There you are, sitting pretty with your new home theater projector. Next step is to pick the right screen for your viewing environment. What exactly do you need to know about choosing a projection screen? Is bigger always better? Can you just blast the image on a white wall?
The short answer is, it depends. Sometimes bigger is simply better. Why settle for 100-inches when you can get 150-inches? And there are some instances when a bed sheet or a white wall will do the trick. However, there are also a range of screens which are designed for easy, portable outdoor usage and provide greater reflectivity than a bedsheet.
There are a few things that may be worth considering if you’re looking for the screen that is the ideal complement to your projector. Projector screen expert and AV enthusiast Jeremy Meyer of Visual Apex has answers to the most frequently-asked questions from consumers looking to build a personal home theater.
Here’s what he had to share:
Q: What are the typical screen considerations for the average consumer?
A: Almost everyone is going for that unique, immersive, big-screen experience when designing their home theater. However, there are several considerations that consistently come up for consumers as they begin the selection process:
- Viewing Distance: I always caution consumers to be aware of how far people need to be sitting away from the screen before you go big. The bigger the screen, the farther back people may want to sit.
- Screen Type: Some people are very selective about their screen type – specifically the material and gain. However, around 90 percent of projector screens will work well in an environment with controlled lighting using a Matte White material.
- 3D Implications: Consumers inquire about the best type of screen for 3D versus 2D content viewing. However, 3D projections work on almost every screen, so there’s no need to buy a special 3D screen. However, there are some screens which will always perform best in specific applications.
- Durability and Ease of Set Up: People want useful things that are easy to set up and do not require a lot of maintenance. Consumers have a range of review information available online to discern a good screen. Do your due diligence and look at comparable features, as well as company reviews and return policies.
See full story at www.epson.com
Epson sure isn’t the first player with high powered laser projectors. Panasonic, I believe got the ball rolling perhaps 3+ years ago, and there’s plenty of competition these days, but Epson, long known for having the largest overall marketshare of the projector industry, and by far the most models (over 150 different projectors listed on their website), is now fully committed to large venue solutions, with a full lineup from 6000 lumens to 25,000 lumens. The feature sets are pretty similar across the lineup but there are a number of differences besides brightness. The L1505 and L1500 are almost, but not quite as feature laden as these Epson laser projectors get. But even the lowest end models are well endowed.
