Modern families with a custom of organizing their family movie evenings are constantly seeking new and exciting methods to make everyone’s experience enjoyable.
Many people are even opting to transform their backyards into attractive outdoor home theaters with matching backyard projectors and outdoor projector screens, which is the ideal method to achieve this. Perfect for taking advantage of the upcoming quiet summer days and enjoying movie night.
If you want to build a backyard home theater with an outdoor movie screen and projector setup, it’s time to start your pre-summer project!
It’s crucial to realize that a good viewing experience depends on your selected device. I’m sharing this guide with you as well as advice on how to pick the ideal projector screen because of this.
To give you the best possible backyard movie experience, we’ll discuss what to look for in outdoor projector screens.
So here’s how to ensure that your outdoor home theater meets all of your needs and then some!
How Does Outdoor Vs. Indoor Movie Viewing Differ?
Projectors and projection screens that are perfect for indoor use are already in possession of some people who want to build a stunning outdoor theater.
Simply put, they assume the same equipment will function just as well outside, only to be bitterly let down by an encounter that isn’t even drive-in quality.
It’s typical (and ideal) to watch a projected movie indoors in a completely dark, controlled environment. This enables the viewing experience you’d expect in a theater setting, but even after sunset, it’s never completely dark outside.
Your outdoor projector will have to compete with ambient light from nearby headlights, houses, streetlamps, fire pits, grills, the moon, and, on a clear night, even the stars. It would help if you chose a projector and screen that can counteract the interference brought on by these light sources.
The projection screen and outdoor projector set
A large backyard cinema screen can provide excellent visuals for outdoor movie viewing, but if it isn’t paired with the right projector, the experience will be subpar.
The System Foot-Lamberts are crucial when combining an outdoor projector and screen. Using the foot-lambert system is the best way to determine whether your backyard projector and screen are functioning as a projection system to provide enough brightness to give you the best viewing experience.
Matthew Lamberts
For a professional cinematic viewing experience, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) advises 16 foot-lamberts in a darkened theater.
The control of light levels is much more challenging when watching movies outside. Dealing with light from the moon, stars, streetlights, neighbors’ lights, and general light pollution will be necessary.
When building an outdoor home theater, you’ll probably need at least 40 feet of length for areas with moderate ambient light levels and 60 feet of length for areas with high ambient light levels.
You’ll need at least 60ftL if you want to start your outdoor movies at dusk. For viewing during the day, you’ll need even more luminance.
Lack of foot lamberts will result in a projected image that is dull, washed out, and lacks contrast, Not the best way to enjoy a movie in your backyard.
Sunlight, Cover, and Projection
If you intend to watch a movie before or during sunset, the brightness of your projector and screen will compete with that of the sun.
You’ll need more foot-lamberts for an outdoor projector and screen combination that receives constant sunlight; for one with partial shade, fewer; and for one with complete shading, even fewer.
Projector screens outside
The outdoor projector screen is the first component of a backyard projection system.
These outdoor screens are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Some are even inflatable. Others can be folded, hung up, or come with stands.
You can choose the best outdoor projector screen for your backyard theater setup by considering a few characteristics and features.
This guide will only discuss the factors that influence your outdoor viewing experience.
Characteristics of An Outdoor Projector Screen
It would be best to consider some qualities when purchasing an outdoor projector screen that you wouldn’t with an indoor display.
Stability
Make sure your outdoor projector screen stays up once it is installed. Stability is crucial because wind can quickly sabotage an evening’s activities.
Exterior movie screens are designed to be both sizable and portable. As a result, they can easily catch the wind and act like a sail on a boat, which makes them simple to blow over. The more surface area the wind can catch on, the more likely the screen will topple over.
Using large outdoor movie screens, have pegs, stakes, and ropes to anchor the screen to the ground. If you can, think about putting on more weight and putting the screen in a wind-free location.
Tensioning
For movie screens outdoors, getting a tensioned projector screen is incredibly crucial. You will be projecting on an uneven surface and can see every crease and wrinkle if you don’t use a tensioned projection surface.
