Battery powered HDTV?

[SoFLHurricane]

When the TV stations switch to All-Digital in 2009 what is going to happen to all of battery powered TVs we all use during hurricanes? Is this something that has been overlooked or will we all need to uses our generators to power our converter boxes?

[DanKellFla]

The battery powered TV will be useless as a TV. You will need to use a converter box that is plugged into something. If you have a laptop, you can use streaming video to watch a storm. Eventually, a cheap battery powered TV the receives digital signals will be available. But, it won't be HD. Not that it matters on a tiny screen.

[brunota2003]

The portable tv's side is something I've been thinking about for a while now. You'll just have to buy a new tv, I guess? The battery ones are just simply too small, and most do not have an antenna jack on them, so a converter box is out of the question.

[senorpepr]

First, don't get High-definition TV (HDTV) and digital TV (DTV) confused. DTV is simply the way the radio signals are transmitted. HDTV is simply a better resolution.

Beyond that... there really isn't much out there in the terms of battery-powered DTVs or battery-powered converters.

This is from the DTV.gov website:

Q: What about my portable, battery-powered analog TV? Will I be able to use it to watch broadcast TV after February 17, 2009?

A: Portable, battery-powered analog TVs may be able to receive over-the-air programming after February 17, 2009 if they have the necessary plugs to allow them to be connected to a digital-to-analog converter box. Because it is not anticipated that battery powered digital-to-analog converter boxes will be produced, an external power source would also be required.

[olddude]

WSVN channel 7 news in Miami is doing a special report on this very subject tonite at 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00. I will try to catch it to see what they have to say. The reporter is Carmel Cafaro(sp).

Scott

[TheGreatWalter]

I caught part of the story tonight on WSVN. It indicated that some DTVs are being produced, with Radio Shack being the first major retailer to stock these. The downside is that they are very pricey, in the ballpark of $200. Hopefully a lower cost option will come about in the coming years.

[weatherbud]

Yeah, portable tv are too small... But I believe you can still watch news on that....

[olddude]

Here is the transcript of the WSVN report.

TV Trouble
Hurricane season is just weeks away and a key supply is a battery operated TV, so you can keep track of storms when the power goes out, but, as Carmel Cafiero reports, there may be TV Trouble brewing for people in the path of a storm.

Reported by:
Carmel Cafiero

Producer:
Leisa Williams

Contact
lwilliams@wsvn.com

View all archived
Carmel on the Case reports
WSVN -- Living in South Florida means living with hurricanes and learning how to prepare for them.

Jay Yeskel knows the drill. Before the season starts he gets plenty of food, water, candles, Sterno and batteries for his flashlights and portable TV.

Jay Yeskel: "This season I have my little TV, and I also have another TV I just bought that has a built-in generator, a radio and you can charge your cell phone, which is good."

Carolyn Bryant also believes a battery operated TV is a critical part of being prepared.

Carolyn Bryant: "To be able to actually see the radar and see a person and read the information at the bottom of the screen is much more comforting to me than listening to a voice in the dark."

Carmel Cafiero: "And there's no debating these battery operated TVs can be life savers, but after this hurricane season the ones most of us have are pretty much trash. That's because they operate on an analog signal, and after next year that's all going to change."

TV is going digital in February 2009.

If you don't have cable, a digital TV or a special converter box, the only thing you'll be getting off the air is snow.

Moreau Dugas, Channel 7 Engineer: "On February 17, 2009 at midnight, we will shut off anything that is analog, so it will be digital. Then you're going to need a TV that can receive digital."

But those digital converter boxes and sets need power, which means they won't help in a storm. The National Hurricane Center is already getting calls from people asking what to do.

Bill Read, National Hurricane Center: "If a television is something you want in your safety kit for a hurricane, now is the time to start shopping around."

That's just what some people are doing.

Jay Yeskel: "I hope they come out with a digital handheld TV, otherwise we'll just have to listen to the radio during a hurricane."

The good news? Some companies are already offering battery operated digital TVs.

