The official Dalite screen thread.  

Alan congrats on the new screen. Pictures look stunning. Really vibrant.

How does not having the speakers behind the screen sound after you've used an acoustic screen?

the High Power material is wonderful! and affordable

And how does the imaging sound? Is not having the sounds anchored to the screen noticeable?

Anyone else have any comments on this screen. Maybe from when you were at Cedia?

Scott

How low can the speakers go? They seem too small to be able to go down to 80 Hz.

3db roll off below 100HZ

so how can they be blended with a subwoofer?

Don't most receivers send everything below 80 Hz to the sub and the rest to the speakers when set to "small"? Seems like these speakers won't work well in this kind of set-up.

Here's a link to a review:

http://www.audioholics.com/productre...teImagerp1.php

I have a CRT that is ceiling mounted and the tubes are 6'5 feet from the ground about 17' from the wall projecting onto a 135" Screen.
You're saying that if I sit under the projector at 3' to 3.5' from the ground, I'm going to see a dim picture with the high power screen.

Will tilting the top of the screen forward make a difference on where the reflected image points?

I really need help choosing a screen for my Panasonic PT-AE900

aim to get it in about 73-77" diagonal 16:9 Fixed screen with black border. So far the Da-Lite Perm Wall frame is my favourite. The projector will probably only be just over 2 metres from the screen, mounted on a table of a similar height to the centre of the screen. The room will almost mostly be completely dark, and even during the day, i am going to invest in some black-out blinds. I have narrowed down the screens that i think i would to the following:

1). Cinema Vision - Gain 1.3
2). High Contrast Matte White - Gain 1.1
3). High Contrast Cinema Vision - Gain 1.1

My concern is that Cinema Vision is more for CRT projectors with a lower lumen output. My Panasonic will be run in eco lamp mode, with the best contrast i can get. Im not really sure of the difference between 2 and 3, both have the same gain, but which ones will be bright and give me a good contrast ratio?

Thanks for any help you can give.

Chris

OK, the High Power fabric really intrigues me, but I have some questions I hope someone can answer. They are mostly to do with ambient light. As I understand it (from other posts) as the viewer moves off angle (either side to side or up and down) the High Power basically becomes a unity gain.

In my situation I'd have the following:

-standard recliner seat height ~ 3.5' or so from the ground to viewers' eyes
-52" tall screen that has the bottom edge 28" off the ground, so the top of the screen in 6' 8" off the ground
-projector is ceiling mounted about 13' from the 106" diagonal screen.
-the middle of the projector lens is even with the top of the screen - so 6'8" from the ground

Basically, in a completely dark room, I'd go for a white screen like the Stewart StudioTek 130 or Da-Lite Cinema Vision or Carada Brilliant White. And for serious movie watching, I will have total darkness and walls, ceiling, floor and furniture are all dark, so ambient light should be at a minimum.

But for TV and gatherings I intend to have some lights on. Not bright, but enough to walk around and see your food. No overhead lights. No lights on the back wall. Just sconces on the side walls - four 60 watt lights on the side walls right next to the seating area none of which are infront of the projector (ie. the projector is closer to the screen than any of the sconces)

So ambient light is not bright, but still enough to wash out a standard white screen (I know this from experience).

Now, the Stewart FireHawk would seem like a very good candidate. If it is, in fact the best choice, then I will go for it. But I wouldn't mind spending a bit less if I can. Da-Lite's High Contrast Cinema Vision seemed like a good choice at first glance, but I have read a few times now that the High Power actually does better in ambient light than the HCCV.

So that is my question. I have no doubt that almost any decent quality screen will perform well in total darkness. But with some ambient light in the room, I know from experience how easily a standard white screen washes out.

Would the High Power perform well in my setup? Or would the FireHawk be superior? Are there any screen materials that might be better than either of those two (and please don't suggest the SuperNova or Mirage - I'm aware of those, but not prepared to pay that high a price, nor do I think my ambient light is so bright that it should be needed)?

Thanks all,
Jon

I'm interested in a 100" High-Contrast Da-Mat screen for my Infocus 7205. I'm leaning toward the Cinema Contour, but am curious what the difference is between it and the Da-Snap?

