Outdoor TVs Are Built to Withstand the Elements, but Do You Really Need One?

If you’ve ever thought about lugging your living room TV outside so that you could watch it from the comfort of your patio, we have some words of caution: Although a regular TV won’t short-circuit the minute you bring it outside, it’s more fragile than you might expect—and it’s certainly not built to withstand the elements over the long term. The good news is, if you’re looking for something more permanent, you can buy a weatherproof TV—from companies like Furrion, Séura, and SunBrite—that is designed for use outdoors.But outdoor TVs generally cost more than their indoor counterparts. Are they worth the investment? We spent several weeks testing the latest outdoor TV from SunBrite to find out.

What’s the difference between an outdoor TV and a regular TV?

Outdoor TVs wrap a standard LCD/LED panel in a considerable amount of weatherproofing. The goal is to create a TV that can live outside for years throughout variegated periods of “rain, snow, dust, dirt, insects, extreme temperatures, and UV rays,” according to SunBrite. Typically they have extra-durable screens and come equipped with thicker, more reliably reinforced power cables, as well as screw-sealed media bays to protect sensitive AV connections. Even the remote controls have screw-sealed battery compartments. SunBrite claims that its TVs can last for years even in the most extreme climate, be it Death Valley-esque or an all-year winter wonderland.

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In contrast, regular indoor TVs are designed to function in more limited temperature ranges, which are usually listed on the TV spec sheet or in the owner’s manual. Some have wider ranges than others—but even those models lack weatherproofing to protect the screen, cabinet, and ports. Just a couple of days in excessively moist air can cause issues for a standard TV. If you’ve ever had to leave your TV in storage during a move and noticed “clouding” on the screen when you first powered it back up (until the moisture evaporated), you know what I’m talking about. Even if you live in an ideal weather environment and your space poses no risk of damage from roughhousing or backyard sports, indoor TVs are simply not designed for more than brief outdoor use, especially because their AV connections (HDMI inputs, USB ports, and the like) are open and exposed to the elements (read: insects and dust). Even a TV tucked away safely on a covered and screened-in patio will occasionally get pelted by wind-blown rain and is still vulnerable to humidity and temperature extremes.

Although any outdoor TV is better suited to prolonged time in the great outdoors than an indoor TV, outdoor models historically have lagged behind in picture quality and features, especially considering what you’re paying for one. To put the cost into perspective: The 55-inch version of SunBrite’s second-generation Veranda TV still retails for roughly $2,200 and doesn’t even include Wi-Fi support—and you can forget about premium picture-enhancing technologies like a mini-LED backlight or color-boosting quantum dots. For less money, you can buy one of the best indoor LCD/LED TVs we’ve tested, the Samsung QN90A, at an even larger screen size. In other words, the weatherproofing aspects are no small part of what you’re paying for.

Those tides are changing, though, as more brand-name TV manufacturers venture into the great outdoors. Samsung launched its Terrace lifestyle line of smart TVs, and you can find weatherized LG TVs online, but at a glance neither of those options saves you money compared with the specialty outdoor TV brands like Furrion or SunBrite. And again, these outdoor models generally don’t offer the best TV performance that the manufacturer has to offer. Very recently, Element and Roku partnered to create an outdoor TV that’s notably cheaper than the average option, and we look forward to seeing how it compares in performance and ruggedness.

If you’re wondering if there’s a way to DIY your own outdoor TV, there is—but it’s not necessarily any more affordable unless you’re extraordinarily handy and can build a weatherproof enclosure yourself. Some companies sell outdoor enclosure shields for non-outdoor TVs to sit in, but such contraptions can be almost as expensive as an outdoor TV (and require that you already own a TV to permanently install within them). Basic weatherproof covers can provide some protection from water, dust, and bugs, but only when the TV is not in use.

How to shop for an outdoor TV

The first thing to ask yourself when shopping for an outdoor TV is: Where do you plan to put the TV, and how bright is that area? Outdoor TVs usually come in one of three varieties: full sun, partial sun/partial shade, and full shade. The difference between the types primarily comes down to image brightness. A TV that’s operating in full or partial sun needs to be a lot brighter than a TV that’s placed on a fully shaded patio—and they all need to be brighter than the one that sits in a light-controlled living room. You should see a noticeable difference in brightness between a full-sun TV and a full-shade TV, and a noticeable increase in price to go along with it. This is another primary reason indoor TVs are usually not suitable for outdoor use: Even if you could safely install a premium OLED TV outdoors, it wouldn’t be bright enough to look its best when competing with all that sunlight.

