Pull down projector screen - need to order this weekend - very urgent

[arnprasad]

Hi everyone - I have raised this topic in other threads and have come to a conclusion that fixed screen is not for me because:

(1) width of my room is 10 feet. Both sides of the room have doors. Hence the available space is around 6 feet only....having fixed screen means it can have a maximum width of 6 feet. Since I already have a 50 incher..it wont be a big increase. Hence I want a 9 feet wide screen
(2) Even the 6 feet wide fixed screen will mask my show case and make my hall look ugly. Here are few pics before I start asking questions.

This is the entrance to my house - as you can see the right hand side has the door and I already have the TV so the screen will have to be in front of the TV.

This is the other side of the room as you see there is a showcase that will get masked if I use a smaller fixed screen.

Rajadeep and others have given me advice on buying screens from Mumbai. But before I choose this option due to logistics involved, I want to have your advice for the following options.

(1) I have decided that the pull down screen will be 1 foot from the wall...so that when I pull it down it will cover the TV stand including the TV and my front and center speakers and SW. So the pull down screen will not be fixed to the wall behind my TV but to the ceiling in front of the TV - will this work? I guess all such cloth based screen are acoustically transparent? so if this screen covers my speakers - there wont be any impact on sound?

(2) Another group of colleagues will leave US in ten days time. So since I need a 9 feet wide screen - the below seems appropriate. Questions - can I take the help of a local carpenter to make me a pull down screen..if not a carpenter can I give the cloth to professional screen sellers and they can make me one? is it worth importing this cloth? say 3K for cloth another 1K for making a pull down screen?

Amazon.com: Blackout Fabric for DIY Projector Screen-66x110-Inch: Electronics

(3) If fixing the pull down screen to the ceiling is not possible - I can reduce the height of my current TV from 2 feet from ground to 3 feet - then it will be enough space to fix the screen on the back wall and it and my TV can live together.

Also I sent an email to Carls place and below is the reply I got ( from the answers you can guess the questions I asked)

Hey Prasad,

1- I would agree that the 110" material would be fine for your needs. Likely the 5' x 9' would be perfect.

2- While you may set something up like that, the crucial thing to consider is proper tension on the material. We recommend even tension on all 4 sides of the material, which results in a nice, wrinkle-free set up.
If even tension is not possible, you may find yourself disappointed with the results of a blackout cloth screen. There are other screen materials available through Carl's Place, but the stiffer materials come with a higher price
and would be difficult to transport. This is because the stiff materials need to be stored and transported on rolls. I really don't know what the airline would think, but would not be surprised to see you turned down.

3- When you purchase blackout cloth, you will receive it in a box. It will already have some creases. This is why tension is crucial to a nice looking screen. It would be hard for me to speculate about how this material would
respond to repeated use in that way. That said, with proper storage and a decent set up, there is no reason for the material to stretch or bow in. Moisture is a concern and the material must be stored completely dry--any
moisture could result in mildew growing on the screen, which would ruin the material.

4- We estimate that a 5' x 9' would weigh 4lbs, box included. The box has the dimensions of 12" x 3.5" x 14".

How does all that sound?

Thanks!

Joe Wisnowski
Customer Service
Carl's Place

 

[srinisundar]

Looks like you can go for 84" screen - Motorized.. Hang in the ceiling and operate whenever you need. It can be masked in front by wooden panels to avoid visibility to get aesthetic look( while closed).

There is a old sale thread here,,, which i could not find now.. check it up

 

[yahoo0212]

Hii I am also in search of a good projection screen,, I came across CINE Udyog from India Mart which gave me these quotes and they also deal in Customised sized screens (Spring action type screens //not instalock)
I had a talk with them and got these quotes
2. Cine Udyog
100 inch diagonal 16:9 format Rs 8500 (Motorized Type)
110 inch diagonal 16:9 format Rs 11500 (Motorized Type)
120 inch diagonal 16:9 format Rs 12500 (Motorized Type)
And They have their inshouse production of screens, but not insta lock .. they offer customised size of any format any size screens with spring pull action type screens.
I got the following quotes:
100 inch diagonal 16:9 format Rs 1600
110 inch diagonal 16:9 format Rs 2200
120 inch diagonal 16:9 format Rs 2800

