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I have no budget for the screen because i've heard that if you get an excellent quality screen you can use it for decades. I want the absolute BEST projection screen commercially available.
What is the best projection screen? Money is no object.
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Your question suggests a lot more research ahead of you.
There is no "best" screen because different types of screens will be suitable for different types of rooms, criteria and goals.
One might say the Stewart ST-100 screen material is the "best" screen insofar as it has the most perfectly even illumination and the smoothest screen structure, for the purest most accurate image from the widest range of seating positions.
But it would be one of the WORST screens IF your goal is to be able to watch with some ambient light on in the room, or if you put it into a room that has light walls, ceiling etc. Then, some gray screens with more restricted viewing angles and other issues would actually be "the best" to maintain image quality in such circumstances.
Or, if you want a very large screen with an acceptably bright image, that Stewart ST100 material is not going to achieve that goal with most consumer projectors, so you'll want a higher gain screen...which come with their own issues.
So, you see, there is really, truly, in fact no "best screen." There is only, possibly, the "best screen" to achieve your particular goals, given your room, and your projector.
What kind of room do you have? How much light control do you have ? Is pitch darkness possible? No light bleeding in from anywhere? Is your room dark and non-reflective? How dark? How far are you willing to go to make your room non-reflective? How big an image do you want? Which projector will you use? That will begin to nail down what type of screen will be best for your room.
There is no "best" screen because different types of screens will be suitable for different types of rooms, criteria and goals.
One might say the Stewart ST-100 screen material is the "best" screen insofar as it has the most perfectly even illumination and the smoothest screen structure, for the purest most accurate image from the widest range of seating positions.
But it would be one of the WORST screens IF your goal is to be able to watch with some ambient light on in the room, or if you put it into a room that has light walls, ceiling etc. Then, some gray screens with more restricted viewing angles and other issues would actually be "the best" to maintain image quality in such circumstances.
Or, if you want a very large screen with an acceptably bright image, that Stewart ST100 material is not going to achieve that goal with most consumer projectors, so you'll want a higher gain screen...which come with their own issues.
So, you see, there is really, truly, in fact no "best screen." There is only, possibly, the "best screen" to achieve your particular goals, given your room, and your projector.
What kind of room do you have? How much light control do you have ? Is pitch darkness possible? No light bleeding in from anywhere? Is your room dark and non-reflective? How dark? How far are you willing to go to make your room non-reflective? How big an image do you want? Which projector will you use? That will begin to nail down what type of screen will be best for your room.
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I'm sorry for not including that it will be in a basement with NO windows or ambient light. The walls are painted white & it is extremely non reflective. I have placed an order for a JVC DLA-RS55 and want the biggest screen possible while still maintaining phenomenal picture quality. I am willing to risk screen size if it means getting a model with better picture quality. I am mainly using the projector for Directv and console gaming, with an occasional blu-ray disc. My only other question is should I get a 16x9 screen or 2:35:1. Again if you guys could list a model that meets my description I would be very greatful. I am in no way shape or form an A/V expert so I highly appreciate advice from experienced persons as yourself.
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You say the white walls are non reflective. Unless it is some special paint that I have never heard of before, then those walls are going to reflect a lot of the projected light back onto the screen. Since you are talking mostly TV and gaming and very little BD use, I think a 16:9 screen makes the most sense for you. If you leave your walls white, then I would suggest a Stewart FireHawk G3, but to really narrow down the screen, we would need to know the available throw distance and viewing distance. Also an idea on what you consider a large screen would help. If you would like to shoot us an email with your questions, we would be happy to answer them.
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As Mike pointed out, that is a contradiction in terms. By definition white IS extremely reflective, and the worst possible color for a room using projection. Especially if you are paying so much money for one of the best high contrast projectors you can get - white walls (especially the closer to the screen they are) will just wash away a lot of the picture contrast you are paying for.
I suggest either painting your walls a darker color (what color is your ceiling?) or as Mike suggests you are going to require a special gray screen like the Stewart Firehawk, or a Screen Innovations Black Diamond type, in order to combat your room reflections. But if you have the ability to paint your room darker and can get away with it, I would. It's always best to make the room as projector friendly as possible when you have the choice, and start from there.
As Mike pointed out, that is a contradiction in terms. By definition white IS extremely reflective, and the worst possible color for a room using projection. Especially if you are paying so much money for one of the best high contrast projectors you can get - white walls (especially the closer to the screen they are) will just wash away a lot of the picture contrast you are paying for.
