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Whether you've spent a couple hundred or a few thousand dollars on a swanky new home cinema, finding the best projector screen for your space is going to be your next priority. Sure, many of today's devices can cast onto a blank wall perfectly well, but if you want to make the most of your contrast ratio you'll need to seek out a crisp screen.
You're not just stuck with the drab hanging material of yesterday, though. These days, projector screens come in a range of sizes, with handy motorized reveals and nifty hiding spots included. That means you can keep your living room free from clutter while still enjoying the best projectors on the market.
The quick list
This is a luxury fixed frame option packed with extra features to make your whole viewing experience even better - albeit at a premium price.
A low price point and portable design makes the Vankyo StayTrue the best projector screen for those working with a smaller budget.
The Homegear motorized projector screen is excellent value while still offering full remote control over your display and a subtle design.
With a simple pulldown design and low price, the Elite Screens Manual B is the best option out there for those after a more hidden projector screen.
The best projector screen overall
If you’re dropping serious money on the best projector screen you enter the realms of the boutique. Stewart Filmscreen is a maker of excellent high-end screens which are clearly for the full-on home cinema room, with a top-of-the-line projector. While we’re looking at the Cima FF Neve White, once you are into this kind of territory you are at the point of discussing options with the company and selecting the size and material which works for you.
Neve White refers to the material of the surface, which is the option for when the room lighting can be controlled. For rooms with some ambient light, the Tiburon G4 variant is recommended, which rejects 40% of ambient light. The Neve White can be ordered with optional sound transparency perforation to ensure the screen doesn’t alter the sound of your presumably expensive and crystal clear audio system.
The surround of the screen has an adjustable snap attachment system and a 2.5-inch frame covered in Velux to help the contrast of the screen and prevent reflection.
Which is a lot of technical specifications to get to the key point: it looks stunning. It won’t make a $200 projector look like 4K, but it will make 4K look unbelievable. There is a minor niggle that 3D doesn’t look so good on it, but that will only be a concern for a minority who regularly watch 3D. It’s a high price tag but you’re paying for the best.
Note: This is a US-market projector screen only at this time, and is hard to find in the UK, and elsewhere.
The best budget projector screen
This is a great budget option for those who might want to take the projector into the garden for outdoor cinema, but don’t want to shell out for two screens. You can set this up inside or out and enjoy your favourite films or games gathered in the living room or outside (and there’s a great range of outdoor projectors available if you’re thinking of taking this further afield). The picture quality is good and you’d need to be a real videophile to spot big differences between this and more expensive surfaces, although if you’re using a top-end 4K projector you’re probably going to be spending more than this on the best projector screen for your setup. It’s more than good for casual viewing, however.
It supports back projection, which can be good for outside cinema-style viewing after dark, but this does mean that it lacks a black backing that blocks out light from behind. That means it really does need a dark environment to get the best out of it, especially when outside. You can buy specific material separately to attach to the back of screens to reduce this if you want, though.
The Vankyo StayTrue isn't the most elegant unit, with the bungee cords connecting the outer frame to the screen. The lack of wall fixings means it’s more for those who have the projector as a novelty for big matches or movie night rather than a main everyday media source. But if you do want something for occasional use and don’t want to shell out for something which isn’t getting constant use then this more than fits the bill. Plus the ease and speed of set up, especially once you’ve done it a couple of times, means you can have the luxury of big-screen viewing without needing to have a permanent screen fixed to your wall.
The best motorized projector screen
As someone who has precariously installed a pull-down screen and is afraid to try to make it retract in case the force pulls it away from the wall, I am very aware of the appeal of a motorized solution and option in the search for the best projector screen. No need to pull down, just hit the remote and wait for it to drop down while the projector loads.
This is a good value motorized screen with a solid black border and backing to aid image contrast and brightness, with good gain levels and viewing angle. It’s got a thick layer of black PVC at the back, with crease-resistant terylene and matt white PVC on top for the image. It is a slight drop off from the most expensive projector screens, but one which you’d have to nitpick to really notice. The remote does feel budget, but this isn’t a problem when you’re just using it twice per watch: at the beginning and end.
On the downside, it’ll need to be connected up to a power supply which does slightly take away from the idea of a screen being unobtrusive when it’s folded away and not in use. It also suffers from a frequent problem with projector hardware: looking slightly uninspiring and sterile: more office PowerPoint than comfortable home cinema. But with the lights out and a good film on, you won’t notice this, just the great picture on the screen.
The best retractable projector screen
If you just want a low-fuss pull-down projector screen from a reliable manufacturer, this is your option. Especially if the price is a factor; it’s great value. This is one of the top reviewed contenders for best projector screen, in this price range, on Amazon with thousands giving it five stars – and that goes a long way to telling you how happy people are with it. The material of the casing is a little thin, which helps with the price, but also means it’s lightweight. If you’ve got any concerns about your wall supporting a heavy projector screen this could be a good way to go. It’s a simple unit – no bells and whistles, just a good quality screen at a reasonable price.
There is an issue with short-throw projectors: there may be slight ripples or creases from when it moves into the housing which won’t be notable from a standard throw projector but very short throw projectors will reveal. However, since most of the extremely short throw projectors are at high price points, you’re more likely to be looking at a pricier screen to compliment it. Some users have reported adding small weights to the bar to stretch out any minor blemishes, which is great if your wall can support it!
Note: This is a US-market projector screen only at this time, and is hard to find in the UK, and elsewhere.
Remember if you do prefer your screens for the interior and TV-shaped then check out our guides to the best gaming TVs, best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, best 120Hz 4K TV, and best OLED TV, and best QLED TV too.
