CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Ben851 · Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Ottawa, Ontario

I'm looking to get a 106" 16x9 fixed screen for my dedicated HT... I'm on a fairly tight budget so I'd like to keep things in a good "bang for buck" range... Anyone have any experience with any of these:

Accuscreen 106" Fixed - $299

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3296548&CatId=2447

Maxstar 106" Fixed - $310

http://cgi.ebay.ca/MaxStar-HDTV-Format-16-9-106-Projector-Fixed-Screen_W0QQitemZ110415337211QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item19b54456fb&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

I guess it's all purely speculative but anyone think I'd notice a huge difference in forking out some extra cash to get something like this?

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2302699&CatId=2447

Thanks
Ben

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

Why not contact Hurley Screens. they have pretty good prices for a pretty nice Screen. WTS loves his Hurley and I plan to get one soon as well.

I had a quote for a 2.39 screen 13 feet wide for just over 400 bucks, lace and grommet which means I would have to make my own frame. the prefabbed frames are ridiculously expensive.

http://www.hurleyscreen.com/

Athanasios

dturco · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:16 pm Post subject:

your #3 choice is a gray screen which is not good for a CRT. I am taking a leap of faith that you have a CRT. So don't get that one for sure.
I have this cheap pull down screen.

http://curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15317

I have never used anything else so I have no comparison but it seems to work well enough. I am going to be buying a "Better and Bigger"? one soon though.

WTS · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1276 Location: Calgary

Well when I read the thread title I thought I'd mention Hurley but I see Athanasios beat me to it. It's easy to make a frame for grommet/lace, I just went to homedepot and bought some aluminum conduit and 90s, some 6"x3/4" boards, conduit straps and some flat metal strapping. Build your 16/9 frame then mount it to the 6x3/4" boards then cover the boards with black velvet for your border.

Ben851 · Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Ottawa, Ontario

dturco · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 1:45 pm Post subject:

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

Dave all of latest will have the new designed filter added, I spoke to moome and he assured me they would be.

Athanasios

dturco · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject:

I thought so. Playing it safe, when I can. Very Happy

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

Ben851 · Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Ottawa, Ontario

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

I doubt it's junk, It's a velvet covered Aluminum fixed frame so you don't have to worry about waviness. As long as it's at least truly 1.0 gain you'll be happy, IF not then selling it at a 100 dollar loss isn't the end of the world either. I know the 2 materials I've seen with CRT's (I have an 8500 too) that really impressed me were the Draper M1300 and Da-lite HP. You could always scour e-bay too, a used $1K screen will typically sell for $250.

daves123 · Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 126

There is a guy on ebay who's got a bunch of the 106" accuscreens that you can get for pretty cheap. They are store returns from tiger direct. I got 2 from him for $100. I was expecting the worst, and was very surprised. They were in great shape. I also wanted some more mounting clips, so I contacted accuscreen and the couriered me a bunch more for free. I can probably dig up his email address if you need it.

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4901 Location: Flower Mound, TX

Person99 · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 4901 Location: Flower Mound, TX

OK, I'm a screen freak. I've comapared more than you would ever want to. I can't believe no one has yet mentioned the clear bang for the buck leader--DW!!!

The Hurley is good for the price if you stay with the lower gain ones (1.5 or less). Their higher gain ones hotspot.

The Studiotek 130 seriously has not rival--period. But it costs.

But in the bang for buck Wilsonart Designer White (DW) rules. It has been tested to death (has minor blue shift--but less than some commercial screens) and proved itself good. A piece for your size is less than $100 and in my comparison's, it beats or equals just about every commercial screen you can get for under $1000 (including the hurley).

Most screens actually have a bit less gain then advertised--so a 1.3 is really like 1.1, etc. The Stewart is a true 1.3 though. The DW is a true 1.24.

Get it and you won't be sorry!

dturco · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 2:45 am Post subject:

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

Dave, out of curiosity did you ever compare the DW and the Da-Lite M1300?

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

dturco · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:39 pm Post subject:

I haven't started any comparisons yet. My thought for the Wilsonart was it's $112.00, if I don't like the results I can cut it up and use it for 2-3 bathroom counter tops/ garage work bench/ potting shed/ later so it could be easy to re-purpose or use as intended. The Da-Lite screen however means I would have to unload it somehow. I see from Drag,mans post that it has been done but I like to see things with my own eyes not in writing by someone in an article touting his opinion. Of course if it were someone here it would lend a lot more credence to my feelings towards the results.

Edit I guess we're talking about the Draper M1300 Not a Da-lite. I could not find a Dalite M1300.

Ben851 · Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Ottawa, Ontario

daves123 · Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 126

Well, there were no scratches or dents on either of the screens I got. Both boxes were mangled, but the individual screen parts were all sealed in there individual plastic bags. I was very surprised. He gave me 2 screens for $100 + $50 to ship both to Ontario from Tennessee (i think) So I was pretty happy. The screens are nice looking, with black velvet borders. They are acoustically transparent though, and they give you 4 mounting clips which MUST be equally spaced on the wall. The screen will bow a bit, until the fabric loosens up. I wasn't really happy about this so I emailed the company and they sent me more clips via ups for free. I actually ended up building 2 wooden frames covered in black material to go behind the screen, I then built a jig to help evenly space the clips, and screwed them into the frames, then attached the screens. I'm now very happy with them. They look great and are very solid. I've only set one up so far in the bedroom (still finishing the basement theater) and I like it better than the draper shadowbox with the m1300 material I was using previously. The draper reflected the red and blues a bit too much on there respective sides, the accuscreen still does this, but not so bad. This leads me to believe that the gain is a little over 1.0, but I could be wrong there.