Budget screen recommendations?

donkmeister

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I'm buying my first projector screen. 16:9, 106". As my cinema room does double duty as an entertaining space (well.. it will do... one day...) we need a retractable screen.

I don't want to spend more than £200-250 on this, so unfortunately that rules out tab-tensioned screens so far as I can see. I'll probably be moving house before I get curly edges anyway. :)

Given my budget constraints, I think a manual screen is my best choice. At this budget, I appreciate that having as much of my money as possible going on the screen material is going to give me more pleasure than having the screen deploy and retract automatically. I'd seen a review of a Luxburg electric screen that seemed good value for money but the reviewer caveated it with "the texture is annoying but you get used to it".

Does anyone have any experience of the Optoma DS-9106MGA or the Sapphire SWS240WSF-ASR2, or those brands in general? Any other brands of screen worth investigating at or below that price bracket?

I don't know if it makes any difference but I watch 3D movies, and there will be a mix of lights-out viewing and "dim daylight" viewing, and the current favourite for the PJ is an Optoma UHD42.
 
Realising that home cinema is a topic that people are passionate about and usually have strong opinions, and noting that this question has drawn no response... is it safe to say that in this price bracket it really doesn't make much difference? Or is it that people update their screens less frequently than electronics so it's rare that anyone does a before/after comparison?
 
As a budget screen, Optoma's are usually great value. I've never seen a Sapphire screen, so I cannot comment on it. But as a rule, a standard matt white screen will be fine for most projector when watching 3D. What you have to be aware of is that the eyewear will dim the brightness of the image and no screen will pull what is lost from the eyewear. Usually the projector ramps everything up to its highest brightness mode for 3D and you can uses a little of this option for dim daylight viewing.

Now a high gain or reflective screen will deliver better reflective properties, but as you have also mentioned lights out viewing they also have negatives in these conditions, so as a balanced approach you will usually find a 1.0 to 1.4 gain matt white screen will usually be ideal for different viewing types as you have suggested

As for how long people change their screens. I usually find that people switch electronics then speakers with screens being changed last. It's also why people usually spend a little a section of their budget on this where they can as keeping a screen for three to four projectors isn't uncommon
 
I’m looking for a 106 to 116” fixed frame screen in this price range too and there is very little out there. Ideally as the room is light controllled a 0.9 gain screen is what I want but there is nothing at all available. There is an Elite sable screen but that is spring tensioned and gets some bad reviews, a saphire screen but that’s 1.1 gain and maybe one other I came across but again that is 1.2 gain.

If anyone can point me in the direction of a grey screen for £300 ish or less it would be appreciated.

The optoma screen is 100” but just feels a tad too small.
 
I’m looking for a 106 to 116” fixed frame screen in this price range too and there is very little out there. Ideally as the room is light controllled a 0.9 gain screen is what I want but there is nothing at all available. There is an Elite sable screen but that is spring tensioned and gets some bad reviews, a saphire screen but that’s 1.1 gain and maybe one other I came across but again that is 1.2 gain.

If anyone can point me in the direction of a grey screen for £300 ish or less it would be appreciated.

The optoma screen is 100” but just feels a tad too small.

I bought a QualGear from Amazon at around £200 at the time which service me very well.

Amazon product ASIN B01AT3ILGW
There's cheaper ones on Amazon but since I have this one and have used it for 2 years it's one I can highly recommend.
 
Yeah, seen that but the 0.9 gain 110” one is unavailable and has been for some time. That is 1.2 gain and 100” so not what I’m searching for. It seems to be the case for loads of screens, lots of listings but very few available to buy.
 
Yeah, seen that but the 0.9 gain 110” one is unavailable and has been for some time. That is 1.2 gain and 100” so not what I’m searching for. It seems to be the case for loads of screens, lots of listings but very few available to buy.

I see that and I don't think anyone other than Amazon sell them. You could see around pricing it from Amazon.com to see if it isn't out of the ballpark.
 
As a budget screen, Optoma's are usually great value. I've never seen a Sapphire screen, so I cannot comment on it. But as a rule, a standard matt white screen will be fine for most projector when watching 3D. What you have to be aware of is that the eyewear will dim the brightness of the image and no screen will pull what is lost from the eyewear. Usually the projector ramps everything up to its highest brightness mode for 3D and you can uses a little of this option for dim daylight viewing.

Now a high gain or reflective screen will deliver better reflective properties, but as you have also mentioned lights out viewing they also have negatives in these conditions, so as a balanced approach you will usually find a 1.0 to 1.4 gain matt white screen will usually be ideal for different viewing types as you have suggested

As for how long people change their screens. I usually find that people switch electronics then speakers with screens being changed last. It's also why people usually spend a little a section of their budget on this where they can as keeping a screen for three to four projectors isn't uncommon
Thanks for that, useful information!
 

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