Datasheet

PROJECTA ACADEMY
7
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2
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6
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4
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Sizing a projection screen to the room
Choosing the correct projection screen is of great
importance. The purpose of the projection screen
is twofold: to display the visual information without
loss of image quality and to direct the projected
light towards the audience. Both requirements
must be satisfied in order to ensure optimum
perception of the projected image. If you want
everyone in the room to see what is on the screen,
make sure you use the right size projection screen.
This is necessary to ensure everyone can see the
detail of the projection. The use of high resolution
projectors in most applications creates quality
images with great detail. This higher resolution
also implies smaller font text and images which
has its effect on the correct choice of projection
screen size. The InfoComm International standard
therefore recommends the following rules to
determine the correct size of the projection screen:
Room depth
Diagonal size
Distance screen to
last row
Screen height
4:3 VIDEO aspect ratio

the following rule. The height of a screen should be 1/6 of the
distance from the screen to the last row of viewers.
16:10 WIDE and 16:9 HDTV aspect ratios
You can calculate the diagonal of the projection screen that will
match your situation by dividing the room depth by two.
Distance screen to
last row
Screen height
2.35:1 CINEMASCOPE aspect ratio

use the following rule. The height of a screen should be 1/4 of the
distance from the screen to the last row of viewers.
You should also consider
• Ceilingheight
Take the ceiling height into account in your calculation as
this is often a limiting factor.
• Comfortableviewingheight
For professional and educational applications the distance
between the floor and the viewing area of a projection

those sitting in the rear of the audience can see the
projection. Depending on the height of the ceiling, this may
require additional black drop if the projection screen is
ceiling mounted. For home entertainment applications this
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• Comfortableviewingdistance
For professional and educational applications the first row
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For home entertainment applications the first row of seats
should be approximately 2 screen heights away
Always consider the most demanding usage of your
projection when determining the size Although a flat panel
display may seem a good option for a smaller size
presentation area, in most cases these are actually too
small. If the rules of thumb are applied often a larger
projection screen should be specified to make sure the
audience can see the necessary level of detail comfortably.