Additionally, without a tensioned outdoor projector screen, you’ll be watching movies with a great deal of annoyance as each slight breeze will cause the surface to ripple, robbing you of the immersive experience of watching a movie.
Size of a projector screen
The phrase “Man, I wish I bought a smaller screen” has never been used about the projector screen size for an outdoor movie theater. We always advise purchasing the most significant movie screen that your budget and available space will support.
Although a 20-foot inflatable screen would be fantastic, it is not the best option for confined outdoor areas. It would also need to be used with an exceptionally bright projector.
The giant screen you can fit in your backyard will depend on your yard size. The best-case scenario would be to learn where the viewer is. According to this measurement, you should be sitting 10 inches away from the screen for every 12 inches of screen width.
You can determine the ideal projector screen size for outdoor viewing by deciding where you’ll be sitting and the most significant area your screen can occupy.
Here are some typical outdoor screen sizes, along with an estimate of how many spectators they can hold.
Outdoor projector screen types
You have a few options for outdoor projection screens, including retractable, foldable, tripods, inflatable, and screen paint. Every type of screen is ideal for a variety of outdoor circumstances.
Outdoor retractable screens
The best choice if you’re the kind of homeowner who enjoys hosting family movie nights on a deck or patio is a permanently installed retractable projector screen.
You can roll down an exterior manual or motorized projection screen to watch a movie and then roll it back up when it is over.
Thanks to their weather and insect-resistant housing. These roll-up display surfaces are designed to be used in all weather conditions for maximum stability; even in windy conditions, these exterior retractable screens are tensioned with cable guides and weighted dowels.
You can pick the perfect option for outdoor media entertainment on a patio, pool deck, or other location because they are available in various sizes.
The Top Outdoor Retractable Projector Screens
Floating Screens
A projector screen that can be inflated to a size that is quite large is called an inflatable one.
For outdoor cinema needs, inflatable outdoor projector screens provide enormous size, support, and convenience. For a fair price, you can purchase a sizable blowup projector screen ready to use in minutes.
These air-filled screens have excellent picture quality and are constructed of weather-resistant material.
Self-inflating screens use fans or air pumps to fill the frame and keep it upright. The inflated structure is connected to the projection display surface (so don’t worry about blowing one up with your lung power).
They have their means of support, but you might want to use additional grounding depending on the wind conditions on the lawn.
A well-constructed blowup movie screen is also more wind-resistant.
Get a smaller backyard inflatable screen that can be inflated before the movie starts so the blower won’t run the entire time.
We’d suggest investing in a blowup screen with a continuous air source for a more extensive outdoor experience.
This is because a larger inflatable screen makes it easier for air to escape, which increases the likelihood that the screen will begin to deflate before the film is finished. These blowers make some noise, but they are specially made to be much quieter than you would expect. Additionally, you’ll have much more potent speakers with a large outdoor theater setup, which can easily drown out the noise from the blowers.
The Best Inflatable Screens for Projectors
Screens that fold
For more compact, temporary backyard home theater setups, foldable outdoor projector screens are the ideal solution.
To project, unfold the frame, fasten the surface material, and attach the legs, just like that. Anywhere in your backyard will do for a setup.
A foldable projector screen for your yard is typically made of lightweight aluminum for portability and ease of storage when not in use. It also naturally comes with a carrying case or bag.
If you don’t want to spend much money but still want excellent visuals for your planned outdoor movie viewing, folding frame projector screens are a great option.
The Top Folding Projector Screens for Outdoors
Portable screens
Outdoor tripod screens are a great low-cost option for the occasional family movie night, much like foldable movie screens.
Assemble the tripod and lower the screen. That’s how simple it is. Due to their portability and convenience for camping, backyard tripod screens are also great for watching movies in the great outdoors.
Tripod screens are best suited for smaller outdoor gatherings because they are smaller than other exterior projector screens.
The Best Tripod Projector Screens for Outdoors
Paint for projector screens
The creation of a permanent display surface using projector screen paint is last but by no means least.
The exterior projector screen paint is designed to create the ideal surface to project on, contrary to the common misconception that you can paint a wall white and call it a day.
