Advice on a DIY 120" semi portable screen.

just an opinion...

a cheap roll up screen will be much easier to move from room to room, and honestly it'll be cheaper than even a DIY spandex screen (ok, maybe in the same ballpark if you don't have to pay 80bux for shipping the spandex like i did). the first projector i bought came bundled with a 'free' 120" matte white roll up screen. I used it for a while when i moved into my new house, and it's currently being stored in my crawl space. while long, it still hardly takes up any space, so it's pretty convenient to store (arguably easier to store than throwing it out, haha). in other words, once you do upgrade your projector, having the 1070 and a roll up screen in storage that you can bring out for the living room would still be possible. The biggest cons I can think of would be that the screen texture might be more noticeable than spandex(i don't have experience with the flexigrey so not sure how it compares), you wouldn't want to place the center channel behind it, it would require some kind of mounting in the living room, and it will probably develop waves within a year. you could certainly get one in grey as well.

now, i currently use a spandex screen, so i totally understand if roll up is not your thing. for a permanent solution, i do think a fixed frame screen is just so much more appealing.

that being said, the main reason i went spandex, and the only reason i will continue to use spandex, is because i wanted my speakers hidden behind the screen. While i am very happy with the current condition and performance of my screen, i don't think it's visually superior to that 'free' roll up screen. ok, the roll up screen developed some waves, so it's better in that regard. But the non-at material is brighter and sharper. It's also a lot more durable. I'm on my second spandex screen, mostly because i had to change the color and type of spandex, but there was obvious wear from just a year of use. I'd personally be leery about moving around a spandex screen, and the idea of having one just leaning against the wall while groups of people are eating and drinking nearby makes me even more nervous. Maybe you'll have better luck, but when i washed my spandex, it was never the same smooth texture afterwards. and i haven't really figured out a way to keep it clean indefinitely. If you do opt for a fixed frame solution, and AT isn't necessary, i might suggest the flexigrey (as much as i can with zero experience with it) as i imagine it will be a little more durable, and pair better with the w1070 that from my knowledge doesn't have the best blacks. Should help with ambient light viewing in the living room too

@trjn


I would suggest a Flexi-White Screen built / stretched upon a 1x3 Frame, and painted with Silver Fire v2.5 4.0 (4 oz.BF Colorant added)


The Screen itself will be very lightweight, yet also be rigid and Flat . (...you cannot effectively move a Retractable around...)


I would specify that the Frame be at least 2" larger on all sides than the Actual Screen Dimensions, because you will in this instance need a Black Velvet Border to absorb the light over spill your bound to have if the screen is set on top a Mantle at a slight rearward pitch. The 1070 doesn't offer much in the way of adjustments to correct Keystone problems, so you can expect at least some shape aberration. Plus...the additional 2" at the Bottom will let you hit the viewable area easier.


My suggestion check off all the Boxes...Lightweight...Inexpensive...ALR performance....and excellent image quality The only issue I can see cropping up is that you will be very sad to see it go......,


..........until you make another bigger and better Screen for your dedicated Theater, and then happiness will blossom once more.

fierce_gt said:

just an opinion...

a cheap roll up screen will be much easier to move from room to room, and honestly it'll be cheaper than even a DIY spandex screen (ok, maybe in the same ballpark if you don't have to pay 80bux for shipping the spandex like i did). the first projector i bought came bundled with a 'free' 120" matte white roll up screen. I used it for a while when i moved into my new house, and it's currently being stored in my crawl space. while long, it still hardly takes up any space, so it's pretty convenient to store (arguably easier to store than throwing it out, haha). in other words, once you do upgrade your projector, having the 1070 and a roll up screen in storage that you can bring out for the living room would still be possible. The biggest cons I can think of would be that the screen texture might be more noticeable than spandex(i don't have experience with the flexigrey so not sure how it compares), you wouldn't want to place the center channel behind it, it would require some kind of mounting in the living room, and it will probably develop waves within a year. you could certainly get one in grey as well.

now, i currently use a spandex screen, so i totally understand if roll up is not your thing. for a permanent solution, i do think a fixed frame screen is just so much more appealing.

that being said, the main reason i went spandex, and the only reason i will continue to use spandex, is because i wanted my speakers hidden behind the screen. While i am very happy with the current condition and performance of my screen, i don't think it's visually superior to that 'free' roll up screen. ok, the roll up screen developed some waves, so it's better in that regard. But the non-at material is brighter and sharper. It's also a lot more durable. I'm on my second spandex screen, mostly because i had to change the color and type of spandex, but there was obvious wear from just a year of use. I'd personally be leery about moving around a spandex screen, and the idea of having one just leaning against the wall while groups of people are eating and drinking nearby makes me even more nervous. Maybe you'll have better luck, but when i washed my spandex, it was never the same smooth texture afterwards. and i haven't really figured out a way to keep it clean indefinitely. If you do opt for a fixed frame solution, and AT isn't necessary, i might suggest the flexigrey (as much as i can with zero experience with it) as i imagine it will be a little more durable, and pair better with the w1070 that from my knowledge doesn't have the best blacks. Should help with ambient light viewing in the living room too

Click to expand...

