5 Reasons Why Projection is Still the Best Experience.

There is a lot of noise in the industry as of late, especially surrounding the ever-increasing size and decreasing price of flat-panel screens. But what does this mean for the projection industry? Is it really dead as some may claim or is there more to the story?

To start, I’ll lay all my cards out on the table: No, the projection industry is not dead, and yes I am biased – but hear me out. The following are 5 reasons why projection is still the best media viewing experience.

Reason 1: Technology

This idea that the projection & projection screen industry’s days are limited is not a new idea. It’s been thrown around by nay-sayers for years. A year before we launched Black Diamond, they said that the industry had less than 3 years before it was obsolete, yet here we are. They said the same thing 3 years later. And a year after that, and a year after that. Again, and again technology has matched, and pushed the industry forward both on the projector manufacturing side, as well as the screen manufacturing side.

Most recently, projectors have overcome one of the biggest objections to projection that has ever existed, that is the life-span of the bulb. In days past, projectors used lamp based bulbs which would max out at about 3-5,000 hours before needing replacement. Now, projectors are using LED or laser based light sources which last up to 30,000 hours without any maintenance required. Other advancements on the screen side, such as our ambient light rejecting technologies have allowed for screens to exist in moderately lit environments, where traditional white and gray screens would have failed. Another checkbox for the big screen experience.

Reason 2: Size

Ask any flat-panel advocate, “Do you prefer watching movies on your iPhone, or your flat-panel?” We all know the answer. Of course, the overwhelming preference is to experience your movies, sports, TV shows, and games on a larger device. Why? Because size actually does matter. It’s the same reason that people pay top-dollar prices to get front row concert tickets, or court-side seating at sporting events, they want to experience life-sized action.

The same principle is true for the experience on a big screen verse a flat-panel. A big screen is just that… BIG. At just 100-inches, which is relatively small for a projection screen, football players become life-sized. You can see the plays with much greater detail, where the ball is, and the minute movements that you would ordinarily miss on a smaller screen. Another fun experiment you can do: ask any of your friends who went big with a projection screen, “Do you regret it?” 99% of the time, the answer is “NO!” or, “Actually, I should have gone bigger.”

A first-hand example of this principle, for example, was when I first installed my 106-inch Zero Edge Black Diamond screen in my living room. The first time I started up my Apple TV, I noticed that there is a very subtle parallax movement to the tiles on the home screen associated with each app. As you would run your thumb over the Apple TV remote, the tiles would move in 3D space, something I was never able to see on my old 50-inch flat panel TV. Keep in mind, a 106-inch screen is still relatively small compared to our most popular screen sizes, lining up at 120-inches and larger. Imagine how immersive a screen that big would be!

Reason 3: Custom… everything.

One advantage that’s not typically discussed with two-piece projection is the totally custom nature of screens and projector configurations. No, you don’t have to be restrained to one of 3 standard sizes like you are typically with flat-panels. We build all of our screens to order, and our top screens are available in 1-inch increments. That means you can order it to whatever size works best in your environment, not whatever is just available.

Think outside the 16:9 box. We offer custom aspect ratios as well, which means you can order your screen in super-wide 2.35:1 and totally eliminate those annoying black bars on the top and bottom of your movies. Side note: screens can actually be more than one aspect ratio, in the same screen. Try doing that flat panel!

Guess what? It doesn’t end there. With products like our Zero Edge Pro, and Solo Pro, we’ve made nearly everything customizable including the color of the trim, and cassettes. That means your screen can be designed to fit within the aesthetics of your room, instead of an afterthought.

Reason 4: Glare

Yes, large flat-panels do exist. Besides the fact that they are cost-prohibitive, have you ever seen one in person? Remember, the bigger the screen, the more apparent the glare problem becomes. I never actually realized how big of a problem this would become, until I installed my Zero Edge screen in my house and experienced it for myself. As you may well know, we ship every Black Diamond screen with a pre-mask layer of protective plastic material over the screen’s viewing surface. This material is almost exactly like the reflective surface used in flat-panel televisions. When I first hung my screen on the wall, I couldn’t believe how much bigger of a problem that reflectivity was on the larger surface. My living room had a 106-inch mirror in it. Thank goodness it was just a temporary pre-mask, because that would have nearly killed the viewing experience.

Keep in mind, the content that you see displayed in a retail store does not reflect typical viewing experiences. Movies, TV shows, and many other forms of content are much darker than the bright, colorful, slow moving content displayed in the store. The darker the content, the more visible glare becomes, and you can’t watch a movie when you’re watching yourself. Quality projection screens have a uniform, matte surface finish which completely eliminates the problem of glare. Checkbox another win for two-piece projection!

Reason 5: It doesn’t have to always be there.

Men everywhere around the world know this problem all too well. It’s called the “wife-acceptance-factor.” This is not a small thing, and it’s literally the driving force behind most of the innovations we’ve launched at SI. That is, the real decision maker in the family who holds life and death within her grasp, the very foundations of the home itself… and she doesn’t want to see a big black box on the wall all the time.

Regardless of what you plan on installing, a flat-panel or a projection screen, the problem persists. However, projection screens have one clear advantage in this arena that flat-panels do not: they can be rolled. That means that you can motorized them, and have them hide away in the ceiling or external cassette when not in use. Wife = accepted.

Guess what? This is not a comprehensive list. There are many other benefits that projection has over a flat-panel display such as affordability (per square-inch) versatility, resolution, durability, and even logistics (try shipping and mounting a 400-lb, 100-inch flat-panel TV on your wall.) Don’t write off the industry yet! As I see it, we have many, many years left thanks in part to these key benefits.

Are you ready for the big screen experience? Build your own screen, and contact one of our authorized dealers today!