Projector screen Help please

[minimo]

Hello to all, I just got a new projector (Sony HW15), and I have a question about the screens. My space has some ambient light, it is not horrible, but it is not pitch black either. You can see the space in my gallery. I put two new curtains to cover other windows, so it is darker than in the pictures. I was considering about getting this screen: http://www.nationalaudiovisualsupply...l?feed=froogle

But my question is about the gain in this screen. Is 2.2 Gain way too much for a semi controled ambient light room, or is it adequate?

Thank so much for all your help, you guys rock!!!!!

[vega2K]

Originally Posted by minimo

Hello to all, I just got a new projector (Sony HW15), and I have a question about the screens. My space has some ambient light, it is not horrible, but it is not pitch black either. You can see the space in my gallery. I put two new curtains to cover other windows, so it is darker than in the pictures. I was considering about getting this screen: http://www.nationalaudiovisualsupply...l?feed=froogle

But my question is about the gain in this screen. Is 2.2 Gain way too much for a semi controled ambient light room, or is it adequate?

Thank so much for all your help, you guys rock!!!!!

Don't forget that projectors are really for night time viewing. In my set-up, I have been using a 1.1 gain High Contrast Greyscreen with no problems and it resides in a multi-purpose room like yours.

I got the following info from Projector Central which talks about high grain screens. Based on this explanation, it sounds like the screen you mention may be more for a class room or conference room, but take a look at this information it is very interesting. Here's an excerpt:

Is high gain good?
It is easy, and wrong, to jump to the conclusion that a high gain screen must be preferable to a low gain screen. After all, higher reflectivity means a brighter image and a brighter image seems like a good thing, right? The problem is that there are some downsides to higher gain in a home theater environment.
First, as just noted there is a trade-off between gain and viewing angle. A 1.0 gain screen diffuses light evenly in all directions. Thus seating can be placed in a wide viewing angle relative to the screen and all seats will afford a similar viewing experience regardless of the angle of view. With a high gain screen the brightness of the image increases to those seated in the center, and diminishes for those seated at the outside. Furthermore once you move off center axis the relative brightness of various portions of the image can shift quite dramatically. Thus a high gain screen can put limitations on the number of optimum viewing seats you can have in your theater.
Second, a high gain screen does not typically reflect red, green, and blue equally. So it can generate color shifts in the image that are noticeable as you move around the screen viewing it from different angles. Once again, the image looks different to each viewer depending on where they are seated.
Third, any screen with a gain higher than 1.0 has some degree of hotspotting. That is, when viewing the screen from a center position, the middle portion of the image will appear brighter than the edges. On screens under 1.3 gain or so this is not very noticeable, but as gain increases beyond 1.3 it can become a real distraction.
High gain screens have a definite place in the world. In conference rooms and classrooms where you want some lights on and most of the seats can be positioned within the screen's narrow cone of reflectance, high gain screens can be quite effective in boosting image brightness. However, the videophile looking for the optimum image quality in a home theater environment will usually want to opt for a low gain screen.

full article here:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/proj...reens_gain.htm

Good luck.

[Fors*]

Originally Posted by vega2K

Don't forget that projectors are really for night time viewing. In my set-up, I have been using a 1.1 gain High Contrast Greyscreen with no problems and it resides in a multi-purpose room like yours.

I got the following info from Projector Central which talks about high grain screens. Based on this explanation, it sounds like the screen you mention may be more for a class room or conference room, but take a look at this information it is very interesting. Here's an excerpt:

Is high gain good?
It is easy, and wrong, to jump to the conclusion that a high gain screen must be preferable to a low gain screen. After all, higher reflectivity means a brighter image and a brighter image seems like a good thing, right? The problem is that there are some downsides to higher gain in a home theater environment.
First, as just noted there is a trade-off between gain and viewing angle. A 1.0 gain screen diffuses light evenly in all directions. Thus seating can be placed in a wide viewing angle relative to the screen and all seats will afford a similar viewing experience regardless of the angle of view. With a high gain screen the brightness of the image increases to those seated in the center, and diminishes for those seated at the outside. Furthermore once you move off center axis the relative brightness of various portions of the image can shift quite dramatically. Thus a high gain screen can put limitations on the number of optimum viewing seats you can have in your theater.
Second, a high gain screen does not typically reflect red, green, and blue equally. So it can generate color shifts in the image that are noticeable as you move around the screen viewing it from different angles. Once again, the image looks different to each viewer depending on where they are seated.
Third, any screen with a gain higher than 1.0 has some degree of hotspotting. That is, when viewing the screen from a center position, the middle portion of the image will appear brighter than the edges. On screens under 1.3 gain or so this is not very noticeable, but as gain increases beyond 1.3 it can become a real distraction.
High gain screens have a definite place in the world. In conference rooms and classrooms where you want some lights on and most of the seats can be positioned within the screen's narrow cone of reflectance, high gain screens can be quite effective in boosting image brightness. However, the videophile looking for the optimum image quality in a home theater environment will usually want to opt for a low gain screen.

full article here:
http://www.projectorcentral.com/proj...reens_gain.htm

Good luck.

Great post vega, I was about to post something very similiar.....anyway, OP, I did find that same screen here for $20 less (I know, it's not much, but it is the price of a blu....)

[Swede]

2.2 Gain is a LOT, I would not think that screen is suitable for a home theater setup

[minimo]

Ok, thanks for the replys. So with a 1.3 gain screen I will only be able to watch movies at night or can I watch it with some light?. I do most of my viewing during the day, so it is really important to me to have a decent picture with a little ambient light. The room is pretty dark but not completely.

[minimo]

Bump

[vega2K]

Originally Posted by minimo

Ok, thanks for the replys. So with a 1.3 gain screen I will only be able to watch movies at night or can I watch it with some light?. I do most of my viewing during the day, so it is really important to me to have a decent picture with a little ambient light. The room is pretty dark but not completely.

minimo,

I think most here will agree that a projector is really not the ideal for daytime viewing. Looking at your layout, it appears that even if you blacked out the windows, you will still get a lot of light from the first floor and light reflections from the walls (bright color). I think the screen gain is really not the issue here if you plan on doing a lot of daytime viewing. If I am mistaken and you can darken the room quite a bit, then I think the 1.3 would be fine for you. IMO. Good luck.

[Another_Dude]

I can't think of a worse experience than spending a bunch of money on a projector and then watching it in too much light on a screen with that much gain.

[Swede]

Originally Posted by minimo

Ok, thanks for the replys. So with a 1.3 gain screen I will only be able to watch movies at night or can I watch it with some light?. I do most of my viewing during the day, so it is really important to me to have a decent picture with a little ambient light. The room is pretty dark but not completely.

Yeah I agree with Vega2K, if you do most of your viewing during the day, looking at your HT area the screen gain really isn't the issue here, as regardless of gain the screen will never get darker than what the light in the room permits since you can't "project" black Good blackout curtains would probably be the best solution, but if you can get it pretty dark a 1.3 gain screen should work fine.