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 several of WUPRO BUY's hot-selling long throw screen fabrics using the Valerion and vidda C2 ultra tri-colour laser projectors and compare them in terms of price, image quality, light resistance, scatter suppression and ultimately provide you with buying advice. If you're not interested in the middle, you can go straight to the conclusion

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	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	Colour uniformity, high projector brightness requirements	Strong light environment (living room, conference room), high-end home theatre	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	Fixed installation scenarios	Medium to high

 

Projection Screen Material Performance Ranking

Fabric Type	Image Quality Ranking	Speckle Reduction	Ambient Light Rejection
Fresnel（Tri-colour laser）	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

Conclusion(Suggestions for Selection)

 

If your budget is sufficient and you desire the best image quality

WUPRO Cinema Peacock Evo 3-Colour Laser long throw Fresnel Screen is your best choice!

As this tri-colour laser screen is much more expensive than other screens and cannot be made into a motorised screen, the other screen materials are highlighted below.

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 Spots with Crystal Screens  

• 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 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.

Combined best choice:

After a comprehensive comparison, the sfot grey matte screen has a less noticeable scattering 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:

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