Projector Screens | The Photography Shack

There are many differences in projector screens currently on the market. Some screens, based on whether they’re professional white or gray, may produce a sharper, clearer image depending on the room that you’re in. Some screens differ in their gain rating, which affects how bright the image appears and how light is reflected.

The contrast rating on projection screens can either complement your home theater projector or hinder its performance. Most screens are neutral when it comes to color accuracy, but in a few instances certain screens exhibit a color bias that affects your viewing. If you’re looking for a fixed screen, craftsmanship won’t be as big of an issue; however, you’ll be sorry if you cheap out on a mechanical screen.

Choosing A Front Projection Screen

When you’re looking at projector screens for your home theater, you’ll generally want to choose a front projection screen because it’s versatile and fits in any room. However, for a business presentation using a multimedia projector, a rear projection screen might be preferred because you can use other visuals, move around in front of the screen without casting shadows, and allow some light into the room without diminishing the contrast.

You can also choose between a fixed screen, which affixes permanently to the wall of a home theater using special projector mounts, and a retractable screen, which is better for multi-use spaces with limited room. The motion screens will cost more money and you will need to pay special attention to craftsmanship to ensure it lasts as long as the rest of your video projection equipment.

Projector Screens With High Gain

Gain, another important consideration, refers to a screen’s ability to collect light from the projector and direct it to a particular location. Projector screens with high gain will allow you have the lights on in the room, without collecting ambient light onto the screen and ruining your image.

For intimate classroom or business conference settings, high gain screens are essential. Low gain projection screens are better suited for the video junkie’s home theater. You’ll usually see gain levels ranging from 0.8 to as high as 5. A gray screen with a 0.8 rating will reflect 80% more light than a white board, for instance.

A Low Gain Screen

With a low gain screen, say around 1.0, you will have light reflecting evenly in all directions, compared to a high gain screen, which poses certain limitations once you move away from the center. Also, gains higher than 1.3 will produce brighter portions of the image in the center and duller colors around the edges, which can be very distracting during a movie.

Some projector screens come with additional features that you may find relevant to your home theater experience. For instance, black borders can give you that crisp edge and prevent colors from running off the screen and reflecting off the wall. Your eye will also perceive the screen colors as being more vivid with a black frame.

You can also order seamless material for your projection screen, even though most of the larger screens come with a horizontal seam that can be distracting at times. If you don’t have a video projector with image correction, then you may need to tilt the screen forward to minimize distortion when the projector is below the absolute center of the screen.

More Projector Facts....

What was the first type of projector?
The very first type of projector was known as the "magic lantern" and was used to project images onto a wall. The very first mention of this magic lantern was by Giovanni Battista della Porta in 1558. In 1671 there were references found dating back to the mid sixteenth century of people using an oil lamp that had a lens. Images were painted on glass plates and would be projected onto an area where the images could be seen.

As technology began to improve, optics began to refine the pictures and their images. A huge boost to projectors came when photography was invented. The slides of these pictures were far more readily available than the hand painted images found on glass pictures. In fact a series of these pictures would be put together to form a sort of story, like as in a motion picture.

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