ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) Screen for UST Projector
Sure, you could project directly onto a large, perfectly flat white wall or even a “conventional” matte white projection screen, but an ALR (Ambient Light Rejecting) 16:9 projection screen designed specifically for ultra short throw laser projectors is a must to get the maximum image quality possible from any UST projector, even more so for daytime viewing in brighter rooms with uncovered windows and/or excessive ambient light sources.
Before choosing a specific ALR projection screen to pair with your UST projector, the first thing you need to do is measure the proposed horizontal distance between the location of the screen surface and your eyes while seated, rounded to the nearest whole foot for simplicity.
The Viewing Distance and Screen Size Recommendations Chart above features two columns. In the first column are viewing distances ranging from 8 feet to 22 feet. In the second column are the corresponding recommended ranges of diagonal screen sizes in inches that work best for each viewing distance, from smallest and least immersive to largest and most immersive.
After you know your viewing distance and the corresponding range of ideal diagonal screen sizes, you need to next decide what type of ALR projection screen will work best for your specific room and/or lifestyle. In general, there are three different types — 1. wall-mount fixed-frame, 2. electric/motorized floor-rising plug-and-play, and 3. electric/motorized wall/ceiling mount drop-down. Note: not all screens marketed online as “ALR” are specifically designed to be used with UST projectors!
"Cinematic" Lenticular and "Daylight" Fresnel Wall-Mounted, Fixed-Frame
The most widely-available type of UST ALR screen as far as number of screen sizes and brand names offered is the wall-mounted, fixed-frame screen. These are generally somewhat lower-priced than electric/motorized screens of comparable size, but part of the reason for this is that they arrive at your home inside a long, skinny box UNASSEMBLED. That’s right, you must carefully unbox and unroll the screen material, frame, and parts, follow the provided directions, assemble, align with UST projector’s image level at the proper height, and permanently affix it to the wall. Fortunately, most screen manufacturer’s publish a YouTube video demonstrating how to assemble and wall-mount their fixed-frame wall-mount ALR screens.
“Cinematic” lenticular UST ALR screens are ideal for installation inside darker, at least semi-light-controlled rooms with fewer negative effects due to ambient light, and as such typically have a lower gain rating from about 0.4 to 0.8. Cinematic ALR screens do reject a very high percentage of overhead/ceiling ambient light, but not ambient light coming from the left and right sides of the screen. They also have an ultra-wide viewing angle ranging from about 140° to 180°, so you can be seated almost anywhere in the room. Currently available diagonal screen sizes are 80″, 90″, 92″, 100″, 103″, 106″, 110″, 115″, 120″, 123″, 130″, 132″, 140″, and 150″.
“Daylight” fresnel UST ALR screens are perfect for pairing with an ultra short throw projector to be set up primarily for heavy usage during daytime hours inside a living room type environment with an excessive amount of ambient light from ceiling lighting, lamps, sliding glass doors, and/or large windows. To combat the ill effects of excessive ambient lighting, Daylight ALR screens have a higher gain rating from about 1.0 to 1.5, and reject a high percentage of ambient light emanating from above and both sides of the screen. These fresnel screens have a narrower viewing angle ranging from as low as 50° to as high as 150° (skeptical). Currently available diagonal screen sizes are 100″, 120″, 130″, and 150″.
"Cinematic" Lenticular Electric/Motorized Floor-Rising Plug-and-Play
If you prefer NOT to permanently wall-mount a large projection screen on the wall for aesthetic reasons and/or don’t want to have to assemble your new screen, your best and/or easiest solution just might be simply placing your UST projector and a motorized floor-rising UST ALR screen together near a wall directly on the floor. This is also a great plug-and-play transportable choice if you prefer a more temporary projection setup that can quickly and painlessly be picked up and moved to another location. Of course, there’s also “the wow factor” of having your screen instantly appear by rising up from, and disappear back into, its casing at the push of a button. These “cinematic” floor-rising UST ALR screens generally have specifications similar to the “cinematic” wall-mounted, fixed-frame screens when it comes to their gain rating, percent of ambient light rejection, and ultra-wide viewing angle. Currently available diagonal screen sizes are 80″, 84″, 90″, 92″, 100″, 101″, 110″, 120″, 121″, and 150″.
"Cinematic" Lenticular Electric/Motorized Wall/Ceiling-Mount Drop-Down
If your UST projector will be sitting atop a stand or table (or is one of the models which can be ceiling mounted “upside-down”), and you don’t mind permanently hanging a projection screen from either the wall or ceiling, but also prefer it to be “out of sight, out of mind” while not in use, an electric motorized drop-down UST ALR screen might be the right solution for you. They drop down from, and rise back up into, their casing at the push of a button. These “cinematic” drop-down screens also have similar specs to the “cinematic” fixed-frame and floor-rising screens regarding their gain ratings, ambient light rejection capabilities, and viewing angles. Currently available diagonal screen sizes are 80″, 84″, 90″, 92″, 100″, 101″, 110″, 120″, and 121″.
This page was last updated on March 23, 2024.