How to organise a public viewing at home
25.6.2018
Translation: machine translated
No entrance fee, no overpriced beer and no jostling for a good seat: it's all possible if you organise your own public screening. Here's how.
The World Cup is much more fun with friends, a cold beer and a giant screen. At the moment, it feels like there's a public viewing area on every corner - from small cafes that put the TV outside to monster events with thousands of spectators. If you prefer a more cosy atmosphere and have a garden, you can organise your own public viewing area. If the World Cup is already over, you'll at least have an open-air cinema in your garden.
If already, then properly
The easiest way would be to place the TV in the garden. The problem: televisions reflect outside light sources enormously. As long as the sun is in the sky, it's not exactly a piece of cake. At home, the TV is also fixed to the wall and I don't want to take it in and out every day. Besides, 77 inches is far too small for me, I might as well take my old cathode ray tube screen that I have in the cellar. No, if you're already doing it, you're doing it right. For a viewing audience worthy of the name, you need a projector. Depending on the effort you're prepared to put in and the money you can invest, there are a few other factors to consider.
Preparation
Whether you're banking on a TV or a projector, you need the right infrastructure:
- Wired or wireless internet
- cable reel
- table and chairs
- projection screen for projector
- (optional): TV cable, laptop, adapter
Depending on the projector and software, you can stream content directly from the device. But as I didn't feel like setting up a projector, I just plugged in my laptop. I also have my TV subscription with Init7, my local ISP. It's much faster than Zattoo or SRF streaming and I can play everything directly on the VLC video player.
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Aside from a cable reel and a table to put the projector on, all you need is internet. An alternative if you're a UPC customer: you could extend your aerial cable, but then the UHD trick I'll talk about later won't work. The maximum wireless reception in my garden is 10 Mbps. A bit low for streaming. The simplest solution is to lay a network cable in the garden. I'll need about thirty metres to do that. As a wireless alternative, I tried the Devolo Outdoor. It works via Powerline. I connected the little cylindrical device to a socket in the garage - just a few metres from my laptop. I connect the Devolo dLAN counterpart directly next to my router and connect it with a short network cable. To couple the two, I simply press the connect button on the Outdoor model and, within two minutes, press the same button on the dLAN adapter. It worked for me straight away.
I'm nowhere near the promised 550 Mbit/s, though. The maximum I reached was 30 Mbit/s. Certainly better than my WiFi direct from the router, but still very poor. That's why I left the cable on. It's also nice and yellow, so there's no risk of anyone stepping on it.
Projection cloth or sheet
The last question before moving on to choosing the right projector is: projection fabric or cloth? A white linen fabric costs next to nothing and is simply attached. The quality is OK, but, if you want to get it right, you'll get a completely different quality with a real projection screen. A screen is also better in terms of brightness, as it reflects more light.
I've tried the Elite Screens Yard Master 2 and am absolutely delighted with it. The projection screen measures 100 inches (projection area 220 x 125 cm). It comes in a handy bag and weighs just under 10kg - so it's easy to transport. It's very easy to set up, even by one person. The aluminium frame is in one piece. You "unfold" it and snap several parts together. Then all you have to do is place the two legs in the opening provided and the basic structure is ready. The fabric, which is made from a weather-resistant material, is fitted using a press-stud system. The screen takes no more than 15 minutes to assemble. If necessary, you can secure the installation to the ground using cords and four pegs. Its light weight means it can be moved easily by two people. If it's outside, I recommend securing it, because it tips over easily in the wind.
Choosing the right projector
First of all, I'd like to stress once again that a TV is of course an absolutely valid solution. When it's in the shade, it works just fine. But I'd like to broaden my public broadcasting project a little. The weak point of projectors is their brightness. When the sun shines, the image is too bright. It's difficult to draw the curtains in the garden, so I need something with a lot of lumens. But sometimes the best is the enemy of the good. Professional projectors are brighter so they can also work in bright conference rooms, but their image quality isn't as good. But before we talk about quality, I'd just like to see something.
