03 Oct Outdoor Home Theater systems
By now most of us have seen commercial grade outdoor video displays in a wide variety of venues, from Times Square and Giants Stadium to airport and train terminals. But have you ever experienced watching a Yankees game or a favorite movie on a purpose built outdoor video display on your own patio or deck? It’s now possible, thanks to weatherproof flat screen HD TVs, available in many sizes and with a wide variety of mounting schemes. The most popular sizes are 32 to 65 inches, with available mounts that are fixed, articulating, and even quick release.
An outdoor home theater video solution perfect for longer distance viewing is the latest generation of glass rear-projection screens. Here is how they work: Simply pick an exterior wall of your house or pool house. Any existing large windows in the wall will be replaced by a special glass video screen. The glass screen can be as small as 70 inches – just under six feet – diagonally or super-sized, up to 12 feet. A projector that beams the image onto the screen can be ceiling or floor mounted, and would typically be placed between 4 and 8 feet back from the glass video wall. Here at PAC-NJ, northern New Jersey’s source for high-end home entertainment equipment, our clients have been very pleased with these installations. These super-sized outdoor home theater screens work best on overcast days and at night. No matter what size or type of outdoor TV you choose, the sound system included in the TV will tend to be underwhelming, at best. I suggest an external upgraded sound system to enhance your outdoor home theater set up or HD TV system. That’s a topic I’ll cover in my next blog!