As you get older and less mobile, the TV plays an increasingly more important role in your life.
Seeing your favorite TV episodes and movies can make all the difference to your quality of life.
But what’s the best TV type to watch on and do seniors really need a portable TV?
The Benefits Of Portable TVs For Seniors
We think that we can probably all agree that the best way to watch TV as a senior is laying in a well-maintained adjustable bed on a comfy mattress clutching a remote control with our eyes on a huge screen Smart TV.
Sadly, this isn’t always practical and that means we need to think about the benefits of other TVs, and while the portable TV isn’t as common as it once was – it can be a great option for seniors for many of the following reasons.
Watching TV Is Easy Anywhere (Weight/Size)
It’s important to define what “portable” means when it comes to your TV.
Some “portable” TVs weigh as much as 20Kg which might be less than an old-school CRT TV but it’s still heavier than many seniors can lift.
That means you may need to compromise on the overall screen size to get the right portable device – but that doesn’t mean compromising picture quality and you can always add wireless speakers if the TV speaker isn’t delivering the sound that you need. These can be moved separately to the TV and won’t add weight to it.
Handheld devices can offer a 6″ LED TV screen that really delivers a solid solo viewing experience and they’re super light and offer great picture quality and sound quality. But if you’re looking for something to cater to a group – you probably need something with, at least, a 12″ screen.
Be warned the measurement of a TV screen is diagonal not the width and thus the difference between a 14″ and 17″ screen might not sound much but that 17″ screen is a 30% larger screen than its 14″ counterpart!
Being able to watch TV anywhere in the home is really handy.
Traditional Aspect Ratios
Most portable TVs have a traditional aspect ratio of 4:3 (1.33:1) this is great if you want to watch shows on TV but for movies, it can be a bit of a drawback if you want to watch in widescreen.
Now, the display can adapt to show widescreen when it appears on your streaming channels or streaming services but you should know that it’s going to waste a bit of the screen real estate.
If widescreen is your preference, then we’d recommend buying a widescreen TV in the first place.
Connectivity (Sound Quality And Wireless TV Speakers)
TV speakers aren’t always the best and TV audio can sound a little flat through a TV speaker. We overcome that by using a wireless speaker which is also a portable speaker instead of the TV speaker.
This is a cheaper solution than integrating a better TV sound system.
We also prefer a smart device as a TV now, rather than a simple TV, that’s because it allows for streaming content on services like Prime Video and FM radio channels too. That extends the use of your TV considerably.
All of these functions are easy to find in portable TVs.
You should also check for the right ports if you want to use a DVD player, camcorder, or monitor with your TV.
Battery Power
Most portable TVs also run on a rechargeable battery (a rechargeable lithium battery to be precise) and that means you can run them for a few hours without needing to plug them in. Which is great for watching TV in the garden in the summertime.
Energy Conservation
A portable LED TV is much more energy efficient than the old cathode ray TVs and that means a good portable TV ought to reduce your energy bills.
Other Features (And The Remote Control)
One thing we like about modern TVs is you’re not forced to use the TV remote that comes with the TV – you can use TV remotes from a variety of sources. Such as a universal remote like the Amazon Fire TV control or remote controls which have been designed to deliver larger characters to make it easier for those with vision problems to see the buttons.
Check Price here.
Final Thoughts On Seniors And Portable TVs
It would probably be fair to say that no-one “needs a TV” of any description but often if you enjoy watching TV in your later years, the best TV is a portable one.
This gives senior citizens the most flexibility on where they can watch and they don’t need to miss out on cool functionality like Smart TVs have either – you can easily find a portable Smart TV if that’s what you need.