diy projector lcd screen free sample

Making your own homemade smartphone projector is a fun project that you can do with all the family. You will learn about how optics work and develop your creativity, as well as recycling the boxes you have at home.

To build this projector, we will place a mirror and a magnifying lens in a box to make the light rays coming from your phone create a bigger projected image. The more light reaches the magnifying glass, the brighter your final image would be. For that reason, you want to have a relatively narrow box to avoid light dispersion before reaching the glass.

You need a long box so that you can adjust the distance between the projecting lens and your phone. With that in mind, you need to use a box that your phone’s screen will fit across. In my case, I took a box 16x31x12 cm.

Light reflecting off from the walls of the box would cause noise and can result in lower image quality. To avoid that, you should make the inner sides of the projector black. You can coat the inside of the projector by glueing black matte paper.

The lens projects images from the phone by concentrating and refracting the light. This means that the image we get on the wall is flipped upside down and left to right. Fixing the first is easy. All you have to do is to deactivate the phone’s screen auto-rotate option and place the phone upside down.

Measure the width and length of your phone’s screen. Draw a rectangle with your phone screen size on the lid of the projector, right above the mirror.

Fit the magnifying glass into the hole you cut out in step 3. And with that, you are done!  You’ve made your very own smartphone projector. If you want, you can decorate it using paints, colorful papers or any other materials you have around.

To set up your projector, place it in front of a white wall or a screen. Turn your phone’s brightness to maximum and place it facing down on top of the cut-out opening you’ve made. I recommend you to turn off the auto-rotate and set the screen sleep time to “Never”. Next, turn off all the lights in the room, the projector should be the only light source.

Start sliding the lens slowly away from the mirror while looking at the image on the wall.  Stop moving the lens when you get a sharp image. You might need to change the distance between the wall and the projector if the image is not sharp enough.

If you don’t have a mirror available, you can still make a projector. Place your phone with the image upside down directly in front of the lens. To keep the phone secured in its position, I recommend attaching it with a Velcro. This will also make taking the phone out easier.

Without the mirror, your smart phone projector won´t correct the inversion of the image. For that reason, I recommend you avoid anything with writing.

The idea behind a projector is that light rays coming from your phone pass through a magnifying lens placed in a certain distance. This creates a bigger projected image. This image will be inverted, but this can be fixed by placing a mirror between the phone and the lens.

You need a convex lens to build a homemade projector. These lenses are bigger in the centre than on their edges. The easiest way to get a convex lens is to use a magnifying glass. You can remove the holder and place it in your projector.

Most projectors have a zoom ring to enlarge the image. If you have a homemade projector, you probably won’t have a zoom ring.  The easiest way to make the screen bigger is by placing the projector further. You might need to readjust the focus by moving the phone back and forth.

Image projectors with lenses exist since 1659 when Christiaan Huygens invented the magic lantern. Eadweard Muybridge invented in 1879 the first projector used with moving images. Although Edison built his movie projector in 1894, the first successful one was invented by the Lumière brothers one year later.

Building your own projector is a fun DIY project that you can do either by yourself or with the whole family. Although it is not a professional projector and might not produce a perfect image, it gives a pretty nice result. You can use it as a neat little gadget for your kid’s birthday party or create special effects for Halloween. This project is a fun way for kids to learn about lenses and light and an excellent way to re-utilize materials.

Sharing the display of your smartphone can be tricky. Wireless HDMI and mirroring are good options, but what if there is no TV screen to receive the signal?

Yes, you read that right. And all you"ll need is a lens and an old shoebox. For less than $10 you can make a smartphone projector using items you might already have around the house.

Building a DIY smartphone projector is not an original idea. Luckies" Smartphone Projector, a cardboard flatpack system that you can build yourself, has been around a few years. This is basically a DIY version of that.

Projectors use this principle, using a lens to rotate the image, hence righting the image so it can be viewed. The same is true for a cinematic projector, a home theater LCD projector, and any smartphone projector that you buy.

But as these devices are basically a box with a lens, they"re easy enough to build at home. Let"s find out how to build a shoebox projector to use with an iPhone or Android smartphone.

There is another advantage to this. The further the projector is from a surface, the wider the spread of light becomes. This means that big projections will be very dark in anything other than pitch darkness.

For wider boxes, find a way to attach your phone"s case to the back wall. This might require hot glue, or tape. You should then be able to simply snap your phone into the projector when you want to use it.

To test this, place your phone in the box with the lock screen disabled and the brightness turned to full. With the lid replaced, turn the lights down and check the quality of the projected image.

Now you"ll get a little white dot you can move around the screen. Tap it, choose Device then Rotate Screen and rotate the screen so that it is upside down when you place it in your projector. Finally head over to Settings > Brightness & Wallpaper and turn off Auto-Brightness. With this done, increase the brightness of your screen up to the maximum setting.

When you have your screen rotated by 180 degrees, you"ll need to ramp up the brightness. In Android, open Settings > Display > Adaptive brightness and tap the switch to disable. Next, drag the notification area down with two fingers and set the brightness control to full.

For the best results, project onto a white screen in a completely darkened room. This might be to view Netflix; it could be YouTube. Whatever it is, be aware that the quality will be just good enough, rather than perfect.

If you want a cheap projector you can only use at night, then this is the perfect project for you. The images are grainy, and slightly out of focus; it was never going to be perfect. However, there"s a certain amount of charm to it, and this smartphone projector makes an ideal science project.

Note that you don"t have to use two boxes, either. A single box will work, although you will need to spend more time positioning the phone. A lens from an old projector may work better here, secured with adhesive putty in the hole, ready to adjust the focus.

Like being able to project from your phone using a shoebox? Maybe it"s time to use a real projector. These budget projectors are ideal for smartphones.

Feeling indecisive? We understand that picking a projection screen is a big commitment, whether you"re building a state of the art event or home theater projector screen, simple projection tv screen for your bedroom, or anything in-between! We offer the biggest projector screen material samples on the market, so we can help you narrow down your ideal projection screen material.

