[Alan Gouger]

I have always been a fan of curved screens.

They enhance the contrast and color and fight off more ambient lighting in the room verses flat screens. They also look more theatrical. I chose a 2:35:1 aspect ratio because I keep the same picture height and mask from the sides for my different aspect ratios as in most theater houses. My screen is 4 feet high by 9 feet 4" wide. The following instructions will work with any aspect ratio.

You first start with a 4x8 sheet of 3/4" plywood. Cut this into 2 peices of 1.5' x 8'. Lay one of these srips down flat on the floor. We do not need too deep a curve for the gain we are talking about. To get the proper curve attach a marker to a 25' string.

It helps to have 2 people do this. Place the marker at one front corner of the plywood and have the other person take the other end of the string and walk out on center with the plywood till the string is tight. With tention on the string draw your curve from one corner to the next. This should give you a perfect curve. Cut this out with a band saw and place this on top of the other sheet, trace it and cut this out as well.

From the remaining plywood cut 3x3 inch squares. Glue and screw each square flat in 1 foot increments to the curved side of the plywood keeping them flush with the curve. This gives added surface area to attach some screws in ferther steps.

Next I made a jig with 2 2x4's each cut to 3' length to hold the what I call the shelves

at a fixed distance to each other. Place both shelves on the floor curved side facing up and attach each 2x4 betwwen them at each end. The 2 x4's are temporary.

Next I took a thin sheet of 4x8 plywood about the thickness of a sheet of paneling and lay this onto the curved side of the shelving. Push this into place and place a screw every 1 foot into the added 3x3 peices of wood we added earlier. Make sure you counter sink your screws. Do this to both shelves. You can now stand this up very carefully. We now need to add support to keep the screen flat top to bottom. We do this by cutting some 2x2's and screwing them into place in 1 foot increments in a vertical position on the back side of the screen between the top and bottom shelves. Make sure these are straight and not warped.

You should now have a perfect curved form for a curved screen. Place the form back down on the ground curved side up.

Now for the finishing touch.

I ordered a matt white 4'x10' sheet of laminent from a local cabinet company. Make sure it is smooth with no texture. I had them cut this for me to 4x9.4 feet. The cost was $100.

With the matt white side facing up glue this onto the curved side of the plywood. The laminent is thin and flexible so it is easy to work with. Apply weight and let dry over night.

After drying over night you can stand up the screen.

To mount the screen to the wall I mounted two 2x4's each 8 feet in lenght in a horizontal position 3 feet apart one on top of the other to the wall where I wanted the screen. Place the screen against the wall with each shelve on top of the 2x4's and screw down into place. The screen becomes very sturdy once mounted to the wall.

Walla! You now have a custom curved screen that would have cost $1000's if purchased

commercialy.

The screen looks very professional.

You will now have a very bright picture with uniform light output from one end of the screen to the other with no hot spotting what so ever.

I only recommend using a curved screen with a digital crt projector as they have the flexability to shape the picture to fit the screen perfect with no geomitry distortion because of their digital convergence.

I am running a 7" crt projector with 5000 hours on it in its linear range and my picture at 9 feet wide is at times to bright.

I can send some pictures to any one interested via e mail. Just send me an e mail.




[This message has been edited by Alan Gouger (edited July 07, 1999).]

 

[pjenkins]

Alan,

In another thread and this you said not to use a LCD. Will the curved screen concept not work for a Sony VPL-400Q?


Also, my local HT store is selling me the Vu-tec 122.5" diag 16:9 screen, 1.5 gain for 1199.98. Is this a 'reasonable' price?


Thanks,

Paul

 

[Alan Gouger]

Paul

The lens on the 400Q might have enough depth of field to focus sharply on a curved screen but you will end up with slight geomitry distortion. The price you are getting the vutec 16x9 curved screen for is a great price. I would tell you to get this scree. I had one in our showroom once and it was great. Let me know how the sony looks on it. You will have to turn down the contrast and brightness on the sony way down.

 

[pjenkins]

Alan,

The price is for a flat screen, not a curved screen. Still a good deal?


link at: http://www.vutec.com/wall.html


Thanks,

Paul

 

[Alan Gouger]

Paul does this have the accoustic transparent fabric. I will look at my pricing and let you know.


[This message has been edited by Alan Gouger (edited July 08, 1999).]

 

[pjenkins]

nope, no accoustic transparent fabric. just a 'plain' 1.5 gain 122" diag perm-mount screen.


thx,

paul

 

[Laurence]

Paul, doesn't that seem expensive for a fixed screen? I believe that the Draper M2500 Dave Bott has, in that size can be found for $450-$500.


[This message has been edited by Laurence (edited July 11, 1999).]

 

[pjenkins]

it seemed expensive to me, that's why i asked http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif unless they are quoting me something other than what i think, but on the quote it is listed as a 122" 16x9 1.5 Item#NO1. When I talked to the rep last week, he said it was a Vutec.


