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Having recently returned from the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I can tell you one thing for certain: flat panel displays are everywhere. As I fought my way through the crowds, attending countless press conferences, the big TV makers were all flying the same banner: “Look at our beautiful new flat panel HDTVs!” The highlight was Sharp’s press conference where they unveiled their new 108-inch LCD—the world’s largest flat panel to date. When they raised the curtain, I was certainly impressed. But I also couldn’t help but think, “For that price, shouldn’t the screen be bigger than my house?” Flat panels are great for the bedroom or office, but ask any die-hard home theater fan and they’ll tell you: nothing beats the value and sheer size afforded by a front projection setup.
When putting together a front projection system, the two critical components are the projector and the screen. Choosing the right projector is a subject worthy of its own article, so we’ll save that one for another day. The focus today is screens and the many questions they inspire. What are my options? What size do I need? What sort of material should I get? These are all important questions so we’re going to step through them one at a time.
SCREEN OPTIONS
Like everything else in the world of home theater, there’s a screen for every budget. It doesn’t matter if you’re running a 480p projector such as Optoma’s H31 ($1,099), a moderately priced 720p unit such as Sanyo’s PLV-Z5 ($1,999) or a cutting edge 1080p machine such as Panasonic’s PT-AE1000U ($5,999) – whatever your case may be, there’s a screen out there well suited to both your situation and your wallet.
The most important question to answer when shopping for a screen is this: will your space be a dedicated theater or will it be a multi-purpose room? If you’re building a dedicated home theater, the screen is the focal point of the room and you’ll want to display it proudly. In that case, a permanent fixed screen is where you’ll want to focus your attention. However, if you’re looking to add a front projection system to a family room or basement rec room, you’ll probably want the ability to hide the screen when it’s not in use. If so, you’ll want to look at pull-down and/or electric screens.
OPTION A:
PERMANENT SCREENS
Granted, nothing in this life is permanent—not the weather, not a Hollywood marriage and certainly not your home theater gear once the upgrade bug bites. That being the case, when we talk about “permanent” screens, it just means a screen that’s always in the same spot. This could mean a painted wall, a home-made D.I.Y. creation or the more traditional option—an aluminum frame fixed screen like those manufactured by Stewart, Da-Lite, Draper, Carada and others.
A permanent screen has a number of advantages. First off, it doesn’t have any moving parts so it’s practically maintenance-free, aside from the occasional wipe with a soft cloth. Also, manufactured fixed screens often feature a vinyl screen material that gets stretched and snapped onto the frame. This provides a superbly flat and taut viewing canvas free from wrinkles and potentially distracting surface imperfections. D.I.Y. options are also out there using laminate board and a fabric-covered wood frame. Check out avsforum.com for some innovative suggestions.
The downsides of permanent screens are few but worth mentioning. If your screen is going to be on permanent display, it’s important that you keep kids and pets at a safe distance. Although most manufactured screens are to some extent washable, you don’t want a peanut butter-covered hand confusing your screen for a slice of white bread; nor do you want your cat treating that space-age fabric like the world’s largest scratching post. The final and most obvious drawback of a permanent screen is what its name implies: permanence. Unless your room is 100% devoted to watching movies and television, you may find yourself wishing you had more wall and shelf space at the front of the room.
OPTION B: RETRACTABLE SCREENS
If your room is going to serve as more than just a theater, you’ll definitely want to consider a pull-down or electric screen. On the less expensive side, you can use a pull-down screen such as Da-Lite’s Deluxe Model B. If your budget permits, the ideal solution is the combination of a motorized screen and a projector lift (usually professionally installed). This allows for total concealment of your screen within the ceiling and the added “WOW” factor of lowering your screen via remote control.
The biggest advantage of a retractable screen is the ability to get it out of the way when it’s not needed. Maybe your theater is also your family room and you want to showcase some books or artwork on your TV wall during the day—with a retractable screen, that’s no problem. In addition to freeing up the space for other uses, a retractable screen has the added benefit of keeping your screen safe and clean when not in use. You can even put them in unconventional locations; a screen could drop in front of a window or, in my case, a sliding door that we never use in the evening.
