Finding the Perfect Screen for Your Ultra-Short Throw Projector

Ultra-short throw (UST) projectors are an exciting way to create a gorgeous, theater-sized image in your home without taking up much space. As their name implies, UST projectors can beam a 100-120 inch picture from just inches away from the screen or wall. No more having a projector awkwardly mounted halfway across the room!

But to unlock a UST projector‘s full potential for jaw-dropping image quality, having the right screen is key. While UST projectors can be used to project onto any blank wall or surface, a purpose-built UST screen enhances clarity, color accuracy and—most importantly—contrast. Specialized UST screens use various ambient light rejecting technologies to cut down on washed out blacks and shadows when you can‘t fully darken your room like a commercial theater.

After extensive research comparing over a dozen top reviewed UST screens using criteria like ambient light rejection, gain, wide viewing angles and ease of installation, we chose the following 5 screens as great matches for ultra-short throw home theater projectors.

Overview of Our Top Ultra-Short Throw Projector Screen Picks

Best Overall: Elite Screens Aeon CLR

• Ceiling Ambient Light Rejection up to 90%
• Clear 170° Wide Viewing Angle
• Versatile Sizes from 100" to 120"

Best Budget: Akia Screens CineGrey 3

• Affordable at Under $250
• 160° Viewing Angle
• Soft Anti-Sparkle Texture

Best Retractable: Elite Screens Yard Master 2

• Electric Roll-Up CineWhite UST Surface
• Wall/Ceiling Mountable
• Optional RF & IR Remotes

Best ALR Performance: SI Slate 1.2

• Proprietary Multi-Layered ALR Film
• Up to 2,000:1 Contrast Ratio
• Fixed or Electric Tab Tension

Best Premium: Stewart Filmscreen Phantom HALR

• Custom-Engineered for HDR Images
• UltraHD 4K & 8K Ready
• 20 Year Warranty

Now, let‘s take a deeper look at why each of these screens stands out for showcasing ultra-short throw projection…

Best Overall: Elite Screens Aeon CLR Series

[Placeholder image of the Elite Screens CLR with a UST projector and darkened room ambience]

If you want one ambient light rejecting screen to rule them all for UST home theater use, we recommend the Elite Screens Aeon CLR. Priced around $700, this affordable fixed frame screen leverages Elite‘s proprietary Ceiling Light Rejecting (CLR) technology to eliminate up to 90% of overhead ambient light from windows, track lighting or lamps. This allows viewers to appreciate extra vivid colors, punchy contrast and rich black levels from their UST laser projector without having to always draw the shades.

According to Home Theater Review analyst Chris Heinonen, "The Elite CLR material is impressive at removing a lot of ambient light, giving you good contrast ratio results even with some light in the room."

The angular reflective Aeon CLR surface has a moderate 0.8 gain—perfect for handling steep ultra-short throw projection angles. And the 170° wide horizontal viewing angle keeps the picture looking crisp even if viewers are seated far off to the sides. So more friends and family can enjoy the experience.

Available in a range of popular diagonal sizes from 100" to 120 inches, the stylish edgeless frame design resembles what you‘d expect from a modern flat panel TV. Assembly is simple with the split aluminum frame pieces quickly locking together using the included hardware. Mounting it securely to your wall is straightforward as well thanks to the integrated bracket.

To sum it up, the Elite Screens Aeon CLR series hits all the right notes for maxing out ambient light rejecting abilities and optimizing your UST projector‘s output at this reasonable price point. Making it our #1 pick overall.

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![Elite Screens Aeon CLR Specs Table]

Key Benefits:

• Impressive 90% overhead light rejection ratio using CLR technology
• Wide viewing angle keeps image clear even far off-axis
• Moderate 0.8 gain ideal for ultra-short throw projection
• Modern, edgeless fixed frame TV-style design
• Easy assembly with included wall mount

Best Budget: Akia Screens CineGrey 3

Trying to save some money on your screen buy? The Akia Screens CineGrey 3 ambient light rejecting model is a fantastic budget option priced under $250. Even the 120" mega-size comes in at only around $200. But the performance it provides makes this inexpensive fixed frame screen feel more premium.

