DIY Fixed Screen - Dark Room - Screen Material Help

AntHart

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Hi :)

im looking to build a 90 inch fixed screen.
Planning to make a timber frame then use MDF as a flat base on top of that for the screen material then cover the outer 2/3 inch surround with a velvet or felt tape to finish.

question I have is...
What colour screen should I go for with a completely dark room.
No ambient light at all.

plus...the choice of either covering with a fabric/material or painting.
Being MDF it will be nice and flat so looking at ‘specialist projector screen paint’ as well as various materials.

what’s best?
Is painting mainly done as a cheaper alternative to material/fabric or is it a genuinely good option?

really looking for recommendations on fabric/screen material to choose OR a type of paint that’s recommended

really appreciate any advice and ideas
Cheers
Ant
 
Keep an eye on eBay I just bought a 113 inch 16:9 reAct 3 for £525/delivered no hassle solution, brand new damaged box.
 
Keep an eye on eBay I just bought a 113 inch 16:9 reAct 3 for £525/delivered no hassle solution, brand new damaged box.
Won’t need a react screen in a dark room
 
white in a dark room is best, you only need grey when trying to gain contrast.
 
Hi I built a fixed screen using 7 mm hardboard, I painted the shinny side with 2 coats of primer then 3 coats of a diy black widow paint, dulux steel grey 2 with aaa aluminium graphic paint. I used a short pile roller and got a stunning result, this helped the black levels on my benq 1070, all in about £80.
 
Hi :)

im looking to build a 90 inch fixed screen.
Planning to make a timber frame then use MDF as a flat base on top of that for the screen material then cover the outer 2/3 inch surround with a velvet or felt tape to finish.

There’s a few options open to you due to the size of the screen. One is build a frame and stretch fabric over this or alternatively to the fabric mount a thin layer of MDF (3-4mm thick) on to the frame and paint it.

question I have is...
What colour screen should I go for with a completely dark room.
No ambient light at all.

Here is where the choice needs to be right for the room, you say completely dark room but you don’t mention the colour of the walls, ceiling or floor and all effect the contrast you will see from the projector. Neither do you mention the projector itself.

If it’s an Epson, Sony or especially a JVC then if your walls/ceiling/floor are very dark in colour then a white screen might be the best option, if you have the above room conditions but are using a DLP then a grey screen would be a better option as this will boost your perceived blacks.

If your walls, ceiling are white or light in colour then a grey screen is the best option regardless of projector.

plus...the choice of either covering with a fabric/material or painting.
Being MDF it will be nice and flat so looking at ‘specialist projector screen paint’ as well as various materials.

what’s best?
Is painting mainly done as a cheaper alternative to material/fabric or is it a genuinely good option?

really looking for recommendations on fabric/screen material to choose OR a type of paint that’s recommended

really appreciate any advice and ideas
Cheers
Ant

There’s loads of DIY screen materials to pick from, to the ones already mentioned you could add Carl’s Place as a very popular choice in the USA and will post to Europe/UK for a reasonable cost. There is another brand I found called Leinwandbau, link below which seems to be very reasonably priced.


Paint is another option though something I’ve yet to try myself but there’s a great guy of AVSForums called MississippiMan who if you are a member there would be worthwhile chatting to before you do anything, he is a specialist in spray painting screens and actually travels all over the world doing this, so he not only sales the stuff but will advise on how to get the best results in your particular room/projector situation.
 
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I hope the OP appreciates that removing ambient light is only one small part of in room light control and maintaining contrast ?
 
I have built many screens, and the cheap solutions have turned out to be the best. In my cinema, I eventually went with a strong fabric (non-specific, just something from a fabrics shop) and painted it with simple white wall paint. No spraying necessary, just painted two coats like you would paint a wall. Added black borders and some black backing fabric, and that's it. Total cost about 60 Euros.

I did some tests with expensive projection screen fabrics and none of them were better. If your room is completely dark, go with white, otherwise grey will be better if you have a bright projector.
 
If it’s an Epson, Sony or especially a JVC then if your walls/ceiling/floor are very dark in colour then a white screen might be the best option, if you have the above room conditions but are using a DLP then a grey screen would be a better option as this will boost your perceived blacks.

Hi, I read this and got a little curious ... Say you have a Benq W2000 (DLP) that has ... so-so blacks, to put it mildly. Say your room is very dark and completely light controlled. Are you saying one could get better blacks using a grey screen instead of a white? Are there any drawbacks?
 
Hi, I read this and got a little curious ... Say you have a Benq W2000 (DLP) that has ... so-so blacks, to put it mildly. Say your room is very dark and completely light controlled. Are you saying one could get better blacks using a grey screen instead of a white? Are there any drawbacks?


What are the color of the walls?

A grey screen will dim the image and get better blacks at the cost of color and white peaks.

Thread:
 
Hi, I read this and got a little curious ... Say you have a Benq W2000 (DLP) that has ... so-so blacks, to put it mildly. Say your room is very dark and completely light controlled. Are you saying one could get better blacks using a grey screen instead of a white? Are there any drawbacks?
What are the color of the walls?

A grey screen will dim the image and get better blacks at the cost of color and white peaks.

Thread:

@noob0101 is correct that in general you gain better blacks at the expense of whites and colours but with tweaking you can regain this but the biggest thing you need when using a grey screen is a projector with plenty of lumens.

Another thing, there’s screen paints out there that claim not to lose colours and less affect on whites. I have mentioned this else where but if a member of AVSForums as well then connect @MississippiMan who is a specialist in screen paints, he paint has achieve amazing results by all accounts.
 
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