Foothills couple capitalize on outdoor-theater trend

If watching your favorite evening television show or movie under the stars while lounging in your pool sounds like a dream, Tim Meester has a reality check for you.

Meester and his wife, Lisa, both of Ahwatukee Foothills, own and operate Arizona Outdoor Theaters, a business that rents or sells 100-inch screens with a 2000 Lumens projector, DVD player and speakers - perfect for outdoor viewing.

For a rental fee of $199 a night or $299 per weekend, customers can watch the tube while floating in one. The company even comes to a customer's yard ahead of time to help determine the best placement for the screen.

For those interested in purchasing, Meester said the most popular package sold includes the 100-inch Vultec portable screen and a Casio 2000 Lumens projector. Included in the $2,695 price are a 500-watt DVD/Surround Sound system and a wheeled portable case.

"There's no assembly needed - no wires to connect. It's delivered, assembled and installed," Meester said. "It takes less time to set up the portable outdoor theatre than it does to cook a bag of popcorn."

And popcorn is also included with each sale, he said.

Meester built his first prototype for his family, hoping to show his 15-year-old son, Tyler, and 13-year-old daughter, Kayla, how it felt to watch movies outdoors, just like he did as a boy at the drive-in in Omaha, Neb.

Soon, the neighbor kids became regular visitors, followed by their parents. Not only were there TV shows and movies to watch, it made an extreme screen for playing Xbox and Wii games.

An idea was born.

"As the quality in home theaters have gone up, the technical capability now makes it possible for inexpensive outdoor theaters," Meester said. "Outdoor theaters are a fraction of the cost of home theaters and can be used both indoors during the day and outdoors at night."

Locally owned Leslie's Pool Supply carries Arizona Outdoor Theaters products. The store at 4615 E. Ray Road was the first to carry the theaters, and has screens ranging from 100 inches to 18 feet.

For more information on Arizona Outdoor Theaters: 480-785-4567.

Ahwatukee resident Tim Meester owns Arizona Outdoor Theaters.