Projection screens

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sawdust123

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I am hosting a party in a few weeks at the house and a lot of my friends want me to break out the karaoke. Normally, we do this inside the house using a TV (actually 2) after the party size has dwindled to about 15 people. This will be a much bigger party (wife's 60th) so we will do the karaoke outside. I want to find a good outdoor screen solution. I have limited experience with screens. Any advice is helpful.

I think the best screen location will be up against the rear wall of the house due to the yard layout and the prevailing breezes through it. This means it will be a front projection setup. I think my 2200 lumen projector will be fine after dark. I will get a screen with an opaque backing to prevent ambient light from bleeding through.

I am not keen on inflatable screens because they eat up a lot of room. Also, there is a pergola with less than a 9' clearance to consider.

Tripod screens as are smallish and they would move too much in the wind.

A pull-down screen might be nice but all-weather options seem limited and expensive. A decent sized indoor screen would require a long storage space when not in use.

A metal framed screen seems like it might be my best option. There are many designs to choose from with prices all over the map. The one I am leaning towards has a snap-on screen with square tubing with permanent hinges. This means there is no PVC connectors to lose or break. There are other screens options that slide over the tubing or use adjustable buckles around the tubing for tensioning. the screen Do any of you have personal experiences on what works well and what to avoid?
 
I have all different size screens because I do outdoor movies but does really get dark until late so projection wont work nicely until it gets darks. LED TVs dont have that issue. Wind can also be a issue but if you place the screen or TV near a Structure it cut down on that. A short throw projector solves the projector distance issue, I do a 10fr screen in less than 5ft but it wont solve the daylight iasue.
 
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I'm not worried about daylight but I did consider getting a rolling stand for a 55" TV we have that only gets used when the nieces visit (2-3 times a year). The stand is inexpensive and good enough for karaoke. However, I like the idea of the larger projection screen so we could do backyard movies too.
 
I’m not sure what time you plan on using projection but you might want to do a test. Clients who have never used projection outdoors are shocked to see how late you have to wait before the picture and colors are properly visible. In my photos its is actually much darker out than it appears in the photo.
 
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My guess is that karaoke will start about 60-90 minutes after sunset (when the taco truck leaves). It should probably be dark enough for karaoke. I also have a separate 24" TV screen that the singers could use. The big screen would be for others to follow along. Movie nights won't be until later in the year.
 
Here's a good one. A similar, but no longer available brand, was purchased in 2015 and is still in perfect condition. I use it for backyard family movie nights, Super Bowl parties, and once in a great great while, event slide shows where no other screens are available and the customer is willing to pay the price.


There are several sizes to choose from. 110" works the best for me.

Mine does not have the tethering feature which can be an important factor outdoors if there's any significant breeze, let alone windy.
 
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Lol. Cap, that is the same one I posted in my second post. I am glad to hear it works well. I would be using it on a patio so tethering is out. However, I have both sand and water bags that I could use. I am actually thinking about leaving the feet off and just hanging it from my pergola. I can get it higher that way and keep it within 3 inches of the wall.
 
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Lol. Cap, that is the same one I posted in my second post. I am glad to hear it works well. I would be using it on a patio so tethering is out. However, I have both sand and water bags that I could use. I am actually thinking about leaving the feet off and just hanging it from my pergola. I can get it higher that way and keep it within 3 inches of the wall.

I've had that one (or similar). It's a cheap screen, so you have to be careful about pulling the snap grommets out. It was kinda a trick to get it put together without tearing it up.
 
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I am hosting a party in a few weeks at the house and a lot of my friends want me to break out the karaoke. Normally, we do this inside the house using a TV (actually 2) after the party size has dwindled to about 15 people. This will be a much bigger party (wife's 60th) so we will do the karaoke outside. I want to find a good outdoor screen solution. I have limited experience with screens. Any advice is helpful.

I think the best screen location will be up against the rear wall of the house due to the yard layout and the prevailing breezes through it. This means it will be a front projection setup. I think my 2200 lumen projector will be fine after dark. I will get a screen with an opaque backing to prevent ambient light from bleeding through.

I am not keen on inflatable screens because they eat up a lot of room. Also, there is a pergola with less than a 9' clearance to consider.

Tripod screens as are smallish and they would move too much in the wind.

A pull-down screen might be nice but all-weather options seem limited and expensive. A decent sized indoor screen would require a long storage space when not in use.

A metal framed screen seems like it might be my best option. There are many designs to choose from with prices all over the map. The one I am leaning towards has a snap-on screen with square tubing with permanent hinges. This means there is no PVC connectors to lose or break. There are other screens options that slide over the tubing or use adjustable buckles around the tubing for tensioning. the screen Do any of you have personal experiences on what works well and what to avoid?
I picked one up at Walmart out of all places. It worked well. it's not the best but got us out of pinch. We used it for my wife's 40th birthday and had a baseball game on. As you stated, the lumens is the key to getting a bright picture during the day. Here's the link to the projector. It does have tie downs to help with the wind.

 
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