The creation of affordable LCD screens has literally transformed the portable entertainment industry in recent years. We can now carry most of our entertainment in our pockets or bags wherever we go. It’s a good thing too as our lives seem to have gotten infinitely busier and without these devices we would miss out on a lot of our favorite entertainment. They make great gadgets for keeping up with the news while you’re on the train or an excellent piece of camping equipment to keep the kids entertained if it happens to start bucketing down with rain.
So what sort of features should you look out for in a battery operated TV? A lot depends on whether you are going to be the only one watching or you’re going to regularly share your shows with friends. If you’re a sharing type of person you need to take special consideration of the viewing angles of the TV. Check out a working model in the shop and view it from lots of extreme angles to see if their is any degradation in picture quality. With smaller models this is not so critical but it can make it easier to get a good viewing angle if you’re stuck under a light or next to a window in full sun.
The next thing to check is the battery. How long does it take to charge and how much viewing time do you get between charges? One often overlooked factor is the type of battery that is used. Battery operated TVs are often kept in emergency kits to keep abreast of emergency broadcasts. If the power is out and your battery is flat the TV is virtually useless. If you are going to be using a portable TV for this purpose make sure you get a model that uses standard size batteries such as the common AAA batteries. One way around this is to have a model that has a 12V car charger. You will then be able to run your TV off any 12 volt lead acid battery.
Screen quality can also play a part in your choice of TV. Every pixel in the LCD screen has a measurable response time which is basically how fast it reacts to changes in the picture. The lower quality units have slow refresh times. This can be fine for general viewing but if you are watching anything with a lot of action then you may experience motion blur which can get very annoying very quickly.
For those with busy lifestyles a battery operated TV is an excellent way to keep up with the news or your favorite TV shows. New technology and manufacturing methods means better quality for less but you should still pay attention to the basics to make sure you get something you are going to be happy with.