Question Sapphire tensioned or standard non tensioned

moblyme

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I am in the market for a brand-new projector screen so I have whittled it down to the Sapphire brand. I don’t see any reason that their projector screens are not any better that the more expensive Vutec after the projector screen just hangs on the wall and apart for the motor winding the screen up every so often it wont get any real use as it is simply hanging to reflect back the light from the projector.

I have shortlisted the below which are tab tensioned

Sapphire Electric Tab Tension Screen - 243.8 x 137.1cm - 16:9 Format (SETTS240WSF-AW)

Sapphire Electric Tab Tension Screen - 301 x 169.3cm - 16:9 Format (SETTS300WSF-AW)

This Sapphire screen is not tab tensioned

Sapphire Electric Screen (16:9) 270.3 x 151.9cm - (SEWS270RWSF-ATR)

The problem is curling or waving I know the waving won’t start until at least a couple of years or just when warranty is finished as it is usually when the product would be out of warranty the waving will start which is inevitable.

With my above selection of tab tensioned and one not tensioned would the extra cost of the tensioned screen be worth the difference of between £550 & £802 depending where you look.

Has anyone purchased a big screen? The tab tensioned SETTS240WSF-AW has a diagonal view of 110’’ the tab tensioned SETTS300WSF-AW has a diagonal view of 135’’ and the non-tab tensioned SEWS270RWSF-ATR has a diagonal view of 122’’

The 122 diagonal is the sweet spot for me now this non tab tensioned screen will hit at about £500 so there is a big difference in price between the tab tensioned or the standard. Has anyone any fist hand advice if I should hold out and buy the tab tensioned screen as after it is purchased these projection screens are very difficult to shift as no one want to buy second had projection screen.

Any advice would be welcome
 
Firstly I personally would never have a non tensioned screen unless it was from the likes of Stewart and Vutec. I had several screens in the early years from Draper etc and all curled and got wavey quickly.

I then bought a Vutec, with a special Vu-Flex Pro fabric. This was said to be internally tensioned and cut on a bias so that it wouldn't curl or get wavey. Had it nearly 11-12 years and it remained flat to the day I sold it.

So unless you go high end, get one with a tensioning system.
 
I can I ask why a sapphire screen? alot of these screens are made in the same factory and just labelled at the end of the line, it maybe that a different brand i.e. Grandview, optoma could be alot cheaper and still offer the same quality.
 
The Vutec is made in house as they do not outsource their manufacturing as it is all made in house. The reason I would rather go for Sapphire is the price obviously as the equivalent in a Vutec would be over 2.5K which is too much in my opinion no matter how much better the Vutec screens are quality wise I would not believe it would be 2.5K better product.

The Sapphire offer a better screen surface as opposed to the matt white on the other hand the Sapphire screen is coated with micron diamond optical microgrooves to help produce a 4K resolution. That is my main reason for opting for the Sapphire as I doubt the others would offer micro diamonds microgrooves as theirs is stated as being a matte white woven fabric.
 
I've a Sapphire 106" tension screen and its still working great after near three years.
 
The Vutec is made in house as they do not outsource their manufacturing as it is all made in house. The reason I would rather go for Sapphire is the price obviously as the equivalent in a Vutec would be over 2.5K which is too much in my opinion no matter how much better the Vutec screens are quality wise I would not believe it would be 2.5K better product.

The Sapphire offer a better screen surface as opposed to the matt white on the other hand the Sapphire screen is coated with micron diamond optical microgrooves to help produce a 4K resolution. That is my main reason for opting for the Sapphire as I doubt the others would offer micro diamonds microgrooves as theirs is stated as being a matte white woven fabric.
I was only asking just in case, you have certainly done your home work.:smashin:
 
I've a Sapphire 106" tension screen and its still working great after near three years.
Thank you for the heads up and from a fellow Home Theatre aficionado who has experience first-hand how the Sapphire tensioned screen works is a fantastic nod to buy with confidence I have never heard of Sapphire before as I was going to go with another Vutec but when I saw the price I actually gulped I do not think the Vutec is worth over and beyond what Sapphire charge.

Those tension runs at the side does it really make the screen tight the tensioning system are they made of wire or string and how tight does it actually make the screen and what about when you wind the screen up does it all work well with no tangles, or issues suppose after three years of use the answer is no. I have never owned a tensioned screen and this is not a purchase I doubt I would be making ever again. I dont know if I should go for the 110'' diagonal or the 135'' diagonal. The cost difference is negligible.
 
I don't have a tension screen.If I had to place a bet,I could have sworn I wrote non tension.

My heads going.🤪

Anyway.....the NON tension screen is fine after near three years.
 
Im running a 106” 16:9 sapphire for over 3 years now, its still working fine but has a Clunk.. Clunk ..Clunk noise when retracting and when dropping down it sounds like poo bear has spread honey all over it... some edge curl on the borders but does not interfere with the viewing area. Still working fine though.
 
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Agree with Panaman, i have a 120" non tab tension electric screen, which replaced a 106" screen. Both are great screens. A little noisy going up and down, yes there is a slight curl at the edge however, this only affects the black border not the viewing area.
 
Hi, bit late to this but I have had a 91" Sapphire electric, non tension-ed screen for over 11 years and is still good, if there is some side light prior to watching there can be seen a few slight waves but very small and the picture with an Epson TW9400 is great and the waves cannot be seen, I have tried, very fussy, LOL, it was an Epson TW5800 for 10 years before this one.
 
Thank you all for your help. I ended up going for the new fixed screen in the ALR dark grey type screen in 133’’ diagonal in the shops in the UK or the USA they are retailing at between 3K to 4K so I ordered direct from the company who makes them for less than £500 it was a special offer as usually they are over 1K at my size of 133’’ diagonal these screens are awesome and are the true ALR as shown by the many buyers who purchased them and the picture quality is in another league compared to standard matt white.

It comes flat packed so will have to build it up anyway than you all again who replied.
 
Thank you all for your help. I ended up going for the new fixed screen in the ALR dark grey type screen in 133’’ diagonal in the shops in the UK or the USA they are retailing at between 3K to 4K so I ordered direct from the company who makes them for less than £500 it was a special offer as usually they are over 1K at my size of 133’’ diagonal these screens are awesome and are the true ALR as shown by the many buyers who purchased them and the picture quality is in another league compared to standard matt white.

It comes flat packed so will have to build it up anyway than you all again who replied.
do u have a link to this screen ?
 

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