TV upgrades

[johnnyringo]

I'm looking to upgrade to the front TV to a 32" LED. I'd appreciate any info or recommendations on what to buy. Make, model? Likes/dislikes? Thanks to all

[W4MBG]

i put a vizio 32" led in my rv. love it!

[gklehner]

Have to say I'm a vizio fan also. One in the rv, two in the house, very happy with all.

[InfinityJim]

ok guess I'll chim in on this one... We replace LOT's of TV's each year, average around 20 coaches a year for the last 5 or so years. I know that 20 may not sound like a lot for a shop, but typically it’s much more then just TV’s once it’s in the shop...
Anyway, most of the TV’s are perfectly fine for use in the RV, I look at inputs & outputs not the manufactures name. Depending on what needs and/or requirements to hook up existing components the biggest issue is normally the sound system. With almost any 32” LCD your going to need auxiliary sound, most rv’s have some sort of a sound system currently for the tv, and if yours does, then make sure before you pick a TV that you know what output you need.

What we see the most is a customer brings us a tv that they find on sale for cheaper then the one we sell. Then during hook-up we find that the sound system has a analog input and the TV has a fixed digital output. So now we need a digital to analog converter $125 and because the output is “fixed” a volume control is also needed and they start at $100 for a basic one mounted on the cabinet and if you want remote, well more money. So the savings on the TV wasn’t worth it in the long run. Now this doesn’t happen here very often as I encourage our customers to shop around, but first lets figure out what inputs & outputs are needed.

[johnnyringo]

Jim: Which TV, make and model, do you prefer? Also, where is your shop located? Thanks.

[Chickenman]

Good information Jim. I am also going to change out my TV's this winter and am interested in all the information I can get.

Johnnyringo, thanks for starting this thread I will be watching for additional information.

[H. Miller]

In that the frames (edges) of tv's vary widely, buy the one that most nearly fits the hole you're filling. Also watch the speaker location as they should not be "in" the woodwork.

[Bill2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by InfinityJim ok guess I'll chim in on this one... We replace LOT's of TV's each year, average around 20 coaches a year for the last 5 or so years. I know that 20 may not sound like a lot for a shop, but typically it’s much more then just TV’s once it’s in the shop... Anyway, most of the TV’s are perfectly fine for use in the RV, I look at inputs & outputs not the manufactures name. Depending on what needs and/or requirements to hook up existing components the biggest issue is normally the sound system. With almost any 32” LCD your going to need auxiliary sound, most rv’s have some sort of a sound system currently for the tv, and if yours does, then make sure before you pick a TV that you know what output you need. What we see the most is a customer brings us a tv that they find on sale for cheaper then the one we sell. Then during hook-up we find that the sound system has a analog input and the TV has a fixed digital output. So now we need a digital to analog converter $125 and because the output is “fixed” a volume control is also needed and they start at $100 for a basic one mounted on the cabinet and if you want remote, well more money. So the savings on the TV wasn’t worth it in the long run. Now this doesn’t happen here very often as I encourage our customers to shop around, but first lets figure out what inputs & outputs are needed.

Jim,
I had the front TV replaced a couple of years ago and replaced the suround sound last year. The question I have is that the sound on our system sounds great most of the time but once in a while when watching something I really want to hear the sound seems to get real quite for a while, then it goes back to normal if I don't increase the sound on the remote. That happens, it seems quite often. Is there something I missed or didn't install when I put it in? Just wondering
Bill O.
06Endeavor

[RickO]

I've replaced all three in my rig with 37" HP, 32" Sony and 26" Visio LED/LCD. All three work fine and have held up well but the the new LED/LCD sets have a lot going for them in the weight category.

Good luck

Rick

[johnnyringo]

The Vizio model I'm leaning towards (at the moment) is the XVT323SV.
Comments?

[InfinityJim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyringo Jim: Which TV, make and model, do you prefer? Also, where is your shop located? Thanks.

The TV of Choice for the last year or so is the Toshiba 32 LCD 720p. Frame size is always an issue, and because we warranty everything for 1 year I’ve stuck with the Toshiba because frame size hasn’t changed in quite awhile. That being said, here is why it’s important to us... We had a customer who bought a Samsung 26” for the bedroom. The cabinet had to be modified as usual, and everything went normal, 6 weeks later the TV took on a mind of its own, sometimes wouldn’t turn on then 1/2 hour later worked fine, then later on it might just shut off but turn right back on or not? No issue, took the tv out and he (customer) takes it back to big box store and they returned it no problem...BUT, that model was no longer available, not in any of it’s stores, but the new model is blah blah blah better! Guess what, the new model had a different frame size, so we had to rebuild the cabinet to accommodate the new size, and as luck would have it the new one was slightly smaller (if memory serves me) and that took a new face frame and some other mods - -oh and the first one had variable audio out and the new one was fixed so that required a volume controller...!

Our shop is located in Sumner, Washington. www.infinitycoach.com

[InfinityJim]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill2 Jim, I had the front TV replaced a couple of years ago and replaced the suround sound last year. The question I have is that the sound on our system sounds great most of the time but once in a while when watching something I really want to hear the sound seems to get real quite for a while, then it goes back to normal if I don't increase the sound on the remote. That happens, it seems quite often. Is there something I missed or didn't install when I put it in? Just wondering Bill O. 06Endeavor

What surround sound did you put in? How is it hooked up? There are many different ways it can be done.

It sounds to me something’s up with the audio receiver, of course it could be a loose/bad connection. That’s what I’d check first - - connections. If those where all good then I’d replace the cable, for sure if it’s HDMI. Then if that isn’t it then I’d use a different output and see if that changes. . It all depends on how it’s hooked-up, what cabling is used, analog or digital...

[gmarsha2]

Replaced My Sony 24 with a Hannspree 28" from Tigerdirect.com. Opening above dash is 20 3/8 X 27" and the TV is 20 3/8 X 26 /1/2". Mounted TV on a retractable arm with a small bit of infrastructure required. I have the same TV at home and have had no issues. I have yet to decide how to secure for traveling, but that will come later.

[Bill2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by InfinityJim What surround sound did you put in? How is it hooked up? There are many different ways it can be done. It sounds to me something’s up with the audio receiver, of course it could be a loose/bad connection. That’s what I’d check first - - connections. If those where all good then I’d replace the cable, for sure if it’s HDMI. Then if that isn’t it then I’d use a different output and see if that changes. . It all depends on how it’s hooked-up, what cabling is used, analog or digital...

Jim,
You say for sure if it's HDMI, do those go bad? As much as they cost they shouldn't go bad. The new surround sound is a samsung and the speakers that were in the MH new were wired direct from the surround to the speakers. They work great and sound great. I probably need to check all of the connections again. Thanks for the reply.
Bill O.
06 Endeavor