Imagine slipping into your hot tub with a group of friends and clicking on a beautiful, flat-panel HDTV to watch the latest action flick. Or having a bunch of the guys over to your outdoor patio bar and huddling around the game on that big screen you installed behind the counter. A TV outdoors can be a great way to entertain guests and give yourself a nice relaxing evening while being closer to nature, but there are many things that need to be considered before you go ahead and run those cables through your walls and out to the patio.

First, know your weather. Think hard about the environmental factors that will affect the area you want to install your TV in. Are there high winds? Lots of rain or humidity? How hot does it get? How cold? Ask yourself these questions to make sure you have a good grasp of what you have to protect your TV from when you start the installation process.

The main factor that will make or break your TV placement is location. Ideally, you want to put the TV somewhere that is sheltered as best as possible. Having a roof above your TV location is great, but be sure to observe wind patterns – if there’s high wind and some rain, will this get in under the roof through the front of the patio and potentially ruin your TV? If so, make note of it in order to create the right cabinet for your needs.

Speaking of cabinets, this should be a crucial part of your plan for an outdoor TV, especially those not designed for outdoor use. A TV needs to be sheltered from the elements. There are cabinets on the market that you can buy, or if you’re a real “do-it-yourself-er” you can get some supplies at the local hardware store and get cracking. The cabinet that you choose should be constructed with your particular situation in mind. Including a fan, to reduce the chance of overheating and dust particles in your TV is usually a good idea. And some people prefer a plexiglass front so they can leave the cabinet doors closed while watching TV to protect it even more – but be sure that all edges of the cabinet are water-proof tight.

There are plenty of outdoor TV manufacturers out there that have created TVs designed specifically for use on a patio or by a body of water. SunBright.com offers LCD TVs that can withstand extreme temperatures, dirt, rain, humidity, insects… you name it. These TVs may cost a pretty penny, but the comfort of knowing that your new TV won’t even be phased if the kids do a cannonball into the pool and get a little back spray on that 52-inch LCD, might be worth the investment.

On the other end of the spectrum, you can always get the wires and cables all ready to go, but only bring the TV outdoors when you or your guests are going to be watching it. Rather than having it permanently reside in a cabinet, you just carry the TV out (perhaps with the help of some strong friends) when you want to watch, and bring it back indoors when the evening is done. This saves money, and although it might be a hassle, it is an option for those who don’t think they’ll want to use their TV outdoors too often.

Ultimately, there are many options designed for different purposes when considering installing a TV outdoors. The most important thing is surveying your location realistically and understanding the risks involved with setting up a TV outside – and how to best avoid them.

Lauren Dugan is a contributor to the HD Envy blog. HD Envy is a manufacturer of TV picture frame mount solutions for your home and business. Taking inspiration from picture frame TV mount products found in hotels, casinos and corporate lobbies, HD Envy has crafted a product that is stylish, sophisticated and unique. Your HDTV will look simply stunning when mounted with a picture frame TV mount, and your entire home theater experience will improve. The experts at HD Envy can help you custom design your picture frame TV mount, so visit HDEnvy.com today to get started.