Innovations at CES 2025 for Open-Air Cinema Tech Scene
Each year in Las Vegas, brands and manufacturers showcase their latest gadgets and technologies to the public at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). CES 2025 took place in mid-January, and now it's time to analyze the technological trends and specific gadgets applicable for outdoor movie screenings.
Projectors
Ultra-short throw and lifestyle projectors were the talk of the town at CES 2025. However, most consumer ultra-short throw projectors have a fairly small maximum screen size capability, which isn't enough for even the smallest outdoor inflatable movie screens.
The trend for lifestyle projectors is all about attractive design, portability, and an onboard operating system with the latest wireless standards supported out of the box. A typical example of a lifestyle projector presented at CES 2025 is the LG PF600U, a 3-in-1 projector that functions as a projector, Bluetooth speaker, and LED mood lamp.
Practical innovations that are becoming more common in consumer-level projectors include auto image adjustment, lens shift, focus, and keystone correction. These features help adapt the projected image to a specific screen, projection distance, and angle. One of the models that has all these features and received the "Best in Show" award for the best lifestyle projector is the Valerion VisionMaster Max.
Valerion Vision Master Max
The VisionMaster Max by Valerion is a 4K triple-laser projector that boasts 3,000 ISO lumens and is capable of projecting up to a 25-foot maximum image size. Its modern, square design—perhaps best described as "futuristic retro"—along with convenient features like optical lens shift and onboard Google TV, makes the VisionMaster Max a great and premium fit for both indoor and backyard use scenarios with outdoor screens from 9 to 16 feet wide.
If that's not enough for you, the VisionMaster Max has interchangeable lens capabilities, and Valerion promises to present more long- and short-throw lens options later this year. The pre-order price for this laser 4K projector is also very reasonable at $3,999.
Dangbei MP1 Max
Another notable projector with a native 4K resolution, 3,100 ISO lumens, and a sleek, compact design is the Dangbei MP1 Max. It features a hybrid light source technology that combines triple-laser and LED technologies, allowing the MP1 Max to cover 110% of Rec. 2020 dynamic range and achieve high color accuracy.
JMGO N3 Ultra Max
The most promising feature of the JMGO N3 Ultra Max is its electric gimbal system, which physically positions the projector to adjust the projected image accordingly. Otherwise, the JMGO N3 Ultra Max is a 4K, 4,000 ISO lumens projector in a compact design with a 180-inch maximum image size.
Sound Systems
Among the plethora of soundbars and headphones at CES 2025, there were several outdoor speakers worth mentioning.
XBoom Stage 301
The XBoom Stage 301 is the largest model in the collaboration between xboom by will.i.am and LG. This 120-watt battery-powered speaker has an IPX4 weather protection rating and the ability to pair with other wireless speakers through the Auracast™ wireless audio standard. The XBoom Stage 301 can be placed on a standard speaker stand, and the battery is removable and replaceable.
Klipsch New York Party Speaker
With dual 8-inch woofers, 110 dB of audio output, 12-hour battery life, and an included microphone, the Klipsch New York Party Speaker is a fitting audio system for an outdoor movie theater with a 12-foot screen. You can even pair two speakers for a 16-foot screen setup. The speaker can be placed horizontally behind the screen or mounted on a standard speaker stand. For easy transportation, the Klipsch New York Speaker is equipped with integrated wheels.
Victrola Zen Outdoor Rock Speaker
These solar-powered outdoor speakers, which won CES Picks Awards within the TWICE category, seamlessly integrate with almost any backyard or patio. They also feature Auracast™ audio broadcast technology, allowing pairing with more speakers that support this standard (like the XBoom Stage 301).
Outdoor TV and new HDMI standard
As previously announced, the HDMI 2.2 standard was revealed at CES 2025. New devices supporting HDMI 2.2 will be able to transmit video with up to 16K resolution and 96Gbps bandwidth. Fortunately, the physical shape of the port will not change, so devices equipped with HDMI 2.2 will be backward compatible, meaning they will work with older cables at lower resolutions and bandwidths.
Sylvox promised to "redefine outdoor entertainment [...] transforming Backyards into Cinemas" at CES 2025 with their new QLED outdoor TV. However, it's still not time to put your inflatable screens in the closet, as the outdoor TV by Sylvox is only 110 inches diagonally.