How to Choose the Right Screen & Projector

Screens and projectors are commonly rented by a variety of groups and organizations including:

• Families renting them for home movie night or reunions
• Local groups renting them for events like presentation, demonstrations, and movies
• Business organizations for internal or client presentations or
• Event organizers for events – including corporate or other

A screen of carefully chosen characteristics: size, material, and mount is necessary for professional presentation. It helps in presentation and its presence communicate professional approach.

Factors which influence choices for rental include:

Audience size

There’s a right screen size for different sizes of audiences. The screen should feel about 30% of a viewer’s field of vision. Wider than that causes viewers to move their head uncomfortably to take the whole panorama, and smaller screens are, well, too small. Details are hard to see and graphics are hard to read.

Lighting

Every projector is given a lumen rating which tells you how bright the projector will appear. The lumen level is normally a factor when using a venue with large amounts of ambient (existing) light. But in a darkened room or evening event, a lower lumen projector can be extremely effective for smaller audiences. We will make you make the right choice according to your venue.

The type of content presented

The type of material you’re presenting will determine the appropriate resolution for your projector. XGA resolution projectors are (1024×768) are the most common and are compatible with the vast majority of PCs and DVD players. They’re best for showing detailed PowerPoint slides, normal sized fonts, and high quality images and videos. Higher resolution images require more sophisticated projectors.

Screen

The size of screen being used or in some cases of using a wall (not recommended), the size of the image you wish to have will determine the type of projector required. Both Front and Rear(behind the screen) projection is available. We can assist you in making the best choice.

Throw distance

This is the distance between the screen and projector. This is normally an important factor when the distance is either very long or very short. We can help you make the most of your venue and select the right lens for extreme distances.

Projector resolutions

The higher the number of pixels, the sharper and more detailed the image will be. When comparing projectors, we compare their native resolution: most projectors are compatible with higher source resolution through the use of compression technology. We are here to help you make the right choice.

Audible noise

Projectors produce noises because of their fans. Most projectors are no louder than a normal computer, but some are very quiet producing a low 25dB. This is an important factor for home users as fan noise could distract from the movie.

Contrast ratio

The larger the contrast ratio, the greater the ability of projector to show subtle color details tolerant extraneous room light.

Retractable

When choosing a retractable screen, you’ll have some different case and mounting options; do you want it to be mounted to the wall, to the ceiling, recessed into a soffit or attic? Call us and we will help you make those decisions based on your room.

The distance your projector will be from the screen

The distance will depend on the lens being used by the projector. Sophisticated projectors allow for the use of different lens depending on the space available.

Your budget

No matter how much or little you have to invest, we have a projector that fits your needs. Call us so we may be able to offer tips regarding your layout and set up. Our vast experience inside various venues (hotel, convention center, school, church, etc.) will allow us to give you the most for your budget.

The main features to be considered when the screen is selected include:

Size

The size shall be determined by the distance between the screen surface and the viewer.

• Minimum distance should amount to 1.5 × screen width
• Maximum distance should not exceed 6 × the width

Format

Each kind of projection requires a specific format: ratio of width/height:

• 4:3 Projectors
• 16:9 (high-definition)
• OHP text display – 1:1
• Slide projectors 3:2

Screen area

Reflection – defined by the so called gain factor. It affects the perceived brightness of the image and depends on viewing angle. The higher gain factor the more bright the image is.

• Office and school products usually use one of the two kinds of surface:
• D surface (white matt) – gain factor 1.0–1.2 (DIN 19045).
• S surface (glossy white) – gain factor 1.8–2.4 (DIN 19045), the image is twice as intense as D image.

Are you having any trouble finding the right screen and projector and you are feeling quite overwhelmed by the choice? Are you encountering terminology you have never experienced and feeling like you are going to choose the wrong thing? We want to help you by giving the right advice, just contact us to get professional help making a decision.