Before you get too excited about tossing a 65-inch outdoor TV on your deck, though, you’ll want to brace yourself — things are about to get pricey.
The Terrace TVs
The Terrace TV lineup comprises three models, a 55-inch for $3,500, a 65-inch for $5,000, and a 75-inch for $6,500. Those may seem like very expensive TVs (because they are!) however, they are right in line with competing models from specialty brands, and they come with something those other brands can’t offer: Samsung’s top-shelf picture quality.
In addition to being 4K QLED televisions offering wide color gamut, high color accuracy, and top-tier high dynamic range (HDR) performance, the TV’s design-forward build makes them particularly slim and attractive. With 10mm bezels and a cabinet depth of 59 mm, The Terrace lineup looks a lot like some of Samsung’s best in-home QLED TVs.
Slick design helps set The Terrace apart, but more practically speaking, a peak brightness of 2,000 nits ( a measurement of light output) should ensure the picture is vibrant and easily visible, even in very sunny outdoor conditions.
Competing models can also get very bright, but Samsung’s picture processing — which is the same in The Terrace line as it is in the QLED TVs to which we consistently award top honors — will make a considerable difference in the richness and accuracy of the images it portrays by the pool, in the outdoor kitchen, or on the veranda.
These are also smart TVs, featuring Samsung’s Tizen interface, which will deliver a world of content through popular apps like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and others, thanks to built-in Wi-Fi. The TVs also feature built-in tuners for free over-the-air TV reception. Those who want access to their cable or satellite feeds will want to call a professional in for a more advanced wiring installation.
Big outdoor picture, big outdoor sound
Onboard TV sound is often notoriously weak. Take that weak sound outdoors and you’ve got an even bigger challenge. It makes sense, then, that Samsung would include an element-resistant soundbar to go with its new outdoor TVs.
The Terrace Soundbar comes in one size, is priced at $1200, and is designed to work with any of the three TV sizes. For seamless integration, Samsung created a custom mount that bolts directly onto the custom TV mount so a modicum of additional hardware is needed. The mount is included.
Samsung says it designed the soundbar to get its signal wirelessly via Bluetooth, and that the two units will sync up automatically so there are no audio delays or lip-sync problems. Armed with 210 watts of built-in amplification, the three-channel soundbar and its built-in subwoofer have been designed to sound good outdoors, where the open nature of the space requires a little fine-tuning.
A bold business move
Samsung’s foray into outdoor TVs, along with the addition of outdoor-friendly soundbars to the mix, is no small deal. Until now, waterproof and dustproof outdoor TVs have been the business of specialized TV makers like Sunbrite or retrofitters like Sealoc. There is also little competition in the outdoor soundbar space.
By stepping in with its instantly recognized brand name, lauded picture quality, and by offering these new wares directly to people rather than exclusively through custom installers, Samsung could potentially shake up the growing (if still niche) outdoor entertainment market.
