New TV, old signals

[c-webster]

We're planning to upgrade the TV in our motorhome, but the problem I'm seeing is that the newer TVs won't fit. I could order a large computer monitor that would fit and would provide what we want, but the input to that monitor is just HDMI.

We have two coax inputs now, one from an over-the-air antenna, and one for "cable" (for when the RV park has a cable TV connection). These both come to a switch box at the front of the motorhome, about 15 feet from the TV set. From there the signal goes over coax to the TV compartment.

I have a good location for the new TV that would actually be better than the original and I could route an HDMI cable from the old switch cabinet to the new TV (computer monitor), but I don't know how to convert the input signals to HDMI. I think I can deal with the over-the-air signal, but I'm not sure about the cable connection. With the present set-up, the TV has to be switched from "air" to "cable" to tune in the cable channels, and the computer monitor won't have that function.

[wa8yxm]

THat too is an option (Go with a slightly wider one (which would not really work that well in my RV.

Oh how to pick a TV.
If you use my method (Shorten teh head banger box) I used a tape measure and measured the TV I had and several others including the TV I Now HAVE. Identical width was the ONLY factor considered. NO other.

It was at a pawn shop I found it. NO remote so they gave me a discount. Amazon or E-Bay had the OEM remote for 10 bucks.

I have a wide screen Samsung in the bedroom. also no remote (Wal*mart) so a big discount.. Turns out I had a Samsung in there long ago.. Samsung only makes one remote.. One size fits all.. I still had the remote.

[Sam_Spade]

c-webster wrote:

I was hoping for UHD, but TVs don't seem to come with UHD that small.

Totally unnecessary with a screen that small. That's why they (generally) don't make such a thing.

[Ivylog]

I mount LED TVs on the face of the opening, not in it as many are very thin except at the bottom but some not for a couple inches from the sides. I recently removed a 37” LCD and replaced with a 50” LED that sticks out less than 1”.

[wa8yxm]

I like the saws-all post. I like it so much.. That's what I did.

I started by measuring the width of the head banger compart ment and the old Analog TV mounted there.. Then I got a new wide screen DIGITAL/Analog the exact same width. to the very inch (or less). OF course it's not as tall

So having removed the old boat anchor (man was that a job) I measured and then knocked the floor out of the head banger compartment....

I then used the saws all to cut the sides. WOund up with a nice flat floor (i have plans if I ever get the Round Tuit) and also cut down the "Trim" and remounted using teh self same bracckets.. Added a black out strip (messed it up so need to redo it but.. very easy to redo.. it is Gorilla Tape) actually looks very very very good. Just a few nails and the saw needed.

[Bill_Satellite]

Interesting. I see it is more difficult than it appears! So, how far away from the TV will you be sitting? I have a 32" Visio 1080 and the picture is pretty awesome. There are even better 32"ers out there now but it's hard to find (impossible) a 35" which is what would likely fill the space. You may want to consider spending more time outside the RV and cut down on the concern for finding a UHD TV vs. a very nice 32" 1080 or better. (That's tongue in cheek).
Good luck and let us know if you find a workable solution.

[c-webster]

Thanks, Bill.Satellite, but the 32" isn't the TV designation, it's the actual width available. I've looked at 40 to 43" TV actual widths, and they run as low as 35", but 35" is just too much.

[Bill_Satellite]

c-webster wrote:
To answer questions raised, the TV is presently an older flat screen located on a section of wall that's just wide enough for the TV. The opening is 32 inches wide, and there's not much room for something wider. One edge abuts the driver side wall, and the other edge abuts the hallway. Most wall space in the living area is dedicated to windows.

I was hoping for UHD, but TVs don't seem to come with UHD that small. (I've only found one computer monitor with UHD that wide--most are smaller.)

If you have 32" in width you can likely get a TV in the 40-43" range as those are diagonal measurements. If you really don't care at all about TV then a computer monitor will do just fine but it will really restrict what you can do without the added hardware required for digital OTA TV and another for analog Cable TV. You can find a 4K TV in the size range your space should fit.

[CA_Traveler]

Also in that small of a screen the advantage of UHD vs HD is small if any.

[CA_Traveler]

Mount your player near the new TV and use a short HDMI cable. Or being creative you should be able to run a HDMI cable in the walls, ceiling, floor to wherever.

Then you'll need a tuner and maybe converter for OTA and cable.

Or you can use wireless HDMI.

TVs with tuners and coax input are fading like SD.

[Tom_M1]

The smallest UHD TV that I could find was 40" which is about 36" wide. You may have to settle for lowly 1080P model.

[TNGW1500SE]

A slight modification may help it fit. You just need one of these. Color doesn't matter:

[D_E_Bishop]

I don't know why you can't find a new set that will work in the space you have available, we have sets in the RV and in the S&B that range from 7" to 43". The two in the RV are both HD and we have two Blu-Ray players. Both sets are wired to the BOMB with coax and we have no problems. In our old rig we wanted to show the same movie from one Blu-Ray player so I ran a cable from the front to the bedroom. I had to install a splitter at the player and it required 120vac to operate. No biggy.

Being a little creative is necessary but if you don't want to do the installation there are techs all over who will do it for you. Both the CRT sets in our rig have been removed and one space is just blocked off with a piece of plywood with veneer that matches the cabinets and the other I converted to a storage area and shelf for the Blu-Ray player.

[MrWizard]

I do the same, except I have no UHD discs
As my player and tv are not UHD
My BD player is 3D
Unfortunately, nobody is now Mfg 3D tv's, at last not for mainstream consumer sales

[c-webster]

Thanks, MrWizard, and I understand this, but we do have a blue-ray player, and I'd like to get a UHD picture when we watch the discs. We really don't watch a lot of TV, either broadcast or cable, but we do watch the movies we have (and we've got hundreds). We buy them second hand and try to focus on ones we'll enjoy more than once.