For a movie night under the stars, an outdoor projector is your best bet

For outdoor viewing at home, this projector will likely give you the most bang for your buck. (A note: It's frequently marked down close to $300 below its original list price.) With 2500 lumens of brightness, it'll fare well against mild ambient light, and its 10-watt speakers will do just fine for casual use. It can also project a screen size of up to 300 inches.

This projector isn't Bluetooth-compatible. It does, however, have two HDMI ports, so you'll be able to hook up two devices at once. 

Bonus: You'll be able to watch 3D movies with the Epson 2100, provided you already have the other equipment necessary (a 3D video source, for example). You know what that means: It's time to put on those fashionable 3D glasses.

Take this one to the rooftop movie night: You'll get 2.5 hours of use on a single battery charge. (That's not quite enough to make it through The Irishman, but maybe you don't mind.) Plus it's wireless, which means that as long as you have a good surface to project on, it works pretty much anywhere. It also runs LG's smart TV platform, which renders the projector a streaming device all on its own. 

The LG PF50's screen size maxes out at 100 inches, which is best for small to medium spaces. Its brightness isn't the best on this list — you'll certainly struggle to use it if there's lots of ambient light — but what it lacks in lumens in makes up for in portability. 

This projector does have built-in speakers, but they're fairly weak. You'll probably want to find an external sound system for this one. 

Want to play video games in your backyard? Consider the Optoma HD146X, which is bright enough to use in outdoor spaces where there's some ambient light. Yes, this means a sunset Animal Crossing session could be in your future. It's hard to imagine anything more pleasant than that.

The projector is equipped with a setting called Enhanced Gaming Mode, which cuts back on lag for an input response time of 16 milliseconds. (That means your actions will be reflected onscreen after that time interval.) There's also Game Display Mode, which makes shadows and dark scenes easier to see.

The Optoma HD146X is not just for games, though. It's also a really solid option for streaming movies and TV — especially for medium-scale uses like backyard movie nights. You'll be able to project onto screens up to 300 inches, though keep in mind you'll need to do this from a distance of about 13-14 feet. So you'll need some space, but it'll pay off.

This is quite a unique projector; not only does it have a set of built-in 8W speakers that are extremely good for its small size, but it also runs Android TV, Google's smart TV platform. This means setup — i.e., actually getting to the stuff you want to watch — should be a breeze. Additionally, it doubles as a smart speaker and voice assistant, so you really don't have to worry about it taking up space in your house. (It also weighs less than two pounds, so maybe you weren't worried anyway.)

Where the Nebula II(opens in a new tab) struggles the most is brightness. At 200 lumens, it's best for use in dark environments where there's little ambient light. Still, if you're looking for something super portable that doesn't require separate speakers and looks like a cute little soda can ... here you go.

According to the company, the Nebula II can project a 100-foot image from about 10.5 feet away. That's as big as it can get, though, so look elsewhere if you want an enormous display.

Alright, so you've put the work in on your gorgeous backyard and you're ready to splurge. The ViewSonic PX747-4K has the features you need to recreate the movie theater experience at home — provided you have the space to accommodate it. According to the company, this projector can project a 100-inch screen from just under 10 feet away, so you'll need quite a bit of yard to work with.

In terms of features, though, this option is hard to beat for the price. It's super bright — 3500 lumens — and has an impressive set of 10W speakers, so you can get away with not purchasing a separate set. 4K fanatics will also be pleased to know this is a true 4K projector, and a surprisingly affordable one at that.

According to reviewers(opens in a new tab), the projector does tend to take a while to turn on and off — up to 15 seconds in some cases. A few folks also noticed some distracting noise from the fan, which may or may not be a concern for you depending on how much ambient noise you anticipate around your setup.

Despite these relatively small issues, though, the ViewSonic PX7474-4K appears to be well worth the price.