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Old 12-10-2020, 06:34 AM   #1
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Best Entertainment System for Outdoor Use?

Hey there!
Some friends and I own a super nice camping site quite far out in the woods. We have spent a lot of time over there this year, due to the special situation... It's been a great time, but sometimes we dreamed about a nice TV to have there. We were making huge plans about a real outdoor cinema . With christmas coming up, we are thinking about investing our money from grandmothers and parents ect. into this fancy idea of a theater in the woods .
Now i am looking for some good advice and experiences over here. Can you recommend any brand that sells outdoor TVs or entertainment systems? Do you maybe already use an outdoor TV?
Thanks a lot!
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Old 12-23-2020, 06:17 AM   #2
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Hi Denman, that’s a really cool idea! I would also like to have an outdoor cinema - but at the moment I hardly have time to watch movies anyways. :-) Of course, you have to make sure that everything is waterproof and weatherproof, that you have a sufficient power supply and, what could also be important, that you have a relatively good internet connection. Because I guess that you'll also want to use streaming portals if you're going to invest in your own home cinema… ;-) Depending on how much or little space you have, you can also go for foldable TVs like the ones from C-Seed. They are huge, have good picture quality and can be stored in an underground box thanks to the foldable technology. I only know this from super yachts, where place is limited, but you can certainly have this installed in a garden as well. However, I would be careful with projectors. They might work well in the evening/at night, but during the day the picture quality is certainly not the best. You have to think that the TV screen is exposed to direct sunlight or has to cope with indirect sunlight... so high-quality LED TVs are much more suitable for that. I hope I could help you! :-)
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Old 12-23-2020, 07:14 AM   #3
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Hi, thanks for your answer!
The power supply works very well, but the internet connection is still a little problem out there… Nevertheless it would be worth to build up the outdoor cinema at this place there. Last time we did well on simply downloading the movies from Netflix or Amazon and take them with us on an extra storage device, so would be useful if the TV has the possibility to plug in some kind of storage device (best would probably be USB).
Foldable TVs ? – Never heard of this before! I mean I’ve seen foldable phones before and they look and work amazing as far as I’ve heard.
We don’t really have any troubles regarding space over there, but weather- and waterproofness is a big matter… Sounds cool that it can be stored in a box underground – so it is also protected against damage and can stay in place even when we aren’t there.
You are right with the projectors… This would be the low budget solution, but the image quality is not as good as on LED TVs - most of all during the day.
I have briefly looked up the brand you mentioned. It looks like a high end product of technical excellence… Have you already seen one of them in real? It’s a large-format TV – do you have to watch from a certain distance so that the picture is not overwhelming? And do you maybe also know if they deliver worldwide?
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Old 12-23-2020, 08:11 AM   #4
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My experience with outdoor Cinema:

1) Have a small computer like a Raspberry Pi or an Intel NUC to act as your server and a small hard drive or 512Gig stick memory with MP4 movies you want to show. The output on both is HDMI so using a portable Projector like GooDee 2020 will provide adequate Lumen output for a Dusk showing (but not daylight). I use an outdoor projector screen and frame to view videos outside. I also have an amplified speaker for sound as the projector speakers just don't cut it in an outdoor setting.

2) After spending hundreds of dollars to accomplish this, I found that summertime does not work well. You really can't start showing movies until after 9 o'clock at the earliest and your guests had best be prepared with bug repellant. Fall or early spring I found to be best for showing kids movies because its dark enough at 8 0'clock or so.

3) I only pack kids movies now because I was getting complaints from those not watching about language/content and volume. That really limits when you can use your outdoor theater to the point where the weight/space did not justify carrying it around all the time. I only bring it when I know we will be entertaining kids.

4) The computer part hooks up to the indoor TV and outdoor TV easily if your camper is so equipped.


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Old 12-23-2020, 08:14 AM   #5
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inflatable screen with a projector.
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Old 12-23-2020, 12:49 PM   #6
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Sounds like a fun idea. And as the OP says, far out in the woods doesn't disturb others.

