Time to pick a screen for my JVC-RS2000

R

Ras777

Audioholic
I am looking for a nice fixed screen (135 to 140 diag) that will compliment my projector. I will be sitting 13ft eyeball to screen in a dedicated room that can go totally dark with dark paint. My budget will allow screens made by any of the higher-end brands but I don't want to waste money on hype. BMX you had mentioned an HD progressive by DA-Lite 1.1 gain. Would you mind explaining what you look for when picking a screen? I have a good friend of mine who works for a consulting firm out of Boston who works with companies who make the material for these screens. He is of the opinion that I am falling for marketing hype. He claims that I should just buy the material from a vendor off of eBay called Protheater. I can get a 140" diag for about $150 ( i can hear the laughter) he claims it's the same material that the high-end screen companies use. He thinks I am naive and insane spending thousands on a screen. I would love to get your thoughts on this. Thanks again for your input!
 
TheWarrior

TheWarrior

Audioholic Ninja
https://www.stewartfilmscreen.com/en/screens/cima-by-stewart-filmscreen

The main reason for buying proven (rather than simply 'high end') is that the screens last for decades when properly cared for. I think the two biggest concerns with any screen are finger prints and direct sunlight.....

Stewart's Cima line uses standard sizes to lower the cost for those not needing truly custom installations. I have the Neve Perforado in my bedroom system https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/triad-inwall-bronze-lcr-4.110548/ (bottom of the page)

The frame is incredibly high quality and easy to assemble. Yes the screen cost way more than the projector (being perforated/acoustically transparent), but this was our first pj, and will continue to move down the line as we upgrade.

You'll notice I chose to use a roller shade instead of a rolling screen - They are very expensive, and I could not justify that, so I opted to add a Lutron roller shade instead. (Basically it is my insurance policy for the screen.) So now, from the touch of my cell phone I can close the window shades, open the screen shade, and as you know, control the Oppo!

@DigitalDawn has helped me with all of my Lutron shades, 2 of 3 Oppo's, the Screen, and even provided the Triad's in that thread. I don't want to step in the way of BMXTRIX whose posts I very much appreciate, but incase he does not offer Stewart screens and you decide to go that route, Dawn is a great person to work with!
 
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TheWarrior

TheWarrior

Audioholic Ninja
Thought I did an install thread for the screen, but I guess not. Add that to my list of unfinished projects....
 
BMXTRIIXX

BMXTRIIXX

Audiophyte
seems very cheap for a screen. What is the harm for 150.00 to test it out. Maybe someone on here has purchased one?
 
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T

The Dukester

Audioholic Chief
I second the Cima Neve choice for a screen with the 2000.
 
DigitalDawn

DigitalDawn

Senior Audioholic
The Stewart Cima line is great. It's so much more affordable than the regular Stewart products and with the same high quality.
 
BMXTRIX

BMXTRIX

Audioholic Warlord
So, everything about a screen is the material which is used. Most manufacturers apply a coating to the screen, so, while I'm sure many are capable of buying a surface from a similar source, there is a significant cost jump once the actual projection surface is then applied to that material. I'm also sure it's possible to apply no added coating and just use the surface.

I have huge issues with the big 3. This is Stewart, DaLite, and Draper. Their pricing really is outrageous, but I expect necessary, to stay in business. DaLite and Draper do very well in the commercial space because they have all the necessary permits and signoffs for fireproof and commercial work requirements. The price, at the mid-tier is ideal to make a bit of money on as well.

But, in the home, what is it you are looking to achieve?

First, ALR screens are a magical form of suck. They don't do good things to the image. But, in a lit room, which is destroying the image, a ALR screen improves the situation. So, in a dark room, you NEVER use a ALR screen. It just hurts the image.

So, the goal is a white screen in a dark room. And, that white screen should have absolutely the least amount of impact on the image as possible. It should have the highest amount of diffusion as possible, with the least amount of visible texture as possible with an extremely color neutral balance.

In reality, back in the day, this meant Stewart for the best. Nobody could compete. But, the reality is that we've seen a lot of good competitors over the years, and if you are looking for a reasonably good, well performing screen, then SilverTicket or the SableFrame screen are just fine. They are reasonably neutral, good dispersion, and have reasonable texture from normal viewing distances.

I would not buy a Stewart or DaLite unless I was specifically looking at a material which was significantly superior to the base line materials. This is insanely true with Stewart who has created a premium price point product and has some real competition from others these days.


At the end, it would depend a great deal on how much my budget was, how significant my projector was, and how good my theater space was.

If I thought they were all excellent, then I would order screen samples from both companies so I could at least compare them. I might reach out to someone like Screen Innovations for a sample of their inexpensive CineWhite material. This is what comes on their budget Sableframe screen.

I really get what DaLite is going after. I'm not sure if Stewart matches their quality, but they may come very close at half the price. But, at the end of the day, I'm all about budget. I think that the SilverTicket/Sableframe screens do just fine at just a few hundred bucks, with the screen frame included.

I don't care what your friend says. There's no way to build an excellent screen frame without spending a couple hundred bucks, and then it won't come apart easily, it won't be aluminum, etc. Sableframe and SilverTicket are both full on aluminum frames with that screen material, and worth the extra cost.

Now, I can't find a link to 'Protheater' as a seller on eBay, but this is the type of link I found...
Look at their last photo, of the actual material, and you will see that the visible texture on this indicates that it is a LONG way from what DaLite is delivering, and perhaps Stewart as well. It's much closer to what the Sableframe and SilverTicket material is, but doesn't include a full aluminum frame for the money.

Nope, not the way to go at all. But, there are dozens of different material sellers on eBay. One is bound to be decent.
 
BMXTRIIXX

BMXTRIIXX

Audiophyte
So, everything about a screen is the material which is used.

Nope, not the way to go at all. But, there are dozens of different material sellers on eBay. One is bound to be decent.
Lots of great info here. Thank you
 

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