[vruiz]

After fiddling with my new ECP-4000 for about two weeks, I have come to the conclusion that the image is too dark with the type of screen I have. It's a Da-Lite 45x80 Matte White 1.0 gain screen and I have to run the projector at 80% brightness and 60% contrast to get a somewhat watchable image (with some blooming), even though I watch in total darkness.


I do not want to reduce the screen size, and getting a brighter projector is out of the question for now. So, the only option left is to increase the screen gain (right?). The question is, how much? I almost ordered a 2.0 gain screen today but I decided to wait until I got some opinions from you guys. Is 2.0 too much? Thanks in advance for your replies.




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Vic Ruiz
STOP HDCP/DFAST/5C

 

[LeeAntin]

Vic,


I run a 4.0 gain Stewart screen (60x107). The pros of a high gain screen are improved brightness and contrast ratio. The cons are you might get some color shift; bit of Blue on one side, bit of red on the other. But this really only appears when you see an image that is primarily white like a beach scene or desert scene.


Da-Lite makes a 2.0 and a 2.5 and I think a 2.8. Stewart makes a 2.0, a 3.0 and a 4.0.


If you are an absolute perfectionist on how the image is going to look 100% of the time, then going past 2.0 might give you a problem. But if you are happy 98% of the time then go to 2.5 or the 3.0 from Stewart.


Lee

 

[vruiz]

Ok, now I'm really stumped! I exchanged the 1.0 gain screen with a 2.5 gain glass beaded screen and it's still not bright enough. There is no hotspotting or color shift, and the image is brighter than before, but with a 1.5 gain increase I expected it to be brighter. I still need to run the projector at the point of blooming (brightness at 7, contrast at 5) to get an acceptable image. I thought I would be able to turn the settings down a notch or two, but I guess not.

So, now what? Should I go up to 3 or 3.5 gain? If so, who sells those kind of screens? I need it to be pull-down, not fixed, and Da-lite only makes up to 2.8 gain according to Eric Lang at Projection Systems.


Another thought that crossed my mind was that Da-lite may have made a mistake and sent me a 1.5 gain instead of 2.5. It was drop-shipped directly from Da-lite and the paperwork doesn't specify the gain, it only says 'glass beaded'. Is there a way to test what gain the screen has? Any suggestions will be appreciated.


The projector is sitting on a 20" high coffee table. The bottom edge of the screen's viewable area is 25" from the floor. This placement is temporary. I plan to mount it on the ceiling in about a month or so.


I don't know if all Da-lite glass beaded screens are retroreflective. If they are, does that mean I'll need to get a new screen when I ceiling-mount the projector?


The room walls and ceiling are painted off-white. Painting them on a dark color is not an option since it's the living room area and my wife would put me AND the projector on the sidewalk if I did that. It was hard enough to get her to agree to have a projector in the living room to start with! http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/wink.gif


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Vic Ruiz
STOP HDCP/DFAST/5C

 

[kelliot]

Get a Dalite High Power sample and try it. If its not bright enough, get a new projector or use a smaller screen.


The glass beaded screens have a finish like sandpaper.


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Ken Elliott


[This message has been edited by kelliot (edited 04-20-2001).]

 

[thxave]

You will not be happy with the brightness if you mount your projector on the ceiling and use the glass beaded or High Power from Da-lite. The Glass Beaded screen is not a good idea for video. It is much to grainy for Home theater use. The High Power is a glass beaded screen but uses beads so small that they cannot be seen. The beads on the HP will also not fall off because of the coating on the surface. IMO it is a very good screen because it basically disappears when an image is projected. No color shift or hot spotting that I can see. I am very happy with mine.


Avery


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