Advice on Screens

D

donmc

Guest
Hi Guys,

First post so treat me gently!

Looks like the Panny at Komplete for under a grand tips the balance for me and I'll be taking the plunge.

Any advice on screens for a newbie. Probably squeeze in a 90" - 100" diagonal but don't know what make to go for. Needs to be fairly cheap. An electric one for £150 would do ;) but I'll probably go for a manual pull down.

Any sources, hits or tips gratefully appreciated.

Don
 
I've just gone for a 92" wide manual pull down from direk2u.co.uk (or something like that). £250 inc vat.

I was going with a home made screen (bought the cloth etc), but it would have had to be permanent (not very portable) and that isn't possible in my lounge, so I lumped up for a pull down screen.

Thats the cheapest I've seen that size 16:9. Draper are about £50 more expensive.
 
Thanks Richard,

I've gone for the 80" x 45" 16:9 pulldown from the same place.

many Thanks
Don
 
Projector deal?

I'm also thinking of taking the plunge?

This seems to be a good deal?

Are there any reliabilty issues with the pany?

Are these screens any good as a starting point?

Distance from pj to screen will be approx 2 metres?

Any tips/comments welcome

Cheers
VC
 
Other than checking this forum, there are some user reviews on www.projectorcentral.com. There is also a smart projection calculator which allows you to determine the size of the image displayed by the projector based on the distance.

I ordered the panny yesterday at about 08:00am UK time and it's just arrived at 11:15am today all the way from Oslo, Norway!! They use DHL so you can track the package all the way, but next day delivery from Norway for a tenna can't be bad.

The screen arrives on Monday. I've no idea if it's a good screen but seems to be fairly well known.

Happy days
 
Hey Guys
I was trying different combinations for that web addy direk2u.co.uk.

Cant seem to find it.
Could you check and repost:cool:

Also, does the size of the image from a projector degrade as it gets bigger??

thx

No worries Found It

www.direkt2u.co.uk

Not sure why they dont go for a better domain name though.

I am prolly going to go for the 92" wide 16:9 screen as above.
I was thinking though, I understand that you gat an extra 12" of black pulldown above the watchable screen area, but is this enough?

Our ceiling is not that high 2300-2400m, should that be ok for this screen, viewing distance will be about 5m.

Also maybe you could confirm how these things work now, same as the ones I remember that pull down and stop where you leave it, pull it again and it will close etc....

Is it easy to fix to ceiling, I was gonna fix it so the screen comes down just in front of the TV screen. Maybe I could leave the centre speaker where it is to, that would be behind the screen when it comes down.?

Oops didnt realise how long this post dragged on, one more thing though, how long did they take to deliver??

Want to be setup for some Xmassy Movie Projector Fun.
Anyone on this thread gotta PTAE100E?
Or would you now buy one with the other models that have now come out??
 
I have an AE100. Walter Stewart (AKA direkt2u.com) were out of stock of the 92", so I went for the 80". Good job too, as I just realised that my mantlepiece is quite high and wouldn't have allowed enough drop for the 92 (I'll just sit closer )

I could have brought it forward, but my centre speaker is on the mantlepiece and thats as low as it can go without being on the fire.

Attempting a DIY ceiling mount once my screen is up. I'm really crap at DIY though so god knows what I'll end up with. Still, its cheap enough to have a few goes at it.
 
Hi,

I too have just ordered a 80x60 screen from Direkt2u (motorised) and am now trying to figure out how to mount it to the ceiling!

Some questions:

How do I find the roof joists? ie is there an intelligent way to do it apart from drilling holes??

What's the best way to fix a screen to a ceiling?

All suggestions welcome.

Thanks,

Jonathan
 
Originally posted by obiwan
Maybe I could leave the centre speaker where it is to, that would be behind the screen when it comes down.?

Sorry mate, as convenient as this would be, the sound would be crap. The screen would absorb some of the sound energy from the centre speaker, leading to a muffled sounding dialogue channel.

Micro-perforated screens are used to allow speakers to be placed behind the screen (as is the case in cinemas). These screens are generally considered unsuitable for use with LCD and lower range DLP projectors. The holes in the screen can line up with the panel structure of the pj, making effects such as the notorious 'chicken wire' look much worse.

Anyone on this thread gotta PTAE100E?

There are loads of people on the forum with this projector. Just take a look at all the threads currently discussing it!
 
How do I find the roof joists? ie is there an intelligent way to do it apart from drilling holes??

