How to Choose Projector Screen Type, Size, and Material

BenQ

2024/04/01

Viewing distance Setup Screen Home decor

After investing in a top-of-the-line projector, you may skip on purchasing a proper projection screen and project directly onto the wall. Unfortunately, projecting onto a wall or just a white surface has a significant negative impact on image quality, specifically image contrast, resolution, and color reproduction suffer the most from using a surface not intended for projection. Before continuing to read the rest of this article you may want to dive into light resistance and rejection technologies to learn about other ways to enhance your image quality.

Regardless of specific technologies designed to enhance viewing, what is it about a projection screens in general that makes viewing better than just using a readily available white wall? And how do you choose the right screen without breaking the bank? Let's discuss the three main aspects of screens: material, size, and style. We’ll then cover how to choose the best one for your room and projector.

Common Screen Construction Types

The main types of screens in terms of build style are fixed frame and retractable. Fixed frame screens come in standard or light rejecting varieties while retractable screens tuck into alcoves or housings and may pull-down from the ceiling or pull up from the floor (floor rising). Retraction can be manual or motorized with a switch or remote. Tab tensioned retractable screens use tabs on their corners to provide a more consistent but less flexible screen surface.

Fixed Frame Projection Screen

Fixed frame screens have a fixed form with a frame surrounding the projection surface. They’re very even and consistent and do not need tab tension, unlike frameless retractable screens. These screens arrive in many varieties and sizes. Standard surfaces offer acceptable image quality in dark rooms, but for a better performance it may be wise to get a light rejecting screen in well-lit rooms.

The biggest advantages of fixed frame screens are easy setup and simple usage. However, a big, fixed screen takes up a lot of space and can’t be folded or moved out of the way. That means they’re best for big home cinemas or media rooms, but not suitable for small spaces.

If you have the space available, it is always better to go for a fixed screen. A fixed screen is composed of an aluminum or wooden frame that very tightly holds the screen. This setup offers a very smooth and even projection surface for the lowest price. Additionally, from an installation point of view, it is easier to integrate. If you can hang a picture frame on a wall, then you already know how to install a fixed frame screen in your media room. Making sure that it is centered and at the right height is enough to have a high-quality screen ready for your next viewing session.

Pull Up and Pull Down Retractable Screens

If you do not have a dedicated media room, a retractable screen gives you more flexibility. This type of screen can be rolled down when you crave some movie enjoyment and can be quickly rolled up and out of sight when you’re done. You can place such screens in front of any wall or even your TV.

Retractable screens also give you more ways to integrate the screen into your room in an inconspicuous way, hiding it away until ready to use. They come in two main varieties: pull up and pull-down. Pull-down screens can be wall or ceiling mounted, allowing you to keep the whole screen away from view in a recessed space in the ceiling. Pull up screens, on the other hand, are usually placed on the floor behind your media center or integrated into a custom-made piece of furniture.

Ceiling-Mounted Pull Down Screens

These roll down from mounting attached to your ceiling, or in some cases high up on a wall, however, they require complex installation to mount on the ceiling. They roll or pull-down when required, either by hand or using a motor.

Floor Rising Pull Up Screens

The opposite of ceiling pull-down screens, these rise from the floor, either standalone or as part of a larger assembly or housing. Basic pull up screens also stay hidden and out of the way when not in use, just like pull-down versions. They have the advantage of a very simple installation, with no need to use a ladder to reach the ceiling. But once installed, they do take up floor space and can get in the way, unlike ceiling-installed screens.

Either one of these two types of retractable screens work equally well. However, for any retractable screen, there are two additional aspects you should keep in mind. By default, retractable screens are non-tab tensioned, and that may create curling, rippling, or bending of the screen and thus distort projected images. Tab tensioned screens are built to ensure a flat display surface, but they cost more.

Tab-Tensioned Projection Screen

To obtain the best performance out of a retractable screen, you should look for a tab-tensioned one. This type of screen has a system behind it to ensure that the surface is perfectly tight and flat when pulled out, while the whole tensioning system also moves out of the way when the screen is rolled in. Without tensioning, retractable screens tend to have curling and wrinkling that impact your video experience, creating distortions and image wobbling, most noticeable during panning shots.

Electric Projection Screen

Retractable screens have manual and motorized versions. Manual means you pull the screen down or up yourself. Motorized means the screens or electric projection screens use a dedicated remote control, a wall switch, or the 12V trigger that many projectors have. They are very convenient and stylish, but they cost more, require a dedicated power supply, and have more components that may eventually fail, especially compared to classic fixed frame screens.

Manual screens are light, less expensive, and don't need any electricity to work, which makes them easier to install anywhere very quickly. Since there is no risk of a motor failing over time, they require less maintenance and provide more years of service. However, you have to deploy them yourself each time, which can be inconvenient.

Screen Size

After deciding the style that suits your space best, it's time to choose the right size for your projection screen. While bigger is usually better, the massive size of projector screens presents challenges not commonly found when using TVs that rarely exceed 75" diagonally.

The price difference between a 100" and a 120" projection screen is usually minimal, so you might want to go for the biggest size you can fit on your wall. However, it is advisable to pay attention to a few other factors when choosing an optimal size.

