I replaced my 10-year-old CRT projector with a Sony LCD HDTV model. After doing some research and finding out the high cost of a new screen, I pursued the idea of building my own. My first attempt proved to be better than excellent results with much ease in construction.
I found a piece of 1/16”x 48” x 96” plastic waterproof wall panel at Lowe’s Home Improvement Store (cost about $13.50). It has a very smooth, low luster surface, lies perfectly fat and only weights about 10 to 15 lbs. Manufactured by Parkland Plastics, Inc.
I used a multiplier factor of 5.3 for the 16:9 ratio which gave me a screen size of 84.8” x 47.7” (97.29” diagonal) for which I only needed to cut about 11” off the 8 foot side. (A regular pair of scissors works fine)
Since I have a wood wall in my rec/theatre room, I tacked the plastic panel on the wall and trimmed it out using 2 ¼” door/window trim painted satin black. Total cost less than $25.00.
For more information freel free to contact me. Ron Geyer RAGEYER@aol.com

Sounds great. How is brightness, hot spotting, etc.?
Too bad there's no way to get a bigger size without a seam. (This has kept me from trying a lot of Home Depot remedies...

went to Lowe's and coundn't find this panel,could you give more info?

I have seen Ron's screen in person and it looks very nice. I have a CRT projector so I may try this myself. I have a crummy roll down now (hot spot city) I could not see any hot spotting. I would say its 1.2 gain but that's just a guess. How do you measure gain? I checked 2 Lowe's in Elkhart and Mishawaka both had it. It was in the paneling section not far from the ceiling tiles if I remember correctly
Mike

all the people at Lowe's could find was tile board or some kind of fiberglass like panel that was texterd on one side.i asked if they could look it up by the manf.# but they said that several differnt people might make the same part for them. do you have a part # alonge with manf.name? thanks:(

I was going to pick up a sheet tomorrow I will get the number for you then.

Mike

I located this material at Lowe's here in Elkhart and also was available at the Lowe's in Mishawaka, IN. I found it on a shelf by the wood molding and trim area. It is manufactured by Parkand Plastics, Inc. (www.parklandplastics.com) and is called - PLAS-TEX Waterproof Wall Panel (.060 x 4 x 8 Bright White). If unable to find in your area, you might contact Parkland Plastic and see where other dealers are located. This material is excellent and cheap. At Lowe's, it was a little over $13 a sheet. Good luck.

went to website and checked out the panel,looked verrry nice!!! guess i'll have to keep trying to find a place that has it around close.thanks for all the info,the screen look's first rate!!!:D :D

I've used the same material myself and have had excellent results. I made a wood frame and hung it from the wall like a picture. I'm about to build my next one for my just purchased Sony 1251 (having sold the old 722) and intend to go a bit bigger than the current 52 x 48....

Ron,I talked to the guy at parkland plastics a minute ago and he gave me the number of 3 differnt home stores close by who shoud be able to get me that panel! very cool!!! And even better news, he said that they have thought of running some 5foot wide panels maybe 8,10,or12 foot long. I told him even if he just ran some trial stock i'd be interested in a panel or two. I can smell a 60x80 or60x106 screen in the future! Thanks for turning me on to this panel,look's like it has some possibiltys:D ;) :D

If they do a 60" run let us know. :)

This biggest problem I can see with the small quantity of panels will be shipping. Shipping costs will far exceed the cost of the panel. I picked one up yesterday at Lowe's and some cheap plastic door casing that I spray painted flat black. I will try to get it up tonight. The bigger size sound great because I was considering a constant height screen. The manufacture is only about 20 miles from me so if you do get some bigger samples let me know I can pick up and then try to figure out how to ship them to you. Any suggestions on how to ship something like this ?The weight is not the problem it the size and getting it to the owner without getting damaged that I see as big problem.

Mike

when i talked to the guy earler today he said that they rolled 1or2 panels up and U.P.S. them alot to some customers. Said that if you laid them out flat when you recived them they flattend out well if not rolled for too many days.

Got the screen up last night or I should say this morning. Started at about 2:00 am finished about 5:00 am but that includes resetting all geometry settings on the projector to midpoint refocusing all three CRT's full convergence and geometry on two inputs. The results are fantastic when you consider I have about $35 in the project including an extra can of flat black spray paint I used for the trim. I had to be at work by 9:00 am so right now I'm running on empty. Finally my hot spots and waves are gone. Now all I have to is come up with some type of masking system for 2:35 movies. I will follow up with some pictures tonight but I need to get some rest now.

Mike

I live about 15 miles from the Parkland Plastic plant in Middlebury, IN. I just talked to Steve Troyer (sales rep, I think) and ask him about the possibilities of making sheets that are in widths of 5 foot. He said it could be done, it just a matter of quantities. I explained how his product is being used other than the original design. He seemed to be somewhat interested. He took my phone number and would get back with me. At present they are not planning on manufacturing sheets greater than four foot with limits you to a 84.8 x 47.7 (5.3 factor) HD screen. The nice thing about this material is -- it can be washed with soap and water.

Ron

Ron, you will have to come over and see mine. Of cource it look just like yours. I think you will be suprised when you see how good a 10 year old Data Grade CRT driven with an HTPC or an HD tuner can look. Thanks for the heads up on the material.

Mike

I just bought t his too... and only tacked it up currently, and it works great! thanks for this info.

This is REALLY interesting!
The size is perfect for me, as I have a small room.

Two questions:
(1) Does Home Depot have this?
(2) How do you get this thing into a 4-door sedan?
I don't have a mini-van or light truck.

Thanks.
Charles

yes, I got mine at home depot. I rolled it up loosely and put
it in the back seat of my car. When I got it home, I just layed
it flat for awhile and it is fine after that.

Sweet!!! I don't even have my projector yet, but I will be going to pick one of these bad boys up tonight!

Anyone happen to know the SKU from home depot? I am going to try there in a little bit, and hope that they have it.

Oh Boy! – If too many of you catch on to this, it sure isn’t going to be the liking of the Da-Lite and Stewart screen companies. Now you can make an as-good or better screen in 1 ½ to 2 hours of time for about $25 to $30.00. Only a savings of about $1,000.

I just came back from home depot with no success. I saw some things which I believe were similar to what was described but not exactly. Anything that closely resembled this item at home depot was either not the right color, or was not smooth. There was a whiteboard but that was too reflective I think.

For anyone that purchased this item from home depot tell me what section its in, and what they call it? I might have to try the company directly and see if they can send it out to me.

I can't remember exactly what section it was in since I walked the entire store to find it... maybe the same section as the moldings, but not 100% sure. Anyway, the SKU number on my receipt is 637553000012 POLY WHT.

Can anyone compare/critique this compared to the blackout material that was all the rage 'last month'? The blackout material seemed to be the end-all be-all for non-paint based screen solutions.

I'm hoping the gain on this plastic material might be a .1 or so higher than the blackout material... although that blackout material sure looks good!

Oz

I'm still trying to get my hands on one of these panels but so far no luck. all the stores that i talked to said they will have to order it in and it could be scratched up in transit.AAARRRR! I think i'll call parkland back and see if they will roll up a couple of sheets and U.P.S. them to me. P.S. Ron,the other day when i talked to parkland,the guy said they have the same panel in a another finish called Silk that is smoother. If i have him ship me some i'll get one of these and report back if it seems better or worse:)

duell: I cannot compare blackout material because I have never seen a screen made of that material however compared to my roll down screen this one is much much better. The roll down was plagued with wrinkles that caused an annoying wave during camera pans with this material that is gone. My original screen also had color shift or hot spots I have not seen any of this with the new one. Gain, I had a 1.0 with the roll down this material seems much brighter. With a HD 1080i signal the screen is very watchable with the lights on driven with a 800 lumens CRT projector. I don't watch it that way normally but I found it very interesting. The labor required to build a screen is much less with this material. With a screen made from blackout material you must first build a frame out of wood then attach and stretch the blackout material on the frame. Hang the frame and install a border around the frame. I have never built one but I would think it would be fairly difficult to build a frame rigid enough to get the material stretched on the frame wrinkle free. I would estimate it would take a minimum of a day to build such a screen. If someone does so much as touch the screen with dirty fingers it could mean replacing the material. With this material just spray with Fantastic and your fine. With the Parkland Plastics material my screen was done in 30 minutes, no joke. The day before I put the screen up I sprayed painted the window casing for the border with 2 coats of flat black paint that took about 10 minutes most of the time. Most of the time spent after installing of the screen was re-calibrating the projector. I have attached a picture of the finished screen.


Mike

I saw Mike’s screen and it looks really great. If course, it’s just like mine. You can’t go wrong with this material. I have attached the product info that Parkland Plastic puts on the back of each panel. It has the bar code number so you may be able to locate it at you store.

Ron

You've stated that this is actually brighter than your las screen. But how does it affect black levels?

Originally posted by finalwish
I can't remember exactly what section it was in since I walked the entire store to find it... maybe the same section as the moldings, but not 100% sure. Anyway, the SKU number on my receipt is 637553000012 POLY WHT.

Can you check that # again please. I called home depot and they said it was missing a #.

That is the correct SKU#.
Also, for anybody who has Menards in their area, they carry this product. Looks promising . . . I think I'll give it a shot.

Yeah, I found out that it was the right upc, but the people on the phone were idiots. I tried several home depots, and the only lowes near me and so far its a no go. Next I guess I'll try parkland plastics themselves and see what they say.


Edit: Just got off the phone with them and I have to call back tommorow to order because most of the people had gone home, but they are willing to ship it out to me. The nearest distributor to me was actually in PA which is why I couldn't find anything in NJ.

Juno,
I am running a CRT projector so black levels are not an issue. I did some comparison with the old screen last night and I should retract the statement the screen is much brighter in fact it is very close to my Draper Targa 1.0 gain. When first I stated I did not to an A/B comparison of the two. After comparing next to each other I would say the plastic material is slightly brighter but that’s a very not scientific comparison. If any one talks to Parkland, it might be interesting to see if they can do a gray for the LCD/DLP crowd. I am sure you would have to do some type of volume purchase. But it doesn't hurt to ask. Some development would have to be done to determine the right level of gray to use.

Mike

I spoke to Parkland today on the phone and they said Home Depot carries their products in the St. Louis area. I called the Watson Road store and they have the material in stock in the Mill Work section. I haven't been by yet to verify it's the right stuff.

Would it be better to attach the panel to the wall and then frame around it or to attach the panel directly to the frame?

Patrick,
Ron & I both just tacked the material to the wall within about ¼” of the edge then covered the tacks with the casing. We lost a slight amount of screen area doing it this way but it works very well. I installed on sheet rock and Ron on wood paneling. I didn’t care about hitting studs behind the sheet rock. Because the material lays so flat the only force is downward and the brads seemed to hold fine. I used a pneumatic brad nailer that worked well but would not be required. I had to turn the pressure down to keep the brads from going completely through the material. Both the material and the casing are so light they had no problem staying in place. You could apply a slight amount of liquid nails to the back side of the casing to hold in place better but I feel it was not required and it would make removal much more difficult if you needed to.

Mike

Thanks for the info Mike. I'm going to give it a try.

Parkland sent me two different panels by U.P.S. today.One is the panel that has done so well for Ron,and one is a smoother finish they sell to R.V. makers.If i get the tape off tonight and get them mounted i'll post back with the results.:) :D

I just got mine today as well and I might have to re-order them. I am new to screens. Please tell me that the non shiny side is the side that we are supposed to project onto because the shiny side was out when they sent it, and all sorts of damage was done to it on the way here including writing, some marker ink, lots of marks, and i accidentally cut it with my airplane hijacking tool trying to get off all of the shrinkwrapping.

