There are many benefits to building a home theater system. First of all, if you are a movie lover, you will save yourself money in the long run, considering how the prices of movie theater snacks have risen over the years. It gives you complete control over what you watch when you watch it and who you watch it with.
To create a comfortable and functional home theater, you need to purchase the right items to enhance the viewing experience. It includes comfortable chairs, an excellent surround sound speaker system, and of course, a projection display screen.
If your projector is not very powerful, the screen’s gain can also help improve image quality. So if you bought a cheap projector or the one you have is old, you can go for a high gain screen to help increase brightness for better image quality.
If your home theater does not have natural or ambient light, you will want to purchase high-gain screen fabric. This will help create a more dynamic image. However, it is essential not to choose too high again screen, as it can create hot spots on the screen.
You should also consider the distance between the seats and the projector screen, and the viewing angles of your movie theater. The viewing angle is narrow if your chairs are centered on the screen. In this case, a high gain fabric is the best option because most of the light will be focused in the center of the screen.
If your chairs are spread out, a low-end fabric is better because it will help spread the light evenly across the screen.
The location of your projector can also be a deciding factor when choosing a screen. If the projector is placed behind the screen, it is called rear projection.
In that case, you will need to purchase a screen explicitly made for rear projection to enhance the image and color brightness. Rear projection is unusual in home theater systems because it requires space behind the screen.
Most home theater systems will have a front projection screen where the projector will be positioned in the same direction as the audience.
You will also need to consider the mounting options for your projector. Home theater screens can be placed on a wall or adjacent to it, on the ceiling, or even on the floor. It is essential to consider what material is behind the screen. There must be something to stop the light.
The size of the home theater projector screen is also essential. You should consider the distance between the screen and the projector. The further the projector is from the screen, the larger the image will be, and therefore you will need a larger screen to capture the projection.
If your home projector screen is placed directly on or near the wall, you should consider the wall size. The projector screen should be aligned with the solid wall area, and it should not cover any area where ambient light passes, such as a window.
Not all projector screens are white, and some are made in light gray and different shades of white, such as cream or glossy. Screen color can affect image dynamics by highlighting light and shadow.
Gray screens produce more color contrast. They are best used in rooms with some ambient light, as it reduces reflections. However, white screens are best in completely dark rooms.
