Autumn is the perfect time to go on a trip or camp with friends. Many people's top entertainment activities outdoors are watching movies or TV series. Imagine setting up a projector by the campfire and watching your favorite shows with your family and friends, isn't it fun? There are also many portable projectors on the market that allow users to easily take the projector outdoors.
But how do you choose an outdoor projector? What are the specifications to pay attention to? What are the important steps in setting up a projector outdoors? This article will explain one by one.
Factors to consider when purchasing an outdoor projector or camping projector
First, let's talk about a few factors to consider when purchasing an outdoor portable projector to help you choose the right machine in the market.
1.Easy Setup
When watching movies outdoors, sometimes the projector or projection screen may be limited by the venue and cannot be perfectly set up. This is where a projector with easy setup features is important. For example, horizontal or vertical keystone correction, auto focus, etc.
2.Built-in Battery
When camping outdoors, power supply is often the biggest limitation of entertainment. Sometimes you want to enjoy nature and embrace the convenience of tech products simultaneously, so choosing a battery powered projector that can support long-term image playback is very important. You may also want to pay attention to the playback time of those battery powered projector. Ideally, at least 2 hours of movie playback are necessary.
3.Universal Connectivity
You definitely don't want to carry too many cables or adapters to watch a movie when you go out to play, right? The ideal scenario is that the projector can be used with any type of image transmission cable, such as USB-C, HDMI, or even wireless transmission. This way, you don't need to prepare for additional adapters or devices to watch movies easily.
4.Built-in Speakers
Similarly, if you buy an outdoor projector but still need to carry additional audio equipment, it will definitely reduce your willingness to take it out. Therefore, choosing a projector with built-in speakers is also very important.
5.Weight
When you go camping outdoors, you should make the most of the space and avoid carrying a projector that is too heavy or bulky, so the weight and size of the projector are also important considerations.
Setting up a projector for your camping movie night
With the above information, let us tell you what to keep in mind when actually setting up a projector outdoors.
1.Perceived brightness and projection size
Consider about how big of a screen you want to project, because the size of the projection screen will also affect the brightness of the visual. In general, users choose to project at night because this will be less affected by ambient light and visual brightness.
2.Find a flat surface
In general, we recommend that you prepare a clean white cloth as a projection screen when camping outdoors, and try to keep it flat and not blown away by the wind, because most outdoor portable projectors do not have warping adjustment features.
3.Turn on the projector
Before turning it on, it is recommended that you choose a stable surface, such as a table. Or, you can also bring a table-top tripod to fix the projector on it, making it more stable.
4.Adjust the image
After turning on, some projectors have auto horizontal or vertical keystone correction, auto focus, etc. features, such as the R150 Smart Portable Mini Projector. If not, you can also adjust the settings to make the projection image fit the projection screen more closely.
5.Connect your video source and speakers
Since there is usually no WiFi environment outdoors, it is recommended that you prepare the content to be played in a USB drive or smartphone or laptop in advance. In addition, some projectors have built-in speakers, so you only need to select the sound from the signal source such as: smartphone, laptop.
Our recommended outdoor projectors
If you are considering purchasing a dedicated outdoor projector or camping projector, here are our recommendations:
X300 Smart Portable Speaker & Projector
The X300 is a portable projector and speaker designed specifically for outdoor camping needs. It has 1080p high-definition, can project a 110-inch large screen, and 16-watt Harman Kardon Bluetooth speakers, and has a built-in battery that can provide 3 hours of movie playback and 6 hours of music playback, making your outdoor party experience even better. The most special thing is that the X300 has a leather handle on the body, which allows users to easily carry the X300 to different environments.
R150 Smart Portable Mini LED Projector
The R150 is a great choice for anyone looking for a portable projector that can provide a large, clear image and excellent sound quality. It is also perfect for outdoor use, as it is lightweight and has a built-in battery. The R150 is a miniature portable projector that can also easily project a 100-inch large screen. It has a built-in Harman Kardon speaker and a built-in battery that can play movies for up to 4 hours and music for up to 7 hours. The R150 weighs just 1.5 lbs, making it lightweight and easy to carry. It also has a built-in base and a rotating lens, which makes it more convenient to use than other brands of projectors that can only project at a single angle when placed on a table.