As for the cons, a retractable screen means moving parts and more things that can go wrong over time. Also, and this is especially true for inexpensive pull-down units, the constant rolling and unrolling of the screen can lead to reduced tension and warping over time. For example, I own a Da-Lite Deluxe Model B. Like others of this style, the Model B features a central tensioning arm that locks into place vertically when the screen is down. Although this keeps the center of the screen extremely flat and rigid, the sides of the screen have slowly begun to lose a bit of their tension. Electric models feature vastly superior mechanisms to maintain screen tension; a good example of this is Stewart’s exclusive Tab-Guy Tensioning System.
OPTION C:
PAINT
Earlier I implied you could also project on a painted wall, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be happy with a gallon of Flat White from Home Depot. However, there are some intriguing products on the market that can turn your wall into a high-quality screen. Two such products are Screen Goo from Goo Systems and Mighty Brighty from Vogel’s. Both products involve a thorough prepping of your wall surface followed by the application of a specially-formulated base coat and finally a reflective top coat.
HOW BIG?
The ideal size for your screen is based on a number of factors, not the least of which is personal preference. The biggest factor is how far away from the screen you plan on sitting. When determining seating distance and the proper screen size, there are some guidelines to help with your calculations. For starters, consider the viewing angle. From an overhead perspective, sketch a triangle. The bottom point (A) represents your seating position. The two top points (B and C) represent the left and right sides of your screen. The viewing angle is the angle created at point A.
To create a more immersive viewing experience (a larger viewing angle) you can either increase your screen size or move your seat closer. The folks at THX require that the back row of seating must have at least a 26 degree viewing angle; their recommended sweet-spot is at 36 degrees. If you prefer to skip the geometry altogether, a good rule of thumb is to buy a screen whose height is roughly 1/3 the distance from the picture to your eye. For example, if you plan to sit fifteen feet away, a safe bet would be a 60” x 107” screen giving you a 16:9 diagonal of 122 inches.
In addition to viewing angle, another important factor in determining screen size is the projector you’re using. Since your projector needs to light up the entire screen, there is a direct relationship between desired screen size and the brightness (lumens) demands on your projector. Let’s say you’ve narrowed it down to two projectors – one has better contrast with lower brightness and the other has higher brightness but lesser contrast. If a huge image is your number one priority, go with the brighter machine. If you already own a projector, your screen purchase will depend largely on the brightness and zoom capabilities of your machine. Check out the distance calculator on projectorcentral.com for tips on finding the right screen size for your projector.
SCREEN MATERIALS
Image brightness is definitely related to the light output of your projector, but it also has a lot to do with the reflectiveness (or “gain”) of your screen material. A screen whose gain is rated at 1.0 means that light projected at the center of the screen is reflected at the same brightness. A higher gain number means a brighter, more reflective screen. If you’re using a projector with relatively low light output, or your room is apt to have some ambient light, you may want to consider a screen with a higher gain (say 1.3) to boost your image brightness.
Although most people think of a projection screen as always being white, gray is another option. A few years back, when LCD and DLP projectors started to explode in popularity, people noticed that blacks projected from these machines looked more gray than black. DLP and (particularly) LCD units have improved tremendously over the years, but they still carry a stigma of weak black levels. Gray screen materials, such as Stewart’s “GrayHawk and FireHawk” or Da-Lite’s “High Contrast Cinema Vision,” were developed to combat this problem because black on gray appears darker than black on white. Just remember that while a gray screen will enhance perceived black levels, it’ll also make your whites a little less white.
If you visit the Stewart Web site and look at their material choices, you’ll find no fewer than ten to choose from. Each material is given a text description of its ideal use and is presented with its gain value and “half gain” viewing angle. The latter number refers to how far off to the side you can sit before the image becomes half as bright as it is front and center. Stewart’s abundance of choices is proof positive that choosing the right screen is about more than just how much room you have between your speakers.
On the subject of speakers, it should be noted that the ideal location for your front soundstage is directly behind your screen. This is because dialogue always sounds most natural when it appears to be emanating from the person on-screen and not just somewhere nearby. If you have the space, you’ll definitely want to consider an acoustically transparent perforated screen. Perforated screens, such as Stewart’s “Microperf X2”, employ thousands of miniature holes to allow sound from your speaker(s) to pass through, effectively turning your screen into one giant speaker grille.
SHOWTIME!
Whether you go with fixed or retractable, white or gray, large or REALLY large, just know that you’ll be hooked for life. Once you’ve watched the Super Bowl in high def on a 130-inch screen, there’s just no going back.
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