Importance of High Quality Screen for Your Home Theater Projector

There are few things that add more value to your home and are more enjoyable than a home theater.  When you want a true movie theater experience, right in your own home, a projector and screen is the only way to go.  Many homeowners think the most important component of their home theater is the quality of projector that they choose.  And, while your projector quality and features is certainly important, it is important that you do not forget about the quality of the screen.  Yes, you heard us right, the screen.

Choosing a high-quality screen for your home theater projector can make all the difference in image quality.  Screens come in a variety of sizes, made of various materials, installed in a variety of ways, and each small decision you make about your projector screen will impact your viewing experience.  Just think about it, if your screen is wrinkly or wiggling around while you are trying to watch a movie, your mind will be distracted and your overall viewing experience will be diminished.  CNET explains how little features that may seem innocuous, like screen gain, actually make a huge difference in your home theater projector screen quality, “All screens have a “gain,” or how much more they reflect light compared with a uniform reflecting surface (called a Lambertian surface). So a 2.0-gain screen reflects twice as much light than a 1.0-gain screen…sort of. Essentially what’s happening is the screen “focuses” the light. So instead of the projector’s image reflecting in all directions (a perfect Lambertian surface), more of it goes in one specific direction (ideally, toward your eyeballs). This doesn’t mean that a 2.0-gain screen will make a projector’s image twice as bright as the same projector on a 1.0-gain screen, but it will be brighter.”

Further, you will need to determine whether or not you want to use a white screen or a gray screen. This will depend on how much control you have over the light in the room.  If there may be a little light, a gray screen may help improve the image quality and viewing experience.  Only a high-quality screen can provide a high-quality viewing experience so it is worth the investment when designing a custom home theater.