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What can anyone tell me about Projector Screens? Here's my dilemma: I have a great little area that would suit a projector really well. Throw distance is around 16'6", with a viewing distance around 11'6" because of the layout. Ceiling height is 6'5". I did a bunch of research on both specs and prices, and getting a Sony VPL-HW40ES projector, a 100-108" Elunevision screen and a ceiling mount for $2900CAD was hitting the perfect sweet spot. Then I find out that the company I was looking to purchase from (Eastporters) may not be an authorized Sony dealer in Canada (though they are authorized for nearly every other big brand). So - three choices. Get a different projector, buy from them and assume I'll never get support from Sony, or buy from an Authorized dealer for $3,000 and skip the ceiling mount, and build a DIY screen. I'm leaning towards the latter, but don't know where to start with screens - most of the DIY guides on the web fall far below my standards. I don't want to paint a wall, I want to actually make a nice screen using proper material...
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Feb 28, 2016 23:02
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Ixian posted:Speak of the devil: dammit why can't you be in canada 
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May 8, 2016 22:51
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I got the OK from my Fiancee for a projector, once our wedding is over with. She's not a fan of the furniture setup for the room that would be most conducive to a projector (putting the PJ 4-5' behind us) so I'm looking at getting a smaller form factor that would sit above our couch. As such, my question is: how loud is going to be too loud? Should I go for something like a LED ultra short throw, or just get the quietest one that I can afford? BenQ's HT2050 seems to top a lot of Budget lists... a larger/quieter one might be too big for being over our heads (ceiling height is 6' 5"). The room will be very dark, so I can get away with lower brightness settings I think. I don't have a screen, so I can also get a low gain screen if that will help things...
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Aug 24, 2016 20:33
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Elysium posted:One thing I've noticed browsing home cinema stuff is that people seem 98% concerned with the sound system compared to anything else and put in the budgets to match. Kind of boggles my mind, I just want to watch big movies you know? Well the big movies lose the imapct of the bigness if the sound isn't comparable!  That being said I've got Orb Audio speakers in my movie room (~10 x 12) and they are more than adequate with a 10" sub. Regarding your washout issues, typically you would base your screen material both on the projector's power and your viewing distance, but also your ambient light situation. I'm in a similar situation to you (veto on the dark ceiling even though we literally just watch movies in the space and it's in the basement...) so the only real solution is an Ambient Light Rejecting (ALR) screen with a gain of <1. I bought the 3700 from the Epson Clearance website a few years ago (and even put it in a port in my wall like you did) and it's definitely bright. I haven't been bothered enough by the contrast to get an ALR screen, but after a tonne of research and chatting on the AVS forums it's clear that that's the best solution. I will probably try a DIY painted screen over the summer to see how much of a difference it makes, because I wasn't satisfied with the samples I ordered (Elite screens I think, and Carl's)... they are very sparkly from certain angles. If you want to see the kind of magic an ALR screen can do... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-4E8qU_dxQ this provides a good overview of screen material selection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx6dYwRezAM edit: pasted wrong link originally Guitarchitect fucked around with this message at 03:52 on Apr 24, 2020 |
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Apr 24, 2020 03:37
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IbrahimSom posted:I recently bought the Benq mh535 fhd and I'm satisfied with it as a monitor and tv replacement. I endorse this product. I bought it refurbished for $379 off of BenQ's website. Make sure you sit really close
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Jun 20, 2020 03:01
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Discernibly Turgid posted:So, this is a good case of timing: if you really are interested in a proper, nice projector, I can help you out. I’m a dealer (by way of my company) for JVC and Sony (for others too, but nothing I’d recommend) and can hook you up. Unlike the super affordable stuff, there’s a real markup on the better gear, so you can save real money. It’s not “fell off the truck” type stuff, it’s from an authorized dealer with full warranties etc. Oh man, I wish I needed a new projector now! After I discovered Epson's online warehouse (which offers the exact same warranty as "new" units) I got us an Epson 3700... my wife was skeptical before I bought it for us and thought I was being silly but luckily she trusted my judgement. After the first few movies on it she agreed that it's probably the single best purchase of anything that we've ever made (well aside from IVF but that's more of an "investment" but I digress). I can't understate how great it is to have the theatre experience in the comfort of your own home! We have a nice little 12x12 room in the basement with a 6'6" ceiling which is the perfect little theatre. In researching for that first projector I learned about (and enjoyed) what JVC has to offer in terms of black levels... holy moly. I saw a demo at a retailer and wow is it ever impressive. Knowing we didn't have the funds for an incredible screen as well I figured it wasn't quite worth the investment yet - I figured I'd whet the wife's appetite with the sub-$1,000CAD projector first  I'm at the point, though, where I would like to at least get the most out of the projector... we're currently still projecting onto a slightly off-white colored wall, and I have no latitude for painting the walls/ceiling in a theatre-friendly way... naturally that leads me to ALR screens. Do you have any thoughts/recommendations? The room only has one window, off to the side, which is maybe 2' x 2' and gets ambient light (it faces another house 7' away) - so it's not so much about getting an amazing image in daylight, it's more about preventing washout from the white walls/ceiling when we're watching a movie. I may go the DIY route but it'd be nice to hear some opinions!
