‘Tis the season to cozy up with your loved ones, some hot cocoa, and a holiday movie. There’s nothing better than the big screen experience with some iconic films during the holidays, and we here at Projector Reviews have got you covered. We’ve compiled a list of some family friendly – and not so family friendly – holiday films for you to watch this season on your home theater projector!

There’s even two Hanukkah films, which is a bit of an accomplishment in itself, as there seem to be only a handful of Jewish holiday related films in existence, and not all of them are good (if you know of one that’s awesome, please tell us in the comments). And, if you don’t yet have a home theater projector, check out our relevant links at the end of this blog post!

This film centers around the theme of love. Set during the holidays, we follow nine intertwined stories that explore this emotion that is common to all humans. David, the new British Prime Minister (portrayed by Hugh Grant), falls in love with a junior staffer (played by Martine McCutcheon). Sarah (portrayed by Laura Linney), is a graphic designer who has a mentally ill brother – her devotion to him seriously impacts her love life. Tempted by his new secretary, Harry (played by Alan Rickman – may he rest in peace), a married man, must cope with his attraction and his commitment to his wife. These are but a few of the stories introduced in this film.

A holiday classic. Home Alone features Macaulay Culkin as 8-year-old Kevin McCallister. The night before the family’s trip to Paris, Kevin misbehaves and is made to sleep in the attic. The next day, the family leaves for the airport without him, leaving him in an empty house with his wish of having no family fulfilled. Not totally realistic – I don’t know a parent alive that would forget to take their child with them when leaving the country – but it does make for a hilarious series of events when two con men plan to rob the home, and Kevin is the only one there to stop them.

Elf has become a favorite holiday film of many. The film follows the hilariously giant Elf, Buddy (portrayed by Will Ferrell) as he seeks to find his real father, unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in. His father is a cynical businessman in New York, and after getting a DNA test, Walter Hobbs and Buddy attempt to form a relationship, and their differences make for some real chaos. This film is great for both children and adults, as, like many movies intended for children, there’s some adult humor sprinkled in that goes right over the kids’ heads.

The Santa Clause was a holiday favorite at my house growing up – we watched it every year. Having grown up with Home Improvement and Toy Story, I loved Tim Allen, and thoroughly enjoyed his role in this film as a divorced dad named Scott who has custody of his son on Christmas Eve. Scott accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, and is transported to the North Pole where he is informed by an elf that Scott is to take Santa’s place before the next Christmas arrives. Convinced this was a dream, Scott must come to grips with the fact that he really is the next Santa as he keeps gaining weight a grows a white beard.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is another classic, and brings a different vibe to Christmas than your typical holiday film. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, yearns for something more exciting than the annual rote routine of terrorizing people in the real world. When Jack stumbles upon Christmastown, he develops a plan to replace Santa Claus (Sandy Claws) by kidnapping the man in red himself. Of course, the plan goes inexplicably awry as Jack must overcome the many obstacles to his plan. I remember when Disneyland first started converting the Haunted Mansion into The Nightmare Before Christmas – I was so happy.

Jingle All The Way is a hilarious holiday film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, who plays a workaholic dad named Howard Langston. He’s never around, always working (as 90s dads do), even all the way to Christmas Eve. To make it up to his wife and son, he promises to get his son, Jaime, the hottest toy of the season – Turbo-Man. Being the most sought-after toy at the time, Turbo-Man is all but sold out, and Howard must fight to beat the clock (and other parents like Myron, played by Sinbad) to attain his prize. It’s a film that is sure to resonate with any parent who wants to get their little one the number one toy of the season, and is fun for the whole family.

This Robert Downey Jr. film has just enough Santa hats within to qualify as a Christmas movie. It’s a parody on film-noir movies. Con man Howard Lockhart, played by Robert Downey Jr., is on the run from the law when he blunders into a mystery film audition, and lands the part. Spirited away to Hollywood, he becomes entangled in a murder conspiracy with his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Lane (played by Michelle Monaghan), and a ruthless private eye named Perry van Shrike (portrayed by Val Kilmer). Film noir, comedy, mystery, Robert Downey Jr. and Santa hats – this film makes my short list every holiday season.

