Alternative RV media systems

[wmevans]

I'm generally satisfied with the usability of our GT2 radio/DVD system in our coach. I've been looking, though, for a comparable system that offers a blu-ray player instead of just DVD. Unfortunately, I've found none that provide the ability to listen to the radio without 110V power.

Features that I like in the current system:

• bluetooth
• radio, available even on batteries-only
• HDMI to the TV (no other input available for my TV)

Desired features:

• blu-ray
• either HDMI input or audio input (for my DVR)

What alternatives, either all-in-one or DIY compilations, have other users found useful?

Cheers.
-bill

 

[JohnDar]

Just a SWAG, but would you be able to run a 120V player from the 12V supply by using one of the DC to AC adapters they sell?. Or a small inverter.

Something like this, perhaps?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Wagan+-...rter/9890669.p?id=1218189801514&skuId=9890669

 

[wmevans]

not quite ...

JohnDar, that's certainly a viable option and I appreciate the feedback, but I much prefer something with native 12V.

But that brings up a good point: aesthetically speaking it would be nice to just "fit" the current enclosure. Realizing that that is unlikely without custom cabinet work and/or duct tape and baling wire, I'd prefer it to at least be a drop-in replacement functionally.

-bill

 

[2psnapod2]

Not to hijack the post but I was thinking about one of these to run our 42" TV, Directv DVR and or Internet set up. How much power will this really put out? How do I really find out if it would handle all my needs? I do have an 12v outlet by the TV.

Just a SWAG, but would you be able to run a 120V player from the 1Not 2V supply by using one of the DC to AC adapters they sell?. Or a small inverter.

Something like this, perhaps?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Wagan+-...rter/9890669.p?id=1218189801514&skuId=9890669

 

[wmevans]

Generic answer: it depends. Look at the amperage requirements for your gear. The LCD TV I'm using now uses 1.5A, so 110V * 1.5A = 165W, and that's it's "max draw" (within reason). DVRs depend as well, but the equation stands. Add the amps for all three and do the math. With a 700W inverter, you could conceivably support up to 700W / 110V = 6.3A, but with the variation in power that I've seen at several RV parks, I wouldn't rely on that, so keep yourself under 6. (I am not an electrician, so take this with a grain of salt. Perhaps somebody with more experience -- academic and/or self-trained -- could pipe in if I'm incorrect.)

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program ... ;-)

 

[2psnapod2]

Thanks for the info. At least now I know it might be possible.

Generic answer: it depends. Look at the amperage requirements for your gear. The LCD TV I'm using now uses 1.5A, so 110V * 1.5A = 165W, and that's it's "max draw" (within reason). DVRs depend as well, but the equation stands. Add the amps for all three and do the math. With a 700W inverter, you could conceivably support up to 700W / 110V = 6.3A, but with the variation in power that I've seen at several RV parks, I wouldn't rely on that, so keep yourself under 6. (I am not an electrician, so take this with a grain of salt. Perhaps somebody with more experience -- academic and/or self-trained -- could pipe in if I'm incorrect.)

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program ... ;-)

 

[wkcox]

I was going to post the exact same question, when I discovered this thread today. In my situation, however, I am not going to run my camper, a 2012 Road Warrior, on batteries. Do many people convert to 120v, home theater systems, and ditch the 12v equipment?

 

[Lynn1130]

Here is one option. No radio but you would have blu-ray and HDMI. You still need 120 for the TV though.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_220AVD...showAll=N&search=auto_blueray_player&skipvs=T

 

[wkcox]

I attended the huge RV show at the Tampa Fairgrounds yesterday. All of the Road Warriors I looked at all had standard 120volt home theater systems. I was checking on-line last night, and all of the systems that I saw cost less than $300. I think it is going to be cheaper and easier just to add this. The 12volt blu-ray player listed above costs more than $300.

 

[Phatkd]

Has anyone used an AppleTv in their rig? I just ordered one today. I have a couple of laptops loaded with movies and itunes carries a wide selection of TV shows and movies as well. Just wondering how you guys hooked it up.

