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You are here: Home > Projector Screen Buyers Guide
In the article below, you will find information about the different options available to you when choosing a projection screen that will best suit your needs. The topics that follow are:
Screen Type  The basic types of screens
Screen Size  Size and distance recommendations
Screen Format  Display formats and aspect ratios
Screen Surface  A list of surface materials

 

Step One: Selecting Screen Type
There are a wide variety of projector screens available in each of these mounting orientations. Some screens will include additional features such as designer casing, tab tensioning, adjustable masking borders, and more. For each mounting type, we list the available features.
Screen Types Explained:
Portable Screens
Projector screens that travel from location to location readily. (view examples)
Manual Screens
An economical choice for projector screens that stay in one location most of the time. (view examples)
Electric Screens
High-end projection screens that add elegance to their permanent location. (view examples)
Fixed Frame
Permanently tensioned screen stretched around a frame and installed in a fixed location. (view examples)

 
 

Step Two: Selecting Screen Size
To figure out how big a projector screen you need, you will need to determine the dimensions of the room, as well as the size and positions of viewers relative to the projector screen. The basic rule of thumb is to fit the screen to the audience, not to the projector.
Screen width should be approximately equal to 1/6 the distance from the projector screen to the last row of seats, allowing text to be read and detail to be seen in the projected image. Ideally, the first row of seats should be approximately two screen widths away.

The bottom of the screen should be a minimum of 3 feet above the audience floor, allowing those seated toward the rear of the audience to see the projector screen. This may require additional screen "drop" for projector screens hanging from the ceiling.

 

Step Three: Selecting Screen Format

When selecting your projector screen format, you must know the projector's native resolution. Here are some common aspect ratios:
Masking borders
If you have ever watched a widescreen movie on your TV, you know about the black bars that are projected on the top and bottom of the image. Masking borders can be added (and potentially removed) as a way to eliminate the bars you see when using your projector in its non-native format (ie 4:3 projector displaying in 16:9). Masking borders also increase the perceived brightness of an image on a projector screen giving your display a top-notch look. The human eye perceives the image to have more contrast and a sharper picture with brighter colors.
 

Step Four: Selecting Screen Surface
Before selecting the best projector screen surface to suite your needs, you need to ask yourself a few questions.
Will there be controlled lighting?
Your options for projector screen surface are much higher when you have a room with controlled lighting and no ambient light from a window for example. When ambient lighting exists, the screen material you choose can help minimize the effects of “washout” or glare. Projector Screen materials can also help to increase the appearance of contrast or brightness of a projected image. Below are descriptions of our primary surface types.
How is the room configured?
If a room is arranged where seating is wider, “fall-off” can occur which makes audience members on the far end of a row have more difficulty in viewing the image. Projector Screens with a larger viewing angle are preferred in this situation. Rooms that are longer than wide can require larger screens so that those in the back of the room can see details more clearly.
What will the screen be displaying?
Projector Screen surfaces also play a role in the type of content you display. White or matte white screens are more popular in business applications, while gray screen material is popular with home theater enthusiasts because the material adds the appearance of better contrast. When using equipment such as a 35mm film display, a white or matte white surface will provide truer color representation.

Da-Lite Screen Surfaces

Front Projection Screen Surfaces
Matte White
The most versatile projector screen surface and the premier choice when ambient light is controllable. It evenly distributes light over a wide viewing area while colors remain bright and life-like, with no shifts in hue. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 60°
Gain: 1.0
High Contrast Matte White
Designed for moderate output DLP and LCD projectors, this screen surface is a great choice when video images are the main source of information being projected and where ambient light is moderately controlled. With its specially designed gray base material and reflective top surface, this screen material is able to provide very good black levels without sacrificing the white level output. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.1
Video Spectra™ 1.5
Especially designed for demanding video and overhead LCD projection applications where a balance of higher gain and greater viewing angle is required. The special pearlescent surface may be cleaned with mild soap and water. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 35°
Gain: 1.5
Silver Matte
A uniquely designed projector screen surface with a specifically designed silver finish. This surface is perfect for situations where a silver surface is necessary for a polarized 3-D projection. The matte finish of this surface successfully rejects ambient light. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 30°
Gain: 1.3
Glass Beaded
This surface has the ability to achieve a higher gain by reflecting more of the projected image back along the projection axis. Glass beads impregnated into the screen's surface provide additional reflectance. This attribute creates an unparalleled projector screen surface that reproduces vibrant life-like color at moderate viewing angles. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 30°
Gain: 2.5
High Power
A technological breakthrough, combines the reflectivity of a glass beaded surface with the ability to clean the surface when required. Its smooth surface offers the highest gain of all types of screen surfaces with moderate viewing angle. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 25°
Gain: 2.8
Da-Mat™
A smooth, white, vinyl finish surface for precise image reproduction. Provides an exceptionally wide angle of view with little loss of resolution. It is a highly flexible unsupported vinyl fabric and may be folded or rolled. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 60°
Gain: 1.0
High Contrast Da-Mat™
A smooth, gray, vinyl finish surface for high output LCD and DLP projectors. This surface improves the perceived contrast by lowering black levels. It is a flexible unsupported vinyl fabric and may be folded or rolled. Available on all models offered with the Da-Mat™ surface. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 45°
Gain: 0.8
Cinema Vision
A unique unsupported vinyl surface that offers a bright, uniform image with no color shift no matter at what angle you view the image. Projector Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 45°
Gain: 1.3
High Contrast Cinema Vision
A smooth, gray, vinyl finish surface for moderate output DLP projectors. This surface improves the perceived contrast by lowering black levels while offering moderate gain. It is a flexible unsupported vinyl fabric and may be folded or rolled. Available on all models offered with the Cinema Vision surface. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.1
High Contrast Cinema Perf
With the same optical characteristics as High Contrast Cinema Vision, this surface is perforated to allow placement of a center channel speaker behind the projector screen surface while allowing the sound to transmit through the material. Ideal for use in environments with moderate control of ambient light. Screen surface can be cleaned with a mild soap and water solution. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.1
Pearlescent
This surface utilizes an unsupported vinyl creating a very smooth Pearlescent coating that provides high reflectivity and brilliance without loss of image quality or resolution. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 40°
Gain: 1.5
Silver Vision
This projector screen surface is uniquely designed with a specially formulated silver finish. This surface is perfect for situations where a silver finish is necessary for polarized 3-D projection. The silver finish of this surface successfully rejects ambient light. It is a highly flexible fabric that must be tensioned. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 25°
Gain: 1.5
Audio Vision
This acoustically transparent front projection screen allows for the center channel speaker to be placed directly behind the screen while still transmitting the full range and brilliance of an original soundtrack with maximum clarity. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.0
High Contrast Audio Vision
With the same optical characteristics as the High Contrast Da-Mat material, this surface is designed to provide the viewer with a more realistic soundstage by placing speakers behind the screen and allowing the sound to be transmitted through the material. This projector screen surface is best used when there is good control of ambient lighting and a moderately wide viewing angle is desired. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 45°
Gain: 0.8
 

