 Elite Screens VMAX2 120" Electric projection Screen, 16:9 Aspect Ratio (Max White) |
The SECRET behind great image projections
Many opt to buy the cheapest home theater screen. Some may even put up a white sheet as a DIY projector screen while others may settle for a smooth white wall as their front projection screen.
Surely going for the cheapest home theater projector screen setup is better than nothing but you would not 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 projection 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 definitely an essential requirement for the best results. With a little care, a relatively minimal expense in comparison to the cost of your video projector and home theater audio setup can transform the projected video image, 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; a high quality projection screen will last a lifetime!
Home Theater Screens - 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 - Guide:
How to select your projection screen
Home theater projector screens cover all forms of presentation media applications - from home theater to business presentations on-the-move, and vary not only in size, aspect ratio and screen setup, but also in the screen material and projection screen surface used.
Selecting the right screen setup and screen surface that is best for your application depends on a number of factors - including the projector output, supported viewing angle for your home theater audience, projection screen size, home theater environment - as well as on the level of ambient light present in the room and the targeted projection screen gain.
Arriving at the right combination of screen array and projection surface is essential for optimum results. Yet, for the uninformed, selecting a suitable screen for a front projection setup can turn out to be a rather complicated process.
We therefore hope that the following projection screen guides will help make your selection a bit easier:
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Selecting a
Home Theater Projector Screen |
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Home Theater
Projector Screen Fabrics |
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Understanding
Projector Screens: Matching the screen gain, ambient light and
projector output |
Home Theater Screens - Product Reviews
The vast selection of projection screens is such that whatever your requirements and constraints are - ambient light conditions, limited room configuration, budget restrictions, etc., you can rest assured that there is always a quality projection screen that represents an optimum solution to your needs.
At the same time, it is important to realize that there is no magic home theater projector screen that performs well under all conditions. In other words, your first step should be to decide on the type of projection screen surface that best matches your video projector setup.
Once you identify the optimum screen surface, it should not be difficult to find a suitable home theater projector screen. 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 yet relatively 'new' entrants in the field - with a number of highly affordable home theater screens.
While these suppliers provide a complete projection screen solution 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 and DIY Theatre.com provide specially formulated acrylic paints with various screen contrast options and screen gain, which can be applied by roller or spray to transform any smooth surface into a high performance projection screen.
While these specially prepared products do not come cheap - enough projection screen paint to cover a medium size 80-inch diagonal screen surface costs approximately $150 - 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 projection screen solutions from different brands, in particular with respect to the quoted screen optical gain and viewing angle. 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 should be taken to refer to a full cone viewing angle.
It is therefore extremely important 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.
