[laserman]

Greetings,

My next-door neighbor decided to hook up an LCD TV outside (see pictures).  We live in Pittsburgh, so we receive a fair amount of driving rainstorms and have 8-10 heavy fog and maybe an additional 12-14 days of light fog days.  The TV hangs near the corner with two-wall protection and the other two sides are open to the elements.  The ceiling has a waterproofed barrier.  The discoloration above the TV happened during construction.

I told him, at a minimum, the unit would have to be taken down for the winter months.  However, I thought generally it was bad idea to have the unit outside 24/7 due to the air born moister during rain and fog.  He said if he got 3-4 years out of it he would be okay with those results.

Please share your thoughts and/or experiences.

Thank you,
Lou

[Wayner]

First, hopefully he has the TV plugged into a GFCI outlet. Next, I think he is nuts. That TV is going to have lots of condensation and IMHO will be ruined in a few months. Why not make a nice weather proof housing for it and open the LOCKED door when you want to watch TV outside. On another note, how brite does the screen look during the daytime, or is he going to watch at night when it's dark?

Wayner 

[laserman]

Wayner, thank you for your response.  Yes, buiding code requires a GFCI for all outside outlets in our area.  When I was over at his house during a sunny mid-afternoon, the picture was decent and could be seen from the two tables and portable bar on the patio.  I haven?t been there during the evening hours, but I?m sure I would notice a huge performance improvement.

What I discovered is it can be very expensive to watch TV outside:

1.) It appears the only folks who advertise solid enclosures are from the UK.  A 32-42? unit in steel and Polycarbonate would run about $1,300, while an entire Polycarbonate unit would run about $600.  These units have a filtered fan.  Here's a picture -



2.) LCD TVs designed for exterior use such as at ballparks, horse race tracks, airports and amusement parks run about $3,000 for a 32? unit.  These are designed with dual filtered fans and can take direct water.  Here's a picture -



3.) There are a few folks who advertise a vinyl cover similar to a large retangular shower cap.  These run about $95 for a 32-37? size unit.  However, these do not appear to be very moisture resistant and only shield the TV from dust, pollen and dirt while not in use.  Here's a picture -



4.) One could have a Fiberglass enclosure custom made too, but no estimate prices or pictures were readily available.

I wonder if anyone has built a DIY enclosure? It would also be nice if Rubbermaid or a similar OEM Plastics Company made an 8-9? deep plastic unit having the right width and height for an LCD TV, which could be converted to a weatherproof box relatively easily.

Lou

[EDS_]

Hey laserman,

1.  I know of dozens of LCDs TV on boats at my marina, a good number of these are quite exposed.  I've been told people get and average of 3/4 years on boats.

2.  A good number of other folks keep LCD tvs mounted at their boat dock areas.  These places have power and they are covered but wide open to driving rains.  I've been told, by people I trust, that if the TV is unplugged and covered well when not in use they will last 4/5 years at the dock.

[tmoney1876]

Lots of restaurants have regular tv's exposed to humidity (in Houston, so I know humidity) and they seem to be fine.

As long as it is covered when he isn't using it, it should be fine.  Humidity isn't THAT bad for electronics.  Condensation shouldn't be much of a problem either unless it is pretty cold at night, and then gets warm and humid during the day.