A common misconception with Home Cinema is that the screen isn't as important as the projector, I have spoken to many customers who are keen to get the best projector within their budget who completely overlook the screen and fire their expensive projector on a white wall, or a sheet...
The screen is INCREDIBLY important and needs to be matched carefully with the projector for the best results.
Projectiondreams can help you choose the correct screen to match the projector you have, or intend to buy, your enviroment, your viewing distance for optimum picture quality, even your viewing habits! There are 3 main types of screen. These are for installations where the screen is not required to be hidden, in a dedicated Home Cinema room for example.
Fixed screens come in two main aspect ratios..16.9 and 2.35.1.
The most filmic and immersive presentations are achieved with a curved 2.35.1 fixed screen.
You can have low gain screen materials for light controlled rooms or high gain for rooms with ambient light. These are for installations where a permanent fixed screen is not practical or desired, they come in various guises, tab tensioned is best to ensure the screen is held rigid.
Electric screens come in two main aspect ratios..16.9 and 2.35.1.* *Projectiondreams preferred choice.
You can have low gain screen materials for light controlled rooms or high gain for rooms with ambient light. **Fixed or Electric. In a Cinema, aspect ratios are changed by use of side masking or curtains opening or closing to the desired aspect, but height is unchanged..this can be achieved in the home now by the use of masking sceens, be they electric or fixed.
This is the ideal and the masking method that Projectiondreams endorses to ensure that each movie aspect is presented as the director inended, 2.35.1 is a generic term in some respects as movies can be 2.35.1, 2.37.1, 2.39.1, 2.41 and so on tying in with different aspect film process`s like Panavision, Todd AO, Cinemascope, Cinerama etc.
Some screens can allow multiple slight variations of aspect adjustment in conjunction with multi remotes.
You can have low gain screen materials for light controlled rooms or high gain for rooms with ambient light.
The best screens for the REAL movie fan but quite expensive, nevertheless a necessity if the budget allows..ever tried watching BEN HUR in 16.9....when it was filmed in 2.76 :1? FOR INFO..
Ben Hur........ 2.76 :1
How the West was won...2.89 : 1
Lawrence of Arabia..... 2.35 : 1
Dr Zhivago....... 2.20 : 1
Gladiator........2.35 :1
Spartacus..........2.20 : 1
Terminator2........2.20 : 1
Star Wars.......2.20 : 1 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back....2.20 : 1
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi......2.20 : 1
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.....2.35 : 1 The Matrix movies........2.35 : 1
Papillion..... 2.35 : 1
Public enemies....... 2.35 : 1
Ghostbusters....... 2.20 : 1
Unforgiven.... 2.35 : 1
The Deerhunter.... 2.20 : 1
The Road to Perdition.... 2.35 : 1
Four Brothers..... 2.35 : 1
Mission impossible movies.... 2.35 : 1
Dances with Wolves......2.20 : 1
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...2.35 : 1
Troy......2.35 : 1
Enemy mine....2.35 : 1
Resevoir dogs....2.35 : 1
Pulp Fiction......2.35 : 1
The Entity...2.20 : 1
The Bourne movies...2.35 : 1
The Never ending story.....2.35 : 1
Mad Max movies...2.35 : 1
Poltegeist...2.20 : 1
Tron.....2.35 : 1
The Great Escape....2.35 : 1
The Magnificent seven...2.35 : 1
Passengers...2.35 : 1
Speed movies...2.35 : 1
