Watching Movies Outside At Night

Who wouldn’t love a movie night outside? You’ve seen it on social media; now it can be yours! It’s especially good if you live in a tiny house or RV. But be sure to read on for  “the full picture.” These flashy Facebook posts that advertise only the screen neglect to mention the projector, the sound system, and a few other details. Let’s talk about what’s all involved in watching movies outside at night.

If you live in an RV park, you might need to make enough popcorn for the neighbors. It would be polite to ask permission from the campground managers, observe the parks quiet hours, and warn the neighbors you’ll be outside with movie noises after dark.

You see this activity advertised as a nighttime viewing opportunity because video projectors aren’t bright enough to watch during the day. An LED flat-screen TV can be viewed outside during the day, but that would be a lot more expensive and not as portable.

Here’s what you’ll need to pull it off:

• A projector screen that can stand in the area you have.
• The projector. Will it be plug-in or battery powered?
• A video source: Will you be playing a DVD, streaming from the internet, or using a Fire Stick?
  • If you’ll be streaming via WiFi, make sure your signal reaches into your yard. If you will be using an app on your cell phone, you will need the right adapter cable to plug your phone into  the HDMI input of the projector.
• You’ll also need an audio system. Some projectors have speakers built-in, but not all.
• Comfortable seating.
• Bug repellent.

The Screen

Here’s an outdoor screen that gets good reviews on Amazon. I like the frame it comes with to stake it in the yard. Excellent viewing experience: 1.1 gain with 160° viewing angle offers you an unrivaled viewing pleasure. Metal stand is assembled by sturdy aluminum crossbar and base plate. Better screens cost upwards of a grand.

It’s labeled as a 100′ size. That’s measured diagonally. The actual size is 87″ wide, 49″ high (screen), and 78.7″ high (from the ground to the top). It’s a 16 x 9 film format.

This one is currently on sale for $69.99*. Click on the image for more information. Portable carry bag is included. All five star ratings so far.

The Projector You’ll Need For Watching Movies Outside at Night

The projector is the most important part of outdoor viewing equipment. Projectors don’t need to cost a lot to produce a bright enough image at night. What you want to check is the inputs. Does it have the proper input to connect what you’ll be using as a signal source? Are there speakers built-in? Can you get an extension cord to where it needs to be, or will it need to be battery-powered?

The Mini Projector shown here has built-in stereo speakers and lots of connecting ports.  It needs to be plugged in. The resolution is only 1080p, with 6500 lumens, and a contrast ratio of 2000:1. Currently on sale for just $65.58. Not bad for the price.

The size is just 7.48 x 3.78 x 2.83 inches. There is a tripod mount on the bottom. You can use the headphone jack to connect to an external audio system. The picture can be as large as 176″.

Get an astounding picture with an Ultra-High Definition Video Projector

The Optima UHD38x picture quality will blow you away. The price will also blow you away. A true 4K of horizontal resolution, with a million to one contrast ratio, and 4000 lumens! The high dynamic range adds a stunning degree of sharpness. The 240 Hz. refresh rate ends jitter from fast panning.

The picture will be great even if it’s not totally dark outside.  Anyone would be proud to have this in their home theater.

Outdoor Audio Systems To Watch Movies Outside At Night

I designed and installed home theater systems for over twenty years. Believe me when I tell you that the audio system is every bit as important as the video equipment. But rather than setting up an audio system with enough power to overcome outdoor noise (which would be complicated and expensive) let me suggest a couple of audio systems that will do the job fairly well and be easy to set up.

SoundCore Motion+

Huge Sound with Intense Bass: Packed with two ultra-high frequency tweeters, two neodymium woofers, and two passive radiators to fill every corner of your room with 30W of rich sound. Low frequencies are enhanced in real-time by our exclusive BassUpTM technology.

The Soundcore speaker system has an audio input jack you can connect to the projectors audio output plug (if it has one). If you are watching a DVD you would connect to the audio outputs of the DVD player. Be sure to turn of any Dolby® or surround sound special effects as the audio needs to be simple stereo.

This speaker will produce excellent sound for 12 hours on a single charge.

Here’s a remarkable audio system for watching movies outside

These Pyle speakers are an astounding value at just $236.99*. With a ton of power and huge speakers this system can put out quality movie audio.

The system includes tripods, a microphone, power cord, and a cable to connect the two speakers. I think Pyle created them to be used at weddings and other events where an audio system is needed, but it’s also perfect for our use.

This equipment has the audio input jack for our use (you will need a connecting cable) but it also has BlueTooth® connectability to stream music from your iPhone®.

Powering your AV equipment when there’s no shore power

Most projectors powerful enough to show a decent image outside need to be plugged in. Same with audio systems that are loud enough for such a huge space.  You could fire up your generator but it’s noisy.

I have an Anker 767 Portable Power Station that’s powerful enough to run my RV, including the microwave and air conditioner. It’s quiet and can be recharged by solar panels in just a few hours the next day.

See more about portable power stations on this page of the Tiny Life Consulting website: Portable Power Centers How To Choose

Even with the costs and complexities it’s still worth it

Don’t let the complexities I’ve described dissuade you from this fun activity. Folks who’ve tried it say it’s worth it for some priceless summer memories.