I suggest either painting your walls a darker color (what color is your ceiling?) or as Mike suggests you are going to require a special gray screen like the Stewart Firehawk, or a Screen Innovations Black Diamond type, in order to combat your room reflections. But if you have the ability to paint your room darker and can get away with it, I would. It's always best to make the room as projector friendly as possible when you have the choice, and start from there.
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My bad. I am new to projectors and appreciate the advice and correcting me. I am able to paint my entire room including the ceiling. What would be the best screen if I paint it Burgundy or a darker color?
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With dark walls and dark ceiling, you will be able to get a lot better image, than you would with white walls and ceiling. With that out of the way, it comes down to screen size, to determine what gain is needed with your screen. It also comes down to a few other choices. Some people want a really large screen and do not mind short lamp life or having to run the projector in high lamp mode. High lamp mode gives you more light, but at the cost of more fan noise and less lamp life. I am more conservative and like a screen size that allows me to have plenty of brightness in low lamp mode. In a nice light controlled room with dark non reflective walls, I would probably look at using Stewart ST100 for anything under 110" diagonal 16:9. If going larger than 110", then I would look at using ST130.
With dark walls and dark ceiling, you will be able to get a lot better image, than you would with white walls and ceiling. With that out of the way, it comes down to screen size, to determine what gain is needed with your screen. It also comes down to a few other choices. Some people want a really large screen and do not mind short lamp life or having to run the projector in high lamp mode. High lamp mode gives you more light, but at the cost of more fan noise and less lamp life. I am more conservative and like a screen size that allows me to have plenty of brightness in low lamp mode. In a nice light controlled room with dark non reflective walls, I would probably look at using Stewart ST100 for anything under 110" diagonal 16:9. If going larger than 110", then I would look at using ST130.
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The screen needs to match the projector. So first choose the projector then the size and then you can really look at what screens will perform the best. I think the best screen is a gray screen better blacks with no down side if you have a bright projector. Myself I am a huge Black Diamond screen but I have people that come in and don't like that screen as well. I woudl go around and look at some and get some samples and compair them next to each other. There is no peorfect screen yet but I woudl get one that is 4k rated these days. I think the stewert is.
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I think you have to look at the whole system, room, projector and screen. Each affects the other. This is especially true if you are wanting a large image. I think you have to have it planned out so that all three elements work together. That way you are less likely to have to compromise as much.
I think you have to look at the whole system, room, projector and screen. Each affects the other. This is especially true if you are wanting a large image. I think you have to have it planned out so that all three elements work together. That way you are less likely to have to compromise as much.
I have a similar situation to cinnabun who started the thread, but maybe a little worse.
The room I am building doubles as a home office and library. The walls are not only white, they are whiteboard paint, which means high gloss. I can achieve complete light control with strong drapes (as it is in a basement), but I cannot repaint the walls. The ceiling is very high (about 20 feet) and the screen will be hung very low, so I don't think it's worth repainting the ceiling. I am, however, putting in new floors, so if you feel it would make a big difference, I could potentially go with a dark color. The projector is a Mitsubishi HC5 (aka. 9000D). It will be ceiling mounted, about 15 feet from the screen.
The screen manufacturer I am looking at is Elunevision, as they are local and seem like a great value (unlike cinnabun, money is unfortunately an object for me).
I am looking at the Titan Tab-Tensioned. The 4K looks great, but the white housing of the Titan suits the rest of the room better and (again) I am working within a budget.
So gentlemen..... which is it? White or grey??
White - http://www.elunevision.com/cinema-white.html
Grey - http://www.elunevision.com/cinema-gray.html
Stretch questions:
- Housing color aside, would the 4K make a large difference in picture quality?
- Is the tab-tensioned worth it over the regular motorized pull-down
Thanks guys!!
The room I am building doubles as a home office and library. The walls are not only white, they are whiteboard paint, which means high gloss. I can achieve complete light control with strong drapes (as it is in a basement), but I cannot repaint the walls. The ceiling is very high (about 20 feet) and the screen will be hung very low, so I don't think it's worth repainting the ceiling. I am, however, putting in new floors, so if you feel it would make a big difference, I could potentially go with a dark color. The projector is a Mitsubishi HC5 (aka. 9000D). It will be ceiling mounted, about 15 feet from the screen.
The screen manufacturer I am looking at is Elunevision, as they are local and seem like a great value (unlike cinnabun, money is unfortunately an object for me).
