Projectors are a great way to entertain large groups of people. There are many different ways that you can use them, but one of the most popular is by taking them outside during the day to watch movies on a big screen. This blog post will teach you how to use a projector outside during the day and how to make sure you get the best possible picture while still being able to see it from afar!
This summer, it will be a whole new experience as public cinema theatres are almost closed and you can’t watch movies in those cinemas. With the invention of social media, it is easy to feel like we are missing out on all that life has to offer. We might not be able to fly off and enjoy fascinating destinations anytime soon but what is better than cozying up in your own backyard? Setting up an ultimate home theatre can give you a sense of excitement about everyday activities while rewarding yourself with some summer fun!
What Type of Projector Is Suitable for Outside Day Use?
If you want to use a projector outside during the day, you will have to buy a projector that has the capability to project an image of more than 3000 lumens. It is the ideal brightness to watch the projected content outside during the day.
Other things that aid in improving the image quality during the day is fixing the projector screen at the right angle, placing the projector in a dim light area of your garden and forming a shade.
Important Points You Should Consider Before Using a Projector Outside During the Day
You should always buy a projector that has a powerful light engine (which can produce at least 3500 lumens, “5000 Lumens are ideal for outdoor use.”)
Always make sure to check the weather before setting up an outdoor home theatre.
Choose the best time of the day for outdoor viewing.
Clean the screen thoroughly before using it.
The screen must have strong reflective display
Screen should have 160° viewing angle (for better experience)
Position the projector and screen according to the position of the sun for best viewing experience.
Best Projector To Use Outside During the Day
If you are thinking which projector is best suitable for outdoor use, here is a great option that can outperform in outdoor during the day.
ViewSonic PX701HD
ViewSonic PX701HD
ViewSonic PX701HD comes in a unique and sleek design with a lot of air ventilation that keeps the projector cool even if the sunlight is too bright. This projector can project up to 300 inches of screen so that you can enjoy beautiful and high quality images without any difficulties and hurdles.
This projector also comes with an exclusive SuperColor technology that gives the best colors and you can easily see every single detail of the image. The image will be crystal clear and the color depth of this projector is also really great.
The most highlighting feature of this projector is its 3500 bright ANSI lumens that make it ideal for outdoor use. It has a powerful light engine and it can work perfectly in sunlight that is the reason it is best for outdoor use.
Another important feature of this projector is its SuperEco mode which saves electricity and also conserves the lamp power increasing the lamp life. Its lamp life is almost 20,000 hours which makes it a great option to buy.
Have a look at ViewSonic PX701HD on Amazon
Suitable Weather Situation for Outdoor Screening
The summer heat can be unbearable for a lot of people, especially if they live in the city. That’s why it is normal to make use of your outdoor space and watch a movie outside with the family when you have enough room. With today’s technology, there are plenty of places that offer this service so take advantage while you still can!
You can use your balcony, rooftop, and veranda or garden to set up your projector and enjoy the latest movies with your family, friends and loved ones. But, make sure to check the weather forecast before setting up the projector outside during the day.
The best weather for outdoor day screening is the cloudy weather, however you can also watch movies if the sky is clear but too much bright sunlight can make your experience worse.
The weather that you should avoid is the rainy weather especially if the rainy weather is accompanied by heavy windstorms. But if you have your balcony covered from some sheet and rain water can not reach the screen or projector then it will not cause you any difficulties.
When it’s raining, rain water can reach the screen or projector and it can damage both the things including the projector as well as the screen. And when the speed of wind is fast, the screen will not stay in the right place, it will move continuously.
Hence, a cloudy day with slow wind and little sunlight is ideal for watching a movie outside during the day. Make sure to check the weather on the weather app on your phone to avoid any crucial conditions.
Choosing the Right Time of the Day
Apart from all the weather scenarios, some other factors also affect your viewing experience such as the time of the day. If you want the best experience of watching a movie on a projector outside during the day, you have to choose a suitable time for it.
There are many more hours in a day than just sunrise, sunset and evening. But these are the times that give you the best viewing experience. At these times the chances of hurdles and interference are way less than at other times of the day.
Moreover, The sunniest time of the day is not recommended to watch movies outside. Especially between 10AM to 5PM when the sun is scorching heat directly. If you watch movies during this time, you will have to do some extra work such as producing a shady area with the help of some curtains or tents to avoid the bright sunlight.
In spite of the time selection, it is not a problem on winter days where you are most likely to use a projector outside during the day in summers. So, make sure that you don’t have a weak light engine projector which can’t even emit 2500 Lumens of light because a projector with such capability will not be able to project images outside in bright sunlight.
Cleaning the Screen
Cleaning the screen is also important as the screen is white and dirt and debris accumulates on the screen and also decreases the image quality and sharpness of the projected content.
