Are Outdoor TVs Worth the Cost and Effort?

We can help you create the outdoor living space of your dreams as part of your existing home renovation or new custom home.

Family movie nights under the stars.

Summertime sleepovers and birthday parties.

Football season games and cookouts.

Netflix and chilling with a beer and a burger after a long day at work.

These are just a few of the reasons you might consider adding a television to your outside entertainment area.

Our team fields plenty of questions about this very subject, questions like:

1. Is it practical to have a TV outdoors?

2. How can I keep an outdoor TV safe from theft and the elements?

3. Do I need to buy a special television for outdoor use?

The fact that watching television outside on your patio is becoming a more popular trend shouldn’t be a surprise. As our outdoor living spaces continue to become extensions of our indoor spaces, it’s a natural progression. And we have helped dozens of families—both those building new custom homes and those doing significant renovations and remodels—to live their best possible lives outside in the fresh air and sunshine.

Do I need to buy a special TV for outdoor use? Or will any old set work?

It seems like every year, television manufacturers are adding new bells and whistles to their products. And the prices for sets are, more often than not, astonishingly low. OLED, 4K, HDR. There’s a whole alphabet out there to learn about.

Of course, there are televisions explicitly made for use outdoors. While they might not come with all of the perks of some of today’s indoor televisions, they are made to meet specific criteria, and if you can swing the higher prices that come with outdoor sets, it’s likely worthwhile to do so.

Outdoor televisions feature screens that are much brighter than traditional TVs to ensure that people can watch even in the lightest and brightest of conditions. They likely also come with anti-glare and anti-reflective screens to combat often harsh natural light.

Outdoor televisions are also waterproof. They need to be in light of the unique conditions—including cold days, hot days, dust, insects, rain, salt air, and snow—they could come in contact with.

Surprisingly though many don’t include speakers. You’ll most likely require a separate soundbar and speakers for your outdoor living room if it’s to include a television.

Can you use a regular TV meant for indoors if you really want to? You can, and doing so is a much more economical approach, but you’ll have to keep your expectations a bit lower as it may be more challenging to see the screen well, especially in direct sunlight.

And you’ll need to compensate for an indoor TV’s lack of weatherproofing by adding a weatherproof case or cabinet.  Humidity and evening dew can wreak havoc on the electronics of an indoor TV which will certainly shorten the lifespan of your indoor TV even if it is under a covered porch or veranda.

What About Security?

First of all, a dedicated outdoor television, whether produced for outdoor use or not, should be securely bolted to a wall or similar surface. Doing so will prevent it from being stolen but also from falling or being knocked over.

And for a variety of reasons, your outdoor entertainment area should be as hidden as possible from prying eyes. If you have a home security system that includes outdoor camera monitoring, it’s worthwhile to have one set up to help secure this area and help deter someone from swiping your TV.

Conclusion 

All in all, investing in your outdoor living space by adding a television is likely to bring hour upon hour of family entertainment. As for what kind of TV you use and what the area looks like, well, you’re only limited by your imagination.

We have the experience to guide you through the process and ensure your outdoor viewing meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.  We have a team of A/V experts to help.

For more information, call us or click here to schedule your complimentary, no-obligation consultation.