FlexiWhite (FW): An excellent material for all-around use, it"s flexible and easy to fold for storage in-between uses (and readily stretches back out again to get rid of fold lines and wrinkles), making it a very versatile projection screen material! Easy to install over wood frames, it"s a popular choice as a hanging projector screen. Its PVC construction makes it popular with the outdoor crowd as well!

Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR): Our Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen material is really special. It"s colored a dark gray for maximum contrast from your projector, while its shiny surface helps keep colors bright. It"s very popular in multipurpose rooms where light is difficult to control. Avoid folding because while a flexible material, it isn"t quite as resilient as the other flexible materials. Also, use caution when pairing with a short throw projector or with edge-blending because of the possibility of inconsistent image brightness.

FlexiWhite (FW): An excellent material for all-around use, it"s flexible and easy to fold for storage in-between uses (and readily stretches back out again to get rid of fold lines and wrinkles), making it a very versatile projection screen material! Easy to install over wood frames, it"s a popular choice as a hanging projector screen. Its PVC construction makes it popular with the outdoor crowd as well!

Ultra-White (UW): Similar to ProWhite but a better picture in just about every way. Very smooth, very matte and can make most projectors display a picture with unparalleled clarity and uniformity.

Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR): Our Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen material is really special. It"s colored a dark gray for maximum contrast from your projector, while its shiny surface helps keep colors bright. It"s very popular in multipurpose rooms where light is difficult to control. Avoid folding because while a flexible material, it isn"t quite as resilient as the other flexible materials. Also, use caution when pairing with a short throw projector or with edge-blending because of the possibility of inconsistent image brightness.

Ultra-Gray (UG):With the same features as UltraWhite, our light-gray Ultra option is a premium version of the Pro series with a smoother screen texture for a higher quality image.

White Rear Film (WR): Very similar to our gray rear film, our white rear film is more opaque, which helps make the images more uniform when paired with brighter projectors. Slightly dimmer than gray rear film but more even in its light distribution, making it a great choice in dark environments.

Gray Rear Film (GR): Translucent and slightly gray, it will give you the brightest image available in a rear projection material, which is great for environments with some ambient light. In dark environments, however, care must be taken to avoid hotspots. Avoid projectors that are too bright or that project in direct line-of-sight to the viewer.

Standard Golf Impact Screens (IS): Perfect for beginners or first-timers – an inexpensive impact screen for golf. Budget-friendly projection screen for golf simulators. Use with real golf balls up to 250 MPH.

Preferred Golf Impact Screen (PD): Best value for both home and commercial users looking for higher quality. Much smoother texture than Standard with tightly woven fibers for better HD picture. Use with real golf balls up to 250 MPH with an indoor golf simulator.

Premium Golf Impact Screen (PM): The smoothest surface available on a full impact material. Made of three layers of heavy-duty, tight-knit impact resistant polyester. Quiets noise from the golf ball hitting the screen with a cushioned center layer. Recommended where image quality is the top concern.

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These screens are designed to be flown or suspended from above. In addition to screens, the agile Acrobat motorized lift is available to facilitate flying screens and more.

Additional Draper projection screens not shown on this page can be used in flown applications. Please contact your sales representative to discuss your specific needs.

To facilitate raising and lowering Draper screens and other eqiupment, we offer the powerful and versatile Acrobat lift. Acrobat’s lifting mechanism improves function and serviceability in areas with tall ceilings. Acrobat was specifically designed to lift our Paragon, Targa XL, Premier XL, and StageScreen projection screens, and much more. With a 1,000-pound (454 kg) lifting capacity, Acrobat can be also used to lift a variety of other products such as scoreboards, lighting systems, and speakers. Travel range up to 34" (10 m).

The Designer Cut Series is Elite Screens selection of pre-cut projection screen material swatches. The swatches are prepared for use in custom solutions and other improvised installations according to the integrator’s needs.

The ezCinema 2 by Elite Screens is a free-standing portable projection screen that offers even more features to CE Retail customers than our earlier model. It swiftly pulls up and retracts using a “scissor-backed” free-standing mechanism that requires no extra tools, accessories or effort. This is the perfect “projector screen in a box” for portable presentations on the go. The matte white material has a wide viewing angle and is masked on all 4 sides for enhanced aesthetics and visual contrast. The screen comes with a black backing to eliminate light penetration for brighter image fidelity.

The ezCinema Series is a small and large venue ultra-portable projector screen that sets up easy using its detachable telescoping support bar hardware for residential or commercial presentations. It uses Elite Screens MaxWhite® which provides the widest possible viewer angles with perfect diffusion uniformity while giving precise definition, image color reproduction and black & white contrast.

Elite Screens ezCinema Tab-Tension is a free-standing portable projection screen that is offered now with a tab-tension system. It swiftly pulls up and retracts using a “scissor-backed” free-standing mechanism that requires no extra tools, accessories or effort. This is the perfect “projector screen in a box” for portable presentations on the go. The matte white material has a wide viewing angle and is masked on all 4 sides for enhanced aesthetics and visual contrast. The screen comes with a black backing to eliminate light penetration for brighter image fidelity. The tab-tension design allows the material to be flatter on the sides for compatibility with short-throw projectors.

The Light-On CLR® 2 is a portable projection screen with a folding-frame design for indoor presentations under bright room lighting environments. It uses our innovative and patented Ceiling Ambient Light Rejecting CLR® 2 material which is specially crafted for bottom mounted ultra-short and short-throw projectors.

The entire screen conveniently fits in a carrying bag for easy transportation, storage, and protection. A black skirt is included to add a professional finish to your presentations.

The Light-On CLR® 3 series is a category of Ceiling Light Rejecting (CLR®) solutions designed to work only with Portable Ultra Short Throw Projectors that combat the wash out effect in bright ceiling light rooms such as classrooms or living rooms. The portable products are available in a 55” (4:3) tripod and 60” (16:9) folding-frame variant.

Matte white screens are not meant to be used in rooms where light cannot be controlled. The projected images lose detail and contrast rendering the presentation unwatchable.

