Outdoor HDTVs: New Products Hit the Market and Create Possibilities
June 26th, 2009As a custom installer dealing with beautiful homes and landscapes, I often receive inquiries concerning placing a flat panel HDTV outside. In my early days I would shy away from such requests. No standard TV is equipped to deal with elements like rain, snow, insects, sand, extreme temperatures, etc. And of course a TV that will look bright in the comfort of a dimly lit bedroom or home theater will wash out into nothingness when placed in the light of the sun. What on the surface seems like a simple request involves utilizing a TV designed for outdoor use, a product market that has been woefully unaddressed by the major TV manufacturers.
Outdoor HDTV promises to bring HDTV to our backyards
Why hasn’t there been more outdoor television products available on the market? Well, designing a TV for outdoor use not only requires expensive materials, but poses a series of engineering issues that many companies have been at a loss to address elegantly.
Outdoor HDTV, a 2s2 Inc. Company based out of Vista, California, has taken on the challenge of creating a cost effective, complete solution for both commercial and residential applications, developing 2 lines of HDTVs that finally offer complete protection from the elements and the performance to be viewable in daylight. In addition to the two product lines, each set is built-to-order with a plethora of options for adapting to all the variables an outdoor TV has to deal with.
Upon receiving and installing my first OutdoorHDTV flat-panel for a commercial installation my interest spiked. At first the numerous models and options offered by OutdoorHDTV can be quite daunting. To be sure, these televisions carry a premium price tag and are built to last, so selecting the ideal configuration is an important long term decision. With the OutdoorHDTV headquarters located so close to JD Designs here in San Diego, I decided to pay a visit to the company and take a closer look behind the scenes. As a Custom Installer, I need to have a fundamental understanding of the “why” and “how” of every aspect of OutdoorHDTV’s products to always deliver the best choice for my clients. Read on for an in-depth look at what I discovered.
Two Product Lines
The LE Series is Wall Mountable
OutdoorHDTV’s televisions are divided into two categories, the LE series, which are wall, pole, or table mountable, and the FSP series, which stands for Free Standing Pedestal. The LE series is available in 22″, 32″, 42″, 46″, 52″, and 65″. All televisions are VESA compliant and will work with any VESA compliant bracket. The FPS series utilizes the same LCD panels in the enclosures, but sizes offered begin at 42″ and top off at 65″ as well They are presently available in a single beige color, which is quite versatile and works pretty well with different surroundings. No, OutdoorHDTV does not yet offer a rock shaped TV, though an Easter Island style monolith would be a cool addition to their product line (kidding).
All of the Televisions utilize LCD panels from LG. The larger televisions have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and therefore are native 1080p except for the 46″ model, which is 720p with a resolution of 1366 x 768. Don’t dismiss the 46″ TV though, it might be the most appealing model available from OutdoorHDTV (more on why later). The inputs available are consistent on both the FSP and LE product lines; VGA, HDMI(2), Component(2), and an S-Video. The TVs also have a built-in ATSC/NTSC tuner and some goodies for custom installers that add versatility including an RS-232 port, remote control command set with discrete On/Off, and a built-in 2 channel amplifier for audio. The built-in audio amplifier really helps to drive home just how versatile these televisions are.
While the LE line is excellent for use as a typical flat-panel television, the FSP line comes on a pedestal that offers convenient weatherproof housing for a variety of other sources you wish to display. The roomy pedestal comes with a lock for security and a rack-like interior allowing for numerous sources to either be fixed to the sides vertically or stacked. As a Custom Installer I look at the convenient weatherproof rack that accompanies the FSP and see dozens of solutions for practical problems I’ve encountered when trying to bring outdoor landscapes into the 21st century. There is no question the TVs offered by OutdoorHDTV were designed with the Custom Installer in mind.
Outdoor HDTV's LE model comes with a built-in 2-channel amplifier for a variety of speaker options
Making an LCD Display Ready for the Great Outdoors
The first thing that strikes you when looking at a TV from OutdoorHDTV is how solid and formidable the casing is. The entire television is encased in 1/4″ aluminum and bonded with silicone to create a watertight structure. The LCD panel is visible through 2 1/4″ thick panes of glass. The outside glass panel is made from a type of glass that “changes the matrix of light refracted”, or, in plain english, doesn’t produce a direct reflection of the televisions surroundings. Another panel on the inside of the casing accomplishes a similar feat, insuring there will be only minor reflections due to the protective glass. This glass protection only comes on the standard models, OutdoorHDTV offers a far superior solution for $595 more: an optically bonded polimer surface that does away with the glass housing in front of the LCD altogether. This serves to create a brigher image, as no light is lost passing through the glass, and not even a slight reflection from the surroundings obscure the image in any way. Consider this option virtually essential for getting exceptional performance outside .
The enclosures are sealed with silicon binding and engineered to be completely airtight except for the carefully planned ventilation system. All of OutdoorHDTV’s have fans built-in to help push air around and keep the electronics cool even in outdoor temperatures up to 122 F. This is possible due to a carefully laid out ventilation path that cycles air from the only two intake holes in the casing near the back, into the case, through a small gap between the two panels of glass in the front, up through the top, and out two vents above the intakes in the back. This path serves a second purpose, as the air pushing through the case serves to clear any condensation that may collect between the glass panels, further ensuring an unobstructed view of the image.
Though the standard configuration ensures operability in a wide variety of scenarios, OutdoorHDTV offers a second option, referred to as “T2″, which is a completely air-tight cooling system. More ideal for areas near the corrosive air of the ocean and especially for low temperatures, an air-tight “T2″ enclosure allows for operation in temperatures as low as -4 F.
Choosing Your Configuration
After choosing a size and deciding whether the FSP or LE line is better suited for the scenario described by a customer, some accessorizing is in order. Beyond electing for an optically bonded surface or a traditional glass housing, there are many modifications available to maximize the performance of the unit. The “T2″ enclosure, mentioned beforehand, should be utilized in areas near the ocean, or for unfortunate citizens outside San Diego who have to endure this strange phenomenon known as Winter. Also, should the unit be placed in direct sunlgiht, and not under an awning or shaded near a home or garage, a canopy unit can readily be attached to the television, providing some direct shade if the television is placed oustide alone and away from any shading, like in the middle of a yard for example.
Selecting the proper configuration will make a world of difference, this Custom Installer can attest to that. But in the end satisfaction does come down to the underlying performance of the television itself. How well did OutdoorHDTV address the challenge of creating a complete solution for bringing your video experience outside? Stay tuned for our follow up review of their LE 42″ TV, available shortly.
