Outdoor plasma

jvarnadoe · November 2007

Back in March I bought a Panasonic th42px60u plasma and mounted it outside on my patio with a Sanus articulating wall mount. It runs off of the DirecTV HD box in our bedroom via a 45 ft. Blue Jeans Cable HDMI cable. The RF remote function works like a charm for this set up. The patio is pretty large 29x12, so there really isn't any danger of it getting rained on, but I'd like to fabricate some kind of covering to protect it. Has anyone else already been down this road? I thought about utilizing this fabric - [HTML]http://www.sailrite.com/Categories/Glen-Raven-Sunbrella-Supreme[/HTML] It has an acrylic flocking on one side that should hopefully prevent scratches on the screen.

Also, should I be concerned about cold weather? I live in Florida and we don't get freezing temps very often, but I don't want to ruin the TV by leaving it outside during a freeze. Maybe I'll just remove the TV from the wall and store it inside on cold days since it only takes about 5 minutes to detach it from the wall plate.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

shawn474 · November 2007

Maybe it's just me, but there is no shot that I would leave that thing outside overnight much less for seasons at a time!!!! Freezing temps or not, i would imagine that moisture still collects and that can't be good for the tv.

Shawn

jvarnadoe · November 2007

Eight months and no problems so far. It's a convenience thing. The kids like to watch movies, Nick and the Disney Channel while in the pool and it's nice to be able to slip outside to the patio and watch football or the Speed Channel. It takes away from the spontaneity if I have to lug the thing outside.

I'll be the Club Polk outdoor electronics longevity tester. I also have a pair of RT35i's that are serving patio duty.

Sherardp · November 2007

some sort of Vinyl covering may work attached using small bungie cords. Or you can have some sort of plexiglass casing made for it.

zx_toth · November 2007

jvarnadoe wrote: »

Eight months and no problems so far. It's a convenience thing. The kids like to watch movies, Nick and the Disney Channel while in the pool and it's nice to be able to slip outside to the patio and watch football or the Speed Channel. It takes away from the spontaneity if I have to lug the thing outside.

I'll be the Club Polk outdoor electronics longevity tester. I also have a pair of RT35i's that are serving patio duty.

Some of you guys have way too much money

Good for you!

Zsolt

WilliamM2 · November 2007

I wouldn't use any type of vinyl, it will collect moisture inside, and it will be trapped. Use a breathable fabric. Something like a canvas car cover, that can breath.

I-SIG · November 2007

I would also be concerned about dust and dirt collecting inside the unit. Obviously it's not as big a problem in FL, but here in AZ it would be a serious concern.

Wes

SKsolutions · November 2007

I don't know the specs on that unit in particular, but their pro line has a huge temp and humidity latitude. I hope it carries over to the consumer line! I agree with the advice of WilliamM2. Moisture will be drawn to a "dry" area. If you use anything that retards the vapor/moisture, you will draw moisture in, then trap it around the unit with no ventilation. Bad. A breathable fabric is best, unless you want to hermetically seal it in it's own enclosure. Like a big sneeze guard. .

disneyjoe7 · November 2007

Well with Plasma's coming down in price, I'm considering mounting one outside also. But I don't feel anything will prolong the life of the unit one way or the other. Thinking you're taking a hit being outside with moisture issues you may lose 20 to 30% of it's life, which is fine if I could get 5 - 7 years out of it.

jvarnadoe · November 2007

Thanks for the feedback. I'll have to look for breathable fabrics to utilize for this project.

Outdoor plasma

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