Buying T.V. for Trailer

[Pete Dumbleton]

Actually, I now have a TV at home, but unless there's some specific news I want to catch, it's function is to display DVD movies...

On the road, I used my laptop for playing DVDs, with earphones to keep it quiet in campgrounds and not disturbs other folks' camping experiences.

[Brian B-P]

...Here in California, there is a disposal fee for old electronics. As long as my old (1999) cathode-ray tube based TV functions at all, I will continue to use it, with an exterior digital tuner if necessary.

Same here (disposal fee, and keeping the CRT TV). I wasn't suggesting that anyone should get rid of their television simply because it is a CRT-type, but it makes little sense to buy a new one of that design.

We have two TVs, one each of CRT (about 16 years old) and LCD (a year old). I'm not about to replace either... but neither goes in the Boler.

[Frederick L. Simson]

We have two TVs, one each of CRT (about 16 years old). I'm not about to replace either...

We have 4 CRT television sets. Two I purchased, and 2 were given to us (in perfect condition) when friends just had to get the latest technology. We also have 5 VCR's. My stereo system (circa 1982) has all components functioning except the audio cassette player, which eats tapes. The one in the car still works, though. I still play my classical Lp's on a turntable. I also have a sizable library of vinyl albums & 45's, audio cassettes, and VHS video cassettes.

[Ed Harris]

I just can't take it anymore.....
I build Home theatre systems for rich guys and sell and install all manor of custom electronics,A/V,Home Automation,Security and any other pricey toy you can imagine and some you could not.

I first explored this Fiberglass lifestyle because I install all over the country and I liked the idea of bringing my own house instead of living in hotels.
So far I have been from Miami to Santa Barbara and points in between in my work.

If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be selling $3000.00 and up T.V.'s like they were a staple I would have said you were crazy but that is what I get every day now.
At Christmas last year I traded in 4- 35-40" CRT's so customers did not have to deal with them when I installed new Plasma's

All of my family got the old CRT's and everyone was happy!

The FCC has set and let pass so many deadlines for this stuff it seems like a joke. Just last month a big one went almost un-noticed where the new sets require a "Cable Card" slot so they can replace the cable box and you then do not have to deal with your cable provider for the hardware.
That will be the day.

The only people affected by the digital transition will be those who still use antenna's to receive local programming and they are a very small base of the profit now for the manufacturers.

I too use a laptop in my trailer as a DVD player and TV. There are great TV tuner cards out there that will tune everything including Digital Terrestrial in the future.
The one I use also acts like a Tivo so I can record what I want to watch later which increases my odds of finding something I want.

Needless to say,all laptops use LCD screens.

Isn't life great?

[Gina D.]

Ed has my dream job.

Give it back!!!!

[Palmer M]

I believe it's since March of this year that all TVs sold in the US have to have a digital tuner,
so you should be ready for the switch if you buy a TV today. Just make sure it has the digital
tuner.
The feds are auctioning off the "old" frequencies used for TV to accommodate all of this data
we're all flinging around every day. Google, Verizon, AT&T, and others will be bidding on these
airwaves (and paying billions for them). The new digital TV signals will be in a different spectrum of frequency.
I think it's about 20% of Americans that still get their TV from airwaves (including me aboard
my Casita); those are the folks that will have to either purchase a new TV or purchase a
converter box, which will be subsidized.
Hope this helps!
P

[Greg A]

Whats a TV?

[Roger H]

Whats a TV?

My wife found a digiTV with a 15" screen AND built in DVD player for the Bigfoot at Sam's Club for $259. It was about the cheapest set we'd found. We have dish at home, and I very seldom use airwave TV even though we still have an antenna.

Anyway, we took the trailer out about 3 weeks ago for a few days, and hooked the TV up and used it for the first time. The regular channels were rather snowy (as expected) and then I hit a channel that was not only crystal clear, it was incredibly sharp and DVD quality! I didn't even know the TV HAD a digital tuner, but there it was... digital HDTV right off the antenna. I didn't even know our local channels in Cedar Rapids IA were broadcasting in digital already! Not being a big network TV guy... I have to admit that digital signal is waaaaay better than analog.

I'm converted.

Roger

[Darwin Maring]

Roger, The following site will show you where the TV stations are located and what format they are transmitting on.

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/Welcome.aspx

We have a DirecTV satellite dish and on the roof over the air antenna with a HD-TIVO DVR box (Both the sat dish and off air antenna connect to the box) and it automatically switches between the off air antenna to the satellite dish to give both over the air HD and Analog broadcasts.

[Brian B-P]

I believe it's since March of this year that all TVs sold in the US have to have a digital tuner, so you should be ready for the switch if you buy a TV today. Just make sure it has the digital tuner...

Yes, definitely check for the digital tuner, because a lot of people seem to be shopping on eBay for this stuff, and there's no way anyone is enforcing rules about what can be sold in that system. I'd also watch out for old stock even in the regular retail stores.

[Brian B-P]

We have a DirecTV satellite dish and on the roof over the air antenna with a HD-TIVO DVR box (Both the sat dish and off air antenna connect to the box) and it automatically switches between the off air antenna to the satellite dish to give both over the air HD and Analog broadcasts.

... but now this type of equipment should be able to handle both analog and digital over-the-air broadcasts. My similar but non-HD satellite box certainly doesn't have a digital tuner for over-the-air (terrestrial) signals, even though the satellite signal is all-digital.

[Lance MacArthur]

Just to throw in some info:

I've been waiting and waiting for someone to come out with an lcd small screen tv with a built-in digital tuner. Last month, my waiting paid off. Best Buy is carrying a 15" lcd from Sharp that has both an analog and digital tuner built in.

We had the tv up and running for our latest trip -- to the Oregon gathering and to the northwest national parks -- and the tv worked great wherever we could pick up a signal. It has several tuning capabilities, including analog, digital and cable, so wherever you set up, it will pull in what's out there. We have an hdtv rotor antenna that also has an analog loop.

To complete the system, I found an Insignia home theater product that has a dvd, vcr, am/fm and a speaker set -- all the size of an older vcr. So now I have surround sound in a 10--foot fiberglass box. Definite overkill, and I love it!

[Pete Dumbleton]

Well, since all of us here use the internet, I'd venture that a great number of us already have most of a TV in a laptop, that being an LCD and a DVD player. So all that's needed is a receiver, an antenna and the all-important remote!

Laptop Review of WinTV

A more recent issue of the magazine has a USB dongle (w/antenna, but w/o remote, I believe) for $99.

[Brian B-P]

I have a device roughly like this one, but have used it very little and actually don't remember to carry it in the Boler (although we should). The bundled Ulead software is generally straightforward but definitely low-budget. If the laptop is being taken anyway, this is definitely the compact way to go.

Ironically, given the subject of this thread, the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR USB2 apparently does not include a digital (ATSC) tuner, only a North American (NTSC) or European/Asian (PAL/SECAM) analog tuner.

[Alf S.]

Whats a TV?

Hi: In our world TV stands for Tow Vehicle
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Darwin Maring]

Brian, The box must have the HD option.

The DirectTV HD-DVR with TIVO has a built in HD Decoder and you connect both the over the air TV antenna and the Sat dish to the box.

If your local stations broadcast in HD (Over the air), the DVR will put the HD on your HD Ready TV and should you change channels to an Analog over the air station, it will put the Analog signal to your TV regardless if it is HD ready or the conventional analog set.

If there are HD Sat programming that you have subscribed to with DirecTV, you can watch that HD via the sat dish. You can also record either HD or Analog from both antennas.

DirectTV now supports campers with a portable dish with tripod.

www.directtv.com