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Focusing on Outdoor TV, Runco Shows New ‘High Bright’ Model
Only a handful of other vendors sell weatherproof TVs, and Runco is arguably the only one with a strong channel presence.
As for big-name CE brands, they don't seem to be out there. Sanyo introduced a 42-inch weatherproof TV, the Sanyo 42LM4WP, at CeBIT in March 2007.
We haven't heard anything since, but the product is evidently for sale, at least through some online stores, for about $7,500.
Hix says he's not surprised that the name-brand CE manufacturers have been slow to embrace the outdoor TV market.
"With all new market segments, this one is still relatively unknown and small enough that the big brands want to wait," he says.
As for the more niche brands, can they really make it? "They might not have the channels," Hix suggests.
"We have the channel, and the operating strength and the engineering strength to get in there quickly. The first products will be higher priced [until the market is established], so you really need a channel that can sell the high-end."
Is it really worth it? "I sell disposable televisions right now," says Runco rep Mike Sajecki of Miami-based C&E Marketing.
"They [consumers] are assuming they can buy an $800 42-inch LCD and if they have to throw it away in one or two years, that's OK."
Even so, Sajecki sees a definite need for weatherproof TVs like Runco's for applications where the product is not covered, or the customer simply wants a better picture. It is a Runco, after all.
Other dealers are taking the two-piece approach to outdoor video, with projectors and rugged screens (Stewart's Starglas is a standout).
"We're taking clients' old projectors and putting them outside," says Greg Margolis of Dallas-based Hometronics. "They get to keep a projector they like, and upgrade to a new one inside."
Still, virtually every dealer I spoke with at the Mexico Getaway thought Runco's outdoor TV is a "no brainer."
Runco's WP-42 is just the first outdoor TV for the company, which plans to offer new models in different sizes, and with advanced features.
At the Getaway, Runco demonstrated a prototype of a TV so new that it doesn't have a name yet. They're calling it "High Bright" for now because, well, it's super-bright.
The unit features two sets of backlight panels and two power supplies. Senior product marketing manager Matt Christensen says that other companies have implemented double-backlight solutions, but that Runco's solution is still "pretty novel."
The double-panel makes the TV hot already, but throw in some intense sunlight and you have a pretty brutal environment for thermal management. "We're doing a lot of work right now, putting the TV inside a weatherproof enclosure," says Christensen. "We're really close.
Also, it's no easy task to get such high brightness (about 1,100-1,200 nits versus the typical 450 nits for an LCD) without washing out the contrast. Christensen says that Runco has this little problem licked.
And here's a dirty little secret in the outdoor-TV business. Manufacturers often quote temperatures at which their TVs can operate, but it can be a bear to actually power on a TV from a cold start. (If you live in Minnesota, you'll see power cords dangling from many an engine. Same thing.)
"What we haven't seen in the competition is the ability to turn on a television at low temperatures," Christensen claims. "It needs a certain amount of heat to kick start."
Runco's High Bright TVs will have a "winter mode" during which a tiny bit of power circulates through the chassis to keep the engines warm and ready for a cold start.
OK, so no one said the TV was green.
Planar/Runco's Matt Christensen demonstrates products in Runco's Climate Collection during the company's Mexico Getaway.
We haven't heard anything since, but the product is evidently for sale, at least through some online stores, for about $7,500.
Hix says he's not surprised that the name-brand CE manufacturers have been slow to embrace the outdoor TV market.
"With all new market segments, this one is still relatively unknown and small enough that the big brands want to wait," he says.
As for the more niche brands, can they really make it? "They might not have the channels," Hix suggests.
"We have the channel, and the operating strength and the engineering strength to get in there quickly. The first products will be higher priced [until the market is established], so you really need a channel that can sell the high-end."
Is it really worth it? "I sell disposable televisions right now," says Runco rep Mike Sajecki of Miami-based C&E Marketing.
"They [consumers] are assuming they can buy an $800 42-inch LCD and if they have to throw it away in one or two years, that's OK."
Even so, Sajecki sees a definite need for weatherproof TVs like Runco's for applications where the product is not covered, or the customer simply wants a better picture. It is a Runco, after all.
Other dealers are taking the two-piece approach to outdoor video, with projectors and rugged screens (Stewart's Starglas is a standout).
"We're taking clients' old projectors and putting them outside," says Greg Margolis of Dallas-based Hometronics. "They get to keep a projector they like, and upgrade to a new one inside."
Still, virtually every dealer I spoke with at the Mexico Getaway thought Runco's outdoor TV is a "no brainer."
Coming Soon: Runco 'High Bright'
Runco's WP-42 is just the first outdoor TV for the company, which plans to offer new models in different sizes, and with advanced features.
At the Getaway, Runco demonstrated a prototype of a TV so new that it doesn't have a name yet. They're calling it "High Bright" for now because, well, it's super-bright.
The unit features two sets of backlight panels and two power supplies. Senior product marketing manager Matt Christensen says that other companies have implemented double-backlight solutions, but that Runco's solution is still "pretty novel."
The double-panel makes the TV hot already, but throw in some intense sunlight and you have a pretty brutal environment for thermal management. "We're doing a lot of work right now, putting the TV inside a weatherproof enclosure," says Christensen. "We're really close.
Also, it's no easy task to get such high brightness (about 1,100-1,200 nits versus the typical 450 nits for an LCD) without washing out the contrast. Christensen says that Runco has this little problem licked.
And here's a dirty little secret in the outdoor-TV business. Manufacturers often quote temperatures at which their TVs can operate, but it can be a bear to actually power on a TV from a cold start. (If you live in Minnesota, you'll see power cords dangling from many an engine. Same thing.)
"What we haven't seen in the competition is the ability to turn on a television at low temperatures," Christensen claims. "It needs a certain amount of heat to kick start."
Runco's High Bright TVs will have a "winter mode" during which a tiny bit of power circulates through the chassis to keep the engines warm and ready for a cold start.
OK, so no one said the TV was green.
Planar/Runco's Matt Christensen demonstrates products in Runco's Climate Collection during the company's Mexico Getaway.
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About the Author
Julie Jacobson, Editor-at-large, CE Pro
Julie Jacobson is co-founder of EH Publishing and currently spends most of her time writing for CE Pro, mostly in the areas of home automation, networked A/V and the business of home systems integration. She majored in Economics at the University of Michigan, earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and has never taken a journalism class in her life. Julie is a washed-up Ultimate Frisbee player with the scars to prove it. Follow her on Twitter @juliejacobson.
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