I have a big window....

I was thinking about doing the same thing and have one question to ask,
typical retractable screens have the viewable portion at the bottom of the screen, does anyone make a screen that has the viewable portion higher, so that when pulled down all the way, the screen could cover the window, but the viewable portion be higher?????

Light will still leak from the side. I would try adding some pull-down room darkening shades inside the windows as well. With the combine screen plus the shades, most of the light should be eliminated.

One thing of concern would be how durable the screen would be in direct sun light. Back when I use to have room darkening shades, over time, I found them wrap a little here and there. Not sure if the screen can tolerate this. Of course this is assuming one is watching during the day and the windows gets sun light.

Da-Lite pull-down screens can be ordered with extra drop (black material) at the top or bottom. If sunlight is shining right on the back it may still show through there though.

As far as windows in general, one of my friends put pieces of wood (maybe .5" by .5" by the height of the window frame) inside the window frame and painted the same color, in order to block light from getting around the sides of blackout blinds. Worked pretty well and looks pretty natural.

--Darin

First let me say I like the idea. There is no reason the valance cant extend well past the sides of the window allowing you a larger screen and also better overlap of the window to help with the light coming around. The screens that are black on the back will do a good job of gathering the sunlight but in doing so will get warm and could break down with the UV and heat. So I think your idea of normal blinds behind is a good one and from the road wont look as out of place as a black window will.

As someone pointed out get the screen with the black drops where you need them. It shouldn't add too much to the cost. while you are at it ask them if they do anything special when ambient light is coming from the back. Schools etc could face the same issues a lot.

You can get screen samples and test the idea but I think it should work fine and will make a nice stealth setup. Now hide the speakers and the projector and you are ready to go.

Post pictures when done

I did this, although mine is a bay or more precisely a "bow" window.

i used a motorized, nontensioned Elite screen. I recessed the electronic components (obviously not the projector which is behind the opposite wall) under the surface of the inside "ledge" of the window.The screen comes down just to that ledge.

On top I made a box type deal to close and hide the screen unit. So I hit the remote button, the screen motors up, then it is hidden in the box, mounted on the wall above the bay window. The room reverts to a well lit family room.

My system works. Great picture.

I'd give thought to 1) the other light sources in the room and 2) How much your screen will block out the light from behind it and 3) keeping the direct sun off the back of any flexible screen you might use - I believe the sun might be a factor in creating the unwanted screen "waviness' often complained of.

Good Luck

I've never been that good at posting photos on websites. Sorry. Anyway, all I've got is a cellphone camera

I'm using a Sony VW60 Black Pearl projector. It's my first projector and I'm pleased. My screen is a gray screen from Elite. I used the gray because I have mirrors and white ceiling in the room and sources of ambient light. Based on that I needed the gray to enhance the blacks.

The room behind me is a garage, so I mounted the projector in there and cut a rectangular port in the wall. The port is covered by a piece of plexiglass (allows for remote control of projector) except for a little rectangle of plexi I cut out right in front of the lens - so the light sees only air between the proj and the screen. I got the rectangle by leaving the plexi whole, bringing down the screen and turning on the projector. when it projected through the plexiglass, I was still able to adjust the image to fit on the screen the way I wanted - AND THE LIGHT COMING OUT OF THE PROJECTOR MADE A VISIBLE IMAGE ON THE PLEXIGLASS. I went about a quarter inch bigger, marked it and cut the rectangle out of the plexi. It's all trimmed out now. Looks clean.

So I have a family room when I'm not watching theater. It doesn't look much different from before I built it. You'd really have to be paying attention to see the theater stuff.

I think what I did is carefully think about as many aspects of it as possible before I set out. What I did might work for you, or might not depending on your physical situation.

I'm enjoying it. Sorry about the lack of photos.