XFS's Black Flame Screen vs. Draper Luma 2 Gray Screen - Page 2

Just for you KMR I posted two new pictures. One with no image so you can see just the screen in daylight. And another ambient light picture this time with a less harsh test. Here's the link again to my photo gallery.

http://gallery.avsforum.com/showgall...ppuser/7562194

No it's not. A highly reflective screen like the retro-reflective Greywolf II and Hi-Power all have viewing cones because the light is focused back to where it came from and less out to the sides. So when sitting off axis the screens overal brightness dims.

There is little if any viewing cone with an XFS Black Flame screen from my viewing tests. So, it's not retro, or angular reflective for that matter. Where your projector is mounted shouldn't matter just like where you sit doesn't matter. The light response is the same.

I didn't use anything. A full sheet of hardboard is the same heigth as the XFS screen but it is wider. I wanted to create a system where I wouldn't damage the XFS screen under the frame so I didn't want to attach the two. Two sided mounting tape would've done the trick or just some industrial velcro even just glueing them together. But all of these would've made my screen a permenant 85" screen. Since the hardboard is wider I was able to velcro the frame to the wall like I did with the screen. So the frame is velcroed to the wall seperately from the XFS screen which is also velcroed to the wall. This way down the road if I can go bigger I just pull off the old frame and the XFS screen should be completely intact to use all of the 97".

Also, I think most people making frames actually normally use floorboard trim and just cut it to length and make a really big picture frame. You can then hang this with wire and string over the screen. Or you could always cut to size and tack the screen to the frame. I did the hardboard thing to 1. preserve the whole 97" to use possibly down the road. and 2. a sheet of hardboard is $7. It's very light and by cutting a window out it's a solid frame with no joints or seems. Two cans of rustoleum black paint and it was done. I really expected I'd mess up the first try so I wanted a cheap option so I wouldn't feel bad if I had to redo it.

It's expanded PVC (sinatra board) which is a 2mm thick sheet of white PVC. It is one big hard piece that is rigid, but it is still flexible. So it's firm yet flexible. It's much more rigid than fabric, but being PVC and only 2mm thick it's still flexible enough that it can be rolled for shipping. Once unboxed, there was no need to stretch, tension, or flatten. I let the sheet lay flat for a few hours and then I just velcroed each of the top corners to the wall and it hangs flat. Then I velcroed my homemade black frame to the wall overtop of the screen using the extra length of the hardboard to attach the velcro to the edges of the hardboard so it would stick directly onto the wall rather than onto the XFS screen. I also used a little mounting putty to lock down the bottom corners so it would be firmly on the wall. But it's not so flimsy that you need to glue it or stetch it to make it flat. It will hang flat.

The easiest way is to turn your projector on and mark the edges of the image on the wall. Then when you mount the XFS screen you know where it needs to be. Being Irish I just used some good Irish carpentry and guessed If you're off at all you can either rip it all down or just make adjustments on the projector.

I also have a whole rant about why keystone correction will not end your life. Here's the thread.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=789962

There's no need to bend the screen once it's up on your wall. Just so it is stated, I have not had any problems with the screen flaking off or cracking. The paint is durable as evidence by the fact that I could clean it very well without any of it coming off.

Fabric and vinyl screens do roll easily. That's why they require tensioning and stretching to make them flat. My old Draper screen never hung perfectly flat. That's just how it is. The XFS screen is more rigid so once hung it will lay flat on its own. That's a good thing about XFS. Once it's unrolled, why would somone roll it or bend it once it's been mounted to the wall? A part from the initial shipping, the XFS screen should be flat the rest of the time. Any damage that occurs during shipping would either be the responsibility of UPS or FEDEX or XFS themselves. I've found customer service to be friendly and very personal so I have no worries about this from my buying experience.


97" diagonal screen is 85" X 48" that is roughly 7' X 4' If I remember correctly square footage is calculated by just multiplying 7' X 4' so that would equal 28 square feet. At your state low price of $5 X 28 square feet that would be $140. Not really a lot cheaper. Especially when, for me, I've compared it to one of these screen materials and the material screen wasn't better.

