Tips to make watching TV on the patio even better

For Arizona residents who love the outdoors, spring is the perfect season. The summer’s triple-digit days have yet to arrive, so it’s a great time to enjoy beautiful weather from an outdoor patio living area.

Outdoor patio spaces allow homeowners to bring indoor activities outside, like cooking, lounging and even watching television. With CenturyLink’s Prism TV and wireless set-top box, setting up a backyard TV with all your favorite programming is simple.

Here are some other ideas for creating an outdoor entertainment oasis for those beautiful Arizona evenings.

Circulate

If you have a structure overhead — either a roof or a pergola — installing a ceiling fan can help drop the temperature up to 10 degrees. Shade is important, and you might want to add some privacy screening. In the design process, however, keep your outdoor area open enough to take advantage of any cooling breezes.

Use greenery

Vegetation helps soften the hard edges of stone, brick or concrete that dominate many outdoor areas. In addition to adding color and contrast, plants can help keep your outdoor patio area cool. The Environmental Protection Agency notes adding trees and vegetation cover lowers surface and air temperatures by providing shade and cooling through evapotranspiration.

Here are some of our top outdoor patio picks to get your started.

In an arid climate, water is always welcome. If you have a pool, that’s a feature you want to include in your outdoor living space. If you don’t have a pool, a fountain or water feature will make your outdoor space inviting and relaxing. There is something about the sound of moving water that is instantly soothing. You can also set the tone by adding a little ambient music from one of CenturyLink’s many music channels. Adding misters can be an option, but make sure to take some time researching the pros and cons before you buy.

Bring food

One of the best things about outdoor dining is not having to worry about stuffy dining etiquette. Another great thing is you get to eat outside. Whether you have a grill, a stone pizza oven or just a fire pit, outdoor cooking and eating brings everyone together.

Make it entertaining

Any outdoor area needs to be fun. One of the best ways to make the space a place where friends and family want to hang out is with an outdoor television. Whether you opt for big screen projection or a flat screen, you can enhance your viewing experience with CenturyLink’s Prism TV . Best of all, with a wireless set-top box, all you need is an electrical outlet. You can put the TV almost anywhere you want because you don’t need to run cables or wires.

Pro Tip: Not all TVs are made for outdoors. Mounts and cables must be weatherproofed as well, so make sure to do some research before you place your flat screen outside.

Check your seat

Any outdoor living area will get more use if it includes comfortable seating. The choice of seating is even more important when you and your guests are going to be watching your outside television. Check online for hundreds of ideas and images showing you how you can make your outdoor theater comfortable and inviting.