Today’s compact yet powerful front video projectors may leave you with a too bright an image to watch! This being especially so if you intend to watch a projected image in a darkened room – which after all, is most often the case with a home theater setup.Defining ‘Screen Gain’Prior to proceeding with our discussion, it is important that one has a full understanding of what the term ‘screen gain’ is all about.It may sound strange that we talk about ‘gain’ when in reality a projector screen is nothing more than a passive device. Yet there is – it is all a question of how the screen surface distributes the reflected light.Screen gain is a measurement of the reflectivity of the screen surface. It measures the ability of the screen to direct incident light back to the audience.The gain number represents the ratio between incident light and reflected light. A flat matte white surface has a gain of approximately 1. A gray screen has a gain less than 1 and therefore, it attenuates incident light. Reflective screen surfaces have gains greater than 1; these projection screens direct more incident light back to the audience.Gain is always measured in front and…