 

[MCTalley]

I replaced the built-in unit in our coach with a full home surround sound system and an Apple TV unit. Here's a link to the final wrap-up of the installation on our blog: Click Here

A few notes about the Apple TV: It is obviously a networked device. We have a wireless router/repeater in our coach (Dlink DIR-505) that the Apple TV connects to, as well as our laptops and iDevices. The Dlink also repeats our internet from our AT&T wireless internet device (which has a 5 connection limit) so that everything can connect all the time.

I bought a Wi-Fi Ranger and found out that it does not have the required throughput to stream video between the Apple TV and a laptop/iPad/etc. We reverted back to the DLink because it streams much better.

Playing a movie on the laptop (in our case, MacBooks) and re-directing it to the Apple TV is somewhat prone to stopping and skipping than the reverse direction - telling the Apple TV to connect to one of the laptops' shared libraries and selecting a movie on-screen (which pretty much always works smooth as silk).

If you have any other questions, let me know.

 

[meandg]

We hook the laptop to the tv with HDMI cables. Works like a charm.

 

[travis_g]

I use a Western Digital TV. I load up an external hard drive with movies and tv shows from iTunes, amazon etc. It plays most anything and with internet streams most anything.
Sent from my Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 using Board Express

 

[Phatkd]

So if I placed an appleTV in my coach, do I also need an airport extreme to sync the devices to create a local network? I wouldn't be using a wifi network. I just want to be able to stream from my macbook or iPhones to the TV. Having said all of that, I think most of the movies I have downloaded are in my iTunes library..can I access them without an internet connection?

Thanks for your help and great blog!

 

[travis_g]

Also, I have a Microsoft Surface RT tablet that ha hdmi out. You could download movies from a public WiFi to watch later or stream from your internet.
Sent from my Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 using Board Express

 

[Zoomzoommo]

So if I placed an appleTV in my coach, do I also need an airport extreme to sync the devices to create a local network? I wouldn't be using a wifi network. I just want to be able to stream from my macbook or iPhones to the TV. Having said all of that, I think most of the movies I have downloaded are in my iTunes library..can I access them without an internet connection?

Thanks for your help and great blog!

The Apple TV connects to a wired or wireless network, and then various Apple devices use Airplay to stream to the Apple TV over the network. So I'm pretty sure you need a wireless router in place, even if there isn't an internet connection.

If you do have to purchase a wireless router, take a look at an Airport Express, which has an audio line out feature that allows it to be connected to a device as an audio source. I use this at home to stream music wirelessly through my whole house audio from my Macbook Pro, iPhone or iPad via Airplay.

 

[Phatkd]

The Apple TV connects to a wired or wireless network, and then various Apple devices use Airplay to stream to the Apple TV over te network. So I'm pretty sure you need a wireless router in place.

If you do have to purchase a wireless router, take a look at an Airport Express, which has an audio line out feature that allows it to connect to a device as an source. I use this at home to stream music wirelessly through my whole house audio from my Macbook Pro, iPhone or iPad via Airplay.

So I guess my question is if I should get an airport express to use with the AppleTv to create a network and will having just that allow me to stream from our various apple devices, or do we need to also have wired or wireless internet access? I'm not very tech savvy so please excuse my possibly redundant questions.

 

[vakthund]

should get an airport express to use with the AppleTv to create a network.

Short answer yes. I have this setup but use a different wireless router than Airport. I stream movies from my Macs to the TV without an Internet connection. This works best for movies that you have purchased or ripped and not so well for rentals as they require an active internet connection.

 

[Zoomzoommo]

No, you don't have to have an internet connection for an Apple TV to function, just a wired or wireless network. The neat thing about an Airport Express (which is a wireless router) is the analog/optical audio jack. I plan to use this to connect to the Sony DVD/Tuner unit in my Cyclone. I should then be able to use the Cyclone's surround sound speakers to play music from my various Apple devices using using Airplay.