Outdoor Screen Installation

For our outdoor deck theater we installed a 72” diagonal 16:9 Blue Ocean® screen on the exterior wall of a two-car garage.  We would have preferred a larger size in the 100 -150” range however we were restricted by having to fit the screen between a door and stairway.  Blue Ocean® is rigid, insulates, and durably weather resistant so there is really nothing better suited for outdoor theater. Our deck is equipped with a projector suitably powered for viewing from early evening. If you plan to make viewing earlier in the afternoon you should avoid designing into westward facing walls or you will need to specify a projector with very high lumen output. (At least 3 lumen output per square inch of screen)

We mounted the projector on the garage ceiling in front of the garage door opener. Most projectors come with a standard lens that has telescopic/zoom functions and optical lens shift. This allows the projector to shoot down to the screen from a higher position and still maintain correct optics. In this case, our total throw distance was not an issue as we had more than enough space on the garage ceiling. We selected the new 1080 resolution Panasonic AE1000U with its standard lens. When planning a garage based layout, keep in mind the relative position of the parked cars to your projection path.  Make sure that your projector’s lens shift allows for a clear obstruction-less projection path. In our case, we shoot with lots of room to spare over a tall family van. If you are shooting in parallel with the parked cars your task will be somewhat simpler. Remember too that you can design with a short throw lens for those outdoor applications where an adjacent garage space is not available.

U.S. Nippura, Inc. | 3611 Tryclan Dr. | Charlotte, NC 28217 | T: 704-561-9191 | F: 704-561-9196

Blue Ocean® is the registered trademark of Nitto Jushi Kogyo Co., Ltd.

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