Best 12v TV: Follow the Bigger World in Perfect Color

Even high-quality 12 volt TVs suffer from rapid wear and tear from traveling in an RV due to potentially rough road conditions. The Jensen JTV19DC was made with this in mind and uses conformal-coated circuit boards in its design, reinforced mounting points as well as having a rugged metal cabinet.

Beyond the integral strength features, this 12 v TV also sports one of the better image qualities with 720p resolution and a 16.7million color palette. On top of that, this Jensen model works with virtually any signal source you have including Arc HDMI, PC, component, and RCA.

This model also draws less power than any of the other RV TVs on our list at only 24W when in use. Alo if you double up on Jensen products, the J-COM function allows you to effortlessly transition from one Jensen product to another within the same system.

12 volt RV TVs often require compromising on one feature over another, however, AXESS understands most of us are now accustomed to a high picture quality HD resolution. So not to disappoint, they have produced the TVD1805-24 with a relatively large 24” screen that displays in 1080p resolution.

Of course, this model also comes with a wide number of different display modes including VGA and even external memory like USB or SD. Even better, you do not have to let your collection of DVDs go to waste or spend extra money since the AXESS includes a built-in DVD player.

The inclusion of a 3D comb filter and 3D de-interlace feature also helps ensure that you do not suffer interference when watching regular cable in an RV park or another similar source. While its power draw is not as low as some of the other TVs on this list, the TVD1805-24 has a reasonable power draw of only 36W while in use.

The Supersonic 1080p LED widescreen is the other RV television on our list that displays its image in 1080p resolution and further combines that resolution with a rich palette of 16.7 million colors. It also sports one of the better brightness ratings we saw at 250cd/m2 and with a contrast ratio of 600:1.

Whilst this 12 volt LED TV doesn’t have quite as many inputs as some of its competitors, it offers some better options including an Amazon Firestick compatible USB port for streaming purposes. It can also be used as a PC monitor with a 5 ms response, however, if you use the Supersonic in this way the PC audio sound quality isn’t to the same standard.

One thing to consider is that the mounting bracket is not terribly sturdy, so be careful when installing it in your RV. It is also not noted for the loudest audio, so you may want to purchase an external speaker system as well.

The Naxa comes in at a more budget-friendly price whilst still providing a wealth of great features. For example, the Naxa 19” television boasts one of the broader ranges of acceptable inputs including VGA PC, 2 different types of component inputs, and USB or SD. 

However, a huge limiting factor is that the external inputs only allow music or photo images, not movies. Of course, you can always rely on the built-in DVD player to make sure you have access to a movie whenever you want.

While not the best for energy efficiency, the Naxa 19” is the second-most energy-efficient model we reviewed using only 30W when active and costing around $9 a year to operate. It achieves this high energy efficiency while still displaying in a solid 720p resolution with a fantastic 60 Hz refresh rate, so you don’t have to worry about blurry images whilst you watch TV.

That said, this Naxa model is tied for the smallest screen on our list at only 19”, partly why it is restricted to 720p. The picture image itself also lags behind in other areas as well, though it is not of poor quality.

Just because you are on the road doesn’t mean you have to give up on gaming – especially thanks to the Transit from Free Signal. One of the best features of this 12 volt flat-screen TV for gaming is the 5 ms response time, no need to worry about image lag causing you to lose a heated match.

To go along with this lightning-fast response time, the Free Signal Transit is also one of the few models on our list that comes with three HDMI inputs. This means you can connect it to a wide range of different source signals, such as a gaming console, a PC, and a cable box all at the same time.

As if that were not enough, this model also ties for the screen size top spot on our list with a 28” screen to catch all of the action. While not 1080p, this RV television still comes with an HD-quality 720p display resolution.

While the audio is not noted for being the best, that might be in part due to the dynamic audio response and digital noise reduction circuitry.

With a modest amount of source inputs the Continu.US 28″ RV flat-screen TV offers a fairly basic package but with a 28” screen size at the larger end of the scale for RV TVs.

That said, this does not mean you need to sacrifice the number of devices you want to connect thanks to its three HDMI inputs. Even better, the Continu.US HDMI ports use the 1.4 Arc protocol to transmit video signal better than some of its competitors.

The Continu.US comes with a solid display resolution of 720p at a 60Hz refresh rate and a surprising brightness of 300cd/m2. While the Continu.US model comes with a USB-compatible port, it cannot be used to play movie files or connect to stream Netflix or other WiFi-based streaming services.

To help save on power costs, the Continu.US has an auto-power off feature using only 1W in standby mode and uses low-power LEDs.

On the downside, the Continu.US is not quite as durable as some of the other products we reviewed, so you need to make sure that it is held firmly in place and will not suffer too much vibration.

The Proscan may not top our list in any particular category, but it provides a good mid-option with average or better than average scores across the board. It also has the option for using the built-in DVD player, so your passengers can still watch movies even while driving. 

The display, while not list-leading, comes with an HD 720p resolution and a 60Hz refresh rate to prevent blurred images. While not the most compatible on our list, the Proscan still offers more than some with an HDMI port, VGA, and even a component input.

On the other hand, this is easily the least energy-efficient television that we reviewed with an active power consumption of 80W. Outside of that, both the remote and the audio quality are a bit subpar, but neither of them are deal-breakers.