For most people, this is a reliable all-round choice.

Take it with you and watch the show anytime, anywhere.

Not afraid of any moisture.

You may not be able to reproduce the nostalgia and romance of the drive-in cinema of the 1960s, but the best outdoor projectors can almost replicate this magic. Maybe you are playing an ancient classic like Sinatra's Primitive Ocean Eleven, or a modern classic like George Clooney and Brad Pitt's Ocean 11. Or maybe you really just want to see mean girls in the yard. A good projector can help you achieve your goals. But in addition to the possibilities of movies, outdoor projectors also give you the opportunity to showcase your photography and video works in brand new places.

In this guide, you will find the key points to consider before buying an outdoor projector. You should consider which price ranges, features and functions are important to you. 

If you just search for portable projectors quickly on Google, you will quickly find that their prices range from $200 or less to more than $3,000. But price is not the only important variable. For many consumers, ease of use is often the most important consideration. Others don't mind taking the time to read the manual about the PDF and try to figure out every final setting. 

The key is to make sure you understand the type and complexity of the outdoor projector you are buying so that it meets your needs and how you interact with technology. In the long run, this is a factor that can save you a lot of trouble. 

When you plan to buy your first outdoor projector, you may be a little confused when figuring out where to start. Please follow the tips below to help you simplify the process. You will also find that, like many complex consumer electronics products (such as TVs, computers, and cameras), when you check the available functions of each outdoor projector, you will encounter some jargon or technical language that you may not be familiar with. 

When buying an outdoor projector, the first thing you should do is to set a price range for the model you want to buy. If you do this first, you will be able to narrow your search faster. 

As you conduct your research, you will find that there are many types of projectors available. The following is a short list of projector types: 

When you are looking for the best outdoor projector, you will soon come across many technical phrases and terms related to brightness, resolution, and other features. Here is some more important information you need to know to help you make the right choice:

The brightness of the projector is measured in lumens (or ANSI lumens). The larger the number, the brighter the projected image. A projector rated at 3,000 lumens has three times the brightness of a projector rated at 1,000 lumens.

As a rule of thumb, the larger the image you want the projector to create, the higher the resolution you need. Therefore, if your projector is 10 feet from the screen and the resolution is 4K (3860 x 2160), the material may look more detailed than the 1080 (1920 x 1080) projected image projected from the same distance from the screen. However, if you Move the item closer to the screen, the image size will decrease but the detail will increase. Conversely, moving the projector away from the screen will increase the image size.

Unfortunately, details and other image quality factors (such as contrast) will also decrease. Should you buy a 4K projector? Although buying a projector with 4K resolution is an ideal choice, there are still quite a few high-quality projectors that can project in 1080p. In addition, you may be looking for special features, such as Epson's pixel shift technology, which doubles the 1920 x 1080 resolution. This is not true 4K, but this model is cheaper.

Contrast is the ratio of dark to light in an image or video clip, which affects the sharpness, vividness and detail of the movie we see. Technical specifications generally use the following format: "3000:1". This means that the whitest areas of the image are 3000 times brighter than the darkest areas. The important thing to know when setting up any outdoor projector is that even a small amount of ambient light will reduce contrast, which of course will reduce image quality. 

The term refers to the distance between the projector and the image on the screen. If you have two projectors, one with a short-throw lens and the other without, then a projector with a short-throw lens (the projector is placed anywhere from 3 to 8 feet from the screen) can produce a larger ratio Images using this lens. Some projectors are equipped with ultra-short throw lenses (this is a projector placed anywhere from 0 to 4 feet away from the screen).

In many respects, there are many more factors and variables to consider when setting up an outdoor projection system than indoors, including: 

Epson Home Cinema 3800 Amazon Renewed

Why it was cut:

Although expensive, it has powerful pixel-shifting technology that enables this projector to display excellent image quality.

Although some people may think this is an expensive outdoor projector, this Epson Home Cinema projector is excellent value for money, making it our overall best outdoor projector choice. In some ways, Epson's pixel mobile technology is working, and it is a very cost-effective deal for families who want to build a mini Ziegfeld theater in a suburban backyard.  

Essentially, this Epson projector allows you to experience 4K pixel shift. But like most projectors, you can set it to lower resolutions, including 720p, 576i and 576p, and 480i and 480p. It can even display 3D video clips in Full HD. However, it's not just 4K-like resolution that makes it the best choice across the board. It also provides 10-bit HDR support and HLG support, so it can even reproduce very subtle details in shadows and highlights, and it can perform in a consistent manner whether you are displaying 4K, HD, or SD resolution material This operation. 

This is one of the best projectors, and it meets the needs of most people in terms of use: it is an easy-to-use projector and easy to set up, but it allows easy adjustment of settings and Image adjustment. It also comes with a beautifully designed remote control that allows you to quickly access various settings and functions, such as keystone correction and color modes. 

The system has two 10-watt stereo speakers, but there is an audio jack output for connecting external audio speakers. The Epson project also provides Bluetooth for playing movies and videos wirelessly and connecting to external wireless speakers. 

Nebula Anker Solar Portable Nebula

Why it was cut:

It is light in weight and can be powered by a built-in battery. This makes this Anker Nebula outdoor projector one of the more portable models on the market.   

