New ranges of Monoprice screens seem to be coming soon - Page 5

I compared it to an EliteScreens 1080 AcoustiPro that I had lying around, but it's not fair to compare an AT screen to a non-AT screen. The picture on the Monoprice screen is obviously better as there are no holes in it.

How about the build of the frame? Monoprice frame better quality? How does the black velvet on the frame compare? what is the width of the frame? i think elite has a 3" frame

Monoprice has 8sm which is 3.14" and yes I am interested in a build quality of monoprice fixed frame too.
I saw a VAscreen assembly video and it has two pieces for each horizontal part which makes a little crack in the middle of the frame which makes those screens less attractive for me. But their price is till less then everyone has on the market.

Hi all. Great thread, but I am having challenges trying to lock into answers to my specific questions. I am looking at monoprice "Product ID: 7969
Multi-Format Frame Projection Screen (10cm Aluminum Frame w/ Velvet Wrapped) - HD White Fabric (120 inch, 16:9/2.35:1)". I believe this is the version that has the pull down velvet masking system. My questions are as follows:

1. It says its 120 inch - is that the 16x9 size diag or the 2:35:1. If it is the 16x9, what size diag is the 2:35:1 with masking.

2. What gain is the white and grey screens. What is the major diff in quality? I have a light controlled room and am running a JVC RS50.

Thanks in advance. This looks like a great screen and I am very excited to have found out about this option.

Jim

Personally I find the frame quality to be very cool. It's very solid, and it's one piece per side. The velvet absorbs light extremely well and it's a nice thick border. I have some pics in my build thread which is linked in my signature.

Jim, the 120" is the 16:9 diagonal size. There are tons of screen calculators out there. Google for it and you'll be able to get the 2.35:1 size.

The grey screen is better for projectors that can't supply as much contrast in their image. In a light controlled room with an RS50, you shouldn't have a problem.

I have reserched this, but still not sure I am getting it. If the 16x9 is 120 inches (masked), then that would equal 150 inch diag 2:35:1? Can anyone validate this or am I off in my researched?

Also is a 1.0 gain (found the gain on the website) going to produce enough light with the RS50 at this size?

the white should work....you do realize that basically is your only option if you are worried about not having a "bright enough picture"

the grey is most likely a 0.8 gain aka a negative gain. its mainly used for older projectors that arent as bright as newer models and have lower contrast rates and/or rooms with uncontrolled ambient light.

check out this site to calculate screen size etc for your projector

http://www.projectorcentral.com/JVC-...ulator-pro.htm

That's one application where you would use a .8 gain screen. More often than not, the .8 gain is being used because the projector is way too bright and the screen is a smaller size screen.

Benito

Well, I finally had time to put together the 110", 2.35:1 fixed screen I picked up from Monoprice almost a month ago. All The parts were very well packaged, and of course I avoided both the outrageous UPS shipping cost and any potential damage by picking it up myself in Rancho Cucamonga. One of the first things I did was check that I had all the parts. Oops! I was missing the "L" brackets and half the screws that were used to attach them to the corners of the frame The manual said they should be in the box labeled "hardware parts". Not there. Got hold of Monoprice and they opened a RMA for the missing parts. I decided to un-package the rest and at least set everything on the floor so I would be ready to go when the missing parts arrived. Hey! What's that? The missing "L" brackets were already attached to one end of each of the 4 frame sections Got hold of Monoprice and had them cancel the RMA.

After that things went fairly well. I can't give a time frame for the assembly since I kept stopping to do other things, then came back to it. One person can assemble it with no problem, and the only time I had my GF help me was to lift it onto the upper wall bracket. I cannot compare it to other screens, since this is my first projection system, but it seems very well made. There were a few "squiggles" on the screen in the upper left had corner after I assembled it. The manual, and other posters, said this is not unusual, and those imperfections should disappear in a few days, and I already see what I would guess to be a 50% improvement in that area in only 24 hours.

I have not installed the lower mounting bracket. Other posters have also stated they use the screen without it, and as far as supporting the screen, the upper mounting bracket is more than adequate. I just need to make sure the bottom of the screen is the same distance from the wall as the top. Without the lower bracket it seems to be closer to the wall than the top. If true it something simple to correct. All in all it looks very nice hanging on the wall an it is obviously well made. The black velvet border is really sharp.

Now all I have to do is get rid of all the cardboard that came with it and start working on getting my JVC RS40 mounted on the ceiling

If anyone is interested I have contact info for an Account Specialist at monoprice.com that can ship you a sample of the fabrics used on these screens.

Please PM me for the info because I dont want to post someone else's email for all to see.

Nathan R.:

Any additional thoughts / feedback on the multi-format screen after having used it a month or so? I think I will get one in the next month or so.

I'm still overall very happy with the setup.

The screen itself has some imperfections in it. There are some bands vertical bands that will show up on bright white scenes. These are in the fabric itself, although I thought at first they were from the screen being rolled up in a box for God knows how long. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, but again, I only see them occasionally in bright all-white images. They're not nearly as noticeable as the hotspots my old Da-Lite HCCV or pearlescent screens had, and I can't photograph them, so I consider them to be an acceptable momentary hiccup.

Otherwise, the frame continues to impress me with its build quality. I think the frame alone would have been worth the price I paid.

The masking mechanism is holding up incredibly well. I spend a good amount of time in the theater with the family, constantly moving to different aspect ratios for material, and the panel movement is still fluid and stress-free.

The panels are as black as night and absorb every bit of light thrown at them. The little latch is undetectable, as well, in darkness.

Hope this helps a bit.

