The type of projection screen from projection screen fabric suppliers is often generally not recognizable and it is a shame since the quality of the projection screen plays directly on the final quality of the image. That's why we offer a little shopping guide to easily understand the different criteria to take into account to choose a projection screen.

Some Tips for Choosing Your Projection Screen

The material and the gain of your screen

The material used for your projector is the most important point in terms of the final quality of the image. Each projection screen has the ability to absorb or reflect light and this has a great impact on the final rendering. This property is called the "gain" of your projection screen.

The higher the gain of your screen, the more light your screen will have. That is why a decade ago we recommended the owners of video projector to choose a screen with a high gain to overcome the problem of lack of brightness video projector of the time.

But nowadays the projectors have considerably gain in brightness and must therefore adjust their choices.

Which gain to choose?

It depends directly on your video projector but you can find some trends anyway. If your video projector lacks brightness you will need to choose a projection screen with a high gain to overcome this problem. But beware if you take a screen with too high a gain you may lose in the viewing angle (the ability to view the screen from the side without losing quality) as well as in contrast, as when you increase the brightness on your TV.

We must find the right balance; generally, we must choose a projection screen with a gain between 1 and 1.4. Choose 1.4 if you find that your projector lacks brightness and 1 if you are already satisfied on this point. In general, if your video projector is fairly new the best choice is to go to a screen with a gain of 1.0 if you use it mainly for video playback.

The different types of projection screen

Let's start with the simplest by presenting the different types from projection screen fabric suppliers.

Screen under housing

This is the most classic type of screen that can be found, it is a screen that wraps and unfolds in its housing. It is an elegant and discreet solution since it is enough to wrap the screen after each projection so that it takes almost no space! Here you have the choice between motorized screen or manual, motorized usually controlled using a remote control or directly by connecting to a home automation system.

Fixed screens

The fixed screens are in the form of immobile frames, so it is not possible to make them disappear once the screen unrolled, unfortunately. However, they have certain advantages since they are still operational but also offer a high image quality. Indeed the canvas is always perfectly tight with this type of equipment, the geometry of the image is optimal! If you have a room dedicated to the projection it is the best choice possible.

Tripod screens

Finally, the tripod screens are rather intended for professional use since they can be moved very easily. But it can also be an interesting solution if you have occasional needs and you do not want to see your living room cluttered with a projection screen. It only takes a few seconds to put away or take out a tripod projection screen.

What size for its projection screen?

The size is also an important criterion, it influences indeed the quality of the image and it is necessary to choose the adapted format. First thing, if you use your projector for the projection of film mainly (No office / presentation) it is better to opt for a 16/9 format although it is possible to project 16/9 on 4/3 no problem.

To help you choose projection screen you can simply follow this rule:

•If the screen is within 2.5 meters of your projector, choose a screen with a base of approximately 1.8 meters.

•If the screen is between 3 and 5 meters choose a projection screen with a base around 2 / 2.4 meters in base.

And to find the ideal distance between the screen and your projector just look at the distance recommended by projection screen fabric suppliers.