Acoustical Transparency

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Perforated vs. Woven

Top: Almost all screens designed to allow you to place speakers behind them are perforated — that is, they're covered with regular rows of circular holes. Bottom: Woven screens use an irregular weave that, some claim, enables the screen to be more acoustically transparent.

The screen industry has been using a term — "acoustically transparent" — that many of us still find amusing. (In the field, we tend to call these screens "acoustically translucent.") The material used to create a perforated or woven screen will always have some effect on the sound coming from any speakers placed behind it. A debate continues to rage over how best to minimize the material's impact on the sound while maintaining a clean image on the screen. Some of the screens I've used from companies such as Stewart Filmscreen allow for clear sound while producing an excellent projected image. Other screens I've tested look like you've just installed a block of Baby Swiss cheese. Quality can vary a lot with acoustically translucent screens.

A favorite screen of mine for this application is Screen Research's ClearPix2. This woven screen is both THX- and ISF- certified. In my opinion, its ability to allow sound to pass through unhindered is astounding, and the images are clean and crisp. On the other side of the debate, Stewart is adamant about the superiority of its perforated screens (see Sound & Visionary: Grant Stewart), and I have to admit that when I recently ordered one of its screens for a prominent Hollywood director, the quality was excellent both visually and sonically.

Build Quality

When you finally decide to invest in the screen of your dreams, make sure to look at its overall build quality — especially if you're considering a motorized screen. Some manufacturers cut corners by making their screens a little more difficult to assemble or by skipping the tensioning system necessary to keep the screen tight and flat over time. Some discount screens are even attached to the frame with Velcro. Screens like these usually have to be taken down and re-tensioned by hand over time.

Issues such as the border's fit and finish might be of greater concern. High-quality miter corners with a black-velvet coating, which absorbs stray light, are usually the way to go for a fixed-mount screen. Black fabric or wood frames might not help with any overscan that occurs and could distract you from the image.