Let's Get Technical: What Do You Pay for in a Nice Projector for Outdoor Movies

When it comes to television sets, all the technology is built into the unit that you get. But when it comes to a projector and an outdoor screen, it’s important to have a few things. And just as it is the case with television sets, all projectors are not created equal. In fact, there's quite a large quality gap between the best models and the value ones.

So just what are you paying for in a nice projector? And what separates the best projectors from the not so great ones? We examine below:

What You'll Find in a Nice Projector

The best projectors recreate a viewing experience similar to that of what you'd find in a movie theater. After all, it's a projector that delivers the movie to the big screen when you're at the cinema - home theaters are similar, just on a bit of a smaller scale. Here's a look at some of the qualities a nice projector comes with:

• High-definition resolution: Most projectors these days come with full high-definition resolution at 1080p, or 1920 x 1080 pixels. But some projectors take resolution a step further to ulta high-defintion. These projectors offer 4096 x 2160 pixel resolution, which is more than four times a better resolution than standard HD. Needless to say, but the higher the resolution, the better the picture.
• Contrast ratio: Aside from resolution, another important factor that goes into picture quality is the contrast ratio. The higher the contrast ratio, the better the picture - and vice versa. If you're purchasing a projector for a home theater, you don't want to skimp on this feature.
• Light output: Also known as lumens, this feature helps projectors deliver enough brightness to show movies in even the most dimly lit of rooms. Most projectors are rated between 3000 lumens and above now. The higher the brightness rating, the better it is if there's an abundance of ambient room light. In the case of an outdoor inflatable movie screen, for instance, you'll likely want to go with a higher lumens rating. The most popular screen size Elite Outdoor Movies carries is the 17 ft home screen. A 3500 lumen projector will give you a great picture. 
• Other features: There are various other features that you'll want to ensure your projector has. For instance, wireless HDMI outputs are great for connectivity purposes. You should also make sure that your projector is able to be mounted, especially if you're using it indoors.

Now that you know a bit about what features to look for in a quality projector, why don't we talk a bit about screens? While screens come in different sizes, one unique type of screen is an inflatable one that can be positioned outdoors around the yard or indoors in big enough spaces. It certainly makes for a unique way to watch a film, and to put that projector to good use.