Home drive-in theater projector?

I know more than a couple people on here play with home theater equipment. Last weekend we took our kids to the semi-local drive-in theater and they had a blast.

So...why not replicate the experience at home and save myself an hour drive and $100? At home means I can have beers while the movie is on.

Another thing I should avoid when looking for a used projector to use in the driveway?

Better yet...suggestions?

I don't need 4k. 720p will be more than adequate.

Look for bright, bright, bright to use it outside. Maybe 2000 lumens at least in my opinion.

I'd be careful with drinking a beer while sitting in a car, even if it's in your driveway. Open container laws can be interpreted somewhat creatively.

Are you going to transmit the audio over low-power FM, or just run a wire to the aux-in jack on the stereo?

Look for bulb life hours, I remember about 10 years ago, bulbs where 300 to 400 bucks for the middle of the road projectors we had at work with a life of 500 to 1000 hours. The last projectors I sourced were better with replacement bulbs being about $250 and a 4,000 hour life. I'm sure the prices come down now and the life is probably gone up but it's something you should check into.

Then again it may not be an issue for you as long as you turn it off when you're done where I worked people would have a meeting on a Friday afternoon unplug the video cable and leave with the projector on still projecting a bright blue light and I would find it Monday morning in that state.

codrus wrote: I'd be careful with drinking a beer while sitting in a car, even if it's in your driveway. Open container laws can be interpreted somewhat creatively. Are you going to transmit the audio over low-power FM, or just run a wire to the aux-in jack on the stereo?

Let's rephrase....Vehicle optional, Firepit with good friends more needed.

Audio could be piped through garage stereo system behind said door or invest in some outside patio speakers.

I've done it with a plain-jane office projector, it works well at night. Look for an LED projector, the "bulbs" in these last vastly longer than older models.

Grtechguy wrote: Better yet...suggestions?

Make sure your neighbors like porn???

GameboyRMH wrote: I've done it with a plain-jane office projector, it works well at night. Look for an LED projector, the "bulbs" in these last vastly longer than older models.

I agree. The standard "hang-from-the-ceiling" TV/presentation projectors work fine if its dark. If you live where there are street lights it might suck. I have one up here at camp and invite all the neighbors for movie night. I hang a sheet off my trailer awning and set up my brother-in-law's small P.A. system. Plenty bright. My friends live in a newer development near a city in PA. They can use it in their back yard just fine, but out front there are too many street lamps.

I would maybe find someone to let you borrow, or maybe you can rent one from somewhere to see how it performs.

But I see no need for a high-dollar, 3000-watt projector. A drive-in movie projector has to throw the picture 100 feet onto a massive screen. If you used one of those to throw 20 feet onto your garage you'll have a permanent image of Brad Pitt burned into your house.

Lumens is not watts - something like this : http://columbus.craigslist.org/ele/5589480893.html would work fine; 4000 lumens and a DVI input. $200 and I bet you could talk him down. That's local to me but I'm sure there's something local to you!

I don't know of any reasonably priced LED projectors that would be bright enough. Lamp life is a concern but if you're buying a $200 projector and the lamp lasts you through hundreds of movies, just replace it when the lamp goes out or find a cheap lamp on eBay.

Lemme look at what's close to you; I'm not familiar with Jenison!

Check replacement bulb costs. I bought a used projector for cheap. The bulb lasted exactly 15 minutes. The replacement bulb was 2.5X the projector cost.

petegossett wrote:

Grtechguy wrote: Better yet...suggestions?

Make sure your neighbors like porn???

what sort of porn do CRC missionaries enjoy?

curtis73 wrote: you'll have a permanent image of Brad Pitt burned into your house.

The wife might enjoy that.

I have done this a few times a couple different ways. One way was to string a rope between two trees and hang a couple sheets over the rope. The other way is to do it in the driveway and project it onto the garage door. We had our kids at home back then and invited all of the families over and had them all bring their own chairs and/or blankets. I connected it to a set of speakers.

The projector I used was an old one with pretty low output. There were no street lights near so it worked OK. The latest in HD is not at all what this is about. I know a friend who did it on the side of his house. It was white vinyl siding. Worked just fine.

This time of year can make for a late start time though.

>Scott