With Proutys expert insight, Jeremy looked at factors like brightness and portability along with ease of setup and use. Or go big on 4K, the latest and greatest in resolution, delivering exceptional picture quality, but at an extremely high price. Feature-wise, it's got almost everything one could need in an outdoor projector. "As the picture gets bigger, the light gets dimmer. In evaluating more than 10 of the latest home projectors, we focused on the features that do the most to enhance outdoor viewing, including brightness, ease of streaming, image crispness and clarity, and portability, knowing that most people will carry the equipment back inside once the show is over. If your homes WiFi signal is strong enough to reach outside, you can connect the projector to a laptop, Blu-ray player, or streaming stick. If you prefer, you can also use the USB and HDMI connections to hook the projector up to any compatible laptop, tablet, or gaming device. One important note: Some manufacturers use ANSI lumens, which are proportionally brighter than standard lumens. In his down time he enjoys gaming and regular cinema trips. Set up your projector in the evening for the best results, but the higher your projector's light output level, the more watchable the image will be when there is still some light around. Read the full review: Samsung The Freestyle. Right, you're primed and ready to buy. our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission. Brightness is 300 lumens, so this projector works best after dark, but the contrast is good, with solid black levels and a nicely balanced, colourful picture that isn't hugely compromised. The 12 best headphones for study: noise-cancelling, wireless and more, 8 reasons you should keep buying 4K Blu-ray discs, The best home entertainment buying advice, Issues delivered straight to your door or device. The best general range for outdoor projector brightness is between 1500 to 2500 lumens, which is equivalent to about 625 to 1041 ANSI Lumens. She leads efforts for the constant evolution of GHs technical and testing protocols, responding both to market drivers and growth opportunities. Our testers also like the projectors integrated handle and power cord, along with the compact design, which makes it easy to transport. Last but not least, the image size can go as high as 300 inches, so the crowd of onlookers wont miss any of the gaming action. The Nebula Solar Portable is easy to set up for movie night. It's also bright enough to use outdoors in dim light, but the picture will look washed out if you try to use it during the day. Can I use an outdoor projector during daylight? Even tech-challenged users should find the Mars II Pro easy to operate. in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics with a mathematics minor from the University of Pennsylvania and has been at GH for 14 years. To get in the right ballpark for screen size, measure the distance from your seating area to the screen and divide that by 1.5. If it has Bluetooth, you can connect to your phone and stream from there. Bath Some manufacturers report brightness in ANSI Lumens, and others report light source lumens, which can make it difficult to compare them. Yoona is a smart home and home tech commerce editor for The Spruce. Mini projectors are great for use outdoors because theyre easy to grab and go. Portability: Since youll be bringing the projector inside and out, look for one thats lightweight and easy to transport. The XGIMI MoGo Pro is very straightforward to get up and running, even if you arent a projector expert. You can run it off any portable power bank with an 18-watt quick charge (QC) port if you're planning a movie marathon. These days, 4K takes the prize, as youll experience with ViewSonics short-throw portable projector. While the controller and built-in apps aren't the most impressive on the market, the X10 4Ke includes built-in Harman Kardon speakers that are surprisingly rich for a projector of this size and price point. Its also extremely bright at 2400 lumens, which puts it right on the edge of usability during daylight hours. While the ideal brightness varies on your setup and the lighting, when projecting to large screens in dark conditions, higher lumens could be better. So a projector with a light source output of 2000 lumens would be rated at about 833 ANSI lumens, and a 400 ANSI Lumen projector would have a light source output of about 960 lumens. The 150-inch picture benefits from 2,000-lumen brightness, so viewers will be able to enjoy the show from various angles. There are different degrees of portability in outdoor projectors, and the ViewSonic M1 Mini+ is just about as portable as they come. The easiest way to solve that conundrum would be to opt for a projector with built-in wi-fi and maybe even some on-board storage too. If youre okay with lower battery life, theXGIMI MoGo Prois a mini projector thats even smaller, weighs less, and comes equipped with powerful Harman Kardon speakers. Best outdoor projectors Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi? Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist and head engineer, has a B.S.E. If a projector has Wi-Fi and built-in streaming apps, you can connect it to your home network to stream movies in your backyard. The design is ideal for ceiling-mounting, but its actually quite portable, with a convenient carrying handle that flips down for ease of handling. If you're interested in a portable outdoor projector with a more durable build, the BenQ GS50 offers some water and impact resistance. To gain a deeper understanding of the features an outdoor projector really needs, Jeremy contactedCarl Prouty, the resident technologist fromAbt Electronics. There are a few kinds of connectivity to consider when looking at outdoor projectors. You'll be able to see the picture at that brightness, although it may still look washed out. Those little extras cost money, though, to the point that the price of the Nebula Capsule II comes close to that of some of Anker's higher-end Go Anywhere models. Viewsonic X10 4Ke 4K UHD Projector, The 8 Best Outdoor Speakers for Gatherings and Everyday Listening, Best Durability: His own home is full of smart tech, from the lights to the vacuum cleaner. Definitely one for your shortlist. Epson EF100 Projector, How to Create a Great Home Theater for Your Budget. There are brighter machines out there but, for this price, there's a great blend of both punch and subtlety to the image. This article was written byJeremy Laukkonen, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. But for the best