Rear Projection Screen Surfaces
Da-Tex™
Flexible Fabric Screen:
A translucent, neutral gray vinyl surface that offers high transmission and low reflectance values for optimal viewing. It yields excellent color rendition, image contrast and a wide viewing angle. Suitable for all types of rear projection. Ideally suited for both lace and grommet and snap button type projector screens. Material needs to be tensioned. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 30°
Gain: 1.8
High Contrast Da-Tex™
High Contrast Da-Tex™ is a unity gain rear projection surface with a specially designed dark gray tint and is formulated to provide lower black levels for today's high output projectors. This surface features optical characteristics similar to rigid rear projection screens. Ideally suited for both lace and grommet and snap button screens used in portable applications. Surface requires tensioning due to its flexible nature.
Viewing Angle: 40°
Gain: 1.0
Dual Vision
Flexible Fabric Screen
A unity gain flexible projection fabric capable of both front and rear projection. The surface is ideal for video projection under controlled light conditions. With an exceptionally wide viewing cone, each seat in the audience will observe a uniform, bright, sharp image with no color shift. Surface needs to be tensioned. Screen surface can be cleaned with mild soap and water. Flame retardant and mildew resistant.
Viewing Angle: 50°
Gain: 1.0
 

Vutec Screen Surfaces
 
Matte White
Front Projection, Supported 1.0 Gain
Standard pure white fiberglass reinforced vinyl includes a blackout back. Vutec's Matte White is available seamless up to 200" diagonal size.
Bright White
Front Projection Supported, 1.3 Gain
BriteWhite features an enhanced finish that adds brightness without hot spotting. This material must be under tension and available seamless in screen heights up to 144".
Brite White Opaque
Front Projection Supported, 1.3 Gain
BriteWhite Opaque blocks most light sources from behind the screen. This material requires tab-tensioning in roll down configurations and is seamless in screen heights up to 120".

Pearl Bright
Front Projection tab tensioined Supported, 3.1 Gain
For lower lumen projectors, PearlBrite is the brightest tensioned flexible flat screen in the Vutec family.

Vu-Flex Pro
Front Projection Supported, 1.3 Gain
A Vutec preferred fabric. Internally-tensioned enhanced white coated fabric is a heavy weight material with curl free characteristics and blackout properties. Vu-Flex Pro is available seamless up to 180" in height. .
SilverStar Surface
Front Projection, 6.0 Gain
Flat front projection screen achieves high-gain, high contrast and color purity in ambient light. SilverStar is available seamless up to a nominal 100" diagonal in a 4:3 format and up to a nominal 123" in a 16:9 format.
Grey Dove
Front Projection tab tensioned, .95 Gain
Tab-tensioned, grey vinyl surface.
SoundScreen5
Front Projection Supported, .85 Gain
Award winning acoustically transparent material produces an excellent video image. It is a durable vinyl coated woven fabric that hangs flat, is curl free and eliminates the need for tab tensioning.
Grey Dove SoundScreen
Front Projection Supported, .85 Gain
Acoustically transparent grey surface with maximum sound transmission.
Rear-Vu
Rear Projection tab tensioned, 2.5 Gain
Rear-Vu is a tensioned rear screen surface with a gain of 2.5 with ambient light rejection.
Retro-Lens
Rear Projection, 3.0 Gain
Vutec distributes DNP large optical rear view projection screens. These cast acrylic fresnel/lenticular lens rigid screens provide a wide viewing area in ambient light.
Twin-Vu
Front and Rear Projection Supported, 1.0 Gain (front) / .85 Gain (rear)
Self-supported surface capable of producing both front (1.0 gain) and rear (.85 gain) images. Twin-Vu is available seamless up to 180" in height.

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