Ah, Die Hard. Another holiday classic. What I like about this film is that it is 100%, first and foremost, an action film, with Bruce Willis being a total badass. The story takes place on Christmas Eve, when New York City policeman John McClane visits his estranged wife and two daughters at her holiday work party. The party at the headquarters of this Japanese-owned business goes south when terrorists take over the high-rise, and everyone in it becomes a hostage – including John. Realizing there is no one there to save them, John takes matters into his own hands.

Growing up, we watched the cartoon version every holiday season (along with Frosty the Snowman and the Claymation style Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer), so when the live action came out, we were excited to see it. Jim Carrey portrays the mean-spirited, antisocial Grinch in this reimagining of Dr. Seuss’ tale. The Grinch decides to ruin Christmas for Whoville, who are all too happy and cheery for the Grinch’s tastes. Using his dog Max as his “reindeer,” the Grinch dresses up as Santa and sets out to steal all the presents and anything relating to the holiday – that is, until he meets little Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen).

This is one of the Hanukkah films I was able to find, out of a list of just eight (one of them being “Little Fockers,” which is said to be “the worst film of any trilogy to appear in a movie theater,” according to Vanity Fair – needless to say I didn’t include that one)! This animated film stars Adam Sandler as 33-year old Davey Stone, a party animal that goes too far and gets into trouble with the law. As his punishment, Davey has to perform community service as the assistant referee for the youth basketball league, or else go to jail. He chooses the assistant referee position, thinking it’ll be better than jail – until he meets Whitey Duvall, the referee he’ll be assisting.

Mordechai Carver, played by Adam Goldberg (my pal, my buddy), was teased for his Jewish heritage by his Christmas-celebrating classmates and neighbors. Now, as a veteran of the Israeli Defense Forces, he seeks to defend his people against those who would do them harm – such as the evil offspring of Santa Claus, Hanukkah saboteur Damian Claus.

I decided to include this film after an interaction I had with my fiancé. I was telling him that there’s a disturbing lack of Hanukkah movies, and he mentioned The Hebrew Hammer. I told him I thought it was the Jewish version of Scarface because of the iconic line, “Shabbot, Shalom, Motherf*ckers!” (which was the only thing I knew about the film). He laughed for over a minute at that so I suppose I am wrong! It will definitely be a film I watch this holiday season!

‘Tis the season to be shopping! Every year, we release two Holiday Guides featuring the year’s hottest projectors in two categories: projectors under $2000 and over $2000. The guides are designed to help you navigate the holiday season by highlighting projectors from ViewSonic, Epson, LG and Sony. Now, without further adieu, let’s get into what you can expect from each guide.

Our 2018 Holiday Guide to Six Great Home Theater Projectors Under $2000 features projectors from ViewSonic, Epson, and Sony. This year, ViewSonic is offering their new bright room PX747-4K for only $999! That makes it the lowest cost 4K UHD projector on the market, and the first to be sold for under $1000.

Making a reappearance from last year’s guides, we have the Epson Home Cinema 2100 and Home Cinema 2150 projectors – the two projectors that have replaced the popular HC2040 and 2045, and both offer an excellent value proposition!

The Sony VPL-HW45ES, our only Sony in the Under $2000 Guide, is an older model that is still totally relevant. It’s 1080p with phenomenal color and is suitable for gamers! The final projector in the Guide is the new Epson Home Cinema 4010, which has Epson’s new and improved pixel shifting technology.

If your budget is under $2000, read our 2018 Holiday Guide to Six Great Home Theater Projectors Under $2000 to find the right projector for you this holiday season.

Greetings Projector Fans and Happy Thanksgiving.