They shrink wrapped the thing so well it took me 10 minutes to get off. I figured they were going to wrap it and send it in a tube, but instead it was rolled and wrapped and sent out as is. I didn't know it wasn't a tube until way after I started tearing at the plastic itself unfortunately.

Chap,
The dull side is the one to use so you might be OK.

Hint: I put my screen up by myself so I used duct tape to hold the material to the wall until I had all of the brads installed. If you have help you should not need to do this. I also had the projector on so I got the placement right.

Mike

I just ordered mine today direct from Parkland (800)835-4110. Just ask for Angie she knows exactly what your calling about and will set you up with the right product.

:)hey Guys
Is it smooth side or the rough side I am to project
to.

deekay

The sheet you are all ordering, are these the regular 4x8 sheets?

And how did you frame it without damaging it??

Originally posted by Zippitere
Is it smooth side or the rough side I am to project to.


The side with the matte finish or rough side, is the side to face the projector

Originally posted by Juno
The sheet you are all ordering, are these the regular 4x8 sheets?


Yes I beleive they are standard 4x8 sheets. To get larger it will take some type of volume purchase.

Originally posted by Juno
And how did you frame it without damaging it??

The matterial was attached or hung on the wall using brads or tacks within a 1/4" around the edge of the material. The frame is then attached to the to the wall with enough overlap of the material to cover the outside edge where the brads

Mike


THe

They did mention that they are thinking of doing an 8x5 sheet. I for one would be interested in that. I have no issues with the width, but an extra foot of height would be good for 4x3 viewing.

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I'm not much of a carpenter. Did you all leave the sheet as is, untrimmed? Or is there an actuall size that makes it 16:9?

I used a multiplier of 5.3 (5.3 times 16 & 5.3 times 9) which gives you a screen size of 84.8 by 47.7. By doing this, you can leave the sheet at a full 4 foot with and cut the 8 foot side at about 85 ½ (or so). Then, when you trim it out with door/window casing molding, (or whatever) this will give you about 1/8 top and bottom overlap and a little more on the sides. This material can cut with scissors.

It’s very easy to do….

Ron

Ron--

Thanks for the great info...

By the way,

How'd you get the frame around the screen.. just glue it?

Thanks,
Nathan

Sounds like the matte side might be good for adhering paint to....

Mr. Ken,

I just sent you an email about an LT-150, do you think this screen would work for now with that unit? I know this is kind of OT.

Juno :D

Originally posted by KBK
Sounds like the matte side might be good for adhering paint to....

I am not sure if it would adhere, it might be interesting to try. I can send you a piece that I had left over if you would like to try to put some goo on it.

Mike

Nathan

I first tacked the plastic to the wall using very small wire brads. (This material from Parkland Plastic is very light – only about 10 lbs.) I then painted the door/window trim molding black, cut it to the size of the screen, (note that plastic material is slightly larger than the finished screen) and with very small finishing nails attached it to the wall. You could also build a frame and then hang the whole works up like a picture. This would take much more time, but very possible.

Ron

Thanks Ron.. I'll go ahead and get oak colored framing as It'll match my speakers and equipment rack.

It would be much more easier for me to get this sort of thing at Home Depot as one is right up the street from me and Lowe's is like 20 miles.

Can the material (waterproof sheet/projector material) be purchased at Home Depot?

Thanks,
Nathan

Nathan:

I am in the same situation: Home Depot is 5 miles away, and Lowe's is 30 miles away.

If you read older posts in this thread, someone reported that this material seems to be available only in Home Depot's St. Louis stores. I've checked the Home Depot store in my area (West Windsor, NJ), and I couldn't find it.

Check older posts in this thread. You'll find SKU# etc. Use those #'s to check with your local Home Depot. Let us know if you can find it. Your information may benefit some members who live near your area.

Charles

If you can't find the material at Lowes or HD, Check this thread out...
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=98800

My HD in Cincinnnati does NOT have this Plastex sheet. Lowe's did not have it either :( How much did Parkland charge for S+H and for the 4X8 sheet when you buy it directly from them?

Originally posted by NathanP
Thanks Ron.. I'll go ahead and get oak colored framing as It'll match my speakers and equipment rack.



Nathan: IMO the oak colored framing around your screen while it may look nice with the lights on is not the best thing to use for best picture quality. The flat black frame will create a perception of a brighter picture and better contrast.

Mike

Originally posted by CWan
Nathan:
If you read older posts in this thread, someone reported that this material seems to be available only in Home Depot's St. Louis stores. I've checked the Home Depot store in my area (West Windsor, NJ), and I couldn't find it.

Check older posts in this thread. You'll find SKU# etc. Use those #'s to check with your local Home Depot. Let us know if you can find it. Your information may benefit some members who live near your area.

Charles

As I posted before, being in NJ the closest place to get it from is in PA. The best way to get it is to call them up. They apparently don't distribute all that much. I guess they aren't a real big name yet.

Guys, for those of you in Socal. I called Parkland Plastics last Sunday, spoke to a nice gentleman who assured me that Home Depot is their "main" distributor of their product. I then called a store in Riverside, they had 97 sheets in stock. You guys need to just call the stores with the previous sku numbers given in this thread, it may not be at all HD stores, but it is certainly a distributor of them.

Well, I just finished mine.
And being as I suck at building things, I made a couple of mistakes with cutting the trim pieces that I have to correct at a later date.

Now, I sure the hell wished I had a PJ to test on it.

@#$%^&

:mad:


Juno.

I hear you all laughing. LOL.

I talked to Angie at Parkland Plastic about the availability of this PLAS-TEX material we are using for HD screens in your area. The problem that some of you are having in locating this material is that Parkland only distributes this material in the Midwest, so all of you that are located in the east, west, and south will probably not be able to find it at your local home improvement store.

They will ship it direct to you from the factory. Shipping cost is about $10.00 plus packaging (about $5.00). Your total cost, including the material, is about 25 to 30 dollars. Call Parkland Plastic (1-800-835-4110); ask for Angie – she knows exactly what you want.

I have some dorp-off pieces left for which I would be glad to mail you a small sample. RAGEYER@aol.com Also attached is a drawing of how I measured and cut the material to the maximum size for a 4 x 8 sheet. (see - screendwg.jpg)

Ron

Ron,

Which material are you using?

PLAS-TEX NRP
Dimensions .090" X 48" X 96"
Texture Pebble (front) Smooth (back)
Available Colors Pewter White

-or-

POLY-WALL
Dimensions .060" X 48" X 96"
Texture Matte (front) Smooth (back)
Available Colors Bright White

The Poly-wall sound more like it based on specs, but I've heard most people mention the Plas-Tex name.

Also, where did you get the window/door trim material?
Home depot?

Thanks,
Matt

I bought mine at Lowes in White Marsh, MD. $13.50 a sheet.This product produces a better picture than my wavy Dalite screen.Thanks for all the info everyone.

Originally posted by Matt Bergman
Ron,

Which material are you using?



Matt: Ron and I used the POLY-WALL bright white.

Thanks
Mike

Originally posted by Matt Bergman
Ron,

Which material are you using?



Also, where did you get the window/door trim material?
Home depot?

Thanks,
Matt


Matt:

Attached is a copy of the label on the backk of the sheet. You can see exactly what the material is called. You can find the door/window trim (2 1/4) molding at just about any home imporvement or lumber store.

Ron

Thanks Ron and Mike.

Has anyone in MA or NH had any luck finding this stuff at the hardware stores around here?

I realize I can get it straight from Parkland Plastics, but I'd rather get it locally if possible.

Thanks,
Matt

Matt:

I think we are both SOL. I called Parkland Plastics - they gave me the name of a couple of places within an hours drive. I called them both and neither had it :(.

It looks like I'll have to order directly from the factory.

Mike

P.S. - Anyone try this with an LT-150? I seem to recall someone asking that, but no one replied.

KBK- any luck with the LT150 Goo?

I use a nec lt-150 and the picture looks great no hot spots, contrast and brightness are perfect.Picture looks clearer than my wrinkle Dalite matt pull down.This is the best screen secret to date.

TURBO: Am glad to hear that this material work out ok for you. I sure love mine. Hope that many others take a look at this as well.

Ron

O.K., so who's going to be the first to post an "in-action" picture?

-J. R.

Originally posted by JRChisolm
O.K., so who's going to be the first to post an "in-action" picture?

-J. R.
Attached is a quicky I did the other night, its not the greatest. I will try to do some better ones and post. I had to resize so small to upload it lost a lot of detail.

Mike

Originally posted by JRChisolm
O.K., so who's going to be the first to post an "in-action" picture?

-J. R.

I should have taken some last night when I had some friends over to watch moulin rouge. . . I don't have it matted yet so it still looks kind of funny . . . I don't konw if I will ever mat it though due to the contraints of the room . . . we'll c.

Originally posted by JRChisolm
O.K., so who's going to be the first to post an "in-action" picture?

-J. R.

Here is one off mine. I'll try to get a better one by setting the sutter speed real low and using a tripod. (Alot of detail is lost by reducing the picture size so small)

Ron

Originally posted by JRChisolm
O.K., so who's going to be the first to post an "in-action" picture?

-J. R.
I took another picture using my E10 digital camera off the screen.
I am using a Sony VPLVW10HT LCD projector. I hope this might be a little better quality, although when the photo is reduced to such a small size much of the detail is lost.

Ron

Has anyone compared this sheet to say a Sheetrock based screen with the Buhr Ultra White???? If the results are better I need to order this today!!


Chris

Originally posted by cmacclel
Has anyone compared this sheet to say a Sheetrock based screen with the Buhr Ultra White???? If the results are better I need to order this today!!


Chris

Chris,
I was going to build a painted sheet rock screen but I went this way for 4 reasons.

1. Cost: I could not buy the roller and a quart of paint for what this material cost.

2. Labor: If your are just applying paint on a new sheet rock already install on wall this saving would not be that great. Getting a smooth surface on the paint requires a great deal of care applying the paint. The Parkland material screen only took about an hour to build.

3. Size: If your are making a separate screen from sheet rock the useable width of sheet rock is only about 42” because of the tapered edges. If you were to seam the sheet rock it requires a great deal of work with drywall mud to hide the seam.

4. Durability: I don’t think any screen can match this material for its durability. If get a finger print on it you just spray a little Fantastic and your good to go. A painted surface must dry for several weeks before it becomes scrub-able.

In my case the wall was previously painted with a rock surface paint that has very low reflective qualities but is very rough. Many people have used this paint in the Theater Construction Forum. It works well for surroundings the screen if you don’t want to paint your wall flat black. It also works well for the ceiling. Preparing this after surface for a screen after it has been painted with the rock surface paint would not be easily.

Mike

Ron,

How far away from your screen is your Sony 10HT to get an 84x47 image? I saw an 11HT this afternoon. I liked the picture, but the letter box image didn't seem very tall (maybe 36 inches). I figure the projector (ceiling mounted) was about 10 to 12 feet from the screen. The letterbox image on my 53 inch XBR is only 19 inches high and I want a much bigger picture. I want to put a projector behind the seating which would make it about 17 feet from the screen.

Leif

This morning I talked to Steve Troyer at Parkland Plastics about the possibility of making wider panels for us 4:3 projector owners. I explained that two popular sizes are 60 x 80 in and 72 x 96 in. and if Parkland made some wider panels to accommodate these screen sizes that folks from this forum may beat a path to his door.