Just like projectors, screens also need maintenance otherwise they will become defected and you will not be able to use them to project anything. Especially if you use the screen daily, it is very important for you to maintain it and keep its surface clean to get the best image quality.
With dirty projector screens, it is often difficult to watch a film with the same clarity and detail. In fact, if your screen isn’t as high in quality then colors can be hard to distinguish from one another, and you will not get the same sharpness and contrast ratio as you get with a brand new screen.
If the screen is still dirty after cleaning it with a dry cloth, try using lukewarm water and a glint cleaner that is not acidic in nature to get the best results.
Checking the Projector’s Brightness
The most important feature of a projector is its brightness LUMENS and you must always consider the brightness of the projector before buying one and it also plays a very significant role while you are using a projector outside during the day.
In the past, watts were used as a unit to measure the brightness or power capability of lamps etc. But in modern times, “LUMENS” has replaced the watts and it is the newer unit used to measure the brightness of lamps. The modern and advanced energy efficient lamps use the “LUMENS” unit for brightness.
Moreover, Watt is the unit which is used to measure the amount of energy consumed by a particular light bulb. And in those types of bulbs, the total power utilized indicates a specific level of brightness. But, the latest lamps and bulbs used nowadays are much brighter than the old traditional ones and these bulbs also consume less energy than normal bulbs.
Hence, Lumen has become the unit of measurement of light. One lumen is equal to the brightness at which one source emits light, and as such brighter lights have more lumens than dimmer ones. The higher number of lumens a bulb has means that it will give off greater amounts of bright light!
The science behind determining how much “light” there actually is can sometimes be hard to understand- but thankfully with some help you’ll know all about what makes those levels so different from each other without any trouble whatsoever!
If you want to measure the brightness of your projector, you can always find it in the user guide of the projector and it is also labeled on the box of the projector. But it is hard to find out how the image will look once you have set up your projector in your balcony, garden or veranda. Yet, you can guess how the image will look by the lumens of the projector.
It’s important to know that different projectors have different lumens levels, depending on what you’ll be using the projector for. If your new purchase will only be used outdoors during the daytime hours, a 3,000 lumen projector would suffice; however if it is something with at least 5,000 lumens then this should serve as your ideal choice.
Moreover, it is the general rule that higher is the price of the projector, higher the brightness (Lumens) of the projector will be.
Checking the Screen for Strong Reflective Display
Once you have found the perfect projector and a screen big enough to project your favorite films, it’s time to choose where they will be set up. The type of surface you’ll need depends on whether or not there is ambient light during day hours; if so, look for an outdoor-friendly material that won’t heat up too much in direct sunlight.
Although it is necessary for a projector to be able to emit more than 3000 Lumens (5000 Recommended), you should also make sure that the screen you are using for outdoor screening has a powerful and strong reflective display surface.
The reflective screens for LCD projection come with many features that can be costly but beneficial. They reflect light, and your film will appear more vibrant on the screen while you watch it outdoors during daylight hours. The screen with a strong reflective surface will improve your experience and you will see more sharpness, color depth and details in the projected content.
Checking the Screen Type
After you have checked the projector and screen which is best for outdoor screening, now it is the time to know which screen type you have because it can help you in setting up the outdoor theatre.
There are many types of projector screens but every type is not suitable for outdoor use because they are difficult to handle and set-up. So, the screen types which are compact and easy to handle are ideal for outdoor use.
We have done some research on some types of projector screens and in the below section we have included some types of screens and also the installation methods of those screens so that you can easily set them up without any obstacles or hurdles.
Electric Projector Screens
Inflatable Projector Screens
Hanging Projector Screens
Tripod Projector Screens
Folding Projector Screens
Electric Projector Screens
Electric projector screens are the most used projector screens and it comes UP and Down from a ceiling mount. You just need to mount your screen to the ceiling and a button press can make the screen ready for you to project anything. These are the most convenient and fast screens which have a sleek and clean design.
Electric projector screens are not designed for using a projector outside during the day because they are mounted to the ceilings and if you want to use these screens outdoors, you can’t mount them in the garden but if you have a ceiling space then you can get this screen mounted.
The bright, crisp picture of an electric projector screen provides a look and feel of professionalism for any presentation. This screen can be controlled through the remote controller and it doesn’t require you to do any effort.
So, we do not recommend buying this type of screen for outdoor use.
Inflatable Projector Screens
Inflatable projector screens are the most latest projector screens and they are mostly used for outdoor use especially for picnic and camping. You can carry this screen anywhere you want and inflate it and you will have a projector screen on the go (i.e these screens are highly portable).
Either it’s raining or the wind is blowing hard, you can just deflate the screen and put it somewhere else. This type of screen can even bear such weather conditions and you can watch your favorite shows anywhere you want.