The QuickStand 5-Second Series is a large-sized free-standing portable “pull-up” projection screen. Its portable design makes it ideal for conference rooms and large venue presentations on the go. Other large screen may require more than a half hour to assemble, attach the material and adjust to the right height. The QuickStand 5-Second Screen’s primary advantage is speed. It utlizes an innovative dual cross spring mechanism that allows it to be set up in seconds.

The QuickStand 5-Second Screen is a hassle free versatile solution that can rise out of its casing to the desired height in as little as 5-seconds. It uses Elite Screens MaxWhite®Fiberglass (FG) 1.1 Gain material with wide diffusion uniformity and is encased in an ATA wheeled aluminum stage case for added durability during heavy travel and regular venue applications.

The Tripod B Series is a light-weight  portable projection screen of the traditional tripod design. It is a dependable design that is easy to carry for portable small or large venue presentations. Its adjustable telescopic support allows variable height settings to aid in formatting the screen into a variety of aspect ratios. The MaxWhite®2 front projection material has a 1.1 unity gain with a wide viewing angle.

The Tripod Lite™ Wall Series by Elite Screens features a very light-weight portable projection screen design to be used either as a free-standing tripod or hanging wall display. It is intended for ultra-lightweight portable presentations. The screen consists of an upright support, tripod, and detachable projection material supported by parallel counterweights at the top and bottom of the screen. The screen surface uses a scroll-design by rolling up in the top and bottom counterweights.

Each tripod module features a telescoping upright support from which the screen and counterweight bar hangs. A soft carrying case contains the entire product during transport and storage.

The Elite Screens Tripod Portable Projection Screen is ideal for indoor and outdoor small or large venue presentations, this proven and reliable tripod portable projection screen combines precision with the elegance of a traditional design. Its rugged construction will withstand the rigors of daily usage while its adjustable locking ring provides ease in its adjustable height settings.

The Elite Tripod series offers a keystone eliminator mechanisms that make aiming and calibration with your projector a breeze. Bordered with 4 sides of black masking also helps absorb the unwanted overspray of light that projectors often have.

Its sturdy, yet lightweight design is intended for those who are on-the-go and even those who simply need a solution for a projection screen that can be stored away in a garage or closet.

Elite Screens backs their projection screens with a 2 year warranty. Government, Education, Military, and Religious uses are backed by a 3 year warranty for all Elite screens.

The Tripod Tab-Tension Series is a refined variant of this traditional design in portable “free-standing” projection screens.  The tab-tensioned, front projection material is of a higher caliber CineWhite® UHD-B material which is ISF Certified for superior color temperature, saturation, and contrast.  Its tab-tension reinforcements present a flat and taut projection surface that creates a ripple-free image. This is perfect for portable presentations using standard to ultra-short throw projectors. This screen offers a quick setup and is ideal for controlled lightning environments in the educational sector or with business presentations.

The Yard Master Sport by Elite Screens is an ultra-light-weight portable projection screen. Its aluminum construction provides a conveniently sleek and trim solution for on-the-go presentations. The detachable screen material is equipped with hanging loops on a sliding rail so that it will be centered if hung on its tripod stand or onto a wall which is ideal for either indoor or outdoor applications. The tripod component has telescoping hooks that pull out and then fold over to connect with the screen itself. Additional features include a bottom center spike for grounding it to grass or any other soft-soil application. The tripod feet have holes to admit ground stakes for added stability. A soft carrying case stores the entire product for easy transport and storage.

Elite Screens’ Pico Screen™  Series is an ultra light and compact free-standing projection screen that is designed for portable tabletop presentations. It incorporates rotating base feet for stability while a self-locking cross riser allows the screen to be pulled up out of its durable metal casing and be set up in less than 10-seconds. The screen measures up to 45” and is made of Elite Screens’ GREENGUARD® certified MaxWhite® Fiberglass (FG) 1.1 gain projection screen material. A durable fabric carrying case is included.

The Tripod Pro features a new casing with the velour surfacing that adds a touch of elegance for more upscale small or large venue presentations. Its black tube casing will protect the screen material and is coated in a velveteen material that absorbs glare from projectors. It is available in a (1:1) aspect ratio with viewing sizes from 113” and 119” diagonal measurements. The screen material is Elite Screens MaxWhite® 1.1 gain matte white front projection material with black masking borders. They vary in weight from 15lbs to 35 lbs making the tripod a highly portable and versatile product. Lastly, each tripod has a keystone eliminator to accommodate angle distortion or “keystone effect” during forum presentations.

If you’re searching for the best projector screen fabric, then your best bet is the white blackout cloth. The whiteness ensures image fidelity and color accuracy even though grey material increases contrast. The blackout portion ensures the light doesn’t escape the screen, ensuring image brightness.

The material should be stretched evenly in all four directions for the absolute best results. They should even be serviceable for a tensioned hanging mount. Thankfully, many of these fabrics and screens are available at reasonable prices.

This Elite Screens Designer Cut Series product is a cut above the rest. Why? It uses CineWhite material, which is known for its 1.1 gain. This is for the best because the color white faithfully transmits what’s being projected without changes in color. The material is also reflective enough to increase brightness.

The gain is slight but worthwhile. Furthermore, the projector screen material is fully black-backed. What this means is that like your blackout blinds, the screen won’t let the light escape, thus what you’ll be watching won’t end up faded or weak due to escaping light.

The Yescom is ideal for use outdoors, such as in your backyard for movie nights. Naturally, it can also be used for indoor projector screens as well, such as those used in conference rooms and living rooms. Light penetration is avoided thanks to the screen material’s standard black backing.

When the light escapes on the material, the resulting projection image isn’t as bright. Thanks to its wide viewing angle of 160 degrees, you’re offered a large viewing area which is perfect for the most cinematic of widescreen movies out there full of amazing details.

