[Rob S.]

Hi guys,
    Finally bought a budget PJ (Mits.HC5500) and now looking for a screen.  My basement can fit about a 100" - 110" diagonal 16:9 screen.   Not sure if I want to spring for the electronic roll down type or not.   I'm hoping to keep this on the lower priced side.  Onkyo receiver and AV123 rocket speakers in the L shaped room in my basement.    Will likely have teenagers and other kids near and around the HT.  I can control light pretty well in this room but I'd like to have some screen "pop" even with some ambient light. 

My preliminary thinking was to build some sort of screen or buy used.  A friend has suggested that the light output of the HC5500 is not all that bright and that I would do well with a hi power screen.
Maybe find some Da-Lite material and buy the bulk material and just build the frame?

Look forward to your thoughts, as the PJ will be here in 2 days.

Rob S.

[Bob in St. Louis]

If you DIY something, then this is all out the window, but:
For choosing the screen material with the proper "level of gain" (that's the pop you're looking for), we'd need to know the throw distance (distance from lens to screen).

On ProjectorCentral.com is the "Calculator Pro".
You can input your projector model, along with the throw distance and the size you want (100-110), and it will tell you how much gain you need.

Or.....You can slap some semi gloss white(ish) to gray(ish) on a wall, give it a 4" flat black border and call it a day.

At one point I was going to buy the bulk material from Da-Lite and DIY a screen as well. That's probably your best option regarding price point versus quality.

When you say "you're not sure if you want to spring for the electric roll down" and the next sentence says "I'm hoping to keep this on the lower priced side", that sounds like two different people talking.
My version of "lower priced side" would be $300 or less.  aa But electrics (of good quality with tensioning etc...) will be MUCH more than that. I've seen some in the $4,000-5,000 range.

Bob

[Rob S.]

Hey bob,  thanks for the input.  I have mixed feelings on what I should commit to a screen ( afterall, my 2channel room is still my top priority)   To give you a range:  maybe $300 to 1500.   if it's 1500 I need to hear and see the value in it.

According to projector central- I'm well within my Pj throw range if I ceiling mount this Pj at 12' and have a 104" diag  and 1.0 screen gain it shows the image brightness as 17fL..   You think this is acceptable brightness?    I  have no idea, haven't seen many HT setups.   

On the other hand, a 1.4 gain w/12' throw and the same 104" screen diag. is  24 fL.   

Thanks again for any input.

Rob

[Bob in St. Louis]

At 12' with 105", you're "nuts on" for recommended fL with a gain of 1.0
I might get a gain of 1.2 just to make up for a weak bulb in a couple years, but that might be splitting hairs.
Given your price range, I'd tend to go with something right in the middle. That should plant you firmly in Da-Lites fixed frame area. That way there's no DIY involved, there's no "jerry-riggin", it'll look professional in both physical appearance and image appearance. Plus, you're getting your new PJ in a couple days. You're going to want to use it, not be playing around with DIY stuff. Given your price range, I wouldn't DIY a single thing.
Then you'll be done with it, with no reservations, regrets or second guesses about "did I do it right", "could my picture have looked better if I would have .......".

Ya know?  aa

You might want to spend a little extra on expedited shipping though. 

Bob

[JP78]

hey rob,

just a heads up but you may want to check out dragonfly screens. i know we're running a promotion here at work this month...i just checked the prices and a 106" tab-tensioned motorized screen in either matte white or high contrast grey would be well below your maximum price range. i'd recommend calling your local retailer or calling into the office...let me know if you need any more info.

the sale is for all dragonfly screens, so if you decide on fixed you could save some serious green.  good luck with the screen.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Actually Rob, There was "this guy" I was thinking of telling you about, who worked for a screen company. I had spoken to him in the past about screen material for myself. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, but for the life of me, I couldn't recall his name or who he worked for.

As it turns out, he just chimed in. 

Might wanna check him out.

Bob

[JP78]

hiya bob . i actually work for a smart house and home theater design company, but the owner here is very laid back and is happy to share the monthly promotions whenever they're offered .

anyway, if you guys have questions in general (about material selection, tab-tensioned versus no tension or button tension) etc...i'm here to help. i'm not a sales specialist or anything, but after working in this field for years you learn the basics.

have fun!

[Rob S.]

thanks guys for your input.

Rob S.

[John Casler]

hey rob,

just a heads up but you may want to check out dragonfly screens. i know we're running a promotion here at work this month...i just checked the prices and a 106" tab-tensioned motorized screen in either matte white or high contrast grey would be well below your maximum price range. i'd recommend calling your local retailer or calling into the office...let me know if you need any more info.

the sale is for all dragonfly screens, so if you decide on fixed you could save some serious green.  good luck with the screen.

As a dealer for most of the screens out there, I can also vouch for the Dragonfly screens from SNAP AV.

Most of my Mitsubishi Projector clients go with the Dragonflys.

I also have the 120" fixed Screen in "my own" HT.