You need to invest in a joist/stud/pipe detector available in all good DIY outlets.

Ensure that you not only hit the joist but more importantly MISS the power cables and water pipes, although water pipes are very unlikely to be trailing along the bottom of your plasterboard ceiling your power cables could be.



I even place a link for you to a joist detector

Let me know how you get on as I should be putting my 92" screen up next week:D :rolleyes:
 
next question :)

What kind of screws for mounting the screen? If going into a joist, do I just need big wood screws? Can anyone recommend a particular size? My screen is coming today and I'd like to pop out and pick up some screws at lunch if poss.
 
Hi and thanks for the info on the joist finder.

My screen requires two ceiling mounted hooks and sadly these are not supplied! I now have a 30lb electric 80x60 screen and Homebase is shut!

Also is it absolutely mandatory to fix the screen to the joists - if the hooks on the screen don't line up with a joist can I use plasterboard fixing bolts or will plasterboard not take the weight?

There are two hooks required to suspend the screen so they'll be taking 15lb each.

I have bookcases, shelves and kitchen cupboard mounted to plasterboard walls and taking a lot more than 30lb but that's a shear force on the plasterboard wall not gravity acting directly on the fixings.

I'd just like to avoid demolishing my house - all advice gratefully received!

Jonathan
 
I would not fix the screen straight to the plasterboard with plasterboard fixings.

You must find a joist or hang it on a wall. imho

When mine comes, end of next week or so, I will be using a screw hook or eye. Then fix to that some light chain to bring the screen down to a suitable viewing height. Or just fix it straight to ceiling, dunno yet.
 
Thanks for the advice Obiwan. I think you're right a plasterboard fixing may be dodgy. I'm off to buy a joist detector tomorrow plus some stout hooks! I may have to put a batten up first screwed into the joists if the eyes on the screen don't line up with the joists I can then screw the hooks to support the acreen into the batten I guess.

The screen seems pretty good and I'm pleased overall. The instructions though are pretty poor! We had a few minutes head-scratching when the thing didn't work - the motor made a noise but the screen didn't come down. We were supplied with an allen key and this fitted a couple of allen bolts marked with + and - symbols inside the casing. After some fiddling with those it works like a dream! There is no mention of them in the instructions so I still don't know what exactly I did!

If anyone knows the significance of the allen bolts I'd be grateful.

Thanks,

Jonathan
 
the instructions were poor with my Draper Luma too. I'm a bit disappointed that I seem to have to ceiling mount with screw eyes and S hooks. I would have preferred to directly screw to the ceiling. I imagine screw hooks will be a bitch to screw into joists.

They say use 1 1/4" screw eyes, but would this be directly into wood, so add some for the plasterboard? It seems quite heavy for an inch long screw.

Can you get away with using the wall mounts to attach to the ceiling, or does it have to be mounted 'upright'?
 
Well,

I'm staggered! We got the screen up yesterday and it was a breeze! Bought a stud detector, measured up, bought the biggest hooks we cold find in Focus DIY rated at 45lb load each - over 1" thread. The joist was absolutely where I wanted and running across the short length of the room ie along the line of where I wanted the screen. Screwed both hooks in (easy at first but ended up with mole grips on the hooks towards the end of screwing them in.

Hooked screen up there (after a bit of tugging on the hooks!) - beautifully level!

Watched Bond Goldeneye last night and was struck by the extra detail in shadows and darkness, the wonderful 'flatness' of the image and the reduction in light bouncing around the room.

Absolutely delighted - ceiling still up this morning!

Jonathan
 
Hi,

It's an Infocus LP530 DLP projector and though it isn't a full blown 16/9 projector - just an XGA one I'm chuffed to bits

Best,

Jonathan
 
Hi

Have just bought a Z1 / Gyrolock and Draper Luma 92" manual screen.

For the best / easiest alignment do you put the screen up first or the projector?

Any tips appreciated.

Regards,

Gus
 
337,

I put the projector on a table roughly where I expected it to go and switched on to check that the size/distance of image looked OK before erecting anything. Then I mounted the screen to the ceiling. To be honest in my room and allowing for joists etc there really were only 2 places I could put the screen so the projector just has to work around where the screen is because its location is more flexible. Fortunately everything lined up perfectly for me!

My projector is still on the projection table behind the main seating area and I have no current plans to ceiling mount, although if I did, I'd probably get one of those adjustable brackets for portable TV's to fit on the wall.

Hope this helps,

Saxon
 

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