My Fair lady...2.20 : 1
The Rock...2.35 : 1
Face off.....2.35 : 1
88 minutes....2.35 : 1
Scarface...2.35 : 1
Cape Fear....2.35 : 1
The Devils advocate...2.35 : 1
The Wolfman**2010....2.35 : 1
Inglourious Basterds...2.35 : 1
The Doors...2.20 : 1
Grease....2.20 : 1 The Abyss.......2.20 : 1
Star Trek.First contact...2.35 : 1
Heat.... 2.35 : 1
Forrest Gump..... 2.35 : 1
Star Trek: Nemesis..... 2.35 : 1
Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan....2.20 : 1 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home....2.20 : 1
Star Trek: The Motion Picture....2.35 : 1 Harry Potter movies.... 2.35 : 1 Alien vs Predator... 2.35 : 1 10,000 B.C......2.35 : 1 300......2.35 : 1 Jaws.......2.35 : 1 Earthquake....2.20 : 1
I am legend....2.35 : 1
I robot.....2.35 : 1
Taking of Pelham 123.......2.35 : 1
Strange days.... 2.35 : 1
Virtuosity...... 2.35 : 1
Flags of our fathers...... 2.35 : 1
Letters from Iwo Jima... 2.35 : 1
Oliver........ 2.20 : 1
West side story....... 2.20 : 1
The Sound of music..... 2.35 : 1
Dr Dolittle........ 2.20 : 1
Seven..... 2.35 : 1
Drag me to hell..... 2.35 : 1
The Last Samurai......... 2.35 : 1
Equilibrium...... 2.35 : 1
Braveheart...... 2.35 : 1
The Mummy movies... 2.35 : 1
The Incredible Hulk..... 2.35 : 1
Watchmen....... 2.35 : 1
Dragonheart.... 2.35 : 1
Top gun.... 2.20 : 1
The Jackal... 2.35 : 1
The Omen movies.... 2.35 : 1
Master and Commander..... 2.35 : 1
Minority Report..... 2.35 : 1
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer..2.35 : 1
Independance Day.... 2.35 : 1
King Kong.....2.35 : 1
2012.......2.35 : 1
South Pacific.....2.20 : 1
Zulu.......2.20 : 1
Where Eagles Dare.......2.20 : 1
Raiders of the Lost Ark movies.....2.20 : 1
District 9......1.85 : 1
Goodfellas.....1.85 : 1
Jurassic Park....1.85 : 1
Blade Runner.......2.20 : 1
Godzilla........2.35 : 1
Stargate....2.35 : 1
L.O.T.R Trilogy....2.35 : 1
Carousel.......2.55 : 1
The King and I....2.55 : 1
Blue Hawaii....2.35 : 1
The Longest Day....2.20 : 1
The Thing......2.20 : 1
2001............2.35 : 1
Titanic.........2.20 : 1
The Alamo......2.20 : 1
The Fallen.......2.35 : 1
Armageddon....2.20 : 1
The Day after tomorrow...2.35 : 1
The Dark Knight......2.35 : 1
Superman.......2.35 : 1
The Day the earth stood still......2.35 : 1
Casino Royale......2.35 : 1
Iron man.....2.35 : 1
Cleopatra.....2.20 : 1
The Searchers......1.75 : 1
The Wizard of Oz..... 1.33 : 1
Frankenstein.......1.37 : 1
Casablanca........1.37 : 1 ***Most Blockbuster movies in the last 50 years have been made with aspect ratios of between 2.20 : 1 and 2.35 : 1 with the same constant height only the width differing.
A 16.9 screen is a NON movie aspect and translates to an aspect ratio of 1.77 : 1, this is a T.V. format.
The only material that looks good on a 16.9 screen is t T.V. programming and 1.85 : 1 ratio movies, which still have slight bars top and bottom.
Projectiondreams knows that a 2.35 : 1 screen is optimum for most blockbuster movies and looks better with other aspects, such as 2.20 : 1 and above 2.35 : 1, than a 16.9 screen.
With 2.35 : 1 screens the height remains the same on all material except for wider aspect ratios than 2.35 : 1 which are very few. Even then these movies look better with slight black bars on a 2.35 : 1 screen as opposed to huge black bars on a 16.9 screen. Of course the ultimate is a Variable Aspect ratio Masking screen that remains constant height from 4.3 to beyond 2.35 : 1 to capture all movies bar the few Cinerama movies in their true aspect.
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