Steve replied that they have had some inquiries for wider panels, and they might make a decision to make these wider panels sometime this week. Of course these panels would not be available in Home Depot, so they would have to be UPSed from the plant. I would think though that if Parkland kept the price reasonable, most people would not mind paying the shipping costs to get these inexpensive screens.

If you are interested in wider panels, I would strongly encourage you to call Steve yourself at (800) 835-4110 or email him at parksct@bnin.net and let him know what you are looking for. If Parkland can be convinced there is a market for the bigger panels, I am sure they will make them.

Originally posted by Leif Rasmussen
Ron,

How far away from your screen is your Sony 10HT to get an 84x47 image? I saw an 11HT this afternoon. I liked the picture, but the letter box image didn't seem very tall (maybe 36 inches). I figure the projector (ceiling mounted) was about 10 to 12 feet from the screen. The letterbox image on my 53 inch XBR is only 19 inches high and I want a much bigger picture. I want to put a projector behind the seating which would make it about 17 feet from the screen.

Leif
Leif: My project is about 11 ½ feet from the screen. You have about a two-foot distance to achieve the correct image size for the screen size you are using. As far as I can tell, the 10HT and the 11HT are the same projector. They both have exactly the same specs.
Our local audio/video stores are selling the 11HT for $8,000. I purchased my 10HT from my photo dealer for $4,000. Maybe someone else might know what the difference might be. One local retailer talked to a Sony rep and he didn’t know.

Ron

Having a 8' wide Da-Lite currently, I will DEFINITELY be calling Steve Troyer. I did see Mike Eby's screen last week and was very impressed with the picture quality and easy cleanup (I have 2 small kids, enough said).

I will probably keep the Da-Lite (for Peter Pan and Mary Poppins, both are in 4:3 :) ), but I can definitely understand the wavy screen being annoying.


-Garrick

I just ordered 2 sheets from Parkland Directly (Talked to Angie).
How heavy is each sheet?? I was thinking of using 1" or 1.25" Pvc Pipe for the frame but that depends on how heavy the sheets are.

Chris

Originally posted by cmacclel
I just ordered 2 sheets from Parkland Directly (Talked to Angie).
How heavy is each sheet?? I was thinking of using 1" or 1.25" Pvc Pipe for the frame but that depends on how heavy the sheets are.

Chris
The material weights about 10 lbs. I am just trying to understand why you need a pvc frame for it? Are you trying to make it portable? Ron came up with the idea to attach it to the wall with small tacks or brad and it works fine. Frame it with some black window casing and your done. It really could not be easier.

Mike

The Reason Why I need a frame is I'm going to be covering a window and where the Screen is going there is a ledge. I will be covering the whole back wall with a Velvet curtain and need the screen to come of the wall about 1 foot. The PVC will be much easier to work with and is much lighter that the 2 x 3's I originally intended to use. See the Picture I'm attaching to see what I mean. I can fit a 84.8 x 47.7 16:9 Aspect ratio Screen between the ledge and Ceiling.

Current Setup (http://www.pbase.com/image/743448)

cmacclel,
I understand now I think. The only problem I see is how you were going to attach the screen material to the PVC. But I am sure you have something in mind. 1-1/2 PVC is very stiff and the span looks like it will be only about 6-7 feet so it should be fine. When you get it up post a shot. I am having a difficult time understanding the frame concept.

Mike

Well PVC is very easy to work with and sheet metal screws work great with it. I plan on making the PVC frame 1" shorter all around than the Screen then using countersinking screws to secure the Plas-Tex to the frame. The using the 2.5" finish molding I bought to hide these screws. To Secure the molding I can just screw in throught the screen from Behind. I also picked up a nice Pebble finish flat black faint for the frame.


Chris

cmacclel,
Now I get it! Sounds like a great idea. It should be fairly light and could even be portable. Looking forward to seeing the finish screen.

Mike

cmacclel,

a question for you.

When you say "counter sink", what exactly do you mean?

I followed your description well... except for that part.

Thanks!

You will be screwing through the Plas-Tex into the PVC piping so if you use a countersunk screw it will be flush with the panel. That way you can just mount the 2.5" Trim over the screws and it will sit flush.


Chris

okay, I see.

How about some pictures of your project? I would like to see how you attach the screen to the PVC, and how you cover it with the moulding.

What a great idea. Cheap and light weight.

Thanks.

I should have 2 sheets of the Plas-Tex by Friday and will post Pictures this weekend. I also have all the material to set up a Slide mount for the LT150 I should receive on Thursday. It will slide 3ft so in the rear position it will give me a 84 x 47 16:9 image then slide it forward to give me a 63 x 47 4:3 image.

Chris

Has anyone made any plans to make a curved screen using this sheet? What would be the effect of a curved gray screen on contrast? Is there a source of bowed frame rails?

With the Flexibility of the Plas-Tex and the fact that it wont wrinkle it would be easy to make a curved screen. Just pick up a sheet of 3/8 Plywood and a Jig (Scroll) Saw to make you curved frame. Whats the benifit of a curved screen ??

Mac

More immersive.

But he's going to have a problem with focus on the sides.

I still don't understand if this is a semi-rigid plastic, or a soft vinyl.

Has ne1 tested the silk finish?

Thanks you for this idea Ron Geyer! You rule.

Is there an update on the possibility of getting 5 foot wide by whatever length, 8, 10 or 12 foot? I would like one 5x10 to make a nice size 16:9 screen.

Hi Dean..

A couple days ago I talked to Steve Troyer at Parkland Plastics about the possibility of making wider panels. Please see my post on page 4 of this thread for all the details. The bottom line though is that Parkland is trying to decide if there is a big enough market for the wider panels to warrant the expense of making a special run.

I would encourage you to also call Steve at (800) 835-4110 or email him at parksct@bnin.net and let him know what you are looking for. If Parkland can be convinced there is enough people looking for the bigger panels, I am sure they will make them.

Thanks,
Keith

Originally posted by Quantum
But he's going to have a problem with focus on the sides.

I may be wrong about this but a bulb driven projector such as an LCD or DLP may have edge focus issues but with most CRT projectors this problem could be overcome with proper focus setup.
Originally posted by Quantum
I still don't understand if this is a semi-rigid plastic, or a soft vinyl.

I consider it more of a semi-rigid plastic.

Mike

i've tested the silk parkland and it seems a little higher gain,might cause hot-spots with a crt[i can't tell, i use a boxlight 555m dlp]. seems to have a excellent picture . Thanks for the info on this great panel Ron!!!:D

I went to HomeDepot today to look at this plastic material, and I was not impressed. It was matte white, but had low bumps covering the obverse side we are supposed to use.

So I took the advice of a poster here and looked at the Formica. I was astounded! It is perfect. Smooth, matte and white. AND YOU CAN GET IT IN 5X10 for $1.47/sqft (~$75)(special order). Can just roll it up and put it in the front seat, and it's lighter than the plastic.

This is what I'm using. No worries about chipping when trimmed, as I'll leave room for a black velour border. Gotta pre-drill nailholes though.

My only question is would white be best for an HT300? They make also a light, light gray. How dark a gray is the GrayHawk? Like an overcast day, or a stormy day?

I don't see how you can say you where not impressed?? Have you seen an image projected onto the Plas-Tex?? Many people in this thread have compared it to 30 times more expensive commercial screens and have been impressed. How can you beat a projector screens with good results for under $30?? I'm setting mine up now and will post pictures and results later this evening.

Mac

Originally posted by centaur
I went to HomeDepot today to look at this plastic material, and I was not impressed. It was matte white, but had low bumps covering the obverse side we are supposed to use.




I think you saw the wrong stuff. I believe I have seen the material you are talking about that had small bumps on it, and was white that home depot sells in general, and that is most likely not it. The home depot thing also isn't very flexible, while the parkland plastics I can easilly roll up. This plastic material has no bumps on it whatsoever. If it is it, then it should have the parkland plastics tag on it. You may want to go look again because I have a feeling that its not it.

Now if only i can find something like this DOWN UNDER...

OK, sounds like I was looking at the wrong stuff. Right, it was fairly rigid.

But can anyone say how light or dark the GrayHawk is? I'm going with Formica, due to size & colors.

I don't know about Stewart but Da-Lite sends samples out to potential customers and they do have a line of gray screens also. You might visit their web site @ www.da-lite.com I don’t know if there are different levels of gray for different projectors or not. It seems like I read that in KBK paint thread. Personally am not interested in gray because I have a CRT projector, but I could see why LCD/DLP owners could be. PM me and I will make a list to track interest. If there is enough interest we could go to Parkland with an order. Also state the desired size.

Mike

I just purchased the plas-tex bright white panel from Menards(wow) in Lansing, MI. The reciept is as follows:
Plas-Tex Panel Liner
5072787
$12.87
Needless to say u can't get anything in Lansing easily but after about 1/2 hour of looking i found it... OMG!
I plan on adhering this to 1/2" oak plywood for strength and insure uniformity. Then covering 1/2" ply wood with thick black fabric for masking and use removable panels for different aspect ratio's. 2.35x1,16x9, so on. Will recieve Sanyo XP21n early January. Will post construction and result. Thanks Ron for your excellent advice. And Merry Christmas to all!

I just bought almost the same thing, but it wasn't made by Parkland Plastics. Was 4x8 in high white with a soft matte surface and designed for making custom shower walls. The matte side works perfect, no hot spots, very smooth, great...great picture. I had a textured wall, so getting the screen flat and square was a royal pain in the butt, but once complete I used 2" plastic baseboards that I painted flat black for a frame. I almost wish I hadn't cut it to a 16:9 ratio for those pesky anamorphic widescreen movies, but I can definately live with it. Have to hook up the bose home 12 today, going to miss that in the living room, but just can't see having my own theatre and using cheap sound. Anyway, the screen was 18.99, and with the trim, paint, and brads, the whole project came to about 45$. A great deal, thanks for all the tips in this forum. The only thing I can add is to have at least 3' level when putting this up and you will save a lot of time dinking with it. Later, and Merry X-mas all.

Meathos,

You said that you bought something similar but not made by Parkland. Can you share with us details of what you bought? Where did you get it? Who is the manufacturer? Do you have the exact name, SKU#, UPC#, whatever? How much does the product weigh, and what is its demension H, W and thickness? What it's like?

Parkland's PLAS-TEX is available in retail stores only in parts of the US. It would be nice to know if there are other similar products.

Thanks.

Charles

Charles,
There was no brand on it. I just called around asking if stores such as home depot, lowes, and Sutherlands, etc. had any plastic waterproof paneling for shower walls. Home Depot only had it in Almond, so I just called around until I found it in white. As far as the dimensions, it is 8 x 6 and about 1/8" inch thick. Has a smooth side like pvc pipe and a matte side exactly like a movie screen. You have to dig through usually to find a clean piece because the matte gets scuffed when they move it.

Troy

I think I bought the same material with small bumps on one side at Home Depot last week. Took me a while to find a clean sheet with no scratch. I glued to a frame (made out of some exterior door frames that I had hanging around) and hang it about 2 inches from the wall using 4 small "L" shaped anchors. The problem is that it is a little transparent and has some darker spots like big oval watermarks (about 10-15 inches in diameter) that are only visible with bright colors.
I'm thinking about giving it a white paint or even KBK's rollable paint to remove both problems.

Well... my order arrived today - packed in a giant tube-formation. I've got it laid out on the basement floor with corner weights to "flatten" out the roll... will post more once I get further along.

Mike

Hmm.. Mine is flush on the wall and has none of the circles you are describing. Could be just a problem with another brand, or maybe not having it flush with the wall. Bummer on that though. The plastics come usually in 2 types- pebble and matte. The matte white seems much better than the pebble. Interested to know how painting it turns out though just for future reference.

