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View Full Version : My DIY Gray Polywall Screen and the Evo


TeamSpeed
12-30-06, 09:08 PM
Thanks to all the wonderful effort here, I decided to make my own fixed screen for as little money as possibly allowed given the material in this area.

Also, I am an owner of the LumenLab Evo version launch version, so we are talking about getting an entry level projector working with said screen as best as I can with this DIY, coupled with the Evo's limited specs and my living space.

I know I could have started with a cheaper substrate had I known I wanted gray, but I thought the Polywall would be all I needed. However, when I put some gray painted WA-DW samples up against the Polywall, the Evo needs a gray screen to draw out more contrast, and it has the lumens necessary to light up a gray. So I had only one option and that was to paint my Polywall.

Here is my post at Lumenlab. I am very happy with the color and contrast of this finished screen due to all the research performed here, many thanks to Tiddler too.


So after following all the DIY stuff over at AVS Science, I finally decided whether I could build the cheapest screen I could, and if it failed to work out, I would just go buy either the LL electric screen or the Monoprice electric screen. I figure my total cost of all the material is about $65.

Took about all day, due to my only power tools being a cordless drill and new stapler, and my only saw being a hacksaw, but I finally framed and felted my frame, and got the Polywall stapled to the frame. My biggest hurdle was not actually in building the screen, but the fact that my screen has to sit off my wall about 10 inches, to clear the mantel and the wall artwork. I tried a few things and finally got it to sit on my mantel and then suspend off the wall using a couple of those double hooks with the threaded middle section that loosens or tightens both hooks. These mount to the sides of the frame and then to hooks in the wall a few inches above.

Anyway, the picture is pretty nice, I still wish Parkland Plastics would make a gray polywall, I tried a sample of Wilsonart Designer White, and painted a few different gray sections on it. I really liked the contrast of the gray, but this white screen will work.

Our living room is the worst possible layout for a PJ. Cathredal ceilings, every single ceiling and wall is white. White vinyl blinds on the windows, and a wide viewing area. Nothing even close to a theatre room. But anyway, here is how it all worked out using the Evo with a Parkland Polywall DIY screen. Loads better than my white wall, but now that I am projecting 10" forward, my screen size is now down to a 96" instead of 105".

Pic of screen in fully lit room:
http://www.invisicord.com/images/misc/evo_1a.jpg (http://www.invisicord.com/images/misc/evo_1.jpg)

Pic of screen in dark room:
http://www.invisicord.com/images/misc/evo_2a.jpg (http://www.invisicord.com/images/misc/evo_2.jpg)

wbassett
01-02-07, 10:05 PM
TeamSpeed, how do you like the Evo? You have a DIY screen and a DIY PJ and the pics look pretty damn good.

The site doesn't have a lot of specs, but how many lumens does it have and what's the resolution? The screen shots look great and you did an awesome job. :)

My son would love your setup for his XBox, but I think it's an eye opener for a lot of people too.

TeamSpeed
01-02-07, 10:28 PM
Specs are decent, and we now basically use this for our evening TV watching. The specs are 800x480, obviously very entry level, and you can see the jaggies from time to time on high contrast diagonal lines, but after a few minutes, you acclimate to the image and it looks just fine. The lumens are rated at 1000, and it turns out that a 15min job to remove the AG coating and glue enhances these stats quite a bit, I haven't done that yet.

My one gripe is the loud fans, there are 6, and 2 are near 40 dec. in level. Folks have completely dissected the Evo, and are looking at aftermarket fans. Also, Evo 1.0 owners will get an upgraded board due to a scaling firmware bug, and we might also then get a DVI input too with this free upgrade. Just a rumor at this point, but right from the man himself (Brain).

I moved my second post that shows the Xbox screens over to the other post, per Tiddlers request, but they look pretty darn good. Once I tried a painted gray sample on WA-DW, it has bugged me ever since with all the white samples and my original Polywall screen. I just knew that the colors could pop better and contrast better if I had gray, so I had to go the paint route.

Since my room is the absolute worst set up for a home theater short of moving everything outside, I decided to make a 96" diag setup for the least amount of funds across 3-5 years with no restrictions on TV/movie/Xbox viewing times, and the Evo with a DIY gray screen seems to fit this requirement. I don't know of any other combination for under $600 across 5 years that will do this.

Many thanks to you and all the others research into DIY screens. I have lurked here for about 2 months reading and following all threads, then when I got the Evo shipped, I had some great directives to follow on a DIY screen. This is just my first attempt, and I will get better on other screens, like painting the wood black before applying felt so nothing gets past the felt, etc. The Evo being a low lumen pj, it really benefits from a screen like what I have.

I posted some Fifth Element shots on this gray screen over on the FnEasy DIY Painted Screen Solution (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=776981) thread.

wbassett
01-02-07, 11:32 PM
Thanks for the specs, and I think you did a fantastic job and research... kept the price vs performance factor into account and added your own to it as well.

The bulb life alone makes this a very interesting option, and the 1080p ones look taylor made for a screen like DW :)