The Official Stewart Film Screen thread. - Page 10

Are you sure it's 120x96? That's an aspect ratio of 1.25. A 4x3 screen has an aspect ratio of 1.33 and a 16x9 has an aspect ratio of 1.78.

Cain, that is a moderate radius, and should continue to assist in controlling cross reflected light. If you get the serial # off the screen fabric, I can access the file and produce another skin for the frame. I can also just work off the dims, do you have snaps or s-hooks?

M_archi,
We've been working on our optical coatings, and most of the line is revised with more uniformity being the goal. I invite you to e-mail our website, attn: Andrew Cox, and get some decent sized samples to test with your projector and geometry. I think you'll be pleased.

The SST fabric was developed at the request of Sony, the goal being a versatile fabric, which could be viewed at close range, (now more appropriate, with the pixel structure of 1080p platforms), and would not sparkle or "scintillate" prior to the viewer detecting the pixels. The gain is lower, the off axis viewing is a bit improved, the texture is very uniform. It will work with all sorts of projectors. You just do what we've always done, compute the light values, assess the environment and make a selection.

Yumbus, If you can do it, paint those walls, ceiling etc. a deep color or a gray which is more than half way between white and black. Black is great obviously, but sometimes hard to do because of WAF considerations.

We remain application driven, that's why all of our Front Projection fabrics are priced uniformly, with the exception of perfed materials. That way a price bias does not color your fabric selection. That is within the Stewart line of fabrics anyway. I know our prices can seem surreal, but we've chosen to do things a certain way, in house, high degree of corporate responsibilty as regards the environment, in the U.S. with a eye to detail, and a great bunch of employees. All of that costs money. Sorry about the soapbox.

Mark, thanks much for continuing to post here and provide very useful info. How about the new G3 version of the Firehawk. I've seen posts that it, too, is supposedly more suited to 1080p pj's. Is it still 1.25 gain, recommended throw >/= 1.6, etc. ? Any other relevant considerations? TIA

The higher gain can make the screen a bit more visible at shorter viewing distances. The G-3 is a bit better at rejecting ambient light as well. Gain is 1.25 on axis, with a 28 degree half-gain. The revised fabrics are all smoother, and thus suited to high resolution projectors. It's a really nice flat planar surface, not as rough as our previous Firehawk or Studiotek.

The box says 10' by 8'. I think it was a university sized screen.

Hi,

I have purchased 82" Stewart Luxus Deluxe Screenwall 16:9 Grayhawk RS.
Little about my setup:
- Sony HS60(low lamp, gamma 0), DVDO VP30, Denon 1920 SDI and Topfield 5100t
- Very well light controlled room, ceiling black (only 4% light reflect), sidewalls light grey (soon black velvet), size 4.5m (14.8f), 3.3m(10.8f), 2.4m(7.9f)
- Projection distance about 3.4m(11.2f)
- Projection height from floor about 1.8m(5.9f)
- Screen height from floor about 0.9m(2.9f)

I'm having trouble with the shining, blooming on highest white level? Naturally I have tried adjusting setup every way possible but always the very highest level of white seem to glow/peak/shine/bloom.

Have I chosen wrong screen type for my room? Anything to do to fix this?

I wiped my screen with lightly damp (only water) soft cloth. Could this be the cause for this kind glaring/shining. What kind of effect could be expected if surface was was wiped too hard or something?

Is this type of problem called hotspot or what does it mean?

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Question about screen surface:

Is it normal that surface seems to have very very small shining/sparkling particles as part of the grey surface? If I go very close to the screen and look at the projected image/pixel then those particles shine like little stars, size could be maybe 10% of one pixel. They are usually not visible from 3 meter viewing distance, sometimes I spot them.

Are these kind of "stars" normal or should the screen surface only be solid grey even when looking at it from a very close distance?

Could these have anything to do with peaking whites?

I have been very satisfied with the screen quality and frame/design is fantastic, but I want to make sure that everything is ok and this seems like the right forum to ask. Sorry about the long post but I'm getting desperate with this problem.

I wish I had known when I purchased this screen that I could have ordered any size screen. I would have bought smaller, but I did not know this or maybe this is not possible here in Finland.