If any of your relative/friend is in Delhi you can verify and check the quality of their screens
Contact: Mr. Rajinder Kumar Mobile : +919818533799

 

[arnprasad]

Maybe I forgot to mention I am a kanjoos of the highest degree, my projector watching may be limited to once a week or once a month - so preferably would not want to spend 20k on a motorized screen and was hoping a simple manual pull down screen under 5K would be a great bargain.

this is not to say that I might not buy a motorized screen in the future - just that I have gone overboard the past 3 months on my purchases and hence was looking for affordable alternatives.

So is getting that cloth from Amazon US not a good idea?

@yahoo - the numbers you mention I guess are the cheapest I have seen compared to Optoma, Grandview and others. Customized pull down 10 feet for 3K is promising..any idea what material they use and how they compare to the pioneers and grandviews? since they cost a fraction I dont expect them to be close - but for occassional time pass viewing, may not be bad

 

[tma]

...buying screens from Mumbai...

You can get similar priced screens in blore - did you try here? what kind of quotes did you get?

(1) I have decided that the pull down screen will be 1 foot from the wall...
so that when I pull it down it will cover the TV stand including the TV and my front and center speakers and SW.

So the pull down screen will not be fixed to the wall behind my TV but to the ceiling in front of the TV - will this work?

Having a pull down from the ceiling will theoretically work - BUT maybe the viewing angle is compromised as the image will be too high up. Have you considered this aspect? If this is fine for you then its a possible option.

I guess all such cloth based screen are acoustically transparent? so if this screen covers my speakers - there wont be any impact on sound?

I dont think all screens are acoustically transparent by default.
Atleast the ones I have seen in the shops look thick enough to block the sound and will impact the audio experience.

... can I take the help of a local carpenter to make me a pull down screen..

DIY screen makes sense only for fixed screens, its not worth the hassle for other types.
You would be better off with a ready made one if going for a non fixed screen considering the price and quality aspects of the result.

In summary, plan to get a motorized pull down (as the screen will be too high if mounted on the ceiling, all the way up) and mount it on the ceiling 1 or 2 feet away from the wall.
Alternatively, you can even think of having some kind of woodwork like a closed loft done for about 1.5 to 2 feet depth and 2 feet high accross that wall on the top and mount the screen below this - this way the screen can also be hidden, have enough space from the wall to allow for TV placement, also have the screen at reasonable viewing height and maybe only have a manual pull down screen. The only down side may be the additional cost but will be the best way to go.. Do give this a thought...

 

[srinisundar]

Maybe I forgot to mention I am a kanjoos of the highest degree, my projector watching may be limited to once a week or once a month - so preferably would not want to spend 20k on a motorized screen and was hoping a simple manual pull down screen under 5K would be a great bargain.

I never a seen lowest or highest degree of kanjoos have 50" TV Kanjoos will have only minimum size TV to reduce the current consumption + money to spent later to doctors when watched in big screen:lol:

Do you know you can buy an motorized screen by selling your lowest valued HT stuff in your setup..

 

[yahoo0212]

Maybe I forgot to mention I am a kanjoos of the highest degree, my projector watching may be limited to once a week or once a month - so preferably would not want to spend 20k on a motorized screen and was hoping a simple manual pull down screen under 5K would be a great bargain.


@yahoo - the numbers you mention I guess are the cheapest I have seen compared to Optoma, Grandview and others. Customized pull down 10 feet for 3K is promising..any idea what material they use and how they compare to the pioneers and grandviews? since they cost a fraction I dont expect them to be close - but for occassional time pass viewing, may not be bad

No idea about the quality comparision as u mentioned.
While calling dealers found on Indiamart, one of them told me that almost all the screens are made in china or imported and the screen quality is almost the same everywhere. The heavy pricing is due to heavy branding and so called."Branded". Dont know to what extent is he true... What our HFV gurus hav to say about it??
Leaving DaLite how are these normal screens compared to Grandview or Liberty.