Full-sun models also fetch a higher price due to the coatings necessary to protect their chassis and screen. They not only need to be able to physically withstand natural wear and tear from repeated exposure to sunlight but also to mitigate reflectivity from a variety of ambient light sources. (If you’d like to read a bit more about the different types of outdoor TVs, you can find good guides at BBQGuys and CableTV.com.)

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Beyond the location question, you should decide in advance what sources you plan to watch on the outdoor TV. Do you plan to stream video, and if so, do you want a TV with built-in streaming capabilities, or will you attach a streaming stick? Although pretty much all indoor TVs are smart TVs, don’t assume that the outdoor TV you’re considering has built-in streaming. Only recently have we started to see outdoor TVs with built-in streaming and Wi-Fi support—and that’s a huge step forward. In years past, you’d need to run a cable or satellite signal to the TV outdoors, set up a weatherproof spot for a set-top box or game console, or at the very least provide the TV with a dedicated streaming device. Of course, the caveat to the streaming approach is that you need strong enough Wi-Fi coverage to reach your installation spot outdoors, and that may require purchasing a better router, a mesh network, or a range extender.

If you plan to connect external sources, make sure to pick an outdoor TV with enough HDMI inputs to accommodate all of them. Connectivity is another area in which outdoor TVs have lagged behind their indoor counterparts. Will you need a powered USB port to run a streaming stick? An Ethernet port for wired internet? Do you plan to attach external speakers via analog, digital, or HDMI ARC ports? Keep in mind that any source devices you expect to use, whether they’re streaming devices or video game consoles, will also be subject to the rigors of outdoor use and need to be protected against threats like moisture and dust—unless you’re keeping the source components indoors and just running cables outside to the TV, in which case you’ll need a remote system that can control them through walls.

What we learned from testing SunBrite’s new outdoor TV

SunBrite sent me the Veranda 3, the company’s new-for-2022 full-shade LCD TV. It has a 4K resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate, and support for high dynamic range video. This is also SunBrite’s first-ever TV with built-in Wi-Fi support, and it comes equipped with the Android TV smart platform. The Veranda 3 is available in 55- and 65-inch sizes right now, with a 75-inch option coming soon. The 55-inch Veranda 3 will run you just under $3,000, putting it within the same general price range as the highest-performance indoor TVs we’ve tested.

One thing to know about this specific outdoor TV is that it isn’t available with a traditional tabletop stand. Because it’s intended for permanent outdoor installation, SunBrite ships it with a tamperproof mount, allowing it to be installed on a wall or to hang from a ceiling but not to be placed upon a TV stand or table. Since I currently rent my home, I had to improvise, mounting the Veranda 3 in a swiveling height-adjustable mount with a glass base that I could move around. It worked, but the attached stand made it difficult for me to open the media bay, so I don’t recommend going this route yourself. This design choice is a tacit reminder that outdoor TVs are not intended for renters or apartment dwellers who can’t permanently install a wall mount or don’t have a private outdoor viewing space.

The first thing I noticed about the TV itself was that it was considerably slimmer than previous SunBrite TVs I’d tested. I was able to heft it out of its box and mount it onto the stand by myself. Although the TV is still solidly built to withstand the elements, it’s nice to see SunBrite find the engineering means to shrink the previously chunky chassis into something that’s more in line with the appearance of modern 4K televisions.

As on past models, the Veranda 3’s media bay is a screw-sealed compartment with a small access hole for cables, helping to ensure that the only thing getting into your TV is a digital video signal. I was also pleased to find that the port selection feels refreshingly modern. Like most brand-name TVs, this model gives you four HDMI inputs (two HDMI 2.0, two HDMI 2.1, one with eARC), as well as the standard USB, S/PDIF, LAN, and legacy options for composite/component AV connections.

Since I don’t have a private backyard/patio area, I primarily tested the Veranda 3 in my garage with the door open to mimic the type of shaded patio area for which the Veranda 3 is designed. In this location, I had mixed results with the built-in Android TV streaming. The TV was still able to receive a Wi-Fi signal from my router and stream content, but it wasn’t nearly as snappy as it was when I tested it indoors, and it struggled to play content in 4K resolution most of the time. This isn’t solely a fault of the Veranda 3, but it is another drawback to consider if you’re interested in a smart outdoor TV. You might end up needing to buy and install a mesh-networking kit to ensure sufficient wireless coverage.

