Experience of setting up my projector screen

[sash]

I want to share some of my experiences procuring and setting up my projector screen. I hope it can help someone else who is in the same boat as i was.
1. My projector is Epson 6100 and the placement is about 12 feet away from the screen. I first bought the projector, projected the image on the wall to get an idea of the image size.
2. i was able to get an image size of 120" comfortably and i felt it is good for my viewing distance.
3. My suggestion is to get the largest screen that you can accomodate. I'm also of the firm belief that you'll always regret a smaller sized screen but i haven't heard anyone complain about too large a screen. I marked out the projection area using the marker image of the projector.
4. The next important thing is "how high the image should be". I feel the lower the better for small viewing distances. Keep in mind that you will need to place your center speakers below the screen for most scenarios. So leave that 2.5 - 3 feet below.
5. This might mean that you will have to look "up" at the image most of the times. I'm trying to tackle this by raising my seating, but for now, i will get by.
6. Also remember that you'll need some space in the sides of the screen if you have floorstanding speakers.
7. All said and done, i'll repeat, pls consider the biggest screen size that you can project. Considering that most PJs are 16:9 and most movies are cinemascope, you'll see a much smaller image ultimately (black bars on top and below), so if you skimp on screen size in the beginning, it'll feel like watching TV when you watch black-bar'ed movies.
Next, screen procurement...

 

[sash]

I did some research for screens in B'lore. I got some quotes for 120" diagonal, 16:9 screens:
18K+ 14.5% tax for Draper from Actis, Bangalore
13K + 14.5% tax for Pixeless Grandview from Hansa pic Bangalore
Rs 13,300 (all inclusive) for Liberty Grandview CNV from Sanghavi Impex Bangalore

Of these i went with Liberty Grandview mainly because it was a known brand on this forum and supposedly has good after sales etc (you have someone to talk to at least)
Sanghavi impex (9844041060) is an excellent dealer i must say. It was a very smooth experience - they know what they are doing and are no nonsense - highly recommended.
I transferred the amount and the product was shipped the next hour through a known transport.
The liberty grandview screen has excellent build quality - i had some apprehensions due to some folks here calling it a chinese make etc but it is made solid. Heavy metal chasis and great construction, packing etc.
I'll post more on the installation etc as there were few anxious moments... very soon

 

[sash]

For installation please use someone qualified and not just a random carpenter. Even if you don't find projector installers, you'll certainly find people who do wall mounting of LCD TVs (I called my contact at a local LG shoppe) - use them as they have a lot of experience with leveling, finding if a wall can hold the weight and such things that can only come from experience.
One thing that went wrong for me was that the bolts that came with the screen were not good for the job - sure they are sturdy and strong but there is a flaw in their mounting bolts/bolt holders. The bolt holders that go into the wall must "expand" in the wall when the bolts are tightened, but the construction of the holders don't allow for that - i don't know how others have managed but we just couldn't get it to work, the screen holder top bracket wouldn't fit flush onto the wall.
So this guy used the tower bolts that he uses for LCD wall mounting and they worked well. He managed to reuse the holes he had drilled earlier - but this might not work in other cases. So if you use grandview, consider not using the bolts that come with it - you might have lot of holes in the wall.
He used a water level marker thingy to check for the leveling of the screen.
Libery grandview comes with a foot of black patch on the top edge of the screen above the actual white part of the screen. This gives you some freedom int he vertical placement of the screen. You can place it a little high and pull down the screen where the projection lands - now i have some pseudo lens shift.

 

[sash]

Ambient light:
This one took me by surprise so pls be warned.
I always wanted a pitch dark theater room. Except the screen wall, all my other walls and ceiling are mostly light colored- walls have some dark acoustic panels but not ceiling which is pure white.
I install the screen and switch on the projector and the room is freaking bright. It is almost like having your windows open. I just couldn't believe how bright the whole room was. Sure i had heard of ambient light but this was beyond what i had imagined.
The light is not directly from PJ but reflected light from the screen.
This is seriously annoying. In bright scenes i can almost read a book!!! I'm now kicking myself for overlooking this. I'll see few more days and probably paint the ceiling and walls in a dark color - do you guys think that will solve the prob?
I hear a gray screen will reflect less light but don't know where to find one.
Others who are planning a screen buy, please please be warned. This is a killer in a dedicated HT room
I had enquired black acoustic ceiling tiles from Anutone and from Armstrong but they don't come cheap (Anutone Rs. 130+ per sq ft).
If anybody has innovative ideas without the need for painting etc, please please let me know. I'm more concerned about ceiling but i could do with some help on the walls too.

 

[john_k_antony]

Some pictures please .

 

[nSinghal]

Yeah, the epson's are light canons. And its not really a negative. You'll appreciate the brightness once you try a 3D bluray. Also, the lamp loses its luminance fairly quickly so you don't really want something which is dim when its brand new. That will result in too dim an image once you've used it for 500-1000 hours.

