How to choose complete outdoor movie system for city park?
Every community park in the US wants to provide quality recreation for its visitors. There are plenty of exciting activities during the day — and in the evening, one of the most enjoyable is a movie night under the stars.
When choosing an outdoor movie set, you'll weigh the same things you would in any procurement process: maintenance cost, ease of use, and equipment lifespan. As a reputable, US-based manufacturer, we provide a complete, turnkey outdoor movie system that will last your community park for years.
Chances are you may already have a set of speakers and a projector or two in your inventory. For that equipment to suit outdoor screenings, your projector needs to be at least 3,000 lumens and have an HDMI input, and your audio system needs at least 1,000 W total power and a rating for outdoor use.
If you already have such equipment, the only missing component is an inflatable screen. If you're not sure, get in touch and we'll confirm whether your gear will work for outdoor movie nights — we're happy to prepare a custom quote to fit your needs. Turnkey solutions with every component included are available too.
Audience size
When you plan an open-air movie event in your park, think about the specific venue: how many viewers can it hold? That audience size is the deciding factor for the screen you'll need. 16′ x 9′ and 20′ x 11′ are the most universal sizes for “movie in the park” screenings, comfortably entertaining 250–500 people in chairs or on blankets. Systems of 16′ or 20′ store compactly and take two technicians to operate.
Larger screens up to 40′ x 22.5′ are better suited to big audiences or drive-in applications. A 40-footer needs 4–6 technicians to operate, which comes at extra cost.
Open Air Cinema Home or Pro lineup for community parks
The most popular 16′ and 20′ sizes come in two lineups: Home and Pro. Despite its name, the Home lineup is widely embraced by event professionals. Home inflatable screens are lightweight and share features with Pro screens — rear projection, a removable surface for cleaning, and premium-grade materials. The main benefits of Pro screens are a self-standing structure for easier setup, 100% image coverage during rear projection, and a higher wind rating (up to 30 MPH).
The Pro complete systems include higher-grade AV components, such as a brighter projector and more powerful speakers, plus extra items hand-picked by Open Air Cinema to make frequent screening management more convenient.
As a first outdoor movie system, or if you're on a limited budget, the Home lineup is more than sufficient — it will handle weekend screenings through the season for years. But if you plan to host movies under the stars every day, consider investing in a Pro system.