Open Air Cinema Guide is here to help you create fantastic outdoor cinema experience

We are delighted to announce the publication of the most definiteve guide to outdoor theatre produced yet!

Our Open Air Cinema Guide is here to help you create the unforgettable outdoor cinema experience, whether you are planning an event for 10 or 3000 people.

We’ve been in AV business for quite a while now, and have vast experience in outdoor movie systems. So we decided to share our knowledge with you to help you create more magic, more fun, more entertainment with inflatable screens and projection equipment.

This guide is for you if you are planning to:

  • Organise movie night for your community
  • Hire out equipment for backyard parties
  • Attract more guests to your tourist park, holiday resort or swimming pool
  • Generate funds on an ongoing basis for sporting clubs or educational institutions
  • Create corporate event with a difference
  • Open an outdoor cinema venue

The guide gives practical advice on organising your movie night.

From the history of open air cinema to secrets of licensing, event promotion, and revenue generation, this book will tell you everything you wanted to know about outdoor movies, but were afraid to ask.

We hope you’ll find plenty of information to assist in organising your event, whether it’s a drive-in movie night or a backyard cinema party.

The Open Air Cinema Guide is available for a free download from our website.

We hope this book will help you create a fabulous outdoor fun event for the audience of any size!

Smart Digital Announces HandiTheatre HD

HandiTheatre HD Cinema System

Following the enormous success of HandiTheatre at a very affordable price, Smart Digital Australia has announced that it has released a new high definition model of HandiTheatre called HandiTheatre HD.

HandiTheatre HD SystemThe new upscale model will include a high definition 720P projector from ViewSonic rated at a very bright 3300 ANSI lumens together with a pair of 8” powered speakers with an astonishing 100 watts of power each including the inbuilt sub-woofer. All equipment is packaged in protective carry cases.

The inflatable movie screen will be available in either 3 or 4 metres wide in HD aspect ratio 16:9. Each screen has a theatrical quality stretch lycra screen surface for a perfectly flat wrinkle free viewing surface. Both front and rear projection is possible with this exclusive surface which may also be removed for easy washing.

James Cunningham, the company’s marketing director, said that the new HD product was in response to a huge increase in demand for better quality viewing in both movies and live TV from customers all round Australia.

Origin on the BIG screen!

Redland Bay Hotel located in Queensland has taken watching the State of Origin matches to the extreme by purchasing our 6m ParkView Gold package! Having the BIG screen makes the players almost life sized and means that you can take a closer look at the game and the replays, getting your own up close and personal view.

With the hype surrounding the final deciding game, Redland Bay Hotel will be setting the BIG screen up once more (weather permitting) and are anticip6m-PV(1)ating to attract some big numbers to watch the 3rd game on the 8th July. If you’re in the Redland Bay area, check out the BIG screen in all its glory.

Winter sports season heats up, what to watch!

Big-gameAs the colder weather closes in and the winter sports season starts to heat up, rug up warm and enjoy watching the matches on the BIG screen with HandiTheatre® Entertainment System. Either set the system up in the backyard or indoors in the ‘man cave’ depending on the weather or the game time (as system is projection based it doesn’t go well in the daylight!), plug in your own set top box or Foxtel unit and away you go! Whatever sports game is on the menu, whether it’s a family affair, a boys night in or just hanging with the crew, make it an event that everyone will remember and have a BBQ, make some finger food and snacks and have some pre-game entertainment with a video game or two. Here’s what’s coming up for your home entertainment viewing pleasure.

NRL – the championship is currently only a few rounds into the season and has plenty of good matches to come! Support your favourite team through the rounds, the finals series of matches in September, and finally culminating with the Grand Final scheduled for October 4th 2015. And let’s not forget about the three State of Origin matches scheduled between May – July just to add to the fun!

Super Rugby
– we’re deep into the rounds currently of this 15 team tournament, with the final scheduled on the 4th July. Support your favourite team through the remaining matches.

The Rugby Championship – Whether you support the Wallabies, Pumas, All Blacks or Springbok, these matches are scheduled between July and August. Who will be victorious this year?

Bledisloe Cup – Both Wallabies vs All Blacks matches are scheduled in August (8th & 15th). Watch the Trans-Tasman clash that always brings out the rivalry between the sides!

