Black out cloth vs seamless paper vs buildyourownprojectorscreen.com Which one? (1 Viewer)

awells85 · Dec 19, 2010

like title says guys I will have a optoma Hd20 soon and in a very dark room. Shooting on a wall 12 feet away from a shelf. My question is which one of these is best. I am clueless what the gain is all about but the http://www.buildyourownprojectionscreen.com/projection_screen_material.html screen is a 1.0 gain I believe. So any one with experience in this matter if they could help out it would be a life saver. I have been reading and reading on how to make a screen my only worry with the link I posted is getting wrinkles out.

Jim Mcc · Dec 19, 2010

First off, are you saying your HD20 will be sitting on a shelf, upright? That's a bad idea because it doesn't have lens shift. The only way it would work is if it was on a very low shelf. If you had it on a higher shelf, you'd have to tilt the projector down a lot, and use a LOT of keystone. That's not good. Are you trying to avoid ceiling mounting it?

As far as the screen goes, I would use a white screen in your situation. But what they're using is probably just blackout cloth. You can buy that at any fabric store. I definitely would not use the glue method. There are numerous DIY screen options you could build or paint. Check out the DIY Screen section at Avsforum.com. If you like to paint, that's a great way to go.

awells85 · Dec 20, 2010

Hey Jim thanks for the help. Here is a pic of my box I put together really quick. I am going to cover it in black cloth to match my screen border. Do you think even in something like this the Hd20 still would not work and need to be hung? i could move the reciever down to one of the other shelves and put the hd20 on the very top or even hang it upside down from the ceiling. Just don't want to buy equipment if I won't need it. also there are tons of mounts on ebay what is a decent price for a mount if I do need one? Right now that is my powerlite s1 on the bottem shelf leaning downward some using keystone.

Second part is if it is going to cost me 120ish for a mount I would be better off getting a Home Cinema 8350 Projector instead since its only a couple hundred more with lens shift so I could place it on my shelf.

Thanks.

Jim Mcc · Dec 20, 2010

If you go with the HD20, you have 2 options: 1) Mount it on the ceiling, upside down. I think the offset is about 18%. 2) Raise the box and mount it to the underside of the top(upside down). The top would be acting as your ceiling, but you wouldn't need a mount. The mounting bolts could go thru the top and down in to the projector's mounting holes.

awells85 · Dec 20, 2010

Ok scratch that whole idea. I think I will lose the box and buy this package http://www.visualapex.com/projector-package-deals/home-theater-bundle-details.asp?chPartNumber=HD20_106pkg&MFR=Optoma&X=333. Just on the other side of that box is a closet that faces away from that wall. I will mount the projector punch a whole through the wall and plug hdmi and all my speakerwires through the wall into the closet with my xbox receiver cable box and laptop. This package comes with a screen for about the prince total I wanted to spend on the projector and screen materials.

This will clean up the room alot more I think for posters and such. Let me know what you think. Again you have been awesome Jim I really do appreciate it. hope you have a happy holiday. o yeah it appears this packages comes with the ir repeater whcih is good.

Leo Kerr · Dec 20, 2010

A question about the hole-punch you plan on doing... open, or with a window? On the window, make sure that the glass is NOT parallel to the light-path and/or the screen; you can set up some interesting reflections that might drive you crazy.

On the other hand, that deal at Visual Apex looks pretty good...

Oh, make sure that whatever projector you use, and where-ever you put it, it has plenty of room to breath.

Leo

awells85 · Dec 20, 2010

Originally I was going to have everything behind that wall in the closet with only the projector shooting out of a window with no glass. Now with this package and no lens shift I think I will remove everything except hang the projector upside down put up crown molding to hide the speakerwires and put the all the wires through a small hole into the closet. I saw on avs forums a member had good things to say about the visual apex screen. Also I will be sitting on a couch 11 ft away from the screen and the projector will be between 11 and 12 feet away shooting. Projectorcentral's calculator says I should be good with an est. 92 inch screen. I will try to make it atleast 100 inches by moving the projector as far back as I can. Cannot wait!

Jim Mcc · Dec 20, 2010

That's a nice deal, but there's a problem with your numbers. Your throw distance will only be about 10.5'. You need about 6" behind PJ for wires, plus about 12" from rear to lens. The calculator shows that with a 10.5' throw distance(lens to screen) you can have a screen size between 80" - 96" diagonal. If they can't give you a smaller screen, maybe you can sell that one. You may find a 106" screen too big for your room anyway. I sit about 13' from my 106" screen.

awells85 · Dec 21, 2010

They do have a 92 inch deal package and even custom cut screens. which if they price isn't to outragous I would have them make it at 96. I fear 92 may be to small (for me) but I also feard 106 was to big for only 11 ft away. I even thought about placing the projector in the closet making a window for it to shoot out of and getting the 106 in screen. But then agian comes down to the maximum I could set away is 11 ft to the wal and more like 10.5 where you are actually sitting. I will play alot of xbox online so I need it to be perfect not to big. actually I just measured my current setup and its about 90 in diaganol with a 4:3 screen. so 92 may not be to bad.

Jim sitting 13 ft back on your screen does it feel like you can see everything without scanning back and forth? That is my only fear especially when playing cod online.

awells85 · Dec 21, 2010

Ok I think I found my answer to this issue. I won't go bigger than 100 inches. If I mount in the closet make a nice window at 11' 11" it will give me 100 inch screen according to the calculator. Now that is only several inchs past the wall standing there. So I make a big enough whole giving the beam enough to project through and I can hide all the equipment and all I need to do is find a cooling system that will work. got these pics from avs forums but it would be similar to this set up. I measured the room my self and got 11' 3" not 12 like my buddy told me. So I'll go this route.

Jim Mcc · Dec 21, 2010

Yes, I can see everything without scanning back and forth.

Originally Posted by awells85

They do have a 92 inch deal package and even custom cut screens. which if they price isn't to outragous I would have them make it at 96. I fear 92 may be to small (for me) but I also feard 106 was to big for only 11 ft away. I even thought about placing the projector in the closet making a window for it to shoot out of and getting the 106 in screen. But then agian comes down to the maximum I could set away is 11 ft to the wal and more like 10.5 where you are actually sitting. I will play alot of xbox online so I need it to be perfect not to big. actually I just measured my current setup and its about 90 in diaganol with a 4:3 screen. so 92 may not be to bad.

Jim sitting 13 ft back on your screen does it feel like you can see everything without scanning back and forth? That is my only fear especially when playing cod online.

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