven if you have it.)

DocMike · 08-05-2016, 07:47 PM

Mo Mike,
I went with a mini computer mounted on the top shelf over the sink,to a Blu-ray Hard drive/player, HDMI splitter to the the outside TV and the over the door TV and using a wireless keyboard I can watch a movie or work on the computer. To enhance the WiFi options I have an external WiFi Antenna from WaveRV (marine option originally) that runs thru the computer, setting up a MiFi for the RV. This thing not only gets you a stronger signal it gets you many more signals. Today I am testing it for the first time in a campground in Tenn. I have over 15 WiFi sites to choose from, 8 are NOT password protected!
DW's giving me the evil-eye so I need to go explore the campground. Will see what can be done with streaming later this weekend.

Doc

PS: The "infotainement center" and the antenna are on other threads this forum.

JamieGeek · 08-05-2016, 08:04 PM

Doc,
I just picked up one of these guys to try out in the camper (and other experimentation). I figure for $35 what the heck:
Android Media Player

penguin · 08-06-2016, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JamieGeek

Tip: Pull out your kitchen drawers and look behind the cabinet. I bet you find what we found: The 120V outlet for the outside TV completely wired up and laying on the floor.

(Unless you have the oven, it would be behind the oven if you have it.)

In the storage compartment just below where the TV would go is a box that has cable hook ups and AV cable hook ups. Plus 2 110v receptacles. Don't know if they are operable. I looked where you said ( I have no oven) and saw a gaggle of wires. Don't know if they are hooked up to the afore mentioned box or they are as you explained. My only hope in all of this, is that all of the systems installed in the coach operate as normal. This would make me very happy.

penguin · 08-06-2016, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocMike

Mo Mike,
I went with a mini computer mounted on the top shelf over the sink,to a Blu-ray Hard drive/player, HDMI splitter to the the outside TV and the over the door TV and using a wireless keyboard I can watch a movie or work on the computer. To enhance the WiFi options I have an external WiFi Antenna from WaveRV (marine option originally) that runs thru the computer, setting up a MiFi for the RV. This thing not only gets you a stronger signal it gets you many more signals. Today I am testing it for the first time in a campground in Tenn. I have over 15 WiFi sites to choose from, 8 are NOT password protected!
DW's giving me the evil-eye so I need to go explore the campground. Will see what can be done with streaming later this weekend.

Doc

PS: The "infotainement center" and the antenna are on other threads this forum.

Wow Doc you should work for the NSA. Your one smart fella.

petef · 08-06-2016, 05:10 AM

I have a Roku box and a Samsung mirror cast dongle to put on the Tv what is playing on my phone.. Beyond local Tv these two things fill the gap. Of course good wi-fi or big data, and a good data stream are needed. I do have an outside Tv and use it often as siting in my recliner chair outside is much more comfortable then the seats inside the rig..plus I can lite up a cigar and watch TV, something I never do inside.

JamieGeek · 08-06-2016, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguin

In the storage compartment just below where the TV would go is a box that has cable hook ups and AV cable hook ups. Plus 2 110v receptacles. Don't know if they are operable. I looked where you said ( I have no oven) and saw a gaggle of wires. Don't know if they are hooked up to the afore mentioned box or they are as you explained. My only hope in all of this, is that all of the systems installed in the coach operate as normal. This would make me very happy.

Wow we don't have that, just the 110V socket lying on the floor inside. They must have got further along in the build process for yours before deciding not to put the outside TV on... Although I think the walls are pre-cut thus long before they are wiring they know if there will be a TV given the presence of the hole.

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