DIY advice

Hi there!

OK...first off, depending on your location, acquiring a sheet of 6mm x 60" x 120" Sintra is the first step. Have the Height cut down to 50", leaving the width of 120" as is. That will provide you with a 130" 2.35:1 Format Screen. With the w6000's H&V Lens Shift and Zoom, Constant Image Height is available, and the only masking you'll ever have to do is at the side when switching into 16:9

These could be removable Black covered panels, or simply Black Velvet Curtains on Travis Rods on each side, ready to pull in to mask the inside edges of the 16:9 image.

Mounting it on the wall is next, and mounting the Sintra directly onto the wall is best, using a Elastomeric Adhesive Caulk...about 6 tubes worth, spread out smoothly after being applied in 1/4" beads top to bottom, spaced at 1/2"

The Sintra should lay flat...and now comes the painting.

For a dedicated room like yours with such an ideal paint scheme, a excellent White could easily suffice. But if ever...ever you deign to turn on any lights, contrast will suffer.

One in your position need not worry too awful lot about having a screen surface specifically intended to combat ambient light (...and certainly not reflected light...) however painting a well done "Light Silver Gray" surface with 1.3 gain could only give you all the more leeway under any reasonable ambient light situations. You would not have to be so "intense" of someone request a little illumination. and they will...count on it.

Such a screen can & will still deliver accurate colors and terrific Whites. better still, the gain available will allow you to run that BenQ Beamer on low lamp, and in "best" mode...and either a decent Avia, Video Essentials, or Disney WoW calibration to the light shade of Gray, things will be optimally as good as they can be under a variety of situations.

Ahhhh...but what "Silver Gray"? RS-MaxxMudd LL

That's a mix you can either Roll on or spray (...spraying is the BomB...and much preferred...) Spraying is inexpensive too!
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1398335

So now the Sintra is painted. Unless you paint your rear wall the same Black as the ceiling and simply "Float" your Screen, you'll take 1/2" x 3.25" MDF Base and Miter Cut 4 sticks, then wrap the Trim pieces in Black Velvet. (...same stuff you'd make the Curtains out of...$7.50 yard...)

The Trim then simply butts up against all 4 sides of the Sintra, and is attached to the wall using 1.5" Bright Finish nails....and hitting studs is not important...you drive the nails in at opposing angles to "cleat' the trim against the wall. You "set" the finish nails so they are just under the Black Velvet. Here's a tutorial.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=865218

Consider this route as far as the masking requirements, The Curtains could be motorized & automated, but even with that, the savings on the Screen alone will allow you to consider the best choice of hardware, yet the job of designing a masking system will be immeasurably easier since it would only involve Side Curtains.

I like the potential of your Theater...and I've wanted to try focusing on some applications that would utilize the w6000. It's advent of having H&V Lens Shift AND being a DLP just might start me leaning toward using DLPs with a degree of frequency not seen since 2005

I like the direction this thread is taking! Subscribed for hopefully many more updates and PICS.

To get there, all you need to do is determine to use a Gray surface that also possesses that degree of gain


Well be advised that making an effective masking system to accommodate Horizontal masking for 2.35:1 content is not a easy or very affordable task. That's why the Screen Mfg charge a bundle for such a feature. You want it...they'll provide it...but the cost....the COST!!!

So lets consider that since your going to do a majority of your viewing in 16:9

If your wall is well finished and the resulting surface free of defects, then it is a very viable option to use as a screen.

That being said, painting a 60' x 143" area will provide you with the 122" diagonal 16:9 surface area you so desire, but when you pull back the Curtains and watch a Movie, your screen size will expand to a epic 155"s of sublime immersion.

Krbass, I tell you the truth....Constant Image Height and simple vertical masking is the only way to go. Painting the wall to be the Screen, even more so. Save money! Do it right! Make people be amazed over how the wall can perform. A huge part of the fun in DIY is seeing what we call the "Jaw Drop Syndrome" kick in. Oh yeah...and the "Eyes popping out" is pretty hilarious too.

We'll be waiting......


To quote Rango; "Thats what I said!"

That Sir, is DIY Screen making to the Bone.


Finger Lakes is in NY, right? I'm sure I could find you Sintra for less...a lot less, but with shipping, yeah, it's gonna cost.

Syfabrics. That's what i used.

Me too. I'm nowhere near being able to start a project like this yet, but researching and following along with others is fun and educational. My wife and I are currently living in a two-bedroom condo and looking at buying a house this spring/summer; we have a 16-month-old daughter and the condo is ready to burst at the seams. While there are a lot of other factors that go into our house decision -- some of them admittedly more "important" like school system, neighborhood, commute -- I'd be lying if I said I didn't linger a little longer in the basement of every house that we see, trying to figure out how and where I would put everything together.

If I could buy you a beer, I would. Your situation is almost identical to my situation. We have a 2.5 year old and are renting a house right now. My job has kept me moving every 5 years or so, preventing the purchase of my own home. When you rent, you can't really do what you want to the place b/c you'll have to "fix it all" when you leave. Though ironically enough, we would consider a bedroom painted black, soundproofed, with outlets and bannana jacks in the wall PERFECTLY FIXED. LOL!