I trust all of us can find something to be thankful for this holiday season.  And, before I forget, a belated Happy Thanksgiving (Oct. 8) to our friends up north in Canada.

Today’s blog is something more personal from me.

Many of you have been following our site and blogs for years, for this we thank you. But today’s blog is a bit different, it’s not about projectors, nor the “big screen” experience.

Most of you remember our daughter Lisa’s help with Projector Reviews.  I “drafted” her way back in middle school – about a dozen years ago – to help out, shortly after Projector Reviews became my full time gig.  Over the years, Lisa, as employee, (then contractor once she got a real job) has done just about everything at Projector Reviews, from assembling and posting reviews, to webwork, to resizing images, to writing reviews – boy can she write!  And Lisa, (with a little outside help) also built and grew our whole social media presence (which Nikki now has taken over).

Today, I would like to introduce you all to Lisa’s newsletter, Rose-Colored Roundup, which she’s been writing every Thursday for well more than a year.  But first…I really want to thank Lisa.

Lisa has grown up. A few years ago after finishing college, she “ran away” to the Big Apple where she has a great job she loves in media. Lori and I are truly thankful for her successes in her early career, of course. Yet, what makes me most proud, and thankful, today, is the amazing, caring and truly inspiring human being Lisa has become.  Nothing give me more joy (and strength) in life and I know Lori feels exactly the same way.  (I love you monsta!)

Now after a brief pause for my eyes to stop tearing, allow me tell you about Lisa’s Rose-Colored Roundup (which will give you a small taste of the person Lisa has become), and why you might just want to check it out.  I suspect many of you will really enjoy it, and sign up, and share with friends, family and even some appreciative acquaintances.

Rose-Colored Roundup. Uplifting News, No projector needed. -art

Lisa keeps Rose-Colored (as I like to call it) on the low-low. She’s never promoted it, her couple thousand followers have found it by word of mouth. Rose-Colored doesn’t generate revenues, it’s a work of love and dedication, from our daughter, who wants to, and IS, making a difference. Although, FYI, while Lisa will not monetize Rose-Colored, the newsletter sometimes points to charities where folks can donate, if they are inspired by a piece of good news found in the newsletter.

Rose-Colored, each week, starts off with some personal notes from Lisa, and a few quick links to some good news. Then she gets down and provides an intro and links to a dozen or two stories found around the world. And there’s a bit more, too.

Folks, it’s not fluff.  Rose-Colored will introduce you to some great acts of thoughtfulness or charity, or just good news that happens, and other news that really can inspire us, put a smile on our faces, or even just help the corners of our mouths turn up a little.

Most stories Lisa shares in Rose-Colored are newsworthy, serious pieces of news, that we all miss because they are buried in tons of not so good, and bad news. Good news is hard to find, not because there isn’t a lot of it, but because “bad news sells newspapers,” as the saying goes.

Lori and I have much to be thankful for this holiday season.  Thanks to you all, for helping make Projector Reviews successful (and keeping me employed). We’re thankful for family, for good friends, but more than anything, for Lisa, who rocks our world Every Single Day!

thanks! -art

PS (call it the commercial).  We did just publish our two annual Holiday Guides.  Similar to last year, the “good news” is that some of the projector manufacturers included have put together Black Friday / Cyber week promotions on Amazon or on their own sites, that you can check out, if you are considering one of those featured projectors.

PPS. Being a bit of a cynic, here’s one last holiday thought.  Some good news we can all appreciate.  We are finally getting a break from what seems like years of non-stop political ads.  Now that’s worth being thankful for, all by itself.

Picture this: Mom, Dad, and a couple of kids, sitting around the kitchen table arguing over what size screen they need for their new TV and what features the TV absolutely MUST have. Dad wants something huge and 4K to watch sports on and to impress their neighbors during their annual Superbowl party.

The kids want something that has on-demand so they can watch their favorite movies and shows anytime they want, and Mom just wants something that works with Netflix so she can binge her favorite series on the rare nights she has to herself and won’t cost an arm and a leg.

