LAP TOPS AGAIN v's TV

[Paul Morgan]

I have been reading all the items about laptops and their use as a TV monitor. Please can some explain to me (a "thicko" as regards computers etc).

 

I am just about to buy a small 10"/12" flat screen tv with a dvd player or should I?. We are planning to have several long journeys away over the next year or two and would like to keep in touch with the family. Should I buy a laptop if so which one, how much should I spend ( I know some one out there will tell where to get the best deal) and how do I connect to the arial etc etc. Will I be able to get freeveiw and the satilite stations on the laptop?

 

Kind regards

Paul a member of Worms

[vaughan669]

If you don't have a need for a laptop computer then buy the TV. The TV, if an lcd, should run off 12v dc or 240v mains (with the supplied adaptor). Nothing else required apart from and ordinary aerial as fitted to most caravans/motorhomes.

The laptop will need access to 240v mains for charging or an Inverter to change 12v dc up to mains voltage. The other alternative is to buy a laptop power supply that runs from the cigar lighter socket in cars. This will drain your battery quite quickly though.

vaughan

[David Dwight]

Hi Paul.

 

We use the lap top for TV and DVD CDs as well if we want, although the sound quality is not too good for CDs. you can get digital lap top cards now. We use either mains or a 12v cigarette lighter socket bought the adapter from Maplins approx £20. It also has several different plugs for other equipment plus variable voltage settings switch. If you are going to use 12v for TV cant see any difference using the lap top re power, we also use the Lap Top for sat nav. There have been several threads on this subject in the past.

 

David

[Guest peter]

Unless you want to sit directly facing the laptop to view it, buy the T.V. As the viewing angle on laptops is rubbish.

You can buy a cheap laptop on E.Bay once you decide which one you want. If it's for the Internet a 600 Mhz will do, and will be no more than about £100 or so.

If on the other hand you want one for T.V and D.V.D you will need one a lot more powerful and with a good graphics adapter.

For the Internet I have used a Compaq M300 600 Mhz it's got a Magnesium case is quite small with 12" screen and is as tough as old boots.

[Dave Newell]

We use a Toshiba satellite pro A10 laptop for TV/DVD viewing in the motorhome and viewing angle has never been a problem for us. We sit about six feet from the laptop for viewing and at that distance the viewing angle is fine. We use an Avermedia hybrid PCMCIA (cardbus) TV tuner card which plugs into the laptops cardbus slot. The TV aerial then plugs directly into this card and within a few minutes we can be watching analogue or digital (where available) TV. The laptop also then functions as a Personal Video Recorder and can be programmed to record on a timer.

 

If you don't need a laptop for other things (for example I do quite a bit of writing, I use it to download digital photos from our two cameras when away, where WIFI is avaialble on site I can get on here and while away an hour or so) then go for the TV but I would strongly recomend you get one with a digital tuner and perhaps a DVD built in.

 

Our laptop has a 14" screen and we find this to be perfectly adequate, much smaller might be too difficult to see detail clearly, depending on how far away you will sit from the screen for viewing.

 

Using a 12 Volt DC to *Volt DC converter to power your laptop will use less power than using an inverter and the laptops original supply because you are only making one conversion.

D.

[Pat P]

We have just been down the same route. we settled on an HP Pavilion dv5000 £599 from Staples. We use it for internet, tv, pc. Staples were very helpful. It does what it says on the box and we are very happy with it.

 

Pat

[johnsandywhite]

B-) Although we have usually relied on Satellite for TV around the UK and Europe. I recently bought a USB Digital Freeview receiver. It works perfectly both in the UK and Spain. Not tried anywhere else yet. We use add-on speakers to give a better sound output.

[Dave Newell]

To answer an otherwise untouched part of your question Paul, a laptop and TV tuner card/usb device will not get any satellite channels, only those that are broadcast by terrestrial transmitters.

 

PCI\ cards are available for satellite reception but these are not suitable for laptops, I've yet to see a satellite receiver card for a laptop.

 

D.

[Frankkia]

No I haven't seen any PCMCIA sat cards either but there are USB versions. It should be noted however that both for PC or Laptop there are no "Sky" receivers - only "free to air".

 

There are a couple of problems using a laptop as a tv either for terrestrial or sat. 1) You need a decent screen - Many laptop screens are of the cheap variety and can only reasonably viewed from straight ahead - choose one with a 170 degree viewing angle both horisontal and vertical. 2) Many cheap laptops use "shared graphics" - the result when viewing moving images is the picture can be very jerky. - get one with a decent graphics card. 3) Sound quality - very few laptops have good enough speakers to even fill a small M/home - listen before you buy or add a pair of self powered extension speakers.

[Guest peter]

Well I've no axe to grind either way as I have the option of using either method of T.V viewing, and have tried both. The T.V wins hands down, absolutely no contest.

[Ralph]

peter - 2007-01-07 11:58 PM

 

Well I've no axe to grind either way as I have the option of using either method of T.V viewing, and have tried both. The T.V wins hands down, absolutely no contest.

 

Horses for courses really. We don't use a TV very often when in the van but just like to watch it occasionally or perhaps take a couple of DVDs so using the laptop is a fine alternative. But if I was using it on a more regular basis I'm sure a "proper" fixed TV would be better.

[Dave Newell]

Frankkia - 2007-01-07 5:19 PM

 

No I haven't seen any PCMCIA sat cards either but there are USB versions. It should be noted however that both for PC or Laptop there are no "Sky" receivers - only "free to air".

 

There are a couple of problems using a laptop as a tv either for terrestrial or sat. 1) You need a decent screen - Many laptop screens are of the cheap variety and can only reasonably viewed from straight ahead - choose one with a 170 degree viewing angle both horisontal and vertical. 2) Many cheap laptops use "shared graphics" - the result when viewing moving images is the picture can be very jerky. - get one with a decent graphics card. 3) Sound quality - very few laptops have good enough speakers to even fill a small M/home - listen before you buy or add a pair of self powered extension speakers.

 

Thanks Bernie, I've not seen a USB satellite receiver but as you say one of those will be no good for SKY channels. I'll go and have a look for USB satellite doofers.

 

D.

[livewire]

At 12v, my TV uses about 1 amp, my laptop about 4 amps with a 12-19v converter.

 

May be important if like me you don't use hook-ups.

[Frankkia]

Hi Dave

 

Try: http://www.clickonit.com/TV_&_Video_Products/Satellite_Digital_Receivers/84331.php

 

Cheers

[hymer]

We tried veiwing TV with a HP Pavilion 8025 wide sreen but found that the WinTV adaptor was not wide screen so left large black lines down each side of the screen . Took a lot of setting up each time with lots of wires , have gone back to a wall mounted Lcd. (lol)

[Dave Newell]

thanks Bernie, I did a search this afternoon and found about 3 different models. As you said before though they're all only any good for FTA channels though.

 

D.