Carada New Masking System - Page 14

nothing better than christmas come early!!!

I am very pleased and i appreciate all your help making this a great transaction,your mms 114 in.screen and masking system arrived in excellent condition,as you packaged it well. I am very impressed how well built the masquerade is,it only took me 2 hours to installe the screen and mask. It looks gorgeous even my wife loves it. You guys are the best people i have ever dealt with,thanks again for being very friendly and helpful. Eddie

You're welcome Eddie, and thank you for your kind comments!

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

All right here is my humble $0.02. I got around to installing the Masquerade unit last evening. I ordered a 110", direct wire (i.e. no attached power cord) unit to go over my 110" BW Carada Criterion screen that I bought last year. When I built the screen wall I had left a pre-wired junction box with a line for the masquerade.

Total time for me to unpack and complete the install was about 2.5 hours, with some of that time involving me trying to modify some minor issues in my construction methods (speaker plates were too high). Anyhow, here's my review:

Shipping:
My 110" unit came shipped via FedEx to the house. The box was very long (as can be expected) and rather heavy. Somewhere just north of 110 pounds maybe? My wife and I were able to carry it around the house and down into the basement without any problems at all. If you are trying to carry it down basement steps that have a turn in them you will likely need to take the pieces out of the box to make navigating the turns easier.



Packaging:
The unit is very well packaged. Everything is literally either bolted down or taped securely in place. You will need a screwdriver, clippers or scissors (for two zip ties) and a 1/2" socket wrench to free the pieces from the box. An 4" or more extension for your socket wrench will come in handy when trying to unbolt the top from the bottom pieces. Barring a natural disaster, the Masquerade should arrive intact. Put another way, this thing is packaged to take a whooping in transit .





Install:
The instructions are clear and the pictures are actually helpful. I suggest reading them completly once before starting the install as you can see the big picture before getting started. They make a big point about mounting the top hanger bar exactly X inches above your screen frame (X varies depending on your model) even if your screen is mounted slightly off level you are to follow that since you will want the masking material to match your screen orientation.


Putting up the top section onto the hanger bar is a two man job. It is just too heavy and awkward (and costly) for one person to attempt this on their own. Hanging the bottom piece from the top piece is as easy as threading a bolt from the top section onto a rod coming up from the bottom section. Once that is attached then it can become a one man show for the remainder of the install.





(FYI: The wires to the left in the above pic are speaker wires, not part of the Masquerade unit)

Wiring was simply and almost foolproof. Wiring connections were clearly marked and should be able to be handled by a beginner (just don't forget to shut the power off first ). I ran into some difficulty here because I had put the junction box behind the very bottom right hand corner of my existing screen. I had to modify the drywall to bring the wire jacket around, allowing the Masquerade to sit as flush against the wall as possible. Sorry for the following blurry picture.



Instructions for squaring up the unit are simple and effective. Attaching the side fascia pieces was as simple as sliding them in part way and then giving them a "love tap" with the palm of your hand. They are removed in the same fashion.

Construction:
The construction is very similar to that of my Criterion frame. The exterior fabric is nice, light absorbing felt like fabric. The four corners are mitered nicely and show no real visible gap in them. The frame does stick out from the wall a bit to allow for all the mechanicals to fit inside. Keep this in mind if you have your center channel on a wall mounted bracket. The quality of the motor inside is excellent and will likely last a very long time with normal use.

Looking at the unit head on you can see no mechanical parts what so ever. If you stick your head right against the screen and look to the sides (left side pictured here) you see see the metal hanging rods).



If you put your head only 2 feet from the screen you can no longer see any mechanicals (see below, looking to the left again).



The IR port is on the bottom right of the frame. The remote is easy to use since it has only 4 buttons: 16:9, 2.35:1, Jog up, Jog Down. The remote seemed to work easily from about 25 feet away. Holding the jog button down/up allows the masks to move continously. To go from 2.35:1 to 2.40:1 required two quick hits of the jog button.

The motor starts up quickly and is pretty quiet, although I could hear it from my rear row of seats (about 18 feet away). It takes just less than two seconds for the masks to deploy/retract. Looks cool as all heck doing it too. I did have a brief issue where the left bottom mask was sticking up a little bit upon returning to 16:9 from 2.35:1. It was easily fixed with a little tap on the left edge of the masking material. It has not done this since. Perhaps it was just the material being stiff from being rolled up?

