Outdoor Projector Guide

Movie nights have changed from how we used to know them in the good old days. Anytime people wanted to enjoy a movie night; they had to take squeeze into a family car or use public transport to get to the local theatre. Nowadays, you can comfortably sit in your backyard or a campsite with your family and friends.  You can watch the latest movies releases at the comfort of your home. Most modern families have made hosting their family movie nights a tradition. The best way to achieve this is by transforming their backyards into an amazing outdoor theatre.  With that said, here are some of the basics, our very own outdoor projector guide: 

How unique is outdoor viewing from the indoor viewing

Most people have the desire to create a spectacular outdoor theatre. They assume that the projectors and projection screens they use indoors will also work perfectly outdoors. However, they are oblivious to the fact that indoor theatres are perfectly dark and the lighting is controlled.  Thus the viewing experience is similar to that of a local theatre. An outside theatre environment is not perfectly dark.  For example, there’s a lot of ambient lighting from street lamps, headlights, the moon, the stars and even your barbeque grill. Therefore, you need a good projector and screen which can offset high-quality images with minimal interference from these outdoor light sources.

Selecting the right equipment

As mentioned earlier, there’s a difference in functionality between outdoor and indoor viewing; the first step is to ensure that you are using an outdoor projection screen. An outdoor projection screen is designed in a way that it can withstand different factors outside and has ambient light interference. Secondly, a projector that has a higher lumen count will project brighter and clear images than a projector with less lumen count. Besides that, you also need to consider the position where you’ll place your projector and screen.  Ultimately this will determine whether you will be using a front or rear projection.

Filters on your outdoor projector

To ensure that your outdoor projector is running efficiently, manufacturers recommend that you do air filter maintenance regularly. If your outdoor projector is often used in dusty outdoor conditions, the dust can limit the projector’s lifetime. Filters play an important role in cooling the projector’s housing and hot bulb, so you need to ensure they stay clean and replace them in case they are not functioning. Lastly, today’s outdoor projectors have evolved and are lighter than the standard ones that weighed a whopping 90-100 pounds. They are much easier to manage when setting up an outdoor theatre since they weigh 10 pounds on average.