This article is part of our Home Theater Design Series that covers virtually everything you need to know about designing a home theater. One of our top suggestions in improving the video in your home theater is properly aligning the RGB panels on your front projector. This tip only applies to systems utilizing a front projection video display device, but this one can make a really big difference in picture quality and is one of the best ways to improve your picture.

Watch the full video below where we use a Sony projector and step through the menus to show you how to align the panels.

Almost all front projectors have 3 panels in their light engine. Aligning the component colors of the projector ensures that the different pixels, or electron beams, sit in the correct position for the proper color to be displayed. This step is critical in ensuring that the picture is displayed exactly as the filmmaker intended.

Step 1

Every projector with 3 panels should have a menu setting that will either be called panel alignment or pixel adjust. Before moving forward with panel adjustment, you should have already adjusted the focus on your projector to be as clear as possible. If not, you should complete that first using the projector remote or the manual focus on the projector. Be sure to get your room as dark as possible and have your projector warmed up for at least 30 minutes before beginning this process. Since there are red, green, and blue panels in your projector, we want to get them in line with each other. Most projectors let you adjust two of the color panels to align with the third. The owner's manual for your projector will tell you how to make the adjustments using the projector remote control. Projectors normally give you a choice of a general alignment first, then a much more detailed alignment of small areas on the panel. We find you get the best results if you do the general alignment first, then look at the smaller areas and adjust any that look off. Usually, the general one is called shift or whole and the more detailed view is called grid or zone.

Step 2

Select panel align, choose the shift section. You will be able to adjust just one color at a time and will then need to go back and choose the second color. We often get the best outcome when using the large squares in the center of the grid. Once your first color is aligned, jump back and complete the same process for the remaining colors.

Step 3

Once you are happy with the general shift, pull up the grid to have a look at the individual sections. With the grid adjustments, you first have to move to the square you want to adjust using your remote, then start adjusting. Bear in mind, the areas to pay the most attention to are those in the middle of the screen, these are more important than the ones around the perimeter. If you need to adjust several different areas, it is a good idea to shut your eyes for about 10-20 seconds in between each section so you can see more clearly. If your center grids looked great when you started, but now look off after aligning the outer edges, it is better to reset the alignment which is usually an option, go back and do the main shift adjustment and stop there. The improvement you will see is dependent on how far off the alignment was, but if it is off, you should notice much more clarity and focus in your picture.

Step 4

After you have aligned your panels, you should recheck the focus on your projector. Our companion video on projector focus, zooming, and shifting has a great focus pattern at the end.

We hope this has made what can seem like a very technical process become simple for you and make great improvements. At Audio Advice, we've been designing and installing high-performance home theaters & smart home systems for our customers in North Carolina and the surrounding areas for decades. In fact, we've delivered more custom theaters than anyone in the Southeast! We are now offering Home Theater Design no matter where you live in the United States! If you are interested in a custom home theater or upgrading your current system, give us a call 888.899.8776, chat with us, or stop by our award-winning showrooms. We can't wait to help you build your ultimate home theater!