Distance to the screen, audience seating position and dimensions of the screen

The distance from projector to screen and the type of the lens determines how large an image can be projected from this distance as well as the quality of it. The ideal distance directly impacts the position of the audience relative to the projection screen. Projectors have different lens characteristics. User manuals usually include specific diagrams and charts that show what size and what image quality will be produced. Well-recognized producers that care about their reputation should provide this type of information on their corporate websites. Some links to the most popular sources will be provided later on this website so that You could read some more information before purchasing a projector and a projection screen.

Space characteristics

Before buying a projector and a projection screen it is always a good idea to take a look at the room where You would like to place a projector in. Is the room big enough to place a screen on the wall? Evaluate ambient lights in the selected room such as windows, french doors as well as other factors that might prevent the room from being dark enough for the projection.

All the information You need to know about selecting the right room and calculating the right size of a projection screen You can find here.

 Screen aspect ratio. 4:3? 16:9? Other?

Because of the popularity of widescreen DVD, video projection is now also moving towards the 16:9 aspect ratio. Therefore, we recommend choosing the 16:9 option. This format incorporates widescreen display and can also be configured to project a 4:3 image beautifully. However, a 4:3 design makes a widescreen programming display too small and unnaturally cramped. It is important to consider that an absolute majority of modern video projectors with a 16:9 native aspect ratio image can be configured to display a 4:3 aspect ratio image without any difficulties. One of the main Paint on Screen advantages is the ability to use it for any possible image format.  

Front projection or rear projection?

Projectors can be used to project an image from either the rear or the front of the screen. Front projection work on the principle of scattering reflection, in which the projector and the audience are on one side of the screen. This is the most common projection and the easiest to install. In rear projection a light beam is captured while passing through the screen and is scattered from the other side of the projector. Projector should be setup behind the screen. It is advisable to install such projection type only in very large rooms, where the distance between the projector and the screen is not an issue. Unfortunately, special screens for rear projection are very expensive not to mention that usually there is not enough space for such projections, so we will not talk about them further. 

The type of projection screen that will work best in Your conditions depends on the viewing angle, the amount of ambient light and the distance from projector to the screen. In most cases the screens are flat, but sometimes they can be concave. Usually projection screens are uniformly white, gray or even black color. The color of the professional screen directly depends on the conditions which were mentioned above: the selected projector, lighting of the room, viewing angle and so on. Screen paint Paint for Screen is unique as it offers solutions for different types of conditions and video projections.  

Permanent (fixed) projection screens

There are several options to install a projection screen. If You are planning to always use a specific room as a home theatre then You can dedicate one wall to the construction of the screen permanently. In this case it is important to install curtains in front of the screen in order to protect the surface when it is not being used. This type of installation is also the most expensive. Paint on screen offers solutions that are not afraid of sunlight, can not be damaged by UV light and have no framing constructions that are so hard to setup and for which You would have to drill the wall. All these features make Paint for Screen different from traditional permanent projection screens.

Pull down projection screens

This type of projection screen allows more flexibility in usage and provides more space for other purposes: flowers, pictures, etc. A pull down screen can be mounted on a wall and can be pulled down when being used and raised up into a protective housing when not being used. Pull down screens can be mounted on a wall or ceiling. It is not a bad option when You need to have both a screen and a painting on the wall, for example. It is important to know that such mounting requires drilling. If the screen is automatic then it requires electric wire.

Real professional screens weigh a lot and most people are afraid of mounting them at home. But most importantly semi-professional or professional pull down projection screens tend to deform forming "waves" and distort the image. This process is caused by the UV light, pulling down and r

ng the screen frequently, inadequately chosen load that pulls the screen down and also some mounting or assembling mistakes.

Portable projection screens

Portable screens are the cheapest option. In my opinion, the only advantage of such screen is that it is possible to install it easily in different spaces. There are, however, a lot of disadvantages: inconvenience of adjustment, ill-fitting combination of screen and projector, small sizes and, usually, a very poor quality of the projected image. 

Screen material

Projection screens are made to reflect as much light as possible in order to produce the brightest image imaginable. In order to reach the best results, screens are made of different materials. The type of screen material determines the Screen Gain and brightness as well as viewing angle characteristics. Further we will provide some examples and main characteristics of various types of materials used by some projection screens producers.

Gain of the image

Screen Gain is one of the most important features of a projection screen. Screen Gain is a number that shows a ratio of the light that is reflected from the screen to the light reflected from a standard white board (screen gain of which is commonly referred to as 1). A standard or ideal surface is the screen with a surface covered with magnesium oxide or titanium dioxide.

In practice, however, a white board with a matte surface made of vinyl and fiberglass. A lot of screens with a high screen gain are not matte, but almost glossy. However, this typically creates mainly specular properties: light spots. These are sparkling reflections from the lens of the projector very much enlarged by the lens. If the stains are large enough and not too bright, the effect may be unnoticed: the human eye is more sensitive to small details contrasts than to a change in light of the projected image as a whole. It is believed that the higher the gain of the image the brighter the image appears to the audience.

Although it is true, brightness is not everything. Do you know the feeling of sore eyes after looking at the Sun, computer or TV screen for too long? Have You noticed that even the most colorful movies shown in cinemas are not as bright as those shown on the TV and are by far not as damaging to the eyes? Remember Your visits to the cinema? Sometimes the image on the screen seems too soft which makes You want to pump up the brightness. That is why it cannot be stressed enough - the most important thing in video projection is choosing the right components that compliment each other. Our projection screen paint Paint On Screen is individually selected for each project, that is why the result is always perfect.

Brightness and contrast

Usually visible brightness and contrast of the screen are set according to the power of light beam source projector, the size of the screen and the external level of lighting. Do You know that a human eye perceives brightness logarithmically? So, when a human tells an object is two times brighter than another, in reality it is six times as bright. It is important to know that brightness per square unit as well as contrast diminish as the projection screen gets larger if external lighting remains the same.

Reflected light from walls and ceiling of the room always creates some sort of a light background that causes deterioration of image quality, while direct sunlight can make the image virtually invisible. We as professionals in video projection need to know what kind of equipment and in what surrounding You are planning to use a projector. Every screen is unique and we want You to watch the best possible image in given conditions.

Room lighting

Illumination (E) is measured in lux . Background for night lighting is almost zero (0,2 lx), indoors during daytime 100 lx, for a cloudy day 1000 lx, for sunlight at noon 100,000 lx. The projector must provide illumination of the screen, far greater than the background lighting for the image to be natural. One of the main characteristics of the projector - light output (I) is measured in lumens and ANSI related to the brightness of the screen : E = I / S, where S - area of the screen. For right choice of the projector or the system You need to know the conditions under which the system will operate as well as screen sizes.

On this and many other topics we will write later. Until next time!