[BobNelson]

I have a Da-Lite tab tensioned Cosmopolitan Electrol Pearlescent from 2001. The screen has material migrating from the back of the screen to the front. From what I have read, this is not cleanable. It seems that Da-Lite has had this problem for a very long time. It has gotten to the point that I am thinking of replacing it. Has Da-Lite finally gotten this problem fixed or should I look into purchasing a different brand.
Thanks for your comments in advance.

 

[Craig Peer]

I have a Da-Lite tab tensioned Cosmopolitan Electrol Pearlescent from 2001. The screen has material migrating from the back of the screen to the front. From what I have read, this is not cleanable. It seems that Da-Lite has had this problem for a very long time. It has gotten to the point that I am thinking of replacing it. Has Da-Lite finally gotten this problem fixed or should I look into purchasing a different brand.
Thanks for your comments in advance.

Da Lite makes good screens, but that material would not be my first choice for home theater. I don't know if they've changed it since 2001, but they have many good choices now they didn't have then. Feel free to call or email us at AV Science for ideas, information on new screens and pricing.

 

[ProjectionHead]

I have a Da-Lite tab tensioned Cosmopolitan Electrol Pearlescent from 2001. The screen has material migrating from the back of the screen to the front. From what I have read, this is not cleanable. It seems that Da-Lite has had this problem for a very long time. It has gotten to the point that I am thinking of replacing it. Has Da-Lite finally gotten this problem fixed or should I look into purchasing a different brand.
Thanks for your comments in advance.

If you are considering Da-lite for home Theater, the best surfaces are their HD Progressive options. They do not have the 1.5 gain as in the Pearlescent, but they do have a 1.3 gain in the Tensioned Cosmopolitan

http://www.projectorscreen.com/store/c/1536-High-Definition-Screens.html?Attribs=668+758+2605

These are their surfaces intended for 1080p+ projectors and have been our recommendation for Da-lite in the Home Theater (HD Progressive comes in .6, .8. 1.1 & 1.3)
http://www.projectorscreen.com/blog/What-Makes-Da-lites-HD-Progressive-Surfaces-so-Great

These surfaces are cleanable (although the Pearlescent claims to be as well) and perform real well IMHO.

 

[BobNelson]

If you are considering Da-lite for home Theater, the best surfaces are their HD Progressive options. They do not have the 1.5 gain as in the Pearlescent, but they do have a 1.3 gain in the Tensioned Cosmopolitan

http://www.projectorscreen.com/store/c/1536-High-Definition-Screens.html?Attribs=668+758+2605

These are their surfaces intended for 1080p+ projectors and have been our recommendation for Da-lite in the Home Theater (HD Progressive comes in .6, .8. 1.1 & 1.3)
http://www.projectorscreen.com/blog/What-Makes-Da-lites-HD-Progressive-Surfaces-so-Great

These surfaces are cleanable (although the Pearlescent claims to be as well) and perform real well IMHO.

Projectionhead:
My screen is 4x3 60"x80". I know that in this day and age, that seems antiquated. When I want to watch an old movie the size is perfect. When I watch HD TV I use a different memory in the projector to blank the unused area. I guess people that have wide screens never watch any of the old classics.

The Da-Lite web site indicates that the HD Progressive surface is not available in that format. I am stuck with what I have.

Bob Nelson

 

[Craig Peer]

Projectionhead:
My screen is 4x3 60"x80". I know that in this day and age, that seems antiquated. When I want to watch an old movie the size is perfect. When I watch HD TV I use a different memory in the projector to blank the unused area. I guess people that have wide screens never watch any of the old classics.

The Da-Lite web site indicates that the HD Progressive surface is not available in that format. I am stuck with what I have.

Bob Nelson

Some of us watch old classic movies. I watched " Wings " not too long ago - I have that movie on Blu Ray, and Casablanca, The General, Robin Hood, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, A Trip To The Moon and a few others. I just watch them on a 59.5" x 106" 16:9 screen, with black bars on the side. With a good projector with decent contrast levels, you really don't notice the black bars anyway. Just the great film !

 

[BobNelson]

Some of us watch old classic movies. I watched " Wings " not too long ago - I have that movie on Blu Ray, and Casablanca, The General, Robin Hood, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, A Trip To The Moon and a few others. I just watch them on a 59.5" x 106" 16:9 screen, with black bars on the side. With a good projector with decent contrast levels, you really don't notice the black bars anyway. Just the great film !

I would rather watch it in the full width and have the black bars at the top and the bottom for the wide screen stuff.

 

[Craig Peer]

I would rather watch it in the full width and have the black bars at the top and the bottom for the wide screen stuff.

That's cool - that's why we have home theaters - to design them the way we want them ! I just have many more 16:9 movies than 4:3 films that I watch. And I have a separate 2.35:1 screen for movies in that format.

 

[FreshPrintsofBellaire]

I would rather watch it in the full width and have the black bars at the top and the bottom for the wide screen stuff.