Alan{or all}, what do you carry/recommend in the 110-125"diag 16x9 screen (for a sony vpl-400q) at what price?


thx,

paul

 

[Dennis Erskine]

DaLite cinema vision (part #) 79005 119"

diagonal $1251.


Stewart 110" diagonal (SN110-HD) @ $1150

Stewart 123" diagonal (SN123-HD) @ $1335


You can get the DaLite from HomeTronics in Dallas. I don't know who handles Stewart there, but there has got to be a gaggle of 'em.

------------------

D. W. Erskine

A/V DWEsign

Imagine what you could do, if you could do all you imagine.



[This message has been edited by Dennis Erskine (edited July 11, 1999).]

 

[pjenkins]

Dennis,

I've verified that the screen quoted is the Vutec 122.5" 16:9 1.5 Gain Brite White Vu-Easy model @ $1199.98. The Stewart and DaLite prices you mention seem similar so it comes down to quality. How does Vutec rate compared with the Stewart and DaLite in the size/price listed? Do any HT magazines compare/contrast screens?


Thanks,

Paul

 

[Laurence]

At that size screen I'd go with the screen Alan raves about (which I've ordered), the Draper M2500.


Last week I mounted samples of the Vutec 1.5 along with other "swatches" of screen materials and did not find it bright enough for a 102 inch wide area.


I owned a 1270 and think one would overdrive the tubes with such a large screen at 1.5 gain. (or watch a dim picture)

 

[Brett]

Hiya fellas,


Could those of you who have seen curved screens in use tell whether they respect color accuracy or are prone to alot of hotspotting from CRTs?


Also, can they allow for much larger screen sizes without pushing your tubes too hard, or does their increased brightness wash out the contrast?


Sorry if I sound naive, but I haven't seen one around here yet.



------------------


Brett

 

[JSC]

Brett,

I've noticed a little color shifting around the sides, but the additional brightness across the entire screen makes up for the minor fault.

(On a 9'x5'1" sheet of matte counter top curved per Alan's recipe lit by a BG800 with 4500hrs.)

Jeff

 

[KD4]

Alan: Still using your curved screen?


Does anyone have photos of their curved screen? I think this may be the next project for me.


Thanks,

Doug

 

[KBK]

Brett:


I have recently been using some of the raw paint stock that you have, and rather sucessfully at that. I have been using it with floetrol, and thinned it to the consistency of the average latex paint. I then used a WAGNER power sprayer (airless!) to get it on to the screen material. You will have enough to do two layers of a 4x8 foot screen, with the 1.5 liters of paint you have. Perhaps you can stretch it a bit further, but it is not wise to run out of paint......in the middle of a job and have it 'spritz' out all over your newly ruined screen.


Any thinner than a averge latex and it may bead on the surface. Remember, it is a water based acrylic paint, and standard behaviour (for paint) does not apply here. At least with thinning the raw stock.


Let your artist friend stick a finger in it.(they will want to anyway, that's how artists check paint quality) I am sure that they will be amazed at the quality of this acrylic paint. If they wish, I can find out if it is distributed in France (the artist paint line).



Now that I think about my usage, I feel fairly confident that you can stretch your paint to cover a 4x9 foot screen. The paint needs a surface that is convoluted enough to bond to, so smooth surfaces are definitely out of the question. Beading will occur if too smooth a surface is used.

------------------

goosystems.com


Ken Hotte

[email protected]


[This message has been edited by KBK (edited 04-24-2001).]

 

[Brett]



Hi Ken,


Thanks for your note. I'm not sure if it is OT, as this is Alan's curved screen thread - unless you've been painting a curved screen? Let us know! http://www.avsforum.com/ubb/smile.gif


Actually, would spraying this mix onto a curved screen present any application difficulties or hotspotting issues? Or would the wet paint flow towards the middle of the screen causing streaking?

Quote:

Originally posted by KBK: I have recently been using some of the raw paint stock that you have, and rather sucessfully at that. I have been using it with floetrol, and thinned it to the consistency of the average latex paint. I then used a WAGNER power sprayer (airless!) to get it on to the screen material.

From what I had gathered, Kenny successfully thinned your thick mixture by adding 20% distilled water. Would you instead recommend floetrol or does it only affect drying times?


Also, do you recommend an airless sprayer for best results?


Kenny seems happy with his results spraying on artists canvas. What advantages could be gained by using vinyl over canvas, or is it a give and take compromise?

Quote:

Originally posted by KBK: The paint needs a surface that is convoluted enough to bond to, so smooth surfaces are definitely out of the question. Beading will occur if too smooth a surface is used.

Does this mean that I should either use a finely textured vinyl or better yet fine weave artist grade cotton canvas?

Quote:

Originally posted by KBK: Let your artist friend stick a finger in it.(they will want to anyway, that's how artists check paint quality) I am sure that they will be amazed at the quality of this acrylic paint. If they wish, I can find out if it is distributed in France (the artist paint line).

Thanks for your kind offer. She wonders if she hasn't already used it before, but can't remember the name.


Cheers,





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Brett