Skip to main content

Samsung’s new outdoor TVs and soundbars arrive in time for summer soirées

Warmer weather is coming, and Samsung is betting we’re ready to spend a lot of time outside after several months of being cooped up indoors. To enhance outdoor entertainment options, Samsung has unleashed its first lineup of outdoor 4K QLED TVs and soundbars which it dubs, The Terrace.

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.

Samsung

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.

Samsung

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.

Editors' Recommendations

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
LG prices its Flex, StanByMe TVs, and debuts a new model that doubles as magazine rack
LG OLED Flex TV.

2022 has been a big year for LG's TVs, as the company has moved well beyond traditional wall- or stand-mounted models, into new designs that are targeted at specific audiences like gamers and those who want their TVs to be more than just black rectangles on a wall.

The company had previously introduced us to the bendable OLED Flex and the touchscreen-based StanByMe, but now, as part of the company's presence at the CEDIA show in Dallas, TX, LG has told us how much they'll cost. LG is also taking the opportunity to introduce a new model in its Objet series, known as the Posé -- a quirky, easel-like TV that has space for things like magazines on its rear shelf.

Read more
Samsung reaches new heights with this SSD, but it could go even higher
Samsung 990 PRO SSD over a dark background.

Samsung has just unveiled an intensely fast SSD, the high-end Samsung 990 Pro. A successor to the 980 Pro, the SSD is said to deliver an up to 55% improvement in random performance over its predecessor.

The new SSD, set to release in the next couple of months, will undoubtedly bring tangible improvements for gamers and content creators alike. However, there will still be better SSDs coming out in the near future -- all because Samsung chose to stick to slightly older tech with the 990 Pro.

Read more
Yamaha’s new compact soundbar is small enough to fit on your desk
Close-up of Yamaha SR-C30A compact soundbar.

Yamaha has just announced its latest soundbar, the ultra-compact SR-C30A, which will sell for $280 when it becomes available to U.S. buyers in October 2022. The diminutive bar measures just 23.6 inches wide, which makes it narrow enough to be placed under most 27-inch computer monitors.

Though small, the SR-C30A should have no problem pumping out room-filling sound. It boasts 90 watts of power, which is delivered via the soundbar's two 1.8-inch full-range drivers and its included small-footprint wireless subwoofer, which has a 5.1-inch driver.

Read more