The Rugby World Cup 2015 – England is hosting the 8th Rugby World Cup, with matches scheduled from 18 September to 31 October 2015. Which country will hold the trophy and have the bragging rights for the next four years?

Smart Digital and Hospitality

shutterstock_132210428_family(w)Big screen entertainment and hospitality go hand in hand. Imagine patrons watching the BIG game on a supersized BIG screen, whilst enjoying a cold beverage and a meal in your establishments’ beer garden. With Australia’s love for sports and warm summer nights, it’s a match made in heaven!

At Smart Digital, our ParkView® Series is perfect for hospitality audiences and with the WOW factor included your outdoor events and entertainment will definitely stand out from the crowd. The systems are extremely user friendly with the SmartBox® Gold enabling the user to start up a Blu-Ray DVD movie for a movie night under the stars, plug in a games console to entertain the kids (while the parents make the last minute beverage and food run to the bar before the entertainment starts), plug in your Foxtel unit or Set Top Box for that live sports game or community programme, and even connect your laptop to run a Powerpoint presentation with community notices, promotional messages or if your laptop is connected to Wifi the possibilities are endless!

A Gladstone establishment had this to say about our system:

‘’The screening went great, the whole set up was fantastic with lots of compliments from our patrons. Projector and speaker quality is awesome, very clear defined picture and beautiful sound. We are very happy with our setup.”  Nicholas Taylor, ALH Group

If you are restricted in space and don’t have the large beer garden, or wish to have a more permanent entertainment screen fixture in your courtyard or seating area, check out our SmartFrame® Series, which is a fixed frame screen sized from 120’’ to 200’’. The SmartFrame® Series screen is much cheaper than the traditional LCD Plasma screens, able to be out in the elements, and with a range of projectors available the system can be tailored to fit within your environment and current setup!

Make your establishment the community meeting place of your town, increase patron loyalty and local community spirit, all whilst increasing your food and beverage sales from creating a place to be atmosphere with regular big screen events and entertainment.

Kidspot Mums Say reviewers put HandiTheatre® Home through its paces!

Recently three mums and their families were lucky enough to trial our HandiTheatre Home System for three weeks, putting the system through its paces and using their imagination to integrate it into their everyday lives. Here’s what the mums had to say about HandiTheatre Home:shutterstock_126443786(kids_web)

Smart Digital Review

Great Family Entertainment
By Mykye on 8/12/2014 9:53:00 AM
Rating: 5 stars
Would you recommend? Yes

We love our Smart Digital home theatre. Since receiving delivery of it (in record time) a few weeks ago we have been happy using it and finding NEW ways to get the most out of it – that wasn’t difficult!
I personally unpacked it the day it arrived and set about putting it up immediately, it was a piece of cake and it was so encouraging to have the actual screen up within 10 minutes. It is also really easy to pack away too. It does take up a bit of storage space though due to the size of the screen but it’s a small price to pay.

We also used it for a youth group movie at our church – BIG HIT. Lots of cushions and blankets on the floor. The hardest thing about that was getting everyone to go home!

The big kids (my husband, son (18) and friends) enjoy hooking up the PS4 and having gaming nights under the stars. The younger kids (6, 3, 2) have enjoyed watching Quickflix movies too. We especially like the quality of the speakers and find them ideal for the size of our yard.

I guess the one disappointing thing is not being able to use it outdoors in the daylight hours, especially now it is daylight savings. It makes it pretty late for the kids to be able to get use out of it, we have tried to resolve that by using it as a reward where they can enjoy a late night movie on a non-school night.

The option to have it a front or rear projector is also a VERY handy option, especially with little kids. I choose to have it rear projecting at almost every use, this way I can have all the cabling (of which there is quite a bit) at the rear so little feet don’t trip over.

Overall, myself and my family (& friends) couldn’t be happier with it. I would certainly recommend it and encourage anyone thinking of purchasing it to really consider its usage opportunities as it can be so much more than just a backyard movie theatre.

+ Ease of Use – both in setting up and dismantling; Something that the whole family can use.

– I would add extra peg holes around the base that don’t require guide ropes just for added stability. A bag or something to store the speaker system in would be handy.

