[ebacherville]

I just picked up a new material at Joann's, It called "Thermo Suede"


Its white and looks kind of like Blackout cloth, but seamed to have a higher gain. Its a bright white.


I also picked up a few 1 x 4's for my frame. I will build it and test with a LCD projector, and a DLP projector from work. I will try to get some images of this screen, any reccomendations on how to take pictures of a screen, I would assume without a flash and in the dark.

 

[ebacherville]

I just compaired the Thermo Suede, to the professional projection screen at work , and it looks better than this one, its brighter and a tighter weave than the professoinal one.


Looks like it may work better, Iwill try to get some images posted before Thanksgiving.

 

[LelandHendrix]

Sounds great! I'm looking forward to hearing more about your results. Can you comment on the price of this fabric at Joann's??

 

[ebacherville]

Well I built the screen, it looks great, it does however mark up easly, be careful and work in a clean enviroment.


Right now I dont have a PJ to test with , I will bring one home over thanksgiving to test with.


The cost was 5.99 a yard.


Found in by the blackout cloth.


It streches out very taught, just stapled it every 3/4 inch around the frame.


The texture is flat bright white, a tight small knit... looks better than the roll down screens we use at work. When looking at this fabric vs the blackiut cloth this seemed to be higher gain and about the same for hotspoting of regular light... we will see once i get a PJ on it tommorrow night. I know i can get one of the PJ's from work maybe even the DLP if it all works out.


The fabric its self is coated on one side by a rubber like substance, this is the side im projecting onto.


I will keep everyone posted.

 

[ebacherville]

Well after charging the batteries in my digital camera here is a screen shot, it was taken in a lighted room with 4 - 4' floressent work lights on a the southern wall (Facing away from the screen).


The camera's flash was on.


What you think ?

 

[ebacherville]

Check out these screen shots!

 

[ebacherville]

Another

 

[ebacherville]

another from iceage:

 

[ebacherville]

The above were on the screen made with the "thermo suede" and a Plus U2-X2000 its a DLP 1024x768 650:1 contrast.

 

[ebacherville]

Here is a few from a Toshiba TLP670, a 800x600, LCD projector (about a year old) low hours.

 

[ebacherville]

here is another with the lcd

 

[ebacherville]

After showing you those screen shots, it definatly looks bright and has a hier than 1 gain, the blacks even on the LCD looked great...I was very shocked by the black levels on the LCD, they were pretty good.


The 1024x768 DLP did look better but what do you expect for more pixels and higher contast and briter image.


The screen performed very well, very even and bright.

 

[LelandHendrix]

Wow, ebacherville, thank you for all those pictures. It sounds like this cloth will be just the thing I'm looking for.


I'm currently deployed in the middle east and I bought my first projector while over here. I was so pleased with myself until I started looking at prices for quality screens and figured I'd have to go sub-standard because I blew so much on the proj. I'm glad to see you can get good results at such a price.


One thing down, one to go. How to build the frame.

 

[ebacherville]

Yeh I have about 25 bucks into it and it looks great, better than the professional $400 pull down ones at work.

 

[ebacherville]

After watching four diffrent movies and many tv channels scalled up with my HTPC... I have to say this screen is very good, not washed out and contrast is good with either projector..


Seems to be a good material for a screen, low cost and easy to work with, the only downfall i can see id that it can easlyget dirtywhen constructing it... I may have to find some sort of coating that is easly washable later on down the road.

 

[ebacherville]

Here is a screen cap of a solid colored screen.


I have a PPT file at work that has color bars and other test images like contrast tests ect... would this help on testing this screen, as i know it looks good but how do i tell hw good?

 

[MarkH]

Can you tell us what this "Thermo Suede" is normally used for? It may help me locate it here in Australia if I know what I'm looking for!!!

Cheers!!

 

[CunnazZ]

Mark H

Have seen a few guys on this forum that live in Perth. We should try and organise to go and see each others home theaters. What you think? Anyway PM me if you might be interested.

 

[cgmoore]

LelandHendrix,


I built my frame of cheap pine. Length is dictated by screen size.


Miter the ends and brace them with metal 90 deg braces. Depending on how wide you are building, you may want to incorporate a crosspiece in the middle of the long dimension. It needs to be fairly rigid, and fairly sqare, but not perfect. I used 1x2s which are really too flimsy. I would definitely use 1x4s if possible.


Then, just stretch your fabric over the frame like you would stretch an artist's canvas. See How To Stretch an Artist's Canvas .



Ebacherville, how wide is the material? i.e., How "tall" could one make the screen without having a seam? Most fabrics seem to be 60" which is too short for my screen width. I used a linen queen-sized sheet, painted matte white.


Anybody know how to measure gain?



Gerald

 

[ebacherville]

I dont know what "thermo suede" is used for , thats what the tag said at Jo Anns Fabrics.


As for gain, i was compairing it to blackout cloth, and a commercial screen... it looked "brighter" .


I may go get a yard of blackout cloth and drape it over half the screen to compair the two side by side.