In recent years, Tri-color laser projectors have become an ideal choice for high-end home cinema thanks to their high brightness, wide colour gamut and high contrast ratio. However, its laser speckle problem needs to be solved through the synergistic optimization of light source technology and screen material, so choosing the right projection screen is crucial.

Projectors and screen materials used for testing

Previously, we compared four long throw projection screen materials - black crystal, grey crystal, grey matte, and white matte - in low-light environments, when using an ALPD laser projector, and concluded that the black crystal had the best contrast and resistance to ambient light.

This blog will test WUPRO BUY's 6 materials (Fresnel, Lenticular(long throw) , Black Crystal, Grey Crystal, soft Grey Matte, soft White Matte) with Valerion and Hisense C2 ultra Tricolour laser projectors and compare them in terms of price, image quality, light resistance, laser speckle suppression, etc., and ultimately provide you with purchasing advice. . If you are not interested in the middle part, you can go directly to the conclusion part!

Characteristics and Suitability of WUPRO's Key long throw Screen Fabrics

Note: Because it is a mobile phone shooting rather than professional shooting, so the picture appears to be more purple, while the naked eye is not so, it is the normal display of the screen!

The following comparison highlights the characteristics of common screen materials and ranks them according to image quality, speckle suppression and ambient light handling. 

Screen material	Highlight	Disadvantages	Usage Scenarios	Laser speckle Suppression Effect
Soft White Matte	1.0-1.2 Gain, high colour reproduction, low cost	Easy to be disturbed by ambient light, low contrast.	Dark room environment (100% light-controlled rooms), lower budget customers	High
Soft grey matte	Affordable,（relative to white matte and white walls) Enhances contrast, absorbs ambient light, suitable for high brightness projection	Slightly lower reflectivity (0.8-0.9 gain), may reduce picture brightness	Medium-low ambient light, pursuit of high-contrast scenes	Medium
Lenticular (long throw)	Ultra-high contrast; Superior laser speckle suppression; Ultra-high ambient light resistance; Any-angle projection, ultra-wide viewing.	Only fixed frame type	Strong light environment (living room, conference room)	High
Black crystal/grey crystal anti-glare material	Multi-layer composite structure (microprism/light absorbing layer), strong light resistance, significant contrast improvement	Colour uniformity, high projector brightness requirements	Medium and low light environments (living room, conference room, bedroom)	Low
Fresnel（Tri-colour laser）	High colour contrast, directional reflection, excellent light resistance, uniform brightness	Large size, high price, need to strictly match the projection distance, only fixed frame type	Strong light environment (living room, conference room), high-end home theater	Medium to high

 

Projection Screen Material Performance Ranking

Fabric Type	Image Quality Ranking(Contrast, colour reproduction, black performance, Uniformity, etc.)	Speckle Reduction	Ambient Light Rejection
Fresnel（Tri-colour laser）	1st	2dn	Excellent (＞85%)
Lenticular (long throw)	2nd	1st	Excellent (95%)
Black Crystal	3rh	4th	Excellent (≥70%)
Grey Crystal	4th	5th	Good (＞60%)
Soft Grey Matte	5th	3rh	middle
Soft White Matte	6th	2dn	Fair

Conclusion(Suggestions for Selection)

I have updated this blog with a long trow black lenticular screen material which will be released soon. I'm not going to say which material is the best as it depends on needs and budget.

Adequate budget( Only fixed frame type):

1.Optimal balance between reducing laser speckle and improving image quality

WUPRO Cinema's  long trow lenticular offers ultra-high contrast and superior laser scatter suppression, among other things. It has been tested to perform even better than white matte in reducing laser speckle, making it ideal for tri-colour laser projectors!

2.If you're after the ultimate in image quality

WUPRO Cinema's Peacock evo has the best images, especially in terms of contrast.

This is also the result of a test carried out by Mr Laurent Willen, in which Peacock evo took first place out of 29 different brands of UST screen material.

As the above two screen materials are relatively expensive and can only be produced as fixed frame screen types, they will be differentiated from the following materials

Value for money options:

1.If image quality and light resistance are your priorities Crystal screens

If you don't care about laser scatter, then (Black/Grey Crystal) is the way to go. Crystal Screen screens excel in high contrast environments and their ambient light suppression makes them ideal for bright rooms or high contrast images;

Tips for Reducing Laser Speckle with Crystal Screen 

• Maintain a viewing distance of 3-4 metres or more
• Enable the speckle reduction mode of the projector
• Avoid using Vivid or High Saturation modes, and choose Natural or Cinema to balance out Colour and speckle effects
• It may be easier to notice scatter in dark environments. Distract visual attention from scatter by adding ambient light (e.g., soft background light) as appropriate, but avoid disturbing the screen with direct light.

2.If mitigating laser speckle is your priority

Soft White Matte: If minimising speckling is your priority, then Soft White Matte may be the best solution of these fabrics, but it needs to be in an environment where light can be controlled.

3.If you want to improve the image quality while reducing laser scatter

Overall most cost-effective option

After a comprehensive comparison, the sfot grey matte screen has a less noticeable laser speckle problem compared to the crystal screen, which does not affect the viewing experience, and it has significantly better contrast and light resistance than the white matte screen or white wall. So grey matte screen (soft grey matte screen) is a flexible choice to reduce speckle, improve contrast and economy.

Note: The test results do not represent the most correct conclusion, and the performance of different projectors may vary.
There is no best screen, only the most suitable screen, according to the combination of their actual needs (such as the use of light intensity of the scene, price, etc.), to make a comprehensive consideration, to avoid excessive pursuit of parameters and ignore the actual needs

Learn more:

Upcoming:100"/120"/130"WUPRO Cinema Speckle-free lenticular alr clr fixed frame screen for long throw projector

72-150"Electric floor rising screen type:WUPRO Cinema LeApex Floor rising screen for long throw projector (Price:USD600-1200)

92-133"Electric drop down screen type:Wupro Cinema QuadraArc Tensioned Smart Motorized Drop Down Projector Screen(Price:USD470-770)

72-150"Fixed Frame screen type:WUPRO gallery soft gray matte fixed frame screen(Price:USD279-609)

Wupro Cinema Peacock Evo True Fresnel ALR Fixed Frame Screen

Any questions or requests for additional discounts can be directed to wuprobuy@wupro.com