CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

piratepowwow · Joined: 27 May 2010 Posts: 51

Gents,

I'm going to an event in a couple weeks and will be hauling the projector with me. I'll need a screen - the bigger the better. And it's got to fit into a 2dr wrangler. There is very little ambient light at the venue.

I'm using a blackout cloth flat screen in my theater room at the moment and it is about 8ft diagonal. Brightness/Contrast both about 50.

If I go any bigger than 8ft diagonal I'll have to crank brightness up which will cause some bloom and loss of sharpness. Not a big deal, but why compromise?

The solution I am playing around with in my head is to build a soft torus using the silver pvc material. I would build a frame to support the material at the four corners and shoot a fan at the center of it to create the torus shape.

After the event I'll reuse the silver pvc material by making an 8ft soft torus for my theater room(vacuum this time).

Anyone have any input before I start fumbling around?

Thanks!

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

I am not sure how you are going to pull this off, but I would stay away from the silver pvc. That is the stuff that Mtyson used a couple of years ago and he loved/loves it. The problem was that when Gary and I pushed him on it he admitted that you could see the tube reflections. I think he mitigated this somewhat by changing the angle of the screen somewhat to reduce the gain, but I still think it would be a problem. This is something that you could experiment with before you went to Dallas to see if you like it or not. The other alternative albeit more expensive is the Vutec Pearlbrite that I told you about.

Another alternative is rear projection. I am not sure where you are going in Dallas, but give Phil Smith a PM and ask if he still has some rear pro screen material. He might let you borrow it, since he isn't using his pj right now.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12026 Location: Fort Collins, CO

Yeah, Mtyson had his pj on the ceiling so the worst hotspot reflection hit the floor, but it sounded like it was still a major reflector. I mean the stuff has a mirror finish unless you spray it with something, how could it NOT hotspot like mad?

I'm not sure you'd get a fan to do a good job of tensioning it, either. That wouldn't work anything like a neg-pressure torus box. I suspect the mylar would flap in the breeze and probably wouldn't tension properly.

piratepowwow · Joined: 27 May 2010 Posts: 51

@Gary - Yeah, I'm not sure a fan would work either. But I figured I could try a couple different types of fans and see which one worked best. I was thinking a blower aimed straight at the center might be the best option.

Well it was an interesting thought.

Did a little research and found a 110" 16x9 portable Vutec matte white screen for only $112 shipped.

For that price I can't really argue, even if I do have to crank the brightness a little.

Now I'm considering getting the 92" vutec and replacing my homebrew BO cloth screen with it.

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12026 Location: Fort Collins, CO

That's a good price. I've still got a homebrew BO screen too. Embarassed

I suppose it's just 1.0 gain? I really need to order myself some Designer White -- I think I'd really benefit from the extra gain.

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

That is another way to go. I would still try to give Phil a PM.

betel · Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 5:04 am Post subject:

I'd appreciate it if someone would point me to a source of the silver faced pvc and/or pearlbrite material.