Quick Picks
Low on time? Heres a quick roundup of our top picks and why you need them!
Ranking | Model | Features | Review | Price |
#1  | Built-in light sensor | Read Review | ||
#2 | Simulates the light output of a 40" HDTV | Read Review | ||
#3 | Simulates a real 42 inch TV | Read Review |
Getting Started
[toc]Even if you’re living in a neighborhood where there aren’t many robberies and break-ins, chances are you’ve heard of one or two happening nearby. We can’t blame you if you want to protect yourself as much as possible. And lately, we’re seeing many burglars find countermeasures to whatever people use for protection. Do you have a security camera? They’ll find a way to disable it. Do you have a state-of-the-art alarm system? Chances are it has a back door for maintenance purposes that thieves can use to disable it. Therefore, we’re seeing somewhat unconventional methods of protecting yourself against burglars.
One of those solutions is a fake TV. Have you ever noticed when you have a TV turned on that, lights are emitting from the windows? You can easily see these lights on the outside, and they can easily indicate that someone inside the home is watching TV. This is exactly why you’d want one. Even if you are out of the house, the flashing lights will easily deceive any potential burglars giving the impression that you are at home. We all know burglars seldom break in when the owners are at home.
Top 5 Fake TV’s This Year
Now, if you decide you need one, you might wonder which one to get. There are plenty of options on the market nowadays. They’re all fairly budget-friendly, but they aren’t all worth it. Therefore, we at Seriftv have some fake TV reviews for you below. They’re all worth it in one way or another, but which one you get depends on the specific feature set you require. Look at some of the best fake TVs you can get today.
Our Pick
The SS Fake Tv has a breadth of great features that most other fake TVs don’t come with. To begin with, the light output, color changes and scenes are made to look like there’s a 42” TV in the room. You have a light sensor and either 4 hours on the timer.
The SS has 20 LEDs to give you all that light, and the light changes and scenes are very realistic. If you’re after one of the most feature rich options on the market the ss is as good as it gets.
The Built-in light sensor only functions in dark environment, once you set the mode, it will automatically give the illusion at night of a working tv when you are not at home.
It includes 4 modes with timer functions : OFF, Dusk+4HRS (auto turn off after 4 hours), Dusk+7HRS (auto turn off after 7 hours), ON. Its easy to install with 90 degree rotation and its only 2W power, just like a night light, and the lighting is the equivalent of a 42 inches television. Eco-friendly, low power consumption with long lifespan that is up to 30000 hours.
Runner Up
The FTV-11 is the first of the three FTV models we’ll be taking a look at today made by Hydreon Corporation. It’s the brightest model they offer, and it’s made to simulate the light output you would get from a 40” TV. 40” is a fairly common size for a TV nowadays, and the FTV-11 makes good use of that. There are 12 LEDs and a polished chrome reflector to give you a realistic light look.
You will also find that there’s an AC adaptor included in the box, and it’s one that uses more or less the same amount of power as a nightlight. This is honestly nothing, and just confirms why a fake TV is better than leaving your real one on. In case you don’t want to leave it running all the time (and you don’t), there’s a built-in light sensor. When the light goes down outside, it will automatically turn on. If you’d rather keep things under your own control, there’s a built-in timer as well. It’s as simple as that, and it works wonders. If you want a fake TV for your living room, this is the one to get, even if it’s the most expensive one on our list.
Also Good
WALI Dummy Fake Security TV creates a realistic design mimicking a real 42 inch TV. There’s a visible bright LED light to ensure that people can notice it at a distance.
Since it is a USB powered device, this means there is no battery required making it more power-efficient when turned on than using the real TV.
The timer sensor is programmable that you can set it to 4 and 7 hours intervals giving you peace of mind when you’re away from your home.
Its package includes 1 WALI TV Simulator in Black color, 1 Power Adapter, 1 USB Cable, 1 User Manual, and an 18 Month Protection warranty.
