What gain is actually saying
Gain describes how efficiently a screen sends light back to the seats, against a reference white. 1.0 is neutral. Below 1.0 the peak is dimmer and blacks often hold. Above 1.0 the centre seat is brighter and a step off-axis loses it.
Maker figures are a direction, not a number two labs can duel over. You are choosing a room, not circling the largest digit on a sheet.
0.6–0.8: the usual UST living-room band
Lenticular / CBSP ultra-short-throw ALR often lives here. They give up a little peak brightness for stronger ceiling-light control and a wider sofa. NIKOHOME floor-rising, ceiling and drop-down screens follow that optical logic — they do not chase a 1.6 advert.
Near 1.0: brighter dead-ahead, less room to wander
Materials around 1.0–1.2 (many Fresnel fixed frames) are brighter on axis and harder on side light, with a tighter ideal seat. Fine when the sofa faces the wall and not many people sit. A household that sits at an angle, or walks, will feel the edges go dull.
1.4–1.6: ask about seats before the number
Higher gain narrows the beam. A demo room dead-ahead looks brilliant; a living room of people around a table finds hotspots and a shift in colour. NIKOHOME’s work is 92–150-inch ultra-short-throw living rooms. High gain is not a default upgrade.
How this meets a NIKOHOME plan
A closed living room and a wide sofa: CBSP floor-rising or drop-down, accept the 0.6–0.8 band, let the host supply the light. A south wall of glass and people sitting square-on: talk Fresnel or a brighter host — not a screen that merely claims more gain.