What to use as screen

[18wheeler]

did a comparison between windows shade, parkland plastic, and blackout cloth.

window shades are easiest to setup. and it can roll up/retract when you don't need it.

parkland plastics are heay material and gives the bast result

blackout cloth is the cheapest to get and is a little bit darker than parkland plastics.

[Fantapantz]

Recently ordered a Screen Technics fixed screen and they supplied a roll down one.......before it I compared the image on the screen to the image on the wall..................................The image on the wall was clearer .........returned the screen, sanded bogged and painted the wall.................Saved myself $1000 on a fixed screen......................... The paint I used was Dulux Vespri in quarter tint. Presently I think the screen manufacturers are full of it.

[technut]

I am using Sturdyboard and it is quite good for $12.90 at officemax. It only comes in 40" x 60" but I don't think it would be to difficult to use more than one together for l arger screen if it's flat.

[Dwiel]

I was thinking about how it is really hard for 1 person to compare their results with another's. Even with a camera, its very difficult. I thought thtat maybe we could compare much easier if we create a standard. My idea is that everyone with a screen they would like to show results from takes a picture from either directly in front, or at some specified angle, or both, and has a piece of ordinary printing paper also getting projected on. This way, the picture can show, relatively, how good the screen is compared to the paper. They can put paper in there setup and see if the screen in the picture is better/worse than the one they have. As soon as we have a way to compare by using a standard, I think we will be able to make much more progress...

what do you guys think?

[dmgnde]

HIGH CONTRAST SCREEN----

(Get realistic colors and a hot high contrast image.)

This project costs approximately $40.

For a 8’ x 6’ screen obtain two 4’ x 8’ white tile boards, five 1”x 2”x 8’ furring strips, construction adhesive, 4 rolls of matte (not shiny) fine silver flake Hallmark 6’ long wrapping paper and 3M spray adhesive.

Trim tile board in two equal sections of 4’ x 6’ dimensions (Lowes/Home Depot can do it for 50 cents so I’d let them do it for you.) Join the sections from the back using construction adhesive and the panel remains. Take care that the screen edges butt tightly together. On back of screen constructive adhesive the furring strip around the perimeter of tile board for stability.

Once dry flip panel over (white smooth side facing up) and fill the seam of the joint with filler. (It has to be very smooth like the tile board with no imperfections.) Now using 3M spray adhesive apply it in small sections and roll out the matt fine silver flake Hallmark wrapping paper (6’ long and will be applied in the vertical 6’ direction) and continue to smooth it down. (Practice applying the paper on a scrap piece first!) After screen is hung (it can be days later), remove remaining air bubbles or imperfections using a hot blow dryer and re-smooth with hand.

The results are amazing. No hot spots in image with vibrant colors and excellent contrast. The silver flake in the wallpaper is so fine and uniform that it looks as if you are looking at a glass picture tube. Silver spray paint can’t match the uniform results of silver wrapping paper.

[winddancer]

i got a school projector sreen 7 feet wide for $3 at a thrift shop it works great so check out the thrift shops

[uvodee]

especially the Salvation army one's have a lot of screens for sale,
in this area at around $10.00 per screen (including the whole metal feet etc...

I stick with the black out cloth (bought at Walmart) at $5.00 per yard.
I tried the photo board with white side, i tried painting a board, etc...


nothing has given ME better result than blackout cloth.
I have my screen in a rather warm room, and finished it in sept 02.
it ihas not one wrinkle, is clean and is smooth as sillk.
I tacked it on a wooden frame, I made of the cheapest wood that I could find at Homedepot

J-P

[mizfits]

this is one of the best i know they're on business since 1842...... i already bought Projection Screen Material 54" x 108"from them for $41.00 and its really good!!....and heres the link from there website http://www.dazian.com/html/projection_screens.html

[technut]

Here is what my sturdy board looks like with a sharp QA1150 and a 3m OHP using a standard FXL lamp. I put a candel next to it to show the brightness.





Those are both 66" diagonal.

[Railbuffrob]

Although I haven't built a video projector yet, I collect old 8mm films, so I needed a screen. I figured that the best thing I could possibly use for a screen would be a screen!, so off to ebay I went and typed in "slide projector screen", I got a few million results, and ended up buying a nice silver 8'x6' wall mount screen. Now, it's not really a DIY screen, but it shows a hell of a picture. One thing I almost bought was this other stuff they sell at Jo-Ann, it's called "Duck Cloth", the woman said it's what they used to use for sailboat sails before nylon came out. It's like a really thin yet strong canvas and comes in all colors, the white stuff looked like it could've made a good screen, probibly better than my original bed sheet screen.