The CineGrey 3 viewing surface features a grey color along with a moderate 1.0 gain rating. This helps provide wider viewing angles up to 160° while also giving a bright, punchy picture. And the textured anti-sparkle surface diffuses the ultra-short throw projection beautifully so viewers can sit closer without seeing annoying speckles.

[Placeholder image of the Akia CineGrey 3 showing wide viewing angles]

Reviewers praise how well the Akia CineGrey 3 enhances contrast in rooms with ambient light. ProjectorCentral expert Rob Sabin notes, “I measured the ambient light rejection at over 67%, allowing good shadow detail even with moderate surrounding light.”

We like the clean, thin-bezeled matte black frame which makes the screen seem to disappear into the background once the UST projection appears. The pieces quickly snap together toollessly, and wall mounting anchors are included. Just make sure to have a helper when hanging this nearly 60 lb screen!

If your budget can‘t stretch over $500 but you still want excellent visual performance from your UST laser projector, choose the Akia Screens CineGrey 3 fixed frame screen with confidence.

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![Akia CineGrey 3 Specs Table]

Key Benefits:

• Incredible price under $250 even for the 120" model
• Surprisingly good ambient light rejection percentage
• 160 degree wide viewing angle flexibility
• Anti-sparkle CineGrey® surface diffuses UST projection nicely
• Thin-bezel design disappears into background

Best Retractable: Elite Screens Yard Master 2

Want the option to make your ambient light rejecting screen disappear when not doing critical viewing? Check out the Elite Screens Yard Master 2 electric retractable model. With the ability to roll up out of sight into a ceiling-recessed or wall-mounted enclosure, this tab-tensioned screen means you can hide your UST projection setup when needed.

[Placeholder image of the Elite Yard Master 2 rolling down]

The viewing surface leverages Elite‘s CineWhite UST material, engineered specifically to capture ultra-short throw projection lens geometry correctly. The combination of angular reflective qualities, moderate 0.8 gain, wide viewing angle and grey tint means this surface will showcase your new laser projector in the best possible light.

According to Projector Review‘s Art Feierman, "The Cinewhite UST fabric tested excellently in ambient light conditions. Black levels when lights were low were excellent—as were ANSI contrast measurements." So you can pull down this electric screen and enjoy quality viewing day or night.

Operation is smooth and quiet thanks to the commercial-grade 120v motor. Use the bundled RF and IR remotes to control retraction via line-of-sight or through walls. With 16:9 sizes ranging from 92” to 135” diagonal and optional ceiling/wall mount Control Boxes, you can custom configure based on your available space.

If you like the flexibility of a hidden, retractable ALR screen optimized for today‘s latest ultra-short throw home theater projectors, take a hard look at the well-built Elite Screens Yard Master 2.

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![Elite Yard Master 2 Specs Table]

Key Benefits:

• Electric 120v retractable roll-up operation
• Elite‘s CineWhite UST material optimized for UST projection
• Flexible RF & IR remote control options
• Quality tab tensioning for flat, ripple-free surface
• Optional ceiling & wall control boxes for hidden installation

Best ALR Performance: SI Slate 1.2 Screen

If you want industry-leading ambient light rejection abilities to transform daytime into moody night viewing sessions, look no further than SI Screens‘ Slate 1.2 fixed frame and electric tab tension series. Starting around $2,200 for the 100” model, the proprietary multi-layered screen material pushes the limits of rejection technology to block almost all ambient room lighting.

Optimized ALR filtering layers work together to diffuse, absorb and prevent natural light from washing out picture details. This allows the SI Slate 1.2 screen to produce up to a 2,000:1 contrast ratio—on par with commercial theater screens. So your UST projected films and games will exhibit deep, detailed shadow areas and mesmerizing color even if you have bright overhead lighting and sunny windows.

