Outdoor video projector

[Maestro]

I'm thinking about getting a projector for watching movies outdoors by the pool. What kind of specs should I be looking for and how much should I expect to spend? The projector doesn't have to be weather-proof – I'll store it indoors.

I have a shed 10' away from the side of the pool and I'll put a screen right in front of it. So I have two places to put the projector: either on the side of the pool nearest the shed, putting it about 9' from the screen and pointing up at about a 15-20° angle, or on the other side of the pool about 25' away.

If it's in the close side, how big will the image be? I'm looking at outdoor screens on Amazon that are from 100-144" diagonal. I assume the projector would have to have keystone correction to take of the projection angle, right?

If I put it on the far side of the pool, how bright will it have to be to get a good picture? (I only plan on using it at night.) Do I look for a certain number of lumens in the specs?

 

[twinkiesmommy2009]

Hi Maestro! Following. I've been reading a ton of reviews on Amazon and I think there are several that would do well if you put it on the side of your shed. The side of the pool is the only option for us and it's over 25ft away too. Most of the projectors I've been reading have a 2 meter distance max and we'd need closer to 7 meters at 25 feet. I'm hoping someone has suggestions for you (and me!).


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[Isaac-1]

There are lots of factors when it comes to picking the right projector, don't get too hung up on the lumens, as the number does not tell the whole tale when it comes to brightness, contrast plays an important role also, unfortunately so many contrast numbers you find are really dynamic contrast (there the projector darkens the whole screen in dark scene to makes the blacks, blacker) which many people find annoying. Almost all modern projectors have keystone correction, as well as a myriad of other settings you can tweak. I can't give you too much model specific advice as I use an ancient high end JVC DILA projector that I bought used about 7 years ago.

ps projection size will depend on the lense, some projectors have zoom lenses others fixed length, so projection size at X distance varies from model to model

 

[Itsjustme0770]

This is what is going in my outdoor theater.

Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 1440 1080p 3LCD Projector - Product Information - Epson America, Inc.

You can see the build thread going on over here.

Just another build in Texas