Titanium oxide and other ingredients are used in home projector paints to create highly sharp, high-resolution images.
To project on, you can either construct a freestanding wall similar to one found in a drive-in theater or use a wall inside your home. Some people even use outdoor projector screen paint to paint their garage.
One thing to remember is that an outdoor wall painted with projector screen paint won’t render an actual 4K resolution image because you won’t be able to make a wall perfectly smooth.
Simply put, the pixels are too tiny for a textured surface. Therefore, a 4K projector screen is required to maximize the performance of your UHD projector.
The Best Paint for Outdoor Projector Screen
Homemade Outdoor Projector Screens
DIY outdoor projector screens are something some people prefer to make. This can be a fun, affordable project if you’re handy.
However, suppose you decide to do it yourself. In that case, your projected image won’t be good enough for a high-definition movie-watching experience unless you construct a tensioned screen using reflective fabric that can resolve a 4K.
You’ll save money and time by purchasing a pre-assembled foldable projector screen like the Elite Screens Yardmaster instead of building your backyard projector.
Additional Screen Properties
We advise purchasing a 16:9 HDTV or a Cinemascope screen since you’ll primarily be watching movies on your projector screen.
Because most streaming services use this as their default aspect ratio, 16:9 is probably the size you want to choose.
You should choose a white surface for your exterior screen rather than a grey or black one in terms of color.
White projector screens will reflect an overall brighter image, which is more crucial when watching movies outside, whereas grey or black projector screens will give you deeper blacks in your photo.
We suggest getting a 4K projector screen or better if you want the best image possible. Because they have a surface without any texture, these smooth display surfaces provide a much crisper image. To fully appreciate the UHD resolution of your projector, if you purchase a 4K projector, you will also need a 4K projector screen.
The most apparent picture size your projector can create should be similar to the size of your screen, according to a decent rule of thumb, for a sharp, clear image.
NOT Using a bedsheet as a projector screen
You may be thinking, “Oh, I can just use a bed sheet,” at this point. Yes, you can do that if you don’t care about your family and want them to have a terrible movie-watching experience. For several reasons, bedsheets are a terrible projection surface.
- Even if you iron the bed sheet before using it, your image will still be distorted because bed sheets naturally have creases, fold lines, and wrinkling.
- Because even a white bedsheet is not as genuinely white as an actual projector screen, the image colors will be off.
- Since they are translucent, much light will pass through the fabric even if your projector is bright enough to displace the surrounding light.
- Any amount of wind will cause ripples in an outdoor screen.
- You’ll appear impudent. Your projector costs a lot of money; you should have a screen to match.
The projector is the second component of any projection equation, whether inside or outside. The foot lamberts calculator can determine whether the projector you’re considering is bright enough after selecting a projector screen.
We’ll focus on what to look for, especially in an outdoor movie projector, to avoid making this essay too long. When buying a projector
there are several things to take into account.
What qualities should a projector for a backyard have?
Theoretically, any projector can function as an outdoor projector if the extension cord is long enough. Not every projector will make a “good” outdoor projector.
Although the JVC DLA-NZ7 is a fantastic indoor home theater projector, it isn’t bright enough to compete with outdoor ambient light.
When purchasing an outdoor projector for a backyard movie, keep the following in mind:
- Brightness
- Resolution
- Black scales
- Type of throw
- Portability
- Built for outdoor use
Projector Luminosity
Lumens matter a lot when it comes to a backyard projector.
You should pick an outdoor projector with enough brightness to cast a powerful, clear image.
The image will be equally attractive both inside and outside. The more lumen power you have available will depend on your screen size.
You’ll be fine sticking with video projectors that output at least 1600–2000 lumens for nighttime viewing if you’re working with a screen that is 100 inches diagonally.
To provide a quality, theater-grade viewing experience at night, if you’re using a jumbo 200-inch projector screen option, you’ll need between 5400 and 7200 lumens.
The more sunlight you have to contend with and the more lumens you need to block that light, the earlier you start your movie.
