A projector is only as good as the screen you use with it. In fact, a projector screen is at least 50% of the equation when it comes to projection, and this is why selecting a good screen is especially important. The Nebula 100-inch projector screen is a great option thanks to its smooth surface that makes for great picture quality, large size, compatibility with booth indoor and outdoor environments, and affordable price.
Disclaimer: I received a unit for free from Soundcore. It retails for $169/£99.
Nebula 100-inch projector screen at a Glance
| Pros |
Cons |
| + Super smooth
+ Overall easy assembly + Great image quality + Can be used both indoors and outdoors thanks to free-standing design |
– Can only be used in very dark environments
– Corners are a bit fiddly to build |
Rating: 8/10
Packaging & Accessories
The screen comes in a cardboard box containing the unassembled screen in a carrying bag. Every piece is individually packaged inside a plastic bag, which ensures that everything arrives without scratches. There is also a kit to use the screen outdoors, made of a pair of water bags to use as weight to keep the screen in place as well as cord and pegs to anchor it to the ground securely.
Build
The Nebula 100-inch projector screen is a 16:9 screen that’s rather large at 221 x 122 cm, with the frame leading to an overall size of 233 x 183 cm. It is a fixed-position screen, in the sense that you cannot adjust its height, but it is mobile as you can place it wherever you like thanks to its free-standing design – the frame has its own feet that allow you to place it virtually anywhere. It is, in fact, designed to be used outdoors as well as indoors.
At just 2.4 kg, it is supremely light. The frame uses aluminium rods and plastic corners. The base has retractable, auto-locking feet that keep the structure up and stable. In a home environment, this is all that you’ll need; for the outdoors, using the water bags provided in the box as well as the pegs helps keep the screen in place; due to its feather-light weight, this is essential to ensure it isn’t swooped away by the wind.
The screen itself is made of polyester fabric. Although it comes folded inside the fabric bag with the rods, it is surprisingly crease-free, especially after you mount it onto the frame: the tension is enough to stretch almost all creases away and to give you a very smooth surface, free of any defects that would impact the image being projected on it. The fabric can be washed in a normal washing machine, according to Nebula, ensuring that any dirt that should be on the screen can be easily cleaned.
Soundcore’s claim is that you can assemble the screen in three minutes and it really is easy to put it together, also thanks to the elastic guides that make the rods basically build themselves. The only exception is the two plastic corners, which require a bit of fiddling due to the fabric fitting very precisely and leaving little margin. The website also mentions Velcro straps, but they are nowhere to be seen – the screen has black, tubular fabric borders you need to insert the rods in in order to secure it to the frame. Assembly is easy and quick enough that it can be done by just one person – I could assemble the whole thing by myself and without needing assistance from other people in ten minutes. Considering that it was the first time I’d done it, I think that the three-minute claim is realistic if it is two people assembling the screen.
Picture Quality
This is a so-called high-gain screen, and as such it reflects light coming from the projector effectively. This ensures that bright scenes will appear bright and colours will be generally more intense than in low-gain screens. The other side of the coin is that dark colours won’t have the same depth as low-gain screens, and any ambient light will make the image look washed out.
The matte white surface is smooth and reflects light very effectively, including ambient light. One thing to note, however, is that there is only a single layer, which means that a lot of light from the projector will pass through. In my testing with a Soundcore Nebula P1 projector, it was difficult watching anything during the day due to both the reflecting of ambient light and the lack of a second layer, and it was often downright impossible unless I rolled down the blinds. On the other hand, however, images were bright and colourful at night, when no ambient light was present. This is something to consider carefully if you are going to use this screen outdoors, as you will either need a very bright projector or a dark night.
The fact that the surface is smooth means that the screen will not interfere with the image and will preserve a high degree of detail and sharpness from the projector.
Final Thoughts
Projector screens can be very expensive due to the very specific properties that the materials they are made of need to have, from uniformity of light reflection to smoothness of the surface. There are, however, affordable options that do not compromise on image quality. The Nebula 100-inch projector screen is one such option, as it is sold at a very affordable price without giving up image quality due to this. It is easy to set up, it can be used both indoors and outdoors, and it preserves a lot of details. It is a high-gain screen, which means it can only realistically be used in dark or completely pitch-black environments.
At $169/£99, it is quite affordable (more so in the UK, though) and it offers great value, especially if you are looking for a screen that can be used both indoors and outdoors.
