Outdoor TV and other Outdoor Entertainment Area Essentials

When the sun comes out. Many of us jump at the opportunity to spend time outside. The garden is a great place to entertain guests, so it makes a lot of sense to create an outdoor entertainment area so you always have a comfortable space ready when you invite friends and family around. With plush seating and outdoor sound systems, an outdoor entertainment space can act as an outdoor living room, so what better centre piece to invest in than an outdoor TV?

If you have ever dragged a TV outside to enjoy summer sport, you’ll no doubt have been underwhelmed by the results. When the sun is out, glare on your screen can be a nuisance when your television is indoors, let alone directly in the path of the sun. You may even have had a worse experience if your TV has been damaged by the heat of the sun, or even by a sudden rain storm. For an amazing viewing experience outside, an outdoor TV is a must have.

Why an Outdoor TV is important

You may ask “Why do I need an outdoor television? Won’t any high-end TV work in an outdoor setting?”. We will talk you through the most important reasons that this is not the case, and why you will get so much enjoyment from a TV meant for outdoor use.

More durable

Standard indoor TVs are not built to be constantly exposed to extreme heat or cold, so a day spent outside could potentially result in the loss of your expensive TV. In contrast, outdoor TVs are built to withstand all kinds of conditions. As well as UV coated screens that can absorb the sun’s UV rays, they also feature a sophisticated heating and cooling system that helps to keep the interior workings of the TV at the optimal temperature.

It’s also important to consider that indoor TVs are not waterproof or weatherproof. Using a TV outside could not only lead to a broken TV in the case of rain, but could also be extremely dangerous to you due to the increased risk of electrocution. An Outdoor TV is built to be resistant to all weather conditions, so if there is a sudden rain shower, there is no need to worry.

Brighter picture quality

When it comes to picture quality, even if a HD provides an amazing picture quality inside, when moved outside, it will fall far short of a TV designed for outdoor use. Factors such as glare, ambient light, and other environmental elements can pose difficulties indoors, and these issues are further magnified when moving outdoors. In order to combat these issues, outdoor TVs are designed to have excellent colour accuracy and brightness, and feature a special anti-glare screen.

TV screen brightness is measured in nits. In most cases, indoor televisions have a brightness rating of 450 to 550 nits, whereas an outdoor television can be anywhere from 700 to 2,500 nits, along with a much higher contrast ratio than standard television sets. This increased brightness and contrast makes a notable difference when trying to watch content outside on a bright sunny day.

Excellent audio quality

Outdoor TVs are designed to address the increased ambient noise levels that are usually experienced outside. Whilst standard TVs usually have open speaker grilles, outdoor sets are often equipped with downward facing speakers to prevent the ingress of dirt.

To further optimise sound projection, outdoor televisions can often feature curved metal discs that reflect sound towards viewers, however, this can sometimes cause an echo, so the best solution for outdoor TV is to integrate it with detachable soundbars, or a complete outdoor speaker system, creating a more cinematic experience.

Integration

A major benefit of outdoor television sets is the ability to integrate them with your smart home control systems, not only allowing for lighting and speakers to be programmed to work perfectly in tandem with the TV, but for the same choice of visual entertainment to be available outside as well as in.

Creating an Outdoor Entertainment Area

Outdoor entertainment systems help to ensure that the garden becomes an extra living space – an extension of the home. With home automation control systems, outdoor entertainment technology can be programmed and controlled remotely, via a user-friendly interface.

In addition to a great outdoor TV, some of the other most important features to consider for a garden outdoor entertainment area include:

• Comfortable seating – to spend long periods of time outside, comfort is important. Choosing the right seating and seating formation is essential for an effective outdoor entertainment area.
• Outdoor audio – outdoor speakers installed in the perfect formation to offer great sound quality throughout the garden, whether listening to music or watching the TV.
• Lighting – As well as illuminating walkways when it gets dark, outdoor lighting also helps to transform the appearance of your garden, and create the perfect atmosphere for any occasion. Floor level lighting is perfect for an outdoor cinema experience, providing enough light to move safely away from your seat, without affecting the TV picture.
• Cabling and connectivity – Safe and high spec cabling, along with WiFi connectivity, are absolutely key to an outdoor entertainment space.

In order to get the most out of your outdoor living and entertaining space, it’s always highly recommended to work with home automation and entertainment installation experts to ensure you choose the right products, install them in the right positions, and ensure complete integration and control.

To discuss your garden entertainment area project, talk to Veritais, who specialise in outdoor entertainment design, installations and programming.