I am looking at the Titan Tab-Tensioned. The 4K looks great, but the white housing of the Titan suits the rest of the room better and (again) I am working within a budget.
So gentlemen..... which is it? White or grey??
White - http://www.elunevision.com/cinema-white.html
Grey - http://www.elunevision.com/cinema-gray.html
Stretch questions:
- Housing color aside, would the 4K make a large difference in picture quality?
- Is the tab-tensioned worth it over the regular motorized pull-down
Thanks guys!!
Decided to go with the white, non-4K, tab-tensioned, in the form of the Elunevision Titan 92".
Went to Elunevision's demo centre and got a look at their products in person, including a demo of the different fabrics. There is no question that the 4K was definitely better, especially on the whites. The cinema fabric, tended to color bright whites with a mild sepia tone, whereas with the 4K fabric, they were dead on. That said, the cinema actually seemed to get the blacks to be even blacker (despite a higher gain). Note that in practice (at least for the bit of Avatar we watched), the difference was virtually unnoticeable during fast moving color sequences. It was only at the bright whites that the 4K really showed it's stripes, like during sky or sunset sequences.
Went with the tab-tensioned because the salesman said without it, waves and ripples would be inevitable, sometimes even out of the box, and the warranty will not cover them. The tab-tensioned 4K has a cool adjustable tension feature, so you can tighten in over the years as the screen starts to curl, but still not enough to make me pay almost double what I did for the also tab-tensioned Titan.
Will let folks know how it turns out when installed with my Mitsubishi HC5.
Went to Elunevision's demo centre and got a look at their products in person, including a demo of the different fabrics. There is no question that the 4K was definitely better, especially on the whites. The cinema fabric, tended to color bright whites with a mild sepia tone, whereas with the 4K fabric, they were dead on. That said, the cinema actually seemed to get the blacks to be even blacker (despite a higher gain). Note that in practice (at least for the bit of Avatar we watched), the difference was virtually unnoticeable during fast moving color sequences. It was only at the bright whites that the 4K really showed it's stripes, like during sky or sunset sequences.
Went with the tab-tensioned because the salesman said without it, waves and ripples would be inevitable, sometimes even out of the box, and the warranty will not cover them. The tab-tensioned 4K has a cool adjustable tension feature, so you can tighten in over the years as the screen starts to curl, but still not enough to make me pay almost double what I did for the also tab-tensioned Titan.
Will let folks know how it turns out when installed with my Mitsubishi HC5.
Although there is no best screen for everybody, I do believe the best screen manufacturer is DNP Supernova. I have the Blade and it's the thinest, lightest and most frameless screen on the market that features ambient light rejection. Runner up would probably be black diamond however with all the reports of sparkles, hot spooting, bad viewing angles etc, DNP tops it out. If I didn't care about ambient light rejection or aesthetics and couldn't buy the DNP, I'd simply paint a screen on my wall because everything else looks like plain white paper anyways.
Although there is no best screen for everybody, I do believe the best screen manufacturer is DNP Supernova. I have the Blade and it's the thinest, lightest and most frameless screen on the market that features ambient light rejection. Runner up would probably be black diamond however with all the reports of sparkles, hot spooting, bad viewing angles etc, DNP tops it out. If I didn't care about ambient light rejection or aesthetics and couldn't buy the DNP, I'd simply paint a screen on my wall because everything else looks like plain white paper anyways.
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I've been bashing my head against a wall trying to figure this out myself. I'm not even done with construction in my basement and as I'm building out the entire full basement all myself which includes a bar and entire room to build around the bar, bathroom, and media room I have maybe another year before I'm totally finished and ready for my projector and screen. For me money is an object so I'm going as I have the money to spend. Currently working on electric now. So that said I've been doing as much research on this as I possibly can now. My ultimate plan is when done with the walls in the media room to get the projector I finally decide on then use the wall for a bit to play around and see how things look at different sizes and dimensions.
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In my light controlled dedicated home theater, my Stewart StudioTek 130 G3 and my Stewart Cima Neve 1.1 screens are currently competing for " Best Screen " title. No clear winner so far. It may be a tie.
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Their customer service sucks. Saw them at Cedia and they really didn't try to help. Called to order a sample when I got back to Texas and it never showed up. I spent my money elsewhere.
Their customer service sucks. Saw them at Cedia and they really didn't try to help. Called to order a sample when I got back to Texas and it never showed up. I spent my money elsewhere.
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