May 4 Podcast #529: Google Drive and Outdoor Theater Screens
Podcast Tags: Outdoor, Projectors, Screen 
Until recently, it felt like the weather was changing here in Southern California. We clicked over to daylight savings time; we had a few days of nice, sunny BBQ weather and it felt like the season of backyard movies was upon us. Since then it's gotten a bit gloomy again, but we always like to be prepared, so we've put together a list of screen options for you if you finally want to make the jump into outdoor cinema.
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Today's Show:
Blu-ray Reviews:
News:
- Hulu, networks to change model of free streaming
- Lowe's to Sell Cloud-Based Home Management System
- Nearly Half Of Smart TV Owners Don't Know What It Is
Other:
- Win a pair of Audioengine A5+ speakers
- HDTV Alternatives: 5 High-End TV Projectors
- Software Lets Movie Theaters Play 7.1 and 11.1 Surround Sound Without Adding Speakers
- Google Drive
- IR Repeaters at Amazon
- Pioneer introduces new Elite AVRs
- 20% US Households Have an Internet-Connected TV
- Six new Epson PowerLite projectors unveiled
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- The HT Guys gratitude!
5 Affordable Outdoor Theater Screens for Summer Movie Fun
Until recently, it felt like the weather was changing here in Southern California. We clicked over to daylight savings time; we had a few days of nice, sunny BBQ weather and it felt like the season of backyard movies was upon us. Since then it’s gotten a bit gloomy again, but we always like to be prepared, so we've put together a list of screen options for you if you finally want to make the jump into outdoor cinema.
Camp Chef 120-Inch Portable Outdoor Movie Theater Screen
Price: $153, Amazon Prime eligible
This screen has a 4.5 star rating from Amazon users and looks like a sure bet. It isn't an inflatable screen, so there's no need to worry about fan noise, and it collapses down to quite a reasonable size for storage in the winter. It even includes storage bags to make sure everything is protected and intact when you pull it out again the next summer.
- 120-inch screen for projecting movies outdoors or indoors
- 600D by 600D Oxford nylon screen; 16:9 aspect ratio
- Kit includes four guy ropes with stakes for stability; easy setup
- Includes separate heavy duty storage bags for both screen and frame
- Steel tube frame measures 1-1/2-inches in diameter; unit weighs 44 pounds
Outdoor Entertainment Gear OS92 Indoor/Outdoor Movie Theater Screen
Price: 92" $153, 115" $199, Amazon Prime eligible
This screen has a 5 star rating, granted only from 3 reviewers, but all 3 love it. The metal frame appears to be quite sturdy and it appears to pack up a little smaller than the Camp Chef screen. However, it doesn't come with legs. So if you have a patio cover or deck you can hook it to, you’ll be all set. If not, you might need to add the Outdoor Entertainment Gear OSKIT Indoor/Outdoor Big Screen Leg Kit for an additional $62.
- Light weight aluminum frame big screen
- Oxford nylon sivler screen for great viewing quality
- Easy to assemble and set up
- Designed for front and rear projection
- Hanging straps and hardware included
Sima XL-72 72" Inflatable Home Theater Kit
Price: $153, Amazon Prime eligible
It is the smallest screen on the list, but it isn’t the least expensive. As an inflatable screen, it will be very easy to collapse and store, but you'll also have to find a way to get it inflated each time you want to use it. This model doesn't have a dedicated blower, so at least you won’t have to contend with fan noise during the movie. Amazon users rate this one at 3.5 stars. It does include 2 screen options, both White and Gray, so you can choose the one that works best for your situation. We recommend a small compressor/pump to save your lungs.
- 16:9 Hdtv Format
- Includes 2 Screens: Bright White For Vivid Picture Even In Partially Lit Rooms & Dove Gray For High Contrast Picture In Darker Rooms
- Cinema-Quality Fabric
- Fixed Screen Tension For Perfectly Flat Surface
- High Effective Scattered Screen Angle
Epson Duet 80-Inch Dual Aspect Ratio Projection Screen
Price: $118, Amazon Prime eligible
This portable screen can be adjusted to show either 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios. It is a portable screen and includes a tripod, so it should set up fairly quickly in your yard. But it isn't necessarily intended for outdoor use, so it doesn't include any form of anchors to hold it in place. Depending on what kind of weather you're used to in the summer time, specifically how strong a summer breeze might be, this screen could be problematic. But it is very affordable and received 4.5 stars from over 100 customer reviews.
- Use with any home theater or business projector
- Enjoy fast, easy setup with the innovative, patent-pending design
- Expand Screen to the size that best meets your needs - Standard 4:3 or widescreen 16:9
- Mount on the included floor stand or on a wall with the included wall bracket
- When closed, Duet forms its own carrying case (just 43" long)
Open Air Outdoor Home Projector Screen 16x9
Price: $1226
Perhaps our list should have said "4 affordable screens and 1 gigantic screen that costs quite a bit" but this screen is a giant. It is a 220" screen that will make your backyard feel like a drive in theater. The only way to easily set-up, tear-down and store a screen that big is to make it inflatable, which this one is. It also includes a blower to keep it perfectly inflated for your entire movie, but that could impact your audio experience as well.
- Wide screen, 16:9 aspect ratio.
- Easier to set up than a pup tent
- 220-inch diagonal projection surface (about 18')
- Weighs only 17 pounds and fits inside a stuff sack.
- Inflates in less than 20 seconds! No need to attach projection surface because it is permanently attached for hassle free setup.
HT Guys
Robbie from Tasmania sent us a few pictures of his outdoor theater they setup while camping:
Reader Comments (3)
Hey Guys, Great show today guys. This is a response to Ara concerning the JVC Projector's not being in the top 5. I agree with you totally on the JVC PJ's. They offer one of the best contrast ratio's on the market and with a clean and almsot natural color spectrum. That being said though, I believe "projectorcentral.com" had a review on several 3D projectors and sadly enough, the JVC scored the lowest on the 3D aspect, not overall performance. I felt there we're too many Epson projectors on there. Panasonic, specifically the new AE7000, and the JVC DLA
s, I feel, should have been on that list.
On another topic, for anyone looking for a great IR Kit, try the Xantech DL85K, or DL95K. Xantech is phenomenal and work great. The kit is modestly priced and the installation is easy. They resist to UV rays as well as Plasma interference. I have 3 kits in my house right now and work flawlessly. The are available on Amazon.com.
Keep up the good work guys.
Cheers
Vince
The camp chef looks like a good value. Not much experience with projectors but i think this is going to be my first.
In the podcast Ara was thinking what is new in Google Drive over Google Docs. The added feature here is that now Apps other than Google Docs can access your data stored in Google Drive. e.g. You can have a photo editing software which stores photos in Drive. With Google Drive, Chrome OS laptops will make sense as everything is in cloud - apps and storage.
https://developers.google.com/drive/apps_overview