Englaon X90Pro 12V TV and soundbar review: Caravan comforts

In our homes, we all want the latest big-screen TV, and it’s also evolved to stream our favourite shows. In the RV, caravan, and boat markets, the TV world has been running much slower.

There are, of course, many constraints on space, power supply, and internet access. These challenges have been mostly solved over the last decade, and now you can enjoy your entertainment from anywhere, even while in remote locations. I look at the 32-inch Englaon 12V X90Pro TV and soundbar combo as one potential solution.

Table of contents

• Why can’t I just put a regular TV in my caravan?
• Features
• Specifications and price
• Using the Englaon 12V X90Pro TV and soundbar
• Who is the Englaon 12V X90Pro TV for?

Why can’t I just put a regular TV in my caravan?

Let’s face it, a 100-inch TV won’t fit in a caravan, but there is more to it than that. The layouts of caravans have improved over the years, as have the mounting brackets. In most cases, when you are in transit, the TV will need to be removed from the mounting bracket and safely stored, most often strapped to the top of a bed. The weight of a modern TV has reduced significantly, so a larger TV is certainly now more easily used in a caravan.

A TV used in a caravan must be built to withstand the bumps and vibrations of thousands of kilometres on the road, including bone-jarring corrugations. A TV designed for caravans is built more robustly to survive this treatment.

Power is a premium in a caravan or on a boat. Although most have 12-volt power supplies, not all have 240-volt AC. Converting from battery to AC back to DC to run a TV is also an inefficient way to power it and will drain your batteries more quickly.

Where once you had a fancy TV antenna on a caravan roof to tune in TV channels, streaming TV has quickly replaced this, and with Starlink offering unlimited downloads and coverage anywhere you can see the sky, why would you bother with an antenna? Now you can stream your favourite free-to-air channels, Netflix movies, and sports on Kayo with ease, where previously, in most of Australia outside cities, you did not even have a TV signal.

So, a TV for caravans must be lightweight, built tough, run on 12 volts, and support all the streaming apps. Then there are the functions we expect from a TV: a great picture and stimulating sound.

Englaon 12V X90Pro TV and soundbar features

Englaon advertises the X90Pro as the world’s first 12-volt 4K smart TV designed for RVs, caravans, boats, and off-grid living. With this TV, you can now watch streamed content in glorious 4K resolution, and take advantage of High Dynamic Range (HDR10) and Dolby Vision if your show supports them. This means that in a scene with a shaded area and a bright area, you will see both clearly, whereas traditionally, one of the areas would be either too dark or too blown out.

For sports lovers, not only can you watch your favourite sports on Kayo, but you will also benefit from smoother motion. Englaon call this MEMC technology, which adds more frames, making images smoother, without the jerkiness you might otherwise see when watching rugby, AFL or motorsport.

Until recently, caravans came with a TV with a built-in DVD player, which made sense historically, but now with content online, Englon has incorporated Google TV running Android 14. Just like an Android smartphone, you can download apps. Apps in this case include streaming platforms such as Seven+, Netflix, Kayo, ABC iview, Disney, Apple TV, Paramount, and Stan. There are more than 10,000 apps to choose from, so you will be sure to find something to watch.

For further versatility, you can even plug your laptop into the spare HDMI port and use the TV as a second monitor. No doubt you will also take a lot of photos or perhaps videos on your trip, you can cast straight from your Google Photos on the TV to enjoy your images on a large scale. Those using Apple’s ecosystem can also download an app (AirMirror) to see their photos on the big screen.

The TV is available in 27- or 32-inch sizes (68 or 80cm diagonal). Both sizes are also available as a bundle with a soundbar.

Englaon says its soundbar is the first 12-volt soundbar to support Dolby Atmos. Designed to match the TVs, the soundbar has a two-channel dual speaker system with a 40W sound output. It supports HDMI, Bluetooth 5.3 or optical input. A side benefit is that you could use it to stream music from your smartphone.

When buying these products as a package, it comes with a T-bracket for mounting your soundbar under the TV and also a DC splitter cable enabling you to plug into a single 12-volt car cig socket, simplifying setup.

Englaon X90Pro 12V TV specifications and price

Using the Englaon X90Pro 12V TV and soundbar

Whilst most caravans and boats have a 12-volt power system, some setups may use a 24-volt system. The TV and soundbar will support a voltage range of 10 to 30 volts and protect if this is exceeded, giving you peace of mind.

They also come with 240-volt power packs, so you can power the TV and soundbar from mains if required. For those wanting the power usage calculation, the TV will use up to 60W per hour, and the soundbar 40W per hour (approximately eight amp-hours combined).

The TV comes with a stand you can assemble, but you will have to provide your own mounting bracket for your RV.  On the rear of the TV are standard 10cm by 10cm VESA mounting holes. If you have the soundbar, it’s screwed to the bottom of the TV, and the last step is to connect the supplied 12-volt cables and the HDMI cable to the eARC HDMI sockets. The first time you turn on the TV, you need to connect to Wi-Fi and enter your Google password to enable full streaming functionality.

The included remote is much like the modern TV remote you have at home, with quick-access buttons for Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and YouTube Music. The Google TV GUI is easy and intuitive to use, and navigation is done via the circular arrow button and the centre OK button.

Once the TV and soundbar are connected via HDMI, the TV remote powers both on and off. To save power, it is unlikely you will always have your TV powered on in standby mode. This does mean that when you power it up, each time you will wait just under 45 seconds before you can watch anything.

The TV and soundbar are a neat package and look smart whilst off. Whilst this is not a very expensive top-of-the-line OLED screen, for its price, and when you have no reference, the picture quality is excellent, especially with 4K content.

If you are going to buy this TV, I highly recommend spending the extra money on the soundbar bundle, as the sound is pretty poor without one. Beyond Dolby Atmos support, you can also use the remote to select between Music/Movie and News settings. The news setting, for example, will adjust the sound output to prioritise talking so it is easier to understand.

Who is the Englaon X90Pro 12V TV for?

If you are spending time off-grid in your RV or boat, you want the same viewing and sound quality you have at home. Whilst your screen may not be as big, that does not mean you need to compromise on picture quality, content accessibility, or sound immersion.

The Englaon 4K TV and soundbar solution is built for vibration, 12-volt compatibility and utilises the latest streaming technologies for you to upgrade your old travelling TV or ensure your brand new setup is using the latest technology.

When you come home, this TV can be run off 240 volts, and is suitable for small spaces, such as an office, bedroom, or a granny flat. Other uses could also include mobile offices, pop-up displays, off-site training and presentations.

I must admit I will be sad to return this sample and return to my small screen with poor sound. I might have to talk to the Minister of Finance about an upgrade.