Yes, Taotaole isn’t as revered a brand as Elite Screens, but it gets the job done and we’ve deemed it decent enough to belong on this list of top 9 screen materials currently available in 2021. Not many people have availed of it according to the amount of user ratings, but those “few” agree it’s topnotch.

It measures 4.06 feet by 7.27 feet or 48.72 inches by 87.24 inches. Thusly, it’s a lot less material than Yescom or Elite Screens but for its price, it’s still a relatively good deal for DIY screen makers out there. The affordable price also comes from the fact it has a 1.0 gain instead of a 1.1 gain.

Carl’s Place Store isn’t that well-known a brand either but it still scores high due to material durability, quality, bigness, and affordability. This makes the product a screen-building favorite. Both Yescom and Elite Screens offer more inches but Carl’s is inch-per-inch easier to handle.

This blackout cloth is made of EPPE polymer material. This is different from conventional canvas, white plastic, glass fiber, or PVC. It makes the screen material more environment-friendly and reaches E.U. REACH testing standards. You can even see beautiful images on this screen above 160°.

Technically, this is more of a fully formed screen than screen material. It has a textured matte white surface and it can deal with aspect ratios such as 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, and 16:10. After you release the handle, the fabric retracts slowly back into the housing.

The slow retraction mechanism ensures the screen retraction doesn’t wear out easily. Unlike other fabrics, this comes with an auto-lock mechanism for various height settings. It also works for HD, Ultra HD, HDR, 4K, 8K, and 3D.

It’s a 40-inch screen or about less than half of the size of a typical super-large screen. Some might view this as a detriment, but in certain circumstances it’s beneficial. For example, if you want a decent-sized screen on hand to use with your mobile projector, it’s the best.

What’s more, even though it’s petite compared to the average screen (especially when compared to screen material that’s 100 inches in size diagonally), the 40-inch Pyle is actually about the same size of  a medium-sized HDTV or the average-sized CRT TV (not in thickness though).

The 80-inch pull-down or pull down projector screen can be used for work or play, whether you’re showcasing work presentations and promotional content or playing videogames. Naturally, it’s best used for watching movies and TV shows.

As expected of Amazon.com, this projector screen material has 1.2 gain. Its screen material is even better at light diffusion than all the other fabrics on this list. It’s mountable on the wall or on the ceiling suspended like a pull-down blind with its included hardware.

Its projection display supports not only basic 720p HD or 1080p FHD. It can also take 4K Ultra HD, 3D “magic screen” setups, a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, a 160° viewing angle, and so forth. It has your standard blacked out screen to ensure front projection.

Furthermore, this versatile projector can deal with indoor ambient light or outdoor ruggedness and daylight perfectly fine. Its most notable feature is the fact that it can be folded without ending up all creased, which could ruin the viewing experience by warping your projection.

White blackout cloth is probably the best material for use on a projector screen you’ve made in a do-it-yourself manner. Why? It’s the same material used in factory-made screens, for one thing. It’s the top-selling material due to its budget-friendly attributes, for another thing.

The blackout portion takes care of transmitting the projection light fully towards your eyes without the rest being wasted away. The screen isn’t quite as reflective as a mirror, but most matte white surfaces don’t need to be.

Regardless, this is the de facto standard for DIY or manufactured projector screen materials. If your material lacks reflective properties, you can put reflective paint on the screen to increase its light reflection and transmission.

The blank wall is one of the easiest DIY solutions out there for use as a projector screen. Just watch out, because walls tend to rob your projector image of brightness and clarity due to their nature of being made foremost to building integrity first and projection use second.

You can also use a bed sheet, wrapping paper, shades, blackout cloth, picture backdrop, or projector screen paint that’s painted on any of the aforementioned surfaces. As far as projector fabrics you can buy, they can be made of plastic, metal, fiberglass, polymer, polyester, and PVC.

Blackout cloth is the DIY fabric of choice for making your own projector screen. While many screen fabrics out there make use of PVC coating or polymer material, blackout cloth is as basic a choice as the color white is for projections.

Another great material for DIY projector screens that’s superior to your bed sheet or drawn blinds is spandex fabric, which is composed of polyester. Polyester alone can work, mind you. However, the mix of 80 percent polyester (or nylon) and 20 percent spandex give the fabric that extra smoothness.

To be more specific, the spandex really helps stretch the material out to zero creases. Otherwise, you’ll just have to make sure your polyester is perfectly ironed out or crease-free every time on your fixed frame or mounting structure for your DIY screen.

Among the 9 fabrics and outright ready-made screens listed here, the best one in terms of projection screen performance is definitely Elite Screens Designer Cut Series.

The other ones include Amazon Basics 16:9 Pull Down Projector Screen, Carl’s Blackout Cloth, Elite Screens Manual B 100-INCH Manual Pull Down Projector Screen. Only Carl’s is the projector screen fabric among the three though. Amazon Basics is also the one with the highest screen gain of 1.2.

Outside of the list and speaking generally, the best fabric for a DIY projector screen build is the white blackout cloth. This material is available to you at a relatively affordable price. Furthermore, you can even choose to paint this material in order to boost its gain or reflective properties.

Whether you received it as a gift this holiday season, or gave it to yourself, congrats on your new projector! There"s no better way to get a massive image for an incredible movie night. Before you pop the popcorn and settle in for quick end-of-year binge of every Marvel movie in order, there"s something you should know: proper placement, and adjustment of a few settings, will make your new projector look it absolute best. Will it work direct from the box? Sure. Will it look better if you take a few minutes to get everything right? Absolutely.

As someone who has used a projector as his main "TV" for over 15 years, not to mention reviewing them professionally even longer, I"ve set up countless projectors. Seriously, I tried counting. I stopped at "a lot."

, and more. It"s also worth taking the time to make sure you"ve removed all the protective film. It"s significantly easier to do anything physical with the projector now compared to when it"s placed or mounted.

If you"re going to sit the projector on a stand or table, it"s also worth checking which of its feet are adjustable. With most projectors only some of the feet screw in and out, which might make getting the image adjusted correctly a bit of a challenge.

