Can anyone recommend a good 12-volt TV monitor?

[Nadezhda]

Yes I can - I have one. Low Wattage 12v TVs specifically made for caravans and boats. Go to TV Manufacturers UK | LED TV Manufacturer | Cheap TVs UK

I see they even do a solar powered TV!

[wannacat]

Check out the truck stops like Pilot and Flying J's, that's where we got ours a few years ago. Dual voltage 12/120, got all the options, cheaper than the marine stores!

[foojin]

Originally Posted by Nadezhda

Yes I can - I have one. Low Wattage 12v TVs specifically made for caravans and boats. Go to TV Manufacturers UK | LED TV Manufacturer | Cheap TVs UK

I see they even do a solar powered TV!

Looks like an interesting product, but would have to sail to the UK, I think. Shipping would be a killer.

[bustermaw]

Originally Posted by foojin

Hope this is the appropriate forum...

We live aboard and are tired of hauling out the laptop every time we want to watch a movie or TV show.

We are looking for a thin, 12-volt screen with a USB slot and capable of playing video files off a flash disk. An 18-22 inch monitor would fit, the thinner the better.

It doesn't have to have a TV tuner. We don't really watch TV enough to justify hooking up to cable.

Any suggestions/makes etc. much appreciated.

The one I have is a 22" flat screen by a company called Cello ( the old Goodmans brand ) which I bought in Europe . It has every thing that you need . 120 euros .
Have been using it in some damp and freezing conditions this winter with no problems

[Colin A]

I have a cheap 7" bought from a truck supply store. It's not on the boat most of the time but so far so good. A family member was having problems with cheap RV tv's in their camper so they added a cheap voltage regulator from Ebay. Not sure which one exactly but it looks similar to this one on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/DROK-Waterpro...M4JVB3DNBYQ1EX

Not sure if this is where I got mine (can't remember) but it's similar.
12 Volt TV's, TV/DVD Combos, 12 Volt Digital TV's at 12Volt-Travel®

[Scot McPherson]

holy cow, I never ever thought to search west marine or defender for TV. It just never dawned on me. I was just going to get that $138 vizio 24 inch smart tv, and plug it into the AC. Smart TV so I can just hook it up to wifi to get my Netflix and Hulu and youtube. Right now I watch TV on my chromebook, but I would really like to be able to WORK on my chromebook when the TV is on. The way it is now, it's either or and it means I am doing a lot less website/blogging/research/whatever work than I should be doing.

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

It doesn't allow video playback through the USB. The only tv under 24" I could find that played almost all video files from our hard drive is the Samsung 19" from 2013 (found new on eBay)

Matt

Ya, I have been trying to figure that one out. This guy (http://littlecunningplan.com/2016/05...-media-center/)wired up a Sony BDP-S3700 Blu Ray using 12v and it looks like it will run files off a USB. So far this looks like what I am going to try this spring...

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

Ya, I have been trying to figure that one out. This guy (http://littlecunningplan.com/2016/05...-media-center/)wired up a Sony BDP-S3700 Blu Ray using 12v and it looks like it will run files off a USB. So far this looks like what I am going to try this spring...

We used a media play connected to the hdmi on the last boat. On this one, I didn't want to have a secondary device connected.

For a tv, I think the important part is buying an LED instead of the LCD screen. The difference in power usage is pretty high between the two. Also, make sure the speakers are loud enough. Many small tvs lack the power to make-up for ambient noise from fans and other onboard sounds.

Matt

[toddster8]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

holy cow, I never ever thought to search west marine or defender for TV. It just never dawned on me. I was just going to get that $138 vizio 24 inch smart tv, and plug it into the AC. Smart TV so I can just hook it up to wifi to get my Netflix and Hulu and youtube. Right now I watch TV on my chromebook, but I would really like to be able to WORK on my chromebook when the TV is on. The way it is now, it's either or and it means I am doing a lot less website/blogging/research/whatever work than I should be doing.

