Best caravan/campervan TV solution?

Best caravan/campervan TV solution?

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Discussion

Rosscow

Original Poster:

9,013 posts

170 months

Sunday 2nd March 2014
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What do people use?

I have a spare Sky+ box, so presume I just need a fairly simple satellite dish set up?

Presume Freeview boxes are bit touch and go now that analogue is dead?

Thanks in advance!

Ross

nutsytvr

579 posts

205 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
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If UK only, then yes a simple dish. Suggest you get one of the "self seek" jobbies - it can be a real pain trying to find the right satellite manually - the beeper things that allegedly tell you when locked on are useless, and you finish up with Mrs in the van, yelling when the grey bars appear on the TV screen, by which time you have moved the dish. Can cause as many rows as an awning. Especially if you miss her favourite programme.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

9,013 posts

170 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
quotequote all
Cheers - by Christ those self-seeking ones are expensive!!!

I think I may go down the route of an Avtex TV and see how I get on with the existing Status aerial with Freeview to start with.

Maybe get an 'argument in a box' style satellite dish if I don't have any joy with the above hehe

Chicken Chaser

8,137 posts

231 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
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I'm not having a TV in the camper. Should be out exploring, cooking outside and generally enjoying being away from the telly and all that. I will however, be investing in a tablet (or might just take the laptop) with a couple of films for when the weather is poor/late at night.

nagsheadwarrior

2,789 posts

186 months

Monday 3rd March 2014
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Avtex's are great tvs,worth the extra money.
They now do ones with built in freesat so get one of those and you wont need a digibox if ever you do get a sat dish.

Bare in mind sat dishes wont get uk tv very far beyong northern france anymore.

Rosscow

Original Poster:

9,013 posts

170 months

Tuesday 4th March 2014
quotequote all
Chicken Chaser said:
I'm not having a TV in the camper. Should be out exploring, cooking outside and generally enjoying being away from the telly and all that. I will however, be investing in a tablet (or might just take the laptop) with a couple of films for when the weather is poor/late at night.
In a perfect world, I'd agree. But with an 18 month old and a 4 year old we need it for emergencies hehe

Rosscow

Original Poster:

9,013 posts

170 months

Tuesday 4th March 2014
quotequote all
nagsheadwarrior said:
Avtex's are great tvs,worth the extra money.
They now do ones with built in freesat so get one of those and you wont need a digibox if ever you do get a sat dish.

Bare in mind sat dishes wont get uk tv very far beyong northern france anymore.
Yeah, I cam to the conclusion that the one with DTV/Satellite/DVD and 12v power is worth the extra £.

Like you say, I'm also covered for if I want to change to satellite.

Also, you can record/pause/rewind etc. via a USB stick. Bonus!

Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

268 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
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I refuse to pay 'camper' duties. TV and Satellite for a caravan/camper/boat seem to add a couple of hundred pounds!

I bought a 22" LED TV from Tesco for £120 - okay so it doesn't work on 12v, just 240v. I bought a tripod and Sky dish and cabling from Ebay for about £20. A satellite finder for less than a tenner - which despite other posters decrying them, works brilliantly. Sky + HD box lifted from home.

I have to confess though, that I invested in one of the roof mounted wind up dishes last year for an eye watering £200ish. A lot more stable than the tripod set up, and (hopefully!)doesn't get knocked by passers by.

FatSumo

15,078 posts

176 months

Thursday 6th March 2014
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It'll get knocked by seagulls instead hehe

We just tether our tablets to the phone and use netflix. We can then connect them to the tv to view on a larger screen if we desire smile obviously, poor mobile reception can hinder that laugh

Rosscow

Original Poster:

9,013 posts

170 months

Friday 7th March 2014
quotequote all
Tyre Smoke said:
I refuse to pay 'camper' duties. TV and Satellite for a caravan/camper/boat seem to add a couple of hundred pounds!

I bought a 22" LED TV from Tesco for £120 - okay so it doesn't work on 12v, just 240v. I bought a tripod and Sky dish and cabling from Ebay for about £20. A satellite finder for less than a tenner - which despite other posters decrying them, works brilliantly. Sky + HD box lifted from home.

