3 Ways to determine the right size of your projection screen.

Getting a screen for home cinema means going big. You want to immerse yourself in the experience, but don't want that first-row-cinema-feeling, where you're too close for comfort.

There are 3 ways to determine the right size, using the distance of your seating position as a guideline.

- THX mention to take the screen width and divide it by 0.73
- The angles of reflection by Da-lite state that the ideal screen height is 1/3 of the viewing distance.
- The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers recommends a screen diagonal of 60% of the seating distance as the optimal screen size.

To make it easy, here's a table with the typical screen sizes and ideal seating distance.

These are guidelines which help you determine how far you should be away from your projection screen. However, it is also very important to take projector placement into account. The distance from the projector to the screen and the projector's specification will determine how big the projection can be at a certain distance. Use your manufacturer's specifications or go to http://www.projectorcentral.com/projectors.cfm to calculate the screen size.

Remember also that the larger the projector screen, the more pressure there will be on the performance of your whole system and especially the projector. The lower the resolution of your source material (DVD or TV signal) and the lower the lumen output of your projector, the worse the result will be when projecting onto a bigger projection screen. You can compare it with a microscope, small problems will not be visible on a small screen, but once enlarged one a big screen, they do become apparent.

In case of doubt, check with your retailer or with a manufacturer for more detailed information.