Projection Screen

[JJP]

Hey everybody,

I want to upgrade my home theatre and get a new screen. There are so many choices out there that its overwhelming. Can somebody point me in the right direction? I have a large rec room that doesn't get a lot of natural light so what's the best screen to get? Does size really matter :lol:

thanks!

JJ Patterson

[grayfox]

Hello JJP,



Yes the choices are overwhelming! If your room is kind of dim you're in luck for you can buy a RPTV and save money.

Most RPTVs (I personally recommend Sony or Samsung) have multiple HDMIs, some Mitsubishi models are even 3D ready.

The best part is that these TVs perform like an LCD or LED but at a fraction of the price, I got my Sony on Craigslist!!! all it needed was a new lamp!

There are obvious other options from a flat screen to a front projector depending on your budget and preference.

Please feel free to post what kind of home theater you want and ask away.

[JJP]

Hi Grayfox,

I have a home theatre set up with using a Optoma DS317 that gave us a cinema experience but is great for gaming. I've been using a white wall that was flat and smooth enough to give a decent pic. However, my partner is about to paint the whole basement in shades of olive green and desert beige. So no more white walls! I need to buy a projector screen but I'm not sure where to start. I thought someone on this forum might be able to suggest a few options.

Thanks for your help.

JJ

[admin]

Hi JJ,

The good news is that you'll notice a huge improvement in the image when you get an actual projector screen. Light on white walls is reflected differently and can work for a projection screen. Have you noticed any distortion when projecting onto the wall? The most portable type f are the free-standing projectors, sometimes called a tripod screen. They are the type you usually see in business presentations using projectors but not so much with home theatre screens. Again, they get the job done but I suspect you want something more upscale to match your newly decorated basement.



Fixed-frame screens look like a flat panel television but with a metal or plastic frame. Since you have the space you can mount it directly on the wall or in a cabinet within the wall with some curtains for protection to add to the home theater decor decor. If space is limited, then you may choose to install a pull down screen. These manual pull-and-release screens are held on by a semi-permanent mounting on the wall that fits above paintings or other decorations. You pull down the screen when you want to watch TV and then put it back up. It can come down over bookcases or other paintings.



If convenience and ease of use if important then an electric pull down screen may be for you. These are very versatile and can be mounted on either the ceiling or wall. Sometimes they are even out into a recessed part of the ceiling. You flick the switch and the projector screen comes down. It gives you are professional look but you need a power source to operate it and they can be expensive.



You can read more about the types of screens over at our blog. Check out our article: Screens and your 1080p DLP projector

[url]http://www.fixyourdlp.com/2013/08/06/screens-and-your-1080p-dlp-projector//[/url].



Once you have decided about what kind of screen you would like for your home theatre, let me know. We can discuss the next step and other important considerations when buying a screen. Hope this helps.

ShelaghM

Admin-assistant

[JJP]

Hey Shelagh,

One of the reasons we want to buy a screen is that sometimes we do notice the picture a bit distorted for certain shows. We also have to keep the room with absolutely not lights one and my wife is tired of stumbling around in the dark. We looked over that article you suggested. Very helpful. I found this article as well http://www.overstock.com/guides/choosing-a-projector-screen-for-your-home-theater

So we've decided to go with a pull down screen -- maybe an electrical one. I'm looking at whether we could get the screen to come down over bookcases -- kind of a dual purpose. Do you know if this have been done before?

Thanks,

JJ

[ovadoggvo]

JJP,

Excuse me just budding in here but I have seen many electric projector screens around schools and offices. It seems like some of them are higher quality than others. I have also seen some screens display brighter picture than others - I believe the material of the screen has a lot to do with the way the picture looks in different lighting settings / ambiance. Obviously the type of projector and the lamp inside that projector also matters.



I've replaced many projector lamps and have noticed that the original Philips lamps give a much brighter picture than the generics. You probably want to make sure the lumens of the projector are sufficient for your rooms lighting - and you want to make sure the lamp inside hasn't been swapped out with a generic lower-luminosity lamp.



Good luck.

