Don’t let anyone tell you outdoor movie season is over. Fall can be the perfect season for outdoor cinema. It gets dark earlier, you have a reason to snuggle up in a blanket with your favorite people, mosquitoes are less of a bother, and hot apple cider (or mulled wine for adults) is readily available.
Luckily, prepping your garden, patio, or backyard is a breeze. Here’s everything you need to know to create a rustic outdoor space for watching movies and TV shows, or even hosting an extravagant video game.
When it comes to a portable floodlight for the outdoors, the Nebula Solar Portable stands out among all the models we tested for its versatility, cost, and functionality. Its picture isn’t as good as the much more expensive XGIMI Horizon Pro, and it doesn’t sound as rich as the more mid-range Epson EpiqVision Mini EF-12. But it has a three-hour lithium-ion battery, it’s light enough to carry almost anywhere, and you can play your content on a USB drive or stream content from your phone (assuming you have a cellular connection). ).
The great thing about the Nebula Solar Portable is, well, it’s extremely portable, but it still delivers a 1080p image with decent brightness. Other comparable options include the BenQ GV30 and XGIMI MoGo Pro, which are also portable projectors but don’t offer as good value for money.
And, if you’re not placing your projector on a table, you might want to consider getting a projector stand for your outdoor home theater to keep your expensive electronics off the grass.
Once you have your projector, you will obviously need a screen. We liked the Yard Master 2 from Elite Screens. It’s portable enough, at 24 pounds for the 100-inch screen, and it has enough guylines and stakes to stabilize it in winds of up to 7 miles per hour. It was also easy to set up and take down.
If you have a lot of guests or a very large space, even 100 inches might not be big enough. Then consider an inflatable screen like this one from Vivohome. But keep in mind that portable projectors like the Nebula Solar Portable don’t display images larger than about 120 inches well enough to justify the larger size. If you’re looking for a bigger picture, you might want to consider upgrading to a better projector like the EpiqVision.
Finally, if you want the cheapest and easiest option, consider hanging a blank sheet between two trees or finding a large roll of photographer’s paper available from Savage. To use the latter, you’ll need heavy-duty double-sided tape and you need to mount it to a clean, vertical surface.
Once you’re ready for the pictures, next comes the sound. Most projectors don’t have fabulous built-in sound, and dialogue can get lost in an airy exterior. We like to pair a speaker such as the UE Boom 3 – our best Bluetooth speaker pick – with our projector to stimulate dialogue and overcome any ambient noise. But there are also many other options.
Some projectors, however, when connected to Bluetooth speakers, can sometimes experience lag between picture and sound. If this happens, consider an external speaker with a 3.5 analog mic input port instead. Either the JBL Charge 4 or the JBL Flip 4 are good choices. They not only have up to 20 hours (Charge 4) and 12 hours (Flip 4) of battery life, but they’re also weatherproof and have audio input jacks. You can also opt for a wired connection via a soundbar (the Roku Streambar Pro is our top pick) or a set of wired computer speakers, though you’ll need a power outlet handy. .
So what are you going to watch? Assuming your Wi-Fi extends into your backyard, you can simply connect your projector to your home network or use a portable streaming device. The Roku Ultra is our overall top pick for those who want the best performance and features, while our most economical option in the Chromecast with Google TV is both more affordable and more portable for those who take movie night on the road. . If you don’t have access to Wi-Fi, most projectors have a USB input port, allowing you to play preloaded content from a USB drive. However, make sure that the format is supported by the projector. The most common formats are .mov, .mp4, .wmv and .avi.
You can also stream from your phone to most projectors, but beware: this will consume your data if you’re on a capped plan. Otherwise, go ahead and stream as you please.
And if you want to play, just plug the console of your choice into the projector’s HDMI port and go.
Drinks, snacks and comfort
Of course, the most vital element of any outdoor screening is the audience. Watching movies outside is inherently a social event, unless you’re the introverted outdoor type. If friends are passing by, you’ll need drinks, snacks, and a way to warm up if it’s cold.
Consider one of those insulated coolers to keep drinks cold (our favorite is the Yeti Tundra 45) and thermoses (like the excellent Yeti Rambler Travel Mug) to keep your drinks hot. And if you want to light a fireplace for extra warmth, we love the Solo Stove Yukon.
There’s no reason to limit your outdoor movies to the months of June, July and August. Unless you’re really far north, cool fall evenings are perfect for enjoying the upcoming Oscar contenders. Plus, all of these products work great year-round, so you’ll be more than ready once the warm weather returns.