Grayhawk RS is a gain screen, even though it is a neutral density gray. Most gray screens are well below unity gain, in the .6-.7 range, but Grayhawk has an optical coating which brings the gain up to .95. This coating is an angular reflective and diffusive mixture which brings some of the light which was headed off axis, back toward the viewing area. This is purposeful, to bring a bit of "life" to the image, designed to allow white and light colors to avoid a drab presentation. As you state, the optical coating is ususally not visible at normal viewing distances.

You have a pretty bright LCD projector, which potentially could be putting out over 1000 lumens. On a 20 square foot screen, that's 50 Foot Lamberts, which is enough energy to show all sorts of problems. I'm interested to determine how much light you have. Grayhawk is not typically a fabric which hot-spots or solarizes to the degree you describe. The surface is washable, within reason, but if it's glossy or sheeny, there is a problem. Have your dealer contact Kaspar Mortenson in our Denmark Plant, and he can work with you to get you more satisfied. We have alternate fabrics, Graymatte, at .7 gain, Snomatte, a true Lambertian 1.0, and a revised Grayhawk RS with a finer optical coating. We'll get something worked out.

Anyone know what the retail pricing is going to be for the new line of cinemascope screens? I see they have several new models available besides the cinecurve from last year. Also, any knowledge of what sizes they are going to offer?

I am blown away. Thank you very much for your fast reply and also for making me feel like I'm an important customer. This is exactly the reason why I gladly pay some extra to get superb product and this kind of service. I am sooo not used to this kind of customer service here in Finland, as you can see from my reply.

This problem is very frustrating because the picture is fantastic, almost perfect, if there are no very bright images, like sun linght through window or very bright sky. The brightest parts kind of "attack" from the screen . Very hard to describe though. I got the screen in february so the revised Grayhawk RS has come after that?

I also want to be a good customer and be 100% sure that something else is not at fault here. I wonder if this could be in anyway projectors fault? I still have warranty and I have been thinking about whether to send it for check up or not. Maybe I will still try to contact Sony service and check with them and also try to view the image on an another surface to see if it also has similar issues. Any closeup pictures from the surface how it "normally" should look like?

I will contact my dealer as a last resort because I think my problems are not going to be very high on his todo list. The reason why I'm reluctant to contact him is due to some difficulties when I was not happy with the projector I bought. Luckily we managed to sort that out though, but there are also few hundred miles of distance between us to make things harder.

[OFF TOPIC/SARCASM]
Finland is the promised land of all customer service. It does not matter how many thousands of euros one is willing to spend, in my case roughly 6000, if one is not happy what one bought, it is not the dealers problem.

Joe, Do you have a "Video Essentials" DVD? It's an excellent investment. With it, you can do some calibration that will tell you quite a bit about the performance of your system. If you would like to do something in the interim prior to ordering and recieving the "video essentials" , look through your DVD assortment and find a title which has the "THX Optimizer" attachment in the special features, "Finding Nemo" has it, as do many other releases. Get that in the player and do the recommended setups for basic contrast, brightness and color. This will get you on a basic footing which may be more satisfactory than your present results.

Kaspar Mortensen can be reached @ (011)453-648-2204, he may be able to get you in touch with a calibrator in your vicinity.

I'm looking for some advice for a new screen that I'm hoping to buy after Christmas. Right now I have a 100" Da-lite HCCV screen paired with a Panasonic AE-900U. I'll soon be moving into a new house with a much larger home theatre and I want to upgrade my screen and eventually the projector. I was hoping that the next screen I'll buy will be my last one for some time, so I'm not afraid to pay more than my Da-lite screen. I'll be in a completely light controlled room, always watching movies in total darkness--no Saturday afternoon sports for this guy. I'm looking at a 120" screen as I'll be sitting about 14 feet back. As far as the projector, I've been really happy with the AE-900U and will be hard pressed to go with anything besides an LCD Panasonic, maybe upgrading to a future 1080p model in a year or two like the AE1000. The dimensions of the room are 13 feet wide, 8 feet high, and 19.5 feet long, and the projector will always be sitting on a shelf 57 inches from the floor.

