There's something special about the long days of summer that makes you want to spend more time outdoors. And what better way to soak up those warm evenings than by transforming your backyard into the ultimate outdoor movie space? But we're not talking just about any portable projector and sheet-screen setup — we're talking about creating a smart outdoor movie theater!
Of course, an outdoor movie theater will look slightly different than those huge home theaters you've heard of, but the comfort will be just about the same! So, what do these outdoor theaters look like? Don't worry; We'll walk you through what smart elements your outdoor movie space needs!
The Location
The first step to creating a magnificent outdoor movie theater is selecting the proper space. The best areas for your outdoor movie theater are the patio or other enclosed areas because you can add more smart elements to ensure your comfort! With a patio space, you can get a louvered room you can automate with sensors to open and close based on weather conditions so there's no delay to movie night. You can also include LED integrated lighting, automate the projector screen, and add optional cooling and heating elements (like an automatic fire pit or fireplace!).
Other smart elements to include in your covered outdoor space are bug-proof screens, automated water features (like a fountain, pond, or aquarium), and automatic glass doors to leave open when the water is nice and close when it gets too cold!
Pro Tip: We can also help you create "scenes" to create the best movie-night ambiance at the touch of a button (like closing the louvered room, dimming the lights, and distributing the audio and video to the desired sources!).
The Video
Of course, the video is the most vital part of your outdoor movie space, so reviewing your options is critical! You can invest in an outdoor TV with a powered lift for glare-free images in full shade, full sun, or partial sun. Or you can have a projector integrated into a powered lift that only appears when you turn it on and lowers the screen at the same time.
And like with audio, you can also distribute the video to multiple screens, so you don't have to limit the viewing space to just one location. You can have a screen or TV by the pool, in the garden, by the bar, and play the same video on your indoor TVs so no one misses a single scene! So, if you have children who can't sit still or always have to duck inside as the host, you can't go wrong with distributed video!
Pro Tip: Having your projector, TVs, and other electronic equipment on a powered lift maintains your home design and protects your electronics when not in use — we strongly recommend them!
The Audio
When it comes to outdoor movie magic, you need the best audio setup! This means surrounding your movie space with wall-mounted patio speakers, landscape speakers, and built-in subwoofers to recreate the reverberating feel of a movie theater. But that's not all — you also need distributed audio!
If someone needs to go inside during the movie, they don't have to miss a beat of the same crisp, clean Hi-Fi audio distributed throughout the house. And you can control which speakers play the movie audio (like the kitchen and bathroom) along with the volume. Now you don't have to pause and wait for someone to return from the restroom; they didn't miss a thing!
The Lighting
While you might not think it, perfecting your lighting setup is essential to upgrade your outdoor movie space. With integrated lighting, you can include all the lights you have in your backyard space, like pool lighting, landscape lighting, patio lighting, string lights, etc., and control each section with a single device!
You can set up the automation so that once you hit play on the video, it turns off the lights in the main viewing space and dims the other lighting so everyone can still see where they're going in the dark. You can also assign colors for different sections or include UV sensors, so they automatically dim or brighten based on the amount of sunlight!
Luxury Life in Action!
And there you have it — the essential smart elements your outdoor movie theater must have! With control over every detail, from your audio and video to the space and lighting, you won't go back to viewing movies under the stars any other way! So, if you're ready to upgrade your movie experience to luxury status, contact us at Gleeson's Home Entertainment and Automation!
Our experts will sit down with you and help you plan every step for the best experience!