Here are a few screen shots from my Barco Graphics 800 driven by HiPix HDTV card projected onto the Parkland Plastics Screen. I have also posted in the CRT forum.

http://www.advancedcomputerdesigns.com/images/Kevin_U1.jpg

http://www.advancedcomputerdesigns.com/images/Gator.jpg

http://www.advancedcomputerdesigns.com/images/Lizzard.jpg

http://www.advancedcomputerdesigns.com/images/Lizzard2.jpg

http://www.advancedcomputerdesigns.com/images/LasVegas.jpg

Thanks
Mike

Originally posted by RBRAGA
I think I bought the same material with small bumps on one side at Home Depot last week. Took me a while to find a clean sheet with no scratch. I glued to a frame (made out of some exterior door frames that I had hanging around) and hang it about 2 inches from the wall using 4 small "L" shaped anchors. The problem is that it is a little transparent and has some darker spots like big oval watermarks (about 10-15 inches in diameter) that are only visible with bright colors.
I'm thinking about giving it a white paint or even KBK's rollable paint to remove both problems.

Its because your using the wrong material. I saw that stuff, and wasn't impressed at all with it. Trust me. Return it if you can, or just dump it, and order the parkland plastics item. It will work much better for you.

Originally posted by MAZMAN808
Now if only i can find something like this DOWN UNDER...
Right, same for me over here in Holland. These Yankees keep us mouthwatering with superb screenshots of their $30 screens and we can do nothing but buy one of those very expensive professional screens.................well, maybe Parklands Plastics exports to Europe and Australia too.................:(

MikeEby:

Those photos are great. The Parkland Plastics material really does provide a uniform image. It's definitely worth pursuing. Unfortunately, I've not seen any of these panels at any of the Lowe's I've been to in Central Ohio.

-J. R.

I made a 47 by 84 screen on a 2 by 3 frame with 1 1/2 inch styrofoam behind the Plas-Tex for support.

I borrowed a Plus Piano this weekend and besides a somewhat darker/deeper color picture than I like, some white areas sometimes appear overdeveloped (just pure white, no texture). I've set the screen up in front of my 53 inch Sony XBR and run both at the same time with the same picture. I can see detail in whites (as well as in shadow areas) on my Sony that is missing on the Piano.

The problem is, I don't know if it's the Plas-Tex screen or the projector.

Anybody got an opinion?

how can u compare at 53" rptv with a 96" digital fptv?

You can't compare a 3k projector with a $4k RPTV. You need to decide weather you want a slightly better 53" Image or a huge "100 image. Granted I just made that decision when I dumped my 53" Progressive TV and picked up an LT150 for $1850. Mt 53" RPTV had a slightly better picture but the 100" image I get from the LT150 can't be beat and the picture is phenominal. A friend of mine that was just in the market for a RPTV looked for months and settled on the Hitachi Ultravsion cam over was overly impressed with the image quality.

Chris

You can't compare a 3k projector with a $4k RPTV.

I recently paid $211 for my front projector CRT. The picture on my Barco Data 701S is better, IMHO, than any RPTV I have seen. (For example, better than the $5,000 Pioneer Elite).

But hey, now I have the money to buy a screen...

Can I get one for $30? I'm on a budget! I need to build my $10,000 home theater for less than $1,000!

Ha Ha Ha

Just kidding....... about some things. But my 5 year old Barco did cost more than $10,000 a few years ago. And the picture is phenomenal!

You won't get an argument from me - a 96" picture is awesome! And overall, the quality of the Piano's picture is absolutely great.

I just asked if anyone had an opinion whether or not the picture I was seeing was due to the Plas-Tex screen or the Piano projector. I have just now finished projecting on a cream colored wall and on an old grey color slide projector screen (it pays to never throw anything out!). I got a brighter picture with both, but some whites (a white shirt in bright light, for example) still look overdeveloped.

So, to answer my own question, the Plas-Tex screen is probably not the optimum screen for the Piano, and the Piano, while it otherwise gives a beautiful picture, does have it's limitations. At this point I don't know if another projector will do better.

Leif ---

You said:

At this point I don't know if another projector will do better.


Go check out the CRT forum. I'm not going to be responsible for starting a war between CRT vs. DLP/DILA/LCD... but you can, at the moment, get a lot of bang for your dollar with a used CRT.

Originally posted by TURBO
I bought mine at Lowes in White Marsh, MD. $13.50 a sheet.This product produces a better picture than my wavy Dalite screen.Thanks for all the info everyone.

turbo, I am in college park maryland. are you in white marsh? Could I come take a look at your setup? Please e-mail me at jyang@godigitalstudios.com as your profile doesn't have an e-mail. Thanks!

Originally posted by MikeEby
Here are a few screen shots from my Barco Graphics 800 driven by HiPix HDTV card projected onto the Parkland Plastics Screen. I have also posted in the CRT forum.

How is the HiPix card? I was seriously looking at that for a tuner. Does it do directv? can it record digital and analog? Any compliments/complaints? Please e-mail me at jyang@godigitalstudios.com as your profile doesn't have an e-mail. Thanks!

Has anyone tried painting the Plas-Tex yet??? I'm going to have to paint mine as the first sheet I picked up I ruined by using adhesive to try to stop the sagging in the middle, After I applied the adhesive in a zig zag pattern and it dried I could see where it was applied throughout the screen. The second sheet I bought has a hot spot dead smack in the middle about 6 inches high and 3 inches wide which is completely unacceptabe as in any bright sceens it is noticable.


Chris

Originally posted by cmacclel
Has anyone tried painting the Plas-Tex yet???


Chris

Hey Chris: As cheap as the Parkland Plastic Material is (at $13.50 a sheet), I think you would be better off just to buy a new sheet. I believe it would be most difficult to achieve a perfect smooth painted surface on the plastic material. Anyways, good luck

Ron

I will probably get another sheet as I have to call Parkland anyway as they double charged me. I'm going to try to paint it today even if it will temporary as I waite for the replacement sheet. I think the Behr Ultra White will be brighter than the sheet and I could use a little more gain.



Chris

I hope I didn't discourage anyone from using Plas-Tex the other day when I said that Plas-Tex might not be the optimum screen for the Plus Piano. I've since made some adjustments to the Piano that gives me a much better and very satisfying picture. The Piano and Plas-Tex are a good combination.

Well I painted the Plastex with Behr Ultra White Eggshell and the picture seems a tad bit better(Brighter). It definetly has more gain just enough to notice.

Chris

What is the best way to perfectly FLATTEN this plastex material?

I can't help you on this one as I have had no luck with it laying perfectly flat. I thought I had it then a few days later it started to sag in the middle but it's not noticable when the PJ is on. I think you could get some panel or base adhesive and apply it EVENLY with a trowel then apply some serious weight to the sheet and that should work. The Panel / Floor Adhesive I looked at called out to be rolled with a 175lb roller.



Chris

I just found some of this Parkland Plastics stuff yesterday at lowes in Connecticut. I created a frame out of pine last night and the material itself seems nice. It was easy to cut and I just stappled it to my pine framing and hung it on the wall like a picture. Hopefully I'll get to test out out later today or tomorrow. Thanks for finding this stuff.

Right. I was thinking a 1x4 across the top fastened to the wall, and staple the screen. Then a 1x4 across the bottom stapled and hanging, to hold the screen tight.

Thanks to Ron, I now have a Parkland screen to rival some commercial products and just wanted to share my experience. I also had difficulty locating the material but after calling Parkland, I found it at only one Lowe's here in Metro Detroit. Since I wanted to ensure rigidity, I attached the Plas-Tex to an 1/8" piece of wall paneling ($5.99) using contact cement. I will be attaching to drywall/sheetrock using screws and then framing it with 3" molding wrapped in velvet or velour. I'm very pleased with the image from my Plus Piano and couldn't justfy spending the $$$ for IMO an incremental return in quality from a commercial screen. One other thing I couldn't recall reading in the thread...which side of this material did everyone use? After experimenting, I chose the less smooth (back?) side.

Thanks to Ron for letting us know about the Parkland Plastics Product.

It is not available locally (Memphis, TN). Called Parkland, spoke with Angie and it is on its way...
2 Sheets + shipping/handling = $38.04

I can't wait...

Daniel

ECP-3000 CRT

thanks Mike Eby for posting the Pics!

I'm in the market for a somewhat portable screen, one that I can use in two different rooms. I was looking at tripod-mounted screens, but this Poly-Wall stuff has possibilities. As I have a place where I can stash a 4'x7' rigid sheet, I'm thinking about attaching the Poly-Wall to something like wall panelling or a 1/4" sheet of plywood or the like.

I've read of people here using stables, tacks, and glue to attach the stuff to a backing. But one person posted that the glue was visible through the material ... I take it that this stuff is a bit translucent?

Any other suggestions? I'm not the greatest handiman, but I could staple the full outer edge to a sheet of plywood and then cover it with a thin framing materal to hide the stables. Or tack it down with white tacks.

Then it will be a matter of devising a mount, where I could mount it on some legs in a prefectly upright position. I could mount straps on the back of the plywood so that it wouldn't tip over if it was sitting on a tripod or easel. Or even sit it on a couple of wood chairs or stools.

Even if the final solution cost me $100, that would still be half the cost of a tripod screen and without the screen waves.

Tom

I just put together my parkland plastex screen and am absolutely thrilled with the results. I was projecting onto a white wall previously, and thought that the picture was good--until I projected onto this stuff. I watched Gladiator last night on my nice and cheap nec lt85 dlp projector, first on the gamma 2 setting (since I like my movies to be a bit brighter), which was good, and then on the gamma 1 setting. As soon as I turned on the gamma 1 setting, I knew this was a great screen material. The colors were vivid and vibrant. Contrast was phenomenal. The only drawback is that it really showed the interlacing from my dvd player. (I have a progressive scan, but am running s-video, since I had to order a vga breakout cable, and it hasn't arrived yet!)

The breakout cable should arrive today. I can't wait to get home to try it out on the new screen!

I highly recommend this material. I bought it for about $13, cut it down to about 74 inches by 48 inches, used liquid nails to glue a 2 inch baseboard painted black around the entire frame, flipped it over and sunk some 5/8 inch screws to secure it. I then added a couple of heavy metal loops (from the hardware store for hanging heavy pictures), added a couple of hooks into the wall and connected the loops to the hooks. Voila! Instant removable screen. I will paint the hooks white so that they disappear from the wall, and keep the screen in the basement until I want to watch a movie. The only thing I have left to do is cut out some black felt material that will have velcro to attach to the frame to make my screen size adjustable. Overall, I couldn't be happier.

Hey, thanks to you guys who have purchased this Parkland Plastics material. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to give us your thoughts after receiving the screen material.

I'm still on the fence... I have to adjust some things before I can worry about my screen.

To you others who purchase the Parkland in the future, please post here. Thanks!!!

Just checked out my local Home Depot and they must have had 50 sheets of the Parkland PolyWall. All laid out nice and flat, no need to flatten from a roll. Cost was $12.89 a sheet. The salesman told me that it was a very slow seller, they only averaged selling 10 sheets a month.

I then checked out potential candidates for a backing ... I'm looking to create a portable screen that can be used in multiple rooms. One of the more promising materials was Celotex, an insulating panel. It comes in 1/2", 3/4", 1" and 1.5" thicknesses. The 1" stuff seemed sufficiently rigid and able to stay straight. While it has a black surface with writing on one side, that would probably show through the PolyWall, the other side is a nice shiny, smooth, silvery surface. Cost is $10.89 a sheet. Lightweight and easy to shape too.

