Curved Screen with masking



Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Rubman /forum/post/16908759


I am just a guy who is technologically crippled trying to understand all the benefits vs. all the ********. ... I was told that a curved screen for my application would give me a slightly better result and I like the added contrast that the Firehawk has been giving me so I am just trying to sort through (and understand) all the options right now and make a sensible decision.

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Russ, if you are building a new home theater, and you are willing to make the walls, ceiling, floor, and seating relatively dark in color, and you don't have to have ambient light during the movie, then you do not need a gray screen. A white screen will provide excellent contrast in a dark environment. Gray screens with gain tend to hot spot. (Note on the Stewart website that the FireHawk requires a throw of 1.6 times the screen width. That is to limit hot spotting.)


I also do not think you need a curved screen. (Those who have shelled out lavishly for a curved screen may disagree. So be it.) For a four-row theater I would recommend a white 1.0-1.3 gain screen, which will provide excellent brightness uniformity for every seat. If you want a brighter picture, get a brighter projector.


If you truly are "technologically crippled," I would suggest that you hire an installation service that you can trust, and let them guide you through this. I believe that AV Science (the forum owners) offer installation service in your area. I just bought a JVC RS10 projector from Jason Turk, and I found him to be both honest and capable. Just my two cents.

Are you by any chance familiar with the SI Screens offering called the "Black Diamond"? They have a 0.8 gain screen that is nearly black in the dark and they claim that it completely negates the need for masking. Supposedly they offer a 1.4 gain screen that is also similarly dark. If this is true then it would save a lot of money on an electronic masking system. A white screen may, indeed, be good enough since my HT will be light controlled but I'd like to know that the option exists to keep the lights on without a terrible picture wash out (and 1.4 gain seems like it would do the trick).


I will certainly be employing the services of a professional installer but the choice of screens becomes less of a choice when your dealer only supports one brand (as most do).


I suppose my choice of a curved screen is borne of ignorance because I am only following advice and not acting on real-world experience, as I like to do. I will have to learn a bit more and perhaps see the difference to decide if flat or curved is best for my needs.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Rubman /forum/post/16911863


Are you by any chance familiar with the SI Screens offering called the "Black Diamond"? They have a 0.8 gain screen that is nearly black in the dark and they claim that it completely negates the need for masking. Supposedly they offer a 1.4 gain screen that is also similarly dark. If this is true then it would save a lot of money on an electronic masking system. A white screen may, indeed, be good enough since my HT will be light controlled but I'd like to know that the option exists to keep the lights on without a terrible picture wash out (and 1.4 gain seems like it would do the trick).


I suppose my choice of a curved screen is borne of ignorance because I am only following advice and not acting on real-world experience, as I like to do. I will have to learn a bit more and perhaps see the difference to decide if flat or curved is best for my needs.

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I would take their claims with a truck load of salt... If the projector is illuminating the black bars, they won't be black anymore. The Black Diamond has also been reported to have problems with hotspotting.



Curved screens have a few advantages:


They counteract the geometric distortion created by add-on anamorphic expansion lenses. Straight horizontal lines on the screeen remain straight instead of becoming slightly bended.


They increase the brightness a bit by focusing the light back to the viewer.


They help counteract hotspotting with positive gain angular reflective screens like your Firehawk. But I guess this only works for people sitting close to the sweet spot? I would think it would make it worse for someone sitting to the side of the screen, can someone elaborate on this?


They look really cool and creates a sense of 3D depth too the image. (well, it's down to personal preference if you like the effect or not )



Quote:
Originally Posted by FLBoy /forum/post/16912869


No. Just what I have read in this forum. I generally find Drexler's opinions reliable, however.

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Well, you don't have to take my word for it. I haven't viewed the BD in person but followed the various threads with great interest and have seen reports (and pictures) of hotspotting. I think you can find them if you do a search.


Regarding the black bars: It's physics. The screen can't reject light coming from the projector as you in that case wouldn't get any picture. So if the projector is projecting grey bars you will see them on the screen and I haven't seen a digital projector yet capable of invisible black bars.

The black velux material is designed to eat light, whereas the screen is designed to reflect it back to your eyes. Some screens, like your Firehawk, are designed to reject (some) light coming from the sides, but no screen can reject light coming from the projector. How can it know the difference between what projector light to reject and what to reflect?


Yes, it is the sidebars that are your concern.


I would guess that the BD won't fare much better than your Firehawk. It might be a bit darker, but would likely bring other issues as being too dim or producing artefact's like more pronounced hotspotting or visible texture.


The Firehawk is regarded as king of the heap, so I wouldn't change it unseen.


How black your bars will be also depends on your environment: Do you have any ambient light or light colored walls in the room?

Well, it's a brand new 22' x 30' Home Theater room that I am now building onto my house with the help of Dennis Erskine. I have the freedom at this stage to design it any way that I choose but I will likely choose a combination of Crimson and gold tones with a similarly dark ceiling for a fiber optic starfield. The room will have total light control. The RS-2 is not the brightest projector on the planet and I suppose the anamorphic lens will cut it down even a tad further so a *little* gain is a good thing in this case.


I am spending a lot of money on this theater but I still find it hard to justify a $20K expense for a screen alone, as some of these offerings with side masking are prone to run. I don't want a DIY or cheap alternative, just a reasonable price on a solid solution. Believe it or not, this is not an easy undertaking