Your advice makes sense. But I have absolutely no where to hang roll up screen in the living room. My eventual plan is to use this W1070 as a portable projector(if it lives 2 more years) and have a roll up screen permanently attached under the patio roof. From what I have gathered roll ups are never as good as fixed frame unless you go super expensive. So, for now its going have to be a fixed frame screen. I have very less space, so hiding speakers is not my primary objective right now. In the basement build, absolutely. But here, ALR or spandex, whichever is better in terms of quality while keeping the cost less is my intention.

Dave in Green said:

Just be realistic in understanding that a 120" 16:9 fixed screen is going to be more than 5 feet tall and 9 feet wide. It's going to be difficult to maneuver through a house. Fixed screens are typically not designed to be moved around so a DIY model would need to be made sturdier than one intended to hang and leave in place. Making it sturdier would make it heavier and harder to move around. It's doable but maybe not desirable. Leaning a big screen like that against something would put it at an angle to the projector so you'd need to compensate for that to avoid keystone. It also would not be safe if any kids or pets would be running around the room. @fierce_gt has a good point about an inexpensive retractable screen being a good option as a temporary solution that you might be able to sell after you get your permanent theater done.

Click to expand...

Moving it wouldnt be that big of an issue because of the size. Because the door way from the room opens to living room. And the total distance is about 15 feet. But I definitely see it would be cumbersome and leaning the screen on mantle would bring up keystone issues. I am slowly shying away from making this screen movable. I can watch the game on 60" TV, its ok.

MississippiMan said:

@trjn


I would suggest a Flexi-White Screen built / stretched upon a 1x3 Frame, and painted with Silver Fire v2.5 4.0 (4 oz.BF Colorant added)


The Screen itself will be very lightweight, yet also be rigid and Flat . (...you cannot effectively move a Retractable around...)


I would specify that the Frame be at least 2" larger on all sides than the Actual Screen Dimensions, because you will in this instance need a Black Velvet Border to absorb the light over spill your bound to have if the screen is set on top a Mantle at a slight rearward pitch. The 1070 doesn't offer much in the way of adjustments to correct Keystone problems, so you can expect at least some shape aberration. Plus...the additional 2" at the Bottom will let you hit the viewable area easier.


My suggestion check off all the Boxes...Lightweight...Inexpensive...ALR performance....and excellent image quality The only issue I can see cropping up is that you will be very sad to see it go......,


..........until you make another bigger and better Screen for your dedicated Theater, and then happiness will blossom once more.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the the detailed response. This is definitely in my ballpark of what I was trying to achieve other than this will be a lot of work with paint looks like. I have read through a lot of threads and posts by you. Would the above suggestion still be valid if I remove the portability part from the equation? I would like to avoid painting if I can. I am handy with the tools and do enjoy wood working, but painting something I never have been good with or have tools (unless rolling).
Yes, bigger and better screen will come for the theater(more of general media room). I am still in the planning stage and probably do most of the work myself in stages. This particular project is to keep me satisfied till that day comes. And all my equipment is sitting not being used, so I am feeling quite guilty about that too.

MississippiMan said:

Yes...the only real question being size....because that will determine it's placement potential as well as the PJ's, and also how much effort it will be to move it from one room to another. A sharp corner or narrow hallway might well make transporting it anything from difficult to impossible past a certain length. Only the weight issue is one that presents a given solution...well, that and minimal expense, including painting. (Flexi-Grey would only offer a very modest ALR performance.)



Now I do have an idea for the OP as far as temporarily mounting above the Mantle, something that would allow the screen to be perpendicular to the Mantle....that is to say Flat against the Wall...not propped up at a angle. However much of it's practicality depends upon how deep the Mantle is.


So we must wait for the OP to respond and choose a direction in which to proceed.

Click to expand...

I am almost giving up on portability factor because it looks like it will be more trouble than it is worth. So, probably keeping the screen fixed in the guest room is what I am thinking.

