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LCD TV -- AWESOME
By ChrisW, Section Remote Living Posted on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 06:52:03 PM MST
What an amazing reduction in power consumption

Okay, so I'm probably WAAAAY behind the times. For the past year I've been using an old 80s vintage RCA 9" color TV (12V, motorhome style) that I bought for $50 from a friend. It typically sucks down about 10 amps, often peaking at about 12 amps. Given that I've only got 300AH of battery power, that pretty much made TV-watching a luxury. Not that there's much worth watching these days (aside from PBS) -- but I digress...
Well, today I decided to go on a shopping spree at WalMart. They had a Magnavox 15" LCD TV for $359. I took a peek at the label on the back of the set. Ready for this? 25 watts. 25 watts!! So I went for it, bought the last one they had along with a Sanyo progressive scan DVD player for $54.95 (woo-hoo -- only 11 watts!)
The picture quality on this thing is amazing, FAR superior a standard picture tube. And the DVD image quality is well, just plain awesome. For me, though, the real issue is power. My eyes just about popped out of my head as I watched TV and played a DVD and saw that the "charge" light on the Trimetric 2020 was still on! There's no way I could have done that with the old CRT-based TV.
Oh, and on a side note, it doesn't seem to mind a modified square wave power source. There are a few little wavy lines on the weaker stations, but the stronger stations come in crystal clear with no inverter noise visible on the screen.
So...if you're looking for ways to reduce power consumption, an LCD TV is DEFINITELY worth the expense. Well, off to Amazon.com to order the 7th season set of Stargate SG-1. :)
--Chris--

LCD TV -- AWESOME | 12 comments (12 topical)

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#1)
by DanB on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 08:13:23 PM MST

yes... I can imagine.
Although - 10 amps for a 9 inch TV?? - thats horrible. Our 19" 10 year old set usually draws about 7. But your right - and it applies to computer monitors too. If you watch much TV, or use your computer much - and your off grid... buying an LCD thing is probably a better investment than another solar panel and the batteries to back it up.

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#2)
by wdyasq on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 08:52:36 PM MST

I wonder what not having a TV for the past 32 years has saved me in power?

Ron
Adventure is just bad planning." -- Roald Amundsen

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#3)
by Harry Luubovv on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 08:52:43 PM MST

Well Chris, to be honest, I have a scheme which is much more watt-saving then that of yours---I stopped watching TV's all toeghter for years ! Too much violence in them these days, either that, or promisecuous sex, or killing for money, doing anything for money, or cars blown to bits, or men gotten knocked the heaven out of his soul by a car or two. All of these are bad for societies ! ! These junk gradually brain-wash human minds, we certainly do not have the grade of a human race that we did have some 30 or 50 years ago. And all we do is to teach our childred "Only money, do anything for money !" We do not exactly say this out, but we act this way in front of them as models, because we absorb the free flowing culture in the air into our brains this way, and we do not notice that at all, we think we were doing so decent still as long we that we work 18 hours a day and we feed our children. Just like the story about living and working under water, we don't even know what "Water" is, we take for granted just swim in it all day working playing or sleeping.

I like commedian stuff, "XXXL TIME" was one of my favorites, but even that, I stopped, mostly they are teaching us how to outsmart one another, and lying is no big deal at all, everything in a life is a joke. The best Modern days comedian stuff from TV's I have found are "3's company" [Sorry that you are gone Ritter !] And "The Ropers" and "Benson", and "Different strokes", etc etc. Especially "D. Strokes", they really tried to teach us what "Human values" are ! ! ! And the last time I went to a movie was 1979 !

Oh and yes, TV's is good for news too. But I have not own a TV's for years. I can get soem news from the internet anyway and, if I want, a newspaper.

I was an entertainer for years, I did vocal and S-Up comedian stuffs, I was a hot potato, I was in great demands. But I stopped because of the lyrics in songs, money is something outside of live and outside of human dignity.

Chris, I am glad you like what you bought. Maybe someday I will get something like that too. Yes you are right, I have noticed that the pic quality in flat LCD's these days are beating the devil out of CTR's based equipment.

