If you’ve ever fancied dragging your TV outdoors to watch a bit of sport or a film on a warm summer’s evening surrounding by the scents and sounds of nature, you might want to consider investing in an outdoor TV. They really do take outdoor living and entertaining to a whole new level, but need a bit of planning. Here’s what to consider.
First up, even if you have some shelter, you’ll need to invest in a weatherproof outdoor TV with durable frames designed especially for the garden. These are available from companies such as Samsung who have The Terrace lifestyle line of smart TVs and ProofVision. They cost more but come with a large amount of weather-proofing so they can withstand rain, dust, insects and more extreme temperature. Look for rating of IP55 and above.
These TVs come with high quality anti-glare LED screens and a brighter image than indoor TVs but ideally, you’ll still want to position your TV facing north so that the sun is mostly behind the screen, as it’ll be harder to see if it’s facing the sun. However, there are outdoor TVs designed for use in direct sunlight or shade.
In terms of the position, think about whether you’d like a little protection under shelter and what prominence you want to give it. Do you want to tuck it discreetly into a purpose-built cabinet so it’s only visible when in use, or to make a feature of it by wall mounting it. Either way you’ll need the right spot, somewhere with enough seating such as loungers where people can gather round. Most of these TVs are slim and stylish but you’ll also want to go fairly big to have enough impact so aim for a screen of around 55 inches ideally.
Other considerations include how good your WiFi access is and whether you want built-in streaming wireless, Wi-Fi support or wired options. While wireless TVs are neater, you’ll need to protect any wires with a conduit or pipe covering with an outdoor rating. And because gardens can be noisy, consider the sound quality of built in speakers and whether you want to add a soundbar or to connect to external speakers.
Outdoor TVs are more expensive than indoor TVs and involve a lot more logistics to set them up, but if you think you have the right dedicated space for one where you can relax and hang out with friends, it’s certainly a wonderful addition to the garden.