  • Customer Support: 5 stars
  • Ease of Set Up & Use: 5 stars
  • Quality: 5 stars
  • Entertainment Value: 5 stars

Smart Digital Handitheatre system-Awesome family entertainment
By janette schmidt on 3/12/2014 10:32:46 AM
Rating: 5 stars
Would you recommend? Yes

We were fortunate enough to trial this amazing system, it was very easy and quick to set up. The first time we used it we had a movie night with the kids in the yard, we even had quite a few neighbours pop over to check it out as well. The kids loved it, it was great family time huddled together on a rug enjoying the beautiful night that it was. The next time we tried it we set it up in our garage so we can maximise the use and our boys were able to play their Wii u on it during the day as well as the night. We also hooked up our set top box, laptop and iPhones and listened to music and watched music clips on YouTube. The screen is a great size and very durable and we found the projector very easy to use and excellent picture and sound quality. We found we were outside watching either a movie on it or playing Wii u nearly every night of the week. I highly recommend this system, great value for money, quality products and can be used for many occasions from birthdays, special events to everyday fun with the family. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.

+ Ease of setting it up, the many and varied types of media that can be used

  • Customer Support: 5 stars
  • Ease of Set Up & Use: 5 stars
  • Quality: 5 stars
  • Entertainment Value: 5 stars

This is the best, me and my family love this!!!!
By Lexie taylor on 29/11/2014 10:22:38 PM
Rating: 5 stars
Would you recommend? Yes

OMG this is the best item. Such a great family night outdoors. Kids loved it we played Wii and play station and heaps of movies. It’s so nice to be outside. It has a great picture. And so easy to set up it took us 10 minutes and easy to put away. Best thing to do on a summer’s night and even in side.

+ Great service.

  • Customer Support: 5 stars
  • Ease of Set Up & Use: 5 stars
  • Quality: 5 stars
  • Entertainment Value: 5 stars

For the original reviews please visit Kidspot Mums Say

A Peek Behind Outdoor Movie Cinema

Inflatable Screens at a Glance cinema

A hot sealed inflatable screen is recommended for backyard and indoor use such as halls or gyms where the blower noise will be more noticeable. All screens sold by Smart Digital Australia with an image width of 4 metres are more compact and easier to handle they also feature a constant air option that keeps your inflatable screen inflated without the noise because typically the blower is placed behind the screen and the audience is normally about 5 metres from the front of the screen. Should there be any residual blower noise it becomes instantly a non-event as soon as the film soundtrack commences.

Secrets Behind Screen Surfaces

Three types of screen surfaces are available today; one for projection on the front of the screen, one for projecting from the rear of the screen and lastly a screen surface that will do both front and rear projection. On Smart Digital’s HandiTheatre® and ParkView® outdoor inflatable movie screens, a special theatrical quality stretch Lycra white surface is used that allows for either front or rear projection. This is for movie screens up to 6 metres wide net picture area (NPA).

On our larger Touring® screens (up to 12 metres wide) and the SmartFold® indoor screen, either a front or a rear projection surface must be specified because the Touring® screen is a much bigger movie screen and thus a very lightweight stretch Lycra fabric is not suitable for such a huge screen surface. The SmartFold® screen surface is press studded to its frame and utilizes special theatrical PVC screen surfaces.

The special screen surfaces used on both the Touring® screens and the SmartFold® are either white for front projection or a grey surface for rear projection. The white surface is a “solid” surface so there is no projector lamp. If the lamp was visible to the audience it would be uncomfortable and shine a relentless light into your eyes. The grey surface also assists with brightness and more clarity of the projected image in challenging ambient light conditions.

How to Achieve Rear Projection

The key to understanding rear projection is to remember that the image from the projector must be reversed. This is relatively easy and most modern projectors have a “settings” function just like a PC. To set the projector to rear projection go into settings and “flip” the image. From the rear, the image on the screen will be reversed and on the front where the audience is located the image will appear to be normal.

Front vs. Rear Projection

For the majority of audiences determining whether to use rear or front projection is a minimal decision. For larger audiences or audiences consisting primarily of many children rear projection is preferred because most of the projection equipment will be located behind the screen and out of the way and thus it is less likely for someone to be caught walking in front of the projector.