Most TVs can’t meet all of these needs at a reasonable price. That’s where a home entertainment projector comes in.

A quality home entertainment projector is truly a great investment for any family with varying needs and interests. The flexibility and ease of use of projectors ensures that the projector can be used as the years go by and needs change. Projectors can fit the wants and needs of a variety of personalities, all within the same family. Because projectors are usually sold separately from projector screens, they can also easily move with you from a one bedroom apartment, to your starter home, to your multi-bedroom home where you plan to stay for years by easily purchasing new screens or using different empty walls in each location.

For those with young children, purchasing a high-quality entertainment projector appropriate for use both indoors and outdoors is a great investment. You can easily hook up your projector to your computer, allowing your children to watch their favorite Netflix shows and YouTube videos, and to video chat with long-distance relatives or classmates to work on group projects.

Projectors are perfect for children as their interests quickly change, and the versatility and various functions of a projector allows it to stay relevant. Your child newly obsessed with animals can go on a private safari in the comfort of your living room by watching videos of animals in their natural habitat. A large projector screen or empty wall, and a high contrast projector with a crisp image can provide a level of engagement and education to rival an afternoon at the zoo.

The child or teen that loves video games will benefit from the low lag time immersive big screen experience a projector provides. Also, having a big screen for playing multiplayer games as a family allows for larger split screens. Can you imagine your entire family playing Wii Tennis all at once or your children playing Fortnite together without arguing?

Purchasing a projector that is portable and can be connected to both the computer and smartphone can make vacations with kids a lot less stressful. Bring your projector to your hotel room or rental house to entertain kids on a rainy day or to keep kids busy when the adults want peace and quiet. And once you get home, view your pictures from vacation on your projector to quickly select the best ones for printing and sharing.

Projectors also allow for easy and unique birthday parties and playdates. The large screen and portability allows you to host epic outdoor movie nights, video game competitions, karaoke nights and more. The opportunities and room for creativity is endless. You can also easily play slideshows of pictures at any celebration or watch home videos to bring memories to life. Your home will quickly become the go-to hangout for your kid’s friends, as well as your own!

As children get older, the projector can be used for school projects and presentations. Having a projector accessible to them will allow children to stay on top of quickly changing presentation skills and can be used to help auditory and visual learners in any topics they may be struggling with.

During the process of selecting a home entertainment projector, I knew very little about projector specifications. As I mentioned in my previous post, I didn’t know projectors were an affordable option for the non-AV-enthusiast consumer and that they could connect to your smartphone and computer.

My husband and I decided to purchase a projector for our bedroom. We made this decision because a projector and screen would take up little space in our small bedroom, it would be less expensive than purchasing a second TV of the same quality and we didn’t need access to cable in our bedroom, since we preferred to watch Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.

To be honest, I didn’t do much research into projectors and what specs to consider. I briefly googled “best home projectors,” but the results were significantly outside of our budget. The projectors referenced on most websites are intended for projector purists and people hoping to create a true home theater. I knew that less expensive projectors existed, as I had seen one mentioned on the blog where I first discovered projectors that could hook up to your smartphone, so I turned to Amazon. A quick search led me to hundreds of home projectors at various price points, ranging from $31 for a basic smartphone only projector to $45,000.

Overwhelmed with the immense number of options highlighting different aspects of a projector, I narrowed my search by price and by stars earned in customer reviews. Because I didn’t know a lot about projectors, and I wasn’t completely convinced that a projector could replace a TV, I wasn’t looking to invest in an expensive projector. I was hoping to spend less than $200 on a projector that would serve our basic needs and was geared toward non-AV enthusiasts like myself.