Painting the wall and ceilings with darker colors will definitely help. Also, I assume you're using cinema mode? In case you're using the dynamic mode, you definitely need to stop using it. Use cinema preset with Eco mode on. The dynamic and non-Eco modes are more intended towards non-dark rooms (ie, using the PJ with lights on). Fiddle around with image brightness etc too and soon you'll find the image to be not as bright and much more pleasing to the eye

Grey screens are hard to find in india. Those too are more intended towards bright rooms instead of dark rooms. I haven't tried one yet so can't exactly comment on how good or bad it's going to be.

 

[Thtpro]

Yes, you do get quite a bit of reflected light back into the room

You are headed in the right direction by painting the room a darker color--dark brown, dark green, dark red are colors to consider

Gray screens are expensive and are suggested for use when you cannot control the room light

 

[Audioden]

Ambient light:
This one took me by surprise so pls be warned.
I always wanted a pitch dark theater room. Except the screen wall, all my other walls and ceiling are mostly light colored- walls have some dark acoustic panels but not ceiling which is pure white.
I install the screen and switch on the projector and the room is freaking bright. It is almost like having your windows open. I just couldn't believe how bright the whole room was. Sure i had heard of ambient light but this was beyond what i had imagined.
The light is not directly from PJ but reflected light from the screen.
This is seriously annoying. In bright scenes i can almost read a book!!! I'm now kicking myself for overlooking this. I'll see few more days and probably paint the ceiling and walls in a dark color - do you guys think that will solve the prob?
I hear a gray screen will reflect less light but don't know where to find one.
Others who are planning a screen buy, please please be warned. This is a killer in a dedicated HT room
I had enquired black acoustic ceiling tiles from Anutone and from Armstrong but they don't come cheap (Anutone Rs. 130+ per sq ft).
If anybody has innovative ideas without the need for painting etc, please please let me know. I'm more concerned about ceiling but i could do with some help on the walls too.

Not required to do so much drill . mount dark velvet curtain on walls in on a aluminum slider decorative way 7-10 feet from the screen will do

or some cardboard/ply with felt glued to them will solve the problem

 

[harshi_n]

3. My suggestion is to get the largest screen that you can accomodate. I'm also of the firm belief that you'll always regret a smaller sized screen but i haven't heard anyone complain about too large a screen. I marked out the projection area using the marker image of the projector.

7. All said and done, i'll repeat, pls consider the biggest screen size that you can project. Considering that most PJs are 16:9 and most movies are cinemascope, you'll see a much smaller image ultimately (black bars on top and below), so if you skimp on screen size in the beginning, it'll feel like watching TV when you watch black-bar'ed movies.
Next, screen procurement...

Well it may not be the case all the time.

One more thread on this forum where one of the member just4kix has summarised it well

http://www.hifivision.com/home-theatre-projectors-screens/37322-fixed-manual-screen-2.html

"There is a tendency with first timers to go for the maximum screen size possible - I was no exception. But it should be noted that the larger the screen, the greater is the light dispersion and poorer is the contrast/brightness. Do not sacrifice contrast/brightness for large screen. IMHO, for a viewing distance of 15'~18', a 110" diagonal is quite good enough. One must not forget the rough equation:

Proper viewing distance = screen width x 2.

So for a 8' x 4.5' (16:9) screen, best viewing is between 15' and 17'. This kind of screen will yield 110" diagonal. For 2.4:1 (and similar), the screen will be 8' x 3.34' and will yield a diagonal width of 104". "

one more lenghty thread but a good one

http://www.hifivision.com/home-theatre-projectors-screens/13044-da-lite-vs-grandview-7.html

So end of the day I guess its personal preference.

Right now I have to decide on my screen size( 110" or 120 " ).My room size is 16*12.I'm seated roughly 14-15 feet distance and the screen in front comes over tv which im going to wall mount so will be a few inches further.

I have two options to consider ( projector will mostly be 8100 becos of lens shift )
option1- to go for manual 110" ( 8* 4.5 ft )which will well fit within the wall.
option2 - go for motorised 120" (8.7 * 4.95 ft )will protrude the passage but should not matter much as it will be only when the projector is on and mostly during the night for movies.

Offcourse not a easy call to take and pondering over it.
pls have a look at the setup

 

[harshi_n]

I did some research for screens in B'lore. I got some quotes for 120" diagonal, 16:9 screens:

The liberty grandview screen has excellent build quality - i had some apprehensions due to some folks here calling it a chinese make etc but it is made solid. Heavy metal chasis and great construction, packing etc.
I'll post more on the installation etc as there were few anxious moments... very soon

Sash,
If possible can you let me know the lenght(width) of the casing which holds the screen? as per calculation
120" 16:9 screen H: 59.4" (4.95 ft) W:104.4" (8.7 ft)

so your manual screen will have a black border of 1 inch + casing edges
so total will be around 108" ? ( 2 " on either side apart from the white part of the screen ? )

Also post the pics of setup if you can.

