A beautiful outdoor entertainment system was what the clients wanted–and that’s what they got in a 400 sq foot covered area off a great room that features a fireplace, bar, a Sunbrite 46″ high definition outdoor TV and four niles stereo input outdoor 7″ speakers. The design and construction of the patio at a home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. was completed by Westside Remodeling with Wilshire Home Entertainment supplying the audio/video installation.
According to Wilshire, a company that specializes in high-performance home entertainment installations, the clients were actually looking two create two distinct TV viewing areas—one in an outdoor living space where they could entertain while enjoying TV or music and the other in a great room right off the patio. In the great room, Wilshire installed a Sony 55″ HDTV above the fireplace, with audio supplied by six Niles speakers and two Velodyne in-wall SC600 subwoofers. A custom programmed universal remote controls the indoor equipment while a separate waterproof outdoor remote controls the outdoor audio/video system . The equipment rack containing the audio/video components was installed in an indoor closet. The entire installation was completed in six days.
One challenge: since the new outdoor patio had both a seating and a bar area for TV viewing, the audio had to be less “surround sound” and more of an “overall” sound that would be evenly distributed throughout the space. The overall sound was accomplished by Using stereo input speakers and a careful calibration of the audio system.
The homeowners were thrilled with the results. Now, they don’t need to choose between enjoying the beautiful outdoors or watching their favorite TV show or big game–they can have it all outside, or during cooler days, they can bring the party indoors.
Selecting the Right TV for Your Patio
A regular indoor television is not recommended for use outdoors for a number of reasons. Although a TV can be mounted under a patio away from rain, moist air, bugs and dirt can all find their way inside the television and affect its performance. In addition, indoor TVs come with highly reflective screens designed for indoor viewing only. If installed outdoors, the images on the screen will be difficult to view. Probably the most important reason to only install an outdoor-approved TV outside is safety. When condensation or dew collects inside the TV, the TV could short out or cause other more serious electrical issues. It’s not worth the risk.
Equipment List: Indoor System
- Sony KDL55NX720 55″ LCD TV
- Integra DTR50.3 Surround Sound Receiver
- Sony BDPS580 Blu-ray Player
- Integra DSA4 iPod Dock
- Furman Elite-15 DMI Power Conditioner
- Velodyne SC602 Subwoofer Amp
- Velodyne SC600IW In-Wall Subwoofers (2)
- Niles RWC8.5 Speakers for Left, Center, Right
- Niles RWC8FX Surround Speakers
- URC MX980 Programmable Remote Control
- URC MX350 RF Base Station
- Audioquest Cables
- Middle Atlantic Rack
Equipment List: Outdoor System
- Sunbrite SB4660HDSL 46″ All Weather LCD TV
- Niles SI275 Amplifier
- Niles SS6 Speaker Selector
- Niles RWC7SI In-Ceiling Speakers
- Niles PS6 Planter Speaker
- Furman Elite-15 DMI Power Conditioner
- URC MXW920 Water Proof Remote Control
- URC MX350 RF Base Station
- Audioquest Cables