Freezing LCD TV?

[simonsrf]

As long as the JD bottle doesn't freeze to my lips, most likely, I could care less whether the TV works or not.

[rlwhit]

Right on Robbie!!!!

[skypilot]

Speaking from experience (had truck with GPS (Garmin 2620 and later a Nuvi) at 0 to -19F a couple of years ago. GPS would light up and at 0 degrees would update the screen fairly well -- albeit slowly. As I rememeber at about -10 degrees it would light up but never did get an image on the screen until the cab warmed up and the unit warmed up as well (The 2620 actually has a hard drive and it wouldn't even power up -- hence we bought the NUVI which has no hard drive in it). The days it was -19 I don't think the cab ever warmed up on the short drives I was using my truck for at that time. When it warmed up the GPS worked fine, no indication of anything being damaged due to cold.

[Ozz]

I have an alarm system in my detached garage/shop with a screen on it, it is unheated, so I mounted a small 40 watt spot-light and have it shine on the alarm screen and keypad to keep it warm. I have a temperature activated plug on it to engage at 35 degrees. I really don't know if it is needed for correct operation, but it makes me feel better...
I would think if your Tv was 'freeze sensitive' it would have all kinds of warning notices on it when you buy it.
Dennis (Mudchief) has a company that sells an installs electronic equipment for law enforcement companies, I bet he has looked into this potential problem.

[Mudchief]

Ozz, you are correct. We have mobile data terminals in police cars across the country and they have LCD displays. Never have had a problem. Many of those cars sit out in below zero temp's.

[Delaine and Lindy]

We have all Samsungs (4) and read this morning they are good to -4 to +112. And recomend warming up the RV prior to using the LCDs. We haven't had problems with the LCDs in hot or cold. Was in Arizona when temps were well over +110, think goodness we haven't been in temps below 0. GBY...

[TAKPAK]

We have a Vizio 37 inch LCD, 2 1/2 years old. Left it out in the cold. Went to turn it on, dead. Sent it back under warranty, they did fix it. Used it a couple of times. Left it in the cold again, tried to use it, dead again. Same problem, the power supply was blown. Vizio agreed to send the part one more time under warranty, but I had to find someone to put the part in. Did so, it is now in the house (warm) and so far, no further problems. Now have a plasma TV in the "cold", so far, no problems. Go figure.......but I'm not putting the LCD in the cold again........maybe it's just the larger screen/older models????

[K&Gs3400RL]

I think the key words are "Operating temp" Am I wrong in thinking it can be stored in cold weather but if you want to use it it needs to be in the range stated to operate properly?

[mopar1]

Yes, you are correct.

[Art-n-Marge]

And for storage (idle, not being used) there will also be a low and high temperature to prevent damage. Keep in mind it may not be damaged immediately, it's just that you might shorten its life by not storing and using it when the specified ranges. The storage temperatures will usually be better than the operating temperatures.

For example, it's 35 degrees in the rig and the storage specification is a low of 0 degrees. This means that the unit is within storage specifications. Let's say the operating temp starts at 40 degrees. This means you must heat up the ambient air to above 40 degrees AND you must wait long enough for the unit to be above this temperature, too. Just because the room is at 50 does not mean that the unit is there yet. The ambient air takes a little while to warm up the unit in question. Extreme temperatures do sometimes require extreme measures, but hopefully all remains well. In this example, if there is EVER a chance the storage temp is below 0 you risk damaging the unit, which is why many owners remove theirs in favor of warmer storage temperatures.

Enjoy your Telly!

[mcgiver2]

This is what i have found off the internet so this is from LG................ The storage temperature for these units is -20 to 60 degrees Celsius. Regards David Herbert LG Canada

- Please be advised that the recommended storage temperature should be between -20 Celsius and +60 Celsius. However,thetelevision cannot be plugged in until the television's internal temperature is 0-40 degrees Celsius. Please ensure that you unplug the television prior to storing it, and that the television is well warmed-up before plugging it in after the storage period. Regards, Panasonic Canada Inc. - Customer Care Centre - bg

- Thank you for submitting your inquiry to Samsung.For all 3 different technologies, LCD, DLP or PLASMA, the manufacturer recommends a storage temperature (TV off mode) between -4oF to 113oF (-20oC to 45oC). Same storage temperatures for all. We also recommend that regardless of what type you buy, that you unplug the TV from the wall socket when not in use for a very long period and to let TV warm up by just plugging it for 12 hours before operating the next time. - Samsung Limitless Support

- I'm glad to provide you the information regarding the operating temperature and storage temperature of the Sony TV. The television can be placed in storage with environmental temperatures between -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (F) and 20-90% Relative Humidity (RH). The recommended temperature for proper operation is between 41°F to 96°F. Proper operation outside of this temperature range cannot be guaranteed. Thank you for your time. Sony of Canada, Ltd. C6EL Jason

My findings for LCD TV storage is as follows:

Jensen
For their 19", 26" and 32" LCD TV sets: -22* F to 158* F

Samsung
For all of their LCD TV sets: -4* F to 113* F

Note that I found "operating" temperature starting at 50* F. As such, it is "not" recommended that you turn your LCD TV sets on until the room temerature is at least up to 50* F. And in order to ensure the internal components of the set are within a safe range, I'd suggest waiting to turn the set on until the room air temperature has reached your "normal" range and has been there for a couple of hours.

Turning any type of electronics (TVs, PCs, cameras etc.) on when they are in an extremely cold state, causes internal condensation on some of the circuitry. This can cause premature failure in such devices.

That all said, there certainly are some electronics that have been treated for super low operating temperatures. Just be careful.