Can any kind of flat screen TV survive freezing temps?
I have three right now and would love to put one in the shop but LEDs freeze I think. What about plasma?
Can any kind of flat screen TV survive freezing temps?
I have three right now and would love to put one in the shop but LEDs freeze I think. What about plasma?
I've had a 58" Samsung go through 4 or 5 winters at a cabin in ND that we let deep freeze with -20 F degrees temperatures with no ill affect. Same with a stereo for 20 years. If I show up in the winter, I wait until everything has warmed up and stabilized to normal temperatures and had a chance to dry off any condensation that might have collected as frost.
I had a mid-2000s 37" Vizio LCD that graduated from our living room to my non-climate controlled pole barn, and it lasted another 10 years of Michigan winters before it finally kicked the bucket.
But if you're unsure, they do make outdoor-rated TVs.
I think if it is kept pretty clean and definitely dry it should be fine down to well below what it would see in use that you're considering. I am planning on doing something similar with my garage and my plan is to throw a light towl over the monitor I want to put on the wall when it isn't in use so crud stays out of it. Temps don't worry me; junk building up inside does.
It will be fine.
Scenario for me: I have a camper that I leave at a campground in Canada. In 2004, I bought a flat screen LCD for it, and it has survived Canadan winters for 20 years. I finally replaced it this summer because the audio board must be malfunctioning because the audio output was garbled, but the display was still fine. I brought it home to be a spare monitor in the studio.
Also had a very cheap TV mounted in an RV that is parked outside. I had it for 6 or 7 years and it was still working when I sold the RV.
This is what Samsung says, other brands typically have similar temp ranges for storage and operation. I'm sure they are conservative on their ratings, but I wouldn't push it.
Samsung TVs can operate safely in rooms or areas in which temperatures range from 50° F to 104° F (10° C to 40° C). Temperatures outside the listed range will negatively affect the operation of your TV.
Samsung TVs can be stored unused at temperatures ranging from -4° to 113° Fahrenheit (-20° to 45° Centigrade). Storing your TV at temperatures outside this range can damage your TV.
They might not operate normally at very low temps but they'll survive them just fine, often in a cell phone the first thing that will malfunction in deep-negative temperatures is the battery. My Toyobaru's aftermarket headunit LCD has survived temps down to -20C~-30C many times.
For my business I've had to use my cell phone (with an OLED screen) and other electronics with monochrome LCDs in temps around -20C~-30C and they haven't given me any trouble.
Edit: Batteries are another story though, batteries hate that E36 M3...
In reply to preach :
I've had a cheap 32" flat screen smart TV at the island house for about 10 years now, it always works in the spring after a winter in an unheated house. I haven't tried using it when it's cold so that may be another consideration.
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