Projection Screens 101?
 

My brain hurts.

So, I was pretty set on the Sony VPL-VW285ES (perhaps considering the sister 385 with the automatic iris for the contrast enhancement) until I started poking around with some different calculators. I have mas-o-menos 21 feet of throw in the roughly 15'x24' room and without making a mess of where the projector can be mounted or leveraging screen gain, the otherwise-incredibly-sexy Sony 4K offerings under $10k are suggested to be not quite bright enough.

I see the new JVC offerings are pretty stellar performers in contrast and brightness in exchange for eShift5 up-sampling versus Sony's native 4K/UHD.

Can someone point me to a reasonable resource to learn about screen material differences and gain selection? Stewart seems to be at the epicenter of this technology with an incredible reputation and history, but when I attempt to decipher their fixed home cinema screen material options, I end up with more questions than I brought to the site.

This would be fixed frame, wall mounted, non-retractable, probably not auto-masking ($)... is Cima FF (Neve) what I should be looking at?

Any advice here would be sincerely appreciated...
/c

Projection Screens 101?
 

Have you looked at avsforum dot com?
They have a thread dedicated to that Sony Projector.
Also projectorCentral dot com has a great projector/screen calculator.
I have owned Sony and JVC projectors. Currently I own a JVC projector with eshift. However the technology is continually changing.

Projection Screens 101?
 

About screens: while Stewart has great screens (I own one), they are not the cheapest. Since you are looking for a fixed screen, You should be able to get a good screen for much less money since you are not paying for any mechanics.
Again, check out the Avs forums they have sections about screens.

Thanks nicoff... The AVS Forum was actually where I got some competitive data on the new JVC DLA-RS640U against the Sony VPL-VW385ES. I am just not sure about the eShift5 tech versus native 4K at the same price-point. There are some trade-offs in each camp.

I honestly know nothing about projection screens. Stewart is known by reputation and at least I know that the quality/value is there... I am really searching for information here regarding making a smart screen choice. I know I'm a newb over here at AA, but I know several members and I trust the information I get here more than anywhere else online. I'll keep digging! :)

Thanks,
Clayton

Clayton... we’ll talk on the phone soon. ;)

Got it!
My first screen was a DaLite. Inexpensive compared to the Stewart I have now but worked very well for me.
Looks like you are going to be spending big bucks for a projector so you might as well pick wisely on the screen material.
You will not be spending on the screen mechanism. So only the screen *material* is your concern. Try to find a good match for material based on the projector, room ambient light, and seating position.

MasterLu to the rescue! There should be AA shirts with that printed up on them... just sayin' ;)


Yeah, when it comes to the screen, I don't really feel the tug of brand allegiance, but there seems to be this magic triangle of projector brightness, throw distance, and screen size/gain that is difficult for me to navigate. My screen choice is really going to be more about decoding that than it is price... well, I mean, price is definitely a factor because a dollar saved here can be redirected to a dollar spend more wisely somewhere else in this project, but I kinda stepped out of the gate knowing the screen cost would be non-trivial (to me).

Thanks for the pointers...
/c

The right screen will last you a lifetime; I have Stewart screens that are 15 years old, and are as good as new.

Projection Screens 101?
 

Clayton,

Stewart Studiotek 130G3 baby, there is no substitute in a light controlled room.

It is the industry standard screen material, certified by THX and ISF.

My Stewart screen made the move to Colorado while most of the rest of the HT system stayed behind and was sold with the house.

Screen size does matter but bigger isn't necessarily better.

Tom

One more vote for the Studiotek 130 G3 screen. It works very well with my JVC projector.