project picture to the wall

[VHS4Ever]

Ok, I'm probably going to get flame but I'll ask anyways. If I buy a projector and project it to a fairly smooth white or grayish wall. Will the picture still look good?

[kpkelley]

It will be ok, but you'd get a better picture with some type of reflective surface, wether that is special paint on the walls or a screen.

IDK if this is true, but walls might not be as directionally reflective as most screen materials and so could require higher lumen output. But, I could be wrong?

Do you have the projector already?

Also, check the DIY threads on here to make your own screen, It won't be all that expensive if you are capable

[VHS4Ever]

Not yet but I'm thinking of getting one.

[kpkelley]

Here is a new ad at avsforum:Planar 7060 $750

That is a very good projector that can power a fairly large screen give enough space for the throw length.

Here is a review.


Projecting an image on to a wall is ok for a temporary period of time, but I would suggest getting some sort of screen if you plan on having a dedicated theatre room. At the very least, the border surrounding a frame increases perceived contrast. Even if you painted a screen on the wall with a border, that would be preferable to projecting on a solely white/grey surface.

[Oddiophile]

Yes, you can get good results from projecting onto a plain white wall.

Just make sure it's clean, has little to no texture, and is a pure white.


You may also want to look in to a product called Screen Goo, it is a DIY video screen in a box. Works just as well as any screen you would buy but you paint the screen on to your wall.


http://www.goosystems.com/screengoo/

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by Oddiophile

Yes, you can get good results from projecting onto a plain white wall.

Just make sure it's clean, has little to no texture, and is a pure white.


You may also want to look in to a product called Screen Goo, it is a DIY video screen in a box. Works just as well as any screen you would buy but you paint the screen on to your wall.


http://www.goosystems.com/screengoo/

1) Doesn't have to be white, could be a shade of grey etc.... depending on light/projector etc.

2) FALSE.

[ryoohki]

A paint on the wall will likely give you 0.8 of gain approximatly, close to that so it depend on the distance, the Zoom range, the lumens and the light control of you're room

[hardcorefrokid]

I project my projector onto my wall. I get a great picture.

[Oddiophile]

Originally Posted by ryoohki

A paint on the wall will likely give you 0.8 of gain approximatly, close to that so it depend on the distance, the Zoom range, the lumens and the light control of you're room

It really depends on the paint, it's color, and the texture of the wall. A pure white paint should net you around a 1.0 gain, lite gray around 0.7 -0.8 depending on the shade, darker you go the less light is reflected back. Some DIYers have tried adding a little silver paint to lite gray paints to up the gain.

Originally Posted by Beta Man

1) Doesn't have to be white, could be a shade of grey etc.... depending on light/projector etc.

2) FALSE.

I'm suppressed how many people out there think you have to have a screen for front projection. Like Tinkerbell came by farted on the screen material and now it has some magical powers of video awesomeness.

A video screen is nothing more then a flat surface that has been engendered to reflect light. Your front wall in your house is just as good of a surface as a screen but is not designed to reflect light like pre-bought screen material is. Screen goo is a good way to go because it takes the screen gain guess work out of buying a gallon of paint at the Home Depot. Want a high gain screen? Screen goo has an Ultra Silver 3D paint with a rated 4.2 gain.

VUTEC makes the best high gain screens out there for front projection the "Silverstar" at 6.0 gain. The screen is a fixed frame screen that is a piece of foam core coated with a special coating. How is a wall coated with a special paint different then a piece of foam core coated with a special paint? Lets say you have a white wall at 1.0 gain and a screen at 1.0 gain, how are they visually different?

[kefrank]

Originally Posted by Oddiophile

Your front wall in your house is just as good of a surface as a screen but is not designed to reflect light like pre-bought screen material is.

This is simply not true. Some walls may be "just as good" if they're completely flat, free from any defects at all, and painted with the appropriate paint. But most walls in a house more than few years old have some imperfections (nicks, filled holes, etc) that are made much more obvious when you shine a really bright light on them (which is exactly what a projector does). If you want a truly flat, clean surface, a screen is the way to go. You can get a decent one in the smaller range (ie. 60 to 80") for about the same price as Goo Systems paint.

[Beta Man]

I'm not saying a flat surface wall, with one of the various paint "Recipes" doesn't make for a good screen.... . I certainly would have went that route if I had a choice in the matter, but I made a DIY screen that I could hang from the ceiling/wall......

What I'm saying, is that a painted wall, isn't as good as ANY of the screens you can buy..... it's certainly as good as "some" of the screens you can purchase..... but higher end screens are designed with specific materials, and are created in a way specifically designed for projection..... and they do it better than a Wall....

Does that mean I'd pay the $5,000 or $10,000 for them with my setup??? No... but in a higher end setup I certainly would pay that rather than projecting onto a wall, or my current DIY screen for sure.

[drago3451]

If you are trying to save money there are some cheap options out there. Here are some from monoprice.http://www.monoprice.com/products/su...09&cp_id=10829

I do not own one but it may be better than a plain wall if it has some marks on it.

[Hendricks4333]

I haven't read respponses, but you can get a very good result with the wall. To do that you would want it to be sanded flat and painted with a good paint for projection.

If your in an apartment and you want do that, you can go to HD or Lowes, many other places sell it also. Get a sheet of Wilson Art laminate, in designer white. Then a piece of hardboard to glue it to. Then you can make a frame out of wood and wrap in velvet also. You could do this for around 100 to 120 dollars depending.

[Ethenolas]

I use a cream colored wall for my 1080UB temporarily in my apartment. Here are some shots to give you an idea of what you can get.


https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=39987&page=3

[Beta Man]

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[Disky76]

Originally Posted by VHS4Ever

Ok, I'm probably going to get flame but I'll ask anyways. If I buy a projector and project it to a fairly smooth white or grayish wall. Will the picture still look good?

I would recommend a screen. 100"+ manual pull-downs can be bought for less than $100. Logic suggests that if you have the wall space to project upon, then you have the space for the screen, and the results will be dramatically better on a screen.

If you are renting and can't drill holes, I would suggest looking at screen models that come with a stand. They are fairly portable, no drilling or hanging, although a little more expensive.

Good luck!

[jkwest]

My brother uses his wall...he just happened to swing by Home Depot and they were clearancing out Screen Goo...normally $129 a gallon down to $35....maybe check your local DiY home store and see if its on clearance...