If your projector has multiple HDMI inputs, figure out which ones accept the video you want to send. If the rest of your system is 4K compatible, for instance, double-check which input can handle that. With many projectors, only one is

This is counter-intuitive, as you might assume you need to place the projector in line with the center of the screen. This is almost never the case with inexpensive DLP projectors, and usually not the case with inexpensive LCD projectors either. Higher-end LCOS projectors, like those from Sony and JVC, typically have lens shift that allows for a greater range of vertical placement options.

Next is the distance from the screen. Most projectors, other than the short-throw variety, can usually fit a 100-inch screen from a distance of about 10-feet. This can vary, though, and it"s important to verify before you start drilling holes in your ceiling. The zoom range with most projectors is also fairly limited, meaning you"ll only have a few feet of "sweet spot" to fill a specific-sized screen. This info is almost always on the manufacturer"s website for your projector, or in the owner"s manual.

One last piece of placement advice: If you can avoid it, don"t use the built-in keystone adjustment. This is a feature designed to correct a particular placement issue. When your projector isn"t in the center (horizontally) of the screen, or is too high or too low, the image it projects won"t be perfectly rectangular, it will be a trapezoid. A little bit of imperfection is fine since it will probably be unnoticeable from a normal seating distance. Too much, however, and you"ll have image bleed and a weird shape that could be distracting.

The keystone adjustment makes the image rectangular electronically. Don"t do it.Not only does keystone adjustment lower the resolution of the image, since you"re no longer using the entire image-creating chip or chips, but also adds a new layer of video processing that can add quality-reducing artifacts on its own. Or to put it another way, using keystone adjustments on any projector will reduce the image quality of the projector, full stop.

Professional installers build fan-vented cabinets for projectors. If you"re not sure how to do this yourself, perhaps don"t risk it and leave the projector in the open.

Any light in a room that"s not created by the projector is going to reduce image quality. Even if you have a fancy light-rejecting screen, ambient light is bad and you"re going to want to do everything you can to reduce it.

The biggest culprit is the sun. If you"re planning on watching TV during the day, you"re going to need to cut down the light in the room. Even if your projector does OK during the day when you buy it, the lamp is only going to get dimmer over time. In a few years, you"re going to need to buy curtains to see anything, so you might as well get them now. If your spouse doesn"t like the look of blackout curtains, any heavy curtains or shades will help. If you"re watching a lot of content during the day, a projector might not be the best primary option anyway. So for those occasional mid-day movie marathons, sporting events, etc, anything that cuts down the glare should work.

Even expensive projectors leak light somewhere other than where you want it. With inexpensive projectors, this is often a squarish halo of light spilled around the screen. There"s not much you can easily do about it, and it"s quite common. It"s why most theaters have the area around the screen painted black.

With a motorized focus, stand up at the screen and slowly adjust until you can see the individual pixels. It"s possible they"ll be too small to see, depending on the size of your screen, the resolution of the projector, and your eyesight. You should be able to make out the darker outlines, however. Adjust the best you can, but ideally each pixel will be obvious when you"re standing at the screen. Sometimes, even with high-end projectors, the adjustments will be too coarse to get perfect. Don"t stress about it. As long as you"re close it should look fine when you"re seated. If your projector is on a stand, you could experiment with nudging it backward a fraction of an inch, if the focus is in between one of its steps.

I once used binoculars to get the focus correct on a particularly long-throw, high-resolution projector, but I doubt most of you will need to resort to this, not least because you"ll look as ridiculous as I did.

Depending on the projector, it"s possible not every part of the image will be in focus at the same time -- that"s one downside to low-cost lenses. As you can see in the image of the menu in the next section, there are some halos around the letters. That"s another side-effect of low-price optics.

The most important settings specific to projectors have to do with the lamp. Inside most projectors is some kind of super-bright light bulb, called a lamp. A handful of projectors use LEDs or lasers

If you have a smaller screen, only watch at night, or want to save some money in the long run, you can dial back the brightness. Often this is called Eco mode, but the change will be very noticeable regardless what it"s called on your projector. Dimmer lamp modes are usually quieter as well, as the fans don"t have to work as hard.

There"s also commonly a dynamic brightness mode that runs the lamp at 100% during bright scenes, and then makes it dimmer during darker scenes. Usually this mode offers even longer lamp life, but this ramping up and down of the light might be visible. With some projectors the fans getting faster and slower is noticeable as well.

Some projectors have an automatic iris. This works similarly to the dynamic brightness mode, but the lamp doesn"t change. Instead, a mechanical iris dims the image during dark scenes. How well these work varies greatly. Some people don"t mind them, others find it annoying. There isn"t as much of a payoff, however, like the longer lamp life of the dynamic brightness lamp mode.

Now that you"ve got everything set up and running, there are a few "best practices" to keep in mind with a projector that are different from a TV. They all center around the lamp.

A traditional UHP projector lamp is a fragile thing. Electricity sparks across two electrodes. This creates the light you see. Over time, the electrodes degrade, sort of like how a candle"s wick burns away. Eventually, they"ll be too far apart for the arc to form, and the lamp is dead. No picture for you.

In another counter-intuitive aspect of projector ownership, it"s better leaving it on instead of turning it on and off multiple times in a row. There"s no hard rule, but multiple restarts in a single night is bad for lamp life. Leaving it on might be better. For what it"s worth, since I use my projector as the main "TV" in my home, it runs for many hours every night. I routinely get many, many more hours out of a lamp than what it"s rated.

How strict you want to be with this is up to you because, as I said, there"s no hard rule. I"d generally say if the projector is still warm when you want to use it again, you shouldn"t have turned it off in the first place. Turn it off when you"re done, of course. Don"t sweat it if you accidentally turn it off and then want to watch one more episode. If you"re doing that every night, that"s not great. Just something to keep in mind, and the minds of anyone else who uses the projector.

Also, never ever unplug a projector when it"s on, or even when it"s off and cooling down. Most projectors will run their fans for a few minutes to gently cool down the lamp. Pulling the plug doesn"t allow this gentle cooldown and is also bad for the lamp.

