Phoenix Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Hi all, i will guess this has been asked before some where, but i would like your thoughts on which is the best TV for the boat. I have a Freeman 25, the sockets aboard are 12v cig sockets. Taking in to account im getting on a bit and the ole eyes aren't what they used to be and the same for the ears :-) so require something that i can view comfortably. The technical side. So what aerial would i need, as in just an aerial on a cable, drilled and fitted type, or A N Other? Power consumption is obviously an issue for all of us on a boat, it will be run strictly from leisure battery, so what is the amp draw of most TV's. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks in advance Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I have a 24" sharp TV that came with a 12v lead, it does all the smart bits and with a usb/sata lead and a ssd on the you can save stuff at home and watch in places where the signal is crap. When not on the boat it's the bedroom TV. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annv Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Hi Mark I suggest the largest flat screen tv you can fit that is a ordinary 240 volt domestic tv and not cheap make then run it of a coke can inverter or already fitted inverter this way you get more for your money getting a 12volt tv reduces your choice and quality, then run it of a Ballard aerial these are not necessarily better than a conventual one but they are small and inconspicuous and dont get blown of direction and snag on anything when you dismantle it to pack away. John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadAmbition Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Agree with the Omni Ballade aerial Griff 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oddfellow Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 I would recommend using a pure sine wave inverter rather than a cheap coke-can inverter. Modified sine wave inverters aren't good longer-term for sensitive electronics. If you get a 12v TV, make sure it's one that is designed to work on boats and motorhomes. It it's designed to work with a power brick, it's a bad idea to just connect it to your boat as your boat isn't 12v. You might think it is, but it's 14.4v when charging and any other voltage at other times and a 12v TV with a power brick is expecting 12v constant, not the fluctuating power of your boat. Long story short, it will damage your TV. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helian Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 Think this has been discussed before. I use a 24" cello which is designed to run off 12v with dvd and usb, and a small magnetic omnidirectional aerial on the (grp) radar arch 😉. Perfectly adequate. Also note the stand fixings on the back are computer monitor standard so easy to replace with a heavier stand, swing out wall mount or similar. The cello we have is designed for boats, TVs, caravans etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesey69 Posted August 30, 2021 Share Posted August 30, 2021 My Asda special is a 240 model but it uses only 35watts at full chat. Easily handled by any inverter. my Ariel? Normal Broads one on a boat hook! or now tv stick linked to my phone as a hotspot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helian Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 14 hours ago, Cheesey69 said: now tv stick linked to my phone as a hotspot. Assumes you can get a decent phone signal.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadAmbition Posted August 31, 2021 Share Posted August 31, 2021 Whichever tv you decide on, make sure before hand you can view it ok from any angle, our first one was pretty poor if you got more than 40 odd degrees from centre. The current one is a 'Smart' Sharp and we are well pleased with it. It's 240v through a pure signwave inverter Griff 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted September 1, 2021 Author Share Posted September 1, 2021 On 30/08/2021 at 17:33, Helian said: Think this has been discussed before. I use a 24" cello which is designed to run off 12v with dvd and usb, and a small magnetic omnidirectional aerial on the (grp) radar arch 😉. Perfectly adequate. Also note the stand fixings on the back are computer monitor standard so easy to replace with a heavier stand, swing out wall mount or similar. The cello we have is designed for boats, TVs, caravans etc. Thanks for this, will the cello still require an inverter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CambridgeCabby Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Cello sell 12volt tv’s amongst their range and for these no inverter is required , example below this one has a fitted DVD player also Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyg Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Even better still, pack the tv back into its box, pour yourself a large glass of whatever tickels your fancy. Sit back and look out the window. Your never see a repeat or suffer bad reception and watching the world go by is truly wonderful and calming. 😉 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vanessan Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 1 hour ago, andyg said: Even better still, pack the tv back into its box, pour yourself a large glass of whatever tickels your fancy. Sit back and look out the window. Your never see a repeat or suffer bad reception and watching the world go by is truly wonderful and calming. 😉 It does get dark sometimes on the Broads you know! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyg Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 17 minutes ago, vanessan said: It does get dark sometimes on the Broads you know! No it doesn't, does it ? 🤷♂️. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
