Projector Screen Recommendation Options

[The D-Train]

I think a $7k investment on a screen is money well spent because I'll get many years service out of it.

I think for most, including me (and I dont mind splashing a bit of cash on HT) that is way to much for the average punter or enthusiast for a screen

[Kazz]

I think for most, including me (and I dont mind splashing a bit of cash on HT) that is way to much for the average punter or enthusiast for a screen

Yes I agree with that and like D-train I don't mind splashing out on the HT.

[foxtail]

Yes I agree with that and like D-train I don't mind splashing out on the HT.

Yes Kazz, you have had upgradis for some time! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

[Kazz]

Yes Kazz, you have had upgradis for some time! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) .

You're going to be very shocked here Foxy...................................I've actually satisfied the upgraditis bug..................... for now................................ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[foxtail]

You're going to be very shocked here Foxy...................................I've actually satisfied the upgraditis bug..................... for now................................ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

yeah sure! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

[Riv39]

..................... for now................................ (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Yeah right Kazz........until next week......... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

Back on topic, another vote for Oz Theatre from me, top notch, easy to assemble (no tools required) and first class picture.

16:9 vs 2.37, depends on viewing habits, I use mine for ALL my viewing so 16:9 was first choice due to the ammount of TV we watch using the PJ.

This post has been edited by Riv39: Sep 4 2008, 12:34 PM

[ausvette]

A bit late to this thread, but another vote for Richard and Oz Theatre. Can't say I understand at all the earlier comments about difficulty of assembly. I've had Screen Technics and LP Morgan previously and really assembly on all was pretty similar and quite easy.

I think the flocking on the Oz Theatre is particularly good as is the latest generation of the Evo 3D material. I'm a recent convert to 2.35:1 and anamorphic lenses and there is no going back. Of all the continual upgrades I've made to my home theatre over the last 8 years including projectors, speakers, receivers and screens going to 2.35:1 was by far the biggest step up.

Richard is great to deal with and very supportive of his product and I believe particulalry after going to Cedia this year and seeing the real big dollar screens, that Richard's product is as good as anything out there and much better than most.

[McKenzieJr]

In the past 5 years I have owned or had extended use of:

• an 80" 16:9 Da-Lite pull-up screen (good, solid mobile screen)
• an 80" 16:9 Sony DynaClear pull-up screen (handy in uncontrollable ambient light spaces, but not ideal)
• a 100" 16:9 Planar Xscreen (useless and awkward unless you have perfect viewing environment)
• a 100" 16:9 LP Morgan Galleria Novares (too translucent - fabric not perfectly opaque)
• a 100" 16:9 Longhorn Pro Screen (too dim - fabric seems to be less than 1.0, and textile based)

and now, finally, a ~114" 2.37:1 Oz Theatre Screens Majestic Cinemascope Screen with Evolution 3D fabric (yes, that's 6 screens in 5 years, and yes, my wife is not happy about it). I managed to on sell all of the above bar the Longhorn Pro which, due to adhesive used in the frame and the textile based fabric, resulted in a savage tearing of the fabric when I tried to pack it away for moving.

The 80" pull-up screens were great when I was living in apartments and couldn't put screws into walls or ceilings without upsetting the landlord, and these are definitely a good option if you don't own your own place and like to keep moving between apartments to avoid rent rises. But once I owned my own place and was deciding on fixed screens, 16:9 was ultiamtely a bit of a let-down because 2.35:1 movies (the majority of them) are too small, and to get a big enough 2.35:1 picture on a 16:9 screen, you wind up getting a screen that is overall far too big. For me, I watch a lot of movies, and to get the true cinematic experience at home, Cinemascope is the only way to go - especially now you can get anamorphic lenses that are affordable.

Whatever you do, do not be tempted by the claimed convenience and benefits of "daylight" screens - the technology is still far from perfect, and unless you have the perfect viewing environment to allow set up (no light coming from the direction of the projector other than the projector, offset above or below the screen by 10% of screen height, mounting of projector at least 2.5 - 3 x screen width away, etc.), and a super powerful projector (2000+ lumens after lamp decay minimum), they deliver sub-par performance and are not worth the significant expense involved - this goes for Planar Xscreen, LP Morgan Galleria Noir, and DNP Supernova (the last two are effectively the same screen). One day, maybe they will get it right, but not yet. Personally I think they would be better using the ambient light rejection properties of these screens on ordinary screen fabrics to prevent general washout from light coming off reflective room surfaces and give up the whole idea of daylight viewing. Alas, that's not the direction the technology is going. In the meantime, spend the money on some good blackout curtains instead - they will cost less, and improve the value of your house. Trust this coming from someone who learned the hard way.