Budget Pick
If you think that the FTV-10’s light output is just right for you, but you’d like to save a bit of money, the FTV-7 is next in line. It’s made by Hydreon again, and it saves you a bit of money by compromising a bit on the features available.
You’ll get the same light output, but this time it comes from 7 LEDs, instead of 12. You will also find less timer settings – there’s only the Dusk +5 hours setting here. When you consider the prices and features of both the FTV-10 and the FTV-7, you’ll see that they do more or less the same thing, but they’re meant for a different audience. The FTV-10 gives you more adjustability. The fact that there are more LEDs with the same output also means that they aren’t stressed as much, and should last a good while longer. If these are things that matter, go for the bigger one. But if you’re after simplicity and don’t mind replacing your fake TV every once in a while, by all means go for the FTV-7.
But, why don’t you use a regular TV?
This is a genuine question that you might be asking yourself. It is very likely that you already have a TV set at home. Why would you waste money on a fake TV prop, when you can just leave your TV on? The first reason is power savings.
A TV can consume quite a bit of electricity, so leaving it powered on when you are out of the house can be costly. Fake TV props, on the other hand, don’t consume nearly as much power. With the average electricity cost high nowadays, the price of buying a fake TV, and running it for a month is often less than leaving your TV continuously on for that same duration.
The other reason has more to do with how tech items are made nowadays. We all know that long gone are the days when we could just buy a TV and it would work great for 10 or 15 years. Nowadays, tech items have somewhat of an expiry date, as manufacturers want you to buy newer models, even if you don’t really need them. Therefore, life expectancy if you have your TV on all the time can be significantly shorter than what you’d think.
And then there’s the issue of OLED burn-in, where pixels get somewhat stuck to an image that has been projected on the TV for too long. You’ll want to prevent this, especially if you’ve spent a lot of money on your TV.
A couple of tips for setting up a fake TV
Using a fake TV burglar deterrent isn’t that simple. There are a few things that you should keep in mind when setting it up. Most of them might be common sense, but a reminder here won’t hurt.
To begin with, don’t put one in every room. Buying more than one is absolutely a good idea, but having a TV light in every room of your house can give you away. Let’s say, for example, that a thief has been scouting your house for a few days. They might have somewhat of an idea of the layout, and which room is behind which window. If they see a flashing light coming from what they think is a bedroom, or living room, that’s all right. But if they know that a certain window belongs to your bathroom, and they see what they think is a TV light coming from that window, they could easily guess there’s a fake TV in place.
Another thing to be careful about is the number of people who live in your house. If you’re alone, it wouldn’t make sense that there’s a TV turned on in three rooms in your house, would it? Keep track of this, as these things, as we mentioned, can give you away.
You should also keep the fake TV out of sight. If you’re living on the ground floor, a thief could easily be scouting your place during the day as well. Leaving a window open lets them easily see the fake TV on your table, or next to the real one. This way, they know you have one, which might give them a bit of courage – something you don’t want happening.
And last but not least, don’t leave it on 24/7. Most of us turn off our TVs when we’re sleeping, so make sure you turn the fake TV off at night as well. If you’re out of your house, maybe get a smart plug with a timer, that will turn it off at a pre-defined time. Or get one that lets you remotely control it from your smartphone. These things are completely possible nowadays, it’s up to you which one you go for. Check out our fake tv instructions article here.
Wrapping things up
At the end of the day, if you’re looking at ways to deter burglars, a fake TV can be a good idea. A burglar wouldn’t dare to break into your house while you’re at home, watching TV. If you’ve read what we have for you above, you should know what your best options are, and how you should set them up. Just follow the tips, choose the best fake TV for your needs, and order it!
Our Pick
The SS Fake Tv has a breadth of great features that most other fake TVs don’t come with. To begin with, the light output, color changes and scenes are made to look like there’s a 42” TV in the room. You have a light sensor and either 4 hours on the timer.
