Backyard Theater— Go Big!
As a Sound & Vision print subscriber, I tend to immediately devour your publication each month front to back. It is a return to my first tech-addiction: home theater. But something nagged at me while consuming the June/july 2021 issue. The feature “A Garden Oasis in the Heart of Pittsburgh” was interesting and well-written, with enough detail to make the reader want to personally experience the space.
The “HUH?” factor came when I read about the decision to use a 55-inch TV. Why would this otherwise thoughtfully assembled project with quality gear get paired with a teenie picture? Was there not enough in the budget? Such a deluxe, designer setting BEGS for a large, projected image! Considering the thought that went into the audio, all else here otherwise seems quite well-balanced and carefully worked out.
The outdoor factor—weather exposure— had to play into this. Is an appropriately robust projector just not within reason? Are there no such affordable projectors available, either built for this purpose or, when properly installed, able to minimize the effects of temperature and moisture?
In this post-pandemic world, many people want to get back to cinemas. But for some time now, we’ve been able to achieve a cinematic experience at home with reasonable outlay. My own humble theater contains a 10-foot-plus screen showing gorgeous Epson-projected images plus fantastic surround sound. If I were looking for a cool Airbnb vacation spot with a theater system, this property’s small screen would be a deal-killer. Hey, it’s 2021: widescreen, BIG, and loud are where it’s at! I hope to see a follow-up article detailing a similarly equipped outdoor setup but done large using projection. Otherwise, a fine issue all-around, and I enjoyed it very much despite that bit of silliness.
Alex Johnston / East Tawas, Michigan
Projection at outdoor drive-in movie theaters (yes, some continue to exist!) may be an
established format, but there’s no equivalent we know of for domestic outdoor environments. Yes, you can buy pop-up screens and portable projectors that can be pulled out for a summer backyard movie night, but permanent, year-round backyard projection installations are not at all common. Weatherproof outdoor TVS such as the “teenie” one used in the Pittsburgh installation are a growing market segment, however, and they are now available in screen sizes up to 75 inches from companies like Samsung, Sunbrite, and others. Would a 75-inch TV be a better option for a private backyard bar like the one depicted in the “A Garden Oasis” feature? Given S&V’S longtime advocacy for using the biggest possible screen, we’d have say yes. Maybe you can leave a screen-related comment in an Airbnb review if you ever get around to visiting Pittsburgh!