The Benefits of Owning a Portable Freeview TV for Travel and Convenience

Portable TV was once a wonder of modern science, a miniaturisation of devices that began as huge electronic cubes up to 1 feet deep! Our obsession with making tech smaller, cheaper and more accessible led to the development of portable TVs in the same way Boomboxes had become MP3 players and computers had become…well, smaller computers!

There are still plenty of reason to own and use a portable TV with Freeview rather than your phone or tablet screen (Although there is a cheat to turn your tablet into a TV!) and access authentic, broadcast Television for free with no accounts for apps, no internet or data charges for streaming, and a host of unique functions (And yes, I did watch Beyond Paradise Time Shifted in my work lunch break with headphones on because portable TV is amazing…)

Portable TVs: An Overview

Before we jump in to specifics, portable TVs is a big category! Even in the CRT era there were “portable TVs” that came with their own carry bag, shoulder strap and could be turned on and tuned from an aerial on the top of the set. However, that’s not what we’re really going to be using day-to-day in 2024! Portable TVs are similar sizes to tablets and some laptops, with screens between 8 and 14 inches, in general. They’re slim, compact and light but more than just being a screen, they include TV functionality like in-built tuners, EPG software and multi-media playback options.

1. Compact All-Inclusive Engineering

The biggest boon of a Portable TV over a standard monitor or a tablet is there’s no need to go around chasing adapters and converters and drivers and downloads. A Portable TV with Freeview will have an in-built TV tuner, a HDMI Socket (or two for those with an input and output) and potentially USB ports too. This means that once you plug an Aerial in or connect a HDMI device you get picture straight away from the internal software. No set-top-box or adapters needed.

The TV functionality extends to advanced Set-Top-Box Recorder features like recording your favourite shows, pausing and rewinding Live TV and enabling accessibility options like Subtitles. Essentially, anything a TV can do so can a mini-TV, just smaller!

2. Freeview TV without Internet

If you haven’t watched Gogglebox in a tent on a hillside, have you really lived?

When you’re up in the highlands, hiking across parklands, exploring along a strut of beach or gathered around a marshmallow-toasting fire pit the internet, Wi-Fi and even Data (4 / 5G) are not always available! At least, not stable enough to show everyone the latest episode you missed on catch-up while you were travelling.

A Portable TV uses a portable mini-aerial, preferably an amplified one, to circumvent the need for internet and data. The signal is accessible over 70 miles away with a high-gain amplified aerial pointing the correct direction. This means that, with no need for streaming, you can watch live TV and news and shows from anywhere.

For more guidance on the best aerials for your Portable TV read our blog here on all the buzzwords and features of aerials

3. No Hidden Costs

A knock-on effect is that a portable Freeview TV really is free! No internet connection means no sudden bill increases or limits busted, and no roaming data charges. On top of that you don’t need subscriptions or recurring costs to access and use your TV.

4. High-Definition Viewing

You might not think of a small screen in a portable TV as high-definition compared to a 50 inch 4K Smart TV that some people have, but take everything in proportion and portable TV can look just as fine and smooth as a home system. Using 16:9 aspect ratios and maintaining that TV Home-Cinema size gives you an authentic TV experience for your favourites everywhere. A common choice is a 1024 x 576 LCD Screen TV like this one.

Even at other aspect ratios, a 9-inch TV running at even just 800 x 480 (The same as a mobile phone) LCD or LED screen will show Freeview HD in an energy-efficient and enjoyable way without breaking the bank. Not to mention that a tablet of a higher resolution at a similar size wouldn’t have the TV features like a Tuner or Aerial port or EPG software.

5. Multi-purpose Monitor

On top of all the built-in TV functions also comes the innate qualities of a portable monitor. Extend desktops with another screen, play your own music and media through the device at events and conventions or use as a digital picture frame. The freedom to watch not only Live TV but media of your own choice makes a Portable TV with Freeview as varied as a Smart TV, minus the internet connection and app support. Connect Games Consoles for hotels and other trips ensuring you keep up with dailies or can relax on a work trip in the evening with a game.

Explore Our Range

Daffodil are proud to host a selection of August products, manufacturers of fine audio and video solutions as well as every-day tech designed for accessibility and ease-of-use. View our TVs and pick up your portable aerial to match!