When you are buying inflatable screens, go for the screen that is portable. Because portable inflatable screens are easy to move, and you can easily place them anywhere in the garden, balcony or your veranda.
For a little bit more money, you can also get a self inflating projector screen which inflates by itself in less than 5 minutes. These screens can also be adjusted to particular viewing angles without adjusting the projector’s keystone or zoom.
These types of screens provide you with a good color depth and contrast ratio. The color reproduction is also very great. You will not regret buying inflatable screens as they are highly portable and have a high reflective surface.
So, if you are looking for an inexpensive, easy to set-up, portable, and quick solution to use a projector outside during the day, just buy the inflatable screens because they are the best for outdoor screening. It will be ready in the time you get some snacks to eat!
Hanging Projector Screens
These projector screens resemble electric projector screens but in fact these screens are not electric. Rather, they are kind of manual and can be mounted to any wall surfaces. If you want your screen in the middle of a garden or somewhere else, these types of screens are not for you as they need some support to be mounted.
Modern projector screens are designed with innovative features such as a pulley at the bottom of the screen to pull it down or up like window shades. Some even include an auto-return feature that allows you to slowly return your projection screen back into place instead of rolling up quickly just like blinds do!
The quality of these screens is average and we don’t recommend buying them for using projector outside during the day as they can only be wall mounted. They are also not portable and need more maintenance than inflatable screens.
Tripod Projector Screens
Another type of screens that you can use to project something during the day, is the tripod based screen. These screens are easy to set-up and they can be placed everywhere. But make sure to use such screens in clear weather because tripod screens can not be used in windy or rainy weather.
Tripod screens can not be used on bumpy or uneven surfaces. Tricky surface conditions can make it difficult to find a stable location for your screen, but with the help of this tripod-based system you get three times more options. You also never have to worry about any one side being too sunny since they are all made from durable nylon and other weather resistant materials that will not crack or fade!
Moreover, these screens can be easily moved to any place you want. So, if you have bright sunlight on your screen, you can easily change the direction of the screen and place it in a shady area quickly.
If it starts raining suddenly, you can instantly carry your screen and place it in your house so that it won’t get wet. So, tripod screens are a great option for using a projector outside during the day.
Folding Projector Screens
Foldable screens are a more efficient alternative to traditional projector screens. Instead of being mounted on the ceiling, you can fold it up like a folding chair or table and take it down for easy storage or transport. Folding screens are also called Truss Projector Screens.
Folding projector screens support 1080P resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio for a better viewing experience. These foldable screens are portable and can be carried to any place without any difficulties and issues.
So, Truss projector screens or folding projector screens are a great option if you want a cheap and portable screen for using your projector outside during the day.
Choosing a Screen with 160° Viewing Angle
Some projector screens don’t have wide viewing angles and require their users to sit exactly in front of them in order to enjoy the movie. If you have a weekend plan to watch your favourite movie with all the members of your family, friends or loved ones then such screens will not do the job. You will require a screen that has a viewing angle of at least 160 degree.
The standard screens are best for the situations if you are watching a movie alone or with your partner. But, if you have a lot of audience who want to watch the movie, TV show or some sports match together, you have to set-up a screen that has a 160° viewing angle.
Such types of screens are induced with modern technology which enables the audience sitting at the back to enjoy the movies just like they are sitting in the front row. People sitting at the sides will also be able to watch the movie without any visibility issues and you can have the best experience while using your projector outside during the day.
Selecting the Best Outdoor Location
After you are done with the projector and the screen type, you need to decide which place is best to set-up your outdoor home theatre and watch the movies. It is a little bit tricky to find the best location for your set-up.
Although you have the projector that has the capability to project even in the bright sunlight, it is always a good option to help your projector by placing the screen and the projector in a shady area such as under a shady tree.
Either you have a big lawn, veranda or balcony, you should always consider the sun’s position in the sky. It is always better to position your projector and screen in such a way that sun remains on either side and not in front of the projector or the screen. Moreover, you should always choose the shady part if you are setting up the outdoor cinema in a garden.
Furthermore, if you want the best color depth and calibration of your projected content, make sure that the sun is behind the projector. But, if the sun is too bright, It can make you feel blinded.
Keeping the sun in the opposite direction from the screen is always the best option, but if your projector is not powerful enough and doesn’t have the high brightness you can face difficulties and challenges while watching movies. You can experience dim or faded images with less details and color depth. The clarity of the image will not be as it is in shady areas.
So, it is recommended to find a shady area for setting up your projector outside during the day.
Conclusion
Watching movies during the summer sounds like a great idea. With all that free time, you might as well put it to use! However, if you want your outdoor screening experience to be successful and enjoyable, follow the above given steps.
As it is difficult to select a suitable projector and screen for outdoor screening, We have explained every step with minute details so that you can easily set-up your projector outside during the day.
