The official Carada screen thread. - Page 7

I was able to find 4 studs last night. The stud finder I was using obviously didn't work very well so I picked up a new one and it worked like a charm. I should be able to attach the upper bracket to at least 3 different studs. I am assuming 1.5" or 2" wood screws would do a good job holding the brackets/screen, let me know if that sounds reasonable.

My 104" Carada Criterion wasn't that heavy considering the size of it. I used No 8 wood screws throughout (both into the wood studs and with anchors where no studs were found.) General rule of thumb I use is measure the width of the bracket and drywall together, then add 3/4" for screw length. That should be fine for the screws to bite the wood studs and should not strip out proper sized anchors (should be approx 1/4" shorter than screw). Bear in mind the longer your wood screw, the greater the chance you will split the stud if you catch it on the outer 1/4s of the wood behind the drywall.

I wouldn't worry about getting big screws so much as ensuring you properly level and set the upper and lower brackets. Getting them as close to optimal distance to allow the screen frame to snap in snuggly is more important - remember - unless someone tugs on the screen, the clips and horizontal nature of the screws will give the assembly more than enough strength. It is more how everything fits together than the size of the screws.

In summary, IMHO, as others have mentioned previously, measuring and leveling properly as well as getting your wall as flat as possible are equally important.

Jayswan,
Please post some pics.

I should be receiving my screen on April 8th and I'll post pics after I get everything set up, assuming nothing disastrous happens (fingers crossed).

Thanks a lot for that explanation, it's very helpful and makes me feel a little better about putting the screen up. Do you know how far apart the holes are on the wall brackets? Hopefully they're about 8" apart so every other hole will hit a stud. Also, did you need to use washers with the screws or did the #8 screws secure the bracket well enough alone?

I hung my screen about 3-4 weeks ago and did not attach the braket to one stud. I just lined up the bracket in the middle of the room, leveled it and drilled holes. Not one of them fell onto a stud. Honestly I did not care. I used 40lb drywall anchors (11-12 of them) in 1.25" of drywall...that screen is not going anywhere.

Someone asked about the viewing cone on my BW screen...my room is fairly narrow and I have found no difference in brightness from side to side. Everything's been great!

Does anyone have a shipping / mounting weight for their particular screen ?

I'm curious on how heavy , or light , these things are ?

Thanks ,

Scott...................

My 100" shipped at 34lbs.

Pretty much convinced myself to order a Carada screen - now just wrestiling with the material, and would love the user commuinity input on this one. Do I go CCW, BW or HCG

Here is my environment :

-Sanyo PLV-Z4 projector (not yet bought)
-to be ceiling mounted about 13 feet back
-sitting about 12 'back on an L-shaped couch
-92" HDTV screen size.
-non-dedicated room in basement, about 15' x 30'
-one small window - ie ambient light can be controlled
-will not always have a dark room - ie playing pool while watching a movie.
-lightly colored room (white/grey walls, white ceiling, light carpet)
-viewing angle is important ( L-shaped couch)
-screen will be part of a 15 foot'wide wall unit. Unit is 20" deep, but
screen will be brought forward, almost flush - perhaps set back 2". A fake
wall will be built directly behind screen (ie as if the screen were mounted
on a wall)

Do I go CCW, on the premise that the wide viewing angle is good and that the Sanyo is a high contrst projector (and not worry about the fact that CCW is really meant for dedicated dark rooms)

or...

Do I go for BW for extra punch to allow for some ambient light (and not worry about the high gain issue re uniformity/hot spots and give up a bit of the darkest blacks)

or..

Do I go for HCW to improve black levels on this LCD projector ( and assume the Sanyo has enough lumens).


I know a lot depends on personal preference, but I was hoping that there might be some more objective guidance/science for this specifc type of enviroment. Perhaps other have this type of enviroment with the Z4- what did you end up and are you happy?


Many thanks

Marvin

Marvin,

Not sure this helps as I have not done a direct comparison. However I went with the BW option on the advice of my (excellent) installer for my 100 inch Carada screen and I could not be happier. My room size is 12 X 27 X9 and my viewing position is central, approx 15 ft back. We've only done minor tweaks so far and the picture, particularly with HD is excellent. Others may have better advice re the comparison, but I can only say that I have been very happy with the choice of the BW screen.

