Is there anything cooler than having your very own home theatre?
If the time has come for you to start the journey from designing and setting up your very own in home theatre experience, you will naturally want (need?) to get the best audio and video experience you can.
While most people focus on primarily on which speakers and projectors (which to be fair is not a bad idea), a smart way to really knock it out of the park with your home theatre requires that you pay special attention to the theatre screen itself. Having the proper/ ideal theatre screen makes a massive difference in your overall viewing experience.
Today we're going to go over some of the basics when it comes to theatre screens and the materials used.
Types of home theatre screens
To start, you'll want to determine whether you should go with a fixed or drop-down screen option. Both have their benefits and more often than not the choice depends upon your specific needs.
- Fixed screens: These are permanently mounted flat surfaces that offer pristine viewing experiences. They won't wrinkle, distort or have other issues that can come up when compared to retractible screens. If you are fortunate enough to have your very own dedicated home theatre room and want the best possible visual quality, you will want a fixed screen.
- Drop-down screens: Drop-downs come in two primary variations, the manual drop-downs and the motorized versions. While its probably not a surprise that manual screens cost less, they also provide an option for those spaces where a permanent screen just isn't an option. Usually drop-downs will be simple to operate due to the fact that they (obviously) lack motorization, but that also comes with a decrease in convenience.
Motorized screens on the other hand are a premium priced option when compared to drop-downs due to the fact that they can be operated with the simple push of a button. That simple button push offers that magical and downright show stopper moment which allows you to have your screen appear and disappear as necessary. Beyond the pure awesome-ness of those appearing and disappearing screen moments, this is also a benefit as it allows your room to have a clean, aesthetic and minimalist look when the screens are retracted.
Choosing the right screen material
Once you have determined the ideal type of screen you want, now we need to make sure you choose the right material itself. While there are many options when it comes to home theatre screen material, one we here at Kawartha TV and Stereo are big proponents of are the ambient light rejecting (ALR) screens.
- Ambient light rejecting (ALR) screens: ALR screens are designed to perform in rooms with natural light or other light sources. This is accomplished thanks to a combination of specialized coating and/ or materials that help preserve and maintain the image quality and contrast even in challenging lighting conditions. So if your home theatre has a high degree of light (whether it is natural or ambient), an ALR is definitely the way to go.
- Other screen materials: While we do love our ALR screens, there are other options such as matte white, grey and even acoustically transparent screens. Each of these will have its own list of pro's and con's and specific scenarios which potentially make it the more preferable option.