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Projection screen (ALR, CLR, white, grey) comparison/benchmark

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Published on: 27-09-2024 / Modified: 27-09-2024
Choosing a screen for your projector is not an easy thing to do. There are many different brands at very different prices, and finding an objective test on a screen is not an easy thing to do. Since I test projectors, I thought I'd also test screens using the same objective methodology as for projectors. No manufacturer paid me to do these tests, I did them on my own initiative. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the manufacturers who agreed to take part in this test, as not everyone can come out a winner in every respect

This page is divided into two sections, first there are the detailed tests for each screen and then there's an explanatory text to help you choose. If you have no experience in this field, I'd advise you to read the whole thing, it's quite long but it will save you from paying for a screen that won't suit you. For others, the test results should suffice. Measurements can be used to arbitrate screen quality, but you still need to determine which screen is best suited to your projector and projection room

This page will evolve in line with the tests and your feedback. I started out with 3 screens, but when I passed the 10-screen mark, I had to rethink the way I presented the information, as it was becoming unreadable. If the number of screens tested continues to grow, I'll probably have to make further adaptations to the graphics

I'll be using the term "delta E" or "dE" a lot in this article, and it's actually a unit of measurement used to measure the difference between the color that the projector is supposed to project and the color that is measured. A delta E of less than 3 is considered imperceptible to the human eye, so ideally the dE should always be less than 3.

Tested screen

Here's the list of screens I've tested, some are not yet published and this list will evolve



Some of these fabrics are used on several screen models such as:

Elitescreens Cinewhite (used on: Aeon Edge free, Sable Frame/B 2, ezFrame, Lunette, Evanesce Tab-Tension, Evanesce Tab-Tension B, Yard Master 2)

Elitescreens MaxWhite (used on: Manuel, Manuel SRM, Trépied, ezCinema, Spectrum, VMAX)

Elitescreens CineGrey (used on: Aeon, EZframe)

I still have about twenty screens in the queue. I'll need time to test them, but also to interpret the results and adapt my article.

Screen test: white

The fidelity of white will strongly influence the fidelity of all other colors. White is composed of equal amounts of red, green and blue. If one of these components deviates, white will no longer be faithful and will have an impact on all the other colors. To identify these differences, I measure the following elements:

- difference in white delta E

- difference in RGB composition

- difference in color temperature

Delta E / White

I measure white at the projector output, then compare the results with a neutral surface (e.g. white sheet) to measure the differences with each screen tested. The graph below does not represent the delta E value in absolute terms, but rather the percentage difference between the source (projector output) and the screen.

Example:

If I measure a delta E for white of 3 at the projector output and I measure a delta E of 4 on a screen, this means that the screen causes a 33% degradation in white. You'll see 0.33 in the table that follows.

As I calibrate the projector before testing, the source white is often close to a dE of 1. This means that anything below 3 in the following chart can be considered good

Results for classic projector:



Results for ultra-short-throw projector:

Not yet available

RGB component / White

Here I measure the RGB component of white in relation to the source and the neutral reference. The deviations are indicated in percentages on the graph

Results for classic projector:



Results for ultra-short-throw projector:

Not yet available

White temperature

White temperature is measured in Kelvin and for a perfect white, a temperature of 6500K is required. If I obtain a higher value, the white will take on a colder (bluer) hue. If I get a lower value, the white will take on a warmer (yellowish) hue. The graphs below will therefore indicate whether screens tend to cool images or not. A positive deviation indicates a cooler white, and a negative deviation implies a warmer white.

Results for classic projector:



Results for ultra-short-throw projector:

Not yet available

Screen Rank: White

Anything below 3 in this table can be considered a good result, which also indicates a visible deviation from white. I'm rather surprised to find ALR/CLR screens among the best, because a gray canvas is not likely to help white reproduction, it should have been the territory of white screens

I've assigned points by tier to rank the screens to give you an idea of similar performance even if there are small differences between some screens

The big winner in this ranking is the Vevor screen, which is in fact my main screen that I've been using for a few years. It's fairly inexpensive and very color-neutral, its main flaw being contrast degradation, but I'll come back to this point later in the test

White ranking:

Screen test: colors

The color test covers 6 colors: red, green, blue, yellow, cyan and magenta

For each color I measure the deviation between the color measured at the projector output and the color measurement on the neutral surface and screen. The deviation is expressed as a percentage, as with the white measurement.

I'll start by showing the average deviation over all the colors combined and then the deviation for each color individually. If a screen deviates too much on the first graph, you can already rule it out; the second graph will allow you to see the extent of the problem color by color

Average delta E deviation for all colors with a conventional projector:



Average delta E deviation for all colors with an ultra-short-throw projector:

Not yet available

Average delta E deviation for all individual colors with a classic projector:



Average delta E deviation for all individual colors with an ultra-short-throw projector:

Not yet available

Screen Ranking: Colors

The color rankings are very similar to the white rankings, and that's hardly surprising since white is made up of the 3 main colors. I've also used a tiered points system to group screens with similar performance

Here too, the Vevor wins by a wide margin

Screen test: gray

The gray test follows the same principle as the color test. I've tested the grays in steps of 10, with 0 for black and 10 for white. I'm also testing the overall delta E and the delta E per gray scale, but I'll confine myself to displaying the overall graph, as the one with all the gray values will quickly become unreadable (10 values x the number of screens is too many for a graph).

