Portable TV Buying Guide

Portability is always more convenient; so if it’s convenience you seek, look no further. Portable TVs come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on your needs, some features will appeal to you more than others.

Two Choices for Portable TV Technology

There are two types of portable TVs, CRT and LCD. CRTs are generally larger and take up more space, thus suited to the more stationary location. LCDs on the other hand are slim, lightweight and can easily fit in a backpack, purse, or travel bag while on the go. Choose which portable TV technology suits your needs and let’s move on.

Get the Signal to Your Portable TV

Next, you’ll want to ensure you always have something to watch on your portable TV. This means you’ll want it to include a tuner or antenna, preferably compatible with digital signals. In February of 2009 all analog signals go dark, rendering your non-digital TVs useless without additional hardware. Don’t get caught off guard.

You’ll want to ensure it meets any other needs you’ve specified. Consider:

• Some portable TVs can double as a radio, allowing you to catch highlights of the football game or jam out to your favorite station.
• Headphone jacks allow you to plug in a pair of standard headphones to hear your broadcast. This is a great feature when traveling or if the device is capable of receiving AM/FM radio waves.
• External antennas aid in the reception of signals when on the road or in remote locations when camping or hiking.
• A portable TV’s AV connections will determine what and how other devices can attach to it. Such devices could include DVD players, game consoles, and portable media devices.
• A remote control will allow you to control your portable TV from a distance. Not necessary for handheld models, but useful for the larger sizes.

Power Options for Your Portable TV

Lastly, it’ll need power. This can be from batteries, a car adapter, or an AC adapter. Make sure its power source will meet your needs – meaning: if the TV will be stationary, an AC adapter makes sense; if it’s going mobile, make sure you have extra batteries or a place to charge it. This could be via AC or car adapter.

See Our Portable TV Rankings

This site contains our portable TV reviews, other expert reviews and user reviews. Each product is ranked on an overall best value score and displayed in the easy to use side-by-side comparison chart. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™