Hey All,

I work for a Parks and Rec Dept and we are looking at holding some movies in the park. We are trying to get an idea of what will make a good projector. I have seen the reviews for all of the popular projectors, but are wondering which one will be able to project something in the size of 20'? (with a decent picture)

Ideally we would like a pretty large screen. I have seen those 12' inflatable screens for $300, but we don't think it will accomodate 500 people. We were thinking about having a sail maker sew together some white fabric to make a screen we can hang from a backstop. Then it can be any size we want. Fairly inexpensive also.


Any ideas of good projectors with decent light output? We are thinking of a price range around $1000 for the projector. (Let me know if I am way off on my expectations and it will be more) It doesn't have to be movie theater quality, just able to see a good picture.

Thank you for your help!

The best home theater projector is probably going to be the Panasonic AX100U. It's bright enough for what you want to do. Unfortunately, it's closer to $2000. Another possibility would be a business projector. They're generally brighter than HT projectors, but their colors are usually not as suitable to movies. But in an outside setting the brightness is far more important than accurate colors. I don't know what to recommend however because I'm more in tune with HT projectors.

Jim

Check my response in the other thread, but I just want to point out there is no way you can legally display a film for 500 people without getting a liscense from the studio

The Dell 2400MP projector is in the price range that you're looking for and is a 3000 lumen projector, so it's bright enough for a larger screen.

I have a 1700 lumen projector and an 8' x 12' screen (the screen isn't an exact 4:3 ratio, but it's close enough for my needs) and the projector is slightly dimmer than I like. A 2000 lumen projector which I borrowed for a day to test it is almost perfect for my screen and my yard.

Davdev-

We already have the license neccessary. Not an issue. Some people do not know, so thank you for pointing it out.

I agree with most--you want the brightest light cannon you can find. Also be aware, that light from other sources may wash out the screen somewhat, so try to pick a pretty dark place to show the movie.

I have a Benq PB6100 (SVGA) that is rated at 1700 lumens (it's got to be much less than that now, with about 1000 hours on the bulb). I project onto a 16 foot wide screen, and it is plenty bright, but my yard is very dark.

I don't think the resolution is imperative at all, especially if you are using it primarily in an outdoor setting. Most people will be sitting far enough away that the resolution won't make a big difference. With my set up, with most people sitting a lot closer than the folks in the park, I hear a lot of comments that people cannot believe how clear the picture looks.

So bottom line, get the light cannon at relatively low resolution (SVGA) and I doubt you will be disappointed. You can easily find a projector for under $1000.

I agree with most--you want the brightest light cannon you can find. Also be aware, that light from other sources may wash out the screen somewhat, so try to pick a pretty dark place to show the movie.

I have a Benq PB100 (SVGA) that is rated at 1700 lumens (it's got to be much less than that now, with about 1000 hours on the bulb). I project onto a 16 foot wide screen, and it is plenty bright, but my yard is very dark.

I don't think the resolution is imperative at all, especially if you are using it primarily in an outdoor setting. Most people will be sitting far enough away that the resolution won't make a big difference. With my set up, with most people sitting a lot closer than the folks in the park, I hear a lot of comments that people cannot believe how clear the picture looks.

So bottom line, get the light cannon at relatively low resolution (SVGA) and I doubt you will be disappointed. You can easily find a projector for under $1000.


Hey Steve, with the location you are from, I bet an outdoor Friday the 13th Marathon would be pretty cool.

Hey Steve, with the location you are from, I bet an outdoor Friday the 13th Marathon would be pretty cool.

Never heard that one before! ;)

Actually, our outdoor movie nights are limited mostly to Disney, although there have been a number of movies that have come out the past few months that will be out on video for next summer that aren't necessarily Disney--Over the Hedge, Open Season, Cars, that Aardman mouse movie (can't remember the name...), etc. Friday the 13th probably wouldn't sit well with the 3-8 year olds that frequent the movie nights...

Never heard that one before! ;)

I didn't say I was creative :) , though some say I am the master of the obvious

Friday the 13th probably wouldn't sit well with the 3-8 year olds that frequent the movie nights...

It could be fun to try it though :)

Hey Lukeduke! I don't know if this will help you, but I have an Optoma DV10 projector and a Gemmy inflatable screen along with a Sima XL-12. I have done shows for the school I work for with the DV10 (1000 lumens) with an audience of 200+ junior high students and it performed beautifully. I did have a pretty dark location, and I projected the picture on a 12+ screen, and surprisingly the picture was very bright and the kids and staff are still talking about it. My projector does have a bright mode, but I didn't find it necessary to use it. I could see you wanting a brighter projector, but I am so impressed with my DV10 I just thought I should mention it to you. It is capable of projecting a picture up to 350 inches(30 ft., although 20 is as big as I have gone with it), with a 4000:1 contrast ratio. The picture was excellent! I use it in my small business ventures. Just something to think about. I plan on doing movies in the park too someday, and a already have licencing for many movies. Tell me how it goes for you.

Thanks for the info KMAC! We have a lot going on and are trying to get some help on funding to awuire a better projector. I will follow up when all goes through.

We've been doing movies for Malibu Parks & Rec ever since the town's only movie theater burned down two years ago. We typically attract crowds of 250-300, and for this size audience we have found that a 28'-wide screen is ideal. Of course, it takes a lot of lumens (at least 4500) to light up a screen that large -- and when you blow up a regular DVD onto a screen of that size, you should definitely get a DVD player with a good upscaler.

That may blow your budget, but you can offset the initial investment through the sale of sponsorships to local retailers, concession sales, and voluntary donations (you cannot charge admission unless you're willing to split the gate with the studio).

Hope this helps; for more information and to see some examples of various set-ups, please visit www.commcinema.com.