While
Engadget speculates it might be for use in your yard (no doubt next to your hot tub), we suspect digital signage proponents might find another use or two for Sanyo's new product:
Oh sure, waterproof LCD TVs have been available for ages, but Sanyo's making the choice of which outdoor display to buy simple with the introduction of its CE52SR1. You see, unlike many alternatives, this waterproof set packs a 1080p Full HD panel, meaning that you can enjoy your Blu-ray films in full-res glory while slouched in a beach chair beside your pool. Furthermore, the display is daylight readable and features a 1,500:1 contrast ratio, 1,500 cd/m2 brightness, 6.5-millisecond response time, 176-degree viewing angles, a slew of inputs and a frame constructed from marine grade anodized aluminum. Unfortunately, the summer in America will be long over before you can actually drop $13,995 in order to claim one, but October isn't too far out, now is it? Our take:While $14K might sound like a lot for a 52" 1080p screen, considering that many of today's lower-definition outdoor screens cost at least that much, Sanyo might be on to something here. Add in the fact that we typically have to go with smaller vendors who take another manufacturer's LCD panels and outfit them in home-grown sealed enclosures to make them waterproof, and suddenly the pricetag on that name-brand screen doesn't look too bad at all. Of course, we don't know if it's temperature controlled or what conditions the screen is optimized for (two factors critical when choosing screens for outdoor
digital signage projects), but given the reasonably high brighness and contrast levels the screen sports, we're hopeful there might be some use for them yet.
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