Find your ideal screen size
Enter your viewing distance and preferred viewing style to get a precise screen size recommendation.
Choosing the right screen size
Screen size should be chosen so the screen fills a specific angle of your field of vision. The industry standards are THX (36 degrees, immersive) and SMPTE (30 degrees, balanced).
Room Considerations
A 120" 16:9 screen is 59" (150 cm) tall and 105" (267 cm) wide. Measure your available wall width and ceiling height before committing to a screen size. The bottom of the screen should sit roughly 24-30" from the floor for seated viewers.
Ambient Light
Larger screens require more projector lumens to maintain brightness. In bright rooms, a slightly smaller, brighter image often looks better than a large dim one. A standard projector in a bright living room should target a 100" image maximum for acceptable brightness. In a dark room, go as large as your throw distance allows.
| Viewing Distance | Immersive (THX) | Balanced (SMPTE) | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 ft (2.4m) | 100-110" | 85-95" | 65-75" |
| 10 ft (3m) | 120-130" | 100-115" | 80-90" |
| 12 ft (3.7m) | 145-160" | 120-135" | 95-110" |
| 15 ft (4.6m) | 180-200" | 150-170" | 115-135" |
Start slightly smaller than you think: Screen size is hard to judge until you are sitting in the room with it running. A 100" screen in a typical living room is genuinely large. When in doubt, go slightly smaller - you can always upgrade, but you cannot shrink a fixed-frame screen.
Now calculate your throw distance
Once you know your screen size, find out exactly where to position your projector.