There are many different ways which you can choose to use an outdoor projector, such as in the office, on the compass, or in outdoor living areas. Their versatility certainly makes them a useful tool which can be used for educational, business, or entertainment purposes. Finding the best outdoor projector is key to getting exactly what you need. Outdoor projector reviews are an important way that you can find the right ones.
Many people assume that an outdoor projector must automatically be adequate to use outside. This is not necessarily the case, however, and actually, not all outdoor projectors work well outside. The number of lumens is the primary factor in whether or not an outdoor projector will function well in an outdoor environment. The more lumens, the brighter it will be and thus the better image it will be able to produce.
As technology ever advances and evolves many people are finding that the new gadgets and devices springing up are somewhat confusing. Years ago people could have never imagined the concept or something like an outdoor projector. A lot of the terms associated with this technology, such as lumens, may be new or confusing but it is important to understand the things which matter.
Outdoor projectors have certain advantages over other electronics, for example, a television. One great then about an outdoor projector is that it can give you a much larger viewing screen compared with a TV set. Projector screens can be quite large, and on average range from 65 to 300 or more inches. Even though they give a large image it is still crisp and clear image, plus they are quite portable which is another advantage which they have over televisions.
Top 10 Best OutDoor Projectors
ViewSonic PJD7720HD Home Theater Projector
With this home theater projector, you will have the benefit of 3,200 lumens as well as full HD 1920×1080 native resolution. This is the clearest and sharpest image that you can get, and it works great with a variety of HD formats and content. The ViewSonic PJD7720HD Home Theater Projector doesn’t distort or scale the original video format. SuperColor technology provides a wider color range. SuperColor offers the very best-in-class when it comes to true color accuracy with a color performance which is genuinely true-to-life in either darker light environments. With SonicExpert sound enhancement technology and a 10W speaker, you will have great sound quality with this projector. SonicExpert technology utilizes a more powerful amplifier and a larger speaker chamber in order to produce a sound range of 20Hz-20Khz. There is an HDMI/MHL enclosed connection compartment so you can connect your devices. The PortAll is an exclusive feature and essentially a hidden compartment. The design of the ViewSonic PJD7720HD Home Theater Projector is smart and clean to hide exposed ports and cable clutter. This model has all the necessary features to become the best outdoor projector for everyone.
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Epson Home Cinema 640 Home Theater 3LCD Projector
This amazing portable projector lets you enjoy big-screen entertainment from the comfort of your own yard or home and it has outstanding images which range up to 300”. This is 25 times a flat panel 60” tv screen, and all you need is a blank wall in order to make use of it. This offers great options for video games, outdoor matinees, and movie nights. The Epson Home Cinema 640 Home Theater 3LCD Projector even has higher color brightness than the competition and images are always vibrant with Epsom 3LCD projectors. It offers 3200 lumens of white brightness and 3200 lumens color brightness. This ensures it provides a color which is vivid and accurate even in rooms which are well-lit. The Epson Home Cinema 640 Home Theater 3LCD Projector lets you make simple image adjustments and it also features a built-in speaker and all-digital HDMI connectivity. It easy to set up and you can even share content from satellite/cable, Blue-ray Disc players, gaming consoles, streaming devices, and laptops. The Epson Home Cinema 640 Home Theater 3LCD Projector has built-in color modes you can choose from which help to enhance different kinds of entertainment. You can add your home theater and sound system for even better sound. It is lightweight, easy to carry, and the lamps last 10,000 hours.
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BenQ DLP HD Projector
Enjoy full HD 1080p with this outdoor projector that features great visual performance and stunning colors. The BenQ DLP HD Projector has 2,200 lumens as well in order to add to a great optimized optical system. This system is made with pure glass lens elements for better results. The 6x Speed RGBRGB Color Wheel delivers colors that are lifelike and captivating for an even richer experience. Enjoy live broadcasts, video games, or Blu-ray content all with great sharpness and clarity. The BenQ DLP HD Projector itself struts a beautiful look with a curved design and a white, modern-looking exterior. It even has an incredible thermal system which can reduce acoustic noise to 27dBA in Eco mode. This is the very lowest fan noise of its own class and this means you will get the best viewing experience. The resonant sound chambers contain 10-watt speakers and it also has the BenQ Audio Enhancer. This makes for incredible sound especially thanks to the breakthrough technology from Waves. There is a big zoom function which works by maximizing any available space for big pictures in essentially any space. The flexible vertical lens shift ensures you can shift images up or down without affecting the quality of the image. The short throw lens on the BenQ DLP HD Projector lets you fill up a large screen from less distance.