[JJP]

Hey Ovadoggvo,

Thank for bringing that point up about the screen material. My wife didn`t believe me when i told her that material does matter. I think it`s probably better to buy mid-range than low ball it. last we want is for the projector to get stuck up or down. Can you recommend any places to buy a decent projector screen? There seems to be lots of places but I am a bit hesitant after my experience with the lamp for our projector. Anybody in the forum have experience with using a grey screen? I read that it makes the blacks pop when the image is projected. Thanks for your help and for those great articles. Easy to follow and full of great info.

I`ll keep you posted if i find anything of interest. i`m hoping to get this set up in time for the game.

later!

jjp

[grayfox]

Hello id like to join the conversation with a little about your last question,



Gray screens are also called "high contrast screens" because they intend to boost contrast on digital projectors in rooms that are not entirely dark. The gray screen absorbs ambient light that strikes it better than a white screen does and the black level on the screen is maintained. The Philips lamp is then mentioned by ovadoggvo because if the projector has ample lumen output as a digital projector with a Philips brand lamp, the whites remain satisfyingly white, while blacks are maintained at a deeper black. What the gray screen is intending to do is to increase the contrast range of the image on the screen.



So before making your decision, do you plan to have a dark viewing room, with dark walls, ceilings, furniture, etc? If yes, then your best solution is a white screen with a high contrast projector. However, most home theater installations are not done on a dedicated, fully darkened viewing room. Projection systems are frequently set up in living rooms, family rooms and whole basements with walls in shades of olive green and desert beige! These come along with colored ceilings, drapes, furniture, etc. Thus, even when the lights are fully off, the light being reflected from the screen will bounce off of the reflective elements in the room and back onto the screen. In this situation, a gray screen will be more effective at killing this incident light and thus maintaining deeper black levels on the screen.



Hope this helps you and let us know how your project is coming along, hopefully in time for the Super Bowl XLVIII!

[JJP]

Hi grayfox,

Thank for the info on the high contrast screens. The room we have for our home theater is pretty dark. It was actually a former dark\office for the photographer who lived here before. We didn't know what to do with the room since it was so dark but still a decent size. It was too dark and dungeon-like for a guest bedroom. We didn't want to start tearing down walls and so the home theater project was started. I got some great suggestions from the avsforum.com home theater of the month and have been working on it gradually. The screen is the final part of the renovation. I think we will be okay with the traditional white screen and we are looking at a non-motorized screen with the old fashioned pull-down method. Do you have any experience with the various brands? It's hard to know where to start even though we have narrowed down our choices.

Thanks for the help,

JJ

[grayfox]

Wow, how great that you get to begin with a photography dark room and adapt it to a home theater viewing room! Since the ambiance lighting will be darker than in normal rooms once finished, and this is a basement, probably the last thing you want to make sure is that your projector is set to high contrast and that the lamp is preferably Philips to provide the lumens necessary for your room.



So a manual storing white screen would have also been my choice for this installation. I've seen generic or no name screens purchased online which are not that good. I installed one in my Economics class once (long story and I needed an extension on an exam!), it was like a midrange company I got it at Office Depot and it was ok, but just ok. The best brand I have seen so far I ran into by mistake and had nothing to do with the installation, it was actually at the now closed Candlestick Park. The brand I will never forget being a 49ers fan, it is DaLite or Da-Lite as they have it on their website. I looked around but could not find one that stored away manually, do you have the option to have a fixed wall screen? They have white screens that look and perform Amazing!

[JJP]

Hey Grayfox,

I checked out your recommendation and we ended up going with the Da-Lite Cinema Vision projector screen. We do have a fixed wall and this projector screen can handle low levele of ambient light, which we automatically have since this used to be a darkroom in the basement. It also produces terrific vidoe images with a higher amount of brightness -- something I have been experimenting with --gaming. There's been no colour shift at any viewing angle and that's been very cool. My wife was sold with the mildew resistance and it being so easy to clean with soap and water. it was easy to install and set up. So, we are happy with the set-up. Thanks for all the great tips. It really did make it easier to decide. Now I am looking at installing an HDTV antenna for better cable.

Has anyone had experience with any of these beasts?