CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Kiev Savoie · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 432

OK, so if you are familiar with my other posts you may know that i am working on an RP setup with an 80" screen. I found a Mitsubishi VS-8087 80" 4:3 aspect ratio RPTV about 7 hours drive away. This gives me a great mirror and optical screen in one package and just barely fits my budget. However, I came across a Draper Diamond Screen for about the same price.

http://www.draperinc.com/ProjectionScreens/ScreensProducts.asp?detail=150

This one appears to be a 78" diagonal 16:9 screen with a professional frame. I'm sure you guys have seen it. I would be stuck having to find a mirror and i would not have the flexibility to use all of the tube face as i would with a 4:3 screen, but man, this thing is the top of the line latest technolgy.

It seems like the diamond screen will perform better than the screen from the old RPTV made in the mid 90's, but i'm not sure. Optics technology does seem to constantly improve, but we are talking about the same fresnel/lenticular concept for both screens. Oh, and the Diamond screen retails for like 8 or 9 THOUSAND dollars, so it's a steal and I get to brag about that fact if I buy it.

What do you guys think?

Clarence · Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 4:41 pm Post subject:

Large first-surface RP Mirrors are easy to find, but impossible to ship... I've given away 3.

I might have one more in the storage room. Where are you located?

Kiev Savoie · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 432

I am in louisiana. yeah, one way or another I can get some kind of mirror for the job. it will just require a little more effort.

PiDD · Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 87 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba

Kiev Savoie · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 432

it was a total fluke. an AV company was getting rid of it on ebay. something that was ordered for a project but never used. i won it for $500 plus shipping and it just happened to be the exact size i needed.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:10 am Post subject:

Kiev Savoie · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 432

Yeah, i think this is the biggest score i've ever made on ebay!

PiDD · Joined: 03 Dec 2006 Posts: 87 Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba

wow no kidding ... now lets see .. search 103" Draper Diamond lol

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

Hey, that is a great score. I am not the biggest fan of RP for CRT, but a great screen can make a difference. Peter over at AVS had a demo with DNPs best screen using 3 chip DLP and it looked excellent. The DNPs are state of the art and were used in a lot of the RPTVs over the last couple of years. I wonder if Draper is sourcing their screens from DNP, someone else or making their own. If it is on the same level as the DNP I saw, then you should be pleased.

Kiev Savoie · Joined: 25 Oct 2007 Posts: 432

I'm not sure, i know it is a one piece acrylic design with the fresnel pattern impressed on the back and the lenticular pattern on the front insted of two seperate pieces the way they used to do it. Da-lite has a product that appears to be identical with the same 3.5 gain ratio. maybe they are getting there stuff from the same supplier. Of course Draper does proclaim there diamond screen as the best performer in the world. I'll buy that for dollar!