1 of 5
Image courtesy of Fielder Road Baptist Church, Arlington, TX.
2 of 5
Elite Screens Inc. Kestrel Stage Series - The kestrel Stage Series is a portable, freestanding electric projection screen that is integrated into a sturdy wheeled stage case.
3 of 5
Stewart Filmscreen Mystik - Mystik is a non-permanent, self-adhesive projection material designed for use when incorporating two-piece projection into seasonal or temporary digital signage applications.
4 of 5
dnp Denmark Supernova Infinity Screen - An optical Supernova Infinity projection screen from dnp is not a traditional front projection screen. it is a large-format screen with an advanced optical lens system.
5 of 5
Rose Brand 100 Series Premium Projection Screens - The 100 Series Premium Projection Screens are custom PVC projection screens that feature PVC media with consistent thickness and shade.
While projectors and switchers often require more hands-on interaction, the lowly projection screen is often a set and forget element in your video system. However, selecting the right projection screen is just as important a part of your video system as any other piece of equipment.
In recent years, numerous innovations have brought projection screen quality to new heights. CPM recently spoke with leading screen manufacturers and suppliers about what's new in projection screens and they have offered some advice to consider when selecting your screen solution.
“Selecting a projection screen for [a] house of worship … does not need to be a complicated process,” says David Rodgers, marketing manager for Elite Screens Inc. in Los Angeles. “The four main criteria are projector compatibility, image size, lighting, and function. It's important to have a projection screen that is the same shape (i.e., HDTV/16:9 or NTSC/4:3, etc.) as your projector's native format; image size is really crucial.”
Rodgers explains, “Lighting is important because it will determine if you need a specialty material. Matte white is suitable for most applications, but a specialty material should be considered for environments with poor ambient light control, etc.”
Screen considerations and recommendations
White screens are indeed a good all-purpose choice, especially when you are projecting mostly text, such as song lyrics and announcements. Matte white is very functional as well as cost-effective; many feel that it works best with short-throw projectors. White screens do tend to wash out if there is a lot of ambient light. In those applications a gray projection surface works better. Because of offering better contrast and its abilities to absorb some ambient light, gray screens perform better when lighting cannot be controlled. A gray screen also provides better contrast, better black levels, and richer colors. However, a gray screen does require a brighter projector to offset its ability to absorb light, so as to avoid the appearance of a dimmer image.
Amy Madden, sales support manager and lifts product manager with Spiceland, Ind.-based Draper Inc., notes that screens are more than just a piece of white vinyl. She suggests a few other questions you should be prepared to answer when buying screens. “Is there a high amount of ambient light in your space? Will there be direct lights hitting the screen or can the lighting be controlled and/or banked? How far away from the screen will people be? How wide is the viewing angle—how far off to each side of the screen will people be sitting?”
The answers to these questions will help you focus on some essential screen considerations. “There are many options you can choose from, depending on the space and the content,” Madden says. “In many scenarios ambient light is a real issue, so new screen technologies have been developed to deal with all that light. For instance, Draper's High Performance XS850E incorporates multi-layer film technology to reject ambient light and give a good picture from all angles in the room.”
Ambient light is an important issue for many worship applications. Screens with ambient light-rejecting materials, “… can typically present the same brightness and clarity of an LCD flat panel,” Rodgers says. “Ambient light-rejecting screens don't actually ‘reject' ambient light. Actually, they absorb ambient light by not providing it with a suitably reflective surface. Instead, the micro design of the screen's reflective structure is formulated to reflect direct light almost exclusively. This means that the light from a projector is concentrated in its reflection directly back to the eyes of the audience while the glare of ambient light—as seen on standard matte white screens—is essentially nullified.”
The screen is the most important consideration in a projection system. It all starts with the screen. Projectors cannot project black - it's the absence of light.
Jesse Walsh, US sales and marketing director, dnp denmark
Walsh adds, “Since lighting control or shades are typically not an option then its up to the projection screen and projector. A screen with a darker tint will perform better in high ambient light, but only an optical screen can actually control overhead and side ambient light.”
Pay close attention to the congregation's relationship to the screen for an optimal viewing experience. “For the best image, the picture should not be viewed at angles greater than 45 degrees off-axis or outside a 90-degree seating cone,” says Dave McFarland, director of marketing with Stewart Filmscreen based in Torrance, Calif. “The best projection results are obtained in darkened rooms, enhancing black/white contrast and picture resolution.”
Brian Schwartz, marketing coordinator with Da-Lite Screen Co. of Warsaw, Ind., offers this advice: “The most important consideration when looking at incorporating projection into a service or program is the size of the image, especially since many projection screens in houses of worship are being used to display text to the audience. It is very important that those toward the back of the audience are able to read that text. Da-Lite recommends a ‘Divide by Two' rule when projecting in 16:9 or 16:10 formats—the most common formats of newer projectors. You do this by taking the distance of the furthest viewer from the screen in inches and dividing by two, the result will be the recommend diagonal measurement of the screen.”
