A very basic question....which projection screen? (1 Viewer)

[Todd HT]

New at all this so bear with me.

I am setting up a home theatre in my attic. I have purchased a used working Electrohome 3100 projector and have worked out that I need a screen ~ 52x 92.

There are windows in the room but I think I can make the room pretty dark.

I have been looking at new screens on-line - Draper or Da-Lite.

Can anyone give me some advice about whether I should get a matte screen or a beaded screen. I think I understand about the higher gain (~2.5 vs ~1.0) that the glass beaded screens have. What am I losing with this screen?

Thanks

 

[Oliver_RN]

I'm a believer in matte screens if you can get away with it for these reasons;

1. Hot Spotting. If you have a higher gain screen, unless you have a VERY high end projector, you will get hot spotting. It's pretty much inevitable. (hot spotting is a brighter, almost washed out area of the image directly where the center of the lens hits the screen)

2. Viewing area. The higher the gain, the narrower the seating area can be. With a matte screen you can have seating far off to one side or the other. With a 2.5 gain screen for example, if your viewers are not almost square in front of the screen, it will look awful.

Tell me more about this projector... is it LCD or CRT? what is the ANSI, contrast ration, number of lines resolution? Number of panels and pixels if LCD? Line doubled? External or internal? I don't sell screens or know anyone who does, but I might be able to give you some good money saving advice.

 

[Greg_R]

The best bang/buck screen that I've seen recently was a sheet of Parkland Plastic (used for bathroom remodels). This item is totally flat, has about a 1.0 gain, is easy to install, & looks great. Read the very long thread about it here. IMO, it compares very favorably with Draper and other offerings...
Be sure to totally black out those windows...

 

[Todd HT]

Wow

You guys really are helpful!!

Oliver

The projector is a CRT. I think having heard what you've said, I'll go for the Matte screen.

Greg

I appreciate your help and I did check out the site you recommended. Unfortunately I need the screen to be retractable for other reasons.

Thanks again.

Todd