When choosing a projection screen there are many points to consider. You may well, in a year or two, upgrade your projector, but most people would prefer not to have the expense of changing their screen. Therefore please consider this information to assist you in your choice.
The size of screen you should choose is governed by the size of the room you intend to use it in, as well as the throw distance of your projector, and the seating distance of the audience. Other things to think about are the cloth, as well as the brightness and contrast ratio of your machine. Some cloths can improve the image from your projector, but choose the wrong type and it can be very disappointing. Take a little time to research screens and the correct choice will be a reproduction of the local cinema in your own home, or give impact to your business or school hall.
Screen Cloths
All cloths in our range are PVC based, and therefore are spongeable, durable and strong.
All cloth has what is called ‘Gain’. This is the amount of reflectivity the projection surface offers. For instance a 1.2 gain cloth would reflect 120% of your projector’s brightness, but the picture will still end ‘on-screen’. In other words, the light will not be bouncing off the walls and ceiling like a TV set would in a totally darkened room. It is fair to say that this gain cloth would suit most projectors in a home cinema environment.
If for example you needed to place speakers behind a screen, an acoustically perforated cloth would be the ideal solution. It would allow sound to permeate the screen, and normally would offer a gain of 1.0 so no increased brightness, but no loss of brightness either.
High-contrast grey cloth absorbs light rather than reflecting it and therefore has a negative gain of 0.8. This cloth is recommended for use with a bright projector that has a relatively low contrast ratio, and would result in increased black levels ( particularly beneficial to LCD projectors ). We would not recommend use of Grey cloth with DLP technology however. Admittedly, if you are a Sci-Fi fan, deep space would indeed be a black hole but when you come to watch the latest Bond movie, you will think that you need to replace the lamp in the projector. Whites will be dull, as indeed will most of the other colours in the spectrum…the image will lack vitality, crispness and true colour rendition.
Other cloths include High Gain – anything between 1.6 and 1.8 – which is probably better suited for public audition in a room which cannot be darkened. The projector would need to offer a good contrast ratio however, so the picture is not totally washed out. High-gain screens reflect back to the light source, and as a result, the viewing angle is reduced greatly to around 70 degrees ( the aforementioned cloths offer 150 degrees ). Currently, we do not offer this type of cloth.
High Power, or Glass Beaded screens have a projection surface which is similar to emery paper and because the light is reflected in millions of different angles from it’s crystallised surface, the light distribution is even across the entire surface. As with emery paper, over a period of time, the surface can wear off, and we would advise that the cloth would not have the same life expectancy as a non-textured PVC screen. Currently, we do not offer this type of cloth.
Also available is rear-projection cloth, for applications where the projector needs to be positioned behind the screen whilst being viewed from the front. Many commercial installations utilise rear projection cloth, in order that an image in the showroom window is visible from the street, and this can work extremely well as a point of sale promotion.
Black Borders
For home cinema users, a black border is crucial… not only does it absorb any over-scan on the projected picture, but it creates somewhat of an optical illusion. Because black edges frame the image, it appears to sharpen whites, give added definition and depth of colour, and therefore captivate your interest in the image on screen. Borders can be accomplished in many ways. For instance a manual pull-down screen or an electric screen can have black edges bonded to the projection cloth, and also offer a deeper top border to lower the viewing area if the screen needs to be placed on the ceiling. Fixed screens have an aluminium frame which is powder-coated in matt black. Some companies offer motorised frame screens but these are very expensive. One type of electric screen can be multi-format, and basically is two screens in one housing. One has a white ( or grey ) cloth, and in front of it there is another screen which has black cloth. The principle is, that whatever format you choose to watch, the image can be masked off perfectly.
Formats
Projection screens are available in 3 formats, and it is often necessary to prioritise one format over another, as image sizes will vary from one source to another.
For example, a carousel slide projector will produce a square or 1:1 ratio image. Video & analogue TV, as well as Windows 98 etc, and computer games will produce a 4:3 ratio image, in other words 4 parts wide and 3 parts high (eg 200cm x 150cm ). Digital TV & the bulk of DVD will produce a 16:9 ratio or ‘widescreen’ format image. Other DVD’s can produce 2.35:1 or 1.85:1 – what your parents called ‘Cinemascope’ ! This means that although the width remains constant, the height of the picture will change.
