Outer LimitsHome entertainment takes root in the great outdoors.

  • By Rebecca Day
  • Source: BUILDING PRODUCTS Magazine
  • Publication date: 2007-09-07

The short history of the custom electronics industry has yielded an impressive migration of music and video throughout the house. Homeowners have gone from listening to music where the stereo was stored to expecting tunes to greet them as they move from room to room. And in many upscale homes, the family room TV is now just one of many, joined by the bedroom TV, the kitchen LCD, and the home theater.

Now home entertainment is on the move again, and it's going places never before envisioned. Thanks to the placement opportunities offered by flat-panel technology, TVs are entering the great outdoors. Some are lightweight enough to stow away when not in use and others are being built to withstand harsh environments such as heat and moisture. Extreme electronics have arrived.

"There's clearly a trend toward people building outdoor kitchens and entertainment spaces with LCD TVs," says Frank Stearns, president of Niles Audio, which sells speakers and specially designed devices for the indoor and outdoor custom residential market. "As people get older, they're moving to multi-dwelling units and the Sunshine states. When they do, they're entertaining more, and they're entertaining outside."

NATURAL WONDERS
The "rock" speaker was born out of this trend, and companies including Niles Audio, Rockustics, StereoStone, and others offer a variety of speakers built into enclosures molded to look like coral, sandstone, granite, and other rock designs. The camouflage allows installers to place the speakers amid the landscaping so that music plays freely into the yard. Hiding speakers behind plants or rocks, on the other hand, can block or compromise the sound.  

Niles' most recent innovation is an outdoor planter that doubles as a loudspeaker. Designed for decks and patios, the weatherproof planter/speaker measures roughly 20 inches in height, width, and depth and holds a 6-inch stereo speaker at the bottom of the enclosure. The top section can accommodate live plants, which sit on a false bottom separating the two compartments.

The trend toward outdoor entertainment has kept installers busy coming up with clever solutions for outdoor theater. "Every system we do has outdoor speakers and touchpanels around pools, cabanas, and hot tubs," says Josh Colletta, systems designer at custom installer DSI Entertainment in Studio City, Calif. "Lately we've upped the ante with outdoor theater." For people with big budgets, it's one more thing to show off to their friends."

All equipment for outdoor use must come weatherproofed to handle the elements. DSI uses on-wall and rock speakers from Sonance, an in-wall touchpanel from Crestron to control music and TV, and Crestron's waterproof handheld remote control for the pool. "We go to great extremes to keep the electronics safe from the elements since 99 percent of our outdoor systems are permanent," says Colletta. "If they don't come weatherproofed, we engineer them to be in-house."

DSI fits touchpanels on outside walls inside custom-made stainless steel enclosures that are trimmed out with weather stripping and silicone around the hinged door. Flat panel TVs are mounted inside weatherproof enclosures made by Premier Mounts to keep moisture away from the television.

The growing technological feasibility of outdoor entertainment plays a large part in the trend's continued acceptance, says Martin Mosko, founder and principal of Marpa Design Studio, a landscape architecture firm in Boulder, Colo., who says audio has seen the most increase in the past few years. Outdoor living spaces are following the trends of other home technologies. "It's the same way with the iPhone," Mosko says. "People are asking for advances in technology; people are expecting advances in everything in their life."

And like the interior of the home, one of the most important aspects of outdoor entertainment begins at the home's wiring stage, which is when Colletta recommends builders lay conduit for power and control cables to ensure all outdoor electronics can be accommodated. "Pending the landscaping design and other outdoor designs, we can help the contractor prepare a plan for running conduits through the outdoor space," he says. "And the conduits provide access and protection for our wires."

BACKYARD FUN
The outdoor trend also is spawning new offerings from electronics suppliers.