Of course, you"re going to need a new lamp eventually. Depending on the projector, your settings and how you use it, this will be a few years away on the short side, perhaps many years away on the long side. This is just the cost of ownership, like owning a disposable razor or getting an oil change in your car. For the most part, lamps aren"t outrageously expensive compared to the price of the projector. This isn"t printer ink.

Though finding what lamp your projector needs isn"t hard, it might be worth writing the exact model and writing it somewhere you won"t lose. On the bottom of the projector maybe.

As tempting as it is to find a cheap "knock-off" lamp to save some money, beware. If you find a lamp that"s significantly cheaper than the rest, it"s probably for a reason. They might not perform as well as the real thing. One friend who also uses a projector full-time replaced his old and dim lamp for a cheap no-name version. I measured the brightness of the many-thousand-hour old lamp, then measured the brightness of the brand new zero-hour lamp. The new lamp was actually dimmer than the worn-out old one. Yeah, that"s not great.

If possible, buy the lamp through the projector manufacturer"s website, or via retailers they recommend. Sometimes that"s not possible, in which case use your best judgment. If all the options for your lamp are $150 on Amazon, and a random website has one for $60, I"d avoid the $60 option.

Choosing for Room Size/Viewing Distance Every projector has a throw ratio. This refers to the size of image the projector can create for a given distance. This is usually a range, thanks to the optical zoom – you can find it in the user manual or specifications page online (if it"s for a projector you plan to buy). You can calculate the projection image size by dividing the distance between wall and the projector by the throw ratio of the projector. So if your projector is placed 10 feet away from the screen and has a throw ratio of 1.8-2.22, then you can get an image size that ranges between 54 – 66 inches. Ideally, you should be sitting at a distance that is more than twice the width of the image. To make things simpler, many manufacturers offer a distance calculator on their website for various models. Here, you just input a distance or required screen size.

Tip: Some aberrations can be corrected in-projector (keystone for example) but proper placement is the most preferable. If not possible due to placement/room constraints, then you can move on to digital corrections.

Screens are the best way to get the best performance from a projector. A screen will always be smoother than a wall and it will offer higher, more even reflectance. Some screens have gain – they reflect light better, thanks to shiny particles – and this helps in brighter rooms or if your projector is old or has low brightness. Some screens have black borders that add to the perceived contrast – making the image seem better. Finally, screens are also the correct shade of white/grey, solving the problem of a colour cast that some walls may cause. Having said all this, you can use a wall too – there are obvious cost advantages. If you must use a wall, make sure it is as smooth as possible (a plaster of Paris coat helps) and painted in flat white.

There are three main technologies used for projection – DLP, LCD and LED. DLP (Digital Light Processing) uses a chip made of tiny microscopic mirrors and a spinning colour wheel to create an image. DLP projectors deliver sharp images, don"t need any filters, have a better response time as well as 3D capabilities. The effective lamp life of a DLP projector is only 2000-5000 hours and some people see colour ghosting/banding in some scenes. On the other hand, LCD projectors use liquid crystal displays, have no moving parts and thus are generally less expensive. If you are on a budget a single chip LCD projector is ideal while 3-chip LCDs offer better colour saturation, lower noise levels and work better for movies. However, LCDs require constant filter maintenance and output less contrast. The LEDs in LED projectors have a lifespan of over 20,000 hours. They deliver better colours, have lower power consumption and virtually zero maintenance costs. Also, LED projectors are smaller and generate less heat. Do keep in mind that LED projectors have limited brightness compared to LCD or DLP so they are not recommended if your room has a lot of ambient light.

Tip: Some high-end projectors come with a feature called lens-shift. This is a physical rail that adjusts the lens up/down & sideways to move the image around. Obviously, this offers a lot more flexibility with regards to projector placement.

Pico projectors use LEDs as the light source due to which they can be extremely compact in size. Pico projectors can fit in your palm or be integrated into various devices like mobile phones (Samsung Galaxy Beam), tablets (Lenovo Yoga Tab 3), computers, and even digital cameras (Nikon S1000pj). While these projectors do not offer very high resolution or brightness, they are good enough to use in a small, dark room. You can get a 60-inch screen and you can connect multiple devices like smartphones, gaming consoles and laptops. Moreover, the portable size enables manufacturers to add internal storage as well as rechargeable battery in devices that weight less than 200 grams.

Tip: It"s always better to ceiling mount a projector because there are less chances of it being moved once setup. It also places the projector a fair distance away from the viewer so that fan noise and while becomes less audible.

If the projector is not placed perpendicular to the screen, the image is not rectangular – this is a keystone error. Most projectors offer digital keystone correction in the horizontal and vertical planes.

Some movies are shot in widescreen (16:9 or wider) – but to display them in standard width video formats (4:3 or square), you will see black bars above and below the display area. This is called letterboxing

This is the ratio of the width to the height of an image or screen. It is expressed by two numbers separated by a colon. For instance, in a 16:9 image, if the length of the image from left to right is 16 inches, then the height will be 9 inches.

A 3 colour LCD system uses individual LCDs for red, green and blue. The light from each LCD is combined using a prism to create a final image. It usually offers better quality than single chip LCD or DLP designs.

This happens if you"re sitting too close to a projector – fine lines will be seen between the individual pixels on the screen/wall. A screendoor effect usually doesn"t matter if you"re displaying static images (or a presentation) but it affects movies/videos.

So you just got a new projector and you want to make the most of your home theatre room. Well, there are a few options out there when it comes to screens. A great option is to paint the projector wall to use it as a screen. This has become a very popular way to prep a home theatre room. But what is the best color to choose?

A projector will work on a wall and for the best viewing experience, pick a special projector screen paint and find the right color. Grey usually works the best as it balances both black and white’s contrast and light absorption qualities.

But before you start painting, a few things should be on your mind. Paint is just one part of the equation. To get the most out of your new home theatre, you’ll need to look at the environment and projector to come to a conclusion on what the right color for your wall is. To learn more about choosing a projector wall color, and other things you need to know before you paint, read on!

