Aquaview D2 17” LCD TV Features, Setup and Installation
Introduction
When we heard of the Aquaview
television, we were in the process of remodeling and renovating a bathroom.
Truth be told, it was a complete tear-out of the previous bathroom, including
the removal and rebuilding of several walls in order to increase the size of
the room. When we discovered that Aquaview had a system that allowed for a
17-inch widescreen LCD TV to be installed into a room like this without fear of
water or moisture damage, we started a dialogue to find out more about the
product. After some discussion, we decided that this would be a grand
opportunity to install the product and work it into our remodeling plan.
Features and Favorites
The Aquaview 17” widescreen TV has enough features to serve very well for this type of installation and use. It’s strengths are in its waterproof nature and it’s flexibility for installation, so we won’t be running HQV tests to determine how well this TV stacks up against other flat panel displays – it’s simply a one-of-a-kind product that is perfect for the custom installer who wants to really impress a consumer looking for something different. Taking a look at the package, we can see the following stand-out features:
- Waterproof Enclosure System
Once everything is set into place the Aquaview D2 system is completely splash and moisture resistant – making it the world’s first LCD TV system to be able to handle in-shower and over-tub installation with reliable, predictable results. - Built-in Amplifier and External Stereo Speaker
As part of the complete system, the Aquaview D2 comes with a dual-tweeter, single enclosure loudspeaker design that saves room and allows stereo sound to come from a single speaker. This is handy for installations that don’t have enough room to add a second speaker, and honestly a single speaker design just seems to work better in a bathroom environment. - Multiple A/V
Inputs
With support for VGA, component, s-video and composite inputs, this 15-inch widescreen display is going to be able to handle just about any video source you throw at it. - NTSC Tuner
If you’ve got a TV in that bathroom, one of the primary uses can be to catch the morning news. An included NTSC tuner will enable you to easily tie in a cableTV line or antenna and immediately benefit from a fully-functional TV. - Available Colors and Sizes
What good is a waterproof LCD TV if it doesn't meet your size requirements or color scheme? Aquaview has standard sizes of 15-inch, 17-inch and 17-inch widescreen and colors come as white, black, or satin. You can also get a mirror finish for an additional cost.
Throughout this review you
may be tempted to compare the D2 to other flat screen displays – especially in
terms of screen size and price – but don’t forget the fact that this is a
complete system designed for the bathroom or other waterproof uses. It’s in a
class of its own, and until competition heats up, this is about the only game
in town – and I know plenty of installers that will want to play.
Connections
You have several solid
options when connecting to the D2, including VGA (PC RGB) component video,
antenna/cable (RF), s-video or even composite video. Audio inputs are available
as RCA stereo or 1/8” stereo mini from a PC.
We used the VGA, component
and composite video inputs in our testing as well as the onboard NTSC tuner. Obviously
component delivers the best picture, but the standard definition cable
performance was also very excellent - and on a 17-inch display it's a safe bet
that most material is going to look very good.
Basic Setup and Installation
When installing the Aquaview TV you will want to run and connect all of the inputs if possible. You simply don't want to run into a situation later where you could have utilized an additional input. For certain you want to terminate the VGA, component and composite terminals. One excellent idea for an installation like this would be to utilize a system like Impact Acoustics' RapidRun technology. This is a field-termination modular cabling system that will allow you to change your mind later without having to pull new cables into your bathroom or kitchen.
OK, before you start thinking about cabling you'll need to frame in the included backbox. Getting this right will make sure your installation goes smoothly and with no hiccups. We ended up installing this product in to Tim, my brother-in-law's bathroom remodel. The location was the knee-wall that separated the new Jacuzzi tub from the walk-in shower stall. It was imperative that we do a thorough installation since the television would be susceptible, not only to steam and indirect moisture, but also from direct splashing at the tub level.
We started with the rough framing. The backbox to the Aquaview TV is roughly 0.25" wider and taller than the television itself. You can take an accurate measurement yourself before framing out the structure into which the backbox will be mounted. Don't forget to allow yourself room to cut holes for running the audio and video supply cables to the television. We drilled two 1-inch holes so that we could separate power and the wired remote control from the video feeds (always a good idea). If you notice, we also made sure to have a "double wall" between any water supply lines and the backbox. Just because the front of the Aquaview is waterproof once installed, doesn't mean the rear of the unit can handle incidental water seepage - and we didn’t want to take any chances. The end result was a well-structured wall that framed out a perfect spot for our 17-inch widescreen waterproof television.
The next step would be to rough-in the backbox - remembering to keep the screws loose for later fine-tuning (there are horizontal slots on the sides of the backbox which allow you to move the unit in and out as need to match your finished tile depth. At this point, go ahead and run your wires and be sure to leave enough extra in the backbox so that you can remove and service the television, but obviously not so much that you can't fit everything into the backbox.
Once everything was in place, we decided to do a short "test run" of the system. The last thing we wanted was to cover everything up only to discover some cabling or other problem that could no longer be effectively remedied. I would recommend this with any install, and it was fun to watch my brother-in-law Tim catching the game on a Saturday afternoon as we took a brief break from working on the room. If you are putting the Aquaview TV into a knee wall as we were doing be sure to have enough stability on the wall (typically in the form of cross-bracing) so that you don't end up with crack in the grout lines from the wall shifting and stressing.
After rough-in you continue on with your work until you have laid in the drywall/hardyboard/durock, applied mastic and tiled over the finished wall. Be sure to tile all the way up to the backbox edge, but allow yourself the ability to remove the backbox should that ever become necessary (without having to rip out the surrounding tile). A nice tight fit will make for a smaller bead of silicone once you are done. After your tiling is completed, and you've grouted your lines, go back and install the television. The television assembly magnetically seals to the backbox, ensuring that the gasket around the set is tight and moisture won't get in. Aquaview recommends (strongly) that you use a glass installation system (suction-cup device) for the final installation to ensure that you don't crack the surrounding glass frame. Once everything is in place, run a bead of silicone around the set and you're all done. If you ever need to access it, simply cut around the unit with a razor knife, remove the set and replace with new silicone. Now THAT'S good product design!