back to menu ↑ViewSonic PJD5155 Projector
Another top-rated outdoor projector with 3,300 lumens from ViewSonic. It also has a design which is user-friendly and intuitive and a resolution that is native SVGA 800 x 600. the technology is from SuperCool and it works by providing a wider color range to make the images appear more true-to-life. SuperColor offers the best in class when it comes to color accuracy. The ViewSonic PJD5155 Projector has a 6-segment color wheel design. Sound enhancement technology allows you to enjoy amazing sound quality. The ViewSonic PJD5155 Projector has a wide range of connectivity options such as 1 x VGA, S-Video, Composite Video, 2 x VGA, Audio in/out, and HDMI. The lamp life is around 10,000 hours. The SonicExpert technology gives the projector a powerful amplifier as well as an enlarged speaker chamber so you will be able to enjoy the immersive sound and a great audio experience.
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Epson EX9200 Pro WUXGA 3LCD Projector
With high white brightness and high color brightness thanks to 3200 lumens of each, you can have the color which is accurate and vivid. The Epson EX9200 Pro WUXGA 3LCD Projector even shows up in rooms which are well-lit. WUXGA resolution will give you 4.5x more resolution than you would have gotten with SVGA. The Epson EX9200 Pro WUXGA 3LCD Projector gives you full HD 1080p. Wireless capabilities allow you to project content from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, and there is no need to plug it into the projector. This enables you to move freely without restrictions from cords. MHL-enables tablets and smartphones allow you to display your pictures, videos, and presentations, so you can leave your bulky laptop at your house. You can do all of this while actually charging your device, which makes it even better. Wireless setup is fast for your mobile device, all you have to do is scan the QR code on the screen. Setup is fast and easy. The Epson EX9200 Pro WUXGA 3LCD Projector is compatible with the latest media players and laptops. The lamps have a life of up to 10,000 hours. Overall, This Epson EX9200 model has all the necessary features to become the best outdoor projector in our list.
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Optoma HD27 Home Theater Projector
Play games and watch outdoor movies while enjoying fantastic, brilliant colors. Optoma HD27 Home Theater Projector produces HDTV quality colors thanks to 3200 ANSI lumens as well as Brilliant Color. The Optoma HD27 Home Theater Projector produces full HD 1080p which is perfect for watching movies and you won’t have to worry about compression or downscaling. The life lamp lasts up to 8000 hours. It also features an integrated 10W speaker which emits the sound which is clear and powerful. The Optoma HD27 Home Theater Projector has sRGB Color Profile as well as Reference Display Mode for a great color spectrum. Visuals are highly detailed and clear with a contrast ratio of 25000:1. MHL v1.2 connectivity lets you transform your projector into a smart display when you connect it to your tablet or smartphone.
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CiBest Video Projector
This LED projector has been upgraded with LED technology. This gives it more brightness than your average projector and it has a lifetime of up to 20,000 hours due to low power consumption. The design of the CiBest Video Projector is easily portable so you can take it with you camping or traveling as it requires minimal space. The picture is bright and fresh due to the high transmittance lens. The screen size extends from 32-200 inches so you can get the most out of a large screen experience. The best distance to view the image is from around 2.5-2.6m with a projection size of around 80-120 inches. The CiBest Video Projector supports multi-media with a 2xRCA terminal, 2xUSB interface, Audio input, YpbPr, AV, TV, 2xHDMI, and VGA. Of course, you can also use your smartphone or iPad. The CiBest Video Projector has built-in speakers as well. There are technically 3 different projection methods, front, rear, or ceiling. This is because the image can be reversed 180 degrees.
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LeFun Video Projector (Cheaper One)
This is one of the cheapest projectors that you can use for outdoor movies. The bulb in this projector will provide 1200 lumens of brightness and it has an average lifespan of 30,000-50,000 hours. The projector is capable of supporting 1080p HD input which means that you can enjoy a clear quality image. The optical glass lens in the LeFun Video Projector is high quality and allows for better temperature resistance, transmittance, and reproduction. This makes it great to use outside in the dark to enjoy movies, or just for general home entertainment inside the house. The LeFun Video Projector is board compatible and can be used with smartphones, a USB flash drive, DVD player, tablet, laptop, or PC. You can connect it with the x-box to enjoy motion sensing games and 3D games. The projection size is 30-120 inches. For the best projection image, it is suggested that the projection distance is 5-7 feet and the projection size is 40-80 inches. This projector is not suggested for presentations. The LeFun Video Projector has a long working life.
