What size projector screen will fit my room?

So, you've decided you want a home cinema with a projector screen, one of the biggest challenges is trying to figure out the proper screen size to give your viewing audience the best possible picture. 

It's a lot more simple than you'd think to figure out the best screen size and requires just some basic maths. There are a couple of elements to take into account when choosing the right screen size, comfortable viewing distance and the projector throw ratio

It can be so tempting to just put the biggest screen you can fit into your room but this is not the ideal solution when selecting a screen size. Audience comfort should come high on the list of priorities when fitting out your home cinema or converting your living room into a home cinema.

So one major factor will be assessing the viewing distance, this is the distance between where you will sit and your projector screen. If you have several rows of seating work this figure from your centre seats. 

The guide below gives you a general rule of comfortable viewing distances and what screen size to select. You will notice there is some overlap so you can decide which screen size you would prefer if you fall into these areas.

The second consideration is the actual capabilities of the projector itself. Every projector has a different throw ratio which is the relation between the throw distance (the distance between the projector's lens and the projected image) and the width of the projected image.

Throw Ratio tells us what image size we can project from a certain distance away. For instance, a throw ratio of 1.5 indicates that for every 1 foot of image width, the throw distance must be 1.5 feet. The smaller the throw ratio, the larger the image a projector will produce at a shorter throw distance.

All projectors have different throw ratios. To help you determine the minimum and maximum distance from the projector to the screen we have created a distance calculator which has distances for all our most popular projectors.

Please Note: This table was correct at the time of writing and should be used as a guide only. Please check the individual projector specifications for extra throw ratios.

So now you can check whether the screen you have selected based on comfortable viewing distance will work with the placement of the projector you want. If the screen size ticks both boxes then it's the one for you.

If you have any questions about screen size and your room requirements it's a great idea to book a demo. That way we can show you the different projector options and screen sizes and you can envisage what it will look like in your own home.