Which AR to paint to? Your experiences.

[afx]

going to paint my new screen very soon, maybe this weekend or early next weekend.

for awhile, i've only been using standard def sources; it was always 4:3 FS/LB. it came out to an image res of 80"x60". so now that i'm really going putting my mini-theater together, i'll be using hd sources more frequently -- all the sources i've been using previously can now be used via hd. so with hd, the AR will be 16:9 and i'll have an image res of something like 80"x45".

in your opinions, is it worth painting (yes, i'll be painting my next screen) to the 4:3 80x60" which keeps the standard def option open? or have many of you found that you've left the 4:3 behind? i hate the idea that i'll one day have to use a standard def source for something.

also, with the smaller screen size, it'll help keep the job simpler for me, since i'm a first time screen painter. and it'll also keep my masking system simpler as well.

thanks.

[bud16415]

IMO and I may be one of the few that think this way but if you have a 4:3 projector I would stick with a 4:3 screen and when you need it you will have it. Below is a thumbnail of my 4:3 screen you can click on to see more pictures.

http://thumb2.webshots.net/t/51/151/8/48/54/2445848540068493142aXwRWV_th.jpg (http://entertainment.webshots.com/photo/2445848540068493142aXwRWV)

[wbassett]

I agree with Bud even though I didn't go that route myself. A lot of XGA projectors have a wide screen mode, or when watching wide content it will fit on a 16x9 screen, the projector still puts out the full 4x3 throw. It causes overspill on the top and bottom that usually goes way beyond the velvet border of the 16x9 frame. It's not outrageously bad looking but it's definitely an annoyance factor to some extent.

I went with the 16x9 layout because I knew I would be changing projectors soon and didn't want to make a new screen layout. Other's may just like the look of the 16x9 format because it is more exotic and high tech looking than a 4x3 layout. For me personally, since I don't watch TV (don't have cable and haven't for well over two years now) all my DVDs are in wide screen, our screen is wide screen and I use our TV for DVD TV series because they tend to not be as high of a video transfer quality as most movies on DVDs. From what I read it sounds like it's just me, but I am not wasting bulb life to watch regular TV programs like Home Improvement... we have plenty of TV's for watching that type of content.

[afx]

yeah. i'm trying to forsee what possible 4:3 sources i may bump into. as great as it was, i've stopped watching standard def tv on my projector since it isn't hd; i'm not even getting hdtv into the projector room. htpcs and pcs shouldn't be a problem. no vcr. older video camera maybe, but i doubt it.

you're also right about the spillover; not a whole lot would be lost and i've had to do that many times before on a hdtv. and i do like the whole feel of 16:9; more like a movie theater.

thanks for your guys' opinions.