There are merits for all options. XFS is not a big boy company like a Draper or Da-lite. Some will worry about this, for me it was an asset because I was able to get personal service from people who care directly about me being happy with my purchase. There is a peace of mind buying from a big company but try to tell that to Sanyo owners who've had warranty problems. It goes both ways.

But boil it all down to performance and I have no reservations stating that for me there is no way you can look at the Draper and feel it's better in any way than my XFS screen. That's why I've spent all this time writing my review and posting pictures. I've seen it. I think others should know about it and I hope others will post their own thoughts (whether they agree or disagree with me.)

This is what I'm calling for. XFS owners out there come on in here and drop off some info/reviews/pictures. I'd like to see more comparisons myself. Like I've said, I would REALLY love to see the XFS up against the Hi-Power.

OK you win. I made a terrible decision. I'm about to throw myself off my balcony. If anyone wants my XFS screen, find out where I live before my now widowed wife sells all my home theater equipment and takes a trip to the Caribbean.

I'd say the prices are comparable and the example I gave used the absolute cheapest price of $5 a square foot that you gave. As you stated screen materials range from the bargin basement of $5 - $15 and higher. If it turns out you pick a material for $8 now it's $225. I'm cheap and proud to admitt it. If you can find a great deal go for it. But I actually felt XFS was a good deal. It was about what I had paid for the Draper screen. Some people will prefer a pull down screen. The draper, once I put it up, was never ever pulled back up. So I didn't need a pull down screen.

Again the point of this thread is not to debate prices or to promote XFS as the end all of projection screens. It's a comparative review between XFS and other screens in terms of performance. It's an opportunity for people to find out about XFS and what it does. I'm just sharing my first-hand experience and hope others will do the same.

I had a Da-lite Model B matte white screen first. The loss of brightness with the gray screen was a price to pay but the improvement in color and especially black levels was more than worth it for me. What I wanted was a screen that could do both. That's what I think I found.


I can't explain this either. Paint seems to be a newer development but with Goo Systems already on the scene it would seem that paint is becoming an option. I'm not an industry person. Maybe someone else can. I can't tell you how much durable or not durable paint is vs fabric/vinyl screens. Certainly, until there is a comprehensive professional review of XFS everybody can take what I'm saying as exactly what it is - my opinion based on what I see. But Goo Systems seems to be doing well and the projectorcentral review of their paint made no dire predictions that a painted screen would flake off your wall in a couple of years.

BTW - remember my plasma boys from my original review. Well, one is going to go front projection. The other is going to do both a plasma and front projection (great to have his budget ) When I first ordered the XFS Black Flame screen I really was dying to go with the Acrylic Mirror Light Fusion version. But not knowing much about XFS and not having any reviews or advice I backed-off. Now that XFS has proven itself to me, I talked my buddy into buying my two week old XFS Black Flame and using it for his own set-up. (he's also going to go with the HD1000, such a copycat.) XFS Black Flame Light Fusion (the acrylic mirror) is currently under construction (sigh from Wife - no Caribbean trip only more home theater.) It'll be a little longer but I'll be sure to post an update

Goo Systems. It's paint and it's been around for a couple of years and if you visit their site it seems they've won a lot of awards for it.

Link to the Projectorcentral.com review of Goo Systems.

http://www.projectorcentral.com/goo_...or_screens.htm

Maybe DIYers just discovered something better and now companies are developing it into commercial use. It's great for me since I'm not good enough to spray my own screen.

From my understanding this is why and how it's different. Also, because it's not a reflective top layer there is little if any viewing cone.

You might've missed what I just posted. I'm going to be getting the Black Flame Light Fusion acrylic mirror set-up since one of my friends is going to use my first Black Flame screen (he wants his own front projection now). When it gets here I'll set you know.

BTW - I'm about 11' from my screen Hopefully it won't be so bright that it lights my cat on fire. I originally also thought long and hard about the acrylic mirror. Now that I feel more confident with XFS and I've had this lucky break that my friend wants his own, I'm going to do it. (another sigh from Wife.)

At least you would know that your cats would "Image" well if projected with light

I should be able to do a XFS vs XFS comparison. My buddy is only in the planning stages so I'll be storing the BF screen in the meantime (storing flat I guess after Mellowman's points.)