A: Although the sky's the limit when it comes to getting a home theater projector, there are 3 basic qualities that define the typical mainstream consumer product.
1. Price point is at or below $4,000 USD
2. Your Projector's Contrast Ratio is higher than 2500:1
3. Your Projector has a 16:9 (HDTV) Native Aspect Ratio
Matte White is the most widely used material because of its superior versatility and it is recommended over high gain or contrast gray surfaces. It has a wide diffusion uniformity for maximum visibility and will get satisfactory results with virtually any front projection array. It is recommended over high gain material because high gain concentrates the diffusion into a narrow viewing cone with sharp color enhancement which is great for a dedicated home theater environment but not preferred for a multi-purpose room due to its limited visibility angle. Contrast gray material enhances black level contrast for older DLP and entry level LCD projectors but also does this at the expense of diminished light return which means it should be used only with high output projectors.
Front projection should generally be used in a setting with controlled lighting or no ambient light at all.
• MaxWhite: Standard matte white textured material
• MaxWhite FG: Matte white textured material with Fiber Glass backing for enhanced rigidity
• CineWhite: PVC tension reinforced variant of matte white
• AcousticPro1080™: Acoustically sound transparent matte white weaved material
Elite Screens suggests the following Projection Screen types
1. Wall / Ceiling / In-Ceiling - (Manual and Electric)
* See Manual, Manual SRM, Spectrum, VMAX2, Home2, CineTension2, Osprey Tension Dual, Evanesce, and Evanesce Tension
2. Wall only (For dedicated home theater) - Fixed Frame
* See SableFrame, ezFrame, Cinema235, and Elite Prime Vision Fixed Frame
3. Outdoor, Portable Business, or Recreational Presentations (Floor Pull Up or Folding Frame Screens)
* See QuickStand, QuickStand Drape, ezCinema, ezCinema Plus, Tripod, Tripod Pro, and MicroFlip
4. Indoor, Electric Floor Rising
* See Kestrel, Kestrel Tension, Raptor, Raptor Tension, Raptor Module,and Raptor Module Tension