Marvin,
I too was worried about hot spots/screen grain with the BW. Let me just tell you one thing. I have an 80" BW and it is AMAZING!!! You don't see the screen and there are NO hot spots. I personally LOVE my screen. I would reccomend the BW but you said you might have lights on while watching a movie... How much light? The nice thing with Carada is, talk to them and see if you don't like a specific screen you can replace it with another. Talk with them and try to set something up. Also ask for some samples first. Buy your projector and mount it. Test with some samples.

Hope it helps!

BW looking good!

yes I may have some lights on, but i thought he BW was better for some ambient light than say a CCW - correct?

As to ''how much light'...I was thinking I may want some on near the back of the room,..about 15 feet behind the projector - 30 feet from the screen.. eg I might want some pendant lights on at the bar,... or a pool light over the table. The only other lights might be some wall units small ceiling lights at the side/behind the screen, in thier own boxed alcoves. Are these typically potential issues, or nothing to worry about?

Re samples, I have exchanged a few emails with David Giles - he has been nothing short of amazing. He did offer samples and suggest I test them (once I get a projector)..have not asked David if he would replace a screen if I didnt like it..but was kinda hoping I wouldn't have to get to that point by choosing wisely based on my enviroment and some consistent advice ( I hope).

On the HCW, I dont hear much on this : ....
Ther is an intersting blog on carara (and dalite) on
http://www.hometheaterblog.com/homet...rch_for_a.html. In there the author states "I felt that for most applications I've encountered the Carada High Contrast Grey would have been too dark for all but the most demanding ambient light specific applications.In a conversation with David Giles of
Carada he stated: The High Contrast Grey does need a brighter projector for a given size screen. But you can't really put a number on the lumens required unless the size of the screen is specified. In other words, with an 88" diagonal screen, 450 lumens would give you a nice 15.6 footlamberts, which is right at the recommended level for home theater. But with a 110" diagonal screen, you'd need 700 lumens to get the same brightness as the 88" screen." In my case, in the Sanyo Z4 bright enough? - I have no idea...but perhaps its a moot point if I'm not really hot on this screen.

On tha CCW...the author did go on to say that:"The Carada 1.0 gain (Classic White) seemed to offer a little darker blacks "

But on thw BW, the author said "Carada's Brilliant White' seemed to offer a little more clarity and punch for lack of a better term and it seemed to have the right combination of brightness and black level....."

So the BW is tempting...

Finally, I did ask David what he thought and he said it was personal preference was that theCCW would be bright enough and it would have just SLIGHTLY better black level than Brilliant White..but if I was concerned about brightness (or went for a larger screen), to go with BW.

Man ! So it seems it's between CCW and BW.

I guess one approach is to order the BW, and get a CCW sample, and ask if I can exchange if I am not happy.

Marvin

Email Carada and they can spec a screen for you if you give them your equipment and ambient info.

Thanks for the input to date.

I will check Carada before ordering.

Just reworked some of the dimensions, and I can actually accomodate a bigger screen, so looks like it will be a 102", and a BW.

See: http://www.theglovens.com/ht/fp.pdf

Tx

Marvin

Does anyone know if Carada plans on making an acoustically transparent screen? I was all set to order a Carada screen, but I ht design recently changed so I am now looking for one that is acoustically transparent. Thanks in advance.

Acoustically transparent and start offering motorized screens would triple their business. For a long time they have hinted at a motorized solution, but..........

Dont have the answer to that one, but I once had a room design that would require such a screen, to hide left/right/centre speakers and a sub. Had about 5 concerns at the time ...then stopped exploring that option.... and have since gone for a different design that I am very happy with.

In my case (fixed screen), my issues were things like:

1) it would severely limit my commercial screen choices.

2) it would reduce free access to the speakers - eg to adjust gain on the sub - as in my case the speakers would be in a would be in a large wall cavitiy with a fixed screen in front...and I didnt want to have to remove a large fixed screen just to get to the speakers.

3) it would push the screen that much closer to the seating area, as the screen would no longer be against the wall.

4) it might introduce some halo effects for the more transparent screens with the screen no longer against the wall.

5) my worst fear (perhaps unfounded)- there is so much air flow with speakers. so if even though a screen may be visually accurate, and accoustically transparent, I was never convinced if it would be 'enviromentally neutral' - ie I was always concerned about the potential for subtle vibrations or movement in the screen itself, due to the volume of air flowing from the speakers and/or ports directly onto the back of the screen.

Marvin

Thanks Kipp

Does anyone know the procedure to get the samples of the Screen Material ?

Scott...............

Scott - Best way is to simply drop them a line at info@carada.com - describe your environment, screen size you are considering, etc and see what they say. They will likely offer you samples, and they are insanely good at getting back to you in a timely manner.

