The goal, simple, a functional and easy to manage back patio entertainment area. The challenge was to utilize the existing nucleus of my system an older Denon AVR 1611 receiver. Here’s how I approached the planning and execution phases of the project.
- Planning
- TV Mounting
- Speaker installation
I’ll cover the integration and user experience for this project in later posts. This post will just set the table for bringing it all together.
Planning
When planning an outdoor TV setup the following things ought to be planned ahead.
- Power: Where the TV will draw its power. If you already have an outdoor outlet you’re ahead of the game.
- Media: What type of media will you want to display. Cast using Google or Amazon device? Cable or Satellite? Blu-ray? All of the above. Planning ahead can simplify what cable runs will be required to finish the job.
- Audio: What will handle the playback of the audio for the TV? Utilize the existing the TV speakers or separate outdoor speakers.
- Control: What remotes, apps, and voice assistants will be needed to make it all come together. It should be simple enough for the casual visitor to make it all work seamlessly.
Making some clear will / will not be decisions up front will help set the scope and prevent a tool throwing expletive laced moment of frustration.
My overall approach to these questions led me to the following answers:
- Power: Add a leg of power with a GFCI outlet and in use weatherproof cover. Power will be sourced from a near by outlet.
- Media: Speakers will be used for music streaming services by default. The alternative configuration will be to replicate the interior entertainment audio. TV will have a local casting device for quick content and will have video distribution from the receiver to replicate content outside.
- Audio: The receiver can output HDMI audio only the main zone so getting the right audio to the speakers at the right time is a nifty challenge. An echo dot takes care of streaming audio and an HDMI audio extractor will get the balance. I will queue up another post on how I made it come together.
- Control: The lynch pin of the control is a Logitech Harmony Elite remote. The remote, app, and voice control through Alexa and Google Assistant makes it very versatile for the situation.
TV Mounting
The first step was to find and mount the TV on the patio. I chose to use a ceiling mount rather than mount in to the brick. The ceiling mount prevented any long term impact to the brick facade. Should the I need to make changes or decide to sell or change the configuration the bolt holes will be easy to cover and paint.
The decking is strong but did not offer enough strength to suspend the TV. The nearest stud would have put the TV too far away from the face of the brick. I used an 8″ x 8″ x 3/16″ steel backing plate to help distribute the load. Using the mounting bracket as the template it was quick to fab up and the grade 8 fasteners will keep the TV in place.
Speaker Installation
The Denon receiver can power 5.1 channels in the main zone and power 2 channels in zone 2. I used the 2 channels to install the weather resistant ceiling speakers. I preferred the ceiling speakers over surface mount to keep a clean aesthetic.
Run a nail or screw in the center of the radius and check the clearance to studs, electrical, and other obstructions
I do many of my installations at home by myself and late in to the evening when I can carve out time. One key tip I have found is to test cut location prior to making big holes. If I can see behind where it will be installed I’ll run a nail or screw in the center of the radius and check the clearance to studs, electrical, and other obstructions. In blind installs I’ll drill a small hole and use a coat hanger or wire to sweep the radius and check.
In future posts I’ll cover how I turned the outdoor speakers into an always ready streaming setup for Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, & Spotify and setup the video distribution to replicate the source from inside the living room.