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Hello out there,

Does anyone use their laptop as a tv? If so, what do you use and can you use it on 12v for those unhooked-up moments..............

We have managed to establish that you can watch tv through a laptop (haven't bought one yet!) by use of an adapter aerial thingie. However asking techi guys in Comet etc, no one seems to know if you can use a laptop safely on 12v.

We took our regular LCD tv to France this year and tried to watch it on 12v, mistake! we later learn that LCD's are sensitive to 12v. Tv works at home still but is a lot darker.

We are now debating the purchase of a caravan/motorhome tv at the seemingly cost of £300 or trying to use a laptop as a tv as well, thus reducing costs.

Any advice anyone?

Thanks Eightpot! I knew there would be someone more technically minded out there.

That's really helpfull, I think that answers the question really. I'll check it out. We haven't got the laptop yet but have looked at Acer, newish on the seen apparently but performing really well, so heading in their direction.

Even more encouraging thanks Steve.

I am amazed how many people are still up and about at this time of night! Just got a fright looking at the time, my alarm goes off at 6am!

Hi Billy's Mum

I have an Acer 1650, bought from Comet. We have used that as a TV for the last three years, and it is superb.

Cost wise it makes sense, they pack away easily (laptop bag), and you can use the laptop as a normal computer. If choosing a laptop for a TV, you MUST get one with a wide angle screen. Some laptops are designed to have a very narrow viewing angle for privacy (eg when working on a train). To test this out, go to a shop like Comet, see how far you can see the screen clearly from each side. You will find quite a difference. Acer have several different screen qualities available. Check them out in-store.

As has been posted above, a 12v adaptor from Maplin is quite cheap, we have used one regularly, there is no reason why they should not be OK. Many years ago I used to design these things...  On 12v, the charger uses 4 amps with the laptop fully charged, so with a 110ah battery, it would run a laptop for about 24 hours continuously. Remember, you could also charge it up whilst on the move.

Next, consider a laptop with a 4 hour internal battery life. This will play a full DVD without a recharge.

I use an AverTV card. This has proved to be very good and gets both analogue and digital TV, so you get all the extra freeview channels, and works abroad. It will also play radio channels, and download from a video camera. It will also record, a big plus for the laptop against the TV. Another plus is the fact that you can store unlimited "sets" of channels, so if you go back to the same campsite some time later, you can simply reload the channel settings. It cost about £42 from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/AVerMedia-AVerTV-Cardbus-Digital-Analogue/dp/B000AMKFEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1218446033&sr=8-1

Finally I bought a pair of external USB speakers, about £20 to give a reasonable sound quality.

Essentially then the laptop provides a full entertainment system, analogue and digital TV, radio, video recorder, DVD player, CD player, DVD recorder, MP3 player. Quality, certainly as good as a quality TV. Cost effective? Certainly.

Martin

Hi Chris

I should have mentioned that I use an Image caravan aerial like this:

together with an aerial booster. The booster is essential in all but strong signal areas. This combination seems to be as good as any, and equally good as the large roof aerial I have at home which also needs a booster. Picks up analogue and digital signals and can be mounted horizontally or vertically. Also fits easily into the front van box for travelling.

Martin

Martin

Hi Freeatlsat,

Great info as Chris said. Has promted more questions though.

Our motorhome has a 12v, 2 pin socket and we really want to be able to plug into that, rather than trail a wire form the fag lighter at the front. Do you know if you can take the fag lighter connector off and just fit a 2 pin plug onto it instead?

You can buy converter leads with a 2 pin plug and a 12v lighter connector socket at most caravan shops.

Quote: Originally posted by eightpot on 10/8/2008

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You can buy laptop power supplies powered from a 12v car cigarette socket. This one, from Maplin.

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I knew I should have posted this topic before buying an Acer and Hauppauge Win TV-Nova- T-Stick, the I could have saved hours of trawling round Maplins etc asking "what aerial would you suggest for laptop TV"?

It all works okay at home, but is a problem when I've tried it in poor reception areas. I think the answer is to buy a caravan aerial, but we are tenters - any suggestions?

DVD player is perfect though, and a great solution for when my wife, who is deaf, gets bored with reading as she can read the subtitles. Mind you, having watched a pocket TV once when we were in Dorset, I didn't think we'd be venturing into TV under canvas. Hope we aren't getting old and tedious, although I do prefer books to TV most of the time.

Internet dongle is a great help and allows me to keep in contact with work and send work in while on holiday. Hang on! I'm missing the point of going on holiday.

Oh well.

Keep dry all.

Hi all,

thanks for all the top tips, obvioulsy we all need our tv's at somepoint! I can see we are going shopping! I'll let you know how successful we are!

Quote: Originally posted by 80 cube on 12/8/2008

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I knew I should have posted this topic before buying an Acer and Hauppauge Win TV-Nova- T-Stick, the I could have saved hours of trawling round Maplins etc asking "what aerial would you suggest for laptop TV"?

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I must admit that I haven't had great results with my TV Nova but, without knowing the area's reception quality, it may well not be a fault of the receiver.

I just want to add... have you tried TV Nova's diversity mode? This is a feature where it uses both tuners on one channel to improve reception. It certainly does make a difference.