I have to confess though, that I invested in one of the roof mounted wind up dishes last year for an eye watering £200ish. A lot more stable than the tripod set up, and (hopefully!)doesn't get knocked by passers by.
You can buy this 21.5" Avtex for £377:

http://www.capitalstores.co.uk/avtex-l216drs-21-5-...

This includes Freeview HD tuner, a Freesat HD tuner, a DVD player, ability to pause, rewind, record and use it with 12v.

You've spent £120 on a boggo TV. You have to lift your Sky box from at home. You can't use 12v. It can't play DVD's.

You're not really comparing like for like smile


Tyre Smoke

23,018 posts

268 months

Friday 7th March 2014
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No, I suppose not. The TV does have a built in DVD player though. Wherever we camp though (and it is more glamping than camping)we have 240v hook up. Only once have we used a genny and that was at Le Mans.

Now at Le Mans we pitch in Houx with the 240v hook up.

I can appreciate that some of you more adventurous types camp everywhere, I was just offering an alternative opinion.

shovelheadrob

1,564 posts

178 months

Saturday 8th March 2014
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My two pence worth, I bought a cheap 22" HD ready TV from Tesco, built in freeview & dvd player, around £100, I've have an Omni directional Vision plus aerial on the caravan & it is pretty rubbish, I also have a directional Vision aerial which is on a 3 metre pole which is better but I also have a freesat kit which was around £49 from Aldi, I bought a tripod from our local caravan place & it is fantastic value for money. I work all over the place in the UK & Scandinavia & usually live on site in our caravan & despite being constantly moved, all the stuff works as well now as it did 3 years ago. The other very useful thing are a couple of apps on my phone, Satfinder & UK Aeial Alignment which make finding a signal so much easier.

Chrisgr31

13,741 posts

262 months

Saturday 15th March 2014
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Tyre Smoke said:
I refuse to pay 'camper' duties. TV and Satellite for a caravan/camper/boat seem to add a couple of hundred pounds!

I bought a 22" LED TV from Tesco for £120 - okay so it doesn't work on 12v, just 240v. I bought a tripod and Sky dish and cabling from Ebay for about £20. A satellite finder for less than a tenner - which despite other posters decrying them, works brilliantly. Sky + HD box lifted from home.

I have to confess though, that I invested in one of the roof mounted wind up dishes last year for an eye watering £200ish. A lot more stable than the tripod set up, and (hopefully!)doesn't get knocked by passers by.
2 years ago I bought a TV/DVD combo from Richer Sounds less than £120. Runs on 240 or 12v, built in Freeview tuner, then bought an aerial and pole, job jobbed!

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

144 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
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We have a Mio Satnav that plays Freeview TV. Small Screen but it works well with a very good picture and the sound isn''t too bad.

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

144 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
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Not used it myself but Maplin stock some fairly cheap mobile satellite stuff


Emley

352 posts

253 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
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We are quite happy with the iPad and a 3G MiFi for occasional use.
Able to stream most channels.

norwichphoto

1,114 posts

231 months

Monday 31st March 2014
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My motorhome came with a 17" freeview lcd tv. It has a roof mounted aerial and a signal booster. I use an app on my android tablet which tells me based on GPS what angle to turn the aerial to, and use the compass built in to confirm.

Seems to work OK.

Upatdawn

2,187 posts

155 months

Tuesday 1st April 2014
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I knocked up a satellite system with an old dish, a 12v receiver and a camera tripod --- and made it work!

on my camper i had a "UFO" rooftop freeview antennae


task

418 posts

178 months

Tuesday 1st April 2014
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I bought a £100 19" HD "smart" TV, I just use the standard status omni on the roof with a booster. It's worked all the places I've been so far. I also bought a "chromecast" HDMI dongle recently so I can stream netflix and other content from my phone/tablet.

If I want to run 12V I have an inverter, which will also let me run other gear.

squadron leader

154 posts

213 months

Sunday 13th April 2014
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I have one of those satellite in a box thingies that I have never used if you are interested?