Part 2: How to Choose the Right Display for Your Home Theater System
Are you planning to transform that extra room in your home into a theatre? That’s great, but have you done your homework about the creative and the technical aspects of setting up a home theatre room yet? Your display features right on top of the vital choices you’ll need to make to ensure a rewarding home theater experience.
In this second part of our home theater series, we’ll talk about the display screen and how to choose one.
Often homeowners ignore the screen when purchasing gears and devices for their home theatre rooms. They spend out-of-the-pocket for getting the right audio systems, receivers, media players, and projectors.
The truth, however, is that your screen influences the visual experience directly. Therefore, picking the right display is as important as selecting the rest of the home theatre components.
Here are some tips to find out how to choose the right display for your home theatre system.
What are the types of screen available?
Basically, there are four types of display screens –
- Manual pull-down displays – If you are looking for something affordable yet good to go, (at least something better than a blank wall or a white sheet), a manual pull-down display is a good idea. These are simple, easy-to-install, and the best choice when your budget is a bit tight. The best thing – you can easily replace it with another screen type later on without having to regret your choice.
- Fixed-frame screens – If you are looking for a screen especially designed for home theatres, a fixed-frame display can live up to your needs. To keep it concealed when not in use, add some curtains and you are sorted.
- Portable screens – As the name suggests, these screens are movable and can be installed anywhere in your home. These are also pocket-friendly.
- Motorized or retractable screens – These are good if you need concealment. For example – if you’ll use your home theatre room for other purposes too and you don’t want others to see the screen, motorized screens make the best choice.
What is the right size?
If you want to get the perfect experience out of your home theatre, you should first consider the right screen size. But understand that one-size doesn’t fit all so the ‘right’ size for someone else may not be right for you.
Suppose, if you install a giant screen of 80 inches in a tiny room or a 32-inch standard screen in a large room, will you be able to get the right feel of a theatre? Therefore, it is highly advisable to consider the room size and shape beforehand.
There is a simple rule to it. It goes like – the display should occupy a field of view of 30 degrees (minimum) for the audience. It means that the screen height should be more or less 1/3rd of the distance between the seats and the screen.
Is your room dark enough?
The main ingredient for a good audio-visual experience inside a home theatre is darkness. Make sure to watch out for the sources of light such as French doors, reflective surfaces, glass-windows or something else. These might be preventing your room from being completely dark.
What material your screen is made up of?
The more ‘light’ a projection screen reflects, the brighter ‘image’ they produce. In order to design a projection screen to be able to do the same, different types of materials are used. The material used also determines the ALR (Ambient Light Rejection) and screen gain. So, don’t forget to check this out with the dealer to avoid investing in something that isn’t the right choice for you.
The details given above talk about the factors to consider before buying the right display for your home theatre room. However, it takes a lot of expertise and proficiency, both technical and creative to get such things done properly. So, seeking professional help is advisable.
Call Cinebels right away!
When it comes to home theatre installation, look no further than the world of options available with Cinebels. We bring you the finest technologies in home theatres, while our team of experienced and expert professionals is more than happy to help you with your buying and installing needs.
