Do you have kids? Do you like to gather with friends outside during the summer months? And, do you like Home Theater? Well what if I said you can have both! Presenting the new outdoor screens, THE SOLUTION ™ XL-Theater! The XL-Theater screens are made primarily for outdoor use. They are an inflatable “frame” and base that is the main structure. Then they come with a screen fabric of 1.0 gain for front projection, .8 for rear projection. Yes, they do both! Not only that, but they come with 2 PA heavy-duty powered speakers. Essentially all you have to do is take a projector and DVD player, and voila, instant drive-in!

The unit arrived in 3 boxes…2 for the speakers, and 1 large one with the “frame”, screen fabric, pump, and black backing. I unpacked everything immediately as I was SO excited. The speakers are extremely heavy duty, similar to a PA speaker used in a school, concert, etc… They are both powered. They stand about 21”x13”x12” and utilize a 10” woofer and horn loaded tweeter. They put out 120 watts (for the XL-12, 100 watts for the XL-8), so plenty of power for outdoor use. Each speaker has bass, treble, and volume controls, as well as multiple hookup connections. This is a production unit, but it was missing the volume box. Sale units will come with a volume box to control the sound of both speakers simultaneously. They are housed in a black plastic case and come with little “stands” for angling them up to improve sound dispersion.

The “frame” is a heavy duty vinyl structure with 2 ports on it. One is for filling the unit, one for deflating it. Setup is simple. You take out the tiny, but incredibly powerful pump and plug it in. Unscrew the fill cap, and push the hose into the “frame”. Then just turn on the pump and let ‘er rip! It only took about 4 minutes to inflate this monster!

Pretty impressive. The XL-12 unit I tested (and for outdoors, go big or go home!), it stands an impressive 5’ deep, 12.5’ wide and 9.5’ tall!! Side note, there are 2 models, the XL-8 and XL-12, both 16:9, and the number indicates the diagonal size in feet. Once you have inflated the unit, you can use the multiple tie downs (if needed, as that depends on the winds) to secure it. The unit is actually pretty hefty at about 70 lbs. when assembled, so it can stand on its own if you so choose (just make sure it doesn’t blow away). You then remove the fabric and begin to attach it. This is the more time consuming part, but not difficult. There are grommets throughout the whole material edging. Then there is matching grommets on the “frame”. The material attaches to the “frame” by very simple, but incredibly strong Velcro loops. I might add this is the strongest Velcro I have ever come across. After the fabric is attached, you are ready to go for rear projection. If you decide to use it for front projection, then there is one more step. There is a black backing, made of vinyl that attaches to the back of the “frame”. It attaches at the top just like the screen material, but then just hangs and is secured at the bottom by a few Velcro strips. This is designed to keep the front projected light from shining through the back and improving the performance.

Next came the fun part-movietime! I decided to use it for testing purposes as rear projection. I set mine up in front of my garage so that my projector could shoot from inside a covered area in case of rain. The quality of picture is actually quite good. This is actual screen fabric, not just some random piece of vinyl. No it isn’t videophile level, but that is obviously not this units intention…it’s merely for fun. The fabric doesn’t lay 100% flat when it is blowing around and such, but it isn’t a problem considering the environment.

Alright, you get the picture. Now on to the fun stuff. Here are some specs on the units, and of course, screenshots!

FEATURES:
Fully Inflates/Deflates in Just Minutes
16:9 HD Format Widescreen
Durable Frame & Screen Material
2 Pro-Style Amplified Speakers
2-Channel Volume Control Box
Air Pump
Vinyl Carrying/Storage Case
Stability Tie-Downs

INFLATABLE FRAME DESCRIPTIONS:
(ALL MODELS)
Commercial Grade Mesh Reinforced PVC
Inflates in under 5 Minutes with included pump
Vinyl Ground Cloth Included
Dual Self-Sealing Air Valves Allow Quick Deflation
Repair Kit Included
Plastic Grommets for Rest-Free Durability

STANDARD SCREEN DESCRIPTIONS:
Hi-Definition, bright white vinyl material
Front & Rear Projection Capability
16x9 HD Widescreen Format; 4x3 Format Compatible
Compatible with all types of projectors
Durable, adjustable straps for flexible screen support
Black trimmed screen for a true cinema-style picture

ACCESSORIES INCLUDED:
(4) 6” Ground Stakes
(4) Stabilization Rope Tie-Downs
(1) Repair Kit
(1) PVC Ground Cloth
(1) Sturdy Nylon Storage Bag
(1) Volume Control Box
(1) Set of L-R RCA Audio Cables: 30ft.
(1) Ground Fault Power Strip
(1) Set of Adjustable Screen Straps

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Frame Material: 0.6mm PVC w/Mesh Reinforcement
Screen Material: 0.15mm PVC
Product Dimensions:
          SXL-8: 9’x8’x5’ *
          SXL-12: TBA*
Shipping Weights:
          SXL-8: approx. 50lbs, screen/frame only*
          SXL-12: approx. 70lbs, screen/frame only*

CONCLUSIONS:
It’s been a long time coming for something like this that didn’t break the bank! These units are of the highest build quality, and excellent performance. Best of all, at $2999.95 list for the XL-12, and $1499.95 list for the XL-8, they are affordable for anyone in this hobby! Let summer fun begin!

Thanks!