Garden TV: The Best Place To Put It And How To Pick One

A Garden TV Setup is the pinnacle of outdoor entertainment areas. It's possible that your decking is starting to look sharp, your waterproof sofa is beginning to fill out, and your outdoor kitchen is starting to take form. Bringing movie night outside and transforming your gathering environment are both possible outcomes when you install a TV screen that is waterproof and makes a natural complement to your garden setup.

The most recent generation of weatherproof televisions designed specifically for outdoor use are available in a variety of screen sizes and pricing points, and several of the most reputable TV manufacturers are now producing them. The most recent iteration of outdoor TVs are designed to seem sleek and fashionable, and they are much simpler to set up and install than you may think. Outdoor televisions are becoming increasingly common in home garden setups, and they are no longer reserved just for public garden areas and the rooftop bar areas of five-star hotels. They have the potential to provide the "wow factor" to your patio area if the planning and installation are done correctly, and they can make outdoor gatherings with friends and family even more enjoyable.

We talked to experts in the field to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals related to mounting a television in an outdoor setting. We asked them to share their best advice with us here at Livingetc.com. Greg Howarth, who works for the home technology firm GLO (opens in a new tab), gave us an interview. GLO is an organization that specializes in personalized design, product selection, and seamless integration. In addition, we contacted William Utley of Proofvision, who is the creator and manufacturer of waterproof TVs. We asked him to share his knowledge on how to install an outdoor TV and complete your backyard entertainment area. This will open in a new tab.

Planning And Installation Garden TV Guide

1. Consider The TV Type

It is unfortunately not feasible to select a TV with a standard 85-inch screen and mount it on the garden wall. A television that is going to be installed outside needs to be able to withstand the elements, which means that you will need a specialist television that can last all four seasons as well as the sun, the rain, and the snow.
Greg Howarth, a representative of the home technology company GLO, suggests that while shopping for outdoor television, consumers should make sure that the device has a rating of IP66, which indicates that it is completely protected from dust, sand, and damp, and insects.

We would also like the television to include some kind of temperature control mechanism so that it can function even when exposed to the heat of direct sunlight. If it has an IP66 rating,  may place a television like this outside even when it's freezing. In most cases, when we perform installations, we also make room for a cover for the television, which can extend the panel's useful life.

You may locate a number of businesses that offer TVs that are resistant to the elements and made expressly for use outdoors. The Provision Smart Weatherproof TVs(opens in new tab), for instance, have a rating of IP65 and are completely weatherproof, so they can be left outside all year long. They have been put through rigorous testing to ensure that they can resist harsh weather conditions. They also come equipped with temperature control systems that are able to function in temperatures ranging from -20 to up to 60 degrees Celsius. Additionally, you have the option of purchasing a separate cover to place over the television while it is not in use.

2. Determine The Optimal Size Of The Television For Your Viewing Position And Purchase It.

It is crucial to evaluate the size of the television screen in proportion to the area in which you intend to see it. This is true regardless of the size of your outdoor space, whether it be a tiny patio or an entire acre of land. According to William Utley, who works with Proofvision, "55 inches is our most popular size and suitable for the average-sized garden." 

Indoors, we generally recommend a TV that is 40 inches in size, but when you move it outside, you need something much more significant. "The ideal viewing distance for any TV is 1.6 times the size of the TV" however you can still enjoy a friendly game of football on a 55-inch TV from a considerably farther distance. 

3. Where To Put Your TV.

Consider the layout of your yard as well as the location where you intend to put your television. Think about whether you will cover the television with anything to shield it from the elements or whether you will cover it up and keep it out of sight until you have company around. Or maybe you want to make it the centerpiece of your yard and put it on display so that anybody may view it whenever they wish. William Utley has seen an increase in the number of clients who are having their televisions put in sheds so that they may convert them into "little sports lounges." This concept is a spin on the traditional garden bar.

When it comes to the site, Greg Howarth says that you are free to be as creative as you like as long as you have an experienced installation crew. He says, "There are many different outside items that allow a great lot of freedom when it comes to where you set your TV." "There are many different outdoor products that give a great deal of flexibility." We could, for instance, install it on the wall so that everyone in the room can see it, or we might put it on a TV stand. Or, we may establish a TV lift that is designed for use in maritime environments so that the television can be concealed while it is not in use and brought out of hiding when it is desired.

4. Consider Both Glare And Reflection In Your Thoughts

The brightness of an outdoor TV has to be significantly higher than that of an indoor TV so that it may be viewed without discomfort even when the sun is shining directly on it. Greg Howarth also suggests arranging your outdoor TV area such that the screen section of the outdoor seating area faces north. This is something you should consider when planning your outdoor TV area. You can create the ideal chill-out area by positioning your gas barbecue on the southern side of the property.

