Protective Screens, Yay or Nay? (1 Viewer)

[Phil Mazza]

I great many of you seem to prefer the matte finished none protective screens over the glossy protected screens, with the exception of pet owners and parents.

But my question is why?

It seems that through my own visual inspections, the protective screen adds an almost 'wet' feel to the picture and seems to greatly increase the vividness of color to the picture, especially blacks.

I understand that glare is an issue, but if you are someone who's RPTV will be in a nonglare type environment, why not opt for the protective screen?

This entire question is due to the choice of the PT-47WX42 vs. the PT-47WX52 I have coming up. But most people say the WX42 is a better choice, but I don't understand why? While looking at these two together I seem to prefer the WX52, but maybe you all know something that I don't.

I'd love to hear peoples opinions on this subject.

-Phillip

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings
There is nothing like watching yourself watch TV ... especially if you like to sit there in your underwear.
If your TV environment is properly set up, you will see some form of glare from the screen. Period. (As a properly set up environment for an rptv is not completely dark.)
No reflective screen means improved image depth.
Regards

 

[Phil Mazza]

So a properly set up environment for viewing an rptv is not in complete darkness? Why is this?

 

[JohnTKline]

Yea to protective screens if you have small children, otherwise I'd remove it.

John

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

The environment requires some form of proper backlighting that reduces eyestrain and improves image perception as a result.

Regards

 

[Phil Mazza]

Is there any place you can direct me (or if you know yourself) what is the biological and scientific reasoning behind that?

Also Michael, it says that you are an ISF, what can you do that say I, myself, would not be able to do with Avia and the proper instructions from reliable internet sources? And what is going price for ISF calibration on either the WX52/WX42, all input/outputs.

And I want to take this time to thank you for your answers. I appreciate it immensely.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings

It has to do with the pupils and the way your eyes have to adjust to bright/dark shifts in the images. During these transitions when the eyes have to adjust, you are missing detail in the image.

The backlighting reduces the severity of these transitions and you suddenly see more stuff as a result.

As for the ISF moniker ... you can do much of what I do with lots of research and effort. I have the advantage in also having the test equipment needed to go the final steps in the calibration process.

If you are just armed with a disc ... you are probably 25% of the way there. I'm the 100% guy. Of course just having equipment is not quite enough. You also need the knowledge and experience on how to use it and in what context.

Aside for the portions that require specialized equipment, you can pretty much do everything else that I do. Now this comes into the area of time versus money. The physical work that I do is not much different than the tune up work that any auto shop does. Yes, you can do it all yourself and save money, but it would likely take you many, many more hours than the auto shop. Time versus money.

Thoses that value their time more, prefer to bring in a professional to do the work.

Regards

 

[Phil Mazza]

Great analogy. Do you calabrate full time? And how did you manage to get into this line of work? It seems like a very interesting career choice, and I do state .career due to the fact that it must quite fun.

It must be a very entertaining profession, no pun intended.

 

[Michael TLV]

Greetings
As my byline says ... calibrationist by night ... tuned into the frequency of evil ... no wait, that's another guy.
Although I could do it full time, I choose not to (even though the calibration sideline has been very good to me). I have an unrelated day job.
Like most of the good calibrators out there, we are enthusiasts first when it comes to TV's. It was simply the next logical step and a way to turn the Home Theater hobby into something more than a black hole that just keeps sucking up your money.
It is a lot of fun and I don't consider the calibration jobs to be "work" per se. Also, it is so nice to operate a business where you can choose not to work for a client and where the customer is always "wrong." It means you can say lots of nasty things to a client about what is wrong with their product choices.
Regards

 

[Angelo.M]

Protective screen + inquisitive toddler = not having to replace my projection television.

--AM

 

[Guy Usher]

I find that "backlighting" also prevents getting hypnotized by the TV, sometimes in a dark room all you can see is the screen and everything else gets blacked out. I use a 2 dollar night lite plugged into the back of my pre-amps unswitched outlet, it shines against the wall giving you a soft indirect light that does make watching movies better, not so bright that that you could read by but just enough. . . try it you wont go back to black.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I have a smallish desk lamp with a 40 watt GE Reveal bulb in it on top of the set (it's in a corner of the room) pointed down at the corner behind the set, so the room (about 15x12) isn't totally dark when watching movies. I sit in the opposite corner and there's a small lamp on a table behind the couch that I can dim or turn off completely when doing serious veiwing.

My set has the protective screen but it has an anti-reflective coating. I can only see the reflection of the lamp behind me during very dark scenes when it's dimmed and with the lamp off, can't see my reflection in the screen even in totally dark scenes. My previous rptv had no anti-reflective coating, and I could see my reflection in it even with all the lights off, just illuminated by the tv itself.

Having seen what can so easily happen to an unprotected screen, I'm leaving mine on even though I have no kids (I am somewhat clumsy myself, though).

More and more sets are using the anti-reflective coating, but it's not usually found on the entry-level models.

If one can exercise a little light control I think the coated protective screen is a good compromise.