Best outdoor TV: which one to buy and recommended models
In these months of good weather, you may be considering living your life outdoors by setting up a picnic area, swimming pool or a living room in your garden. If this is the case, you can also have in mind to install the king of household appliances in your living room outside: a television. It is not the usual scenario, but there are outdoor televisions that will allow you to enjoy movies, sporting events or your favorite series in the garden or similar. In this buying guide for outdoor televisions, we review what differentiates them from standard televisions and we offer you the most interesting models that you can buy.
What does it do with a television is for outdoors
The first thing that strikes you about outdoor TVs is their high price . In fact, for the cost of a 55-inch outdoor TV, we can buy the most ambitious standard models (that exceed the specs of the “outdoor” model) and we would have money left over.
Think that the image emitted by a standard television under the sun’s rays will most likely offer a bad experience due to poorly nuanced colors, diffuse contrasts and insufficient brightness. The sound will also be clearly improved, considering that indoor televisions are designed to take advantage of ceilings and walls to reflect sound.
Extrapolating to other devices with a screen, the first thing that comes to mind has to do with brightness: a high brightness output will be necessary to be able to correctly display the images in a potentially high-light scenario. Based on this, we could point to some high-end models that, although they have high-gloss panels, are not suitable for continuous and regular outdoor use.
Before installing an outdoor television, you have to consider where you are going to install it and how much sun exposure it will be exposed to throughout the day.
IP certification
Because in addition to looking (and hearing) well outdoors, they have to resist inclement weather . If we placed a standard television outside, dirt, humidity and water or “extreme” temperatures would end up damaging it without us being able to go to the guarantee. Like other devices that are going to be used outside, such as Bluetooth speakers, smart watches, phones or headphones, outdoor televisions are classified according to resistance to dust and water through IP certification .
However, not all outdoor TVs are designed to withstand the same thing . Obviously a TV placed on a porch will not need the same degree of protection as a TV installed outdoors, where it is susceptible to downpours, splashes from the pool or water from sprinklers. For most consumers, a resistance of 5 – 6 for dust and 4 to 6 for water should be sufficient. Thus, for example, the Samsung Terrace has an IP55 and the Furrion Aurora has IP54.
A good outdoor TV must be made with resistant and highly durable materials, with sealed elements such as speaker grills, ventilation, slots and holes for sealing, waterproof ports and sockets and whose operating temperature range supports the winter and summer in our location.
Please note that indoor TVs are constructed of plastic, rely on passive airflow for cooling, and are not protected from moisture or temperature changes. The other side of the coin is outdoor TVs, with metal chassis, rust-resistant paint coating, and impact-resistant glass . They can also have active temperature regulation systems to keep the interior cool in summer and warm in winter. In addition, each slot, hole and small space is sealed or equipped with watertight gaskets to prevent the entry of elements that could damage it.
In addition to the television itself, also consider that the remote control must also be waterproof and dirtproof . Without going any further, the control of the Samsung Terrace has an IP certification of type IP56 like the one found in other devices such as phones, headphones or smartwatch. This also applies to other accessories, such as sound bars or TV mounts.
temperature and amount of sun
Your outdoor TV must also have an operating temperature that covers the temperature range of your climate zone . Thus, the Samsung Terrace supports temperatures from -30 degrees to 50 degrees and the Furrion from -15 to 50 ºC.
In order to “compete” with sunlight, outdoor TVs not only feature above-average brightness, but also anti-glare coatings, specialized filters, and even automatic picture adjustments that adjust according to the moment.
Regarding exposure to sunlight , you will find models classified to use full shade , that is, in the shade, most for partial exposure , or what is the same, that are going to be installed in a shaded area / cover, such as a porch or pergola, not in direct sun. If your idea is to open it completely, there are some Full sun models , but their price is higher.
Others
Most outdoor TVs don’t include stands or mounts, so you’ll need to purchase a stand separately. It is important to consider that these models are heavier than indoor TVs, so you will need an outdoor-proof mount with a high load capacity .
Finally, and even if your TV is for outdoors, it is recommended that you buy a case or cover that prolongs its useful life by offering extra protection, minimizing its exposure to water and dust, insects, etc.
From this point on, the criteria to get your outdoor TV right are identical to the indoor ones:
Resolution : due to the offer of models and content, our recommendation is that it be 4K, unless the chosen model has a sufficiently small diagonal (32″) to give it up and settle for Full HD. At the moment there are no 8K models in the market.
diagonal . The ideal size of your TV is governed by the same parameters as standard TVs, although taking into account that these are open spaces, the bigger the diagonal, the better. Of course, the viewing angles are probably narrower
Ports and Connectivity . Make sure your future outdoor television has all the sockets you need and the right version. Considering that the wiring and appliances are probably far away, there are more complex AV setups like HDBaseT, which transmits ultra-high-definition video, audio, and Ethernet over the TV’s power cable, or 4K over Ethernet, to send high resolution over longer distances than standard HDMI cables.
HDR support . Something that you will miss with respect to classic TVs is HDR compatibility. The “enhanced” brightness of the screen and the different light conditions outdoors do not always favor HDR content, so there are manufacturers who choose to pass on this feature. Others, however, offer HDR with automatic adjustment, a plus that is paid for.
smart features . While it is rare today to find dumb TVs, among outdoor TVs it is more common or that this aspect is less careful. However, you can always put a set top box on it to enjoy streaming content.
With a renewal rate much lower than the “indoor” models, especially considering that they are still rare and their high price, last year we tested the Samsung The Terrace (from 2,999 euros ), a 4K smart TV with a panel with a FALD backlighting, 2000 nits brightness delivery, and HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG support.
Among its assets, the integration of the intuitive Tizen and an HDMI 2.1 port to play, two features that place it to compete head-to-head with standard models in terms of performance, although with extras for outdoors.
When we tested it we highlighted its fantastic build quality, HDR performance and how good it looks outdoors , although it can suffer in bright light and its sound is not up to par.