If you’re considering a projector screen for your home theatre, there are a few things to consider. Bigger is always better right? Not necessarily. Included in the regular questions we hear from our customers is “How big should the screen be?” or “How big are your screens?” in the hope they are so big they will eclipse the entire wall. This is where a “bit” of restraint is needed, because a quick decision to slap up a huge screen in a small room will lead to real disappointment in the long run.

If you think about when you walk into a cinema to watch a movie on the “Big Screen”, you will almost certainly walk to the same seating area every time. Some cinemas with allocated seating even let you select your favourite position online before you get there. This is where personal preference comes into it. Some people like to sit right up the back, others two thirds up and some prefer to sit down the front with the screen unobstructed by the other patrons in the cinema. The same preferences can be said for your home theatre. Essentially when you choose a screen size, you are deciding which row you want to sit in.

To determine the most suitable screen size for your room, it’s not just the size of the wall that matters. You will need to determine the ideal viewing distance from the screen. Try not to get over excited and make the mistake of over-doing it, by getting a screen a bit too big, and by sitting a bit too close. When this happens, it can be a matter of about 30 minutes before you realise that the screen is overwhelming and the movie is not enjoyable. It can be quite physically demanding to be involved in a virtual tennis match as you turn your head side to side to follow the action.

As a rule of thumb with 1080p resolution projectors, you can sit a bit closer than lower resolution projectors before you notice imperfections. Ideally you should to use a ratio of 1.5 times the screen width (108” screen is 248cm wide X 1.5 = a seating distance of 372cm), however at 1.2x the screen width you should still have a decent image without worrying too much about pixelation. That still might be too close for comfort from an aesthetic point of view, but some people like to have that very large image in front of them. The 1080p projectors make it easier to do that and still get a clean image.

1.5 X Screen Width = Minimum Seating Positon

Working from the seating distance, the equation is completed in reverse. If the distance from your wall to your seat is 3m, (300cm divided by 1.5 means the screen should be approximately 200cm in width) then the 90” screen is ideal.

Making sure you select the right screen for your use comes down to a couple of things. What your personal aesthetic preference about seating distance is, and the ability of your projector to produce a quality image at your preferred viewing distance. Getting this balance right will ensure you get the most enjoyment from your home theatre.

If you would like help in deciding which set up is right for your space, please feel free to call our Selby Techs on 1800 69 2225