A comprehensive guide to choosing the right screen for your Tri-Color Laser long throw Projector

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 scattering problem needs to be solved through the synergistic optimisation of light source technology and screen fabric, 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's main telephoto projection screen materials with the Vidda C2 Ultra 3-colour laser projector (a true 3000+ lumens) and compare them in terms of price, image quality, light immunity, scatter suppression, etc., and ultimately give you advice on what to buy

Characteristics and Suitability of WUPRO's Key Telephoto 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	Diffuse Spot 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	Medium to high
Soft grey matte	（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
Black crystal/grey crystal anti-glare material	Multi-layer composite structure (microprism/light absorbing layer), strong light resistance, significant contrast improvement (up to 2000:1 or more)	Colour uniformity, high projector brightness requirements	Strong light environment (living room, conference room), high-end home theatre	Low
Fresnel	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	Fixed installation scenarios	Medium to high

 

Projection Screen Material Performance Ranking

Fabric Type	Image Quality Ranking	Speckle Reduction	Ambient Light Rejection
Fresnel	1st	Moderate	Excellent (＞85%)
Black Crystal	2nd	Poor	Excellent (≥70%)
Grey Crystal	3rd	Poor	Good (＞60%)
Soft Grey Matte	4th	Moderate	middle
Soft White Matte	5th	Best	Fair

 

Suggestions for Selection

Fresnel(WUPRO Peacock Series), although the best overall performer, is much more expensive than the other four screen materials and can only be made in a fixed-frame style, so the following section will focus on the other four screen materials

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

(black/grey crystal): These screens perform well in high-contrast environments, and their ambient light suppression makes them ideal for bright rooms or high-contrast content. 

Tips for Reducing Spots with Crystal Screens  

• Maintain a viewing distance of 3-4 metres or more
• Enable the speckle reduction mode of the projector
• With ambient polarised lighting

2.If mitigating speckle is your priority

Matte Screen (Soft Grey Matte/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 combine image quality with speckle mitigation  

After a comprehensive comparison, Grey matte has significantly better contrast and lightfastness than white matte and white walls.Grey Matte Screen (Soft Grey Matte) are a flexible choice for reducing speckle, increasing 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:

Electric floor rising screen type:WUPRO Cinema LeApex Floor rising screen for long throw projector 

Electric drop down screen type:Wupro Cinema QuadraArc Tensioned Smart Motorized Drop Down Projector Screen

Fixed Frame screen type:WUPRO gallery soft gray matte fixed frame screen

Wupro Cinema Peacock Evo True Fresnel ALR Fixed Frame Screen

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