Is projector screen paint worth it? (1 Viewer)

[Ben Mecham]

I'm trying to decide what to do for a screen. It's a Benq PE8700 projector, the room is all closed in, almost no extra ambient light, and the screen size we want is about 140". Originally I was thinking to order a standard fixed screen until I saw how awesome the picture looked just on the sheetrock wall painted satin white. Of course, my untrained eyes might be deceiving me, but man that picture is amazing!

Now rather than spend the $$ on a screen that might not even help much, we are contemplating just doing some flat paint or the special screen paint and calling it good.

So, back to the question -- is projector screen paint worth it? Or should I just use standard interior latex?

Thanks,

Ben

 

[Scott L]

Buy a screen if you can afford it. Many of us have been trying cheap DIY solutions with a new formula every couple of months or so, but there is still no substitute for a nice Firehawk or Da-Lite.

I think you can request a small sample from Firehawk or a reseller.

edit- about the screen paint, that's also a good solution. Which ones were you looking at? The only ones I can think off the top of my head are Mississippi Mud or Goo.

 

[Leo Kerr]

As far as just using a wall, I would strongly recommend using flat white, or if you're brave, try doing a flat gray of some sort (but finding a good gray paint is tricky..)

Thinking about it just now, something that would also help is,

- give yourself a small - 2-4" border of flat black paint or velvet around your screen.

You can disguise all of this on your otherwise white satin wall by hanging theater-style curtains, too! Dress everything up nicely... and protect the painted surface when it's not in use.

Leo Kerr

 

[Ben Mecham]

Yeah, the theater-style curtains are in the works. It's gonna be sweet!

I've done some searching for screen paints and read the reviews and info on Goo, but it sounded to me that other people got excellent results as well with paint colors such as Behr Silverscreen and Misty Evening Grey in a flat enamel. I think that might be the way we're going to go... unless I can be convinced otherwise!!

Ben

 

[Andrew Pratt]

There's a thread in the DIY area that you should check out to see what MississippiMan and I have done in past. I have screen samples from all the vendors and the only screen I think is nicer then mine is Firehawk...which is way to expensive for me

 

[Neil Joseph]

When I was considering a screen, the Firehawk was at the top of the list but at cdn$3K, I decided to make my own screen. I experimented with various shades of gray, silver, white and combinations of the above and with Behr Pearlescent.
My criteria included boosting the black level, retaining good colour levels, and a screen surface that would not reflect the room ambient light in much the same way as the Firehawk does.
I ended up with this...
http://webhome.idirect.com/~orange1/htpics/paint.jpg
actually if you want more info just click on the links in my signature.

 

[Scott L]

Just a heads up, I painted an 80" diagonal sheet of Parkland Plastics with Behr Silverscreen. I went to Home Depot and they make it for you right there for about $10 for a quart or so. Problem is I stupidly chose semi-gloss because I thought I wanted it refelective. :b There is definitely an improvement in colors/contrast/and brightness but it's too reflective and causes hotspots.

I'm going to get a flat quart SS this time and if it's not reflective enough I'm gonna mix it with a little White Opal Pearlescence (pre-mixed but $18).. people seem to be getting good results from a 75%-25% mix.

 

[screenpaint]

Projector screen paint has come a long way since 2004. Back then I would easily recommend purchasing a traditional projector screen. Now, I recommend screen paint to everyone. It is a cost-effective solution to making a professional level home theater. That being said there are some situations in which a traditional screen may be better, like if you plan on moving the screen frequently. Obviously painting a different wall every week isn't the best option. =)
But since this thread is about screen paint, here are some pieces of info that will get you up to date on home theater screen paint:

• Use a white color tone if your home theater is in a darker room. For example a basement.
• Screen paint is now specifically formulated to help increase contrast, adds depth to images, liquefies blacks, and eliminates hot spots.
• Some paints (see 3DHD paint here) are formulated for a low ratio of extinction.
• Now-a-days most screen paints have a gain of 2.0, but some go up to 4.0!
• Most screen paints now offer a 160 degree wide axis viewing
• Use a more silver color tone if your home theater is going to be in a room with more natural light like a living room.
• If you have a projector that supports 3D displays than go with a paint designed specifically for 3D projections (View Examples).
• 1 gallon of home theater screen paint will cover up to approx. 170sq Feet. Enough for 99.9% of all home theaters.

 

[Headshots]

Hi there,
I was wondering what you meant by a 75/25,split for your projector screen paint". Which is which?
Thanks so much, I am about to paint a screen and this helps sooooooo much,
Toby

 

[Jim Mcc]

Hi there,
I was wondering what you meant by a 75/25,split for your projector screen paint". Which is which?
Thanks so much, I am about to paint a screen and this helps sooooooo much,
Toby

You are responding to a thread that's over 8 years old.
Check out the DIY Screen section at Avsforum. There are more paint formulas than you'll know what to do with.

 

[Kevin Collins]

Originally Posted by Scott L /t/187165/is-projector-screen-paint-worth-it#post_2184019
Buy a screen if you can afford it. Many of us have been trying cheap DIY solutions with a new formula every couple of months or so, but there is still no substitute for a nice Firehawk or Da-Lite.
I think you can request a small sample from Firehawk or a reseller.
edit- about the screen paint, that's also a good solution. Which ones were you looking at? The only ones I can think off the top of my head are Mississippi Mud or Goo.

I agree on the screen recommendation. When we were at CEDIA last year we check out Goo Systems and it looked like they had a good match with a Stewart Filmscreen StudioTek 130. However, without a colorimeter, it is hard to really tell. The biggest issue that I see with paint is getting a surface that won't introduce any artifacts to the picture and have a decent reflective ratio.

 

[jstapley]

I second the screen goo. I've been using the Max Contrast or previously known as Ultra Grey for the last 8-9 years.

In fact, I used to sell Da-Lite screens and Screen Goo. I would demo them both and 80-90% of the time customers walked out the door with Screen Goo.

 

[Type A]

Holy resurrected threads Batman! Welcome to the forum Jeff.

 

[tk1023]

I think projector paint is an innovative and interesting way to use your projector opposed to a regular screen. ProjectorScreen.com has helpful tips, instructions, and specifications (including how much you need to cover a particular area) for a do-it-yourself project. They carry all of the leading brands as well including Paint on Screen and Screen Goo. There are seven shades of paint along with polarized 3D, high gain, and micro projection applications. It is a helpful site if you are still debating on using paint.