addicted Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 We've also had a Cello for quite a few trouble free years. Ours not only has a dvd player it also has a timer/ record facility. Meaning I could still go out to dinner on Saturday nights and not miss Strictly. Having bought a Cello for the boat I liked it so much I replaced our kitchen t.v. with another Cello but a little larger. That of course works on mains but we've always used it on the boat on 12v and never found it to be a problem for the batteries. Carole 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helian Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 3 hours ago, Phoenix said: Thanks for this, will the cello still require an inverter? Nope, just 12v, from battery, cigarette lighter socket, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heron Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 CELLO also do a solar powered model in 2 screen sizes, I think. We have a 22 inch one, solar panel sits on the roof and charges the internal battery during daylight hours and saves using the boats domestic batteries. It can also be charged whilst under way by the domestic batteries or, if you can get hooked up, from the mains. Very pleased with ours so far. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooster Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 I had a similar decision to make for my Freeman 27, and once I considered my options I went for a Cello Traveller 24". It was around £199 from Amazon, has loads of connections if you want them so you can stick a USB stick in it and record and pause TV, use it with Apple TV, Amazon Fire stick, it has a DVD player built in and work on mains and 12V. You don't need all that stuff of course and using it as a basic TV it's great. Anyway, I'm very happy with it. It's miles better than a cumbersome satellite aerial set up I used in the past. I got an aerial from Norwich camping and Leisure for £39 ( Amazon sell them too) https://www.norwichcamping.co.uk/shop/product/avtex-20db-digital-tv-antenna-4249/ which is easy to stick up either inside or out and is small enough to not be a nuisance. I plug it into the same 12V socket via a splitter and everything works fine. I get over 100 channels of crap to entertain me when I'm aboard including Netflix, Amazon Prime and just about any other thing I want via either a Fire Stick anywhere or - if I'm on shore power - Apple TV. The current draw of both isn't much. I can't recall how much but at the time I was worried and when I calculated it, it was about 6 amps or so. I'd buy the same set up again 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 On 01/09/2021 at 17:42, Helian said: Nope, just 12v, from battery, cigarette lighter socket, etc. ok just worried that the boat charges up to 14v, will the change in DC not damage the TV? Does the power brick adjust the voltage going in to the tv? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted September 4, 2021 Share Posted September 4, 2021 If a tv comes with a cigar lighter lead for 12v the chances are voltage control is done within the tv as well as the basic 240v/12v in the power brick. Most of the internal electricery is likely to run at 5v anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveO Posted September 25, 2021 Share Posted September 25, 2021 We have a Toshiba with a 24 inch screen. Gives a great picture, good sound and runs nicely on the inverter. I'd go for. Cello, on the basis that it is made in the U.K., but I will run this one until it dies first and we have another identical one at home, so Cello won't be getting my cash any time soon. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceMynah Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 I recently purchased a Cello 24" Good picture but poor sound quality. I have had to buy an external speakeer to get reasonable sound. Apart from that, I'm happy with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grendel Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 yes, its a problem with most modern slimline tv, s in that they dont have enough room for decent speakers, even the sound bars you can mount above the tv although slightly better are slimline, and a good speaker needs a decent depth of cone to give good sound. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webntweb Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 53 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said: I recently purchased a Cello 24" Good picture but poor sound quality. I have had to buy an external speakeer to get reasonable sound. Apart from that, I'm happy with it. MM beat me to it. Phoenix mentions his hearing isn't great so I would recommend he listens to a Cello before he buys one. Could be that it wouldn't be a problem for him, but on the Cello I listened to it wasn't just the volume - speech was mostly unintelligible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wooster Posted September 26, 2021 Share Posted September 26, 2021 Yes, as grendel says, it's common. I have found this sound an issue on every modern TV I've owned. IMO none of them, not even just the smaller ones of a 24" size, are physically able to take speakers capable of a good sound. The Cello isn't the worst offender I've heard and actually I listen to it quite happily on board where space is limited. Buy from Amazon and return if unhappy. I have also found Cello customer service to be very good. They answer the phone quickly and speak to you like a human being. I had an issue with my 12V connector and they solved it by delivering a new connector pretty much the next day with one phone call. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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