Best floor rising projector screen for a UST or long-throw projector

Updated 2026-11-11 · Pick: VIVIDSTORM S PRO (Plus) Floor Rising UST ALR, 72–130 in: $1,774 on vividstormscreen.com (checked 2026-11-11): https://dealectric.com/go/vividstorm-s-pro-floor-rising-ust-alr

Short answer. For a UST projector, the best floor rising projector screen is the VIVIDSTORM S PRO: 0.6-gain UST ALR with a trigger dongle in the box, so it rises when the projector turns on. Elite Screens' Kestrel CLR 3 follows the projector only via a 12 V trigger output or the add-on ZUSBV-RC1.

Searched as: best floor rising projector screens 2026 UST ALR Elite Screens Vividstorm Nothing Projector

How this table was made: each figure comes from the maker's own US product page or manual, or from the reviewer named next to it, checked 2026-11-11. Dealectric does not test units itself. Rows with a Buy link are products Dealectric lists: the links are affiliate links, and their codes are re-tested in the brand's own cart every day (last check 2026-11-13).

What the differences mean

• Ceiling light on a UST screen. The Hook Up tested 100-inch units in March 2023, before the current S PRO Plus came out. It measured the VIVIDSTORM S Pro rejecting 60% of light coming from 15° and 80% from 45°. The Elite Kestrel CLR3 rejected 49% and 70%. So the Elite lets through 51% ÷ 40% = 1.28× as much light at 15°, and 30% ÷ 20% = 1.5× as much at 45°.
• Brightness in a dark room. The same test measured 0.97 gain on the Elite and 0.74 on the VIVIDSTORM. 0.97 ÷ 0.74 = 1.31, so with the lights off the Elite is about 31% brighter.
• Price per square foot of picture. Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 CineWhite 122 in: 106.3 × 59.8 in = 44.2 sq ft, so $1,923 ÷ 44.2 = $43.5/sq ft. Kestrel CLR 3 121 in: 105.5 × 59.3 in = 43.45 sq ft, so $2,864 ÷ 43.45 = $65.9/sq ft. VIVIDSTORM S PRO Plus 130 in (presale): 113.3 × 63.7 in = 50.2 sq ft, so $3,187 ÷ 50.2 = $63.5/sq ft. Per square foot, UST light-rejecting material costs 46–51% more than matte white.

Your setup	Fits	Why
UST projector in a living room with the lights on	VIVIDSTORM S PRO	Best measured ceiling-light rejection (60% / 80%); sync dongle included
UST projector at the lowest price	NothingProjector PET Crystal Classic	From $999; the 85% ambient-light figure is the maker's claim
UST projector in a dark room	Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 2 CLR 3	Measured gain 0.97, against 0.74 for the VIVIDSTORM
Ceiling-mounted or long-throw projector in a lit room	VIVIDSTORM S ALR Obsidian	ALR built for normal-throw projectors, 0.8 gain
Any throw type in a dark room	Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 CineWhite, or NothingProjector Matte White	Matte white works with UST, short and long throw; NothingProjector's is 1.3 gain, from $699

$1,774: https://dealectric.com/go/vividstorm-s-pro-floor-rising-ust-alr VIVIDSTORM also sells the S PRO Plus from US stock that ships from Arizona, if you want it sooner: $1,533: https://dealectric.com/go/vividstorm-s-pro-plus-us-warehouse. For a ceiling-mounted or long-throw projector: $1,194: https://dealectric.com/go/vividstorm-s-alr-floor-rising-long-throw

Making a floor rising screen go up and down with the projector

Every screen here comes with a remote. To make it rise when the projector turns on and lower when it turns off, you need a trigger, and which trigger works depends on the screen.

