TV Built-In

[Perk1]

I took the easy way out I guess.  I have to agree that 90% of the time I want to enjoy my tub with no TV interruptions but also as mentioned there are those Sundays when a cold one in the hot tub with the football game on is a great thing.  So, I basically just bought a TV stand that attached to the over hanging eave of my house right next to my tub.  I then spliced my cable and ran a line back to the tub.  So all I have to do is bring my 19 inch TV outside, attach the cable and plug it in.  Then when I am done I just take it back in the house.  We have had some fun football parties and got to use the tub while we watch the game.

[fedmandoo]

Perk1
sounds great to me..I'd be happy to stop over on sundays and watch the Patriots march to another superbowl berth this year!! Sounds like you have a great setup... Fedman

[Electro]

In order to comply with the UL standard, hot tubs have labels posted that are to be removed only by the customer.  One instruction on these labels says that no electrical appliances may be used within 5 feet of the tub.  This is to prevent shock to the user who may reach out while in the tub and touch or operate the TV or stereo, etc.  Also, water splashed from the tub onto or in the cooling holes on a TV could easily ruin the TV.

It might be wise to move your TV or other electrical appliance back to a safe distance from the tub, i.e. greater than 5 feet.

Electro

[Chas]

Good advice.

Also, anything in the spa area should be plugged into a GFI-protected outlet.

[ndabunka]

Any of you guys considering projection units should take a very close look at the lightweight DLP projectors selling for under $2,000. These things are normally sold as portable business projectors but if you look close enough you will find that a number of them are well designed for about 95% of most peoples home theather needs. Make certain you get one with at least an 800:1 black ratio. The DLP chips are ROCK-SOLID and the clarity rival's the old 3-gun LED units. For those of you who want the higher end versions, they are available for around the price of a high end spa ($8 to $12K). The one I use is an NEC LT-75z. I can use it for business or mounts it to hang from the ceiling. Haven't considered using it around the spa yet but have set it up in the yard for "movie night" for the neighborhood kids. Gives a nice 30  foot tall image on the side of the house... I am considering mounting a TV inside an exterior wall of my house (facing the Spa).  Deck is already wired for whole house audio. Tub has separate stereo but might sync them together to play the TV sound through. Nascar night races could be AWSOME from the tub IMHO!

[wmccall]

We have been considering a projector unit.  Now that some are coming down in price. My home PC has a TV tuner card, but I have a laptop with a DVD player as well. We might even shine it on the spa cover that is folded up as a projection screen.

[ZzTop]

Any of you guys considering projection units should take a very close look at the lightweight DLP projectors selling for under $2,000. These things are normally sold as portable business projectors but if you look close enough you will find that a number of them are well designed for about 95% of most peoples home theather needs. Make certain you get one with at least an 800:1 black ratio. The DLP chips are ROCK-SOLID and the clarity rival's the old 3-gun LED units. For those of you who want the higher end versions, they are available for around the price of a high end spa ($8 to $12K). The one I use is an NEC LT-75z. I can use it for business or mounts it to hang from the ceiling. Haven't considered using it around the spa yet but have set it up in the yard for "movie night" for the neighborhood kids. Gives a nice 30  foot tall image on the side of the house... I am considering mounting a TV inside an exterior wall of my house (facing the Spa).  Deck is already wired for whole house audio. Tub has separate stereo but might sync them together to play the TV sound through. Nascar night races could be AWSOME from the tub IMHO!

Riminds me of the good old days when we went to the drive in theater!

[Chris_H]

Just an FYI for everyone considering purchasing a spa with a TV, MasterSpa has had problems with water getting into the mechanism, that is holding the TV, and freezing because the TV MECHANISM IS NOT INSULATED AT ALL.  When this mechanism freezes the owner cannot lift the TV up and the freezing will crack the screen.  If it is over a year old, the consumer is then held responsible for fixing the TV.  I guess Master Spa didn’t think of that happening.  Coast Spas has also had the same problem.

One good story that I like to tell…
I know a dealer in South Jersey that sold an Optima with stereo for $15,000 and gave the customer $5,000 gift certificate for Tweeter (which is a high end electronics retailer in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area).  $15,000 was the price the customer was going to pay for a Master Spa LS750LST with TV.  So the customer got a 42-inch flat panel HDTV from Tweeter instead of a 15 inch TV from Master, and arguably a better spa.  
Chris H