Now to determine the best way to attach the two. Some good adhesive around the edges might do the trick. I'll think about this for a couple days and maybe tackle the project after I come back from CES. For the moment I'm optimistic that this will work out to produce a very nice screen for around $30.

Tom

Polywall is the wrong stuff!!!! Its Plas-Tex you want.

Mac

Originally posted by gene4ht
After experimenting, I chose the less smooth (back?) side.

I think that Ron and myself used the other side. The back side on the sheet I had had several impefections, but hey if it works don't knock it.

Mike

Originally posted by cmacclel
Polywall is the wrong stuff!!!! Its Plas-Tex you want.

Mac


Mac,

Go to Parkland website...Polywall bright white is the name they use for their product. Plas-Tex is just their registered trademark for their material or some such.

And for those of you not in Parkland's distribution area and don't want to order it (because of the rolling and scratching), Parkland has several competitors out there that make a bright white, matted, waterproof plastc panel that works great. You just have to take the time to go look. I found a different brand here in Oklahoma at a small Hardware chain called Sutherland's and it works awsome....better than anything in the price range I was willing to spend...and under 20$ at that.

To me, the main thing is to get as many people to use this as possible. I know it won't make to much of a dent in the high end screen companies, but every dollar they don't get for their overpriced products makes me smile that much wider....:)

If your interested in a screen shot or two from another brand of plastic screen, let me know....

Meathos

Originally posted by MikeEby


I think that Ron and myself used the other side. The back side on the sheet I had had several impefections, but hey if it works don't knock it.

Mike


Mike,

Are you sure about this? Because on page 3 of this thread, you state that you used the "matte" or less smooth side toward the projector. The other side is quite smooth and reflective, looks like it would create hot spots to me.

As to another poster who questioned my reference to the Parkland Poly-Wall product. This is the one that Ron and Mike have been talking about. Check the first few posts on Page 4 in the thread.

Tom

Tom are you SURE you have the right one. Your description of it sounds a lot like the wrong stuff because the right stuff isn't shiny at all. The right stuff has a glossy side, but its not really shiny. The rough side is the side you use though if it is the right stuff.

Tom,
Oops, I read you're post wrong. Sorry I think we used the same side. I used the opposite side the label was on if that makes any clearer. Sorry about the confusion.

Mike

Been giving this Parkland stuff some more thought and realized that not only can I make a portable screen out of it for less than $30, but I'll have enough left over to make a 2nd very usable screen!

As mentioned before, the material is sold in approx 96" x 48" sheets, thereby limiting the size to a 96" 16:9 image, or 80" 4:3. So if people are looking for a bigger screen, you're out of luck unless Parkland produces a 60" wide version. From looking it over, I think it is roughly equivalent to a matte white screen fabric. I'd be very surprised if it had much more gain than that, as it is basically a smooth, white surface. So if anyone is looking for a matte white-type screen in these sizes, it's worth consideration.

For information on it, go to:
http://www.parklandplastics.com/residential.htm

Note that the Plas-Tex NRP product is NOT the one you want to purchase. It has a pebble side that is too bumpy for use as a screen. You want the Poly-Wall product.

Anyway, back to my two screens. The largest screen I can accommodate in my room is about a 70"x48" screen. So if I make a 69"x48" screen for use as my primary screen, which just so happens to support an 80" 16:9 image and an 80" 4:3, the remaining piece would be approx 48"x27". This smaller screen is perfectly sized to sit in front of my present TV in one of my rooms... blocking none of my speakers ... and yields a 55" 16:9 image. Or about the same size as the very popular 55"-57" RPTV sets.

Likewise the same size remainder would be left over from the Celotex or fiberboard or flakeboard or whatever someone was using to mount the Poly-Wall onto. And if one is using something like a clear silicon adhesive to attach the Poly-Wall to the backing, you'll almost certainly still have enough left over from the large screen project.

This small screen would be extremely easy for me to set up and take down, and would be quite portable too. Could throw it in the car with the projector to take to a friend's home to watch a ballgame. And it is absolutely free! A by-product of spending a paltry $30 to make a nice, large screen.

So my thanks to Ron and Mike for the tip! You made my day.

Tom

Well I finally got to test out my new Parkland Plastics Screen tonight. I made it 84x48 inches and atched it to a pine frame. My old screen was a 60" wid 16:9 screen made from blackout material. I was using an Epson 7500c with htpc and dcaler to sned a dvd image to the screen.
As far as I'm concerned this screen is great. Its definately better than the blackout screen, and even though I was throwing a much larger image the colors were better and the image was sharper. No matter where I stood or sat in the room the image looked the same, there was no hot spotting. Overall an excellent screen at any price, but for $13 plus pine framing($35) it was a steal. I'm very satisfied. Thanks for finding this stuff, I recommend it highly.

Since I started the inquiry about which "side," let me try and clarify.

Material: Parkland Plastics, Inc.
Plas-Tex Waterproof Wall Panel

Side A: Smooth, has a low luster, label is attached to this side.

Side B: Matte and has a very slight texture

It is side "B" that I used and subsequently Mike corrected his original post and is also using this side.

BTW Mike: Great HT and great job!

Gene

Originally posted by gene4ht
Since I started the inquiry about which "side," let me try and clarify.

Material: Parkland Plastics, Inc.
Plas-Tex Waterproof Wall Panel

Side A: Smooth, has a low luster, label is attached to this side.

Side B: Matte and has a very slight texture

It is side "B" that I used and subsequently Mike corrected his original post and is also using this side.

Gene

All of the above looks correct, except that the real name of the product is Parkland Plastics, Inc. "Poly-Wall", not "Plas-Tex." As I listed just a few messages above, Parkland does have a web page that describes both their "Plas-Tex NRP" and "Poly-Wall" products. The product that Gene is describing above is the "Poly-Wall" product, as it is the only one of the two that has a "Matte and has a very slight texture." The "Plas-Tex NRP" product has a smooth side and a pebble side and neither is well suited for use as a screen.

If you find it in a store, it might have a "Plas-Tex" label somewhere around it, as I believe the actual plastic material may be called "Plas-Tex" by Parkland. However the sheet itself is officially named and sold as "Poly-Wall." If one goes back and rereads the entire thread, you will find that the original posters also state this in some of their posts.

I'm only stating this because if someone calls Parkland and orders a sheet, if they buy the "Plas-Tex NRP" sheet, then it won't work.

Tom

As others have posted, I hope they do make a larger size available. I'm wanting to make a 96"x54" 16:9 screen.

The material that we have used (Mike and myself) is called PLAS-TEX Waterproof Wall Panel .060 x 4 x 8 Bright White. I have attached the label on a previous post (Page 2, attachment is called TAG) which you may download to make sure you purchase the correct material. The back side has small dimples in it which is the incorrect side to use. I hope this helps you locate the correct material.

Good luck, Ron

Originally posted by Ron Geyer
The material that we have used (Mike and myself) is called PLAS-TEX Waterproof Wall Panel .060 x 4 x 8 Bright White. I have attached the label on a previous post (Page 2, attachment is called TAG) which you may download to make sure you purchase the correct material. The back side has small dimples in it which is the incorrect side to use. I hope this helps you locate the correct material.

Good luck, Ron

What I found, at both Home Depot and Menards, were two Parkland products - PLAS-TEX NRP and Poly-Wall. Both are described on the Parkland web page at:

http://www.parklandplastics.com/residential.htm

The Poly-Wall product is the one with a matte-white side, in bright white color and is .060" in thickness. The PLAS-TEX NRP product has a dimpled (much larger textures than the matte) side, is in pewter white color and is .090" in thickness. Thus what Ron describes above is the Poly-Wall product, according to Parkland's own web page.

The Plas-Tex trademark that is shown on Ron's label is just that, a trademark of the material that was used.

Note that in the third post shown on Page 4 of this thread, Mike Eby states that both he and Ron used the bright white Poly-Wall, as described on the Parkland web page. And the label that was posted on Page 4 is exactly the same as the one found on the Poly-Wall product (I know, because I looked at it and it was an exact match). Mike also states on page 4 that the textured/matte side, not the smooth side, is the side that faces the projector.

Parkland has confused this issue by having both a material trademark and a unique product named "PLAS-TEX." It is understandable that if the Poly-Wall label says "PLAS-TEX" on it, that people will confuse it with the Plas-Tex NRP similar product. Essentially, when one buys the Poly-Wall product, you are getting something made out of Plas-Tex (which is 100% recycled plastic).

Ron is correct in that if someone asks for the Parkland Plas-Tex product that comes in .060" thickness and is bright white in color, that they will get the right thing. Just be careful to not just ask for the Plas-Tex sheet, because that's the official name of the other product.

And, as someone else noted earlier, there is a very good chance that you could find quite similar products, in other regions, from other manufacturers. Look for a white, matte-finish, plastic wall panel to use in laundry rooms or bathrooms. I've seen these walls in pre-manufactured homes on many occasions.

Tom

Good News!

I talked to Steve Troyer at Parkland Plastics on Friday afternoon and he says they are going to make Plas-Tek sheets in 5 x 8 panels this coming week and maybe 5 x 10 panels as well. Steve said they would have pricing by Wednesday.

Steve can be reached at (800) 835-4110 or at parksct@bnin.net

Keith,
That great news especially if they do a 5’X10’ that would make a 16:9 screen 106.7" wide and 60" high or 122.4" diagonal. Wow almost an Imax experience. But to do it I would have to consider replacing my speakers because they are too high. :(

Mike

I ordered a sheet of Poly-Wall directly from Parkland Plastics today.

Hopefully it will get here before the weekend, so I can get to work.
I have been projecting on a white wall so far, and have been happy. But at this pricepoint you can't really go wrong.

A big "thank you" to Ron and Mike for bringing this affordable DYI solution to our attention.

I just hope my end result will look as good as your screens. ;)

Matt

First, thanks to all the people posting information here. Very useful info for a newbie...

Now, for the requisite newbie question :)

What's the largest 16:9-dimension screen that can be gotten from one of these Parkland panels?

Would appreciate it if someone could post the actual width/height measurement to cut the panel to. Thanks!

Originally posted by shadowpuppet
[What's the largest 16:9-dimension screen that can be gotten from one of these Parkland panels? [/B]

Shadow: Go to the bottom of page 3. I have a post with a attachment of a drawing (screendwg.jpg) you can download wich gives you the largest size on a 4 x 8 sheet.

Good luck, Ron

Parkland is taking orders for 5x8 ( $26.49 ) and 5x10 (37.19 )

poly bright white .060.

Is this price delivered? Who should I call and what's the phone number to order?
Rodrigo

just product price....1-800-835-4110

I just call 1-800-835-4110 and talked to a guy called Steve.
He said they're going to run 5x10's by the end of this week so we should start calling by Thursday or Friday to order.

Cool, I am only about 20 mile from the factory. I will pick mine up. Under $40 for a 122" screen. Unbelievable!

Mike

what's the h/w for a proper 16:9 using the 5x8 and 5x10 panel?

Originally posted by shadowpuppet
what's the h/w for a proper 16:9 using the 5x8 and 5x10 panel?

According to the Barco lens program the 5'X10' would yield a 16:9 screen that is 106.7" wide and 60" high or 122.4" diagonal. The max size the 5' X 8' could be in 16:9 aspect ratio is 96" wide 54" high or 110.1 diagonal. Or for you 4:3 fans you would use the 5' X 8' sheet for 60" high 80" wide or 100" diagonal. All of these measurement are for the entire size of the screen material minus the ¼” trim lap around the entire parameter of the screen.