I'm with Bob on this one, I prefer full width to full height

 

[ProjectionHead]

Projectionhead:
My screen is 4x3 60"x80". I know that in this day and age, that seems antiquated. When I want to watch an old movie the size is perfect. When I watch HD TV I use a different memory in the projector to blank the unused area. I guess people that have wide screens never watch any of the old classics.

The Da-Lite web site indicates that the HD Progressive surface is not available in that format. I am stuck with what I have.

Bob Nelson

If you switched over to a Tensioned Contour, you can get the HD Progressive surface on a 4:3 screen as a custom option (not a standard SKU). I'm not sure how much of a difference the resolution will make with your classic movies (remastered or not) to make it worth the upgrade expense in both surface and model for you.

 

[Michael9009]

I have a Da-Lite tab tensioned Cosmopolitan Electrol Pearlescent from 2001. The screen has material migrating from the back of the screen to the front. From what I have read, this is not cleanable. It seems that Da-Lite has had this problem for a very long time. It has gotten to the point that I am thinking of replacing it. Has Da-Lite finally gotten this problem fixed or should I look into purchasing a different brand.
Thanks for your comments in advance.

I have a Da-Lite Tensioned Contour Electrol screen that I bought in May 2007. 133" diagonal, 16:9, screen fabric was Cinema Vision. After a while it started developing wrinkles at the lower corners, just above the slat bar, and also the material began leaking plasticizers and became very sticky, to the point of becoming very sparkly and having difficulty to roll down. It was extremely difficult and time-consuming to clean the fabric and almost impossible to eliminate all streaking left over from the isopropyl alcohol.

So, in January 2014, I replaced the fabric roller with HD Progressive 1.3. So far this one also developed some minor wrinkles at the lower corners but there's no sign of leaking plasticizers yet. I'm a bit nervous because, although Da-Lite warrants new screens for 5 years, I was told that the replacement fabric roller has only a one-year warranty. Which is already over. Not sure why the difference.

The HD Progressive 1.3 fabric is phenomenal. However, mine has some faint vertical streaks, likely from some unevenness of the material structure, which become visible during panning of uniform backgrounds. It was like this from day one. Not sure if this is typical for this material.

 

[RobZ]

I have a Da-Lite Tensioned Contour Electrol screen that I bought in May 2007. 133" diagonal, 16:9, screen fabric was Cinema Vision. After a while it started developing wrinkles at the lower corners, just above the slat bar, and also the material began leaking plasticizers and became very sticky, to the point of becoming very sparkly and having difficulty to roll down. It was extremely difficult and time-consuming to clean the fabric and almost impossible to eliminate all streaking left over from the isopropyl alcohol.

So, in January 2014, I replaced the fabric roller with HD Progressive 1.3. So far this one also developed some minor wrinkles at the lower corners but there's no sign of leaking plasticizers yet. I'm a bit nervous because, although Da-Lite warrants new screens for 5 years, I was told that the replacement fabric roller has only a one-year warranty. Which is already over. Not sure why the difference.

The HD Progressive 1.3 fabric is phenomenal. However, mine has some faint vertical streaks, likely from some unevenness of the material structure, which become visible during panning of uniform backgrounds. It was like this from day one. Not sure if this is typical for this material.

I've had my HD Pro 1.3 for about a week now and I have also noticed a few minor issues. If I pause a VERY bright white scene I can find a few screen artifacts like what looks light paint brush streaks or marks (looks almost like smudges though I know they are not) or unevenness. There are a few coin size circles that appear to be indentations though they are not visible unless you walk up to the screen. In other words, there are very minor imperfections in the coating but also material. Some of this can be seen with panning of very bright scenes but you'd really have to look for it.

On a positive note, it is still a phenomenal screen compared to any others I've owned (Da Lite 1.0 gain, two Caradas, Da Lite High Power). The gain is very nice as is the uniformity. If there are issues with the source it will definitely become visible on this screen. Watching top notch material like Lucy or the space scenes on Interstellar is incredible.

I've debated contacting Da Lite to see if they will swap the material but I have a feeling that the replacement would be similar. There aren't really any reviews of the material pointing out these issues but I wouldn't doubt it's whats normally found with this particular screen.

 

[Craig Peer]

I've had my HD Pro 1.3 for about a week now and I have also noticed a few minor issues. If I pause a VERY bright white scene I can find a few screen artifacts like what looks light paint brush streaks or marks (looks almost like smudges though I know they are not) or unevenness. There are a few coin size circles that appear to be indentations though they are not visible unless you walk up to the screen. In other words, there are very minor imperfections in the coating but also material. Some of this can be seen with panning of very bright scenes but you'd really have to look for it.

On a positive note, it is still a phenomenal screen compared to any others I've owned (Da Lite 1.0 gain, two Caradas, Da Lite High Power). The gain is very nice as is the uniformity. If there are issues with the source it will definitely become visible on this screen. Watching top notch material like Lucy or the space scenes on Interstellar is incredible.

