Screen Choice

 

Unregistered guest
I've recently built a media room with a DLP front projector. Currently I'm shooting on the wall and the pic is really good, but I know a screen will help.

Anyone out there have any advice on pitfalls to avoid or sure things to do?

Thanks
 

TPE
Unregistered guest
A screen is half the picture, it controls the picture quality, brightness, and clearity. Anyhting will be better than a wall! I will send you my email address, if you want help with details in selecting a screen let me know....there is more to it than one would think.
 

Anonymous
 
screen is 1/2 the picture?

not with the Panasonic AE700U LCD front projector, you could shine it on 5 dollars worth of poster board and it will still look stunning

for new generation true 720p HD projectors, a 200 dollar standard matte white professional screen will look fantastic
 

Get a screen, ditch the wall!
Unregistered guest
I don't agree. A screen will always be preferable to a painted wall, even with the new generation of 'special' paints. You wouldn't have a dinner party will expensive food and then serve it directly onto the table top saying "Well.. the tables as good as a plate!"

Yeah, fair enough projectors are getting much brighter with higher res, but you'd STILL want a screen to aim it at, why only go half way?

My screen ended up coming in at 25% the cost of the projector.. and when I watched my first film on in, compared to the painted wall, no contest!

Try and go for a 'named' brand, recommended by users.. not the person trying to sell it to you. Give yourself a budget and stick to it. I promise that once you start using a screen, you'll never look back.
 

TPE
Unregistered guest
No wonder he didnt leave his name, I would be embarrassed to talk good about a painted wall for a screen too!! One how does one justify buying a projector and not spending atleast $200 on a screen!? How cheap does that look! OK why get a screen....Brightness and contrast(too bright and blacks look grey, colors fade, to dim and you loose definition and have eye strain from a dark picture)..see, a professional measures this in ft lamberts, every room has different reflective properties, sizes, and lighting conditions....how about seating distances, number of chairs....distance of the projector to wall....type of projector...do you get a 1.0 gain or 5.0 gain...what about 2.1 gain...perferated or not....matte, bright, or silver screen type..how about viewing angle (maybe you assume that a screen wont take away that horrible bright spot in the middle, thats why you never sit off axis!!)...etc...? Now do you see why I say it is 1/2 the picture, you can take a $2000 projector and make it look like $4000....at the same time if you are using a wall, you probably have a cheaper LCD projector and have never tried a screen, in which case you take a $1200 projector and make it look like a $700 picture. WHy spend so much more money trying to get a projector to overcompensate what a screen can do for you?
 

Anonymous
 
The AE700u looks great even on a barn door
 

Get a screen, ditch the wall!
Unregistered guest
I agree with you TPE. A projector and screen should really be considered as one purchase, with a decent chunk of the budget going to the screen. Sure, you could save money painting a wall.. or using a bed sheet(!!), but then what would be the point of getting that projector that you probably spent hours researching and chosing to get the best available picture for your money.

Would you watch a TV through dark glasses?

Have you ever seen a cinema using a painted wall and not a screen?

Oh.. and a barn door IS NOT suitable, regardless of how much money you spent on the projector.. even if its painted white!!

 

Anonymous
 
Elite (from Taiwan) makes excellent screens for around 200 dollars, just make sure they have no minor marks from the munufacturing process, which commercial users might ignore, but videophiles would sometimes notice
 

Unregistered guest
Can a good screen help reduce ghosting of images?
Or is that a video issue?

Anyone please.
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