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Optoma EH500 Network Projector
The full high definition can impress friends, family, and your coworkers or superiors when you make your presentations. The Optoma EH500 Network Projector has a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 in addition to 4700 lumens bright output which means that graphics and text are sharp and clear and colors are vibrant and vivid. If you need a large screen as well as fine image details this projector will cover all of the bases required. The Optoma EH500 Network Projector has a range of connectivity options such as RJ45, RS-232C, 12V trigger, composite video, S-Video, VGA-Out, two VGA, two HMI, and DisplayPort. Presentations will be crystal clear thanks to 1080p HD resolution. The Optoma EH500 Network Projector has full 3D compatibility and over the network control and management capability. The DLP technology is state-of-the-art and it employs BrilliantColor technology. The lamp can last 2500 hours if you use standard mode or 3500 hours if you use economy mode. The Optoma EH500 Network Projector is made to be green when it comes to saving energy and using green materials. We have listed this model in out best outdoor projectors list becuase it has impressive 4700 lumes for bright picture quality.
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Crenova XPE470 Mini LED Video Projector
Get a cinematic, big screen experience from the comfort of your living room, patio, or just about any other location in your home with the Crenova XPE470 Mini LED Video Projector. This is a great way to enjoy a football game or have a movie marathon. LED source technology lets the projector produce an image that is clear without the same kind of optical harm that you experience from staring at tablets, laptops, and TVs. This wonderful technology gives you a great way to enjoy television, sports, and movies, without the same degree of stress on your eyes. These same upgraded LED sources can even save you energy. The Crenova XPE470 Mini LED Video Projector has a lifespan of around 30,000 hours and in that time you can save as much as 70% of the energy which you would have used from other models. This Crenova XPE470 Mini LED Video Projector even lets you customize your own screen thanks to the Keystone button. A straight image can be produced even in the case that the projector is tilted. The screen extends from 37-130 inches. The Crenova XPE470 Mini LED Video Projector is small and compact—in fact, it is no bigger than an iPad mini. Installation is easy and it can connect with your other devices.
Outdoor Projectors Buyer’s Guide ( 5 Things to Consider)
1) Brightness
The level of brightness on a projector is completely determined by the amount of lumens it has. How bright the projector actually needs to be will depend entirely on where you will be using the projector and the overall environment you will be in. If the projector is going to be used in a closed-off room with no windows then you likely won’t need too many lumens. On the other hand, if you plan to be using the projector outside during the day or in a well-lit room then you will need a much higher number of lumens. As a general rule, you will find that the more lumens a projector have, the better, as brightness is just best when dealing with an actual screen such as this. Less than 1,000 lumens is better for a room which is dark or for a business projector. On the other hand, a movie projector in a setting where there is some degree of ambient light will need more lumens, preferably a rating of 2,000 or even more if possible. In simple words, if you are planning to buy an outdoor projector then you should look for at least 2,000 lumens projector.
As you are thinking about outdoor movie projectors, this is a very important issue to consider. In fact, thinking about the brightness of a projector is actually one of the first things you should be looking at when comparing different projectors. Nothing is more heartbreaking or disappointing than finding what you believe to be the perfect outdoor projector only to set it up, stream a movie, and realize that you can’t really see the image.
2) Inputs
The inputs are just basically what will allow you to connect the projector with other devices so that you can stream different content from one device to the projector. Another way to say this may be its “connectivity options.” This is, of course, another very important thing to think about for an outdoor projector. First and foremost it is important that you have a decent idea of your own devices and what connectivity options they have. How do you usually connect them, via USB, HDMI, or some other port? Knowing this is key in determining what inputs are the most important to you in getting an outdoor projector. Thankfully the majority of decent projectors have all or most of the ports that you would ever need, but it is still prudent to double check. You wouldn’t want to get the projector and not be able to connect it with the devices which you have.