Thanks Marvin , I did just that and David replied almost before I hit send Samples are on their way and I'm looking forward to trying them .

Scott..........................

Scott - I see you are a fellow Canadian ( I'm in Ontario as well). FYI, for the screen itself:

- they ship FedEx
- shipping fees include brokerage
- there is no duty,
- a broker seperately bills for GST/PST on the Canadian value

Still, even after the shipping, brokerage, exchange and taxes, they still come out cheaper than a comparable Da-lite model. And these guys are a pleasure to deal with - so that's worth something as well.

Marvin

Did anybody use a white sheet hung on the wall before odering a screen? If so, how much did the picture improve with the Carada? My wife thinks the $5 sheet looks good enough framed on 1x2's!

I think I'm going to need that sheet for the couch (in the HT of course) when she hears Fed-X knock at the door with my new 110" BW next week!

Shawn

Thanks Marvin ,

Nothing like a fellow Canuck to understand concerns over shipping , brokerage , and GST .

So if I understand you correctly , the shipping price will get it to my door where the FedEx man will want the GST on the Canadian Landed Cost ? Is PST charged too ?

Thanks again for the update .

Scott...............

Well, if it works like my last Fed-ex purchase, the fed Ex man delivers the goods and tells you to have a nice day.

Later, in the mail, you will get a bill for the taxes due. The bill will be from an arm of FedEx (eg FedEx Trade Networks) or some other service.

The amount will, yes, be based on the Canadian Landed cost and will be GST and PST. In the far past, I recall only paying GST, but PST seems to have crept in there. Normally brokerage fees are also on that bill, but in this case Carada says they take care of it at their end and build it into the shipping fee they charge you.

Marvin

Ok so I am already sick on my Behr grey painted wall. I just stumbled across this thread. I have a Panny 700. I am projecting a 125" screen and sit about 12' away. The room is completely light controlled but occasionally the kids are in the back on the computer or at the desk around 4' behind the viewing location.

1) What Carada screen would work best
2) What is the best aspect ratio. I watch HDTV, dig cable, dvd's, play xbox
3) Is there a masking system that is used in conjuction with this screen

Looks like I am about to spend more money. I hope it is worth it!

Shawn:

I had the $5.00 screen (2 $2.50 sheets - on top of each other - black wall!) and was amazed at how good it looked. The sheets were a 'standard' white which I thought would approximate the Classic Cinema White Carada screen I had on order.

Wife and I put up the Carada (96") last night in approx. 2 leisurely hours (from boxed to viewing). My quick impression is YES - as nice as the sheet looked, the screen is smoother and disappears when a picture is being projected. On large, bright areas, some grain in the sheet would show through - not on the Carada.

I'm very happy all around with the Carada screen - customer service, quality of product and ease of assembly and mounting.

Wyatt

PS - As we watched a movie on the sheets, my wife asked several times if we could just cancel the screen order!! She was semi-serious at the time but now she's in total agreement - the screen is COOL!!

I recently received screen samples from Carada and find I'm having difficulty making a decision. When comparing CCW against BW, I noticed a distinct drop in black levels with the BW. The samples are small, so making a comparison is difficult for me. Can anyone chime in who has a BW screen as to the black levels? My room is a media room and I have light control to about 80/90 %. I thought the added punch of a BW screen would help with ambient light rejection, but don't want a drop off in black levels. I do alot of entertaining during football season, and the thought of a bunch of guys in a totally dark room watching the game seems weird to me. Any help would be appreciated. BTW, my projector is the new Samsung 710AE.

Thanks Wyatt. My screen shipped today, so this discussion will be over soon!

Shawn

I am using the Carada 106" BW and it is amazing. i would add that our room is totally dark and when we have the projector running, there is still enough ambient light from the projector to carry on a conversation.

The main reason i went with the BW was because of a conversation i had with Rex Bittle of Carada. He suggested the brilliant white to me. First, I could run the projector in low mode and save the bulb and secondly, and this one has become a big one for me. The projector is a heck of a lot quieter in low mode.

Once callibrated, the blacks and colors jump off the brilliant white. I'm a big fan of DLP because of the superior blacks and if they weren't there, i'd notice it in a hurry. The Carada team is extremely helpful and they have a wonderful product. You can't ask for much more than that.

Thank you whitelaw for the response. Based on your post and what I've been observing over the past week I went ahead and ordered the BW screen. I would also like to thank David Giles at Carada for the prompt responses to all of my emails.