Best Affordable Outdoor Projector

Soooo just in case you think I always have my sh*t together – I had big plans to make a reel all about our outdoor projector setup… and then I had a mini breakdown because my ideas definitely didn’t work 😂 That’s a totally normal thing to freak out about, right?! Luckily, Adam reminded me that I’m actually not an experienced video producer and I can cut myself some slack. He might have a point there.

Anyway! Just because I couldn’t make my reel dreams come true doesn’t mean I can’t fill you in on our projector setup, right?! To give you a little backstory, our deck pretty much begs for outdoor movie nights – it has a little pergola covering and plenty of space for friends to gather. I didn’t bother with any research about a projector or screen when we first moved in because we only had a few months of nice weather left. Instead we’d just carry a TV outside, hook it up when we’re out there, and then bring it back inside. Works great – just kind of a pain.

So once spring hit, I started looking for affordable projectors, only to realize that good ones are SUPER expensive!! My always budget-conscious self decided to rebel against all of the “best of ” lists and I got a $200 option. Ummm wrong move. The picture quality was blurry no matter what we did, even when it was completely dark out. Luckily, I increased our budget and found an incredible new projector that works great. Bring on the outdoor movie nights!

Our Affordable Outdoor Projector Setup

The Screen

I bought this screen back when I bought the failed projector in June – and it’s been hanging out there all summer! We secured it under our pergola with these L brackets and it’s really secure. We just make sure to take it down if we know a really windy storm is coming, just in case.

The Projector

Not only is this projector incredible small and portable – but the picture quality is AMAZING. I paid a little more for it, but it’s currently on sale for just $399, which is SO worth it. You’ll get really vivid HD viewing with 720p and 200-ANSI-lumens. It also has autofocus technology, so you’ll always see a rectangular image in focus even if the angle of your projector changes. It’s awesome.

It has a few apps like Netflix built right into it, but it doesn’t have everything we wanted. That being said, it does have HDMI connectivity so there’s another way to stream everything you want to watch.

And lastly, if you don’t have anywhere to plug it in, just make sure it’s fully charged and it will work without power for 4 hours. So nice!

How To Stream TV and Movies

Wondering how to stream tv and movies easily? I’d skip the trouble of downloading apps on the projector, or trying something like screen mirroring or chromecast. Make it easy on yourself and buy a Fire Stick instead! It costs $40 (or less for some other models!) and gives you access to literally everything you could possibly want – Hulu, Netflix, AppleTV, Disney+ and more!

Hope this was helpful!

PS. You might also like my Outer Outdoor Sofa Review and The Best Indoor Plants for Beginners. Follow me on Instagram.