Schwartz further explains another consideration, “A projection screen needs to be large enough and bright enough for the audience, all while minimizing the impact that the installation will have to the building structure and especially to the aesthetics.”
Rodgers agrees, “For optimal performance, most experts prefer fixed projection screens. A fixed frame projection screen has the best picture flatness, but it may hinder the multi-purpose requirements of your space. If that's the case, a manual or electric retractable projection screen could be used. You may want a wall/ceiling roll-up screen for multi-purpose environments. When those options are impractical, a freestanding unit should be considered. I like these because they are the most versatile when space efficiency comes into play.”
Notes on product selection
The choice of what type of screen fits the user's space the best is often a factor of how often the screen will be used and for what other purposes is the room being used. Screen manufacturers offer fixed position screens as well as above-ceiling and below-ceiling models.
“Many houses of worship choose customized screens that can be hidden or stored within a trapdoor that mounts flush with ceiling surfaces or [is] recessed into the floor or a decorative enclosure,” McFarland explains. “This keeps the room design/aesthetics intact, while automation controls can be integrated to bring the screen out for selected parts of the service, such as we have done with the Stewart ElectriScreen.”
Schwartz points out, “The newest features for fixed-frame projection screens are thin bezel frames to minimize the aesthetic impact of the screen. Fixed screens are often chosen since they do not require power and provide a very flat image. Da-Lite's new UTB Contour fixed screen features a frame that is one quarter of an inch wide, minimizing the impact that the screen has when not in use, since the frame is so thin.”
Rose Brand of Secaucus, N.J., a supplier of projection screens, fabrics, and materials for use with projection, has a variety of materials options. Marketing Director Louis Peter offers some considerations that churches can weigh in making decisions about projection materials. “Considerations should include whether the screen will be used for front or rear projection, outdoors or indoors, ease of installation and maintenance, dimensions, shape, and the precision and uniformity of the welds (seams) for extra large size screens. All of these considerations matter because different screen materials and colors have varying characteristics related to gain, contrast, transparency, air flow-through, weight, pucker, stretch ability, and convenience.”
Peter also suggests that churches look beyond traditional projection screens made of PVC and consider some alternatives. “Excellent results can also be achieved with the use of particular types of fabric,” he explains. “Many of our projection fabrics are extra-wide (i.e., over 16 feet) so you can achieve large screen sizes seamlessly. Some fabrics have the advantage of easy installation by virtue of their lightweight and stretch characteristics. Lightness of weight is a particularly compelling feature if the screen needs to be portable; while stretch ability enables wrinkles to instantly disappear.”
“The life span of the screen is an important consideration. A dnp Supernova Optical screen will look the same even after 20 years, while a white vinyl or PVC screen will begin to degrade and change color in as little as three years,” says Walsh from dnp.
While speaking about materials, another subject to keep in mind is how will the projection work with your space's audio system. “If you intend to install speakers behind the projection screen, then an acoustically transparent material should be used,” says Rodgers. And McFarland adds, “The benefit of acoustic transparency is incredible sound staging, alignment with your left, center, and right channels, and, overall, a more immersive audience experience.”
Churches that really want to think outside the box can take a look at the new dual-purpose screen products available from several of the manufacturers. Elite's Rodgers talks about whiteboard projection screens that are essentially “a professional-grade projection screen that has been surfaced in a durable optical nanotech resin to act as a dry-erase writing surface, without any of the poor performance qualities encountered when projecting on a regular whiteboard.” He continues, “They function exactly as whiteboards do, and when you project on them, they give the performance of a professional-grade screen as opposed to the hot-spotting and red/green color shifts so typical with regular whiteboards.”
Perhaps the most common “make do” surface for a church is a wall, and then churches might consider using projection screen paint. “Projection screens can often be hidden or camouflaged to appear as an ordinary wall, ceiling, floor, or just about any other object,” explains Peter. “Goo Systems' Screen Goo is the perfect way to achieve that effect. It consists of specially formulated acrylic paint that enables you to create a high performance projection screen of any shape or size, on any paintable surface, including glass or plastics. You can use it for front, rear, or 3D projection.”
No matter your venue, no matter the challenges, be assured that there is a projection screen product that will work for you. Speak with the manufacturers, dealers, consultants, and other churches; get a demonstration and try the products in your own space. Projection can add a whole new dimension to your worship services and other programs in your venue. As always, feel free to let CPM staff know what works for your applications—or ask about challenges that you're having trouble solving.