Average delta E difference for grays with classic projector:



Average delta E difference for grays with ultra-short-throw projector:

Not yet available.

Screen ranking: Grey

The grayscale performance ranking is much more progressive than the others, the differences at the beginning of the ranking are less marked and a whole series of screens appear that were not in the top positions in the other rankings. As with the other rankings, I've allocated points to screens with similar performances.

Screen test: contrast

Contrast measures the difference between white and black. Contrast is important in dark scenes, because if contrast is low, black will tend towards gray and the difference with light areas will be smaller. When black becomes too gray, the image is washed out.

To assess the gain or loss of contrast, I measure the luminosity of white and black at the projector output, on a neutral white sheet and on the screen. A screen can accentuate or degrade white and/or black, but the aim is to decrease black faster than white, otherwise there's a loss of contrast. To obtain a score, I measured the differences between whites and blacks, giving greater weight to the loss of black. This has the effect of highlighting screens that reduce black more than white. For example, I have cases where white increases sharply and black increases a little less sharply, so contrast increases, but producing a washed-out black. My formula penalizes this case to highlight only those screens where black decreases.

Before moving on to the measurement results, I must add an important remark. If your projector has low luminosity (

Gains on white/black with a classic projector:



Gains on white/black with an ultra-short-throw projector:

Not yet available

Screen ranking: contrast

Ranking contrast performance is perhaps the easiest of all. On the one hand, there are displays that improve contrast, and on the other, those that degrade it. To achieve better contrast performance, the luminosity of the black must decrease faster than that of the white, and the luminosity of the black must decrease. White screens are penalized by this calculation, as black brightness increases and black tends to turn gray. The Vevor screen, for example, scores well in terms of whiteness and color, but degrades contrast, which is why it's on the right-hand side of the previous graph.

The big contrast winner is the NothingProjector screen. I tested two screens from this brand, one in 100" and the other in 120", and obtained very similar results for both. The contrast gain is clearly superior to all the others

Brightness Gain/Loss

Brightness is a crucial factor for video projectors because, unlike televisions, brightness is not sufficient to use a projector in all conditions. Brightness depends on 2 factors: the brightness of the projector (expressed in lumens), and the projection distance

Projector brightness

The maximum brightness of a projector is expressed in lumens, but there are several ways of measuring lumens, and manufacturers often use the standard that is most favorable to them...as if it weren't complicated enough as it is. I use the "official" standard known as ANSI lumens. Some manufacturers use this standard, but in reality, projectors are almost always less bright than advertised. So if you buy a projector that theoretically has a brightness of 2000 ANSI lumens, it's highly likely that the actual brightness will be more like 1500 ANSI lumens.

Projection distance

Screen brightness decreases quite rapidly with distance, so consider that brightness decreases with a quarter of the distance. If, for example, you have 100 lux at 2 meters, at 4 meters you move the projector 2 meters away, your brightness will be divided by 4 and you'll only have 25 lux at 4 meters. The greater the distance, the bigger the image, but also the darker

What screen size can you aim for?

There's a standard that defines the minimum brightness threshold at 16 ftl (foot lambert). To find out what this corresponds to, there's a formula: value in ftl = (lumens/screen area in m²)x screen gain

Here are some examples in increments with a neutral screen:

500 lumens => max 2.27m width (7.44 feet)

1000 lumens => max 3.14m width (10.3 feet)

1500 lumens => max 3.84m width (12.59 feet)

Now back to the test as you'll see that the screen has an effect on brightness, some screens increase brightness and others decrease it. I've compared the gain/loss with a neutral surface:



Grey screens reduce brightness quite significantly, so they should be ruled out for all projectors below 1000 lumens unless you're prepared to greatly reduce the screen size (but you might as well buy a TV in that case). All screens offering a gain have a positive value in white and black, such as the EliteScreens Cinewhite

Final Ranking

Note: this ranking shows the results with a conventional projector, I have yet to do all the tests with a UST projector. The color results will probably be the same, but contrast and brightness will probably be different

The final ranking is based on the points of the various tests presented in this article. It indicates overall performance. You then need to weight this performance according to your situation. You might be tempted to take a screen in the top 5, for example, but I have to add a few nuances:

If you're using a projector with limited luminosity (e.g. less than 1000 lumens), you should rule out all ALR-type screens (gray cloth), as your image will be too dark. For this type of projector, the following screens are the most suitable: Vevor, Lumene Palace, Yovanxer Cinewhite, Elite Cinewhite and Lumene Coliseum.