When it comes to projector screens, there are a lot of choices out there (that’s why we have another guide). While you might think that choosing a color is an easy task, a lot of variables come into play that you should be aware of. You see, the task of a projector screen is to reflect light back to the audience from the projector itself. The color of the screen plays a big role in dictating the viewing angle, brightness, and contrast.

You should also have a basic understanding of how a projector works. We already know that they utilize the screen to project light, but they also produce colors using red, green, and blue light. The combination of these colors makes up the entire spectrum of visible light. For example, the projector will block out the other two colors in that area to display a blue.

The light that is reflected back to the audience is, as a result, blue. White is the combination of all these colors at once. In contrast, black would be the lack of color. This is important to note as our next topic is using a white or grey screen.

You might consider a white projector screen to be the end of the discussion. They are the best at reflecting light, so they should be the best for a home theatre set up, right? While in some instances this holds true, white screens can be troublesome in certain environments.

This has to do with a screen and projector property called gain. Basically, the gain is the measure of the reflectivity of a surface. The gain number represents a ratio of light reflected from the surface from a light source like your projector. We measure gain by finding the vantage point where the screen appears at its brightest. This is important to understand as the higher the gain, the more light reflects off the screen.

You may stop and say, well, this makes a white screen the best choice. But white, as the most reflective of all colors, reflects all light. If you have a room with lots of ambient lighting, this means the screen will also absorb and reflect that light as well. While white screens can produce some stunning images, they are limited for use in only truly dark rooms.

It is also worth noting that higher gain screens tend to have limited viewing angles. If you are not front and center, colors can get distorted and washed out easily. Another factor that comes into play is how the projector represents the color black.

Since black is the absence of light, white screens that reflect the maximum light don’t display them as truly as other screen colors. This makes for a less-than-ideal viewing experience. So if you do choose to go for a white screen, make sure you are taking into account factors like ambient lighting, viewing angles, and black/natural contrast.

If you opt for grey in lieu of white, you might have a better viewing experience. Unlike white, grey doesn’t reflect all the light coming from the projector. Instead, it will absorb some light and not reflect it. This means that there will be less to worry about for rooms with ambient light sources.

What usually happens with grey surfaces and projectors is that the white areas will appear slightly grey. Where you might see bright and vibrant colors on a white surface, you might see a duller color scheme with a slight grey overtone.

This will depend on your projector, though, as the higher the lumens, the higher the gain, usually. If you opt for a lighter grey, you will be getting the best of both worlds. While you might still experience some grey tones, it won’t be as significant as using a darker grey tone that would be closer to black.

While you can use a projector on almost any color of the wall, some are better than others. The image quality will depend heavily on what color you are using and the quality of your projector. Consider that the color you choose for your projector wall is going to have an impact on the image.

When it comes to color choice, we know that white and grey reflect light back to the viewer. This works because the basic function of a projector is to reflect light off a surface to a viewer’s eyes. Darker colors will not reflect as much light and rather absorb more.

Colors like dark blue, dark grey, or black all have this feature. They can be a great choice for a room with a lot of ambient light, as the color will absorb the ambient light and make the screen more viewable. This will, however, have an effect on image quality, gain, and contrast. This means that your screen may not give you the kind of “true” colors you are looking for.

Your projector type and quality will play a significant role here. If you have a more powerful projector with a higher lumen output, it will reflect more light off the darker surface. This means you’ll get a better image when using a color like black.

Black screens will display black more truly and amplify the contrasts between other colors. A black screen often will help keep colors crisp and clear compared to other colors like grey. In general, black screens are only good for areas with a high volume of ambient light.

So what’s the best color for a projector wall? As we’ve explained in our guide on the topic, results will vary depending on a few factors, however, one color seems to be the best in many situations. If you can, choose to paint the wall you intend to project onto a lighter shade of grey. This will ensure that enough light is absorbed not to mess up the colors but still provide the greatest viewing area.

Keep in mind that the following factors will play a role in how well your projector works: 1) the power of your projector (in lumens), 2) the distance from projector to screen, 3) viewing angles, and 4) ambient lighting. If you have to deal with a black, white, or another color wall, you can usually make due.

There will be some slight drops in image quality depending on the above factors, but the screen will certainly be visible. If you are using the room as a dedicated home theatre, you might want to either invest in a proper projector screen or use a paint-on-projector screen.

So you’ve decided you want to change the color of your wall for better use with a projector. Before you head down to the hardware store and pick out your favorite shade of grey, you should make sure you’re using the right type of paint. While you can probably get away with using any old paint, for the best results, you should opt for a projector screen-specific paint. This way, you’ll get the best results.

Again, the type of paint you choose is going to depend on factors we already know about, like ambient lighting and lumen output. Regardless of these variables, the best paint to use is special projector screen paint. These are usually easy to find and are best suited for the home theatre experience.

There are lots of different products to choose from. You can opt for a grey but prepare for a myriad of choices for shade. Darker shades, like this Paint on Screen S1 Ultimate Contrast Paint (on Amazon), or lighter shades like this Paint on Screen Light Grey (on Amazon). There are also choices for shades of white that can work in certain lighting conditions.

Keep in mind that these will be permanent solutions. Additionally, this paint can get expensive, so decide whether or not it will be worth the investment. You can easily purchase a roll-up screen, like this one from Super Deal (link to Amazon), for a fraction of the price of a gallon of projector screen paint.

When it comes to which is better, screen or paint, there is some debate. Generally speaking, a pre-made projector screen is going to offer the best bang for your buck and require less setup. When thinking about using a projector screen paint, you have to worry quite a bit about installation.

Compared to an untreated wall, though, screen paint provides much better viewing. This is due to how the special paint reflects light in the right way. Remember, light reflection is how a projector operates, so it’s important to take this into account. So, overall a projector screen will be a better option. But, if you put in the proper work, you can make just as good of a viewing screen with the right paint.

