TUSY 14 ft Inflatable Outdoor Movie Screen Review

TUSY 14 ft Inflatable Outdoor Movie Screen Review

Buy it at Amazon: TUSY 14 ft Inflatable Outdoor Movie Screen [Affiliate Link]

Takeaway: Quickly inflates and deflates; some fan noise but relatively quiet, lightweight and easy to setup.

When opening the box, be sure not to use a utility knife across the top. If you do need to cut the tape, use scissors or face the blade up and away from the interior to prevent damaging the screen, as it sits right below the top flaps. In the box you'll receive a large polyester canvas tote. Inside, you'll find a smaller drawstring bag, a set of setup instructions, and the inflatable movie screen. Inside the small drawstring bag are 6 aluminum lawn anchors that measure 7 inches in length. You'll also find 6 lengths of tie down ropes, which each measure about 12 feet long.

The recommended knot for use with the anchors is a tautline hitch which will allow you to slide the knot to adjust the length of the rope. The instructions for making this knot are illustrated in the manual, but I show just how to tie one in my video review. The screen comes bound up with extra strips of the polyester canvas that it is made out of. These ties aren't all that great and can be discarded. When rolling out the screen, make sure to keep the white screen facing up. The feet of the screen will have the motor of the air pump on one side. The air pump is in a zippered section, so unzip it to get to the power cord. Once the power cord is out, you'll want to zip the compartment back up. Note that when you plug in the motor it will start inflating instantly as there is no on/off switch.

The screen takes about 1 minute to fully inflate so it comes up quickly. Make sure the air pump is not blocked at any time so it can get enough air flow. When the screen is fully inflated, it can be a little challenging to maneuver with one person, which is why I recommend, placing the anchors at the front and back of each foot before inflating; they're be a loop at each end. On the sides of the screen are two anchor points where you can tie the ropes using the knot I showed you earlier. Then you'll want to plant the anchors, angling them away from the screen and hook the rope onto it. I found the screen is the most stable with two ropes on either side, and anchored at the front of each foot. You may need to adjust a couple times to get it square and level.

The fully inflated screen has the following measurements. It is 9 feet tall, 11 feet wide, has about a 16 foot overall diagonal (may be somewhat less depending on inflation level and how it's strapped down), and a viewable screen diagonal of 10 feet with a 16:9 ratio. When projecting onto the screen, the white fabric provides a clean, even surface for the projected image to render true colors with deep saturation. There is a slight border effect because the center of the screen is transluscent, while the edges, held on by Velcro are opaque. The fan does produce a little bit of noise, however, during our viewing with the loud speaker we were using, we didn't really notice it. Because the screen is transluscent, you can project from behind the screen or from in front, just remember to flip the image horizontally if projecting from the back so text will be readable from the front. When projecting from behind, you will have a strong border effect along the Velcro border as the light will not pass through it.

When you're done with the screen, it deflates as soon as you unplug the pump, so be prepared to catch the screen and control the collapse. I try to keep the white part of the screen off the ground and between the two black sections to avoid getting it dirty or stained. However, if it does get soiled, it's easily removable and machine washable as it is attached with Velcro. Packing the screen away is as easy as rolling it up from the side opposite from the pump towards the pump end and takes only a couple minutes. It fits neatly into the canvas bag for storage or travel and is fairly lightweight at only 11 pounds. Overall, the quality of the screen is good and the construction durable. It sets up and breaks down in minutes and can make any space that can accommodate it an instant movie theater.

Buy it at Amazon: TUSY 14 ft Inflatable Outdoor Movie Screen [Affiliate Link]