Two projector screens can look identical when they're switched off – but put them in a room with the lights on and the difference is huge. The screen material decides how bright, punchy and colour-accurate your picture is, which seats get a good view, and even which projectors will work with it.
This guide explains every option in our Screen Material filter in plain English, so you can pick the right one in a couple of minutes.
The short answer:
- Match the screen to your projector. Ultra short throw (UST) "laser TV" projectors need a UST screen; normal (long-throw) projectors need a normal screen. This matters more than anything else.
- For most people, choose ALR / CLR. It boosts contrast for deeper blacks in any room – even with the lights off – and keeps the picture punchy when they're on. It's our most popular screen type.
- Choose a white screen if budget comes first, the room is fully dark, or you need the widest possible viewing angle.
Quick chooser chart
Find your projector type, then how bright your room is:
Step 1: UST or long throw?
Before thinking about materials, check which kind of projector you have (or plan to buy):
- Standard / long throw – sits a few metres from the screen: on a shelf, on the ceiling or behind the sofa. Short-throw projectors (about 1–2 m away) go with these screens too.
- Ultra short throw (UST) – the "laser TV" type that sits on a cabinet just centimetres below the screen and fires the picture steeply upwards.
⚠ The most common mistake: ALR screens are optically "tuned" for one projector position. A UST screen (Lenticular / CLR or UST Fresnel) won't work with a normal projector, and a long-throw ALR screen won't work with a UST. If your UST is ceiling-mounted, you also need the ceiling version of the screen. Use the Screen Compatible With filter, or check the product listing, to be sure.
White screens are the exception – a plain matte white surface works with every projector type, although it won't reject any room light.
How screen materials handle light
A projector can't project black – "black" is just the colour of the screen when no light hits it. So any lamp, ceiling light or window that lands on the screen lifts the blacks and washes the colours out.
- White screens reflect everything evenly in all directions. That gives the widest viewing angle – but they reflect room light back at you just as happily as the picture, so contrast suffers.
- ALR (ambient light rejecting) screens use angled micro-structures that send the projector's light towards your seats while steering light from other directions away (for example, down to the floor).
- CLR (ceiling light rejecting) screens are the UST version: tiny ridges catch the steep beam from a projector below and reflect it to you, while light from the ceiling hits the dark upper faces and is absorbed.
Why ALR helps even in a dark room: with the lights off, the bright parts of the picture still light up your walls, ceiling and furniture – and that light bounces back onto the screen and greys out the dark parts. An ALR screen rejects that stray light too, so you get deeper blacks and noticeably more contrast. That's why ALR / CLR is our most popular choice, whatever the room.
What's "gain"? Gain compares a screen's brightness with a matte white reference of 1.0. Higher gain (e.g. 2.0) gives a brighter picture but a narrower "sweet spot", so people at the sides see less. Many ALR screens have a gain below 1.0 – they trade a little brightness for much deeper blacks.
Every screen material explained
These match the options in our Screen Material filter. Gains and viewing angles are manufacturers' figures and vary by model – always check the individual listing.
ALR / CLR screens – our most popular choice
ALR / CLR
More contrast and deeper blacks in any room – and a punchy picture with the lights on.
- Gain ≈ 0.6–1.0
- Long throw or UST – check listing
- ££–£££
- Choose it for
- Most living rooms and home cinemas, dark or light. Includes long-throw ALR (e.g. Vividstorm Obsidian) and UST ALR screens without a specific sub-type.
- Avoid if
- You haven't checked it matches your projector type.
ALR / CLR (DayVision)
DELUXX's colour-neutral 1.0-gain ALR for long-throw projectors.
- Gain 1.0
- 150°
- Long throw
- £££
- Choose it for
- Rooms with some light where colour accuracy and wide seating matter more than maximum light rejection.
- Avoid if
- The room is very bright, or you use a UST.
ALR / CLR (DarkVision)
DELUXX / celexon's contrast-boosting ALR – deeper blacks with lights on.
- Gain 0.9
- 120°
- Long & short throw
- ££–£££
- Choose it for
- Living rooms with ambient light and HDR movies – celexon quotes up to 8× better dark-scene detail than matte white.
- Avoid if
- You use a UST / laser TV projector.
ALR / CLR (BrightVision)
DELUXX's high-gain ALR that concentrates the picture towards the centre seats.
- Gain 2.0
- 90°
- Long throw
- £££
- Choose it for
- Bright rooms or lower-brightness projectors where everyone sits near the middle.
- Avoid if
- You have wide seating or a UST / short-throw projector.
ALR / CLR (Lenticular)
Micro-ridge "black grid" CLR – blocks ceiling light, rolls away, very wide viewing.
- Gain ≈ 0.5–0.8
- ~170°
- Mostly UST
- ££–£££
- Choose it for
- UST laser TVs in bright living rooms, wide sofas, and floor-rising or pull-down screens that disappear when not in use.
- Avoid if
- Your projector doesn't match the screen (a few lenticular screens are made for long throw – check the listing), or your UST is under ~1,800 ANSI lumens.
