Masking Sides with Curtains OK?

It will also depend on where your speakers are located. If they will be blocked at any time by the masking, then the masking will need to be AT. Otherwise curtains are fine...

Mark

Curtains work very well for masking. They don't have to be blackout, or even very good ones. I picked up some really cheap black "velvet" ones and they're perfect. They're not backlit, so you can't see they're thin, but light just disappears into them. I suspect a dark green would appear black in the dark, lit by only gray bars.

We have heavy cranberry velvet drapes and they mask perfectly well...

What have you guys done to get a straight edge with curtains? Put some dowl or similar on the edge?

My girlfriend made my curtains for me, and she sewed in a thin 'pocket' down the edge so I could slip in a thin wooden dowel. It keeps the edge straight and works well. Weights may work though I've not tried that approach. I used a small screw to fix through the dowel and into the curtain track so that's what pulls the curtains open and shut and doesn't put any strain on the material.

Garyu

Worth a try if it works...

Mark

I went with the dowel approach (though it was actually a curtain extender rod I sewed into my curtains). It keeps a very clean edge.

With all respect to Mark, I would say that using curtains as screen masks is adequate. IMO, it is better to use flat velvet-wrapped panels that "hug" the surface of the screen. My CH screen is a painted white wall framed by a Makita-based twin track drapery system. And for the masks, I mounted a custom third track flush against the upper screen mask. That allowed me to hang my masking panels from the inside third track where they can roam back and forth, riding along very close to the screen surface. The masks are physically connected with medium sized cable wraps to the motorized transport on the twin-track's inside track (which because of my added custom track is really the middle track).

So the motorized movement on the middle track is transfered to the panels riding on the inside track. The panels are quarter-inch black foamcore completely wrapped in black velvet. Each panel is about a foot wide and covers the entire vertical height of the screen.

My draperies are on the other (outside) motorized track. The Makita kit comes with a twin track controller ... so I can move the drapes independently from the masks.

Now I know that the Makita kit I use may be out of some people's budget. But my point is simply that I think screen masks work much better when they are solid panels with a nice sharp edge ... and they should float no more than about a half inch from the screen service.

For a really clean edge that doesn't appear to be in different locations when viewed from different seating positions in the theater, the masking should be no more than 1 inch away from the screen surface, preferably closer.

To accomplish that I use a twin track system from HTIQ on my 5' x 13' curved screen. Other advantages of this system include up tp 10 programmable presets for different AR's. I have presets set at 1.33:1, 1.66:1, 1.77:1 (HDTV), 1.85:1, 2.0:1, 2.20:1, 2.40:1, and 2.55:1. Full open masks the screen to 2.65:1. The masking panels are driven open by he curtain and closed by a system of weights and pullys. The masking stops closing at the 1.33:1 position, but allows the curtains to continue closing with a 2" overlap in the center when thay are fully closed.

Vern

I previously used foamcore wrapped in Black Velvet.
Now I use a 1"x2" with a hole drilled up top so it can run on a track (which is actually just a $3 PVC pipe.

The rest of the curtain is held up with cheap plastic curtain rings ($1) which also run on the pvc piping.
I bought a medium sized grommet kit for $7 and spaced holes about 6" apart.

it's all manual, but very inexpensive and works and looks just fine.

When I get my new screen up, I might try the "wing thing" again. It worked quite well last time...

Mark

Mark, are you going with Ruben's material for your AT screen?

The screen supplier/manufacture stated that the hole size of the fabric he has is the same size (weave is identical) as SmX. I also have someone holidaying in the States who will bring some SmX back with him (for his own screen as well), so if the screen I get initially does not look or sound good, I will have a back up...

How do you like your screen?

Mark

Its fantastic. The only thing I can compare to is Dazian Coated Celtic Cloth. But so far it's awesome.

I'm moving the theater to another room in the house at the moment so I post pics once it's all setup.

How wide is your screen? And what are you using for side masking?

Mark

For all you DIY guys you should contact HTIQ. I think you will find your time saved is worth the modest cost of the system.
Vern is using the companies duel system with closing theater curtains but I choose just the side masking with black velvet curtains. The real magic is the ir controller with ten presets. Easy to set.
I cannot envision being without the convenience of such a system. Im spoiled.

I'm shooting for around 260cm wide. I'm looking at getting some black curtains to run off a simple curtain motor off ebay.

Don's system is very flexible. It can be either single track or two tracks depending on your needs. Best to call Don at HTIQ and describe what you have today, if anything, and what your neds and wants are.

My system uses two tracks, one motor, with the masking panels coupled to the curtain.

Tukkis, I guess you don't need any presets, then???? People have had bad experiences with the specials on ebay. Things like no presets, no limit stops, noisy, etc.

Vern

Vern,

It's going to be a very basic system. Just open fully to 2.35 and close to 16x9 width. I only bought the motor not the whole curtain track like the other ebay products I've seen.

It learns a remote code. The motor automatically stops after a couple of seconds if it hits a physical barrier. What I'm planning to do is let it open to 2.35 and stop and let it run to 16x9 and stop.

Pretty basic but I don't really need all the other ratio stops for what I'm doing. I was going to get Don's system but it was going to cost way too much to ship down here.

http://cgi.*********.au/Remote-Contr...QQcmdZViewItem

I forgot to add also that I'm not using heavy curtains either. Just something basic to work as a mask. Not heavy velvet type material. Don's system will handle heavy weight and is recommended for that purpose.

I didn't use dowels, but I did attach small strips of velcro to my screen border and curtains. They're placed so that they hold the edge slightly taught and straight.

Alan...

(and anyone else that has the HTIQ system)

Can this be set up so the panels are made from AT material? Or if you use this with an AT screen do you have to have your LR speakers inside the 16:9 width?

Thanks,
Chip

This might seem odd. But, instead of using dowels like others are using, could you place a magnetic strip of some sort in place of the dowel. Then, on the back side of the screen have an additional magnetic strip. When the curtains are closed for the 16.9 format, you'll have a straight edge of the curtain pretending to to be the masking. Does this make sense?

I called in a friend who is a seamstress to take a look at masking with GOM 701. To her credit, she promptly realized the need for a smart, true edge. She uses a "tape" that she sows into a 3/4" wide hem to make the edge. This give the edge a little bit more body and sturdiness. The tape looks all the world to me like a somewhat heavy piece of black ribbon.

Curtains are OK but you definitely need that straight edge somehow. I use the HTIQ curtain and masking system as well and although I had lots of issues with wrong parts shipped and delays now that it is up it works well. I initially just had curtains and the lack of a crisp edge was noticeable. I then put up just one side with the masking panel to see if I really wanted to go through the pain of putting the other one up and decided that I did.

Vern made a good point that the masking panel (or curtain) needs to be as close to the screen as possible. If not you get a slight shadow on the screen from the panel or curtain. This disappears when the room is in black out but can be quite noticeable if there is light in the room. I need to figure out how to get mine close without moving either the screen or the track.........

I would recommend the HTIQ system too but if you use it make sure you go over precisely how your setup will look and be prepared for quite a bit of DIY.

Yes, there is some DIY involved. Keep in mind that every installation is custom.

Most here prefer DIY to keep the cost down. If a dealer and/or installer were involved, the cost would increase by a factor of 2 - 3.

BTW, I make myself available for tech questions via email or phone 7 days/week.

JFYI, I'm in the process of converting my 16:9 theater to 2.35. Yep, it will be DIY all the way!

best-
Don