As mentioned under the ‘Black Borders’ heading, there is a screen available which, as well as the white ( or grey ) projection surface being motorised, so is a second, black screen, which drops down in front. Some manufacturers supply this type of screen with a 4 button pre-set remote control, but the annoying thing is that there are more than 4 formats, so we supply our version – The Duet – with 2 separate radio frequency remote control kits to enable each screen to be controlled independently of the other, and therefore whichever ratio you are viewing, it can be masked off perfectly.
Mechanisms – somfy motor, mounting brackets, canister
Electric screens are equipped with Somfy Motors, and are covered by a 5 year guarantee. The operation is smooth and quiet, and extremely reliable. The mounting brackets are independent of the screen housing, and this offers flexibility when it comes to installation. The brackets can be mounted to a wall, or a ceiling ( or indeed in a void above the ceiling ) and once in place, the screen housing, or canister simply clips in. The canister can be moved left or right for precise alignment before the bolts are tightened when the screen is in it’s correct position. The canister is powder-coated in white, which suits the majority of applications. The projection cloth has a degree of elasticity, and therefore the counterweight bar at the bottom of the screen ensures that the surface is kept flat. Our Home Cinema range of electric screens come with 5cm side borders, and as standard, 30cm top black border. This can be increased ( to a maximum of 50cm ) or decreased if required, and would be factory pre-set. It is not recommended to have any more than 50cm of top black border, as this can result in vertical ripples or corrugations in the top border, which often extend into the viewing area.
Larger electric screens ( 3m wide and above ) do not have borders as standard, but can be added, as a custom screen.
Fixed frame screens arrive in kit form, and these are also robust and easy to install. The cloth attaches to the frame with elastics, and through our experience, this is the best form of anchoring. Due to the elasticity of the cloth, any other type of anchoring would not offer any kind of tension on the cloth, so that on a warm day, the viewing area would become somewhat floppy. The elastics keep the cloth taut, whatever the room temperature or humidity. The fixing points on the Vogue ( frame ) screens are integrated into the top section of the frame, and these fixings can slide up to 50cm in from each corner. The frame is 8cm wide on each section, thus adding 16cm to the viewing area both on it’s height & width. It is of aluminium construction, powder-coated in matt black allowing the frame itself to become the borders. These screens are both lightweight and strong. Should you require this type of screen to be portable, we can offer a pair of tripod stands as an accessory.
Warranty
We offer a 5 year warranty on the motor, and 2 years on all other parts. Should the cloth become damaged out of warranty, or as the result of an accident for example, it is possible to order replacement cloth, and this is a more economical option than replacing the whole screen.
Aesthetics & custom screens
Some manufacturers offer electric screens with black canisters, and although these are fine in a dedicated cinema room, those people who do not have this luxury and need to house their screen in their lounge, would agree that a white canister is less obtrusive. White is our standard, but we are able to offer black as a custom screen.
In addition to our listed screen sizes, we can also offer a customisation service. Some people may want a size in between two standards, and this is not a problem at all. Any alterations to a standard screen is calculated at +15% on the nearest standard size. For example, if you need a viewing area of 213cm wide, please look at the price of a 2m and add 15%. The screens are manufactured in Europe, so please allow 28 days for delivery.
Seating Distances
If you are going to the expense of installing a Home Cinema, you want it to be just that – real cinema, at home. Getting the seating distance wrong can spoil everything very easily. Too big and you feel like you are in the front row of the cinema, too small and you may as well have bought a plasma TV. As a guideline, if you like the middle of the auditorium, then your seating distance should be around screen width plus 50% - 2m screen, 3m back. If you prefer the back row, then sit twice the screen width away, 2m screen, 4m back. This information is offered as a guide only, due to the fact that everyone’s eyes are different, just as everyone’s hearing is different.
DIY Screens
We offer a range of projection cloths to anyone who wishes to make their own screen, and they are sold unfinished, off the roll. Not all rolls are the same width, but we sell them per running metre off the roll ( to the nearest half metre ). Should the cloth of your choice not be wide enough for your application, you can either turn it through 90 degrees and use the width as the height of the image ( with no deterioration in picture quality ) or, if the cloth needs to be joined, again, we can order this for you. Likewise, if the cloth requires black borders and/or eyelets. Please note that black borders are not available on rear projection cloth.
When making your own screen, it is preferable to avoid puncturing the cloth with staples, as this could cause it to tear when it is stretched. A better option would be either wide double-sided tape or to utilise a hot glue gun.
Screen Types
We offer a complete range of screens for both home cinema and professional use including : Tripod, Manual pull-down screens, Electric, Fixed frame, Tab-tensioned, and Multi-format.
Frame screens are available 7m wide, and electric screens up to 12m