ALR / CLR (Fresnel)
Optical-lens screen for the brightest, punchiest picture in daylight.
- Gain ≈ 1.0–1.3+
- Narrower (often <100–160°)
- Mostly UST
- £££
- Choose it for
- Very bright rooms with a UST laser TV and viewers sitting fairly centrally. Rejects light from the top and both sides.
- Avoid if
- You have wide seating, or want a retractable screen on a budget (most Fresnel screens are fixed frame).
White screens – the budget pick for dark rooms
Standard / Matte White
Budget all-rounder with the widest viewing angle – best in a fully dark room.
- Gain ≈ 1.0–1.1
- Up to ~170°
- All projectors
- £
- Choose it for
- Tight budgets, fully blacked-out rooms, very wide seating, business and education.
- Avoid if
- You want the deepest blacks and most contrast (ALR wins, even in darker rooms), or you'll watch with daylight or lamps on.
Pure White
Celexon's slim fixed-frame matte white with a fine, high-definition surface.
- Gain 1.1
- 165°
- Long, short & UST
- £
- Choose it for
- A neat, low-profile fixed frame in a dark or dimmed room, at home or in the office.
- Avoid if
- You want more contrast, or the room is bright – it doesn't reject light.
4K MWHT
Reference-grade, colour-neutral matte white with an ultra-fine texture for 4K/8K.
- Gain 1.0
- 160°
- Long & short throw
- ££
- Choose it for
- Calibrated, fully dark home cinemas where colour accuracy is the priority (DELUXX / celexon Premium).
- Avoid if
- You can't control the room light.
White cinema
Vividstorm's bright white surface for dark rooms and standard-throw projectors.
- Gain 1.1 (Pearlescent 1.8)
- 160° (Pearl 120°)
- Long & short throw
- ££
- Choose it for
- Dark rooms and lower-brightness projectors (Vividstorm suggests white below ~1,800 ANSI lumens). The high-gain Pearlescent version suits 3D.
- Avoid if
- You have a UST projector or a bright room.
Specialist screens
Rear Projection
Translucent fabric – the projector sits behind the screen.
- Any projector (behind)
- £–££
- Choose it for
- Events, trade shows, showrooms and stages: no shadows from people walking past, and the kit stays hidden.
- Avoid if
- It's a normal home cinema, or there's no space (and darkness) behind the screen.
Acoustic (e.g. SoundVision)
Woven or perforated fabric so speakers can hide behind the picture. Find these in the Screen Acoustics filter.
- SoundVision gain 1.1
- 150°
- ££–£££
- Choose it for
- Dedicated cinemas with left/centre/right speakers behind the screen, so dialogue comes from the picture.
- Avoid if
- The room is bright (acoustic screens aren't ALR) or you don't plan to put speakers behind it.
Side-by-side comparison
Contrast & light rejection is a rough guide (● = lowest, ●●●●● = highest).
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Material | Gain | Viewing | Contrast | Projector | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard / Matte White | 1.0–1.1 | Widest | ● | All | £ |
| Pure White | 1.1 | 165° | ● | All | £ |
| 4K MWHT | 1.0 | 160° | ● | Long / short | ££ |
| White cinema | 1.1–1.8 | 120–160° | ● | Long / short | ££ |
| DayVision | 1.0 | 150° | ●●● | Long | £££ |
| DarkVision | 0.9 | 120° | ●●●● | Long / short | ££–£££ |
| BrightVision | 2.0 | 90° | ●●●● | Long | £££ |
| Lenticular | 0.5–0.8 | ~170° | ●●●● | Mostly UST | ££–£££ |
| Fresnel | 1.0–1.3+ | Narrower | ●●●●● | Mostly UST | £££ |
| Acoustic | ~1.1 | 150° | ● | Check listing | ££–£££ |
FAQs
Is an ALR screen worth it in a dark room?
Yes, for most people. Even with the lights off, light from the picture bounces off your walls and ceiling back onto the screen and greys out the blacks. ALR rejects that too, so you get deeper blacks and more contrast – which is why it's our most popular choice. A matte white screen is still a good budget option and has the widest viewing angle.
Can I use an ALR screen with any projector?
No – ALR and CLR screens are made for a specific projector position. UST (laser TV) screens only work with UST projectors, and long-throw ALR screens only work with projectors placed in front of the screen. Plain white screens work with everything.
Lenticular or Fresnel for my UST projector?
Lenticular is best for strong ceiling lights, wide seating and screens that roll away (floor-rising or pull-down). Fresnel gives a brighter image and rejects light from the sides too, but has a narrower viewing angle and is usually fixed frame.
How bright does my projector need to be for an ALR screen?
A useful rule of thumb from Vividstorm: under ~1,800 ANSI lumens choose a white screen; above ~2,500 ANSI lumens ALR works well; in between, it depends on your room. Celexon suggests the projector should be around five times brighter than the ambient light on the screen.
Will an acoustic screen affect the picture?
Very slightly. Modern woven acoustic fabrics such as SoundVision are designed to avoid moiré patterns and lose very little sound, but they don't reject room light – they're best in darker cinema rooms.