I have a couple questions for anyone that can answer them. Monoprice sells a mulititude of screens. Some are HD labeled and some are not. What is the difference. I have an epson 8500UB in a light controlled room. Should I be using a grey or white screen? On the multiformat screen...I assume the full open position is 16x9 and then for 2:35-1 there are velvet sliders that slide down from the top and up from the bottom right? Why cant you just watch the 2:35 content without using the sliders? Are the mounting brackets fixed to the screen or can they be moved to allow you to put your screen EXACTLY where you want it on your wall? Meaning will the studs in my wall determine where I have to mount the screen? Mostly concerned with quality of the picture. I assume it will be better than what I am using right now (silver screen paint) but what screen will be the best? white or grey.

The screen imperfection is a bummer, but sounds all-good otherwise. Thanks for the feedback and for being the test pilot.

The issue of grey or white depends on what you need more - brightness or contrast. I have grey now, but I will probably go with white next time. I am throwing a 120" image @ 14' and feel that I need all the light I can get - more so than the help in contrast.

You can watch 2.35:1 on a 16:9 screen, but you will end up with letterbox bars on top and bottom which some people find distracting or displeasing. How noticeable they are depends in part on the black levels your projector can put out. I think you will notice them with most LCD projectors.

why do you need all the light you can get at 14'?

A 120" image is pushing the envelope as far as scattering the light output of the projector over a large area. Most LCD projectors are only giving 500-600 lumens in a cinema mode and that is when the bulb is new. The room is not fully light-controlled (ceilings are not all dark, etc.). All of that adds up.

i ask because my room that im doing is 14', its in a basement with no windows and im going to be using a DLP projector should i worry about the light output?

That is a somewhat open question and will take the thread off topic pretty quick. In short it depends on the projectors light output, the screen size, the zoom of the lens and a few other factors. Historically at least, DLP projectors put out better contrast ratios than LCD, so you are probably less likely to need the grey screen for contrast help.

Do you think it would be possible to just use the frame from MonoPrice and use the screen from Elite screens or something. I am very happy with my 106 Elite screen, but I'd really like to have the masking feature.

I can't imagine why you would want to do that. Monoprice screens (Grandview) are better than Elite in my opinion - at worst you're not sacrificing anything by using the monoprice/grandview material.

Dave,

Since you know your stuff... I recently bought/installed the Monoprice 130" 2.35:1 1.0 gain screen. I love it. I think the picture is awesome.

I was wondering if you've compared (or could compare) the Monoprice screen (from a picture quality perspective) to a Stewart screen. I know they are worlds apart from a price perspective, but I'm wondering how Monoprice screen quality fares up next to the best.

It depends what Stewart screen you're comparing it to - as the monoprice is really a 0.9-1.0 gain screen - I generally compare it to the StudioTek. Stewart's StudioTek for example is a beautiful screen - but this is largely due to the design of the frame and masking options. Stewart material tends to have a flatter color curve, and be slightly brighter (A consisted 1.0 gain vs the Grandview which tends to be closer to 0.9).

In general my experience is that Monoprice/Grandview screen material is extremely even as far as corner to corner white balance but does tend to have slightly cooler whites than the Stewart. After calibration the difference would be negligible provided you're calibrating to D6500.

All in all, for the money this is a hard screen to beat - mostly because of the high quality frame and velvet flocking that really adds that high dollar appearance. The material isn't as good as Stewart's - but for a quarter of the price, I personally can't justify the difference. It's also really hard to look at this screen on the wall and see an appreciable reason why you should pay triple or quadruple for the Stewart.


If you're after a perforated acoustically transparent screen then this brand doesn't have anything to offer, and i'd point you in the direction of SMX screens who make some of the finest AT screens around.

Thanks for the Dave, definitely makes me feel even better about my purchase.

I am still building my theater, so I haven't calibrated the screen yet, as there are still some white ceiling bits and walls to be covered which have reflections and could change the color balance.

But from what I've seen so far, I love the Mono/Grandview screen and could definitely not justify paying four times as much for similar performance.

Thanks again for the quick comparison!

I have to agree with DaveUpton.....
Hands down, Stewart does have a better materials and if you are looking for the best, Stewart is always on everyones short list. But can you justify the cost difference...that's the big question.

One thing to add, when i say they have the best materials, i mean overall. There are still applications out there that would push me to recommend a different manufacturer even if the budget allows for a Stewart.

Benito

So, is the grey HD Mono/Grandview screen spec. gain of .8 accurate? I've got a minimal light controlled room with white ceiling and walls and am planning on a bright LCD of sorts (8350/8700, panasonic 7000, etc.) at 106" likely. I was thinking grey to help contrast and minimize light painted wall reflections. I think I'll ask monoprice for a material sample. This will also be a tab tensioned ceiling recessed setup in a livingroom. Right now I am open to all sorts of screen options, from SI black diamond (future retractable), to Stewart, etc. Not so much of an issue cost wise, but don't want to waste tons of the budget on just the screen.

If you plan for a 106" diagonal in those type of room conditions, i would not recommend a .8 gain. I would recommend something closer to a 1.3. Find manufacturers with a grey material close to that....that will shorten up your list a bit.

Benito

Can any one compair this to a Carada screen? I really like the masking option on the Monoprice screen. It's the same price as the Carada screen I was looking at. If there close I would rather have the masking option on the monoprice screen. Thanks

hi
am really confused between cina tension2 from elite and monoprice hd white what you think guys which screen will be better.

Just ordered a 106" multi-format screen (white, 1.0 gain), largely based on this and the other Monoprice thread in this forum. But, Nathan's review made me confident to take the leap. Will post my impressions next week after I get it.

If anyone needs a good price on a very well taken-care-of 133" 2.35:1 Dalite High Power (manual pull-down), and you're near the Atlanta metro area, let me know . Decided to return to 16:9 for various reasons, but mainly my new Optoma HD33 3D projector.