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Aug 14, 2020 21:03
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Discernibly Turgid posted:When it comes to very good screens on a budget, EPV are an excellent value (and they have a pretty decent markup on them, so they’re really a bargain if you have someone who’s flexible as a dealer. Not counting clearance stuff (from the distributor), don’t be surprised to find that actual cost on most of these screens is half (or less) than retail and delivery is cheap. haha yeah our house was built in 1917 so basements weren't really all the rage. We're lucky we have the height that we do compared to most houses from that era! I think we're around 9' from head to screen, probably on the order of 90" screen size. I won't mind losing a few inches to a border if it'll mean better colors/contrast. I'll have to take a look at Dragonfly and EPV, thanks very much! I tried some online vendors (Carl's and Elite) but their ALR solutions were sparkly/glittery if that makes sense... it was a little distracting. Any idea if the ones you mention fare better? You're correct that I'm not currently looking for AT, and size is probably about right. I should probably take some dimensions... eventually in a few years we hope to put an extension on the house which would allow for a larger AT screen but I will probably have the same interior decorating limitations.
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Aug 16, 2020 14:32
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ShotgunWillie posted:My Epson 5030 started shutting down randomly after 4-5 years and 3k hours of bulb use. Lamp light on, flashing power. Either a bulb problem or the mainboard dying. good to know!! I have a 3100... I bought it certified refurbished from the epson warehouse and when I bought my wife was rolling her eyes... our 42" TV was fine after all. After the first movie she can't imagine living without it and wants a PJ for the bedroom now too i haven't been keeping a spare bulb on hand but this is a good reminder to do so. I just checked my bulb usage and it's at 1323h out of an average lifespan of 3,500. So, not edging upon EOL quite yet but at 2,000 hours I'll need a backup! I'm still just projecting onto our off-white painted basement wall. What motorized screen are you using? I'm always debating doing a DIY painted ALR screen or going for a motorized one. Our basement theater is "multi use" so a really nice fixed screen is off the cards for now - as is theatre-specific wall treatments or colors.
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Nov 10, 2020 20:10
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| # ¿ Apr 25, 2024 12:16 |
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Ok Comboomer posted:Projectors are very much alive, especially in the pandemic era. It’s just that the market kinda peaked for standard 1080p poo poo a few years back and so things are just sort of coasting/getting cheaper there. Don't forget about lasers!! Lasers are also the newest approach for getting the best image quality, and they help remove one of the annoyance factors of being a projector-owner (bulb management, both in replacement as well as adjusting brightness in the projector as they fade). I know TV images are technically more-awesome at a cheaper pricepoint (and much easier to get - you don't have to figure out reflectance numbers for screen material, treat your room, etc) but I don't think a projector can be beat for the experience it gives you. Zero reflection + huge format + it doesn't burn your eyes. My wife didn't understand why i wanted a projector so badly... then we got one, and after the first movie she was like "ok... i get it. I don't ever want to go back to a TV". And that's just projecting onto whatever off-white color the real estate agent covered the house with before we bought it.
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Aug 30, 2021 20:14
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