If you want to use the projector mainly for playing games then an HDMI port is the primary thing to look for. Projectors typically always have VGA ports, so this particular input is covered. If you are a business person looking to use the projector for presentations then you may want to look for a projector which has a USB port capable of handling a flash drive. This is a very convenient way to put together a presentation without much hassle. Some projectors also have WiFi support and this can come in really handy so that you can stream content from a variety of modern devices without needing to plug them directly into the projector. An Ethernet port is also good to have as it lets you operate and manage the projector from online and it is even more reliable than WiFi.
3) Portability
Projectors range a great deal when it comes to size, which basically just translates to working portability or mobility. If you are looking for an outdoor projector you may or may not want one which is portable. Being able to bring the projector inside after using it is probably a good idea, especially if it will be exposed to the elements. If this is the case then lugging it back and forth may be challenging without the right degree of portability. On the other hand, if your projector will be relatively stationary or you won’t use it too often, then this shouldn’t be something that you need to be concerned about.
While having portability is always nice, it may not be your top priority, and if it isn’t your top priority then it may not be something you should look out for. There could be trade-offs associated with a more portable projector, mainly they are not usually as bright as slightly larger projectors. Again, brightness is very important, so you may have to make a compromise.
4) Contrast
The contrast or contrast ratio is essentially the ratio or difference between the darkest and brightest areas of the picture. The higher a contrast ratio is, the better an image will essentially be. When a contrast ratio is low the light and dark of an image become somewhat blurred together, but when a contrast ratio is high it is more vivid and generally more realistic. Try to aim for a ratio of 400:1 or even higher if you want to get a truly good image that is legible and vibrant. The amount of light in a room will have a fairly large impact on a contrast ratio, so consider this as well when you are comparing projectors. In a lighter setting you will need very high contrast ratios, but if the room or environment is dark then you won’t have to worry quite as much about having a higher contrast ratio. Regardless of the brightness of a projector, it will undoubtedly appear best in a darker room. Of course, this may not always be possible. Just remember, if you are going to be in a brighter room or outside during the day, then get a projector that has higher contrast ratio and more lumens.
5) Pixel
A variety of factors will play a role in the overall quality of a projector’s image. We have already talked about lumens or brightness, contrast ratio, and the benefit of a darker environment, but pixels will also be vital in the image quality of a projector. If you are somewhat familiar with televisions or even smartphones you have probably heard the term pixel and you may even understand that more pixels make for greater detail in a picture. The same can basically be said for projectors, which also have pixels. The more pixels a projector has, the more clear and vivid a projector’s image will be.
Types of Video Projectors
There are essentially, and simply put, 2 types of video projectors, and they are LCD and DLP. If you are looking at buying a projector then understanding these two types and how they differ is an important step to finding the right projector for you.
Essentially these projectors operate differently, but they still have a lot in common. They use a LED or laser light source and an incandescent lamp, however, they produce color images differently from light. LCD projectors shine light through a very small LCD panel, and from there the light goes through color filters and finally into a prism which feeds to the projector lens. DLP projectors reflect light off a chip. This chip contains thousands of little mirrors, and from this point, the light goes into a spinning color wheel and this is how colors get produced. LCD and DLP projectors have their own advantages and disadvantages.
DLP projectors generally produce better image quality that is smoother and has less pixelation because they use no pixel grid. LCD projectors do use pixel grids. This gives DLP projectors higher contrast capabilities and deeper blacks. LCD projectors, however, generally produce less heat and use less power than DLP projectors, which is where they have the advantage. They also don’t have the same “rainbow” effect that DLP projectors are known to produce.
Conclusion
There are many different types of projectors such as outdoor projectors, pocket projectors, star projectors. It can be hard to figure out what kind you want and what you will use it for if you are rather new to the field of projectors. They can be used for working people who want to put on impressive presentations or for educational purposes. They are a very popular choice for entertainment and can be used to create your own personal theater either inside or outside. When used for entertainment some people watch movies but others would rather play video games or even watch sports.
Outdoor projectors can serve many different purposes too, but they are probably most popular for residential and entertainment uses. The most important components in an outdoor projector will be the lumens and contrast ratio. This will make it much easier to see the image if you use the projector during the day or with some lights in the area. You should also think about where you will put the projector and where the image will be displayed. This can help you to decide how big of a screen you need to have.
After you have figured out the type of projector you want to have and what it will be used for, and even where then you can begin searching for the best outdoor projector. You will probably spend a great deal of time doing comparison shopping and looking at different prices and features each projector offers. This list of projectors will give you a place to start and hopefully eliminate some of the guesswork and research involved in looking for the right outdoor projector for you.