Image Performance:
First thing to note is that internet pictures of pre-deploy and deployed Masquerade masks do not even come close to doing this product justice. I put in a Netflix copy of 10,000 BC (2.40:1 aspect ratio) and called the wife down. Started the movie and dropped all the lights. Let it run for about a minute or two and then deployed the masks without telling her what I was doing. She heard the motor and saw the masking material moving. Her next comment was "Holy cow, that is a huge difference!" This coming from a woman who is usually saying "That's nice dear" if you know what I mean. I believe it to be a large increase in perceived contrast with the masks deployed. However, I do not have any scientific data to back that up. I can asure you though, you cannot mistake one from the other. The image seems to literally pop with the Masquerade in place.

What could be better?:
One thing I would like to see is the gap between my Criterion screen and the face of the Masquerade made smaller. It looks to be about 1.5 inches or so. I know the masks have to steer clear of the screen material and that the frame thickness of my existing screen has a lot to do with this. I understand that if one gets the MMS screen with the Masquerade that this gap is made closer to 1/4 - 1/2 inch. Someone correct me if I am wrong. The current gap is not noticeable unless you walk up to the unit and look down the sides. It is something that you will soon forget even exists.

I can see someone hoping for a RS-232 trigger for the unit. I don't personally use that nor would I really have a need for it. If I really desired I can write a macro for my Phillips Pronto remote to deploy the masks when I hit something like "Play 2.35:1 Movie".

EDIT: I've been told by David Giles that the Masquerde can indeed by
controlled by RS-232 type automation systems.

Conclusion:
It's a well built unit that does exactly what it is designed to do. The resulting improvements on your visual movie experience are, IMHO, impressive. The construction was done very well and shows some serious thought into how it was designed. It's quarks are minor. Some will still balk at the price of the Masquerade but not every piece of AV equipment is for everyone's liking. Compared to the other masking systems on the market this is a well thought out bargain. I am happy with my purchase and would not hesitate to recommend this unit to anyone. Carada's customer service is also top notched and very helpful with any questions that I have ever had.

(... more pics in next post)

Masquerade Installed 16:9 mode







2.35:1 Mode:






16:9 Mode (i.e. masks not deployed, it was hard to get the black bars to really photograph well but trust me they are there [Epson 1080 Pro Cinema UB])



2.35:1 Masks deployed

Those last two pictures are mixed up right?

Hamster

Nice review and great pictures of your Home theater.

Brad

They were, thanks for catching that . I corrected the order of them above.

wow, excellent review. thanks so much for posting all the pics and instructions. i now have a much better understanding of how easy it is to install.

Agreed, I get a better understanding also. I thought it was pretty difficult. But your pics help out a ton. Still saving for mine, 126" Criterion Screen here, so I'm looking at some coin, plus shipping to Japan.

Thanks Driving_Hamster for posting such a thorough review with so many nice photos! Beautiful theater you have there!

And thanks for your constructive comments in the "What could be better" section. The good news is that the Masquerade CAN be controlled via RS232 by various automation systems on the market.

Regarding the gap between your screen and the Masquerade, that is basically dictated by the diameter of the motor/roller with the masking material rolled up on it, plus the thickness of the substructure. We highly optimized the Masquerade to keep that distance as tight as possible, and I dare say that 2 3/8" (from the back of the masks to the wall that the system is mounted on) is about as tight as any horizontal masking system on the market. So we simply can't make that gap any smaller. If you wanted to go to the trouble, you could shim and re-mount your Criterion Series so that the back of the frame is approx. 3/4" off the wall which would put the front of the frame as close as possible to the back of the masks (which obviously HAVE to clear the screen's frame when moving). But as you mentioned the gap isn't really noticeable unless you get close to the unit, and it certainly doesn't negatively impact the viewing experience. And as you also mentioned anyone who wants the absolute minimum gap can order the Masquerade with our MMS Series screen which has the surface material mounted on the FRONT of the frame.

Anyway, thanks again for your excellent review Driving_Hamster, and I hope you and your family enjoy your Masquerade for many years to come.