Projector Lens Types Unveiled

There are three main types of projection lens available short throw, normal and tele lens. The versatility of changing lenses is only compatible with more powerful projectors. Standard low cost projectors typically use normal lenses. Slightly more expensive projector models are available with a short throw lens – which is an advantage if space is limited because a larger image can be produced with the projector sitting closer than normal to the screen.

Normal throw lenses are included with most consumer and commercial projectors and are typically affordable and offer excellent image display with a lens to screen distance between 5 and 15 metres (depending on the dimensions of the screen). A short throw lens will reduce this “throw” by about two thirds. For example, a lens with a throw of approximately 15 metres will be reduced to about 5 metres. A lens with a long throw will enable the projector to be placed at the rear of the audience with front projection similar to normal hardtop cinema screens. In the outdoor movie business a long throw or “tele” lens is rarely used.

Short throw lens projection reduces the distance between the lens and the screen which will result in a marginally brighter image on the movie screen. This technique will also enhance a screen image when ambient light proves to be challenging. The other advantage is that it reduces the real estate required to screen an image. When space is limited this can be very advantageous.

Simple Yet Balanced Sound

The powered audio speakers are usually placed on either side of the inflatable screen. If two or more pairs of speakers are used the place speakers reasonably close to each other side by side on either side of the screen. It is a good idea to place the speakers about 5 metres apart and close to the front of the movie screen. The speakers can be daisy chained so that one XLR speaker cable will come out the left or right side of the SmartBox® and be connected to the first speaker. Then connect another XLR lead to the OUT of the speaker and connect it to the next speaker by its side. Repeat the procedure for the other channel. Multiple speakers should be all placed near the front of the audience rather than down the sides of the audience. This will give a more comfortable sound and reduce audio delay.

A sub-woofer will enhance the quality of the sound particularly where there is a reasonable amount of music on the sound track. The sub-woofer should be placed on the ground at the front of the screen and daisy chained from one of the speakers as mentioned above.

5 Video Games You Can’t Play with the HandiTheatre System

PC & Tech Authority recently reported that 93 percent of Australian households owned a type of gaming console in October 2013. In 2005, the dominant gaming platform was personal computers. Yet Australians took to gaming with ease and interest as the years have passed. Due to the majority of households acquiring true gaming consoles the growth of gaming in Australia has caused certain regulations and enforcements be established. Several video games are allowed in the country, however, regulations have banned a handful. Video games in Australia are banned for violence, gore, and drugs.

Saints Row IV

The Saints Row IV was released in August 2013. It was banned due to sexual related violence and drug incentives. Published by Deep Silver and developed by Volition the game involves a street gang that has taken the presidential office of the United States. The game picks up from its predecessor and fast forwards five years to where Third Street Gang is ruling.

State of Decay

State_of_decay_logoState of Decay is a zombie survival game that was released in September 20, 2013. The game focuses on surviving using evasion, distractions, and stealth. Through securing resources and traveling the world the protagonist must survive. This game was banned due to drug related incentives and rewards.

South Park: The Stick of the Truth

South Park: The Stick of the Truth video game was banned because of sexual violence involving minors. The game can be played on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles as well as on Microsoft Windows operating systems. The game is a role-playing game that is a manifestation of the characters dreams and imaginations. The game was released September 19, 2013.

50 Cent Bulletproof

50 Cent Bulletproof was released on October 25, 2005. The video game was banned due to its high violence and gory inappropriate graphics. Rated Mature 15, the game is played on Xbox and Playstation 3 game consoles. The game features the protagonist 50 Cent on the hunt for the hitman who tried to kill him.

Syndicate

The video game Syndicate was released February 12, 2012. It was banned due to frequent mutilation scenes. The game was developed by Starbreeze Studios and focuses on a first person shooter game play rather than tactical.

Snuggle up warm with Drive-in Movies!

Want a way of mixing entertainment with the great outdoors during the cooler winter weather? Drive in movies could be the ticket! 4 J Entertainment in Tasmania is clued in, with a fantastic turnout of 145 cars to see our 12m touring screen in action. Even the superheroes made an appearance putting smiles on the kid’s faces, with a percentage of every ticket sold being donated to a charity of their choice!  (more…)

Biggest in Tasmania!

Our 12m Touring screen has just landed with 4 J Entertainment – officially making it the largest outdoor inflatable cinema screen in Tasmania! Catch it in action if you’re in the area!