Home Theater Screens
 Usually the last thing to be considered BUT...

This is a big mistake. It is true that home theater screens are expensive; unfortunately, many would try to save the screen expense, but this is false economy.

The SECRET behind Great Image Projections

Many would opt to buy the cheapest home theater screens. You may even put up a white sheet or simply use a smooth white wall as your Front projection TV screen.

Surely going for the cheapest home theater projector screen setup is better than nothing but this is like putting ordinary gas in your expensive sports car. It will run but you won't get the best out of your system.

The truth is that you cannot use a projector without a suitably matched projection screen.

And there is even more! To get the best out of your video projector, you need a good quality screen. 

Home theater screens are the secret behind a great image projection and an enjoyable cinematic experience. A powerful projector is not a pre-requisite for the best cinema experience - but a suitable projector screen is an essential requirement for the best results.

With a little care, consideration, and in comparison to the cost of your video projector, a relatively minimal expense, you can transform the video image that you watch into something really worth watching. 

Still not sure if it is worth investing in a good quality projection screen? Just think for a moment about these few facts...

• The end-quality of your projected image is highly dependent on the quality of your projection screen.

• The cost of a good quality projector screen is minimal in comparison to the overall cost of your home theater set-up.

• You will surely be upgrading your home theater equipment every few years; developments in technology will simply force you to do so.

• These upgrades will eventually include also your most expensive item within your home theater setup - the projector.

• BUT you won't upgrade a good quality projection screen!

Remember: High quality home theater screens will last a lifetime! 

Section Contents:

Projection Screen Guides and Product Reviews:

We have prepared three Home Theater Screen Selection Guides that will show you through a step-by-step process, how to choose the right screen setup for your home theater, as well as the criteria to take into account when selecting a home theater projector screen surface.

We are also featuring reviews of some of the most popular Projector Screen Surfaces & Materials for home theater screens - sorted by brand. These reviews cover both off-the shelf products, as well as projection screen fabrics and projector screen paints for the DIY home theater enthusiast.

Home Theater Screens: Selection Guides

There is a vast selection of home theater projector screens available for all types of presentation media applications, that vary not only in size, aspect ratio and screen setup, but also in the material and projection screen surface used.

Selecting the right screen setup and screen surface that is best for you depends on a number of factors - including your projector output, viewing angle, projection screen size, home theater environment - as well as on the amount of ambient light and the projection screen gain.

Arriving at the right combination of screen array and projection surface is essential for optimum results. Selecting a suitable screen for a front projection setup can turn out to be a rather complicated process for the uninformed buyer.

In an attempt to assist you in this selection process, we have prepared for you the following projection screen guides:

• Selecting a home theater Front Projector Screen
  A step-by-step guide to selecting the right projection screen setup for your home theater.

• A Guide to home theater Projector Screen Fabrics
  Defining the different projection screen fabrics while listing the criteria to take into account when selecting a projection screen surface.

• Understanding Projector Screens: Matching the screen gain, ambient light and projector output
  With today's powerful video projectors, one may risk ending up with too bright an image. Discover more here.

Home Theater Screens: Product Reviews

Although there is a vast selection of products available on the market, yet there is no magic home theater projector screen that performs well under all conditions.

At the same time, it is worth taking note that the vast selection of projection screens is such that whatever your requirements and constraints are - ambient light conditions, limited room configurations, budget restrictions, etc., you can rest assured that there is always a high quality projection screen that represents an optimum solution to your needs.

In general , all screen surfaces are available in various screen sizes and in different screen arrays e.g. fixed wall screens, pull-down screens, electric screens, portable screens, etc.

Major suppliers in the area of home theater screens include DA-LITE, Stewart, and Draper, but there are others as well. 

For example, Elite Screens are one of the major new entrants in the field - with a number of highly affordable home theater screens.

While these suppliers provide a complete projection screen array suitable for immediate use, it is also possible to  find suppliers that specialize in the supply of projection screen material. 

For example, DRH also provide special optically coated screen fabric straight off the roll. On the other hand, Goo Systems provide specially formulated acrylic paints that you can apply by roller or spray to transform any smooth surface into a high performance projection screen. 

Although these specially prepared products do not come cheap, yet they may still represent a cheaper alternative and a suitable solution for the DIY home theater enthusiast. 

Please Take Note:

Care should be taken when comparing the screen optical gain and viewing angle detailed by different manufacturers.

While the values shown on our site for projection screen gain and viewing angle are those specified by the respective manufacturers, yet some manufacturers quote the peak gain while specifying the maximum permissible viewing cone for half-gain i.e. the viewing angle at which the image brightness falls to half that at the center. Viewing angles in the region of 65 degrees and over, surely refers to a full cone viewing angle. 

We therefore suggest to consult the manufacturer specifications - in particular the gain-performance chart for the screen fabric you are interested in, before taking any final decision.

To help you in your search of a suitable projection screen surface, we have reviewed some of the most popular home theater screens - fabrics and materials available from major suppliers. 

Reviews - Home Theater Screens:

Projector Screen product and projection screen paints sorted by brand:

• Da-Lite

• Draper

• DRH

• Elite Screens

• Stewart

• Goo Systems  (for Projection screen paints)

Looking for affordable Projector Screens & Accessories?

In collaboration with amazon.com, we have put together a selection of home theater projector screens and accessories from major suppliers at our Home Theater Store; major suppliers covered include: Elite Projector Screens, Da-Lite Screens, and Draper Screens.

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