Verticle TV & Music

WHAT IS meant by optimum screen size for a home projector?

I've been looking at some of the screen size calculators for home projectors that are online and at 18 feet viewing distance I'm getting a suggested screen size of 56" x 100". I'd like to know WHAT determines the optimum screen size. Not HOW to get it, but rather WHAT it is. Why wouldn't 60" x 107" be better at the same distance?

In your context, optimum screen size relates to the aspect ratio, viewing distance, image resolution, and to a lesser degree secondary factors such as screen gain, projector brightness. and screen door effect. It's actually a balancing act. Read on.

First, recognize there is no absolute standard for determining screen size (after all different people have different preferences), BUT there are guidelines for the viewing angle (angle subtended from the viewing position by width of the screen) such as those defined by THX (1st link. Horizontal viewing angle of 40 degrees or less, 15 degree max angle to top of screen) and SMPTE (minimum horizontal viewing angle of 30 degrees).

An obvious result of this is that the perceived screen size (i.e. viewing angle) will vary with distance, and for a constant viewing angle at differing viewing distances the screen size must vary. So for example, a 100" screen at 12 ft would give the same viewing angle as a 50" screen at 6 ft. This is the fundamental reason that there is an optimum screen size for any viewing distance (or more accurately a size range, since personal preference must be allowed for).

Aspect ratio comes into this since screen size is often defined based on the diagonal size of a screen and aspect ratio impacts on this dimension. See the 2nd link for a calculator that takes this into account.

Finally, of the 3 primary factors, image resolution matters because the human eye can resolve detail atfor 20/20 vision) about 1/60 degree of arc. For any image resolution (e.g. 720 or 1080) there will be a distance range where higher resolution can be perceived. See the article at the 3rd link for the full discussion, but as a projector user the important point is that at THX (or SMPTE) optimum distances / screen size the highest resolution possible is recommended ... and these days that means 1920x1080.

Secondary considerations also bear on this question as follows. Projector brightness impact on how bright the image will be at a certain distance. Since image brightness has a recommended minimum and maximum (12-22 ft-lamberts, see 4th link) you don't want to be too far back (brightness drops off with distance) or project on too big a screen (brightness drops with larger screen size). Projectorcentral.com's projector calculator (5th link) is useful here since it shows (caution: based on manu published specs) brightness level as a function of throw distance, screen gain and screen size ... but don't confuse this with optimum screen size.

Higher screen gain can be used to componsate somewhat for low brightness but at the risk of adversely impacting the image through hot-spotting, limited viewing angle and colour shifts).

Finally, "screen door effect" (SDE) must be taken into account when considering minimum viewing distance for any screen size. SDE is visible at close viewing distances as black or dark grey lines around the individual pixels of the image. Different projectors vary in their tendency to show SDE ... with LCOS being the least and LCD and DLP being the most suceptible. Your projector has a recommended (See last link) minimum viewing distance of 1.8x screen width to avoid seeing SDE.

So, bottom line ... there is no single optimum screen size, but there is a minimum and maximum based on viewing angle, SDE effect, projector brightness, etc. Within this range it comes down to personal preference (and physical limitations such as room size).

Hope this helps clarify the interrelationships.

Sony VPL-VW50 projector 1080P

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