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Learn the 4 Things You Should Consider to Enjoy Top-Tier Projection Screens in Any Environment

When it comes to large displays, it’s hard to beat the image of a projector. Today’s projector screens can soar to 300 inches (or more) to deliver truly immersive viewing experiences. But the best home projector screen isn’t based only on size. You must consider other factors, like seating arrangement and ambient light, before selecting the right screen for your entertainment space.

At Avidia, we’re proud to partner with Stewart Filmscreen, an award-winning manufacturer of handcrafted projector screens, to deliver the perfect solution for our clients in Northbrook, IL, and the Chicago area. Stewart Filmscreen displays are trusted by Hollywood filmmakers and suit virtually any environment and style preference. No matter your needs, there’s a Stewart Filmscreen display for you.

Read on to learn which factors to consider before landing on the right projector screen for your home.

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SEE ALSO: Home Theater Design Guide: Choosing the Perfect Screen

What Is an Ultra-Short Throw Projector?

Unlike projectors that sit several feet away from the screen, ultra-short throw models sit only inches away from the wall to project a large screen image. While ceiling-mounted projectors can often put a picture up to 300 inches diagonally given the right space and installation, ultra-short throw models typically top out at 120 inches, which provides a great experience and makes them an excellent fit for flexible media room setups. 

Ultra-short throw projectors come in their own housing and can be placed atop an attractive media credenza in the front of your media room for an unobtrusive look. That also makes it easy to connect them to your audio and control equipment without long cable runs and complexity.

Compact Options from Epson and LG

Epson's LS500 is an affordable and high-quality way to get that immersive big-screen experience into a smaller space. Not only is it a projector, but it also contains a smart TV within for an all-inclusive solution. The LS500 offers both 100 and 120-inch screen sizes, and the special ambient light-rejecting screens produce a vivid and sharp 4K HDR picture even in well-lit rooms. 

Epson incorporates a smart TV into the package, powered by Android TV. The Android TV platform features most of the streaming apps you could want, including popular services like Netflix, HBO, YouTube, Hulu, ESPN, and a host of others. The LS500 also includes Google Assistant for voice search and TV control, making it simple for anyone to find something to enjoy on the big screen.

SEE ALSO: Limited Space in Your Media Room for Big Screens?

A World of Display Options

Because media rooms often pull double duty as living rooms, installing a projector and screen isn’t always practical. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck when it comes to an immersive picture. Ultra-short throw projectors are a great alternative for a life-size picture in a flexible space. These compact projectors sit just inches from the wall atop your media cabinet and project an impressive 100+ inch display. Enjoy 4K HDR models that produce a super bright picture for rooms with lots of ambient light.

TVs are undoubtedly a common choice for media rooms because of their ease of installation and ultrabright displays. The latest 4K and 8K models offer impressively large and detailed images from 55 inches to 86+ inches to bring your movies, sports, and TV shows to life. Choose a display that transforms into artwork to blend with your décor when turned off or make it the center of attention with custom-color LED backlighting. Motorized mounts can also adjust your TV to the most comfortable viewing position.

Discreet Yet Powerful Audio

If you want serious audio to go along with your display, you’ll need a better solution than the speakers that live inside your TV. Consider a soundbar to install below your display. Avidia delivers high-fidelity soundbars that feature Dolby Atmos surround sound, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatibility, auto-tuning and speech-enhancing technology, and voice control. We can also expand your soundbar with a wirelessly connected sub and surrounds for an even more immersive listening experience.

SEE ALSO: Want the Ultimate Home Theater Experience? Start with Design

Turn Your TV into Artwork

The Frame by Samsung is a sleek and innovative TV that features 4K resolution and QLED display technology when turned on. When turned off, the magic begins. The Frame transforms into beautiful artwork. The Frame’s Art Mode allows you to elegantly exhibit your personal art collection or any number of works of art from world-renowned institutions. From classic paintings to breathtaking photography, you can revitalize your everyday space with art as soon as you’re done watching TV.

Showcase Your Home Décor

The Frame complements large and small home spaces and blends in with photo or painting collages. You can showcase it as a centerpiece or hang it among your framed artwork and pictures. Say goodbye to messy wires that seep out from your TV to your devices with Samsung’s One Invisible Connection, a single wall-mounted TV cable that discreetly carries AV and power from your TV to the Samsung QLED Connect Box, which can be installed behind the wall in an AV back box or within a media cabinet.

The Frame comes with a variety of customizable bezel colors to fit the style of your room. Their built-in magnets make them easy to change out as you see fit. Choose a conservative screen size at 32 inches or make a statement with the 75-inch model.

Elevate Your Viewing Experience

The Frame isn’t just revolutionary digital art. It’s also an innovative 4K television chock-full of features. Samsung’s Quantum Dot technology reveals over a billion shades of color, bringing images to life from every angle. Its Adaptive Picture technology automatically senses surrounding light and adjusts the screen’s brightness and contrast so that your viewing experience is perfect at any time of day.

SEE ALSO: What Do You Need for an Epic Media Room?

Retractable TV Mount for Better Views

While it’s best to install your TV so that the center of the display is at eye level, some rooms don’t allow this because of impeding structures like fireplaces. If your TV is installed above a mantel, it may be too high for comfortable viewing. In this case, consider a TV mount, which allows you to pull down the screen manually or with a remote and swivel it to your desired position so that your TV is in perfect alignment with your eye level. When you’re done, a quick button tap puts your TV back in place.

Hidden Display to Keep Eyes on Décor

If your media room also serves as the dedicated space in the house for hosting friends and family, you may not like having a big black wall-mounted screen distracting from your interior design when you’re not watching TV. Instead, consider a TV that transforms into beautifully framed artwork when turned off, like the Samsung Frame. Or conceal the display entirely by opting for a motorized projection screen that hides in a discreet cassette in the ceiling and reveals itself when you’re ready to use it.

Custom Media Furniture to Store Components

AV components stack up fast, causing unwanted clutter and wiring beneath your display. What’s the point of choosing a hidden display if your cable box, Blu-ray player, media server, and streaming device are in plain sight? Media cabinets solve this problem by storing and supporting your gear in a modular, ventilated cabinet that features sliding or removable rear panels for easy access to components and wiring. All that’s left to see is a beautiful, custom-finished credenza.

SEE ALSO: 4 Clever Design Ideas to Improve Your Media Room Experience

Good: Dolby Atmos-Enabled Soundbar

The simplest way to bring Dolby Atmos audio to your media room is with a Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbar. If you want a quick and budget-friendly solution that doesn’t require placing speakers all around your media room but still offers immersive sound, then you may consider this option.

Dolby Atmos-enabled soundbars have upward-firing drivers that help create a multidimensional soundstage. Of course, the performance will also depend on the quality of the soundbar.

The Sonos Arc is a great contender, packing 11 high-performance drivers for impressive clarity and detail. It also features Sonos’ Trueplay technology, which automatically optimizes the sound for the acoustics of your media room. For more booming bass, pair it with the Sonos wireless Sub.

Better: Dolby Atmos-Enabled Surround Speakers

For a more accurate and immersive surround sound experience, choose a conventional 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound setup featuring Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers. A nice alternative to installing speakers in your ceiling, Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers have traditional, forward-firing drivers but also direct audio upward so that it reflects off the ceiling and produces a realistic overhead sound.