One of the most disruptive weekends I've had recently was in a site next to a guy who thought everyone in the park shared his love for loud broadcast of his favorite college football games and nighttime movies on his outdoor screen.Grrrr

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Old 12-23-2020, 01:07 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by richp View Post
One of the most disruptive weekends I've had recently was in a site next to a guy who thought everyone in the park shared his love for loud broadcast of his favorite college football games and nighttime movies on his outdoor screen.Grrrr
It would put you in the same league but playing the Sex Pistols loudly with speakers pointed at his site might result in a change. Or maybe not.
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Old 12-23-2020, 01:18 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by chriscowles View Post
It would put you in the same league but playing the Sex Pistols loudly with speakers pointed at his site might result in a change. Or maybe not.
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Old 12-27-2020, 04:22 PM   #9
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Denman, sooner or later you will have to make sure that you have a good internet connection. Because sooner or later you will want to stream something spontaneously, I guess. ;-) It would be a shame if such a nice device couldn't be used because of a lack of internet. :-) And yes, this foldable technology is something special. I can already imagine that more foldable screens will come onto the market in the future - for smartphones, for example, where it’s already the case actually. Normally, however, these luxury products are intended more for luxury yachts and penthouses or the like. So where really only a limited space is available. With a garden in the middle of the woods, you will certainly have enough space - I guess ;-) But, as I said, it is important that the device is protected from rain and moisture. I only know this foldable TV from videos and articles. For more detailed information, you should check their website or contact them. I think there will be several models. Maybe there is a suitable one. For now, you can just set up a projector and a screen at night (when it's finally warm again). It should give you enough cinema feeling for a start ;-)
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Old 12-27-2020, 06:56 PM   #10
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I second the projector vice a real outdoor TV. Much less expensive and easier to move/store.
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Old 12-29-2020, 06:24 AM   #11
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Thanks a lot for all your help and advice!

@richp: Yes, we are far out and so won’t disturb anyone, it's not even an area with lots of wildlife so all good I think ��.

@Herk7769: Yes, that’s why I was thinking of an outdoor TV instead of a projector... but we still have to view all the different products, and this will still take some time (most of all because the shops over here are currently closed, and we would like to see them in real).

@forestbrun:Thats true...Internet is a thing... So, for now i'll go with you and we’ll do an easy set up with an old projector – and a warm campfire. (as it is also dark by 4 o'clock the light situation is not so bad)

But the dream lives on, we will collect the Christmas money and we’ll see... maybe in summer we have the chance to show some great movies outdoors! That would be awesome.
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Old 12-29-2020, 02:52 PM   #12
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yes, it's true that a projector is much less expensive and easier to move/store - but the picture quality of really good outdoor TVs is in a different league. It all depends on what you are looking for. Either you are satisfied with a rather weak picture by a beamer, but have your own little cinema at home, or you look for a good TV that you can also enjoy during the day. Of course, it has to be waterproof. But as I said, it depends on what you're looking for. If you want to sit down together in the evening and watch a film, then a beamer would be enough. Because when it's dark enough, they work relatively well. However, if you also want to watch TV during the day, you're better off with a TV. So depending on how active you are during the day, you should make that decision. If you are only out and about during the day anyway, hiking or at the lake, then I would say a projector is more worthwhile…

Of course, you have to bear in mind that in summer it is often light until 8 pm. Or even 9 pm or later, depending on where you live. I love such long days, but it's certainly not the best situation for a projector.

So, Denman, if I were you I would sit down and think about what you want to have. If you guys just want to have a couple of movie nights together, a projector will work well. You might even be able to borrow one somewhere, right? That way you can try it out and see how you like the picture and the sound for example. If you really want to watch a film more frequently, especially during the day, I would go for an outdoor TV. There are really good sets on the market. You should also invest in a weatherproof cover. Double is better… ;-) You don't want the next storm to break your TV. :-) By the way, you always have to put the projector away. But that's actually done very quickly.
I hope we were able to help you a little. Good luck with your search and have fun with your outdoor cinema, whatever it ends up looking like. :-)
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