If you have a very bright projector, you may want to consider an ALR with a gray screen. There's a distinction here between ALRs designed for any projector and ALRs (or CLRs) designed for UST projectors. These results below show that screens designed for UST projectors also work very well for conventional projectors in terms of color fidelity. However, I have to moderate my comments a little, because even if color fidelity is good, the loss of brightness is greater and the design of this type of screen can cause other problems such as the appearance of a hotspot in the middle of the screen, or sometimes the texture of the screen can create an unpredictable variation

In summary / classic projector (front projection):

Less than 1000 lumens: Vevor white, Lumene Palace, Lumene Acoustics, Lumene Coliseum, EliteScreens Cinewhite

More than 1000 lumens: Celexon Deluxx Daytime, Yovanxer Crystal Grey, Celexon Home Cinema

For ultra-short-throw projectors:

Over 1000 lumens: NothingProjector, Yovanxer Pet Crystal Black,Elitescreens CLR cinegrey

You can use a white screen with a projector of this type, but you'll lose contrast and your ceiling will receive most of the light reflected from the screen.

If all this is still too complicated for you (I understand), you can contact me (envelope at the top of the screen) for personalized advice, but in exchange I'd like you to buy your products with my links, as this is my only source of income for my work

Methodology

To be able to compare the screens, I used a fairly simple but reusable measurement method to test new screens under the same conditions:

1. I measure white, grayscale, color, brightness and contrast at the projector outlet to establish a neutral profile (without screen) before each measurement. The quality of the projector is therefore of little importance, as it's the difference between the projector and the screen that's going to be most important

2. I position the screen at a given distance, check that the screen is vertical with a laser level and check that the projector is perfectly perpendicular, also with a laser. The projector and the part of the screen to be tested are placed in a completely dark "cage" to avoid any light pollution from outside

3. I take an initial measurement on a neutral surface, either my white wall when it's available, or a sheet of paper

4. I measure white, grays, colors, brightness and contrast for each screen

These tests are carried out in total darkness with no light pollution. I use test patterns for each element measured.

I record all the results so that I can adapt my calculations/ratings if necessary. As I test screens in groups, I always compare the results of these screens with the reference used for that group.

These measurements are therefore objective, and even though I don't have a real test laboratory at my disposal, I've taken care to keep my measurements as stable as possible.

Examples:

If I measure a dE for white of 5 at the projector output and I measure a white of 6 on the projection screen, I see a degradation.

If I measure a white temperature of 6500K at the projector output and I measure 7000K on the screen, I notice that the image is cooler

If I measure a brightness of 100 cd/m² on the neutral white surface and I measure 150 cd/m² on the screen, I notice a brightness gain of 50%

Important note

I tested all the screens with a classic projector and then with an ultra-short-throw projector. This may seem inappropriate, but I often receive questions like this to understand the effect of using a conventional projector with a screen designed for an ultra-short-throw projector. With this test, you'll see objectively the consequences of this choice.

Why a screen?

Types of Screen Cloths

White screen

The great classic is the white screen. This type of screen works with any type of projector, although it's not always recommended for certain types of projector, such as USTs. White screens are supposed to be as color-neutral as possible, and some of them do provide a gain in brightness, but sometimes to the detriment of contrast. These screens are not treated to concentrate the light towards the viewer, so the light will reflect in the opposite direction to the projector. In straight projection, this can generate a halo of light on the screen. With a UST projector, you run the risk of illuminating part of your ceiling

This type of screen is generally less expensive, and allows you to obtain a uniform surface without breaking the bank. The material used will also play a role in the rendering. Some screens are made of PVC and will therefore generate a form of reflection, while others are made of a textile material that will leave a texture on the image.

Among the screens I've tested, I've kept a 130-inch white screen so that I always have a white screen at my disposal. This allows me to continue testing projectors of all types on a more neutral basis

Grey / front screen

Grey screens lower the brightness of the image to darken blacks and increase image depth. These screens should therefore be used with fairly bright projectors, as the loss of luminosity can sometimes be quite significant

Some screens of this type have a treatment that aims to reflect light back towards the viewer. This is known as an ALR (ambient light reflection) screen, but be sure to check the specifications, as some ALR screens are designed for UST projectors (see below), while others are designed for front projection.

ALR screens reduce the impact of ambient light to concentrate as much light as possible towards the front. This feature is often accompanied by a smaller viewing angle, so that people outside the viewing angle may see a much darker image than those sitting in front of the screen

This type of screen often uses metallic flakes to reflect light back to the viewer, and on some lower quality screens these flakes are very visible.

I bought my first 130-inch ALR canvas on Aliexpress for about $20, then mounted it on a wooden frame I made to measure. The glitter effect was quite noticeable, but for $20 I could hardly complain. Unfortunately, this screen had a not inconsiderable impact on color rendering, as is often the case in this price range. The problem can be partly solved with a good calibration, but as this is not within everyone's reach, this type of screen may not be the best solution for everyone.

Grey screen / UST

Grey screens designed for UST projectors are often referred to as ALR screens too, which brings confusion to what I've explained in the following paragraph. Make sure the screen is designed for a UST projector. It's sometimes referred to as CLR, but it's the same thing

Why is this important? Screens designed for UST projectors are made up of thin slats set at a precise angle to capture the light coming from below and reflect it forward. Without these slats, much of the light is reflected towards the ceiling, and the image loses brightness. This type of screen makes sense, because if you mount it upside down, you'll get the opposite effect.

Any questions?

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask them below in the comments section, as this might also help future visitors with the same question.

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