If you are planning to setup a home theater system, it is extremely important to remember that the projection screen is an equally important component of the entire system to guarantee an enjoyable viewing experience. It is, therefore, recommended that you do a thorough research on the various available options before finalizing a projection screen for your home theater system.
There are different types of projector screens available in the market, but, the one that will work for your home theater system depends on several aspects such as the projector, the amount of light in the room, distance between projector and the screen as well as the viewing angle.
Fixed projection screens
Permanent or fixed projection screens are generally seen in cinema halls or homes where a room has been designated as a dedicated home theater room, which means that unlike pull-down screens, the fixed projector screens cannot be retracted. However, fixed projector screens have the advantage of giving out a clearer picture than some of the other commonly used projection screens.
Building a fixed projector screen
Although the fixed projector screens are costly, you can conveniently make one of these at home for the same viewing experience and save tons of money. Making a fixed projector screen at home is not as difficult as you might think. All you need is the right equipment and a little bit of knowledge on using certain basic tools.
Building the Frame: The first step in designing your own fixed projector screen is to make a frame that will support the fixed projector screen’s fabric.
Although plywood and wooden boards are good base material for a frame, certain wood types such as pine should be avoided owing to their excessive flexibility.
Take extra care and get all your measurements right to avoid any complex last moment modifications. It is advisable to strengthen the corners with hard wood and reinforce these with a lot of screws to make sure it fits properly. If all these steps are taken care of properly, you should have a frame that can rival any of the best.
Building the screen: Once the frame is ready, the next thing to do is to build the actual screen that will be attached to the frame.
The screen can be created using a fabric called curtain blackout cloth, which can be found at any of the fabric stores. This type of cloth has one side similar to plastic while the other side resembles regular fabric.
The material should always be bought a little more than what is actually needed to leave room for corrections. Another thing you will need is a durable stapler that will be used to fasten the screen onto the wooden frame. Hold the cloth tightly over the wooden frame and lock it with the help of a few staples.
After the screen has been stapled at all corners and the excess cloth cut from the curves, your fixed projector screen should be ready to put up on the wall.