FAQ

Fixed Screens

Motorized Screens

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR PROJECTION SCREEN

One common question about projection is how to clean your projector screen. It is very important that you follow your manufacturer’s screen cleaning instructions so you don’t damage image quality.

Step One:

Determine what type of screen material you have.

Screen Materials types:

PVC
Fiberglass
Glass
Acrylic
Special Optic

Step Two:

Verify if your screen has a first surface coating or not–you can do this by softly wiping your hand across the surface feeling for any texture–you can also look for color irregularities.

Step Three:

Clean your screen using the appropriate solution and cleaning cloth. (NOTE: the process significantly varies depending on your screen type.)

PVC can be cleaned with any soft (microfiber preferred) cloth. Mix a solution of 5% soap and 95% water. You can rub the surface until the spot is removed.
Fiberglass is a coated material and requires caution when cleaning. If the spot is small, you can use a white paint marker to cover the spot with a small dot. If you have a larger spot you can use a soft (microfiber preferred) cloth to lightly rub over the spot. (NOTE: with all coated materials you can only rub so many times before damaging the projection screen coating—use caution.)
Glass screens may or may not have a first surface coating on the front, if you determine there is no coating, simply clean with 25% Windex 75% water. If the screen has an optical coating, consult your manufacturer’s instructions to determine the recommended cleaning process. Optical coatings vary significantly and require the use of precise cleaning materials and methods.
Acrylic screens (like glass) may or may not have a first surface coating; if you determine there is no coating, simply clean with 10% Windex 90% water. If the screen has an optical coating, consult your manufacturer’s instructions to determine the recommended cleaning process. Optical coatings vary significantly and require the use of precise cleaning materials and methods.
Special Optic projector screens are very unique, and need to be cleaned according to manufacturer’s instructions. These screen materials may incorporate different plastics, coatings, or textures on the first surface. Rubbing or using chemicals may damage the screen permanently, so consult your manufacturer for the cleaning procedures.

For details on how to clean Screen Innovations projection screen products, call 512 832 6939

What about screen controls?

Most electric screens require controls. All SI motorized products include 12 Volt trigger, IR Infra Red, and a wall switch standard. This eliminates the need to select a certain control type up front. All accessories are included in the box and are delivered with your screen purchase.

How much should I expect to pay?

SI has a screen that will fit every budget. From the most advanced Black Diamond screen, to the new affordable Sensation line product, SI will have the best value for your needs.

What aspect ratio screen should I order – 2.35:1, 2.40:1, or 2.37:1?

The fact is that there is an entire range of aspect ratios, mostly from 2.35:1 to 2.40, used by directors for major motion pictures. “2.35:1″ has caught on mostly because many of the earlier True Widescreen movies (as opposed to those made for smaller screen) were filmed in this ratio. “True Widescreen” is used to encompass the format realm of major motion pictures in an attempt to minimize confusion. However, “2.35:1″ is still strongly part of the vernacular for emerging home cinema so we use it just as frequently.

The direct answer is that we recommend a 2.40:1 screen and to set your system up so that 1.85 movies (in a constant height system) fill the top and bottom of your 2.40 screen. There are a lot of convoluted reasons for this, but basically using a 2.40:1 screen seems to be the most effective way of minimizing black bars (or strips) from the top and bottom of popular content short of having adjustable masking.

Do I want a curved projector screen?

Curved screens do have some distinct advantages, especially in installations where the throw is very short (1.6 or less) and pincushion distortion becomes an issue. Note that most curved screens are actually “cylindrical” in that there is no curve up and down – only from left to right.

