Home Theater Screens. A good home theater screen is an important part of your home theater system. You can buy manual systems and electric powered systems in a wide range of sizes. We recommend you buy the size that fits best within your room dimensions, the distance of the projector from the screen, and your intended viewing position.
How to Choose a Projector Screen
The following is a basic guide to selecting a home theater screen First: The Type of Screen... You can buy different types of projector screens: 1)Manual 2)Permanently tensioned 3)Electric 4)Portable 5)Rear-projection 1)Manual Screens:
Relative to other screen types, manual screens are inexpensive and basic to use. You simply pull the screen down by hand like a large window shade.
Manual Screen Options:
Controlled Screen Return (CSR) – This feature stops the screen from rolling back into the case too quickly.Highly recommended. Steel Bearings - Higher-end manual screens have steel bearings that are more durable and long-wearing than the standard nylon rollers.
Tension Arms/Rods – If your screen fabric does not hang smooth and straight, these will stretch the surface the screen surface to keep it flat.
2) Permanently Tensioned Screens: On permanently tensioned screens, the screen fabric is stretched around a frame, and left in place so it can be projected upon anytime.While these screens may take up more space, they provide a smooth, flat surface.
3)Electric Screens: Electric screens may cost more, but they can be raised or lowered by a switch or remote control.They can be mounted on the ceiling with brackets or mounted within the ceiling with recessed cases to hide the screen within the ceiling. Electric Screen Options:
Externally Mounted Systems – Easier to install than the ceiling-recessed systems.But the case will protrude from the ceiling.
Ceiling-Recessed Systems – If you prefer a system in which your screen is concealed when not in use, then a ceiling-recessed system is your best choice.Be aware, though, that installation of such a system will probably require you hire a contractor for the renovation work on your ceiling.
Tab-Tensioned Systems – These systems keep the screen pulled taut, which assures a smooth viewing surface. 4)Portable: The size range of portable screens is limited since large screens can be rather heavy.Different styles are available, including tripod screens (easy to use and carry), and pop-up screens (Da-Lite and Draper have such models), which are self-contained case and screen combo systems.Folding screens come in the largest portable sizes available. 5)Rear Projection: Rear projector screens display images projected from behind the screen. Such systems can simply be a portable, manual or electric screen with fabric that allows for rear projection, or a much more complicated system, such as one with a system of mirrors.
Second: The Screen Size... Screens come in a range of sizes, including: Square, Standard TV/video, and Widescreen. Square Square screens are usually used for data presentations, and are sized 1 to 1 (or 1:1).These are not normally recommended for home theater use. Standard TV/Video Standard TV/Video screens have a width to height ratio of 4 to 3 (or 4:3), meaning, for example, a screen that is 4 feet wide is 3 feet high, or 8’ x 6’, etc.This width to height ratio is common for most standard television programs and “fullscreen” movies (note that many of the new HDTV programs are shown in an HDTV wider screen format). Widescreen Widescreen screens are the best choice for your home theater since they are properly proportioned for viewing widescreen films.Widescreens generally have a ratio of 16 to 9 (or 16:9), meaning a screen that is 16 feet wide is 9 feet high, or 8’ x 4.5’, etc. As a side note:While some older films were originally shot in fullscreen format, most films today are shot in widescreen.As a result, set your home theater system up for widescreen viewing and, whenever possible, always choose a DVD that says “widescreen” on the cover, as opposed to “fullscreen,” since a fullscreen release actually has the left and right sides of the image cropped, so you’re missing parts of the film the director intended for you to see! Room Size and Projector Distance The size of your room the distance of your projector from the screen will have direct impact on the overall size of your screen.If, for example, you would like a 8’ wide x 4.5‘ high screen (numbers chosen simply to correspond to standard widescreen format) to be totally filled with a projected image, you will need enough distance between your screen and your projector to allow the projector to project an image of that size (in general, the closer a projector is to the screen, the smaller the image it is able to project).In essence, the bigger the screen you want, the more distance that is generally required between the projector and the screen.
Again, without getting too technical here, retail projector and screen sites usually have charts and/or formulas you can refer to that will allow you to choose the best screen size for you viewing environment.
Third: The Screen Fabric...
A screen can actually improve the direction, quality and quantity of the light that is projected upon it. The two most important things to think about when choosing screen fabric are viewing angle and gain.Note that as viewing angle increases gain usually decreases, and vice versa. Viewing Angle: Viewing angle is basically the measurement from, for example, the center position in front of the screen to either side, such that you are still able to see the same quality image in either position, since some screens diffuse light more accurately across a wider range of viewing angles.With that said, new home theater projectors are much better at projecting an excellent quality image across the entire screen, so a screen with specs providing a broad viewing angle may not be as relevant today. Gain: Gain measures how reflective the screens surface is.In general, the higher the gain the brighter the image.For example, a gain of 1.0 is neutral, such that the screen reflects back the same amount of light as is considered standard.A gain of 1.5 means that the screen reflects back 50% more light than is considered standard.Remember, though, the higher the gain, the lower the viewing angle.The amount of gain you need is dependent upon your intended usage and personal preference.Without getting into too much technical detail, screen manufacturers will suggest screen models that are a best fit for your space, ambient light (you have ambient light unless your room is pitch black when the overhead lights go out), and intended usage – home theater, for example.
Screen Color: Screens don’t just come in white.You can also buy models in gray tones.Again, depending upon your intended usage, the room you will be in, the amount of ambient light, etc., you may find a gray screen better serves your projected image than a white one.Generally, if you intend to use your screen primarily for a home theater and your room (your living room, for example) has a fair amount of ambient light, you may find a gray screen provides a better image in relation to darker colors and overall image contrast.Again, screen manufacturers will suggest screen models that are a best fit for your intended viewing environment. Acoustics: If you plan on placing a speaker directly behind your screen you will need a perforated screen with acoustical transparency (aka “cinema-perf”).Otherwise, your screen may distort the sound and images.
Final Note: The information provided above should provide you a basic foundation for your research into buying the right screen for your needs. For more details, most screen retailers have an abundance of technical information on their sites.
