Budget Screen

[Jimbog22]

Hello All,

I have been looking into purchasing a screen for my home theater that I have been working on over the summer. I have purchased a Viewsonic Pro8200 projector, along with the following audio equipment;
A Sony STR-DH520
Pair of Polk monitor 70 Towers
Polk CS2 Center
Pioneer rears and surrounds.

I am currently projecting onto a slightly off white wall, and would like to purchase a screen with a 120" diagonal and a 16:9 aspect ratio. The room that I am projecting in is about 9x20, with a 10' roof. I am hoping to have a gain of about 1.0-1.1 if possible. As far as budget goes; I am looking to invest $100-250 for the screen. Fixed frame would be ideal, but they tend to be a bit more expensive. Does anyone have any recommendations for brands to look in to, or other options for a solid screen (considering the budget). Thanks!

-James

 

[BMXTRIX]

This is about as cheap as they come at 120" diagonal...

Focupix 16:9 Widescreen Fixed Frame Projector Screen - 125" White

$400 shipped to your door, and that is very reasonable for a entry level, but decent screen.

I would stick with the off-white wall until you can afford that screen, or I would build a screen myself. It will take some time and effort to built it yourself, but it can be done for under $200 and a number of hours of time to do it right.

 

[Jimbog22]

How about manual/electric screen recommendations? I am thinking that the fixed screen may not be the way to go. Also, what do you guys think about painting the wall as a replacement for a screen? Thanks!

 

[BMXTRIX]

How about manual/electric screen recommendations? I am thinking that the fixed screen may not be the way to go. Also, what do you guys think about painting the wall as a replacement for a screen? Thanks!

You aren't getting any electric worth owning for that money. Manual screens are junk as well, but at least you aren't wasting money on a motor.

If your budget is strict, then make the screen yourself. Better to buy a really flat surface and paint it then try to fix your drywall which is NOT flat, or go with making your own frame and stretching blackout cloth around it.

 

[Jimbog22]

Is there a website that has a decent design scheme for building your own screen? I word well with wood, so I could probably put together a basic frame of my own design, but I do not know the best way to stretch the fabric to create a smooth screen. Thanks you!

If your budget is strict, then make the screen yourself.
</div>

 

[BMXTRIX]

I'm not a fan of the quagmire of AVS Forum, but their DiY screen section has some good stuff in it...

DIY Screen Section

Great FAQs...
DIY Screen FAQ/Reference

Wtihin the FAQs is a link to some good websites with DiY photos...
Frame and Stretch a Screen How-To

The above is the one I followed when I made a screen. It took about 10 hours to do the whole project, and my fingers were really sore from stretching fabric. I also used real velvet wrapped around baseboards to create the black frame around the image. It looks awesome still and is about 6 years old at this point.

 

[Jimbog22]

Is this screen any good? The price is right...

Amazon.com: Elite Screens M120UWH2 120-Inch 16:9 AR Manual Projection Screen: Electronics

 

[BMXTRIX]

Manual projection screens all get waves in the material after a certain amount of time. Your expectation should be that this is going to happen in about a year and within a few years, it will be very apparent that there are waves in the screen material.

This is what it will eventually start to look like... or worse: