When planning an outdoor TV screen or digital signage, you have 3 options to compare: Standard TV, Weatherproof TV, and Outdoor TV Box. I will try to give you a brief description of the options. The best advice is to do your research to make sure you understand your options and make the right decision for your application.

As Americans continue their migration to hot-weather states, industries associated with the great outdoors have also seen significant growth in business. Companies supplying outdoor kitchens, outdoor furniture, outdoor entertaining, and landscaping have experienced an ever-growing market over the past decade. We move to warmer climates to enjoy the outdoors for longer periods. Even in the colder northern states, we see growth in outdoor life. Since my background is in audio and video integration, I will focus this writing on a growing segment of the market, outdoor television.

During my 20-year career in home and commercial entertainment products, outdoor TV screens went from being a small majority of wealthy customers to being basically a standard feature in every home. The desire to expand outdoor living space, watch the game while grilling burgers, or perhaps watch a late night movie while relaxing on your patio has been a driving force in the expansion of outdoor living products. fresh air.

Going back to my initial experience with outdoor televisions, the only option we had was to select an inexpensive television, do our best to protect it from the elements, and hope for the best in durability and longevity. Some TV stand manufacturers introduced protective outdoor cabinets, but the price was steep, and again only for the wealthy. When you combined the high price of plasma or LCD televisions at the time with the high price of the TV case, the cost became prohibitive for all but a few customers.

By fitting a standard TV, the expected life of the TV was greatly reduced due to moisture and particle infiltration into electronic components and possible damage to the TV from airborne debris. Some customers were very lucky and their televisions lasted a few years. Many were not so lucky. That is one of the reasons the market was restricted to the wealthiest customers who could afford to replace their outdoor TV when necessary. Of course, TV manufacturers would void any warranty on an indoor TV used outdoors. This is still the case today.

You have three options for outdoor television and commercial digital signage applications.

1) As mentioned above, buy a cheap indoor TV and hope for the best.

2) Buy a third-party value-added outdoor heated TV.

3) Buy an outdoor TV box.

There are pros and cons with each solution. I suggest you do your research to select the best solution for your application.

Option n. 1, Standard TV set outdoors;

The main change from what we have already discussed with option n. # 1 is the huge reduction in the price of flat screen TVs. Anyone who bought one 10 years ago and went to buy a new TV has experienced it first hand. Beyond that, the same potential problems still exist. If you choose this option, be prepared for the possibility that your TV will turn off one day and never shine again. Ironically, this, of course, will happen in the middle of the game or during the climactic scene of the movie, neither of which is a fun experience. I can’t tell you how many times we would get calls from customers whose televisions decided to stop working at the worst possible times.

Option # 1 summary; For those on a budget and who have a bit of a gambler, this is the right solution. Just keep in mind that the clock is ticking from the first day you mount your TV outside. I would recommend buying a new TV for your family room and moving the old TV outside. It will hurt a lot less when he decides to “poof” over you.

Option # 2 Weather resistant TV;

As the outdoor living market continued to grow, some companies introduced weather resistant televisions. The weatherproof TV offers an attractive freestanding package that fits perfectly with most layouts. Most of the weatherproof TV models on offer were from “value-added manufacturers.” These are manufacturing companies that take an existing product and customize it for more specialized applications.

The process;

1) use a standard indoor TV

2) take it apart

3) weather the components

4) reassemble it under your brand.

A list of outdoor TV manufacturers; LG, Hitachi, Vizio, JVC and Hisense as “model donors” for their televisions.

The weatherproof TV offers a solution for protection against rain or water infiltration, but offers little or no protection against vandalism or airborne debris hitting the screen. A review of their websites does not show any mention of the protection capabilities of the

The weatherproof TV also comes at a premium price. The price could be 5 times or more of the price of a standard TV. This is still the case today. While these televisions offer protection from the weather, they do.

Here’s an example from the Best Buy website on 10/9/2014.

Outdoor TV – SunBrite TV Signature Series – 55 “Class – LED – 1080p – 60Hz – HDTV $ 4,100.00.

Standard Television – VIZIO E Series – 55 “Class – LED – 1080p – 120Hz – Smart – HDTV $ 680.00.

Option 2 summary; When design aesthetics is the most important element of your project, price / budget is not a concern and protection against vandals or debris is not an issue, then the weather resistant TV is the right choice.

Option # 3; Outdoor TV box;

In recent years a popular alternative has emerged, the outdoor TV box or the outdoor TV cabinet. The advantage of the outdoor TV cabinet is that you can place any flat screen TV outdoors and protect it from the elements and possible acts of vandalism. The price of these units varies from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending on the size, quality and level of protection offered.

Let’s take our 55 “TV above at $ 680.00. The price of a weatherproof and vandal resistant outdoor TV cabinet will range from $ 1000 to $ 2000. Add that to the price of the TV and it will still be very low. weatherproof TV below cost When we look at commercial applications for restaurants, sports venues, digital advertising where multiple displays are required, the potential savings could be substantial.

The two main construction materials used for the cabinet are;

1) polyethylene, is the most common plastic. Polyethylene is a thermoplastic polymer that consists of long hydrocarbon chains. a durable plastic with good outdoor use properties.

2) powder coated steel, Powder coated products are more resistant to declining coating quality as a result of impact, moisture, chemicals, UV light, and other extreme weather conditions. In turn, this reduces the risk of scratches, chips, abrasions, corrosion, discoloration, and other wear problems.

Proper research is required to address your specific requirements to ensure you make the right decision.

Outdoor Plastic Cabinet

Pros; Plastic is waterproof, durable, has a great operating temperature, and is lightweight.

Cons; the material cannot withstand heavy loads and then tends to buckle or bend in larger sizes. This limits its effectiveness to smaller televisions.

Steel Cabinet

Pros; Waterproof, sturdy rigid material, high operating temperature, durable when powder coated, can be manufactured to fit large TVs.

Cons; Steel cabinets are heavier than plastic cabinets.

Polycarbonate

Pros; tough material, used in bulletproof glass applications.

Cons; Lower light transmission than glass, scratch tendency that cannot be repaired, will yellow with prolonged exposure to sunlight, high reflection and glare from the material.

Optically bonded tempered glass

Cons; heavier than polycarbonate, it will break on severe impact

Pros; high visibility, high light transmission, difficult to scratch, can repair scratches, low reflection.

Option 3 summaryWhen a balance between performance and appearance is required, there is no better choice than an outdoor TV box.