I am intrigued to listen to your idea of how to prop it against the mantle. Probably this would help someone who is looking at specific solution like mine.
The mantle is about a little less than a foot deep, but the height to the hearth to mantle is going to be an issue with the size of the screen unless I put some permanent fixtures to hold the screen, which wife would not be happy about. My thought was to have two pairs of folding shelf brackets that would lean against the mantle wall at top and bottom which would give me about a foot of clearance to clear the mantle and hold the screen somewhat perpendicular to the floor. Something like this:
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...ps35Z5wAeK-Vxx4s1o-q5unVi-s3lKexoCCPIQAvD_BwE

Removing the portability factor, would flexi gray or would spandex on a fixed frame be better for me as a temporary setup of 110-120" screen? From what I have read, those two would be my best bet. I am open to other suggestions for the screen material. This is a completely light controlled room, but want to keep the room as flexible as possible to be used sparsely as a guest bedroom when needed. Also, I will be removing the equipment and screen in a year or two from this room. The only thing that would permanently stay is that screen on the wall for a couple of years and probably be given away. So, dont want to spend a lot of money or do a lot of damage to the wall.

Thank you so much everyone.

i have no experience with flexigrey so i can't give you a direct comparison. I am certainly happy with my spandex screen, and i think it would be even harder to find fault if it was just a 'temporary" screen.

the ONLY thing i can nitpick about on my spandex screen is that it's not as sharp as a solid screen. because it's a fabric, the light bleeds into it, and that ever so slightly softens up the picture. I notice this ONLY with text. The only reason it bothers me at all is because i actually do a lot of PC stuff (browsing, and basic productivity) with that set up. with video content, 99% of the time it's unnoticeable, and that other 1% is so infrequent that it's more of a 'did i just see that?' kind of experience. by the time you realize there's a problem, it's gone and probably won't come up again for the rest of the movie. again, i don't know the quality of the flexigrey, i'm basing this on the matte white screen i've had, which performed essentially the same as a piece of white printer paper. I did have a cheap grey screen, that was FAR worse than both the matte white and the spandex screen in terms of texture and uniformity. It was a motorized screen for less than 300bux in canada, which basically makes it on par with a high school lab project, haha. i'm assuming flexigrey is better, if it's getting recommendations, but again, can't confirm that and there are materials out there with worse performance than the spandex for sure.

again, i guess for a temp solution, i'd be less worried about the durability of the spandex. it seems like it's pretty forgiving in some cases, and really fragile in others. if you drop something against it, or even throw something at it, it's not a big deal as long as there's no sharp edges or dirty objects. but that's where i've had issues, it's a fabric, and like, imagine trying to keep a wall clean without ever cleaning it. I've tried vacuuming mine, and one time i took it down and washed it. in both cases i feel like it adds wear to the screen, and starts to show more 'fluffies' that eventually do become noticeable. i doubt this would be an issue over the course of a year, but when i'm hoping my screen lasts 5 or 10 or more years it makes me more nervous.

i don't think spandex is the best option in all cases, nor do i think it offers the best picture quality. but it is a very solid option, and probably extremely hard to beat the value of it. if you forget about it being portable, i think spandex would be a valid option for you. If you only intend to move the screen a couple of times, and can do so carefully, i'd still say it's a good option. I would not advise it if you were planning to move it around every week, or really needed an ALR screen

@trjn

The Weight difference between two similarly screens would be negligible....perhaps 2-3 lbs, so that alone would not be / should not be a factor.

The Flexi-Grey is a higher gain solution, and it's extremely smooth, a "wipe-able" surface, and it's having a modest degree of ALR (R=resistance) sets it 'yards' apart from a Spandex Screen.

Cost is also IS NOT an issue....I cannot fathom how anyone world ever come to any other conclusion since one must use two layers of Spandex. Also, Spandex World charges more for shipping than does Carl's Place...on average. And...as far as actual labor extended...the Flexi would win hands down.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
98" Flexi-Grey 49" x 86" @ $11.95 yd = $44.00 (single layer) (before shipping)


2.5 yds White Milliskin @ $9.00 per yd = $22.50
2.5 yds Black Milliskin @ $9.00 per yd = $22.50
Total = $45.00 (before shipping)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now I know that everyone knows I'm a advocate for the use of Spandex....but I have no problem putting it into it's proper context.

• A GREAT application for obtaining a affordable Acoustic Transparent Screen...if such is needed.
• A very lightweight option that CAN make a difference in any size that uses the 120" Spandex...otherwise the difference is miniscule
• It has a low enough gain to drastically affect visual performance in use with lower lumen PJs or in cases where 3D / HDR viewing is involved.

Really....the obvious advantages and disadvantages cannot be ignored, so they should be elaborated upon when someone either asks about them or is / has been misinformed.

