Selecting the Correct Screen Size

Does size matter?

With projection screens, definitely.  However, bigger is not necessarily better.  Ever wondered why the last seats to fill in a cinema are the ones at the front?  This is because the screen is too big for the viewing distance.  When determining the correct screen size, we must consider the minimum viewing distance and the maximum viewing distance.  In other words, what is the best screen size for your room?

The minimum viewing distance is the closest distance to the screen one can sit before losing the ability to see the picture as a whole.  Once a person is closer than this, the human eye cannot capture the whole picture - the eye can only focus on a part and will have to continuously scan the screen to read the entire image.

The minimum viewing distance is 2 x the width of the screen.

The maximum viewing distance is the farthest distance one can be from the screen to be able to comfortably capture the image.

The maximum viewing distance is 6 x the width of the screen.