As for screen size, screen height is the important factor, and I think room length / 3.68 = screen height, with seating distance at 3 x viewing height usually works out correct. Tempting as it is, do not get a screen that is too big - your projector will have to be super powerful to light it up, and light reflecting off your ceiling, walls or carpet will kill picture quality if the screen is too close to those surfaces (the viewable surface of the screen should be at least 30cm from any of ceiling, walls or floor, and preferably more). Of course, once you've got the right screen height, it's going to be the same height regardless of screen aspect ratio - 1.33:1, 16:9, and 2.37:1 - so you might as well go for Cinemascope if you have the horizontal room to do so in order to future-proof your set-up. My experience has been, you don't really notice the black bars on the side of the picture as much as you do black bars above or (to a lesser extent) below when watching 1.78:1, 1.85:1 or 1.33:1 material on a Cinemascope screen. I happily watched "Cloverfield" (1.78:1) and the last couple of episodes of "Twin Peaks" (1.33:1) on the screen last weekend, and didn't even notice the side bars.

As for brand of screen, the Oz Theatre Screens Majestic Cinemascope is by far the best screen I've owned in terms of price to performance - and I've owned a lot of them (as my wife likes to point out). The Da-Lite was great for mobility during my rental days, but if you don't need that, a fixed screen is the only way to go, and you'll get your best bang for buck for a fixed screen at OZTS. You can also get the OZTS factory direct, which cuts out "middle-man mark-up" and the need to deal with anyone other than the manufacturer - this in turn greatly improves customer service, response time and sorting out of errors (like couriers who don't follow instructions). Again, trust me, this is worth a lot more than it seems.

So, I'll chip in with my recommendation and say, give Richard Ward at OZTS a call and he will help you choose the right screen and the right size. If you can stretch the budget, definitely go for the Evo 3D over the other fabrics - the difference is noticeable over their tandard fabrics, and much better than the fabrics used by LP Morgan or Longhorn, and comparable to screen fabrics from the very "high end" screen makers.

[Tyrus]

Back on topic, another vote for Oz Theatre from me, top notch, easy to assemble (no tools required) and first class picture.

ditto

I have had my majestic for over 2 years now and never had a days worry.

Perhaps of more interest to this thread, is that I have moved house 3 times over the last 2 years. Each time it was a very simple process to pack up and re-install at the new premises, and never a wrinkle in sight.

My only dilema is when to bite the bullet and upgrade to scope.

Cheers
T

[collinhack]

That's not a dilemma, that's a correct choice put off! ;-)

[The D-Train]

My only dilema is when to bite the bullet and upgrade to scope.

Perhaps when they make a projector that can do it alone.

[Hercules]

Hey thanks a lot guys. Very useful info particularly from the guys who have had other screens. I will go for a OZTS cinescope screen. The house I am building will have a 4.5x5.5m dedicated theatre room so I am thinking a 120" (2.8m wide) scope screen should work great.

Thanks again!

[pcardamone]

I would love to grab a screen from Richard, but unfortunately A motorised screen is my only option.....I am going to give a cinamax V5 100" one a go unless anyone else has a better option?

[McKenzieJr]

I would love to grab a screen from Richard, but unfortunately A motorised screen is my only option.....I am going to give a cinamax V5 100" one a go unless anyone else has a better option?

Hi pcardamone,

Whichever retractable screen you choose, I would got with one that is tab-tensioned down the sides. The thing I notice with my "pull up" screens was that over time they started to sag in at the sides - and they were only 80". The Sony DynaClear came with brackets that were meant to prevent this happening but I did not own it long enough to find out whether they were effective - without the brackets it did sag, however, shortly after purchase and the brackets counteracted that. The bigger the screen, the quicker this sag is likely to occur.

I believe that Da-Lite and Draper still have tab-tensioned electric roller screen. LP Morgan used to (Rondo), but not sure these days - I think they just have curved sides that are meant to do the same thing.

Do Cinemax make a tab-tensioned retractable screen? Can't find much info on them on the Web.

This post has been edited by McKenzieJr: Sep 8 2008, 10:37 AM

[Big Kid]

After assembling one together, I have to agree with you that oztheatre screen is not well engineered at all. You have to be a very good handyman, a lot of patience and extremely carefull to assemble one together without damaging the screen. Unlike other screen I've seen, the way the screen fabric is stretched over the frame does not compensate for the expansion/contraction of the materials due to the changes in temperature at all. This will cause wrinkles/ripples over time. Other screen uses tension springs to "stretch" the screen fabric - so the fabric always remains "stretched".
IMHO, it is an expensive DIY product.
Can't comment on the PQ as it is my first screen.

How long have you had your screen for? I wonder how much the screen fabric does contract/expand?
Maybe, Richard (or other owners) can comment on this. Richard????

OP - Are you interested in a fully assembled 100" 16x9 Majestic with Evo 3D (~2mth old)? Are you in Adelaide?

Hi Adelaideltpc would like to discuss the "fully assembled 100" 16x9 Majestic with Evo 3D (~2mth old) Are you in Adelaide? Yes Newbee to site and am unable to email/PM anything to you????

[Adelaideltpc]

Hi Adelaideltpc would like to discuss the "fully assembled 100" 16x9 Majestic with Evo 3D (~2mth old) Are you in Adelaide? Yes Newbee to site and am unable to email/PM anything to you????

Hi Big Kid,
Go here to get your post count up http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?showtop...view=getnewpost so you can use pm.
:-)

[The_Preacher1973]

I would love to grab a screen from Richard, but unfortunately A motorised screen is my only option.....

Still waiting Richard... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)