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Are there any cheap "Decent" gray screens? 120"

post #1 of 7
7/19/12 at 10:56am
Thread Starter 
I've got a Epson 8700UB and I'm currently using a cheap Elite Screen M120UWH2 Manual Projection Screen (120" 16:9 AR) that I bought off ebay.

My ceiling is white tiles and my carpet is white as well, and my side walls are fake wood paneling with almost a gloss coating. So I'm getting a lot of light being reflected back on the screen obviously and it's seriously detracting from my viewing.

Are there any high contrast gray screens that don't cost a fortune? I thought about maybe painting my current screen, but don't know how to even start with all the different options and paint mixing.

Is it primarily the ceiling and floor that bounce the most light back on the screen or do the side walls play an equal part?

I've not watched my projector in months because the light wash just irritates me.
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post #2 of 7
7/19/12 at 1:30pm
All the surfaces play a part in the reflections. The closer they are the greater the effect. Ideally you would need a gray screen with gain for the best image fidelity in your room. Price is the tough part. It sounds like your room is ideal for a Firehawk, Black Diamond or possibly a Silverstar but none of those are budget screens. There are a couple of local specials I know of on a Firehawk or Silverstar if you are in New England area. Does it have to be a pull down screen?

Lower priced options might be a Da-lite High Contrast Matte White, it has a gray base and some gain which will help reduce reflections. The Da-lite High Contrast High Power might also work depending on placement of seating and projector.
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post #3 of 7
7/20/12 at 10:33am
Thread Starter 
If I were to DIY paint my current pull-down screen would that get me close to those expensive high gain screens as far as helping my perception of deeper blacks?

What would be other ways I could reduce the light reflection without painting the wall. Are there sheets or something I could drap/tack over the walls and ceiling that wouldn't reflect so much light. I would say like dark black sheets, but I imagine that material would still reflect light to some degree.

Maybe some dark colored rug for the bottom floor right in front of the projector perhaps?
Edited by JakeCourtney - 7/20/12 at 10:48am
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post #4 of 7
7/20/12 at 8:15pm
Does it have to be a pulldown? A fixed screen you can build a 'shadow box' around it. I don't think painting it would work out well.
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post #5 of 7
7/21/12 at 5:37pm
Thread Starter 
I'd be willing to spend money to replace the screen if I could do something to improve it. I just don't have the money to spend thousands on stock screen.


What is a shadow box and would it work well in my situation?
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post #6 of 7
7/21/12 at 8:31pm
A shadow box is a frame built around your screen to make a recessed area for your screen. this helps reduce reflections from ceiling, walls and floors and would work well for your situation. You could use an inexpensive white or gray fixed screen with it.
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post #7 of 7
7/26/12 at 9:50pm
I have the same exact issues as the OP.

This shadow box idea intrigues me... I wonder what the best material would be & how easy it would be.

I'm also considering a Da-Lite High Contrast High Power screen (I have complete positioning flexibility). Narrow viewing cone worries me though as we sit relatively close to the 120" screen, which might mean that it's only really optimal for 1-2 people.

As I understand it, high gain retroreflective screens will cause less scattering to walls/ceilings, as most light is reflected back to the source. The gray should also help with ambient light rejection.

Does this all sound about right?

Still, the 120" HCHP fixed frame is $1241 at best. The other option is the Model C pulldown, which is $470 at best. But I worry about ripples in pulldown screens. It really annoyed me in my 92" Optoma Panoview GrayWolf (1.8 gain gray) screen, despite the fact that it was high gain.
Edited by sarangiman - 7/31/12 at 1:14am
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AVS › AVS Forum › Display Devices › Screens › Are there any cheap "Decent" gray screens? 120"