I'm wondering if the Grayhawk would be my best choice, or would the Firehawk better suit my needs.

Mark, I have purchased 3 Stewart screens over the years, all ST130's. I love that fabric. I currently have a Sony HS51 but am considering a new VW50 for the new theater under construction. Room is 24X15X11. I have not decided yet on a projector postion. Room is totally light controlled.

Would the SST be a better choice for something between 106" and 120" 16X9 with the Pearl?

Thanks!

I have DVE PAL, Avia and also Finding Nemo As I said I have tried calibrating my system to the death, but I have seriously started to doubt my abilities because of the problem. I doubt that Kaspar has a contact here, but it would be fantastic if there is one. I will call and check.

As I was wathcing last night I tried to analyze the problem and noticed one thing. The thing that bothers is that sometimes on bright image parts it seems like I'm looking the actual image through something. Like there is an "glass" between the actual image and me. Does this sound anything you have heard before?

I tried calling to the number you gave, but I get response that the number is not in use. I also tried with denmark land code +45 11 453-648-2204. Does he have an email address, or probably what is he's email address is the proper question. Could you send it privately if you do not want to write it here?

Edit:
Okay, it seems that it might be KaspEr Mortensen and number when calling from Europe is +45 36 48 2204. I will try again later...

Mark I am seriously considering the Optoma HD81 for my new HT. I believe it has 900 lumens calibrated. I will be going with a 123" electric screen, ceiling mounting the projector. It is not a dedicated theater and has some ambient light issues. Would the FireHawk G3 be the best choice for my setup?
Thanks.

Yes, Firehawk G3 for ambient light. That should work well. Did you get the revised drawings?

Thanks Mark. I did get the revised drawings. I'll probably be ordering a screen through AVS shortly. Appreciate your assistance.

Hi Mark,

Like everybody here I'm going to get a Pearl .

I'm thinking about a 106" or 110" diagonal, and will sit about 12.5 ft from the screen, and the Pearl mounted about 14' to 15' from the screen. Seating area is narrow, just 2-3 viewers on a big couch.

The room (22x30x 8'8" ceiling) is light controlled, light brown (KM Wise Owl) walls, but light carpet and off white ceiling (which I will probably paint a shade or two darker).

From the little comparisons I've seen, I like the pop of the ST1.3 or 1.5, but I'm concerned about reflections and bounce back from the light surfaces.
Can you offer any thoughts or suggestions vs a FHg3?
Second, with all the talk on the forum about the High Power, I'm surprised there is not more interest in the 2.0 as I believe it is more flexible in projector placement than the HP. What am I missing?
thanks in advance for any help.

I have a 5 year old dual (masking at sides) aspect 110" greyhawk. I also think that my projector is dim even with a new bulb(Sharp XV-Z9000). Can I get better performance ie brightness with a firehawk? Is it possible to just get the material and not have to replace everything?

I want to buy a Sony Pearl? but if it is too dim again!

Grellberg, The specification for any theater is a choice of compromises. The St-130 and Um-130 require more in-room light absorbtion to give optimum performance. The Firehawk will deliver contrast under compromised room treatment, but you trade off-axis cone. You don't require off axis viewing from the description you posted. At your screen size, I'd probably treat the room to reduce cross reflection, then go with Studiotek 130.

Mark Myers,
We can retro-fit any Stewart screen fabric to your existing unit. I believe that a Firehawk SST would be bright enough at that size when the bulb is new, but would be less satisfying as the bulb loses power. But it would still be nearly 15% brighter than your present fabric. The Firehawk G-3 might be better for you. Studiotek 130 would warrant consideration if you commit to cross reflected light control.

Hello,

I currently Have a Studiotek 130 (16:9 100 inches diag) with MicroPerf (5 year old)
and I will received soon the Sony Pearl (VPL-VW50) projector.

What factors in the positionning of the Projector can help reduce the moire effect ?
Should I try to install the Projector as far of possible of the screen, or nearer as possible ?
Should I try to put the projector exaclty at the horizontal center or i "uncenter" a bit it will
be better ?

Thanks for any advice !!!

