For the biggest movie screen, you’re going to need a projector. Any projector will work, but the brighter it is, the easier it will be to see the picture. That’s especially important outdoors, when even on a dark night some ambient light — from your neighbors, your deck lights or tiki torches — can affect the picture. Brightness also determines how large an image a projector can create. The BenQ HT2050A is the best projector for the money overall, and one of the reasons is its bright image.

To use this projector in the backyard, you’ll need to run a power cable. If you can’t do that or don’t want to bother, you’ll need a portable, battery-powered projector.

Read our BenQ CineHome HT2050A review.