Screen type/ quality

[hillclimber]

I am in the process of doing my ht in my basement. I have ordered the epson 6100, should be here in a week.
My basement will be virtually black unless I choose to turn on the lights.
My question is on sreen type.
I can get an electric 120", matte white, 1.3 gain for a decent price ($300). Or do I spend almost triple the money on a Da-lite with 1.1 gain.
The projector is advert. at 18000:1 with 1800 lumens.
Just wondering if anyone has some suggestions or experience with this type of predicament.
Thanks in advance!

 

[BMXTRIX]

I am in the process of doing my ht in my basement. I have ordered the epson 6100, should be here in a week.
My basement will be virtually black unless I choose to turn on the lights.
My question is on sreen type.
I can get an electric 120", matte white, 1.3 gain for a decent price ($300). Or do I spend almost triple the money on a Da-lite with 1.1 gain.
The projector is advert. at 18000:1 with 1800 lumens.
Just wondering if anyone has some suggestions or experience with this type of predicament.
Thanks in advance!

You can get a TAB TENSIONED screen for $300? If the answer is no, then go buy a manual screen instead for $90.

For about $1,000 (or more) you can get a tab-tensioned screen from a reputable manufacturer.

What are you paying for in an electric screen?

Mostly, you want to get one with a quality motor assembly and proper build quality which keeps the screen flat for years and years. Cheap electric screens use motors which are of far inferior quality than the major brands. Yes, you pay a premium, but the screen is less likely the major upgrade that goes along with it.

A tab-tensioned screen will keep your screen FLAT.

Don't confuse electric with electric & tab-tensioned. Electric screens are simply the lazy persons version of the manual screen. If you care about your money and can't afford a decent electric screen (tab-tensioned), then don't waste your money on something of lousy quality. Or if you must waste your money on lousy quality, then go as absolutely cheap as possible and get a manual screen.

The best choice is to do what theaters do...

Get a permanently fixed screen and hang it on your wall if you can. This is by far the best way to do screens, and the quality you get for the money is exceptional.

You are getting a 1080p projector... don't screw up the end game.

 

[hillclimber]

Screens

BMXTRIX, Thanks for the input. Your answers mimicked my "gut feeling", but it's always nice to have a second opinion.
The one thing I am still unsure of and couldn't find a post on was selecting the gain of a screen.
Is it based on the light level in the room? The lumen output of the projector? The contrast ratio? Or a sum of all the parts?

What about the material itself? Even from the bigger manufacturers there seems to be an endless amount of materials available. The local stores don't seem to have anything in stock to test.
"Too expensive to bring in all the types from all the manufacturers, and let it sit on the shelves for who knows how long"
It seems to be a pretty common story from the stores.

 

[BMXTRIX]

You can get screen material samples from most manufacturers if you call them.

I generally recommend a 1.3/1.4 minimal gain white screen.

When the lights are out - this gives you a great image with additional 'POP' which really makes the image outstanding. When you turn lights on, then the gain can make the shadow detail a bit weak, but most often, when you turn the lights on, you are watching a football game, not a horror movie. So, the shadow details aren't as important at that point as the added brightness - which once again is enhanced by the positive gain.

There are some screen materials which are positive gain & high contrast. Typically a grey screen with 1.1 gain. These are excellent, but can cost a bit more and aren't typically available from the lower tier companies.

From DaLite, my top two choices would be (in order)...
(from: http://www.dalite.com/products/selecting.php?viewMode=front )
High Contrast Cinema Vision
and Cinema Vision

From Draper
M1300
HiDefGrey
http://www.draperinc.com/images/2007Catalogs/GainCharts.pdf

Some info: http://www.draperinc.com/images/2006Catalogs/SelectRightScreensPVC06pgs3_5.pdf

I personally have a 106" Draper Ultimate Access V screen...
http://www.draperinc.com/Screen_Pages/UltAccV_projection_screen.htm
in HiDefGrey which is not my preferred choice, but considering the price I got it for (eBay!) it is easily something I can live with.

If you need a 160" Ultimate Access V w/M1300 let me know.

 

[hillclimber]

More Questions

Another question I have is with Deep blacks. I have read some forums, both here and other sites, and can't seem to come up with a conclusion on black levels. What are some common causes of poor blacks? Is it strictly contrast ratio of the projector?
Don't want to make a mistake with picture quality. I want colors that POP, but I don't want to lose on the Deep, crisp blacks. Or am I just living a pipe dream?