Has anyone used a HCDaMatte screen. It has a .8 gain and is what I need to bring my ftL down to 15 ftL. I got a sample and blacks look amazing. But I can't tell if it affects color. Thanks

I haven't seen them in person, but it seems like the Contour is just a thicker frame border with a beveled edge on the inside. I'm not sure that it adds any benefit performance-wise, but I think it's considered to be nicer/fancier looking. Anyone else know what the purpose is, exactly?

All the pictures on Da-Lite's site suck, but if you look at the pictures of the two different frame types on the Carada site, I think it's the same idea.

You are correct on the differences. In person it is a nicer looking screen that the Da-snap. The only time I've seen a difference in performance is with a PJ that has a big offset where the Da-snap creates a small shadow on the the top (or bottom if projecting from below) of the screen. For most PJs this won't be a problem and there is no performance difference.

Bob

Why does it matter if it affects colour then if you can't tell?? Surely you wouldnt change your mind just because someone says it affects colour. If you like what you see, go for it. Have a look at the HC Cinema Vision.

On another note, i have to say Da-Lite are awesome. I requested samples of the Da-Matt, the HC Cinema Vision, and the Cinema Vision. I requested samples of High Def Grey and Matte White m1300 from Draper, instead I got a 4"x4" sample of the m1300, with staples through it holding a sheet of paper with 'Draper m1300' on it, and then a business card stapled to it....pathetic. Although in saying that, once i pointed out to Draper that Da-lite overnighted from the USA to Ireland some 2ftx2ft materials in the best packaging i have ever seen, at some considerable expense to me.

My feelings so far are that the Draper m1300 material, although i havent tested, is a good bit thicker than the Da-Lite. The Da-Lite will be my preference if there is no difference in screen qualities when viewing considering the efforts they made.

Carada are also sending samples. However, i would never purchase from Stewarts who dont even reply to the emails.

I have a question about the smoothness of the mechanicals for a Da-lite Model B. I find that mine is not that smooth when I'm lowering the screen. Initally, the resistance seems fairly high and once it gets going, it feels like there's almost a bit of chatter with resistance changes alternating from low to high.

As a point of reference I can only compare it to my old screen which is a Draper Luma. The Luma is much smoother. Is this normal for the model b?

Thanks

ya get what ya pay for :)

OK. I guess this is normal. The Draper Luma is about the same price and build quality on the mechanicals is better than the model B.

Anyone try the Model C Matte White.
Thinking of trying it.
I read here that HCMW has problem with waves.
Does MW have the same problem?

Can anyone with some Da-lite screen knowledge take a moment and tell what exactly the differences are in these screens:

1. Cinema contour (Most exspensive)
2. DA-Snap (Mid priced)
3. Perm-Wall (cheapest)

Thanks

Matte white will get waves as do all the non tensioned materials eventually. But the matte white and the high power are harder to notice the waves in regular viewing. The HCMW is easier to notice the waves. The model C with the bigger roller tends to get less waves than the model b.

Troy,

1. Cinema Contour 3" frame that is beveled into the screen. Very nice in appearance. Screen attaches to the rear of the frame. I highly suggest the pro trim option.

2. Da-snap 1.5" square frame. Screen attaches to the rear. Again, I highly suggest the Pro - Trim. Not the best solution if your projector has a big offset (mounted above the top of the screen, or below the bottom of the screen). If the PJ has a big offset you will get a slight shadow from the screen itself on the top or bottom of the screen because the screen is not beveled and blocks part of the picture from the PJ. Not a concern for most PJ's.

3 The Perm wall screen attached to the front of the frame. There is no pro trim option for this screen. This is a good screen to use if you mount it into cabinet or build framing around it. The frame is screwed to the wall and the screen is attached to the front. You can make your own protrim for this if mounting into a cabinet since you only need to add it to the front. The other two screens need a little room on the top and bottom of them to set them on their mounts. So changing or repairing screen material later can be a pain if it is built into custom cabinetry.

If you are not building framing around the screen, in cabinetry or woodwork then go with the Da-snap or the Cinema Contour with the pro trim. The Contour is definitely better looking hanging on the wall but has no bearing on picture quality.

I wouldn't try to add a velvet type material to the basic frame. The pro trim velvet is wrapped around the frame and not just on the front of it. It is worth the extra money IMHO.

Hope this helps.

Bob