[How to choose the most suitable projection screen for home theater] Home projection screen purchase common sense

The correct choice of home theater screen is mainly considered from the following aspects:

1. First determine the size of the screen according to the distance between the viewing seat and the screen

Generally speaking, for 4:3 signals, the best viewing distance is 2.5-3 times the image height; for 16:9 images, the best viewing distance is 2-2.5 times the image width. For a fixed viewing distance, if the screen is too small, the shock of the big screen will be lost; if the screen is too big, people will feel dizzy and unable to watch for a long time. Conversely, if the screen size is fixed, we can also calculate the best viewing distance. It is appropriate to choose a 100-inch screen for viewing at a distance of 4-5 meters for ordinary home environments in China.

2. Determine the ratio of the screen according to the original ratio of the projector’s display components

Projectors for home theater can be divided into CRT, DLP, LCD, D/ILA, LCOS, etc. technically. CRT (three-tube machines, such as BARCO's CINE7, 8, 9; SONY's D50Q, G70, G90, etc.) all use 4:3 CRT tubes. Here, you should choose a 4:3 screen. Single camera DLP, LCD, D/ILA, LCOS (such as BARCO CINEVERSUM series, SHARP12000, Z201, MARANZTE12S3/S4, SONY VW12 HS1, QULIA004, SANYO Z3, PANASONIC AE700, INFOCUS SCREENPLAYER series, etc.) all adopt 16:9 display Panel, so you should choose a 16:9 screen. There are also individual single-gun home projectors that use a 4:3 display panel, and users need to pay attention when choosing them.

3. Choose the installation method of the screen according to the room decoration

The installation methods of the screen are divided into fixed frame type, electric rewinding type, manual rewinding type, and ground up-pull type. The projection method is divided into front projection and rear projection. The rear projection method is not affected by the ambient light, and the viewing effect is very good even if the curtains are not closed during the day. The disadvantage is that a separate space is required for the rear projection darkroom; the advantage of the front projection is that the requirements for the building environment are not high, but the viewing environment is more demanding. Black is better. But most home theaters use the front projection method, and we have to choose different screen formats according to the purpose of the room. If you have a dedicated home theater room, you should choose a fixed frame screen. The fixed frame screen not only has good image effects, but also has the feel of a movie theater at the lowest price. If it is installed in the living room or bedroom, you should consider the electric or manual retractable screen, which can be put away when not in use, so as not to damage the aesthetics and coordination of the living room environment. If there is no place to install the screen on the wall or ceiling, you can consider using a pull-up screen on the ground. In short, home theater is not the whole life, don't destroy the living space environment because of it.

4. Select the screen according to the type of projector

Home theater projectors are technically divided into two categories: three tube machines (CRT) and single tube machines (DLP, LCD, D/ILA, LCOS, etc.). The three-tube machine has good color reproduction and the contrast is almost infinitely high (15000:1), so you must choose a white screen, such as ST130, UM150 and other materials; the single-tube machine has relatively poor contrast and color reproduction, and the screen manufacturer has targeted research and development And made a gray screen, mainly due to the improvement of the contrast and color reproduction of the single-tube machine, such as FIREHAWK, GREYHAWK RS and other materials. Of course, a single-tube machine can also choose a white screen, but a three-tube machine can never choose a gray screen.

5. Choose screen material according to the projector's brightness, contrast and other indicators

Most of the mainstream home theater projectors on the market are DLP or LCD projectors, with a brightness output between 800 ANSI lumens and 3500 ANSI lumens, and a contrast ratio between 500:1 and 5500:1. The choice of screen material is mainly determined by the projector's brightness output, contrast, and screen size. The brightness of the image we see on the screen is related to the brightness of the projector, the gain of the screen, and the size of the screen. First of all, for the screen of the same size material, the projector brightness output is proportional to the image brightness; for the same projector and projection size, the screen material gain is proportional to the image brightness; for the same projector and screen material, the image The size is inversely proportional to the brightness of the image. The brightness of the image is not as high as possible. Too high brightness will reduce the contrast, and at the same time, the human eye will feel uncomfortable. Therefore, there is no screen material that can meet all the requirements for use, and a suitable screen material should be selected according to the indicators of the projector and the size of the image. In addition, it should be noted that the screen itself also has a resolution. Some brands of screen materials have latitude and longitude lines, which will cause interference fringes in the image, reduce the resolution, and make the image slightly smaller.

6. Determine the screen material used according to the ambient light brightness

The influence of ambient light on the image is also very large. First of all, the ambient light will reduce the contrast, so that the dark part lacks gradation, and the black is not black. Even when the room is completely dark, the walls and floors around the screen will reflect some light, causing the image contrast to decrease. GRAYHAWK and FIREHAWK materials can control the excess reflected light and produce excellent images in brighter environments.