With these filters, I narrowed my choices to about 10 projectors. At this point, I was looking to ensure the projector could stream from my computer and smartphone, and that it had numerous positive reviews. The majority of the reviews for the projector I purchased were written by individuals using the projector similar to how we hoped to use it – in their home to watch movies and shows – without any fancy bells and whistles. Our projector is no longer available on Amazon, but cost $78.99. While our projector serves our purposes, the image quality and brightness could be better and I wish I had done a little more research before making my purchase.

Had I done more research, I would have learned that it’s the combination of lumens (brightness), contrast ratio, and number of pixels that make a significant difference in the quality of the image. If I’d been willing to spend $400-$600, I would have ended up with a higher quality, longer lasting projector with a significantly better viewing experience.

If I was shopping for a projector now, I would go for Full HD resolution, sometimes described as 1080X1920 or 1080p which is the highest resolution available besides the newer and more expensive 4K. To a get a 1080p projector, I’d have to spend somewhere between $300 and $600.

Source of Connection: Most projectors can connect through HDMI but some don’t, so it’s important to double check before making your purchase. For true convenience, look for a projector with Wi-Fi capability so you can connect without chords.

The hardest part of purchasing a projector when you aren’t an expert is understanding what each specification means and which ones are most important to you, so be sure to take the time to educate yourselves and read the detailed reviews on projectorreviews.com. There are tons of great articles and reviews that will aid you in your buying decision and help you make the choice that is best for you.

5 Great Portable Projectors for Under $700
Bring Your Home Videos to Life with a Home Entertainment Projector
Top 5 Home Entertainment Projectors for Your Bright Room
The 2018 Best Home Theater Projectors Report

When I was a little kid, watching home videos on an old-school film projector was a staple of holiday visits to my grandparents’ house. Each year, we would sit in the living room, half of us stuffed on their old nylon couches, the other half on the floor and watch my father’s bar-mitzvah, family birthday parties, and the same mundane family moments, but year after year, the tradition never lost its luster.

We watched as I scored my first goal playing soccer when I was 5 and heard my parents cheering in the background, witnessed trips to vacation spots that have since closed, and experienced the comradery and love between my father and his father, who I never met, allowing me to get a sense of who my grandfather was in real, tangible moments.

There’s something special about being surrounded by family members and watching younger versions of yourselves. It brings about nostalgia, talk of simpler times, and sparks all sorts of interesting conversations and stories that likely wouldn’t have been revealed otherwise. The greatest things about these videos is how they tend to capture the in-between moments that are generally forgotten, the mannerisms that can’t be captured in photographs, and brings people back to life who have since passed.

While we might not have that film projector anymore, the novelty and nostalgia of watching home videos on a projector screen or bare wall can easily be replicated today using one of the many high quality and versatile home theater or home entertainment projectors on the market. Watching home videos on a TV or computer screen just doesn’t elicit the same feeling of being back in the moment that projectors provide for a number of reasons.

Connecting your computer or hard drive to the TV can be difficult and cumbersome. The average TV screen tends to be significantly smaller than the average projector screen, which doesn’t allow for the same life like perspective that projectors create. And TVs are generally stationary, whereas most projectors are easy to transport. Being able to quickly pack up your projector and screen allows you to view content in any location - outdoors on your lawn for a summer movie night, at a wedding venue for a slideshow of the couple, in the back of your car while camping, at a restaurant for a birthday party - pretty much anywhere with power and the right lighting.

As smart phones have become commonplace, we carry around video cameras in our pockets allowing us to spontaneously capture everyday moments. We’ve had many of our home videos that had been stored on VHS and film reels converted to digital files so we can hold on to these memories forever and watch them using any type of screen or projector that can connect through HDMI or wifi.

When watching home videos on a projector, the large screen, brightness, and sharp image resolution truly draws you back to the moment you are watching. The lifesize images and vibrant colors can make you remember how it felt to be 5 years old, thinking hard about your wish before blowing out the candles on that birthday cake, or what it was like holding your child for the first time. Investing in a high quality projector is a great way to ensure the optimal viewing experience for these moments.

