April 26, 2023 - One of the most difficult challenges in projection is ambient light. Too much light in a space overpowers the projected light and causes the screen image to "wash out," or disappear.
The Draper TecVision line of high-performance viewing surfaces includes 5 different ISF-certified formulations designed to perform in varying levels of ambient light.
XH800X ALR
Characteristics:
0.8 gain
Excellent uniformity
Rejects 57% of ambient light
High contrast
Extra wide viewing cone (recommended viewing cone: 130°)
Lens/Throw distance ratio for best brightness uniformity: 0.7:1 or longer
Applications:
Short throw projection
Standard throw projection
Classrooms
Wide settings
Moderate/full ambient light
XH900X ALR
Characteristics:
0.9 gain
High uniformity
Rejects 60% of ambient light
High contrast
Extra wide viewing cone (recommended viewing cone: 130°)
Lens/throw distance ratio for best brightness uniformity: 1.2:1 or longer
Applications:
Short throw projection
Standard throw projection
Wide settings
Moderate/full ambient light
"The clients were mainly concerned about bringing the room more into today's technology but were heavily concerned about a brighter image as well as more of a widescreen format. They did not like the fact that they had to completely turn off all lights and close all shades to even begin to make out an image. After turning the projector on for the first time, all hesitations went out the window as they were immediately impressed with the brightness of the image even with the blinds open and lights on. They have had multiple meetings and everyone in attendance has been pleased and impressed with the outcome." -Gary Jefferies, CEO and Owner of SYNC Technology Integration of Fishers, Indiana.
MS1000X ALR
Characteristics:
1.0 gain
Rejects 73% of ambient light
Very high contrast
Wide viewing cone
Lens/throw distance ratio for best brightness uniformity: 1.2:1 or longer
Applications:
Full ambient light
Moderate off axis viewing
Standard throw projection
"I've designed a lot of projections systems over the years, but the size and ambient light made me a little nervous, so I reached out to … Draper®. We … requested fabric samples and conducted several projector demonstrations to ensure that [client] expectations aligned with reality. The image quality is excellent." -Josh Seitz, vice president of sales & design for Ohm Systems.
CS1000X ALR
Characteristics:
1.0 gain
Rejects 82% of ambient light
Superior contrast
Narrow viewing cone
Lens/throw distance ratio for best brightness uniformity: 1.6:1 or longer
Applications:
High ambient light
Standard throw projection
Long throw projection
Narrow off axis viewing
CS1200X ALR
Characteristics:
1.2 gain
Rejects 82% of ambient light
Narrow viewing cone (Recommended viewing cone is 66°)
Lens/throw distance ratio for best brightness uniformity: 1.7:1 or longer
Applications
Where a moderate increase in gain is required
Very high ambient light
Long throw projection
Narrow off axis viewing
The TecVision line also includes a grey formulation that is not ambient light rejecting, but it is included here because of its color. It is the best choice for ultra short throw and blending in low ambient light.
XH700X Grey
Characteristics:
0.7 gain
Matte grey
Excellent uniformity
Enhanced contrast
Wide viewing angles
Lens/throw distance ratio for best brightness uniformity: no minimum
Applications:
Ultra Short Throw and Short Throw projection
Blending
Deeply curved screens
Low ambient light
What Steve says:
"Grey surfaces can help improve contrast and absorb stray light in the space because of the grey tint, but not much. Grey screens are not ALR screens. An ALR screen contains specular reflective properties that have been added to reject ambient light.
"One thing that sets Draper ALR screens apart is the relatively wider viewing cones. And because ambient light is different in every room, we have several levels of ALR depending on the project." -Steve Cook, AV Consultant Relations Manager.
This is part 3 in a short series of blog posts about TecVision surfaces. Part 1, white reference screens, can be read here. Part 2, looking at high gain white surfaces, can be found here.
https://blog.draperinc.com/2023/03/tecvision-white-the-reference-screens/
