HD-ready and Full-HD projection screens: truth or fiction?
With a lot being said about HD-ready and Full HD, some are claiming that there are full HD and HD ready projection screens. Is that possible?
First of all, the best a projection screen can do is to reflect the light from the projector the best way possible. This means there is no such thing as a HD-ready or Full-HD screen. Whether an image is in HD or not is determined by the source material (for example the DVD disc and DVD player (whether HD or BlueRay)) and the display device, in our case the projector. If all these parts are Full-HD or HD-ready, the projection screen can reflect the high resolution image. If, on the other hand, the image is not Full-HD (a lesser resolution), the projection screen will reflect it just the same.
We have now determined that a HD ready or Full-HD projection screen does not exist. There are however, implications when projecting high resolution images. For projection screens which are not very smooth, high resolution images might result in the structure of the fabric becoming visible in the projected image. This is especially true for projectors which combine high resolution with high image brightness.
In the case of acoustically transparant and micro-perforated projection screen fabrics, a high resolution projection might even cause moiré effects. (A moiré effect is caused when the pixels from the projection overlap with the holes in the fabric, making it seem like there is a large fingerprint on the projection. For more info, see wikipedia).
In addition to the structure becoming visible, waves and V-shapes in the fabric also become more apparent. Therefor, Tab-tensioned, high quality electrical and fixed frame projection screens are generally more suited for HD projection, as these are less prone to waves and in general perfectly flat.
As a conclusion, a HD or Full HD projection screen does not exist. However, due to the quality of the image, it does require your projection screen to be of high quality.
Where to find a good quality projection screen?
Use your search engine to find suppliers or have a look at the following Beamax screen ranges, which we know work well with Full-HD projectors:
