[jrgriff]

Has anyone mounted their screen like 10-20" from the wall (either by hanging from the ceiling or via braces). Thus creating a more floating screen effect, and getting the screen more in-line with the speakers.


Is this a good/bad idea ??


What would be the downside if any, aside from the extra time & material?

 

[WD-40]

Mine is about 5 feet from the rear wall, and about 2 feet in front of the speakers, which are to the sides of the screen.


It's an interesting perspective. The room is always pitch black when a movie is on, so you forget about the other things in it- it's just you, and the floating image in front of you.


I like it.

 

[CMRA]

And, it works great. Such a setup is welcome with short throw lenses in long rooms. It's also easy to hang and retract such a screen from the ceiling.

 

[Jacksquat]

Quote:

Has anyone mounted their screen like 10-20" from the wall (either by hanging from the ceiling or via braces). Thus creating a more floating screen effect, and getting the screen more in-line with the speakers.

I have a grayhawk, microperf that retracts into the ceiling. It is in line with my R&L speakers and is out 12" from the black, front wall. The C speaker is mounted in the front wall behind the screen, so therefore the C speaker is about 12" behind the RL speakers.


I thought I'd have to use my processor to time-align the sound from the LCR speakers so the sound from the LCR was coincident at the listening position but I didn't have to change the settings at all. My viewing distance is about 15'.


I may be mistaken, but if you want to have a floating screen effect, I think it is more a function of a black front wall and a dark room, and not whether the screen is mounted flush on the front wall or is mounted 12" in front of it.

 

[WD-40]

Quote:

Originally posted by Jacksquat I may be mistaken, but if you want to have a floating screen effect, I think it is more a function of a black front wall and a dark room, and not whether the screen is mounted flush on the front wall or is mounted 12" in front of it.

I actually have white plaster walls where my stuff is set up. The room isn't a dedicated HT, but instead a "basement livingroom". The screen is suspended such that you can undo a few braces, unhook it, and re-hook it flat up against the ceiling so it is out of the way.


You probably would get the floating screen effect with black walls and the screen a little in front, like you said, but if it's far enough in front, you really don't have to have dark walls.


- David

 

[Threecard]

does anyone sell such a screen pre-made? I am looking for a possible hanging "fixed" screen...I want the electric, but this may be calling for damage...and it may not work out the way I think it should throw a link out..I've been on dalite and stewart...nothi! 3C

 

[smithb]

My plan is to attach a smaller frame to the wall that when mounted my screen is extended about 4 inches in front of the wall. Then run rope lighting along the smaller frame behind the screen. With the use of a dimmer I would then be able to add some lighting to the room without having it wash out the image on the screen.


Has anyone else done this? Any comments about this approach?

 

[barryecohen]

My screen is hanging from the ceiling, about 6' into my 20' foot room with my speakers at each side and my equipment rack behind all of it. It works out great. I couldn't imagine having my speakers stuck into the corners of the room so that my screen could be on the wall.

 

[Threecard]

Barry, any pics? This has caught my interest. pm me if you'd like...thanks much! 3C

 

[Sailn]

Good thread. I have been thinking about doing this in the as yet unbuilt and undesigned next house. I was thinking of 2 hard screens screen (16:9 and 2.35:1, perhaps even a 4:3) with no masking and putting them about 4 ft into the room supported by a truss cantileverd out of the fron wall. The screens could be stored on the ceiling and used as needed.If the front wall was black velvet or some other light absorbing surface, the screen should seem to float. Also gives a nice place to put the equipment rack and get the speakers out from the wall.


Since I intend to have the projector well behind the seats, any slight mmisalignment which causes the image to be a bit larger than the screen may well be hidden due to the screen filling more FOV when seen from the seats than when seen from the projector.

 

[barryecohen]

Quote:

Originally posted by Threecard Barry, any pics? This has caught my interest. pm me if you'd like...thanks much! 3C

Well my room's not ready for pics yet. I've only had the projector about a month now, and it's only been hung from the ceiling for a couple of weeks, and the screen has only been stretched and hung for a week now. The room still has boxes of stuff from when we moved into the house last summer. So I enjoy going down there and turning off the lights and watching a movie, but posting pics on the web, not yet. I figure by the end of the year I should have the room in a presentable state, boxes removed, walls painted etc.


As far as hanging the screen goes I've jut got a couple of hooks screwed into a beam in the ceiling, some hooks screwed into the wooden frame and some zip ties uniting them. This is working out great but I may do someting a bit more polished in the future.


Best Regards, Barry

 

[JDecleri]

smithb,

I have a screen about 16" from the wall with rope lighting around the rear perimiter of the screen (no dimmer) and a small florescent light in the center behind the screen. The light is shielded so that it does not illuminate the front of the screen. It is not only adds a pleasing ambiance but also gives the illusion of darker black levels on the screen. Try it and see if you agree.

 

[smithb]

JDecleri,


Thanks for the feedback. Video Essentials recommends backlighting behind the screen but I do not recall seeing any discussions on its merits from those who had implemented the concept. I'm glad to hear your positive response.


Currently, I use a torch lamp in the back of the room which provides some ambient lighting with minimal impacts to the front wall. I like its effects but I'm sure illuminating from behind the screen will be even better.

 

[davidahn]

There are several translucent screens available (not retractible, though) that would REALLY give you a floating effect if that's what you're going for. With the lights on, you'll see the image floating in front of whatever is behind it, and with the lights off, it should look like a standard screen. Not the best gain, since it transmits light through rather than reflecting all of it.


David

 

[BeBop]

Mine is hung from the ceiling about 12" from the rear wall, which still places it behind the front speakers. In a dark room, you dont see the speakers or the wall. I do get some reflections from the ceiling near the screen, so I am thinking of painting that part of the ceiling gray or somthing.

I would like to have a retrcatable (mine is fixed) but dont want to spend the $$$!!