At home, the projection surface is in the shade. Everything else would only be possible with ultra-powerful projectors that require a firearms licence just because of their brightness. As Luca Fontana, my colleague, used three of them for his article (in German) on projector technology, I'm borrowing the Benq W1700. "That should be enough," thinks Luca. The 4K resolution and 2200 lumens already look promising.
On the first test in the afternoon, no image appears on the projection screen. It's only by putting my hand in front of the projector lens that I can tell if it really works. I do a test with the 6pm match: I can make out shaded outlines, but it's impossible to tell whether it's football or The Simpsons. It's only when I move the projector, put it so close to the screen and the image is only a metre wide that it's possible to recognise anything.
Second attempt with the 8pm match: of course I've invited my mates. The sun is already lower, so we can just about follow the match. But the picture is still very clear and when I look at the TV in the flat, the colours are so intense they almost dazzle me. By the second half, the picture was OK, so I had nothing to be ashamed of. Right from the start, I set the picture mode to minimum brightness, which reduces the picture quality but gives more lumens. It didn't do any good. The Benq W1700 is definitely not designed for outdoor use. So I'm trying the other two projectors.
In the office of category colleagues, there's a Acer H7850 lying around. It's also a 4K device, but it has 3000 lumens. Unfortunately, that's not enough to enjoy the World Cup while it's still daylight either. But by 7pm, the picture was already good enough for me to follow a match in black and white. I'm only staying outside because we're so cosy in the garden. Otherwise, I can't really recommend it. The difference compared to the Benq W1700 is very minimal, and even at 8pm kick-off, it's still not really that good. Again, I've selected the brightest mode.
Finally, I tried a real lamp. The Benq SH753 has 4300 lumens. The picture quality of the professional unit is slightly inferior to that of the other two models, but I can finally watch a match at 8pm without any problems. As SRF always broadcasts with 720p (with the exception of Swisscom TV, see below), the drop in quality is not as drastic. It looks different when you use the outdoor cinema configuration. However, it's only when it's dark that the atmosphere becomes noticeable, which explains why even the weaker models with better picture quality are good enough. All the same, I was really surprised that even this model is still far too weak to be able to see anything reasonably well before 8pm. It has to be said that setting the picture mode to minimum brightness didn't help much with this projector. The default "User 1" setting even seemed to be a little brighter.
The icing on the cake: football in UHD
If you already have a 4K or UHD projector, then you also want to watch the World Cup in UHD. If you don't have Swisscom TV, use an HD TV. Unfortunately, none of the other TV providers have acquired SRF's licence to broadcast the football World Cup in the best possible quality.
Austrians are a little luckier on this front. ORF broadcasts content on the web or via an app on devices supported with 3840 x 2160 pixels, including HDR. However, this only works in Austria - unless you use a VPN. Mind you, it has to be fast enough for UHD streaming. If you want to try it out, you'll also need to use Edge or Safari, as the browser must support H.265 code, as written in the Standard (in German). There are also links on how to stream on VLC - a bit like what I had to do for my TV provider. The whole thing worked flawlessly for me, both on the web and via the app on my Android TV. The picture is much better than with normal HD streaming from SRF 2. My colleague Luca, who can also watch the World Cup in UHD via Swisscom TV, is just as enthusiastic.
Assessment: a simple project in line with requirements
Whether you put the TV in the garden or opt for the projection canvas with a projector, watching the World Cup in your own garden is already very comfortable. If you choose the projector version, you really need a very bright device. Your living room projector just won't do. And buying a projector just for a public viewing or an open-air cinema is a bit absurd. Firstly because these bright projectors are expensive and secondly because their image quality is lacking. And that's exactly what you'll be missing if you're planning to install it in your living room at the end of the summer or after the World Cup. All you have to do is hire or borrow one. Whichever option you choose for watching the World Cup in your own back garden, it's well worth it.
Products used
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
