Camp Chef 120-Inch Indoor/Outdoor Screen

[benocha]

@radi0j0hn

People go on camping trips and then haul all this stuff so they can watch some movie in the wilderness and blast audio all over? Why not just stay home?

When I go camping yes. My extended family is pretty big and its usually 30-40 of us camping. If we camp at small camp places like lake perris then we dont go to crazy so we dont piss off our camping neighbors but when we camp at ocotillo wells we setup the screen on the hillside, point the projector at it with 2 big boomboxes and a honda eu2000i gen and that my friend is how you get random people to come and party with you when you have music blasting and music videos in the background under the milky way. Also when the kids are still awake it doesnt hurt to put on a movie for them while the grown ups relax after a day of quad riding, drinking, and swimming.

[charper3219]

@scubalab

OK, I’ll give you a serious reply

You would need a video source (DVD or Bluray player, or cable box) and an audio source. Some cheap projectors have a built in speaker, but don’t expect much from that, especially outdoors. You could get by with an old ‘boom box’ as your audio source as long as your video source and said boom box have matching out/inputs (like RCA - the red & white coax cables) for audio. Or, you could get fancy and go with a home theater receiver with full HDMI in and outputs and full 9.2 channel surround! That may be overkill for the occasional outdoor movie.

I set up a projector, cable box, and old boom box in our garage years ago for a Penn State away game tailgate party. It worked fine.

As for a reasonably priced projector, there are plenty of no-name brands out there for around the $100 mark that should work. If you want a reputable name brand and are looking for HD video, you’re likely starting in the $600 range. Or, you could check out the sellout plus deal for some reasonably priced projectors!

Thanks. Haven’t decided if I am going to pull the trigger. I can see fun nights in the backyard with some friends and kids over. Hmmmm

[lucasatakros]

Check out BackYardtheater for examples and links to everything you need to know… Lots of photos, stories,etc.

[fernando65]

@Gedrean

Wow, for once in a long time I can actually provide decent input.

I lived in a house with like 3 roommates.

hah thanks for the insight i had two roomies (not a big ass house) and we projected onto a white painted wall. i made a frame for the screen out of felt- wrapped wood, looked great. i think they sell special paint for projector screens. haha i didnt realise thread count impacts image quality (or durability)!

[bk26]

@radi0j0hn

People go on camping trips and then haul all this stuff so they can watch some movie in the wilderness and blast audio all over? Why not just stay home?

Totally agree!!

[mlewie]

I bought a camp chef outdoor projector screen about 3 years ago and have movie nights with my 2 kids and their friends 3 or 4 times a year. We love it.

Obviously, you need a projector. I bought a 720P Epson from Best Buy for about $500 but you can find similar models for a few bucks less. Just keep an eye on your resolution (don’t go below 720P) and lumens (1500 and up is fine). During the winter, we use the projector in the basement rec room (one day, I’ll build a real home theater).

You can always repurpose equipment from the house for movie night. I grab a dvd/blueray player out of my rec room but I bought a 5.1 audio receiver on Craigslist for a hundred bucks and connect it to three small speakers (no surround or subwoofer although some people do). Don’t forget wiring, including electricity to connect the powered units. All in all, I ask the kids to give me 45-60 minutes to set everything up.

[charper3219]

@mlewie

I bought a camp chef outdoor projector screen about 3 years ago and have movie nights with my 2 kids and their friends 3 or 4 times a year. We love it.

Obviously, you need a projector. I bought a 720P Epson from Best Buy for about $500 but you can find similar models for a few bucks less. Just keep an eye on your resolution (don’t go below 720P) and lumens (1500 and up is fine). During the winter, we use the projector in the basement rec room (one day, I’ll build a real home theater).

You can always repurpose equipment from the house for movie night. I grab a dvd/blueray player out of my rec room but I bought a 5.1 audio receiver on Craigslist for a hundred bucks and connect it to three small speakers (no surround or subwoofer although some people do). Don’t forget wiring, including electricity to connect the powered units. All in all, I ask the kids to give me 45-60 minutes to set everything up.

Thanks for everyone’s input. I bought this screen and the BenQ MP776 projector from woot too. We have two children under six, my wife was so excited about it. She told me she always wanted to do outdoor movie night for the kids and friends.

I have a spare pair of speakers, looking for a cheap receiver to finish the setup. Thanks again for all the replies.

[buddyboy45]

Heys Woot! Can you get any more for those of us who were too slow?

[HeyItsMe]

Anybody get one of these and change their mind? Or perhaps buy more than one and not need them all? I should have bought two, but only bought one, now looking again.

[svcgy9]

I bought one last Thursday excited to use it for the Super Bowl…but it still hasn’t shipped. Brutal lol

[agingdragqueen]

@svcgy9

I bought one last Thursday excited to use it for the Super Bowl…but it still hasn’t shipped. Brutal lol

I actually checked by reference and it looks like it should be delivering today for you! If you go here and use your order number as your reference you should be able to get your tracking too

[RogerB]

I don’t have a projector or a screen, so I am not an expert, but if I was in the market for a projector, I would look at the cost of replacement lamps and mean time between failures. I know they can be extremely costly and they do burn out regularly (perhaps by design?). Or, perhaps this has all changed.