I'll be retiring in the next 18 months and we'll FINALLY buy a house. Wife has already blessed the idea of turning a bedroom into a dedicated HT (there are no basements in Texas). I cannot wait. We're talking complete decoupling of the room from the house...building the "room within a room" thing. I am no pro, but I have tools and can learn. Who knows? Maybe we'll get lucky and get a house with a bonus room above a garage or something. However it works out, I'll finally have my dedicated HT. I'm so tired of dealing with WAF and landlords. I look at the HT build threads where folks are sheetrocking and debating where to place the riser...I have to fight for where to put the remote down where it won't look bad if company comes over. Someday, and it's coming soon.

Tell you what: if you're ever in Chicago, look me up and I'll buy *you* a beer.


That is exactly my feeling. Some of the places that we've seen have finished basements, which is exciting because I could get something up and running more quickly. On the other hand, an existing layout is less intriguing than a blank canvas where I can dream up whatever I want. I'd of course be limited by my lack of experience and carpentry skills, but I think it would be really rewarding to learn.


Yep, that kind of stuff is so exciting. Maybe we'll both be working on our buildouts at the same time and can laugh at (and learn from) each other's mistakes. Best of luck!

Hey Dudes....

DIY Screens can be a "One Stop" for most any/all information on DIY Theater Builds, and you'll get some purposefully directed advice. In effect, a great many items in a Build can have much to do with PJ choice and the type Screen surface one needs.

So we advise on all of it.

I personally have been building Theaters since 1978, and doin' 'em on a Budget has always been paramount in what I would suggest. It's gotta be good....it's gotta be special, but it also should be affordable, and I'll tell ya this, the routes many determine to take based on advice given on "Dedicated Home Theater Construction" can run 180 degrees opposite from saving money.

So....take advantage of whatever free, sage advice you can gather. Consider that those who do many such projects might have suggestions that are better suited to your particular circumstances than what you might find coming from a example where it simply looks great...but cost a great deal more than necessary.

In the end, it always helps to have a varied and wide selection of potential alternatives. The only down side? You can want it "ALL" and/or get considerable "brain-lock" by over viewing too much information and trying to decide who/what's right and who/what is not.

Much appreciated! You may end up regretting this if/when I ever get to a point where I can start a project -- I'll be needing plenty of advice.

Been there, done that. No worries...I'm a glutton for punishment.

Krbass,

Use Disney Color "Mouse Ears' for your Black, and use a Satin Base (spraying will "flatten" out any degree of satin sheen...)

Painting the Screen wall Black is just fine. It's just usually a non-issue because projected light reflects away from the wall...it cannot circle back. So usually, in a darkened room situation, even a light colored screen wall looks black as night.

hey...there is a good solution to the "bars' issue. Paint the Wall / ceiling Black, but apply this stuff:

http://www.fpi-protostar.com/hitack.htm
FPR-02 Hi-tack flocked light trap material "mini-roll"; self-adhesive (30" width x 200" length roll) $85.00

You'd only need a 30" wide strip across the ceiling above the screen.

Don't let something as silly as black bars stop you from getting the picture size you want. besides, with a 2.35:1 widescreen, when you zoom out, you only need to pull back some side curtains for masking, and in 16:9, simply pull them inward to the edges of the content. And by placing a small cover of Black Spandex over the speaker, it's presence will be mitigated.

Nothing is easier than that!

Anyway, the largest 16:9 image you can get will always be the same height as the 2.35:1 image, so you really have nothing to lose (well...$80.00) by trying the CIH approach first. Don't try it, and you just might never know how close you came to having something far more spectacular than you could imagine.

I'd venture that because you're going to need some significant gain because of screen size,
RS-MaxxMudd LL. That joyce will also allow you to roll on the first coat of screen paint, lightly sand it, and then spray 1 or 2 other coats on top.

1/4" High Quality Roller...pre-dampened slightly with water before set into Paint Tray.

Get Large (3" x 8" x 1") "Fine Sanding Sponge" in the Drywall dept at Home Depot. They are NOT in the paint department.

Be sure to sand very lightly using broad, sweeping strokes that overlap each other.



Many employ a 2.35:1 width screen, with side mask curtains or attachable panels that are placed when 16:9 content in viewed.

Using Zoom, and lens Shift, the 2.35:1 content is zoomed out to fill the entire width of the screen surface (...the curtains retracted-panels removed...)

The principle is well know as CIH (Constant Image Height) and is well loved by it's stanchest advocates...those with particularly Ginormous sized screens whose sole purpose is to allow the Owner to revel in the absolute Biggest Widescreen image possible.

Most PJs must be manually adjusted for the procedure, but a very select few (such as the Panny 3000 - 4000- 7000 series...) have what is called "Lens memory" and if set up properly, automatically places the image within the desire screen formatted parameters.

JVC PJs have motorized Zoom / lens Shift, with is easier than twiddling with dials, Lens rings and levers,

That size will do nicely with a 54" x 96" - 129" (2.39:1)

Home Depot sells 3.25" Simple Curved "MDF" Baseboard Trim in 16' lengths. You simply cut each piece to 7" longer than the actual screen's width / height and then miter cut the ends.

Home Depot allows you to cut the lengths you need from the 16' stock, and in many stores there is a simple Plastic Miter Box & Saw provided at the cut table for Customers to use.