CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

cornelius · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 123

I've got a 100" curved silver vutec screen, that I want to use with a sony 1252q, mainly for gaming. I've read that you shouldn't ceiling mount a projector when using a curved screen. Is this true? My ceilings in the basement are 8', and the projector will hang about a foot down from that after being mounted.

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

Not sure where you read that. The issue that you will have is running out of electronic control. I think bow is probably the biggest problem. Based on your description, you should be fine, but that will depend on the 1252. The great thing about the Vutec is that you should have brightness to spare. One guy was getting 30 ft/lmbs with his screen.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:39 am Post subject:

I think what he was getting at is the high-gain Vutec... It's angular-reflective, so it could hot-spot/color-shift badly because of the seating position relative to the screen and projector. That wouldn't be a problem if it was floor-mounted. I've never seen a ceiling-mounted machine on a high-gain curved screen, so I can't say if it'll be a problem. I've read the same thing though - that you can't do it.

Cornelius, you can test it without mounting... Just put your projector in the room about where you'd sit, and then watch the image from where the projector's lenses will be. That should give you a pretty good idea what it will look like. Try watching some flat color fields... Blue skies, deserts, snowy mountains.

I would think the geometry controls should be more than adequate... You can put/take a ton of bow and pin into/out of the picture.

SC

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

I am curious where you are getting that it would not hot spot or color shift if floor mounted. The only way I could see that it would mitigate it more is being slightly off angle. The Vutec should have enough curve to keep uniformity in check. Color shift will still be a problem, but there is no way around it on a high gain screen.

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:05 am Post subject:

I assumed... I shouldn't have. It depends on the gain and whether it's reflective or retro-reflective. If it's a very high-gain retro-reflective screen, then the reflection will be directed back up at the projector, and the picture will suck in the seating position. If it's angular reflective, I guess it should be fine, as along as it's not too high-gain.

SC

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Here's what you have to remember with a curved screen. The screen has to be able to tilt so you can aim it at the level your sitting. Ceiling mounting is fine and if you don't try cleaning the screen with a soft cloth there should be no hot spotting. Geometry should also be fine.

cornelius · Joined: 19 Aug 2006 Posts: 123

The screen is one of the old vutec silver torus screens. I read that you shouldn't ceiling mount, because the light is reflected back up at the screen. I figured if the projector was hung low enough. it wouldn't really matter. Just wanted to make sure.

The screen can be tilted. I will try setting the projector up on the floor, and standing, to see how that will look.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject:

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

ecrabb · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 6:06 am Post subject:

No, it isn't that the particles are oriented a certain way... It's that the particles reflect the light back the same way it came - regardless of how you angle or tilt the screen. That's how retroreflection works. With a truly retro-reflective screen, you could move the projector and/or screen wherever you wanted, and the screen is still going to reflect the light back at the source - the projector. Within reason, of course.

Try this, Mac -

http://www.da-lite.com/education/angles_of_view.php?action=details&issueid=29

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Ok, I get the retroreflective thing, and I am also aware of dozens of various types of flat screens, but I was unable to find any curved, retroreflective screens. Got any model numbers?

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

It is not a retro screen. Vutec made these by laminating aluminum mylar to gatorboard with an opaque top layer. If you angle the pj and screen correctly, then the light should be focused directly on your seating height.

donaldk · Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 308

If it is not to be cleaned by using a soft cloth, how then should it be cleaned, wouldhave to re-read the fading sticker on the back of my 120"?

donaldk · Joined: 17 Jun 2008 Posts: 308

A fellow CRT build himself a torusscreen, with some gain and his Barco 808 was hanging from the ceiling, trick was to not angle the screenforward, but having it just up right on the wall.