Hope I did not offend anyone here, but I speak my mind friends. And sorry about running off topic.

Exercise : Mi 2 Dv nabv hf Jvnsun sekan me et am janaty o janrdy.
(Written in a new language called "Wefvmm").

Thanks for reading, Harry Luubovv.

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#4)
by TomW on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 09:39:48 PM MST

Chris;

Wow! My 27" color TV plus a flouro light and the DVD /VHS unit on idle uses less than 10 amps thru an inverter. Spent too much on the solar panels and batteries to buy a $350 LCD TV but from what I have seen they have an awesome picture.

Cheers.

TomW

The Truth is the Truth, even if no one believes it; and a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#9)
by elvin1949 on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 11:31:48 AM MST

hey TW
that is a tv
later
elvin

[ Parent ]

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#10)
by TomW on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 11:41:03 AM MST

elvin;

Yah, old eyes seem to like the bigger screen for sure at least if I want to sit across the room rather than on top of it. When my old TV that was like 15 years old finally quit and I was looking at TVs the difference in cost was not much so I went for a Big one. As it was it barely fits thru the door.

Cheers.

TomW

The Truth is the Truth, even if no one believes it; and a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it

[ Parent ]

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#5)
by richhagen on Mon Sep 20, 2004 at 11:50:05 PM MST

Hmm, I saw that NewEgg.com has a 30" LCD for only $1699.00 Just in case anyone is thinking about a Christmas present for me. I didn't see a watt rating though. I was thinking about coupling a 36volt scooter motor I have lying around to an exercise bike donor I got for the purpose, coupling that to a battery and a 300W inverter I have collecting dust and making it so that I'd have to pedal to watch TV. Someone quite a while back posted a project like that on the board and I thought it would be a good way for me to keep in better shape. Anyway a lower draw TV might make watching a movie that way more likely. While round may be a shape, its not exactly what I'd planned on and I seem to find a pound or two every year. Richhagen
'A Joule saved is a Joule made'

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#6)
by hiker on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 02:58:45 AM MST

hagen--was your dad ever a homesteader in alaska[clam gulch area]..

WILD IN ALASKA
[ Parent ]

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#7)
by richhagen on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 11:14:52 AM MST

No, he is retired from the state of Illinois and still living in downstate Illinois.
'A Joule saved is a Joule made'
[ Parent ]

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#8)
by schultz on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 11:17:53 AM MST

In 1990 I was working as a Coop Engineer for Phillips Display Company (Philips/Magnavox TVs). We saw one of the first prototypes that year of the flat screen plasma TVs, our division developed CRT's, we also saw the first DVD then too. At that time an old timer gave me some advice "That is the beginning of the end for CRT's, you won't retire from this divison". Two years later I returned after graduation and within three months they closed the R&D for North American CRT development. Phillips was going to put their money in the plasma and other flat panel displays. Its neat to finally see that stuff take off, your right it is superior to CRT stuff.

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#11)
by cevonk on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 09:56:52 PM MST

I saw a 15" wide-screen LCD TV with an integral DVD player today at Mal-Wart for $950. I stepped up onto the display shelving and craned my head around to look at the back of it for specs: 12VDC 60W --- I make that out to be about 5 Amperes. I don't know if that was TV and DVD at the same time or not, but I presume that they would list the maximum current draw possible, which would pretty much have to be with both running.

Eric von Kleist
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Re: LCD TV -- AWESOME (3.00 / 0) (#12)
by juiced on Wed Sep 22, 2004 at 09:49:03 AM MST

I have access to some 5000+ LCDs. Should i take advantage business-wise? Ive alwas love them for power-consumption. I use my laptop WHENEVER possible.

Anywho, if you guys think i should do something with all these old screens (from laptops) let me know.

Canada's -Debatable- A.E./R.E Debate Site
News, discussions and debates!
www.juiced.ca

LCD TV -- AWESOME | 12 comments (12 topical)

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