Cal Spas' Sports Bar & Grill Barbecue Islandfeatures two 15-inch LCD TVs with an option for a third (presumably enough screens for a yard full of weekend baseball junkies). The package's Sirius Satellite Radio/CD system plays through marine-grade speakers protected against sun, rain, and humidity. The Sirius music channels offer guests a fully loaded menu of audio choices. Options for the barbecue include a five-burner grill, convection grill, griddle tray, food warmers, beverage tap, refrigerator, and integrated waterfall.

Tucking a flat-panel TV into a covered cabana is one approach to outdoor entertainment. Now Stewart Filmscreen has made the concept even more convenient with its novel StarGlas projection TV screen that fits between two pieces of protective glass. StarGlas is impervious to rain or UV rays and can be cleaned with standard glass-cleaning products, making it an able substitute for a window on the back side of a home. Installers then build a rear-projection room behind the glass wall to house the projector. The StarGlas screen also can be used in a stand-alone installation to create the sense of a floating design.

Stewart is marketing StarGlas as the first architectural screen because of its versatility. "It's not only a screen," says a company spokesperson, "but a building material just like glass. You can cut it in interesting shapes, curve it. … Anything that can be done to glass can be done with StarGlas.

"We had been noticing a surge in the popularity of watching movies outdoors and creating an outdoor drive-in movie type of experience," she says. "The problem is, the quality isn't there," referring to traditional screens not engineered for outdoor use or white sheets which are a poor substitute for a high-quality screen. "Stewart's solution was to come up with a screen that can be installed permanently in an outdoor environment, rain or shine."

-- BUILDING PRODUCTS

This story first appeared in Custom Home Outdoors magazine. Meredith Lidard contributed to this report.

The PS6si Outdoor Planter Speaker is weather-resistant and has a 10-gallon capacity and three drainage holes to ensure that plants and flowers stay healthy while owners enjoy its sound. Made of fiberglass and protected by UV-resistant paint, this speaker has 6 1/2-inch dual voice coil woofer and two 1-inch fluid-cooled Tetron tweeters.

Niles

Niles. The PS6si Outdoor Planter Speaker is weather-resistant and has a 10-gallon capacity and three drainage holes to ensure that plants and flowers stay healthy while owners enjoy its sound. Made of fiberglass and protected by UV-resistant paint, this speaker has 6 1/2-inch dual voice coil woofer and two 1-inch fluid-cooled Tetron tweeters. 800-289-4434. www.nilesaudio.com.

Weather-resistant Mariner speakers feature eight models for installation indoors or outdoors. The speakers can be installed using the FastMount system, allowing brackets to snap and lock securely into place, making them theft-proof, the maker says. The company also makes water-resistant rock speakers for outdoor sound systems.

Sonance

Sonance. Weather-resistant Mariner speakers feature eight models for installation indoors or outdoors. The speakers can be installed using the FastMount system, allowing brackets to snap and lock securely into place, making them theft-proof, the maker says. The company also makes water-resistant rock speakers for outdoor sound systems. 800-582-0771. www.sonance.com.

With Stereo Everywhere speaker performance, the 151 SE outdoor speakers provide full, balanced stereo sound over a wide area, allowing homeowners to enjoy music as they move about the backyard. The speakers come in black or white and feature contoured styling designed to blend unobtrusively with eaves, clapboards, decks, or roofs. They come with matching weather-resistant brackets.

Bose

Bose. With Stereo Everywhere speaker performance, the 151 SE outdoor speakers provide full, balanced stereo sound over a wide area, allowing homeowners to enjoy music as they move about the backyard. The speakers come in black or white and feature contoured styling designed to blend unobtrusively with eaves, clapboards, decks, or roofs. They come with matching weather-resistant brackets. 800-444-2673. www.bose.com.

Tightly sealed in an all-weather enclosure, the LCD Outdoor Television is protected from rain, dirt, insects, and scratches, the company says, and it operates safely in temperatures from -24 degrees F to 122 degrees F. The unit's cable entry system is watertight and the included remote control is water resistant. The TV, which works with nearly all video sources and is HD compatible, comes in 23-inch and 32-inch versions.