Black scales
For a variety of reasons, the black levels are particularly crucial for a projector used in the backyard.
One of the main ones is that you’ll be making an outdoor projection onto a white movie screen, which can somewhat reduce the picture’s contrast. You can offset some of this loss by improving your black levels.
Type of projector throw
To choose between front and rear projection, you must also consider where to place your projector and screen.
The audience must be arranged around the projector and cannot block its path to the screen, so a front projection setup may be more typical but is not necessarily better.
A rear projection movie screen must be purchased if you opt for a rear projection setup. Both forward and back projections are options for many projectors.
Additionally, you must choose the kind of throw to employ. You will need to place a large image with a standard throw projector farther from the screen to project a large image.
Short throw projectors allow you to move the projector closer to the screen to create a large image, but they frequently lack an optical zoom. This indicates that they require a fixed location to produce a picture of a specific size.
Ultra Short Throw projectors are another option that lets you put the projector very close to a screen to create a big image. Since UST projectors sit directly beneath the projector screen, it is impossible to walk in front of the projector, making them ideal for outdoor home theaters.
Portability
The portability of an outdoor projector is one of its key features. When not in use, you’ll be moving the device back and forth, so choose one that isn’t too heavy or bulky. You don’t want to drop your brand-new outdoor projector.
Don’t automatically assume that an outdoor projector that can produce high-lumen images will be too big and heavy to use.
Even ten years ago, outdoor projectors were not like the one’s commonplace today. Back then, it wasn’t unusual for a projector with 5000 lumens to weigh an enormous 90–100 pounds.
Today, a projector with equivalent or greater power can weigh as little as 20 pounds. Much more manageable for use at home or personally and much easier to maneuver!
Don’t let worries about potential size or weight prevent you from purchasing a projector with a high enough lumen capacity for your requirements.
Although battery-powered outdoor projectors are available, they won’t have enough power to show an image larger than 40 inches. They typically also provide very subpar image quality.
Screens and Projectors for Outdoor Use
Don’t just buy for the outdoors.
Get a projector that you can also use indoors rather than one that is only for outdoor use. You’ll maximize the return on your investment by doing this.
We advise shelling out a little extra cash to purchase a 4K projector because you’ll use your device frequently.
You can be sure you’re getting the best image quality by purchasing a device that can create 4K resolution videos for indoor and outdoor use.
You’ll be able to tell your money was well spent the first time you watch a movie on your 4K projector and screen.
When not in use, take your projector inside with you.
While there are outdoor-friendly TVs, there aren’t any projectors explicitly made for use in all types of weather.
Although you can purchase a projector cage to keep it safe, you shouldn’t leave your projector outside as weather, extreme heat, or cold, and other elements can degrade the image or even damage your projector.
Which way should I position a projection screen outside?
To minimize exposure to sunlight during the hours of sunset, you should position your outdoor projector screen so that it faces either north or south.
The projection surface should ideally face north because of the angle at which the sun sets, which will make the sunlight even less direct.
Create some shade for your projector and screen setup outside.
If your backyard has no naturally shaded areas, it might make sense to construct a structure with limited covers, such as a gazebo.
To have a shaded area to watch a movie outside, you can also use an awning or popup tent similar to those you see people tailgating under at football games.
Some graphic inflatable movie screens I can recommend for you.
Image | Name | Price Link |
 | Inflatable Movie Screen-CLQFDT | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
 | MUSHOW Inflatable Movie Screen | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
 | KHOMO GEAR Jumbo 20 Feet Inflatable Outdoor and Indoor Theater Projector Screen | On Amazon, you can see the price right here. |
Final thought
All of these issues can be resolved with an inflatable projector screen. Self-supporting inflatable screens can be used.
Erecting a large metal frame or tying a net between two trees is unnecessary. Since they deflate to a small portion of their inflated size, they are also simple to store.
Because of these factors, many people favor inflatable screens over more conventional models. But choosing the right Inflatable movie screen is not a simple thing.
So I have provided the information, experience, and knowledge for you in selecting an inflatable movie screen. You will quickly choose to buy products that suit your needs and preferences.
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