Guys, I am completely torn on which screen to go with. I have received samples of all 3 and it just has made the decision even harder...
These are the screens I am debating between. All 16:9 100" diag:
My projector I am paring it with (for now) is an Epson 8350.
My main issue I am having is that, every one of these screens solves one issue but introduces another. Here is my dilemma...
My projection setup is going in my main living space. I have very little ambient light control, but I am working on that a bit. Even with all of my modifications, there will still be a fairly large amount of ambient light in the room.
First up: DNP Supernova 08-85.
I really like this screen. Amazing viewing angles, absolute no shean/sparklies of any kind, and no color shift. It really is a great screen. Problem is, I am finding the ambient light rejection to be quite inferior to the BD 1.4 in my environment. At night, this is the best screen bar none. No doubt there. But in daylight, it washes out quite a bit. It's also fairly dim. Nothing my 8350 can't handle right now, but I only have 140hrs on my bulb. I am worried that after 1000hrs or so, this screen will be too dim to use in any sort of daylight.
Second: DNP Supernova 23-23.
I was surprised at how much I liked the extra gain (2.3). It really makes the image feel like a giant TV. Bright material really pops off of the screen. Problem is, I notice a lot of sparklies, and the ambient light rejection is the worst of all 3. In daylight, any sort of dark material is unwatchable. However, I really really like the extra gain, because I want to move to an LED-based projector in the future, and they tend to have much lower lumens. I also don't have to worry about my aging bulb at all. This thing is crazy bright. Viewing angles are superb for such high gain.
Third: Black Diamond Zero Edge 1.4.
This screen has definitely the best ambient light rejection of all 3 (at least in my environment). I have a lot of side lighting (windows), and the BD seems to handle it the best. It is also the darkest of all the materials, but with the gain at 1.4, I get great contrast. However, the viewing angles on this thing are horrendous compared to the DNP's, and it has the most amount of sparklies of all 3. I do LOVE the Zero Edge design, however. And since this is going in my living room, it would make the room look so incredibly sexy. I have a very modern look, and I feel the Zero Edge design fits it perfectly.
As you can see, I like all 3 for different reasons, but I am really unsure at this point of which one to go with. I am not sure I can live with the amount of sparklies I see on the BD, but I love the look of the Zero Edge so much. I thought the DNP 08-85 would be the best to go with, but I am really worried about the .8 gain material being too dim in the future for my desire for an LED-based projector (no maintenance). The DNP 23-23 is awesome with its brightness, but it's relatively poor ambient light rejection and slight sparkle effect really leave me worried.
So, I am basically asking you guys to give me some opinions on which of these issues you think would be the best to compromise with. Budget really isn't a concern, I am just trying to find the best long-term screen material for my environment.
I would say my usage breakdown is like this:
This is seriously the hardest purchasing decision I have had to deal with... heh First world problem, eh?
These are the screens I am debating between. All 16:9 100" diag:
- DNP Supernova 08-85
- DNP Supernova 23-23
- Black Diamond Zero Edge 1.4
My projector I am paring it with (for now) is an Epson 8350.
My main issue I am having is that, every one of these screens solves one issue but introduces another. Here is my dilemma...
My projection setup is going in my main living space. I have very little ambient light control, but I am working on that a bit. Even with all of my modifications, there will still be a fairly large amount of ambient light in the room.
First up: DNP Supernova 08-85.
I really like this screen. Amazing viewing angles, absolute no shean/sparklies of any kind, and no color shift. It really is a great screen. Problem is, I am finding the ambient light rejection to be quite inferior to the BD 1.4 in my environment. At night, this is the best screen bar none. No doubt there. But in daylight, it washes out quite a bit. It's also fairly dim. Nothing my 8350 can't handle right now, but I only have 140hrs on my bulb. I am worried that after 1000hrs or so, this screen will be too dim to use in any sort of daylight.
Second: DNP Supernova 23-23.
I was surprised at how much I liked the extra gain (2.3). It really makes the image feel like a giant TV. Bright material really pops off of the screen. Problem is, I notice a lot of sparklies, and the ambient light rejection is the worst of all 3. In daylight, any sort of dark material is unwatchable. However, I really really like the extra gain, because I want to move to an LED-based projector in the future, and they tend to have much lower lumens. I also don't have to worry about my aging bulb at all. This thing is crazy bright. Viewing angles are superb for such high gain.
Third: Black Diamond Zero Edge 1.4.
This screen has definitely the best ambient light rejection of all 3 (at least in my environment). I have a lot of side lighting (windows), and the BD seems to handle it the best. It is also the darkest of all the materials, but with the gain at 1.4, I get great contrast. However, the viewing angles on this thing are horrendous compared to the DNP's, and it has the most amount of sparklies of all 3. I do LOVE the Zero Edge design, however. And since this is going in my living room, it would make the room look so incredibly sexy. I have a very modern look, and I feel the Zero Edge design fits it perfectly.
As you can see, I like all 3 for different reasons, but I am really unsure at this point of which one to go with. I am not sure I can live with the amount of sparklies I see on the BD, but I love the look of the Zero Edge so much. I thought the DNP 08-85 would be the best to go with, but I am really worried about the .8 gain material being too dim in the future for my desire for an LED-based projector (no maintenance). The DNP 23-23 is awesome with its brightness, but it's relatively poor ambient light rejection and slight sparkle effect really leave me worried.
So, I am basically asking you guys to give me some opinions on which of these issues you think would be the best to compromise with. Budget really isn't a concern, I am just trying to find the best long-term screen material for my environment.
I would say my usage breakdown is like this:
- 65% watching movies at night (no ambient light)
- 25% watching TV shows/movies/sports during the day (lots of ambient light)
- 10% watching all sorts of content with friends with artificial (no sun) ambient light.
This is seriously the hardest purchasing decision I have had to deal with... heh First world problem, eh?