James Deriardo: "We have a lot of people interested in these TVs. They're coming in, they're purchasing them. We are keeping a nice stock of them in stores."

And other retailers expect to have them on store shelves shortly. The bad news? Making the switch isn't cheap. Most run about $200.

Carolyn Bryant: "I'm one to kind of watch the sales and the prices go down, and I find $200 to be out of my price range for something like that."

Hopefully, the price will drop so there isn't TV trouble for storm season 2009.



Scott

[TampaFl]

Here is a link that I found that sells battery operated portable digital tvs. As mentioned above they are $200.00 - $350.00 At least for this year we are ok(for those of us that use our current portable tvs), but as more of these tvs are developed & hit the market hopefully the prices will come down. Thoughts & comments welcomed.


http://www.lcddigital.tv/


Robert

[GeneratorPower]

This is one more reason why I believe everyone, and I mean everyone, should make a small, portable Honda generator part of their storm preparations. A Honda EU1000i will run for 8 hours on about 0.66 gallons of fuel. It will run a TV, lights, radios, fans, and more. It's only about $800. You can get the next model up for around $1,000 and that will get you 2000 watts and the ability to run refrigerators and just about any regular household appliance.

This means you could easily run your regular television set for just a few dollars in gasoline a day. Worth considering.

[thedishdoc]

If you have a laptop this might be the solution.

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/u ... +Stick.htm

[DanKellFla]

Or this
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Pinnacle ... tDetail.do

There are some cheaper items out there than this.

[gotoman38]

I agree that a generator is a valuable investment if you might be waiting out a power outage.

The fact that lobbyists (via federal government) have put us in this situation is bad.

Lots of people, including those that depend on CLOSED CAPTIONED TV BROADCAST, and those in power-out situations, use the OTA RF NTSC signal. The lack of suitable portable battery powered TVs after 2009 (ATSC compatible) is a problem that should be addressed.

I encourage you to contact your Congressmen and Senators!

IF YOU PURCHASE A PORTABLE TV, BE SURE THAT IT IS ATSC COMPATIBLE

(I have found few, if any available at this time)

[Shoshana]

As long as cell towers are up and you have the right plan and phone you can watch some radar (and depending on the phone, some streaming tv) on your phone.

[Ptarmigan]

Here is a link that I found that sells battery operated portable digital tvs. As mentioned above they are $200.00 - $350.00 At least for this year we are ok(for those of us that use our current portable tvs), but as more of these tvs are developed & hit the market hopefully the prices will come down. Thoughts & comments welcomed.


http://www.lcddigital.tv/


Robert

I think the price will drop after the transition to all digital happens.

[wxman57]

Unfortunately, the switch to digital has been delayed to June 12. However, here's a site with some battery powered digital TVs in the $130-$150 price range. Nice 7" color LCDs:

http://stormprepare.com/Battery_TV.htm

[Ed Mahmoud]

Unfortunately, the switch to digital has been delayed to June 12. However, here's a site with some battery powered digital TVs in the $130-$150 price range. Nice 7" color LCDs:

http://stormprepare.com/Battery_TV.htm

Never again miss a big game, like USC smacking down Ohio State, just because of a hurricane.

$150 might just be cheap enough to make it worth while.

[DanKellFla]

Try this site:

http://www.diguniverse.com/HOME-THEATER ... HLT71.html

Better price and not misleading advertisements. Personally, I am surprised the price is this cheap already. Or, just do a search on amazon.

[wxman57]

Actually, I plan to run my 46" and/or my 32" LCDs with my generator when power goes out. However, if you're running such sensitive electronic devices (includes your PC) then you should purchase a GOOD line conditioner that will guarantee stable voltage to the TV/PC. You can find some here. I think the 600W unit for $95 would be sufficient for most such uses. No reason not to have it plugged in year-round, too.

http://www.lashen.com/vendors/tripplite ... esktop.asp

[DanKellFla]

Those might not be the appropriate line conditioners for a small portable generator. I would check with the manufacturer first.