Home theaters are one of the most fashionable and technologically advanced entertainment accessories for any home. A spacious room with a sleek screen for watching movies is a privilege that more and more people can afford to enjoy.
Selecting a home theater screen can be difficult, given the number of models available on the market today. There are several factors to be considered while selecting a screen: the size of the room, the placement of the screen, the lighting in the room, the type and location of the projector, type of mount used, and most importantly, the quality desired. Some screens can also be made invisible when the room is being used for some other purpose. This can be ensured by covering it with attractive curtains or by just rolling up the screen and stowing it away.
There are different kinds of screens available, like manual pull down, electric, fixed frame, ceiling-recessed, tripod, truss framed, motorized, rear screens, tab-tensioned vs. tensioned vs. non tensioned, ceiling vs. wall mounted, and many more. They can also be classified on the basis of the color used, like gray, white, or acoustically transparent. The size of the screen is another very important consideration. Many manufacturers are providing custom-ordered screens for pre-ordered sizes. The screen size should ideally depend on the viewing distance range. Screens are generally measured diagonally. The typical screen sizes are: 30″” (3.75-6.25 feet), 34″” (4.25-7 feet), 42″” (5.25-8.75 feet), 50″”(6.25-10.5 feet), 56″” (7-11.75 feet), 62″” (7.75-13 feet) and 70″” (8.75-14.75 feet).
Some of the top home theater screen manufacturers are: 3M, Adeo Group, Avers, Beamax, Carada, Custom Display Solutions, Da-Lite, DNP Denmark, Draper, Dukane, Elite Screens, Euroscreen Bjurab, Goo Systems, Hurley, Large Screen Displays, Meler
Optoma, RP Visual Solutions, Saaria, Screen Innovations, Screen Research, Screen Tech, SCREENMAXX, Stewart Filmscreen, The Airscreen Company, The Screen Works and
Vutec. Prices of home theater screens start at around $700 to $800 and may go up to $5,000 or beyond, depending upon the kind of screen, the material, the options, and the brand.