Flat screen TVs

Jeff

The issue I've heard/read is that the rollu-up screens can and do move with air currents in the coach, making it very annoying to watch anything on screen. But I have no personal experience of them.

Who's Shaun?

--pat

Pat said:

Who's Shaun?

--pat

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Shaun Davis of Davis Cabinets in Junction City, OR. Several forum members have had work done by him and, to my knowledge, everyone was happy with the end result. We've had work done by him in two of our coaches. He just installed a 26" flat screen in ours to replace a 20". American Coach, up to 2000, had the front TV on a lift system. It sat on the floor when not in use and then came up to viewing height on the lift. Shaun converted the lift to accommodate the 26". There are pictures somewhere on the forum of the installation.

Jim:  I'm not far from Junction City.  I think I'll look for Shaun's shop and see about getting a very tiny woodwork job done.  Beats driving 700 miles round trip to Yakima.  Also, it's good to know he's there. 

--pat

Pat

Here's Davis Cabinets' web site.

Pat said:

Jim:  I'm not far from Junction City.  I think I'll look for Shaun's shop and see about getting a very tiny woodwork job done.  Beats driving 700 miles round trip to Yakima.  Also, it's good to know he's there. 

--pat

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Pat,

He's right on 10th st. next to the railroad tracks. You won't miss it.

I second previous recommendations for Davis Cabinets.  Shaun does excellent work.

I see.  Up 99 and turn right on 10th.  I already sent them an email.

--pat

Pat said:

I see.  Up 99 and turn right on 10th.  I already sent them an email.

--pat

Click to expand...

Correct. As soon as you cross the tracks take a left into their driveway. If you like trains it's a great place to park. They run all day and night. ;D I'm one of few who enjoy them.

Jim:  First track or second track?  They're close.  I'll find the place easily.  I may have to make another run to town this week.  I need to get out wood samples and make some measurements and print some pics.

Glad you mentioned the trains, though.  I'll have to think how to keep Missy the cat from panicking with every train.

You must enjoy camping along US2, which was built by the RR, so it's along tracks all the way. 

--pat

Pat,

Think there's only one track at that point. ;D Haven't camped along rt. 2 but have stayed at Steins,NM a couple of times. Parked about 100' from the tracks where they get 25 trains in 24 hours. At least that's what we were told. I did hear a lot but they don't keep me awake.

Try this link for details on getting to Davis Cabinets.

http://virtualearth.msn.com/Details.aspx?dt=yp.58727904&style=h

Getting  back to the root of this thread....

I am replacing the 19: Toshiba CRT unit in my "Bedroom" with a 19" Samsung Syncmaster PC-Monitor TV.LCD flat panel

Plan is to use the space thus gained to mount a computer or two (Actually one MSI- computer and one Replay-TV though the Replay will come later... Much later (I will put one in the front first)

When done I'll be able to record television or other video at home, LAN to the computer, and  watch at either end of the MH (Via LAN to the front Replay of just play it back on the computer)

Final install will include 3 replays, and 3 computers, though do not ask me just where Replay #3 will go (Computer #3 is a laptop)

JID:  What?  No mirror?  My friend's new coach has a similar unit like the Syncmaster, which, when it's off, serves as a bedroom mirror. 

Can you do some occasional quality comparisons with other 19" monitors and TVs and advise how the resolution compares?  I'm considering doing the same thing when this VAIO bites the dust.  How are you recording?  On the computer?  With what software?  What video card?

--pat

Wow, So many questions

To date I have had it out of the box one time...Hooked it up to my laptop to watch recorded shows with (They laptop is barely able to play them) resoultion was good, any setting I wished worked well with it from VGA to maximum. (I have the laptop set one below maximum as that is the ONLY resoultion it's screen likes)

Quality compairsons will require I be parked along side someone with whatever I'm compairing with, Can't afford to do them on my own

I record one of 3 ways using a total of 5 recorders, of which 4 are in service

1: Main recorders are 3 REPLAY TV units One 5040 upgraded to 200 meg,  2 5504's stock

2: ATI TV-WONDER card (Computer is Win-XP home, 1.8 Ghz,256Meg ram lots and lots of hard drive

3: (Spelling?) Hauppauge card, not yet installed,in an MSI 1Ghz anthlon 256Meg and limited storage

As I said, it's not yet installed and it likely will not be used for recording

All computers with keyboards have a program called DVArchive on them... DVA allows me to "Download" (or move) Shows off the replay onto the computer's hard drive(s) and then either 1: Serve them back up to the replay (Or a different replay) or 2: View them on the computer (or with external HD's a different computer) or even ship them via the internet... If you don't mind 1 gig files

I have been using this set up in different levels of complexity since October and am very happy with the replays

When I am at home everything hooks up via lan, In the motor home it will be the same way with a router at one end and a switch at the other (makes cabeling so much simpler, only one Cat-5 running full length)

Advantages of replay: Any show recorded on any of the networked replays can be watched on any of the network replays. you can stop it and then pick up where you left off on another replay.  With DVArchive the computer is a "Virtual replay" (Can do anythign other than record) and with other software and hardware it can record.

REPLAY video files are very close to standard MEPG and will play with programs like POWERDVD (standard on many computers) Or VideoLan 8.0 (Running on the computer to my right as I type)  VideoLan does NOT INSTALL!!! (no registery entry)

The replays keep a list of "Bookmarks" or "events" (an event is the "Fade to black" that normally occures at the beginning of each program segment and commericial segment) allowing you to quickly bypass commericials.. Though several shows now toss in extra events or do not do the fade to black just to throw off devices such as the replay... There are other ways to navigate past the commericials as well. 

There is much much more... Like remote controls of your device... Well,,, the Replay has a standard multi-button I/R control

Or you can use your computer's mouse and keyobard with DVArchive (There are a couple of functions you must do from the I/R though)

And you can program a recording session from.... Anywhere with an internet connection!!!!

Units do require internet access to function.... at least the monthly ones do, don't know about my lifetime ones

JID:  Wow, you're doing TV with only 256mb RAM?  How much memory on the ATI card?

Cabling in the motorhome?  No wifi?

My next computer will be a small desktop with some expansion capability, the best currently available video card, great DVD creation and TV capture software, and I'll get one of those TV-computer monitor screens.  I don't know how something like HDTV comes in a TV that also can act as a computer monitor.  I've hooked computers up to TV via the ATI cards in the past, but always with hideous resolution.  My screen will likely always be 4 to 6 feed from my eyes, so most likely 19" will remain adequate.  Maybe a tad bigger.  I like to feel I'm in the middle of a movie.  So that big, that close requires good resolution.

--pat