There aren't many projector screens that are also way-cool gadgets, but the Elite Screens PicoScreen PC35W ($111) qualifies. Packed in its soft carrying case, it looks like it could be a half-size samurai sword. Slide it out of the case, and it takes about two seconds to set it up as a 35-inch (diagonal) screen. For anyone who uses a palmtop or pico projector, whether for business or at home, the PC35W ($85.88 at Amazon) is an ideal companion. It's also our Editors' Choice for a portable screen to pair with a small projector.

The PC35W doesn't offer as large a screen size as some other portable models, including the 50-inch Epson ES1000 , for example. On the the other hand, it's even smaller than the Epson ES1000, which measures 34.5 by 4.3 by 2.4 inches (HWD) when closed. The PC35W measures only 1.5 by 28.9 by 2.8 inches when closed, making it small enough to easily fit into an airplane's overhead storage bin. It's lighter as well, at 1 pound 5 ounces. Most important is that it's a more appropriate size for pocket projectors (both pico and palmtop size), whose brightness ratings are often well below 100 lumens.

Basics

Much like the Epson ES1000, the PC35W is designed to sit on a conference-room table facing a projector at the other end. To set it up, you simply hold the base with one hand, pull the screen out with the other, and put it on the table. The entire process takes all of two seconds. When you're done, closing the screen up again is just as easy and fast. As with the Epson ES1000, if you bring the PC35W with you for, say, a business presentation, you don't have to worry whether the office you're visiting has an appropriate screen you can use.

The screen is held up by two metal arms. A spring-loaded mechanism holds the material perfectly flat and makes the PC35W both infinitely adjustable and easy to open and close. Fully open, the aspect ratio is 4:3. If your projector has a 16:10 or 16:9 aspect ratio, you can set the screen short of full extension, although you may have to readjust the screen's setting, since there's no audible click or other indication of the right position for other aspect ratios.

The actual white screen material measures 21 by 27.6 inches (HW), with no left or right border. Add roughly two inches to the total height, including 1.5 inches for the base the screen rolls out from and back into, and another half-inch for the black, metal bar that borders the top and that you pull up and push down to open and close the screen.

Using the Screen

Because the base of the PC35W doesn't have any feet on the bottom to swing out and keep it stable, I was a little concerned that it might fall over easily if someone, say, bumped into a table it was sitting on. However, the center of gravity is low enough that it didn't even wobble much when I set it up and then shook the table with both hands. Also important for a screen that you would likely use with people seated around a table is the 1.1 gain, which means it offers essentially the same brightness from any viewing angle.

The soft carrying case is just large enough to give you room to slide the PC35W in and out easily. In addition to protecting the metal casing from scratches and other minor damage, it offers a strap to help make the screen easier to carry. The strap isn't big enough to sling over your shoulder, but it's the right size to grab with one hand.

Conclusion

There are plenty of larger portable screens you might want to consider, including the ES1000 and the still larger Epson ES3000 and the Optoma DP-MW9080A . However, larger screens are harder to carry with you, and they require a projector that puts out enough lumens to give you a bright image that fills the screen. The Elite Screens PicoScreen PC35W is small enough to carry easily, and its size makes it an excellent companion for pocket projectors. It's our Editors' Choice for portable projector screens.

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Further Reading

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