Does anyone here know much about projector screens ?

[ng4ever 39]

If someone does what is the best type of screen for portable usage ?

120" 16:9 minimum

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

In general most brand name projector screens are about equal in performance. Personally I prefer a grayish finish on screens.

However the "portable" requirement makes it a little more difficult. That is portable generally means that the screen will be put up and down repeatably and that makes for problems in several areas. I had a screen that collapsed horizontally. The way it did that would produce sags and wrinkles if it was not perfectly extended and it still sagged a bit even if it was perfectly extended, after I had it for about 1.5 years. Age simply put too much play in the whole expansion mechanism.

I have also tried one the rolled down from the top and had a stand that would hold it and, keep it stable. The stand and the screen worked a lot better than the other one I had. The issues I had with the pull down came from the screen being in two parts and the fact that I set it up and down many times. However it never got to the point where it was too hard to put up and down. It just got steadily harder and harder.

I recommend just getting any one of the name brands and be sure you can return it if it is not right.

One more thing: I tried a couple of the "better" inflatable outdoor screens, just because it says outdoor does not mean it cannot be used indoors, and they worked pretty good. The only issue I had with them is, because I am hard on products like this, they developed slow leaks and ended up having to be reinflated every two or three days even if used indoors and not moved.

As far as picture quality goes I strongly suggest starting with a very light gray (almost white) finish on the screen and, if it seems too dark or too bright or the contrast is too low you can go either darker or lighter. There is a finish that maximizes contrast but I cannot remember what it was called on the screen that had it that I tested but I disliked the picture it produced.

This one from Amazon worked well for me:
Portable screen and stand from Amazon (That scree is a little "whiter" than I like BUT that makes very little difference in my use.)
But I did not use it long due to an accident. I can truthfully assure everyone that that screen does NOT hold up well after being run over by a 20 ft U-haul truck and they were out of stock when I had to replace it.

Also note the bar across the top of the assembled screen. That is a very important feature. I think the one I tried that opened from the middle would have been gook foe more years if a bar like that was available.

I hope that helped just a bit. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to actually see the screen in operation where it will be used. I have seen screens that looked great in a showroom but looked horrible in my home using my projector. That is the reason I said to be sure you can return the screen after testing for a while. For online ordering as I do now it is even more important because you cannot see the picture at all before you buy it.

I'm still waiting for the "Direct to brain" (or optic nerve) interface that Emby keeps hinting at. Then I would not need and screen at all.

[ng4ever 39]

2 minutes ago, Gilgamesh_48 said:

In general most brand name projector screens are about equal in performance. Personally I prefer a grayish finish on screens.

However the "portable" requirement makes it a little more difficult. That is portable generally means that the screen will be put up and down repeatably and that makes for problems in several areas. I had a screen that collapsed horizontally. The way it did that would produce sags and wrinkles if it was not perfectly extended and it still sagged a bit even if it was perfectly extended, after I had it for about 1.5 years. Age simply put too much play in the whole expansion mechanism.

I have also tried one the rolled down from the top and had a stand that would hold it and, keep it stable. The stand and the screen worked a lot better than the other one I had. The issues I had with the pull down came from the screen being in two parts and the fact that I set it up and down many times. However it never got to the point where it was too hard to put up and down. It just got steadily harder and harder.

I recommend just getting any one of the name brands and be sure you can return it if it is not right.

One more thing: I tried a couple of the "better" inflatable outdoor screens, just because it says outdoor does not mean it cannot be used indoors, and they worked pretty good. The only issue I had with them is, because I am hard on products like this, they developed slow leaks and ended up having to be reinflated every two or three days even if used indoors and not moved.

As far as picture quality goes I strongly suggest starting with a very light gray (almost white) finish on the screen and, if it seems too dark or too bright or the contrast is too low you can go either darker or lighter. There is a finish that maximizes contrast but I cannot remember what it was called on the screen that had it that I tested but I disliked the picture it produced.

This one from Amazon worked well for me:
Portable screen and stand from Amazon (That scree is a little "whiter" than I like BUT that makes very little difference in my use.)
But I did not use it long due to an accident. I can truthfully assure everyone that that screen does NOT hold up well after being run over by a 20 ft U-haul truck and they were out of stock when I had to replace it.

Also note the bar across the top of the assembled screen. That is a very important feature. I think the one I tried that opened from the middle would have been gook foe more years if a bar like that was available.

I hope that helped just a bit. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to actually see the screen in operation where it will be used. I have seen screens that looked great in a showroom but looked horrible in my home using my projector. That is the reason I said to be sure you can return the screen after testing for a while. For online ordering as I do now it is even more important because you cannot see the picture at all before you buy it.

I'm still waiting for the "Direct to brain" (or optic nerve) interface that Emby keeps hinting at. Then I would not need and screen at all.

 

Thanks very helpful info!

 

What do you think of Elite as a company/brand for screens ?

 

If there was a place to go test out all projector screens or most I would go. Though not even BH Photo & Video have any on display that I know of. Though I would never buy a projector screen from them unless I saw it at a friend's or family member's home first and got the exact same screen.

[ng4ever 39]

Also what do you think of a floor rising screens ?

 

Guessing same problem.

[Gilgamesh_48 943]

2 minutes ago, ng4ever said:

 

Thanks very helpful info!

 

What do you think of Elite as a company/brand for screens ?

 

If there was a place to go test out all projector screens or most I would go. Though not even BH Photo & Video have any on display that I know of. Though I would never buy a projector screen from them unless I saw it at a friend's or family member's home first and got the exact same screen.

Elite is a company with a pretty good rep. I know of two people that have one and they are quite happy. I have never used one and the ones I have seen are NOT one of the portable models.

2 minutes ago, ng4ever said:

Also what do you think of a floor rising screens ?

 

Guessing same problem.

The screen I had that did not work well sort of rolled up in both directions. That is when you opened it you set the screen stand where it was to reside and pulled the left and right sides out at the same time so it expanded horizontally and there was nothing to support the top edge so, once the screen was used for a while, it had a sag that could be noticed easily at the top on both sides. That cause picture problems. If the screen had a simple stiff bar across the top to hold it straight the screen would have been quite acceptable.

My belief is that any stand and screen combo, no matter how it opens, that has a way to keep the edges stiff should work fine. I have never seen or used a screen that opened from the bottom and I think I would have trouble with one BUT it is mainly me and what I am used to. I see little reason why opening from the bottom or the top would make any real difference as long as the screen could be kept kind of "stretched" the the edges kept straight.

I do have a slight disclaimer. I now use just a TV and not a projector for all my viewing. I have not actually used a projector for a few years so my info may be a bit dated.
But I am an "expert":

Quote

"X" is a mathematical term for something unknown.
A "spurt" is a drip of water under pressure.
Therefore an "X-Spurt" is an unknown drip under pressure.

 

[ng4ever 39]

Thank you.

I think I am going to go with a tripod screen but only because I do not want my cats to climb the screen. Even if it a floor rising screen is easier or quicker.

 

Just wish tripod screens came with higher quality screen material instead of Max White like Cinema UHD screens. Unless the different screen materials make no difference ?

 

[ebr 14917]

I would check out AVSForums.  Back in the day when I was building custom theaters, I used that community extensively for such things.  There is (or at least was) a very active discussion on screens.

A huge factor is the environment the screen is in as well as the projector but, if you need portable, then I guess the environment is somewhat variable.  I wouldn't suggest a gray screen for anything except dedicated theater room usage personally.