New guy with DLP Projector. Need a cheap, simple, nice paint solution!

If I'm reading this right, you're going to use the painted wall for the screen? I would prime the wall first with 2 coats of Kilz2, then use Behr Ultra Pure White, flat finish.

Awww Dude.....

Well first...Welcome to AVS's DIY Screen Forum !

Now that THAT is outta the way............

You need to reconsider a few things, primarily because your simply not aware of a few other things.

If you use a Self priming paint, choose a neutral Flat -Mid-Gray-color and paint the entire room's walls with it. That shade of Gray will suppress reflective ambient light where needed, but also set you up with a Screen surface that will help improve the low Contrast specs of the Compaq PJ

For the cieling, simply have some of the same Gray mixed up only at a shade 3x to 4x as dark. It need not be grossly dark Gray...just deep gray. Eliminating the Screen's reflection off the ceiling above it will do so much for your image quality that basically...if you don't do that, you'll be draggin' back here later complaining about what's happening and spouting purple spew from all those "Sour Grapes".

Then...you should hang the PJ at the absolute closest point to the Screen wall you can and still achieve the size image you want. This will conserve Lumens and help tighten up the resolution of that PJ.

After you have done that.....and you have a definite screen perimeter outlined, do yourself a favor and NOT paint a Border. That looks terrible next to almost any other alternative including Black felt...which I abhor as well.

Fer guddness sake, spent about $35.00 / $40.00 total on some 3.25" x 3/8" MDF Base Board Trim and some REAL Black Velvet to wrap it with. The difference will be outstanding, and will work more than anything else to make your simple Project and bargain basement PJ look like you have spent considerably more.

I'm anxious to here back on whatever decisions you make.

Just don't make "ME" spew...OK?

My little two cents is don't paint the wall the screen is on a lite color or glossy. At most do a satin. with a 70" you probably do not need to worry about the side walls as much, however I would suggest the same for them. I've noticed that even with a nice border as MM has suggested there still can be some color flushing if the walls are a lite color.
The Black Velvet can be found at most fabric stores. Mickeals, Joans fabrics,, ect...

I hope I did not make things confusing for you. MM is the expert. I would follow his instructions.
I have noticed in the three builds I have assisted with, that the walls "not the painted screen" when painted with a lite color glossy paint would reflect on to the screen, washing out the color.
I was suggesting to paint the walls a darker less sheen paint. Unfortunity most wives do not like flat or dark colors, I believe satin is the highest sheen you can paint the walls with, in my opinion. Flat is the desired sheen for all walls and ceiling for your man cave.

Sorry if I cuased any confussion.

If you want to look up greys for walls, and the screen that MM has suggested, there is some reading in the beginners guide. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...6#post12107486

I believe mid greys fall in the N8.5 tint.
N8.5 DIY Tint {Medium Gray}
Gallon Custom Tint
Behr UPW (1050,1750,1850,4850)
192 Lamp Black
043 Brown Oxide
019 Medium Yellow

Your local paint hardware store will mix this up for you.

I believe that is what MM is saying, walls and screen all the same color with the ceiling a darker shade of grey.
The Screen wall should be primered with two coats of Kilz2. Its your decision if you want to primer the rest of the walls and ceiling.

You do not need to paint side walls grey, but stick to a dark shade flat paint.

All this will get you setup until you want a more complex paint screen and fabric walls.

Nickc50310,

Don't ask for "Behr" @ Lowes...as they don't carry that, it is a signature brand of Home Depot's.

The "UPW" you should ask for is called Valspar Premium "FLAT" Interior Latex Enamel (...that will mean it is water based...)

NO SATIN !!!

Walls should be N8.0

Ceilings should be N7.0 or as low as N6.5

With that Currrrazy Compaq 3800 having only 800:1 Contrast, and you needing to retain as much of the 1300 lumens it puts out as possible....you'd be advised to NOT consider any screen size over 110" diagonal. If that large.

Also that is a native 4:3 PJ. about the only really good thing i can say beyond the ultra low buy-in price is that the 3800 at LEAST has a DVI input, and so will accept a 1080i signal from your Cable/Sat/DVDs. You'll need that resolution because in 16:9 mode your gonna lose about 30% of your viewing area.

If you plan to hang that "vertically" skinny unit from a Ceiling, it's not gonna be easy to find a mount that will accept it, because gosh...that PJ was going out of production just a little over a year after I was just barely starting on AVS (2003)

Also...are you aware that the 3800 is a unit that has always had questionable performance...in that it will frequently shut down for no reason....and the Color saturation is considered to be....well, awful.

It's a bargain at the price you got it if it will work and last at least a year or so....but you WILL want something "Mo bedder' quickly. Let's hope that it doesn't become a "I have no choice" kinda thingeee.

Darn...but I usually research a PJ's specs and performance characteristics before I start elaborating on what someone should do...and I should have in this instance especially. You might not have much of any choice in the matter...and it is a better PJ than the Mattell I owned in '65 > but as it stands...to make it look as good as we used to make the old X-1s, you need a really good, VERY SMOOTH.....Neutral Mid-Gray surface.

So with all that in mind, it's advisable in your case to simply paint that wall and fire it up. Something will happen....hopefully....and we'll be here for you to report back to.

make that Ceiling as dark as you can...because Brother....your gonna need it.

You'll have to take in the specific mixing ratios for the Grays for them to do all that with, as they don't automatically have such info beyond any :known' color that happens to qualify as such.


Simple MDF 3.25" primed base



http://www.syfabrics.com/View.aspx/P...Velvet/681/264


Rolled with a 3/16" Nap GOOD quality roller



That's common among PJ neophytes. But you've only scratched the surface.


I think you can't go too wrong, really.


Might be...and at this point you want everything to go smoothly and well, so you'll be anxious to upgrade later.


There goes my HD Stock dividend down the Toilet.


Your welcome...from us all. No go on...getter dun !

A excellent selection exists within the "Beginner's Guide to Simple DIY Painted Screens"
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...=929997&page=2

Start reading here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...4#post12107484


Various Paint Mfgs are listed....along with varying and different Paint Bases offered by different Paint Outlets

It would be easiest to ignore "politics" and concentrate on the "Home Depot & Behr" section, but should any of the other paints be readily available in a location convenient to you, (Lowes...TruValue...etc.)as long as the formulas & ratios are followed, your results will be...should be consistently accurate.

Actually you want to consider N6.5 to N6.0 for the ceiling. Are you simply projecting onto the N8 screen wall?

Well then..........let's getter DUN!

Now what?

That would be best.

Hey Nick,

First, thanks for being so persistent and for driving to extreme clarity on this issue. I'm in the same boat as you (amateur AV guy; got a great deal on an HD projector; throwing it on a primed wall; really excited about it already and just want to fine tune it a little), and have been so overwhelmed by the choices and technical specifications. I thank all the good folks here who ARE really into that stuff though and have taken the time to post it. This post though, has been really helpful in making it very clear what I can go out and buy today.

All that said, HOW DID IT TURN OUT!? I'd like to go pick up the stuff from SW today, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the results.

Thanks again!