Battery Operated Televisions

Portable TV use after digital programming switch?

How will I use my small portable battery operated black & white television after the switch to all digital broadcasting? I live in a rural area and our electricity goes out frequently. During a storm or another disaster, this TV is my only way to see impending weather or emergency instructions. Please help!

Public Comments

1. You get a radio. The pictures are much better on radio.
2. You will need a decoder of some fashion. The switch to digital means that the signals that will be broad casted will need to be received and decoded, this will require a separate cable style box. If you currently have cable service than you can talk with your provider and they will be able to supply a cable box that will work, if you use and aerial antenna to receive your television than you will need a decoder that will decode the channels. Below is a link to different company's that offer what you need.
3. Radio is the best option, they run longest on a set of batteries, and supply the same life saving information. A second best option is to get a new portable TV, which has a built in digital tuner, its own battery, or can work or charge from 12V automotive power. The new TV will be more efficient than your old one. To keep your old battery operated TV working, you need a convertor box. There are models which use an external power supply units, which can also run off of a 12V battery pack.
4. If you can't get your analog battery operated set to work with a converter, then it will become a relic of the past. You can use a converter box if you can connect it to your portable. With this approach, you would need a 12V inverter or a computer style UPS to run the converter. Here's a link to a converter box that runs directly from 12V (like a car or motorcycle battery) http://www.ezdigitaltv.com/RVs_and_Converter_Boxes.html Here is a link to a battery operated converter box http://www.winegarddirect.com/ If you have a computer, you could add an ATSC tuner card to your PC. http://www.hauppauge.com/ Remember to have extra batteries on hand or a UPS for the computer. Also, there are some battery operated portable ATSC sets reaching the market now. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8870046&type=product&id=1210377520598 http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2855063&cp=&sr=1&kw=portable+tv&origkw=portable+TV&parentPage=search