Source for >72" wide DIY screen fabric  

Thanks to all of the awesome DIY screen info found while lurking and searching on this site, I’m wanting to undertake my own screen-building project. I want to go the paint-free route because I’m lazy, plus I’m going to be overtaxed researching, buying, building, installing and then tweaking the other elements of my HT. From what I’ve read here, most fabrics are limited in width to about 54â€. I’ve read also of a huge dropcloth “screen†fabric found at Home Depot, but I seem to remember a pesky seam that kept the overall screen height to something less than ideal for my desired 4:3 ratio 96â€x72†(or so) screen. A 54â€x72†screen just won’t be big enough. Anyone know of a source for inexpensive (>$50) blackout material, seam-free dropcloth, or other fabric candidates to make a screen my size?

As for the 4:3 ratio, I intend to purchase an LCD XGA projector and will play lots of computer games, surf the Net (read avsforums!), as well as watch digital slideshows, NTSC home-movies and some NTSC programming on my yet-to-be-built HTPC. We will certainly watch DVDs, but since the A.R.s are less-than-standardized, I’ll just use XYZ to move the picture to the top of the screen and use a home-brewed system to mask off the bottom image (more tips gleaned from these forums). I’ll wait out awhile longer for HDTV OTA programming and decoding hardware to come of age and then maybe re-evaluate a change to the 16:9 format.

Thanks in advance for any ideas!
Brian

Hi David:

Thanks much for the lead. I checked with the company you found, Solarfective and they were quite responsive to my request. Unfortuantely, they want $300 for a screen my size, which is more than I would have to pay for some Dalite B screen material if I bought a pull down screen on eBay and gutted it, so it looks like I'm back on a quest. I also stumbled across a local manufacturer online last night, but they're asking almost $40 per linial foot for 78" wide blackout fabric.

I guess I'll either go for a smaller screen, go for a different aspect ratio that can accomodate a 54" max. width, or just keep looking for something cheaper. I was hoping to spend less than I would with a pull-down by making my own stretching my own screen frame, but maybe I won't unless I go with painted canvas or something.

Thanks all the same, though,
Brian

rudee,
Awnings, yeah! I'll see what I can find along those lines. I know that canvases can be huge, I'd just have to find a pre-primed one (REALLY don't want to paint one), if they make such a thing. Also, I don't know how the weave would look with my LCD projector causing moire'-type patterns, but maybe they make really tight-weave ones for certain paint applications. Thanks for the tips!

Scott,
Please keep us posted on what you find out. I'm always seeing HUGE white seamless backdrops on eBay that go for next to nothing, but figured they're too sheer to use as a screen. Maybe with some backing fabric or lightweight board (tile board??) such a screen would be feasible. Or amybe they make heavier ones that would be suitable. Also, I was pondering picking up a big black muslin backdrop to run along the wall behind my screen when it's all said and done to knock out any light bounce and overscan. But it would be great to find a white one to use as a screen material, as well.

Brian

I found another possible lead for big white blackout fabric online. Looks like a 104"x80" single panel liner goes for $62 + S.& H. (model 97179F) I wonder if it's seamless...

Here's the link http://www.comforthouse.com/comfort/blacdrapline.html

Brian