Screen Surface Help

Matt White Diffusion Surface

Diffusion screens are the most common screen surface. They typically have a gain of 1.0 and a viewing angle of 50º. They are best for environments which require a wide viewing angle and have a high ANSI lumen projector. The gain of 1.0 ensures the image appears equally bright from all angles of the room.

Perforated and Microperforated Diffusion Surface

Same characteristics as above, however the screen surface has tiny holes so that speakers can be placed behind it allowing sound to come through the screen. This surface is perfect for a home cinema environment since the front channel sound appears to come from the screen.

Reflective Surface

Typically have a gain of 2.0, and a viewing angle of 35º. This surface is best used in environments with normal ambient light or a low ANSI lumen projector. This surface reflects light in the opposite direction to the projector, and therefore works best when the projector is mounted on the ceiling.

High Gain Surface

Typically have a gain in excess of 2.8 and require a viewing angle of 25º. This surface is best used in environments with extreme ambient light conditions or a low projector light output. This surface reflects light in the direction of the projector and therefore the projector should be located at seat height.

Grey High Contrast

A front projection surface that provides greater contrast and black reproduction than standard surfaces, with a lower gain to handle today's super-bright projectors. The grey colour enhances colour contrast and black levels in the projected image and also allows for more ambient light in the audience area than on traditional surfaces.

High Contrast Grey and Perforated

Same characteristics as high contrast grey, except the surface is acoustically transparent. Therefore speakers can be place behind the screen to give optimal sound distribution.

Flexible Matt White Diffusion

Some screens are designed to be more durable than others. Flexible fabric screens are designed to be folded time and time again. Generally such screens have a gain of 1.0 and viewing angle of 90 degrees left/right.

Rear Projection

Designed for projection where the projector is placed behind the screen, sometimes in conjunction with first surface mirror rigs. The surface uses a translucent flexible screen fabric or rigid acrylic screen to display the projected image. This fabric or acrylic can be used in rooms with high ambient light conditions.

Tip: Gain is a measurement of the reflectivity of any screen or projection surface. Viewing Angle is the optimal angle from the screen a viewer will be seated. In general room layouts have a narrow or wide viewing angle. Typically the higher the gain value the lower the viewing angle. For a darkened environment such as a home cinema a diffusion screen can be used, however if the room is fairly narrow a reflective gain surface will provide a brighter image.