Projector Process...

[chas]

I know... I saw your post over there and thought I'd give you a little grief.

Actually I'm really looking forward to your review of the Z3.

[Jonnyozero3]

Congrats Nick - I can't wait to see some pics and hear your impressions.

And don't worry, I'm fairly certain things could maybe be just fine

[Nicholas Mosher]

A quick shot of the Da-Lite samples I received. The top left sample is their "High Power" material which has a gain of 2.8! (Note that the paper the samples are mounted on are Matt White and have a Gain of 1).

It also rejects ambient light, giving you an image that won't get as washed out when the room isn't completely blacked out. I can't wait to test this particular material. It's one of those things that make you say "Wow" when you handle it.

Downside is that it has a 30* cone of effect, and you must have the PJ either table mounted, or only a couple feet above your head or less. My room/seats/planned PJ position all fall within these guidelines, so this material would fit my application. It has rave reviews as well.

Due to my purchase of the Z3, I received a preferred quote from VA of $895 (incl. shipping) for a 77" High Power screen tensioned in a Pro-Trimmed (velvet lined) 3" wide Cinema Contour frame. I'll be ready to pounce on this in mid/late August if I like it after actually testing it with my Z3.

Thats if I get a DVD player back that functions properly...

[Jonnyozero3]

Thanks for posting the pic. I just recieved my samples from Carada and a bunch from Da-Lite are on the way. I'm looking forward to see what I like best with my M700.

[Nicholas Mosher]

I hear high-gain screens don't work so hot with DLP PJs. They exacerbate color-wheel artifacts. Just what I heard. The 1.0Gain Carada is an excellent deal with the criterion frame.

[Jonnyozero3]

Hmm, interesting - I'll have to watch for that. I'm assuming you are talking about motion-dithering? If it's RBE I could see it on a black wall, , but I ignore it.

I've been checking out the Optoma Greywolf for the past week or so, and it's not bad. Rated at 1.8 gain but realistically is around 1.4-ish I guess. I haven't noticed an increase in dithering, but I did notice a reduction in RBE; due to the grey color of the screen I assume. The texture still bothers me a little, but my jury is out on that. Also, since it's retro-reflective (vice angular reflective IIRC) and my pj is ceiling mounted I lose some brightness at seating height. That same viewing angle drop-off happens horizontally as well and hurts my widest two seats.

I'm hoping several of the da-lite's and carada screens will be better options, without a great increase in price. I may build my own frame to save money. Does carada sell fabric only? I need to check on that...

[Nicholas Mosher]

Carada definetly makes money off the screen materials. After comparing the material quality of their samples with Da-Lites, it's no contest. Da-Lite materials (except the RP materials) are nice and thick, and laminated/bound to a tightly woven undermaterial. From pictures Carada's velvet lined frames look top-notch though.

The Carada Brilliant White is definetly less reflective than equivalent rated screens from Da-Lite. I think it's more like 1.1 or something.

T minus four days until the PJ arrives...

[Eddie Horton]

Let us know how it goes. I'm looking forward to a LCD projector in my home. My wife and I went over to a friend's apartment complex last night that has a 15 seat theater that you can rent out if you are a tenant. The screen was a very nice Stewart, the speakers were M&K, but the bass was very lacking. The PJ was an Infocus 7205, and the RBE was terrible to me and one of the other guys there, but my wife didn't notice it. We watched "The Machinist". Freaky.

[chas]

Wow...that hi-power material looks like it glows in the dark. Can it double as a night-light?

Is the Carada material thin enough that you would worry about rips/tears/punctures more than the Da-Lite?

[Nicholas Mosher]

The Carada material is definetly much thinner than the Da-Lite materials (except the RP materials). To me the Carada materials seem like simple PVC sheets without much thought behind them. One is gray, one is a bit off-white, and one is white white. I'd be a little worried about wrinkles/waves if it's not tensioned properly.

You can tell Da-Lite spent alot of time/thought/engineering on their materials. Some of them are pretty complex looking combinations of backing/surface/coating/emulsions etc.


The Carada Criterion frames look like pretty solid units, especially how the Criterion frame goes right down to the screen surface. I hope teh Da-Lite Cinema Contour frame is of equal quality, and there is no gap between screen and frame. The High Power material is just so cool though. A couple times a day I pick it up and check it out. It's pretty neat stuff.

My PJ arrives Thursday!