In love with your TV? Bring it outside
Those wanting to bring their media outdoors are in luck with the Sunbrite SB4660HD, a new weatherproof TV(Photo: Reviewed.com)
Story Highlights
- The Sunbrite SB4660HD is weather-resistent and airtight, allowing it to function outdoors
- With the focus on a tough build, less attention was paid to the picture quality
- Those wanting to watch fast sports on it will see some blurring along the edges of on-screen objects
For years, parents have lamented video game consoles and TVs keeping their children from going outdoors to play. Niche television maker Sunbrite has a solution, though it may not be what your mother had in mind: Just bring the TV outdoors.
The Sunbrite SB4660HD (MSRP $2,795–$2,995 depending on color) is an unusual TV, to put it mildly: weather-resistant and airtight, it's built to survive the harsh conditions of an outdoor life.
Watching your TV outside may seem like an odd concept to a lot of folks, though it opens up plenty of possibilities. Whether watching your favorite football team poolside or engaging in fierce competition with the weather channel ("I'm standing outside and it's not even close to partly cloudy!"), you can develop some new habits. Us? We tested the TV by playing video games in the rain.
A super-bright screen combats everything besides direct sunlight. Waterproof seals will resist all water, short of the TV being completely submerged. All of the ports are tucked behind a sealed cover, and once everything's all hooked up, the pliable cover can be screwed back into place. The cover molds tightly around the cables, keeping whatever's inside quite safe from the elements. The thick, durable frame also houses some of the loudest TV speakers we've ever heard—loud enough to drown out passing cars.
THE SCIENCE: See how this TV scored in lab tests[1]
BEST OF YEAR: Reviewed.com's picks for 2013's top TVs[2]
RELATED: Are OLED TVs really the best?[3]
Our 46-inch test model was almost seven inches thick, so it's not going to win any design awards. Yet for the trade-off in aesthetic appeal, you're investing in protection against stray soccer balls, delicious barbecue smoke, and homeless insects looking for an upscale winter condo. But while it's built to take bumps, you shouldn't expect it to survive a fall off of your roof.
As durable as it seems, we weren't able to test the full extent of its survivability in more extreme climates. This TV claims to operate between -24°F and 122°F—which is all but the most extreme weather. We can neither confirm nor deny that claim, nor can we speak to how it resists salty seaside air. But in general we can say that this is a tough TV.
Given the focus on durability, less attention was paid to the picture quality; the 1080p screen certainly isn't anything special. One problem we saw was that the SB4660HD didn't handle fast-moving content very well. Speedy sports like hockey or auto racing will start get blurry around the edges, so if you want to watch your Sunday football by the pool, be aware the picture might be a little fuzzier than you're used to. However, this is only during the fastest of motion—movie lovers need not fear.
Another area of concern is the TV's viewing angle, which is too narrow to properly broadcast to a whole backyard—watching too far off-center results in serious picture degradation. Our advice is to make sure you're actually watching something on the TV while you're picking out where to install it.
So is it worth it? The answer to that question depends entirely on how badly you need to watch TV outside. Granted, the picture quality here is sub-standard, but outdoor TVs are tough to come by, and hot tub audiences probably aren't looking for theater-grade viewing, anyway. Our biggest qualm with the Sunbrite is its motion performance. This TV is doubtless going to be drooled over by outdoorsy sports lovers—and they'll be grumbling and griping when the game looks blurry.
While the Sunbrite SB4660HD offers up an interesting all-weather option, between the flawed motion and huge price tag (almost $3,000 for a 46-inch TV is nuts in 2013), we can't wholly recommend it.
For more product reviews and news, visit Reviewed.com[4], a division of USA TODAY, and follow @ReviewedDotCom[5] on Twitter.
References
- ^ http://televisions.reviewed.com/content/sunbrite-sb4660hd-outdoor-tv-review/the-science?utm_source=spikes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=collab (televisions.reviewed.com)
- ^ http://televisions.reviewed.com/features/2013-best-of-year-television-awards?utm_source=spikes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=collab (televisions.reviewed.com)
- ^ http://televisions.reviewed.com/features/are-oleds-really-the-best?utm_source=spikes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=collab (televisions.reviewed.com)
- ^ http://www.reviewed.com/?utm_source=spikes&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=collab (www.reviewed.com)
- ^ http://twitter.com/revieweddotcom (twitter.com)