viewing experience, invest in a proper projector screen, since brightness and picture quality will be vastly improved. Many of the best outdoor projectors with the highest picture quality fall into that category. Even the usual power cable tether doesnt have to hold The Freestyle back from doing its thing in even the most inaccessible corners of your home or garden. Think portable projector and its likely that the stubby, cylindrical form of the Anker Nebula Capsule II will spring to mind. That means you can pull out the Android TV stick and replace it with a Fire TV Stick, Roku, or any other streaming device. Home movie night used to mean curling up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn. In addition to onboard Bluetooth speakers and crisp contrast, you can enjoy streaming your favorites, thanks to the built-in Android TV support. Prouty also advises that "you'll likely have better success with laser projectors as they generally have a brighter output than LED projectors.". If you want to be able to take your outdoor projector with you and use it at a friend's house, a park, or camping, then a portable battery-powered model is the better choice. Projectors can work with a range of screen sizes, and you can typically adjust the size of the projection by moving it toward or away from the screen or by adjusting a size setting. If you havent yet bought a projector, you can figure out the best size screen for your yard and then look for a projector that will work with that screen size. Testing projectors involves taking the time to explore their capabilities fully, including plenty of settings-tweaking and content-watching. Size plays a big factor since an outdoor projector needs to have at least some degree of portability, and priority was given in many categories to battery-powered projectors since theyre so much easier to set up. Turn your garden into a magical movie theatre with an outdoor projector. You can also cast Netflix content from Google Chrome or by connecting and HDMI cable from another device. Brightness: 1200 lumens |Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels|Dimensions:7.3 x 5.7 x 6.1 inches |Projector Type: LED|Ports: HDMI x2, USB-A, USB-C|Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Android TV. Though it lacks a fully waterproof and rugged design that can withstand a lot of wear and tear, the build is sturdy enough to hold up to light rain showers and accidental bumps and drops. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. HDR handling and dark detail are very good and, considering the price point, this projector is capable of some brilliant detail. Weve been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. Brightness is measured in lumens: Between 2,000 and 2,500 lumens should provide adequate brightness in most outdoor settings. Check out our handy guide on how to choose a projector screen for more on that. However, the brightness you need depends on the ambient light in your area and the size of your screen. Its also plenty versatile with connections, whether you want to hook up your smartphone, laptop, or streaming stick. For example, if youll be sitting 10 feet (120 inches) from the screen, an 80-inch screen would work. In many cases, you can even slide the replacement device right into the rear compartment of the EF100 and put the rear panel back on for a seamless installation. Please refresh the page and try again. While movie buffs will find plenty to like about this ViewSonic projector, backyard gamers and sports fans will especially appreciate its low lag time and zippy refresh rate, ideal for projecting action-packed images. Its a highly sophisticated projector that uses laser technology instead of the standard lamp for an exceptionally crisp picture, even when theres some daylight remaining. Resolution: This is overall picture quality, measured in pixels (p). BenQ GS50 1080p Outdoor Projector, Best for Streaming: She has contributed product reviews and how-tos for Lifewire and has prior experience in knowledge-base technical writing, technical customer support, and academic publishing. Other outdoor projectors are portable because they're light enough to pick up and carry around, but they're not necessarily totable. This device is one of three Nebula Capsule projectors made by Anker Innovations (see above for another), and its 720p resolution, 200 ANSI-lumens light output and Android TV 9.0 smart platform make it the top-spec model of that trio. Simply pair the device with your smartphone and you're in business. If you only have a bedsheet or white wall to view it on, this could be a good option. All the preset modes are very well judged and it gives an excellent level of black depth and dark detail for a projector at this price. The onboard speakers are a touch weedy but the quality and spread of sound from them is good. 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This projector doesn't come with a carrying case, though, so you may want to budget for one if you plan on taking advantage of this model's portability. At the end of this process, a verdict is reached by a team of What Hi-Fi? Dan DiClerico has written about home improvement for more than 20 years, including countless how-to articles and reviews of products ranging from appliances to smart home technology. It's still a 3LCD machine but the projection technology will only allow for a picture with a stated contrast ratio of 40,000:1 compared to the 100,000:1 on the TW7100. This affordable projector is small and lightweight, so it's easy to carry outside for an at-home screening. The 100-inch image size isnt as big as other top picks, but it should do the trick in most open-air viewing parties, especially with its 1080p resolution. What our testers really like, though, is how easy it is to mirror content from your smartphone, tablet computer, or other mobile device, thanks to the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. reviewers who work closely together in order to ensure that each projector is tested fairly, and to avoid the possibility of any personal preference creeping in. You can stream over your Wi-Fi network or from your phone, so this mini projector is really all you need to start your own backyard movie night. "It will decrease the picture size, but the smaller picture will be brighter.". "If you are finding the picture isn't bright enough, try moving it closer to the wall," recommends Prouty. The speakers get their quality from the internal design of the projector housing, which acts as a custom 3D acoustic enclosure to improve sound quality further.