This is the best portable outdoor projector, because we like that this projector is very lightweight, measuring about 7.5 x 7.5 x 2.2 inches, which is a very portable size and weight. It can also run on battery power, which is useful when you can’t use AC power to plug into the device through a power adapter. We also like the adjustable built-in stand, which allows you to tilt the device if needed.

This Anker Nebular outdoor projector has a full HD 1080p resolution and can generate 120-inch images. It also supports HDR10 video. The audio system has two 3 watt Dolby Digital + speakers. The speaker can also double as a Bluetooth speaker. In terms of brightness, it is rated at only 400 lumens, which may be a little dark in some cases, depending on the size of the image and the amount of ambient light. This model includes Android TV 9, which provides more than 5,000 applications for the device, including YouTube, Hulu, Twitch, etc. You can also mirror your content from smartphones or other mobile devices. 

Why it was cut:

This is the best budget outdoor projector that can provide you with powerful connectivity and options.

For budget-priced outdoor projectors, the 2021 upgraded GooDee HD of this model provides you with a lot of value for money, especially because they increase the brightness of the bulb. It has a native resolution of 1280 x 768p, but it supports 1080p full HD resolution and can project pictures up to 230 inches. The projector also includes two built-in 3 watt speakers with SRS sound system. 

GooDee HD provides you with multiple inputs, including 2 HDMI ports and 2 USB ports. It also provides VGA and AV ports for connecting multimedia devices such as Amazon Fire Stick TV, Chromecast, Xbox, Sony PS3 and PS4, and other media players. But like many budget-priced devices, it has some compromises. For example, there is no wireless connection. In addition, for some Apple devices, you need to purchase an adapter, such as a Lightning to HDMI adapter, but the projector does not include this adapter. 

ViewSonic X10-4KE ViewSonic

Why it was cut:

Although expensive, this ViewSonic outdoor projector is the best 4k outdoor projector because it provides you with bright projection, excellent pictures and a variety of connected content functions.

This expensive outdoor projector has a lot of built-in power, first of all a bright projection, which has 2,400 (LED) lumens and can provide up to 200 inches of images. Since the system uses solid-state LED technology (with an estimated service life of 30,000 hours), the power consumption of the system is lower than that of many LCD-type projectors. It also supports HDR content to provide a more complete and immersive viewing experience for pictures. 

The projector is equipped with built-in dual Harman Kardon Bluetooth speakers and a short-focus lens, allowing you to flexibly position the projector unit, which is especially useful in outdoor scenes. It even comes with an easy-to-carry handle, making it more portable. This ViewSonic projector also supports most media players, PCs, Macs and mobile devices. It is connected via USB-C and Wi-Fi.

Why it was cut:

This outdoor projector is designed for all types of weather, because it has a waterproof appearance and anti-drop function, making this projector the best waterproof outdoor projector of our choice. 

What makes this BenQ projector unique is its sturdy appearance: it has an IPX2 waterproof rating, which is very useful in outdoor environments when you don't want the projector to be exposed to rain. But it also uses a drop-resistant design, which means it can be dropped from a height of 2.3 feet. A very nice feature is that the device can create its own Wi-Fi network. 

It can generate full HD resolution pictures (1920 x 1080), and also supports HDR10 and HLG to show more details. The system is also equipped with two built-in 5-watt stereo speakers and 10-watt woofer, which can produce more bass in the audio. It also has a built-in stand that can tilt the device up 15 degrees. It also comes with Android TV built into the device. Other functions include auto focus, 3D keystone correction and 4-angle adjustment.

In addition to having a high-quality outdoor projector, you also need a good projection screen. If you don't have one, you can use a large white bed sheet. However, if you anticipate wind, you need to fasten the paper so as not to affect the projected image. If you have space, you will want the projected image to be about 120 inches, so your screen should be about that size or slightly larger. You also need to make sure to set up any audio, depending on the type of outdoor projector you buy. You may only need the onboard audio speakers, or, if there is an audio port on the device, you can use external speakers. In addition, many projectors allow you to connect speakers via a Bluetooth connection.

Yes. The only difference between indoor and outdoor projectors is that outdoor projectors are generally lighter (less than 10 pounds) and more compact. In addition, some outdoor projectors can be battery-powered and equipped with a waterproof case.

Although a white screen seems to be the obvious choice, a gray screen may actually be more effective. The reason is as follows: Experts say that if you do not have a completely dark environment without ambient light, a gray screen can better reduce the impact of ambient light on the projected image. It also allows the projector to maintain the deep black level of the image.

For our rating of the best outdoor projectors, we selected current models of the most well-known brands (models that can usually be purchased from major online retail stores). Compared with the introduction of new TV models, the number of projectors produced each year is not much. This means that the projector model stays in the product line for a long time. This also means that some top models may have a history of several years. We have also researched, selected and tested models that provide the latest or widest feature set and the latest technology in the industry. We also ensure that these models comply with some of the latest standards for streaming and connectivity, including wired and wireless. 

Finally, we considered many other factors, including the portability of the device (the weight of the device) and whether the exterior of the device is waterproof or includes other rugged features. Since some of the current 4K and FHD projectors weigh more than 40 pounds, we determined that for a projector to be truly portable, it needs to weigh 10 pounds. Or less.  

When you want the best experience showing movies on the best outdoor projectors, you need to make sure you have the correct audio settings that meet your needs. Here are some options to consider: 

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