Projector Screens: Motorized, pull-down, hung.
Even a $10 one will work, if set up properly :-)
We have been working out the details of the projectors and screens over the past month. We have learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t by watching the NBA finals and the World Cup, and will apply those lessons to the coming Patriots season.
Regarding the projector screen, our intern asked, “Can’t we just use the wall?” While yes, a wall can potentially work, but compared to a bare wall, a projector screen offers:
- a more uniform image surface,
- higher reflectivity, and
- an improved overall image quality.
Choosing the right screen requires a few considerations, but because we are space and budget-constrained, our main criteria are size and cost.
We don’t have a blank wall available, so a retractable screen is a “must.” With the space we have, a 100″ image is the largest we can project. We found quite a few used options on Facebook Marketplace. A couple of messages later, we were the proud owners of a couple of 100″ projector screens.
Why did we get more than one? Well, while the projector is small and easy enough to move and set up, the screen is not. And since we decided to look for used ones, we weren’t really risking much by getting three 🙂
Except for the $10 screen, all of our projector screens were previously-owned ones on Facebook Marketplace, and typically about half the price of new ones. Projection screens don’t see a lot of wear and tear, and all of the screens we purchased were in ‘like new’ condition, and one had actually never even been installed. When it was all said and done, we spent a grand total of $100 for three screens. Now we’ve got one on each floor!
Motorized
A power-operated screen sounds like a good idea, but we found that the convenience was not really worth the extra hassle of having to place it near an outlet, the slow speed of deployment, and the unsightliness of a dangling power cord.
The motorized screen is opaque, has a completely black backing, and is flat when deployed. The weighted bar at the bottom keeps the screen from swinging. The thick screen blocks some of the light from the windows, so when paired with a decent projector, even in a bright room, the image is quite viewable.
Pull-down
With no need for an outlet, the pull-down screen is easier to place. Two hooks were all that was needed to set up the screen, and once it was up, it was ready for use. Like the power-driven screen, the pull-down screen has a black backing that makes it opaque and is smooth and flat when pulled down, so backlighting is not a problem. When fully retracted, the screen completely disappears.
The slight disadvantage with a pull-down screen is that, for those who are height-challenged, the pull may be out of reach when the screen is retracted. A rod with a hook at the end solved the problem 🙂
Hung
Hung projector cloths or fabric projection screens are a budget-friendly entry-level option. They deliver a surprisingly good picture for 1/10th of the cost of a thicker screen. The additional advantage is that it can easily be set up outside for use at a backyard gathering.
One potential issue with the fabric screens is creases and wrinkles. The fabric must be stretched taut to remove wrinkles.
Because of the much thinner fabric, the screen must also be used in a dark room or after sundown, because any light behind the screen will definitely bleed through.
LastThoughts
Regardless of the screen, even the super cheap $10 one, all of the projected images were bright and had good contrast, assuming the room was sufficiently dark. However, if we had to choose, the pull-down screen would be our screen of choice.
In our opinion, the motorized screen is not as flexible as the pull-down because of the need to be close to an outlet, but we noticed no image difference between the motorized and pull-down screens.
While the image on the $10 screen is pretty bright, the thinness of the material makes it such that any light from the back will seep through. That makes putting it up in front of windows impractical. However, you cannot beat the price or the portability.
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