Projection screens

[admin_exported]

I am in the market for a projector and screen, both of which are to retract into the ceiling. There's no shortage of manufacturer-supplied specifications or of independent reviews for projectors. I am at a complete loss on how to choose a screen.

The physical dimensions of the cassettes into which the screen retracts vary from about 10cm to about 25cm. The prices vary from a few hundred pounds to a few thousand. Where can one find discussion of which brands are durable, well supported, and give a difference in picture quality that matters? Every installer seems to confine his recommendations to the lines he happens to have arrangements with.

 

[kinda]

I'm sure people will disagree but I don't think you'll get a massive difference in picture. I've had a pull down screen, some screen material I put onto a wall, and now for various reasons a floor standing screen. I've also once taken the projector to a local venue on their large screen and again not noticed any big difference.

the only thing was that over a year or so without cleaning the wall mounted screen material had lost a bit of its whiteness and so brightness and pop, but that's just to do with it being out all the time and losing its whiteness.

If you get a normal white screen with reflectivity 1 (reflects all incident light) or just over, then you should get a good picture from a wide variety of angles. As I understand it the higher reflectivity bead screens have a poorer off centre brightness and might show 'sparklies' in the picture.

Can't really advise on motorised screen reliability but the Optoma manual pull down I had was very reliable over a couple of years, (it just doesn't fit my new projector room).

I'd be looking to spend hundreds rather than thousands. Over time (maybe 18 months) my non-tab tensioned screen did curl up slightly at the edges though, (not that noticeable but ...), so it might be worth thinking about a tab tensioned one, but even those are only 500 - 1000.

That's my thinking anyway, though as at the beginning others will disagree. I think thousands are best spent elsewhere than on the screen.