Yves

This projector has been tested thorougly here and the rotation which was applied to your unit when manufactured, is compatible with this projector at the size you contemplate. As far as placement goes, it really doesn't influence the possibility of moire. The net image size for a given imaging chip determines that. With SXRD chips, Stewart Microperf is largely compatible and does not moire, with small rotational adjustment needed only for very small images and ironically very large images. Your size is going to be just fine.

As far as the zoom choice goes, the experience of many Forum members, and myself is that the Pearl does provide a significant additional light output when situated at the shorter end of the throw range. The lens is a medium to long throw unit. Your Studiotek fabric will be very satisfactory at any throw, so go short and reap the benefits of the additional lumens.

m Robinson,

I have purchased 3 Stewart screens over the years, all ST130's. I love that fabric.

I currently have a Sony HS51 but am considering a new VW50 for the new theater under construction. Room is 24X15X11. I have not decided yet on a projector postion. Room is totally light controlled.

Would the SST be a better choice for something between 106" and 120" 16X9 with the Pearl?

Thanks!

Hello all ...

I have a year old 120" 2.35ar v.2 Firehawk mounted on a Luxus frame. The frame is attached in the usual manner at 3 places to wall studs that have been covered by GOM. One fine afternoon a couple of the boys were playing in the HT room when one of them bumped into the screen, hitting the middle frame support. So now there's a crease -- dead center screen, top third -- running about a foot and a half down. The effect is a dark line during bright scenes of uniform color. It's pretty distracting for me, and I can't seem to stop looking for it.

What's the cure? I do have access behind the screen.

It's been about 3 months, so it hasn't "worked itself out".

Hair dryer?

Thanks!

Eric,

If your Theater is totally light controlled, including darkened walls to limit cross-reflection, then the SST is not necessarily the best choice, stick with Studiotek. The tint of the SST would give you just a bit better absolute black, but there's some tradeoff in absolute color fidelity, off axis viewing, and center to edge uniformity. You are working with a nice big room. The SST also is aimed pretty squarely at the 100" and below customers for the most part. Sony requested a fabric which is usable in varying environments. The VW 50 is priced to broaden the market, and the SST fabric is designed for versatility. But when people choose to go to larger sizes, light control becomes critical, you could light a 110, with a new bulb and using that projector at it's shortest throw, but you would be best served at that size, by a screen with 1.3 gain.

Aksnay, If you see a crease, an actual hard angle, then get behind the fabric and heat it with hair dryer, so that it is warm to the touch, for about 5 minutes. Rub the area, but only touch the back of the fabric. It appears possible to me that the kids may have marred or scuffed the fabric, and there's no fix for that.

I am throwing a 106" diag. image at 11.5 feet. Seating is at about 10'. Would I see hotspoting with a StudioTek 130?

I am otherwise a good canidate for it (black velvet, full light control).

Good stuff here Mark! I have a Studiotek130 (110") and have been debating the Sony Pearl (VW50). The room is a dedicated room, total light control with dark walls. Only downside is the min throw of the 110" is 14 feet and I would need to mount it approx 16 to 17 feet (19 is max) and fear that it won't be bright enough. I guess I would have to run it in high lamp mode as well, which bothers me as I am replacing a DWIN TV3e that keeps blowing through bulbs about 2 times a year. I am barely getting 500 hours out of the darn things to boot! Any thoughts about the Pearl and my situation?

Thanks for your help!

You really nailed that one. The kids must have rubbed a bit of the magic dust off my screen. There aren't any hard creases on it. :::sigh::: Now I'll just have to upgrade in 2 years when laser front projection hits the market. Thanks for the speedy reply Mark!

It seems Stewert is "top of the line"

What do you really get though for the extra expense? (way over $1k)

I'm Looking at Elite CineTension, EluneVision, and High Power (way under $1k)

Here are my HT setup pj specs/details
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...95#post8685595

I think that the throw distance is good, and it will be bright enough initially. With a new bulb you should have just under 600 ansi lumens. Thats about 21.67 Fl on the screen and if the bulb goes down to half as bright, you have above 10 FL. In a room with good light control that's a very nice picture. There are other projectors which are brighter of course. If you have a chance to look at some projectors, see if you can get the folks to zoom it up to your width etc. and see how the contrast and brightness work for you.