Mike

Guys,

Stupid question here - do you guys plan on painting
these or using as is? Has anyone painted them
grey? I have a PLV60/HD13 and was wondering
if anyone has used it with this projector.

Thanks,

Aceman

Thanks Mr. Postman!

Poly Wall just arrived.
Got sidetracked with wifes "honey-do's" and was unable to open the package. I can't wait to open it up and mount this bad boy!

Daniel

Hello All,
Has anyone out there been able to compare results of using Poly Wall -vs- the WilsonArt Designer White Laminate as a screen for ceiling mounted FP CRT? Is the gain and hotspotting similar or is there any discernable difference? How might it compare to a decent 1.3-1.5 gain screen?

Originally posted by roxrobin
Hello All,
Has anyone out there been able to compare results of using Poly Wall -vs- the WilsonArt Designer White Laminate as a screen for ceiling mounted FP CRT? Is the gain and hotspotting similar or is there any discernable difference? How might it compare to a decent 1.3-1.5 gain screen?

IMO I can't see how you could get a better screen for the price. I am using a CRT and I see no hot spots at all. I don't know how to measure gain but I would say it is in the 1.2-1.3 range, but that is just a guess. I posted some screen shots (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=103203) a while back if you would like to take a look.

Mike

Has anyone compared the Parkland Polywall to the DaLite Video Spectra or HiPower with a DLP PJ like the LT150?

I am using a glossy white tile board which gives me good results but there is a slight tendency to hotspot. I did compare the tile board to the blackout fabric from JoAnns and I liked the tileboard much better (brighter picture). So I suspect i like a screen with some gain to it.

If the Dalite screen materials are better than I wouldn't hesitate buying the material for the extra $ and stretching the material on a DIY frame or just getting a pulldown (hopefully wrinkles aren't a problem with these pulldowns).

How does one go about measuring screen gain anyway?
Gil

First off I want to thank everyone who has worked on this. It's guys like you who make these forums work.

I called and ordered two of the 5X8 Poly-Wall sheets today. I only need one but I want to experiment with painting one of them with a grey paint. If anyone has done this already and have gotten good results I would be interested in hearing about it. If not I will try myself and let everyone know how it turns out.

I am new to this and am in the process of putting together my setup. I have currently being shipped a NEC LT155 with ceiling mount, the cables to go from my current non-progressive scan DVD player with component out to the LT155 and the screen. I am also in the process of putting together the parts needed for an HTPC and will be replacing the DVD with the HTPC.

I just found this forum, and read all the discussion about the polywall material. I just called and ordered a 5' x 10' piece. I am very grateful to you all for maintaining such a good level of discourse about this subject and others of great interest to me. Please keep up the good work!

I also order 2 sheets of 5x10!!!
Can't wait!

Are they going to be shipping the new 5'x8' to the stores(Menards, HD, and Lowe's)? I would like to pick mine up there.

Thanks

Just curious...

What is the price for the 5X10 sheet of Poly Wall?

Daniel

Daniel, look back a page. Scanman posted the price for both the 5X8 and the 5X10. They also charge $5.00 for processing plus the UPS charges.

I think it is a little less than $40 + shipping.

Mike

Originally posted by Ron_C
Are they going to be shipping the new 5'x8' to the stores(Menards, HD, and Lowe's)? I would like to pick mine up there.

Thanks
I doubt it. I think they are setting up the larger sheets just for Home Theater Screens. But who knows!

Mike

I ordered a 5'x10' panel, and would like to thank the AVS memebers who started this venture rolling. It sounds like the screen panels may become stock items (perhaps special order only?), as they already sell 5-10 per day....

The best part about my "Cost effective screen" is that I can apply an extra $1000 towards a better projector...:D

Good Work AVS Members!

Secant<---Newbie sponging theater knowledge from the AVS forums

Would this screen work well with a projector like the LT-155 in a completely dark room. it would be a 60"x80" screen(4:3). Would this screen be too bright for the LT-155? I hope not, since it is sooooo cheap to make!!!

I noticed that you all seem to have CRTs. Will this work with LCDs as well?

I seem to recall someone posting something about some "sagging" in the middle section of this material when hung on a wall.

Could someone clarify that please?

Would I need to worry about this if it's mounted in a frame (like an oversized picture or poster) without a backing? Should there be backing material?

Thanks members!

Originally posted by MikeEby


According to the Barco lens program the 5'X10' would yield a 16:9 screen that is 106.7" wide and 60" high or 122.4" diagonal...
Mike

Mike,

Is this program available online for free? What dimensions/data does it need plugged into it for the calculations?

Thanks!

If you nailed it to the frame or wall every 12-16" you should not get sagging. Don't use glue as it may show up if screen is semi-transparent (not sure as I don't own this screen, yet :D).

The Barco "Lens Program" is down loadable for free from their web site. I think it is specific to Barco only... I have a Barco 701S, and it requires the specific model number, as well as the exact lens the FP uses. I don't know if it has value to non-BARCO owners. If it does, I would like to know, as I plan on getting a Sony and an NEC soon.

Originally posted by Pocatello
The Barco "Lens Program" is down loadable for free from their web site. I think it is specific to Barco only... I have a Barco 701S, and it requires the specific model number, as well as the exact lens the FP uses. I don't know if it has value to non-BARCO owners. If it does, I would like to know, as I plan on getting a Sony and an NEC soon.

Yeah, I found that out just now. As such, I'm not sure how one can get an "accurate" reading from this if one intends to use a non-Barco projector...

Anyone?

Originally posted by Jcoffey
I noticed that you all seem to have CRTs. Will this work with LCDs as well?
Sure it will work with a LCD. Ron Geyer the person that discovered the material is using a Sony LCD.

Mike

Originally posted by Pocatello
The Barco "Lens Program" is down loadable for free from their web site. I think it is specific to Barco only... I have a Barco 701S, and it requires the specific model number, as well as the exact lens the FP uses. I don't know if it has value to non-BARCO owners. If it does, I would like to know, as I plan on getting a Sony and an NEC soon.

You are right! It is specific to Barco’s for throw distance. I just used it to calculate the screen size. Select about any projector model, put in the aspect ratio and ether the width or height and it will calculate the opposite dimension and diagonal dimension based on the aspect ratio. You can to the same thing mathematic but then I would have to get out my eight grade geometry books. :D

Mike

Huey I nailed mine 5 different times say every 3 inches with roofing nails and mine still sags out an 1inch or so in some places. The material in not transparent at all but you will need to spead adhesive thin and very uniform as thats how I ruined my first sheet. My second sheet had a hot spot dead smack in the middle so I painted it with Behr Primer then Ultra White Eggshell and like the results better that the original sheet as it has a touch more gain.

Chris

What a great thread! I'm a newbie (actually not born yet)... I think I just made the decision to buy a projector now that I see it's more fun the moving a RPTV.... Talking screen size here, is it better to make the 48"x85" screen and watch 4:3 material reduced to 48"x64" OR to make a 60"x80" screen, and watch 16:9 material reduced to 45"x80"????

How easily do different projectors handle this, and does it matter which way you go? It seems it would be much easier to mask the two sides with a curtain, than mess with masking top & bottom... Do you really need to mask? What do you see if you don't?

I'm anxious to make one of these screens, all I need is a projector! Which I could find one at Lowes for $13.00!

Oh yeah, one last thought I forgot to mention. I have used "Ritz Dye" in the past to dye plastics. It is actually a fabric dye found at most grocery stores, maybe $2. You mix it with water and dip your plastic in it, but I think you could just soak a cloth and wipe the screen with it. Let it soak in 5 minutes and wipe off. I'm pretty sure it's available in shades of gray. You have a lot of 11" cut-off pieces to experiment with... (wear plastic gloves!)

Again, I'm a "newbie", and read something about gray screens, thought I'd throw that out there.

Originally posted by visualcnc
What a great thread! I'm a newbie (actually not born yet)... I think I just made the decision to buy a projector now that I see it's more fun the moving a RPTV.... Talking screen size here, is it better to make the 48"x85" screen and watch 4:3 material reduced to 48"x64" OR to make a 60"x80" screen, and watch 16:9 material reduced to 45"x80"????

How easily do different projectors handle this, and does it matter which way you go? It seems it would be much easier to mask the two sides with a curtain, than mess with masking top & bottom... Do you really need to mask? What do you see if you don't?


You are asking the right questions. IMO it depends on your viewing habits and the projector you select. If you watch mostly DVD's or HD then the 16:9 is definitely the right choice. For DSS, cable or OTA then 4:3 is the way to go. Personally I had a 4:3 and went with a 16:9 because in my case I only watch 99% wide screen material in the theater and I didn't like the big letter box black bars that a 4:3 screen produced and I 'am using a CRT projector that I could compress the scan lines closer together to obtain a picture that is free of any types of scan lines or pixel structure. If you go with a fixed pixel device such as a LCD or DLP then the choice gets more complicated because there are those projectors with 16:9 panels and some with 4:3 panels. I am not qualified to answer questions on those types of projectors.

Mike

If everyone wasn't aware, Parkland is now shipping the 5'x8' and 5'x10' polywall panels. Have fun!

I will be driving down to Indianapolis next weekend from Minneapolis. I am guessing Middlebury is on the way (or a small detour).

Where can i find the original 4x8. Is there a Lowe's there that I could use.

I would love to get my hands on the nes made to order stuff, but unfortunately, I am sure that the place would be closed on the weekend.

Anand

Originally posted by akarz
I will be driving down to Indianapolis next weekend from Minneapolis. I am guessing Middlebury is on the way (or a small detour).

Where can i find the original 4x8. Is there a Lowe's there that I could use.

I would love to get my hands on the nes made to order stuff, but unfortunately, I am sure that the place would be closed on the weekend.

Anand

akarz welcome to the forum! Well I think it would be a pretty big detour. Middlebury is in north central Indiana so you would have to go to Chicago then I80/90 about 110 miles to Middlebury exit. The problem is there are no good roads running from Middlebury to Indy so I would just order and pay the UPS man for his time, for the $10-$20 in shipping cost its not worth the trouble.

Mike

I have written a simple program on Excel for windows that will calculate your screen size given any height or width for a HD 16:9 or standard 4:3.screen. If interested, I would be most happy to mail this to you. List in subject area “Screen Calculator”. (RAGEYER@aol.com)

Ron

Am I correct to assume that I could buy a sheet of this and make a 45" x 80" (92" Diagnol) 16:9 screen? Also im curious how well it handles contrast levels for your LCD?
Chris

Originally posted by xris2o0o
Am I correct to assume that I could buy a sheet of this and make a 45" x 80" (92" Diagnol) 16:9 screen? Also im curious how well it handles contrast levels for your LCD?
Chris

Chris: Yes for sure. I used the full 48" and the contrast is excellent. I taped a sample of Da-Lite's DA-MAT on this screen and the contrast is much better than their material.

Ron

My mounting experience: (The screen that is) :)

My wife and I mounted the screen above a 36" high wall length bookshelf. I rested a few books on the shelf, set the Polywall on the books and "tweaked" the books underneath until I got the top of the sheet level. This way we didn't have to use tape to keep it up, which might mess up the paint. I had previously found the studs, and had marked the proper lines for the nails. I used 4 nails at the top, one on each stud (4:3 screen) and four matching nails at the bottom. Drilled a pilot hole through the screen and then nailed. We painted some 3/4" trim matte black and it fit around the edge. (used an X-acto saw to get a perfect 45 degree bevel.) Then we put 3/4" strips of velcro over the trim, which completely hid the beautiful corners. :(

We rent, so this solution will leave only 8 holes in the wall which we can patch easily. If I stand at an extreme angle across from a light, I can see four vertical shadows that indicate small waves or bows of the plastic. If I push the screen with my fingertips, it does give slightly at the "wave peaks", but not enough to notice at all from the front. Perhaps spray adhesive would keep a better fit. Or, better yet, silicone gel and a vacuum cleaner: suck out all the air between it and the wall! :)

One caveat: my projector has yet to arrive, so I don't know how it looks yet!

