Our Jensen TV
Our T@G teardrop camper, which we purchased a year ago, came equipped with a Jensen TV and DVD player. We have used it, in some fashion, on every trip we have taken. However, we are not experts. I know that some campers have very sophisticated equipment and powerful antennas and that is not us.
I am writing this post because I occasionally see questions about this topic. Also, I try to think about what I would like to have had as a resource when we began camping. If this is too basic, I apologize.
TV Input
The input for reception is located near the water and electrical outlet on the camper. It is the open circular receptacle at the top left and is used for both cable and antenna input.
Step 1, Antenna
For television viewing, the first step is to connect to a source for reception.
Much of our camping has been in State Parks or U.S. Corps of Engineers campgrounds where cable is often not provided. However, it has been my experience to find cable in commercial campgrounds. The set up for cable and air antennas is similar.
For cable, you need to have your own cable to attach to the campground cable block. It is generally found on the power pedestal. Your cable links the campground cable source to the cable receptor on your camper.
If no cable is provided, you can use a variety of air antennas. We purchased one at our RV dealership. It was over a hundred dollars, bulky, and did not work any better than one my husband devised. It is based on one he saw on one of the Facebook camping groups. A photo of it,which I used for this demonstration is below.
Step 2, Jensen TV Input
Next, the input for the TV should be set to “TV”. This can be done by selecting source on your remote or the source button on the bottom of your TV.
You are now ready to scan for available channels. Select menu on the Jensen remote or by press the menu button on the bottom of the TV to do this.
Step 3
- Use the right arrow on the remote to highlight “Channel” and press enter to select it.
- Arrow down to “Air/Cable” and select the option you need. The photo above shows air, but you can also select cable in the top line. Once you have selected the appropriate option, arrow down and hit enter to begin “Auto Scan”.
We did the scan for this demonstration in our basement and found nine channels. Once the scan ends, the first channel that was found is tuned to your television. As you can see from the photo below, the reception was not bad.
As long as you remain in the same location, you will have access to the channels identified in the scan, even after turning off the TV. When you move to a new campsite, you will have to perform the scan function again.
Jensen TV and DVD Basics
We often would rather watch movies than regular television. We either pick up Redbox movies or bring movies from home.
- We were sad to learn that our player does not play Blue Ray and our newer movies at home are Blue Ray. Be sure that you rent or bring regular DVDs if you do not have a Blue Ray player.
- Set the input to AV to play a DVD.
- A positive aspect with DVDs, is that you are able to use the speakers installed in the cabin.
- A special Jensen Remote is required for DVD operation.
- The DVD player will play music via Bluetooth. I have music on my phone and it works well with the player.
- AM\FM is available on the player.
- There is also a clock and an alarm, but we have never used it.
Apple TV
We sometimes watch Netflix on Apple TV. Apple TV also connects to other options, such as HULU.
- We connect the Apple cable to the HDMI plug on the back of the TV.
- To watch Apple TV, you must be connected to a network. We use the hotspot on our phone for the network. Don’t do this if you don’t have available data as overages can be costly. We increased our data package recently, so this is an available option.
- Set the input source on the TV to HDMI.
- You must have the Apple remote as well.
Input Source
Below is a photo of the input options. We have not used all of them, but I will summarize the ones we currently use.
- TV, for cable or air antenna television viewing
- AV, for DVD viewing
- HDMI, for Apple TV, when plugged into HDMI receptacle on TV
Remotes
Below is a photo of Jensen TV remote and the DVD remote. For us, Apple TV brings a third remote. It can be a bit much, but we do like to be entertained.
Jenson TV Support
Below is a link to Jenson RV Direct. It could be handy to have if you need additional information or if you have any issues with your Jensen TV.
We received information on the operation of our camper at the time of purchase. Also, they briefly covered the Jensen TV. However, a month later in our first trip out, we were a little fuzzy on what to do with the TV. First Camping Trip We managed to get things going, but there was some trial and error. I hope this post is helpful to new campers.
In Conclusion
If you would like to read about other things we have learned during our camping adventures, we now have a resources page for new campers. Also, we recently dropped our cable services at home and purchased Roku devices for streaming. Our monthly cable costs were $114, but now the streaming costs are $40, a savings of $74. So, if you are interested in converting to streaming, check out our post Cable Cutting, A Retirement Cost Savings Strategy
Update
Would you like to be able to watch shows and movies on your television when in remote areas with no cell or Internet service. If yes, check out my latest post, How to Use Your Phone to Watch TV. The input source would be HDMI for this option.
Happy Camping!