Also, purchasing a large screen with a projector that allows you to view sharp, lifesize images is much more affordable than purchasing a TV of the same size. For example, you can purchase an 100 inch projector screen for less than $100  and a high-quality projector for less than $1500 whereas an 85 inch TV, can cost upwards of $4,000.

As there are endless types of projectors and projector screens available for home entertainment purposes, it’s important to consider what elements are most important to you and how much you are willing to spend.

AAXA M6 Projector Review – Pocket-Sized and LED!
Epson Home Cinema 2100 and 2150 Home Entertainment Projector Review
Top 5 Home Entertainment Projectors for Your Bright Room

So you’re a projector fanatic – so much so that your kid wants a movie theme for their birthday party. You’ve already got the projector, that’s easy enough, but what about the other aspects that go into creating the theme for their best party yet? We’ve got you covered.

A little-known fact about me is that before I started working with Projector Reviews, in one of my past jobs, I used to be a balloon artist at kid’s birthday parties. I’ve made my fair share of superheroes and even the occasional film reel or camera. I did that for nearly a decade – my point is that I’ve seen enough birthday parties to tell you the must-haves for your child’s movie night birthday party.

Your guests’ first impression of the party will be the invitations. This is not something that will easily be found in a store, but a quick search for “movie themed birthday invitations” on Etsy.com will turn up tons of great options. What I’m seeing in these invitation listings is that you purchase and then are able to edit the invitations themselves via online graphics editors. That’s really quite awesome.

If you’re kind of tech-savvy and want to make these yourself, I suggest trying out Canva.com. I’m a graphic designer, so I typically like to use Photoshop for my designs, but I was recently introduced to Canva via an online course I’m taking. It’s so easy to use that sometimes I opt for that instead!

You don’t even have to be a designer to figure it out and create some really fun invitations and posters of your own. They have a free version, which will do just fine for your needs, with tons of templates you can use to design the invitations. You can even upload photos you download from Google if you find a cool background you’d like to design around.

I have created a free download for you to use for your child’s movie night birthday party that you can edit via Canva, which is available here. I have instructions on the document for how to edit it, so it’s super easy! The image below shows what the invitation looks like.

At birthday parties, I always enjoyed seeing what the moms came up with to decorate the snack tables in the theme of the party. Some of them went with simple décor, while others went all out!

If you’re crafty, you can go on Pinterest and search for “movie night birthday party” and get a whole host of ideas for you to create your own versions of. And, of course, there’s a lot of great stuff on Etsy.com if you search “movie-themed birthday” or some variant of the phrase. Some really cute décor items turn up!

In the slider below, I have included several ideas of how to decorate the snack table from, you guessed it – Pinterest – with commentary on my favorite parts of each. I found this great website for party ideas during my search on Pinterest that you may want to check out called Catch My Party.

This is something you’ll want to have planned out well before your party. What projector will you use, what will it project on? In a recent blog post titled “Summer Movie Night Essentials,” I go over what you’ll need for the actual movie projections in detail.

This includes the projector, a table or surface to mount it on, power source, video source, and, of course, the screen. Also in that blog post, I provide images for how to go about arranging the seating and decorating of the outdoor theater.

Also in that blog post, I have an extensive list of family-friendly movies to choose from. Head over to that blog post next for ideas on handling the more technical aspects of your movie themed birthday party! A link to that post is included in the next section of this page.

If you don’t already have a projector you want to use, that blog has some suggestions. However, since writing that post, I have reviewed some lower cost pico projectors that you may find suitable for the purpose of your party, or want to buy so that your little movie fanatic can have their own private home theater. Those reviews are linked to below!

Summer Movie Night Essentials: How to Host a Backyard Movie Night

AAXA P300 NEO Pico Projector Review – Pocket Sized Fun

Acer C200 Pico Projector Review – Travel-Sized and LED

Marvel has been coming out with some truly awesome superhero films over the last several years, featuring our favorite superheroes from the original comics. We’ve compiled a list of five such movies that are coming soon to Blu-ray UHD, for you to watch in your home theater. So if you’re a fan of Marvel superheroes and 4K, this one’s for you!