Advantages of a curved screen:

Curved screens help compensate the pincushion distortion that occurs when an expansion-based anamorphic lens is used because an inward-curving screen naturally produces a form of “barrel” distortion which can partially compensate for the “pincushion” from the lens. As you can imagine it can be complicated to determine how much curvature you need in the screen to compensate for how much distortion is in your short throw-ratio installation. But even in a general sense, the higher the throw ratio, the less noticeable the distortion, and therefore the less of a “need” for a curved screen.
For some people a curved screen can bring you an even greater sense of immersion when watching movies. The slight curvature of the screen gives the impression of the image wrapping around you, involving you in the action to an even greater degree. The opposite view is that a flat screen is more like a window into the movie. Either viewpoint is valid and “best” is up to you.
Curved screens can deliver a more uniformly illuminated image for centrally localized seating with less “hot-spotting” since light that would normally be reflected to the side is instead more effectively directed back to the seating area.

What movies are available in the True Widescreen 2.40:1 ratio?

A quick check through your current DVD, Blu-ray or HD-DVD collection will probably reveal that the majority of movies you already own are in the 2.35:1 or greater ratio. Simply look on the back cover and you will probably see the “this movie is in letterbox format – the black bars at the top and bottom of your screen are normal” along with a “2.35:1″ or “2.40:1″ designation. Almost all of these films will work properly with a Panamorph lens system and compatible scaler / projector. This is also true of many high definition movies on TV, cable or satellite.

What about mounting my screen?

This is an area of great concern. Screens are rarely lightweight. Large screens can easily weigh hundreds of pounds and require power lifts just to raise them to mounting position. Additionally, there may be structural considerations. Some applications can take advantage of newer screen technologies where the screen raises from the floor, rather than descending from the ceiling. This can minimize installation time and address otherwise costly installations resulting from height. This is especially true in churches. Mounting projectors is usually a much easier task than correctly mounting screens.

Do I need a manual or electric projection screen?

This is really a question of the room environment. Most manual and electric screens are available with the same surface treatments. Electric projection screens give “wow” factor. But if you are going to leave the screen in the down position most of the time, either will work well. Keep in mind the size of the screen. The larger the screen, the more space a fixed screen will take up in your room. Electric screens can be hidden in the ceiling and have a stealth esthetic appeal.

What Screen Installation Type Do I Need?

In commercial movie theaters, the screen is a reflective surface which may be either aluminized (for high contrast in moderate ambient light) or a white surface with small glass beads (for high brilliance under dark conditions). The screen also has hundreds of small, evenly spaced holes in order to allow the passage of air to and from the speakers and subwoofer which often are directly behind it.

Rigid wall-mounted screens maintain their geometry perfectly just like the big movie screens, which makes them suitable for applications that demand exact reproduction of image geometry. Such screens are often used in home theaters , along with the pull-down screens.

Pull-down screens (also known as Manual Wall Screens) are often used in spaces where a permanently installed screen would require too much space. These commonly use painted fabric that is rolled in the screen case when not used, making them less obtrusive when the screen is not in use.

Electric screens can be wall mounted, ceiling mounted or ceiling recessed. These are often larger screens, though electric screens are available for home theater use as well. Electric screens are similar to pull-down screens, but instead of the screen being pulled down manually, an electric motor raises and lowers the screen. Electric screens are usually raised or lowered using either a remote control or wall-mounted switch, although some projectors are equipped with an interface that connects to the screen and automatically lowers the screen when the projector is switched on and raises it when the projector is switched off.

Mobile screens usually use either a pull-down screen on a free stand, or pull up from a weighted base. These can be used when it is impossible or impractical to mount the screen to a wall or a ceiling.

Both mobile and permanently installed pull-down screens may be of tensioned or not tensioned variety. Tensioned models attempt to keep the fabric flat and immobile, whereas the not tensioned models have the fabric of the screen hanging freely from their support structures. In the latter screens the fabric can rarely stay immobile if there are currents of air in the room, giving imperfections to the projected image.

Specialty screens may not fall into any of these categories. These include non-solid screens, inflatable screens and others. See the respective articles for more information.

What other room conditions can affect my screen picture quality?

Pay special attention to positioning screens with regard to HVAC vents. The airstream may cause the screen to wave, creating a distraction as areas of the screen move in and out of focus. This is primarily a consideration in drop down screens, and may be addressed by selecting a tab tensioned screen system.