I was thinking of buying a Dalite Model B High Power fabric screen, 96" wide.

I wanted to boost the brightness when in the color-accurate modes like Theater Dark 1.

I have a 100% light controlled basement theater, and currently throw onto a Behr Silverscreen painted drywall.

Viewing angle shouldn't be an issue.

Anyone using the DaLite High Power with an Epson 400, or other higher gain material?

I'm using an Epson TW700 (brightness fairly similar to Cinema 400) with a Dalite High Power pull down screen. It's placed in a long but narrow room. It's not perhaps ideally situated to use the High Power. The projector is ceiling mounted and the screen is vertically centered on the wall (actually, in front of the fireplace).

What I've found is that there is no hotspotting or non-uniform brightness whatsoever. I was really concerned about that since I'm using a 2.35:1 format screen. However, shifting seating positions from the "sweet spot" under the projector to one of the seats closer to the screen but parallel to the side walls results in a marked decrease in brightness. However, if you don't move around while watching a movie, you might never notice. When I watch at night, even Theater Dark 1 is almost too bright with the high power.

If you have complete light control, I might consider matte white instead, unless you really want that extra punch.

Thanks for the observations.

An 8 ft wide High Power Dalite is looking like a nice try-and-see.

Anyone else have high gain experiences? Other brands/ materials suggestions?

Where are you seeing DaLite High Power for $200 shipped? I am very interested in the same screen and would appreciate the info.

Thank you

I updated my post to comply with forum rules.

For deals on Da Lite High Power screens, use price comparison search engines like Google Product search.

I placed my order at one of the google Product Search hits.

On the one hand, I want another forum member or two to get one and try them out and report back here, preferably with an Epson 400 or its predecessors.

On the other hand, now that I've let the cat out of the bag, the few HP screens the retailer had left at the low price will probably be gone in short order ;)

I better hear some reports back here once these are in your (whoever buys one) hot little hands :D

The projector is ceiling mounted and the screen is vertically centered on the wall (actually, in front of the fireplace).



Do you mean your projector lens is centered on the screen, or is your lens aligned closer to the top edge of your screen?

Just curious about reflection angle sensitivity, as my Epson 400 will be lens aligned with the top or slightly below the top edge of the screen.

Wait if you want, but you really can't go wrong with high power unless you have a projector with a large offset that is ceiling mounted.

Wait if you want, but you really can't go wrong with high power unless you have a projector with a large offset that is ceiling mounted.

What do you mean by "large" offset?

Do you mean placing the projector above the top of the screen?

I plan to place my projector inverted, ceiling mounted, with the lens somewhere near the top edge of the screen/image, maybe 6 inches below. I will need to use lens shift to drop the image onto the screen.

Again, I already placed my order for a Da Lite High Power 72"x92" Model B ;)

Having used a same-sized Model B in the past (matte white), I plan to use the roller stops to make the screen 16x9-shaped. I found this works well, and you have the bonus of BIG 4x3 movie viewing (classics, IMAX) using zoom :D

Do you mean your projector lens is centered on the screen, or is your lens aligned closer to the top edge of your screen?

Just curious about reflection angle sensitivity, as my Epson 400 will be lens aligned with the top or slightly below the top edge of the screen.

Actually, the lens of my inverted, ceiling-mounted Epson 700 is more than 1 foot above the top of the screen. (I'm not sure that the 400 has as much vertical offset available as the 700.) It's probably not the ideal angle for getting the increased gain of the High Power. I went for the High power in large part for it's rejection of off-angle light sources. There's a patio door at about a 30 degree angle from the screen.

(I would guess that continued discussion of this probably belongs in the screen forum.)

I am using the Epson Home 1080, which is slightly less bright, with a 100-inch DA-LITE HP screen in Theater Black 1 mode on low bulb power with a 17-foot throw. The picture is stunning. BUT... The projector is mounted at 39 inches above the floor--approximately seated eye level--which is ideal for the HP screen. The PJ shoots over a low 20-inch-wide table between the two primary viewing positions and is pedestal-mounted about five feet behind said positions. With this arrangement, I estimate screen gain to be about 2.5 at the two primary viewing positions, which compensates for the light loss due to the low bulb power setting and long throw. There is no hotspotting at any viewing angle, but at extreme angles (as when popping off to the kitchen for goodies) the screen brightness uniformly drops off to a bit darker than when aiming the PJ at a standard off-white painted wall. At such angles the picture is pretty weak but is still sufficient, in a darkened room, to see what is taking place in the movie.

Thanks for the Epson 700 and 1080 reports.

Yeah, maybe we should continue in the screen forum ;)...

FYI-

Here is the BIG DaLite HiPower thread in the screens area:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=11014243#post11014243