MississippiMan said:

@trjn

The Weight difference between two similarly screens would be negligible....perhaps 2-3 lbs, so that alone would not be / should not be a factor.

The Flexi-Grey is a higher gain solution, and it's extremely smooth, a "wipe-able" surface, and it's having a modest degree of ALR (R=resistance) sets it 'yards' apart from a Spandex Screen.

Cost is also IS NOT an issue....I cannot fathom how anyone world ever come to any other conclusion since one must use two layers of Spandex. Also, Spandex World charges more for shipping than does Carl's Place...on average. And...as far as actual labor extended...the Flexi would win hands down.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
98" Flexi-Grey 49" x 86" @ $11.95 yd = $44.00 (single layer) (before shipping)


2.5 yds White Milliskin @ $9.00 per yd = $22.50
2.5 yds Black Milliskin @ $9.00 per yd = $22.50
Total = $45.00 (before shipping)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now I know that everyone knows I'm a advocate for the use of Spandex....but I have no problem putting it into it's proper context.

• A GREAT application for obtaining a affordable Acoustic Transparent Screen...if such is needed.
• A very lightweight option that CAN make a difference in any size that uses the 120" Spandex...otherwise the difference is miniscule
• It has a low enough gain to drastically affect visual performance in use with lower lumen PJs or in cases where 3D / HDR viewing is involved.

Really....the obvious advantages and disadvantages cannot be ignored, so they should be elaborated upon when someone either asks about them or is / has been misinformed.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for keeping it simple and to the point. I'd like to keep this screen under $100. Both solutions seem to be easily under that amount even with shipping cost and framing material. I like the obvious advantage of flexi gray with respect to wipeability(I dont think this would be a big deal), ease of construction and gain on 3d. In my case, the closet and door in the room are bright white, so there will be a little bit of reflection even with the windows completely covered.
With benq w1070 rated at 2000 lumens, a brand new lamp, and projecting from around 10 feet distance should give me plenty of light output. So, with spandex screen's 0.7 gain shouldnt be a problem if I am worried about hotspotting with flexigray. I guess the reason I am really worried with flexigray is the hotspotting I have experienced before.
The only experience with home projection I've had was with the same benq unit projecting on a shiny white painted wall with a lot of imperfection on the smooth surface. There was a lot of hot spotting, but the lighting situation was not ideal as I couldnt control the ambient light. We did enjoy a good 2 years of movie watching with that setup but I know how annoying it is to see a shiny spot on the screen.
I guess its a toss up between the two and now that I am 99.99% not trying to make the screen portable(I dont know why I was even thinking about it to start with), I think 2 layer spandex screen would be a better choice. Please sway me to flexigray if you guys think I'm over thinking this.

trjn said:

@fierce_gt
Thanks for the insight on how the sharpness doesnt affect the video material much on the spandex screen. I dont do much productivity work or much textual work on the projector at all. But, we do watch a lot of sports. Do you feel the text is blurry to a point where it gets difficult to read the times and scores?
Your experience with the matt grey screen is why I am apprehensive about flexigray. I have not had a chance to experience both screens in person. So, I picked up the two most recommended screen materials in the forum.

Click to expand...

Interjecting here......my personal experience with Flexi-Grey is one that has never shown Hot Spotting, or Warm Spotting for that matter*...and lemmie tell ya sumpthin....I've used it with 5500 Lumen DLP units. Of course the screens were Flexi-Grey @ 160"+diagonal, but comparatively speaking, the Foot Lambert levels were higher off those screens than yours will be.


With all due respect, the Cheap Matte Grey Retractable mentioned above should not weigh heavily in your decision making process. It simply isn't the same surface....


*In truth, People are often not at all clear what "Hot Spotting" means and what can cause it. What is usually left out is how the PJ itself is often the culprit because it lack light uniformity and when Gain levels drop below 1.0, the once "subtle" difference between the brightness at the Center of a image and the Edges can become very noticeable. On the Flip...a screen with too much Gain can highlight the lack of uniformity in the opposite direction.



With a new Lamp and at 10'-6" @ 120" diagonal, the Flexi-Grey will provide 23 fl



Using Spandex instead will garner you 16 fl with that same new Lamp and Throw.....and that Sir is a significant difference that cannot be overlooked. Your Lamp will age....so your image will get noticeably dimmer much sooner.


As far as reading Box Scores or Captions / most on-screen type, I seriously doubt you'll have any issues. Before the Black Spandex backing became universally accepted, there was a greater instance of 'edge blurring" between dark and light content. But excepting smaller, fine edged Black or Bright Colored print set in a bright white background, it's really nothing you will ever see as an issue.