As far as picture quality goes, I’ll admit it: If this were an indoor TV, I’d be disappointed. Yes, it’s a 4K HDR TV with quantum-dot color, but it won’t win any home theater contests for its contrast and color accuracy. But it’s not an indoor TV, and there are aspects of this TV’s picture quality—namely, some oversharpening and brightened shadow tones that would look bad in a living room—that are necessary evils to help the picture maintain visibility outdoors. I could do without some of the compression artifacts I saw during streaming, and videophiles might not be able to ignore some of the TV’s flaws. Indoors, the way the Veranda 3 operates is technically wrong, as its black levels are set incorrectly and its color temperature is too cool. In a shaded outdoor spot with the solar system’s central star as a competing light source, however, the Veranda 3 looks just fine.

My ability to clearly see the screen waned considerably depending on the sunlight outside my garage (when the door was open). When fully shaded (as intended), the Veranda 3 offered solid picture quality. When the sun shone in at certain angles, however, the TV wasn’t always easy to see. Because I had mounted the Veranda 3 on a stand, the TV was easy enough for me to move back into the shade when sunlight intruded. Most buyers will permanently install theirs, however, and should consider how the sun’s position in the sky will affect the TV’s visibility throughout the day. If the sunlight in your area is truly unpredictable, you should aim for a partial-shade/partial-sun model. Because the Veranda 3 is a full-shade model, it needs to sit in a predictably shady spot—and you can expect other full-shade outdoor TVs to have similar requirements.

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The Veranda 3’s speakers played quite loud, though that didn’t guarantee clarity or richness. Just as with indoor TVs, we recommend pairing your outdoor TV with an external sound system. You could hunt down an outdoor soundbar (yes, they do exist), or you might consider a pair of outdoor speakers or a good weatherproof Bluetooth speaker.

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Our environmental stress tests

During my 10-year career as a TV reviewer, I’ve now tested four SunBrite TVs and put them through a variety of stress tests. I’ve thrown snowballs at their screens, kicked kickballs into their chassis, and even played video games on them during a rainstorm. All of them stood up to the hazing.

I really wanted to test the Veranda 3 in heavy rain, as a “just in case” measure. But that wasn’t likely to happen in my Southern California climate, so I did what any diligent reviewer would do: I put the TV in my shower. The Veranda 3 took up the entire shower, but it just fit. I screwed its media bay shut, plugged it in, and set it to play Wirecutter’s TikTok channel via the Android TV platform. After several minutes of watching the Veranda 3 endure pounding water of varying temperatures, I’m happy to report that the TV kept right on playing. It was immensely nerve-racking (at first, and then kind of cool) to watch the water pool along the top seam and drip down the front and back of the TV. The Veranda 3 didn’t balk.

Of course, water is just one potential threat. Heat and dust are also concerns. My garage isn’t particularly dusty, but it isn’t clean: Because it’s a shared space, it holds multiple cars, bicycles, a motorbike, and some storage cubbies that haven’t been aired out in far too long. There are also no cooling or humidifying systems, so on some days during my tests, the temperatures got into dry, stuffy 80-degree territory. And although San Diego isn’t rife with insects, we have houseflies, ants, and other crawlers like anywhere else. These aren’t conditions I would ever subject a traditional TV to, but I had no concerns about heat, moisture, dust, or insects while the Veranda 3 sat outdoors in those conditions for several days. I only wish I had a large enough freezer to test it in lower temperatures, but SunBrite does guarantee operation in conditions from -24 °F to 104 °F, and installation in environments from -24 °F to 140 °F.

One thing to note is that, like most other outdoor TV makers, SunBrite gives its TVs an IP rating of IP55, while the included remotes are rated IP56. SunBrite also extends a full guarantee against rain, snow, dust, insects, humidity, and salt air.

Should you buy an outdoor TV?

If I had to boil my experience down, this is what I would advise: Don’t buy an outdoor TV unless you’re certain you’ll use it regularly and you’re willing to plan around it—to give serious thought to how to accommodate its locational and electrical necessities to ensure that you’re getting your full value from it—and unless you’re prepared to pay for the maximum level of brightness that your space will need.

After several weeks of using SunBrite’s Veranda 3, I can confirm that it did exactly what it claims to do from a weatherproofing standpoint. I can also confirm that one of the category’s biggest drawbacks—the lack of smart features—looks to have been solved, at least in the case of the Veranda 3. But I still don’t know that I’d spend almost $3,000 on this TV unless I had a dedicated shaded patio where I could enjoy it as comfortably as I can view a TV in my living room, and with good access to Wi-Fi. If you want to host the occasional outdoor movie night, a projector and screen will give you a bigger, more impressive experience, without the hassles of permanent installation.

I can’t say definitively whether an outdoor TV is right for your home or budget, but I can say that the newest models seem to justify their price tags in ways that older models did not.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.

Source: https://gardencourte.com
Categories: Outdoor