When the Tesseract, a cube of pure energy with the power to destroy the Earth, is stolen by the nefarious God of Mischief, Loki, S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury embarks on a daring recruitment effort spanning the globe to assemble a team of the world's most powerful superheroes to get it back. Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye and The Hulk are brought together to stop Loki. But unfortunately, it'll take more than just assembling them to save the world from the brink of destruction. Based on the Marvel Comics characters.

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

The Earth's Mightiest Heroes must protect the earth as they are confronted by their most powerful villain yet, the mad Titan Thanos, as he unleashes the power of the Infinity Gauntlet and its six stones upon the planet.

The origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

Born into a world filled with prejudice are children who possess extraordinary and dangerous powers -- the result of unique genetic mutations. Cyclops unleashes bolts of energy from his eyes. Storm can manipulate the weather at will. Rogue absorbs the life force of anyone she touches. But under the tutelage of Professor Xavier, those and other outcasts learn to harness their powers for the good of mankind. Now they must protect those who fear them as the nefarious Magneto, who believes humans and mutants can never co-exist, unveils his sinister plan for the future!

If you don’t have a 4K UHD projector yet and are searching for the one that’s right for you, check out our recent 4K UHD projector reviews! Manufacturers are coming out with some under $2,000 projectors of late that may make your short list of projectors to consider. Click the links below to be directed to each projector’s review.

The Optoma UHD51A is a DLP, 4K UHD projector claiming 2,400 lumens. It supports HDR and Alexa! You can use Alexa voice control to turn the projector on and off, adjust volume, etc. The MSRP on the UHD51A is $3,199, but it can be found for considerably less – half off, in fact, at $1,699.

Read The Review

The BenQ TK800 is the brighter version of the HT2550. It is a 3,000 lumen, 1920 x 1080 x4 resolution projector, meaning it pixel shifts four times to achieve the 4K UHD standard. This DLP projector is going for a mere $1,499, making it one of the most affordable 4K capable projectors on the market today, and one of the best at handling brighter rooms.

Read The Review

Another 1920 x 1080 x4 pixel shifter, the ViewSonic PX727-4K is a DLP projector claiming 2,200 lumens, making it ideal for a more controlled environment such as a darkened home theater. Its MSRP is $1,499, same as the TK800, but its street price is only $1,299! The PX727-4K even supports HDR, so if you’re looking for the lowest possible price on a 4K capable projector, this ViewSonic may be the one for you.

Read The Review

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Warm August (and September) nights are perfect for taking the projector out back and having an intimate summer movie night with the family. Whether you’re looking to get in that last bit of fun before the kids go back to school, or take advantage of the good weather on Saturday nights, we’ve got a list of all the essentials you’ll need to make your backyard movie night a fun experience for the whole family.

To host your backyard movie night, you’ll need:

• A Projector
• A Screen Surface & Projector Surface
• A Video Source
• A Sound System (Optional)
• A Power Source
• Comfy Seating
• Snacks (Optional if You Want Cranky People)
• The Movie!

Chances are, if you’re planning on hosting a backyard movie night this summer, you’ve already got a projector, or at least have a projector in mind. If not, here are a few projectors we’ve reviewed that would be great for outdoor viewing at night, all under $1,000:

AAXA M6 ($599 List Price) – The AAXA M6 is a 1,200 lumen DLP pocket projector with an LED light engine. It has full HD resolution (1080p) and can even run on battery power for approximately 90 minutes (500 lumens when on battery power). It has good color and built in 2-watt stereo speakers that will be loud enough for an intimate summer movie night. It also has respectable input lag for gaming, in case you want to do an outdoor gaming night!

