Pros and Cons of Various Projector Screen Materials

Posted by mariabender on June 3rd, 2013

We use projectors for various purposes, such as screening of films for entertainment, using LCD projectors for explaining ideas and thoughts in class rooms and seminars, etc. Projection can be done on various surfaces and every surface has its on benefits and drawbacks. Most popular projector screen material is matt white surface. It is capable of showing clear images and there will not be any hot spots. This screen will ensure uniform image clarity through out its surface. Moreover, it has a larger viewing area and it is suitable for large number of audience to view it from all the angles. A constant watch on the lighting is necessary when this screen is in use. As the light increases, quality of the image will get affected. It is best viewed when the environment is dark.

Diffusion screens are perhaps the best projector screen material as it has the ability to reflect the light through out the room of projection. This will give a high quality picture view to everyone uniformly. As the projector screen is illuminated, there will be uniform brightness in every angle. Equal spread of the light in the room will make the image darker and there will be an increase in the contrast quality of the image. This enables everyone present to view the image with equal brightness. If the ambience of light is very high, better choice will be reflective screens. It has the ability to reflect the extra light away. It is not suitable for rear end projectors.

Rear projection screens are one of the popular projector screen materials and it is widely used with back projection projectors. As the projector will be placed on the back of the room, there will not be any disturbance due to light. These screens are capable of producing high quality images as it has a very high gain and even the brightest light will not affect the image produced on this screen. However, these screens are highly expensive and are mostly used by the professionals. It is not necessary for making simple presentations

Even small bumps and variations in your projector screen material will adversely affect the image. If the quality of the projector is good, then it will be more pronounced. If you have an HD projector, then you need a good quality screen in order to get the best results. Usually, four kinds of surfaces are widely used as projector screen materials. They are glass, silver and pearl besides the matt white. Pearl screens are preferred in theater environment and silver gives the best result for 3D projections.