So you’ve decided to paint your own projector wall. You’ve got the right paint, you’ve found the right spot, so the next steps should be easy, right? Before you start breaking out the paint rollers, there are some tips that will help you get the most out of the project.

Other than that, you’ll pretty much be painting a wall like you normally do. Make sure you are lining up your sweeps for consistency, apply even coats, and you should be good! Below, you’ll find some tips that will help your new projector screen wall give you the best viewing experience the next time you fire up your projector:

Paint it properly — While you might have the right paint, you’ll want to make sure you are prepping with a base layer of white. This will give the projector paint the best chance at reflecting the proper light levels.

Paint last — You’ll want to make absolutely sure you have the right size screen before you paint. The best way to accomplish this is already having your projector mounted in its final location. Shoot for a screen size about ⅔ of your viewing distance.

Ok, so you might be reading this and thinking, “I don’t want an obvious grey square on my wall.” Well, if that’s the case, you might think about hiding your screen if you can. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to minimize the impact of a projector screen on your wall.

The first tactic to employ is using the screen paint across the whole wall. Since most screen paints are neutral colors like grey or white, they can easily match up with any decor. It will take more paint, but in the end, you’ll have a wall that will be indescribable as a projector screen.

The next option you might consider is purchasing a roll-up screen. We already touched on this earlier, and if you are looking for something you can hide away, they are your best bet. Not only do they provide a better image, but they are often cheaper than paint-on-screen options.

So you’re looking for the best bang for your buck. You might have found an old bed sheet that looks like it would make the perfect projector screen. Before you decide to throw it up against the wall, there are a few things to consider.

You can use a bedsheet as a projector screen, but similar to paint-on projector screens, the color matters. A general rule of thumb is to use the color grey. If you opt for a white sheet, it may mean the colors come out wonky. They’re also not great if a room has a lot of ambient lighting.But that’s not the worst part.

Choosing for Room Size/Viewing Distance Every projector has a throw ratio. This refers to the size of image the projector can create for a given distance. This is usually a range, thanks to the optical zoom – you can find it in the user manual or specifications page online (if it"s for a projector you plan to buy). You can calculate the projection image size by dividing the distance between wall and the projector by the throw ratio of the projector. So if your projector is placed 10 feet away from the screen and has a throw ratio of 1.8-2.22, then you can get an image size that ranges between 54 – 66 inches. Ideally, you should be sitting at a distance that is more than twice the width of the image. To make things simpler, many manufacturers offer a distance calculator on their website for various models. Here, you just input a distance or required screen size.

Tip: Some aberrations can be corrected in-projector (keystone for example) but proper placement is the most preferable. If not possible due to placement/room constraints, then you can move on to digital corrections.

Screens are the best way to get the best performance from a projector. A screen will always be smoother than a wall and it will offer higher, more even reflectance. Some screens have gain – they reflect light better, thanks to shiny particles – and this helps in brighter rooms or if your projector is old or has low brightness. Some screens have black borders that add to the perceived contrast – making the image seem better. Finally, screens are also the correct shade of white/grey, solving the problem of a colour cast that some walls may cause. Having said all this, you can use a wall too – there are obvious cost advantages. If you must use a wall, make sure it is as smooth as possible (a plaster of Paris coat helps) and painted in flat white.

There are three main technologies used for projection – DLP, LCD and LED. DLP (Digital Light Processing) uses a chip made of tiny microscopic mirrors and a spinning colour wheel to create an image. DLP projectors deliver sharp images, don"t need any filters, have a better response time as well as 3D capabilities. The effective lamp life of a DLP projector is only 2000-5000 hours and some people see colour ghosting/banding in some scenes. On the other hand, LCD projectors use liquid crystal displays, have no moving parts and thus are generally less expensive. If you are on a budget a single chip LCD projector is ideal while 3-chip LCDs offer better colour saturation, lower noise levels and work better for movies. However, LCDs require constant filter maintenance and output less contrast. The LEDs in LED projectors have a lifespan of over 20,000 hours. They deliver better colours, have lower power consumption and virtually zero maintenance costs. Also, LED projectors are smaller and generate less heat. Do keep in mind that LED projectors have limited brightness compared to LCD or DLP so they are not recommended if your room has a lot of ambient light.

Tip: Some high-end projectors come with a feature called lens-shift. This is a physical rail that adjusts the lens up/down & sideways to move the image around. Obviously, this offers a lot more flexibility with regards to projector placement.

Pico projectors use LEDs as the light source due to which they can be extremely compact in size. Pico projectors can fit in your palm or be integrated into various devices like mobile phones (Samsung Galaxy Beam), tablets (Lenovo Yoga Tab 3), computers, and even digital cameras (Nikon S1000pj). While these projectors do not offer very high resolution or brightness, they are good enough to use in a small, dark room. You can get a 60-inch screen and you can connect multiple devices like smartphones, gaming consoles and laptops. Moreover, the portable size enables manufacturers to add internal storage as well as rechargeable battery in devices that weight less than 200 grams.

Tip: It"s always better to ceiling mount a projector because there are less chances of it being moved once setup. It also places the projector a fair distance away from the viewer so that fan noise and while becomes less audible.

If the projector is not placed perpendicular to the screen, the image is not rectangular – this is a keystone error. Most projectors offer digital keystone correction in the horizontal and vertical planes.

Some movies are shot in widescreen (16:9 or wider) – but to display them in standard width video formats (4:3 or square), you will see black bars above and below the display area. This is called letterboxing

This is the ratio of the width to the height of an image or screen. It is expressed by two numbers separated by a colon. For instance, in a 16:9 image, if the length of the image from left to right is 16 inches, then the height will be 9 inches.

A 3 colour LCD system uses individual LCDs for red, green and blue. The light from each LCD is combined using a prism to create a final image. It usually offers better quality than single chip LCD or DLP designs.

This happens if you"re sitting too close to a projector – fine lines will be seen between the individual pixels on the screen/wall. A screendoor effect usually doesn"t matter if you"re displaying static images (or a presentation) but it affects movies/videos.