 

[nSinghal]

It'll be a little bigger than what you're assuming. Here's the exact dimensions of all liberty grandview screens (both motorised and manual)...
Abhi Projection

 

[manoj.p]

Ambient light:
This one took me by surprise so pls be warned.
I always wanted a pitch dark theater room. Except the screen wall, all my other walls and ceiling are mostly light colored- walls have some dark acoustic panels but not ceiling which is pure white.
I install the screen and switch on the projector and the room is freaking bright. It is almost like having your windows open. I just couldn't believe how bright the whole room was. Sure i had heard of ambient light but this was beyond what i had imagined.
The light is not directly from PJ but reflected light from the screen.
This is seriously annoying. In bright scenes i can almost read a book!!! I'm now kicking myself for overlooking this. I'll see few more days and probably paint the ceiling and walls in a dark color - do you guys think that will solve the prob?
I hear a gray screen will reflect less light but don't know where to find one.
Others who are planning a screen buy, please please be warned. This is a killer in a dedicated HT room
I had enquired black acoustic ceiling tiles from Anutone and from Armstrong but they don't come cheap (Anutone Rs. 130+ per sq ft).
If anybody has innovative ideas without the need for painting etc, please please let me know. I'm more concerned about ceiling but i could do with some help on the walls too.

Give it some usage. The projector is brightest when new. After 200 hrs or so, much of it will be tamed.

 

[sash]

Here are some pictures
I have disconnected my projector for mounting and audio for general cleaning of the room.
The things you see on the corners and the back of the room are my DIY sound absorption panels/super chunks.
My window is blacked out by a heavy blackout curtain that keeps sunlight out and reduces sound transmission outside to some extent.

 

[john_k_antony]

Sash,

Why didn't you go with a fixed frame screen? I heard the fixed frame ones are expensive too. Did you check for fixed frame screen with the screen dealer?

Thanks,
John.

 

[sash]

Sash,

Why didn't you go with a fixed frame screen? I heard the fixed frame ones are expensive too. Did you check for fixed frame screen with the screen dealer?

Thanks,
John.

Hi John,
Mainly maintenance. It can get dusty in India. Also i have converted an existing unused room to dedicated HT now but might move it to my basement later when i have enough cash.

 

[sash]

Sash,
If possible can you let me know the lenght(width) of the casing which holds the screen? as per calculation
120" 16:9 screen H: 59.4" (4.95 ft) W:104.4" (8.7 ft)

so your manual screen will have a black border of 1 inch + casing edges
so total will be around 108" ? ( 2 " on either side apart from the white part of the screen ? )

Also post the pics of setup if you can.

Hi Harshi_n,
The bracket is 115" wide end-to-end EVERYTHING included. So if you have 115" of wall, then you can mount it.
For your viewing distance, i STRONGLY recommend you go for 120" or higher.

 

[john_k_antony]

Hi John,
Mainly maintenance. It can get dusty in India. Also i have converted an existing unused room to dedicated HT now but might move it to my basement later when i have enough cash.

Hey Sash,

Do you see the screen wobble or form an en even shape any time during the playback? Do the screen remains stand still and forms a perfect flat surface all the time?

I am going to setup a dedicated HT room and planning to put the fixed screen. But the cost of fixed screen is almost 70-80% more than the similar size pull down version.

Thanks,
John.

 

[gchirag]

Hi Harshi_n,
The bracket is 115" wide end-to-end EVERYTHING included. So if you have 115" of wall, then you can mount it.
For your viewing distance, i STRONGLY recommend you go for 120" or higher.

Hi Sash,

V nice set up indeed. Could you tell me if the bracket that you have used has screws or the mounting system(to the wall) in the centre or does it have that on both sides? I ask this because Im also planning a similar setup but problem is that I DONT have a big flat wall, its a 2.5feet wall with 2 big door arches on both sides. So if it is centre mounted the bracket may stick out from both ends since the wall is an arch. The other option for me would be to mount the bracket further higher above the arches. In that case then the viewing may not be at eye level.

What do you suggest?

thanks

 

[ravidharap]

Hi John,
Mainly maintenance. It can get dusty in India. Also i have converted an existing unused room to dedicated HT now but might move it to my basement later when i have enough cash.

Migrating to a basement or cellar will be a perfect decision


I Love Tapatalk on my IPhone

 

[ravidharap]

Here are some pictures
I have disconnected my projector for mounting and audio for general cleaning of the room.
The things you see on the corners and the back of the room are my DIY sound absorption panels/super chunks.
My window is blacked out by a heavy blackout curtain that keeps sunlight out and reduces sound transmission outside to some extent.

Sir, instead of blackening your windows panes from Inside of your room, Why don't you use bamboo roller curtains, hung them from external side of your room windows, this curtains not only darken the room but also control temparature of the Room and also energy saving.


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