Outdoor Living Technology
Lighting, audio and entertainment for your garden — controlled through a single smart system.
Gardens have changed. Outdoor living spaces are now designed to be used after dark, to host guests, to play music, to watch films. With the right technology, your garden becomes a natural extension of the home.
At Uni-Lec Pro AV we design and install outdoor living technology across Plymouth and the South West. Smart garden lighting, outdoor audio systems and garden cinema all working together, controlled through the same platform that runs the rest of your home.
Three Technologies, One Seamless Garden
Smart Garden Lighting
Intelligent lighting scenes that highlight your garden’s best features — from pathways and planting through to architectural details — automatically adapting throughout the evening.
Outdoor Audio Systems
Discreet garden speakers that deliver balanced sound across patios, terraces and seating areas, integrated with the same multiroom audio system you use inside.
Garden Cinema & Outdoor TV
Weatherproof displays and projector setups that turn your garden into an outdoor cinema — films, sport and live events in a space designed for it.
Smart Garden Lighting
The difference between a well-lit garden and a beautifully lit garden comes down to control. Modern smart garden lighting moves away from fixed floodlights towards layered scenes — pathway lighting that guides movement, uplighting that brings trees and planting to life, and ambient illumination that sets the mood for the evening.
Automated garden lighting scenes can be scheduled to activate at sunset, reduce gradually as the evening progresses and switch off without you needing to think about it. Pathways can illuminate as you approach them. Seating areas can shift between a relaxed dinner setting and a livelier tone when you’re entertaining.
For outdoor lighting control, we work with Lutron — the same system we use for smart lighting throughout the interior of the home. Lutron brings precision dimming, reliable wireless control and the ability to create outdoor lighting scenes that behave exactly as intended every time. When the wider home is running on Control4, Lutron handles the lighting layer while Control4 coordinates everything together — so your garden lighting responds to the same scenes and automations as the rest of the house.
Garden Lighting Design
Good lighting design starts before a single fitting is installed. We plan garden lighting layouts around how your space is actually used — where people walk, where they sit, which architectural features are worth drawing attention to and which areas benefit from a softer, more ambient approach.
A considered garden lighting design uses a mix of techniques: uplighting to frame trees and walls, pathway lighting that guides without glaring, and accent lighting that brings out texture in planting and stonework. The result is a garden that feels balanced and natural after dark rather than overlit or clinical.
We use Lutron for garden lighting control, giving every scene the precise, smooth dimming that makes the difference between lighting that looks designed and lighting that looks installed. For projects where outdoor lighting is part of a wider smart home setup, Lutron integrates directly with Control4 — so scenes can be called from a keypad, an app or triggered automatically as part of a broader home automation routine.
Outdoor TVs and Garden Cinema
An outdoor TV or projector setup changes how a garden gets used. Films, sport and live events move outside — onto a weatherproof screen in a pergola, a dedicated outdoor cinema area or a wall-mounted display in an outdoor kitchen.
Outdoor televisions are built to handle the conditions that would damage indoor screens: rain, temperature changes, direct sunlight and insects. High brightness panels maintain picture quality even in daylight, meaning outdoor living spaces can be used for viewing at any time of day rather than only after dark.
When combined with an outdoor audio system and smart lighting that dims automatically when playback starts, garden cinema setups become genuinely immersive — the kind of experience that makes the garden a space people want to be in, not just pass through.
Outdoor Audio Systems
A proper garden sound system removes the compromise of portable speakers brought outside. Dedicated outdoor audio systems use weatherproof garden speakers positioned to distribute sound evenly across the space — so music fills the patio and seating areas without needing to be turned up to a level that carries beyond your garden.
Garden speakers can be integrated discreetly into planting areas, along pathways or within pergola structures. The placement is planned as part of the installation rather than improvised, which is what delivers consistent, balanced listening across the whole area.
When connected to multiroom audio platforms such as Sonos or Control4, your garden becomes another zone in your home audio system. Music can move seamlessly from the living room to the terrace, or you can set different audio in different areas — all controlled from the same app.
Reliable Outdoor WiFi
Outdoor technology depends on network coverage. Smart garden lighting control, music streaming to garden speakers and outdoor cinema all require a stable, consistent connection — and the standard home router rarely reaches reliably to the far end of a garden or into an outbuilding.
We extend high performance WiFi across outdoor spaces as part of every installation that requires it. Professional access points from UniFi provide the same level of connectivity outside that you’d expect indoors, removing the buffering, dropouts and delayed control response that undermine the rest of the system.
One System. Every Space
The technology that runs your garden should work the way the technology inside your home works — reliably, intuitively and without needing to manage separate apps, remotes or systems for each element.
When smart garden lighting, outdoor audio and garden entertainment are integrated through a single platform such as Control4, the whole outdoor experience becomes as easy to use as any room in the house. One button for entertaining. One button for winding down. One button when you’re heading inside.
That’s what we build.
Outdoor Living Technology — Frequently Asked Questions
Outdoor lighting, audio and entertainment systems raise common questions around control, weatherproofing, installation and integration. Here are the ones we hear most often.
Can smart garden lighting be controlled through my existing home automation system?
Yes. Smart garden lighting can be integrated with platforms such as Control4, allowing outdoor lights to be managed through the same app, keypads and scenes used throughout the rest of your home. Outdoor lighting zones can also respond to time-based automation — activating at sunset, dimming during the evening and switching off at a set time.
Are outdoor garden speakers weatherproof?
Outdoor speakers are specifically engineered for external installation. They’re rated to withstand rain, humidity, temperature variation and UV exposure while continuing to deliver consistent audio quality. The garden speaker systems we install are designed to remain outside year-round.
How are garden speakers installed without being visible?
Discreet garden speaker installation typically places drivers within planting borders, along pathways, or within pergola and fence structures. The goal is to provide even coverage across the listening area without the speakers becoming a visual feature. Cabling is routed underground as part of the installation.
Can I watch TV outside during the day?
Outdoor televisions use high brightness panels and protective enclosures that maintain picture quality in direct sunlight. Many models are rated for permanent outdoor installation and will perform in daylight as well as after dark, making them practical for outdoor kitchens and daytime viewing.
Do I need a separate app for each outdoor system?
Not with an integrated setup. When outdoor lighting, audio and entertainment are installed as part of a unified smart home platform, everything is controlled through a single interface. You won’t need separate apps for your garden speakers, lighting scenes and TV — one system covers all of it.
Will outdoor speakers disturb neighbours?
A properly designed garden sound system distributes audio evenly across your listening area, which allows lower overall volume levels to achieve the same coverage. This is one of the practical differences between a professionally installed outdoor audio system and portable speakers placed at a single point.
What area does outdoor WiFi coverage extend to?
This depends on your garden size, layout and any outbuildings. Professional outdoor access points can cover most domestic gardens comfortably, with larger or more complex outdoor spaces requiring additional access points. We assess coverage requirements as part of the design process.
Do you install outdoor living technology across Plymouth and the South West?
Yes. We design and install smart garden lighting, outdoor audio systems and garden entertainment across Plymouth and the surrounding area. If you’d like to discuss a specific project, get in touch and we’ll arrange a site visit.