 

[arnprasad]

I never a seen lowest or highest degree of kanjoos have 50" TV Kanjoos will have only minimum size TV to reduce the current consumption + money to spent later to doctors when watched in big screen:lol:

Do you know you can buy an motorized screen by selling your lowest valued HT stuff in your setup..

:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo: See I spent 25K on a projector...spending 20K on a motorized screen may make it a bit disproportionate.

I think I will take down one layer of my multi layer TV stand...that will release a foot of space from the ceiling. Guess a 9 feet wide screen will need some 5 feet of height - I think I will have that much space if my TV height comes down. Then I can have the screen fixed to the wall. I will google some local vendors today. Hopefully they have will have some solution around the 5-6K mark.

Thanks again for your help!

@Tma - will look for local help today and over the weekend.

 

[rajadeep]

Hmm.. I have spent 63k on my projector(epson 8500UB) + 9k on customs... For a 72k projector , I would be approx spending 30-50k on a screen... Reason? My dad wants a 13ft wide screen(180inches)... It has to be moterized, acoustically transparent & high gain... Someone on avs forum once told me a costly screen is a worthwhile investment coz the viewer is going to be looking at the screen & not at the projector... Anyway to clarify I did do a comparison of a 1sqft of material of both a pioneer screen material vs a grandview screen material... I for one could not make out the diff... Intact my parents found the pioneer material to be better... Unless one is going for a high quality screen like dalite, the diff in quality between these cheaper brands is almost nil... You have to look for the best deal possible...

 

[arnprasad]

Hmm.. I have spent 63k on my projector(epson 8500UB) + 9k on customs... For a 72k projector , I would be approx spending 30-50k on a screen... Reason? My dad wants a 13ft wide screen(180inches)... It has to be moterized, acoustically transparent & high gain... Someone on avs forum once told me a costly screen is a worthwhile investment coz the viewer is going to be looking at the screen & not at the projector... Anyway to clarify I did do a comparison of a 1sqft of material of both a pioneer screen material vs a grandview screen material... I for one could not make out the diff... Intact my parents found the pioneer material to be better... Unless one is going for a high quality screen like dalite, the diff in quality between these cheaper brands is almost nil... You have to look for the best deal possible...

Thanks Rajadeep - you obviously know your projector stuff. As for me.. I am just a middle aged with some spare cash who wants to be part of the "hip" crowd when it comes to AV stuff:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

I am sure I will invest in a posh motorized screen some time in the future. But :yahoo: But see as of today after spending money on my new TV not so long ago, plus money 4 TV 3d glasses, then 4 DLP glasses, then monoprice 3d convertor, then the Pioneer speakers, then that new spanky new sofa you see in the pictures...it just keeps going on and on:sad::sad::sad:

Also as you can see from my room - its got doors and windows every where..so even at midnight I dont get full darkness in my hall because the streetlights are too strong for my curtains. Plus most of my projector usage will be by my two sons who are 5 and 6 years old who will use it to watch kids TV or Nintendo Wii @ 480p. If they get their hands on a projector switch - they will screw it in a week. In fact when we bought the sofa last week - my family voted out the recliner option since they were sure my kids will screw it in a week as well.

Hence I just need a big blank space to project.....no full hd, no full darkness, no blu rays, no fussing over contrast ratios...no calibration.....not the things people on this forum usually worry about when it comes to picture quality:lol::lol:

 

[srinisundar]

Motorized screen cost only 8K upwards...

 

[vinay]

If the curtain fabric is thick and has a dark blank linen then the street lights can not impact watching movies via projector.

One can always start with a 720P instead of going straight to 1080P, movies are available in plenty via various formats like media player, blue ray & dvd while calibration etc has to be set just once, finally to get a blank space in the house to project a movie can never be a problem if one uses a screen.

Indeed projector viewing is not best for children because they will not be able to appreciate the dynamics of it.

V.

Also as you can see from my room - its got doors and windows every where..so even at midnight I dont get full darkness in my hall because the streetlights are too strong for my curtains. Plus most of my projector usage will be by my two sons who are 5 and 6 years old who will use it to watch kids TV or Nintendo Wii @ 480p. If they get their hands on a projector switch - they will screw it in a week. In fact when we bought the sofa last week - my family voted out the recliner option since they were sure my kids will screw it in a week as well.

