[buddd]

Has anyone purchased one of the Stewart dual masking screens? I have a 10HT and need a new screen for it. The Grayhawk sounds great, but I am unsure whether one of the dual masking screens is worth the extra cost.

Bud

 

[Steve Bruzonsky]

I luv my 4 Way Electrimask Screen. However, I must admit that much of the OTA digital stuff I watch is wider than 4:3 and I therefore don't use the side masks for 4:3 that much. I would say that getting a 16:9 HD screen with masking top and bottom so you can watch 2:35 or wider movies perfectly is really important. The 4:3 masking is still nice to have, but an added expense which may not be necessary if you've got lots of OTA digital in your area and won't be watching much 4:3 anymore.


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Steve Bruzonsky

 

[DMan]

Bud,


I use the exact screen that Steve refers to. It's a Stewart Horizontal Electrimask. It starts out as a 1.78:1 (16:9) screen and has top and bottom motorized masking for widescreen aspect ratios from 1.85:1 to 3.20:1. It is quite a bit cheaper than the 4way masking system.


Once you have seen the differences that masking makes, you will not want to watch a movie without it's added benefits.




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DMan
The Academy Home Theater

 

[buddd]

Thanks for the responses. I just checked on the prices for the masking screens. Glad I was sitting down. Guess I'll have to get the A screen and live without the masking or make my own masks. Anyone make their own?


Bud

 

[Cain]

Hey DMAN.


I just looked at your Webpage, and in the equipment list you indetified the screen as a DRAPER. I thought you had a Stewart??


-- Cain

 

[DMan]

Cain,


I do have a new Stewart Screen. My website and pictures are in bad need of updating. I should have the new pics up within a week or so.


Thanks,




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DMan
The Academy Home Theater

 

[bryan_chow]

I have a regular (non-masking) 16:9 StudioTek and I wished I had gotten a masking screen. 2.35 movies (the ones you REALLY want to look good!) are disappointing with the black bars top and bottom. When I watch a 16:9 movie such as Toy Story 2, which completely fill up the screen, it looks so much better.


How much more expensive is a Horizontal Electrimask vs a Luxus Electriscreen?


Thanks,

Bryan

 

[DMan]

Bryan,


I hope you're sitting down. The Horizontal and Vertical Electrimask and the 4way Masking screens can be upwards of 2-3 times the cost of a normal screen. They really are amazing screens, and I felt it was money well worth spent, especially since I can raise and lower the top and bottom masking panels to their exact locations depending on any aspect ratio from 1.78:1 to 3.20:1.


I can precisely mask for anything from Toy Story's 1.78:1 ratio, to Top Gun's odd 1.95:1 ratio, to Lawrence of Arabia's 2.20:1 ratio. I can even mask for the extremely wide films such as A Bridge on the River Kwai's 2.55:1 and Ben-Hur at 2.76:1.


Of course many AVS members have devised some very impressive and quite capable homemade masking systems, but after I saw a demo of the Stewart masking system I was sold.




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DMan
The Academy Home Theater

 

[bryan_chow]

Quote:

Originally posted by DMan: I hope you're sitting down. The Horizontal and Vertical Electrimask and the 4way Masking screens can be upwards of 2-3 times the cost of a normal screen.

That's good, actually. So I don't have to kick myself...wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway!


Will probably get it for my next HT, with all my dot-com millions (yeah right).


Bryan