Frostgate

Frontgate. Tightly sealed in an all-weather enclosure, the LCD Outdoor Television is protected from rain, dirt, insects, and scratches, the company says, and it operates safely in temperatures from -24 degrees F to 122 degrees F. The unit's cable entry system is watertight and the included remote control is water resistant. The TV, which works with nearly all video sources and is HD compatible, comes in 23-inch and 32-inch versions. 888-263-9850. www.frontgate.com.

The Sports Bar & Grill Barbecue Island features two or three 23-inch LCD flat-panel hanging monitors, Sirius radio, an iPod-compatible CD stereo system, and an integrated DVD player. In addition, the Sports Bar & Grill comes with a cooking area that's 25 percent larger than standard barbecues, according to the maker. Other features include heat-resistant knobs and a beverage tap or refrigerator.

Cal Spas

Cal Spas. The Sports Bar & Grill Barbecue Island features two or three 23-inch LCD flat-panel hanging monitors, Sirius radio, an iPod-compatible CD stereo system, and an integrated DVD player. In addition, the Sports Bar & Grill comes with a cooking area that's 25 percent larger than standard barbecues, according to the maker. Other features include heat-resistant knobs and a beverage tap or refrigerator. 800-225-7727. www.calflamebbq.com.

Safe for use in hot tubs, pools, and showers, the WPR-48 remote comes in a rugged, waterproof case that won't slip from wet hands, the maker says. Available with up to 48 different commands, this remote comes with a lithium-ion battery and is compatible with any of the manufacturer's control systems.

Creston

Crestron. Safe for use in hot tubs, pools, and showers, the WPR-48 remote comes in a rugged, waterproof case that won't slip from wet hands, the maker says. Available with up to 48 different commands, this remote comes with a lithium-ion battery and is compatible with any of the manufacturer's control systems. 800-237-2041. www.crestron.com.

Featuring a lightweight aluminum frame and anti-reflective, tamper-resistant glass, the CE42LM4WPN-NA weatherproof LCD monitor carries IP56 weatherproof approval for use in a variety of environments. Other details include various input and output terminals and a no-holes ventilation design that lessens maintenance. An optional network box allows the unit to be used as a network monitor.

Sanyo

Sanyo. Featuring a lightweight aluminum frame and anti-reflective, tamper-resistant glass, the CE42LM4WPN-NA weatherproof LCD monitor carries IP56 weatherproof approval for use in a variety of environments. Other details include various input and output terminals and a no-holes ventilation design that lessens maintenance. An optional network box allows the unit to be used as a network monitor. 888-337-1215. www.sanyolcd.com.

The StarGlas weatherproof rear projection screen sits between two pieces of glass, making it resistant to rain and UV rays. The glass has an anti-reflective coating to reduce unwanted reflections, the maker says, and it can be cleaned using standard glass-cleaning products. Professionals can install a projection room behind the screen or install the screen to stand alone.

Stewart

Stewart. The StarGlas weatherproof rear projection screen sits between two pieces of glass, making it resistant to rain and UV rays. The glass has an anti-reflective coating to reduce unwanted reflections, the maker says, and it can be cleaned using standard glass-cleaning products. Professionals can install a projection room behind the screen or install the screen to stand alone. 800-762-4999. www.stewartfilmscreen.com.

The Lake Placid bench speaker combines a useable bench and a speaker system that will fill an area up to 500 square feet with music. The 56-inch-wide unit includes two tweeters, two heavy mid woofers, and two bass enhancers. Also available is the Saratoga, an upscale version that provides sound to an area of 800 square feet.

Madison Fielding

Madison Fielding.The Lake Placid bench speaker combines a useable bench and a speaker system that will fill an area up to 500 square feet with music. The 56-inch-wide unit includes two tweeters, two heavy mid woofers, and two bass enhancers. Also available is the Saratoga, an upscale version that provides sound to an area of 800 square feet. 914-939-8500. www.planterspeakers.com.