Looking for a small TV that has HDMI-CEC

[boston04and07]

I've been looking for something very specific - a small TV (like, 19" range or so) for the kitchen that has HDMI-CEC. The goal is to use it with an Apple TV and to only need the Siri remote for controlling it. I've found plenty of small and compact TVs on Amazon so far, but none of them explicitly say whether they have HDMI-CEC built in...I sort of doubt it since they all seem to be on the low-end range. Anyway, I was wondering if any of you guys have found such a thing or know of one that has this. If you do I'd love to know - thanks!

 

[Boyd01]

Sorry that I don't really know much about CEC… but I recently got a Vizio D24-D1 at Best Buy which is a 24" smart TV, think it was about $135. Was not interested in the smart TV aspect, have never used that, I am using it as a computer and video monitor and I like it. It has a CEC menu but of course it doesn't discover anything since I have it connected to my MBA right now. See page 34 of the manual:

https://cdn.vizio.com/documents/d24d1/um-d24d1.pdf

One thing I like about this Vizio is that it has just about the most tweak-able image of any consumer TV I've seen, including advanced color calibration (from the regular menus, not in service mode).

19" TV's are getting harder and harder to find. I recently got an Insignia (Store brand) NS-19D220 19" 720p TV at Best Buy and have to say, am very impressed with it - especially since it only cost $80. It also appears to support CEC and has some pretty extensive menu settings for it.

I think you will still find both of these on display in the store where you can play around with them, and they have a nice no-questions-asked return policy if they won't do what you want.

 

[campyguy]

I *just* bought that same Insignia set for my mom's kitchen, and I set it up for her. She's happy, and that's all that matters to me.

In two of my field offices we have a slightly larger 22 inch unit we bought at a nearby Walmart, the LG 22LH4530. My only knock on that TV is the promotional image - there's no way I'd sit that far from a 22" set!

I'd buy either set again in a heartbeat. Both work great with an Apple TV or the DirecTV DVR they're hooked up to.

 

[boston04and07]

Thanks @Boyd01 and @campyguy! Yeah, it really is getting hard to find small TVs, which is a shame since now that I can get most of my cable subscription content on the Apple TV, I'm more interested than ever in putting small sets in places like the kitchen and my bedroom. I'll check those out! It's really been tricky to find smaller sets that advertise having CEC built in, especially since each brand has its own name for it. However, since I posted this, I found this 22" Philips TV, which does advertise that it has their version of CEC (called Easylink). Either way I'll probably grab one of these in the next few months and will let you know what I think.

 

[Boyd01]

For $80, I would give the 19" Insignia a try. Not much to lose, just save all the packaging and you can return if it doesn't work. But like I said, it does have a CEC menu with a number of options available.

 

[campyguy]

I'll keep this thread bookmarked as I'm shopping for a single-person RV based on the Sprinter chassis, and I'd be happy with a decent 19-23" HDTV for it. I'll be mounting that one on a VESA arm too! Cheers!

 

[Boyd01]

My 19" Insignia is mounted on a VESA arm that tucks into a cubby hole next to my bed, perfect for watching movies on the Apple TV at bedtime.

 

[boston04and07]

Haha now I'm torn because the Vizio mentioned above really does look nice! It's a bit bigger than I was going for for the space in question but it's pretty tempting all the same...really great suggestions.

 

[boston04and07]

I actually have another semi-related question about this. I'm likely going to get the Insignia in a few weeks or so, since that looks like exactly what I need. However, as I mentioned the goal is to only use my Siri remote (and to not need the stock remote or anything else). I have a set of 2.1 bookshelf speakers that connect to their source via a 3.5mm cable that I'd like to use with this TV when I listen to music. Of course, the Apple TV 4 doesn't have such an output, so I'd need to connect them directly to the TV. Alternatively I could get an HDMI audio extractor like the one here, or I could keep them hooked up to the Airport Express they're currently connected to and just use that as the volume output source on the Apple TV.

So, with either of these options, do you guys have any idea if I still will be able to control volume with the Siri remote? Any thoughts you'd have are appreciated!!

 

[Boyd01]

Don't have an AppleTV 4 so I can't speak to that (no volume control on my ATV3). However I don't see any advantage to plugging headphones into the audio extractor when you could just plug them directly into the TV. I use an HDMI audio extractor for my video editing system because my Sony production monitor doesn't have audio output and it works fine though.

One nice feature of that Insignia TV is that it has physical buttons on the side for power, channel, menu and volume. So regardless of what can be controlled on the Apple TV itself, you could always adjust volume with the buttons on the TV itself without using the remote.

 

[campyguy]

I use my ATV for both my BenQ displays (no speakers) at work or small Sony TV at home over HDMI along with a new model Express (the DAC in the Express is pretty decent IMHO) which leads to a pair of older Yamaha monitors; I just make sure the Express is the selected and the ATV4 remote works great.

I also use these wireless cans by Sony - http://www.trustedreviews.com/sony-mdr-hw700-review - I bought the Japan import model on Amazon, which allows connecting to up to 4 pairs of cans; the US/UK units work with only one set of cans, so I've told. My ATV4 (and TiVo Bolt and BR player) is connected to the transmitter unit (which works perfectly with 4k and my BenQ displays), and the unit also has RCA and Toslink out. The cans can be purchased separately, for a lot less coin...

Back on point, I saw the model Insignia in a Winnebago Navion that I walked through - it and the View models were the only two models on a smaller RV platform that I could actually stand up in (I'm 6'7"...). The TV was actually pretty decent, to be honest - yes, I'd buy that TV...

 

[profets]

From my personal use, I've found at home that the Sony and Samsung TVs I have the HDMI-CEC works flawlessly. When I've tested with some small insignia TVs it never worked properly. I have a 7-8 year old 26" Sony LCD in the bedroom, only thing connected to it is a new Apple TV and am quite happy that I only need the Apple TV remote now.

In our family room, we have a Sony AVR and a Samsung TV connected to the AVR (along with a new apple TV). Works flawlessly here as well. Hitting any button on the Apple TV remote wakes up the AVR and the TV, sets the correct input, and AVR volume is even controlled over HDMI. Sounds stupid, but it's one of my favourite things about the new Apple TV.

Lastly, in my basement, I have a new Apple TV hooked up to a 2015 70" Vizio TV. The Apple TV can turn on the Vizio, but it never sleeps it properly. There's a thread here on the subject actually from last year.

Stupid enough, this is one of my requirements when looking for a new TV. So convenient. Honestly, if you find an inexpensive Insignia or other less-known brand, doesn't hurt to try it out.