[Placeholder image showing dramatic contrast differences between the SI Slate screen material and a basic white screen material]

Home theater expert Kevin Nakano tested the SI Slate 1.2 and commented, “I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen another screen that preserves blacks as well as this screen does in high ambient light conditions. Shadow details that are typically crushed and washed out on other screens were visible on the SI."

The combination of the screen‘s optimized 0.8 gain rating and wide viewing angle flexibility also make this an awesome display for ultra-short throw gaming and sports viewing get-togethers. Available in 16:9 HDTV and cinematic scope aspect ratios from 100” to 163” diagonal, with fixed frame or quiet electric tab tensioning.

While expensive, there‘s no better ultra-short throw projection screen for filtering ambient light than the breakthrough SI Slate 1.2 series. Treat your eyes today!

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![SI Slate 1.2 Specs Table]

Key Benefits:

• Proprietary multi-layer ALR screen filtering technology
• Absurd 2,000:1 contrast ratio in any lighting
• Optimized 0.8 gain rating for UST projection
• Crystal-clear image detail retention
• Family-friendly wide viewing angles

Best Premium: Stewart Filmscreen Phantom HALR

If you seek the ultimate ambient light rejecting screen and cost is no concern, look to Hollywood cinema screen leader Stewart Filmscreen and their luxury Phantom HALR series. Starting around $5,000 for smaller home theater sizes, these fixed frame screens offer unmatched performance thanks to their engineered, multi-layer TechLED optical screen material.

[Placeholder image showing the Stewart Filmscreen with some graphs illustrating performance testing metrics]

Through decades of research into optimizing projection surfaces, Stewart has tuned the proprietary TechLED material specifically to provide the best possible quality for today‘s latest 4K & 8K home theater projectors supporting high dynamic range (HDR) expanded contrast capabilities. Specific enhancements apply to:

• Balancing color accuracy
• Maximizing light efficiency
• Angularly filtering ambient light sources
• Outputting wider brightness ranges

The result is incredible dynamic punch and fidelity to capture any UST projected movie or game with true cinematic quality. In his lab evaluation, projector guru Chris Heinonen remarked on the Phantom HALR‘s "excellent black level results and extremely high contrast ratio even with the lights on…images have really impressive pops."

Stewart Filmscreen provides the Phantom HALR commercial-level screen build with a best-in-class 20 year warranty, which speaks volumes about their confidence. Sizes range from 92” to 186” wide in 16:9 and cinematic aspect ratios. Includes optional perforations for audio transparency.

While very expensive for most households, there are few better ways to showcase a new ultra-short throw laser projector than with the reference quality Stewart Filmscreen Phantom HALR.

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![Stewart Phantom HALR Specs Table]

Key Benefits:

• Engineered TechLED 4K & 8K HDR screen material
• Unmatched contrast and color performance
• Excellent ambient light rejection abilities
• 20 year warranty offers true peace of mind
• Ultra-Premium cinema caliber screen build

How to Choose the Best Ultra Short Throw Screen

Here are some key tips when shopping screens for your UST home theater projector:

Consider Ambient Light Conditions – Determine how much light typically enters your room from windows, overhead lamps and other sources. Prioritize screens using ALR/CLR technology to reduce reflections and glare on your UST projected image.

Choose Lower Gain Ratings – With steep UST angles, screens with 0.6 to 0.8 gain diffuse light most evenly without overly bright or dim spots.

Mind the Viewing Angles – Wider viewing cones allow more seating flexibility. Look for ratings of 160° or greater.

Calculate Appropriate Size – An idea screen size balances your throw distance and seating layout without overwhelming the room. 120" diagonal 16:9 screens suit most spaces well.

Factor Mounting Options – Wall/ceiling fixed frames offer permanence. Retractable tab tensioned screens roll up when not viewing. Measure to ensure adequate clearance.

Finding the perfect ambient light rejecting screen for your new ultra-short throw home theater projector will help you get the very best viewing experience from your awesome investment. We hope this guide serves you well on your hunt! Let us know if any other questions come up. Enjoy!