• Elite Screens Kestrel. These screens take a 12 V trigger, wired through the wall box or sent wirelessly through the RF remote. Many UST projectors have no 12 V output. For those, Elite sells the ZUSBV-RC1, which "uses the projector's USB 5V Type A power supply to send a radio frequency signal" and has a 49 ft range. Elite names the Kestrel Tab-Tension CLR 5, Tab-Tension 3 CineGrey 4D and Tab-Tension 2 CLR 3 as compatible. It lists "All Non-RC1 versions" as incompatible. The Tab-Tension 3 CineWhite is not on the list, so ask Elite before you count on it.
• Elite's older ZU12V trigger won't work as a backup. Elite's own page says it is "Not compatible with Floor-Rising Up/Down Screens" and marks it discontinued.
• VIVIDSTORM. The S PRO ships with a projector trigger dongle for automatic sync. VIVIDSTORM's S ALR listing says its dongle is "Not compatible with all projectors". If the dongle doesn't work with your projector, the RF remote, app and voice control still do.
• AWOL Vision. The USB Synchronized Trigger plugs into the projector's USB port. The screen's control box also remembers a rise limit, so the screen stops at the height you set.

A USB trigger runs on the port's 5 V, so the screen follows the power on that port, not the picture. Before you rely on one, check that your projector's USB port loses power when the projector turns off.

Not recommended

Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 CineGrey 4D with a UST projector. It shares the Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 name with the CineWhite model, which suits every throw type. Elite lists the CineGrey 4D (1.1 gain, 70°) as "Not Compatible With Ultra-short/Short Throw or Triple Laser Projectors", so buy it only for a standard-throw projector. VIVIDSTORM's S White Cinema has the same limit: the maker says it is "Not compatible Ultra short throw Laser projector".

Sources

• VIVIDSTORM S PRO (Plus): $1,774 for the lowest-priced size, 0.6-gain lenticular ALR, 170°, UST, trigger dongle and RF remote included (read 2026-11-11) — vividstormscreen.com
• VIVIDSTORM S ALR Obsidian: ALR for normal-throw projectors, 0.8 gain, 150°, dongle 'Not compatible with all projectors', $1,194 (read 2026-11-11) — vividstormscreen.com
• VIVIDSTORM 130 in S PRO Plus presale: $3,187 (read 2026-11-11) — vividstormscreen.com
• NothingProjector PET Crystal Classic: $999 for the lowest-priced size, UST only (throw ratio <1.0), 0.85 gain, 178°, claims 85% of ambient light absorbed (read 2026-11-11) — global.nothingprojector.com
• NothingProjector Matte White floor rising: $699 for the lowest-priced size, 1.3 gain, long, short or UST throw (read 2026-11-11) — global.nothingprojector.com
• AWOL Vision Cinematic ALR floor rising: $1,699 for the lowest-priced size, 0.8 peak gain, 170°, syncs with LTV-2500 / LTV-3000 Pro / LTV-3500 Pro / Aetherion, USB Synchronized Trigger, height memory (read 2026-11-11) — awolvision.com
• Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 2 CLR 3: UST only, 0.8 gain, 170°, 12 V trigger wired or via RF, optional ZUSBV-RC1 (read 2026-11-11) — elitescreens.com
• Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 2 CLR 3 121 in: $2,864 at Elite's store (read 2026-11-11) — shop.elitescreens.com
• Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 CineWhite: UST, short and standard throw, 1.1 gain, 180°, 122/140/150/183 in, 12 V trigger, RC1 control (read 2026-11-11) — elitescreens.com
• Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 122 in: $1,923 at Elite's store (read 2026-11-11) — shop.elitescreens.com
• Elite Kestrel Tab-Tension 3 CineGrey 4D: 1.1 gain, 70°, not compatible with ultra-short-throw, short-throw or triple-laser projectors (read 2026-11-11) — elitescreens.com
• Elite ZUSBV-RC1: runs on the projector's USB 5 V, 49 ft RF range, compatible with Kestrel CLR 5 / TT3 CineGrey 4D / TT2 CLR 3, not with non-RC1 screens (read 2026-11-11) — elitescreens.com
• Elite ZU12V: 'Not compatible with Floor-Rising Up/Down Screens', discontinued (read 2026-11-11) — elitescreens.com
• The Hook Up, 2023-03-09: measured gain 0.74 vs 0.97 and light rejection at 15°/45° of 60%/80% vs 49%/70%, VIVIDSTORM S Pro vs Elite Kestrel CLR3 (read 2026-11-11) — www.thesmarthomehookup.com

Published 2026-11-11; updated 2026-11-11. The buy links are affiliate links; see the disclosure. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.