Your room size determines how large screen size can be. Learning the relationship between throw distance and screen size to find out an ideal projector screen size you need is important, and you can read more about it here: Measure an ideal screen size and distance by projection calculator.

Viewing Distance

Even if your wall is large enough, bigger is better still may not always prove the best strategy. That is because the bigger the screen is, the longer the distance you need to sit away from it to watch comfortably. If your room is not large enough, you might be better off opting for a smaller screen.

To calculate the optimal viewing distance, we must consider the field of view of the human eye. SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) guidelines recommend sitting at a range where the screen fills up a minimum of 30° of your field of vision, while THX recommends 40° for a more cinematic experience. An easy way to calculate this distance is multiplying the screen size by 1.2 for a cinematic viewing distance or 1.6 for standard usage.

If you use the THX guideline, a 120" projection screen is best viewed from 144 inches or 12 feet away while a 100" screen gives you the best experience when viewed from roughly 8 feet away.

Aspect Ratio

Projector screens come in at least three different aspect ratios: 4:3, 16:9, and 2:35:1. Content formatted in 4:3 is standard in older TV shows, but is almost entirely out of use today, having been replaced by 16:9. However, if you want to feel like you’re at the movie theater, anamorphic 2.35:1 is the best choice.

To choose the ideal aspect ratio for your screen you need to consider the type of video content you watch the most and the formats supported by your projector.

Using a 4:3 screen to watch widescreen content would add black bars to the top and bottom of the image in what is known as letterboxing. Watching anamorphic content on a 16:9 screen would also require these black bars. It's worth mentioning that most TV shows today are 16:9, while most cinematic productions are still shot in 2.35:1.

To use an anamorphic projection screen, you need either a compatible projector or to adjust the projector to make sure that the black bars fall outside the projection area.

More advanced projection systems can automatically change their aspect ratio by using masking, covering parts of the screen dynamically to match the formatting of source content.

To fill in an ultra-wide screen, you can make use of image zoom so that the black bars fall outside the screen. However, this could compromise image resolution by blowing up unwanted details and may have a negative effect on brightness. If you want to avoid this, more advanced projectors are compatible with anamorphic lenses that change the image to fit just right on ultra-wide screens.

Screen Material Properties

Color

While the classic projection screen comes in white, you can get surfaces in a variety of colors for different applications. However, since we’re focusing on projection for home entertainment in this article, a white screen would serve you best.

Gain

Select screens have added effects applied to them to artificially boost brightness and support supposedly more emphatic HDR. However, this often has the downside of reduced viewing angles and hot spotting, where brightness is not even and certain parts of the image look unnaturally bright. We recommend a neutrally applied screen coating without a gain boost.

Acoustic Screens

Typically, screens utilize a consistent fabric-like material to best block and reflect light. They also block sound and require speakers be placed beside them or elsewhere in the room. Acoustic screens employ a mesh weave that attempts to balance reflectivity with sound transparency, or acoustic passthrough. These screens try to provide a good image while allowing sound waves to pass through them so that you can save space by placing speakers directly behind the screen. Be advised your experience may vary greatly depending on acoustic screen build quality. To play it safe, we recommend purchasing a conventional fabric display.

Time for A Choice!

Don’t worry, while there’s a lot to keep in mind when choosing a screen to pair with your projector, it’s meant to make sure you get years of viewing enjoyment. If you want to learn more about a specific aspect of projectors or other tips, our projector knowledge center has tons of helpful articles.

While we’re discussing how to choose a screen, you should think about the many ways your projector will interact with the display and installation method you choose. Pay close attention to projector specs, in particular throw distance, brightness, aspect ratio support, and a natural resolution.

Projections Screen Suggestion

	White Wall (No Screen)	Fixed Frame Screens-Basic	Fixed Frame Screens-Light Rejecting	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Manual	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Electric	Floor Rising Screens-Manual	Floor Rising Screens-Electric
Effectiveness	White Wall (No Screen) Compared with the picture projected on the screen, the picture quality is not so good	Fixed Frame Screens-Basic Best image quality and flattest image surface; Suitable for projectors with any throw ratios	Fixed Frame Screens-Light Rejecting Suitable for well-lit rooms and/or for ultra-short throw projectors	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Manual May cause slight distortions with ultra-short throw projectors at a level greater than floor rising screens	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Electric May cause slight distortions with ultra-short throw projectors at a level greater than floor rising screens	Floor Rising Screens-Manual May cause slight distortions with ultra-short throw projectors	Floor Rising Screens-Electric May cause slight distortions with ultra-short throw projectors
Installation Method	White Wall (No Screen) No additional installation needed; Needs a clean wall	Fixed Frame Screens-Basic Additional installation needed; Needs a clean wall	Fixed Frame Screens-Light Rejecting Additional installation needed; Needs a clean wall	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Manual Additional installation needed	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Electric Additional installation needed; Needs a power supply	Floor Rising Screens-Manual No additional installation needed	Floor Rising Screens-Electric No additional installation needed; Needs a power supply
Price	White Wall (No Screen) No additional costs	Fixed Frame Screens-Basic	Fixed Frame Screens-Light Rejecting More expensive compared to manual one	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Manual	Ceiling (Pull-Down) Screens-Electric More expensive compared to manual one	Floor Rising Screens-Manual	Floor Rising Screens-Electric More expensive compared to manual one

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