Akarz and others in Minnesota: You can buy the 4x8 sheets at Menards or Home Depot(not all Home Depot's carry it). Also, mentioned above was the problem with very slight wavy imperfections in these sheets. I bought two and found these same imperfections along with spots of higher brightness(from regular room lighting). I have yet to project onto these sheets but, I am hoping for the same results as others have posted. If so, I'll order a 5x10 and ask about a 6x10.

No waves on my formica. In fact it's so large it covers the wall switch, intercom, & alarm panel. Just gracefully curves over them.

10' diagonal, 16:9, Formica (Ice White). Trimmed with 3" baseboard, covered in black felt. 8 sheetrock screws into the wall.

Stunning.

Hi,
I was wondering what we could i use as a backing for this screen. Could you use plywood or would this not stick to plywood? Use Drywall? What should i use as the adhesive? I was thinking of getting an 5'x10' and the gluing that to a backing then mounting that on a 2x4 frame. Would this work? I want to do this to work out any waves it might have. Thanks

Also, how long are they doing the 5x10 run of sheets?

I'm thinking a great backing for it would be blue insulation foam thats 1\4" to 1\2" thick, and have it glued to the screen. Very light compaired to plywood, therefore easier to hang.....

then you would glue the blue foam to the 2x4 frame? What kind of glue would i use to glue the plastic to the foam and the foam to the frame?

Thanks!

Here it is not as important to be worried about the weight of the screen as it is to be concerned about removing any bubbles/waves from the screen. Therefore you need a solid backing - plywood. The blue rigid foam (styrofoam or extruded polystyrene) is much too flexible, has tendency to flake apart and does not really provide adequate nailing/screwing surface for mounting. I probably would go with 1/2" AC plywood, mounting it to the 'A' side of the plywood. You can use an adhesive like Liquid Nails and have a small rubber roller to roll out any bubbles/waves that form as you lay down the sheet. Yes this will be heavier than the foam, but it will be more solid and really wouldn't be that much weight at all when you mount it to the studs of your wall.

Now i plan on using an 5x10 peice to 16:9 screen so i will have to use 2 peices of plywood. As long as they meet flush and are even, i shouldn't have a problem will i?

I ordered a 4X8 sheet today and will be shipped tomorrow. Total cost for me (Lorton Va) will be $41.95 (14.95 for the sheet, $5 packing, $22 shipping). Ironic that the shipping is more costly than the sheet itself!

I intend to affix the sheet to a 5/8" drywall sheet, after trimming the DW and "screen" to the appropriate size, using liquid nails or drywall adhesive. But I was only going to put the glue around the edges that would be hidden by the trim so that there is no glue behind the screen portion that would be viewed. This would then be hung on a screen wall that will sit approximately 1 foot from the theater wall.

It shouldn't matter if you put glue behind the plastic or not since it isn't transparent. Just put it on evenly and you will be ok. Then you wont' have to be worried about any waves is the middle.

The screen I have right now is made out of a similar material that I found at a local Home Depot. It is basically made of fiberglass. I also used a couple of door casings that I had around to built a frame for it. I then glued the frame to the screen using a hot glue gun from behind. Let me explain the process a little better...
First I laid the panel on the floor with the white matte superficie on the underside and the other with bumps on the upperside.
Second I laid the frame centered on the panel. (the screen is 4x8 and the frame is only 3x6.
Third using a hot glue gun I spread glue all aroud the edges of the frame (interior and exterior to the frame for a good bondness).
After 30 minutes I was able to lift the screen from its frame and hang it to the wall.
the only problem I had was that because the frame was much smaller than the panel itself it has a tendency to curve towards the wall just a little bit.
I'm now waiting for the Parkland material to come to built another one. This time I will make the frame only 1/2 inch smaller on both dimensions to allow some space for the exterior lip of hot glue.
Rodrigo
BTW- the hot glue is semi-transparent so it won't cause any problems even if the panel turns out to be transparent. (I hope not!!!!)

Now i plan on using an 5x10 peice to 16:9 screen so i will have to use 2 peices of plywood. As long as they meet flush and are even, i shouldn't have a problem will i?

You should be ok, just make sure that the two ends you are joining are quite square. You may want to use a small piece of 1x material as a backer board (i.e. attach horizontally across the back of the 2 pieces of plywood).

If you do use adhesive in the middle of the screen area, do use a roller to roll out the polywall. This is a common technique when laminating wood etc, it helps spread the adhesive evenly.

Another thought too, is to use MDF instead of plywood. MDF is very heavy, but it is also very flat.

Since there seems to be some semi-translucency issues with the screen (vis a vis gluing them to a solid backing), has anyone tried paiting the *back* side (with gray/matte paint) instead of the front?

If the back was painted with the low-gain paint, then the glue applied to the entire back to hold it against solid backing material shouldn't be visible, right?

The Plastic is not transparent at all. I haven't found where it could be transpartent anyways. It is sold white plastic. When i looked at it at HD, i couldn't see any transparency issues.

Maybe the best way is to use double side adhesive tape. It is white anyway and can hold anything. I remember using it to secure my stereo under the a dashboard with no screws at all.

Ron_C
if you bring a piece of this material about 1 feet from your projector lens are you able to see the picture in the other side?
My fiberglass stuff does... and it sucks!
Rodrigo
BTW- The projector obviously has to be turned on

I used adhesive to get it on plywood, and have no problem at all with the transparency.

Hello all

First time poster long time lurker.

I am going to be purchasing a Sony 10HT soon, and was dreading picking out a screen, and then I came across this thread.

I have read alot on here about how to assemble the frame which will be very helpfull thank you everyone.

But here's the question, is everyone happy with the results? How does the screen perform? Will it be a good screen for the pj I have chosen (Gain and whatnot)?

Thanks in advance.

SG

Originally posted by SpacedGhost
Hello all

First time poster long time lurker.

I am going to be purchasing a Sony 10HT soon, and was dreading picking out a screen, and then I came across this thread.

I have read alot on here about how to assemble the frame which will be very helpfull thank you everyone.

But here's the question, is everyone happy with the results? How does the screen perform? Will it be a good screen for the pj I have chosen (Gain and whatnot)?

Thanks in advance.

SG

There have been some posted pictures earlier in this thread. Take a look at them.

Originally posted by RBRAGA
Maybe the best way is to use double side adhesive tape. It is white anyway and can hold anything. I remember using it to secure my stereo under the a dashboard with no screws at all.

How about using a mirror rail bracket (what holds heavy, large mirrors in bathrooms) on the bottom of the screen to support the weight and keep the screen from sagging? One could be used on the top also, with a thin, double sided tape to hold the edges and middle section...then the edges could be covered as desired and the screen could be easily removed, if need be...

Anyone try this? I would but I just started my theater room construction, plus my 5x10 sheet is still in transit...

Secant

Originally posted by SpacedGhost
But here's the question, is everyone happy with the results? How does the screen perform? Will it be a good screen for the pj I have chosen (Gain and whatnot)?

Thanks in advance.

SG
I'm using this projector and the results are excellent. Even better than the Da-Lite DA-MAT material. It cost me about $25.00 and an hour of time to install. Check out some of the earily post and especially those from Mike Eby about this material.

Good Luck, Ron

Ron
I know this is off-topic, but did you have a chance to compare the 10HT to the PLV60? If so what did you think? I'm torn between the two, I can get them for about the same price.

Thanks
SG

Just wanted to let everyone know that you cannot just use any sheet of white plastic. Last week I came across a product called Komotex. It was appealing because it was 5 x 10 and it was available locally and .125 inches thick. The price was very close the the Plas-tex everyone is talking about, so I gave it a try.

Can you say hot spots. Komotex was a bust. Don't use it.

I have ordered a 5 x 8 sheet from Parkland a couple days ago. You tell them you want the plastic for the projector screen and they know exactly what you are looking for. Apparently they have been filling quite a few orders. Before I placed the order though I got a damaged 4 x 8 sheet from my local Home Depot for about $6.00 to try just a a trial run.

I was impressed. No hot spots. A nice even picture. We taped a Da-Lite Da-Mat screen sample on the rough side of the Parkland plastic and we could not tell a difference between the screen sample and the plastic. For the record Da-Mat has a gain of 1.0

Until I read this thread, I was ready to send Da-Lite couple hundred dollars just for material. Cannot wait until the 5 x 8 sheet gets here.

Wow! Living in Elkhart, IN has its rewards. I knew there had to be a benefit! I drove to parkland plastics after work today and picked mine up.

Here is what I am thinking, someone please stop me if I am about to really screw up. :)

I plan to staple this to the back of a 1X4 wood frame/border so that the frame holds it tight and finishes it off nicely. The screen would be basically against the wall and the wood trim will be over it. I saved big money at Menards and purchased the premium 1X4 lumber (it was the only thing that wasn't banana shaped in the wood area) :D

My question is this: Will the recessed nature of my design pose a problem? The screen will be sitting behind the frame (but firmly attached to it). The other thing, will I be able to pull it tight enough so that it doesn't droop in the middle?
The frame will get a flat/satin black.

In case I am not being clear, here is a poor illustration of what I want to do:


<-wall------------------------------Projector

|X
|
|
|
|
|X

____________________________________
|=screen
x=1x4 lumber

-Garrick

I'm a bit worried for all the ppl who are not gluing their screens down.

Two things can cause trouble: a) Plastics can stretch and sag over time. b) Plastics have a thermal coefficient of expansion that's quite different from any subatrates. So in temperatures different from ounting temp, could be bowing.

Best to use 3M spray adhesive to combat both problems.

Ok. I can see that. But what is rigid and flat with 5X8? Everything out there is 4X8, and I don't want seams, since i am not an expert woodworker.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Garrick

centaur,
I think with the larger sizes, gluing the material to the wall would be a good idea and using a spray adhesive the application would be very even. I assume that you would apply the adhesive to both surfaces for maximum effectiveness.

Garrick,
Your plan is about the same thing I did except we used window casing for the frame but you plan should work well.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

I was just worried about the recessed nature of this design with shadows. The screen material would be 1/2" behind the front of the border/frame. Your frame was very thin near the screen edge, so it blended nicely.

I did notice a some bulges and waves in the material even after it laid flat all night. It doesn't want to curl anymore, but there are some uneven places. I have waves with my current screen, so I really don't want waves with the new screen.

I guess the worst case scenario is that I proceed with the current idea, and if I get waves, glue it to something flat. (just not the wall)


-Garrick

I will be bying my parkland plastics screen tonight and was wondering if you use the smooth or the slighlty textured side for projection? Thanks

From what I've been reading in this thread, it's the slightly textured side.

Originally posted by SpacedGhost
Ron
I know this is off-topic, but did you have a chance to compare the 10HT to the PLV60? If so what did you think? I'm torn between the two, I can get them for about the same price.

Thanks
SG

I'm sorry, I only looked at the 10HT due to the price. I had a Sony CRT that needed a new gun and dind't want to put that kind of money and still have a old projector. I looked at some DLP projectors but the price was over doubled and the quality of the picture was far from doubled. I have a great picture with this Sony LCD and the parkland plastic screen. I hope this is of some help.

