ENTERTAINMENT Outdoor Living
24
Take it outside: Gearing up for summer sound
Gearing up for summer sound
As demand for outdoor fun heats up, interest in outdoor entertainment blooms. Steve May selects the best of this year’s alfresco audio.
gardens become party central, and BBQs turn into Bluetooth battlegrounds.
A
s longer evenings and warmer days roll in, the great British consumer begins their annual migration from lounge to lawn. Patios become alfresco cinemas,
It’s a seasonal shift that brings fresh opportunities for retail, as buyers find themselves drawn inexorably to waterproof boom boxes, fashionable new headphones and even high-brightness outdoor TVs. Electrical retailers who have carved out a custom install niche may well find it lucrative to tout the benefits of outside AV. Very much playing to the luxury lifestyle market, ProofVision’s Lifestyle Plus NX series is a prime example of how outdoor screens are finally catching up to indoor expectations. Available in 43-, 55-, and 65-inch screen sizes, this 4K UHD model boasts 1,000-nit brightness, with HDR support, and is IP55-
rated. An anti-glare screen treatment, and wide 178° viewing angle, mean everyone at the summer party gets a great view of Wimbledon, and the built-in WebOS Smart TV platform provides easy access to key streaming services, including Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime Video and Disney+, so there’s no need to worry about plumbing in aerial or dish. ProofVision recommends choosing an installation area that’ss typically shaded or semi- shaded, such as an awning, pergola or gazebo, and IP control allows the set to be integrated in a whole home automation system. Retail prices start at £1,995, for the 43-inch model, so it’s worth stressing that screens engineered for outdoor use have talents residential tellies sorely lack, such as resistance to dust and insects, as well as errant water sprays. “Regular TVs are far more fragile than you may think,” says Mr Will Utley, Managing Director, ProofVision. “They function in a limited temperature range, with no waterproofing or
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