This is a picture from the internet. Isn't it festive???
Wanted to post some info/review of the BenQ Joybee GP2 portable projector. You can read all about the basics online, but I wanted more info and some specifics and just couldn't find them. Maybe this will help someone else out. Mainly this is in relation to backyard or outdoor movies.
I wanted a very small lightweight projector to use for outdoor movies. I was pretty skeptical of 200 lumens being able to get the job done, even on a moonless night. But it works wonderfully. Of course you need to wait until it is pretty dark, but that gives you time to get comfortable, visit and maybe watch some vintage drive in reels (free on youtube) while you wait for the dark. Check out youtube for those clips, some of them are priceless. Your audience will get a good chuckle.
There are a few "issues" you need to work through to get your traveling outdoor movie show running smoothly. Most people say the speakers are the biggest issue (I will get to that). For us, it was the screen. Most of us, don't want something up in the yard, or on the deck all the time. I once stapled blackout cloth to the deck posts and made a giant screen and it worked really well. We sat outside and watched a World Series Game. It was great. I left it up for a while, but it just didn't look good (the neighbors thought we were painting the deck and it was a drop cloth). Another time, I dropped the material from a gutter on a patio. The fabric was still on the roll, so that worked quite nicely if it's not too windy.
But in the end, this really didn't work for us. Cut to the chase: Camp Chef Outdoor Movie Screen. The frame is steel tube with the bungees, like tent poles. So, the breakdown is easy. The screen is a heavy nice material that gives a great picture. You can use the screen without the frame also, but its so easy to put together, the screen fits so tightly and smoothly on it, I haven't tried it the other way yet. It is also very lightweight. Here it is last weekend at my parents. All I did was use two bungees to hang it. You can buy legs for it, but they are pricey and you don't really need them. We used this same screen on our deck, and hang it from two shepherd hooks. That picture makes it look smaller than it is. Its 7 feet I think. I got the smaller one. They make a bigger one. I think the GP2 could shoot a bigger picture but you start pushing it after this I think. It also has a very short (unadjustable) throw distance, so the projector sits fairly close to this screen (7 feet or 8?).
Below is the picture of our deck. We attached two shepherd hooks from Big Lots to the back of the deck posts to hang it on. You don't really notice the shepherd hooks when you're not using them, but you can always hang flowers on it when you're not watching a movie.
Here is the screen in its bag. I put the remote next to it, so you can get an idea on size. Its pretty compact. And the screen isn't all wrinkled when you get it out either. Overall, I give this product 5 stars.
Okay, next the sound. The built in speakers on GP2 won't do for an outdoor movie (4 watts). Amplified computer speakers can do the job as long as you don't have a huge crowd, like over 20 people. But those usually come in three pieces with a big center woofer and wires everywhere. Even the electrical cord is huge, with that huge connector box thing on it. I never like it. (if its just a few of you watching and you run the movie off your phone or ipod, you can use bluetooth connection, which is pretty cool. Jawbone makes two sizes). When you need some volume though, you will need something else. I noticed the places that rent a/v equipment and things for outdoor movies, rent a powerful one piece speaker. But it was a little pricey (Mackie SRM $250). I found something similar online (picked it up at Pep Boys) for $43!!!! I never heard of the brand but the reviews were good and the price was right and it even has built in blue tooth and a radio. And remote. And wiring for plugging into car. And and a usb slot and sim card slot. seriously.
Its about 12" across the front. And its light. It says its 200 watts. And when I hook it to my ipod or iphone, i think it could be 200 watts. What I can't figure out is if I hook it to blu ray or use use the speaker-out jack on projector, I cant get the sound as loud. This is the only bummer. So, I prefer to play movies on my iphone (which is so much easier and less bulky anyway). I guess the power coming in from the other sources is much weaker than what comes out of Apple devices. Any input here would be appreciated. I am not that technical.
A few other things to throw in. The BenQ Joybee GP2 does have that cool dock on top but if you have an iphone 5 it wont fit. I just use the Apple Lightening Digital Adapter:
I found a retractable hdmi cable (Phillips brand). Its nice because I'm trying to keep this entire set up compact and as simple as possible. Notice the black adapter on end of hdmi cable. It is an adapter that COMES WITH THE PROJECTOR. The projector actually has a mini hdmi connection, so you will need this little adapter to hook it up. (the jack on projector is a weak spot. it just doesnt feel that secure and this is one reason i wanted a really lightweight hdmi cable. when the cable moves, it can cause crackling sounds and picture, but once you get it set up, this really isn't a problem.)
I have a teeny flashlight in the bag but the GP2 lights up on top so its easy to find buttons. Unfortunately, the remote does not light up and its difficult to usd at night unless you get it memorized, and even then, it doesn't work from all sides (that needs to change).
Other Things/Etc:
You might want an inexpensive mini tripod. The projector has a screw mount for one underneath. It does come in handy, depending on what set up you have to work around.
Audio cable I use below. Remember for best sound plug this into the earphone jack ON YOUR IPHONE OR IPOD, not through the projector. There is a huge difference in sound and volume.
Dont forget a good heavy extension cord with multiple outlets on it. You have several things to plug in.
I know i'm forgetting some things but these are a lot of things I kept searching for info on and could never find. Hope it helps someone out there to have some great times outside with the movies. IT IS SO FESTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
another thing: If you are watching somewhere with wifi, you can access netflix on your phone or ipod to show movies, tv shows, etc.
