Television Sets Go from Being the Hearth of Home to Vanishing Mirror TVs
By the ’60s, almost 90% of American homes had a set. And, by the ’70s, our ubiquitous TVs became the display devices for the first recorded media, and then later for the first generation of home computers. Then big screen TVs eventually demanded the need for dedicated media rooms.
But then a personal experience got me thinking about TVs in different scenarios like “wet” environments — in our bathrooms, spas and even showers.
The Public House is a big Los Angeles sports/soccer bar where I’ve been part of 400 fans enthusiastically watching the Copa America tournament last summer. We also watched the Champions League final outside on the bar’s back patio. So I went to watch my fave Premier League team Tottenham play in our Champions League group games outdoors this last winter.
But with LA’s wetter than normal winter, we had to head back inside. With the rain pounding down, it brought up those questions about watching sports on TV screens outdoors, or even by a pool. Even more, with no commercial breaks during soccer games, what about continuously watching a game during a bathroom run? Or what about watching any sports or entertainment program in any wet indoor environment? Hello, are there waterproof TVs that are safe in the shower, with no electrical problems?
When I Googled “waterproof tv” and “bathroom tv” it led me to a bunch of display companies, from giant multinationals to Soulaca, a display technology developer and manufacturer of waterproof TVs — vanishing and mirror TVs, and other waterproof TVs to even put in your shower.
Watching some demo videos was like watching a sci-fi movie like Star Trek, except their future tools are actually real visual devices being used today — screens appear seemingly out of nowhere in a mirror, and then you can remote control them away and the full mirror re-appears.
I discovered there’s an international standard for waterproof TV ratings, so you don’t have to worry about the water/electricity issue, and these cool products are safe to use around wet environments like in bathrooms and kitchens or even near indoor/outdoor spas and pools. The television is typically sealed in such a way — using mechanical technology and sealed with waterproof glue — that they can be splashed, rained on, or, in some cases, submerged in water and still work. Really, wow?!
And then beyond this great safety aspect, there’s that futuristic innovation. With Mirror TVs, the television images seemingly appear out of nowhere, like in those great sci-fi movies. The LCD panel is actually installed behind the semi-permeable mirror, then covered and sealed using a back cover. When the TV is off, people can just see and use the mirror because of optical reflection. When the TV’s LCD panel is powered on, the LCD panel’s light can pass through the mirror, so people can then view their favorite program on the screen. And for us soccer fans, we don’t have to miss our game coverage during a bathroom break.
Also, waterproof TVs can have screens that are heated so that they won’t fog over in a bathroom environment. This heated screen option is useful for televisions in rooms with a lot of steam, such as showers or saunas. These televisions are also equipped with a waterproof remote control that can be used in the same wet environment as the TV.
Now, more and more people realize they can have fun and watch television in the bathroom while shaving, taking a shower, or even relaxing by their spa/pool. And, in the near future, suppliers will incorporate waterproof TV’s in your intelligent home system where they’ll detect your body when you enter, via an infrared ray that will then power on your television.
For more information about IP safety ratings, and where a waterproof TV can work for you, check out Soulaca and get the skinny.