Brightness is the number buyers get wrong most often. Enter your screen size and how bright the room is, and see roughly how many ANSI lumens you need.
How it works
The calculator aims for a target screen brightness in foot-lamberts: about 16 for a dark room, 30 with some light, and 50 in a bright room. Lumens needed equal that target times the screen area in square feet, divided by the screen gain. We add 20% because lamps and lasers dim over time.
These are rule-of-thumb estimates. Compare them with ANSI lumens, not the larger LED lumens or lux numbers some brands print on the box.
Frequently asked questions
What are ANSI lumens?
ANSI lumens are a standard way to measure projector brightness. Many cheap projectors advertise much bigger numbers that are not measured the same way.
What is screen gain?
Gain shows how much light the screen reflects compared with a standard white screen. A plain white screen is about 1.0, and ambient light rejecting screens may differ.
Is more brightness always better?
No. In a fully dark room, too much brightness can look harsh and washes out black levels. Match the brightness to your room.