Hence I just need a big blank space to project.....no full hd, no full darkness, no blu rays, no fussing over contrast ratios...no calibration.....not the things people on this forum usually worry about when it comes to picture quality:lol::lol:

 

[arnprasad]

Thanks Vinay..because my house is a bit inflexible not able to take a firm decision. Regarding my kids..well its for WII..playing their favorite games like WIi sports tennis or Mario Kart Wii or Supermario galaxy on a 10 feet wide screen is definitely good even at 480p.

 

[GeorgeO]

I tend to agree with tma

 

[yahoo0212]

Maybe I forgot to mention I am a kanjoos of the highest degree, my projector watching may be limited to once a week or once a month - so preferably would not want to spend 20k on a motorized screen and was hoping a simple manual pull down screen under 5K would be a great bargain.

this is not to say that I might not buy a motorized screen in the future - just that I have gone overboard the past 3 months on my purchases and hence was looking for affordable alternatives.

So is getting that cloth from Amazon US not a good idea?

@yahoo - the numbers you mention I guess are the cheapest I have seen compared to Optoma, Grandview and others. Customized pull down 10 feet for 3K is promising..any idea what material they use and how they compare to the pioneers and grandviews? since they cost a fraction I dont expect them to be close - but for occassional time pass viewing, may not be bad

Did you get any other quotes for the screen
I got a few moe from Shrestha & Co through IndiaMart
They have send me a detailed mail with specifications of cloth type etc..
They gave me a quote of 3600 + VAT for 106 inch diagonal 16:9 screen with American Matte white cloth/fabric.

 

[arnprasad]

@ Yahoo..how do these guys deliver and install since they are not local? does that price include the thing that holds the screen and installation as well?

Today I called up a local person and he said at 10 feet width you only get 4:3 so he said I will get 10*6 or something like that. For imported screen he said it will cost at least 10K. He said he can go lower for local ones which he said was not worth it. For liberty 10 feeter he said it will be 12K. This is for pull down one with instalock

 

[yahoo0212]

@ Yahoo..how do these guys deliver and install since they are not local? does that price include the thing that holds the screen and installation as well?

Today I called up a local person and he said at 10 feet width you only get 4:3 so he said I will get 10*6 or something like that. For imported screen he said it will cost at least 10K. He said he can go lower for local ones which he said was not worth it. For liberty 10 feeter he said it will be 12K. This is for pull down one with instalock

10 feet screen ?? which is more than 120 inch diagonal.. the dealer/local guy is confused somewhere. I got a quote of 6600 for liberty screen itself 110inch diagonal 16:9 .

 

[arnprasad]

and this is with instalock and installation as well?

 

[arnprasad]

Hi,

This what I came up with thus far. Sent emails for dealers from bangalore on Indiamart and in 24 hours..no one got back. So I called few myself. All prices for 120 inch diagonal ones with instalock.

(1) AM Industries Blore - 10K for imported fabric, 12K for LIberty. Grandview he said would be even more costlier
(2) Pioneer Mumbai mentioned by Rajadeep - Slow retractor, 104 inch wide. 10K for Picture Perfect screen, 12K for Grandview
(3) Neechams co, Delhi - 7200 with American Matt white fabric
(4) Shreshta and co, Delhi - around 5K..screen is Draper fabric

Yahoo quoted LIberty 120 inch instalock for 7K..not sure from where he got that one.

How do we know what material of fabric is good and which ones are cheap chinese imports? Americal Matt fabric, draper fabric, picture perfect....are these known brand names?

Need urgent help as I want to order today and install next week. Thx

 

[sri072]

I just got a quote for Grandview CNV series 120" 16:9 manual pull down screen @ 12,500 plus 14.5% vat (total around 14,300) by Ved Information Systems based in Hyderabad.
It will transported to my city by bus, so there won't be any installation.(he said installing the screen is pretty simple and I can manage it on my own).
He also mentioned that the screen gain is 0.8???
Please tell me if this is a good deal