Avtex v Cello v Manta
Hello Everyone, Terry and I are looking to buy a new TV for our Motorhome. Now we are new to Motorhomes and we are not too sure which would be the best TV to buy for our money. Obviously Avtex looks like the better quality TV, but is it worth paying an extra
£100 pounds for over it's other rivals such as the Cello and Manta. We don't watch TV much but it is nice to have it there on the colder evenings when tucked up and we want something that is going to last. Your best advice please.
Comments
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Often asked advice!!! The way I look at things is would you buy a cheap TV as your main one at home? If the answer is yes go for the cheaper brands. If you like the best go for Avtex. We did! Afterall we do spend about a third of the year in the motorhome.
David
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I have a 21" Avtex which has a couple of advatages - the power consumption is low when running on 12 volts and it has Easy Find software built in which is great for setting up my satellite dish. There are a couple of weak points, despite trying to adjust the colour settings it always has a yellow bias. Also the screen is very reflective which can be problematic in caravans and motorhomes. Mine is 4 years old and the model may have changed. At £400 I think it is overpriced.
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I have now an Avtex and have the same gripe with its refective screen and colour rendition as Tirril, and like the Easy Find. [I know later models have addressed that awful reflective screen.]
My Avtex has the slowest autotune I have ever know a serious shortcoming in a set designed for use in ever changing locations.
Prior to that where the TV was not integrated into the van's build as now I used a SONY 15" domestic TV, driven by an inverter when off EHU.
If prolonged use on 12 volts is not an important feature then if buying a freestanding TV today I would be seriously looking at buying a good quality domestic TV. Our home's two SONYs and a Samsung knock spots off the van's Avtex in picture quality, and for less money. I would like to find one with integrated Freesat ™ for use in the van and I would be mindful of one with a low power consumption for its use off EHU; I would have no reservation of returning to using a small quality inverter if needed as I did successfully for over a decade without problems.
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I have now an Avtex and have the same gripe with its refective screen and colour rendition as Tirril, and like the Easy Find. [I know later models have addressed that awful reflective screen.]
My Avtex has the slowest autotune I have ever know a serious shortcoming in a set designed for use in ever changing locations.
Prior to that where the TV was not integrated into the van's build as now I used a SONY 15" domestic TV, driven by an inverter when off EHU.
If prolonged use on 12 volts is not an important feature then if buying a freestanding TV today I would be seriously looking at buying a good quality domestic TV. Our home's two SONYs and a Samsung knock spots off the van's Avtex in picture quality, and
for less money. I would like to find one with integrated Freesat ™ for use in the van and I would be mindful of one with a low power consumption for its use off EHU; I would have no reservation of returning to using a small quality inverter if needed as I
did successfully for over a decade without problems.Write your comments here...Good advice Occsid and certainly what I will do next time. There are better alternatives for half the price.
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The beauty of the Avtex from my point of view is that it has a superb picture, it has a built in DVD player, it has a built in digital and satellite receivers, it will operate on 12v if required. All these things means that I need no other gubbins to watch TV. However if you don't need the things that make it diferent by all means buy a less expensive branded 230v TV. Perhaps not the right thing to do but we have to assume the OP was asking the question because he wanted some of the features in the TV's he mentioned rather than a recommendation for just a TV that is only ever going to be used on a 230v supply?
David
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Picture quality on our Oyster (Avtex) TV is brilliant so would highly reccomend but if you dont watch it a lot then go for a cheapie, we had a Samsung previously (awful sound) good picture but only 240v which did not matter at the time and £140 from ASDA.
Now we have a MH we are off grid more so 12v is important and not got an inverter. Also there are a lot of humidiity changes in the van so Avtex are good here also plus the viewing angle is very wide. They did use Sony innards/screens so good quality and
we do not find any reflective issues on ours.0 -
for Sky customers, who take their home box with them (or indeed a 2nd box in the van) even most basic supermarket TVs will have an HDMI socket (or two) and will give a pretty damn good HD picture...no faffing with the poor local digital 'service', which can embarrass the most expensive TV
i used to have a Tesco Tecknica, which was great....its in use at home as we have 2 12v tvs with this van, again using HDMI links to a Sky box.
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We use a Sony domestic TV (the one that normally sits in the kitchen at home) and it has done fine for maye 10 years.
I take the point made about Avtex having everything built in and that would be good if you intend to watch satellite TV or DVD's, but for just watching a bit of telly, a cheapo one is fine.
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if you are not a big tv watcher i would go for the cheaper version.
My thoughts exactly. OH will watch TV after about 7pm when at home. I usually choose not to. I might rarely watch a film after OH has toddled off to bed. That is probably less than 5 times a year. When away in the caravan neither of us watch TV. The one
that we have is a mid priced TV with DVD player built in. Never comes out of the caravan although only used December 23rd, 24th and 25th for a few hours. If we wanted TV regularly I would look at a number in the flesh and try viewing them from above, below
and from the side as some TV's are very directional when viewing0
