Jeeze, I'm freezin' my LCD off

Telemachus

I'm moving from Minnesota to Seattle tommorow. It's a two-day trip, so I'll be spending a night in the middle of Montana. My 40" LCD TV will be accompanying me, though I'm going to leave it in the car overnight. It's been around 25 below lately, and I'm wondering if there's any truth to what I've heard about LCD screens being damaged by cold. I've found claims both ways, and I'd like some first-hand accounts if anyone could help. Thanks.

KMFurDM

All I have heard is that cold temperatures and LCD's are not a good combination. Below freezing temps could damage it.

I would pull it into whatever hotel/motel you plan on staying in. That and if you are stopping in some place off an interstate it probably wouldn't be the best idea to leave an expensive item visible in a parked car. Places just off the highway never seem to be the best of areas.

Telemachus

Hmm...My car is going to be packed to the gills, and the TV isn't really going to be terribly accessible. Come to think of it, I'll have a monitor in there as well, neither of which I can haul out without unpacking all and sundry. They won't be visible from outside the car. I'm not really worried about theft, just that bastard Jack Frost.

Rook

I would imagine the problem with low temperatures is more to do with operating LCDs, in which case you'll have warm LCD + low temp = condensation. Since you're not going to actually be using the LCD in the car, I don't think you'll have a huge amount to worry about. If you're nervous though, I would leave it a day or so in your new place at room temperature before turning it on.

supabeast

Rook is probably correct; after all, TVs are shipped across Asia, the Pacific ocean, and then across country, before ending up in a warehouse before being shipped to a store, and there's likely no heat or air conditioning anywhere on the journey. As long as you give the TV a day or two to warm indoors it should be fine.

But just in case... call the manufacturer and ask. If you have a TV that's going to be damaged by cold, they probably get a lot of calls about it and can tell you what you really need to know.

Telemachus

Good points, all. Thanks.

Ruckus

The LCD's manual will have a "Storage Temperature" under the Physical section of it's stats. Permanent damage may occur if it is stored below that temperature range for any amount of time.

It's usually not a big deal for new displays because they're wrapped in plastic and packed with dessicants (packets that absorb moisture), and the temperatures don't usually get really cold for very long during shipment.

Telemachus

This baby can withstand temperatures of -4 degrees! NWS says Billings has a low of 10 on Thursday, so I should be ok. Thanks again.

redimpulse

Just keep the varying temperatures in mind. When you arrive at your final destination, bring the TV inside. Don't plug it in, don't power it on - for at least a few hours to let the components settle to a normal temperature.

Newton

I work for an avionics company that manufactures LCD panels. One of the tests we run on our glass is low temperature storage and performance. I'll routinely take a display down to -40°C and run it. It runs like shit, but it works. I'll also store the displays at -55°C for 48 hours and then test their performance after that. I've never seen a display not return to normal after either of those tests. These aren't exactly the same LCDs that you would find in a TV, but I can't imagine a consumer display being different enough for this to be a problem. I would be much more worried about someone driving off with all your stuff than your tv not working when you get to seattle.

JWFokker

Also consider the number of cars that have LCDs in them, not just aftermarket displays, but also LCDs integrated into the vehicle by the manufacturer. If there were a serious problem regarding long term storage in the cold, I don't think they'd be quite as prevalent as they are.