When the weather is warm, an outdoor movie night is a great way to spend time together as a family and get some fresh air. We often throw dive-in movie parties in our backyard, and there are several great gadgets that make these nights a little easier.
Projectors
While there are several iPhone projectors on the market right now, none have been approved to show licensed movies. They are great for home movies and Keynote addresses, though. Since we show movies during our outdoor movie nights, we use our Epson PowerLite Home Cinema 500 ($379) movie projector. Another option is the Epson MegaPlex 850HD projector that iPhone Life blogger Todd Bernhard reviewed here. If a movie projector isn't in your budget just yet, you might want to check out one of the many iPhone projector hacks available online.
Movie Screen
We use this Gemmy Airblown Inflatable movie screen and love it. It stands up against the evening breeze we often have and provides a crisp picture. If you don't have a movie screen, a white sheet will also do the trick!
Sound
You'll need powerful sound that allows your movie to be heard outdoors. Alto makes Bluetooth-enabled DJ speakers that are large enough to provide crisp and clear audio for your movies, while making it easy to adjust the volume on your phone without leaving your front row seat.
We recently tried using Tego Audio's CERA wireless speakers ($89.99), since they daisy chain together and provide 360-degree sound, and this was a fun way to watch the movie. It reminded us a little of the drive-in movie days, where each car had their own speaker outside the windows. The illuminated touch control panel on the top of the speaker makes it easy to adjust the volume in the dark, and one full charge will last you longer than you'll need for one movie—about 5 to 7 hours.
If you forget to charge your CERA speakers or other devices, you can use the PowerGrid portable charger ($59) from Tego Power to keep you powered during the movie. This 4,200mAh battery charger will provide more than enough juice to recharge your portable devices during outdoor movie night.
Those are the basics! Now all you need are a few chairs and maybe a blanket or outdoor heater to be the most popular person in your neighborhood! Enjoy your movie.
