Different Types of Projector Screens
Different types of projector screens are available in the market.
But, best results can only be achieved when a particular type of projector is matched with the respective projector screen.
Projector screens are commonly classified by the light reflecting properties of the screen material.
This article provides an overview of different screens available under this classification.
Diffusion screens: These types of screen reflect the light all over the place so that people sitting in the whole room see the same quality of image.
The complete projector screen is uniformly illuminated, showing images with equal brightness from all angles within the projection cone of the screen.
However, the total brightness of the image is reduced as the light is scattered in all directions.
These screens typically have a gain of 1, meaning they reflect equivalent amount of light when compared to a standard white board.
Reflective screens: When projector screens are required to be used at places with high ambient light, reflective screens are necessary.
These screens reflect light like mirrors and hence should not be used with rear end projectors.
They would function perfectly well with any front end projectors and have higher projector gains, typically in the order of 2.
These kinds of reflective screens are best for ceiling mounted projectors as they can reflect the image on a narrow viewing angle.
Since these screens have high gains, their viewing angle is relatively smaller than that of similar quality diffusion screens.
Retro-reflective screens: These screens are most used in settings with lot of ambient light.
Retro-reflective screens are designed to reflect the incoming light directly back to source and also have high projector gains.
These types of screens are however not recommended for ceiling mounted projectors as the light would be reflected back to the projector and the image quality would degrade for viewers sitting in front of projector screens.
They give much better performance with portable table mounted projectors.
Rear projection screens: These screens are used with back projection projectors and can be used under all conditions.
Since the image source is at the back of the screen, the quality is not affected by the amount of ambient light present.
These screens have very high gains, typically in order of 6 and produce good quality images even in bright conditions.
Rear projection screen are substantially more expensive than their front end counterparts and therefore recommended only for professional use.
Moreover, diffusion and reflective projector screens can easily provide good quality images for a gathering of 25 to 30 people.
But, best results can only be achieved when a particular type of projector is matched with the respective projector screen.
Projector screens are commonly classified by the light reflecting properties of the screen material.
This article provides an overview of different screens available under this classification.
Diffusion screens: These types of screen reflect the light all over the place so that people sitting in the whole room see the same quality of image.
The complete projector screen is uniformly illuminated, showing images with equal brightness from all angles within the projection cone of the screen.
However, the total brightness of the image is reduced as the light is scattered in all directions.
These screens typically have a gain of 1, meaning they reflect equivalent amount of light when compared to a standard white board.
Reflective screens: When projector screens are required to be used at places with high ambient light, reflective screens are necessary.
These screens reflect light like mirrors and hence should not be used with rear end projectors.
They would function perfectly well with any front end projectors and have higher projector gains, typically in the order of 2.
These kinds of reflective screens are best for ceiling mounted projectors as they can reflect the image on a narrow viewing angle.
Since these screens have high gains, their viewing angle is relatively smaller than that of similar quality diffusion screens.
Retro-reflective screens: These screens are most used in settings with lot of ambient light.
Retro-reflective screens are designed to reflect the incoming light directly back to source and also have high projector gains.
These types of screens are however not recommended for ceiling mounted projectors as the light would be reflected back to the projector and the image quality would degrade for viewers sitting in front of projector screens.
They give much better performance with portable table mounted projectors.
Rear projection screens: These screens are used with back projection projectors and can be used under all conditions.
Since the image source is at the back of the screen, the quality is not affected by the amount of ambient light present.
These screens have very high gains, typically in order of 6 and produce good quality images even in bright conditions.
Rear projection screen are substantially more expensive than their front end counterparts and therefore recommended only for professional use.
Moreover, diffusion and reflective projector screens can easily provide good quality images for a gathering of 25 to 30 people.
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