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- Cooking & Washing
- Water Heaters
- Furniture
- Sound & Vision
- Wireless Internet
- Customisation
- Case Studies
Sound & Vision
TV. Radio. Surround sound. DVD. The list can become quite extensive. These can become an important part of your motorhome. Our strategy at LAS isn’t based around what we can do; it’s about what you want. Here are some pointers to give you some ideas.
TV
If you already have imported an American motorhome yourself you will know this, but the American TVs do not work in this country. The reason for this is simple; the Americans use a different system to us (a recurring theme as far as motorhomes are concerned). Unfortunately in order to watch a TV over here you will need a television which runs on the PAL system we use in the UK, it will need to look good (for obvious reasons) and it will need to fit the aperture, which can sometimes involve an alteration. If your vehicle is an older motorhome, it will most likely also be using a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and is analogue, not suited to our digital systems. Again, this will mean replacing the TV and almost always needs an aperture alteration.
DVD
Do you just want to watch a DVD, or do you want to be able to record DVDs with your DVD player? If you want to be able to record DVDs, are you going to use the aerial that’s already fitted, or are you going to need a satellite system fitted? If the answer to both of these is yes, then you are going to need a twin LNB system, which will record using one LNB and allow you to watch a television on the other. The option of blu-ray player is also readily available, but this will need to be planned before either you or LAS purchase the TV to be installed.
Surround Sound
A number of the new American motorhomes will already have a surround sound system integrated into them; however the DVD machine supplied will not work in this country. Fortunately, LAS can create a new system for you, using the original speakers. If you don’t have a surround sound system and are interested, LAS are experts in careful and precise wiring, and have fitted many discreet speakers.
Satellite System
Our main suggestion for buying a good quality satellite system is that before you buy anything, ask LAS, or do the research yourself. There are many good satellite systems out there which we have fitted, and there are many others which are prone to damage or signal loss.
A primary consideration would be the location of your travel. Are you planning on travelling around Europe, and if so which part of Europe? There are several different types of satellites which can receive a signal, principally dishes or dome satellites which come in different sizes (and sometimes shapes). Also, the distance away from the UK is important, as if you remain in the UK, you may only need a 40cm dish, however parts of France and Europe in general may require a dish as large as 85cm or further south up to 100cm.The further south you are planning to use the dish, the greater the need will be to adjust the LNB on the dish a few degrees to receive a perfect signal. Is it possible to climb onto a ladder to do this manually, or will a system with an automatic skew be more suited to you?
As mentioned in the DVD article, the twin LNB system allows you to watch one program on a front TV and a different program on the rear TV, making it ideal for when programs clash or even on a rainy day. Quad LNB does exist, and it is similar to the twin LNB, however the extra LNBs allow you to record another program.
Satellite dishes are not only for the audiovisual signals for television; some can also receive an internet signal. Obviously, this is not as cheap as a home internet system; however it is sometimes a necessary or desired product. In this case, only the internet or the TV can be used at one time. If you choose, LAS can fit just the internet system with Wi-Fi and wire up the TV to the motorhome aerial as a more cost effective option.
Radios
Numerous radios found in older American motorhomes will only receive odd frequencies; 100.7 for example, which greatly limits your choice of radio stations. Thankfully, some radios can be changed, but if not, LAS can source a new one which will fit the dashboard surround.