Roku has just announced a new TV for the great outdoors that it says was built in concert with the electronics brand Element. It’s called the Outdoor Element Roku TV, and it offers some pretty incredible specs that include an incredibly high temperature threshold under which it can operate.
The Outdoor Element Roku TV is a 55-inch 4K model that’s available to buy in the U.S. now from Walmart, priced at $1,299. The company doesn’t have any plans to launch it in other countries yet, but it will be sold by additional retailers in the coming weeks.
It’s an affordable price tag but surprisingly the Outdoor Element Roku TV is no slouch in terms of its specifications, with a display that Roku says is around two and a half times brighter than most standard 4K LCD TVs. In addition, the anti-glare screen developed by Element makes it idea for outdoor viewing, where direct sunlight can be an annoying hindrance for viewers on standard TVs.
The TV comes with Roku OS built-in, as one would expect, and also has HDR support. Roku also said it has “powerful” speakers that will ensure it can be heard over the background noise of distant traffic or children playing in the garden.
Perhaps the most interesting claim however is the incredibly wide temperature threshold of the TV. Roku said it can withstand temperatures ranging from -20°C all the way up to 40°C. Such a wide threshold should mean that the Outdoor Element Roku TV can function in just about any weather conditions nature cares to throw at it. It’s water resistant so it won’t be damaged by the rain or snow or by splashing water if it’s located near to a swimming pool, while its solid, weather-resistant metal casing should ensure protection from the strongest sunlight.
Roku added that the screen is built using durable tempered safety glass that’s four-times stronger than the glass used in standard TVs, so it should have no problems withstanding hail storms and balls being thrown or kicked against it.
The Outdoor Element Roku TV will go up against other specialised outdoor TVs such as Samsung Electronic’s The Terrace, which was reviewed by HDTVTest last year and boasts an impressive peak brightness of 1,800 nits.