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

David,

Thanks for correcting me on the RS-232 issue. I have edited my review to reflect the correction.

Going to have movie night with the neighbors next week. I'm not going to tell them about the Masquerade and see their expression when I fire it off. Should be entertaining .

FYI the review is now posted on Home Theater Mag's website here:

Kris Deering's Masquerade Review

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

I just finished installing my Masquerade Masking System. I would pretty much echo every one else's positive comments.

Mine was custom sized for a Vutec Silverstar screen.

Well made, everything fit together as advertised.

The whole design seems pretty well thought out.

Installation was not difficult.

Wife likes it!

Definitely an asset to my Theater, I'm glad I purchased it.

Thanks to David Giles for his help.

Regards,
John

The first Stewart screen I bought didn't have a border. It was a 1.5" thick aluminum frame. The screen material sat on the front of the frame and was stretched around and snapped to the back. The screen floated 1.5" off the wall (the thickness of the frame). I was considering getting the same style screen again, but going with Carda for the masking.

If I put a 1" shim between the Stewart and the wall, will the Masquerade mate near flush with the screen (1/4" gap) ?

With no screen border to contend with, how much clearance do I need to leave?

David,

What does the MMS Series screen reduce the gap to?

Thanks,
John

The MMS Series frame can be adjusted so that there is approx. 1/4" to 3/8" between the back of the masks and the viewing surface.

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

just out of curiosity, but for scope movies that have subtitles located in the black bar area, are the masks so black that you can't see any text or can subtitles still be legible if they appear on the masks?

Hey Anthony,

You will probably be able to just barely see the subtitles if they fall on the masking material (i.e. the black bar area). Their legibility will depend on the number of lumens being thrown at the screen as well as the color, size, and font used for the subtitles. You might be able to read them if you really concentrate on them, but I certainly wouldn't want to try to read the subtitles on the masking during a movie.

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

It is no problem to read the subs of my screen which has light absorbtive black velvet. It is actually a bit more comfortable than reading from the screen area since they are not as bright. Otherwise the full white subs can be bright on the verge of being irritating in dark scenes in a full darkened room.

However, since subs are usually divided between the lower part of the screen area and the frame, it becomes annoying to read half the subs super bright and the other half muted. Still works though and I prefer doing this rather than project without masking...

(P.S. My screen is not a Carada, but a Euroscreen ReAct with black velvet frame).

I bought a 104" Masquerade to go with my 104" Carada Criterion screen. Installation took me about 3 hours, but I was slow and meticulous. It is not terribly difficult although having 2 people is a necessity. I had an issue with the top mask getting stuck initially, but David responded promptly to my emails and helped me dislodge it and it is working fine now.

My impressions, the masks definitely help perceived contrast and simply remove the distraction. I have blackout clothes around my screen so when the masks are deployed, all you see is an image against a seemlessly black background. It really helps make the image pop on 2:35 to 1 movies. I have a Sony VW60 and it really helps the image pop more.

My only complaint is there is not a setting built in for 2:40 to 1 movies. I have trouble with the jog feature getting it perfectly into place. I also wish there was a setting for 1:85 to 1.

Otherwise, great product and a great company.

Thanks

Any tips for installing the mounting bracket? What was the reason for making the bracket flexible? I feel like I'm trying to attach a wet noodle to my wall. The flexibility would be great if the bracket needed to hug the wall, but it doesn't. It's the opposite. It needs to be straight despite any variations in the wall. If it's critical the bracket is straight, I don't understand why it was made so flimsy. I think a rigid bracket would be much easier to install in this case.

Hi Rabident,

The wall bracket is quite long in order to provide adequate support for the structure (and it is more than strong enough when properly attached to a wall).


Well, honestly there is simply no way to make such a bracket NOT be flexible (without making it way too thick). Even an incredibly expensive carbon fiber bracket would have been flexible enough over that length to conform to any variations in the wall. It is far better to simply let your wall support the bracket along its length, and use the included small plastic horseshoe shims to fill in any low spots in your wall. You can temporarily install the wall bracket loosely on the wall (at the "high spots" on your wall), and then slip the shims between the bracket and the wall (the slots in the shims go over your screws).

