In daily life, many people want to be able to continue watching TV during outdoor activities, RV travel, or emergency power outages. At this time, the car inverter becomes an important tool to convert direct current (such as the power in the battery) to alternating current (such as the power required for household appliances). But many people may ask: "How much power inverter do I need to run the TV?" This article will explore this question in depth and help you choose the right inverter to ensure that the TV can run stably.

1. What is the power of the TV? How to determine the power requirement?

To choose the right inverter, you must first understand the power requirements of the TV. The power of TVs of different types, sizes, and technologies varies greatly, and the power requirements directly determine the size of the inverter you need to choose.

Power Type of TV

The power of a TV is usually marked on the nameplate on the back of the device, usually in watts (W). This is the power consumption required for the TV to operate normally, which is the "rated power" of the TV. The rated power can help you quickly understand the power requirements of the TV.

Generally speaking, the power of a TV is affected by the type of TV, display technology, and screen size. Here are the approximate power ranges for different types of TVs:

LCD TVs (Liquid Crystal Displays): Power is usually between 60W and 150W, depending on the screen size and manufacturer.
LED TVs: More energy-efficient than traditional LCD TVs, power is usually between 30W and 100W.
OLED TVs: Due to their better display, power is higher, usually between 100W and 200W, especially for large-size TVs.
Plasma TVs: Due to their technical characteristics, this type of TV has a higher power requirement, usually between 200W and 400W, and power consumption increases with the size of the screen.

How to calculate the total power requirement?

In addition to the power of the TV, you also need to consider other devices that are running at the same time. If you only use the TV, the inverter size only needs to meet the rated power of the TV; but if you connect other devices at the same time, such as speakers, TV boxes or game consoles, you need to calculate the total power requirement of these devices.

The formula for calculating total power is as follows:

Total power = TV power + power of other devices

For example, if your TV power is 100W, the power of the sound system is 50W, and the power of the TV box is 30W, then the total power is:

100W+50W+30W=180W

In this example, you need an inverter of at least 180W to ensure that all devices can run at the same time.

2. What is the difference between starting power and rated power? How to deal with starting power?

In addition to understanding the rated power of the TV, you also need to pay attention to the problem of starting power. Starting power refers to the instantaneous power required by the device when it is just turned on, which is usually several times higher than the rated power of the device. This is not very obvious in TVs, but it is a common problem in other household appliances (such as refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.).

What is starting power?

Starting power, or peak power, is the maximum power consumed by a device at startup. The startup power of a TV will not usually exceed its rated power by a large margin like a refrigerator, but in some cases, especially when the TV is large or uses high-end display technology (such as OLED), the power consumption at startup may increase slightly.

For example, if your TV is rated for 100W, the startup power may reach 150W for a short period of time. This means that the inverter you choose must not only meet the rated power, but also be able to cope with the impact of the startup power.

How does the inverter cope with the startup power?

Inverters are generally divided into two types of power: continuous power and peak power. Continuous power is the power that the inverter can continuously provide during normal operation, while peak power is the maximum power that the inverter can handle in a short period of time. To ensure that the TV can start smoothly, the peak power of the inverter should be higher than the startup power of the TV.

For example, if your TV starts with a power of 150W and the rated power is 100W, you need to choose an inverter that can provide at least 150W peak power and 100W continuous power.

Impact and solution of starting power

Although the starting power of most modern TVs will not pose much challenge to the inverter, it still needs to be considered when choosing an inverter. A common solution is to choose an inverter with slightly larger power to ensure that it can easily cope with the starting power. For example, if your TV power is 100W, choosing a 200W or 300 watt power inverter may be a safer choice to avoid power fluctuations at startup affecting the normal operation of the TV.

3. How to choose an inverter suitable for TV?

Choosing an inverter suitable for TV is not only about power, but also about multiple other factors, such as inverter type, efficiency, power conversion, etc.

Pure sine wave inverter or modified wave inverter?

Inverters can be divided into pure sine wave inverters and modified wave inverters according to the output waveform. Different types of inverters have different power supply quality, which directly affects the operating quality of electronic devices such as TVs.

Pure sine wave inverter: The output waveform is the same as the household power supply, which can provide stable power for various electrical appliances, especially those that are sensitive to voltage and waveform, such as TVs and computers. Choosing a pure sine wave inverter can ensure that the TV picture quality is not affected, avoid flickering, noise and other problems, and is suitable for high-end TVs or large-screen TVs.
Modified sine wave inverter: The output waveform is a modified sine wave. Although it can power most devices, it may generate some noise or interference for some precision devices such as TVs and computers. Therefore, if your TV is a high-end model, it is recommended to choose a pure sine wave inverter.

Efficiency of the inverter

The efficiency of the inverter determines how much input DC power it can convert into AC power. Generally speaking, the efficiency of the inverter is between 85% and 95%. The higher the efficiency, the less power is lost in the battery.

Assuming that the inverter you choose has an efficiency of 90%, we can calculate the actual power output of the inverter:

Actual power output = inverter power × efficiency

For example, the actual power output of a 200-watt inverter is:

200W×0.9=180W

Therefore, choosing an efficient inverter can reduce power loss, extend battery life, and ensure long-term stable operation of the device.

Size and portability of the inverter

If you are using the TV outdoors or in an RV, the size and weight of the inverter are also one of the considerations. The larger the power of the inverter, the larger the size and weight will usually be. For general outdoor activities, if you only power the TV, choose a smaller portable inverter with a power between 200W and 400W, such as 300W power inverter. If you power multiple devices at the same time, you need a higher-power inverter.

4. The matching problem between the inverter and the battery

When choosing an inverter, the battery is another factor that must be considered. The inverter requires a DC power source (such as a battery) to work, and inverters of different powers have different requirements for batteries.

Battery selection

The inverter powers the TV by converting the DC power in the battery into AC power. Therefore, the voltage and capacity of the battery directly determine the power supply time of the system. Common battery voltages are 12V and 24V, and the commonly used capacity unit is ampere-hour (Ah).

The calculation formula for battery capacity is:

Run time (hours) = battery capacity (Ah) × battery voltage (V) × inverter efficiency / device power (W)

Assuming that you use a 12V, 100Ah battery, the inverter efficiency is 90%, and the TV power is 100W, the battery can supply power for:

Run time = 100Ah×12V×0.9/100W=10.8 hours

Calculation of the number of batteries

If you need to extend the power supply time, you can do so by increasing the number of batteries. For example, if you need to watch TV for a longer time, you can use multiple batteries in series or parallel to increase the total capacity of the battery system.

Conclusion

To choose an inverter suitable for running a TV, you first need to understand the power requirements of the TV and the power of other devices that may be running at the same time. For most modern TVs, a 100-watt to 200-watt inverter is sufficient, but if other devices are used at the same time, a higher-power inverter may be required. At the same time, factors such as the type of power inverter (such as pure sine wave or modified wave), efficiency, and battery matching also need to be considered comprehensively to ensure that the TV can run stably and for a long time.