A Movie Projector For Outside – Turn Your Backyard Into a Drive-In Theater
Turn your backyard into a cul-de-sac drive-in with the right projector and screen. A movie projector for outside provides an immersive and intimate experience, even when your crowd is large.
While you can shine a projector on any surface, it can be distracting to see the texture of stucco or clapboards in your image. A good outdoor cinema setup should offer a smooth screen for the best viewing experience.
Choosing the Right Screen
You can use a projector to display video images on almost any flat surface, but for best results you’ll want to invest in an outdoor projection screen. These smooth display surfaces are designed to offer crisper image quality and they’re built to withstand hours in the sun or rain without damage.
Ideally, the screen will be slightly larger than your seating area to minimize shadowing from people’s heads. Also, look for a screen with the same native aspect ratio as your projector so you can avoid black bars above and below or on the sides of your image.
For the best experience, choose a screen that’s white or slightly off-white. Dark-colored screens absorb light and can compromise picture clarity, while overly glossy screens may reflect too much of the ambient lighting around you and distract from the projected images.
Consider how often you’ll be using your backyard cinema setup as this will influence the size of the screen you need and the level of brightness required. For instance, if you only plan on watching movies at night, you’ll need to ensure your outdoor movie projector is capable of producing at least 40 foot lamberts for spaces with moderate levels of ambient light and 60 foot lamberts for darker environments.
Choosing the Right Projector
Turn your yard into your very own drive-in theater with a backyard projector and a wireless wifi projector screen. There are plenty of options available, from a lightweight and portable model that lets you take the show on the road to a high-resolution option for watching movies at home. Most of these units have built-in speakers, but you can also add a pair of external speakers to get a fuller experience.
Choosing the right projector will ensure that the image you’re projecting is as clear and saturated as possible. In addition, make sure to choose a bright unit to combat ambient light—such as headlights from passing cars, your neighbors’ lights, or even the stars on a clear night—that can interfere with the quality of the picture. The brightness of a projector is measured in lumens, and you’ll want to opt for at least 10,000 lumens to create a bright image that can stand up to ambient light.
If you plan on using a self-inflating projection screen, make sure the blower doesn’t need to be running during the movie. Otherwise, it’s easy for the air to escape and cause the screen to deflate before the end of the movie. Inflatable projection screens typically use fans or air pumps to keep the screen inflated, but you can also find models that are driven by your own lung power (albeit with less efficiency). A good rule of thumb is that a 10-inch-by-20-inch screen should be placed about six feet away from the projector for optimal results.
Choosing the Right Seating
A projector can be used on any surface but for the best experience, you should pair it with a high-quality outdoor projection screen. These are typically wrinkle-free and designed to withstand the elements so you can enjoy your movies rain or shine. A quality screen will also provide better contrast to help you see the details in the picture.
Some people are tempted to use an old bed sheet as their screen, but this will not provide the best results. Instead, look for a white projector screen with a smooth display surface. This will give you a crisper image that will stand up to the sun and weather.
Other considerations when choosing an outdoor screen include portability and wind resistance. You want a projector that can roll up and down easily to store in a bag when not in use and a screen that can handle wind so it doesn’t blow away or tear.
Once you’ve chosen the right movie projector and screen, it’s time to think about your seating options. Bean bags and lawn chairs offer casual seating with good back support for your audience while blankets are a great choice for a more cozy feel under the stars. Providing comfortable seating and atmosphere will create meaningful memories for your family and friends while enjoying a movie night outside.
Choosing the Right Lighting
When you watch movies at home, they are typically screened projector movie outdoor in rooms that are dark and well controlled. This allows you to enjoy the type of cinematic experience that is normally reserved for a theater environment. When you use a projector outside, you don’t have the same level of control over the lighting. This is why you want to make sure that your movie projector has enough brightness to overcome ambient light and still produce vibrant colors on a screen. This is measured in ANSI lumens and is important to consider when choosing the right outdoor projector for your home cinema.
For the best results, the ideal level of luminosity for a backyard movie projector during the day is around 40 foot-lamberts. This is the level that is recommended by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers for traditional movie theaters.
If you’re not planning to have a screen painted on your wall, a motorized or manual retractable screen is the best option for a backyard movie setup. It’s easy to set up, rolls up when not in use and is durable enough to hold the weight of a projector and its screen.
You’ll also need to make sure that your projector is positioned so that the sun isn’t in front of it when you’re watching a film. This will ensure that the brightness of the image is evenly distributed and that the picture doesn’t appear too dark in one area and too bright in another.