I've debated contacting Da Lite to see if they will swap the material but I have a feeling that the replacement would be similar. There aren't really any reviews of the material pointing out these issues but I wouldn't doubt it's whats normally found with this particular screen.

Thanks for the review / update. These are issues that can't ever be seen with limited size screen samples. Hopefully Da Lite improves any manufacturing flaws and keeps this to a minimum.

 

[RobZ]

Thanks for the review / update. These are issues that can't ever be see with limited size screen samples. Hopefully Da Lite improves any manufacturing flaws and keeps this to a minimum.

True. If I were to cut all 12"x12" samples from my screen only a few of the pieces would have noticeable flaws. Overall it's a great screen and I'd definitely still opt for it over a Carada or similar moderate priced "advertised" higher gain but Da Lite probably doesn't have the quality control of Stewart.

 

[Michael9009]

I've had my HD Pro 1.3 for about a week now and I have also noticed a few minor issues. If I pause a VERY bright white scene I can find a few screen artifacts like what looks light paint brush streaks or marks (looks almost like smudges though I know they are not) or unevenness. There are a few coin size circles that appear to be indentations though they are not visible unless you walk up to the screen. In other words, there are very minor imperfections in the coating but also material. Some of this can be seen with panning of very bright scenes but you'd really have to look for it.

On my HD Progressive 1.3 the streaks / smudges are visible only on bright scenes, uniform background panning. Otherwise, they are not noticeable. Also, I tried to gently clean the screen surface locally - where the streaks can be seen - and it seems that they were not stains but material unevenness.

I am significantly more worried about the wrinkles at the lower corners - possibly due to material shrinkage - and potential plasticizers leakage that would make the screen sticky and sparkly. And I don't understand why the warranty for new screens is five years but only on year for replacement fabric rollers.

 

[RobZ]

On my HD Progressive 1.3 the streaks / smudges are visible only on bright scenes, uniform background panning. Otherwise, they are not noticeable. Also, I tried to gently clean the screen surface locally - where the streaks can be seen - and it seems that they were not stains but material unevenness.

I am significantly more worried about the wrinkles at the lower corners - possibly due to material shrinkage - and potential plasticizers leakage that would make the screen sticky and sparkly. And I don't understand why the warranty for new screens is five years but only on year for replacement fabric rollers.

I also tried a soft clean or wipe as I thought it was possibly mishandling of the material. I'd go as far as saying it's only visible on bright scenes if you are specifically looking for it during panning. Also, my screen is fixed frame (Cinema Contour). Putting the screen together was very frustrating compared to any other screen, especially Carada. The Da Lite did not match up on holes and took a bit of working with to get together. However, this may also be because i ordered a custom sized 2.40:1. The screws did not thread in more than about 3/4 on the holes that did match up. I guess my point here is that they are not very good when it comes to quality control. Next time I'll opt for a Stewart even though this was far less expensive at exactly half the price of an equal sized ST130.

BTW, I had a custom extended drop Da Lite electrol screen installed in my last home and that motor, roller assembly, etc. never had any issues. However, the right corner fabric had waves.

 

[AVWERKS]

You might be able to unscrew and rotate the lower rod to put more tension in the corner of concern .
You might even replace it with a heavier rectangular steel or even remove the original tube and slightly bend it to what ever works

Regards
David

 

[Mike Garrett]

I also tried a soft clean or wipe as I thought it was possibly mishandling of the material. I'd go as far as saying it's only visible on bright scenes if you are specifically looking for it during panning. Also, my screen is fixed frame (Cinema Contour). Putting the screen together was very frustrating compared to any other screen, especially Carada. The Da Lite did not match up on holes and took a bit of working with to get together. However, this may also be because i ordered a custom sized 2.40:1. The screws did not thread in more than about 3/4 on the holes that did match up. I guess my point here is that they are not very good when it comes to quality control. Next time I'll opt for a Stewart even though this was far less expensive at exactly half the price of an equal sized ST130.

BTW, I had a custom extended drop Da Lite electrol screen installed in my last home and that motor, roller assembly, etc. never had any issues. However, the right corner fabric had waves.

If you have waves in one of the lower corners, then the tension on the cable probably needs to be decreased on that side.

 

[BobNelson]

Well, last week I got a new Da-Lite. It is identical to the first screen. This time it looks perfect so far.
No artifacts and the corners hang flat. I hope that this one will stay this way.

Bob Nelson

 

[RobZ]

Well, last week I got a new Da-Lite. It is identical to the first screen. This time it looks perfect so far.
No artifacts and the corners hang flat. I hope that this one will stay this way.

Bob Nelson

What screen material did you get Bob? Pearlescent?

 

[BobNelson]

What screen material did you get Bob? Pearlescent?

Yes, that's what I got.

Bob Nelson