Streamline Frame Systems: The weather- resistant hardware costs between $275-300.

Movable Frame System: The weather- resistant hardware costs between $300-325.

The cinema equipment I offer with my Timberline Premium Wireless 150” Big Moose Package costs between $600 and $ 700.

You can also choose whatever electronic components and brand names you want as long as they are compatible with the recommended equipment setup.

For example, if you want to use a different projector or speaker system, the cost might decrease or increase depending on your preference. You’ll also pay less if you already have some compatible electronic components.

Wireless Cinema Cost: $600

Wired Cinema Equipment: $700

The wireless cinema package is less expensive than the wired cinema by $100 and costs, on average, $600. The wired cinema equipment costs roughly $700.

The overall cost to build your own professional outdoor movie theater is between $1,000 and $1,500.

The cost will be less if you already have lumber and some compatible cinema equipment.

The recommended space needed for an outdoor movie theater setup is roughly 12 ft x 12 ft, which includes space for seating.

Anyone can easily build, assemble, and install the different frame systems by following the instructions in the 'how-to' manual. Essential tools include a hand saw, Skilsaw or compound saw, drill, box level, and other standard household tools.

After purchasing the downloadable 'how-to' guide, the necessary tools are covered in depth. If you don't have some of these tools, you can rent them at your local hardware store or do what most homeowners do - borrow them from your neighbors.

Streamline Frame Systems: Rough dimensions are 12' ft wide x 10' ft high x 4" depth. Exact measurements are covered in the manual.

Movable Frame System: Rough dimensions are 12' ft wide x 10' ft high x 5' ft depth. Exact measurements are covered in the manual.

Streamline Frame Systems: weighs between 100-175 lbs.

Movable Frame System: weighs between 175-200 lbs.

The weight of the frame system will vary as most new pressure-treated lumber is wet and heavy; it eventually dries out and becomes lighter over six months.

The Timberline Frame Systems will last as long as your deck outside, and even longer if you apply a coat of stain every other year.

The manual pull-down projector screen ranges in price from $400-600.

The grommet hole cinematic screen ranges in price from $30-60.

The manual pull-down projector screen is 142” diagonal. The dimensions are 10- ft. 11" wide x 7’ ft. 3” high.

The grommet hole cinematic screen is 150” diagonal. The dimensions are 9’ ft. 3” wide x 5’ ft. 10” high.

The method of hanging the two different projector screens varies slightly on which screen you want to use.

1) Manual pull-down projector screen: hang with two screw hooks below the main header beam inside the frame system.

2) Grommet hole cinematic screen: hang the screen using screw hooks all along the inside of the frame system.

The manual pull-down projector screen can be cleaned carefully using a soft microfiber towel or a soft kitchen sponge and a solution of warm water and Dawn dish detergent soap.

The grommet hole cinematic screen can be cleaned using a soft microfiber towel and a mix of water and Woolite.

No. It is recommended that you take your screen down after each use outside unless you purchase an expensive waterproof screen, which starts at around $1,900 from Elite Screens. Most manual pull-down projector screens are not waterproof and will get damaged if left outside in the rain.

Warning: If you leave your grommet hole cinematic screen attached to the Movable frame system when there are strong wind gusts, the wind will fill up your screen like a sail on a sailboat and topple the heavy frame system over, crushing anything in front of it. The wind will also stress the grommets on the edges of the screen and eventually rip them out. It’s always best to remove the screen before any expected windy weather.

Pinewood 1” thick x 10” wide. You can also build the projector stand using hardwoods like maple or oak. Hardwoods cost more and are heavier than pinewood, making the projector stand more challenging to carry.

To protect your projector stand, apply a coat of semi-transparent stain and put on 2-3 coats of polyurethane.

You will need a circular or compound saw, bar clamps, sanding block, random orbital sander, and drill. If you don’t have these tools, do what most homeowners do — borrow some tools from your neighbors, or you can rent them at a low cost from most hardware stores.

The projector stand's overall dimensions depend on the equipment you want to use for your cinema setup and the landscaping on your property. Over the years of building outdoor movie theaters for customers, every projector stand I've made is a different size.

There are exact calculations for you to follow in the how-to guide to help you determine the proper size for your custom projector stand.

For the beginner with no furniture-building experience, the how-to DIY guide will provide clear, easy, step-by-step instructions that will enable you to build and assemble this stand in a day.

If you have a full woodshop and have built furniture before, the design plans are straightforward, and you'll easily conquer this project.

No. There is not enough space on the tripod projector stand shelf to hold all of the necessary electronic components, as it only has enough space to hold a projector and nothing else. You want to avoid stacking any components on top of each other.

The Timberline Series Custom Projector Stand is a portable entertainment center that keeps all of your equipment neatly organized. It never has to be disconnected or broken down, making it the outdoor equivalent of the entertainment center inside your home.

The recommended projector I provide in the DIY guide does not support daytime use, due to the higher cost of a projector with those capabilities. However, you can customize your cinema equipment as desired, adding a daytime projector to enhance your viewing options.

Daytime projectors range in cost from $800 and up, and can be found online by searching for ‘outdoor daytime projectors.’ The DIY guide provides recommendations on which projectors are the best based on online reviews, if price is not an issue.

Absolutely. You can customize your cinema equipment to fit your needs by choosing what you’d like for electronics and brands. The how-to guide contains lists of the cinema equipment I use for my customers in Maine; it serves as a solid framework to help you understand how everything works and gets connected.

Yes – the DIY guide covers the recommended cinema equipment for both wireless and wired packages.

No, only the wired cinema setup can accommodate powerful PA Speakers. The wireless cinema setup is not capable of powering high-end sound systems. However, you can use great Bluetooth speakers with the wireless cinema setup.

Yes. With the wired cinema system, you can use Bluetooth wireless headphones to listen to your entertainment, so it doesn’t disrupt your neighbors. Bluetooth wireless headphones are not compatible with the wireless cinema setup.

Each state and town has its own zoning codes. The Timberline Movable Frame System is not considered a permanent structure; it falls under a similar category to an outdoor residential playground, which should not require any zoning permit.

The Timberline Streamline Frame System gets cemented into the ground and is also similar to an outdoor residential playground—so it may not require any zoning permit. However, it’s best to call your local town office and speak to the zoning commissioner to verify that installing the frame system is allowed in your area.

Important: always call Dig Safe before digging into the ground.

Streamline Frame System: 1/4” or ½” drive ratchet socket wrench and sockets, hammer, drill, 6’ ft box level, and shovel.

Movable Frame System: 1/4” or ½” drive ratchet socket wrench and sockets, hammer, drill, and 6’ ft box level.

I install all of my client's cinemas by myself, and recommend you have two people to help assemble and install your frame system for the first time – it will make the entire process go much easier and faster.

The overall time to assemble and install the frame system should take you a day, or even less if you have two people. Both frame systems take roughly the same amount of time to install.

The distance from the projector to the cinema screen is the throw distance. Each projector has a recommended throw distance and is covered in the how-to guide.