Avtex L199DRS-PRO Review
Avtex TV’s seem to be a favourite with Caravan/Motorhome owners and I can see why. Here’s a review on one of their next generation 19” pro TV’s.
This is the Avtex L199DRS –PRO, it has a 19.5” screen with a DVD player, twin Freeview tuners, twin satellite tuners and can operate on 12V/24V and 240Volt. It is the smallest of the next generation TV’s from Avtex and to be honest it’s a perfect size as when its mounted on a TV bracket it doesn’t stick out excessively and will also fit on most manufacturer fitted brackets that slide out. It’s available as a non-pro version as well, these do not have the twin satellite feed input which allows you to record one channel and watch another or to watch Freeview and record satellite at the same time. Other than that, they are the same.
- Brand new frameless edge to edge, full HD Ultra-wide viewing...
- Ultra slim, light and compact, our latest model boasts AQT one...
- it not only has 12, 24 or 240 volt options, it also has the...
Last update on 2021-09-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Straight out of the box the TV feels a solid bit of kit, no creaky plastic, just a nice brushed metal finish to the edges of the frame and also the metal stand (which I forgot to take a picture of!) looks and feels decent. The remote is also a nice weight with the essential buttons in the middle where you expect them.
The official weight with the stand fitted is 2.7kg which I think isn’t bad at all considering all technology they’ve crammed in, remember this has the twin satellite tuners in it, so no lugging an old sky box around if your van has a sat dish or dome. No more wires draped from a top locker etc either so overall makes for a tidy install.
I connected it up to 12v (cigarette lighter plug style connector), plugged in the aerial and turned everything on. It goes to the main “Auto tune” screen on Freeview the first time you turn it on (this is the same place it goes to when you use the AQT orange button on the remote, it’s basically a shortcut to the search page to save you going through the menus to retune when you move round the country), hit ok and it does the rest. It found 62 channels and 12 radio stations in the panel van with a Teleco aerial, not bad! To search/scan satellite channels you go to source, select satellite and then TV Setup (on remote), check that it’s going to search for Astra 2 and press OK, it then does its search.
Not all the Freeview channels found were visible or were a tad glitchy but I wasn’t in the most ideal area I was in either. The Guide for programs was nice and clear and what you expect, similar to a BT Freeview box guide.
You can plug in a USB memory stick in if you want to schedule a recording from the program guide (as it doesn’t have internal storage) or if you simply want to pause the TV it will use the USB to instant record. Any half decent memory stick will do, Avtex do an official branded one too (about £15).
Next, I tried the DVD player, inserted a DVD, then select source and then it’s just normal operation from here. It doesn’t mention Blu-ray on the info so I don’t think they work on this model.
Picture quality
The viewing angles on this TV are excellent, I’ve done the cheap 12v route before and found things like the slim viewing angle really annoying coupled with a usually clunky program guide! Also, cheaper Tv’s tend not to have a HD freeview tuner in them, yes they can display a HD (1080p) if fed a from another source but the tuner inside is standard definition or “720p HD”. HD tuners are standard on this Avtex for Freeview and Satellite which is what you would expect on a premium product. I did find the HD picture on Freeview very good, the standard definition however seemed average, perhaps because the HD was very good, the pictures taken were on standard definition.
Sound
Sound on this TV I would describe as OK, I know it’s not going to be amazing because of the size of it but at the same time I felt it could have been more. Avtex do do a soundbar which looks quite smart and matches the next generation of TV’s if you are into your audio side of things.*edit* I’ve since realised there is an equaliser in the settings which I could have played about with to change it to my preference.
Other Features
This TV comes with a 3 year warranty! I think that’s brilliant, it’s a UK based company too should anything go wrong. I like the fact it has the basic control buttons on the back of the tv as well (including the AQT button) for when you forget to bring the remote away with you. Connection wise it’s got a couple of HDMI’s and a couple of USB’s, one of which is where you plug your USB memory stick. It also has a headphone socket and an audio out to connect to a soundbar or surround sound speakers.
The L199DRS-PRO comes with the 12v supply lead and a 240v AC lead transformer so that gives a bit of flexibility for plugging in. Power consumption wise it uses 0.5W in standby mode and 28W when on which is 2.3Amp current draw.
Also note this is not a smart TV as it has no internet connection, so no BBC iPlayer, ITV hub and Netflix etc, it’s an easy thing to forget as we are so used it at home. Avtex have come out with a range that do have the ability to connect to the internet but you will obviously need a good Wifi connection, something most sites seem to lack.
Overall
I really like this TV! Yes, it is more expensive than other 12V TV’s you can buy but it has a premium look and feel to it and really looks the part when mounted on a bracket with no wires showing. The 3 year warranty is a nice touch and also gives the impression that Avtex are confident in their products. If your van does have a satellite dish or dome then this can really take advantage of all the features and must be on the short list if you are looking for a TV. Its available from Amazon here.
- Brand new frameless edge to edge, full HD Ultra-wide viewing...
- Ultra slim, light and compact, our latest model boasts AQT one...
- it not only has 12, 24 or 240 volt options, it also has the...
Last update on 2021-09-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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