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Frequently Asked Questions
A projection screen helps in two major ways, first it helps the clear display of the projected media without degradation of image quality, and secondly it helps distribute the light towards viewers of the screen. Projection screens offer a superior quality image over other methods of flat projection.
Choosing a the right projection screen is paramount to gaining the best image quality. Each situation is different, and choosing the right screen depends on many environmental variables, such as ambient light, projector set-up and the room it is located to name but a few. Too make this decision easier, we have included 4 easy steps below, to help you choose the right screen.
The 4 steps
These steps will help you choose the right screen given your circumstances.
SCREEN TYPE
There are three types of projection screens:
- electrically operated projection screen
- manually operated projection screen
- permanent tensioned screen
You should choose between an electrical, manual operated or tensioned screen, depending on your personal preference and budget. An electrical operated screen is useful if the screen is mounted high or in a awkward place.
ASPECT RATIO
You should always choose the right screen aspect for the media you are projecting for best results. The aspect ration, is the relationship between the width and height of an image. Below are the common projected sizes.
SCREEN DIMENSIONS
The dimensions and hanging position of the projection screen are determined by the following guidelines:
Dimensions of the projection screen
height of the projection screen = 1/6 of the distance from the projection screen to where the furthest viewer may be seated.
width of the projection screen
1:1 width = height
4:3 width = 1,33 * height
16:9 width = 1,78 * height
Optimum viewing height
For the following types of use, the most optimum distance from the bottom of the projection screen to the floor is:
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Professional use = minimum of 125 cm
Home Cinema use = minimum of 90 cm
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Minimum viewing distance
The best perception of the projected image is determined by:
Minimum viewing distance = 1.5 * height of the projection screen
Ambient light and light output of the projector
For the perfect image, you should take in to account ambient light. A general rule of thumb calculation has been documented below.
Out-put ANSI-Lumen projector
LUX = Surface area of screen in metres squared / X reflection value (=gain)
LUX = 100 projected media will be very faint
LUX = 400 projected media should be vivid
The amount of perceived light that is reflected from the screen is expressed in LUX. In general the average ambient light level is 80 LUX. If the calculation above equaled 80 or close to it, the image would barely be seen.
The best perception of the projected image is determined by:
Minimum viewing distance = 1.5 * height of the projection screen
Simply pull the screen down using the cord or handle, and stop once it is in the right place. To roll the screen away, first pull it down reasonably quickly, then allow it to roll back in without stopping it. It will stop at its locking position.
There are softening agents incorporated into the screen fabric in order to ensure that the fabric remains as flexible as possible. These softening agents emit a strong scent. If you allow the projection screen to hang open for several days, the scent will disappear on its own.
These screens do not need particular maintenance. The only caution required is to dust the fabric, with a cloth.
Sometimes the projected pictures show little imperfections at the edges. The black edges correct these problems masking the picture edges.
The screen fabric is high-end material, specially treated for durability and reliability. Like everything the fabric will wear out, but it should last many decades before this happens, provided the fabric is kept in good condition.
A manual screen takes only 30 seconds to setup, depending on the size of an electric screen depends how long the screen takes to roll-down. The largest screen only takes a couple of minutes to fully roll-down.
The screen fabric is made from flame retardant materials.
The screen fabric is delicate, you only need to dust the surface, a damp cloth should be enough. If you do stain the fabric, you should use only neutral detergent. Never use bleach, solvents or ionic detergents.
You should match the format of the projection screen to the
format of the LCD or DLP panel in your projector. If your projector has a
widescreen panel then you should get a 16:9 aspect ration projection
screen. A widescreen projector will normally be in the HDTV format and
will have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 or 1280 x 720. It may also have a
WXGA (wide XGA) resolution panel with pixel dimensions of 1366 x 768.
If you have a standard 4:3 ratio projector (1024x768 or 800x600) you may still
decide to buy a 16:9 ration screen if you normally run your projector in a
widescreen mode. If you use your projector to display standard 4:3
content such as a computer source it is recommended that you use a 4:3 screen.
You will normally be able to show a 16:9 image on a 4:3 screen by running the
projector in widescreen mode but if you then decide to show native 4:3 content the
image will overshoot the top and bottom of a 16:9 screen.
