Right now I am pretty happy with my Backyard Theater Setup. I can put the whole thing
Just waiting for the sun to go down
up in about 15 minutes if I am really hustling and I can tear it down in about 20-25 minutes (getting the screen back in the bag adds some time). Of course I am always tweaking it around the margins.
Screen
I am still using my (click for my review) Gemmy Airblown Deluxe screen . She just turned two years old, has seen a lot of movies, and is still going strong. For speed of setup, tear down, and mobility I just don’t think you can go wrong with this screen. You will hear some people speak poorly of it because it is “consumer grade”, but that has been more than adequate in my experience. I love that the[easyazon_link identifier=”B00DH5FS3Y” locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″ cart=”y”]Gemmy Airblown Deluxe screen[/easyazon_link]is largely self-contained and that it fits nicely in a single duffel.
Projector
I am still using my (click for my review) Optoma HD141X projector. Since I only use it for outdoor movies there should be plenty of life left in her. She has since been replaced by the [easyazon_link identifier=”B01HQCF6R6″ locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″ cart=”y”]Optoma HD142X[/easyazon_link], which a friend of mine has purchased and his family is very pleased with it. I think this Optoma series offers a projector loaded with options at a wallet friendly price and a great picture to boot.
Showtime!
Sound
I have recently switched from using my Vizio soundbar to using the (click for my review) Ion Block Rocker for all my movies. I constantly found myself messing with the soundbar’s volume to make sure people could hear the dialogue without getting blown over by the sound of explosions. The [easyazon_link identifier=”B00SNBCBBY” locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″ cart=”y”]Ion Block Rocker[/easyazon_link] has a ton of volume to spare and is portable enough that it isn’t a hassle to bring it out with the setup. The versatility of the Ion Block Rockers make them a heck of a bargain.
Media Source
I still love 3D movies, but my family hasn’t been as jazzed about them recently. We also have had some small kids who won’t wear the glasses, so I have been showing conventional movies. I make sure to redeem all the digital copies of the movies I buy, so that they are available on Vudu. I can access my Vudu account through a media streaming device like my [easyazon_link identifier=”B01DA0YCNC” locale=”US” tag=”backyardmov05-20″ cart=”y”]Roku Stick[/easyazon_link]. I just plug the Roku right into the projector’s HDMI port and pull up the movie. There are several pros to this setup:
Smaller footprint and faster setup/tear down, I no longer need an extra table to hold the Blu-Ray/DVD player
Easier to scan through multiple movies if you need to change the feature presentation on the fly
Via various apps I can get access to whole range of content like Netflix, Hulu, and live events like UFC, NFL, ESPN, NBC
The only CON is that the number of 3D movies available via streaming continues to decline or are cost prohibitive.
I don’t see myself deviating from this setup in the near future, it is working out well for me. I think it would work out well for most families and the whole thing can be had for under $1K and it can be done cheaper if you already have components! That is the thing I love about Backyard Movies, it doesn’t have to be expensive to make them a reality.
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