The NothingProjector 120-inch ALR screen is specifically designed to enhance the viewing experience in environments where ambient light can interfere with picture quality.
Featuring ALR (Ambient Light Rejection) technology, this screen is aimed at users who want high-quality images without the need for a completely dark room.
Let’s take a look at what makes this screen stand out and whether it’s worth the investment.
Contents
NothingProjector 120 inches ALR Review
ALR/CLR Screens
Let’s get back to the basics as we review the NothingProjector 120-inch projection screen. This is an ALR (Ambient Light Rejection) or CLR (Ceiling Light Rejection) screen, which is specifically designed to minimize interference from ambient light and reflect the projector’s light directly at the viewer.
This type of screen is ideal for ultra-short throw projectors, but is not recommended for other projector types (it works, but the results don’t justify the investment).
The Nothingprojector screen consists of thin horizontal slats angled to shine light from below onto the viewer. A standard screen has the same angle of incidence and reflection, so it reflects some light onto the ceiling. This is why regular front projection screens don’t work well in this setup, because the light is reflected in the wrong direction.
This special screen allows you to use the projector in a brightly lit room, provided the light is not too strong or direct. However, it is not recommended to use it in bright daylight. The image is still visible, but the contrast is quite poor.
Mounting
Mounting the screen is not particularly complicated, but there are a few things to consider before you start to make sure everything goes smoothly. It is possible to assemble the screen by one person (as I did), but it is much slower and less convenient, especially for a screen of this size. Given my experience with screen assembly, I may be faster, but it usually takes two people an hour or two to assemble everything.
Please note that you will need enough space to move the frame without hitting the walls, and also enough space to move the screen to its final position.
My projection room, which is 3x5m and not empty, was not large enough to comfortably assemble the screen. So I rearranged the furniture in my living room, and there was more space. The screen frame is almost 3m wide, so you will need at least 1m of space around the frame to allow for free movement.
Accessories
All the necessary mounting hardware and wall brackets are included in the box, so you’re ready to go. However, if you’re planning on using wall brackets, you’ll need a few extra tools, like a drill bit and a level, to ensure proper installation. It’s recommended that the base of the fixture be 60-80cm off the floor, but this can vary depending on the layout of your room.
All the frame components are numbered, and the instructions include clear diagrams showing you how to assemble, making this the easiest part of the process.
All the assembly hardware, including a screwdriver, is included in the box. In fact, there are two of them in case you need help assembling the screen. The fasteners are easy to tighten, the frame fits perfectly, and there are no gaps in the joints.
To move on to the next step, you’ll need to lift the frame, unfold the screen on the floor, and then place the frame back on top of it. This part is simple. The screen should be placed on the black backing. The orientation doesn’t matter at this point, since the frame is perfectly symmetrical. Just make sure the frame is aligned within the four white corners displayed on the black surface of the screen.
Next, slide the rods into the channels provided in the screen. For the vertical section, there is one rod that runs the entire height. For the horizontal section, you will need to use two rods, making sure that the points where the rods connect do not line up with the holes for attaching the springs.
After the rods are in place, it is time to attach all the springs. However, it is important to do this systematically. You will need to gradually build up tension by alternating the sides that you are attaching the springs to. The manual provides instructions for the process. Start at one corner and move to the opposite corner, following this pattern consistently.
This can be a lengthy process, and sometimes you may need to apply some force to get the springs firmly attached to the frame. This step is crucial to getting a perfectly tight screen, and tends to be the most time-consuming part of the assembly.
The next step is to attach the black finish frame around the screen. While it was easy to get the frame in place, there was a bit of a delay when trying to insert the fixed angles while trying to get the frame corners to line up properly.
I had similar issues with the first NothingProjector screen, but this version seems to be more difficult due to the slightly different attachment system. As a result, you will need to apply some force to the frame to minimize the gaps at each joint.
Canvas Quality
I took several photos of the canvas from different angles and distances and I was really impressed. The canvas looks great with no sparkle effect and the natural texture is barely visible while in use.
Even when you move to the side to view it from different angles, there is no noticeable difference in brightness. Furthermore, even when you get up close, there is no visible texture or treatment marks on the canvas.
Day/Night
I know some people see this canvas as a solution for watching movies in bright daylight, similar to a TV. However, I would like to warn you that it is not exactly the same. The projector, even though it is a high-brightness model, is not really suitable for use in daylight. The image is still viewable, but the contrast is poor.
As you can see in this image, the blacks appear gray. This photo was taken with the LED lights in the room turned on, and everything is still readable, but the blacks have turned gray.
If you are watching something like a football match or a Formula 1 race, the loss of contrast may not be so noticeable. However, if you are watching a movie with a lot of dark scenes, it may be difficult to see anything clearly.
I made a quick video to demonstrate what I just described. You can see the images, but it’s easy to compare the dark areas of the two screens and see the contrast issues I mentioned.
Brightness
I measured the luminance reflected from this screen using a neutral surface and found that the brightness of the whites was reduced by 16%. This is perfectly normal as the gain of this screen is less than 1.
Impact on Black
For black luminance, I observed a 36% reduction. This is also expected and is actually quite favorable, indicating that while the overall brightness is reduced, the reduction is greater in the black areas.
This change in brightness percentage has a positive effect on contrast, which I’ll discuss in more detail later in the review.
Brightness is an important factor when choosing a projector, but it’s important to note that advertised brightness is often overstated. In reality, actual brightness is usually in the range of 50% to 70% of the advertised value. You should subtract an additional 20% from that figure to account for the loss in the screen.
Contrast Test
The purpose of this type of screen is to maximize image depth by minimizing brightness while still allowing light to shine through to the viewer. Therefore, the projector must be bright enough to accommodate some brightness loss, and the screen processing must also effectively facilitate brightness reduction in dark areas.
Some white screens are great at increasing overall brightness and maintaining contrast, but often result in grayish blacks, reducing the effect of image depth.
The NothingProjector screen does a great job of darkening the blacks significantly while maintaining the clarity of the whites.
We compared this screen to other screens of the same type, and the NothingProjector currently comes out on top. This ranking may change over time, so check out the comparisons along with this review to see if we’ve tested a better alternative.