A method is disclosed to determine an optimal optical detector orientation to decode information encoded holographically. The method supplies a matched filter, an orientation image, a holographic data storage medium encoded with the orientation image, and an optical detector comprising a moveable input screen comprising a plurality of detector elements. The method positions the input screen in a plurality of input screen orientations and calculates a correlation factor for each of the input screen orientations. The method determines an optimal optical detector orientation using the plurality of correlation factors.