Odd that the WM copy doesn't even say what the power requirements are for those TVs. Interesting dive into the manufacturers web site shows that some are 12v, some aren't. They also have lines of RV stereos/DVD players and galley appliances.

[patrickvan3]

Old thread I know, but I'm still kind of dead set on the energy savings of a 12v display (did anyone find a way to easily play things off a USB?? maybe an adapter to the VGA ports?) Does anyone have the Jensen display? it seems like it might last the longest from what im reading here

[TravellingKiwis]

Originally Posted by patrickvan3

Old thread I know, but I'm still kind of dead set on the energy savings of a 12v display (did anyone find a way to easily play things off a USB?? maybe an adapter to the VGA ports?) Does anyone have the Jensen display? it seems like it might last the longest from what im reading here

There seems to be a lot more USB monitors these days than there were a year or two ago. I am looking at them for chart plotter use with an HDMI stick PC. Google search 'best USB portable monitor' gets a lot of useful comparisons. Most common brands that cover up seen to be AOC, Asus, GeChic and ViewSonic.

[Jerry Woodward]

I have also been researching TVs that can play video from a USB hard drive.

Rather than try to find a TV that can play video from the USB port, I am thinking of getting a separate portable media player like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NO9RRM...v_ov_lig_dp_it
I can then create a large video library on a small portable hard drive and play directly on the TV without needing a DVD player.
For the TV, I am thinking of the Jensen LED 12V: thin, lightweight and low power consumption.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMGJ2PG...v_ov_lig_dp_it

[a64pilot]

I don’t know if I have posted this already, but I’ve never seen a “Good” 12VDC TV.
Get yourself a “Good” Smart Tv, ours are Samsung’s and get a small, good pure sine waver inverter to run it, we have a 130W one.
The conversion losses of a small inverter are almost insignificant, and a good 32” TV seems to pull about 60W, whether DC or AC.
The smart TV allows you to connect directly to the phone, or mirror it or WiFi direct etc, and has a Roku built in.

We are watching Month Python right now on Netflix using the phone hot spot.

[Tillsbury]

Yes, have a dig around particularly in local stores or RV sites. We found (in an ordinary electrical shop) a very nice 24" 12V TV with built-in DVD player, USB, and HDMI ports. Mounted in the nav station with a double-hinged bracket, so it's set up to work through a USB-C hub (via HDMI) as a monitor at the nav station for the iPad Pro or a laptop (for navigation etc), but can also be rotated round to face the seating area and play DVDs, films from USB or a backup drive connected to the hub, and (with a cable plugged into the headphone socket) produces decent enough sound to speakers and subwoofer for film night. Cheap enough that I don't really care how long it lasts, although I will want to find a replacement the same if it does give up. The brand is "Platinum" but that isn't likely to help in other countries.

Uses about an amp at 12V, according to my BM...

RV stores are likely to be much cheaper than marine stores.

[Jerry Woodward]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don’t know if I have posted this already, but I’ve never seen a “Good” 12VDC TV.
Get yourself a “Good” Smart Tv, ours are Samsung’s and get a small, good pure sine waver inverter to run it, we have a 130W one.
The conversion losses of a small inverter are almost insignificant, and a good 32” TV seems to pull about 60W, whether DC or AC.
The smart TV allows you to connect directly to the phone, or mirror it or WiFi direct etc, and has a Roku built in.

We are watching Month Python right now on Netflix using the phone hot spot.

Main Sail actually has an article comparing the current draw of a TV running off an inverter vs directly from 12V.

https://marinehowto.com/a-look-at-in...nefficiencies/

In his test, the TV drew 3.9A on 12V vs 5.2 or 5.8 A on an inverter (depending on the inverter). He also points out that when you run a TV off an inverter, you are going from DC-AC in the inverter and then back to DC in the brick. Therefore there are two inefficiencies. To me, this is not insignificant. Also, the Jensen 32" DC TV I am looking at is about 3A or 36W, not 60W. The 24" is only 2A.