[wae5]

Can dark colors like maroon or green for walls and ceilings tint the projector's image? If this is so, are blacks and dark grays the best choice?

 

[jeffleonard]

I think you're better off with the greys or blacks. I know that red is supposed to be bad.


The flatter, the better.


My wife wasn't thrilled about my graphite grey walls, but SherwinWilliams has this awesome sand paint that makes the theater look really...futuristic. She really thinks it's great. Quite a difference from when I told her the color I wanted.

 

[dpadair]

Quote:

Originally posted by jeffleonard My wife wasn't thrilled about my graphite grey walls, but SherwinWilliams has this awesome sand paint that makes the theater look really...futuristic. She really thinks it's great. Quite a difference from when I told her the color I wanted.

Any chance you could post pics?

 

[jeffleonard]

The basement remodel is almost done. I will be posting many pics.


especially of the 11' wide 2.35 screen!

 

[David777]

Quote:

Originally posted by wae5 Can dark colors like maroon or green for walls and ceilings tint the projector's image? If this is so, are blacks and dark grays the best choice?

Yes. Colored walls will tint the image. I don't think it would be too bad if it's very dark, but neutral grays and black are best.

 

[wae5]

Well that settles that. I guess I'll just christen it the boiler room. Thank you all for your help. This could be the hardest spousal snow job any hobbyist has ever faced: Honey, please relax for a minute and try to picture the family room with rich gray walls and deep black drapes.

 

[GreggPenn]

Quote:

Originally posted by jeffleonard ... SherwinWilliams has this awesome sand paint that makes the theater look really...futuristic.

Can you post the SW color #. I'd like to see what you're talking about.


gp

 

[Michael Grant]

Sure, neutral colors are best, but don't give up the ship if this isn't a dedicated theater room. WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor) is important! If she likes the color of the family room, she will be that much more willing to support that next projector upgrade, which will do far more for your image quality than a dull gray color. If you can choose a reasonably dark color, then I doubt you will notice the difference. If you can go with a gray screen that will further reduce any deleterious effects.


Having said that you might also consider checking out "The Munsell Book of Color: Nearly Neutrals Collection". Munsell nearly-neutrals are recommended by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) for use in video viewing environments for areas outside the field of view of the display. I just ran across this recently so I don't know what it's like but hey, it's worth a shot.

http://cinemaquestincn.goemerchant7....ExpandedDepts=

 

[pepar]

Quote:

Originally posted by wae5 Well that settles that. I guess I'll just christen it the boiler room. Thank you all for your help. This could be the hardest spousal snow job any hobbyist has ever faced: Honey, please relax for a minute and try to picture the family room with rich gray walls and deep black drapes.

I crossed the point you're at a few months ago. The colors I chose are very, very dark, but nonetheless they are colors. The ceiling is "Pleiades" - a deep midnight blue, and the walls are a deep cabernet. Both are matte and reflect very little light. However, I also have black carpet on the walls at the screen end of the theater. When the lights are dim, the carpet, walls and ceiling all look the same color - black. When the lights are on, there is some color in the room. Visually interesting, but highly effective at preventing any light from being reflected back onto the screen.

 

[KLAATUWI]

 Aw, Cmon, pick a color, what fun is it goin' a dingy grey box.

Yeah sure, make it a darker color of course, but it should feel good when you or your family and freinds sit and watch a movie. I painted with one of my favorite colors, purple and it looks fantastic. I'd think you'd agree with me when watching movies are FUN! Why not make the whole room fun?

 

[Michael Grant]

Purple seems to be a popular color indeed for dedicated home theater rooms. You're not the first and you won't be the last! As for me I don't have a dedicated room but we picked a reasonably dark greenish (earthy) shade for the family/HT room combo, and we're happy with it.

'

 

[Bobby_M]

My room is dark red and I do not see any tinting of my image. Of course, even if it did, it would be corrected when calibrating the PJ anyway. In order of it to affect your image, light would have to reflect off the red walls back onto the screen. If that's happening, you have a bigger problem than color tint... you'd be washing out your image in general.


Bobby

 

[pepar]

Quote:

Originally posted by Bobby_M My room is dark red . . Bobby

Wow, it *sure* is.

 

[Michael Grant]

Quote:

Of course, even if it did, it would be corrected when calibrating the PJ anyway.

You can't correct color shifts due to secondary reflections off of colored walls, because they are very picture-dependent and have an additive component. Consider a black-and-white checkerboard, for example: the same amount of colored "tint" will be added to each square. In relative terms, though, this will result in a small shift on the white squares, and a large shift on the black squares.
Quote:

In order of it to affect your image, light would have to reflect off the red walls back onto the screen. If that's happening, you have a bigger problem than color tint... you'd be washing out your image in general.

(Edited) OK, I agree with this. If the secondary reflections are so bad that you notice the color shift, you probably have horrible ANSI contrast too. As long as the color is relatively dark, I don't think you'll have a problem.

 

[Marissadad]

I use a very dark blue called "Gentleman's Gray" on the front, right side and rear walls and on the left wall I use a deep red and it looks great and does not seem to interfere with the picture at all. My red wall is further off to the left due to the entry door being on that side of the room next to the left edge of the screen. Also my ceiling is a flat white and I don't get any reflections off it since it is a cathedral ceiling and slopes up away from the screen.