I guess the Silver Fire paint application with the mirrored substrate is supposed to be jaw dropping.
How does the Focupix compare with Fire Hawk or Carada?
Stewart Filmscreens are not to be touched. At 5 to 10 times the price, it's a darn good thing that they do make some very solid material that is excellent.
The Focupix screen material isn't quite as robust as the Carada Brilliant White and the velvet that lines the frame isn't as durable or as securely mounted as the Carada, Stewart, DaLite, or Draper screens.
But, the screen can be broken down, moved easily, and once mounted you will be darned if you can actually tell the difference between a Carada, DaLite, Draper, or the $300 Focupix.
Considering I typically sell Carada and make a few bucks on their stuff, it was hard for me to try the Focupix, but I was suprised at how nice it was overall.
The material looks good, the build quality is decent, but not as solid as others, yet just requires a bit more care during assembly. Once on the wall, it is indistinguishable from most other manufacturers.
The biggest issue I have with DIY solutions is that people spend hours or days, or more making the screen, then completely ignore making a deep black velvet lined frame. They spend $100 (or more) making just the screen, and miss one of the most important parts. Then are suprised that with the cost of velvet, and the time involved, that making a great velvet lined frame can cost $100 and take 8+ hours on it's own.
I've done DIY - and I was VERY happy with the results, but Focupix produced a product equally as good as DIY in final quality, and it allows for me to break down the screen and move it easier if necessary, or perhaps replace pieces if something gets damaged.
My biggest issue with most cheaper screen manufacturers, including Carada, is that they don't have a positive gain grey screen. Firehawk, High Contrast Cinema Vision, etc. A 1.1 to 1.3 gain grey screen from Focupix and Carada would be a phenomenal asset.
