To do your new projector justice, you need a proper canvas and you shouldn't just buy the first one you come across. — dpa
All the cables are connected to your brand new projector, the Blu-ray disc is in the player and your home cinema experience is about to begin.
But then a blurry image is projected onto the wall and the good mood quickly evaporates. The expensive projector can't be to blame. Neither can the high-definition Blu-ray player. No, the culprit is much simpler: a bad canvas.
Even a clean white wall or a suspended white cloth won't let you get a good picture. Instead, you need a proper canvas and you shouldn't just buy the first one you come across.
"The purchase of a canvas needs to be well considered," says tech reporter Andreas Nolde from Chip magazine. "If you invest a lot of money in a projector, you should also plan to spend a certain amount on a screen," says Ulrike Kuhlmann from c't magazine.
You need to consider your needs before purchasing a canvas. There are fixed versions for walls or ceilings which can be rolled up when not in use.
"These screens have the advantage in that they have a mask," Nolde says. That means that the area of the screen not being projected onto can be masked or darkened so that only the picture without borders or frames is visible.
Such screens can cost several hundred dollars. "However, one has to honestly say that only screen nerds can tell the difference between a very expensive screen and a cheaper model," says Nolde.
For occasional users, a canvas on a tripod can suffice. They're cheaper than a fixed model but have a disadvantage in that they can't be used outdoors as a gust of wind makes them wobble or even fall over. Another cheap option is to project the picture onto roller blinds, which will give slightly better results than a white wall.
An alternative is to make your own projection screen using wood and linen cloth. You'll need some manual skills and should expect to spend up to around US$200 (RM835) on materials, depending on the quality and size of the fabric.
"The advantage is that you can determine the format of the screen yourself," Kuhlmann says.
Before you buy a screen you should think about what format you need. "Those who watch films use the 16:9 format, those who want to show photos are more likely to use the 4:3 format," Kuhlmann says.
It also pays to test in advance how much space a screen would occupy in the room. "You should first measure the screen length and width," Nolde advises.
One important thing to bear in mind when projecting is to properly darken the room. Another is to make sure that the projection surface is very flat and even as folds will result in unwanted shadows in the picture. – dpa