"Even if the TV specification allows for adequate brightness to work in direct sunlight, it is good to practice to try to minimize this," he adds. "Try not to let it affect your viewing experience as much as possible." If you want better results, make sure that there is no direct sunlight shining on the screen at crucial times of the day, such as while you are watching a sporting event. Again, the TV specifications play a significant influence in this aspect, as they determine whether or not it has an ambient light rejection material on the viewing surface and whether or not it is bright enough (in NITS).

A landscape TV from a company like Proofvision can reach up to 500 cd/sq foot of brightness, making it five times brighter than the majority of televisions used indoors. They also come equipped with an anti-glare screen, which reduces the amount of reflection on the screen, therefore improving the quality of the viewing experience.

5. Take Into Account How Close You Are To The Outdoor Cooking Area 

You will need to give some thought to the proximity of your television to other components in your outdoor cooking area, such as the grill or the oven for pizza. For one thing, you won't want the smoke from the grill to interfere with your watching of the game. A realistic distance between the area in which you cook and your television would be one or two meters.

According to Greg Howarth, the television may serve as the focal point of the room and can be placed in close proximity to the kitchen. "We have developed areas where there are numerous TVs in one outdoor area. One is the main area, which is larger than the other, and the other is a smaller "sports bar" type set up near the kitchen or bar area. Assuming the TV's specifications are accurate, the smoke from a grill shouldn't have any effect on it at all.

6. Make Sure That Your TV Is Attached To The Correct Surface 

You will need to locate a sturdy wall that is capable of holding the outside television in place, and a brick wall or a permanent wooden structure are typical choices in this situation. William Utley believes that a screen can be put on the beams of a wooden pergola in some circumstances, provided that the beams are thick enough to accommodate a wall bracket.

Additionally, Greg Howarth emphasizes the significance of mounting your television upon a reliable framework. According to him, brick and substantial wood buildings will be more than durable enough in adverse weather circumstances as long as the safety bolts on the brackets are correctly applied. "I believe that it is always a good idea to arrange the TV space such that it has cover whenever it is feasible to do so. A typical arrangement consists of a wooden box with doors that can be closed over the top of the television when the area is not in use or when it is not the appropriate time of year.

7. Take Into Consideration The Wire And The Connection

If the wiring is going to be outside, it needs to be of the highest quality outdoor grade and either protected or covered in armored Kopex (cable cover).

Greg Howarth states that this will require a cable for the video source as well as a connection for the power supply. You will need an HDMI cable to connect to a cable box or ethernet cabling, and you will have the option to connect external speakers. I strongly suggest working with an experienced electrician who will adhere to the procedures described in the previous paragraph.

You must have either a WiFi connection or a cabled Ethernet connection in order to acquire an internet connection on your smart waterproof TV. This will allow you to access streaming services like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Amazon Prime, and others. The most effective way to expand the WiFi signal into the yard is to use a wireless access point or signal booster.

Also, seek convenient add-ons such as a remote control that has an IP65 rating, meaning it is waterproof and can be kept outside in any kind of weather. As we always do, here at Livingetc, we like to think about the fully automated home. If you have a TV that has Smart Home Automation technology, you can link it to Control 4, Crestron, and ELAN so that it can function as part of a complete smart-home setup and be controlled via an app or a central control panel. This is something that we always think about.

8. Invest In Quality Audio Equipment For Your Television

Consider the path that the sound will take as it exits your television. You should consider adding more speakers to your setup if you have ample outdoor living space. Wall mounting kits - check this helpful article about wall mounting plants ideas - are available for smart speakers, but ground-soil speakers are also becoming increasingly popular.

According to Greg Howarth, "there are a lot of different alternatives for speakers, ranging from weatherproof soundbars to entire landscape speaker systems." If all you want to do is just listen to "TV sound," then the style of the soundbar works incredibly well as a straightforward addition to the television set.

"If you want to listen to music and potentially hear the TV over the whole garden - football commentary being a common use case - then we would look at a landscaping speaker package that can be scaled to any size garden," says the company. "If you want to listen to music and potentially hear the TV over the whole garden," says the company. You will be able to acquire the audio that you want from any of the top outdoor speakers.

How Do I Design An Outdoor Living Space With A Garden TV?

Greg Howarth, who works at GLO, has seen that more people are spending time in their "outside living rooms" in recent years. "Many of our customers come to us with the desire to establish a garden area with the same arrangement as what they've used for their living room TV," he adds. "We are more than happy to accommodate their wishes." This is often a confined space that is submerged and revolves around a centrally located heat source.

"The TV position is similar to that of the living room in a contemporary house, and it is either wall-mounted on a prominent wall or disguised inside architecture with motorized activation." After that, we will combine this with speakers that blend into the landscape and become part of the bedding plants that encircle the area. The essential aspects of these items are their specifications as well as their performance.

"When working with exterior spaces for AV, you are dealing with a lot more ambient light and a lot less acoustic isolation than you would be in an interior area. The use of televisions with a high nit (brightness) and speakers that may be focused on the seating position of the customers is therefore essential.