How to choose a conference room screen

How to calculate the screen size for a conference room

In a conference room the most important thing is legibility from the back seat. The manufacturer of ADEO screens recommends calculating the image height from the distance to the furthest viewer (D):

• H = D / 6 – presentations, photos, video;
• H = D / 4 – spreadsheets, charts, technical drawings, small text.

The image width is the height multiplied by the aspect ratio: 1.6 for 16:10 and approx. 1.78 for 16:9.

Example: a 9 m long room, last chair 8 m from the screen. For presentations an image 1.33 m high is enough (2.13 m wide in 16:10). If the team works with spreadsheets and drawings, a height of 2 m is needed, i.e. a width of 3.2 m. In practice an intermediate value is often chosen, e.g. 2.4–2.7 m wide, together with sufficiently large fonts in presentations.

Also check text legibility: the smallest legible character is approx. 1/150 of the distance. From 8 m a letter should be approx. 5.3 cm high on screen. More examples in the guide how to choose the screen size.

Front row and mounting height

The nearest viewer should sit at least a distance equal to the image width away. The bottom edge of the image is usually approx. 1.1–1.2 m above the floor, so heads in front do not block the content. If the ceiling is high and the screen needs to be lower, order a screen with a black top drop above the image – black drop.

Aspect ratio: 16:10 or 16:9

16:10 is the native format of WUXGA (1920 × 1200) business projectors and most laptops – the presentation fills the whole screen. Choose 16:9 when the room also has displays, a video conferencing system, or you play a lot of video. 4:3 and 1:1 are now used mainly in rooms with older projectors. A comparison of aspect ratios is in the guide on image formats.

Cased screen or in-ceiling screen

An in-ceiling screen leaves only a narrow slot when rolled up, but its installation must be planned together with the ceiling contractor – details in the guide in-ceiling screen. In boardrooms, where a perfectly flat image matters, choose a version with side tensioning (Tensio, Floating Tab).

Fabric for a conference room

In darkened or semi-darkened rooms the most common choice is Vision White (gain 1.2, 180° angle) – a bright image and a wide viewing angle, important around a conference table where many people sit off to the side. Vision White Pro (temporarily unavailable) (gain 0.9) has a black back that blocks light from behind the screen – useful when the screen hangs in front of a window. When the room is bright and the projector is at a standard distance, consider grey ALR Ambient Grey 2 fabric – bearing in mind its narrower viewing angle (approx. 60°) and that it requires tensioning. Full overview: projection fabrics.

Control and integration with the room system

A motorised screen in a conference room can be controlled:

• by a wall switch – the simplest solution;
• by a radio (RF) or infrared remote;
• by a 12 V trigger from the projector – the screen lowers by itself when the projector is switched on;
• from the room control system (RS232, dry contact) – one button on the panel starts the projector, lowers the screen and dims the lights.

Interfaces, transmitters and receivers are in the accessories section, and the options are described in the guide motorised screen control.

Screens and video conferencing

• The camera should not face the screen directly – a bright image behind participants makes it harder for the camera to set exposure. The camera is most often mounted above or below the screen or the call display.
• Lighting – participants' faces must be lit, and the screen as little as possible. Lighting zones help: dimmed near the screen, bright over the table.
• Two images – a common setup is a projection screen for the presentation and a display for the remote participants.

Projection screen or display

In small rooms (up to about 6 people) a display is often enough. When the furthest viewer sits 8–10 m from the wall, an image 2.5–3 m wide or more is needed – a size at which a projector and screen is usually the more practical solution, and the screen can be fully retracted when the room is used for other purposes. Wider comparison: projector or TV.

Example room configurations

Meeting room for 8–10 people

Length approx. 6 m, last chair 5 m from the wall. For presentations an image approx. 0.83 m high is enough, but for spreadsheet work approx. 1.25 m (D/4) is better. A sensible choice is a screen approx. 2 m wide in 16:10, e.g. the slim Linear SE in a case, or Inceel if there is a suspended ceiling. Control: 12 V trigger from the projector.

Boardroom

Table for 14–16 people, last seat 8 m from the screen, 4K or ultra-short-throw projector. Image 2.4–2.7 m wide, a side-tensioned screen (OnSuperior in a case or InSuperior in the ceiling), Vision White fabric or – in a bright room with a standard projector – Ambient Grey 2. Control from the room system panel.

Training room for 40 people

Back row 12 m from the screen – image height at least 2 m, i.e. 3.2 m wide in 16:10. Rugby Plus fits. If participants need to read small tables, it is worth adding auxiliary displays in the middle of the room instead of enlarging the screen beyond the room height.

Equipping several rooms

In office buildings, training centres and company headquarters, several room types usually repeat. ABC Prezentacji then prepares a screen schedule for each room, advises on control (remote, wall switch, automation) and ships at no extra transport cost. Get in touch with us. You can configure and buy a single screen straight away in the business configurator.

Common mistakes

• A screen chosen “by eye” – spreadsheets are illegible from the back row.
• A screen aspect ratio different from the projector's – black bars and a smaller image.
• A screen hung too low – heads in the front rows block the bottom of the slide.
• No power or control cable at the mounting point.
• A video conferencing camera pointed at a bright screen.

Frequently asked questions