Let me know if that helps. Thanks Rabident, and I'll look forward to hearing how you like your Masquerade!

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

That's certainly a good reason .

My install is particularly difficult because the studs aren't at regular intervals and the walls vary by as much as 2"... so I think I may be having issues above and beyond what most people typically have to deal with.

After quite a bit of e-mailing with David, I've ordered a custom 98" Masquerade to use for an AT setup in my basement! Because this will be the same width as the room that it's going in, I'll have to assemble it on a frame first which will get mounted onto a false wall that I'm building approx 3' in front of the back wall. I'll probably document it over in the DIY section once I start things up after the new year, but I'm very excited to get this set up. David was an absolute pleasure to work with, and was very helpful in assisting me with my unique situation to get a wall-to-wall Masquerade install.

I am extremely intrigued by this system! Just a few questions, if you don't mind. Currently, I have a Dalite 106" pull down screen in highpower 16x9 format. I have had the highpower material for the past 3 years or so and I absolutely love it. What is the closest material that Carada makes that is similar to the high power? I am debating on whether to order a fixed HP screen from Dalite and the Carada masking system or just order the mms screen from Carada with the masking system. I understand the Carada screen will go better with the masking system due to the gap being narrower between the screen and the masking system. I'm all for that! However, I am really hooked on the high power screen so I would hate to lose its properties. Any words of wisdom? Btw, I just measured my wall and it is 125" wide. Here is a pic of my current setup:

My pull down screen comes down over the plasma. As you can see, I only have 125" of width to work with (height is of no concern as I have vaulted ceilings) and would love to get a larger screen then my current 106" one. I was doing some calculations and it looks like the largest screen I may be able to fit is a 110"-125" diagonal 16x9 screen. I'm not sure though as I read the masking system adds an additonal 4-5" to the screens width. Obviously, I am going to have to relocate the plasma if I want to go with a fixed screen (wife is hesitant, so I am currently in the begging stage) Can you tell me the largest 16x9 screen size I could go with, considering the additional added width of the masking system and my 125" width limitation? Thanks!

Hey Maximus,

We don't have a material similar to the High Power (high gain - retro reflective). But if you want to stick with High Power material, here's a suggestion: order the raw High Power material from Jason here at AVS and build your own simple screen-frame from 2x4's. You can build the frame directly on your wall and attach the surface material to the face of the 2x4's with staples. That will put the viewing surface at a nice distance from the masks. And if you're really obsessive-compulsive then you could even put some shims behind the 2x4's to push the screen even closer to the masks. Then you would simply mount the Masquerade over the screen and you're good to go. If you (or anyone else) is interested in doing this, send me an email and I'll give you the exact dimensions for the raw screen material that you need to buy and the dimensions for the 2x4 frame.

If 125" is your actual WALL-TO-WALL width limitation, then the largest 16:9 Masquerade that you can mount on that wall would be a 124" diagonal. The system would have an outside width of 120.6 but you would need an extra 2 inches of "free and clear" space on both sides of the system in order to install the side fascia.

Now as HogPilot mentioned above, it IS possible to install a Masquerade that is the full width of a room (i.e. wall-to-wall), BUT you would have to be willing to build a "false-wall" type frame and install the Masquerade on that false-wall FIRST in a space that is WIDER than the actual wall (because again you need the space in order to install the side fascia). And building/mounting such a structure would definitely add an element of challenge to the installation of the Masquerade, so I would only recommend it for the adventurous.

In any case, details like this are best discussed on a case-by-case basis, so please send me an email at davidg@carada.com and I'll be happy to discuss your installation with you.

David Giles
Carada, Inc.

Thanks David. I would love to talk to you on the phone sometime to discuss my options. As of now, I am desperately trying to convince my wife in relocating the plasma above the fireplace so I can free up space for the permanent screen. This leads me to a question. My wife said it would look weird having a theater type setting in the family room. We do spend the majority of the time there and I think it would look fabulous. What do you guys think about having a permanent screen w/the masking system on a wall in your family room? I wish I had another place to put it but I don't.

I'd install the screen with the masking. You could then put a powered pleated drape system made of velour material that could cover the entire screen wall when not in use.