04.02.2008 — Runco’s “next big thing” is the outdoor market, and the company is attacking it with a vengeance.

The maker of high-end video products (acquired by Planar last year) introduced its first outdoor television, the Runco WP-42 at the CEDIA Expo in September 2007.

Back then, Scott Hix, VP and general manager of Planar’s Home Theater Business Unit said, “The outdoors will really be our story in 2008.”

Indeed, just a few days ago, at the Runco Mexico Getaway for top dealers and reps, the company showed one new prototype in its Climate Collection, and Hix promised plenty more to come.

The outdoor business was fast-tracked when Runco was acquired by Planar last year. Planar is a leading developer of ruggedized displays, with thousands of applications from fighter planes to gas pumps.

The WP-42 began shipping in November to Runco’s 650+ specialty resellers. “So far, so good. We’re very comfortable with the run rates,” Hix says.

Even so, he concedes that selling a $8,995 (retail) display “isn’t as easy as putting an SKU into the system. We have to be able to tell customers what it is they’re paying for when they buy an IP56.”

What the Heck is IP56?

IP56 refers to the Ingress Protection value of the WP-42 television, as defined by the IEC standard 60529.

The first digit of the IP code refers to protection against solid foreign objects. On this, the WP-42 earns a 5 rating out of 6, meaning it is “dust protected.” The best rating would define the unit as “dust tight.”

The second digit in the code refers to protection against liquids. Here, the television earns a 6 out of 8 because it can withstand “powerful jetting water, any direction.”

An “8” rating would mean that the TV could survive “continuous immersion in water.”

I may have joked about the IEC’s Ingress Protection code during a presentation I did at the Runco event, but at least one dealer took it to heart. Anthony Pavia of Ridgefield, Conn.-based Lights, Camera, Action said he called his sales manager after the presentation to explain the rating system and the merits of an IP56-rated television.

“I was aware that there was some kind of rating system, but wasn’t really paying attention to it,” he says. “I called my sales guy and said, ‘Do you realize these products are rated 56? We really need to use this.’”

What Cost Waterproof?

When it comes to outdoor flat-screen TVs, there aren’t many options, especially not cheap ones.

SunbriteTV makes a few models up to 46 inches, and seems to be the preferred outdoor TV vendor for non-Runco dealers. The 32-inch starts at about $3,300 (street price).

SunbriteTV’s Pat Caminiti says the TVs are IEC-rated IP54.

Global Outdoor Concepts has a couple of MirageVision models up to 47 inches. Its 32-inch starts at $4,100 (street).

Lux Outdoors has several outdoor TVs, and touts the Media Center functionality of its products. Prices start at $2,700 (street) for a 27-inch with stand.

Pantel just released a couple of TVs up to 42 inches ($4,450 for that one), with some nice weatherproof speakers. The company says the TVs are undergoing IEC certification and expect the products to be rated at IP66.

I found several weatherproof TVs for sale in the UK, including a 55-inch model (currently out of stock) that sells for about $12,000 USD.

And then there’s Cal Spas, which offers some pretty funky motorized TV lifts and other TV options with its outdoor kitchens and spas, but no word on whether the TVs are waterproof. (Update: Cal Spas tells me that the TVs are made by SunbriteTV; Marine-grade speakers surround the display.)

There are some options—like ItsEnclosures—for weatherproofing traditional TVs, but the enclosures aren’t cheap (about as much as a weatherproof TV itself).