How to choose the best screen for your home theater projectors

The projection screen's size, material and type matter if you would like to have an amazing viewing experience.

Screen Style

There are two main styles or core designs of screens: fixed and retractable. The one that suits your needs best depends mostly on the room you intend to use for your projector. Also, retractable screens tend to cost more than fixed ones, which might be a crucial factor to keep in mind.

Screen Size

Even if your wall is large enough, bigger is better still may not always prove the best strategy. That is because the bigger the screen is, the longer the distance you need to sit away from it to watch comfortably. If your room is not large enough, you might be better off opting for a smaller screen.

To calculate the optimal viewing distance, we have to consider the field of view of the human eye. SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) guidelines recommend sitting at a range where the screen fills up a minimum of 30° of your field of vision, while THX recommends 40° for a more cinematic experience. An easy way to calculate this distance is multiplying the screen size by 1.2 for a cinematic viewing distance or 1.6 for standard usage.

If you use the THX guideline, a 120" projection screen is best viewed from 144 inches or 3.65 meters away while a 100" screen gives you the best experience when viewed from three meters.

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Choosing Projector Screen Type, Size, Material, and More

Screen Style

Screen Size