Acer K138ST ($599 List Price) – The Acer K138ST is, first and foremost, a portable gaming machine. It has the lowest input lag of any projector we’ve reviewed recently, at just over 16ms. That’s about as fast as they come! It has WXGA resolution (1280x800), making it comparable to 720p. It claims 800 lumens, which is plenty bright for nighttime viewing. It has decent color and two 3-watt speakers built in.

Epson Home Cinema 2100 ($849 List Price) – The Epson Home Cinema 2100 is one of my favorite home entertainment projectors for under $1,000. This 1080p, 2,500 lumen 3LCD projector is currently $699 on Epson’s website! What a deal! I reviewed the HC2150 and am happy to say this projector has excellent color, sharpness, and is bright enough to use during the day in a room with moderate ambient light.

The only real difference between the two is that the HC2150 has wireless and a slightly higher contrast ratio (currently $799 on Epson’s website). Both have a powerful 10-watt speaker, plenty loud for a larger outdoor movie night or one in a louder neighborhood. They both have lens shift as well, so you don’t have to perfectly position the projector to fit your screen – you can shift the image yourself!

If you've got the budget, I highly recommend getting either the Epson Home Cinema 2100 or HC2150 – it's well worth the price!

There’s no wrong way to project the film for your outdoor movie night. I’ve seen people project on the walls of their homes, or drape white sheets over fences, hang them from trees, or even rig up their own pole-system to tie the sheet to. The latter could easily be done with a few PVC pipes.

This is an easy one. If your computer has HDMI, you can use a laptop to project your movie. Just make sure you change the display settings so that the screensaver doesn’t interrupt the film. You can also use a DVD or Blu-ray player, or a gaming console such as a PlayStation or Xbox. If you’ve got a steaming stick that works with your projector (the Epsons mentioned above have MHL ports for streaming), you can use that, too.

The NVIDIA Shield (affiliate link) is also an option if you want to stream your movie from Netflix and have a super portable video source. I have a Shield that I’ve been using for some time, but haven’t gotten around to writing the review for it yet. I can tell you that I absolutely love the NVIDIA Shield as a portable streaming player and have taken it traveling many times. It’s smaller than a DVD case and as light as one, too.

Most projectors that are suitable for an outdoor movie night will have their own speakers built in. But, as with all built-in speakers, the sound just lacks that deep resonance you find with a proper speaker. Some options for external sound systems are:

• A Portable Speaker
• Computer Speakers
• A Guitar Amplifier that accepts a 1/8” input jack (or a 1/4” to 1/8” adapter)

Most projectors under $1,000 do not have Bluetooth capabilities (though some do) so if you’ve got one that you want to use, make sure it has an 1/8” input for an AUX cable, or you won’t be able to use it.

This is an easy one. If you’re hosting your movie night in your backyard, you can use an extension cord to run power from inside the house or one of your outdoor outlets. Plug a power strip into the extension cord, and your projector and sound system into the power strip, and you’re golden! I like to use surge protector power strips for projectors in case of random power outages.

What’s a movie experience without popcorn? The answer: Just a movie. Popcorn and jumbo-sized M&Ms, Dips, Sour Patch Kids, and drinks are a must have for your summer movie night. Bonus points if you get your own little popcorn maker or shaved ice machine! It’s also super fun for kids if you do a little movie-themed decorating for your snack table. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest for doing so, but I’ve included a few inspiration photos in the slider above for you!

This is the most important essential of the night! It is the reason you put this whole thing together, so pick a movie that you’ve been wanting to see or that the whole family already enjoys. I’ve made a list of family friendly movies to watch for your summer movie night below. A personal favorite that I watched only recently is Kubo. It was visually stunning and had a compelling storyline, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the littles. There are some rather freaky parts that I wouldn’t want to show anyone under 6 – but that’s just my opinion!

Got an epic setup for your summer movie night? Show us your photos! Post a comment on our Facebook with some photos of your backyard movie night for a chance to get featured on our blog.

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