Ron

Originally posted by RBRAGA
Ron_C
if you bring a piece of this material about 1 feet from your projector lens are you able to see the picture in the other side?


The answer is no, no light gets through at all. It is a sheet of very opaque, white plastic, about 1/16" thick. I don't know from where these translucency concerns are arising.

You can use whatever glue you want behind the screen, even black silicon, and it makes no difference. I used clear GE Silicon II wall & window adhesive ($4.47 for 10 ounce tube from Home Depot), zig-zagging it all over the panel I mounted the Plas-Tec Poly Wall on. I made two screens, both "portable" so I can move them into different rooms. There is no evidence of "glue lines" at all on either of them.

Tom

OK guys, help a newbie DIYer. Trying to build a frame for the Parkland Plastic. Using 2 1/4" molding, simple tapered stuff. Mitre cut it to 45 degrees.

What's the best way to fasten the corners? Tried corrugrated joint fasteners, but had a real tough time maintaining a proper 90 degree join angle. Staples don't hold well enough. Is there some special corner bracket I can get ?

You carpenters out there ... what's the trick?

TIA.

Bob T.

I used little 1" flat corner brackets that are used to hold framing together and some really tiny brass finishing screws for mine. Holds really strong.

Good luck.

Juno =0)

Originally posted by picturestory
If everyone wasn't aware, Parkland is now shipping the 5'x8' and 5'x10' polywall panels. Have fun!

Where can I get a 5' x 10' sheet?
Lowes? Home Depot?

I live in Virginia by the way. Isn't the company in VA somewhere?
I'd like to try it as a curved screen

Where can I get a 5' x 10' sheet?

Parkland is located in Indiana. The local Lowes and Home Depot did not carry this panel. You can order the 5'x8' or the 5'x10' directly from Parkland. Their number is posted earlier in this thread.

Juno, thanks for the advice. I'll see if I can find such beasties.

Anyone used KBK goo on their's? I think for for light material such as this, a floating screen hanging might be the best. That would be two pieces of would trim clamped together at the top edge and same on the bottom--no holes in the plastic. There are several ways to do this. Then hang the screen by wires and screw eyes coming out of the top of the wood. The free hanging should create a very smooth surface. Clamping each corner only and stretching a wire to the left and right to hang it might create more uniformity as well.

Has anyone tried a curved screen. (Search the forum). Curved plastic should have a better uniformity as well, plus a slight gain, some improvement for crt lens curvature focus, and better ambient light rejection.

Bob

its probably not quite the same, but i've got a giant painted sheet in my living room drying its way towards becoming my new screen.

its ultimately going to be a 20 foot wide 10 feet tall screen. it'll be framed eventually, but its going to start its life simply carpet taped onto my wall.

the whole things painted in ultra-super-matte ultra-super-white acrylic paint. $14 a can, and a two can job. i ironed the whole sheet flat then did a standard paint job with a roller.

i've got a couple generic 60 inch wide projection screens on stands here. the material sample i did of the screen looked just about level with the projection screens. the color is a bit less sharp, in a comfortable way.

Originally posted by Myren
its probably not quite the same, but i've got a giant painted sheet in my living room drying its way towards becoming my new screen.

its ultimately going to be a 20 foot wide 10 feet tall screen. it'll be framed eventually, but its going to start its life simply carpet taped onto my wall.



Damm, what are you going to use for a projector ?

actually, the projector is also a do-it-yourself job. i've got a viewsonic vg150 lcd monitor and disassembled the whole thing. i used a bell and howell 388a overhead projector for most of the optics work. just put the lcd down on top of the view area.

the bulb is standard DYS/DVS/BHC bulb. 600 watt metal halide. Can usually be found for about $9. and it puts out 17,000 lumens. 750 hours, if i remember right.

the whole thing is considerably bigger than your standard projector and uses two squirrel cage fans to cool it. but - aside from a faint whir and a quiet flow of air - its remarkably silent, gives me 1024 x 768 (a limitation of the $250 display panel i'm using) and is so bright that i can project without any problems onto a 20 foot by 10 foot viewing area and still have some decent ambient light on. oh, and it costs me $350.

i'm hoping to make a more advanced version using a zoom optics setup. currently i'm limited to adjusting the distance between the projector and the screen for resizing the image. also, a bigger fresnel would be nice. i'd like to put a nice 1600x1200 or better res matrix into the system, but i'd need a fresnel big enough for those 18.1 inch screens.

matt

oh, sheets done by the way.

looks great. of course, the only thing i have to compare it to is the wall and an unpainted sheet, so of course its going to look better.

the difference is like night and day though. i thought my setup was pretty good before, but now it almost hurts looking at the old setups. the main difference is the the darker scenes, which are now crisp and clear, no longer hazy and indistinct.

i'm going to have to repaint it though. it evidently didnt like getting snowed on. the paint didnt quite dry normally because of the snow.

matt

HT Bob84: in stage, we always just find some scrap wood and cut out triangles for the corners of such dilemnas. standard right angle triange, with typically around 4 inches length on the non-hypotonoos sides. then just line everything up and screw through the triangle down into the wood your mounting down. viola, everythings mounted down.

make sure your triangles are on the BACK of your screen too. :D ;) :D

matt

I would love a picture of your setup. I can't picture it in my head.

By the way, my 5X8 sheet had some rather large bulges and waves in it that I had to flatten, so I glued it to 2 pieces of masonite using the recommended adhesive. I should be ready to mount it tonight.

You can't see the seam between the two picecs.

Just my 2cents.

-Garrick

myren: thanks. I found another answer: a corner clamp, brand name "pony", purchased at the local Sears Hardware. Using that to hold the 90 degrees, I screwed in angled brackets both on the back and on the edge (a belt-and-suspenders approach.)

Yeah, I could have been neater with my miter cuts, but a little wood filler seems to have covered over the matter. I'll let it dry, then paint the whole mess flat black. Since I used metal corner brackets for the edges, I'll have to paint those too, or they'll shine from the projector. Maybe I should have just stuck with the rear hardware.

Now to decide on how to fasten the plastic to the frame.

Do I mount the plastic first, perhaps on some Celotex foam insulation board like someone suggested here? Or leave it alone?

Then do I staple, nail, or glue the plastic (with/without a backing) to the frame? If there's no backing, how did people keep it flat while applying it to the back of their frame?

I see a variety of methods mentioned here. Anyone tried a method they would NOT recommend?

Couldn't find this material in Australia, so wandered the hardware store and Voila!! I have just installed linoelum on the wall for the screen - using the bottom side! Check it out - dense white, reflective and surprisingly similar texture as seen on genuine Stewart screens. The width is 2 metres and length is up to you. Colour, contrast, brightness is very acceptable @ US$15 per metre! Simply marked out image size on wall with some overlap (1") and used a staple gun to attach. Next step is to build a wood trim frame. Look at a few lino' samples as each have different backings and less obtrusive designs on top side (less likely to show through)What a laff - Stewart screen quoted to me in Australia at over $6,000 and put this up for only $120 including materials!

:D

Originally posted by HT Bob84
myren: thanks. I found another answer: a corner clamp, Do I mount the plastic first, perhaps on some Celotex foam insulation board like someone suggested here? Or leave it alone?

Then do I staple, nail, or glue the plastic (with/without a backing) to the frame? If there's no backing, how did people keep it flat while applying it to the back of their frame?


If I were going to mount the frame on the wall, and I felt the need to give it a backing, then I would go with medium-density fiberboard (mdf). It is very flat (and a bit heavy). Doesn't tend to warp like plywood - that's why it's a favorite for floors.

Tom

Originally posted by CoreyL
Couldn't find this material in Australia, so wandered the hardware store and Voila!! I have just installed linoelum on the wall for the screen - using the bottom side!
...
What a laff - Stewart screen quoted to me in Australia at over $6,000 and put this up for only $120 including materials!

:D

Let's not get carried away. Thus stuff is not the equal of a good Stewart screen. It isn't going to have either the contrast or the gain of a high quality screen. It is much more like a smooth wall with a coat of flat white paint, or a common matte-white screen.

The advantages are:
1) Inexpensive
2) Good flexibility on size.
3) If constructed properly, a very flat, non-wavy, non-lagging surface.
4) no hot spots
5) wide viewing angle (like matte white)

That's a lot of pluses for a screen that may only cost someone $50-$100 to install.

But it isn't a match for something like the new Stewart Firehawk in terms of overall performance. If you are looking for a screen that will improve your contrast & give you more detail on dark shots, or help out in a room with too much ambient light, then this stuff isn't it. Nor is it a substitute for a bright 2.5-3.0 gain screen. But if you can live within the limits of a matte white-type screen, it's a killer of a bargain.

Tom

I just installed my polywall screen this weekend directly to the drywall behind it. Some ideas for fastening it to the wall and avoiding the sag: I used roofing nails every 12" around the edges except for the top edge where I used drywall screws (for there low profile) into screw-in drywall anchors. I ran strips of double sided carpet tape (it is really thin) across the screen to kepp it tight against the wall. I then overlapped the edges of the screen with fluted molding and rosettes in the corner. 3 days, no problems yet. An idea for a professional looking black borner around the screen is to fasten the plastex to a sheet of black formica, then attach this to the wall.

John Oliverio

anyone know of ways to build a better-than-matte screen?

i'm tempted to get one of those grow your own crystals sets and trying something silly. just because.

there must be more....
myren

This Parkland DIY screen sounds like a winner. Has anyone tried this material for rear projection? If not, can someone hold one of your scrap pieces in front of your projector and see if you get an image on the back side? I am looking for a DIY rigid rear screen, with hopefully close to a gain of 1. I have a sourse for flexible material, just prefer rigid for a permanent in-wall installation.

This is too opaque to make good RP screen. You need a semi-transparent, diffusing material to make decent RP screen. Try a white 200 thread or less white sheet or white duck cloth tensioned on a frame.

My Parkland 5x8 just arrived.

It's neatly rolled and packed into a 5' x 6" x 6" shipping box. So, it's not damaged or marked in anyway.

This 5x8 sheet must have been specially manufactured for HT use, because both sides are of the same color and texture!

I just unrolled it, put it down on a flat floor, and used legs of chairs to hold it down.

First observation: It's going to take some time before it becomes flat. But, I was on my knees and hands just to see how flat it was right after it was unrolled and held down. I did see sagging in several areas. I tried to flatten the sagging using my hands, and tried to stretch it at the edges. But the sagging was still there. I hope it'll get better. But I am afraid that the sagging is not going to go away. My guess is that it is caused by imperfection of the manufacturing process. I have to wait until I install it before I can tell whether or not sagging is noticeable under projection.

I think I should take back what I said in my post above. Now I believe that the sagging is not caused by imperfection in the manufacturing process, but by rollling up the sheet for shipping.

I can't prove my theory because I don't live nearby the factory nor any store that carries this product. But I have a feeling that if you get a sheet that has never been rolled up, it probably stays flat. Once it's rolled up... out of luck?? It may even be caused by Parkland rolling it up so tightly to fit into the shipping box???

I am going to leave mine on the floor for a few days and see what happens. Right now, there is a big bulge about 1/4 of the sheet. Oh, well...

What are other people's experiences?

CWan-

why don't you glue it to a piece of MDF so it won't have any waves. MDF is pretty cheap and is very straight and strong. Just don't pour water on it.

Same think on my 5x10's. I also believe it happend during the packaging process. After 5 days I'm pretty sure it won't be flat. I'll have to glue it to MDF.