When it comes to front-projection home theaters, the screen you choose is as much as half of the recipe to you getting the ultimate level of performance from your video system. To get the most out of your newest big-screen investment, there are a few key things you'll have to consider. First is your viewing distance. While the allure of going big may be tempting, exercise some restraint. Next, you'll want to look at what type of light control you have over your room. We hope you can make it completely black. Lastly, and I'm simplifying this list a bit, you have to take a long hard look at your projector itself. Screens react differently to LCD vs. DLP, etc., and are also sensitive to your projector's light output. With so many factors to consider, it's important to look to a manufacturer that offers a wide variety of surfaces, finishes and styles to best suit your needs. Da-Lite, one of the biggest names in the screen business, fits the bill perfectly and their Cinema Contour line of screens is bound to satisfy even the most discerning videophile. 

Available in sizes ranging from 60 inches to 240 inches diagonal in 4:3 format, and 92 inches to 220 inches in 16:9, the Cinema Contour series is about as well-rounded as they come. The Cinema Contour series is a fixed design, using a 45-degree metal frame that boarders the screen material of your choice and can be finished in standard black or a in a choice of seven wood veneers. The addition of wood veneers is a nice bonus if your screen will be located in a living room or living space, giving it a more picture frame-esque quality than a cinema screen border. Oh, and what screen choices there are. In fact, there are 12 in all, suited for nearly every projector, application and acoustic space. The best thing about the Cinema Contour series is that, despite all the added features and/or finishes, it remains fairly affordable, costing on average a third as much as the competition, which seems to be the case for most Da-Lite products.

High Points
• Easy to assemble and loaded with finish options, the Cinema Contour series is more versatile in terms of interior design and video performance than most competitors.
• The affordability and vast dealer chain make Da-Lite a go-to company when you want to break into the front-projection game.
• The Cinema Contour series can be ordered in a perforated screen material, allowing the front speakers to be mounted behind the screen for a true theater-style look and feel.

Low Points
• Overall performance and quality are not quite on par with the very best, but the Cinema Contour competes nicely and even bests many products within its price category.
• The perforated screen, while good and affordable, does show some of its perforations in bright scenes if you're looking closely or sitting too close to the screen.

Conclusion
There are a number of screens out there that retail for under a grand, but none as comprehensive or good as Da-Lite's Cinema Contour. With finish options more befitting a speaker cabinet and one of the vastest assortments of screen materials make the Da-Lite a sort of Swiss Army Knife among screens available today.