The projection screen is at least as important as the projector, after all viewers watch the screen not the projector! A quality projector screen reproduces the image without losing quality, by maximizing the light coming from the projector and reflecting it so that everyone in the room can see and read the image clearly. Both the projector and projection screen need to match the size and purpose of the room. You need to take into account the reason the projector will be used and how much light there is in the room.
Screens come in a number of aspect ratios. Square screens’ ratio aspect is 1:1, while video screens’ ratio aspect is 4:3. A wide screen has a ratio aspect of 16:9. When choosing the aspect ratio of your projector screen you must match it with the aspect ratio of your projector. A general rule of thumb is that 4:3 and 1:1 ratio screens best suit business presentations or television viewing. Screens that are 16:9 suit DVDs or “widescreen” broadcasts.
The fabric of the screen is another important factor. Matte white diffusion screen fabric is generally suitable when light conditions can be controlled. Datalux is a type of fabric specifically designed when you need a wider viewing angle. It is particularly suitable when the projector is mounted on the ceiling. Retro-reflective fabric is best used when the projector is at table height and there is not a huge audience. Rear projection screens are much more expensive and are useful when you don’t want the projection unit to be visible.
Manual projector screens are pull-down varieties that come in a range of styles and fabrics. Electric screens have a motor and can be raised and lowered using a wall electric switch or a remote control. Fixed screens are the perfect solution if you need the screen to be available all the time. Portable screens are flexible and range in style and size, from table top to wall-sized.
A projection screen is an installation consisting of a surface and a support structure used for displaying a projected image for the view of an audience. Projection screens may be permanently installed as in a movie theater, painted on the wall, semi-permanent or mobile, as in a conference room or other non-dedicated viewing space. Uniformly white or grey screens are used almost exclusively as to avoid any discoloration to the image, while the most desired brightness of the screen depends on a number of variables, such as the ambient light level and the luminous power of the image source. Flat or curved screens may be used depending on the optics used to project the image and the desired geometrical accuracy of the image production, flat screens being the more common of the two. Screens can be further designed for front or back projection, the more common front projection systems having the image source situated on the same side of the screen as the audience.
Different markets exist for screens targeted for use with digital projectors, movie projectors, overhead projectors and slide projectors, although the basic idea for each of them is very much the same: front projection screens work on diffusely reflecting the light projected on to them, whereas back projection screens work by diffusely transmitting the light through them.